₦airaland Forum

AndSunGorilla:
All of you people are so ungrateful. How can you not mention Biodun Baruwa, Francis Uzoho, Akpeyi, Mobi Oparaku, Ifeanyi Ekwueme, Gabriel Reuben, Furo Iyeneme, Okoronkwo, ndukwe, Arnold, Tanimu, Uzoenyi, flavor and many other greats.

semid4lyfe:
Onazi? Apart from AFCON 2013 and the World Cup 2014 run, Onazi was not a mainstay in our team. But I admit he was phenomenal in those competitions. Arguably our most important midfielder in those competitions, and our midfield crumbled when he was substituted against France in the second round.

I know I picked Celestine Babayaro as my Left back but upon reflection I'll go with Taiye Taiwo instead. TT had more caps and tournament appearances than CB, and was more impactful.

CB didn't play many matches for the Super Eagles, and his best performance for Nigeria was at Atlanta 96, and that's technically not the Super Eagles. So I'll replace Celestine Babayaro with Taiye Taiwo in Left back.

TheGoodJoe:
Nice list. Very difficult to debate against. However, I will pick Ambrose over Yobo. Not taking away the choice. Yobo had the quality, tactical depth and versatility. These will easily make him an easier pick.

Ambrose runs just makes me prefer him but in terms of overall quality you are right with Yobo.

Amunike vs Ikpeba is also a tough one but Amunike takes it for me.

A player that misses out but really delivered quality to the Super Eagles is Onazi.

Towbaba500:
Osibobo
https://x.com/DougieCritchley/status/1981305589608095749?t=AOIkA0b9BOLSfi0cN67nKA&s=19[/quote]Nooo 94 set is the best! Osihmen no reach 😂 who is he before Ikpeba!

Mujtahida:
Goke7 we will not let you pour contempt on the 94 set. To allow you do so, is to ensure that no set of the SE ever gets their plaudits. You want to pit one set against another just so you can pour mud on the set you do not like.

And in all these conversations, I have stuck to the achievements of that stella group of players without comparing them to other sets and downplaying their achievements.

They are all part of the long list of players that make our football history. The high points are the high points, the low points are the low points but what I will not do is to dismiss the achievement of any group.

TheSuperNerd:
Ahhhhh... Goke!!! That Ivorian generation of the 90s was fire ooo. Tiehi was no small fry. Ben Salah. Just few names I can recall from tapes I watched. That Ivorian team was solid. In 1992, they went a whole Afcon tournament without conceeding a goal and that tournament had The Great Yekini and Great Abedi Pele of Ghana. They also won it!

They were dons. And the only reason that team did not qualify for the WC was because of Nigeria's own Golden Generation of maverick players.

See below how tight it was. The 2nd round of CAF Zone 1994 WC Qualifiers.

Note: This was the era of 2pts for a win. 1 pt for a draw.

The first round had all these 9 teams topping their Groups A - I. Ours had SA.

forgiveness:
🔸Goal Keeper - Vincent Enyeama (1) 3rd best CAF player
🔸Right Back - Joseph Yobo (2)
🔸Left Back - Taye Taiwo (3)
🔸Centre Back - Stephen Keshi baba (5)
🔸Centre Back - Christian Chukwu Chairman (6)
🔸Defensive Midfield - Sunday Oliseh (4)
🔸Box to Box Midfield - Mikel Obi (8.)
🔸Attacking Midfield - JayJay Okocha (10)
🔸Right Wing Forward - Segun Odegbami (7)
🔸Left Wing Forward - Victor Ikpeba (11)
🔸Centre Forward - Rashidi Yekini

Mujtahida:
That example is off because the criticism is the criticism of these players as a group. We are talking about their achievements as a group. Standing as individuals they were not all remarkable. Indeed many of them played for backwater clubs. Rashidi the goal king was in Setubal!

Mikel Obi is arguably Nigeria's most decorated player.

elyte89:
I think dis goes beyond infrastructure and facilities to lure dem cos what Dey c in foreign countries where Dey can represent is better or almost d same facilities in Morocco 🇲🇦 or Senegal 🇸🇳 I want to believe deir major success of convincing foreign born players is more of patriotism Dan infrastructure as u suggested cos an average Nigerian 🇳🇬 is not even willing to associate themselves with Nigeria 🇳🇬 let alone of commiting demselves into anything.in everything we do we try to associate ourselves with anything foreign dishing our own values . But take a look at Morocco 🇲🇦 or Senegal 🇸🇳 foreign born players ..I believe they cherish deir values and culture hence finding it easy in convincing them to switch their allegiance.

TheGoodJoe:
Unfortunately, this is not about a popular choice thing but actual quality.

Ambrose was unbelievable. Never in my life seen a right back with such driving force. He literally used to drive Keshi's conquering Super Eagles from the right flank. A spectacle to behold. Popular vote will not change that quality fact.

