Despite Nigeria’s impressive squad depth, former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni believes the team is missing a true creative spark in midfield — the kind once provided by the legendary Jay-Jay Okocha.
According to Yakubu, current midfield options, including Alex Iwobi, have not filled that void.
Speaking to sportscasting.com, Yakubu expressed concern over the team’s lack of a forward-thinking playmaker.
“Alex Iwobi has been alright, but we still need a creative midfielder in the team who can pass the ball to the strikers. We don’t have that,” he said.
“Alex is not the guy who can pass the ball to the striker. He is just buzzing around, getting the ball, passing it sideways. We need someone who can pass forward.”
He added that the team’s imbalance in midfield remains a major issue: “We don’t have Jay-Jay [Okocha] anymore. The problem we have with the national team is that we have too many defensive midfielders.”
Yakubu’s comments add to the ongoing debate about Nigeria’s midfield structure as the Super Eagles continue their push for consistent performances on the international stage.
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.
