Sunday Oliseh, former Super Eagles captain and coach, has never been one to mince words.
On the latest episode of Oliseh’s Global Football Insights podcast, co-hosted with Omotoyosi Adebanjo, Oliseh offered a searing reflection on Nigerian football, past and present. He stated that the state of the Super Eagles mirrors the state of the nation.
“We will be deceiving ourselves if we think the current Super Eagles team exists in isolation from the country,” Oliseh declared.
He emphasised that the problems within Nigerian football are deeply systemic. From inadequate administration to lack of unity among players, Oliseh sees the decline of the Super Eagles as symptomatic of larger national failings.
Interestingly, Oliseh fondly remembered his proudest moments with the Super Eagles. Scoring the winning goal against Spain at the 1998 World Cup and assisting Emmanuel Amunike’s strike in the 1994 AFCON final remains in history. Yet even those highs were tempered by his disappointment in how Nigerian football often squandered talent and failed to build on successes.
Oliseh did not shy away from sharing his personal experiences, recalling feelings of betrayal during his playing days.
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He described the period leading up to the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, when loyal players like himself, Victor Agali, Tijani Babangida, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and others were sidelined, only for late entrants to benefit. “There was barely anything to fight for then,” he said, expressing how a lack of vision and organisation eroded team spirit.
Beyond the politics, Oliseh highlighted technical and tactical gaps in the present-day team. “In all departments, we are not good enough. Simple,” he stated.
The former Fortuna Sittard manager believes the weaknesses are not limited to the players on the pitch but extend to administrative management and preparation.
Meanwhile, Aiyegbeni, who was a guest on the podcast, contrasted this with his era, when players fought hard for places and had to prove themselves in every training and match. Today, he observed, “there are too many friends and buddies in the team. Even if they are not playing well, they don’t bash themselves.”
For Oliseh, the current Super Eagles represent wasted potential. He believes that until Nigeria addresses its broader issues, the national team will continue to underperform.
Tags: Sunday Oliseh, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Victor Agali, Tijani Babangida, Omotoyosi Adebanjo, Super Eagles, #SoarSuperEagles, Oliseh’s global football insights podcast.
