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terzurum5:
OPINION: My 4 hot picks to end Eagles goal shyness
https://africanfootball.com/bp_images/2016/09/etebo580.jpg
Etebo

Super Eagles have been struggling to get goals in recent time and that contributed to the team's inability to qualify for AFCON 2015 and 2017.


The team under new coach Gernot Rohr found it difficult to score goals against less fancied Tanzania in AFCON 2017 qualifier at the weekend, which Nigeria won 1-0.


I have taken a look at four strikers who could solve the goal-scoring problem of Eagles if given the needed chance as Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers draw nearer.


1. Kehinde Fatai

The former Nigeria youth international is one of the best strikers Nigeria can boast of in Europe.

He is a complete striker who is very dangerous around the box and has proven to be a goal scorer at every club he has played.


The former JUTH FC striker played for Farul Constanta, FC Farul, Astra Giurgiu (All in Romania), Club Brugge (Belgium) and Sparta Prague (Czech).


The FC Ufa forward scored five goals in Europa league, four in UEFA Champions league and eight in the league last season for Sparta Prague. He has scored a goal in two games for FC Ufa.


Romania tried their best to make him play for their national team but FIFA declined.

Profile

Born: 19th February, 1990

Height: 1.78m

Previous club: JUTH, Farul Constanta, FC Farul, Club Brugge, Astra Guirgiu and Sparta Prague

Present club: FC Ufa(Russia).


2. Olanrewaju Kayode

Former Maccabi Netanya of Israel striker is another red-hot striker Nigeria have in Europe.

The ex-youth international has proved his worth as a goal poacher in Israel and Austria.

The Austria Wien striker is fast and always a constant danger to opposing defenders.

He scored goals to win promotion for Maccabi Netanya and helped them stay in the top flight with his goals.


Kayode scored 15 goals in the league for Austria Wien last season and has shown class in the UEFA Europa League, where his club will feature in the group stage.

Profile

Born: 8th May, 1993

Height: 1.74m

Previous clubs: ASEC Mimosas, FC Luzern, Maccabi Netanya.

Present club: Austria Wien


3. Fenando Adi

The big target man has been the best in MLS since 2015 when he joined Portland Timbers.

He has broken every goal scoring record at the club and some in the MLS.

His strength and speed have held him in good stead in the MLS.

Though he has been called up to the Eagles once, he was not given a chance to play even when he was the MLS leading scorer at that point.

Adi scored 19 goals in 38 MLS games last season.

Profile

Born: 19th October, 1990

Height: 1.92m

Previous clubs: FC Copenhagen, Trencin, Dynamo Kiev


4. Ogenekharo Etebo

The U23 international is a hard working player who knows where the goal is.


He showed his goal-scoring prowess at CAF U23 championship, where he was the top scorer and also scored four goals in Nigeria’s opening game against Japan at Rio 2016 Olympics.


Coach Gernot Rohr has already mentioned the former Warri Wolves star will be considered after he was overlooked on account of injury at Rio.

The Feirense of Portugal forward is ripe enough for Eagles and could be the one to get in the goals.

Profile

Born: 9th November, 1995

Height: 1.72m

Previous club: Warri Wolves

Present club: Feirense

By Olusola Alao
http://africanfootball.com/news/645626/OPINION-My-4-hot-picks-to-end-Eagles-goal-shyness

The only player from that list that I reckon can grow into being part of an attack that can solve the problem of goals drought is Etebo.

Kehinde Fatai, Fernando Ardi and Olanrewaju Kayode can not do better than what the likes of Ighalo, Iheanacho and Ideye are doing.

My picks could be Isaac Success, Imoh Ezekiel and Karo Etebo. Victor Osimhen is another good future prospect but IMO is not ripe for the Eagles yet.

Greedy people every where.
we all need to play our parts, including lalasticalala and mynd44, in fighting corruption in this country.

forgiveness:
Na wa for awa people oooo! Drop Ighalo! Musa na average! Make Ideye no near....! All because of one player!

Even if Ighalo is 2 or 3 season player, wetin be the problem if e play for the season wey em dey inform for us? Abi form dey last forever?

Use it while it last. Chikena!


Come to think of it, Ighalo was surrounded by greedy and selfish players hence the reason he was unable to score against Tanzania. If Moses passed to him on time he for score. If Iheanacho passed to him instead of taking weak shots, Ighalo for score.

Abi una no see how he take control ball for inside post, Con take turn shoot or how he take dribble one player comot to fire shot for post before the witch keeper take catch the ball.

