The Super Eagles walloped a local club in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 12-0 in a friendly on Sunday.
Jose Peseiro’s side led 6-0 at the break with Ademola Lookman scoring four goals,while Victor Osimhen bagged a brace.
In the second half, substitute Moses Simon registered two goals, with captain Ahmed Musa and Umar Sadiq also getting on the scoresheet.
Read Also:Exclusive: Utilise Your Chance In Eagles At AFCON 2023 –Dosu Advises Yusuf
Their opponent also scored two own goals in the game.
The Super Eagles will now shift attention to Monday’s friendly against the Syli Nationale of Guinea at the Yani Abas Stadium.
The friendly against Guinea will also be played behind closed doors.
They will head to Abidjan for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.
54 Comments
Lookman should be given game time in this Afcon….he might be the joker of the team coupled with the form he was in just before he left his club for camp…..Lookman and Boniface especially!
Akp. My problem with ademola is the way he is been used and his overall commitment on the pitch. He is not really rising to the demand of African football.
I think the coach should not start him. He should also not be played on the wings when he comes on.
I am looking at this formation
Uzoho or nwabili
Aina
Zaidu
Onyeka
Ajayi
Bassey
Chukuwueze
Boniface
Oshimen
Iwobi
Aribo
I m tipping chukuwueze to start ahead of lookman and Simon because of his close understanding with Oshimen. But he needs to be warned and monitored. If he begins to mess up take him off.
I m tipping aribo to start because of our midfield. Pessro can’t get anywhere with a 424 formation. Even now that we don’t have ndidi.
Onyeka is starting ahead of Yusuf because of experience in the national team.
I believe Boniface will be the revelation of this afcon tournament. That boy is gift to Nigeria.
Semi and bassey because they have played together of late.
Mostly on Onyeka, what experience are you talking about? The experience that has led Super Eagles drawing with lowly rated Africa side? Yusuf I’d a better player/option going by current form.
Very cheap ass, mediocre friendly!
Typical jelous monkey ass comment.
Thank you my brother. Nigerians dont like realist like us
Monky Post
Monky Yansh
Monky Brain
How many times did I call your name?
Be warned – You are treading a very dangerous precipice!
Continue inviting curses and punishment on your own head – be careful it doesn’t extend to the rest of your family members. Your country is already Cursed but there are those that will be saved – Just in the same way that God spared Lot and his family, but clearly you and your family will not be among those saved from darkland when destruction finally catches up with you spawns of satan
Nigeria and Nigerians are blessed and favoured by God – anyone wishing them bad especially in such a malicious way as you is asking for evil to befall him – so it is your own wahala, continue hating on people who don’t even know you let alone doing any harm to you – the blood of the innocent is very powerful and only misery and curses will follow whoever is hating on the innocent one who is also chosen by God. Those who have ears let them hear!
Must you curse people? That is very bad of you. Someone aired his views on an issue and all you could do is to curse. Remember, God said the curse curseless shall not come.
Shut up! Idiot!
Lookman is a field marshall. Success will come to him.
No weapon fasshion against super eagles shall prosper and ÀNY tongue that is raised against super eagles including the tongue of ivorian sorcerers is hereby condemned in judgement . Go super eagles. We are praying for you .
Amen to THE GLORY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
There is one weapon that will always prosper when it is deployed: weapon by themselves against themselves.
And there are many ways to do that. When a player is on fire for his club side, yet fails to turn up time and time again for his nation yet is not dropped by his national team coach because coach is scared his beloved will be displaced, that is weapon formed against the team by themselves.
When a player decides this is the hour he wants an AFCON moment and chooses to play to the gallery rather than pass to a free man (an attribute that is rewarded fiercely in clubs), that weapon is formed by themselves.
I can go on and on.
Ah! WC qualifiers against Ghana was a painful one to demonstrate self sabotage.
3 hours of football did not produce goals for from open play! Forget Ghana jazz.
It was humiliating!
