₦airaland Forum

darkelf:
You still don't get it. The problems with Nigerian football isn't post-tournament report.

It's the hydra-headed monster of Corruption, Nepotism, local coaches (some of them), unrealistic fans, bad league management committee, age-cheating and what have you.

Until you strike at the heart of this monster, just cutting of the head (sacking coaches) won't do us much good

What are you talking about ❓

You have just described in a nutshell the Nigerian problem.

You want to use football to solve a problem that has plagued us even before the independence of Nigeria.

The problem is not football the problem is US.

Earthquake3:
I don’t want us to meet any North African side until the final

That would be very WISE

darkelf:
I'm thinking Algeria and Morocco are the major threats to Nigeria

You really can not ignore Egypt highly organised and very good team cohesion.

Add home support factor and that makes them real contenders, if not favourites.

gamaliel9:
Where did Stephen Keshi blossom? Siasia? Oliseh? Celestine Babayaro? Amokachie? Ndidi,Kalu,Moses Simon? And now Osimhen,etc.....I was doubting your inclusion in that list by semid4life...now it is confirmed....I AM CERTAIN NOW...... YOU BELONG THERE

Very impressive your depth of knowledge and contextual understanding.

Players progress from lower league to higher leagues irrespective of the league. Belguim or Eredivisie it doesn't really matter. The operative word being PROGRESS.

The context of my comments was KC leaving the EPL to the Belguim league that's not progress. That is effectively REGRESSION.

So your comparison is completely irrelevant and totally unconnected.

All the players you mentioned progressed from the lower league to a higher league and or club and or in that process. Not the other way round.

So you have jumped on the prejudiced negative sentiment train because your deduction is baseless. Why ❓ just to join others with limited understanding and prejudice to make pointless deductions.

I don’t know but maybe you have complex issues.

Danielnino00:
No kidding?

Just two midfielders? How do u expect Mikel to control the midfield on his own?
With this ur lineup we will be overrun in midfield..
Chukwueze functions best on the RW..no need for the SS role...

Agreed without reservation

andrew444:
I have never said Ivory Coast will win the afcon oo ,I only claim that have player in bigger clubs

I even said if Nigeria can win drogba Ivory Coast then we can be this ones easily and any other teams

Morocco I know ,Egypt as host ,they rest are normal and all the North African teams are beatable

How many world class players from the North African teams ?

Salah ,mahrez ,benathia who else ?

We are in principle saying the same thing essentially.

Oasis007:
My Predicted Lineup

Chukwueze will operate as No. 8, specifically behind the Striker, while Iwobi will operate as No. 10.

This is a line up, IMO that would get slaughtered by most teams in the AFCON.

First of all its all attack minded. The Midfield would be completely OVER RUN, nobody on tjat midfield is a water carrier ready to do the hard work. Mikel could but way too slow.

There is almost no physicality in the team, there is huge physicality in AFCON.

You want your forward line up to be led by two rookie players with little experience just potential, who have essentially played thier first season of first team competitive football. That would be very very unwise.

Iwobi doesn't work hard enough in his defensive duties so there will be too many gaps. Then you complement him with two players who can only go forward and lack defensive discipline and awareness in Kalu and Onyekuru. That's just SUICIDAL.

Another issue you have no height, teams with little technical ability will just go police game. Ball in the air let's fight for it.

That team would be used for Suya by Burundi.

gamaliel9:
Good news is coming so early in the season...

The Rush To Belgium...

Junior Pius
Odey
Hopefully Iheanacho joins them

However, Ozornwafor s pay is small 2k euro per week...though increases in the second year...

He better play well to renegotiate or be bought by another team

What's so good about that news.

The Belguim league is not a top league and you really have to be in the top 5 best to really get noticed by the big club and or leagues.

KC going to Belguim is not good news it really means he is not good enough for the EPL and he is failing bafly. And really he should be able to get a Championship club. But l don't think any progressive Championship club will look at him.

andrew444:
Ivory Coast have players in bigger clubs than the eagles according to me

If you can post where I said Ivory Coast will beat naija I will apologize

And besides it's no news Ivory Coast lost as Morocco is better than them ,stop making look they lost to Mauritania or one farmers country

If you check my post this afternoon I quote jidhay or so that Morocco will beat Ivory Coast

Nothing to be worried of ok

Up super eagles

Remember when Zambia took the AFCON where were the majority of thier players playing ❓ La Liga ❓ ❓

On paper Senegal is arguably the best selection of players. However, team cohesion is another thing.

