By Johnny Edward:
Nigerian midfielder, Joel Obi will aim for his sixth league goal of the season when Torino play host to Crotone at the Olimpico di Torino later tonight in a Serie A, Completesportsnigeria.com (CSN) reports.
Obi was on target for Torino who smashed Cagliari 4-0 away from home last weekend, and the Nigeria international will hope to find the back of the net again in his 20th appearance of the season.
Obi has made 15 starts in 19 Serie A games for Torino so far this term.
“I hope to score, but that is if the chance comes my way,” Obi told CSN.
If he scores tonight against Crotone, it will also be the second time this season he has scored in consecutive Serie A games following his strikes against Sassuolo in the 1-1 draw and the 3-0 bashing of Benevento both in January at home seven days later.
The former Parma midfielder also vows to work harder to earn more playing time in the Super Eagles and play better in the subsquent games for the national team.
“I was happy returning to the national team in the recent friendlies, but I want to do more than I did if I get another chance,” Obi told CSN.
Copyright © 2022 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.
COMMENTS
U are good. I love ur play. Work harder
You deserve to be in Russia 2018 World cup. May God put you through Joel Obi. God bless Nigeria!!!
MUST READ!
Attn: The Nff President & Super Eagles Chief Coach.
The SE will fail to go beyond the second round stage of the Fifa WC if the essentials were unattended to before the next friendy games.
Fans are agitated and disenchanted thus far..
It is an emergency case that calls for an urgent & drastic change of policy direction.
I write on behalf of myself & millions of soccer enthusiats in Nigeria who also share my strong convictions.
We have read & watched with salutary joy the determination of the Nff to present a strong SE team to Russia 2018 for the sole objective of challenging for the coveted world cup crown, or at least end in top four (4) finish, after failing on five (5) previous occasions to do so inspite of huge financial outlay received each time.
The Nigerian football body is not alone in this dream.
NFF appear to have demonstrated some commitment to this goal by tirelessly working round the clock in ensuring that team preparation is second to none when compared to the ‘fire brigade’ approach we were used to back in the days.
Players bonuses & sundry monetary issues hav also been settled. The Coach even got upwardly reviewed contract extention. These actions speak volumes of a strong statement of intent.
The body language of Caf & Fifa boards aligned with the aspirations of Africa to challenge for the top prize.
Much have gone into this venture in terms of human capital building costs, and all.
Could all these possibly be a charade, a farce, a deliberate show by the NFF to waste scare resources? Could it be that the Nff, in trying to play “boys scout”, have hoodwinked Nigerians into believing in a project they themselves never truly believe in?
It is difficult to tell.
But this seems to be playing out before our eyes.
When going forward becomes going backward, it raises questions on the motive.
Why is the NFF & Coach Gernor Rohr delaying in doing the right things..
Nigerians would hold them accountable for deliberately raising & dashing the hopes of their supporters.
If 2018 isn’t their focus, why not say so?
However, there must be the price to pay if they are serious about 2018!
It won’t come cheap.
Leon Messi is not done yet without the Lion’s crown.
Beyond soccer artistry, organization, the boardroom maneuvers, the techniques & field tactics, it takes a strong, committed attidude by a federation to build a crack team with a realistic chance at the WC.
Are we serious at all?
Can Nigeria finish strong?
With a horde of talented footballers in top leagues in the world, who says Nigeria cannot raise four (4) quality teams for Russia?
But, we have not shown enough hunger of a people desirous of taking home the Lions crown.
SE currently parades perhaps the most talented bunch of footballers in the history of Nigerian football.
But as good as it looks, many believe, unarguably so, that this “Super Eagles team” holds little promise when hostilities commence in June.
The reasons are simple. Our goalkeeping department and the refusal of Nff & GR to invite top quality, consistent goal poachers to the team are giving fans sleepless nights.
Every true SE fan is in turmoil.
Conversations & heated debates on these stances of the Coaching crew are still trending online & everywhere.
Our current top 9 strikers in SE squad are all under performing.
Call a spade a spade, they don’t posses the ‘killer instinct’ requires to consistently notch-in goals.
They cannot conquer the world.
Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho is only 19 years old, young & fragile.
He plays for a 3rd-rate Spanish team. Though very talented, would be in tatteres if thrown into the middle of a battleground where experience counts more than sheer talent and luck.
The young keeper will be coming up against the best lethal hitmen in the history of FIFA competitions.
Messi & Ronaldo will be prowling at the party. Rob Lewandowski and Lukaku would offer a handful.
The Agueros, the Neymars, the Mbappes, Sanes, Cavanies, Costas, Williams, Iscos, Mo Salahs, Harry Kanes, et al will be too willing to test the quality of this neophite.
We don’t need a witch-doctor to foretell the outcome.
No Nation has ever won the World Cup with half-hearted strikers either.
SE needs two (2), with one as backup, no sentiments.
The strikers we had in camp for qualifiers & against Poland & Serbia friendlies are all pretenders, and far short of what Nigeria had in Yekini, Siasia or Julius Aghahowa.
The call right now is for a quality 9 in addition to an experienced goalkeeper, or forget your ambition to go beyound the quarterfinals.
The midfield wizardry of Mikel Obi won’t be enough to save the team from a catastrophic first round ouster.
I am always spot on.
You can solicit for prayers from a million prophets & alfas, or employ the best ‘juju men’ or ‘Otomokpor’ in Africa, still this team will go nowhere.
However, we want to save us the embarrasment; here we humbly re-present, from our research, the best top 9s Nigeria have for re-assessment.
Pls GR needs to consider them, to include at least 2 on his next friendlies, before his final list for the Mundial:
*1) Cyriel Dessers, 6’1″, 23yrs, Fc Utrecht, 46 goals (106 games)
Aver. return per match = 0.43 (or 43% chance of scoring in a match)
*2) Paul Unuachu, 6’7″, 23yrs, Fc Midtjylland, 37 goals (106)
AR = 0.36 (36%)
*3) Fernando Adi, 6’4″, 27yrs, Portland, 51(116)
AR = 0.44 (44%)
*4) Umar Sadiq, 6’4″, 23yrs, NAC Breda (loan), 3 (11)
AR= 0.27 (27%)
*5) Obafemi Martins, 5’7″, 33yrs, Shanghai Shenhua, 149 (291)
AR = 0.51 (51%)
*6) Aaron Samuel, 6’3″, 23yrs, Amker Perm, 46 (112).
AR = 0.41(41%)
**Club form.
For Goalkeepers:
1) Austin Ejide
2) Dele Aiyenugba.
*One or both for recall.
We would join SE fans in wishing the Nff & the Crew a great and successful outing if, and only if, the right things were done before the start of the tournament; time is a limited resource.
However, the NFF have a choice to disregard this warning & act otherwise, but they won’t be representing the interest of majority of Nigerians.
We are no prophets of doom!
At that point, a disastrous outing awaits us all..
My support for the WC bound SE will end when a final list is released and these changes were not effected.
Thanks for reading.
I rest my case..
@Kingmaker. Spot on. Goal keeping and Striking departments: these areas need urgent overhaul. NFF/Rohr should do something before hostilities start.
Fire on the mountain, bro @ kingmaker.
I have said it before that this team is a child’s play without good strikers. Ighalo will disappoint Nigerians. Musa is lazy. Nigerians should stop trusting this team. But if changes are made to introduce more strikers to increase competition it will profit and help the team. I agree with you on Uzoho.
No experienced goalkeeper like Ejide we are coming after 3 matches.
Thank God for pointing out our deficiencies.
But Martins is injured now. He is our best striker. Maybe Adi, Dessers and Aaron can join tge team.
#Mr.Kingmaker, Among the striker you have mention, I have search youtube for everyone of them and I have found only one of them for now to make super eagles, tha person is Paul Onuachi, he is very tall and he packs punch as striker he is skill and deadly in front of goal, I sees him in mood of Late Rashidi Yekini, and very good with ariel ball. I believe with him as our no 9, Nigeria have nothing to worry about in Russia, he will be able to hold the frontline on his own and allow other player to do lot of danmages in the attact and this is my submission. thank you. please go to youtube and see for your self.
