On Tuesday March 29, 2022, the ‘plane’ taking the Super Eagles to Qatar 2022 crash-landed on the tarmac of the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Abuja. It was both fatal and catastrophic in the wake of some tragic events following the crash.
It will take a long, torturous and painful forensic investigation to unearth the full extent and implications of the events of that night.
So, permit me to take a short-cut, cut out all the fine details, and look at a basic and most straightforward cause of this monumental catastrophe, for that’s what the encounter with the Black Stars of Ghana, last Tuesday, would turn out to be when the full costs to Nigeria are counted.
To start with, and ironically too, the Super Eagles did not actually lose the match. They did not lose the first match in Kumasi either. In both matches, they did not play as if their lives depended on it, so they did not win. They were not psychologically primed enough. Except Osimhen, of course, this last Tuesday night in Abuja.
These Black Stars were the worst I have seen of the Ghana national team since I have been watching or playing against them from the early 1970s to date.
In Abuja, last Tuesday, they were simply lucky. The only single shot they took at the Nigerian goal throughout the 90 minutes duration of the match, a half chance from outside the box that should have been easily dealt with by any average goalkeeper slipped through his hands. That single shot produced their only goal. It must now rank amongst the luckiest goal in Ghana’s entire football history.
After that, the match could have gone on for the next one year and the Ghanaians would not have scored a second goal.
Also Read – 2022 World Cup Draw: Ghana To Face Old Foes Uruguay As Cameroon, Morocco Get Tough Opponents
On the other hand, the Nigerian team also had only one clear chance at their goal, besides the ball that Osimhen scored but was eventually ruled offside by VAR.
Otherwise, the only other ‘threat’ posed by the Nigerian team was the tireless but harmless running at the Ghanaian defense by Victor Osimhen. He was the thorn in flesh of the Black Stars’ defenders, keeping them busy with his pace and physicality and aerial contests. Kicking high balls upfront to him was the only system the Eagles played in the absence of players with holding, dribbling, passing and creative skills in the midfield players. The Nigerian players could not play with the physical tackles and close marking in the little space the Ghanaians gave them.
Yes, that was. It was very simple and very effective tactic that was deployed by the Ghanaian technical team. It was the same old and recycled system of play adopted by Ghanaian national teams when playing against Nigerian national teams since the 1960s. It has worked well for them through the ages. The head-to-head count of the results of the encounters speak.
However, whenever Nigeria assembled some exceptionally gifted and skillful mid-field players who could hold, dribble, pass and even shoot at goal, Ghana were usually in trouble. Ghanaian coaches know this.
That knowledge is what usually gives them the self-belief and confidence that they can always handle Nigeria. This time the elements sided with them. Nigeria did not have the dreaded midfield players that would threaten them. They saw it in the Cameroon during AFCON 2021. They capitalized on it in Kumasi and Abuja.
That’s why, when the two countries came out of Cameroon and saw they would be meeting each other for the two-legged qualifying matches, the Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Rashid Bawa, called me up that night and confidently boasted that notwithstanding Ghana’s weaker team, Nigerians would be making the greatest mistake if they took the Black Stars for granted. He said, unequivocally, that Ghana have Nigeria’s number.
He was right as things have now turned out.
Following my personal experiences playing a few times against the Black Stars, and checking through the statistics of previous meetings, he may be right.
So, all Ghana needed to do last Tuesday was play cautiously according to the simple script and pray for a lucky goal. They played very aggressively, tried to get to every ball first, did not allow the Nigerian midfield to have time and space on the ball, allowed the Eagles to launch their high balls upfront as their only attacking option, and the Eagles were neutralized completely. The Nigerian team did not construct anything for 90 minutes.
Also Read: NFF Disengages Super Eagles Technical Crew
It is a simple system every Nigerian coach worth his salt should know. No other team plays Nigeria that same way. The records speak.
The generation of Augustine Eguavoen, followed by the Jay Jay Okocha generation, with very skillful midfield players and forwards, rendered useless that style of play. During their era Nigeria started to have the upper hand and the Black Starssuffered some defeats.
Since the end of that era, in the past 11 years, both teams have not met until this past week. The present generation of Nigerian players, especially all those that were honed in the tradition of European football, unfamiliar with the hardness of African football and the style of the Ghanaians, and with only three days of tutelage before the match, became easy prey. That’s what happened last week in the two matches.
Anchoring their football roots to football in Europe where the pitches are excellent, and with plenty of space to play against more technical, rather than physical, defenders, would expose the incompleteness of foreign born and bred African players when they come to in Africa, unprepared to play the African way.
A chunk of the Nigerian players were simply not complete enough in their training and experience of African football to be able to cope well with only a three-day training session before a crucial match such as the last qualifying match of the World Cup. Even if Nigeria had brought the best coach in the world to handle the same players, it would make little difference.
Despite all that, with a little bit of luck, the Super Eagles could have scored a second goal last Tuesday and the story and reactions would have been completely different. No one would have seen all the deficiencies that have now filled the airwaves of since last Tuesday. Luck deserted the team.
