₦airaland Forum

charlesemeka85:
you are right. he is more technical with a better height which is essential in the cb position than omeruo.

He is also braver and less likely to make mistakes

Danielnino00:
If he doesn't win the league or UCL this season, he will leave...

He will then head to another money spining club like PSG or Juventus .
Or maybe head back to Barca...

Na him way na

charlesemeka85:
Cyriel Dessers is yet to put on the green-and-white jersey of Nigeria, but he has already put frost onto an already cold relationship between Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick.


There were more than a few Nigerian football followers and officials who metaphorically danced, skipped, and jumped with glee when Dessers announced officially that he was nailing his international flag to the country's mast.

Rohr was not one of them.

But this was quite the coup for Pinnick, who had spoken to the Belgium-born and raised player and seemingly got him to make the commitment.

Make no mistake, Heracles Almelo's Dessers is a big catch for the Super Eagles, who are one Victor Osimhen absence or dip in form from being almost toothless upfront.

Osimhen has stepped more than magnificently into Nigeria's central striking role since the retirement of Odion Ighalo last year, helping himself to four goals and two assists in the Super Eagles' four post-Africa Cup of Nations matches that he has started.

Fleet of foot, his vision and link play are additional assets that make him a tough opponent for even the best in the world, as Brazil's centrebacks discovered in the 1-1 draw in Singapore even though that was the only fixture of the four in which he did not score.

For a 20-year-old, getting his first crack at leading the international line, those numbers are a first-class return and provide an unending source of pride for Rohr, who identified the then-teenager, when he first took over the job three years ago, and made him a focal point of his Super Eagles rebuild.

Osimhen's success as marksman, however, also illustrates Rohr's failure to find a second goalscorer who is just as efficient. And that's not for want of trying.


Simeon Nwankwo was plucked from Serie A and taken to the World Cup in Russia but flamed out. Paul Onuachu still gets called up, but he has done practically nothing since that record quick goal against Egypt on debut.

Henry Onyekuru has failed to even break into the side, and the likes of David Okereke and Dennis Bonaventure are also bit-part players. None has established himself as back-up, let alone attempt to provide competition, to Osimhen.

That is exactly what Eredivisie's lead scorer Dessers offers.

Dessers is a proven goalscorer, as his numbers for unfashionable Heracles in the Netherlands prove. And he is not just a one-season wonder. He scored 22 goals in 36 league games for NAC Breda back in 2015 to propel them to promotion, and then joined Utrecht, for whom he scored nine in 32 the campaign after, and five in 15 last season before joining Heracles.

Standing at six feet and well built, Dessers, the son of a Belgian father and Nigerian mother, is exactly the kind of target man Rohr will want as both competition and backup for Osimhen in his 4-3-3 formation if the striker can translate his club form to the international arena.

But in all of the excitement that surrounded last week's announcement, Rohr's reaction was uncharacteristically muted. This was a departure from his usual loquacious self when talking about players.

Asked by ESPN if Dessers would be called-up soon after his announcement, Rohr's response was a noncommittal "we will see."

Pressed further about whether he had been monitoring the player, and for how long, Rohr said: "When we look at new players, we do it discreetly."



That response appeared to be a thinly veiled barb at Pinnick, who has either been photographed with intending players and/or their parents, or has made it known that he is speaking with the players and their families.

Quite clearly, the German did not want to talk about Dessers. And he was choosing his words carefully after being the subject of disciplinary action by the NFF over an interview last month.

Rohr's pique seems to stem from the fact that he has been in contact with the player on the down-low for more than two years, according to a source on the Super Eagles coaching staff. That contact was on the recommendation of defender William Troost-Ekong, himself born abroad before switching allegiance to Nigeria

"He was recommended by William [Troost-Ekong], who told us he knew him from their time as young players and that he had Nigeria connections and would be open to an approach," the source told ESPN.


"The coaches looked at him and were quite happy. He has been monitored very closely since then, with constant communication. This commitment was secured two years ago while he was at NAC Breda. It was just a question of the right time to bring him in."

Rohr's ire is not so much about Dessers, and having the rug pulled from under his feet -- he also apparently found out about the forward's announcement by reading about it -- as it is the overall strategy of Pinnick having photo ops with players.

There are concerns that England-born Ebere Eze's potential move away from EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers for a bigger club could now have been compromised after a meeting with Pinnick.

