wayodude:
As far as playing personnel is concerned no team in Africa has greater strength in depth than Nigeria. The ability to harness this advantage to devastating effect is perhaps where a problem may arise. Especially if Rohr's last squad announcement is used a basis of predicting what's to come in the near future.

The Ivorian golden generation of the late 2000s had the same problem. How a team comprising Drogba, Yaya, Kalou, Kolo, Zokora, Tiote (RIP), Gervino, Eboue, Doumbia, Bony, Romaric, Tiene, etc etc big big names kept under achieving still remains a mystery.

That tells us that big names alone don't play football.
Going into the 2006 AFCON Nigeria had the best assemblage of quality players: Okocha, Kanu, Yakubu, Martins, Osaze, Utaka, Nsofor, Yobo, Odiah, Young Mikel and Taiwo. Yet we only came back with bronze medal.

Drogba's generation of Elephants couldn't win the AFCON but a less talented squad won it in 2015 for them. The Nigerian squad that won the AFCON in 2013 was not the best on paper going into that AFCON. Zambia and Cameroon were never tipped as favorites when they won the AFCON in 2012 and 2017 respectively.

If you have a rich assemblage of players fantastic but the team still needs to work very hard to achieve results.

A merely descent team that is well coached and well managed can win the AFCON.

Throw Back Thursday:

One of the most popular Flying Eagles wins of all time. The Miracle of Dammam once again


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5LIGg1PkkU

Go do us proud in Niger boys!!

Oasis007:
The worst U20 in the history of NIGERIA Football. We should expect anything from them to be candid. Too many over- age Folks in the Mix.

Please it is not compulsory to watch them.

majamajic:
most of these names were given to them by commentator Emmanuel Okonkwo, too bad he didn't get some ink here.

Ernest Okonkwo!

GOFRONT:
Which nickname will I give to Yakubu Ayegbeni??

Yakubull or the Yak

ChrisKels:


Mbjane stop saying what u know nothing about. Ogbeche just like Amunike played with his real age, not even a second was subtracted. I could remember back in 2012 on kickoffnigeria.com, a good friend/super analyst by name "game147"who was a school mate of Ogbeche at FGC Okigwe shared a pic he took with Ogbeche when Ogbeche was their games prefect in sec school.

To them every player is an age cheat.

ykalhaji:


Me I nominate @Forgiveness for his alternative ideas.

lol, u decided to nominate after 3pm Nigerian time so the deadline can be adjusted to 9pm Abi? Anyways u got ur wish and for the rest of those in North America.

Bibidear:
i cant nominate and then i get insulted........someone might call my post unintelligent

No naa.

Nominate first and lets see that Olodo that will call your post unintelligent.

Curtisaxel7:


I don't get it. Is recommending academies a crime on nairaland or did you commit another crime you're not telling us about?

I only posted a link that contains the best 10 football academies in Nigeria. And then i was banned for Anti spam bot.

Bibidear:
lol,i prefer being on ghost mode

Welcome madam.

Members of the ghost mode club are also eligible to nominate.

Tamunotonye22:


Sorry sir,still 'help out'

Make them still ban me again? I kuku thank God say I get duplicate moniker sef. Lol. God pass them.

My people, while trying to help out with info for the fellow that needed it on Football academies I got a ban for my original moniker o.

joseph1013:
I think we're getting carried away. It's Tanzania, people!

There are no more minnows in African football.

See some results:

South Africa 1-1 Mauritania
Ghana 1-1 Rwanda
CIV1-1 Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone almost won this game but for a goal line clearance at d last kick of the game.
Zambia 1-1 Kenya.

I personally am not bordered about d score line. I am only impressed with the way d team played.

TheGoodJoe:


I think this has to do with the perspective and understanding of the game. I was exposed to much of Pellegrini's tactics and I notice similarities.

Nacho could be seen as a midfielder based on perspective. His switching roles during the game.

Under Pellegrini, One striker stays front. DZEKO/NEGREDO and Aguero/Jovetic drops deep to midfield. Sometimes drops as deep as the defensive position.

You could see them doing the midfield role but to Pellegrini, he is a second striker. Those players make good false nine players.

