Super Eagles Coach, Jose Peseiro, has expressed delight at being hosted by President Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu, on Tuesday, received the Nigerian team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following their silver medal-winning campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
The president hosted the team at the State House Council Chambers, a few hours after the players arrived in Nigeria from Abidjan.
He gave every one of them the national honour of Member of the Orders of Niger, MON and plots of land.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Peseiro expressed joy that it was the first time he was being invited and honoured by a president.
He said, “First of all, I would like to say thank you to the President. I am 60 years old, this is the first time a president invited me to his house. It is an honour and a pride to me for the President of the Republic of Nigeria to invite me here. Thank you very much.
“About the final, I think we did a fantastic job. Our team showed very good spirit and played well. My boys did 100 percent, same for my staff and the NFF.
“Of course I would have liked to bring the cup to the Nigerian people, I’m sad about that. But I’m happy because I think we did a fantastic job. In the final I think we felt that atmosphere.”
Also speaking, Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, said it had been his dream to meet the president.
“It’s so nice, it’s been my dream to meet the President and today, it’s so nice, I won’t even talk about my reaction because merely looking at my face, you’ll see that I’m so happy, even my teammates are so happy,” he said.
Nwabali, who plays for South African Premier Soccer League, Chippa United, as their first-choice goalkeeper, said he would return to his club.
Daily Trust reports that the goalkeeper has allegedly been threatened by South Africans, not to return to Chippa United.
This followed South Africa’s defeat to Nigeria on penalties in the semi-final of the competition last Wednesday.
Asked if he was going back to Chipper United, he said: “Definitely, I must go back to my club, but talking about the threat, this is football, you can’t threaten someone because they also won against other teams too.” (Daily Trust)
