Icon4s:


That comment you made about we not having a coach at France 98 and that players were making selections for themselves was a big fat baseless lie.

Let me point out sometime we lost to Paraguay in our last group game because we had already qualified and secured top spot and so the coach fielded his fringe players. Paraguay needed the win to go through and they got it. That game was 1-1 at half time and our boys just took their leg off the gas in the later stages of the game.

Now, what is your point in all these?

That Nigeria will crash out at the group stage? Well that is your expectation and hold on to it.

I have my own hopes and expectations and leave me with mine.

darkelf:


Yea, Vic Moses may play a little selfishly sometimes but to me, he was one of the stand-our performers in yesterday's match. His attacking runs caused some dangerous fouls near the opponents eighteen and his set-pieces were okay; just that our defenders couldn't position themselves well to put in good headers.

Certitude:

I was expecting you to come with the usual denigrating of the team, coach and Onazi. What took you so long?

Mickael2:



I wasn't going to say anything not until I started reading this nonsensical assumption that we are losing just to fool the other teams, how does that make sense

terzurum5:
Before Rohr ruins our World Cup

by Cosmas Odoemena

[img] [/img]

It happened again, the Super Eagles lost their match against the Czechs. Has luck deserted the Super Eagles? What is it that has changed in a team that had a good qualifying campaign?
After several warnings from some quarters against the use of Francis Uzoho as the first-choice goalkeeper of the Super Eagles the manager Gernot Rohr seems hell-bent on using him. To Rohr perhaps, it is Uzoho at all cost.


Our game against England could have easily been a draw if not for the young lad who made a schoolboy error which can happen at his age but which is unforgivable for a goalkeeper going to the World Cup. A ball that should have been punched out for a throwing Uzoho’s first instinct was to punch out for a corner. And that resultant corner kick was capitalized on to give England the lead. The second goal too was cheap.


After the first-choice goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with leukemia, Ikechukwu Ezenwa took Ikeme’s place and Nigeria qualified for the World Cup. But instead of keeping faith with Ezenwa, or looking for more matured goalkeepers he went for a young lad who is third-choice goalkeeper at the La Liga club Deportivo La Coruña, a club that has now been relegated.


I like Uzoho, but he should wait for his turn. He can’t be given a responsibility his young shoulders or rather hands can’t carry. Making him first-choice at the World Cup is just a crazy gamble. Up till now he can’t command his defence. How can he do that when his defenders are well older than him? It’s only natural for him to respect the older players to the team’s detriment. He should still be playing for the U-21.


The senior World Cup is for men, not for boys. Experience usually trumps youth. Even being the youngest team there is a disadvantage.


Well, I don’t know the magic Uzoho performs during trainings but it has yet to reflect during matches. As we say it here “na who pass na him know book.” Besides, we need a goalkeeper who keeps regularly for his club not a bench warmer.


Uzoho has not shown us why he should be ahead of Ezenwa. So much for Uzoho’s height advantage over Ezenwa. Of what good is height when it can’t be used to your advantage? What some goalkeepers lack in height they make up for in good instinct, good vision and good reaction time, positioning and good leadership to help organize their defence.


Uzoho is 19, Ezenwa is 29. I repeat, if Uzoho goes to be number one at the World Cup it means we are placing our fate on a young lad who has not kept in a competitive match, and who is third choice in his club!

Does it mean in a nation of more than 180 million people there aren’t good goalkeepers?
As I once said in a piece on the same issue “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know. Ikechukwu Ezenwa helped qualify us for the World Cup. He seems lucky and often trusts his luck in his rosary which he brandishes when we win. Successful teams do need luck too. The Super Eagles will surely need any kind of luck.”


Yes, there is an element of luck in life, football is not an exception. I prefer an “average” goalkeeper who keep regularly for his club and is so lucky that when he is on duty for some reason he is virtually on holiday, to a so-called “good” goalkeeper who when he is on duty he is kept busy all through. And at the end of the match you hear “Ah, if not for him the opponents would have scored 10 goals.”


But Ezenwa did creditably well against Cameroon at home and away. And also showed class against Algeria and Zambia. These are top-rated teams in Africa and moreover competitive matches.
Rohr is fixated on foreign-based players to the detriment of home-based players and our league.


