A ball playing goalie and centre backs are crucial against teams pressing high.

There was high possession turnover from the two teams in the final third during first phase build up in the opener yesterday.

Nwabili should start cos of his ball playing abilities...his reflexes can't possibly be worse than Uzoho's.

Opening matches aren't the best yardstick to judge a team though avoiding defeat is good in the first match.

Results under JP are erratic ..good and bad results sandwiched such that it's difficult to tell if the Portuguese clown is actually building something tangible.

Danielnino00:
https://owngoalnigeria.com/2024/01/02/leicester-city-coach-expects-ndidi-iheanacho-to-be-sent-home-from-super-eagles-afcon-camp/


Wahala

Na wa.

Why invite 25 when he could've invited 27 given this injury concerns.

Odunayaw:
JPes should be sensible and call up one more midfielder before it's too late. Toh

That's pretty obvious.

Watching his interview on NFFTV about the list, his response gave the impression that he sees the midfield as a 'single position' like the Centre back, full back, right winger etc.

Kog45:
Well,to many his opinion is insult to us,not qualifying from a group that have Cote d'voire,Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea seems not possible.

Cote d'ivoire is a host country so all we need is to win our first match and at least get a draw against Cote d'ivoire,our last match against Gujnea Bissau would be difficult based on what happened during qualifiers,defeated us at home and also lose to us at home.

The Ivory Coast are typically strong starters in AFCON so they are favourites to top the goup(plus home advantage).

It will be really shameful if the SE fail to qualify from the group in an expanded AFCON with best loser slots.

This is JP's last chance at redemption with the team.

comodo:

Zambia wan kii opponents with MF domination?? I no understand this team list. Can someone explain this?? 12 MF's

There a 2 wingers and a versatile defender (Mafwenta) listed as midfielders though the number of midfielders is still on the high side.

1. Player of the Year
Victor Osimhen

2. Female Player of the Year
Chiamaka Nnadozie

3. Nigeria Professional League Player of the Year
Christian Mizo

4. Most Impactful New Inclusion
Bruno Onyemaechi

5. Best Ogedengbe Goalkeeper of the Year
Amas Obasogie

6. Stephen Keshi Defender of the Year
Igoh Ogbu

7. Samuel Okwaraji Midfielder of the Year
Alexander Iwobi

8.Rasheed Yekini Attacker of the Year
Victor Osimhen

9.Most Improved Player
Wilfred Ndidi

10. Young Player of the Year
Benjamin Fredrick

11. Goal of the Year

Nacho vs Saudi

12. Assist of the Year
Zaidu to Nacho vs Sierra Leone

13. Team of the Year
Super Falcons

14. Coach of the Year
Ladan Bosso

15. Prospect of the Year
Ebenezer Akinsanmiro

Ppogbae:
If we are struggling for options in midfield, then Nwakali should have a look in - we have nothing to lose.

This point summarizes all the arguments on this forum about Nwakali....but after a while 5 pages don full on top Nwakali matter.

Kog45:
Lagos boy Oba Odogwu Sarkin Victor Osimhen….CAF hail him in Nigeria street slang.

The grittiest Nigerian player in long while..

I hope the SE in his generation can achieve something tangible sooner than later.

Congratulations Victor James Osimhen!!!

Marjoribanks:
Chukwueze has been facing several challenges during his transfer to Milan. Missed preseason, language barrier, physical setback due to an injury that sidelined him for almost a month.

Moreover, his playing style seemed at odds with the coach's expectations. The coach, emphasizing a dual role for his right winger, expects them to contribute both in defense and attack. This approach mirrors the situation Chukwueze encountered at Villareal under Emery's tenure. Emery, valuing a strong defensive contribution, often left Chukwueze out of the starting lineup due to his defensive limitations.

However, post-Emery, Villareal's new coaching strategy adapted to Chukwueze's strengths. By employing two defensive midfielders, the team alleviated Chukwueze's defensive responsibilities, enabling him to excel in his preferred attacking role.

Chukwueze shares similarities with Leo in their style of play. Both players are not inclined to shuttle between defense and attack constantly, as this detracts from their influence in the game. Leo, known for conserving his energy for offensive thrusts, rarely falls back to defend.
This approach, focusing on attacking transitions, is also ideally suited for Chukwueze.

To harness his full potential, a similar strategy should be applied, allowing him to concentrate on what he does best: creating and capitalizing on attacking opportunities.

Pulisic is currently ahead of him in the pecking order on the right flank.
Leao's absence pushed Pulisic to the left flank creating opportunities for Chukwueze to get playing time.

Chukwueze is presently struggling with the physicality of the league..getting shrugged off so easily. Chukwueze has to adapt quickly to give Pulisic a good push for a starting place.

Kog45:
I watched him of recent and I want say am not impressed with Chuckwueze.He need to seize the opportunity of starting

That's Chukwueze's situation presently.
Consistency is a big issue.. Milan may not be so patient with him.

His play style requires a high level of confidence to really impact a game. A run of poor games doesn't help matters...I hope he can find his mojo before the pressure starts mounting.

yinkeys:
It seems it will take some time for Chukwueze to get firing in serie A
He definitely needs to do more
Kevin Prince Boateng said it’s harder to get goals in serie A than la Liga because of their style of play
KPB played in both leagues

Serie A teams tend to have good defensive organization.

I think it is more appropriate to rate Chukwueze on his overall game impact ..than just goals scored... Raphael Leao kind of impact.

Danielnino00:
Saw a report that Peseiro is planning to mame 6 goalkeepers in his AFCON preliminary squad.. the man has lost it...
Friendlies that he ought to have used to test pther goalkeepers,he wasted them on Uzoho in the name of boosting his confidence..

