Osimhen with only one leg is ten times better than Moffi as far as the national team is concerned. Your man Moffi should raise his game if he wants to be ever invited.

Osimhen can play 120 minutes if required. Football is not choir rendition where you say so and so should perform for certain amount of time.

You've been in this group for a long time but with the way you are letting parochial sentiment consume you, one would think you know very little about football.

Curtisaxel17:
I know Osimhen should start. But I wonder why Peseiro can't do us a favor and bring in Moffi by the 75th minute when Osimhen is tired.

Not really. I worked there and I'm happy to identify with them.

CaptainStephen:
Are you Estako too?

I dey laugh....

Damioduso1:
Arthur Okonwo has finally get a Nigeria passport I hope he will be clear on time for the afcon in ivory coast next year January.

Etsako boy George Ilenikhena leading the attack tonight for Antwerp against Lazio in the UCL.
Alhassan Yusuf also in action for the Belgian club.

Plays as a winger. Has high work rate.

Kog45:
Yes I will pick Iheanacho till Boniface prove it in national team,hopefully coming Afcon.

But I have a question and enlightenment,pls what role is Isaac Success playing in Udinese cuz his goal scoring damn too poor and as you said his assist not that top notches but keep on getting games.

We don't have shortage of midfielders I agree, but I disagree with the point about the coach fielding more attackers at the expense of midfielders being the cause of our problem.

Look, we have more attacking talent than defensive. The coach can field even all attackers and still beat his opponents silly while still controlling the game.

The problem is that the coach is clueless and the football administrators are even more clueless and morbidly corrupt. The deals these coaches sign have nothing to do with performance and everything to do with sleaze and kickbacks.

Which teams are we usually up against? Liberia, Sierra Leone, Benin. Come on! We should be beating those guys silly if we were half decent as a country. But again as I always mention, the problem is deeply rooted and can only be changed from the top.

charlesemeka85:
we don’t hv shortage of midfielders

Our coach is just useless

A coach that is opportune to have the number of decent midfielders listed below shouldn’t be worried

Ndidi
Onyeka
Onyedika
Iwobi
Folorunsho
Yusuf
Ifeanyi Mathew
Fisayo

Peseiro’s biggest problem is reducing bodies in the midfield just to hv more attackers and my annoyance is that he has tried this since he took over the super eagles coaching responsibility but too daft to observe that it is not the best for the team.

Osimhen is a very mobile forward. It took a coach like Spalletti to limit his movement all over the pitch.
None of the other Napoli's forwards can even loose Osimhen's shoe lace.

I wish Arsenal had a striker like Vic.

kendrick9:
Napoli doing very well without Osimhen.
Once again proving that the modern football are moving past the static no 9.

Kog45

Charlesemeka

Odunayaw

Bascovanvelli

Thesupernerd

Danielnino00:


Here we go!
Voting of Members of the Nomination Committee
Gentlemen and ladies of the thread, it is time for us to vote for those who will stand as representatives of this thread and partake in the selection of award categories and award nominees.
This year, the nomination committee will be made up of at least 7 members: myself, icon4s who pioneered the award will continue as an honorary member of the committee and at least 5 monikers from this thread.
Every member of this thread is eligible to vote and be voted for. But let's keep in mind that this isn't a popularity contest. Vote for those you believe have the knowledge and passion for Nigerian football.
Here's the rule for voting:
1) You're to vote for 5 monikers from this thread to join the committee;
2) Vote the monikers in order of preference, from top to bottom;
3) Points will be awarded to each moniker you vote for. Your first nominee gets 5 point, the second gets 4 points, the third gets 3 points, fourth gets 2 points and fifth gets 1 point.
4) At the end of the voting process, the five monikers with the most points will join the committee;
5) In the event that two or more monikers are tied on points, they will all be added to the committee, as the goal is to have as many monikers to contribute to the process.
6) You're allowed to nominate yourself 😉

Voting closes on Wednesday, November 8th 2023, 10pm Nigerian time.