The irony is that these same set of Super Eagles players would have gone to the World Cup and played some majestic football. The spaces to play would be available against most teams and the physicality a lot less, two conditions that will enable them express their abilities much more than they could do playing in Africa, particularly against Ghana.
At the end of the day, the stark reality is that the Super Eagles were were not good enough last Tuesday night. They did not play well. They did not deserve to win. The Ghanaians were, indeed, worse in every department except team tactics and psychology. Most importantly, they had ‘Mother luck’ to thank for their trip to Qatar.
Nigerians were frustrated, angry and dejected. Victory would have been a soothing balm, some psychological relief, for the entire country.
Unfortunately, there are too many whose livelihood is tied to the fortunes of Nigeria’s national football teams. You find them in the commerce around Nigerian football grounds and clubs. They are the agents, the coaches, the scouts, the club owners, the traders, the caterers, the hoteliers, the travel agents, the security agents, the transporters, the owners of bars and lounges, the publishers, the patrons of the viewing centres (over 4 million of them all over the country), the gaming and betting shop owners, the football players, owners of academies, merchandisers, manufacturers of sports equipment and gears, and so on, a whole planet of people directly and indirectly involved in the football business. They are all counting their losses, reeling in pain and baying for blood.
5 days after the match, many concerned Nigerians think that football should not just go back to how it was before Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
No, the pains are too deep. Some persons must be made to pay for our collective pain and humiliation.
Segun Odegbami
Copyright © 2024 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
Oga,you are part of the problem oo..You are part of those that put us in this mess..You pressured Amaju to sack Rohr even when Rohr was yet to fail based on his contract..Now see where we are with your preferred local coach..Oga,abeg you nor dey try..
He is an armchair analys8at best..just emotions and sentiments always..oga segun,abeg dey use your clear head analyse Nigerian football abeg,try not be beclouded by sentiments and emotions..Amaju took you to the 2018 world cup that Rohr qualified for..you pushed for his sack,now no world cup jamboree for you sir.lol..yonnnnn
Hahahahaha…..I love that. No jamboree for them this time….LMAOOo….like the one they went for in Tokyo last year, chilling in 5 star hotels while our athletes didnt even have kits to wear…..LMAoo. Im sure that is what is paining these greedy people the most
@olu I respect your opinion likewise respect the mathematical opinion, don’t follow the bandwagon that don’t respect heroes past. To match at hand the eagles were not up for the fight. This is due to so many Europe born players. I knew something was not right when I saw them walk to the field of play. They were not fired up at all. Compared to the days of keshi leading the team out in Lagos, you as spectators will feel the fight in players. Not this generation of softies, couple with Europe born players. Before you abuse Odegbami you softies should do well, to grab hold of eagles matches of old. So will educate yourselves to know what we are saying. Bunch of generational softies.
I guess it was the “team of the days of Kehsi” Rohr was using to achieve success during his tenure…..LMAOOoo.
Pls build statues of your heroes pasts in your parlor and start offering scarifies to them because they are heroes past and hence have the freedom to sabotage the future of the present generation.
Even when keshi was still leading and playing, Ghana still beat them lol
Egu lost as player and as a coach to ghana
Mathematical segun also lost as player to ghana
Amenuke also lost as a player and assistant coach to ghana
All the 1994 squad lost to ghana in senegal 92 lol
There’s not one NIGERIAN legend alive that didn’t lose to ghana so stop it
If Nigeria has paraded all NIGERIAN born and bred players, Ghana ll still qualify
It doesn’t matter because between the two nations, Ghana is the talented and gifted ones and talent beats half talent lol
You have said it all uncle sege. The players were just too timid. They just weren’t primed for the African style of play. But no they would rather come for you has the reason we lost. Am happy that you said this is the worst assembled Ghanaian team you have ever come across. We lost because the Ghanaians played has a team and would rather die on that field, which they did. Well the race is over, we await what the NFF would come up with
I will rather say, Daddy Sege should suggest a plusible way forward. A local or Foreign coach? Now we have to go back to the drawing board. Nations cup qualifiers is around the corner. What is the Super Eagles and the teams handlers target for next competition. If it takes four years to prepare for the Olympics. Now is the time to start preparation for the next competition. Wounds will heal.
Mr. Segun should not be asked to give any of such suggestion. He will make a suggestion based on sentiment.
Odegbami was also a critic of Rohr, and his points are baseless. He was among the crew that sabotage this qualification.
Rubbish. You are pointing accusing fingers at others, but sparing yourself. False, misleading logic that the matches were drawn because of SE European players not familiar with African football. Were these not the same players Rohr was using to win games?
Many people fail for your sophistry and deception, but analytical minds won’t. You aggressively campaigned for Rohr to be replaced with an indigenous coaches; these bundled SE out of AFCON and the WC, but you can’t admit your mistakes. You’re skirting the issue and now propounding some false reasons for the monumental failure. You’re abusing the use of language to cause confusion . We know where your interests lie.
Keep on with your mission.
Don’t mind him oo..the Senegalese team of made of French born players.. several of their players grew up in France and played for the French junior teams…Segun really should be ashamed of himself and his analysis.. always looking for who to blame..even the Ghanian team had foreign born players..Dennis Odoi and Djiku both defenders.
