Super Eagles striker, Emmanuel Dennis netted his 5th goal of the campaign as Watford lost 4-2 to Leicester City in Sunday’s Premier League game.
Dennis, who was making his 11th appearance in the colours of Watford, netted in the 61st minute before he was substituted by Ashley Fletcher in the 71st minute.
Leicester City opened the floodgate of goals in the 16th minute through James Maddison before Joshua King leveled parity in the 30th minute.
However, Jamie Vardy netted a brace for the Foxes before Ademola Lookman grabbed the fourth goal in the 68th minute., his first goal in the Premier League this ongoing season.
Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi had a brilliant performance as he dominated the midfield with his combative display for Leicester City.
In the other game, Frank Onyeka played all 90 minutes as Brentford defeated Everton 1-0 on Sunday.
The Nigerian international won a penalty that was converted by Ivan Toney in the 24th minute to send the home supporters into frenzy.
He was yellow carded in the 43rd minute for a harsh challenge.
Meanwhile, Alex Iwobi played the entire 90 minute of the game but could not save Everton from defeat. The win move Brentford to 12th place on the log while Everton sit 14th.
In addition, Manchester City saw off West Ham 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday, with goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho settling a snowy contest at the Etihad Stadium before Manuel Lanzini’s impressive consolation strike late on.
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COMMENTS
The French colonized African teams are better because of the recruitment of the French people. Players who are born in the French colonized country get top 5 European club experience, France being #5. And from then on they move upwards. These players are starting games regularly too and few are from relegated teams. Shoot, even players born in France chose to play back home because they know they can win. Like the Senegalese, Algerian and Moroccan team. The super eagles are full of relegated players. Some players don’t even play regularly or have top flight experience.
Players of countries colonised by England most likely have to start in lower tier in the english league, because english league promote their own, use their academy and its tough to get in. If not that they have to start playing outside the top 5 league. Jamilu Collins? That dude been on that relegated paderborn 07 forever, obviously he is a bad defender and not making an impact. I don’t know what type of recruiting the super eagles got, stay trash.
Dennis is playing regularly, he scores and he assists in the number one league in the uefa rankings. He had two assists and one goal when watford beat everton. He was even productive in the last couple of champions league games. With no top flight experience the Nigerian team cant even get far, people here need to be more realistic. Obviously Rohr and or other staff members have favorites on who to pick, its plain and obvious looking at the lineup. The #1 populated African country cant get right, happy with mediocrity, bunch of scammers.
Dennis always tries to win the ball back. He is infectious when he plays he always tries to get the team back. I swear whenever the team is down, he tries to bring them back up. It was evident against Leicester . Troost Ekong was so bad, bad defending and conceding goals
mr dennis messenger you think you know football. your coach already givenreasons why he don’t invite dennis, also said door is not closed on him. keep pushing your dennis.
The biggest trick was how arsenal was able to sell Iwobi for large amounts of money, I dont know how they did it
Good performances from Dennis, Ndidi and Onyeka…Ekong is just a nervy character mistakes here and there, lack of concentration..really ekong suppose to have gain all the confidence needed as a player, he his a father , has played in Serie A ,World cup ,Afcon , Premier league all these stuffs should have build him up…
The guy Ekong has no real talent for a defender or footballer… he is usual average player who made the cut from endless trainings and routines and at almost 28years… his best is just so ordinary. It did not take me 5games to watch him from Rio Olympics 2016 to know the guy is a confirmed “gbefu”… his youth coach said he lacked talent and was a long way off the… dude has never forgiven that youth coach… his lot has just been the story of enjoying unmeritted favours under Rohr, that is why I said Gernot is never a sincere man… can bench average players… continue to invite some player who was inactive at the time… a situation unacceptable in their own climes… everyone nows Ekong and Balogun are not anything super anymore together…
The guy Ekong has no real talent for a defender or footballer… he is your usual average player who made the cut from endless trainings and routines and at almost 28years… his best is just so ordinary. It did not take me 5games to watch him from Rio Olympics 2016 to know the guy is a confirmed “gbefu”… his youth coach said he lacked talent and was a long way off the cut… dude has never forgiven that youth coach from then… his lot has just been the story of enjoying unmeritted favours under Rohr, that is why I said Gernot is never a sincere man… cant bench average players… continue to invite same playeres and some who was inactive at the time… a situation unacceptable in their own climes… everyone nows Ekong and Balogun are not anything super anymore together…
@jimmyball you are 100% on point…
Ekong is a complete disaster as a defender, and it remains a very big question, why he is still a regular in the SE jersey first eleven. It really confirmed that Rohr does not know a terrible player when he sees one. Most of the goals that the SE had conceded over the years, are mainly from his elementary school boy’s error. He has no intermediate and advanced knowledge of the game at all. It’s time for the incoming SE coach, to quickly find his replacement before he destroys the National team, in the coming AFCON and World cup playoffs.
