TheSuperNerd:
Oga.... it is on record that we beat those nations while they carried such pedigree into Atlanta.

It was the exact same squad composition but An U-23 Side is as close as it gets to a senior side. It's the senior side's younger squad.

At Atlanta 96, Brazil had Ronaldo (World player of the year 1996), Rivaldo, Bebeto, Dida, Roberto Carlos... etc... Na wa ooo

Argentina had Crespo, Claudio Lopez, Ortega, etc..... come on!

It is on record we beat the reigning world champs and 93 copa winners.... take it or leave it..

Even most of that Brazil squad went on to win the copa in 1997 and 1999.

That same Brazil squad (several of them) played France 98 too.


..............

And Nigeria's crash in the round of 16 was a shock because we lost to a side that couldn't even beat the South Africans in the group stage.

We were favorites going into that match against Denmark because of our reputation as Olympics champs and the composition of our squad still littered with the golden generation.

But... and a big but... Tournament-wise, we were still underdogs... or better still, Dark horses.

We were underdogs even against Spain boasting a side that had UEFA champions league winners from Real Madrid's UCL winning side (Morientes, Raul Gonzalez, Fernando Hierro).

So yes, at France 98, we were largely underdogs. Dark horses, even, just to make it mild.

Mickael2:


ehm

you cannot possibly replace Klose, it's not possible and yes, they have an issue there, they had to play Gotze who garbage to me as a false9, but nonetheless I expect them to produce another top striker soon.

II guess you haven't heard of Morata recently. I know he is still raw and not super talented like Villa but if he moves to a club will he be starting regularly then he could be better, well probably not but he will become better.

And when you talk about Spain, they are the future powerhouse personified. Degea is going to be their first choice for the next 13-15 years non-stop. Alba is still young, carvajal too, then you have Bellerin. Inshort, their fullbacks are certain to be top qualities for the next decade or 2. I can't really name any of their CBs now but I expect them to produce one, it's not such a tough position. Then I don't really think that I have to say anything about their midfield. Then they also have Asensio, Mayoral, Mariano and a host of other top talents in Barca and Madrid's academies.


Then Germany, apart from Kroos, Neuer and Hummels, all their players are below 27, and they have Andre TerStegen too

Mickael2:


ehm

you cannot possibly replace Klose, it's not possible and yes, they have an issue there, they had to play Gotze who is garbage to me as a false9, but nonetheless I expect them to produce another top striker soon.

II guess you haven't heard of Morata recently. I know he is still raw and not super talented like Villa but if he moves to a club will he be starting regularly then he could be better, well probably not but he will become better.

And when you talk about Spain, they are the future powerhouse personified. Degea is going to be their first choice for the next 13-15 years non-stop. Alba is still young, carvajal too, then you have Bellerin. Inshort, their fullbacks are certain to be top qualities for the next decade or 2. I can't really name any of their CBs now but I expect them to produce one, it's not such a tough position. Then I don't really think that I have to say anything about their midfield. Then they also have Asensio, Mayoral, Mariano and a host of other top talents in Barca and Madrid's academies.


Then Germany, apart from Kroos, Neuer and Hummels, all their players are below 27, and they have Andre TerStegen too

chrisooblog:
hmm supernerd i think i'm tempted to agree with mikael.

for one those nations have world class systems, structures and leagues that will always bring out the best in whichever players they churn out. you might argue that countries like brazil and argentina have above average leagues with just there infrastructure but they have systems that will always produce decent players and coaches.

nigeria on the other hand though we might produce talented players doesn't have the system comparable to the above mentioned countries to bring out the best in our players. so unless something drastic happens in the way our sports administration is being run (which to be honest i don't see happening anytime soon) nigeria will continue to struggle to make headway international but on the continent we will do well since we will be facing african countries with similar problems like us

Mickael2:



I will name them later but let me address the other things you said.

We did not beat the World Champions Brazil, neither did we beat the Copa America champs, we beat their U23 side, there is a huge difference there. Romario was not in the team that we beat was he? Yet he was Brazil's best player.

We were not tagged as underdogs in the 98 tourney by any means. Infact, the World was shocked that we lost out in the Round of 16, everyone expected us to beat Denmark who were not just any weak team too. So that 98 team was in no way considered the underdogs, but you do understand that they were considered outsiders for the title infact!

Mickael2:


ehm

you cannot possibly replace Klose, it's not possible and yes, they have an issue there, they had to play Gotze who is garbage to me as a false9, but nonetheless I expect them to produce another top striker soon.

