goldfish80:

Europe is the headquarters of football no thanks to the money, organization and the rich history of the European game. Every boy playing football across various continents around the world have dreams to play for Man utd, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan etc..
This stronghold influence they have on the game makes it easy for them to impose their style, their rules and culture. It is their game after all,just like USA have Basketball and Baseball.

The only way to upset the apple chart is if an outsider from Africa( for instance), rise above the odds and dominate the world game with their unorthodox style. Trust me, if this happens the Europeans will drop their style and inculcate the new one in vogue.

For instance, American high school coaches started advising tall kids to consider Athletics not just basketball and American football because of the break out star from little Jamaica, Usain bolt who stood at 6ft5. A height previously unheard of for a track athlete.
We can impose our own style if it becomes successful. That's how the world works.

Chrisooblog said this much as you have just said: that we can impose our style if we become successful.

The question is: how do we become successful when it seems we are playing the game the way Europeans have styled it? How do we disrupt the current template?

Been a long busy day over here but this world cup got me going and doing all sorts of creative multitasking... lol.. Can't wait for the Kick off already...


Meanwhile, From @OfficialFPL stats...

Kelechi Iheanacho was involved in a @LCFC (Leicester) goal every 117.7 minutes last season
#GoalsOriented.

Mujtahida:

It's not all about physicality. Physicality would even be counter-productive because football is becoming a - no-touch game. Refs will penalise us. Unless perhaps by physicality you mean athleticism. Cos if na physicality according to gri gri, bulldoze your-way kind of football I doubt if we would succeed.

What I'm looking at is techniques and we sure can succeed in that regard by laying emphasis on what suits our style coupled with effectiveness as chrisooblog has suggested.

All na grammar, what do you think made Chelsea to become an elite club in the EPL after so many years in the woods, whether its physicality or athleticism you call it, you have to come with your own style to overcome the present masters of the game, even the Europeans had to come out with a system to counter the samba style of the Brazilians when they were becoming too difficult to beat

TheGoodJoe:
I am so shocked with the drama going on in Spain and feel disappointed with Lopetegui negotiating and entering an agreement with Real Madrid few days to a top World Cup game. Astonishing when you look at the fact he gained most of his experience working with the Spanish FA. The FA supported him and showed faith in him until he became a Manager of the Spanish team.

Today he is a top quality coach but I feel he should have paid back the Spanish FA with his loyalty.

Wish him the best.

Good decision by the Spanish FA. A disloyal employee must never be condoned despite the circumstances and repercussions of his sack.

Spain will still do well. It's the same players and tiki-taka is in their DNA.

Good day, everyone

Russia 2018 General Titbits

Names of National team managers in this decade to have been sacked without losing a game....


- Sam Allardyce

- Julen Lopetegui


It is now 1 day and 44 mins to go to Kick off... Been a long count really We are almost there...

TheSuperNerd:
Been a long busy day over here but this world cup got me going and doing all sorts of creative multitasking... lol.. Can't wait for the Kick off already...


Meanwhile, From @OfficialFPL stats...

Kelechi Iheanacho was involved in a @LCFC (Leicester) goal every 117.7 minutes last season
#GoalsOriented.

Nacho must start over Igalho. He is truly a gem. Him and Iwobi are a one-two punch.

chrisooblog:
true one must always gauge your actions because good or bad there are consequences to every action. that snub of afcon 2015 has come to bite them on the butt. not still sure they would have won with full african vote but knowing you have a bloc vote to call on would have been a good bargaining chip.

a pity heard our own daniel amokachi was picked to pitch for them at the FIFA congress

You see them, why dem no call salah to pitch for them? Don't give a damn about their hosting right, glad they were dumped and hope amaokachi collected his full payment. useless people, no wonder they rejoined the African union after may years of pulling out earlier and to think they were begging to become a member of ECOWAS make me vex the more.

Goke7:

All na grammar, what do you think made Chelsea to become an elite club in the EPL after so many years in the woods, whether its physicality or athleticism you call it, you have to come with your own style to overcome the present masters of the game, even the Europeans had to come out with a system to counter the samba style of the Brazilians when they were becoming too difficult to beat

Well, it has to be a comprehensive approach. Only physicality will not do it. It's too limited to outwit Europeans.
Why has cameroun who are typically jambody been beaten since 1990 ? We didn't play jambody in 1994. We played highly technical skillful football. Nigeria began to make her impact on World football when she shifted from the physicality that defined much of our game in the 80's to skills and finesse in the 90's.