Cote De Voire on paper have better players, by virtue of clubs and league.

But the big question is can they play together as a team effectively. In my opinion most of the West African teams don't play the best as a team but rely on individual brilliance to get competitive advantage.

For me the North African have the most organised teams add to that some world and top class players. Then put in the mix home advantage.

l really can not see a sub Saharan team winning this years AFCON.

edi287:
Onomah is still eligible but competition is crazy. The likes of Foden, Maddison, etc are all ahead of him at the moment.
Now would be the perfect time to get him.

Foden is a different type of player to Tega but yes he is on the ascendancy, so also is Jaden Sancho.

Agreed this is the time to get him.

tbaba1234:
How many footballers are in that shape at 35??

Football is not a 100 meters sprint..

It's not the point, it's the fact that the possibility exists that a 35 year old can still have blistering pace.

Add to that the dynamics of genetic disposition of Africans and it becomes very plausible.

I remember watching a near 40 year old Taribo West burning top players for pace who were probably 15 years plus younger than him.

charlesemeka85:
22 yr old players are considered in euro u21 competitions. onomah didnt have a great time on loan last season so that was the reason why he was dropped

That's true indeed there are players who are 23 they peculiar rules of UEFA allow for some older players to come in

Nonetheless, they have to give way for younger and sometimes possibly better players as the means to progression of the team.

However, Tega had some injuries and did not really have a great season unlike Iorfa who was exceptional for Sheffield Wednesday.

Odunayaw:
He won't still be this fast if he wasn't around that age

Linford Christie won gold at 32 in the Olympics and competed at 38 in the 1994 Olympics.

Carl Lewis competed at 35.

So your proposition is without any substance.

charlesemeka85:
onomah seem off the radar of the english fa because he was dropped for the euro u21 competition, same goes to lookman and ejaria. i am very sure eze will turn out for us but don't know when

Tega is too old he hit 22 in April so he is ready and willing to play for the SE.

In my opinion he is better than Eze although he needs an uninterrupted full season of competitive first team football. Either in the EPL or the Championship.

charlesemeka85:
Yea buh for sometime I hv not been following onomah. Another good mention is ejaria but he seem too feather weight for African footie

I need to see Ovie play a complete season in a team that's not struggling for survival.

He did very well at Rangers but left too prematurely if you ask me.

charlesemeka85:
New Players likely to join the super eagles after Afcon.

Felix uduokhai-Wolfsburg cb
Fikayo tomori- derby cb
Joe aribo--Charlton cm
Ebere eze- Qpr am

I would add there is a possibility of

Ademola Lookman
Tega Onomah

The one I rate the most particularly as a CB is Fikayo Tomori.

comodo:
Chief, we should talking about consistency. Not up today down tomorrow. How consistent was Sone, since Rohr came in

Actually very.

darkelf:
My Personal opinion about this years AFCON:

1 It is the worst in recent years

2 Nigeria won't win. Our greatest undoing would be the GK and our Coach especially

3 Senegal would reach the finals

4 Uganda would reach the Semis

5 Mane would cement his place as Africa's best

On paper Senegal's team is the strongest, however the very well North African teams can not be ignored.

I don't think we are in pole position to win it.

However, the SE at AFCON are slow starters and we get better as the games progress. This afternoon l see us wiping away G.Bissaua with at least 3 goals expect Osimhen to come in 2nd half and score.

Nigeria will progress to quarter-finals and after that anything can happen, it's football. Yes we could win the tournament Albeit it unlikely.

darkelf:
Which EPL team?

He couldn't score or assist in two legs against Liverpool. Same as yesterday. Just pace and power with no end product.

Goals win games and if as a striker, you can't score, you should assist and if you can't do either , then you're an impotent striker. I repeat, Moussa is an average striker

Press talk a lot of the time can be misleading and us used by agents to market thier players.

However, l can assure you he is being considered by Liverpool as an obvious stand in. I think he will probably end up in Villa, Wolves, West Ham or even Newcastle my personal speculation.

