Olofinjana talks about his disappointment over missing the 2010 World Cup

Former Super Eagles midfielder Seyi Olofinjana has shared his sadness over not being selected for Nigeria’s team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Sixteen years later, he is still upset that no one told him why he was left out, even though he played a big part in the qualifying matches.

Olofinjana, who played 48 times for Nigeria between 2000 and 2011, said it was hard to accept because he was part of all the qualifiers and even captained the team in many games.

In a recent episode of the PlayZone podcast released on Tuesday, the former Hull City player mentioned that neither the coaches nor the Nigeria Football Federation reached out to explain their choice.

Olofinjana said, “2010 would have been my World Cup. I played all the qualifiers, in fact, I captained half of them, and to this day, no one has informed me why I wasn’t chosen.

“I did not receive a single phone call from anyone. Not from players, not from staff. I shouldn’t have to inquire.”

While he understands that no player has a guaranteed spot in the national team, the ex-Stoke City midfielder expected some communication after all his hard work during the qualifiers.

“It reflects on the culture; if someone is deemed capable of leading a nation of 250 million people, not just once but multiple times during the qualifiers for the World Cup, and then is simply overlooked, I won’t question it,” he said.

“There is no divine right for anyone to be chosen for the Super Eagles. Selections are made based on merit. Just because I have accomplished all of that does not automatically mean I am deemed worthy. However, there should have been an explanation.”

Olofinjana also talked about how much it meant to represent Nigeria. He always saw playing for the national team as a big honor.

“Whenever Nigeria is engaged in a match, whether friendly or competitive, I ensure my presence because, for me, it transcended mere street football; I was playing for Nigeria.

“And it held significance every single time I donned the Nigerian colors, green, white, green; I wore them with great pride,” he added.