Lookman was good as well
Really good. For some reasons, people here pretend he is not Nigerian. They completely leave him out of their discuss.
Dumbo rohr will still play him ahead of akpoguma… What a coach….
What does Dennis needs to do for him to be invited to the super eagles.. according to dumbo rohr new players are not needed in the super eagles..rohr has killed competition in the super eagles some players in the super eagles are untouchable names..my problem is how he discard new players after giving them 10minutes.. This attitude of the coach is not healthy for the team… The eagles need a player maker a good midfielder yet he went and invite ighalo to do what if I may ask… We are not lacking attackers in the SE what we lack is a creative midfield… Even a blind man knows this.. according to rohr ighalo will help osihmen score goals what type of dumb statement is that is osimhen lacking goals in the super eagles… We need a good midfielder for Christ sake not attackers.. we have avalanche of attackers doing well in Europe.. that’s the reason am begging the coach please invite akinwumi amoo this guy can add some needed fire in that midfield.. rohr is running the super eagles like a secret cult.. to conclude rohr has done well in the past… For now he doesn’t have anything to offer the eagles anymore.. you can’t give what you don’t have… The team needs competition that’s the reason the coach needs to go…. I remain my humble self Banky….
When I said Rhor was giving some players shirt assurance people didn’t understand what I meant……Rhor has completely killed the competitive spirit in our players……Nigerians do well under a competitive environment and it’s already a part of every Nigerian……How can a coach come on air and be asking who to drop for who?……How can a coach come on air and say he is not involving any new player again in his team?…….What message are you conveying to the main team players?…….Now look at how they are playing except for Osimhen who has a natural fighting spirit in him…….What Rhor is trying to do will work in other countries but not Nigeria because Nigerians tend to relax when nothing is at stake or when their position is not under threat……..that is why you notice that SE did well in Gernot Rhor’s early stage incharge because every player wanted to earn his place under Rhor……..Now that Rhor has stayed long with the team SE performance starts to reduce instead of increasing……. Rhor has used a wrong psychology to kill his own players hence the performance we see from SE this days.
There should be a street protest against Rohr for ignoring Dennis. Why would a player be good enough to face Man U and even had a massive contribution in his team’s win against this big team but the same player wasnt good enough to face CAR and Cape Verde? What’s this man’s basis of inviting players to the national team? God is watching
Is cricomtteria for inviting players to the super eagles is.. PAST GLORY.. example IGHALO..AHMED MUSA.. How come 80percent of football lovers in the comountry want this coach to be sacked… It shows there is something wrong with is coaching ability….
Is cricomtteria for inviting players to the super eagles is.. PAST GLORY.. example IGHALO..AHMED MUSA.. How come 80percent of football lovers in the comountry want this coach to be sacked… It shows there is something wrong with is coaching ability….
I watched the Watford versus Leicester game and will make the following observations:
1. Troost-Ekong’s defending is really poor and criminal, to say the least. He was responsible for the first goal conceded by Watford. He lacks basic ball anticipation and defensive skills, and I wonder how he is able to bench Akpoguma and Omeruo in the Super Eagles. Nigeria should be careful with the use of Troost-Ekong as he seems to be a calamity waiting to happen. We can also invite center backs like Anthony Izuchukwu and others if necessary as Ekong seems to be a liability at the moment. Coach Rohr should please bench Troost-Ekong for now before disaster strikes at the AFCON or world cup playoff in March, 2022.
2. The non-invitation of Emmanuel Dennis to the Super Eagles by Coach Rohr is also baffling and no longer tenable. Against Leicester today, he created a penalty when Wilfred Ndidi brought him down in the box, and later in the game he skillfully collected the ball from a Leicester player in the midfield and coolly slotted home the ball in the net after running several yards in to the box, creating the goal out of nothing. Dennis Bonaventure is stronger, fitter and more skillful than any of the current attackers or strikers in the Super Eagles, and can play as a winger, main striker or assist striker. It is only Victor Osimhen that can compare with him in terms of work rate and skills at the moment. Emmanuel Dennis currently is better than both Ighalo and Awoniyi, so only a clueless coach will not want to use such a gifted striker as Emmanuel Dennis in there national team. We should select and use our best players on current form, and oot based on primordial sentiments if Nigeria wants to do well at the AFCON and qualify for Qatar from the World cup playoffs in March next year.
3. Wilfred Ndidi is a great player but sometimes he is over combative and prone to causing penalties especially around the 18 yard box.
Thanks and God bless you all.
