LOL. He's definitely gonna need it. No question

I like the decision too. Leon didn't have his best game in Algeria and I partially blame it on the added responsibility of wearing the arm band. And Victor Moses, as much as I like him, is not a captain's material.


O pari

Kog45:
Sir possibly Rohr want to build up Ekong confidence against Lewandowski,remember the guy is not new to Balogun.

I think i love that decision.

Haha!! Seriously, not every player likes that responsibility. I was surprised what it did to Harry Kane's game, the time Pochettino tried to make him the Spurs captain. It took only a couple of games before Poch realized what's going on and quickly moved the armband away from him. And I noticed the same thing with Leon. His worst game in Green and White was that match he captained.

Anyway, let's see how both he and Ekong will perform today.


O pari

elyte89:




Aw u take knw say d armband heavy...balogun complain to you

forgiveness:



If we truly reward performance? Why was Sone Aluko not invited to the team even when he was nominated for Football league best player of the season?

https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/iwobi-lookman-aluko-nominated-london-football-awards/amp/
was Nwakali's performance wow before he was invited?

There is no format for inviting players, as fans we can only clamour for our preferred players to be invited, but the responsibility is on the coach.

Zola Chelsea legend and Eric catona Manchester legend were never there national team favourite

tbaba1234:
Aclsports confirms the news, Joel Obi starts and Ekong is captain

I thought since Balogun is in the lineup, he would captain as usual just like in the Algeria game. Or the eagles don't have any legitimate captain except Mikel and Onazi

TheLoneCitizen:




Mikel is a playmaker only, he doesn't hold play, he thrives on teammates making runs, he doesn't beat players. He is like a Cesc Fabregas.


Moses is not a natural dribbler he doesn't beat player, just a good runner. Moses causes more harm than good to the Eagles due to overconfidence, he would be willing to shoot when passing is key.

When Arsenal played Chelsea, Moses failed to beat Iwobi on take-out three times, talk less renowned defenders. On the other hand, Henry left veteran defender, Dani Alves on his back in the UCL.

My point is not on dribbling ability or tendency but on the ability of a player to attract at least two opposition to himself, opening room for a fellow teammate.

oga X factor in a team don't mean the team best dribbler, x factor could be the goal keeper, the team x factor could be the coach

x factor means special talent, Mikel is different from all his team mate , his obviously the xfactor

I was seriously hoping Onazi gets dropped to the bench for this game because of Joel Obi's performances in training which I have been following from a distance. Onazi is asst captain and I was seriously concerned about whether Rohr will do the needful here... but wow.. he did


I think the midfield of Ndidi and Joel as a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 with Iheanacho in front of them as the AM flanked by Iwobi's class and Victor Moses' trickery and power runs may turn out really good if the Joel-Ndidi combo clicks beautifully with Nacho in front of them (with Joel especially being key to this)... and I think it would... and I so badly want it to happen against Poland so as to give us another midfield combo option going to Russia. Come on Guys... this is the moment to unveil another dimension to our options and keep our WC opponents guessing.

Joel Obi... all eyes are on you StarBoy... we are not in doubt of your top talents. Just give a grand show to save on our gadgets for months to come.


With this starting lineup unveiled, I am now more interested in how the Ndidi-Joel relationship clicks in an actual game (from training, it was quite beautiful) and also how Joel will combine with the guys upfront in Nacho (AM/AMC) and Iwobi (LM/AML) especially in the passing interchanges synergy I expect to see.


Rohr has picked a strong side even in the absence of Mikel and in the relegation of Onazi to the bench... and I hope Uzoho will get a full game against the Eagles of Poland.

Magink:


But why would Ekong be the Captain when there's Balogun and Victor moses on the line up? i hope it won't be an issue cos it's quite strange, even thought it's only a friendly.

E no mean,Brazil national team is rotating captain,maybe rohr is trying to do so in the absence of mikel and maybe onazi not starting ,coutinho has once captained Brazil even Marquinhos,and there was old Daniel alves and also Marcelo in the field,Ekong is okay,I am still looking for a captain material in victor moses and I can't see it

Ekong as captain today is another beautifully bold move by Rohr. Truth is Ekong was Nigeria's most consistent performer in defence during the WCQs.... some forget he played every damn minute from the game in the Mwanawasa stadium till the game in Uyo where we secured qualification. He still played in the last game in Algeria too.

King Kong Ekong deserves the responsibility for his super consistency for Club and Country... and I hope he does not disappoint. Balogun, though, is still our defensive general and leader but he needs to work on showing his best again for us and needs this game to reassure us that he is still the warrior we can depend on in that back line.

