₦airaland Forum

Playing to coach's instruction but failing to apply discretion

The fact that a coach tells you to use your speed from the wing and drop ball for striker does not mean you do that in every situation.

Na business



DSTV throws SA under the bus

TheSuperNerd:
You said Osimhen would end up like Chrisantus..... Wow! You went that far. Who were you talking to on this? Andrew444...


**Pic attached.

To be honest, as at 2018, I also thought Osimhen would end up as Chrisantus or Sani Emmanuel.

He just went into oblivion after that under-17 performance and it was difficult to believe he would rise again like this given what we know of youth players that went that way. I really wont blame anyone that said Osimhen would go the way of Chrisantus as at early 2018.

Danielnino00:
Guys .which midfield combo is better?

Mikel/Onazi (2013)

or

Ndidi/ Etebo (2019)

??

Easily 2013

Mikel was unplayable in AFCON 2013. He bossed the midfield with telepathic passes. A performance that earned him 2nd or 3rd position in APOTY later in the year.

I have not seen that from anyone in this Nigerian team.

safarigirl:
So, all of Sub-Saharan Africa is for Senegal or Nigeria, black Africans don't like the Arabs at all. If they had to vote, I bet they would vote North Africa out of CAF

I'm not sure Ghanaians will support Nigeria.

I have seen them support an European opposition against NIgeria in a WC match.

If Nigeria wins this, we will match their 4 AFCON trophy record - their main bragging point . I'm sure most will not like that. So don't rule out Ghanaians supporting Algeria against Nigeria.

darkelf:
If we don't win, who do you think will beat us and at what stage?

Algeria is my biggest fear. I am very sure we will beat Tunisia, Senegal is 50-50. But I fear Algeria.

Jarus:
Here is my assessment of the chances of each of the teams (done this for the last 11 years)

FAVOURITES
-Egypt
-Senegal
-Morocco

OUTSIDE CHANCES
-Cameroun
-Nigeria
-Ghana
-CIV
-Algeria

FIGHTING CHANCES
Tunisia
Congo
Mali
Guinea
South Africa

NEVER-SAY-NEVER
- Angola
- Tanzania
- Zimbabwe
- Burundi

NO-HOPERS
-Benin
-Uganda
-Mauritania
-Madagascar
-Kenya
-Namibia
-Guinea Bissau

Now, on a personal level, which do I want to win?

1. Nigeria (for obvious reason)
2. Mali (they have been underachieving for long - mostly gets knocked out in semis)

Which do I think will win?
Morocco or Egypt

Senegal have very good individual players but not a great team.

This was my pre-tournament rating.

I never considered Nigeria a favorite. My target for them is semis, which they have achieved. To me, whatever is the result from here, they have met my expectation. I wont blame them much if they dont surpass it.

I still wont put my money on Nigeria winning but I think we stand a good chance from here.

darkelf:
I am a Bonafide Nigerian and I love the Super Eagles

In the beginning, I had doubts about this team but they are gradually winning me over with their attitude on the field of play

But I know one fact; everybody cannot say positive things about the Super Eagles all the time. We are created different and we think differently.

Hence, it only makes sense to respect the opinions of others no matter how silly they may sound.

Granted, we give each other a hard time here by yabbing and making jokes about our wrong predictions and what nots but this should never degenerate to insults.

Some of us here have a hard time swallowing the opinions of others and cannot make intelligent arguments without insulting the other party. Times without number, I have called out some of these people. While some apologize and retract their statements, others remain adamant and choose not to admit their wrongs.

I want to believe we all possess a level of intelligence to converse on this thread and what differentiates the mature minds from kids is the ability to question opposing arguments with facts and without rude remarks.

I am calling on us especially those of us who are elders to act accordingly:

You don't have to reply every rude remark.

You are not in control of the other persons thoughts and opinions; positive and negative

I also want to believe that you (the agggressor) don't feed the aggressee neither do you clothe or pay his house rent . So the person can oppose you when he wants albeit intelligently.

ccSuperNerd, Chriskels, Icon4s, elyte89, Odunayaw, Earthquake3, Joebie, andrew444, Chrisoblog, safarigirl, Kog45, Mujtahida, Charlesemeka, Komekn, Forgiveness, Jarus, Mikael2, DrLikita, soetanoreoluwa, sontoly and those whose names I cant remember.

Stay blessed and Stay happy y'all

Up Super Eagles, Go for glory

I'm a diehard fan of Nigerian NT and Nigerian players but I'm also a pragmatist.

It is for this same reason I doubt an African team will win the WC in the next 20 years. You need to beat at least 2 of Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Spain or Italy to win the WC. If you beat one in R16, another one await you in QF, another one in semis. A tough road.

Same reason average clubs hardly win UCL. You need to beat at least 2 of Bayern, Madrid, Barca, Juve, Liverpool etc to win.

Porto the last "average" team to win UCL. Monaco and Ajax tried but ...

Good job by Benin, Uganda and Madagascar in this tournament. But men have been separated from boys.

The 4 teams left are football powerhouses in Africa.

Some people here said one of the "minnows" will enter semis. I never thought so - more so as we now have 24 teams competing.

