Former CAF Champions League winner and ex-Super Falcons coach Kadiri Ikhana has delivered a blunt assessment of the state of Nigerian football, describing the ongoing decline as "a bad period caused by years of neglect and lack of organisation."
Speaking in a radio programme after Rivers United's disappointing CAF Champions League performance, Ikhana said he was "not surprised" by the result and insisted that the problem extends far beyond a single club.
"We have been talking about our football for quite some time now. It is not about Rivers United alone," Ikhana said.
"It happened to Remo Stars, Kwara United and Abia Warriors, and could happen to any team in Nigeria. We are not ready to reorganise ourselves."
The veteran coach added that Nigerian clubs "do not prepare adequately for CAF competitions," noting that failure has now become a recurring trend.
Ikhana's comments echo sentiments shared by football analysts across Africa.
SuperSport pundits recently criticised Nigerian clubs for "poor preseason planning" and "inconsistent technical structures," while CAF technical reports over the past three seasons have highlighted tactical disorganisation and weak physical conditioning as recurring weaknesses for NPFL clubs.
Former Julius Berger midfielder Hilary Adiki also weighed in, saying the outcome of the match was "expected" based on historical patterns.
"Whenever Nigerian teams face North or Southern African clubs, we struggle," Adiki said.
"Our league is far behind theirs, so we usually play second fiddle. At least it wasn't a scandalous score line like Remo Stars suffered against Sundowns."
Analysts from The Athletic Africa and BBC Africa Sport have likewise argued that Nigerian football's structural issues -- inadequate investment, inconsistent league calendars, stadium problems, and lack of youth development -- continue to widen the gap between NPFL clubs and their North African counterparts.
Ikhana concluded with a call for urgent reform :"We need to recall experienced coaches and rebuild properly if we want the good days to return."