Even the Ghanaian team has a few newbies yet the were very organized and played with passion.
The Ghanaian right back Odoi is french born played his first game against the super eagles and was impressive.
New additions like Kudus and the lad from Roma was impressive.
The goalkeeper was good too I know he was at the Afcon but still new,he made sure his team didn’t concede another goal despite playing for a team in the English lower division.
Hhahahaha….Thank you my brother….may the God you serve infinitely bless you.
Even the Ayew brothers were both born and raised in France.
Senegal is currently dominated by Europe-based or born players.
Over 80% of the current Morrocan team were born and raised in Holland, Belgium or Spain
Tunisia is now constituted 50% by foreign borns.
Every successful and ressurgent team in Africa now has a large chunk of foriegn-borns.
Agents of failure are there blaming their disaster on same foreign-borns Rohr was using to get the tough jobs done despite all the internal sabotage just to make him fail…..LMAOOO
Odegbamiyou foolish man you re still making a write up , you’ve been hiding shameless idiot, you were thinking god will leave you like that. You dint see anything good in roha work you were writing negative comments against roha, can you compare roha and ur useless local coach now?
Segun odegbami champion the sacking of Gernot Rohr, if we wanted a Local Coach we should have justed waited after the World cup.. I remember he said if we continue with Gernot Rohr, The worst will happen. Is this not more the worse.?,I was Eagerly waiting for this write-up. I was Hoping to see you Admit you were wrong and tender apology to Rohr. Yes Rohr may not have the Technical capacity we all wanted to see but He qualified us without any stress… We wish you will also be among those that will pay for this collective humiliation for your constant ill advice to NFF to sack Rohr.
Uncle Seg, Come clean and admit the role you played in this mess that befell Nigerians.Healing also means taking an honest view in the role one played in getting to that spot.Uncle, you failed to come clean.
You tried unconvincingly to push the blame on foreign born players.WRONG.Was it not the same players Rohr was using to win matches in Cape Verde, Zambia, Cameroon etc? Please tell us another story.
You craftily told us the difference between coach Addo and Equaveon, TACTICAL AND PSYCHOLOGY.While Addo was on top of his game, Equaveon was not.It was the second time within the space of 6 weeks that Equaveon was out thought, outsmarted by a younger more dynamic coach managing a depleted and less endowed teams.The first was the Tunisia coach at AfCON. There is no way Addo would have done that to an Oliseh or an empowered Ammuneke for instance.Simply put , We are not in Qatar because of gross incompetence.
The Ghanaians came with their team psychologist, Do we have one for our teams at all?
Uncle Seg, you knew all these facts about the two countries, did you pass same to the coaches?
Sure there will be consequences, and it also includes you.You too must retire from our football matters like all members of your generation and let us be.Your hold on the sport Minister must be broken.
It is not enough that Equaveon have resigned as the SE coach.He must also resign his technical Director role.What is he technical directing?
I saw Pinnick at the draws yesterday in Qatar.He should ensure that he takes enough pictures to last him a lifetime because that is the last time he will be going as Nigerian NFF president.
In short, the present members of the NFF must all go, let us bring in football people based on merit and pay them well to do a job for the Nigerian people.
Mike Emenalo and Olofinjana should be Technical Director and asistant Technical Director respectively.
Sunday Oliseh( yes, he is more matured now) as SE Coach,Enyaema as Goalkeeping coach with Oliseh allowed to pick his 3 other assistants.
John Fashanu as NFF president (Okocha appeared not ready for this role) Larry Izamoje as head of LMC.
It is 5 days after an we are still hurting.
Let’s get something right here, using the Eguavoen Addo analyses to analyze, Addo didn’t defeat Eguavoen on the field of play. Rather what happened, the country Ghana defeated the Country Nigeria to boardroom shenanigans based on away goal rule that saw Addo boys qualifying due to a score draw. Odegbami in all fairness is right in his stand on a local content arrangement.
Hahahahaha…Board room shenanigans….LMAOOO
Away goals rule that has been in place in football since 1966, long before you were born is what is board room shenanigans….LMAOOoo…as if Nigeria has never benefited from the same rule before
Orisirisi…LMAOOo
The rules of qualifying for Qatar 2022 was written long ago, even before the qualification series commenced. FIFA is not UEFA. The world cup is not UEFA champions league or Europa league
Your local guadiolas failed….PERIOD!!!
You are lying my friend
Odegbami’s personal vendetta against Rohr, disguised as heart felt interest on the betterment of nigeria football, coming all the way from 2018 world cup, where claims, that he was not given due recognition by Rohr is WHAT STARTED THE DERAILMENT OF NIGERIA’S DREAMS TO PERFORM AT LAST AFCON AS WELL AS QUALIFY FOR THIS YEAR WORLD.
How shameful majority fell for his selfish drive and still falling for it. He should be declared a personna non grata in the nigeria football scheme of things if ever nigeria is to take his rightful place in the football world. HE IS JUST AN EGO-CENTRIC CHARACTER; A Narcissist, HE IS UNFORTUNATELY YET TO REALISE HE IS.
