₦airaland Forum

Mujtahida:
Don't worry about who will be in the first eleven. Look at the Bench and rejoice. Some matches will be won from the bench. Remember against Zambia, Iwobi came from the bench and ramped up our attacking firepower. Against Argentina, Idowu and Ebuehi came from the bench and fortified the defence and added bite to the attack.

Look at our bench and rejoice not like in 2014 where you'd look at the bench and see Rastaman Uchebo and Ruben Gabriel

lmao such a depressing bench then

Mujtahida:
Whatever position he's played in for his club that has earned him plaudits should be the position he should play for the Super Eagles. But as per his energy I think a box to box midfielder is perhaps his best position. Let him carry his energy everywhere. It's like some children with good bustling energy. If you restrict their movement too much they become dull and sometimes they fall sick. Allow dem yawo and they'd be happy.

I want our players to be happy as they play. That's one secret weapon that can make our game deadly, free and spontaneous. Beautiful chaos or organised ruthlessness. Any one, we dey.

errrm under a german man not too sure that would happen

Kog45:
Jay Jay was a real gem as at 94,rookie who had everything to become the best in the world but guess what,Okocha then was just having fun.

Pls go and watch Jay Jay against Italy at US 94 or against England at Wembley,there you see very unserious Okocha with his magic foot dribbling who care to see him.

I remember against Italy it reached a point Yekini and Finidi looked at Okocha in dismayed cos the two are free and expecting a pass but Okocha was to himself and telling the Italians with his displayed that i sabi play ball not knowing football is about result and we later paid for it when Italy equalized.

Okocha of post US 94 would have taken the team to final cos at later stage of his career (98-2004)Jay Jay see football as a serious business.During this period we saw Okocha that don't laugh when he balloon free kick into the air like he normally did at Atlanta 96

I know a lot would be surprised that a real talented player like Okocha couldn't win Africa footballer of the year even a serious minded Okocha should have won world player of the year cos he got the potential.

Mikel of 2018 is better than Okocha of 1994.

especially african cup of nations in 2000..to me that was okocha's best tournament for eagles

Mujtahida:
The guy chop bench from the SA match through the double header to Cameroun, he wasn't even invited the match against Zambia. In Algeria he resumed as Bench manager with one of his assistants Nwakaeme on the pitch while Agbo continued to assist him on the bench.

In Russia, in the land of Putin, where the Russia Bear howls at night, he continued as Bench manager but this time for forty five minutes only. He came into the game in the second half and sang a song with his legs 'Rohr don't take me back to no bench'.

lmao

mazimee:
How time flies, Tyronne Ebuehi once rejected his invite to play for Nigeria.

Tyronne Ebuehi Later accepted to play for Nigeria

Tyronne Ebuehi Later become the chairman of bench warming management and logistics in Super Eagles.

Tyronne Ebuehi Later declared his willingness to manage the bench warming office in Russia.

Tyronne Ebuehi now an important part of the team,threatening to bench Shehu who was once the best thing after chocolate for the RB position.

Indeed, Time and chance happen to everything.

when did the bold happen?

Kog45:
Sir better than 94&98 team.

In 94 team we have Sunday Olishe,Austin Okocha,Mutiu Adepoju,Thompson Oliha and Emeka Ezeugu but funny enough Westerhoff trusted an attacker Samson Siasia in the midfield position head of natural midfielders,this can't happen in this present team.

In 98 team we have Sunday Olishe,Austin Okocha,Mutuu Adepoju, Garba Lawal and Wilson Oruma but this team look solid like present team but i see Garba Lawal competing with only Mikel Agu.

This present team is rich in midfield, pls check it out Mikel, Ndidi, Onazi,Etebo, Ogu,Joel and Agu.

emeka ezeugo was a defender though

Mujtahida:
There's more to developing football in Nigeria than just relying on FBs for tournaments.

Think about the socio-economic value: jobs for young men and women as players, media operators, PR handlers, physiotherapists, agents, scouts, coaches, instructors, administrative officials etc.

It's really big as in if it's structured as an enterprise. And we have a young population

i actualy did not make that statement like i support it..it is just a sign of something systematically wrong with our football.

Mujtahida:
The book is really good. Glad you enjoyed it.
Fact is football is now knowledge driven. If we don't set up the structures now then in the next ten years we will find that those who have the knowledge will have the power and we might not be able to cope with the competition.

or we increase a pattern we are already into which relying on 'foreign born' Nigerians.

somehow:
Well that's what he meant when I restated that no single player can be said to win or play a football match alone. Influence is different from actually winning on your own. If you like score 50 goals, if your defence and midfield refuse to do their part, you will concede 55 goals from your opponent. Just don't fancy the hype we always give individual players in a team sport like football.

