Two times Buhari's congratulatory message brought bad luck to the national football team

As the father of the nation, President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) congratulates the National teams as they lift the flag of Nigeria high during international tournaments.

Interestingly, it appears the president's well wishes and messages of solidarity rather serve as precursors to the team's failures in their next major encounters.

In this piece, we look at two instances President Buhari's congratulatory messages jinxed the national team.

Super Eagles vs Tunisia (2021 Nations Cup)

After a remarkable performance in the group stage which saw the Super Eagles win all three of their group-stage matches against Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau, the Eguavoen-led side lost 1-0 to Tunisia in the round of 16.

Many fans blamed the defeat on President Buhari as they believe his congratulatory message to the team jinxed the Super Eagles resulting in their elimination.

Flying Eagles vs Gambia ( U-20 2023 Nations Cup)

The Flying Eagles looked to have bounced back from their defeat in their group opener after recording wins in three consecutive games to qualify for the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Indonesia.

After a fine display against Gambia, Coach Ladan Bosso's side were trailing by a lone goal at the end of 90 minutes as they failed to book a ticket to the grand finale.

This defeat was preceded by a message from the presidency charging the Flying Eagles to go all out and win the ultimate prize which wasn't to be.

Some fans have however concluded that anytime the president comes out with such messages, the team ends up losing their next game.

WDN/NBA