₦airaland Forum

Exactly bro.

I can understand the need for caution which helped us clinch our first league title in 22 years but now is the time to really be expansive.

I think our attacking talents at the moment should see us blow 60-70% EPL teams away.

Not that pragmatism will disappear overnight, but our default should definitely go back to free-flowing attacking football at its best.

mostob:
Arteta needs to let go. He has been holding the break for too long. Now that the 98% of the squad are fully on board with his philosophical foundation, he needs to trust them more and just let them do their thing. I'm saying this because of how our current squad is...the confidence is high and no pressure for now, at least not like before. I need them to explode. If they do, the league will feel it.

And.... Martinelli should stay please

Why does he look like WWE's Obafemi?

TheSuperNerd:
Christantus Uche in Getafe Preseason Training and games..

Uche vs Valladolid days ago.⤵️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNVvXVsWfSk?si=w_sTv-XualtuAadm

Beast!

I won't lie I was so disappointed with his display that day. His performance against Portugal further reinforced my view of him.

Maybe the Bundesliga will brush him up.

Mujtahida:
He had one opportunity to stamp his name in gold like Sunday Mba did in that Quarter final game against CIV in 2013 and unlike Mba, Onyedika flunked it.

He was timid, cautious and tepid. Since then, I want him phased out completely. But I wish him well in his club.

Fantastic run from our Starman!

He should rest up ahead of the next season and target running consistent sub 44s before the world champs.

At this rate he's our most realistic hope for the Olympics followed by Kanyin, Amusan, and Ezekiel in that order. Our 4x400 relays team for men, women, and mixed should be able to cook in 2 years.

Chukwuebuka and Oji in the male and female shotpot respectively could be surprise medal hopefuls for next year and the Olympics.

4x100 for men needs work but the lack of world class female sprinters will make it hard for the 4x100 women to deliver something substantial.

TheSuperNerd:
44.25 secs!!! It was never ever in doubt!!! Lee Eppi and the likes got nothing on our boy.

Nigeria owns the 400m and 400mH men's Champions. These are World Beater Quartermillers!

In the individual sprints athletes still stick to their lanes with infractions being seriously punished.

What you probably saw that you're referring to is the 4x400 relay whereby after the first baton exchange athletes can then converge to the first lane.

All the long distance races I've witnessed also start off on the last lane.

mostob:
PDPguy and Danielninho
There's something that always baffle me during track events. Growing up, we're always warned to stay on our respective lanes. But now i do notice athletes moving to the first lane regardless of the lane assigned to them. Abeg i need clarification

Landmark achievement! Overjoy wan wound me

PDPGuy:
Samuel Ogazi wins the 400m Gold!

Ogazi, by this feat, has also won Nigeria’s 80th ever CWG Gold ✅

Nigeria’s 10th Gold at this edition of the CWG ✅

The fact that Baresi operating with only one fully functional knee was able to withstand the Brazilians in the 1994 WC final really impressed me.

Like you I hope we produce players who research and study past greats to improve their game and not just rely on raw talent.

Mujtahida:
Yeah. I wish that young players who have chosen football and are already professionals use part of their spare time to read, watch and study the great players of the past so that they can carry their legacies forward.

Benjamin plays like Beckenbaeur too. (Baresi was also called Franz Kaiser because he played like Beckenbaeur)

Benjamin has so much potential. Remember that sweeping run he made during our play off against Gabon?

From the clips I've seen of Baresi, I can see that he had an outstanding ability to read the game, he could track the movement of the ball with his mind. This gave him an impeccable sense of timing and poise.

I've read two strikers say that at the end of a match, they exchanged jersey with Baresi. While theirs were soaked with sweat, his own was still fresh. In fact one added that it still smelt of his cologne.

All these to say he was an effective defender.

Completely forgot we also had a decent defender like him in our ranks now lol.

Honestly Nigeria should really be aiming to grab next year's AFCON with the level of talent currently at our disposal.

