₦airaland Forum

Alex Iwobi during the Pre match press conference

"For me, I feel like the difference [at this AFCON 2025] is the family environment…. There’s unity.... The coach has brought that out in us.” - Iwobi, speaking ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final game against Morocco

Goke7:
😂 his job is gone once he loses tomorrow dem no go allow am go World Cup sef

On that...

“Every coach knows he must be prepared for the sack [if he doesn’t win]. But I don’t think about that… I’m not afraid [of being sacked].” - Morocco head coach Walid Regragui, being asked about whether he will still be in a job, should he lose the AFCON 2025 semi-final to Nigeria’s SuperEagles on Wednesday.

TheSuperNerd:
On that...

“Every coach knows he must be prepared for the sack [if he doesn’t win]. But I don’t think about that… I’m not afraid [of being sacked].” - Morocco head coach Walid Regragui, being asked about whether he will still be in a job, should he lose the AFCON 2025 semi-final to Nigeria’s SuperEagles on Wednesday.

wow be like e don sign up!

Osayi Samuel
Bruno Onyemaechi
Semi Ajayi
Calvin Bassey
God abeg. you see these players, pls send holyspirit to always help us handcuff their hands behind their backs whenever an attack is coming in our box 18…that thing we saw against Algeria will be awarded as a penalty to morocco oo…even if the ref knows its not a penalty

Tomorrow is the day 🎶
Tomorrow is the day that the lord has made that the lord has made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
I'll be glad in it 🎶
Afobear sing with me now 🎶🎶

ThunderFireAgba:

Tomorrow is the day 🎶
Tomorrow is the day that the lord has made that the lord has made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
I'll be glad in it 🎶
Afobear sing with me now 🎶🎶

😂what is this

TheSuperNerd:
Match Officials for the Semis is here:

Ghanaian Ref for Nigeria vs Morocco... SA Ref for VAR


Modified: He was the VAR Ref for the Morocco v Cameroon Quarters tie.

The SA VAR Ref was referee for Mali vs Senegal, DRC v Benin & Mali v Tunisia.

At least it's not Dahene. Let's see

Odunayaw:
😂what is this

I hope you will go inside bunker after tomorrow?

The Atlas Lions have tallied nine goals, with Brahim Díaz accounting for five of them, highlighting their heavy reliance on the Real Madrid forward.

"If you rely on one player compared to Nigeria, that’s the difference.

Brazil vs Germany World Cup semi finals….

A repeat in Rabat by 8pm…

This is my personal feeling.

Clint02:
Nothing to be scared of. We'll still beat them.

Outside this thread, I start panicking but once I come here, the faith of my brothers gives me assurance.

Point is that whether we win or lose, it's best to approach the game with faith.

semid4lyfe:
I prefer Chelle switch the personnel. Onyeka should play Ndidi's role. Onyedika should play Onyeka's former role.

Onyedika does not have the lungs to play Frank's role. He's not called the Tank for nothing.

TheSuperNerd:
Firstly I need us to understand that Onyeka performs 2 major functions in our setup. He is the other half of the double pivot (pairing with the main CDM) and also the RCM when the diamond shape shifts a little forward with him (Onyeka) and Iwobi occuping the right and left halfspaces respectively.
His boundless energy and ability to roam and cover ground more and even faster makes him suited to double-pivot and also function as the RCM.

Now, Onyedika came in vs Algeria replacing Ndidi and immediately slotted into that Central DM position. This already reveals Chelle's idea.

Can Onyedika be switched for Onyeka? Maybe. He did perform something similar to the man Simon replaced, venturing between RCM and CDM but was majorly found occuping the central space in front of our defence. He stayed disciplined positionally. Iwobi was also still in play but staying a bit more central too as Simon on the left was present.

Ndidi hardly ventured away from his central role as the main CDM vs Algeria. This is what Chelle sees in Onyedika. A like for like who will sit and be tactically sound enough to stay positionally disciplined.

So the first point on why I believe Chelle will not swap their roles is Onyeka has the propensity to roam and want to be everywhere at once and that can see him leave position if deployed as the main CDM. This first point is tactical positional discipline. Ndidi and Onyedika are more positionally disciplined centrally, in front of the defence than Onyeka.


