AIG07:

i agree wit U sir, I think we 're getting it right in term of grassroot football development in this nation. The bulk of players from this current team are from various football academies across d nation. Having gone tru d list of teams that qualified for this edition. I realised that countries like Spain n d English that boast a very good academy programmes are missing out-de've gotten it wrong somewhere... yet still d english believes that d high influx of foreigners in their leagues is affecting their national teams. Well, thats their own palaver. Thumbs up to our Academies. As Mikron do say 'Great talents abound in this country'-no doubt about that!
#FLY flyingEAGLES

terzurum5:
Has any one heard any thing about Isaac Success? I have been having sleepless nights over his issue, no news yet? Kai oooooo!

TheGoodJoe:
I talked of Nacho playing like a young Thierry Henry.

This is a Theirry Henry skills clip. Watch and notice the similar Jump Nacho made when he evaded the tackle of the Manchester defender.

Theirry Henry the most underrated King of Football.

IGWE.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxVjd7lcUp0

matthew41:
Iseac success actually survived relegation with his team Granada in the just concluded spanish laliga. He is expected to join the team...

terzurum5:

I also heard that one of the NFF officials forgot his Int'l Passport and so they were doubts surrounding his participation in the tournament proper. I just pray it's not true shaa.

Icon4s:


If that is true that official should b arrested and investigated. He could probably have done it so Awoniyi will nt have a competitor for a starting shirt.
But if he is innocent then Awoniyi's Babalawo is at work AGAIN.

joseph1013:
[b][size=14pt]Flying Eagles, the Perfect Team – Rafiu Ladipo Q&A[/size]



Dr Rafiu Ladipo, president general of the Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Union speaks to Goal about the state of Nigerian football, his thoughts on the way forward as well as plans to cheer on the national teams participating in events this summer

Goal: You have been on the side-line watching as events unfold in our football. Are you impressed with it?

Ladipo: For some time, our football is not what it used to be. Every football loving Nigerian has not been happy with the state of football in the country. When we played at the World Cup in 1994, with our performance, the Nigerian team was rated fifth best in the world but after that one, we participated in the 1998 edition – went out in the second round. By the year 2002, we did not go beyond the first round and since then, our achievements have been up and down. Even the last World Cup, we were bundled out of the second round. We were aiming for the quarter final, and maybe if we had achieved that the history would have been different. As it is now, we don’t even have a team and if you look at the Fifa ranking, we are number 46 which is a far distance from what we used to be. From fifth to 46th is very sad and for us as football lovers, and those who have followed all the national teams to every part of the world with our money and time even at the risk of our lives for over 54 years – some of us 30 years, we cannot but feel sad about our state of football.

Goal: You have painted a rather sad picture about the game, how do we bounce back to reckoning again?

Ladipo: From sadness, what do we want? We want a situation that can be better and the only way is for the Super Eagles coach to change. We won the African Cup of Nations in 2013 in South Africa and a year later, we could not qualify for the following edition not to talk of defending it. We want a Super Eagles that is better and will make us happy, and we can only get that if [Stephen Keshi] and his assistants would get players who are young, talented, committed and determined to write the country’s name in gold.

Goal: Talking about Keshi this time around, some have said he will only succeed if he’s not slipped by the banana peels that felled him in his first stint with the Super Eagles. What should be his priority?

Ladipo: We have players scattered all over the world, we have players in the Nigerian league and we can form a formidable team. No matter how good Stephen Keshi is, the truth is that he cannot do it all alone. He needs some hands that would help him discover these talents, work with him to develop them and make the players world beaters. Keshi was discovered while with New Nigeria and he started playing for Nigeria. Remember, he captained the country to win the Africa Cup of Nations as well as [qualify for] the first Fifa World Cup in the United States of America where we were adjudged to be the fifth best team in the World. As a coach, he also won the Afcon, so he should look at how he got there and use the same understanding to get us good players that would be nurtured to stardom. Don’t let me deceive you, we have these talents in the Nigeria U20 and U23 teams, all he needs to do is look into these teams, invite the good ones and let them form part of his team. His assistants too should also comb the Nigerian league and get good players and groom them to become stars.

Goal: I’m sure you are in the picture of the world football governing body’s fight against racism. What effort is your organisation taking to tame this monster?

