₦airaland Forum

Rizespor's Okechukwu Appointed Nigeria U23 Captain, Kelechi Nwakali Named Assistant Captain
Rizespor star Azubuike Okechukwu will lead the Nigeria U23 players onto the Stade du 7 Mars, Ben Gardane pitch when they tackle Libya in an U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Wednesday, allnigeriasoccer.com understands.

The central midfielder has the most caps for the Olympic Squad and coach Imama Amapakabo didn't think twice before selecting him as the captain of the squad.

Okechukwu captained the Dream Team VI in every single game they played at the 2015 U23 AFCON, with the exception of the semifinal against Senegal which he missed as a result of accumulated bookings.

Arsenal loanee Kelechi Nwakali has been named as assistant captain for the two internationals against Libya.

The Porto attacking midfielder is a player with excellent leadership qualities, having captained the 2015 U17 World Cup-winning Golden Eaglets and the Flying Eagles team that failed to qualify for the 2017 U20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Bologna loanees Kingsley Michael and Orji Okonkwo, and Spezia's David Okereke have not yet reported for international duty as at 0902 hours on Tuesday, March 19.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

I still dont know Who now caused it??

ChrisKels:
Spain, Germany and France are the last three to have won the world cup, none did it with average players, this is against ur theorem.
.

Yes unity, team spirit, tolerance, discipline and understanding are the prerequisites to succeeding as a team, buh, u must not Parade average players in order to have/instill these sine-qua-nons. This is where a good coach comes in, Herve Reinard did it with what was left of the aging Ivorian golden generation. Never site England as an instance bkus England just like Africans like gloating.

If a coach like Reinard had handled ivory Coast or Nigeria all those years, the result would av been a lot different and more positive.

The best African repps in the world cup till tmrw, remain the best assemblage of quality stars with good management, without sentiments, from Cameroun in the 90s, Senegal in the early 2000s to ghana in 2010.

In [b]summary, u dont need average players to succeed at the highest level, rather, u need quality players with discipline, team spirit, understanding et al.[/b]

You just mixing up points. Does Spain and Germany have the Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi. No
Did France have any of such player No.

When the chips were down, no one expected Portugal to win the Euros in France bt they played as a team , just imagine the eventual goal scorer for them , so average a player.

When ivory coast had the big names they never won the nations cup,just at the tail end of Yaya toure's retirement they won. Not when they had drogba and the rest..

When Cameroon won the nations cup, just imagine the calibre of players who won, immediately after they won, we saw Chupo Mouteng who now plays for PSG come to play for them in the preceding qualifiers against Nigeria.

When Nigeria won the nations cup who were the main stars, Oboabona and the rest.

When Egypt had been winning the nations cup did they have any world class player. I bet u with salah and being the host rather than win it this time they would not.

When Italy won the world cup, they won as a team, their team captain didn't win the world best player for himself but for the Italian team as a whole who surprised many to lift the cup .

There is little that your big names can do or fetch u.. Have a team and have. a good team.. The Croatian side that got to the finals weren't that spectacular when u place them individually against many team in the world cup, but they played good football that got them to the finals, thrice on their way to the final it was decided by penalty play. But they were a formidable side by their style of play. No need for big names.

The Senegalese side that humbled France at the world cup, who knew them. Though we had lost to them in Mali and we were aware of their growing depth and strength , yet against a defending champion France , they shook the world and got to the quater finals..

My bro, its never about the individual names.. A great and winning team needs no superstar names..it is from winning that they become superstar

Our female team has been stagnant for too long now it begins to depreciate..

Icon4s:
Egyptian players are not typically as talented as players from West Africa. What they really have going for them is their very good tactical awareness. I think their league is highly responsible for that.

In all my years of followership of the game Mohammed Salah is their best export to the European leagues.

Salah is not the best, he is exceptional as an example .

Mind u , the yardstick of using Egyptian players to compare with West African players is subconsciously revealing from your mind where they should be and how good they are, placing them against a whole region that is a powerhouse of African football in Europe.. You didn't place them side by side with just Nigeria or Ghana or ivory coast or Senegal. Ivory coast however happens to be the only country that might surpass the Egyptian team in terms of quality over the past ten years .

Curtisaxel7:
Lol. It took me a while to get this but when I did, I almost fell off my seat in laughter. Very intelligent and humorous.

I bet 70% of Nigerians will never understand this meme.

Many Nigerians would. In as much as u are aware of the major incident. And the date stated...however it could be antisemitic.

Earthquake2:
If this isn't my best meme of all time

This is very intelligent ...i just had to stare at the Jesus's dressing and the little moustache. And it got me laughing

Great job icon4s

Yakubu Aiyegbeni, ike Uche, osaze.... These guys were really great players, ike Uche and osaze for the skills and pace, Yakubu for the poacher instincts....

Taiye Taiwo, my God who is even close to him and his efficiency in the national team..

Yobo, captains at Everton and was scoring goals as a defender.. Who could match him, the oyinbo wall combo couldn't at his finest form... He led a defense during qualifiers that conceded one goal to qualify for AFCON if I recall well...

