Icon4s:


A good number of d boys dat won dat CAF U23 were nt part of those build up games.

TheGoodJoe:


If we are talking of the main competition, then I am for calling the pros. The African Championship I think, falls during the season and clubs will not release their promising players.

As soon as I saw that these boys stopped training, then I knew there was going to be a problem.

BascoVanVeli:


point is they were over 23 and still couldn't beat this team, twice.

Icon4s:


But since d pros are on break now why nt engage them to secure qualification for AYC.

U remember Iheanacho was part of d AYC qualifiers bt was nt available for the AYC.

When it comes to U17 we try to field d best bt at U20 we will field green horns.

Icon4s:


A pointer that we are in for a disappointing outing in Rio.

BascoVanVeli:


No that is why we lost, us Nigerians are fund of playing the games on paper forgeting that there is a real 90 minutes to be played. In football anything can happen they didn't lose to a disabled team those sudanese wanted to win also.

TheGoodJoe:


It was easy to tell who understood what to do to push our football forward. Amaju Pinnick wanted Coach Keshi out. Coach Keshi Won his last two games before Pinnick sacked him. After disrupting the team, Coach Keshi was reinstated and Uche forced on Coach Keshi. That disrupted the camp and affected the team.

Maigari wanted to kept Keshi. Giwa insisted on keeping Keshi. Just as he is insisting on keeping Salisu.

Yet we get these disruptive attitude from Amaju Pinnick insisting a cash strapped agency should hire a foreign coach. Neglecting the challenges the body faces.

mikron:
Hope u all remember this picture? saw it while surfing through my Archives ... May God continue to bless his Memory.. Late Coach TELLA who took these lads to d U17 world cup. then...CHRISANTUS MACAULAY won the golden booth...he also doubled as d MVP of d tournament.... A Ghanaian with d silver booth... Nd Tony Kroos with d bronze booth...
Fastforward>>>>>> 9yrs later... Tony Kross the winner of the bronze booth is worth more than 50million pounds... Bt the GOLDEN & SILVER BOOTH WINNERS are nowhere to b found...which way Africa?
My humble question is... Is AFRICAN FOOTBALL BEEN BEWITCHED?
AM totally confused... What's happening to us in Africa... Especially NIGERIA...
Critical analysis pls

Napoleon55:
It's high time we introduce U-18,U-19 teams in our football calendar. Not every year we won U-17 world cup,we rushed them straight to U-20 without allowing them to develop properly.
That's why European players will always be more technically better than us.

goldfish80:

That's Ramsford Osei of Ghana. The young man was probably in his 30s durring that championship. The last I heard of him was when he played for a Malaysian team. By the way, failure of these sort of youth championships is not just an African thing. Even the German team that produced Kroos, you will struggle to name more than 3 other players who have gone to play for the German national team apart from Kroos. Even the Spanish team we defeated in the finals, apart from De gea and Bojan you will struggle to name a few other who have represented their national team.

I think Nigerians over celebrate these youthful tourneys thinking football development is all about winning U17 and U20 tournaments. The key is having a strong league and having proper academys. You can win all the U17s in the world, without having solid foundation and a good league, you will always be found out when it matters most.

Napoleon55:
It's high time we become more serious with U-20 completion than any other competitions.
This is where the real players are been born,MARADONA,MESSI,MIKEL,RONALDINHO,POGBA,XAVI,ETC.
This competition produces more great players than the U-17.

Any time we r able to produce good U-20 team consecutively for at least 3 editions,just b rest assured that it must reflect on our Senior team without any doubt.
It has happened in the past.

Napoleon55:
It's high time we introduce U-18,U-19 teams in our football calendar. Not every year we won U-17 world cup,we rushed them straight to U-20 without allowing them to develop properly.
That's why European players will always be more technically better than us.

Napoleon55:
It's high time we become more serious with U-20 completion than any other competitions.
This is where the real players are been born,MARADONA,MESSI,MIKEL,RONALDINHO,POGBA,XAVI,ETC.
This competition produces more great players than the U-17.

Any time we r able to produce good U-20 team consecutively for at least 3 editions,just b rest assured that it must reflect on our Senior team without any doubt.
It has happened in the past.

TheGoodJoe:


Mikel played U17. Ronaldinho played the U17. There are many great players who played the U17. The problem we have is that, if the players do not win trophies, we discard them.

Fabregas, David Silva played in the U17.

Our problems have never been the talents but lack of support. Making it here is a tough battle.

That is why I hope their U17 Title rewards are released to these boys so they can use it to run around for clubs.

Icon4s:


I agree with Napoleon55 on this.

We celebrate too much our U17 titles and go to sleep at U20.

We take d pains to do a thorough screening process for d U17 bt when it comes to U20 we jst promote d previous U17 & shot out other players.
Etebor, Ajayi and Azubuike could have played d 2015 U20 bt were dey considered? Can Akinjide Idowu's game level b compaired with dat of Azubuike? Compare Sokari with Etebor and Junior Ajayi had always been ahead of Awoniyi.


Yes a couple of stars have played at d U17 bt d age where d real stars emerge is d U20.
Remember our argument some time ago where I maintained only few U17 graduates get to play at senior level? The U20 crop are d ones dat usually more likely graduate to senior level.

Producing 2 consecutive world smashing U17 classes has nt led to an U20 success.
And also as Napoleon55 said lets produce 2 or 3 consecutive U20 & see whether it will nt impact positively on d Super Eagles. Ghana's 2009 U20 success directly influenced their 2010 performance.


Until we start taking the U20 serious we will keep failing.

