₦airaland Forum

TheSuperNerd:
Awwwwwwwwwwwn.... I have understood the bolded for a long while now sef.... have you forgotten when I reeled out reasons in your favor as to why you don't really get excited by any new rising talent in this generation? I do understand really and it has Ben a while now.

Thanks Chief Icon4s.

God will Bless you. You are a great man.

TheSuperNerd:
I feel like I am getting a huge pat on the back saying....


"Son you are really growing up... You are understanding some deep secrets now... I am proud of you".... looolll

Chief... thanks for the compliments shaa. National team football no beans abeg. You don't just change things anyhow and radically. Wisdom must rule.

Good you understand.

At least you don't see me as that old man with a negative mind set any more. You now know why I have always been conservative with my expectations and players selections for the national team.

We are all here to learn. If I say I have not learned anything here I am a blatant liar.

TheSuperNerd:
*feeling shy* *covers face* Ohhhh Chief!

You now understand why I have always opined that transition in the national team should be gradual.

TheSuperNerd:


My share dey inside shaa... I also used words that came close....

No mind Colin. He don come here come borrow word finish come dey use am without making a reference.

TheSuperNerd:
Jordan is naturally left footed.... and stands at about 1.89m (about 6ft 2in) which is why he can play both LB and CB (the left side of CB). He is very lovely candidate and one we must seek for our team. Also he recognises his roots.


About Seyi Ojo... well yeah... he is left footed too. Tall, strong and skillful. But his development has always been as a winger... how about his defensive side? How is Seyi's defensive game?

I was impressed with Echiejile against Cameroun but I don't deny that he has flaws to his game. The Likes of Ndidi and Balogun covered for him and even Moses helped out by tracking back to help Echiejile double up on Bassogog... Echiejile have weaknesses no doubt. I don't deny it and this is why I seek not really a replacement but an upgrade on Echiejile.

But thing is.. he will come under the disguise of the word "replacement" and that way Echiejile can be gradually phased out of the first XI... it has to be gradual because as it stands he is our first choice left back with lots of experience. But we need an upgrade still.

It is comment like this that will always make me hail you. You know why naa.

TheSuperNerd:
Nigeria 4-0 Cameroon: Five Hot Talking Points
By Colin Udoh, KweséESPN


Nigeria's 4-0 World Cup qualifying win was as comprehensive as it was self satisfying for the Super Eagles, while potentially soul-destroying for Africa's champions Cameroon.

Not only were the Indomitable Lions soundly beaten, the loss also saw them their hopes of reaching the World Cup in Russia next summer hanging by a thread.

Nigeria, by contrast, were purring by the end of the contest and could easily have finished with another three goals.

Here are the five hot talking points to emerge from Friday's showdown in Uyo.


1. Cameroon's deficiencies exposed

Let's start with Cameroon.

The Indomitable Lions, under pressure to get a result, and probably encouraged by Bafana Bafana's win in June, attempted to leave their counter-attacking comfort zone to take the game to the Super Eagles head on. It was a big mistake.

Even in their run to the Nations Cup title, Cameroon still showed deficiencies that Hugo Broos plastered over with his overly defensive, and counter-attacking style.

Not until their penalty kick win over Senegal did even Cameroon themselves begin to believe they could win the tournament.

His centre-backs turn with all the speed and agility of fully-loaded Dangote Cement trucks, and Vincent Aboubakar has not been the most prolific in a Cameroon shirt, especially with next to no service.

Those frailties were shown up at the Confederations Cup, and then cruelly exposed by the Super Eagles, begging the question of why Broos thought it was a good idea in the first place!

His full-backs were pinned down by the marauding raids of Victor Moses and Moses Simon, and his centre-backs had so much on their plate dealing with the threat of an on-fire Odion Ighalo they didn't even dare advance to attack corner kicks like they are known to do.

Upfront, Aboubakar got short shrift from the duo of Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong while Christian Bassogog was hunted down all game and neutralised by Ogenyi Onazi.



