The Nigeria Football Federation has attributed the Super Eagles’ AFCON quarter-final win to President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abidjan, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau expressed gratitude to Tinubu for his backing and emphasized the President’s dedication to the growth of sports, especially football.
After Ademola Lookman’s goal, assisted by Moses Simon, gave the squad a 1-0 victory over Angola, Gusau commended Tinubu’s inspirational remarks.
He noted that the President’s support for the team showed how committed he is to sports development, especially football.
He said, “You heard what he said. He said, ‘Boys go there, believe in me.
‘You don’t have any problem and whatever issues you are facing, just believe in me. Go and do the job and you’ll see the result.’
“That’s exactly what he told them; you can see them doing the job.
“By the grace of God, I know he is going to reward them handsomely, which has never happened before in the history of Nigeria.
“We promised him that we were going to give him the trophy, and by the grace of God, we are going to do just that.”
He reiterated the NFF’s promise to deliver the trophy to Tinubu and called on Nigerians to continue supporting the team.
He said, “We have just two matches to go and by the grace of God we will continue to do what we are doing.
“We call on all Nigerians to pray for us because prayer is the key to whatever we are doing.
“So, we call on all Nigerians to continue to support us with prayers.”
Aisha Falode, NFF Executive Board Member, emphasized the NFF’s compliance with Tinubu’s mandate to win the cup for Nigeria.
She expressed confidence in reaching the final and urged Nigerians to rally behind the team.
She said, “We got that mandate, ‘go win the cup for Nigeria,’ and we are on the way to doing that.
“It is a mantra of a renewed hope.
“A renewed Super Eagles for a renewed Nigeria with one mandate; to bring the 2023 AFCON trophy back to Nigeria for Nigerians to celebrate.
“That’s what we are going to do. We are on our way to the final. We love Nigeria.”
Nigeria’s upcoming opponent in the semi-final will be decided between Cape Verde and South Africa, and the tournament, which began on January 13 in Cote d’Ivoire, is set to conclude on February 11.