Amokachi had power but he was very skillful.

chrisooblog:
true that's why brazilians argentines were so successful in the early years of the world cup. yes the europeans taught them bitter lessons which brazil has adjusted to infact i see neymar and co winning the whole thing because they've managed to incorporate their samba, jogo bonito into european organization and made it purposeful, result oriented. that's the conundrum sub-saharan african teams have been unsuccessful in solving. for some reason players educated here are not imparted with the drive to win but rather show off dribble to get hails and ''accolades'' whereas the real accolade is winning the trophy.

having said that i still feel a team from sub-saharan africa especially west africa will one day soon win the world cup cos our style of disorganization confounds them mascherano as much admitted that lol. north africans style is too similar europeans which is their style on acid.

hopefully the foreign born players will continue to bring in elements of professionalism in their football upbringing back but here at home the nff should thinking of bringing young football brains across the land and not just restrict it to the old boys club of ex internationals

When last did Brazil employ a foreigner as their coach?

How come only 2 continents have produced the countries that won the worldcup or am i wrong?

Mujtahida:

Well, it has to be a comprehensive approach. Only physicality will not do it. It's too limited to outwit Europeans.
Why has cameroun who are typically jambody been beaten since 1990 ? We didn't play jambody in 1994. We played highly technical skillful football. Nigeria began to make her impact on World football when she shifted from the physicality that defined much of our game in the 80's to skills and finesse in the 90's.

Amokachi had power but he was very skillful.

Exactly, power and skill is what we need, our present team has skills but limited power. The moment players like amokachi, amuneke, ikpeba, siasia, taribo, oliseh,mutiu left our national team, we have found it difficult to find players with both power and skill. The remnants left then were folks like Taiwo, osaze, even martins with all his power and skills couldn't do enough.

brazilian coaches have learnt to apply some aspects of the european style without jettison the core samba but african coaches still haven't caught on they are still employing the ''oya enter pitch and show yasef'' reasoning in their coaching. whenever have you heard a nigerian or even african coach wow you with their tactical knowledge?

somehow:


When last did Brazil employ a foreigner as their coach?

Mujtahida:

Chrisooblog said this much as you have just said: that we can impose our style if we become successful.

The question is: how do we become successful when it seems we are playing the game the way Europeans have styled it? How do we disrupt the current template?

To become successful, we basically have to go back to the basis and fix our league from Amateur to the premier league. It might sound cliché but that's the only way possible to raise good players who can cause major upset in world cups with our style.

South Africa toyed with the idea of having their national team play in the Psl a season prior to the 2010 world cup,it might sound unattainable, but such radical ideas might actually work.
As Africans, we must be brave and push out our boats. This is one of the reasons I like the idea behind Chan.

goldfish80:


To become successful, we basically have to go back to the basis and fix our league from Amateur to the premier league. It might sound cliché but that's the only way possible to raise good players who can cause major upset in world cups with our style.

South Africa toyed with the idea of having their national team play in the Psl a season prior to the 2010 world cup,it might sound unattainable, but such radical ideas might actually work.
As Africans, we must be brave and push out our boats. This is one of the reasons I like the idea behind Chan.

I love your use of the word brave! That was the hallmark of the Cameron team in Italia 90, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. They were very brave sides and you see no sense of being jittery when they played in the world cup but for lack of very good experience those teams would have gotten to the final

Just watched Etebo's insta story. It seems like they're still making fun of Uzoho. I know its fun and games, but it should just stop.

Icon4s:
The Maroc 2026 Bid was not successful . Too bad but they can repackage for 2030.

For how long will they continue to bid and lose. They v been bidding for every single world cup since the early 90s and yet SA hosted the first African WC before them. I'm sure its money they spend to organize bids, they should rest for now and start again in may be 3 decades time

Goke7:

All na grammar, what do you think made Chelsea to become an elite club in the EPL after so many years in the woods, whether its physicality or athleticism you call it, you have to come with your own style to overcome the present masters of the game, even the Europeans had to come out with a system to counter the samba style of the Brazilians when they were becoming too difficult to beat

which the Europeans effectively ended in Mexico 86

yes a strong league would be a start but you also need good competition to sharpen your players skills can that be gotten alone from facing enyimba, kano pillars, mamelodi sundowns, tp mazembe, al haly?

i think forward thinking exceptional local coaches will be our redemption. look at south america top argentine coaches like simeone, pelligrini, pochentino. brazil as well produce exceptional coaches.

some how the nff will have to start grooming coaches same way we do for our cadet teams. by the time we identify and train these exceptional local coaches who understand the philosophy of how we play we then ensure most clubs in the land employ these people. we should also put in place a fair system of genuine competition which ensures that the best succeeds. it's from this same pool of top coaches who did well nationally and intercontinental that national team handlers will be picked from

goldfish80:


To become successful, we basically have to go back to the basis and fix our league from Amateur to the premier league. It might sound cliché but that's the only way possible to raise good players who can cause major upset in world cups with our style.

