forgiveness:


Very simple to choose. Victor Moses was next to Mikel.

Icon4s:
One of the pix I took when I visited the UJ Esuenne stadium camp of the 2013 Golden Eaglets, just to see my pally Amuneke way back 2012.

TheGoodJoe:


What made Mikel so special was his all round performance. Defensively and Offensively. His passes made the team tick.

Others were not clear cut as Mikel. That does not mean Moses was not special and brilliant.

Just that, I do not think we can rate his offensive contributions over the work Onazi, Omeruo and Oboabona put in.

joseph1013:


It's simple na...without Moses' goals in our third match against Ethipia, we would have been out of the competition. In fact, Moses was the Samsung Fair Player of the Tournament. He was menacing throughout the tournament.

Are we going to start a lengthy debate about this too?

TheGoodJoe:
I never said this before. The first time I noticed Icon4s on one of these threads, I thought he was Jonathan Akpoborie. Especially, when he cautioned against praising Iheanacho so he would continue working hard.

I was so convinced, even when he talked of the youth teams of the eighties being better than the 2015 Flying Eagles.

I said in my mind, keep praising your team-mates.

How wrong I was. LOL.

TheGoodJoe:


As I said, it is a choice of preference, not worth a debate. Without Omeruo, Oboabona and Onazi, those goals will not count. Those guys cut out a lot of goal scoring opportunities.

I singled Omeruo because he was a youngster, feeling the boots of one of the longest serving Super Eagles players, Joseph Yobo.

He put up brilliant performances over and over again. You can talk of this goal, or this run of Victor Moses. Omeruo did not have that luxury. He had to perform good in every game he played. With lots of blocks and clearances. One poor performance and we would go out.

As I said, this takes nothing away from Victor Moses and it is my choice. Another might feel different.

joseph1013:


Okay...it's like saying that Ronaldo is not the best player in Real Madrid because Varane is young. And that without Carvajal, Casemiro, and Ramos, Ronaldo's goals would not count. They also cut out a lot of goal scoring opportunities.

How does that sound to you?

TheGoodJoe:


Cristiano Ronaldo for about five years now, he scored over fifty goals a season. That shows consistency and importance in keeping Real Madrid on top. No other player in Real Madrid contributes more than CR7.

So Varane can not contribute more than him. Same goes to others like Carvajal.

The closest is Luka Modric.

TheGoodJoe:

Without Omeruo, Oboabona and Onazi, those goals will not count. Those guys cut out a lot of goal scoring opportunities.

I singled Omeruo because he was a youngster, feeling the boots of one of the longest serving Super Eagles players, Joseph Yobo.

He put up brilliant performances over and over again. You can talk of this goal, or this run of Victor Moses. Omeruo did not have that luxury. He had to perform good in every game he played. With lots of blocks and clearances. One poor performance and we would go out.

joseph1013:


First off, AFCON is not a season-type competition like La liga.

Let me use another example of an AFCON-type of competition: Antoine Griezmann was the best player in Euro 2016.



Do we say Griezmann was not the best player because Evra, Koscielny and Lloris thwarted goal attempts of opponents?

That's not the way football works. Every player is important, but some contribute more than others.

A team of expert analysts declared Moses, Samsung player of the tournament. Omeruo was not even in the CAF official team of the tournament. So how can you logically say he was better than Moses in that tournament? I don't understand.

joseph1013:


First off, AFCON is not a season-type competition like La liga.

Let me use another example of an AFCON-type of competition: Antoine Griezmann was the best player in Euro 2016.



Do we say Griezmann was not the best player because Evra, Koscielny and Lloris thwarted goal attempts of opponents?

That's not the way football works. Every player is important, but some contribute more than others.

A team of expert analysts declared Moses, Samsung player of the tournament. Omeruo was not even in the CAF official team of the tournament. So how can you logically say he was better than Moses in that tournament? I don't understand.

TheGoodJoe:


As I said, it is a thing of preference.

Let us look at the case Greizmann scored all the goals and the team conceded double of what he scored, will the team pass first round, talkless of talking awards?

Although, Greizmann was the top scorer of the competition. Moses was not that player for us.

Greizmann as the top scorer contributed a lot in many games.

TheGoodJoe:


For them to declare Moses the Samsung best player of the tournament, showed bias.

Mikel was better than him. To start with.

joseph1013:


Mikel is not the point. Omeruo and Moses is the argument.

And for your information, both Mikel and Moses were in the CAF team of the tournament, Omeruo was not.

joseph1013:
[b][size=14pt]Rohr: Etebo and Iwobi Will Provide The Goals Against Zambia[/size]



Head coach of the Nigeria senior national team Gernot Rohr says, the return of Alex Iwobi and Ogenekaro Etebo will add the much needed goals to the attack of the Super Eagles when they take on Zambia, in a World Cup 2018 qualifiers tie in Ndola.

While Arsenal teen star Iwobi is guarantee to be available, same can’t be said about Etebo, who is currently a huge doubt for the game owing to injuries and work permit issues at his Portuguese side CD Feirense.

