- Safiu Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has charged the Super Eagles of Nigeria to put behinde the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification Play-off loss and get back on track ahead of the forthcoming 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
Tinubu gave the charge in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, hours after the Democratic Republic of Congo defeated Nigeria at the Africa’s qualifiers play-off.
NPO Reported that Super Eagles had their hope dashed as they lost in a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1 in extra time on Sunday.
DR Congo triumphed 4-3 on penalties to advance to the Inter-Confederation play-off, keeping their own 2026 World Cup hopes alive.
Reacting to the development, Tinubu in the statement, commended the Super Eagles for putting up their best efforts towards qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, despite their loss in the playoffs on Sunday.
While admitting to the pain of watching the Eagles fail to qualify for the World Cup tournament for the second consecutive time, the President held that the team must be commended for striving hard to reach the Mundial, particularly after winning their first playoff match.
He charged the to put behind them the loss and prepare for the AFCON which will be held from December 2025 to January 2026 in Morocco.
“Notwithstanding the unfortunate loss, we must commend the players for their efforts and continue to support them.
“We must now plug all the loopholes. Our football administrators, players, and indeed all stakeholders must go back to the drawing board.
“Now is the time to focus all efforts on the Cup of Nations. Our Super Eagles must recover the lost glory.” Tinubu said as quoted by Onanuga.