Sports Super Eagles players lack passion - Jay Jay Okocha

Former Super Eagles skipper, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has passed a vote of no confidence on the passion of Nigerian players after they failed to qualify for next year's Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

The Super Eagles will not be starring in the continent's football showpiece in Equatorial Guinea where they would have defended their Nations Cup tournament if they had gone through.

Nigeria failed to make it to the 2015 AFCON championship when all they needed to do was just to beat South Africa, but they only managed a 2-2 draw on Wednesday in Uyo against the Bafana Bafana.

Okocha blamed the players for not showing enough passion and commitment wearing the national team colours, which he said cost them qualification.

“I think, to be honest, we will always produce talented players. But perhaps the question is whether they have the same passion that they used to have,” Okocha told Goal.

“People are pressuring them about that, you know, because sometimes it seems as if they don’t really care much about the result.”

“Of course it was down to our bad spot, even if we were still in with a chance,” he added. “I think sometimes players must have a wake-up call before they realise they are back in African football. They left themselves get into a difficult position.”

And the former PSG and Bolton Wanderers midfield said despite the poor performances in the qualifiers, the Super Eagles could have gone on to perform very well in the finals in Equatorial Guinea had they qualified.

“I have no doubt that had we managed to qualify we would have had a good tournament, because you have to play really well once it comes to the tournament itself. The qualifiers are sometimes a bit tricky here in Africa, so I think if they had qualified they would have had a good tournament.”

Jay Jay.gif
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top