₦airaland Forum

linked:
The 89 team is by considerable distance the best u20 team nigeria has presented for a tournament... They were a real functioning machine... They didnt win the cup anyway but got to the finals..
However, when we say potentials, the 2015 team takes it all on a player by player basis.. Infact that is why their showing was seen as a huge disappointment. The 2007 team of brown ideye, bala ezekiel et al reached the quarter-finals but it was clear they where running on full throttle and could not have provided anything more.. . The 2015 team ran on gear one when they were a six gear machine..

If you still cant fathom my analogy then..........

linked:
Yea. Remember they were at their peak at that time... And from my experience of the game, players usually peak between ages 25-28. No wonder none of them could manage top-flight football in the ensuing 10years post saudi-89...

linked:
Leave ICON4 jare...
At least the 89 team reached the finals and narrowly lost the finals... So we could say the were the best.. They played with real intensity too..

But he has failed to consider the evidences before him... The 89 team was a fluke.. Na ojoro team... However they still represents (in the records) the best u20 team nigeria has presented

Icon4s:
Dimeji Lawal, Nduka Ugbade and Mutiu Adepoju got to play for d then highly competitive Super Eagles (Westerhoff's era).

TheGoodJoe:
You make that 89 team look invincible but they were not. Their tournament results show it.

They won 2-1 against Saudi Arabia, lost 1-0 to Portugal, they drew 1-1 with the Czechs, played 4-4 with Russia and won on penalties, they won USA 2-1 and lost 2-0 to Portugal.

That is Three wins against Saudi Arabia, USA and Russia on penalties. One draw and Two losses. They were not all that as you make them.

TheGoodJoe:

Based on results, the Siasia 2005 team did far better.

Icon4s:
Dimeji Lawal, Nduka Ugbade and Mutiu Adepoju got to play for d then highly competitive Super Eagles (Westerhoff's era).

BascoVanVeli:
in some ways but we also have to acknowledge that Manu found him in the first place.

Icon4s:
That 2005 team u jst mentioned, i am sure u watched dem play. Be sincere were dey nt better dan d 2015?

TheGoodJoe:

We are talking guys that will become among the best of a generation, you are talking Super Eagles. Man watch Success hit gear, same with Simon Moses, Yahaya, Awoniyi and Co. If it is just Nations Cup triumph and World Cup impressive performance, I will be disappointed with these guys.

linked:
hahaha.... With how many cap?.. None played top-league football and none lasted 10 years post saudi-89

All of them na ojoro

TheGoodJoe:

One of the best in the EPL makes him definitely a world superstar. He will make a big move soon. If not the English criteria, he would have been a better buy for us than Raheem Sterling.

linked:
Your question is very funny... The 2005 team reached the finals, the 2015 team round of 16
Na question be that
What I am saying and I feel others in this thread are saying is that the 2015 team had on individual bases more talented players than previous teams and a huge reputation preceded them.

Maybe it is the word ''talent'' confusing you.... Talent is all potential.. It has to be put into good use... As earlier posited, the talents of the 2015 team wasn't harnessed. Therefore they did not reach their true potential in the tournament.
That is the fuss people are making about manu. HE simply wasted the huge talents he had at his disposal

Icon4s:
I know u quickly had to google search those results out. The fact remains u never saw them play. In dat grp game lose to Portugal we finished d game with 9 men as two of our players were red carded. It took a late goal for Portugal to win against our 9 men. The czechoslovakia dat we drew 1-1 against was a footballing power house in Europe then jst like Yugoslavia and d USSR.For the 4-4 draw against d USSR, have u ever heard of "The miracle of damam"? That game is available on youtube.The "miracle" was performed in dat match as we scored 4goals with 20minutes of d game left against an Oleg Salanko led USSR (does dat name ring a bell? If mayb not bt atleast peeps dat watched USA 94 world cup will know him).
In d semis against USA it took d "Head master's" header (Mutiu Adepoju) to beat d fantastic Kessy Keller hu was d USA goalie then.

We lost in d final to an excellent Portugues side led by Joao Pinto and Rui Costa.

Ask anybody dat watched the 89 lads play. That assemblage is only next to d 94 WC and 96 Olympic teams.

The 2015 U20 were brilliant. But dey were nt d best crop.

bigblangston:
so you are insinuating that bolasie is better than sterling or re you saying he would ve been a cheaper buy to bolasie? Anyways this is an U23 thread,I would love to indulge u in some arguments

Icon4s:
Those players i mentioned featured for d Super Eagles dat were ranked 5th in d world. And as at that time Nations cup and world cup performance were far more important that club success. The greatest achievement for any player then was to win d continental cup (whether in Europe or África) & pose a good world cup showing. The likes of Guilit, Platini, Maradona, Socretes, Romario etc were nt known bc of their club performances bt national team action.
So bros winning d Afcon and a good WC showing was a great deal to footballers then.

As for those players u jst mentioned, i remain coservative in their hyping cos i have seen even more promising young players dan those fissle-out without living up to their ratings.

