Welcome to Completesports.com‘s live blogging of the international friendly encounter between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.
Related: Live Blogging: Nigeria Vs Algeria (International Friendly)
Stay tuned here for the live updates of the proceedings as they unfold inside the Jacques Lemans Arena.
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COMMENTS
hope this would serve as a motivation to the likes of agu and onyeka that a certain ajayi predominantly a central back providing the needed cover for ndidi.. Those two need to sit up. I don’t expect the both of them in further invite to the national team..
At least, today the SE are not using the dark green jersey that doesn’t really bring good luck. Lol
Nig vs Tun
http://www.livetotal.tv/c/football/friendly-match/13-10-2020/nigeria-vs-tunisia/1/
And its game on……both teams still sizing each other up, but appears Tunisia wants to take advantage of the usual slow start of the SE.
How can I watch this match please?
The link is above
Hesgoal.com
19’in…still topsy turvy between the 2 teams. 2 yellow cards already to Tunisia. Obviously they are not taking this as just an ordinary friendly.
20′ And Nigeria takes the lead….!!!
Kelechi Iheanacho teaching Paul Onuachu that his entire body is not composed only of his head.
For people that keep saying Musa is spent, hope you all saw that deft flick to Iheanacho to score. Musa is just about the most experienced of the current crop of Eagles.
Leave them…..yen yen yen yen….x-factor this, x-factor that. Anytime Musa is playing they should put off their TVs.
27′ PENALTYYyyyyyyyy…..!!!!!!
Ahmed Musa wins a Penalty for Nigeria…..!
3rd Yellow card for Tunisia
And Iheanacho throws the penalty advantage away…!!!
My oh my.
Terrible penalty kick from Iheanacho.
That should have been 2-0 to Nigeria.
Terrible!
Am not convinced with chukwueze tho…
Ajayi has really up his game, compared Algeria match. Good link up from midfield to attack
Is it only me, I think we even play better against Algeria .
Its 40 mins in Austria
still Nig 1-0 Tun
So far the SE have managed to keep the Tunisians at bay.
Meanwhile you can catch the Mexico vs Algeria game via this link
http://www.livetotal.tv/c/football/friendly-match/13-10-2020/mexico-vs-algeria/1/
And it’s 1-1
43’Goooalllllll
Tunisia Equalizer
Kenneth Omeruo (for the umpteenth time in a SE shirt) losses his marker and Nigeria pays dearly for it
Reminiscent of Argentinas goal against us in the 2014 world cup…
Omerue marked the ball and Balogun was supposed to clear the ball but was caught looking
Which lie lie ball did omeruo mark…???
The first rule of defending is ‘protect your goal first.
Omeruo apart from loosing his man even showed him space to goal.
Omeruo always loosing his man. I hardly mention him when listing my preferences for the backline. Most goals against Nigeria start from a striker displacing, outrunning or dribbling him.
45′ Chanceeeeeee……!!!!
Goal line clearance from a Tunisian defender.
A corner kick is swung in from the left and glanced on its way to goal only for the Tunisian defender to do his job on the line
too bad
I wonder why the coach kept believing in this Omerua, for the umpteenth time!
Omeruo always loosing his man. I hardly mention him when listing my preferences for the backline. Most goals against Nigeria start from a striker displacing, outrunning or dribbling him.
Akpoguma almost capping his first start with a beautifully headed goal.
Better play and more team work better than against Algeria.
These two matches has exposed the deficiencies of certain players.. Omeruo is certainty not super eagles materials.. I feel rohn decided to play omerio in the central defence instead of the new German guy to give him the last chance to convince him of his relevance.. He should be dropped in future games..
An impressive first half
That was a terrible penalty from Kelechi. At the time he was stamping his authority on the game. Too bad. But he sag scored one after all. Game on
That ball should’ve been cleared….watched his man cut him into a dangerous spot and lay a pass.. Omeruo on that momentary loss of concentration again lol.. I think we played better than the last match but no disrespect to the Tunisian, the Algerians are a stronger side so it’s hard to tell if we are playing better..lol
Yeah the team is playing better because there’s creativity from the middle unlike the last one we have many defensive midfielders.
My problem with the team is when they score they relaxed instead of searching for more goals to kill off the match.
Hahahahaha….but I thought Iwobi, Simon etc are not enough creativity….LMAO.
Troost Ekong for me will always be the lesser evil of the two.
Omeruo’s knack for switching off at critical moments are well documented.
The fact that he is still not a guaranteed starter for the SE despite making his debut in 2012 says a lot.
Watching him back then i thought by 2016/2017 he would have matured to a rock solid Koulibaly-esque center-back that nothing can go past.
Inconsistency bro…..and his glitches hasn’t made him a super eagle regular..
Some of you mentioned him in your line up here.. I think the coach listened since u accused him of nor always listen to you guys lol
Men, dis soup no sweet oooo.
A good test match, i liked what I saw.
My observation are:
Akpoguma plays better as a CB than RB.
Ball control of Moses is top notch, his set pieces are good too but he doesn’t threaten opposition’s defence that much as a winger.
Ejuke dribbles too much, we are not here for showboating.
Dessers should be given more game time as he got today he looks quality.
Gernot Rohr tried in giving players minutes but should improve his generosity by giving players quality time to prove themselves.
We will get there.
I see why Algeria rejected this stadium now. Certain things are not to be tolerated… Despite empty stadiums due to Corona, you will never see Germany or France or England play their national team in a stadium like this… Seems like a trainjng pitch for academy players. It is well… Algeria was the real test…
I am still of the opinion that the game today is not beyond the level of young Samson Tijanni, neither is it beyond Dennis Emmanuel or Peter Olayinka… Well we look forward to the games in November now. Simy and Maja are still among those yet to be properly assessed other than their club performance… Paul Onuachu did not play today and thank God because the attack today was not muxh different from the effort in last game… We still could not create enough chances and our midfield without Ndidi, Aribo and Etebo will always be suspect… One love and goodnight all!
