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Exclusive: Rufai Thumbs Up Eguavoen’s 28-Man List, Says Eagles Battle Ready For AFCON 2021 Challenge

Exclusive: Rufai Thumbs Up Eguavoen’s 28-Man List, Says Eagles Battle Ready For AFCON 2021 Challenge

Former Nigerian goalkeeper, Peter Rufai believes the interim coach of the Super Eagles, Austine Eguavoen has selected some of the best players for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Recall that on Saturday, Eguavoen released a 28-man list for the bi-annual tournament which is schedule to begin on January 9.


The three-time AFCON champions are pitted in Group D alongside seven-time champions, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan.


Nigeria will begin their campaign against Egypt on January 11 and Rufai in an interview with Completesports.com stated that the Eguavoen-led team is battle ready for AFCON glory.


“I am impressed with the list of invited players for camping for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.


“To be frank, I was expecting a large pool of invited players like 35 or so but I was shocked when I saw the list. It shows they have done enough job on the list before reducing it to 28.


” At this point, I believe the team is battle ready for AFCON because we have capable and quality players who can hold their own at the tournament.”


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COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 69
  • SAMUEL 2 years ago

    Yes all ex internationals are coming out to appreciate their own.Where is Amokachie,amuneke,Ben iroha,Samson siasia,Mutiu adepoju etc.Yes we all are happy because we can see the success coming.All glory and honour to our GOD for everything.

    • Raphael Ituma 2 years ago

      All of them can’t be reached at the same time that’s of the reasons. Besides, the list only came out few hours ago. They will all have similar opinions as what is important is to ensure there is 100% team concentration in camp. The Super Eagles are in good stead to winning the Afcon gold and I don’t think any former player whether he is siasia, emunike, irohas would want to be a cog in the wheel of progress. We need the boys to be in the camp soon so that we can move from there.

    • Chima E Samuels 2 years ago

      Amunike will never give this list a pass mark because someone like him will not have a Shehu, Noble, Akpeyi, Musa and Ighalo in his blameless list. This one na Jangara list the good and bad mixed together… All these ex internationals have always said the list is good not until we get beaten.

      • JimmyBall 2 years ago

        @Chima E Samuels… We have to understand that even though John Noble should have not been on the list, and we should rather have had Adeleke, the Israel based guy… You could also ask yourself that John Noble went out on injury at Eyinmba and only then another goalie took his place… me personally would have preferred the best goalkeeper in our league anybody that is, and if it’s the guy benching Noble now in Enyimba then fine… but he also was not picked for Mexico game and the Lobi Stars goalkeeper was in goal…

        I personally don’t think Maduka Okoye is better than John Noble… You can kill me but that’s my opinion, I feel Okoye is not better than Akpeyi or Uzoho… but I am not the coach.

        Akpoguma has not yet proven himself with Nigeria and the African game, against Sierra Leone and Algeria we saw that. Infact against Algeria he Was pitifully gasping for breath…

        Musa is now very active in his club and is a starter and also plays well, he may not be starting games at nations cup but he is a good Arsenal on bench, I make my position on Musa based on his three last games at Kamagunruk, them no tell me, I watched him!

        I can lampoon a player but once I begin to see changes and improvement, I will speak the truth, having Ighalo for an injured Onuachu isn’t bad as I believe Ighalo! Will knock himself back to shape and be very useful when called upon even though I believe he should have stayed retired but he has been tested… now he is back to the fold, there is nothing we can do about it.

        Ebuehi is a good player but with Awaziem and Aina, who are tested at Nations Cup, we can do without an Ebuehi for now and I hope he can be back in reckoning in the run-up to our March 2022 playoffs and world cup in Qatar…

        Dessers have shown he can score goals but he is hard-done by Ighalo coming back so anyone who supported Ighalo coming back cannot now cry about Dessers exclusion… If Ighalo flops in Afcon 2022,for sure Dessers will be returned.

        However, the inclusion of Sadiq, Dennis, Nwakali and Ndah shows Eguaveon and NFF are looking at players with a winning mentality plus dogged attitude. They will all not be in the game at once but the list reveals guts and belief. Let’s breath some fresh air after 5years of Rohr dictatorship… One love!

