goldfish80:


For the sake of his career, I hope Ebuehi plays not more than a season in Portugal.
The quality of football in the country is nothing to write home about.

I think that's too harsh yes one of thier top teams got flogged 5-0 by Liverpool but the Portuguese league is a lot better than the Eredivisie.

andrew444:


Nice point bro... camp nou is more wider,with Barca have 70% possession in Stamford bridge then expect that from camp nou or more than that,will Chelsea park the bus at cam nou? Or the second leg will also be played at Stamford bridge.

Mistake are meant to happen in football,if no mistakes goals will be hard in football,Barca possession force Christensen to make that mkstake,and besides Barca also made a mistake by not taking note of willian,they watch him score a lovely goal

exactly. You've nailed it.... Chelsea just need to find Fabregas replacement. Abeg write off the fact that he passes well. He can't do that against Barça. Chelsea needs a long ball distributor. Fabre can't even dribble Busquets...... But there's no one else....

MetalJigsaw:
You can say that again bro

I'll be mad if I see even a draw from the other 3 save Enyimba.

MetalJigsaw:
Russia 2018 World Cup, the Nigerian Soccer Project & Goalkeeping Brouhaha.

It is exactly 112 days to the inaugural match in Russia 2018 soccer fiesta. Also, only 30 days to Super Eagles’ top grade cracker with Lewandoski’s Poland.

The global football family is in a frenzy right now awaiting the WC event billed to be a classic & its first ever in the old eastern bloc.

The Fifa world event has recorded only Eight ( World Cup Winners from its inception in 1930.

Would there be a new WINNER in Russia? Can the African continent produce its first Winner? In football, they say, anything is possible..

Preparations are in top gear & final stages for all 32 participants jostling to present their best teams, only one Nation will be crowned King on Sunday, July 15, 2018.
Super Eagles are Nigeria’s representatives & ambassadors to the Mundial. Expectations are very high! How far can the Super Eagles go?

The football world expects another inconsistent & dismal outing from Nigeria.
Foreign media, top foreign analysts & Coaches have been saying so with skeptical glee.

They don’t expect much. It has been like that in our five (5) previous participations, so they are right to hold such awful views.
However, things can change, Nigeria fans know so well that the current team is loaded & a good contender for title at the finals.

This team has the potential to grind out positive results!

The NFF & Sports Ministry have worked very hard & are still doing so.

The Coaching crew must live up to expectations of their fans by ensuring a top class performance, & also a finish in quality & style.

One area that seems so problematic is in GOALKEEPING.

This is the crux; this will either make or mar Nigeria’s chances of achieving its WC goals.
Carl Ikweme was good until poor health condition claimed him.

This forced Manager Gernot Rohr to reconsider clubless Vincent Enyeama, insisting on including him in his final team selection. Nigerians are getting jittery, recalling history of similar past occurrences & blunders that left a sour taste in our mouths.

You can’t blame the Gaffer, though.
The array of Nigerian shot stoppers used so far in matches have failed to match expected standards & far below what the mundial requires for serious contenders. We are not going for a jamboree.

From woeful Apkeyi, Ezenwa, Alampasu, Ajiboye, et al, none have lived up to the billing.

They have posted abysmally between the sticks for Nigeria. (Apologies).
So, there is a problem.

Young Uzohor was good against Argentina. He is very talented, but lacks experience & quality game time at his Spanish division 2 club.

Who wants to take a chance? No, not at the World Cup where you are supposed to be a Cup contender.

Our search threw us back to AUSTIN EJIDE, 33years old, Hapoel Hadera Fc, Israel.
Ejide’s football exploit is no news to Nigerians, (You can Google that).

The keeper was deputy to Vincent Enyeama from 2002 -2014.

What is primary right now is for the Super Eagles to have a quality representation in goalpost, & Austin Ejide looks that guy every inch & bit – all the way.

