₦airaland Forum

I’ve watched all our Ivory Coast Afcon games once again. I wonder why we reverted from 343.

We have to go back to 343. It was had to penetrate our defence. Also we controlled midfield and the final third, creating a lot of chances.

Lord know l am not rooting for any African team since Nigeria failed to qualify for the World Cup. I am rooting for team Brazil 🇧🇷 USA 🇺🇸 and Ronaldo Portugal to win the World Cup so Ronaldo can finally retire . If you ever been around other Africans you would see the vitriol and resentment they have towards Nigerians. Ironic enough they like Nigerian music and culture

9JAMac10:
Lord know l am not rooting for any African team since Nigeria failed to qualify for the World Cup. I am rooting for team Brazil 🇧🇷 USA 🇺🇸 and Ronaldo Portugal to win the World Cup so Ronaldo can finally retire . If you ever been around other Africans you would see the vitriol and resentment they have towards Nigerians. Ironic enough they like Nigerian music and culture

I supported SA as the host in 2010 and cheered for tshabalala's rocket against mexico, supported Ghana heavily to reach the semis in and was so sad when Uruguay knocked them out on penalties, supported Algeria alongside super eagles in 2014. Supported Morocco in 2022 and was very happy they became the first side from our continent to reach the semis but seeing the development of things right from afcon last year to our world cup heartbreak i don't care.

UncleHaba22:
OFFICIAL: Women's Player of the Year - Ghizlane Chebak 🇲🇦

what was her achievement last year?
Morocco people just robbed this for their player wtf is this

Trophies?
Goals?

In an Awcon Year lol

Maybe that's why they left Esther off the list,I even thought ajibade would win even Banda who also had a solid year. Well Morocco is now the new cash cow of CAF so I'm not really surprised. I also feel they'll get several advantages in this upcoming afcon so they won't be a repeat of the awcon's final loss from a host nation.

Mujtahida:
I'm always careful when I make my points. I said IF he was motivated by malice, then it's awful. It is precisely because I want to give him the benefit of the doubt that I used the word 'if".

Okay

Honestly this world cup still dey pain me especially when I see tiny nations like Curacao, Haiti, Scotland etc celebrating their first ever world cup qualification on my X timeline...when I remember how Nigeria botched the easiest qualification process ever with this expanded format, I immediately get depressed and overheated with rage...and the fact that so many Nigerians seem to have moved on so easily even baffles me the more. We're back to making funny skits and talking about other things- the gnawing insecurity in the country has even created a perfect distraction. Nigeria has broken, failed and betrayed me so many times that I question why am still even patriotic at all?

Meanwhile the real culprits who are behind our football misfortunes who should be resigning by now are still staying put, no accountability, no Federal government interventions to probe the alleged mismanagement of funds by the NFF, the likes of Eguavoen with his record of mediocrity are still there...when FIFA dropped the list of all the countries that have already qualified, it seemed almost painfully surreal not to see a whole Nigeria on that list...it's really painful sha I won't lie, I don't know how you guys move on fast from this, but una dey try...on to AFCON I guess...

Hull City, Derby County, Oxford and Huddersfield Town are among EFL clubs eyeing January moves for Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi

He has come of age, Eric Chelle must include him in his Afcon squad.
Its time to add young players who are ready to add steel,grit, youth and balance to the sqhad.

QueenJazz:
Where is Ghana tho? 🙃

You gats dig a borehole before you find them.

SymphonyRad:
Honestly this world cup still dey pain me especially when I see tiny nations like Curacao, Haiti, Scotland etc celebrating their first ever world cup qualification on my X timeline...when I remember how Nigeria botched the easiest qualification process ever with this expanded format, I immediately get depressed and overheated with rage...and the fact that so many Nigerians seem to have moved on so easily even baffles me the more. We're back to making funny skits and talking about other things- the gnawing insecurity in the country has even created a perfect distraction. Nigeria has broken, failed and betrayed me so many times that I question why am still even patriotic at all?

