Former Super Eagles captain and 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Segun Odegbami, has attributed Nigeria’s scintillating performances at the ongoing 2025 AFCON to the quality of the football pitches provided by host nation Morocco.
After four matches, including three in the group stage, the Super Eagles have maintained a perfect record, winning all four games as they chase a fourth continental title.
The latest of those victories was Monday’s emphatic 4–0 win over Mozambique in the round of 16. It was Nigeria’s biggest win at the tournament so far and also the first time they kept a clean sheet.
Buoyed by their impressive run, the three-time African champions are currently the highest-scoring team at the competition, with 12 goals.
While the team’s smooth progress has been linked to the tactical approach of head coach Eric Chelle, Odegbami believes the pitch at the Fez Stadium — venue of Nigeria’s four matches so far — has also played a major role in their fluid style of play.
“What was it that made the difference for a group of great players that have not been able, for some years, to find their rhythm as a team, and have been struggling to win even the easiest of matches on home soil?” Odegbami queried.
“The answer is so simple it is almost too good to be true. There are several other factors contributing to the scintillating performances in Morocco so far, but the single most important, yet least acknowledged, is the immaculate playing surface.
“That’s it. Morocco has invested in constructing some of the best football pitches in the world — lush green, perfectly flat, manicured grass fields that provide the ideal surface for top players to showcase their skills and play their best football.
“These pitches are all over Morocco. They do not have, or tolerate, a single patch of uneven grass surface, making every move and every pass a work of art.”
Morocco is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time, using nine stadiums across six cities — Rabat, Marrakesh, Casablanca, Agadir, Fez and Tangier.
Rabat, the capital city, hosts four of the stadiums, while the other cities have one each.
Referencing the Super Eagles’ struggles in recent World Cup qualifiers at home in Uyo, Odegbami urged Nigeria to take a cue from Morocco’s example.
“That’s what the Uyo Township Stadium lacks. It is regarded as the ‘best’ facility in Nigeria, but from close examination, it is a planet away from what AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast and AFCON 2025 in Morocco offer.
“Nigeria should now take the bull by the horns, remove the wool from her eyes, get rid of pretenders who do not understand why the country must invest in constructing the best grass surfaces in all major stadia, with a maintenance regime that can sustain them.”
Odegbami was joint top scorer as Nigeria won the AFCON for the first time on home soil in 1980. He scored three goals during the tournament, including a brace in the final against Algeria at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
He is Nigeria’s third all-time leading goalscorer, with 23 goals in 46 appearances, behind Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen (34 goals) and the late Rashidi Yekini (37 goals).
