Across Nigeria, football fans and analysts have expressed frustration over the recent squad selection by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers.
A major point of debate is the inclusion of Real Sociedad forward Umar Sadiq over other in-form strikers across Europe, especially Cyriel Dessers of Rangers and Victor Olatunji, who recently scored his second UEFA Champions League goal of the season against Brest.
The exclusion of Olatunji, who has been performing consistently for Sparta Prague in Europe’s top club competition, has drawn particular criticism.
Fans have taken to social media to express their views, questioning why the NFF continues to call up players who lack recent form, while players like Olatunji are overlooked.
Owowo Caleb shared his thoughts, saying, “Yet he can’t be invited for the national team, only Sadiq, who is yet to score for his club, is invited.”
Similarly, Osasu Terrence Asemota commented, “We have this kind of player, and Eguavoen keeps inviting Iheanacho and Sadiq Umar.”
Akintude Temitope added, “Yet, Sadiq Umar is chosen ahead of Olatunji.”
The selection process has sparked discussions on social media, with fans calling for greater transparency and a stronger focus on current form.
As the Super Eagles gear up for their AFCON qualifiers, the debate highlights growing demands for merit-based selections that prioritize performance on the pitch.