Adepoju Urges Super Eagles to Put Past Disappointments Behind Them

Posted : 25 September 2026

Former Super Eagles midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has urged Nigeria's players to put recent disappointments behind them as they begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Nigeria will host Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday.

Adepoju said the team must focus on the immediate challenge rather than dwell on the failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He also pointed to Nigeria's failure to reach the final of the last Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

“It is very important for the players and their technical crew to put behind them all the negatives that cropped up after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and focus on these two matches,” Adepoju said.

The former Real Madrid midfielder believes the two upcoming qualifiers provide Nigeria with an opportunity to rebuild momentum. He said the players can give supporters renewed confidence by securing qualification for the 2027 AFCON.

“I am sure the players still remember what happened with the World Cup, but they now have another opportunity to make Nigerians proud by qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations,” he added.

Nigeria will begin the campaign without Victor Osimhen, who has been ruled out of the Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau fixtures while recovering from a muscle injury. The Galatasaray striker remains one of the team's leading attacking options.

Adepoju acknowledged Osimhen's importance but urged the rest of the squad to take responsibility in his absence. He said the striker's unavailability should not become an excuse for the Super Eagles.

“It is sad that Osimhen will not be available because everybody knows his quality and what he brings to the team, but the Super Eagles have other quality players who can do the job. His absence should not be an excuse,” he said.

Head coach Éric Chelle must now find the right attacking combination for the opening fixtures. Nigeria have several forward options available as the coach looks to start the qualification campaign positively.

The Super Eagles will face Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before travelling to Bissau for their second qualifier against Guinea-Bissau on September 29. The two fixtures will provide Nigeria with their first competitive tests in the race for AFCON 2027 qualification.

For Adepoju, the matches also offer an opportunity for other players to step forward. With Osimhen unavailable, the responsibility will be shared among the squad as Nigeria begin another continental qualification campaign.

Both fixtures will be broadcast live on SuperSport. The Nigeria-Madagascar match and Guinea-Bissau-Nigeria encounter will be available on SS La Liga and SS Pop-up for eligible DStv and GOtv subscribers.

Adepoju Urges Super Eagles to Put Past Disappointments Behind Them

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