₦airaland Forum

Bossoflife25:
If the National team was not attractive Eze will not visit the team prior to 2019 World Cup. You keep going in circles. The Nigerians see pathway to the English National team while the Senegalese do not with France.
Or why is Real Madrid's Mendy not playing for Senegal.
If we want the Burnley guy today we will get him but we really do not need him with the talent in our midfield at the moment.
When we want Ryan we got him. Simple!
And as at today, Wolfsburg and Everton are after him (another under 25) based on your standard right?

He visited but did not commit. I know how much we were crying for a 10 like Eze, but he didn't join.

But even for the Nigerians with not pathway to England or France why aren't we converting them?

There is nothing wrong with capping some guys for a few games to see how they turn out. Cap them, try them out and move. Not everyone will work but you should have a deep pool to call on.

You say the talent in our midfield but last AFCON we only went with 5 midfielders..many of us still think we need more bodies in the midfield.

Bossoflife25:
That is why I said your argument is flawed!
You only look at the end goal but not the circumstances that led into that!
How did Senegal qualify for the 2022 World Cup? How did Senegal win 2021 AFCON? Penalties!

We were eliminated on away goal rule, and a goalkeeping error in 2022.
Paserio that led us to the AFCON finals was the one that put us in a very difficult situation right from the start. What else should the NFF have done?
Are they not the one that brought Chelle too?
Senegal won good for them but saying they are doing something better than nigeria is where I objected. Yes, they are good but they have been very lucky!

Yes, the Senegalese FA is doing something better than Nigeria.

They did not have 4 different coaches during WC qualifying. They did not have a row about players' bonuses not being paid on time.

Their success will be easier to maintain because they are setting a good foundation to build on. The NFF is not setting the same foundation, so our success will be hodgepodge.

We missed 2022 WCQ because of a GK error but we had known the GK department had been an issue since AFCON 19 with the Mahrez FK and AFCON 21 with the Tunisia strike at Okoye.

What I'm saying is if we had a better player pool, we may have been able to rectify that issue sooner. But unearthing that player pool is the job of the NFF.

Bossoflife25:
And what I am telling you is that it has nothing to do with FA! Nigeria was just simply unlucky. There was no tournament Senegal had the better players nor played better footb all than Nigeria in all those AFCONs. We were simply just unlucky!

You putting their achievement on bringing in foreign born players is my problem.
Which of those foreign born has done better than our foreign borns. Lookman, Bassey, Ekong etc.
You talk as if Nigeria has no foreign born in the team.

Many things to unpack here.

Dismissing our lack of success as just being unlucky does us a MAJOR disservice. Why do I say so? It allows us throw our hands up and not look at rectifying where we went wrong. That is not how to manage the NT.

I'm not putting their achievement on bringing in foreign players. But I'm saying their FA managing the team well makes for an enabling environment to bring in dual nationals. Even if those dual nationals would not make the bench for France or Belgium.

For Nigeria, even the dual nationals that have no path to England, France or Germany are still not converting for us. Lookman took until mid-20s before declaring for Naija. We struggled for long to get Eze, even when he was at Reading.

A better FA means the NT is more attractive to play for, meaning we'll get the best possible player pool and that should lead to better results over time. Yes, some luck is involved but you can create your own luck by being prepared.

Bossoflife25:
Every pundits and international stars rated us as the best team at this AFCON but a penalty loss to a cheating host nation suddenly made the team very bad.

Wow! Wow! What a shame!!

But a team whose striking force contributed just 2 goals in the knockout stage with a porous defense that conceded a stvpid penalty that should have been punished is now the team the Super Eagles should emulate?

What a disrespect!

No one is saying emulate Senegal but take notes from their FA on how they are managing their talent pool both local and international.

It is not about this AFCON but future AFCONs.

What is our NFF doing to ensure our footballing success is sustained?

We made the SFs in AFCON 19 and 25, final in 23. But missed WCQ in 22 and 26.

To me that looks like uneven progress

We Nigerians need to admit when we are short and look to improve.

