₦airaland Forum

That's the reason in your head.

forgiveness:
No wonder South Africa showed him the ugly part of his team.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder they say. In this case the beholder is Rohr. Hence whether they have earned it in camp, during friendlies or in club matches, they all have earned their right to be in the team.

komekn:
Consider your bold highlighted text.

I would disagree strongly with the ALL.

Rohr said he invites players with the opposition in mind.

Kog45:
Hmmm i read your beautiful post and that of Supernerd,but my submission is this,we already have a team that beat Zambia and Algeria but due to injuries,players like Ikeme,Mikel,Balogun were out,also Moses was un available,Omeruo couldn't make d starting lineup

The South Africa match have come and gone but we learnt a lot but d technical crew learnt more than us,there should be no emotions or sentiments in their own analysis of things,is either they performed or kick out.

Whether we like it or not Cameroon game we be decisive coz of age rivalry,being Africa champion is a plus for them,also being a leader in our group is a great advantage to us,all we need is to go back to basics coz we started well under Rohr but something went wronged against south Africa and must be addressed without sentiments.

Rohr first assignment was Tanzania match and later Zambia but against Algeria he brought out his XI team,namely Ikeme but injured,Akpeyi came as a replacement,Omeruo as RB,Echiejele as LB,Onazi as DM,Balogun and Ekong as CB,Iwobi at d right midfield,Victor Moses at d left side,Mikel and Etebor doing it at central midfield and Nacho doing it upfront.

The match against South Africa saw lot of changes especially due to injuries to some players and this brought imbalanced to d team and Rohr failed in this aspect,for instance d pairing of Onazi and Ndidi was an eyesore,it is not compulsory for d two to make starting lineup,despite Kante of Chelsea rise,he is still a second fiddle in French national team,Benzema despite wearing Real shirt,find it difficult to break into French national team of late.

Despite the presence of Onazi,Ndidi which i believe is enough for now,some are clamouring for Esiti,whereas Agu is in d waiting,do we need to invite all this guys coz i realized they are all DM.Instead of inviting Agu and Esiti we need to give room for attacking midfielder like Ajagun or put Iwobi in his right place so that absence of Mikel w not be felt.

If care is not taking Rohr we still get it wrong against Cameroon coz looking for a striker at this time to prosecute Cameroon match is out of it,we already have Nacho,Kayode,he should just add Ideye who is already part of d team and move on.

Rohr should just revisit his XI against Algeria with omission of Akpeyi and probably Iwobi with Ideye coming to d line up to give Nacho chance to do his things.

My line up against Cameroon is Ikeme in goal and 4-3-3 formation with Omeruo, Echiejele,Balogun,Ekong in d defence,Onazi,Etebor,Mikel in d midfield,Moses,Ideye,Iheanacho in d attacks,just hope no injury set in,this team we do it against Cameroon.

hahaha

TheSuperNerd:
Well said Sir Joebie.... That is true.

Meanwhile... I will suggest "the bolded" to Oxford and Cambridge to add to their next dictionary editions....

I prefer the Leicester link for Iheanacho. I hope they are really serious and they see to him teaming up with Ndidi.

TheSuperNerd:
Because of one game, some people wanna rubbish the super quality of a player.... I am sure when Mastouroudes used the word "Substandard", he was just misunderstood.... I am sure he was not and never referring to Iheanacho or even Iwobi.... people need to chill and stop trying their best to rubbish our young fantastic super talents.... One loss does not make them any less special


The 50 Best Young Players In The World : Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City, Leicester Nigerian Talents Make List


https://allnigeriasoccer.com/football_pics/66842Iwobi.png




Telegraph has published a list of the world’s top young footballers under the age of 21, with five players of Nigerian descent included.


Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City) and Liverpool-bound Dominic Solanke made the prestigious list.


At number fourteen, Iwobi is the highest ranked Nigeria international ahead of Ndidi (33rd) and Iheanacho (36th), while Alli and Solanke ranked fourth and forty-seventh respectively.


Here are some of the comments about the Nigerian wonderkids by the editors of the British newspaper :



Alex Iwobi: ''A perfect Arsene Wenger player, versatile, intelligent and quick, Iwobi hasn't looked out of place alongside established stars like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.''


Wilfred Ndidi: ''Signed in the hope he could help fill the giant N'Golo Kante shaped hole in Leicester's midfield, while Ndidi hasn't quite solved those problems, he has proven to be a fantastic buy.''


Kelechi Iheanacho: ''Has had his first team time reduced under Pep Guardiola's management but Iheanacho is one of the best young strikers around''.


Dominic Solanke: ''Solanke recently moved to Liverpool after coming through the ranks at Chelsea, which might concern those at Stamford Bridge who watched the striker win the U20 World Cup with England''.



The top five features Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe, City's Brazil wonderkid Gabriel Jesus, Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele, Dele Alli and Germany international Leroy Sane.


**Ifeanyi Emmanuel
Photo Credit : arsenal.com


Source: http://allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=23483

It wasn't cursed when we beat Algeria lol

TheSuperNerd:
Rohr Insist On “Cursed” Uyo Stadium For Eagles Clash Against Cameroon, Even Mikel

https://owngoalnigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/D98A1833-9F6A-4DB5-B920-BA69F67F9C78-38030-000009513F85FE14.jpeg


The proposed plan of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to move the Super Eagles World Cup 2018 Qualifiers from the Godswill Akpabio Stadium has been rejected by coach of the team Gernot Rohr.

Issues regarding logistics and attitude of the crowd made the NFF to toy with the idea of moving the games of Nigeria from the stadium, amidst reports of the stadium being placed under a spell by aggrieved residence of the land, who are claiming their land was forcefully collected from them to build the stadium.

Nigeria lost her last game at the stadium to South Africa 0-2 in their first AFCON 2019 Qualifiers, and their next competitive game which will be against Cameroon in the race to be at the World Cup 2018 is rumoured to have been shifted from the ground.

However coach of the Super Eagles Gernot Rohr has kicked against the idea of moving the team from the Godswill Akpabio Stadium insisting it will affect the psychology of the players, who have taken the venue as their home.

” I am in constant touch with the team’s captain (Mikel Obi) and other senior players and they all agree that the team remains in Uyo to finish all qualifiers. Changing the venue will put the boys under pressure. The players are at home with Uyo fans”, Rohr stated.

The coach insist that the pitch didn’t contribute to his team’s loss against South Africa as speculated by many, and wants them to remain in Uyo to finish both the World Cup 2018 Qualifiers and AFCON 2019 Qualifiers as well.



**Ade Emmanuel


Source: http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/06/20/rohr-insist-on-cursed-uyo-stadium-for-eagles-clash-against-cameroon-even-mikel/

A fantastic/world class etc player can be rendered ineffective by the opposition on a specific match day. That does not make the player less special. An average player can have a very bad game. That does not mean the player is useless. We can't judge a player by one-match performance. All our players have earned their rights to be in the team. However, roles they play, the opposition they come against, the tactics the coach employs and other many factors will determine their "shineability" on matchday

Very good analysis Sir TheSuperNerd.