Ejide has all the features of a World Class GoalKeeper: he is tall, talented, strong & athletic. He has sharp reflexes & parades loads of international experience.

He is agile, has excellent grip on the ball, deals well wit crosses, difficult to beat on one-one situation, organizes his defenses very well, very confident, inspiring and commanding. He can stop penalties too.

This is the type of goalkeeper you want to have behind ur defenders.

See his current videos on YouTube channel to be convinced.

This AUSTIN is Our Man!

He is the SOLUTION to Super Eagles Goalkeeping problems.
Coach Rohr, look no further!

If he has committed any wrong doings against the NFF he should be pardoned.

Against this background, baring injury, Coach Gernot Rohr should make haste to recall Austin to his team ahead of Poland & Serb grade A friendly games for proper assessment, as a well deserved chance for the Super Eagles No.1 spot.

I think with this consideration, the other young and upcoming keepers can join to compete & increase the options for available 3 spots.

Some of the suggested names should include Uzohor, Maduka Okoye, Nwokolor, and Ezenwa.

No sentiments attached; only the best should be engaged.
Good luck!

- Kingmaker, Compltesports fan

Kai is it another Ejide or the same Austin Ejide, wahala dey o,this guy was clubless just got a club in Isreal and funny enough division two and we have another experience keeper in Dele Aiyenugba doing it for many years in Isreali top league even till dates,but nobody reckon with him.

The only advantage Ejide had over Aiyenugba is height,nothing more better to throw in Francis Uzoho than recalling Ejide cos throughout his career in eagles he wasn't convincing enough to warrant all these accolades.

I think his agent is working hard for him to be included in WC team.

komekn:


I think that's too harsh yes one of thier top teams got flogged 5-0 by Liverpool but the Portuguese league is a lot better than the Eredivisie.

The Portuguese League just like Eredivise is so incredibly weak that it’s hard to take seriously players that come out of it, examples I would put forward are Bas Dost, who averages over a goal a game there for Sporting Lisbon after being a 10-15 goal CF in Germany, Jonas who was the same for Valencia is averaging over a goal a game for Benfica, Renato Sanches, Lazar Markovic, Jackson Martinez, Mangala and Barca's Gomez are some of the dross churned out lately from their league.

You will of course always get a couple of players from Portugal that look special, such as Bernardo Silva (ironically didn’t star for Benfica though, had to make his name for Monaco) and Guedes looks fantastic in La Liga for Valencia, in general it’s a very weak league though and there is not as much talent there as there once was, same as the Eredivisie in that respect.

Enlarge and frame ur pics, call 08164023856.

Kog45:
My oga this is regional league match and i can't use this to rate Maduka based on super eagles but as 18 year old goalkeeper,honestly very good for his development.

I didn't rate Uzoho until he kept against Girona in la liga despite conceding two goals he looked solid and against Argentina was well composed,hope Maduka would prove me wrong in eagles colour .

Modified... Pls tbaba is Maduka keeping for Fortuna Dusseldorf U 18 or team B cos forgiveness always saying he is keeping for U 18.

He keeps for both the B team and the under 19.

forgiveness:



Keeping clean sheet with amateur is different from keeping clean sheet with Messi and Aguero.

Now, those are the players we gonna face.

I agree but there is no way, he will be number 1.

Lest we forget, Cameroon number 1 Ondoa is still in the lower divisions in Spain barely getting games.

He was still an important part of their nations cup win.

forgiveness:



Dele Aiyenugba is another option. Or is he not a Nigerian?


Point of correction, Maduka Okoye is playing for the U18 of Fortuna-dusseldorf and it's in bottom of the German league.

He plays for both the B team and the under 19.

Last weekend, he played for the B team.

Aiyenuba is certainly an option.

Mujtahida:

I am not for or against giving Ejide a shot but the bolded reeks of what an agent will write. I smell an agent at work here. And I wrote it on the site just below kingmaker laudatory comment.