I think the front three should be Lookman Osinmhen and Boniface in a 4-3-3 formation with 3 midfielders behind them. Iwobi Onyeka and Aribo to start while Onyedika and Yusuf stamp their Authority behind Iwobi or Aribo of any one of them mess up. Chukwueze can not start ahead of Lookman with the Lookman blings to camp. He should never be deployed on the wings. He should play behind Osimhen or play as the AM ahead of Iwobi. His movements are crisp and his finishing is aplomb. With Boniface Lookman and Osimhen in our attack just pray for our opponents once they clique or gel together. There are also options aplenty on the bench. Sadiq, Chukwueze Simon and the recuperating Iheanacho. Fly like an eagle into the future.
Since we are using three strikers Osimhen bonnafice and lookman I think we need two defensive midfielders oyenka and yusuf den iwobi 10
If I have my way it will be Onyedika and Yusuf behind Iwobi or Behind Lookman or maybe Aribo depending on how they raise their games as the tournament progresses.
With the form Lookman is bringing to camp we need a very solid midfield. That is where a Yusuf will be hopefully effervescent. We need a player in midfield that can do all the dirty jobs.
Alhassan can be that guy. Onyeka will probably be preferred ahead of him and Onyedika, but we’ll see how far he can hold on to his shirt or take advantage of Ndidi’s absence.
Onyedika and Yusuf will be my preferred partnership behind Iwobi to start in midfield. Those two are the future of SuperEagles midfield along with Daga, Akinsanmiro, Eletu, Nnadi, Ogbelu, Ebube Okere, Raphael Oyebanjo over the next two years.
So this “local club in Abu Dhabi” has no name?
Abegi, instead of wasting time and bandwidth reporting a meaningless training exhibition with, for all we know could be just 11 people from the hotel staff club, let’s focus on more pertinent preparations towards the real thing, starting with tomorrow’s warmup versus Guinea.
This is most absurd comment I have ever seen. Even my little can can not say this. A whole national team preparing for a major tournament will play against hotel staff? Some of you are just educated illiterates.
Yea I agree with you @9jarealist they probably gathered the hotel cleaners, gardeners, gateman and played against..cos how come the club has no name…
@Adeniyi, you mean unlike UNEDUCATED literates like you…LMAO
Just in the very likely case you’re confused, being ‘literate’ merely means being able to read and write (and not what most of you Nigerians think it is). Thus, folk like you can read and write and thus be able to spout drivel on SM. Meanwhile, the SUBSTANCE that you left to wank off over shadows is beginning to play out starting with the friendly against Guinea.
….lol. …ewooo!
@monkey . Just because you want to be popular you keep seeing evil against our darling team. Initially i thought your criticisms were constructive until recently I discovered you want attention and you mean evil for the team. See most fans here can say anything about eagles just because they are angry with the way football is being run in the country or because of the players lack of commitment but don’t be fool they all want eagles to win the cup even if they don’t say it .
Most fans here would curse you if you continue to wish our darling team bad luck in this coming tournament . Already for you to call yourself Monkey mean things are not going well for you spiritually and materially, so please don’t add to your already burden .
There is nothing wrong in criticism , but yours is bad belle. Nigeria just beat a club side 12 nil you still complain . How many success have you personally recorded in your life self ?
Tomorrow friendly match will determine my comment to some extent because SE friendly match right from time do not really sure of what the team is capable of doing on D day.
Whitewashing a third tier club or local team could not be compared to Sierra Leone massacred 5-1 by the Ivorian. Can SE beat Sierra Leone 5-1?
Our first match against Guinea Bissau will shed partial light on SE’s prowess and readiness of the team as a typical AFCON winner.
What is the name of the club that Nigeria just beat?
Nigeria just beat a club.. Nigeria just beat a club.. don’t the club have name?
Am sure even Gombe United (our local club here) can play against them and score even 15-0..
What is the name of the club that Nigeria just beat?
Nigeria just beat a club.. Nigeria just beat a club.. don’t the club have name?
Am sure even Gombe United (our local club here) can play against them and score even 15-0..
Uzoho started in goal today and he kept a clean sheet. I still expect Peseiro to stick with his laboured 4-2-4 formation.
The Ideal starting 11 is:
Uzoho
Osayi-Samuep
Awaziem
Bassey
Onyemaechi
Aribo
Onyeka
Lookman
Chukwueze
Umar
Osihmen
This set up will be unplayable.
