Super Eagles striker, Sadiq Umar, has expressed his discontent regarding the perceived unfair treatment of Nigerian players by the fans.
Sadiq Umar’s remarks come in the aftermath of Nigeria’s disappointing performance during the recent qualifying phase for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which raised concerns among both the players and supporters.
In their latest outings, the Super Eagles struggled to find their footing, managing to secure only one point from two matches, a far cry from the expectations set for them.
Their first match ended in a draw with the Benin Republic, where they battled to a 1-1 stalemate at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan last Thursday. While this result did confirm their qualification for the upcoming 2025 AFCON set to take place in Morocco, it hardly soothed the frustrations of the fans and pundits alike.
The following match took a particularly disappointing turn as the Eagles faced off against Rwanda at Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on the following Monday.
In a shocking downfall, the team lost 2-1, marking an abrupt end to their otherwise perfect home record in this qualification campaign.
Before this defeat, Sadiq and his teammates had secured convincing home victories against both Benin (3-0) and Libya (1-0), during which they exhibited solid defensive performances without conceding a single goal. However, the unexpected loss to the Amavubi put the players in the firing line of the fans’ ire.
Reacting to the heavy criticism directed at players on social media, Sadiq, who has faced scrutiny over his inclusion in the national team despite not registering any goals or assists in his current season, shared his thoughts in an interview with Oma TV.
He lamented the negative atmosphere surrounding the national team, saying, “If things continue like this, there are lots of players that will not like to play for the Super Eagles. When we come to play here, it’s not about the money; it’s for the love, you understand. Where you feel is your home, they tell you it’s not.”
Sadiq elaborated on the disparities between the support players receive internationally versus the treatment they face back home, stating, “When you go to Europe to play, you’re loved and supported there, but when you come to your country, your people begin to ask what you’re doing and who brought you, even telling you to return to Europe.”
He also reflected on the advice they had received in the past about the mental pressures in football, lamenting, “Back in the day, they always told us to be careful because they won’t let us be ourselves in Europe, but now it has nothing to do with the Europeans; we are the ones killing ourselves.”
Sadiq added that many of his teammates experience significant distress following games due to the harsh criticism they face online.
“There are some of my teammates (Super Eagles) that are down after every game we play because the fans are killing them on social media. Even if you don’t see comments, your name still gets mentioned,” he revealed.
Sadiq Umar emphasized the critical nature of mental resilience in the sport, saying, “Football these days is about mentality. If you’re not mentally tough, you cannot play football.”
