NFF shifts attention to Afcon qualification after CHAN no-show

goal.com

The country’s football house has put behind them the Eagles exit from 2016 CHAN as they look ahead to reach the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

The Nigeria Football Federation has put behind them Nigeria’s elimination from the 2016 African Nations Championship.

Saddened by the Super Eagles’ shock defeat in the hands of Guinea on Tuesday evening, the country’s football house said their focus will now be to help the team qualify for the 2017 African Cup of Nations in Gabon.

President Amaju Pinnick appealed to Nigerians following Sunday Oliseh’s men ouster in Rwanda saying the tournament is ‘both developmental and preparatory for bigger challenges’.

“We apologise to Nigerians for the poor outing of the Super Eagles in Rwanda, but we toe the line of Caf which states that CHAN is a developmental and preparatory competition,” Pinnick was quoted by the NFF website.

“Of course, as Nigerians, we love to win always, and we feel bad when we don’t. I want us to take the positives from this tournament.

“A player like Chisom Chikatara broke onto the global platform and players like Usman Mohammed, Chima Akas, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Austin Oboroakpo and Ifeanyi Mathew confirmed their class.

“For me, it is disappointing that we did not progress but the NFF will now focus on the 2017 AFCON qualifiers, and start preparations early for the remaining rounds,” he concluded.

Nigeria face Egypt in their next qualifying game on March 23 while the return leg hold in Cairo five days later. In June, Eagles take on Chad in N’Djamena before hosting Tanzania in the final round of matches in September.