₦airaland Forum

TFLASHOGEE:
Ayew with a screamer what a goal

Absolute guided missile goalkeeper no chance.

Player quality is outstanding, and where is he playing Quatar and before that Championship after relegation by Swansea.

Many people here seem to forget that football is s career in and making money ££$$€€ is a big part of it. Andre could have gone to multiple EPL clubs but chose not to, why❓

I could speculate he was getting paid £83k a week in the Championship, I can't imagine what he is getting paid in Quatar.

And playing for these clubs did not make him loose quality or become irrelevant to Ghana. This is his 6th AFCON. As quite a few have suggested with Ighalo.

Meanwhile it look like even with Aubemyang Gabon will not be able to overcome Ghana.

andrewbaba44:

There is nothing like against all odds

Aboubakar has been Cameroon best forward before this afcon

I think he was Cameroon only home based player at the 2010 World Cup before he joined the French league ,but then again I know your motives

Please read the emphasis.

Do you know what it is to come back from a cruciate ligament rupture and then reconstruction

Many players never come back the same.

Remember Osaze after he did his cruciate he just couldn't get to the same level.

I also did my cruciate ligament and had reconstruction, so I can talk from personal experience.

So AGAINST all odds he has risen to three heights is commendable.

Meliforme:
Cheif, You mean Taiwo replaced Osimhen perfectly?

Awoniyi won only 1 ground duel out of 8.
1 aerial duel out of 8.
0 dribbles.
0 key passes.

In which area of play was he a perfect replacement.

I will commend Awoniyi's movements and pressing, but he is still not on Osimhen's level.
Osimhen owns the physicality (speed, strength and stamina) and the tactics (intelligence).
If you can remember his somehow diagonal press against Cape Verde. He reads his opponents well

If you didn't use the word perfect, i would have ignored.

I always say this statistics are indicative not conclusive.

Taiwo Awoniyi played an outstanding game ,he worked tirelessly he SEIZED OPPORTUNITY he pressed non stop and he fought relentlessly, he made the entire defensive line up very shaky first 15 minutes Egypt was lost couldn't get any Rythm . And a big part was the bullying and physicality he brought to the game.

A lot of long balls went to him and he fought for everything hold up play was proficient not necessarily excellent but very good. You don't need 45 minutes to make a claim just 15 minutes to lay your marker down and set the tempo.

He is the young pretender to Ighalo's crown, if he continues, along side Victor O.

Many years ago Lukaku was termed the young pretender to Drogba's crown, today he is no longer the pretender but the owner.

The stats don't tell the full story.

andrewbaba44:
Low level leagues for these players according to komekn

But he praised and compared aboubakar of Cameroon with ighalo who has only played at turkey and Portugal during his time in Europe

Komekn will never rate players from turkey ,but he is rating aboubakar because he isn’t Nigerian and wanna use it to get at some of our players

If you want to make point do we have to tell tell lies, to what purpose

Actually Aboubakar played 5 seasons in French League one, before going to Porto for five seasons and partly on loan to Besikitas. In the 2017/18 season he was among the top five goal scorer in the Portuguese league with 15 goals.

He suffered a cruciate ligament injury had to have reconstruction. Then after a lengthy lay off and rehabilitation he signed for Besikitas in September 2020/21 season once again he was among the top goals scorers with 15 goals and his team won the league.

He then decided to follow the money, he is on a reputed $135k a week, don't forget football is still a career. He has nothing to prove.

I am rating him because against all odds he has showed himself proven tested and capable. And I was doing a comparison of him and Ighalo for us to appreciate Ighalo even more. Who is seemingly better than him.

If these players wanted to play in La Liga , EPL they would get teams, but most cannot afford him.

Do you think if they offered some of these our young players just 1/10 if what these players are making they would not run to Saudi Arabia even adopt Islam if required. Some of those young players are on less than $3k a week.

Remember my long standing proposition,

Better a Lion in a low quality league and club than a mouse in high quality league and club.

You not me have brought the comparison. How many of our players in the Turkish league are in the top five outstanding players in that league

Finally these players did not drop to lower league on account of poor performance but chose to follow the money, which was offered to them on account of outstanding performance in better leagues.

safarigirl:
Your contradictions to here and now that they asked you about Okoye and Uzoho yesterday and you were flailing about like a bird inside boiling water.

