₦airaland Forum

EEGA:
Since Everton rates Onyekuru very high ,Ademola lookman is now trying to compete with him and use the SE to return to Everton's starting XI .

Who dey reason wetin I dey reason?

If Everton doesn't rate Ademola highly why didn't they accept £25m cash from RB Liepzig but are ready to accept only £9m from Galatassary for Onyekuru if he impresses?


Without Everton Ademola was already tiring up the Bundesliga with 5 goals and 4 assists in 11 games with RB Liepzig which is highly rated than the Belgium pro league and Turkish league.

Then will someone who is been wanted by an ambitious German club be trying to compete with someone who is still moving up the ladder?

JoebieII:
FLASH BACK

Ighalo handed shot at Super Eagles redemption by Rohr

25 Aug, 2018
Colin Udoh
Football Editor, KweséESPN


Peals of derisive laughter rang through the hall as Gernot Rohr named Odion Ighalo in his list of strikers for the September 7 Africa Cup of Nations Cup qualifier against Seychelles.

The Nigeria coach was forced to explain his choice, with a little chuckle of his own

"I want to give him the opportunity to prove to the fans that he can still score the goals," the German coach began. "He was scored a lot of goals in China and he scored again last week."

He was being factual; last season, Ighlao scored 15 goals in 27 league appearances.

Since returning from the World Cup, he has hit eight goals in as many appearances, but his club form is not the problem. It is his international-goal return that has proven to be the foundation for the withering albatross around his neck.

Four goals in 21 appearances is a disappointing record for a striker at this level, that's an average of 0.19 goal per game or, to be more picturesque, one goal every 5.25 games.

By contrast, Kelechi Iheanacho hits a goal every 2.5 games for Nigeria, although, to put some perspective to the numbers, both Osaze Odemwingie and Nwankwo Kanu posted worse games per goal ratios than Ighalo.

Odemwingie's was a goal every 6.3 games and Kanu scored every 7.3 games.

So why do fans have an issue with Ighalo?

The following might explain it.

He managed just one goal in World Cup qualifying, and zero at the World Cup proper.

Of his other three goals, only one other came in a competitive game, the penalty against Chad in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier which was eventually annulled after the Chadians pulled out of the series.

In other words, when the Super Eagles have needed a striker to fire for them, Ighalo has not been the man, except for that one time against Cameroon.

Beyond the lack of goals, the manner of his spurning the chances that came his way in Russia proved particularly galling for many a Nigeria fan.

Ighalo will not be the first to suffer such recrimination.

Yakubu Ayegbeni sidefooted his way into the hall of infamy for THAT miss against South Korea at the 2010 World Cup. Few remember that he stepped up to score a penalty later in the same game.

Before Yakubu, Godwin Odiye's career is forever remembered for scoring the own goal that cost Nigeria a place at the 1978 World Cup.

Neither of those two had a chance to change their narratives.

Odiye won the Nations Cup three years after with Nigeria but the stain remained, while Yakubu was immortalised in a song by Nigerian rapper MI Abaga.

For Ighalo, one moment, okay make that two moments, against Argentina could have made him a national hero forever. All he had to do was find the net.

He did not, and so fine are the margins, that he is now a villain.

However, he now has a chance to flip that script, starting with this game against Seychelles.

If he can carry over his club form to the Super Eagles and score the goals that take Nigeria to the Nations Cup, his 'sins' will be forgiven.

After the press conference, Rohr expanded on his decision to not ostracise the forward


"I want to give him the opportunity to show to all his critics, that he is still able to do well with us and to score the goals," Rohr explained.

"Perhaps in Seychelles he will be very, very motivated to show them that he can score the goals."

Ighalo has the tools to do just that.

For one, he has the assured confidence and reputation of a player who has played at the top level of club football in Europe after successful stints in Spain and England.

Beyond that, he has the bruising strength of an ox, the smarts to link-up play excellently, and the ability to get himself into goalscoring positions borne of experience.

He just needs all of it to come together for the fans to get behind him again.

Did Odenwingie and Kanu played as a striker for us? That should be the first question to ask.

edi287:
Adenoma Lookman has the attributes to be a good CF. I wouldn't mind trying him out there.
Now a Onyekuru/Musa - Lookman - Kalu front 3 would be beyond exciting. Add a midfield 3 of Ndidi - Mikel and Iwobi/Eze and we can talk.

Well, I don't think his stats in that CF role support he will be good in that position.

