Nigeria Pitch Awards hail Super Eagles as champions of Africa

The President of Nigeria Pitch Awards, Mr. Shina Phillips, has praised the Super Eagles for their triumph over South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, describing the team as true champions of Africa.

Phillips, the convener of Nigeria’s biggest football award, expressed his admiration for the Super Eagles in an interview following their 4-2 victory over Bafana Bafana. The tension-soaked semi-final match took place at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake, Ivory Coast.

Nigeria secured the first goal through a penalty scored by the stand-in captain, William Troost Ekong, in the 65th minute, as Victor Osimhen was fouled in the box. However, there was a mild drama in the 89th minute when Victor Osimhen thought he had scored the second goal, only for it to be overruled by VAR.

The Egyptian referee reviewed a previous foul committed by Al Hassan Yusuf, resulting in a penalty against Nigeria, which was converted by Teboho Mokoena. The match went into extra time, and Nigeria eventually won 4-2 on penalties.

Commenting on the historic win, Phillips emphasized that there has never been doubt about the Super Eagles’ quality, expressing optimism that they could go on to win AFCON 2023.

“Since the competition started, I have been positive about the Super Eagles’ chances because of the good qualities I have seen in them. Initially, people were talking about the coach, whether he should stay or not, but the problem does not lie with the coach; it is an institutional thing,” Phillips stated.

He commended the Super Eagles for reaching the semi-final, highlighting the team’s positive performances. However, he emphasized the need for focus and determination to target the AFCON trophy.

“This is not the time for us to let our guard down; we have to be more focused now and target the AFCON trophy, which is not impossible to win against any team,” Phillips advised.

He further recommended that the Super Eagles quickly regroup and seize the opportunity to win AFCON for the fourth time, emphasizing that it would bring relief and improve Nigerian football.

“Winning AFCON 2023 will bring lots of relief to us as Nigerians because it will also give us the opportunity to improve our football. We even have what it takes to win the World Cup if we have the right mentality and take up the challenge. Super Eagles are real champions because we are born champions surviving tough situations,” he concluded.