₦airaland Forum

And here is my second post on the subject:

I would like to see him take the ball from the middle of the pitch and go through 4-5 defenders like Messi and then finish with a goal, instead of always waiting inside the 18 yard box for a cheap tap in. That's what makes him a great player ... anybody can score a cheap tap in. O pari

And by the way, I voted Ibrahimovic's goal as the best ever. For me it was between Ibrahimovic and Masaluke, but I gave it to Ibrahimovic for being that bit more remarkable - he scored his bicycle kick from 40 meters away!


O pari

Here's how I described Ronaldo's goal:

That was a great goal, no doubt but enough of the hype. We have definitely seen better goals, especially considering that he hit from insider the box with no challenge. From that range, he couldn't miss. I will give greater credit to Toni Kroos who provided the assist. O pari


O pari

Girls can be weird animals, so here's the answer:

1. Rich Guy
2. Funny Guy
3. Cute Guy
4. Romantic Guy

In that particular order.


O pari

Woe-men!

That's all I gotta say ....
.... for now!


O pari

We need more people like her. Women football is entertainment, pure and simple. I am certainly not crazy about most of those yam-invested "men" we dey parade every time. That's why I don't watch


O pari

abike12:
Congratulations!

When is he going to deliver? That tummy never reach 9 months


O pari

Joseunlimited:
So she should not farm again

Woe-men - the absolute worst thing to happen to men


O pari

But why would anybody seek support from those two


IBB - The self proclaimed evil genius. The man who institutionalized corruption in Nigeria

OBJ - A corrupt and hapless leader, under whose leadership the tiny Cameroun over the richest and most prosperous Nigerian territory!

If anything, those two fellows belong in Nigeria's Hall of Shame!!


O pari

Huh

I haven't seen the second goal yet but I will definitely blame Awaziem for the first goal. I don't know what instructions were given to the players as to who would mark whom, but what I know that it was Awaziem who was beaten by the header for the first goal.


O pari

tbaba1234:
Awaziem had less blame than Ekong for the goals.

Uzoho is still young and will get better. WC might be too early.

First of all, the team that played against Serbia is NOT going to play against Serbia. That team is technically our B-team missing more than 4 crucial players: John Obi Mikel; Leon Balogun; Kelechi Iheanacho; Shehu Abdullahi; and a fully fit Tyronne Ebuehi.

Secondly, I believe that our team list (World Cup list) is due to FIFA the day after England's friendly. No?
If so, then what time do we have to test any brand new players?


O pari

solonnachi:
Mr O pari. I get you clearly but if the team that played Serbia faces Iceland, we will be flogged badly. I understand your worries but Rohr understands that Nigerian mentality which says WIN AT ALL COST. He is doing all last minute arrangement to perfect his team, lets allow him scout for more players. We still have DRCongo, England, Czech Rep and another country to face. Allow the man to sharpen his side. The NFF are dangling 'world cup carrots' at foreign born talents. Lets allow him

Are you guys buying this fake news? Listen, Rohr already knows 99% of his team. Hence, he's not combing anywhere for strikers. If you said goalkeeping, then I will say probably but, right now, any new player who makes the World Cup team has to be an exceptional talent. And we don't have such players right now who isn't already in the team.


O pari

solonnachi:
I love this. Good job Rohr. Focus on that goalkeeping, midfield and striking departments PLEASE

Oh, I see. I didn't watch him in Levante but he had an MVP season for the Seattle Sounders.


O pari

tbaba1234:
La liga for Levante and then transferred to the MLS.

Scoring in La Liga? I think you meant in the MLS.

Actually, Martins was in top form at that time and deserved to make that team but Keshi had other ideas. Having said that, right now, I don't think we need Martins. He can be scoring in the moon if he likes


O pari

tbaba1234:
I remember Martins was scoring in La liga but when he was invited under Keshi, he did not play well at all that day.. Very disappointing..

Yes! I can definitely feel the chemistry but the physics is missing tho




O pari o

My people here's what I posted on twitter at the end of today's La Liga game:

When it comes to the game of football, Leo #Messi is simply a small god. He can create something out of nothing. Definitely the greatest soccer player of all time. No contest! #SevillaBarca

And 28 people have liked the post so far


O pari

This is what we call damage control.


O pari

ConcNiggress56:
who is drunk here?

That Pope is a piece of work! I think he's the Petrus Romanus .... that's why they pushed out Pope Benedict the 16th, and lied to us that he resigned! He resigned, my behind.


O pari

Jochabed:
Are you serious? HELL EXIST!!!! He is suppose to be a father figure. Please don't mislead people.

Like I had said several times, Ndi Igbo would transform Nigeria if given a chance to operate in that country. Igbophobia is what's holding Nigeria back.

Igbo Kwenu!!!


O pari

Is gbenshing the ONLY thing those airheads know how to do on BBNaija? I have watched Big Brother House several times in the US and gbenshing is generally the last thing on their minds. We tend to copy everything but often lack the creativity and the intellect to make it work for us!

#Sh!tholePeople


O pari

Sh!thole country


O pari

So the Vice President is scheduled to flag-off the Deep Sea Port project, while the President is supposed to flag off a Bus stop, eh?

