Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received Tuesday in Abuja during an official ceremony the Nigerian football team, returning to the country after its run at the African Cup of Nations (CAN), only beaten by the Côte d’Ivoire. Ivoire 2-1 in the final, Sunday in Abidjan.
Each national team player was decorated with the Cross of the Order of the Niger, one of the country’s highest honors, and offered an apartment and property in the capital Abuja area federal. President Tinubu, who received the Super Eagles at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, said he was “proud” of them and applauded their “resilience” and their ability to “lift the morale” of the country.
“This defeat should not discourage us, but encourage us to work harder. We are one great nation united by the green-white-green banner of resilience, joy, hope, duty and love,” the president said. Arriving in the CAN final, the Super Eagles, three-time African champions (1980, 1994 and 2013), aroused a wave of enthusiasm in a country hit hard by a deep economic crisis.
The defeat against the Elephants in the final, however, deprives the Nigerian people of an opportunity for collective jubilation, which the Head of State would have liked to benefit from while he faces strong criticism due to increasing insecurity. and the cost of living.