2. The value of experience

Gernot Rohr made five changes from the team which lost to South Africa, introducing Ighalo for Kelechi Iheanacho, John Obi Mikel for Oghenekaro Etebo, Balogun for Chidozie Awaziem, Moses for Alex Iwobi and Ikechukwu Ezenwa for Daniel Akpeyi.

All five combined for man of the match performances on a day of outstanding showings.

Where the previous team lacked direction, there were no shortage of leaders here, with Mikel as the obvious conductor of the orchestra.

Ighalo talked all game through, Mikel was constantly organizing and directing, and Balogun brooked no nonsense in the final third.

It was no surprise then that the first three goals all came from the experienced returnees, and it was to them that the day belonged.


3. Rohr learning on the job

During the opening months of his tenure, Gernot Rohr appeared to be so focused on the task of lowering the average age of the Super Eagles that he appeared to have lost sight of the immediate and overall objective of winning matches.

He was brought down to earth in the last game and now seems to have learnt the value of both old and new.

"You have to have a good blend of home-based and international players," he said later at the post-match press conference

This is not to suggest that he should give up his investment in young player development, but that he cannot do that without winning games.

More importantly, he is learning from each game, and Nigeria are reaping the rewards.



4. The Eagles' defence continues to improve

Troost-Ekong and Balogun are collectively known as the #OyinboWall because of their light, mixed-race complexions, and both players have gleefully adopted and taken ownership of the moniker.

What they have also done is take charge of the Nigeria centre-back position.

The budding partnership between the duo on the pitch is enhanced by their great friendship off it.

Balogun plays bad, uncompromising cop to Troost-Ekong's not so good, uncompromising cop.

Between them, they allowed Cameroon just two shots on target over 90 minutes, and none were exactly threatening.

If one or both stay fit, the Super Eagles can shift their worries to full-back where issues continue to remain.



5. Nigeria still have work to do to reach Russia

This is something Nigerians may not want to hear, but it's the truth. As Rohr said at his post-match conference: "it is not finished yet."

Many Nigerians don't get that, with many already claiming the Super Eagles are in Russia already.

However, should Algeria win both of their matches against Zambia, while Nigeria get complacent in their upcoming fixtures against Cameroon and the Chipolopolo, it's not impossible that the final matchday in North Africa could yet be a winner-takes-all match.

Nigeria should enjoy Friday's triumph fully...but must not get carried away.


Source: http://kwese.espn.com/football/blog-football-africa/story/3194816/nigeria-4-0-cameroon-five-hot-talking-points?device=featurephone

Hmm... Mikel the conductor of the Orchestra. Colin must pay me for copy right jooor. Haha haha.

Joebie:
That's our prayer. But we need to beat Camroon again o

We are still 5points clear.
Yes we need to beat Cameroon just in case Zambia beats Algeria again. If Algeria wins and we lose to Cameroon we are still 4points clear of our nearest rivals with 2 games to go.

We have just done ourselves the mighty favor by beating Cameroon.

If we beat Cameroon and Algeria beats Zambia we have qualified with 2 games to spare.

3-1.
But I expect Algeria to beat to them in the return leg

tbaba1234:
Can we get 2:2 please?

Abi o

blueto:
You're very right sir. If Nigeria can make it close to or into the top 10 teams in the world before the world, that will come in handy during world cup and afcon draws as you implied, which may result to Nigeria not having the likes of Argentina to content with in the group stages.

And also, the momentum can continue to be gathered from subsequent games with regular players with gradual introduction of the new ones. As Mikel said in his interview, the players needs directions and balance. And playing with the regular players can fetch them that.

Perfecto!

blueto:
It will be best to see Nigeria qualify for the world cup on Monday, so that other players like Dessers that have shown interests in Nigeria can be capped and including yet uncapped players like Ebuechi (or however it is spelt), thereby allowing the likes of Moses to focus on their clubs by inviting the new players in players in place of them for the remaining matches in the qualifying campaign. Then the NFF can intensity their approaches for the likes of Tammy and introduce them in the friendly matches that will serve as preparations for the world cup proper.

