Icon4s:


One thing u guys may nt know is those runs Ambrose and Onazi make are the coaches instructions. You made a similar phrase like 'reckless runs' about Ambrose too.

That is where understanding and Team play comes into play. The DMF position is next to being very critical in the Team after the CB.

You saw how Mikel was placed just in front of Ambrose and Obaobona in the Egypt clashes. Why didn't Siasia play Azubuike in that role?

We all have our team set up philosophies. For me, when it comes to Forward roles, my choice of players hinges a lot on current "form and Game time.

As we move back to the DMF and CB positions I rely more on experience and less on recent game time.

Ambrose and Obaobona haven't been featuring much in their clubs of late, yet they were Siasia's preferred starting CB? Why didn't he invite Awaziem that has been featuring frequently for club of late?

However, I still know when to draw the line between selection based on club game time and experience. When a player stays away from active club action for too long then I may have to drop him.

Ogenyi Onazi may nt be playing regularly for his club of late bt he has nt lost steam.

Ogenyi Onazi is still Nigeria's best DMF.

If you go with Mikel-Azubuike partnership then Mikel should be the DMF and Azubuike the box to box midfielder. Which is still ok by me.
I jst need experience in that DMF position.

Icon4s:


NRIPRIEST, You think you've got the energy to argue with forgiveness? You better arm your self with "technical facts" else na knock-out u go receive.

forgiveness:


Really! But who em go displace for that list?

Maybe Etebor Ogehnekaro, Azubuike Okechukwu and Abdul Ajagun.

forgiveness:


To be candid, I want the best to represent our country hence my thorough assessment of players before clamouring for their invitation.

Now, let us look at the numbers of goals scored by all the forwards eligible for the Olympics and decide who should be selected. Remember, age no be anything.


Ezekiel Imoh - 3 goals - Anderlecht - Belgium
Moses Simon - 3 goals- Genk - Belgium
Isaac Success - 5 goals - Granada - Spain
Kayode Olanrewaju - 10 goals -Austrian Vienna - Austria
Chikatara - not available
Aaron Samuel - 7 goals - Guangzhou - China
Kelechi Iheanacho - 9 goals - Man city - England
Dominic Solanke - 7 goals - Vitesse - Netherlands
Sadiq Umar - 2 goals - Roma - Italy

Tell us who deserves to be selected?

forgiveness:


Solanke broke into the first team of England U17 but Chikatara never broke into any Nigeria age grade teams.

Solanke help England to win the European Under 17 tournament but Chikatara never won any age grade tournament.

Solanke was the highest goal scorer in the U17 European tournament but chikatara has come close to doing that for the age grade system.

Solanke was the winner and the highest goal scorer in the UEFA youth tournament with 12 goals but chikatara never had the experience to play in such competition.

Solanke had the experience of playing in the prestigious UEFA Champions League but chikatara never played in such competition even in the CAF level.

Solanke is playing in one the best leagues in the world but Chikatara is still praying to the Almighty God to grant him his request. I say AMEN.

Solanke has scored 7 league goals in a league know to be very technical and Tactical in football approach but chikatara has so far been overlooked by European clubs despite seeing him play for the second Super Eagles.

Awoniyi is battling to score goals in the second division of bundesliga while Osimhen is still been used as apprentice in his yet to be club.

TheGoodJoe:



Playing a striker off position can reduce the goal rate of a striker drastically. That is why I asked of Solanke played on the wings but he did not.

Musa hardly plays as a point man, so you can not expect the same goal scoring stats as in the NPFL.

Look at Lukaku at Chelsea. He hardly scored because he played on the wings. At Everton, he plays upfront as a hitman and he is a totally different player. One of the EPL best.

Forgiveness will not understand this your Ingilishi. The only laguage he understand is Dominic Solanke and Ajagun

Icon4s:


Same mistake he made against Egypt. We were 1-0 up rather than sealing the result with a more defensive change he was busy experimenting with like-for-like substitutions. He has nt learnt not to underrate opponents. He thought Egypt was dead and buried.

bigomoh:
I'd pick him over ajagun. Nothing wowing about him. In other news I was at Agege Stadium today to watch MFM v Rangers. Nwobodo put in a shift,nice silky player who I'd also pick over ajagun. And there's also one valbuena-esque player in the MFM side. His one touch-and-go passing is a joy to watch.

Orkpekyandega:
Chisom Chikatara scored 48 goals in 71 games, excludind the 4 he scored in CHAN.

CC: Forgiveness.

bigomoh:
I'd pick him over ajagun. Nothing wowing about him. In other news I was at Agege Stadium today to watch MFM v Rangers. Nwobodo put in a shift,nice silky player who I'd also pick over ajagun. And there's also one valbuena-esque player in the MFM side. His one touch-and-go passing is a joy to watch.

forgiveness:


Is there anything wowing about a player who failed test with Standard liege?

