The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has lambasted those who blamed his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the loss of the Super Eagles to Tunisia last Sunday in the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
The Super Eagles exited the tournament losing 0-1 to Tunisia.
Critics of Buhari administration had however in obvious mockery, blamed the loss on the video conference made by the president to the team before the match to boost the morale of the Nigerian players.
In one of such comments, Mr. Reno Omokri, an aide to former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, wrote on his Twitter handle: “May Buhari Not Phone You On The Day That Is Scheduled for your promotion and celebration!”
However, reacting to the mockery, Femi Adesina, in his weekly column, From the Inside …Friday with Femi Adesina, described the comment as silly, idiotic and imbecilic.
He said it was unfortunate that if the president had not called to encourage the Super Eagles, the same set of critics would have condemned him.
His words: “I have read many silly, idiotic and imbecilic comments, trying to link the loss to the video conference the President had with the players on Sunday morning. Witless. Thoughtless. And incidentally, if the Super Eagles had gone into the match without encouragement from their President, the same people would have come out to condemn the leader of the country for being taciturn and insensitive. Head or tail, you never win with some Nigerians.”
He declared that losing in any contest was normal even though nobody wanted to lose.
“Nobody likes to lose in a keen contest, whether political, economic, domestic, professional, or in sports. Winning is exhilarating, gives a feel-good sensation, and generally sends the adrenaline pumping. But you know what? Losing is part of the game. Any game, all games. We may comfort ourselves by saying no victor, no vanquished, but the real truth is that somebody loses. A team loses. It is ineluctable,” he said.
He added that “There are countries, and football teams, who have established a tradition for being outstanding in soccer. But such teams and countries have lost scandalously before, underscoring the truth that losing is part of the game.
“We have talked about Man City and the loss to Crystal Palace. After that week, they went ahead to win the next 12 EPL games, and the fairy tale run did not end till last Saturday, when they played 1-1 away to Southampton FC. You win some, you lose some.”
Adesina stated further: “The best players in the world-Pele, Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Messi, Ronaldo, etc have lost, and still lose matches. Under Muhammadu Buhari as military head of state, we won our first Under 17 global trophy in 1985. In this dispensation, we have won the same trophy twice. So, why do the heathens rage, and the people imagine vain things?”
