tbaba1234:
I have been saying this for years here. I have even been tagged a local league player hater. This article from Colin Udoh is brilliant.

The next Mikel or Ighalo isn't going to come from Nigeria's league

While Cup Final weekend is upon Nigeria, as Kano Pillars go up against Niger Tornadoes to determine who wins the 2019 Aiteo Cup on Sunday, the talk is still on the Super Eagles' Afcon campaign.

Conversation in Nigeria remains centred on the future of coach Gernot Rohr as the team's failure to reach the continental final continues to enrage, but little has been said about the team itself. Specifically, the loss of key personnel.

And therein lies the crux of the matter. The Aiteo final, and the domestic season as a whole, has done little to showcase new talent, so where will Rohr, or the next coach, find players to replace the likes of John Obi Mikel and Odion Ighalo?

The combined retirements of captain Mikel and forward Ighalo have left two huge voids in the team. John Ogu is bound to follow suit soon, and it is possible that, being on the other side of 30, Leon Balogun is not far off. Surely there must be some concern about finding replacements?

Fans and media never seem to let up with telling Super Eagles coaches to pick players from the domestic league, with goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa the only regular home-based player in the side. But the fact remains that the NPFL has no real talent of international quality, and there is a huge body of evidence to support this.

Two wins in the CAF Champions League (both by Enyimba in 2003 and 2004) are a far cry from other top African nations. The CAF Confederation Cup (including its previous two-competition iterations) offer a slightly better picture, but the wins there came at a time when Nigerian domestic football was on a high and players from local clubs represented the country.

In recent years, performances at continental club competitions have been woeful. Lobi Stars, Nigeria's CAF Champions League representatives last season, travelled to South Africa and were soundly beaten by Mamelodi Sundowns.

It was not just about the result, but the disjointed and predictable play of the Nigerian team that left heads and fists shaking.

Then, CAF's African Nations Championship (CHAN), which offers a barometer of the strength of national teams sans Europe-based players, provides a clear-eyed metric. It is not one that flatters Nigeria.

The Super Eagles B-side failed to qualify for the first two tournaments, and then at the most recent final in 2018, were thrashed 4-0 by Morocco.

They also shipped four goals against rivals Ghana in the regional WAFU Cup of Nations final in 2017, and will hope to do much better this September at the event in Senegal.

Any manner of spin may be put on these results and performances, but the bottom line is that the players are simply not good enough until they move to Europe and have all their accumulated bad habits trained out of them.

On Sunday, Pillars and Tornadoes will square up in the aforementioned Aiteo Cup final. There will be further examples of this lack of formal football education, guaranteed. Anyone even suggesting the national team coach should be there, for anything other than ceremonial reasons, probably needs to rethink some life choices.

At the moment, what the Super Eagles need are two goalkeepers, one right back, one additional centreback and at least two midfielders. None of those who will be on show on Sunday can fill those gaps.

Prime Mikel on the ball was a wonderful sight to behold. Difficult, one might even say impossible, to shake off the ball and could ping passes with the precision of a German-engineered machine. No player in the domestic league comes close. Ighalo did not have the best first touch in the world, but as a cold-blooded goalscoring forward, his numbers speak for him.

The late Stephen Keshi spent over six months in camp with domestic players and ended up taking just six to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, so it isn't for lack of effort on the coaches' parts. Of that number, only two - Godfrey Oboabona and Sunday Mba - played significant minutes. A mere six years later, none are currently anywhere near the Super Eagles team sheet.

Rohr - if he stays - or his replacement, are better served scouting for players already in Europe to fill those gaps. At least for now.

But suggesting that Rohr, or whomever the coach may be in the coming months, picks from the teams involved in the Final is a line few are brave, or stupid, enough to venture across.

https://africa.espn.com/football/club/nigeria/657/blog/post/3906752/the-next-mikel-or-ighalo-isnt-going-to-come-from-nigerias-league

BascoVanVeli:



I have so much respect for Colin Udoh but this is a poor and boring article. Were we winning all continental competitions when we had the likes of Jay Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Rashidi Yekini in our league? He is simply overlooking the real problems and stating the obvious.

Mark my words, the league will continue to produce quality players no matter if the coach uses them or not.

