komekn:


I am bewildered that he is still playing in the lowly Cyprus league. I have watched him and feel he has good quality.

I think, it is also an agent thing. He was in portugal before the Olympics. He had a good Olympics. You would think that he would more to a better club or league. Instead he went to cyprus. Perhaps, the better leagues were not offering much money.

tbaba1234:
Shehu Abdullahi is showing that he will not make it easy for anyone to take the right back spot from him. He is improving in that role. Perhaps, the competition is always forcing his improvement

Better for him but i still rate Aina,good Aina can play both full backs without hitch.Echiejele should just buckle up coz Aina w not sit on d bench,d guy is damn good.

komekn:


I am inclined to agree with you Mikel is not exactly fast himself and in that regard Ogu is the best replacement I think we have for him at the moment.

Composure, vision, good passing range and strength with presence. Why is he not getting a chance

Seriously, the coaching crew needs to answer such question. there are also reports of his impressive performances on drilling sessions, and he also impressively justified his replacement for Onazi against Senegal. I can recall against South Africa under Stephen Keshi's management of his thrilling long ranged shot that struck the cross bar in "Mandela's challenge cup" match or so. Lets hope that they learn from the Cameroonian encounter and stop other "unseen" factors, rather than first considering meritocracy to play in their selections.

tbaba1234:


I think, it is also an agent thing. He was in portugal before the Olympics. He had a good Olympics. You would think that he would more to a better club or league. Instead he went to cyprus. Perhaps, the better leagues were not offering much money.

He got a very large sign on fee in excess of $250k from what I gather. He didn't look at the bigger picture. That club will tie him into a tight contract to get thier money back plus profit.

Unfortunately he may end up there his only chance is if he gets an EU passport asap, then get into a more competitive league.

I remember George Abbey went to Cyprus after playing right back for Nigeria. After that not much happened for him.

tbaba1234:


I think, it is also an agent thing. He was in portugal before the Olympics. He had a good Olympics. You would think that he would more to a better club or league. Instead he went to cyprus. Perhaps, the better leagues were not offering much money.

That agents ting is killing his career.

solonnachi:
Abeg ooo. What of Bazee Joel. No one seems to be talking about him anymore. Is he no more relevant to Super Eagles?

He'll definitely come back into the team when he is fit.

i think Iwobi is the most suitable for that mikel role. Playing with the like of ozil,sanchez might have gel him well. As an arsenal fan,don't be surprise if i tell you i prefer iwobi to ozil in the AMF role. He is just being wasted on the wing.

hi everyone Thank God again for the hard point won in yaounde by his grace we are russia bound

some of my thoughts about the game

ezenwa did well in my opinion. for the penalty call yes he misjudged the flight of the ball when he came out but i think he was just unlucky because if you watch the replays closely you will see that the cameroonian clattered into him but the noisy fans and protestations of the other cameroonian players put pressure on the referee to give the spot kick. with this performance ezenwa has sure earned my vote to go to russia when we qualify by God's grace. the way he put his body on the line to clear that goal bound ball from the onrushing cameroonian sure earned my respect.

i think the tactics that the coaching crew employed in yaounde were spot on. like i predicted the cameroonians came out in full force in the first 20-25 minutes after their initial gra gra i knew we would take control. truth be told we would have probably squeezed through with a 1-0 result if not for that unfortunate penalty. although with hindsight i think rohr goofed substituting mikel at the time he did but it was understandable since he is not 100% fit.

seriously commend our defenders for restricting cameroon to two shots on target over the two legs that's no mean feat i mean a whole african champions to be shut out men no be beans. balogun is a true beast minister of defence, defender of the universe voltron na learner wey you dey. ekong really benefited from partnering him. elderson was really poor we need an alternative to him sharpish. shehu has really grown into the RB role but i feel aina will be potential better however since shehu is doing well ola can be shifted to the LB in a makeshift role.

as all the posters have noted we urgently need an understudy to mikel. if joel obi can stay injury free he will definitely be my first option to come in to deputize, ajagun, aluko and kelechi nwakali should also be monitored.