Or you think I am talking about Ighalo's here and now?

Your here and now for Ighalo is different from your here and now for Okoye and Uzoho.

Tomorrow, you will have another definition for here and now for a different sort of players.

Inconsistent and emotional.

I assume a certain level of intelligence , understanding and an ability to carry out the most basic of comparison analysis.

I put forward the statistics chart courtesy of Whoscored of all the matches both playerss have played this season 2021/22.

Which is CURRENTLY which means present continuous and therefore HERE and NOW. Not last session or the season before, but right now ,

Maduka in the Eredivisie rated 7th and the Uzoho in Cyprus league rated number 15 in Europe , see below.

Should I speak Spanish can anything be more representative of the HERE and NOW than the present continuous season 2021/22.

daveP:
I can personally reach a conclusion that truly Ighalo has been disrespected here, but Komekn calling the current crop pretenders has turn this thing to UFC face-off. I can't take that either, even as an Ighalo fan.


I dunno maybe its a trend but we also didn't really trust Ighalo replacing Emenike that year.


Only thing i can say is Aboubakar scored the winner in 2017 final against Egypt, bullying their defence. That's something. I dunno how good their Midfield were compared to the one Ighalo played with at that last Afcon, but if its vs Egypt, towel dey floor.

Our current strikers are doing well this season at their clubs. They weren't called pretenders then. Nawa o

The only striker that is doing well this season in the squad is Awoniyi in the context of good quality.

Maybe I am not that informed please tell me the others .

And because I am highlighting the quality of Ighalo does not mean I am insulting Awoniyi.

I actually have met him and think very highly of him , very good professional really good young man.

safarigirl:
This is a lie

Because Ighalo has played against Egypt and he did not do better.

So, it is a lie

If it is by top scorer, you better wait for the tournament to start proper, because Ighalo did not become top scorer after his first game. Una no go even wait for tournament to start before making ridiculous comparisons and arguments.n

You are loosing all sense of rationaity and clutching at delusional straws.

You are using the assumptive projection to contend with the factual. That will not work, you should know that , balance of probabilities, is not fact but speculative.

Fact Ighalo was the AFCON highest goal scorer Awoniyi, Sadiq, Onyekuru, even KC and Osimhen may or may not ever become one.

safarigirl:
The only person overcome with emotions on this thread is and always has been you

There is not an ounce of objectivity in your arguments, and that is clear with how glaringly inconsistent you are.

You are so inconsistent, you don't even have a definition of "Here and Now", it changes according to who you are arguing for and against.

So, when you decide that you want to be consistent and stick to a definition of "here and now", rather than being emotional, we will take you seriously on this thread

I refer to my long standing proviso for national team selection.

It is better to be the top outstanding player in a low level club and league than an anonymous mouse in s top level club and league.

That is still in the HERE and NOW.

Ighalo is the top the current highest goal scorer in the Saudi Arabia pro Football league. That is in the HERE and NOW.

So now Miss objective quantifiable and measured.

Can you show where there is a contradiction to my position which has remained consistent please.
The definition of HERE and NOW is self explanatory

TheLoneCitizen:
Sir, if there's any case of assumption here, it falls firmly at your table.

Because you're assuming that due to past glory, Igahlo should automatically be the first striker on the team list.

However, if we look at this objectively, statistically, factually like you demand, it is clear that there is an overlapping queue of strikers who based on recent performances are easily ahead of Ighalo.

Ighalo being top scorer in Arabia is no big deal. The Saudi Arabian league is so bad that their all-stars couldn't defeat Palestine and Jordan in successive games this January.

If experience is your criterion for quality, then that is good. Ighalo has all the experience in the world.

But also keep in mind that a we have a fit Onazi who, based on experience, should be in this squad ahead of "pretenders" like Aribo and Onyeka.

Not too ong ago he was at Manchester United albeit temporarily and was not bad.

Ighalo could get an EPL team today if they could afford his monstrous wages. The issue is not about getting a club.

This was a comparison between Aboubakar and Ighalo who both play in the same league. But the difference is that Ighalo is the highest goal scorer in that league.

Both players chose this league and the league chose them with bags of £££$$$ .

Aboubakar is on his way to being one of the top goal scorer at this tournament and it's arguable he may not necessarily be better than Ighalo.

