Dylan Bettencourt
Nigerians are blaming their president, Muhammadu Buhari, for giving the Super Eagles bad luck before their round of 16 defeat to Tunisia.
Nigeria completed a clean sweep of their group stage, winning all three of their encounters and emerging as favourites to lift the trophy. But that all came to an end on Sunday night after a shock 1-0 defeat to Tunisia sent the Eagles flying home.
Hours before the match, Buhari held a video conference with the national football team to motivate them to keep making their country proud.
“You’ve been doing Nigeria proud. You’ve been winning. Please keep on winning. The Federal Government is supporting you,” the president said.
But former aide of the ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, blamed the president for the defeat.
“Buhari is the reason Tunisia defeated Nigeria,” said Omokri.
“Iwobi red card. Iheanacho yellow card. This never happened before,” Omokri said.
“Why is it that when he spoke to Buhari this series of unwelcome events rained on us?”
Nigerian activist Omoyele Sowore also pointed the finger at Buhari, claiming he passed his negative energy onto the players.
“Muhammadu Buhari just passed his bad luck to Nigeria’s Super Eagles. We are working hard to neutralise it,” he said on Facebook.
@_spirit_OFgrace took to Twitter to voice their anger at the President’s call to the team before a crucial fixture.
“Nigeria won all 3 group matches without presidential call One presidential call at a crucial knockout round and Nigeria is out of AFCON President Buhari, na by force? Leave us alone with the football we dey use console ourselves, no, now you see Wetin don happen.”
Another user tweeted: “BREAKING NEWS : PRESIDENT MUHAMMAD BUHARI BANNED THE SUPER EAGLES OF NIGERIA FROM SCORING AT AFCON”
Nigeria’s interim manager, Augustine Eguavoen, has stepped down after he suffered abuse from the country’s supporters.
Jose Peseiro was meant to take over the Super Eagles for the Afcon campaign, but Eguavoen was forced to step in. Following the side’s three wins in the group stages, reports suggest he was being considered for the permanent role.
“I will be the interim coach and Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). I will go back to my position and allow the NFF to make a decision on the way forward,” Eguavoen said after the match.
Image source: @PremiumTimesNigeria
