₦airaland Forum

TheSuperNerd:
Bruno Onyemaechi will never be our starting LB. He belongs to the reserves of the Super Eagles. Not even the bench.

Again, I laugh because Zaidu, a better LB, was undermined because of this Bruno. It is well.

Please the Zaidu I watched against Benin had my heart in my mouth till he got injured and left the pitch.

BascoVanVeli:
Nwabali vs Benin Highlights
Let's talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjBn4beE8fQ

not good enough. Put the guy whose last appearance before yesterday was way back in june for me as the goal keeper for our world cup playoffs.

joelsteron:
Please the Zaidu I watched against Benin had my heart in my mouth till he got injured and left the pitch.

Na u wan put ur heart ❤️ for mouth 😊

kennysville:
Someone goes out of his way to do a compilation of Nwabali's errors and posts it on youtube and you dont see an agenda there hey? Thats damn nitpicking. When he was the last line of defence and did the saves, no one did compilation. I am n ot even exonerating Nwabali but this needs to be called out for what it is. It is very misleading to go do compilation of a goalie's errors to what end? We can also do a compilation of Osimhen misses that will make you just downright dislike him and question what people see in him that is so special. When Gary Lineker did his, it was very subtle. And the deed got done nicely. Now he is apologizing to Osimhen, doing damage control for his own credibility

OH my. This is truly astonishing. Your grouse is that the compilation speaks of an agenda but not the fact that the compilation is true and factual. If a person's point is to show that a goalkeeper is incompetent, is it the goalie's saves or his errors he will show? He will show his errors! Of which Nwabali has a bagful in recent times.

And the shocking thing about Nwabali is that these are not goalkeeping errors in the normal sense. These are deliberate acts of childishness, unprofessionalism, insubordination (pushing the captain away three times!), erratic and impulsive misbehaviours that speak to his character and not necessarily his competence or incompetence as a goalkeeper.

I'm constrained to look at this whole thing through the eye of a trial in court. So if this is before a court where Nwabali is on trial, let's say for poor goalkeeping and this video is presented as evidence that he should be replaced, your defense of Nwabali will be to say that the facts which have been demonstrated as true before the judge is an agenda and it should be dismissed on that ground? This will be your argument against it - that it is an agenda. Not that it is false or contrived?

How is it an agenda when you are being clearly shown facts which you yourself have seen regarding the many errors of Nwabali? How is it an agenda when the call for Nwabali to be replaced is almost universal. I listened to Segun Odegbami's EAGLE7FM program where he interviewed Edema Fuludu, a Super Eagles player of the 90-94 set and Dr. David Olanrewaju a veteran sports journalists. Both men lamented about Nwabali and called for his replacement. Are these men pursuing an agenda too?

I do not see an agenda because it is true that Nwabali has become a bag of errors. While I do not necessarily think he should be removed outrightly, People are well within their rights to call for his removal without being accused of pursuing an agenda. If that goalbound ball has slid into the net in the match against Lesotho, I'm certain you'd be among the people calling for his removal. We were saved by Providence just so that Nwabali either sits up or gets removed or we suffer the consequences if neither happens.

This is the link to Odegbami's program for anyone interested in listening to the program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKWQNQmpMzk?si=8ADW

BascoVanVeli:
So Italy will make a game plan to target Nwabali when we have Osimhen and Lookman on our team? Does that even make sense

Is that how you read my statement? I never said Italy will target Nwabali but that intelligent teams will target him. And yes we can add Osimhen too because he is also impulsive.

Targeting a team can take any shape - physical or psychological such that a team can take out a player physically or provoke him psychologically to react in a manner that breaches the rules of the game. In both cases, the result is the same. Don't forget that France targeted Onazi in 2014 and Italy targeted Amokachi in 94

QueenJazz:
My brother, I just weak.

The annoying thing is some people here trying to say that we're only asking for Okoye because of bias or other sentimental BS. My brother, how can you watch that compilation of errors and not be reasonably worried if Nwabali will not have another one of these episodes during the playoffs?

Even in the Benin game, he still had questionable moments there, like that goal that Benin scored, which - thanks to no VAR! - was not allowed. And people want to gaslight us that there's no cause for alarm?!

