₦airaland Forum

semid4lyfe:
*This thread will not be closed*

It has a lot of brilliant contributions, analysis, data and is an invaluable resource library / repository on Nigerian football and footballers

Furthermore, this thread has transcended Nigerian football into our personal lives as connections have been made and friendships have been forged here.

The thread will only be renamed to reflect our future aspirations and I welcome suggestions for that.

As seen with Eguavoen's inability to qualify the S.E for the World cup on 2 occasions in 2006 and 2022 means humans are repetitive.

This means that the new thread will have repeated or rehashed comments that are already on this thread especially if some players continue to get call ups..

Stormtrooper11:
We started with a 3 man midfield but we still didn't play good in the 1st half of the game. We actually didn't play good. We fielded if not our best crop of players available but we were still toothless.

Kinda agreeable about Sanusi.

Lol, they're all inter-related. Nigeria problems is like a tree. Nigeria cut few branches out of the tree but never gets to destroy the stem nor roots. They don't even stop the water supply to the tree!

They're corrupt doesn't mean a developing country like ours with poor structures and institutions should be. The States, Kingdom, Jean-Fraude, all have structures in place to checkmate excesses. We don't have those strong institutions.

Nigerian billionaires owning a sport academy isn't mandatory. The government, with the ministry of sport is responsible for the advancement of sports in the country. Makin sure we're doing the appropriate partnerships for development, PPPs included, is their responsibility. We're not honest with ourselves here. The government aren't serious in the development of even grassroot sports! We can't keep relying on rejected foreign borns to move us to great heights. Our supply of players should be a mixed variety.

S.E controlled the midfield better in the 1st half and if not for Uzoho's blunder and osimhen poor positioning at beating offside trap the result would have been better.

You don't understand what I'm saying. I'm talking about their private institutions not public.

The government and the ministry of sport won't pay high salaries the same way billionaires would.

Nigeria can't keep relying on government.

Stormtrooper11:
Actually, I'm one of those guys that wanted a 3 man midfield. We got the midfield most of us requested for. We got the lineup most of requested for. Many guys here wanted Lookman and Dennis to start because we felt Simon and chukwueze dribbles too much .

Some guys wanted Bassey over Sanusi cos they felt Bassey was so good in rangers and better than Sanusi. We got that.
We got everything we asked for. We lost.
Why did we lose? Poor coaching. I saw the eyes of the boys, they fought, they gave their all. People here saying that the foreign borns are lazy are just being petty. Players born in country of origin might have quite more hunger but it doesn't mean our foreign borns were lazy at all.
Do you know that's the world cup? Is their anybody that'll just leave the opportunity to go to the world cup slide?


Nigeria tried. We're giants. The day Nigeria stops these tribalism, nepotism and corruption, that's the day even the U.S will catch goosebumps.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

3 man midfield for the whole match.. in the 2nd half it turned to a 1 man midfield and that midfielder was a minus the only good thing he did was bringing down a Ghanaian player which was due to his poor positioning and he got carded.

For now Sanusi is better than Bassey for the S.E.

Promotion of mediocrity is what's affecting Nigeria not tribalism, nepotism and corruption.

Europeans, Whyte Americans and Asians e.t.c are tribal, nepotistic and corrupt but the high quality their corporate, academic and sports institutions produces is what hides their tribalism, nepotism and corruption.

Mention 7 high quality football academies in each region in Nigeria which means mention 1 in each region in Nigeria and their players playing in Europe top 10 leagues and compare it to only Chelsea FC academy and the players Chelsea have produced not to talk of the clubs ..

How many Nigerian billionaires own fully equipped football or sports academies in Nigeria not to talk about clubs.

TheGoodJoe:
You are just attacking. You are not really making a point.

Today, I became bitter because I have seen we will not play the way I want and also we have influences that will not allow it happen.

For instance, we needed Iheanacho towards the end. But, he must play Ighalo. No one should tell me anything, it is influenced. Iheanacho is the only striker we have that can drop deep and hit a decent pass. He is good at crossing. He has a good shooting range.

Should Musa come in ahead of someone like Amoo?

Musa and Ighalo coming on shocked me... you may be right because Yesterday I was watching a sports program where former S.E goalkeeper Idah and Victor ikpeba were talking about the S.E and Idah said Ighalo and Musa should play and in my mind I was saying thank the heavens you're not the coach only for Eguavoen to bring them on in the 2nd half.

I don't think it's the politicians. It's the ex and retired players that are picking and influencing the team.

That's why I don't want any local coach anymore until after 2026.