Celestine Babayaro was tactically insane. He did it at the highest level. There was this game he had against AC Milan that was just madness.

Celestine Babayaro at Chelsea was a very brilliant player. Iroha can never scrape such level of performance.

Taribo, that is not even a debate.

Mikel Obi, he was a creative midfielder that also comes with a full defensive package. When it comes to creativity, Okocha edges. When it comes with the full package, offensive, defensive and controlling the midfield, Mikel tops and it is not even a debate.

Being the best player on the pitch in the Champions League finals against a Super Bayern Munich says it all.

TheGoodJoe:
By the way, Taribo West will also walk into that 1994 starting 11 in his prime.

kennysville:
And this right here is what I have been talking about and funny, you kinda fall into the exact category I mentioned in my first post. So if I may ask , in a reverse way, which of these supposed player you see can play in that supposed old era? Player for player, which of them could replace the 94 members? imagine in the picture someone posted earlier, even Mikel could not bench anyone in that 1st 11.

Bottomline is this, the bar has really been set lower

kennysville:
Yoruba people will say "Eni ti Sango ba t'oju e ja.. Ko ni bawon bu Oya". Translation? Whoever has witnessed Sango (God of Thunder) at war will never join them in abusing his wife Oya.

I think the value of the 94 Squad got watered down because a lot of people never witnessed where we are coming from and just how far low the bar has dropped. Many don't even know what is called mental resilience ... the never say die attitude that Nigeria has always (Emphasis on always) been known for. So when people talk about the 94 set, they look at them from either their coaching prowess perspective...or delve deeper to say what clubs were they playing for.

In an age where a player like Paul Pogba was bought for 80 million pounds (Money Era), why wont people dismiss the heroics of 94 Eagles? Rules have really changed and how times have also changed. We take a lot of things for granted now. Whatever glory this current set is riding on, whatever expectations we may have of them is built on the heroics and mental attitude of the 94 set. To those saying what have they achieved, I say Let That Sink In For A Moment! We witnessed from the 1980 nations Cup till Maroc 88. Saw how agonizingly close Nigeria came to winning both 88 and Algiers 90. All these times, Nigeria never qualified for World Cup. This same 94 team was ranked 5th best in the world., the highest by any African Team till date! And folks are saying they are overhyped? These are like our 7 star Generals right there. They freaking earned that right! Just cause you weren't around then doesn't mean one should disrespect them. You don't feel comfortable hearing about their heroics, too bad! Suck your thumb! But it really did happen and that's the whole point of History.

GMBOFASIA:
You will start Vic Moses over who ? Findi George once rated among best winger in the world

MetalJigsaw:
The same Victor Moses una been always criticize for here?

Mujtahida:
Make una see me see wahala oo. I praised Oliseh as an individual player. It could well have been Odegbami or Muda Lawal but I didn't watch those guys. How did you now stretch my praise of Oliseh to mean praise of the 94 set? This heat, e no come too much?

My post was inspired by a post I saw on X about our possible all time best 11 oo. Abeg oo.

Odunayaw:
Ọlọrun gbọ! And some hungry men here said he should take it

MetalJigsaw:
Is he carrying an injury?

victornoah:
Victor clearly asked to be subbed

mrwilliams9:
Yes, but his finishing at times can be erratic.

5 big chances missed today. 9 shots, 7 on target, 2 goals. He really should have bagged at least 4 goals let’s be honest.

mrwilliams9:
Osigoal!

He still needs to work on his offside awareness and finishing. He could have had 4-5 goals today to be honest.

At minimum 3 goals today.

Good outing still

kennysville:
Osimhen needs to be subbed. Looks like he is tired

BascoVanVeli:
Victor finish that next time abeg

minfelix:
if not for say we no wan dey do too much make dem no say our own too much, walai Osimhen suppose dey for top 2 if not top 3 APOTY ….infact win am again🤣🤣

TheSuperNerd:
Osimhennnnn Brace!!!!

Jieta2:
The way you oldies praise this 1994 set is tiring, I've been on Nairaland going for fifteen years now every time I come online before I read ten comments I must read something related to the 1994 set you guys have besieged these sports sections just like they have besieged the glass house that any coach the NFF hires if he doesn't play like the 1994 set or handle issues like they time they criticism him.

Apart from Stephen Keshi and to a long extent Samson sia sia what has the 1994 set contributed to our football is it Okocha that almost ruin delta state football or Sunday oliseh that almost destroy the super Eagles, or let's talk about ikpeba that is destroying Nigerian youth with his bet9ja nonsense, I don't even want to mention that one that almost ruin our world cup hope.

What did they achieve which have not been done, they won the Nations Cup and reached the knockout stage didn't the 2013 set equal the record what is so special about them that we will not hear a word?