Now the question.. who to start against Cameroon? Let's focus on the midfield.
The 4-2-3-1 formation gives room for two defensive midfielders if i'm not mistaking. But one of them would still be more dedicated to being a holding midfielder

Optioni 1: Mikel is a sure starter for his experience, and we expect him to rise up to this kind of opposition any day anytime. He has a lot of top games under his belt. Can't take that away from him. It is most certain he will get his AMF role although I prefer Mikel in the number 4 role, but with the absence of a creative midfielder, Mikel is the closest and the only option we have, until we allow Iwobi show us his stuff in that position. That takes us back to your question. Who gets the number 4 role? Onazi, Ndidi, Ogu? I think I will make a case for Esiti ONLY based on his recent exploits with Gent. The number 4 is one of, if not the most important position in a team. In fact it is the player that GUARANTEES control of the midfield. And i'm beginning to think this is why we lost to SA. We will need that holding midfielder, who may not necessarily play as such for most part of the match considering the physical Cameroon. But we will need that role every now and then, I think especially for the Cameroon tie Esiti looks well suited for it, and can hardly be destroyed force versus force. It is not for no reason he is nicknamed The Rock in Belgium. But can he rise up to that occasion?

In CMF, we know Onazi for his tackles which frustrates can frustrate any team. But he has to do more of short passes because his long passes are awful. Should Onazi play as a CMF then? How about Ndidi? This take us to another option.

Option 2: Should iwobi be given the chance, and should our forwards know just how to position themselves to take advantage of Iwobi's fast and splitting passes, I believe the lad will excel as he wouldn't have to come against the Cameroonians physically much.

Then we can have Mikel do what he did for Chelsea for about a decade. It is indeed very true that the player with the #4 shirt can sometimes go under-appreciated by fans because he is rarely the one who scores the crucial goal or makes the last ditch tackles. We can expect Mikel to be clever as well not to be out-muscled by the Cameroonians and create more cover for our center backs very well.

This option opens room for the question, who plays as the CMF? Clearly, Ndidi for his excellent vision and ball distribution.

in all this we are trying to take a more scientific approach in our arguments, instead of choosing a player over another just simply because we like them or we have seen them play well in other situations.

TheSuperNerd:
Nicely said Sir Joebie.... nicely said indeed.

You see for years since I started following the beautiful game, Africa has always come up short because we somewhat just refuse to get grounded in the science of the game. This has been a problem for years and decades upon decades upon decades long before I was even born.

But thank Goodness for Information that is readily available to us all. We can make things Right. Some of our coaches are beginning to recognise thus science of the game stuff such as Nduka Ugbade, Manu Garba and Amuneke. Information rightly applied is indeed power.

Okay so we have Rohr and his team of Experts and I hope they bring their knowledge to the fore in full volume because this super eagles team has the full potentials to execute great formations like 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-5-1, 4-4-2, 4-3-1-2, and whatever else..... even the 3-4-3 can be executed if mastered enough based on the depth of playing personnel we have that can execute such roles.


But talking 4-2-3-1 mainly..... or even 4-3-3 or 4-4-1-1.... You are right that it is much more about Roles assignments and I will also add, "near perfect" to it.


Ndidi is a dmf, yes but has the potentials to operate as a CMF.... he's got a better range of passing compared to Ogenyi Onazi. And he also got a fair high level of Great Vision too.

Now Onazi on the other hand is a destroyer.... he does the dirty work and is good at laying off those short passes to the other midfielders around him in more advanced roles. Onazi is an asset when a team wanna win the balls and gives his midfield partners a fighting chance to work out team plays of their own.


Now the big question is.... Who should be our no.4?

Wilfred Onyinye Ndidi who also got great potentials as a CMF in addition to his Primary DMF portfolio... Orrrrr... Ogenyi Eddy Onazi, who when disciplined can give a remarkable as the no.4 as he did at Afcon 2013 where Mikel was playing deeplying playmaker/CMF allowing Sunday MBA bomb forward as the Roaming AMF and Onazi doing the destroying work and laying it off with quick timed short passes for Mikel to spray the passes to the wingers or the center forwards.


Or thinking wider beyond those Two above... Should we bring in Azubuike Okechukwu, who is a DMF with good playmaking skills/abilities??

or Should it be Mikel Agu of Fc Porto who is a destroyer-like battler and also good as a ball playing DMF.... or the KAA Gent Lad, Anderson Esiti who is very good as the midfield anchor in the no.4 role for his good range of passing and calm distribution abilities plus neat marking ....??

If Mikel Agu and Esiti are to be considered alongside Onazi...... then it means The likes of Ndidi should be groomed for the CMF role.... But what about the AMF position?

We got Mikel (midfield all-rounder as a DMF, CMF and AMF with his super wealth of boundless class and experience).... super proven, Super tested, world class, anytime-anyday top performer for the Super Eagles. But in his absence then what??

Alexander Iwobi is the closest we can get to Mikel Obi in that role (AMF) among the players who has featured under Rohr.... But he is always getting played on the left side of attack and he is no Left wing forward... but more of a left-sided Creative midfielder. Iwobi should be made to fit in as one of our no.10 options for his abilities to also dictate plays and open up team's defences and crear countless chances thanks to his Boundless Vision, mad Skills and Confidence to dictate a game's tempo (if given the chance).


Kelechi Iheanacho can also play the no.10 and has got excellent vision, beautiful thru-the-eye-of-a-needle passing abilities too but his style is a bit different from Alex.... Alex brings a more beautiful melody and sexiness to that role as seen when he did it a few times for Arsenal last season(this past season).


If not.... then we may have to look at Forgiveness' Ajagun (who is very well technically gifted and got a very good passing range and vision too).... or even an Aluko, who is more direct as an AMF but comes with his bag of quick feet and skills too and ability to unlock stubborn defences with his constant probings.

For the future, Kelechi Nwakali is another player who deserves a keen look in for the AMF/CMF roles also for the lad is blessed by the gods of the midfield game. He needs to be groomed too for the future.

So we have a lot to discuss and a lot to really set right in terms of the "deep anatomy and actual physiology" of our team for now and the near future and in case certain Generals of the team are unavailable because of Injuries or whatever.



So in answer to your first two questions in bold....

For now, I will say "Mikel Obi" But we must start grooming his stand-by and replacement whenever he is not available and also ahead of his retirement Post-2019 Afcon


As for Etebo.... He is super versatile but I believe his best roles were the roles he shone most for Nigeria in these scenarios:


- against Algeria (as the destroyer-like CMF in a double pivot with Onazi where Onazi sat and he, Etebo was mobile and roamed the Central midfield positions marking and winning balls to feed Our orchestrator, Mikel Obi to work his passing magic)

- Against Japan and co at the Olympics (as the left-wing forward who always love to bomb forward and take on players with his searing pace and power and also get into goal scoring positions)

- Against All opponents at the U-23 Afcon 2015 (as the man behind the striker as the SS where he can always improvise his own moves using his goal instincts, positioning and boundless pace to tear apart defences).