Thank you.

Glad to see Onyenezide shine in her Super Falcons cameo. I'm a big fan of Esther and I really want to see her become one of the superstars in female football globally.

About Maduka Okoye, please let's talk about something more important. I think Nigerians really have incurable amnesia. One average performance and we'll forget all the heartaches these blokes have caused us.

Uzoho and Okoye are different symptoms of same disease and should not be seen within 100 miles of the Eagles' camp. Both of them are giving me Buhari and Tinubu nauseous vibes.

I'm not surprised about this revelation to be honest. When some guys were all over the place the last time blaming Finidi for the jersey scandal, I asserted that Finidi was not culpable for that shambolic arrangement.

Guys this is not Europe or America. This is naija!! A lot of ugly deals transpire behind the scenes and nobody is bold enough to reveal them.

I was an ardent follower of the Nigerian league between 2003 and 2015. I knew most of the players and coaches and I always hoped things would improve but the whole lawlessness from the top is corrupting everything down below.

I respect Finidi and Siasia a lot for summoning the courage to venture into the murky waters of the Nigerian league.

Hopefully when this sleazy affair between the NFF and their Portuguese collaborator is over, Finidi and Amunike will be given the opportunity take the Super Eagles back to footballing ways.

Cecco90:
🚨BOMBSHELL!!!! 🤯🤯🤯

Enyimba’s head coach, Finidi George Fires At Management For AFL Exit

“Out of 19 new players that were brought in, I had knowledge of only 4 of them. When I saw the quality of the players that were brought, I called Ekwueme the Sporting Director and asked what the target for the season is, he said it is just to stabilize in the league as the focus is to settle down first”

“Ideally, before registering players for any competition, the coaches must be consulted to submit the list. But that wasn’t the case here. For whatever flimsy reason, we were not consulted and they did the registration themselves. As a result, some of the players we would have needed were not registered. It was much later that the sporting director just sent us the list of players that they had already registered.

“After the first leg, they dropped some players from travelling for the second leg in Casablanca, claiming that they couldn’t get them visas. We had to protest it strongly before it was rectified. We later found out that there was more to it.

“Can you imagine that we went for such a game without the goalkeeping and fitness coaches? Myself and Yema were the only coaches that travelled for that game. That is very strange to me.

“Everyone has to put the interest of the club first because until this is done, we would only be joking.”

“We arrived Uyo on October 17 with the idea to have as many training sessions as possible on the grass pitch in Uyo since we are more used to our synthetic pitch. But we couldn’t really achieve that because the management failed to make the right arrangements with the stadium authorities. As a result, we improvised and had one of our training sessions at a primary school, while another training session was cut short because of the same poor arrangements.

“In fact, we played a team that was more used to the playing surface than us, the home team. It was obvious that we were at a disadvantage as a team used to artificial pitches and this really affected us.

“Also, we had only three trainings with the AFL match ball, meanwhile, our opponents had enough time to get used to it. That was why you could see my players struggling with their control, passing and shooting.”

“It is sad to see such statements being released when all hands should be on deck and things should be more organized to enable a positive environment for all. Yes, there have been issues, but I remained patient because I believed that we could harmonise efforts and work things out; but here we are.

“The issue with the team is obvious, and it has nothing to do with the coaches. The same coaches won the league with less goals conceded and highest goal scored. We won the best Super 6 ever organized, scored the highest and conceded the least number of goals,”

Finidi George told selected journalists in an exclusive interview.

Copied

Those living in Enugu and other surrounding states were treated to real soccer extravaganza by Ralph on Sports Track 105.5 Cosmos FM.

He used to start with Nigerian players abroad. In the days of Peter Ijeh, Ayomide Makinwa, Obafemi Martins, Utaka the attacker, Richard Eromoigbe, etc.

