Super Eagles Players and Officials Honoured with Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) Award
The Super Eagles players, coaches, and some Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials have been awarded the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) for their outstanding performance and silver-winning effort at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The honour was conferred at an event organized for the Eagles by the presidency at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Expressing his delight at the award, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau stated, “This is a great day for all of us; you can see how the President received the team, and we are highly elated to say that we have been honored with MON, to all our entire team, including myself and my general secretary. That is a great thing that has happened to this country.”
The Super Eagles lost 1-2 to the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in the final, despite going through the tournament unbeaten. Coach Jose Peseiro, who met a country’s president for the first time in his managerial career, expressed mixed feelings about the loss. He said, “Of course, I would have liked to bring the cup to the Nigerian people. I’m sad about that. But of course, I’m happy because I think we did a fantastic job. In the final, I think we felt that atmosphere.”
Looking ahead, striker Victor Osimhen spoke about the team’s preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and addressed the cyberbullying of teammate Alex Iwobi. Osimhen urged Nigerians to be constructive in their criticism, highlighting the impact on players’ mental health.
He stated, “I urge Nigerians that cyberbullying is bad because we are also humans. Sometimes we make mistakes… They should also look at his mental health because there are some of us that can take this to heart and then keep on grinding.”
As the Super Eagles focus on the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, Osimhen expressed confidence in the team’s ability to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup, stating, “But of course, the goal is to get the ticket to the World Cup, and I think we have the team and the squad to achieve this.”
The award and the team’s resilience in the face of challenges highlight their dedication to Nigerian football and their determination to succeed on the international stage.
Premium Times
