Nigeria had their first training session in Austria.

tbaba1234:


Sani Emmanuel is now clubless. He last played in the swedish third division.

Such sad tale. Nigerian players and chasing shadows

forgiveness:


A fit Ndidi is a starter for me and Mikel should also start alongside but I don't know Rohr's mind.

If prefers Mikel as the AMF, Ndidi and Onazi are my starters but Iwobi plays the AMF role then Mikel and Ndidi will be my starters.

All depends on the formation because if we play 3 mans defence I expect Ogu should play as one of the CBs.

If Iwobi gets to master that AM it will do the team a lot of good.

MetalJigsaw:
Very true.. all the assistants have proven to be mere figure heads.

Be like u get access to the video footage of rohr meetings with his assistants.

Just sit in ur room and type WorShit

TheSuperNerd:
Ohhh... Madam Next level... thanks ma'am. Really have been so hooked but I was definitely following all the action surrounding our team. This team will surprise in Russia. We showed guts at Wembley and the addition of an Ndidi will shut out the mess Onazi and Joel brought.

I feel Onazi should not be starting games anymore. But I am not Rohr. If Onazi must start, plsss and plsss.. never again pair him with Joel Obi unless both step things up and show their pairing can work. Bit until then, No more. It was an eyesore to behold.

Trust all is well with you.

Yes am good dear... Its really painful those two made it. Awful performance from both. I hope SE can surprise us.

tbaba1234:
Nigeria had their first training session in Austria.

Dem no rest at all?

Saying ogu should play CB or LCB you must be a joker, his recovery is not Good because he lacks pace, i don't think rohr will try that in any game in Russia

elyte89:



Dem no rest at all?

London to Austria is a 2 hour flight. They arrived in the morning and trained in the evening

TheSuperNerd:
In a 3-5-2.... I will play Ekong in the middle.. Balogun at LCB and Omeuro at RCB.

Wingbacks will be Idowu and Ebuehi.

Midfield will have Ndidi, Mikel and Iwobi.

Upfront is Iheanacho and Victor Moses.



.......Uzoho....


Omeruo..... Ekong..... Balogun


Ebuehi......... Ndidi................. Idowu

...............Mikel.....
.......Iwobi....


.....Iheanacho..... Victor Moses....



orrrrrrr....


Vic Moses at LWB (benching Idowu) and Pairing Iheanacho and Ighalo/Simy upfront.

Brilliant squad

tbaba1234:


Balogun is our best defender and Ebuehi's pace will be wasted at RCB.

I'm not too convinced about Balogun's present form...

elyte89:



E no bad reach DT level, na

Lol as if u didn't notice it.

Martz101:


you analysis was making sense until the bolded, which other test those Aina want,l maybe malaria test.

Aina has played more game than Ebuehi even more game than his competitor Idowu.

I'm sure there house no far from Wembley or maybe his dad can still carry him home.

everybody is missing the fact that Awaziem is no more our 3rd choice defender, the boy need to stand up

How many minutes has Aina Played in total for the SE not how many games, that's issue.

No where enough to make any kind d of deductions about his ability.

forgiveness:


He played the RB position mostly this season and that's best position.

I hope he is given the chance to prove himself in that his natural role after the world cup.

Unlike, Ebuehi who was played in his best position.



No 1. Ola Aina

No 2. Tyronne Ebuehi

Whoscored comparison

Controversial opinion, but honestly speaking Aina doesn't look to me a solid player. Even while he played LB, he never made daring runs that suggests he has it in him to offer something extra. He made a dogs dinner out of the chances given to him.
After the the world cup, he has a big fight to claim either of the fullback roles in the team because certainly, Usman Mohammed will come back to fight out the RB spot with Ebuehi.
The confidence of the team managers to hand him the captains band against Athletico and the yoe man's job he did in that game suggests to me that he is the guy Ebuehi will contend with. I dont care how anyone feels about it but Aina doesnt hold a candle light to Usman Mohammed, expect of course we want to be economic with the truth and common sense flies out of the window because Aina is London born.

[quote author=tbaba1234 post=68152186]

London to Austria is a 2 hour flight. They arrived in the morning and trained in the evening[/q uote]


Ok, thanks,but hope onazi and Joel obi are not training.

