The Super Eagles were the subject of intense criticism following a disappointing start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Jose Peseiro’s men only managed two points in their games against low-ranked Lesotho and Zimbabwe, putting their World Cup hopes on the line.
Defender Onome Ebi has asked Nigerian fans to back the country’s players and refrain from “insulting” and “discouraging” them after a bad game.
The Super Eagles were the subject of intense criticism following a disappointing start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Jose Peseiro’s men only managed two points in their games against low-ranked Lesotho and Zimbabwe, putting their World Cup hopes on the line.
But Onome, who became the oldest African to feature at the World Cup, has come to the defence of players, calling on fans to encourage them after a bad outing.
“They are gradually killing the beautiful game in my country with so much negativity. Football is supposed to be enjoyed, and players giving all to make the country proud are supposed to be encouraged and supported. It’s all going the other way around now. SMH,” she wrote on her social media Tuesday.
“It’s really sad to know that we have the best players in the world, but it is difficult to win games convincingly these days. It is really sad. We need that full support and enough of all this calling out players, insulting, and discouraging them after a bad game. Players go through a lot after all this, please lovers of football we can do better to help each other.”
According to her, no player likes losing a game and some footballers never recover from such a loss.
“Truly, some people don’t understand how it feels to lose a game or play below expectations. Some players never recover from it. Some experienced players are strong enough to encourage the rest. Some go off playing for some time to recover. Football is not just about playing on the field,” Onome, who plays for Naija Ratels, added.
“It’s beyond. You wonder why players always ask the fans for their support and why it is because it goes a long way to motivate and encourage the players. Please let’s change our ways toward football players. It’s destroying the beauty of the game.”
