As Nigeria launch their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying campaign, one of the country's most celebrated former players has delivered a blunt verdict on the state of the game: this is the lowest the nation has ever fallen.

Segun Odegbami, who helped Nigeria win their first continental title when they hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980, told BBC Sport Africa that the country is living through the "worst time" in its football history.

"It has never been this bad in our entire history that we didn't qualify for the World Cup," the 74-year-old said. "Our girls, who were African champions, failed to win a competition that was just there for their taking. All our junior teams are not doing well. Our local league is not bringing in money. Something is definitely wrong."

A cascade of failures

Over the past year, both the Super Eagles and the Super Falcons failed to qualify for their respective FIFA World Cups — a double blow without precedent in Nigerian football. Disappointing results at age-group level and in African club competitions have compounded the crisis, though the country's Under-20 women's side recently reached the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup.

Odegbami described the decline as a "tectonic shift" for one of Africa's traditional powerhouses, and laid much of the blame at the feet of successive administrators who, he argued, had not fielded Nigeria's "first XI" in governance.

Sweeping changes at the NFF

The crisis has already forced significant changes at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). President Ibrahim Gusau, general secretary Mohammed Sanusi, and several members of the executive committee resigned last month amid mounting public pressure. Emmanuel Ikpeme has been named interim general secretary, with Ademola Olajire serving as interim deputy general secretary.

NFF elections, originally scheduled for 27 September, have been suspended. A joint delegation from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is engaged in talks with Nigeria's National Sports Commission over the federation's future structure.

President Bola Tinubu has publicly demanded reform, citing what he called "repeated failures." Odegbami welcomed the political pressure, saying: "The outcry by Nigerians was total. Everything came together like a jigsaw puzzle and is working now for us to produce a blueprint that will cover every aspect of our football development."

Sports journalist Fisayo Dairo echoed that view, arguing that real reform must go beyond a change of faces at the top. "The reform should be the setting up of a proper framework and structure that our football can thrive on," Dairo told BBC Sport Africa. "The corporate world has to be fully represented so that the administration is able to generate funds."

A lost philosophy

Nicknamed 'Mathematical' for his precision on the ball, Odegbami was part of the Super Eagles side that beat Algeria 3-0 in the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations final in Lagos — a moment he describes as "indescribable." Nigeria went on to lift the trophy again in 1994 and 2013, and reached the final at the 2023 edition, finishing third at both the 2019 tournament and this year's finals in Morocco.

Yet Odegbami believes the country has drifted without a clear footballing identity for decades. "What is the coaching methodology? What is the philosophy of our football? What is our culture, what is our style?" he asked.

Decaying stadiums, fading heritage

Infrastructure decay sits at the heart of the crisis. Odegbami mourned the decline of venues that once made Nigeria a proud host — among them the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, and the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

"I weep when I think of the damage they have done — the infrastructure we had, the historic monuments that were facilities for football in this country," he said. "Whether it was wilful or ignorance, they did irreparable damage to what was Nigeria's heritage."

The contrast with other African nations is sharp. Senegal will host the Youth Olympic Games next month; Morocco will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal; South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia are staging next year's men's Cricket World Cup; and Kenya will host the 2029 World Athletics Championship.

Eagles begin qualifying campaign

Against that troubled backdrop, the Super Eagles open their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying campaign against Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday at 16:00 GMT, before travelling to Guinea-Bissau on 29 September. Victor Osimhen, the former African Footballer of the Year, has been ruled out of coach Eric Chelle's squad through injury.