Make una go watch that match again with open heart and una go see wetin em do. Abi una wan make em turn Ronaldo overnight dribble all to score?

Let us wait for Alex Iwobi partnership with Ighalo and una go see the real goal scorer in Ighalo.

Musa mediocre but he was bought by a world class coach and Premier league current Champions. Abassi mbo!

Naija with their love for themselves.....

I dnt have issues with ur opinion on this case. But pls can u throw more light on ur last statement?

goldfish80:
I think you're spot on. The coach definitely had an effect in the way we approached the game.
It's early days but Rohr's philosophy is definitely the new hybrid German tactics of fast transitions, ambitious possession, forward-looking, goal-focused play. Cool, clean, clinical(although wee didn't get this part right) .

I also loved the way we found solutions in small spaces,i definitely enjoyed the way we used the pitch, space and time.

Indivually, I think Musa Mohammed and Leon Balogun impressed me the most with their all action style.

Without a doubt if we continue this way, it's only a matter of time before we really embarrass someone by hitting 5 or 6 past them.

Yeah, noticed that too. Purposeful possession. Forward moving passes. Mikel hardly made a single back pass yesterday. And I think Mikel has rediscovered himself from Rio. We could also try him as an AM in this team. He made some wonderful sleek passes that were wasted by our Moses and Musa.

TheGoodJoe:


I think ruthless decisions will make us perform better. We need to increase the competitions in different roles. Accepting mediocre performances should be in our past.

The coach plays an old school 4-4-2 set up with a modern twist to it. Similar to the Pellegrini/Arsene Wenger(Invincibles) style.

Now we know his style, we can see the best players in each role.

I say the coach Calls up Isaac Success. Try pairing him with Iheanacho. Musa and Iheanacho would also work. Musa is better attacking the post than Winging.

Mikel - Ndidi in midfield.

.................................Success(CF)........Iheanacho(CF).........
.........V.Moses(LMF)............................................Iwobi(RMF)
....................................................Mikel(CMF).........................
.................................................Ndidi(DMF).............................
......Oshaniwa(LB)..............................................Mohammed
.........................Balogun(CB)....................Ekong(CB).............
...................................................Ikeme(GK)............................

I hope the coach gives Oshaniwa a chance. I still feel he is a better option to Amuzie and Echiejile.

It was nice watching Balogun have a go at Echiejile. Nice having someone who can organize the back line. We missed that since Enyeama left.

I also agree Success should be invited. Looking at the fixtures we have ahead in d qualifiers particularly the away games a 4-4-2 May just be too risky. U would often need a robust midfield to Keep the pressure a little away from ur defense. For the game in Lusaka a 4-5-1 May just b a good option for us. In Africa when u play away u should expect fire and brim stone from the home team. Worst still dat we are playing in Ndola, Youande and Algiers. Difficult places to win matches. A crowded midfield usually helps in such situations. When we come back home we can try 4-4-2 if necessary.

Brown Ideye should be kept for now away from the Team. Success should take his place. And Success must not necessarily be a starter for now. The '94 team had super stars on the bench . Nothing wrong in Ighalo and Success being substitutes for Iheanacho.Nothing wrong also with Ahmed Musa going to the bench. We respect some of these mediocre players too much.

I would like a frontline that looks like this:

...............Iheanacho

Moses......Iwobi........Simon/Ezekiel

By the way, have you seen Oshaniwa play of late? What makes you feel he is a better LB option than Echiejile, Madu, Amuzie.

One thing of note is for the first time in a long time team selection was done without sentiments. He selected d best from the available choices.

TheGoodJoe:

I agree with you. Ighalo faces a challenge of defenders know he is dangerous and Mark him too hard. He is strong and he likes the fight, Strong hold up play.

He needs to drop deeper sometimes to allow himself breathe. He feel Ighalo can hit his form again.

See my brother, I have said it here before and will continue to say it. Odion Ighalo is average.

Nigeria has not solved the problem that made us not qualify for the 2015 & 2017 AFCON. That problem is scoring.

Odion Ighalo is just like Emenike. A flash in the pan. This is typical of players hu just pick up form midway in their career. They usually have about 2-3 good season run and that is all.
Do u remember at a point towards d end of Keshi's reign Gbolahan Salami even became more lethal and more of a goal's threat than Ighalo. Against Chad Salami even broke d dead luck before Ighalo made it 2 from d penalty spot.