The source added: "There are very influential people who do not want him to switch allegiance. That is why it is important to handle these discussions discretely. [Eze] has a Premier League team looking at him, and a Championship team with promotion prospects also in the picture. But this whole thing [photo with Pinnick] could compromise that."

Eze's saving grace comes in the shape of Tammy Abraham, who committed to England despite a similar publicised meeting with the NFF boss; Eze will be feeling that his prospective transfer can still be salvaged because he can argue that meeting Pinnick doesn't necessarily mean he will switch allegiance -- even if he plans to.

Still, the Nigeria coaches would prefer the NFF president to step back from his public displays of affection with potential players -- especially if Rohr already has the same players on his radar.

"There are over 450 players on the database," the source within the Nigeria team told ESPN. "Of that number, 65 are foreign-born but eligible to play for Nigeria.

"All of them are being monitored and most of them we have spoken to. But the process requires diplomacy and constant communication, and the timing must be right."

It does not appear the coaches will get their way soon; meanwhile, Dessers is caught in a crossfire about which he has zero idea.

Pinnick should stop acting like a typical Naija politician and allow Rhor do his job

Subzero047:
Unpopular opinion

Awaziem is a better defender than Omeruo

Don't know about better but he's definitely most versatile, he can play CB, RB and DM

Subzero047:
Unpopular opinion

Awaziem is a better defender than Omeruo

Yes unpopular opinion

Awaziem is not better than Omeruo even Ekong is not better cos when it comes to tournament Omeruo has been a better defender and this has made Rohr to always include him in his plan despite some knacks.

I always see Awaziem has a great options cos he can be deployed as CB,RB even DM but when it comes to real CB,Omeruo is ahead.

jihday:
Don't know about better but he's definitely most versatile, he can play CB, RB and DM

Gbam

Looks a completely different player to the one we've usually seen before. That moment he held onto the ball after 3 challenges recently stands out to me. It's clear his attitude and workrate is much improved. I've no doubt Rodgers has had a lot to do with this,

Fabulous for one that Leicester suddenly have their back up striker for Vardy, but then they start to link up and become a different animal altogether.

Well done to all involved, especially Kelechi and Brendan.

AndSunGorilla:
I only saw glimpses of the Canada 87 final in fact that was the first soccer game I remember watching so I didn't get to enjoy Osondu. So sorry Kog45, Icon4s, Gamaliel and other old men please pay some tribute to Osondu and bring to life some of his exploits here.

Kai old men?

Phillip Osondu Mast remained the best youth player to come out of Africa and his record in U17 history was great though he failed woefully as a player we all looked up to

He played for Elkanemi warriors and one of the boys colonel Abdulmumini Aminu the then founder of Elkanemi warriors always eager to watch.Osondu got transfered to Anderlecth after Canada 87 exploits but was loand to RWD where he had first team football opportunity under Coach Hugo Bross but the sacked of Bross really affected Osondu progress as a player.

He was given a special treatment by NFA and was included in Saudi 89 team as a special talent but couldn't meet up.It was obvious that Osondu has lost form,after Saudi 89 he fizzled out and never got any invitation to national team.

RIP Phillip Osondu Mast

edi287:
So how come they are the ones running the country??

Ambitious in terms of making progress. Left for the North we'd still be under the colonialists.

Left for the North we'd still be under military dictatorship (in fact by temperament this is the kind of government they like)

So granted they dominate and control the major levers of power, but they are driving the nation back and not forward.

charlesemeka85:
The founder and main presenter of the Human Rights Radio, Ahmed Isah, has been asked to retract accusations against the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, and apologise within seven days or face a civil suit of 10 billion Naira in damages.

This was contained in a letter dated Thursday, December 12, 2019, sent by the Minister’s lawyers, Okechukwu C. Uju-Azorji, Esq. and Festus Ukpe, Esq.

The letter was titled “DEMAND TO RETRACT BRIBERY ALLEGATION PUBLISHED AGAINST THE PERSON OF MR. SUNDAY DARE AND TO CEASE FROM MAKING ANY FURTHER DEFAMATORY PUBLICATIONS AGAINST HIM.”

