By: Odeh Favour Adiya
Former Super Eagles striker, Obafemi Martins, has stated that Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, possesses the capability to transform Nigerian football if he decides to step in and get involved.
Martins stated this during a podcast hosted by former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel and Chris Chardy, uploaded on YouTube on Monday.
Responding to a question from Mikel about the underlying challenges facing the Nigerian national team and whether the deep-rooted issues went beyond the players themselves, Martins advocated for youth inclusion in sports administration.
Martins stated, “It has always been like that, so we just need someone that can help.”
He went on to emphasize the need for fresh leadership, adding, “a young person that understands the game, that understands the system, can help us. And I think Seyi Tinubu can do that too.”
He reinforced his belief in Seyi Tinubu’s capacity by adding, “he’s young and he understands what Nigerian people want. I think he can change that.”
Mikel then sought clarification, asking, “Seyi Tinubu?”
Martins replied, “He can change that.”
When Mikel pressed further, asking, “The president’s son?”, Martins responded, “Yeah, he can change that.”
Explaining his position, Martins noted that Seyi Tinubu could make meaningful contributions to the sector despite not holding executive power.
“If he wants to, he can. I mean he is not the president but he is making an effort,” he said.
The dynamic discussion between the two national team legends also focused heavily on the broader management of Nigerian football, with Mikel arguing that the persistent failures of the Super Eagles stem directly from administrative leadership.
“I’ve always said for me, it’s from the top. When the top is not running properly, then it affects everything that happens on the pitch,” Mikel stated.
Taking a direct swipe at the country’s football governing body, Mikel added, “I’ve always said it, and I keep saying it, that the people that are running our game today, the NFF, they’re the ones destroying our game.”
Mikel also recalled the severe operational challenges players routinely encountered during his active playing days, particularly concerning systemic underfunding and lack of proper infrastructure.
“during our time, the problems we have to go through, in terms of money, in terms of the basic things that we need, sometimes wasn’t there,” Mikel revealed.
Martins aligned with Mikel’s assessment, stressing that the national team deserves better structural support, including modern, dedicated training grounds and permanent camping facilities.
“And Nigerian national team should be better. Today we don’t have our own national stadium pitch where we train or national camp, when we come to play for the national team, we have a camp. We don’t have those basic things,” Martins lamented.
The former Newcastle United forward also reflected on the internal pressure and fierce squad competition he faced trying to lock down a starting spot in the national team during his prime.
“It wasn’t easy that way because we have Yakubu, we have Agali as well, there are a lot of players, even Mikel want to score goals too. Yeah. Everyone want to score,” Martins recalled.
