₦airaland Forum

gemale:
More like 60% loading. Not to sound like a wet blanket but the 2nd leg against Cameroon exposed the mediocrity that is very prevalent & celebrated among Nigerians. We went to Yaoundé to achieve a draw not bothering to aim higher for a win. We could have beaten the Cameroonians in Yaoundé the way they played. If we were half as sharp as we were in front of goal as in the first leg, we could have scored a 2nd goal. The midfield (especially mikel) went on break for most of the 2nd half leaving the wingers to bear the brunt of initiating attacks. Our profligacy was punished when the referee gifted them a penalty (which IMO was unwarranted) which they converted to level the score. We were fortunate that the referee became vigilant afterwards because the Cameroonians started diving in an attempt to win another spot kick. What would have been our fate if he was deceived? Yes, a draw wasn't a bad result but we could have done better because the Cameroonians didn't exactly step up to give us a really tough time. We should have punished them. That is what separates the top teams from others. They are ruthless and offer their opponents no quarters. They don't rest on their oars. They rest when the job is done. Yes, we currently lead our group but that is no excuse to think we have already qualified for the world cup. If we lose our next 2 matches & zambia wins theirs, we wouldn't qualify. Yes, it's highly unlikely but it's possible in the realm of football. If we won at Yaoundé, we would have been 5 points up, thereby making it more difficult for Zambia to try & mount a comeback. Now, Zambia are 3 points adrift & we play them next. Imagine if they beat us at uyo. They would be equal on points with us. It's possible after all, we did beat them at ndola. Didn't south africa beat us in uyo? Playing at home is no guarantee of a victory for us. It is not over until it's over. Can you remember how we qualified for the 2010 world cup? Tunisia led the group until the very last match day when they slipped up. We need to guard against complacency & thinking we have already arrived. That's the reason why since 1999,no Nigerian player has won the african player of the year. Even top teams & players challenge themselves to do more.

I share ur thoughts on this that we gifted two precious points away on dat night in yaounde but a reality check is that the current eagles squad does not av the capability and fitness level to produce the same intensity (with which they dismantled cameroun in uyo) in another 3 days! Someone rightly mentioned mikel obi's fitness owing to injuries and relative inactivity before he moved to china.He is the most important part of the team and once he was substituted in dat game, we lost our bearing. Victor Moses is the fittest player in the team at the moment because he plays regularly in a very high intense league and this shows in d gulf in class btween him and the rest of the group. It takes match fitness to maintain tactical discipline and concentration for 90mins especially wen u up against a gud team. A lot of our first team players are fringe players in their respective clubsides and this affects match fitness and consistency of performance. This is one of the reason the coach tries to balance experience with team chemistry and match fitness wenever he calls up players for the qualifiers. Hopefully,we get past zambia and qualify but this same issue with match fitness will come up in d world cup proper due to the high intensity of the games and the short recovery times between games!

Goke7:
A draw is what Nigeria really need to qualify

Not so correct,a draw gives us 11points and we maintain our current goal difference of +5 while the zambians ll move to 8 points while they maintain their current goal difference of +2.if zambia beats cameroun 2nil and we lose to algeria by same scoreline,we will av a goal difference of +3 while the zambians move to a goal difference of +4. It is important to note that the first criteria for a group winner is goal differnce and NOT head to head results.this is quite an unlikely scenario bt it is just to emphasis that a draw against zambia does not yet guarantee a ticket to russia. An outright win against zambia is wat dis team really needs!

sunshineV:
Then withdraw nah... Ugly oshi

Wat is this?.....na wah!

Sombodey dat went to do runs in ph.....u r demanding 500k from dem..diz kidnappers no dey fear God oh!

I av said dis as a comment on a previous post on dis topic.....wehdone Nigeria police

Diz are classified information.....firstly,it opens the eyes of other kidnappers dat dis biz is indeed lucrative, and secondly,It exposes to d general public, the listed kidnap victims' perceived net worth and does not in anyway preclude dia other family members from being harmed 2moro....bt wu am I to teach d police how to do dia jobs?

D end of anoda political drama!

36..... (3+3)×(3+3)

6m

maidaboi:
How was kelechi performance today guys?

He had little or no tym to av made any meaningful impact bt city was poor especially in d first half.....mbappe is pure class!

Simple....learn to control ur panta nxt tym....go n sin no more!

An apology video ll suffice.....d rest r jst pure poo!

1bkaye:
All Nigerian men are potential rapists tbh

Does dis make any sense to u?

joseph1013:
Musa is being chased out of the team at Leicester. He's not in the squad for today's game again. The players must really hate him.

I av explained before now dat dis is not an hate game on musa....it's wat he brings to the team dat has placed him dere for now....Ndidi is a fellow Nigerian and is growing in leaps n bound in same team....wen musa steps up,he will get his chance!

I like d way dey r apologizing.....only dat trump does not gaf!

BascoVanVeli:
Point out ur instances from this year. I am pretty sure I already knew what u meant by those words. Let us know which matches he showed lack of technical and tactical ability.

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I am not a sucker for stats as I base my judgements on careful observations bt Musa's stats for leceister has not been dat impressive. Offensively, these are some of his stats:

Apps:29
Mins:915
Goals:4
Assists:0
Shots/game:0.9
Key passes:0.5
Dribbles:0.7
Dispossed:0.8
Unsuccessful touches:1.1

In terms of tactical discipline, this is an excerpt from goal.com on his performance against sevilla

" On Wednesday night, it was remarkable how often Sergio Escudero got in round the back, with Musa, unaware of the danger, seeming to snap awake long after his opponent was past him. As Marcelo Bielsa said, defending is a matter of will and effort; too often, Leicester’s second ever most expensive signing has shown too little of either"

Haven said that, it is pertinent to note that musa joined a Leicester side that failed to realize what everyone else had: that no one would give them the sort of space in which they thrived last season. It is easy to imagine him cantering into the open channels much like Vardy did, racking up the goals. As the Englishman’s scoring has regressed to a trickle, Musa’s has been unable to get going. The difference is that Vardy has excess credit from a season of stardust.

