₦airaland Forum

chrisooblog:
Remember him making the 100m finals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

There was a story of an American sprinter can't remember his name who attacked him after a race.

Mitchell

What if Colombia goes all the way to win the world cup against all odds as compensation for the tragic death of Andres Escobar shortly after USA 94?

You know, just like Zambia winning the AFCON in Gabon in 2012.

Life can be quite funny.

One can only imagine what will happen to the ref that gave Balogun a red, he might hv had is last engagement with FIFA.

Meanwhile...

mank1234:
What's your take?

Would Cameron have performed better than its replacement, Cape Verde?

Would Nigeria have performed better than South Africa and Congo DR?

It's hard to tell, probably Cameron would have beaten Saudi Arabia but loose to Argentina, and Uruguay; Nigeria would have performed better than South Africa but not Congo DR. Just my thoughts.

Cameroon wouldn't have lost against Uruguay and Argentina.

Check the records, Cameroon has an excellent record against South American opposition.

This South Africa win, I'm in sifia pains.

Goke7:
Johan cryuff had significant contributions to the modern game including the implementation of tiki taka!

But he copied the cryuff turn from an Australian in the same tournament.

Watching this Switzerland vs Bosnia match just feels like Watching a UEFA nation's league division three match.

Same with Watching Czechia.

DRC continuing from where they stopped in 1974.

Hope another heavy defeat is not loading.

minfelix:
Some keeper with that tight set up of Capeverde style will still leak in goals oo…
-Tanzania’s vs Rohr pack heavy dangote truck but still got beaten by Iheanacho’s beautiful volley

-Rwanda’s vs Chelle parked a heavy truck with Ntwari making saves up and down until Arokodare Arokodare struck

-Iran vs Argentina at 2014 world packed heavy tipper and their keeper making beautiful saves up and down until Messi came and broke the deadlock…..

So Vozinha really did well keeping Spain at bay

U dey mind them.

And who says I'm judging his ability based on yesterday's match alone.

The guy has always been impressive and was commended on this same thread when last we played against them.

People on Twitter are remarking that his performance yesterday is akin to Enyeama's performance against Argentina in 2010- the last time an African goalkeeper won the man of the match.

Besides, I'm not saying Okoye is awful, I'm only saying Vozinha is better despite the fact he plays in an inferior leagie.

charlesemeka85:
him don DM Okoye tire to express his feelings for the guy but him no get response

Shebi you are one of the proponents of where he plays matters.

Between vohino and Okoye, who do you think is better?


What u wrote up there is unintelligible by the way.

I believe most Nigerians will be more comfortable with that Cape Verdean goalkeeper than someone like Okoye, yet he plays in the Portuguese second division while Okoye plays in Serie A.

Another reason why the " where he plays matters " argument is so weak.

Anybody wey follow that moniker advice stake this game go dey piss by now.

sweerychick:
the guy is not damaged he's just a cornfused employee, torn between 30k monthly allowance and agonizing hardship, plus anti Peter obi virus 🦟

Op you forgot to add the daring rescue of hijacked air France flight 8969 from Algiers in Paris. 1994.

Thanks.

I never heard about this rescue mission but I'll read it up.

KingAzubuike:
Something that lasted till the following day is what you're saying lasted for less than an hour. The way una too dey hype Israel ehn

They got to Uganda around 23.00 hrs and the whole rescue operation lasted around 90 minutes, well, technically into the following day but yet lasted less than 2 hrs.

They will spend another 53 minutes engaging the Uganda army at the airport before departure but the rescue mission itself lasted less than 2 hours.

ruggedtimi:
Operation Barras should be top 3.
The British operation that rescued soldiers from Sierra Leone. It took place on 10 September 2000 and successfully freed six Royal Irish Regiment soldiers and their Sierra Leone Army liaison officer from the militia group known as the West Side Boys.

Wow, how did I forget that?

Watched a documentary on it on National Geographic.

