NLban:


Fanen Adi and Chikatara are ahead of Isaac Success what they have produced with their clubs. Chikatara's goals qualified his club for NPL while, Fanen (Fanendo) Adi's goals propelled his Club to Win MLS so who is Isaac Success. Or you think to score 19 goals in the MLS is not a feat to attract national team call up?

forgiveness:


You mean what they produced in MLS and NPL? You must be joking sir.

NLban:


No am not Sir.........

You look down on these leagues right? That was someone like Sunday Mba could save us the AFCON shame when we had people from the so called glamorous leagues in the world on the pitch.

Continue looking down on those leagues. It's not always about the league or even club, but what capabilities a player has that makes him stand out. I will always choose these two players ahead of Isaac Success looking at what they have produced so far bro.

Orkpekyandega:
[b][size=14pt]
Balogun Eager To Defy Humid Kaduna Weather Against Egypt
[/size]
[img]http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/egypt-to-begin-tanzania-preparations/[/img]
By Johnny Edward:
Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun is wary of the humid weather in Kaduna when they confront the Pharoahs of Egypt in an African Nations Cup qualifier later this month, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.


But the FSV Mainz versatile player was quick to add that he and is teammates will give everything to win the game billed for the Ahmadu Bello stadium on the 25th of March.


"The weather will be challenging in Kaduna, but I'm ready to adapt and give a good game," Balogun stated via thenff.comyoutube channel.


"I'm expecting two interesting games against. Egypt. We have to fight, run for our lives and also be disciplined tactically," he added.


While admitting beating Egypt will be tough over two legs, the Eagles star believes interim coach Samson Siasia has a plan in place to outwit his Egyptian counterpart Hector Cuper in the games.


"It's tough to say we will get six points against Egypt, but I'm confident it's possible."
"I also think the coach has a plan to win these games."
www.completesportsnigeria.com/balogun-eager-defy-humid-kaduna-weather-egypt/
[/b]

Icon4s:


I saw no reason Why Balogun was left out in the first place. After-all players like Alex Iwobi and Victor Moses didn't grow up playing football in Nigeria and they are in the team.
By not inviting Balogun for the Egypt clash would he also not have invited him for the World Cup qualifiers? If the weather was truly an issue this is even the best time to invite him so he can quickly acclimatize with the weather before the more important World Cup qualifiers kick-off.

Imagine initially selecting Chibuzor Okonkwo ahead of Leon Balogun.

TheGoodJoe:


I think it has to do with considering Balogun for the Right back role. Maybe Coach Siasia feels he is not fast enough for his approach. I doubt Balogun will make the Central defensive pair. I doubt he will make the right back position.

I am waiting to see.

Icon4s:


So Chibuzor Okonkwo is now the better option?

Will the return leg in Egypt also be as hot and humid as the first leg in Kaduna?

NLban:
[b][size=14pt]
Siasia seeks to reform midfield for Egypt
by Andrew Randa
[/size]

Super Eagles

Supersport.com continues with our series on the players invited by Samson Siasia for the back-to-back 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypt.


This time, our man Andrew Randa, takes a dip into the midfielders invited for the game.

MIDFIELDERS

Ifeanyi Matthew (Kano Pillars); Usman Mohammed (FC Taraba); Etebo Oghenekaro (Warri Wolves); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Matalyspor, Turkey)


It's apparent that Siasia wants to inject new blood into Nigeria’s midfield, however, the timing is a bit off and it is left to see how he can conjure up some midfield magic to stop the Egyptians when the two sides clash on March 25 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.


The big news coming out of the midfield situation is that Stanley Dimgba, who just moved to Sunshine Stars and midfield powerhouse Usman Mohammed will miss the game after ‘Siaone’ banished them to the under-23 side for failing to report to camp on time.

John Mikel Obi [above] is the main man here, not just in the midfield but in the team as a whole.


He is the most experienced player in the squad following the retirement of Vincent Enyeama and will be torch bearer on game day.


He failed to make the starting 11 against Swaziland in a World Cup qualifier recently, a bold move by Sunday Oliseh who elected to play Paul Onobi instead.


