₦airaland Forum

@ow11

You have just spoken my mind. The 1994 Super Eagles squad was unique in many ways. The team had depth and the players were hungry for success. Another thing I have noticed about the team is that most of the players were educated. They seemed to know what they wanted out of life and many of them are not doing badly today after retirement. One of them, Michael Emenalo, is now a Head Scout at Chlesea FC in the English Premiership. Mutiu Adepoju is managing Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia and Daniel Amokachi have coached various Nigerian National teams. Just google any of the 1994 team and you'll find out most of them are achievers.

They might not all have played for top clubs prior to the 1994 World Cup, but they were top players in their respective clubs. And they were regularly featured in soccer magazines in Europe. The 1994 team was the Golden generation of players that Nigeria produced. We can do it again if we put our minds to it. Cheers.

Waoh!, so the Pope did not even show any pain after the incident? Anyway, I'm not too surprised. His nickname when he was a Cardinal was- '' The Rotweiller '' . My family has a Rotweiller and I know what this breed of dog can do. Our house is a no go area for people in the neighbourhood. May you live long, Pope Benedict. Amen.

I'm just getting into the groove of this thread Amodu Shuaibu happens to be the coach of the Super Eagles at a time when we don't have many good players around. Our players are not top performers at their clubs unlike way back in 1994. Then the likes of Rashidi Yekini, Ben Iroha, Samson Siasia, Stephen Keshi, Peter Rufai et al were all in the first 11 of their clubs and were getting good reviews in European Soccer Magazines. This is not the case today. I have not seen an outstanding Nigerian player in Europe in recent times. Mikel Obi is just trying at Chelsea FC. His contemporary at Holland 2005, Lionel Messi, has just been crowned the best footballer in the world. I think there is something wrong with our soccer system in Nigeria

We need to address the issue of fielding over-aged players in FIFA organized youth tournaments if we want to go back to our pre-1994 days. Our players fade out quickly these days and that is why we don't have exceptional players in the Super Eagles. Lets take a peek at the past:

1993 Golden Eaglets Squad to Japan: Apart from Kanu Nwankwo, Celestine Babayaro and Wilson Oruma, there were other gifted players in that squad. These were the players that were really doing the hardwork on the field. What happened to Emmanuel Okoneboh? He was the goalkeeper of the team and he was very good that he benched Emmanuel Babayaro several times. What about Blessing Anyanwu who was really the midfield maestro of the team? Anyanwu was the one giving the ghanaians a lot of problems in the final match which the Eaglets won 2-1. Anyanwu was one of the youngest members of that Squad alongside Celestine Babayaro and Festus Okougha. I wonder what happened to the creative midfielder What would have happened if some other players in the team were much younger ? Some of them would not have faded off easily and would have made the 1998 world cup team.

2001 Golden Eaglets Squad to Trinidad and Tobago: What happened to Victor Brown and Temile Omonigho? The duo were a delight to watch in the carribean tourney were they got beaten by France who were inspired by a youngster called Sinama Pongolle. And What happened to the tourney's highest goal scorer, Femi Opabunmi? All these guys faded off shortly after. I heard Brown and Temile are still playing footie in obscure European countries. Opabunmi made it to Korea-Japan 2002 courtesey of Chief Adegboye Onigbinde. However, he was a shadow of himself at the mundial.

I can go on and on. What I'm saying is this: We need to start searching for and fielding talented youngsters at the grassroots in international soccer tourneys. We also need to send scouts into Europe, Asia, North America and Australia [ Oceania ] to look for teenage players with Nigerian parentage or origin who have grown up in systems where there is order and monitoring. We might not win the U-17 and U-20 FIFA titles but we'll be breeding future Super Eagles players who will shake the World again and possibly win the World Cup. We need a blueprint for the development of Nigerian football and the present crop of NFF members cannot deliver the goods. It is a systemic problem, mates. Ghana has been following my way of thinking since 2005 and things are getting better for the country's national teams. The problem does not lie with Amodu Shuaibu. It lies with the leadership of the Nigerian Football Federation [NFF ] and the Nigerian Media.

