chrisooblog: Bounou might be better but I think the gist of what he is saying is that you don't necessarily need a world class keeper to win an AFCON. Once you have a tight midfield and a world class forward or striker on form you're halfway to winning a title.
AndSunGorilla: Which elite players did Morocco have when they made it to the SFs, Ziyech the elite player was steadily chopping bench. Which elite players did Costa Rica have when they made QFs. Which elite players did the Banku eaters have?
THese teams you noted, their performances are rare. It's not everytime you see teams with those kind of squad going far
If you look at most of the teams that made it to the WC QF since 2002, majority of them were in the top 10 FIFA ranking. Only a handful view ranked really low
chrisooblog: Honestly I always roll my eyes when some journalists and ex footballers from the 1994 set parrot the narrative that our golden generation of players were playing in the biggest and best clubs that year.
Oliseh? random club in Belgium. Same for Chidi Nwanu, Alloy Agu, Ikpeba etc.
Even baba Yekini na one small club for Portugal he dey.
The only high-profile clubs (then!) one or two of our players featured in then were Finidi (Ajax) and Siasia (Nantes)
Even after Olympic triumph na only few players play for big club even at that some weren't starters.
BUt he said Setubal were portuguese heavyweights then
chrisooblog: Bounou might be better but I think the gist of what he is saying is that you don't necessarily need a world class keeper to win an AFCON. Once you have a tight midfield and a world class forward or striker on form you're halfway to winning a title.
Yes, if he ended it here, it would have made more sense
But picking our keepers over bounou is just all shades of wrong
[quote author=EElopa post=141030976]I disagree with you completely on that statement. Nigeria's problem is administrative issues. I will take the Nigeria keeper over Morocco or Senegal. I will take Nigerian centre backs over Morocco and Senegal. I will take Nigeria right back, Ola Aina, over Senegal right back. Forget hype, Alex Iwobi is one of the most underrated SE players in history. I will take Alex Iwobi in that CM role over whatever Morocco or Senegal has to offer. Currently, both Senegal and Morocco are clearly better than us in the midfield area. An Inform Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze are on the same level as anything Senegal or Morocco can offer in that winger position. Victor Oshimhen is significantly better than anything Morocco or Senegal have to offer. People, you guys are understimating Nigeria too much here. Nigeria was a penalty kick away from back-to-back Afcon finals, and they were not even a host on either occasion. Nigeria's failure to qualify for the World Cup was a combination of an administrative blunder and a poor attitude from players who completely underestimated their opponents. Go back and watch the Nigeria vs. Losotho game in Uyo and see how arrogant our players were. They were missing clear-cut chances and were smiling, thinking that the goals would eventually flow in like a broken dam. If Eric Chelle were the SE coach, we would have been at the last World Cup.[/quote
Guy
You will take Nwabali/Maduka over Yassine Bonuou??
Goke7: The 2013 AFCON team just had Mikel, Moses, Onazi, (with an Ogude on the bench o), and Emenike, who were the real engine of that team. Mikel and Moses were the only ones playing in a major club like Chelsea; the rest we knew where they were.
Our current team just needs more bodies in the midfield like the 2013 team had to win AFCON
You made solid points
But by now we should be aspiring to get to World cup QFs and to do that, we need elite players
TheSuperNerd: 21y/o CAM, Gideon Goodlad started but lasted only 45mins in Corvinul Hunedoara's 3-2 home win vs FC Voluntari in the Romanian Super Liga.
22y/o CDM, Anthony Dennis started and played 80mins for Al Jazira in their goalless draw away at Sharjah SC in the Emirati League Cup.
Abeg, has Noah Atubolu been cap-tied by germany yet?
TheSuperNerd: When #12 Edokpolor and #11 Abdullahi Umar came in on 70mins, it became a proper 4-2-3-1.
The Akor Adams and #7 Umar Abubakar changes at half time saw Nwoko drift between the center and the right while Igor and Aderemi remained at the base of midfield. Simon on the left, Akor uptop and with Umar Abubakar as the SS.
But by 70mins, when Edokpolor, a natural 9 who can also play on the channels came in for Adeoye and Umar Abdullahi came in for Simon, some new dynamism came on both flanks and Nwoko dropped deeper to join Igor in a double pivot coz Umar now played slightly behind Akor. That was when the 4231 really took proper shape and we turned the tables on the Russians.
Chelle's 70mins subs did the magic.