Well the coach revived this hopes, leave him to finish his job. Let him continue with the idea and principle he started with and end with him. After all I don’t think we have the technical dept he possesses. To me it is better to build a solid team with the future in mind. At least at present in Africa we are a team to reckon with. Thinking we can be world cup favourites even in four years to come is a dream. I prefer team play than individual showings we had before which we all know still yielded no fruit.
Statistics as presented above shows that Adi or/and Paul Onuachu are our best bet for the striker’s position going forward. Thanks Kingmaker for your wonderful article. Well appreciated.
The Players needed by super eagles are:
The attack:
1.Paul onuachu
2.Cyriel dessers
On the flank:
1.samuel Kalu
2.Victor moses
Simon moses always plays to the galleries. So, he should be left out of the squad going to the world cup.
Iwobi should always start from 10.
And am very sure he will deliver.
Samuel Kalu is a great team player.
He dribbles, he is a great passer of the ball, best crossing abilities more than any player in the team currently. He’s also an assist master men. He’s is very deadly in set piece.
That guy go soon take the world by storm should he continues with his current form.
@Kingmaker, Omo9ja and their band of cheerleaders, let me try to summarize your arguments in my own way. Are you saying drop some members of the SE who play in the English, Spanish, Belgian, Italian and Chinese leagues and swap them with ‘prolific’ scorers in the Dutch, American, Finnish (Finland), Israeli and maybe Vietnamese leagues??
Common, stop looking at the statistics per se. Present them in context such as the quality of opposition, the international experience, the market value of the player in question and rating in the international media (not YouTube, dammit!).
Finally, Rohr is an intelligent man. I know this. And you should know this too. He knows what he’s doing. He played 2 different teams and patterns in the last friendlies for a reason. Phew! I rest my case.
Yea Kel absolutely right, let’s just wait and see what happens in Russia,all i know is that lads will not disappoint in Russia, if chief Onigbinde can goto world cup with relative inexperienced team in 2002 and they did their bit, This young super eagles won’t lay down and get lashes as well..all this intense analysis won’t take us anywhere!! Just as Jurgen Klop said in his interview b4 the match against Manchester City is either we lay down and cry or we stand up and fight..You can only get the best out of someone when you encourage him/her,let’s believe and support the one’s we have at the moment
Our problem is not in the attack rather in the midfield.The solution is having a good midfield combination that works.A team with a good midfield excels in every department.However Rohr can extend invitations to all this players mentioned but yet found wanting with a malfunctioning midfield.
@Kel, am with you. Have now come to realise that @Kingmaker is just like Rugby fans,unbelieving So-called Eagles fan and your articles are not consistent, when Nigeria beat Argentina you were raising hopes of football loving Nigerians that Nigeria will challenge the world for the world cup. Now, you’ve change to Nigeria won’t get out of the Group stage cuz we lost to Serbia. Infact, take over the Technical crew of the Super Eagles and let see how ur biased nature will see how far we will go. Umar Sadiq is even far better than Your Cyril Dessers presently sef. But you are always campaigning for DESSERS DESSERS DESSERS. Your article is now a joke
Kel, if anybody is spot on, it is you! Kingmaker and his “band of cheerleaders”( I like that description of yours) should manage to get down from their high horse and let the coach do his work. If Rohr were to read and pay attention to all the “selections” made on this platform, he would either abandon the job for us or run mad. Almost all the selections are preposterous and outlandish, yet some people, like Kingmaker, make them with magisterial authority. The projection and promotion of any player(s) that we like on this platform is not working, and will not work. I have said it before, and I want to repeat it: our players are not some of the best in the world. So let us not expect much from the SE at this WC. If they do well, it will be a bonus. If they don’t, it is expected and nobody should blame anybody. My opinion.
So, Mr. Kingmaker these players you listed are the ones in the class of Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Kane, Muller, De Gea, Pogba, etc., and they are the ones to take us to the ‘promised land’? Without them in our World Cup squad we are doomed! Rohr, what d’hell r u waitin for?!!!
We jump from Obagoal to hair Dresser to Lokoso or Lokosa, If Abija and ogunjimi were to start playing football our internet technical crew will clamour for their inclusion too, Atinuke is a good wife but her food is too salty so i have to swap her for Folake.