I understand that point. But you still need to consider that the team needs to build momentum towards Russia.

I agree that some up coming players be given a look-in but I don't agree that we let the more established players focus on their clubs.

Forget that SA game. It was just an anomaly. We know we lost due to the absence of key senior players. This team is improving with each game. Check from the Tanzania game to the Zambia game, Algeria game and this last game. We need not hault this momentum. Any new player added must do better than the previous player in that position.

New players would be tried but it will not be a free for all. Again I say we still invite our best for the remaining matches.

Also, we need to improve our FIFA ranking cos I am sure you know top teams are seeded for the WC grouping. And the 2019 AFCON grouping would be done based on FIFA rankings.

AIG07:
laughing... The ones we met(no be the 70s and 80s ooo) were something else.

Radio commentary is never for the weak hearted. Person for don count fingers for 4 or 5goals and the commentator will be like Nigeria 1 Cameroon 0. Those days sha.

My brother. But it was fun and scary at the same time.

Did you listen to late Earnest Okonkwo?

The way he was calling those intimidating Cameroonian names in that Cameroon Vs Nigeria, 1990 WC qualifiers is still echoeing I my memory.

At a point we didn't even hear Nigerian names again na only names like : "..and Makanaki finds Mbou-Mbou who gives it to Omam Biyik. Omam Biyik finds his brother Kana Biyik who gives it to his captain Emmanuel Kunde. He passes the ball telegraphically to Rodger Miller who lays the ball swiftly to Bonaventure...." na only " ..and Alloy Agu comes to the rescue" we just dey hear. Nigeria went into that game to defend.

We celebrated when the first half ended goaless. Na second half them knack us the akpako. Pessin wan piss for body that day because of fear.

Better

Engrbrain1:
UEFA have just released a statement on Paris Saint-Germain after their summer spending spree...
“The Investigatory Chamber of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body has opened a formal investigation into Paris Saint-Germain as part of its ongoing monitoring of clubs under Financial Fair Play (FFP)......check here for more detail http://www.mybrainguru.com/2017/09/uefa-opens-psg-investigation.html?m=1

Bros, after the Monday game we go reason this your news abeg.

But thanks for the info.

blueto:
Welcome back Thesupernerd, glad to see your breathtaking comments. I thankGod you also spotted the need for Iheanacho's SS/AM position. He is definitely better at it. Iheanacho in the CF role is like a leader who acquired leadership skills which was not initially inbuilt in him to some level . He doesn't have those innate personality qualities of an ideal CF. An example is how you said he wouldn't have scored that goal Ighalo scored. For him to have ran in a way that Mikel could easily find in with such pass and so on. I have watched him. Playing him in a CF position can be likened to taking a fish out of water and placing it on a field and expecting it to thrive on the field like it thrives on the water. But in this Rohr's favorite 4-3-3 formation, it will be okay to keep playing him as a CF , but that will be if there is no better striker. I'm glad someone still shares this opinion with me

As regards Onazi, before the game, I said mikel should ensure discipline between Onazi and Ndidi and I was elated by what I saw. I also like Onazi making those runs to deliver crosses. It reminded me of his cross to Ameobi that resulted to the second goal against Italy in a 2-2 friendly tie.

Above all, it was all the Lord's doing.

Good points bro.

Well articulated.

Mujtahida:
Now this three remain: Mikel, Moses and Leon but the greatest is the Super Eagles.
Mikel is the heartbeat of the Nigerian team. He has the power of presence, clout and his contribution is immense not to talk of his deep, instinctive vision-truly worthy of an Eagle. Love him, will always do.
Victor Moses is a viper, a python and a rattlesnake. He brings in so much vibe, power and steel. God bless him
Balogun is truly a baale of war. How a man can be so quiet and unobtrusive yet firm, passionate and strong is really quite something. The defence is his domain. Our Chinese wall.