I'll take the 4-2-3-1 over the diamond formation anytime
Very flexible and allows our wingers greater freedom. The players can also play in their natural position
We have talked about him before. Charlesemeka85 has. I have. This guy can ball at LW and RW but unfortunately he is constantly being benched by Shakhtar Donetsk.
While at LNZ Cherkasy, he was tearing up Ukraine and even powering them to the league title. His impact was so much that Shakhtar had to step in mid season and made a top offer for Obah to Cherkasy just to weaken them since they were falling behind in the title race against Cherkasy.
Cherkasy accepted. Obah moved, seeing it as a step up. In the end, the strategic move by Shakhtar paid off and they won the 2025/26 Ukrainian league with a weakened Cherkasy finishing 2nd.
Now, Obah dey chop bench like mad. This shows Shakhtar never needed him. They only bought him to weaken a rival. Obah needs to leave Shakhtar if this continues.
Not to playy devil's advocate ut this grown ass man ain't 22 na
jihday: does every formation work all the time? When the top coaches formation fails do you tell them to look for plan B or you just see it as a bad day at the office?
It will not always be because it's a bad day at the office. The formation being crap can also contribute to a woeful result
TheSuperNerd: The Russia game exposed the level of the four U23 Midfielders on display. Of all 4, only 1 really shone while 3 flunked their auditions. Remember I have said these are not even our best U23 midfielders. 2 of them invited were not allowed by their clubs to come and 1 was denied travel to Russia due to residency permit.
Stephen Fumen Michael is 19 but not ready yet. When talks of him being Nigerian Pedri was going round, I just stayed quiet. He looks good at his club but National team is always a different level. Lad has a lot to add to his game and needs to up his physical intensity.
Wilfred George Igor is 21 but lad is limited abeg. Some potential exists but right now, he is not up to it. Personally, I was actually disappointed he made the list ahead of Daga, Otomewo, Ayuma, Mukhtar and Yakubu in the first place. He was poor for the most parts yesterday. So poor that even Aderemi had more defensive contributions than him but perhaps he can still come good as he matures in Norway.
NPFL lad, 19y/o Aderemi Jacob Adeoye of Ikorodu City FC was the worst of the midfielders. Likeeeee... Dilly dallying on the ball for lack of clues on what to do with it. Backpassing unnecessarily, one of which led to the first goal we conceeded due to the Fernandez error. He was not progressive at all and cant even scan as a midfielder. Omo. He really flunked his first start audition on his 3rd Super Eagles cap.
20y/o Chibuzo "Chibby" Nwoko is the real deal & he would only get better. The only midfielder who came to really play and hold things together in the middle especially when he fell deeper in the 2nd 45. Was one of only two MFs who created a chance (other was Fumen Michael). It was also his long ball pass forward that led to Bewene's assist for Iheanacho.
He lasted 83mins and was replaced by Vince Osuji, a CB who came in and did better and more in 8mins+ than George Igor and Aderemi Combined.
I believe Chibby Nwoko added to the likes of John Otomewo, Ridwan Popoola, Mubarak Suleiman, Daniel Daga, Isreal Ayuma, David Ozoh (when his clearance is done), etc would make a more formidable U23 Midfield lineup.
Aptly put
But some people on X were saying Aderemi had a good game. Makes me wonder if we watched the same match
TheSuperNerd: The Russia game exposed the level of the four U23 Midfielders on display. Of all 4, only 1 really shone while 3 flunked their auditions. Remember I have said these are not even our best U23 midfielders. 2 of them invited were not allowed by their clubs to come and 1 was denied travel to Russia due to residency permit.
Stephen Fumen Michael is 19 but not ready yet. When talks of him being Nigerian Pedri was going round, I just stayed quiet. He looks good at his club but National team is always a different level. Lad has a lot to add to his game and needs to up his physical intensity.
Wilfred George Igor is 21 but lad is limited abeg. Some potential exists but right now, he is not up to it. Personally, I was actually disappointed he made the list ahead of Daga, Otomewo, Ayuma, Mukhtar and Yakubu in the first place. He was poor for the most parts yesterday. So poor that even Aderemi had more defensive contributions than him but perhaps he can still come good as he matures in Norway.
NPFL lad, 19y/o Aderemi Jacob Adeoye of Ikorodu City FC was the worst of the midfielders. Likeeeee... Dilly dallying on the ball for lack of clues on what to do with it. Backpassing unnecessarily, one of which led to the first goal we conceeded due to the Fernandez error. He was not progressive at all and cant even scan as a midfielder. Omo. He really flunked his first start audition on his 3rd Super Eagles cap.