Apart from Morocco and maybe Egypt our other rivals (Senegal and CIV) have managerial issues and will need time to blend.

TheSuperNerd:
17 defensive contributions in MD 1. Highest in the game.

14 duels won. 13 of them being aerial duels. Na aerial defensive masterclass Emmanuel do today. Lol

D'Law you know ball!

The legendary Baresi and Fredricks both have similar features. Slightly on the short side for defenders but very comfortable on the ball. Both rely on smart interceptions and positioning rather than brute force or strength.

If Benjamin can be half as good as Capitano then he will have a very good career.

Mujtahida:
I didn't watch Franco Baresi but I've been reading stories and watching clips of him.

He was a great player and a great man. Quiet, strong, brave.

Maradonna, Romario Indeed a host of other great players of the 80's and 90s said he was the greatest defender they ever played against.


Our Benjamin should watch Baresi and model his game on how Baresi played cos I see that Benjamin has that Rolls Royce quality that Baresi had.

Cueta to be precise.

Ibime:
lol. Ignorance.

I'm pretty sure the video posted is from a Spanish enclave in Morocco. Spain owns two pieces of land in Morocco which are official Spanish territory and immigrants are always trying to climb the wall to get in. Those immigrants must have broke down a wall or fence to get in

Without a doubt. Led that great AC Milan side unbeaten for a season and a half.

afrodoc:
Gawd!

RIP Don Franco.

GOAT CB in my opinion.

RIP to the Great Franco Baresi. Best defender of his generation.

He's camped permanently on the Chelsea and involved in pro- Messi propaganda

mostob:
I'm following him already. All the best to him.

The way Andrewbaba take disappear from here too eh

Good news for him that he's getting his career back on track.

TheSuperNerd:
Daniel Daga starts for Molde FK in the Eliteserien away at KFUM.
His first start in a long time and a followup to his sub role last week (which was his first game since his return)

Bro is finding his niche in the sports especially football influencer space.

You should check him out sometime on X very informative handle he has going.

mostob:
We no see em break light here again

I've seen this movie before.

I will only be convinced after I see him over a full season.

BankyGee:
🇳🇬🌟 Samuel Chukwueze was in overdrive mode for AC Milan today in their 2–2 preseason draw against Celtic! He was super electric, creating 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘 chances and and completing 96% of his passes in just 45 minutes played!

📊:
⏰ 45 minutes played
🅰️ 1 assist
💥 1 shot
😳 1 big chance created
👌🏾 37 touches
👟 23/24 passes completed (96%)
📏 2/2 long balls accurate (100%)
🗝️ 5 key passes (chances created)
🪄 3/5 dribbles completed
🏃🏾‍♂️ 12 carries
💪🏾 4/6 ground duels won
🫴🏾 3 recoveries
🌟 8.2 rating (@FotMob)

Chukwueze will ball under Ruben Amorim and he will. You all will see a different Chukwueze this season. That wingback role will bring out the best in him and will even improve his decision making as a winger as well.

Great move for him.

For someone who a lot of people rate on this thread I was getting worried with how long he was lounging in Belgium.

Bundesliga though physical is more about technical football that should improve his game.

Plus his paddy Boniface is down the road

Papi85:
🚨 ✅
Eintracht Frankfurt 🇩🇪 has reached an agreement with Club Brugge 🇧🇪 for Raphaël Onyedika 🇳🇬

The midfielder will sign with the German club until 2030 for €9 million. ✅

He will undergo his medical and join his new teammates early next week.

Vini the player would take our attack up several notches Vini the human being? Omo mbanuuuuuu

The baggage he will to a team trying to build a legacy is not worth the risk but hey what do I know?

How do you see the potential Guimaries signing out? Plus any update on Barcola?

Sorry house that I'm derailing the thread a bit crave your indulgence.

mostob:
I saw the Ornstein post. I have been laughing since. Vini to Arsenal? 😂😂😂😂
Now, I'm not saying Arsenal is too small. Arteta is a manager that embodies discipline. He doesn't like ego. Now imagine Vini in that Arsenal team. 😂😂😂

Well, let's see how it turns out.