Like I said, I won't protest if Okoye starts ahead of Nwabali. If Nwabali continues his risky theatrics, then there's no difference between him and Okoye in my eyes. Okoye might not have Nwabali's confidence or composure, but he's not going to gift a useless goal, or get himself sent off because he can't control his anger. It's also very silly that people keep bringing up Okoye's game against Tunisia in 2019, and try to make him look like an Uzoho clone, when he has obviously come a long way since then.

Risky theatrics, that's the word. Look at what he did in the game against Rwanda as needlessly clattering into the Rwandan player. Imagine him indulging in time wasting antics when we desperately needed to score more goals. It's funny and sad at the same time that our own goalie engaged in series of sabotaging actions.

We qualified for this playoffs by sheer Providence in spite of the weapon (Nwabali) fashioned against us.

QueenJazz:
Lol. Is it so cumbersome to believe that a team like Italy or even France or Argentina can have a plan for more than 1 player in our starting 11? Is it out of the realm of possibility? 😂

Is it so difficult to believe that coaching crews of top opposing teams can study footage of our games and identify key weaknesses in any position? Like areas where we lack composure and stability? Players whom they can exploit?

We have seen teams do this sort of targeting again and again. In Italia 90, Maradona was targeted both physically and psychologically. In fact in their match against Italy the crowd joined in to target him with invectives (and this was at a time that he was regarded as a god in Italy)

If you watch the footage of the anthem relays, you'd see Maradona muttering puta under his breath.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91a5-B20-YI?si=kMUsFFTYQ1p7lb61

Zaidu was generally solid vs Benin. 2 people can watch a football game and still walk away with completely different view of events.
Yours is either the truth or a biased take and I know it is the latter because at no point was I in shivers because of Zaidu.

joelsteron:
Please the Zaidu I watched against Benin had my heart in my mouth till he got injured and left the pitch.

yinkeys:
True
And we need all our players in very high spirits for the play offs
Maybe some of them read comments here to asses their performance & it could be a distraction
I think they (the Federation & technical crew) just need to talk to him, that’s all
Na DRC i dey fear sef, no really big name distraction. They’d just come to play ball

Lol. Dr Congo with
Masuaku - Burnley. Wan Bissaka- west Ham. Tuanzebe - Burnley, Chancel Mbemba - Lille, Yoan Wissa - Newcastle,(Mbeumo brother), Noah Sadiki- Sunderland and Cedric Berkambu- Betis are unknown? These guys are key players in their respective clubs. We should thank our stars we are not meeting them first, they may likely win Cameroon sef. Their defence is Verumy Solid.

yinkeys:
We need Ola Aina replacement, a central midfield creator and another centre back

Zachary Athekhame from AC Milan. - CB
Kayode - from Brentford
Nwaneri from Arsenal.

donbenie:
The claim that the duo of Okocha and Oliseh spoon-feed Yekini and thus the reason for his goals doesn't hold up to scrutiny,Ogbeni.

The fact shows that Yekini had already scored 20 goals in the National Team before either Okocha or Oliseh made their debut.

Let's leave this narrative and move on,abeg.

False information are dropped here severally. I saw a post that alleged Yekini got help from the aforementioned players else he for no score shingbin goal.

Some even falsely claimed he is all about goals but nothing apart from that.

They also alleged he played for lowly clubs. Bhuahahahha!

They are too young to take cognizant of the level of African leagues in the 80's.

The same African leagues produced African football of the year from 1971 - 1985 and Yekini played in the CAF Champions league final in 1984 for 3SC after he won the league with them in 1983.

The same Yekini held newly formed Abiola Babes to African cup winners cup in 1985 without the aforementioned player's help after he won 2 FA cups with them.

His performance made African Sports bought hin in 1987 after they lost the African champions league in 1986. This same club won West Africa club Championship consecutively in 1985 and 1986. Note that Stephen Keshi played for them during that era before he moved to Belgium.

Arguably, African Sports was the second best club in Africa as at that time.

Yekini scored goals that led them to 2 consecutive African Champions league quarter finals in 1987 and 1988.

Before then he had moved to newly formed Abiola Babes in 1987 and led them to the semifinals of African club winners cup after winning 2 FA cups with them.

Eventually, Winner of the African club winners cup in 1999 with African Sports.

