Goal readers have had their say and popular opinion has it that Nigeria’s top-flight players are not good enough to play in Gernot Rohr’s squad
Nigeria Professional Football League players are not good enough to represent the Super Eagles, according to the majority of Goal readers.
The country’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of Mexico in an international friendly staged in the United States of America has been the major talking point recently.
Gernot Rohr’s team – made up of mostly players in the Nigerian elite division – were brushed aside by El Tri at the Los Angeles Coliseum, with Atletico Madrid star Hector Herrera bagging a brace.
Editors’ Picks
Aside from the defeat, the performance of the West Africans was far from impressive, with opinions divided on whether NPFL players should ever be called up for international engagements again.
We asked our readers about their stance on this argument. In a poll conducted on the Goal Africa Twitter handle, 72.1 percent are of the opinion that local-based professionals are not worthy of representing the three-time African champions.
27.9 percent feels the country is blessed with stars in the NPFL who are solid enough to put on the green and white jersey. Well, they may not be completely out of place having in mind the role Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers) and Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars) played in the country’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph at South Africa 2013.
Although fans have praised Rohr’s men for putting up a daring fight against Gerardo Martino’s men, respected Nigerian football administrator Samuel Olatunji-Okuku stated that the outcome has further exposed the deteriorating state of the country’s league.
He went further by stating that the German tactician was not out of place by relying on foreign-based professionals for their international engagements.
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything better than this from these guys judging by the standard of our league in recent years and even our performance in Caf tournaments,” he told Goal.
“It’s vindication for Rohr, who has always said the standard of the players in the Nigerian league isn’t good for the Super Eagles. This is what has been exposed against the Mexicans.
“As a club owner, I can categorically state that Nigeria’s problem isn’t about a lack of talent but the way we develop these talents.
“Our boys were exposed in that game. They don’t know when they should apply a zonal marking or man-to-man marking especially in the box. This is due to lack of quality training at that level.”
