By DAILY REVIEW ONLINE
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the World Cup and the painful loss of the recently concluded AFCON 2025, is a clarion call for the Super Eagles to be thoroughly overhauled.
For a team that parades a galaxy of international football stars and ranks 26th globally and third on the African continent in the latest FIFA Men’s World rankings, it is unacceptable that Nigeria will for the second time in a row, not be at the Mundial.
Nigeria has never lacked football talents. From the streets of Lagos to academies across Europe, the Super Eagles’ player pool remains one of Africa’s richest. Yet talent alone no longer guarantees success. Recent failures in major tournaments and qualification campaigns have exposed deeper, systemic problems that demand urgent reform. Rebuilding the Super Eagles must go beyond changing players and coaches; it must address structure, culture, and credibility.
First, Nigerian football needs a clear and consistent long-term philosophy. For too long, the Super Eagles have lurched from one tactical idea to another with every coaching change. Without a defined football identity, players struggle to adapt, cohesion suffers, and progress becomes impossible. Successful football nations build teams around a clear vision that transcends individual coaches. Nigeria must do the same.
Closely linked to this is the need for stability in the technical crew. Frequent sackings and short-term appointments have turned the national team into a revolving door. Coaches are rarely given enough time to build, experiment, and correct mistakes. The NFF must allow the current coach to continue rebuilding the team. He must also be granted technical authority and judged by clear, realistic benchmarks—not panic-driven reactions.
Beyond these, the most corrosive factors plaguing the Super Eagles are psychological and administrative issues. High expectations met internal uncertainty, breeding tension and anxiety within the squad. This was worsened by delayed allowances and welfare failures. Repeatedly, players were distracted by unpaid bonuses and unresolved entitlements—some reportedly outstanding for years. Training boycotts before crucial World Cup play-off and AFCON semi-final matches were not acts of indiscipline but desperate protests against institutional neglect. No elite team can perform optimally under such conditions.
Team selection must also return to strict merit. The Super Eagles should never be a reward system for reputation, past glory, or external influence. Form, fitness, tactical suitability, and commitment must be the only criteria. Competition for places raises standards and ensures hunger on the pitch.
Long-term success also depends on youth development. Grassroots football, school competitions, and local academies must be strengthened, while diaspora scouting should be coordinated and transparent. Other nations are winning today because they planned yesterday. Nigeria cannot continue to rely on raw talent alone.
We also suggest that Eric Chille should look inwards, particular the Nigerian League were there are raw talents he can nurture and include. In AFCON 2025, he did not include a home-based player. This does not promote continuity
Preparation and game management remain weak points. Too often, the Super Eagles drop points against lower-ranked teams due to poor planning, tactical rigidity, or late-game indecision. Modern football is driven by analysis, adaptability, and attention to detail. Nigeria must catch up.
Discipline and professionalism must be restored across boardrooms, dressing rooms, and technical benches. Clear codes of conduct, enforced without favour, are essential to building unity and accountability.
Daily Review Online posits that rust must be rebuilt—between the NFF, players, and fans. Transparency in decision-making, honesty in communication, and accountability for failure will help restore belief in the national team project.
Former captain Sunday Oliseh’s warning about “toxicity” within the camp highlights another painful truth: discipline and leadership were lacking. Public disputes, unchecked egos, and a fan culture that excuses indiscipline damaged team chemistry. Talent, as Oliseh rightly noted, does not confer license to undermine teammates or authority. Strong administration sets boundaries; weak administration allows chaos.
Ultimately, the Nigeria Football Federation must accept responsibility. Poor governance, weak logistics, political interference, and absence of long-term planning created an environment where failure became inevitable. Football is played on the pitch, but success is built in boardrooms.
Rebuilding the Super Eagles requires more than changing coaches or blaming players. It demands transparent administration, prompt payment of allowances, professional welfare structures, a stable technical philosophy, and firm disciplinary standards. Until these foundations are fixed, Nigeria will continue to underperform relative to its immense potential.