₦airaland Forum

Kog45:
Yes very strange names but the same players held very in form Senegal team to 2-2 draw in Dakar,hope you remember.

Sani Abacha was not part of Ecuador 95 but parr of home based Under 23 team prior to Atlanta 96.Lati Alanamu was a solid footballer but not that serious,he played for Stationary Stores and Rangers now in UK

Oh Ojokojo was a well known to guys who are real fans of Nigeria local league in the 80s especially Shooting star fans.

Icon4s:
Ow Sani Abacha didnt that play Ecuador '95 U17. Must have mistaken him for someone else.

That 2-2 draw against Senegal was in 2000 AFCON qualifiers right? Not sure we saw that game live in Nigeria and the internet was not as useful as it is now. So hardly will you know all players in the squad.

joseph1013:
On your second point, the form of the '94 squad cannot be compared with this one.

Yekini was a top scorer at Olympiakos
Amuneke was at Sporting.
Amokachi at Club Brugge
Okocha at Frankfurt
Adepoju at Santander at La Liga

In fact save for Keshi, the first team was filled with players playing REGULARLY for their teams in Europe.

That team was solid. It was not for nothing that everywhere you go in the world, it's the members of that team that foreigners keep asking you about.

Even player for player, the '98 team was more solid player for player than this present team.

So it's only someone who has not followed the Eagles for long that agrees that all we've ever had are average players.

But that's a distraction. This team is my favourite team. And it's because of the unity and love they exhibit.

I'm 80% certain we will qualify from that group. And 50% we'll get to the semi finals. And it's all because they play for each other.

owbabs:
Nigeria Results in 1998

Nigeria vs Germany 0-1
Nigeria vs Yugoslavia 0-3
Nigeria vs Holland 1-5
Nigeria vs Spain 3-2
Nigeria vs Bulgaria 1-0
Nigeria vs Paraguay 1-3
Nigeria vs Denmark 1-4
Nigeria vs Catalonia 0-5

Was this team overrated or what?

forgiveness:
Yekini was the top goal scorer in the Portuguese liga.

Evan Ekoku scored double digit goals in the EPL and scored in UEFA cup.

Victor Ikpeba was among the top goal scorers in the Belgian league with 17 goals in 1993 before he moved to Monaco where he scored in UEFA champions league.

Finidi was with Ajsx.

We had players in Anderlecht.

junnyjake:
Five Super Eagles players who need January loan moves
Jide Alaka

The January transfer window will open in three days and it must be a window of opportunity for some Super Eagles players desirous of being in Gernot Rohr’s 23-man squad to feature at the 2018 FIFA World Cup that kicks off in Russia on June 14.

The mix of these 23 players who will be in Russia is still fluid in Rohr’s thinking with insiders revealing the German trainer has six to eight vacant places left to fill. Some of the players who featured in the qualifiers are not sure bets for Russia 2018 on account of not getting enough minutes at their various club sides so the transfer window in January will be very important.

Here are six players who need January loan moves:

Kelechi Iheanacho
Based on goal scoring stats, this should be a no-brainer, but the former U-17 World Cup MVP is not getting the minutes at Leicester City. After his £25 million summer move from Manchester City, Iheanacho has played just 555 minutes in the EPL and in the Carabao League Cup, EFL Trophy, and with the U-21 side in PL 2. He has scored just twice.
But for Nigeria, he played six matches in 2017 – three friendlies and three 2018 World Cup qualifiers, and he scored four goals. Between now and the World Cup, the Super Eagles will play five friendly matches, which are not enough to keep Iheanacho sharp for matches against Croatia, Iceland, and Argentina.

There are teams in the EPL looking for a proven goal poacher or even teams outside of England. He must play consistently between January and May to have a place in Gernot Rohr’s 23-man squad not to talk of a starting shirt!


Ahmed Musa
One of the assistant captains of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa’s time at Leicester has become catatonic. When he transferred from CSKA Moscow in 2016, we thought he would be Jamie Vardy’s competition but now he is not even making the bench under Claude Puel. Musa has not featured for Leicester in the EPL this season but has played 448 minutes for the U-21 side in PL 2 and in the EFL Cup, scoring three goals.

This club form has carried over to the Super Eagles where he has become a fringe player with the likes of Moses Simon and Alex Iwobi ahead of him in Rohr’s thoughts. Musa is still the only Nigerian player to have scored twice in one match at the World Cup, and at 25, still has a lot more productive years ahead. There were rumours he would make the switch to Hull City, but the manager, his former manager at CSKA, Leonid Slutsky, has been sacked.


