Segun Odegbami: Nigerian football enduring 'worst time in history'

Former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami, who won the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 1980, has claimed the country is currently enduring the "worst time" in its football history. As the nation begins its qualifying campaign for the 2027 Afcon, the 74-year-old expressed deep concern over the state of the game in the country.

Over the past 12 months, both the Super Eagles and the Super Falcons failed to qualify for their respective Fifa World Cups. Beyond the senior teams, Odegbami pointed to disappointing results at the age-group level and the lack of financial viability in the domestic league as evidence of a deeper crisis.

It has never been this bad in our entire history that we didn't qualify for the World Cup. Our girls, who were African champions, failed to win a competition that was just there for their taking. All our junior teams are not doing well. Something is definitely wrong. Segun Odegbami

The situation has triggered significant upheaval within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Following widespread criticism, the federation's president, Ibrahim Gusau, and other executive committee members resigned last month. The country's president, Bola Tinubu, has called for comprehensive reforms, and a joint delegation from Fifa and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) is now working on a new roadmap for the governance of Nigerian football.

Odegbami, nicknamed 'Mathematical' for his skill during his playing days, also lamented the deterioration of Nigeria's football infrastructure. He highlighted that historic stadiums across the country have fallen into disrepair due to neglect. He argued that the current crisis is the result of years of poor administration and a lack of clear philosophy, noting that the country has lacked a proper blueprint for development since the mid-1990s.