Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has handed head coach of the side Gernot Rohr a big selection boost ahead of their quarterfinal clash against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, reports Completesports.com.
Mikel earlier ruled out of the competition due to a knee injury took part in light training during the team’s recovery session on Sunday morning at the Helnan Palestine Hotel.
The former Chelsea midfielder was replaced in the second half during Nigeria’s last group game against the Barea of Madagascar which they lost 2-0.
The Super Eagles edged out defending champions Cameroon 3-2 in a tightly contested second round encounter at the Alexandria Stadium on Saturday.
The West Africans looked destined to exit the competition after the Indomitable Lions turned the game around with Stephane Bahoken cancelling out Odion Ighalo’s 19th minute goal and Clinton Njie handing them the lead two minutes before the break.
Gernot Rohr’s side however rallied back to win the game with two second half goals by Ighalo and Iwobi.
The Super Eagles will face the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at the Cairo International Stadium. Kickoff is 8pm Nigerian time.
By Adeboye Amosu in Alexandria
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COMMENTS
Thank God and speedy recovery Skippo.
Omo9ja, you have spoken well and I appreciate your good contributions on this platform. Please may i know the reasons why you are so much pressing the coach to use Onyekuru.Why? are you imposing players on him or what. If Onyekuru doing well in the training, am sure the head coach will use him but note one thing, maybe some other players competing for the same position excellently outperforms Onyekuru. Even if skipper Mikel is not impressively working hard in training, the coach will not use him. I stand to be corrected.
Glad to hear that. Thank God for a speedy recovery.
Good day to you my people wherever you are. It’s me your lovely omo9ja again.
A big warning to the manager of the Super Eagles team before Wednesday match against South Africa.
I appreciate his efforts since has bn in charge of the team. He has done well as an elderly person.
My observations so far, Super Eagles have bn lucky so far in this tournament and I hope its continues that way to the end.
However, what my lovely coach must do and must not do against South Africa?
No1, Akpeyi must not man the post.
No2, Musa, Onyekuru, Osemeh, Chukwueze and Ezenwa must be involved in that match as early as possible for those players. Ezenwa must start and end the match.
No3, late subs and wrong sub must not occurred on that day.
No4, wrong tactics. Mr. Rohr needs to work so hard on that.
Last but not least, my dear coach have to build confidence in this team. We can see the reflections of having no confidence in his team.
Kudos to the patric Nigerians. We have done well for our fatherland.
We brings the best out of Ighalo and he is now scoring goals in Egypt. Bravos my people.
We also brings the best out of the Super Eagles team, most especially in this tournament.
We indeed brings the best out of Oga Rohr himself.
We are really working so hard to achieve this. It wasn’t easy lol. If nobody salutes us, we will salute ourselves. We are doing this for our Country and everyone is happy now. Most especially against Cameroon.
I omo9ja wishing Mr. Rohr and his team good luck against South Africa on Wednesday. Keep listening to us and we are here to help you our lovely coach a.k.a Oga Rohr. God bless us all. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Doublespeak!
At omo9ja u ve spoken well but lemme add to it,first GR should save us with the story of Moses being defensively better than chukwueze y 1d best form of defence is attack 2 from what ve witness so far in this competition I can’t see any defence strong enough to stop Musa/igahlo/chukwueze combo,against Burundi we all saw what happened same as Cameroon d coach attacking tactics should be to use chukwueze as distraction n let Musa/igahlo do d damage,and jamiu Collins must return back to starting 11 GR can’t continue to play aina as a makeshift.
Since he has bn in charge of the team. My mistake. God bless Nigeria!!!
“Nigeria has been lucky in this competition” are you kidding me@ omo9ja. the truth is,U’ll never change, even though u tend to be wishing the team well (which has always been ur own cunning way of hiding ur bad belle) but ur bad belle keeps popping it’s ugly head each time u post a thread. We already know who u are, hence stop pretending u now support or wish the team well. I have copies of ur comments on the coach and team prior to the commencement of the competition. Will be releasing them one after the other as time goes in. U are a very big pretender. Keep your good wishes to ursef, the coach or team doesn’t need it.
