Icon4s:

Even if they lose to Senegal, the 3pts they have might just be enough.

That's if Cameroon beats Cape Verde and Egypt and Nigeria beat Sudan and guinea respectively

I watched the presser. It was actually in response to Modo Victor of Modzero Media. Punch ofcos covered the press conference like others so they will all pick up the coach's response.


But point noted. Like I said already when analysing the team in the past 2 games, Eguavoen didn't want to take too many risks due to his short time with the team so far but he has already found a fine bypass solution to dealing with teams so far.

In the presser he also explained why Nwakali haven't been starting games despite having the skillset he sought. He said, Ndidi (& by extension, Aribo) and Nwakali still have to understand themselves so this is why he eases him in slowly and goes with Aribo-Ndidi dual Midfield. This is why the CBs have been majorly responsible for the long balls distribution in execution of our tactics.

I think Eguavoen may be moving to a point where we could play a 3 man midfield but it depends on if he thinks the team is ready for that but his dilemma would be who he drops between Nacho and Awo Or if he still keeps both.

Danielnino00:
Eguavon to Punch newspaper:

Will want the coach to use our second 11, this is his only opportunity to see the hidden treasure we came with for this afcon.
Starring:
Uzoho
Ebuehi ndah Ajayi/Ekong Collins
Ndidi
Onyeka/nwakali. Iwobi
Onyekuru. Ejuke
Iheanacho/Olayinka


He shouldn't try Sadiq again...
In this way, everyone that came to afcon will be tested and happy to have a game time...
We will know the dept of our squad here.....

lloydtruth:

I've watched both in their 2 matches, nothing like country pride, they think AFCON is a small tournament, and they are not giving their best.

Who be Salah and Mahrez to think Afcon is irrelevant ? African legends Samuel Eto & Drogba participated in AFCON. What trophy did Salah and Mahrez don win since they started football for them not to take AFCON seriously?

Yes you did pour cold water on their favourite for the title tag.
Another angle is that historically, North African teams hardly conquer in West/Central Africa (Cam). Only Egypt have done it in the region twice in 1998 (Burkina faso) and Ghana (2008). And the 2008 side was part of Egypt's Golden era of Afcon dominance.

Coming into this tourney, I was more attentive to Algeria's selections and the form of their core first XI rather than their results itself. Their unbeaten run was still on but it was obvious their invincible powers was already beginning to suffer a dip. Belmadi refused to recognise that his core needed a little retouch tactically. I knew at some point in the tourney they will fall but never did I think it would be Equatorial Guinea. CIV were even the likeliest candidate to apply the killer blow but here we are.


As for Elfy, abeg leave am. It's just his way of dealing with disappointment "just in case" it actually happens. So he takes the defensive mechanism stance of catastrophizing just to avoid being heartbroken/disappointed. Trust me, he is a big fan of the Super Eagles. He just dey put up a wall to avoid "stories that touch".

Icon4s:


I had also warned about the fall of this Algerian team when majority were tagging them favorites.

If you have followed the AFCON well enough you will understand so many things about African football.
Like i have always mentioned, book favorite and pre-tournament form can hardly win you the AFCON. We only know the favorites after the tournament has kicked off.

BTW where is that darkelf guy? I hope with this additional AFCON experience in your bag, you have come to understand a little more about African football .
And what is even more worrisome is how you usually come here to predict all sorts of doom for Nigeria, when you think we are not in good form before any tournament but will as usual varnish when our team disappoints you. What pleasure do you derive in wishing your country fails?

If you are in Enugu, Abakaliki and environs tune into Unity101.5FM. the result would be announced.

nelszx:

Algeria drew their first game, only CIV won

Yeah I was talking about CIV. If Algeria draws. That's all for them.

Algeria before AFCON began:

25 consecutive games scoring one or more goal.
34 games unbeaten (3 short off Italy's world record).

AFCON 2021:
Two consecutive games failed to score.
One defeat.

If you listened, I read out the news about the award on my sports show.

Icon4s
Danielnino

jubilantagida:
If you listened, I read out the news about the award on my sports show.

Icon4s
Danielnino

thank you and weldone.
God bless you

TheSuperNerd:
Aribo to Awo was only one of the rare occasions we broke forward through the middle in the final third in that half. It wasn't even recorded as a chance created.
And it didn't come as a result of tight spaces passing. It came via Aribo's individual brilliance. He beat a man to create that.