Ultimately, this does not absolve musa himself. The chances have been few, but he has hardly been the epitome of effort and selfless running.

zicky:
Abeg tell me something I don't know, Onazi good in retaining and distributing ball, are you talking of Eddy Onazi or another

I don't hold brief for neither onazi nor Ndidi n any coach shud pik his choice based on wat he wants.....bt onazi cud shift balls across d field and keep balls wit his teammates within a triangle beta dan ndidi (an ability dat cud bring his team outta a difficult situation n easily turn a defensive situation into an offensive one).....onazi's ball retention ability cud be questionable atimes bt in my opinion still beta dan ndidi for now bt u do av the right to defer....wehdone sir!

BascoVanVeli:
U are just saying what u already know about Musa, he did not play poorly this season. Name the match that he was poor technically. I can agree that he wasn't agressive enough in finding his goals but what u are saying has nothing to do with the Musa I saw with my eyes. How many chances did he create for Vardy to miss?

Yes...u are correct....I am being generic abt Ahmed Musa's deficiency more like looking at a foundational problem with his game dat has ensured he has always been inconsistent in all d teams he has played for....the entire leceister team has underperformed dis season bt he was one of d new players brought in to spice things up bt he has not done visibly well(witout trying to lay all the blame of d teams on him)......on tactical and technical ability....this is wat I mean regards musa

Tactical. A tactically-strong player is gifted in his perception of space, time and movement on the field. He recognizes desirable passes to be made and sees where opponents are likely to send the ball, uses space to create (or deny) opportunities, and varies his speed, playing tempo and ball pace. These qualities are mental and psychological.

Technical. A technical player is a master of the techniques of the game (passing, trapping, shooting, dribbling, tackling the ball.) He has excellent touch, precise control, a fast work-rate of touches on the ball, and uses all sorts of body surfaces or edges. He does seemingly impossible or unbelievable things with the ball, even under pressure or in the closest proximity to opponents. These qualities are learned and practiced, often combined and used in unusual ways.

tbaba1234:
Onazi's positional discipline is not good either. Watch our game with Algeria again. Especially Algeria's goal.

You are correct about Ndidi but he is more of a pressing DM than a sitting DM. I think, he will work very well with a sitting DM.

I remember there was a game when Onazi's and Ndidi were playing and both of them were charging the ball and leaving holes.

Most players do not maintain positional discipline for d entire duration of a game....this is where experience n a commanding captain plays a huge role.....d more games u play d greater ur positional awareness....whether a sitting or pressing DM.....he ll still av to develop a great ball retention n distribution ability....more of why mikel stalled at Chelsea as he became too settled as a sitting DM....onazi does it for me whether pressing or sitting!

whizola:
it his in fair to say he is technically deficient becos of some run of bad form, from pillars to vvenlo to cska musa he has constantly proved him self. A consitent performer for the eagles. Wat more can u ask for the former caf most promising lad. Is greatest mistake was going to lesceister when it aren't going well of the club he has been made a scape goat

Sir....Ahmed Musa has not been consistent in diz clubs....his good performances are far and in between even wit the eagles.....his frightening pace is rare n most teams sign him to harness dis rare quality he has especially if it suits dia style of play(mostly teams who play on the counter)....his judgement in d final third has always been poor more like a young theo Walcott....he needs to develop dat part of his game personally so dat he brings more dan just pace to his team.....when he does,he will become an invaluable asset to any team dat takes him on!

Wilfred Ndidi did remarkably well today especially in terms of interceptions/ball winning bt d dude still has a lot to learn in terms of tactical discipline as he is easily drawn out of his position. He is also far below onazi in terms of ball retention and distribution....I will pick onazi ova him for now bt he is not too far off in usurping onazi in d nearest future!

tbaba1234:
The Leicester dressing room does not like Musa.

Ahmed Musa has always been an inconsistent performer....his pace is his greatest asset bt he is technically n tactically deficient in lots of areas in his game.....this is his biggest chance to show how good he is bt he has been terribly awful and has done little to justify d huge amount leceister paid for his services....dude better watch his back as dis season cud make or Mar his career!

tbaba1234:
The Leicester dressing room does not like Musa.

Ahmed Musa has always been an inconsistent performer....his pace is his greatest asset bt he is technically n tactically deficient in a lother of areas in his game.....this is his biggest chance to show how good he is bt he has been terribly awful and has done little to justify d huge amount leceister paid for his services....dude better watch his back!

tbaba1234:
The Leicester dressing room does not like Musa.

Ahmed Musa has always been an inconsistent performer....his pace is his greatest asset bt he is technically n tactically deficient in a lother of areas in his game.....this is his biggest chance to show how good he is bt he has been terribly awful!

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Culin:
I can't even like someone who's short or ugly or too thin

U cute!

....and Gabriel Jesus gets a brace.....

Congrats....bt make una no play love go crash plane oh!

Na so.....una go soon know how sch life be!

U beta declare ur stance....dis 1 u r talking wit 2 sides of ur mouth like APC

I hope ur fada wakes up from his grave and give u a resounding slap dat will reset ur brain....we don't care abt ur opinion...u can kip it.....#istandwit2baba#