Besides, we need a genuine AMF in the team and the only player in a decent league is Abdul Ajagun. He is the only one that plays in that position in Europe after I discovered that Ebere Eze plays more as a Central Midfielder.

Snapshot 1..... Abdul Ajagun

Snapshot 2 Ebere Eze

Earthquake1:
I think Nwakaeme has been tested in the GWG colors and he flopped HEAVILY

The other two do not inspire much confidence

My bad! Nwakaeme is not a striker. He is a LW. I think Rohr tried to convert him to a CF and he could not perform.

Besides, I don't think one match is enough to consider him flop. Far from it. Though I will no longer consider him a CF again since he a natural left winger.

However, what will inspire confidence in you again if the best player and highest goalscorer in the Austrian league, an MOTM award winning player in the La Liga and Ukrainian league and an Sharktar Doneskt striker doesn't inspire confidence in you?

Is it Ighalo, Iheanacho and Simy that inspires confidence in you? Then why complain?

As it stands, Kayode Olanrewaju is the only nigerian sriker playing for the biggest club in the world.

How it does inspires confidence in the biggest club to have him and not inspiring confidence in you is a mistery.

Kayode, Dessers and Bonaventure should be given a chance.

charlesemeka85:
na so them dey talk sometimes wey dey make me wonder is they are real super eagles fans. ademola's inclusion to the team will bring competition to the flanks and more quality. the ademola i saw last season in the colors of leipzig is better than samuel kalu

If Rohr is serious, he should bring Phillip and Lookman into the team.

ChrisKels:
U mean the UNL is a competitive league recognized by FIFA? does it mean that any dual citizen that gets capped during the course of this league, has been captied also? No more friendlies I Europe? Now that also blocks them from playing friendlies with other nations outside the UEFA then. I am not understanding oo

Yes na.

Earthquake1:
Rohr's conversative nature won't let him use Musa as a striker

Why must we convert Musa to a striker when Kayode Olanrewaju, Nwakaeme Dessers are strikers of Nigerian origin?

Has the national team turned to family business that no outsiders are welcomed.


Remove Ighalo, Iheanacho and Simy if they no given us results and replace them with Olanrewaju, Nwakaeme and Dessers. That's all.

Earthquake1:
Samuel Kalu and Onyekuru has made me non-chalant about Ademola Lookman

He can switch to wherever he wants

If you are non-chalant about a player who scored 5 goals with 4 assists in 11 games in the Bundesliga and who worth £28m in the eyes of Everton that rejected a £25m offer for him, then you don't love our National team.

A player who has performed at the highest level than Kalu and Henry combined!

There is nothing bad having the trio in the team but I doubt one will remain if Lookman and Simon are in the team. I doubt.

safarigirl:
man probably reasoned that the best he would ever get from England is a shirt in their U21 team and while that may be good enough for some, it's not enough for him

Yes! The same was said about Dele Ali that he will be played once and afterward dumped by England but the rest they say is history.

Mickael2:
If I remember correctly you are the advocate of 'manage what we have'. I believe you have at least rudimentary experience in coaching and I am sure you know that 99% of coaches have a standard formation which they always fall back on especially when the national team is involved. Moreover you do know that virtually no successful national team plays with a false 9? The training you have to undergo to field a false 9 is impossible to achieve in a short while,I remember when we tried it in our medical games and the movement of our 'false 9' confused even the CBs and we had 4 weeks to train with a proper coach and the dude was talented.

So first off, who is currently the striker who can precisely fit into a 4-2-3-1 which is virtually what we play nevermind the 4-3-3 you see? Don't say we can switch to a 3-5-2 because you know that is just a backup and the coach draws his list with preference to players that can execute that 4-2-3-1 formation, so please point out another player that can function there. Musa isn't exactly the type of player that can function maximally without the ball, you can see that most of his goals from 2014 are all as a result of playing the ball to his feet in space, do you have space as a single striker against 2 rough African CBs? Please do not even mention Iheanacho. Back in those days we had coaches who were actually tacticians, you can see Keshi switching tactics to play Ameobi as a CF today and then Martins next week, right now all we have is a German stiff-neck who arranges his team in the same 4-2-3-1 formation everyday then goes to sleep on the sideline, even if Rohr was appointed in the 2000s he still would have phased out Uche and other small out and out strikers then who could not play without the ball.

