₦airaland Forum

Joebie:
SE HOPEFULS BEST XI (ROUND 3)

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CENTER-FORWARD
Tammy Abraham now joins the legion of SE HOPEFULS as he expressed his openness to the possibility of representing Nigeria in an exclusive interview with ACL Sports recently. Coupled with his brace for Chelsea in the last EPL round, Tammy upstages David Okereke as the top center-forward so far this 19/20 season, considering he plays in the highest rated league (UEFA Coefficient Ranking for 2019 Season). Prior to his goals, Tammy has enjoyed lots of minutes under Chelsea's new handlers, and also has a Super Cup assist to his credit. On the other hand, Okereke has found it hard to put his name on the scoresheet lately, and has not been able to replicate his Jupiler league form in UEFA Champions league qualifiers, failing to score after 4 games. The battle continues for this sole forward spot though.

ADVANCE MIDFIELD
We have familiar faces here as Ebere Eze returns to the squad after missing out in our previous SE HOPEFULS post, whereas, Samuel Eduok drops off. Eze was named to the Championship Team of the Week by WhoScored with the HIGHEST rating (8.9) for a Championship Player. His immense contribution in QPR's 3-1 home win over Wigan earned him rave reviews in various media outlets. Eze has earned two MOTM mentions so far in this current season.
Abdul Ajagun remains unrivaled in the AM role despite failing to make a mark in Kortrijk's weekend loss. Ajagun's spot in the team is not guaranteed in future though, as other rival midfielders can still play as AMs.
Sheyi Ojo keeps his spot as an inverted winger although he has caused all sorts of problems to opposing defenders this season whenever he is found operating from his preferred LW/LM role. Seyi has 4 goals and made 3 assists in all competitions this season, but has Club Brugge's Dennis Bonaventure, who scored in UEFA Champions League qualification, following behind closely.

CENTER-MIDFIELD
Ovie Ejaria failed to get a consecutive spot in WhoScored's Championship Team of the Week, but continued to sparkle scoring for Reading in their 2-0 win at Huddersfield.

DEFENSIVE-MIDFIELD
Kingsley Michael made his long awaited Serie A bow for Bolgona over the weekend, lasting 77 minutes. Michael also started for Bologna 5 days prior to the Verona tie, as he was featured for 90 mins in their 3-0 away win over Serie B side, AC Pisa in Coppa Italia. These feats by the former Golden Eaglet midfielder ensures that he eclipses Anderson Esiti as the most impressive SE Hopeful Defensive Midfielder so far. Esiti, on his part, failed to inspire his Greek side, PAOK, as they lost away to a Slovakian opposition in Europa League 1st leg play off. Esiti has enjoyed more playing time this season though, playing a part in the back-to-back UEFA qualification bouts with Ajax and also clocking 90 minutes in the just started Greek Super League season. To reclaim a spot in the SE Hopefuls XI, the forgotten Eagle would need to be outstanding in the lowly Greek League and also try to help PAOK overturn the 1-0 deficit as they take on Slovan Bratislava in the Europa League play-off 2nd leg tomorrow. And of course, that is if Michael fails to get more playing time in the Italian top flight.

FULL BACKS
Felix Agu is still proving untouchable in the backline. I have moved him to the LB position, where he has also played in the Bundesliga II this season, while the less impressive Chima Okoroji takes the back seat this week. And this gives way for Kingsley Ehizibue in Right-Back. The Dutch-Nigerian has made a U-turn as he now fancies his chances with the Nigerian national team. Although Kingsley has suffered two losses in this Bundesliga season, he has enjoyed the maximum possible playing time, and is playing at the highest level compared to his SE hopefuls Full-Back contemporaries.

CENTER-BACK
Despite failing to feature for Chelsea in their 3-2 win at Norwich on Saturday, and only managing a cameo this season in Chelsea's Super Cup loss to Liverpool, Fikayo Tomori keeps his place by virtue of lack of competition. There isn't any deserving SE Hopeful center-back out there who has enjoyed more playing time than the former England junior international, except Ike Opara who's had a longer season in the MLS. And talking about Opara, he also keeps his spot as the second center-back in this week's XI.

GK
On August 24th, Austin Ejide returned to action in the Israeli first tier (Ligat Ha'Al). As captain, he helped Hapoel Hadera force a draw against visiting FC Ashdod.
Didn't you ask for it? ... I'll be curious to know if there is a more active SE Hopeful GK out there,

Brilliant write-up, keep it up bro

Throwback to 2010

Vincent Enyeama 🇳🇬 vs Lionel Messi

Nigeria vs Argentina
2010 FIFA World Cup pic.twitter.com/iFXNaEkpuF

— AfricaFootballClassics (@AfricaClassic) August 28, 2019

Apparently Balogun had a great game on Tuesday, hope he can leave BHA before the end of the European transfer window

komekn:
Quite a long time ago.