Magink:


But why would Ekong be the Captain when there's Balogun and Victor moses on the line up? i hope it won't be an issue cos it's quite strange, even thought it's only a friendly.

Captainship is not about age. Keshi became Nigerian captain at a young age.

At the end of the day, the decision rests with the coach. .

Martz101:


oga X factor in a team don't mean the team best dribbler, x factor could be the goal keeper, the team x factor could be the coach

x factor means special talent, Mikel is different from all his team mate , his obviously the xfactor

I understand the reason for the aggression, but I see it unnecessary.

X Factor: a special ability, talent or quality.

Mikel Is THE X factor(quality) of the Eagles, i.e, Mikel is the focal point of the Eagles, the most important player.

Onyekuru brings AN X factor(ability) to the Eagles, ie, Henry brings a spark which the Eagles is deficient of.


You are just beating dead wood, mate, let it lie.

asha8:
AN x factor?

WC Opponents Watch

We dey find a few more quality options sef but Sampaoli dey reason dropping Dybala??! Kaaaaiiiii.... it is well ooo


Argentina Coach Sampaoli Threatens To Drop Dybala, Icardi From World Cup Squad




Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli has hinted that Paulo Dybala may miss out on the 2018 World Cup squad in Russia after the Juventus forwad failed to improve on his national team performances.
Dybala, who was left out of the Argentine pre-World Cup friendlies against Italy and Spain, has failed to replicate his form at club level for the Albiceleste.

The 24-year-old has fired blanks in all 12 games for Argentina since he made his debut in 2015.

Sampaoli revealed during his pre-match conference ahead of Friday’s clash against Italy at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester that the Juventus forward has not replicated his club form for the Albiceleste.

“We thought Paulo was a top player, but so far he has not shown it,” Sampaoli said.

“It will be hard for Dybala to get used to our style.

“We couldn’t improve his performances and we have to evaluate if the current players are better than Paulo or if we’ve to keep working with Paulo to improve his performance.”
Sampaoli added that he is frustrated by Mauro Icardi’s inability to replicate his Inter form with Argentina.

“Icardi’s situation is similar to Dybala’s. The comparison between Icardi’s performances at Inter and with Argentina is not the best,” he added.

Argentina are in the same group as Nigeria at the World Cup, along with Croatia and Iceland.


Source: https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/argentina-coach-sampaoli-threatens-to-drop-dybala-icardi-from-world-cup-squad/


Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 83 days 43 mins to go

Magink:


But why would Ekong be the Captain when there's Balogun and Victor moses on the line up? i hope it won't be an issue cos it's quite strange, even thought it's only a friendly.

For me is not a bad decision, captains should not be based on who is older or has more cap, Rohr is looking at the future, Moses don't give that captain vibe, we all complained about his attitude in camp.

everything is all speculations until 8:45

TheLoneCitizen:



I understand the reason for the aggression, but I see it unnecessary.

X Factor: a special ability, talent or quality.

Mikel Is THE X factor(quality) of the Eagles, i.e, Mikel is the focal point of the Eagles, the most important player.

Onyekuru brings AN X factor(ability) to the Eagles, ie, Henry brings a spark which the Eagles is deficient of.


You are just beating dead wood, mate, let it lie.

Mike and Moses bring a Y Factor I guess to the team

Ighalo Targets Fifth Super Eagles Goal Vs Poland, Insists No Pressure
By Johnny Edward




Changchun Yatai striker Odion Ighalo is targeting his fifth goal for the Super Eagles when they face Poland in a friendly in Wroclaw from 8.45pm tonight, but he insists he is not under pressure, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
Ighalo, who will lead the Super Eagles attack on his return to the squad after missing the last two games against Algeria and Argentina due to injury, has scored four goals in 13 international appearances for the Super Eagles.

“Hopefully, I can get a goal or two but the most important thing is to see how we perform as a team. There’s no pressure,” Ighalo told CSN.

The 29-year-old striker scored on his official debut for Nigeria in a 2-0 win over Chad in Kaduna on the 13th of June, 2015.
The former Watford and Granada striker also scored against Cameroon in a 3-0 international win in Belgium on the 10th of November, 2015.
Ighalo went on a five-game goal drought before scoring his third goal against Luxembourg in another friendly on the 31st of May, 2016.

His fourth strike came against Cameroon in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in Uyo. Nigeria won the game 4-0 on October 1, 2017.
Friday’s game will be the first time both Poland and Nigeria will clash at full international level.


Source: https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/ighalo-targets-fifth-super-eagles-goal-vs-poland-insists-no-pressure/


Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 83 days 27 mins to go

The owner of of the nearest viewing centre in my area must b high on some ganja... imagine him putting Brazil and England match and left out ours... Maybe he isnt aware Supersport will show it yet...



