₦airaland Forum

MetalJigsaw:
Pinnick: Super Eagles Still Have Hope; Afterall Germany, Argentina, Brazil Didn’t Win Too
June 18, 2018 3:13 pm

President of Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick is confident the Super Eagles can lift themselves up to reach the knockout rounds of the competition despite their 2-0 loss to Croatia in their first match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

An unfortunate Oghenekaro Etebo own goal and a penalty from Luka Modric gave Croatia all maximum points from the game

“We expected to win against Croatia but it did not happen and the whole team, as well as the Federation, have put that behind us and looking ahead with hope to the next two matches,” Pinnick told the Nigerian Football Federation media department
.
“I have spoken with the Coach and the players and they have confidence that the job can be done. They feel bad to have lost the first match and are determined to go out there and do what they have to do against Iceland on Friday.

“Losing your first match of a major competition is not an automatic exit ticket. Spain lost their first match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and still went ahead to win the tournament.

“We have a young team that can achieve so much with the right attitude and invention, and we must now reach deep down for those qualities when we play Iceland in Volgograd.

“At this tournament, world champions Germany have lost their first match;
Argentina have been held to a draw; 2010 World Cup winners Spain have been held to a draw and; Brazil could not defeat Switzerland. France even struggled before defeating Australia with a late goal. So much is still possible.”

The Super Eagles have since returned to training in Essentuki ahead of Friday’s encounter at the 45,000-capacity Volgograd Arena.

Croatia currently lead Group D with three points following the win while Argentina and Iceland, who played a 1-1 draw, are joint-second with Nigeria bottom of the log.


https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/pinnick-super-eagles-still-have-hope-afterall-germany-argentina-brazil-didnt-win-too/

This man must be drunk

MetalJigsaw:
Pinnick: Super Eagles Still Have Hope; Afterall Germany, Argentina, Brazil Didn’t Win Too
June 18, 2018 3:13 pm

President of Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick is confident the Super Eagles can lift themselves up to reach the knockout rounds of the competition despite their 2-0 loss to Croatia in their first match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

An unfortunate Oghenekaro Etebo own goal and a penalty from Luka Modric gave Croatia all maximum points from the game

“We expected to win against Croatia but it did not happen and the whole team, as well as the Federation, have put that behind us and looking ahead with hope to the next two matches,” Pinnick told the Nigerian Football Federation media department
.
“I have spoken with the Coach and the players and they have confidence that the job can be done. They feel bad to have lost the first match and are determined to go out there and do what they have to do against Iceland on Friday.

“Losing your first match of a major competition is not an automatic exit ticket. Spain lost their first match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and still went ahead to win the tournament.

“We have a young team that can achieve so much with the right attitude and invention, and we must now reach deep down for those qualities when we play Iceland in Volgograd.

“At this tournament, world champions Germany have lost their first match;
Argentina have been held to a draw; 2010 World Cup winners Spain have been held to a draw and; Brazil could not defeat Switzerland. France even struggled before defeating Australia with a late goal. So much is still possible.”

The Super Eagles have since returned to training in Essentuki ahead of Friday’s encounter at the 45,000-capacity Volgograd Arena.

Croatia currently lead Group D with three points following the win while Argentina and Iceland, who played a 1-1 draw, are joint-second with Nigeria bottom of the log.


https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/pinnick-super-eagles-still-have-hope-afterall-germany-argentina-brazil-didnt-win-too/

Is this man ok? Or he is drunk? How can you compare Germany , brazil and Argentina to this Nigeria team with thier dumb ass coach Rohr?

Have you seen the remaining teams Germany or Brazil will face after the 1st March? Germany will tear South Korea apart and beat nonsense out Sweden and still top or go through the tournament. Brazil will beat sebia and Costa Rica and still go thru .. so expect brazil & Swiss to go thru while Argentina plus Croatia or Iceland to go through except Big luck come from above to beat Iceland and Argentina.- complete
sports fan.

MetalJigsaw:
Pinnick: Super Eagles Still Have Hope; Afterall Germany, Argentina, Brazil Didn’t Win Too
June 18, 2018 3:13 pm

President of Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick is confident the Super Eagles can lift themselves up to reach the knockout rounds of the competition despite their 2-0 loss to Croatia in their first match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

An unfortunate Oghenekaro Etebo own goal and a penalty from Luka Modric gave Croatia all maximum points from the game

“We expected to win against Croatia but it did not happen and the whole team, as well as the Federation, have put that behind us and looking ahead with hope to the next two matches,” Pinnick told the Nigerian Football Federation media department
.
“I have spoken with the Coach and the players and they have confidence that the job can be done. They feel bad to have lost the first match and are determined to go out there and do what they have to do against Iceland on Friday.

“Losing your first match of a major competition is not an automatic exit ticket. Spain lost their first match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and still went ahead to win the tournament.

“We have a young team that can achieve so much with the right attitude and invention, and we must now reach deep down for those qualities when we play Iceland in Volgograd.

“At this tournament, world champions Germany have lost their first match;
Argentina have been held to a draw; 2010 World Cup winners Spain have been held to a draw and; Brazil could not defeat Switzerland. France even struggled before defeating Australia with a late goal. So much is still possible.”

The Super Eagles have since returned to training in Essentuki ahead of Friday’s encounter at the 45,000-capacity Volgograd Arena.

