₦airaland Forum

Kog45:
No,pls go to archive and u w discover that Seoul Olympic football game was not for U23 but purely national team affair.

I know there were certain restrictions maybe not exactly 23yrs. Looking at the Brazilian and Nigerian squads for eg a good number of senior players did not participate. Eg why was Peter Rufai not in goal for Nigeria? Why did senior players like Steven Keshi, Bright Omokaro, and Uche Okechukwu not play?
I know there were restrictions. Well i will check the archives as u advised.

I recall it was initially for armatures until Los- Angeles 84 where professional players were allowed for the first time.

I know for sure it was full U23 at Barcelona '92 anyways.

tbaba1234:
Looks like Iheanacho is occupied with drills today. Not on the team again.

Tbaba you be one badt guy.

Joebie:
Cohesion is not enough. I'm hopeful our defenders will ALSO get the needed experience individually overtime.

What are u saying what am I saying?

Joebie:
No you don't get me. By Grade A i'm not speaking about African oppositions. I'm thinking way ahead although it may be too early. Just because we beat a physical Cameroon home and away does not mean we can challenge Argentina (for example). Take note that Rohr have been thinking of big physical players in our set up to challenge Cameroon. I'm thinking match-ups. And as soon as we are done with the qualifiers the dynamics changes a great deal. I don't know what you guys are aiming for. Personally i want to see Nigeria in the final game in Russia. Then it is possible we can win the cup. I don't think it is a mere dream, which is why we have to go all the way in making sure we get our best players, and doing everything right. OTHER COUNTRIES ARE NOT SLEEPING. An awkward tackle from Balogun can send us out of the world cup easily. Let's see our players make some mistakes that can be corrected ahead of time. That's what friendlies are for. Personally, I rather have us lose all our friendlies against the best teams in the world so we can fix something we otherwise won't have seen.

So u dnt consider a friendly with any African side as a grade 'A'?

tbaba1234:
““No player in the NPFL is good enough for the Super Eagles at the moment”, Yusuf said, after he was asked why there were no [outfield] locally based player in the latest [current] national team selection”, he told Lagos Talks 91.3Fm.

Source: owngoalnigeria.com

Is that not what some of us have been saying here since?

Truth and nothing but the truth.

Joebie:
No you don't get me. By Grade A i'm not speaking about African oppositions. I'm thinking way ahead although it may be too early. Just because we beat a physical Cameroon home and away does not mean we can challenge Argentina (for example). Take note that Rohr have been thinking of big physical players in our set up to challenge Cameroon. I'm thinking match-ups. And as soon as we are done with the qualifiers the dynamics changes a great deal. I don't know what you guys are aiming for. Personally i want to see Nigeria in the final game in Russia. Then it is possible we can win the cup. I don't think it is a mere dream, which is why we have to go all the way in making sure we get our best players, and doing everything right. OTHER COUNTRIES ARE NOT SLEEPING. An awkward tackle from Balogun can send us out of the world cup easily. Let's see our players make some mistakes that can be corrected ahead of time. That's what friendlies are for. Personally, I rather have us lose all our friendlies against the best teams in the world so we can fix something we otherwise won't have seen.

Calm down. I can categorically tell you that by the time we are through with The WC qualifiers and we finish tops that defense would have gained some appreciable cohesion.

As i have maintained, playing Cameroun in Younde and Algeria in Blida or Algiers can be almost as challenging as playing France or Argentina in London.

We take it step after step. Lets qualify first and then we build from there.

Joebie:
Okay let me give you an example. Why did we play Senegal? was it not to measure our strengths tactically to prepare us for Cameroon. AFCON and World Cup are two different things. In fact I would rather have us not qualify for AFCON again and again, if that would mean going to the world cup every time. The dynamics in tackling big teams at the global stage is totally different. We also have to prepare for that challenge. Grade A friendlies is not a true test, but its far better than rating ourselves highly just because we beat Cameroon home and away (I hope we do).

Hahahaha! You have just help me with that valid point: We played a Grade 'A' friendly against Senegal to help us prepare against Cameroun.

You write mock exam to prepare you for the actual exam right? So which is the bigger test? The mock exam or the actual exam itself?

komekn:
With respect these guys are not playing for Bayern, Real, PSG, Chelsea or any of the big boys. They are simply not top class.

However, it is seemingly the best we have.

Yes. We have come to a safe landing in that.

Joebie:
Well the qualifiers, yes and No. While international friendlies may not be a true test, it adds another dimension to their experience. I always like to ask, what will give us an edge over other teams? If we do the average, we should not expect big results in the long term. Most teams are also in the qualifying round and they will be working on building a cohesive unit as well. Hence, we should always be on the look for better players.

See my brother, no Grade A friendly can be as testing as playing Cameroun in Uyo and 4 days later playing them in Younde. Also playing Zambia in Uyo and going to face Algeria in Blida.

