₦airaland Forum

Mujtahida:
Penalty should be eliminated abeg. It should be free kick for foul in the box

Ronaldo and messi leg will be amputated if that happen

MetalJigsaw:
Agu again? too many DMs already... We need playmakers. They should make sure Mikel makes it abeg.

How many playmakers do you know from Nigeria, you can help us

ClumsyFlimsy:
Seriously either Shehu or echiejile shouldn't near Russia

Both of them are not ready for world Cup

I see people saying Shehu tried yesterday; but am just surprised because to me watching him yesterday was horrible... He was slow as Bleep and lacked composure. Everything about Shehu game yesterday screamed AMATURE. upon say the polish player wasn't really good
Imagine shehu facing any decent player then we are really doomed because the only positive thing I observe about shehu was just his normal African strength which will cost us if care is not taken.

To be sincere i rate him as our worst player yesterday.

Shehu will be in Russia

Mujtahida:
In retrospect not capping Ebuehi against Algeria was a stupid decision. Not because we might lose him to Holland but because playing Shehu that day cost us something dear. In other words we gained nothing and lost everything from that match.

we can loose him to holland, getting him to come was not smooth if you can remember, he doesn't have that strong tiles to Nigeria like Aina and iwobi

MetalJigsaw:
Bro no one is denying the fact that Uzoho is a rookie and still has a lot to learn. But for Christ's sake this "rookie" kept one of the world's finest finishers at bay. He denied Lewandowski a goal in a one-on-one situation. He was able to stand his ground with a clean sheet against the toughest opposition he's ever confronted in his career as a rookie.

Not many people watching that match all over the world would expect Lewandowski to be subbed off so early in the second half without a goal to his name (Lewandowski was simply frustrated!) if at all he would be subbed,- Making one if the world's finest goal poachers look somewhat ordinary when he was supposed to have a field day against a rookie goalkeeper.

When that one-on-one chance between Uzoho and Lewy popped up. I myself never imagined Uzoho would block that shot that was heading between his legs.

Yes Uzoho was jittery in the early stages of the match but What else do you expect from a rookie playing against in a high tension game away to Poland with Lewandowski?

Bro what else do you want from a "rookie" that survived and kept a clean sheet against one of the world's elite forwards??

Metal nice review on Uzoho,

BascoVanVeli:
I tell u what, I loved Shehu's outside the box foul. I remember last season's el clasico when Messi removed his shirt, Ronaldo shouted "You should have fouled him." This is what Nigerian football misses at times, normally the defender would just watch like a deer in headlight. Also I have noticed that teams believe they can 'punk' us with hard fouls. Poland would have stopped fouling if they noticed that we were going to take it out on Lewandowski. I think he only got fouled one time and that is just pitiful. We need to start kicking people I mean not to injure them but to let them know that this is a fight.

Messi will be rubbing his hands to this your comment, Nigeria Vs Argentina 2010 was perfect until messi freekick

Humility017:
i disagree with all you wrote...
how many free kick has Moses scored from all the ones he has been takin?
mind you set piece can dictate match winners in a thorough situation....
how well it is being utilised speaks alot...

all since I have been watching this lads play...Simon Moses and nancho seems to be better off in free kicks....and they should be allowed to play it...whenever they're in field...

why waste it...on a player who does not get close to even play set piece for his club?
sometimes we should stop being sentimental...I bet if any reasonable coach will forbid a player who could score that nancho kind of goal against Argentina from taking free kicks....

I really think rohr need to put on his thinking cap or mikel need step in....let the tested and trusted take the free kicks...

The national team is not just your normal village christmas match were John must play all set piece because he scored the last, before nacho played that Argentina free-kick do you know he can do that, everyteam have an assign set piece taker and that person in Nigeria team is Moses.

iheanacho can't be taking all the free-kick is a friendly, you need to have option on such duty, that troost free-kick was a training plan, I'm sure Nacho would have taking another free-kick if well position...stop crying over nothing

daveP:
Atall. saw him having a begging convo over ghat freekick that Wrong blasted into the stands. The Balogun as LB was a mistake. before my head count my body.

Bros be factual, without even hearing them you could notice, Nacho was the one that plan the Ekong free-kick, Moses look like he was gonna take it and Nacho keep talking and hand gestures, he was not begging to take it rather he was suggesting how the free-kick should be taking....and Moses did what he ask for.

how many free-kick was in good position for him to take, maybe 2, Moses took one and ekong took the other which I think is very far for Nacho

asha80:
this is something i am also worried about.

some people notice his gloomy face, every player want to feel wanted, I'm sure he will be wondering if he made the right choice, Holland are building a new team and won't mind having an option

ChrisKels:
I'm just happy u guys are now seeing what I saw and have been lamenting on. Shehu was so poor yesterday. He lacks pace, I was infuriated when he brought down a defender to concede a free kick. Dat defender was a meter behind Shehu when they set out for the tussle, but how the guy overtook Shehu forcing Shehu to foul him was embarrassing.

shehu will struggle with a team that play from the wings, his very slow, very good player but he look like a time bomb in the RB position, that foul could have been a penalty in some case, Ebuehi play that position so effortlessly, it comes natural to him.

