₦airaland Forum

I'm even tired of talking of these players. If you ask me, it's high time we start focusing on the cankerworm eating deep into our football: The NFF (No Future Foundation).

What's paining me is that most Nigerian football fans are fickle and have short term memory. I won't be surprised if this issue is swept under the rug in the next 1-2 weeks. We need to hold NFF by the neck and not let go at all.

The Super Eagles fell yesterday, and it hurts to say this, but with Madugu in charge and with the rubbish we played in the last WAFCON. qualifiers, the Super Falcons might be next. 😩

Goke7:
😂 I wonder what will happen if you meet these people you go just carry them throw inside gutter

My anger for NFF is not something I'm sure I can describe sufficiently. I literally can't think of anything else in the world that I hate more with all the venom in my body. 🤧

In a normal country, Ibrahim Gusau and Amaju Pinnick would be under arrest by now and facing prosecution.

Ragingthunder:
ah I am actually speechless 😶

I said what I said.

Nothing like voodoo abeg. The players choked, as they usually do when it comes to big penultimate games. That's all.

They did it in 2019 vs Algeria
They did it in 2023 vs Ivory Coast
They've done it again yesterday with DR Congo.

I don't know what it is with these set of players, Iwobi, Ndidi, Simon, Chukwueze et al but when it comes to finals games like these that are penultimate and decisive, they tend to crumble quickly, especially if the fans are confident and putting all faith in them. Their nerves just fry up.

Look out our penalties and see how poorly they were taken.

No World Cup in 12 years. Nigerian football fell off hard.

Goke7:
Yankee, for that matter, especially for those football fans YouTube pages, those folks for don get plans omo everywhere blurr true true

I watched Tox video on the Football Fans Tribe channel this morning and it almost made me cry. I remember back in 2022 when he did a vlog going to watch the game against Ghana in Abuja. The same hope morphing into heart crushing disappointment.

Goke7:
😂 you need to see how Tolu has been dressed and dragged on social media omo naija no get chills. Tolu is still new in the team but Una mhen no excuses for the more experienced ones! Only God can forgive them

Words fail to describe how disappointed I was with his performance. Based on looks, I misjudged Tolu as Osimhen-lite. His finish against Russia (even though it started as a gift), and his solo effort before the near miss against SA made me overrate him.

I think the biggest lesson we're learning from this whole episode to be way more conservative while praising the club performances of these players. No matter how good they function out in Europe, when they come home, they act like complete strangers and amateurs.

They remind me of English national team of the late 2000s. There was an insane amount of individual talent in that squad (Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney, Beckham, Terry, Ferdinand, Owen, Crouch, Joe Cole etc) but together, they were a bunch of massive underachievers. Failed to qualify for the 2008 Euros and absolutely shiiit the bed in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

Dannyxy:
Iwobi o Simon o Ndidi o, out of the national team.

Apart from NFF, some players too must receive sticks.

Do you know what finals are? Just one game, we had just one game to win AFCON, we were a goal up, we choked embarrassingly, just one game to lift a trophy, you let your opponent run around like you were ball boys, you loose possession, you don’t mark, Iwobi did not mark one runner through out, he didn’t win any ball, no turnover, no through ball, no blocked shots, no shot at goal…
One game against Ghana in Abuja
One game against Ivory Coast
One game against DRC


Mikel and Moses, with Onazi, will pull out this wins 2/3.

This set of players have very weak and lackadaisical personalities, plus mentality and I want them out, most of them, let’s start from scratch, while also kicking out all NFF members out too, Infact let’s get banned from football.

What are we going to AFCON to do?

Out under 17, 20, 23 all suffering, what are we going to AFCON to do, talkless of World Cup?

That Ghana game, na Aribo wey pour spit for our eye. Then Uzoho finished the job.

Goke7:
Those four players do us strong thing yesterday! It was an eyesore. They are the culprits of yesterday’s loss

Plus Ndidi and Tolu.

The Sinister Six: Iwobi (grandmaster), Tolu (deputy), Ndidi, Moses Simon, Lookman and Chukwueze.

mekabuachi:
When I remember how super falcons fought from a 2-0 down in wafcon final... To win it I always respect those ladies, because I always wonder what super eagles would do if it were them
Regardless of whatever NFF does I will never spare these players... It's one thing to lose a match and another thing to be leading, then conceed, and can't even play penalties to save yourselves after a shambolic performance, even after your goalkeeper helped you save 2 penalties
Ohh my what a shame, let me hear anybody say Chelle name
See the goal we conceded, ndidi could not clear out that ball,
See the rubbish penalties, so make coach come teach you how to play penalties ... The fact that these players practiced penalties during training
Oooh my God... Disgrace
I wish women could play football for men... I dare say falcons will never loose that match
The fact that those ladies are not even treated better like the super eagles

I WILL FOREVER RESPECT SUPER FALCONS

Truer words have never been spoken. The Super Falcons as a bunch, has consistently demonstrated overwhelming confidence even under pressure. The WAFCON final atmosphere and that of the last AFCON atmosphere were similar with the home fans being extremely hostile. WAFCON was a bit worse sef with all the lasers, and yet somehow we schooled the Moroccans in the end.