It reads in part: ‘Our attention has been drawn to a programme popularly known as “Brekete Family Programme” aired on your station on the mornings of 11th &12th December, 2019. In the course of the said programme, you made defamatory statements against our client. Specifically, on 11th December, 2019, in the course of the said programme, you made the following statement:

“Any minister wey just land, the first thing wey this people go do na to give you 200 million naira. So if it be say this Dare don collect 200 million naira, if no be so why him no put mouth”



Additionally, on 12th December, 2019, in the course of the programme, you also made the following statement:

“As soon as dem appoint you minister, dem dey give the person 200 million naira so wetin me I dey suspect be say, no be say this present minister of sports no get the capacity, e be like say monkey hand don resemble human being hand, maybe he collect the 200 million naira and him neck don dey deep, if he try to dig, maybe him leg go show.”

We have our client’s instructions to demand an unreserved apology and a retraction of the defamatory publication in favour of our client to be broadcast in your programme and published in two (2) newspapers with nationwide coverage within seven (7) days of your receipt of this letter.

Kindly note that in the event that you refuse to comply with the above requests, we will be left with no options than to seek redress for our client through the instrumentality of the judicial process and thereby seek injunctive reliefs and Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000,000.00) in damages for the embarrassment which your publication has occasioned our client.’

Useless threat. Going by the statements attributed to Ahmed Isa he never made any categorical statement defaming the minister. If and maybe cannot ground a claim in defamation.

Dem go just chop this minister money just as dem chop Dakolo money.

charlesemeka85:
The founder and main presenter of the Human Rights Radio, Ahmed Isah, has been asked to retract accusations against the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, and apologise within seven days or face a civil suit of 10 billion Naira in damages.

This was contained in a letter dated Thursday, December 12, 2019, sent by the Minister’s lawyers, Okechukwu C. Uju-Azorji, Esq. and Festus Ukpe, Esq.

The letter was titled “DEMAND TO RETRACT BRIBERY ALLEGATION PUBLISHED AGAINST THE PERSON OF MR. SUNDAY DARE AND TO CEASE FROM MAKING ANY FURTHER DEFAMATORY PUBLICATIONS AGAINST HIM.”

It reads in part: ‘Our attention has been drawn to a programme popularly known as “Brekete Family Programme” aired on your station on the mornings of 11th &12th December, 2019. In the course of the said programme, you made defamatory statements against our client. Specifically, on 11th December, 2019, in the course of the said programme, you made the following statement:

“Any minister wey just land, the first thing wey this people go do na to give you 200 million naira. So if it be say this Dare don collect 200 million naira, if no be so why him no put mouth”



Additionally, on 12th December, 2019, in the course of the programme, you also made the following statement:

“As soon as dem appoint you minister, dem dey give the person 200 million naira so wetin me I dey suspect be say, no be say this present minister of sports no get the capacity, e be like say monkey hand don resemble human being hand, maybe he collect the 200 million naira and him neck don dey deep, if he try to dig, maybe him leg go show.”

We have our client’s instructions to demand an unreserved apology and a retraction of the defamatory publication in favour of our client to be broadcast in your programme and published in two (2) newspapers with nationwide coverage within seven (7) days of your receipt of this letter.

Kindly note that in the event that you refuse to comply with the above requests, we will be left with no options than to seek redress for our client through the instrumentality of the judicial process and thereby seek injunctive reliefs and Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000,000.00) in damages for the embarrassment which your publication has occasioned our client.’

Useless threat.

Humility017:
I am not assuming from a small sample size...

if you look through the spree of human capital development in the country you'll find out inspite of the Hausa fulanis preoccupation with political power for the past decades little can be said of the development of their people....

the quest for political power does not automatically means being ambitious
it can as well.stem from greed and the fear of being trampled upon by other minority groups..

looking over it will reveal to you...that illiteracy and poverty still flows in the north and even during time of GEJ it was revealed that some of the boko haram activities were being accentuated by the elites just to dose him out of power..... that wasn't being ambitious for your people...

inspite of this... what has the needed quest for power brought about in the social and economic development of the people....

an ambitious folks will not birth Nigeria all over and the leaders drastcally support it being that it gives numerical strength during elections......
in the south an illetrate who can't read and write will still try to make needs to attend adult school....

I am not saying the southerners are better off though...but if looked into you'll see that the northerners in times of the drive for human, economic and social capital development are really lagging behind and the elites who occupy the seats of power have done little in this regard
cc: edi287

Your analysis is in order bro and it is not scented with bias. You stating the facts as you see them.

