Grp H (Senegal 0 vs Colombia 1)-(Japan 0 v Poland 1) FT

[vancity eagle]

I don't think Senegal played for a draw.

But they messed up so many goalscoring opportunities... Senegal's tactics were fine, but the execution in the final third was lacking.

They played for a draw in the second half before the Columbian goal

exactly. They started well, but instead of continuing the momentum and finish Colombia off they backed off to their detriment.

I just knew it would happen.

You don't back off against these kind of teams. Nigeria and Colombia both found out. In fact Colombia even backed off against Japan, and that cost them as well.

[Curve whiz]

Too gutted to talk about Senegal today. Bunch of useless players. Cisse is a coward for not being bold enough to drop the useless Mane.

I couldn’t believe they pissed that game away from the position they are in. As soon as they made the game into an open game from around 60 mins, I was like does the fool realise any mistake and goal for Colombia they are out? Why are they running up and down like this, and forcing possession in their half? It was like I was in a trance. I cannot believe they had no communication or sense of what was happening elsewhere. Especially since both teams were going through at that point.

We need to invest in the non-footballing, common sense part of the game. At least the Super Eagles fought and despite our mistakes, we lost out inna tougher group. Senegal however were a disgrace losing out to Japan.

[analyzer]

Den suppose wire this guy slap!!!

[ohsee]

Senegal deserved to lose. They played stupid, kept the ball too long, were often dispossessed by the more alert and hustling Colombians, spent more time diving than playing, and did not begin to play ball until it was obvious they were going to lose.

I am fed up with all the diving. The game has become a farce. I am not sure what the Senegalese players were diving for--they wasted all their free-kick opportunities.

Anyway, time to relax and watch countries that really know how to play ball, not Africans who still have a lot to learn no matter the rubbish about how we are "better than this country and better than that" spouted by "patriots" on this site.

[marutimon]

I still can't... I love the guy, but Gueye... WTH...

[ohsee]

This swhyit is hard to beat a south American team at the WC. Skills, dem get. clinical finishing, dem get. Game sense, dem get am boku.

Odogwu nwoke Scipio Africanus. Anyway, I am tired of all the emotional investment in crap African teams, not to mention all the hyping we do about them on this site. Anyway, I don't know why I dey vex; it's not like I did not expect this.

[oloye]

Den suppose wire this guy slap!!!

There is no tactics that teaches this. Tactics says put someone there to block the ball and not to pose for picture

[ohsee]

I can watch the WC in peace now. African teams must do better

Chief, not in the next world cup, because we will see this same crap again. We need to invest for 2026 and 2030, and start producing players with the right combination of technical skills and football intelligence; we need to produce our own coaches too, who know how to read the game and make the right decisions. African teams have shown that they are below par in the things that count. We are still dependent on physical abilities carried out with zero brain investment. I don tire.

[Cellular]

This swhyit is hard to beat a south American team at the WC. Skills, dem get. clinical finishing, dem get. Game sense, dem get am boku.

I think the S. American game sense comes from watching a lot of NBA, NFL, MLB. Sports that are all about game sense beyond tactics. Had we an NBA coach, in the last 20 mins against Argentina, he would have atleast made a sub to kill the tempo especially after the first scare (missed chance). Can't remember who got fouled (Etebo or Idowu), one of them got fouled and immediately got up to go harass the argie instead of staying down so his teammates can pick up a bottle of water or something. The players also need to up their game management. Rohr would make a terrible basketball coach, no doubt about it! Won't beat a college team with an NBA team.

There's one thing American sports teaches you is how to know strategy, tactics and situational play. You might not be the best player but you can't be doing stuff to beat yourself.

We really have to go back to coaching all the way to secondary school PE teachers learn the fundamentals and the rudimentals the game.

Unfortunately, we will keep recruiting limited foreign born players who are fundamentally sound until the locals get with the program.

