₦airaland Forum

mostob:
I will go with Bright at RWB on Saturday. That Cameroon left winger is one of their biggest threats. And if there is one player I can vouch for to come out victorious in 1vs1, it is Bright.

Lookman and Iwobi behind Osimhen. Raph and Yusuf completing the Midfield. Omeruo, Ekong and Bassey at the back.

Your selection will see us get whipped, Violated and mashed up. Starting from the defence:

This is athletic power football ⚽ Omeruo ( expired drug) will get overpowered, outpaced ( slow) and out jumped and bullied. I remember how he got destroyed by Cameroon the last time.

CB's have to be Ekong and Bassey ( Afang with pounded yam) eee no get contest. Aina is deceptively fast and strong with football intelligence and arguably the best passing and crossing range in the entire SE team, that's both left and right feet. Zaidu all brawn and no brains I'll play Aina LB and Osayi RB.

Alhassan be like fowl that breeze go carry go. He has no physicality and poor stamina and not enough inventive creative technicality, add to that he is short no aerial ability it's over against Cameroon with tall midfielders a big liability.

Raphael is a very strong immobile brick 🧱 wall that has zero creativity, Onyeka is much more mobile they offer very little inventiveness and creativity they are both water 💦 carriers but the best is Frank ( great stamina)

Forwards only two choices without question Ademola and VO, who should play wing Simon or Chukwueze, I don't know both have different issues and they can't cross consistently with quality. Poor end product.

Midfield has to be Iwobi (AM) plus Aribo and Onyeka with a bit more creativity coming from Aribo.

It's going to be a long hard day , Cameroon are fired up .

comodo:
Like Ighalo scored 100 goals during his time. Below is Messighalo stats as the target man. 37 games, 19G/A contribution in 2,350 mins.
Your good for nothing Kels as a WF, SS, etc 49 games, 23G/A in 2,947 mins. U dey cap wela I swear. That Ighalo even played when we had prime mikel and vic mo is even an added advantage to him.

Oga to know who was the last Nigerian player to win highest goal scorer in AFCON please.

Mujtahida:
I usually scratch my head at that comment.

Me too, coming from him of all people who have instigated a quasi tribal witch-hunt against all so called "innit boys"

safarigirl:
Komekn, it is 2024 and you're still coming here to judge National team players with your English ball.

Does AFCON look like the English leagues or is it being held in England?

Kelechi has a very very good record for the Super Eagles. He has scored or assisted in most of the games he has featured for us over the last two years. He is one of maybe 3 players in this squad that have scored multiple goals at this AFCON, so, please, spare us your English league records. It has no bearing at the AFCON as you can probably tell.

The top scorer in this tournament is a player plying his trade in the Spanish second division. EPL players are not doing a madness here, so, don't bring stats from your best country to tell us about our Nigerian player at AFCON.

Oh my goodness it's you 😲😲

Your prejudice and negative bias has befuddled your thinking.

First of all the subject is the singular question of KC not the appraisal of the English football League
system.

You should understand the importance of specifics by now.

My comments were specifically directed to KC , his return from injury his lack of match fitness, his last game for Leicester was 2nd December. His poor form prior to injury as well as currently and indeed the last two seasons in the EPL have nothing of substance to report. These are the specifics please 🥺

A Segunda RB being the top goal scorer in the AFCON is of no significance. Of what purpose is that comparison, is it a unit of measurement of quality ❓ Should we then ask our RB to be the our number 9 striker 🤔

The KC subject asks the question are there no other alternatives who are match fit, outstandingly consistent with top performances in club and league.

My response is a resounding big YES. For example V.Ighalo, he is on par with Benzema with 9 goals, has scored more goals than Ekambi, Mane, Mahrez, etc.

TheLoneCitizen:
"struggling for relevance, underperforming for the past two seasons" Iheanacho for Nigeria in last 7 months:

vs Sierra Leone ⚽
vs Sao Tome 🅰️
vs Saudi Arabia ⚽
vs Lesotho 🅰️
vs Zimbabwe ⚽

He started only twice, scored or assisted in every appearance.

Imagine what in an in-form match fit top of his game striker would do like IGHALO for instance against those teams above , teams we would call minnows where world football is concerned.

Struggling for relevance in his club and league not the national team.

