Joebie:
I watched the naija vs EG full match, and I don’t think we did badly. Also, I think the spate of substitutions in the team list leading to the AFCON may be a blessing in disguise. Alhassan, Onuachu, Moffi will all come good.

Observatiins from the EG game:
1. Osimhen will improve in his decision making as the tourney progresses

2. Zaidu is not fully fit. Peseiro should have played Bassey at LB. Bassey gives us better options going forward.

3. The Iwobi, Onyeka, Alhassan chemistry will improve and our forwards will continue to get good support from the rear.

4. Iheanacho was highly needed in that game. He is the kind of player that mends things if all fails.

5. Nwabili was solid in confidence level. Will his confidence level stay up there against CIV?

Where did you watch the replay?

humility33:

Chaves may dem dey beat for home 3 zero which day here

That team na trash.... notwithstanding i wish nwakali well but for now he is not super eagles material

We have much better players

You don't have any better midfielder when overall contributions is in perspective not even the Alhassan that we saw today, that is the plain truth. Nwakali created more scoring chances than what Ndidi and Aribo could do despite starting only one game in the last AFCON. Nwakali carefully intercepted passes more than Ndidi when the duo was paired, also in the last AFCON.

Papi85:
even Mohammed Gambo is a better finisher than Osimhen

You have issues with inferiority complex, always trying to associate yourself with the next big thing. This was the same Osimhen you kept trashing when he was making efforts to pick himself up, the same trashing that you have now for Nwakali.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Paul Onuachu, and even Henry Onyekuru are more clinical in front of goal when compared to Osimhen. Note that Osimhen is also a good finisher. You will need more than talent to get to the top. Osimhen has more than talent.

COOL10:
On a lighter note, who saw that beautiful dribbling from Onuachu? He's not so bad with his feet after all.

Onuachu was known for his dribbles and leg over very early in his career.

do4luv14:
Good morning Today is my Birthday

Happy splendid birthday to ME

Happy birthday, do4luv14. God is always for you.

Joebie:
Congrats to me. Just had a baby

Congratulations, Joebie.

Kog45:
Oga Meli Meli,Eguavoen got it right against Guinea Bissau a weaken team in our group cuz he started Ejuke and Nwakali but got it wrongly against Egypt until 72 and 80 minutes when he introduced Ejuke and Nwakali respectively abi.

Oga Meli you love this guys and I understand wella,it happens but nothing we can do about it,Peseiro didn't picked them so let's move.

Sincerely,I want Nwakali cuz I believed he would give us more option but Peseiro has picked his team,let's see what will happen.

Don't get it twisted. I am not a man moved by just results. I said we won't go far during that AFCON campaign, and we didn't. Nwakali won't give us more options, he is the only option for the things that he does, the same can be said of Victor Osimhen and Wilfred Ndidi, they are the only option for what they do.

mostob:
I personally like Ejuke due to his entertaining football but what you typed here are mere campaign.

1. What do you mean by passing skills? What are the end products of his passes?

2. I don't think Ejuke is as defensively sound as Moses Simon.

Passing skills refer to short passing, long passing, chipped passing, crossing. Eye tests and then every football website that analyse football and provide player stats has shown Ejuke to be involved defensively more than all of our wingers including Moses Simon. In the match against G.Bissau during the last AFCON tournament, i have never seen any of our wingers get involved defensively in the degree Ejuke got himself involved. Don't be ruled by just feelings, open your eyes. Study.

Odunayaw:
Was he invited? Let's discuss who were invited and stop dragging us back

Eguavoen made similar mistakes in his tweakings, the only time he got it very close to right, G.Bissau went down and very well, we domintated proceedings. But because we failed to hammer on these issues regarding personnel invitations and tactical setups, we are stuck in the past without significant leaps, we are caught in a loop. You are the one who is failing to clear the blockades on your path while accusing someone who is making obvious the blockades as the person dragging you back. I don't want you to be a fool.

