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.

Mujtahida:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFW1ecPEjGk?si=wYEgOksza-krnFB6

This video just sums it up.
This is why we cannot have another JJ Okocha in the Super Eagles.

Nomyth:
Could the dearth of quality AMs in the National team be a direct consequence of our poor performance in youth football in recent years?

Our various youth teams have been the production line thru which we get quality Midfielders in the past.

Etim Esin, Mutiu Adepoju, Jay Jay okocha, Thompson Oliha,Wilson Oruma,pius Ikedia,Mikel obi, Haruna lookman all came thru the youth ranks.

Our local league hasn't really come thru for us in this regard with only Friday Ekpo the only quality Midfielder I can identify that the league has given us and it is not every time quality Midfielders pop up randomly in Europe. Only Sunday Oliseh, Joel obi and Obodo have popped up for some time.

We might need to pay more attention to the youth teams u17 to u23 if we need to discover more AMs for the NT.

Globally, there is currently a dearth in quality of AMs. Football has gradually evolved over time with more emphasis being placed on tactics than on technical abilities. This has led to fewer creative midfielders.

Also, back in the days, wing players were highly valued and priced. They were known to run down the flanks and pull-out balls for the attacking players to strike into the net....but later on teams started playing attackers/strikers in wing positions and wingers became endangered species. Later on again, coaches are beginning to go back to wings play but in a modernized form where they play in a triangle with the Attacking Midfielder and striker.

Coming down to Nigerian National Teams, I quite agree that our inability to produce highly gifted youth players in that position is affecting the availability of quality AMs but like I earlier mentioned, it is also a global thing.

TheSuperNerd:
Osimhen scores on ICON4S' Birthday. Happy Birthday Dad.💥💥🤝🏻✅️🎂

Victor Osimhen: King of Away Goals in Serie A

Osimhen's goal today was his 14th Away Goal in Serie A since the start of 2023.
It is the MOST of any player in the European Big 5 leagues between Jan.1, 2023 and Today (Sept 30, 2023).

Influential on Away grounds💯

Thanks guys for celebrating my Day with me.
Thanks Osimhen for the gift of goals and also my Darling Arsenal for the basket of goals with which to celebrate my day. What a good day to be an Arsenal fan

TheSuperNerd:
When I finally totally lost it with Ejuke was when he blew the chance to make it 2-0 vs Egypt at Afcon 2021 in January 2022.

Kelechi Nwakali on for his Cameo had sent a fine pass releasing Ejuke whose speed brought him one on one with El Shenawy.

All Ejuke had to do was cutback to Sadiq or Iwobi but what did he do? Decided to throw the chance at the Gk despite how impossibly tight that angle was.

Decision making has been his bane. Frustrating player.

Same game I finally wrote him off

charlesemeka85:
check this YouTube clip of his and if you are observant enough you will pick out few times he was suppose to release the ball in dangerous areas but didn’t




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQhl9wfO5TI?si=Llnuov10ssQ29KvQ

When rating Nigerian players against each other, what matters more for me is what each player offers the national team.
Lookman has contributed a lot more than Ejuke as far as the SE is concerned

Meliforme:


Have you ever pondered on the purpose of such dribbles?
A non supportive midfield, a poor build up of play, a crowded box, etc, can force a player to make dribbles in order to create space for himself or for others.

You have not noticed he passes the ball well?

Problem with Ejuke is even when he needed to play a simple pass to set up an attacker he chooses to dribble. And to make it worse he often dribbles into tight positions.

Kog45:
Thank you,pls will you rate Ejuke over Lookman

What does Ejuke bring to the game? Aimless dribbles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5R6BE_NbtA

Throwback to the day Stephen Keshi's double error cost Nigeria a lead only for him to redeem himself by scoring the winner.

Senegal 1992 AFCON Opening game
Senegal 1: 2 Nigeria.

IamgratefulLord:

Come and marry me and take me to Canada. Please 😩

Funny you.
If only you had made this request 16 years ago

Sainty92:
Deadly pot 2

I am not afraid of any of those teams in Pot1. Overall, Pot2 looks more deadly.

CandidAdmin:
Nigerian based abroad, please share your experience with racist or when you are being discriminated because of your color.



Note: This is not an Anti Japa thread.

I have never experienced racial discrimination. Just do the right things and you will be fine.

I have lived in Canada, US and the UK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFQ06Wu1y3o?si=m7aAQ8aBCy4SMUi3


Throwback to Augustine JJ Okocha's first goal for Nigeria. It was only his second game for Nigeria and first in front of the home crowd.

