₦airaland Forum

charlesemeka85:
As first reported by SCORENigeria, a major pay row is boiling in the Super Eagles camp at the 2023 AFCON after outstanding bonuses and allowances of the team have yet to be paid despite a Government approval to clear these monies.


It can now be reported that the cash crisis in the Super Eagles has taken a new dimension after several senior players fell out with captain Ahmed Musa for “not fighting” for the team.

SCORENigeria learnt that the senior players accused Ahmed Musa of taking sides with the NFF leadership as it concerns payments for them.


One of the senior players who recently captained the team in the absence of Ahmed Musa had a personal confrontation with the captain on this vexed issue.


It was alleged that Ahmed Musa has failed to carry the rest of the team on discussions concerning their welfare.

“There is a serious issue of trust between Ahmed Musa and the other players when it comes to pursuing their entilements,” one of the players told SCORENigeria

“They believe he has not represented their interests.”

Some of the players have already warned they will go “above and beyond” their captain and take the matter to a higher level soon.

“How do you expect Ahmed Musa to take on the NFF to get the entitlements of the team when they did him a very big favour by getting him on the AFCON squad?” another source rhetorically asked SCORENigeria

Are these sort of news about money payment always premeditated? Why does it always have to reoccur. Both male and female teams. It is even peculiar in many African countries. In Ghana they had to fly money to Brazil to share.

In America, I recall that the US women team was advocating for equal payment with their male counterparts. Theirs is not that they are being owed.

chrisooblog:
My brother as I see the way Francis kick those goalkicks I redoubled my prayers for Nwabali to be fit by Friday.

The strongest agbo and best bone setters should be sent asap by DHL to Abidjan.

The two times he played those goal kicks he caused a clash of heads between our players. The first was between Aina and Onyeka. The second was between Osimhen and I think Bassey. His goal-kick range was short. When the Angolan goalkeeper came on after their first-choice goalkeeper got an early red card, he made a beautiful save immediately. Mind you this Angolan second-choice was also their previous first-choice goalkeeper in their last AFCON appearance. It's not a question of confidence but a question of hunger. Uzoho is not hungry for the opportunity to improve. And no wonder he could say "if e easy, make Oyinbo sign you" . I want to ask him now that "so as oyinbo sign you now, you think say that na all, you think say na final bus stop, you think say you don arrive "

Mujtahida:
Yeah charlesemeka85 is one of our respected contributors. Our FBs have channeled their in-born naija spirit and are playing with so much grit and power. Many people talk about Osimhen's pressing but Lookman dey press too ooo. As him body small, him Dey hustle from defence to attack

You are very right sir. The two of them are even beginning to sync more. There was a dummy move that Lookman did in the first half which allowed Osimhen possession for a one -two pass back to lookman, although it didn't work out well, buy it tells you that both guys are beginning to play on the same mind frequency. And that will be good going forward.

I see that movement and blend in the Angolan team as well between Gelson Dala on 4 goals. Their captain who has 3 assist already in the tournament. And their number 19 point man who has 3 goals too.

daveP:
Let's assess Iwobi's over performance pls. Leave Commentator aside fes.

Very good display. He got tired but still effective. He was able to contribute to the second goal. The bench team understands why they could not substitute him. I am beginning to think players who played early in European academies have a better technical understanding. Look at the second goal, all starting from Bassey winning a freekick, and then himself, lookman and Iwobi doing the job to score the second goal. That was beautiful.

Neobulletzz:
The keeper is always the last man in football rules so if a player is behind the keeper, the player won’t be counted. The keeper is the last man

That has changed. If a player is behind the keeper, the player becomes the last man. And the keeper is seen as a player. You could see it didn't take the referee time to blow offside when he checked VAR..

Even to tie shoelaces, Uzoho still looks sluggish.

Who notices that there is some kind of game reading Ekong has that Omeruo doesn't have. Not saying Omeruo isn't good with his own qualities as well, but I think this has to do with their leadership style. Ekong is a far better leader.

Namibia's nemesis has been their south African neighbours. Losing 4 nil to South Africa. And again losing 3 nil to Angola. Against the North African side, Tunisia they won by a goal to nil, yet against our west African neigbours, Mali, they played goalless. Perhaps it is more of a mindset problem for them.

komekn:
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 .

This you wrote up here is stupidity at it's peak.

If you seeking financially profitable engagement consider twitter. This type of half-truth provokes people more to engage in your tweets just like Daniel Rhega does. But here it's simply a waste of time.

maidaboi:
same Aribo? 😂😂😂

Sometimes I feel for Komekn when he is being dragged but then that guy likes to seek attention like a soldier. Leave him to cap.

