₦airaland Forum

Don’t know what these fellas here are talking about.
Fatima Taugaunut is good, but she is not that special - at least not on the level as our SF ladies.
No need to overhype her

daveP:
Tigernut was hot in wafcon too na. But game of endurance and experience vs Falcons proved she has a long way to go. We'll see. Small space wey Tiger get, prey don give up.

Mamelodi Sundowns just got whopped 4-0 by the ASFAR team, right in front of Mosepe who owns Mamelodi Sundowns.
Nigeria needs to get their sh!t together if they really want to make an impact on the continent.

Get a properly funded league in play or else, Nigeria will be left behind. Morocco's investment and 4 year roadmap just paid off.

I would refer you to a similar conversation we had about Debbie Abiodun. We all saw how she somewhat struggled to assert her dominance in some games at the U20 WWC - even though you would recall you stated she was 'ready' for the SF team at the time (I do recall stating a contrarian argument with you about this).

My philosophy has always been to not get carried away with good/great performances against 'less quality' teams/players, but rather, assess our players performances against top quality teams (or players) to determine their 'readiness'. That is what really matters, with regards the SF.

I'm not sure where Randy ever stated that Christy Ucheibe was not 'good enough', ditto that with Okobi (even though I stated my belief that she is no longer relevant to the Super Falcons).

Regarding Demehin, Tosin posted measured performances against top class teams at the U20WWC, as well as during both friendlies against World Champs USA, PRIOR to her being signed by Stade Reims. On the basis of such performances, her walking into the team was not an altogether shock or surprise.

BascoVanVeli:
Why is she not there yet? U are yet to give a quality answer.

Please don't even go there about previous invites. Christy Ucheibe was also deemed not good enough and we all know how that ended up. The same coach told Ngozi Okobi she wasn't good enough but now he won't drop her even after she called him out publicly.

Well last I checked Africa is part of the world. But if u are talking Europe and co, why not? Every player I mentioned will make it in any league in the world. Same reason why Tosin Demehin can league Rivers and walk into a French side.

U called out the whole team, I am not a mind reader. How I'm I to know u only meant the Nigerian players?

Glory Edet is NOT there yet. She has shown she has the POTENTIAL to be a starter, but she is definitely not there yet.
For the record, Glory Edet, has been previously invited to the SF camp (within the last 18 months) and deemed not good enough then. Has she improved since? Possibly. Did she play well in this edition of the CAFWCL? Yes. Is she good enough to START RIGHT AWAY for the Super Falcons? Absolutely not!

BascoVanVeli:
Yes Glory Edet and you forgot to add that she was involved in almost all our attacks. IMO she is good enough to start right away.

By 'International standard', that meant playing at the WORLD level. The fact that a player excels in a Continental competition (Continental Standard) does NOT, by any means, imply that player is of 'International standard'. HUGE difference!

BascoVanVeli:
International standard? The whole Bayelsa attack are international standard but it just happens that the Super Falcons have a lot of quality players. They could start for 90% of the continent.

Not sure about the relevance or indeed, your reference to Cameroonian players as it pertains to the SF, as they will NEVER be in line to play for Nigeria (which is the primary focus here). I stand by my previous assertion.

BascoVanVeli:
Precious Emmanuel is also a quality midfielder even Ornela Touta who is Cameroonian. Can't forget Gabrielle Bawuo who is easily a top 5 goalkeeper in the continent.
Saying none of them are international standard is just crazy. Maybe their defense was suspect but the team is really good.

As usual, blame the white man.
So, out of curiousity, didn't Pinnick appoint Edwin Okon as the Chief Scout for the Super Falcons? Isn't it HIS job to scout and make recommendations to Randy, especially the HB players?
So, WTF has he done so far, except to recommend that 'whale of a goal keeper', you know, the one that kept for Rivers Angels last year in this same competition, who was quickly dismissed from the SF camp by Randy (and rightly so). Yet, its all about Randy being the one to blame, but all the hanger-ons (you know, the so called 'supporting staff', who do absolutely nothing but sit their fat behinds on the bench and chase estacode) get a free pass?
Na wah!

justicechichex:
True.. That number 9 gave everything she had and she's good as well.. Randy no fit take note coz em dey e country dey teach university students...

