Ekong: Playing in the Super Eagles has changed my life
thenff.com caught up with Super Eagles Troost Ekong

In this exclusive interview, the rock-solid defender said he was excited about Nigeria’s qualification for the World Cup in Russia next year, the upcoming dead rubber against Algeria, and the top –notch friendly against Argentina in Krasnodar, Russia. Excerpts:

Thenff.com : With the World Cup qualification sealed, how have you been feeling with the upward trajectory of your football career, and what feeling has the qualification created in you?
Ekong : It is a big achievement for Nigeria and for me to qualify for the World Cup. It has encouraged me to continue to step up my game in preparation for the World Cup, and of course, at the tournament itself.
Thenff.com : Now, we play Algeria in the last game of the qualifiers. How should we approach the game?
Ekong : We should aim to finish our World Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten and again use this as a game to improve as a team.
Thenff.com : Preparations have kicked off in earnest with Argentina being the first test. Are you any wary about playing against some of the best ball magicians in the world, and what do you think about the game for the Super Eagles?
Ekong : No, I am excited. To be competing against the very best in the world and probably my generation, is something to look forward to. But that level of respect is where the Super Eagles should be too, so this is a chance for us to test ourselves.
Thenff.com : Can you say playing for the Super Eagles and against African opposition, coupled with working with the kind of players in the Coach Rohr-tutored side has toughened you up, and are you also flexible and more experienced to pair up with anyone in defence apart from your main partner Leon Balogun?
Ekong : The experience garnered playing for the Super Eagles has been life –changing for me. Facing some of the best forwards in Africa, whilst having to perform and deliver for such a football-loving nation like Nigeria is a pressure that improves you as a player. I enjoy being with the team, and working with quality players. Playing alongside someone like Leon Balogun with his quality has definitely helped, but I would feel just as comfortable playing next to anyone now.
Thenff.com : What teams do you hope for as we look forward to the World Cup Draw on Dec 1? Do you think there are teams we should avoid and can you tell us the ones you want us to avoid?
Ekong : I am not scared to play against any team. But of course, we hope for a favourable draw. We have to believe in ourselves just like we did in the qualifying campaign. Many doubted us winning a group with Cameroon and Algeria, and look where that got us!
Thenff.com : The World Cup is the biggest football tournament in the universe. Has playing at the Rio Olympics (and as the only player who played every minute) spurred you for the challenge to make the final squad for the World Cup and eventually play in it?
Ekong : Yeah, that was an unforgettable experience. I am very happy with our ticket for the FIFA World Cup but now I am focused on performing for Bursaspor in the next 7 months, together with the Super Eagles’ friendlies in order to be fit and ready next summer. I want to be on that plane to Russia and make Nigeria proud again like we did in Brazil last year.
Thenff.com : Finally, realistically, which stage do you think Nigeria can get to at the FIFA World Cup in Russia?
Ekong : I think we have a very hungry and exciting squad now and realistically, we should be aiming for the knockout stages and just take it game by game.

http://www.thenff.com/2017/11/ekong-playing-super-eagles-changed-life/

Joebie:
Good job soetanoreoluwa !

Thanks boss

Joebie:
Colin, not Collins hahaha

Lol... Thanks modified... Jah bless

SerVik:
hahaha.. Exactly what I was about to type. Make the guy no let Colin catch am o

LOL... Nah to just correct me Noni... Did I deform his character?

The Night of History




SoccerTalk By Mumini Alao:

MOST NIGERIAN soccer fans can’t be seriously bothered about the Super Eagles last qualifying game for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals because Gernot Rohr’s boys have already secured their visa to Russia. Therefore, it won’t be a surprise if many choose to even not watch the game against Algeria this weekend in Algiers because it’s an inconsequential dead-rubber.
But it was a completely different scenario at the same venue and against the same opponents some 29 years ago when Nigeria visited in search of her first ever World Cup ticket. That match ended in a tense 1-1 draw and the Eagles qualified for their first World Cup appearance at USA ’94.
Recently, nostalgic older readers of Soccertalk have been asking me to convert my archives into a digital form so that they could access it and relive (on demand) the ‘good, old days’ of the 1990s as recorded by yours truly. The readers remind me of some timeless pieces published by COMPLETE FOOTBALL magazine: Road to USA, We Must Qualify; Allahu Akbar, Nigeria Back On Course; 90 Minutes To Glory; Hurray, USA ’94 Here We Come; and many more.