It is the bolded that catches my eyes the most... Over 450 players on Rohr's Scouting Database. Of which 65 are foreign-born/bred and eligible to play for us (Nigeria). Very Impressive. Our technical crew is indeed watching things keener than most think.


As for Pinnick... He should stop these "loud picnics" he does by openly advertising the players we are doing our best to bag. Discretion is the best form of approach in matters like this and always will be. Thanks goodness, Dessers is ours now. But I hope he doesn't blow it when it comes to Saka, Ejaria and any other foreign born Naija kid. He has already shown England how deeply in pursuit we are of Eze and I hope it doesn't backfire in the end. Anyway, if Eze truly wants to play for us at senior level, then I believe we will have him as soon as his nationality switch papers are cleared.

He is an England U-21 international for now and obviously wanna use that "tag" to secure an EPL move on a premium level too. But when that is done and dusted... Time will tell where his heart truly lies at senior level. With England or with us.


In all, Pinnick should kindly back off and let the Super Eagles Crew do their Job.

charlesemeka85:
Cyriel Dessers is yet to put on the green-and-white jersey of Nigeria, but he has already put frost onto an already cold relationship between Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick.


There were more than a few Nigerian football followers and officials who metaphorically danced, skipped, and jumped with glee when Dessers announced officially that he was nailing his international flag to the country's mast.

Rohr was not one of them.

But this was quite the coup for Pinnick, who had spoken to the Belgium-born and raised player and seemingly got him to make the commitment.

Make no mistake, Heracles Almelo's Dessers is a big catch for the Super Eagles, who are one Victor Osimhen absence or dip in form from being almost toothless upfront.

Osimhen has stepped more than magnificently into Nigeria's central striking role since the retirement of Odion Ighalo last year, helping himself to four goals and two assists in the Super Eagles' four post-Africa Cup of Nations matches that he has started.

Fleet of foot, his vision and link play are additional assets that make him a tough opponent for even the best in the world, as Brazil's centrebacks discovered in the 1-1 draw in Singapore even though that was the only fixture of the four in which he did not score.

For a 20-year-old, getting his first crack at leading the international line, those numbers are a first-class return and provide an unending source of pride for Rohr, who identified the then-teenager, when he first took over the job three years ago, and made him a focal point of his Super Eagles rebuild.

Osimhen's success as marksman, however, also illustrates Rohr's failure to find a second goalscorer who is just as efficient. And that's not for want of trying.


Simeon Nwankwo was plucked from Serie A and taken to the World Cup in Russia but flamed out. Paul Onuachu still gets called up, but he has done practically nothing since that record quick goal against Egypt on debut.

Henry Onyekuru has failed to even break into the side, and the likes of David Okereke and Dennis Bonaventure are also bit-part players. None has established himself as back-up, let alone attempt to provide competition, to Osimhen.

That is exactly what Eredivisie's lead scorer Dessers offers.

Dessers is a proven goalscorer, as his numbers for unfashionable Heracles in the Netherlands prove. And he is not just a one-season wonder. He scored 22 goals in 36 league games for NAC Breda back in 2015 to propel them to promotion, and then joined Utrecht, for whom he scored nine in 32 the campaign after, and five in 15 last season before joining Heracles.

Standing at six feet and well built, Dessers, the son of a Belgian father and Nigerian mother, is exactly the kind of target man Rohr will want as both competition and backup for Osimhen in his 4-3-3 formation if the striker can translate his club form to the international arena.

But in all of the excitement that surrounded last week's announcement, Rohr's reaction was uncharacteristically muted. This was a departure from his usual loquacious self when talking about players.

Asked by ESPN if Dessers would be called-up soon after his announcement, Rohr's response was a noncommittal "we will see."

Pressed further about whether he had been monitoring the player, and for how long, Rohr said: "When we look at new players, we do it discreetly."



That response appeared to be a thinly veiled barb at Pinnick, who has either been photographed with intending players and/or their parents, or has made it known that he is speaking with the players and their families.

Quite clearly, the German did not want to talk about Dessers. And he was choosing his words carefully after being the subject of disciplinary action by the NFF over an interview last month.

