By Wale Mustapha
Former Nigeria striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has criticised the Super Eagles’ current squad, warning that their lack of creativity and cohesion could cost them a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria have struggled in the qualifying campaign, managing draws against Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa.
With two matches remaining, the Super Eagles sit third in Group C on 11 points, behind South Africa (17 points) and Benin Republic (14 points).
Aiyegbeni, who scored 21 goals in 58 appearances for Nigeria, said the overreliance on defensive midfielders has stifled the team’s attack, leaving strikers like Victor Osimhen isolated.
“When we look at the team, we have too many defensive midfielders and not many attacking midfielders,” he said on the Sunday Oliseh Podcast.
“If I play in this team, I will struggle to score goals. When I look at Osimhen, he is fighting because he knows he has to hustle by himself to score.”
The former Everton forward also faulted the team’s overall approach, describing it as reliant on individual brilliance rather than collective effort.
“We don’t play like a team; it’s individual football we play, and we want the players to make magic,” he added.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
