Joebie:
E don reach that level?
You said Nwakali is not good enough now you are pushing for someone in a Swiss league. I’m asking you civilly to tell us what he can potentially bring to the table you are resorting to abuses.

charlesemeka85:
no vex bro, person jus mk me vex last night. No reason am my guy jumobi 🤣

AndSunGorilla:

Fantastic list in my opinion!!!! What's happening to Zaidu? Also is Aribo's invitation justified? Truth be told he put in a good shift against Guinea Bissau or those guys we beat in their country 3-2 or so?

Meliforme:


Aribo is piss poor as a midfielder.
It is not even arguable.

Anybody that truly loves and appreciates Aribo's skills, we advice him to evolve his game in the role of a forward.

Kog45:
Oga Charles na here make you vex wey you dey para😲

charlesemeka85:


Good day sir 🤣

zicky:
i see Aribo as a Havertz kind of player. Very difficult to find the best role suited for those kind of player.

Joebie:
Actually Nwakali is the missing link. Excellent hold up play and passes. He plays in a top tier and has been decent.

Marjoribanks:
Fantastic list! However, I think Adams, Nwakali and Onuachu should have been added since it's a friendly match. I want to see Nwakali with those long balls to Osimhen machine like Olise to Yekini at AFCON 1994!

komekn:


Oniovo Dude is in the worst team in the Portuguese league. The league is rated number 7 in Europe.

Do you think Chavrs is better than a League one team because I don't think so , without prejudice.

Nwakali is very poor quality player, long ballnis not a particular oustanding skill set.

I know 13/14 year old boys that can do 35 yard pinpoint accurate passes and crosses. So stop acting like Nwakali is the only player who can do long ball it's a basic skill not exceptional one.

AndSunGorilla:

Baba sheynu watch Awoniyi yesterday? E don they small when Awoniyi scored (by his own standards).

affaq:
Vokey Design, a proud member of the Titleist family, has carved its name as one of the premier wedge manufaArs globally. Their lineup boasts a diverse array of grind options tailored to cater to golfers of all skill levels. Yet, amid the discussions about the merits of forged versus cast clubs, a lingering question often arises: Are Vokey wedges forged or cast? In this article, we embark on a journey to uncover the intricacies of Vokey wedges, delving into their production process and exploring whether the age-old debate over feel and performance holds true.

TheSuperNerd:
Ahead of Osimhen's first ever face off vs The World's Biggest Football Club, the Elite of the Elites, Giant of all Giants, Real Madrid, Mark Doyle of Goal writes....


Victor Osimhen: Napoli's disrespected striker is the ideal Karim Benzema replacement for Los Blancos


The Nigerian shares a deep bond with Naples and its people - but relations with his club are strained after two stupid social media posts

Ahead of Tuesday's mouth-watering Champions League meeting with Real Madrid at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Napoli coach Rudi Garcia praised his side's illustrious opponents for replacing Karim Benzema with Jude Bellingham.

However, while the Englishman is a multi-skilled generational talent that has done an outstanding job to date of making up for the shock loss of one of the game's great goalscorers, he is not a No.9, as even Garcia acknowledged. So, it would be foolish - and indeed unfair - to expect him to maintain his current strike-rate of seven goals in eight games.

Of course, Joselu has made a reasonable start to his Santiago Bernabeu career, as Garcia also pointed out, but the 33-year-old is neither an elite-level striker nor a long-term solution. But let's face it, if Madrid want to get back to winning Champions Leagues, they need a world-class centre-forward, just like the one they will be going up against in Naples.

And what's so fascinating about this crunch Group C clash is that Victor Osimhen might even be attainable during the January transfer window, thanks in no small part to one of the most shocking social media gaffes in Italian football history.



Diplomatic incident
Napoli posted two videos to TikTok after last month's 0-0 draw with Bologna. In one, Osimhen was mocked for missing a penalty. In the other, he was compared to a coconut. Both were eventually taken down - but by that stage it was too late. The damage had already been done.