Ighalo is not the solution to our lack of striking power.

We have seen the solution yet continue to play him out of position.
Kelechi Iheanacho is the man for the CF job.
Ighalo can b his Substitute.

Another player that we either relegate him to d bench or find another role for him is Ahmed Muss. To me it is either we convert him to a Supporting striker, just like what he does at CSKA and some times at Leicester or we drop him to d bench. We have up and coming wingers that are very well capable of tearing apart defendes while also are goals threats: Simon Moses, Imoh Ezekiel, Oghenekaro Etebo & Alex Iwobi (who I would personally like to be played as a number 10 behind Iheanacho).

Victor Moses wasted many chances but if u have been following his Super Eagles career that is how he has always been playing. The positives from his play is he has pace and can destabilise defenses. He has also caused several penalties in d past and he is also a good penalty taker.

It was a good game regardless of the scoreline. I know the entire Zambia football nation watched that match yesterday. I can tell u dey would be scared by now.

No be your phone dey cause eclipse here so?

tbaba1234:
Lots of interesting moves in the transfer window for Nigerian players.

Rabiu Ibrahim to Gent (Belgium)
Anderson Esiti to Gent (Belgium )
Sadiq Umar to Bologna (Italy)
Elderson to standard Liege (Belgium )
Kingsley Madu to Zulte Waregem (Belgium )
Amuzie to Sampdoria ((Italy)

Not forgetting Musa and Isaac Success.

Apart from echiejiele, the rest are upward moves. Sadiq Umar will get more opportunities in Bologna.

Esiti has been outstanding in Portugal but has not been given the platform to be invited to the national team. Gent is a better team for him.

Amuzie was supposed to sign for Sampdoria before his career threatening injury. Good to see him back.

Belgium is a better place for Madu to stake a claim that he deserves to play in the top leagues.

Rabiu Ibrahim, unlike most of his set is still playing well.

Are the good times of Nigerian football back??

We have to prove it from the Russia 2018 Qualifiers.

Danycrusoe:
DX trends doesnt affect Nigeria alone, just dat age cheating has spoiled our image so much dat we r d major focus when it comes many unfulfilled football potentials, pls can someone tell when he last heard of Sukuta Pasu, Berisha, Fran Merida, d Ghanian guy who won d MVP at d 2009/u20 in Egypt, also dere x Borja from d 2009u17 Spain squad, D Switzerland squad of 2009 u17 players i can't hear about any of dem in d big leagues, pls Icon4s, thegoodjoe, supernerd an others pls help me add DOS I ddnt mentioned, respect to u all

That is football development for you. Most of the graduates of the FIFA U17 including those that won the MVP or highest goals award don't end up as super stars. Other players come up and over-take them along the line. This is not peculiar to Nigeria.

Danycrusoe:
Dele Ajiboye plays for Warrior Wolves, its sad our league x not fully developed some of these supposedly forgotten boys are still doing well in d NPFL, dere oda former youth internationals playing week in week out For Top clubs in our league. dx guy who scored a stunning and only goal in d 2015AYC final against mali Obinna Nwobodo is still balling for Enugu Rangers, Ifeanyi Infeanyi is doing great with MFM fc, he played in d 2015 u20WC in NZ, I think he x d club's free kick taker n I cn tell u he takes dem well just DAT he x unlucky to v some of dem being pushed out by d GK or hitting d upright, also King Osanga is in d NPFL also, he was in d 2005 u20 WC with Mikel, ifeanyi Mathew just left Kano Pillars in d NPFL for a club in Europe sum months ago, so many of dem are still playing actively just DAT dey r not in d spotlight yet. I can remember Muazam Alhassanor so who lost his place in d 2013 u17 squad to Iheanacho due to MRI scan, is also in d NPFL

Firstly King Osanga was with the FIFA U17 of 2007 with Ajiboye, Lukman, Chrisantus and co. and not Mikel of 2005 U20.

Obinna Nwobodo, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi and Ifeanyi Mathew did not play at the FIFA U17 WC but the U20 WC. This underlines my point that real development starts at U19/U20. The U17 should be to harvest the best talents to graduate to U19/U20. We so much celebrate U17 Success and and fail to plan a proper transition into U20. We are always fond of trivializing the U20 believing if the boys can win the U17 then the boys are good enough for the U20. We automatically promote all the U17 players to U20 This has failed us over and over again.