I believe you're referring to the #9 (Glory Edet - RB) not Etim.
Even though she did a good job marking out the Morroccan player Taugnut, don't believe she is ready to start for the Super Falcons just yet.
For me, she was by far the only player on the Bayelsa team worth recognizing. The others were simply not up to international standard.

BascoVanVeli:
Glory Etim the best player in the tournament. She is good enough to start for the Super Falcons today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVguGxG-L_s
Game is on CAFTV ((YouTube channel)

daveP:
Any link for this game pls?

Game is on CAFTV YouTube

Any link for this game pls?[/quote]

So, what (or should I say how) did the exposure she got at the last CAFWCL with Rivers Angels help her potentials?
What about all the other (and higher profile) exposures she got, including the WAFCON, matches with some of the top 10 teams in the world, etc do to enhance her help expose her as a precocious talent, which y’all continue to say she is ?
Y’all really need to stop overhyping this girl - she really is an average player at this point in time.
Let’s leave it at that.

Danielnino00:
I said the same thing right after the WAFCON... The CAFWCL would have been a good exposure for her....
Let's hope we see her on the pitch soon again.. the girl has a lot of potentials.....

Google or YouTube could be helpful…

carbonado:
....never seen a clip of her, do not know what she is like in goal, would be nice to see something...

Not all African countries have a viable Women's football program.
Perhaps, in the near future?

Deltamani:
AFC Women’s Under 20 ,AFC Women’s Under 17 Qualifying draws


Why can’t CAF adopt this method? Is it that all CAF Nations are not financially capable??

Never heard of her…

Going forward, videos clips give a better opportunity to assess her skills, as opposed to ‘stills’ (pictures), which don’t tell you anything.

Deltamani:
Danish Elitedivisionenen|Nigerian Forward Joy Omewa Can't Stop Scoring Spearheads Team Of The Week After Netting Brace.

Nigerian Forward Joy Omewa scored her fourth goal of the season as her Danish Clubside Fortuna Hjoring beat Kolding IF by 3-1 on Sunday.

The Former Osun Babes Forward opened scoring in the 33rd minute, before Maiken Rasmussen leveled up for the away side seven minutes after.

Sofie Lundgaard fired Fortuna up in the 53rd, before the young Nigerian forward completed her brace in the 60th minute, through an assist from Sia Olar.

Omewa also scored two goals against FC Thy-Thisted in the week 9 fixture.

The Lagos Born Forward deservedly made the team of the week in the week 10 of the Danish Elitedivisionenen.

Fortuna Hjorring are presently placed third in the standings of the Danish Elitedivisionenen after ten matches played.

Let me get this straight...
In spite of all the amount of talent coming out of Canada now, a 15 yr old girl of Nigerian descent is deemed good enough to be invited to the Canadian Snr women's team, yet you are talking about Flamingos?
I mean, seriously

PDPGuy:
Could be useful to the 2024 Flamingos.

��
29 my behind. �
Person wey finish poly before playing U17…
I beg, make we leave Matta, joor.

Deltamani:
Hooor

The Desire Oparanozie I know will be 29 by 17 December this year, there are players that are older than her in the Superfalcons..

Old mama in retirement league.
Boring.

Deltamani:
Big no.9

Skills:
She is the kind of striker that will rely on her pace and shooting, as opposed to her dribbling skills. She has a lot in common with Oshoala, who is a poor 1v1 dribbler but could be lethal with her pace and scoring.

Finishing:
She is certainly NOT a below average scorer. She has been largely unlucky, with some of her shots either being saved or clanging off the woodwork. Had that not been the case, she certainly would have been amongst the top scorers in this competition. Wouldn't be surprised if she ended up having the most shots on goal, which is a very good thing. Her finishing can always be worked on by a good club coach and she can actualize her potential as a lethal striker.

lovewins:
Player Review

Ajakaye is crude and raw. Full of potential, but needs refining.

My desire for her is that she gets signed to a club that will groom her, instill in her the basics and prepare her for the great future ahead of her.

Ajakaye is fast, pact and every defender's nightmare. She however gets in her own way most times. You'll notice she rarely takes on defender's, she'll rather shoot the ball (on or off target) than attempt to dribble past a player or get herself in a better position to shoot.

