₦airaland Forum

ROSSIKE:
Thank you my brother. The op was probably running around in primary school or nursery when all you typed was happening. The annoying thing is when they grow up and come to NL, they think they are 'authorities' in football, maybe because they're now as tall as you and I.

This is what the PSG Wikipedia page has to say about Okocha. See what it says about his partnership with Ronaldinho. Funny thing is some peeps here say no big club came for Jay Jay. What was PSG at the time? A small club? At that time the EPL wasn't this popular and didn't attract the biggest players in Europe. And the Champions League only had 24 teams in the group stage.


Paris Saint-Germain splashed $24 million on Jay-Jay Okocha in 1998, making him the most expensive African player at the time.[7] "El Puma" Nicolas Anelka's ?33.5 million deal from Real Madrid became PSG's highest signing.[8] Ronaldinho became the star of the capital club and a fan favourite. He formed a lethal partnership up front with Jay-Jay Okocha, but the magical duo couldn't achieve any major titles. Okocha left PSG on a free transfer and joined Bolton Wanderers.

clevadani:
I used to rate Okocha as d best footballer ever growing up but as I continued watching football and started having a deep understanding of d game,I realised dat he was an good average player. I have read d comments of some people saying caf robbed him(used to think dis way) because he's not from a french speaking country,dat is balderdash. Dere is no way he could have won d award over drogba or etoo because dey were not just playing for top teams,dey were d top marksmen in their teams.
If jay jay was as good as some ppl here claim,y did no top team approach him for his signature? Or a u guys trying to tell me dat u r better dan international scouts?
Ps:Jay Jay remains one of my favorite players

Can you explain why he lost to Mustapha Hadji in 1998, even after a stellar performance at the World Cup and becoming the most expensive African player in the same year? Kanu won in 1999 simply for joining Arsenal in the summer and having a few good games, yet Okocha was ignored the year before for Mustapha Hadji. Please explain.

And by the way, the same PSG that Ibrahimovic and many other top players today play for signed Okocha and made him the most expensive player. This same club had Ronaldinho in their team. In those days the EPL wasn't so popular as it is today. The French league was more popular, along with Italy and Spain.

Icecomrade:
Long arguments on this thread. Will lend my opinion not withstanding.

Okocha was a good player of his time but wasn't good enough to carve a niche for himself.

No personal awards, no club achievements. That's what separates good players from great players.

Sadly, he can't get another opportunity to set that right.

Okocha won the BBC African footballer of the year twice but somehow Caf ignored him twice, even when he wa adjudged to be the front runner. The most glaring injustice was 1998, when he came 2nd behind Mustapha Hadji, even when he was a stand out perform at France 98 and became the most expensive African player when he was signed by PSG after the World Cup. I'd say he was just unlucky.

xtervaganza:
It upsets me when we Nigerians who are supposed to appreciate Jay Jay more ridicule him online this way. Going by pure skill alone he's one of the greatest I have seen personally.

It really is a shame when we Nigerians do that. And we wonder why today's generation of Nigerian players don't give their best to the national team? A man gives more than 15 years of his best to this country and we come online o spew some of the uncomplimentary stuff I've read here? It's a damn shame.

hardbody:
I dont know ur age and whether you watched Taribo play. That guy was a rock of Gibraltar in the defence line. He was strong rugged skilled and had a heart of a lion. Their set was the last super eagles team we ever had. Remember they almost embarrassed the Argies in 1994 WC until FIFA referee allowed them a last minute penalty. They did not struggle with Sudan or lose to Congo. Those guys could easily have brought the cup back if not for world politics in football coupled with inexperience at that stage. I still respect them.

Er, Taribo did not play at USA 94. His first World Cup was 98, and we conceded 9 goals in 4 matches. No doubt Taribo's class was way above what we have today. The guy was a regular at both Inter and AC Milan. Omeruo and Oboabona have become complacent in recent times. They really need to sit up and get their act together. They can be much better than they are today.