Then who exactly can operate as our false 9? Again don't mention Iheanacho it has already failed before, ok maybe Musa, but he is not creative enough for that role at all, who else? Even if we crack that part, a false 9 formation only works well with CFs disgusied as wingers, when Messi was playing as a false 9 he had Henry and Villa at the wings, original CFs, so which of our CFs now can play the the Villa/Henry role well? Will our false 9s be effective enough to create chances for the CFs? There is a reason why Chelsea's false 9 approach with Hazard as the false 9 and Willian(another conventional winger) as one of the supposed CFs who should benefit from the pockets of space left by the false 9. So saying get rid of Ighalo without a proper replacement is going to trigger a chain of events that currently we cannot afford. So until we get rid of that imposter parading as a coach and hire an actual tactician who can use our players well enough just get used to Ighalo or Ighalo type strikers

Why must we tailor our pattern of play to suit players underperforming in that formation?

Is it because we don't have other strikers again in Europe that can play in that formation?

Why must we play false 9 to accommodate certain players in the national team?

When It is not that we don't have strikers that can play in that formation. We do have but Rohr and his crew have tactical blocked these boys from representing their country.

The biggest of them all is Kayode Olanrewaju of Sharktar Doneskt. He has refused to give the boy a chance and he tactical dropping him from the world cup list to accommodate some players. I am waiting to see if Rohr will overlook him once he's fit to play and performs week in week out for Sharktar Doneskt in the league and the Champions league.

Other players are Nwakaeme, Dessers and Dennis who are Nigerians and also available as strikers to play that role.

Therefore, players like Ighalo, Iheanacho and Simy should be dropped if have got nothing to offer in that role.

Why keep them and try to tailor the pattern of play to suit their style when they have underperformed and we have serious players ready to take their slots?

I think it is high time Rohr kick out underperforming players from the team. There is no need for false 9 nonsense to accommodate certain players in the team.

Na dem get national team?

BascoVanVeli:
I just had a problem with the implication that fans sitting on the track meant violence was near. It may not have looked the typical European setting but that is ok because this is Africa and we should be allowed to do things our way. If the fans are ok with sitting on the ground why should we stop them? There are people that will reject your nice leather chair just to sit on the ground.

Algeria has not played good football since Mahrez won African best. Any excuse will do at the moment.

Football rules are made by FIFA not Africans. The question should be, is it acceptable according to FIFA rule? Yes or no will do.

groundnutoil:
sorry plz I want to ask is it dat we don't have anybody dat is a natural left footer day can play d no 7 (right winger) for us who can cut inside and take shots with his left like Salah or mahrez or cross with left

We have Sheyi Ojo who is a natural left footer and plays no 7. He is playing in Reims in the French Ligue 1.

Petrobros:
Oya team pro Ighalo wetin una get to say after this kine comment?

Some people are so narrowed down to the current small picture and forget where we are coming from as a nation.

Thank you sir for this reminder.

You are truly a man of experience.

Respect Sir!

Are we saying Ighalo has lived up to expectations? N ....O No!

What we are saying is, stop giving false analyses. EOD

Besides that, you don't just critics, you have to profound solutions.

Are you not one of those who sold us Iheanacho is a striker?

Are you not one of those against Kayode call up to the National team despite winning highest goalscorer and best player in Austrian league?

Are you not one of those who clamoured for the inclusion of Lokosa over such player?

Why are you people crying now?

darkelf:
I apologize on their behalf sis.

That is how they also compared nacho to Mbappe

Some comparisons sha....

Make em advice those people to apologize for comparing Nacho with Mbappe first. Mboko

darkelf:
Haha bro, I beg to differ.

Even Musa that isn't playing a top striker position has scored 3 goals in his last three games for the eagles.

Hmm...hu! Oya! List the strikers you know.

andrew444:
Thank you for this

The hate on ighalo is just too much on this thread,that's the reason I see some people as kids who know nothing about football

I am not a fan of ighalo but I don't think he has a bad game on Saturday,for crying out loud he scored one and assisted one,he is no Messi

So many people on this thread focus that day was on ighalo instead of them to enjoy the game they look for any small opportunity to diss on ighalo

People sound as if ighalo is the only bad player at the World Cup

They are some certain players in the super eagles,i will not mention names ,if those players dare to have a bad game you won't see people on this thread diss them because they are fan favorite,if you try to diss them they will attack you,but let ighalo just misplace a pass,he will be insulted immediately

This guy gave an assist and score a goal,what else do they want ?

So many Nigerians are bias.

