Segun Odegbami Urges Super Eagles To Play AFCON Quarter-Final With Confidence

Former Super Eagles captain and 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner, Segun Odegbami, has called on the Nigerian senior soccer team to turn their individual talent into collective dominance by embracing confidence and self-belief.

In a video message posted on the Super Eagles’ official X handle on Friday, Odegbami stressed that self-belief is the key differentiator in competitive international football.

“It is about confidence, it is about belief that you can do it. The difference between football in countries is not much. From match to match, when you look at them, what makes you win is so small,” he said.

“It could just be one moment of magic, it could just be one moment of luck, it could just be somebody’s mistake, or occasionally, it is because you play well, you are coherent, and so on and so forth. But the most important factor is confidence and self-belief,” he added.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s rich footballing history, Odegbami argued that the Super Eagles possessed a depth of talent capable of intimidating any African opponent. He highlighted recent successes of individual stars while honouring the legends who paved the way.

“With the quality that we have, with our history and the numbers that we have, no country in Africa should be struggling with us, from competition to competition. Last year it was Victor Osimhen, now it is Ademola Lookman. We have the talent; we’ve always had it. Many great players never became Africa’s Player of the Year—Mikel Obi and his generation, JJ, and so on—just to show the depth of talent we possess,” he noted.

As the Super Eagles prepared for upcoming challenges, particularly the ongoing 2025 AFCON, Odegbami advised the team that playing with conviction often leads to deserved victories, not just lucky ones.

“So as we prepare, my advice to the Super Eagles is that they should play confidently, without fear, and like champions. When you play like that, you more often than not win, and you win deservedly because it is not by luck; it is because you are good,” he said.

Odegbami concluded with a rallying call for the team to not just win, but to do so with flair and authority, befitting Nigeria’s status as three-time African champions. “Go out there, perform, entertain, dominate, and win. We have the players to do it,” he urged.

Odegbami’s message comes ahead of the Super Eagles’ AFCON quarter-final clash with Algeria in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Saturday.