20y/o Chibuzo "Chibby" Nwoko is the real deal & he would only get better. The only midfielder who came to really play and hold things together in the middle especially when he fell deeper in the 2nd 45. Was one of only two MFs who created a chance (other was Fumen Michael). It was also his long ball pass forward that led to Bewene's assist for Iheanacho.
He lasted 83mins and was replaced by Vince Osuji, a CB who came in and did better and more in 8mins+ than George Igor and Aderemi Combined.
I believe Chibby Nwoko added to the likes of John Otomewo, Ridwan Popoola, Mubarak Suleiman, Daniel Daga, Isreal Ayuma, David Ozoh (when his clearance is done), etc would make a more formidable U23 Midfield lineup.
Goke7: As usual these clowns are after money perhaps they collected bribes initially as alleged by one of us here!
There’s no point pursuing this in my opinion, the joke is on FIFA that has no respect for its own rules. Rubbish
Na me talk am.yes
Them.collect bribe. All this medicine after death is to safe face
Let me tell you something for a fact, when infantino is kicked out, a lot of Nigerian officials both home and abroad, including coaches and agents ,especially that big-forehead in CAF abi FIFA committee will be interpol inmates. As I said earlier, bookmark this
zuchyblink: Nigeria should focus more on scouting and developing homegrown talent. Foreign-born players should be welcomed as an added option, not become our primary source of scouting.
Because if we continue relying on the leftovers from foreign-born talent, we risk filling the Super Eagles with average players who may not even be better than the talent we have at home.
Our grassroots system has talent. We need to find them early, develop them properly and give them a genuine pathway to the Super Eagles.
Foreign-born players can strengthen the team, but homegrown talent should remain at the heart of our football development.
opes: Why this sudden panic over a player who has already committed to Nigeria, scoring two goals and providing an assist in Unity cup tournament? If England really wanted him, they would have stopped him from playing in the Unity Cup. Even if he changes his mind tomorrow, heaven won’t fall. Haba
After years of inconsistent chukwueze and Carpentry Moses Simon and a now inconsistent Ademola Lookman (don't really know his problem these days, even in his club)
Please leave me let me fret abeg, These guys I mentioned are not reliable biko
TheSuperNerd: 🟢Lads that impressed me the most today
Benjamin Frederick (has he ever had a bad game?)
Emma Fernandez (despite the error, he made a solid pairing with Benjy and won all his duel battles. His Joyful reaction by jumping and running towards Eric Chelle when Akor's equaliser went in shows how deeply passionate he is in the GWG).
Abdullahi Bewene (Agile, skillful, beautiful ball carrier, can be better in his defensive positioning)
Chibby Nwoko (Little flash in the 1st half but really came into the game in the 2nd 45 when dropped deeper. Technically astute and positionally versatile.)
Kelechi Iheanacho (Seniorman is not new to the team. He got us rolling with that worldie and nice touches ib the final third).
#11 Umar Abdullahi (From the day he bagged a brace in a UECL Qualifier vs Panathinaikos for Hradec Kralove I knew he would be a problem as he matures)
#12 Peter Edokpolor (Needed just 8mins to show his class).
🔵Seniors Did Okay: Moses Simon did okay. Led well. Akor Adams did okay when he came on.
🟡Young Lads that were decent enough and needs to be seen again. ✅️#20 Vince Osuji (how he slotted into defensive midfield is no surprise if you saw him in a few games at Club Brugge NXT as a DM). ✅️#3 Isaac James. ✅️#1 Samuel James.
🔴Lads that did not impress me enough today.
#7 Umar Abubakar (debut game) #10 Wilfred George Igor (debut game) #8 Stephen Fumen Michael (debut game) #4 Aderemi Adeoye (His 3rd cap but first start)
I think benji has to seek a loan move away from brentford. I may be wrong because i don't know if the coach fancies him or trusts him ebough with first team apps
If this kid keeps his head down,and remains healthy I forsee him in a champions league side in 2-3 years
SymphonyRad: Russia dey nitpick small teams just to statpad, only Nigeria and Iran are the decent teams they've faced in a while. I really feel bad for them sha, they are a good team and it sucks FIFA banned them from participating in international competitions because of war and politics.
Sports › Re: "The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2027, 2028 And 2030 World Cup by Blueelf: 5:56pm On Oct 28