These 4 fixtures are tougher than so many WC games already. Friendlies are what they are: 'friendlies'. These these 4 WC qualifiers battles are what they are: 'Battles'.

I am not ruling out friendlies but what IMO opinion will toughen that defense more are those 4 WC qualifying battles including the games against SA.

tbaba1234:
The only issue that can impede it is NFF incompetence. It does not take long at all.

The NFF. That is my point. I wont say much.

komekn:
Unfortunately we don't have any centre backs playing in the top teams and or have played in the Champions league.

Top players get eventually into top teams consider Ndidi not even one complete season in the EPL and he is a target for the big clubs in the premiership already. That is a reflection of quality.

Dnt worry, after a fantastic 2018 WC showing our CB would be considered in big clubs. And by 2022 WC we'll have CBs that play both in big clubs and with WC experience. Hahahaha!

komekn:
100% Can't see any issues.

Ok. Time will tell. Dnt say i didnt raise concerns abt it.

komekn:
As it stands they are about the best we have. But let's not deceived ourselves none of them is anyway near top class. Good yes but that's about it.

No wahala but we'll continue scouting as we are in a building process.

But for now until we see better replacements they need to play more together to attain cohesion

Kog45, you just took me back memory lane with that mention of Seoul '88 team. A team that had players like: Chidi Nwanu, Austin Eguavoen, Silvanus Okpala, Ademola Adeshina, Emeka Ezeugo, Samuel Okwaraji, Osaro Obobaifo, Dominic Iorfa, Andrew Uweh, Samson Siasia, Rashidi Yekini among others. And got trashed by Brazil, Yugoslavia and Australia. What really went wrong I cant fathom till date.

In ur opinion what really went wrong with that stars studded team?

Kog45:
Did u remember Chidi Nwanu went Seoul 88,this was d period National team played Olympic not U23.Nwanu at that time had a great experience at home and very advanced in age before moving to Beveren and later Anderlecht,USA 94 was like a normal tournament for him.

Sometimes major tournament count as experience to some players but to some their club experience can withstand any tournament.Taribo may not have Afcon experience before France 98 but his club experience was enough to play in any tourney.

Truly our CB needs cohesiveness and understanding but i believe with time d CB w blend.Truth must be told d CB are not yet there but with time they w go places.

Olympic football has always been for the U23.

Good points though.

goldfish80:
I have studied teams who have made it to the later stages of the world cup in the last 8years and I came to the conclusion that you need experience in the heart of the defence.
That diamond that is the Gk, CBs and Dm is the most important unit in a championship winning side.
This unit could have been solidified if we had played a major tournament since 2014. Unfortunately we haven't and this is a little bit of a handicap. Its not about the personel but about the unit.




Talking about Chidi Nwanu, you do realise we had an experienced Rufai in goal, Okechukwu and Sunday Olise. It is not am unstable unit at all.

Most people do not realise, we had a great chance of winning the world cup in 1994.

Our defence shipping in 2 goals after we had gone 1 goal up, against a 10 man Italian team was a huge let down.
Imagine the scenario if we had won that game, we would have played an underachieving Spanish team in the quarter finals. The same Spaniards we won in 1998 with a below ebb squad.
In the semi finals, we would have faced our side kicks, Bulgaria. The same Bulgarian team we won 3:0 in the first game.
In the finals, we could have faced Brazil. The same Brazilian team a squad of part timers that was the USA held to a goalless draw.

The last sentence in ur 2nd paragraph underlines my point. It is not about the personnel but the unit.

That is why i give kudos to Rohr. He understands this fact and so has maintained a fairly similar backline even in a friendly where people were expecting all kinds of experiments

The key here is cohesiveness and playing as a unit. This will really help the team even if the CB do not have a WC or tournament experience.

Kog45:
Yea u are on point,not being in Afcon doesn't not make Nwanu inexperienced.I can tell anybody that Nwanu was more experienced than Okechucwu and Olishe when it comes to football though he did not make any Afcon coz of Stephen Keshi's form.He made US 94 coz of Keshi poor form and injury which was glaring at Afcon 94.

That is my point. Experience in the game helps u to cope at any given level. Nt jst only WC experience.

Joebie:
You can't buy experience.. it comes with time.. For now they look like our best option. Grade A international friendlies will be very helpful.

This is what u were supposed to say all along.

They are best option for now.

That's why i earlier said we need to continue playing them to attain cohesion. Not only Grade A international friendlies. These our WC qualifying group games are even more testing than international friendlies.

Joebie:
big stage get grade oh

Keshi's defense to 2014 WC how many had previous WC experience?

The Senegal team that reached the 2002 WC Quarter final, how many had WC experience?

Joebie:
Experience will come to bear especially in the later stages of the World Cup. Can the inexperienced stand the occasion and the tension that the play off stage brings in a competition of that magnitude? Until France hosted and won the world cup in 98, it has been the usual winners that win it again and again. Reason -- partly experience.