Who's making these arrangements


O pari

Musa may probably make the team, because he's a senior player and based on naija factor as well. However, he wouldn't make my team if I were selecting the team. He isn't better than Kelechi, Ighalo, Moses Simon, or Iwobi so I can't understand why he should make the team.


O pari

andrew444:
What about musa ?

Good point! I think that going forward, it should be either Onazi or Joel Obi - not both. Personally, I will prefer Joel to start with Onazi coming off the bench.


O pari

TheSuperNerd:
It could be... But this is the same way we liked the Ndidi-Joel-Onazi combo on paper when the lineup came out before we saw the lapses in the Serbia game....

We have seen the Mikel-Ndidi-Onazi combo in action... That midfield played a super part in destroying African Champs, Cameroon 4-0 in uyo.

The Mikel-Ndidi-Joel could work buuuuttt... We need to see it in a friendly first.

Can I say KPOM x20? Like I had said a few times, Nigerian fans are special - we tend to straggle from one extreme to the other. If a team wins a game, then we're the best ever and we are going to win the world cup. But once the team struggles, no matter the circumstances, it's panic button all over the place ... we gotta invite player A-B-C ... blah blah blah!!!

It seems that we're incapable of putting things in good perspectives. The Tuesday game was a friendly, that's all it is. It's time for the coach to tryout new players and new formations, and discard the ones that doesn't work out. There's no need for panic. I can name 4 or 5 players who started the Tuesday game but won't start in Russia.

And in addition, our opponents are not fairing any better either. Croatia played their A team but still lost to a 10 man Peru team. And they relied on a penalty to beat Mexico on Tuesday night! Iceland lost. Argentina lost. But you can't see this level of panic amongst their fans, because they know better! Anyway, I have stopped reading most of the comments on here because they are baseless. The people I am most interested in hearing their opinions are the players and the technical crew. I would like to understand the total lack of cohesion and why we couldn't string 3 passes together, even after nearly 1 week of being in the camp.


O pari

tbaba1234:
No one has said this but Ekong could be blamed for both goals.. I have seen blames for Ebuehi and Awaziem but few have looked at Ekong but he arguably had the chief blame. Ekong has been our most consistent defender but he could have done better on both occasions.

The truth is that, you can not hold just one or two persons responsible.. It was poor defending as a group. A sharp contrast to the organized defensive display against Poland.

Awaziem had a solid game (especially in the second half) before the goal, he certainly has a role in the final 23. Ebuehi started strongly but seemed to fade.. (could be that he is not yet 100%).

After reviewing the game, i do not see what the panic is about.. The coach will learn his lessons and come again.

Chill, it is just a friendly.. The purpose is to discover weaknesses and areas where we can improve.

In the run-up to Atlanta 96, Togo beat our Olympic dream team 3:1 in the national stadium, Lagos.. We played with all our stars and were battered by Togo. Several Nigerians wrote off the team.. In fact, many people did not watch our games till we got to the knock out stages. It was this same team that beat Brazil and Argentina.

The USA 94 and France 98 teams, lost almost all their friendlies before the WC but still had impressive performances in the tournament proper. Better to struggle in March, than to struggle in June. The coaches has a few months to review the tapes of these friendlies, figure out their weaknesses and work hard to improve during the final camp.

Bingo @Mikel-Ndidi-Joel midfield lineup. With Ndidi playing the anchor role/ball winner role and Joel playing more as the CM and Mikel as the playmaker. I think that's our best team right there.


O pari

TheSuperNerd:
I know both will make the team too but Joel to start in Russia? That is so not certain. A midfield of Mikel-Ndidi-Onazi is more likely... Unless you are forseeing a Mikel-Ndidi-Joel midfield lineup.

Trust me, those two players are going to Russia. Mark my words!

Rohr is professional, he doesn't read the game the way an average fan does. He knows what Joel Obi, in particular, brings to this team. I expect him to start in Russia, believe it or not.


O pari

elyte89:
Obi and awaziem is a 50/50 stuff

Meanwhile, let me reveal the names of 18 players who are guaranteed a place in the Super Eagles world cup squad, injuries aside:

1. Francis Uzoho
2. Ikechukwu Ezenwa
3. Abdullahi Shehu
4. Joel Obi
5. Tyroone Ebuehi
6. Brian Idowu
7. Leon Balogun
8. Troost Ekong
9. Chidozie Awaziem
10. Wilfred Ndidi
11. John Obi Mikel
12. Oghenekaro Etebo
13. Eddy Onazi
14. John Ogu
15. Alex Iwobi
16. Kelechi Iheanacho
17. Victor Moses
18. Odion Ighalo


O pari

Haha!! I am actually happy that they got trashed yesterday. That may convince Sampoali that he needs to select his best team for the World Cup - including Dybala and Icardi. I don't know what's wrong with the Argies .... they tend to always self destruct


O pari

Danielnino00:
Is this the Argentina team oga icon79 is backing to win the world cup for his idol Messi?


