The scene was at Mike Adenuga Centre (ALLIANCE FRANCAISE) in Ikoyi, Lagos where partners of Nigerian football Friday evening assembled to unveil a campaign to excite back for the Nigeria’s senior national, the Super Eagles ahead of their participation at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Tagged ‘Let’s Do It Again’, fueled by SportsDotcom, the campaign, which has gotten the endowments of the Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Sports Development and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is planned to allow the Super Eagles the affirmation that, although they will be the ones doing the fights on the field of play, the whole country of over 200m people is unequivocally behind them.
An elated Minister of Sports, Mr John Enoh seem not stow away his reverence for the campaign which he said has been the lost interface between Nigerians and the Super Eagles whenever they are on international duties.
He said: “The government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu strongly believes the power of football and other sports in enhancing national unity, hence the resolve that this is never being kidded with.
“Let’s Do It Again campaign is about stirring the bolster of Nigerians for the effective outing of our national team at the AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire in January next year.
“Nigeria encompasses an extraordinary football history and we must all ride on this to thrust the Super Eagles to wonderfulness at the AFCON. I need to urge corporate organisations to connect with the campaign and grant vital assets for its success.
“This is another opportunity for us to re-enact the accomplishment of 2013, the last time Nigeria lift the AFCON.
“We must come together to utilize this campaign to stir the awareness of Nigeria project within the minds of all Nigerians, and we must also utilize the campaign to envelope the entire Nigeria,” Senator Enoh said.
Former President of the NFF and FIFA Committee Member, Amaju Pinnick said that Nigerians must indiscriminately bolster the Super Eagles to have a fruitful outing in Cote D’Ivoire, including that “we ought to make that mental capacity to exceed expectations at the AFCON independent of the level of the restrictions.
To Pinnick, Nigerians ought to not quickly judge the Eagles with their performance against Lesotho in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Thursday.
“Though, the match against Lesotho was awful, we ought to not be down. We must qualify by all means and play at the World Cup in the US. It’ll be unimaginable for us not to be in that World Cup,” Pinnick said.
“For the AFCON 2024, I accept typically our year to win it since with this Let’s Win It Once more campaign, it appears that we are being delicate to what we are doing and by the beauty of God it’ll be our year,” he said.
President of the NFF, Ibrahim Gusau was full of assurance that Nigeria will bounce back after that poor showing against Lesotho, adding that the players and the football governing body know what it is at stake.
“I have no doubt in my mind that we are going for the Nations Cup once again after what we did 10 years ago.
“The Eagles need all encouragement we can patriotically give to them. At the NFF level, we are doing all possible things to ensure that Nigeria do it again.
“The draw against Lesotho was just a wakeup call, we will qualify for the World Cup,” said NFF boss.
Former Super Eagles captain and Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Sports, Daniel Amokachi assures Nigerians that the Eagles will do the nation proud at the AFCON.
“I am a huge fan of this generation of the Super Eagles players. They need our support and please let’s give it to them. Our commitment of support is what they need,” he said.
Joseph Yobo, former captain of the Eagles, under whose captainship the nation won the AFCON in 2013 when late Stephen Keshi was the chief coach, gave the full assurance that “we are due to win the cup again. it has been long, 10 years not a joke.”
Yobo noted it was a big privilege to represent his country through his glorious career in the senior national team. He emphatically said the Super Eagles have what it takes to win the Nations Cup again.
“Teamwork and intelligent give any team victory in any championship and if we can do it in 2013, these Eagles can do it in 2014,” Yobo said.
Incumbent skipper of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa, appealed to the Nigerian media to take it easy with the young boys in the team.
According to him, unlike the older players, the young boys in the Super Eagles can’t take the pressure coming from the outside when things go wrong.
“I will appeal to Nigerians to keep believing in the team even anytime our performance doesn’t live up to expectation. We will not relent. We are going to the Nations Cup to do it again and for the World Cup qualifiers, I want to assure the country that we shall qualify,” Musa said.
Many dignitaries at the unveiling ceremony included former coach of the Eagles, Samson Siasia, ‘Headmaster’ Mutiu Adepoju, Sunday Mbah, journalists, celebrities, influencers, sponsors of the NFF and others.
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