South Africa toyed with the idea of having their national team play in the Psl a season prior to the 2010 world cup,it might sound unattainable, but such radical ideas might actually work.
As Africans, we must be brave and push out our boats. This is one of the reasons I like the idea behind Chan.

Bolowolowo:
Just watched Etebo's insta story. It seems like they're still making fun of Uzoho. I know its fun and games, but it should just stop.

Uzoho has no problem with it. He even tapped Kelechi for a comment.
Kelechi was like "I think he's my brother, I don't have to say anything about his face."

chrisooblog:
brazilian coaches have learnt to apply some aspects of the european style without jettison the core samba but african coaches still haven't caught on they are still employing the ''oya enter pitch and show yasef'' reasoning in their coaching. whenever have you heard a nigerian or even african coach wow you with their tactical knowledge?

Brazil actually jettisoned the samba in 90 and 94 world cups.. it only made a cameo appearance in 98 and 2002

TheSuperNerd:
Yep he did fail just before the CAF U-17 tournament kicked off. But he passed it before the CAF Qualifiers began in 2012.

The MRI age test for teens has six classification grades mister... It is very very possible he passed it when at grade 5 or even grade 6 with the growth plate of the left wrist almost fused. So logically and even scientifically, several months later, he failed becos he is grade 6+ with plates now fused and therefore ineligible. Teenage growth and bone maturuty changes between 14-19 is quite exponential.

The accuracy of the MRI test is not in question.

However, the baseline data used to make the deductions is. I suggest you do some research on that first, several published scientific journals are readily available.

What MRI gives is near 100% certainty of what age range a person can not be in. That deduction is made from the test results married to the baseline data.

That means it's indicative and far more relevant to the U17 set where bone fusion should not have set in. All things being equal. That's why it's effectiveness at U21 level is open to question.

Add the variable of nutrition, environment, and race and absolute becomes impossible but indicative a very big YES.

Add to all those variables the penchant for sharp practices within our officialdom. Then the case of a Nigerian origin player born in the USA failing the MRI scan becomes feasible. Particularly when they the NFF refused to hand over the test results for scrutiny.

As a society age cheating is not unique to football but pervades every aspect of our life from police army service to government bodies and ministries indeed there are men married to women older than them without knowing.

So I now bury the matter it's no longer relevant.

Indeed this problem was birthed by European football associations in thier obsession with youth. As if youth was the only component for football quality and excellence.

You get to 21 and you are almost dismissed as being over the hill if you have no pedigree. The association with youth and top football performance is absurd.

If you are good age is irrelevant in my opinion.

they have never jettison it they have just learnt when and how to bring it out of their locker

asha80:
Brazil actually jettisoned the samba in 90 and 94 world cups.. it only made a cameo appearance in 98 and 2002

Martz101:


is true na, nobody here likes Echiejile but no other better option for now. i remember when George abey was our undisputed right back even though he was not that wonderful and plays in the 3rd or 4th league in England

George played with Yobo in Sharks as a youth.

At the time the options for RB where very limited and Abbey had showed good quality throughout his time in the SE.

That's not the case with Echiejile he has consistently in recent times been way off the mark.

Going to the world cup should be devoid of sentiment and only the best players should go. Echiejile is certainly not better than Aina and his experience brings no value to the SE.

Mujtahida:
MY THOUGHTS ON THE EVE OF THE WC
since 2002 no country apart from european countries has won the WC(and more european countries have won the WC than any other country from other continents since the inception of the FIFA WC in 1930. while it can be argued that this is because europeans have proportionately more teams than other continents -could there be other causes?) could this be as a result of the fact that global football is tailored to suit the style, the nature and character of Europeans?
take this issue of pressing that has almost become the alfa tactics employed by most teams for example. it is about choking and pressuring the opposition when they(the opposition) have the ball. now i think this is what happened: europeans eliminated the dribble(yes dribbling is almost dead) because i do not see how pressing can be effective when you have a team of good ball dribblers. can you press maradona, or okocha or any team with a good number of dribblers like Brazil 82 team? they will just dribble themselves out of the choke and pass the ball to a team mate who is free from the press. just a moment of sheer individual brilliance, a sweet turn, a flick and dance with the ball and the whole press will collapse.but you see what europeans have done: they eliminated the dribble, clamped down on individual displays and erected a temple to the god of passing, passing, passing and laid more emphasis on team game.
europeans thrive on organization and efficiency: they hate anything disorganized which is how they regard anything free flowing(meanwhile africans want expressiveness and flair). check out classical european music, opera and the ballet dance. everything is timed and organized. the world of music was cold until africans and south americans(and it was still africans if you know your history)with the their toms toms, sense of natural rhythm and free flowing dance brought in the blues, jazz and pop culture was born. for the life of me i have tried to enjoy mozart, bach, handel and others but omo i still prefer the sound of the gong, ekwe, beaded gourd and talking drum. to the european ear african music is disorganized but as africans we know theres a method to that seeming "disorganization". our music is all about rhythm and improvisation.