Croatia currently lead Group D with three points following the win while Argentina and Iceland, who played a 1-1 draw, are joint-second with Nigeria bottom of the log.


https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/pinnick-super-eagles-still-have-hope-afterall-germany-argentina-brazil-didnt-win-too/

amaju pinnick should just go and gather more prayer warriors now cos am waiting for him should naija fails to go beyond the first round. I remember his very big mouth in 2014 as an nff member when he was one of those criticizing Keshi and his tactics cos he felt we must go to brazil then with a foreign coach. Now he has the almighty foreign coach and all the money needed for the boys to succeed, He certainly will have no excuse after now, amaju too must go if rohr goes after this world cup, awon oniranu!

Mourinho: Mikel A Good No.6, Bad No.10 For Super Eagles
June 19, 2018 7:08 am


Manchester United manager Jose
Mourinho has joined the Mikel Obi debate.

Mikel has often played an advanced role for the Super Eagles while he played a much deeper role for Chelsea successfully for close to 11 years.

The Nigeria captain, now 31, appeared out of sorts on Saturday playing behind lone striker Odion in the 2-0 defeat to Croatia in their Russia 2018 World Cup opening clash.

Mourinho, who signed a young Mikel for Chelsea in 2006 and converted him from an attacking midfielder to a defensive midfield, has agreed with those calling for the Tianjin TEDA star to be deployed in a deeper role.

On the Russian TV station RT, where he is working as a World Cup pundit, Mourinho said, referring to Mikel: “Nigeria lost a good No.6 to get a bad No.10.”

The Super Eagles, who have failed to advance the two previous times they lost their opening games, face Iceland on Friday needing a win to keep hope alive.


https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/mourinho-mikel-a-good-no-6-bad-no-10-for-super-eagles/#comment-135929

MetalJigsaw:
Mourinho: Mikel A Good No.6, Bad No.10 For Super Eagles
June 19, 2018 7:08 am


Manchester United manager Jose
Mourinho has joined the Mikel Obi debate.

Mikel has often played an advanced role for the Super Eagles while he played a much deeper role for Chelsea successfully for close to 11 years.

The Nigeria captain, now 31, appeared out of sorts on Saturday playing behind lone striker Odion in the 2-0 defeat to Croatia in their Russia 2018 World Cup opening clash.

Mourinho, who signed a young Mikel for Chelsea in 2006 and converted him from an attacking midfielder to a defensive midfield, has agreed with those calling for the Tianjin TEDA star to be deployed in a deeper role.

On the Russian TV station RT, where he is working as a World Cup pundit, Mourinho said, referring to Mikel: “Nigeria lost a good No.6 to get a bad No.10.”

The Super Eagles, who have failed to advance the two previous times they lost their opening games, face Iceland on Friday needing a win to keep hope alive.


https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/mourinho-mikel-a-good-no-6-bad-no-10-for-super-eagles/#comment-135929

who made him a bad number 10 in the first place? abeg Jose shift go one side jor

kennysville:
You should read the genesis of his tagging the team super chickens. He bet heavy on the match and lost. Question is who send am?

Even if he no bet they deserve the tag.

MetalJigsaw:
Is this man ok? Or he is drunk? How can you compare Germany , brazil and Argentina to this Nigeria team with thier dumb ass coach Rohr?

Have you seen the remaining teams Germany or Brazil will face after the 1st March? Germany will tear South Korea apart and beat nonsense out Sweden and still top or go through the tournament. Brazil will beat sebia and Costa Rica and still go thru .. so expect brazil & Swiss to go thru while Argentina plus Croatia or Iceland to go through except Big luck come from above to beat Iceland and Argentina.- complete
sports fan.

are you sure Germany wil beat Sweden .... If football is mathematics ... Mexico should not have a chance near that German team ... i am not supporting Pinnick either ... but lets give these guys the chance , they can still do better . Iceland is beatable so also Argentina .

lexyman:
are you sure Germany wil beat Sweden .... If football is mathematics ... Mexico should not have a chance near that German team ... i am not supporting Pinnick either ... but lets give these guys the chance , they can still do better . Iceland is beatable so also Argentina .

I really don't see the Germans coming top in that group. They are my next team after Nigeria tho. But whatever position, they do well if they get through to the next round.

Joebie:
Watching it again.. iheanacho looking good

I no fit try am

ykalhaji:
We are saying the same thing. But he was still our holding midfielder Nigeria is not an European team where long passes work. How many passes from Leon connected ? I understand Rohr's tactic that was why he played Ighalo and Mikel up front(long passes from deep & Ighalo muscle his way and maybe score), it would have worked if the 2 costly mistakes had not happened but that is what you get by game planning to your opponents strength. Etebo was given too much responsibilities. That was Mikel's position. Iwobi should have played in the middle, Nacho and Vic Moses should have spearheaded the attack. Then Etebo brought in the 2nd half to replace a tired Mikel. That would have ensured we scored at least 2 goals.

About cornerkicks, we should forget the over emphasis on defending them, we should just do our best. The last game showed that the apprehension in defending them is so much, that we lost the game simply on the fear some of the guys have defending corner kicks. I say let's stop worrying about it, defend what we can and then play our game. The fans will understand if we lose but not playing entertaining and free flowing ball, no that one we can't and should not forgive.

U are missing the point. The CB gets more space and more time to pick out a pass. If players are being marked tight the best option is play it to your CB and continue building. We did a good job at maintaining possession and building from the back, Leon didn't make that many long passes either. At this point I feel the coach will try to accommodate Etebo after his display.
We have been beaten by corner kicks in the last 3 matches so I can't accept that we should not emphasis on corner kicks. This is the time for our players to knuckle down and fix this issue. Not only have we not been able to defend them but at the same token we can't utilize them. Even the commentator said we had the size to be able to cause problems but yet we look like a bunch of midgets out there. The problem is that they think a set piece is the time to rest and relax. We have had so many nice balls come in the box but people want to blame ViMo and I'm like should he walk the ball and place it on their heads? Set pieces to me will decide our tournament so we have to dwell on the te te.

