₦airaland Forum

JohnBullMySon:
You don’t get it. The tempo of a football game is shaped by what the two teams need to get out of it.

In a crucial game where RSA needs a draw and NGA needs a win, as the game gets close to the end, it is expected that NGA should dominate the attack more as the opponent starts to manage the game. Cos that’s how football works.

If NGA attack was really good, we should have sat RSA in their box in the closing minutes cause they’re already managing the game. Did anything like that happen? They even created more attack chances sef.

On that yeye pitch? Are you sure it’s the same game we watched? There were odds against us in this game; the pitch, the fatigue from previous game travel whereas SA travelled no where, bad officiating even though we benefited with the goal, and finally the antics from the host prior to the game. We will be too hard blaming the players for this game.

charlesemeka85:
SA played normal African Katikati football nothing special abeg

Exactly compared to what they played us in the afcon they were not that impressive. It was even some defensive blunders from us that gave them the number of shots they have. Nothing really special jor

Nigerians should relax, winning away in Africa is not moin moin. The team had tried to even win away in Rwanda, it’s the loss against Benin away in a neutral place in Ivory Coast and the draw against Zimbabwe in uyo that has caused us this mess. I salute the coach and the players for the job done in SA, that was a fair result to be honest in the light of the terrible way we played last week in uyo.

JohnBullMySon:
The result was definitely not bad. But nobody should bend reality here to say that we played better than them because it is not true. They marginally outplayed us. For a team that just had to keep the score as is, they still held down possession in the dying minutes of the game.

If we led again 2-1 do you think Nigeria would have withstood the attack pressure it would create?

South Africa will always be better in possession cos of their style and cohesion but as a home side they were not really a threat even their coach in a supersports interview after the match admitted his team were not better in the second half and acknowledged the superior fighting power of our team. He was so relieved to show how scared they were!

elyte89:
Na real plan work ,my only hope now is if fifa can still deduct d 3points and Rwanda 🇷🇼 do d unthinkable and defeat South Africa 🇿🇦 at home …while we win d last two games ; who stone me for back 🥹🥹

That 3 points don go forget it! If SA can be allowed to play 7 games in their country na points dem go deduct? I no get hope for that one again o ti lo

charlesemeka85:
better street because I still can’t understand why fifa approved that potato farm for the game when SA have better options

Also why will FIFA approach for Lesotho and Zim to play their home games in SA that they are in the same group with? Why not take both nations to Angola elsewhere to play their home games?

And the NFF saw all these on time and were mute without even contesting it

Honestly I didn’t even know those countries were playing their home games in SA until few weeks ago. It’s one of the greatest scam in football, Zambia even borders Zimbabwe why can’t they play their games there even Lesotho can play in Namibia. Na plan work honestly!

charlesemeka85:
Just watched the highlight of the game and I won’t fault the team or the chelle. From the little I saw SA played nada but just running around with no aim and plan while the pitch didn’t allow our plays to execute free flowing football that they are renowned of

Whenever the NFF start getting involved in politics in world football and Caf the better for our national teams because I see no reason fifa will approve that cucumber farm for a World Cup qualifying game as well as allow Lesotho and Zimbabwe to play their home games in SA that they re in the same group with, the most absurd decision I have ever seen in football

All the blame goes to our football association

CAF and FIFA run us street, na lesson sha!

NIGHTMARE0O7:
Did we play 7 matches at home. ?
The completion should be. Level playing group that SE didnt win some thier home mathces doesnt mean they wont win some of their home matches.

SA dont deserve it they cheated but we should blame out self for allowing the cheat

My problem is saying the DESERVE IT. It’s a big word. Deserve is Merrit

I agree 💯, South Africa didn’t have to travel outside their borders for the two games in few days. That is unfair to the visiting team!

Even played both games in the same stadium. Both CAF and FIFA no well!

minfelix:
omo i so love the fact Cape Verde will be playing at the Fifa world cup…they beat cameroon today to extend their gap in their group

One good thing about these expanded World Cup format is that it will make many foreign borns in the diaspora to start thinking about representing their countries of descent imagine to know that former great players like Patrice Evra, Patrick viera and Nani are of Cape Verde descent

Amedino99:
I saw something on twitter now and it made sense. Countries are using our gracious nature to cheat us. Ghana did this same shit for us in 2022 giving us a potato farm to play the 1st leg while we used a refurbished clean stadium with VAR for them in the second leg. South africa has done the same today. Quite funny that for all our corrupt nature, football is one where we atleast maintain standards.