Please help us to confirm, no need,dey can join d spectators ,cos dem fit go shine for training like DT,confusing rohr

Famocious:


I'm not too convinced about Balogun's present form...

He was much better than Ekong in that first half

MetalJigsaw:
Wetin you want again from The guy na. He worked to deserve his place in the team and still didn't disappoint when fielded against Congo for goodness sake.

Do you know what feelings mean?

MetalJigsaw:
Super Eagles’ Midfield Problems And Five Other Takeaways From Defeat To England
June 3, 2018 1:30 pm


Following the Super Eagles’ 2-1 defeat to England in Saturday’s friendly at Wembley Stadium, C ompletesportsnigeria.com ‘s JAMES AGBEREBI makes his observations from the game…


– POOR COMMUNICATION ON THE PART OF THE SUPER EAGLES PLAYERS
One very important aspect in football is communication among teammates. But against England, the Super Eagles players showed they need to learn a lot in that aspect.
On two occasions the Super Eagles players clashed heads against each other which could have been disastrous.
In the first half, Leon Balogun collided with Joel Obi in a needless head collision which could have been costly.
And in the second half, Kenneth Omeruo and Oghenekaro Etebo had a clash of heads.
This is one area the players must address before going to the World Cup because failure to do so will spell doom for the Super Eagles.


– SUPER EAGLES FAILURE TO DEAL WITH SET PIECES
It is evident the Super Eagles have not come to grips when it comes to dealing with set pieces.
Aside from Gary Cahill’s header which broke the deadlock, England went close on different occasions.
Eric Dier, Marcus Rashford and Kevin Trippier went close for England but were unlucky not to hit target.
The Super Eagles technical crew must look into this area if not it would be exploited by smart teams at the World Cup.


– POOR START BY THE SUPER EAGLES
If there is one thing the Super Eagles must look at critically, it is the issue of starting poor in games.
Their shaky start led to England taking an early lead which also led to the second goal.
Though they bounced back in the second half, they cannot afford to do that at the World Cup or else their opponents would have been out of sight by the time the Eagles wake up.


– MIDFIELD ISSUE
The Super Eagles struggled in the first half because the midfield did not click.
The midfield trio of Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi and Joel Obi could not contain the England midfield.
Due to their struggle, the forwards were starved of any meaningful supplies while the defence was under constant pressure as a result of lack of protection.
The absence of Wilfred Ndidi was felt as Onazi and Joel Obi failed to mark runners which worried the Eagles back line.
The second half response by Gernot Rohr brought sanity in the midfield which led to an improved performance.


– FRANCIS UZOHO KEEPS IMPROVING
Though he could be blamed for Harry Kane’s goal, Francis Uzoho showed he is learning fast.
He made some good saves and did well enough to come out and either catch or punch away dangerous crosses, making use of his tall frame.
The friendly game against Czech Republic on Wednesday is another opportunity for him to show he is ready for the World Cup.


– GERNOT ROHR’S RESPONSE IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
It was obvious the Super Eagles struggled in the first half which saw England deservedly go 2-0 up.
The likes of Shehu Abdullahi, Ogenyi Onazi, Joel Obi were poor in the first half which led to the poor first half display.
But before the start of the second half, Rohr brought in John Ogu, Oghenekaro Etebo, Tyronne Ebuehi and Kenneth Omeruo which totally changed the complexion of the game.

This is a clear indication that Rohr reads the game very well and knows when to make changes.



https://www.completesportsnigeria.com/super-eagles-midfield-problems-and-five-other-takeaways-from-defeat-to-england/

Sentiments won't kill Nigerian fans. They nearly put me to death last night for blaming Uzoho for the second goal.

elyte89:



Dem no rest at all?

YOu dont deserve to rest after playing badly and loosing. Alex Ferguson will make you work so hard the n2xt day after loosing that players were terrified to loose knowing the punishment that came the following day.

FIFA World Cup Group D: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria | THT Preview

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By Abhisek Bajaj on June 3, 2018 12:15 am | Leave a Comment

With the FIFA World Cup set to kick off soon in Russia, we bring you the lowdown of Group D, which comprises of Argentina, Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria.

