Odunayaw:
Who were you criticizing when you were talking about humility and faith?

So hosting a victory party before the ball is kicked is the way to go?

Mujtahida:

We don lose na. You don win. Carry your trophy

Why do some of you think whoever criticises the team automatically hates the team? This is like the thinking of a douche bag kid in some expensive private school. Good lord!

Mujtahida:

We don lose na. You don win. Carry your trophy

Asin how na? You think it's easy enduring this loss? Abi you think you're more Nigerian than me?

Mujtahida:

No be only squad na squash. Typical. As we don lose, una don get mouth. You'd be hyped abi and your hypeness would not have affected the team. See you

I have been quite active on this thread all through the competition. We don loose una get mouth is coming from where?
From day1 of the competition, I've pointed the strength and weakness of this team. The result of this final is not a shock because the signs were there.

Mujtahida:

Like Odunayaw said there's no victory in being a craven mouse. We lost. But I'd rather stay with those with heart to believe than with those who hide behind their fears and feign false humility and want to be right when we lost.

If we had been playing squash buckling football all through the games, I'd have been super hyped but the frailty of the team is well documented rather people think we can luck our way to steal the trophy playing like a mid table team.

TheSuperNerd:
Onyeka was the Spine of our midfield at this tournament. And remember, even I didn't rate Onyeka enough to start in my first 11 for a 433. But Onyeka shone in this 343 and won my heart.

Iwobi's best match came vs Equatorial Guinea in a 433. He was out of his depths in this 343. He was covered up for plenty times.

The team practically carried Iwobi all through the tournament. He brought zero control to the midfield.
Even up to my younger sister who doesn't watch football was telling me how rubbish Iwobi was today over the phone. Crazy

Mujtahida:

Rohr is humble. The kind of humility Barryseal is comfortable with.

I'd rather face the truth than being deceived by some big time Charlie.

Mujtahida:

This sort of craveness na wa. Here you go again. I ask: did we lost this match because of our lack of humility? So if we'd been humble, we would have won? Point out one single instance of boastfulness on the part of the players and the coach?

Did you not read Ivorians boasting they'd win because it's written in the stars? Omo your way of judging things is baffling.

I dont think we had any Ivorien on this thread. I wouldn't know what they said or didn't say, my point was that the bandwagonism and lack of depth to proper analysis by champions of this thread was baffling.
A little point I raised about the SA striker having a field day was met with stoic push back, even with video evidence.
The insatiable point everyone wanted to hear was how we will wipe the floor with Ivory coast. People were just farming likes without any form of substance or analysis.

Mujtahida:

The midfield issue is rather the side note to your comment. The substance which you have hammered on repeatedly is the over-confidence of the fans

Check the comment again and tell if the corner stone of the comment was about the fans.

Omanambala:


All I am saying is we need ball playing midfielders. If they like let the elevate Iwobi to a god status, that midfield will still suffer. Iwobi is not a midfielder. Iwobi is a minus one in that midfield

I shudder to think that majority of Nigerians don't know what a good CM looks like that's why they venerate Iwobi as much as they do.

Mujtahida:

How did that affect our play on the pitch? Omo fans can say they expect a spanking. Did our coach say so? Did our players say so?

This misdiagnosis is grating. It's really an immature and unrealistic way to think that fans on SM with their attitude whether positive or negative are responsible for the victories we've had and the loss today.

Mature analysis is that which analyzes our in-game approach rather than attributing this defeat to the attitude of fans. You no be small pikin na. Cos na secondary school pupil suppose dey think like this.

I feel you're majoring on the minor here. I never said the fans were responsible for the loss. It was just a foot note in my comment which you're blowing up for reasons I have no idea.
My initial comment was that the defence by passed the midfield and lumped it up to Osimhen majority of the game. We had no control whatsoever in the match as a result, we lost.

Goke7:


see we had beaten CIV before so it's normal if folks are confident, there is no sin in that. The fans are not the ones on the pitch but the players, All our best players so far from Aina, Bassey, Lookman, and Oshimen were all poor today. Only Ekong, Nwabali and maybe onyeka tried. It was down to the players, don't bring the fans into this, our role is to support the team.