Rohr's pique seems to stem from the fact that he has been in contact with the player on the down-low for more than two years, according to a source on the Super Eagles coaching staff. That contact was on the recommendation of defender William Troost-Ekong, himself born abroad before switching allegiance to Nigeria

"He was recommended by William [Troost-Ekong], who told us he knew him from their time as young players and that he had Nigeria connections and would be open to an approach," the source told ESPN.


"The coaches looked at him and were quite happy. He has been monitored very closely since then, with constant communication. This commitment was secured two years ago while he was at NAC Breda. It was just a question of the right time to bring him in."

Rohr's ire is not so much about Dessers, and having the rug pulled from under his feet -- he also apparently found out about the forward's announcement by reading about it -- as it is the overall strategy of Pinnick having photo ops with players.

There are concerns that England-born Ebere Eze's potential move away from EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers for a bigger club could now have been compromised after a meeting with Pinnick.

The source added: "There are very influential people who do not want him to switch allegiance. That is why it is important to handle these discussions discretely. [Eze] has a Premier League team looking at him, and a Championship team with promotion prospects also in the picture. But this whole thing [photo with Pinnick] could compromise that."

Eze's saving grace comes in the shape of Tammy Abraham, who committed to England despite a similar publicised meeting with the NFF boss; Eze will be feeling that his prospective transfer can still be salvaged because he can argue that meeting Pinnick doesn't necessarily mean he will switch allegiance -- even if he plans to.

Still, the Nigeria coaches would prefer the NFF president to step back from his public displays of affection with potential players -- especially if Rohr already has the same players on his radar.

"There are over 450 players on the database," the source within the Nigeria team told ESPN. "Of that number, 65 are foreign-born but eligible to play for Nigeria.

"All of them are being monitored and most of them we have spoken to. But the process requires diplomacy and constant communication, and the timing must be right."

It does not appear the coaches will get their way soon; meanwhile, Dessers is caught in a crossfire about which he has zero idea.

Elder Kog's submission on Osondu. Very informative.

And yes naa... Una be old men

Kog45:
Kai old men?

Phillip Osondu Mast remained the best youth player to come out of Africa and his record in U17 history was great though he failed woefully as a player we all looked up to

He played for Elkanemi warriors and one of the boys colonel Abdulmumini Aminu the then founder of Elkanemi warriors always eager to watch.Osondu got transfered to Anderlecth after Canada 87 exploits but was loand to RWD where he had first team football opportunity under Coach Hugo Bross but the sacked of Bross really affected Osondu progress as a player.

He was given a special treatment by NFA and was included in Saudi 89 team as a special talent but couldn't meet up.It was obvious that Osondu has lost form,after Saudi 89 he fizzled out and never got any invitation to national team.

RIP Phillip Osondu Mast

andrewbaba44:
But don’t expect him to score much goals

hazard is a playmaker,his strength lies in providing assists but he usually comes up with important goals

TheSuperNerd:
Elder Kog's submission on Osondu. Very informative.

And yes naa... Una be old men

icon4s baba call your son(ThesuperNerd) to order oh or else I go flog am o.

I be youngie na.

Kog45:
Kai old men?

Phillip Osondu Mast remained the best youth player to come out of Africa and his record in U17 history was great though he failed woefully as a player we all looked up to

He played for Elkanemi warriors and one of the boys colonel Abdulmumini Aminu the then founder of Elkanemi warriors always eager to watch.Osondu got transfered to Anderlecth after Canada 87 exploits but was loand to RWD where he had first team football opportunity under Coach Hugo Bross but the sacked of Bross really affected Osondu progress as a player.

He was given a special treatment by NFA and was included in Saudi 89 team as a special talent but couldn't meet up.It was obvious that Osondu has lost form,after Saudi 89 he fizzled out and never got any invitation to national team.

RIP Phillip Osondu Mast

Well said Egbon.

Phillip Osondu was one of the most exciting U17 players we ever had.

The echos of the foreign commentators shouting "Osondu! Osondu!" each time he was on the move with the ball, still flashes through my mind.

The Nigerian Youth system produced so many talented youth players in the 80s that Pele predicted that an African team will win the senior world cup before the end of that century. And Phillip Osondu was one of such players. Skills, pace and stamina packed in one player. A crowd puller.

Sad he never got to meet the expectations of his teaming fans. But whenever I remember Canada 87 I always remember Phillip Osondu.

RIP Phillip Osondu

TheSuperNerd:
Elder Kog's submission on Osondu. Very informative.