The former Lyn Oslo midfielder has been a mainstay in Chelsea’s midfield since the departure of Jose Mourinho and seems to be enjoying his football again.

Surely, the Eagles benefit from that.


Yau Hassan’s inclusion is a strange one. The burly player, listed as a midfielder, has played predominantly as an attacker at Kano Pillars and Wikki Tourists.


He has strength and a physical presence but he hasn’t exactly set the local scene alight.


Ogenyi Onazi will miss the game in Kaduna which means Nigerians might get to see Ifeanyi Matthew [below] strut his stuff again.

The Kano Pillars man is arguably the most improved Nigerian player in the local scene in the last one year.


He was phenomenal in midfield as Nigeria won the Africa Under-20 championship in Senegal last year and replicated the same with the under-23s as they captured the African crown.


Matthew was one of the few bright lights for Nigeria in an otherwise dour Chan tournament and has now gotten his day in the sun with an invitation to the senior squad.


Former Fifa under-17 MVP Kelechi Iheanacho is listed as a midfielder even though he plays as a centre-forward for his English side, Manchester City.


Siasia might just be toying with the idea of playing ‘Nacho’ [below] as an offensive midfielder or just behind the front two depending on what formation he puts out against Egypt on March 25.

Azubuike Okechukwu’s inclusion in the squad is a testament to his rising stock as one of the Nigeria’s emerging top guns.


Though playing in the Turkish second division, his talent and leadership qualities are undeniable as Siasia handed him the leadership of the under-23 team, which he led to the African title.


It’s apparent Siasia is a firm believer in youth and keeping with his philosophy of having a member of the under-23 side in the current set up, Azubuike takes his place in midfield alongside the hero of Nigeria’s under-23 Nations Cup triumph, Oghenekaro Etebo. .[below]


PASSED OVER


You’ve got to think Raheem Lawal, John Ogu, Sone Aluko and Hope Akpan should be in with a shout.


Ogu has been in fine form this season chalking up regular minutes and providing assists for the strikers at his Israeli side Hapoel Beer Sheva, while Akpan has added goal-scoring to his repertoire at Blackburn Rovers


Sone Aluko and Raheem Lawal have also done well this season to deserve a look-in by Siasia.


But he obviously knows something we don't.
http://www.supersport.com/football/super-eagles/news/160309/Siasia_seeks_to_reform_midfield_for_Egypt
[/b]

forgiveness:





What do you expect from a local coach if not.....

How on earth can a coach ignore players in Super lig for a player in lig 1 in Turkey? So, Is Siasia telling us that lig 1 is better than Super lig? Azubuike Okechukwu over John Chibuke and Raheem Lawal? Is dis not ridiculous and embarrassing?


John Chibuke had played 22 games this season, scored 6 goals and spent 1677 minutes on the field of play while Raheem Lawal had played 18 matches, scored 1 goal and had sent 1351 on the field of play. So, how did Siasia overlooked them for a younger and in experience player. i just... *deep breath* .

I dey come.

TheGoodJoe:



I did not say better. Leon Balogun's experience and exposure to tough opponents as for me males him a better player.

I am talking with respect to tactics. If Okonkwo is faster than Balogun, Coach Siasia might decide to use him based on his pace.

Look at yesterday's game, Baba Rahman is a better defender than Kennedy but Hiddink picked Kennedy because Kennedy is faster and more skillful on the ball.

I do not think it has to do with weather.

Icon4s:


Yeah, but Siasia cited weather as reason for not initially inviting him.

TheGoodJoe:



I did not come across that article. Please if you see the article, help me point it out.

TheGoodJoe:



Have you considered that Coach Siasia has little time to work with the players. As of now, the players are in camp working with the coach and understanding his philosophy. Some of them already know his style of play and what he expects of them.

Your European list will not be in camp until after the weekend. This is a crucial tie with little time to prepare.

How do you want him to prepare for the game, calling all your foreign players?