Most of our attack in that half came from the wings. Anything you are saying does not change that simple fact. Even the stats show that. But I don't wanna talk much. Check whoscored for yourself and see the areas of attack for all 90. The bulk of it was even seen in the first half.

Let it rest.

Thank God you agreed it was more than once. Hahahaha!

My man, keep deceiving yourself.

I watched the match with my eyes hence no need for whoscored.

Icon4s:


I had also warned about the fall of this Algerian team when majority were tagging them favorites.

If you have followed the AFCON well enough you will understand so many things about African football.
Like i have always mentioned, book favorite and pre-tournament form can hardly win you the AFCON. We only know the favorites after the tournament has kicked off.

BTW where is that darkelf guy? I hope with this additional AFCON experience in your bag, you have come to understand a little more about African football .
And what is even more worrisome is how you usually come here to predict all sorts of doom for Nigeria, when you think we are not in good form before any tournament but will as usual varnish when our team disappoints you. What pleasure do you derive in wishing your country fails?

Darkelf won't show his face here until we lost a game...People like him that predict gloom and doom all the time don't actually have the balls to stay and watch their predictions go down the drain..
It isn't even just him..There were some folks here who predicted doom for the team because they feel Eguavon being a local coach would compromise the team...

TheSuperNerd:
I watched the presser. It was actually in response to Modo Victor of Modzero Media. Punch ofcos covered the press conference like others so they will all pick up the coach's response.


But point noted. Like I said already when analysing the team in the past 2 games. Eguavoen didn't want to take too many risks due to his short time with the team so far but he has already found a fine bypass solution to dealing with teams so far.

In the presser he also explained why Nwakali haven't been starting games despite having the skillset he sought. He said, Ndidi (& by extension, Aribo) and Nwakali still have to understand themselves so this is why he eases him in slowly and goes with Aribo-Ndidi dual Midfield. This is why the CBs have been majorly responsible for the long balls distribution in execution of our tactics.

I think Eguavoen may be moving to a point where we could play a 3 man midfield but it depends on if he thinks the team is ready for that but his dilemma would be who he drops between Nacho and Awo Or if he still keeps both.

I'll really like us to try a 3 man midfield against Guinea Bissau...It will really be more applicable for the heavy pressing style we have developed .. Especially with a workaholic like Onyeka in the team..

jubilantagida:
If you listened, I read out the news about the award on my sports show.

Icon4s
Danielnino

Thank you so much chief... God bless you..

Ennyjay69:
It seems we have already topped our group,so we are face a third placed team from B,E,F

No easy team there

minfelix:
That their mumu Arab cup wey Dem play, I swear aside the African contingent in that tournament, all those mumu Jordan,Syria,Qatar Saudi Arabia, non them go see one single win against all these our mad mad African teams I dey watch for AFCON

Saudi Arabia is not bad ooo.

Afcon 2021: No target for Nigeria coach Eguavoen – NFF

The interim handler of the three-time champs has only been directed to do his best at the ongoing competition
Article continues below
The Nigeria Football Federation reveals no target has been set for Nigeria’s interim coach Augustine Eguavoen at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Eguavoen – who represented the Super Eagles for 11 years – was named as interim manager of the West Africans in December following the sacking of Gernot Rohr after five years.
He will be replaced by Portuguese tactician Jose Peseiro after the 33rd edition of the biennial African football showpiece in Cameroon.
Following victories over Egypt and Sudan, the country has booked a place in the Round of 16 with a match to spare.
How high will Augustine Eguavoen’s Super Eagles soar in Cameroon? #AFCON2021
In the wake of the 56-year-old’s fine start at Afcon 2021, GOAL asked the NFF Director of Communications Ademola Olajire if the country’s football ruling body has set a target for Eguavoen, he said: “He is on an interim basis, he has just been handed the mandate to do his very best, and we know what his very best is.
“Sixteen years ago, he led the team to a bronze medal in Egypt and of course, he is the coach with the highest percentage of wins in matches for Nigeria – 12 wins in 14 games over three stints is not something to sneeze at.
“So, we [NFF] believe that we will go all the way to lead the team to the final.”
Despite doubts about Nigeria’s ability to defeat Egypt in their opening match, the team subdued the North Africans 1-0 with Kelechi Iheanacho’s 30th-minute strike settling the encounter staged in Garoua.
On Saturday, the 2013 African kings subdued the Falcons of Jediane 3-1 to book a place in the knockout phase.
Olajire expressed the NFF’s delight with this development while hoping Eguavoen and his men don’t rest on their oars.
“The NFF is quite happy and delighted with this because you know all the circumstances in which we got here, such as the new technical crew having only a few days to train with the team,” he continued.
Article continues below
“There was so much pessimism here and there, but we are happy with that first we took the three points from Egypt in the first match was a good starting point before the three points against Sudan - also very good.
“We are looking forward to another three points in the game against Guinea Bissau. It is a very excellent start and we just hope that the team keeps up to that momentum and goes all the way to the final.”
Since their first participation in Ghana 1963, Nigeria have made 19 appearances in the tournament – winning it on three occasions (1980, 1994 and 2013).

