WE MUST BE PREPARED (AMOKACHI/AMUNIKE/ONAZI)

[danfo driver]

Since our first appearance at the world cup in 1994, we have experienced "tournament maturity" from our opponents. I look back and I remember the "quick" free kick taken by Diego Maradona in 1994, which led to Claudio Cannigia’s goal, while the likes of Sunny Oliseh were busy speaking to the referee, rather than pay attention and mark their opponent. We also remember Eguavoen’s silliness in the penalty box which Zola enjoyed.

For me, in all our appearances at the world cup, the most painful act of “tournament maturity” against us was the 1994 Italian’s hatchet job on Amokachi and Amunike, as well as the 2014 French’s job on Onazi and attempted maiming of Mikel. Let’s be clear, these are not coincidences. Anyone who has played the game at any level will tell you that it is easier to play against a weakened team than to play against a team with full strength. This is very simple. Teams take their time to study an opponent and see who their most effective player is. The player that makes the team click. It doesn’t even have to be the most talented player or the best player on the other team. It simply is just a player who makes the other team’s strategy work. In Barcelona during the Pep era, that player wasn’t Messi. That player was Xavi or Busquets. You took out Xavi or Busquets and you had killed Barcelona.

Nigeria must learn from her lesson. We are often reminded of the old and racist phrase of “naïve Africans” when it comes to football. As racist, silly, ignorant, assumptive and largely untrue that phrase may be, we simply cannot hide from the fact that over the last decades, since Africa began to send representatives to the World Cup, African teams have been let down by lack of experience and tournament maturity. The talent is there, and many times, the effort, tactics and hard work is also there. What we continue to lack, largely, is the experience and maturity to handle the dark arts of the game. The likes of Nigeria, Cameroon, Zaire, Algeria, and Senegal have all experienced the “what could have been.” Most famously, our cousins, Ghana, refuse to extend visas to anyone with a buck-tooth since the Suarez handball. That incident angered and continues to anger many Ghanaians and Africans. What could have been? “How dare a cheating scum progress to the next round, while out lovely, beautiful, peaceful and God-fearing players go home with a moral victory, knowing that we could have done it.” Well, could have, should have, would have. The truth is that the South Americans and Europeans have been designing and implementing these strategies for decades. For them, it is not just part of their tactical plans for each match, it is part of their training. They work on it, proactively assisting their players to come to grips with the strategy, so as to perfectly execute it on match day.

African teams, and Nigeria, specifically, can no longer be reactive. We can no longer accept moral victories and we can no longer think about “what could have been.” It is time to implement a 2-plan strategy: 1. be proactive and take active decisions to eliminate any dark strategy planned by an opponent; and 2. Plan our own dark strategy, work on it and carry it out decisively against opponents. Below are my further thoughts:

1. What Must Be Done To Preempt The Opponents Strategy

A. We need competent back-ups: I decided to write this piece today because I realized that today was the day the coach was reducing the list to 25. This, for me, is the most important strategy—we need competent backups to our starters. This cannot be stressed more strongly. When an opponent is taking out your most crucial player, they are trying to undermine your tactics, but also, undermine your ability on the pitch. The most painful experience was the 2014 Onazi knockout. This was a game we were controlling and a game I was certain we would win, with all our off the pitch issues.” However, once the French took Onazi out, he was replaced by Ruben Gabriel. And that was it. Gabriel was not as good as Onazi, and more importantly, while Onazi was in fantastic form, Gabriel was unfit and was in horrendous form. We cannot allow that happen this time. This time, we need to take players who are ready to step in for the starters without a huge decrease in ability and tactics. They take out Shehu, we bring in Aina or Ebuehi. They take out Ndidi, we have Onazi. They take out Onazi, we have Joel Obi or Etebo, they take out Ighalo, we have Iheanacho. Etc etc. We need a very very strong bench.