The grandest competition in world football is set to take centre-stage in June in Russia, with the best footballing nations fighting it out to be crowned the world champions. We here take a look at Group D, which comprises of 2014 runners-up Argentina, Croatia, underdogs Iceland and the African hope, Nigeria.

Argentina will be looking to go one better than their 2014 finish, where their hearts were broken by an extra time winner from Mario Gotze. Iceland will look to eke into the qualification place, but must battle Nigeria, Argentina and Croatia to land a spot in the knockout phase. Here’s an overview of the group.

Group D – Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria

Matches

June 16: Argentina vs Iceland; Croatia vs Nigeria

June 21: Argentina vs Croatia

June 22: Nigeria vs Iceland

June 26: Nigeria vs Argentina; Iceland vs Croatia

Argentina

The 2014 runners-up barely scraped through the CONMEBOL qualifiers, with Lionel Messi weaving his magical foot once again for the South American giants. There has been a few changes put in place by manager Jorge Sampaoli after he took over from Edgardo Bauza.

One worrying sign is the constant change of formations, which may hint towards the fact that Sampaoli is yet to fully know his best eleven. The selection for the World Cup has also not been without its fair share of drama. Sergio Romero was included in the list, but was later replaced after an injury that the goalkeeper is adamant was not one that would keep him out of the World Cup and that he was excluded because of other reasons.

With Romero out of the squad, Sampaoli has three goalkeepers at his disposal who have a combined nine senior appearances for Argentina, which could be a problem in clutch situations like penalty shutouts.

The attack looks stacked despite Sampaoli’s decision to exclude Mauro Icardi from the World Cup squad while the midfield also possesses guile, experience and a sprinkle of youth to balance things out. With experience available in abundance in defence for Sampaoli, we can expect Argentina to go far in the competition. The goalkeeping area though, does raise some questions.

Key Player(s): Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano


The players don’t come much bigger than Lionel Messi and there aren’t any events grander than the World Cup. The Argentine lead the nation into the World Cup with his hat-trick in the last game of the CONMEBOL qualifiers and he will be hoping to go one better than what he did in the 2014 World Cup.

Croatia

After finishing third in the 1998 edition, Croatia have failed to find a footing in the World Cup, failing to clear the group stage in any of the editions that have followed. There are lot of familiar faces from the 2014 edition within the squad and they will be led by the Real Madrid creative maestro Luka Modric.

The European side’s midfield is their biggest weapon and on paper, it is one of the most stacked midfields that are headed to Russia. But, manager Zlatko Dalic will be looking to find the right balance in defence and attack in order to make Croatia a well rounded unit and one to fear.

Croatia were brilliant defensively in the qualification phase in Europe, leaking just 4 goals in the group stage in 10 games. But, 1-0 defeats against Turkey and Iceland saw them have to play Greece for a spot at the World Cup. While Croatia did ace the two-legged tie over Greece, their inability to break down a structured defence is something that Dalic would be looking to correct before the start of the World Cup.

Croatia have been handed a tricky group, but the squad will be pumped to make a mark, especially with the 2018 World Cup likely to serve as the swansong for stalwarts like Luka Modric, Mario Mandzukic, Danijel Subasic and Vedran Corluka.

Key Player(s): Luka Modric, Danijel Subasic, Mario Mandzukic

Modric has gotten his hands on almost every trophy at club level. So, at the age of 32, the Real Madrid midfielder will be looking to have a successful run at the World Cup with Croatia as this is very likely to be his last, considering his age.

Iceland

Iceland’s dream of a run at the Euros was not just a one-time thing and it has been established by the nation’s results after. Not only did they qualify for the World Cup for the first time in their history, they topped their group – a group that consisted of Ukraine, Croatia and Turkey among others.

Iceland reached the quarter-finals in their first ever appearances at the European Championships – a run that included wins over Austria and England while they registered a draw against Portugal and managed to get two past hosts France in their quarter-final defeat.

As far as personnel go, there aren’t many flashy players or names that catch the eye except Gylfi Sigurdsson. But, the squad is a well-knit unit and the chemistry reflects on the football field.

Iceland’s squad for the World Cup has the right amount of experience with youthful options also available at Heimir Hallgrimsson’s disposal, making the nation one of the dark horses for not just the group but also as a contender to go far in the event.