Oh, and the Argies didn't defeat us with a last minute penalty. They had two well executed free kicks with with Claudio Cannigia scored. Our inexperience killed us.

all4naija:
The extra precaution is that CAF should postpone the game for Ebola reason. Please, make use of your brain!

And you couldn't have made your point without resulting to insults? Smh.

nedu2000:
you are right,maybe their reason is the rainy season in june/july in Africa

That's the only reason really. While June\July might be summer in some parts of the world, rain pours heavily in most African countries at that time.

As far as Morrocco pulling ou is concerned, while their reasons are justifiable, I still think the Nations Cup can still hold with a few restrictions. Let's not forget that Ebola was already raging in Liberia and Sierra Leone before the last World Cup. That didn't make Brazil or Fifa bar West African teams like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana or Cameroon or their fans from attending. Imagine if they had asked the African teams to stay away or postponed the tourney because of Ebola. I think the increased buzz about Ebola only increased after it entered Nigeria via Patrick Sawyer and now its in Europe and the US.

Morrocco or any hosting country and CAF just needs to take extra precaution. Probably reduce the number of fans coming in and screening everybody. Like someone said, if Ebola will enter Morrocco, it doesn't need Afcon.

Chris Giwa needs psychiatric evaluation. Fifa does not recognize you, the Sports Ministry does not recognize you and even Keshi doesn't recognize you as NFF chairman. Is it by force? Confused man.

Elliotwiz1:
if you watched nigeria's last 3 matches you would understand that his plan is always crossing the ball from defence to attack. this has never yielded a good result but the boys keep playing that way. and when someone(osaze) once tried to change it he said the young man played against instructions. presently our players have a better game plan than the coach. beside the fact that he's lost his quality, he's also arrogant and acts like he has nothing to lose and putting the SE in the hands of a man who doesn't care is like buying a strikes who doesn't care if he scores or not.

You obviously do not understand body language. Yesterday those boys played for their coach for once. Every goal they scored, they ran to him to celebrate. They obviously knew it may be his last game, and they upped the ante for him (Keshi). Mind you, he benched some complacent regulars and gave opportunities to more hungrier players.

No matter what tactic a coach deploys, it is the players that will make it work. If he likes let him scream from the touch line from today till tomorrow, if they want to play rubbish, they will.

caprini1:
Na bro,When Keshi won d Afcon,it wasn't tactics go download and watch the games.The players needed the win,we had no tactics ,but sheer individual brilliance from mostly Moses,Ideye and Mba. Amodu might not have won anything ,but check the games he has handled for us.We always play our wing games with some solid defensive midfield plays ,covering our centre backs.And pls go back to the 2002 world cup qualifiers,Amodu turned Aiyegbeni to a monster striker,even though he never made it to the world cup ,due to politics.We always play very well under Amodu.

I laugh when I hear all these ignorant talk about tactics. Who executes the coaches brilliant tactics on the field of play? Is it the referee? You say it was players individual brilliance? Why do we celebrate Messi and Ronaldo today? Is it not because of their individual brilliance? Because they can single-handedly turn a game on it's head and carry their team along? So players should stroll onto the field with the mentality that they don't need a win and then the coaches tactics will surprisingly do magic? Wow, that sure worked for David Moyes last season, and has been working for Arsene Wenger for the past 8 seasons.

And then you say Amodu turned Yakubu to a monster striker? Guy please. Yakubu was doing well at club level and the national team benefited from his run of good form.

iconise:
You're drunk!

Mikel never played at your pseudo ajax cape.

Pure moronic bantu!

Barman, give this man a chilled bottle of anything he wants. No be only Ajax Capetown, na Bereku Chelsea.

jobsat34:
which capable and disengaged coach that is available at the moment... the best option is to go for amodu on interim bases, while they sort out for a better option.. i think what eagles conspicuously needed is a technical adviser (which keshi arrogantly refuse the need for one)

What is a technical adviser? Get a coach/manager and let him choose his back room staff. The NFF wanted to employ a technical adviser for Keshi so that he could help to spy on opponents and analyse their pattern of play and I'm like seriously; we don't have that already? NFF have a technical committee which has ex-internationals in it. What is their job, if not scouting, spying and supplying technical input for all our national teams.

