Football journalist Pooja has said Nigeria still has a long way to go before it can compete with the world’s top football nations, both in infrastructure and quality of play.
Speaking on the FIFA World Cup Roundup Show, he claimed that no stadium in Nigeria currently meets FIFA’s standard for hosting World Cup matches, including the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
According to him, the facilities in Uyo are far below what is available in countries like the United States, saying they are only a fraction of what can be found in stadiums such as those in Atlanta and New Jersey.
Pooja also argued that building more stadiums is not the answer, noting that many existing facilities are underused because local football lacks a strong fan base. He pointed out that the Uyo stadium is mostly filled only during Super Eagles matches.
He further questioned the current quality of the Super Eagles, citing underwhelming performances against teams such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, DR Congo, Sierra Leone, and Morocco as evidence that Nigeria still struggles in important games.
Comparing Nigeria with countries hosting and competing at the FIFA World Cup, Pooja said the gap in football development and infrastructure remains huge.
He concluded by saying that, in his opinion, only Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are good enough to walk straight into the starting lineup of any top African national team, adding that Nigerian football still has significant progress to make.
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