As the current Eagles file out against Algeria with no pressure on them whatsoever, let’s go back in time to see how the Eagles Golden Generation qualified Nigeria for the FIFA World Cup for the very first time. I hope that even younger Soccertalk readers will enjoy this historical narrative. This one was titled, “The Night of History.”
Friday, October 8, 1993: The Night of History

It could be a difficult task writing about an event the like of which had never happened before.
Particularly if that event is of such a magnitude as Nigeria’s qualification for the World Cup for the very first time, then your hands are full.
Various headlines would ring in your head: Eagles Make World Cup History; Nigeria through to USA; Qualification At Last!; and many more.
So would adjectives jostle for use: Remarkable. Unprecedented. Historic. Glorious. Momentous Record-breaking and many more.
All are applicable, they tell the story, yet none would seem good enough. Each would sound to you like an understatement of the fact. The fact is Nigeria’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup for the very first time.
Because the achievement is unprecedented, you would feel the only way to do justice is to use words, expressions, headlines that are equally unprecedented, practically out of this world. Of course, you end up writing nothing! For even though Nigeria had never qualified for the World Cup finals, there are no words in the dictionary that have never been used before.
The best you can do is write the extraordinary or the weird. For example, you could tell your ecstatic readers to repeat after you on the top of their voices…
NIGERIA…. Nigeria, HAVE…. Have, QUALIFIED…. Qualified, FOR THE….. for the, WORLD…. world, CUP…. Cup, FOR…for THE….the, V-E-R-Y… v-e-r-y. FIRST…. First, TIME….. time!
– From the unpublished “Thoughts of a Reporter” on the Night of History. (July 5 Stadium, Algiers. Friday October 8, 1993).





Moment of Glory

NIGERIA’S moment of World Cup glory as recorded by the digital stop-watch of this reporter was exactly 8:23:43pm twenty-three minutes, forty-three seconds past the hour of eight ‘O’ clock post meridian on the Day of History, Friday 8 October, 1993.
FIFA-Graded referee Lim Kee Chong from Mauritius took a glance at the time piece strapped firmly to his left wrist as he ran to keep pace with the dying moments of the final World Cup qualifier between Algeria and Nigeria at the July 5 Stadium in Algiers.
Fleeting seconds later, Chong’s steady run would slow down into a walk and the walk into a halt. The referee mouthed his whistle, raised his two hands and pointed to the heavens. “Phew, phew, phew,” went the shrill noise of the whistle and history was made: Nigeria had qualified for the glamorous FIFA World Cup for the very first time!
Time check: 8:23:43pm. This hour, this minute and this second will forever remain the moment of World Cup glory for Nigerian football.
Sparks of Emotion

Chong might have made three bursts on his whistle to signal the end of the Algeria – Nigeria tie, but only the first one was heard by the scanty crowd at the magnificent July 5 Stadium in Algiers.
Long before Chong called a halt to proceedings, the Nigerian players, team handlers and backers had longed for that home whistle with Dutch technical adviser Clemens Westerhof leading the band of Nigerian emergency time-keepers on the night.
Towards the tail-end of the game, Westerhof walked to within ten yards of the touch line, stamping his foot, pointing persistently at his gold wrist watch as he yelled at the referee that time was up…
“Hey referee, it is finished now. It is all over now. Look at your watch. Don’t spoil everything for us now. Why are you doing this? It is finished now. Let us go now…” The Dutchman was panting. And so were his crew, and so were his reserve players. Everyone was watching wide-eyed, expectant, tensed up.

On the pitch, the Nigerian players were in a worse condition. After opening scoring in the first half through right winger George Finidi, all seemed to be going well for them until the Algerians equalized through hit-man Zerrouki Sid Ahmed with 20 minutes remaining. Those 20 minutes would probably remain the most nightmarish in the professional careers of the Nigerian players.
They were aware that a draw from this game would be enough to realize their country’s World Cup dream. With scores tied at 1-1 in the 70th minute, therefore, they simply wished the game would end right then.
But of course, it didn’t. Instead, the opponents turned on the heat full blast looking for the winner. And, all of a sudden, the home fans who had booed their own team all-match long made an about-face and started encouraging them to go for the kill. It was 20 minutes of hell for the Super-Eagles.

