₦airaland Forum

mrwilliams9:
My brother, I don tire for our people. Ndidi is not cutting it anymore. Let's start moving forward. Only Iwobi from our current midfield I'd retain due to his forward pass playing abilities. The others we need to phase out. Let's start seeing new blood.

For these upcoming friendlies Chelle needs a large overhaul

I really detest retrogressive-minded people, we've been through this Iwobi, Ndidi, Ajayi, Awoniyi and other older players cycle before and between these players, we missed 2 world cups back to back and even previous AFCONs..all of this under different managers, at what point will Nigerians start using their brains to realize maybe the managers aren't the problem but the players? even prime Pep Guardiola can't coach out the average quality of these players.

We saw how a midfield of Tijani,Yusuf and Nnadi balled at the unity cup, we saw how Femi Azeez announced himself in a big way...what more evidence do we need to see that young and new players are what we badly need! not recycling the same aging players.

But we never learn as a nation, we will still be doing lineups with Moses Simon, Iwobi, Ndidi, Lookman, Ajayi etc in the year 2050 at this point.

If Chelle is smart (and I hope he is), he better use that U23 friendly against Russia to start his rebuilding project ASAP, identify the players who perform well and transition them into the senior team, phase out the deadwoods and bring in more youths. We need to see more of Ayaosi, Zadok, Femi, Tijani, Iroegbunam, Yusuf, Nnadi, Akinsamiro, Usor, Ilenikhena, Nwaiwu, Victory Akpe etc

It's from that Russian friendly that the rebuilding process must be Kickstarted, if those U23 boys deliver well against Russia...i see no reason why Chelle shouldn't start easing them into the senior national team, apart from Bassey, George, Usor and maybe Iwobi...the rest can be replaced abeg. I would rather we try and fail with youth at this point, what do we stand to lose if we try?

joelsteron:
Chelle needs to go 4-3-3.

Ndidi at 6, Onyedika as the engine and Iwobi further up.

Ndidi gives you the protection. Onyedika gives you the legs, movement and ball progression. Iwobi can focus on creating instead of being dragged too deep.

Simple. Let each player do what he’s good at.

We need to give Onyedika a bigger role. If we want to compete against the top sides, we need a midfield that can win the ball, keep it and actually move it forward.

We're talking about phasing out that aging midfield and you still have hope that we will go anywhere with an Iwobi and Ndidi midfield? Are Nigerians naturally scared of trying new ideas? I mean look at your government, it's a reflection of the psyche I see here...always recycling old deadweights. What's wrong in calling up new and younger midfielders and just giving them a chance?

Chelle needs to go abeg, there has been no improvement with this team under his management, while at it, more than half of the players on this team are long overdue for a phasing out, so many abject players.

Papi85:
but Una wan kill Tolu, Ndidi, Lookman and others?

Like Chriskel said aside his goal Usor was just ordinary. Nothing special

Who wan kill who? Usor made his debut after coming in as a sub and scored a wonderful solo goal that gave us a lifeline, yes his decision making could have been better sometimes but make una dey relax abeg, this was a high pressure game against a team packing the bus and hitting on with dangerous counters, everything could have gone wrong for us in this match.

maidaboi:
agreed on Usor

Even Messi would look bad on that Uyo pitch,.

oloriooko:
Mali 2 Cape Verde 1
HT

What stream are you watching these games from?

Maduka sef chop Cardi B una dey there dey worry unasef, the brother has clearly declared where his current passions lie and nobody should hold it against him. At the end international football doesn't pay his bills, these players just show up for patriotism than anything else.

I believe it's time for the coaching staff to start looking for another long term replacement for Maduka, preferably Chijioke Aniagboso who is growing into a better player in Ukraine.

mostob:
Umar Sadiq should have replaced Osimhen TBH... We need him in the fold.

Better return that agent fee money wey Sadiq give you, cause you go hope tire.

oloriooko:
Is Emmanuel Fernandez of Rangers invited by Chelle?

Yes

Chelle needs to get his head right and start building a new generation of players o! national teams all over the world are now onto some really serious rebuilding drive. I've seen squad lists from various countries and noticed a significant injection of really young players across board, even Greece are now stacking up some mad young generation of players in the 18s and early 20s. I like what Chelle is trying to do with the u23 team including the introduction of young talents like Moses Usor, George Ilenikhena, Chibuzo Nwoko, Akpe, Iroegbunam etc but he should scout for more young dual nationals especially those ones coming up in lower to mid level leagues before they become hot commodities. All this his "no leave no transfer" invites to big uncle's like Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Ndidi etc serves no purpose of a coach who is ballsy enough to build ahead of 2030 and beyond.

How come I can't see TheSuperNerds post on here anymore.

Papi85:
we really need midfielders and I pray that this lean midfield going into the Madagascar and Guinea games don’t hurt us. Imagine a case where Iwobi gets injured in our first game against Madagascar

Chelle would have atleast incorporated one of the midfielders from the Russian friendly to the afcon qualifiers to make up the numbers up to 5

I wonder how he intend using only 4 midfielders for the 2 qualifying games

Yeah Chelle needs to get in that Fulham kid Chibuzo Nwoko and one other midfielder from that Russian list ASAP, we can't risk a paper thin midfield especially with fitness doubts around Onyeka...don't know what Chelle is thinking with that selection.