Well, I guess it's normal to hype the players since they got to the finals. But I feel most of the fans didn't respect the Ivorians enough. A coach like Arteta fires up his players with comments from social media. He did that with comment from Ivan Toney, I'm sure most coaches do that.

Mujtahida:

So your team will play and enter final and you'd not be confident they'd win? Omo so your expectation was that we'd lost the match? Weren't the Ivorians confident? Why did they come to the stadium? If they had lost, you'd have told them that it was their over-confidence as fans that made their team lost?

I really detest misdiagnosis.

This fan talk is what I don't get. Is it the fans that play the ball?

Alot of people were living in denial. We got to the final to play the host, a power house like Ivory coast, came to the thread all I was seeing was talk about spanking Ivory coast. On the back of the South Africa outplaying us in the semi final.
I think it was the moniker Forgiveness who said we should stay humble, that God rewards humility.
As a people I hope we take home a lesson from this episode.

Goke7:


who dey midfield?

If I speak

kennysville:


If we no get confidence wetin we come get?

My brother, I said nothing before this game, I had a hunch we will be in for a shocker. I was rather taken aback reading all sorts with people predicting how we will spank Ivory coast.

On balance of play we simply didn't deserve to win. We even got lucky Ekong scored from that set piece.
The defence didn't trust the midfield, they kept lumping it up to Osimhen.
The fans themselves were over confident. Where all the confidence was coming from, I had no idea.

Danielnino00:
So Ibrahim Sangare has Nigerian ancestry through his mother..

That's interesting

No he doesn't.

mostob:
Haller and Adingra starting tomorrow will be a game changer of we're not careful. All those long balls Krasso was wasting will be well utilized by Haller.

We will need Simon tomorrow to help with Adingra otherwise I would have opined Moffi or Nacho should start alongside Osimhen.

Exactly. Haven seen how a tall frightened our defence against SA, it's a given they will start Haller.

Mujtahida:

I watched it but I didn't see how he gave Ekong especially any problems oo.

For a striker to have that many highlights it tells the story he was a manace in the game. Some strikers go through an entire game without a single shoot on target and maybe something like 5 touchés the entire match. Someone like Halaand in cagey games, if he doesn't score sits on this table.

Odunayaw:
That you are using this video as your proof of "the problems" he caused just defeats your point.

Only 3 things worthy of note. The release to Tau, the forced save from Nwabali and the turn-shoot.

The rest of the video DIDN'T show him out muscling our defenders. On the contrary he ends up falling all over the places when he gets a challenge.

The only player he never duels in our backline is Bright.

Again, it is not for nothing I jested "No-Evidence Makgopa". His best game was against Morocco by finding space between their CBs something he was never able to do with us. That is why his shots in the game had to come from way outside because Mokoena had to screen for him.

You're welcome to overblow Ekong's fitness but you'd almost make a mockery of video proof to make a point that he had a bad game against SA.

Thank you

If the video proved the contrary then I wonder who was then causing the problems for Nigeria? If nobody was causing problems then the match should have been a walk over for us.

Mujtahida:

This is a totally incorrect assessment of the game. Ekong was as usual the pillar in that defense making crucial blocks, keeping shape, joining the attack on several occasions more than in other matches. And this incidence he got carded was not a show of weakness. It was wisdom.

If you watch this comp keenly you will see Ekong was employing the tactics in local parlance called "handover". I don't know how to best describe it but watch.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWFHFFEkp8E?si=WGE7rfNVAoVbcNgk

comodo:

I don't know the match which you watched. So you expect Ekong that has been in the field for more than 100 mins to catch a player that have not played up to 20mins. Tell me say na joke. I guess u didn't notice that Ekong matched him stride to stride until he made sure that he was not the last man before he took the guy out.

What's your point exactly? Are you sure you read through my back and forth with him before writing this?

Odunayaw:
I was expecting you'd keep pulling things out of thin air.

Makgopa had a decent match. But it is not for nothing I came here to yab him as "No-Evidence Makgopa" after the match. He had one of the lowest ratings for his team.

Maybe you're confusing the players because most are baldies.

The only shot he had all game was that turn and shoot.