big kudos to the boys for knocking out cameroon tonight we can relax and watch the algeria vs zambia game. if algeria beats zambia it's safe to say we have qualified because our superior goal difference will make it a mission impossible for both algeria and zambia to meet up

mostob:
i think Iwobi is the most suitable for that mikel role. Playing with the like of ozil,sanchez might have gel him well. As an arsenal fan,don't be surprise if i tell you i prefer iwobi to ozil in the AMF role. He is just being wasted on the wing.

so who gets the nod to start in that role when the two options are available for you? Mikel or Iwobi?

blueto:
so who gets the nod to start in that role when the two options are available for you? Mikel or Iwobi?

Mikel and Iwobi no be mate.

Don't forget that Andrea Pirlo gave England a complete lesson in football technical control, Vision, passing and defence. How to overcome muscle with brain and he was at the ripe old young age of 34.

Mikel still has quite a few years left before he gives up his crown. Shockingly he us not fully fit just back from injury. And he with maybe 70% fitness giving Cameroon a masterclass as well as any young pretenders for his crown.

Mikel rules unopposed for now and even beyond.

blueto:
so who gets the nod to start in that role when the two options are available for you? Mikel or Iwobi?

iwobi
.we can move Mikel back to CMF

jotey:

iwobi .we can move Mikel back to CMF

Mikel can still be the AM with Iwobi deputising.

jotey:


iwobi
.we can move Mikel back to CMF

Iwobi very good footballer but just have to be on d bench watching Obi Mikel doing his things or do u think is easy for highly rated Nacho to be watching from bench.My man Super Eagles no be small thing o.Let him start at Arsenal first.

Very good point. I see Mikel more as a versatile midfielder, than a stand out AM. For AM we have very good options also . I remember Siasia stressing we should rather use Iwobi there. In my estimation, Iwobi will become a legend

jotey:


iwobi
.we can move Mikel back to CMF

mostob:
i think Iwobi is the most suitable for that mikel role. Playing with the like of ozil,sanchez might have gel him well. As an arsenal fan,don't be surprise if i tell you i prefer iwobi to ozil in the AMF role. He is just being wasted on the wing.

@Bolded. I have always said that the boy has potentials and playing on the flanks doesn't suit him.. somebody should tell baba Ijebu to stop wasting out boy on the flanks.

Shehu definitely put two solid performances. I think Aina should be groomed for the LB. I have never been a big fan of Elderson.


O pari

tbaba1234:
Shehu Abdullahi is showing that he will not make it easy for anyone to take the right back spot from him. He is improving in that role. Perhaps, the competition is always forcing his improvement

Once again I say,Victor Moses is our BEST player

TheSuperNerd:
Excellently said... that is it. A ball holder under pressure.... Honestly.... I think Iwobi being young can still grow into that kind of player... he got the potentials but right now he is not there.

Joel can come close.... he is kinder similar to Mikel and even struck up a bright partnership with him when they played a few times together... it was very short.

Ajagun well.... he is a good ball holder too.

None of them have got the Super experience and Class Mikel possesses in his role but at least we can have them as solid backups... while we groom a player of Nwakali's quality for the long term future... I see the same swag, class and confidence of Mikel's plays in Nwakali but he needs to step up first a bit more and prove himself worthy in the dutch topflight.

what about his elder brother sef, I mean chidiebere and Yahaya. they used to be CMFs am I right? that's the problem with developing these players outside Nigeria, these clubs can just.change their position when they want. I heard Kelechi now plays as a winger, Yahaya as a fullback, just ruining our potentials all around

Icon4s:

Mikel can still be the AM with Iwobi deputising.

we can accommodate both

jotey:

we can accommodate both

If Iwobi plays from the wings.

Thank you very much, chrisooblog.

You are one of the few people that have actually given a balanced assessment on Ezenwa's performance. He definitely made the right decision on the penalty. You can remember that a similar ball was played in the first half, then he decided to stay home and cover the near angles and Cameroun almost scored from that chance. And even the commentator was asking why he didn't come out. In the second half he came out and the penalty happened, now everybody is blaming him .... forgetting that he actually saved our brushes on a couple of times in that match.

