Danielnino00:


I've resent it

Thanks. Seen and responded.

Kog45:
Sincerely am not against younger players coming in but they just need to tell us that they are better,just check out Osayi and recently Bruno.

Meanwhile, these one were never hyped here.

Danielnino00:


Good morning chief. I sent you an email about a week ago. Can you please check?

Good morning bro.

Sorry I must have missed it. Can you, kindly, resend?

Jojodjo:
So you've all written off Akpoguma? ?
Well, it's no surprise since some of you wrote off Ndidi before his resurgence.

Akpoguma too was overrated here.

Kog45:
Even world class CBs fumbled seeing Messi not to talk of Omeruo, but still better than Bassey who failed against Balde of Guinea Bissau.

The thing is many of us here derive joy in talking down older players just to promote a new, untested player. It has always been like that. It is that new untested player that is always the best player to them.

Eguavoen bowing to the pressure of fielding too many new players in our starting 11 against Ghana in Abuja was largely responsible for why we couldn't win that game.

do4luv14:



True Sir, it's a general thingy with us in naija, ( the fire Bridget Approach )

Exactly, lack of proper and early planning and at the end having to rush things to meet deadlines. Why can't this kind of mix-up happen in a European competition? We are our own problems in this country.

Kog45:
I thought pages back settled this debate.

We saw Osimhen/Awo running into each other,Boniface came in second half and we saw better Osimhen,meaning Boniface must be utilized behind Osimhen and if he is not available then Boniface behind Awo or Moffi.

Well,everything depends on Peseiro

Osimhen and Awoniyi are typical "number 9s". They both want to always be at the receiving end of the balls and that forward pairing will run into issues.

do4luv14:



But Sir he is not their secretary , And I don't think the mixed up is from his office too

It is still this Nigerian non-callant attitude towards important issues. It is only a Nigerian club that such a thing can happen to. We are grossly very poor when it comes to administration. -And this also has affected the leadership of this country.

We just do things any how and expect things to automatically fall in place.

You cannot sow cassava and expect to reap "agbado"

daveP:
B.Sc Mathematics in the bag.
I'm Out!!! 🙏🏾😎

Wow, congratulations bro.

Welcome to the world

Kog45:
Today is late Rashidi Yekini 60th birthday

Yeking of Goals.

Happy post-humous birthday

GROUP A
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea-Bissau

Ivory Coast: They have a fairly strong AFCON Pedigree and are usually expected to scale through the group stage. With a second round exit at the last AFCON and narrowly missing the World Cup, the Ivorien team will hope to bounce back with this AFCON while also preparing the team for the 2026 world cup qualifiers. With home backing they are looking one of the tournament favourites and likely to qualify as one of the top 2 teams from group A.

Nigeria: They have a strong AFCON Pedigree. Last time they crashed out of the AFCON group stage was in 1982 and since then have always reached the semis except in 2008 and 2022. Nigeria are always expected to go through the group stage. Having crashed out at the second round of the 2022 AFCON and missed out of the 2022 World cup, they will want to bounce back with this AFCON while also preparing the team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The event holding in the West African sub-region in a country with similar climatic condition can serve as a plus. Nigeria are expected to qualify as one of the top 2 teams from group A.

Equatorial Guinea: In terms of Pedigree, they are not among the top teams in the AFCON but they have always had strong showings, reaching the quarter final stage in the 2022 AFCON and losing to the eventual winners, Senegal. I consider them the dark horses of the group and are capable of causing upset against any or both of the top two seeded teams, especially as their football is currently on the ascendency. They may likely not finish among the top 2 but could possible be among the best 3rd placed teams.

Guinea-Bissau: They are the team with the least Pedigree in this group and amongst the least in the entire tournament. They have never qualified out of the group. They have always presented some descent and competitive showings at all AFCONs participated in but generally do not have that extra quality upset the stronger teams. They will give a good fight but will likely not qualify from the group.

AFCON CIV 2023/24 GROUP STAGE DRAWS ANALYSIS AND PREDICTIONS.

