Few weeks reshape a football nation the way these ones have for the Super Eagles. A penalty shootout loss to DR Congo, lingering questions about coaching and tactics, searing criticism from legends, and flashes of brilliance from club form have left Nigeria balanced on a thin edge of doubt and belief ahead of AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
Coaching carousel and a call to move forward
Yakubu Aiyegbeni did not pull punches as he waded into the debate around leadership of the national team. Nigeria cycled through four coaches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and AFCON qualifiers, starting with Jose Peseiro, moving to Finidi George, then Augustine Eguavoen who secured AFCON qualification, and finally handing the reins to Eric Chelle. The former striker believes the country must stop looking back.
Speaking on a podcast, he said it is not the time to return to past names.
“I don’t think Sia Sia or Eguavoen are needed anymore. We’ve gone past that era. I think we should try to sit together and look for whom to bring. It’s time to move forward, not backwards.”
There was nuance in his stance too. Aiyegbeni noted that a foreign coach still makes sense for Nigeria, but with AFCON so close, a change now could be destabilising. As things stand, Eric Chelle remains head coach and is likely to lead the team into the tournament in December.
How it unraveled against DR Congo
The national conversation was shaped most by the failure to reach the World Cup again. Nigeria drew 1-1 with DR Congo, then lost 4-3 on penalties, marking a second consecutive miss on the global stage. It was a night when details, small and large, conspired against the Super Eagles.
Victor Osimhen’s injury at half-time changed the contest. Chelle turned to Tolu Arokodare, and with that substitution, the game’s profile shifted in a way that displeased Aiyegbeni.
“He brought Tolu in, and they started to kick it long, but there was no one to pick up the second ball,”
he observed, adding that Ademola Lookman is not at his sharpest due to club issues but continues to try.
In the end, Nigeria failed to create chances. The approach grew predictable, and without Osimhen’s gravity in the final third, there was little control of territory or rhythm. Aiyegbeni has been consistent in his assessment of the front line, arguing that Osimhen remains the only reliable striker and that too many forwards are content just to be in camp rather than impose themselves on games.
Okocha’s truth about consistency and standards
Austin Jay-Jay Okocha cut to the heart of the matter. The road through qualifying was too uneven, he argued, and the team never found that steady hum that turns talent into inevitability. His words were a reminder that star names do not guarantee results, habits do.
Okocha’s message was sharp and simple.
“Nigeria’s run in the World Cup qualifiers was a rollercoaster, but we would have loved to see Nigeria qualify with ease. We all know football is not an easy game and what I think they should improve on is to be more consistent.”
He ended with a directive that reads like a standard for every session and every match.
“They need to stick to winning with top performance in every game.”
Club form as a mirror, Chukwueze and Iwobi light up Fulham
At Craven Cottage, a different mood. Samuel Chukwueze came off the bench for Fulham in the 64th minute against high-flying Sunderland and changed the temperature of the match. In the 84th minute he delivered a precise cross that Raul Jimenez turned into the only goal of the game.
Chukwueze’s cameo was electric. In just 26 minutes he created five chances, made four key passes, completed the most dribbles, and fashioned two big opportunities, including the assist. The reaction back home was immediate, and at times scathing. Fans asked where that level of thrust had been in national colours, one quip captured the exasperation, “Where was this against Congo?”
Alex Iwobi leaned into the positivity of Fulham’s home form and the confidence that comes from preparation.
“Our home form has been really good. They’re a tough side and they’ve been doing really well, but we have the belief that we can perform against anyone.”
He detailed the work behind the win, tipping his hat to the plan for Regis Le Bris’ team.
“In the week, we were working on different ways to break down Sunderland. It was working, but we couldn’t put the ball in the net. As long as we can keep clean sheets, then we’ll always create chances to score.”
Iwobi’s verdict was defiant, yet grounded in process.
“We don’t fear anyone in the league. We give our respect to Sunderland. But now it’s all about consistency for us to go and get the results we need.”
It was also a good day for other Nigerians at Fulham. Calvin Bassey impressed, and Chukwueze’s assist nudged the team up to 14th place, a small but meaningful rise that underscores how influence and end product can converge for club and, potentially, for country.
Goalkeeper watch, Okoye’s night of contrasts
Maduka Okoye has been pushing to reclaim his international status. Strong club performances after returning from a ban, including a standout display against Juventus, had reopened the conversation about the Udinese goalkeeper’s place with the Super Eagles.
