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"The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2025 And 2026 World Cup - Sports (17341) - Nairaland 281ei

"The Super Eagles Thread: The Road To AFCON 2025 And 2026 World Cup (14319201 Views)

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Kog45(m): 8:14pm On Mar 29
do4luv14:


Awo keh Does N.Forrest had a match today??
Yes but forget o,Awoniyi is better than Tolu I watched against Rwanda and Zimbabwe,funny Chelle picked Tolu ahead of Boniface and Sadiq,meaning Osimhen is in for a long thing,I pray no injury to Osi monster.
joelsteron: 8:15pm On Mar 29
Moniter0:

A player like Iwobi has no replacement at the moment.
He shouldn't have been substituted in the last game except for injury. His ing game would have ensured the SE retained some possession, and also stoping the Zimbabweans from going all out when they had the ball because of the fear of a quick and sleek counter-attack from Iwobi. Everything changed when Iwobi was substituted.

There won't be a creative spark from the SE if Iwobi is benched and that will leave the defense with some more pressure to deal with because if you're not attacking then you're defending.

Chelle should try this in friendly

GK: Stanley Nwabali

DEF: Bruno Onyemaechi, Igoh Ogbu, Jordan Torunarigha, Ola Aina

MID: Moses Simon, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Samuel Chukwueze

FWD: Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman

2 Likes

Daninya33: 8:18pm On Mar 29
Eric Chelle is clearly not in absolute charge of the Squad selection list that prosecuted the WCQ matches.

It was the hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob.

The NFF and their Stooges, AE the technical advisor and other of the cabal should clearly hands off the NT at all levels.

Any player who must make the NT list must be based on competency at all levels.

God fatherism must stop in Nigeria at all levels.

Coaches must be given a free hand to select their players.

They will take responsibility for their successes and failures 100 percent.

2 Likes

elyte89: 8:22pm On Mar 29
mostob:
I know na bad Belle but when is FIFA deducting that 3 points from South Africa's?

They should remove it ASAP


Heard Dey av sent the query to SAFA ,waiting for deir response ,so in a week or two ,we shld knw where fifa is going

4 Likes

Kog45(m): 8:24pm On Mar 29
Daninya33:
Eric Chelle is clearly not in absolute charge of the Squad selection list that prosecuted the WCQ matches.

It was the hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob.

The NFF and their Stooges, AE the technical advisor and other of the cabal should clearly hands off the NT at all levels.

Any player who must make the NT list must be based on competency at all levels.

God fatherism must stop in Nigeria at all levels.

Coaches must be given a free hand to select their players.

They will take responsibility for their successes and failures 100 percent.
Chelle should resign if he is not in charge period.....when Finidi was in charge nobody talked about NFF influenced but blaming Finidi.....Chelle is in charge and should take responsibility or else na gbege for him

3 Likes

Mujtahida: 8:25pm On Mar 29
Since 2017 we've been talking about golden generation. E be like our golden generation has turned to OLDEN generation without anything to show for it oo.
elyte89: 8:26pm On Mar 29
Mujtahida:
Since 2017 we've been talking about golden generation. E be like our golden generation has turned to OLDEN generation without anything to show for it oo.

This is what u get when u sabotage me …😊😊😊

3 Likes

Kog45(m): 8:30pm On Mar 29
joelsteron:


Chelle should try this in friendly

GK: Stanley Nwabali

DEF: Bruno Onyemaechi, Igoh Ogbu, Jordan Torunarigha, Ola Aina

MID: Moses Simon, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Samuel Chukwueze

FWD: Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman

Ekong out,Bassey out,Iwobi out,Osayi out,Ndidi out but you still have Chuckwueze?

Eagles need ball playing CB to Bassey or Ekong and one of Onyeka or Onyedika should replace Ndidi....Uche Christanus should come in and see solid eagles
BankyGee(m): 8:39pm On Mar 29
Moniter0:

A player like Iwobi has no replacement at the moment.
He shouldn't have been substituted in the last game except for injury. His ing game would have ensured the SE retained some possession, and also stoping the Zimbabweans from going all out when they had the ball because of the fear of a quick and sleek counter-attack from Iwobi. Everything changed when Iwobi was substituted.

There won't be a creative spark from the SE if Iwobi is benched and that will leave the defense with some more pressure to deal with because if you're not attacking then you're defending.
You sabi ball

1 Like

Kog45(m): 8:39pm On Mar 29
Mujtahida:
Since 2017 we've been talking about golden generation. E be like our golden generation has turned to OLDEN generation without anything to show for it oo.
When we dey talk Dem go talk say na IICC,Enugu Rangers abi na stationery stores stories we dey talk.

