TheGoodJoe:


If Coach Fani Amun who was a brilliant man was nurtured to become the Coach Of Atlanta 96, more of those boys would have made it to the Super Eagles. That is just the point. If we use and dump coaches, we are just dropping a pool of talented boys.

I have no doubt that our 93 U17 triumphing team would have excelled in the 1995 U20 if we maintained the team. It is time we develop a team maintenance culture by grooming coaches thst performed well.

TheGoodJoe:


The excuse is just returning from Holiday. The truth is that a far younger team spanked them so much, people asked for a review of the development of players in the league.

What of the U23 team they beat and drew with. Were they in holidays too.

Icon4s:


The super 6 that was a preseason series for d NPFL players hu jst came back from holidaying while it was a selection series for d Flying Eagles hu need to impress d coaches.And mind u it was d assistant coach and U23 team B dat played dat super 6. And yes, age counts alot in age grade competitions else FIFA should have allowed 23yrs olds to play with U17s.

TheSuperNerd:
And 1993 was how many years ago?? Please, 2013 marked a new era. The Nff U-13 and U-15 programs yielded great fruit.

And more changes are bound to occur with time. The Nff still have flaws but the foundations laid by Maigari as regards age-grade football are gradually being built upon by Pinnick and co. So changes are bound to occur many years on from 1993.

And yes!!!! Under varying degrees of different factors like Temperature, pressure and Volume....... The same reagents can yield different results experimentally.

So that "14th experiment" may still turn out different after all.

You wanna see more than 50% of our talents graduate from the U-17s to the Super Eagles? Then let the Nff apply my "rotation policy" for Manu Garba and Emmanuel Amunike.

***smiles***

TheSuperNerd:
Nope.... Wrong deduction. *smiles*

The reason why Fifa created U-17s, U-20s and U-23s is part-majorly because Fifa knows that "numerous talents" existed at all age-grades (and all can't be seen at a senior world cup tournament) as can be seen by a 17-year old Pele @ the 1958 world cup.

Fifa wanted to give opportunities to talents of different age-grades to showcase themselves to the world while discovery is made along the line.

They knew that "naturally" most people won't pick a 16yr old over a 23yr old despite the talent.

That's just it.

Afterall, why don't Fifa limit the Senior world cup to players over 23yrs old alone??

Pele @ 17 ruled the world @ Sweden 1958.

Franz Beckanbaeur @ 20 excelled @ England 1966.

Michael Owen @ 18 did wonders @ France 1998.

Lukas Podolski @ 21 was a terror to most sides @ Germany 2006.

Thomas Muller top scored @ South Africa 2010 with 5 goals and 3 assists @ age 20.

So fifa's reason wasn't that U17s, U-20s and U-23s couldn't play together with their "seniors".

*smiles*

Icon4s:


The real U23 team was with Siasia in Tunisia for a 2-legged international friendly

Icon4s:


So bc Fani Amun won U17 & was promoted to U20(of which he wumbled and fumbled)u are of d opinion dat he should have been promoted to U23 & Super Eagles so he can carry along his U17 boys. I expected something better from some1 of ur calibre. I had to recheck ur moniker to b sure dat this is TheGoodJoe.Hu was Oruma when Okocha was still in charge in d CMF , hu was Ojigwe when Oliseh was in DMF, Kanu was a sub when Amokachi, Mutiu and Siasia were battling for supporting syriker role for King Yekini. Hu was Oparaku when Egwuavoen was d right back. Celestine was able to pin d left back after Iroha retired frm d national team. Sentiments aside, most of those Amun boys could nt easily pin down shirts in d super eagles. With d exception of Kanu(later on) & Babayaro, The other 3 were jst subs almost all their career in d Super Eagles.

Icon4s:


U can c u mentioned those players with decades of yrs apart. So u can c such players are nt born every yr.

And U17 & U23 can play together abi?Then lets take Amuneke and his boys to d CAF U23 tourney.

Icon4s:


So bc Fani Amun won U17 & was promoted to U20(of which he wumbled and fumbled)u are of d opinion dat he should have been promoted to U23 & Super Eagles so he can carry along his U17 boys. I expected something better from some1 of ur calibre. I had to recheck ur moniker to b sure dat this is TheGoodJoe.Hu was Oruma when Okocha was still in charge in d CMF , hu was Ojigwe when Oliseh was in DMF, Kanu was a sub when Amokachi, Mutiu and Siasia were battling for supporting syriker role for King Yekini. Hu was Oparaku when Egwuavoen was d right back. Celestine was able to pin d left back after Iroha retired frm d national team. Sentiments aside, most of those Amun boys could nt easily pin down shirts in d super eagles. With d exception of Kanu(later on) & Babayaro, The other 3 were jst subs almost all their career in d Super Eagles.

Icon4s:


U can c u mentioned those players with decades of yrs apart. So u can c such players are nt born every yr.

And U17 & U23 can play together abi?Then lets take Amuneke and his boys to d CAF U23 tourney.

