Encourage Super Eagles to bounce back and do better next time – Buhari tells Nigerians

President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to Nigeria’s elimination from the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

The Super Eagles crashed out of the tournament on Sunday following their 1-nil loss to Tunisia in the round-of-16.

After the defeat, the Nigerian players faced heavy backlash online and some were forced to deactivate their social media account.

President Buhari, in a statement released on Monday, advised Nigerians to encourage the footballers to bounce back and do better next time.

He added that he has directed the football authorities to undertake a critical assessment of the AFCON performance, to enable better outcomes in the future.

The statement reads; ”Even though the Super Eagles did not live up to our expectations in the AFCON match last night, they all, officials and players alike, deserve commendation for the tough fight they put up.

Indeed they gave everyone the confidence that they were up to it, and I am sure it was something they could have achieved. Nonetheless, we should not write them off.

What we should all do instead, as Nigerians, is to encourage them to bounce back and do better next time.

I have directed the football authorities to undertake a critical assessment of the AFCON performance, to enable better outcomes in the future, starting with the forthcoming World Cup qualification matches.

I am also using this opportunity to urge the general public to send your suggestions to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), so that they can reflect and plan well for a better outing in the World Cup.

God bless our Super Eagles, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”