Meanwhile the real culprits who are behind our football misfortunes who should be resigning by now are still staying put, no accountability, no Federal government interventions to probe the alleged mismanagement of funds by the NFF, the likes of Eguavoen with his record of mediocrity are still there...when FIFA dropped the list of all the countries that have already qualified, it seemed almost painfully surreal not to see a whole Nigeria on that list...it's really painful sha I won't lie, I don't know how you guys move on fast from this, but una dey try...on to AFCON I guess...

was surprised how fast i moved on from this. Sunday night was brutal. Monday was also tough but surprisingly i was over it on tuesday. Seeing DR congo ranked as top seeded sucks but then no use crying over spoilt milk. Would be nice to watch the world cup as a neutral fan (again unfortunately).

mostob:
You gats dig a borehole before you find them.

LMAO. people wey no go afcon. Wetin she dey expect

QueenJazz:
I'd like to know the answer to this as well.

cc: Cocony, Mujtahida

I really don't know the reason for that. Let Japan catch Congo and with their slight frames you'd see how they will outplay them.

For me it was not that Congo played gidigbo football which in a certain sense is what is meant by African football, we were just too timid. Our players get snowed by the weight of the occasion. It happened in the last Afcon final.

By contrast Super Falcons matched Morocco toe to toe.

The psychologist of the team needs to find out why this is happening. Twice is worrisome.

Questionnairae:
Checkout the 6 Countries that Qualified for the InterContinental Playoffs, and their current FIFA Rankings.
DR Congo is ranked highest...

1. DR Congo #56 (Africa)
2. Iraq #58 (Asia)
3. Jamaica #70 (CONCACAF)
4. Bolivia #76 (South America)
5. Suriname #123 (CONCACAF)
6. New Caledonia #132 (Oceania) )

With this, DR Congo and Iraq will be seeded as Top2 ranked countries. So they need to win only one match to qualify for World Cup 2026.
Congo may likely play Bolivia or Jamaica.

Kai, Super Eagles really messed up.

Big time!

semid4lyfe:
I did not absolve the NFF of blame but your arguement still leans too heavily on the NFF as if they tied the players legs on the pitch.

Also, you're rewriting history. Jose Peseiro was employed on a 70k USD/month contract but after some mixed results and difficulty paying his salary, the NFF offered him a reduced 50k USD salary to stay on and take the team to the AFCON which he accepted.

He refused to renew the 50K USD/month contract when it expired at the end of AFCON, and demanded an increased salary to stay on as coach stating he had offers from other places.

After failing to reach an agreement with the NFF, JP announced his departure and the NFF moved on to appoint his deputy Finidi George as the substantive coach which I hailed and supported at that time because Finidi had the highest coaching badge, and some experience working in Europe, deputizing JP and coaching in the NPFL.

Your assertion that lots of Nigerians wanted JP gone after the AFCON is not entirely true. Reactions to JP continuing as coach was mixed. I wanted him to continue because he showed his tactical acumen and flexibility after the qualifiers and first AFCON game by deployed a 3-5-1-1 formation that fixed our goals leaking issue, and got us to the FINAL. I mean, from 4-3-3, JP switched to a 3-5-1-1 that made us defensively disciplined, solid and dispatched teams playing some prime catenaccio ball akin to Italy of 2006 world cup.

I also think you overestimate the Super Eagles brand with your quality of coaches statement, and we have to be realistic with the kinda coaches we can appoint.. There's no way we can attract first class coaches like Ancelotti, Guardiola. Mourinho and the likes. They're way above our league. Even the first class Africans/African experienced coaches like Pitso Motsimane, Hugo Broos, Herve Rennard are above our league. I think the right profile of coaches for the Super Eagles are young African, European, South American coaches who are within the age bracket of 40-55. and are eager to make a name for themselves. They also are moderate with their salary expectations. Think coaches like Pedro Goncalves, Djamel Belmadi, Aliou Cisse etc So by my assessment, Eric Chelle is a perfect fit for the job.