Segun Odegbami writes sense and nonsense just like the way he played football. Nigeria has not been kind to him, but he in turn has done his best to damage Nigerian football.
On the matter of the double edged Afcon and world cup qualification failures that recently befell the Super Eagles, the untimely sacking of Gernot Rohr will always be intrinsically linked.
There is no way that the history of the away-goals rule induced loss to Ghana will be written without tracing its origins to Gernot Rohr’s unceremonious removal.
Segun Odegbami was right: this Ghana team was there for the taking. Very young, naive players with little to no pedigree in international football overcame a Nigeria team with recent World Cup and Afcon 3rd place finish experience and pedigree. The hard work and tireless dedication of 6 years all went up in smoke in a little over 6 weeks.
What was missing?
I will tell Mr Odegbami. The coach that assembled, nurtured and achieved modest success with these players was missing.
In sacking Rohr, they became sheep without the shepherd they were used to. More so when that German shepherd was taking them out to graze and would then bring them back to the stable safely, often with grass to spare.
But Shepherd Eguavoen exposed them to the elements. Ironically, the Super Eagles sheep weren’t devoured by hideous wolves. No no no! They were despatched by goats who have no business overcoming sheep.
This Ghana and Covid ravaged Tunisia would in reality have been easy prey for the Super Eagles under a competent gaffer.
Sacking Rohr at the time and in the manner was reckless. Replacing him with Eguavoen was sacrilege.
I chose to actually give Eguavoen a chance and he blew me away with the professional display against Egypt. But despite two more (and last) wins, the inevitable cracks started showing and things went downhill rapidly.
The pinnacle of Eguavoen’s downfall was his inability to mastermind a winning strategy against a very average-bordering-on-poor Ghana side.
The players play according to the formation they are set out and instructions issued to them. On both counts, Eguavoen came short against Tunisia and Ghana.
Would Rohr have been similarly inept? I wonder!
So, Mr Odegbami, the analysis of the current and concurrent Super Eagles failures will be totally incomplete without linking it to Rohr’s sacking, sir.
A sacking that you spearheaded, a sacking that you championed, a sacking that you used your influential status to promulgate and push forward.
Now you are here talking about tactics.
Mr Odegbami, please change your ways.
We the Super Eagles family are at a junction. We will soon be embarking on a journey towards restoration and recovery. I beg you sir, do not use any archaic philosophy or noxious nationalist instinct to rule against and slam down any future foreign coach that the NFF might engage.
It is okay to hold coaches – foreign and indigenous – to account. It is okay to criticize them. I was a vocal Rohr critic and I will not hold back holding any Super Eagles coach to account; I held Rohr to account severally and Eguavoen didn’t escape my criticisms either.
I am an ecumenical Nigeria football critic who praises and pillories in equal measure.
But you Uncle Segun, your vitriolic attacks on Gernot Rohr and rabbid insistence on an indigenous coach for Nigeria made it seem like reading a black version of the Ku Klux Klan manifesto without the violent elements.
Please, just keep your sights off my Super Falcons o as well meaning Nigerians a very much satisfied with the direction American Randy Waldrum is taking the team regardless of his nationality, race, creed,sexual orientation and gender.
It is not too late sir to embark on an introspection. Personally, I hope that NFF engages another elderly avuncular coach who will bring much zen to the team and achieve results. That coach will not be spared of criticisms, no coach should. But to slam a coach on the account of skin colour and unwillingness to use NPFL players is just wrong.
Uncle Segun, change your ways, please.
Sacking Rohr wasn’t the issue replacing him with Eguavoen was already a disaster before he took the job. And after the monumental failure at the AFCON that they celebrated because of sexy football and wing play it clouded our eyes that it was a failure that took our football back to 1982. The results? We paid for it dearly. Las las they sack the entire technical crew within 3 months of trying to reap where they didn’t sow.
It was Rohr that was sacked and not Eguavoen.
@Apphilly, I don’t really like to post comment bcos some people will come to make noise. To my understanding, Eguavoen in all fairness took the SE from 36th position he met it to 30th within 2 months, that is a record.
Go and use your 30th position to play in Qatar 2022….LMAOOoo.
Hahahahaha….WHAT….???
Did I just read Chief Segun Odegbami stating “…No, the pains are too deep. Some persons must be made to pay for our collective pain and humiliation….”
LMaooo……Please someone should hold be before I slump and die of laughter…LMAOoo
No o. This article was definitely not written by the same Segun Odegbami we know…LMAOoo
The same Segun Odegbami that said we should rather sink with our owns than swim with forieng coaches…???LMAOOooo
The same Segun Odegbami that promoted Yobo, straight from attending Nite of a Thousand laughs shows for 6 good years after retirement, as the one that should take over from Rohr 2 years ago…???
The same Odegbami that claimed in his article that he dreamt of seeing Yobo dishing out instructions from the touchline in Qatar in 2022 and likened him to Franz Beckenbauer…??? LMAOoooo…..I guess mr mathematical was heavily drunk before going to bed the night he had that said dream…..LMAOoo.
