Former Super Eagles midfielder Duke Udi has identified a lack of discipline as the crucial factor hindering Nigeria’s national team from dominating African football, Soccernet.ng reports.
Speaking candidly about the Super Eagles’ potential, Udi, who once starred for Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava, praised the team’s wealth of talent, describing it as every manager’s dream.
The former Shooting Stats hero emphasised that aside from Senegal and Morocco, no African team can rival Nigeria’s depth of talent.
“This current Super Eagles team can do without anybody. We have a strong team—it’s just about the coaches sitting down, building chemistry, and making the right selections,” Udi told Brila.
“Even if a key player is missing, we have good players to win any game.”
Despite boasting star-studded squads in recent years, Nigeria have struggled for consistency.
The Super Eagles last won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, and while they reached the final earlier this year, they have failed to dominate as expected.
Nigeria secured qualification for the 2025 AFCON with ease, but they currently face an uphill battle to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, trailing behind South Africa, Rwanda, and Benin in a group they were predicted to lead.
Udi stressed discipline as the missing element to unlock the team’s potential.
“What we need is just discipline,” the former Enyimba playmaker said. “Once discipline is established, any coach who comes in will thank God for this team.”
Udi added, “In the whole of Africa, aside from Senegal and Morocco, no team has our depth of talent. When you have quality players, it’s just a matter of putting things together and helping the team gel.”
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are currently ranked the fourth-best team in Africa behind only Morocco, Senegal, and Egypt.