I am talking about when Nigerian league was one of the best in Africa before the era Nigeria players started moving to Europe in "exodus". This is not because Nigerian league was bad but European leagues were buying Nigerian players directly from our league to show how strong it was then.

Who helped him to score goals in those teams he went to?

QueenJazz:
No problem. I didn't watch Nwabali until the last AFCON. He was excellent there. I'm praying for him that whatever miscalculations he made in the Lesotho and Rwanda games that don't surface again in the playoffs. The average Nigerian is not as forgiving.



Did I even mention Calvin Bassey? No. As a matter of fact, I was referring to the way he shoved Ndidi (his team captain) aside when he came to caution him. He could have just patted him on the back instead of shoving him like he was saying rubbish. But then again, this is the spurious strawmanning I was referring to, where you hallucinate why people are saying what they are saying. Abeg wetin concern me with where Nwabali is playing abi where he's not playing? Lol. I think I've made my stance clear on this thread previously: it matters little to me where a player plies his trade, provided he can deliver for the national team when needed.



True. So I'm curious to follow your logic here, what's your take on the Rwandan forward that he knocked down in the penalty box unprovoked?



Well, you know your talents.



You implied that I had a narrative. Are we going to backtrack now? Is that what we're doing?

Seriously? Our whole conversation started with me saying Nigerians never learn. How u now want to hijack what I was saying about some Nigerians in general to being about u needs to be studied. Why would I be scared to say what I want?

U didn't mention Calvin but u didn't mention Ndidi either. The Calvin situation was the bigger one so I went with it. This one is an even bigger dud than the other one. At least Calvin and Stanley argued. That baby push was nothing but Stanley saying "I don hear". He also pushed Semi right before Wilfred. Neither player reacted like it was anything bad. These are tough guys playing a physical sport. I don't expect them to be hugging and kissing out there.

Did the referee call a foul for the Rwandan forward? I already admitted he was rough in that game by saying he played like Oliver Kahn. I personally liked it but I can understand why someone would want him to tone it down. For me he showed a needed fight.

Mujtahida:
Is that how you read my statement? I never said Italy will target Nwabali but that intelligent teams will target him. And yes we can add Osimhen too because he is also impulsive.

Targeting a team can take any shape - physical or psychological such that a team can take out a player physically or provoke him psychologically to react in a manner that breaches the rules of the game. In both cases, the result is the same. Don't forget that France targeted Onazi in 2014 and Italy targeted Amokachi in 94

u brought up the fact that the Italian national team played in the same league as Zidane. All I did was connect your story to reality.

Onazi was injured by France. That's not the same thing but Onazi was also our best player in that tournament. He was also balling with Lazio at that time.

Can you name an occasion where a team targets the least profiled player on the pitch?

TheSuperNerd:
Bruno Onyemaechi will never be our starting LB. He belongs to the reserves of the Super Eagles. Not even the bench.

Again, I laugh because Zaidu, a better LB, was undermined because of this Bruno. It is well.

sometimes we need to cut coaches some slack when they perpetually bench some players, at a point Chelle preferred Aina at LB

TheSuperNerd:
Meanwhile, Chrisantus Uche featured for Crystal Palace U21 today in their 5-2 loss vs Stevenage in the EFL Trophy (Southern Group E).

I dont like that Uche is limited to these underage games with Palace. Palace should pls let him leave on loan abeg. Uche was a sure starter in LA LIGA FOR GOODNESS SAKE. Handed the #10 shirt as well at Getafe but because they (Getafe) needed to cash in to ease their financial worries, Uche was pushed out against his original stance of not wanting to leave. Now his gametime suffers.

Since Oliver Glasner doesnt rate him, then loan him!

he’s still young, I’ll prefer he spend the whole season there

Spainever:
I read in several platforms and even here " let be praying for Osihmen to be injury free for the playoff" . I also hope he will be injury free but it caught my attention we solely rely on Osihmen.
What happens if Osihmen is not available?
What back up do we have ?

solely relying on Osimhen isn’t a problem, a player as good as that can’t be replaced.

BascoVanVeli:
Seriously? Our whole conversation started with me saying Nigerians never learn. How u now want to hijack what I was saying about some Nigerians in general to being about u needs to be studied. Why would I be scared to say what I want?