Most of the players today will be 4 years older and some of them will be past their prime so it's bad S.E is not qualifying this year.

komekn:
If Chukwueze was in Norway he would be hailed as the next Ronaldo.

Until Amoo gets to play in better quality league he doesn't deserve a call up to the SE.

Amoo is a ball carrier and goal threat just like lookman and he can also score from outside the box which is what S.E was lacking.

Amoo deserves multiple call-ups and game time.

S.E lacks players who like to run with the ball from defense/midfield to attack.

JohnBullMySon:
Shehu was not bad.

Shehu was terrible. His passes kept getting intercepted and he was losing the ball.

Once onyeka left part of the midfield also left then once Etebo left then the midfield died and Shehu was minus one.

mirinder:
we dont deserve to qualify. This team is useless

the team is poorly coached not useless and wrong player selections..

Odunayaw:
Now it's about the basics of football

Go and sit down bruv

yes Oooo...

S.E was playing like the Zambian womens team where the tactic is kick the ball over the midfield to Barbra Banda and S.E defenders were just kicking the ball over the midfield to Osimhen who does not know how to beat offside trap or drop deeper than the last defender..

Osimhen will be a better striker the day he learns to drop deeper than the last defender..

Meliforme:
You guys are now seeing the importance of Nwakali.

I have always advocated for Nwakali Oooo... Its because of his club situation and league his playing in most people on this thread don't rate him...

jihday:
eagles will bounce back, players like Musa Balogun Omeruo Ighalo will quit, we just need to add more midfielders and we’ll be fine

the midfielders are already there but they are not been called up....

Bonke
Samson tijani
Alhassan Yusuf
Onyeka
Onyedika
Nwakwali
Iwobi

Nwakwali would have at least kept the ball on the ground , made through passes and taken better corners.

Goke7:
I was one of those who wanted rohr out and I stand by it. But I remember an interview rohr had with a Nigerian journalist just before the Russia world cup, he lamented about the lack in depth and quality of the national team. This has been our bane and it keeps showing all the time.

A typical Nigerian side should have both physicality and technical prowess which you see in other top African sides but missing in our darling super eagles. How can we win big games? I never believed in all these foreign born players. Apart from Victor Moses with his physical prowess which the entire world knows what have these other foreign born offered the National team? It's time we have akpu bred players with skills back in our national sides, unless we are joking

akpu bred players like Moses Simon , Chukwueze and Dennis who always wants to dribble but fails...

modern football is not about skills, its about tactical discipline and controlling the midfield... Once a team masters the midfield then they may not need strikers to score just look at Manchester City or Aubameyang in FC Barcelona and how the midfield feeds him and his scoring goals for fun...

In summary, S.E needs to change from wing play to total football..

even the Falconets played better passing and crossing game than the S.E..

All the funds the S.E is receiving should be reduced and the majority must go to the Women's national teams...

NFF cannot be rewarding mediocrity..

S.E should be dominating the same way the women national teams dominate..

Oasis001:
Learn wetin?

Rohr has to go, there is nothing to regret about it. Rohr tried but he's exhausted tactically. What's the Essence bokoraharam football when we aren't parading Bandits as Players.

We missed out, fine. Let's start afresh with Amuneke. Capital No to foreign Coach.

No local coach again until after the 2026 world cup if S.E qualifies.....

Nigeria needs an above average spanish or german coach because S.E needs to learn how to pass and build up play...

Odunayaw:
Shehu or Semi, same thing: DMs

Stop talking like there was a secret weapon on the bench

Semi Ajayi grew up understanding the basics of football from football academies in England.. he is not the same as Shehu that is in the team based on the amount of northern Nigerians in the team when Alhassan Yussuf is there but wasn't called up...

Joebie:
Can Eguavoen finally give way now? See e head! instead of am to let Amuneke run things

Amuneke won't do anything different...

Local coaches are too sentimental.. he brought on shehu instead of Semi Ajayi.. look at the amount of strikers Eguavoen was throwing in...

football is won in the midfield which means Eguavoen was hoping on luck and doesn't know his best strikers and even wingers..

he has disgraced local coaches...

Goke7:
Coaches need very good materials to work with.

Lampard was messing up as Chelsea's coach but tuchel used that same team to win UCL..

It's not materials it's about tactics.

Goke7:
How many coaches Una wan try before Una go face reality

Changing coaches is also facing reality.

Farzat:
Bringing in Shehu to the midfield is a proof that what we need to win this match is nothing but luck, i pray the luck shines on us

Football is not luck and prayer. It's about hardwork, quality and tactics...

Goke7:
We don't have good players, it's all hype.