Probably psychological. Sadiq that you mentioned he's capable of scoring the most jawbreaking worldies on his day but the other 85% of the time you will watching and wondering how this one broke into professional football.

Northern origin players IMHO need special guidance and managing to reach their potential. Most guys in the south are already self motivated to succeed and will go the extra mile to overcome set backs which is inevitable in professional football.

See Kaita for example they burnt his house career crumbled Ighalo they abused and threatened his family in 2018 following year became AFCON 2019 top scorer.

AndSunGorilla:
Na wa o, sometimes fans get too crazy with these things. Anyways back to the discussion, Keita wasn't a bad player o, I remember the U20 with him and Mikel, solid midfield partnership. He balled too at the Olympics, unfortunately he didn't have it good, club level wise, I think he did well in Russia though I believe. Ahmed Musa had it good in Holland and a bit in Russia and that was it. I feel in those days, most of our northern origin players didn't do as well as they could in Europe, maybe play well in one league and that's it, Tijani Babangida, Garba Lawal, Keita, Yahya, Shehu etc. We had one Mohammed guy that played a bit in AC Milan but flattered to deceive. As bad as Sadiq could do, he isn't that bad not to do well in Scotland, was it a cultural or psychological thing?

Yeah it was one of the fallouts from that disastrous campaign.

AndSunGorilla:
They burnt his house?? I don't even remember that.

For once I agree with you.

Any football's greatest list without Pele as number 1 is simply wasting everybody's time.

forgiveness:
Bhuahahahha! Messi number one? Bhuahahahha!!!!

Dem even put Pele for number 3. Hahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahahhahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahah!

Exactly. Sani at the time was playing well in the SE with decent performances in the U20s and Olympic squad.

I can't in good conscience query his selection during that period because he was decent.

The red card and anger of Nigerians (remember they burnt his house) completely free derailed his career.

AndSunGorilla:
Personally sir, at that time I would have picked Keita too. He had a great 2008 Olympics and had some good matches with the SE, aside the red card against Greece, he was playing well for the SE.

This! I was watching an interview by Frank Onyeka and he was asked what he wished he knew earlier in his career and he spoke about how he wish he had intentionally built a team eg accountants, publicist, social media manager etc to manage his overall brand.

Osimhen unfortunately doesn't appreciate the level of his brand and is moving like some young upstart who's making his first millions.

Sugarboyy:
Osimhen is talented but he is not refined. I don't know but I doubt if he would even have an adviser(not an agent), a nutritionist and a financial advisor. Because if he does, he won't always get injured and won't always been seen living waywardly like he is still in the slumps of Lagos

Seyi was unfortunate to miss out on the 2010 WC but to be fair egbon he wasn't playing his best football during that period.

For Kaita remember he had been part of the u20 & 2008 Olympics squads that performed creditably under Siasia so it wasn't that he was a federal character pick. Even in the 2010 AFCON he was a decent performer. As per club football he was featuring in one mid table club in Holland then.

What changed Sani's career trajectory was the needless red card he picked against Greece in the WC.

In hindsight that 2010 squad should have done better in SA if not for infighting and Managerial wahala.

Kog45:
What combination,Haruna Lookman was a gatecrasher due to Mikel injury,so Lookman was not even in the picture,from very reliable source,sentiment was used to pick Kaita over Seyi....Kaita was like a club less player as at that time,go and check Kaita club profile between 2008-2010 and compare it with Seyi Olofinjana club career

Seyi was loan to Cardiff from Hull city in 2010 season and had 35 appearances,Cardiff came 4th but lost out during playoff,he personally requested for that loan to secure his position with eagles....Sani Kaita has no business in 2010 world cup.

SW also powered the Super Eagles to victory in 1980 (Odegbami) and 1994 (Yekini) just saying

However in all seriousness we really have to turn the National Team into a cauldron of intense competition that allows only the best of the best to emerge. That's something former Managers like Westerhof got right.

