tbaba1234:


Elderson went to Belgium's division 2 in January and has only appeared twice.. He could not play in Turkey and can not play in Belgium lower tiers... I do not see the justification for his inclusion.

You took those words out of my mouth bro. Exhiejile does not even deserve to be in that team any longer.

Omo, listen, my papa warned me never to fish in another man's pond. That always brings a lot of trouble

It might do you good to heed that warning, pal


O pari

TheSuperNerd:



I'm okay... I'm okay... Paid Safarigirl a visit today... I am just enjoying the lemonade she made me... Hey Icon79... I just paid a visit aiit.... Just hold your fire.

Hope the family is good on the other side... My greetings to all Egbon....


You are next on my itinerary oooo.....

my 3-4-3 formation


........................................Aiyenugba........



...................Omeruo................Troost.................Leon..........


............Tyronne...........Ndidi..........Onazi................Joel


...................................Mikel Obi..............


..................Victor.............................Ighalo..........



4-4-2 Diamond



................................................Aiyenugba


..........Aina...........Troost............Balogun..................Brian...


...........................................Ndidi......................



......................Onazi...........................................Joel


...........................................Mikel....


......................Victor.................................Ighalo....





4-4-1-1



.............................................Aiyenugba............


.........Aina.................Troost................Leon.............Brian........



..............................Ndidi............Onazi................


...............Victor.............................................Simon...


........................................Mikel...


.......................................Ighalo




4-4-2



.................................Aiyenugba.........


........Aina............Troost............Leon...............Brian......


.......Victor..............Mike..............Onazi...........Simon


.....................Iheancho.....................Ighalo......



4-2-3-1 Formation


....................................Aiyenugba......


.....Aina.................Troost.........Leon..........Brian.......


.......................Ndidi...................Onazi.....


..............Victor..............MIkel...........Simon.......


................................Ighalo...............

maidaboi:
even if its one goal its not bad for an up coming striker
hahahahaha

Really?

edi287:

Actually I have. And sorry, I didn't see anything that suggested his dribbling was anywhere close to Mahrez style.
Biggest lie I've heard on here

If you have truely watched his U-17 games and still do not believe he is a good dribbler then theres nothing I can say to change your mind.

One thing with #Messi is that he ain't fighting for personal awards any more. That's what makes him very special. He just gave up another sure chance to score when he gave up a penalty for Coutinho. He cares more about making his team mates better and winning team honors.


O pari

TheSuperNerd:



Sir Eterisan... Come on mehn... I get on just fine now with Egbon Forgiveness... Come on Forgiveness... Tell him... Maybe we aren't at best of pals level yet but hey... We are good right? Come on tell this gentleman... Seems he has been missing the action due to some time in the G.R.A. cave..

Meanwhile Salah made 31 goals... And I pray he keeps it up because I want him to clinch both EPL golden Boot ahead of Kane (that dude is still dangerous... Can rake in a hattrick if he can...) And the European Golden Boot ahead of that Alien called Messi (Sorry Icon79)...

Humility017:

this guy should just remain in Russia...
no need returning to Leicester..

I searched and searched for this highlight on YouTube but couldn't find anything close.

Loogan:

If you have truely watched his U-17 games and still do not believe he is a good dribbler then theres nothing I can say to change your mind.

I've watched all the U17 highlights on YouTube. I don't see Mahrez like jinking dribbles for him.
Guess we can agree to disagree

KPOM! Truer words have never been spoken. If you think about it holistically, you'd agree with me that it's Cristiano Ronaldo who destroyed the game and the way people look at the game. Before Cristiano, people honor artistry and holistic approach to the game: the zinadine Zidanes, the Ronaldinhos, the Kakas of this world. But once Cristiano enters the picture, with his bunch of praise singers in the media etc., the way people look at the game changed: it becomes all about goal scorings (a vast majority of which are often penalties and tap ins).


O pari

Mujtahida:

Socrates, the Brazilian football wizard cum medical Doctor said "Beauty comes first. Victory is secondary. What matters is joy.”

That's why I loved Ronaldinho. He was a throbbing exhilarating dynamo of joy, passion and sublime skill rolled into one.

Today it is power, pace and passing that matters.

Once Messi retires, the door to the era of football as an art form will firmly be bolted.

.

Truidstar:


My advice to you is please before you respond to any comment on this thread PLEASE PUT YOUR BRAIN IN GEAR FIRST. What I expected you to ask me is which period I was referring to. I was referring to the 2004-2010 period when the Essiens, Drogbas, Toures, Muntaris and Keitas reigned. Can you please remind me in case I have forgotten between 1996-2002 the creme dey LA creme players you are referring to.

