‘The Super Eagles have lost the stronger feathers in their wings’, says Segun Odegbami

Former Nigeria international footballer, Chief Segun Odegbami says the Super Eagles have lost their fear factor and their new home has not become the abattoir like the National stadium in Surulere, Lagos used to be back in the day.

The Super Eagles begin the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against the Cheetahs of Republic managed by Gernot Rohr, a former manager of the Nigerian senior national team.

Odegbami says the visitors to Uyo will feel confident they can achieve a positive result on a ground that has become a 50-50 for the Super Eagles in terms of wins and defeats.

‘It is a home ground that does not play out as one. Gone are the days when the home ground of the national team was described as ‘an abattoir’ where visiting teams are ‘slaughtered’ on the hallowed turf of the ‘main bowl’.

‘The Uyo Township Stadium (Godswill Akpabio stadium) is seen these days, particularly by visiting teams, as a neutral ground where they can come and stretch the patience of fanatical Nigerian fans.

‘They do not fear coming there to play anymore. The myth of Nigeria’s invincibility at home has been broken, so, winning for the Super Eagles has become psychologically more difficult,’ wrote Odegbami in his weekly column in The Guardian and Complete Sports.

The ‘Mathematical’ as Odegbami was nicknamed during his active, playing days says Super Eagles are no longer feared by the so-called minnows in the continent.

‘It used to be unthinkable that Nigeria could ever lose a football match to Benin Republic. If things were done correctly by Nigerian football administrators, both teams should never belong to the same planet of football. Haba.

‘Even today, the Cheetahs parade Nigerian players that fail to make the cut of the third-eleven of the Nigerian national team, yet they only have to stroll across the border at Seme, simply and easily change their nationality, and start to play for Benin Republic.

‘These are some of the players that now constitute a real threat to the Super Eagles. This Saturday, they are coming, led by an aggrieved foreign coach, to attempt to terminate Nigeria’s shaky march to Morocco 2025.

‘The Cheetahs have become a real threat to Nigeria’s ambitions.

‘The Cheetahs are led by a man with an axe to grind with Nigeria. Gernot Rohr, a German, handled the Super Eagles longer than any coach since Clemens Westerhof in Nigeria’s football history,’ he wrote.