daveP:
Journos are not the one that will make that possible though. No mata how long they act like influencers. If he's going to be cold then no business between the sticks. Just simply applying the metric used for Maduka to him. Simple!

typicalgamer:


That sad truth is no matter what we do or say matters the only thing we can do is

Either support or not
Or wail and get the coach sacked

When it comes to selection form or not it’s was and never will be in our hands we’re but spectators nothing more

MetalJigsaw:
The number 19 jersey was a very insignificant number in the history of Nigeria Super Eagles until a certain unknown young man came out of nowhere and in a very short time, wrote his name in the history books forever..

His name, SUNDAY MBA

Before the 2013 AFCON, only a few knew the name Sunday Mba, and even those who did never cared much about him as he was a local league player picked to compete against an array of European stars in the Super Eagles of Nigeria team

Unlike the case today, late Stephen Keshi was bold enough to pick 6 home-based players as part of his 23-man squad for AFCON2013. Many believed the local league players would end up as bench warmers, but at the end of the tournament, the name the whole world was singing was Sunday Mba; the Warri Wolves player.

As many expected, Mba and other home-based players were benched in the first 2 group games. Only Oboabona got to play in defense. However, on the last group game which was a must-win game against Ethiopia, Stephen Keshi did the unthinkable; he dropped Nosa Igiebor of Real Betis and started Sunday Mba.

Mba didn't get to score against Ethiopia, but he did enough to convince the coach that he deserved to start in the Quarter final against almighty Ivory Coast.

With the likes of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Gervinho, Kalou, Zokora, Eboue and even Kolo Toure in the Ivorian side, nobody gave the Super Eagles a chance. There were even rumours that Nigerian officials had already booked return flight tickets for the players before the game.

In the 43rd minute, Emenike pulled a shocker and with a smashing bullet freekick, he put Nigeria ahead. 7 minutes later, Tiote equalized with a header. The whole world expected the next goal to come from the Ivorians, and Drogba precisely. But destiny had something else planned out.

That was when the Sunday Mba clock ticked....

He picked the ball from the center of the field, pushed it forward, beat one, dribbled two, and from the edge of the box, unleashed a rocket that flew into the back of the net. That goal announced the local player to the international media. Mba would go ahead to score the lone goal in the final which would hand Nigeria her 3rd AFCON title.

📌FROM GRASS TO GRASS:
The AFCON heroics made Mba one of the most sort after player by many European teams. Unbelievably, Mba ended up signing for a third tier club in France; CA Bastia. HOW?

Due to greed and politics, everyone wanted to have a share of Mba's cake. His club, Warri Wolves and his former team Enugu Rangers got into a war of ownership of the player and this lasted for over 7 months.

All the European teams that wanted Mba got tired of waiting for the issue to be resolved and pulled out of the race. The only team left was the third tier club.

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup approaching, Mba needed to start playing regularly so as to be picked for the world cup. He was forced to sign for CA Bastia and that was the beginning of his end...

Mba's stats for Nigeria are...
📌Debut: 2012
📌Appearances: 22
📌Goals: 7
📌Assists: 0
📌Trophies: 1 (AFCON 2013)
📌Duration with Super: 2 years (2012/2013)

Sadly, today, Mba is just 33 years old, but has been without a club since 2017. He literally retired from active football at the age of 27.

You can watch the best of Sunday MBA in my next post..

Amedino99:
For the dstv gang. Gotv people i no come know now una go take watch this afcon ooo

Setaleonoz:


It is scrambled and i am on dstv compact

Mujtahida:

No matter how you play football, I swear the international games will be the highlight of your career. Where will Zidane, Carlos, Ronaldo be without those exhilarating games they played for their countries?

TheGoodJoe:


You can see how the names are trapped in the past. Today, many names have come without international impact. I believe Hazard and De Bruyne will remain bigger names that Roberto Carlos with their major impacts in club football.
J

Amedino99:
mba scored seven goals for Nigeria? I never knew to be honest. I didn't even know he played more for us out of afcon.

kingphilip:

I'm not too sure too.