I saw a certain player fumbled in the last two matches he played but dem never see that one. That's why I don't take some peeps seriously here.

Sportilitica:
Thank you. Ighalo is not the best striker at the moment but the way people speak ill of him is uncalled for. I have never seen him as a point 9 but he does all he can for the team. Funny thing is we really don't have anyone better at the moment. When that person comes up, at least appreciate the person leaving and don't go on bashing him. It is like we are just looking for any excuse to crucify the guy. Look, in some teams, midfielders do the scoring. Football has evolved, let us learn to appreciate our own

If we ask who should striker, you will be surprise at the names given?

Joebie:
So this one na announcement before the real announcement? Wetin dey delay the real one na?

I tire ooo. Maybe he wan take do wururu get attention.

Me no dey celebrate... I go...when em never go. Make em announce first mo we see. Nothing to celebrate.

elyte89:
U guys shld stop defending ighalo and iheanacho,dey re not just living up to d billings

Ighalo..in basconvelli,komekn,..voice, hold up play,no goal, na DT one we kan chop,his goal ratio for eagles is too poor,abeg make d guy go sitdown somewhere,na olodo

And for nacho,where exactly will he excel excellently well for eagles,he play 8,we no c am,play 9 for us @d tourney,just two shot on target,now he played 10 against a Seychelles where he ought to create chances and make a mark,heard he struggled again,shey na till when him keep for eagles ,b4 he excel

I know they are not living up to expectations but thin line should be drawn btw fact and fallacy.

If Bazee comes to the team and do well in that SS position, I fear the worst for him.

Hahahaha! That keeper got me lmao.

These bias analyses should stop here abeg.

There was no where Ighalo was offside even if the ball bounced back to him because he was onside before the free kick was taken.

He even did well to have positioned himself in the direction the free kick struck the bar but was unfortunate the ball went in an awkward direction.

In regards to him expecting Awaziem to pass him the ball, how can we tell? Except we are just insinuating, nothing. Nothing more.


When you watch Manchester City or Barcelonia matches, you will notice players run into off side positions intentionally to draw players to themselves in other to open space. That was exactly what Ighalo did when he drew 3 players to himself to allow Iheanacho had that enough space to take a shot.


Besides, I don't know when Ighalo became Ronaldinho or Messi that we expect him to create chances for himself by dribbling the whole players to score when he is not the aforementioned players.

The point is, we don't have a creative or attacking midfielder in the team that can create chances for strikers to score. All we currently have in the team were just passing side ways and backward with no through pass or creative play.

We should appreciate the fact that Ighalo assisted a goal and even scored a goal. Pending the time we have a credible and more reliable striker that can take his position, we should negodu.

maidaboi:
hahahaha

Na so d thing tire me.

BascoVanVeli:
It does because all EPL stadiums have fans close up to the action and nobody finds them intimidating. You are making this assumption without any recent evidence of crowd violence coming from Gambia.

The bolded is not nice and has nothing to do with what I said. When u get treated nicely by away fans in Africa trust me it is a rarity. When River United went to Sudan they were stoned at the airport. You have not told me that the Gambians were hostile, all u are saying is they were on the track.

The argument is not about fans close up to actions but about the unruly, uncoordinated, disorganized, disjointed and inappropriate manner or setting the Gambian fans were closed up to action in the stadium.

I have neither told you Gambian fans were hostile nor intimadated the Algerian players physically but rather the possibility that the manner and setting of the Gambian fans could had possibly intimidated the Algerian players based on the statement an Algerian fan made here . That's all.

tsephanyah:
Corrupt governors



Sai Baba

Very corrupt. You are right.

How are you?

BascoVanVeli:
It does because all EPL stadiums have fans close up to the action and nobody finds them intimidating. You are making this assumption without any recent evidence of crowd violence coming from Gambia.

The bolded is not nice and has nothing to do with what I said. When u get treated nicely by away fans in Africa trust me it is a rarity. When River United went to Sudan they were stoned at the airport. You have not told me that the Gambians were hostile, all u are saying is they were on the track.

Where did EPL's fans stood and sat on track?

There's what we call culture shock. Maybe that's why Algerian fans reacted.

AIG07:
I learnt that Liberia organized the friendly match in honor of George Weah #14 and they plan to retire his jersey number.

Got few quick questions:
1. Will FIFA allow the Liberia team to ommit a certain jersey number in a case where they qualify for a major football event like the world cup.
2. In relation to question 1 above will they increase their jersey number to 24 if granted the permission by FIFA.