TheLoneCitizen:
Iheanacho better, benches all of that attack except Lookman and Osimhen

Currently KC is returning from injury and is struggling for relevance in Leicester city. He has been consistently underperforming for the past two seasons in the EPL.

He was supposed destroy the Championship according to many here but right now he is getting destroyed himself.

Who is better I think Moffi who is at least match fit.

TheLoneCitizen:
Can someone kindly explain this decision?

offside

mostob:
He once called Odegaard a bench warmer at Madrid. For someone who claims to have traveled far and wide, his knowledge of football is just so... God abeg.

I'll say it again that Odegaard was a bench warmer at Real Madrid but was still an exceptional footballer ⚽ who had Luca Modric in his pathway.

kennysville:
We have exhausted this. It all comes down to your opinion. I so knew you were gonna jump like fireman on fire to extinguish any talks of Nwakali. Unfortunately, I wont engage you as you only see what you want to see.
As far as the bolded goes, that kinda describes someone on this platform... Now who is that person again O? Oh yes... It describes you!

You said it's our opinion , actually it's not out opinion it' the simple FACTS.

He earns less than £€2k a week in the worst team in the very lowly lower percentile of the Portuguese league, Chávez FC . That is a cold hard fact.

You are giving your irrelevant emotive sentiment led biased self birthed opinion.

Your know all the players I NEVER talk about in recent times as SE prospects put them into his team and Chavez will be competing in the too 6.

Those players will now look like Ronaldo and Pogba in that league.

The facts is what l presented to you and you dismissed them for your self engineered delusional opinion.

Barryseal:
You're running shelter skelter now. What do you mean by signing under special talent clause? That's laughable. There is nothing like that.
You sign a player and then apply for work permit at the British home office. While filing, you pray to the home office to issue the said player work permit because he is a special talent (you start listing his profile to argue your case) and hope they grant your request under that clause.

You're just struggling to make a fist of an argument because you have made a career off Nwakali slander. Even when presented with facts you preferred to die on silly hill you're standing.

Are you arguing Nwakali got his work permit but Arsenal trashed him?

The 10M I listed was the transfer threshold to activate work permit as at 2016 or so when Arsenal signed Nwakali. So you didn't trash anything, lay off your pipe now.

The substantive facts are above.

Barryseal:
Liar! Arsenal factually wanted him to stay but for the work permit issue.
https://www.soccernet.ng/2023/12/why-i-left-arsenal-afcon-bound-super-eagles-midfielder-kelechi-nwakali.html/amp

Disinformation and misinformation.

let me quote ftom soccernet, verbatim what Nwakali said. He was never going to say the truth, he gave his fabrication.


“I decided to leave Arsenal after three years because the process of getting my work permit was difficult, so I had to make a move to Spain, where I signed for Huesca.

He missed out that after three loan stints he was dropped from the Eridivise to the second tier and after to three seasons NOBODY wanted him. He then had the indignity of playing youth football at Porto B and still could not make the team as a regular.

He then left after being released to Huesca who immediately loaned him out to another lower club in the very poor Segunda Division.

The same Huesca tried to illegally end his contract when they could not offload him even at €300k , nobody wanted him. He was the second to last lwest paid player at Huesca.

Factually, I know the head of loan player management at Arsenal he was poor and hot good enough.

I can name five players axed from Arsenal and released who are making waves in their careers and earning 20 times more than Nwakali.

Please don't say racism, there are two teenage igbo boys Obi and Nwaneri making waves already in Arsenal.

You are creating a narrative that is fantasy and self birthed to anchor ⚓ your delusional misrepresentation upon.

Who is the BIG LIAR 😲 now ❓

Barryseal:
That special talent rule is almost like a lottery system. You have to argue it and there's no guarantee you will get it. Awoniyi Taiwo was the highest scorer with Iheanacho but he failed to get work permit with Liverpool. Besides "some" clubs seems to be favoured than others when it comes to this. You can't rule out corruption and inducement in the system.
Iheanacho at Arsenal may not get his work permit. While Nwakali at oil Man city may get it.

Dude he was never getting into Liverpool, simply not good enough.

codemaniacs:
Osimhen can play wing proficiently and he has the skill to get past players because all he has to do is one-two passes with other players to get past defenders.

I don't understand why Simon and Chukwueze don't use one-two passes and triangle passes to get past players maybe it's because SE don't do anything during training they just jog around and snap pictures.