        • Chima E Samuels 2 years ago

          Eguavoen did not do physical assessment of players he dropped and picked that is my major worry at least CAF gave a deadline for final list submission. I will choose Dessers over Ighalo, Ighalo has not changed after that latest Lago against CapeVerde. Exactly why I always call him Yakubu junior I don’t know how we always produce this kind of players generation after generations. See my thread about Umar also because I still feel he has a lot to add to his game before taking a step up. This team is only 70 percentage okay and the 30 percent average players might cost us because they’re always the once that ends up seeing action.

        • This is a very sensible and balanced contribution.

          Thank you Jimmy.

  • Omo9ja 2 years ago

    I disagree with you dodo mayana. Who will lead the attack? Osimhen is not fully fit.

    Is Ighalo we saw during our last match can lead the attack?

    Dessers is the main striker that should have bn in that squad not Ighalo, Akpeyi, John Noble and Shehu.

    Ebuehi also deserves to be in Cameroon. So, I am not satisfied with the list.

    You know this Mr. Peter Rufai. This is not the best squad from the coach Eguavoen.

    It is time to call a spade a spade. We can not continue this way because our mumu don do.

    During Oga Rohr’s time, Super Eagles did not play good football. We relied on luck to win matches. Still, some group of people was supporting the coach upon his inability to read game and interpret the body language of his opponents.

    Now that we have our own there, the topic should be different but Amaju, Diko, Sheyi and other members of the NFF are manipulating things. This is why Amaju brought back Ighalo, Musa, Akpeyi, and John Noble.

    Shall we continue this way? No way. God bless Nigeria!!!

    • Henry 2 years ago

      The mistake few of you are still making is that everyone has to be on the list. That is not possible. Osimhen has a protective gear or you could call it facial mask that will take care of whatever you are thinking. Coming to Desser, it would have be a huge minus if he was invited. Coach Arne Slot of Feyenoord where Desser plies his trade, doesn’t even believe in him as he is mostly played for 20 or 10 minutes of any match. Yes I’m aware of those occasional goal mouth scoring opportunity but that is not enough for an important tournament like Afcon. We need to think out of the box.

      • Omo9ja 2 years ago

        You government officials have started again.

        So, if am getting you right, Ighalo is better than Dessers? In what way?

        Did you watch our last match? If yes then Ighalo have no business in that team no more.

        What of Akpeyi, John Noble and Shehu? Whe we have Ebuehi, Adeleye and Osagwe? Are you kidding me? Do you think I don’t know what am talking about.

        If a young man like Osaze could play under Eguavoen in 2006 Afcon, nothing should stop Dessers from playing for Nigeria in Cameroon.

        If Balogun and Ekong can stand their ground against African oppositions why Dessers have no place in that team?

        You government officials should be careful.

        The level of corruption is too much in our system period. God bless Nigeria!!!

        • Friday 2 years ago

          C’mon man don’t be silly. How dare you compared a rookie to a more established and experienced player? Your of shout Desser or whatever his name is for pure sentiment. That’s not saying he is not good at goal mouth scrabbling. Without Odion in Eagles line-up, your SE is dropping out in the group stage. I think your problem is that Teslim Balogun good for nothing pitch. Even at that, we saw how he took attention away from Osimhen that enabled him to rove around the pitch all through.

      • @Henry, facial mask in Africa football that always rough and physical. Even the worst of it all is that most African referees don’t see anything wrong in most of those deadly tackles.

        And on Desser, it’s not the number of hours a player spend on field that matter but by the delivery.

        It would be so bad if Desser’s not part of Eagles in this coming afcon.

    • @Omonija,
      leave them alone. Since they have chosen not to listen.

      Afcon is already here and we shall all see it together.

      Osimhen is our number one striker no doubt about that but he is not fully fit and facial mask is not enough for African football that’s always rough and physical with most referees not seen anything bad in those deadly tackles.

      Desser should have been the best backup for Osimhen in the team in afcon.

      • Omo9ja 2 years ago

        God bless you @Godsate. I am getting scared of Osimhen situation. He is not fully fit and African football is physical and rough as you said which is true.

        Coach Eguavoen should have known this before having Osimhen name on that list.

        Apart from Osimhen, just a quick question. Let’s assume that we don’t have Osimhen available for Afcon tournament, who will lead the attack?

        Do we have main striker among these strikers we can rely on? Dennis, Umar Sodiq, Awoniyi and Ighalo? Apart from Ighalo in this department, the rest of the three strikers should be Coach Eguavoen’s weapons.