About the lineup sha, its good... Nacho on the flanks again mayn't b a bad idea though he failed in the role against Algeria which many people including me blamed on the bad pitch.. hopefully he will do better there.. Its Iwobi I'm looking out for...

TheSuperNerd:
Ekong as captain today is another beautifully bold move by Rohr. Truth is Ekong was Nigeria's most consistent performer in defence during the WCQs.... some forget he played every damn minute from the game in the Mwanawasa stadium till the game in Uyo where we secured qualification. He still played in the last game in Algeria too.

King Kong Ekong deserves the responsibility for his super consistency for Club and Country... and I hope he does not disappoint. Balogun, though, is still our defensive general and leader but he needs to work on showing his best again for us and needs this game to reassure us that he is still the warrior we can depend on in that back line.

We should also remember that he broke into the team as a captain in Norway. He has always showed those qualities that a leader should have.

I believe Rohr is trying to build more leaders in the team by doing this.

Don't beat me if im wrong o!
Poland 1 - 3 Nigeria

REVEALED: How Super Eagles Will Line Up Vs Poland Tonight
22 March 23, 2018

Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper Francis Uzoho and Amkar Perm defender Bryan Idowu will make their first starts for the Super Eagles later tonight against Poland in a friendly billed for the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw, reports Completesportsnigeria.com.
The match kicks off at 8.45pm Nigerian time.

Uzoho who has kept 12 clean sheets this season in the third-tier of the Spanish League for Deportivo La Coruna’s second team Deportivo Fabril, has got the nod ahead of Enyimba of Aba goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, who arrived in camp late for the game.

The friendly will be the 19-year-old’s second appearance for the three-time African champions after he came on during the 4-2 win over Argentina in November.

Idowu, is preferred to Elderson Echiejile and Ola Aina for the left-back spot.

The 25-year-old Idowu made a scoring debut for Nigeria in their 4-2 win over Argentina in November.

Bursaspor right-back Shehu Abdulahi keeps his place in the starting line-up like Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong in the team’s central defence.

In midfield, stand-in captain Ogenyi Onazi and Wilfred Ndidi will provide cover for the defence line.

Kelechi Iheanacho will start in the No.10 role while Odion Ighalo will lead the lines to be flanked by Victor Moses and Alex Iwobi.

How Eagles will play vs Poland:

Uzoho

Abdulahi, Ekong, Balogun, Idowu

Ndidi, Onazi

Iheanacho, Moses, Iwobi

Ighalo.




https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/revealed-how-super-eagles-will-line-up-vs-poland-tonight/

BascoVanVeli:


Leon was rusty from not playing for his club. It had nothing to do with the armband.

Chief, chief.. Now remains Baba GoodJoe

Ekong as captain isn't a bad idea IMO, Balogun isn't the legitimate deputy to Mikel and Onazi, and just like some folks already said, the captain armband might b a burden to him....



Correct me if I'm wrong but the captain rank in the team currently is - 1- Mikel 2- Onazi 3- Musa 4- Echijele

Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that Bursaspor central defender William Troost-Ekong has been appointed to captain the Super Eagles in their friendly against Poland on Friday night, only in the event that Eddy Onazi is omitted from the starting line-up.

Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr has kept everyone guessing on who will partner Leicester City ace Wilfred Ndidi in defensive midfield and will only announce his decision at a team meeting few hours before the squad heads to the Municipal Stadium.

Torino's Joel Obi caught the eye during training on Wednesday afternoon and could be rewarded with a place in the starting lineup ahead of Onazi.

It means the two other senior players in the squad who would have worn the armband, Ahmed Musa and Elderson Echiejile, are unlikely to make the starting line-up .

Rohr's decision to go for Troost-Ekong instead of Balogun as captain was a straightforward one.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youth-teamer has started and completed every single match played by the Super Eagles since the German was appointed coach, eleven games in total if the forfeited match vs Algeria is added, more than all the players named in the current squad.

Danielnino00:
The owner of of the nearest viewing centre in my area must b high on some ganja... imagine him putting Brazil and England match and left out ours... Maybe he isnt aware Supersport will show it yet...



About the lineup sha, its good... Nacho on the flanks again mayn't b a bad idea though he failed in the role against Algeria which many people including me blamed on the bad pitch.. hopefully he will do better there.. Its Iwobi I'm looking out for...

don't think Nacho failed in the role against Algeria, u just can't give wat you don't have.
I hope he is played in his club position which would be behind Ighalo who he has a good relationship with both on and off the field.