Is there anything wowing about a player who has been in Europe since 2012 but is still playing in the second divisions of France and Belgium?

Is there anything wowing about a player who was not deem fit to play in the ligue 1 after his team got promoted from ligue 2 but was instead loaned to a second division club in Belgium(not even first division)?

I am talking about Sadiq Popoola who i have followed since 2012 after 36 lions successful traded Ezekiel Imoh to Standard and tried to trade him but eventually failed.

Very funny you rated Azubuike Okechukwu and Etebor Ogehnekaro over Abdul Ajagun.

This is just Azubuike Okechukwu first season in a second division in Turkey while Etebor Ogehnekaro is still training with an Academy in Nigeria.

And you are comparing them with Ajagun who had played 2 and the half season in a club that had made statement in the UEFA Champions League and is still currently playing in a club than those you mentioned?

If sentiment is not attached for selection, i will not pick Azubuike Okechukwu, Etebor Ogehnekaro and Sadiq Popoola on my list based on technical facts.

Nwobodo? very funny.

I don watch Eyimba(NPL Champions) life and direct but i never see Ajagun mate.

NRIPRIEST:


Probably Onuwa,an attacking midfielder with MFM. Heard about his exploits.

bigomoh:
Being singled out for plaudits from a brazilian playing for barca says a lot. Nor be beans.how come no one has extended invitation to this your ajagun since he plays for a champions league playing side.


I've watched ajagun play wella, he's not better than etebo,azubuike or sodiq. You can be playing in a lesser league and be better than those in more established league, abi is not from a non league side that vardy came from before being the toast of the premiership?

forgiveness:



Invitation to where? National team or the age grade?

We have seen a player while playing for Barcelona fc never got invited into the Nigerian national team. So, that one no bi criteria to determine a good player.


Well, it is your opinion. If they are that good like Vardy, clubs will come for them. I have seen them all play but i can tell you that Ajagun is better.


Hehehe! Better players play in the best clubs in the world as long as you are visible to the eyes of scouts. Talent is never hidden.

bigomoh:
You and I know its easier for Vardy to get signed than an African, you'd have to work twice as hard as your european counterpart.

And let's not rule out the issue of late bloomers. Ajagun is good and playing at a better club that the rest guys mentioned but isnt it funny how he has never gotten a call up, the last time I heard of him was when we were ousted in the U20 Qfinals aeons ago . I wont be surprised if he doesn't make the final cut in the olympics squad, not that he merits it in the first place sef.

tbaba1234:
FC PORTO CHIDOZIE AWAZIEM CALM OVER NIGERIA NATIONAL TEAM INVITATION

FC Porto rising star Chidozie Awaziem says he is not worried about not being invited to the Nigeria national team as he is mainly focused on doing well for his Portuguese team.

“I’m not in a hurry as was the case with my rise at FC Porto at the right time I will be called up, am calm,very calm about my chances with the Nigeria national team” He told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“The coaches we have in the various National teams which am still eligible to play for are aware of my performances and have gotten assurances from my agent that I will be considered”.

The former El-Kanemi juniors of Jos youngster is also not giving up on his team chances of winning the league in Portugal this season despite their recent loss to relegation battlers Tondela.

“As long as mathematically we still have a chance I strongly believe we will lift the title by God grace, we just have to win our games and put the pressure on those ahead of us, it’s as simple as that”.

http://owngoalnigeria.com/2016/04/07/fc-porto-chidozie-awaziem-calm-over-nigeria-national-team-invitation/

forgiveness:
April 7, 2016 ↔

5 Reasons Why Siasia Should Stay As Super Eagles Coach


The Nigeria Football Federation have not hidden their intention to hire a foreign coach to take charge of the Super Eagles after the recent failure of the team to reach their targets.



Nigeria prosecuted the ill-fated 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with three coaches, and before Samson Siasia came on board on interim basis, the mantle was held by Sunday Oliseh whose promising start ended with a face-off between him and his employers.

As the NFF and the sports minister Solomom Dalung deliberate on the pros and cons of appointing a foreign coach, Completesportsnigeria.com’s IZUCHUKWU OKOSI examines why it will be in the best interest of the team to have Samson Siasia continue as the coach of the Super Eagles…

1. ATTITUDE OF FOREIGN COACHES

Most foreign coaches who work in Africa are mainly employed during crisis situations. The FA will go for them believing that their expertise and orientation will help steady a sinking ship.

However the foreign coaches tend to take the FA for granted. They give the impression that they are doing the country a favour. They mostly insist on living in their own countries, rather than the countries that employ them.