But the attack today scored and also had a Penalty. We all saw how Iheanacho despite not considered a top striker troubled the Tunisa defense all through keeping them on their toes. Harassing them at will. With the return of Osimhen combining with Iheanacho upfront our attack will be just fine. Bro’s forget about Onuachu he’s not SuperEagles material. I will prefer Simy or Sadiq to Onuachu any day any time.
I’m sorry to say this! If we can succeed in bringing in Udokhai(a left footed), that’s the end of Omeruo here. I want to see dessers and Ejuke I beg.
Told u guys here, Omer up is one of the reason leganes got relegated, am not hating but am never is fan, reason no team come for him .
We can do much better than what we’ve seen thus far. Balogun, Iwobi and Sanusi have been the stand-out players. Hope to see Dessers in the second half.
So far, SE were impressive to some extent, coping well with Algeria tactics of close man marking. Another observation is that Akpoguma is better in no 6 role than right back, and Zanusi need to show more self believe and confidence, it’s a promising player. Dessers should come in for Musa in second half. He seems lost in that false 9 role
And the 2nd half is underway.
Just like in the 1st, Tunisia in the early ascendancy.
But Nigeria earns a corner 47′
Looking at the match . I still am not impressed with this team at all. There is no knack to attack harder . Iheanacho have shown that he’s not effective as an attacker for the fact that he scored that goal. The wing play is faulty. Chukwueze and Simon were terrible. Midfield still needs work despite Iwobi and Ajayi good efforts . I want to see Dessers and Ejuke .
Akpopuma is trying but I don’t like that they played him in a position that he’s not known to play .
Rohr doesn’t know what to do with what he has .
Let’s see what second half has to offer .
Apply for eagles job!
You think it is Somalia we are playing….or Tunisia too is here to sell okrika and will be watching us exchanging passes at will…? So far they have had 4 yellow cards in a match that is supposed to be a friendly. They are 2nd ranked in Africa if you have forgotten. They are not a small team
Brilliant footwork from Balogun!
@Dr Drey and Co (Die Hard Musains) I hope yo are seeing Ahmed Musa in action after now you will crucify me for raising concerns as to his level of play
Our 1st goal was created by Musa….the penalty that should have put us 2-0 up was earned by Musa…..tell us what your ex-factor players have done so far.
Smash your TV on the ground whenever you see Musa playing
Leon Der Kaiser Balogun!
And its 44 mins in Mex vs Alg and its 1:1
Mexico scored and before I could type, Algeria replied instantly. What a team this Algerian team is. They are the ones with the real ex-factor players.
Meanwhile, Balogun is off for Awaziem.
Akpoguma tucks into CD to partner Omeruo
61’gone and still Nig 1-1 Tun
Akpoguma is been moved to center back with the introduction of Awaziem, Omeruo is zero
We need to see Dessers now, and Ejuke
Much better from Nigeria so far in the second half.
65′ Jamilu Collins on for Zaidu.
Zaidu seems to have hurt his groin from the rough handling he has received from the Tunisians.
How long will it take to take chukwueze out? It’s obvious he’s not at the top of his game today….try other players out now abi na for qualifiers this man wan dey test players??
Musa seems to be old and out of pace.
67’nice pass from deep from Iwobi leading to a beautiful 1-2 between Musa and Iheanacho to set Ahmed Musa free….but Iheanacho weighs the through pass a tad too far into the reach of the Tunisian goal keeper
Yes ooo, Dessers coming in!
70′ Awaziem has conceeded more freekicks in just 10 mins than the whole team conceeded before he came in.
Ahmed Musa off for Cyriel Dessers.
Welcome to Naija @Dessers.
75’min
5th Yellow card to Tunisia.
Apparently, there’s nothing friendly to the Tunisians about this friendly.
Ejuke on for Chukwueze.
These have been the worst games i’ve seen chukwueze play since his u17 days.
The lad is way too predictable. He needs to reinvent his game.
I raised this concern last 2 weeks. 3rd season in the la liga and Samu has not added anything to his game. I cant imagine Ansu Fati spending 3 seasons in La liga and remaining where he was wen he started.
I swear never to sing the praises of any young Nigerian player anymore until they show consistency for 3 straight seasons.
I can’t wrap my head around Ajayi still labouring in that DM role, when it’s crystal clear the guy is terribly out of place like and really struggling. Is it like Tijani and Agu are that poor???
Which match are you watching…? LMAO
Who has been breaking the play of the Tunisians in the middle…?
…and i can count like 5 unsuccessful attempts by him to make a traditional DM’s pass to play in his team mates which led to unnecessary turn over of possession to the Tunisians. For me, i understand it is a stop gap measure to have him in that role
MY BROTHER DON’T MIND HIM MAYBE HE IS WATCHING LAST YEARS GAME. AJAYI IS SO SLOW FOR MY LIKENING. NO WONDER FULHAM CONCEDED A LOT OF GOALS. HIS MARKING IS POOR.
Big mouth just they comment 3 hrs after game don finish…LMAO.
“…NO WONDER FULHAM CONCEDED A LOT OF GOALS…” Na for your cooking pot wia you dey watch Ajayi dey play for FULHAM (LMAO) naim you jus watch the match finish…? Olodo.
Okoto meow meow u don come back. No need to comment on a game that was boring as hell. Wondering how some players turned professionals. At least some are bench warmers in the clubs.
Am not sure you are watching the match, perhaps reading the update online
i really want dessers to score oooo
Okoye saves Nigeria’s blushes.
And there goes the final whistle…!
Nig 1-1 Tun
Ejuke shows Rohr that he is ready for the big time. Dessers looked lively, should have been released a couple of times, but the passes did not come thru. Better showing by Nigeria in the second half.
Dessers was lively, used his body well and almost had a shot at goal blocked by the Tunisian goalkeeper.
Our “wait & get” onuachu should learn from real no 9s how to be a complete striker who dont just rely on crosses.
In 15 minutes only you saw him use his body well better than paul. Hmmmmmmmmmmm, mr online reader abeg spare us all that lies. You mentioned earlier about the goal we scored, please how many of the passes were given to paul in the first game.
Mr online writer who will give passes to someone who has gone to hide in between the opponents’ central defenders waiting for only crosses for 65 mins. You can go and form your own national team and make your ‘wait & get’ striker your top 9. Serious minded strikers are staking a claim for shirt even with just 15 minutes on the pitch.
