Nigeria vs Croatia would decide the group

[Scipio Africanus]

Be relieved to play Croatia. The Super Eagles have little to fear. You will soar far and high...leaving these plodding Eastern Europeans, so akin to Bulgaria, behind.

Relax. Enjoy the festival.

Look who it is! Welcome back! It will be a cracker of a game for sure.

[aruako1]

They have one of the older players at this World Cup. Yet, their best plays for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. How many of Nigerian players in history has played for those 3 teams consistently not just few appearances??? They also eliminated Spain at the last euro tournament. My guy were definitely the underdogs don’t be arrogant! If you don’t think the quality of teams that players are playing for matter then you’re being dishonest.

You know it is easier for EU players to get into top European teams right? You know that a good proportion of the Brazilian and Argentine players have EU passports? Why does Mexico always do well against the top teams without stars in the top European leagues? How many top European league players were in the Colombia team of 2014?

[mate]

I’m looking forward to it! Should be a lot of fun.

[joao]

Be relieved to play Croatia. The Super Eagles have little to fear. You will soar far and high...leaving these plodding Eastern Europeans, so akin to Bulgaria, behind.

Relax. Enjoy the festival.

Look who it is! Welcome back! It will be a cracker of a game for sure.

Welcome back mate.
I believe Croatia will spice up the group with intelligent football, while Iceland will be a test of will and brawn.
Happy that Nigeria is in such a group, for this will test how far our game has developed.
This is one group where 'shenanigans' will not suffice, and I hope Argentina is taking note.
Cheers!!!

[ohenhen1]

I think the group is between Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria. Iceland could top the group.

[maceo4]

Kai!! Nigeria has suffered! See disrespect!

If not of condition and the fact that he just started his career, do you think Ndidi for example will be playing at Leicester??

You want to play a midfield of Modric, Rakitic, Kovacic and all of them against Ndidi? Onazi? And those guys who can run for days? Breaking up play?

Let’s also see their defensive midfielder and defenders defend against Iwobi, Moses, Mikel, etc midfielder, do

Just praying for full fitness for our boys, then imagine Enyeama in goal behind all of them , kai we will soar o!

[bret- hart]

I am confident we get a positive result vs Croatia. We have a good record vs Eastern European teams. Its Iceland that worry me. Scandinavian teams always beat us and Iceland I feel are the best Nordic team based on current form. That said we MUST beat Croatia in that 1st game. If we do so, I see us beating Iceland and possibly winning the group.

[john12]

No matter how you twist and turn it
Rakitic is better than ndidi
Modric is miles better than Mikel
Kovavic is better than onazi

However, I believe our forwards trio of Iwobi, Moses, Iheanacho and musa are better than their own slow defenders. From now on here no one should be promoting backwater league guys for world cup

[green4life]

This is a game that would decide the group. Croatia obviously has better players than us as their best players are
Modric - Real Madrid
Kovacic- Real Madrid
Rakitic - Barcelona
Pjaca- juventus
Manzukic - juventus
Perisic- inter milan

Compare their best 6 to ours

Victor Moses - chelsea
Alex Iwobi - arsenal
Mikel Obi - china
Ndidi - leicester
Iheanacho - leicester
Onazi - turkey

Croatia obviously has better players than us. Infact, their quality of players are good enough to win the entire World Cup (they won’t tho) that’s why I have been preaching about players mentioned at this website. If you want to aspire to win the World Cup you need your players at the highest level you cannot have your best players at backwater leagues then aspire to perform immensely at the World Cup. We’re rightfully the underdogs at this match and can probably win this game. However, the disrespect I’m seeing here towards Croatia is unacceptable.

Breakdown Iceland vs England and explain why England came up short. Breakdown Wales (that couldn’t qualify vs Belgium during the Euros. Then there’s the ultimate classic of Greece winning 2004 Euros: how the helll many ballers did they have from Madrid and Barcelona abi na Juventus? Please.

[truetalk]

Kai!! Nigeria has suffered! See disrespect!

If not of condition and the fact that he just started his career, do you think Ndidi for example will be playing at Leicester??

You want to play a midfield of Modric, Rakitic, Kovacic and all of them against Ndidi? Onazi? And those guys who can run for days? Breaking up play?

Let’s also see their defensive midfielder and defenders defend against Iwobi, Moses, Mikel, etc midfielder, do

Just praying for full fitness for our boys, then imagine Enyeama in goal behind all of them , kai we will soar o!

You had to spoil everything. Enyeama has had bad bloopers in the last 2 WCs. I travel to see these games. Assist to Pogba, misjudging a FK from Korea in 2010

If you really care for the Eagles, just pray for Ikeme's recovery, or that a couple from the competent pool we have step up.

I have no problem with Enyeama going to camp, but if the best keepers available to the SE are in camp, the 2018 version of Enyeama will not be one of the top 3.