The most shocking prediction I saw - not here though - was some people saying Madagascar will win this tournament. Joke.

I knew QF will be their bus stop.

sean079:
If a nation has won a competition at ur expenses not one time but 3 times, dumped u out world cup qualification several times dat u pray always not to have cameroun in ur world cup group. I actually grew up watching cameroun being Nigeria greatest undoing in football and I dread them so much even till now.

Thats our number one rival in football

Leave all these indomie generation Super Eagles followers. They did not witness the peak of Cameroun-Nigeria football rivalry

Sanchez01:
Jarus disappointed me with this. How did South Africa make top 3? What happened to Senegal

We have played Senegal in competitive football (18) than South Africa (14). Why then is South Africa considered as one of Nigeria's top 3 ahead of Senegal What happened to Ivory Coast?

Is it by number of matches or stakes?

It is not by number of matches. It is by stakes and the way citizens of the countries take the matches.

TheSuperNerd:
They are fortunate to be in that half of the draw in the lead up to the final. Our half of the draw is a lot more stronger. We had to play Cameroun for goodness' sake. Ours have been hell.

But beware of shockers shaa... Madagascar MAY surprise.

Madagascar may surprise Tunisia but not Senegal. If they survive Tunisia, semi is their bus stop. I don't see Madagascar in final.

1. Cameroun

Cameroun is Nigeria’s biggest rival on the African continent. If you doubt, check how sad Samuel Eto’o was the day Nigeria dumped Cameroun out of Egypt 2019. Cameroun takes matches against Nigeria very seriously with their players giving their best. The rivalry started in 1984 when Cameroun beat Nigeria 3-1 in the final of the 1984 Nations Cup. Four years later, in 1988, Nigeria had the opportunity to revenge but fell to Cameroun again in same stage – final – in controversial circumstances. Although Nigeria had upper hands in the meetings between the countries after than period, it was not in final matches. The two countries met again in the most critical stage of the tournament, final, at the 2000 edition hosted by Nigeria and Ghana, and, for the third time, Cameroun still gave the Eagles a bloodied nose in, again, controversial circumstances. This means, 3 out of the 5 times Cameroun has won the Nations Cup, it was at the expense of Nigeria. Although Nigeria has better head to head against Cameroun, Cameroun always got result in very crucial matches. Any game between Nigeria and Cameroun is war.

Head to Head Record
Nigeria wins – 12
Cameroun wins – 4
Draw – 7


2. Ghana

This West African derby is arguably the oldest rivalry in African football. The biggest defeat Nigeria has suffered in its national football team history was against Ghana (then Gold Coast), a 7-0 loss in 1955. That was when the rivalry started. In fact, Nigeria lost all, conceded 10 goals without scoring 1 in their first 4 encounters with Ghana. Although Nigerians take games versus Cameroun more seriously than versus Ghana, Ghana sees Nigeria as its biggest rival. Any match between the two countries is war, especially in the golden age of Nigerian football when footballers take national team assignment very seriously. The economic ties between the two countries, with citizens of each of them living in large number in the other, also fuels the rivalry. There is nothing friendly in any game between Nigeria and Ghana, even if it is called a friendly match. If you doubt that, go and watch the “friendly” game between the two countries in London in 2007, the first defeat Nigeria suffered in the hands of Ghana in 15 years prior to that game, and see how Ghanaians celebrated it. Another notable stunning clash between the countriesise the 3-0 loss by Ghana in Benin in 2001 in the Korea/Japan World Cup qualifiers. Ghana “pepper dem” Nigeria by dumping the Super Eagles out of Nations Cup in two consecutive editions – 2008 and 2010 – in quarter and semi final respectively, embarrassingly with 10 men in one of the clashes. Ghana has continued to have the upper hand against Nigeria in recent years, having not lost to Nigeria since 2006.

Although older Nigerians that witnessed the peak of the rivalry could relate more with the Ghana-Nigeria football rivalry, Internet has rekindled the rivalry among younger generation, especially the fans, in recent years, with fans of each country trolling each online.

The fact that Nigeria had gone to World Cup three times before Ghana made its first appearance also “pained” Ghanaians in the 1990s, but they have since been consoled by the fact they now have better world cup record, having gotten to quarter final which Nigeria never got to.

Head to Head Record
Nigeria wins – 10
Ghana wins – 21
Draw – 18

3. South Africa

Nigeria was absent in the 1996 and 1998 Nations Cup tournaments due to political reasons and South Africa has good outing in both tournaments, winning one. Many Nigerians believed that South Africa would not have won that Nations Cup if Nigeria featured given the squad Nigeria had at the time – winning Olympics in 1998 and topping a group that had Spain in France 1998. Not a few people believed Nigeria would have been unstoppable if they featured in those two Nations Cup. South Africans believed such utterances are a disrespect to them, that they would still have won the tournament even if Nigeria was there. The press and the people of both countries began to trade war of words over superiority. Thankfully, both countries met at the semi final of the 2000 Nations Cup and Tijani Babangida’s 2 goals for Nigeria settled the matter. Nigeria subsequently began to have upper hands over South Africa and South Africa went down in Nigeria’s rivalry consciousness, with several defeats. But the resurgence of the South African team in recent years, not losing to Nigeria in 5 encounters and even winning one in Nigeria, even stopping Nigeria from qualifying for AFCON in 2015, boosted their confidence and rekindled the rivalry, which made yesterday’s game a high octane one. Nigeria got the result.