Vincent Enyeama
One position the Super Eagles do not boast a sure starter is between the posts. Former No.1, Enyeama, is back training with Rohr casting furtive glances at the Eagles centurion. But, if he wishes to be in Russia, the place is definitely available, the question is if he wants to be there. If he pursues a loan move in January from Lille, it would be a pointer to his ambition of coming out of international retirement with Rohr waiting with open arms.


Brown Ideye
The central striker started the World Cup qualifiers but has since fallen on hard times at Chinese side, Tianjin Teda. With Henry Onyekuru likely to miss the World Cup because of injury, Ideye could still get on the plane but he needs to sort out his transfer quickly. A proposed move to La Liga side, Alaves, is said to have broken down but in a recent interview, the 29-year-old revealed to Score Nigeria, “What happened in China happened, I still have two years left on my contract there, but I am looking forward and hopefully I will soon get myself a good offer and focus on playing again.”


Isaac Success
A lot of promise is going to waste here. Rohr actually rates Success very highly and any sort of good form between January and April will convince the German to include the 21-year-old because he offers a lot of options for the team’s attack. A bundle of power, pace, and trickery, Success can operate across the front lines but he needs to be match-fit and focused to get in the 23. A loan move in January to teams like Brighton; Huddersfield would see him get the minutes and sharpness to convince Rohr. Success has played just once this season – an EFL Cup encounter against Bristol City in which he scored.

Premium times.

Kog45:
The 2-2 draw was a friendly match prosecuted by home based players against star studded Senegal team.It was not showed live but relayed in the night.

In the home based team we have Seyi Ogunsanya,Seyi Olajegbeshi,Sani Abacha,Oluwole Johnson, Seyi Olofinhana,Obinna Nwaneri,Eric Ejiofor,Tony Alegbe,Friday Ejedegba while Senegal team had Tony Sylva,Papa Diop,Hadji Diouf,Sane.

Kog45:
Don't get Mujtahida wrong, US 94 was a team of eager players who are ready to prove to the world that they can do it,truly we have talents but as at that time most of them are in average clubs except Finidi at Ajax and Chidi Nwanu at Anderlecht.

tbaba1234:
Nantes has offered Porto 13 million Euros to sign Awaziem permanently.

forgiveness:
At least, admitte you were wrong in the first place then we go forge ahead with the other two things you raised.

Did we have players lighting up top league in Europe prior to the 1994 WC?

This question showed you didn't follow the team because we had players lighting up top leagues in Europe.

We had players lighting the Portuguese liga, EPL, Belgium Pro league and Eredivise. These were top leagues in the world as at then.

The next is, are they average?

If they were average, why were they recognized with individual awards?

Even with all those players we achieved nothing, how much more going to the WC with some unfit and bench warmers?

Icon4s:
That must be around 2003/2004 then.

Thought u were referring to the late 90s.

komekn:
He hasn't scored in the premiership but if I'm right hr scored in a couple of cup games.

komekn:
I would add to that list of likely to play for Nigeria

Seyi Ojo
Bobby Adekanya
Ademola Lookman

Icon4s:
That must be around 2003/2004 then.

Thought u were referring to the late 90s.

Kog45:
Don't get Mujtahida wrong, US 94 was a team of eager players who are ready to prove to the world that they can do it,truly we have talents but as at that time most of them are in average clubs except Finidi at Ajax and Chidi Nwanu at Anderlecht.

Remember we have some players in this team that are unattached,players like Emeka Ezeugu Uche Okafor, Stephen Keshi,Peter Rufai,Mike Emenalo,Thompson Oliha are either unattached or doing it in a low league.

forgiveness:
@bolded

Are you saw what I am sawing?

Rohr. I dey hail ooooo.

Icon4s:
All those Okafor, Eguavoen, Iroha that you mentioned were not starters in the team.

Yekini was not bad during the qualifiers for the WC. We didn't see him as a player that will be an excess luggage in that WC. So nobody questioned his inclusion.

Yes Amuneke and Amokachi were not at their best but some other players like Ikpeba and Babangida were in blistering form.Recall The CAF APOTY for 1997 was Victor Ikpeba. Okocha had improved, same goes for Kanu Nwankwo. Oliseh had also grown in status and confidence. Celestine Babayaro was one of the most exciting young LBs in England with his modern style of play and goals scoring prowess. Taribo was still solid and very dependable. Garba Lawal , Mr Utility, was at his prime. Wilson Oruma though over shadowed by Okocha was another young enterprising midfielder. Mutiu another utility player was also doing good. Finidi up to 2000 AFCON was still deadly not to talk of France 98.

