Odegbami: CAF Awards Expose The Decline Of Nigerian Football

Former Green Eagles captain laments Nigeria’s absence from the men’s award shortlists, blaming uncontrolled export of young players for weakening domestic football

Former Nigerian international Segun Odegbami has warned that the country’s football is in decline, pointing to the absence of Nigerian nominees in the men’s categories of the 2026 CAF Awards as evidence of a failing development system.

In his latest column, titled Small Steps, Big Lessons!, Odegbami described the situation as a major concern, particularly with Nigeria set to host the December 2 ceremony.

‘The real tragedy is no Nigerian is even nominated for any of the awards. That speaks volumes!’ he wrote.

Odegbami argued that Nigeria was no longer producing the continent’s best football talents and blamed the uncontrolled migration of young players to Europe and Asia for undermining the domestic game.

He said the influx of foreign scouts and agents seeking inexpensive Nigerian players had turned the business of exporting young footballers into a more attractive venture than developing professional clubs and strengthening domestic competitions.

According to him, the trend has depleted local leagues of promising players and weakened the grassroots structures that should provide a steady supply of talent to the national teams.

Odegbami also argued that foreign clubs and their representatives increasingly target physically imposing players with speed, strength and power, rather than technically gifted footballers.

He believes this has influenced Nigerian coaches to abandon traditional player-development methods that once produced skilful players known for their dribbling, flair and technical ability.

‘The result of this plunder is that Nigeria’s football, in all ramifications, suffers from the damage inflicted by the inordinate influx of European agents and scouts that have disrupted our own natural production line of exceptionally gifted players, and corrupted our coaches,’ he wrote.

He urged Nigerian football administrators to study how countries such as Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire and Algeria are responding to similar challenges, warning that Nigeria risked falling further behind if urgent measures were not taken.

Odegbami’s criticism followed his praise for the Flamingos, whose triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup he described as a significant boost for Nigerian football and the country’s national image.

He welcomed the Federal Government’s rewards for the victorious team, saying their achievement came at a time when Nigerians needed something to lift their spirits.

He also believes the Flamingos’ success could have a lasting impact on the senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, through the promotion of talented players and the adoption of lessons from the team’s technical and tactical approach.

Odegbami went further to predict that Nigeria’s women would win the senior FIFA World Cup before the Super Eagles, within the next eight years.

He called for a detailed study of the Flamingos’ triumph, arguing that the victory offered lessons that should shape the country’s wider football-development structure.

Turning to the Super Eagles, who were assembling for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Tanzania, Odegbami expressed little optimism about an immediate turnaround, describing the latest squad as largely familiar faces with only a sprinkling of new players.

He said Nigeria needed fresh ideas, a new direction in football leadership and a realistic development plan if the country was to build towards its ambition of winning the FIFA World Cup within the next eight years.