Indiscipline di major problem of Super Eagles

American author and entrepreneur, Emmanuel Rohn, wey dem sabi as Jim Rohn, fit get di Super Eagles of Naija for mind wen make am make him famous quote wey talk say; ‘’discipline na di bridge between goals and accomplishment.” Wetin him take dis one mean be say, dis quote suggest say discipline na di key to achieving goals.

And as attention dey shift to di 2026 World Cup qualifiers, di fear of indiscipline for di Super Eagles don crop up as di main crux wey fit crush Naija desire to pick up World Cup ticket from Group wey dem consider favorable with South Africa, Republic of Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho.

Unfortunately, di Super Eagles dey currently precariously placed second-to-last for dia Group C with three meager points out of possible 12 having played four of dia five group opponents, leaving dem six matches to take determine dia fate of picking ticket to join di party of 48 teams wey dem expand from 32.

Di tournament wey go take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, na di first time wey 48 teams go dey play.

Na di first time 16 cities for three North American countries, Canada, Mexico, and di United States go dey host.

And di chances of seeing Naija green white green flag hoisted and fluttering with di oda47 flags look remote.

Talks of indiscipline among di rank and file of di team don fill di air with ex-internationals, wey don go through dis route, dey raise alarm.

Beyond di shocking lack of character or belief by di players, di Naija Football Federation, NFF, go take di blame for everything for showing little or nothing in checkmating di players’ attitude to camp and helping to restore order from di power play by di players.

Di team without substantive coach no help matters as di interim coach Austin Eguavoen lack di authority to instill discipline in team wey e no get hand in inviting to camp.

Most of di players sabi where dia loyalties dey.

Players’ attitude na my worse fear – Udeze

Ex-international, Vitalis Ifeanyichukwu Udeze talk say him only fear of Naija qualification for di World Cup solely dey with di attitude of di players.

‘’My worst fear remain di attitude and indiscipline for di camp of di Eagles.”

“Di players lack di hunger of reporting to camp. Di Eagles’ camp wey used to be very strict with camp rules don become loose.”

“Di players dey stroll into camp late and still get shirts to play for game. E dey strange. E neva happen wen I dey play.”

“Without bonding with oda players to di formation of di coach, di result dey obvious”, e regrettably talk.

Standard for inviting players now lowered – Onazi

Anoda former Super Eagles, Ogenyi Onazi, agree with Udeze say di commitment level of di current Super Eagles don become suspect, thereby advocating for stiffer rules and regulations (Code of Conduct) for di team.

“dis na thing of joy wen dey invite you to com di camp of di Super Eagles and di invited players dey treasure am well-well.”

“Now, all manner of players dey invited to di team and e don lower di standard.”

“Invitation to di national team no be all about who dey do well for him club.”

“Discipline, respect and comportment dey also considered.”

“Now, all manner of players dey get invitations to di team and dem don sacrifice di unity, di brotherhood wey exist for di team.”

“Dat na why I insist say regulations suppose dey for di team if we need to pick di pieces and qualify for di World Cup,” Onazi talk.

“Though most of di ex players wey we talk to refrain from hitting di nail on di head, e dey so obvious say dem dey point accusing fingers on di soccer-ruling body, di Naija Football Federation.”

“Allegations dey levelled against di body say some big guns get special players dem dey invite to di camp without di knowledge of di coach.”

“And such players dey see demself as sacred cows wey dey above di law.”

“Many oda talk say if di Super Eagles fail to qualify for di World Cup, di reason go be due to di ineptitude of those wey dem charge with di responsibility of managing our football.”

“Clear case example of condoning indiscipline and looking di oda way na during di height of di brouhaha between Victor Osimhen and coach Finidi George.”

Many soccer fans don also raise eyebrows to di attitude of di current Super Eagles players with content creators dey stroll in and out of di camp of di team unchecked thereby distracting camp rules to di chagrin of helpless coach Eguavoen wey dey more interested in getting confirmed as di coach than to step on toes of sacred players wey fit pull di rug off him feet through dia godfathers.