But it might be that he played in the CHAN tournament before the AFCON.

The AFCON was in 2013 while his debut was 2012. I am only guessing though.

Marjoribanks:
Tolu Arokodare and Ikwuemesi are two technical players! I love the way they both move the ball despite their height! Watch out for those two!

typicalgamer:


Bro i honestly don’t know a player will be doing well but once my Man U signs him

Gbam he don turn ekuke or injury prone i just taya

mrwilliams9:
The lack of planning from the NFF/SE is bewildering. Where was the tinkering of formations and personnel during our friendlies agains KSA and Mozambique?

It was in the dead rubber match against Sao Tome and Principe that we should have been trying out new formations and giving different players a chance. Their performance(s) might give the coach something to think about. Look at Fermin Lopez at Barca. Played a very good game in the pre-season El Classico in the USA and now he features for the squad regularly.

The fact we are still calling up Musa, an out of form Sadiq and only 5 midfielders is criminal. Should be 7 midfielders at minimum and since our wingers aren’t giving us much joy, why not switch to a 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1. Team is far more balanced and will get more joy from the strength in our wing back positions.

Naija sha…

Danielnino00:


You too dey hype rubbish..
So Iwobi, Onyeka, Aribo and Ndidi can't make that Aston Villa midfield, not even the bench?
Thanks to Emery, Aston Villa are looking good this season, but they are still not far from being a mid table team like the ones the core of our midfielders player in..

By your standard and logic, Tim shouldnt be in the conversation for super eagles call up.. he is a bench warmer and also the least paid player in his club...EOD!

Philosopher1979:


It is not nff fault. It is peseiros fault. He is the one selecting the players

MetalJigsaw:
The number 19 jersey was a very insignificant number in the history of Nigeria Super Eagles until a certain unknown young man came out of nowhere and in a very short time, wrote his name in the history books forever..

His name, SUNDAY MBA

Before the 2013 AFCON, only a few knew the name Sunday Mba, and even those who did never cared much about him as he was a local league player picked to compete against an array of European stars in the Super Eagles of Nigeria team

Unlike the case today, late Stephen Keshi was bold enough to pick 6 home-based players as part of his 23-man squad for AFCON2013. Many believed the local league players would end up as bench warmers, but at the end of the tournament, the name the whole world was singing was Sunday Mba; the Warri Wolves player.

As many expected, Mba and other home-based players were benched in the first 2 group games. Only Oboabona got to play in defense. However, on the last group game which was a must-win game against Ethiopia, Stephen Keshi did the unthinkable; he dropped Nosa Igiebor of Real Betis and started Sunday Mba.

Mba didn't get to score against Ethiopia, but he did enough to convince the coach that he deserved to start in the Quarter final against almighty Ivory Coast.

With the likes of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Gervinho, Kalou, Zokora, Eboue and even Kolo Toure in the Ivorian side, nobody gave the Super Eagles a chance. There were even rumours that Nigerian officials had already booked return flight tickets for the players before the game.

In the 43rd minute, Emenike pulled a shocker and with a smashing bullet freekick, he put Nigeria ahead. 7 minutes later, Tiote equalized with a header. The whole world expected the next goal to come from the Ivorians, and Drogba precisely. But destiny had something else planned out.

That was when the Sunday Mba clock ticked....

He picked the ball from the center of the field, pushed it forward, beat one, dribbled two, and from the edge of the box, unleashed a rocket that flew into the back of the net. That goal announced the local player to the international media. Mba would go ahead to score the lone goal in the final which would hand Nigeria her 3rd AFCON title.

📌FROM GRASS TO GRASS:
The AFCON heroics made Mba one of the most sort after player by many European teams. Unbelievably, Mba ended up signing for a third tier club in France; CA Bastia. HOW?

Due to greed and politics, everyone wanted to have a share of Mba's cake. His club, Warri Wolves and his former team Enugu Rangers got into a war of ownership of the player and this lasted for over 7 months.