The Boys tried but I did’t see hunger at all. They are all average players as far as I am concerned.
I really laugh out loud in swahili when some folks here say GR should be winning Qatar 2022 with Nigeria. Guys, please stop deceiving yourselves biko. Nigeria (and Africa) ain’t anything near winning the Mundial. All you need do is to just compare the quality and standards of UEFA Nations League with what we see with our play and you will understand what i am saying.
Meanwhile, Algeria has just gone 2-1 up vs Mexico courtesy captain fantastic riyhad mahrez.
These are the real ex-factor players.
Mexico started the game with a 5-4-1 formation, indicating just how much respect they have for the Algerians. Nice game of football.
Underrate this Algerian team at your peril.
meanwhile mexico just equalized against the run of play
@Dr Dre you are a big Loser to say Riyhad Mahrez is a real X factor Player. How much does he cost in the transfer market. Mahrez was sold to Man City from Leicester City, Ndidi is unsellable. You ungrateful Online reader. We have Much more Potential in Chukuweze than Mahrez you Ingrate Dr Drey. Let me not even compare Osimhen to Mahrez. because Osimhen is levels above his price tag alone proves it his movements. Mahrez is shining because he is Trusted to shine he is relied upon and is the rightful Captain of the team. Let me tell you you piece of shit @Dr Fraud if Osimhen and Ndidi were there along with Joe Aribo, give Ndidi that Arm band which he fully deserves. Algeria would have taking a Big Hiding from Nigeria. That is Facts!!!!… even Chidera Ejuke cameo shows what we are lacking when Musa is on the Pitch. more facts!!!!…
Hahahahahah….Iwu’beribe….senseless idiot. Musa this, Musa that…..Musa created the 1st goal and won the penalty for the would-have-been 2nd goal. If he were a selfish like your so-called ex-factor players, he should have taken the penalty himself and put Nigeria 2-0 ahead.
What pains me for you is not that you are senseless….what pains me most for you is that you lack basic common sense. Your so-called ex-factor players were exposed in these friendlies and were 2 of the worst players that turned out for us. Your ex-factor players are not even fit to lace Mahrez’s boots. Your potential chukwueze couldnt complete a successful dribble in 2 matches when Mahrez was propelling his team to grab 4 points against teams above them (29th and 11th) in the FIFA rankings. As stupid as you are, you want to compare a CF to a winger…..are you already conceding defeat so easily that your ex-factor wingers arent anywhere close to Mahrez….? See the way you are beating about the bush….looking for something to say….you are lost for words even for your ex-factor players ehn….LMAO. You should just have said your ex-factor Kalu and chukwueze are better than Mahrez….that would have had more substance compared to all these crap you were struggling to type…..LMAO
One of My X Factor players Iheanacho showed you exactly what he is capable off he scored so Musa triped got a penalty which was a beautiful ball by Iwobi on a plate for him and he trips and gets a penalty which Iheanacho missed. Osimhen would have buried that ball by Iwobi.
Second point Why cant Musa carry a ball or break the line??? OLODO!!!
Thirdly my point is If you call Mahrez a real X factor player which he is I don’t deny that. Then your block head should comprehend that Osimhen, Ndidi and Chukwueze are the same. Joe Aribo is very influential too. Don’t discredit the ability of our players to prove your Stupid Reckless points Mugu!!!!
Hahahahaha……Iheanacho scores and has suddenly become one of your x-factor players. It was this same Musa who is finished that gave him that delightful flicked assist, similar to that sumptuous chest pass assist he gave to Ighalo vs Cameroon at AFCON (something we have not seen from any of your overrated so-called ex-factors players). Your ex-factor players that can carry ball or break the line…pls remind us of their contributions significant or insignificant in these 2 friendlies……LMAO
Musa did not trip, he was hacked down by the Tunisian goalkeeper on his way to rounding him to score…that was why the keeper was yellow carded. If he had been a selfish player who was desperate, he would have chosen to take the PK being the one who earned it and the team captain…still he allowed KC take it.
After calling me a loser for calling Mahrez an X-factor player, you now turn around to say you dont deny that Mahrez is an x-factor player….seems the dust you were smoking that blocked your senselessness is wearing off gradually.
It is easy for you to discredit all that a veteran like Musa has done AND IS STILL DOING to prove your stupidity, as if he is supposed to remain ageless. When he was the age of your ex-factor players, he was sought after by coaches of all the national teams…from flying eagles, to U23 team to WAFU team to SE. He was shuttling all these teams at the same time. But a senseless bigot like you wants him kicked out when he is still proving valuable even till last night. Despite not playing for close to a month, he was still able to earn us what would have be a 2 goal contribution, on the same pitch where your x-factor superhero couldn’t contribute anything as meaningful as a completed dribble….LMAO.
Musa will be gradually eased out of the SE like Mikel and Yobo was…but till then…Any time you see Musa in a SE shirt pls look for pesticide and drink.
After Seeing your x-factor Onyekuru, kalu and Chukwueze flop woefully, your attention has now shifted to Aribo, Ndidi and Osimhen….LMAO. Confused idiot.
@Dr Drey Guy I have had Osimhen’s back for ages since before Afcon and you threatened me for it. I will not debate any further with you. Lets see if Musa will be invited going forward when all is fit Loser like you. I didn’t bother reading your trash. Onyekuru will get called up again watch and it will be in place of Musa. Watch this space now. Go back to threads and see who I backed ass whole.
Ndidi, Aribo and Osimhen are always top of my mouth. Unlike you who worships Ahmed Flop Musa.
Chukwueze on the other hand is a Work in progress and definitely has X factor dust all over him Unai Emeri confirms it..
Musa Thank you for your services but last night proved Rohr know’s Ball. If Musa impacted the game so much as you claim. why was he hauled off instead of Chukwueze. See guy when you saw musa creating a penalty peops wey sabi ball including Rohr clearly as he is the coach were wondering why he didn’t bury that chance created by Iwobi. How Many successful Dribbles did Musa complete?, lets talk of simple passing and positioning. that assist for Iheanacho was a fluke Knowing Musa FACTS!!!!.