Goalkeeper Wilfred Agbonavbare shouted himself hoarse between the Nigerian posts. “Keshi, they’re coming again O! Iroha, look behind you. Ugbade, hold him, hold him. Everybody, come back, come baaaack!!!”
Team skipper Stephen Keshi’s trademark is the ability to organize his defence and assign roles to peers. This night, he needed all his ingenuity to hold his men together as the faster, sleeker and more cohesive opponents attacked in droves.
Several close calls, corner-kick after corner kick, rampaging solos, stinging shots, pushes and shoves. The Algerians threw every brick at the embattled Nigerian boys. Those last 20 minutes were tough for the Super Eagles.
Substitute right full-back Nduka Ugbade summarized that last period of the game: “It was tough. They just kept coming at us.”
Boiling Point

With pressure mounting on the field and tension heightening on the bench, the impact was bound to reflect on the Nigerians in the crowd at July 5. For them, anxiety reached boiling point.
Emeka Omeruah is the Chairman of the Nigerian Football Association. Being a retired Air Commodore in the Navy, he is a man whom military training has hardened. But when the Super Eagles came under severe pressure in the last period of the game in Algiers, Omeruah sought refuge in God. He would say afterwards…

“I must confess that I was tensed up. But when I considered the wife of the NSC Chairman, Chief Alex Akinyele who was sitting to my right in the state box, I had to brace up like a man.

“The Secretary General, Dr. Tijani Yusuf was sitting to my left and I could see he was also a bit uncomfortable. In fact, every Nigerian in the state box was tensed up. No real conversation could take place. People tried to talk, but all you could hear were murmurs, blabbering, you know. The tension in the state box was so high.”
Ditto among the Nigeria Football Supporters Club who had arrived the Stadium only about an hour to kick-off. Earlier on in the game, their drumming was loud and they sang in very high pitch. And when the Eagles scored, they drummed even louder and sang even louder.

When the Algerians equalized and pressed forward in search of a winner in the final 20 minutes, however, some of the Nigerian drummers could hardly lift their sticks, while many of the singers opened their mouths but no songs came forth.
The anxiety reached even the journalists from Nigeria at the press area of the Stadium. “Why are these boys now playing like this,” one muttered when the opponents’ pressure reached the peak. “It doesn’t matter now how they play as long as they qualify” another fired back.
Meanwhile, a couple of desks away, an Algerian journalist who had pretended to be indifferent about the possible outcome of the game because his country was already out of contention for the World Cup was betraying his “hidden agenda.” Each time his team swarmed on the Nigeria defence during the last 20 minutes, he would shout goal!, goal!, goal! to further heighten the anxiety of his Nigerian colleagues.
It was amidst this din of tension and pressure for the Nigerians that centre referee Lim Kee Chong finally ruled that the game had gone its full course and sounded the home whistle.

The first burst was heard alright, but not the second nor the third which the referee still dutifully made. “Heey!” the spontaneous jubilation of the Nigerians at July 5 responded to Chong’s first burst of the whistle, drowning the second and the third. Hard, steely and tensed-up faces of handlers and backers relaxed into flashy, buoyant and relieved looks as everyone bared their teeth as though they were in an audition for a toothpaste advertisement.
The sparks of emotion among Nigerians went the full course, from the extremely uneasy to the extremely joyous. It is not everyday that a country qualifies for the World Cup finals.
Sparks of Celebration

Algeria 1, Nigeria 1 and both sides ended the historic game of October 8 on a balanced keel. A goal apiece and a point apiece meant both teams had been equal on the night-goals wise, at least. But while Algeria’s one point couldn’t do them any good again as far as the World Cup was concerned, Nigeria’s share of the spoils gave her a place in history: a World Cup ticket.
When referee Chong’s home whistle went, it was celebration galore among the Nigerians at July 5.
On the pitch, goalkeeper Agbonavbare made the sign of the cross – “Thank you, Jesus.” Substitute midfielder Mutiu Adepoju made the sign of Unity – “Thank you, Allah.”

Everywhere, the instantaneous reaction made by all the players was “Thank God.”
Then followed the Hurrays, Hoppees and Yapees. Then followed the huggings, the back-slappings. Each player grabbed the nearest teammate in sheer ecstasy. Let’s paint some picture…

Skipper Stephen Keshi and left full-back Ben Iroha are locked in embrace and both are rolling on the pitch like Japanese Sumo wrestlers. Elsewhere, strikers Rashidi Yekini and Daniel Amokachi are not rolling on the turf, but their eyes are glittering, arms raised, fists clamed. Elsewhere still, substitute full-back Nduka Ugbade is running about like a sheep without shepherd. The former U-17 World Cup champion is crying out of joy, and he is obviously lacking in direction. Luckily, he runs into midfielder Thompson Oliha who also is just running and running with no apparent destination. “Oliha, Oliha, we have done it,” Ugbade sobs as both players run into each other’s arms.

