Ardiles tips Nigeria as dark horses as NFF picks base camp

[charlie]

We all need to be careful not to fall for their mind games.
We are yet to prove a single thing on the biggest stage of world football.
Untill we do, all talk about us being dangerous is mind games on their part.


These guys are not going to underestimate us. They will come prepared to attack our weakness.
They will use every trick in the book to get us to defeat ourselves (remember SA 2010). They have already started with their praise and hyping of Nigeria.

Dont fall for it.

On our part, we need to operate as if we are in a bubble. Shut out the outside noise and prepare to our maximum capacity. No distractions, no mind games, no bonus issues, no selection controversy, no drama. Go to Russia in a 100% business first mentality, with the intention to deliver intensive damage to whomsoever crosses our path. Underestimate no one! Fear no one!

That is how the big teams succeed on the biggest stage, and that is the approach we need to take.

[pasamu]

I remember Cameroon going into the 2002 WC, they held an impressive record having won the ANC that year, and during the pre WC preparations all eyes were on them. I still remember a commentator drooling all over them in their last friendly when the Lions were playing samba and physical football combined, sending passes left and right. Ireland was in the same group, all my colleagues in the office were shitting in their pants. Come WC, Cameroon could only beat Saudi Arabia in their group. They could not even beat Ireland who matched them easily in the physical department.

Stay under the radar and you will be fine. There is a reason team deflects such attention away from themselves, it has a way of putting you under pressure and making other teams sit up when facing you!

Oloye
I think this time and team is different.

I remember that Cameroon team of 2002 as well. They were brilliant. I watched them live in the final of Mali 2002 and they really were a well oiled machine. Now when I think 3-5-2 I think that edition of the indomitable lions and I understand that system. They were brilliant, they were confident...they were overconfident; they were arrogant. Remember those sleeveless tops showing muscles. No team has had before or since the cojones to try that stuff again. They were big boys, they were dons. Two Africa cup of nations on the spin, all their players playing in Europe and recognised; they got cocky and they got owned. Remember how they had issues with either accommodation, allowances maybe even both, so they arrived late. They embarrassed Eire in that first half of their first match, then simply ran out of gas. They let Germany get under their skin in their final match and poof like smoke up a chimney they were gone. In a way, they were like our team of 98 (only a better team). Packed full of stars, they got too big for their boots...they got taken down.

I just don't see that in our present team. They strike me as being genuinely hungry for success. Thru out that world cup tourney they showed just how good they were going forward and controlling games. Against Argentina, most significantly, they showed they had the discipline to defend under extreme pressure against real class opposition. Outsiders say they do not underestimate them, but that na mere moving lips, what else would one expect them to say especially after the Argentina result. But how can they really know how good they are since they haven't played us? Its like me telling you I know how dangerous snakes are. No I think I do but until I am actually confronted by a desperate, angry cobra do I really...No! That is a throwaway comment made in the light of a really surprising result. If they know anything about the team its just a collection of name, Mikel, Moses, Ndidi. Do they realise Mikel is a genuine class playmaker with bags and bags of experience? Is Moses any more to them than the dude who plays at Chelsea and is quite good. Do they realise what a growing force of nature Ndidi is becoming? And do they realise the passion and hunger that has driven Balogun to keep pushing beyond injury after injury in order to represent the green white green?
We are still flying under the radar because until an African team takes down a series of the big boys, the stereotype of big physical but ultimately flaky will persist. And that is what really lurks behind all the present talk.

No one realise's just how good that Cameroon team of 1990 was because of two fantastic dives from Gary Lineker, that Cameroon team of 2002 didn't know how good they were themselves; if they had, they would never have allowed mere administrative issues of distracting them from the far bigger prize within their reach; but this our team of now hmm, hmm, they are young, they are talented, they are very very hungry, whether people say they are under, over or even inside the radar opponents should be very very afraid.

[oloye]

We all need to be careful not to fall for their mind games.
We are yet to prove a single thing on the biggest stage of world football.
Untill we do, all talk about us being dangerous is mind games on their part.


These guys are not going to underestimate us. They will come prepared to attack our weakness.
They will use every trick in the book to get us to defeat ourselves (remember SA 2010). They have already started with their praise and hyping of Nigeria.

Dont fall for it.

On our part, we need to operate as if we are in a bubble. Shut out the outside noise and prepare to our maximum capacity. No distractions, no mind games, no bonus issues, no selection controversy, no drama. Go to Russia in a 100% business first mentality, with the intention to deliver intensive damage to whomsoever crosses our path. Underestimate no one! Fear no one!

That is how the big teams succeed on the biggest stage, and that is the approach we need to take.

Nothing more to add!
After the 1987 U21 world cup beating ....i get uncomfortable when my people start to sing we don arrive. Arrive for me is after the tournament...not a day or days before. Let all these pundits leave us alone abeg!

