₦airaland Forum

Unlimited22:
That switch to 433 when Onyeka came on btw


Chef's kiss

So many of us have been screaming for a shift to the 433 or 4231

lbrichman2:
Let me be completely honest..
I actually prefer us going through the play off route..
This team needs more games to gel
And we have finally developed some chemistry even though our performance can be disjointed at times
We have momentum and a winning mentality is setting in

I want to see us play more games

Correct.

Looking at the CAF and Interconfederations playoffs, 3 wins will take us to the WC. The two CAF playoff matches will be good preparation for AFCON and the interconfederations playoffs will allow us the opportunity to play a different nation from a different confederation prior to the WC.

This result was the best possible one we could have had. Because now, WC qualification is back in our hands.

Goke7:
Where is our midfield o

This 4-4-2 constantly leaves us open

Where was this urgency when we played Zim or Lesotho in the first round of games. We waited until it was too late

Why are we so stubbornly tied to the 4-4-2?

We keep surrendering the midfield and wonder why we don’t control games.

BankyGee:
Two different formations and three different tweaks that we can use to lineup against Benin.

Which is best? Any changes? 🤔

The first formation is the best and is how I think we should line up. Only thing I’d say is to drop Troost Ekong. He’s been very slack in his defending of late. He’s past it for us. Bassey and Fredrick for CB. We have Bruno and the other call-up for the wing backs.

The other two formations don't have balance in the midfield, far too open.

For the last match, I’d really like to see us in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. We need control in the midfield.

Ndidi, Iwobi and Onyeka in the MF.

Chuks, Simon and Osimhen up top.

Regardless of the outcome of the final match it’s crucial we start scouting more ball playing midfielders and a stronger back four before AFCON.

The likes of Ekong, Ndidi need gradual phasing out

andrewbaba44:
I pray we qualify

But honestly we no deserve to go World Cup

This is exactly where my head is at. This WCQ should have been wrapped up with 2 games to spare for us. Look at Morocco and Tunisia. Qualified with breathing room.

I want us to qualify but if we do, it gives NFF a pass to continue their rubbish. What other FA has 4 different managers during a single qualification cycle.

Diavolo:
That's because we are playing him out of position. Lookman is not a winger or creator. He's a finisher. Plays best as supporting striker,striker or inside forward. Just like putting oshimen on the wings then complaining he's not effective or the way we have been complaining about Iwobi for years

Someone that get’s it.

Iwobi in a 4-4-2 cannot work.

Let’s do a 4-3-3 or 3-5-2

Reference:
Call it whatever you wish but this match, this qualifying session has further proven the decline of this country and not just on economic and social fronts. We are well below where we should be. Such that even with more slots we still cannot make the World Cup

100%. Our football is a reflection of where we are as a nation.

quickberry:
Line up

When will we realize this 4-4-2 does not work for us. We are far too imbalanced in the midfield. We don’t get the best out of our players. Ndidi and Iwobi will be overrun.

Moreover, Iwobi is not a CM in a flat midfield 4. He should be playing the 10 if he’s in our XI.

The personnel selection is very poor

Elock1:
Let's be honest to ourselves
With this table, what is Naija chance of making it out?

Even with this table the situation is very grim. It is still out of our hands.

That our draw to Zim is even more painful now. Instead of having 13pts and being 1pt back, we have 3pts to make up.

3 draws to Zim and Lesotho is just not good enough.

Iwobi has quality when played in the right position. The reason he’s struggles with Naija sometimes is because we use him in the wrong position. Iwobi is not a CM at all. He should be playing further forward.

An Ndidi and Iwobi midfield is asking for trouble.

That’s like having a quality striker like Osimhen but playing him on the LW. You won’t get the best out of him.

Iwobi gets scapegoated for no reason.

And I always ask this question to those who say Iwobi is not good enough:

“Who should we call up instead?”

joelsteron:
You were doing fine until you mentioned Iwobi. Please stop it. Just stop it. Thank you

Replace Iwobi with who?

He has experience and when utilized well, can make a difference. But he needs runners next to him.

Biggest thing I have learned from this WCQ cycle: you cannot underestimate anyone and the game is played on the pitch, not on paper.

Italy missed out on back to back world cups and could possibly miss out on this one as well.

Nothing can be taken for granted.

Karlovych:
Getting denied qualification by Ghana and South Africa in back to back qualifying years is really shameful.

That’s the thing for me. To miss out on WCQ against a Morocco or Egypt, no yawa.

But Ghana and SA, two of our big Anglophone rivals? Haba!

Kog45:
Oga Charles something is always missing in our midfield and time to solve it... Frederick made his debut playing for Brentford B team and see what the boy is doing....I think we just need to throw some boys in irrespective of their performance in their club side....Iwobi came in from academy straight to eagles...

I like this train of thinking. We need to start deploying the youth that are hungry to perform.