Our respected elders say:
“…Eni to rowo he loju ala to n dunu…..e so fun pe ko tepa mo ise owo e nitori ebi…”
That is
“…The man who is rejoicing because he has just dreamt of winning a lottery, should better put more effort in his work if he doesnt want to die of hunger….”
Uncle Sege dreamt of Yobo leading the Eagles to the world cup and instead of advising that errand boy too, to quickly go and start his coaching qualifications, get attachments with clubs in Europe, preferably in clubs where he has played before during his career (and build a coaching career of some sort at a level where he isnt under any pressures, like his hardworking and focused contemporaries like Kolo Toure, Otto Addo, Ndubuisi Egbo, Mbaye Leye, Patrick Vieria etc before thinking of national team), Mr MON started whispering sweet nothings into the ears of the fashionista and the loudmouthed but clueless Sports Minister as well….now that hunger has arrived, the is crying of pains…..LMAOOO
The same Segun Odegbami that wrote severally about how disastrous our football has become since Rohr took over from failed guadioals who couldnt qualfiy for ordinary AFCON back-tp-back…..is not seeing that there are different levels to disasters and “disastrous”……LMAOOoo
No….someone should tell me this piece wasnt written by that same Segun Odegbami….LMAOoooo
Oh…so there is some kind of pain that comes with sinking…?? I didnt know. I thought sinking was a joyous occasion he you wrote that article about 2 years ago. LMAOooo
The pain Rohr did not allow them to feel for years…they are feeling it now….LMAOOoo. Rohr through his hardwork and astuteness made them get so comfortable they felt ok….this thing is easy joor….what is in qualifying for tournaments….LMAOooo..let us kick him out.
Olorun ti mu gbobgo yin….you inclusive sir.
Cheif Segun Odegbami (MON), with due respect sir, but without apology, Agabya ni yin sir.
That is the reward of evil conspiracy. This is the reward of racial hatred. This is the reward of putting colour ahead of proven competence (both paper and practical) and capability.
And I hope you and all others like you who brought us here…all of you who snatched Failure from the jaws of success…..may you all NEVER recover from this pain.
For once in the last 4 years, the truth accidentally slipped out of Oga mathematical’s mouth…..
“…The Ghanaians were, indeed, worse in every department except team tactics and psychology….”
And rather than blame those who are responsible for “Team tactics and psychology” (Which beats every other thing in football including talent and passion), he has ringmarolled around the world in 80 days in his article and blamed everyone else including these same players whom we had so much belief in their abilities that we even set the target of the AFCON 2022 trophy for Rohr. Otherwise, why would be have set that target is we didnt believe it was achievable…???
And for his drunkard followers like destar and omoale who in their foolishness have postulated that it is better not to qualify for tournaments because of their hatred for all that Rohr was doing for Nigeria…..please read this paragraph of your Cheif Patron’s article and make it a memory verse so it sinks deeply into to stupidities and displace it permanently:
“…..Unfortunately, there are too many whose livelihood is tied to the fortunes of Nigeria’s national football teams. You find them in the commerce around Nigerian football grounds and clubs. They are the agents, the coaches, the scouts, the club owners, the traders, the caterers, the hoteliers, the travel agents, the security agents, the transporters, the owners of bars and lounges, the publishers, the patrons of the viewing centres (over 4 million of them all over the country), the gaming and betting shop owners, the football players, owners of academies, merchandisers, manufacturers of sports equipment and gears, and so on, a whole planet of people directly and indirectly involved in the football business. They are all counting their losses, reeling in pain and baying for blood….””
For years to come, when the roll is called of those who conspired to plunge the many whose livelihoods (as highlighted above) tied to the fortunes of Nigeria’s national football teams into irreparable damage and monumental losses….the names of the following will be on the front page….Segun Odegbami, Sunday Dare, 94 squad (except Okocha, Ikpeba and Kanu), CSN’s part time jobless exinternational staff and their houseboys here on CSN, chief of whom are; destar, omo-eleribu, jimmylie and his muiltiple IDs (plus his dog Ade/Kingsley/Kenneth/and now Shina), chima, larry, goal, Chineye, Ugo, and others who to me are all persona non gratas
Oga go hang transformer and die. 90 percent of the players on that team you called for, and what happend they failed the nation, because they wanted to sabotage the game so as to please the white PE teacher that was fired eventually.Since you not ready to shut up, i will find some spicy peanut to send to your cage
Eh….Didirin.
So the players intentionally didn’t want to go to the world cup right…..?
90 percent of the players who have been qualifying for tournaments with games to spare before suddenly decided to sabotag both AFCON and World cup…..LMAOoo. Omugo rairai….!!!
Shior…Common sense is indeed not common…..LMAOooo
I weep for the day people who attended your naming ceremony when you were born.
Idiot lasan lasan. Feed yourself your spicy peanuts so that your Intelligence quotient can increase at least to the fraction of normal human beings.
Awon specialists in failure….LMAOoo.
