₦airaland Forum

TheSuperNerd:
I already knew he was trouble when I saw he was VAR Ref for Morocco vs Cameroon. I made mention of it.

Knowing our football rivalry with Ghana who get uncomfortable with our attempt at equaling their four Afcon titles, it was a real oversight.

Strangely enough, Nigeria likes playing big brother on the continent.

Every Afcon looks like we will win but we never win. It's even better we drop out early than to be sailing on this dream only to fail at the critical stage.

This set of Super Eagles players don't have luck.

TheGoodJoe:
@TheSuperNerd

Been on X going through videos of those who were in the stadium for the game and I see your point.

With how atrocious the officiating was, it was hard for our players to get into the frame of mind to really push for an intense pressing game.

I also agree that even the Super Eagles of old would not cope under such terrible officiating.

It was a disgrace.

When we talk, you said nooo.. They should have pressed.

BascoVanVeli:
They all did very well. Especially Nwabali.

Definitely. I'm proud of them.

Goke7:
Oga Delaw make we leave chuks alone shebi na im career e dey destroy. Let's move past him abeg. Chuks has always had inconsistency as his middle name, and it's high time we focus on our more consistent players. He's not even a starter anymore, so let it go, please.

Toh. It's okay my bro.

Not to diminish the effort of the other players like Ajayi, Bruno and Bright in the defense. They fought valiantly but my word, Bassey, Kai Bassey was a beast. In the air, on the ground, every duel, every tussle, while being tugged at and shoved, he shone like a million stars. At a point, it was as if it was him alone against the entire Moroccan attack. And they never bested him.


It's like the scene in epic movies where the protagonist takes a lone stand against the horde of the enemy and runs against a troop.

Bassey put up an incredible performance. It would go down in annals of Nigerian football history as one of the best individual performance of a Super Eagles player.

semid4lyfe:
Baba calm.down o. Accusing Chukwueze of sabotage in taking his penalty is taking things too far.

His attitude, body language, demeanor and facial expression were all off and seemed like he didnt appreciate the seriousness of that moment and the importance of scoring that penalty, and he missed it but to label him a saboteur? Mba, that's too extreme and unacceptable.

Below is what I posted last night

It might be extreme but that's my opinion and of course I might be wrong but many people echo my sentiments. I've seen many gaffes from our players but there was something different about this. And I'm drawing my conclusions not just from the match.

We made a mistake by not opposing the appointment of the Ghanaian Ref.

minfelix:
bro this is just so so so so an unfair judgement om chukwueze….so Chukwu purposely came to make us lose to Morocco 🤣🤣🤣…..ahhh omo we human beings eehnn…we fit raise dust from no where sha

It was deliberate. You are free to disagree. I do not say this lightly.

I will keep posting them until the scale of evidence tilts towards the conclusion that he deliberately sabotaged the team. We cannot all be wrong.

Minfelix.

TheGoodJoe:
You can press, close and win the ball without fouls. It is normal. You can intercept passes in press.

Hahaha hahaha hahaha. You no play ball. Make una see talk.

TheGoodJoe:
If Osimhen had waited for NFF to pay his allowance and salary at the U17 Word Cup, would he have gotten his glory?

Ehen, so for glory sake, NFF should continue owing the players. You try.

You don't you want glory in your working place? Why don't you accept to work without pay so that at the end of the month, you can take the glory home.

When God said that a worker deserves his wages, you think he doesn't know what he's doing.

Even not paying them is a violation of divine principles.

Let me tell you something. You can't be misbehaving all the time and be expecting the recipient of your bad behavior, to treat you with grace all the time.

TheGoodJoe:
Press. Ensure to keep the fouls clean and tactical and the cards won't come. We chose to soak pressure.

Shey una dey see. "Press them and the cards won't come".

You never press card is coming, how much more when you press. Or your own pressing involves just marking space instead of the players. How can you press without contact sometimes?

Your theory is too much.

TheGoodJoe:

“Don’t come to the Super Eagles if you’re not ready to give everything for the nation. If the NFF delays your payment, let it go. Social media has distracted you all, and the praise got to your heads. When Argentina were preparing to play us four days before, none of their… pic.twitter.com/MWqCeqINRv

— 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐲𝐆𝐑𝐍 (@AsakyGRN) January 15, 2026

Men, this video broke my heart. Bovi, take heart.

For real, anyone not seeing playing for Nigeria as a fight to death thing should stay clear. Enough of this chicken football.

It's rubbish talk. Even soldiers facing real battles mutiny because of their money.

We should pay our players. We cannot disrespect our football by serially owing players and expect the players to die on the pitch. They should come and die on the pitch because of football and the administrators and the government keep doing the same thing.