B. Our Players must learn how to cry: Remember when you were in KG3 and you hit your classmate and then your classmate hit you back? Then you run to the teacher crying? Who does the teacher flog? Gone are the days of “this is a manly sport, you have to act tough! Etc etc. First of all, most referees (purposefully or not) see Africans as “physical.” Even when we smaller, we are considered to be stronger than our taller and bigger opponents. So, that already works against us. When an opponent comes for our player, the referee is already biased to judge the African as the aggressor. Thus, we need to learn how to surround the referee and cry after every single tackle. I don’t care if the opponent blows air on our player's hand, I want our players to surround the referee, weeping, wailing, gnashing their teeth and showing the referee the imaginary gun-shot wound. We did it against Algeria in Algiers and it worked like a charm. Not only did the referee keep giving us freekicks, it slowed the game down significantly and frustrated the Algerians, which made them kick out more. In a neutral ground, they’d have had at least one man sent off. Additionally, Mikel is a king at this tactic. He learned it very very well at Chelsea and I believe he even overdid it many times, which caused a big issue between him and Clattenburg.

C. Rohr, too, must learn how to cry: European coaches are the champions of this. They spend the entire press conference complaining about their opponents. How they dive, how they cheat, how “they play in a certain way,” how they rough up opponents etc etc.. they do this for a reason! They know the referee is listening and they want to influence him before the game. They are also the kings of harassing the fourth official. One would think that has no effect, but it does. The fourth official speaks to the referee at half-time and more importantly, the referee sees the 4th official being harassed during games and that could influence his thought. Rohr needs to come to the world cup like a woman who has buried her husband. He needs to weep and weep and weep! Weep to the fourth official at every little thing. He needs to attend pre-match press conferences and speak about Amokachi, Amunike, and Onazi. And how we will be watching any dirty tricks and the referees need to watch. He needs to paint it in a way that will humiliate FIFA. Speak about how African teams always play clean and how “there are certain countries,” who come to the world cup with dirty tricks! And how FIFA has allowed it to go on for decades, but it will no longer be tolerated.

D. We need to learn to defend ourselves: We cant go into 50/50 tackles like JJCs anymore. You watch the South Americans and Europeans and they go into tackles to protect themselves first. We need to go into tackles with secret elbows out, knee ready, etc etc, in case the opponent is coming in with the same. We cannot allow ourselves to be the ones going out on a stretcher.

E. We must be tactically flexible: I was very very happy when Rohr spoke about having 2 base formations. This will help us significantly in unfortunate circumstances. Don’t forget that one of the reasons teams take out your player is because they are trying to negatively thwart your tactics. Thus, if your reaction is to change tactics quickly, their action may not negatively affect you at all. Just imagine back to 2014, when France took out Onazi. Let us assume we decided to change formation entirely and go in a different direction, rather than bring in Gabriel. Perhaps, we’d have had a different result. Who knows?

2. We Need To Be Read To Take Them Out: We need to work on this.

I know as a football fan, we cannot hope for injury on another player, no matter who the player is or what team he plays for. However, I cannot close my eyes and be oblivious to something. We simply can no longer be the choir boys. I am sorry. We need to play how to start taking people out. Not only in retaliation, but also as part of a broader tactical strategy. It is always easier to play against a weakened team than to play against a full-strength team. In 2006, Materazzi hounded and hounded and hounded and insulted Zidane, until Zidane could take it no more and he head-butted him. Zidane was red-carded. In 2018, everyone knows that Italy won the world cup in 2006. No one adds the caveat ‘But they played against 10 men.” When France took out Onazi, no one ends the sentence with “but Nigeria played without Onazi.” Truth is, no one remembers anything else. They ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS remember the victor.

P.s—Speaking of Materazzi/Zidane, that is another circumstance where you have a strategy to take out the most effective player of your opponent. Would you tell me that the Italians did not plan it? They knew Zidane very well. He played at Juventus and his former teammates were in the Italian team. They knew his temper and they knew the sort of things that will get to him. Rather than go for his legs, they went for his brain and got him sent off.


I wish the Super Eagles of Nigeria good luck. I know we have the talent, organization, hard work, effort and peacefulness to succeed. However, I believe we need another ingredient – cynicism.

