As the Super Eagles’ camp opens this Monday in Rabat, Morocco ahead of their clash with Gabon on Thursday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification play-offs, a former head of the team’s medical crew, Dr Dipo Odunuga says he is not happy that Nigeria couldn’t qualifier earlier.
Sports247 reports that the Eagles got a second chance to reach next year’s Mundial with a 4-0 whipping of Benin Republic in their last match of the original qualifiers, but Odunuga tagged it a mockery of Nigeria’s status in the round leather game.
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The outspoken retired head of medicals at Lagos National Stadium, Surulere, added that the Eagles he worked with in the 80s to 90s would not have to rely on play-offs to qualify for the World Cup.
Odunuga stated as much during the first edition of ‘Inside Naija Sports,’ a new live streaming programme aired at 2:15pm every Friday by Sports247 Naija via YouTube, and he added: “I’m not happy, because I remember how we used to do better in those days.
“At that time, before the series of matches in the qualifiers even began, we the officials would have calculated all the bonuses that we would eventually get.
“We always did that ahead of time because we knew the team would win certain games and maybe draw some, but we would normally qualify as expected.”
He then pinpointed changes in attitude, mentality and focus as major factors that account for the downturn of the Eagles’ fortune, hence their inability to qualify directly to the World Cup and now rely on the play-offs.
“In those days, the players played with a lot of passion. They used to tell us that they really liked the green and white jersey.
“Unfortunately, these days, it’s more like we even go to beg them to play for Nigeria. This means the level of professionalism has dropped in the team.”
Odunuga, who started as a member of Nigeria’s medical crew for all sports teams in 1980, concluded by advocating a change in attitude, starting with the upcoming World Cup qualification play-offs in Morocco.
“The players should be more dedicated and more patriotic. They should put in more effort instead of just thinking about what they would get in terms of money.
“Patriotism is very, very important. Once you are patriotic and you eventually win, then a lot of things will follow. As it is, I’m very sure that our present government is very interested in rewarding people who come first,” Odunuga pointed out.
Sports247 is also proud to reveal that a full transcript of the interview with Dr Dipo Odunuga is splashed under our UNSCRIPTED column elsewhere on this website.