Today he will watch Alhassan and swallow his vomit of opinion.

TheLoneCitizen:
Can someone kindly explain this decision?

The ball later touched Osimhen's hand before, before it got to sanusi

Joezinho:
Trolling aside, I honestly wished Ghana qualified instead of Egypt.

Their group was one hell of a group. From Mozambique that held Egypt and almost got a win, to their comeback against Ghana.

To Cape Verde that got a last-minute win against Ghana and a last-minute equalizer against Egypt.

When Egypt and Ghana met it was another cracker. They played a 2-all. Egypt couldn't beat any team in the group. They played all draws in their matches. While Ghana slipped in their first match and conceded a die-minute goal against Cape Verd, they subsequently played draws in their remaining two games.

Icon4s:
See, the way this Nigerian team is set up we will give any team in this AFCON headache

Exactly. We are the hardest team to beat. But let us not give our players that impression as they may come out complacent.

Look at our games in the group stage, against EG we played them handsomely but couldn't convert. Then we understood that we need to shove up our defense and believe in our attack that we can seal up wins in whichever way they come. That was what we did in our other two matches.

Last time Senegal played like this in the group stage and won. Rohr played like this in 2019 and even lost his final game to Madagascar but still got the bronze medal. We are slowly and steadily metamorphing..keep the fire up. We are a semi-final team. My only worry is the Algerian side. They seem to play like, if they qualify I hope they meet senegal at some point while we play either of the dark horses in the semi finals.

charlesemeka85:
🟡⚫️ Understand Watford have agreed on deal to sign Emmanuel Dennis from Istanbul Basaksehir!

Surprise return agreed on loan until June as he accepted to take 70% pay cut to return and help Watford.

Medical booked on Tuesday.

#Fabrizio

Brother misses London, friends and lifestyle.

Sportilitica:
Nwablili is very vocal

It's probably because they are still knowing the kind of way he wants them to line up or guard him. At some point Uzoho was like that and later when the defender understood him he started shouting less often.

Wow! What a tournament for Equatorial Guinea, they are scoring goals were expecting of our teams to score. But first congratulations to us on our qualification to the next round. For EQG it is a massive achievement for them and their football status, they have really benefited lately from hosting the tournament twice. Their consistency in football is remarkable. Their female team was the first team to upset the hegemonic status of our super falcons. And their male national team is consistently making a statement for itself. We might have to watch out for them in the future to see where they go. Sadly, I'm still not convinced about their side as much as I'm not convinced about our ability to win this tournament. I believe getting to the semi-finals for us is an achievement. And it is being far generous as liberal in my expectations for them. For EQG like I said I doubt they will make it out of the round 16 irrespective of who they meet, because I don't think they have that mental ruggedness to sustain this, it is a gamble for me to say this, but it's coming of my knowledge of such teams in tournaments.


For the Super Eagles, can we say our best match from the group stage was our game against EQG?. Considering how we defended against Ivory Coast, and how we were lackadaisical in the first half today. This is what may will associate to a change in formation. But I think the answer is simple. It lies in the absence of a particular player with the skill set in our first game that balanced us up. It was alhassan's presence that saw us dominate our first game. And in his absence in our second and third games it turned us into a lucrid and impotent side that simply does the bare minimum to win games.

I believe it is beautiful that we can still win games without alhassan. But it is more important that he returns in our next match against whoever.

We've clearly seen Bassey can do the job of sanusi, although Bassey is a little erratic returning back when he bursts forward leaving open the space behind but it is not the problem that the center backs can't handle or the nearest center midfielder covers when the gap is opened.

Return Aina to the right, he is clearly miles ahead in this tournament. No disrespect to Bright-samuel he can always come from bench and get opportunities like he had when we played ivory coast.

Leadership matters, while omeruo was able to cover up and do his job neatly, I hold him responsible for the blandness of our first half display. Ekong bears a leadership pattern that has the team heated up. I wish omeruo can add that to his game. However, we might as well start Omeruo in our next game with Ajayi I think they are both capable and balanced.


Osimhen will come good. We just have to relax. I believe he will get it better in the next game, and I'm sure he knows that he has been well served. It is the knockout stage, and he must be reminded that he has to be clinical. Return Chukwueze to the bench. It's been two games and no clear chances created. We scored today off a moses Simon cross he has the experience and Simon is better supporting the defense than Chukwueze. Bring lookman back to the starting line up. Aribo is barely in the tournament. He lacks confidence. And Onyeka has really blossomed in his confidence. Iwobi starts in our next game. Hopefully, we witness another pass like the one he lay to osimhen and I'm sure this time around Osimhen converts.

