Subzero047:


Evans is suspended for the next 2 games

TheLoneCitizen:
Chidera Ejuke running rings around Spartak Moscow.

What. A. Player.

https://mobile.twitter.com/naijavideos1/status/1305239184148439047?p=v

TheLoneCitizen:
Chidera Ejuke running rings around Spartak Moscow.

What. A. Player.

https://mobile.twitter.com/naijavideos1/status/1305239184148439047?p=v

tbaba1234:


He had an average game before the goal.

TheSuperNerd:
Damn. Didn't take note of that. Okay then, we will likely see Ndidi at CB for the next two games. More than likely for the next. For the other one, maybe a Morgan will be good enough to step in but if not, it will be Ndidi again. Sorry Metaljigsaw... You gotta bear it a little more.

Danielnino00:

Na small small e dy start...

Bolowolowo:
Unconfirmed rumors that Iwobi could be swapped for Zaha

Danielnino00:
There's some truth to this...

kennysville:


Hmmm... sofri sofri chief!
The Iwobi we knew at Arsenal is not the same Iwobi at Everton. We all witnessed the fact that he was given loads of starts and he wasnt so impressive and quite frankly the manager has been fair in his faith in Iwobi. There is no time to be developing a player when there is much more to achieve. It is strictly Iwobi's responsibility to develop himself. If it takes extra hours of practice, less partying and more work on his passing accuracy and decision making... then thats what he outta do!


The fella that tweeted the stuff was just being sentimental (as a Nigerian of course) and I get it.

Take for instance, an area I see iwobi weak at is in his shooting. He shoots mostly with his side of the foot which ends up being tame (lacking venom). Almost like a pass. Whereas, it could be a lot more desireable if he learns to shoot in-step. And frankly when he gets into the goal area, these come in to play in his overall contribution to the team.

I hope he takes his chance when the time comes again.
We all saw what James Rodriguez brought in. His composure and tidiness. He didnt do too much with the ball and was highly effective. Thats all we ask.

MetalJigsaw:


2 minutes ago by
Ibitoye Shittu

– Alex Iwobi has been told by Udeze to leave Premier League side Everton

– The Nigerian star was not listed in the first 2020/21 League game against Spurs

– Udeze stated clearly that Iwobi should look for another side as soon as possible

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Bioreports News on your Facebook News Feed!

Alex Iwobi has been urged to leave Premier League side Everton by former Super Eagles defender Udeze who was not happy with how the 24-year-old was left out of squad against Spurs.

Everton manager Ancelotti decided not to include Alex Iwobi in his squad against Tottenham in the first game of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

This decision came as a big surprise not only for Udeze, but for many Nigerian football fans who were expecting Alex Iwobi to play against Jose Mourinho’s side.

Carlo Ancelotti however decided to use new signings James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure which ended up in a 1-0 win for them against Spurs.

While speaking with Brila FM on the outcome of the encounter, Udeze explained that Alex Iwobi should find another club before the end of the transfer window.

“I think Iwobi should look for another club especially with James Rodriguez signed it will be difficult for him to play.

“Imagine against Tottenham he did not make the bench and even the squad. So for me he should start looking for another club.

“It’s painful for me but as it is I think the best thing is for him to go elsewhere,” Udeze explained.

Iwobi joined Everton last year August from Arsenal, and the Nigerian signed a five-year contract with the side.

Alex Iwobi: Udeze urges the Super Eagles star to leave EPL side Everton (photo: Getty)
Source: Getty Images

Earlier, Bioreports had reported how Alex Iwobi seem to be living life to the fullest as a photo of the player boarding a private jet as surfaced online heading for holidays.

This came after the 2019/20 Premier League season ended and most players returned to their home country, while others headed for some of the most exotic resorts around the globe.

Parked near the private jet was a 2020 edition of the Rolls Royce phantom as Iwobi who was holding a brief bag moved to board the plane as posted by Bioreports Footballers on Instagram.