Sounds like some brand of Ice cream LOL

lexyman:


pace ,power and tactics {park the bus and tikitaka)

This is the best way to describe it.

Respect level +10! That's an exceptionally mature post by you, Safari. Kudos, my dear sista!!

Personally, I don't think that you've done anything to apologize for, but I am glad you did anyway. It makes you a bigger person.


O pari

safarigirl:
I've had a lot of thinking time today and realised that I have erred a lot recently.

Without going into any unnecessary explanation, I would like to send an unreserved apology to andrew44 for my harsh words to him, I'm very sorry about the way everything escalated. Sorry for insulting your person, I allowed my ange get the best of me and I'm sorry.


I also want to apologise to sir komekn once again, for reading your intentions wrong. We don't always see eye to eye, so I may have read your posts with a biased eye. I sincerely apologise for that and j promise that it will never happen again.


I also want to apologise to this thread and its members for all the drama this week. I was responsible for derailing this thread and failing to respect the opinions of some members. So, I apologise to everyone.

As much as I can, I will refrain from getting into any confrontations on this thread henceforth.

MetalJigsaw:
So we will be heading to Russia with only one Attacking midfielder. Its a pity

Only one?

Iwobi, Iheanacho and Etebo can all play that position.

Icon4s:


Only one?

Iwobi, Iheanacho and Etebo can all play that position.

remove etebo abeg.

maidaboi:
Not afraid of iwobi future because i have seen what he can do at his best

A nomenclature to call it? I formed "Iwobi's Woes" !!!

Etebor and Iheanacho can't play the attacking midfield role. Even Iwobi dey misbehave for dat role.


Why do we want a makeshift player in the team just to accommodate dem when some players are performing wonders consistently in that particular role in Europe for Donkey years?

It is not as if the aforementioned players have not been tested in that particular AMF role, they have but in most cases fumbled big time.

tbaba1234:
Nwakaeme ends his drought with a brace


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf8-H6msoiU

Hmmm... Bring him back?

Icon79:
Respect level +10! That's an exceptionally mature post by you, Safari. Kudos, my dear sista!!

Personally, I don't think that you've done anything to apologize for, but I am glad you did anyway. It makes you a bigger person.


O pari

realistic list i agree the only two spots available to be fought for baring injuries (God willing) are goalkeeper akpeyi/ajiboye/ayeinugba? ola/elderson.

ola aina yes his form this season has been hot and cold but i would rather take him because 1. he is young and will likely improve 2. he has some offensive weapons (his crosses) which might be useful. echejiele of four years ago was ok defensively plus was playing regularly for decent european clubsides now he has really regressed badly. inability to pick a starting shirt in belgium division 2 side says it all. if in 2014 when elderson was better we coped we will definitely not miss him now in 2018 that he is poorer

Icon4s:
The 23 players that are Most likely to make the final squad to the WC.

Believe it or not drawing this list is not as easy as it might seem.

Rohr can invite any 35 players from any where but baring any late withdrawals due to injuries, this is my predicted 23 players that will make the final list:

Goalkeepers
1. Francis Uzoho
2. Ikechukwu Ezenwa
3. Daniel Akpeyi

Defenders
4. William Troost-Ekong
5. Leon Balogun
6. Kenneth Omeruo
7. Chidozie Awaziem
8. Shehu Abdulahi
9. Tyrone Ebuehi
10. Brian Idowu
11. Elderson Echiejile

Midfielders
12. Wilfred Ndidi
13. Joel Obi
14. John Ogu
15. Mikel Obi
16. Oghenekaro Etebo
17. Ogenyi Onazi

Forwards
18. Alex Iwobi
19. Victor Moses
20. Moses Simon
21. Ahmed Musa
22. Kelechi Iheanacho
23. Odion Ighalo

Two players that have out-side chances but they will have to displace two players from the list above:

Dele Aiyenugba for Daniel Akpeyi (Dele likely to become first choice if Rohr does the needful)

Olaoluwa Aina for Elderson Echiejile (I feel for Aina but Echiejile's experience is a major advantage for him) Except we are going with 9 defenders but who will drop from the midfield or forwards. Besides, what are we doing with 3LBs in the WC?


So Chief Kog45 there you have it. You now understand why I would rather invite 25 and drop 2.

forgiveness:
my 3-4-3 formation


........................................Aiyenugba........



...................Omeruo................Troost.................Leon..........


............Tyronne...........Ndidi..........Onazi................Joel


...................................Mikel Obi..............


..................Victor.............................Ighalo..........



4-4-2 Diamond



................................................Aiyenugba


..........Aina...........Troost............Balogun..................Brian...


