weezweezweez:
abi. who even good pass modric among Nigeria midfielders ..... perisic and rakitic dey and co

there is no I in football. if the guys play as a team they will win the world cup. as long as mumu politicians nor go dey disturb them

Hmm... Super Eagle against messi and Iceland with no genuine goalkeeper

Pacesetter123:
U called it fair group?My bros,am much concern abt a certain Iceland having watched dem knocked out almighty England in Euro2016.She also qualified from Euro zone ahead of football heavyweight such as Italy n de rest.I pray we get pass preliminary stage.

Lol

I mentioned to some one Iceland nobe beans...the play like a Family

Phi001:
OP, how can you create the thread and be FTC ehn?


Let's see if we can win Iceland and force a draw with Argentina and Croatia, we'll be through as 2nd most likely.


We should be able to handle Iceland and Croatia is not so great a team. Argentina is the main worry.

we will scale trough on beating.

LordAdam16:


Seriously, every team in the group would fancy their chances qualifying out of it.

How will Argentina defend against Iceland's crosses.

How will they fair against Croatia's midfield.

They've only ever won us by a goal difference in recent World Cups.

Yes, they've got Messi, but he wouldn't be defending, would he?

Retain possession, choke the midfield, and take your chances (cos they'll come) and it's possible to get a good result against Argentina.

I really don't know what to expect of Iceland (the -sons) and Croatia (the -ics). They've got something to prove, and we may be the fodder they burn through.

-Lord

yeah. has he not play in some matches s for Argentina where they've lost. but Iceland defeated Croatia 1-0 in the qualifiers

Nigeria will be bundled out from the tournament. They won't qualify from that group

The way I see it, there is no group we could have found ourselves that pessimists would not have wailed about either our weakness or conspiracy by FIFA. Let's stop this third world thinking. No country is coming to the world cup to be walked over. If the world cup were predictable and easy, there would not be this level of excitement.

MaziOmenuko:


Hian! Which kind of conspiracy theory be that one? Why would fifa conspire against Nigeria? Are we dragging land with them? This is a transparent process, fifa ranking was used to separate the teams into different pots and the fifa ranking didn't start today. Fifa releases ranks monthly so why will they now manipulate our rank just so we can meet Argentina?

Na waoh

Lol

At first glance, two-time World Cup winners Argentina look to have been given a fairly friendly draw. In truth, however, there is quality throughout this group. Croatia may have needed to come through the European playoffs, but they were one of the best sides at Euro 2016. Nigeria have a handful of excellent attacking players and sailed through a tricky qualifying group. And Iceland, as we saw at Euro 2016, can shock anyone. If Argentina aren’t at their best, this could be a fascinating mess.
Argentina
It took for Lionel Messi to score three goals in the last qualifying match for Argentina to make it to the World Cup but now that they’re in the tournament, it’s hard not to look at them as one of the favorites. It’s confounding that a team with so many world class players finds a way to consistently struggle, even with Jorge Sampaoli who was supposed to finally balance the team but could lead the team to only one win out of four games.
But this is still a team with Messi, Mauro Icardi, Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria, Ever Banega, Javier Pastore, Angel Correa and Gonzalo Higuain, just not in the Final.
It’s do or die for this crop of Argentina players, and anything less than a win will be one more disappointment to add to a history of failures. Losing in three straight tournament Finals in the waning minutes and extra time has to have some lasting psychological effect on the players, but they will have to overcome that to fulfill the potential that everyone knows they have.
Key player: Lionel Messi
The best player of our generation and arguably the best player to ever play the game, and this will probably be his last chance to win the World Cup. It has to be his best performance. Even though Argentina is full of great players, they are entirely dependent on his ability. Whatever success they will have will have to come by his left foot.
Iceland
Before now, Iceland have never made the World Cup. They’re the smallest country ever to qualify for it. They only even made their first European Championship tournament in 2016 and made it all the way to the quarterfinals before going out. They’re a fun team that plays fascinating football, and they proved with a dominating qualifying run in a tricky group that their 2016 run was no fluke. Now they’re ready to take an even bigger step forward as a national team.
Iceland play a tactical brand of football, but where that kind of phrase is usually associated with dire, overly defensive game plans, Iceland’s approach is anything but. They run well-coordinated patterns of movement for both their passing attack and defensive setups that often seem to leave opponents mystified, and they do it with incredible consistency.
They’re not the most outright talented team in the World Cup by a long ways, but they’ve got a lot of underrated players who play way above their level as a unit, and that’s always a good recipe for a surprise result or three in a big tournament.
Key player: Gylfi Sigurðsson
Sigurðsson hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons with Everton so far — no Everton players have, to be honest — but his lethal skill on set pieces and ability to create magic from open play still leaves him as the most crucial part of Iceland’s squad. He’s their best playmaker by far and the top goalscorer in the squad, and no matter what they do to approach a given match, he’s going to be at the heart of it.
Croatia
In a world where football results were awarded for style, Croatia might just be going into the 2018 World Cup as the reigning European champions. Their 2-1 victory over Spain at Euro 2016 was the performance of the tournament and raised the very real possibility that this generation of players might go further than the great generation of the mid-’90s. Then they ran into Portugal and got smothered.
Qualification for Russia started well, then nosedived. Coach Ante Čačić was sacked following losses to Iceland and Turkey and a draw with Finland, and Zlatko Dalić took over with just one game left, a winner-takes-the-playoffs game against Ukraine. They won that then dispatched Greece to secure their place, though they made short work of Greece. But off-field matters have rather soured the achievement: Thanks to a complex and still-emerging mess of corruption allegations involving players and administrators, support for the side is at a low ebb.
Key player: Luka Modric.
Now 32, this will perhaps be our last chance to enjoy Luka Modric at a major international tournament. Let's hope it goes well, then, because in form he's one of the most delightful midfielders going — a creative presence who makes everybody around him better and occasionally scores beautiful goals for himself, too.
Nigeria
African qualifying had a clear group of death, and Nigeria was in it. Any of their opponents — Zambia, Cameroon or Algeria — would have had a good chance to get out of any other group. But the Super Eagles coasted past all of them, going undefeated and finishing six points clear. At the moment, Nigeria appears to be the clear class of Africa and the continent’s best hope at making a deep run.
John Obi Mikel continues to be the veteran leader of this team, but the rest of the squad has been made over considerably in recent years, and most of the starters in Russia will be 25 or younger. Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho have emerged as star players in the attack, joining up with the top performers from the generation slightly older, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses.
Key player: Alex Iwobi
Mikel and Moses might be the leaders, but Iwobi will be the difference maker. He’s the most creative player in the side and will need to be at his best for Nigeria to make a deep run.
Prediction
Argentina
Nigeria
Croatia
Iceland