I can not say this is right or wrong because the second striker has a role of covering the gap between the midfield and attack during build-up. This is a role for a midfielder. Nacho did this.

Then when the ball is in front, he joins forces with the center forward. Nacho did this too.

In recent years, Gunners hardly play with a second striker. It is more 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.

So you see Nacho as an attacking midfielder going forward a lot, while I saw him as an attacker dropping deep.

Kelechi Iheanacho is an Attacking Midfielder being remodelled to be a striker.

Because of his plenty of pace you see him running to join the CF when his team is on the offensive.

I think coaches are exploiting this potential of his. It is just like having an extra player on the pitch. He does the AM role well and also strikes very well.

[quote author=TheGoodJoe post=49079876]

Our problems has to do with leaking goals from that wing and the point of weakness was from Echiejile. With Oshaniwa, the leaking stopped.

I will check out Kayode's clip.

Unlike Kayode, Juwon Oshaniwa already did well playing for the Super Eagles. [/quote

Do you know Juwon's current form?]

goldfish80:

I don't really think it was Oshaniwa who transformed the super eagles durring his short spell when he held sway.

I think the introduction of Aron Samuel to an extent revived the super eagles because he brought different dynamics and skill set to the team.

There will always be situations like this when some players are left out of the team and questions asked.
Someone like Kayode Olarenwaju, I believe deserves a look in. He is highly rated in Austria. The fastest player in that league.
I think he helped his team to Europa league qualification by scoring a brace 2weeks ago.

Why a player like this doesn't get a lookin but sylverster Igbonu (sly) got call ups is astonishing.

You will do well to check out kayode in youtube.

Kayode to me is a very descent attacker. However, we have players hu already are ahead of him. Remember Isaac Success is not even in the team yet. With Ighalo, Iheanacho & Ideye already in the team Kayode may not likely get a call up soon.

Talking about Sylvester Igboun, the thing is as at then we were short in the number of players hu can play the "number 10". Aluko would have been a candidate but then got relegated with his club of which Oliseh said no lower division player would make his team.

Igboun to me didn't do badly.

TheGoodJoe:


That is not were we lost the ticket. Without Echiejile's mistakes, we would have won or drawn both games against Congo and Sudan. Not hoping to Win or draw South Africa the group leaders.

Not a knock off on Echiejile. I want a fair competition for roles. Not screening out one entirely. If Rohr had both in camp and selected Echiejile, no problem.

I might say Echiejile's mistakes but that is not the point. I am talking of dropping a Super Eagles player who had a good World Cup and Qualifiers for no reason.

As soon as Coach Keshi left, no call up for him. They even remembered Babatunde from far back the World Cup. Yet no Oshaniwa. Same thing with Sone Aluko.

Oliseh even left Aluko for Onobi. Come on.

Nigeria was still very much in contention before d last game against South Africa. A win in that game would have healed the wounds of the earlier loses but we blew it up.

It is not in my character to single out any 1 defender for a blame for a lose. Defending is meant to be a collaborative effort. I am always an advocate for consistency in our back line. By this there would b more co-ordination and understanding.

TheGoodJoe:


Iheanacho played as a striker in Kaduna and in the game yesterday. He plays his striking as a false nine. You will not call Messi playing as a false 9 a midfielder.

He dropped deep a lot in both games. If you remember the beginning part of the Kaduna game, Iheanacho was up front. He noticed the gap between the midfield and attack and dropped deep.

This is something Ighalo should pick up. Dropping deep, helping in build up play and getting back in position to score.

Iheanacho and Ighalo had most of the chances because they were striking.

In the Germany game, most times we pressed, we had Mikel up front. You are right in the 4-4-1-1 set up but what I am pointing out is that Coach Siasia likes two men doing the striking.

No matter how he sets the team up, you have two men forward and two men back.

In yesterday's game, we had Ighalo and Iheanacho up front when attacking and Ekong and Balogun behind. Looked similar to me.

Iheanacho was an AM in both games. As I said players with such capabilities as Iheanacho are made to switch roles to an SS or CF when the team is on the offensive or on an attacking wing play. In both games, he was basically set up to play behind Ighalo.