Na this big brother mentality Dey worry us I don’t even know what we are always trying to prove, I remember the Ghana own wella even the press conference venue was a disaster and the plane that took our players to the city where the stadium was na ladder our players almost used to alight from the plane.

They don see us mugu expecting us to roll the carpet when they come in here but treat us like trash when we go away, see where Libya go divert plane for where our players go land 😂

mank1234:
I sight 94set.
Waiting for this moment.
They called for Finidi. From this comment I can sense this one is calling for Amunike.
When will you guys leave Super Eagles alone and look for coaching job elsewhere?

The day dem go appoint any local coach for the national team again I go just adopt another national team to follow, nonsense and ingredients!

8th minute Benin don Dey lead Lesotho 1-0 😂

Meliforme:
It is draws we kept getting that led us to where we are now.

Draws at home o lest we forget!

mank1234:
That's almost 21 pts.

Chai see bonanza!

Mujtahida:
I'm amazed. The way we act with integrity in football, amazes me.

In fact na we be the holiest pope for African football see how these African countries Dey use our head 😂 wey country Dey play away game for their own backyard

MetalJigsaw:
You're talking about last year. Every match is different..

Do you realize that Chuk's natural position was occupied by makeshift players without him playing a single minute? Why was he invited then??

Has chuks not been playing in this wcq series?

We always make a case when a player doesn’t play as if he’s a new player

Meliforme:
Those guys played their hearts out.
The threw themselves into tackles, fought well for the ball.

I hope you know today’s result is not bad actually, it’s previous games that led us to where we are today.

MetalJigsaw:
Please I just want to know one special attribute that this man has brought to our team. I'm not blaming him for anything, but I'm yet to see anything tangible or significant that he has brought to the team.

Our team looks more mobile under Chelle compared to previous coaches except we want to lie and gradually we are seeing more flair in our transition I think what’s remaining like someone said earlier it’s for more chemistry to develop among our players in terms of awareness of their positioning among themselves and that’s why we are missing more chances we should be converting. My opinion and in addition we need leaders on the pitch especially in the midfield.

kennysville:
The question we have failed to answer is when we had out chance to bury certain matches... what were we doing? Imagine if we had won those 1st 3games? Ther e would have been less pressure on us. Let is leave South Africa and fifa out of this. Truth be told, I didn't want south Africa to lose the ticket cos they worked hard whether by crook or crude. We should learn to take responsibility for all that happened

That’s our typical attitude thinking these off the pitch stuff don’t impact us at the end of the day. In the last Afcon finals we were actually bullied by the host in every way to ensure we don’t win. Today SA has done same for us and it will continue if we don’t take time. Yes you win on the pitch but you can’t just neglect the undue advantage your opponents have over you. You must always factor that into your strategy

MetalJigsaw:
The right wing was so blunt. We needed both wings active, why not use chuks

Chuks too just like Simon on a bad day can switch off. I remember Afcon final when chuks started omo he had to replaced by Simon not holding brief for the coach but just saying

lbrichman2:
Why didn't our FA protest?
Will the north Africans have allowed such a fiasco?
Them for scatter everywhere!!

Our FA wey no even know say SA use ineligible player, no be for this thread that the ineligible player was exposed? Even the Libya issue it was Ekong who voiced out as our FA would have gone ahead with that match. Just forget our FA please reason I said they are a disgrace how can your opponent play most of their games in their own country. The North Africans from day 1 after seeing the match schedules would have raised objections but our FA just have this attitude we can always find a way to win but am happy this has happened so we as fans too can begin to shout early enough when see these things. It’s obvious all the champions league the North African clubs win are not just on the pitch alone.

Meliforme:
It falls on the coach to pick his players and work with them.

