The leadership of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, have urged the Nigeria’s senior men’s national team to remain calm and be focused by eschewing act capable of denying them the opportunity of clinching the continental title.
The association gave the advice through its national President, Isaiah Benjamin, via a statement issued to its members on Wednesday by the Association’s Secretary General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo.
“There is no need to be confrontational with teammates, opponents or match officials. At this stage, mental resilience and psychological balance are crucial to achieving the team’s set goal,” he said.
Reacting to the reported incident involving Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during the Mozambique match, the SWAN president urged all stakeholders, including the sports media, to continue supporting the Super Eagles.
He specifically encouraged journalists to focus on narratives that project Nigeria positively, reminding them that the team’s success is a collective national achievement.
“As the Super Eagles win and progress, it is a triumph for all Nigerians and for the country as a whole,” he said.
The SWAN president also cautioned the players on the need for them to reassess their strategy ahead of the quarter final stage, stressing that matches would become more demanding as the tournament progresses.
“The competition will certainly take a different shape from the quarter-final stage. To emerge champions, you must be well prepared to defeat any side, no matter how strong. The Super Eagles have abundant talent, but the technical crew and officials must put heads together and approach the upcoming games with the right mindset”, he said.
Benjamin also advised the players to maintain composure and focus on the pitch, emphasizing the importance of mental balance and discipline.
Benjamin expressed confidence in the ability of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team to go all the way and clinch the continental title.
According to him, the Super Eagles have emerged as one of the major attractions of the tournament, winning admiration from football fans across Africa and beyond.
“The Super Eagles are now the attraction of all football fans from all over Africa and globally here in Morocco. While watching the Round of 16 match against Mozambique on Monday night, fans from other countries were hailing and cheering Nigeria louder because of the purposeful football displayed on the pitch,” Benjamin said.
He noted that Nigeria’s unbeaten run since the commencement of the competition in December was a commendable achievement.