The Jupiler League is the place to go next season. Most of our youngsters are moving there.

TheSuperNerd:
Done Deal – Belgium Side Lokeren Swap Ticinovic For Rijeka Nigerian Ace Theophilus Solomon

https://owngoalnigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/88DB3634-5958-43AD-BD0E-08B12DDCBD35-13672-0000062EFDC80D35.jpeg


Hot in demand Nigerian forward Theophilus Solomon will in the coming days arrive Belgium to officially complete his move to top league side Lokeren.

Lokeren have already agreed to a swap deal which will see the 21 year old Nigerian forward join them in exchange for their player Mario Ticinovic, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Billed as the next big thing to happen to Nigeria football, Solomon experienced a lull in his career but a move to second division side Sibenik, and subsequently top division side Istra has helped him discover the form that made him a big hit in Nigeria at the age of 16.

A source close to the player confirmed he will apply for a Belgium visa this week, and if granted he will be arriving Belgium before the end of the week to complete his move.

He is expected to sign a four year deal with the option of a fifth based on performance in his first four years at the club.


**Daniel Martins

Source: http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/06/19/done-deal-belgium-side-lokeren-swap-ticinovic-for-rijeka-nigerian-ace-theophilus-solomon/

Everything happens for a reason. Our loss to SA will be a blessing in disguise. Cameroon has all these matches to their advantage. But my question is are they really getting better playing as a unit more?

TheSuperNerd:
Rohr Watches With Keen Interest As Arsenal's Main Man Inspires Chile To Beat Cameroon

https://allnigeriasoccer.com/football_pics/21101Rohr.jpg


Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr will monitor the Cameroon
national team at the 2017 Confederations Cup.

The Nigeria Football Federation have informed that the German tactician embarked on a scouting mission to identify the danger men and the playing style of the Indomitable Lions ahead of the national team's World Cup qualifier against the African champs in August.

''Rohr will be at the Confederations Cup as part of the team’s preparations for the matches against Cameroon,” NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi said in a statement, according to scorenigeria.com.ng.

Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez came off the bench in the 58th minute to inspire Chile to a 2-0 win over the Africans, he set up Arturo Vidal for the opener before Eduardo Vargas scored a second in the last minute.

It is all but confirmed that Rohr will return to Russia in a year's time, and not as a tourist, if the Super Eagles beat Cameroon home and away in their next two competitive fixtures.


**Igho Kingsley

Source: http://allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=23468

in fact, the science of the game have long been studied and used to the detriment of many African teams. With our African way of holding on to crude ways of doing things we should always expect to lose matches from a tactical standpoint.
Take for example the Chile game. I've watched other Cameroon friendlies that they have lost woefully. Although you can see that the Cameroon players are talented, but they are always outsmarted by clever tactics. This is where South Africa got it right against us.

Yes Sir TheSuperNerd we really need to look at our preferred formation and also assign roles to maximize the strengths of our top players. Where is that creative midfielder who can dictate the tempo of the game? Where is that player who can string all kind of passes with ease? We have enough forwards in our teams who can perform very well with the right midfield structure behind them. In today's game you can survive and even win tournaments without a true number 9, especially since dedicated winger roles have been almost discarded over the years. Today, we only speak of Left, Right and center forwards, who can play all three roles. Granted, we still have true number 9s. But you can't go on searching for a true Number 9 if the player is not readily available. Still speaking of the midfield, it seems we have many holding midfielders these days. However having more than one of them play on the same matchday can spell problems if their job is to do almost the same thing. I think for balance sake and for a good flow even if a player has many qualities he should be assigned a role, not saying he will not use his other qualities, but based on the game plan he will need to do more of one role than the other, and another player do the other more. I think a player like Ndidi has improved a lot in his passing game -- judging by the Senegal friendly. Let's talk about these roles, because this was the major problem in our midfield versus South Africa. Like I said earlier, the problem was not player selection in the midfield, but roles assignment.
Let's talk about Onazi, Ndidi, and Mikel. How about Ogu, Esiti, Etebo? What roles should they rather play in our winning 4-2-3-1 formation for example. Also considering an opponent like Cameroon.

TheSuperNerd:
Just as I predicted.... the thread went into a bashing tone just because of one loss....

I could easily predict who will bash who....

Sir TheGoodJoe... thank you for your invaluable analyses. You tried to be objective and you were to a great extent.... but when it came to Akpeyi. Lemme say this.... That guy is a nightmare... yeah... but he is better than an Agbim at least. "Slightly Better"... lol. That first goal have beaten a good number goalies I know and have seen on TV in top leagues. Besides... there is the saying that a "Header on target is 9 out of 10 times a goal".... that saying was back in the days when I was a junior forward in secondary school. I just recoined it...


And On Awaziem... wow! I remember being among the first to say His partnership with Ekong will likely feature against South Africa. I said so after the Togo game.... honestly when I saw him in the line-up, Initially I was happy... lad is good quality no doubt. But well... the occasion was too much for him and yes he had a game he wouldn't wanna remember but I wouldn't blame him entirely. Our Midfield was the problem >>>>> MIGHTY TRUTH... IF NO ONE HAMMERS ON THIS, THEN THAT PERSON IS TALKING ABSOLUTE TRASH.

I remember when I dropped a post here warning that that game will be lost and won in the midfield. I listed Furman and even a Zungu as men to be wary of but also said if our midfield three of Onazi, Ndidi and Etebo clicks.. then it would not be an issue. But On Saturday I saw The New Revelation of St. Eagles....

It seems Onazi and Ndidi cannot play together... On paper that midfield three looks really good and solid... but when played out... what did we see?? too many overhit passes to the forward line especially the center forward line... Iheanacho suffered Majorly from poor service and too many over hit passes and through balls... Up to about four or five times in that first half, My Goodness, Had it been Mikel or lemme say An Ajagun (WHERE IS FORGIVENESS?? He hasn't even taken advantage to make case for Ajagun since Etebo as a 10 just didn't click...), Iheanacho would have gotten those balls well hit to him and he will do the rest... and wreck those Southies.... but it was not to be..... Even a few minds who saw the game with me were always asking "Plsss, who is the person in that midfield hitting these rockets to outer space when the no.9 is just there and have opened up??" smh...