Yeah, experience at that stage will help the team.

But you cannot tell me matured players like Balogun and Ekong cannot cope with the demands of the WC by next yr. If so then why are wasting time building the defense around them? We should flush them out of the team then.

safarigirl:
...but our CBs at AFCON 2013 did not have big tournament experience and we won the trophy with them, was it not Omeruo and Oboabona that executed 90% of the tournament?

God bless you my sister. That was also Ambrose's And Onazi's first AFCON.

When a player attains a certain level of experience he finds it easier to cope at the big stage.

goldfish80:
I think that's the reason Rohr have been calling for Enyeama. He would have brought a fine balance to the CBs.
Omeruo is a key man in the defence. It will take an unrealistic fellow to write him off.

@ your last paragraph, some here don't share that view. "Aina has come, we prefer the 'oyinbo wall' no place for Omeruo any more ".

goldfish80:
Of course, I believe Troost and Balogun can hold their own. Am rather worried that they haven't played together in a big tournament,that sort of exposure counts when push comes to shove.

Even the 94 CB partnership of Okechukwu and Co had played a couple of Afcons before the world cup, though they still came up short against Italy.

That why i have always maintained that Omeruo's presence in that defense is key.

Or do we call back Yobo, Obaobona and Ambrose? Since na CBs with tournament experience u dey find.

preshdiva:
Good day everyone, I am a 2016 Batch A stream 1 Corp member passing out on April 7th,2017 by the grace of God. I recently got two job offers, a contract bank job (marketing) for 52k per month with commissions based on your input or a teaching job of 40k.
Aside the banks meagre pay, I feel it'd add to my professional work experience more than the teaching job+ I'd get to meet people who might help me in securing better positions tomorrow but then the stress and time. I really don't know what to do.
#maturedresponsesplease#

From ur moniker, u are a female.

Chose the teaching job now and thank me later.

tbaba1234:
It does not take long. It should be rapped up before the game.

Ok but u'll nt see Aina in my starting line up till then.

I am a realist.

goldfish80:
. I'm talking about our CBs not defence as a whole.

You know how I rate the Olympics. Let's not go there

I say again, that is no problem. Balogun and Troost are matured and experienced enough to suit into any tourney be it AFCON or WC. Omeruo i am sure u know his level of exposure.

Where are those Nigerian CBS outside this team that have those tournament experience?

I understand ur worry but that is what we have for now. After all the 1994 WC defense did nt have any WC experience.

Remember we are not Brazil, Germany, France or Spain.

What that defense needs now is cohesion. If there is any CB that u feel is better than what we have now bring forward his name.

goldfish80:
I think our CBs lack big tournament experience/exposure,not that they are lacking so much in quality.

Not qualifying for 2 straight Afcons have been a huge minus to our CBs. Most times, players experience an epiphany after playing in big tournaments.

Just single out Balogun on the lack of tournament experience. Echiejile and Omeruo have been to AFCON and WC. Ekong played in the last Olympics.

Honestly, I dnt have issues with our CB. What is needed is for Rohr to play them more together for them to achieve cohesion.

tbaba1234:
I think Rohr might risk Aina but not Ebuehi or Shehu. For Ebuehi, his first game will most likely be a friendly or a game that we have wrapped up.

Awaziem just like Ebuehi represents the future of the team, so I do not think he will be played unless we absolutely need him. Balogun just started playing again this weekend. Ekong has not playing as often too. Balogun is always close to the next injury, we need at least one more solid mature defender to call upon.

What is the status of the nationality switch for Aina?

Do u think he will available to us in June against SA?

komekn:
For now Ebuehi is too lightweight in my opnion if he keeps improving maybe. With regards to Aina he already displaced Omeruo.

Its a sad fact that all our CB are far off the mark of being top Quality.

What is the status of Aina's nationality switch?

Plus I know Rohr is technical enough to know that the choice of Aina replacing Omeruo at RB cant be solely made from a training pitch.

Elfaris:
Let's go on to twitter too.

Yes o.
#DecentralisePowerGeneration.

Elfaris:
All states would definitely wake up if power generation is decentralized. Every state would invest heavily in improved power supply instead of now that they are all relaxed waiting for the federal government to make it available....
Can't we make this hashtag #DecentralisePowerGeneration trend in naija so as to put pressure on the govt?

#DecentralisePowerGeneration!

Decentralise power generation and Let each state in the country generate its own power and lets c if there will nt be 24/7 power in some states.
And by the time investors and businesses start moving to those states with power u'll tell me whether the other states wont wake up.


States that can generate more than what they can consume would sell to neighbouring states and create more IGR for themselves.

Plus state owned generating service would employ thousands of both skilled and unskilled workers.

Service providers in the Electricity business will also benefit.

Decentralise Power Generation!