NIGERIA staged an outstanding comeback to the international soccer scene when it clinched the coveted Africa Nation’s Cup Sunday night in South Africa.
A first-half 39th minute goal by Nigerian local league talent, Sunday Mba, neatly tucked victory in the pouch of the Nigerian national team, Super Eagles.
It was a defining moment that they flew, flapped and glided beyond the reach of the Burkina Faso talent, known as the Stallions, at the Soccer City Stadium.
Nigeria beat Burkina Faso 1-0 in the Cup of Nations final for its first continental title in nearly two decades.
Sunday Mba’s goal delivered another triumph for coach Stephen Keshi after he captained Nigeria to its last African Cup crown in 1994.
Mba decided the game in front of around 87,000 fans at Soccer City with a left-foot volley into the far right corner after he expertly controlled a rebound and clipped the ball over a defender.
Burkina Faso fell short of what would have been a surprising triumph in its first final, having progressed beyond the group stage for only the second time at the African championship.
President Goodluck Jonathan joined fellow Nigerians in congratulating the Super Eagles and after the Super Eagles emerged victorious on Sunday.
In a statement released by the State House in Abuja, the president thanked Coach Stephen Keshi and all members of the team for their work and patriotism along the road to victory.
“The team’s amazing transformation from rank outsiders to champions is a clear manifestation of the even greater successes the country can achieve in all other fields of human endeavor if all Nigerians come together and devote their immense collective energies and resources to supporting the implementation of his Administration’s Agenda for National Transformation,” the statement read.
“President Jonathan urges all Nigerians to imbibe the positive lessons of the Super Eagles’ success because the fulfillment of the country’s immense potentials for greatness will be more speedily attained if more Nigerians resolve to emulate the team’s exemplary unity of purpose, dedication, commitment and devotion to service of the nation.
The president says he looks forward to receiving the Super Eagles in Abuja on Tuesday.