Elsewhere still, substitute midfielder Mutiu Adepoju can be seen running towards his handlers “Aaah, Aaah,” he keeps shouting as he runs along. The boy is mad with joy.
Sidelines

On the sidelines, Clemens Westerhof had killed off the last of his cigarettes in readiness for the final whistle. But when the whistle came, he really couldn’t believe his ears. “I really didn’t know how to celebrate again when I heard the whistle,” he would say afterwards. “I was very happy inside me, but on the outside, I didn’t know how exactly to show it.”

Back on the sidelines, Nigeria’s team doctor Akinkunmi Amao is the first to embrace Westerhof at the whistle. Then comes assistant coach Ismaila Lulu and the players on the sub bench – Precious Monye, substituted Austin Eguavoen, et al.

Defender Isaac Semitoje is the first among the players on the field to reach the sidelines. He embraces the coach and gives way to the others as pressmen encircle Westerhof to record his reaction for history.

On the terraces the Nigerian Supporters Club seem bent on beating their drums into disrepair. “O se, O se o, O se Baba” (Thank you, thank you Father), they are now singing, hopping from one step to the other, and beckoning on the players to come and celebrate with them.

Striker Daniel Amokachi is the first to respond. He runs to the fence and collects a Nigerian flag from the supporters. Then he struts off again draping the flag around his body.

While the Nigerians celebrate, the Algerian players stand huddled together in the middle of the field, watching in bewilderment. Two times previously in 1982 and 1986, their country had played in the World Cup finals, the first time ironically at Nigeria’s expense. Today, the positions are reversed.

“We congratulate Nigeria on their qualification”, the Algerian coach Medhane Ighil says. “But they will have to work very hard to do well at the World Cup,” he offers.
Presently, the Nigerian jubilation is beginning to recede. After the initial explosion, the players, officials and supporters are now slowing down to regain their strength.

Skipper Stephen Keshi finds a seat on the deserted Algerian bench and rests his bulky frame. His eye-balls are heavy. He’s been crying…
“I don’t know what to say. I just don’t know exactly what to say again,” he tells one journalist who squats besides him prompting him for a comment.
Shortly after, everyone is leaving the stadium. The flood lights go off one after the other as the grounds men urge people to move it, it’s time to go home.
The Super Eagles retire to their dressing room as the last of the lights inside the main-bowl go off. The Nigerian dream of more than two decades is now a reality: the Eagles have landed a ticket to the Mundial.
Culled from COMPLETE FOOTBALL magazine, November 1993 issue, pages 2,3,6 and 7.


ttps://www.completesportsnigeria.com/the-night-of-history/

I'm bewildered how you came up with that from my write-up.

goldfish80:

Your solution to tap into the rich potentials is to set up shop in Europe where foreign born players are begged and cajoled to come play for Nigeria.
Clap for yourself.

jotey:

This Uzoho face strong oo
No wonder Iheanacho wrote 19 During his initiation into the Eagles

nelszx:

This Uzoho face strong oo
No wonder Iheanacho wrote 19 During his initiation into the Eagles

Not only that he wrote 19..Everybody shouted Haaaaaa... Lol.. I wonder what's wrong with them... What is the meaning of Haaaaaa?

just imagine super eagles line up with Ikeme, Balogun, Ekong, Ebuehi and Deji(if he eventually plays for us)
Real Oyinbo wall

soetanoreoluwa:


Not only that he wrote 19..Everybody shouted Haaaaaa... Lol.. I wonder what's wrong with them... What is the meaning of Haaaaaa?

O ya won lenu (E reach shout na)

goldfish80

Comparing the socio-economic strength of Nigeria with football is like apples and oranges. They are not the same thing.

Sir, this is the blind spot in your argument. You fail to recognise the evolution of the sport. Football has evolved from a mere sport to a socio - economic endeavour with its own unique business ecosystem which has organic ties with every other national socio-economic endeavour. Football is economy, it's business, it's money. Ask the Brits what the EPL means to their economy.

Science and technology is not one of our strengths as a country. It makes sense to import warships,gun boats, fighter jets and armored tanks. Although one can ask questions why some inventions made by the Biafrans during the war was not tapped into by succeeding governments (story for another day).

When it comes to football, we cannot say we lack the talents so much that we should start importing footballers just like we import warships. This is ridiculous.

I regard foreign based players as imports unless you can make use of our home based players for competitions like the World Cup. There's an evolution in the game you are not tracking: first our teams used to be wholly home based players(70's - mid 80's), next a mix of homebased and foreign based( late 80's -mid 2000's) next wholly foreign based (2010-2014 bar Keshi's 2013 experiment) next foreign based with a mixture of Naija born and foreign born players of Nigerian descent (2014-present). Who knows maybe one day our team will be wholly foreign born players (na joke oo).