NFF don dey encourage indiscipline for Eagles camp – Enyeama

Former goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, no think twice wen him talk say di level of indiscipline for di camp of di Eagles dey perpetrated by di NFF.

“Di football house suppose be di gatekeeper of rules and regulations.”

“Dem suppose know wen di players suppose dey camp. Dem suppose get dia schedule like wen dem play for dia clubs.”

“Dem suppose hit camp a day afta playing for dia clubs.”

“Unfortunately here, you go find players reporting to camp two or three days afta featuring for dia clubs without any action or sanction on dem.”

“Anoda former player of di Eagles, Victor Agali also blame di NFF for most of di chaos wey dem notice for di national team.”

“I no know if dem really care about di image of di Naija football.”

“E dey vex me to know say our management na really di problem of di national team.”

“And I ask, wetin be di support wey dem don give to di coaches?”

“No mata how difficult things appear for di Super Eagles, optimists still dey wey believe say di Eagles fit still soar to America, Canada and Mexico for di 2026 World Cup.”

“Former Super Eagles captain, Henry Nwosu fall into dis category.”

Him talk say e neva too late to be wetin you fit be.

And former secretary General of di NFA, Sani Toro under whose tenure as scribe di Green Eagles qualify for dia first World Cup for USA ’94.

Him be great optimist and believer of di Super Eagles and e think say di only limit to our realization of tomorrow go be our doubts of today.

Coaches no suppose dey ignore home-based players —Henry Nwosu

Di former keepper, for di country’s chances, talk: “Naija fit still go qualify for di 2026 World Cup.

All dem need to do na just to concentrate for dia games and put in more effort for di same way dem dey do for dia respective clubs.

“Di team handlers no suppose dey ignore di home-based players.”

“Dem suppose invite dem into di national team as e be di tradition for di past.”

“Make dem fight for di shirts, make competition dey between dem and di home-based.

“Di foreign-based players fit dey complacent for dia approach to di national team assignment because dem no get anything to lose.”

“Good or bad, dem go go back to dia clubs and dey play dia game.”

“But, di home-based players for dia own side, dey hungry and dey very eager to make dia marks and attract di foreign clubs.”

“Dem too wan go abroad to play. So, make dem compete for di shirts, if di home-based beta, dem suppose give dem space for di team.”

Coaching

“I no believe say we no get coach for di team. Augustine Eguavoen na coach, even though him be di Technical Director of di Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.”

“Him need to dey encouraged. We no suppose dey look for coach now because dat go amount to setback in terms of new coach setting down and knowing di players.”

“Again, dem suppose give Eguavoen free hand to pick him players without any interference.”

“Eguavoen suppose dey there, him fit handle di team. We get coaches here wey fit do di Eagles job.”

“Emmanuel Amuneke play good football and him dey do well as coach.”

“We get good coaches here for Naija. All wetin dis Naija coaches dem need na good working environment, free hand to operate, discipline and good pay like dem dey pay di expatriate coaches.”

“Once dem enable Eguavoen and e know say him dey fully in charge, things go change.”

“Di attitude of di players go change and discipline go automatically dey implemented.”

“Di players go buckle up because dem know say e get di power to drop or no invite dem. So, I no think say we need new coach now.”

Eguavoen suppose continue – Sani Toro

Di former Secretary General of NFF, on Eguavoen’s stay as coach, talk: “For our World Cup qualification, di most important thing be say, continuity suppose dey for di coaching crew, Augustine Eguavoen remain di Acting Head Coach of di Super Eagles and di players get confidence in am and e too get confidence in di players.

“Therefore, I dey optimistic say di Super Eagles go qualify, wetin remain now na for di new Chairman of di National Sports Commission, NSC, and di president of di Naija Football Federation, NFF, to make sure dem put dia heads togeda to get one plan to succeed and for Super Eagles to succeed.”

“Make we put behind us, di manner wey di Eagles play for dia last two AFCON qualifiers, like I talk, di important thing now na for di Super Eagles to qualify. Once dem qualify oda strategies go come up.”

“For now, we no get anything to do with hiring of new coach.”