Abeg ooo. YOU brought up a "narrative": a word commonly used to denote a biased or forced storyline, right after I gave my rationale. If you didn't mean to imply that my stance was disingenuous, then you chose your words poorly. If you genuinely believe that my perspective is rooted in some manufactured "narrative," then own that accusation, but don't try to backtrack now just because the conversation got a little heated.

U didn't mention Calvin but u didn't mention Ndidi either. The Calvin situation was the bigger one so I went with it. This one is an even bigger dud than the other one. At least Calvin and Stanley argued. That baby push was nothing but Stanley saying "I don hear". He also pushed Semi right before Wilfred. Neither player reacted like it was anything bad. These are tough guys playing a physical sport. I don't expect them to be hugging and kissing out there.

Nobody is arguing about how physical the sport is. What we're talking about is on-pitch decorum, restraint and respect for authority. Ndidi was attempting to de-escalate, and Nwabali's dismissive shove, which is obviously a clear way to say "I know what I'm doing. Leave me alone" is a poor look from a goalkeeper to his captain. If anything, goalkeepers are supposed to be the most emotionally balanced players on the pitch. So don't act gobsmacked that people saw his actions as a lack of discipline and a refusal to be cautioned by a senior player in the heat of the moment.

Did the referee call a foul for the Rwandan forward? I already admitted he was rough in that game by saying he played like Oliver Kahn. I personally liked it but I can understand why someone would want him to tone it down. For me he showed a needed fight.

A goalkeeper's "fight" should be demonstrated through commanding his box, making vital saves, and organizing his defense, not through taking out an attacker inside the penalty area unprovoked. That's not the kind of fight the Super Eagles need. It's a liability that can put our qualification hopes at risk. A penalty in that moment, or a red card, would have sunk the team, and it's still people like you that will come back rambling about "if it weren't for so and so...", after the damage has already been done.

As I stated elsewhere, erratic gameplay can be fun and entertaining when the timing is right. It's easy to tell the difference between when a player is just being eccentric and when he's being irrational and hazardous to team safety. Don't forget he's the reason we were even chasing 4 goals against Benin in the first place, because we had no business conceding that foolish goal to Lesotho.

Again, I'll restate my position: I have no problem with Nwabali. But if he's to persist in his antics of self-sabotage, I won't protest if I don't see him in the next game's starting line-up. In my eyes, there's no difference between an emotionally reckless goalkeeper and one who is shaky. Thankfully, Nwabali -- on days when he's not picking useless fights or taking risky decisions -- is a superb goalkeeper. If he can tone down on his nonsense, we have no issue.

Leverkusen has a young German/Nigerian in their side, 18 year-old striker Ken Izekor was on the bench against PSG. Might be one to look out for especially in one of our youth sides.

Cocony:
Please shut up and address the definition of pettiness to your fellow foot soldiers you are suggesting I should " leave the thread for us". I knew it will not be long before those that feel challenged and hurt will come up to spew thrash in the midst of truths given to them as info. If the play on European teams started on the day Nigeria played Lesotho by another person, most of you (described as us by you) would have suggested to a mod or the mods to do the needful. Is it surprising that after the mod recommends ignoring seeming opposition comments on this thread, a foot soldier with no personal ideology comes up to do the exact opposite? Mtcheew!

na just small european club conversation you see you don run call mod. If blue font man start him zidane vs de bruyne matter shey you no go invite seun make he come close this thread. We never even reason political matter you don dey shout. When old members here no complain you for don sabi say na normal thing for here. No worry you go get the handle on conversations here if you don tey here small. Na new comer vibes still dey your body.

CapitalCee:
Lol. Dr Congo with
Masuaku - Burnley. Wan Bissaka- west Ham. Tuanzebe - Burnley, Chancel Mbemba - Lille, Yoan Wissa - Newcastle,(Mbeumo brother), Noah Sadiki- Sunderland and Cedric Berkambu- Betis are unknown? These guys are key players in their respective clubs. We should thank our stars we are not meeting them first, they may likely win Cameroon sef. Their defence is Verumy Solid.

When making statements, please do not generalize, YOU should thank YOUR lucky stars and not WE.

Amedino99:
na just small european club conversation you see you don run call mod. If blue font man start him zidane vs de bruyne matter shey you no go invite seun make he come close this thread. We never even reason political matter you don dey shout. When old members here no complain you for don sabi say na normal thing for here. No worry you go get the handle on conversations here if you don tey here small. Na new comer vibes still dey your body.