... But Hey Iheanacho also didn't have a great game.. he was simply below par but ofcos the best Eagles Chance of the first half was created by Him... Etebo flunked it!!! if Nacho had missed that we will be seeing new tones from the prosecuting attorney of Sir Goldfish80 and Sir Mickael2 pointing it out with the "I told you so" and "Nacho is not top quality" sticks.... loollll

Well... they both have been doing a good job of it lately. Kudos to their "Attorneyship"


It is amazing how Iheanacho became the center of the blame here when the midfield was the Eagles' problem all game!!! All the players were poor.... most especially all the midfielders.... Onazi (love him when he tries to make amends but in doing so some times, he ends up scattering our midfield organization), Ndidi (my favorite MF in the team after Mikel... lad was all over the place and no where at all... lol), and Etebo (our beloved workhorse.... was just confused as the guys watching and wondering who the hell is hitting those poor balls from the CMF/AMF positions to Kentucky when Nacho was in Baltimore) were all poor....... buuuutttt Simon Moses gave me the best response I expected from the other players when we went one nil down.

Simon moses showcased the fight and hunger in him with his daring plays...... but ofcos his end product is still lacking but at least we saw the fight in the lad.

I didn't see this fight in Iheanacho.... sorry... I Love him but he should have taken the bull by the horn also... seeing how scattered our midfielders were... Nacho should have talked to Etebo and Onazi (captain on the day and one of two most experienced players on the field that day)..... boned the tactics that were not working and simply taken matters into his hands... Like Dropping deep and allowing Etebo take up advanced positions upfront while he Nacho under chameleon effect takes over the No.10 role... he is still good at that (the no 10 role) God Dammit!!!!!

That way Ndidi and Onazi will adjust and Maybe.. just maybe we would have salvaged a draw.... who knows?

NOW THIS IS ME TALKING FROM A PERSONAL ANALYTICAL STANDPOINT... BUT STILL, HE IS NOT TO BLAME... His primary duty as the no.9 was well defined and he stuck to it... but the passes from midfield were always Overhit and "overcooked" (Mind if I borrow that word Sir BascoVanVeli... thank you )

So in all.... I could go on and on.... But let me commend Sir Joebie for trying to bring back that science of the game talk.... gosh! our team really needs to be looked at and let us decide on the one formation that suits us... and the players best for that formation... Even if it means Iheanacho benches... then so be it mehn! I just Want the Super Eagles to grow into world class competitive level... but you see a player like Nacho?

I see him occupying a big role in this team's future.... we have to be fair when analysing the lad. The act he pulled when dragging his feet and being almost non-challant to the sub situation he found himself didn't actually mean Disrespect...... nooo... Nacho was not disrespecting anyone... neither was he just being Stupid.

Truth is this... from a keen psychological point of view... I have it on good authority that Nacho's attitude that day was the reaction you see from " Winners" or "Players with winners' attitude".... Champions beat and blame themselves even when the bulk of blame is not theirs to bear...

Nacho sees himself as one of the team's saviors when it matters most and HE JUST DIDN'T COME TO THE PARTY. He was just BELOW PAR. Yes we can talk on and on about the Over hit passes but truth is... Champions make the best out of any situation they find themselves and Nacho knew within himself that he didn't do enough. So he was right to shoulder the blame.. because that, right there, is what Champions (or players with champions attitude) do.




Teaser: Do you know that The June 10 historical loss to South Africa was Iheanacho's First Loss as A Super Eagles player when on the pitch?? He has only known Victories and draws... He was not even involved in the 1-0 loss in Alexandria, Egypt under Siasia...

That should tell you more of the psychological wave of guilt that swept through Nacho's mind when he saw himself being substituted... Imagine when you are nicknamed " Goals" and the coach takes you "Goals" out.... loolll... that is game over for you and for the team. Nacho knew that and he was indeed Below par in that game. Case Closed on Nacho. He will bounce back stronger I am sure... but let the best and most suitable start against Cameoroun... if august comes and it is still Nacho... then fellas... sorry... Nacho must play. Gbam!



Lemme end it here....
or should I?

From now, let's move on forward... one loss cannot suddenly rubbish the fact that we indeed have a golden generation on our hands....

We just have to get things right and utilise the very best we have... NOT BASED ON WHO PLAYS FOR THE BIG CLUBS... NOPE! BUT ON WHO IS TOP QUALITY EAGLES MATERIALS....

Sir JOEBIE DROPPED A LIST OF THE CAMEROONIAN TEAM THAT CONQUERED AFRICA... I remember Sir Goldfish80 talking about the quality of that team... he was right about them and we saw how they roared to the title...

It is not in glamorous clubs that we must base our analysis of the team's Line-up....... it is in actual top talents and what these players can bring to the team...

When I talk for Iheanacho for instance, it is because I know what that lad brings and we all here know it too... we know his talents and his growing reputation... IT IS NOT because HE IS IN MANCHESTER CITY.... NOPE!!!

It is because Kelechi is truly a class-Act.

When I called Mikel World class... people said I was stupid... and just crazily sentimental... you see now that he is the one world class quality that would have won us that game against South Africa and even made Awaziem's debut look so good sef... I bet you that had Mikel been on that pitch leading that team... we would have won and Awaziem will be hailed as Omeruo's quick super replacement...

Mikel's quality alone covered for the team's loop holes... but many didn't know... yet Some time ago... some of you wanted Mikel out... it is okay... sebi I am still mad to call him World class...See as i just dey look all of una....

The only invasion the thread ever experienced was becos I called Mikel World class... Some even termed him useless and a non-entity.... chaiiii... Now guys are saying... Ohhh Mikel is so important to the team... he was greatly missed. Shut up joor! Na now some people dey know... Loolll










Bottomline:

We need to move forward and do so wisely... WE MUST NOT BE OVERLY REACTIONARY because OF ONE LOSS... Like Sir Jospeh1013, I too am not bothered we lost... To be honest I kinda saw it coming after seeing Baxter's last batch of technical interviews before the game. He got our team spot on and knew we wouldn't be fielding a Mikel or moses or balogun or Ikeme... he played on our subtle weaknesses and exposed them... and that was my biggest silent fear... and our midfield made matters worse than worst....

I just didn't wanna be seen as suddenly "Pessimistic" which is why I stayed away long before the game began but coincidentally I also fell sick (wasn't feeling too good in the week leading up to the game)... so I'm back... and it is for us to move forward...

Enough of the bashings... Let's move forward...

Enough of "Experience vs Youth..."

Truth is Both failed us that day... But we have the chance to make things right.

We still have a new golden generation on our hands people... this is the gospel truth... let us not blow it.... we can see this through...

come on now... let's do this okay... come on y'all...

Let's make a come back...

in fact, the science of the game have long been studied and used to the detriment of many African teams. With our African way of holding on to crude ways of doing things.
Take for example the Chile game. I've watched other Cameroon friendlies that they have lost woefully. Although you can see that the Cameroon players are talented, but they are always outsmarted by clever tactics. This is where South Africa got it right against us.

