Yakubu flags midfield gap ahead of AFCON 2025

In a candid assessment ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni says Nigeria lack a creative midfielder who can control games. He believes the current squad, despite eight midfielders named by coach Eric Chelle, is too defensive. “We need a proper midfielder who can pass the ball… we have too many defensive midfielders,” he said.

Yakubu added that players like Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka “can only pass the ball sideways”… He recalled Sunday Oliseh as a model, saying “we don’t have it… We don’t dominate games.” Nigeria face Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda in Group C in Morocco.