TheSuperNerd:
There are several others, I only mentioned the most popular. Why don't you carry the search yourself? Before you even said, "those players are not born every day", you said, "a 16yr old stand no chance against a 23yr old.......... Hence fifa don't play them together".

Now, I "corrected" you and gave you examples ONLY FOR YOU TO COME UP WITH THE "NOT BORN IN EVERY GENERATION EXCUSE".

IF I SHOW YOU OTHERS IN HISTORY, YOU GO STILL GREE?? ABI YOU GO COME UP WITH ANOTHER "wise old man" response. **SMILES**

Your pessimism is rearing its head again......... As always. *smiles*

And I hate repeating myself. If you read closely, I said, "that NATURALLY, most people won't pick a 16-17 year old over a 22-23 year old....."

And if you think Amuneke and his boys won't deliver @ the Caf U-23 Afcon, then think again... Much deeper and open-mindedly this time *smiles*

**but of course, it has never been done because most dont want to (or no one wanna) take that risk. Bunch of 15, 16, 17 year olds with so much talent standing up against relatively more matured 22-23yr olds MIGHT RESULT IN A PYRRHIC VICTORY FOR THE U-17s.... Yeah might. *smiles*

But never rule out "shockers". Naturally, most will never pitch bunch of 16yr olds against bunch of 22-23yr olds. BUT FOR THE FACT THAT IT'S NEVER HAPPENED DOESN'T MEAN THE U-17s don't stand a chance.

I WISH YOU WERE THERE TO WITNESS, IN LAGOS, A BUNCH OF 13-14 yr old JSS 3 students MAKING A MESS of a BUNCH OF 17-18 year old SS3 students in soccer on a "normal standard mini soccer pitch". I played that game, scored a wonder goal and set up 2 others. That game ended 7-3 in our favor.

Another time in JSS2, (before the above happening), we, a bunch of 12-13yr olds (I was 12 then), played out a 1-1 draw with one of the best SS2 classes in soccer. They had 16-17 year olds with only one or two on 15 yrs. And yeah, I was scorer again of the only goal again for my team. **smiles**



TheGoodJoe gave you an example of our Nigerian U-20 team consisting of 17-18 year olds @ the Npfl super 6 who "bested", "raped", and "annihilated" Enyimba, Kano pillars, Warri wolves, and Dolphins...... And even drew with the "main squad" of the Nigerian U-23 team.

In fact, Siasia had to bring in the main players to replace the team B guys so that he'll stand a good chance against Manu's "hungry" young boys WHO HAD NO RESPECT FOR ELDERS!!!!!!!!! **BIG SMILES**

Icon4s:


I have told u dat the progression from U17 to U20 to U23 to senior is nt a Nigerian issue. It is global. Check d super powers in football, how many of their players everplayed U17?

terzurum5:
[b][size=14pt]
Nigeria U-23 coach Samson Siasia's mother released
By Oluwashina Okeleji
[/size]

The mother of Nigeria Under-23 coach Samson Siasia has been released after being kidnapped by gunmen 12 days ago.

Three kidnappers took Ogere Siasia from the family home in Bayelsa state in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where kidnappings for ransom are frequent.

Siasia, who is in Senegal with his squad for the Confederation of African Football Under-23 Championship, told the BBC he was happy his mother had been freed safely and reunited with her family.
Continue reading the main story

“It's been a crazy two weeks, but I would like to say thank you to the NFF and everyone involved in the safe return of my mother”

Samson Siasia Nigeria U-23s coach

"We've already spoken and she's happy to be home," he told BBC Sport.

"It's been a crazy two weeks, but I would like to say thank you to the NFF and everyone involved in the safe return of my mother.

"Now I can completely focus on the business here, doing well at this tournament would be a perfect way to thank Nigerians for their love."

The kidnappers had initially demanded 150 million naira (US$750,000), but subsequently reduced their demand to 50 million naira (US$250,000), and 35 million naira (US$175,000) for the release of the 72-year-old.

Although Mrs Siasia was released early on Saturday, it is not clear if a ransom was paid.

Police in Bayelsa said the hunt for the kidnappers was still on.

Kidnapping, often for ransom, is common in parts of Nigeria and footballers' families are increasingly becoming targets.

International defender Onyekachi Apam was kidnapped on 31 December 2007 in the south-eastern city of Enugu by armed men who took his car before releasing him.

Nornu Yobo, elder brother of former Everton and Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo, was famously kidnapped in 2008 in oil-rich Port Harcourt.

Nornu was released after 10 days but it was never made clear whether a ransom was paid.

Former international Christian Obodo was abducted in Warri, southern Nigeria, in June 2012. He was rescued by the police twenty-four hours later.

A year earlier, the father of Nigerian midfielder and Chelsea player John Obi Mikel was kidnapped in Jos, central Nigeria.

Nigerian police, however, rescued Michael Ob
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34953809
[/b]

TheSuperNerd:
Several of them actually........*smiles* By Soccer super powers, I'm sure you mean the likes of Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Uruguay, France,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, right?