Elliotwiz1:
he's just there for now, he's far better than keshi. we won our last match because of our players extra effort and not because of our coach tactics. keshi had to go even if they didn't have a replacement, he has nothing left to offer

And where was that extra effort all this while? Can tactics execute itself on the field of play without effort from the players?

Emmysteve:
Back to square zero. I am never a fan of hiring and firing of coaches every here and then. In 2011 October precisely, i kicked against the sacking of Samson Siasia but Nigerians insisted that he must go, cursing and calling him all manners of names; but i stood by him until Keshi came on board to change the Fortune of the team.
Today, the same people calling Siasia names are the people insulting the Big Boss. Some people even go as far as cursing his family!.....
I am happy today that I still stood by Keshi despite all the cricism. I am his fan and I will continue to be his fan until the next coach achieved beyond what Keshi did. For now i will hang my boots and watch as the drama unfolds.

Move over bro, let me join you to do siddon look. I also kicked against the sacking of Siasia and now Keshi. I believe the problem of our football goes beyond just coaching. Player development and mentality is another strong factor. Well, I wish the interim coaches and the eventual foreign coach all the best.

Win or lose, I will keep supporting the Super Eagles till I die. Even if it breaks my heart. Yes, I said Super Eagles. I will never stoop so low as to call my own national team "Super Chickens" like some of you do. A derogatory name given to us by our fiercest rivals Ghana in 2008. That is like a Chelsea fan calling his team Chelsh*t. No, never.

I rest my case.

andyanders:
Yesoooooooooooooooooo. He is 22 indeed.We actually know who a 22 yr old man is in Nigeria.22 yrs with wives and children indeed in Nigerian culture and standard. Let us celebrate his football age and forget other things.

All of our players from under 17 only God knows their ages and I am glad for them 'cus they are eating from there.

Congrats Musa. Your Children will be 15 yrs when you are 28 yrs old.

I'm surprised that some of you find it hard to believe that a 22 year old Hausa boy would already have a wife and children. Your probably know nothing about that tribe. We once had a maiguard who was 20 and already had a wife and two kids, not to talk of a footballer earning top dollar in Europe. Or is it that a 22 year old cannot impregnate a girl?

Besides Neymar is also 22 and has a child. Raheem Sterling is 19 and has a child too.

Not saying Musa is 22 though.

shupsy2012:
And okocha will cum out in de public to tell us football is long dead in nigeria,wat a disappointing comment..........its dead and our under 17 won de world cup,our darling falcons are scoring recklessly and winning every game..............the coach mixing old and young bloods with vision and game plan,keshi will tell u they are too old or too young........falcons coach sld jst replace de stubborn man.

And after U-17 what happens? If you think Okocha is talking crap, then you are probably not tired of lamenting about the Super Eagles in the last 12 years.

ROSSIKE:
It's not like these guys can force teams in La Liga and the EPL to buy them.

If you are that good you can. We've seen Japanese players signed straight from the J-League. Mohamed Salah of Chelsea is an Egyptian who was signed from small Basel in Switzerland just because they play in the champions league. Gabon's Aubameyang was signed from small St. Etienne. With all the noise we make about IK Uche you would think he would have caught the eye of bigger teams. Same goes for the likes of Emenike, Musa, even Osaze. Moses got signed by two big clubs in Chelsea and Liverpool but just couldn't compete with the quality of players there.

WHAT!!! You mean say bad federal roads still dey this our obodo naija? I been think say TAN talk say Goodluck don fix all federal roads for obodo Naija? Choi, so they have just been TANtalizing me with lies since. I don vex. Make I go cancel my train ticket for Iddo wey I wan take go Abuja for mega rally before. This is TANtamount to gross deception.

