₦airaland Forum

Your analogy is apt. women usually have several suitors and they usually are very careful not to make a mistake, or as they would see it, they want to make the best choice. It is the fear of making a mistake that can make an individual act like that. It's a natural thing. Quite similar with players that have dual or more nationalities. Add to that, age is a factor. Let the young boy really think it through. No pressures from Napoli -- Perfetto!

Blueelf:
SIMPLE...

He is acting like a woman that a guy is asking out. The whole thing is becoming annoying

James Igbekeme: “The quality, the technique… football in Spain is the best”

https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/GOAL/ea/8a/james-igbekemereal-zaragoza_109i9245c0cgo1av4dakjf13v3.jpg

The Nigerian has been playing for Real Zaragoza in Spain’s second tier since 2018 and is pushing for promotion to La Liga Santander
Real Zaragoza are one of the most historic clubs of Spanish football and they’re pushing for a return to the top division this season, doing so with James Igbekeme at the heart of their midfield. The 25-year-old Nigerian signed for Los Blanquillos in 2018 and recently renewed his contract to 2023. His desire is to play in La Liga Santander, Spain’s top division, over the next years of his contract and he recently discussed that ambition and much more with South African presenter Carol Tshabalala on Goal.com’s La Liga Inside… series.

Adapting to the style of Spanish football

Before moving to Real Zaragoza in the summer of 2018, Igbekeme already had an experience of European football given that he’d spent his entire senior career up to that point in Portugal. In 2017/18, the season before his move across the border, he was with Gil Vicente in the Portuguese second tier, but he nevertheless found the style of football quite different in Spain after arriving at Zaragoza.

The football in Portugal was more physical,” he says. “When I came to Spain, I saw that they played technically. Because of my fitness level, I think I adapted quickly to the football of Spain. In Spain the ball moves more than you run, so you need to adapt to that mentally. That was difficult at first, but I was able to adapt.”

Having settled in and having already made over 50 appearances in La Liga SmartBank, the midfielder is thrilled to be playing in a league with such high technical quality. As he told Tshabalala: “For me it’s a dream come true to play in Spain. Football in Spain is the best. The quality, the technique… it is all so special. I’m very happy to be in Spain playing now.”

Dreams of La Liga Santander

Even though playing in La Liga SmartBank is already a dream come true for Igbekeme, he has set his sights on La Liga Santander with Real Zaragoza currently in the automatic promotion spots and targeting a return to the top tier. Historically, the club from Spain’s north-eastern region of Aragon have been close to an ever-present in the top division. In fact, only eight clubs have spent more seasons in Spain’s top tier than Real Zaragoza, with their 58 top-flight campaigns.

As such, there is serious determination at La Romareda, from the dressing room – which features the likes of former Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa – to the board room, to take the club back to the highest level of the Spanish footballing pyramid. As Igbekeme explained: “We have very good players in the team, and we have a good coach. The president is doing his best also. The players are all ambitious to take the club back to La Liga Santander.”

The coach he praised is Víctor Fernández, a club legend who was in charge back in 1995 when Real Zaragoza won the European Cup Winners' Cup and who has returned to lead the side to promotion. Igbekeme and the coach have very quickly developed a strong relationship. “It has been amazing working with Víctor Fernandez,” says Igbekeme. “Working with the previous coaches at the club was good too, but I have more playing time with Víctor Fernandez. We have trust between us. If possible, I want to play under him also if we reach the first division.”

Dealing with the coronavirus halt to the season

Real Zaragoza’s momentum was completely disrupted by the global Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently enforced pause. They remain in the automatic promotion spots, but their form has dipped since the restart in June.

“As time goes on, we are trying to get our rhythm back as it was before the lockdown,” he says. “I think things are going better now and, with the fitness level, we are catching up little by little.”

Igbekeme also reflected on the fact that matches are behind closed doors and explained that the players understand why such measures are necessary right now. “Playing without the fans is not a good feeling, but we just need to adapt to the situation,” he said. “This is the reality and there’s nothing we can do.”

The Nigerians of La Liga Santander

Samuel Chukwueze Villarreal 2019-20
If Real Zaragoza does secure promotion over the final few weeks of the season, then Igbekeme would come across several other Nigerian players in Spain’s topflight. Currently, there are five players from Nigeria in La Liga Santander, namely Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal), Ramon Azeez (Granada), Oghenekaro Etebo (Getafe) and Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem (Leganes).