Read what a foreigner said about talents in Nigeria

” I can’t seem to understand the rave behind Karamoko Dembele by the world, especially Nigerians. I have seen a lot of his type on the street in Nigeria, so kill the hype” He told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” He is good no doubt, but like I told a friend of mine, in Nigeria on the streets on bad playing pitches, not the type Dembele enjoys in Scotland, they are better players in Lagos, Abuja, Porthacourt, Warri, Kaduna, Kano etc.

” I challenge anybody who doubts me to follow me to Nigeria. Look my friend, I have spent time in the country and in Europe, so I know what am saying. They are millions of Dembele on the street in Nigeria, playing football with no boots or facility but yet doing well”.

A foreigner believes Nigeria have this many un tapped talents.
Take a moment and let that sink in.

I agree totally. There's abundant talent in Nigeria not just in football but across all sectors even in science and technology. The numbers in science and technology might not be much but they are there. The question remains: What have we done with our talents? Remove Europe from the equation and tell me what we have done with the talents at our disposal.

soetanoreoluwa:


LOL... Nah to just correct me Noni... Did I deform his character?

Of course not. He's just very strict with his name.

Humility017:
I drop this for my brother Goodjoe...I sure know henceforth uzoho becomes his favorite courtsey of his exploits during drills....


Eagles Training: Deportivo La Coruna Goalkeeper Uzoho Impresses In Shooting Drills

As part of our build up to the dead rubber World Cup 2018 Qualifiers tie between Nigeria and Algeria, Owngoalnigeria.com contact in Morocco witnessed the Eagles training session.
The goalkeepers of the team had a shooting session which was handled by the goalkeeper trainers Alloy Agu and Enrico Pionetti, with goalkeeper Francis Odinaka Uzoho and Ikechukwu Ezenwa taking part.
During the drills newly invited Deportivo La Coruna shot stopper Uzoho impressed with his long reach especially in diving to make saves, as his impressive height ensure he hardly misses when he dives.
Standing at an impressive height of over six feet tall, Uzoho wasn’t as assured in terms of grip like Ikechukwu Ezenwa who is the number one goalkeeper of the team.
However, Uzoho put up a good performance in training during the morning session, and he will be hoping for more of the same in the second session which will take place later this evening.

Goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi has joined up with the rest of the team, hence they will be three goalkeepers in the team for the session which will focus more on tactical issues ahead of Friday’s game.
Maxwell Pius

source: OGN

That's one thing I like about Ezenwa. His aerial grip is top notch. Rarely spills balls.

Mujtahida:

Baba Icon4s I enjoy it when tactics is discussed. Infact prior to my time on this thread I knew nothing about football tactically speaking but because of this thread I've learnt a thing or two on tactics: I've learnt about pressing(thanks to the goodjoe) double pivot, I understand the various positions better. I appreciate the tactical insights of you and Mickael2.
However I understand what Icon79 is saying. He is saying we should not be presumptuous while discussing tactics, we should not talk like we know better than the coach regarding the players because I doubt if we do(surely we know but I don't think we know MORE than the coach).

let me put it this way, you may come for an exam and because you are sick or some other forms of distraction your performance takes a huge dip, the external invigilator then starts screaming that you are a poor student but the teacher who stays with you in class everyday maintains that you are good. Rohr only trains with these guys a couple of weeks at most, no offence to him but he does not know these players better than their club coaches and some of us who may decide to follow a player properly. There are sometimes I just watch a match to monitor a particular player, I have done something like that for Etebo and found out the type of player he is when playing as the AMF, Rohr did not see that and played him a bad system for him, this is not a rundown on Rohr, he has a lot of players to monitor so he'd be occupied. I have done a similar thing for players like Simon(figured out he has only one skill-set, he is not even an average player but well below average), Tammy(and I am like why do we even need this guy? He is not the savior we need which I pointed out since) and Nwakali and Yahaya, YES. During their U17 people were losing their heads over Iheanacho but watch that midfield closely and you'd see that without Yahaya and Nwakali we would not have gotten anywhere, I pointed out to a friend back then that these two boys are better tactically than Iheanacho and I still insist on that and assuming Nwakali gets a chance we will all see that for ourselves as well.

So the point here is simple, some of us have watched some players better than the coach

Joebie:
There are potentials everywhere. Where there is no system, you go to the streets to find them. You can keep promoting backwardness if you want. Potential is only a thing -- innate, Just as resources is only a thing -- found underneath. But what do you do from there? Keep these talents in the Nigerian system and you will see what will become of these potentials.
You can't separate socio-economic strength as you call it from football. You doubt me? Look at the forerunners in sports for that matter. Compare it to their economies, you will see a correlation. For one thing I know that some people will travel but they will still not learn much. I have seen that type.

