Bright Omokaro, a former international Player for Nigeria, has taken issue with the Super Eagles’ current roster choices for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition.
According to him, playing for Nigeria in the esteemed game has turned into “an all-comers’ affair,” with benched players from foreign teams wearing the green and white.
Omokaro observed that, in contrast to his playing career in the 1970s, when being selected for the Super Eagles was an arduous task, it now appears that periphery players from foreign leagues, regardless of their club position, are chosen with seeming ease.
He feels that the status and worth of the Nigerian jersey are being diminished by this tendency.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday, Omokaro lamented, “It is sad that we have a handful of players who are not first-choice players in their respective teams, and they are representing Nigeria at the Nations Cup; this is very unfortunate.”
He further remarked, “The easiest way to get into the Super Eagles these days is to just play for any foreign club, it could be a third-tier division, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re regarded as a foreign player.”
Omokaro emphasized the commitment and hard work his generation showed to earn a spot on the national team, drawing comparisons between the present situation and his own.He said, “In my days, the likes of John Fasanu knew they had to go through the extra mile and work extra hard to get into the Super Eagles squad. If you donned the Nigerian jersey, you had obviously proven yourself to be worthy.”
Furthermore, Omokaro expresses concern about the seemingly neglected pool of homegrown talent. He states, “I thought we’ve gotten past this. I don’t know if it’s possible for it to be law in Nigeria that every team should have at least 40 per cent of home-based players. By so doing, we’re consciously developing our football. I know times have changed, but if it worked for our football then, we should consider it.”
The three-time AFCON champion Super Eagles hope to take home the championship once more this year. Omokaro’s negative assessment, however, calls into question the team’s selection procedure and its possible influence on how well they do at the continental championship.
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