Okocha urges Super Eagles to fix their inconsistency as Nigeria prepare for AFCON 2025 after a disappointing 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign
Former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha has urged Eric Chelle’s squad to confront what he describes as their most damaging weakness, inconsistency, as Nigeria begin preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
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His comment follows the lingering disappointment of Nigeria’s failed bid to reach the 2026 World Cup, a campaign that saw the team drift between bold wins and frustrating lapses.
Nigeria’s qualification journey ended in heartbreak after playing ten matches, winning four, drawing five and losing once a damaging defeat to Benin Republic, their first-ever competitive loss to the Cheetahs.
Draws at home to Lesotho and Zimbabwe deepened frustration among fans, exposing a troubling lack of sharpness in fixtures Nigeria were expected to win comfortably.
Finishing second behind South Africa denied the Super Eagles an automatic ticket, and hopes of qualifying through the continental play-offs collapsed during a penalty shoot-out defeat to DR Congo.
This confirmed Nigeria’s second straight World Cup absence after also missing Qatar 2022.
Speaking to RG, Okocha said the lessons must be taken seriously. “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. They need to stick to winning with top performance in every game.”
The Super Eagles restored some national pride by reaching the final of AFCON 2024 in Ivory Coast, but expectations for Morocco 2025 are even higher, especially with the sting of another World Cup miss still fresh.
Nigeria have been drawn alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania, a group that demands discipline and stronger match management.
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Chelle, who now faces intense scrutiny, is expected to mould a promising but unpredictable team into one capable of producing steady, game-to-game excellence.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