For me it is simple If you are not playing in England Spain Ger,many, italy, France (PSG, Lyon) Turkey (Galatasaray). Ukraine (Shakta or Dinamo) , Scotland (Celtic or Rangers), Russia (CSKA or Lokomotiv) you should be overlooked unless you are a special talent. PERIOD!!!!
Hehehehe…you didnt bother to read my trash, so how did you know I mention Onyekuru in the trash….LMAO. Bloody broad day lair.
“…How Many successful Dribbles did Musa complete…?” Did musa play from the wings….LMAO….fool. Or your senses did have still not told you he partnered Nacho in the central striking psoition. How many successful dribbles did Iheanacho complete…? How many successful dribbles did Dessers complete when he came on. Your brain was upside down when he was almost rounding the keeper to score from the pass from Iwobi…? Or how did he earn the penalty if he wasn’t hacked down by the goal keeper. The assist was a fluke…LMAO…like the sweet chest pass he gave to Ighalo vs Cameroon, or like the 14 other assists he has made in the SE shirt…? LMAO. Why did your ex-factor overrated Kalu and chukwueze give even FLUKE assist…let us know that at least it was an assist. That FLUKE assist from musa was his 15th assist for Nigeria…..even Finidi our greatest 7 of all time cannot boast of 15 SE assists…and this is the REAL FACT. Musa should not have been humble to allow Nacho take the PK himself…he should have been greedy to take his goals tally for nigeria to 16 goals. 15 goals and 15 assists…and still counting. Pls remind us of any Nigerian winger that can boast of those figures since Odegbami left.
Musa was not hauled off…he was simply made way for Dessers in the 75th minute in a like-for-like substitution to give Dessers his debut….but as you nor get sense na how you wan take know that one.
Like I said earlier Musa will be gradually eased out of the SE with 100 caps and at a Major tournament like Mikel and Yobo was….till then….any time you see Musa in a SE shirt look for nearest tree beside you and bite it for the duration of the game.
MAhrez is not an X-factor player……LMAO…compound fool
@Dr Drey Football has changed and only teams that Have their “Top” players playing in the top 5 leagues in Europe can compete on the global stage FACTS!!!!
Go and chop suya OLODO!!!!!!!!
Go and jump inside well whenever you see Captain Ahmed Musa in the SE. LMAO
Final whistles, so far so good, we have tried all our “stars” has its been clamored for, and we can now conclude we still can’t do with some players and the truth remains that we didn’t have more than 15 players that are super stars and can stand the test, the rest are just average and overrated. Let’s spare Rohr of all this unnecessary criticism, we just don’t have those stand out players yet. I think by now, we know our first 11
Second half over. My comment. I blame the coach for playing Akpogbuma on the right because that was how Tunisia was able to score the Equalizer . Awaziems inclusion made Akpogbuma show us his abilities in the centre defence and he performed well. Ajayi is kinda average as a defensive midfielder and Musa is not like the Musa I used to know . Inclusion of Dessers and Ejuke was cool . Though I couldn’t see any magic that Dessers could performed when the link btw the midfield and attack was faulty .
The team needs work in the attack and the coach is still not impressive in tactics and selections
So it was Akpoguma who lost his man and couldnt even jockey him properly out of play…?? LMAO
Someone seems to be looking for whom to put omeruo’s blame on.
Common man did u watch the match? Omeruo just dey escort that man like police escort till Im pass….E suppose don sha the guy before the pass.
So so disappointed in this game.. I wish I didn’t waste my time watching this match..
The boys didn’t look like they wanted to win this match, and I wonder why.
Seeing omeruo with the captain arm ban got me more annoyed..
God bless Chidera ejuke for some good play towards the end of the match..
Iheanacho is running out of steam…..don’t know what is happening to that talent. Apart from the goal man was below average..
Iheanacho*
The biggest lessons we have learnt from these friendlies…..”Not all that glitters is gold”…Rohr must call this, Rohr must call that….Rohr must stop inviting the same set of players….Rohr must throw the SE camp open…..bla bla bla
LEAVE THE DAMN COACH TO DO HIS DAMN JOB and sack him if he doesn’t deliver on his targets. QED.
But I think Chidera should’ve been introduced earlier…..Chukwueze didn’t impress in the first game and was also not impressive in the first half of the just concluded game.
He seems so predictable now …so why wait that long? Can’t do this in the qualifiers.
I didn’t get to see Ola Aina, I wonder why?
1. Ejuke and dessers have come to stay
2. Akpoguma not bad but not an improvement on what we had already.
3. Ekong should come back to form. It’s ekong and balogun defence.
4. I miss etebo ndidi and aribo
5. Onuachu is out finally
6. Okoye is gold
7. When our midfield is back we will be fine.
What was spectacular about the game. It was like watching the Flying Eagles play. This eagles needs better upgrade. This looks like a wasted friendly for me. HOW WILL YOU INVITE PLAYERS AND NOT USE THEM APPROPRIATELY. You bringing them in 15 mins to the end of the game. What have they displayed for the coach to learn anything or the so called online coaches. What happened to the remaining 3 goalkeepers. Why were they not given a chance. ITs obvious Rohr was desperate to win the game.
WHICH TEAM ARE THEY COMING TO STAY. ARE YOU SAYING THE 15 MINS YOU SAW OF THERE PLAYS, YOU CONVINCED THEY ARE EAGLES MATERIAL. PLEASE MAYBE YOU WERE WATCHING THERE LEAGUE MATCHES
The Super Eagles played well. Good game. They can only get better
One major lesson I know rohn must have learnt is that we need more options in middle of play.. As a matter of urgency we must find adequate replacement for ndidi and etebo.. What if if this two guys gets injured in tournamen so we would the running helter scatter. The sad part is that we don’t have qualities options at the moment.. Rohn shouldn’t have discarded shehu and azezz so easily..
Some tribal bigot here dont want to see anybody from other regions in the SE. Shehu has always been a very decent utility player…more like the Garba Lawal of this era…since his days in the U23s with Siasia. I cant remember 1 game in the SE shirt where he ever put a foot wrong. But SE players MUST come from their region. May God help us all.
