₦airaland Forum

No need to curse na. But komekn fall my hand here. Chukwueze is undisputedly the most promising Nigerian prospect (anglo-Nigerians inclusive).

TheSuperNerd:
Will you shut your mouth and stop yapping nonsense for once about any Indigenous born Nigerian talent??

How many games this!! How many games that!!! A lad with 2 goals and an assist and two MOTM awards in six senior games for Villarreal this season in all competitions!!! A lad who only made his debut for Villarreal B in April this year and has risen so fast to the first Team of Villarreal!!! A lad that even La Liga have recognised officially among their best young players!!! Komekn, seriously shut your mouth!! What rubbish!

Your odourous comments subtly playing down the talents of just about any Indigenous-naija born soccer talent is becoming really mega-stinky by the passing attoseconds!!! Nonsense!

You must be as blind as the refs on Saturday that you cannot even spot a genuine talent already recognised by la Liga... Don't be like Gassama and his assistants as depicted below!!

O pari!

kennysville:
I am no longer in the mood for long epistles. Nations cup is almost here. Then we will see what some of us already knew. And the fact is Rorh is clueless! Yes and lemme spell it ...... iN caps.... C-L-U-E-L-E-S-S.

If we really wanna be honest, we didnt fail to qualify for afcon on field of play per se. Like Joebie said, we lost because of NFF shenanigans. Many of us celebrate qualification ticket more than the actual Showpiece. Pray tell folks. OF what use is ur qualifying when you will still get to be playing boring matches at the Afcon or worldcup? Wouldnt it be beta u neva qualified in the first place? Why do you think its easier during qualifiers than actual tournaments? Simple. Its always a 2 legged affair. Unfortunately, our dinasaur gaffer will make the same mistake he made at the world cup. Dont be shocked. A word is enough for the wise

Olympics nko?

tbaba1234:
It has to do with personal issues. Dalung was not happy that he was not involved in all the sponsorship deals in the run up to the World cup.

Over two legs? I’m not even focusing on the results alone. Did you even watch those games?

chrisooblog:
put Senegal side by side with guinea, put Ghana side by side with Kenya who get talent pass but what was the result when they faced each other

Thank you very much sir. Even many who are praising Rohr today would have called for a sack if he were an indegeneous coach.

joseph1013:
Even Oliseh did not cover himself in glory with respect to selection. Silvester Igboun was always the first on his list. I could not understand it until we learnt his brother is the guy's agent.

Where is Igboun now?

Rohr also has some dodgy selection problems. Ezenwa's surprising calls to the national team and his shocking inclusion in yesterday's game is a baggage that is difficult to explain away.

His constant refusal to give Onyekuru considerable time in matches is also to be explained.

I think we deserve better than what Rohr is giving us. No coach in the history of the country has enjoyed the kind of support, both morally and financially, he's enjoying from the NFF.

If Keshi or Amodu had produced what he did at the World Cup, they would have been sacked. No questions about it.

Oya put our talents side by side with SA na.
If you really dont have talents play with a big heart as a team.

chrisooblog:
for once I'm in agreement with you that we over estimate our talent sometimes

Haha abi why una think say Buhari put am there? cabal and friends only must chop.

tbaba1234:
Dalung

BascoVanVeli:
That is exactly what we did. We removed a championship winning black woman for a white man with zero pedigree on the continent.

Those people who were saying we need to destroy SA this weekend, where are you? Two games gone, none was ticked.

fabyom:
Southie 1 naija 0. What a disgraceful and shambolic display.

Yea, when we achieve 100% private funding we won’t have to worry about that zoo budget. #UpPinnick

tbaba1234:
More.

Ohhh K. Nwakali didn’t play yesterday. Don’t even start that debate.

TheGoodJoe:
When we talk our quality of talents, we are talking with respect to the South African side, not Aguero and Messi.

Kelechi Nwakali is a special talent. That is not even up for debate. The case where Kelechi Nwakali is concerned is nurturing his talent to become a top quality player.

