Yakubu Ayegbeni on Portsmouth, the EPL, and the Nigerian National National Team

7 min read
Jun 10, 2024, 7:44 PM

Yakubu Ayegbeni on Portsmouth, the EPL, and the Nigerian National National Team

Yakubu Aiyegbeni of Portsmouth

Yakubu Aiyegbeni of Portsmouth (Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images)

In an exclusive interview with RG, Yakubu Ayegbeni spoke about his former club, Portsmouth, the state of the Premier League, and the Nigerian National Team.

After a 12-year wait, Portsmouth is finally back in the Championship, and the sun is shining for one of English football’s most historic clubs. It has been quite a journey, with two league titles and the Checkatrade Trophy to show for an exile that began in 2012 with relegation under Michael Appleton.

There have also been plenty of gutting lows during the long battle to return to the Championship – not just restricted to awful owners and High Court battles.

Ayegbeni's Impression of Portsmouth's Progress

Throughout it all, former striker Ayegbeni — who played for Portsmouth between 2003 and 2005 — says he has been keeping an eye on everything that has been happening, from sacking people who cared about the club and court issues, to the club's financial problems.

Ayegbeni is happy to see that the club seems to be on the right track after all of its struggles.

“Honestly I’m just glad they are back and they need to get back to the Premier League too, but one step at a time. It's nice to see them back, to be honest, it's a relief because that was my first club in England so you can never forget them. I have been following them and checking results on my phone, so I was so happy they made it up."

Most of all, the former striker is delighted for a fanbase that has been through more than a decade of difficult times. 

"It's great for the club and for the city. You just have to step foot there and you will know how much they love the club and the city, so it's a massive deal for a club of that standing. At Portsmouth, they don’t just support, they love.

When Ayegbeni sees Portsmouth heading in the right direction it brings him back to his time with the club, when it was thriving.

"I remember when I joined them from Maccabi Haifa, they were in the Championship, and we played so well and got promoted to the Premier League. So now that is the next step.”

The Premier League is Changing

While the Premier League is a very different place now compared to when Ayegbeni was playing for Middlesbrough, Everton, and Leicester, but he admits football basics are still the same — and the passion of the fans remains unchanged.

“[It] has changed so much with so much money, and that is why some of the traditional teams are suffering, but that is the game. The generation before mine would have said the same thing – that the game had changed during our time. But it's more about development with the kids, better pitches, better TV deals for the club, and more money for the players.

While there are clear difference between the EPL now and the time when Ayegbeni was filling the net across England between 2003-04 and 2011-12, there are still some common threads.

“The game has been the same: pure passion and a lot of hard work always takes players far. To succeed in the Premier League, you will need that. That has never changed, and I don't think it will ever change.”

Ayegbeni's Hopes For the Nigeria National Team

Ayegbeni played 58 times for Nigeria, scoring 21 goals. These days he just sits and observes what's happening back home, but was more than happy to send his well wishes to former teammate Finidi George, who is now the manager of the Super Eagles.

He admits that coaching Nigeria is no walk in the park — and his former teammate will need plenty of luck to succeed in his new role. 

His success as a player could help him thrive, though.

“Listen, it's not easy coaching the Nigerian National Team, and that is the first thing you must know. I like George because he was an unbelievable player. When I came to play with him, he and the likes of Jay-Jay (Okocha) were my seniors, but they were unbelievable. Great guys and proper Super Eagles, as we used to call them."

Ayegbeni is pleased that the ‘proper’ Super Eagle he played alongside is leading his nation's squad.

"So being a Nigerian, I’m happy he got the role. He has other coaching roles on the side, so it tells you he’s into football. I saw their game against South Africa, and I thought they were a bit unlucky, but he’s a great guy, and I want to send him my best wishes and hope he succeeds because if he does well, we will see the real Super Eagles. Let's pray for him to succeed.”

Nigeria reached the final of the AFCON last year, but lost to the host nation, Côte d’Ivoire. 

They are looking to make up for that defeat by qualifying for the World Cup in the United States and Canada in two years' time.

<p>Nick has been fascinated with sports since he was first taken to a Toronto Maple Leafs game back in 1998, and he's written about them professionally since 2014.</p><p>Nick has covered baseball and hockey for outlets like The Athletic, Sportsnet, and Yahoo Sports, and his sports betting expertise has grown since its legalization in Ontario in 2022.&nbsp;</p><p>Between 2022 and 2023 he worked for a betting startup called NorthStar Bets, and in 2024 he contributed to Oddspedia before joining the RG team.</p>
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