TheSuperNerd:


Zirkzee has literally been put in a Bayern Munich team.

Marjoribanks:
His situation was similar to Iheanacho. Grew up in the youth team. He was allowed to go to get game time and experience. You can see the improvements in his game. He will be back sooner than latter! Mark this post!

Kog45:
Pls confirm this news cus we are hearing contrary reports.

maidaboi:

Mikel will be next

Inshallah

maidaboi:

Mikel will be next

Inshallah

Marjoribanks:
Dimeji Lawal built his house on the same street as mine at Felele, Ibadan. Baller!! You forgot my favorite football name of all time "Philip Osondu".

BankyGee:

AndSunGorilla:

Maybe Okoye declined the invite. Is Noble first choice in his club? Also, can he even get a visa at such short notice to Portugal?

M7even:



Hahaha so they are saying Ndidi be looking like prime Zidane of Madrid.

Mujtahida:

Obviously one of your hobbies is watching old football clips.

Mujtahida:

Mature for where? In between the sticks for SE?
See there are some players that are not cut out to be SE material. Onuachu is one such player. Henry Onyekuru, Anthony Nwakaeme etc are not SE material. No matter their exploits, they are some players who do not have SE DNA. Oga Kog45 and Icon4s, as long time watchers of the SE, you can bear witness to this phenomenon.

There's this knowing you'd have as a fan that so and so player fits and so and so player doesn't fit. In spite of the rave about Onuachu, I never took to him because I he didn't click for me. I feel the same thing with respect to Maduka. Him no be am. Even if we give him 100 opportunities, he'd flop and cause us losses. I might be wrong oo but I really don't think Maduka would be a good SE goalkeeper.

mostob:
Nigeria


Tunisia


Guinea


Gambia





You heard it here first

AndSunGorilla:

It was at Canada 87 that Osondu made his name in the U17 but he didn't do well at Saudi 89, we can start a debate with Icon4s and Kog45 on that, Osondu definitely didn't live up to the hype at Saudi 89. In My opinion, Mutiu, Dimeji Lawal, Chris Ohenhen, Chris Nwosu made big strides after the tournament in their careers and even some earning a few matches with the Eagles. Other notable mentions are Tunde Charity, Sam Elijah, Bawa Abdulahi, Nduka Ugbade, Tony Emedofu, Oladuni Oyekale, Peter Ogaba, Angus Ikeji, Emeka Amadi, Jimoh Balogun, Tunji Adeyemi at least those are the ones I remember. It's a pity Osondu couldn't realize the potentials he showed at Canada 87, same with Dimeji Muhammad Lawal and Chris Nwosu ( Nwosu didn't play Canada 87).
Going memory lane, other underage players who disappointed me were Jide Oguntuwase, Segun Fetuga, Kayode Keshinro, Bobo Edom, these were in Ikpeba's U17 set that went to Scotland 89, only Ikpeba and Godwin Opara realy had decent careers, Opara's career was cut short by his prison sentence. Respect to the late Sébastien Imaseun Brodericks.

Icon4s:


Yeah Osondu was outstanding at Canada 87 U17 but couldn't replicate such at the U21 WC 2 years later. From a crop of U17 players, 2 years later some of them will not be able to cut it at U20 and their careers will just continue to decline and then die-off from there. This is why I have always opined that no matter how good a Golden Eaglets team is all of them cannot be promoted automatically to the U20 cos some of those players will not transition well to the next level. It is always better to infuse other players into the team to ensure a lot more improved team at the U20 level.

Talking about Chris Nwosu, another gifted player. A little correction from your post, he played at Canada 87 U17 WC. He was the won thar scored our only goal against Italy in that Semi-final, remember? I will also not forget the Maradona goal he scored against Czechoslovakia in our final group game at Saudi 89 U21.

Mutiu, Dimeji and Ohenhen were invited by Westerhoff but due to the competition back then only Mutiu could break through majorly due to his versatility. For Dimeji, a very gifted winger. Even look at the assist he gave to Mutiu for that 2nd goal against USA at Saudi 89, master class. Problem with Dimeji was how could he have broken into a team that already had Friday Elastic Elahor and Finidi George as right wingers
Similar problem Ohenhen faced. Not that those two were not good, the he SE was loaded with talents then.

About the Scotland 89 U17, men...that squad ehhhhhh.....for me they were better than the Canada 87 U17 cos they were beating their opponents silly until they faced the eventual winners, Saudi Arabia, in the quarter final. That tall Saudi goalie made the difference. My boys couldn't score after totally dominating
Even in the penalties the Saudi goalie was just saving penalties
Despite the huge talents in that team only Victor Ikpeba and Godwin Okpara progressed well. John Zaki also did well but no space for him in the nation team.

From the 1985 Eagles only Nduka Ugbade progressed well. A player like Victor Igbinoba with all his heroics at that China 85 U17 couldn't cut it at Chile 87 U21.

If you look at the trend, it is only the 1993 Eaglets that had up to 5/6 players that really went on to establish themselves in the national team. Till date, I rate this Crop as the best Eaglets so far.