I always say it here that ekong is an average defender if he is that good Holland won’t allow us to have him Rohr stubbornness is d only thing that can work against him,ekong,balogun n omeruo are all time bomb waiting to explode,I wonder why Anthony izuchukwu is not in the team despite his form,Rohr n Pinnick are taking SE as thier personal property but one day
I rest my case
God bless Nigeria
Kelvin Bassey played as a centre back today and he was joy to watch……After today’s match I don’t think Ekong will ever play under Ranieri again…… Ekong was totally out of place in that match……Ekong lacks the tenacity of a defender.
@AKp you nailed it bro ekong cannot just raise his game…serie A, World cup, Afcon,Premier league, National team captain what else does he need to be confident…jittery all-round even against Car, Liberia ,Cape verde etc…
What do you guys have to say about iheanacho, has he been relegated indefinitely again to the bench? There is something I have observed about kelechi and im ready to be convinced otherwise, but I notice that whenever he feels that he is a main part of a team or in the first eleven he becomes complacent and this affects his game. For some games he last played both for club and country, he didnt do much ans his club coach has rightfully left him on the bench. But for the Super Eagles, he will fancy his chances of playing in the team. And when he does, it will be to the same effect.
I totally agree with you bro…someone was saying the last time that the coach benched him for English player which I totally opposed…he’s not consistent, he performs better today and tomorrow he plays very badly. when he spends much time on the bench when he’s finally given a chance he normally plays better. the guy dey behave like NEPA
Diran, thanks my brother for telling them the truth. I will continue to hammer same message Iwobi, iheanacho, musa, ekong, shehu Ighalo has no business in our team, Iwobi and iheanacho are overhyped players due to sentiment and tribalism. Comparing these two to Dennis, Awoniyi and Sadiq, is highly disrespectful.
@Sunnyb… Thank you.
Ekong practically opened the door for Madison to score Leicester’s first goal today.
In that situation, as a centerback, if you don’t hear a shout from your goalie to leave the ball, YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND CLEAR THE BALL.
The ball was right there on Ekong’s head. Why he chose to duck, and allow the ball go past him, only he can explain. And the lack of awareness of Madison’s position? Madison snuck in behind Ekong and the other centerback completely unnoticed!
These are schoolboy errors that we don’t need to be witnessing at this level.
The thing about Ekong is he does well for most of the game, but he seems to have that one moment of calamity in him. And against top quality opponents, a moment’s absent-mindedness is all that is required for your opponent to put you to sleep.
I hope Ranieri will not take drastic action that will further destroy Ekong’s confidence. Going forward , Ekong should just keep things simple. Don’t overthink situations, don’t take silly risks. If in doubt, JUST CLEAR THE BALL. No defender is ever hated for clearing the ball out of the danger area. Do that, and you will regain Ranieri’s confidence.
Ekong can learn from watching clips of Okechukwu Uche and Taribo West. These guys could defend stylishly. But when they needed to be, they could be very basic as well. They chase down a striker as if he is owing them money, and when they get a chance, they just boot the ball out of the pitch. Basic, no-nonsense approach to defending. Ekong needs to implement more of that into his game.
Asking and expecting Ekong to improve is like asking a kenyan sprinter to win against a long distance specilialist in a marathon… it is hopeless believe
me… people used to think I hate Ekong and Iwobi here, football no the lie!
My problem with Nigerian fans is our been quick to discard any player that looses form. We immediately conclude that players like Ekong, Shehu, Kelechi are not good players. But forgetting players loose form or could be overshadowed by other new players. My point is that, Rohr should select players according to current and drop any key player that loose form to the bench, thereby allowing the best to be fielded.
But, we the fans should not conclude that those players were never good. Ekong was part of the Oyibo wall that dealt with Cameroon, Algeria, Zambia, and drew with the likes of Egypt, Brazil, Senegal. One of the secret of Rohr in his first contract was his strong defence which Ekong was a major part of. Whenever him or Balgun was missing in the defence, we paid dearly, example was the loss to South Africa in 2017. The Oyibo wall of 2016 to 2018 was one of the best defensive partnership, Nigeria have seen in over a decade.
Rohr’s major weakness to me, is his rigidity in sticking to players that delivered in the past, without opening competition to new players in good form. He gets too attached to players that performed in the past and thereby overlook other new options that may even be better than the old favorites. So fans take it easy in critiscing our boys. This is because Class is permanent but form is temporal.
The truth of the matter is that Rohr is not going anywhere. He will remain Super Eagles Coach till the end of his contract because even though you sack him now, he will still collect his USD$50,000 till the end of 2022. That is already stated in his contract. Why waste more money sacking him and getting someone else and still paying him.