Folake came in she’s good as well but not that flexible..complains here and there like a lil sisi!
Ebuehi has got a very good positioning he is brilliant but today he is not that strong, chaii dudes ‘re just unpredictable…
Hahahaha..
@Edoman, I don’t think u read the statistics very well.
Paul Unuachu scored 36% chance of hitting the net as against others with better returns.
1st is Martins, 51%, 2nd Adi – 44%, Cyril 43%, 3rd, Aaron – 41%, 4th Paul Unuachu – 36%, Umar Sadiq is 5th – 27%.
Sadiq was part of the Olympic team.
If Rohr is truly a good Coach as we all believe, he must not rely only on the reports of his Nigerian scouts without doing his personal background checks. I read a report on a different sport’s website that says Rohr changed his mind from inviting Unuachu bcos he received info that Unuachu has not been playing regularly for his club since mid February. So he is unfit. Imagine!
If rohr could be visiting his players, he can equally visit others he is interested in.
We are Nigerians, we kno what players are capable of doing to be on the list. National interest should be foremost and not personal gains. I know some scouts, agents, super eagles players, nff & coaches are also reading this information. Pls let’s work to promote the team for the general good. Victory for the team is victory for everyone. My little advice.
For those quarrelling wit statistics I feel ashamed. Everything in the business & sales world revolves around mkt statistics. Fine not everyone can comprehend that, but criticism here should be constructive. Stop fighting wit the analysts rather present a better position for judgment.
Thnx.
@kel & @chairmanfemi, @Lloyd and Co, I have been reading ur posts which are always very provocative, highly subjective, narrow & insensitive mostly against the kingmaker. U always try hard to tarnish his articles which I believe are written chiefly to the authorities. He has kept pointing out areas the team needs to improve upon. He doesn’t focus on attacking readers, but the team. He is always spot on. He predicted the wild beating of Argentina by wide margin in his analysis before the match in November. Search it out. Hardly anyone gave it to Nigeria.
Apparently, your fickle minds cannot contain the knowledge & brilliance wit which he writes. If u are not happy wit the accolades or attention he gets u can equally present ur analysis & seek for support. Don’t be blinded by little jealousy. It will mar ur personality.
This platform can be more interesting by allowing diverse views to blossom as opposed to some rants from cheeky elements with no technical knowledge of the game, also others presented by poorly educated & miseducated ppl.
I stand by the kingmaker. He is an authority in global football, and an expert in football management. U can learn from him if you maintain an open & positive mind.
God bless the Kingmaker.
nobody is against kingmaker and co…but as super eagle fans…we have to stick to our opinions and nt swerve here and there like the sea breeze…and we must try to encourage the coach and his crew…words like i won’t be in support of the eagles if they don’t do this should nt be typed…don’t let us forget that rohr is human and he has his own opinions…a coach that read this platform will be the most confused coach in the world…even i myself get confused often…who are the top strikers? is it a umar that does nt have the capability to make it at roma? or dessers that does nt attract top clubs? or a bonaventure off form? or an ideye with a relegation threatened malaga? or success who almost spoilt his career with prostitutes? or awoniyi who is just coming up? the only striker who fits in is obafemi and as fate would have it, he is nw out…rohr might only try them out but they are nt world class…we just have to state our opinions and encourage the coach…to be a coach is nt easy!
kingmaker is such an intelligent writer and i love his writings…he has such a prodigious passion for it but like uzoho, he is nt a finished product but a rising star…let us criticize everyone including rohr and kingmaker with love.
Pele was 17 years old when he played and won the World Cup with Brazil. All this talk and long epistles about age, blah, blah, is enough. We will do well this summer. Even if Gernot Rohr were to walk on water, some on this forum will still complain that it’s because he can’t swim.
Let Rohr do his job. Too many Sunday morning experts on this forum if you ask me.
Gentle men, I salute the house..
This commentary window is to generate feedbacks from the public on issues raised so I dont see why some people are attacking those who make positive suggestions unless they are unexposed themselves. U are being read take note.