Go and drink rat poison now that your useless bunch of mechanic apprentices have been booted out….LMAOooo
Uncle is 100% to have supported domestic coaches handling the Super Eagles as against foreign nationals. Nigeria celebrated centenary delivery during the former president, Goodluck Jonathan and until now, we are still talking about appointing an expatriate to lead our football team. That is very wrong and it is more like saying bring the expatriates to govern the country in 2023 because politicians haven’t performed to expectations. We didn’t just to clinching Qatar ticket. Critically, coach Eguavoen didn’t lose to Ghana.
we didn’t just ‘fail’ to clinching….
And would it not be better to bring expatriates to govern Nigeria now….???
Or what have you done for yourselves since 1960.
Seriously, If there were to be a referendum on recolonization….I’ll vote with my 10 fingers and toes in support of it.
Eguavoen didnt lose to Ghana….LMAOOO….So why was Ghana’s name in the WC draws yesterday and not Nigeria’s….???LMAOOO
My, fifa away goal rule. Nigeria lost to fifa and not Ghana.
The funniest part of all of these is that we are still paying Rohr’s salaries till December this year….LMAOOO….in addition to severance fees in the region of $2m….LMAOOO
Isnt that wonderful ladies and gentlemen…?
That is how much we paid to attract……sorry ….avert disaster….LMAOOOo
I think the problem wasn’t about the players, but the head coach, Austin Eguavoen, whose lack of technical savvy cost us the WC ticket. His inability to read matches and make necessary tactical changes were glaring during both legs of the playoffs; the Ghanians simply capitalized on these frailties to qualify.
My anger is that the NFF eggheads failed to spot Eguavoen’s technical laxity at the AFCON. On what grounds was he allowed to tinker the team through the playoffs? Why appoint Amuneke, as Chief Coach of the team and relegate him to just playing marginal roles, while the Technical Adviser was allowed to decide the training regimens and tactical formations?
The NFF has a lot of questions to answer as to what went wrong at the AFCON as well as our failure to qualify for the mundial. Was this another deliberate attempt to rubbish local coaches to pave way for the employment of a foreign coach, to enrich the corrupt agents in the football house? Or was it the usual in-house politics the NFF has become accustomed to? Where is the sports ministry in all these?
My brother NFF eggheads spotted Eguavoen’s technical laxtiy at the AFCON
https://scorenigeria.com.ng/eguavoen-did-well-at-afcon-but-super-eagles-need-technical-sagacity-pinnick/
“…NFF president Amaju Pinnick has praised the work coach Augustine Eguavoen accomplished at the recent AFCON in Cameroon, but he also said the Super Eagles still require more technical input……What we need to do now is to just inject some kind of technical sagacity to the team….”
And while Ghana went to bring people who had coaching experience at the highest levels of football: EPL, Bundesliga etc….we went to bring an Amuneke who was demoted from of Head coach/manager position at El-Makossa (abi wetin be the club name again) to the role of Academy scout. Pray tell me, even in right there in Egypt, what kind of academy does a club like El-Magassa have….? That is the person we went to bring to add Technical Sagacity to a bunch of failures….LMAOooo. And we all saw how technically sagacious we became….LMAoooo.
Ghana’s technical crew turned their worst team since the 70s to a team that with play in the World cup within 3 months…..our own tactically sagacious bunch turned the best talents we have had since 1994 to a bunch of headless chickens that cannot score from open play in 270 minutes of football within 3 months….LMAOoo
That is what you get when you put racial and nepotistic sentiments ahead of competence, experience and capacity.
When we say these things which are nothing but Absolute FACTS, hero-worshippers will say we are disrespecting their past heroes….even when the past heroes are trying to destroy their futures….LMAOoo. Heroes that have no respect for themselves and cannot say the truth anymore because of what their stomachs stand to benefit.
Some funny people are coming out to say “Eguavoen didn’t lose to Ghana” pls o! Is this away goal rule new to football? Abi it’s until they give us 1 to 2 goals before we’ll accept defeat? Okay o!
Hmm…from foreign coach to foreign born players..lol.
One once said 4-4-2 of 1994 i.e football formation of 28 years is the best for Nigeria another one wants to take us back to his era where 11CC and Stores used to dominate our national team. Lol. I beg, get job for this people.. they are all jobless and senseless everything about them is less.
We don’t want anything FOREIGN in Naija again.
No more foreign rice
Foreign Movies
Foreign Coaches
Foreign born players
Foreign Cars (Innoson for all)
Etc
Evven foreign forumite. If you base abroad, no comment here again.
The NFF should be independent and stop listening to the likes of segun odegbami and Mr minister.if they had ignored these people and their ilks and continue with Rhor this untold disaster would not have happened.Its so so shameful
It is during the era of this writer as player that Ghana use to beat us the more.Thank you sir
That’s no news!! There’s not NIGERIAN legend living today that hasn’t been beaten already by Ghana haha
All the legends in Nigeria has been beaten in one way or another as a player or as a coach lol
Siasia —- beaten as a player and as a coach by Ghana
Eguaveon—- beaten as a player and as a coach by Ghana
Amneuke—— beaten as a player and as a coach by Ghana
Kanu— beaten as player more than once by Ghana
Amokachi—— beaten as player by Ghana
Oruma—- beaten as a player
Taiwo—- beaten as player more than once by Ghana
Onyeama—- beaten more than once by Ghana( picked the ball 5 times from his net) lol
Mikel obi—- beaten as a player more than once ……
Olismehn—— already beaten once and counting lol!!