...........................................Ndidi......................



......................Onazi...........................................Joel


...........................................Mikel....


......................Victor.................................Ighalo....





4-4-1-1



.............................................Aiyenugba............


.........Aina.................Troost................Leon.............Brian........



..............................Ndidi............Onazi................


...............Victor.............................................Simon...


........................................Mikel...


.......................................Ighalo




4-4-2



.................................Aiyenugba.........


........Aina............Troost............Leon...............Brian......


.......Victor..............Mike..............Onazi...........Simon


.....................Iheancho.....................Ighalo......



4-2-3-1 Formation


....................................Aiyenugba......


.....Aina.................Troost.........Leon..........Brian.......


.......................Ndidi...................Onazi.....


..............Victor..............MIkel...........Simon.......


................................Ighalo...............

Your formations are okay but are you sure aiyenugba will be called up ? If so I am happy

I think it will not be bad to pair omeruo and balogun also thou Ekong has been relegated to the bench at his club but the league is almost over,will that affect his starting place in the eagles ?

MetalJigsaw:
I searched and searched for this highlight on YouTube but couldn't find anything close.

please scrol back....I think tlaba and some other persons already shared the clips here...

Humility017:

how many free kicks has Moses scored for Nigeria....?
I can bet had Moses Simon or nancho being privileged to play some of those free kicks he keeps missing...it would have been well converted..
it took nancho just one free kick to make a statement in the match against Argentina I doubt if Victor Moses could score that.

before you saw iheanacho score the free-kick against Argentina, have you ever seen him score free-kicks, this guys train and the coaches ain't fools, Moses is not the free-kick taker because his moses...Think

chrisooblog:
realistic list i agree the only two spots available to be fought for baring injuries (God willing) are goalkeeper akpeyi/ajiboye/ayeinugba? ola/elderson.

ola aina yes his form this season has been hot and cold but i would rather take him because 1. he is young and will likely improve 2. he has some offensive weapons (his crosses) which might be useful. echejiele of four years ago was ok defensively plus was playing regularly for decent european clubsides now he has really regressed badly. inability to pick a starting shirt in belgium division 2 side says it all. if in 2014 when elderson was better we coped we will definitely not miss him now in 2018 that he is poorer

Aside some untouchables, he will make camp and if he impresses, might pull a shocker. Even the now injured Obagoal, of invited to camp, would impress and also pull a shocker. So asides that, everything else, seems okay to me, save this issue of goalkeeping. I hope we are also prepping for bad officiating that trail most African sides going to the mundial?

asha80:
remove etebo abeg.

Haha, he may not be the best alternative but he is an alternative all the same.

Iwobi can play that role and Iheanacho can also play behind the striker in what looks like a 4-4-1-1 formation.

kennysville:





At this rate, we need to set aside sentiments and allow whoever has better accuracy to take them free kicks and penalties. If I had to choose between KC and VicMo, I would choose KC and thats because he is business minded. Moses is a lil heady and tends to get away with some wayward plays just because he makes Chelsea tick. I think Icons4s was right that we dont utilize our set pieces well. Of what use are set pieces when we dont convert?

Please note guys.... I am not a VicMo hater. I just hate the fact that he gets caught in his own world. He needs to start playing with the team and for the team. I sincerely hope and pray he works on this aspect cos Naija peeps arent so forgiving. You dont believe me? ASK YAKUBU! That Yak miss was all that was needed for Naija to be ousted from 2010 world cup.

if you really put all sentiment out then you should know that dude is our best player, without his goals and assist we wont be in the worldcup.

Moses is always tracking back and putting his all for the team, you guys claim his selfish, yes sometimes you need those kinda player to unlock some defense ask hazard and neymar.

For the free-kick and corner, you all can see he unselfishly allowed Ekong to take one against poland and sometimes we see iheanacho and Mikel doing the corners, you guys fail to realise that iheanacho is not a starter and can't have the duty for the team solely.

Kog45:
I think it's Rohr's fault if that's the situation cos we must have penalty,free kick and corners takers even headers when it comes to corner both in our box or opponent box.

Do not blame Moses but Rohr for not do the needful.

Exactly my thought.

andrew444:


Your formations are okay but are you sure aiyenugba will be called up ? If so I am happy

I think it will not be bad to pair omeruo and balogun also thou Ekong has been relegated to the bench at his club but the league is almost over,will that affect his starting place in the eagles ?

I am not sure but I don't expect to see Ezenwa, Akpeyi or Uzoho btw the sticks. I just think he's the better option for now.


Balogun and Troost-Ekong partnership is ok for now, and I think it is the best for now.

