President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday charged the super eagles to go ahead and win all the remaining matches and bring home the cup.
In a skype call to the eagles in South Africa, President Jonathan said Nigerians were behind them and expect that they (eagles) will make Nigerians happy and proud.
The president who spoke with the team as a group and individual members of the team said the government would make them ‘proud young men’ if they bring back the cup.
The President of the Nigerian Football Federation who also spoke during the presidential call promised that the team will bring back the cup so that the ‘smile of the president would be broader’.
President Jonathan first spoke with the team captain, Stephen Keshi and sought to find out the spirit in the eagles camp, to which Keshi assured him that ‘the spirit of the boys is high’.
The president told the team that ‘on behalf of this country I want to tell you that Nigerians are very happy with your performance. We are looking up to you.
“Just last Night we kicked off our centenary celebration. We believe that you will bring the cup to your fatherland this year. We are very hopeful we are all proud of you, we are all happy with what you have done and we want you to do more’.
At this point the president asked to speak with the players individually and they all filed to the camera one after the president to speak with the President.
The captain of the team, Joseph Yobo assured the president that the team will do their best to bring back the cup.
“We appreciate you and by the grace of God we will bring back the cup to you” he said.
President Jonathan told the players that they should do their best as “Nigerians are proud of you. We expect that you will bring the cup this year. The country promise you the best” he said.
Speaking with state house correspondents after the call, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Patrick Ekeji the team is happy with the president’s call.
“I can assure you that the boys are charged. The watershed of this competition was the match against Ivory Coast. No body can stop our team anymore. Our boys now want the cup. I will call for drinks tomorrow (today) because the boys will maul Mali” he said.