Nigeria football legend, Segun Odegbami has praised the Super Eagles’ impressive showing at the ongoing AFCON declaring that the team is firmly on the path back to greatness following a dominant display of attacking football.
Reacting after the Super Eagles’ emphatic 4–0 victory over Mozambique, Odegbami said the performance left no doubts about the team’s resurgence, pointing to the confidence, fluidity and composure that defined the encounter.
According to the former Nigeria international, the convincing nature of the win further underlined how a group of talented players, who had struggled for cohesion and consistency in recent years, are rediscovering their rhythm as a unit.
Odegbami argued that the transformation can be traced to a factor that is often overlooked in football analysis, insisting that beyond tactics and individual quality, the condition of the playing surface has been decisive.
“What made the difference is so simple that it is almost too good to be true,” Odegbami said. “Beyond tactics and talent, the single most important but least acknowledged factor is the immaculate playing surface.”
He noted that the Super Eagles delivered a virtuoso performance for the entire duration of the match, aided by what he described as one of the best football turfs in the world, currently available in Morocco.
Odegbami criticised commentators and analysts for failing to acknowledge the role of pitch quality, stressing that it directly influences confidence, ball movement and the ability of players to express themselves.
“Morocco has invested in constructing the best football pitches in the world—lush, flat and perfectly manicured surfaces that allow players to showcase their skills and play their best football,” he said.
He added that such high-quality pitches are common across Morocco, with no tolerance for uneven grass or poorly maintained surfaces, making every pass and movement appear effortless.
Drawing a comparison with Nigeria, Odegbami said facilities such as the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, regarded as the country’s best, remain far below the standards seen at recent AFCON tournaments in Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco.
He called on Nigerian authorities to urgently invest in world-class grass pitches across major stadia and adopt professional maintenance regimes, noting that Morocco’s “green, green grass” has effectively provided a home away from home for the Super Eagles.
