AFCON 2025: ‘A culture of mediocrity’ - Oliseh blasts Super Eagles for celebrating bronze after blaming Osimhen for failure

In a scathing assessment of the state of Nigerian football, former Super Eagles captain and manager Su​nday Oliseh has condemned the national team’s recent conduct, labeling their celebration of a third-place finish at AFCON 2025 as a betrayal of the nation’s footballing pedigree.

Oliseh’s latest outburst follows his previous claims that Victor Osimhen’s "toxic" behaviour, specifically a Round of 16 altercation with Ademola Lookman, fractured team chemistry and ultimately cost Nigeria the title.

Oliseh, who was present at the tournament in Morocco as a commentator, revealed that the sight of Nigerian players celebrating a bronze medal victory over Egypt drew ridicule from the international community.

"In the media tribune where I sat, I watched as African and European pundits mocked us. They couldn't believe it," Oliseh said on his YouTube channel. "There was a time when the Super Eagles shed tears at second place because, to us, anything but the trophy was a failure. Celebrating third place builds a culture of mediocrity."

He warned that the decline of Nigeria's continental dominance began the moment the team started being "content with bronze," urging the federation and players to end "wild celebrations" for anything less than gold.

The former midfielder doubled down on his critique of Osimhen, reiterating that the striker’s public verbal abuse of Lookman during the tournament ‘broke the spirit’ of the team.

He argued that while Osimhen is a world-class talent, his ‘arrogance’ and lack of discipline created an environment where playmakers could no longer perform.

Oliseh’s harsh perspective creates a stark contrast to the current team leadership. While captain Wilfred Ndidi has called for stability and coach Eric Chelle expressed satisfaction with the podium finish, Oliseh views these sentiments as a "fundamental mental weakness."

Oliseh, who noted that he and several former colleagues are still owed money for years of service, stated he could no longer stay silent while the national team becomes a "cautionary tale."

"We need to get back to being respected," Oliseh concluded. "We must remember that victory is temporary, but character is permanent. Our football is at a crossroads, and it's time to look in the mirror.”