        Ighalo have no pace and strength to get the job done when Eagles attack. We saw that in our last match.

        Dessers should be our main striker since Osimhen is not fully fit yet.

        I am shaking my head for NFF and coach Eguavoen. God bless Nigeria!!!

      • So if you want to look at it critically your saying a player playing in the dutch league is better than those playing in german or English premiership.
        If desser is playing in the dutch then he is better than awoniyi in the German league or Dennis in the premiership since you feel he is a better back up for osimhen.

  • Four four two 2 years ago

    Can Desserz and Ebuechi cope with the physicality of African football? If u look at the list u with notice the players selected have similar characteristics: physically strong and fast. That’s shows Egu has a clear vision of the style of football he wants to introduce . I’m sure that’s also the reason Ndah Olisa was prefered ahead of Akpoguma..Seems the new gaffers wants the bring back the 1994 robust style that made the Eagles a fearsome force the world over. Let’s watch and see ..

    • You are right, let’s watch and see and give Eguavoen all the necessary support with the belief that he knows what he is doing

      God bless Nigeria

    • Chinenye 2 years ago

      Physicality of african football? How physical were the Egyptian players that won the afcon 3 consecutive times ? Make una find another cassette play

      Dessers isn’t in the list simply because of our coaches daftness Eguavon inclusive

      • onwajunior 2 years ago

        I tire oh. “Physicality of African football” that has made Africa win countless World cups. That physicality excuse is old abeg we all know that’s not true.

  • Nice list but still the same scent I perceived in Rhor’s list…….Rhor was never the problem,he was just used and dumped like a sacrificial lamb…….The power that be still exists in the team…….there are still undroppable players in the team………Mark my words some very talented Players on that list will not taste action and many untalented and used up sacred cows on that team will see alot of action that they never worked hard for……..I suggest after the Afcon the new coach should have a fresh team of coaches if possible all foreigners……This Jankara market should stop immediately and those holding SE to ransom should be cut loose.

    • Henry 2 years ago

      Next time, type like a sensible person.

      • Chima E Samuels 2 years ago

        Henry you also have a problem by failing to understand that Feyenoord’s approach to always start Dessers from the bench to change the approach is purely tactical that no wonder he was even choosen ahead of the starters as the player of the month and he also won the goal of the month for a high flying feyenoord side both at League and Europa. Alot of you don’t understand anything about the game no wonder you can’t think beyond your limits.

  • JOSIAH 2 years ago

    Are we even thinking at all the have not called to camp the have relize 28 players at of 40 were did you access them to bring out 28 even with names that have not played for the eagles in a long time and brainless people are happy, when the fail we begin throw blame at each other just like 2015

    • Chima E Samuels 2 years ago

      Exactly my point Nigerian are mostly composed of low thinkers yet we claim to be the smartest black Nation. Not even a one week assessment and they have dropped players like Ovie and Amoo I call it wonders in Cecily.

    • onwajunior 2 years ago

      There’s already an excuse prepped and ready to be released when we fail – the new coach needs time to build a team.

  • Marvelous 2 years ago

    Not supporting this list is why I will change my mind and like you @Omo9ja because it proves that you a man that can call a spade a spade. But it might be difficult for me to forget the role you played in Rohr exist which has brought this calamity to us. How can players who didn’t kick a single ball during friendlies and qualifiers make AFCON squad? Am still waiting for answers!

    • Omo9ja 2 years ago

      Thank you so much Mr. Marvelous for asking me such a question.

      Oga Rohr deserve to be sacked.

      During is time, Oga Rohr’s team has no direction, vision and style of play.

      Also, late subs and wrong tactics was part of his departure.

      Apart from his man management which I love most then nothing more from the gaffer to offer Nigeria.

      He was scared of MO Salah and he and Amaju doesn’t want to play Algeria, Egypt, Senegal and Morocco. Almost six years of Oga Rohr with our national team, Super Eagles have bn disgraced by the minor teams in Africa both home and away.

      Enyimba can not hire Oga Rohr not to talk of Nigeria national team. Blame nobody but Amaju Pinnick.

      However, that is me for you. I don’t follow people blindly. I love our local coach and ex players to be in charge of the national teams but if they don’t do the right thing then I will talk.

