The venue was Mike Adenuga Centre (ALLIANCE FRANCAISE) in Ikoyi, Lagos where stakeholders of Nigerian football Friday evening gathered to unveil a campaign to galvanise support for the Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles ahead of their outing at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Tagged ‘Let’s Do It Again’, powered by SportsDotcom Limited, the campaign, which has received the blessings of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Sports Development and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is designed to give the Super Eagles the assurance that, though they will be the ones doing the battles on the field of play, the entire nation of over 200m people is solidly behind them.
An elated Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh could not hide his admiration for the campaign which he said has been the missing link between the people and the national team whenever they are on international duties.
He said: “The present government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu recognises the power of football and sports in general and will leave nothing to chance to ensure that what brings the people together as a united force is never being joked with.
“Let’s Do It Again is all about galvanising the support of the good people of our nation for the successful outing of our national team at the AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire in January next year.
“Nigeria has a great football history and we must all ride on this to push the Super Eagles to glory in the Nations Cup. I want to enjoin corporate organisations to join the campaign and give necessary resources for its success.
“This is another opportunity for us to re-enact the feat of 2013, the last time Nigeria lift the AFCON.
“We must come together to use this campaign to reawaken the consciousness of Nigeria project in the minds of all Nigerians, and we must also use the campaign to envelope the whole Nigeria,” Senator Enoh said.
Former President of the NFF and FIFA Council Member, Amaju Pinnick said that Nigerians must blindly support the Super Eagles to have a successful outing in Cote D’Ivoire, adding that “we need to create that mental capacity to excel at the AFCON irrespective of the level of the oppositions.
To Pinnick, Nigerians should not hurriedly judge the Eagles with their performance against Lesotho during the World Cup qualifying match in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Thursday.
“Though, the game against Lesotho was bad, we should not be down. We must qualify by all means and play at the World Cup in US. We should know that Nigeria’s Super Eagles have history in the US. It will be unthinkable for us not to be in that World Cup.
“For the AFCON 2024, I believe this is our year to win it because with this Let’s Win It Again campaign, it shows that we are being sensitive to what we are doing and by the grace of God it will 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 chieftains of the NFF, former coach of the Eagles, Samson Siasia, ‘Headmaster’ Mutiu Adepoju, Sunday Mbah, journalists, celebrities, influencers, sponsors of the NFF and others.
