The 1st Vice-President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Seyi Akinwunmi, on Tuesday in Lagos said that the body did not expect the Super Eagles to win the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) at all cost.
Akinwunmi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Glass House football administration would not put pressure on the Gernot Rohr-tutored team but expect that the team should be at their best.
The Super Eagles will begin their quest for their fourth glory when the biennial football hostilities take centre stage in Egypt from June 21 to July 19.
Akinwunmi, however, said that the team had been given enough incentive that could aid their performance during the football fiesta in Egypt.
“What we have done so far as NFF is that we have put up a programme where the footballers only have to think about football with no extraneous matters.
“So, we expect them to be at their best and do their best. They should strive to win the Cup and if they didn’t win, that does not mean that they have failed.
“They can only be termed as a failure if they failed to put in their best and we can judge that with their performance. But sometimes efforts are not enough.
“Sometimes, circumstances may arise, then, we should know that they have tried, not to win at all cost,’’ he said.
Akinwunmi urged Nigerians to support the team, adding that the support would help the team to be at their best instead of putting pressure on the team.
“We expect Nigerians as before to support the team in all the ways they can because that is what they need right now and not that they should put pressure on the team.
“I also know that Nigerians pray a lot, so I also expect that they pray for the team to succeed in Egypt, those that are able to go and those that will stay at home,’’ he said.
