Victor Ikpeba Berates Current Super Eagles, Compares Them With ‘Golden Generation’
- Victor Ikpeba has claimed that some current Super Eagles stars would not have made the squad during the golden generation
- The ‘Prince of Monaco’ also stated that parents in the 90s often cut short their children's dreams of becoming professional footballers
- He added that the local leagues were more competitive and produced more national team players during that era
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Victor Ikpeba stated that the quality of players produced during his era is far superior to that of the current generation.
The Olympic gold medalist said the current Super Eagles players would struggle to play at the National Stadium in Surulere due to the intense atmosphere created by the fans.
The Super Eagles are currently playing their World Cup qualifying home matches at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
Source: Getty Images
Ikpeba claims quality of players has dropped
The former Monaco star stated that players in his era had to possess talent, passion, and quality.
According to CompleteSports, the former CAF Player of the Year added that not everyone was allowed to play football during the 'golden era'.
He also claimed that most parents now enroll their children in football primarily for financial reasons. The former Real Betis player 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.
Source: Getty Images
Local leagues stronger in the ‘80s and ‘90s
The former ACB Lagos player expressed his belief that the quality of players in Nigeria has significantly declined since his playing days.
According to TheNation, Ikpeba said the current NPFL players prefer to go to Bangladesh, Cyprus, and India among others just because of money.
The local football scene, according to him, was filled with talented players who worked hard to stand out to earn a spot in the national team.
“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.
Ikpeba’s achievements
Victor Ikepba was part of the squad that won the 1994 AFCON and also got to the round of 16 of the World Cup in the same year per Worldfootball.
The pace winger also star featured at the France 1998 World Cup, scoring the only goal in the 1-0 win against Bulgaria in a group game fixture per FIFA.
The former Nigeria U23 star helped the country to win an historic football gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games and was later crowned the African Football Player of the Year in 1997 per ASMonaco.
Ikpeba scored a total of 55 goals in 170 matches for Monaco between 1993 and 1999, helping them win the Ligue 1 title in the 1996/97 season per Transfermarket.
Chelle announces list ahead of World Cup qualifiers
Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has announced his first squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier match days five and six against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Chelle was appointed as the new head coach in January after the team had been without a permanent head coach for months since Finidi George resigned in June 2024.
The former Mali national team head coach was saddled with the responsibility of turning Nigeria's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign around after a poor start.
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Source: Legit.ng