Look at FIFA record, no country has won the FIFA U17 and two years later won the FIFA U20. The U20 is a lot more competitive than the U17.. I have always maintained that the U20 is not for academy players but for young professionals. Players that have played 1-3 seasons of top flight senior team club football.The earlier we understand these the better for our football development and the earlier we can win the FIFA U20 WC.

thegoodjoehunt3:
Link Shows Ogbonna Kanu was in that Meridian Cup.
https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Kanu

Good to know.

BascoVanVeli:
the first team to win the u-17.

OK THANKS.

BascoVanVeli:
He was on the original golden eaglets.

Which original golden eaglets?

TheGoodJoe:

Wow. I did not remember that at all. Imagine. David De Gea was no way on Ajiboye's level. I only remember Bojan, Sukuta Pasu, Fran Merida and Toni Kross in that tournament.

That is interesting.

Young David De Gea was in goal for Spain in that final. Search for the video and watch.

Ha! That headline almost caused me heart attack!
Hush.. Thank God.

terzurum5:
[b][size=14pt]
Gernot Rohr Keeps Chelsea Star Mikel And Manchester City Iheanacho Out Of Super Eagles Training
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[img]http://owngoalnigeria.com/2016/08/31/gernot-rohr-keeps-chelsea-star-mikel-and-manchester-city-iheanacho-out-of-super-eagles-training/[/img]
Newly appointed Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr had his first training session with the Nigeria senior national team yesterday evening, without the England based duo of John Obi Mikel and Kelechi Iheanacho.


The duo were talked to separately by the German trainer before the start of training, and they were both left out as they had individual sessions with the team masseur and physiotherapist.


No reason was given for their exemption but Owngoalnigeria.com gathered, Rohr possibly exempted Iheanacho from his first session to allow him time with the masseur due to the muscle injury he recently recovered from.


Meanwhile, Mikel who started jogging with the team before a chatwoth the coach saw him leave the training for a session with the Physioterapist could be nursing a slight knock picked up at the Olympics.


The duo are as good as been ruled out of today’s friendly game against Akwa United which will take place by 5pm at the nest of champions in Uyo, venue of the dead rubber AFCON 2017 qualifiers game against Tanzania.
owngoalnigeria.com/2016/08/31/gernot-rohr-keeps-chelsea-star-mikel-and-manchester-city-iheanacho-out-of-super-eagles-training/

[/b]

"Dead rubber". This has become a new phrase.

terzurum5:
[b][size=14pt]
AF Nigeria Nigeria Premier League 2016 Enugu Rangers
EXCLUSIVE: Rohr pushes out coach Imama
[/size]
https://africanfootball.com/bp_images/2016/08/rohr_with_iheanacho.jpg
Coach Rohr with Iheanacho in Uyo on Tuesday

by Samm Audu

New Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has made his first major change in the team – he has asked that he would not need assistant coach Imama Amakapabo.


Franco-German Rohr jetted into the country this week with an adviser, a fitness trainer as well as a video specialist.


Amakapabo has proved to be one of the country’s brightest young coaches as he leads Enugu Rangers to a first league championship after 32 long years.


However, Rohr is not impressed and has asked that the assistant coach be dropped.


“Yes, it’s true that the new coach (Rohr) has decided he does not need Imama,” a team official informed.


“That decision came to us as a big shock especially knowing that it was the technical committee who appointed him.”


Former Nigeria U17 goalkeeper Imama first worked as part of the Eagles backroom staff in the May friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg as an assistant to Salisu Yusuf.


He will also assist Yusuf with the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) All-Stars playing tour of Spain recently.


Earlier Tuesday, Imama disclosed he will rejoin his club Rangers for a rescheduled home game against MFM FC on Wednesday, saying he does not wish to take any chances as Rangers stay among the prominent league title chasers.

africanfootball.com/news/643672/EXCLUSIVE-Rohr-pushes-out-coach-Imama

[/b]

When was Imama former U17 Goal keeper. I no ever see that name o.

Glad to see Iheanacho in training. I was afraid for that his injury

TheGoodJoe:

I had it mixed up. It was not today. Yes we won.

You tried Remembering it sef. I had to replay my memory back for several minutes before I even remembered that we took part in and won that Inaugural edition of the Medridian Cup.

Kudos man!

TheGoodJoe:

I just read this on a site.


“It was when I joined the club that Xavi introduced himself to me – that he was in the Spanish team that lost 3-2 against Nigeria in the Meridian Cup.”.. Gbenga Okunnowo.