The 25-year-old revealed that the only one who he keeps in contact with regularly is Azeez, but that he is rooting for each of them whenever they take to the pitch. “I haven’t met them, but I do support them whenever they have their league games,” Igbekeme said of his fellow Spain-based Nigerians.


Igbekeme is confident that if he continues to impress for Zaragoza, and especially if the team reach the topflight, that he could finally receive a call-up to the Nigerian national team and be given the chance to represent the Super Eagles.

“It’s every young player’s dream to represent their country,” he says. “All I need is the chance. I think I will have a chance soon, but first I need to do my best in my team to make sure we go to La Liga Santander. There, there are a lot of people watching and you have the chance to be called up by the national team.”

--Goal

Iorfa is WhoScored MOTM

Adarabioyo VS Ajayi

Tega!!!!

Cardiff gragra no be here

how is that not pena?

komekn:
Tega has improved oh.

Eéeeeeee be like egbe wager for that midfield but one were deh do martial art not just colobee.

lol.. that guy like fight.. he lucky say he no get read

komekn:
Tega has improved oh.

Eéeeeeee be like egbe wager for that midfield but one were deh do martial art not just colobee.

Tega playing #10, not bad.

komekn:
Meanwhile I am watching Fulham Vs Cardiff

The quintessential kick and rush blood and guts team against a footballing side, that play good quality on the deck football.

And a striker that would probably walk into every EPL team Mitrovic.

And of course we have Tega Onomah playing in midfield. He has improved and if all goes well in the playoffs he could be in the EPL next season.

Nothing spectacular about that Zaidu guy from watching the 1st half.

Mikel Agu putting in another good shift
78 minutes gone.

Igbekeme, umpteenth muscle injury and loss for Tenerife and what remains

James Igbekeme is the umpteenth injury injury in this 2019-20 season for Real Zaragoza . The Nigerian midfielder, who had been limping in recent days (he no longer played because he was played against Rayo Vallecano this past Monday), suffers a fibrillar fracture in one leg and does not travel to Tenerife, in addition to missing the games that remain in the league and that will take place in just 10 calendar days.

Igbekeme thus joins the list of injured in recent weeks: Guitián, El Yamiq, those already recovered to forced marches Vigaray and Puado ...

[Translated with Google]

gay full naija based on wetin i dey hear.. it's just a taboo subject

benji93:
Be careful, some of them may be roaming around oooo.

Clash of heads. Kayode down

wetin i talk na?

JayromWrites:
Nice shot na


Make e kee himself

Iwobi chai!!!

Update on Osimhen?

Ifunanyachi Achara Undergoes Successful Surgery
July 9, 2020
10:00AM EDT
Toronto FC Communications

Toronto FC announced that rookie midfielder Ifunanyachi Achara underwent successful surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his left knee on Tuesday. The surgery was performed by Dr. Tim Dwyer and Dr. Danny Whelan at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. Achara will begin rehabilitation and will miss the remainder of the 2020 season.

oya give u new news na

komekn:
Old news

Is Napoli the right destination for in-demand Osimhen?
Solace Chukwu | Correspondent

https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/GOAL/94/32/victor-osimhen_1mxukc9c5kwtu1t27kps66d6ex.jpg

It now seems inevitable that the Nigeria international will move to Naples this summer, but it is by no means certain it is the right destination
You would have received long odds on the first real transfer saga of the summer involving a Nigerian player...but here we are.

There is one thing that is known about Victor Osimhen for sure. He will not begin the 2020/21 season with Lille, or in Ligue 1 for that matter. Les Dogues have a model that is hinged on buying low and selling high, and have reportedly begun to plan for a future without their sought-after number nine.

Where will he play then?

At this time, Napoli hold the best hand. They received Osimhen in Naples last week, ostensibly to hammer out personal terms, but as part of a charm offensive. Being a showbiz man, president Aurelio De Laurentiis knows a thing or two about entertaining in style.

And yet, doubts remain. Not least for the player himself, who has previously expressed admiration for Chelsea, and is reportedly holding out for interest from the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur enquired, but were rebuffed in the understanding that, with Harry Kane as club captain and first-choice centre-forward, playing opportunities would be scant. The truth, heartbreaking as it might be for Osimhen, is that none of England's top sides have a pressing need for a starting striker.

As such, it seems only a matter of time before the transfer to Napoli finally gets over the line.

That logically leads to the next consideration: just how good a move is it?

Well, it depends on what the indices are. In terms of history, Napoli is very attractive, both as a home and a launch pad for a number of great players down the years. Diego Maradona is the most obvious one, but even narrowing it down to just strikers – Careca, Edinson Cavani, Gonzalo Higuain, Dries Mertens – leads one to conclude there is a fine tradition there into which Osimhen can immerse himself.