Iwobi is one of those footballers who does not like showing off his riches, but the Lifestyle website also reported that he has a property in Lagos and some luxurious cars.

Danielnino00:


Na small small e dy start...

kennysville:


Hmmm... sofri sofri chief!
The Iwobi we knew at Arsenal is not the same Iwobi at Everton. We all witnessed the fact that he was given loads of starts and he wasnt so impressive and quite frankly the manager has been fair in his faith in Iwobi. There is no time to be developing a player when there is much more to achieve. It is strictly Iwobi's responsibility to develop himself. If it takes extra hours of practice, less partying and more work on his passing accuracy and decision making... then thats what he outta do!


The fella that tweeted the stuff was just being sentimental (as a Nigerian of course) and I get it.

Take for instance, an area I see iwobi weak at is in his shooting. He shoots mostly with his side of the foot which ends up being tame (lacking venom). Almost like a pass. Whereas, it could be a lot more desireable if he learns to shoot in-step. And frankly when he gets into the goal area, these come in to play in his overall contribution to the team.

I hope he takes his chance when the time comes again.
We all saw what James Rodriguez brought in. His composure and tidiness. He didnt do too much with the ball and was highly effective. Thats all we ask.

Danielnino00:
There's some truth to this...

MetalJigsaw:


2 minutes ago by
Ibitoye Shittu

– Alex Iwobi has been told by Udeze to leave Premier League side Everton

– The Nigerian star was not listed in the first 2020/21 League game against Spurs

– Udeze stated clearly that Iwobi should look for another side as soon as possible

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Bioreports News on your Facebook News Feed!

Alex Iwobi has been urged to leave Premier League side Everton by former Super Eagles defender Udeze who was not happy with how the 24-year-old was left out of squad against Spurs.

Everton manager Ancelotti decided not to include Alex Iwobi in his squad against Tottenham in the first game of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

This decision came as a big surprise not only for Udeze, but for many Nigerian football fans who were expecting Alex Iwobi to play against Jose Mourinho’s side.

Carlo Ancelotti however decided to use new signings James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure which ended up in a 1-0 win for them against Spurs.

While speaking with Brila FM on the outcome of the encounter, Udeze explained that Alex Iwobi should find another club before the end of the transfer window.

“I think Iwobi should look for another club especially with James Rodriguez signed it will be difficult for him to play.

“Imagine against Tottenham he did not make the bench and even the squad. So for me he should start looking for another club.

“It’s painful for me but as it is I think the best thing is for him to go elsewhere,” Udeze explained.

Iwobi joined Everton last year August from Arsenal, and the Nigerian signed a five-year contract with the side.

Alex Iwobi: Udeze urges the Super Eagles star to leave EPL side Everton (photo: Getty)
Source: Getty Images

Earlier, Bioreports had reported how Alex Iwobi seem to be living life to the fullest as a photo of the player boarding a private jet as surfaced online heading for holidays.

This came after the 2019/20 Premier League season ended and most players returned to their home country, while others headed for some of the most exotic resorts around the globe.

Parked near the private jet was a 2020 edition of the Rolls Royce phantom as Iwobi who was holding a brief bag moved to board the plane as posted by Bioreports Footballers on Instagram.

Iwobi is one of those footballers who does not like showing off his riches, but the Lifestyle website also reported that he has a property in Lagos and some luxurious cars.

Danielnino00:


Na small small e dy start...

TheSuperNerd:
Not happening in this case abeg. I will use TheGoodJoe's Finnish KungFu Chen Konk on Rodgers if he keeps playing Ndidi at CB by week/matchday 4 of the EPL season.

TheLoneCitizen:
Chidera Ejuke running rings around Spartak Moscow.

What. A. Player.

https://mobile.twitter.com/naijavideos1/status/1305239184148439047?p=v

kellycute:
I'm having the feeling that Nwakali might be call up to the NT in this forthcoming friendly matches and qualifier since aribo won't be available. Some people go put hand for electric if rohr invite Nwakali

TheGoodJoe:


Wow.