      No doubt, coach Eguavoen is technically and tactically sound but that Afcon list is far from it. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!

    • Chima E Samuels 2 years ago

      Players like Legelege Umar who most of the time looses possession and fires tame back-pass like shot is another wonder to behold. Except we are looking for another sluggish Papilo but truth be told I will not choose Umar over high flying Dessers with the quality of play and goals we’ve seen of late from him at the Europa cup and Dutch league. It is only in Nigeria that he doesn’t get called up on that form yet you call legelege Umar from Spanish division2 and not even check how he can adapt to the national team before taking him to the Afcon.

  • Oseodion Inegbenebor 2 years ago

    Since there’s already a general consensus to have a way forward, I think we are going to be witnessing one of the most competitive tournaments in Afcon.

    I support Dodo Mamaya thumping up Coach Eguavoen but whether the Eagles are battle ready is a difference ball game. And as much as we are happy for the Super Eagles coaching crew and now the list of selected 28 players, I don’t envy the crew one bit. My advice is for us not to expect too much from the SE crew for besides the task ahead being enormous, time constraint is a defining factor, they don’t have enough time for preparations. They need time to bond well with the players and been able to inculcate the mass attack, mass defense philosophy of Coach Eguavoen, these things take time.

    Clearly, every football fan is expecting Coach Eguavoen and his team to deliver, win the group matches and possibly the cup. We should also realize that African football has improved greatly, there are no longer minnows and the well established countries like Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon etc are not going to Afcon to eat Cameroonian fufu corn and njama njama. This is where my advise is cautious optimism. In all I wish the team well in their exploit in Cameroon.

  • HASSAN Tia 2 years ago

    NFF and coach Eguavoen committed a big and huge error which recalled a shaky and weak players who are under wonted and attuned standard at thier clubs and Super Eagles like: William Troost, Abdullahi Shehu, Kelechi Iheanatcho,Leon Balogun, Daniel Akpeyi, Frank Onyeka, Simon Moses; then intended of excluding a genius and interactive and active players at thier clubs like: Akinkunmi Amoo, Cyriel Dessers, Calvin Bassey, Kelvin Akpoguma, Ovie Ejaria, Tyronne Ebuehi who should have to be a huge strengths for Super Eagles on this tournament.Any team at any final tournament choose his strong team with a strong quality of players; but NFF and coaching crew mae stupid decisions on this showpiece tournament.

  • NNAMDI 2 years ago

    lets watch and see i believe nature has a way of correcting some lost brains those that are not in the list should not lose their faith and focus some suprising things ahead it can only be over if their is no injury prior to start of the tournament becos what is written is written if heaven has destined that you will make the list nothing can ever stop it suprisingly few of my favourites ones are not in the list SAMUEL KALUL AKPOGUMA EBUEHI AND FINALLY LOOKMAN.

  • Ako AMADI 2 years ago

    At AFCON Nigeria has the best team on paper, but the least experienced coach. That will be s huge problrm@!

    • Babad 2 years ago

      You all would appreciate the impact Nwakali will bring to this team. Players like Ejuke, chukweze, Aribo, Osimhen, and Ihenacho would benefit from his long-range of paces

  • Olusegun.B. 2 years ago

    I didn’t see Cyriel Dessers,Akinwumni Amoo, Calvin Bassey as well as Echaria ovie

    Instead they picked odion Ighalo , John Noble , Hmm!
    How is this an impressive list .

  • Chikadibiax 2 years ago

    I don’t know what ighalo, musa, shehu and iwobi is doing in this team…. don’t be surprise to see victor osimhen on bench just because of ighalo or emmanuel dennis on bench just because of musa. Nigeria and politics

  • Babad 2 years ago

    My Afcon team:
    1. Okoye
    2. A in a
    3. Sanusi
    4. Ndidi
    5. Awazie
    6. Balogun
    7. Aribo
    8. Denis
    9. Osimhen
    10. Nwakali
    11. Ejuke

    • Babad 2 years ago

      ARIBO
      I chose Aribo over chukweze cus I have watched Aribo play from the wings for Rangers and my world, he is really good

      DENNIS
      I watched how he dealt with Rudiger vs Chelsea. Playing behind Osimhen would open a lot of defenses at the afcon

      AKONG
      NO!, NO!!, NO!!!