If that is what your European Coach will do, then he knows nothing about the job.

forgiveness:




We all know that any coach coming to coach the Super Eagles is/are expected to work with arrays of talented foreign players ready to learn fast and adapt to any coach philosophy or style of play. We saw with Chelsea fc this season and the rest they say is history. So, if a coach says some players playing in the top league can't adapt to his philosophy or style of play then we know he is not ready to coach the Super Eagles. Maybe that is the local coaches mentality.

So, Iheanacho, Iwobi, Onazi, Simon, Moses, Omerue, Oboabano, Chikatara, Fenando Adi, Aaron Samuel, Aminu Umar, Stanley Amuzie, Abdullahi-shehu etc know Siasia's style of play and philosophy? As you can see, these are alot of new bunch of players ignorant of Siasia's philosophy

Siasia even invited a player from portugal second division to the national team over some players and the irony of the whole issue is that the player in question played only 3 matches and saw 43 minutes of football this whole season. Gees! Does this player already knew the philosophy and the style of Siasia?

forgiveness:




We all know that any coach coming to coach the Super Eagles is/are expected to work with arrays of talented foreign players ready to learn fast and adapt to any coach philosophy or style of play. We saw with Chelsea fc this season and the rest they say is history. So, if a coach says some players playing in the top league can't adapt to his philosophy or style of play then we know he is not ready to coach the Super Eagles. Maybe that is the local coaches mentality.

So, Iheanacho, Iwobi, Onazi, Simon, Moses, Omerue, Oboabano, Chikatara, Fenando Adi, Aaron Samuel, Aminu Umar, Stanley Amuzie, Abdullahi-shehu etc know Siasia's style of play and philosophy? As you can see, these are alot of new bunch of players ignorant of Siasia's philosophy

Siasia even invited a player from portugal second division to the national team over some players and the irony of the whole issue is that the player in question played only 3 matches and saw 43 minutes of football this whole season. Gees! Does this player already knew the philosophy and the style of Siasia?

joseph1013:

Gbam! Nothing to add. All I see from the pro-Siasia camp are mere excuses and assumptions. Siasia has his boys. Datsall!

TheGoodJoe:


Some of them already know his style of play and what he expects of them.

Did you see the above? Did I say all of them?

You can not compare Hiddink's scenario at Chelsea with what Coach Siasia is facing. I mean, do you think they are the same scenario.

Hiddink works everyday with the Chelsea players. So it is easy to get them to play to his philosophy. Coach Siasia has a few days. They are totally different scenario.

I repeat, Coach Siasia is already in camp with his players. Will he be in camp with his players if he selected an all European list like you want?

When you talk of players he selected, you are not in his mind. If Coach Siasia keeps tab on a player and he trust in the player, it is not wrong to invite him. He is there for his ideas.

Most of you praised Coach Oliseh's analysis and selection policies, yet, it did not work as expected.

Look to the beginning of this thread, you will see I am not pro Siasia as such. I am saying, this scenario is not wrong.

He invites who he wants and sets up his team the way we like. There is no guarantee who excels or flops.

TheGoodJoe:
“Leon could struggle in those situations. You remember, we had similar problems with Reuben Agboola back in the days.

“This is a crucial match where circumstances beyond the game proper could be decisive, so we need players who will be comfortable within our environment."

Icon4s

Thanks for the link. I do not know how I missed that one but the quote echos my point. There is no time for risk. If Coach Siasia feels the conditions of Kaduna will affect Balogun, we should not force Coach Siasia to test him in the conditions where there is no time.

Others in the list like Adi is to take a close look at them. Some not playing regularly might be those Coach Siasia feels can contribute some way or the other and wants to work with them.

This is like employing an expert in a field to do a job an we are hounding him with our ideas. He is the expert, let him work.

chrisooblog:
hi house i don't think there's any controversy as such in sia1's list. IMHO he has called a mixture of players he trust plus old reliables and ones in form. for me when a team list is dodgy is when most players that should have been included are missing. for siasia this list for me is 85% ok the only thing that raised eyebrows is leon balogun's exclusion and that has been rectified. no list can please everybody anyway.