Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has called on private individuals and Corporate Nigeria to rally around the senior national football team, the Super Eagles, in their quest to lift the continental trophy for the fourth time on Sunday in Abidjan.
Sporting Tribune recalls that Nigeria has lifted the AFCON thrice, in 1980 as host, 1994 in Tunisia and 2013 in South Africa. The three-time African champions played in the AFCON finals in 1984 in Ivory Coast, 1988 in Morocco, 1990 in Algeria, in 2000 when Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana and will be playing in the final against host Ivory Coast on Sunday, February 11, 2024.
In a letter titled: “Stand Up To Be Counted: A Clarion Call To Private Individuals and Corporate Nigeria To Support the Super Eagles To Lift the Africa Cup of Nations Trophy” which he personally signed and which was made available to Sporting Tribune, the minister said the inspiring performance of Super Eagles so far has lifted the spirit of the country and unite Nigerians more.
He also added that the outstanding performance the boys have posted in Ivory Coast underscores the resilience and the indomitable Nigerian spirit which surmounts obstacles and achieves individual and collective objectives.
“The curtain will fall on the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament on Sunday, February 11, 2024, with our senior national team, the Super Eagles facing the Cote d’Ivoire national team in the finals.
“The feel-good feeling the country is suffused with as a result of the heroics of the Super Eagles thus far needs to be sustained until the team lifts the coveted trophy for a historic fourth time. The current administration of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, has demonstrated full support to the national team unprecedented in the contemporary history of sports administration in our country.
“In the face of paucity of funds amidst competing national priorities, it has become self-evident and abundantly clear that government alone cannot fund sports development in our country. It is based on the understanding of this reality that I am making this impassioned appeal to private individuals and Corporate Nigeria to support our national team, the Super Eagles, to win the Africa Cup of Nations trophy.
“Our country is on the threshold of history. I call on sports-loving Nigerians in their private and corporate capacities to massively support the team. Together, ‘Let’s Do It Again’ for the love of country,” the statement read.
