Was this A Spin by Salisu on Non-Invitation of NPFL Players?

[Enugu II]

Just a thought as the media have recently questioned player invitations for the London friendlies....

Salisu: Why We Didn’t Invite NPFL Stars For Eagles’ London Friendlies
5 MAR 2017
HEADLINES, TOP STORIES
By Johnny Edward:



Super Eagles assistant coach Salisu Yusuf has explained why outfield players from the Nigerian Professional Football League were excluded from the two international friendly matches against Senegal and Burkina Faso later this month in London, reports Completesportsnigeria.com.

FC IfeanyiUbah goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa is the only NPFL player who made the shortlist of the invited players for the games but Yusuf claimed that the technical crew are keen to try out some new players playing in Europe before handing an opportunity to some players plying their trade in the NPFL in subsequent games.

Those players include Hannover 96 striker Noah-Joel Sarenren-Bazee, right-back Tyronne Ebuehi from ADO Den Haag, Uche Agbo, Chidoize Awaziem and Victor Osimhen.

“The league has improved and there are more talents now and we are shortlisting players for the main team,” Yusuf revealed in an interview posted on the Soundcloud page of the Nigeria Football Federation.

“In future games some players from the local league will have a chance. But for the games in London we want to try new players in Europe and see how they can blend with the established ones and also see how they fit into our philosophy ahead of the crucial games later in the year.”

On his preparation for the African Nations Championship in Kenya next year, Yusuf added that he has scouted some players who will be invited to the team.

“So far I have seen quality wingers in the legue and some good defensive midfielders who I think could break into the main team,” Yusuf added.

“Sikiru Olatunbosun was part of the team that travelled to Spain with us on the La Liga Santander tour and he has improved.”


Read more at http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/sa ... cuFXL6W.99

[vancity eagle]

Local league players by in large are not good enough. End of story.

We are long gone from the days of Keshi where any Tom d#$% and Harry can make a SE list.

A local player would have to be rather exceptional and in a problem position to warrant a call up.

[mcal]

...the real reason, wey the money to transport them to European venue for the friendlies? Imagine they invite 5 or more multiply that by plane tickets price, allowances, hotel stay, etc. They figured it will be cheaper to euro based instead, and wack the rest govt money.

[Chimex101]

Yeah, so we can invite another 1,000 home based players to satisfy some rubbish quota with no intention of playing more than 6 of them...waste of time and budget inviting local based players when they have little or no chance in the NT and only end up as training materials, I would rather we just pick 2 or 3 exceptionally good local based players to fill up alternative spots in problematic areas for the SE, the era of inviting every Tochukwu, Moshood, and Kabiru has to stop.

[walesvilla]

Invite home based when eagles play in Nigeria – apart from all the excuses from coach I bet you sorting out visa for players and other logistics will disqualify them from travelling- with all our lack of organization

[mcal]

Yeah, so we can invite another 1,000 home based players to satisfy some rubbish quota with no intention of playing more than 6 of them...waste of time and budget inviting local based players when they have little or no chance in the NT and only end up as training materials, I would rather we just pick 2 or 3 exceptionally good local based players to fill up alternative spots in problematic areas for the SE, the era of inviting every Tochukwu, Moshood, and Kabiru has to stop.

...what budget? Do they really have a budget or just freebies and panhandling. Pay as you go idiots.

[Ahidjo]

...the real reason, wey the money to transport them to European venue for the friendlies? Imagine they invite 5 or more multiply that by plane tickets price, allowances, hotel stay, etc. They figured it will be cheaper to euro based instead, and wack the rest govt money.

The reason should be that they are not good enough. The logical reason is that since every good Nigerian player travels abroad to play professionally, it will be pure foolishness to go to the same league (made up of dregs) to get players of international quality.

[chendosplastic]

Local league players by in large are not good enough. End of story.

We are long gone from the days of Keshi where any Tom d#$% and Harry can make a SE list.

A local player would have to be rather exceptional and in a problem position to warrant a call up.

You have been watching the NPFL games for some time now, I guess.

[Enugu II]

...the real reason, wey the money to transport them to European venue for the friendlies? Imagine they invite 5 or more multiply that by plane tickets price, allowances, hotel stay, etc. They figured it will be cheaper to euro based instead, and wack the rest govt money.

The reason should be that they are not good enough. The logical reason is that since every good Nigerian player travels abroad to play professionally, it will be pure foolishness to go to the same league (made up of dregs) to get players of international quality.

Ahidjo,

The point above is not logical. First, it isn't always the best players that move abroad. Moving abroad is conditioned by several factors that includes not just quality of player but quality of agent, medical situation, visa, contract, etc. Thus, there remains a chance that several homebred players could be better than some players abroad. It is not as simple as you attempt to make it. Moreover, there are young emerging players still at home who have had no opportunity to be seen by teams abroad.