SerVik:
There be ice dragons here. By aron gunnarsson.


I hope our World Cup opponents aren’t reading this, because I’m gonna tell you exactly what has made our tiny country so successful.

But first, I need to explain a little bit about Iceland. Because I’ve noticed that now, whenever I meet people, they’ll say, “Oh, you’re from Iceland? That’s so cool. Northern Lights! Yeah, man!”

After the Euros put our country in the spotlight, it seemed like everybody started going to Reykjavik on vacation.

But I’m not from the vacation part of Iceland.

I’m from the north of Iceland.

If you try to find my town on old maps, it just says: There Be Ice Dragons Here.

My hometown is a place called Akureyri, with about 18,000 people. There wasn’t really much else to do there except play sports, so I began playing football. Of course, I dreamed of becoming a pro. But there were two problems.

First, I could only play in the summer. You see, in the winter, the pitches were covered with … come on, everybody say it together! You guessed it: ice and snow. And I’m not talking about the kind of winters you have in England, where a few centimeters of snow cause panic. I’m talking about proper winters. Several meters of snow. Minus 10 °. Four or five hours of sunlight a day.

Have you seen Game of Thrones? Well, then you get the idea.

So in winter, I played handball instead. But that didn’t solve my second football problem. You see, when the snow finally melted, I didn’t play on grass. That kind of luxury was reserved only for the senior players.

So I had to play on gravel.

Seriously.

Safe to say, it wasn’t ideal. One day I came home with this horrific gash on my leg, and my mother was shocked. Of course, all I had done was to go into a sliding tackle, but you’d think I had been fighting a bear!

The team I started playing for was called Thór, named after the god of thunder. (I’m not making this up — you can ask my mother.) And I wanted to be a footballer so badly. I was doing these sprints, I was hitting the gym … basically, I was working like a madman. But I also knew the odds were stacked against me. I kept asking myself questions, and I didn’t like the answers.

Aron, how many professional footballers have come from Akureyri?

Not many.

And how good can you possibly get by playing only in summer on a gravel pitch?

Probably not very good.

But I chose to ignore the facts. And then came the game-changer. You see, years ago, the Icelandic Football Association invested heavily in these indoor halls with artificial grass. Suddenly every kid in Iceland could play football all year.

Do you realize how big a deal that was for us? All year!

Of course, I immediately moved into my local hall. I made it my living room. They often had to kick me out at night. But there was still this mental block. What I mean by that is, nobody really believed you could win anything as a footballer from Iceland. In fact, this one time, a player on our national team told me a story about how he told his club coach that he dreamed of playing in the Euros.

“That’s a nice thought,” the coach said. “It’s just a shame you’re from Iceland.”

Pretty depressing, right?

Personally I didn’t let that bother me, but I did know I had to leave Iceland to evolve as a player. So when I got the chance to join AZ Alkmaar, in Holland, I took it. I was 17 years old. And man, it was tough. The football was on another level. In my first training session, I got nutmegged four times. I was so embarrassed that I considered jumping on the first flight back to Iceland.

https://cdn.theplayerstribune.com/uploads/d07bf7f8-180504sr_arongunnarsson_p1453_0135.jpg?width=1000

But the hardest part was leaving my family. I spent the first two months holed up in a hotel, calling my mother, crying, saying I didn’t really want to do this. Thankfully, my family encouraged me to keep going, and deep down I was still hell-bent on making it.

I guess all my tears paid off, because 18 months later I got the call for the Iceland senior squad. They were playing a friendly against Belarus in Malta, and I had to get on a flight immediately in order to make it in time. Only I didn’t have a car. During my first year in Holland, I had been riding a bicycle everywhere because I couldn’t afford anything else.

So you know what my mother did? She bought me a scooter.

A red scooter. It looked more like a motorcycle really, which I thought was kind of badass. I actually grew quite attached to it. So when they called me up to the national team, I strapped on my backpack, put on my bike helmet and drove to the train station, where I got the express train to the airport.

Thanks for that one, mum �

So I go off and live my dream, playing for Iceland, and it’s incredible. I fly back to Holland, and I’m still in the clouds. I’m buzzing. I’m a big time footballer now, right? Well, I walk outside the train station to fetch my scooter from the rack where I had parked it … and what do I see?

In the very spot where my scooter was supposed to be, there’s nothing but a single tire with a chain wrapped around it.

Someone had stolen my damn scooter while I was off playing Belarus.

My mother just laughed about it, but I’m telling you, I was genuinely upset! That robbery really brought me down to earth quickly.

A few years later, I was part of the group that qualified for the 2011 under-21 Euros in Denmark. That was a big deal, because Iceland had never done that. By the time we entered qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, many of us guys from the under-21 team had become part of the senior side.

Of course, even with all that young talent, we were never supposed to make the World Cup.

People always used to say, “Iceland? Bah, there’s not many world-class players in Iceland.”

But, actually, with 330,000 people living there … we don’t have many players full-stop.

So we had to be clever about the way we played. And that’s where our former coach, Lars Lagerbäck, came in.

