Former Super Eagles midfielder and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner Mutiu Adepoju during an exclusive interview with Africafoot issued a stern warning to the Nigerian national team, insisting that the squad must develop the tactical capacity to win matches in the absence of star striker Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen has been ruled out of Nigeria’s upcoming crucial AFCON qualifiers against Tanzania after sustaining a knee injury. The absence of the prolific forward has once again cast a shadow over the Super Eagles’ attacking setup, reigniting long-standing debates regarding the team’s heavy tactical reliance on the talismanic forward.
The ‘Osimhen dependency’ problem
For years, Nigeria’s attacking fluidity has heavily pivoted on Osimhen’s relentless pressing, high-octane energy, and physical dominance. However, history paints a worrying picture when the striker is sidelined.
During the previous World Cup qualification campaign, Osimhen missed key fixtures, and the Super Eagles ultimately failed to secure a ticket to the global showpiece. Similar vulnerabilities were exposed during the last AFCON qualifying series when Nigeria suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in his absence, and it came days after a narrow 2-1 victory over Equatorial Guinea.
Victor Osimhen: Salary, market value, career, stats and rise at Galatasaray
Reflecting on these recurring struggles, Adepoju admitted that the team’s ongoing reliance on a single individual has lingered for too long.
”If you’re worried, one naturally needs to be concerned because this issue has persisted for too long,” Adepoju told Africafoot.
“No matter how important a player is, the team must have capable substitutes ready to take over. During our playing days, if someone was missing, someone else stepped up seamlessly. The team must always have viable alternatives.”
Squad depth and the need to step up
Adepoju, who represented Nigeria across three FIFA World Cups, emphasized that the current crop of strikers—including Coventry City’s Taiwo Awoniyi and in form Ajax Amsterdam’s Tolu Arokodare must rise to the occasion and seize their opportunities.
While acknowledging Osimhen’s unmatched aggressiveness and energy on the pitch, Adepoju stressed that injuries are an unavoidable part of elite football, requiring proactive tactical solutions from the coaching staff.
”Regarding Osimhen, he is definitely one of the most important players in the team, bringing great aggressiveness, energy, and a winning mentality,” Adepoju noted.
“However, that does not mean the team cannot perform without him. The coaching staff must ensure that the other available strikers step up, as every player has a unique way of contributing to the squad.”
Osimhen, Essien and other legends whose careers took off at the FIFA U-17 World Cup
High stakes against Tanzania
The pressure is mounting on the Super Eagles as they prepare for their upcoming fixtures. With Tanzania having already secured automatic qualification as one of the tournament hosts, Nigeria currently sits second in the group, three points behind Guinea Bissau.
To get their campaign back on track, the three-time African champions must claim maximum points from their double-header against the East Africans.
Adepoju has urged the players to draw vital lessons from past heartbreaks, notably missing out on the World Cup, and approach the Tanzania clashes with uncompromising intensity.
Victor Osimhen and four other most valuable African players in Turkish Super Lig
”Firstly, I was deeply shocked by our heavy loss to Guinea-Bissau, a result I never anticipated,” Adepoju said.
“Nevertheless, the players must rise to the task. They need to reflect on how we lost that match and remember the lessons from past qualifiers where failing to win early games left us struggling. We must return to winning ways immediately. Securing all six points against Tanzania is crucial to booking our AFCON ticket.”