[The YeyeMan]

Which accent did you affect to write this?

[MYMIND]

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

[danfo driver]

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

Your response is well taken. And I commend those people who have class and lose with class. However,I have been on the receiving end at least twice now (1994 and 2014) and I have learned my lesson. Today, Real Madrid are the CL champions, no one remembers Liverpool, Salah or the elbow to Karius' head. Ramos has a classy trophy cabinet too.

But like I said, most importantly, I respect your position on this matter.

[metalalloy]

Which accent did you affect to write this?

Since our first appearance at the world cup in 1994, we have experienced "tournament maturity" from our opponents. I look back and I remember the "quick" free kick taken by Diego Maradona in 1994, which led to Claudio Cannigia’s goal, while the likes of Sunny Oliseh were busy speaking to the referee, rather than pay attention and mark their opponent. We also remember Eguavoen’s silliness in the penalty box which Zola enjoyed.

B. Our Players must learn how to cry: Remember when you were in KG3 and you hit your classmate and then your classmate hit you back? Then you run to the teacher crying? Who does the teacher flog? Gone are the days of “this is a manly sport, you have to act tough! Etc etc. First of all, most referees (purposefully or not) see Africans as “physical.” Even when we smaller, we are considered to be stronger than our taller and bigger opponents. So, that already works against us. When an opponent comes for our player, the referee is already biased to judge the African as the aggressor. Thus, we need to learn how to surround the referee and cry after every single tackle. I don’t care if the opponent blows air on our player's hand, I want our players to surround the referee, weeping, wailing, gnashing their teeth and showing the referee the imaginary gun-shot wound. We did it against Algeria in Algiers and it worked like a charm. Not only did the referee keep giving us freekicks, it slowed the game down significantly and frustrated the Algerians, which made them kick out more. In a neutral ground, they’d have had at least one man sent off. Additionally, Mikel is a king at this tactic. He learned it very very well at Chelsea and I believe he even overdid it many times, which caused a big issue between him and Clattenburg.

[danfo driver]

Which accent did you affect to write this?

Since our first appearance at the world cup in 1994, we have experienced "tournament maturity" from our opponents. I look back and I remember the "quick" free kick taken by Diego Maradona in 1994, which led to Claudio Cannigia’s goal, while the likes of Sunny Oliseh were busy speaking to the referee, rather than pay attention and mark their opponent. We also remember Eguavoen’s silliness in the penalty box which Zola enjoyed.

B. Our Players must learn how to cry: Remember when you were in KG3 and you hit your classmate and then your classmate hit you back? Then you run to the teacher crying? Who does the teacher flog? Gone are the days of “this is a manly sport, you have to act tough! Etc etc. First of all, most referees (purposefully or not) see Africans as “physical.” Even when we smaller, we are considered to be stronger than our taller and bigger opponents. So, that already works against us. When an opponent comes for our player, the referee is already biased to judge the African as the aggressor. Thus, we need to learn how to surround the referee and cry after every single tackle. I don’t care if the opponent blows air on our player's hand, I want our players to surround the referee, weeping, wailing, gnashing their teeth and showing the referee the imaginary gun-shot wound. We did it against Algeria in Algiers and it worked like a charm. Not only did the referee keep giving us freekicks, it slowed the game down significantly and frustrated the Algerians, which made them kick out more. In a neutral ground, they’d have had at least one man sent off. Additionally, Mikel is a king at this tactic. He learned it very very well at Chelsea and I believe he even overdid it many times, which caused a big issue between him and Clattenburg.

I think that's part of the “maturity” we need. And that's why you need concentration and presence of mind to be a winner. On There are many ways to reconcile that. One doesn't always have to happen in the absence of the other. For example, one player can pick up the ball and hold on to it while several are weeping to the ref and not everyone needs to be weeping.. the others need to be concentratibg. If you remember 1994, not everyone was speaking to the ref.. the problem was thst several of them were not paying attention

[green4life]

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

He didn't say injure them. Our boys have to play smart within the context of the game. On my first day of law school, the number one advice was to 'don't study hard. Study smart'. Our players need to play smart. Be aware of the situation and adjust to get the edge. Those little things make a big difference in the long run.