Icon4s:
I get ur point bro. Those Boys are talented bt i also feel they are a little over hyped. To most peeps here they feel Manu kept his best legs on d bench.Which i dnt completely agree.

terzurum5:
[b][size=14pt]
Iheanacho thankful for Man City chance
[/size]
https://africanfootball.com/bp_images/2015/09/1ls56w9heybx91npki9v70msor.jpg
Iheanacho (right) celebrates his goal
Nigeria youngster Kelechi Iheanacho has said he is thankful for getting the chance to score his first senior goal for Manchester City in a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.
The best player at the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup said the goal was very important to his career and thanked the coach for the chance to play as he looks forward to great things with the club.
"It (the goal) means so much to me," said the 18-year-old forward.
"I am happy and very grateful, I thank the manager for introducing me.
"I will try to do my best always in training and in games, if I am introduced. I am hoping to do great for the team. It's not easy. We have great players here, but I have to keep working hard."
Iheanacho said he was commanded by the coach to go in and get the goal which he did.
"I said to myself, 'if I go in I will do what he asked me'. I scored a great goal so I am really happy," he revealed.
[/b]
africanfootball.com/news/567142/Iheanacho-thankful-for-Man-City-chance

bigblangston:
"Surrounded by by world super stars in Nasri, Yaya toure, YANNICK BOLASIE, Aguero, Bony, Navas, Kompany, etc"... Take it easy there 'tiger',bolasie mentioned in the same sentence as one of the world super stars just to support our boy kelechi is very ludicrous, I will prefer to use kelechi in my team that is on his way to rival those names u mentioned in stardom than bolsie(not taking anything away frm the lad though). Thumbs up to kelechi for his goal against crystal palace,it takes a lot of nerve for young lad to score in the epl even if the goal opportunity presented itself in form of a penalty but kelechi still needs to calm down and not let d goal he scored make him complacent, he still needs to be better than his previous game, I remember a certain 'messi' always willing to improve more unlik a Giovanni dos santos that could not manage his rising fame... Kelechi keep on improving because you are still not the finished article yet because as a nigerian like you I ve more to benefit from you even though we re not related. Keep up the good work you are "just" starting. Respect to sir icon for his well thought and developed analysis, I do come here to read your comments.. Goodjoe respect!!!

bigblangston:
"Surrounded by by world super stars in Nasri, Yaya toure, YANNICK BOLASIE, Aguero, Bony, Navas, Kompany, etc"... Take it easy there 'tiger',bolasie mentioned in the same sentence as one of the world super stars just to support our boy kelechi is very ludicrous, I will prefer to use kelechi in my team that is on his way to rival those names u mentioned in stardom than bolsie(not taking anything away frm the lad though). Thumbs up to kelechi for his goal against crystal palace,it takes a lot of nerve for young lad to score in the epl even if the goal opportunity presented itself in form of a penalty but kelechi still needs to calm down and not let d goal he scored make him complacent, he still needs to be better than his previous game, I remember a certain 'messi' always willing to improve more unlik a Giovanni dos santos that could not manage his rising fame... Kelechi keep on improving because you are still not the finished article yet because as a nigerian like you I ve more to benefit from you even though we re not related. Keep up the good work you are "just" starting. Respect to sir icon for his well thought and developed analysis, I do come here to read your comments.. Goodjoe respect!!!

safarigirl:
Sir Icon don too tey for football followership, na wetin make am dey argue like this . I no wan argue again, let's wait till these boys settle, that's when we'll know the true worth of an U20 Silver medal

Xzbit91:
yeah, but he messed up big time by suggesting he wasnt good enough for his yeye team

BascoVanVeli:
To tell you the truth the whole situation was a mess, we can't sit at home and blame Manu i for one will also stop because he went there against all odds and yes he made mistakes but the fact of the matter is if you watched that Brazil match u would see Iheanacho's team wasn't playing for him it was either take him out or risk crashing out, it was there for all to see for crying out loud the boy took one shot the whole tournament that is so obvious, they all can learn from the experience Nigeria has never won one single cup in a cold country now with this experience we can go to Russia.

I can promise you if Manu is given a chance next time with a much older and wiser Awoniyi and a much warmer atmosphere we stand a better chance. Manu also will learn because i can promise you he won't bench Awoniyi when he only shows up just for the world cup.

People make mistakes shoot presidents make mistakes so why can't Manu's be either forgiven or overlooked. Are we forgetting the super six or the ayc when we literally beat giants come on Manu is our best option still i watch our local league and its not even close in terms of tactics him and Siasia are in class all alone.

TheSuperNerd:
And Sir, nice shot at trying to take the shine off Nacho's strike. IT'S NOT GONNA WORK. The goal may have been presented akin to a penalty but it was his positional intelligence and movements within the box and between those defenders that fetched him that precious goal aiiiit. So let's move on...

BascoVanVeli:
To tell you the truth the whole situation was a mess, we can't sit at home and blame Manu i for one will also stop because he went there against all odds and yes he made mistakes but the fact of the matter is if you watched that Brazil match u would see Iheanacho's team wasn't playing for him it was either take him out or risk crashing out, it was there for all to see for crying out loud the boy took one shot the whole tournament that is so obvious, they all can learn from the experience Nigeria has never won one single cup in a cold country now with this experience we can go to Russia.

