National Teams
Former Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane unveils problems bedeviling Nigeria football
By Saheed Afolabi
Pitso Mosimane has unveiled the issues plaguing the Nigeria national team following their disappointing performance at the 2026 Olympics.
Mosimane revealed he turned down the opportunity to coach the Super Eagles for patriotic reasons, despite the allure of coaching such a star-studded team.
“The calls were coming from Nigeria, the talks were there. Jay-Jay Okocha was leading this thing, he was begging me,” Mosimane was quoted by SNAWA.
“But you know South Africa and Nigeria were in the same group. It’s not too nice, it’s unpatriotic because I want to see my team in the World Cup.”
He emphasized the challenges of coaching a talent-laden Eagles side without a coherent plan and the right players.
“But also, work is work. You can never deny a chance to coach Chukwueze, Osimhen, those players are unbelievable, those guys are top talents in the world,” he continued.
“In my opinion, Nigeria struggles with the system or shape of how to play. The problem is when you have too many good football players.”
Mosimane explained that the abundance of quality players in the Eagles makes it difficult for the coach to find a consistent solution.
“It’s nearly the same as Brazil, where you have too much talent and the coach doesn’t even know who to play and where to play.
“The coach is impatient when the game is not looking good, and you make changes when you have somebody else on the bench. There’s no patience.”