I was not a fan of Amodu Shuaibu until recent times. I feel he should be allowed to take the Eagles to the World Cup. Let us see what a local coach can do @ SA 2010. Moreover, Amodu is a product of the system that obtains in Nigeria. We do not have people in the NFF who are visionaries and highly innovative. I believe if Amodu was given all the resources he needed to carry out his work, he would be a better coach by now. Amodu should be left to handle his team without undue interference from people with vested interests and desperate football agents. I know the coach will find it tough selecting players for his Nations Cup and World Cup Squads. Some players will also try to use their Godfathers to get them places in the national team. Remember, every player wants to be at the World Cup

Westerhof succeeded because he was in full control of his team. He brought in players like Chidi Nwanu, Michael Emenalo and Emeka Ezeugo to bolster the Eagle's defence and people saw the wisdom in what he did. Westerhof also had the backing of the country's number two man, Augustus Aikhomu. We have a clueless Football Federation who have failed to chart out a blueprint for the revival of Nigerian footie. We cannot win the World Cup, mates. It is also too late to get a foreign coach for the Super Eagles. Let us allow Amodu take the Eagles to Angola and South Africa. After coming home to lick our wounds from these tournaments [ except God decides to become a Nigerian again], we can then start planning for the 2014 World Cup. Cheers.

We don't have the players that will shake the world again . That is the problem we are facing, mates. A good number of our players are average in rating with many of them not being committed to the game. A new Super Eagles team has to be built and I think we should just go and see what happens at the World Cup. I also feel we should start fielding real U-17 and U-21 players in FIFA and CAF tournaments so that we can have players who will not fade out easily when they make into the senior national side. Cheers.

on my knees
in communion
with God.

I'm just praying that Oyo State residents will wake up and vote in a Governor that will take the state to greater heights. The state has too much potentials for it to remain underdeveloped. The large number of illiterates in the state is another problem that is hindering the state's progress. I schooled in Ibadan and I know the city can become the commercial capital of Nigeria, with entrepreneurs who are looking to avoid the high rents and rowdiness of Lagos moving there. Akala does not have the intellectual capacity to take the state to greater heights. Cheers.

Ilevbare

It is my Edo name. I don't know what it means though I have only visited my state of origin once and barely speak the language. Cheers.

It is time for those bankers who have lost their jobs to start thinking of becoming entrepreneurs!! There is nothing like being self employed especially in Nigeria where all kinds of jobs are hard to come by. We are in the age of information with the internet growing astronomically everyday. There are a lot of business ideas that have not been really tested in Nigeria. This is the time for dogged entrepreneurs and Nigerian graduates to start conquering the country's landscape with these dynamic business ideas and also with their innovation. I mailed business ideas to about 57 Nairalanders some months ago. I did not know many bankers will be sacked months later. As I'm typing this post, someone is already working on one of my biz ideas in Ikorodu, Lagos. I'm not collecting any money for these business ideas. I'm just trying to help out. Get me at:

tolukandi@yahoo.com

Edumare bless us all. Amen

With all the talk about the affluence Nigerians are living in and the huge number of people using blackberries, shallow thinkers might start to believe the country is developed. What has our swagger done to lift the standard of living of the population? I'd rather prefer to help my friends in nigeria who need help to start small businesses than coming to Nigeria to show off my wealth or clothing. I was in Nigeria some years and a friend of mine was wondering why I was not wearing expensive clothes or looking like someone living abroad. I told him that where I live abroad, people dress simply and their lives are not complicated. I told him the whites around me care more about what they eat, yet they are successful in life. Infact, my friend met me helping my father to sell his Xmas Chickens and Turkeys My friend was shocked. I caught my flight back to Europe the next day.

Hmn, seems I will start flying with Emirates in the near future I'm getting tired of the complacent attitude of BA staff and the unappealing food on Bellview Airlines. The food I'm seeing on this thread is making my mouth water. I hope the tickets of Emirates Airline are not too expensive.