Key Player(s): Gylfi Sigurdsson; Aron Gunnarsson

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s set-piece prowess will be key to Iceland’s ability to upset teams, break down the opposition or create chances against a dominant nation. But, it will be captain Aron Gunnarsson, who will be tasked with the duty of keeping the ball in continuous motion and linking up the build-up play.

Nigeria

Nigeria already equalled their best-ever finish in the World Cup in 2014 by reaching the Round of 16 stage. But, with the golden generation coming through, the Super Eagles have one of the most underrated squads and can do serious damage in Russia.

The squad is full of players with Premier League experience, which means they are unlikely to be fazed by the big stage. Gernot Rohr has an abundance of riches at his disposal at every position, except the goalkeeping department, which, like Argentina, could be the reason for their downfall at the World Cup.

The chemistry within the team is also adequate, with a fair portion of the players having played with each other for a while now. While the midfield is equally strong, Nigeria’s attack has not been this impressive for some time.

The attack possesses pace from the likes of Alex Iwobi and Ahmed Musa along with the precision and finishing of Odion Ighalo and Kelechi Iheanacho. Nigeria’s squad is a very young one and the generation will be eager to showcase their potential in Russia.

Key Player(s): Ahmed Musa, Wilfred Ndidi

Incidentally, Musa is the highest scoring player for the nation to be in the squad and the forward will be keen to prove his Leicester City disaster was a mere blip. On his day, Musa can run the best of defences ragged and Rohr will be counting on the speedster to make his mark.

Ndidi though, is likely to be more instrumental than Musa. Part of the same Leicester squad, Ndidi grew in stature with each passing match and his consistency was one of the things that shined through. While he will be responsible for keeping things tight in midfield, it’s his ability to trouble the opposition goal from a range that will come in handy to create chances on goal against tight defences.

Nations to Progress: Nigeria, Argentina

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As bizarre as it may sound, we predict Nigeria to top Group D, with the youthful squad likely to lay down a marker against the other nations. According to our predictions, Argentina and Nigeria are likely to be confirmed of their place in the knockout stage by the time they meet each other to decide who goes through in first place.

And with the problems that Argentina have often faced, we expect Nigeria to come out ahead, which will be an upset in itself as it could mean a potential matchup of two big teams in the Round of 16, with Argentina finishing second.


http://www.thehardtackle.com/blogs/2018/06/03/fifa-world-cup-group-d-argentina-croatia-iceland-nigeria-tht-preview/

Actually shaa, we all knew Onazi was already russia-bound despite yesterday's shambolic showing on his part. He is the team's vice captain too. But if you ask me, I sincerely do not wish to see this Onazi take up the captain band after Mikel retires. Our captain should be an example of what other players look upon as a top performer. For now, Onazi is not it at all. I would prefer a Balogun or Ekong to captain us rather than an Onazi.


As for Joel Obi, he would have been dropped but truth is overtime, Mikel Agu didn't do enough too to show why he should be picked ahead of Joel who even met him In the team under Rohr. But based on the DRC game alone, Mikel Agu did come to the party and he played very well indeed. On that alone, you could say he merited a place in the Final 23 but that has been his only good game in a SE shirt. And Rohr feels Joel offers something extra and better than Agu. I also personally feel a Joel Obi edges Agu as he is not restricted to the DM role. He is naturally a CM. But Agu is a DM and a destroyer kinda player in that role. Already we have an Ndidi there and also an Onazi.

Etebo edges as he is the only box-to-box midfielder in the team and is pretty dynamic with his versatility. Rohr should play Etebo according to what the tactical atmosphere of a game demands and not just based on his versatility alone.


I believe with closer hard trainings and a final push of absolute concentration on sharpening our rough edges in the Austrian camp, the Super Eagles will be ready enough to take on Croatia's juggernauts in modric, rakitic, perisic, Kovacic, Subasic and all the other "Sics" in their team...

No team is ever 100% ready but I believe we will be ready enough. Rohr has seen what we all here have seen and analysed and I believe he will work on them in Austria big time.

Good to know you are doing good. Do take care Ma'am and keep soaring with the Super Eagles.

nextlevel2222:


Yes am good dear... Its really painful those two made it. Awful performance from both. I hope SE can surprise us.