@Dr. Drey… Thank you. I did mentioned here before that some people don’t want anyone other than SE to be tolerated in SE. If the best is from one household we should have them but as long as there are other good players from elsewhere… everyone is welcomed. I agree with your point on Abdullahi Shehu… that guy is even a good right back better than Awaziem and Ebuehi to me… African football is not easy as can be seen from both these games versus Algeria and Tunisia. The foreign borns must try to adapt to the physicality… I repeat, we must try to give opportunities to Simy, olayinka and Emmanuel Dennis likewise Sadiq before we begin to zero in on regulars… Ejuke did OK but can reduce dribbling subsequently and chukwueze must improve… I still believe Ajayi and Balogun should be our first choice central defence paring… We need Azubuike Okechukwu, Ejaria… I don’t think Eze is thinking Nigeria. God bless all Super Eagles fans… even my antagonist friend Dr. Analyst Drey…
Every player who CAN PLAY WITH THIS TEAM will get his opportunity, so far they are not “wait & get strikers”. You yourself saw what Dessers did in the no 9 role within just 15 mins…..probably more than Onuachu has done since the 3rd minute of his debut vs Egypt. As time goes on, they will all get their turn, maybe in a few more friendlies (if and when we get them) or when we qualify for AFCON once again with 2 games to spare….and something tells me we are qualifying for afcon in November.
God bless us all.
I just want to say that friendly games are meant to help the coaches learn and if coach rohr doesnt learn from this games then I dont know what else to say.
My assessment of the team:
Defence was alright, except for when omeruah allowed that player get past him so easily. Akpoguma tried as a RB but that is not his role, as a RB he offers nothing going forward and should be better used as a CB. But from the game it was clear to see that our CBs are a bit better than him. They have more composure on the ball, May be he will improve with time.
Ajayi is not a DM. he kept making wrong passes and giving the ball away. I cant remember seeing him win a single ball from an opponent. He has to go back to the defence. He cant compete with our best in DM.
ALEX IWOBI was overworked. He did everything in the MF,chasing lose balls, winning balls back, driving the team forward, trying to create something. He was a warrior in the field, I felt bad for him because there was no one else in the MF to take some of the pressure off.
Chukwueze did nothing today, and he was one player who shouldn’t have come on the pitch in the second half. I think he should be benched for our future games he needs to learn that you cant expect to start games when you dont contribute anything to the team.
Simon combined well with sanusi in the game. He tried TO create opportunities and run at the opposition he also did his fair share of defending.
Ahmed musa had some flashes, was involved in the first goal and was fouled for the penalty. But outside that didnt influence the game in any way. No hold up play no good passes or shots at goal, nothing. He shouldn’t start games and should consider retiring at the end of the qualifiers.
Iheanacho showed that he is still relevant to the team. I can see a iheanacho-osimhen combination getting us goals. His first goal was excellent. His penalty miss was unfortunate. He still played very well. And I want him to start more games. Desser showed a bit of his game. Dont know why Rohr kept him on the bench so long. His hold up play Is great. I thought he actually scored when his hold up play created an opportunity for him. With more time and better MF, He will score goals. I think he should be eased in to the team and given enough support.
Now, Ejuke. Wasn’t given enough time but still showed what he can do. Gliding past defenders and everyone who came at him as if they weren’t there. Was a little selfish at times but I dont blame him. He is a star player being kept on the bench for what? He showed that creative spark we have been looking for plus he was easily getting past all those defenders that our wingers were finding difficult to get past.
Rohr should give him more time and freedom to play for the team. The kind of freedom the likes of kalu and chukwueze are enjoying presently.
Like one commentator said, he hopes the coach has seen who to invite and who not to invite. I believe that when our four absentee players return, the team will be much stronger.
A good test match, i liked what I saw.
My observation are:
Akpoguma plays better as a CB than RB.
Ball control of Moses is top notch, his set pieces are good too but he doesn’t threaten opposition’s defence that much as a winger.
Ejuke dribbles too much, we are not here for showboating.
Dessers should be given more game time as he got today he looks quality.
Gernot Rohr tried in giving players minutes but should improve his generosity by giving players quality time to prove themselves.
We will get there.
Check this out: Moving forward I will like to see this formation and players:
Okoye
Tyronne. Akpo. Leon. Zaidu.
Ndidi.
(Etebo)Ejaria. Aribo.
Iheanacho. Iwobi.
Osimhem
I’ve said this before and will say it again Omeruo, Onuachu, iheanacho are not super Eagles material for now, omeruo in particular same mistakes all the time taking is eyes off the ball, he lacks the speed and the technicalities to be a central defender. Rohr should pls inject fresh legs into this team, this team is not improving with these crop of players, maybe lookman Ejeria, and Sodiq will bring something new. Who knows
Which match did you watch?? Bro leave Iheanacho alone, he’s way better than Onuachu. What Onuachu couldn’t do he showed it today. Apart from the penalty miss he was constantly a nuisance to the Tunisa defense. Harrying and harassing them all through the 90 minutes. If paired with Osimhen in attack we are sure to have goal scoring chances. I think Omeruo showed why he was never chased by a big club. His days are numbered but will still be part of the team. As for Onuachu a may have played his last game in a SuperEagles Jersey. As for Iheanacho he showed today that he’s still relevant for this SuperEagles take it or leave it.
@ Femi u shut up, why is it that most of u always want your players to features irrespective of what they will bring to the team.? Ajayi did well and don’t think any of those players u mentioned will do better. Pls if u know better kindly apply take up a team and be doing your nonsense things there.
Good observations @Sportsfan. I also feel an Osimhen-Iheanacho combo in attack will fetch us goals going forward. Iheanacho is still very much relevant to this SuperEagles. Chukwueze may lose his starting spot henceforth because he doesn’t seem to have improved or show consistency over the last three years. Ejuke is the real deal on the left side. Simon can’t get past his marker easily while Ejuke does it effortlessly. Simon is only good defensively. Overall we need Ndidi, Etebo and Aribo to be back fully fit. And the likes of Azubuike Zubby, Azeez and Ejaria are relevant to this team in the next phase important matches.