You can limit the story of one person winning a match or game to sprint, table tennis (singles) or long tennis (singles), not football!

the hype exists because one man can make a difference..there is a reason why at times an opponent focuses on stopping a player in a team because they realize the player makes the difference.

discusant:
Enjoy.

Okorocha's government is a windfall for your lot.

Any body talking about Imo state outside Owerri is disgusting.

rochas is from orlu zone isnt he?so why?

somehow:
That's the interpretation of what he meant.

nope it is what you think it is

somehow:
Meaning he didn't need the help of the other 10 players and the coaching staff to play or win?

not sure where in that his comment he said that

Mujtahida:
Defenders were more brutal then. Watch Maradona vs Brazil in Italia 90 qtr finals. Defenders took out Van Basten and he had to retire at the early age of 27. Roberto Baggio was constantly injured by the rugged defenders in the Serie A. What about Andoni Goikoetxea Olaskoaga of Athletic Bilbao also known as the 'Butcher of Bilbao' a player who nearly ended Maradona's career with a career threatening injury. Football was very physical then but perhaps slower. Today the pace has been ramped up such that players are athletes but more protection is afforded to attackers now than in previous times.

also argentina vs italy espana 82 and what maradona suffered against claudio gentile.

somehow:
You mean these 2 guys played alone against 11 men opponents and won?

read the last sentence,,they had overwhelming influence in their sides' winning the world cup at their times..probably the only players tagged winning world cup 'almost singlehandedly'.

TheSuperNerd:
Only on Mikel and this fast counter attack talk....

You saw the fast/Super quick passing that led to the Super Eagles' third goal against Argentina abi? You know it was from Ndidi to Iheanacho then to Mikel who found Iwobi, who then found Iheanacho (again) before his last touch rolled into Idowu's path....

Just take a look at that movement. Free flowing quick counter attacking football and it was not just about the movement but about letting the ball do the running too. IT WAS ABOUT THE QUICK PASSING EXCHANGES.

Mikel don't have to run much during a counter attack... All he needs to do is quickly release the ball into the Path OR feet of his younger attacking team mates like Iwobi, Moses, Nacho etc... Mikel is the orchestrator and for him, his role in this team's attacking style is not about his running but about his quick creative passing.

Another example is his quick creative pass to Ighalo to set him on the run for that first goal against Cameroun. Mikel didn't even have to turn and look at Ighalo. He already knew where he was. That is the quickness and speed I speak of. Speed in his brains and not in his feet.


Mikel's genius is key in this system and he has been at the center of it all when Nigeria blew teams away with the system so why semd him to the DM role? Why send our most intelligent and most creative midfield genius to the DM role? Unless you want him to operate as a regista akin to Pirlo? A deep-lying playmaker with a box-to-box partner and then with another partner in the CM role? Well unless that, biko hapu Mikel as the team's CAM... Having him there makes our attacking third delightful to watch and even more fearsome to contain.

i agree with you on this..quick thinking and release of passes can be deadlier than running with the ball

Daejoyoung:
football then was different, attackers dribbled defenders easily on a more consistent basis.

1962 yes but 1986 no..defenders of the 80s and 90s are slower than defenders of now but they were more rugged and ruthless and fifa rules now protected top strikers and midfielders LESS then than now

Icon79:
So the Argies will use Barcelona's training facilities for their preparation? Wow, this is what you call clout!!

Seriously, Argentina would win this World Cup, if the AFA can get their acts together and if the other Argentine super stars show (Dybala, Di Maria, Aguero, Higuin, et al.) show up. But it ain't gonna work if they leave it all for Messi to carry. No one can do it by himself, no one has ever done it by himself ... it takes 11 players.


O pari

garrincha 1962 and maradona 1986 say hi...well seriously these two players largely won the world cup by themselves.