I asked for a comparison to be made on the assumed quality attributes of the German origin defensive players all three of them Udokhai, Torunarigha, Akpoguma and Dominic Iorfa.

There was hell fire and brimstone name calling and vitriolic rhetoric. But nobody ever attempted to look at these players.

All three of the German players rejected calls to represent Nigeria[b]. Dominic Iorfa has never REJECTED Nigeria[/b] only made a very diplomatic proviso that he will commit when he got to 23. He actually committed at 21 resulting in a visit from Rohr in March 2017 but no call up to date.

There has always been a BIGOTED DOUBLE STANDARD on this subject.

Look at the number of games these guys have played and they are way behind Dominic. But many are blinded to these facts but picking up on hearsay as facts.

Please na, let's hear word

TheSuperNerd:
Who is Rohr referring to?

“When I go out, I feel this love, I feel it everywhere. The
only people I don’t feel this love from, there is only one
category especially after the AFCON, and you know who it
is. But everywhere, if it is here or in other places, I feel this
love, this is a reason for me, which makes it very hard to
leave because there is human relationship which is
important also.
.
This is the most passionate (job) because the passion
around me is giving me also the passion, enthusiasm and
desire to do well. This job here is very different because we
speak English, which I did not speak for a long time, since
my school time. But I have learnt back quickly; the
mentality is also different."

-Gernot Rohr, Super Eagles Head Coach.

Ex-players I think

charlesemeka85:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGUhbC55hHs

ebere eze's goal

This QPR no get strikers o

Danielnino00:
I won't agree with u on that though....IMO, his problem is that he got too comfortable while playing at city and didn't take time to adapt to Leicester style of play... There's no way he wasn't aware that Leicester was completely different from man city before he signed for them... He just couldn't fit in.. And all then the distractions set in..

If we are to use his preseason form as a yardstick, then maybe he is back in form... however, the Brendan Rodgers I know won't bench Vardy for him anytime soon.. A loan move from Leicester may do him a lot of good...

Against Cambridge united??

Danielnino00:
They can tag me whatever they like..I don't care... Iheanacho's career hasn't been going well since he left city.. That's the fact... anybody that thinks otherwise is lying...

One of his fanboys won't let us rest about how Leicester system was affecting him... now the system is favourable but he isn't getting game time because he couldn't performed in the previous unfavourable system....

He's still soaking in the drills

BascoVanVeli:
Akpeyi made a point saving penalty stop for his club today.

If he like he should make a league winning save, we are not doing again

komekn:
I remember some Superdelusuional overly optimistic assumed football analyst announced. KC is back to form.

The reality for KC is that no Championship side that's forward thinking will even take him on.

But somehow he has been called to the SE on what basis 5 goals in two seasons of the EPL.

Fallacy

krattoss:
ndidi has a case. He is fatigued and recently graduated from his school

Nacho own is getting worse day by
day.
I hear say he wan force move this transfer..

Make dude no go price more than he can pay

Don't think this is true, he knows Leicester won't do business

Nacho,Ndidi, Success and Balogun all fail to make match day squad of their respective teams

TheGoodJoe:
Yes. Renato is still 22 but he needs to get his head right and make the right moves. He should be thinking of dropping his wages and heading to Ajax. A place he will walk into the first team, have his game refined and then grow. Or look for a Spanish side known for keeping the ball. Sevilla currently looks a good direction.

Let us hope he finds his way at Lille but it would be sad if such talent is wasted due to mismanagement from greedy agents and managers.

Why do you like to blame other parties when a player flop? Bayern play possessive football, they control BuLi the guy just didn't up his game it's not about coach or management he just didn't prove good enough

Danielnino00:
When was the last time a super eagle player rejected an invitation to the national team??

They can't do that cus it would put them in the bad books of the NFF and Nigerians..

Even u can't deny that some of d players need d break.. Marco Silva just said Iwobi isn't fully ready to play yet cus he missed pre season..think how much good it will do Iwobi if he can spend one or two free weeks to train with Everton instead of flying to Kiev (fatigue could set in) .. also there's Onuchu who just joined Genk..

I'm not saying the whole team should be rested but quite a good number of them need the rest....

you are correct, players like Etebo, Ndidi, Iwobi, Onuachu deserve to be rested

Second obituary of the day

I remember this guy from the 2008 nations cup, RIP man

Earthquake1:
Leicester city wants Nigeria to excuse Ndidi from Ukraine friendly

https://owngoalnigeria.com/2019/08/22/leicester-city-want-nigeria-to-excuse-wilfred-ndidi-from-ukraine-friendly-hes-tired/

I agree, he's barely rested

komekn:
I know say you go school but he be like say u I know complete your schooling.