Certainly that 2008 squad kills it.... First choice goalkeeper at AFCON Ghana EJIDE, ahead of Enyeama who later went on to become League one player of the year...

I really do not know how this current squad would evolve or grow to be but do not compare the likes of Victor Moses whose only best moment was at AFCON 2013.. And he seemingly is the best attacker on the list of today's SE players based on his overall exploit.


There will certainly be a place for Ndidi, Seyi olofinjana was not so exceptional.. He was just an academic footballer..

MajesticIgbo:
Ghanaians only refer to Yorubas as alatas and no other person. Other ethnic groups are simply called Nigerians.

How many Ghanaians can differentiate a Yoruba from an igbo person...

Whether alata or anago man they call me both ways... The Ga tribe in Accra are fond of saying Anago man when we playing football together. They pick at my pronunciations and laugh at me as well, but in my resilient mind am like if only you guys knew how wack you sound in my ears as well. Funny thing they even want to correct my pronunciations of some English words but I never gave up my tongue..

I recall chidi odiah, who played the right back role. He was so good I thought he could be converted to a 10. He played his role with semblance to Jay Jay.

I saw the almighty world class Marcelo arguably the best left back look confused, I saw Samu dispossess Marcelo with ease....

I saw the legend of Madrid, Sergio Ramos come support Marcelo to tame Samu.... As if this wasn't enough there was a point when it was Marcelo, Ramos and Casmiero all on him at the same time..

He is getting there, Samu is gradually getting ready to be next big deal in Laliga...

I only wish he remains in Villarreal for a season more..

I also noticed something about Villarreal and Nigerian players... They adapt easily there, when looking at a player like ike Uche.

When did profiling become a crime

Yul impregnated the girl and decided to marry her...

femianski:
those of you saying that uzoho is much older than his age present your facts
I have seen people who look 10 yrs older than their age
tbaba and that Castro guy on twitter has presented their facts but some peeps here are still arguing blindly

Is Castro his father or mother?

Even so, the poverty and corruption in this country would make a parent conform to whatever age a child choose to ascribe on his certificate..

While I was a corper I had a girlfriend who told me her mother had them 3 birth certificate.. Their original certificate, and two other which were doctored... Reasons was for job opportunities and age barriers.. The younger their age was the easier it was securing a job...

I was shocked how her mother had thought of this. It is stuffs like this that ruin a nation

tbaba1234:
This is Uzoho in 2012 at Aspire Academy

Can you see the growth change?

www.nairaland.com/attachments/7287792_screenshot201806191552341_pngaf112e5beb7fae0a1e49ff7c98615b9e

He looks 18 here...

Now what annoys me so much or why I am pained is that I voted him for the best young talent in our NL Nigeria player award...

I feel cheated, he is no national long term prospect to help us develop our football. That's the simple truth.

Q

Princezibk:
You guys better face front and stop stretching ur necks into other hardworking youths life data...At 17 or so sterling boasts of 3kids, you didn’t come here to rant but na naija breeds get problem for una life...mtscheeeew

I see how you are, if you will not understand the social cultural background of a black kid of Caribbean extraction. I should probably not try to disabuse your pathos.

Read more books please... I have nothing to drag on your narrow understanding of such topics.

If you want the pretty fine things in the world the key is to work hard and be consistent.. Irrespective of Uzoho's official age which I no longer believe, he still worked hard and found himself a pretty fine wife.

He is also wearing a Red cap ..money is good.. Am not of igbo extraction but I often hear those who wear red caps are those who are affluent, wealthy , whom the society deem fit to confere traditional titles.

gustav25:
no wahala .... I no force you Bruv

I believe you bro.

Icon4s still thinks he is 29 sorry 19

If I recall well, Chelsea won the league under Jose Mourinho and conceded the least number of goals to win the league..

I think fourteen goals.

But the way I look at this Liverpool team, they'd likely equal that record....

A big kudos to the manager, and the big buys at the defense and goalpost. Virgil and Becker.. Well balanced by lads like Clyne, Gomez, Trent, Robert.... They make Loveren feel like he is really talented playing along them. .

Are we se for the question for today.... ...
Here is the question..

Would Leicester have won their last two games against the league giants (Chelsea and Man city) if they had started Iheanacho

Am waiting for answers on both sides

Last year wizkid reconciled with Davido, this year with skales or Dammy ....noticed the trend anytime his december concert is around he reconciles

1. Nigerian Player of the Year: Wilfred Ndidi.

2. Home Based Super Eagles Player of the Year: Junior Lokosa

3. Most Impactful New Inclusion(2018): Jamilu Collins

4. Best Ogedengbe Best Goalkeeper award: Francis Uzoho

5. Stephen Keshi Best Defender award. Williams Troost-Ekong

6. Samuel Okwaraji Best Midfielder award:Wilfred Ndidi

7. Rashidi Yekini Best Attacker award: Victor Moses.

8. Most improved player : Alex Iwobi.

9. Young Player of the Year award (Under21): Francis Uzoho.

10. Super Falcons Player of the Year: Francisca Ordega

11. Super Eagles Goal of the Year: Ahmed Musa 2nd Goal against Iceland.

InSanety:
na everybody dey use WhatsApp?

