Former Nigerian international Bright Omokaro compares past and present Super Eagles squad

• Bright Omokaro is unimpressed with the current crop of players in the Super Eagles squad, saying they lack seriousness
• Omokaro, who was part of the national team set-up in the late 80s, says players of the past were more committed to the team
• He admitted that Nigeria have started the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on a shaky note but believes the Eagles can still make it to the global showpiece

Former Nigerian international Bright Omokaro has disclosed that the present crop of players in the Super Eagles lack seriousness.

Omokaro, popularly known as "10-10", was part of the Nigerian team that won silver at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The 59-year-old made efforts to compare and contrast the present Super Eagles squad with that of the past.

Bright Omokaro says there is no seriousness in the current Super Eagles squad. Photo Credit: MB Media.
Source: Getty Images

Speaking on the Brila FM show 'No Holds Barred', Omokaro emphasised the unity of players in the Super Eagles of the past.

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He said, as per Complete Sport:

“When you are invited, you have to show that you can do it. We always had time to train together before the match proper; there was commitment back then.“If you are stubborn and you don’t know the job, they drop you. There is no seriousness in this present team. You can singlehandedly pick out the ones that want to win. In those days, everybody wanted to win; you would see that seriousness in the team."

Omokaro tips Nigeria for World Cup ticket

Nigeria have started the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on a shaky note, but Omokaro believes the team can still pick a ticket to the Mundial.

He added :

“It’s a slim chance (qualifying for the 2026 World Cup), but football is unpredictable,” he added. “Victory requires a lot of sacrifice."

Nigeria are third in CAF's Group C of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, having managed just 3 points from four matches.

Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin are tied at the top with 7 points each, while Lesotho are fourth with 5 points.

The qualifying series returns in March, with Nigeria heading to Kigali to face Rwanda on matchday 5 and then host Zimbabwe in Uyo on matchday 6.

Nigeria drop in FIFA rankings

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Super Eagles' downward trend continues, as they dropped one spot in the latest FIFA rankings released for July.

Although the Nigerian national football team maintained their 5th position on the African continent, they dropped one spot to 39th globally.

Nigeria occupied the 38th spot in June after their draw with South Africa and loss to Benin in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Source: Legit.ng