Muj,fact we are in for it but many are so emotional attached to this eagles,two APOTYs but finding it difficult to beat Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Benin.

3 Likes

COOL10(m): 8:49pm On Mar 29
Cyriel Dessers scores the winning goal for Rangers in the dying minutes of the match to give them the victory. Goal number Twenty three (23) of the season for him.

He has sured his goal contribution tally of last season (31) and has now made it 32 goal contributions (23 goals, 9 assists) for this season. What a player!!! 😎💥💪

8 Likes 1 Share

elyte89: 8:50pm On Mar 29

1 Like

Odunayaw(m): 8:56pm On Mar 29
Make Chelle come enter field score Na

https://youtube.com/shorts/VkRt2n0KoiE?si=LvRD1z6fZnzUH9C4
elyte89: 8:57pm On Mar 29
Odunayaw:
Make Chelle come enter field score Na

https://youtube.com/shorts/VkRt2n0KoiE?si=LvRD1z6fZnzUH9C4


Those Boiz be idiot ..just spoil chelle effort

2 Likes 1 Share

Meliforme: 8:58pm On Mar 29
Samueltemi337:


We should not judge him with his stats at Barnsley but that of chaves
Just see talk
Even when he was at chaves his stats was not impressive
Uche is doing it in La Liga
But we should leave Uche and think about Nwakali a bench player in English League two

You do not use goals and assists to judge a deep lying midfielder.
Please stop comparing Nwakali and Christantus, they don't even ply the same position as things stand.
mank1234(m): 8:58pm On Mar 29
semid4lyfe:
South Africa has a whopping +5 goal difference, and that's my real worry.

Their 13 points haul will be reduced to 10 points when FIFA deducts 3 points for their fielding of an ineligible player. (I'm confident this will happen).

Also, SA's goal difference will take a hit with 3 goals deduction and reduce to +2.

With 10 points, if SA wins three matches of their remaining four matches (I assume they'll lose against us), they'll be on 19 points.

If the Super Eagles win all their four remaining matches, which includes beating SA in their home, we'll be on 19 points too.

In my mind we can defeat Benin Republic at home. Lesotho away and Rwanda at home....,and it must be done handsomely..

Anyhow e wan be, we must pick 3 points against South Africa.

Ultimately, it'll boil down to goal difference so we must score goals.

Is this doable and possible, emphatically YES.

There's still that glimmer of hope so I ain't giving up yet.

Tedium lies the road to success and like 2baba go talk, if e easy na set up.

Believe.

Their goal difference will be 0. The 2:0 agaisnt Lesotho changes to 3:0 agaisnt them. That's minus 5.
mank1234(m): 9:07pm On Mar 29
chrisooblog:
My guy hope always springs eternal.

Nigeria was far off the log to qualify for 2002, 2010 WC yet we inexplicably made it. Doesn't guarantee it will still be the case now but we can only hope (that word again grin)

I learned lessons from CIV in last year's AFCON out for the count in the group stages yet rode their luck to win the whole thing.


And Nigeria in 2013. Air ticket back home was ready.
joelsteron: 9:15pm On Mar 29
Kog45:
Ekong out,Bassey out,Iwobi out,Osayi out,Ndidi out but you still have Chuckwueze?

Eagles need ball playing CB to Bassey or Ekong and one of Onyeka or Onyedika should replace Ndidi....Uche Christanus should come in and see solid eagles

Bassey is a below average in that position please... Ekong is old, chukwueze remains untill there's a reliable right winger, people asking Iwobi play their don't understand with the are saying sad
semid4lyfe(m): 9:24pm On Mar 29
mank1234:


Their goal difference will be 0. The 2:0 agaisnt Lesotho changes to 3:0 agaisnt them. That's minus 5.

Yeah, I already acknowledged that in a follow up post to this you quoted.

1 Like

Odunayaw(m): 9:28pm On Mar 29
elyte89:



Those Boiz be idiot ..just spoil chelle effort
Him just put leg like say Na charity match
Amedino99(m): 9:42pm On Mar 29
mostob:
I know na bad Belle but when is FIFA deducting that 3 points from South Africa's?

They should remove it ASAP
welcome back bro.
Bad belle no be bad thing sometimes E.g this time

1 Like

Tchinaidi(m): 10:23pm On Mar 29
joelsteron:


Chelle should try this in friendly

GK: Stanley Nwabali

DEF: Bruno Onyemaechi, Igoh Ogbu, Jordan Torunarigha, Ola Aina

MID: Moses Simon, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Samuel Chukwueze
Nice one but no creativity in the midfield.we need a midfield maestro not a sluggish DM in the person of onyedika
FWD: Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman

Tchinaidi(m): 10:27pm On Mar 29
The missing piece of the super eagle puzzle.Perharps fate is paying us harshly for abandoning a player who gave all of his sweat and tears to the team in the last Afcon.