This was his comp. If there was any player who we had problems dealing with, it was him. His threat was evident.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWFHFFEkp8E?si=-uXkRbwjqde4S8Sa

The Ghanaian analysts talked about him prior


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW5CieiGipo?si=_gslIZAqsPwJcnIW

I'm a pure football fan, I like to watch and learn not taken to prior bias. We know Ekong hasn't been 100% fit. His tigh issue is well documented. He missed one match but he's battling through the competition. If we play with 2 CBs, Ekong and his issues will be exposed. The 3 CBs compliment each other that's fundamental.

Odunayaw:
Makgopa worried Ekong? Which match did you watch?

Outpaced once AND the only time there was a foot race is now most of the game?

What match did you watch?

You're being too emotional, I didn't say Ekong is a bad player I'm telling you that particular game was his worst.
Like you have no idea Magokpa had a fantastic game? If a No9 is having such a game who do you think he's walking?

Who are the coaches listed to take over from Peseiro? The NFF should have 5 candidates at the back of their mind now if they are real professionals.

Marjoribanks:
I held similar opinion not until we played South Africa.
Even most analyst believed the South Africans carved us open on both the left and right side cos Sanusi did not play and Aina is not comfortable playing as LWB.
No country has been able to open up our defense like the Southies did.
Bassey looked so uncomfortable in that game.
Sanusi defensive qualities and pace make things easier for Bassey.

It was Ekong who didn't look comfortable in that game. Let's not kid ourselves, that was Ekong's worst match in this tournament. That Bafana numb 9, Evidence Makgopa worried Ekong so much in that game. He practically took Ekong on a dog walk almost all game.
That yellow card Ekong got which we all applauded was infact a show of weakness as he was outpaced most of the game. I want to believe it was the tigh injury he's carrying but if he's not fully fit, please and please, Omeruo should start tomorrow.

mostob:
Oops so sorry bro...
I remember a particular arsenal match. we were hugging and dragging ourselves. Like a minute later, I felt some cool breeze finding their ways into my chest region. I looked down to find out what was wrong only to discover about three buttons have been ripped off. Football is just crazy.

How far about the phone now?

Its well my brother. Fixed now

mostob:
I felt the tension..I had to pour cold water on my head twice or so.

Yesterday's match and that WC final, I don't know which one raised BP pass.

After Iheanacho's pk, a random dude hugged me so tight that he cracked my Samsung screen which was in my pocket. Went to the repairers for screen replacement today, they said its 250k

By the way, I hope everyone on this thread is OK. Been reading alot today about comrades who lost their lives during yesterday's game.
Read about a Nigerian who died after Oshimen's goal was cancelled and penalty awarded against. Talk about roller coaster of emotions.
The last time I felt this sort of tension during Nigerians match was 2006 Afcon semi final against Tunisia. They started by misrepresenting our national anthem then to a score draw and penalties. I pissed on my body during that match walahi. Roger Lamier, the French Tunisian coach told a reporter years after that Nigeria gave him hypertension during that match.

BankyGee:
Victor Osimhen, Frank Onyeka, Stanley Nwabali and Troost Ekong make the Sofascore Team of the Week for semifinals of the 2023 AFCON 🇳🇬💚🦅

Evidence Makgopa should be in the list. He really worried our defence all night with his skill and pace.

mostob:
Well....that isn't a valid proof bro. He might have dived because he misjudged the direction of the ball. He doesn't look like someone who was injured.

I have nothing to gain. That guy kept clutching and his right shoulder after clashing with Lookman. During the shootout, he avoided diving to the bad side. I thought our players didn't notice but looking back at the video I noticed almost all our penalties went to his damaged side and he kept diving to his left. It's a pattern. Iheanacho broke the pattern and nearly paid for it. It's just a personal observation.

mostob:
What if it was a bait. Some smart GKs use this tactic.

All his dives was to his left. That tells his right shoulder was legit hurt. Apart from Ekongs Pk which he banked on him shooting straight to the middle before he dived after the ball.

To their credit most of our players played towards his right or straight down the middle like Moffi, apart from Kelechi whose pk he could have caught when he played to his favoured side.