This reminds me of Okwaraji's jersey number 6 that was said to be retired but was later seen worn by subsequent generations of players.

Cc:Icon4s, TheGoodJoe, Tbaba1234, Kog45, Forgiveness, Enomakos...

It's acceptable once an associate decides so.

Kog45:
Thank you i think he later got the cleared picture of my view.

Sometimes we just need to roll in maturity in football analysis here.

I did not say Ekong was a bench warmer.

I don't know Omeruo but surprisedly am Ekong hater for stating my opinion.

Respect to someone like tbaba1234,thegoodjoe and Mujtahida for their coolness.

No worries Baba. Just forgive him.

BascoVanVeli:
Just because black people are near the pitch doesn't mean something bad will happen. Abi are there tracks in the EPL? When Akwa went to Gambia they had nothing but good things to say about the fans.

It was intimidating. It has nothing to do with black or white.

If Akwa is used to disorganized, good for them but it should not be used as world accepted norms.

Earthquake1:
Gernot Rohr calls up four NPFL players for Nigeria-Liberia friendly:


M. UDOH

A. OLAMILEKAN

S. ADETUNJI

E. DURU


AFRICAN ALL STARS
The Super Eagles gaffer has extended invites to few home-based players for the warm-up clash against Thomas Kojo’s side

Ebube Duru, Mfon Udoh, Olamilekan Adeleye and Sunday Adetunji have all been called up for Nigeria’s international friendly against Liberia on Tuesday, September 11.

Gernot Rohr opted to offer the Nigeria Professional Football League stars another opportunity to test themselves against the foreign-based players.
The new invitees will join 21 Super Eagles players on their return to Lagos from Victoria, where they defeated Seychelles 3-0 in Saturday's 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifying encounter.


http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/gernot-rohr-calls-up-four-npfl-players-for-nigeria-liberia/k7lfwgfi156e19c60tjflq0x7

Waste of space.

Algerian1:
Gambian fans were on the stadium running track, extremely close to the pitch for Gambia's match vs. Algeria.

the match was delayed an hour and was finally played in these conditions with the fans close to the pitch

unbelievable in 2018

Hahahaha! Algerian fans go dey fear to score not to talk of winning. The fear of being mobbed is the beginning of wisdom.

andrew444:
He failed to make it in belgium ? which is a better league from belgium and turkey?

He is a bench warmer in turkey? Try and get your fact right

Ekong was on bench for 90 minutes for 2 bursaspor games then the following game he was subbed in,then he started the following game,so how is he a bench warmer? is that how you judge a bench warmer? even if you hate a player please speak the truth.

Even if ekong didnt make it at tottenham doesnt mean he is a bad player,so many player didnt make it at the first team but they ended up at big club.

Now ekong is in udinese and in the starting 11 always.

Pray omeruo makes leganes team,omeruo that all turkey club has refused to buy.

Stop disgracing your self by saying ekong is a bench warmer at turkey,try and get the meaning of bench warmer,someone was on the bench for 3 games makes him a bench warmer?

Chief i am dissapointed in how you judge football,i taught you know more things.

Someone started 26 turkey league games in the 30 he was available for and someone is calling him a bench warmer.

You cant hide your hate

Where did the write Ekong was a bench warmer in Turkey?

Na wa for you ooo.

komekn:
Using the bench mark of Rohr who has called a B team player from Porto.

In this regard there is justification for his call up Porto and Liverpool are not on the same level.

Add to the fact that Bobby Adekanya is the most outstanding player in Liverpool U23 arguably. Then he should be invited.

My opinion is the same as yours he has to go on loan and prove himself in the game first and or make Liverpool first team. But Rohr and NFF terms of selection create the rationale for his call up.

Aha! Misunderstood you. If you think there is any 'credible' team b, you are on a long thing.

It was coined for the agent boys. The fact that underperformed players were called is a testimonial.


The bolded is the biggest hinderance for credibility to soar.

komekn:
Without contradiction l agree, add to that Bobby Adekanya ( U20) however, considering we have far from outstanding B players in the SE then Bobby is within his rights to expect a call for the SE.

Right from the unset till date. Bobby Adekanye will choose Nigeria over Holland. I know that but he is not eligible to play for Nigeria U20 team because he has played for Holland U17 team in a competitive match after he was snubbed by Amunike.

I think he has to either break into Liverpool's bench or play in a decent league before he can be considered.

I know he is a good player.