Xavi played us in the Meridian Cup. Played us in the Catalan Thrashing of Nigeria, 5-0. Played in Nigeria in 1999 WYC. Then he was part of the team that played us in the confederation Cup.

Hmm wonderful. Little beginnings but mighty endings but for Nigerian players reverse is the case. They shine at U17 and diminish in the Super Eagles.

I recently re-watched the final of 2007 U17 - The penalty shootout I saw on youtube. I shouted when I saw David De Gea in goal for Spain.
Ajiboye had the better of him that day but where is Ajiboye today compared to De Gea?

TheGoodJoe:


It was in that competition that Barcelona signed Gbenga Okunnowo. I remember Okunnowo was one of the bright talents in that team. Unfortunately, injury messed him up.

Thanks. I think that tournament exposed our banned young boys. I hope the technical committee can find a way to expose the Manu Garba boys who failed the MRI scan. We might have something there.

Even if it is a local tour playing local League sides. We should not waste them.

Yeah. That's true. We need not discard that Eaglets team like that. We all saw their excellent performances at their friendlies prio to the MRI scan disaster.

The Mali U17 Team of 2013 lost to Nigeria on 4-0 aggregate enroute qualification to 2013 CAF U17. 2-0 on both legs. Mali, knowing fully well that they played a Nigerian side that were beating teams 6-0, 5-0, 4-0 and winning 3-0 in the semis and final in the U17 WC kept their team and included some other players. By 2015 U20 they reached the semis and finishing 3rd over-all, even beating the almighty Germany that have become like a goliath to us of late.

The NFF should call back those boys that failed the MRI test. Organize friendlies for them along with the Amuneke U20 that would still be elligible for U20 in 2019 and start building towards the 2019 U20 challenge. But I know the challenge would be cost of bringing those boys to play together once in a while. Nigeria is broke.

chrisooblog:
well why i might rate this iheanacho, awoniyi, success etc ahead of the previous generations is the age factor. thankfully due to mri testing we can vouch for this current set. so the potential to improve is there unlike previous generations who when we saw them were probably way older than their declared ages at cadet level. so when we saw a okoye or aghahowa or obodo perform so well at that level chances are these guys were at their peak hence the reason why they fizzled out so quickly. my friend and course mate in uni in the early 2000s told me how ikedia was his senior in secondary school even a senior prefect while na jss my paddy dey o. so as much as age falsification might not be the sole determinant why alot of these promising players faded my experience watching football tells me it definitely negatively impacted on player development in nigeria.

Ur point is very valid. I just hope we will get it right this time.

However, I can tell you that the 1985 Golden Eaglets were picked from secondary schools. So they were actually U17. Then the thinking was children Under 17 years of age should still be in secondary schools. Age cheating started from the 1987 set. But recall one Peter Ogaba who died early this month was 13 years old. One of the pictures shows it below. That young Peter does not look more than 15 to me. The guy was no where to be found after he played U21 two years later.

Most of the 1985 Eaglets were mostly young but did not progress well. Several factors could be responsible which could mostly be linked to lack of exposure to World Class training and facilities as enjoyed by these new boys.

But as I have also stated on this thread that most of the graduates of the FIFA U17 WC don't end up playing for there respective senior national teams. It has been happening all over the world.

Look at the 2013 U17. The expectation was that by now a good number would be bossing things in the national team. For now, only Iheanacho and Musa Mohammed(Friendly game) have featured for the Super Eagles Team A. Musa Mohammed has even just been offloaded by his Turkish club! There are some of them that you would not even get to hear their names anywhere again. This trend as worrisome as it may seem has repeated itself the world over.

2015 marks the end of an era that spans from 2009. We will not be at the 2017 U17 and U20. This will mark an hiatus in Nigerian football and another generation will start building from 2019.

TheGoodJoe:

I remember now. It was 1997. I remember where I was when I watched that game. That team had promising players. It is a while.

Yeah, very promising.

I remember we were eliminated by CAF for one wrong doing which I can't remember.

It was the game against Benin Republic enroute qualification for CAF U17 of 1997. Thank God the team had another opportunity which was playing the Meridian Cup. That team would have done well at the FIFA U17 WC. Two players I know came from that crop were Obafemi Martins and Ifeanyi Udeze. Martins I think was spotted in that Meridian Cup and the rest is history. Martins was one of my boys then in my hood.

TheGoodJoe:

Merridien Cup.

