Former Real Madrid midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has dismissed suggestions that Victor Osimhen’s absence was the main reason behind Nigeria’s 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

 Osimhen missed the encounter due to a fitness concern after making an impressive start to the season with Galatasaray. The 27-year-old had scored six goals and provided two assists in his first four league appearances.

 However, Adepoju believes Nigeria’s disappointing performance was down to the team as a whole rather than the absence of one player.

 “It was a very bad game, we didn’t play very well. It is not too good for us because at the end of the day, we will be looking for calculators to calculate if this team wins, which is not supposed to be,” Adepoju told allnigeriasoccer.com.

 The former Super Eagles midfielder also questioned the players’ attitude and mentality during the encounter, stressing that everyone must take responsibility for the result.

 “There are many factors, but the attitude of the players? If the players are not putting everything possible on the field, even if the coach has a fault, the players know how they have been playing in their various clubs and what is at stake.

 “I am not going to put the blame on one person but the team entirely,” he added.

 Adepoju also backed Moses Usor to become a long-term asset for the Super Eagles, while noting that the forward’s performances will be influenced by the team’s overall form.

 “Definitely, he can be a long-term asset to the Super Eagles if the team continues to play well. What determines the performance of the players is the team too. If the team continues winning, he would continue to play a great game.”

 The former Shooting Stars midfielder further rejected the argument that Nigeria would have avoided defeat had Osimhen been available.

 According to Adepoju, the Super Eagles’ defensive errors highlighted the need for a collective improvement rather than focusing on the absence of the Galatasaray striker.

 “Osimhen is a striker. Probably if they play and there are no mistakes in the defence. But we conceded three goals, is it Osimhen that is going to come and defend? The team entirely has fault, not because somebody is not there.

 “If Osimhen is there and the team is not playing well, if he doesn’t get the passes, how is he going to score? I would rather think of the whole team entirely. If one person is missing, there are other players that are there to take up,” Adepoju concluded.

 The defeat leaves the Super Eagles second in Group L with three points, while Guinea-Bissau currently lead the group with six points.