Against Bologna, however, the pendulum swung harshly. Okoye saved a first half penalty from Orsolini after Giacomo Bonaventura had conceded the foul, a stop that preserved parity at the break. Then the second half arrived with a rush of setbacks.
In the 54th minute, Riccardo Orsolini’s run from the left fed Tommaso Pobega for a low finish from close range. Five minutes later came the moment he will want back. Receiving a back pass under pressure, Okoye tried to clear with his right foot, his contact was poor, Nico Domínguez pounced, laid the ball off to Pobega, and the shot from the edge of the box found the net.
As Udinese chased the game, gaps appeared, and in stoppage time Federico Bernardeschi slipped a third past Okoye to close the night at 3-0. The picture was complicated, a big save on one side, a costly error on the other, a reminder that form is fragile and that the leap back to pre-ban sharpness will demand time.
Support systems, NFF president visits Ola Aina
Leadership is also about presence. NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau traveled to London to visit Ola Aina as the defender continues his rehabilitation. Aina suffered an injury during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa in Bloemfontein and is now on a structured recovery program in the United Kingdom.
The visit carried a message of backing and belief. Gusau wished Aina a speedy return and assured him of full federation support. For a group regrouping after a major disappointment, the symbolism matters, the Super Eagles need their best players fit and confident as AFCON in Morocco approaches.
There is some encouragement on that front. Recent updates around the Nottingham Forest full back have included a return to training after hamstring surgery, and there remains optimism within the camp that he can reach the required level in time. The margins at a tournament are tight, reliable full backs are priceless, and Aina’s two way qualities give balance to a back line that needs stability.
The tactical questions Chelle must answer
What happens without Osimhen on the pitch remains the central question. The DR Congo tie revealed a gap between plan A and the alternatives. Aiyegbeni’s criticism focused on a direct switch to long balls toward Arokodare without the structure to win second balls or support the first contact. That choice left Nigeria chasing shadows and isolated in attack.
For Chelle, the adjustments must be clear. The team needs connective midfielders stepping higher to compress space, wingers attacking the half spaces rather than hugging touchlines, and a renewed emphasis on set piece timing to create higher quality chances. The faces are familiar, the tweaks are the issue, and the clock is ticking toward Morocco.
Standards and scars, what Okocha’s challenge really means
Two cycles without a World Cup leaves scars. Okocha’s framing of consistency is not abstract, it is an everyday demand. It asks this group to repeat good habits, to measure themselves against the sharpness shown by Chukwueze at Craven Cottage, and to translate those moments into the green jersey.
Consistency also speaks to selection. If Osimhen is out, the next man must offer pressing and presence, even if the goals take a minute to arrive. If Lookman is regaining rhythm, the structure must protect him while taking advantage of his craft. If Okoye is to challenge for the number one spot, he must turn penalty saves into full match control, limiting technical errors that undo hard work.
Why the legends are loud now
When Aiyegbeni says the era of Samson Siasia and Augustine Eguavoen has passed, it is not disrespect, it is urgency. Nigeria poured energy into a qualifying journey that ended in a shootout, a fragile place to live for a team with so much attacking pedigree. The bluntness is about changing habits, not rewriting history.
The wider player pool is still a gift. Iwobi is a metronome when the platform is set, Chukwueze can tilt a pitch, Bassey brings bite and range, and Osimhen remains a reference point. The question is how to lock in the Okocha standard, stick to winning, with top performance every time, especially when the plan gets disrupted.
From here to Morocco
There is no time for a revolution, and Aiyegbeni is right about that. But there is time for clarity. That means an attacking scheme that does not collapse without the star nine, a midfield that secures second balls, a back line that limits transitions, and a commitment to repetition that breeds the consistency Okocha demanded.
Public sentiment is clear. The fans who watched Chukwueze tear open a Premier League defense want the same daring with the national team. The supporters who saw Okoye make a big save and then falter want the next step in concentration. The federation’s visit to Aina signals a desire to knit the group back together, a small act that can have a big effect in a dressing room searching for momentum.
AFCON 2025 does not forgive drift. It rewards teams who show up with habits, not just names. If Chelle and his players find the balance between the discipline of Okocha’s challenge and the spark seen in moments across Europe, then this crossroads can become a starting line rather than an endpoint, the Super Eagles can move from reaction to control, and a nation can begin to believe in the arc of its talent again.