As for Finidi, with the benefit of hindsight, I agree he wasn’t ready. But even if Pep Guardiola was coach, the same players that struggled to beat Lesotho would still be the same players. National team coaches don’t perform magic. They work with what is available.

This NFF is the biggest culprit angle ignores the biggest elephant in the room, the players, who did not perform at the level required. You mentioned those early qualifiers. Exactly!. That is where we lost the plot. Even with all the NFF wahala, you don’t drop points at home to Lesotho. You don’t lose against Benin on a neutral ground. That one is not bonus issue or NFF delay. That’s players lacking hunger and performing poorly.

NFF didn't ask Ndidi to play the ball wide one-on-one with the Zimbabwe goalie in Uyo. NFF didn't instruct Troost Ekong not to tackle the Zimbabwean player that scored the 89th minute equalizer against us in Uyo. NFF didn't ask Troost Ekong to score an own goal from a non-threatening square ball in SA. NFF didn't ask Ndidi to get in the way of Chukwueze to possibly score our second goal against DR Congo. NFF didn't ask Ndidi not to clear the ball that led to DR Congo's equalizer. NFF didn't ask Bassey, Simon and Ajayi to play poor penalties. I could go on and on.

NFF has blame. Nobody is arguing that. Their administrative ineptitude is embarrassing. But to pin everything on them while giving the players and coaches a lighter share of the blame is inaccurate

NFF failed in organization (10%). Coaches failed in tactics (20%) Players failed in mentality and execution (70%).

Again, all the laurels we have won in football have been in spite of the NFF. If the players had the spine. mentality, and fortitude, the Super Eagles would have qualified in spite of the NFF.

I rest my fingers.

Well articulated especially @ the bolded. The players cost us this wcq series and the playoffs. All these blames on the nff and coach are just diversions and excuses for horrible performances from the players.

If we want the entire nff board to go then some players must follow them too.

Sarsaparilla524:
VO9 will be out for about 5-6 weeks.
AFCON is in 40 days.
Ekong might have quit international football.

We don't need Ekong anymore, In fact I now see him as a liability. So his retirement is a good omen for the team. We now have a younger and far better replacement in Fredericks.

As for Osimhen I wish the AFCON was a bit distant so chelle will have friendly matches to groom a good alternative among the other strikers.


Osimhen is such an injury prone player... This condition is part of the reason we couldn't make the World Cup. So sad

I don't rate Chelle even though he's perceived to be a good coach. Though he's clearly better than Finidi.

But how can you withdraw your winning team because of a Lookman that is currently very low on form. The only good thing Lookman has going for him is he won the APOTY last year. That's it. He's very good player but dude shouldn't have started any of the playoff matches.

If Chelle had maintained Adams and Simon in the lineups I think we would have beaten Congo.

Osimhen really enjoyed Adams partnership because that guy made things easier for him.

Adams played the Brown Ideye role to Emenike. He didn't really care about scoring goals, but to pave way for his pointman.

Simon on the other hand drew defenders to himself while hugging the touchline, to create a hole in the center for the strikers to operate.

Take a look at the last needed goal against BEN. and other games like ANGOLA in the AFCON

( Though I'm not saying he's better than Lookman)

We scored for goals with Adams, Simon and Chuks being the taproot for Osimhens explosive performance, why did Chelle change that all of a sudden when he sees Lookman??

We scoring as many goals against BEN out of the blue in Lookman's absence was more like like God telling Chelle that:

This is your winning team! You can be bringing in Lookman in the second half, but this is your starting eleven going into the playoffs, unless Lookman comes in and performs well".

For me that Benin game was a revelation that Chelle ignored which cost us yet another WC.

What if onuachu continues to fire goals in turkey till December should he be in the afcon squad for 9ja

DR Congo to meet either Jamaica or New Caledonia in their intercontinental playoff final; while Iraq will meet either Suriname or Bolivia in their own final.

My prediction is that both DR Congo and Bolivia will qualify for the World Cup.

MetalJigsaw:
I don't rate Chelle even though he's perceived to be a good coach. Though he's clearly better than Finidi.