Also the physicality + technique combo we're talking about was perfectly excecuted by the Falcons in that game. We bullied them and made them look small in that second half. That game remains one of my favorite national team games to visit and relive.

Sadly, NFF is trying to kill and bury the Falcons too. Imagine drawing with Benin of all teams. Lol

DRC will likely play two more games at the intercontinental playoffs, as they won't be seeded.

Call me petty and childish, but yes, I'm rooting for Jamaica, Panama and Costa Rica to finish as second place teams at the playoffs and hopefully knock out DRC. 🤧

I honestly think DRC only beat Cameroon and Nigeria because the latter two teams were absolutely trashbags.

I won't put it past Panama or Costa Rica to silence them in Mexico. Say what you want about them, but on average, CONCACAF teams are roughly similar to B-tier CAF teams like DRC, SA and Angola in terms of ability and physicality.

ChrisKels:
I don't like anything about the 3lions. I always want them and their noisy pundits to fail. Lol God forbid the national team of England. 😂🤣

You have to admit that's one thing our pundits and their pundits have in common. Which is why we're hated in all of Africa.

Like I said ... "bilateral relationship" 🤣🤣

Goke7:
That is the way to win in Africa, without physicality, your skills and tactical play can't take you far. Me too, at a point in the game, I just wanted the ref to blow the final whistle and give the game to DRC. It was that bad. We need more robust players in our midfield and attack who can put their whole body into the game, especially when it gets tough. Just see that kongfu kick that DRC player used to score the goal that was cancelled. Another ref would have just allowed that. Na gbe body things for this Africa o! all those gentle men play no dey work most times

And we are more than capable of matching their physicality and aggression, so for the life of me I don't know why Nigeria has grown so fragile over the years. I remember the 2013 AFCON squad was ridiculously physical. Between Emenike and Obaobona, if you put body, you fit lose your full teeth. 😂

Only physical players we have now are Osimhen, Frederick, Bassey and Nwabali. Unironically, they were our best players yesterday. The rest are just fancy runway models. Starboys 😁. Na Tolu dey even vex me pass.

Lookman tries to be aggressive but recently he has lacked the precision and decisiveness to back it up. Atlanta really did a number on him.

ChrisKels:
I love good football and good talents. I love Senegal football. They don't make noise, and I always root for them.

Well that's you sha.

I'm rooting for England cos I've got many friends there and a large portion of my extended family lives there. So it's like a second home.

Plus in general, UK is like second home to many Nigerians. We choke for there and many of their top influencers and celebrities are Nigerian.

In the words of Pinnick, "we have a bilateral relationship." 😂😂😂

ChrisKels:
As we no make am, I will be rooting for Senegal. They have crazy quality talents all round. I'm hurt but the only thing that will pacify me will be the group stage exit of SA and Ghana

Make all the African teams go to blazes. Senegal included.

Why root for them when ALL of them are comfortable joining hands together to root for our downfall?

The only thing that will satisfy me is the annihilation of African teams at the World Cup next year. I hope none of them makes it past the Round of 32.

ChrisKels:
Our boys were scared of these guys yesterday. From the time I saw the boys coming out from the tunnel, through the national anthem session, something was just off and I could sense fear in the air.

DRC is the most physical side in Africa. Not even Uganda or Cameroon can match them in terms of physicality, now they have complimented that with some really good talents. I doubt we can hurt them even if we meet them again at the AFCON.

At a point, our boys were praying for the game to end so that the onslaught would stop. They dealt with us so mercilessly that we became clueless when we have the ball.

Easily the most physical side, lol. Even their fans. Last night was the first time I've ever seen the Nigerian supporters completely overwhelmed in the stands. DRC were so loud and aggressive. Probably the only country that can match Nigeria pound for pound when it comes to noise and energy.

Goke7:
Osihmen can’t be bailing us out all the time, he’s even the reason we came this far and he keeps doing his part. Even Yekini in his days was not scoring in every match and still we won games without him scoring for example in the Afcon final in 94. It’s a big indictment on the rest of our players especially the other attackers and midfielders if they can’t find the net without Osihmen. It shows they are at best average players. In 2013 Emenike was our point man and highest scorer but we had other players who could score and just like the 94 finals mbah not Emenike scored our winning goal in both quarter final and the final itself. That’s how balanced a team should be not everyone switching off because the main striker hasn’t scored. In fact we won Gabon in the previous match because ejuke turned up before osihmen found his mojo again. Truth is this team is deficient and can’t win in bigger moments. We need more quality and depth in the squad. National team football can be harder than club football and you need more than your point man in crucial games.

Exactly.

At this point, we need a TEAM first and foremost, then we can worry about the big names after. Having big names in the squad is important, but a cohesive team should come first. A star player is just icing on the cake.