Another point is the buildups. The 1st phase of posesssion buildup initiation. Ndidi, under Chelle grew and morphed into the sort of CDM that can receive from the back and distribute to either Iwobi leftwards or to the flank on the right. Onyedika is even far more comfortable receiving from the back even on the half turn under pressure (saw it vs Algeria) and distributing.

Onyeka does not seem the kinda profile who executes the Ndidi role like Onyedika.

So the question is this... will you still swap them? Will you sacrifice Onyeka's energy to roam and combine double pivoting with RCMing just to push a 1st phase initiator away from the role where 1st phase initiation takes place?

I know it's not by writing think pieces but you have very fine ability to read the game.

Be like I will adopt you as my new client oo.

Toylove:
Abeg Wetin Argentina defenses Dey do for that 3rd goal 🤣😭

False offside trap

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Mujtahida:
Outside this thread, I start panicking but once I come here, the faith of my brothers gives me assurance.

Point is that whether we win or lose, it's best to approach the game with faith.

shaky shaky Daddy!

semid4lyfe:
Akor Adams has been a revelation in this AFCON. Who here remembers when I tagged him our best striker in France when he was still playing for Montpellier, despite Terem Moffi outscoring him?

Philosopher1979, AlhajiDanladi and SamueItem337, you guys were in that conversation and tackled me.







To which I replied as below



And I was always yearning for his call-up even then.

Shey una don see am say my assessment aged well? No be say I dey brag but for an ex-aspiring amateur footballer, ex-assistant youth club coach, and avid fan of the game like myself. the eye test is the primary assessment tool and is enough. Data is secondary. I sabi good player when I see one.

Whats happening na. All of you on this thread are displaying astute football management abilities - from coaching, to match reading to scouting.

Please you guys should stop going through the corners. If you also want to be my client, just come direct. We have to harness this skills and forge it into a tool for national development.

Mujtahida:
I know it's not by writing think pieces but you have very fine ability to read the game.

Be like I will adopt you as my new client oo.

TheSuperNerd is an A1 poster.

Goke7:
shaky shaky Daddy!

Baba, you know those days we used to watch Willie Willie. It's better you watch it with your playmates than make you dey play alone when the program start.

I prefer to stay here oo. Outside cold

Dannyxy:
Brazil vs Germany World Cup semi finals….

A repeat in Rabat by 8pm…

This is my personal feeling.

(Whispering Conspiratorially)

"You and i have the exact same thought.No loud am"

TheSuperNerd:
I dont know if anyone here has watched this Osimhen clip (caught it as a Youtube "Short" clip).

Victor Osimhen Post-AlgeriaGame ahead of Morocco Semis.

Listen to his reference to one of Chelle's thoughts again:
📽🎥https://youtube.com/shorts/qUToeTc8fX0?si=2nZx9mNjoPyxKCaj



Meanwhile.... ahead of Wednesday's Giants Battle. I stumbled on this via Amazon Prime Video Sport. It is nostalgic but it captures one thing: "Nigeria's Mental Might before a Big Game"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L5qu45hZBk?si=GN5MtHBfoWVQDvR_

I watched this yesterday and I felt proud of our football heritage. In recent years we have seen attempts to put down this feat as a mere fifa age grade competition. But those of us who lived through this victory, will forever cherish it as it marked a glorious watershed in Nigerian football. The dream team fulfilled what the Damman miracle stopped short of achieving.

Two things stood out for me while watching the clip:

Bonfrere rightfully read Argentina's game, breaking down how they score their goals and informed Taribo to be on guard yet they scored us just the way Bonfrere had anticipated.

Secondly, every team needs a character like the bull. Strong, mobile, determined.

Luck or grace. That team had luck. It was as if they were destined to win it.

Mujtahida:
Baba, you know those days we used to watch Willie Willie. It's better you watch it with your playmates than make you dey play alone when the program start.

I prefer to stay here oo. Outside cold

before Willie Willie himself go show for your parlour omo make person no lose guard!

TheSuperNerd:
On that...

“Every coach knows he must be prepared for the sack [if he doesn’t win]. But I don’t think about that… I’m not afraid [of being sacked].” - Morocco head coach Walid Regragui, being asked about whether he will still be in a job, should he lose the AFCON 2025 semi-final to Nigeria’s SuperEagles on Wednesday.

this statement is a statement of fear ... i told you guys that the Era is back .... you want play super Eagles you no fear ... who born you ?

