I should go and Google reports when you are citing such as evidence yet can't point us to source? Just post 2 here let's see if they are not personal "bias" from these sources or they are actually professional imputs.

TheGoodJoe:

Go and browse reports on our preparation during the qualifiers. You are just showing you did not follow the team then.

TheSuperNerd:
I answered the one on Alampasu haven't I? I watched just a few of his... As for Uzoho, his aerial prowess against Argentina showed for sure. That is what I am responding to.

No worry, no much talk... I suppose you should also question Rohr's faith in same young lads coz he has them already prepped up ahead of the friendlies and for bigger responsibilities at the WC especially Uzoho.

Again you conclude on Uzoho from that 45mins game.

Well for Uzoho that one match came against Argentina. A much bigger and better opponent than any we have faced under Rohr so far. So it is a big deal. But he certainly needs more friendlies to sew what else he got for us and why he should be trusted going forward.


And yes , Enyeama is not so good aerially.

On Ajiboye, well today was evident. I have always known he struggles a bit with crosses from the U-20s even but again it shows it is still a weakness for him within the first few mins of the morocco game. Morocco scored a goal which was chalked off for going out of play. Ajiboye went for the cross that led to the ruled out goal and missed it completely. Aerially he really struggles.... Years on from the U-17s and U-20s, he hasn't overcome that weakness.

forgiveness:


One match is enough?

Well, na to wait until we play friendlies before I know.

Besides, Enyeama is not good aerially.

Wait ooooooo, why did you conclude Ajiboye is not good aerially?

The first that needs to happens is bringing local coaches up to world standard especially at the academy level. Very few Nigerian teams have academies where they groom players from childhood. Those with academies do not groom with any deep football knowledge.

Salisu's tactics after going a man down leaves a lot to be desired. We needed to be more compact, direct and create an outlet for counters. Instead we were playing the same thing.

Osas is a Nigerian level defender. If he is the best in our league then it is no wonder.

The same Inuowem Tbaba n co have adopted as their son?

TheGoodJoe:


They are definitely better players. That is why I keep screaming camp and screen a large pool. Not just some hyped up name. Even on fields in Port Harcourt, you will find better left backs than that Ikuowem for a start.

TheGoodJoe:


They are definitely better players. That is why I keep screaming camp and screen a large pool. Not just some hyped up name. Even on fields in Port Harcourt, you will find better left backs than that Ikuowem for a start.

Since you are so sure there are definitely better players please name those players.

somehow:
The same Inuowem Tbaba n co have adopted as their son?

lol.. the boy is young and can improve.. I thought he was ok. What will one say of Osas?

Meen this is rather here nor there. In the absence of none, I hereby move that you made up your "source". Oga Icon4, you can now see... lol I rest my case.

TheGoodJoe:


The post have been on this thread repeatedly. Followed and commented on. Just do a simple Google search.

For the Argentina game I speak on Uzoho's aerial prowess in response to Forgiveness naa.... That 45 mins was against Argentina and not Sudan or Angola. Let that be emphasized too.

I wanna see him start in three of our friendlies to see more of what he offers in the GWG. That we cannot avoid coz he looks like the Chosen one even though it is damn early to say.

Icon4s:


Again you conclude on Uzoho from that 45mins game.

Osas was so poor today that I thought he was a shadow. The winger was just breezing pass him. Shame catch me.

tbaba1234:


lol.. the boy is young and can improve.. I thought he was ok. What will one say of Osas?

Not as badly as Osas.... Osas' own was a case of "All night long" looollllll

Ikuowem even offered more going forward than Osas too... Abeg... Osas was clearly the worst of the defenders on display.

TheGoodJoe:


I totally disagree. The same Ikuowem that there was even a time he was dribbled twice on the same spot. He was skinned repeatedly with ease.

There are better players in the league, there's that played for Remo stars that's now with Akwa utd should have made this team,(mbaoma or something like that) same with Olatunbosi.

Icon4s:


Since you are so sure there are definitely better players please name those players.

Then, there is this Akwa United skipper that plays as a striker, he was the one that replaced Udoh abi na Udoak after he was sold.

Too bad I don't get to remember names, I'm better at recalling faces but not their names

TheSuperNerd:
For the Argentina game I speak on Uzoho's aerial prowess in response to Forgiveness naa.... That 45 mins was against Argentina and not Sudan or Angola. Let that be emphasized too.