Goke7:
what you have just described was also the undoing of the previous generation even the so called 94set and the atlanta 96 team this was the reason of our world cup 1998 flop, our players easily get swollen headed when they achieve little success, this is not a coaching problem, the best way to address this is to keep bringing in new players into the team that will compete for spaces with the current ones, the reason the players like oshanuwa , babatunde shone at the world cup but Nigerians are not patient with coaches who will bring in new players to try their luck, they always want to go back to the old players like martins, yobo and uche instead of looking forward and our sports journalists are not helping us in this regard

You're right. I think another way to get past this problem is to work on the psychology of our players from a young age. The average Nigerian player's highest life goal is to play abroad (anywhere will do; Europe, Asia, anywhere) and earn dollars, then hopefully play for the Super Eagles one day. Once they achieve that they've hit the glass ceiling. I think they need to look beyond that.

Our players need to aspire not just to play abroad, but to play for the top clubs in Europe. It is okay to start out in Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Belgium and the likes, but don't be satisfied with that. Aspire for more. Even if you cannot be a Ronaldo or Messi at least be a George Weah, a Finidi, an Okocha. Be among the best. And this doesn't come by just depending on the skills and talent you brought from Africa. They need to apply themselves to development. Spend more time on the training pitch. Develop your technical abilities. Free-kicks, corners, on and off the ball movement, positioning that kind of stuff. You hardly see any form of that development these days. The same Musa, Ambrose, Echiejele, Nsofor and the likes that we saw at youth level is what we still have till today. No marked improvement.

We need to pay more attention to youth development. All these "we have talents all over the streets of Nigeria" crap will take us no where. You don't develop world class talent by playing monkey post. Street soccer is high on display of skills and low on technicality. While 8-13 year old in Europe are learning technique, our own kids are playing by natural instinct.

Fash20:
We don't want his apologies he should be sacked. I don't know why NFF renew his contract sef smh

Er..., renew which contract?

mesoade:
So,okocha is now smoking weed too s.m.h


and about not blaming keshi and his crew,who else did we want to blame? NFF chairman shey.


He said the country's football is "LONG DEAD AND GONE",How den did d super eagles nw turned chickens win d 2013 AFCON and reached d round of 16 in d world cup?

In truth, we won AFCON 2013, not by luck, but because:

(1) the new boys in the team where hungry for success. Mba, Oboabona, Omeruo, Onazi, Ideye, Emenike, and the likes were playing their first tournament for the Super Eagles. So they upped their game. Now they have a champions medal and the passion is gone.

(2) We were under-rated. Coming from our many previous failures, our football pedigree had fallen so low that African teams didn't take us serious anymore. And that became their undoing at that Afcon, especially after our faulty start at the group stage.

Now that we are African Champions, the mediocre players we have are now carrying a chip on their shoulder. They've forgotten that they are not all that. At the World Cup, they were again under dogs. Most people even expected Bosnia to qualifier ahead of us based on their undefeated qualification status. The average Nigerian team seemingly plays better when they are the under-dog.

Okocha just confirmed what I've been saying since. Nigerian football is dead. We need to go back to the basics.

dabossman:
I have said it before and I will say it again; our problem goes beyond the coaches. Nigerian football has been on a downward slide for more than a decade, the only bright spot being the Afcon win in 2013. The same way Nigerians are shouting "sack Keshi" is how they shouted "sack Amodu, sack Eguaveon, sack Berti Vogts, sack Christian Chukwu, sack Siasia" Yet not much has changed.

It is time we turned the spotlight on the real culprits, the players. These are supposed to be professional fooballers. It's no surprise we have no players performing at the top level in Europe. When was the last time a Nigerian player was the Best in Africa?