Yes Sir TheSuperNerd we really need to look at our preferred formation and also assign roles to maximize the strengths of our top players. Where is that creative midfielder who can dictate the tempo of the game? Where is that player who can string all kind of passes with ease? We have enough forwards in our teams who can perform very well with the right midfield structure behind them. In today's game you can survive and even win tournaments without a true number 9, especially since dedicated winger roles have been almost discarded over the years. Today, we only speak of Left, Right and center forwards, who can play all three roles. Granted, we still have true number 9s. But you can't go on searching for a true Number 9 if the player is not readily available. Still speaking of the midfield, it seems we have many holding midfielders these days. However having one play on the same matchday can spell problems if their job is to do almost the same thing. I think for balance sake and for a good flow even if a player has many qualities he should be assigned a role, not saying he will not use his other qualities, but based on the game plan he will need to do more of one role than the other, and another player do the other more. I think a player like Ndidi has improved a lot in his passing game -- judging by the Senegal friendly. Let's talk about these roles, because this was the major problem in our midfield versus South Africa. Like I said earlier, the problem was not player selection in the midfield, but roles assignment.
Let's talk about Onazi, Ndidi, and Mikel. How about Ogu, Esiti, Etebo? What roles should they rather play in our winning 4-2-3-1 formation for example. Also considering an opponent like Cameroon.

TheSuperNerd:
Just as I predicted.... the thread went into a bashing tone just because of one loss....

I could easily predict who will bash who....

Sir TheGoodJoe... thank you for your invaluable analyses. You tried to be objective and you were to a great extent.... but when it came to Akpeyi. Lemme say this.... That guy is a nightmare... yeah... but he is better than an Agbim at least. "Slightly Better"... lol. That first goal have beaten a good number goalies I know and have seen on TV in top leagues. Besides... there is the saying that a "Header on target is 9 out of 10 times a goal".... that saying was back in the days when I was a junior forward in secondary school. I just recoined it...


And On Awaziem... wow! I remember being among the first to say His partnership with Ekong will likely feature against South Africa. I said so after the Togo game.... honestly when I saw him in the line-up, Initially I was happy... lad is good quality no doubt. But well... the occasion was too much for him and yes he had a game he wouldn't wanna remember but I wouldn't blame him entirely. Our Midfield was the problem >>>>> MIGHTY TRUTH... IF NO ONE HAMMERS ON THIS, THEN THAT PERSON IS TALKING ABSOLUTE TRASH.

I remember when I dropped a post here warning that that game will be lost and won in the midfield. I listed Furman and even a Zungu as men to be wary of but also said if our midfield three of Onazi, Ndidi and Etebo clicks.. then it would not be an issue. But On Saturday I saw The New Revelation of St. Eagles....

It seems Onazi and Ndidi cannot play together... On paper that midfield three looks really good and solid... but when played out... what did we see?? too many overhit passes to the forward line especially the center forward line... Iheanacho suffered Majorly from poor service and too many over hit passes and through balls... Up to about four or five times in that first half, My Goodness, Had it been Mikel or lemme say An Ajagun (WHERE IS FORGIVENESS?? He hasn't even taken advantage to make case for Ajagun since Etebo as a 10 just didn't click...), Iheanacho would have gotten those balls well hit to him and he will do the rest... and wreck those Southies.... but it was not to be..... Even a few minds who saw the game with me were always asking "Plsss, who is the person in that midfield hitting these rockets to outer space when the no.9 is just there and have opened up??" smh...

... But Hey Iheanacho also didn't have a great game.. he was simply below par but ofcos the best Eagles Chance of the first half was created by Him... Etebo flunked it!!! if Nacho had missed that we will be seeing new tones from the prosecuting attorney of Sir Goldfish80 and Sir Mickael2 pointing it out with the "I told you so" and "Nacho is not top quality" sticks.... loollll

Well... they both have been doing a good job of it lately. Kudos to their "Attorneyship"


It is amazing how Iheanacho became the center of the blame here when the midfield was the Eagles' problem all game!!! All the players were poor.... most especially all the midfielders.... Onazi (love him when he tries to make amends but in doing so some times, he ends up scattering our midfield organization), Ndidi (my favorite MF in the team after Mikel... lad was all over the place and no where at all... lol), and Etebo (our beloved workhorse.... was just confused as the guys watching and wondering who the hell is hitting those poor balls from the CMF/AMF positions to Kentucky when Nacho was in Baltimore) were all poor....... buuuutttt Simon Moses gave me the best response I expected from the other players when we went one nil down.

Simon moses showcased the fight and hunger in him with his daring plays...... but ofcos his end product is still lacking but at least we saw the fight in the lad.

I didn't see this fight in Iheanacho.... sorry... I Love him but he should have taken the bull by the horn also... seeing how scattered our midfielders were... Nacho should have talked to Etebo and Onazi (captain on the day and one of two most experienced players on the field that day)..... boned the tactics that were not working and simply taken matters into his hands... Like Dropping deep and allowing Etebo take up advanced positions upfront while he Nacho under chameleon effect takes over the No.10 role... he is still good at that (the no 10 role) God Dammit!!!!!

That way Ndidi and Onazi will adjust and Maybe.. just maybe we would have salvaged a draw.... who knows?

NOW THIS IS ME TALKING FROM A PERSONAL ANALYTICAL STANDPOINT... BUT STILL, HE IS NOT TO BLAME... His primary duty as the no.9 was well defined and he stuck to it... but the passes from midfield were always Overhit and "overcooked" (Mind if I borrow that word Sir BascoVanVeli... thank you )

So in all.... I could go on and on.... But let me commend Sir Joebie for trying to bring back that science of the game talk.... gosh! our team really needs to be looked at and let us decide on the one formation that suits us... and the players best for that formation... Even if it means Iheanacho benches... then so be it mehn! I just Want the Super Eagles to grow into world class competitive level... but you see a player like Nacho?

I see him occupying a big role in this team's future.... we have to be fair when analysing the lad. The act he pulled when dragging his feet and being almost non-challant to the sub situation he found himself didn't actually mean Disrespect...... nooo... Nacho was not disrespecting anyone... neither was he just being Stupid.

Truth is this... from a keen psychological point of view... I have it on good authority that Nacho's attitude that day was the reaction you see from " Winners" or "Players with winners' attitude".... Champions beat and blame themselves even when the bulk of blame is not theirs to bear...

Nacho sees himself as one of the team's saviors when it matters most and HE JUST DIDN'T COME TO THE PARTY. He was just BELOW PAR. Yes we can talk on and on about the Over hit passes but truth is... Champions make the best out of any situation they find themselves and Nacho knew within himself that he didn't do enough. So he was right to shoulder the blame.. because that, right there, is what Champions (or players with champions attitude) do.




Teaser: Do you know that The June 10 historical loss to South Africa was Iheanacho's First Loss as A Super Eagles player when on the pitch?? He has only known Victories and draws... He was not even involved in the 1-0 loss in Alexandria, Egypt under Siasia...

That should tell you more of the psychological wave of guilt that swept through Nacho's mind when he saw himself being substituted... Imagine when you are nicknamed " Goals" and the coach takes you "Goals" out.... loolll... that is game over for you and for the team. Nacho knew that and he was indeed Below par in that game. Case Closed on Nacho. He will bounce back stronger I am sure... but let the best and most suitable start against Cameoroun... if august comes and it is still Nacho... then fellas... sorry... Nacho must play. Gbam!



