₦airaland Forum

TheGoodJoe:
Olaitan and Imoh Ezekiel are not natural wingers. They are natural strikers. Those roles are already taken by the likes of Awoniyi, Success, Nacho and others.

It is better we play natural wingers on the wings than convert strikers to play there. If we did not have Natural wingers, we can talk of converting but we do.

forgiveness:
My dream team


...................... Daniel

Odubanjo........ Omerue....Tiago........Madu.................


..................Aneke......... Onazi....................


........Simon ...........Iheanacho........... Success


........................ Martins


Substitutes:
Keepers: Alampasu,

Defeners: Manuel Akanji, Elohor Ekpolo, Derek Osadebe and Abdullahi-shehu.

Midfielders: Abdul Ajagun, Azubike Okechuchwu, Oghenekaro Etebor.

Attackers: Dominic solanke, Femi Ajayi, Imoh Ezekiel and Michael Olaitan.

If we consider talent over sentiment, these players tower above the rest.

TheGoodJoe:
Moses Simon first of all, is already in the squad. He is a Super Eagles player. I mean among the foreign base players you want Nigeria to give a chance.

Moses Simon operates mostly on the left flank, While Tongoli Tonbara operates from the right.

Finidi George could have come in as one of the overage players. Oruma could have played Amokachi's role and Finidi, replace Tijani Babangida.

But, the team was so star Studded that the best winger in the World could not make a cut in the team.

Icon4s:
If Victor Moses is the best Anglo-Nigerian to have ever played for the Super Eagles then I am not impressed.

U know the problem? The English league is simply over-rated. The earlier u realize that the better.

Godwin Saviour plays for KV Oostende of Belgium. He has played only 2 games for his club this season and scored 1goal which is not abnormal for a young player that jst got signed up at the beginning of this season. His fate is similar to Moses Simon in terms of game time this season. And see what Simon in playing in the Super Eagles. We saw Saviour shine during the Olympic qualifying games against Congo.

Icon4s:
U know the thing is forgiveness believes so much in those Anglo-Nigerian players. Which of Akpom, Aneke, Iorfa, Iwobi, Ibe, Solanke etc is as good as Success, Iheanacho, Simon, Ezekiel, Etebor, Saviour, Azubuike, Dimgba etc? None if u ask me.

TheGoodJoe:
Barca delayed Messi. Argentina had to use FIFA to get him. The clubs can.

Even professional players take time to adjust. Remember how Terry fumbled playing to Villas-Boas philosophy. That was a top class defender. One of the best in the world.

At the end, I think the Coach should invite as many as he can. Select those who can meet up to his demands. This includes players that can easily adapt to his games.

TheGoodJoe:
Icon4s believes the home base lads who are in the squad are as good as those names you listed.

Just as Westerhoff believed in the talents of some home based players to build the National team. Someone like Sunday Oliseh was a home base player in the Super Eagles before he became a Top Class midfielder.

Remember Coach Keshi relying on home based players to deliver the AFCON.

TheGoodJoe:
Do you know that in your list of Foreign based players who are eligible for the Olympics, none of them are up to the class of the players of the 1996 Olympics. Kanu was already a star player of the Champions League winning Ajax.

Finidi George was the best winger in the World But he could not make it into the team as an overage player.

Now, which right winger in your list of foreign players will you place over Tongoli Tonbara?

TheGoodJoe:
It is not just calling them but remember it takes time for players to adjust to the coaches philosophy. So Coach Siasia can not just drop his present lads and fill the teams with Foreigners. Clubs can also delay the release of players, which can frustrate the coaches plans.

TheGoodJoe:
It is a different Babangida in the U17 World Cup. The Japan '93 is Ibrahim Babangida.

forgiveness:
I noticed that many of us didn't really know how Nigeria(the dream team) was able to concur the world to emerge the winners at the 1996 Olympics football game in Atlanta. Many people do not really know how the so called Nigeria underdog team that were so called after been humiliated in their last friendly match at the National stadium prior to the Olympics which I personally witnessed at the stadium were able to defeat the almighty Brazilian and Argentina teams that paraded the best players in the world at that time or later became the best players in the world after the Olympics e.g Ronaldo, Bebeto, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Dede, Juninhor, Ortega, Hernan Crespo, Ayala, Diego Simon, etcetera etcetera.

This achievement didn't just come by mere luck or by trial and error. This feat was possible because the coach identified and picked players that were tested and trusted in top European leagues. Players that have already established themselves in their own clubs and in top European leagues. In fact, most of those players have already won laurels for themselves and their respective clubs. These laurels ranges from African footballer of the year, UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Africa nations cup, Eredivisie, Belgium pro league, Highest goal scorer(for their team), English FA cup, Belgium young player of the year, Coupe the France etcetera prior to the Olympics.