TheSuperNerd:
Honestly, I personally think it would be too early for the lad. I don't want him called up just yet. Want to see more of him in La Liga, then by early 2021, Rohr can bring him in. But again, if he is indeed included, what can I say then?

Anyway, Cameroun have released their own list ahead of their friendly with Japan. I think ours is ready already and will be released anytime within the next one week and a few days.

kellycute:
I'm having the feeling that Nwakali might be call up to the NT in this forthcoming friendly matches and qualifier since aribo won't be available. Some people go put hand for electric if rohr invite Nwakali

Subzero047:


Na so them dey call up

MetalJigsaw:
OPINION: Complete Analysis of How Super Eagles Gaffer Should Prosecute October Friendlies
Okoh.com_official Sep 13, 2020 6:44 PM
Opera News Nigeria
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The announcement of the October 9 and 13 friendlies between the Super Eagles(SE) and Côte d'Ivoire(CIV) and Tunisia respectively is one which has generated lots of excitement around the Nigerian football community which has been starved of international football and a chance to see their now darling, sweet and beautiful to watch again Eagles. The last time the Super Eagles were engaged in an international match was close to a year ago, thus the idea of the friendlies was a good one, not only for the fans but for the players alike. 1 year is a long time.A long long time in football. A lot of things can change within one year. Denmark went from not qualifying for Euro 92 to becoming champions of Euro 92 within one year. France went from winning the Confederation cup 2001 and cementing their place as the strongest team in the world at that time to not scoring a single goal at the 2002 World cup. Nigeria went from not qualifying for 2012 AFCON to becoming champions in 2013. These a snippets of what one year can do in the game of football. I cant imagine what it will feel like coming together to play soccer again with pals whom I’ve not played together with in the last 1 year. A whole lot of things would have gone amiss. And that was why these friendlies come at such an auspicious time. A closed camping was earlier scheduled for Austria but had to be called off due to COVID 19 related reluctance of clubs to release players. And with a 2021 ahead, jam-packed with qualifiers for both AFCON and the 2020 World Cup, this offers an opportunity to bring the players together for some rehearsals before the avalanche of high staked matches begin, starting from this November.

With this in mind, I have tried to put my self in the position of the SE gaffer after all, if Yobo could make it, i also have some hope too (no puns intended,laughs). I try to see how this friendly window can best be maximized with the primary objective of BRINGING BACK THE SYNERGY IN THE TEAM which I can bet must have gone out of the window due to the close to 1-year inactivity. Other objectives would be:

– to cap previously uncapped ones in other to make those who are still contemplating nationality switch see that it does truly pay to commit to Nigeria and that Nigeria carries their biggest hope of a long term international career (they can ask V.Moses and Balogun how that feels)

– to test a few new combinations, especially in defence, midfield and attack

– to widen the pool of tested and battle-ready players we have on our roll, who can be readily called upon when needed

– to strengthen our position on the FIFA rankings table.Trust me, this will help us immensely in the nearest future.To the above ends (stated above), here are some decision I would make

•Call ups; I would invite a squad of 30 players to this team bonding exercise, since everyone has been all over the place since last year. So it’s a good time to bring as many as possible back together to prepare for the storm of matches ahead.