TheGoodJoe:
Orji Okonkwo is a scoring machine. So impressed with his movement, plays, hard work and accurate finishing. The young man knows the back of the net.

Hats off to him.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUBgtFfvdlE

signz:


Many of his colleagues don't agree with his article.

Example every morning in traffic I always listen to Lagos talks 91.3 sportstalk by 8am, the analysts (journalists) Segun Agbede, Dumnodi Okonta, Joseph Faulkner,etc always clamour for the inclusion of Home based players. Infact Segun Agbede even suggested that the NFF should impose home based players on Rohr and programs like sportstalk have huge listenership.

So Colin's article is good and timely too.

charlesemeka85:
Produce which quality? The best Nigerian players locally are in the academies and amateur clubs.

elyte89:



A scoring machine.... Someone who last scored since September

TheGoodJoe:


Google fail you there.

This is Orji Okonkwo's second brace for Montreal (I think in April), he also scored in their loss in May. Lol. Since September.

elyte89:



Evidence

elyte89:



Evidence

andrew444:


Lol ,this man ehnn, you get wahala

You are calling someone a flop , a player that was not given any chance

How can a play show what he can do with only 1 game?

Umar sadiq played just one game so how is he a flop, Gerard didn't give him any chance

Learn how to use the word flop and stop misusing it

elyte89:



Evidence

BascoVanVeli:



I have so much respect for Colin Udoh but this is a poor and boring article. Were we winning all continental competitions when we had the likes of Jay Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Rashidi Yekini in our league? He is simply overlooking the real problems and stating the obvious.

Mark my words, the league will continue to produce quality players no matter if the coach uses them or not.

charlesemeka85:
Impose home based players on Rohr because of what? Can u hear you self speak? Selection of players in the national team is by merit not quota there it's for the best we can boast of not junks.

andrew444:


Championship is a lower league

EOD

andrew444:


Adel Taarabt is still better than morrinson

Morrinson is a wasteman

Thanks to Sheffield united coach, this might be his last chance to grace the epl and he need to take it serious

andrew444:


Did you watch the training ?

Do you know if Gerard is lying?

He was not given a chance simple

What about the players that are doing well in training and when e enter real match dem dey flop?

komekn:


Morrison is a total Wasteman, out on the club in Manchester hanging with his boys doing NUTTIN.

His problem are all self birthed, highly indisciplined, zero focus, etc

But again If he changes his ATTITUDE in a season or two he will be back in the EPL.

He reminds me of Balotelli sometimes a player who should really be challenging Messi and Ronald has settled for being the top man in the French league.

BascoVanVeli:



Like Etebo right?

TheGoodJoe:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuUnB2ILnsE

Orji Okonkwo's brace, June 26, 2019. The second was such a beauty. Took my breath away.

Credit to BascoVanVeli who made the first post of the video.

charlesemeka85:
Can you name any midfielder in the npfl that is better than etebo?

charlesemeka85:
Can you name any midfielder in the npfl that is better than etebo?

charlesemeka85:
Bournemouth are on the verge of completing the signing of Nigeria-eligible midfielder Philip Billing.

According to the BBC, The Cherries have agreed to sign the Denmark U21 international on a five-year deal for a transfer fee in the region of fifteen million pounds.

The future of Billing at Huddersfield has been the subject of much speculation following the demotion of the club to the Championship at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

In addition, the 23-year-old has not enjoyed a good relationship with manager Jan Siewert since the German joined the club.

He made 91 appearances in total for The Terriers in all competition, including 43 in the Premier League and scored 6 goals.

Barring a last-minute change, the Nigeria Football Federation target will undergo a medical on Monday ahead of his unveiling by Bournemouth.

Dual-eligible trio Nnamdi Ofoborh, Jordon Ibe and Dominic Solanke have been training with Bournemouth's first team before the resumption of the new season.

andrew444:


Are you saying the Scottish league is the same level with league one?

Me i thinks its still better than league one

Icon4s:



At the bolded, do you know whether he has or not?

Odunayaw:
Regardless of whatever rating, I thinks it better too

League one kind of football hurts the eyes and the mind

Joebie:
He is an olympic and U20 bronze and silver medal winner respectively. He has some good stats going for him. I say he was unlucky not landing jobs with Rwanda, Kenya, and Gor Marhia at least.
I agree though that Siasia should start lower and prove himself again.