Icon4s:


Good observation.

In Europe they have the U17s-which are made up of cadet/academy players, U19 and U21.

However, while d European tourneys take place in even years FIFA tourneys take place in odd years.

Eg team to represent Europe in 2017 WYC would play d U19 this year, 2016. This implies dat players that represented European teams at last U17 would b 18 & below. This makes it possible for several European players dat played against Iheanacho's U17 set 3 yrs ago to feature at d U19s. But mean-while we are already fielding Awoniyi, and co as U23s.Thereby creating that gap in experience for an 18/19 yr old playing as U23. Only exceptional players can do well under this condition.

The European players would have a proper structured growth.

CAF needs to restructure its age grade programmes to something similar to those of Europe where the U19 & U21 tourneys are held at d end of season and with dat u expect a full house for d teams.

Likes of Awoniyi, Mathew, Yahaya, Sadiq, Nura, K. Nwakali, Osimhen, Chukwueze for instance should be with d U19.

While Likes of Success, Iheanacho, Simon, Ndidi, Iwobi, should even b playing U21 and nt even U23.
If dey play together at age grade levels from U17, U19, & U21 they can better bond and blend at d senior level.

I have had several arguments with peeps here on relationship between age and a player's performance.. And i still solidly stand by it. What Amuneke presented as U20 is U18. Yes cos the oldest player in that team, K. Nwakali jst clocked 18.

I personally believe in structured development for players.

As long as the development of these youngsters is always zigzag we will hardly get it right.

cc:TheGoodJoe

TheGoodJoe:



Spain who have won the U19 and U21 Euro trophies many times are yet to win the Olympics and won the U20 only once. Last time in 1999. About 17 years ago.

It has not helped them dominate the U20.

The reason why these players like Toni Kroos, Xavi, Ronaldinho, Aguero develop is because their local leagues are developed. Our players do not have that luxury of growing on home ground. If a European club do not take you, you will hardly make it.

Brazil can assemble a strong U20 team because most are based in Brazil. Same thing with the Olympics. Same goes to Argentina Spain, Belgium, Mexico etc.

Look at how late Iheanacho, Success and Simon Moses made it late to camp in New Zealand. They missed the camping in Germany. Same thing is happening now. In the Olympics.

So, picking pros is going to delay camping an preparation. Our current U20 team is good but the mismanagement affected them. Not the promotion of the team. This was a string team.

Icon4s:


Talking abt Spain, it is that continuos domination in Europe at U19 & U21 that has taken them to where they are. And yes their league ensures those U19 & U21 remains in Spain.

A typical Spanish U19 or U20 side is made up of players hu have been well drilled in several Spanish clubs while our own U20 players would b composed mainly of player from "My People FC Academy" & the likes and u expect them to conquer d world?

The problem is we keep down playing d competition at d U20 level. A very large percentage of those Amuneke boys are nt U20 materials. Forget d issue of nt training for 3 days.
We were at home for God's sakes. And nt dat we played against Mali, Guinea, Ghana or CIV. It was Sudan! Sudan for Christ's sakes!

TheGoodJoe:


Success Of Spain: A Lesson For Every Football Nation

The seniors showed how to do it! And now the juniors showed that even they can do it. Next what? Even the Spanish U5 might win their respective football tournament in the very same way. It’s that time to say that Brazil is no more the most feared football country in the world. It’s time for Spain to take the throne. The victory of Spain U-21 in the European championships recently has further substantiated the claim of the kings of world football. But how has Spain managed this unprecedented success, this unbelievable consistency that every country wants to emulate the Spanish success model?

https://www.nairaland.com/3019225/success-spain-lesson-every-football

Icon4s:


A vital ingredient to their Success is having the most competitive and technical league in the world.

We dnt have that in Nigeria and u expect us to beat Spain to the game?

TheGoodJoe:


It is not U19 or U21 but meticulous development of their players at a very young age. Training the players and coaches to have similar styles and philosophies.

The running leagues at different age levels. Other European teams are adopting their methods because it works. Our boys are working in terrible conditions, miles from the likes of Spain, Germany and Belgium.

That is what affects the development of our players.

papinx:


Wait, is there anything like academy in the Nigerian league?

TheGoodJoe:
[b][/b]

This is the main point. All other thing he is talking there does not add up.

For instance, talking of Amunike,should have mixed bigger players. That is totally absurd. Amunike is from a ball playing philosphy and lots of the smallish players are better on the ball. The big and bulky players will not fit in if they are not good ball controllers and players.

Saying that the team failed because the squad was promoted from the U17 is also funny. Manu Garba's just promoted U17 qualified and won the AYC.

Saying Amunike should have played friendlies against Ifeanyi Ubah does not mean that the behavior of the players will not affect the team.

It is time Amaju Pinnick and his gang get something straight. There is a reason for home and away matches.

When you are at home, select a stadium that favors the strength of the team. This stadium did not favor them and we had better pitches that would have suited them.

It seems people are forgetting we beat this same Sudanese team. Where these not the same boys? Where they not smallish? Did they not play the passing game?

When they beat the Dream team, were the dream team not bigger than them?

These boys were betrayed by the NFF due to lack of care. This disrupted the camp. Then the poor condition of the pitch did not favor them. Those are what caused them to lose.

TheGoodJoe:


It is not U19 or U21 but meticulous development of their players at a very young age. Training the players and coaches to have similar styles and philosophies.

The running leagues at different age levels. Other European teams are adopting their methods because it works. Our boys are working in terrible conditions, miles from the likes of Spain, Germany and Belgium.

That is what affects the development of our players.