Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, has said that President Bola Tinubu told him that he was not impressed with the Super Eagles’ display in their final Africa Cup of Nations Group A clash against Guinea-Bissau a few days ago.
The minister, led this out while addressing the Nigeria’s players and coaches via a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, ahead of round of 16 clash with Cameroon.
Recall that Jose Pesiero’s side defeated Guinea-Bissau 1-0 and finished in second position in Group A behind leaders Equatorial Guinea.
Enoh said: “One of the main reasons that made me have this call with you is the chance I had meeting with Mr President yesterday, I went to the Villa for something else and the president cornered me and said, ‘we managed to qualify [for the Round of 16].’
“I said your Excellency, that is how we will be going until we win the tournament. And he said, ‘tell our players I wasn’t too impressed in our last match but I know that now that they are off the Group stages, I know they are going to impress me more and more.’ That is what the president told me.
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“The president is actually watching your matches and he is urging you and he knows that there was a lot of consciousness at the Group stages and he knows that from the Round of 16 that they [Super Eagles] are going to be more and more impressive.
“I remembered that in 2022 in Cameroon, at the Group stages, Egypt as a country barely struggled to qualify but that same Egypt went ahead to go and play the finals.
“I remembered that same Egypt, we won them in the Group stage. I remembered that superlative goal scored by Iheanacho.
“I also need to communicate to you the mood back home in the country, Every Nigerian is rooting for you and believing you are going to do it again like the slogan of the NFF.”
INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that Super Eagles will be playing Cameroon on Saturday, 27th of January, at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny stadium, in Ivory Coast.
