AFCON: Nigerians blame Buhari as Super Eagles crash out of AFCON

The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Sunday crashed out of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in a 1-0 defeat by the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.

Team Nigeria, who had emerged top of their group after winning the three group stage matches, were knocked out of AFCON’s round of 16 by Tunisia, who finished last in their group.

However, the defeat has not been taken likely by many Nigerians, who took to social media to express their displeasure in the game.

Some Nigerians, including a former aide of the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, said that President Muhammadu Buhari should be blamed for the defeat suffered by the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Cameroon.

President Buhari had in the early hours of Sunday spoken with the team, including Coach Augustine Eguavoen, Team Captain Ahmed Musa, President of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick, and the Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroon, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin (Rtd), where he charged them to be on top of their game.

According to Buhari, “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.”

Omokri explained that President Buhari had transferred negative energy to the players following the video call he made earlier with the team on Sunday afternoon.

Omokri, in a post on his social media handle via Twitter, said, “Buhari is the reason Tunisia defeated Nigeria so disastrously.

“Iwobi red card, Iheanacho yellow card. All the time they have been playing, this never happened. Why is it that it is the day they spoke to Buhari that these series of unwelcome events rained on us?

“Energies are very contagious. Avoid negative people.”

Also reacting before the match, activist Omoyele Sowore said, “Muhammadu Buhari is bad luck for Super Eagles and Nigeria as a whole! I said it! #RevolutionNow.”