Joebie:
If Lukaku were a Nigerian right there best believe he won’t have skipped that pass

komekn:



Yes.

forgiveness:


Emmanuel Amuneke was once the coach of Julius Berger and Ocean boys though he was sacked.

Mutiu Adepoju was the General Manager and interim coach of 3SC before he resigned.

These two have UEFA coaching licence.

komekn:



I don't HATE first of all. I don't know Nwakali and probably never will, so what's thier to hate.

What I do HATE is double standard, favoritism and unfair practices.

I have one unit of uncompromising measurement for the SE selection. MERIT and that standard of merit should be not be up for debate.

The basis for selection should be consistent quality current performances in your club. If you are in a low level league then you should be outstanding in your club at least if not the entire league.

If you are in a top class team in top level league there may be exceptions. However, you must be playing to be considered. Youth football is not senior football.

So looking at Nwakali he played one season in the Eredivisie was not outstanding. If he was other teams would come in for him. He then goes to MVV Mastrich a demotion in reality to the 2nd tier of Dutch football. The Dutch Eredivisie league is ranked below the Turkish league it's number 14 in Europe.

In terms of level of football that level is probably on par with the English league 2 or national league.

Now considering all these variables is it wrong to say he at this stage does not merit a call up to the SE.

When a player who has been anonymous and done next nothing to prove his quality. Through the ingenuity of his agent goes to club well above his level. Is it therefore HATE to project to say he Nwakali looks unlikely to be starter in the Porto team. And may indeed end up in the Porto B team.

I am very familiar with Porto and the business model they adopt. As well as similar clubs in Portugal with the same business model.

I know too many African players who have had possible careers in football destroyed by Porto, Sporting and a few other Portuguese clubs.

So what is the HATE in my opinion which is based on experiential knowledge not hear say.

You tell me Mr considerate and level headed

goldfish80:


Iceland is a bigger football country, much more than Japan indeed. I saw your weak attempt to list Icelandic greats and just shook my head.

BascoVanVeli:


I know that but they need to get coaching jobs. Enyimba's coach also has UEFA coaching license.

Taliban:
Goodjoe, what do you think of KDB's positioning in this WC. I would have thought he would be moved upfront besides Hazard, drop Mertens and have dembele play in midfield. I think he's been underutilized but what do I know.

daveP:
The fat fool Giwa, is now in control!!!!



Lord help us!! Which kine demon dey this Glass House wey just want attention of confusion see ehn



I can smell Afcon disappearing slowly.

It's atypical for Nigerians to let go of positions just like that. What is it that we don't know about Pinnick actually? He just let go without even a media talk?

edi287:

When did this happen?

forgiveness:


There is different between Iceland is a bigger football country than Japan and Iceland has produced players greater than Japan. Gerrit?

So, stop twisting point.

daveP:
Yesterday. it's on FP. I wonder what kind of misfortune is all these now. Taking of 200milllion football lovers for granted!!!

daveP:
Yesterday. it's on FP. I wonder what kind of misfortune is all these now. Taking of 200milllion football lovers for granted!!!

daveP:
The fat fool Giwa, is now in control!!!!



Lord help us!! Which kine demon dey this Glass House wey just want attention of confusion see ehn



I can smell Afcon disappearing slowly.

It's atypical for Nigerians to let go of positions just like that. What is it that we don't know about Pinnick actually? He just let go without even a media talk?

Bolowolowo:
FIFA has given a response so this thing should end rather quickly. Let's hope our AFCON qualifiers aren't in jeopardy and vision 2022 continues in full effect.


Fifa Says No Court Can Stop Pinnick As NFF Chairman
By Olugbenga Ige - June 29, 2018

NFF President Amaju Pinnick
The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has said that no decision of any Nigerian court will stop it from recognising the leadership of Amaju Pinnick as chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

FIFA’s letter came in response of to a letter written by Chris Giwa to FIFA, through his lawyers, Patrick ikwueto seeking to enforce various court orders he claimed to have in his favour in order for him to take over the leadership of the NFF.

The letter reads, “we would like to stress that the clients you appear to represent already filed different appeals in relation to the elections of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) of 26 August 2014 with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, and that said appeals were either terminated and removed from the CAS roll for procedural reasons or dismissed by the CAS in its arbitrary award of 18 May 2015.



“FIFA, therefore, recognizes the NFF executive committee under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick which was duly elected on 30 September 2014. Notwithstanding the above, we have taken note of the ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria dated 27 April, 2018 which ruled that the relevant matter is to be “remitted to the trial High Court‘ for
expeditious hearing and determination on the merit”.

“In this respect, we would like to remind you that according to art. 59 par. 2 and 3 of the FIFA Statutes “Recourse to ordinary courts of law is prohibited unless specifically provided for in the FIFA regugations” and disputes within a member association “shall be taken to an independent and duly constituted arbitration tribunal recognised under the rules of the association or confederation or t0 CAS,” FIFA said.

According to FIFA, its disciplinary committee decided on 10 January 2017 to extend the five-year ban from taking part in any kind of football-related activity imposed by the NFF’s disciplinary committee on 12 May 2016 against the officials-Christopher Giwa, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong for breaches of the NFF statutes and the FIFA Code of Ethics to have worldwide effect.