In this light, I want to present to you the profiles of these players before they made history by winning the Olympics football game in Atlanta in 1996. These will further help buttress my point that believe best players must be selected based on club performance rather than sentiment.


Celestine Babayaro: He is one of the best left back player Nigeria ever produced. Prior to the 1996 Olympics football game, Babayaro was already a regular players with Anderletch for two good seasons (1994/1995 & 1995/1996) in First Division. He helped his team to win the 1994/1995 league and 1995/1996 Belgium Super cup prior to the Olympics in 1996 which earned him the Belgian young football player of the year twice in both seasons.

Taribo West: Taribo seems to be the only player that was brought from a second division team in Europe to play in the 1996 Olympics. However, he helped Auxerre to successful win the Division 1 league to gain promotion into the Eredivisie league in 1996\1997 and the Coupe the France cup in 1994 & 1996 prior to the first victorious Olympics football game by an African team. His just promoted team won the 1996/1996 Ligue 1. As we can see he played regular before he man our defense at the Olympics.


Nwankwo-kanu: This name is a house hold name in Nigeria. He doesn't need much introduced but for the sake of those who don't know him before the Olympics, I will highlight his profile. He won 3 Eredivisie league(1993/1994,1994/1995 & 1996/1997), UEFA Champions League (1994/1995), UEFA Super Cup(1995) and Intercontinental Cup(1995) before he singlehandedly and heroically punctured the dreams of Ronaldo and his co dreamers from winning the Olympics for the first time with his sublime and well taken two goals that earned us the Finals. As you also see he was used to winning for top teams before.......


To be continued.....

TheGoodJoe:
But, Emmanuel Amunike was an A Super Star in Nigeria and Africa, Egypt before he went to Europe. The young man racked medals in African club football.

TheGoodJoe:
You are 100% right here. I think this problem does not fall only on the coaches but the NFF. We should put up a fight to increase the pool of players in the pool of our National teams.

Agbonlahor also pointed this out. He says we do not contact them early enough and they do not feel wanted by the Nation.

The NFF should set up a committee on this. They should contact the players and find out those that are interested. Then the NFF should forward the names of interested players to the coaches.

Icon4s:
Abiodun Obafemi and Teslim Fatusi were part of the 1993 U20. Emmanuel Amuneke played at the 1991 AAG (Cairo 91).

Garba Lawal was in Esparence de Tunis, Taribo West was in Julius Berger while Kingsley Obieku was in d Nigerian league also. And all 3 were part of the qualifiers and were nt picked from Europe to be infused into d team.

TheGoodJoe:
[b]I understand that these men have options, so it affects their dedication and passion. Look at Shola Ameobi who had his eyes on England as a youngster. We tried convincing him but he refused. When he did not see any hope with England, he gladly accepted to play for us.

It should not happen that way. These young men should declare they want to play for Nigeria. We can not spend time convincing them when we have millions of Nigerians praying for a chance. We are not desperately in need of their services.

So they can not expect us to come asking for their services.

Alaba made the wrong choice if he wanted to play for us. He should know that the U17 is used as a tourney for grassroot development. He was already training with Bayern Munich main team.

Few years later, he would have gotten his call up to the Super Eagles. It was a guaranteed place for him. He was one of the most promising youngsters in the World. Coached by Van Gaal.

But, he knew he had other options and it shows he was not as passionate for the Super Eagles as we need our players to be.[/b]

Icon4s:
For where? In that team too were Celestine Babayaro, Wilson Oruma, Abiodun Obafemi, Teslim Fatusi, Nwankwo Kanu, Mubi Oparaku, Emmanuel Amuneke, Emmanuel Babayaro all of which were from our youths system. The other players apart from Kingsley Obieku, Garba Lawal, Taribo West and Dosu Joseph were already Super Eagles players ie Uche Okechukwu, Daniel Amokachi, Sunday Oliseh.No Anglo-Nigerian or any other unknown Europe based player was infused into dat team.

TheGoodJoe:
We can contact them. They are still Nigerians. Like the special talents like Ilori. However, these guys minds are not set on Nigeria. We have young talented Nigerians who want to play for us passionately. The players who have passion for us are the ones that will give more on the pitches.

Like I say, it is good to reach out to them but it is not compulsory. Look at Alaba for instance, the handlers of Yemi Stella's U17 said they would not accept a foreign based U17 and he left with anger to play for Austria.

That is not enough for a player to turn his back on Nigeria. His passion for us was not high. Look at the Ibe Scenario like if he was the holy grail to Nigerian football. Let him play for England while we nurture those who wants to play for us.

If they want to play for Nigeria, let them do it like Leon Balogun. Declare they want to play for us. We did new t contact him, he asked us to give him a chance.