minfelix:
That their mumu Arab cup wey Dem play, I swear aside the African contingent in that tournament, all those mumu Jordan,Syria,Qatar Saudi Arabia, non them go see one single win against all these our mad mad African teams I dey watch for AFCON

Remove Saudi Arabia

I would have like to agree with you but I won’t

E to reach time for World Cup now African teams to begin Dey zuzu

Meliforme:


Peter Olayinka is the dude i even wished would start against Egypt.

Why?

Because no winger in S.E is better defensively plus he is also creative.

Why didn't he start?

It is an important game and i think he is a newbie, his teammates will get to understand him with time, team cohesion and chemistry is paramount.

You will always reason along ethnic lines, i will not tell you to stop, it is your life, it is your decision. I refused to reply to kog45 when he asked for my lineup, because he is navigating the same route.

And let me tell you something, Moses Simon is a good player, you can tell from his exploits at Nantes, MOTM performance shouldn't even be far from a player like Simon, but as far as the LW is concerned, he is not the best we have got. There is Ejuke, there is Onyekuru.

The best is what i will always clamour for, irrespective of ethnic affiliations, not minding if i am the only one calling for it.

Did you see Olayinka in my post?

If not, who is reasoning along ethnic lines between you and I?

You are definitely the bigot and tribalist here. A confirmed one for that matter else tell me where you saw Olayinka in my post.


Besides, you are living on past glory else you wouldn’t be mentioning Onyekuru that has done Zelcheeeeee for the past two seasons.

Another confirmation you are an ethnic Champion.

Now, explain how Ejuke is better than Olayinka with facts.


In addition, how is Ejuke and Onyekuru better than Simon on the LW?

You are a clown.

forgiveness:


Thank God you agreed it was more than once. Hahahaha!

My man, keep deceiving yourself.

I watched the match with my eyes hence no need for whoscored.

But not as a result of tight spaces passing. None came through that. It never worked.

Individual brilliance from Aribo broke us through the middle on rare occasions (I count just two in actuality) in the first half especially.

Our attack was majorly from the left and then next in line was from the right. Even eye test agrees with the stats representation.

You just love to drag things unnecessarily.

Check out this whoscored depiction below.

Against Bissau, I also would like us to play a 3 man midfield.
But the thing now is, who does he select? If he absolutely wants to give the fringes super playing time from the start, then we can expect an Onyeka-Nwakali-Iwobi trio in the middle. But would he do this? Seeing how he emphasised not taking too much risks?



In the long run, Ndidi-Onyeka-Aribo for our gengen press/CB-wingers long ball route in this current system can work.
But I don't know if he would try this exact trio against Bissau as well.

Eguavoen leaves us a small puzzle and I think it's good somewhat. Lol

He did say he would give some fringe players a chance but as we all saw, not even Onyekuru got mins despite rumors of that possibility due to his form in Camp.

But just speaking with our tournament progression in mind, the Ndidi-Onyeka-Aribo in our gen-gen press setup leaves Simon, Awoniyi & Chukwueze alongside Aribo and the Box-to-box runs of Onyeka as the attack overload this time in our attacking transitions.

A 3-man Midfield in this current setup with emphasis on playing the way we did against Egypt means we sacrifice one of Nacho and Awo for Onyeka. And it looks to me like it could be Nacho.



