Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba has attributed the Super Eagles' struggles in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to the players' underperformance, rejecting calls for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive committee's resignation. Speaking on SuperSports, Ikpeba emphasized that the NFF provided the team with top-notch travel arrangements, quality accommodation, and all necessary logistics. "Our players should take the lion’s share of the blame for our shoddy performance," he said. "With the quality of players we have, Nigeria should not be struggling in our group."Ikpeba dismissed demands for the NFF leadership to step down, questioning, "Do they expect committee members to play on the pitch?" He also expressed confidence in current coach Eric Chelle, stating that Nigeria’s poor start was due to the previous two coaches managing the initial four qualifiers. "Chelle is the right man to restore stability," Ikpeba said, praising his approach to fostering competition and utilizing Nigeria’s talent pool abroad.Highlighting off-field distractions as a persistent issue, Ikpeba urged the NFF to address disciplinary lapses in the team’s camp to ensure focus.
Related Articles
Don't miss out on breaking stories and in-depth articles.