my point is we must break away from this european model of playing football: we cannot beat them when it comes to an organized approached to football. no wonder xavi said that they understand football as a space-time concept. this is nothing but the scientific european mind speaking. the black man has no such concept. (thats why he cannot operate by the 24 hour clock). africans understand football as a dance, as rhythm, as beat, as robustness and vigour.
this is how we must play our football. we must play football according to our soul. we are africans and its not a matter of race- its a matter of an outlook on life which we can perfect and use to define our game.

my brothers i would appreciate your thoughts on this issue
cc
Icobn4s
asha80
bascovanveli
goldfish80
tbaba1234
safarigirl
servik
kennysville
oasis07
thesupernerd
goodjoe
joebie
chriskels
davep
AIG
mikael2
kog45
forgiveness
soetanoluwa
martz07
charlesemeka
and every other esteemed poster on this great thread

Well I think we can take a cursory look at the success of African teams in the cadet championship. African teams have always shined at the under 17 championship. Struggled at the under 20s and made remarkable success at the Olympics. Nigeria being the most successful of them all. The question then is how have we attained this success, despite all odds and the unfavourable conditions that churns out these starlets. One thing is certain the hunger to succeed is higher at the cadet level. Maybe it has to do with the obscurities and economic hardships these young stars come out from, sadly when they are at the peak they just fizzle out in the long run. The Hunger to win at all cost was largely responsible for us dominating the cadet level. Take it a little higher and look at the under 20 sides with the most successful being the Ghanaian team of 2009 with the likes of players like Adiyah, these same hunger and intensity in which they played was raw and beautiful. Same goes to the Cameroonian side at the world Cup where Africa was announced to the World . Fast forward down to 94 and 96 Nigeria announced itself on the bigger scene. Winning the Olympics with its style of football. Quickly we saw Cameroon do the same at the next Olympics. We have gone along way. But with time and hunger, we would surely win the World Cup. African teams just need to keep pushing and playing. Brazil recently won the Olympics football gold. Something Nigeria did eighteen years earlier. So I for one don't think it's adopting the European style that has strangled our development, I think we are just not there in terms of hunger for it. This would literally translate on the field of play.

Martz101:


i think Balogun will be more suitable in the middle, the middle of a 3 man defense need a good passer of the ball, he most time brings the ball out of the defense

Agreed

Omeruo - Balogun - Ekong

My preference in a 3-5-2 Formation

chrisooblog:
they have never jettison it they have just learnt when and how to bring it out of their locker

sebastio lazaroni actually deployed conservative football in Italia 90 and was criticized heavily for it.. same for Carlos perrerra for USA 94.. the only difference was in USA 94 the had romario (and his combination with bebeto).. a lot of Brazilian fans will tell you that the USA 94 team wa boring to them.. they rate the 98 and 2002 teams better

TheSuperNerd:
Ekong is also a good ball passer. This is why he has functioned well in that role for the team in a back three. Balogun can do it too of course. Both are capable in the middle. Just that Ekong's speed is also key. He is much faster than Balogun.

That's why I would have Ekong on the LCB

gamaliel9:
The first time we qualified for the world cup with a game to spare....the first time no iota of controversy whatsoever....firsttime we as many as 12 players are ready to play other positions other than their traditional position without complaints....no cabal...no prima donna....no enfant terrible....no coach`s players backed by agents....we will go far...


BELIEVE

Not the first time actually. In '98 we qualified with a game to spare

Oya gbera! Eagles

TheSuperNerd:
Super Eagles camp update


As at five hours ago or so... The Eagles were slugging it out in training.

Third pic is Elderson Echiejile with the FieldWiz players performance tracking wear to measure his condition.

How precisely does this work?

Awon backbone...

komekn:


George played with Yobo in Sharks as a youth.

At the time the options for RB where very limited and Abbey had showed good quality throughout his time in the SE.

That's not the case with Echiejile he has consistently in recent times been way off the mark.

Going to the world cup should be devoid of sentiment and only the best players should go. Echiejile is certainly not better than Aina and his experience brings no value to the SE.

sentiment na your problem, Echiejile was not a bad left back afterall he was part of the defense that brought us the worldcup spot.

i don't want to go into Aina and Echiejile argument again because it won't change anything. Abey george tried for Nigeria but i don't see how he was done more than Echiejile.

George was not even playing for Championship side, he was swimming in lower league woth portvale while Echiejile played for french league with rennes and Monaco and also with Portugal league with Braga with loads of champions league exposure

that's the career gorge Abey would have prayed for and if Aina get that kinda career he will be fulfilled.

Oga free Echiejile