“In fact, I go talk say nothing dey wey anybody fit do. We just need to support Eguavoen and di team because if you bring new coach now, problem go dey.”

“I no dey support dat. Make e (Eguavoen) continue as di Acting Head Coach of di Super Eagles.”

“I dey pray make e qualify. If e qualify, oda things go follow, wey go be for NSC and NFF to look for permanent coach.”

“But for now, I wan make Eguavoen remain as Super Eagles coach. We need to move forward dey speak with one voice as division go lead us to doom.”

“Di intricate situation wey di Super Eagles don find demself for dia quest for di 2026 FIFA World Cup don throw Naija off balance.”

“Di sheer thought of no get dia national flag hoisted for di US, Mexico and Canada during di expanded Mundial dey send shivers down di spines of di football-crazy citizens.”

We no need any foreign coach —Akanni

Waidi Akanni na former Naija international and one time Chairman of di Lagos State Football Association and him don seriously talk no to di recruitment of foreign coach.

“To be honest with you, I think say Eguavoen suppose dey retained.”

“I no dey talk dis because him na pesin wey I sabi, but because of wetin him don bring com di national team for di last two or three months.”

“Him dey dere for everyone to see. Even wen we no even need to win game, we see how him give di fringe players chance against Rwanda to see wetin dem fit offer and justify dia places for di team.”

“So, my belief be say, dem suppose allow am continue with wetin e dey do.”

“Him fit probably do more, as him dey also in charge of di home-based Eagles for CHAN.”

“For me, I feel say dem suppose allow Eguavoen to continue.”

“Technically, you fit see wetin him don do. Di players dey listen to am and him get great rapport with dem.”

“One fit talk say we no dey get good results, but we dey get results as beta results go come as mata of time.”

“Again, I no think say di World Cup na Naija birthright. Some pipo go wan crucify me on dat.”

“But I feel say if we don start very well, we no go dey panic now.”

“For Naija to qualify for di World Cup dey very, very dicey.”

“afta we don play di game and from di level I know, e mean say we need to win all our remaining matches both home and also pray for slip by current leaders Rwanda and South Africa. E dey easier said than done.”

“South Africa and di oda teams go also prepare; just like di oda countries Benin and Rwanda.”

“Dem wan also go di World Cup too. But Naija qualifying no dey impossible but di odds dey stack against Naija.”

“So if you look at dat, why we need foreign coach? Why you wan spend all dat money dey look for coach wen qualification no fit be guaranteed. I still look am as impossible.”

“My own concern be say, make we keep Eguavoen make e keep dey do wetin e dey do and hopefully, we fit form sound base for both di home Eagles and foreign-based Super Eagles.”

“NFF dey bent on hiring foreign coach because dem believe say foreign coaches dey of higher technical quality than Naija coaches including Eguavoen.”

“I no believe in dat because everybody get him own advantages.”

“I fit agree say dem fit connect us abroad because dem be foreign, and we be local.”

“Football na international. I fit agree to dat but no to talk say dem beta technically.”

“Coaches get different qualities. Dem get different technical qualities among demself.”

“For instance, take di type of players wey we get now for Naija, pipo like of Osimhen, Iwobi, Lookman, among others; di standard dem don attain and operate, you no fit bring in substandard coach.”

“We must go for top-notch coach wey pipo sabi and one wey di players fit respect and understand and improve di fortunes of Naija football.”

“Dat na my take on am. But again, I talk, leave Eguavoen.”

Top-notch coaches dey needed for Naija

“We dey for small world. Dem fit research on coaches wey dey out of jobs around di world.”

“But again, dis issue of coaches no dey paid as and wen due fit also work against us if we wan coach.”

“I fit only talk, make we keep wetin we get, make we develop dem.”

“I need to look back at wetin we get at di moment, though we dey call dem local coaches dem dey do well for demself.”

“We get Finidi George wey don go back to coaching club though him no do well with di national team, Daniel Amokachi don go back.”

“I talk say make dem give di national team to Amokachi on him own, I guarantee you go see massive difference. Dat na one pesin I fit stand for.”

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