@Oakfield, thank you so much for the compliments. I’m not doing this for myself but for our Country.
If I did what you guys did, Super Eagles would have bn out of the tournament by now.
That is what our leaders needs right now. They were bn pampered and this is the thing that have to be corrected if we all wanted to see a new Nigeria.
One word, one goal and one direction will make Nigeria a better place to live.
That is what I’m doing and we saw the result against Cameroon. So therefore, am I doing good or bad? Have your say, the door is open.
Yes or No my people? Just let me know. God bless Nigeria!!!
Good talk bro.@oakfield now he is wishing us well to hell with it omo9ija.
Anyone who knows this fellow called omo9ja in person or is a friend to him should please start avoiding him like a plague….I mean like ebola. Because these are the kinds of people who would smile at you while in their hearts they are wishing you drop dead….these are the kinds of people that will speak glowingly of you in your presence and bad-mouth you in your absence…..these are the kinds of people who will hang around you when things are rosy but desert you in your times of trial.
If you are a friend to this man called omo9ja in real life…..my candid advise to you this day is…..’for your own good, cut every chord that binds you to him’.
His character is the type we pray to God every morning that we shouldn’t encounter as we go about looking for daily bread…awon af’oju f’eni lai f’okan feni.
I am telling u bro@drey. I have detailed records of his evil comments against mr rohr and his team, even to the extent of glorifying Thomas denerby over him. It’s ridiculous how same person who wished us evil will suddenly turn around and be wishing the team well at the end if his comments from the pit of hell. I’ve told him that I will start reposting his comments against the team prior to the commencement of the the competition to show how wicked and evil he is.
With the victory over Cameroon, coach Gernot Rohr is now the coach with the second highest number of wins with the Super Eagles (19 wins). He has achieved this in 3 years (2016 – 2019) and 34 games.
Only Clemence Westerhoff has more wins. Clemence achieved 29 victories in 5 years (1989 – 1994) and approx 57 games.
3rd is Stephen Keshi managed approximately for 4 years (2011 – 2014) plus second stint in 2014 and third stint in 2015
Stats are beginning to fly out..nice one
Some humble pies for haters and enemies of progress to swallow. Stats don’t lie. The dumb, tactless, stupid, bastard, worst coach even ranks 2nd in No of victories amassed.
Now we can see those who are really dumb. Lolz
Mikel has no business in that team,he always spoil game tactics and has not being doing well since the beginning of this competition.He should pls and pls try Oseme,Nyekuru and introduce Ighalo in second half when the opponent are tired.Ekpeyi should be benched and Ezenwa should play in,our midfield should be tight to avoid free flowing South Africans cos,if the midfield is tight,the defenders and keeper goes to sleep!Akpeyi can’t even trap a back pass nor pin a ball and he is too timid on goal,Iwobi should not be a standing midfielder instead he should play an attacking mild role.
cs please help pass this message to super eagles: They shouldn’t wear the all dark green Jersey again o. Evidence have shown that that Jersey is bad luck to Nigeria. It is jinx. Anytime our team [falcons, flying, or golden Eagles] wear that jercy bad luck follow them and no matter how well they play they lose. let them wear green and white short as away. All shall be well
I agreed with you @gowetok. Hopefully they will listen to us this time around. That’s the perfect combination. God bless Nigeria!!!
Hehehehhe….see as Omo9ja just humble all of a sudden…?
This time last week , he was bragging and raising shoulder all over the place…telling everyone that cares “I said it….I told you’all our national team will have a disastrous AFCON….I said it”.
Since saturday, to post comment dey hard am. See confirm humble pie wey rohr serve am hot hot….LMAO.
Please where is that ur worshipper,….I mean that one that hides under the identity of a former eagles keeper to spill crap from the mouth..?
I dey here o. Your nefarious activities will soon be uncovered.
Omo9ja will not be denied.
Hahahahaha…..have u forgotten your role as a back stage dancer for Omo9ja…? LMAO
I forgot, you are still eating the humble pie Rohr shoved down your throats ehn…? Lolz
A good psychologist is needed for a positive psyche up.