In 2000, Britain had deployed troops to Sierra Leone under Operation Palliser to evacuate foreign nationals and help stabilize the country as rebels threatened the capital, Freetown. British forces were also assisting the Sierra Leonean Army and UN peacekeepers.

On 25 August 2000, a patrol of soldiers from the Royal Irish Regiment entered territory controlled by a notorious militia known as the West Side Boys.

The patrol was captured and taken hostage. Negotiations secured the release of some captives, but six British soldiers and a Sierra Leonean officer remained prisoners. Reports suggested the hostages faced beatings, mock executions, and worsening conditions.

The Rescue Plan

British commanders decided that negotiations had reached their limit and authorized a military rescue.
The operation involved:

The Special Air Service (SAS) as the main assault force.
The Special Boat Service (SBS) in support.
The 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (1 PARA) conducting a simultaneous attack on a nearby militia stronghold.
Chinook and Lynx helicopters transporting and supporting the assault force.

The Assault

At dawn on 10 September 2000, helicopters carried British special forces into the jungle village of Gberi Bana, where the hostages were being held. The assault was fast and violent. SAS troops raced to reach the prisoners before the militia could kill them. Meanwhile, paratroopers attacked another West Side Boys position at Magbeni to prevent reinforcements.

Within a short time ,all remaining British hostages were rescued.
The Sierra Leonean liaison officer was freed.
More than twenty civilian captives were also liberated.
The West Side Boys suffered heavy losses and effectively ceased to be a significant fighting force.

Casualties

The operation was a success, but it was not without cost.
One British serviceman, Trooper Brad Tinnion of the SAS, was killed.
Several British soldiers were wounded.
At least 25 militia fighters were killed, and many others were captured or later surrendered.

SymphonyRad:
It's all a way to introduce the American system of doing commercials via "hydration breaks " for their various brand endorsements like they do in the NFL. Since America are the major financiers of this tournament, the other Co-hosts allowed them do it their way.

But the Americans never did such when they hosted in 94.

What changed?

Ppogbae:
The truth of the matter is that those hydration breaks were not done for player well-being. It was all a ruse to satisfy sponsors, especially Americans ones.

I wonder my brother.

Players have been taking fluids during the match at anytime they feel like, I wonder why they hv to create a special session for that.

Na their game sha.

Football has been effectively split into 4 quarters like American sports with these commercials during water breaks.

madridguy:
Thanks for sharing this wonderful history with us.

I hope Nigeria government will someday realize the damage they've done while playing politics with our security.

Welcome.

Lessons from History

These operations reveal several common themes. First, intelligence is often more important than firepower. Second, surprise and speed are critical to success. Third, successful rescues require extensive planning and specialized training. Finally, political leaders must often make difficult decisions under immense pressure and uncertainty.

From Entebbe to Colombia's Operation Jaque, these missions demonstrate humanity's determination to confront terror, rescue innocent lives, and uphold the principle that hostages should never be abandoned.

And an unfortunate rescue mission in Nigeria.


The Nigerian-British Joint Rescue Operation (Nigeria, 2012)

In 2012, a British engineer and an Italian colleague were kidnapped by terrorists in northern Nigeria. Intelligence indicated that their lives were in imminent danger, prompting a joint rescue mission involving Nigerian and British special forces.


The operation targeted the location where the hostages were being held. Although the mission demonstrated strong international cooperation and determination to combat terrorism, the hostages were tragically killed by their captors during the rescue attempt.
Despite the tragic outcome, the operation underscored the difficult choices governments face when negotiating with terrorists and highlighted the importance of timely intelligence in hostage situations.

The Rescue of Philip Walton in Northern Nigeria (2020)

In October 2020, 27-year-old American citizen Philip Walton was kidnapped from his farm in Niger state by armed criminals who later transported him across the border into Niger Republic.

Acting on intelligence gathered within days of the abduction, United States special operations forces launched a daring nighttime raid on the kidnappers' camp.

The operation involved a precision air assault deep in hostile territory. The kidnappers were overwhelmed, several were killed, and Walton was rescued unharmed.