The club's profile in Europe is also very respectable. Per Uefa's club coefficient, they are ranked 16th in Europe—just outside the true elite, but still one of the heavyweights. Make no mistake, there will be pressure at a club of this level, but perhaps not the cloying, intrusive kind that is characteristic of the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United, for instance.

Napoli is also a club that has shown a willingness to embrace its own. All the aforementioned forwards mentioned have enjoyed almost godlike adulation in Naples, and Osimhen's earnest play, work rate and humility would no doubt endear him to the Neapolitan crowd. "He will become their superstar," Lille president Gerard Lopez told La Voix De Nord.

That is not to say it is all positive, of course.

Despite a revival under Gennaro Gattuso, the club will not be playing Champions League football in 2020/21. That is far from a deal breaker, but it is an important stage for the very best players in Europe, and one on which Osimhen already excelled with a callow Lille side last year. In that sense, and that sense alone, the Europa League (if they qualify for that) would represent a real step down.

There is also a concern over the continued viability of the Napoli project.

For all his good work so far, it is simply impossible to accurately parse Gattuso's influence on the actual mechanics of the team's play. Sure, he has made them grittier and more solid defensively, and there seems a real calcification of their overall mental approach to the game.

That said, a lot of the play still draws heavily on the influence of former manager Maurizio Sarri. The combinations are not as crisp, of course, but the muscle memory remains, as does the system.

What happens when that wears out?

The timeline for this is short too, as a rebuild is afoot at Stadio San Paolo. The likes of Jose Callejon, Kalidou Koulibaly and Allan are set to depart; all were stalwarts under Sarri, steeped in his ways. Beyond the concomitant instability that is associated with the process of a rebuild, this drain could expose Gattuso's lack of an attacking strategy even more.

A look at the Expected Goals numbers for Serie A is revealing: Napoli have an xG of 49.9, a tally only good enough for sixth in the league. With few(er) chances created comes greater pressure on the centre-forward to be perfect, hardly an optimal situation for a young striker still learning his craft and figuring out how to best utilize his admittedly considerable gifts.

It is a potentially precarious situation into which Osimhen would be walking. However, the 21-year-old is nothing if not resilient; so far in his career, he has shown the capacity to rise to the level required, and the aptitude to learn quickly. As Lopez said, "Victor has the strength to perform under pressure."

It is a strength he will need to summon if he is to succeed in Italy. For all that Napoli are enamored with him now, there are enough caveats that suggest it might not be plain sailing all the way through.

--GOAL

A take from one of the other sides. Maybe we can learn one or two things from here.

---

Young, black and Irish - the generation ready to rise
By Anthony Pyne | RTÉ Sport journalist

Chiedoze Ogbene's declaration for the Republic of Ireland is a cause for celebration - and not just because the 23-year-old's career is on an upward curve that looks likely to keep rising.

Ogbene is the third player to publicly air their desire to represent Ireland over Nigeria in the last two years, following in the footsteps of Michael Obafemi and Jonathan Afolabi.

There's a slew of footballers currently blossoming in our underage ranks who have the same ancestry.

Centre-half Andrew Omobamidele, currently at Norwich City, was born in Dublin. His mother is from Cork and his father is Nigerian. He graduated from an excellent Leixlip United side that produced two other Ireland Under-18 internationals - goalkeeper Harry Halwax, currently of Derby County, and winger Josh Giurgi, who's also at Norwich.

At Carrow Road, he can take inspiration from Republic of Ireland Under-21 striker Adam Idah, born in Cork to an Irish mother and a Nigerian father, and currently on the fringes of the Canaries first team.

Ireland Under-19s full-back Festy Ebosele is also making progress at Derby. His dad Fustas moved to Enniscorthy from Nigeria in 2000. He told the Gorey Guardian that his son has been "football mad since he first started playing the Moyne Rangers when he was around eight". Now he's trying to catch the eye of former Barcelona star Philip Cocu.

Gavin Bazunu was a sensation at Shamrock Rovers, his displays enticing Manchester City to make a swoop for the keeper when he was just 16.

When he made his debut for City's Under-18s against Stoke in 2019, Bazunu lined up alongside Timi Sobowale. Both were born and raised here and have played for Ireland Under-19s; both are also eligible to play for Nigeria, with the Golden Eagles particularly keen on Bazunu.

