Legendary Nigerian forward Segun Odegbami has attributed the Super Eagles’ recent poor performances to the lavish rewards bestowed upon them by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as reported by Sportblog247.com.

Odegbami highlighted that the Super Eagles’ subpar showings in their four matches following their participation in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) stem from the grand reception and rewards they received despite not winning the tournament. The Super Eagles secured second place at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire after a 2-1 loss to the hosts in the final.

Despite the defeat, President Tinubu welcomed the team as heroes. He hosted the Nigerian national team at the state house in Abuja, conferring the players and coaches with the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) – one of the nation’s highest honors. Additionally, each team member received a flat and a plot of land in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Odegbami remarked that no previous Nigerian team that finished as runners-up in the AFCON tournaments of 1984, 1988, 1990, or 2000 received such extravagant rewards. He believes that these unprecedented gifts made the team feel overly special, contributing to their lackluster performances since.

“Some five months ago, Nigeria broke its own standards. The country rewarded ‘second-best’. She rewarded a team that did not win the trophy in a way that the world had never seen before,” Odegbami wrote, as per Vanguard.

“In history, Nigeria had lost, rather painfully, several finals of previous AFCONs. Twice, in 1988 and 2000, great squads of the Eagles’ that were even glaringly ‘robbed’ of their moments of glory were not welcomed with blaring trumpets, and no celebrations were held to honor or reward their valiant efforts.

“Put that side-by-side the Super Eagles of AFCON 2023. No one had confidence in the team. For almost one decade before, they had won nothing, had not impressed very much, had not produced outstanding performances and performers, and so on. All of this is under the tutelage of foreign white coaches.

“Then, Cote D’Ivoire in January of 2023 happened and the same players that broke the hearts of Nigerians with a lethargic performance in the final match were accorded a heroes’ welcome, feted, honored, and handsomely rewarded by the government.

“That gesture was totally out of character with the norm. It must have come with a consequence or a price, as an impetus or a depressant. The players may have concluded they were special indeed.”

Since their return from the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, the Super Eagles have won one and lost two of their four games in all competitions. The team’s 2-1 loss to Benin – their first-ever defeat to the Cheetahs – has been particularly damaging, jeopardizing Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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