I wanna see him start in three of our friendlies to see more of what he offers in the GWG. That we cannot avoid coz he looks like the Chosen one even though it is damn early to say.

For a goalkeeper that time is not enough. I hope you know that in that second half Argentina didn't really make serious incursions into our penalty area.

TheSuperNerd, you can at best say "Uzoho seems to be good aerial" and not affirmative statement like " Uzoho is good aerially ".

Iheanacho and Owen’s whine

Ade Ojeikere

England’s poster boy to the France ’98 World Cup, Michael Owen (at 18 years and 190 days), was furious on television when he analysed one of the Emirates FA Cup matches between host Peterborough and Leicester. The Foxes won the game 5-1, with Nigerian international Kelechi Iheanacho scoring a brace. Owen was miffed that Iheanacho scored his second goal when there was a better placed striker to jab the ball into an empty net. Owen, you will never walk alone. Owen hit the limelight playing for Liverpool.

Owen’s goal against Argentina still headlines some of the greatest goals scored at the World Cup, given his age and enterprise, until England exited the competition. He waltzed past three Argentines in a dribbling run, which began from almost the centre circle, before driving the ball beyond the goalkeeper to score the wonder goal. Owen scored this audacious goal, among others, because he thought he had the dribbling skills to bang in goals. Would it be appropriate now to ask Owen why he didn’t lay the pass to a better placed teammate, Paul Scholes, to score? Owen chose to finish what he started, even at the risk of kicking Scholes’ leg.

Owen’s pace and dribbling runs were his weapons, which he used optimally, irrespective of the fact that there were several times he had better placed mates to pass the ball to. Whenever he took on those dazzling runs, he had one thought – score a goal. And this came to him like his second nature.

I’m a Liverpool fan. I don’t know where to start listing how many times Owen committed the mistake for which he scolded Iheanacho. I can recall that one of the top class coaches (I don’t remember his name) said the hallmark of a striker is to be selfish, insisting that he sets his sight on where the goalpost is and how well placed or otherwise the goalkeeper is for him to know where to place the ball. The top tactician argued that the striker, on seeing the player who initiates the move, dashes towards the openings in the defence to receive the ball, which he despatches into the net.

Owen was a world class striker. His daring moves and crosses resulted in goals for Liverpool, England and every club he played for. Owen brought joy to Liverpool fans. It would be unkind to slam such a great star, especially when his comments were spot on, except that Iheanacho scored the goal. If the Nigerian hadn’t scored, he would have lost his shirt. Owen, will you blame Iheanacho for taking the chance to score the goals, considering the fact that he rarely gets to play for Leicester City?

Iheanacho needs to score goals if he hopes to excel at the Mundial playing for Nigeria. He represents those players discovered from the grassroots competitions organised by FIFA. Playing at the Mundial, a few years after emerging the best player at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, reinforces the need for FIFA’s 210-member nations to develop the game at the grassroots.

Four goals in less than a week is commendable, although many would wish that he left Leicester for a team where a first team shirt is guaranteed. Iheanacho has been a victim of the change of guards at the Foxes. The manager who recruited him was sacked, making it imperative for the new coach to pick his men, perhaps due to a change in tactics. Iheanacho has been given the task of marshalling the Foxes’ attacking onslaught for the English FA Cup. Good enough. But it would be nice to give the Nigerian a chance to show his stuff in the English Premier League.

The biggest relief for Rohr would be that his strikers are scoring goals, although he would also wish that they are not injured before the June 16 opening game against Croatia. Indeed, Odion Ighalo was spectacular with his Chinese side, Changchun Yatai, scoring in the first half, with his side whipping FC Sfintuk Gheorghe 3-0. Ighalo told the international press he was excited to be back to scoring ways. He wants to concentrate on being fit for the new season, obviously with the Mundial in mind.

I’m glad that Eagles manager Gernot Rohr followed our players’ movement during the transfer window. His warning to Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa culminated in the latter’s return to CSKA Moscow in Russia, where he excelled. Of course, CSKA didn’t hesitate to register their former player for the Europa League competition. CSKA’s fans are excited with Musa’s return, knowing that the club will benefit immensely from the Nigerian’s speed.