That said, Ebuehi should be our preferred RB, I'm still scared if Holland will tap on him, remember his yet to make his competitive debut, and Rohr for reasons I don't understand don't really fancy him, he played shehu in the Algeria dead rubber match even when shehu was suppose to be banned from the match for 2 yellow cards.

DrKlever:
. How many freekicks did he not take apart from the one Ekong kicked out or the stadium? What about corner kicks? FYI it was in a similar position where Iheanacho scored against Argentina, so he should've been allowt to take that.

One of the tool for winning games, is having options and not been predictable, this is a friendly match, you try things out,what if iheanacho was not starting or injured? do you think Rohr assign set piece duty to him because he likes his face, he must be doing something right in training.

v.moses is more certain to be a starter but Nacho is not, is more wise for the team to look for one of the starters for the set piece duty.

darkelf:
Bro, we need to learn how to play without Mikel.

In fact, I'm in support of him not starting in our next match.

Doing so successfully will further cement the fact that we are a complete team not totally dependent on any individual.

I also was tinkering with an idea; our ex-internationals that were known to be very creative and good passers (Okocha, Kanu, Oliseh et Al) can organize a workshop for our midfielders and train with them. At the very least, to give them pointers and inspire confidence .

they can do that with upcoming footballers, they no dey learn how to use left hand chop for old age

forgiveness:
Which foot? does it dispute the fact that Onyekuru did not score hand full of goals i the CF position?

watching a YouTube highlight video don't show true reflection of the match details

I remember a certain moniker was clamouring for Ndidi to score more goals and give more tackles but some few wise ones made him undersrand that some matches are won by tackles, yesterday prove so.

I was not surprise the midfield lacked understanding going forward, because Joel look like a visitor in that midfield, the synergy was not there, thumbs up to him, he was experience enough to sit back to help Ndidi in making the those tackle that makes good opposition players scared

Ighalo and Nacho was isolated, I still believe iwobi would have fare better just behind the striker, he played off Nacho against Argentina, that role should be like a free role but Nacho decided to stay upfront, sometimes even ahead of ighalo.

Our team lack a second option in the forward position, Gabriel is a very good striker i watched him in CHAN but his more like a poor man Ighalo, Ajayi plays from the wing and we have alot of better players there, I am not the type that like to call for inclusion of different player but I think we need Sadiq Umar, his a hand full and something really different from the strikers we have.

His not going to be a starter but this kinda physical game with no good supply from the midfield, we can rely on those long direct balls to him.

ChrisKels:
Who still remember dis post I made on march 3rd?

No need to trace back, shehu will be at the worldcup, though he was poor last night, sentiment apart, this guy played 75% of our qualifier and you expect aina that we are yet to see in RB to displace him. the struggle is between Aina and Echiejile

DrKlever:
I think Rohr should resolve the deadball issue. Kelechi iheanacho should take any freekick or corner kick from the right. then V Moses(in the absense of S Moses) takes freekicks from the left but Mikel should take all corner kicks on the left. Moses has been really wayward with freekicks and corner kicks, he should quit being a big boy and relinquish such responsibilities to capable hands. Finito!

how many free-kick did Moses take, the first was left for ekong to take, second was taking by Moses, it was well position for a right footer, Moses corner has not been that bad

forgiveness:
I saw some on YouTube and all his goals where from the LW and RW...

So, please, tell me how many goals he scored in the CF position in Eupen and Anderlecht?

you just shot your self in the foot, watch that same YouTube, Thierry Henry goals, they are also from the left side of attack

Icon4s:
That guy still lacks some fundamentals in goalkeeping. Leave confidence aside.

can you explain what you mean by fundamental, 1.his positioning is great
2. he times his running out
3. his punches are strong
4.he dominate in the air,
5. he is very vocal to his defenders even though his young
6. He know how to make him self big in a one on one situation

the performance was not 100% or wonderful but what's obviously lacking is some confidence which improve tremendously as the match continue, is not easy to be on goal against lewandowski, Ezenwa was shaky against average nameless Africa players at his old age

Humility017:
to be honest Ighalo played below par yesterday...he was always missing in the opponent team yard box....and could not make use of the aerial balls...not really interesting for me...

