Former Super Eagles winger, Tijani Babangida, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for honoring the current group of the Super Eagles players who won silver at the just concluded Africa cup of Nations (AFCON) with a national honour and gift of houses and lands.
Speaking with Blueprint corespondent in Abuja, Babangida lamented how the former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo only gave them a handshake when they won the same silver at the 2000 AFCON played in Nigeria.
The current President of the Professional Footballer Association of Nigeria (PFAN) was full of praises for President Tinubu, maintaining that this kind gesture would go a long way in motivating young Nigerians to want to represent the country.
“When I look back to how we were treated by the former President it was never a thing of joy. We gave the best, we got to the final and we only lost through a penalty shootout. And technically, we even won the tournament if not for the mistake of the match officials who failed to recognize that Ikpeba penalty was a goal.
“Sometimes this kind of recognition has a way of giving you a sense of belonging. And this is what President Tinubu has demonstrated. As the President of Nigeria players union I humbly salute him.
“My prayer is that our players would record more victories during his tenure as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because he has demonstrated that he is fully ready to support football and sports in general,” he said.
President Tinubu har showered the Jose Pesiero-tutored Super Eagles players with National honors, lands and houses in the Federal Capital Territory.
