Former Nigerian winger, Garba Lawal has absolved Super Eagles duo of Leon Balogun and Willian Troost-Ekong of any fault in Nigeria’s 1-0 loss to the Central Africa Republic (CAR) in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Recall that a lack of communication between Ekong and Balogun gifted CAR’s striker Karl Namnganda the opportunity to score the winning goal at the Teslima Balogun Stadium.
In a chat on Brila FM, Lawal said that the entire team should take responsibility of the mistake that led to the goal without pointing accusing fingers on the two defenders.
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“If there are no mistakes, there won’t be goals, so the blame should be collective, the entire team should take responsibility and bounce back.
The three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions are expected to redeem their image as they tackle CAR in the reverse fixture on Sunday in Douala, Cameroon.
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COMMENTS
Nobody should blame Nigeria defence on what happened last Thursday game with CAR.
I gave ught in his striking force (including his number9) at the very end of the game when there won’t be time to correct the damage.
He put up a pattern that tamed and frustrated the eagles with the knowledge that no sound technical imput would come from nigeria coaching crew.
I was expecting our coach to change eagles approach to the game before the end of 1st half.
The goal would have been more than one but thank God for the goalkeeper that was able to put up some saves. It would have been worst if it’s not Uzoho that handle the goalpost for Nigeria.
By the grace of God, Nigeria will qualify for world cup.
God bless Nigeria.
some words in 2nd paragraph got deleted.
I typed: I gave kudos to CAR coach for the applied pattern and tactics during the game. He brought in his striking force at the end of the game when there won’t be time to correct the damage done.
Could you pls recommend what the coach should have done.
These two have done credibly well. Those lil blips do happen in football and only the crooked won’t forgive such. They along with the other members of the team just need to be truly truly business-like in every game right from the blast of the whistle to the very very end.
I pray God to help us this coming Sunday. Super Eagle need to beat CAR like 5 zero to redeem our image.
The Personnel we need in central defence to get is Tosin Adarabioyo… pair him with Chidozie Awaziem… Balogun no more has stable legs and has become error prone… as for Troost Ekoong… he is to me never one to rely on… pathetic recovery, poor ball playing skills… poor positioning and very slow! Against African power forwards with muscle, aggression and speed… you need to have capacity for big sacks of air in your chest to compete against them… we have seen Akpoguma gasping for breath also in one of our games but even Akpoguma now is an upgrade on Ekong and today’s Balogun… lastly, the coach Gernot Rohr is a fraud and lacks the technical and tactical depth to manage a country like Nigeria… NFF are owing him deliberately to frustrate him out… means they want him to resign himself because of the $2m severance pay in his contract… We need to try Nwakali, Ejaria and Nwobodo! Who says we cannnot even have Nigeria’s most successful player in Turkey of late also… Anthony Nwakaeme?
Several players have had their Nigeria National team career blown away and denied for over five years that our current coach has held sway… when you have played football believe me there are qualities you look out for in players who atleast play at an appreciable level. I have for the umpteenth time said that yes, it is good when a player plays for a top club but it goes beyond that… you have to gaze properly at the quality of such a player, what they bring directly to the table on game day from their style… some people like to continue judging players here based on the level they have seen them execute in the past when they were still not so good…
As it is today… some players have been given too much opportunities in the national team at the expense of others who hardly ever get a look-in… what is Ahmed Musa still doing in the national team after 10years at his level now that a younger Iwuala,Dennis, and Kayode Olanrewaju cant do? We saw Peter Olayinka harrass and destroy European club defences for two seasons back-to-back before he went out injured… recently. Initially, Rohr was very reluctant to even extend invite to that workaholic player… at one time Iheanacho was not even playing for Leicester but was getting callups… we saw Junior Ajayi become a man for Al-Ahly and was consistent for several seasons as the best Nigeria player on the continent of Africa yet the guy was disregarded and never involved until Al-Ahly now got a South African coach who after less than a season in-charge, stopped playing Junior Ajayi who was before then a constant starter… instead continues to Eulogize and make insinuations about going to Kaizer chief and Mamelodi Sundowns to bring players he was used to from his homeland… today it is hard to make a case for a Junior Ajayi because he no longer enjoys minutes much at club…
When Amuneke said… the player Ajayi should be tried that he has qualities that can help Super Eagles… some CSN chiefs taunted Amuneke for suggesting that but today… we have players from other countries playing local leagues in Bangui (CAR capital) and 4th Division clubs in France coming to teach us, our almighty foreignbased how to play purposeful football… Top 5 league, Real Madrid, Barcelona… these appellations and tags dont play football for anyone… Moses Simon is my tribalman but I would rather have a Dennis, Olanrewaju, Olayinka, Nwakaeme even Iwuala instead of Moses simon who continues to play scandalously for Nigeria without endproduct… I dont even want to mention Ahmed Musa… that one is there now for political representation… we are tired of Gernot Rohr shutting players out and sticking to average, lethargic and pathetic players for over five years…
A progressive coach would have invited Amoo, Oladoye, Nwakali, Tijanni to check them out when we have inconsequential games like the friendly in USA versus Mexico and the two games against Cameroon… we must know how to filter talent and help them grow… if properly assisted and groomed, Samson Tijani and Oladoye can be giving Wilfred Ndidi a run for his money in a year’s time… those are guys who beathe midfield-play… I have nothing against Frank Onyeke but a midfielder with such style of play is so easy to predict and frustrate… what does Onyeka has to game other than just clattering opposing players and playing out lame passes?
