Joebie:
Okay it’s the 2nd time I’ve seen this. So it has to be true. We know where bad PR talk as regards ‘Abrahams’ land us. Make we dey siddon look.

kellycute:
on Saturday u gon eat your word!. I’ll call you out after the game

forgiveness:


You mean an academy player can to fill the position of Mikel Obi and Sone Aluko who were still in form of their lives?

Iwobi never deserved to be called in the first place but today we are reaping the rewards courtesy of FB advocates like us.

Prior to his call, you fought against anything foreign breed, not to talk of an academy player.

Danielnino00:
Let's assume that we cap Ebere Eze against Libya and then something happens...Say he gets injured or his career doesn't go well (I won't wish for such on him) and we stop inviting him,the same people who were calling for his inclusion in the first place will b the same to accuse us of dumping him...

Icon4s:


I think that first paragraph should refer to ur case with the English born. Lol!!

TheSuperNerd:
Official: Lukman Zakari, CB, from the class of the 2015 Nigeria U-17 have signed for Metta in the Latvian top flight.

Icon4s:


Wait, do you and Forgiveness usually have a meeting every morning and decide on what and what to say or what to defend? Some people are already insinuating you are one person.

The same gimmicks. Now because u want to promote Josh Maja, you are trying so hard to pull Iwobi down.

Honestly, people that engage u guys on long arguments dey try.

edi287:

I am tired of debunking this Iwobi yans. Again, look at the screenshot I posted before.

TheSuperNerd:
We also called up a new player from the championship in Semi Ajayi. It shows we, at the very least, are trying to recruit some good quality out of the very many FBs out there.

And I am for us capping as many as we can but the reality is that it won't happen that way. That is the truth. We have a team we are building upon and we cannot call up all those names you reeled out at the same time or within same period.

Do you remember when the long list of FBs used to include Iwobi, Aina, Idowu, Ebuehi, Semi Ajayi (when he was at Arsenal youth), etc?

Now look how far we have come... We got some of these now and so far our recruitment of these players have been largely vindicated. They are all contributing in their own ways to the good and growth of the team. But it all did not happen at once. Team building must be considered alongside the recruitmemt drive. It is not all that straightforward.

The only negative I see now is missing out on capping Eze Ebere in this international window. He addresses a problem we have in the team. But now Rohr admits his mistake stylishly and now knows he would have to go through the wahala process of switching allegiance to Nigeria from England after the lad is capped for the England U-20s. And I believe even Ebere Eze is willing to switch as it is his dream to play for us according to the last time I read reports on his international aspirations. But we must make the first step by beginning his allegiance switch process and I hope we do.


Now in conclusion... I understand England is a threat to us having some of these quality youngsters hence the need to beat England at their own game but I cannot say now that because of these, we must prioritise the FBs first and only above our other fine prospects of indigenous extraction that are now based in Europe. We must be balanced in our approach to both camps of prospects. Josh Maja is a fine prospect but so also is Awoniyi, Osimhen and a host of others.

I would say that we make the most pressing issues in our team the topmost priority, before any other, among the foreign borns in our recruitment drive. If I were head of the scouting and recruitmemt team, this will be my approach. It would be targeting first the FB prospects that addresses the weakness in our team before considering going after any other FB prospect that only multiplies our options in our strong depts. Finito.

ChrisKels:


They have almost a different team from those 2016 lieutenants, though Okey Odita Pape Diop and Olusesi are still there but the core; Orji, Clement, Egbuchulam, nwobodo, Aguda, Okolie, Madu, Ocheme, Egwim even Nana Bonsu aint there no more but that Imama's touch is still prominent with their tiki-taka footie style.

About the viewing quality, I saw the match via NTA, so the less said...but the craft(the game) was beautiful, the goals too. There was this absolute beauty from Isaac's long range pass to their number 9, that was ruled offside. It was supposed to be the 5th goal for Rangers.


Too bad, seems Isaac is a Benin international.

chrisooblog:
we are not comparing 2004 to 2009 you blatantly said osaze only started playing well in 2009 abi i lie?

komekn:


Pulling down and stating the facts that are proven truths are two entirely different things.

What is the issue ❓ DOUBLE HYPOCRITICAL STANDARD

Nobody is pulling Iwobi down.

I am saying that the standard that got Iwobi into the SE has been exceeded by a huge margin by Maja. Iwobi had not achieved what Maja had achieved before he was invited to the SE.

The same can be said of Ebere Eze in comparison to Iwobi, we are back to double standard.

Compare the Nwakali brothers and Osimhen none of them should have been invited to the SE they simply did not merit the call then and even now.

Nobody is promoting Josh just stating the facts and asking for a comparison of facts. Without prejudice.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-city-tottenham-southampton-keeping-13385470

Odunayaw:
Seems it was a worthwhile match

Anyway its a Ranger - Pillar affair next. I just hope whichever represents the country does well in cafcc

TheSuperNerd:

Iwobi was called up not just as a prospect but also to address a problem in the team in the Attacking Midfield roles. Oliseh picked that up when he called up the lad.

But in the case of Josh Maja... We have a couple of others also doing very well in their leagues of his age range like Osimhen and Awoniyi plus the mighty fact that we are well stocked in the attacking Dept. Josh cannot displace anyone in that team. Fact. But Iwobi could slot in because we were lacking options in the creative dept.

forgiveness:


Where did I write ONLY?

kellycute:
the mouse in epl still better pass your wall gecko for Donetsk.

Icon4s:


These 2 are better campaigners on the continent than some of the ones that have been representing us in the last 2 years. I no wan call names. If u know them u know them.

