Former Super Eagles captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, has launched a scathing attack on the current state of Nigerian football, lamenting what he described as the loss of the nation’s once-famous winning mentality.
Speaking on the team’s recent performances, Oliseh said it was painful to watch a side as talented as the Super Eagles struggle to assert themselves on the global stage, accusing both players and administrators of becoming comfortable with mediocrity.
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“In our time, losing the Africa Cup of Nations final was a national heartbreak,” Oliseh recalled. “We cried because we wanted to win for Nigeria. Today, it seems we celebrate finishing second or third — that is not the Nigeria I know.”
The 1996 Olympic gold medalist expressed deep concern over the decline in football culture, saying that the lack of accountability, tactical discipline, and hunger in the current setup has eroded the Super Eagles’ identity as a football powerhouse.
“When you accept less, you’ll always get less,” he continued. “We have allowed a culture where failure is explained away instead of fixed. That’s why we keep repeating the same mistakes.”
Oliseh urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the technical crew to rebuild from the grassroots and instill a winning mindset once more. “We have the talent — that’s not the problem. The real issue is mentality. Until we fix that, even with the best players, we will continue to fall short.”
The outspoken former captain ended with a plea to Nigerian fans: “Don’t stop demanding more from your team. Nigeria deserves better than excuses — we deserve results.”
