President Bola Tinubu has awarded Nigeria’s football team, the Super Eagles, the national honour, the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), following their achievement at the just concluded African Nations Cup (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast.
The Super Eagles team were presented the award at the State House building at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Along with the national honour, each player was also gifted a plot of land at the Federal Capital Territory.
The Super Eagles lost the trophy to hosts Ivory Coast with a 2-1 score line at the finals of the AFCON tournament last Sunday.
According to reports, the entire football team was present except Alex Iwobi, who had come under serious cyber attacks following the loss at the finals.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, visited the player on Monday after he deleted his media files from his Instagram page and took a break from social media.
“I have taken myself off social media, so I am no longer aware of what is going on,” Iwobi informed the sports minister in an interview on Monday.
“I went off [social media] after yesterday’s game,” he added.
Minister Enoh had said, “You did your best for your country, so there’s nothing anybody is saying that should make you feel otherwise. I am very proud of you, and I believe that the rest of the country is. Those who are [not proud of you] are in the minority, far far minority, and they do not speak for me. They do not speak for our country, and they do not speak for the leadership of our country.”
He added that their performance was the reason why President Tinubu was to receive them on Tuesday but Iwobi still boycotted the meeting at the State House on Tuesday.