ChrisKels:
Not surprised you don't know what a decade means, after all you be olodo otherwise you would have known that 2014-2018 is part of the last decade.

Na just say if I decide to enter a friendly banter here, it will end up going the tribal way but since an SE striker left the scene we have not won the AFCON and neither have we gone past the group stage of the world cup (2018 Ighalo). As you said, our strike chief that was supposed to deliver opps make we chop glory in 2022 and now this 2026 matters na Osimhen oo.

The last glories(2013/14) wey we test na when the butcher was from SE so no go there oo

Egbon Kog45 sure you will like this Seyi Olofinjana interview.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ZhBm52bzY

You make great point about fantastic SE origin players being groomed in the North. Mikel and Celestine Babayaro come to mind.

SymphonyRad:
I'm from the SE but to be fair, some of the best talents from the East that have played for Nigeria were born, raised or trained in the North, especially Jos. The North have talented ballers, but they just struggle to hone that raw skill by going abroad like their counterparts from the South. Right now most of the most exciting Nigerian players coming up are from the North...the likes of Mubarak, Zadok, Bewene, Suleiman Sani etc are all from the North.

My sympathies bro. May God keep and uphold you and yours.

solonnachi:
Thank you very much Sir. Amen. I sincerely appreciate 🙏

It is what it is really.

To be fair Northern hubs like Kaduna and Jos produce decent talent but you're right that the SE/SS tend to produce 55-60% of our best followed by SW, North and other parts of Nigeria.

The bottom line which I agree with you wholeheartedly is always field your best players whether they all come from one village in the SE, SS, or North.

EElopa:
We like to lie to ourselves in Nigeria. I just mentioned parts of the country that best Nigerian players come from. I am pan African to the core and if the best Nigerians players comes from Borno it will not mean a darm it to me as long as they are the best players. If an American coach present a basketball team filled up with white players most logical people will question if they are really the best players in the country because data suggests that the best basketball players in the country tend to come from black urban neighborhoods.

This should be music to the ears of Charlesemeka.

SolaFide:
🚨 Super Eagles land rising star.....

A major boost could be on the way for Nigeria...

Reports indicate that Al-Ittihad striker George Ilenikhena has agreed to represent the Super Eagles after productive talks with head coach Eric Chelle.....

The 19-year-old, born in Nigeria and raised in France, is reportedly set to strengthen Nigeria's attacking options alongside Victor Osimhen.....

Since he has never featured for France at any level, he would be eligible to play for Nigeria immediately if selected.....

A potential debut in September's AFCON qualifiers could mark the start of an exciting new era.... 🇳🇬🦅

#fyp #SuperEagles #EricChelle #GeorgeIlenikhena #AFCONQualifiers #NaijaFootball

Ikorodu born and bred only took up athletics couple of years back.

His rise has been meteoric.

Mujtahida:
Is this Kanyin home grown?

I love Tobi pa. Tobi Express. A real rolls Royce on the tracks, galloping like a gazelle

Talent spotting and grooming was really good in the 80s and early 90s but poor administration really sabotaged what could have been a golden generation of athletics.

The emergence of Kanyin and Ogazi alongside our ever reliable sprint Queen Tobi gives me hope that we are entering our best ever era of athletic competition.

AndSunGorilla:
We had two athletes at the finals of the men's 10m Seoul Olympics. We held Africa sprints male and female by the jugular. Olapade, the Ezenwa Brothers, chidi Imoh, innocent Egbunike, Mary Onyali. Fatima Yusuf. Chioma Ajunwa, falilat Ogunkoya, Yusuf Ali, Sunday Bada, we produced a lot. I don't think we are producing as many as we did then. Thank God for Kanyin, Tobi Amusan and I think one young dude doing 400m or is it hurdles now. The NSC needs to sit up. What happened to our table tennis dominance (Atanda Musa, Yomi Bankole, bose Kafo, aruna Quadri, module oshunnake etc).