Martz101:
Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that Bursaspor central defender William Troost-Ekong has been appointed to captain the Super Eagles in their friendly against Poland on Friday night, only in the event that Eddy Onazi is omitted from the starting line-up.

Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr has kept everyone guessing on who will partner Leicester City ace Wilfred Ndidi in defensive midfield and will only announce his decision at a team meeting few hours before the squad heads to the Municipal Stadium.

Torino's Joel Obi caught the eye during training on Wednesday afternoon and could be rewarded with a place in the starting lineup ahead of Onazi.

It means the two other senior players in the squad who would have worn the armband, Ahmed Musa and Elderson Echiejile, are unlikely to make the starting line-up .

Rohr's decision to go for Troost-Ekong instead of Balogun as captain was a straightforward one.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youth-teamer has started and completed every single match played by the Super Eagles since the German was appointed coach, eleven games in total if the forfeited match vs Algeria is added, more than all the players named in the current squad.

Joel is not sure a starter yet and ekong not confirmed to captain for now everything na speculation

Icon79:
It's funny you'd say that because on last few occasions Joel Obi had played for the Super Eagles, he played in a double pivot with Mikel. And based on my personal assessment and in the assessment of those who know better than I do (and I am talking about the legends of the game, such as Mathematical Segun Odegbami), Joel outshined Mikel each time. This isn't to say that Mikel didn't play well in those games, but it tells you how good Joel Chukwuma Obi can be when he's at his best.

But is he gonna outshine Mikel on current form, I doubt it. Why ... because injuries have affected his speed and impacted his game in other ways, but he's still a quality player.


O pari

Sir i can't really remember when Mikel and Joel played together in Eagles and what do you mean by OUTSHINE.

TheSuperNerd:
WC Opponents Watch

We dey find a few more quality options sef but Sampaoli dey reason dropping Dybala??! Kaaaaiiiii.... it is well ooo


Argentina Coach Sampaoli Threatens To Drop Dybala, Icardi From World Cup Squad




Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli has hinted that Paulo Dybala may miss out on the 2018 World Cup squad in Russia after the Juventus forwad failed to improve on his national team performances.
Dybala, who was left out of the Argentine pre-World Cup friendlies against Italy and Spain, has failed to replicate his form at club level for the Albiceleste.

The 24-year-old has fired blanks in all 12 games for Argentina since he made his debut in 2015.

Sampaoli revealed during his pre-match conference ahead of Friday’s clash against Italy at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester that the Juventus forward has not replicated his club form for the Albiceleste.

“We thought Paulo was a top player, but so far he has not shown it,” Sampaoli said.

“It will be hard for Dybala to get used to our style.

“We couldn’t improve his performances and we have to evaluate if the current players are better than Paulo or if we’ve to keep working with Paulo to improve his performance.”
Sampaoli added that he is frustrated by Mauro Icardi’s inability to replicate his Inter form with Argentina.

“Icardi’s situation is similar to Dybala’s. The comparison between Icardi’s performances at Inter and with Argentina is not the best,” he added.

Argentina are in the same group as Nigeria at the World Cup, along with Croatia and Iceland.


Source: https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/argentina-coach-sampaoli-threatens-to-drop-dybala-icardi-from-world-cup-squad/


Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 83 days 43 mins to go

TheSuperNerd:
WC Opponents Watch

We dey find a few more quality options sef but Sampaoli dey reason dropping Dybala??! Kaaaaiiiii.... it is well ooo


Argentina Coach Sampaoli Threatens To Drop Dybala, Icardi From World Cup Squad




Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli has hinted that Paulo Dybala may miss out on the 2018 World Cup squad in Russia after the Juventus forwad failed to improve on his national team performances.
Dybala, who was left out of the Argentine pre-World Cup friendlies against Italy and Spain, has failed to replicate his form at club level for the Albiceleste.

The 24-year-old has fired blanks in all 12 games for Argentina since he made his debut in 2015.

Sampaoli revealed during his pre-match conference ahead of Friday’s clash against Italy at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester that the Juventus forward has not replicated his club form for the Albiceleste.

“We thought Paulo was a top player, but so far he has not shown it,” Sampaoli said.

“It will be hard for Dybala to get used to our style.

“We couldn’t improve his performances and we have to evaluate if the current players are better than Paulo or if we’ve to keep working with Paulo to improve his performance.”
Sampaoli added that he is frustrated by Mauro Icardi’s inability to replicate his Inter form with Argentina.

“Icardi’s situation is similar to Dybala’s. The comparison between Icardi’s performances at Inter and with Argentina is not the best,” he added.

Argentina are in the same group as Nigeria at the World Cup, along with Croatia and Iceland.


