Former Super Eagles captain and head coach Sunday Oliseh has criticized the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), stating that the country's best domestic players are not in the league due to poor remuneration. Speaking to Sports247, Oliseh said, 'Nigeria's best domestic players are not in the league because they keep moving abroad in search of better pay.'
Exodus of Talents
According to Oliseh, poor payment of players in the NPFL has led to an exodus of the nation's finest talents. He made these remarks amid renewed calls for the inclusion of home-based players in the Super Eagles squad for the 2026 Unity Cup in London. The former Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, and Ajax midfielder emphasized that better treatment is essential to curb the rapid migration of home-based talents.
'Football is a business,' Oliseh stated. 'When we were playing, there was never one month that they owed us. It might be small, but we were paid on time. If you want players to stay in Nigeria, ensure the league is conducive and okay.'
Nsofor Laments Decay
Meanwhile, former Super Eagles player Obinna Nsofor expressed deep sorrow over the decay in Nigerian football. Speaking on Brila FM, Nsofor said, 'If Nigeria was truly good enough, we would have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Football is not about big names or social media hype, but about results on the pitch. DR Congo beat us, qualified and proved they deserved to be there more than Nigeria.'
Nsofor further lamented the lack of infrastructure, noting that Nigeria has not hosted a major tournament since 2000. 'We all know the situation we have in Nigeria in terms of infrastructure. The standard of the stadiums are not at the level required to host a major CAF tournament, and that's the truth. Even the national team finds it difficult to play matches in the country.'
He added, 'In terms of going to other states for Super Eagles games, we have only one stadium in Nigeria that is up to the standard required to host qualifying matches. It's quite unfortunate and sad. In Nigeria, there is no long-term plan because we only plan for the present. We don't have a maintenance culture.'