You leaped before you looked in otherwords you didn't read the complete comments and digest properly before making your misguided and infantile inference.

Let me reiterate to educate you, l said he has been unable to replicate the same goal tally, GETTING ONLY HALF OF HIS NORMAL GOAL TALLY IN FRENCH LEAGUE ONE IN THE EPL.

I think you should apologise unreservedly for calling me liar. The facts are below.

he scored a lot of penalty in ligue 1 and he sure had a lot of playing time but in arsenal he's not on penalty duty and he hardly ever play 90min in some games last season he was outrightly benched, so saying he's not performing up to standard is misinformation

The young shall grow

Icon4s:
Did we not watch live the football event of the last all African games? Why can't we watch it this year?

What is the essence of playing games that cannot be watched.?

If that is the case then the AAG should be scrapped. nonsense.

if not because you said it, I wouldn't have known any competition is going on the publicity is very bad

Later today

safarigirl:
he did not spew trash, he simply asked "So?" It's nothing to get worked up over. You made two statements, you don't know which one the question was for, but you're already going all kung fu master on the guy

Don't understand how people will be quarrelling with someone you've never and may never see all their life, that thing still dey baffle me

Rashdimuh:
I am just educating the other guy don't you ever 'So' me. Before coming to spill trash on nairaland always do research very well cos there are lots of folks here that will school you.

No vex, I just saw your signature so I fully understand now. Please use that your schooling energy on something more productive

Rashdimuh:
Lol Google Search his name The full name is Joshua Eriwoli Orisunbare Majasola, he is a Yoruba boy. Google is your friend.Even his name is also Oluwaseun lols, Do you know Burna boy has a Yoruba name and the name is Ebunoluwa.

So??

tbaba1234:
More Ejide.

Looks more like a ref here than an active player.

I actually tot he's the ref

Taliban:
Enyeama during his younger days still better pass uncle akpere and company o. Uzoho has potentials but uncle Akpere? No way.

Akpeyi is 32 already, he's on his way out

Taliban:
Ideally we shouldn't need these goals but desperate times call for desperate measures. Our goalkeeping department has been in crisis no other way to say it. Even Neur, De Gea dey make mistakes too, is it because they are old?

I don't think it's in crisis, we don't have a top class keeper like Vinny but the replacement haven't been too bad Akpeyi didn't do badly at the AFCON that freekick could have been conceded by any GK remember Enyeama against Korea in 2010, Seychelles aside Uzoho haven't made any mistake, Ezenwa have not done badly anytime he's in goal for us then we'll see what Maduka can do. Calling Ejide and Aiyenugba no too make sense to me because at their prime they were not so great talk less now wey dey don old

BARAJ92:
Which other keeper was available, both Ejide and Enyeama were backup to Ike before is retirement. Also Enyeama was performing for the team.
Both Akpeyi and Ezenwa are not young keeper.

We could have begged Ike to stay, Enyeama had sharp reflexes but he was bad at one on one and crosses but we knew he had great potentials so we kept faith with him

Taliban:
Is dele Aiyenugba also in the Israeli league? If both Ejide and Aiyenugba are still playing active football with the keeper crisis we have I don't see why we can't give them invites and if they are past it, drop them finish. Edwin Van Der Saar came out of retirement and was still top class. Peter Shilton retired in his 40s, David seaman was around for a long time, we all still see Buffon so we shouldn't discriminate on those two based on their age. If they still have ir, could even be a good opportunity for the upcoming to learn from them in person.

You people be shouting Buffon since, Buffon was the one who eliminated psg from last season champions league, Seaman dash Brazil victory in 2002 if either of Aiyenugba or Ejide have a terrible game for us na una go still come back and say why Rhor dey parade grandpas as keeper

tbaba1234:
The last time i saw Ejide in the post, he already looked past it and this is several years later. Have you watched an Ejide game recently?

I think the last time he played for us he kept dropping the ball

Joebie:
Of course I’m not expecting he will be considered. However, that doesn’t stop me from stating the obvious. There is no guarantee these young keepers will be great in a couple years from now. Football is here and now. Who is the best now? Then the question, will they get better??

After Ike retired we had Enyeama, Ejide and Aiyenugba I think, all played local football and were very young but still kept faith in them till they came good. So keeping faith with these young guys isn't a bad idea besides Ezenwa no be small boy

forgiveness:
Loftus Cheek
Marco Van Ginkel
Hudson Odoi

The fuq is this? When was the last time this one play for una?