ARISE News presenters Reuben Abati and Rufai Oseni have backed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, following his criticism of the Super Eagles over their failure to qualify for the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
Wike made the remarks on Wednesday during the commissioning of projects in Abuja, an event attended by former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo. The minister expressed disappointment that Nigeria failed to secure a place at the tournament.
According to Wike, it was painful that countries with less football pedigree had qualified for the global competition while Nigeria missed out. He urged Yobo to convey his message to the Super Eagles, stressing that many Nigerians were unhappy with the team’s inability to qualify.
Reacting during the ARISE News Morning Show, Abati said he agreed with the minister’s position, noting that Nigerians had every right to be disappointed by the team’s failure to reach the World Cup.“We are with Wike on this one,” Abati said.
Oseni also expressed frustration over Nigeria’s absence from the tournament, jokingly remarking that even South Africa would not be returning home early because they had successfully qualified for the next phase of the competition.
The comments come amid continued criticism of the Super Eagles following their disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign, which left Nigeria out of football’s biggest tournament.
