₦airaland Forum

goldfish80:
It will be a shame if home grown player's development is neglected while we focus solemnly on foreign born/based players.
Our football can't develop that way.
In just 2 weeks, a home based player can turn to a foreign based player and the minute he goes abroad, he is recognised. Such attitude wouldn't help anyone.

I remember Akpala getting a called up by Eguavoen to the Afcon 2006 squad the minute he signed for Standard Liege from Bendel Insurance. Its a shame to be honest.

goldfish80:
Which Chisom is 29?
Chisom was poached by Rangers from Ingas academy at just 19 in 2013.
You can do the maths to figure out his age.
Infact if you must know, his parents signed a consent form before when signed for Rangers.
When he made his debut, people were shocked how such a small boy was playing for Rangers. Chisom didn't add a day to his age. You just have to belive me.

komekn:
You are narrowing your talent pool to just two players.

Big clubs have big money and very very little patience success is needed now not tomorrow. If you cannot produce the trophies required you are out. Guardiola needs immediate success he has no loyalty to any player he has one loyalty and that is SUCCESS at all costs.

For the first time in his managerial career he is not in 1 or 2 horse race. Kelechi is not a world class striker to produce the results he needs, he may indeed become but right now it's going to be tough for him.

joseph1013:
Tell his people to update his profile then. I got this online

komekn:
I do agree with you, it should be a level playing field.

However, the assumption that someone playing in a higher league and club is of better quality and experience can not be ignored. But should not be the final and only requirement.

joseph1013:
I agree that I am narrowing it down to two players...and that's because Rohr seems to like Victor, while we know Kelechi already. Anyway, I believe there is still a lot of water that will pass through the bridge.

Icon4s:
You must always remember that Iheanacho is a second choice striker to Aguero.

You mentioned in your last paragraph that he is not the finished article, which is what I have been saying since last year and almost got my head chopped off for it.

Even when Aguero is injured Pep still did not have this high level of confidence on the boy. Pep knows Iheanacho more than even the most fanatic Iheanacho fan here. Pep knows the ability of every single player in the squad. He knows when and when not to play each player. The nature of the opposing defense also plays a part here. When Aguero is injured, he may chose to play De' Bruyne, Nolito or Iheanacho depending on the tactics he wants to adopt to unlock the opposing defense. I am sure you know by now that if Iheanacho plays as CF the best way of stopping him is to cut-off the ball supplies to him. You isolate him from the midfielders.

I laugh when I see comments like "Pep purposefully played Navas with Iheanacho so he won't attain his full game level. Why didn't he start Silva with Iheanacho?". Do you think Pep would want to put 3 vital points at stake just bc he is trying disarm Iheanacho? At this critical stage when every win is vital for the title race?

Iheanacho should not go on any loan spell in my Opinion. He should stay at City and fight for his place in the starting line-up. That competition would make himbetter. Besides, age is not on Aguero's side any more. This and maybe next season may jst mark his "crescendo". Iheanacho may just have a fantastic future ahead of him at City.

komekn:
Goldfish80,

This is a deep problem that in some regards goes deeper than just football.

I have my doubts about a lot if these so called minor European Leagues, Slovakia, Estonia, Finland, etc are they better than our local league

Maybe more organised and structured yes but with regard to player quality I have my doubts. And we play too much emphasis on age, remember a 18 year old player who played for Nigeria who was at PSG he simply didn't go anywhere after that.

Okonowo please correct me if I'm wrong played for Barcelona at right back even captained the youth team. But I don't how he got to Barcelona but he was far from quality.

Until we stop looking at vested interests which unfortunately a lot of our coaches have been doing. And consider strict ability, potential and performance this problem will not go away.

Understand it is not unique to Nigeria it's across a very corrupted football world even England.

goldfish80:
I looked up on the website nigeriafootball.com and it's empty. Not a credible website to use as a citation.

komekn:
Rohr has been an excellent coach so far.