When you look at Lars, he doesn’t appear to be a prolific coach. He’s very understated. But, man, he knows what he’s doing. When he arrived in 2011 he began holding these meetings about how we defended. They were long, and honestly, extremely boring. Just so, so boring. But Lars kept going on about it. Positioning. Corners. Throw-ins … none of the fun stuff. In training, we’d play attack vs. defense, just so that we could work on our defensive shape.

Because of that collective spirit, we made the playoffs, and faced Croatia. And when we got a 0–0 draw at home… honestly, I thought we had a chance. Then in Croatia, when they went 1–0 up but got a man sent off, we just needed one goal. One goal. We were so close…

But we never made it.

Croatia won 2–0.

Afterwards our locker room was like a graveyard. Not just because we hadn’t won, but because we hadn’t played well. But then somebody says, “Well… Let’s just go to the Euros then!”

I still don’t know who said it, but I remember thinking, He’s right. Screw this. Let’s just move on to the next one.

So that’s what we did. We started working even harder. And in that qualifying campaign for Euro 2016, we just got better and better. Our fans were a huge part of it, too. When we played Holland at home in October, I remember we went up 1—0, and the stadium fell quiet for a bit … and then …

BOOM, BOOM, HÚH!

I turn around. What was that? It was like the sound of a thunder strike.

BOOM, BOOM, HÚH!

Shivers run down my spine.

BOOM, BOOM, HÚH!

You see, that was the first time our fans did the famous Viking Clap. We may only play in front of 10,000 people, but when they do that clap … man, it feels like 100,000.

That night, I looked at some of the Holland players, and I thought, Whoa … They must be feeling that.

At the end of qualifying, we needed a point at home against Kazakhstan to become the smallest nation to ever reach the Euros. That match was a struggle. I even managed to get sent off. But when we dug out that 0–0 draw…. We went ballistic. I sprinted out on the pitch with my jacket on. We did the Viking Clap so loudly that the whole of Iceland must have heard it. And when we went to a square in Reykjavik later that night, we saw tens of thousands of people waiting for us.

That’s when you realize that you’ve really made your country proud, you know?

Of course, qualifying was one thing. The tournament itself? Who knows? Many people thought we would be lucky just not to be embarrassed.

It’s funny, because I can recall the exact moment when I realized that we had something special. It was after a training session just before the tournament, when Eidur Gudjohnsen came up to me.

He said, “You know, Aron … I really wouldn’t want to play against us.”

I said, “What do you mean?”

He said, “Well, there’s no space. I wanted to play these passes, and I wanted to create chances … But I just couldn’t.”

And that’s when the penny dropped for me. Because if you didn’t know, Eidur is football royalty. He’s played for Pep Guardiola at Barcelona — he’s played with Ronaldinho and Messi. Basically, if Eidur says you have a great defense, you really do have a great defense.

We started off against Portugal. And everyone was talking about what Cristiano Ronaldo would do to us. “How many will he get? Two goals? A hat-trick?”

So when we ground out a 1–1 draw … well, the Portuguese weren’t happy.

Of course, we celebrated. Then I saw that Ronaldo had criticized us for having a “small-country mentality”.

And I thought, “Hang on, we’ve never been at this stage before. You have done it plenty of times. We’re Iceland. Of course we’re gonna be proud!”

We could only draw against Hungary next, so we needed a point against Austria in the final group game. They needed to win. As usual, we defended well. It was 1–1 on 90 minutes…. They’re putting pressure on us…. We clear a corner, we launch a counter-attack…. And we score!

Arnór Traustason! 94th minute! Iceland goes through to the knockout stage!

Unbelievable….

I guess you may have seen the clip of the commentator on Icelandic TV going berserk when we score. It went viral, and no wonder. I mean, the guy genuinely lost it. He was screaming and crying, losing his voice.

But the thing is, everyone in Iceland was feeling like that. It wasn’t just the players and the fans — it was people back home too. We were all going berserk.

As we celebrated on the pitch, I went looking for the drummer in the Iceland fan group. I knew him, so I gave him a hint … He told everyone to be quiet … and then we did our most famous rendition of the Viking Clap. We had never done it like that before, with both the fans and the players together.

It was just pure, spontaneous joy.

BOOM, BOOM, HÚH!

https://cdn.theplayerstribune.com/uploads/4e891484-ttwire_ap_494137560080.jpg?width=1440

We were so relaxed ahead of the Round of 16 game against England. We had reached our goal — everything else was a bonus. We actually had extra motivation, because everyone in Iceland loves the Premier League — they show every single game on TV. Literally. So now we had this great chance to beat our heroes. And just in case anyone wasn’t fully up for it, Eidur made a speech.

He said, “Is everyone full? Do we want any more? Are we still hungry?”

You can imagine the roar of the response.

It was the opposite for England, I think. I almost felt sorry for them. They were under so much pressure, and you could definitely tell. They were making simple mistakes, getting the basics wrong…. They knew the trouble they would be in if they lost to Iceland.

Everyone spoke about how bad England were, but watch the game again. Look at how organized we are. We run. We shut down space. We cover for each other. What Eidur had said after that training session was spot on: We really are horrible to play against.

When the game was over, I sprinted toward our fans so quickly that I forgot to shake hands with the England players. So if you guys are reading this … sorry!

And, then … well, I know this may sound weird, because I’m this Icelander with all these tattoos and a beard and all that. But as we celebrated, I wanted to cry. Honestly. When we did the Viking Clap with our fans, shivers ran down my spine.