You should have a lot more respect for Ighalo. If Ighalo was playing in the Bundesliga he would be among the top scorers. And if Ighalo was in Leicester do you think he would have scored only two goals in the EPL so far.

safarigirl:
What is "young pretenders" about Awoniyi?

Why do you feel the need to disrespect people that are doing a business in order to elevate some others?

If this thing you wrote came from an honest place, you would have left Awoniyi and Sadiq, but because it comes from negativity, you feel the need to throw in names that have no business in this talk.

Ighalo is not in AFCON, he will not be there, so, we honestly don't give a shit what he would have done, because a far better striker in the person of Salah is at this same AFCON and his first game was shit anyway.

Our strikers are decent and will come through, the ones we actually managed to get. Stop insulting them because you want to kiss the ass of an absentee forward

When you are overcome with emotion and sentiment you become fanatical in some respects it makes you the quintessential fan, one without rational.

As a result well thought out objective appraisal with key identified performance indicators analysed , becomes an insult to your emotively overcome mind.

When something is taken out of context and then misrepresented, who do you blame

I made a comparison of two strikers who have been top performers consistently over many years at top level. One is Ighalo and the other is Aboubakar, they both play in the same league. However, Ighalo is the top Goal scorer in that league.

But somehow one Aboubakar is idolised, praised with great respect and appreciation across the nation of Cameroon. However, our Odion is disgracefully denigrated and abused by many you included here.

You have continued in this vexatious bad spirited narrative for too long. Like a woman scorned and filled with bitter resentment. He was the highest goal scorer in the AFCON you still have nothing good to say.

Ighalo is on the team list not just at the tournament and the context of my write up is by comparison entirely relevant.

I would say much more than the irreverent preoccupation you have with how handsome or good looking in your opinion our playerd are. Which is essentially superficial nonsense that has nothing to do with football ability , quality and performance.

This is hypocrisy and double standard feminist bigotry.
If conversely we were discussing the female national team and talked about how beautiful or not beautiful they are , how well endowed they are it not. That would be considered very sexist and distasteful at least.

Kog45:
The big question,would Ighalo have done better than Awoniyi against Egypt?NO

On my opinion 100% a big YES

TheLoneCitizen:
Not really the case that most people think Ighalo is not good enough, but most people actually believe there are better strikers in the Nigerian fold than Ighalo.

Last season:

Cameroon had only 5 players worldwide who scored into double digits. Vincent Aboubakar was one of them.

Nigeria on the other hand had 29 players who scored 10 or more goals. Ighalo wasn't part of them.

This is a good discussion , let's be as objective as possible and not ASSUMPTIVE.

Who among our strikers is actually better than him in the HERE and NOW.

Please name them one by one and give your rational.

TheSuperNerd:
War against Less fancied Ethiopia.

What will it be then when they come up against Algeria or Ghana? Armageddon??!!!

I think you have to have a mentality of DESTROYING the opposition no matter how weak they are assumed to be.

Lets take a sledge hammer to kill a fly, underestimate no one.

When playing Sudan we must not think they are weak we must take the game serious it's WAR Your best players tried and tested.

Otherwise you will slip up.

andrewbaba44:
I don’t rate Cameroon

They are the host and are expected to beat Ethiopia

If you go back I said they are one of the favourite and that we don't have anybody like Anguissa

Quality powerful striker Aboubakar is bossing the Ethiopians, two goals to his name. It looks like Ethiopia are going to be flogged and Aboubakar should get a hat trick.

After having a decent career in Europe he has gone to Saudi Arabia for the$£$££.

He is playing in the same league as Odion "Unbeatable" Ighalo who is the top goal scorer in that league. But some how there are some here high misguided that think he's not good enough for the SE.

That the young pretenders like Awoniyi and Sadiq are better.

Cameroon have come for WAR they just need a little bit of composure because they are dominating.

Cameroon is better it's just a matter of time before they get their second goal.

maidaboi:
lol like how oyedima was the best player in the world
A beg someone should help interpret this post

Who said that❓

I did have great expectations for Fred Onyedinma four seasons ago , but he has not lived up to expectation.

I haven't mentioned him for so long , don't know what he is up too. You seem to know please tell us.

TheGoodJoe:


Read and understand. Martins has led the line in attack. So has Peter Crouch, so has Tevez, So has Aguero, So Suarez. So has Forlan.

They all play the nine role differently.

So to you, am I comparing all of them?

