Our country waits with hope and longing for the Super Eagles to bring home a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday tonight. As you take on the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, we hope you will go out and fight like the brave men you have been throughout this tournament.
We want you to leave nothing in the tank as you tackle every ball and contest for every header.
You are Nigerian, three-time winners of the Afcon. You come from a long line of football warriors who have laid their all for their country and brought glory to these shores.
You are our boys, our hope. You are the best among us, the chosen ones. The ones who chased their dreams of becoming footballers. The ones who succeeded in making a living through the greatest sport in the world.
Many want to be in your shoes tonight. Many would like to be you, singing the national anthem with a palm clasped on your heart as you remember the labours of our heroes past.
You have come this far, overcoming the challenge of lions and antelopes and the slippery banana peel of the penalty shootout. You have proven yourselves as men, sons and fathers, uncles and friends.
You are the chosen ones.
Eleven years ago, I watched your predecessors win the glorious Afcon title in Soweto. They conquered the elephants on their way to that victory against the stallions.
Tonight, the elephants once again stand in your way at Ebimpe. What shall you do, young men? What shall you do to these elephants and their big backsides?
You, my countrymen, must take up your wings and soar like the Eagles that you are. You must take your prey to a place where they cannot breathe and then finish them.
For you are brave sons and warriors of our land.
Our land thirsts for great news in the face of tough economic circumstances. We wait for you, we chant for you, we pray for you, we hope for you, we are you, you are us, we are in this fight.
You are our battering ram. You are the strength of our nation. You are our spear, our fire, and our breath.
You are the Super Eagles. The ones that we send to fly the green and white and bring back glory to our land from far-off shores.
We await your victory, young men. Our old men and old women, young men and young women all over the world are watching and waiting for your conquest.
Fly, young men, fly. Fly, Super Eagles, fly.