Which players are you taking about? Folks who can’t take enough responsibility on the pitch abeg make Una no vex person for here.

lbrichman2:
Exactly
South Africa deserve to go to the world Cup
We just wake up
Let's take our chances with the play off spots and hope for the best
But no, it would have been unfair for them to lose our after being so excellent since MD 1

SA does not deserve anything they were unduly favoured by FIFA and CAF allowing Lesotho and Zimbabwe to play their home games in SA. That’s so unfair

elyte89:
One thing I av learnt about dis wcq series is to qualify u need to knw aw to play politics aspect of football cos I am very sure d approval of this stadium was a deliberate act.A premeditated move by South Africa 🇿🇦

Imagine SA playing like 7 matches in their own country omo naija na disgrace 😂

COOL10:
He already went with us in 2018 and ever since he left, we haven't. That says a lot. He has nothing to prove to anyone. The ultimate insult would be if he finds a way to qualify Benin who we're currently on the same points with

If he qualify Benin make we go bring am back o cos lightning no Dey strike twice 😂

QueenJazz:
At this point, even if we qualify, what are we going to do there? Our team is clearly not prepared. That's if we even have a "team". We just have a squad of very talented players who don't have enough chemistry, and coached by someone who's still figuring his way round the players. Our attack is not well polished. If we somehow get to the mundial, our best chances of progressing will probably be to revert to Peseiro tactics and lock shop at our defense, then try to scrape points through penalties and inshallah.

South Africa players may not have the overall pedigree of the Super Eagles, but what we can learn from our last couple of meetings with them is that together, they are a well oiled machine. Hugo Broos has spent at least 4 years with them and together they've developed a playing style that churns out results. They move with urgency, and play as if they can predict what their teammates will do and where they will move. That's the kind of chemistry we need in the SE. The last time I saw that kind of chemistry in the SE was during the days of Oliseh, Babayaro dem.

At this point, I've made my peace with us possibly not qualifying. In fact I'm not even sure I want us to qualify. The highest we can achieve with this current squad at the level of football we are in now will be Round of 16, and that is if we play haram football. Imagine this squad playing Spain or Portugal. Even Ecuador sef. The only thing we'll benefit from the mundial is that all of us will go to America for vacation and sight-seeing.

God bless you o Imagine with all the so called experienced players in there dem no fit predict which side a particular player go run to omo e tire me

Mujtahida:
In Africa, it's only naija no dey employ wuru wuru for football. And it's ironic because we are an unbelievably corrupt nation yet whenever we play football we win or lose neat neat.

Naija would not have ever taken South Africa to play on that kind of pitch if we were in their position.

I think SA too just Dey learn these things 😂 see as they waste time today Dey roll for ground. It’s time to develop our own antics too na only Nwabali get format for our team the rest of our players too clean 😂

We have lost Afcon finals cos we no sabi format. The first thing we need to do is to sort out our home venue. Uyo does not look like a slaughter slab for African teams. We need to either get back to Lagos or make Abuja a dreaded den. That uyo too clean for my liking e no Dey frighten our opponents at all!

lbrichman2:
My brother..
See pitch wey South Africa carry us go play!
Any small mistake now, them fit carry season ending injury

I no blame South Africa honestly am good with the result of today cos like I said earlier it’s more difficult to win away in Africa as all manner of antics will be used against you, it’s that Zimbabwe match I can never forgive these players. The result today is ok by all standards.

lbrichman2:
Very painful
That South African player square that ball wickedly
No time for Ekong to sort out his feet
I don't blame him much sha
I don't blame Chelle either
I know Chelle put him in because he scored against SA last time out..

But this version of SA were not just technical, they were super physical too
Omo!!
We were not ready for their physical side

As for the physical side the SA players were just giving all for their nation. That’s what I expect from our players too sadly just few of our players are like that

123jamessmith:
Abeg the coach try joor, the previous coaches have already spoil the qualifies, what do you expecting him to do.

Anyone still blaming the coach is not fair!

charlesemeka85:
for him to start benching ekong after the ZIM match was obvious that he doesn’t rate him. Maybe he had a change of heart to field the skipper due to the formation he started the game with

I think because of how crucial the game was he felt Ekong experience could help. It’s what any coach will do cos if things turn south too we for blame am say e no start Ekong. You can see he brought Ekong in the previous game to finish off things. It was just bad day in the office for the captain.

lbrichman2:
You're right..
We shouldn't have drawn that Zimbabwe game..

In Africa you must win your home games especially as a big soccer nation. If we can’t win at home then some players should make their way out of the team. We need standards to be set for players in the GWG. Enough of tolerating mediocrity. If you draw against the big teams yes we can forgive you but against teams down the fifa rankings haba! All these one of this player try when we draw at home is pure rubbish. Nigerian soil is always a slaughter slab for teams in Africa and we must ensure that. It’s difficult to win away in Africa with off the match antics from smaller African nations so why joke with your home games.