I can promise you if Manu is given a chance next time with a much older and wiser Awoniyi and a much warmer atmosphere we stand a better chance. Manu also will learn because i can promise you he won't bench Awoniyi when he only shows up just for the world cup.

People make mistakes shoot presidents make mistakes so why can't Manu's be either forgiven or overlooked. Are we forgetting the super six or the ayc when we literally beat giants come on Manu is our best option still i watch our local league and its not even close in terms of tactics him and Siasia are in class all alone.

TheSuperNerd:
Sir, take it or leave it but YANNICK BOLASIE is one of the Epl's best. Even Sky sports analysts agree on this.

And if you can expand your comments-reading to other writers here, then you will know that I don't write to make anyone pleased. I say it as it is no matter how "ludicrous" it may sound to people like you.

Obviously you think I'm overhyping Nacho, well wrong Sir..... It's just me being unafraid to state the obvious...."The brutal truth." (Even in the face of the probability of eating my words should Nacho fail? GOD FORBIDS! ! ! ! ! I know a lot of guys prefer the cautious and more conservative route when stating opinion but NOT ME! Especially when I know that I know that I'm sure of what I saying. It pays to be "this daring" with truth and faith most times, if not all the time).

Nacho is no where just yet but does that mean I shouldn't hold up the mirror to show him or anyone the limitless Gold that lie underneath??

And Sir, nice shot at trying to take the shine off Nacho's strike. IT'S NOT GONNA WORK. The goal may have been presented akin to a penalty but it was his positional intelligence and movements within the box and between those defenders that fetched him that precious goal aiiiit. So let's move on...

I may be young but I've seen enough to stand by my comments on Nacho and his outrageously daring potentials.

His dad reminds me of mine. They're both choleric perfectionists. They have a way of pushing you to understand that you can be the best at anything you set your mind on. They accept no excuses. But they want nothing more than to see their kids excel mightily.


Nacho understands everything you put down as advice and even more. He may be young but he's no baby when it comes to thinking big and putting in the work to keep getting better. This is a player that aspires to be crowned Fifa Ballon D'or winner someday. Like we aspiring to be great scientists and medical heroes, He knows what he must do. He knows the drill and God help him, he will not fail. His success will open up a new vista of opportunities for Young african soccer talents.

Yes, Nacho is super talented "but young". No doubt, he has a long way to go. I'm sure no one here thinks otherwise..... BUT LIKE I'VE ALWAYS SAID, "YOUNG OR NOT, DEVELOPING OR DEVELOPED, YOU CANNOT HIDE GREATNESS. When you see it, You just know....."

Kelechi has it in him to rule the world of soccer. That's the "GREATNESS" I see in the lad. ALSO, HE KNOWS WHAT HE MUST DO TO GET THERE. HONESTLY, HE DOESN'T NEED YOUR ADVICE TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH HE CAN STILL BECOME. HE KNOWS THIS OR HAVEN'T YOU READ ANY OF HIS INTERVIEWS BEFORE NOW?

So pls, stop trying to make it look like I'm hyping and you're advising. Try to go through all the posts here and from the u-20 thread to know my stance. If u still don't get Sir, then u just picked on the wrong guy..... Coz I'm innocent *smiles*


P.S: What fun will exist if we all have the same views. But I do my best to be as objective and yes
..... As brutally honest as I can be. And Sir, I'm no tiger *BIG SMILES*

TheGoodJoe:
It is funny some people say Nacho's goal was a penalty goal. Give me a minute to laugh. For those who did not notice it, when Nasri took the short, Nacho was behind the Palace defenders. It is unbelievable that before the defenders and Keeper could react, Nacho ran past them to slot in the goal.

That was unbelievable speed and brilliance. The goal keeper was close to him but he chipped the ball with the outside edge of his foot to knick the ball off the keeper. That was nothing but pure class.

bigblangston:
Goodjoe, d dude u quoted got my comment twisted,what I meant was it is not easy for an 18 year old lad to score in an epl game even if the opportunity to score a goal presents itself in form of a penalty kick... I wonder hw he got d idea of me tryin to take d shine off ihenacho's goal

bigblangston:
Lol!!! I really wish I can dissect your long epistle but time won't permit me to do just that starting frm d sky sport analysts lik dey re a demi-god of some sorts and they re opinions transcends we mortals in Nigeria, As kelechi ihenacho believes in himself to be a legend someday I also ve this believe dat I'm better than all dis analysts in skysports and the likes in d UK,I even have some points to back up my claims *stories for another time(SMILES)........ Anyways!! Most of what u wrote abt wat u think I'm sayin abt kelechi is a complete aberration of my intentions, anyways they are your views in which I respect anyways *SMILES*. Sir, sorry for calling u tiger my apologies!!! Bt d bottom line of everything is "We all want what is best for Kelechi". Sir, do ve a nice day *SMILES*... KI is still working on my advise (delusion of grandeur).......... *SMILES*