Chairman of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engineer Ahmadu Musa Kida, has commended Super Eagles for their bronze medal triumph at 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, describing their outing as a true reflection of the Nigerian spirit.
Gatekeepers News reports that Musa Kida, in a statement on Saturday evening, said he joined over 200 million Nigerians in celebrating the national team after their 4–2 penalty shootout victory over Egypt. He noted that the win was particularly significant as it came against the seven-time African champions and extended Nigeria’s unbeaten record in AFCON third-place matches to nine consecutive victories.
He said no other nation on the continent can boast of such consistency, resilience and refusal to return home without a medal.
“The Hero of Casablanca Stanley Nwabali has written his name into Nigerian football folklore. To save penalties from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, two of the most lethal attackers in world football, in a high-stakes shootout requires nerves of steel and the heart of a lion. Nwabali showed both in abundance. His heroics at the Mohammed V Stadium will be remembered for generations,” he said.
Musa Kida also praised Ademola Lookman for his composure in converting the winning penalty, while commending Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi and Akor Adams for stepping up when it mattered most.
“This is the Nigerian spirit—when one stumbles, another rises; when the pressure mounts, we stand tallest,” he stated.
Reflecting on the team’s overall performance, he said the Super Eagles won all five group and knockout matches before the semi-final and scored fourteen goals, the highest tally at the tournament. He added that Victor Osimhen, who was rested for the third-place match, led Nigeria’s scoring chart with four goals.
“Yes, we fell short in the semi-final against Morocco, but the manner in which the team responded today, bouncing back from that heartbreak to secure bronze speaks volumes about their character,” Musa Kida said, commending Coach Eric Chelle and his technical crew for maintaining morale.
Reaffirming his commitment to sports development, he described football as Nigeria’s heartbeat and a unifying force across language, faith and culture.
“As I stated earlier this week, my commitment to Nigerian sports including football remains unwavering. Football is Nigeria’s heartbeat. It transcends language, faith, and culture, uniting us as one people,” he said.
Musa Kida pledged to work with the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Football Federation, the National Institute for Sports and other stakeholders to ensure strategic investment in sports development.
“Through people-driven sports initiatives and strategic partnerships with private organizations and national sports agencies, and leveraging on the commitment of NNPCL, and in my capacity as Chairman of NNPCL, we will continue investing in the initiatives that build champions, modern training facilities, world-class coaching academies, and grassroots development programmes that will discover and nurture talent in every corner of Nigeria, across all six geopolitical zones, as we are a Nigerian Company,” he added.
He concluded by congratulating the Super Eagles and Nigerians, urging the nation to build on the achievement as preparations begin for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