[Odas]

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

MYMIND: Of everything said in the article, is this the only thing you saw? What did you do when France INTENTIONALLY injured Onazi?

In 1994, before the extra time session began in our game with Italy, did you not see many of the Italian players complaining to the referee in the center cycle? What happened - do you remember? Was a WEAK penalty not awarded to Italy and so, we lost the game? In addition, do you think other teams are not coming to the tournament to WIN AT ALL COST?

Oga, you get lork (luck) say you no dey close to me, na Koboko I for take salute you.

[platinum]

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

Do you think Luis Suarez was classy against Ghana? Yes or no?

[MYMIND]

My issue is with trying to injure a player on purpose on the opposing team ans get him substituted that you deem a threat to your being able to win the game. If Salah played the whole game as intended we do not know the outcome. Ramos put paid to that.

My below response did not discuss hounding referees etc.

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

MYMIND: Of everything said in the article, is this the only thing you saw? What did you do when France INTENTIONALLY injured Onazi?

In 1994, before the extra time session began in our game with Italy, did you not see many of the Italians players complaining to the referee in the center cycle? What happened - do you remember? Was a WEAK penalty not awarded to Italy and so, we lost the game? In addition, do you think other teams are not coming to the tournament to WIN AT ALL COST?

Oga, you get lork (luck) say you no dey close to me, na Koboko I for take salute you.

[MYMIND]

He did not try to injure and hopefully get a Ghanaian player taken off. This has been and remains the focal point of my argument. Not other nauseating theatrics that also abound in the game.

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

Do you think Luis Suarez was classy against Ghana? Yes or no?

[felarey]

It's not class, it's being professional. I cursed Suarez and it really hurt watching that game live but he did the right thing as a professional. Suarez is a win at all cost player, even it means biting the opponent. Sergio Ramos is another with that black belt judo take down of Salah. He also set a trap for Mane. But with VAR now available, hope gamesmanship will be curbed. Certainly don't want to be a fan of the team left holding the bag at the end again.

[MYMIND]

It's not class, it's being professional. I cursed Suarez and it really hurt watching that game live but he did the right thing as a professional. Suarez is a win at all cost player, even it means biting the opponent. Sergio Ramos is another with that black belt judo take down of Salah. He also set a trap for Mane. But with VAR now available, hope gamesmanship will be curbed. Certainly don't want to be a fan of the team left holding the bag at the end again.

Suarez is Theatrics and not trying to injure a player like Ramos and Matuidi.

[platinum]

He did not try to injure and hopefully get a Ghanaian player taken off. This has been and remains the focal point of my argument. Not other nauseating theatrics that also abound in the game.

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

Do you think Luis Suarez was classy against Ghana? Yes or no?

Chief,

It's not a pure game. I get your ideal utopian vision of the sport, it doesn't exist though and to win, you have to see past it. The purist team of the recent age is widely said to be Pep's Barca right? They were filled with dark arts to add to their 'beauty'.

[Igugu]

Since our first appearance at the world cup in 1994, we have experienced "tournament maturity" from our opponents. I look back and I remember the "quick" free kick taken by Diego Maradona in 1994, which led to Claudio Cannigia’s goal, while the likes of Sunny Oliseh were busy speaking to the referee, rather than pay attention and mark their opponent. We also remember Eguavoen’s silliness in the penalty box which Zola enjoyed.

For me, in all our appearances at the world cup, the most painful act of “tournament maturity” against us was the 1994 Italian’s hatchet job on Amokachi and Amunike, as well as the 2014 French’s job on Onazi and attempted maiming of Mikel. Let’s be clear, these are not coincidences. Anyone who has played the game at any level will tell you that it is easier to play against a weakened team than to play against a team with full strength. This is very simple. Teams take their time to study an opponent and see who their most effective player is. The player that makes the team click. It doesn’t even have to be the most talented player or the best player on the other team. It simply is just a player who makes the other team’s strategy work. In Barcelona during the Pep era, that player wasn’t Messi. That player was Xavi or Busquets. You took out Xavi or Busquets and you had killed Barcelona.