That will work to some degree in Seria A but in this AFCON with athletic fast and strong African players it's not happening you need more , because he will be marked.

Oasis007:
Did you see letter Eto wrote their players?! Foreign borns don't always give their best, and really can't blame them.

They may not understand extent Africans grieve when their teams lose. See what Ivorians did after the match - Destructions everywhere and this will be alien to these foreign borns.

Temmy was once rated and tipped to be world best to extent of him trolling us. Where is he today?! Its not just Nwakali that needs to prove himself, Olise and Eze need to do same. Eze played 90mins against Arsenal yet he couldn't score or assist a goal.

If they are so too good, they will be on payroll of top teams by now, atleast transfer windows still open. Are they better than Nwakali, big no to me. Where is Akpo and Toru now? Una dey wail everyday that they are what we need to be damn solid at back, were'nt they later capped?

They couldn't even make bench.............LMFAO.

Tega is recovering after surgery from an ACL Injury.

Please stop this , how can your compare Eze, Olise to Nwakali that's insulting. You want to use one match against Arsenal to dismiss a 22 year old player. Olise has scored 6 goals from 9 premier league game's this season and one assist. Hoe many has Nwakali scored in his entire 8 years in Europe.

Actually Olise is the number one in form player in the EPL. What is Nwakali please, 🥺

codemaniacs:
You just made a case for Osimhen to be used as a winger in Chukwueze's position while Moffi plays main striker knowing fully well Osimhen will know when to attack and be in the box to attack any cross or pass from the other wing which means SE will be indirectly playing with 2 strikers.

Which also means Osimhen will have to drop deep since he is not the main striker thereby reducing his ridiculous offside stats.

SE may be using Osimhen wrongly.

Good strikers adapt, imagine we had Benzema 😮😮

Barryseal:
Players of his skillset aren't runners. They make up their lack of pace with good anticipation and space management.
I feel Nwakali left Arsenal too soon, since he left Arsenal youth loan managers got better with Matersacker and Edu coming onboard.

He didn't leave Arsenal kicked him out he was not good enough too poor.

I can name five players kicked out from Arsenal in his age group and year who have left him in a house of permanent darkness and are doing great now.

codemaniacs:
You just made a case for Osimhen to be used as a winger in Chukwueze's position while Moffi plays main striker knowing fully well Osimhen will know when to attack and be in the box to attack any cross or pass from the other wing which means SE will be indirectly playing with 2 strikers.

Which also means Osimhen will have to drop deep since he is not the main striker thereby reducing his ridiculous offside stats.

SE may be using Osimhen wrongly.

VO can't play wing proficiently speed yes but, technical ability and skill to get past players on the wing , not good enough.

Barryseal:
Nwakali anchors the midfield better than Iwobi. This is not even a debate.

A bad delusional dream 😞 please wake up

Barryseal:
You don't have any midfielder with the passing selection or range of Nwakali, not even Iwobi. If you had such midfielder playing in Real Madrid no sane human being will mention Nwakali.

Delusional balderdash and Codswallop

Is that why could not get into Porto B, or Arsenal youth team. Dude has three seasons of anonymous football and relegation in the Segunda Division.

Now in the worst team in the Portuguese league and still anonymous.

MetalJigsaw:
It would have made sense if Osimhen had started from the bench. Moffi or Onuachu should have started. Who knows they might turn out to be more prolific than Victor.

I just don't know what exactly is wrong with Osimhen.

Over three matches he has been awful in front of goal while getting at least two to three big chances per game!

This is not the Osimhen the world knows at Napoli! 😕 What exactly is going on?🤔

Does he not know that the whole world is watching?... The only thing that's been keeping him a little bit relevant is that he has his other attributes going for him - his pace, strength, and agility.

It's not strength but determination by AFCON standards he is lightweight and is getting bullied. This is not Europe where he can bully defenders and beat anybody with pace.

Everybody deh chop pounded yam not potato, guys are bigger and stronger 💪🏿 than him and are able to match him for pace.

yinkeys:
I think aina needs to go back to right wing back where he’s more comfortable
He gassed out yesterday against GNB

If he didn't has out he would not be human.

He was playing CM, RW, LB and LW as well as running back to defend how many clear chances from quality crosses and passes did he create.