TheSuperNerd:
Sir Fabyom... abeg don't quit the thread ooooo.... Haahahahahahahaha.... Na adrenaline rush of excitement (I wonder what mood you were in that day) make you drop that bold comment. England were always the favorites but I was convinced we would give them a good game. I predicted a 2-2 draw with a few days to the game when discussing with my buddies but alas we fell a bit short of that.

Abeg no quit the thread. lol... Just next time don't be like that fan from Ghana who once famously said...

"If Ghana loses, I will cut off my head"


When growing up as a kid I used to hear that comment a lot on Sports radio Brila FM Lagos. looollll

Haha "when Ghana loses, I will cut off my head". That was the comment of Richard Kotie of BBC Africa sport during the build up to the game between Ghana and Uganda, 2004 AFCON qualifiers.
I never missed that show on BBC every night in the early 2000s from 8-9 pm( I think). Ghana lost that game and didn't qualify. I think Richard Kotie died a couple of months later. He was popularly called King Richard

komekn:


How many minutes has Aina Played in total for the SE not how many games, that's issue.

No where enough to make any kind d of deductions about his ability.

compare to the new players, he had the most chance

MetalJigsaw:
Iwobi started from the right but moved centrally when we switched to 3-5-2. Although don't know the exact role ad I kept seeing both him and Mikel in the center

that's rhe exact way iwobi play and expect such

Wow... So you even sabi him name. I never got to know the name of the man who said it but now I know. As in eh... I always heard that on radio... Loolll

But this is tragic. So he died months after Ghana lost that game? Chaaaiiii... More reason why we should be careful of what we profess. Sometimes, what we say may turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Icon4s:


Haha "when Ghana loses, I will cut off my head". That was the comment of Richard Kotie of BBC Africa sport during the build up to the game between Ghana and Uganda, 2004 AFCON qualifiers.
I never missed that show on BBC every night in the early 2000s from 8-9 pm( I think). Ghana lost that game and didn't qualify. I think Richard Kotie died a couple of months later.

forgiveness:


Hahahahahah! Realizing it now!? Hahahahahaha!

I know Ogu is good but if we go by some standard here he should be dropped regardless of how good he is. That's my point.

your point has always been blunt right from time, i dont need it

TheGoodJoe:


I never saw or heard of Xabi Alonso playing as a central defender in Bayern Munich. Glad if you acquaint me on it. By the way, are you recommending Mikel plays as a defender because I do not get your point.

my man i am not, i was only been sarcastic since you compare mertens a winger in napoli converted to a striker and doing well and so nacho can do same

then i told you about an alonso who was a very fine midfielder that was played in the defence by pep, then can we also play our mikel that way too

TheSuperNerd:

Wow... So you even sabi him name. I never got to k kW the name of the man who said it but now I know. As in eh... I always heard that on radio... Loolll

But this is tragic. So he died months after Ghana lost that game? Chaaaiiii... More reason why we should be careful of what we profess. Sometimes, what we say may turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophesy.

They called him King Richard on that show. He was an equivalent of Mamadou of Soccer Africa on Super sports then(i never missed this one also).

BBC Africa sports was the bomb then. People hardly missed it.

That is the spirit! They have not earned their rest yet! To work they must go and toiling to sharpen those rough edges they must. Mikel said they will train both morning and evening... It would be twice a day. This is serious business! Come on You Eagles! Don't you wanna live and make your marks forever in history?!

tbaba1234:
Nigeria had their first training session in Austria.

Sani Emmanuel....hehe..what of Osas Okoro s younger brother or older brother? Whats that his name? John Obuh eeeee...and one Chukwudi in Sharks that Adokie busted....kitikpaaaaaa

Stanley Okoro and Fortune Chukwudi.


Only Omeruo, Kayode, Ajagun and Onazi have gone on to have decent careers from that class of 2009.

I also remember dazzling winger Terry Envoh. No more of him today. Sad.

gamaliel9:
Sani Emmanuel....hehe..what of Osas Okoro s younger brother or older brother? Whats that his name? John Obuh eeeee...and one Chukwudi in Sharks that Adokie busted....kitikpaaaaaa

tbaba1234:


He was much better than Ekong in that first half

I didn't really take note of that though...

Ekong and Kane...