Going back almost 10 years ago on this thread, veterans like thesupernerd, thegoodjoe, safarigirl, tbaba1234, forgiveness, Joseph1034 and co were here when I mentioned it that despite the heroics of the Manu Garba 2013 U17 I didn't see more than 2 or 3 of them establishing themselves in the national team. The team was loaded with talents and so it was unthinkable that those talents would fizzle out. But like I told them, that was not the first time we will be seeing such bunch of talents. How many of those boys are playing in the SE today? Even the Emma Amuneke's U17 of 2015, how many are in the SE?

This is the one of the very few lines of thoughts I usually agree with Komekn, Youth football is only indicative, it cannot be used to promote players into the Senior national team.

Icon4s:


You are Right bro. National team football is different from club football and that's why the national team is not for all kinds of players. To that your list add players like: Emmanuel Dennis, Mikel Agu, Chidera Ejuke and going back memory lane Efan Ekoku.

As for Maduka's current level of maturity, I cannot say about it but I don't see him as a goalie with great potentials.

AndSunGorilla:

Well said Senior Man!!! Actually Dimeji was invited by Westerhoff and I remember the fans clamoring for his inclusion in a match against Togo at the National stadium and lo and behold, Westerhoff heeded the fans call and in came Dimeji Lawal, he scored a wonderful goal after his inclusion in that game. He got game time against Ghana in Accra I believe and thereafter we just stopped hearing about him even on a personal level. That's why I respect Ohenhen, besides the U21, Ohenhen pushed himself hard career wise and had a decent enough career.and thanks for the correction on Chris Maradona Nwosu.

Mujtahida:

Even Jonathan Akpoborie. He was banging in goals in the Bundesliga but didn't impress me in the GWG

Icon4s:



This is the one of the very few lines of thoughts I usually agree with Komekn, Youth football is only indicative, it cannot be used to promote players into the Senior national team.

Icon4s:

Yes, another product of the China 1985 U17.
Akpoborie was good the Bundesliga but when he comes to the SE you will hardly see him do anything on the pitch.

Mujtahida:

Even Jonathan Akpoborie. He was banging in goals in the Bundesliga but didn't impress me in the GWG

TFLASHOGEE:

TheSuperNerd:
He played only 17 times for Bayern's main team. Iheanacho had a better first team experience at Man City than Zirkzee had at Bayern. Not so similar in my books.

And yes, he has improved. He's growing and using his incredible physical build to good effect in hold up plays and link ups. Still needs to be able to absorb contact the way Osimhen does on the spot before even moving away from markers. His passing is also decent and I like that he can fall back and operate as some kind of support striker or withdrawn forward playing his fellow forwards in. He is a fine talent. One still growing and one to watch but he isn't Clinical. Needs to sharpen his clinical edge. Also doesn't yet have that sharp instinctual and reflex movements in the box, among a few other rough edges.

I expect as he keeps up his growth curve, my Oranje gang will take notice of him and cap him. He's very decent. I like the lad.

AndSunGorilla:

It was at Canada 87 that Osondu made his name in the U17 but he didn't do well at Saudi 89, we can start a debate with Icon4s and Kog45 on that, Osondu definitely didn't live up to the hype at Saudi 89. In My opinion, Mutiu, Dimeji Lawal, Chris Ohenhen, Chris Nwosu made big strides after the tournament in their careers and even some earning a few matches with the Eagles. Other notable mentions are Tunde Charity, Sam Elijah, Bawa Abdulahi, Nduka Ugbade, Tony Emedofu, Oladuni Oyekale, Peter Ogaba, Angus Ikeji, Emeka Amadi, Jimoh Balogun, Tunji Adeyemi at least those are the ones I remember. It's a pity Osondu couldn't realize the potentials he showed at Canada 87, same with Dimeji Muhammad Lawal and Chris Nwosu ( Nwosu didn't play Canada 87).
Going memory lane, other underage players who disappointed me were Jide Oguntuwase, Segun Fetuga, Kayode Keshinro, Bobo Edom, these were in Ikpeba's U17 set that went to Scotland 89, only Ikpeba and Godwin Opara realy had decent careers, Opara's career was cut short by his prison sentence. Respect to the late Sébastien Imaseun Brodericks.

Mujtahida:

Baba, let him decline. Okoye is not a good goalkeeper. I don see am.

AndSunGorilla:

Also to add to your point, the issue with underage players graduation into senior teams is even a global phenomenon, not localized to Nigeria alone. And I think life is just like that. I looked at Mikel's U21 set throughout the whole tournament not any of the players from.each country reached the top of their careers. Infact I remember I spoke to one Oyinbo man here for Amelika where I dey squat,his son and mine were on a second team and a comment he made was, a lot of the young kids we say are fantastic playing football when they were U10 may not necessarily be the best when they get to high school, he was like that's what he experienced growing up. This even applies much more in underage football.

TheSuperNerd:
Are we getting ready? It's Draw Night.

No place to hide. Everyone will know their opponents from the group stage.

#MDAfcon23

Marjoribanks:
How many goals did Boniface has playing for USG? I watch for technique and skillset not just goals. I watch football not relying on unnecessary stats! Put Zirkzee in a Bayern/ManCity/Arsenal team and see him deliver.