They usually work like visiting experts and do not spend enough time to monitor local talent.

A good example to cite in this instance is the face-off between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and former Chelsea manager, Avram Grant.

The Israeli had stayed away from Ghana longer than usual and had to be written by the GFA before finally accepting to relocate to Ghana from England.

2. FOREIGN COACHES ARE EXPENSIVE

Employing a foreign coach will be expensive.

And let’s face it, its not as if the NFF will hire the likes of Jose Mourinho, Giovanni Trappatoni, Diego Simeone, Michael Laudrup Guus Hiddink (who will leave Chelsea at the end of the season after the end of his interim stint in charge of the Blues), Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini who will leave the club at the end of the current season as Pep Guardiola arrives at the Etihad or even Christian Gourcuff who only on Sunday quit his job as the national team coach of Algeria and the other world class coaches presently available.

The Glass House will regretfully go for coach(es) who have not made any meaningful impact in world or African football in recent memory. And even these coaches will want to earn at least four times what Nigerian coaches earn.

It is instructive to note that the NFF have complained of lack of funds. Will they sustain that expensive luxury as the sports minister, Solomon Dalung, asked during a session he had with the NFF chieftains on Tuesday in Abuja? The answer is possibly not so encouraging.

3. SIASIA’S OLYMPICS DUTY
Samson Siasia has always performed well with youth teams.

The former Super Eagles striker will lead Nigeria’s U-23 national team to Rio in Brazil this August for the football event of the 2016 Olympics.

With the promise his team have always shown at youth tournaments coupled with the fact that the Super Eagles have players of an average age of 23, the future will indeed be bright as Nigeria will have players under Siasia who could play for at least another ten years.

Read Also: Musa: Mikel, Not Me, Deserves To Be Eagles Captain
The likes of Alex Iwobi, Isaac Success, Oghenekaro Etebo, Azubuike Okechukwu, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Kelechi Nwakali, Musa Yahaya and so on are expected to feature at the Olympics.

The likes of Victor Moses, Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa, Kenneth Omeruo could play as the over-aged players.

That transition from the U-23 team to the Super Eagles setup who will start the last round of qualifiers to the 2018 World Cup in October will only bode well for the team and Nigerian football in general.

4 DISCOVERY OF MORE HOME-GROWN TALENTS
Despite the bittersweet relationship between the Nigeria Football Federation and Stephen Keshi, one positive that cannot be taken away from the one-time Strasbourg of France libero is his desire to work with some few home grown talents.

The likes of Godfrey Oboabona (then Sunshine Stars), Ejike Uzoenyi (then Enugu Rangers) and Sunday Mba (then Warri Wolves) to name but a few are quality players in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) who have either won the Africa Cup of Nations or played at the FIFA World Cup as home-based players.

Agreed, when players in the Nigeria Professional Football League get lucrative deals abroad, their game could improve due to the world class facilities, coaches, teammates etc at their disposal, but conversely, there are some players in the local scene that have proven to have sheer talents and are hard workers than the over-pampered foreign exports.

A foreign coach for the Super Eagles may not be favourably disposed to travelling round Nigeria to watch NPFL games and unearthing the next gems especially as there are supposedly security threats in some parts of the country.

Such a coach will be more interested in monitoring players abroad than developing the game at the grassroots.

Samson Siasia is expected to follow the footsteps of the likes of Keshi and even Clemens Westerhof before him by handing opportunities to these talents back in the Nigerian league.

5. SIASIA WILL CONVINCE MORE NIGERIA-BORN STARS TO REPRESENT NIGERIA
Samson Siasia was keen to cap former Arsenal youngster Chuks Aneke but unfortunately he lost his Super Eagles coaching job after the failure to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Only recently Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi chose to represent the country of his birth, Nigeria, and not England.

A pattern here shows that Siasia loves giving opportunities to young talents. After all, if you are good enough, you are old enough.

The likes of Kenneth Otigba (Herenveen in the Dutch league), Moses Odubajo, Chuba Akpom (both Hull City) Dominic Iorfa jnr (Wolves), Dominic Solanke (Chelsea), Tosin Adarabioyo (Manchester City) could be the next youngsters to follow Alex Iwobi to the Super Eagles in the nearest future.

Samson Siasia will give chances to more young talents who could be in dilemma over which nation to represent.


http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/5-reasons-siasia-stay-super-eagles-coach/

Mr. Ajagun Forgiveness Dominic a. k a Mr. Technical Facks..

forgiveness:
In this case it was different. Sunday Oliseh met with Iwobi in England. I think same method should be applied to lure Nigerian players born abroad to play for Nigeria. Afterall, one no special pass others.