All the European teams that wanted Mba got tired of waiting for the issue to be resolved and pulled out of the race. The only team left was the third tier club.

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup approaching, Mba needed to start playing regularly so as to be picked for the world cup. He was forced to sign for CA Bastia and that was the beginning of his end...

Mba's stats for Nigeria are...
📌Debut: 2012
📌Appearances: 22
📌Goals: 7
📌Assists: 0
📌Trophies: 1 (AFCON 2013)
📌Duration with Super: 2 years (2012/2013)

Sadly, today, Mba is just 33 years old, but has been without a club since 2017. He literally retired from active football at the age of 27.

You can watch the best of Sunday MBA in my next post..

mrwilliams9:
The lack of planning from the NFF/SE is bewildering. Where was the tinkering of formations and personnel during our friendlies agains KSA and Mozambique?

It was in the dead rubber match against Sao Tome and Principe that we should have been trying out new formations and giving different players a chance. Their performance(s) might give the coach something to think about. Look at Fermin Lopez at Barca. Played a very good game in the pre-season El Classico in the USA and now he features for the squad regularly.

The fact we are still calling up Musa, an out of form Sadiq and only 5 midfielders is criminal. Should be 7 midfielders at minimum and since our wingers aren’t giving us much joy, why not switch to a 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1. Team is far more balanced and will get more joy from the strength in our wing back positions.

Naija sha…

komekn:


You really think knowing how we do our things in Nigeria and the NFF in particular that Peseiros will be making Me, Myself and I singular decisions on players selection.

Then you are delusional and have no Idea.

typicalgamer:


The best thing now is to motivate uzoho and that’s a fact you don’t want a hot/cold keeper on your post that lacks confidence

Confidence is key here

Mujtahida:

No matter how you play football, I swear the international games will be the highlight of your career. Where will Zidane, Carlos, Ronaldo be without those exhilarating games they played for their countries?

Kog45:
Warri Wolves and Enugu Rangers killed Mba career due to greed.

daveP:



Which reminds me



This disgusting squabbles between clubs and owners and what have not over local players, pls tell me, have the league ironed out this technicality that becomes the achilles of good local players? Or it is still in place a decade after? Because it would give us a serious lens to know how wack the NPFL is. 10good year!! If they haven't been able to resolve this aspect but are always fully armed to battle over a talented player about to move to Europe, then that league is indeed, wack!!

komekn:


You have evaded the subject with erratic noise making.

Which is how good a prospect for the SE.

Brazilian international Douglas Luiz is the quintessential top level DM , Ndidi will not get into the Aston villa team as it stands ( he would be surplus to requirements) . Neither will Aribo and or Onyeka,

Iwobi will compete with Ramsey, Diaby and McGinn and will definitely be in the team.l IMO.

komekn:


Off the record in 2013 a EPL club wanted to sign him ,he was with Warri Wolves, Amaju was running the show there was confusion with Enugu Ranger's as well.

I don't think Mba knew what was going on he had too many people trying to reap where they did not sow.

Kog45:
Alaba,Akanji,Saka,Musiala,Tomori and if we miss Olise it would be painful cuz am not happy how we failed to cap Eze.

TheGoodJoe:


You can see how the names are trapped in the past. Today, many names have come without international impact. I believe Hazard and De Bruyne will remain bigger names than Roberto Carlos with their major impacts in club football.

komekn:


Tell that to George Weah .

Danielnino00:


Stop capping..
Douglas Luiz isnt a defensive midfielder.. Kamara and Dendonckor are Aston Villa defensive midfielders, neither of whom are better than Ndidi..

I dont know where you get the confidence to elevate mid table teams to the level where you conclude that certain players won't get into their team...

M7even:


Big fact. The world will never forget Kylian Mbappe's performance last World Cup for France. Even at the last finals against Argentina. Mhen that was a breathtaking performance. But then this is more like what he does regularly in PSG at Ligue 1