AFCON 2019: How Super Eagles Abandon Presidential Jet

How Super Eagles Abandon Presidential Jet

By Admin

Five members of the bronze-winning Super Eagles on Friday abandoned the jet provided by the Presidency to convey the team from Cairo to Abuja.

The team defeated Tunisia 1-0 to win the African Cup of Nations bronze medal on Wednesday night at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo. Before the team left for the match venue, news filtered in that a Presidential jet had been stationed at Cairo airport to convey them to Abuja by 2.00 a.m. on Thursday.

After the game, the players were looking forward to their journey to the airport only to be told that the Presidential jet had not arrived.

The Guardian learnt that a new departure time of 2.00 p.m. was announced to the players in the early hours of Thursday only for the officials to come up with another departure time of 4.00 p.m.

“They kept changing the time and the latest is that the Presidential jet would depart Cairo at 11.00 p.m.,” one of the players told The Guardian at Cairo airport.

The five players who paid their way through Egypt Air to Lagos yesterday were Henry Onyekuru, Oghenekaro Etebor, Samuel Kalu, Jamilu Collins and Chidozie Awaziem.

It was further learnt yesterday that about six players had departed for their various clubs in Europe.

The Guardian recalls that the Presidential delegation, which came to cheer the team in the semifinal game against Algeria, assured the players that President Muhammadu Buhari would honour them in Abuja after the competition.

The same message was conveyed to the team by the NFF, which urged the Eagles to strive to win the bronze medal after the semifinal defeat by Algeria.