E easy to talk. Can you work without being paid? That's why Kog45 said you are theoretical.

The players should be praised and encouraged.

Pay them. Don't gaslight them with this stupid, senseless talk about dying on the pitch.

minfelix:
las las i will blame it on ill-luck that the keeper read his direction….walai if that ball score…nobody go remember wether he dey chew gum or smile to take that penalty…if Bono had gone the wrong way, na sweet placing all of us for call am…

i will say it again…Omeruo played a very whack penalty that year against SA…if Keeper had caught the ball, forgetiiiii!!! no b nairaland and 9ja fans wey we know?….baba dem go cook Omeruo wetin no good🤣🤣

It was not ill - luck. It was deliberate sabotage.

How would the goalkeeper not catch the ball? Even you, you go catch that ball. He positioned his body, telling the Gk where he wanted to play the ball, then as if that was not enough, he passed the ball to the Gk.

You are coming to play penalty at a semi final oo. This boy do us wetin no good.

TheGoodJoe:
When we met Argentina in Atlanta Argentina has Ariel Ortega, one of the best dribbling attackers to grace football. Hernan Crespo was a World Star. Claudio Lopez was a super star of the series a. I think Gallardo was also there. Javier Zanetti and a host of stars. We played them with guts and bravery.

I prefer we give them hell and lose than play like a chicken and hope to win. I have never known Nigeria for fear. How it is has become a norm baffles me.

We didn't play like a chicken. It was an even game. That's why it got to penalties. You speak as if we were camped in our own half and Morocco won 3-0.

We played with courage. Yes we did.

Papi85:
If this afcon was hosted outside of Morocco I bet you that they highest they can get is the second round or quarter finals

That's what I said. They are not all that abeg. Off a wonderful world cup in 2022, they were ran out of Afcon 23 by South Africa.

lbrichman2:
Simple!
That's all we needed
If that kick had gone in, our spirits would have been lifted
Every other kicker would know he just needs to score and we win

A lot was hinged on that kick, because Morocco had just lost
That kick suddenly became our most important kick
Lookman or Simon should have taken it
Someone who understands the stakes, not someone with a lackadaisical attitude

I say Chuks finish us.

minfelix:
if he had scored evem with that non chalant attitude, we would have won this match🤣🤣….bro if SA keeper had caught that Omeruo penalty, we go cook Omeruo for life…have you gone back to watch that Omeruo own again…very childish penalty…he was so lucky Williams went the wrong way…that Omeruo penalty too whack and be like secondary school penalty

Go and watch the penalty Ajayi played against DRC. It was lame. Nobody blamed him. Omeruo was cool. Chukwueze was laughing or rather had this irritating smirk on his face. Their approach is not the same. Thats why the result is different.

daveP:
The reason this loss is not getting the typical Nigerian noise is because Nigeriand saw the passion, intention and attitude of these players every game, doen to yesternight's.

Now, you're saying yadayada about not harping on Chukwueze but till tomorrow, you still never forgive Ikpeba and Yakubu for their misses.


We know it is pk and "anyone can miss" but guys did you see the nonchalant attitude of Chuks before that pk and the way his body was easy to read by Bono? Naija fans have changed o. It's only on social media dem dey take now. Go try sm with South American football fans now.

We all scream down Nwabali neck. But he has proven himself in Pks and yet one or two teammates always let him down. ALWAYS.

Swap Nwabali with Enyeama or Ikeme and see how your stance will change to actually calling out Chuks for the rubbish he kicked yesternight.


Overall, this team needs to step up in Pk. We can't even beat chest and point our best takers in years. Same problem persist with the female national team and they've still not addressed it.

Chukwueze finished us. It was a key moment. We had the momentum. Like Goke7 said Morocco was there for the taking. If he had scored, Morocco would have been under immense pressure, the kind that makes a man piss in his pants. They would have possibly lost another penalty

ChrisKels:
Osayi and Bruno have been something else in this AFCON. Two full backs I never rated, suddenly turned to what I can't even describe. These guys were terrific and they were never found wanting or scared of pushing attacks from their wings.

They covered themselves well. They earned our respect.

But

minfelix:
After Onuachu scored, walai na Bassey or Simon for step up next..PTSD no gree those baba come front..
Penalty is any man’s game ooo….but these guys will likely 95% convert their pks for us to win this game…
Lookman
Osimhen
Bashiru
Akor
Onuachu

Morocco coach knew why he left one of Hakimi and Diaz….you cant just yank off senior men when you know pk is nearing…..

imagine the last afcon pk against SA
1. Terem Moffi scored/Mokoena missed (1-0)

2. Omeruo scored(infact almost same style with chuks pk)/Mayambela scored 2-1)

Aina missed(same type of Bassey miss against DRC)/ Magkopa missed (2-1)

3. Ekong scored/Mvala scored (3-2)

4. Iheanacho scored (4-2)

pls let’s not blame chuks that much…same way Omeruo scored his PK against SA was same way chukwu was gonna score his own if Bono had gone the wrong way..

