Aiyegbeni Shares Awkward Reason Coach Onigbinde Dropped Him from Nigeria’s 2002 World Cup Squad
- Yakubu Aiyegbeni says he knew he was never going to the 2002 FIFA World Cup under coach Festus Onigbinde
- Younger players like Opabunmi and Ogbeche were selected ahead of the former Premier League star for the World Cup
- The Super Eagles crashed out of the group stage with just one point, losing to Argentina and Sweden
Yakubu Aiyegbeni, one of Nigeria’s most feared strikers, has revealed fresh details about his infamous omission from the Super Eagles squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
The former Premier League striker, who scored key goals in Nigeria’s qualification campaign to help the Super Eagles qualify, said he knew his World Cup dream was over the moment training camp began in London.
Source: Getty Images
Speaking on Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Insights podcast, Aiyegbeni said his exclusion was not just a football decision but the result of betrayal by some teammates and questionable calls from then-head coach Festus Onigbinde.
Coach Onigbinde’s strange questioning
Aiyegbeni shared that the first red flag came when Coach Onigbinde asked him what position he played during camp drills.
“I was shocked. I’m the same player who scored in Sudan to help Nigeria qualify. Then we get to London and the coach is asking me, ‘What position do you play?’ That’s when I knew I wasn’t going,” he said.
According to Aiyegbeni, his training sessions were cut short, and he was given little chance to compete for a spot in the final squad.
The former Portsmouth striker felt that the decision to drop him had already been made before the team even arrived in camp.
For Aiyegbeni, the disappointment of missing out on football’s biggest stage still stings.
“It was painful because I worked hard to get us there,” he said.
His story adds another layer to the ongoing debate about Nigeria’s 2002 World Cup preparations and what went wrong behind the scenes.
Ogbeche and Opabunmi picked
Onigbinde’s final list raised eyebrows at the time.
Source: Getty Images
Instead of including experienced qualifiers like Aiyegbeni, the coach handed opportunities to 17-year-old Femi Opabunmi and PSG forward Bartholomew Ogbeche, who had not featured in the qualification series, per Worldfootball.net.
Aiyegbeni described the decision as baffling and frustrating, saying it felt like politics had taken over the national team.
Many fans also criticised the squad selection at the time, claiming it weakened Nigeria’s chances before a ball was even kicked in Korea and Japan.
A World Cup to forget for Nigeria
The Super Eagles went on to endure one of their worst World Cup campaigns.
They lost their opening two matches against Argentina and Sweden before scraping a goalless draw with England in their final group game.
Nigeria finished bottom of Group F with just one point, confirming their early exit.
Aiyegbeni explains current Super Eagles' struggles
In another development, Legit.ng reported that Aiyegbeni has disclosed that the current Super Eagles have struggled in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers because of a lack of creativity.
The 42-year-old is unimpressed with the national team's performances in recent times, as they are now on the verge of missing yet another FIFA World Cup.
Source: Legit.ng