The @Kingmaker is the best I have read here and am always looking forward to his write ups. If u are here and u don’t like that then dont read it. Its more dignifying than to make statements that smacks off petty jealousy or show your ignorance to the world.
Why on earth sbould somebody criticize the use of statistical reports to calibrate players performance? It shows stark ignorance..
Eagles attacking line is a problem but Ighalo supporters are fighting everyone who thinks so.
We all have our individual views and anybody has right to disagree wit the nff or Rohr. For example, why must I put myself in harms way by supporting a team that could fail bcos of failing to do what it should do. Some of us have access to these boys and the officials and we know what is going on. A fearless writer is pointing out these facts and he is getting the sticks.
We want Eagles to do well, but the basis for that must be well established. Goalkeeping & striking roles are significant in securing a position to advance. Uzoho is without experience, he can learn from an older keeper. Samuel Kalu is also good. Dessers was asked by Rohr to switch nationality in order to get a chance. He did. Unuachu is well known to us, he deserves a look in. Adi and Aaron are also good. We are not saying rohr must take them but give fair assessment. Obafemi is injured and ppl are pointing fingers already.
Let us be careful. It is not do or die, eagles players reading me. Your time will come too.
@Kingmaker, pls keep rolling it out. We love u. Peace!
Just ask yourself some simple questions. Are you driving Super Eagles forward or backward?
Are you not tired of group stage matches?
Do we have the materials to use at hand to be excel on global events? Absolutely yes.
Are we ready to use the materials?
Yes or no? Big question.
Can Eagles make it out of the group D with the current team based on the recent friendly matches they have played so far?
My people, this is the year of reality and I will never be deceived by no one.
Do we want what happened to Super Falcons against France 8-0 to happen to Super Eagles at the world cup? Though, NFF did not do their job for our female team to excel but they achieved more than the Super Eagles. So, Super Falcons deserves more than this.
However, just because I am known by saying the truth, they called me names. From internet coach to
band of cheerleaders, no wahala. The truth would be known sooner or later.
Therefore, if we can analyze those questions above, We will know where the Eagles is heading to.
During the Keshi, Siasia, Olishe era, I warned them all but in the end what happened?
Even, the NFF president said they are building the team for the next world cup, nothing wrong about that but let’s focus more on this year world cup first and move on from there.
Super Eagles needed our
prayers and supports.
What is lacking in the current Super Eagles team are
Team work not individual efforts. Victor Moses as an example against Poland. He did not allow Kelechi E, to do his job. This is what the coach needs to looking into before the world cup.
We need a play maker: Nwakeli Junior or Sokori are the solution.
Lastly, Ejide and Ayenugba service needed in this team.
If the coach can get these problems fixed, I bet you guys, We will go far in this year world cup. No hard feelings my people. Its a free world, express yourselves guys. I’m stopping here for now. God bless Nigeria!!!
As far as I am concerned, the super eagles team is almost complete, all we need is to find the perfect combination in the midfield and look for a player who can truely step in for mikel, when he is not around or got tired during games, we can’t take all our good players to this world cup, time is too short for whole sale changes, joel obi is doing well with torino but couldn’t do much for eagles because he is new to the team, I believe most of these youngsters people are sugesting are great future prospect and have been in great form this season, though bonaventure has lost his first team place, but he some times come on to great effect, may be onuachi and samuel kalu as well as kelechi nwakali and abdul ajagun should be given trials, abdul and nwakali because of our lack of creative options, onuachi because we lack a natural point man and kalu because he has been exceptional, it is not a must that they will go to the world cup, just a trial especially ajagun and the rest for both trials and to gain experience, then after the world cup we start looking at how to improve the team by bringing in new players, like I said before let rohr find a perfect combo in the middle, onazi ndidi or agu must not be paired, it is either one of them, playing with john ogu or etebo, joel obi should get a chance to play with mikel in that central position too. Ndidi will be my first choice to partner with either ogu, etebo or joel, with mikel playing the no 10 role, Iwobi can als be given a chance to play as a no 10, he may be the one to fill in for mikel at least during the world cup. Win or lose super eagles are still my darling team any time any day, we surport our foreign clubs no matter what, but when it comes to our national teams we start expecting magic.