This super eagle side is prime to win the next AFCON but what about after that? What is our plan to ensure consistent success? What is our talent pool looking like? Are we pulling from U17, U20 or local leagues well?

Odunayaw:
All I sha know is there is no guarantee of win even if NFF is the best football federation.

There is no guarantee of winning but there will be a more consistent showing in our football.

For example WCQ. I believe if we had the right manager in Chelle from the start we’d have qualified for the World cup.

If we had a competent NFF then playing
For the SE would be a thing of pride and we’d have an easier time converting dual nationals and increasing our potential player pool.

Some are saying the likes on Carney, Lesley etc are not better than the current player we have but even still they don’t want to play for us….

ChrisKels:
If these were Senegalese and they were born in France, at least 90% of them would already have opted to represent Senegal.

We are not just attractive at all. Imagine an average striker like Ilenikhena that was born in Lagos is not even interested in joining us even though his path to the French senior national team isn't clear.

But that said, Senegal produces qualities at home and at the same time attracts qualities from abroad.

You have the idea. The fact that Senegal is converting their dual nationals while we aren’t shows Nigeria isn’t as attractive of an option.

Bossoflife25:
The "better" player you kept emphasizing is my problem. In 2021 we were simply the best team and that year we had the best striker in the world in top form with another taking the premier league by storm, but alas what happened? They could not make the AFCON.
Name one player aside Mane that has helped Senegal win the AFCON in the last 7 years with their "so-called" youth development?
For me, I do not look at the end goal alone. I look at the events leading to that end goal. We have done everything humanly possible to have won the AFCON in the last 7 years but God says nay, Naija you can't have everything. (music, movie, under 17, Women WAFCON etc). Let others have some too.
It is as simple as that! No more! No less!
Senegal had Mane and luck! Simple!

Calling it Mane and luck is a discredit to their achievements. Mane alone did not win them their first AFCON or 2nd one. It was a team effort.

Let us just agree to disagree.

I am saying Nigeria could be doing more like the Senegalese FA so that our success is more sustained and not just a flash in the pan.

Naija won AFCON 2013 but failed to qualify for 15 and 17.

This is what I’m alluding to with a competent FA that knows how to manage resources (players being one of them).

Senegal made the 19 final, won again in 21 and again in 25.

Bossoflife25:
Which of them will make the French National team bench?
Arguing with peeps like you is a waste of time.

How many of them made the AFCON team of the tournament?
You guys know more about others than your country. You remind me of one of those Nigerians that got to Accra from Abeokuta and thought Ghana is more beautiful than Nigeria. lol
Nigeria has four quality under 25 in the Seria A and only one of the even made the AFCON list. Do with that information whatever you want. Ciao!

It’s not about making the bench or not. It’s about actually getting them to play for Senegal. They have a structure in place.

Tosin could have played for Naija but would rather stay without Int’l football than play for Naija.

That is telling to me. Do we have this identified level of talent coming up for beyond AFCON 28?

You talked about things leading up to the the end goal and the Senegalese FA being competent is leading up Sengals AFCON success

Bossoflife25:
Nigeria too made the semis in the 3 out of the 4 AFCONs.
And we were the best team team in two out of the 4. We lost to Algeria in 2019 who won the Cup. In 2021,
Senegal won on penalties against the Egyptian side we dominated and only scored more than a goal once in that tournament - that was how atrocious they were! And who scored those goals (Mane).
In 2023 we lost to Ivory Coast the host in the final.
In 2026, we lost again to the host on penalties.

One country was lucky, the other was not! Simple.
Nothing like one FA doing so..... crap!

The fact remains this.

Sengal has won 2 AFCONs in the past 4 tournaments. We have come close but we didn’t win, simple as.

If NFF was as competent as needed maybe we have better players for those near misses.

We can try to downplay Senegals success but results are results. For a nation as big as Nigeria the NFF has let us down. 17 medals at AFCON but only 3 gold medals.