The much anticipated AFCON Draws have come and gone. Now we know the various countries in the different groups and in my opinion, the groups are fairly evenly poised and they are all groups of death, no game will be easy. This is my personal analysis of all the groups and group stage predictions, having closely followed the AFCON for over 35 years and being an ardent follower of African football from the 1980s to present.
Factors for analysis:
1. AFCON Pedigree
2. Performance in the last 2 years
3. Sub-regional/climatic factor

Note: Top two teams will qualify automatically and four other 3rd placed teams

Phew!! back from a 24hrs ban for try to post my 2024 AFCON analysis and Predictions

I initially posted all once but I think I need to post it per group.

Based on the CIV vs Maroc and Saudi vs Nigeria games, people are already saying that CIV will roast us
I have been long in this game to know that yes, good performance at friendlies are good but they cannot determine your performance in a tournament like the AFCON. It has played out over and over and over again.

Our team is gifted no doubt, what we need is for them to bring their 'A' game into the tournament.
My major worry, which has been a major problem since the loss of Carl Ikeme is the goalie department.

Kog45:
Chelsea legends

Life is truly a stage

TheSuperNerd:
Afcon 2023 Group Stage is Set!!!

We know our opponents! No more uncertainty

#MDAfcon23

All the groups look evenly poised, on paper.
Will be coming back to give my analysis and Predictions on who advances to next round.

AndSunGorilla:

Also to add to your point, the issue with underage players graduation into senior teams is even a global phenomenon, not localized to Nigeria alone. And I think life is just like that. I looked at Mikel's U21 set throughout the whole tournament not any of the players from.each country reached the top of their careers. Infact I remember I spoke to one Oyinbo man here for Amelika where I dey squat,his son and mine were on a second team and a comment he made was, a lot of the young kids we say are fantastic playing football when they were U10 may not necessarily be the best when they get to high school, he was like that's what he experienced growing up. This even applies much more in underage football.

I100% agree

And yes, it is a global phenomenon

Mujtahida:

Even Jonathan Akpoborie. He was banging in goals in the Bundesliga but didn't impress me in the GWG

Yes, another product of the China 1985 U17.
Akpoborie was good the Bundesliga but when he comes to the SE you will hardly see him do anything on the pitch.

AndSunGorilla:

Well said Senior Man!!! Actually Dimeji was invited by Westerhoff and I remember the fans clamoring for his inclusion in a match against Togo at the National stadium and lo and behold, Westerhoff heeded the fans call and in came Dimeji Lawal, he scored a wonderful goal after his inclusion in that game. He got game time against Ghana in Accra I believe and thereafter we just stopped hearing about him even on a personal level. That's why I respect Ohenhen, besides the U21, Ohenhen pushed himself hard career wise and had a decent enough career.and thanks for the correction on Chris Maradona Nwosu.

Yes, I remember that game against Togo where Dimeji scored. You know those days, Nigerian fans will just like a certain player and Dimeji was one of such. In that game against Togo, the fans in the stadium cheered every touch Dimeji made and when he scored the whole place erupted
Many of those youth players then really played into our hearts with their heroics at the U17 and U20 levels.

AndSunGorilla:

It was at Canada 87 that Osondu made his name in the U17 but he didn't do well at Saudi 89, we can start a debate with Icon4s and Kog45 on that, Osondu definitely didn't live up to the hype at Saudi 89. In My opinion, Mutiu, Dimeji Lawal, Chris Ohenhen, Chris Nwosu made big strides after the tournament in their careers and even some earning a few matches with the Eagles. Other notable mentions are Tunde Charity, Sam Elijah, Bawa Abdulahi, Nduka Ugbade, Tony Emedofu, Oladuni Oyekale, Peter Ogaba, Angus Ikeji, Emeka Amadi, Jimoh Balogun, Tunji Adeyemi at least those are the ones I remember. It's a pity Osondu couldn't realize the potentials he showed at Canada 87, same with Dimeji Muhammad Lawal and Chris Nwosu ( Nwosu didn't play Canada 87).
Going memory lane, other underage players who disappointed me were Jide Oguntuwase, Segun Fetuga, Kayode Keshinro, Bobo Edom, these were in Ikpeba's U17 set that went to Scotland 89, only Ikpeba and Godwin Opara realy had decent careers, Opara's career was cut short by his prison sentence. Respect to the late Sébastien Imaseun Brodericks.