      • Chikadibiax 2 years ago

        Oga wake up, ighalo can’t sit on the bench for osimhen, that’s just The truth.. I hate it when I see ighalo on that list

      • Chikadibiax 2 years ago

        Ighalo will play 90mins in all match, and that’s corruption

  • Ako AMADI 2 years ago

    Nigerians are very loyal to footballers who have won trophies for the nation, hence the selection of Nwakali almost by popular acclaim.

  • MAJOR FLEX 2 years ago

    Person talk sey ebuehi cant cope with the Physicality of afcon, i just give up, you think sey italy na beans? You don see ehn recent body transformation? Make una take time o, for this list eh no don at all.
    No bassey wey be like rock for defence, soon ehn go dey bench balogun for ranger. apkogumba, wey go mad for 3 4 3 or 3 5 2, i no grab, who we con dey carry as defenders go cameroon? no lookman wey dey bench iheanacho, i gas out.

    But still, please make we no dey call amoo, boy need do more please, i don watch ehn game, en kind suppose dey score more goals and give more assist, he needs a better coach. Ahh Nwakali sweet me though, if this guy go stop dey fear, na pogba or yaya toure we dey see so, even ehn coach talk sey Nwakali needs to believe that he is a very good footballer.
    Finally our hope to win this tournament rest on the shoulders of a fit vic, a Dennis, and an Nwakali that turns up, because our defence no pure o, i dey see only sanusi, awaziem and maybe an aina, so just expect say we go concede goals.

    Ah i just tire, this is the lineup i was wishing for, we for be rapist with this setup, but pragmatic minds don dash my hope for solid mud
    Osimhen
    Dennis/chukwueze

    Sanusi onyeka Ndidi Nwakali akpogumba

    Omeruo/bassey omeruo/awaziem ebuehi/awaziem

    Maduka

    • MAJOR FLEX 2 years ago

      Aribo fit replace onyeka against team wey no too get attacking treat

  • How would any country or any coach at that pick Sodiq Umar over high flying Cyril Dessers of Feyenord or even a Abdulahi Shehu who plays in Cyprus over Italy based Tyrone Ebuehi who plays in Italy if no be craze. The Super Eagles is being politicized. I see quota system in place on this list. Rohr was never the problem! Pinnick is!

  • pompei 2 years ago

    It’s a good list. Could be better though.
    Cyriel Dessers and Calvin Bassey will feel hard done by. Understandably so. These guys have not been given a good opportunity to showcase their abilities.
    Akinkunmi Amoo SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED UP.
    However, it’s the coach’s prerogative to select whoever he needs.
    As for Akpoguma, that’s a lad I really like. But for me, his exclusion is understandable. He has had ample opportunities to impress in the SE jersey, but he did not quite stamp his authority when he needed to. It’s up to Akpoguma to play himself back into the squad. Given his quality and professionalism, I expect him to bounce back from this.
    Good to see Emmanuel Dennis THE MENACE and Sadiq Umar in there. Nwakali may be playing 2nd division football in Spain, but he’s got qualities that could prove useful for the team. Ndah is ok. Needs a bit of polish, but he’s a decent defender. Just like Awaziem, he can also play right full back if needed. In fact, his game is quite similar to Awaziem. He was one of the few that impressed in the Mexico fiasco.
    As for the rest of the squad, most of them deserve to be there. Most of them. But again, it’s Eguavoen’s call as the coach.
    WE HAVE CROSSED THE RUBICON. WE NOW MARCH INTO THE BATTLEFIELD.
    THE DIE IS CAST!
    WE MUST NOT FAIL WITH OUR OWN.

  • pompei 2 years ago

    Eguavoen is a 4-4-2/4-3-3 apologist.
    I will be surprised if he adopts a different formation.

    4-4-2
    Okoye/Uzoho
    Aina, Awaziem, Balogun, Sanusi
    Chukwueze, Ndidi, Nwakali, Ejuke
    Dennis, Osimhen

    4-3-3
    Okoye/Uzoho
    Aina, Awaziem, Balogun, Sanusi
    Aribo, Ndidi, Nwakali
    Dennis, Osimhen, Ejuke

    These are typical Eguavoen selection templates. Iwobi is an option to start ahead of, or sub in for, Nwakali or Aribo in both formations.

  • pompei 2 years ago

    Hope the coach has made contingency plans, just in case any players test positive to Covid in the coming days.