Head to Head Record
Nigeria wins – 7
South Africa wins – 2
Draw – 5


Honourable mentions

4. Argentina

Although Argentines will laugh at being classified as a rival to Nigeria in football, Nigeria has an axe with that team after beating Nigeria in 5 meetings at the World Cup. To make it more painful for Nigeria, one of the wins was extremely convincing. Nigeria lost by a lone goal margin in each of the 5 encounters. Other than the game in Korea/Japan 2002 where the Argies dominated Nigeria from start to finish, even if they were able to score only 1 goal courtesy Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina have beaten Nigeria unconvincingly in the other encounters. Although Argentina’s traditional rivals are Brazil, Germany and England (in fact will see Nigeria as “customer dada ni”), Nigeria still has a score to settle with that country.

Head to Head Record
Nigeria wins – 2
Argentina wins – 6
Draw – 1

5. England

Nigeria has very long history with England being Nigeria’s colonialists. The fact that the English Premier League is highly followed in Nigeria, and many Nigerian players have played in their league also made England a very familiar country to Nigeria. Add the fact that there are many Nigerians living in the country and there are several footballers of Nigerian origin who have featured for the youth teams and you will understand the football relationship. There is a popular belief among Nigerians that England national team is crappy like Nigeria’s. Many Nigerian soccer fans will swear that the Three Lions are as bad as the Super Eagles and always looking forward for the opportunity to meet. Like Argentina, England does not see Nigeria as a rivalry the way it sees Germany or Argentina, many Nigerian football fans have an axe to grind with that country. Although Nigeria has only played England 3 times, the performance of the Super Eagles at the 1994 friendly between the two countries in Wembley gave Nigeria a lot of confidence. Many Nigerians are still not convinced England is bettter than Nigeria in football.

Head to Head Record
Nigeria wins – 0
England wins – 2
Draw – 1

I think Senegal is having an easy route to final.

Uganda
Benin
now Tunisia or Madagascar.

Marjoribanks:
Nigeria vs Senegal final.
My prediction.
Naija for the win.
You don't beat us twice.

I have fear about Algeria.

I prefer to meet CIV in semis. Na we we for West Africa.

pyrex23:
Simon isn't better than Musa
Maybe better crossing
But overall simon isn't even a contender for lwf position .. not at all
Musa speed is fucking important with this our style of play
Simon couldn't get past someone a tired Musa humiliated time and time again..

And Musa is still the best lwf we have right now..

Musa is very critical to this team o

PDPGuy:
Respect!

Most consistent team in AFCON.

Almost all Super Eagles players in the last 43 years have an AFCON medal (if not gold, silver, if not silver, bronze).

We actually don't see SA as rival in football.

Cameroun is our biggest rival, followed by Ghana. RSA is just #3.

Nigeria has participated in AFCON 18 times and finished Top 4 15 times.

Nigeria has now made the top 4 in every nations cup it pařticipated since 1976 (except 1982 and 2008).

darkelf:
Apart from Neimar and Gustav/Afobear (of blessed memory), I don't think anybody doubted the SE today except for the "Rohr don't dey Bleep up" (2nd half) crew

Exactly. I can't recall seeing anyone here say SA had the upper hand.

Nigeria meets the winner between Algeria and CIV im the semis.

I prefer to meet CIV. I fear North Africans.

All our wingers (Musa, Moses and even Chukwueze) are poor crossers.

Musa provided our best attacking threats. He believed so much in his speed and it worked well. But his final ball was poor. I will still rate him 6/10.

All our wingers have final ball problem.

I have always suspected there will be VAR decision controversy in this game.

Toylove:
Musa needs to be selfish atimes

Exactly. Overdoing his unselfishness.

Our players are so poor in passing. Even Ndidi and Etebo.

Neimar:
naxo Nigerians go wail today

dead team

see Musa wen nr fit make bench for top teams dy play for Nigeria

smh

Oga, it doesn't matter. Musa has proved himself in national team on big occasions that even players that play in top teams will envy.

Some players are national team players.

For all his successes in club football, Drogba never got CIV past group stage in WCs and never won AFCON.

andrew444:
I got it wrong

So naija/south africa will meet algeria/ivory coast?

That means naija will be meeting Algeria, my prediction

A tough road to final for Nigeria.

Cameroun, then SA, then Algeria or CIV.

I prefer to meet CIV in semis though. I don't trust current SE with North African teams - West and South are still okay, na we we.

Senegal is having an easy route.

darkelf:
As I earlier predicted:

Super Eagles to win 2:0 with a goal in either half:

I don't think Ighalo will score today but he will get an assist.

I predict goals coming from Musa and Ndidi (a header via set piece).

I can't put my money on Nigeria keeping clean sheet.

Senegal ends Benin's roller coaster run in Egypt.

Coming this far, they have overachieved already.

Let them go and sit down.