A member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Council, Nse Essien, has said the Super Eagles need committed and determined players.
Essien said this following the Eagles’ disappointing results in their opening two games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
After forcing a 1-1 draw against Lesotho in Uyo last Thursday, the Eagles recorded another 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Aside head coach Jose Peseiro coming under criticism players of the Eagles, most especially Francis Uzoho, have had their own fair share of blame.
Reacting after the game against Zimbabwe, Essien posited that what the team need presently are committed and determined players who will give their own on the pitch.
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“It’s for us to ensure that the best of the players are brought in for our matches, that’s what must happen, players doing well should be brought in,” Essien said in a video posted on OJB Sport X handle.
“We need players who are very committed, players who are qualified to play for Nigeria should be brought, we have a lot of them in Nigeria and all over the world.
“We need to bring players who are determined, who are going to be committed and who will give Nigeria 100 per cent.“
27 Comments
Rwanda just gave us a lifeline
WHICH LIFELINE?
YOU ARE UNDERRATING RWANDA, ZIMBABWE, LESOTHO, HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HOW ANGOLA( that didn’t have STAR players) QUALIFY FOR 2006 WORLD CUP AHEAD OF GREAT NIGERIA (with their STAR-STUDDED, Enyeama, Okocha, Aiyebbeni)
The day dreamers want to win AFCON without home based players in the Super Eagles, only in their dreams.
There are better midfielders in Nigeria better than Aribo and Iwobi. REAL BALLERS
Yes you are right. There are so many
Mention just 1 and I will be ok
Please name them. Don’t give us a blanket answer.
Exactly name them just 4 of the better midfielders in the local. I hate hearing there are his and that without actuality
Those days players moved from local league to other African countries before dey enter Europe. Dey are monitored in caf competitions and became a hit immediately even in Europe. Eg rufai moved to cotonu. Yekini to Cote D’Ivoire. Agahowa to Tunisia club , zamalek ammunike ,etc they are ready to fight to win on the field .. but now wat do we have it is from u 20 failures shine to Europe for d dollar or half bake color blood shine to get invited to eagles.now Comoros wil even beat eagles at home . because nobody want to get injured and left alone . So eagles handlers or nff have to sit down and look at players progression. Players that has mentality of Africa system of play and again coming to camp to a week was not the case those days . Camp wil start with home base players in readiness for a competition for about 2 weeks not wat we have now 3 dàys training. Abi
We need committed, determined, responsible, reasonable and incorruptible NFF a thousand more times than committed and determined players. The Falcons were determined and committed during the world cup. What did NFF do to them NFF abused them emotionally and wanted to cheatthem. It was there for the whole world to see. Even the most committed and determined players will be discouraged in a very toxic working environment created by you guys. Monkey dey work baboon dey chop. Shameless thieves.
All NFF members should cover their head and faces in shame. They only want to take without giving anything in return. What are they doing with Falcons presently? They are tossing them around without any handler. The coach told them the truth and this bunch of corrupt and egoistic human beings could not just stomach the truth.
When NFF clean up their acts, then we can start talking about the players. Otherwise, we will continue to move in circles.
Thank you for this comment!
May God never forsake you for this comment.
Without mentioning names,there are better ballers in the nigeria league thañ aribo and iwobi….are u guys not Nigerians,don’t go far,go outside and watch street football in ur locality,and u will understand….They can’t be picked cos they don’t have money to bribe their ways into the SE.
You spoke well.
Guys full 9ja wey sabi play ball but nobody will help them. No be Eric ejiorfor markout George weah out, guy George weah no move
Looking for determined players when the whole administrators are not determined to do the right thing.
Are you ready to pay the coach at when due?
Are you ready to pay match allowance and bonuses at when due
Are you determined to higher the right coach and not look for a coach who will cut corners with you.
Since you guys stupidly sack Rohr at a time not due, calamity has become the portion of you guys. Qualifying for tournament that was seen as a child’s play because Rohr made it so, is now a Kilimanjaro.
Hire a quality coach, and be ready to pay the coach every month. Then you will see things moving well.
Soon as a home-based footballer plays for Nigeria he disappears to Israel or North Africa or Eastern Europe, never to be heard of again. A national side is not a recruiting ground for clubs.
It is not only sacking the coach and replacing players that will solve this problem.
We need to start sacking NFF board members.
Yes, it is interference, which ordinarily attracts FIFA ban. But based on what transpired with the Super Falcons bonus brouhaha, it is obvious that FIFA is ready to make an exception when it comes to Nigeria. For the first time in the history of FIFA, they made bonus payments directly to players of a member country. Ko shele ri.
It started with us. So, to start sacking NFF board members, all the government needs to do is obtain FIFA’s permission, and carry FIFA along in the whole process.
It might also help if we had a ruling NFF board, and an opposing NFF board, similar to the English parliament. The opposing board will be breathing down the neck of the ruling board, and if there is any irregularities, they blow the whistle immediately, and the government steps in to investigate, with FIFA’s permission. If the allegations are found to be true, then the ruling board is sacked immediately, the opposing board becomes the ruling board, and a new opposing board is appointed.
Also, the ruling board will be subject to an annual evaluation. If they underperform significantly, they will be sacked, and the opposing board takes over.
The ruling board and the opposing board might decide to connive. If that happens, there will now be more mouths to feed, so the money now has to be shared around to double the amount of hoodlums. If that is worth it to them, let them go ahead. But the day they are caught, the sacking will be immediate for all of them, with jail time to boot.
The only issue now would be the government itself. Can the government do this job with transparency and integrity?
If this is not done, we will continue to underperform in football.
My guy don vex sote he don go full blown revolutionary Naija eagles can do dat 2 anyone hehehe wahala
My brother, I dey vex ooo. Walahi!
Is our own not too much?
Pesaro go and get a better defense and good midfielder go around Nigeria or abroad and good attacker, please stop tucking two much do your job or leave
Nigeria’s Football will go nowhere while the NFF stinks of corruption
“We Need Committed, Determined Players In Super Eagles —NFF Board Member”
Are the NFF themselves committed? Treat others the way you want to be treated, period.
The current NFF board members should be scrap as soon as possible, and the government should use Amaju Pinnick, for example. Because he brought our football to this level.
You are not treating the players well and you are expecting them to die on the pitch? Ahh, akoba gafara ooo.
It is very hard to fix Nigeria problem because the level of corruption is very high, and Nigerians do not want to hear the hard truth. So, let me stop here jęję. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Including you oga
We seek competent, ethical, intelligent, and incorruptible individuals for the NFF. Tired of incompetent administrations, we genuinely believe a foreign management could bring positive change. Disheartened by the current state.
Essien is babbling out of ignorance.The problem with Nigerian football lies in it’s poor management since the NFA was established in 1945.
#PASEIRO MUST GO!
NFF want committed players! Hahahahah, all of them na thief! Do you know that NFF still owning 2years bonuses to those players, they never pay that one, how do you want those Boyz to start world cup qualifer without sorting out previous bonuses? Those guys are professionals, you can’t full them. Look at what is happening in Nigeria woman team. NFF still owning those girls! If you talk, they will not invite you again. Ngozi okobi, oparaanozie and this white girl was excluded because they demanded for clearnace of outstanding bonuses. Fans should go to glass house and protest