jaychubi:


Dreamer

Nigeria has played Argentina in 4 world cups n we ve never had a draw against them talk more a win

mtchew, as if that will continue... This football boy, SA neva beat Nigeria in any competitive match b4 until recently, na 2 nil we chop for our backyard, Iceland recently upset england at euro 2016, Zambia beat Algeria home and away in the recently completed qualifier. Wake up dude

Nigeria might beat Argentina again

julioralph:
Far enough I suppose. We certainly need to play a friendly game against a formidable European opponent, to prepare for Iceland and Croatia.

We need to play Belgium in the next FIFA friendlies

Dsov2016:


yeah. has he not play in some matches s for Argentina where they've lost. but Iceland defeated Croatia 1-0 in the qualifiers

Don't know how it was in the qualifiers. Don't know if Croatia played at full strength. I just know it's too early to predict how the group will turn out.

Now, I'm very interested in our performance against England, since we'd be facing two European teams.

-Lord

nor be Kosovo wire croatia beta 6 mondo akpako
Kosovo also wire iceland

cescky:


It's a fair group

Them done give Ronaldo Iran whey ego score 11 goals, for one match come collect highest goal scorer

That Old bum has luck

Iran is not a cake walk

[/color][color=#990000]
I feel nigeria got a though group.
Argentina wl be difficult
Crotia wil be more difficult becos if we dnt gt any result in d 1st game above,it wl be a decider nd make it more difficult
Iceland wl be d thoughest becos if we shud loose d 1st game nd win d 2nd,,it wl be a must win 4 us
Overal i tnk our qualificatn depends on the 1st game..bt i wish us luck duh...
#wecanconquertheworld#

GrandFinale2017:
@emboldened, it's obvious you're not current with football teams.

I'm very current, thank you.


Iceland and Croatia were in the same World Cup Qualifying group and Iceland topped the group.

We should not be too concerned about Argentina since they are known enemy... I see us getting a draw against them... But Iceland and Croatia are the real skin

Emperormartin:

We need to play Belgium in the next FIFA friendlies

Yea, Belgium will be good.

GordonAJ:
Argentina qualification no sure abeg. Big name small engine.

it is sure bro..
I can 100% tell you that Argentina will qualify from that group.

There's something "fishy " this world cup draws... thank God Sepp Blatter confirmed that FIFA has been manipulating the whole system all these while with so called"cold and hot " balls

akanbiaa:
Nigeria might beat Argentina again

NEVER

JohnieWalker12:
I believe the super eagles die for this World Cup. Check out our jerseys for Russia 2018

is the d fine jersey dah wuld stop Messi from getting a hat-trick?

miqos03:
Fifa don't want us to win this world Cup

Ahahaaaaaa. Don't worry the cup is coming to naija wether they like it or not

Why are we afraid of Argentina?

Let's see if these super chickens can go a step further than Cameroun, Senegal and Ghana in terms of world cup achievement.

On paper Nigeria should qualify but rule out the Nigerian factors like fighting over unpaid bonus and allowance and getting carried away after a single victory.

After the world cup, nff will set up a panel of enquiry into how nigeria was ousted from the tournament and nothing else will be heard.

I wish them luck, but I can't trust nigeria to deliver

olaniyi0:
mtchew, as if that will continue... This football boy, SA neva beat Nigeria in any competitive match b4 until recently, na 2 nil we chop for our backyard, Iceland recently upset england at euro 2016, Zambia beat Algeria home and away in the recently completed qualifier. Wake up dude

Not an Argentina team lead by merciless messi

D only way we can beat Argentina is if messi didn't play like in dt friendly match

jaychubi:


Not an Argentina team lead by merciless messi

D only way we can beat Argentina is if messi didn't play like in dt friendly match

I see, that's why they struggle to qualify with messi, arguing with u is useless...

Dsov2016:




there is no I in football. if the guys play as a team they will win the world cup. as long as mumu politicians nor go dey disturb them

politicians disturb or not, Nigeria can't win the world cup.

It will be difficult to go to progress but it is not impossible. Our top priority should be to beat croatia in the first match. Then the focus should be win against iceland in the second and in all likelihood we wont have to worry about argentina for the last match.