Hope the card crumble wit this Bruno of a guy, ebuchi with World Cup and nations cup experience was dropped because of him. Which contribution has the Bruno has in the national team that they have to drop sanusi for him. Let the nations cup start, moffi, ebuchi for umar (2) goals in 16 appearances, and Bruno who have not been able to move out of the low Portuguese club. Ok
@deo, come on man! against what opposition? Don’t tell me that you are carried away with the 11-0 thrashing. Uzoho kept a clean sheet against what opposition? My take is that you unconsciously omitted Iwobi but how is Aribo and Onyeka midfield unplayable??? Are you serious or you are trolling??
I am shaking my head for Super Eagles coach.
I am not that concerned about today’s result because the team Eagles played with might be lower to their standard.
But using Uzoho while the coach has other options raises more concerned. That shows the level of the gaffer. Just like Oga Rohr. We don’t have a coach for Super Eagles the way it looks. I am sorry for my country. NFF should be ashamed of themselves. Fingers crossed. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
I now strongly believe, more than ever before that this Monkey Post isn’t a Nigerian, and I’ll treat him so henceforth. There’s nothing anyone can tell me that will make me change my position.
You can’t be a Nigerian,even if things are terribly bad with us, or we ain’t doing well in any area, and e behaving this way. You will a least feel excited seeing your nation achieve a form of success no matter how small. You can’t claim you love your father and you riddicle him at every point in time. Love, familial connection and the blood flowing in your veins wont just allow you. That’s exactly how patriotism works in us. Even monkeys love their ugly parents. But this Monkey came from a different jungle, into our civilization claiming to be one of us. We disown you wholeheartedly and we advice to jump back into the bush you came from.
LMFAO!So a national team beating hotel staff in abu dhabi is an achievement?
Nawa o
The only positive things I could noticed in this friendly was that our strikers are becoming to jeel together, been local club or whatever they were able to scores twelves goals is not moimoi, this shows that if they create 8 chances then our strikers can scores 5. Which I see as development in the team. Tomorrow friendly would help them to jeel the more before our first game,it will also help the technical crews to see little lapses in the team
I have a feeling they’ll win tomorrow’s friendly against Guinea convincingly. I’m sensing a repeat of Afcon 2013 when pre-tournament results didn’t give Nigerian fans a positive vibe and they were almost out in the first round until Victor Moses came to life in the final group match against Ethiopia and then Emenike and Mba then leading the charge.
One, tomorrow’s match is also behind closed doors. Therefore it might as well be like a practice match.
2. Convincingly against AFCON opponents (Guinea bissau that was beaten by Mali might even not be a cakewalk for eagles too) is like saying a leopard would suddenly change its spots. Which team be mumu?
3. Tomorrow will mean only 6 days to our first match. Which player will want another s “village people” to knock him out of the first team even though Peserio already has his favorites?
4.2013 had good jokers in that team. Who do you think is one in this team? Oh, you think Peserio will debut “debutants” straight off?
Coach has used 45 players since he took charge. Can’t you easily reel off at least 6 of his starting 11 any day?
5. 2013 had hungry players too. You dey expect hungry players for this team when their places are too secure?
Miracles happen but….
They played against hotel staff in dubai and you are giving them good ratings? Why not wait when they ivory coast
You are sick @Monkey and Eagles will shame you in this Afcon. Lets wait and see
You that came under a sick man’s comment to comment is what? Sicker? LMAO…
Well said my brother.
The best midfield combination should just be Yusuf<Onyedika-Iwobi.
Also, the attacking trio of Osimhen-Boniface–Lookman(with Simon coming from bench) shouldn't be bad idea at all.
Our only problem is that Pesseiro doesn't see well or that he is looking at faces or other things, if not with critical thinking and assessment, he would have easilly noticed how to make good use of the available players who might be the jokers of the super eagkes going forward.
God bless u, nd God bless 9ja.
No comment till they play against a national team.
Nwabili
Aina
Sanusi
Bassey
Ajayi
Aribo
Yusuf
Onyeka
Simon
Iwobi
Lookman
Osimhen
Larry,
Starting a rookie goalkeeper in a major tournament is a huge gamble. Uzoho will turn a corner. Also, Sadiq Umar is an Olympic medallist. His experience is vital in the starting 11.