By the way, Iheanacho is a better finisher than Benteke. Benteke might have the superman skills but he is not a tidier finisher than Iheanacho.

Goal na goal whether tidy or untidy, ether you use the back of your head and buttocks be to score.

They both have one thing in common they have been disappointing in comparison to thier transfer fees and expectations.

drDoom3:
Sadiq will prove you wrong in this tourney. Shebi they are the only two strikers? They will both get enough gametime.

He will first of all have to prove Eguavon wrong .

He is not a bad player but his level is just where it is Segunda which a is simply not high.

In reality he is too poor quality for be the SE. There are Too many player's much better than him, l honestly would have preferred a top striker ftom local league.

I am sure if he you ask Basconvelli, to find a striker in the NPFL better than him he will bring 5 .

Let's call a spade a spade .

TheGoodJoe:

With here and now theory, Maduka should not have gotten the call up at that time. What matters is not Sparta Rotterdam. Let the best player in camp get the slot. Not Sparta Rotterdam.

You want to enthroned mediocrity.

When you play in a low level league for one season you can say you are being discovered. For two seasons in you could say your unlucky but three it's because your not good enough.

You can't be anonymous mouse � in a obscure league and then come to the SE and become Lion it's not happening.

You bring your quality to the SE you do not find it there .

Danielnino00:
As usual, you stylishly ignored the points he raised..

Using your Here and Now theory, would u have supported Maduka's call up when he was in the German fourth division? Bear in mind that Uzoho went from playing in the Spanish third division (Played 2 laliga games), then to the second division before ending up in Cyprus.. And he is playing for one of the best team in Cyprus that guarantees him regular European football...

You make a lot of nonsensical propositions.

Uzoho was invited to the SE when he was a youth player for Deportiva B, and has not really progressed beyond the Cyprus league.

So because of your low on level league and club plays in European cup it makes him and the club quality, can you listen to yourself.

You have nothing to say .

We could add that Maduka is a Watford EPL goalkeeper on loan at Sparta Rotterdam.

You want to turn daylight to darkness.

TheGoodJoe:

Stop pretending as if you did not get the point. Maduka called up outside your here and now theory. He was selected over keepers of better status than him to be number 1.

Simplito.

Maduka has played essentially every game for Sparta Rotterdam in this 2021/22 season

Meanwhile Uzoho has played 60% of the game's for his club 2021/22.

What can be more HERE and NOW than Maduka call up please❓. Then tell me please out of all the Nigerian keepers who has better status than him❓❓

The only one I can think of and it's highly debatable is Okonkwo at Arsenal.

TheGoodJoe:


He plays as a striker but due to tactics, has roles to it. [b]So do not make it look like if Iheanacho is to play top, he must restrict himself to play like Benteke. [/b]There is always fluid switches to suit players.

So playing as a striker must not mean standing in the box.

Anelka was a striker but hated staying in the box. He preferred occupying wide areas before breaking in. So players play the role differently.

You are confusing me .

How can you compare the style of play of Benteke , physicality, Aerial prowess, Hold up play , Aggression and you are comparing KC.

Haba your off the scale with this

It's like comparing a Range Rover Vogue to a Mercedes-Benz E class. Totally different players and attributes.

TheGoodJoe:


With your HERE AND NOW Theory, Maduka should not have gotten a callup. Telling us his progress defeats your agenda. You do not know the trajectory of any player after a callup. So if you are repping Maduka, then know he did not get called up with your HERE AND NOW.

I rest my case in the HERE and NOW

Add quality of league Eredivisie and Cypriot league there is no discussion.

One had progressed from the lowe league of Germany and one has built house in Cypriot league and remained there for how many seasons ?

forgiveness:
Aina is Ambidextrous but we have many in EPL that are one footed. Except you want to tell me there are none.

Your right but not comprehensively.

I don't know a wing back or winger that cannot cross the ball, in the championship before we talk of EPL.

There are some that are very weak with only being proficient with one foot and however, they have other attributes to compensate.

For instance Wan Bissaka is not great but his defensive attributes give him an advantage. At one stage he had made the most tackles in the EPL.

That statistics can be seen in the negative and positive. For instance ,Kante has such great anticipation blocking off the space and timely intervention he ends up not doing so many tackles. So his stats for tackles are not that high in comparison.