“Without prejudice to the above, we inform you that copies of this letter and of your correspondence have been brought to the attention of the NFF,” it said.

edi287:

This useless Giwa isn't even running his club well enough yet it's the NFF he wants to run??
Dude needs to Bleep off!! Pinnick has been great.

Bolowolowo:
This Chris Giwa just lit massive fire. All Pinnick has to do is call Infantino & co. to do the needful. No need for a big battle, unless Giwa is willing to risk dragging Nigerian football through the mud and I don't think Nigerians would easily stand for that. A ban should be enough for him to give in. Dalung and other higher ups would see the financial implications a ban has and will get him to quit.

goldfish80:

I think you need to understand the context and the reason why Nwakali is highly regarded.
You cannot isolate the fact that he is a Nigerian football project. He came through the ranks and captained Nigerian U17s to a world championship. He's not a random talent who is stuck in Europe, the devil is in the detail here.

Nwakali is such a talent who Nigeria football cannot afford not be part of his growth because it is expected that he will lead the new generation of Nigerian players. He absolutely looks the real deal. Mind you, midfielders don't usually plateau at 19, his celine is very high


Also, he is highly regarded at Arsenal that is why they refused a sale on clause in the deal with Porto. His goal against Athletico was madly celebrated by many Arsenal blogs.

forgiveness:


I see. You mean Aigbogun?

komekn:



When I make a contribution it is not based on assumption or emotive sentiment.

In my small time in football particularly youth nobody is a project, just potential to waiting to be realised.

Youth football is just indicative nit conclusive.

In England 76% of players from the football league academies end up not playing professional football. This tells us even more youth football is only indicative.

I will give three examples of recent players who went very high in youth football but are playing now playing non league football.

John Cofie was bought at age 14 from Burnley by Manchester United for the sum of £1 million. He played alongside Pogba. By age 21 he had been to near 10 clubs in Europe. And ended up playing non league.

Adam Morgan was hailed as the new Robbie Fowler hr went on pre- season tour with Liverpool. At a stage he was on £20k a week. Within three years of this peak level he is now playing non league.

Daniel Tricket Smith bought by Liverpool from Crew for near £350k at age 16. He played for Liverpool U23 and England he was released in 2016 not even 2 years he is now playing non league.

I have seen too many players hundreds over the years that promised much but delivered little. Opportunity is the most important thing and then what you do with it.

Nwakali has had a lot of opportunity but he has done nothing with it. Opportunity upon Opportunity.

We are no longer talking about youth football but professional first team senior football. What has he done You base your opinion on past glories not present continous.

He has been in the 2nd tier of Dutch football, let's be honest it's a very weak league. He if he was exceptional should be the stand out player in that league.

It doesn't matter the league you play or club if you are exceptional you will STAND OUT.

So considering all these variables NWAKALI has done nothing. Playing a non competitive friendly with Athletico Madrid and scoring a goal is not evidence of anything. There are hundreds of Nigerian origin players playing non league who could do the same. Even those playing local league in Nigeria but will not get the opportunity.

My deduction is not a emotive but objective experiential based.

I know a few not a lot of vthe coaching staff some who were at Reading and Crystal Palace before coming to Arsenal. I will be honest he is not highly regarded that's just what they say in public.

Is he more regarded than Chuba Akpom who is on the downward spiral. What they paid for him is chicken change means nothing.

goldfish80:

His club was driven under, banned and stripped off all their points resulting in its players dispatched to other clubs. The biggest recipient was Plateau utd who later won the league.
My brother, their case has more to it that meets the eye. Nigeria is a gangster paradise. It is just sad both parties are grandstanding with the soul of Nigerian football. I thought they have made peace and reached a compromise in the past.

goldfish80:


You have to understand that the guy in question is just 19. I don't know how many 19year old midfielders who left their continent and aced it in a major European league.
It takes years to train midfielders and defenders, Cesc Fabregas was the only guy who bucked the trend at 19 but that was an anormally and today he is paying for playing too much football very early. Even Xavi and Iniesta weren't starters at Barcelona till their mid 20's. Nwakali is doing very well as far as I'm concerned.

The Athletico game is nothing to write off because even the MLS, Mexican and Japanese teams gauge the strength of their teams and players with pre-season games against top European teams. The young man was very immaculate with his play and crowed his performance by beating European best keeper (in my opinion) Oblak from a distance. I don't know how many times you have even seen this in the champions league. This is not what you take with a pinch of salt. There's ability there in abundance which needs the right environment to unlock.

Finally, our climes with England differs. England can afford to offload talents in their numbers every year, I know about the cut throat world of English academies but they have the culture and structure to replace those lost talents with other ones the following year because their clubs run multi million pounds academies. It's almost like a revolving door.
In Nigeria we usually rely on youth internationals to make the step up, that is the culture here. see Kanu - Yobo-Mikel.... I see nothing wrong in having same thought with Nwakali

goldfish80:

His club was driven under, banned and stripped off all their points resulting in its players dispatched to other clubs. The biggest recipient was Plateau utd who later won the league.
My brother, their case has more to it that meets the eye. Nigeria is a gangster paradise. It is just sad both parties are grandstanding with the soul of Nigerian football. I thought they have made peace and reached a compromise in the past.