Representing 200m Nigerians - What does it mean to play for the Super Eagles?

Nigerian football icon Mutiu Adepoju has provided insight into how he dealt with the immense pressure of representing 200 million fans every time he pulled on the Super Eagles jersey during his playing career.

Speaking at the LaLiga African Forum, an initiative aimed at bringing African players and media closer to the Spanish topflight, Adepoju, fondly known as the headmaster, admitted he was very aware of the weight of expectations on his shoulders.

However, the former Real Madrid and Racing Santander midfielder revealed he learned to block out the pressure once he crossed the white lines.

"I didn't see it then as pressure, I knew we were representing 200 million people in Nigeria and Nigerians love football and want to see you and the team play well, win and all that," Adepoju explained.

That ability to remain focused despite the hopes of a nation being on his shoulders was a driving factor behind Adepoju's successful international career.

"So, we knew that, yes, it involves pressure because you have to work very hard,” the Nigerian legend added. 

“Once I got on the field, I forgot about the pressure and just concentrated on the game and how I was going to play well and how the team was going to come out victorious."

The midfielder earned 48 caps for Nigeria between 1990 and 2002, playing a key role as the Super Eagles won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and secured Olympic gold two years later.

He also featured at two World Cup finals during a career that saw him ply his trade in Spain for a decade after emerging as a pioneer for Nigerian players in LaLiga.

Adepoju's comments offer a fascinating glimpse into the mentality required to handle such enormous expectations at the international level.

As one of the most iconic figures in Nigerian football history, his insight could prove invaluable for the nation's current crop of stars learning to cope with the same pressures he once did.