Jonathan postpones Falcons reception

By Taofeek Lawal

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa Abuja said he would formally receive the African women champions, the Super Falcons next Wednesday to give the team the needed recognition they deserve for making the country proud in Namibia last weekend. The Falcons it would be recall defeated their Cameroonian counterparts by two unreplied goals to win the trophy for the seventh time. Jonathan however received the trophy from the team and thanked them for the Nigerian spirit in them.

The President added that the team was able to beat all comers during the championship due to high level of discipline and skills among the players. He said the reception will allow him to appreciate the girls and their officials on behalf of the government.

“Today is not the day I will make a formal speech because we will receive you soon. I have asked the Minister of Sports and the chief of staff to find out whether it is next week that we will formally receive you. “Today we are quite pleased to receive the cup from you. You have made the country proud. Nigeria is known to be a soccer country.

“The male teams have been doing very well. But somehow sometimes, because of certain internal crises, we tend to lag behind.

“But the female teams have been doing wonderfully well. We didn’t expect that you would win, but still, that you won for this country is remarkable,” Jonathan said.

He added that: “We thank you for your commitment because it requires discipline to achieve this height. “No matter how good you are, even in the academics, you see brilliant boys and girls who ordinarily would have made first- class but because of lack of discipline, they don’t make it. “So, if there is no discipline, you cannot excel in anything. You have the skills but you have also shown discipline that made you excel. We will continue to adore you.”

“We’ll receive you formally. I learn some of you live outside the country for your football engagements. Tentatively, I am seeing 5 November here, but if there is any change, you will be informed. We will receive you on 5 November at about 7pm here in the State House so that we, as a nation, can appreciate the achievement you have made,” the President added.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo, told the President that “we bring you good tidings from Namibia; the legendary goodluck has continued to follow us.”

Danagogo said the discipline, dedication, passion and patriotism displayed by the Falcons during the tournament was remarkable.