Former Nigerian footballer Augustine Okocha, popularly often called Jay-Jay Okocha, has acknowledged that the nation’s soccer started declining after the 2002 Nations Cup.
Okocha made the feedback whereas discussing the challenges going through Nigerian soccer in an interview with Femi Soneye on The Alternate.
Soneye requested, “From your personal perspective, what do you assume is the issue with Nigerian soccer? The place did we get it unsuitable?”
Okocha replied, “Nicely, I feel it’s a scarcity of consistency. In my view, I feel Nigerian soccer began declining after the Nations Cup 2002. The workforce was disbanded, after which a few of us had been referred to as again. And I feel for my part, I do know some individuals won’t be pleased with me, however I feel that the squad we went to the World Cup with in 2002 was the weakest that I performed.
“The earlier World Cup, we made it out of our group; we topped our group then. However they disbanded the workforce, after which virtually 70% of the workforce left. So, I feel from that point onward, in fact, don’t get me unsuitable, we’ve had nice gamers through the years which have gained tournaments additionally for Nigeria, however that consistency is missing. We don’t win video games with that conviction anymore.
“However then, [when] athletes are house, it doesn’t matter what, you get overwhelmed. So, we made our house our fortress, however now it’s like we’re weak at house. So, in my very own opinion, that was when the issue began. We’ve misplaced that concern issue; earlier than, nations was scared to play Nigeria, however now groups are in search of alternatives to play Nigeria.”