But how can you withdraw your winning team because of a Lookman that is currently very low on form. The only good thing Lookman has going for him is he won the APOTY last year. That's it. He's very good player but dude shouldn't have started any of the playoff matches.

If Chelle had maintained Adams and Simon in the lineups I think we would have beaten Congo.

Osimhen really enjoyed Adams partnership because that guy made things easier for him.

Adams played the Brown Ideye role to Emenike. He didn't really care about scoring goals, but to pave way for his pointman.

Simon on the other hand drew defenders to himself while hugging the touchline, to create a hole in the center for the strikers to operate.

Take a look at the last needed goal against BEN. and other games like ANGOLA in the AFCON

( Though I'm not saying he's better than Lookman)

We scored for goals with Adams, Simon and Chuks being the taproot for Osimhens explosive performance, why did Chelle change that all of a sudden when he sees Lookman??

We scoring as many goals against BEN out of the blue in Lookman's absence was more like like God telling Chelle that:

This is your winning team! You can be bringing in Lookman in the second half, but this is your starting eleven going into the playoffs, unless Lookman comes in and performs well".

For me that Benin game was a revelation that Chelle ignored which cost us yet another WC.

Sir,no starting XI from present eagles squad will beat Congo, that's the fact.

I am not going to throw my support behind any of the African side at the World Cup.
I am praying for Jamaica to upset DR Congo.
If in case DR Congo scales through. I did be glad if they end up d!sgraced at the event. I ha'te nonsense. These African sides deserve no support from Nigeria.

Orkpekyandega:
I am not going to throw my support behind any of the African side at the World Cup.
I am praying for Jamaica to upset DR Congo.
If in case DR Congo scales through. I did be glad if they end up d!sgraced at the event. I ha'te nonsense. These African sides deserve no support from Nigeria.

Hmmm dis name seems like an old timer here

Orkpekyandega:
I am not going to throw my support behind any of the African side at the World Cup.
I am praying for Jamaica to upset DR Congo.
If in case DR Congo scales through. I did be glad if they end up d!sgraced at the event. I ha'te nonsense. These African sides deserve no support from Nigeria.

You must be one of those village people who are always working against the success of their relatives in the city.

Orkpekyandega:
I am not going to throw my support behind any of the African side at the World Cup.
I am praying for Jamaica to upset DR Congo.
If in case DR Congo scales through. I did be glad if they end up d!sgraced at the event. I ha'te nonsense. These African sides deserve no support from Nigeria.

none of them are expected to win the mundial anyways so its almost a waste of support but if anyone deserves suppport, it should be cape verde. Mainly because they are first timers and the only fellow west african countries we dont really have a rivalry with.

Is it true Russia is planning an Aba-Made World Cup tournament to include us, Cameroun and other countries? Perhaps, we fit win that one.

Amedino99:
none of them are expected to win the mundial anyways so its almost a waste of support but if anyone deserves suppport, it should be cape verde. Mainly because they are first timers and the only fellow west african countries we dont really have a rivalry with.

That's because we haven't crossed them yet.

We didn't have beef with Morocco until we beat them in the last WAFCON, and Lookman won the last APOTY over Hakimi. They've been hating ever since.

There's just something about Nigeria that rubs other fellow African countries the wrong way when we meet.

Orkpekyandega:
I am not going to throw my support behind any of the African side at the World Cup.
I am praying for Jamaica to upset DR Congo.
If in case DR Congo scales through. I did be glad if they end up d!sgraced at the event. I ha'te nonsense. These African sides deserve no support from Nigeria.

To be honest, Jamaica have been very unconvincing so far, but if they can beat DR Congo, I'll be supporting them and England at the mundial.

AndSunGorilla:
Is it true Russia is planning an Aba-Made World Cup tournament to include us, Cameroun and other countries? Perhaps, we fit win that one.

lol …Aba made 🤣🤣

AndSunGorilla:
Is it true Russia is planning an Aba-Made World Cup tournament to include us, Cameroun and other countries? Perhaps, we fit win that one.