O pari

Folks, the toughest job in the whole wide world is being the Nigerian Super Eagles coach …. because when it comes to soccer, every Nigerian is a coach and they all think that they can do a better job than the man who’s being paid to do the job. Just a few days ago, Gernot Rohr was the best thing to ever happen to Naija footie. Here’s the fact, our team hasn’t played well because they are trying out new formations and tactics coupled with new players. That’s what friendly matches are for. I am actually glad that we lost the game yesterday because it would serve as a wakeup call to the coaching crew and the players. If we keep wobbling and fumbling to victories like we did against Poland, that might masked the team’s deficiencies and give the players a false sense of hope. So I am happy that we lost … better to lose now and fix our errors than to lose in Russia.

Having said that, the players did perform as poorly as most of the commentators on here would have you believe; but I have only watched the first 60 mins of the game mind you because had to go to bed last night. They played poorly as a team but individually they gave it their best. The passes were poor because there was no penetration and off the ball movements especially in the midfield. Mikel probably wouldn’t have made much difference yesterday even if he had played. The good news is, Rohr would have about 3 weeks before the world cup to camp the team and perfect team cohesion. And in addition, unlike most other countries, we still have 3 friendly matches to go before the world cup, that would give the technical crew additional opportunities to work on our weaknesses.

All in all, below is how I rate the players last night:

Francis Uzoho
Hard to make judgement on whether he advanced his World Cup claims as to be our starting goalkeeper in Russia, but he had a decent game. I only saw the first goal and I wouldn’t blame him for that at all but he also committed some obvious errors that didn’t result in a goal. All in all, I saw good reflexes but still lack some badly needed experience. How I wish he could get game time at his club.

Tyronne Ebuehi
A threat going forward and made a good case for himself on his two international debuts, but he was obviously not 100% fit for yesterday’s game which impacted his pace and reactions. All in all, I would still rate him over Shehu especially against non-African teams.

Chidozie Awaziem
Looked assured and solid on occasions; with a few understandable nervous moments. But the real disappointment is that he isn’t playing to his potential yet; he definitely has the skills to do much better than he has done so far. I think he’s not a threat to either Balogun or Troost for the starting role, but he’s definitely going to Russia as a backup.

Troost Ekong
Solid performance, as usual. He has definitely cemented the center back position for himself. Still prone to errant and erratic passes from the back tho … somebody ought to teach him how to boot the ball instead of trying to pass out from the back. Or else, he may get us into serious trouble in Russia.

Brian Idowu
Solid and unspectacular. His workratet is commendable. He doesn’t have the flair and the frills to wow you but he still gets the job done. I will rate him over Elderson Echiejile any day!

Eddy Onazi
Had a decent game and worked extremely hard for the team. Had one of his best performances for the Super Eagles in recent times. I think he felt the Joel Obi’s threat.

Wilfred Ndidi - MAN OF THE MATCH
Energic. Pace, skill and direct running troubled Serbia all night. I think he cemented the CM role last night

Victor Moses
Our most talented player without a doubt but still guilty of dribbling and holding onto the ball too long; if Rohr could get him to cut the crap then we’ll have a game changer.

Joel Obi
Please ignore all the craps you’ve been reading here since yesterday. Joel Obi gave a good account of himself. AMF isn’t his favorite position but he still acquainted himself well. However, he was guilty of trying to do too much and ran himself ragged. He definitely belongs on the plane to Russia and I may even start him ahead of Onazi. I consider him a more refined player than Onazi.

Alex Iwobi
Another great player who’s guilty of occasional dillydallying with the ball when he can keep it simple. Just like VicMo, he doesn’t play that way at his football club so there’s no way we should allow him that freedom in Super Eagles. Rohr needs to lay down the rules here!

Ahmed Musa
His pace makes him a serious danger to Serbia all night but, as usual, with no end product. All in all, I am still uncertain of his role at the World Cup.

Odion Ighalo
I have always wondered why Rohr prefers Ighalo as our starting center forward and yesterday I realized why. It's very clear the striker Rohr trusts most is Odion Ighalo because of the all-round game he brings, his willingness to sacrifice himself for the team. He works so hard that when he does get a chance on goal, he's too tired and misses it. Personally, I still prefer Kelechi as our starting center forward but I can definitely understand why Rohr thinks otherwise.


O pari

Are you surprised? This isn't the first time they have failed to show up to Super Eagles games. I mean, London is like a small naija village but those folks don't like to spend money ... they can't afford to spend 30 pounds to watch the game


O pari

Joebie:
The stadium scanty oh.. where all the naijas for England? lol komekn how far..lol

Tbaba, come to think of it, that might actually be our starting defenceline in Russia if Leon doesn't step up his game. He hasn't really impressed me since the return match against Algeria. And it looks like he has badly slowed down (injuries?).

Like I had predicted a few times, Chidozie Awaziem is standing ready to display someone in that Center Back position. Initially, I thought it was gonna be Troost who's gonna get displaced due to his poor passing techniques but right now Ekong is head and shoulders ahead of Balogun. Anyway, let's see how Awaziem performs today.


O pari

tbaba1234:
Yes, already noted..

And Nigeria beat Poland without Mikel, their talisman


O pari

safarigirl:
Egypt is losing to common Greece without Salah, their talisman