[Enugu II]

NFF Technical Committee -Why Osimhen Was Preferred Ahead Of Odey By Gernot Rohr
http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/03/06/nf ... rnot-rohr/


The reason why the top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League Stephen Odey was left out by coach Gernot Rohr has been revealed by a member of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Odey who took his goal tally to seven for the season with the winning goal for MFM in their 1-0 win over Remo Stars yesterday, was the one player many expected to be included in the Eagles squad for the friendly tie against Senegal and Burkina Faso.

The exclusion of the NPFL top scorer made former Nigeria international Emmanuel Babayaro to lash out at the Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, insisting that the 18 year old deserve to be in the squad ahead of Wolfsburg Victor Osimhen.

However a member of the technical committee of the NFF told Owngoalnigeria.com that the exclusion of Odey was done in good faith without favoritism by the Eagles coach.

” It’s okay to criticise the list of a national team coach, but we all know that every player can’t be called up at the same time. Osimhen has been part of Rohr’s plan from the start of his reign as coach”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” Odey will be given a chance by the coach in the future, for now Osimhen has the edge over him. We have to understand how Rohr works, he is a progressive, Osimhen time will come”.

[mcal]

...the real reason, wey the money to transport them to European venue for the friendlies? Imagine they invite 5 or more multiply that by plane tickets price, allowances, hotel stay, etc. They figured it will be cheaper to euro based instead, and wack the rest govt money.

The reason should be that they are not good enough. The logical reason is that since every good Nigerian player travels abroad to play professionally, it will be pure foolishness to go to the same league (made up of dregs) to get players of international quality.

...you have a 20 team league multiply by say 22 players each, and you can't find good quality players to be tested at a friendly match.
Enugu2 gave a better response up there, you don't have to be good to abroad. Poor FA administration frustrate players to quit the league.

[Robotnik]

Scientific fact: At any given point in time there should be at least 1 player in NPFL capable of playing for SE.

[maceo4]

Scientific fact: At any given point in time there should be at least 1 player in NPFL capable of playing for SE.

Lol, that spot is currently taken by Ezenwa...

[Ahidjo]

...the real reason, wey the money to transport them to European venue for the friendlies? Imagine they invite 5 or more multiply that by plane tickets price, allowances, hotel stay, etc. They figured it will be cheaper to euro based instead, and wack the rest govt money.

The reason should be that they are not good enough. The logical reason is that since every good Nigerian player travels abroad to play professionally, it will be pure foolishness to go to the same league (made up of dregs) to get players of international quality.

Ahidjo,

The point above is not logical. First, it isn't always the best players that move abroad. Moving abroad is conditioned by several factors that includes not just quality of player but quality of agent, medical situation, visa, contract, etc. Thus, there remains a chance that several homebred players could be better than some players abroad. It is not as simple as you attempt to make it. Moreover, there are young emerging players still at home who have had no opportunity to be seen by teams abroad.

Enugu II,
I did not say that only good players go abroad. I wrote that every good player, I mean of international or yet-to-be international quality travel abroad to play. There is also a long list of the not-so-good players that are plying their trades abroad. I do understand the several Nigerian factors that tend to derail some of the players. But you know what, if one is that good, no amount of scheming by agents or other Nigerian factors can stop one. You can not cover pregnancy with hands. Most of the European teams are not as incompetent as we are. They have their eyes on players all over Africa and that is why they are beginning to set up sole and joint academies to discover, nuture and recruit budding future talents. The Nigerian league and players, though greatly improved, are mediocre and substandard at best. There will always be outliers (the very good ones that don't last in the league) in every thing. These teams and players have struggled to make any impact in Africa over the last decade due to the brain drain. I thought this was an open secret. I am yet to see any quality (international standard) Nigerian player that stayed in the league for more that 3 years without leaving. We need to start naming such players in the league that are that good. We have tried several of them in the past and most of them are nowhere to be found today. Let's name these players please and also list the qualities that make them good fit for the Super Eagles.

[Enugu II]

Ahidjo

Thanks for recognizing the existence of outliers. That is exactly what should inform you that nothing is clean and simple. Guys like Etebo stayed in the NPFL for more than two years before going abroad. He did not land at Chelsea or Arenal (?) or Barcelona but yet in few appearances he has outplayed Nigerian players at better known European clubs.That should tell you that Euro scouting is not fool proof. Look around, there are top players at smaller Euro clubs. That ought to tell you that some gems are still in Nigeria and will continue to be because great talents will continue to emerge every year and it takes time for them to get abroad.

[Robotnik]

Scientific fact: At any given point in time there should be at least 1 player in NPFL capable of playing for SE.

Lol, that spot is currently taken by Ezenwa...

So that's the point...Sort of. In this case it's a goal keeper

[Gotti]

The reason should be that they are not good enough. The logical reason is that since every good Nigerian player travels abroad to play professionally, it will be pure foolishness to go to the same league (made up of dregs) to get players of international quality.

Some leap of "logic" indeed!

We had two NPFL players as STARTERS the last time we WON the ANC trophy (including scorer of the goal that WON the championship game!) - and the NPFL has arguably substantively improved since then.