JohnBullMySon:
That's what I meant with my last statement. Not just beauty. Wealth, Intelligence, Success also attract negativity. Many people silently wishing you fail. I think that's one of the reasons he's harshly judged here. Average Nigerians tend to support who suffered more in life, which in this case is Uzoho. After being accused of age cheat, he then gets a nasty injury in a match paving the way for an equally young Maduka to grab his shirt and run away with it.

What should be the unit of measurement for national team selection in the HERE and NOW.

Consistent outstanding quality performance in your league and club.

Maduka has progressed from the lowly Germany third tier to become the number one goal keeper in his club and league the Eredivisie.

Uzoho has remained in obscurity in the much lower Cypriot league. I am not even sure if he the number one in his club.

Maduka has played way more games in his club than Uzoho almost double his appearances.

Now if you want to be objective , who would you choose.

charlesemeka85:
Interim Nigeria boss Augustine Eguavoen has acknowledged that Almeria star Umar Sadiq did not play on the same level as Taiwo Awoniyi after coming off the bench to replace the Union Berlin striker in the 72nd minute of a 1-0 win vs Egypt in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday evening.

In truth, Sadiq, who is having another outstanding season at Almeria, did not add value when he came on, failing to hold up play, create a goal threat and didn't cause problems for the backline.

Eguavoen argued that the former Rangers man was nervy because he was playing in his first major tournament - something that didn't hold water as Sadiq was a key member of the Nigeria squad that won bronze at the Olympic Games in 2016, has Serie A experience and sixteen games under his belt in European competitions.

The 24-year-old made his senior debut against the seven-time African champions.

Asked if he was bothered that Sadaq didn't play on the same level as the player he replaced, Eguaoven told reporters at the post-match press conference : "Umar I think this is the first time playing in a very big stage and we have to talk to him.

"He gave me some few excuses after the game but it's something psychological so we have to talk to him and address it in future games."

Sadiq started all the six matches played by the Dream Team VI at the 2016 Olympics, scoring four goals.

The level of prejudice, double standard , hypocrisy among so many of us, actually mirrors our national and local politics. That happens here.

We support a person because he's from my village, tribe, etc. Even when it is clear the individual lacks capacity, sometimes when that person is known to be corrupt and even a thief.

There are some trying to create division between what they call " foreign born" Vs "Nigerian born" it's a kind of quasi tribalism and discrimination. Creating contention and rancour where there should be none.

We know how we operate in the NFF. But we make prejudiced assumption about people, not born or brought up in Nigeria. But most have not met or even know anything about them ,but are so quick to make deductions in the negative about them.

The same people who have lambasted me with vitriolic rhetoric and abuse claiming bias against Nigerian players brought up in Nigeria.

I made a clear, defined and specific criticism with regards to Nwakali and Sadiq. Eguavon is literally saying the same thing. The reports from training have not deviated from what they produced in this match.

Where Eguavon hands tied, I am honestly bewildered. How can you have Onyeka and Iwobi on the bench and you bring in Nwakali in a crucial match like this. Umar I guess there was nobody else to play as a striker .

humility33:
That Salisu is underrated seriously

I start to respect that man upon the way he handle his CHAN/WAFU Team the last time

He is a fine coach
Him and that Dr. Should be asked to manage the CHAN team

I have zero tolerance for corruption and he was caught red handed. He should have nothing to do with our Football.

humility33:
Papi relax just pray we win this afcon
You see the likes of Eze, M. Olise, Tosin, Noni Madueke and other unknow innit boys and German kids will start longing to play for Nigeria and that will make the super eagles the beautiful bride they'll start toasting and God willing we qualify for the world cup as well....

Super Eagles will laugh last
Udogie is ours to take....

You talk from no idea what is happening behind the scenes.

And you make wild assumptions why they are not playing for the SE but in the negative.

forgiveness:
Balogun is an upgrade though. We still need him.

I don’t know how good Ighalo is currently but if he moves to EPL and does well, na to come back be dat oooo.

One thing I am almost certain 100% Odion Ighalo is absolutely 200% better than Sadiq Umar, EOD.

forgiveness:
I don’t see him dropping Omeruo not to talk of Ekong for now.

Omeruo was too good yesterday. Hopefully, he is not injured.

However, Awaziem tested positive prior to the match.

In improving the team , my question is always not that Omeruo had a good game. Can anybody do better and carry the bar even higher❓

That's how teams improve.