Modified
Football is our number one sport. And if we still can't get it right in football, that tells you something about our socio-economic strength.

I replied his mentions without reading this your post and I'm amazed at how you totally mirror my thoughts. On this issue, Omo we don dey telepathic ooo.

soetanoreoluwa:
Yesterday training

The pictures are so vivid.

Joebie:
I'm bewildered how you came up with that from my write-up.

It was easy. Atleast from your suggestion, it appeared you wanted to lead a team of fans who will picket the glass house, armed with a list of foreign born footballers who should be contacted early.

Humility017:

Obi Mikel Finally Opens Up On Transfer War Between Chelsea, Man Utd For His Services



Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has finally lifted the lid on the transfer war between Chelsea and Manchester United for his services more than a decade ago.
Mikel initially signed for the Red Devils on April 29, 2005, but the midfielder eventually joined Chelsea a year later after they paid £16 million to the Old Trafford outfit and Lyn Olso.
The other actors involved in the case were Lyn director Morgan Andersen, agents Rune Hauge, John Shittu, Daniel Fletcher and Jerome Anderson, managers Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho and Mikel's father, who wanted his son to join United ahead of Chelsea until he was approached by Shittu.
Mikel told The Sun : ''It was surreal, I was at school, but had Chelsea and Manchester United — two of the world’s biggest clubs — trying to sign me. I’ll never forget that second meeting with Sir Alex. I’d signed a deal at United but had to tell him: ‘Sorry, I want to play for Chelsea’.
''He really liked me but I could see how angry and disappointed he was.
''Some things he told me made me think about changing my mind but I was thinking about Jose, too.
''I had these two great managers wanting me and I did not know what to do.
''Fergie told me: ‘Why would you turn down United? It’s the biggest club in the world. You cannot do that. You have to say Yes’.
''As a footballer, you have to make decisions that you live with for the rest of your life.''
Mikel was successful at Chelsea, winning the Champions League and Europa League, two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups in his 11 years there.
Igho Kingsley

source: ANS

That bag the questions..

Would Mikel have been more successful at man utd than Chelsea?
Would Fergie have played him in his natural AMF role ??

Joebie:
I'm bewildered how you came up with that from my write-up.

You don't need to defend that point. All our various diasporan societies engaging doctors, tech heads, business executives of Nigerian descent are set up shops too

you are a joke.. can we have your suggestion? something fresh please

goldfish80:


It was easy. Atleast from your suggestion, it appeared you wanted to lead a team of fans who will picket the glass house, armed with a list of foreign born footballers who should be contacted early.

He ran away from the socio-economic issue. I hope he learned something.

Mujtahida:

You don't need to defend that point. All our various diasporan societies engaging doctors, tech heads, business executives of Nigerian descent are set up shops too

Kalapizim:
just imagine super eagles line up with Ikeme, Balogun, Ekong, Ebuehi and Deji(if he eventually plays for us)
Real Oyinbo wall

We miss Carl Ikeme. Having the FB in defence will be good.

Great minds think alike.. The truth is we spend countless hours debating nothing. And nobody want to take action. Such is the Nigerian culture. And that's why sometimes I just conclude that Nigeria won't get batter. But maybe there is a ray of hope.

Mujtahida:

I replied his mentions without reading this your post and I'm amazed at how you totally mirror my thoughts. On this issue, Omo we don dey telepathic ooo.

Mujtahida:



Sir, this is the blind spot in your argument. You fail to recognise the evolution of the sport. Football has evolved from a mere sport to a socio - economic endeavour with its own unique business ecosystem which has organic ties with every other national socio-economic endeavour. Football is economy, it's business, it's money. Ask the Brits what the EPL means to their economy.




I regard foreign based players as imports unless you can make use of our home based players for competitions like the World Cup. There's an evolution in the game you are not tracking: first our teams used to be wholly home based players(70's - mid 80's), next a mix of homebased and foreign based( late 80's -mid 2000's) next wholly foreign based (2010-2014 bar Keshi's 2013 experiment) next foreign based with a mixture of Naija born and foreign born players of Nigerian descent (2014-present). Who knows maybe one day our team will be wholly foreign born players (na joke oo).



I agree totally. There's abundant talent in Nigeria not just in football but across all sectors even in science and technology. The numbers in science and technology might not be much but they are there. The question remains: What have we done with our talents? Remove Europe from the equation and tell me what we have done with the talents at our disposal.