I must admit that it took us a while to come back down to earth after that tournament. But we managed to do it. You see, at our next team meeting, Heimir Hallgrímsson shook us back to life. He had been the joint first coach with Lars during the Euros, but now that Lars had left for the job in Norway, he was in charge.

His message was simple.

We had never made a World Cup in our nation’s history.

So … Why can’t we do it?

https://cdn.theplayerstribune.com/uploads/f6dab7d9-180504sr_arongunnarsson_p1453_0169.jpg?width=1000

I mean, we could have said, “We’re tiny Iceland. Nobody expects us to qualify. We won’t put any extra pressure on ourselves.”

But there was no way that was happening. That’s just not us.

In fact, at the Euros, we had already sent people to scout our World Cup qualifying opponents. That tells you something about our mindset. We wanted more.

Some of us players are nearing the end now. We’re in our late 20s and early 30s, and we know we’ll have to give way for younger players soon. That’s why it’s so important that we pass on the values that have made us successful. I mean, we could go to Russia and try to play like Barcelona. But what would be the point? We’d just be a bad copy. We’d definitely be a worse team.

That’s not what Iceland is about. It never has been.

In a way, I see our style as a symbol of Iceland. Just look at some of our players — I mean, maybe we’re not the most technical. Maybe we’re not the prettiest to look at. But would you want to fight us? I don’t think so.

We’re united. We’re tough. We fear nothing.

And that’s the lesson I want to pass on to our young players in Russia. I want them to realize that if you work hard, and if you have guys who are willing to stick together, anything is possible in football. Anything. CC: mujtahida


Aron Gunnarsson
ICELAND

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/there-be-ice-dragons-here

We are in serious trouble now. Aren't we.

Look at their ideology and mentality. "We are United, we are tough, we fear nothing".

A nation of just 330,000

Why Nigeria...why

Don't we also have a rich history or have we just not learnt anything

This fighting spirit....this doggedness is what is missing from our guys.

No motivation.....no commitment....no fighting spirit. Nothing

Once we are a goal down. That's it. No more hope.

I once asked if we had a team psychologist because it's obvious our guys don't have a winners mentality. The attitude of champions is missing in our team. The desire to win is missing. Mental conditioning is absent. Football is more a game of the mind than of the feet if recent happenings in the world of football is anything to go by.

Im just so unhappy right now..we deserve more in Nigeria

edi287:
Actually a peak Ighalo is much more mobile than Giroud. He takes players on and creates. I actually think he isn't that great as a lone striker. His best period with Watford was when he was paired with Deeney in a 4-4-2.

The reality is he currently the best striker we have in the squad.

This why having strength in depth is important in a squad. KC can not play the No.9 Role, anywhere near as good as Ighalo.

So we have to make do with what we have.

Joebie:
My final take is that we are not utilizing our players fully.

Simple as that.

We missed Moses Simon outwide

goldfish80:
Since you're very vast in knowledge of German football, can you tell me when last Neuer played competitive football for Bayern Munich and how many games he played last season.
Also tell me the rationale for playing an out of shape Boateng who have struggled this past season. The same Boateng Bayern have placed on transfer.

See, in all human endevour, there's always favoritism. Favoritism is not a Nigerian word. If not for Lowe's sentiment, he wouldn't have dropped Leroy Sane. No way an out of shape Neuer gets into the team ahead of the Barcelona keeper. It is all sentiments,nothing Nigerian about this.

Thank you

i will prefer this Formation Against iceland .

PDPGuy:
I thank Rohr for all he has done for the Super Eagles, especially qualifying the team for the World Cup. But after the June/July AFCON next year, Siasia should be given the reigns of the team.

That way, he will have over 2 years to implement his philosophy on the team before the 2022 World Cup.

In the same vein, the next AFCON should be the last major tournament for Mikel Obi, because I seriously doubt whether he will have the legs for World Cup action in four year’s time. He would even be much slower by that time.

Qhi can comfortably replace mikel in the when he retires

MetalJigsaw:
Na nacho own go worst pass. The solution is ri play twin strikers with an attacking midfielder behind them. We will surely create more chances.

Agreed plus agreed without any addition.

EEGA:
Ebuehi played was poor against Serbia because of injury, why do u want Rohr to repeat the same Mistake?

We can manage Shehu in Ebuehi's position but we can't manage anyone in Balogun's position.

A half-fit Balogun will always start ahead of Both Omeruo and Awaziem.

Are you telling me Rohr selected a player with injury issues

Isaac Success has been working like a madman in preparation for the preseason. I hope we get to see a new and improved Isaac at Watford and even in the SE.

tbaba1234:
No Siasia please... If Rohr does not succeed, then get a foreign coach that plays the kind of entertaining football you want. Rohr has not failed yet.

We will be back to poor and debatable selections with Siasia.

Another foreign coach is the best idea.

andrew444:
It's not easy we can't get all foreign guys

We are lucky to get ebuehi especially now that he is a benfica player if not we for hear am.

If ebuehi dey team like Ajax to get am go be wahala oo,thank God say e don dey super eagles before he join benfica

The question you should ask is why.

Both Ademola Lookman and Ovie Ejaria were selected for U17 then they were let go, Why

There are too many stories I have been personally involved with NFF supposed scouting missions in London. Never ever again will I be involved in such a charade.

Open your eyes �

MetalJigsaw:
This man must be drunk

I swear down. Go on Twitter and see what Brazilian fans are doing to neymar. Even the Brazil media is in on the hair joke. We have not even said anything to our bunch of fashionistas, dancers and choir parade boys.


