‘They started to kick it long’ - Aiyegbeni slams Chelle’s tactics after introducing Arokodare against DR Congo

Nigeria's hopes of reaching the tournament were dashed after a play-off loss to DR Congo on Sunday.

The Super Eagles missed the World Cup for the second consecutive time after a 1-1 draw was followed by a 4-3 loss on penalties.

Osimhen got injured in the game and was substituted at half-time, which led to Nigeria’s poor performance.

Ex-Super Eagles star Aiyegbeni has claimed that Chelle’s tactics after Osimhen’s injury was the cause of Nigeria’s poor display.

Speaking on a podcast, he said, "He [Eric] brought Tolu [Arokodare] in, and they started to kick it long, but there was no one to pick up the second ball," Yakubu observed. "Lookman isn’t in shape because of the situation at his club, but he still tries."

The Nigerian head coach brought in Arokodare in replacement for the Super Eagles' second-highest top scorer in history at half-time.

However, his presence in the attack did not affect the game, with the team failing to create any chance.

Yakubu questioned the coach’s plan, claiming he went down the route of playing long balls to the path of Tolu, without anyone picking up the second ball.