That is besides the point. I have no problem with any discussion other than Super Eagles. I have a problem with anyone in the future calling the mod to take down a chat if another person starts a non-Super Eagles chat other than their perceived fave or self-imposed experts .

TheSuperNerd:
Bruno Onyemaechi will never be our starting LB. He belongs to the reserves of the Super Eagles. Not even the bench.

Again, I laugh because Zaidu, a better LB, was undermined because of this Bruno. It is well.

How far with Felix Agu, is he back from injury?

Felix Agu is still injured and the club did not put a specific time for his expected return. Similarly Fisayo Dele Bashiru is expected to return fit from injury on 21st November 2025.

BascoVanVeli:
u brought up the fact that the Italian national team played in the same league as Zidane. All I did was connect your story to reality.

Onazi was injured by France. That's not the same thing but Onazi was also our best player in that tournament. He was also balling with Lazio at that time.

Can you name an occasion where a team targets the least profiled player on the pitch?

What do you mean by least profiled player on the pitch? Do you by that mean the least important player in the team? If that is so, are goalkeepers not the most important players? And then again, every player is important to the extent that if one player is removed from the team, it's structure is affected.

jihday:
he’s still young, I’ll prefer he spend the whole season there

Still young At 22 years? Are there not players his age and even younger playing for the Crystal Palace first team or other teams in the EPL. The coach just doesn't fancy him, plain and simple.

TheSuperNerd:
Meanwhile, Chrisantus Uche featured for Crystal Palace U21 today in their 5-2 loss vs Stevenage in the EFL Trophy (Southern Group E).

I dont like that Uche is limited to these underage games with Palace. Palace should pls let him leave on loan abeg. Uche was a sure starter in LA LIGA FOR GOODNESS SAKE. Handed the #10 shirt as well at Getafe but because they (Getafe) needed to cash in to ease their financial worries, Uche was pushed out against his original stance of not wanting to leave. Now his gametime suffers.

Since Oliver Glasner doesnt rate him, then loan him!

I think Crystal Palace got him on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season so technically he's not their player yet so they can't loan him.

CapitalCee:
Lol. Dr Congo with
Masuaku - Burnley. Wan Bissaka- west Ham. Tuanzebe - Burnley, Chancel Mbemba - Lille, Yoan Wissa - Newcastle,(Mbeumo brother), Noah Sadiki- Sunderland and Cedric Berkambu- Betis are unknown? These guys are key players in their respective clubs. We should thank our stars we are not meeting them first, they may likely win Cameroon sef. Their defence is Verumy Solid.

under no circumstances should we be thanking our stars for not meeting any DRC or Cameroon in this playoff race. We may be underperforming but we are not bums either. Without context an outsider may be deceived to think that nigeria does not have equal number of key players in respective clubs and also the last two african player of the year in their current squad. There is a reason we are ranked 41 and they are ranked 60 in FIFA rankings abeg.

Cocony:
Felix Agu is still injured and the club did not put a specific time for his expected return. Similarly Fisayo Dele Bashiru is expected to return fit from injury on 21st November 2025.

Damn! This is not good. Hopefully, Chelle will invite Ebenezer Akinsanmiro for the Play-offs.

At left back, we'll continue to make do with Zaidu Sanusi and Bruno Onyemaechi.

It is well.

joelsteron:
Please the Zaidu I watched against Benin had my heart in my mouth till he got injured and left the pitch.

Bro, can you identify zaidu when you see him?

Because I'm beyond shock seeing your take. That man was solid. Even with his injury scare Chelle still choose to keep him until he could no longer play.

Abeg make we dey talk true sometimes sha

Ihenzy:
Bro, can you identify zaidu when you see him?

Because I'm beyond shock seeing your take. That man was solid. Even with his injury scare Chelle still choose to keep him until he could no longer play.

Abeg make we dey talk true sometimes sha

Sad to say this but quite number of peeps view players through the ethnic lense. Bruno hasn't been able to match Zaidu's defensive displays.
Big issue with Zaidu is his crosses when he overlaps.

jihday:
solely relying on Osimhen isn’t a problem, a player as good as that can’t be replaced.

Very true as as good as Man City is if haaland doesn’t play they will miss him