If Ezenwa were playing abroad perhaps he would have been favoured. But remember that Vincent Enyeama was playing at home with Enyimba while he was our number one goal tender. This is the same club Ezenwa is playing for now. Rohr by his action is really affecting the psyche of the home-based players. Enyimba is the most successful club in Nigeria today.



We should believe it can produce at least one first-team player if not more in the Super Eagles as obtains in other great footballing nations.


Almost all the players going to the World Cup for Nigeria are foreign-based. This does not speak well of our league. Come to think of it, how many domestic league matches has Rohr watched? Rohr was nowhere for the CHAN Eagles. In the past it was suggested that any foreign manager that Nigeria contracts must help in developing our league. Those responsible should please advise Rohr before he ruins our World Cup.

Rohr has kept saying he will stick to the team that qualified us for the World Cup yet leaves out Ezenwa. But Ezenwa is the Super Eagles missing link.


Foreign managers have always worked against our league and this is hampering our progress. They use the home-based players for practice and discard them when the real thing comes for the foreign-based players who may be overrated. And we think karma can’t explain our present and past disastrous outings.

Dr Odoemena wrote this piece from Lagos.

www.dailytrust.com.ng

Naughtytboy:
Trash

terzurum5:
Before Rohr ruins our World Cup

by Cosmas Odoemena

[img] [/img]

It happened again, the Super Eagles lost their match against the Czechs. Has luck deserted the Super Eagles? What is it that has changed in a team that had a good qualifying campaign?
After several warnings from some quarters against the use of Francis Uzoho as the first-choice goalkeeper of the Super Eagles the manager Gernot Rohr seems hell-bent on using him. To Rohr perhaps, it is Uzoho at all cost.


Our game against England could have easily been a draw if not for the young lad who made a schoolboy error which can happen at his age but which is unforgivable for a goalkeeper going to the World Cup. A ball that should have been punched out for a throwing Uzoho’s first instinct was to punch out for a corner. And that resultant corner kick was capitalized on to give England the lead. The second goal too was cheap.


After the first-choice goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with leukemia, Ikechukwu Ezenwa took Ikeme’s place and Nigeria qualified for the World Cup. But instead of keeping faith with Ezenwa, or looking for more matured goalkeepers he went for a young lad who is third-choice goalkeeper at the La Liga club Deportivo La Coruña, a club that has now been relegated.


I like Uzoho, but he should wait for his turn. He can’t be given a responsibility his young shoulders or rather hands can’t carry. Making him first-choice at the World Cup is just a crazy gamble. Up till now he can’t command his defence. How can he do that when his defenders are well older than him? It’s only natural for him to respect the older players to the team’s detriment. He should still be playing for the U-21.


The senior World Cup is for men, not for boys. Experience usually trumps youth. Even being the youngest team there is a disadvantage.


Well, I don’t know the magic Uzoho performs during trainings but it has yet to reflect during matches. As we say it here “na who pass na him know book.” Besides, we need a goalkeeper who keeps regularly for his club not a bench warmer.


Uzoho has not shown us why he should be ahead of Ezenwa. So much for Uzoho’s height advantage over Ezenwa. Of what good is height when it can’t be used to your advantage? What some goalkeepers lack in height they make up for in good instinct, good vision and good reaction time, positioning and good leadership to help organize their defence.


Uzoho is 19, Ezenwa is 29. I repeat, if Uzoho goes to be number one at the World Cup it means we are placing our fate on a young lad who has not kept in a competitive match, and who is third choice in his club!

Does it mean in a nation of more than 180 million people there aren’t good goalkeepers?
As I once said in a piece on the same issue “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know. Ikechukwu Ezenwa helped qualify us for the World Cup. He seems lucky and often trusts his luck in his rosary which he brandishes when we win. Successful teams do need luck too. The Super Eagles will surely need any kind of luck.”


Yes, there is an element of luck in life, football is not an exception. I prefer an “average” goalkeeper who keep regularly for his club and is so lucky that when he is on duty for some reason he is virtually on holiday, to a so-called “good” goalkeeper who when he is on duty he is kept busy all through. And at the end of the match you hear “Ah, if not for him the opponents would have scored 10 goals.”


But Ezenwa did creditably well against Cameroon at home and away. And also showed class against Algeria and Zambia. These are top-rated teams in Africa and moreover competitive matches.
Rohr is fixated on foreign-based players to the detriment of home-based players and our league.


