Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has delivered a blunt verdict on Nigeria’s football problems. He believes the national team’s poor performances reflect a lack of quality players.
Speaking during an interview on Play Zone with Charles Anazodo, Oliseh said many Nigerians were avoiding what he considers the team’s biggest weakness.
His comments have renewed debate about the quality of players representing the country.
The former Juventus midfielder also compared today’s squad with past generations. He recalled when Nigerian stars regularly featured for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Oliseh expressed disappointment that people were unwilling to discuss what he sees as the real reason behind Nigeria’s struggles.
“The reason why we’re failing makes me embarrassed because people don’t want to talk about it.
“The reason we’re failing is that the players are not good enough. We don’t have good players,” the former Juventus midfielder stated.
The former captain pointed to previous Nigerian stars who played at the highest levels of European football.
He recalled players such as Finidi George and himself at Ajax, alongside Taribo West at Inter Milan.
According to Oliseh, those generations had players competing regularly in major European competitions. He suggested that the current squad lacks the same level of quality across the team.
Oliseh identified Victor Osimhen as the standout name among Nigeria’s current players. However, he argued that the overall squad does not match the strength of earlier generations.
His assessment comes amid growing concerns about the Super Eagles’ recent performances and international prospects.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and finished third at AFCON 2025, according to the supplied report.
The team also reportedly suffered a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The results have increased pressure on head coach Eric Chelle and his players to deliver better performances.
The Super Eagles are expected to face Tanzania in a double-header in November, offering another opportunity to improve their form.