  • Ayphillydegreat 2 years ago

    Human beings can never be satisfied. I’m yet to see a single Rohr critic accept this list with good fate and look forward to the AFCON proper. They’re even happy to see us sacrifice the AFCON and prefer to fail with their own Lmao!! Eniyannn!! God himself said in the Bible that the worst thing among everything he created is humans. Emiyan Yeee! Yeee! Me I will enjoy the AFCON and root for my SuperEagles as alway.

  • Bernard Ekele 2 years ago

    It all boils down to a building process. I can understand how some of commenters feel not seeing their favorites on the list and with the wish that they have some players in the first 11. The Coach certainly has his plans. The area that needs attention is even about time management. If the Football Federation is serious, the Super Eagles team as presently composed should be given more time to perfect on their job. Why I fancy the comment made by Oseodion Inegbenebo is the aspect that talked on time. In a building process you give allowance to time for system fixing. We can’t get all that entertainment football and winning of laurels without a determined effort to invest in the future. Eguavoen should not be goven conditions but rather time to build a team that can defeat the World. The Belgium process should serve as our case study. I would like to challenge the NFF scribe to go through the Belgium blueprint to see how Belgium spent time to build a team before becoming World football Super power.

  • pompei 2 years ago

    One thing this team really needs is a deadball specialist.
    The last time we scored directly from a freekick was Iheanacho’s goal in the 2017 Argentina friendly.
    We often waste freekicks, corner kicks, and other deadball opportunites. The deliveries into the box have been poor.
    I believe this is one of the reasons Nwakali is in the team.

    • Ayphillydegreat 2 years ago

      That’s why I like Nwakali’s inclusion as well. Though on merit we know he doesn’t deserve to be on the list. However, been Eguavoen boy the AFCON is an opportunity to market him. Hopefully he can take his chance when the opportunity arises. Obviously, he a talented player like Osimhen and Chukwueze in his under age days. How he can take on the occasion when the opportunity comes in Cameroon is what will determine how Nigerians will either love or loathe him. I hope it’s the former for him because if he perform woefully in Cameroon that will be the end of his international career. Same goes to a lot of other players of his category in these team.

  • Pius Obemhen 2 years ago

    For a fact, the team selection is ok. The truth is Coach Eguavoen needs to be given more time to succeed. I believe the era of searching for a foreign coach is gone for good since we have the local content that requires more time to deliver. It took Westerhorf, an expatriate 5 years to put together a team that almost shook the World in 1994. So one wonders why Eguavoen should be given only 2 weeks to build a Super Eagles team that will defeat Africa next month, no nah. The NFF must show that it is not being led by corrupt officials by wholeheartedly supporting the local managers of the Super Eagles. They need more time.

  • Francis Eluba 2 years ago

    @Pius Obemhen.
    I won’t be here to be advising a coaching team that chose a list of players to work with on whom to select for its final first eleven. That is laughable.
    Well, I know a conversation once one appears. For the Belgian federation, the watershed moment came in 1998 when Belgium were eliminated at the group stage at the World Cup finals in France. Bob Browaeys, who has coached Belgium youth teams at every level and played a major part in putting together Sablon’s blueprint, says there was “no unified vision on youth” at that point. He remembers 30 federation coaches, drawn from local club sides of the country, meeting to discuss a radical change in approach. Viola, Belgium sits atop of FIFA ranking. The Super Eagles can even rule the World of football but our local Coaches needs to be fairly treated. The last foreign coach, Rohr spent a whole 6 years but still couldn’t win Afcon cup. The interim coach Eguavoen should be made substantial coach before the commencement of Afcon to show us the NFF is serious.

  • Ali Gafar 2 years ago

    Tor. We are likely to be visited with better interactive exchanges. Let’s sit up as some of us no go school. I a want Nigerian ball Federation of Pinnick Amaju to hear this Belgium experience.

  • Gabriel 2 years ago

    It seldom happens. There comes a point at major sporting tournaments like Afcon when you realise there is only a finite amount of time to prepare but this however comes with limitations. Eguavoen is given a limited time but with conditions, ‘you must win Afcon or be fired’, it means the football stakeholders in the country are not encouraging our local content. Take for instance a country like Algeria with Belmadi, a local as her Head Coach. Belmadi was appointed in 2018, given a four years contract that will run till 2022 Qatar World Cup, that’s how it is done. A year into that contract, he won the Afcon gold and presently no3 in CAF ranking. What stops whoever in charge from entering into a 4 years contract with Coach Eguavoen since we accepted to keep faith with local Coaches? Ours is a joke of a country.

