Okocha speaks on Eagles' struggle for a home ground

Former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha says Nigeria has had a hard time finding a true home ground since the national team stopped playing regularly in Lagos. This was reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.

Okocha shared his thoughts on the OBI One Podcast. He reflected on Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Angola in Kano during the final qualifier.

The ex-Bolton midfielder questioned why such an important match was held in Kano. He argued that the conditions made Nigerian players feel like they were playing away from 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.

Nigeria played in Lagos briefly in 2021. Before that, the last competitive match in the city was in January 2001 against Zambia during the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where the Eagles won 1-0.

Okocha believes not having a regular home venue has hurt the team’s performance. He stressed that players need to feel comfortable and supported by home fans.

"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 been the Eagles’ main home venue in recent years. It is the only CAF/FIFA-accredited stadium available for regular national team matches in Nigeria.

On the other hand, the National Stadium in Lagos, which hosted the 1973 African Games and the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations final, has been mostly unused for years despite many efforts to revive it.

Okocha, who turned 53 this month, won 73 caps for Nigeria from 1993 to 2006, scoring 14 goals. He played in five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and three FIFA World Cups.

One of his best moments for Nigeria was in Lagos during the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations final against Cameroon. He scored a stunning long-range goal as the Eagles drew 2-2 with the Indomitable Lions before losing 4-3 on penalties.