Nigeria legend Segun Odegbami has said the Super Eagles lacked a leader who ‘will take responsibility’ at the recently-concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt, where the team finished third.
Team captain Mikel John Obi – who retired from international football after the AFCON – shared leadership roles with his vice Ahmed Musa, who was a key member of the squad at the tournament.
But 66-year-old Odegbami, who was part of Nigeria’s AFCON-winning Green Eagles in 1980, reckons that Musa was saddled with overwhelming responsibilities in Egypt.
“We used to have certain players like that,” the former Shooting Stars forward said. “Kanu Nwankwo, ‘Jay Jay’Okocha, you know, people who will take responsibility. But we didn’t have that (in Egypt). We don’t have that in the present Super Eagles squad.
“And that will be part of the responsibility of a captain. Unfortunately, we have a frontline player, Ahmed Musa, who is captain of the team, carrying the responsibility of captaincy as well as the responsibility to deliver. It was too much for him.”
Nigeria lost 1-2 to eventual champions Algeria in the semi-finals, before overcoming Tunisia 1-0 in the third-place playoff to claim a record 8th bronze medal in the competition’s history.
