The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick has commended the Super Eagles for their performance at the 2021 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament despite the exit at the Round 16 stage.
The Super Eagles on Sunday evening locked horns with the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in the Round 16 stage of the ongoing tournament in Cameroon.
Although Nigeria was tipped to win that game, a lone goal scored by Yousef Msakni handed Tunisia a 1-0 victory to sail through to the quarter-finals.
Sharing his thoughts after the exit, NFF President Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick has said the country is proud of the performance of the players.
“We are proud of the efforts of the players. They gave their all and tried very hard to win even when they had numerical disadvantage. It was just not our day,” the NFF president shared.
He continued, “I want to thank His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for his love, support and encouragement to the team while they were in the championship. I also praise the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare for his interest and attention in the progress of the team. Losing at this stage is painful but we take solace in the great spirit with which the team approached its four matches in Cameroon, out of which it won three.
After the AFCON exit, Nigeria must now prepare for the clash against Ghana in the playoff of the Africa qualifiers to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.