AFCON: Tinubu made a mistake for honouring Super Eagles – Reno Omokri

Reno Omokri, a socio-political analyst, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s approach to motivating the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

After their commendable performance at the recently concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, where they secured a second-place finish, the President convened a meeting with the players in Abuja on Tuesday.

During this gathering, Tinubu announced national honors (Member of the Order of the Niger, MON) for each player. Additionally, he promised them flats in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and parcels of land.

The delegation to the presidency was led by the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, along with officials from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

However, Omokri believes Tinubu missed an opportunity to motivate the players effectively by not offering these significant rewards as incentives before their match against Ivory Coast. He argues that such promises could have inspired them to perform better.

“I think President Bola Tinubu made a mistake in his interaction with the Super Eagles,” Omokri, a former presidential aide, expressed on X.

“While it’s commendable that he has now recognized the Super Eagles with the National Honour of the Member of the Order of the Niger, and has granted them homes and land in the prestigious FCT, the optimal time for such rewards, in my opinion, would have been before their crucial game against Ivory Coast.

“Motivation plays a crucial role in performance, and promising these rewards beforehand could have potentially boosted the team’s morale. The Super Eagles appeared to lack sufficient motivation when facing the host nation. Let this serve as a lesson for future tournaments.”