Our banks and bankers do not deserve any award this year and for years to come, until the Nigerian Banking industry is restructured. Our banks have failed to boost entrepreneurship in the country. They kept lending money to glorified 'billionaires' who ruined them with the EFCC stepping in to recover the borrowed funds. Don Sanusi has done his job. He should be left alone to continue his revolution. We do not have a banking industry in Nigeria at the moment. Psshwww,

Not with the present team we have

Angels exist and they often carry out their assignments on earth in human form. However, if you're a prayerful person or someone favoured by God, you will recognise angels when you come across them. To be sincere, I have encountered angels in different circumstances in the past. Cheers.

Nice thread

www.gumtree.com
www.google.com
www.youtube.com
www.facebook.com
www.yahoo.com
www.craigslist.com

She is okay though I believe there are better ladies in Nigeria. However, if Miss World contests are judged and graded on physical beauty alone, Agabani Darego would not have won years ago. The judges also look out for intelligence, poise and elocution. That was what Jerry Springer and co used to judge the finalists and Darego won.

This girl is not bad. Go on, babe. Cheers.

I've not travelled to or lived in any Eastern Nigerian state before, but some of the pictures of Enugu posted on this thread are great. I have read a lot about places like Owerri, Enugu, Onitsha etc. I hold this belief that Nigeria is a great country with a manifest destiny. You need to see how some places look in the so called industrialized nations. I'm not bashing the western nations, but some areas in Europe and North America are absolutely run down . Ghettoes, so to speak. If only our leaders can be visionaries and set Nigeria on the path to accelerated economic growth and infrastructural development,

@eminemkayc

Not all Nigerian movies are badly produced, scripted or directed. Some Nollywood movies make much sense than some of the crap Hollywood churns out. Try and watch Afolayan's- The Figurine. Some Nigerian producers are bringing out good stuff these days. Cheers.

@Walakolobo,

I'm not forcing my opinion on anybody. Why don't you take a trip to the University of Ibadan to verify my claims? or is it now a sin to state facts on Nairaland? I tire o

It was tough in the boarding house o too much beating and obtaining from junior students by some crazy Senior students. All kinds of weird stuff happened. There was this prefect that seized my Canvas shoes and burnt them because they did not fit the specification needed by the school. Very callous fellow. There was also the Boarders Night where all kinds of mischief were perpertrated by students on students. Can't forget those days.

It is not the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide Free Internet access to Nigerian students. I wonder why President Yar'Adua's Government loves looking for cheap publicity. I'm also shocked that Nairalanders are not talking about Nigerian Universities that already have functional internet laboratories and digital libraries. Gosh!!, I don't know where to start. The University of Ibadan has a wing in the central library that has about 50-100 Computers connected to the internet. By the time I was graduating from UI, the university was constructing an IT Centre. Different Departments in the University had their private internet schemes and some lecturers had computers connected to the World Wide Web in their offices. I don't know how many of you know this- UI is the only University in West Africa that has an American section in the institution's General Library [ Kenneth Dike Library ]. The American Section is funded by the US Government. Providing free internet services to Nigerians should not be seen as an achievement We don't need to be cajoled by this funny Minister of State. Let them fund the Universities properly and leave the University Authorities to get the schools connected fully to the web. Cheers.

Let's leave Samsosn Siasia out of this, please. I really feel for him because I know what today's victory and the Eagles qualification for SA 2010 means to him. Egypt 2009 was a grave misadventure for Siasia. The crafty guys that run the NFF and the gullible Nigerian soccer supporters will now single Sia1 out as a failure while John Obuh [ If the Golden Eaglets win 2moro ] and Amodu Shuaibu succeeded in the tasks set before them. Samson Siasia, you will rise again!!!

Hmn, I feel we should be careful with our comments on this issue. To a large extent, the Private Schools have better facilities than the Public Schools but can we confidently say the products of Private Schools are intelligent than students of Public Schools? When we talk about Public Schools, we need to categorize them. There are some Public Schools that have the facilities that some Private Schools have, and there are some Private Schools that are just barely better than the Jakande type of Schools. Honestly, I have come across pupils from Private Primary Schools that are dull despite the high fees their parents are paying   A youngster can be taught in a school with all the facilities and equipment in the world, yet he or she might be an average pupil. It is also true that some dilapidated schools churn out brilliant graduates.

