Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Okocha, has criticised Nigeria’s failure to establish a consistent home venue for the national team, saying the situation has affected the team’s performances over the years.
Okocha made the remarks on the OBI One Podcast while recalling Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Angola in Kano in the decisive qualifying match.
The former Bolton Wanderers midfielder questioned the decision to stage such an important fixture in Kano, arguing that the players struggled to adapt to the conditions and did not enjoy the advantage of playing at home.
“How can we be playing last qualifying match if we know that if we win we will qualify? We took it to Kano, so imagine coming from London, from Chelsea, to go and play in Kano. The heat. So we were all like foreigners. So these are little things that they don’t understand,” Okocha said.
According to the 53-year-old, the Eagles need a familiar venue where the players can feel comfortable and benefit from strong support from home supporters.
Nigeria briefly returned to Lagos in 2021, but before then, the Eagles had not played a competitive fixture in the city since their 1-0 victory over Zambia in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in January 2001.
Okocha said the absence of a permanent home venue had deprived the national team of the atmosphere and support that helped previous generations perform strongly.
“Your players have to feel at home. They have to be comfortable. They must have a home ground. During our time, Lagos was our home ground. We were spitting fire here. But after Lagos, it’s like we don’t have a home.
“You go to Akwa Ibom, it’s like you’re playing away from home. True, because the crowd is not even that passionate there. These are the things that we need to fix.”
The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo has in recent years served as the Eagles’ main home venue and is currently the only CAF/FIFA-accredited stadium available for regular national team matches in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the National Stadium in Lagos, which hosted the 1973 African Games and the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations final, has remained largely inactive despite repeated efforts to restore the facility.
Okocha earned 73 caps for Nigeria between 1993 and 2006, scoring 14 goals.
He represented the country at five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and three FIFA World Cups.
One of his most memorable moments came at the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations final in Lagos against Cameroon, where he scored a stunning long-range goal as Nigeria drew 2-2 before losing 4-3 on penalties.