Our RB was the weakest point as Mobi Oparaku had not raised his game from that of a junior international to a senior international.

About 70% of the Atlanta 96 team played in that France 98 WC. Something very commendable.

That team underachieved in my opinion due to poor preparations. The quality was there.

tglobal:
Late 2002 in memory of 1000+ people who lost their lives in a ferry disaster in Senegal (https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2002/10/sene-o02.html). We presented an home based team against Senegal's 'A' team basking in the aftermath of a successful world cup

tbaba1234:
Nantes has offered Porto 13 million Euros to sign Awaziem permanently according to OGN.

forgiveness:
Yekini was the top goal scorer in the Portuguese liga.

Evan Ekoku scored double digit goals in the EPL and scored in UEFA cup.

Victor Ikpeba was among the top goal scorers in the Belgian league with 17 goals in 1993 before he moved to Monaco where he scored in UEFA champions league.

Finidi was with Ajsx.

We had players in Anderlecht.

daveP:
Mujtahida, i for say na you get time o. But its looking tiresome and circumvential to me already.

Other news:our national women's football league is still num 1 in africa. But tanzania is fast catching up in terms of sponsorship, consistent salary payment(however small), and good pitches, stats collation.

Mujtahida:
Na holiday. I get the time to put things in proper perspective.

Icon4s:
The team was not overrated.

The real class in that team showed when they played against Spain and Bulgaria.

What affected the team was lack of early preparation. We didnt take part in the 1998 AFCON due to ban as a result of political interference by the Nigerian government in 1996.

We found out our deficiencies too late and we quickly tried to make amends by making some fire brigade calls.

That team was loaded with individual quality but there was no coordination as a team.

In that Catalonia game I think Amodu was in charge. Following the disappointment of losing 4-1 to Denmark there were loud calls for the inclusion of "Hungry" home based players into the team. We had a couple of strange names and faces that night. And we were trashed 5-0. We got the hint that home based was not the answer.

I cannot forget the loud jubilations in the streets that evening after we beat Spain 3-2.

We saw the highs and lows of Nigerian football that year.

So many high scoring matches.

Mujtahida:
Solanke being awarded best striker at world u-20 is good enough for you. But osimhen is no good enough for you and for you his time will never come because you see no quality in him. Even when both competitions are age grade competitions. I am not comparing both players. I am only seeing your bias. Forget solanke as far as specific discussions on the SE is concerned. He doesn't matter to us in that regard. We can only talk about him when talking about football generaĺly.

komekn:
Firstly, you cannot compare U20 world cup with the U17 world cup even if they are both age grade competitions or not. All of the players in the England U20 indeed across Europe you will find are seasoned young professional at some very top clubs. Some with over a hundred professional games under thier belts.

Most U17 players have not even had one senior professional game and are simply youth players with potential, that's all. Winning best U20 player is a huge award l, completely different in quality, standard and indeed can not be compared to the U17.

Considering your emotive allegation of bias. My comparison is between clearly different standard components that do not have equal value. That's objectivity not deductions based on emotive preejudice unsubstantiated deductions.

So I ask you, WHO IS BEING BIASED HERE

Mujtahida:
These players know what is at stake. I say this because of the fact that for the first time in a long while we have a team with players jostling for positions even in that gk dept (its just that they don't inspire confidence). So none of the players will rest on their oars. A while ago we looked thin at the full back positions now we are feeling the pain knowing that some players in the full back positions might be dropped. I have watched rohr say that the team needs to improve constantly and he said this long before we got the WC ticket.

Apart from iheanacho, balogun and musa who are the players not playing regularly in their respective clubs? But the impression given by you was that we have a team of average players who are worse still warming the bench in their clubs. Mike, ighallo, vicmo, Moses Simon, iwobi, ogu, shehu, aina, ebuehi, onazi, ndidi, agu, ekong, omeruo, awaziem, etebo, nwakaeme and most if not all the fringe players play regularly for their clubs.

While I agree about the work thing, I'd rather not say they should START working hard but CONTINUE working hard.

goldfish80:
Maybe you didnt follow my initial comments yesterday or you deliberately chose to ignore it.
I made a study and posted my findings. As a matter of fact, I discovered that all our attackers combined with the exception of Ighalo and the much maligned Nwakaeme(he maybe dropped), the rest of them have contributed just 5 goals all season.
Is this what you call world cup form?

You're talking about game time, while I'm taking about performance.

The fact is that , our attackers need to hit their strides really fast. Those playing must step up and be counted while the inactive ones must find solutions ASAP.

Making semi finals in the world cup is no child's play.
I honestly don't appreciate being misunderstood.