In this first instalment of Saturday Telegraph’s ‘My World Cup Experience Series,’ CHARLES OGUNDIYA caught up with former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu. He revealed his disappointment at missing out of two World Cup competitions and finally making it to the 2002 Mundial as a player and later in 2014 as a coach. Excerpts…



How does it feel missing out of two World Cup competitions in 1994 and 1998?
With regard to the first one, I didn’t feel bad, because as the youngest among all the goalkeepers in the team, there was Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu and the late Wilfred Agbonavbare, the coach of the team, Clemens Westerhof, called and told me that since this was the first ever World Cup that the country would be attending, he needed experience. I expressed my appreciation to him because personally I knew it was not going to be easy to compete with all these great goalkeepers I just mentioned, so I wished the team all the best. In 1998, everyone believed I was going to be the Number One for the country going to France, but a month to the tournament, I got injured. When I got to the hospital, I asked the doctor, ‘what’s the situation of my hand.’ He just said; ‘Ike, forget about the World Cup.’ I was so devastated, especially after looking forward to it, but I took it as my destiny.
The following morning, I saw my wife by my side, consoling me that I should not be thinking of the World Cup and I made her believe that I am not going to think about it, but seriously, that’s the Mecca of football which all good footballers would to give anything to be part of. However I consoled myself that age was still on my side and that if God really wanted me to be at the World Cup, I would make the next one. Great players like George Weah and Abedi Pele never featured at the World Cup, and they still feel it till today as one of the things they missed during their illustrious careers. In 2002, I was opportune to appear for my country in Korea/Japan, it was finally a dream come true for me. I want to use this opportunity to appreciate my family, my fans and the journalists who believed in me.

Do you think if you had made the team to 1998, Nigeria would have performed better?
I don’t want to go back. The destiny has been made and I believe whatever happens to a man has been destined. A lot of people have expressed similar sentiment, that if I was there it would have been better, but I believe if I was there, it might have be worse and at the same time it might have been better. Who knows? Maybe the God I serve didn’t want me to be at France 1998. Maybe if I was there, I might not have got to the level I did in football. I will just say I was never meant to be at that World Cup.

There were issues leading to the 2002 World Cup with some of your colleagues that were at the 2002 AFCON in Mali excluded from the Mundial in Japan/Korea; could you recall what really happened?
I was injured in the game against Ghana and was rushed to the hospital during the course of the game but thank God I was revived, and later returned to the team’s hotel in the night. People expected the minister of sports, late Ishaya Mark Aku, to visit me and ascertain the extent of the injury, but he didn’t come. On the third day after the incident, my first training with the team, it was a day before the semifinal game against Senegal, the minister came to the field and tried to address the team after the training.

It was then that Sunday Oliseh stood up and told him that the team members were not happy with the way he treated their injured goalkeeper, that was me. Oliseh stated that if it was the minister’s son, would he not check him at the hospital or probably at the hotel for more than two days. That was all he said. But the minister and the FA members around were asking why Oliseh was talking to the minister like that.
When we lost in the semis, we played the third place match and got a bronze medal. But after the tournament, a lot of things came up- people saying the players were disrespectful, mafia in the team and so many negative things; so the team was disbanded. I had still not fully recovered due to the injury, I was still having severe headache, so I decided to go back to Switzerland for proper treatment.

So how did you receive your invitation to Korea/Japan or was it that you love Chief Adegboye Onigbinde so much?
I was in the hospital for two weeks. Nobody called or informed me of anything until around April when I started playing again, and somebody called me from Nigeria that Chief Adegboye Onigbinde said players that wanted to be part of the team to the World Cup among those who went to Mali must call him, that means such person is ready to work with him. I didn’t do anything about it, but my guys in the team, Oliseh and Finidi George also called me, they said; ‘Ike, you know you already missed out of two World Cup finals, and this is another opportunity for you, so it is better for you to call this man, so you can be part of the team.’ I quickly asked them why they were not calling him, they said they were not calling him, if he needed their service, he should call them and not the other way round.

An hour after, another person called me, a senior person in the media, Ade Somefun, he persuaded me to call Chief Onigbinde, saying after so many sacrifices, it’s time for me to go to the World Cup, that I should not be stubborn. So, I called chief and after introducing myself and exchange of pleasantries, he asked if I wanted to play for him and I said who am I not to play for my country? That was how that part was concluded. Two weeks later, I called my colleagues, and tried to make them see reason to reconsider their decision, but they said they were not coming. That was how I came into the team.
How did it feel joining the team without many of your colleagues?
Initially, when I came for holiday around May 2002, I was told the team already left for Ireland for camping before moving to London and later to Korea. However I met Chief Onigbinde at Sheraton; he asked me questions and I told him I heard the team already left for Ireland a day before, but I that couldn’t just travel to Ireland as I had to get some things done in Nigeria. He told me I should not worry, that they would be waiting for me. The next day, I flew to Ireland to meet up with the team, I got to the hotel immediately they were coming back from training; one of the coaches said that I was not going to be part of the team, that I came just for the sake of showing up.