Nigeria must learn from her lesson. We are often reminded of the old and racist phrase of “naïve Africans” when it comes to football. As racist, silly, ignorant, assumptive and largely untrue that phrase may be, we simply cannot hide from the fact that over the last decades, since Africa began to send representatives to the World Cup, African teams have been let down by lack of experience and tournament maturity. The talent is there, and many times, the effort, tactics and hard work is also there. What we continue to lack, largely, is the experience and maturity to handle the dark arts of the game. The likes of Nigeria, Cameroon, Zaire, Algeria, and Senegal have all experienced the “what could have been.” Most famously, our cousins, Ghana, refuse to extend visas to anyone with a buck-tooth since the Suarez handball. That incident angered and continues to anger many Ghanaians and Africans. What could have been? “How dare a cheating scum progress to the next round, while out lovely, beautiful, peaceful and God-fearing players go home with a moral victory, knowing that we could have done it.” Well, could have, should have, would have. The truth is that the South Americans and Europeans have been designing and implementing these strategies for decades. For them, it is not just part of their tactical plans for each match, it is part of their training. They work on it, proactively assisting their players to come to grips with the strategy, so as to perfectly execute it on match day.

African teams, and Nigeria, specifically, can no longer be reactive. We can no longer accept moral victories and we can no longer think about “what could have been.” It is time to implement a 2-plan strategy: 1. be proactive and take active decisions to eliminate any dark strategy planned by an opponent; and 2. Plan our own dark strategy, work on it and carry it out decisively against opponents. Below are my further thoughts:

1. What Must Be Done To Preempt The Opponents Strategy

A. We need competent back-ups: I decided to write this piece today because I realized that today was the day the coach was reducing the list to 25. This, for me, is the most important strategy—we need competent backups to our starters. This cannot be stressed more strongly. When an opponent is taking out your most crucial player, they are trying to undermine your tactics, but also, undermine your ability on the pitch. The most painful experience was the 2014 Onazi knockout. This was a game we were controlling and a game I was certain we would win, with all our off the pitch issues.” However, once the French took Onazi out, he was replaced by Ruben Gabriel. And that was it. Gabriel was not as good as Onazi, and more importantly, while Onazi was in fantastic form, Gabriel was unfit and was in horrendous form. We cannot allow that happen this time. This time, we need to take players who are ready to step in for the starters without a huge decrease in ability and tactics. They take out Shehu, we bring in Aina or Ebuehi. They take out Ndidi, we have Onazi. They take out Onazi, we have Joel Obi or Etebo, they take out Ighalo, we have Iheanacho. Etc etc. We need a very very strong bench.

B. Our Players must learn how to cry: Remember when you were in KG3 and you hit your classmate and then your classmate hit you back? Then you run to the teacher crying? Who does the teacher flog? Gone are the days of “this is a manly sport, you have to act tough! Etc etc. First of all, most referees (purposefully or not) see Africans as “physical.” Even when we smaller, we are considered to be stronger than our taller and bigger opponents. So, that already works against us. When an opponent comes for our player, the referee is already biased to judge the African as the aggressor. Thus, we need to learn how to surround the referee and cry after every single tackle. I don’t care if the opponent blows air on our player's hand, I want our players to surround the referee, weeping, wailing, gnashing their teeth and showing the referee the imaginary gun-shot wound. We did it against Algeria in Algiers and it worked like a charm. Not only did the referee keep giving us freekicks, it slowed the game down significantly and frustrated the Algerians, which made them kick out more. In a neutral ground, they’d have had at least one man sent off. Additionally, Mikel is a king at this tactic. He learned it very very well at Chelsea and I believe he even overdid it many times, which caused a big issue between him and Clattenburg.