All southern African countries have the same national anthem. And here is South Africa playing Namibia. They just played the same anthem twice. Next time ,CAF should merge the two anthems as one to save time.

isan:
Tanzania were a goal up with a man advantage and in the 2nd half they started playing the most stupid football I've ever seen... They will have a freekick deep in zambia half and instead swinging in they will pass the freekick around and back to their own goalkeeper

The are easily the worst team in this tournament.

Many teams in this AFCON will end up with four points and will not qualify as 3rd placed teams

yinkeys:
Nigeria 4 - 0 Guinea Bissau

If it happens this way it will be fine. But let's learn to manage our expectations

Barryseal:
Why aren't we on 6points at the world cup qualifiers?

There are a plethora of reasons. But of course these are no justification. Take for instance, the timing of our games, how many days it took for us to train and play, managerial deficiencies, player errors etc. But all these are excuses in the long run. One thing I know is that going forward, we will get better with the manager's knowledge of his team having spent a month with the players(hoping we get to the finals of the AFCON) this helps create a better structure for our team in the qualifiers. I know by then you'd believe in the team again, more importantly, you will believe that we are capable of topping the group despite our poor start.

Barryseal:
. I follow talk am. And that would have been the case if Uzoho was the number 1. The facts speak for itself.

All these ones na still assumptions. Uzoho could have been there and we could be on 6 points as well. Mine too is another assumption. So let's stop all this capping.

Bannedlargedx2:
Amokachi should realize that, as a commentator, he has to be neutral and unbiased. The amount of time that he openly wished that Nigeria defeated Ivory Coast was nauseating. How can you be saying “today is the day Nigeria will break that jinx” as a commentator? Nigga you’re supposed to be neutral and keep your personal feelings to yourself

.

That's why the don't get jobs. Like our referees don't get FIFA and CAF jobs same reason our ex footballers don't often get called and invited. Barring J.J Okocha and Sunday Oliseh I have hardly seen any ex player commentator who has impressed me.

komekn:
Nice slap by VO

You no just well at all.

Guys, I'm so nervous. I just don't want us to lose or get eliminated in the group stages. I usually love to watch football matches alone. And here I am calling on my Cameroonian friend to come over to watch the match at my place.

Mhen, AFCON has really improved. I'm enjoying this Mali vs South Africa game.

typicalgamer:
Normally it’s mostly our boys that gets snap up during tourneys like this

But now it’s any team that does well against us their key players get snap up by clubs

So are we now the yardstick like is this progress or regress ?? 🤔

Why do you say *US*. lol.

robosky02:
1. The EQG team had a game plan to seat back, soak the pressure and hit Nigeria on the counter

And there defense was cagged so Nigeria can't penetrate.

2. In such a game, a direct play will never work as they will always over power you or frustrate you.

But Nigeria was playing a direct ball making Osimhen the sole focus of our play. Every one was trying to pass to him. Of course the EQG will ensure they're all on him and stop his flow



3. What the coach should have done is to split thier defense by using more of the wings to drew them out.
And Moses Simon and Chukweze would have done that well.
But he kept Chukweze on the bench and Moses Simon was moved to the right-wing role instead of his more familiar left-wing position, this disrupted the team's attacking dynamics.



And also use more strike option with at least two strikers. Would have been ok

4. He left it too late before bringing in wingers Chukweze..
And the striker at barely 3 minutes to go

Jose Peseiro is still a learner

Look let's forget all this essay. The game simply didn't go in our way or favour. We could have played rubbish and still won if the game was to go in our way, but we played well and drew. And that brings me to the idea of wuruwuru to the answer. We should be able to have plan B's such as that. It is what has helped ghana win 4 trophies and Cameron 5 trophies. The grit, the wuruwuru style, to win. It's not gonna be beautiful but it will be efficient.

Anyways Maduka Okoye is in goal for Udinese and they are currently leading Fiorentina away from home Fiorentina 0-1 Udinese

robosky02:
The pressure is much on Osimhen
Why play a lone striker when we have so many attacko option

Sometimes I wonder if you fans know the colour of your problem.

MetalJigsaw:
Papua New Guinea
Guinea Republic
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea Bissau
😅

Guinea I believe is a Portuguese-originated world. I think it means black.

DarkJeddi:
The ability to pay for flights and a match ticket,is not the only critteria for one to be a Fan..

That is a privilege,a privilege that many passionate Fans do not have..

You might criticise those that unduly antagonise,but your first paragraph is nothing but broke shaming..

Exactly. Many will carry their side chicks to the tournament, and those chicks know nothing about football. Is he saying those chicks are better football fans than those who put their time, dedication and passion to read and engage in football issues regarding their beloved team?