Former Nigerian international, Juwon Oshaniwa has raised concerns about the future of home-based players in the Super Eagles, questioning whether footballers playing in the domestic league still have a realistic pathway to represent the national team.
Oshaniwa noted that the current state of Nigeria’s domestic league requires significant intervention, stressing that the system no longer reflects the standard that existed during his playing days.
According to the former defender, administrators must invest more in the welfare and development of players competing in the Nigeria Professional Football League and the Nigeria National League.
“A lot has happened from our time to where we are now because it’s not the same league that we used to have in the domestic league. A lot needs to be done. You need to take proper care of these players, talking about their welfare and mobility. Our administrators need to put a lot into our domestic league,” Oshaniwa said.
The former international also questioned Nigeria’s competitiveness on the continent, insisting that meaningful investment is necessary before expecting home-based players to compete for places in the national team.
“How are we doing on the continent? We need to put a lot of investment into our domestic leagues before we start talking about them having the desire to represent Nigeria.”
Oshaniwa further argued that if a foreign-based player is to be dropped for a domestic league player, coaches and administrators must have full confidence in the local talent.
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“If you must drop a foreign-based player for a domestic player, you should be able to put your money on him. What you don’t see, you can’t attain.”
He also criticized corruption and selfish interests within Nigerian football administration, warning that such issues are harming the growth of the game.
“For all this corruption and selfishness, you are killing the football. So what is the hope of the domestic player if you can’t represent your nation?”
Juwon Oshaniwa was part of the Nigerian squad that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and also represented the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
