In 2025, Nigerian mens football has hit its lowest point in modern history. Our Golden Eaglets, the U-17 team which had won the most FIFA U-17 World Cup titles, failed to qualify for the U-17 World Cup in two consecutive years. The U-20 team, the Flying Eagles crashed out in an embarrassing fashion losing 4-0 to Argentina. Our U-23 team didnt even make the Olympics in France in 2024.
We were once a football powerhouse. Whenever we stepped on the field, the green and white jersey filled the opposition with fear. In April 1994, we were the 5th best footballing nation on the planet. We embodied what we and the rest of Africa called us, The Giant of Africa. Our youth teams were feared, our mens senior team was revered, and our talent pipeline never seemed to dry up. The real question now is how did we get here?