Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi has slammed the current state of Nigeria’s national team, expressing his disappointment over their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Footynaija.com reports.
The 38-year-old, who represented Nigeria at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and previously played for Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, did not hold back in comparing the Super Eagles to Bafana Bafana.
Nigeria have collected just seven points from their opening six matches in the CAF World Cup qualifiers. They are currently fourth in their group, behind South Africa, Rwanda, and Benin.
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The poor run in the qualifiers has placed head coach Eric Chelle under scrutiny. Nigeria, who missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, are once again facing the risk of another failed qualification campaign with only four games left to play.
Speaking with FARPost, in a report published by Completesports, Akpeyi shared his frustration and explained that Nigeria have failed to build a proper team unit, unlike South Africa who have made visible progress under Broos.
“The standing in the World Cup qualifiers group is a clear reflection that South African football is higher. You can have big players, but coming up with a team is something that many fail to do,” Akpeyi stated.
“But South Africa has managed to do that with ease under Hugo Broos. Of course, as a Nigerian, I am disappointed with how we have played the World Cup qualifiers.”
“But we all should follow how it has been done by South Africa. The growth and progress have been due to several factors, including team effort.”
“We [Nigeria] could be like Bafana Bafana if we have players who play for the country and not for themselves. That has been the major difference between us; in South Africa, there is no individuality.”
“I strongly believe that we [Nigeria] deserve to be in first position. Right now, we lack so many fundamentals that South Africa has. That also includes cohesion and identity.”
Akpeyi’s remarks are a call for reflection within the Super Eagles setup. His comments reinforce growing concerns from Nigerian fans and pundits about the team’s tactical shape, motivation, and long-term vision under Chelle.
With Rwanda and Benin still within touching distance, Nigeria must now deliver consistent performances in the remaining fixtures to stand any chance of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