The list goes on and on - a generation of Irishmen whose parents came to this country in the 90s/early noughties for a new life, kids who've grown up here, honed their sporting excellence to now find themselves with extra international options given their heritage.

Not that the players themselves are overcomplicating matters.

They are, as Obafemi put it, "all in".

"I knew that I was going to choose Ireland, but obviously everyone from the outside was bringing England and Nigeria into it, but I don't think I was ever going to choose any of the other ones," the Southampton attacker told RTÉ Sport last year. "I was born in Ireland so I don't see a reason why I should play for England or Nigeria."

Celtic frontman Afolabi was similarly emphatic. "I've grown up in Ireland," he told the42 last summer. "I know where I'm from is Tallaght in Dublin. I’ve spoken to my parents. My ma doesn’t know much about football. She wants me play for Nigeria, because it’s her home country. But I’ve been playing with Ireland for a long time and want to keep that going. That’s the way I see it."

It all seems like much ado about nothing to the footballers themselves and that in itself is a testament to a lot of the work done at grassroots level over the last 15 years.

Des Tomlinson is the FAI's National Co‑ordinator for the Intercultural Structural Programme.

He's been working in the role since 2007, which was, he says, "a period of peak inward migration in Ireland, when it changed from being quite monocultural to one that's more pluralistic in terms of people's background and so on".

Tomlinson classes himself as being London-Jamaican. "That recognises my Jamaican heritage, and I was born in London. My parents migrated to the UK in the 60s. I understand the process [of integration]. When you do have a sense of that it does help."

Over the last 13 years he's seen Ireland change and been at the forefront of efforts to enable black Irish children to embed themselves in their communities through football.

"The strategy that was put together, it was about making a conscious effort to support the process of integration through football," he says when reflecting on the progress made since '07.

"Integration is a two-way thing. It was about reaching out.

"We'd try to establish creative partners or link up with community activists that would have connections into groups. That's one way of doing it. Another way of doing it is through programmes. We have an after-school programme that runs for six weeks, and after that it links people into a club, for the club to run an open day or some action that engages people.

"Some clubs would have been doing that organically themselves. Our role is to try and support that. It's a combination of strategic stuff nationally and some things that are more organic.

"Things happen because of programmes, programmes play a part, but also affiliates on the ground, where they're doing stuff organically. I'd definitely take some pride in the fact programmes have been able to try and help that process.

"At the same time I'm not positioning that as something that's just done by a programme. Our affiliates, the ones who are in diverse areas and can see the value in inclusion, play a massive role as well."

Brian Killoran, CEO Immigrant Council of Ireland, further emphasises that point.

"Integration happens in local communities," he stresses.

"It's the type of thing that happens in housing estates, in towns, in villages across the country. Any opportunity that exists for people in a local community to get to know each other is a massive advantage.

"Sport is one of the biggest things you can do from an integration perspective because it's such a great uniter at local level.

"Young people whose parents were migrants see themselves as being as Irish as the next kid. They're joining sports clubs and coming up the ranks, using sport as a method to get to know their peers, with the parents also using the clubs as an opportunity to get to know the community around them - it's such a residual hub, a brilliant place for integration to happen. It's a crucial element of it."

We are on the precipice of a generation of black Irish sportspeople taking prominence on an international stage - in soccer and track and field particularly.

This generation represents a new Ireland, a cosmopolitan and diverse country. They've also been brave enough to speak out about problems they've encountered along the way...

--RTE Sport

anyway it shows character.. but insults na norm here.

Blueelf:
For throwing insults at another??

Why u dey apologize?

Blueelf:
Bro, you know I hardly even go there even when I am insulted, I display calmness

But he started it

I apologize to the entire thread, It was unlike me

cc thesupernerd, komekn, thegoodjoe, edopesin, subzero etc

I mention he name?

andrewbaba44:
You guys should stop mentioning bench warmers here Abeg

I remember most of you mocking azubuike and Anthony ujah yet dem Dey play ball

you mean his bench game?

andrewbaba44:
How is nwakali game ?

Omoruyi is 20. Not too young

modified
well, 19.

ChrisKels:
With two Nigerians on the bench.

Nwakali and little known young forward, Kevin Omoruyi

Watching Huesca VS Alcorcon.
it's 2-1. Huesca leading

Top Rated Players in the Championship
Sources:
1. WhoScored
2. SofaScore

Top Interceptions and Top Tackles per game, in the EPL (SofaScore)

oh boy!!!

Saka good sha

Edopesin:
Saka with the assist

These players be shutting their Nairaland haters

Auba is something else