Nigeria’s Football in Crisis: Odegbami Demands Reform

Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has sparked outrage and soul-searching across the country, with former international star Segun Odegbami describing the Super Eagles’ performance as ‘shambolic’ and a reflection of deeper structural problems in Nigerian football.

In an article published today in major Nigerian newspapers, Odegbami, a member of the celebrated 1980 African Cup of Nations-winning squad, lamented the decline of a team once hailed as the ‘Giant of Africa.’

He recalled Nigeria’s golden era in the 1990s, when the Super Eagles were ranked fifth in the FIFA world rankings, dazzled at the 1994 World Cup, and forced European and South American nations to take African football seriously.

But that legacy, Odegbami argued, has been squandered. He pointed to last week’s decisive qualifiers against DR Congo, where Nigeria’s lack of preparation and fatigue led to a humiliating exit.

Despite boasting some of Africa’s best players and a large contingent in Europe’s top leagues, the Eagles were outplayed, outpaced, and outclassed by the Congolese.

‘The team spent all the time with defenders under constant pressure, struggling to stop the endless forays of the Congolese,’ Odegbami wrote. ‘It was Nigeria’s worst advertisement since 1994, and a nightmare from which the country must wake up quickly.’

He called for sweeping reforms, accusing entrenched interests and a faulty football constitution of holding the game hostage for three decades.

According to Odegbami, only by dismantling this cabal and restoring proper governance can Nigeria reclaim its vibrancy and fulfill Pele’s prophecy that an African nation, possibly Nigeria, would one day win the World Cup.

With FIFA expanding the tournament to 48 teams and Africa guaranteed nine slots, Odegbami stressed that Nigeria cannot afford to miss future opportunities.

‘The country must wake up and confront the present reality,’ he warned, urging leaders to act decisively to rescue Nigerian football from mediocrity and politics.