Spot on... While reading the post, all I could sense was a disguised eulogy and advertisement for Ejide just to engineer the goalkeeper to earn him a recall to the team.

somehow:
All four teams are into the next round of CAF comps.

#CAFCL

��@plateauutdfc vs ��Etoile Sportif Du Sahel (Tunisia)
��@MFMFC_Lagos vs ��MC Algeirs (Algeria)

#CAFCC

��@AkwaUnited_fc vs ��Al-Ittihad (Libya)
��@EnyimbaFC vs ��Energie (Benin Republic).

Omo this na die we dey so for this fixtures

WTF!.. . CAF have started o!.. They are planning coup against Nigeria, they just want all our teams out by all means

realpoacher:


Omo this na die we dey so for this fixtures

WTF!.. . CAF have started o!.. They are planning coup against Nigeria, they just want all our teams out by all means

Very tough fixtures I must say

komekn:


Is Omeruo better than Efe Ambrose I simply do not know, is Balogun and Ekong better I do not know.

What I do know that if not for work permit issues Efe would be playing in the EPL. The most expensive defender in the World a few seasons ago was playing in the Scottish premiership.

How good is Efe I do not know because we have not tested him recently. He may have improved or indeed diminished in his abilities.

I think he at least deserves to be called as well as Obagoal to ascertain thier current level of performance. Otherwise anything said is speculative and if in the negative bad belle.

Well you said 'I do not know' I think as CB some years ago Omeruo was better than Efe.

Omeruo is the least rated CB after Agbo in eagles presently but i don't see Efe Ambrose beating him to it then to talk of Balogun and Ekong.

I still rate Omeruo ahead of Ambrose.

I just don't get how they came about these draws.

Playing 2 northern African clubs. Are there no southern or estern clubs in the CCL? Why should 2 clubs from the same country play 2 northern clubs?

realpoacher:


Omo this na die we dey so for this fixtures

WTF!.. . CAF have started o!.. They are planning coup against Nigeria, they just want all our teams out by all means

komekn:

I think he at least deserves to be called as well as Obagoal to ascertain thier current level of performance. Otherwise anything said is speculative and if in the negative bad belle.

Well on Obagoal,am one of the school of thoughts who believe we have seen enough of him but if player like Nwakaeme deserves a call then Obafemi too should be considered but everything depends on Rohr.

Kog45:
Well you said 'I do not know' I think as CB some years ago Omeruo was better than Efe.

Omeruo is the least rated CB after Agbo in eagles presently but i don't see Efe Ambrose beating him to it then to talk of Balogun and Ekong.

I still rate Omeruo ahead of Ambrose.

Omeruo is better than Efe.

From Rohr's comments, Enyeama and Alampasu are out of the world cup as a result of their inactivity.

Waiting and watching..

Div 2 Ejide over Aiyenugba of div 1 in the same country.

I hope Rohr is not being forced here.. well speculation is what I'm seeing.

Kog45:
Kai is it another Ejide or the same Austin Ejide, wahala dey o,this guy was clubless just got a club in Isreal and funny enough division two and we have another experience keeper in Dele Aiyenugba doing it for many years in Isreali top league even till dates,but nobody reckon with him.

The only advantage Ejide had over Aiyenugba is height,nothing more better to throw in Francis Uzoho than recalling Ejide cos throughout his career in eagles he wasn't convincing enough to warrant all these accolades.

I think his agent is working hard for him to be included in WC team.

tbaba1234:
From Rohr's comments, Enyeama and Alampasu are out of the world cup as a result of their inactivity.

That's my question but it seems Enyeama is not even keen cos Colins Udoh and Peterside Idah said Enyeama is not coming back sometimes ago.

My question,what does Rohr mean by INACTIVITY?is he saying a keeper in main team and not commanding starting shirt is inactive and not better than youth keeper keeping in division three or four.