Lemme end it here....
or should I?

From now, let's move on forward... one loss cannot suddenly rubbish the fact that we indeed have a golden generation on our hands....

We just have to get things right and utilise the very best we have... NOT BASED ON WHO PLAYS FOR THE BIG CLUBS... NOPE! BUT ON WHO IS TOP QUALITY EAGLES MATERIALS....

Sir JOEBIE DROPPED A LIST OF THE CAMEROONIAN TEAM THAT CONQUERED AFRICA... I remember Sir Goldfish80 talking about the quality of that team... he was right about them and we saw how they roared to the title...

It is not in glamorous clubs that we must base our analysis of the team's Line-up....... it is in actual top talents and what these players can bring to the team...

When I talk for Iheanacho for instance, it is because I know what that lad brings and we all here know it too... we know his talents and his growing reputation... IT IS NOT because HE IS IN MANCHESTER CITY.... NOPE!!!

It is because Kelechi is truly a class-Act.

When I called Mikel World class... people said I was stupid... and just crazily sentimental... you see now that he is the one world class quality that would have won us that game against South Africa and even made Awaziem's debut look so good sef... I bet you that had Mikel been on that pitch leading that team... we would have won and Awaziem will be hailed as Omeruo's quick super replacement...

Mikel's quality alone covered for the team's loop holes... but many didn't know... yet Some time ago... some of you wanted Mikel out... it is okay... sebi I am still mad to call him World class...See as i just dey look all of una....

The only invasion the thread ever experienced was becos I called Mikel World class... Some even termed him useless and a non-entity.... chaiiii... Now guys are saying... Ohhh Mikel is so important to the team... he was greatly missed. Shut up joor! Na now some people dey know... Loolll










Bottomline:

We need to move forward and do so wisely... WE MUST NOT BE OVERLY REACTIONARY because OF ONE LOSS... Like Sir Jospeh1013, I too am not bothered we lost... To be honest I kinda saw it coming after seeing Baxter's last batch of technical interviews before the game. He got our team spot on and knew we wouldn't be fielding a Mikel or moses or balogun or Ikeme... he played on our subtle weaknesses and exposed them... and that was my biggest silent fear... and our midfield made matters worse than worst....

I just didn't wanna be seen as suddenly "Pessimistic" which is why I stayed away long before the game began but coincidentally I also fell sick (wasn't feeling too good in the week leading up to the game)... so I'm back... and it is for us to move forward...

Enough of the bashings... Let's move forward...

Enough of "Experience vs Youth..."

Truth is Both failed us that day... But we have the chance to make things right.

We still have a new golden generation on our hands people... this is the gospel truth... let us not blow it.... we can see this through...

come on now... let's do this okay... come on y'all...

Let's make a come back...

Because I searched those who are listed with Central Midfield as their main position. Esiti is listed as DM only.

Modified
HEre is the list for those listed with DM as main position.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/5963361

TheSuperNerd:
Good Archive of midfield options there from transfer market players advanced search.... but I noticed one name was missing...

Anderson Esiti....

ofcos... there are a couple more... but Esiti stands out as Wow! why isn't he on the search list?

Here are players listed with Central Midfield as their main position and first nationality, Nigerian by Transfermarkt.com:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/detailsuche/spielerdetail/suche/5962954

We play politics in everything. Why cant a proven scout/national coach be saddled with monitoring NPFL/NNL players with the purpose of maintaining a pool of the best players in the country? A pool of players from which that Rohr can pull from whenever he needs. We should have a CHAN team always just as we have an SE team.

Humility017:
I fear for the upcoming chan competition should agu and Yusuf be left to do the Job...
both coaches are just good man managers but poor in tactics and lazy scouting players and reading games.....
to be true....these awka united coach would have been better or someone like siasia to handle upcoming chan

I've said it before that out GK coaches are lazy. We need a fresh GK coach. As long as out league continue to do badly in Africa, we will hardly have our keepers go to Europe

Thanks for your great contributions.

TheGoodJoe:
I agree. At the end it falls back to set up we plan to approach the game and screening for the best. From the keeper, backline to offence.

And please can someone sack Alloy Agu. It seems the man is not serious with his job. Get a coach who can invite the best crop of keepers to camp and screen out the best two to cover for Ikeme.

We should not interest ourselves with names or history but the best for the job.

Thanks for your insightful contributions. Really well thought. Also props to Humility017.

Omeruo have been solid for us over the years, but you lose lots of points from fans if your mistake lead to goals. That's exactly his situation. We share the same opinion on the rest points. Onazi is very good in his own right. But roles must be clearly defined and we need midfielders to bring out the best in forwards as well as reduce the deficiencies in at the back line

TheGoodJoe:

I think a lot of people are trying to gloss the true problem with the Super Eagles. For long, I have complained about the defensive midfield role and I think Rohr's mistake was doubting his instincts.

First of all, Kayode starting that game would not make any difference. Anyone thinking that missed the true picture of that game. Our problem came with ineffective killer passes. That I agree with Odegbami. His highlighting about the attack midfield but neglecting a Standing four letter in his solution misses a clear problem.

Let me illustrate with the Chelsea set up.

_________Azpilicueta (CB)___________Cahill (CB)
________________________Luiz (CB)
___________Kante (DMF)___________Matic (DMF)

What Conte did here was actually enforcing roles than just changing formation.

Look at the same position from the Super Eagles against South Africa

_________Ekong (CB)______________Awaziem (CB)
______________________Onazi (DMF)
___________Ndidi (DMF)_____________Etebor (CMF)

If you look at it from this context, you will understand why Rohr played three physical midfielders in the midfield. Imagine our team playing with the defensive set up of Chelsea, that is Onazi deep with the defenders most of the time, giving Ndidi and Etebo a bit of freedom.

Imagine Luiz leaving that back three, that is a catastrophe waiting to happen. This problem has gone on for years. I highlighted once about Mikel shouting at Onazi, I think in the friendly game against the United States and leaving the ball, causing Keshi to sub Mikel. This problem has lasted for long and certainly caused us the last AFCON.

The first thing we must solve is having a standing four. Someone will keep it simple. Remember Hope Akpan was not what we will call experience in the context of the Super Eagles when he steadied the ship.

The idea of a Rookie defender is what I find baffling. That was not the problem. Omeruo in the context of the Super Eagles was a Rookie when he pulled off mean feats against the likes of Drogba in the AFCON.

During the qualifiers, with a more experienced team, Sudan and Congo beat us. In a more steady scenario, we outplayed and beat them. We need to sort out that four role. We also need to sort out the left back role. These areas to me are our most critical positions and the are held by in the Super Eagles context, EXPERIENCE PLAYERS.

I have written and screamed for years about this and I hope Rohr sorts it out.