As regards to the penalty, the less said the better. I made it abundantly clear on twitter that that was not a penalty. All I saw was two players going for the ball and then a coming together. It was a 50-50 ball and the keeper has every right to go for that ball. It was just a contact by two players going for the same ball and no intention to foul on the part of the goalkeeper. The Cameroun players just sold it very well and the ref bought what he was selling.

Or maybe the ref was just trying to earn his pay. After all, a similar dodgy penalty was awarded to this same Cameroun team against Zambia when it was becoming apparent that Cameroun was gonna lose the game.


O pari

chrisooblog:
hi everyone Thank God again for the hard point won in yaounde by his grace we are russia bound

some of my thoughts about the game

ezenwa did well in my opinion. for the penalty call yes he misjudged the flight of the ball when he came out but i think he was just unlucky because if you watch the replays closely you will see that the cameroonian clattered into him but the noisy fans and protestations of the other cameroonian players put pressure on the referee to give the spot kick. with this performance ezenwa has sure earned my vote to go to russia when we qualify by God's grace. the way he put his body on the line to clear that goal bound ball from the onrushing cameroonian sure earned my respect.

i think the tactics that the coaching crew employed in yaounde were spot on. like i predicted the cameroonians came out in full force in the first 20-25 minutes after their initial gra gra i knew we would take control. truth be told we would have probably squeezed through with a 1-0 result if not for that unfortunate penalty. although with hindsight i think rohr goofed substituting mikel at the time he did but it was understandable since he is not 100% fit.

seriously commend our defenders for restricting cameroon to two shots on target over the two legs that's no mean feat i mean a whole african champions to be shut out men no be beans. balogun is a true beast minister of defence, defender of the universe voltron na learner wey you dey. ekong really benefited from partnering him. elderson was really poor we need an alternative to him sharpish. shehu has really grown into the RB role but i feel aina will be potential better however since shehu is doing well ola can be shifted to the LB in a makeshift role.

as all the posters have noted we urgently need an understudy to mikel. if joel obi can stay injury free he will definitely be my first option to come in to deputize, ajagun, aluko and kelechi nwakali should also be monitored.

big kudos to the boys for knocking out cameroon tonight we can relax and watch the algeria vs zambia game. if algeria beats zambia it's safe to say we have qualified because our superior goal difference will make it a mission impossible for both algeria and zambia to meet up

Icon4s:

If Iwobi plays from the wings.

he is better at the AM position besides we have better wingers
Mikel as the CMF and iwobi as AM would be a joy to watch
you saw their interplay against Zambia

Finally, Mikel has shut the mouth of his doubters. - no more arguement on his 'abilities'.

The national team has benefit from the type of player he has become-an hybrid Mid-fielder who can conveniently play the DMF CMF and AMF positions without itches.

With the availability of other CMFs and AMFs in Joel Obi, Iwobi, Aluko, Nacho etc. I'll love mikel to be our permanent Central Midfielder-the anchor man. Having him play the CM alongside either Joel or Iwobi will bring in more creativity going forward which will create more chances for our clinical forwards without sacrificing the team's stability and midfield cohesion...

tbaba1234:
Shehu Abdullahi is showing that he will not make it easy for anyone to take the right back spot from him. He is improving in that role. Perhaps, the competition is always forcing his improvement

I wonder why it took most people till this Cameroon clash to acknowledge Shehu's abilities.

This boy played at the 2015 CHAN under Keshi as a midfielder. He played both legs of the Egypt double header. He played all the games in the 2016 Olympics. But because he plays in Cyprus he is being written off.

Some as at this morning are still saying that he should vacate the position for Aina.

That boy is a baller and a utility player. He will always make the Eagles squad.

