Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba has expressed disappointment with the Super Eagles performance in Monday night’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Rwanda.
The Super Eagles went down to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against the Amavubi.
It was Rwanda’s first-ever victory over the three-time African champions.
Ikpeba blasted the players for their below-par display.
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“I am disappointed with the result and the performance of the team,” Ikpeba said on Monday Night Football beamed on SuperSport TV.
“This was a chance for the other players in the squad to show whether they are good enough to be part of the national team.
“Unfortunately, they failed to turn up, they didn’t do well for themselves and the fans.
“There is therefore a need for new players to be called up so as to create more competition in the team.”
By Adeboye Amosu
9 Comments
God bless Ikpeba!
He was the only one speaking the truth and making any sense in that useless Supersport coverage of the game.
Only God knows where they got that bad-belle programme anchor from, I am not sure if he was actually Nigerian or South African, but his views and comments were completely biased and bordering on xenophobic and even worse still, that Mutiu Adepoju, who I have always respected btw, was just there agreeing with that jackass like a damn zombie!
Mehn, who do una like this O Nigerian??
THAT IS THE REASON WHY IAM BLAMING EQUAVEON FOR STILL KEEPING INVITING INCONSISTENT, IRRELEVANT, IRREGULAR, BENCH WARMER PLAYERS INTO THE SUPER EAGLE TEAM.
SOMETIMES, IT IS NOT UNTIL YOU USE PLAYER FOR TEN MATCHES BEFORE YOU KNOW THAT HE HAVE QUALITIES TO OFFER THE TEAM.
** IN TUNISIA 94 AFCON, AMUNEKE ONLY PLAY FINAL, AND THE WHOLE NIGERIA KNOW THAT HE HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER TO THE TEAM IN FUTURE MATCHES, WHICH HE EVEN BENCHED EXPERIENCE PLAYER( IKPEBA) IN THE TEAM.
** LIKEWISE ALSO, AMOKACHI DIDN’T SCORE A SINGLE GOAL IN TUNISIA ’94 AFCON, BUT NIGERIANS ARE 100% SATISFIED WITH HIS QUALITY OF PLAY HE ALWAYS OFFERED TO THE TEAM ON THE FIELD OF PLAY, WHICH MAKE SOME FANS LIKE HIM MORE THAN YEKINI.
** MORE ALSO, PLAYERS LIKE BABANGIDA, FINIDI, UDEZE, OBODO, KANU, UTAKA DIDN’T USE TO SCORE GOALS MOST TIMES, BUT OFFER QUALITIES ON THE FIELD OF PLAY WHILE PLAYING.
#### We need new players that can challenge IWOBI, BONIFACE, NDIDI, AJAYI, SADIQ, MUSA, IF possible send them out of the super eagle. Just like Nwabali sent out IZOHO of the team.
IN THE OLDEN DAYS, NEW PLAYERS ALWAYS GRAB THEIR CHANCES WHENEVER THE COACH GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AND RELEVANT FOR FUTURE GAMES DESPITE ARRAY OF BEST PLAYERS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.
** FOR EXAMPLE;
1. Amuneke grab his chances in 1994
2. OKOCHA, OLISEH grab their chance
in 1993
3. AGHAHOWA….in AFCON 2000
4. UDEZE … in qualifier against
Zambia in year 2000.
5. ENYEAMA… in 2002 world cup
OTHER PLAYERS are: OSAZE, UTAKA, YOBO, MARTINS, I.K UCHE, AYILA, ABBEY GEORGE,MUSA, IKEME, TROOST-EKONG, CHUKWUEZE, NWABALI.
LET TRY MORE NEW PLAYERS THAT ARE READY TO DIE ON THE PITCH AND FORGET ABOUT EXPERIENCE, EGO, SENIORITY IN SELECTING PLAYER.
MAJA, ORBAN, AKINWUMI, DESSERS, SEBASTIAN-OSIGWE, EBUEHI AKPOM should be given chance once again.
*** NFF SHOULD EMPLOY GOOD STANDARD FOREIGN COACH(that know African football & players) FOR HIM TO BE INVITING BEST PLAYERS AT THE MOMENT WITHOUT SENTIMENT. AND WE SHOULD STOP CELEBRATING FLUKE WINNING!!!!!!!!
Thanks for your analysis. We must engage the services of a competent foriegn coach or we should forget the world cup qualifiers.
Segu west, yuh again?? men wuld like to saw youre birt cerfitcate ehn yuh must had least 37 name ontop of it o- kai, yuh nor try at al! lmaaoo
As I was watching. I saw guys that are afraid to fall , afraid to head the ball and without an engine room.
Those coaches that are afraid to bring in performing players wil eventually fail. Just imagine the clamor for nwabally. Wen the other coach relied on uzoho .
Even paceiro never wanted to yield for him to get invited until the uzoho threw in the towel by conceding easily.
The westhof and bonfeere wil substitute and eliminate u if a new player works more than u in training.
This idea of helping players to come back to good form is not good .
Let players go for fitness trainer to develop themselves.
Let those guys that are performing get into the team to displace the weaker ones . If not the coach position wil be off .
Thanks for your analysis. We must engage the services of a competent foriegn coach or we should forget the world cup qualifiers.
Segu west, yuh again?? lmaaoo!
I agree with Ikpeba, drop the non performing players and invite new ones. Ihenacho, Iwobi, Onyedika should no longer be invited. Why call players like Umar who can’t even get fielded? I’m certain we can find competent players from different parts of Nigeria. Urgent need is for two good offensive midfielders who can a) improve team play, and b) create chances. Scoring is an advantage. And consistent scorers.
I suspect it’s the NFF that influences squad selection. This should stop.
Finally, should we have a change of coaches? Tough call. There are not many foreign coaches who can come in at this late hour and turn things around. Peseiro started with two draws – not good enough. Finidi then achieved one draw and one loss – bad. But Finidi was imposed by the NFF including the previous President after he’d shown in previous two friendly matches he couldn’t get good performance or good results; and important players complaining about him. Solution? Eguavoen should brain storm with 1994 WC colleagues coaching.
Likelihood? NFF will recruit another foreign coach late in the time period and who won’t have time to know current players, much less identify new ones.
Realism? Lower expectations; recommend new players.
If something is working, then do not fix it! This a popular saying and it is ever so true. Rohr achieved considerable success in Nigeria. How did he do it you might ask?? It was simple , invite players who are active and doing well for their clubs. This move pushed players to be starters for their clubs and some will seek clubs where they can get a starting berth. Every time they step unto the field for their clubs , they knew at the back of minds that the national gaffer was watching. Fast forward to today, a player can be warming the bench all season and still continue to get invited.
How else would you explain Iheanacho and Sadiq invitations?? It is the same Eguavoen that invited a washed up Onazi, only to state later that the invitation was not his decision. Those who keep supporting him are contributing to the demise of Nigerian football. It is only Eguavoen that omit players who are active and in form for bench warmers. There is a difference between physical fitness and match fitness. Egudiola does not seem to understand this basic difference. The match against Rwanda exposed this, particularly in midfield. Both Iheanacho and Bashiru were obviously not as sharp as they should. The SE were playing -2 men and it showed especially in the 2nd half.