@AYphilly. But this same Simon gets past his markers very easily when featuring for Nantes. His defensive duties in the SE are what saps up much of the stamina he needs to get past markers. Its not really easy tracking back and running forward and still having enough lungs to beat defenders who are probably as pacey as he is. Add defensive duties to Ejuke and Chukwueze’s roles and see if dem go fir carry leg after the match…Lolz
Lol! I get your point. Don’t get me wrong Simon makes the team balance with his all round approach to the game. In a situation where we need goals I’m afraid. Will still keep him as an important cog of the team though.
Yea, in a situation where we need goals, you can sacrifice him for a more gong-ho Ejuke-esque type of player
@Ayphilly, bro, Simon is a good player any day, like Dre rightly said Simon spent too much time defending, I think we should pair him with Osimhen in one of our up coming friendly and see how it goes. But I think ur boy iheanacho needs to loose some weight, that guy is not improving just my opinion.
I’ve never complained about Simon defending. He gives the team balance especially when he operates on the right side. I Just like to see him more involved in attacking moves that can result to goals like he did against Brazil. I really don’t see anything wrong with Iheanacho’s weight. For him to withstand 90 minutes means he’s physically fit and doesn’t seem to lose his pace. He took his goal very well, outmuscled his marker and finished with aplomb. Your Onuachu whom you claimed was better than Iheanacho before the AFCON was just stoic like an iroko tree without any hold up play to bring his teammates into play. Kelechi proves today that he’s very much relevant to this SuperEagles any day anytime going forward. If you have a problem with his weight just take a look at Lukaku. I will keep saying it over and over again an Osimhen-Iheanacho combo will guarantee goals for the SuperEagles against any opposition.
when I saw the formation I was deeply worried about the inclusion of omeruo. walahi that guy don too fall hand, I don’t trust him and aweziem in the central back. well it was all good. we hope it get better, I was happy to see ejuke and dessers, though i expected them earlier . musa and iheanacho needs to do more that early display (fantastic combination) was not enough they still have to show more class. akpoguma was very comfortable in CD can displace omeruo. aina still our best and most creative right back we really missed him today, he should have been in place of omeruo, as akpoguma could play cb. The formation was good. In the future I will like to see vo9 ndidi aribo back in the team. kelechi penalty?
Akpoguma can replace omeruo or he has already replaced him. Going by these friendlies, the pecking order of CDs in the SE are
1. Balogun.
2. Ajayi.
3. Akpoguma.
4. Ekong.
5. Omeruo.
6. Awaziem.
by the time the likes of Adarabioyo, Udohkai and Torunarigha come in…na for stadium car park dem go dey leave Omeruo and Awaziem. Bcos that right full back position is not Awaziem’s own at all….the guy is just trying his best, but clearly, Aina and Ebuehi are ahead of him. On the left its Zaidu and Collins till we can get Calvin Bassey Ughelumba.
By the way how on earth did the NFF accept this kind of stadium in a country like Austria?? Even the Asaba stadium looks much better. We should’ve stayed in the stadium we played the Algerians. By and large we’ve been afforded the opportunity to know those that have played their last match in a SuperEagles Jersey and those that are still relevant to the team. It was not a fluke that we lost to Algeria as I think they’re the best team in Africa at the moment and I won’t be surprised if they usurp Senegal to become Africa’s number one ranked team in the next Fifa rankings. Nigeria and Tunisia showed why they’re the top 2 and 3 ranked team on the continent. Kudos to everyone involved we look forward to the double header against Sierra Leone. Hopefully all of our regulars will be back to full fitness by then.
Lol, even Onikan stadium is better than that place!
@Ayphillly, lol you are a trouble maker, Me clamoring for Onuachu you funny, you know my players now, Dennis, Ejeke and igbekeme were the players I was rooting for before the Afcon. Moving forward I think the combo of Simon and Osimhen can be deadly. What do u guys think of 4 4 2 for us at this point. I think we ve the players now to execute it well.
Sunnyb.
4-4-2 for me is outdated o. And I don’t think the players we have currently are built for it. Infact how many teams still play 4-4-2 these days….surely not many. 3-5-2 is proving time and again to be very effective for us, together with our 4-2-3-1. I’ll prefer we spend time and energy perfecting those 2. Moreover, we need to add some physicality to our game. Our players now get beaten to 50:50s by north africans…thats preposterous IMHO. Most of our players cannot seem to last for 90 minutes anymore. North Africans now looking more athletic than us….ah no ways…!
Good game in general. Let’s not be too quick in saying Omeruo and Ekong should be dropped, who do we have to replace them at this point. Udokhai and Torunarigha are not Nigerians yet, until dia switch is complete our CD are still Oneruo, Ekong, Balogun, Akpaguma, Ajayi, Awaziem (if allowed to play there). Even if we get those 2 guys, it will take some time to adapt to the style of the team and the rigors of African football as Akpaguma is learning, Their impact may not be seen immediately, so we as fans need to be patient. I do think however that Omeruo makes some elementary mistakes that tends to cost us, he should have just shadowed that Tunisian guy to the touchline. Football no easy tho and no one is above mistake tho. Omeruo looks too thick and rigid but I will not personally discard him just yet as we dont really have alternatives.
Ahmed Musa should be sent off sane way Yobo and Mikel were gradually phased out by participating at the 2021 AFCON, that should be his last in my opinion, especially if he is still clubless.
Iheanacho tried but he needs to do more. Anybody can miss a penalty, we would be saying “what a penalty” if he had scored. I think he and and Musa are both support strikers and pairing them with each other was a mistake when you have a striker like Dessers on the team, even though they combined for the 1st goal. Only 15 mins for Dessers and Ejuke is not enough time to assess both of them but one can see flashes of what to come. Ejuke went past his markers easily but the outcome was zero, he needs to dribble with purpose (by either dribbling to create space to shoot at goal or to give an incisive pass not playing to the gallery). He looks a good prospect tho.
Chukwueze was doubled up on anytime he had the ball, indicating that most teams plan for him, I think sometimes he need to switch with the other winger (moses or kalu) to give defenders different things to think about. I think the reason why Ejuke was able to go past defenders easily was bcos most teams dont know him and hence is unpredictable.