And yes naa... Una be old men

Osondu is to us what Iheanacho is to you guys.
So no blame us o

Mujtahida:
Ambitious in terms of making progress. Left for the North we'd still be under the colonialists.

Left for the North we'd still be under military dictatorship (in fact by temperament this is the kind of government they like)

So granted they dominate and control the major levers of power, but they are driving the nation back and not forward.

Well the fact that as un ambitious as they are, they've been able to keep power for this long and play SW, SE and SS against each other says something.
I think most of the time there's a twinge of arrogance involved when Southern folks(mostly Igbos) make statements like that.
Our so called ambition is not visible in the east... Infact we're barely ahead of the north if truth is to be told. We have the same problems(poverty, lack of constant power supply, etc) albeit in a slightly lower scale...its not like the east is Singapore in the middle of a desert or something.
Might seem like I'm going off point but I just don't like these foolish tribal squabbles brings with statements like that when the country as a whole is a hell hole and our leaders are playing us against each other.
This "North is crap and holding us back" talk is the reason we in the east barely hold our governors and lc chairmen accountable. If we Igbos are "republican/egalitarian by nature" like we claim - our states and the region as a whole should be much much better and show the rest of the country how things should be but it's not...instead all we're doing is being unnecessarily arrogant and beating our chest with barely nothing to show for it.

Icon4s:
Well said Egbon.

Phillip Osondu was one of the most exciting U17 players we ever had.

The echos of the foreign commentators shouting "Osondu! Osondu!" each time he was on the move with the ball, still flashes through my mind.

The Nigerian Youth system produced so many talented youth players in the 80s that Pele predicted that an African team will win the senior world cup before the end of that century. And Phillip Osondu was one of such players. Skills, pace and stamina packed in one player. A crowd puller.

Sad he never got to meet the expectations of his teaming fans. But whenever I remember Canada 87 I always remember Phillip Osondu.

RIP Phillip Osondu

Any reason why he rejected the invite to the Algiers 90 squad?

edi287:
Any reason why he rejected the invite to the Algiers 90 squad?

Was he invited in the first place?
I can't remember. What I know is he couldn't break into the first 11 of the Saudi 89 U21 team and he was not progressing well in terms of development as at that time.

Kog45:
icon4s baba call your son(ThesuperNerd) to order oh or else I go flog am o.

I be youngie na.

The fact say you wan flog me sef show say you Don old well well...

Old Papa Youngie....

edi287:
Well the fact that as un ambitious as they are, they've been able to keep power for this long and play SW, SE and SS against each other says something.
I think most of the time there's a twinge of arrogance involved when Southern folks(mostly Igbos) make statements like that.
Our so called ambition is not visible in the east... Infact we're barely ahead of the north if truth is to be told. We have the same problems(poverty, lack of constant power supply, etc) albeit in a slightly lower scale...its not like the east is Singapore in the middle of a desert or something.
Might seem like I'm going off point but I just don't like these foolish tribal squabbles brings with statements like that when the country as a whole is a hell hole and our leaders are playing us against each other.
This "North is crap and holding us back" talk is the reason we in the east barely hold our governors and lc chairmen accountable. If we Igbos are "republican/egalitarian by nature" like we claim - our states and the region as a whole should be much much better and show the rest of the country how things should be but it's not...instead all we're doing is being unnecessarily arrogant and beating our chest with barely nothing to show for it.

highly unnecessary addition to your write-up.

What is the meaning of mostly Igbos? You could not leave things at Southern folks, without singling an entire ethnic group? Would your post have been any worse if you did not resort to the default Nigerian mode of singling out a group?


See ehn, every ethnic group has stereotypes made of them by others. Let everybody collect their own and do their best to kill off the narrative against them


For now, you cannot expect anyone to take seriously, a group of people, who are only required to score 2 out of 200 to get admission into unity schools. A people with communities that are still celebrating first graduate, first lawyer, first so and so, in 2019. Stereotypes will not change because you want them to, they change because you make efforts to change them.

And we can say all we want, but what is political power for a few, if a majority are impoverished? In the real world, it is capitalists and business owners that control public policy, not politicians. Politicians are lapdogs to the people with money, just because you live in a dysfunctional society, does not mean that because a people have centered themselves on politics (which is the only thing in this trash place that educationally disadvantaged people can really aspire to), they have any actual ambition.