Kpele o. U are always somehow.

somehow:
No sir, it was Someone

Corruption is rewarded in our system. A pat at the back and everyone looks the other way. How about we reward excellence? Let’s build an environment where if you are good people will open way for you. The best should be given the opportunity and resources to do even more, that’s the only way we can make advancement as a nation. Oliseh would have done well but for his poor leadership example. We have capable indigenous coaches, and if the environment is right they won’t see the need to be corrupt, and those who still are corrupt should be duly purnished. However, tomorrow, Yusuf will be back running things.

Humility017:
so unfortunate...
the only thing really working for rohr..is integrity at least he is less corrupt when compared to Nigeria coaches..

I am still suspecting him and Baxter have one kind of naughty relationship that made him give up this match so easily.

had it been he raised eyebrows after the first disallowed goal....he really take time talk to the refree and lines men...
the second won't have repeat itself.

Ok I thought it was another moniker

do4luv14:
bro, SOMEHOW don repent oooo,
e say make we forgive am

Was it you?

somehow:
After rewatching clearly, i came here to change my view. you no see am oga Joe?

Why can’t many of us see this as a big problem going foreard?

TheSuperNerd:
Five takeaways from Nigeria's Nations Cup draw in South Africa
By Colin Udoh, Special to ESPN

NIGERIA PRESSING IS A CONTINUED PROBLEM

It has always been evident, but with the Nations Cup approaching, Rohr might need to spend more time working on his team's pressing.
It is a recurrent problem, but one which does not appear to be seeing any progress. Not even the introduction of the big John Ogu helped matters.
The players press haphazardly, no coordination, no teamwork. As a result, they get bypassed with a single ball, or a skingle move.
No time was it more evident than when Tau walked his way in behind a flat line to set up Mothiba for the goal.


Source: KweseESPN

Where is that moniker who said they were offsides?

charlesemeka85:
The head of the officiating team of yesterday’s AFCON 2019 Qualifiers between South Africa and Nigeria Bakary Papa Gassama has apologised to the Nigerian team after wrongly denying them two goals due to wrong offside calls.


Ahmed Musa put through Kelechi Iheanacho who tapped home believing he has given Nigeria the lead but Musa who supplied the pass was judged by the assistant referee as been in an offside position, something which turned out to be wrong after video replays.

In the second half with less than five minutes to go, Musa was once again at the receiving end of another poor referee decision as he was once again flagged offside incorrectly after slotting home what could have given Nigeria all three points.

The game ended 1-1 with Nigeria sealing her passage to next year Africa Cup of Nations but officials of the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) still expressed their unhappiness to Gassama over the poor decision which cost Nigeria a win.

Gassama admitted the error and even went a step further by sending his apologies to Musa over the incident although he admitted that such errors are sometimes unavoidable particularly due to the non-availability of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

I’m sure u have not been following my posts enough. I’ve not always been a critic of Rohr and Pinnick. Those two guys have enjoyed my backing for large spells on this thread. But I will always criticize constructively. The time will come, and even you will say it’s time to move on. But I’m afraid Pinnick may want to keep faith with him, just as he doing with Yusuf, and Rohr did with Yusuf. There is no conspiracy here o

Chukwuemeka007:
Like I said in the first paragraph of my submission, I'm not absolving Rohr of any wrongdoings. Yes, like in every team not just the SE there are still loose ends to tighten up and records to equal and hopefully surpass but let's throw in our opinions in a manner that won't seem to be rubbishing his current achievements and efforts.

About the QF stuff, yes it was your statement I was referring to and thanks for making your point clearer.

All I'm hammering on is let's not become armchair critics with high level of pessimism.

I endorse this. 110% from me. This is close to what I’ve been saying — “Nigeria’s pressing”

TheSuperNerd:
Five takeaways from Nigeria's Nations Cup draw in South Africa
By Colin Udoh, Special to ESPN



In the end, Nigeria and South Africa settled for a point apiece in their grudge 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Johannesburg.

Samuel Kalu orchestrated the Nigerian lead within the opening 15 minutes, but Percy Tau engineered a comeback, assisting Lebo Mothiba to draw Bafana Bafana level.
The point proved enough for the Super Eagles to seal their ticket to Cameroon, but Bafana still have it all to do against Libya next March.