I am almost certain Aina did more running than any other player on the field by a considerable margin

kingphilip:
Many people didn't have high hopes on the team before the AFCON and that was because they've been seeing what you are just seeing and how the players have failed to jell in the last few months.

I think it is you and Komekn especially should learn better lessons of not using top 5 league to judge players but those that are no longer small teams don't have more than 3 of their players in top 5 leagues.

Who are the top 5 most competent players in the current squad, consistency, quality, influence on the game and end product.

Aina
VO
Bassey
Iwobi
Ademola

They all play in the backwaters of Europe and low quality teams ❓

There are number of players I would not have had in the squad. The squad selection was poor unimpressive and not adventurous.

There are several far better players left out .

yinkeys:
He is
Kvara has been playing rubbish this season at Napoli
Our super eagles don’t float in balls properly
Chukwueze cannot cross with his right foot
Moses hardly does that with his left
Only Lookman doesn’t seem uncomfortable doing that
Start Chukwueze on the left or don’t bother put him on
Aina workload too much today, our boy overworked himself at the flanks
Plus he’s not a left footer which even makes it harder

His supposed weak left foot is better than all our natural left footers .

yinkeys:
Jose Peseiro should watch last seasons goals from Osimhen & Napoli, try to setup eagles like that if he wants Osimhen to be on the score sheet regularly
Otherwise bring in Moffi
Chances are not been converted
What is going on
Our wingers aren’t quick enough and can’t even cross
Let natural right footers play from the right and left footers at the left.
Hoping we don’t pay for all the missed chances in the knockout stages
We are playing 5 at the back because the coach doesn’t trust his defense to hold if they play 4 - 3 -3

Aina is a better crosses with his left foot than Zaidu, Bruno on the left and with his right than Moses and Chukwueze.

I am thinking 🤔 that Aina can comfortably play in the midfield, actually I watched him up close and personal play left sided midfield for Hull in the Championship.

For me once again Aina was MOTM for Nigeria his work rate phenomenal. His passing range in this match better than Iwobi.

typicalgamer:
Alhassan is light years ahead of rapheal onyedicka

Here in lies the paradox , Alhassan is as light as feather and would have been mashed up, bashed and taken out after getting exhausted by the 🔚 of the first half.

On the other Onyedika is an immobile brick🧱wall that has no invention or creativity.

Both of them come with problems 😔and proffer no solutions.

typicalgamer:
Don’t worry we’ll play a night match and Starboy will shine ✨ underneath the stars

Time is running out 😔 the way he consistently goes offside for a player considered to be world 🌍 class is not good.

I hope he knows that having a good tournament will push up his value and vice versa if he does not.The way unknown defenders are regulating him 🤔

Buy

Sportilitica:
Hmmm, maybe it is not Osihmen's tournament afterall. Or maybe he needs someone else upfront with him because he is having it really bad. I don't know what others are watching but I would rather play like this and keep winning that play entertaining football and lose.
The team is not playing pretty football but they have 7 points. We were expecting them not to qualify but they have done so.
We need competition in the goalkeeping department.

We have been very LUCKY 🤞🏿if the truth must be told.

Joebie:
this is the reason why I've been saying that we do not need 4 wingers in the squad.. We do not have good wingers.. We have good strikers that can also play from the wings.. We needed more of our CFs in this squad. The wingers hardly do the basic things wingers should do.

Tell me the strikers that can play wing please ❓

typicalgamer:
So far we’ve not be outstanding we’ve not beaten any team convincingly

I pray our luck continues like this

Agreed without question ❓

In addition Star boy is not looking like a star ⭐

lovewins:
He was asking the coach for a towel to clean the ball hence the delay. Wasn't exactly "exchanging words" and his intention wasn't to waste time.

How do you know his intention ?

Is it raining , is the ball slippery don't think so, call a spade a spade.

Worrying observation VO is getting a lot of chances but not able to score.

This is gidigbo, pounded yam, blood and guts African football ⚽ warfare. This is not Oyibo football.

Those Guinea guys were good they were so determined dem no send , this was a very hard fought victory albeit lucky.

Maybe we will improve in our football so far we have been scraping through not really winning any game convincingly.

We have won .

In my opinion by the skin of our teeth, it was not easy.

It could easily have gone home wrong