Daejoyoung:
Yeah Okocha in some interviews, said he learnt a lot by himself in the streets, and Ronaldinho played football with his dog while growing up. The combination of the streets and the Academy could be the difference between an average player and an outstanding one at the end of the day.

i once watched a documentary where former Brazilian greats zico and rivelino were complaining of building up of open spaces in which kids did their kick abouts that existed in their times..they alluded to that the seeming dearth of supremely talented brazillian players was because of this and the springing up of academies everywhere..they believe that academies largely mould good players but not exceptional ones.

deviating...

neymar sidelined for 2 months after operation on fractured toe

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/5682493/neymar-psg-real-madrid-injury-surgery-metatarsal-fractured/?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SprnklrSUNOrganic&UTMX=Editorial:TheSunFootball:TwImageandlink:Statement:Sport

a blessing in disguise for brazil

but a blow for psg on their quest comeback from 1-3 loss to madrid in the return leg

that is a duiker

edi287:
That's from a Torino page. Didn't screenshot it properly
https://twitter.com/toropuntoit/status/968351771151216641

just seeing it now..it is actually in Italian ..well let's hope it is true

edi287:
Joel Obi has gotten his invitation for next month's friendlies

nothing in that pic confirms this though

Icon4s:
Talking about that France 98, taking Rufai to that WC was not a mistake or bad choice as peeps look at it today.
Despite how finished he was, he was our best choice.
You saw how Baruwa and William Okpara embarrassed themselves in the Yugoslavia and Holland friendlies. You think they would have performed better than what Rufai did in that WC?

That semi-retired Rufai was still our best goalkeeper at that time. That was the situation we found ourselves.

truth is experience or not any serious opposition will simply xray whoever is going to be our keeper in a match down to the bare bones and exploit it

AIG07:
can you pls expatiate the bold. Which is more important and result yielding at the highest level of football: street or academy?

it depends..when it comes to discipline and sticking to tactics one usually gets more with players that grew in an academy since they drilled from very early age however when it comes to spontaneity and the likelihood of the unpredictable one usually gets that from players that learn football in the streets.

AIG07:
This evening, while listening to Brila f.m. Danny Amokachi, Julius Agahowa and Peter Rufai were asked about our chances at Russia putting into consideration our preparation, the quality of players the team can boast of, etc and comparing them with the '94 set.

Agahowa's response caught my attention which I'll like to seek you guys opinion on.

Firstly, he said he believes in the team to deliver at the mundial. Citing the attitude of the team and team spirit as the driving force. He used the 4-2 comeback against argentina as an example to drive home is point.

He then claim that the present crop of players have one thing that was lacking in the '94 set-most of them have passed through football academies both at home and in europe and therefore have been taught the rudiment of the game which is a plus to the team.

If this line of thought is substantive and right, do you guys think early football training/schooling can stand us out from other africa representative and in one way or the other aid our overall performances in Russia?

team spirit yes..in a slightly unrelated issue there are things one learns while playing street football that one doesn't learn in an academy

Humility017:
south Africa don't just have the talent....
foot ball is not their calling....at all.

you are right

still shocked at English triumph at youth championships last year though..quite unexpected and 'unenglish' like..how it remains if those players would be given opportunity in dog eat dog premiership of these days

Humility017:
but that still better than Nigeria....
they have world class facilities, well groomed players and good organisation and planning...

so they should be respected.
don't be surpised they just won the under 17 & 20 world cup...and that is no easy feet.

this is not enough otherwise south africa should be trouncing nigeria on a steady basis

Humility017:
hmmmm...who do they have there?
England wit players like alli,Kane, vardy,rashford etc should be feared....
these players well managed can wreck any team....

in the past 15yrs England has been mediocre at international..forget premiership and hype..most of the ballers there are foreigners..apart from Harry Kane I do not fear the rest of the English players or even the English national team..as for their manager no sign that Southgate is any less mediocre than Roy hogson

awaziem on the bench for Nantes after returning from injury

Humility017:
I got your point....
though mine a bit contrary....
I will want someone else to man the post against Serbia while uzoho be called up again.....when we play England...and Czech..
reason because I expect Poland and England to try us more than the rest teams...

both team have in their ranks quality strikers to give him a trial and as well build his confidence.

I actually fear a Serbia than I fear an England

Humility017:
so unfortunate to read about the Burnley under 23 goal keeper....still don't understand why we still don't have a black skinned goal keeper in the epl and championship....may be you can throw more light into this...I will appreciate.
anyway that's a story for another day...

from your comments it is very obvious uzoho is the best chioce we have...I still believe the black skin problem is likewise telling on his devt in Spain...because from all indices had it been he was a Spanish or a Latino he would have been playing for this first team by now...

black goal keepers don't have it easy in European leagues except in the French League....many clubs rarely give them that opportunity....

so I think uzoho is not a bad gamble...for a player to have kept such number of clean sheet in the reserve team is no child's play...that league I will see to be more organized than the npfl...

I think racial issues are actually worse in Spain than in England

Mujtahida:
The bolded is a myth. It never was so in reality. Please mention those players who played for top clubs that you talking about.

i am sure he meant sunday oliseh(ajax,juve),kanu(ajax,arsenal),amunike(barca),babayaro(chelsea)