I attended a Public Secondary School that was equipped to an extent. This was because the School had a vibrant Old Students Association that continuosly initiated construction projects all around the School premises. The Library of the School also received a yearly financial grant from the Will of the Late Sir Mobolaji Bank Anthony. Some Federal Government Colleges and Unity Schools are also not bad when it comes to infrastructure and standards. What I would advise the initiator of this thread to do is to conduct a personal research on the schools available [ both Public and Private ], before sending his or her wards to any any of them. We should not also forget that that the Missionaries are back into Education as some of their Schools are being returned to them. The future is bright for Public Schools originally owned by the Christian Missions [ Catholic, Wesleyan, Anglican, Baptist etc ]. A lot of factors have to be considered to truly know if Private Schools are better than Public Schools. Cheers.

I can now see the typographical error in my post The word should have been 'write' , not '' wrote ''. I was typing in a hurry, as I was about to head to the office in the afternoon. Accept my apology. Cheers.

Hmn, I don't know where to start As a trained Media Professional, I want to give the Nairalander who started this thread a huge applause and a couple of back pats. Thanks for throwing this issue up 95% of Nigerian newspapers do not have an ideology. That is where their problems begin. A Newspaper that does not have an idology or background philosophy can be easily bought by politicians for their selfish interests. It is also saddening that our newspapers are not helping to shape Nigeria's nascent democracy positively. In other climes, Newspapers can make or mar the lives of politicians or elected officials. It seems we don't have adventurous and bold Editors in Nigeria again. Our newspapers and magazines fought against the Abacha regime vigorously and I make bold to say they sold more copies in those days of military rule. Another reason why the content of our newspapers seem boring is that our media houses are recruiting journalism and Mass Communication graduates of poor quality. If I tell you the poor writing and research skills of some journalists, you will be shocked Gone are those days when fresh media recruits bring in a lot of creativity and ideas to our Newspapers. We even have half baked Editors these days. Editors who are not informed but are only interested in currying the favour of bigwigs and moneybags in the society Our newspapers are not also providing enough useful information for the populace. There are a lot of interesting and progressive things going on in Nigeria that are not reported by our newspapers. Our newspapers need to adopt a community orientation if they want to get more readers and local adverts.

We should not forget that journalists in Nigeria are not well paid. The salaries of most Nigerian journalists is nothing to wrote home about That is why many of them will readily accept brown envelopes and spew out stories full of lies. The Nigerian Media is really bedevilled with a lot of problems. Cheers.

asha 80

I don't want to spill out statistics on this thread. I respect Seun Osewa a lot and I want him to succeed exceedingly. Folks join Nairaland and after some months, they become inactive. Can they really be called forum members when they are not contributing anything to the threads or the development of the site.? Have you bothered to know what other stuff they are doing online? Do you know how many forums are being created daily by Nigerians? I was recently invited to one of these forums and though I've not signed up, the forum has solid content and intelligent members. Cheers, mate.

@Poster, you're only posting this because you are in a better position. Just thank God that you're comfortable. If I was the owner of Nairaland, I would take your post down. Your post and pictures smack of arrogance and disrespect for the feelings of others No wonder, people are migrating to other forums on the web. Nairaland is gradually becoming a place where people come and assuage their egos instead of finding solutions to the problems besieging Nigeria and Africa in General. However, Its a free world.

Mind you, I'm comfortable where I am. Peaceout.