If you think political power is signs of an ambitious person, we might as well call call of the Niger Deltans who focus more on militancy, ambitious.


PS: If you have been to the North, you will not say the East is barely ahead of the North. North just has numbers, but they have a long way to go as regards so many other things. Aside Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, and maybe Sokoto, the rest of the North is only better than Ebonyi in the East. If you know the reverence they have for Igbo people here, you will know there is difference between sleep and death.

We no dey blame una at all... Carry on abeg. I heard tales of his giftedness from my older relatives and my Dad who watched him live. Those legendary tales in addition to the few clips I was privileged to see of Osondu in action at the U-17 WC left a great impression on me of how truly gifted he was.

Sad he couldn't cut it at Senior level. He and Etim Esin in one generation.... Chaaiii.. just imagine if those two had fulfilled their potentials and add that to the Okocha we were still blessed with. Chaaiiii.... Karabanga!!! Kaparibongokanbayaa!!!! Mehn... Earthquake!!!

Icon4s:
Osondu is to us what Iheanacho is to you guys.
So no blame us o

Kog45:
Yes unpopular opinion

Awaziem is not better than Omeruo even Ekong is not better cos when it comes to tournament Omeruo has been a better defender and this has made Rohr to always include him in his plan despite some knacks.

I always see Awaziem has a great options cos he can be deployed as CB,RB even DM but when it comes to real CB,Omeruo is ahead.

What are your reasons?

Omeruo is a better leader but Awaziem is a better defender

Awaziem is better in one on one situations

Tribute to Phillip Osondu.

Canada '87 U17 WC semi-final: Nigeria 1:0 Italy



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuOGRD5edkk

#

nairalandankrah:
Looks a completely different player to the one we've usually seen before. That moment he held onto the ball after 3 challenges recently stands out to me. It's clear his attitude and workrate is much improved. I've no doubt Rodgers has had a lot to do with this,

Fabulous for one that Leicester suddenly have their back up striker for Vardy, but then they start to link up and become a different animal altogether.

Well done to all involved, especially Kelechi and Brendan.

He looks more like a footballer now than he appeared with some security men couple of months back.

charlesemeka85:
Cyriel Dessers is yet to put on the green-and-white jersey of Nigeria, but he has already put frost onto an already cold relationship between Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick.


There were more than a few Nigerian football followers and officials who metaphorically danced, skipped, and jumped with glee when Dessers announced officially that he was nailing his international flag to the country's mast.

Rohr was not one of them.

But this was quite the coup for Pinnick, who had spoken to the Belgium-born and raised player and seemingly got him to make the commitment.

Make no mistake, Heracles Almelo's Dessers is a big catch for the Super Eagles, who are one Victor Osimhen absence or dip in form from being almost toothless upfront.

Osimhen has stepped more than magnificently into Nigeria's central striking role since the retirement of Odion Ighalo last year, helping himself to four goals and two assists in the Super Eagles' four post-Africa Cup of Nations matches that he has started.

Fleet of foot, his vision and link play are additional assets that make him a tough opponent for even the best in the world, as Brazil's centrebacks discovered in the 1-1 draw in Singapore even though that was the only fixture of the four in which he did not score.

For a 20-year-old, getting his first crack at leading the international line, those numbers are a first-class return and provide an unending source of pride for Rohr, who identified the then-teenager, when he first took over the job three years ago, and made him a focal point of his Super Eagles rebuild.

Osimhen's success as marksman, however, also illustrates Rohr's failure to find a second goalscorer who is just as efficient. And that's not for want of trying.


Simeon Nwankwo was plucked from Serie A and taken to the World Cup in Russia but flamed out. Paul Onuachu still gets called up, but he has done practically nothing since that record quick goal against Egypt on debut.

Henry Onyekuru has failed to even break into the side, and the likes of David Okereke and Dennis Bonaventure are also bit-part players. None has established himself as back-up, let alone attempt to provide competition, to Osimhen.

That is exactly what Eredivisie's lead scorer Dessers offers.

Dessers is a proven goalscorer, as his numbers for unfashionable Heracles in the Netherlands prove. And he is not just a one-season wonder. He scored 22 goals in 36 league games for NAC Breda back in 2015 to propel them to promotion, and then joined Utrecht, for whom he scored nine in 32 the campaign after, and five in 15 last season before joining Heracles.