She's also needs to learn how to finish, for a striker her finishing is far below average. She triumphed during the qualifiers largely because if the quality of teams we played.

Priority for her now is attaching herself to a club that will help her development. I'll even suggest she seeks college scholarship in the US, particularly with Universities with amazing programs. Really hope to see her grow into the amazing player she's designed to be

The World Cup is not a stage for unrefined, crude players, when you have forged, refined proven players with finesse.
Ajakaye, in her current state is certainly NOT ready for the 2023 WWC!

oloriooko:
U17 fast-paced Ajakaye should be included in coming WC cuz that gal is a raw material that can be formed into a super star

And you know for a fact that he doesn’t know who his best players are? Especially after the rash of injuries that has hit the team and new players coming on board?
The bedrock of a solid team is its defense. It is extremely difficult to lose at match IF you have a strong defense.
Nigeria is in a much better space now, defensively, than we were last year. A ton more quality options available to choose from.

isan:
Our coach is technically not good enough , after years with the team he still doesn't his best 11 , he's all about defense , if waldrum could play Ajibade and Oshoala as center backs he will play them there that is how bad he is when it comes to team selection

Peace is currently ahead of her - there is a big difference in playing Uni ball and Professional ball.
Nonetheless, I would select her as well for the experience, as she definitely has a seat at the table going forward, based on her talent and performance so far.

Deltamani:
Going to the World Cup I will definitely Pick Onyi ahead of Rita Chikwelu, Peace Efih and Esther Onyenezide.

But I’m seeing Chikwelu going to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup at least to add to her number of World Cup before retiring..

Will NEVER understand what the facination (or should I say romance) is with a spent player who has been pretty useless to the Super Falcons for the past 4 years, having barely scored a single goal, even when the team was going through trying times.
This is someone who is completely lacking in pace, who is a very poor team player and offers absolutely nothing up front. Off the field, she is a rabble rouser who has done a lot to distabilize the team. She is someone who is in some far away league, where she has made little or no impact, goals wise.

Nigeria is blessed with much more exciting players at our disposal:

Asisat Oshoala
Rasheedat Ajibade
Ifeoma Onumonu
Francisca Ordega
Uchenna Kanu
Esther Okoronkwo
Toni Payne
Rinsola Babajide (if and when her transfer comes through)

Thats EIGHT ( 8 ) strikers/wingers, 4 of whom are CFs who are in their prime and who would add more value than mommy. It would be incredibly dumb of Randy or any other coach to bring in a player who is past her prime and has absolutely nothing to offer, but cause problems in camp.

We really need to move forward with a team full of high energy players, not a team with players who are way past their 'sell by' date.

Deltamani:
Their position are stocked up, If Esther Okoronkwo gets back to form which she will definitely go to the World Cup and it’s certain by January/February she should be playing fully cause right now she’s trying out individual training already..
Esther Okoronkwo, Uchenna Kanu on the Left Wing as their main position and you think Flourish Sabastine can dispose them off? Francisca Ordega is in top form right now in Russia, She plays Left or Right Wing, You think Flourish stand a chance?

Rasheedat Ajibade?
Asisat, Onumonu and Desire for sure owns the no.9 with Asisat looking more like a Player that would come in from the Flank ..

If Desire Oparanozie return, Maclean’s is out

She seems to be short on confidence in her abilities, which she can overcome with some psychological help.

Deltamani:
Oshoala finishing is very much questionable….. Her major problem right now…

Looking likely that Demehin, Imuran and Abiodun would make the squad.

daveP:
That Linda Caicedo will definitely go to the world cup next year.

We can't say same for any 3players from the combo of our u17 and u20 teams. Add the Coach we have for the Super Falcons right now and it becomes even worse.

Summary
The girls gave it a shot but it wasn't enough to get to the finals. Kudos to them for getting this far and I know they must be gutted at not making it to the finals. They all hoped that accomplishment would benefit them financially and career wise, as most of them come from humble beginnings. Wish them all the very best going forward.

Picks of the Litter
Based on their individual performances over the 5 competitive games, I would hazard a guess that the following might have a bright future beyond the U17 team.