First of all, football is a talent based industry. Just like our booming entertainment industry, football can rise above the thriving mediocrity in all sectors of the economy.

Statistically, Spain have one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe yet their football industry is vibrant.

How about Brazil? Even with the downturn in their economy, protests, street fights and biting economic realities facing the country in recent times, yet their football industry is thriving!

Do you know how many Brazilians who lost their lives in January while protesting when Jesus transfered to Man city in January?

Mickael2:



let me put it this way, you may come for an exam and because you are sick or some other forms of distraction your performance takes a huge dip, the external invigilator then starts screaming that you are a poor student but the teacher who stays with you in class everyday maintains that you are good. Rohr only trains with these guys a couple of weeks at most, no offence to him but he does not know these players better than their club coaches and some of us who may decide to follow a player properly. There are sometimes I just watch a match to monitor a particular player, I have done something like that for Etebo and found out the type of player he is when playing as the AMF, Rohr did not see that and played him a bad system for him, this is not a rundown on Rohr, he has a lot of players to monitor so he'd be occupied. I have done a similar thing for players like Simon(figured out he has only one skill-set, he is not even an average player but well below average), Tammy(and I am like why do we even need this guy? He is not the savior we need which I pointed out since) and Nwakali and Yahaya, YES. During their U17 people were losing their heads over Iheanacho but watch that midfield closely and you'd see that without Yahaya and Nwakali we would not have gotten anywhere, I pointed out to a friend back then that these two boys are better tactically than Iheanacho and I still insist on that and assuming Nwakali gets a chance we will all see that for ourselves as well.

So the point here is simple, some of us have watched some players better than the coach

Well, if you say so I can't argue against that. But the Coach's knowledge about his players, his team, their strengths, their weaknesses, might be increasing at a pace that would outstrip your knowledge unless you keep up your own pace too. I say this for one reason: it's his job and if he's not lazy the trajectory of his knowledge should show an upward climb. He is not at the level of knowledge he was last year though. He's learned some and hopefully he should continue learning.

goldfish80:


First of all, football is a talent based industry. Just like our booming entertainment industry, football can rise above the thriving mediocrity in all sectors of the economy.

Statistically, Spain have one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe yet their football industry is vibrant.

How about Brazil? Even with the downturn in their economy, protests, street fights and biting economic realities facing the country in recent times, yet their football industry is thriving!

Do you know how many Brazilians who lost their lives in January while protesting when Jesus transfered to Man city in January?

Okay I agree because ever since I began discussing with you our thriving entertainment industry has been sticking it's head up to me but the reality today is that we have a large pool of talented players we cannot afford to ignore notwithstanding the fact that some will ignore us and that does not stop us from developing our league if we really do want to do so. The point you should note is that our league was vibrant at a point but it has gone down now. We should pull it up.

Having a good national team is a derivative of having a good league but it should not the reason for developing the local league. Develop the league for its own sake. If having a good national team is the reason for having a good league then England would have scrapped the EPL. What I am saying is that the National team is just a small island in the vast landscape of the football league. How many times in a year do national teams play? So getting foreign born players to play for us has little to do with developing the league. If we want to develop it we would, if we don't want, we won't. It is not Leon Balogun that is preventing the setting up of good league structures.

NTERVIEW
‘I ran off celebrating and I almost cried’
Matt Aldridge 08 Nov 2017

Alex Iwobi recalls the moment he booked Nigeria's tickets to the World Cup finals next summer

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A regular for Nigeria at just 21 years of age, Alex Iwobi has already written his name into his country’s history books.

The forward came off the bench to score a late winner against Zambia last month, and send the Super Eagles to their sixth World Cup finals.

Here’s what he had to say about the moment:

on how it felt to score the goal that sent Nigeria to the World Cup…
It’s so hard to describe, you know what I mean. When I actually scored the moment was crazy, I remember running off celebrating. I almost cried, I actually almost cried to see how the fans were reacting, to see my mum and dad in the stands, it was just an amazing feeling.

on what the atmosphere was like when he scored…
When I scored the goal, because the security are very strict the fans were trying to come on the pitch as I scored, but the security guards stopped them and after the fans they played trumpets and banged drums, so the players were just dancing, it was just crazy.

on representing Nigeria…
Yeah it’s basically my family, where they’re from, where I’m from it’s my homeland, so it’s always an honour to wear the green, white and green, I mean I’ve seen so many kids on the street when we’re like in the bus, they’re screaming “go Nigeria, go Nigeria”, so to represent them I’m just proud.

on what it means to him to play for his country…
It makes me feel grateful for what I have, because I’ve always grown up in England, so I didn’t really know what it was like back then. When I go back I see how people struggle in life, it’s not as easy as it is over here, so it gives me that reality check, but also I try to help people out there as well.

on bringing such happiness to the Nigerian fans…
It was the way they were like… it was almost like everyone won the lottery, they were just jumping. To go to the World Cup you can see it’s not just the players’ dream, it’s the fans’ dream as well and for me to get the goal for us to go through I’m just proud to do that.