Between the two any one that wins will do.

Lobi and any these two need to go and snatch back our lost slots on the continent

TheSuperNerd:


Well, you cannot blame Cameroun. Mbappe was already being capped at U-17 level by France and he moved up the grades and even won the U-19 Euros with a generation that had Jean Kevin Augustin (RB Leipzig now), Lucas Tousart (Lyon now), Issa Diop (now at West Ham) and Alban Lafont (at Fiorentina now). That team was already in France's future plans. Cameroun had no chance unless you are saying they would have spotted Mbappe when he was like 12 years old... Lol... And bring him into their U-13 team. Truth is there is no guarantee to what the future of a player holds. You only speak now because of hindsight which is so easy to do.




In any case... Cameroun still conquered Africa without Mbappe and a host of their star names who boycotted the team, did they not?

ChrisKels:


A lion in China and pussy cat in Nigeria

According to a CSL journalist, Here is the reason Ighalo is a scumbag in the GWG;


"Ighalo is loved and respected by fans of his club but in the league he is viewed like any other player despite his current status as the second top scorer in the top division. His goals have a touch of luck and lack of finesse “

” This season he has scored seven times from the spot unlike last season, where only two of his 15 goals came from penalties. Beside Chinese teams don’t invest in defenders, so most times he is up against very poorly organised teams.

” His wealth of experience should not be discarded though but it appears the drop in his game at international level has a lot to do with the lack of competition he faces in China and the easy way which he scores against these school boy defenders unlike for Nigeria, where opponents of Nigeria’s national teams are drilled to defend when up against him”

Odunayaw:
Don't hold your breath on Lobi at all. I foresee the next caf club competition season we'd be hustling in Confed Cup (If you know,you know)

I am just hungry for our slots too

ChrisKels:
How fortunes turn in football is quite funny, Joel Asoro was the more respected youngster in the Sunderland ranks prior this season, in fact, Maja played second fiddle to him, hence didnt get much recognition. Asoro was too big to go down to the league 1 with Sunderland, he instead remained in the championship though with Swansea, leaving Sunderland with the less heralded Maja. Today, Maja is the toast ahead of Asoro, and he is doing it from a league lower than Asoro's. News reaching our desk, has it that Maja is a sure bet for Southampton and or Newcastle, come January but they will have to fight off other bigger epl clubs who view the youngster as the real deal. It is almost certain that Maja wont stay in the league1 past the winter transfer window as he is looking to follow in the foot steps of lookman, Alli et al who made the big leap to the EPL from the league 1

Joebie:
The truth is we have not even given the likes of Nwakaeme and Kayode enough opportunities. These players are truly ahead of any new name.

forgiveness:


No need for too much story. Hear from the father's mouth. Cameroon fa was to be blamed.

“I wanted my son to play for Cameroon national team but the football federation charged a certain amount that I didn’t have but France didn’t charge me a penny,” Mbappe said.

I wanted my son to play for Cameroon but their football federation wanted money ...
https://matookerepublic.com › 2018/07/19

TheSuperNerd:

Okay... But I need to be clear about what you mean by "bf". Can't wrap my head around what it means right now. Lol

Icon4s:


Mikel was not being played as an AM then. It was Aluko in the last days of Keshi. Mikel started playing AM under Siasia's 2016 Olympics team. Iwobi was introduced in 2015 alongside Silvester Igboun.

Aluko and his club were related and Oliseh came in with a policy of no lower league player in the Super Eagles. I am sure u recall. So Aluko's position in the team became vacant and Iwobi came in and made us not miss Aluko.

Now on the issue of foreign born. I hope u know, or maybe u had not joined this forum, I was about the first here to recommend Iwobi to the SE. Even then he was no longer an academy player but a senior team player. You have once again started with ur gimmick of pulling down a player just to make ur point.

And I have always opined that only foreign born players who can add value should be invited. I am only against the indiscriminate call of every Dick and Harry born in Europe.

komekn:


GBOZA truth can bitter.

This type of behaviour is rife across Africa.

komekn:


STRONGLY Agreed without one iota of reservation and or question

chrisooblog:
this is what you said before you go and change it

Icon4s:


Yeah I remember now. The game was to hold in France right?

TheSuperNerd:
Oliseh only had his eyes for Mikel and a certain Sly Igboun. He then looked the way of Iwobi as he neither considered a Sone Aluko nor an Ajagun. It was Oliseh's insight and foresight and the opportunity to bring in a fresh high potential creative talent that made Oliseh go for Iwobi. The lad was already getting into the picture of things in the first team at Arsenal under Wenger and Oliseh picked up on that and acted on it.

Why he played Iwobi there was because he started Igboun as AM. Mikel played a bit deeper in midfield in same lineup. Iwobi came in as a sub in both games against DRC and Cameroun. Oliseh was easing him in.

chrisooblog:
iwobi had impressed in pre-season with Arsenal that's what got him his first invite for the friendlies against cameroon and congo dr. it was his impressive performance for Arsenal in the latter part of the season like the match against everton where he scored his debut goal that really earned him his first competitive call up against egypt. even at that he came off the bench in that match.

no doubt about it iwobi was already in the periphery of the Arsenal first team squad for the 2015/2016 season and not this propaganda you and your tagteam partner are spewing giving the impression that alex was plucked from the arsenal u19s straight to national team

if you erroneously think the national team boosts people career how come sunday mba, agbim, igboun, rueben gabriel, odunlami, oshaniwa, mobi okparaku, gbenga okunowo just to mention a few didn't go on to have long illustrious careers