Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has launched a scathing critique of the Nigerian national team, blaming its tactical deficiencies and lack of team cohesion for its failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifying campaign was marked by a string of underwhelming results, including draws against Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and South Africa.
With two matches remaining, Nigeria sits third in Group C with 11 points, trailing South Africa, which has 17 points, and Benin Republic, which has 14 points.
The former Everton star did not hold back, highlighting the team’s midfield imbalance and its over-reliance on individual brilliance as major factors in its struggles.
“When we look at the team, we have too many defensive midfielders and not many attacking midfielders,” Yakubu said on Sunday Oliseh podcast.
Yakubu, who scored 21 goals in 58 appearances for Nigeria, stressed that the lack of creativity in midfield puts unnecessary pressure on strikers like Victor Osimhen.
“If I play in this team, I will struggle to score goals because when I look at Osimhen when he plays, he is fighting because he knows already when he sees the goals he scores, and he has to hustle by himself,” he explained.
He further criticised the team’s overall playing style, describing it as overly dependent on individual efforts rather than collective play.
“We don’t play like a team, it’s individual football we play, and we want the players to make magic,” he added.
Yakubu remains Nigeria’s fourth-highest international goalscorer and has continued to use his platform to call for a more balanced and creative approach to the Super Eagles’ play.
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