II guess you haven't heard of Morata recently. I know he is still raw and not super talented like Villa but if he moves to a club will he be starting regularly then he could be better, well probably not but he will become better.

And when you talk about Spain, they are the future powerhouse personified. Degea is going to be their first choice for the next 13-15 years non-stop. Alba is still young, carvajal too, then you have Bellerin. Inshort, their fullbacks are certain to be top qualities for the next decade or 2. I can't really name any of their CBs now but I expect them to produce one, it's not such a tough position. Then I don't really think that I have to say anything about their midfield. Then they also have Asensio, Mayoral, Mariano and a host of other top talents in Barca and Madrid's academies.


Then Germany, apart from Kroos, Neuer and Hummels, all their players are below 27, and they have Andre TerStegen too

safarigirl:
I'm reading speculations that Iheanacho wants to drop the Olympic team for pre-season with City.

Don't know how true it is (reports emerged today), but, what do you guys make of the decision if true?

Personally, I see nothing wrong with it. He has a greater assurance playing during pre-seasons and getting acquainted with his new coach than he does playing for Nigeria. Siasia may just pull the same trick Manu did in U20, and Kelechi's sacrifice will be all for nought

TheGoodJoe:



We have better young talents than Spain at the moment. When you talk of the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Isco, Morata, Sarabia, Carvajal, Deuleofeu, Koke etc, they are the set before our golden generation. That is not the same set of our current team.

This is their time now but our team comes after them. Most still U20. Our Present U21 team, if well selected would rout the current Spanish U21.

By the way mark the Spanish Brahim Diaz. One of Man City's Etihad Campus Product. Beast of a player, plays for the U18 of Spain.

TheGoodJoe:


By 1996, Ronaldo De Lima was already better than Romario. He was Supported by Bebeto. Rivaldo was already a rising phenomenon. Roberto Carlos was on his way to the top three players in the World.

Flavio Conceicao joined Real from there. Juninho was one of the best players in the EPL.

That Brazil team we beat was a beast of a team. I still watch that game trying to understand how we won.

We had a bright talented squad but their belief in themselves pushed then against Monster opponents. The Argentine team in the final was also a beast team.

Mickael2:
Chrisooblog understands my point perfectly well.

We may have the talent now but check this out, why is Enyeama not in a top club? I mean he is among the top 6 GKs in the world, but the thing is that all these top teams tend to include more of their nationals into their teams. Victor Moses would start ahead of Sterling if they both weren't playing for Liverpool, Omeruo would be a sure starter for Chealsea if he was an England player after his exploits at the World Cup.

So my position is this, we may have the talents now, but how do we develop without any youth system?! For a Nigerian to succeed he has to be super-talented not just talented, you are not going to make it in top league as a Nigerian except if you are so good that leaving you out would be a crime.

We have the talents now, but Germany, France, Spain and maybe Italy still have the leagues and the development systems. Check out England where the teams comprise more of foreign players than local one, that's why they are so poor. I heard that they are working on increasing the number of local talents in their team. So that's my point, racism still exists and it will hamper them all

Mickael2:



I am not really comparing which team is better, I just said that he should have made his point in a more apt manner. That's he could have said that we beat a brazilian team that later went on to win the 1997 Copa and got to the 1998 finals. Because saying we beat thesame Brazil that got to the 1994 world cup means we beat Romario and the other players there hence my point

Mickael2:



Wait, are you serious? Am I mistaking or isn't it Spain that just won the European U21 and U19 titles?

Our U21 won't even come close to Spain's own, not because they are more talented but because they are more tactical. Most of them are already starters for teir clubsides, apart from a handful, most of our U21s are bench pieces. So we won't even get a draw against them

TheGoodJoe:


Tah. We will flog them. Which kind of not come close. Our fire power up front is crazy.

Our forward line of
Success - Osimhen - Iheanacho
Is a monster of goals.
Iwobi behind them is just dangerous.
Ndidi and Popoola is monster.

We will flog them.

-------------------Osimhen(CF)-------------------
Success(SS) ------------------------Iheanacho(SS)
-----------------------Iwobi(AMF)------------------------
-----------Ndidi(DMF)-------------Popoola(CMF)

TheGoodJoe:


Your point is very clear. As for England, they have themselves to blame. As long as they keep seeing foreign talents as their obstacle, they will continue performing poorly.

Throw out all these home grown rules and let their best talents struggle to make it.

Sterling is not worth £50 Million their home grown rules make him worth more than he really is.