•Goalkeeping: Akpeyi we know, Uzoho we know, Ezenwa we know. There’s nothing more to be seen from this trio, including the fact that Uzoho seems primed to be the No1 goal tender for Nigeria going into the next decade. Apart from that, lack of match fitness owing to a combination of recovery from injuries and inactivity means we can let these ones be for now. Akpeyi is in a dire situation at Kaizer chiefs as the coaches who so much believed in him and did not let nepotism becloud their sense of judgement in making him no 1 at the club have been fired for letting a 13 point gap slip and losing the league title in the last 25 minutes of the season. A new coach will be named soon who will most possibly be a local, hence Akpeyi will need all the focus he can muster to battle at club level for survival ahead of the new season, hence I will leave him out. Uzoho made a cross town move from Omonia to APOEL Nicosia this summer window, despite being on the mend for over half the whole season. But it seemed APOEL had seen enough if his qualities with his stints at Omonia and Anorthosis to want to make him one of their own. But having been out for so long, and now in a new club, Uzoho faces the biggest battle yet of his career, to nick the no 1 position in the club, if not for anything else, but for his position in the national team. A bench role at APOEL going into this new season (God forbid) will be a huge dent on his National team chances, just like at AFCON where G. Rohr was forced to relegate him to 3rd choice position after missing way to many games from bans and suspension. To this end, I will rather leave him out for now, to fight this battle of securing the no 1 gloves at his club so that he can be in position to live to fight another day the war for the no 1 gloves in the national team. As for Ezenwa, his days in the SE has always been numbered. The NPFL found a very good excuse to grind to a halt due to covid 19. That is probably the 3rd time in 3 years the league is ending without ‘ending’. No competition since March. Uncle Ekene,no apologies, you are OUT.

In the places of the above trio, I will bring in the trio of Maduka Okoye, Seb Osigwe and Mathew Yakubu (the new 19yr old sensation in Slovakia). Maduka is no stranger to the Super Eagles, He has been there since after 2019 AFCON and showed some flashes on his debut vs Brazil.But to be honest, his 1st 25 minutes as Super Eagles goalkeeper wasn’t convincing enough, but it was still convincing enough though for us to have hope that this 20 years old will be in the Eagles for many years to come. These friendlies provide a perfect opportunity to give him his test and see if he truly is worthy of the mark. I will start him and give him 60 minutes each in both games. This is the time for him to show us the stuff he is made of, without the added pressure of having 2 senior goalkeepers around him. Sebastine has long being on the fringes, having first burst into the scene as far back as 2013 with John Obuh’s U20 team to the Toulon tournament, where he distinguished himself, alongside Semi Ajayi.But quite quite shockingly, in typical Nigerian local coaches fashion, these 2 were dropped from the WC itself (quite fishy). Its even worse that Obuh rather went to that world cup with one shortingo like that Samuel Okani or so, whom I last heard of even within the NPFL scene at that tournament. But the sterling 19 yr old Sebastine who was dropped at that time for him has now matured and blossomed into a 26 old shot stopper whose talents has taken him through the 3rd and 2nd divisions in Switzerland with SC Kriens and now to the top division with FC Lugano. Sebastian has played the last 3 to 4 seasons on a trot as the 1st choice goalkeeper for SC Kriens and has shown that he indeed deserves a shout out for Super Eagles places. I will give him 30 minutes in both friendlies. And that leaves me with Yakubu, the 19-year-old goalkeeper from Aigbogun’s Sambisa XI who has within 6 months of his transfer to Slovenia tied down the No1 spot at his club. The young lad took over after SKF Sered’s main goal keeper conceded 6 goals in one game and has gone on to keep 4 clean sheets in 4 straight games after tha.Now that is how to grab your chance when it comes. Of course, I am inviting him to come and interact with the national team at close quarters with a view to further invitation in future. Let me see if he is as good as his 4 straight clean sheets in Slovenia make him look. I am sorry, 2 friendlies are not enough to test 1 goalkeeper, talk more of 3 goalkeepers. But if he shows me in camp that he is the Amalinze-the-cat whom Chinua Achebe described in his epic novel ‘things fall apart’, then he might just earn himself 30 minutes in any of both games. But the truth for now is that what we are looking for at the moment is the one chap who will be the immediate competition/back up to Francis Uzoho and displace either or both of Akpeyi and Ezenwa from our faces for good. Others will surely get their chances with time particularly in the nearest future, based on form, competitiveness and performance. But for now, it may just be Francis Uzoho and the rest.

