President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Nigerian national team, Super Eagles, for Saturday’s bronze medal victory at the 2025 African Cup of Nations, saying, “this bronze medal surely feels good like gold.”

The President commended the Super Eagles for putting behind them the disappointment of the semi-final loss to host nation Morocco last Wednesday.

The Super Eagles overpowered Egypt, defeating the seven-time AFCON winner, in a penalty shootout after the regular time, in which the Nigerian team dominated.

The President said: “Despite their good run during the tournament, the Eagles lost the semi-final match to Morocco during the penalty shootout last Wednesday, and our people’s hopes of winning the championship were dashed.

“However, our players remained undaunted, and exhibiting the resilience of the Nigerian spirit, their efforts have now paid off.

“We will all be proud of them as they receive their hard-earned bronze medal on Sunday in Rabat, Morocco.

“Thank you, our gallant Super Eagles. Thank you, our national team players. This bronze medal surely feels good like gold.”

Coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle and Philip Shaibu, Director-General of the National Institute for Sports, also commended the resilience of the Super Eagles.

Chelle said: “Being a coach is never easy. I felt disappointment before, but today I feel deep pride in these players.

“They gave everything until exhaustion. I am proud to be the coach of the Nigerian national team,” he said

Chelle described the bronze medal, as being the product of months of hard work and collective sacrifice.

“This achievement did not come by chance. It came from a full year of continuous work and belief,” he said.

The coach highlighted the challenges of team management and unity within the squad.

“Building a strong group is difficult, Managing personalities needs patience, and the players responded perfectly,” Chelle noted.

He said that the team’s effort went beyond the third-place match.

“This is not a one-night story, it is part of a longer journey for the future of this team,” he said.