Ladipo: For us, racism can be discarded from football. Ever since the Nigeria football and other sports supporters club was formed, that is what we have been preaching against. At the 1994 Fifa World Cup, our supporters’ club was adjudged to be the best all over the world. Not because of our singing and dancing, it was because we believed in the game and that we believe in a football match, there must be a winner and there must also be a loser. You may lose a game but you don’t lose your head. When you fight in the stadium because you don’t win, you must have lost your head and when you lose your head, no one will help you find it. So for us in the supporters club, we detest violence and we detest racism. I am also the president general of African Football and Other Sports Supporters Union and we have been meeting with all African countries to preach against racism and violence.

Goal: In a few weeks time, the Nigeria U20 and senior women national teams will be competing with the rest of the world to make the country proud. Have you any plans to cheer them to victory?

Ladipo: We are already trying to collect visas for our members in Canada and New Zealand. The Falcons will need our support and that is why we have submitted 300 applications in the embassy and I do believe that if our visas are granted, we will be in Canada to support the ladies. We are the champions of Africa and we need to prove that to the rest of the world. For the boys, I mean the Flying Eagles, that is a perfect team – a team we believe that could go to New Zealand and conquer the world, a team that have played several games and are yet to lose any – beating all comers including the senior teams in the Super Four. In Germany where they are preparing for the World Cup, they have been beating opponents silly. These are talents and we will definitely be there to support them[/b]

safarigirl:
plis, leave my Awoniyi out of this. God is on his side. After all, Success no be Benin boy? No be dem create juju?

AIG07:

you mean se na d same country wey no get professional national team to play us @d 2013 Confederation cup Don gather good u-20 team which fit beat d Argentines. Abeg if naija boys play as team dem go run riot at this tourney. #FLYflyingEAGLES

tbaba1234:


The tahiti senior team beat Argentina under20.

mikron:
even at that a good under 23 or 20 side can comfortably beat the Tahiti senior side I saw at d last Confederations cup. Our flying Eagles can wallop that Tahiti team anyday. Poor abicelest

gbosaa:



We have seen Henry loads of times, now where is Iheanacho's video that you are comparing it with?.

Any clips of his Southampton, Man united matches or the friendlies at Germany??

TheGoodJoe:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo68H4yoTRA&feature=youtu.be

You missed my point. In the Manchester City U21 vs Manchester United U21, the first goal Nacho scored, I pointed out his movement was like Thierry Henry, especially when he flicked the ball away from a defender and evaded a tackle by jumping over defender.

His second finish was also similar to a Henry finish.

P0intBlank:


U have a valid point but I think u exaggerated a bit. Only 4 of 23 players in Ghana's 2010 world cup team came from the 2009 U-20 winning team.

gbosaa:



Waooo, I'm impressed. The execution of the first goal was pure class: the turn-around and what he did to that Man U no.4, the dribble and jump and the calmness in slotting that ball into the far right of the keeper. I think, this is one of the best goals I've seen him score.

Thanks for posting this video. I hope these boys replicate their forms in New Zealand.

I still believe the boys to watch in Nigeria line up are the trio of Mathew, Ifeanyi and idowu. These three can string complex and complicated passes in very limited space making their opponents chase shadows.

joseph1013:
More pics...

Image 1: L-R: Wilfred Ndidi( Central defender/Left Back/Right Back), Mustapha Abdullahi (Left Back/WingBack), Mohammed Musa (Right Back/ WingBack)

Image 2: L-R: Kingsley Sokari (Attacking Midfielder/Central Midfielder/Deep-Lying Midfielder), Mustapha Abdullahi (Left Back/WingBack), Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Defensive Midfielder/Central Midfielder)

Image 3: L-R: Zaharadeen Bello (Central Defender, Right Back), Mustapha Abdullahi (Left Back/WingBack), Abdullahi Alfa (Defensive Midfielder/Central Midfielder/Creative Midfielder), Musa Yahaya (Left Winger/Attacking Midfielder)

Image 4: L-R: Chidera Ezeh (Right Winger/Attacking Midfielder). Taiwo Awoniyi (Central Forward), Chidiebere Nwakali(Defensive Midfielder/Central Midfielder/Central Defender)