If Ezenwa were playing abroad perhaps he would have been favoured. But remember that Vincent Enyeama was playing at home with Enyimba while he was our number one goal tender. This is the same club Ezenwa is playing for now. Rohr by his action is really affecting the psyche of the home-based players. Enyimba is the most successful club in Nigeria today.



We should believe it can produce at least one first-team player if not more in the Super Eagles as obtains in other great footballing nations.


Almost all the players going to the World Cup for Nigeria are foreign-based. This does not speak well of our league. Come to think of it, how many domestic league matches has Rohr watched? Rohr was nowhere for the CHAN Eagles. In the past it was suggested that any foreign manager that Nigeria contracts must help in developing our league. Those responsible should please advise Rohr before he ruins our World Cup.

Rohr has kept saying he will stick to the team that qualified us for the World Cup yet leaves out Ezenwa. But Ezenwa is the Super Eagles missing link.


Foreign managers have always worked against our league and this is hampering our progress. They use the home-based players for practice and discard them when the real thing comes for the foreign-based players who may be overrated. And we think karma can’t explain our present and past disastrous outings.

Dr Odoemena wrote this piece from Lagos.

www.dailytrust.com.ng

Certitude:

What sort of write up is this one. Brandishing rosary, luck, bla bla. Is he trying to say with Ezenwa in goal, the chances of our opponents are reduced because of luck?

Edopesin:

Not completely

Naughtytboy:
Trash

Certitude:

Complete trash. He gave no coherent reason why Ezenwa is the missing link.

MetalJigsaw:
Here's a solution

3-4-2-1

Omeruo. Ekong. Balogun

Tyrone Ogu. Ndidi. Idowu

.............Iwobi Mikel

................. Ighalo

One thing is sure about this tactic, and that is creativity at full blast. Iwobi and Mikel playing side by side as twin AMs right behind Ighalo... he'll never be starved of service.

As for the DMs, Ndidi can roam around the DM area while Ogu must sit.

Simy can as well take the place of Ighalo.
Even moses can take Idowus

Naughtytboy:
the problem we have is simple, we don't know how to soak pressure from set pieces,, let iwobi play a more advanced role. Bench ighalo. Start ebuhi then idowu should up his game use etebo in that midfield with ndidi

Certitude:

Ezenwa hasn't face such pressure since he began to man our post. The once Akpeyi did, he was worse than a school kid. I don't think Ezenwa would perform better than Uzoho with those crosses. If it's about experience, we really don't have an experienced GK in that team.

goldfish80:


Loosing to Yugoslavia is no shame at all, knowing the turpsy turvy and bad air surrounding the team at the time. By the way, we are talking about a blockbuster country called Yugoslavia. A country that upon their break up, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia,Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina have all qualified individually for the world cup, they are hardly Czech Republic. Even Netherlands assembled some of the best players in the world at the time who went and played the best football in France 98, if not for the painful loss in the semifinals, they were about the only team that could have stopped France winning the cup. These guy played against a Nigerian team who switched tactics durring the usual team prayers before kickoff in the middle of the pitch.

Finally, make exception for you saying I have a defeatist mentality, especially coming from you who wrote off the chances of the Chan team even before the first whistle. I recall you saying you dont think the team will win any of their group games and their failure will result in Nigeria dropping in Fifa ranking. I haven't even written off the chances of this team but I am called a defeatist.

ChrisKels:


Men those guys scatter me. But u no try oo, remember, a cry for one... It was really fun yesterday when the punches were landing on me, I'm glad I brought joy to some people after that disappointment of a match.

daveP:


7games 7goalsscored, 8goals conceded.

3scored by Iwobi alone. Chances created in all seven games are 5/game by the team in general.

What happen to our striker? He scored none of the 7goals. And we call that a striker. Game time or not, he scored none. Perhaps Rohr is tryna proof a point which I'm tired of seeing.


Thank God Emenike or Osaze isn't in this team. Moses for hearam. His coming back supposed to sharpen our attack so they say, but we've fared better without him or Ighalo on the pitch playing.


No leader in this team. we don't have a Roy Keane or Buffon or a Gattuso, Puyol kinda captain to Make these guys just get their game right.


