President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday gave a pep talk to the Super Eagles, ahead of their second round match against Tunisia tonight in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

“You’ve made Nigeria proud. You’ve been winning. Please keep on winning. The Federal Government is supporting you, and I say thank you to all the technical crew and the players,” Mr Buhari said via a video conference from the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“Please keep the country proud,” he added.

The president spoke with the team’s coach Augustine Eguavoen, Captain Ahmed Musa, Amaju Pinnick, President of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), and Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroon, retired General Abayomi Olonisakin.

While mentioning two of the players, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon, by name, Mr Buhari urged the Super Eagles to continue making Nigerians happy, not only by winning the second round match, but to eventually lift the trophy.

Responding, Eguavoen said: “We are so excited that His Excellency, President Buhari, has come to speak with us this morning. On behalf of the players and the technical crew, I want to say thank you very much sir.

”The group stage has passed, and your speaking to us is a morale booster.

”We are so privileged, and want to promise that you should just relax, we’ll come out victorious. We won’t let the nation down.”

Nigeria progressed from Group D at the Africa Cup of Nations with a perfect record after beating Guinea-Bissau 2-0.

After wins over Egypt and Sudan, the Super Eagles had already guaranteed their place in the knockout stages as group winners.

(NAN)