Yeah Osondu was outstanding at Canada 87 U17 but couldn't replicate such at the U21 WC 2 years later. From a crop of U17 players, 2 years later some of them will not be able to cut it at U20 and their careers will just continue to decline and then die-off from there. This is why I have always opined that no matter how good a Golden Eaglets team is all of them cannot be promoted automatically to the U20 cos some of those players will not transition well to the next level. It is always better to infuse other players into the team to ensure a lot more improved team at the U20 level.

Talking about Chris Nwosu, another gifted player. A little correction from your post, he played at Canada 87 U17 WC. He scored our only goal against Italy in that Semi-final, remember? I will also not forget the Maradona goal he scored against Czechoslovakia in our final group game at Saudi 89 U21.

Mutiu, Dimeji and Ohenhen were invited by Westerhoff but due to the competition back then only Mutiu could break through majorly due to his versatility. For Dimeji, a very gifted winger. Even look at the assist he gave to Mutiu for that 2nd goal against USA at Saudi 89, master class. Problem with Dimeji was how could he have broken into a team that already had Friday Elastic Elahor and Finidi George as right wingers
Similar problem Ohenhen faced. Not that those two were not good, the SE was loaded with talents then.

About the Scotland 89 U17, men...that squad ehhhhhh.....for me they were better than the Canada 87 U17 cos they were beating their opponents silly until they faced the eventual winners, Saudi Arabia, in the quarter final. That tall Saudi goalie made the difference. My boys couldn't score after totally dominating
Even in the penalties the Saudi goalie was just saving penalties
Despite the huge talents in that team only Victor Ikpeba and Godwin Okpara progressed well. John Zaki also did well but no space for him in the nation team.

From the 1985 Eagles only Nduka Ugbade progressed well. A player like Victor Igbinoba with all his heroics at that China 85 U17 couldn't cut it at Chile 87 U21.

If you look at the trend, it is only the 1993 Eaglets that had up to 5/6 players that really went on to establish themselves in the national team. Till date, I rate this Crop as the best Eaglets so far.

Going back almost 10 years ago on this thread, veterans like thesupernerd, thegoodjoe, safarigirl, tbaba1234, forgiveness, Joseph1034 and co were here when I mentioned it that despite the heroics of the Manu Garba 2013 U17 I didn't see more than 2 or 3 of them establishing themselves in the national team. The team was loaded with talents and so it was unthinkable that those talents would fizzle out. But like I told them, that was not the first time we will be seeing such bunch of talents. How many of those boys are playing in the SE today? Even the Emma Amuneke's U17 of 2015, how many are in the SE?

This is the one of the very few lines of thoughts I usually agree with Komekn, Youth football is only indicative, it cannot be used to promote players into the Senior national team.

Mujtahida:

Mature for where? In between the sticks for SE?
See there are some players that are not cut out to be SE material. Onuachu is one such player. Henry Onyekuru, Anthony Nwakaeme etc are not SE material. No matter their exploits, they are some players who do not have SE DNA. Oga Kog45 and Icon4s, as long time watchers of the SE, you can bear witness to this phenomenon.

There's this knowing you'd have as a fan that so and so player fits and so and so player doesn't fit. In spite of the rave about Onuachu, I never took to him because I he didn't click for me. I feel the same thing with respect to Maduka. Him no be am. Even if we give him 100 opportunities, he'd flop and cause us losses. I might be wrong oo but I really don't think Maduka would be a good SE goalkeeper.

You are Right bro. National team football is different from club football and that's why the national team is not for all kinds of players. To that your list add players like: Emmanuel Dennis, Mikel Agu, Chidera Ejuke and going back memory lane Efan Ekoku.

As for Maduka's current level of maturity, I cannot say about it but I don't see him as a goalie with great potentials.

Mujtahida:

Obviously one of your hobbies is watching old football clips.

Good old football clips you know....
Refreshing some good old memories

We called him "the headmaster" . ....not had a more prolific header in the Super Eagles. Loved by fans majorly due to his efficiency and level headedness both on and off the pitch.

Video below shows how he hammered the brilliant USA great Goalie: Kasey Keller in the semifinal of the Saudi '89 FIFA U20 World Cup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIGsQ7S2HUA

Throwback to goals he scored in the Super Eagles jerseys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftnaPbFEsqU

Throwback memories of Mutiu Adepoju, Popularly called "THE HEAD MASTER"

Kog45:
Una like wahala too much,someone popped up from nowhere and you guys are given him attentions.