So in the Goalkeeping Department:

Vs CIV – Okoye/Osigwe

Vs TUN – Okoye/Osigwe (or Yakubu)

Notable mentions though – Dele Alampasu, Adeleke Adebayo

•Defence:

At right and left back: Aina, Ebuehi, Ehizube, Collins and Zaidu nicks it for obvious reasons.

Aina has been our Mr versatility in the full back positions, very comfortable on both sides and give the team plenty of width especially when going forward. He has been very influential since AFCON and has been contributing to build ups leading to goals. His delightful flick against Burundi to set up Ighalo comes to mind. So also are his one-two with Iwobi against Benin republic to earn a penalty as well as his perfect left footed delivery to Osimhen against Lesotho for Osimhen’s first ever goal in open play for the Super Eagles. He was a constant feature for Torino last season in the seria A and he just nicked a move to Fulham recently. Ebuehi is back after injuries robbed him of 2 seasons of football at Benfica. A loan move back home to the Netherlands was a very much welcome idea. Ebuehi’s talent is never in doubt. A delightful full back anyday. Ehizube is a new entrant from FC Koln in the Bundesliga.one of the fastest full backs in Germany, he combines his physical prowess with plenty of technical ability, galloping down the right byline. It will be nice to see what the kid has got to offer.

Collins earns another call-up, on the back of having been the only left back in the Super Eagles before Zaidu Sanusi emerged last season with Santa clara with performances which earned him a move to giants Porto. Collins has been blowing hot and cold and has refused to seize the opportunities given to him as a monopoly to make that no 3 shirts his own before anyone else comes. Enters Zaidu Sanusi and now, lets see how Collins handles the competition. And for Zaidu, enough said about him already.Speed, strength, belief, technique, he’s got it all and at 24 seems to be at the peak of his powers. It will be nice to see how this “battle of the North” for the no 3 shirt in the Super Eagles hots up. In the 1st game on the right Aina gets 60 minutes and Ehizube makes is bow in the last 30 mins. On the left its Zaidu all the way. In the 2nd game Ebuehi gets 60 mins and Ehizube once again wraps it up. On the left Collins gets 60 and Aina gets the remaining 30mins

•At Centre Back: Balogun, Ekong, Ajayi, Omeruo, Awaziem

Call them the regulars and you wouldn’t be mistaken. By now, these 5 must know the PIN to one another’s ATM or credit cards. That’s how regular they have been over the last 2 years or so. But of course, we can never forget our Oyinbo Wall in such a hurry, and it will be nice to see if the wall still stands (after Balogun’s B&H misadventures) or whether the wall now needs reinforcement. For the first match I will give Ekong and Balogun 60 minutes and bring on Omeruo or Awaziem for the final 30mins. For the 2nd match I will start Ekong and Ajayi and bring on Balogun or Omeruo for the final 30 mins. I might as well play a 3 man defence of Ekong, Awaziem and Ajayi in the first and then Ekong, Balogun and Omeruo in the 2nd. But as much as possible, I want to see how my Central defensive partnerships are faring. That is the foundation of the team. As much as I am trying to test my GKs, I also do not want them terribly exposed to the point of losing confidence in themselves.

So in the Defence:

Vs CIV – Aina, Balogun, Ekong, Zaidu (Ehizube, Omeruo)

or

Aina, Awaziem, Ekong, Ajayi, Zaidu (Ehizube, Omeruo)

Vs TUN – Ebuehi, Ekong, Ajayi, Collins (Omeruo, Aina)

Or Ebuehi, Omeruo, Balogun, Ekong, Collins (Ehizube, Aina, Ajayi).

Midfield:

The news of Joe Aribo being out for 6 weeks comes as a big set-back for the Super Eagles which is currently lean on dependable, tested and trusted resources at the moment. Aribo is one who has shown, from the very day he first stepped into the Super Eagles camp to be one very dependable midfield all rounder. With a style of play and athleticism similar . Aribo has shown it would be him and the rest in the Eagles midfield for years to come except something unfortunate happens (God forbid). With abilities to play as a DM, a CM an AM or a playmaker Aribo has so far shown he holds the ace in the Super Eagles midfield at the moment. This is couple with his ability to arrive late in the box for finish off moves in a Lampard-esque manner. However, when the desirable is not available, then the available surely becomes the desirable, hence the need to focus on the rest of the options we have while we await Aribo’s recovery.