1. Amina Bello - Her overall performance in each match was good and she has the skills set to become a Super Falcon. Good pace, movement and awareness on and off the ball. She is definitely one to keep an eye on.

2. Opeyemi Ajakaye - pacy striker who caused a lot of problems for many of the teams she played against. Unlucky not to find the net in this competition. Needs to work on her ball control (first touch) and 1v1 skills, but could also be groomed to becoming a winger.

3. Blessing Emmanuel - sleek, hard working midfielder, who exhibited a lot of field generalship, busting up plays and providing the needed support to the attack.

4. Shakira Oyinlola - quiet defender, who sometimes goes unnoticed but seems to always be in the right place at the right time. Did a good job on Caicedo who, by the way, if a full Colombian international and is being looked at as the next best thing out of Colombia. My only concern is her pace, which she will likely work on and get better. One to keep an eye on.

5. Faith Omilana - Similar, if not slightly better, performance with Nnadozie at the U17 in terms of not being able to catch the ball cleanly sometimes. However, her positioning in 1v1 situations is quite good for a 17 yr old. Several point blank saves against Caicedo will definitely bode well for her. Hopefully, she can work hard and position herself to compete for a spot in the SF, as she has all the key elements to become a really good SF goalie. Certainly, one for the future.

Why must everything be about blaming someone?
For goodness sake, these girls are kids, yet you feel it is right to 'blame' them?
That's not cool at all. Cut them some slack. They are devasted enough - no need to pile coal on them

mostob:
The biggest blame goes to Edafe IMO. Immediately she lost that kick, Nigeria crashed out because that totally ripped the confidence of the team apart.

The save she made was on which side? Her right.
She also was close to one played to her right.
Colombians quickly figured that was her strong suit and started playing to her left, which they all scored.
A descent goalkeeping coach would have noticed that and called her attention to it, through signals or some other means of communication (which would they have derived during training).
That's what coaches are there for.

mostob:
she didn't need any guidance for that kick. Colombia played almost all their kicks same way...same direction, what other guidance did she need to figure things out? If she had dived for one of them, that would have changed something.

Shouldn't that be on the Goalkeeping coach to have mapped out a strategy on what to do with each penalty?
Couldn't he have devised a plan during training with Jiwuaku on signals from the bench on which side to focus on?
The keeper needed guidance and didn't get it from the coaching staff.
Instead, we had prayer warriors on the bench, hoping on fasting and praying to see us through.

Gusau shows up and the team incurs a loss.

daveP:


To face Germany na.

Two defenders missed their kicks. Chai. Edafe too suppose chill.

Well the bigger blame rests on Jiwuaku. She no just wan choose side to follow even if it ends up in the net

Per the commentator, 6 members of the Colombian team played in the recent U20 WWC.

do4luv14:
Is it only me, or who though the Colombians are overage, Even the Ref is not protecting our players,

we. should be very very careful, With derelicts near our box

Like I stated, that team was pretty much on cruise control, with a majority of 'veterans of many a WAFCON' on board and few newbies (2016). They had a lot of experience and pretty much knew the drill, what to expect and how to navigate the stormy waters to get to the final.
Juxtapose that against a team of youngsters and greenhorns (2022).

Sorry, but the team she was coaching (i.e. with the U14/15s) was a developmental league team.You have a ton of them in the US. Really doesn't take much to become a coach on such a team or program - if you have played College (Univ.) ball, you pretty much have the credentials to coach such a team. There are hundreds, if not thousands of such teams in the US.

Deltamani:
At least the Florence Omagbemi we’re talking about was actually Coaching the Youth team before she lead the Falcons to the WAFCON Victory in Cameroon.. If she’s not doing well as a Coach there’s no way her team would retain her, she would have been sacked long ago, One thing is to Coach, the other is to know how to cave out wining and also to win trophies…

Randy isn’t that Coach, his CV is fucking Poor..

Even at the Youth Levels Omagbemi still wins trophies back to back..

How can that be a fair and equitable comparison? The teams and opposition in both years were completely different (an old team at its prime, pretty much on cruise control and a relatively new team at its infancy).