You guys don't get it. Nobody is blaming him for missing his penalty. Bruno missed too. Nobody blames him.

Chukwueze's blame stems from his indifferent, e-no-concern me attitude before and after taking the penalty. And I maintain that he deliberately missed the Pk.

Omeruo was calm and collected. Chukwueze was nonchalant. Not the same.

If Chukwueze had scored, believe me we would have won this match.

I will keep posting

https://x.com/i/status/2011691057655005225

Same opinion, same deduction unless one wants to be blind.

Nwabali will give us advantage, our players will squander.

In every penalty, it is certain that Nwabali will catch at least one but our penalty players never make it count.

See how Chukwueze went and passed the ball to the Moroccan keeper. Chai. That's someone with fresh legs oo. Bruno's I can understand. But that of Chukwueze is unpardonable.

Goke7:
Delaw they are special it’s the pressure of playing at home to win at all cost that affected them during the tournament.

I watched the game on beinsports so I saw both teams getting dressed in the dressing room before the game while our players were full of confidence the Moroccans were seriously tensed including Hakimi which showed how much pressure they were under. The coach had been heavily criticised and he expressed this at the press conference before the game. This Moroccan team is excellent. We would have seen more exciting game had the ref not interfered unnecessarily. I see them doing well at the World Cup again especially if they win Afcon as they will finally be out of that pressure

They were at the last Afcon and didn't get past the quarters. I still think home support is helping them. I don't mean that they are a bad team but they couldn't hurt us despite being on their own turf.

The ref for the Egypt Senegal game was excellent. Brahim Diaz pulled Bassey's jersey yet it was Bassey that was booked.

Odunayaw:
Witnesses? 😂😂

So we who watched the match and drawing deductions aren't witnesses. Abeg move go front. I don't have time for obtuseness

etebefia:
Eric Chelle, has been praised greatly by majority of the Nigerian football fans and while I appreciate his zeal to succeed with the Super Eagles, I still think he's not the right man for the position.

He is poor tactically and finds it hard to change tactics. Yesterday's game game was seriously yearning for tactical change but he couldn't read the game.

His whole front was completely inactive, playing 2 point men (Osihmen and Akor) for a game you were expecting to absorb pressure and your key midfielder missing was a complete amateurish decision.

Playing Lookman behind the front men may have worked in other matches but definitely didn't work against Morocco and a tactical change to the wing would have taken off pressure from the back wingers who were obviously over laboured.

Eric Chelle obviously doesn't know his players. Awaziem is a better penalty taker than Chukwueze. How did Chukwueze get selected for penalties?

Generally, the game yesterday was poor from both teams and the CAF-backed referee killed it entirely.

You know when a coach loses a match, it's always about what we think he should have done but didn't do. There's no guarantee that if he had done what you suggested and we still lost, you'd have suggested another tactical option and use that to label the coach as poor.

Once you lose, you are a bad coach.

Goke7:
No be lie o Morocco semi final finish at the last World Cup was no fluke just that they don’t need bad officiating to win fairly but dem no care.

Our boys did give good account of themselves based on that I mean we played the number one ranked team in Africa and they couldn’t beat us in 120 mins that’s something great to cheer about sha

I didn't see anything special about this Moroccan team. They were bolstered by home support.

Odunayaw:
The extreme of playing the clairvoyant, knowing his intentions? If you like find 1000 Twitter screenshots, it still holds no water.

That's your opinion. In the mouth of two or three witnesses a matter is established.

Odunayaw:
Na me say make you screenshot Oku account to prove your point? It's on you if you don't know him on X streets.

Why are you trying to famz the lady? Is she saying "Chukwueze has malice in his heart" like you?

And you have not seen the other screenshots I posted. Na you know who be banger boy.

The point is that he deliberately played an awful penalty. That much can be discerned from his body language before and after the penalty.

We are at the cusp of making the final, your goalkeeper just gave you an advantage. You are among the best penalty takers as the coach revealed during the post match presser. You are brought in specifically to play penalty. What do you do? You approach it flippantly, casually and with a nonchalance that the whole world can see and essentially pass the ball to the keeper and you want me to believe that it was not a deliberate effort coming from a place of malice?

No. It's malicious