Former Nigeria international Yakubu Aiyegbeni has expressed concerns over the composition of the current Super Eagles squad, warning that the team has too many defensive midfielders and lacks creative playmakers.
According to Yakubu, this imbalance in midfield is a key reason why the three-time African champions struggle to control matches.
Speaking on the Home Turf podcast, he said:
“We need a proper midfielder who can pass the ball because we have too many defensive midfielders. We have Ndidi and Onyeka; they mainly pass sideways. We were fortunate Ndidi could play a through ball to Ejuke against Gabon.”
The former striker also compared the current squad to Nigeria’s past midfield legends, noting the absence of a “metronome” in the center of the park:
“We had players like Oliseh who could switch play and control the game. Right now, we need a creative midfielder who can pass well. That’s the key to dominating matches, and we don’t have that.”
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle recently named a 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, including eight midfielders, several of whom are more defensively inclined than playmaking-focused.
The team is currently completing preparations at their training camp in Cairo, Egypt, with 24 players already in camp. Nigeria will face Egypt in a friendly on Tuesday, December 16, as part of final AFCON preparations. Reports indicate that Liverpool star Mohamed Salah may be rested or play only briefly in the match.
Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 campaign in Group C kicks off on December 23 against Tanzania, setting the stage for a challenging tournament in Morocco.