The same Senegal we think is a small boy is just 1 AFCON away from drawing level with us.

Bossoflife25:
lol! Like I said they are benefiting from France assimilation policy which anglophone countries does not have!
England does not have much talent therefore young Nigeria players see some pathway to play for England unlike France that has so much talents.
Despite that the best team do not usually win tournament. Luck and teams you meet play major part.
Apart from Mane, and Gueye which of them stand out. That Ndicka will not even bench Benjamin. Despite the hype their best player were still Senegalese born 30 year olds. Which talent are you talking about? Their attack were simply atrocious. Without Mane that team is nothing.

Assimilation policy simply meant black Africans could become French citizens. There are many dual nationals of Nigerian origin but are they being converted to play for Naija? No. But they are for Senegal, so the Senegalese FA is doing something well.

Per their talent pipeline:

Iliman Ndiaye (25, RW) - Everton
Nicolas Jackson (24, ST) - Chelsea loan at Bayern
Pape Matar Sarr (23, CM) - Tottenham
Habib Diarra (21, CM) - Sunderland
Lamine Camara (21, CM) - Monaco
Ousmane Diao (21, CB) - Midtjylland
Mikayil Faye (21, CB) - Rennes loan at Cremonese
Mamadou Sarr (20, CB) - Chelsea loan at Strasbourg
Assane Diao (20, RW) - Como
El Hadji Diouf (20, LB) - West Ham
Ibrahim Mbaye (17, RW) - PSG

That’s 11 players right there under 25. Of which 10/11 play in the top 5 European leagues.

Is that not a talented pool?

Super Eagles team still needs work. But we have a team ready to win AFCON 27 and 28, but beyond that, we need new faces.

Backline is good

RB - Aina and Osayi
CB - Benjamin and Ajayi
CB - Bassey and Ogbu
LB - Bruno and Sanusi

CM - Iwobi and
CDM - Ndidi and Onyedika
CM - Onyeka and
CAM - Lookman and Chuks

ST - Osimhen and
ST - Adams and

We still need solid back ups in the striker and midfield departments.

Also, we need new blood on the wings and middle of the park. Chelle and has boys have a good base to build with.

AFCONQ will start in September so let the scouting begin now!

Bossoflife25:
How many youth tournament have they won?
They are simply benefiting from France's assimilation policy just like the Congolese.
No more no less!
France production factory plenty like mad!
Numerous Senegalese still favors the French national team.
Only Mbaiye is a special talent. Others are nothing spectacular.

Nothing spectacular but we’re in 3 of the last 4 AFCON finals and qualified for B2B WCs.

Other nations have dual citizens but arent attracting the level of talent Senegal is. Let’s give credit where it’s due.

Bossoflife25:
lol! A team that relied on just two players (Mane and Gueye). Without those two they are lame as f... If Diaz has scored that pen we would not be having this conversation. How many Senegalese made the top team of the tourney. Their defense was so atrocious yesterday that a striker like Akor and Osimhen would have simply walk through it.

They played the mediocre team of the tournament and won a Morocco that just completed a 120 minutes footy.

Nothing spectacular about them. Their attackers and defenders are mediocre.
Nigeria was simply the best team, and if we had the same referee Senegal had against Morocco we would have won!
Every 50-50 balls were given in favor of the Morrocans such thar our players became scared to press them. Especially Onyedika. He became confused!

Saying Senegal is mediocre is just laughable. Their entire XI has premier league experienced players and they have the next generation of young and talented players in the top leagues in Europe.

They actually have a pipeline for the next AFCON and World cup.

Nigeria has a squad to challenge for AFCON 27 and 28 and qualify for WC’30 but where is our pipeline for the next wave?

Senegal and Morocco are the two number 1 FAs on the continent with how serious they have taken their football development.

Bossoflife25:
It is not like they like Senegal. It simply because of France's assimilation policy that allows most French born Africans pathway to French citizenship.
Simply put! Future with France is not guaranteed! Player plenty!
Unlike England which does not really produce quality players.
Also, those players you listed are not better than what we currently have!
If we decide to pursue them only Kayode and Nwaneri will be difficult.
We are not attractive but our defence are almost foreign born.