Our players revel in mediocrity and Nigerians tend to celebrate their mediocrity. We make them feel like demi-gods simply because Brila FM and Complete Sports make noise about them. You can hardly ever point to any progression in their career. Even when they start of in a good league, they usually end up in the back leagues of Europe. They lack drive, they lack ambition; they only care about money and we cheer them on with comments like "stop beefing, they are making their money". Well, yeah they are making their money and bringing you all heart-ache.

Until Nigerian player value being amongst the best in the world more than earning Euros, Pounds and Dollars, we will continue to moan and groan.

My two and a half cent.

This is what some of us have been saying since, but Nigerians would rather chase shadows. It is the Nigerian way.

dabossman:
We always leave the real issues and chase shadows. Today it is Keshi. Before then it was Amodu, Christian Chukwu, Eguaveon, Berti Vogts, Lagerback and Siasia. When things go wrong we always centre everything around the coach.

We don't address the issues of player development. We have this false belief that we are blessed with the best footballers in the world playing on the streets of Nigeria; as if playing monkey post is how you develop world class talent. At present I make bold to say that there is no Nigerian player that is in the top ten of his position worldwide save for maybe Enyeama. In fact make that top 20..., wait top 30. From defence to attack we have mediocre talent, yet we hype them like they are the next best discovery since ice cream.

The same people clamouring for IK Uche now, clamoured for Mikel's inclusion just three years ago when Siasia was coach. Mind you the same Uche could not single-handedly qualifier us for 2012 Afcon, yet we think he can miraculously play from defence to attack and win us games. Did the inclusion of Osaze win us the World Cup? Our players are ordinary; playing for clubs that are not in the top 20 teams in the world.

Amuneke was signed by Barcelona for God's sake. Oliseh played for Ajax, juventus, Borrusia Dortmund; Taribo played for both Inter and AC Milan. Finidi was one of the best right wingers at a time; Okocha was a highly rated no.10. Today all we hear is this-spor and that-spor in Turkey. Not even the Spurs that matters.

We don't have any player to my knowledge who is the dedicated free-kick or corner-kick taker for their club like Okocha was for Bolton. If their club coaches who they see every day in training can't make them set-piece experts, is it the national team coach they see once in a while for 5 days that will turn them to set-piece experts? Our players are lazy and unambitious. All they care about is money, not excellence in their craft. Breaking out of Naija poverty is the only thing they aspire to. Ask any player in the local league, if in doubt.

Amodu Shuaibu? Well, the man has pulled some chestnuts out of the fire for us in the past. But how did we reward him? With the same kind of ridicule Keshi endures today. We are watching keenly.

@OP, you mean like the time I slipped on a banana peel in the office canteen and landed smack on top of my Manager our lips locked together?


Her reaction?


Ever heard of an accidental suspension?

tomiobj:
. Ok. But they all look similar to me

Yes, the same way all Africans look similar to Europeans. Guess it is safe to say all Africans are Togolese by your reasoning.

Raiders:
you forgot to add the NFF refused to offer him a contract and don't support him. He has not been paid since the world cup because he is out of contract. The NFF need to motivate and support keshi. Would you performed well in your job if your boss don't pay you for over 5 months?

Bro, stop wasting your time trying to convince these folks. It is the Nigerian way. We always leave the real issues and chase shadows. Today it is Keshi. Before then it was Amodu, Christian Chukwu, Eguaveon, Berti Vogts, Lagerback and Siasia. When things go wrong we always centre everything around the coach.

We don't address the issues of player development. We have this false belief that we are blessed wth the best footballers in the world playing on the streets of Nigeria; as if playing monkey post is how you develop world class talent. At present I make bold to say that there is no Nigerian player that is in the top ten of his position worldwide save for maybe Enyeama. In fact make that top 20..., wait top 30. From defence to attack we have mediocre talent, yet we hype them like they are the next best discovery since ice cream.

The same people clamouring for IK Uche now, clamoured for Mikel's inclusion just two years ago when Siasia was coach. Mind you the same Uche could not single handedly qualifier us for 2012 Afcon, yet we think he can miraculously play from defence to attack and win us games. Did the inclusion of Osaze win us the World Cup? Our players are ordinary; playing for clubs that are not in the top 20 teams in the world.

