elampiro:

Not so correct. The dream team had players that didn't participate in the Japan '93 U-17. Joseph Dosu, Victor Ikpeba, Taribo West, Okocha, Okechukwu, Amunike, Amokachi, etc.

You can't build a team from U-15 to senior without breaking it. It's impossible. At some stages, better talent than what you have will emerge from other places. When Okocha came, Westerhof forgot about Etim Esin. It's like that. The doors can never be closed. A future team is built from boys of 22 to 25 with a few old fit players to guide them. That's why Uche and Osazee should be the pillars now.

elampiro:

Not so correct. The dream team had players that didn't participate in the Japan '93 U-17. Joseph Dosu, Victor Ikpeba, Taribo West, Okocha, Okechukwu, Amunike, Amokachi, etc.

You can't build a team from U-15 to senior without breaking it. It's impossible. At some stages, better talent than what you have will emerge from other places. When Okocha came, Westerhof forgot about Etim Esin. It's like that. The doors can never be closed. A future team is built from boys of 22 to 25 with a few old fit players to guide them. That's why Uche and Osazee should be the pillars now.

elampiro:

Not so correct. The dream team had players that didn't participate in the Japan '93 U-17. Joseph Dosu, Victor Ikpeba, Taribo West, Okocha, Okechukwu, Amunike, Amokachi, etc.

You can't build a team from U-15 to senior without breaking it. It's impossible. At some stages, better talent than what you have will emerge from other places. When Okocha came, Westerhof forgot about Etim Esin. It's like that. The doors can never be closed. A future team is built from boys of 22 to 25 with a few old fit players to guide them. That's why Uche and Osazee should be the pillars now.

thegoodjoehunt: By the way the stars of Japan '93 I can remember are, Kanu, Oruma, Oparakwu, Karibe Ojigwe, Celestine Babayaro and Emmanuel Babayaro. Oruma was displaced by Okocha one of the most gifted midfielders of modern football and Emmanuel Babayaro injured in Harare '95. Apart from that the stars of the team were maintained. So I agree with better talents replacing others but a youth team should be built from young.

phreakabit:

Ojigwe fell off, and only made cameo appearances in qualifiers in the senior team level.

thegoodjoehunt: Yes he did but he was an awesome player that grew from the Japan '93 squad.

Handsomegod: It baffles me how Nigerians dey change positions quickly like British weather.I could recall exactly this time last year,we dey dash people 3 zero,3:1,4:0 etc and playing our brand of football.Suddenly the inevitable that occurs in the span of every team happens and a loud section of the media and their pathetic followers(not forgetting the clueless NFF) called for the head of the coach forgetting that he inherited a team running on a deficit en-route to qualification.Keshi we wanted and Keshi we have and he must complete either this destructive or building mission.His contract got him covered.Next time when we see a better brand,we shall appreciate and apply wisdom/patience where needed.Sacking Sia1 and appointing Keshi is akin to a generational football suicide and a damnable act of self destruction.Take it or leave it,we all got what we deserved.This is just the beginning.Did i hear u say no more minnows in football?? plenty dey.Spain:5.Saudi Arabia 0.etc.(check goal.com).Morestill, we are yet to meet any reasonable opposition so far.Bigger games are ahead and i implore all lovers of S.E to acquire heavy dosages of sedatives and tranquilizers for the days of heart attack football is here with us.U cant give what u dont have! May God bless my County! #Diehardpatriot#

khalids: Once again i ask......why was Samson SiaSia sacked........is Keshi doing even up to half of what sia1 did.
Just thinking out loud....

elampiro:

I can't remember Pascal Karibe Ojigwe playing any match in Atlanta '96 Olympics.

Let's forget the past and encourage Keshi to rebuild Super Eagles.

onatisi:
can u bet ur car or laptop on it ?

ceejay80s: what is mikel? He is no better than those ones wey play 2day. How many goal he don score since his career?

Valentino305: can any good thing come out of nigeria

elampiro: Why Keshi should stay.
Nigeria should be patient. When Sasia was sacked, I told a lot of people that Nigeria repeated thge kind of mistakes they had always made with coaches; hire a coach, put him under pressure and he works under panic, then any little slip results to a sack. Then another comes and the circle continues. Amodu was always getting result for us, qualified us for two world cups and yet said he knew nothing about the job. He qualified us for two world cups yet he wasn't allowed to attend any.

Keshi is doing the right thing. He needs to experiment with lots of players over a period of time, like two years. With that he will be able to raise a good team for us as some will fit in while others fit out. That was how Westerhof raised the USA '94 team over a period of 5 years. Westerhof failed in his first assignment where he failed to get a draw in Younde against Cameroun in 1989 and Nigeria went out of Italia '90 race.

But, he return home and played a lot of games, WAFU/ECOWAS cup, Algers '90 etc. Old player like Yisa Sofoluwe, Andrew Uwe, Osaro Obobaifo, Henry Nwosu, etc gave way for the young players which were discovered over a period of 5 years enroute USA '94. Rasheed Yekini proved over time to be the better striker than Richard Owunbokiri. Uche Okechukwu and Samson Sisia came in, Finidi George, Thompson Oliha, Uche Okafor, Benedict Iroha, Alloy Agu, etc. As time went on, Ben Iroha, Emmanuel Amunike, Austine Okocha. Sunday Oliseh was discovered after Nigeria had already secured the world cup ticket to USA '94. Peter Rufai had to return and Chidi Nwanu was drafted in for the world cup proper.

A lot of players were used, a lot were dropped on the journey and only the best 22 man squad survived and became the most feared team in Africa, and Nigeria was 5th in FIFA ranking after Tunisia '94. Players like Rubeun Agboola, Edema Fulundu, Nduka Ugbade, Moses Kpakpor played their part but had to give way along the line. That was how Westerhof built one of the most feared teams in the world at the time. The team was so good that players like Victor Ikpeba could hardly get games despite being so good for their clubs banging in goals.

The truth is that majority of the players were discovered from our local clubs. Finidi, Amokachi, Iroha, Oliha, etc. They were so rugged that they could withstand any weather, heat or pitch in other African countries. They beat Burkinafaso 7-1, Ethiopia 6-0, Algeria and Ivory coast 4-1.

One can therefore draw a conclusion that Keshi is doing the right thing. First, the eagles he inherited cannot withstand the big teams in Africa talking more of playing Spain or Germany. Secondly, they could hardly get good result against physical playing African teams. Third, most of them are not so committed. I am yet to notice what contribution Mikel has made so far that warrants anyone building the future team around him. Uche is the only one who is committed. Osazee too is good. Hence, Keshi is doing the right thing. We should not just think of now, we should think of having a solid Super Eagles that can stand against the likes of Spain, Italy, Brazil and Germany in the next world cup. It can only be achieved by giving every good young player a chance, whether local or abroad. Attention should be given to building a team of tall, physical and skillful players. These are the characteristics of the Super Eagles of '94, also the Senegal team of '92 and the current Ivory coast team.

Keshi has a good programme, it requires some risk taking. He is not scared of taking it to get the best. That's how you know a man with a target and goal.