During the Keshi era I used to live on Futaa.com

charlesemeka85:
he didn’t play for Standard Liege first team but their youth team where he got signed by Chelsea and was loaned to Ado Den Haag. Ado was his first taste of men’s football/professional football in europe

His good performance for Ado where he played mostly as a right back made keshi to invite him to the super eagles. After a season with the then Eiredivisie club chelsea recalled him and loaned him to Middlesborough where he did well in his first stint, got recalled but wasn’t spectacular like previous stint with the championship club then

His sojourn to Turkey was after he was recalled from his loan in the championship by Chelsea

Oga I have been an ardent follower of Nigerian players abroad from a very tender age during the days of 442 and kickoff magazine, it’s a passion I was born with so u should be the one who started watching football when the Arabs bought Man City. I won’t insult you u by saying u started watching the beautiful game during Covid breakout, u be my fellow man so mk I stretch am go bck a bit mk em no be like say I dey insult ur knowledge of the game 🤣🤣🤣

Fingers still crossed on Nathan Tella. May even turn out to be worse than Lookman in the Eagles' shirt.
Lookman is obviously talented, so is Chukwueze but their commitment leaves a lot to be desired.

ChrisKels:


I hope this is true because he might turn out to be a better addition than Lookman Ademola. Lookman has really been a huge disappointment, though I hope he comes good.

Ifeanyi Mathew, proper baller those days in Garba Manu's team.

charlesemeka85:
Ifeanyi Mathew starts for FC Zurich against Lausanne

I think the term "Aboki" is used to address any lower class adult or child suspected to be from the northern part of Nigeria and beyond.

I can't say it's really derogatory depending on the context in which it is used.
Regarding what Boniface wrote on his social media handle, it's really light-hearted but could be easily misconstrued especially with the level of ethnic strife in Nigeria. I appreciate him for deleting it.

I don't like talking about political jobbers like Bashir Ahmad because there are more important things to do with time.

Amedino99:
I think the aboki is used for those that used to push trucks around in the south buying and selling condemned parts. We call them iron condemn so I get his reference but then as funny and innocuous as the post seems we live in a time where people get offended over stereotypes so the once he has apologized I feel it's okay.

I think the paragraphing is good but I understand what you mean and I will make the necessary adjustments.

Napoleon55:

Pls try to give space or paragraphs on your posts for easy reading,

For me,I find it very difficult to read a long post without paragraphs.

I must not convince you. I'm not striving to anyway but I will not lavish praise on the boys when they play as if they are training with some school kids on a vacation in Greece.
Don't you watch other national teams? The way Chukwueze and Lookman played was that how their predecessors that put Nigeria on the football map played? Have we set the bar so low in everything in Nigeria that a lacklustre display against a tactless Saudi side should attract felicitations?
Under Rohr they even played with more enthusiasm despite not being fluid.

Odunayaw:
There's no way you're going to spin yourself out of this. You could have easily limited your railing against the team to "when we play France" but you didn't, rather you said "Everytime".

Since there's no medal/competition for who yabs the team the most can we at least be factual?

Yobo really had tremendous experience and I could remember he notched few important goals in the qualifiers leading to 2010 but defensively he was a massive liability for a number of years. He has the NFF to thank for his appearances at the 2013 AFCON and 2014 WC. He probably greased their palms, shameless gluttons!

Bannedlargedx2:


Kanu even on his last legs was one of our best players against South Korea at 2010 World Cup and I would had played him at the previous 2 games based on his South Korea performance. As for yobo, it’s only Nigerians that will like to throw away an experienced 33 year old with Epl experience. It’s only musa that has overstayed his welcome among this list

He was injured in the friendly with Mexico almost as soon as he entered the fray but he recovered before the world cup and Keshi was bent on taking him after he had had enough of Yobo shenanigans. I remember we all kept vigil waiting for the world cup list and when it was eventually released, Balogun, Mba and Ideye were the notable omissions.

jihday:
Balogun didn’t make 2014 World Cup because of injury, nobody took his place

Come on! We played Saudi Arabia not France. Everyone had thrashed them before we met. Even Mali taught them some footballing lessons just like a well-coached team from Ijegun or Ikotun would.
The Saudi boys were completely below par in that fixture, surrounding the referee viciously every two minutes trying to force fraudulent calls. Poor guy! Smiling sheepishly on every occasion, afterall his employers in Switzerland are raking Saudi petrodollar.

