Immediate past Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Barrister
Solomon Dalung has felicitated with the Super Eagles following their
winning start to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt on Saturday.
He noted that opening matches are usually difficult to win and very dangerous to play.
This is even as he encouraged the Super Falcons to go back to the
drawing board and review their performance at the 2019 FIFA Women’s
World Cup in France.
This follows their 3-0 loss to Germany in the knockout stage of the biggest female soccer Mundial.
Reacting after the two games on Saturday, Dalung said in a statement
by his media aide, Nneka Anibeze, that it was imperative that the Super
Eagles started the competition on a winning note.
“The opening matches are usually difficult to win and also dangerous
to lose which puts teams on the edge but getting three points is all
that matters and now they can look ahead to the next game,” he said.
The former Minister also said that the 1-0 victory was a bold
statement of intention by the team to stake a claim for the AFCON title.
“This victory is very important for the team spirit and confidence
going into their second game. The team enjoys a massive followership
across Nigeria with many Nigerians always desperate for a win whenever
the Super Eagles step out onto the pitch.”
In a similar vein, Dalung also urged the Super Falcons to go back to
the drawing board after their 3-0 knockout from the FIFA Women’s World
Cup in France.
The Plateau State-born Sports administrator noted that the team did
their best which was not enough to gain a quarter-final ticket in the
tournament.
“The team’s performance gave us a glimpse of the abundant talents
that abound in Nigeria if well harnessed. There is need for machinery to
be put in motion to discover, develop and nurture more young players
through grassroots development programmes and a viable women’s
professional league,” Dalung concluded.