'We attacked one another spiritually' – Lukman lifts the lid on what went wrong in South Africa 2010

Retired Nigeria international Lukman Haruna has opened up on the internal problems that plagued the Super Eagles during their disappointing 2010 Fifa World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Then on the books of AS Monaco, Haruna had been heralded as one of Nigeria's brightest prospects after winning the 2007 Fifa U17 World Cup and was tipped by many as a potential successor to Austin Jay-Jay Okocha. 

His strong performances in friendly matches against Saudi Arabia, Colombia and North Korea ahead of the tournament convinced then coach Lars Lagerbäck to include him in the squad.

With Nigeria unbeaten in their pre-tournament preparations, expectations were high. 

The Super Eagles boasted an array of stars including Vincent Enyeama, Taye Taiwo, Nwankwo Kanu, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Obafemi Martins, Peter Odemwingie and Victor Obinna. 

Yet, the campaign ended in disappointment as Nigeria crashed out in the group stage, finishing with just one point from three matches.

Speaking on The Abu Azeez Podcast, Haruna lifted the lid on what went wrong behind the scenes.

"A lot happened — the team was not in good spirits. At that time, we actually fought each other," he revealed.

"Spiritually, we were attacking one another, and physically, we were fighting.

"I can remember in London, before we flew to South Africa, there was an issue at the airport with some players. I won’t mention their names, but there was conflict and they started arguing.

"Some players were selfish; they didn’t want to pass the ball. They just wanted to take the glory alone.

"We lost two games, and even if we had won the match against South Korea, we still had only a slim chance to qualify.

"We could have advanced to the second round, but we drew that game and were knocked out."

Nigeria’s World Cup journey in 2010 ended with a 1-0 defeat to Argentina, a 2-1 loss to Greece and a 2-2 draw against South Korea, which confirmed their early exit.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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