Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has congratulated the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire on their victory at the just-concluded African Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Ubah, the proprietor of the defunct FC Ifeanyi Ubah of Nnewi, in a statement issued on Monday, urged the Super Eagles to remain focused.
The senator, who watched the final match live in Abidjan, said the Super Eagles should shift their attention to booking a place at the World Cup by focusing on their next qualifier.
He said though the Super Eagles lost to the Elephants, he, however, commended them for giving their best to reach the finals, adding that in the game of football, a winner must emerge.
“On Sunday, I was in Abidjan with the Nigerian Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, distinguished colleagues and other notable personalities to support our Super Eagles at the final match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
“The event afforded me the opportunity to meet with old friends and international football officials which made me to reflect on what we can do as public officials to develop our football industry and the sports sector,” he said
Ubah said he was confident that government would work together to invest more in sports, which he described as a critical sector, by building and renovating more stadia, training facilities and youth development centres.
This, he said, would attract more talents and provide better training opportunities for the players.
The senator also called for provision of more coaching and educational programmes to develop more skilled athletes.
“I believe that the result of the match will motivate the government and relevant stakeholders to invest more in youth academies and grassroots football programmes.
“By identifying and nurturing young talent from a young age, we can ensure a steady supply of skilled players for our national teams.
“We should also prioritise the development of coaching and refereeing by providing training and certification programmes for coaches and referees. We can also improve the overall quality of our football matches.
“This will also help in the development of local talents and ensure fair play in our leagues.
“In the spirit of sportsmanship, I will like to once again congratulate Cote d’Ivoire on emerging as African Champions,” he said. (NAN