Amuneke was signed by Barcelona for God's sake. Oliseh played for Ajax, juventus, Borrusia Dortmund; Taribo played for both Inter and AC Milan. Finidi was one of the best right wingers at a time; Okocha was a highly rated nom10. Today all we hear is this-spor and that-spor. Not even the Spur that matters.

We don't have any player to my knowledge who is the dedicated free-kick or corner-kick taker for their club like Okocha was for Bolton. If their club coaches who they see every day in training can't make them set-piece experts, is it the national team coach they see once in a while for 5 days that will turn them to experts? Our players are lazy and unambitious. All they care about is money, not excellence in their craft. Breaking out of Naija poverty is the only thing they aspire to. Ask any player in the local league, if in doubt.

balladin:
I agree there will always be permutations. But when it reoccurs it becomes worrisome. If the EPL is to end in a week, do u think we will need permutations to know that chelsea will win it?

Sometimes, yes. The EPL was decided in 2012 in 5 mins of added time. Man Utd had won their final game and were waiting for the Man City vs QPR result. Aguero scored with almost the last kick to send the title to the blue half of Manchester. Permutations to the last minute. That is football.

onatisi:
Why does the super eagles always have to wish for another team to lose before we qualify for events? Can't the super eagles just win and qualify ? I don't think they can qualify , the SE are the last in the group now and I think they have just 2 or 3 matches left.

Because the other teams in the group came to sell groundnuts? Or they too don't like attending the Nations Cup too?

It is this mentality of entitlement that puts us in trouble in the first place. We think just because other teams hear Nigeria or Super Eagles, they will just roll over and die. That is why our players go onto to the field to play like its a mere practice session and not a must-win qualifier. They think they can just show up and pick up a win without any effort. Sadly Nigerian fans think the same way.

Have you not noticed that other countries now have players in Europe too? Some of them even play in better leagues than our players. Aubemeyanga of Gabon is better than most of our strikers. CIV have Gervinho, Yaya, Tiote, all better than our players. We are busy dwelling in past glory thinking we are all that.

Haven't we learnt anything in the last 8 years since we failed to qualify for World Cup 2006?

saymalcolm:
Permutations and more permutations! Why do we just love complications in this country? This is what we do every time it comes to the Super Eagles: building castles on thin air. Why does our progression in competitions have to depend on the failure of others? That is the hallmark of mediocrity.

I wonder why some of you keep complaining about permutations when you have an home and away league format for the qualifiers. Is it a strange phenomenon in football? Every season across many global leagues the same thing goes on. Permutations go on between teams chasing the title, those fighting for continental spots like the Champions League, and those trying to avoid relegation.

If Leicester beat Arsenal and Spurs defeat Everton then they will move into 4th place; permutation. If Chelsea defeat Swansea and Man City loses to Man Utd, Chelsea will win the title; permutation. If Sunderland can win their remaining 3 matches and Burnley drop points, Sunderland will avoid relegation; permutation.

You can't always win every game in an home and away league format for every single qualifier. Some teams end up going through via play-offs, some as best losers. Did we not just witness Spain lose to Slovakia and Germany lose to Poland? That's the thing with qualifiers. Expecting you will win every game, home and away, everytime is a pipe dream.

new2020:
How do we let him go nnnnnnnnnnow? He signed an intelligent 4-yr contract with NFA with clause that neither one can terminate the contract until 2018. This man get sense o!

Say what you know bro. Keshi's contract has expired since June. He is not even employed by the FA right now. He is just a caretaker manager and can be asked to go at anytime T without compensation. So what contract are you talking about?

Personally, I wish he had quit after Afcon 2013. Nigerians never celebrate anyone for long. They will always end up ridiculing you at the end.

tonididdy:
its a different world when It comes to club and country footy...

Inform diego costa will explain better to you

Hahahaha..., classic.