We must learn by force… Rohr has to be excused if we can manage to qualify for World Cup proper… he lacks in all vital areas of modern day coaching…
@ Jimmyball, while I agree with you in some aspects, which I believe you know, I totally disagree with you on how you go about your suggestions most especially with you failing to merge your points with the reality of Nigeria entity and the Nigerian way of doing things. This is where you fail to match @ Drey in all your discuss. Look if Jesus was to come to Nigeria to save us today, Nigeria will still try to quickly nail Him to the cross again. I have waited in vain for you to match your suggestions with these extremely difficult Nigeria working terrain. Talents and beautiful ideas gets eating up by that Nigeria way of doing things. There are many many negative influence besides being owed, that man Rohr might be struggling with, that you n I know nothing about. Get another coach, be he foreign or local, these negatives will come again to derail his plans and we return to square 1 again. Those of us supporting Rohr understand he is not the best for NIGERIA AS A COUNTRY BUT WE SUPPORT HIM BECAUSE HE HAS SHOWN TO BE ABLE TO WORK EVEN IN SUCH DETASTEFUL NIGERIAN ENVIRONMENT.
@Jimmyball.In fact,you are a great football analyst!You have said it all.Honestly,Nwakali,Michael Olise and Ovie Ejaria must be given a fair chance in the super Eagles Central creative midfield. Also,Paul Onuachu,Terem Moffi,and Henry Onyekuru should be given more playing time in the SE.
Finally, for the Super Eagles to do well, we must not hesitate to do away with Garnot Rohr. This coach is below average and lacks the desired managerial acumen to lead the SE to the ELDORADO. It beats my imagination that after five years, the coach has no first and second eleven. I have always argued that even without coaching training, I will do better than Garnot Rohr with the S.E. The best time to sack this coach is now before he drags our football back to square one. I rest my case here.
Who will work here with the dirty state of this nation and nff..
@Jimmyball you are confusing issues again. Invite this and invite that more confusion. While I agree with trying out some midfielders like ejaria if he is free and Kingsley Michael of bologna but not some strikers you mentioned.
You forgot that we have awoniyi, and oshimen. Is nwakeme better than these ones? No. Is he playing in a better league, No.
Don’t let us confuse issues. You are even talking about adarabioyo. I am surprised. Where is adarabioyo that can not even save his last club from relegation. Man city sold him out. Where is he now. Compared to the experience of ekong and balogun. You have forgotten that ekong has played even in serie a.
He is also doing well this season.
Our problem in that match was not really more players but the players were careless and complacent. Period.
If they do that again they will not qualify for the world cup. They do that against Cameroon and we know what happened.
Someone said we should have lost by more goals. What about the chances we threw away. If they scored all their chances and we scored ours we would have won. This shows how irresponsible our players were. Very careless souls.
The coach I believe has done all he can do for this team. He can’t take us to that future with this crops of players. His rigidity is much and he needs help with tactics. We have always conceded in matches even when we score first. Check the stats..
A good pointer is sierra Leone Ukraine Tunisia friendly etc.
If our boys can get serious we should beat then soundly in doula.. the coach of the car team was better technically on that day. But if he comes out to scroe in doula he will be punished.
It’s not as if the CAR coach was better, they were simply lucky eagles created strong chances than them , the coach simply packed the bus and fortunately they won let’s wait for the return leg then we shall know if the coach is tactically good
Your points are confusing, those players u mentioned even if they are der and eagles lost the match u will be the fist person to throw stones at them
Come to think of it what give u the assurance that those players u mentioned if they played the match eagles will not lose the match
You are absolutely correct!
Welldone!
How I wish those concern will heed to your observations.
God bless you my brother @jimmyball you said it all.