Ebere Amaraizu, a former board member and South-East director of the Nationwide League One (NLO), has urged the Super Eagles to increase the tempo of their game at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’ Ivoire.

Mr Amaraizu said this on Thursday in Enugu after the Super Eagles and Cote d’Ivoire encounter, which ended 1-0 in favour of the Nigerian side.

He noted that the team handlers did well to solve midfield lapses of the team, adding that playing the host Cote d‘Ivoire was a tough match, which the Eagles surmounted.

“The Super Eagles need to increase the tempo and even do more. We know the national team can do better. With this result today, Super Eagles are top contenders for the AFCON trophy,” he said.

Mr Amaraizu, the former General Manager of Crime Busters FC, Enugu, who won the 2018 Enugu State Aiteo Cup, urged the team to be focused on enabling it to achieve the desired result.

A football fan, Obinna Abia, said it was gratifying that the Super Eagles upped their game after the 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in the team’s first group game.

“The Super Eagles revived their fighting spirit and lived up to expectations in the match against Cote d’Ivoire. This is a good one for the nation and I pray that they will keep it up in subsequent matches,” Mr Abia said.

Another fan, Chuks Silas, said the Super Eagles made him happy again with friends and neighbours.

“The hard-earned victory by our dear Super Eagles needed to be celebrated as the match took a resemblance to the actual final,” Mr Silas said.

(NAN)