[truetalk]

You guys are wasting your time with john12. Not only is he ignorant (he has some information, but cannot string it together to emerge with coherent thoughts), he is also impervious to learning and superior insight.

This was me responding to him on the same issue a few days ago.



The proper response to this comment would have been unduly harsh, but I'll go easy on you and say that there was a reason I mentioned the boys that got to the finals of the 2005 WYC and the 2008 Olympics (two major tournaments that sandwiched the 06 WC from which he could have pulled an outstanding core of young players that excelled at the global stage). These guys dominated both finals and were clearly robbed in at least one of those games. Compare their so called club profiles to the Argentines they faced.



Once we select based on merit and take care of the 'off the field' factors, the Nigerian team is always much much greater than sum of its parts. Strategy people call that synergy. Even the boring and conservative accountants have the concept of goodwill to try to explain similar situations.


I'll just quote from someone from another social forum to help you out.
Let me post this again because I think it's fitting in this instance:

, like most football analysts, I think you're underestimating the level of Nigerian players due to the football clubs they play or do not play for.

Take this for instance, when the Nigerian U-23 team lined up at the China Olympics soccer event final, the profile of the players could not have been more different from their Argentine counterparts:

At CD Argentina had Ezekiel Garay of Real Madrid, Nigeria had Dele Adeleye from the bench of dutch basement club Sparta Rotterdam. Just over a year ago, he was at Shooting Stars, oscillating between Division 1 and 2.

At LB, with the responsibility of marking the dreaded Leo Messi; yes Lionel Messi of Barcelona, was Chibuzor Okonkwo from Bayelsa United, a right footed player converted to LB.

In CM, where Argentina had Riquelme, Gago and Mascherano, arguably the best DM in the world at that time, Nigeria presented Ebenezer Ajilore of Mydjtilland and from the bench at Sparta, Sanni Kaita. A few years ago, Ajilore plied his trade at Ebiede Babes, a Lagos youth club.

But as the game unfolded, the confidence of the Nigerian players and the cautious approach their opponents showed, belied the reputation and CV of Argentina's players.

This effectively proved two things, if you can believe it:

(i) that the club status of the Nigerian players does not accurately reflect their real quality; and that

(ii) a new measure is urgently required to determine the quality of our players; one that is not entirely dependent on the judgment of European club managers whose philosophy of the game and needs, vis a vis their clubs, may not necessarily be in alignment with the development of the average Nigerian player, or the SE.

[danfo driver]

No matter how you twist and turn it
Rakitic is better than ndidi
Modric is miles better than Mikel
Kovavic is better than onazi

However, I believe our forwards trio of Iwobi, Moses, Iheanacho and musa are better than their own slow defenders. From now on here no one should be promoting backwater league guys for world cup

We will find out!

And just to help you, Kovacic does not start for Croatia.

[danfo driver]

I look at their first 11 vs Greece, and THERE IS NO DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER.

Croatia: Subašić; Strinić, Vida, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Brozović, Rakitić, Modrić, Perišić, Kalinić, Kramarić

[john12]

Reading is fundamental! Before you respond to a thread you should carefully read what’s said then respond. I did not say that Nigeria cannot beat Croatia. Infact, I actually want Nigeria to win Croatia but we have to be respectful. I posted this thread in response to numerous forumers who were ignorant to Croatia squad. Most forumers simply dismissed Croatia and were saying that Nigeria team are better than the Croatians. I was only making a statement that Croatia has a better group of players collectively and individually (midfield) and most of their best players play for big clubs. Once again, I didn’t say that we cannot beat them we just have to accept the truth and give them due respect

[mate]

I look at their first 11 vs Greece, and THERE IS NO DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER.

Croatia: Subašić; Strinić, Vida, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Brozović, Rakitić, Modrić, Perišić, Kalinić, Kramarić

The defense is indeed the weakness. The problem is a lack of 90 minute game composure. We often got scored on in the last 5 minutes, on catastrophic errors by players like Vida...who is an accident waiting to happen. Subašić however is a very good goalie, tall, strong, and stout.

But the midfield can boss play for long periods of time, wearing out an opponent.I don't think they showed their potential at all under former coach Cacic. We have a new coach now who is healing deep issues in the team. Croatia surged in their last 3 games against the Ukraine and Greece under the new coach.

That's the main challenge: playing to potential. We usually don't. Especially in tournaments where there is a break from club season. Our players tend to not train as hard. The NT program has been poor, hurt by politics. You might be familiar with this.

We will see what kind of Croatia shows up. I like to think if we're fully fit and prepared, we will get out of this group. With due respect to Iceland and obviously Nigeria, I have to think our midfield can put us through. They play for top club teams with major roles.

I'll be looking at the Super Eagles a lot. I've not watched them since the last WC. Which is why I'm here of course...to gather intel and sell it to the highest Croatian footballing bidders.