However, limiting your pool of talent to leagues with one of the smallest talent pools of Nigerians is not wisdom. in reality, it shouldn't be his job alone the NFF should be taking the lead on this.

I reiterate the English leagues have the largest pool of Nigerian players outside Nigeria. There is almost no premiership team you will not find at least one Nigerian player in most cases it's a over 5 from age 16 up.

goldfish80:
Truth is that NPFL is growing in leap and bound under Shehu Dikko. The man has been incredibly good in what he has done with the Npfl through the LMC.
It's surprising to find a Nigerian football administrator so good on his job. I can tell you authoritatively that some European leagues aren't better organised than NPFL.
All those Bosnia, Croatia, Romania Finland, Azerbaijan etc are below the quality of the Npfl.

Some of these countries aren't even football countries. In Finland, they would rather watch Tampa Bay play against the New York cardinals in ice hockey than watch champions league final between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Chisom Egbuchulam should be mentioned within the bracket of the next big thing in Nigerian football. Obviously his recognition as the Nigerian footballer of the year is commendable.
But further steps should be taken to project him to Europe, especially Spain since the LMC and Liga have a working relationship. I belive their contract should cover for player exchange between the 2 leagues.

joseph1013:
He said English football. I took it to mean from EPL to League 2, may be further, since he seem quite vast in the lower divisions.

goldfish80:
Your last sentence sums up my point.

Look how Osimhen is being talked up and already having his super eagles shirt already lying in wait for him before he kicks a ball in his Pro career.
Chisom Egbuchulam on the other who as I type this second is better than Osimhen and not even being discussed.
Nobody wants to hear about him because he's home based.

Am sure most people don't know Chisom Egbuchulam is the Nigerian footballer of the year. He won the award ahead of Iheanacho, Mikel and Osimhen.

If there's a role reversal and Chisom was playing for Wolfsburg while Osimhen was playing for Rangers, will People talk about Osimhen starting ahead of Chisom?
Food for thought.

BascoVanVeli:
I love Chisom but without Obinna Rangers would be a middle of the pack team. What the NPFL is missing is promotion of foriegn players. A league is more credible with top foriegn players. Look at South Africa with Billiard, he brings so much to that league, fans from his country must watch all his matches. I was disappointed when the NPFL allstar team didn't have a single foriegner. Nigeria should be the place where the top unproven African talent come to get credibility. If we make the ones we have now feel special more will come. Just like Dauda the Ghanian keeper who came after Nana Bonsu won the league.

goldfish80:
Obinna is mercurial. I was the one who always talked up Obinna in this thread, am as fanatic as TheGoodJoe is with Guardiola when it comes to Obinna.
But I will have to be honest with you. Rangers rode on the back of chisom to win that league.
The way he made mincemeat of the hard man defenders in the Npfl is such a behold to watch.
Sometimes you cannot help but pity defenders who come up against Chisom. He is capable of making nonsense out of an entire defence.

Even from set pieces, he's very deadly. Watch his free kick goal against Abia warriors and Heartland I think.

Obinna is like Iniesta while Chisom is the Messi. That's just how it is.

BascoVanVeli:
No no no Obinna is more their Messi. Their best moments always had his stamp. He scored some of the best goals last year.

Mickael2:
funny enough you all are ignoring the busquets if the team, So who is the bouquets?

And Xavi and Neymar and Suarez.

Mickael2:
funny enough you all are ignoring the busquets if the team, So who is the bouquets?

joseph1013:
And Xavi and Neymar and Suarez.

komekn:

I hope we aren't getting to carried away with foreign born players to the detriment of home grown lads. It will be a shame if that's the case.

Goldfish80, I am not sure why it will be a shame?

So if you are born or grow up outside Nigeria you are less Nigerian. The diaspora dynamics are a major factor of Nigerian life in every area that cannot be ignored. There is talk if us exercising our right to vote in Nigeria right here in the UK.