Joebie:
Very good point. I see Mikel more as a versatile midfielder, than a stand out AM. For AM we have very good options also . I remember Siasia stressing we should rather use Iwobi there. In my estimation, Iwobi will become a legend

beautiful suggestion. This will afford us to create more chances and cut open defences with a two edge sword with Mikel thumping the long balls for counter attacks why Iwobi brings in those sleeky decisive defence splitting passes. This will be pure football!

Icon4s:


If Iwobi plays from the wings.

Sir, he is been under used there. I say deploy him to the middle.

AIG07:
Finally, Mikel has shot the mouth of his doubters. - no more arguement on his 'abilities'.

The national team has benefit from the type of player he has become-an hybrid Mid-fielder who can conveniently play the DMF CMF and AMF positions without itches.

With the availability of other CMFs and AMFs in Joel Obi, Iwobi, Aluko, Nacho etc. I'll love mikel to be our permanent Central Midfielder-the anchor man. Having him play the CM alongside either Joel or Iwobi will bring in more creativity going forward which will create more chances for our clinical forwards without sacrificing the team's stability and midfield cohesion...

So also has Shehu Abdulahi.

Icon4s:


So also has Shehu Abdulahi.

exactly. with shehu's stellar performance in both legs he has cemented his place at the right back. It's either aina embrace the LB position which is up for grab or he seats on the bench with ebuehi as back up.

kennysville:


At bolded, we didnt lose the match because of goalkeeper errors. We lost because of recklesness. We played very well up until i think 84th minute when Oliseh inadvertently tried dribbling one Italian player when he should probably have swept the ball into the stands. He lost possession and Baggio promptly slammed the ball into the net

You are right sire.
What I meant was that inexperience cost us the game.

Ezenwa shouldn't have gone for the ball just as he did in the first half.

Exactly.. And never do we have to sub Mikel out in other to hold on to our lead. Just switch him to a DMF. Our players can be that dynamic

AIG07:
beautiful suggestion. This will afford us to create more chances and cut open defences with a two edge sword with Mikel thumping the long balls for counter attacks why Iwobi brings in those sleeky decisive defence splitting passes. This will be pure football!

THE SURE WORLD CUP BOUND PLAYERS
1. John Obi Mikel (Untouchable- Midfield maestro)
2. Victor Moses (Untouchable- Nigeria's hottest attacker and Dribbler)
3. Leon Balogun (Untouchable- Solid rock Oyibo wall general)
4. William Troost Ekong (Untouchable- Oyibo wall deputy)
5. Vincent Enyeama (Whether you like it or not, we BADLY need him; reliable, tested and trusted)
6. Alex Iwobi (New generation star and rocky)
7. Odion Ighalo (Has cemented that No 9 position)
8. Ogenyi Onazi (The devil you know is better than the angel you dont know)
9. Ola Aina (Rohr knows this guy's use and sooner or later, Nigerians will know him)
10. Wilfred Ndidi (The premier league most sought after holding midfielder after Kante)
11. Shehu Abdullahi (Politics will put him on the world cup train and besides that, he is showing a deadly form right now in RB)
12. Kelechi Iheanacho (New generation rocky)
13. Ahmed Musa ( Politics will put this guy on the world cup train. Don't say I didnt tell you)
14. Moses Simon (Rohr still believes so much in this guy. He will make it if his form does not drop)
YOU WOULD SAY I TOLD YOU

Icon4s:


I wonder why it took most people till this Cameroon clash to acknowledge Shehu's abilities.

This boy played at the 2015 CHAN under Keshi as a midfielder. He played both legs of the Egypt double header. He played all the games in the 2016 Olympics. But because he plays in Cyprus he is being written off.

Some as at this morning are still saying that he should vacate the position for Aina.

That boy is a baller and a utility player. He will always make the Eagles squad.

He had a very good Olympics but i have also felt that sometimes the fact that he is not a natural right back shows in games. Example, he sometimes allows runners get behind him. His versatility means that he will always be on the team sheet.

I feel that he has stepped up his game, big time with the competition around him. He is not going to give up his position easily. Aina and Ebuehi have work on their hands.

Aina and Ebuehi may have to start looking at other positions to play.