Cybereagles

http://owngoalnigeria.com/2018/03/05/of ... riendlies/

Unofficial don turn official again. Ajayi supposedly got a letter from his club.

Is it

a, An invitation from Rohr for the friendlies?
b, An invitation from Nff but not from Rohr
c, A letter of intent to help get an invitation from Rohr?

Na which one? 48hrs till the list is published. We go see!

It is the last set of friendlies before countries have to submit a 30 man shortlist to FIFA.
You'd expect the list to include a few prospects who are not likely to make the final list, but take advantage of the friendlies to test the other 7 or 8 players in consideration for the 30 man shortlist.

Plus, we probably need a big forward to compete with & act as back up to Ighalo. So one of Ideye/Awoniyi/Ajayi/Deseers/Osimhen/Nwaekeme might just make the final cut. Ighalo is somewhat lucky himself and he largely stunk up the joint in recent SE callups, but performed in the crucial Cameroon games, so he has become the starter in the minds of most of us.

Expect at least 1, but possibly up to 3 World Cup roster thieves though. Players not currently in the setup, but who make it to Russia. Maybe someone from the list of strikers I mentioned, and possibly a GK (it might just be Ikeme)

TT Ikeme won’t be seeing action in Russia. He is going As a goodwill ambassador.

Btw if JA got his invitation last week, all the other players would have got theirs too... I take everything on Owngoal with a pinch of salt these days.

If this is true then I will let rohr get a pass because he has performed tremendously good. Let’s be clear, Ajayi couldn’t even get into our U23 Olympics team but all of a sudden gate crash SE World Cup squad. Okay, but they will say that Agents has no power. I knew there was something fishy involved with ajayi when I saw various Nigerian websites praising him and touting him for world. I won’t say anything until I see the squad

well deserved call up

john12 wrote:If this is true then I will let rohr get a pass because he has performed tremendously good. Let’s be clear, Ajayi couldn’t even get into our U23 Olympics team but all of a sudden gate crash SE World Cup squad. Okay, but they will say that Agents has no power. I knew there was something fishy involved with ajayi when I saw various Nigerian websites praising him and touting him for world. I won’t say anything until I see the squad

YoungJohn12, the wicked producer, FIFA says teams should submit a 30 man shortlist.

There will be some players that Rohr does not intend to take to the WC on that list.

The likes of Taribo and Kanu played the friendlies b4 94. Osaze was with the team b4 2002.

Biko, relax.

It will be a 28 man list with two CHAN players (Ezenwa and Eze?) on the list according to Rohr

https://www.hulkshare.com/b9lfqkqfhh4w

He has no business being called up ahead of Sadiq Umar or Awoniyi.

I still remember how much of a wastepipe he was on the U23 side.

vancity eagle wrote:He has no business being called up ahead of Sadiq Umar or Awoniyi.

I still remember how much of a wastepipe he was on the U23 side.

That is why you people should track the NPFL and the qualifiers if possible. Junior Ajayi was injured at the Olympics, & I was surprised Sia1 took him.

Ajayi, Etebo & Awoniyi showed them pepper in the U-23 Nations Cup in 2015. That was also the qualifier for the Olympics.

He most likely won't make the World Cup squad, but this is not a scandalous callup for the friendlies before the 30 (or 28) man shortlist is compiled.

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Just wanted to add the Etebo show in the finals. Just for fun.

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Like I've previously mentioned, expect about three players that were not part of the qualifiers to make the final 23. Recall, our legendary 1994 team had Chidi Nwanu and Mike Emenalo who not only jumped on the plane, but also made the starting line-up.

vancity eagle wrote:He has no business being called up ahead of Sadiq Umar .

If sadiq has been overlooked im favour of Ajayi osimehn nwakaeme or olanrewaju then I’ll be convinced Rohr (or someone advising him) has something against Umar
not only is it very unjust to exclude him it damages our chances of progressing imho

john12 wrote:If this is true then I will let rohr get a pass because he has performed tremendously good. Let’s be clear, Ajayi couldn’t even get into our U23 Olympics team but all of a sudden gate crash SE World Cup squad. Okay, but they will say that Agents has no power. I knew there was something fishy involved with ajayi when I saw various Nigerian websites praising him and touting him for world. I won’t say anything until I see the squad

He made the Olympic team...
Edging out Awoniyi in the process.

He's been very good at Al Ahly, primarily playing as a Wing Forward, which is where he will probably get his opportunity (It will be a mistake to try him at Centre Forward). However, I would have anticipated him getting look in after the World Cup, rather than before.

mystic wrote:It will be a mistake to try him at Centre Forward.

Why? That's his primary position and that's where we need people.

Gotti wrote:

john12 wrote:If this is true then I will let rohr get a pass because he has performed tremendously good. Let’s be clear, Ajayi couldn’t even get into our U23 Olympics team but all of a sudden gate crash SE World Cup squad. Okay, but they will say that Agents has no power. I knew there was something fishy involved with ajayi when I saw various Nigerian websites praising him and touting him for world. I won’t say anything until I see the squad

He made the Olympic team...
Edging out Awoniyi in the process.