TheGoodJoe:


We did not lose the AFCON ticket in the South African game. That was a last effort to save us. We won two games before the South African game and drew that game 2-2.

We drew our first game with South Africa. We lost the AFCON ticket in our loses against Sudan and I think Congo. In those games, Echiejile was poor and that led tocoach Siasia to drop Echiejile.

I did not say Echiejile had a poor game. He was coordinated and helped the defence. He lost track after we scored by bombarding forward. That drew only a scold from Balogun advising him to hold the defence and secure the win (From My Observation).

So no I did not say Oshaniwa had a poor game. I am saying Juwon Oshaniwa should have been invited to camp to see if he is still a better option. You do not drop the player who performed better in the qualifiers for the player who performed worse.

In the qualifiers under Keshi, with Echiejile we lost to Congo and Sudan. With Oshaniwa, we won scoring five goals against both teams. That was where we lost the ticket. Not South Africa.

Regardless of the earlier games, we needed to win the South Africa game to qualify as one of the best losers.

BascoVanVeli:


Chad's withdrawal made the Egypt match do or die. It changed the stakes.

Chad withdrew after we had drawn at home to Egypt. Remember they were supposed to play Tanzania same day but could not show up. So we played that first leg against Egypt with d mindset that Chad was still in the tourney. For the return leg in Egypt we still would have lost that game if Chad had not withdrawn.in fact Chad's withdrawal even made us take dat Egypt return leg a do or die yet we lost.

TheGoodJoe:


I see Coach Siasia more as a 4-4-2 coach. A lot similar to Pellegrini and Simeone.

Against Egypt, at Kaduna, we had Iheanacho and Ighalo striking.

At Alexandria, We had Aminu and Ighalo striking.

Against Germany at the we had Mikel and Sadiq striking.

He likes to attack with a pair upfront.

We had enough players to play a 4-3-3 attacking set up. The Tanzanians stayed back but he still went with two pair up front. Selected Musa to play more as a winger instead of a wing forward/SS.

......................................Ighalo(CF).
...............Musa(LW)............................Iheanacho(RW)

I think his a 4-4-2 attacking coach but as you said, it is too early to judge. Let us see if he is flexible in his style and adopts different set ups for different teams.

Nigeria vs Egypt in Kaduna, Iheanacho played deep from d midfield in the first half. He was actually a number 10 but dropped deep a lot more often.

At the Olympic Mikel was AM and not a striker, even in that Germany game. He usually joined Sadiq upfront to add up to the striking options when we were on the offensive. That is more like a 4-4-1-1 formation which can either be a variant of 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 depending on the role of that player behind the main striker. An AM(Mikel at d Olympics) or an SS (Iheanacho vs Tanzania) typically plays in that "hole" behind the main striker. The thing is tactics shifts between 4-5-1, 4-4-2 & 4-3-3 at various times of a game depending on what result the team desires to achieve at that point in the game. 4-4-1-1 & 4-2-3-1 are both variants of 4-4-2 & 4-5-1.

Would Nigeria have qualified had Chad not withdrawn?

There were 2 places up for grabs by teams that would finish 2nd.
Uganda picked one earlier today after they finished on 13points.
Nigeria would have finished on a maximum of 11pts had Chad remained (meaning winning in N' Djamena, Chad)

We would have waited to see d outcome of matches involving Togo, Tunisia, Liberia, and Benin to see who claims the other ticket. Togo vs Djibouti (Togo already had 8pts), Tunisia vs Liberia (both on 10pts). Mali vs Benin (Mali through, Benin on 11pts).

How the games finished:

Togo 5-0 Djibouti
Tunisia 4-1 Liberia
Mali 5-2 Benin.

Outcome: Tunisia top their group and Liberia out
Togo picks the last ticket as they finished on 11pts and +7goals difference.
Benin are out, finishing on 11pts and +2 goals difference.

Back to Nigeria's chances had Chad remained.
Nigeria finished on 5pts with 0 goals difference. Had the result against Chad remained that would have 8pts and + 2 goals difference. It means we needed to have beaten Chad away by 5 or 6 nil to have finished above Togo of Which I don't think that Oliseh's or Siasia's or Salisu's team would have achieved.