Nigeria vs Algeria, 1994 WC qualifiers. Algeria took an early lead and Okocha, with his magnificent free kick equalized for Nigeria moments later. Yekini scored the second and third(another incredible goal)

Nigeria won 4-1.

GanagiBitrus:

No easy pickings for any Country.

With our 6th position in FIFA CAF ranking, we'll end up in same group with any of Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt or hosts Cote d'Ivoire

With 6th position, we will be among the seeded teams.

DABIGATRAN:
When was his prime?

1988 to early 1994

charlesemeka85:
Antwerp have named Alhassan Yusuf and Chidera Ejuke in their UEFA Champions League squad, while Nigerian youngster Victor Udoh has missed out.

This guy wey too dey dribble
But una hype this guy, here, da year sha

Sportilitica:
Can we for once dead this player comparism for once and respect what each player has contributed in their time.

That is what makes this thread thick bro

kris:
Bros you are disrespecting Osimhen by constantly spelling his name wrong! Abeg take time to learn the correct spelling. Thank you.

he is spelling it the way those oyinbo commentators dey call am Oshimen

ChrisKels:


Where was he when George Weah won it in 1995? He was in his prime then, and couldn't even smell a nomination.

By 1995, Yekini had already passed his prime. Besides, there was no major international tournament that year and what counted more was club performance. George Weah, despite his World Player of the Year, never tasted the World Cup.

Amedino99:
apart from the afcon in Egypt, most afcon tourneys we play are within that January period and countries still organize a friendly or two.

Those ones will be more of kick-abouts, not serious friendlies.
That aside, playing friendlies before the AFCON is really nothing. What matters more is for things to work-out for the team when the tournament starts.

AFCON is a kind of tournament where pre-tournament form doesn't count for much. AFCON pedigree has mostly counted more.
As I have always maintained that there are traditional AFCON Teams that will always do well irrespective of the form they came to the tournament with. Pre-AFCON friendlies no dey do anything. More important is to keep your players free from injuries.

Marjoribanks:
Too routine for a team that won just one AFCON which was 1980? lol! The same CIV they almost lost to in the 1994 semis? lol!

AFCON is every two years; and Nigeria, just like many other African teams, place more importance on WCQ than the AFCON. I remember back in 1990 AFCON when Cameroon and Egypt sent their 'B' teams to the AFCON because they were keeping their 'A' Teams for the world cup

Mujtahida:

For now Rashidi pass Osimhen. Can he surpass Rashidi? Yes and we are eagerly rooting for him to do so.

That's it.

Marjoribanks:
Why dem Yekini no beat Ghana for AFCON 1992 Semis? Imagine Ghana not having Partey and Kudus in midfiled during that match. I hate when people are economical with the truth. Ndidi and Iwobi unavailability cost us that game coupled with Bonke and Onyeka's injury during the game. Yet we didn't lose the game. No team will get a draw from us with that much injured midfielders!

Then the spirit of the AFCON was different from the WCQ.
The WCQ was the big thing then. AFCON was just too routine.
Enroute 1994 WC we had the 1990 and 1992 AFCON Champions in our group (Algeria and CIV) and na 4:1 we dashed both teams. Yekini was on rampage at the National stadium in Surulere (then called the slaughter house )

charlesemeka85:
CIV good? Mk we catch Lesotho fess 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Atleast for uyo first leg dem go chop like 4 and osimhen go score atleast 2 goals

CIV wey their striker no get surname 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bros, you see this Super eagles team eh....hmmm. Make them no break your heart o. If CAR and Guinea-Bissau could do it.
But we don face some nightmarish games recently sha when you also add that Ghana game in Abuja. During Yekini time, na like 4:1 we for win that kind of Ghana game

Kog45:
Thank you, recently we lost to CAR and Guinea Bissau at home.We need all Matches,no to over confidence.

And both games Osimhen played. Yekini go easily bag Hatrick against such teams

Kog45:
I don’t think so cuz he was on the bench at Atlanta 96…the team list of Afcon 96 comprised of US 94 and Atlanta 96 team with Yekini,Siasia,Rufai,Eguavoen,Iroha,Adepoju,

Yekini, Siaone and Adepoju didn't play at the '96 Olympics.

Nigeria played mostly a 4-4-2 formation with Ikpeba as the CF and Kanu as SS.

Adepoju was not a CF, Siasia was already on a decline in 1996 same with Yekini.

charlesemeka85:
Lesotho and Rwanda will bear the brunt 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

For your mind

Did you watch the Ivory Coast vs Lesotho game over the weekend?