Former Nigerian international Yakubu Aiyegbeni has expressed doubts that he would thrive as a striker in the present Super Eagles squad, citing a shortage of creativity in midfield as the main obstacle.
The ex-Everton forward, who represented Nigeria between 2000 and 2012, shared his views while assessing the national team’s campaign in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
So far, Eric Chelle’s men have managed just nine goals in eight fixtures while conceding seven. They currently occupy third place in their group, a position that puts them at serious risk of failing to qualify for a second successive World Cup.
According to Aiyegbeni, the lack of ingenuity in midfield has been central to the team’s struggles. “When we look at the team, we have too many defensive midfielders. We don’t have a creative midfielder. If I play in this team, I’ll struggle to score goals. I’m telling you because when you look at Osimhen when he plays, he’s fighting because he knows already,” Aiyegbeni said on Sunday Oliseh’s podcast.
He further lamented the team’s inability to maintain fluid possession. “We don’t have a midfielder who can pass the ball. We always pass the ball sideways. We cannot string six passes or seven passes. When we pass the ball a bit, then we kick it long. We cannot build a team like this.”
Aiyegbeni remains one of Nigeria’s most prolific forwards, ranking as the nation’s fourth-highest scorer with 21 goals in 55 international appearances.
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