Alex Iwobi, Super Eagles midfielder, has taken to his Social Media Accounts to speak to Nigerians after the Super Eagles were eliminated from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
The three-time African Champions were knocked out of the tournament in the Round of 16 after losing 1-0 to Tunisia, North African superpower.
Alex Iwobi was sent off only seven minutes after replacing Kelechi Iheanacho, but he was sent off after his yellow card for a challenge on Youssef Msakni was elevated to red following a VAR assessment.
The Super Eagles midfielder apologized to Nigerians on his Instagram and Twitter accounts, promising that the squad will come back stronger. The following are the links to the posts:
Watch Video of The Red Card Below:
Nigeria was knocked out of the AFCON with a 10-man squad
Tunisia advanced to the quarter-finals after a goal by Youssef Msakni from beyond the 18-yard box. They will face Burkina Faso next.
Maduka Okoye of Nigeria’s goalkeeper Maduka Okoye parried Msakni’s strike into the net, giving the Carthage Eagles a place in the next round.
After a dominating group phase in which the Augustine Eguavoen-led squad finished with 9 points after three games, the Super Eagles were tipped as favorites going into the AFCON final.
At the Stade Roumdé Adjia in Garoua, it was a struggle to the end, but the North African side laughed their way home after regulation time.
Moses Simon and Ola Aina, two Nigerian stars, were seen sobbing as they prepared to leave Cameroon.
Interim Coach Eguavoen Steps Down After Loss
Interim Coach Austin Eguavoen has resigned after Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 defeat to Tunisia.
Eguavoen had guided the three-time winners to victories against Egypt, Sudan, and Guinea-Bissau in a row.In the semifinals, they faced a Tunisian squad that had been hit hard by the Covid virus.
“What happens next is that I become the Nigeria Football Federation’s temporary coach and technical director” (NFF).
The NFF will make the final decision, Eguavoen informed reporters after the game.
After Gernot Rohr was fired last month, Eguavoen took over. Prior to the start of the AFCON, the NFF confirmed Jose Peseiro as the new permanent coach.
Coach Eguavoen remarked, “I have encouraged the players to step up and guarantee that Nigeria qualifies for the World Cup.”
He did note out, though, that playing against a tactical team like Tunisia is always tough, particularly when the refereeing is not fair.
As the master of the game, I will not criticize the referee, but Alex Iwobi’s dismissal was unfair. “It wasn’t a deliberate foul,” the coach said.
It’s now or never for the Super Eagles as they prepare to face Ghana in the 2022 FIFA World Cup African Zone Playoffs.
President Buhari finally speaks out on the Super Eagles’ AFCON exit
According to reports, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to support the Super Eagles after the squad was eliminated from the current 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
