Bright Omokaro, ex-Super Eagles International, says players in the national team must have more rigorous training together to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
He spoke against the backdrop of the Super Eagles of Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Uyo, on Friday.
The Nigerian team came from behind to struggle to get the draw at home, in the group stage of world cup qualifiers.
Omokaro said that the super eagles needed more time to play and train together, for better performance.
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According to him, the last match was not too bad, but the team could display more skills and adopt an effective pattern to defeat their opponents.
“Though the players played very well individually, they need more collective responsibility to get the expected goals.
“The boys never had time to play together, that’s what happened to them during the match, but they need more togetherness and rigorous training to qualify for the world cup,” he said.
The ex-international also advised the super eagles coach, Finidi George, to look inward for local players that are zealous and thirsty for goals.
“There shouldn’t be automatic shirt for any player for now.
“Their performance should be the determinant to feature in a match, as there must be competition in the camp to allow the best players perform,” Omokaro said.
He, however, appealed to the national team to defeat Benin Republic in the next match, to have meaningful points on the qualifiers table, to make it to the 2026 world cup.
NAN reports that pressure has mounted on the Super Eagles after the draw against Bafana Bafana.
Nigeria, with its third draw, has three points in Group C, while Rwanda, Benin, and South Africa all have four points.
Lesotho leads the group with five points, while Zimbabwe is at the bottom with two points.
This puts Nigeria presently in the fifth position on the table, of the six teams.
The Super Eagles will travel to Abidjan to face Benin Republic in their next 2026 World Cup qualifier.
They will be hoping to get their first win in the match against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic.
The game is scheduled for Monday, with the kick-off fixed at 5.00 p.m. Nigerian time. (NAN)