6 Likes 1 Share

semid4lyfe(m): 10:37pm On Mar 29
Moniter0:

A player like Iwobi has no replacement at the moment.
He shouldn't have been substituted in the last game except for injury. His ing game would have ensured the SE retained some possession, and also stoping the Zimbabweans from going all out when they had the ball because of the fear of a quick and sleek counter-attack from Iwobi. Everything changed when Iwobi was substituted.

There won't be a creative spark from the SE if Iwobi is benched and that will leave the defense with some more pressure to deal with because if you're not attacking then you're defending.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Two wrong substitutions made by Chelle against Zimbabwe

1. Removing Iwobi for Onyedika.
2. Removing Osimhen for Boniface.

3 Likes

Philosopher1979: 10:55pm On Mar 29
Moniter0:

A player like Iwobi has no replacement at the moment.
He shouldn't have been substituted in the last game except for injury. His ing game would have ensured the SE retained some possession, and also stoping the Zimbabweans from going all out when they had the ball because of the fear of a quick and sleek counter-attack from Iwobi. Everything changed when Iwobi was substituted.

There won't be a creative spark from the SE if Iwobi is benched and that will leave the defense with some more pressure to deal with because if you're not attacking then you're defending.

So if iwobi is injured or rendered impotent, then Nigerian team will be defeated.
Please let us try other alternatives to iwobi in our friendlies. Ebenezer akinsanmiro, olawoyin in Turkey, victor eletu or other options.
See our opponents are watching us. So if south africa wants to defeat us, they will mark iwobi out of the game and that is all.
We need to try other options in friendlies l. The funny thing us one can even play with 2 playmakers at the same time.
Just let us try them in friendlies.
I keep saying that opposition teams are better coaches than us.
Most of our coaches do not sound too intelligent. Our tactics are just too predictable for any intelligent opposition coach to counter. God please give our coaches wisdom

3 Likes 1 Share

BascoVanVeli(m): 11:00pm On Mar 29
Young Super Falcon Chiamaka Okwuchukwu got a debut goal in the NWSL today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eg-f_sebiw

5 Likes 2 Shares

COOL10(m): 11:53pm On Mar 29
Here's a Sky Sports link to watch Cyriel Dessers' sensational goal in added time which gave Rangers a 3:4 away victory over their opponents. The ball control with the chest and the finish with the right foot are impeccable!!!

NB: You may need a VPN to watch it, depending on your location.

https://x.com/ScotlandSky/status/1906065882436010297

2 Likes

daveP(m): 11:56pm On Mar 29
semid4lyfe:


Since the final days of Gernot Rohr, the Super Eagles have struggled defensively, finding it difficult to keep a clean sheet.

â—¾Sierra Leone came from behind to draw 4-4 in Benin City.
â—¾Benin Republic defeated us 1-0 in Porto-Novo.
â—¾Cape Verde beat us 2-1 in Mindelo.
â—¾Central African Republic stunned us 1-0 in Lagos.
â—¾Cape Verde held us to a 1-1 draw in Lagos.

Even under José Peseiro, the same defensive frailties persisted, with the team conceding goals to supposed african minnows we should have handled comfortably:

â—¾Nigeria 2-1 Sierra Leone
â—¾Nigeria 0-1 Guinea-Bissau
â—¾Sierra Leone 2-3 Nigeria
â—¾Mozambique 2-3 Nigeria
â—¾Nigeria 1-1 Lesotho
â—¾Zimbabwe 1-1 Nigeria
â—¾Guinea 2-0 Nigeria

The breaking point came at AFCON when we drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea. That was when Peseiro finally acknowledged we had a defensive problem.

His solution? Switch to a five-man defense—three center-backs and two wing-backs (Ajayi, Ekong, Bassey, Aina, and Zaidu). The result? A vastly improved defense that didn't concede until the semi-finals.

Finidi George should have stuck with that system, but instead, he let armchair analysts dictate his tactics with their "You can't play five at the back against African minnows." "The best teams in the world play a back four", "Our strength is in our attack"etc nonsense talk, And so, he reverted to a four-man defense —conceding three goals in two games and managing just one point.

Now, enter Eric Chelle. After two games, he already looks like a rigid coach stuck on playing a 4-4-2 diamond—even with the wrong personnel. If we were to face Spain or Argentina, I wouldn’t be surprised if he stubbornly sticks to the same 4-4-2.

