Too many defensive midfielders in current Super Eagles – Yakubu Aiyegbeni

Former Nigeria international, Yakubu Aiyegbeni has raised concerns over the composition of the current Super Eagles squad, claiming the team is overloaded with defensive midfielders.

According to the “Yak,” this lack of creative balance is the primary reason the three-time African champions struggle to dominate matches.

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle recently finalized his 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. Of the eight midfielders selected, several are known more for their grit than their playmaking abilities:

Speaking on the Home Turf podcast, Aiyegbeni was blunt about the team’s current technical shortcomings. He highlighted a lack of “forward-thinking” passing as a major hurdle.

“We need a proper midfielder who can pass the ball because we have too many defensive midfielders. We have Ndidi and Onyeka; they can only pass the ball sideways. We were lucky Ndidi passed one to Ejuke against Gabon.”

Aiyegbeni further compared the current crop to the legends of the past, noting the absence of a “metronome” in the middle of the park:

“I don’t want to go back to our days, but we had Oliseh who could pass the ball and switch play.”

“We need a creative midfielder who can pass the ball very well. That’s the most important thing for us, and we don’t have it. We don’t dominate games.”

The Super Eagles are currently finishing their preparations at their training camp in Cairo, Egypt. As of today, 24 players have reported to camp.

The team is set to face the Pharaohs of Egypt in a high-profile international friendly today (Tuesday, Dec 16). While the match serves as a crucial rehearsal for both sides, Egyptian reports suggest that Liverpool star Mohamed Salah may be rested or used sparingly as he arrived in camp just hours before kick-off.

Nigeria opens its AFCON 2025 campaign in Group C against Tanzania on December 23