Which legend has been beaten by Ghana in Nigeria haha!!
And we ll continue to beat anytime we meet
Btw ghana eliminated Nigeria in 1963 wc qualifiers
Repeated it in 1973 in Lagos when the Lagos fans burnt our bus
Ghana eliminated Nigeria in 1992 afcon in Senegal
Ghana eliminated Nigeria in can 2008 hosted by us
Ghana eliminated Nigeria in Afcon 2013 in Angola
And 2022, Ghana has eliminated Nigeria in the 2022 wc qualifer in Abuja lol
Only a team superior in talent to Nigeria can do this consistently and Ghana has CONFIRMED its superiority over Nigeria
Mathematical can apportion blames as he want but he knows within his heart that Ghana has the superior talent and we ll continue to punish Nigeria till they finally acknowledge this!!
To Dr. Drey, Deo, Segun and the rest forumite, let us sheath our sword of Anger, it worthless wasting prime energy on our inept set of administrators. It is very clear and evident that the true administrators of our football is we the Super Eagles fans. Let me at this juncture thank you guys for consistently showing up despite the odds stacked against us. Members of this forum have given it all in an unparalleled manner and nobody can ask for more.Through sweat and blood you have been Dre. And if support was all that was needed, SE should have been Qatar.
What happened on Tuesday is still a shock to me. I have been rocked to my very core and yet I still can’t believe it actually happen.
Yet, there was a time that even when SE were 3goals down SE fans not fazed perturb or moved. You write SE off at your own peril.
Since 1994 till date, I am yet to see any team in Africa that have array of “skillful” players like SE. In 80’s there was a certain Rabar Majah from Algeria but he was a learner when compared the mathematical and Muda Ashiru Lawal and even Etim Esin.
In the 90’s Abedi Pele, George opong Weah, Aboubakar titi Camara, Joel Tehi, kalusha Bwalya and a very young Paschal Feuduono made sway for Dre country at the time not forgeting Moustapha Hadji and Herman makeleke. This were great and skillful players ( note that skill and not goal scoring prowess is the focus here) yet, man for man, skill for skill none none could be said to be better than telegraphic passing Oliseh, the versatile head master Mutiu Adepoju, the craft master Samson siasia, the Undisputed show man that Africa has ever seen till date Austin Jay Jay Okocha. Perhaps the list of this generation of SE will not be complete if I did not mention the man I consider in my own humble opinion the greatest SE player base on performance and result when it matter most. The best crosser of the ball and greatest 7 Africa has ever seen till date ( Had he been on the field against Ghana, Osimhen would have scored a hatrick of headers- oh! What a player). His away goal qualified us for our first world cup. In the Wcs he participated, Nigeria scored 13 goals one of which, he scored with an iconic chip and followed by a iconic celebration. Not only that, 50% of goals at wc he participated was created by this genius of a winger. Join me to celebrate a winger like no other Finidi George!!!
The 2000 usher in skillful players like Bonaventure Kalou (Solomon Kalou’s Elder brother) and El Hadji Diouf but even in there gait and guile, none can be compare to Papa Papillo Kanu Nwankwo.
I still stand to be corrected, the current assemblage of SE players on paper is the most balance star team in Africa ( please note my usage – a star team not “Team of stars” otherwise known as galaticos). A star team is collection of average players playing together as a collective efficient unit. A typical example is afcon SE winning team under late Stephen Keshi. How we got it all wrong is really overwhelming. To say that EGuavoen was technically inept and tactically bereft of ideas was an understatement.He totally clueless!
Below is my honest Feedback on what the next coach of SE should do and how we must play using EGuavoen failure as a case Study.
Overview – We lost because we do not have a World class Goal keeper (b) We did not play to win our second ball in the game (3) We are not consistent with our high press.
DEFENSE/GOAL KEEPING:
We already know that we do not have a fantastic goal keeper trainer and our goal keepers where a true reflection of how Alloy Agu was during his time. We never won anything until we brought in Peter Rufai. Please get a goal first class Goal keeper trainer.
As per at the moment, our best defense defender base on current form and consistency week in week out is Olisah Ndah! One of the reason we failed to beat Ghana is because we lack a ball playing defender who act like an anchor or pivot between the defence and central midfield. Meaning a player that can transit from 5 to 4 when attacking and 4 to 5 when defending. This will allow a team that operate 4 – 3 – 3 transit easily to 3 – 2 – 5 formation even a 3 – 1-1 – 5 when transiting from Defense to attack with great emphasis on TRIANGULAR PASSING GAME. In the game against Ghana, the Ghanaians sat too deep allowing us launch the ball at them. What the clueless EGuavoen show have done (assuming Olisah was already part of the starting eleven) was to take out Aribo and Onyeka(who I would have kept in midfield if not for injury) Kelechi Iheanacho and Jude Odion Ighalo (with a specific instruction to both of them to man mark Thomas Partey when Ghana is on the offensive by knocking the ball off him from behind on both side thus winning the 2nd ball disrupting their creative spark in midfield). Osimhen was largely ineffective both in Kumasi and Abuja because at every point in time 2 ghanian defenders were detail on him knowing what he can do. The introduction of 2 additional strikers at the beginning of 2nd half would mean that SE would have 3 against 2 when attacking. Ghanians in this case would have no option but to do one of 2 things either to sacrifice one attacking player for a defender or detail Dre winger backs to offer support to the backline. Doing this means they lose Dre shape against SE wing forward who will have more space to operate similarly this stroke of genius mean that aina and Bassey can conserve Dre Energy by joining the last defender to play a high line back 3 while Olisah Ndah pivot as a 4 sitting front of the midfield in pirlo fashion to wreak havoc. To be contd.