Below some media links that have a good degree of integrity and as such can not be ignored completely.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/moussa-marega-liverpool-transfer-news-16418653

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7041411/Porto-striker-Moussa-Marega-set-Premier-League-switch-West-Ham-likely-destination.html

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/porto-moussa-marega-wolves-west-ham-leicester

You may call them just pace and power with no end product. Means you haven't looked at him objectively but with double standard bias in comparison to our own strikers.

This Mali team have two bulldozers who will terrorrize our defenders Adama traore on his day unplayable. I hope we don't meet Mali maybe on the final or semi finals. Because it will not be easy.

pazienza:
Kelechi nwakali is an Arsenal player on loan to another club.

How many games has he played for Arsenal

He is simply a minor business transaction that is owned by the club. Calling him an Arsenal player is ambiguously misleading.

andrew444:
Moussa Marega is not a bad striker

I am sure if he is a nigerian people like you will prefer him over ighalo

If l said this you would call me UNPATRIOTIC NIGERIAN.

darkelf:
Moussa Marega; just physicality and raw power but no brain. Like say na muscle dey play ball. Can't wait for the Malians to be put in their place by a better team.

#Nonsense

I would not show that level of disdain and disrespect to players with such attributes.

We may live to regret it.

Although you may not appreciate him there are EPL clubs looking at him and the price is over £30 million.

Mickael2:
So you want him to pick Omeruo ahead of Koulibaly? Abi Chukwueze ahead of Keita Balde?

I would like to presume that the so many informative, substantive, thought provoking contributions that so many have made here. Will educate and even reorientate many to become appreciatively enlightened.

But I seem to be overly optimistic and many still remain quite happily in blissful ignorance with pride.

TheGoodJoe:
Are you talking of Ravel Morrison?

Men, that kid was an exceptional talent. Definitely the most talented player in his set and even more talented than Pogba.

Morrison's problem was him not leaving the hood in his mind. He was not ready to go. I remember once reading a news article of him getting caught by the police with his friends who had a gun. Ferguson was the one who buried the case to save the young man.

The opportunity was there but the player needs to put in work to succeed. Clubs like City give players huge opportunity better than the smaller clubs.

NO THEY DO NOT.

Again talkin from first hand experience.

They create the delusion of Opportunity but there is none. They put you in a unrealistic comfort zone, you will be paid very well to stay in the illusion of opportunity. Sometimes £15-25k a week it's a very nice and comfortable Illusion that keeps you deluded.

Once you hit 16/17 you need to.be playing first team football irrespective of the level. That will propel your development. Playing youth football will stunt your growth, development and progress.

In addition another problem is that at the top clubs youth academies you are playing " pretty football " technical and nice with fantastic pitches and good referee's. You go on European tours to the creme de La creme of Europe's elite clubs. It's very nice.

However, you are not prepared for the, Nitty Gritty Hard Knocks, Fight and die football outside of the EPL.

Outside of the EPL you will essentially fight for the ball you will not get diagonal through balls that split defences. It's now police game. It's kick and rush it's very ugly. These academy boys are not prepared for that.

These top EPL clubs are only looking at 3/4 players in each year from age 9/10 to U23 that's barely 15%, as potential first team players. The rest 35% are business transactions to be sold to other clubs if possible and the bottom 50% segment are there to make up the numbers to be released for nothing when they are no longer useful. HARSH REALITY.

In a smaller club they simply don't have the money to keep players on and in comfort. They academy intrinsic to thier survival and part of the club's business plan modek for viability. There is little room for passengers.

Once you hit 16/17 and if any good you are in the first team. Then if you have a good season you are kept on as a huge asset to be sold for big money at the right time. Example at Fulham are Dembele, Ryan Ssegnon, or at Charlton Ademola, Gomez, etc.

Sometimes the players are hyped ( marketing) to generate interest from the big clubs and we quickly sold before they find out they are not that good.

So if l was advising a young player, depending on his position and unique skill set. I would be choosing a smaller club with REAL OPPORTUNITY not the ILLUSION of opportunity.

When you get your REAL OPPORTUNITY if you can play good quality technical football in that agricultural kick and rush league. You are getting the best training available. It's very hard to be playing technical football when you are Surrounded by hatchet men and carpenterd. But if you can. Well when you get to the EPL you will find it much easier and will excel.

