Odegbami: Super Eagles Lacked Fighting Spirit In Guinea-Bissau Defeat
Former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami has blamed a lack of fighting spirit and the wrong mentality for the Super Eagles’ humiliating 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Odegbami, writing in his latest column, described the performance as one that left him ‘speechless’, insisting Nigeria were completely outplayed and failed to display the qualities traditionally associated with the national team.
‘Guinea-Bissau? What a disaster again, beyond my comprehension!’ Odegbami quoted former Leventis United proprietor John Mastoroudes as telling him after watching the match.
Odegbami said he could initially find no explanation for what he had witnessed before replying to Mastoroudes with a single word: ‘Speechless’.
According to the former captain, the Eagles showed “no style, no class, no guts, no grit, no spirit” and appeared to have abandoned the traditional Nigerian approach built around flair, power, speed, athleticism and a refusal to give up.
He argued that the defeat was particularly painful because Nigeria were not merely beaten but ‘completely outplayed in all departments’.
Odegbami recalled Nigeria’s 5-1 defeat to Algeria in the opening match of the 1990 AFCON and the 4-1 home friendly loss to Togo in 1996 as examples of heavy defeats that were followed by strong responses.
Nigeria recovered from the 1990 setback to reach the AFCON final, while the 1996 Olympic team responded to the Togo defeat by winning gold at the Atlanta Games.
He said those teams demonstrated the fighting spirit he believes is missing from the current Super Eagles.
Odegbami also recounted a conversation with former US Olympian Lacey O’Neale, who he said attributed Nigeria’s poor showing against Guinea-Bissau to an absence of the right frame of mind.
According to Odegbami, O’Neale felt the Eagles did not play with the mentality of winners, pointing to a lack of strategy, determination, energy and fighting spirit.
The former international also invoked the legacy of past Nigerian football ‘warriors’, naming players including Tunde Adebiyi, Bright Omokaro, Sunday Eboigbe, Felix Owolabi, Sylvanus Okpala, Emmanuel Okala, Garba Lawal, Nwankwo Kanu and Victor Osimhen as examples of players who left their mark on opponents through their intensity and commitment.
Odegbami recalled former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry’s description of Taribo West as one of the toughest opponents he faced, highlighting the Nigerian defender’s uncompromising style.
He concluded that the problems confronting Nigerian football go beyond the Guinea-Bissau defeat, arguing that the sport is currently at one of its lowest points in terms of development and that the underlying issues are ‘deep and fundamental’.