The mission demonstrated the value of timely intelligence, rapid decision-making, and highly trained special operations units in hostage rescue situations.

For Nigeria, the Walton rescue highlighted the importance of intelligence-driven operations and the need for swift coordination among security agencies when responding to kidnappings. It also reinforced the lesson that speed is often critical, as the chances of a successful rescue can diminish the longer hostages remain in captivity.

Operation Jaque (Colombia, 2008)

One of the most ingenious rescue missions in modern history took place in Colombia in 2008. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had held dozens of hostages for years in remote jungle camps, including presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, several American contractors, and Colombian military personnel.

Rather than launching a direct assault that could have endangered the hostages, Colombian intelligence officers devised an elaborate deception plan. Operatives convinced the guerrillas that the hostages were to be transferred by helicopter to another rebel location.

The rescue team posed as humanitarian workers and flew the hostages and their captors aboard a helicopter. Once airborne, the operatives revealed their true identities and subdued the rebels without firing a shot. All 15 hostages were rescued safely.

Operation Jaque is celebrated as one of the most sophisticated intelligence-led hostage rescues ever conducted and highlighted the value of deception over brute force.

Operation Chavín de Huántar (Peru, 1997)

One of Latin America's most successful hostage rescue missions occurred when members of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement seized the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima, Peru, taking hundreds of hostages.

Peruvian authorities spent months gathering intelligence and secretly constructing tunnels beneath the compound. The rescue force studied the captors' routines and waited patiently for the ideal moment to strike.

When the assault finally commenced, commandos emerged from the tunnels and simultaneously attacked the building. Within minutes, the hostage crisis was over and the vast majority of hostages were rescued. The operation remains a classic example of patience, intelligence gathering, and precise execution.

Lufthansa Flight 181 Rescue (Somalia, 1977)

In October 1977, members of a Palestinian militant group hijacked Lufthansa Flight 181 and demanded the release of imprisoned terrorists in Germany. The aircraft was flown across several countries before landing in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Germany's elite GSG-9 counterterrorism unit launched a nighttime assault on the aircraft. Using speed, surprise, and specialized training, the commandos stormed the plane, neutralized the hijackers, and rescued nearly all the passengers.

The success of the operation established GSG-9 as one of the world's premier counterterrorism units and demonstrated the effectiveness of specialized hostage rescue forces.

The Raid on Entebbe (Uganda, 1976)

Often regarded as the gold standard of hostage rescue operations, the Raid on Entebbe began when an Air France passenger jet was hijacked by terrorists and diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. More than 100 Israeli and Jewish passengers were held hostage with the support of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime.

Faced with the prospect of a prolonged hostage crisis, Israel launched a daring rescue mission. Israeli commandos flew more than 4,000 kilometers under complete secrecy, landed at night, and stormed the airport terminal where the hostages were being held. The entire assault lasted less than an hour.

The operation rescued the overwhelming majority of the hostages and demonstrated that distance would not deter a determined state from protecting its citizens. The mission remains a benchmark for special forces operations worldwide.

Since the abduction of several people in Oyo state last month, most Nigerians have been wondering why the military cannot step in and perform a Hollywood-style rescue.

Hostage rescue operations rank among the most complex and dangerous military missions ever undertaken. Success often depends on accurate intelligence, meticulous planning, surprise, and the courage of highly trained personnel.

Throughout modern history, a handful of rescue missions have become legendary for their audacity and effectiveness. Their stories continue to inspire military strategists and governments confronting terrorism, kidnapping, and hostage-taking.

Let's examine some of the most daring rescue operations ever.

Yeye.

Just like u guys failed to support Ghana after qualifying at ur expense in 2018.

This Mexican goalkeeper is suspect.

This Mexican team is so average.

DomPerignon:
That's the entire GDP mutipled by 10 of one region like that.

That's actually 10%of Nigeria's GDP.

FiveFootNinja:
Wahala. 😂🤣

1-1

That guy sharing "if Nigeria hosts the world cup" meme.

This is Japan in training in Mexico.