Firstly Echiejile has never been in my list of preferred players.

Secondly, Omeruo is good. Granted he has made costly mistakes in the past. But can you be frank to say that he has also made crucial tackles and posted great performances in the past? And it's untrue that he looks jittery.

kennysville:
Hmm ... the day Omeruo will fluff his lines again, u will still come back and say he is no good. Frankly, I am not sold on Omeruo. That dude fidgets a lot at the back. Dont worry, cameroun game is next. We will see how his expereience plays out. Experience. Experience, how did Echiejile fair in that game? Would u honestly beat your chest and say he had a good game?

I think we still dont get it. We lost the game from our midfield. Talking about rookie defender or whatever the case is , is practically immaterial. We have seen good midfielders make defenders look soooo gorgeous. And when all that is not in place,
Same defenders get jittery. And thats just exactly what happened. We lost the game from wrong tactics and bad midfield combo. PERIOD!
Anyone but omeruo please

oga.. most of his opinions on this piece I share even before I read his write-up today. Granted he may have always been biased. But I think he is FOR THE MOST PART on point, on this one.

do4luv14:
what does he saw in that match that we don't see, correct as he may be, he had three mouths, he and MOMUNI ALAO, of Completesport, they had never hide their bias for the SE ,

due to personal vendetta against the NFF

Let's be objective in our arguments. This is Cameroon's squad that won AFCON 2017.



Goalkeepers
Jules Goda (Ajaccio, France)
Fabrice Ondoa (Sevilla, Spain)
Georges Bokwe (Coton Sport, Cameroon)

Defenders
Faï Collins (Standard Liege, Belgium)
Ernest Mabouka (MSK Zilina, Slovakia)
Nicolas Nkoulou (Lyon, France)
Michael Ngadeu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)
Adolph Teikeu (Sochaux, France)
Ambroise Oyongo (Impact Monreal, USA)
Mohammed Djetei (Terragone, Spain)
Jonathan Ngwen (FC Progresso)

Midfielders
Sébastien Siani (Oostende, Belgium)
Franck Boya (Apejes, Cameroon)
Georges Mandjeck (Metz, France)
Arnaud Djoum (Hearts, Scotland)

Attackers
Vincent Aboubakar (Besiktas, Turkey)
Jacques Zoua (Kaiserslautern, Germany)
Benjamin Moukandjo (Lorient, France)
Clinton Njie (Olympique Marseille, France)
Edgar Salli (Nuremberg, Germany)
Christian Bassogog (Aalborg, Denmark)
Toko Ekambi (Angers, France)
Ndip Tambe (Spartak Trnava, Slovakia)

I personally don't see why we attach so much to the league a player plays or the division. I think players from the Championship. La Liga II, Serie B, and other top lesser leagues in Europe can still offer something if given the chance.

I just read that Roma might loan him again to Spezia. He is "highly regarded" at the club though.
Personally, I think he can some day. He needs more matches under his belt to help his fitness level as he was troubled with injuries this past season.

whizola:
Pls guys, what abt nura adullahi can he stop our defensive issues?

Thanks boss! you too!

Icon4s:
Simple.

YOU ARE A GREAT MAN BRO.

If I knew I would have hidden the author of this write-up. Are you saying what he said is not true?

do4luv14:
hav come to dislike SEGUN alot, he is always bias in his analysis of game involving SE, never for once had he said something good about the SE,

and I bet if he was given the job he would be worse than our ex-coaches

Anybody who holds tight to his/her beliefs can never grow. As humans we need to keep learning. I was wrong about Awaziem.

Icon4s:
Joebie, I salute you for your objectivity. That is the spirit.

You were one of those that strongly recommended Awaziem to start over Omeruo. But after the game you have come to realize why some of us wanted Omeruo no matter how Awaziem performed at the 'drills'.

You now understand why I have always been against starting a rookie in the heart of the defense.

With time I know this wound will heal.

Watch Esiti:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn78Q-laLV8

My line up for Cameroon.
I think we will need "The Rock" Esiti. Has good ball control. He is big and his passes are pretty good. No disrespect to Onazi.
Ndidi will be fine helping out defensively as well.

http://lineupbuilder.com/?sk=ty19s

Realistically speaking, let's not talk as if we have numerous options at the rear. Our best defenders remain Omeruo, Ekong and Balogun. Against cameroon we will need one or a couple solid defensive midfielders who are also ball playing ones. We will need a solid left back. For me Omeruo should remain at RB especially as Balogun is expected to return.

Modified.
The Defensive Midfielder should help support our defenders, but should still have a knack for good passes. As we have to be at A grade in our flowing game against Cameroon.

I will be scared to start a rookie again like Awaziem. Else I would have looked in the direction of Ola Aina for the LB role. If John Ogu can play there - great! Because he is a lefty

TheGoodJoe:
Most times, physical sides employ the direct route of long balls and set pieces. The solution lies in keeping the ball for a long time and prevent the opposing team getting a chance to win the ball in dangerous positions.

Anyone trying to play in artistic way will be the point of target. Most especially Victor Moses. They will rely on fouling, counter attacking with pace and power. Whipping the ball into dangerous areas.

The central back positions are key and I agree in selecting players who are strong and good in the air. But it could be detrimental to build up play because physical defenders prefer to hurl the ball out instead of passing. That entails giving back possession.

We should aim at keeping the ball and hitting them with off the ball mobility.

Some very important points from Segun Mathematical7 Odegbami

Reasons for our loss:

1. SOUTH AFRICA'S PROGRESSION OVER THE YEARS: "In short, the improvement of Bafana Bafana is real. It has taken them all of 25 years to break through the psychological, physical and technical barriers that generally held them back for so long.
Nigeria has been their ultimate litmus test because, aside from never defeating Nigeria..."

With my earlier opinion: 100% in agreement

2. ROHR FAILING TO STUDY SA: "He took South Africa for granted and assumed that any team he assembled would defeat them based on history and past tradition. He played with the weakest goalkeeper to have ever kept goal for the Super Eagles. He played a young debutant in the heart of the defence."

With my earlier opinion: 100% in agreement

3. PLAYER SELECTION AS REGARDS ROLES IN THE MIDFIELD: "He played with three great defensive midfielders in one team at the same time. Throughout most of the match they clashed in their roles. He did not have a holding midfield player as well as a creative midfield general. ... It needs a creative midfield general, an artist, a player that can hold the ball and deliver ‘killer’ passes to free a frontline brimming with goal-scoring talent. The very quick attackers must be filled with the confidence and freedom to take on defenders, use the spaces in the flanks and their natural physicality within the box to finish in front of goal."

With my earlier opinion: 100% in agreement (I had said we lost the match in the midfield)

4. DEPLOYING HIS IN-FORM FORWARDS: "Finally, he only deployed his new, young, in-form and lethal forwards late in the game when the match had already been lost." [Maybe referring to Kayode]

I didn't say this earlier. As I don't think either of Kayode or Osihmen would have made a difference even if they started

Another veteran has towed my line of thinking again.

by Segun Odegbami 16/06/2017, 16:52

Eagles - this time truly beaten

Last Saturday in Uyo, something went very wrong for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, and very right for South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.