I think if we want to go by activity then Akpeyi is sure banker for WC even Ezenwa is always in and out but thanks to WC qualifiers appearance,Uzoho too is very active but in youth league, Ajiboye too very active but not in Rohr's plan,Maduka active in regional league.

I just hope Rohr get it right cos with this condition of activity i expect Aiyenugba too in camp cos is the most active Nigeria keeper in Europe unless Rohr doesn't know he exists.

komekn:


Is Omeruo better than Efe Ambrose I simply do not know, is Balogun and Ekong better I do not know.

What I do know that if not for work permit issues Efe would be playing in the EPL. The most expensive defender in the World a few seasons ago was playing in the Scottish premiership.

How good is Efe I do not know because we have not tested him recently. He may have improved or indeed diminished in his abilities.

I think he at least deserves to be called as well as Obagoal to ascertain thier current level of performance. Otherwise anything said is speculative and if in the negative bad belle.

The defence is full, he should try again in 2022

safarigirl:


The defence is full, he should try again in 2022

But personally ,I like his style of play most especially when deployed as a RB,he sabi play d role well

MetalJigsaw:
Spotlight On Nigeria’s World Cup Foes: Argentina’s Tough Guy OTAMENDI

Completesportsnigeria.com’s JAMES AGBEREBI profiles Argentina hard man Nicolas Otamendi as we continue to run the rule over the Super Eagles’ Russia 2018 World Cup group opponents and their key players…

NICOLAS OTAMENDI

At five feet 10 inches, Nicolas Otamendi is not the tallest of defenders but what he lacks in height, he more than makes up in his aggressive style of play.

Since joining Manchester City from Spanish LaLiga club Valencia in 2015, Otamendi, 30, has remained a regular feature for the current Premier League leaders.

Otamendi has made 83 appearances, scoring six goals so far for the Premier League leaders.

This season, he has been a part of the City side that has stream rolled all before them and are on the verge of being crowned league champions.

He has played 26 of City’s 27 league games this current campaign, scoring four goals.
On the international stage, Otamendi made his debut for Argentina and was in Diego Maradona’s squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa but missed the 2014 edition in Brazil.

He made the Argentina squad for the 2015 and 2016 Copa America where they lost both finals to Chile.

BEST POSITION:
Otamendi plays mainly in the central of defence but can also slot into the right-back position.

STRENGTHS: Otamendi is very solid in aerial duels, ball interception and has a keen eye for goals just like his strike against Manchester United showed, which secured a 2-1 win for City.

WEAKNESSES: Like earlier mentioned, Otamendi is a hard tackler but can get into trouble as he can be rash when going into tackles.

STYLE: Though hard as nails, Otamendi is also adept when it comes to playing short passes as seen with Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.

He has the ability to initiate attack from defence by simply driving the ball forward.
He is also known for his tackling ability which is the hallmark of his play.

NATIONAL TEAM STATS: Since his debut in 2009, Otamendi has made 53 appearances for Argentina and has scored three goals for the national team.

DID YOU KNOW:
-Argentina were the first country to lose in the final of the FIFA World Cup. They lost 4-2 to Uruguay in the maiden edition in 1930.

-Pedro Monzon of Argentina is the first player ever to be sent off in a World Cup final. He was shown a straight red card against then West Germany in the 1990 final in Italy which Argentina lost 1-0.

-Argentina were the first team to lose a FIFA World Cup final match without scoring. They lost 1-0 to West Germany in 1990 final while previous finals dating back to the maiden edition in 1930 saw the losers scoring at least one goal.

-Argentina hold the record as the only country who had two players sent off in a FIFA World Cup final. Pedro Monzon and Gustavo Dezotti were both sent off in the 1-0 loss to West Germany in the 1990 World Cup final.

-Argentina’s only loss to an African team at the FIFA World Cup was against Cameroon at the 1990 edition in Italy. The Diego Maradona-led side were stunned 1-0 by a Francois Oman-Biyik header.