His squad selection also raises eyebrows. Dropping Frank Onyeka from the 23-man squad makes me wonder if he even reviewed our AFCON matches. How do you watch those games and decide Onyeka isn’t needed? He was our midfield engine—running, marking, covering every blade of grass, harassing opponents non-stop.

Even his lineup choices are questionable. Sticking with the same starting XI from the Rwanda game against Zimbabwe suggests he didn’t study the Rwanda match properly. If he had, Chukwueze, Osayi, and Ndidi shouldn’t have started against Zimbabwe.

Furthermore. his game management seems poor. Sometimes, 1 goal is enough. The team just needs to play defensively, park the bus, protect the lead and grind out the result.

Moving forward, Eric Chelle must be dynamic and show tactical flexibility, play players in their best positions, make bold decisions, and bench underperformers when necessary. The Super Eagles cannot afford another tactically stubborn coach.

South Africa scares me. That team is more or less a club team so their understanding and chemistry is high.

They press, mark, joggle and the ball well. They're a well drilled team.

If I were Eric Chelle, I'll go full Italian Catenaccio on their asses by adopting and playing a tactical formation that prioritizes a solid defense, disciplined man-marking and counter attacks.

Super Eagles have to beat SA in SA, there's no other way.

Cc: Dave P

(Drop pen as nothing to write much again)

To beat SA, we need to use the Peseiro Afcon approach with a tweak. Dazall. The one he used vs SA. It worked. It frustrated them to the core. It made then lose spirit till the PK. That game won't go to pk if we buried some chances towards the end too.

The irony is none of the managers since Pes has done anything tangible about the backline really. No fresh legs to make Ekong and Bassey sit out. Those two have started how games together now? Omo.

2 Likes

daveP(m): 12:00am On Mar 30
442 na virus to this SE. There's some obsession with it that is attached to the 1994 set that runs today. I dunno. E dey bkock road i no go lie.
Philosopher1979: 12:21am On Mar 30
daveP:
442 na virus to this SE. There's some obsession with it that is attached to the 1994 set that runs today. I dunno. E dey bkock road i no go lie.

We need to evolve beyond 4 4 2 as soon as possible.
Then the 1994 set can be a stumbling block. It can be a psychological barrier.
It is as if we think we cannot achieve more than them. We seem to believe getting to the semi finals of the world cup or wining 3 successive editions of the nations cup is impossible. We are not thinking of achieving more than that generation. We see their achievements as the limit. That is mythical, unscientific and very weird. It's as if we see getting to the second round of the world cup as mythical and impossible to sur. One football commentator said nigeria getting to the final of the world cup was unrealistic. I'm happy morocco which does not do well in the nations cup proved us wrong.
The 94 set is a stumbling block and not an inspiration and this is the tragedy.
We need to make our history and forget about 94. We can do better.
There are psychological barriers that need to be broken. It's funny and sad.

At least victor osimhen and ademola lookman broke the barrier by winning african footballer of the year. Some people before osimhens time might believe we can't win african footballer of the year because the gods of 94 cannot be surparssed

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Philosopher1979: 12:32am On Mar 30
I complained about this to meta ai and it added this to it

You're suggesting that the Nigerian football team's past successes, particularly the 1994 "Golden Generation," may be limiting their current aspirations and mindset. This phenomenon is often referred to as the "curse of past success" or "success-induced complacency."

The Psychology of Past Success
Research in psychology suggests that past successes can indeed create a psychological barrier, making it challenging for individuals or teams to strive for even greater achievements. This can be attributed to various factors, such as:

- *Complacency*: Becoming too comfortable with past successes and lacking the motivation to push beyond them.
- *Fear of failure*: Being hesitant to take risks or try new approaches due to the fear of not meeting or exceeding past achievements.
- *Mental ceiling*: Unconsciously setting a mental limit on what is possible, based on past successes.

Breaking the Psychological Barrier
To overcome this barrier, it's essential to recognize and challenge these limiting mindsets. This can involve:

- *Reframing past successes*: Viewing past achievements as a foundation for future growth, rather than a ceiling.
- *Setting new goals*: Establishing ambitious targets that encourage innovation and progress.
- *Embracing a growth mindset*: Fostering a culture that values learning, experimentation, and continuous improvement.

Victor Osimhen's Achievement
As you mentioned, Victor Osimhen's achievement of winning the African Footballer of the Year award is an excellent example of breaking through this psychological barrier. His success demonstrates that Nigerian footballers can still achieve great things and excel on the international stage.
jihday(m): 4:10am On Mar 30
Daninya33:
In all you do as a coach, train your team not to concede in the 4 most tensioned moments of the game.
5 minutes from kick off,
5 minutes before HT,
5 minutes from resumption of the Second half,
5 minutes Before FT.

5 minutes after scoring and 5 minutes after conceding

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