Joebie:
na Onyekuru vs Simon come make sense..
we just digged out something from nowhere.. I think this is one of the most enlightening, fact-finding argument we have ever had especially as regards the limitations.. you agree with me TheGoodJoe ?

TheGoodJoe:


Better.

As I keep saying, coaches have their context of selection and I respect that. I will use Gabriel Jesus and Iheanacho (I beg do not vex for reference points).

I see Gabby miss some goals and I shake my head with a smirk. Jeez, Nacho will not miss that.

However, other attributes of Gabby makes Pep prefer him. As long as Pep is true to himself, I respect that.

In the case of Owubokiri, Siasia and co. might have other qualities that the coaching crew preferred.

Just pointing out you should not write him off as lesser quality.

TheGoodJoe:


It was entertaining, brain racking, I did lots of thinking. Also helped me do some recollection.

libero808 was also very brilliant in bringing out points. I agree with you 100%.

Goke7:

your personal opinion!

Goke7:


we are doing an x-ray on our previous world cup performances, some folks believe yekini[of blessed memory] was not at his best in 1994 world cup and okocha was busy entertaining the world in 98 instead of playing for the team, were they not at their prime then. we all love these players and what they've done for our nation but at the world cup stage where it matters most, they were simply not at their very best. No sentiments here

Icon4s:


There was no way Owubokiri would have displaced any of our strikers then.

Even the highly fancied Efan Ekoku could not.


Go and dig up another Monday Sinclair's boys again. I dey wait you.

You have not mentioned Emmanuel Ebiede.

Joebie:
She dug it out from wikipedia. But I wasn't convinced entirely. You know I don't consider that site credible when it comes to professional references.

TheGoodJoe:


That is my man. Emmanuel Ebiede aka the waistbreaker. Sinclair. He did a good work with that guy. Pure genius. I am a fan of his for life.

Sad he never got the chance to play for the Super Eagles. Does not take away his genius.

PROVERBZ:
Finished watching ighalo highlights wat a player his trade mark of dragging the ball in a semi circle after he attempts a fake shot is just great


The defenders don't know what'd coming

TheGoodJoe:
Former Super Eagles coach, Monday Sinclair watched a good number of matches in the just-concluded 2012/13 Nigeria Professional Football League season (NPFL) and he has passed a damning verdict on the quality of football on display in the Nigerian top flight.

Sinclair is shocked at the “poor standard of football displayed by Premier League clubs” and believes footballers on the books of the 20 top flight clubs need to “be educated.”

“I watched many games this season. I was shocked at poor standard of football displayed by Premier League clubs. You see a player with the ball and his teammates failing to spread out for a pass. They instead run towards the opponents. It’s shocking. Our players need education,” Sinclair told supersport.com.

The veteran trainer also discussed the issue of coaching insisting that the country’s new generation coaches must step up their game and “acquire keen observational skills, diagnostic abilities and judgmental capacities.”

“The coaches must acquire keen observational skills, diagnostic abilities and judgmental capacities.

“I have discussed with fellow veteran coaches and we are willing to assist the coaches in this regard.

“We are ready to tour the country, visit clubs and impart our ideas to them,” he said.

Statement coach Sinclair made five years ago. I do not think the NFF took such stride. I hope the LMC still taps from the wealth of Coach Sinclair's knowledge.


He is credited to have discovered players like Richard Owubokiri, Benjy Nziakor, Peter Rufai, Finidi George, Taribo West, Emmanuel “waist-breaker” Ebiede (Inikior), Davidson Owumi, Idah Peterside, Binebi Numa, Imama Amapakabo and many others.

Iconic footballers like Jossy Dombraye, Gordon Idango, John Appollo, Hamilton Green, Torty O. Torty, Raymond Kwakopon, Bennett Okuru, Rowland Orufe, Benjamin Nzeako and the legendary Adokiye “CJ” Amiesimaka all played under the great him.

cc: Mujtahida

Icon4s:


'The chance'

He should have displaced Okocha or Oruma in the France 98 squad abi?

Danycrusoe:


thanks for recommending that site. I have checked it out and it looks like one I'll enjoy thanks alot

TheGoodJoe:


Just wanted to point out that the Super Eagles were not performing in 1997, struggling to get results and I think we lost 1-0 to Kenya. This led to the NFF deciding to disengage coach Phillipe Troussierre.

Coach Monday Sinclair replaced him and when he coached us in the last leg of the qualifiers against Kenya, we looked a different team, playing brilliant football and thrashed Kenya 3-0.

I think Coach Monday Sinclair should have been given the chance but the NFF was not going to risk going with a home based coach to the World Cup. That is what led to the employment of Coach Bora Milutinovic.

kingphilip:
both of them are around now

so our thinking might not be right afterall

Mujtahida:

I thought Troussiere took us through the whole qualifiers ooo. I'd research based on what you just said. Thank you

Joebie:
oga feel free to say what you have to say.. I don't have anything to argue.. just come clear lol

Mickael2:


I talk anything

Mickael2:



Me sha, not yet convinced. He come call am 'Sir', despite the clear indications say na 'Ma', I no know if you grab the idea

PROVERBZ:
Finished watching ighalo highlights wat a player his trade mark of dragging the ball in a semi circle after he attempts a fake shot is just great


The defenders don't know what'd coming

libero808:
My King!
What are you thinking?

Icon4s:


Lack of concentration, ignorance of FIFA rules and acts of indiscipline off the pitch by players. Goke7 please add these to the compilation. Thanks bro for the write up. Expecting more.

forgiveness:



How can Yekini not be at his best when players ganged up against him?