C. Rohr, too, must learn how to cry: European coaches are the champions of this. They spend the entire press conference complaining about their opponents. How they dive, how they cheat, how “they play in a certain way,” how they rough up opponents etc etc.. they do this for a reason! They know the referee is listening and they want to influence him before the game. They are also the kings of harassing the fourth official. One would think that has no effect, but it does. The fourth official speaks to the referee at half-time and more importantly, the referee sees the 4th official being harassed during games and that could influence his thought. Rohr needs to come to the world cup like a woman who has buried her husband. He needs to weep and weep and weep! Weep to the fourth official at every little thing. He needs to attend pre-match press conferences and speak about Amokachi, Amunike, and Onazi. And how we will be watching any dirty tricks and the referees need to watch. He needs to paint it in a way that will humiliate FIFA. Speak about how African teams always play clean and how “there are certain countries,” who come to the world cup with dirty tricks! And how FIFA has allowed it to go on for decades, but it will no longer be tolerated.

D. We need to learn to defend ourselves: We cant go into 50/50 tackles like JJCs anymore. You watch the South Americans and Europeans and they go into tackles to protect themselves first. We need to go into tackles with secret elbows out, knee ready, etc etc, in case the opponent is coming in with the same. We cannot allow ourselves to be the ones going out on a stretcher.

E. We must be tactically flexible: I was very very happy when Rohr spoke about having 2 base formations. This will help us significantly in unfortunate circumstances. Don’t forget that one of the reasons teams take out your player is because they are trying to negatively thwart your tactics. Thus, if your reaction is to change tactics quickly, their action may not negatively affect you at all. Just imagine back to 2014, when France took out Onazi. Let us assume we decided to change formation entirely and go in a different direction, rather than bring in Gabriel. Perhaps, we’d have had a different result. Who knows?

2. We Need To Be Read To Take Them Out: We need to work on this.

I know as a football fan, we cannot hope for injury on another player, no matter who the player is or what team he plays for. However, I cannot close my eyes and be oblivious to something. We simply can no longer be the choir boys. I am sorry. We need to play how to start taking people out. Not only in retaliation, but also as part of a broader tactical strategy. It is always easier to play against a weakened team than to play against a full-strength team. In 2006, Materazzi hounded and hounded and hounded and insulted Zidane, until Zidane could take it no more and he head-butted him. Zidane was red-carded. In 2018, everyone knows that Italy won the world cup in 2006. No one adds the caveat ‘But they played against 10 men.” When France took out Onazi, no one ends the sentence with “but Nigeria played without Onazi.” Truth is, no one remembers anything else. They ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS remember the victor.

P.s—Speaking of Materazzi/Zidane, that is another circumstance where you have a strategy to take out the most effective player of your opponent. Would you tell me that the Italians did not plan it? They knew Zidane very well. He played at Juventus and his former teammates were in the Italian team. They knew his temper and they knew the sort of things that will get to him. Rather than go for his legs, they went for his brain and got him sent off.


I wish the Super Eagles of Nigeria good luck. I know we have the talent, organization, hard work, effort and peacefulness to succeed. However, I believe we need another ingredient – cynicism.

On your item A, you are right. I was surprised of what happened this past weekend at the UEFA Final match against Liverpool and R. Madrid. At the beginning of the game, Liverpool was in control of the game, while R. Madrid sat deep in their own eighteen with Liverpool threatening every second. Three defenders were marking Mo Salah closely. They were afraid to leave their eighteen with Mo Salah lurking in their back yard. Then Sergio gave him a WWF tackle and dislocated the poor guy's shoulder and probably broke his ribs too. He was out of the match few minutes later in pains and unable to continue. Few minutes after he left the field for good, R. Madrid came out of their shell and pilled up pressure on Liverpool; and the rest is history.
It was shameful that competition has come to mafia tactics.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

Danfo:

Disagree re Mikel. Why didn't he go down clutching his face when Giroud swung an intentional, angry elbow at him?