Here are five observations from the game from Nigeria's point of view:



NDIDI WAS MISSED

How Gernot Rohr would have rued the absence of Wilfred Ndidi. The Leicester man was suspended after he picked up two bookings in the last qualifiers.
Without him, the Super Eagles midfield looked slow, ponderous and all over the shop. Tackles were lost, interceptions missed, and passing laboured.
Oghenekaro Etebo did well to run himself aground trying to make up for deficiencies elsewhere, but even he had his own struggles. And the usually imperious Alex Iwobi struggled under the elevation and heat.




MUSA/IHEANACHO PARTNERSHIP NEEDS REVIEW

It did not work at the World Cup, and it is not quite shaping up here. Okay, it looked good for half of one game against Iceland, but this Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho partnership does not seem to be what the doctor ordered.
Rohr playing three at the back was an inspired decision, and took the South Africans by surprise. However, while the combo looked good with some fine interpassing at the beginning of the game, it just drifted out gradually.
The introduction of Isaac Success breathed some life back into it but by then Musa was suffering the effects of the altitude.
Perhaps Iheanacho's lack of form may have something to do with it, but it might be time to see a different partnership when next Rohr lines up like that. Musa/Isaac may prove more of a success.




NIGERIA PRESSING IS A CONTINUED PROBLEM

It has always been evident, but with the Nations Cup approaching, Rohr might need to spend more time working on his team's pressing.
It is a recurrent problem, but one which does not appear to be seeing any progress. Not even the introduction of the big John Ogu helped matters.
The players press haphazardly, no coordination, no teamwork. As a result, they get bypassed with a single ball, or a single move.
No time was it more evident than when Tau walked his way in behind a flat line to set up Mothiba for the goal.



KALU MAKING LIFE HARD FOR SIMON/ROHR

Moses Simon has been fuming for the last couple of games. The forward, who has only just returned from injury, has found his spot taken by the excellent and ever-improving Samuel Kalu.

But what irks the Levante forward to no end is how he has been excluded from the matchday squad three games in succession.
That may be an issue, but with Kalu's current form, it is hard to see Simon -- a Rohr favourite -- making his way back into the first team, at least not immediately. The Bordeaux man has been so good that it would be a serious injustice for Rohr to drop him.
Simon will have to bide his time and make the best of his chance when he gets it, as is very likely, against Uganda. But Kalu will continue to be the starter.



EZENWA SHOWS WHY GOALIES' DELIVERIES NEED WORK

Ikechukwu Ezenwa had practically nothing to do all game. But the one thing he could have done and failed miserably at, was in his deliveries.
Almost every ball the Enyimba keeper tried to send to his players went to the wrong place, either for a throw-in, or to the opposition.
And it is not just an Ezenwa issue. Even Francis Uzoho has the same challenge. Goalkeeper trainer Alloy Agu needs to start working on the goalies to improve their service to the front.
Vincent Enyeama's deliveries were usually the first point of attack for Nigeria. These days, that option is gone.
At the Nations Cup, with margins so thin, it will be necessary for the goalies to do more than save goals.


Source: KweseESPN

We didn’t play for pride yesterday. That’s what mattered to me most. These South Africans are always believing themselves whenever they meet Nigeria. That has got to stop.

Even if SA had lost to us yesterday, a draw against Libya would still have been enough to see them through. The question is where they really under pressure to win?

We dey compare our players to that of the opponent, u dey talk of Bayern Munich. Did u even watch the game? If Percy Tau was Nigerian, you of all people won’t even see him good enough for the bench.

komekn:
Considering the players that we put out there I would say yesterdays match was a resounding success.

We have qualified however, can the team we put out yesterday win the the AFCON 2019. I very much doubt it. There will be changes.

Compared to teams of the past this was a very weak team and in this regard Rohr should be commended.

These players are not coming from Bayern M, Man.city, Juventus and or Barca. I doubt if any of these players can get into any of those teams today.