[maceo4]

Oloye is right, I remember Cameroon was feared prior to the 2002 WC. They had an impressive set of results going for them including playing a 1-1 draw with reigning world and European champions France in Paris. I remember their final warm-up game where they toyed with England and could have become the first African team to beat England. England equalised in injury time through Michael Owen because Cameroon made a lot of subs, The likes of Geremi, Lauren, Etoo, Mboma etc were on fire. Come the WC, it was an underwhelming performance by the Lions.

So should we get our boys to tank all the run up games to the WC? We are in pot 4, we know no one really expects us to do that much at the WC, but we still have to prepare properly, and give our best and worry more about our team than any outside views of our potential.

[pajimoh]

Oloye is right, I remember Cameroon was feared prior to the 2002 WC. They had an impressive set of results going for them including playing a 1-1 draw with reigning world and European champions France in Paris. I remember their final warm-up game where they toyed with England and could have become the first African team to beat England. England equalised in injury time through Michael Owen because Cameroon made a lot of subs, The likes of Geremi, Lauren, Etoo, Mboma etc were on fire. Come the WC, it was an underwhelming performance by the Lions.

So should we get our boys to tank all the run up games to the WC? We are in pot 4, we know no one really expects us to do that much at the WC, but we still have to prepare properly, and give our best and worry more about our team than any outside views of our potential.

Not tank any game but ignore all the predictions and concentrate on your task. Game by game management. Right now, the most important game is the first game. When that is done, the most important is the second....... Don't start looking at semi finals when you're yet to kick a ball.

Don't buy any hype. Go there an work for every accolade you'll get.

Psyching out a team is a huge part of the game. They make you feel bigger than you really are or pi$$ you off so much that you'll be hyper ventilating with negative emotions. The old German head of Rohr will bring them to earth. But the pundits can keep their predictions, good or bad.

[maceo4]

Oloye is right, I remember Cameroon was feared prior to the 2002 WC. They had an impressive set of results going for them including playing a 1-1 draw with reigning world and European champions France in Paris. I remember their final warm-up game where they toyed with England and could have become the first African team to beat England. England equalised in injury time through Michael Owen because Cameroon made a lot of subs, The likes of Geremi, Lauren, Etoo, Mboma etc were on fire. Come the WC, it was an underwhelming performance by the Lions.

So should we get our boys to tank all the run up games to the WC? We are in pot 4, we know no one really expects us to do that much at the WC, but we still have to prepare properly, and give our best and worry more about our team than any outside views of our potential.

Not tank any game but ignore all the predictions and concentrate on your task. Game by game management. Right now, the most important game is the first game. When that is done, the most important is the second....... Don't start looking at semi finals when you're yet to kick a ball.

Don't buy any hype. Go there an work for every accolade you'll get.

Psyching out a team is a huge part of the game. They make you feel bigger than you really are or pi$$ you off so much that you'll be hyper ventilating with negative emotions. The old German head of Rohr will bring them to earth. But the pundits can keep their predictions, good or bad.

For once, this team doesn't have too many ego's, its a young, professional, hard working team that wants to make a name for itself. You see some of the biggest names (Moses for example) putting in the most work on both ends of the field. And with Rohr there I believe he will keep them grounded. We just have to focus on us, regardless of what anybody outside is saying.

[pajimoh]

Oloye is right, I remember Cameroon was feared prior to the 2002 WC. They had an impressive set of results going for them including playing a 1-1 draw with reigning world and European champions France in Paris. I remember their final warm-up game where they toyed with England and could have become the first African team to beat England. England equalised in injury time through Michael Owen because Cameroon made a lot of subs, The likes of Geremi, Lauren, Etoo, Mboma etc were on fire. Come the WC, it was an underwhelming performance by the Lions.

So should we get our boys to tank all the run up games to the WC? We are in pot 4, we know no one really expects us to do that much at the WC, but we still have to prepare properly, and give our best and worry more about our team than any outside views of our potential.

Not tank any game but ignore all the predictions and concentrate on your task. Game by game management. Right now, the most important game is the first game. When that is done, the most important is the second....... Don't start looking at semi finals when you're yet to kick a ball.

Don't buy any hype. Go there an work for every accolade you'll get.

Psyching out a team is a huge part of the game. They make you feel bigger than you really are or pi$$ you off so much that you'll be hyper ventilating with negative emotions. The old German head of Rohr will bring them to earth. But the pundits can keep their predictions, good or bad.

For once, this team doesn't have too many ego's, its a young, professional, hard working team that wants to make a name for itself. You see some of the biggest names (Moses for example) putting in the most work on both ends of the field. And with Rohr there I believe he will keep them grounded. We just have to focus on us, regardless of what anybody outside is saying.

We can't say what they have or don't have and what they could be susceptible to I they start reading about the high praise and expectation of them. All we are saying is what they should not do and what they need to be mindful of

[jette1]

"Not only that, as I recall, African teams usually know they are better at the beginning and less so as the championship moves''

so this man insults you and we get 2 pages of gloating out of it