Former Nigerian junior international Oloyede Taiwo has delivered a blunt assessment of the current state of men’s football in Nigeria, insisting that the country has “completely lost direction” and must urgently learn from Morocco’s developmental model if it hopes to compete at the FIFA World Cup in the future.
Speaking in Lagos, Taiwo said that Nigeria’s football system — once the pride of Africa — has fallen behind due to poor planning, weak administration, and inconsistent investment at the grassroots.
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He pointed to the struggles of national teams at various levels and the recent poor outings of domestic clubs such as Remo Stars in continental competitions as evidence of deeper structural issues.
“The scenes in Nigerian men’s football today are simply not good enough,” Taiwo said. “From the youth teams to the senior sides, we have lost our way.
There is no continuity, no plan for the next five or ten years. Morocco showed that success doesn’t come by chance — it comes from structure, investment, and long-term vision.”
He emphasized that Morocco’s transformation, which led to their historic 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final appearance, was a direct result of sustained youth development and strategic management.
Taiwo believes Nigeria must take a similar approach if it wants to return to the top of African football and make a meaningful impact on the global stage.
“Our problem is not talent,” he added. “We have players everywhere, but talent without planning is wasted potential. We need to start preparing now — not just for the next tournament, but for the next generation.”
Taiwo concluded by urging the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to “stop firefighting” and begin implementing long-term reforms that can help restore Nigeria’s status as a powerhouse of African football.