Help me make money!

[truetalk]

OK.

So you know, we are going against the grain here.

We are a Pot 4 team, ranked fortywhatever by FIFA, so you're not saying anything new. Yet you keep repeating it and suggesting those with deeper insight than you are ignorant.

What we are saying is that the biggest impediment to Nigeria has always been Nigeria, and if we sort out Nigeria, then we can take the world by storm.

The team is not done yet. There are concerns with the GK & LB positions, but we have many pieces to the puzzle.

[Enugu II]

You guys are wasting your time with john12. Not only is he ignorant (he has some information, but cannot string it together to emerge with coherent thoughts), he is also impervious to learning and superior insight.

This was me responding to him on the same issue a few days ago.



The proper response to this comment would have been unduly harsh, but I'll go easy on you and say that there was a reason I mentioned the boys that got to the finals of the 2005 WYC and the 2008 Olympics (two major tournaments that sandwiched the 06 WC from which he could have pulled an outstanding core of young players that excelled at the global stage). These guys dominated both finals and were clearly robbed in at least one of those games. Compare their so called club profiles to the Argentines they faced.



Once we select based on merit and take care of the 'off the field' factors, the Nigerian team is always much much greater than sum of its parts. Strategy people call that synergy. Even the boring and conservative accountants have the concept of goodwill to try to explain similar situations.


I'll just quote from someone from another social forum to help you out.
Let me post this again because I think it's fitting in this instance:

, like most football analysts, I think you're underestimating the level of Nigerian players due to the football clubs they play or do not play for.

Take this for instance, when the Nigerian U-23 team lined up at the China Olympics soccer event final, the profile of the players could not have been more different from their Argentine counterparts:

At CD Argentina had Ezekiel Garay of Real Madrid, Nigeria had Dele Adeleye from the bench of dutch basement club Sparta Rotterdam. Just over a year ago, he was at Shooting Stars, oscillating between Division 1 and 2.

At LB, with the responsibility of marking the dreaded Leo Messi; yes Lionel Messi of Barcelona, was Chibuzor Okonkwo from Bayelsa United, a right footed player converted to LB.

In CM, where Argentina had Riquelme, Gago and Mascherano, arguably the best DM in the world at that time, Nigeria presented Ebenezer Ajilore of Mydjtilland and from the bench at Sparta, Sanni Kaita. A few years ago, Ajilore plied his trade at Ebiede Babes, a Lagos youth club.

But as the game unfolded, the confidence of the Nigerian players and the cautious approach their opponents showed, belied the reputation and CV of Argentina's players.

This effectively proved two things, if you can believe it:

(i) that the club status of the Nigerian players does not accurately reflect their real quality; and that

(ii) a new measure is urgently required to determine the quality of our players; one that is not entirely dependent on the judgment of European club managers whose philosophy of the game and needs, vis a vis their clubs, may not necessarily be in alignment with the development of the average Nigerian player, or the SE.

Truetalk,

The points you make above is exactly why I often state that merely determining the quality of a Nigerian player based on the European club he plays for is extremely faulty. Nigerian players migrate and play any where possible for all kinds of reasons. They are not often driven to go to a club based on that club's profile.

[danfo driver]

I look at their first 11 vs Greece, and THERE IS NO DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER.

Croatia: Subašić; Strinić, Vida, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Brozović, Rakitić, Modrić, Perišić, Kalinić, Kramarić

The defense is indeed the weakness. The problem is a lack of 90 minute game composure. We often got scored on in the last 5 minutes, on catastrophic errors by players like Vida...who is an accident waiting to happen. Subašić however is a very good goalie, tall, strong, and stout.

But the midfield can boss play for long periods of time, wearing out an opponent.I don't think they showed their potential at all under former coach Cacic. We have a new coach now who is healing deep issues in the team. Croatia surged in their last 3 games against the Ukraine and Greece under the new coach.

That's the main challenge: playing to potential. We usually don't. Especially in tournaments where there is a break from club season. Our players tend to not train as hard. The NT program has been poor, hurt by politics. You might be familiar with this.

We will see what kind of Croatia shows up. I like to think if we're fully fit and prepared, we will get out of this group. With due respect to Iceland and obviously Nigeria, I have to think our midfield can put us through. They play for top club teams with major roles.

I'll be looking at the Super Eagles a lot. I've not watched them since the last WC. Which is why I'm here of course...to gather intel and sell it to the highest Croatian footballing bidders.

Help me make money!

Very true, but thats why I am banking on Ndidi and Onazi. At some points, the Croats will realize that these two (like Kante) do not wear out, even if the game is played for 30 years.

I will be shocked if they try this nonsense of no defensive midfielder against Us. I want to see the defense that can contain the likes of Iwobi and Moses.

