Nigerian national team former winger, Jide Oguntuase has predicted that the Super Eagles will emerge victorious at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco … only if preparations start early and are done properly, Sports247 reports.
While analysing the Eagles’ chances, Oguntuase outlined two basic approaches he believes would ensure Nigeria clinches a fourth African title – preparations should start early with home-based players, and only five of the current stars will be retained.
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The former Julius Berger FC of Lagos dazzler aired his view while speaking during ‘Hot Seat’ segment of Inside Naija Sports, a live streaming programme on YouTube from the studio of Sports247 Naija TV.
Oguntuase, who shot to limelight at Scotland ’89 FIFA U17 World Cup, added that at least 40 home-based players should be invited to camp to kick start preparations, and the best among them will form the core of Nigeria’s squad to AFCON 2025 with some new talents from abroad.
He began by dispelling critical comments about players from the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), stressing that they could not win this year’s Championship of African Nations (CHAN) only because the right squad was not selected.
Oguntuase emphasised, “We have lots of good players in the Nigerian league, but we could not win CHAN because Remo Stars had too many players in our team. It was a club we took to CHAN, not our national team.
“The coach assumed, because they won the league, many of their players deserved to be there. That could have been a good idea many years ago, but it does not work like that in modern football.
“Nowadays, league football is different from what happens in the national team. That’s why players for the national team must come from different clubs.”
The player-turned-coach, who was also part of Nigeria’s under-23 squad that won bronze at the 1991 Africa Games in Egypt, went on to suggest a blend of the best domestic league players with only five determined members of the foreign legion in the Eagles’ AFCON 2025 squad.
Oguntuase opined, “Many players in the present Eagles are not determined, and they cannot give us their best any longer. Only five of them should be retained for this forthcoming Nations Cup.
“The ones I want to be there are (William) Ekong, (Victor) Osimhen, (Calvin) Bassey, (Ademola) Lookman and (Samuel) Chukwueze. Of all these five players I mentioned, Chukwueze has to wake up if he is to play for us at the AFCON.
“That’s because he gets carried away and wants to play Jay Jay Okocha’s style; but the days when that was possible have gone. All the same, he can still fit in with the others.”
The outspoken former winger, who is now a grassroots football coach based in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, added that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) must find a way by which European clubs and those in the NPFL would release the players early, in order for preparations to quickly begin.
He suggested further, “What we should do is invite those five from abroad with some young ones who are coming up to join our home-based players in camp early enough. Let’s call them now so that they can train together.
“Those abroad may not be able to come immediately because their clubs might not release them. That’s why we have to call up good players from the league and let them start training early.
“Let’s call 40 home-based players to camp and start training them now. There’s no way you will not get a good team out of 40 players invited from various clubs in the league.”
Oguntuase concluded by declaring emphatically that the Super Eagles will emerge champions at AFCON 2025 once all his suggestions are quickly set in motion and implemented by the country’s football governing body.
“I will not say that Nigeria will not win this coming AFCON. I will never say that, because I am a Nigerian. Nigeria is my country, and I want them to always win.
“We just have to do the right thing. When you do the right thing, you will surely win. So, if they plan well, they will surely be the champions of Africa,” Oguntuase projected.