I will want Gabriel and Ajayi to be tried out...in the serbia friendlies....and Ighalo rested

oga calm down, ighalo got no supply atall, ighalo is our best player and Poland cut all supply to him, the poor person should be Nacho, he was suppose to go deep, get the ball and link up with ighalo.

solonnachi:
I noticed some few issues in that match. Congratulations though to the Super Eagles:
1. Victor Moses is skillful but selfish
2. Joel Obi is talented, tested and trusted
3. Alex Iwobi does not tick in every physical game. Even that against South Africa, he was lost. The Polish team were too physical for him.
4. Wilfred Ndidi, Shehu Abdullahi and Troost Ekong are both rock solid.
5. Francis Uzoho needs more friendly games to boost his confidence. Maduka Okoye should also be drafted in too.

I was about commending your write up and you end with Maduka Okoye, we have 3months to world cup and you want a new keeper again

tbaba1234:
We should not play the 4-4-1-1/ 4-4-2 formation, Midfield was thin today..

Iwobi was restricted to the wing but he does his best work when he comes to the center to link attack and midfield.

I understand Balogun picked a knock but should be fine in a few days..

Iwobi is not a winger

CaptainStephen:
who noticed the formation changed to a 3-5-2 during the last 5 minutes and victor moved to RWB ?And ebuehi as one of the Central backs.

You are obsessed with 3-5-2 formation, Moses only went back to help the defence, musa did too

daveP:
i think Moses needs a partner in crime that understands him in the team, like the Emenike-Ideye pair.

I noticed that after he dribbled, no one came out to receive him pass, no one. I have a problem though, he is selfish. and we don't need this at the mundial where we would be punished for that.


good angle, our defenders have improved in their comfy kinda passing and accuracy.


Balogun is low on confidence, he would have made mistakes if he was at CB. He did well at LB though.

which match you watch? balogun at LB?

forgiveness:
How many goals did he score as a striker this season and last season?

we should be doing review of the match and not arguing this, by the way how many Eupen match did you watch

The formation is the classic 4-4-2 formation, two striker one player off the other, just like the way Leicester city play, Rohr is very innovative

tbaba1234:
Shehu and Ekong played under Keshi.. Iwobi and Iheanacho under Oliseh.

siasia gave iwobi and iheanacho there first invite to the team, they were both in the team that lost to Egypt

Kog45:
Hope you remember how Musa lost the captain to Mikel and vice captain to Onazi,so i don't think Musa will like to captain eagles.

I doubt if there is bad blood between them, his not a starter, making him the assistant after mikel won't be really significant, but we have seen him and Echiejile captain the team in the absent of Mikel and Onazi, the Togo match I guess

Danielnino00:
Yea, u are right... let's hope sentiment doesn't force Rohr to take Echijele to Russia...

His a wiseman, I trust him to make a good choice, injury could make it easy for him

Kog45:
Mikel didn't played that match,he was on the bench and i remember Joel did one great flick that drew applause from spectators.

Joel has 11 caps for naija, is difficult to say he never played with Mikel

Oasis007:
The Lineup, if true, is fantastic. It's really a good Call by Rohr and his Crew. We do not need to play as Underdog, rather let's show the World what this Team is capable of.

Eagles were known for entertaining, dazzling Football internationally, and I am so much believing this Team gonna be exciting to watch on the Pitch.

Rohr's Contract should be extended till 2023, coz it's damn apparent he's building a formidable Team for the Country in the Future. I'm kinda believing Rohr is simply building a very solid and superb Team for the Future - catch them young Tactic.

Whatever happens tonight matters not, also whatever happens at the Mundial shouldn't be taken to the Heart. We should all believe in the Rohr's Project for the Eagles, coz with him in charge till 2023...... we may possibly win it in Qatar!

we can win it in Russia

Danielnino00:
If Idowu puts up another superb display tonight,then his WC ticket is as good as sealed.. that leaves Aina to prove to Rohr that he can offer better than Echijele, otherwise, I'm afraid Ebuehi may b the one to b dropped should Echijele eventually make the final list..

I think the right back is settled, Ebuehi is the only one that play right back every week in his club, shehu is a midfielder, but his slot is secured, the fight is between Aina and Echiejile

MetalJigsaw:
( From completesports Nigeria)

My Wroclaw Preview!

The hypes for tonight’s table top fixture with Poland has reached a feverish crescendo, paving way for our gladiators to show us their level of readiness to fight for a spot on the plane to Russia.

Attention should be on Gernot Rohr.
We have held him very highly as our Master Chess tactician and now is the time to prove us right, and assure Nigerians that beating Argentina was no fluke.

He should be able to pull out the chestnuts from the fire with his formation, tactics and the available players tonight.
His starting line up is perfect & tactical.
Winning tonight, realistically, should not be the primary target of this clash, rather a win for SE should be a bonus.

Essentially, Nigerians should be looking out for the state of readiness of the team. The quality of individual contribution & team cohesion, the telepathy, synergy & bonding, ability to understand & execute the gaffers tactics.

