Nigeria legend Segun Odegbami believes that Ola Aina and William Troost-Ekong are the only defenders currently possessing the quality necessary to play for the Super Eagles, as reported by Sportblog247.com.

Aina and Troost-Ekong were absent for the four games managed by Finidi George, both as caretaker and head coach. During these matches, Nigeria failed to keep a clean sheet, conceding six goals, including two in a disappointing defeat to Benin Republic, which damaged their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

In contrast, the Super Eagles kept four clean sheets in seven games, conceding only three goals at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where Troost-Ekong was named Best Player.

In the absence of Aina and Troost-Ekong, Finidi relied on Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, and Benjamin Tanimu to strengthen the Super Eagles’ defense. However, Odegbami asserts that the defense remains weak without true masters of their positions.

The 1980 AFCON winner attributes Nigeria’s loss to Benin to Troost-Ekong’s absence and the general lack of defensive quality.

“At the full-back positions, only Ola Aina has shown consistency and exceptional brilliance on the right side over several years,” Odegbami wrote in his column for Vanguard. “The left side has been weak, sometimes requiring Aina to cover for this weakness. The central defense has also been fragile. At AFCON 2023, Troost-Ekong provided leadership and cover for this weakness. Benin’s first goal against Nigeria in his absence highlights this problem. Currently, there are no bona fide central defenders in the Nigerian team.”

Odegbami also pointed out the lack of top-quality midfielders, noting that current players Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi fall short compared to their illustrious predecessors.

“In the midfield, Nigeria has players like Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi,” Odegbami continued. “They are good players, but they don’t compare to past greats like Samuel Garba, Haruna Ilerika, Mudashiru Lawal, Henry Nwosu, Jay Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Kanu Nwankwo, and others. This isn’t to disrespect the current midfielders.”

To address these issues, Odegbami calls for the introduction of new and better players into the Super Eagles.

“Nigeria needs new players in several positions,” Odegbami concluded. “These players can only come from a proper development system managed by knowledgeable administrators.”

4o