I will struggle to score goals - Yakubu Aiyegbeni slams Eric Chelle's Super Eagles

Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has launched a scathing critique of the Nigerian national team, blaming its tactical deficiencies and lack of team cohesion for its failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The Super Eagles' World Cup qualifying journey was marked by a series of disappointing results, including draws against teams like Zimbabwe and Lesotho and a draw with South Africa.

With two matches remaining, Nigeria is third in Group C with 11 points, trailing South Africa, which has 17 points and Benin Republic, which has 14 points in the qualification race.

The former Everton star didn't hold back, pinpointing the team's midfield imbalance and over-reliance on individual brilliance as key reasons for their downfall.

Aiyegbeni's primary concern lies with the composition of the Super Eagles' midfield, which he believes is stacked with defensive players at the expense of creative, attacking talent.

According to him, this imbalance stifles the team's ability to create scoring opportunities and support its forwards effectively.

"When we look at the team, we have too many defensive midfielders and not many attacking midfielders," Yakubu said.

Yakubu, who scored 21 goals in 58 appearances for Nigeria, understands the pressure on the team's strikers. He believes that the lack of creative support from the midfield puts an immense burden on forwards like Victor Osimhen, forcing them to create opportunities out of nothing.

"If I play in this team, I will struggle to score goals because when I look at Osimhen when he plays, he is fighting because he knows already when he sees the goals he scores, and he has to hustle by himself," he explained.

He also criticised the team's overall philosophy, lamenting a reliance on long balls and individual efforts rather than a structured team approach.

"We don't play like a team, it's individual football we play, and we want the players to make magic," he added.

Yakubu is currently the fourth-highest international goalscorer for Nigeria.