MetalJigsaw:
Ejuke is needed in this team at least to create competition. Majority of our wingers are have been disappointing. They're not doing their jobs at all.

People seem disappointing and lazy when made to do things that are not quite natural with them.

If 4-4-2 continues to be Peseiro's preferred formation, then it is very clear that he selected a team that is not balanced at all. Wingers in 4-4-2 are supposed to be integral in phases of play build up. The invited wingers don't excel at those, as they are pure forwards, who are wired to be finishers. Wingers in 4-4-2 are more involved defensively. The invited wingers do not have the tactical understanding nor even the technique to carry out the defensive roles required of them, because those kind of roles are not natural with them. We have good players but in the wrong setup and combination.

Chidera Ejuke brings more passing skills to his game than some of the midfielders that we parade (midfielders like Frank Onyeka, Joe Aribo) and all our wingers. I know this revelation will not go down and well with some of you, but it is the truth. He also does more defensively than all of our wingers, from tracking back, to man marking to tackling, to making clearances of the ball etc. All these qualities of him are because he is a midfielder that is used as a winger.

mrwilliams9:


This is true, even Argentina played a 4-4-2 at times during the last WC but the difference is the 4 across the midfield had at least 3 actual midfielders in Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez and Alex Mac Allister. It was more of a 4-3-3 as Messi would play as a RW and Alvarez as ST.

We play 4-4-2 but with only two midfielders. That is the issue.

This is one of the most intelligent observation and analysis i have seen so far. My initial proposition for personnel deployment from the left wing through the midfield to the right wing were: Chidera Ejuke, Kelechi Nwakali, Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi. The aforelisted players are all midfielders, with Chidera Ejuke and Alex Iwobi having the ability to play as wingers.

forgiveness:


Make una dey deceive unaself. The guy plays like primary school boy. Dribble without head.

You are the one denying the obvious. Go watch Ejuke against Barcelona in the UCL.

CornOak:


...And the Ejuke's marketing continues, lol.

Yes. He deserves the marketing because he is good and affords more. We all mean well for the Super Eagles.

Chidera Ejuke is the fastest and the most technical of all our wingers. Ejuke's dynamism can be applied to suit many tactical approaches. He fits very well in Peseiro's preferred 4-4-2 not just because of his ball playing abilities but also because of what he does defensively.

Chidera Ejuke's defensive actions was one of the reasons we didn't concede against G.Bissau in the last AFCON.

dijon:
Please dead this Nwakali this Nwakali that....lets give our support to the players called up.
Nwakali was never in the consideration of 27 players not to talk of the 25 called up. Nwakali can never win the Afcon for us nor make our midfield fearsome...Nwakali is not better than any of the base line midfieldercalled up. I watch his game almost every other weekend am opportune, i have not seen any extra ordinary play he does. He is good but not fantastic...just there.

An indepth analysis into what Nwakali normally does, and then given the type of forwards that we have, and how they like to play, the presence of Nwakali in our midfield boosts our chances of winning any match by at least 30%. I say this with every authority as a sound football analyst and can defend it anywhere if i want to.

femianski:

He still had a way to slot in Nwakali like we won't notice

Nwakali created more scoring chances when compared to Ndidi and Aribo in the last AFCON tourney despite starting only one game. You want to make me believe he doesn't deserve a mention or a slot in. I believe we all mean well for the Super Eagles.

Our AFCON ambitions suffers another heavy blow, if Ndidi's predicted absence holds sway. Ndidi is vital to how we foment plays, Ndidi is tactically indispensable in S.E. Pairing him with Nwakali could have gifted us a great edge.

TheLoneCitizen:
Iwobi and Ejuke testament of what good coaching can do to a player's career.

Iwobi improved attacking aggression and off-the-ball movement.
Now attempts more shots than any other time in his career. Almost 3 times more than his everton days.
Now makes more touches in opposition box than his time at Everton. Highest since Arsenal days.
Has more expected goals in 8 starts for Fulham than 38 starts for Everton last season.

