An Osun West Senatorial District aspirant, Chief Peter Taiwo Ogundeji, popularly known as APATA, has called on the Super Eagles to put behind them their semi-final defeat to hosts Morocco at the ongoing AFCON 2025 and focus on Saturday’s third-place showdown against the Pharaohs of Egypt.
Speaking from Osogbo, Chief Ogundeji acknowledged that while the loss was disappointing, the Super Eagles were far from disgraced, having won all their matches leading up to the clash with the Atlas Lions of Morocco.
“The Super Eagles displayed scintillating football artistry during regulation time, only to be edged out due to questionable officiating and a penalty shootout—a game of luck if there ever was one,” he said.
He urged the national team to give their all in the third-place match and called on Nigerians to maintain their support in the true spirit of sportsmanship. “It is only natural that you win some and lose some, and when that happens, we must take it in stride,” APATA noted.
The Oluomo of Gbotaru in Ido-Osun further highlighted that despite missing out on the final, the Super Eagles’ impressive performance has enhanced Nigeria’s standing in global football. He also appealed to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to renew the contract of head coach Eric Chelles, stating: “Appointing a new coach now would be ungrateful and a disservice to football in Nigeria.”
As a sports enthusiast and sponsor of football tournaments through the APATA Cares Foundation, Chief Ogundeji described football as a unifying force for Nigerians and urged governments at all levels to invest more in sports development to nurture talent and national pride.