Tunisia also came to win d game not to sell Okrika like Drey says, they are #2 in Africa for a reason.
If we are truly honest with ourselves, the SE players are average hence the clubs they play for (Leicester, Everton, Westbrom, Nantes, Bordeaux, Fulham, Galatasaray, Genk etc). These are either mid table teams, bottom teams or clubs in obscure leagues). People will say Everton and Leicester nko, we know deep down these teams are mid table teams just punching above their weight. So let’s be realistic with our expectations as regards to this SE team.
To be honest our level in world football are the likes of Serbia, Ukraine, Algeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Poland, BIH,Sweden, Austria, Russia, Denmark, USA, Mexico, Peru, Japan, South Korea, Turkey etc. These teams are all 2nd round and maybe quarter final material, hence sa
getting a semi final target is unrealistic.
My disappointment is that we didnt get to see Aina play. Also Dessers and Ejuke didbt get enough playing time. I was expecting 30-60 mins of play for both of them. 15 mins is not enough time to really showcase what you can add to a team.
Also fans may suggest players to d coach that doesn’t mean he should do what fans are saying, he is the one with the coaching job. Ultimately it’s the gaffer that selects his players he thinks can get the job done. TWhen the team wins the coach should be praised and when they dont perform well the coach needs to be criticized constructively, he needs to answer some questions as to why the team underperformed.
I still think the coach is still on the right track with the SE. Just my humble opinion.
I concur with you @Proudly9ja. Especially on the fact that our players are still mostly between just being average and a bit above average (of course with the exception of Ndidi and Osimhen).
All these illusion of we having “stars” or “the best players in Africa” will lead us into taking wrong decisions very soon. Look at how Algeria made Kalu and chukwueze look like kenyan league players and how Tunisia made our forward line look less than the deity we have almost turned them into. I watched Algeria vs Mexico as I was also watching Nigeria vs Tunisia and even individually, man to man the Algerians are up there, whether in terms of technique or in terms of decision making….maybe because most of them were foreign born players, raised in France, Holland and Belgium. But you could see that these ones’ ball senses is not the typical arab nay african ball sense.
Our boys are laying for at best average clubs who will see qualification for Europa league a BIG achievement. WC semifinalists are not playing in the Europa league…if at all they do, its at the latter stages. World cup semifinalists are playing year in year out in the UCL, as from the qfinal stages upwards. If we ever want to get to the semifinals of the WC……then our players should be good enough to play in such clubs. Until then….a WC quarter final will be the biggest miracle yet to happen to our football.
Currently we are still on the same level with Japan, Iran, maybe USA, Venezuela, Serbia, Ukraine, Austria. If you check the clubs where the players from these countries play, they are on the same level with the clubs our plays play in at the moment.
A lot lot lot more work still needs to be done to get there…but hopefully we shall someday soon.
What was spectacular about the game. It was like watching the Flying Eagles play. This eagles needs better upgrade. This looks like a wasted friendly for me. HOW WILL YOU INVITE PLAYERS AND NOT USE THEM APPROPRIATELY. You bringing them in 15 mins to the end of the game. What have they displayed for the coach to learn anything or the so called online coaches. What happened to the remaining 3 goalkeepers. Why were they not given a chance. ITs obvious Rohr was desperate to win the game.
Again, Belmadi has proven to be the best coach in Africa. He showed his tactical prowess today against highly rated Mexico. They were one man down and went on to take the lead and Mexico had to force them to a draw. Compare the level of the technicalities, formation and team structure to SE and you will understand why it is important for SE handlers to focus on versatile players that can easily integrate into different formations. There is no need to recycle underperformed players..
GK: Yakubu, Alampasu, Okoye, Uzoho
DF: Ebuehi, Aina, Balogun, Akpo, Adarabioyo, Zaidu, Collins, and Ekong..
CMF: Iwobi, Ndidi, Etebo, Azeez, Ejaria, Aribo, Shehu, and Samson.
AMF: V.Moses, S.Moses, Lookman, Chukzy, Dennis, and Ejike
Forward: Osim, Maja, Musa, Olayinka, Dessers, Nacho, Sadiq..
Exactly Drey, like u said other than Osimen, Ndidi and maybe Iwobi, the rest players are average at best. We are proud of them dont mean we shouldn’t be objective in evaluating them. I added USA but in reality u will agree with me that they are superior to us but on our day we can defeat them.
How many 9ja players played in Champions from the round of 16, all our players that even participated in UCL were all eliminated in the group stages if am not mistaken. Same tin for Europa league. People go say V. Moses of inter and O. Ighalo of ManU but they are both retired from SE.
I think GR knows 75% of the guys he will use to persecute the worldcup and AFCON qualifiers. I think he shouldn’t be doing all these Wholesale changes (I understand it’s due to necessity) if he has the main players at his disposal. Maybe 2-3 new players tops, no more than dat. Thank God we have seen Sanusi, Ejuke, Apkaguma, Dessers who are good additions to SE. The only 3 people I will call in addition to those I mentioned would be Ejaria (midfield) and Lookman (winger) if the switch is completed, and Sadiq (attacker). GR should then focus solely on blending and having the team play as a cohesive unit.
Something noteworthy is Sadiq Umar scored a nice goal for Almeria but was denied. Am not calling for his inclusion in actual games but a friendly wont be bad. he van give Dessers a run for his moni.
As far as the continent of Africa is concerned, I think our defense is ok. We should be able to win our November games comfortably against Sierra Leone.
@Dr Drey, Bro how do we get the best from lookman and ejike these guys seems to be natural wingers in my opinion, do u think they can flourish in 3 5 2 formation, what do u guys think of Simon and Osimhen combo, or Musa and Osimhen combo.
That’s why sometimes I just laugh when some Fans said Rohr should win the WorldCup with this team. I wonder which WorldCup they’re talking about?? Maybe the U17 WorldCup where 35 year olds are claiming to be 17. I can understand the pressure to win the AFCON. Like @Proudly9ja said with the caliber of players we have at our disposal, if the gaffer can get them to play in a cohesive unit SuperEagles can be very difficult to beat on the African continent. Obviously, most of our players even though majority plays in top 10 European leagues, but they’re mostly mid table clubs that barely compete in the Europa league to say the least. The ones that play in the Champions league don’t go beyond the group stage or eliminated in the qualifying playoffs.
