By Emmanuel Olagunju
Former Super Eagles Player, Chief Mutiu Adepoju ( MON) , says the Super Eagles of Nigeria stand the chance of picking three points against Gabon in the 2026 World Cup Playoff game scheduled for Thursday if the team put in the effort exhibited during their last game .
The football legend stated this on Tuesday in an interview via the Osun State Polytechnic Sports Legends Platform tagged “OSPOLY SPORTS LEGENDS HANGOUT”
He expressed confidence in the current Super Eagles squad and the team’s chances of getting slot in the world cup .
His words : ” with what we saw in the last game, the way the players performed , if they put in the same efforts, we should be sure of victory. They played very well and scored four goals. If they play same way on Thursday, I believe they are going to win “
Speaking further, Adepoju recalled the joy of scoring during the AFCON tournament, describing it as one of the happiest moments of his career. “It was a very happy moment for me because it was my second AFCON. We were sure we were going to do something special, thinking of what we did in the previous AFCON in Senegal ’92, where we got to the semi-finals only to be eliminated by Ghana,” he said.
The former Super Eagles midfielder recounted the determination that fueled Nigeria’s success in the 1994 edition, where the team eventually lifted the trophy. “Getting to AFCON ’94 was a do-or-die for us. We made it our point of duty that it was going to be now or never. We had built a team from 1991 and 1992, and we felt it was our time. We just went all out for it, and it was a very good one,” Adepoju stated.
Speaking about his trademark, heading ability, Adepoju explained how his nickname “Headmaster” came to be. “It was Mumini Alao that gave me that nickname. He used to visit our camp during the U-20 Saudi ’89 days, and he saw many of my goals scored with the head. There was no secret behind it — any player can master it. It’s all about timing, jumping, and calculation. I just loved doing it since I was young and worked hard to perfect it,” he explained.
The former Real Sociedad star also reflected on the discipline and leadership that defined the Super Eagles’ camp in his playing days. “We were always united in camp. Leaders like Stephen Keshi and Austin Eguavoen made sure everyone obeyed camp rules. When it was our turn as senior players, we did the same for the younger ones,” he said.
However, Adepoju described the 2000 AFCON final defeat to Cameroon in Lagos as one of the most painful moments of his career. “It was a sad moment because we had promised ourselves, we were going to win. We were hosting to win and had that intention throughout. Unfortunately, we lost through a penalty shootout, and it was painful not lifting the cup in Lagos,” he concluded.