[john12]

Truetalk first off you’re always free to respond however you decide to respond Harsh or not Harsh and be unapologetic about it.
Now, you’re sounding like someone encouraging moral victory in Nigeria football. (nonsense) the quality of teams Nigeria footballers represent has and will always be a yardstick to the players Level. Stop talking nonsense! In the 90’s when we had players representing Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus, borussia, Ajax, Monaco, PSG you didn’t exempt our players for representing big clubs unmeritably. Now you want us to believe that these present players are playing beneath their level of teams (Nonsense). You keep referencing Argentina vs Nigeria underage game but failed to realize that we lost that game (moral victories) Anyway, the point I initially tried to convey is that Nigerians needs to be humble and stop expecting whatsoever when we’re Unexceptional have below-standard preparation, training but expects substantial achievements. Most forumers here were ignorant and oblivious to Croatia team when the draw was made and it annoyed me to initiate opening this thread. The morals of this thread is that Croatia has more QUALiTY players than us in addition they also play for Greater QUALITY teams than us. However, that’s not to say that we cannot Defeat nor Aspire to DEFEAT them. The quality of Teams that Nigeria players represent has and will always be a yardstick to judge that player Level. Don’t give me that bullshixt excuse that it’s not. From now on if super eagles intend on performing immensely at the World Cup we must be Vigilant and be strict about the teams those players represent

[nzeogwu]

If you want a classic example of players from average clubs beating players from big clubs, remeber these teams:

1982: Algeria, two European based players. Germany, say no more.
1990: Cameroun, five European based players. Romania, Colombia and Argentina. Say no more.
1994: Nigeria, No single player in a top club in Europe. Clearly the best team of the 1994 World Cup less the off field challenges.
2002: Senegal, Five mid tier players in Europe. Manhandled the defending champions in game 1.
2018: Nigeria, predicted finish FINAL FOUR

[mate]

I look at their first 11 vs Greece, and THERE IS NO DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER.

Croatia: Subašić; Strinić, Vida, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Brozović, Rakitić, Modrić, Perišić, Kalinić, Kramarić

The defense is indeed the weakness. The problem is a lack of 90 minute game composure. We often got scored on in the last 5 minutes, on catastrophic errors by players like Vida...who is an accident waiting to happen. Subašić however is a very good goalie, tall, strong, and stout.

But the midfield can boss play for long periods of time, wearing out an opponent.I don't think they showed their potential at all under former coach Cacic. We have a new coach now who is healing deep issues in the team. Croatia surged in their last 3 games against the Ukraine and Greece under the new coach.

That's the main challenge: playing to potential. We usually don't. Especially in tournaments where there is a break from club season. Our players tend to not train as hard. The NT program has been poor, hurt by politics. You might be familiar with this.

We will see what kind of Croatia shows up. I like to think if we're fully fit and prepared, we will get out of this group. With due respect to Iceland and obviously Nigeria, I have to think our midfield can put us through. They play for top club teams with major roles.

I'll be looking at the Super Eagles a lot. I've not watched them since the last WC. Which is why I'm here of course...to gather intel and sell it to the highest Croatian footballing bidders.

Help me make money!

Very true, but thats why I am banking on Ndidi and Onazi. At some points, the Croats will realize that these two (like Kante) do not wear out, even if the game is played for 30 years.

I will be shocked if they try this nonsense of no defensive midfielder against Us. I want to see the defense that can contain the likes of Iwobi and Moses.

Perisic actually is a defensive midfielder when he has to be. He's as rugged and fast a physical player as can be. And also very good offensively. He does a lot of dirty work in the middle...and 1 is all you need if you have a Rakitic, Modric, and Kovačić. I expect Kovačić to be a starter, as he is young and keeps improving.

Ndidi is 20, Onazi is 24. At my 1st glance, they are young and seem more defensively oriented. Again, and I say this with respect, I have to think Croatia will control the middle. We're not prolific up front and won't score a lot. Nigeria will probably defend and look for the counter. That is how I think this game will go down.

I believe Croatia's fate depends on Perisic. He's 28. Still fit and young. He will be the steel that has to free a talented midfield. Helping the defense against Nigerian counters.

Here's the Perisic goal against Cameroon last WC: [/video]

[john12]

The game will be Croatia Midfield vs Nigeria offense. I’m confident that we can conquer this talented Croatian team. This thread was to enlighten Nigerian fans on the power of Croatian team

[marutimon]

No matter how you twist and turn it
Rakitic is better than ndidi
Modric is miles better than Mikel
Kovavic is better than onazi

However, I believe our forwards trio of Iwobi, Moses, Iheanacho and musa are better than their own slow defenders. From now on here no one should be promoting backwater league guys for world cup

Ndidi is better than Rakitic - there are stats to prove it.
Modric is what a propely managed Mikel would be
Onazi is better than Kovacic