Semid4lyfe or terzurum5, sha come and change the name of this thread. Dem don block the road for us oo. 😂🤣

With all the brouhaha going on with the Super Eagles, I'm praying hard that the wave of bad luck consuming our national teams doesn't do serious damage on the Super Falcons.

I don't think my heart could take it if the Super Falcons don't make it to the 2027 World Cup. 😔

Samueltemi337:
Sorry o
Chelle is a very good coach
It's all on the players
Happy now?

Abeg getat from my mentions.

Ragingthunder:
I rest my case

Bring Nigeria's senior team defense and attack and combine it with our U20 midfield, and honestly I believe we'll fare better. I can't imagine people like Ayuma and Maigana choking so badly in this game the way Iwobi and Ndidi did.

Even in that loss to Argentina U-20, we didn't look as bad as we did yesterday against DRC. The difference is that our U-20 defense is trash from start to finish. Once the ball enter their 18-yard, otilor.

BankyGee:
Everyone ❌
Samueltemi ✅

Sometimes I read his comments and my blood begins to boil. Always manages to sound sooo arrogant and clueless at the same time.

Fun fact: the coach of DRC is the same coach from the last AFCON and if you pay attention, you can see how far their game has come since then. As for Nigeria, well, you know our story: 3-4 coach switches in just one year.

Eric Chelle obviously made a lot of questionable choices in this game, but why are we foolishly forgetting the fact that he's relatively inexperienced with this team? So because of one bad game, suddenly he's not a good coach?

We love throwing stones at the NFF for their cluelessness and retrogression, but how are people like this any different?

Looking back yesterday, we even tried. I'm starting to look at the game differently. We had no business going to penalties with how shambolic our attack and midfield was. This team has promise.

If only NFF will help us.

I'm backing England for the mundial. The other African teams can go jump in a lagoon of acid. I wish them the most rotten of luck.

Funny enough this DRC side might not survive the inter-confederation playoffs. Imagine not burying this shambolic Nigerian side in regular plus extra time. We might be seeing 9 African teams at the World Cup, not 10.

I seriously need a break from football. I'm worn out.

Goke7:
There is no point blaming anybody; we don't have leaders in that team. The only guy who gingers that team is Osihmen, and when he's having an off day, it's finished. Coaches can only work with what they have. Folks like Ekong na still management, even if we went through tonight, what else would we have offered in subsequent matches? At a time during the game, I was asking myself Is this what we will go and play at the Intercontinental Play-offs in Mexico?

Thank God we were not disgraced, and we still managed to bow out honourably via penalty shootout instead of a straight loss. See how DRC was putting in their leg for every ball that led to even two cancelled goals, only Osihmen plays like that for us. The other folks we parade as attackers are a complete joke, as the disparity btw them and our top man is too wide. We don't have enough quality, and there is a limit to which Osihmen as a striker can continue to carry us if we like to change coaches again with the same players, nothing much will change.

We need to come down on NFF with thunder, fire and brimstone. We're too soft on them!!!

Goke7:
Looks like CAF was doing everything for us to qualify

We just lack quality; let's stop all the hype. If Osihmen doesn't come to the party, we are doomed

That former Sierra Leonean player who said Osihmen was the only leader in this team was right after all. No Osihmen, no party!

Nigerians hate to hear criticism. I remember people came for his head, and I was thinking to myself, "he's not entirely wrong, you know."

The evidence was clear today. Super Eagles do not exist without Osimhen.

...and Frederick too by the way. If it weren't for Frederick, DRC would have given us a taste of our own medicine and let us know the exact way Benin and Gabon felt.

Setting aside the fact that the players were godawful themselves, we had two full days to train and work tactics, and somehow we couldn't plan in the event of penalties? Did Chelle seriously think the game was sure to be wrapped in regular time?

You couldn't bring in Ekong in the dying seconds to prepare for the shootout?

I get that he's still somewhat inexperienced with the squad, but really?!

Also, you're monitoring 5000+ players, and somehow you can't identify anyone to solve a midfield problem we've been having for almost decades now?

Like I said, Eric Chelle stays, but my oh my was he thoroughly exposed in this game.

ThunderFireAgba:
When you guys protest at their HQ, they will take you guys serious. All these fantasy writings you guys have here, they don't give a damn. They are after what FIFA gives them.

I'm telling you. We're not angry enough at the NFF.

Mobike is trying sha but he's like one voice in the wilderness.

To think that we almost won that shootout. In fact that penalty drama was the most unforgivable aspect of the whole game.

Fine and good. We got outplayed. At least we made it to the penalties! And Nwabali was even on his best of forms! How do we miss three penalty strikes so weakly?

I hate losing when we've already come far. Finish me off from the very start. Don't give me hope. 🤦🏾‍♀️

Seems like a good enough time to fully rip into the NFF and let them have it. This NFF board must not survive next year.

My only hope now for a World Cup dream is the Super Falcons.