Instead of you to be asking about real life friends.....na sad people full internet, people wey no get friends. People who only have social media friends are sad, people who seek relevance on social media are sad, people who are only interested in internet arguments are sad. People who want to feel important are sad, dem go dey brag about their job, who dem know.... Dem plenty for here

I see many sad people on this thread, their only joy is from the likes from virtual people and that is why this thread dey like where ashawo dey live. So many sad people and their unverifiable importance looking for who will clap for them.

Make una just dey clap dey go. Enablers full here, whether na babe dem dey enable or na man, enablers are here.

Make I dey spread the likes sha

Na true u talk my brother... If we look am well... Many people are sad and depressed... They use social media as a medium to recuperate

safarigirl:
Why are so many people here, but nobody saying a thing?

Sleep has left me, so, I dey find talk. Somebody talk

What ever happened to your whatsapp friends...
You finished them all

Na joke and light jab... No go punch me or slap me with your words

rabzy:
Alata means pepper seller in Yoruba. Some of the earliest traders to the southern part of Ghana are ogbomoso traders who traded a lot in pepper. When the Ghanaian govt sent Nigerians out of Ghana a lot of these traders who have been established for decades there were affected, their properties forfeited, this was before our own retaliatory "ghana must go" ejection. So the term Alata has been used to describe Nigerians for a very long time in Ghana.

You are right about that, seems u had stayed in Ghana as well.... Even words like "agoo" which in Yoruba means excuse is the same with the Ga community who occupy central Accra region. I travelled north through kumasi, Tamale, and the upper East region. While in the upper east region "calabaar" means prostitute, I found this amusing because norther Ghana to Accra is just as far as Lagos to sokoto. So how did the word calabar get to mean prostitute there, I later realised that the first set of prostitute where from calabar who moved to settle in the upper east region.... So many cultural and language affinities we share since the British colonization ..... Travelling the coast of West Africa as a Nigerian and seeing our influence all over was really great.. I recognized the power of the Hausa language in Bamako and Ouagadougou..

krattoss:
morroco could have been a good option but they always claims superiority over African matters. They ain't in African union, last time it wagivem to them, they back pedaled citing ebola as the Case.

South Africa has overhosted it.. They may still pull a fast one, taking to cognizance that they aren't sure of qualifying against Libya.

Egypt battles struggles with rebels and isis. They ve played most of their matches in burj El Arab Cairo.

Algeria can't boast of any single roofed stadium. All their stadias I have watched are all roofless, coupled with little capacity.

Gabon hosted it last, giving it to them again is odd and a slap in the face to the African nation.

Nigeria can boast of stadium infrastructures that needs little touch to get into fine shape before the Mundial, but we face election next year. Maybe it's time to show the the world we re giants of Africa after all. But maybe too much politics and Shananigans might be a hindrance to this dream and fantasy.

Morocco is changing and they have a new trend, they seek to partake in continental events these days because they understand what they have to gain.. They have joined AU (African Union) last year.. They intend to join Ecowas as well, plus the recent visit of the Moroccan king to Abuja .

You might say this is politics, but u know how national interest play a key role in foreign policy. With the dwindling reputation of Libya in Africa, it's an opportunity for Morocco to rise up to the occasion This is to tell you how much of an interest they have in Africa. They recently hosted CHAN home based. And they will be willing to host the AFCON if given a chance

realpoacher:
Mediocrity talk... To be the best you have to beat the very best at all times

The problem is we respect our opponents too much

The bar we should be aiming for at this stage of Nigerian football should be the European standard not the African standard

If you are losing to a Cameroonian team 1:0 away

You will definitely be slaughtered 5:0 away to the North African teams

If you can't best the north Africans, how then do you measure up to the world?

I hate people with defeatist and mediocre mentality

I seriously hate ambitionless people too

Same thing with the falcons our female team. While teams like South Africa and Cameroon are closing the gap, we have consistently failed to do so since 1999 with the teams from other continent. And more annoying is that we have let these African nations catch up with us. One can no longer enjoy the female team play these side without a sense of panic.

I know we would win the finals, am sure at least by a lone goal, a goal difference or penalties. But sadly that's no longer the falcons of Mercy Udoh the wife of Colin Udoh I grew up watching.

MikkieEl:
Long, but definitely worth reading...

after u said that I went back to read it, and I found it enlightening, especially the Joseph Stalin part.

Thank you .

Icon4s:
I don't so much believe in those "names following people thing" . Even though the meaning of my English name is Rock and I ended up in a profession that studies Rocks. However, one thing I know is there are certain names that people would not want to be associated with like I mentioned Judas and Hitler.

Forget this thing u are saying I know you will not dare name your son Judas or Hitler.

So you are called Peter