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?

charlesemeka85:
yes he will

World Cup qualifiers osi baba go get like 10 goals, afcon next year him go get like 4-5 goals depending on how far the team go progress

10+5=15, 15+20 = 35, how many goals come remain to equal the record?🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Average of 2 goals per game , wey Principe and Saotome no dey

charlesemeka85:
if he featured at the 96 and 98 afcon na him for lead the attack self cus he was blazing hot then

Exactly, Ikpeba was really hot between 1995 and 98. He was Africa's hottest striker then. Playing for AS Monaco. He could have led the Super Eagles frontline and Nigeria could have won at least one of those two AFCONs (1996 and 98) considering the quality of players we had then.

charlesemeka85:
e no concern us the main thing be say osimhen go break the record before 2026 World Cup 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Hmmm 18 goals from the 2026 WCQ, 2024 AFCON, 2026 AFCON Qualifiers and 2026 AFCON. Yes, doable but has to remain in excellent form all through.

AndSunGorilla:

Sir Victor Ikpeba didn't achieve much with Nigeria but he did.a.lot personally and he's still a legend, Osimhen has raised the profile of Nigeria right now whether we like it or not.

Victor Ikpeba was an Olympic Gold medalist. Couldn't feature at the 1996 and 1998 AFCONs due to Abacha's decision and corresponding CAF ban. 2000 AFCON could have been his time but he wrongly adjudged himself to have missed a penalty when he scored. He was 1997 APOTY. Despite Nigeria's absence from those two consecutive AFCONs and being on the bench for Yekini in 1994 I will say he is among Nigeria's successful players.

Kog45:
Sincerely,37 goals damn too poor for all time eagles scorer.Imagine Odegbami that retired in 1981 as a winger still held second highest all time scorer.

You also need to consider the number of international matches and friendlies played back then. AFCON mostly had only 8 teams.
Most of the WC qualifying games were home and away knock out matches. 2026 WC qualifiers has 6 teams per group and 10 matches, 2024 AFCON will have 24 team. Both tournaments would opportunities for strikers to record plenty of goals.