If Osimhen is 34 then Awoniyi is 35 ,even Awoniyi senior brother is 30,so I can argue it when it comes to some players certain ages.

I pointed it out here sometime ago that a neighborhood brother was in Japan 93 camp as secondary school boy at age 15 but later lost out to Celestine Babayaro…

It was here some Dey call Martins 50 year old man but I know he is not up to 40 cuz my younger brother who went with Martins to Italy to join Regiana through Churchill Oliseh is just 40 and a year older than Martins

At 35 not easy to kick the ball again except by God grace.

So there are people who are still on this age thing after we saw these boys as kids who passed the MRI at U17 and saw how they transformed physically.

Even look at JJ Okocha and Kanu, sebi people were saying they were over 40 years old when they were still playing for the Eagles about 20 years ago. Do they look like men in their 60s today?

charlesemeka85:
that should be our best midfield trio

I can picture a diamond midfield formation from this, in a 4-2-3-1 formation . I would rather go for a creative attacking midfielder at the tip. I saw what Ndidi did today in the English championships but we know when it comes to the national team it is a different ball game. I will rather confine Ndidi to his traditional DM position.
cc: Mujtahida

AndSunGorilla:

The disallowed goal against Cameroon in Maroc 88 is what I will never forget, that goal should have won us the game but was wrongly disallowed. Also I remember Keshi's free kicks hitting the crossbar maybe once or twice.

Yes, Henry Nwosu's disallowed goal in that final. As at when that game was played I didn't fully understand the off-side rule and so I didn't understand why people were so annoyed about that call. But I watched that game again just a few years ago and I was just shouting, WHAT!? WHAT!? And i had to call other comrades to come analyse that goal and they all shouted "clean goal"! Nigeria was cheated that year.

In 2000 again Ikpeba's penalty goal was ruled out at AFCON Final again against same Cameroon Twice they rubbed us to the trophy

Papi85:
spot on sir, have said this before that we shouldn’t be crying about not having a natural number 10 in the super eagles because that role is gradually fading off

Modern football requires more of a CAM ( a hybrid of An Attacking midfielder and a Central midfielder) who primarily functions more as a CM but more unique n versatile due to passing ability and creative spark he produces but not as adventurous and flamboyant like what we had in the 80s,90s and 2000s. Even some tacticians of late deploy them as B/B midfielders. Good examples are De Bruyne, Fernandez, Valverde, Muller, Mount, Bellingham etc While the less physical and pacy ones are dropped deeper as DLP the way Ancelotti used Pirlo who was a natural number 10 but had to be dropped deeper by the Italian tactician to detect play as well as control the tempo of how his team want to play

Football hv evolved so much and lost its spark compared to years back due to the lack of mercurial attacking midfielders who brings entertainment, artistry and creativity that feeds fans with much excitement.

Players like jay jay, laudrup, zizou,Totti, baggio , Platini just to mention few I can remember now would hv struggled in this era if they were still playing active football

Players of their talent and skills are mostly pushed to the flanks and also instructed to drop back to help fullbacks when the team is chasing possession unlike what was obtainable many years ago

Football is too mechanical now and mostly based on team work, speed and work rate

Spot on Sir

Kog45:
Oga Charles, the issue is not about natural 10 but our midfielders who have not been forthcoming with good performances in recent times

Let’s see what Fisayo will brings to the tables.

There is a general lack of natural number 10 in the modern game

Kog45:
Ayo Ogunlana spent most of his life in Kaduna State and possibly still living in the north.

He made Nigeria team to Algier 90 as the oldest.In fact he made his eagles debut in 1981 but have Muda Lawal,Henry Nwosu and Ademola Adeshina to compete with.

Henry Nwosu and Ademola Adeshina made eagles at 17 years of age.Nwosu was barely 17 at Afcon 1980 and Adeshina 17 at Afcon 1982.

I remember that goal by the young Henry Nwosu during the 1982 World Cup qualifiers game against Guinea, played in 1981. It was the only goal of the match and took us to the next round of the qualifiers.