Meanwhile from another tactical angle, any 3-man Midfield involving Nwakali would mean Eguavoen relinquishing the long balls buildup responsibility to Nwakali from deep for the most parts with Omeruo & Ekong to act as backup for the long balls route to wings/final third route and using him (Nwakali) to be able to create decoys through lines-breaking passing through the middle while the opponents expect long balls.
Attack overload in this case will be Simon, Awo, Chuks, Aribo & possibly Ndidi or Nwakali depending on their in-game positions during the attacking transitions.



So it all depends on the level of risks Eguavoen is willing to take. One thing is for sure though... He trusts the Ndidi-Aribo Midfield duo to take us all the way.

So question is "Who would be that natural third man he employs if he deploys a midfield 3 eventually?" Time will tell.

Danielnino00:


I'll really like us to try a 3 man midfield against Guinea Bissau...It will really be more applicable for the heavy pressing style we have developed .. Especially with a workaholic like Onyeka in the team..

Aribo is the new yaya

Ayam in my haus come and beat me

Danielnino00:


Darkelf won't show his face here until we lost a game...People like him that predict gloom and doom all the time don't actually have the balls to stay and watch their predictions go down the drain..
It isn't even just him..There were some folks here who predicted doom for the team because they feel Eguavon being a local coach would compromise the team...

Bro...u no get d first person wet go criticize eguavoen if we first lose our match most especially in d knock out stage is my man PAPI85 ...D Guy dry wait die make we lose first... U go wait taya papi85 till finals

Imagine a midfield trio of ndidi(dm),onyeka(cm/box to box) and aribo (AM)

If not for fatigue I for say mk eguavoen try this experiment against guinea

elyte89:



Bro...u no get d first person wet go criticize eguavoen if we first lose our match most especially in d knock out stage is my man PAPI85 ...D Guy dry wait die make we lose first... U go wait taya papi85 till finals

nooo bro, Austin so far hv turn me to a fan. Tactically He is better than rohr and his style of play gives the players that freedom to express their selves on the pitch

Even if the crash out in the second round he has done enough to win my heart

elyte89:



Bro...u no get d first person wet go criticize eguavoen if we first lose our match most especially in d knock out stage is my man PAPI85 ...D Guy dry wait die make we lose first... U go wait taya papi85 till finals

na nwakali I Dey patiently wait mk em start match for this competition mk everybody eye clear

Papi85:
nooo bro, Austin so far hv turn me to a fan. Tactically He is better than rohr and his style of play gives the players that freedom to express their selves on the pitch

Even if the crash out in the second round he has done enough to win my heart

To be fair, I can count on one hand up to 3 to 5 local coaches better than Rohr and those substandard foreign coaches we usually hire. Their problem is that they always lack sufficient backing from the NFF,as well as the fact that they sometimes work against themselves by calling up low quality players ahead of better ones because of peanuts they'll get from players agents, thereby hampering themselves in the process. I don't know if it's village people dey cause am.

if these guys can give themselves brains and reduce their corruption small, we won't need to hire any washed up white coach for the next decade.

andrewbaba44:
Meanwhile Jordan ibe is close in joining Turkish second division side

Jordan has had torrid time, shockingly with mental health. A lesson that fame and wealth are not everything.

I'll admit that he is always been reserved and unassuming almost aloof. I don't what happened to him, he has a very supportive step Father who is Jamaican and who know the game. Currently hod recruitment Bournemouth .

His story is a warning , God First.

Papi85:
Imagine a midfield trio of ndidi(dm),onyeka(cm/box to box) and aribo (AM)

If not for fatigue I for say mk eguavoen try this experiment against guinea

Blissful

Nostradamus junior

Errr but bros why you wan use style dodge the stray bullet you fire yourself concerning KC.

fabyom:
Iheanacho is improving but still needs to do more! Many people didn't even watch the qualifiers but will be arguing with you based on past reputation. You don see Algeria now!

Samueltemi337:
That's if Cameroon beats Cape Verde and Egypt and Nigeria beat Sudan and guinea respectively

Why Cameroon no go beat Cape Verde?

And why won't Egypt beat Sudan and Nigeria beat Guinea Bissau? In fact, if Egypt fail to beat Sudan, they will be packing their load with their Algerian bretheren

TheLoneCitizen:
Algeria before AFCON began:

25 consecutive games scoring one or more goal.
34 games unbeaten (3 short off Italy's world record).

AFCON 2021:
Two consecutive games failed to score.
One defeat.

Simply put there fairy tail is over