Sarsaparilla524:
The Tunisia🇹🇳 FA is set to meet with Coach Eric Chelle's representative and is willing to offer him around $100,000 a month to replace their coach, who was sacked after suffering a 3-2 loss to the Eric Chelle-led Super Eagles🇳🇬 and exiting AFCON 2025 following a defeat on penalties to 10-man Mali.🇲🇱

Tunisia is actively searching for a manager to lead them to the 2026 World Cup. The federation will officially contact Chelle's representatives after the ongoing AFCON.

Via: 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐒

See ehn, it's not about having him as a coach, do they have the proliferation of talents that we have? Nigeria is a coach's wet dream. The only draw back is our lack of organization and financial muscle.

The feat Chelle is achieving cannot be divorced from the quality of our players.

lexyman:
thank you ... you said Manchester city coach ...Coaches like Guardiola, Mourinho, Zidane, Ancelotti, and others at that level can make statements like that—and be taken seriously.

Why? Because their ideas are backed by measurable success: trophies, tactical evolution, and consistent results at the highest level.

Not a coach like Finidi.

Without tangible achievements to support such claims, saying “formation doesn’t matter” is simply too heavy. Formation may not be everything, but dismissing it requires authority earned through success.

In football, credibility comes from what you’ve done, not just what you say.

That statement carries weight only when it comes from those who have proven they understand the game at its highest level.
please understand my point , maybe i am too Old Skool

I understand what you are saying and I agree with you. In my profession, we usually cite previous cases (we call it authority) when making our case in court.

Sometimes a senior advocate argues his case in court without citing an authority and yet sway the court.

But you wey just comot for law school will now see that and start saying citing authority is not important. Oya naww. You go learn

owbabs:
What if Eric Chelle leaves for Tunisia after AFCON and then the FIFA verdict favors Nigeria over Congo?

That's where my client comes in.

Mujtahida:
See ehn, it's not about having him as a coach, do they have the proliferation of talents that we have? Nigeria is a coach's wet dream. The only draw back is our lack of organization and financial muscle.

The feat Chelle is achieving cannot be divorced from the quality of our players.

No coach will easily pass over an opportunity to go to the World Cup with a team o. If the Tunisia offer is real, talent or not Chelle will jump on it. Appearance at the World Cup as a coach is a huge profile booster

Goke7:
Angola with mabululu and SA were smoking hot in the last Afcon but for Lookman and osihmen we won’t have trumped over those teams o!

Make this team win Afcon first before we crucify paseiro finally! I still think paseiro did best with the materials at his disposal.

.

..but jpes was narrow minded or can I say lazy.

TheGoodJoe:
Samson Siasia takes over. He deserves it.

Taaaaa, when my client is there?

Goke7:
No coach will easily pass over an opportunity to go to the World Cup with a team o. If the Tunisia offer is real, talent or not Chelle will jump on it. Appearance at the World Cup as a coach is a huge profile booster

Many coaches have gone to the world cup, where them dey? He takes Tunisia, they get spanked first round, his CV takes a dent.

Meanwhile FIFA rules in our favor, my client takes naija to semi finals and boy, his pedigree rises astronomically.

AndSunGorilla:
Abeg what time is our game on Saturday?

God forbid abeg. Our next match will be on sunday

Mujtahida:
Many coaches have gone to the world cup, where them dey? He takes Tunisia, they get spanked first round, his CV takes a dent.

Meanwhile FIFA rules in our favor, my client takes naija to semi finals and boy, his pedigree rises astronomically.

Unless we Dey go that World Cup true true any other country going to the World Cup that approach Chelle will snap him up forget first round spanking is it your spanking? 😂 Una Dey pay 50k then you want him to turn down 100k, as how na? If you’re his lawyer I trust na you go run am sharp sharp. No form holy holy here o delaw money for hand back for ground 😂

semid4lyfe:
I prefer Chelle switch the personnel. Onyeka should play Ndidi's role. Onyedika should play Onyeka's former role.

Wow, very insigniful.
When concerns are on the DM role, I believe the preferential order should be Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Tochukwu Nnadi and Raphael Onyedika.

Raphael Onyedika is skillful.
I feel Onyedika is not utilised fully to his potential being featured as a DM.
He has the best passing technique in the entire fold and sprays the ball like a genuine central midfielder.

Raphael Onyedika's understanding of spaces both for offensive and defensive exploitation is remarkable, the CM role is good for him.