But wait o.........

Could the likes of Pele, Eusebio, Bobby charlton, Raymond kopa, George best, ferenc puskas, Alfredo di stefano, Lev yashin, George banks,Karl-heinz Rummenigge, Jairzinho, Luis Alberto perreira, Bobby Moore, Mario Zagallo, Mario Kempes, Johannes Cruyff, Gerd Muller, Vava, Kenny Dalglish, etc, etc, etc have played the U-17s when it only began in 1985!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even Maradona featured in a fifa age-grade tournament in 1979 (the very first U-20 tournament) by which time there was still no U-17 tournament.


Ever since the U-17s began, some major stars of several of the "FOOTBALL SUPER POWERS" were "BORN" as follows:

-Gianliugi Buffon, Italy (1993)
-Alessandro Del pierro, Italy (1991)
-Pablo Aimar, Argentina (1995)
-Francesco Totti, Italy (1993)
-Luis Madeira Figo, Portugal (1989)
-Miguel Simao, Portugal (1989)
-Ronaldinho, Brazil (1997)
-Julio Cesar, Brazil (1995)
-Marcelo, Brazil (2005)
-Iker Casillas, Spain (1997)
-Fernando Redondo, Argentina (1985)
-Xavi Hernandez, Spain (1997)
-Pepe Reina, Spain (1999)
-Thomas Hitzlsperger, Germany (1999)
-David Silva, Spain (2003)
-Cesc Fabregas, Spain (2003)
-Miguel Veloso, Portugal (2003)
-Javier Masherano, Argentina (2001)
-Carlos Tevez, Argentina (2001)
-Pablo Zabaleta, Argentina (2001)
-Juan Sebastian Veron, Argentina (1991)
-Peralta, Uruguay (1999)
-Francesco Coco (or Cocu), Italy (1993)
-Roberto Abbondanzieri, Argentina (1989)
-Abel Xavier, Portugal (1989)
-Javi Garcia, Spain (2003)
-Andres Iniesta, Spain (2001)
-Emmanuel Petit, France (1987)
-Mamadou Sakho, France (2007)
-Kurt Zouma, France (2011)
-Tim Krul, Netherlands (2005)
-Bruno Martins Indi, Netherlands (2009)
-Stefan de Vrij, Netherlands (2009)
-Memphis Depay, Netherlands (2011)
-Rafael da Silva, Brazil (2007)
-Alex Teixera, Brazil (2005)
-Bismarck, Brazil (1985)
-Joao Moutinho, Portugal (2003)
-Ezequiel Garay, Argentina (2003)
-Sebastian Kehl, Germany (1997)
-Sebatian Deisler, Germany (1997)
-Roman Weidenfeller, Germany (1997)
-Koke, Spain (2009)
-Isco, Spain (2009)
-Alvaro Morata, Spain (2009)
-Mario Goetze, Germany (2009)
-Toni Kroos, Germany (2009)
-Marc-andre Ter Stegen, Germany (2009)
-Shkodran Mustafi, Germany (2009)
-Sergi Roberto, Spain (2009)
-Neymar dos Santos Jnr, Brazil (2009)
-Philippe Coutinho, Brazil (2009)
-Casemiro, Brazil (2009)
-Marquinhos, Brazil (2011)
-etc, etc.......


**Come on, do the search yourself**. Aren't you a football analyst anymore?. I'm just a medical scholar **smiles**

The "Elite Super powers of soccer" are indebted to the contributions of some of their U-17 stars as seen above. But also some of them are still growing and bound to perform for these nations' national teams especially from the 2009 and 2011 classes (few of which have made major marks like Mario Goetze who GAVE HIS NATION THE WORLD CUP TITLE in 2014).



--And Yeah, yeah, it's a global thing..... I know but the facts above show that even the super powers benefit from some great players that came through the U-17.

*smiles*

TheGoodJoe:


Oruma was a star. It is just that his time collided with the emergence of one of Africa's best midfielders, Okocha. Okocha was up there with the best in the World. That did not make Oruma a poor player. Oruma did well whenever he got an opportunity. Did well for Lens And Marceille.

It is just like the clash we have in our attack with Success, Iheanacho, Awoniyi, Osimhen. If one or two becomes a Super Star, it did not mean the others were not good.

Do you remember Nigeria vs Kenya coached by Coach Monday Sinclair. Where Sinclair dropped Okocha for Oruma. He invited Chris Ohenhen and some home baser boys.

Oruma put up a mind blowing performance that many wondered what if there was no Okocha. Oruma would have been a King without Okocha in the scene. We thank God we had both.

Oruma also had some [b]indiscipline problems that affects a lot of youngsters bur do not belittle him because he was pure brilliance.

Even at France 98, when he got his chance, he scored.

It is sad players like Oruma and Ebiede did not get their chances. Okocha was great but these guys were also brilliant.[/b]