Nigeria lauds footballers after AFCON win

Nigeria's press celebrated the country's Africa Cup of Nations triumph on Monday, with front page headlines and photographs of the victoriousAfrica Cup of Nations with the trophy. Nigeria ended a 19-year wait on Sunday night in Johannesburg, South Africa, when they pipped Burkina Faso 1-0 to be crowned African champions for a third time after triumphs in 1980 and 1994. Leading daily The Guardian went with: "It's Nigeria!, Super Eagles lift African Nations Cup (President Goodluck) Jonathan, others hail new football kings." The independent This Day newspaper showed the Super Eagles celebrating with the trophy after the final at Soccer City in Soweto, while The Nation called the win "Nigeria's magical hour" showing skipper Joseph Yobo lifting the trophy. The Punch newspaper simply ran a screamer headline "Kings of Africa". Nigeria defeated Burkina Faso following a superb late first-half goal from Sunday Mba, taking winning coach Stephen Keshi into the record books as he equalled the feat of late Egyptian Mahmoud El Gohary by winning gold medals as a player and a coach. Among the rewards for the Super Eagles was a $1.5 million (RM 4.6million) first prize and a place at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, where they will face world and European champions Spain, Tahiti and Uruguay in June.