Standing at six feet and well built, Dessers, the son of a Belgian father and Nigerian mother, is exactly the kind of target man Rohr will want as both competition and backup for Osimhen in his 4-3-3 formation if the striker can translate his club form to the international arena.

But in all of the excitement that surrounded last week's announcement, Rohr's reaction was uncharacteristically muted. This was a departure from his usual loquacious self when talking about players.

Asked by ESPN if Dessers would be called-up soon after his announcement, Rohr's response was a noncommittal "we will see."

Pressed further about whether he had been monitoring the player, and for how long, Rohr said: "When we look at new players, we do it discreetly."



That response appeared to be a thinly veiled barb at Pinnick, who has either been photographed with intending players and/or their parents, or has made it known that he is speaking with the players and their families.

Quite clearly, the German did not want to talk about Dessers. And he was choosing his words carefully after being the subject of disciplinary action by the NFF over an interview last month.

Rohr's pique seems to stem from the fact that he has been in contact with the player on the down-low for more than two years, according to a source on the Super Eagles coaching staff. That contact was on the recommendation of defender William Troost-Ekong, himself born abroad before switching allegiance to Nigeria

"He was recommended by William [Troost-Ekong], who told us he knew him from their time as young players and that he had Nigeria connections and would be open to an approach," the source told ESPN.


"The coaches looked at him and were quite happy. He has been monitored very closely since then, with constant communication. This commitment was secured two years ago while he was at NAC Breda. It was just a question of the right time to bring him in."

Rohr's ire is not so much about Dessers, and having the rug pulled from under his feet -- he also apparently found out about the forward's announcement by reading about it -- as it is the overall strategy of Pinnick having photo ops with players.

There are concerns that England-born Ebere Eze's potential move away from EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers for a bigger club could now have been compromised after a meeting with Pinnick.

The source added: "There are very influential people who do not want him to switch allegiance. That is why it is important to handle these discussions discretely. [Eze] has a Premier League team looking at him, and a Championship team with promotion prospects also in the picture. But this whole thing [photo with Pinnick] could compromise that."

Eze's saving grace comes in the shape of Tammy Abraham, who committed to England despite a similar publicised meeting with the NFF boss; Eze will be feeling that his prospective transfer can still be salvaged because he can argue that meeting Pinnick doesn't necessarily mean he will switch allegiance -- even if he plans to.

Still, the Nigeria coaches would prefer the NFF president to step back from his public displays of affection with potential players -- especially if Rohr already has the same players on his radar.

"There are over 450 players on the database," the source within the Nigeria team told ESPN. "Of that number, 65 are foreign-born but eligible to play for Nigeria.

"All of them are being monitored and most of them we have spoken to. But the process requires diplomacy and constant communication, and the timing must be right."

It does not appear the coaches will get their way soon; meanwhile, Dessers is caught in a crossfire about which he has zero idea.

Pinnick should just hands off player selection process

TheSuperNerd:
We no dey blame una at all... Carry on abeg. I heard tales of his giftedness from my older relatives and my Dad who watched him live. Those legendary tales in addition to the few clips I was privileged to see of Osondu in action at the U-17 WC left a great impression on me of how truly gifted he was.

Sad he couldn't cut it at Senior level. He and Etim Esin in one generation.... Chaaiii.. just imagine if those two had fulfilled their potentials and add that to the Okocha we were still blessed with. Chaaiiii.... Karabanga!!! Kaparibongokanbayaa!!!! Mehn... Earthquake!!!

Phillip Osondu and Dimeji (Lawal) Mohammed were two extremely gifted players. Osondu fizzled out earlier than Dimeji who eventually got capped at senior level. That was also the era that produced youth players like Victor Ikpeba, Nduka Ugbade, Etim Esin, Jonathan Akpoborie, Chris Ohenhen, Mutiu Adepoju just to mention a few.

Pele went to take a selfie with Dimeji Lawal after the final of the U17 WC in Canada. Those boys were extremely gifted.

Another weekend of football actions.

Let the competition for the back role to Osimhen continue!

Icon4s:
Was he invited in the first place?
I can't remember. What I know is he couldn't break into the first 11 of the Saudi 89 U21 team and he was not progressing well in terms of development as at that time.

I heard Westerhof invited him but he declined.