Some people live in the past still judging him based on a tournament in 2016 where he was injured. The same ones who think Ezekiel Imoh and Isaac Success deserve call ups...

niyi wrote:

mystic wrote:It will be a mistake to try him at Centre Forward.

Why? That's his primary position and that's where we need people.

That may be where we need someone, but that's not where he excels at the moment. We've already been down this road with Anthony Nwakaeme, who we tried as a CF, even though he's more effective as a WF and that didn't work out (and for the record I like Ajayi more than Nwakaeme). At this point our call ups are very precious and we can't afford to waste one as we did with the Chidiebere Nwakali invite last time out.

Mind you, I am not bashing the call up per se, because Junior Ajayi is playing at a level that is clearly deserving of national team attention. But he will be more useful to us as a Wing Forward, where we actually do need someone as cover for our top four guys (with Henry Onyekuru injured, Isaac Success floundering and Noah Bazee perpetually wrapped in cotton wool).

However, if the object is to look at a Centre Forward that can actually make an impact on the team as currently constituted, then Sadiq Umar is a far better option.

I'm going to hammer so hard this World Cup.

mystic wrote:

niyi wrote:

mystic wrote:It will be a mistake to try him at Centre Forward.

Why? That's his primary position and that's where we need people.

That may be where we need someone, but that's not where he excels at the moment. We've already been down this road with Anthony Nwakaeme, who we tried as a CF, even though he's more effective as a WF and that didn't work out (and for the record I like Ajayi more than Nwakaeme). At this point our call ups are very precious and we can't afford to waste one as we did with the Chidiebere Nwakali invite last time out.

Mind you, I am not bashing the call up per se, because Junior Ajayi is playing at a level that is clearly deserving of national team attention. But he will be more useful to us as a Wing Forward, where we actually do need someone as cover for our top four guys (with Henry Onyekuru injured, Isaac Success floundering and Noah Bazee perpetually wrapped in cotton wool).

However, if the object is to look at a Centre Forward that can actually make an impact on the team as currently constituted, then Sadiq Umar is a far better option.

It's a different case. Nwakaeme is a winger who was used as a striker, Ajayi is a striker currently playing as a wing forward because his club has another good striker and he's too good to be dropped.

With regards to Sadiq Umar being a better option, I respectfully disagree. I've watched both players and I think Ajayi is a better scorer and a more refined football player.

john12 wrote:If this is true then I will let rohr get a pass because he has performed tremendously good. Let’s be clear, Ajayi couldn’t even get into our U23 Olympics team but all of a sudden gate crash SE World Cup squad. Okay, but they will say that Agents has no power. I knew there was something fishy involved with ajayi when I saw various Nigerian websites praising him and touting him for world. I won’t say anything until I see the squad

Agent don vex

niyi wrote:

mystic wrote:

niyi wrote:

mystic wrote:It will be a mistake to try him at Centre Forward.

Why? That's his primary position and that's where we need people.

That may be where we need someone, but that's not where he excels at the moment. We've already been down this road with Anthony Nwakaeme, who we tried as a CF, even though he's more effective as a WF and that didn't work out (and for the record I like Ajayi more than Nwakaeme). At this point our call ups are very precious and we can't afford to waste one as we did with the Chidiebere Nwakali invite last time out.

Mind you, I am not bashing the call up per se, because Junior Ajayi is playing at a level that is clearly deserving of national team attention. But he will be more useful to us as a Wing Forward, where we actually do need someone as cover for our top four guys (with Henry Onyekuru injured, Isaac Success floundering and Noah Bazee perpetually wrapped in cotton wool).

However, if the object is to look at a Centre Forward that can actually make an impact on the team as currently constituted, then Sadiq Umar is a far better option.

It's a different case. Nwakaeme is a winger who was used as a striker, Ajayi is a striker currently playing as a wing forward because his club has another good striker and he's too good to be dropped.

With regards to Sadiq Umar being a better option, I respectfully disagree. I've watched both players and I think Ajayi is a better scorer and a more refined football player.

As a CF, Sadiq is better.

Now with regard to Ajayi, I've watched almost all his games as an U23 player. And have followed his progress very keenly both with CS Sfaxien and Al Ahly. At CSS he was predominantly played as a Wing Forward as well, so it is not simply because Ahly have another good striker that they choose to play him there.

So I reiterate what I said before. If Ajayi is being called up to fill the void at Centre Forward behind Ighalo and Ihenacho, I think that we will be disappointed. However as cover and competition for our top four Wing Forwards (Moses, Iwobi, Simon & Musa) his call up is well deserved.

Enugu II wrote:

he should have common sense and wait for the list to be announced before he thanks the coach publicly.

I dont know the player very well, so I have no comment regarding his invitation. Good luck to him.

For those of us who have not followed his career, here is a video:

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