Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba has claimed that some members of the current Super Eagles squad would not have earned a place in the national team during his playing days.
Ikpeba, a key member of Nigeria’s golden generation in the 1990s, believes the competition for places and the overall quality of players were significantly higher than they are today.
The former AS Monaco forward was part of the Super Eagles team that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, reached the Round of 16 at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and helped Nigeria claim a historic football gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
He also featured at the 1998 World Cup, scoring the winner in Nigeria’s 1-0 group-stage victory over Bulgaria.
Speaking on Bet9ja Home Turf, Ikpeba argued that football during his era demanded exceptional talent, passion, and resilience before players could earn a place in the national team. He said:
In my era, not everyone was allowed to play football. If you had to play, you needed talent, passion, and quality. Now, most parents want their kids to play football because there is money. That has changed.
The leagues we had in the ’80s and ’90s were very competitive, and the club players were very good. To be selected for the Green Eagles or Super Eagles, you had to be outstanding. Quality-wise and talent-wise, I think we had more in my era than this one.
The 1997 African Player of the Year insisted the modern game has changed considerably, adding that some of today’s internationals would have found it difficult to cope with the intensity and demands of his generation.
