Former Nigeria international Lukman Haruna has revealed shocking details about the chaos within the Super Eagles camp during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, claiming players clashed both physically and spiritually.
Haruna, who played for French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco at the time, was part of Lars Lagerbäck’s squad that crashed out of the tournament in the group stage after collecting just one point from three matches.
Speaking on The Abu Azeez Podcast, the ex-midfielder said internal conflicts crippled the team before and during the competition.
“A lot happened — the team was not in good spirits. At that time, we actually fought each other,” Haruna said.
“Spiritually, we were attacking one another, and physically, we were fighting.”
He recalled that even before the squad left their London camp for South Africa, a serious fight broke out between some unnamed players.
Haruna added that selfishness also played a role in Nigeria’s poor performance.
“Some players were selfish; they didn’t want to pass the ball. They just wanted to take the glory alone.”
Nigeria’s 2010 campaign ended with one draw and two defeats, sealing an early exit from the tournament.
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