The transfer market was good for Nigerians, with Eagles right wing back Shehu Abdullahi completing the move to Turkish outfit Bursaspor in the January window. Abdullahi’s move sets the stage for the biggest fight for the right wing back position, where Ola Aina has done remarkably well for Hull City, scoring goals, aside defending stoutly.

Brown Ideye has been given a lifeline in quest for a shirt in the Eagles, with his loan move to Malaga in Spain, after his uneventful sojourn in the Chinese league. Rohr would monitor Ideye during Spanish league matches. Another Nigerian, Isaac Success, has moved on loan from Barclays English Premier League side Watford FC to Malaga.

Malaga offers Success the biggest opportunity to revive his career, having played for another Spanish side, Granada, where he was voted the club’s best player during the 2015/16 season.

The 22-year-old, who joined the Hornets for a record £12.5 million in the summer of 2016/17, failed to fulfil his huge potential in England, having scored just once in 20 appearances for the club.

Eagles’ midfielders cannot afford to be bench warmers because it is any team’s engine room. Hence, the news that Nigeria forward Oghenekaro Etebo moved to struggling La Liga side UD Las Palmas, from Portuguese side CD Feirense, was refreshing. This means that he will be playing regularly since his recruitment is meant to strengthen the Spanish side. Etebo must utilise his La Liga matches with Las Palmaras to get better deals from other clubs after the World Cup.

I won’t join the motley crowd of those who want Elderson Echiejile out of the Eagles. Echiejile isn’t the Eagles’ weakest link. Our star players who play on the left side never fall back to mark when we lose ball possession. Sadly, most teams have identified this weakness and exploited it. I really don’t understand why Victor Moses, for instance, doesn’t like to fall back to mark when he loses the ball, yet that is his biggest ace at Chelsea. Our players must play as a unit if they hope to block this leakage. Moses’ yeoman efforts for Chelsea account for the club’s victories when he plays.

Barcelona FC don’t have outstanding defenders because of their collective approach to their matches. As soon as they lose the ball, at least four players close up on the opponent with the ball. Most times, they gain possession within the next 12 metres. This style of play ensures that Barca dominates play and scores goals with aplomb. Moses, John Mikel Obi, Odion Ighalo et al should be taught how to mark to win the ball back, not shadow mark or escort the opponents to score against us. Oguenyi Onazi and Alex Iwobi are exemplary in marking the nearest opponents when we lose the ball.

One player who has leaned from the transfer market is Mikel, and he showed it when he shunned entreaties from clubs, such Everton, Marseille and especially Fenerbahce, which offered a €3-million Euros per year deal till June 2020. Mikel opted to remain with Chinese side Tianjin TEDA. He is sure of a regular shirt if he is fit. He knows that it will be foolhardy to go for the cash in place of a regular shirt in a World Cup year, with a team where he is the captain.

I hope that others can take a cue from Mikel to pick clubs where they are sure of regular shirts.



Goalkeepers’ tournament

Nigeria’s team B are in the finals of the CHAN tournament against Morocco, with the heroics of our goalkeepers highlighting our last three matches. But for the sharp reflexes of goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, the CHAN Eagles would have lost the two games against Libya and Angola, where we came back from a goal deficit to win both games 2-1.

The argument by proponents of the domestic league that the goalkeepers are part of the team is laughable. Goals make matches exciting. Our CHAN Eagles’ performances have been nerve-wrenching, with many people abandoning the games in the closing stages due to tension.

When Ezenwa got injured, most people pondered if we had a better goalkeeper. I told those who were watching the game with me that if the coaches introduced Ajiboye as Ezenwa’s replacement, he would be our saviour. ‘’Ajiboye!’’ many shouted. I reminded them of Ajiboye’s exploits at the U-17 World Cup where he was voted the best goalkeeper of the tournament, ahead of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea of Spain. A few believed me. They feared that he was rusty.

Ajiboye was superb. He saved two point blank shots that ensured that we qualified for the final, notwithstanding the fact we played with 10 men for close to 35 minutes. The Sudanese eventually got a red in the 85th minute.