A tournament for underachievers. The Underachievers World Cup. 🤧

AndSunGorilla:
Is it true Russia is planning an Aba-Made World Cup tournament to include us, Cameroun and other countries? Perhaps, we fit win that one.

And how many back doors is Nigeria planning to use to get to a World Cup, exactly? Come on, man… leave those escape hatches for teams like Madagascar, DR Congo, Angola, Zambia — not for a country that won’t stop calling itself a “football powerhouse.”

Let’s rewind for a moment.

First, Eritrea pulled out of the qualifiers, which shifted the whole table and conveniently pushed Nigeria into the “best second-placed” conversation. That alone was an unexpected shortcut falling right into your laps. Yet somehow, that still wasn’t enough.

Then we got to the game against DR Congo. The officiating in that match had everyone talking — plenty of decisions looked strangely generous to Nigeria, and even with all that, qualification still didn’t happen.

And on top of that, on another thread, someone was claiming that if DR Congo didn’t qualify, FIFA would magically “call Nigeria” to fill some imaginary tenth African slot. All of this just shows the same pattern — this sense of entitlement, like Nigeria must be at the World Cup one way or another, even if it means hoping for technicalities or loopholes that don't exist.

So my brother, abeg — talking about Russia organising some unofficial, non-FIFA tournament shouldn’t be exciting anybody. If it isn’t recognised or taken seriously internationally, who exactly is supposed to care?

Stop this sense of entitlement. Nigeria didn’t make it to the World Cup — simple. No shortcuts, no fantasies, no excuses. Just accept it and move on.

Only African team i can see myself supporting will be Cabo Verde, and then if they don't go far I'll support other smaller teams like Haiti, Curacao etc...I know these teams won't go far, but I always love an underdog/Cinderella story of small nations making their debuts in big tournaments.

TheCongo2:
And how many back doors is Nigeria planning to use to get to a World Cup, exactly? Come on, man… leave those escape hatches for teams like Madagascar, DR Congo, Angola, Zambia — not for a country that won’t stop calling itself a “football powerhouse.”

Let’s rewind for a moment.

First, Eritrea pulled out of the qualifiers, which shifted the whole table and conveniently pushed Nigeria into the “best second-placed” conversation. That alone was an unexpected shortcut falling right into your laps. Yet somehow, that still wasn’t enough.

Then we got to the game against DR Congo. The officiating in that match had everyone talking — plenty of decisions looked strangely generous to Nigeria, and even with all that, qualification still didn’t happen.

And on top of that, on another thread, someone was claiming that if DR Congo didn’t qualify, FIFA would magically “call Nigeria” to fill some imaginary tenth African slot. All of this just shows the same pattern — this sense of entitlement, like Nigeria must be at the World Cup one way or another, even if it means hoping for technicalities or loopholes that don't exist.

So my brother, abeg — talking about Russia organising some unofficial, non-FIFA tournament shouldn’t be exciting anybody. If it isn’t recognised or taken seriously internationally, who exactly is supposed to care?

Stop this sense of entitlement. Nigeria didn’t make it to the World Cup — simple. No shortcuts, no fantasies, no excuses. Just accept it and move on.

if we want to talk about what will excite us why do you think you have a say in that? if we decide to play a world cup tournament with non fifa affliated countries and we are excited just leave it like that for us. Dont know who died and made you the judge of what will be our source of joy.

Orkpekyandega:
I am not going to throw my support behind any of the African side at the World Cup.
I am praying for Jamaica to upset DR Congo.
If in case DR Congo scales through. I did be glad if they end up d!sgraced at the event. I ha'te nonsense. These African sides deserve no support from Nigeria.

Such daft and childish immature entitlement mentality. I get that the World Cup loss comes with emotions but some of y'all need to seriously grow up. Allow kids to throw tantrums.

They didn't make a lot of noise, played good football and won so why're you hating?

Nff

Non-stop Failure in Focus
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