Just a little loss of concentration, the Cameroonians pipes in 2 unexpected goals. We played far better than them but received the 2 goals because oF a slight defencive error.
Onyekuru is the best and hottest Nigerian player for now and should be allowed to play.
Chukwueze is diminutive and should be played.
Ighalo should start and be changed with Onyekuru or Victor Osimehen.
Mikel should be played as a defensive midfielder.
Balogun should forgive himself and restore his confidence.
Ikechukwu Ezenwa is faaaaar better than Ekpeyi and should be in goal.
South Africa must fall!!!
Good to hear our Captain is back again. Let’s go boys.
Thank God Mikel is back but he must convince the whole Nigerians that he is fit and fully recovered from injury. Side apart, he must be ready for the big show or keep him on the bench. This is not the time for experiment or managing player who is not fit.
Nigeria and Algeria play thesame pattern of football. The defending midfielders and fullback wingers must not rush out to attack.ndidi should stop Tau. Our attackers must not be wasteful.
Thank God Mikel is back but he must convince the whole Nigerians that he is fit and fully recovered from injury. Side apart, he must be ready for the big show or keep him on the bench. This is not the time for experiment or managing player who is not fit.
Mikel actually chicken out against Cameroon due to fear and not injury as speculated.
Thank God he is back, I love him because he has been the engine room for the team for years now.
I pray he lift this cup as a pressing Mark to retire honourable as the team captain and as one of Nigeria’s greatest to ever wear the Super Eagles jersey in his own right.
Against South Africa the coach should carry only one thing in his heart, redeem Nigeria image he damage against them.
That defeat to SA should be all he carries in his heart and the players too, he has to poison the players heart for a kill, that way our boys will take the game to the South Africans and get the better of them come Wednesday, our defence must be mentally alert to curtail counter attack, they are fast. We saw that against Egypt and against us in Uyo.
The South Africans are already praying for Rohr to feature Akpeyi in post, claiming the know him Very well.
I wish the Super Eagles all the best.
Thanks for your quick recovery Mr Mikel but I think you should allow Alex Iwobi do the job for you except you accept defensive role in our games. You must not play as captain to lift the cup.Your presence alone at the bench is a moral boost for the younger boys in the pitch.Follow the path of Chief Yobo who lifted the cup in 2013 mostly from the bench. It will be more honorable to retire lifting the cup as captain though without much activity in the tournament than lose out by insisting to play/start games always. I wish you goodluck.
Thanks for your quick recovery Mr Mikel but I think you should allow Alex Iwobi do the job for you except you accept defensive role in our games. You must not play as captain to lift the cup.Your presence alone at the bench is a morale boost for the younger boys in the pitch.Follow the path of Chief Yobo who lifted the cup in 2013 mostly from the bench. It will be more honorable to retire lifting the cup as captain though without much activity in the tournament than lose out by insisting to play/start games always. I wish you goodluck.
All what we need to be doing and is help us is prayers but in term of football playing and tactical knowledge we re still very poor let be honest to ourselves, surely we ve qualities (talent) in our team but no direction while most of our opponent ve direction but no qualities. like what Omo9ja said the coach need to work on his players confident, his is very right but the truth is rohr himself lack confident, in a serious country a team should ve a psychology in order bring out the confident of players with the ball but we all see how our players sometime is very difficult to do ordinary passes? keep giving opponent passes cos they don’t players as a team, no direction of play. So, we should keep praying and managing our problem(rohr)till end of the road.
Even if Mikel is fit, he is only good for d bench. Iwobi is been very good albeit he is only being able to give 60%. Someone like Kanu/ Okocha should drive it into Iwobi that this is his tournament to grab all the headlines. He just need to add much more tenacity, fight, aggression while making those turns,passes n moves and more also, winning back balls from opponents. The best player of the tournament is just there for Iwobi to grab. Also if I may suggest Omeruo should be deployed to d right full back position because he is quick, strong n physical, especially, since Awaziem is already on yellow, while Ekong,Balogun n Aina join in d defence. Just a suggestion.
If God be for us who can against us, thanks God so much for the victory. Super Eagles well done. Pls.Have have the spirit in you to bring the cup to Nigeria