While Nigerians were stunned into a state of disbelief by the pedestrian performance of their national team, South Africans were ecstatic in celebrating the heights to which their football soared in defeating the once-invincible Eagles with unbelievable ease.

The victory was not a fluke. It was real, and its significance is that, finally, the jinx of Nigeria’s 25-year superiority of competitive football between the two countries has been broken, the calabash shattered, and the myth destroyed, forever. Things will never be the same again between the two countries in football.

Such a feat by the South Africans, as was displayed by their team, is never accomplished in a day or in a sprint. Becoming a football giant is never achieved overnight. It is usually a marathon, a painstaking journey, a systematic progression through stages of slow development armed with the patience of a vulture that can produce such a performance.

In short, the improvement of Bafana Bafana is real. It has taken them all of 25 years to break through the psychological, physical and technical barriers that generally held them back for so long.

Nigeria has been their ultimate litmus test because, aside from never defeating Nigeria, it has never been an easy task for any country to accomplish. So, to do so on Nigerian ground was an exceptional feat that must be acknowledged, even though the Eagles were also abysmally poor on the night.

The South African team played with a lot of gusto, confidence, discipline, organisation and with a simple strategy that was executed effectively and masterfully. Towards the end of the match, they made the Nigerian team look like bungling school boys. The Nigerians resorted to the football of the 1960s – long, high hopeful balls from defence to a frontline that was tamed by towering defenders.

At the end of the day, everyone agrees, Gernot Rohr is to blame. It was all his fault, his mistakes, and his responsibility. The team he assembled was simply not good enough.

He took South Africa for granted and assumed that any team he assembled would defeat them based on history and past tradition. He played with the weakest goalkeeper to have ever kept goal for the Super Eagles. He played a young debutant in the heart of the defence.

He played with three great defensive midfielders in one team at the same time. Throughout most of the match they clashed in their roles. He did not have a holding midfield player as well as a creative midfield general. He did not play the young in-form forwards at the start of the game. He did not have the player(s) to calm things down when the going got tough, and to maintain some discipline in his formation.

Finally, he only deployed his new, young, in-form and lethal forwards late in the game when the match had already been lost. The players became totally lost, and will now require some deep psychological healing to regain their confidence going forward.

But having said all of that, I refuse to take back my words from last week that a new Super Eagles team is in the offing.

It is apparent that Rohr, the German manager of the Super Eagles, did not have the deep understanding of the psychology of Nigerian football - that you do not pamper players hewn on the rough, tough, crisis-driven and chaotic diet of Nigerian football. Clemens Westerhof made them ‘mad’ by depriving them, annoying them, challenging them and daring them before throwing them into the dungeon of hard games. Rohr must take a few lessons from his methods.

The greatest challenge Rohr will now have to face is how to rekindle the Nigerian spirit in the team and to restore the self-confidence that must have been shattered by their failure to live up to all the pre-match hype and huge expectations of Nigerians in the new players.

The absence of the experiences of players like Vincent Enyeama, John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses was apparent in that match. Those individuals were needed at a point during the match to calm down the players and help them to maintain their more effective passing game with fast runs down the flanks to break down the South African defence until the very end.

So, beyond last Saturday, Rohr’s work is well cut out for him. He must have learned new and useful lessons. Some elementary mistakes were made that must never be repeated.

He must get the Eagles to put this painful defeat behind them, and start to slowly nurture the team back to health. He needs time and many matches, both of which, unfortunately, are in short supply. He must finally reassure Nigerians about the future to secure their full support again.

Rohr, without question, has the right temperament. He is cool, calm and collected. The last things he needs now are any form of rebuke or interference by the NFF, its technical committee or the public. What he needs is support and understanding.

These Eagles can still be the future of Nigerian football if Rohr does not allow this one match to destabilise, discourage and distract him from his goal of a new and better Super Eagles team that can play at the highest levels.

He has embarked on the journey already and is assembling the right kind of squad amongst those available presently around the world. He will encounter hiccups like the South African defeat along the way, but how he manages to weather the storms and still maintain a winning tradition through the critical and difficult matches ahead will be his ultimate challenge.

The team needs an injection of a few critical mature and experienced players in the side, particularly in goal, in the heart of the defense and in the attacking midfield position.

It needs a creative midfield general, an artist, a player that can hold the ball and deliver ‘killer’ passes to free a frontline brimming with goal-scoring talent. The very quick attackers must be filled with the confidence and freedom to take on defenders, use the spaces in the flanks and their natural physicality within the box to finish in front of goal.

So, although their wings are temporarily clipped, they will soon grow back, and the Eagles will fly high once again.

This time the Super Eagles were truly well beaten. I say congratulations to Bafana Bafana for a well-deserved victory!

https://www.supersport.com/football/blogs/segun-odegbami/Eagles_this_time_truly_beaten

Aikhuomogbe who spoke with Soccernet.com.ng revealed that the result would only be a wake up call for both the technical crew and the players ahead of their subsequent qualifying games later in the year.

"You can't really blame anyone for Nigeria's 2-0 loss to South Africa considering the fact that the South African team played a good football more than our team," Aikhuomogbe told Soccernet.com.ng
"Besides, this will be a wake-up call for the team before facing a team like Cameroon on August in a 2018 World Cup qualifier."

Exactly what I've been saying. A perfectly executed teamwork is what played to South Africa's favor. Many of us fail to realize that even as we performed badly, South Africa created and took their chances well. So let's give our opponents some credits. To me Rohr is at fault. But I believe he will get it right. He was confident to say we will win our next 5 games. I like that.

This is the same strategy my good friend TheGoodJoe is expecting us to employ as a team against Cameroon. South Africa did that against us.
in the same vein South AFricans knew we were already stronger.

That's a good strategy particularly when we are in possession. I was speaking especially when they are in attack. In that only one man to beat scenario.

TheGoodJoe:
Duly noted but I fell the best solution to power and strength is speed and quick passing. If we do this, it will prove difficult for the Camerounians to use their strength to make a different.

Even a quick forward who keeps moving will prove difficult to mark than a stationary forward waiting for long balls.

My best bet is speed and quickness in play. They are already stronger.

A loss is a loss, even if we have lost by one goal.
I think the team performed woefully. I can hardly single out a player that performed well besides Moses Simon. But such kind of displays from Simon cannot really do much for us. We need to start emphasizing on the team playing for one another. After watching the Senegal friendly I must say Ndidi is a gem. I don't know what became of our lads at Uyo.

Icon4s:
Why is Onazi being blamed for the second goal?

Which Players are supposed to be the last backline when you are on the offensive? The CBs or the DM?

Nobody is even blaming Simon for losing the ball in such a cheap manner that led to the counter attack.