The Senegalese FA is investing in youth football and has a clear policy of where they are headed. It’s easy to see why a Senegalese-French person would be interested in playing for them.

Diaz did not miss his PK on purpose. Like are you all listening to yourselves?

Miss the PK to win AFCON on home soil and become a national hero…

Lzkdy:
There was no way the Eagles of naija could have withstand the Senegalese in that final, had it been that they qualified.

The Senegalese are the overall best as far as the concluded AFCON is concerned

I’m not sure. I actually think we could have beat them.

Especially as the final is on “neutral” ground.

Willie2015:
i. What's special about the Morrocan team that could not score a single goal.. despite all the advantages. we have 2 shots at target.. they have 5 shots at target... penalty kick is anyone's game... Una badmouth to much once naija loses a match

Bro, they outshot us 16-2. They were the better aide but not by much.

My own frustration is we no really play ball at all.

Wotowotoman:
If only Naija played Morocco like this instead of just sitting back and letting Morocco attack and attack them 🤧😢

We do better when no one is watching us. E for better may Cameroon knockout Morocco for us.

The SFs would have had less pressure from the home crowd

Dynamicboss:
Black man greed will not allow him to sit up. He prefers shoring up funds, buy house in lucrative areas in the world and keep stealing. No sense, nothing.

Lagos to me is still very underdeveloped, let alone other cities in Nigeria. Nothing, absolutely nothing to be proud of as a Nigerian

Lagos is nothing to shout about from a development standpoint. The infrastructure betrays a city of that size and population.

I don’t know but it seems we as black people are still very self centered as people.

No reason why a Nation like Nigeria hasn’t built a modern interstate expressway that connects the entire country.

Even this Lagos-Calabar Expressway isn’t as ambitious as it should be.

And it’s not like we don’t have the human capital or capacity.

nairalanda1:
This is a ban by a tradtional ruler, not by the government. Whether they would follow it or not, na their business.

Plus, sharia is part of how true federalism would look like in reality. As much as I don't like it. ALso, remember that customary law is not enforced in the North too. You guys only talk about true federalism when it comes to oil money things...it applies to stuff like that too.

Finally, I doubt the emir has the means to enforce the law anyway. Oba of Benin banned cultisim, yet cultisim is sitll a problem in Edo state.

And on a tangent, most western music is basically promoting things that a lot of religious people don't like. (As a christian for some time, I have read pastors both overseas and at home complain about the rubbish in some western music, and even call it ungodly).




And in the South East, a lot of youth are dropping out of secondary schools to become apprentices

Also, na all your leaders fault, North and South. The people you voted for and allowed to run your country chose to run an oil dependent economy.

Guess what an oil dependent economy does? It wrecks all other sources of economic developement, especially industries. LIke now in the North the textile industry is gone thanks to overimportation over the decades.

That means no jobs. Even southerners are shouting up and down on this site that education na scam. North is very poor...so why should a Northerner send his child to school, only to graduate and get no job? After wasting all that money?

Even government job, if they removed corruption and made it merit based, most people STILL won't get.

I tell you guys here, vote for leaders that would take hard decsions like allowing power companies to charge cost reflective tarrifs, so that we can have enough investment in the sector, more power, and also, more light and more power for industries...and jobs. Also, let's fight all corruption, not just the corrupt in government today, even the corruption of the past, and so forth. I have even shouted we study countries like japan and china. But because you guys think I am just supproting oppression, na agbero una dey call me.

E no easy to develop job creating economy...that is why you guys prefer people like TInubu.



Yes, and we saw government freeing millitants in the Niger delta, most of whom were stealing and are still stealing oil for their pockets, not even for their people.

And many people who claim to be biafranists support UGM and IPOB and say government should not jail them.