So let's take things into context and for me they did well. It could easily have gone the other way.

By the way I saw nothing wrong with the formation, that was even my preferred formation before the game. I have criticized constructively, and the argument should be on the points I’ve made. Just because Rohr grinded out the result does not mean we managed some aspects right. We would have paid dearly for losing possession awkwardly several times were it other opoonents. If SA had scored a second goal the narrative here would be quite different.

chrisooblog:
cc. Goodjoe Joebie

Bro, even if we played SA in a friendly today in a neutral ground expect to see the same. With Rohr I know what to expect. And we should all know this if we threw out all sentiments. I know he can win games but I know a tactical coach will always pose him problems.

Well let me take on the issues u seemed to be quoting me. Firstly I never said we will not get to the QF. But I consider getting to the QF an achievement over AFCON qualification.Why? Nigeria is easily among the top 8 teams in Africa or at least should always come out of the group at an AFCON competition. I’m not even setting the bar high here. It’s just the reality, and even our TRUE Team B should be able to pull that off. That’s the bare minimum. I’m saying I’ts far reasonable celebrating that than an AFCON qualification. Those saying we failed to qualify in the past can we be sincere enough to compare the circumstances. Our failures were purely caused by administrative lapses in the glass house. Even Yusuf would qualify us for the AFCON given him the right working environment Rohr has enjoyed. You guys failed to realize that Rohr has enjoyed the backing of the NFF than any coach has ever had. I want to applaud Pinnick for that, and he also gave Oliseh that kind of support. Siasia only had a stint. Or did u guys think Rohr would have qualified us in that Siasia circumstance? Every coach deserves support. I will say it again, if Nigeria can promote an atmosphere of excellence we will exceed expectations in all walks of life within this country.

Rohr has shown us his best, but his best will not bring out the best we can get considering what we have. I’m afraid at this timing we have to manage him. Even if he were an indigenous coach, I would say the same. It’s not the right time to send him out, because he still has the results going well for him. However I can already smell the coffee. That day will come, because he will not do more than he has already demonstrated. For one thing he will not exceed Keshi’s achievement. Now can you ask yourself, don’t we deserve better than Keshi’s achievement? The time will come you all will realize it’s time to move on.

Nobody is asking we play like Barca. But it’s simply unacceptable that we can hardly string passes from defense to attack without losing possession in a CARELESS manner. Or am I exxagaratimg here? Somebody tell me.

If the altitude is high, you reduce your running and let the ball do the running. But how is this possible when ur passing game is suspect. We still have that all-important key pass strength in us, which is why we beat their defense and scored (wrongly disallowed) in two occasions. However, we can do better as a team considering SA isn’t even a great team.

Rohr should be able to spot this problem and fix it. Will he?

Modified
Rohr will not even match Keshi’s achievement. You can bookmark this

Chukwuemeka007:
I never thought that this game will make me come out of my ghost mode after nearly two years of ardent followership.

First of, I think the stern attacks on Rohr's person, intellect and coaching tactics is way out of proportion though I'm not absolving him of any wrongdoings.

We played a team who had their backs against the wall (a loss would put them on a bad position) in front of their home crowd. It's expected they do the initial gra-gra stuff.

If not for poor officiating, we were 3-1 winners. We also tend to forget the altitude issues over there resulting to a thin layer of oxygen. "overdoing" yourself will lead to early gassing out. I think it was Ecuador that thrashed Argentina 6 nil in a world cup qualifier played in Quito (a place of high altitude and low atmospheric pressure. A few Argentine players even fainted on that day)

We have taken to commonizing qualifying for the AFCON because Rohr qualified us forgetting that we failed to qualify on two occasions back-to-back even as defending champions in 2015. Our African Guardiola and our Special One couldn't.

For the first I'm seeing the Super Eagles qualify for the World Cup and AFCON without needing calculators nor praying for the downfall of another team though we faced though oppositions. PS I'm in my early 20s can't say about the 90s.