Seriously I envy Iceland. Their attitude is everything I wish for our team. They are always up for a fight and ready to die on the pitch. Not one player stopped running. They were able to use the hell they have been through and channel that energy into the game. Every single player.

We will have to pull a trick, do something exceptional or pray for a miracle to beat these guys. Winter is coming we should be ready for battle.

This is the reality. Anyone saying anything else is just sentimental and biased. As for me I'm hoping for the best but won't be shocked if we do not win.

Cc:kennysville

darkelf:
We are in serious trouble now. Aren't we.

Look at their ideology and mentality. "We are United, we are tough, we fear nothing".

A nation of just 330,000

Why Nigeria...why

Don't we also have a rich history or have we just not learnt anything

This fighting spirit....this doggedness is what is missing from our guys.

No motivation.....no commitment....no fighting spirit. Nothing

Once we are a goal down. That's it. No more hope.

I once asked if we had a team psychologist because it's obvious our guys don't have a winners mentality. The attitude of champions is missing in our team. The desire to win is missing. Mental conditioning is absent. Football is more a game of the mind than of the feet if recent happenings in the world of football is anything to go by.

Im just so unhappy right now..we deserve more in Nigeria

most of our players come from deep poverty background, once they begin to earn some thousand dollars, they feel it's the peak and they relax instead of dreaming bigger, it's also the problem of the Nigerian average youth. I once read about a graduate from unn who said until he came to serve [NYSC in the west, that's when he knew companies like like PWC and KPMG exists. Our minds as Nigerians are so small. Do you know if we even crashed out in the first round, most of these players with the allowances and bonus they will collect, they will see it as huge achievement in 2018. Most of them just wanted to appear in the world cup, nothing more including the nff officials that went on the trip, all the perks they have gotten will be seen as God's favour and blessings in 2018 and hope that 2019 will be come with its own. That is how we think in Nigeria, we don't dream bigger for long lasting enduring success, prosperity and legacy unlike other climes.

TheSuperNerd:
I was among the first to say long long ago that we surely won't get all but we must try to get the quality ones/potentials we can get our hands on.

We must not fail in this regard.... It must be part of our Post-Russia project alongside the gradual blooding in of Other Naija young super talents (the non-foreign borns) and good fringe players.

I have said it few times and I am saying this again.

Bigoted divisory discriminatory approach that has nothing to do with excellence.

You show your undiluted prejudice against Nigerian because they were not born in Nigeria.

That's backward thinking that underpins where tribalism and nepotism have come from. Shockingly you describe yourself as a progressive youth.

SerVik:
There be ice dragons here. By aron gunnarsson.


I hope our World Cup opponents aren’t reading this, because I’m gonna tell you exactly what has made our tiny country so successful.

But first, I need to explain a little bit about Iceland. Because I’ve noticed that now, whenever I meet people, they’ll say, “Oh, you’re from Iceland? That’s so cool. Northern Lights! Yeah, man!”

After the Euros put our country in the spotlight, it seemed like everybody started going to Reykjavik on vacation.

But I’m not from the vacation part of Iceland.

I’m from the north of Iceland.

If you try to find my town on old maps, it just says: There Be Ice Dragons Here.

My hometown is a place called Akureyri, with about 18,000 people. There wasn’t really much else to do there except play sports, so I began playing football. Of course, I dreamed of becoming a pro. But there were two problems.

First, I could only play in the summer. You see, in the winter, the pitches were covered with … come on, everybody say it together! You guessed it: ice and snow. And I’m not talking about the kind of winters you have in England, where a few centimeters of snow cause panic. I’m talking about proper winters. Several meters of snow. Minus 10 °. Four or five hours of sunlight a day.

Have you seen Game of Thrones? Well, then you get the idea.

So in winter, I played handball instead. But that didn’t solve my second football problem. You see, when the snow finally melted, I didn’t play on grass. That kind of luxury was reserved only for the senior players.

So I had to play on gravel.

Seriously.

Safe to say, it wasn’t ideal. One day I came home with this horrific gash on my leg, and my mother was shocked. Of course, all I had done was to go into a sliding tackle, but you’d think I had been fighting a bear!

The team I started playing for was called Thór, named after the god of thunder. (I’m not making this up — you can ask my mother.) And I wanted to be a footballer so badly. I was doing these sprints, I was hitting the gym … basically, I was working like a madman. But I also knew the odds were stacked against me. I kept asking myself questions, and I didn’t like the answers.

Aron, how many professional footballers have come from Akureyri?

Not many.

And how good can you possibly get by playing only in summer on a gravel pitch?

Probably not very good.

But I chose to ignore the facts. And then came the game-changer. You see, years ago, the Icelandic Football Association invested heavily in these indoor halls with artificial grass. Suddenly every kid in Iceland could play football all year.

Do you realize how big a deal that was for us? All year!

Of course, I immediately moved into my local hall. I made it my living room. They often had to kick me out at night. But there was still this mental block. What I mean by that is, nobody really believed you could win anything as a footballer from Iceland. In fact, this one time, a player on our national team told me a story about how he told his club coach that he dreamed of playing in the Euros.

“That’s a nice thought,” the coach said. “It’s just a shame you’re from Iceland.”

Pretty depressing, right?

Personally I didn’t let that bother me, but I did know I had to leave Iceland to evolve as a player. So when I got the chance to join AZ Alkmaar, in Holland, I took it. I was 17 years old. And man, it was tough. The football was on another level. In my first training session, I got nutmegged four times. I was so embarrassed that I considered jumping on the first flight back to Iceland.

https://cdn.theplayerstribune.com/uploads/d07bf7f8-180504sr_arongunnarsson_p1453_0135.jpg?width=1000

But the hardest part was leaving my family. I spent the first two months holed up in a hotel, calling my mother, crying, saying I didn’t really want to do this. Thankfully, my family encouraged me to keep going, and deep down I was still hell-bent on making it.