Everybody played well with verve. There was that constant humming of determination, excitement and motion in our play.

And to all of you for your abiding faith in our team, insightful comments and for keeping this thread alive- you guys rock.
Cheers

Spot on man. Cheers to you too.

Hope to see more of you here.

daveP:
A few of us should volunteer for the commentary job for our consequent games, esp danycrusoe. the dry commentary we hear nowadays belongs to those lt thompson ohila days. times yaff changed. we can do it better dan ikpeba or whoever.
"see the pass that he passed" lol
good a.m to everyone.

Mozez Praize did OK but the other local voice was that of Raphael Chukwu Ndukwe, an ex-international. I no know who send am go commentary box.

Gone are the days of good commentators. The likes of Legendary Ernest Okonkwo. Fabio Olanipeku too did OK. Hameed Adio was also OK. There was also Manasara ilo. Aisha Falode ran commentaries for the Great Super Falcons of the 1990s. All of the NTA and Radio Nigeria (Okonkwo).

You wan try radio commentaries those days? Person wey get high blood pressure no fit listen to radio commentaries. Ball go dey centre circle commentators go begin shout. And by the time the ball reach the 18yards box the shouting from the commentator will be such that everything in your house would be vibrating already. " A chance for Nigeria!!!! it is a....!!!! it is a....!!!! o no!!!!!!!!! over the bar!!!!!!!!...."

Then away games of WC qualifiers were never showed live. We only listened to live commentaries. The Cameroon Vs Nigeria game of 1990 WC qualifiers, That was the last game of the qualifiers. We needed just a draw to make it to the world cup. There were several reported cases of people fainting in their homes listening to the commentaries during that game. The tension was too much and then the radio commentators now worsened it.

Elders in the house I know you can recall those memories. Hahahaha

tbaba1234:
Morocco 6 Mali 0

How did that happen?

Mali were shown 2 red cards.

Joebie:
I think it's okay to cap all the foreign-borns "cappable" . Yet Should be no guarantee they will start or make our bench eventually.

There is no way we are going to cap all the foreign born. We only need those who will add value to the team, those who are better than the crop we have already.

Famocious:
Further good news for @NGSuperEagles. Heard earlier that Ola Aina's clearance has come through from FIFA. Additional depth in squad

From Colin Udoh's twitter handle

Good news.

But I think Shehu should still start.

We should maintain the same structure of the team for the Monday game.

Ola Aina is ours already. No going back. We may field him in the October qualifiers.

pyrex23:
one we qualify(if we dont find a natural LB)....ehbeui would b d one to man d position.....
I think elderson still mans d postion because we are facing african opponents



i hope to see
joel obi;
P.olayinka;
C.dessers;
with us in russia....anything can happen b4 then though

as 4 shehu...d return leg could his last game 4 us

I hope they will prove to be better than the crop we have already?

Humility017:
I understand that ebuehi is still very young...
and he won't have been able to face the cameroonians or perfectly match for Africa football....

but he should get his chance....you never can tell....he may prove useful playing against non Africans opposition...play in the Dutch league weekly is not beans

Let him still develop more then. We need players who can face both African and European oppositions.

The way that boy was hyped here. You would think he will just walk into the starting 11.

Humility017:
don't be surpised...ebuehi might even better than Shehu in that role...but you will.never know if he does not get to play...
he should get to play and let's see what he tends to offer....or.possibly tried in other positions....

Shehu and Ebuehi have been together in camp severally and Shehu keeps getting the nod. Let us see what Aina can offer instead. Ebuehi for fit face those Cameroonian faces today?

Humility017:
sometimes you will never know how good these guys are....not until you give them a chance to show the stuff they're made of...

that's why...I have no problem starting ebuehi hopefully in our next matches in October and November he should get to start one of those matches....

I hope the Chan tournament will also build ezenwa confidence...come next year...
he should stay back and not hurriedly run to Europe

IMO that right back position would likely be a battle between Shehu and Aina. If any of the two gets the nod from the coach let him play.