  • There is something some people here are forgetting,coaches do not invite players because they are simply good,no,they invite or recruit players that fits into their plan,playing style and philosophy.Victor Moses is a good player then in Chelsea but only gained prominence when a coach he fitted into his football philosophy, in Conte, became Chelsea coach.We should not lose sleep over the list, afterall there are 12 players more on the list.Lets wish them well and pray for their success.

  • Footballfanatic 2 years ago

    Olisa Ndah son of Ndubuisi Ndah….most of his friends are in the NFF or some who he played with. It is not really hard to follow the money on this one.

    • Get away with your tribalism. You want Akpoguma a core Igbo person to be on the list but you don’t want Olisah Ndah from Asaba to be on the list. Or you think we don’t know why you all have been crying since the list was released? We also know that John Noble is from Rivers State the reason why some of you are kicking against his inclusion. The list has Ndidi, Nwakali, Iheneacho, Omerua, Ejuke, Chukwueze, that one never do you?? Abi make I continue? I’m happy Mr. Eguavoen knows who to select for his first team.

      • Footballfanatic 2 years ago

        You are a lunatic and people like you are the reason why Nigeria is a disaster. You are quick to revert to tribalism without even knowing where I am from or what tribe I’m from. This points to a myopia you are suffering from. If you can’t be truthful that a Bundesliga player who is performing well for his club was dropped for an untested orlando pirates defender who has never been invited to the national team. Then you are sick and u need to seek help. Stupid bitch!

      • Footballfanatic 2 years ago

        You are basically advocating for a quota system???

        “The list has Ndidi, Nwakali, Iheneacho, Omerua, Ejuke, Chukwueze, that one never do you?? Abi make I continue?”

        People like this individual above will be the downfall if Nigeria. They dont care about quality but for their regions to be represented regardless of the quality their region has. Idiot! You just aired yourself out..

        • Footballfanatic 2 years ago

          Tell me when last did John Noble play for enyimba? If you can’t tell me when last he played you have no business talking nonsense here cuz you obviously have no knowledge of what you are here for.

          • Dennis 2 years ago

            You even forgot to add okoye, uzoho.
            How people try to rationalize the inclusion of Ndah over akpoguma is shameful. One clown up there said ebuehi isn’t fit for African football. Is the Italian league not physical? We will all see the outcome

  • From the 28 members list Coach Eguavoen announced, it shows he has a direction on where he is taking the SE but time is required. The argument is, the past foreign coaches were given more than two years for preparations, then why giving a local Coach only 2 weeks to deliver and even with a condition.

  • Goal ⚽️ 2 years ago

    I think the list is not that bad as some of us put it here, I think it’s better than what Rohr usually gave us.

    My only concern is the defense, balogun is injury prone, I don’t have much confidence in omeruo , NDA and ekong to some extent which makes me feel Akpoguma wouldn’t be a bad choice .

    I really feel for dessers and I hope he wouldn’t regret pitching his tent to us or even caused other mix Nigerian from chosen us , but apart from that I think the list is good to go.

  • Respect is reciprocal 2 years ago

    https://youtu.be/kemxk4Pd_x0
    NFF should please do their homework before employing coaches . ROHR was a total disappointment to the growth of our players. Just watch Moses Simon

    • JimmyBall 2 years ago

      If Rohr has his way he will ask Osimhen to become a goalkeeper even… Someone that was already priming Moses Simon as a comfirmed defender in Nations Cup… Nigerians won’t know what God did for them to rid us of that turtle desert ninja with his fullproof quackery! Lol…

  • NFF should stick to Eguavon, bring in Amuneke, Garba, Finindi and Ndubisi Egbo.
    Amuneke; first Assistant and head coach of the under 23 eagles.
    Garba; second Assistant and head coach of the under 21 Eagles.
    Finindi; third Assistant and head coach of the under 17 Eagles.
    Ndubisi Egbo; goalkeeper trainer and coach of all the Eagles teams.

    Offer them a 4 year contract and pay them like you pay the politicians, they will deliver as much as Clemens Westherhorf.
    We don’t need another white journeyman.

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