I guess all my tears paid off, because 18 months later I got the call for the Iceland senior squad. They were playing a friendly against Belarus in Malta, and I had to get on a flight immediately in order to make it in time. Only I didn’t have a car. During my first year in Holland, I had been riding a bicycle everywhere because I couldn’t afford anything else.

So you know what my mother did? She bought me a scooter.

A red scooter. It looked more like a motorcycle really, which I thought was kind of badass. I actually grew quite attached to it. So when they called me up to the national team, I strapped on my backpack, put on my bike helmet and drove to the train station, where I got the express train to the airport.

Thanks for that one, mum �

So I go off and live my dream, playing for Iceland, and it’s incredible. I fly back to Holland, and I’m still in the clouds. I’m buzzing. I’m a big time footballer now, right? Well, I walk outside the train station to fetch my scooter from the rack where I had parked it … and what do I see?

In the very spot where my scooter was supposed to be, there’s nothing but a single tire with a chain wrapped around it.

Someone had stolen my damn scooter while I was off playing Belarus.

My mother just laughed about it, but I’m telling you, I was genuinely upset! That robbery really brought me down to earth quickly.

A few years later, I was part of the group that qualified for the 2011 under-21 Euros in Denmark. That was a big deal, because Iceland had never done that. By the time we entered qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, many of us guys from the under-21 team had become part of the senior side.

Of course, even with all that young talent, we were never supposed to make the World Cup.

People always used to say, “Iceland? Bah, there’s not many world-class players in Iceland.”

But, actually, with 330,000 people living there … we don’t have many players full-stop.

So we had to be clever about the way we played. And that’s where our former coach, Lars Lagerbäck, came in.

When you look at Lars, he doesn’t appear to be a prolific coach. He’s very understated. But, man, he knows what he’s doing. When he arrived in 2011 he began holding these meetings about how we defended. They were long, and honestly, extremely boring. Just so, so boring. But Lars kept going on about it. Positioning. Corners. Throw-ins … none of the fun stuff. In training, we’d play attack vs. defense, just so that we could work on our defensive shape.

Because of that collective spirit, we made the playoffs, and faced Croatia. And when we got a 0–0 draw at home… honestly, I thought we had a chance. Then in Croatia, when they went 1–0 up but got a man sent off, we just needed one goal. One goal. We were so close…

But we never made it.

Croatia won 2–0.

Afterwards our locker room was like a graveyard. Not just because we hadn’t won, but because we hadn’t played well. But then somebody says, “Well… Let’s just go to the Euros then!”

I still don’t know who said it, but I remember thinking, He’s right. Screw this. Let’s just move on to the next one.

So that’s what we did. We started working even harder. And in that qualifying campaign for Euro 2016, we just got better and better. Our fans were a huge part of it, too. When we played Holland at home in October, I remember we went up 1—0, and the stadium fell quiet for a bit … and then …

BOOM, BOOM, HÚH!

I turn around. What was that? It was like the sound of a thunder strike.

BOOM, BOOM, HÚH!

Shivers run down my spine.

BOOM, BOOM, HÚH!

You see, that was the first time our fans did the famous Viking Clap. We may only play in front of 10,000 people, but when they do that clap … man, it feels like 100,000.

That night, I looked at some of the Holland players, and I thought, Whoa … They must be feeling that.

At the end of qualifying, we needed a point at home against Kazakhstan to become the smallest nation to ever reach the Euros. That match was a struggle. I even managed to get sent off. But when we dug out that 0–0 draw…. We went ballistic. I sprinted out on the pitch with my jacket on. We did the Viking Clap so loudly that the whole of Iceland must have heard it. And when we went to a square in Reykjavik later that night, we saw tens of thousands of people waiting for us.

That’s when you realize that you’ve really made your country proud, you know?

Of course, qualifying was one thing. The tournament itself? Who knows? Many people thought we would be lucky just not to be embarrassed.

It’s funny, because I can recall the exact moment when I realized that we had something special. It was after a training session just before the tournament, when Eidur Gudjohnsen came up to me.

He said, “You know, Aron … I really wouldn’t want to play against us.”

I said, “What do you mean?”

He said, “Well, there’s no space. I wanted to play these passes, and I wanted to create chances … But I just couldn’t.”

And that’s when the penny dropped for me. Because if you didn’t know, Eidur is football royalty. He’s played for Pep Guardiola at Barcelona — he’s played with Ronaldinho and Messi. Basically, if Eidur says you have a great defense, you really do have a great defense.

We started off against Portugal. And everyone was talking about what Cristiano Ronaldo would do to us. “How many will he get? Two goals? A hat-trick?”

So when we ground out a 1–1 draw … well, the Portuguese weren’t happy.

Of course, we celebrated. Then I saw that Ronaldo had criticized us for having a “small-country mentality”.

And I thought, “Hang on, we’ve never been at this stage before. You have done it plenty of times. We’re Iceland. Of course we’re gonna be proud!”

We could only draw against Hungary next, so we needed a point against Austria in the final group game. They needed to win. As usual, we defended well. It was 1–1 on 90 minutes…. They’re putting pressure on us…. We clear a corner, we launch a counter-attack…. And we score!

