18th July, 2019
Some football fans in Gombe have described Wednesday’s victory by the Super Eagles over Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt as a good redemption.
The fans told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that winning the third-place match was good for the team’s image and psychology for the future.
One of them, Suleiman Garba, described the victory as a consolation and a gift to Nigeria, adding that it had redeemed the Eagles from all criticism since the commencement of the tournament.
“The team played well and I congratulate the players for the good performance throughout the tournament. We are proud of the young team.
“As the team play more games together, we will come out more refined and better placed to compete at the highest levels in the future.”
Sarah Bitrus, another fan, said: “The team played well and the players have the third-place trophy to show for it. So, it’s congratulations to them from me.
“What they have done in Egypt will impact on our rating and as far as this tournament is concerned, we are the third best in Africa.
“We must not fail however in rebuilding this team for future competitions, and we should not wait till the qualifiers come knocking before we assemble the team again.”
Bitrus appealed to football administrators to secure frequent friendly matches to sustain the team’s current form, adding that with world-class friendlies the team would do better.
On his part, Nafada Baba, another fan, told NAN that he was happy that the team would come home with a trophy.
Baba added that the team must be encouraged by all through the fulfillment of all financial pledges made to them before and during the tournament.
Also, Uche Ezenna who is also a football fan in Gombe said: “The boys played well, but our overall performance calls for a review of the team with a view to getting better goalkeepers for the team.
“We must shop for a good choice to man the post. For now, we are lagging behind in that area.”