The coach said ‘we go drop am,’ but I am not going to mention his name. It was actually one of the players that told me and I said as long as he is not God, he could not decide my fate. They were actually thinking that in the friendly match against Ireland, perhaps I would not play well and they would use that excuse to drop me.

But thank God, on the night after the game when the coach was addressing the team he announced that the only person guaranteed of World Cup slot among the players that featured in the friendly game was me, because of my performance that night. The next day we flew to London to play against Jamaica; I was named the captain and after first half, Chief Onigbinde said it was enough for me, that I should go and rest. That was it.
Do you think if the full squad that went to Mali were in Korea, it would have been a different outcome entirely?
Believe me, then we had a very solid team with a lot of love among us. If not for the injury I sustained against Ghana, I believe we would have won the game. Two players, Austin Okocha and Finidi, came to my room and warned me not to play the game against Senegal, but I forced myself to play because there was a lot of pressure from home on the coaches that I must play the

game. But truth is, if we had used the same team that played in Mali, I believe we would have gone far in Korea/Japan, but that’s the way God and the people in power wanted it – dropping experienced players for some new and young players.

How disappointed are you with the outcome at the Mundial?
There was nothing I could do at the end of the day; the government wanted it that way and nobody can fight the government and win. So, we managed what we had, but I believe we have learnt a lot of lessons. Whenever you want to punish someone, it’s best you do that immediately after a tournament and let everything end there. If the team goes far, the federation gains, same applies to the country. We continue to learn at every tournament; just like what happened to the team in 2014, we learnt something too.

There was this rumour that Nigeria would have defeated France in 2014 if not for the fact that the players were sharing money all through the night; how true is this?
I will not say the team lost because they were sharing money till late in the night on the eve of the game against France. Our elimination from that competition was due of lack of love. There was a lot of argument among the big boys in the team – (Joseph) Yobo, Mikel (Obi), Osaze (Odemwingie) and also Vincent (Enyeama). Besides, each of these players had some young players who were loyal to them; there were different caucuses.
The truth is, when big players start having problems among themselves in a team, and you don’t solve it immediately, it’s going to cause problem for the team. The game was a reflection of what happened outside, we felt it with the coaches too. Actually before the tournament proper, we, the coaches, had a meeting and we let Stephen Keshi know the problems in the team. We told him that if some players were at the Mundial, they would constitute a lot of problems to the team. Although he made us believe he had heard us, he didn’t follow our advice. He is late now, but he would have come out to say that we actually warned him.

The day Osaze and Mikel fought, it was in a meeting with the coaches, players and some of the medical team. Something happened between them and they almost exchanged blows, some people had to come in between them to separate them. The meeting ended immediately and when we (coaches) got to his room that night, he (keshi) told us that he should have listened to us. But there was nothing we could do then. It is an experience and we are supposed to learn from it.

https://newtelegraphonline.com/2018/04/when-the-doctor-told-me-to-forget-france-98-my-world-crashed-shorunmu/


hi interesting interview sorry it's a long read but i found the last few paragraphs eye opening

Humility017:

just take a look at his lame analysis...that when the set piece is on the right...Moses should take the set piece as if Moses has ever scored any set piece

I asked you a question which you didn't answer, prior to iheanacho free-kick against Argentina, have you seen him score free-kick before

You think Rohr assign free kick duties to Moses because he likes his face or because he plays for Chelsea, I gave hou two reason why iheanacho cant take the responsibility of our freekicks and penalty, because his not a sure starter in he team.

If Rohr is biased and favouring Moses then he should have even added the captain band to him in Mikel absence.

SerVik:

I think Moses scored a FK in the Afcon qualifier against Cameroon that was ruled out as off even though mikel(the player that was off) didn't touch the ball.

True

Humility017:

we're not talking of disallowed goal...

bro...that dude has never scored any free kick for the super eagles....despite the numerous dead balls he has been taking

I see you are wiser than Rohr, go ahead and stop him from taking the freekicks

SerVik:

I think Moses scored a FK in the Afcon qualifier against Cameroon that was ruled out as off even though mikel(the player that was off) didn't touch the ball.

You're right. But I think Nacho us still the better taker.