Current examples are Leicester city midfielder Maddison now killing it in the EPL.

Speculative examples are Luton Town 21 years old James Justin LB wanted by many in the EPL. Price seems to be in excess of £12 million a player who played league one.

TheGoodJoe:
Are you talking of Ravel Morrison?

Men, that kid was an exceptional talent. Definitely the most talented player in his set and even more talented than Pogba.

Morrison's problem was him not leaving the hood in his mind. He was not ready to go. I remember once reading a news article of him getting caught by the police with his friends who had a gun. Ferguson was the one who buried the case to save the young man.

The opportunity was there but the player needs to put in work to succeed. Clubs like City give players huge opportunity better than the smaller clubs.

Ravel l know well his problem was simply INDISCIPLINE.

Player was of Ghanaian origin if I'm right, just checked now. John Cofie now 26+, he played with Pogba and like l said, Man U paid £1 million pounds for him then, he was actually only 14.

Humility017:

sorry to say....
you're a serial hypocrite.
you call and recongnised this players simply because they're not Nigerians...

the only african players you recognized doing well outside England are the non nigerians...

mind you the guy who scored senegal's stunning second goal plays in Belgium I doubt if he is better than oshimen...


but you don't mind name that guy and downplay oshimen....all because of your hypocritic nature...

and here you're accusing some one I being over patriotic when you were never patriotic.

you should be avoided at all cost...and asked to go open your 3 lions thread....
I really think one of this days we should face this thing together...me and you.
and watch you misuse those your lopsided parameters and speak your English that hold no waters....
I see probably you've an inferiority complex..
I am very disappointed in you....by those words you spew up there

Firstly, you jumped into this particular discourse without any idea what the central issue and or question is, that prompted my comments.

Then you make a negative emotive prejudiced totally unrelated and quite condescending allegation. The term HATER is very apt where you are concerned. Can you explain how my comments are hypocritical or maybe you dont what hypocrisy means. ❓

Keeping my comments in the strict context of my response to the proposition that all Senegal's players are bang average apart from Sadio Mane.

Your premeditated dislike completely blinds your sense of reasoning. Your irrational dislike is infantile but still clearly evident. I would say you should be ashamed but you clearly have none, and you are not Sorry.

Look at screen shot below and then look at yourself.

TheGoodJoe:
I am saying that with the kind of training and competition at Manchester City, kids get better opportunities to have good careers. The recent quality young talents have mostly done well.

If l was too choose an academy it would be all about OPPORTUNITY.

There are not huge differences in training methods and facilities with the big clubs and that includes some in the championship and even lower.

Look at how many players have gone on to bigger things from Charlton & Southampton for instance and compare that to Manchester city.

I am not talking just about Manchester city but the top EPL academies.

Quite a few years ago Manchester United paid £1 million for a 16 year old player from Burnley. He came with multiple accolades within 2/3 years of leaving Man U he was in non league. He was Pogba team mate.

This is a view from first hand experience not speculative assumption.

TheGoodJoe:
I will prefer to note that of top players of Manchester City in recent years falling to non league. Edozie is going to City academy. Which has done well in recent years in churning out quality players.

I don’t understand your comments please.

fabyom:
Where are Senegal's talented players.
Only Mane plays for top team others are as average as everyone!!

Chieke Kouyate
Idrissa Gueye
Umar Niasse
Kalidou Koulibaly
Keita Baldé
Mbaye Diagne

I think you are exposing your complete lack of knowledge or rather blind patriotism for Nigeria.

The players above are average according to you.

I completely disagree with you.

TheGoodJoe:
Yes. I think Edozie will learn a lot and I hope he progresses fast at City. Players from that route have grown in quality. I hope he does.

In most cases it doesn't follow.

I know a player who captained England U16 a top top EPL team U18 team.

He then played for the U23 regularly was released at 21 within 2 years he was playing non league for AFC Fylde in the NW of England.

I can give you numbers upon numbers who club s bought for silly money. And with a few years they have been released.

forgiveness:
Manchester City U18 pattern of play is almost the replica of the main team.

It doesn't really matter the quality is not the same.

All the top EPL teams have it ingrained that all the youth team training creates the foundation for progression to the first team.