Odunayaw:
The team you watched in these friendlies?

It's like some of una go get rough day and just come here to release your stress by piling on anything that comes to your mind

I quite agree with you about the "being liberal" aspect and I think most Nigerians of different tribes are. The hausa man on the street of Dutse will most likely not be interested in whatever Boniface writes on social media but the issue is that tribesmen are liable to engaging in ethnic strife once aroused by the political class.

lovewins:


Truth is, while there may be a few reservations most yorubas will understand the context and will laugh about it. Yorubas are liberal at heart, it's why the extremities that exist in some part of the country won't find root in the west.

About JS not having a reliable centre back pair, who is to blame? The woman selling akara on the street of Iyana Ipaja? Or the coach himself? How long did it take Keshi, Siasia and Rohr to find theirs?
It is a shame that the boys cannot string five passes together without losing the ball to the opponents even when they are are up against the most mediocre of teams on the continent.
The last time I watched a Nigerian team play some entertaining football was in 2016 during the Olympics. Yes, we may have few tactical problems here and there but can't we just play some decent football first? Most of the boys have been around for the past 3-5 years. Do they need to play together for a century to at least make the fans happy.
Each time I watch our boys play it looks like they just gathered some random boys from Ikorodu a day to the match. No understanding, no cohesion, just kick and run.

Stephen Keshi was like a god in the national team set-up for a very long period and he played crucial role in securing Nigeria's place in that world cup.
Kanu overstayed his welcome and should have long retired before the 2010 world cup.
Yobo was almost a nuisance in the Eagles camp even before the 2013 AFCON where he was the NFF spy. He unfairly took Leon Balogun's place on the 2014 roster.
For Ahmed Musa, he's becoming a big joke and should be advised to leave the team.

Kog45:
Stephen Keshi made US 94 on quota?
Joseph Yobo on quota 2014 WC? Kanu Nwankwo quota too in 2010 WC?…..I don’t think it’s about quota but our style,so nobody should raise eyebrows on Musa.

**Uzoho na Peseiro quota

Responsive and responsible governance, financial prudence and accountability, independence of the judiciary and the legislative. In climes where these are commonplace you see sports infrastructure everywhere.
It's a given that we already have the talent , just the enabling environment needed.

M7even:


Granted, what would be the right advocacy ?

Great observation.
I believe he is still adapting to the pace of the bundesliga relative to where he'd been playing. At USG he was always given the ball to do his thing but the case is slightly different at Leverkusen where though he still receives regular service but the tactics is such that everyone plays.
I would love him to play at least two seasons under Alonso if possible so he could build on his confidence and sharpen his marksmanship.

Tolulopefinest:


Bayern Leverkusen plays one of the most exciting football in Europe currently. Boniface having the highest expected goal is normal base on Leverkusen style of play. I've not seen a team this season that plays better than them

Most of the times, he'll miss the goal you will expect a striker to score easily.

You are right. He played for Ibom Stars not Calabar Rovers.

Kog45:
Enyeama played for Ibom Stars which was formerly known as Mobil Pegasus of Eket, but now Akwa United.

He moved to Enyimba from Ibom Star then a division two club in Nigeria league,in fact he met Dele Aiyenigba as first choice in Enyimba.

He did not played for Calabar Rover.

Enyeama eagles sojourned was a story of destiny child.He joined Enyimba 2001/2002 season after Enyimba friendly match with Inter Milan which Enyimba lost 7-0 with Aiyenigba Dele in goal.It was a match organized by Ronaldo to mark his return after long absence due to injury and money raised was donated to United Nations Relief Fund for Africa,Asia and South America less privileged.