OPINION:
Do you feel the Super Eagles possess the strike force that can cause an Argentine defence led by Otamendi problems at the 2018 FIFA World Cup?



https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/spotlight-nigerias-world-cup-foes-argentinas-tough-guy-otamendi/

Otamendi's biggest hubris, is his inability to reign in his emotions when things aren't going his way. So, rash tackles and unwarranted attacks are things he tends to do.

If our forwards constantly barge into the Argentine defence, Otamendi will make an error

elyte89:




But personally ,I like his style of play most especially when deployed as a RB,he sabi play d role well

RB is especially full

safarigirl:


The defence is full, he should try again in 2022

By 2022...baba for don 63

tbaba1234:
From Rohr's comments, Enyeama and Alampasu are out of the world cup as a result of their inactivity.

Doesn't Alampasu play for the reserves??

daveP:
exactly. You've nailed it.... Chelsea just need to find Fabregas replacement. Abeg write off the fact that he passes well. He can't do that against Barça. Chelsea needs a long ball distributor. Fabre can't even dribble Busquets...... But there's no one else....

it's like you don't really know drinkwater abilities......
dude good wit long balls...and power shot too...watch his replay for Leicester..

Joebie:
Every forumite on this thread should watch this video again and again, and they would understand how this game of football have evolved.. and how we don't just do a two way comparison of players as if that's all the story.
some players are better suited for a specific game plan -- simple.

Coaches must select players with dynamism in mind as well.

God bless kingphillip for posting this video..isn't this what we have been saying Regarding dynamism..do u really think Chelsea would play this way against smaller teams!!

At a world cup game that is a tournament, there is nothing wrong bringing a player in to suit your tactics..if u truly have a quality bench, this should not be a problem or affect the balance if the team..

LOL, daveP, you're obviously a Ronaldo fan boy so I will forgive you


O pari

daveP:
aAll over the world of football, people say Ronaldo make mistakes or had a bad game, but once it's Messi, no he didn't, but others did. He did last night. He didn't have a great game. Uninfluential to me. He's the tip of the diamond and he had to shift back to get the ball.... Well if only Chelsea open eye well. Conte-mplating Conte got it RIGHT

KPOM!

The young man always does the impossible so they now tend to compare him with the 'almighty' and not with fellow players.


O pari

Mickael2:



Dembele just hardly returned from an injury, I wouldn't even deem it wise subbing him in when we have the return leg in a forthnight, he will get his chance.


On Messi though, it sure beats me how people think he was quiet. I mean I can give 4 instance:
1) There was a one-two he did with Iniesta and if not for the fact that Suarez appeared as if he wanted to touch the ball Messi would have scored.

2) There was a cross to Paulinho which he would have scored normally and that would have been an assist.

3) There was a pass to Vidal towards the end of the game which left Vidal one-on-one with Christiensen, Suarez would have gotten a shot on goal if he was there and may have even scored.

If I sit and watch the game again I'd probably see more, not to mention that he hardly lost possession all game long

edi287:

Doesn't Alampasu play for the reserves??

My man has not played football since the beginning of this season

tbaba1234:


My man has not played football since the beginning of this season

Damn!! No hope for him then.

Well, I haven't watched Austin play recently but if he's still the same Austin Ejide then I will vote for his recall. I had actually enquired about him a few months ago but I was informed that he and Emmanuel Daniel were both clubless at that time. But he's currently playing active football then he deserves a look in. He's head and shoulders above what we currently parade as goalkeepers.


O pari

Kog45:
Kai is it another Ejide or the same Austin Ejide, wahala dey o,this guy was clubless just got a club in Isreal and funny enough division two and we have another experience keeper in Dele Aiyenugba doing it for many years in Isreali top league even till dates,but nobody reckon with him.

The only advantage Ejide had over Aiyenugba is height,nothing more better to throw in Francis Uzoho than recalling Ejide cos throughout his career in eagles he wasn't convincing enough to warrant all these accolades.

I think his agent is working hard for him to be included in WC team.