Aside our two goalkeepers, CHAN eagles look like a disaster waiting to happen, with they have played. Well, they could rise to the big stage on Sunday and shock the Moroccans. it is possible. Good luck CHAN Eagles. Up Nigeria!

http://thenationonlineng.net/iheanacho-owens-whine/

somehow:
There are better players in the league, the one that played for Remo stars that's now with Akwa utd should have made this team,(mbaoma or something like that) same with Olatunbosi.

Are those ones still in the league?

If Salisu had left out someone like Osas Okoro now, that's how some people would have been mentioning his name here asking why he was not selected.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown o. It is easy to criticize.

Modified: O boy but why the comment above me long like this na. When person go read am finish?

We had 35% possession in all. Argentina did come forward in that second half. I remember a save he made from Dario Benedetto. I remember two crosses he claimed with ease. His aerial prowess is there. He is also calm... See he is NOT the finished article but he is our own Ondoa for now.... That is just it.

Icon4s:


For a goalkeeper that time is not enough. I hope you know that in that second half Argentina didn't really make serious incursions into our penalty area.

TheSuperNerd, you can at best say "Uzoho seems to be good aerial" and not affirmative statement like " Uzoho is good aerially ".

Yes I think so.

Osas would have been more useful as a 7 than a 2, plays more like Dani Alves without his defensive side.

Icon4s:


Are those ones still in the league?

If Salisu had left out someone like Osas Okoro now, that's how some people would have been mentioning his name here asking why he was not selected.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown o. It is easy to criticize.

Uzoho kept another clean sheet today.

Seedorf is the new coach of Depor

TheSuperNerd:
We had 35% possession in all. Argentina did come forward in that second half. I remember a save he made from Dario Benedetto. I remember two crosses he claimed with ease. His aerial prowess is there. He is also calm... See he is both the finished article but he is our own Ondoa for now.... That is just it.

This Ondoa wey una dey shout upandan no be the same one wey chop 4 kondo for Uyo?

Una wan use model na Ondoa.

TheGoodJoe:


Ikuowem offered nothing going forward. He just went forward and did nothing. His crosses were terrible too. Osas showed struggle. Put in clearances, tackles. Ikuowem was invisible.

He takes the award for worst player of the night.

Sir GoodJoe I am beginning to doubt we actually watched the same game.... If Ikwuowem takes worst player of the night... Then it simply means Osas was not dressed for the game at all sef....

tbaba1234:
Uzoho kept another clean sheet today.

Seedorf is the new coach of Depor

I thought someone said the goalie in goal was a disaster today. Or did Uzoho come in later in the game?

Chai, seedof. I dey pity am already..

tbaba1234:
Uzoho kept another clean sheet today.

Seedorf is the new coach of Depor

Icon4s:


I thought someone said the goalie in goal was a disaster today. Or did Uzoho come in later in the game?

Uzoho keeps for the B team in the lower division

TheSuperNerd:






Sir GoodJoe I am beginning to doubt we actually watched the same game.... If Ikwuowem takes worst player of the night... Then it simply means Osas was not dressed for the game at all sef....

Don't you know we played 9 against 11? Osas didn't play today.

But you trust TheGoodJoe and some of his..... You know he got the second highest vote for most controversial.

He chop four naa.... because he came up against a blistering Super Eagles attack that can blow most teams away on their day... Abi Argentina too no chop four for our hand?

Ondoa won Cameroun the Afcon Chief Icon4s... He is a good example to use. Coz when I use outfield players as examples you knock me for doing so. Now I give you Ondoa and you wanna throw it out the window? God dey!

Icon4s:



This Ondoa wey una dey shout upandan no be the same one wey chop 4 kondo for Uyo?

Una wan use model na Ondoa.

tbaba1234:


Uzoho keeps for the B team in the lower division

Ow OK.

Got it mixed up then.

Hmmm B team in Lower Division....No comment.

In another news, Peter Olayinka scored for Zulte-Warengen while Joseph Akpala equalized for Oostende

TheSuperNerd:
He chop four naa.... because he came up against a blistering Super Eagles attack that can blow most teams away on their day... Abi Argentina too no chop four for our hand?

Ondoa won Cameroun the Afcon Chief Icon4s... He is a good example to use. Coz when I use outfield players as examples you knock me for doing so. Now I give you Ondoa and you wanna throw it out the window? God dey!

Hahaha.