We don't need to be experimenting unnecessarily in the defence. We need cohesiveness ahead of the world cup so we must have a regular back line. Yes we can have back ups and give them game time only when the regulars are not available.

We can test players more in the more forward positions.

TheSuperNerd:
Safarigirl said 5-1... Basco said 4-1...

And you had the exact score all along?

Chaaaiiiiii.... Arch Guardian!!!!!!!!! Na wa for u ooooo.... I just dey look u... see perfect prediction of scoreline.

I couldn't muster the courage to share it because it was too perfect to be true. Besides we mostly concede in matches. So a 4-1 or 5-1 prediction was even more possible than 4-0!

TheSuperNerd:
Flashback...#

When Chief Icon4s was a little Kid of 10....



..............
Mum: Hey sweetie... I wanna prepare a new meal for you Honey.. one you have never tasted before.. it is called African Delight.

Little Icon4s: Mama, What is that naa? Abeg na Eba and soup I want ooo... I was expecting Eba and soup today naa.

Mum: Come on Son.. you will like it I promise.

Little Icon4s: Okay mama... but won't eat much... I have appetitie for eba and soup today ooo... so plss serve me just a little okay.

Mum: Hmmm... okay son. As you wish...

(Mum serves and Icon4s receive it)


Moments later...

Little Icon4s: Chinekeeeeeee!!!!!!! Mum!!! mummy ooo!!!! abeg Serve me more oooo biko... I no know say the things sweet die like Dis ooooo..... abeg mama... biko...

.................


Fast forward to today....

Chief Icon4s earlier said he wanted only 3 points and dont care what happens in Cameroun....

But now... after tasting how sweet Victory done in such annihilation manner is like... he wants more...

Aren't we all guilty of this ?

Chief... I hail oooo.... Hahahahahahahahaha

Ah haha haha This man!

No blame me o. I Don turn Oliver Twist for this one. "Please sir... I want some more" (in Oliver's voice).

Guys do you know I dreamt we won this game 4-0?

I had the dream last Saturday night/Sunday morning . In that dream I recall two goal scorers: Iwobi and Victor Moses. Moses scored the 4th goal while Iwobi scored the 3rd. It was as if we were already leading 2-0 before I joined.

The only person I told the dream was my wife.

Why I disregarded the dream was when Iwobi did not make Arsenal match day squad against Liverpool due to injury and his subsequent withdrawal due to injury.

I couldn't share it here just for the fear of in case it doesn't turn out that way.

I am really glad we won big tonight.

TheGoodJoe:
First of all, a big shout out to Icon4s. His confidence that we could give the Camerounians a physical match was very correct. So impressed. He believed if the Camerounians wanted to fight, we should fight them and it worked perfectly. I throway Salute.

Chairman I hail o.

At a point I was beginning to wonder if this was the first time we are playing Cameroon.

I knew we could match them physically so we needed to outwit them in other areas like pace, sleek and quick passes and that worked perfectly.

I initially wanted 3 points from this tie. But now I want more than that.
I say we go do a double in Cameroon! We could seal qualification on Monday if Zambia and Algeria play a draw tomorrow.

I am glad both Ighalo and Iheanacho scored. They scored vital goals to save their national team careers.

It has been reaffirmed today that the spin of this team is Balogun-Mikel-Moses.

TheSuperNerd, great to see you back!
I knew you'll show up tonight.
Good analysis from you.

AIG07:
Sir Icon4s The Arch Guardian of Experience(as the supernerd often says). TheExperience of Leon Balogun at the heart of defence, the mastery of Mikel, the class of victor Moses and the physicality of Ighalo was what made the deference.

Your knowledge of the game no be hear.

These were players we missed against SA.

Some people almost called for the Return Of Kanu Nwankwo, Okocha, Oliseh even late Yekini.

Well our Experienced players are back and our team is back on track.

Dainikel:
Rohr should change Echejile, the cameroonians are getting past him a lot

And bring who in?

Awon da?