Former Super Eagles Sylvanus Okpala and Duke Udi have called for a mindset shift among African nations competing at the FIFA World Cup.
Speaking during Brila FM’s breakfast show, ‘No Holds Barred with Ifeanyi Udeze’, Okpala emphasized the need for African teams to approach the World Cup with a winning mentality.
“The teams that qualified are good teams. Hopefully they do us proud,” Okpala said. “African football has come of age. We need to start thinking of winning the World Cup.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s campaign at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Okpala expressed his belief that the Super Eagles had the quality to win the tournament but were limited by their mindset.
“In 1994, Nigeria had one of the best squads at the World Cup. The Cup was there to win, but we never realized that. Getting to the second round felt like mission accomplished. That thinking needs to change. We must get away from this colonial mentality.”
Okpala, who earned 45 caps for Nigeria, played at the Africa Cup of Nations and the Olympics, and was part of the 1980 AFCON winning squad.
He later won the tournament again in 2013 as assistant coach under the late Stephen Keshi.
Football is the same everywhere
The former Goalkeeper emphasized that football is not different across continents, he argues that the defining factor is the mentality and level of organization.
“Football is the same all over the world. The difference is the mentality. The boys playing in Europe today started here in Africa.
“The training methods are similar, so we must stop limiting ourselves to just reaching the second round, quarter finals or semi finals. We must set our sights on winning it.”
Okpala also praised the resilience of South Africa overcoming difficulties in the qualifiers.
“I have to congratulate them. After a three point deduction and three goals, they still topped their group. The beautiful part is that most of them play in their local leagues.”
Meanwhile, Duke Udi echoed Okpala’s statements, and insists that Morocco’s semi-final finish at the 2022 World Cup should now be the minimum benchmark for African teams.
“Any country that goes to the World Cup must aim to surpass Morocco’s achievement. Getting to the final or winning it should be the target. We are long overdue.”
Udi, who had five caps for Nigeria, also praised South Africa for their performance in the qualifiers, noting the importance of coaching and tactical preparation.
“South Africa played good football. They were tactically and mentally sound. They don’t have big names, but they were the best team and deserved to win their group.”
The former midfielder also touched on the state of Nigerian football development, urging ex-internationals to take a more active roles in the domestic game.
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“Former players should not shy away from coaching. In South Africa, ex-internationals are heavily involved in football.
“That’s why their system is working. Here in Nigeria, many of our ex-players are running away from coaching. Who will rebuild our league if not those who understand the game?”
Both men agreed that for Africa to truly compete on the world stage, there must be a structural and mental shift, with emphasis placed not just on qualifying for global tournaments, but on building systems capable of winning them.