Talent is talent whether in Obalende or Peckham all deh chop pounded yam.

safarigirl:
I don't think he meant that.

Foreign born players have a higher advantage of having proper football careers than Nigerian born players.

Those guys have better facilities to learn and most importantly, they have the exposure over there. The only thing homegrown players have is the national team as far as exposure goes.

.

So, if we had a quota system, it would be more ideal to have a 70-30 quota in favour of homegrown players than a 50-50 or 30-70

komekn:
Icon4s

Awoniyi has played 13 games for FSV Bundesliga 3 side and scored 1 goal, 10 games for a mid table Eredivisie side and scored 1 goal. Two goals in 23 games is simply not good enough for now.

That is not the type of form that will get him into the conference, 5th tier of English football. And certainly not the type of form that should even allow him to be considered for the National team talk less of being called up.

Someone did mention that these youngster have potential yet to be realised. Until they start playing for thier respective club sides or any other club for that matter. They shouldn't even be considered.

I mentioned Tega third highest goal scorer in the championship a much tougher league. He by comparism should be on the radar of NFF a better prospect than Ibe who will not and does not want to play for Nigeria.

safarigirl:
I don't think he meant that.

Foreign born players have a higher advantage of having proper football careers than Nigerian born players.

Those guys have better facilities to learn and most importantly, they have the exposure over there. The only thing homegrown players have is the national team as far as exposure goes.

So, if we had a quota system, it would be more ideal to have a 70-30 quota in favour of homegrown players than a 50-50 or 30-70

komekn:
THE REALITY IS VERY DIFFERENT.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Yes far better facilities and to some degree training depending on the club.

But they face huge amounts of corruption and racism on account of being black. As a black player you get in because you are considerably better not as good as.

Antonio West Ham and Bolasie Everton are the most exciting and skillful English players in the premiership arguably. Had to play non league after rejection upon rejection before making it, why

These boys face huge challenges and the least of those challenges is your football ability. Everyone is looking to meet thier own agenda which is essentially financial not what's best for the club.

Consider Pogba why was he let go for nothing barely three years ago and now most expensive player in the world.

I could talk on this subject for days. EXPOSURE Hmmmmm it's a fallacy if you are really good technical, fast and strong. You will be blocked from being seen because you are about to make a £10 million player look ordinary. They will simply not allow that to happen unless thier is money to be made on your head. Otherwise gates are closed.

komekn:
THE REALITY IS VERY DIFFERENT.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Yes far better facilities and to some degree training depending on the club.

But they face huge amounts of corruption and racism on account of being black. As a black player you get in because you are considerably better not as good as.

Antonio West Ham and Bolasie Everton are the most exciting and skillful English players in the premiership arguably. Had to play non league after rejection upon rejection before making it, why

These boys face huge challenges and the least of those challenges is your football ability. Everyone is looking to meet thier own agenda which is essentially financial not what's best for the club.

Consider Pogba why was he let go for nothing barely three years ago and now most expensive player in the world.

I could talk on this subject for days. EXPOSURE Hmmmmm it's a fallacy if you are really good technical, fast and strong. You will be blocked from being seen because you are about to make a £10 million player look ordinary. They will simply not allow that to happen unless thier is money to be made on your head. Otherwise gates are closed.

BascoVanVeli:
I think Nigeria should move away from quota systems. We should always strive to select the best. A quota system will always lead to unjust selections.

BascoVanVeli:
I read that Antonio's mom stopped him from going to the tottenham. Players get overlooked for various reasons, it doesn't always have to be about racism. Football is changing, it's all about the bottom line which is winning and having a share of the massive pie. Coaches know they have to select their best because no job is safe in football.

Icon4s:
He was played as a winger. So to judge with goals ratio against strikers is not fair.

Success talent-wise IMHO is up there with the likes of Iheanacho and Iwobi. He has just been so unfortunate with injuries.