[theYemster]

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

My guy there's no trophy for classy. History remembers only champions not classiest.

[danfo driver]

Danfo:

Disagree re Mikel. Why didn't he go down clutching his face when Giroud swung an intentional, angry elbow at him?

Well, hopefully, he can incorporate that into his game WITH Nigeria.

[danfo driver]

Y A W N

you want Nigeria to do the wrong THING to try and injure another team's player just to not have to compete against him aND greatly enhance the chance of Nigeria winning the game as a consequence? Win at all cost mentality is never good in any sphere of life.

There is still a word called CLASS! Some people can still relate to it and have high regard for people that exude CLASS in their behavior.

My guy there's no trophy for classy. History remembers only champions not classiest.

Abi? lets ask him who won the 2018 CL, and see what the answer is: "Real Madrid won it, but in the first half, Sergio Ramos... blah blah blah" at that Point, the person you are talking to, don already waka commot. No one cares! They only care to hear the first part of the sentence.

I am tired of moral victories. I dont want anymore. Keep the "moral," and let me take the "victories."

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

Danfo:

Disagree re Mikel. Why didn't he go down clutching his face when Giroud swung an intentional, angry elbow at him?

Well, hopefully, he can incorporate that into his game WITH Nigeria.

No...that was the match against France in which Matuidi took out Onazi. Giroud swung his elbow at Mikel's face, and Mikel only went to the ojoro ref to say something like: "Oga, warn Giroud o. Tell am make he take time o. We sef get Osaze wey fit slap persin"

[danfo driver]

Danfo:

Disagree re Mikel. Why didn't he go down clutching his face when Giroud swung an intentional, angry elbow at him?

Well, hopefully, he can incorporate that into his game WITH Nigeria.

No...that was the match against France in which Matuidi took out Onazi. Giroud swung his elbow at Mikel's face, and Mikel only went to the ojoro ref to say something like: "Oga, warn Giroud o. Tell am make he take time o. We sef get Osaze wey fit slap persin"

Yea, I know what you were saying. I was saying that moving forward, hopefully, he can incorporate what he did at Chelsea into his game with Nigeria. Who knows, perhaps, at Chelsea he was more motivated to do these things because it was encouraged by the coaches. They pushed their players to do it. While in Nigeria, no one cares about it, so he was/is less likely to do it.

Abeg, no call Osaze name inside matter again o! We no want any wahala to disrupt our peace corps team!

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

Danfo:

Disagree re Mikel. Why didn't he go down clutching his face when Giroud swung an intentional, angry elbow at him?

Well, hopefully, he can incorporate that into his game WITH Nigeria.

No...that was the match against France in which Matuidi took out Onazi. Giroud swung his elbow at Mikel's face, and Mikel only went to the ojoro ref to say something like: "Oga, warn Giroud o. Tell am make he take time o. We sef get Osaze wey fit slap persin"

Yea, I know what you were saying. I was saying that moving forward, hopefully, he can incorporate what he did at Chelsea into his game with Nigeria. Who knows, perhaps, at Chelsea he was more motivated to do these things because it was encouraged by the coaches. They pushed their players to do it. While in Nigeria, no one cares about it, so he was/is less likely to do it.

Abeg, no call Osaze name inside matter again o! We no want any wahala to disrupt our peace corps team!

abeg camp no sweet without am Osaze o...we need some troublesome bini boys like Osaze and Ikpeba dem

[The YeyeMan]

Danfo:

Disagree re Mikel. Why didn't he go down clutching his face when Giroud swung an intentional, angry elbow at him?

That annoys me to this day. Annoys me the officials didn't catch it and that Mikel didn't make more of it. If Mikel had swung his ashy elbow at Giroud you can believe that bearded goat would have been rolling around the pitch and crying as if he someone had stolen his mascara.

Hell, I'm annoyed that Iheanacho didn't make from being aggressively shoved by that bandit Otamendi in that friendly. Our players get pushed and then apologise for being in the way. They should just fall down and let VAR do the rest.