Nigerian football legend Victor Ikpeba has sparked a debate by claiming that some current Super Eagles players would not have been good enough to play for the national team during his era.
Ikpeba, a member of the Super Eagles side that won the 1994 AFCON and reached the round of 16 at the 1994 World Cup, believes that the quality and talent of players in his era were superior to those of today.
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“In my era, not everyone was allowed to play football. If you had to play, you needed talent, passion, and quality. Now, most parents want their kids to play football because there is money. That has changed,” Ikpeba said on the Bet9ja Home Turf.
Ikpeba, who also won the African Player of the Year award in 1997, attributed the difference in quality to the competitiveness of the leagues during his time. “The leagues we had in the ’80s and ’90s were very competitive, and the club players were very good. To be selected for the Green Eagles or Super Eagles, you had to be outstanding.”
Ikpeba’s comments are likely to generate a lively debate among Nigerian football fans, with some agreeing that the current crop of players lacks the quality and passion of their predecessors, while others may argue that the game has evolved and that modern players possess different skills and strengths.
One thing is certain, however: Victor Ikpeba’s opinions on Nigerian football are always worth listening to, given his impressive achievements on the pitch and his enduring passion for the beautiful game.
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