In defensive midfield, Ndidi and Mikel Agu are my best bets at the moment, and this is for obvious reasons too. In central midfield, Etebo, Azeez and Nwakali will try each other for size. The trio are very comfortable with the ball at their feet, can dictate play from the middle of the park and can weigh in a fair share of forward passes with appreciable accuracy. In the attacking midfield position, Iwobi and new entrant Ejaria will be my creative options who will seek to link the midfield to the attack with the deft and incisiveness that the no 10 position requires. Keeping my objectives going into these encounters in mind, for the first match. I will start with the usuals, Ndidi, Etebo and Iwobi, and thereafter Ejaria will have his turn for the last half hour of the game. For the 2nd match it will be Agu, Ndidi and Nwakali starting for the first hour or thereabout and Azeez and Iwobi rounding things up.So in the Midfield:

Vs CIV – Ndidi, Etebo, Iwobi (Ejaria)

Vs TUN – Agu, Ndidi, Nwakali (Azeez, Iwobi)

Attack:

This is by far the position where we have the largest amount of overloads at the moment. As many as nine capable No 9s are currently available in the pool at the moment, not to talk of the 6 other wing forwards who can contribute their fair share of attacking impetus. Unfortunately, all 15 cannot be called up to a 30-man squad.

Wing Forwards: Chukwueze, Kalu, Ejuke, Simon and Onyekuru are as assured as the October 9th and 13th friendlies itself. What may not be assured is who starts and who doesn’t. But whoever earns a starting shirt of the quintet, be rest assured the opposition full backs are going to be having the longest 90minutes of their careers.

For all the money’s worth, Kalu and Chuwukueze get a starting berth vs CIV and Ejuke will wrap things up (depending on the need or not, for a twin strike force). Vs Tunisia Onyekuru will commence proceedings with Ejuke wrapping things up.

Upfront, fortunately or unfortunately, its Osimhen and the rest. So Dessers, Umar, Simy and Dennis will have a lot to fight for. Between the 4 of them one can count close to 60 goals in all competitions in Europe last season, so their abilities, individually and collectively is not in doubt. Osimhen definitely starts as a lone striker vs CIV and then gets some assistance from Dessers anytime from the 55th minute for between 15 and 20 minutes before making way for another mobile CF in the mould of Sadiq Umar. Both guys kick things off vs Tunisia with Dessers making way for Simy anytime from 50 minutes and Osimhen replacing Umar for the last quarter of an hour of the game.So in the Attack:

Vs CIV – Kalu, Chuwukueze, Osimhen (Dessers, Umar)

Vs TUN – Onyekuru, Dessers, Umar (Simy, Osimhen)

Based on the my overall objectives for these friendlies stated in above of this preview, My overall hypothetical 30 man list of callups, starting and finishing line ups for both games will therefore be:

Maduka Okoye, Sebastine Osigwe, Mathew Yakubu.

Ola Aina, Kingsley Ehizube, Zaidu Sanusi, Jamilu Collins, Tyronne Ebuehi, Leon Balogun, Semi Ajayi, W.Troost Ekong, Chidozie Awaziem, Kenneth Omeruo.

Wilfred Ndidi, Mikel Agu, Ramon Azeez, Kelechi Nwakali, Peter O. Etebor, Ovie Ejaria, Alex Iwobi

Sam Chukwueze, Sam Kalu, Henry Onyekuru, Chidera Ejuke, Simon Moses, Simy Nwankwo, Umar Sadiq, Dennis Bonaventure, Cyriel Dessers, Victor Osimhen .

https://news-af.feednews.com/news/detail/8c2f904058cb8b58865caea6c64b2ced?client=news