My vedicts: Chad's withdrawal or not couldn't have made any difference. We would have just postponed our anguish to today. We have to go back to that draw in Tanzania and that late loss in concentration due to fair play that made us lose 2pts in that Egypt clash. Those were the two games that really caused us.

BascoVanVeli:


What did Echiejile do wrong?

He is Echiejile

TheGoodJoe:


I have not seen Oshaniwa play of late but it baffles me that a guy who proved a better option does not get a chance. Onazi have been the culprit on a number of occasions but he gets repeated call ups. Echiejile was one of the reasons why we did not go to the AFCON under Keshi but he keeps getting call. While the guy who replaced Echiejile and did well does not get a call. That beats my imagination.

From Oliseh, to Siasia, to Yusuf and now Rohr. It is wrong. Something is definitely wrong here.

As for the formation, I would prefer a 4-5-1 formation when away and a 4-2-3-1 formation when at home. But, it seems our coach is like Pellegrini and Simeone, sticking to an attacking 4-4-2, just like Samson Siasia.

Fact that he adopted a 4-4-2 formation against Tanzania in a home game and for a game that was more of preparatory game doesn't mean he typically plays 4-4-2. Siasia more often plays a lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation. All through Rio he played 4-5-1.He ususlly played 4-4-2 when we needed to win against a relatively weak opposition at home. Even d Egypt double header he played 4-5-1.

Too early to also liken him(Rohr) to Pellegrini and Someone. Team formations at national team level are typically different from club level.

terzurum5:
[b][size=14pt]
Stanley Amuzie and Saviour Godwin named in Nigeria’s Olympic squad for South Korea tourney
[/size]
[img]http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/Goal_Nigeria/3e/65/nigeria-u23-dream-team-vi_1shoob3hn8dh6107bn3z069pkb.jpg?t=-1218239121&w=620&h=430[/img]
The duo will be among a number of high-profile names to be named in the Dream Team VI squad for the pre-Olympic competition billed for the Asian country


Olhanense starlet Stanley Amuzie, KV Oostende’s Saviour Godwin are among the list of a number of high-profile stars to play for Nigeria U23 team in next month’s South Korea Four-Nation championship.


The squad also included Kayseri Erciyesspor defender Saturday Keigo, Azubike Okechukwu, Taiwo Awoniyi, Sodiq Popoola, Nathan Oduwa and Usman Mohammed, with Junior Ajayi ruled out of the competition after his Tunisian club failed to release him of the championship.


“Saturday Keigo surprised us with his superlative performance against Brazil. I think if he keep this performance up and also stay fit the coach may give him another chance in the team,” Fatai Amoo had toldGoalafter the Dream Team VI’s 1-0 victory over Brazil.


General secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation Sanusi Muhammed has confirmed that Nigeria U23 team would depart for the South Korea on May 30, 2016 for the championship which kicks off in the first week of June.


Hosts South Korea, Denmark and Honduras will feature in the tourney expected to prepare the Nigerians for the Rio Olympics in August.


Siasia’s lads were billed to feature in the Toulon tournament in France but lack of funds stalled their participation as the Nigeria Football Federation could not raise the $80,000 participation.
m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/11252/nigeria-u23/2016/05/19/23706212/stanley-amuzie-and-saviour-godwin-named-in-nigerias-olympic

[/b]

I am still watching to see if Siasia will omit Kingsley Madu from the list of invited players competing for places to Rio so that Stanley Amuzie will not have a competitor.

terzurum5:
[size=14pt]
Dominic Iorfa Solid In Defense As England Beat Portugal In Toulon
[/size]

The England U21s won their first game at the 2016 Toulon Tournament, with a goal from Lewis Baker giving them a 1-0 victory over Portugal on Thursday evening.


Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Dominic Iorfa was in the Young Lions starting XI and went the distance at the Stade Leo Lagrange.


It was the 20-year-old’s fourth game in total in the Toulon tourney, having made three appearances for the England U20s in 2015 against Morocco, USA and Mexico.