Ghana ll beat Nigeria anyday!! And head to head confirms!
When NIGERIAN talents meet Ghanaian talents, the gifted ones which is the Ghanaian players outshine NIGERIA anyday
I told y’all several times here that
Nigeria is all about QUANTITY
Ghana is all about QUALITY
All unbiased neutrals knows that Ghanaian players are the most gifted players in Africa
Nigeria doesn’t come close to Ghanaian players in terms of technical flair and skills!
Even Nigerians know that Ghanaians are super talented than them
Even comparing these two teams, it was obvious who has the god given talent!!
Anytime we meet Nigeria, we ll beat them not because of any physicality but because the Ghanaian players are gifted ones
Playing as a pivot means that Ndah can now orchestrate the triangular formation that Barcelona and mancity use to a great. A pivot he would be in triangular formation with almost every player starting with Aina,Ekong and Ndah to the right, Ndah, Ekong n Bassey. He is also in formation (triangular) with Bassey, lukman which can transit to lukman, Ndah and etebo or Ndah, etebo and osimhen. The beauty of the triangular transition is that it nullify and isolate the opponent players one at a time and create a lot of goal scoring opportunities especially in modern day football. The variation is limitless and endless and hope the next eagles coach take a look at this post mortem. God bless Naija.
God bless the forumites
Odegbami segun is one of problem we have in nigeria football.
Pathetic!! Excuse, excuses, excuses!! Am even watching the game right now and Ghana still dominated the midfield even in Abuja!!
Egu launched all his attacks from the left side of attack where Ghanaians has about three players closing in on bassey!! Dude was erratic and shaky!!
Excuses, excuses and excuse
Ghana is talented and gifted than Nigeria anyday!!
Btw the two nations, Ghana is the BIGGER FOOTBALL nation and head to head confirms Ghana SUPERIORITY and talent over Nigeria
Ghana is arguably the most gifted and talented team in Africa!!
Talking about European roots like the Ghanaian players played in ghana
All the Ghanaian players played in Europe too and besides it wasn’t because of any physicality as the Nigerians were physical than the Ghanaians but the ref waved every physical tackle against the Ghanaians on!
I don’t really blame you. Pinnick and his rouges gave you this chance to run your mouth anyhow. Ots your moment, enjoy it while it lasts
This isn’t any moment! U don’t want to accept that truth that Ghana is talented than Nigeria in terms of technique!!
Is obvious that to everyone that Ghana has the talent!
U don’t know shit about football and besides I warned u guys that Ghana is known to produce MERCURIAL MIDFIELDERS and not strikers and u were here boasting about Osigoal forgetting that ur one dimensional striker score all his goals in Napoli because he has numerous supplies from the Napoli midfielders!! He can’t do shit in a NIGERIAN team with rigid midfield!!
Every Ghanaian player was once a midfielder including me the KING and I have some serious foot works
Besides midfielders are THINKERS and that’s why the Ghanaian midfielders outsmarted the one way Nigeria midfielders!!
There’s nothing u can do about that and head to head confirms this!!
Besides, it takes superior talent to consistently beat an inferior talent like what Ghana has been doing to Nigeria
We shall see in Qatar what Ghana is made off. So stop screaming needlessly here
Eguaveon blew a lifetime opportunity to redeem his image and pave way for more indigenous coaches for SE. My apologies to Dr Drey. I was trying to prove to him how Nigeria could still do well at the AFCON even with the little time Egu had to prepare his team. I was wrong. My only surprise was why NFF would still leave that man in charge of the team after his glaring tactical deficiency at AFCON. They probably gambled with him knowing it would be easy for them to load the team with their preferred players if he by chance made it.
Very funny, what were is tactical deficiencies please? That he didn’t pause the game and give instruction,on how low Uzoho should go down to catch that ball or the chances that fell to simon, that he kicked away, or is it the scissors kicks that were not required at certain moment of the day. I don’t seems to get it. Or should he start wiping the players to move faster to know whats at stake. Naaaaa, abeg leave the coach alone. Some of the players on the field were not in cameroon, now they were all present against Ghana and they failed woefully. I bet if some selected home based players were picked, they would be more hungrier than the so called, you must be playing for the top 5 clubs in europe. Please channel your anger to the players that broke our hearts. For me Augustine should have been given more chance. When it comes to the local coaches they are always the scapegoat