We want to see tactical players-movement on and off the ball. This will go down to elimination by substitution.
One aspect, though shall not go unnoticed, where a player clearly falls below the expected standard of the game.

This is a test match for those fighting to earn a WC shirt. Heads will start rolling after this & the next encounter.

Expectedly, i foresee a horde of spies squatting in the cold windy-night in Wroclaw, jotting down notes as they can possibly make on the Super Eagles players & team tactics.

The chickens are home to roost, but Rohr, it seems is still holding to himself some valued cards close to his chest.
Certainly the SE squad as constituted now is a work-in-progress, we might have 1 or 2 additions before the WC event.

But wit the options available to GR, I want to see how the SE defense will hold out tonight against an attack minded polish team wit the highest number of goals in the European qualifying series.
Towering home boy, 6′ 5″ Stephen Eze might have his chance tonight. Will he take it, or blow it?

Our backline seems strong enough on paper to put up a great show in the air against Polish lethal finisher, Robert Lewandowski.

The Bayern Munich prized asset, 100 goals in 121 matches for Bayern since 2014, is expected to lead the attacking line against the SE. Uzohor will be well tested tonight against one of the world’s renowned hitmen.

The Guinness World Records four-time record man is an enigma of some sort; a proven & consistent goals machine. Six times Poland’s footballer of the Year.
Polish Captain, top 9 for club and country, Lewandowski is a conjurer of goals.
He is as dangerous in the air as he is with both feet on the ground, and particularly with his back against the goal. Strong, fast, visionary & a constant threat in the box. He is top quality.

He drilled 5 goals in 9mins, coming on as a super-sub in a 5-1 win over Wolfsburg. He holds the fastest hatrick in the bundesliga history; 3 goals in four minutes. His 10 goals in three games in one week in European CL is still getting rave reviews. Give him a chance, and he takes 3.
This is the guy SE defense will be hoping to put in the freezer tonight.

Our keeper’s hands will be full, I tell u.
Will Uzohor convince his fans that he is the MAN, or will he fail the test?
It’s held in narrow circles that a Keeper is as good as his defensive cover. Not true!
If true then, it makes mockery of the concept of keepers’ shutouts & one-on-one assessments.

At 6′ 5″, 19 years old Francis Uzohor has a towering & intimidating goal presence.
Nigerians want to see his best showing tonight.

Ikechukwu Ezenwa, 6’1″ is the other available keeper alternative.
Make no mistakes, the SE rear shall be stretched to breaking limits tonight by the Poles’ attacking wizardry on current form.
It will be a test of nerves, experience, presence of mind & grit.

This is good for Nigeria; it will expose some of our lapses in attack and defence lines. Rohr will be jotting down notes too.
The poles are playing at home & will play to win this one.

The SE German machine, Leon Balogun, 6’3″ has been dogged wit fitness concerns lately and a constant cause of worry for everyone, but Troost-Ekong, 6’3″ and reliable Nantes man, Chidoze Awaziem, 6’3″ should provide a good option for the backline when called upon in tonight’s duel.
Zenit St. Petersbourg’s prospect, Kenneth Omeruo, 6’1″ is yet to give a good account of himself and this might just be his last.
Nigerians love the fact that GR has looked the way of young, strong & fast defenders for listing.

Hull City Aina, 5’9″, Shehu, 5’7″ & Bryan Idowu, 5’11” may not have the advantage of being six footer as Tyrone Ebuehi, 6’1″ but are equally effective going forward and would need to convince the gaffer they deserve to be on the boat too.

Tough guy, Uche Henry Agbo, 6’2″ Super Eagles defensive midfielder cum central defender is the team’s hatchet man. The Standard Liege top dog is a reliable cover, versatile and hard as nail, might claim his chance tonight with a strong showing and book his flight to Russia.

This is the acid test MATCH for Nigeria!
Under performing Odion Ighalo is an on and off goal shy player. He is the SE first choice top 9.
He is well known.
I dont see him making the flight to Russia, even if he scored a thousand goals in this duel.
He doesn’t look like the guy with the right credentials.
Inconsistency is his bane.

Nigerians should be prepared for a nervy game in the absence of SE mercurial & inspirational Captain, Mikel Obi.

I predict a very difficult match for the Super Eagles. Anything can happen, though.
However, a narrow win for GR’s men should be a celebrated result they must dig deep to earn, and a wallop is not a probable consideration under Wroclaw’s freezing weather condition.

Many think the SE might not nick this one, but a tough call for them, only if there is a magic man upfront which, unfortunately SE front men, particularly our top 9 doesn’t represent.

This is a good test anyway.
1-0 Either way (My position).
Good luck, SE.
Godbless Nigeria.

-Kingmaker, Completesports fan

the writer of this article need a recommended glasses if he don't see ighalo making the flight to Russia