I’ll remove either Simon or Yusuf to make 11
An alternative starting 11 is
Uzoho
Awaziem
Omeruo
Ajayi
Aina
Yusuf
Onyedika
Lookman
Simon
Aribo
Osimhen
For now, it looks like Peseiro will continue with his 4-4-2 formation, AND WITH UZOHO IN GOAL.
If fans like, they can go on hunger strike. Some can even jump in front of a moving train. Peseiro no send anybody.
With 4-4-2 being forced down our throats, we may still have hope if we can achieve some kind of balance with the players we have.
For the 4-4-2 to work, we need wingers that are strong defensively. Iwobi has been deployed mainly as a winger at Fulham, and he’s done really well so far. I would start him on the right or left wing, as he’s comfortable in both. The other winger would be one of Simon, Chukwueze and Lookman.
In this formation, Lookman would be my least desirable winger, because while he’s good going forward, to me he’s not strong defensively. I would love for him to prove other wise. If he can, I would start him. If not, Simon would be my next option. In a 4-4-2 formation, Lookman would be better used as a support striker, not a winger. Again, I would love for him to prove otherwise.
Starting Lookman and Iheanacho in the wings would not work, in my opinion. While both are good offensively, they are not strong defensively. To achieve balance, we need defensively strong wingers.
We also need 2 workaholic, box to box midfielders. We can pick 2 out of Onyeka, Aribo, Onyedika and Yusuf. Aribo to me does not have the energy required to play this role. He has his uses, of course. He’s a good player. But I see him struggling in the midfield, especially against African opponents. However, since we have so few midfielders, we have no choice really.
My starting 4-4-2 line up:
Goalkeeper
Aina, Ajayi, Bassey, Bruno
Iwobi, Onyeka, Yusuf, Simon
Osimhen, Boniface
Against strong opponents, Yusuf and Onyeka will have to dig deep in that midfield. Iwobi and Simon would need to tuck in to add more bodies to the middle.
If we get it right in the midfield, things might work out well. Of course, a good goalie gives us an advantage, and converting a good number of the chances we create will also be a huge help. Even if we’re conceding goals, as long as we score more than we concede, we should hopefully be fine.
Ademola lookman that often wasted chances in matches past scored more goals than Osimhen in training today (unnamed club is like playing with other players of the team)?
Osimhen should forget assists from him at AFCON then.
Anyway, let’s see how they play against real opponents tomorrow.
Deo and Co are listing ideal formations and personnel as if they don’t know Peserio “misplaces position” of players on real match days.
Iwobi did not start the first half of today’s practice. Do you think Peserio will bench him for anyone on match day proper?
Temper your expectations. If the bulk of the players that flunked AFCON 2021, Qatar 2022 matches against Ghana still play rubbish from this weekend (I think the squad is relatively intact), then I think a bulk of the players too should also give way as Peserio.
My anger is they claim it is still a “young” squad.
Really, if they play rubbish (my instinct think they are doomed to do so), there is NO GUARANTEE they’d survive AFCON 2025 qualifiers let alone world cup qualifiers that would only produce one winner per group.
I remember prior to when Germany won the world in Brazil they played series of international matches which they lost most and just a few days to the World Cup proper they played an unknown club outside Europe and thrashed them 16 nil ,then the whole world was laughing at them and didn’t take them serious until they beat Brazil 6 to 1. Eventually they won the cup . After the tournament their coach said he intentionally arranged for Germany to play an unknown club side just because their morale was low , the team didn’t believe in them selves and immediately after their friendly their winning mentality started coming up.
At time playing a weaker team has it’s own advantage. We might be lucky this team will peak at the right time in this tournament and the rest will be history —— 4th cup for Nigeria.
The match is not on any livescore. Probably Eagles played a club without profile. Naija! I hail
Everyone should just calm down, some are already salivating at the prospects of the SE in Abidjan. I would not read too much into the inclusion of Uzoho until the next test game against guinea. If Uzoho starts then it is clear that he will be number one and I do not want to be the harbinger of bad news but that dude will most likely let us down when it matters most. I have decided to support cautiously but the hand writing on the wall does not look promising. I will leave it at that for now and hope they prove me wrong. God Bless the SE!