I can only keep solace on the fact that the likes of Ndidi, Osimhen, and Iwobi are still under 25 with some other promising younger ones in the team. We really need ball playing midfielders in this team. Ndidi, Aribo, Etebo, Iwobi, Azeez, Ejaria in that pecking order with Azubuike Zubby also given a chance in the near future. That will mostly depends on his form with his Turkish Champions club Istanbul Basaksehir. Rohr likes players playing in the champions league and I think playing in that competition for his club can get him a call up. Nwakali will need to be playing regularly for Huesca to be able to get a chance in the team.
Our defense surely can withstand any attack on the African continent and I think we might’ve found a top goalkeeper. I just hope he will be getting enough playing time at Sparta Rotterdam Okoye seems to have nailed the number one goalkeeper spot from what I’ve seen. The way he deals with crosses is absolutely amazing. A man mountain of a goalie. Sanusi, Ebuehi and Akpoguma did well with addition of Ehizibue our defense can only get better.
The final third is where I’m expecting some players to step up significantly or forget about the SuperEagles. Chukwueze and Kalu must watch their back while I’m expect Iheanacho to keep working hard and stay fit. A potential partnership between Osimhen and Iheanacho if both are on the same page can be very deadly in a 3-5-2 formation. Musa needs to go back Europe as soon as the January window and if not he needs to be lightning up the Saudi league. And yes I will give the likes of Sadiq, Olayinka and Simy the opportunity to show what they can offer as we approach a marathon of Matches between now and the AFCON in January 2022. There will be injuries and loss of form along the way which are inevitable therefore, we must be having our best players available to blend the team into well organized, well grounded cohesive unit.
I think both matches served there purpose. To provide stern test and examination of our players.By now am sure we all have discounted our expectations from this team.we now know that matches are not played on the pages of newspapers but on the pitch.Crucially too, the impression that we only need to show up and win matches.
I will be brutally honest with my assessment of some of our players.
Musa.I think that his best days are behind him.He chased petrol dollars to Saudi Arabia, yes he got it but his game suffered for it.He has lost his greatest assets which is pace.He seems to be in the team because of his experience. Even though he is officially ’27’, we must be honest to admit that age is catching up with him and his exit from the team is in the horizon.He should respect himself and quit after next year AFCON.
Omeruo.He showed exactly why he is playing at Leganes in the spanish second tier and not Chelsea.How on earth will you allow a player cut in from the touchline and lay such killer pass? Again he too might be ’27’ but we know that age is catching up with him too. He too should consider retirement after 2021 Afcon if he makes it that far.
Ekong, when a player drops from series A to the English championship, it does not add up and we saw it against Algeria. Dude should sit up or his place will be taken by Kelvin.
Iheanacho,Apart from his goal and penalty miss, he really harassed the opponent but the inconsistency and casuality in his play is the reason he is not fully trusted by Bredan Rogers. I suspect dude has to watch his lifestyle too.Dude appears a little overweight and appears to be growing his tummy.
Ejuke, His dribbling skills are needed against compact playing teams like the Algerian.But he should dribble on purpose and with an end in mind.Specifically, he should learn to dribble forward not sideways so that he can draw defenders out of positions and create goal scoring opportunities.
But good debut all the same.
Dessert certainly need more game time but his qualities is not in doubt.
Chukwueze need competition and his advisors must ensure that he has his feet on the ground all the time.He got taken out by defenders quite easily this days.maybe, a midfielder should play close to him to provide support on one on one situations.
We still need Ejaria and Eze in this team to provide options in our midfield while the search for a very good midfield enforcer is still on to provide cover for Ndidi.Somebody in the mould of Sani Kieta in his prime.
So it is not about beating Lesotho, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone and begin to think we have a dream team, the real test comes against the top ranked teams in africa, that is where the qualification for WC 2022 will be won or lost, Ditto for the later stages of Afcon.
Out of the possible 6 points against the top ranked teams, we came away with a single point.I leave you to draw your conclusions.
Again, Belmadi has proven to be the best coach in Africa. He showed his tactical prowess today against highly rated Mexico. They were one man down and went on to take the lead and Mexico had to force them to a draw. Compare the level of the technicalities, formation and team structure to SE and you will understand why it is important for SE handlers to focus on versatile players that can easily integrate into different formations. There is no need to recycle underperformed players..
GK: Yakubu, Alampasu, Okoye, Uzoho
DF: Ebuehi, Aina, Ajayi, Balogun, Akpo, Adarabioyo, Zaidu, Collins, and Ekong..
CMF: Ndidi, Etebo, Azeez, Ejaria, Aribo, Shehu, and Samson.
AMF: Iwobi, V.Moses, S.Moses, Lookman, Chukzy, Dennis, and Ejike
Forward: Osim, Maja, Musa, Olayinka, Dessers, Nacho, Sadiq..
Look at this one above too.see selections of his striker and midfielder.. Truly some people will fail if there coach. They think is is easy to just draw out names.. Rubish
We have alot of CBs in the team but I still think we need a left footed CB in that team for balance. Awaziew is not an ideal CB, he is more of a make shift RB or a DM. If more defenders declare for the Super eagles then I fear for players like omerua, ekong & awaziem. Good to see that Rohr has decided on Okoye in Goal. I knew his size and agility will endear him to the coach and now that the world has seen him in action im guessing his coach at club level will give him more game time. When uzoho gets back to match fitness we will have at least two quality goalies at our disposal.
The MF still belongs to Aribo, Ndidi, Etebo, Iwobi. No one can contest that.
It will take someone who is extra talented to upstage any of them.
The attack is open for me, with the exception of osimhen, no other player can stake a legitimate claim to any shirt in that area. As much as Rohr likes his inverted wingers, even he can see that they dont always work out. Now with Ejuke and desser bringing something new to the team he will have to look at other formations and players in order to get the desired result.