Meridian Cup was for the U17. I Think Obafemi Martins and Ifeanyi Udeze were part of that inaugural edition in 1997. We won it by beating Spain in the final!. Yeah I remember now.

Maybe Ogbonna Kanu was part of it too.


Modified:
Yeah correct!. TheGoodJoe, Check out this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_UEFA-CAF_Meridian_Cup

TheGoodJoe:

Not Carlsberg. This was after Carlsberg. I can only remember Ogbonna Kanu. I am not sure if Okunnowo was in that team.

I think it was Spain they played.

Kai! me no remember that one o. The thing is by the late 1990s my followership of the game had started dwindling.
The Super Eagles broke my heart at France '98 and Nigeria could not qualify for any youth competition since after 1995 until Nigeria '99 when we hosted. After the 1995 U17 we did nt take part until 2001. After Saudi '89 we did not play the WYC (U21) till Nigeria '99. Besides, those were my Undergraduate days. Limited time to watch TV or football.

TheGoodJoe:

Do you remember a Nigerian team, thrashing a foreign team 4-0. Ogbonna Kanu was in that team. It is rough in my memory. I can not remember the team we played but NTA televised the match. The team had brilliant players.

Could it be at the Carlsberg Cup in Singapore?

There is another name we have left out: Ugochukwu Chukwunyere. We used to call him "wowo" those days in Ajegunle. Very bulky guy that went to play in Malta. He featured in one of those our experimental home based teams of late 1990s/early 2000s

TheGoodJoe:

Issah, Etafia, Ibeji and Ogbeche were young. I think Ogbeche during that period joined PSG youth team.

hmmm... battling to remember.

TheGoodJoe:

See squad. I remember Ogbeche was among the dropped players, including Issah and Ibeji.

Ogbeche was also very young then. Abubakar Musa lost his place to Ibeji. Sad they failed and fell off.

Shocking Yobo did not make it into that team after his Nigeria '99 show. I never thought of it.

Ogbeche? Really? Ogbeche was 17 when he featured at the 2002 World Cup meaning he was initially considered then even as a 15 year old?

TheGoodJoe:

One of the best Assembled Olympics squad. Second after the Super Atlanta team.

The Honduras game gave us hope the team could fight when things went bad.

They were against a talented and we'll managed Honduras side. David Suazo who later played for Inter Milan, his younger brother and the Brilliant Pedro Leon (Put up a great performance in the 3-0 thrashing of Honduras by Brazil in Nigeria '99.) Pedro Leon scored a wonder goal in that game against us. A curling shot from the right wing.

Thinking of it now, Etafia was also a goalkeeper who liked to leave his line.

That comeback showed promise. Greg Etafia also had a good game against Italy. Pirlo played as a creative midfielder in that game.

That team disappointed. Yes, Aghahowa was also in the squad.

Yeah, he was not so much composed. Not like Sam Okoye and Enyeama.

He was a ball playing goal Keeper just like one of our recent youth goalies by name Danlami Paul of the 2011 Flying Eagles.

TheGoodJoe:

One of the best Assembled Olympics squad. Second after the Super Atlanta team.

The Honduras game gave us hope the team could fight when things went bad.

They were against a talented and we'll managed Honduras side. David Suazo who later played for Inter Milan, his younger brother and the Brilliant Pedro Leon (Put up a great performance in the 3-0 thrashing of Honduras by Brazil in Nigeria '99.) Pedro Leon scored a wonder goal in that game against us. A curling shot from the right wing.

Thinking of it now, Etafia was also a goalkeeper who liked to leave his line.

That comeback showed promise. Greg Etafia also had a good game against Italy. Pirlo played as a creative midfielder in that game.

That team disappointed. Yes, Aghahowa was also in the squad.

Yeah, that was a talented squad that set the stage for the Super Eagles Team of the 2000s. Joseph Yobo who was a RB then was dropped for "the Barca boy" Gbenga Okunowo, who also featured prominently at the 2000 AFCON. Yobo's break-through came at the 2002 AFCON.

Etafia happened to be among the youngest players then. 17 I think. He put the then 20years Sam Okoye on the bench. Greg Etafia, Gbenga Okunnowo, Celestine Babayaro, Isaac Okoronkwo, Ogbonna Kanu, Azubuike Oliseh, Furo Iyeneme, Blessing Kaku, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Julius Aghahowa, Pius Ikedia, Garba Lawal , Godwin Okpara, Sam Okoye, Victor Agali, Bright Igbinadalor. The squad had quality sha.