What I find worrisome about Peseiro is the refusal to try other options in goal. Don’t get me wrong, if Uzoho was pulling trees with sterling performances after another, I will be inclined to understand but this dude has been dropping stinker after stinker and there is no attempt to try other options when the opportunity presents itself in the mode of friendlies! If I can remember, He has used Adeleye only once in a friendly since he was appointed and was forced only to use him against Sierra Leone in an afcon qualifier because Uzoho was suspended for the game.
I understand why people are positive (riding on the waves of patriotism) but I warn that fans should support cautiously. My suspicion is that a lot of fans would have their hearts broken again. The reason I am concerned about this coach is that he does not seem to be actively improving weak areas in the team. Despite Uzoho’s inactivity at club level, he has continued to show faith (albeit irresponsibly) in him. When Judas Is Karius kept for Liverpool and dropped consistent stinkers, Klopp shopped around and bought Alisson and the rest is history (EPL and Champions League Cups in the cabinet). Our coach seems to be an arrogant happy go fella! His judgment appears to be poor e.g. This persistence with 442 or 424 with the players he has when the outcome has not been successful (Nigeria has been moon walking on the FiFA rankings since he came and the win percentage especially in friendlies has been abysmal to say the least), opting for 25 players when CAF has given permission for 27 players (Putting our team at a disadvantage before the whistle has been blown), picking just 5 midfielders and a plethora of strikers. He just does not give the impression that he knows what he is doing. What is the makeup of the midfielders in the team, they are mostly defensive midfielders. What happened to the attacking midfielder, has anyone seen any attempt from him to address this? May be I am just over reacting but the way he goes about his work does not fill me with much confidence.
@Golden Crown, I can feel your pain and patriotism. But this coach has a different feeling entirely. He’s been largely unconvincing and I don’t think he’s got anything to lose if the team fails in CIV. Reason I sometimes object to hiring foreign coaches. Though if you get a good one, the team will be better for it. Their stubbornness isn’t driven by patriotism. I’m seeing another Berti Vogts playing out here. And I don’t wanna place too much hope im tbis team. If we do well, fine. If we don’t, we move.
I saw a training clip of the 3 goalkeepers stopping shots from the camp in UAE and to be very honest Uzoho was the slowest to go down and palm away shots and the poorest in reflexes. Ojo and Nwabili were faster and had more natural goalkeeper reflexes.
I don’t know if it’s Uzoho’s height but somehow I think Paseiro is trying to copy the template of who he’s found out to be the most successful Nigerian coach: Westerhof (regardless of the fact that we’re in a different time and the game has advanced now). Aside from sticking with 4-4-2, Westerhof loves big and tall players (Okechukwu, Nwanu, Rasheed, Siasia, Rufai, Okafor, etc). So Paseiro loves tall and big goalkeepers and defenders, every other thing is secondary. Uzoho still doesn’t inspire confidence and conversely, he instills more confidence in the opponent’s stickers.
It’s a catch-22 situation.
Monkey Post is right but let us treat this like a practice match and not take it seriously most especially knowing it’s not a Fifa recognised team. Today’s game against Guinea will reveal the truth of Peseiro.
Alhassan Yusuf and Raphael Onyedika starts against Guinea. Stanley Nwabali starts ahead of Francis Uzoho in goal.
Nwabali, Osayi Samuel, Zaidu, Omeruo, Ekong, Awaziem, Yusuf, Onyedika, Chukwueze, Simon, Sadiq.
Coach Jose Peseiro has opted for an experimental 3-4-3 against the Syli Nationale. Is Peseiro cooking something?? Make I get my popcorn.
Moment of reckoning for both Nwabili and Uzoho. The keeper does well and fans will clamor he becomes first choice. He fumbles and Paseiro is justified and sticks with his bestie.
It’s very stupid for a coach to stsrt three defensive midfielders in a single match and expect the team to score. Peseiro is so lazy that scouting for at least 2 attacking midfielders with some levels of creativity has become a big problem for him. If Iwobi is out of a match, we are doomed! We can’t always rely on wingers to score goals for us. I don’t see us going far in this competition. All we need is a good team with a good balance in the midfield to overrun us. I heard Guinea completely dominated us in that area. Reason we struggled to score goals. There’s no miracle anyone will perform at AFCON that will change anything. It’s just too late