Same goes to their teams. Their players are overhyped and grow into clubs they do not merit.

Competition is a key part of development and English players grow with little competition.

Mickael2:



which club does Oshimen play for again? Have you seen Success? He tends to be selfish sometimes. A tactical team like that Spanish U19 will put two markers on him and he wiill fade out of the game. A tactical team that employs zonal marking will totally outwit this team. Don't forget that Bellerin will be playing and let's be honest, he is faster than Nacho, if they keep a highline, Nacho won't be able to get behind him. That's the tactics that am talking about, not that we do not have good players but they are more tactically astute

Mickael2:



I agree. That's why I love these other leagues. They create a certain balance between local players and foreign players. In most of the other leagues the highest paid players are always foreigners, but in England it is Rooney who let's be honest has lost it since. Yet the local talents develop better in these other leagues because of the competition the provide, although there is still a certain level of preference to their local talents, especially in their youth teams. In England, their youth teams are made of foreigners who they expect they steal at the international level, infact the English League system has become a joke recently

TheGoodJoe:


What I like about Spain is that, they are not producing a Messi or a CR7. Villa was just a miracle. Players like that hardly come out in Spain. They now their limit and they build their team to play to their strength. They are not individually strong, so they defend together.

They do not have the Hazard or Victor Moses to skip pass players. So they stay together and pass the ball neatly.

They know their weaknesses. Accept it and work on their strength. The might not win all the trophies but they win a lot with it.

England needs to change their philosophy of the game. Accept their weaknesses encourage competition and they will go.

Spain have been doing it right and they will keep performing. I see Nigeria growing in that way. Maigari started a good work maintaining continuity. I hope Pinnick continues.

Continuity is the Spanish strength.

TheGoodJoe:



You are making it look like if the Spanish team do not get defeated or they have not lost with their zonal marking.

You are also making it look like only starters can play well. If it was so, would a player, Nacho benching at City perform the way he did.

I will say it and say it again. Our U21 will thrash this Spanish U21 side.

Success might be selfish to you but at his young age, he is the best player in a La Liga side.

Iwobi is a starter for Arsenal. Iheanacho in his last two games for the Super Eagles was our best player.

Ndidi scored four goals as a defensive midfielder during the play offs. These are beast players.

Mickael2:



Wait, are you serious? Am I mistaking or isn't it Spain that just won the European U21 and U19 titles?

Our U21 won't even come close to Spain's own, not because they are more talented but because they are more tactical. Most of them are already starters for teir clubsides, apart from a handful, most of our U21s are bench pieces. So we won't even get a draw against them

Mickael2:



That's the problem. Pinnick hs been poor, let me not say he is poor but he has been poor. All we hear about are new problems, unpaid salaries, boycots, and all types of vices that you can imagine. I hope he picks up though, just that Dalung does not even know his own right and left

Mickael2:



I am not really comparing which team is better, I just said that he should have made his point in a more apt manner. That's he could have said that we beat a brazilian team that later went on to win the 1997 Copa and got to the 1998 finals. Because saying we beat thesame Brazil that got to the 1994 world cup means we beat Romario and the other players there hence my point

TheSuperNerd:

It was Sweden who won the last UEFA U-21 title by beating Renato Sanches and co of Portugal via penalties.... Not Spain.

safarigirl:
I'm reading speculations that Iheanacho wants to drop the Olympic team for pre-season with City.

Don't know how true it is (reports emerged today), but, what do you guys make of the decision if true?

Personally, I see nothing wrong with it. He has a greater assurance playing during pre-seasons and getting acquainted with his new coach than he does playing for Nigeria. Siasia may just pull the same trick Manu did in U20, and Kelechi's sacrifice will be all for nought

safarigirl:
I'm reading speculations that Iheanacho wants to drop the Olympic team for pre-season with City.

Don't know how true it is (reports emerged today), but, what do you guys make of the decision if true?

Personally, I see nothing wrong with it. He has a greater assurance playing during pre-seasons and getting acquainted with his new coach than he does playing for Nigeria. Siasia may just pull the same trick Manu did in U20, and Kelechi's sacrifice will be all for nought

TheSuperNerd:
The MuAzam I mentioned earlier scored a brace on his debut for Wikki Tourists against his hometown club, Kano Pillars in what was a fierce and bloody encounter.

Kano Pillars had 3 red cards. Wow!

MuAzam (Alhassan Ibrahim Abdullahi) is back in the groove!

So happy to have him back under the radar...

tbaba1234:


What happened with the Westerlo deal?