Ejuke improved technique and decision-making
Has 4 more shots on target in 8 games this season (2 starts) than 20 games for Hertha Berlin last season.
Has highest shooting accuracy in his career.
Technique has been bettered so much that he now takes corner kicks and shoots from half-way line.
Attempts two times more passes per match than any other time in his career.

That's why i love TheLoneCitizen.

TheLoneCitizen:
How Antwerp could give UCL opportunity to a player that is on loan in a dead-rubber tie baffles me.

They just gave mans the biggest PR of his career.

"Chidera Ejuke vs Barcelona ⚽️

- Most Chances Created (3)
- Most Dribbles Completed (9)
- Most Fouled Player (2)
- Most Duels Won (12)
- 100% Tackles Won
- 8 Recoveries"

Tell them.

lovewins:


It depends on what the standard is in the Portuguese league. Some leagues could go as low as 21 yrs and there are cases (only seen this in the WNBA) where age isn't a factor as long as it's your first time. So a 30 yr old could potentially win the rookie award. Traditionally though rookie award is for young adults.

Tell him.

Ejuke with a well rounded stats against Cercle Brugge.

I love it when wingers are involved in defensive actions, defensive actions like making clearances of the ball.

We currently do not have wingers that reduce the burden of defending on their fullbacks just the way Ejuke does it.

During the last AFCON tourney, in the match against G. Bissau Ejuke posted defensive stats that I did not see from any winger that started ahead of him.

It is funny when some think that Ejuke is only a dribbling sensation.

komekn:


Another person forgetting where the discussion emanated and was birthed from 😞

This one would rather give up the ghost, than get corrected.

komekn:


Long ball is not an outstanding skill set ( police game) it's a tactic used and relied upon by limited poor players and poor teams. When it becomes the core strategy.

Otherwise top players and teamd use precision passing movement and skill to bring the ball forward most of the time. And yes they do use long pin point precison balls at the right time.



But if that's all you can do long ball then you will be in semi professional football.

Another guy reciting what is in his head, and head alone and not what is discussed.

Marjoribanks:
Same as Ndidi is definitely a poor returning playing in that role. See Aribo pass to both Osimhen and Simon against S/leone and Zim respectively. That is the vision he lacks. Anybody can play long passes to the wings.
We are talking about long passes to players in situations to harm the opponents. This is why I don't take stat seriously. I watch actual match!

You missed the point. Iwobi was touted to be poor at long balls, i corrected that opinion with actual data.

It will always be a good thing to come at people's opinion, arguing what is being discussed, staying in the context of the discussion rather than saying what is in your head, and in your head alone.

Anyone coming out to say that Iwobi is poor at long passing, has more to know about the Super Eagles midfield and midfielders.

In the match against Saudi Arabia Iwobi recorded 5/6 accurate long balls, the same as Ndidi.
In the match against Guinea Bissau Iwobi recorded 6/10 accurate long balls.

How does the aforementioned stats represent a player poor at long balls.

While he may not be the best at it because of the likes of Kelechi Nwakali, he is certainly not poor at it.

Iwobi is a complete midfielder, meaning he can dorn the DM, CM and AM roles satisfactorily.

Kog45:
Oga no be initial gra gra o…it seems the gap is no longer wide o as before,initially I thought it was wide but with results coming outs the smaller teams no send o

The gap is no longer wide because of the emergence of tactical football.

GeneralDae:

Oga let's tell ourselves the truth. Aside Osimehn and Ndidi, our players are bang average and some like Uzoho are even below average.

Our players are not bang average

theophilusj31:
if NIgeria players are that good in their craft,they will beat a minnow team like Zimbabwe without a hurdle irrespective of the supervising coach or the quality of the playing pitch.

You will never see a team like France struggling against an impotent Lithuania irrespective of the supervising coach

The coach's job is to select the right combination of players.
The players won't pick themselves. A balanced selection of players will help bring out the players best and produce good synergy.