Generally, some selfish play came about and we can gradually see how the GCFR of Selfishness is appointing Ministers at his trail. Idowu have joined him.

Iwobi had 6passes to Ighalo that were goal threatening. He bored down the attack by indecision. Same goes for Moses, I think it will be respectful to say indecision is his palaver too. I sarcastically agree. Defenders we play against no go hear am o.

chimzyblack:
I SAW A REPORT ONLINE THAT MIKEL AND ONAZI ARE IN COLLISION MODE.
THAT THEY ARE NOT IN TALKING TERMS AND ONAZI HAS REFUSED TO TAKE ORDERS FROM MIKEL, THERE BY DIVIDING THE TEAM INTO TWO FRACTIONS, MIKEL SUPPORTERS AND ONAZI SUPPORTERS.


HOW TRUE CAN THIS BE?

komekn:


You really are chewing and digesting fake news

Mickael2:




Discussion in 'Sports News' started by Chris Maduewesi,
Apr 8, 2014. Views count: 5208
0 Former Super Eagles player Garba Lawal has revealed how they went against the coach's instruction at the France 1998 World Cup to play to their own preferred pattern against Spain at the tournament.
Nigeria stunned bookmakers to record an impressive 3-2 victory over favourites,Spain in their first game at the tournament.
Incidentally Lawal was on the scoresheet for Nigeria that day,scoring from a tight angle with Mutiu Adepoju heading in one of the goals,and a thunderous strike from Sunday Oliseh securing the win over Spain.
Lawal said that then coach,Bora Milutinovic prepared them to play a 4-5-1 formation but they decided amongst them before their customary prayers not play to that tactics.
"The coach wanted us to play 451 but we knew that if we did that, we would have serious problems against Spain if we played with one striker. So we the players decided to play 442," Lawal was quoted as saying on Kickoffnigeria.com
"We changed the formation inside the field, before we prayed. And that was what worked for us.
"We know our normal game so we all decided to play what normally works for us," he added.
Lawal who was mainstay in the Eagles team during his active playing days however,advised players not to adopt that strategy.
"It's not something we will encourage the players to do. But if you all feel that the system is not comfortable, you have to change because





Like I told you, the talents got us that far in 1998, the problem now is that we don't have the talent so using that tournament as an example is inappropriate totally.

Well if you still do not understand then OK

Meliforme:
This analysis is top notch. My reverence for you on this thread is adding in leaps.

terzurum5:
Before Rohr ruins our World Cup

by Cosmas Odoemena

[img] [/img]

It happened again, the Super Eagles lost their match against the Czechs. Has luck deserted the Super Eagles? What is it that has changed in a team that had a good qualifying campaign?
After several warnings from some quarters against the use of Francis Uzoho as the first-choice goalkeeper of the Super Eagles the manager Gernot Rohr seems hell-bent on using him. To Rohr perhaps, it is Uzoho at all cost.


Our game against England could have easily been a draw if not for the young lad who made a schoolboy error which can happen at his age but which is unforgivable for a goalkeeper going to the World Cup. A ball that should have been punched out for a throwing Uzoho’s first instinct was to punch out for a corner. And that resultant corner kick was capitalized on to give England the lead. The second goal too was cheap.


After the first-choice goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with leukemia, Ikechukwu Ezenwa took Ikeme’s place and Nigeria qualified for the World Cup. But instead of keeping faith with Ezenwa, or looking for more matured goalkeepers he went for a young lad who is third-choice goalkeeper at the La Liga club Deportivo La Coruña, a club that has now been relegated.


I like Uzoho, but he should wait for his turn. He can’t be given a responsibility his young shoulders or rather hands can’t carry. Making him first-choice at the World Cup is just a crazy gamble. Up till now he can’t command his defence. How can he do that when his defenders are well older than him? It’s only natural for him to respect the older players to the team’s detriment. He should still be playing for the U-21.


The senior World Cup is for men, not for boys. Experience usually trumps youth. Even being the youngest team there is a disadvantage.


Well, I don’t know the magic Uzoho performs during trainings but it has yet to reflect during matches. As we say it here “na who pass na him know book.” Besides, we need a goalkeeper who keeps regularly for his club not a bench warmer.