I just hope this is a joke but this is Naija..

6 goalies, 4 midfielders, ...like we could bring in a goalkeeper to change the course of a game.

If only JP was a Nigerian..

jihday:
so if we pick Osayi for Afcon then he decides to move to Ascoli who are 4th from bottom in Serie B, we should drop him and go for Nwoke because he has 500 clean sheet in the Nigerian league? Fantastic logic

I think the crux of the matter is totally overlooking the quality in the NPFL.

The NPFL has given us solid keepers in the past so it makes sense to have a fair look at what we have both home and abroad for the goalie position in particular.

Amedino99:
Final three

I hope he wins it....just that I don't trust these francophone guys in CAF.

Kog45:
Hear Paolo Maldini o….Milan wastes money on Chuckwueze.

He actually referenced the signings after his departure from his role with Milan...Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic and Chukwueze.

Pulisic has settled in pretty well so far.. Chukwueze has improved but is yet to hit his Villarreal form.....

zuchyblink:
pay tithe first

How your paddy Rohr na?

I am predicting Benin Rep. to win cos of him.

zuchyblink:
Before the 2019 AFCON, I predicted Algeria would win, even when no one on the Nairaland sports forum gave them a chance. I foresaw doom for the Super Eagles in the 2022 AFCON due to the inclusion of untalented foreign-born players rejected by their countries and Eguaveon's confidence in them. My prediction for the upcoming AFCON is that unless they address issues in goalkeeping, defense, and midfield, it could lead to another disgrace. The coach should consider Amas Obasogie and Kingdom Osayi, exceptional goalkeepers in the local league. Additionally, adding Balogun, Ekong, Olisa Ndah, Igho Ogbu, and Jude Ighalo for their experience and talent would be beneficial.

Let the war begin!

Predict the winner of AFCON 2024 please .

Kog45:
What continental experience are we talking about.We too Dey exaggerate and hype nonsense…..Uzoho is always on the bench in Cyprus league….Maduka since last season just played 3 non league matches and it is showing in their performances for eagles.

Pure facts....the NPFL goalkeepers are way more active than Uzoho and Maduka who were given preferential treatment by Rohr but have been calamitous.

The keeper situation is in fact better than the midfield cos of these home based goalies...just hope we get a coach that does the needful.

Truidstarr:
on the contrary…

Can't say what should form the basis of the optimism... probably reliance on pure luck.

So like joke na JP wan carry SE go AFCON.

Expectations have to be at an all time low.

Kog45:
Just hear Enyeama out…

Thanks to Oliseh's poor man management and NFF's attitude to issues like this.

Tomorrow, if he prefers his kids playing for the a different country, people will complain.

The NFF needs to have a system that honours our heroes..

Kog45:
Did you watched the match?very embarrassing and nauseating of a match involved two powerful football nations.

I did watch the game...The Brazilian Police appeared to be high handed and biased in dealing with the Argentine fans.

daveP:
This Brazil vs Argentina Game is super embarassing and terrifying. Smh. When was the last time a CAF game had such violence?

Nothing new ....South American football is very physical and sometimes violent...I think the more reason they keep having the upper hand over African teams is their combination of skill and physicality gives them an edge most of the time.

Reeling names of players when the fundamental issues remain unresolved is somewhat funny.

If JP has prime Mikel, Okocha and even Oliseh available he would most likely set up the team with the wrong structure... leading to stifled performances.

I think Pinnick's experiment with Rohr worked partially cos Rohr had reasonable coaching experience on the continent.....JP is learning too many things on the job..using the SE as lab rats which isn't good enough.

SE fans should hope Zamalek hire JP since he can't be fired due to paucity of funds.

Can imagine how it feels knowing the coach is already seeking for "greener pastures" while still in charge of the team....JP don run Naija street.

TheGoodJoe:


But you're sold on a white coach allowing Ahmed Musa stay in the team even when he was clubless for months because white men don't have egunje issues.

Not all European coaches come with that baggage....but truth be told, the NFF doesn't even respect local coaches enough to give them similar working conditions to that of an expatriate.

Any local coach appointed under these circumstances will have a torrid time working the NFF...which doesn't help the team in the long-run..the inferiority complex portrayed by the NFF favours a foreign coach..if any of Amuneke, Oliseh, Siasia etc in JP's shoes, sack letter will have been released already.

JP needs to be reunited with Mourinho...sooner than later.

NFF should look for foreign coaches with coaching experience on the continent....Alain Giresse, Dussuyer, Rejavac, Henri Michel etc...


Still not fully sold on our Naija coaches..not necessarily cos of a lack of capacity but the egunje issues and dodgy invitations that follow.

caprikon:
The European coaches that achieved great success with African sides weren't particularly well known prior to their stints in Africa....Metsu, Djukovic, Rejavac etc

We clearly aren't an attractive project to the A-grade coaches..just that there are levels even to the lower grade coaches and JP thus far has proven to be a misfit.

We need the NFF to bring their A-game when dealing with managerial changes...whether local or foreign ..which isn't quite as straightforward as fans and pundits think.

This is the crux of the matter. JP leaving is a matter of time but how his replacement is selected is the Koko.

Ghana at the point had a Serbian love affair when it came to Managers. There has to be a method else expect something worse than JP to succeed him.

The European coaches that achieved great success with African sides weren't particularly well known prior to their stints in Africa....Metsu, Djukovic, Rejavac etc

We clearly aren't an attractive project to the A-grade coaches..just that there are levels even to the lower grade coaches and JP thus far has proven to be a misfit.

We need the NFF to bring their A-game when dealing with managerial changes...whether local or foreign ..which isn't quite as straightforward as fans and pundits think.