The posts had literally created a diplomatic incident, with Nigeria's sports minister, Senator John Owah Enoh, revealing that contact had been made with not only the player himself, but also the country's ambassador to Italy to ensure that "our athletes are afforded the respect they deserve and that they are not exposed to injustice, discrimination and unfair teasing".

Napoli insisted that it had never been their intention to "offend" Osimhen, whom they described "as a treasure of this club", and pointed out that they had rebuffed every offer received for the forward during the summer transfer window to further underline how highly they value him.


'Nobody wanted to be hurtful'

It was a very modern apology, though. Napoli were only 'sorry if anyone was offended' and the problem was that Osimhen was outraged by the posts. While he was deleting every single Napoli-related image from his Instagram account, his agent, Roberto Calenda, was threatening legal action.

Garcia tried to calm the situation, arguing "Nobody wanted to be hurtful, not the TikTok with the video of Victor, nor Victor by taking down his photographs on social media. Nobody intended to hurt anyone, these are instinctive reactions and are understandable."

However, Osimhen remains miffed. He appeared to blank his team-mates before Napoli's next outing, against Udinese, and also refused to celebrate after scoring in the 4-0 win at the Maradona. His subsequent strike against Lecce on Saturday was also met with a muted reaction, which only heightened the tension among Napoli fans.



'I will not allow anyone to come between us'
Osimhen finally broke his silence the following day to express his enduring love for Naples and its peoples. "I will not allow anyone to come between us," he declared on Instagram. "The passion of the people of Naples fuels my fire to always play with my heart and soul, and the love for the badge is unwavering as I wear it with pride."

Tellingly, though, Osimhen made no mention of the club itself, which has led to further speculation over his future.

There's certainly no denying that this controversy could not have come at a worse time for Napoli, who are presently trying to tie Osimhen down to a new contract. An extension looked set to be signed during the summer, but the two parties have still not come to an agreement over the size of the buy-out clause, which is obviously of great interest to the many clubs interested in Osimhen's services.



Destined to leave eventually

Al-Hilal, remember, offered a fee in the region of €200 million (£174m/$212m) for the 24-year-old during the off-season, only to be told by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, "Your offer can buy a single foot of Osimhen. For next year, I think you'll be able to offer €500m and we'll maybe consider your offer, but I'll repeat myself: maybe."

The thing is, though, as it stands, Napoli won't be able to demand such a fee for Osimhen next year, given his contract expires in 2025. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that they get Osimhen to not only put pen to paper on a new deal, but also get him to agree to a buy-out clause that ensures that Napoli will not be short-changed when the time comes to cash in on their most valuable asset.

Because make no mistake about it: Osimhen will eventually move on. He's never hidden his desire to play for a top Premier League club (he grew up idolising Didier Drogba, for what it's worth), while it's also been claimed that Madrid are the only team he'd consider joining.



Mbappe and Osimhen could play together

A move to the Bernabeu would certainly make a lot of sense, as it would provide Osimhen with the platform he deserves to prove himself a genuine superstar, while at the same time filling the colossal void left by Benzema in the Blancos' attack.

Of course, in terms of like-for-like replacements, Harry Kane would have been the better option for Madrid. The England captain is, just like Benzema, capable of serving a side as both a provider and a finisher. Kane would have tied the forward line together in a very similar way to the Frenchman.

However, it's easy to understand why Madrid baulked at the idea of paying a nine-figure fee for a 30-year-old, particularly when they remain intent on prising Kylian Mbappe away from Paris Saint-Germain. The World Cup winner remains Florentino Perez's primary transfer target and there remains the suspicion that Mbappe will end up at the Bernabeu eventually.

But that shouldn't rule Real out of a move for Osimhen - at least not from a sporting perspective. For starters, he does not play in the same position as Mbappe and the idea of two such pacey young attackers lining up alongside Vinicius Jr is a mouth-watering prospect, even for neutrals.

In that sense, Osimhen is actually an even better fit for Madrid than Kane. It's not just that he's faster or younger, he's also far more more appealing from a marketing perspective, given he is such a joy to watch in full flow.

It's also well worth emphasising that Osimhen has many strings to his bow. He is not just quick; he is also powerful, skilful and can climb even higher than Cristiano Ronaldo to get his head on crosses, which is precisely why former Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti described last season's Capocannoniere as "the complete package".


