January 15, 2026 10:07 am
Popular Nigerian comedian, Bovi Ugboma, has shared a critique of the Super Eagles following their semi-final exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, declaring that football remains the sole unifying force in a country divided by religion and politics.
In a video posted via his Instagram page on Thursday after Nigeria’s loss to Morocco on Wednesday, Bovi, who revealed he has several friends in the national team, made a rare departure from his usual stance of non-interference in their professional affairs.
“If there’s anything that unites Nigeria as a nation, it’s football. Mark my words, it’s football,” the entertainer declared.
He went on to say, “Religion stops this country from burning because we are very religious people. Politics divides this nation because self-interest comes into play. But football is the only thing that brings Muslims and Christians, North, South-East, and West together.”
The comedian specifically addressed Samuel Chukwueze and other players who missed crucial opportunities during the tournament.
“You have to treat it like you are an assassin. I’ve never seen in my life where an assassin has an opportunity to kill somebody and chooses to go like this or like this while chewing gum
“Chukwueze, I forgive him from the bottom of my heart, but you need to understand that the weight of the nation lies in your hand,” Bovi stressed.
Bovi warned players against prioritising individual glory over team success, a tendency he believes has cost Nigeria repeatedly at crucial moments.
“If you go for glory before victory, more often than not, you will mess up. More often than not, you become the victim, Don’t let that ember come alive. We let an advantage sleep,” he said.
“I’m not blaming only Chukwueze. In 1994, those are my heroes, but guess what? They messed up at the most critical moment with two minutes to go. Nevertheless, they are still our heroes because it was literally our first time at the World Cup.”
Speaking on the players’ social media habits during tournaments, hw warned `that online praise can be deceptive and distracting.
“Social media will be messing you guys up real bad, not just from this tournament but previous tournaments. You get carried away by the praise. Guess what? They don’t like you. They like what you do. Don’t let the comments, don’t let the likes fool you. The tide can change anytime,” he warned.
He cited Argentina’s disciplined approach during the 2018 World Cup when they needed to beat Nigeria to qualify. “When Argentina had to play us, no member of the Argentine team was on social media. We were on social media posting all kinds of things. Stop going on social media during tournaments.”
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