Plateau State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Musa Ibrahim Ashoms, has returned from Morocco following the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), expressing excitement over Nigeria’s performance and emphasizing the lessons gained from the continental tournament.
Speaking on arrival, Ashoms said he felt “excited, elated and blessed”, noting that the experience would serve as a source of exposure and learning for the Plateau sporting community.
“This is a journey that we should also be partaking as Plateau people because you will take mental notes, you will get experience, you will be exposed and you will be educated. And we will be trickling it down back home,” he stated.
Nigeria finished the tournament with a bronze medal, which Ashoms described as a positive outcome, adding that the matches offered inspiration and strategic lessons for young athletes.
Using Senegal’s dramatic comeback in one of the matches as an example, he urged Plateau youth to confront adversity head-on:
“When you have a challenge, face it. You will come out stronger. You will even win at the end of the day,” he said.
Ashoms commended Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, for providing support and opportunities for sports development, revealing that the delegation also promoted Plateau State during their stay in Morocco.
According to him, several Nigerians, including people who once lived, schooled, or served in Plateau, recognized the state and expressed pride in its identity.
He also praised Morocco’s growing sports infrastructure, describing it as a model worth emulating.
“If what I’ve seen is going to be sustained in the next 10 years, there’s nowhere in the world that will be better than Morocco in sports,” he said, citing visible facilities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, and football pitches across cities.
Ashoms encouraged Plateau residents to take pride in their cultural and economic assets, urging them to market the state in the same way Moroccans promote their country.
He further expressed concern that no player of Plateau origin featured in the Super Eagles squad during the tournament and challenged local athletes to raise their level of performance to compete globally.
“It is a clarion call to our sport lovers and footballers to up their game,” he said, expressing hope that future competitions will see Plateau players represented at national level.