Even if we go ahead to win the AFCON some of us will still come here to say:

"forget he won the AFCON, Rohr can't take us anywhere. He's inept and by the way what's AFCON for a whole Nigeria?" forgeting that a "whole" Ghana last won a trophy in 1982 (pls correct me if I'm wrong) and not even an Avram Grant could get them another.

We exalt the way SA played saying they had "free-flowing and sexy game". But I'm 100% sure that if the SE played same yesterday we would still come here to say

"the team played rubbish, all runnings and not bite, no shots and no final balls just headless chicken runs and long irrelevant balls"

All I'm saying is this: Yes, coach Rohr isn't 100% of what we desire in a coach but he's giving us results! results! he's doing his job. so these over-blown criticisms and insults are funny to me. Asides the unfortunate loss to SA, we're unbeaten against African oppositions.

On a final note, to those prophets of doom who drop doomsday prophecies before our matches just so they can come back after the match to say "didn't I say it?" una weldone, more grease to your keypads.

Some are already predicting a Quarter final last bus stop for the SE for a competition that will commence in 7 months' time. SMH

Same way some started singing before the World cup that "Nigeria will not win or draw Argentina" and they came here to say the "didn't I tell you?"

Some say: with the array of talents at Rohr's disposal, we shouldn't be struggling at all so at that Rohr should be shown the exit door. I wonder what'd have happened to the coaches of Germany, Portugal and Spain following their early exit from the WC despite their "sexy and sleek football" plus huge arsenal of talents if they were Nigerians or employees of the NFF.

Happy Sunday fam! please pardon my long epistle

No I’m not yet, not because there are no capable replacement.

jihday:
OK, so y'all clamoring for #Rohrout# who do you have in mind as replacement? a coach you know the NFF can afford o, abi you want a local coach to takeover?

Kai we don give Baxter mouth

” I’m disappointed that we couldn’t win. We were better than Nigeria in both halves. They were lucky to have picked a draw because we could easily have won. On the other hand I’m happy that we picked three points against this Nigerian team”, Baxter said at the post match interview.

Of course I read everything and said it was balanced and objective.

junnyjake:
And, had to quote the whole damn post Joebie?

Very terrible indeed!

Icon4s:
They even scored a 3rd goal which was wrongly judged offside in similar circumstance like our disallowed goals.

African referees cannot interprete simple offside position of play. Terrible!

Lol nice illustration.

Funny these same people will still argue that we are the giants of Africa. As much as I dispute this, I still use the slogan, “we are Nigeria”. And that simply means we deserve more — we can do far better.

ChrisKels:
My dear, from some posts in here, u can grade people's standards outside of this forum.

I will never forget what one gal told me bk then in skul. Gal was a very strong first class candidate from the dept of Geoplanning and never had anything less than A. Final year second semester, a lecturer called J.U Ogbonna hammered her 74(A) in a course she did so well that her actual score was supposed to be above 90. D girl begin para for the lecturer threatening to write a petition against him if he failed to provide her answer script to prove that he gave her what she merited. Na so I dey try calm her down say Chy but it is still an "A" nah, she told me straight up, "see KC I know my worth and my standard, I dont compromise on these two and I cant settle for less."

I just nod head comot, say babe dun carry laws of power scatter her head. She stood her ground and the almighty JU Ogbonna succumbed.

Both were not offsides. If you are arguing this then u don’t know the rule. Please could u do us a favor and state the rule.

somehow:
And you still believe what you saw wasn't an offside based on?

Hell no. I won’t be crying. We have many examples of incompetence all around us here in Nigeria. Qualifying for an AFCON isn’t an achievement. If we get to the QF, at least I can celebrate that

COOL10:
.



Oga Joebie,let's just agree to disagree. But before then let me say this: You would have known how big an achievement it was to qualify today if we had failed to qualify for a third consecutive AFCON. And as for getting to the QFs,no need debating on that cause we'll definitely surpass that stage. You can take that to the bank

Come on the offside rule is plain and simple. You can explain it to anyone and they just get it. Nothing complicated that u have to be a ref first.

somehow:
Is the commentator a qualified and trained ref? because he's got access to the mic doesn't mean he's educated in other aspect of football.