Dominic Iorfa was solid in defense, helping Sunderland netminder Jordan Pickford post a shutout.


Gareth Southgate’s charges will tackle [b]Guinea in their next group game on Monday, May 23rd.
Igho Kingsley
www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=19097

[/b]

So Guinea were able to raise the $80,000 required for this tourney while Nigeria could not? Too bad.

TheGoodJoe:


Congrats to you and your lovely wife. May God keep giving you reasons to praise him.

Thanks bro.

nairaland banned Icon4s since morning.

Happy birthday to our honorable first lady, safarigirl. My wife's birthday was yesterday.

Although u have understandably abandoned us for Romance U are still d first lady here.

Happy birthday, LLNP.

TheGoodJoe:


Victor Osimhen has real talent. I feel he can be the surprise player of this tournament. If he gets an opportunity and he takes it, Coach Siasia will not hesitate to give him a run.

Man, I go conservative on my expectations on Osimhen. The guy is still very young and still has a lot to learn. Even Awoniyi will have to raise his game to be able to physically compete at this level. Remember this is the U23.

akinola69:
http:///1XtmeVV

Nonsense

TheSuperNerd:
**crying out loud**

Nooooo!!!!!!!!! Musa yahaya why? Why kwanu?

**regains self, wipes tears**

Well, there you have it...... It's still a "mightily" strong bunch of super talents with or without The mercurial Musa Yahaya or the 4-lunged workaholic, Idowu. *smiles*

I suspected Musa Mohammed won't make it for the next U-20s. (Thanks for making out time to check their Birth dates Sir Icon4s, much appreciation from here *smiles*).
John Lazarus will make Manu very happy because he's the kind of right back Manu works with (akin to Musa Mohammed).
I believe Manu will brush him up more on his defensive game though he showed solidity in this area in the final against the Malians.

It's gonna be a "wonderful" U-20 squad no doubt. And like you said, this may bring back memories of the 1989 U-20 Squad only that this time, I pray we win it...... And I believe we can.

Musa mohammed, Musa Yahaya, Chidiebere Nwakali, Akinjide Idowu, and Dele Alampasu(already with the Super Eagles) are U-23 materials. They are among the players waiting in the wings to compete for places should we qualify for Rio 2016 (which will happen...... Hopefully).

I expect Joshua Enaholo (gk at NZ 2015 fifa u-20 WC) to make the CHAN Eagles (behind Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Femi Thomas) and be considered for "keen" competition of gk places for Rio 2016 alongside Emmanuel Daniel, Yusuf Mohammed, Emmanuel Iwu, and Dele Alampasu.


P.S: Just recently, I had the opportunity to download the "miracle of Damman" video to my gadget. Mehn!!!! that '89 class na Fire!!!! See shots and freekicks flying all over the place.... I last saw the team on some clips as a boy on weekend football shows. But a few years on, I really appreciate the young talents of Christopher Ohenhen, Mutiu Adepoju and co.

I saw the 1985 and 1987 U-20 sets on video clips through video playback casettes my dad had and on weekend shows BUT somehow, I always saw "little" of the "1989" set.

*smiles* The land of Jumong must feel similar and in fact, higher fire!!!!

That Saudi '89 set was the best ever. Go watch more of their videos on youtube.

robosky02:

its the Battle of favourites as Nigeria face Mali in U23 AFCON


The two top teams in the U23 AFCON Group B, Nigeria and Mali, will slug it out on Sunday evening in the tourists’ resort of Mbour in Senegal in what many believe could determine the winners of this group.


Nigeria U23 team, Dream Team VI, will begin their campaign at the U23 AFCON on the artificial pitch of Caroline Faye Stadium by 5pm after they rounded up their training camp in The Gambia with a big 5-0 win over Gambia U20 team after both teams first drew 1-1 in another warm-up game.

Samson Siasia’s team will hope for a winning start against Mali, whose country has been on a high internationally this year after they finished third at the FIFA U20 World Cup and were beaten finalists in the FIFA U17 World Cup.

Nigeria and Egypt are the top favorites in that group. Mali does not have the pedigree at U23. In fact they have never qualified for the Olympics.