Former Nigeria international Jonathan Akpoborie has said the lack of stand out performances in the country’s second round berth at the World Cup is the reason why Super Eagles players have failed to move to better clubs ahead of the next European league season.
Brown Ideye, who ironically did not make the World Cup squad, is the only Nigerian to have made a big move from Dynamo Kiev to English Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion for a club record fee believed to be around 10 million pounds.
According to the former VFB Stuttgart star, Nigerian players failed to show the world what they were capable of doing in Brazil.
"With all due respect we are not ashamed of what the Super Eagles did at the World Cup. At the same time when you look at it objectively and with the array of talents we have, we did not do enough at the World Cup,” Akpoborie told Goal.
"Although we had the likes of [Michael] Babatunde and [Ogenyi] Onazi shining through amongst other Super Eagles players, I think they did not do enough to attract offers from top European clubsides.”
He, however, concluded saying he doesn’t forsee the possibility of any Nigerian making a big money move in Europe except they step up their game.
"It is for them now at club level to prove themselves again because definitely some scouts in Europe might have penciled down their name and need to see them play at club level before making a move for them because Nigeria did not play up to expectation in Brazil.
"Maybe in the nearest future, we will see our players move to better clubsides, but right now, I don’t think it's going to happen because of what we did at the World Cup,” he concluded.
-GOAL
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