Izuchukwu Okosi
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday spoke to the Super Eagles team ahead of their round of 16 match against Tunisia tonight in the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2021) tournament.
Speaking via video conference from the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President spoke with Coach Augustine Eguavoen, Captain Ahmed Musa, Amaju Pinnick, President of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), and Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroon, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin (retd).
Mentioning two of the players, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon, by name, President Buhari urged the Super Eagles to continue making Nigerians happy, not only by winning the second-round match but to eventually lift the trophy.
“You’ve been doing Nigeria proud. You’ve been winning. Please keep on winning. The Federal Government is supporting you, and I say thank you to all the technical crew and the players.. Please keep doing the country proud,” the President said.
The President applauded the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, saying the country appreciates his job.
Responding, Coach Eguavoen said; “We are so excited that His Excellency, President Buhari, has come to speak with us. On behalf of the players and the technical crew, I want to say thank you very much, sir.
“The group stage has passed, and your speaking to us is a morale booster. Thank you for your support, Mr. President, we also thank the Hon. Minister, and the NFF President. We are so privileged and want to promise that you should just relax, we’ll come out victorious. We won’t let the nation down.”
Ambassador Olonisakin said the over 4 million Nigerians living in Cameroon have been giving robust support to the Super Eagles since they arrived in Garoua, Cameroon, on January 5, “and they will continue to do so.”
Ahmed Musa, on behalf of the players, appreciated Mr. President, noting that it is not easy to speak with the leader of a country, and they count themselves privileged.
“We will make Nigeria proud, now that we have the blessings of the father of the nation,” Musa said.
NFF President, Asaju Pinnick described the video conference as “a priceless privilege,” and thanked President Buhari and the nation at large for their prayers and support.
He said under the current dispensation, Nigeria has won the Under 17 football tournament twice, “and we want to win the African Cup of Nations too.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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