Former Nigeria striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has praised the core of the Super Eagles squad but warned that the side still lack the creative midfielder needed to unlock opponents at next month’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Aiyegbeni highlighted Victor Osimhen, Calvin Bassey, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi as the players carrying Nigeria’s momentum into the tournament.
“Yeah, we keep talking about Victor Osimhen, he has been the number one, Nigeria’s best player,” he said.
“He’s like a leader in the team. You see the aggression, the fight on the pitch, he is giving everything on the pitch.”
Victor Osimhen. Photo Credit: The Athletic Images
He described Bassey as one of the squad’s most reliable performers.
“Then you have Calvin Bassey, the central defender from Fulham. Bassey has been another one, he is really solid in the team, he is a fighter, he gives a hundred percent in the team.”
Aiyegbeni believes Lookman’s struggles at club level have affected his national-team form but backed him to regain sharpness.
“It’s just a shame we didn’t see the best of Ademola Lookman, he is another good one,” he said. “It’s just the situation with his club, I hope he gets back to his best before the AFCON, so that he can help us. We did miss him in the qualifiers… sometimes football is up and down, but he is another good one.”
Photo Credit: The Athletic Images
He also noted Iwobi’s importance while stressing Nigeria’s need for a specialist playmaker.
“Alex Iwobi has been alright, he has been doing all right as well too,” he said.
“He is running around but we still need a creative midfielder in the team who can pass the ball to the strikers, we don’t have it. Alex is not the guy who can pass the ball to the striker, he is just buzzing around, getting the ball, passing it, we need someone who can pass forward.”
Photo Credits AFP
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Aiyegbeni said the absence of a player in the mould of Austin Okocha remains Nigeria’s biggest challenge.
“We don’t have Jay-Jay anymore, so we don’t have it,” he said. “So that’s the problem we have with the national team, we need a creative midfielder who can pass the ball. We have too many defensive midfielders but the defense is quite solid. But maybe not enough goals at the moment. No, that’s why we struggle.”
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AFCON 2025 begins on 21 December, with all four players expected to make Nigeria’s squad but Aiyegbeni insists success will depend on whether the team can find the creative spark he says is missing.