Also, the body of work of both coaches is vastly different, like night and day. Let's agree to disagree - I have no intentions of disparaging Flo to make my point.

Your 'ask' will likely never see the light of day, because of folks (like yourself) who would rather run the man out of town. In closing, I would rather benchmark his overall value to the SF based on his WWC performance, as opposed to the AWCON.

Deltamani:
Just because Florence isn’t Coaching a Pro team, Semi Pro or A College Team in the US doesn’t mean Randy is better than her…

I still put it to you that Florence is far better…
Ask Randy to bring an AWCON trophy at least let’s see since both Coaches have led the team to the AWCON on different occasions..(2016 and 2022)

One hard everything in a platter of gold and failed Woefully while the other succeeded without adequate preparation..

Nah wah!

Few questions for you that jump out are...
1. Is Oshoala playing with the same energy levels then as she is now? (consider pace, finishing, passion, etc?). Ditto that for Oparanozie, Ebi, Ordega, Okobi.
2. Is the tactical organization better then, or better now (by that I mean under Flo vs. Randy?)
3. As a team, did the South Africans have better players then or now?

I challenge you to watch how the South Africans played then and compare it to their team now. That should give you a measure of how much they have improved. And I dare say, IF this SA played Flo's team then, I am not sure I would bet against SA winning. They are more organized, more disciplined and a whole lot more confident now.

The improvements for us now are that our football is more refined in comparison to the past, as we have more tactically and strategically aware players now than back then. I look at the likes of Ajibade, Onumonu, Esther Okoronkwo, Toni Payne, Plumptre, Nnadozie and co and smile, knowing that we have much more capable and exciting players than before. Also, and most importantly (which most of you tend to forget), our team is undergoing a major refresh, as a lot of the old guard are...old, and are being phased out. We have pretty much run the old horses to the ground and now we are forced to onboard younger players and have them grow up overnight. So, to expect the team to play like they should be a well-oiled-machine is definitely NOT going to happen immediately.

I say this with the utmost respect for Flo (who I like a lot) but it's funny that the person who you say is not a PE teacher is someone who has struggled to get a respectable coaching gig in the US, after spending many years there. Her body of work (winning the AWCON) should have been more than enough to get a decent coaching assignment. However, that has not been the case.

Deltamani:
AkinDS and Co…

Please take your time and watch this games and tell me what improvements Randy have made in the team from 2016 till date…?

Thomas Dennerby was known for his Long balls and trying out 3 CBs ( Ohale, Ikidi and Onome) at the back which didn’t work well but was still better than Randy


Watch this Nigeria game against SA and see the difference between the First and Second half, then you would know that Omagbemi is a Coach not that PHE teacher.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4DyRvbasBE



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qA3vJpo2QU

How is Randy to blame for Nnadozie's screwup of not holding onto a routine low cross in the 6 yrd box? Common guys, are we groping at straws here?
Isn't this the same defensive posture Nigeria used to hold Morocco at bay for over an hour with two (2) players down? Anything to get at Randy, eh?

lovewins:
In the game against Morocco, even a dummy knew what had to be done, but Randy lost that game. [b]With 1 man down we had a goal advantage, he instead left the girls vulnerable instead of making defensive changes. [/b]It was also clear to everyone watching that Onumonu was tired, yet he left her to play 120 minutes. He's responsible for her missing that penalty cause her legs were gone and she shouldn't have been left in that game.

I guess he is also responsible for players he extended invites to who had to pull out due to injury and visa problems, right? Unbelievable! This is just low on the part of you folks.

lovewins:
Our first game against USA, he started with the worst combination of players possible. Even before the game started we argued here about possible lineup. He corrected it in the second game and we had a much better outing.

He's responsible for who he invites to the team, no one else is. So when we go hard on him as we should, it's because he ultimately calls the shots

Wow!
This has to be the most warped statement I have heard in years of following football

Following YOUR sense of logic, Randy and his coaching crew MUST take credit for stifling the Moroccans for over an hour playing 2-women down and taking them to penalties, a feat NEVER accomplished in world women's football.
You will give him kudos for that, right?

codemaniacs:
It's Waldrum that picks the team..

It's Waldrum and the coaching staff that didn't tell them to mark softly..