Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has delivered a powerful assessment ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco (21 Dec 2025 – 18 Jan 2026), insisting that Nigeria’s success at the tournament will depend heavily on firm leadership, tactical clarity, and discipline within the squad.
Oliseh, known for his vocal leadership and deep tactical knowledge, said the current Super Eagles squad must demonstrate internal responsibility rather than relying solely on coaching directions.
“AFCON will depend on leadership. Strong leadership. It must come from inside the squad, not just from the coach,” he said.
He warned that external interference in player selection, a long-standing problem in Nigerian football, must not influence head coach Eric Sekou Chelle’s decisions.
“The coach must be stubborn. He must resist all external pressure and select players based on merit alone,” Oliseh insisted.
He highlighted Wilfred Ndidi as a growing figure within the team, noting that the midfielder has earned the respect of his teammates through consistency and professionalism.
“Ndidi’s leadership is growing. You can see the players respect him. That is important going into AFCON,” Oliseh added.
The former captain also emphasized that Nigeria must adopt a compact, disciplined style of playa direct criticism of the team’s “open and loose” performance against DR Congo in recent months.
“We need a more compact team. The gaps were too big, and AFCON will punish that. Discipline in shape is key,” he warned.
Oliseh said true leadership also means players taking responsibility for logistics and preparation. He believes the captain should directly communicate with teammates, ensuring commitment and punctuality.
“The captain must call players, ensure they arrive early to camp, arrange their travel, and be ready for the first session as one unified group,” Oliseh stated.
He concluded by stressing that Nigeria’s AFCON dream will collapse without internal accountability.
“We have the talent. But without leadership and discipline, talent is not enough. AFCON will expose any weakness.”
