Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has said Nigeria’s Super Eagles are under clear instructions to aim for nothing less than winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), insisting that government and sports authorities are committed to providing everything required for success.

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Dikko cautioned that predicting outright victory is difficult in a 24-team tournament but stressed that Nigeria’s AFCON standards remain high.

“That’s a tough call. It’s football. There are 24 teams competing for the same trophy and at the end of the day, only one team will win,” he said.

“But in Nigeria, we have a standard when it comes to AFCON. The minimum Nigerians expect is to see our team at least in the semi-final and the final, and then we see what happens.”

He noted that having finished runners-up at the last AFCON, expectations are naturally higher this time.

“Based on the last results where we came second, the belief is that the only way we can do better is to try as much as possible to get the cup. That is the vision and the objective. That is what the coaching crew, the NFF, ourselves and the players are all looking forward to.”

Dikko assured Nigerians that all necessary support would be provided to the team.

“We are going to do everything possible to provide all the enablement that will get the players to perform to the best of their ability towards getting the cup,” he said.

“If we had silver last time, the minimum you can look for this time is to go above silver and see whether we can get the gold this time around.”

Addressing concerns over past payment disputes, including a reported players’ protest in Rabat, Morocco, Dikko dismissed suggestions of systemic failure, describing the incident as unnecessary.

“To be honest, I don’t want to dwell on that issue. The players at that time were a bit edgy and impatient. There was actually no reason for that strike,” he said.

“The amount involved was insignificant, less than $150,000, and it was already being processed. The players knew this.”

He said since the reinstatement of the National Sports Commission, athlete welfare has been prioritised.

“Since we came on board, not just for the Super Eagles, we have ensured that whatever is due to athletes is paid at the right and appropriate time,” Dikko said.

“There can be delays because of processes—moving money, approvals, CBN procedures—but whatever is due is paid.”

He added that President Bola Tinubu had approved AFCON funding as early as December.

“The President has done his part. Approvals were made by December 14. What remains is for officials to follow the process through the Ministry of Finance, the Accountant-General’s office and the CBN.”

On AFCON preparations, Dikko explained that training officially commenced only because the tournament is being held mid-season.

“This is an in-season AFCON, so there was no break. Officially, players are only allowed to join camp now,” he said.

“But preparation has been ongoing because this squad is largely the same core that played the World Cup qualifiers.”

He disclosed that the team would camp in Egypt and play test matches ahead of the tournament.

“Out of the 23 players from the last qualifiers, about 18 are still in this squad. Only about five are new,” he said.

“The coach has refreshed the team with a few new players—defenders, midfielders and a striker—to complement the existing squad.”

Dikko said the team’s mentality is firmly focused on victory.

“The new slogan is ‘Naija for the win’. That is the psyche we are building. We are going for the win, not anything less.”

Reflecting on wider reforms in Nigeria’s sports sector, Dikko said the establishment of the National Sports Commission in October 2024 had delivered measurable results.

“The reforms are total across all sectors, and the impact is very clear,” he said.

“In the last one year, Nigeria has won more than 400 medals across all sports worldwide. That has never happened before.”

He cited Nigeria’s performance at the Islamic Solidarity Games as evidence of progress.

“Nigeria posted its best performance ever. The medals we won were far more than in any previous edition.”

Dikko also highlighted governance reforms across sports federations.

“We have restructured the federations to attract quality leadership,” he said.

“That is why you see people like the Minister of Finance heading boxing, the Comptroller-General of Customs leading wrestling, and other top public figures involved. It is trust in the reforms.”

On funding challenges, he said new directives from the President were changing how sports is financed.

“Mr President has approved strategic decisions to ensure that whatever is budgeted for sports is released immediately once the budget is passed,” Dikko said.

“Sports cannot be treated like normal contracts. If you delay funding, competitions will still go on. That’s why sports must be treated specially.”

He dismissed reports that the national team coach was owed salaries.

“That issue is media speculation. The coach knows what he is doing and knows how he is being paid,” he said.

Addressing resistance to reforms, Dikko said opposition had been minimal.

“There has been little or no pushback. Stakeholders can see the vision and the direction,” he said.

“Everybody is aligning because the road is clear.”

He added that sports is increasingly contributing to the economy.

“Sports contributed about 1.2 to 1.5 per cent of GDP in the last quarter,” Dikko said.

“Almost 122,000 jobs across the country are being powered by sports.”

Dikko concluded that Nigeria is firmly on the right path.

“We are changing the sporting culture, fixing funding gaps and putting athletes first. That is where we are, and that is where we are heading.” (Arise News)

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