@ asha 80 @Afam

You're right on target. However, when some Diasporeans return to Nigeria, will they be welcomed back? Will they be allowed to set things right in a country where people are very hostile to change? If a scholar like Chinua Achebe returns to Nigeria, sees the way things are done in the university he returns to, will he be allowed to make some changes? Professor Niyi Osundare tried it and got his hands burnt When he decided to return to the United States, he gave a scorching inaugural lecture '' THE UNIVERSE IN OUR UNIVERSITIES '' which was carried by major Nigerian Newspapers. Do Nigerians really desire change in the polity? What we need to do is to forget about whether we are based in Nigeria or not and forge a common bond that will rescue our country from the jaws of the monsters that rule it. Nigerians need to work on their thinking and learn to accept new ways of doing things. With all the new internet technologies available, is it not a shame that Nigerians have not been able to organize mass protests and pressure groups that will fight for change in the country? God help us.

It will take a lot of hardwork, vision and strategic planning to make Nigerian a country where many Nigerian diasporeans would like to return to. While Nigeria is still battling to generate 6000 Megawatts of power, Britain is already working on Nuclear Energy and planning towards more ingenious forms of electrical power towards the year 2050. Yet, there is no home in the UK without power. Almost all homes in the UK has running water. Public services have been privatized and if you don't pay, your power and other services including Gas will be cut off. The Nigerian Government needs to cross the Rubicon by privatizing Public services and bring in foreign investors in this area. It has been done with mobile telephony, let Energy and Water services go the same way. Initially, the charges may be high but the prices will fall as time goes on

There are a lot of opportunities in Nigeria currently, but Diasporeans are finding it difficult to tap into these opportunities because of obsolete infrastructure and an unstable business environment. Diasporeans should not be condemned for demanding for good and visionary leaders in Nigeria. With the hatred being directed at Diasporeans on Nairaland these days, I'm getting scared that people at home will oppose and victimize Nigerians abroad when they come back home. Nothing beats the experience of living in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and North America. What the Nigerian Government should be doing is to make Nigeria receptive and conducive for Diasporeans who relocate back home. Some of the Diasporeans will be coming back with knowledge, better technologies and hard cash that will be invested in Nigeria. There are many good guys of Nigerian origin in the Police force in Britain and America. These guys can be brought to reposition the Nigerian Police Force. The problem with Nigeria is that people are just too envious of the progress of their fellow citizens. We need to start pulling resources together and work towards a common destiny. The poverty in Nigeria is too much at the moment. All sectors of the economy are in a bad shape and there seems to be no Minister or politician who is willing to take the bull by the horns and do things the right way It is very sad.

Setting Nigeria on the path to development is a serious task that needs a focused government and a dedicated and tax paying citizenry. The problems bedevilling Nigeria are just too much and it will take years to set some things right. The postal services need to be reinvented and many post offices renovated. Besides, the Nigerian Governement needs to start working with data which has to be captured intelligently. Solid information is crucial for effective planning of the economy. What we should focus on Nairaland is how to get good leaders into office and how to sell solid ideas to our leaders. We don't need these daily doses of segregation and hatred. Cheers.

Omotola is very sexy and her shape is great. She is still very attractive after having children. Her husband is very lucky o I'm just drooling at her pictures.

There is no way you won't be stimulated positively if you live in Europe or North America for some time, unless you're a dunce  The way things are done in Nigeria is not encouraging at all. It is not as if there are no opportunities in Nigeria, but the way many Nigerians reason ultimately defeats developmental processes. I believe in personal development and living abroad helps you to garner a lot of knowledge. Your thinking also changes when you see how things are done and when you mix with people from different countries. There is nothing like exposure, Nairalanders. I have read of Nigerians who came back home after many years in Europe to set up businesses. Some got their fingers burnt but others thrived in the harsh Nigerian business environment . Their businesses were outstanding and they made loads of money and employed hundreds of Nigerians.

There is no need to accuse the Nigerians in diaspora of being unpatriotic. I believe they should be encouraged to invest their skills and money in the Nigerian economy from time to time. The Nigerian population is 150 million and counting. Nigerians need to travel out to other countries so that facilities at home will not be stretched. There are many Britons living in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and vice versa. Immigration and emigration are constant factors in life. We will benefit from the movement of Nigerians abroad in the end. Knowledge gained from developed nations should not be waved away like that. Cheers.