'Osimhen is phenomenal'

Indeed, many pundits and coaches would argue that while Osimhen is not as prolific as Erling Haaland, he is far more exciting to watch, as he can sometimes evoke memories of the great Ronaldo by taking on entire defences on his own. As former Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri once told DAZN, "Osimhen is phenomenal because he runs alone at five players and still gets through."

Madrid are undeniably crying out for such a striker. The Liga leaders have made an encouraging start to the 2023-24 campaign, but the fear remains that they will eventually pay the price for refusing to sign a world-class replacement for Benzema, particularly in the latter stages of the Champions League. In truth, it wouldn't even be a surprise if their hopes of topping their group were dealt a heavy blow by Osimhen himself on Tuesday night.

So, if there is any chance of exploiting the current tension at the Maradona during the January transfer window, then Madrid must take it. Osimhen's bond with the people of Naples remains as strong as ever, but it's clear that his relationship with the city's club has hit an all-time low.

One can be sure, then, that Madrid will be among the many clubs monitoring Osimhen's every move in the coming days, weeks and months - both on the field and, perhaps more importantly, on social media.


Source: Goal

Kog45:
Well let's see what Fisayo has to offer but Aribo didn't deserve the invitation.

Kog45:
Aribo is poor of late

Kog45:
Good list,but Aribo didn't deserve to be on the list.

BascoVanVeli:
For the Michelle Alozie fans. She scored a brace last night against Ifeoma Onumonu's club.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esf_K5APPTk

charlesemeka85:
Ifeanyi Mathew would be been perfect replacement for aribo, if not for anything to see what he can offer the team against Saudi and Mozambique 🇲🇿

MetalJigsaw:
I thought we're only playing Saudi?

AndSunGorilla:

Egbon, Aribo was one of the first players to work with JP when JP became our coach in the friendlies against Ecuador and I think Mexico or so. Aribo, Iwobi and Bassey, those three guys were among the first he worked with and like the cliché goes, "first jmpressions last ...........". I think JP is probably giving him the benefit of doubt because of those experiences and also his game against Guinea Bissau or Sierra Leone was very good for the SE, so while his club form is highly questionable, he has probably established himself in the eyes of JP as a good squad player. Infact, those first friendlies were big opportunities that Alhassan and Onyedika lost to make a good first impression on JP.

TheSuperNerd:


Save the dates.

charlesemeka85:
Bayer's England star Nathan Tella hopes for Nigeria call @BILD

daveP:
These two friendlies are not supposed to be for 1st team XI to me. They supposed to be used to test run at least 4new faces per game. Aribo should not start any abeg. I look forward to seeing what Fisayo does. To ke, if he impresses, team Nwakali should just forget it since 1st impressions work on JPes. I hope Adeleye keeps.we should even be opting for a new formation as well. We need it. Let's see how well we can build from the back cos i wasn't impressed the last time i saw it.

AndSunGorilla:

On the flip side, the team needs to blend too. I think JP knows the players "he" wants to use. Apart from injuries, Bana knows his first 23 and arguably his first 11.

komekn:


Oniovo Dude is in the worst team in the Portuguese league. The league is rated number 7 in Europe.

Do you think Chaves is better than a League one team because I don't think so , without prejudice.

Nwakali is very poor quality player, long ball ability is not a particular oustanding skill set.

I know 13/14 year old boys that can do 35 yard pinpoint accurate passes and crosses. So stop acting like Nwakali is the only player who can do long ball it's a basic skill not an exceptional one.

Marjoribanks:
Fantastic list! However, I think Adams, Nwakali and Onuachu should have been added since it's a friendly match. I want to see Nwakali with those long balls to Osimhen machine like Olise to Yekini at AFCON 1994!

AndSunGorilla:

I forgot about Tella, we need to cap this guy asap!!!!! Even if we won't use him right now, it's important he gets capped before he goes to play for Ireland abi na Scotland? Also Mosis Simon isn't getting younger, maybe he could be his successor at some point or even................ also to provide competition for Luku and Chuks.