The foolish thing is that NFF is saying that when he gets another job as a coach, they will stop paying him that monthly salary. Let us see o. Segun Odegbami, Omo9ja, Larry and others can shout, cry and weep as much as they want. He ain’t moving. This is what you get when you fail to plan for growth either as a person or as an organization. You will pay dearly and Segun Odegbami and co are part of that failed process or else why don’t we have any of our ex – internationals at any European club even coaching a 2nd division side till date baffles me. Even from Segun Odegbami’s time as a football player.
Jimbo, kindly read Ikeben’s comment and gain proper perspective.
Your assertion that Ekong and Iwobi are not talented is not supported by their past performances.
They may be struggling a bit now due to loss of form or whatever, but that doesn’t mean they were never good!
I have no problem benching them for more in-form players. But undermining their past contributions and heckling them now that they are struggling is unfair and unbecoming.
Players lose form and regain it all the time.
Let’s criticize constructively and encourage these lads to do better.
Ekong was never an intelligent player with that calmness is his duty post…
Me e don tey wey I don dey talk am say I no trust that guy in one minute…even if you pay due attention to when Ekong-balogun were inform in the heart of super eagles defence it Was Balogun that did it mostly and always covered his mess but now that age has caught up with Balogun his mess is beginning to show much more guys!
Another issue Ekong has is that he is too jittery, he doesn’t have that confidence in himself…our best CB pair for now is: Awaziem…….Akpoguma but will Rohr Mr. Conservative coach see this plain truth?
Best back3 pair:
Awaziem……..Akpoguma………Bassey
Aina …… Aribo…… Ndidi… Zaidu
Denis……… Taiwo.,……..Lookman
On current form; SPOT ON!
343 formation based on form.and not past glory!
Thanks @Abdul Handsy
I also agree with @Diran, @Ikeben on class been permanent but form temporal (a simple fact LOST on ROHR), @Pompei.
I equally share @Jimmyball’s frustration.
We seem to hate some of these players no thanks to the favoritism and rigidity of the clueless ROHR. Why bench ZAIDU or BASSEY for COLLINS?
Why bench AINA for SIMON?
Why refuse to invite AWONIYI, DESSERS, DENNIS our most imform attacking players and go for IGHALO, ONUACHU (struggling for form) and a CHUKWUEZE just recovering from injury (knowing you wont play him)???
Why invite an inactive NOBLE on place of his clubmate that is keeping him on the bench?
Why persist with the NDIDI/ARIBO central midfield combo seeing its not working when you have a FRANK ONYEKA in top form?
Why not play NDIDI/ONYEKA as your double pivot while deploying ARIBO further upfield in an AM role? It means one of ARIBO or IWOBI will sit on the bench. That ROHR should have done knowing that the central defensive pairing of the OYINBO WALL is no longer solid. By playing two robust DMs, he would be giving better protection for the CBs better than ARIBO will pffer.
Its unfortunate that corruption in NFF means we are STUCK with GERNOR ROHR for now unless some big guns raise the cash to severe that DEMONIC contract.
Spot on
Well said, Prof.
We still need balogun in the back for now for stability. He has lost pace but he still has good ball sense and his positioning is far better than any defender we have, so balogun should play along side akpoguma with awaziem on the right side, Aina should be tried as a left with zaidu/bassey his backup. I would prefer a 2-man holding midfield of Ndidi and Etebo/Frank (or someone who can defend as well give a good pass), so I can push Aribo up front to join the attack at will. On the left side we can start iwobi to see if his game improves otherwise we use Ejuke/Dennis on the right its chukwueze and on the middle its Awoniyi starting for injured osimhen.
Line up
OKOYE
AWAZIEM AKPOGUMA LEON AINA
NDIDI. FRANK
ARIBO
CHUKWUEZE. IWOBI/EJUKE/DENNIS
AWONIYI
Whatever happened to Rohr’s audible shouts from the rooftop some years back that, the prime criterion for a player’s invitation to the Super Eagles is playing in a top 5 league?
He as well was charging his lads to pull their weight and be getting consistent playing time in their clubsides.It no coincidence that in that period he got his best results with the Super Eagles. The players were always kept on their toes lest they lost their shirt in the national team.
Why this egregious volte facé and inviting players based on past glory?
If the likes of Dennis, Awoniyi,goalkeeper Adeleye etc like, let them be scoring 50 goals per season or keeping clean sheets all matches as the case may be in their clubsides, they will not be invited under Rohr.
The likes of Musa,Ighalo,Shehu etc can be playing in backwater leagues and even be warming the bench,they will always be invited on the strength of what they’ve done in the past with the Super Eagles.
I hope I’m making sense and my logic is clear.
Welcome to Rohrbish School Of Thought Of Player Selection
Heard Victor Moses is listed in the provisional squad for AFCON. I go happy o.