Uzoho has not shown us why he should be ahead of Ezenwa. So much for Uzoho’s height advantage over Ezenwa. Of what good is height when it can’t be used to your advantage? What some goalkeepers lack in height they make up for in good instinct, good vision and good reaction time, positioning and good leadership to help organize their defence.


Uzoho is 19, Ezenwa is 29. I repeat, if Uzoho goes to be number one at the World Cup it means we are placing our fate on a young lad who has not kept in a competitive match, and who is third choice in his club!

Does it mean in a nation of more than 180 million people there aren’t good goalkeepers?
As I once said in a piece on the same issue “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know. Ikechukwu Ezenwa helped qualify us for the World Cup. He seems lucky and often trusts his luck in his rosary which he brandishes when we win. Successful teams do need luck too. The Super Eagles will surely need any kind of luck.”


Yes, there is an element of luck in life, football is not an exception. I prefer an “average” goalkeeper who keep regularly for his club and is so lucky that when he is on duty for some reason he is virtually on holiday, to a so-called “good” goalkeeper who when he is on duty he is kept busy all through. And at the end of the match you hear “Ah, if not for him the opponents would have scored 10 goals.”


But Ezenwa did creditably well against Cameroon at home and away. And also showed class against Algeria and Zambia. These are top-rated teams in Africa and moreover competitive matches.
Rohr is fixated on foreign-based players to the detriment of home-based players and our league.


If Ezenwa were playing abroad perhaps he would have been favoured. But remember that Vincent Enyeama was playing at home with Enyimba while he was our number one goal tender. This is the same club Ezenwa is playing for now. Rohr by his action is really affecting the psyche of the home-based players. Enyimba is the most successful club in Nigeria today.



We should believe it can produce at least one first-team player if not more in the Super Eagles as obtains in other great footballing nations.


Almost all the players going to the World Cup for Nigeria are foreign-based. This does not speak well of our league. Come to think of it, how many domestic league matches has Rohr watched? Rohr was nowhere for the CHAN Eagles. In the past it was suggested that any foreign manager that Nigeria contracts must help in developing our league. Those responsible should please advise Rohr before he ruins our World Cup.

Rohr has kept saying he will stick to the team that qualified us for the World Cup yet leaves out Ezenwa. But Ezenwa is the Super Eagles missing link.


Foreign managers have always worked against our league and this is hampering our progress. They use the home-based players for practice and discard them when the real thing comes for the foreign-based players who may be overrated. And we think karma can’t explain our present and past disastrous outings

Dr Odoemena wrote this piece from Lagos.

www.dailytrust.com.ng

chimzyblack:
I SAW A REPORT ONLINE THAT MIKEL AND ONAZI ARE IN COLLISION MODE.
THAT THEY ARE NOT IN TALKING TERMS AND ONAZI HAS REFUSED TO TAKE ORDERS FROM MIKEL, THERE BY DIVIDING THE TEAM INTO TWO FRACTIONS, MIKEL SUPPORTERS AND ONAZI SUPPORTERS.


https://mobile.twitter.com/sunnewsnigeria/status/1004636843974037504

HOW TRUE CAN THIS BE?

chimzyblack:

I Didnt believe it that is why I'm asking.
Here is the link
http://sunnewsonline.com/mikel-onazi-divide-eagles/

Mujtahida:

In summary Moses is the weakness of the team abi?

Mujtahida:

I don't necessarily take to Uzoho but this man is talking nonsense. Everybody be forming critique now.

Ezenwa has now become Peter Rufai. Rubbish. As if we did not watch Ezenwa who is very amateurish.

Foreign coaches now work against our yeye league. How many matches does the national team play in a year? As usual we always take the path of least resistance looking for who to blame rather than facing the reality and doing the hardwork of changing teams.

So it's the foreign coaches that account for the shameful and abysmal performance of our local clubs in continental competitions.

ykalhaji:
It is funny that this game has even given me more confidence in the team. The second half the way the passes were strung up, we have to remember that this is a friendly game that is used to get the players to practice playing together certain things that they have being doing in practice in live ball situations. Play with players they normally do not play with during practice. Now the coach should have an idea of who plays well with who and what roles each player will play. Now the real practice and work begins.

The confidence Uzoho is getting is also a factor... Ndidi has fully recovered.

Icon4s:


See, sometimes players go against coaches' instructions but you saying they made players selections by themselves was a big fat lie.