We have good players but poor coaches and coaching. Eguavoen thin midfield is his undoing.

safarigirl:
Lol

Is that the deflection?

Then the fingertips of Okoye is also a deflection


If you people did not agree that Okoye's ball deflected, this ball too did not deflect.

Yes you're right.

safarigirl:
Uzoho did not touch that ball

There was no deflection

The ball touched beneath Uzoho elbow then entered.

charlesemeka85:
we will qualify but mk pple eye open say okoye is better than uzoho

Ghana has a disciplined midfield and defense so S.E may not qualify.

Eguavoen has struggled against the top 10 ranked African countries.

safarigirl:
You cannot argue that

The ball did not deflect

This argument did not work for Okoye, so, it cannot work for Uzoho

The tips of Okoye's fingers even touched the ball he conceded, Uzoho did not even touch the ball. He had no chance against that goal.

Uzoho touched ball. He was the one that pushed or deflected it into the net .. at least Okoye didn't deflect his own into the net.

daveP:
This is not looking like Aribo's game mehn

Aribo has always been one of the weak links in the attack.. that's why I said Sadiq or lookman should replace..

Or him and lookman should switch positions because he plays better as a winger.

safarigirl:
Wetin make you dey open teeth?

You're the person that was wrong here, Abi, where is Bonke on that starting lineup?

you again

Bonke is injured naa

you've been wanting to quote me

Is it your teeth

Its my teeth and I will open it

Strugglingman:
I don't see this Ghanaian team scoring a goal from open play sha

don't jinx it...

the S.E must not be over-confident , complacent and arrogant...

this Ghanaian team broke through the S.E defense on multiple occasions in Kumasi and were unlucky not to score especially due to Uzoho's heroics and some defenders covering the mistakes of the other S.E players..

S.E must press especially in the 1st half and let the Ghanaian team make errors... S.E must also keep possession and no showboating or over dribbling...

Icon4s:
Rather, it is only a foolish coach that will start all of Dennis, Lookman, Onyeka and Bonke

mostob Icon4s come and see starting lineup

forgiveness:
My preferred starting 11


...............,,..................Uzoho...........

Aina...........Balogun........Ekong........Zaidu.......

................Etebor...................Onyeka..........

................................Aribo...................

Moses.......................Osimhen...................Dennis

moses and dennis attempts dribbles a lot and will lose the ball.. and your formation puts them as wide forwards which means they won't really drop deep to help the midfield and defense... Aribo struggles when playing as a 10 for S.E so he should be moved to the wings..

it's either

...............,,..................Uzoho...........

Aina...........Balogun........Ekong........Zaidu.......

................Etebor/Bonke...................Onyeka/Bonke..........

Dennis/Amoo................Sadiq..........................Aribo/Lookman

...............................Osimhen...................


or

...............,,..................Uzoho...........

...........Balogun...............Ajayi.....................Ekong.......

Aina.................Etebor/Bonke...................Onyeka/Bonke...........Zaidu.......

................................Dennis/Lookman...................

................Sadiq/Dennis...................Osimhen.........


Aina and Zaidu have proven to play the wings better than our wingers so let them play the wings..
Etebor and Onyeka like going forward and will make the defense weak on a counter. Bonke is needed...

justvictor57:
Well, I will assume they were under pressure playing away. I just hope that won't be the case here in Abuja.

The pressure will be worse at home so it would have been better if they had won the 1st leg.

justvictor57:
It has to be extra time but we no want am. Why are our players too sluggish with little or no pace when with the ball? No quick decision, always confused when approaching the 18 yard box. Confusion everywhere. What is it na

they didn't call up some of the players with pace the only one that has pace was on the bench... according to some people on this thread they are rookies and this match is too big for them...

some of the players aren't sluggish, they just want to try dribbles so they intentionally slow down for the defenders to catch up with them..

Kog45:
Oga,you mean he is playing safe in world cup play off...Chuckwueze is off form period.

I'm just been soft on chukwueze. Sportilitica is right but I won't say he has regressed. His performance for the S.E is below par and shambolic.

He is not off form.. his not putting in the high performance for the S.E as compared to when his playing for Villarreal.

He is probably one of Eguavoen's favorites and it's Eguavoen's favorites that are messing Eguavoen up..

Subzero47:
What do you think he is playing for Villarreal, when last did he score a goal for them?

good question that I don't know the answer to

mostob:


You should just stick to argument within your IQ.
Have a nice day

You're talking about IQ but the time is 11:30pm and you're saying have a nice "day" instead of night.

Go and update your IQ