Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami has said he has stopped following the Super Eagles’ preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting the team were not good enough after their failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Speaking on Inspiration FM in Uyo, the former Green Eagles winger said Nigeria’s exit from the World Cup play-offs had deeply affected him and many football-loving Nigerians, dampening interest in the national team ahead of the continental tournament.
“I am not following their preparation for AFCON, since our exit from the World Cup qualifiers, the reality is that some of us gave up because football is our business and qualifying for the World Cup is the peak of our business,” Odegbami said.
He added that the team did not merit qualification for the World Cup, citing a lack of effort and quality in their campaign.
“I don’t think we truly deserved a place at the World Cup, because we didn’t work hard enough, we were not just good enough, so I’m not following what’s happening before the AFCON, I’m not going for the AFCON and that’s the reality.”
The 2025 AFCON will kick off on December 21, with the Super Eagles arriving Fés on Thursday (yesterday) ahead of their Group C matches against Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda.
Odegbami, who was part of Nigeria’s maiden AFCON triumph in 1980 and represented the country at the 1976 Olympics, was recently a guest of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, where he delivered a pep talk titled “Sports and I” to athletes during the presentation of cash awards to winners of the 2025 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival and the 2025 National Youth Games in Asaba.