So their football industry should just go downhill just because they are having some challenges economically? Did you do statistics in school?

Correlation does not automatically mean that the change in one variable is the cause of the change in the values of the other variable. Causation, however, indicates that one event is the result of the occurrence of the other event.

You are missing the point.

goldfish80:


First of all, football is a talent based industry. Just like our booming entertainment industry, football can rise above the thriving mediocrity in all sectors of the economy.

Statistically, Spain have one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe yet their football industry is vibrant.

How about Brazil? Even with the downturn in their economy, protests, street fights and biting economic realities facing the country in recent times, yet their football industry is thriving!

Do you know how many Brazilians who lost their lives in January while protesting when Jesus transfered to Man city in January?

My logic has been that if we have put so much focus on football, to the detriment of others sports, over the years, and we've had many football loving people including government officials and still yet we cannot have a good football development structure, it is a reflection on how we do things. Why would you expect we would have handled our economic issues better?

Mujtahida:

Okay I agree because ever since I began discussing with you our thriving entertainment industry has been sticking it's head up to me but the reality today is that we have a large pool of talented players we cannot afford to ignore notwithstanding the fact that some will ignore us and that does not stop us from developing our league if we really do want to do so. The point you should note is that our league was vibrant at a point but it has gone down now. We should pull it up.

Joebie:
Watching Nigeria vs Zambia in Ndola
How Omeruo gifted them their only goal. I wonder why he is still in the team. I would have tried one Faith Obilor.

Football is not about sentimental loyalty or emotive preference. That essentially enthrones mediocrity.

Let's be true, Omeruo is player that seems to have peaked at U17 level. Promised much bet delivered very little. He is a Chelsea player in name not in practice and will never smell the Chelsea team. Hence the indignity of having to train with the Chelsea U18 team.

Is he really the best we have When Dominic Iorfa was winning MOTM awards and best young player in the league in 2014 /15 Omeruo was playing for Middlesbrough. He didn't have an outstanding season. If we are to compare the two of them who would you rather have. If sentimental loyalty is removed and objective measurement used there is no competition.

So why is Omeruo there, can we assume that your relationship with the NFF powers that be, maybe paramount in maintaining your position. I wonder

There is a trend that's becoming irrefutable. That is that golden Eagles youth players have first option and consideration to the SE. It's not based on present continous consistent performances or improvement but past youth football glories.

That trend was seen with Osimhen, Nwakali, Succes, Agu, Awazeim, and others waiting in the wings.

The Golden standard is that transgresses all national football associations is that your club performance is the basis for selection with very few exceptions. That's not the standard we use.

Mickael2:



let me put it this way, you may come for an exam and because you are sick or some other forms of distraction your performance takes a huge dip, the external invigilator then starts screaming that you are a poor student but the teacher who stays with you in class everyday maintains that you are good. Rohr only trains with these guys a couple of weeks at most, no offence to him but he does not know these players better than their club coaches and some of us who may decide to follow a player properly. There are sometimes I just watch a match to monitor a particular player, I have done something like that for Etebo and found out the type of player he is when playing as the AMF, Rohr did not see that and played him a bad system for him, this is not a rundown on Rohr, he has a lot of players to monitor so he'd be occupied. I have done a similar thing for players like Simon(figured out he has only one skill-set, he is not even an average player but well below average), Tammy(and I am like why do we even need this guy? He is not the savior we need which I pointed out since) and Nwakali and Yahaya, YES. During their U17 people were losing their heads over Iheanacho but watch that midfield closely and you'd see that without Yahaya and Nwakali we would not have gotten anywhere, I pointed out to a friend back then that these two boys are better tactically than Iheanacho and I still insist on that and assuming Nwakali gets a chance we will all see that for ourselves as well.

So the point here is simple, some of us have watched some players better than the coach

Of course you have watched some players more than the coach. He has limited time and only gets to see them in limited time as well. Rohr will rely on first hand experience and reports given by his coaching team.

Team invitations will be done particularly with regard to new player selection and recommendation will be done by NFF officials as well as in partnership with Rohr.

This is Nigeria there will be all kinds of jostling and influence peddling to push forward players that service the interests of different officials and thier associated agents. That will never change.