What could Okocha had done in 98 when the rest where fatigued during the match against Denmark?

Okocha was the only player that carried the match for head like gala though he looked for suitors with his display. Nevertheless, the rest were not in that game and the coach messed up with the submissions .

If he had brought in Tijani earlier we for don do something.

Icon4s:


As if some players are free from criticism.

When Musa went to Leicester and couldn't fit in: 'It is Musa that is not good'. 'Musa has been found out'.

Now Iheanacho has gone there and could not fit in they are looking for his agent and Leicester style to blame. Some blamed Shakespeare and even celebrated his sack as though it will bring better fortunes to Iheanacho.

Chidi Nwakali could not play a single game all season at Diportivo and it was blamed on Racism. Kayode has gone there and is already winning MOTM. The club has suddenly changed from being racist.

Goke7:
Some lessons so far on our failed world cup attempts from responses so far include

1. Stick to the coach that qualifies you for the world cup cos you you need that strong bond between the coach and the players who have been working tirelessly together.
2. Do not discard half or majority of the players that qualified you for the world cup as it affects team spirit and you end up with players in the world cup who are strange bed fellows. Case in point keshi despite qualifying for the world cup and going to the world cup ended up with players who were not really used to each other. This may be the reason Mikel rejected the inclusion of ramon azeez [though unprofessional of mikel] in the game against France.
3. Go with at least 90% of your players who qualified you for the world cup. case in point USA 94 team. If you must bring in new players, very very few however there seems to be strong cases for the inclusion of Kayode Olanrewaju, Henry Onyekwuru and Sone aluko to the team. They are not strangers to the Eagles as they have been invited before.
4. Nff need to sort out issues of bonus and players welfare on time. I heard before the end of this year, Nff will meet with the players to tell them how much they will earn during the world cup next year. Good one I must say.
5. Quality warm up games for the team, perhaps warm up games against Germany and Yugoslavia brought out the best of Nigeria against Spain in France 98.
6. We must check over confidence from the players, case in point is one of the reasons we lost the Denmark game in 1998 as the players were already thinking about brazil when they haven't finished with Denmark
7. We must check players who tend to be selfish in the game, result against argentina in the 2010 world cup would have been different if the likes of martins were not selfish in their play. Okocha was another culprit in past world cups. Victor Moses need to be checked on this. Players in better position must be given the ball for clinical finishes in front of goal like we saw against zambia with Iwobi's goal. This could decide games.
8. Team selection must be based on those who are hungry for the team success and not those who just want to appear as some big players have failed to turn up on the big occasions, e.g. Yekini of blessed memory and Okocha.
9. Good mix of youthful and experienced players. One of the reasons we failed in the 2002 world cup was the way we discarded experienced players who were still in form and hungry. Thank God Rohr had admitted that it was the mix of young and experienced players that achieved qualification. So those who feel the likes of Mikel, musa, onazi, echiejile even omeruo are not relevant may need to have a rethink. One advantage of the crop of young players we have now like iwobi, iheanacho, ekong and co is that by the next world cup, they will be very experienced players.
10. Updated FIFA rules must be understood by players and coaches to avoid naive situations. Reason we even failed to qualify in 2006 as we knew nothing about head to head rule. Players also need to be warned about inscriptions on their inner wears as they risk unnecessary yellow cards like we saw in the match against Cameroon involving Ighalo
11. The technical bench assisting the coach need to have a good balance of competent and experienced hands that will complement the coach technically. e.g. in 2014 world cup the technical team that won the afcon in 2013 was overhauled without coach kehsi's consent which in turn affected the balance of the team from what we saw in afcon earlier.
12. Discipline on and off the pitch must be maintained by coach and players. This cost us in the 2010 world cup where kaita was sent off and the indiscipline rows among players that happened in both 1994 and 1998 world cups

Joebie:
Good job. My suggestion, ss regards number 3, there is no need mentioning names as two players of those three are known to Rohr and IMO are in the Super Eagles set-up. If we must mention names, let it be players Rohr has not ran the rule over or have probably not taken notice of. Granted, it's okay if you want to put Aluko there. Ajagun and Onuachu are other suggestions.

libero808:
I have the facts now.
Found everything

Road to 1998 WC

1. Nigeria 2---0 Burkina Faso.
scorers: Amokachi (both)
coach: Ahmodu shuibu

2. kenya 1---1 Nigeria
scorers: Akpoborie
coach: Ahmodu shuibu

3. Nigeria 2---1Guinea
scorers: Amokachi (both)
coach: Phillipe Trousier

4. Burkina Faso 1---2 Nigeria
scorers: Adepoju, Amuneke
coach: Phillipe Trousier

5. Nigeria 3---0 Kenya
scorers: oliseh, amuneke, oruma
coach: Phillipe Trousier

6. Guinea 1---0 Nigeria
scorers:
coach: Phillipe Trousier

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(CAF)
Click on report for full details

TheGoodJoe:


I know of Wikipedia reports saying Troussier coached the last two games. Even in Troussier's wiki page, it is stated there but it is not correct because Troussier was relieved of his duties before the game against Kenya.

In some BBC posts on the game, they listed Troussier but it is wrong. Sinclair coached that game. I already highlighted Ohenhen making the team due to Sinclair having full authority, if not that will not happen.

Goke7:


well noted, will update too, but could we all agree on the names of players who have strong cases for inclusion or at best players rohr should monitor strongly before I update so we don't continue to post names and more names continue to pop up. Thanks