Arnór Traustason! 94th minute! Iceland goes through to the knockout stage!

Unbelievable….

I guess you may have seen the clip of the commentator on Icelandic TV going berserk when we score. It went viral, and no wonder. I mean, the guy genuinely lost it. He was screaming and crying, losing his voice.

But the thing is, everyone in Iceland was feeling like that. It wasn’t just the players and the fans — it was people back home too. We were all going berserk.

As we celebrated on the pitch, I went looking for the drummer in the Iceland fan group. I knew him, so I gave him a hint … He told everyone to be quiet … and then we did our most famous rendition of the Viking Clap. We had never done it like that before, with both the fans and the players together.

It was just pure, spontaneous joy.

BOOM, BOOM, HÚH!

https://cdn.theplayerstribune.com/uploads/4e891484-ttwire_ap_494137560080.jpg?width=1440

We were so relaxed ahead of the Round of 16 game against England. We had reached our goal — everything else was a bonus. We actually had extra motivation, because everyone in Iceland loves the Premier League — they show every single game on TV. Literally. So now we had this great chance to beat our heroes. And just in case anyone wasn’t fully up for it, Eidur made a speech.

He said, “Is everyone full? Do we want any more? Are we still hungry?”

You can imagine the roar of the response.

It was the opposite for England, I think. I almost felt sorry for them. They were under so much pressure, and you could definitely tell. They were making simple mistakes, getting the basics wrong…. They knew the trouble they would be in if they lost to Iceland.

Everyone spoke about how bad England were, but watch the game again. Look at how organized we are. We run. We shut down space. We cover for each other. What Eidur had said after that training session was spot on: We really are horrible to play against.

When the game was over, I sprinted toward our fans so quickly that I forgot to shake hands with the England players. So if you guys are reading this … sorry!

And, then … well, I know this may sound weird, because I’m this Icelander with all these tattoos and a beard and all that. But as we celebrated, I wanted to cry. Honestly. When we did the Viking Clap with our fans, shivers ran down my spine.

I must admit that it took us a while to come back down to earth after that tournament. But we managed to do it. You see, at our next team meeting, Heimir Hallgrímsson shook us back to life. He had been the joint first coach with Lars during the Euros, but now that Lars had left for the job in Norway, he was in charge.

His message was simple.

We had never made a World Cup in our nation’s history.

So … Why can’t we do it?

https://cdn.theplayerstribune.com/uploads/f6dab7d9-180504sr_arongunnarsson_p1453_0169.jpg?width=1000

I mean, we could have said, “We’re tiny Iceland. Nobody expects us to qualify. We won’t put any extra pressure on ourselves.”

But there was no way that was happening. That’s just not us.

In fact, at the Euros, we had already sent people to scout our World Cup qualifying opponents. That tells you something about our mindset. We wanted more.

Some of us players are nearing the end now. We’re in our late 20s and early 30s, and we know we’ll have to give way for younger players soon. That’s why it’s so important that we pass on the values that have made us successful. I mean, we could go to Russia and try to play like Barcelona. But what would be the point? We’d just be a bad copy. We’d definitely be a worse team.

That’s not what Iceland is about. It never has been.

In a way, I see our style as a symbol of Iceland. Just look at some of our players — I mean, maybe we’re not the most technical. Maybe we’re not the prettiest to look at. But would you want to fight us? I don’t think so.

We’re united. We’re tough. We fear nothing.

And that’s the lesson I want to pass on to our young players in Russia. I want them to realize that if you work hard, and if you have guys who are willing to stick together, anything is possible in football. Anything. CC: mujtahida


Aron Gunnarsson
ICELAND

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/there-be-ice-dragons-here

Hmmmmm! Iceland got nothing to loose and that's why they feed on teams desperate for a win.

We should be very careful with this team and it will be good we watch how teams scored them. Most especially, how France beat them.

komekn:
The reality is he currently the best striker we have in the squad.

This why having strength in depth is important in a squad. KC can not play the No.9 Role, anywhere near as good as Ighalo.

So we have to make do with what we have.

True. Nacho's finishing is something that we sorely need in this lineup. The question is how do we fit both in alongside Iwobi, Mikel, Ndidi and Vic Moses?
Vic Moses should be played as a wing back but I doubt he'll be cool with that

edi287:
We missed Moses Simon outwide

Exactly. Thank goodness people are seeing the dynamism he brings to the team.
A peak Simon had Iwobi rooted to the bench in the qualifiers which didn't go down well with some.

forgiveness:
Hmmmmm! Iceland got nothing to loose and that's why they feed on teams desperate for a win.

We should be very careful with this team and it will be good we watch how teams scored them. Most especially, how France beat them.

WE CAN BEAT THEM ... SURE BY PENALTY ... IF WE PLAY ETEBO ON THE WING AND VICTOR MOSES . THEY CAN WIN US A PENALTY , OR PENALTIES . we need to press hard but they get one thing working for them good defence !

lexyman:
are you sure Germany wil beat Sweden .... If football is mathematics ... Mexico should not have a chance near that German team ... i am not supporting Pinnick either ... but lets give these guys the chance , they can still do better . Iceland is beatable so also Argentina .

I'm not the owner of the aforementioned post. But if you say Iceland and Argentina are beatable, then what should Germany say about Sweden?

Famocious:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLvYwrHPWE/

This is an English team undergoing military drills ahead of World Cup unlike.....

Same England that I saw bowling on super sports. There is a time and place for every thing even fun.

lexyman:
i will prefer this Formation Against iceland .

Where is Alex Iwobi??