President Bola Tinubu has applauded the resilience of the Super Eagles towards qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, despite their loss in the playoffs on Sunday.
The President urged Players to put behind them the loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo and prepare for the African Cup of Nations, which would be held from December 2025 to January 2026 in Morocco.
The Super Eagles’ hope of playing in the World Cup was dashed as they were eliminated by the Leopards of the Congo DR during a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1 in extra time.
DR Congo triumphed 4-3 on penalties to advance to the Inter-Confederation play-off, keeping their own 2026 World Cup hopes alive.
President Tinubu, in a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said, although it was painful that the Eagles failed to qualify for the World Cup tournament for the second consecutive time, the team must be commended for striving hard to reach the Mundial, particularly after winning their first playoff match.
“Notwithstanding the unfortunate loss, we must commend the players for their efforts and continue to support them.
“We must now plug all the loopholes. Our football administrators, players, and indeed all stakeholders must go back to the drawing board.
“Now is the time to focus all efforts on the Cup of Nations. Our Super Eagles must recover the lost glory,” he said.