Source: https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/argentina-coach-sampaoli-threatens-to-drop-dybala-icardi-from-world-cup-squad/


Russia 2018 WC Countdown: 83 days 43 mins to go

not surprised...after all dybala took his time before deciding to play for argentina..he was eligible to play for Poland through his grand father

Martz101:


Joel is not sure a starter yet and ekong not confirmed to captain for now everything na speculation

I think, it is fairly certain especially as ACLsports reported it.

They are on ground in poland

Hello guys, there's something I want to ascertain about V. Moses. Which foot is his stronger one is it right, left or both feet since the guy seems to fit in playing comfortably on both flanks for SE.

Thanks.

Martz101:


Joel is not sure a starter yet and ekong not confirmed to captain for now everything na speculation

from that article ndidi is the only guaranteed starter(along with mikel if available)

Poland/Nigeria: Joel Obi starts as Rohr goes on the attack

Joel Chukwuma Obi has been handed a starting berth on his return to the national team fold ahead of this evening’s pre-World Cup friendly match between Poland and Nigeria.

The Torino midfielder almost missed the call up due to an injury at club level but has sufficiently proved his fitness in training, enough to displace vice-captain Ogenyi Onazi from the starting lineup.

Apart from Obi, two players who made their debuts in the Super Eagles’ last outing, a friendly win over Argentina in November; Brian Idowu and goalkeeper Francis Uzoho will also make their full debuts for the team.

The famed ‘Oyibo Wall’ will continue their partnership at the heart of the defence with William Troost-Ekong named as the captain for the night with his club mate, Shehu Abdullahi getting the nod at right back.

Head coach Gernot Rohr has opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation and listed the England based attacking trio, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho with China-based Odion Ighalo leading the line upfront for the Super Eagles.

Tonight’s game billed for the Stadion Miejski in Wroclaw will kickoff at 8:45pm Nigerian time.

Eagles lineup:

Uzoho; Shehu Troost-Ekong, Balogun, Idowu; Ndidi, Joel Obi; Moses, Iheanacho, Iwobi; Ighalo.

https://www.aclsports.com/10579-2/

Danielnino00:
Ekong as captain isn't a bad idea IMO, Balogun isn't the legitimate deputy to Mikel and Onazi, and just like some folks already said, the captain armband might b a burden to him....



Correct me if I'm wrong but the captain rank in the team currently is - 1- Mikel 2- Onazi 3- Musa 4- Echijele

Mikel is the captain and Onazi is the vice captain, nothing like Musa-3 or Echiejele-4,so Ekong and any of the players can get the captain band in the absence of Mikel and Onazi.

MetalJigsaw:
Hello guys, there's something I want to ascertain about V. Moses. Which foot is his stronger one is it right, left or both feet since the guy seems to fit in playing comfortably on both flanks for SE.

Thanks.

Yes you are right very comfortable with both feet and he remind me of Victor Ikpeba who was damn comfortable with both feet.

Wrong report. It says Onazi. But we have since confirmed that it is Joel naa... this metallic man sef... Dey check the content naa

MetalJigsaw:
REVEALED: How Super Eagles Will Line Up Vs Poland Tonight
22 March 23, 2018

Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper Francis Uzoho and Amkar Perm defender Bryan Idowu will make their first starts for the Super Eagles later tonight against Poland in a friendly billed for the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw, reports Completesportsnigeria.com.
The match kicks off at 8.45pm Nigerian time.

Uzoho who has kept 12 clean sheets this season in the third-tier of the Spanish League for Deportivo La Coruna’s second team Deportivo Fabril, has got the nod ahead of Enyimba of Aba goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, who arrived in camp late for the game.

The friendly will be the 19-year-old’s second appearance for the three-time African champions after he came on during the 4-2 win over Argentina in November.

Idowu, is preferred to Elderson Echiejile and Ola Aina for the left-back spot.

The 25-year-old Idowu made a scoring debut for Nigeria in their 4-2 win over Argentina in November.

Bursaspor right-back Shehu Abdulahi keeps his place in the starting line-up like Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong in the team’s central defence.

In midfield, stand-in captain Ogenyi Onazi and Wilfred Ndidi will provide cover for the defence line.

Kelechi Iheanacho will start in the No.10 role while Odion Ighalo will lead the lines to be flanked by Victor Moses and Alex Iwobi.

How Eagles will play vs Poland:

Uzoho

Abdulahi, Ekong, Balogun, Idowu

Ndidi, Onazi

Iheanacho, Moses, Iwobi

Ighalo.




https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/revealed-how-super-eagles-will-line-up-vs-poland-tonight/