The players of the Nigerian national football team, led by Portuguese coach José Peseiro, were gifted an apartment and a plot of land by the country’s president, Bola Tinubu, despite losing the final of the African Cup of Nations (CAN-2023).
“It’s not easy to accept a defeat (1-2 in the final against hosts Ivory Coast) especially when expectations are high, but you have shown sportsmanship and resilience throughout the tournament,” President Bola Tinubu said during the reception for the ‘Super Eagles’ delegation.
Despite the defeat in Sunday’s final, the Nigerian president expressed pride in the team and thanked them for the “good work” demonstrated in the CAN2023, presenting the players with forms to immediately allocate the promised properties.
Nigeria’s coach, Portuguese José Peseiro, thanked Bola Tinubu for the gesture towards the footballers and stated that, despite being 60 years old, it was the first time a president had invited him to his house.
“It is an honor and a pride for me,” said José Peseiro, adding that the Nigerian team “did a fantastic job and showed a very good spirit and played well.”
Nigeria lost the CAN2023 final to Ivory Coast, by 2-1 in Abidjan, where they were ahead in the match with a goal from captain Troost-Ekong (38th minute), but allowed the hosts to turn the game around through Franck Kessié (62nd) and Sébastien Haller (81st).