People like me that think that government should come down hard on bandits, boko, and other security problems are labelled harsh and evil, so what do you expect?

Nigerians support their own evil people...because y'all are too scared to fight evil. When the people of Katsina wake up, they can call me. Same for every part of this country.


Nigeria's problems started when we thought we could live like the Saudis. Change that mindset, and we will see changes everywhere.

PLus banning western music does not drag a nation back. Refusing to vote for leaders who would make us more productive, that is what drags a nation back. Voting for leaders who people want to share money...that drags a nation back.

Good post and we actually agree on a number of things

With Western Music, that is not what the government should be focused on. We too like to major in minors.

I am all for actual leaders that will look to bring industry and economy to Nigeria but we don’t see enough of that.

You’re right in that Nigerians will support evil as long as it’s their person. That thinking needs to be eradicating.

I am also with you. Come down hard on any and all terrorists. Kill them like dogs and burn their bodies immediately. No sentiment or empathy for them. They should be made examples.

I do not think Sharia Law has any place in Nigerian society when we have a secular constitution. Let us kill that noise.

Overall, we have the same mind. Let’s actually develop and grow this country.

But I will stand on this until tomorrow, the North needs to secured and those children need to do things productive. This is where Nigeria needs a massive, labor intensive public works initiative that will put a lot of youth to work and build the nation.

There is a certain passivity you see in the North when it comes to their rulers/leaders. Even the British observed it as much when they came to colonize Nigeria

Abeg, the North should have their own country. Create the Islamic Nation of Arewa and do as they fit.

Also, the Emir has no authority to make such a proclamation

nairalanda1:
How is the rest of Nigeria held hostage by this? Is the Emir of Kano, EMIR Of Nigeria? Did he ban you from doing DJ at your wedding in your home village?

We can argue for division of this country, but not on matters like this.

You’re right that it is not about this topic specifically but things like Sharia Law have no place in a secular state like Nigeria

The northern elite is not doing enough to educate its youth. They have the highest rate of children out of school and those children are ripe for radicalization…

We see the Katsina government freeing bandits under the guise of a peace deal.

Are these not elements that are dragging back the nation?

Northern Nigeria should just create their own Islamic Republic and be done with it. Let them run their nation as they see fit. But the rest of Nigeria should not be held hostage by them.

Blueelf:
I say we were slightly outclassed because we didn't even play our game and we ultimately lost in PK shootout

Our midfield got choked and we couldnt get into the game.

This is where I think Chelle can learn a bit more. We could have modified our formation for more wing play and taken off one of the strikers for an additional midfielder

Joezinho:
I disagree with you. There's nothing like “..easily have been saved had the keeper gone the right way”.. What happened was "he sent the keeper the wrong way". That PK was an absolute beauty. Calm and collected.

That’s a fair point. If you send the keeper the wrong way then it’s good.

I just have the belief that there are some places where you can strike a PK and it can never be saved by a keeper (top right angle)

BankyGee:
Lacked direction
Relatively central

Una go just wan use English confuse people. A PK that was played with shot and above the ground and also at the far right, you say na relatively central.

That was a well taken penalty that met a save to match.

If a PK is saveable, it is not a good PK even if it goes in. A good PK is one that CANNOT be saved.

Think Maguire’s PK during the 2020 Euro final. My guy tear net with upper 90 PK.

No GK is saving that

To hell with any stupid power rotation. Only candidates that are here to help Nigeria.

Kill them all. Once you start engaging in terrorism that is it, you’ve given up the right to be treated like a regular human.

Smoke them all out with no impunity

U09ce:
Which peace? Kill them all

100%.

They want to live by the sword then they will die by the sword.

Smoke them out like rats.

Ihenzy:
Salah penalty was well hit

It was well hit but lacked direction. It was relatively central…

segestical10:
Today's Pens were also poor. Only Lookman and the last Egyptian played good penalties

Same thing I said. Those PKs were saveable just that the keeper went the wrong way.

A good penalty is one hit with power and direction. If well hit, the keeper can’t save it.