Chelle messed up starting Ekong but rectified it by subbing him out.

I think Chelle wanted experience for this match but Ekong is past it.

Chelle should stay on and learn from these mistakes.

Chelle has done well with the hand he was given. I think we should focus on improving our MF before AFCON. Two more WCQ matches to use as preparation.

AFCON 25, 27, 29 WC 30.

The ambitious goal should be to win at least 1 of those AFCONs if not two. Ensure we qualify for the next WC with games to spare.

Chelle got 8pts in 4 games and it should have been at least 10pts if not for Ekong’s late mistake against Zim. Imagine if we had Chelle from the start of qualifiers.

The road to WC 2030 starts now. Once this AFCON is over, we need to start phasing out some players.

Ndidi, Ekong, KC etc.

Start bringing in new, hungry players.

The one benefit about Naija is we have a large pool of players to pull from

MKPUOGALIGA:
You guys keep talking about midfield as if you didn't have over 6 years to invest in your league and develop your football.

You have been playing Ndidi and Iwobi forever with nothing to show for it.

That is what I’m saying. We have not done enough scouting in that department to find the proper players that can control the ball.

Ndidi is a destroyer and very limited in other phases of MF play. I’d like to see some new blood in there, at least for this AFCON and the next AFCONQ

We need to improve our Midfield and CBs badly.

Ekong is done. We saw his mistake against Zim and now again.

AFCON is in two months. We know WC is not happening by for us. Let’s just prepare to take the final step in this AFCON.

Anything less than a win and we should forget about the WC.

I have already made peace with us not going to the WC but chai, e dey pain.

8 African team WC in the US and Naija is not one of them. Given how big afrobeats and Naija music has travelled, this would have been the prime WC for our players.

Alas, we didn’t do the needful when necessary.

AFCON 2025, 2027, 2029 before WC 2030. Let’s see if we can one or two of those AFCONs and ensure we qualify for that WC with ease.

wildchild1:
whats the road to Word Cup qualification for Nigeria? we are 3rd on the table, is it still possible to qualify for world cup?

We have to win out, hope SA gets a 3pt penalty for fielding an ineligible player and still hope they draw one of their last two games.

Unless SA is deducted 3pts, SE are not qualifying for the WC. We should just focus on winning this upcoming AFCON

Bagsman Osimhen!

2 goals in the cup win and even better is no offsides in the game.

He can hit 40 goals in all comps this season.

Osimhen can get to 40 goals in all comps this season.

5 more games and 7 goals to go.

He also has a 3 goal lead for the golden boot.

Still needs to work on his offside awareness.

I’m very impressed with what Osimhen was able to do during his time in Turkey.

My biggest worry would be he gets an injury and that derails his goal scoring exploits. But this season confirms once more that when he’s fit and has the proper supporting class he’s a menace.

Looks on course to a possible league and cup double along with the Turkish league golden boot and another 30+ goal season.

Is it to say in all of Naija, both at home and abroad, we don’t possess a proper ball playing midfielder? Someone akin to Vitinha or Pedri?

codemaniacs:
In the next international friendlies window, it is still the same list of players they will invite again.

NFF has no strategy to develop the team. Generally speaking, you have 5 stages of play in African football.

AFCONQ
AFCON
WCQ
WC
Friendlies

Each of these stages requires a different strategy. If we’ve qualified for AFCON, then the remaining qualifying matches should be to test out fringe players and give call ups to other players.


But we seem to pick the same players for AFCONQ as for AFCON and friendlies.

safarigirl:
Calling Iwobi subpar one thousand times, while failing to provide any player up to your preferred par to rival him, will never be anything short of amusing

Thank you oooo. People will just criticize but offer no alternatives.

If we remove Iwobi who should we put? Was it not Iwobi that made the cross that Tolu nodded and the Zim keeper saved?

The game was won. All we needed to do was see out the result, finish. Track the runner and defend properly.

I know we are frustrated with that result, but some of my permutations now that things have settled.

1. The talk of Uyo being cursed doesn’t really hold weight to me. We had enough chances to finish this match off in the first 45 mins. If we really think Lagos should be our main stadium, then it behooves the NFF to rehabilitate it and bring it up to FIFA standards.

2. We really need to scout for a ball playing midfielder that can take the pressure out of games in the end. Kill the tempo and secure points.

3. I don’t think FIFA will deduct the 3pts from SA for fielding an ineligible player. I think Motsepe will do some behind door politicking. Regardless, our players need to focus on winning out and giving themselves a chance, no matter how slim that chance is.

4. We should push on with Chelle through AFCON and beyond. This constant chopping and changing of managers does no one any good. WCQ will have finished by the time AFCON comes around. Barring an early exit, he should be given time to develop a system and pattern of play for AFCON 25 and 27.

Apcshit:
The ball crossed the line

I noticed it as well