Enyeama was discovered playing for Ibom star by eagles goalkeeper trainer Amusa Adisa but didn’t get invitation until the goalkeeping crew realized Ejide was not ready after Scotland friendly.Just two months in Enyimba he was invited and had a good game against Kenya in a friendly.

The big question,a keeper that kept in WC against England was a division two player a season ago in NPFL but just some months in NPFL division one,now the best Nigeria keeper in Nigeria football history.

Time to give Amas Obasogie of Bendel Insurance,Christian Nwoke of Sporting Lagos,Kayode Bankole of Remo Star and Stanley Nwabili of Chipa in South Africa league the chance to compete in eagles cuz we can be having bench warmers as Super eagles keeper.

Whoever invented the system that produced our U17 WC winners in 2013 and 2015 deserves some credit. Aminu Maigari was the NFF president while Bolaji Abdullahi was the sports minister.
The system was capital intensive but that financial aspect was outsourced to states like Rivers. It involved scouting young players all over Nigeria and that was how the likes of Ndidi, Matthew, Awoniyi, Iheanacho, Success, Yahaya, Osimhen, Nwakali, Chukwueze, Alampasu, Uzoho were discovered.
Imagine how many more players we could have discovered if consistency was a thing in Nigeria. Maybe by now we could have discovered more talented defenders and goalkeepers so we wouldn't be here all day debating who is better between two mediocre defenders. Mind you we used that system because we don't have professional clubs in Nigeria. Professional clubs all over the world have academies.

Someone in this group used to hype this Ajagun as the next big thing after Messi. How time flies!!

Amedino99:
Nigerians too funny wallahi

Because they lost narrowly to Dortmund? You think Newcastle have better players than Dortmund?

charlesemeka85:
Newcastle na very useless team. Agidi football with no finesse and creativity

Everybody Dey run jam opponents like headless chickens

Enyeama played for Calabar Rovers but it was actually at Enyimba that he got his first national team call-up

mank1234:


And England with 99% players in EPL are yet to taste world cup final since. Is everything about football about England? By this your logic, Sunday MBA should not have been close to the national team that year. And Enyeama should not have been our keeper while still at Akwa United.

If champions league is all about coaching, some clubs would get a loan from the world bank and hire Fabio Capello but I'm afraid there's is more to it than coaching.
I think the problem most Nigerians have is that they are very slow to come to terms with the fact that we have so much regressed in football that we are now very much behind a lot of African countries.
Granted we were among the dominant forces in the 80s and 90s because we invested in football. We had standard sporting facilities in secondary schools inherited from the colonial masters and so we were able to nurture players from the schools. Where are we today in terms of sports education? What do our clubs train with? Do we think that just because we have won a number of AWCONs then that should translate to success at the club competition level? Guys wake up! Think critically and make the right advocacy!!

M7even:


We are left behind. Just look at the women's Champions League in Africa. We declined further by failing to qualify even when we hosted. A team from Ghana still came to beat us. This coach we have appointed is on what merit. If our local coaches aren't winning the African women champions league I believe they have no say in the national team. Likewise our male team. We need coaches who can always get to the semifinals of the African champions league. If our local based or home-based players are not dominating Africa then there is no point bringing them into the national team. If it is a management problem then there shouldn't be promotion for state board managers to the glass house. To whom much is given much is expected.

Nobody has really been spectacular in GWG. I believe the Nigerian system has a way of making top quality professionals look mediocre. Some may argue that it's the same system that produced most of the players. Yes, but don't you think we could have produced more if we had a sane society?

Kog45:
My point is clearer Sir,I want to see Bassey telling us he is better than what we have in eagles.Yes from Rangers to Ajax and Fulham,good progression but I have not felt the impact in GWG.

Are you saying Ebuehi is better than Osayi just cus he is playing in Seria A.