By Tonia Okereke
Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has given a damning verdict on the William Troost-Ekong-led Super Eagles.
The player fondly called ‘The Yak’ by fans said he would have struggled to score goals as a striker if he was part of the Eric Chelle-led Super Eagles team.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles recorded a 1-1 draw against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier played at the Free State Stadium.
The fans had hoped for the Super Falcons to win the match to climb the Group C standings, but the stalemate has left their World Cup dreams in shatters.
The Super Eagles, currently third in Group C, share the same 11 points with Benin Republic, and trail leaders South Africa by six points with only two matches left.
“When we look at the team, we have too many defensive midfielders and not many attacking midfielders,” Yakubu said on Sunday Oliseh podcast.
Related story: https://frontlinenews.com.ng/world-cup-hope-shaky-for-nigeria-after-draw-against-bafana-bafana/
Yakubu, who scored 21 goals in 58 appearances for Nigeria, decried the lack of creativity in midfield as it puts unnecessary pressure on strikers like Victor Osimhen.
He said: “If I play in this team, I will struggle to score goals because when I look at Osimhen when he plays, he is fighting because he knows already when he sees the goals he scores, and he has to hustle by himself,” he explained.
The former Everton forward further denounced the individuality in the team, rather than an impactful blending of talents for good results.
“We don’t play like a team, it’s individual football we play, and we want the players to make magic,” he added.
Yakubu remains Nigeria’s fourth-highest international goalscorer and has continued to use his platform to call for a more balanced and creative approach to the Super Eagles’ play.
Aiyegbeni is a former Nigerian professional footballer and current football agent, known as “The Yak”. Born on November 22, 1982, he played as a striker for several clubs, including Maccabi Haifa, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, and Everton, and is Nigeria’s fourth all-time leading goalscorer. After retiring from playing, he established Wilbury Sports Management and is involved in mentoring young talent through FIFA Legends initiatives.
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