ChrisKels:
Though missing out on the world cup is already a norm for us, I just have to remind us that if we depend on this midfield and the likes of Simon, we will also not smell the 2030 world cup.


Chelle should prioritise Yah, Ugochukwu, Iorpenda, Iroegbu, Francis Onyeka and Ozoh. Our midfield depth is so shallow and average. Kudos to him for bringing Nwoko on board.

Yah has to indicate his interest in playing for Nigeria

Ugochukwu needs to settle at Galatasaray, he hasn't particularly been firing on all cylinders yet, but he's in Chelle's radar.

Francis Onyeka has already been approached from credible sources and seems enthused about playing for Nigeria, paperwork for his switch should be getting sorted before December.

Ozoh is already in the project, he should have been invited for the Russian friendly though,maybe injured?

Iroegbunam is already processing his nationality switch

No comment on Iorpenda.

Papi85:
I think Iwobi isn’t leaving the super eagles anytime soon bro as long as he remains active in Fulham

Maybe you're right, good thing Iwobi has a very good anti-injury record...yet he isn't getting any younger and except he remains in top shape like CR7 till his late 30's, I don't see a world where he doesn't retire honorably after the 2030 world cup if we make it.

The road map under Eric Chelle is simple...the days of Ndidi, Simon, Iwobi and even Ajayi are numbered, but they are still very key players for us in providing that experience in navigating us through the tricky AFCON qualifiers, their hour glass sand gets filled up after the next AFCON...which by then the U23 generation Chelle is building should be ready to phase out some of our aging players in the persons of Simon,Ndidi and even Iwobi. That's why that U23 team if gotten right is very foundational to our rebuilding process.

Eric Chelle drop your squad list already, haba...

123jamessmith:
Nobody is even talking about tyrique George switching to Nigeria. That guy is playing good football now. Before, it would have been easy to get, but, I fear if we can get him now, he thinks he can make the English team.

It will be a major coup for us if we get Tyrique George honestly, our scouts should be all over players like that right now.

Akkin:
So y'all think we'll beat Madagascar?

No... Madagascar will thrash us, happy now?

Amedino99:
Lmao. Footballers mhen.

Lmaoo Egbon don use Tunisia add world cup appearance to his resume 😂

Drc mean business o! see how they successfully called up all their dual nationals who just switched to represent them.

https://x.com/lefootmedetruit/status/2098415708333887871?s=20

opes:
Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams has announced his retirement from the Ghana national team after 4 years spell with the team.


Appearances -- 28
Goals.......2.

Him and Semenyo have really been subpar for Ghana, 2 goals in 28 apps is an abysmal record tbh...all the best to him, seems like a likable guy.

I get the feeling Chelle is seriously prepping Ilenikhena as the ideal Osimhen understudy and future #9 for almost inevitable situations like Osimhen's injury conundrum before every crucial qualifiers...Akor should have been that guy but there's something just lacking in his cutting edge output (even though he delivers in national colors)...at 19 and with so much promise to him, Ilenikhena will have to prove he is that GUY.

Moniter0:
Iheanacho should be invited to the next S.E fixtures. I want to confirm something.

Bros abeg if na joke make you dey add caveat o!

DeloitteNG:
How is Brentford and Aston Villa top clubs?
The only top clubs here is Man City and Juventus
And you said "All their players" and even added "For record fees"
BTW Camara Chelsea deal is off

The point remains majority of their players all play for the top 5 leagues in Europe, only Senegal, CIV and Morocco are complete in that regard...facts not feelings.

This Femi move to Brighton on transfer deadline sweet me die, all the best to Femi.

DeloitteNG:
All their players?
Please can you tell me some of these players that transferred to top clubs for record fees this window

💰 76 M€ - Iliman NDIAYE 🇸🇳 (Man. City)
💰 55.5 M€ - Nicolas JACKSON 🇸🇳 (Aston Villa)
💰 55 M€ - Lamine CAMARA 🇸🇳 (Chelsea)
💰 55 M€ - Ibrahim MBAYE 🇸🇳 (Aston Villa)
💰 40.8 M€ - El Hadji Malick DIOUF 🇸🇳 (Brentford)
💰 Loan - Pape MATAR SARR 🇸🇳 (Juventus)

DeloitteNG:
They don't wipe us dirty either

Cap...there's no shame in admitting both countries are ahead of us right now in the quality of players they are producing...even countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and DRC are producing some really exciting players right now.

Senegal has to be the most stacked team in Africa right now, all their players are getting signed for top clubs at record fees, never seen anything like this before.

Truidstarr:
He is so versatile na Iraq e come dey play?

Lmaoooo imagine :🤣

DeloitteNG:
Hamburg is a decent club?
I really don't get you guys definition of decent
What kind of season do you need to have to join Hamburg?

They aren't a bottom half Bundesliga team so that's as good as it gets for a player like Moffi who couldn't nail a starting position at Porto.

Papi85:
Done!!

Moffi must have the best agent out there, cause he has always gotten transfer deals to decent clubs even despite having relatively average seasons.