Speaking in Abuja, the German coach told newsmen that the duo are high up in his plans for the Zambia tie.

” We have some players, we are counting on to be in the squad, the boy from Arsenal (Iwobi) and the lad (Etebo) who scored four in one game at the Olympics” He said.

” Goals is what we need to triumph over Zambia but we also have to protect our goal, already we have started works on our defence and we will see how far we have come against Zambia”.

http://owngoalnigeria.com/2016/09/21/rohr-etebo-and-iwobi-will-provide-the-goals-against-zambia/[/b]

joseph1013:


So only players who score goals can be players of the tournaments they participate in?

And why was Omeruo not included in CAF team of the year, when even Ambrose was included, if he was a pivotal part of the team.

joseph1013:


So only players who score goals can be players of the tournaments they participate in?

And why was Omeruo not included in CAF team of the year, when even Ambrose was included, if he was a pivotal part of the team.

TheGoodJoe:


The point is, you used the Samsung award as a credible criteria. It is not when it was a wrong choice.

As I said before, it is a thing of choice. At the World Cup, a team of experts selected Messi as the best player. Many people liked it and believed Messi was the best.

I had a different opinion. To me, Messi was not even the best player for Argentina, let alone the World Cup.

I believe Mascherano was the best Argentine player and Toni Kroos was the best player of the competition.

When the official stats came out, Messi was not in top ten. Based on stats, Toni Kroos was the best.

So it is a thing of preference. Just like Zidane won the award for the best player in France '98 and the World best that year.

I disagreed because I believe for France, Thuram was the best. In the World, Ronaldo De Lima.

So it is a thing of choice.

joseph1013:


So give us your stats for Omeruo. Let's compare it with the other defenders in the tournament.

TheGoodJoe:


John Mikel Obi aka Obi Kererenke. He was not just our best player at the AFCON but the best player of the competition.

bigblangston:
Mikel!!! Best player of the competition? Which one did Pitroipa win?

bigblangston:
Mikel!!! Best player of the competition? Which one did Pitroipa win? Even Moses took an individual award in that competition and the other Nigerian to be given an individual award in the competition was Emenike

bigblangston:
Mikel!!! Best player of the competition? Which one did Pitroipa win? Even Moses took an individual award in that competition and the other Nigerian to be given an individual award in the competition was Emenike

forgiveness:



This formation is good but you have to put the right players at the right places.

The 3 defenders you used are rightly placed but you will need wing back at each sides that can also play as a midfielder and winger. Therefore, Musa Ahmed should be replaced with Joel obi or Echiejile. Musa Mohammed is likely the right choice for the RWB.

Spot on with Mikel Obi and Onazi as the DM and Iwobi as the attacking midfielder. Kelechi Iheanacho and Ighalo are also the best for that position.


But I doubt it will work out because we are not use to this kind of formation.

TheGoodJoe:


How can you ask that? One of the criticism I had was the AFCON did not produced stats result. That is something we as Africans can look into.

If you feel other defenders did better than Omeruo does not change my point.

I said, it is hard to say Moses is the best when I feel other players contributed more defensively.

I listed Onazi, Oboabona and Omeruo.

So hanging on Omeruo to compare with other defenders dodges my point.

My point is, I do not place Victor Moses contributions oger players like Mikel, Omeruo, Oboabona and Onazi.

goldfish80:

LOL... Pitroipa was the best player in that competition. That young man was a manace. Defenders couldn't even come close him.
On the Nigerian side, I rate Emenike, Moses and Sunday Mba ahead of mikel.

joseph1013:


This is just an excuse for an opinion you cannot back up. So you think Samsung is a fraud for making Moses player of the tournament? You think CAF is fraud for not choosing Mikel? You think CAF is corrupt for not including Omeruo in the team of the tournament? LOL

Have you heard of conspiracy theory before?

joseph1013:
[size=14pt]KELECHI OSUNWA MAKES HISTORY AS ALL-TIME TOP SCORER IN SUDAN[/size]



Nigeria striker Kelechi Osunwa has emerged as the all-time top scorer in Sudan after he netted 33 goals even with six rounds of matches to be played this season.

The former Dolphins of Port Harcourt has been scoring for fun for Al Ahly Shendi after spells at Sudan’s giant clubs club Al Merreikh and Al Hilal.

His 33 goals have included four hat-tricks and five braces. He has also won five Man-of-the-Match awards.

Last year, the 31-year-old Osunwa joined Al Ahly Shendi on a three-year contract.

He has won major trophies with both Al Merreikh and Al Hilal.

His goals inspired Al Hilal to the semi-finals of the 2007 CAF Champions.

He has also played in Thailand and Egypt.

http://africanfootball.com/news/648930/Kelechi-Osunwa-makes-history-as-all-time-top-scorer-in-Sudan

TheGoodJoe:


Mikel won I think three man of the match awards in that competition, more than any other Nigerian. Far ahead all our players.

bigblangston:
So with that CAF then gave him best NIGERIAN PLAYER of the tournament.