TheGoodJoe:
I read the report. I was one of those saying Coach Keshi should try and see if he would feel interested to join us.

Saying he was eligible is not the same as declaring allegiance to the Nigerian flag.

Look at Leon Balogun. As soon as the hype came, he declared he was interested in playing for the Super Eagles. He said his father made him fall in love with the Super Eagles and called a Super Eagles call up a dream come true.

A player with this kind of declaration will get an invitation from the head coach.

I will take a Sone Aluko who wants to play for us to trying to convincing a Barkley who had his eyes in the English National team.

Same with Tiago Ilori. He is waiting for his Portuguese call up. He captained the Age grade sides of Portugal.

Icon4s:
From that ur list Tijani Babangida, Austin Okocha and Victor Ikpeba were products of our youth system prio to 1996 Olympics and Yes all those u listed are all home grown. That 1996 Team was made up of players that came through our youths system or were already playing for the Super Eagles. Not that we went and started chasing one John Fashanu, John Salako, Chris Amstrong or Ugo Ehiogu hu were the English groomed Nigerians then.

I am not saying we should shut-out players hu are nt home grown. What I am saying is those Euro-Nigerian players should not be given any preference. All those Chuba Akpom, Dominic Solanke, Jodon Ibe, Tiago Ilori, Chuks Aneke are to me nt even better than the crop we presented in Senegal. Simple. Dnt let that over-rated English league deceive you. If they are to be part of the Dream Team VI, they should show-up for open camping. And let the coaches pick the best, but I know that if the selection is devoid of sentiments most of those Euro-Nigerian players will nt make that Dream Team VI final list.

TheGoodJoe:
Barkley would never have played for us. It was obvious he was destined to become an English regular. All the years he played for England age grade levels, he never identified himself as a Nigerian until he was about to break into the English squad.

I repeat, he changed his surname. A man who changes his Nigerian surname would not be passionate to play for Nigeria.

TheGoodJoe:
Barkley would never play for us because of the problem with his father. He actually changed his surname. So that one was off.

I doubt Tiago Ilori wants to play for us. He is one of the few Nigerian players who has ball handling abilities. There was a period he captained Sporting Lisbon even though he was one of the youngest players in the team.

I doubt he wants to play for us. He is waiting for the Portuguese National team call up.

I think what is important is for those willing to play for us. Coach Siasia should write to them asking them if they want to play for us. Or, The NFF should assign an office to look into it.

At the end, the best legs are required but the coach should look into as many players as he can.

Icon4s:
My oga forgiveness, well done. I usually like ur line of arguments cos u usuually load them with facts jst like the ones above.

Firstly, I am sure u won't include me in d list of those that didnt know how d original Dream Team won d Gold medal.

The last qualifying game was against Zimbabwe. 1st leg in Harare and Nigeria won 1-0 , goal scored by Teslim Fatusi. He celebrated d goal with a dance at d touch line, facing d Zimbabwean crowd hu responded by throwing things at him. The return leg was played at the Surulere 'slaughter house'- The national stadium, Surulere and we won 2-0(2 first half goals).

The team was engaged in 2 friendlies in Nigeria as tune up matches for d Olympics. First game was against Ajibade Babalade led Shooting Stars which they won 2-0. The 2nd friendly was against the Hawks of Togo(d senior team) and our Olympic team fell 3-1.So u see, i know that team wella.

I know ur arguments boils down from d fact dat u want to see d inclusion of some non- Nigerian grown talents like Ilori, Solanke, Aneke, and likes and also some other Nigerian born players u mentioned.

U must recall that those players in ur mention above were either products of our youth system or were members of d Super Eagles. I recall u said u dnt want tovsee d likes of Ambrose or Omeruo in d team dat u prefare Ilori at centre back.U are jst contradicting urself in such an instance. Omeruo and Ambrose are AFCON winners and have participated in d FIFA world cup. Both are also products of our youths system. At what level has Ilori or Aneke played? See, Nigeria has nt benefited from those Europe or English groom Nigerian players cos dey turn out average. Our best players have always been those raised from Nigeria before playing in Europe. Besides, most of those Ilori, Aneke, Solanke dat u are mentioning are nt even interested in playing for Nigeria.

TheGoodJoe:
If I am correct, the last friendly game before the Atlanta '96 departure was a 4-0 loss to Togo. I think I posted it before.

What matters is not where they play bit Coach Siasia should select the best legs home and Abroad. Not just foreign base players.

I hope Siasia invites as many as he can to camp so that he can closely scrutinize and pick the best team.

enomakos:
hahaha
but bro must of those player are not better than the one we have at home

enomakos:
tell am o
the guy too like "made in abroad" good

enomakos:
these players you mention have they show any interest in playing for nigeria?
As far as i know ilori and aneke want to play for portugal and england