[mate]

This swhyit is hard to beat a south American team at the WC. Skills, dem get. clinical finishing, dem get. Game sense, dem get am boku.

Odogwu nwoke Scipio Africanus. Anyway, I am tired of all the emotional investment in crap African teams, not to mention all the hyping we do about them on this site. Anyway, I don't know why I dey vex; it's not like I did not expect this.

You'll be back. Just like all of us. We always come back...because football's a *Nice Lady*! F*** political correctness.

[mate]

Den suppose wire this guy slap!!!

There is no tactics that teaches this. Tactics says put someone there to block the ball and not to pose for picture

Well, what can you say on that play?

Again...that dead horse can't be beaten enough...it comes down to individual actions in details like this.

Why this Senegalese defender lapsed like that? Only he knows. But he did. If he was more alert, maybe it's a blocked shot.

It wasn't tactics. It was a moment.

[realtrouble]

I can watch the WC in peace now. African teams must do better

Chief, not in the next world cup, because we will see this same crap again. We need to invest for 2026 and 2030, and start producing players with the right combination of technical skills and football intelligence; we need to produce our own coaches too, who know how to read the game and make the right decisions. African teams have shown that they are below par in the things that count. We are still dependent on physical abilities carried out with zero brain investment. I don tire.

2030 , how many CE will be alive in 2030.

[Cellular]

Den suppose wire this guy slap!!!

There is no tactics that teaches this. Tactics says put someone there to block the ball and not to pose for picture

Well, what can you say on that play?

Again...that dead horse can't be beaten enough...it comes down to individual actions in details like this.

Why this Senegalese defender lapsed like that? Only he knows. But he did. If he was more alert, maybe it's a blocked shot.

It wasn't tactics. It was a moment.

Funny thing most if not all the mental breakdowns were from foreign based players. God forbid if the player was local based it would be because we are thick or somn.

I watched the sequence for that goal and I was like WTF?!

[mate]

No explanation Cellular.

It was clearly a mental lapse. I feel for Cissé, as he did everything he could in my view to put Senegal through. It came down to the players and stuff like this.

[mcal]

...mental toughness is required in football against any kind of opponent. What I have concluded here is that African teams, especially sub Saharan, are not mentally tough at national assignments, but at club they try, and when they can't sustain they get benched, or shipped out somewhere unknown.

[Kabalega]

Colombia was always going to score but Senegal could have scored one or two goals.
They simply didn't play to their strengths.

Mane needs to be flogged for holding onto the ball too long and drifting to the sides.
If he had stayed in the middle and let the team find him, he would have caused problems.

I blame the coaching and of course Mane for this.

[Kabalega]

...mental toughness is required in football against any kind of opponent. What I have concluded here is that African teams, especially sub Saharan, are not mentally tough at national assignments, but at club they try, and when they can't sustain they get benched, or shipped out somewhere unknown.

Sub-Saharan is a negative term. Stop using it.
Think of the connotations. Why not say south of the Sahara? Why do you need to use the term below (sub)?

[Ekorian]

I just saw the highlights of the Senegal vs Colombia. What kind of a daft coach makes a sub when conceding corner kick/ set piece. Isn't that destabilizing the defense?

[Okonkwo in da house]

Senegal did not do this, Senegal did not do that! What about the %$#@^& referee's calls. These matches are so close, it is unfair when you are denied a penalty that you earned legitimately. Senegal played well today. They were better than the Colombians. Quadrado could not even make any move. The fact once the penalty was denied, Colombia knew they could steal the game. They too knew it was a penalty. Let's stop parroting the nonsense they speak about African football. These guys know they can't compete squarely against us so they cheat.

[mcal]

...mental toughness is required in football against any kind of opponent. What I have concluded here is that African teams, especially sub Saharan, are not mentally tough at national assignments, but at club they try, and when they can't sustain they get benched, or shipped out somewhere unknown.

Sub-Saharan is a negative term. Stop using it.
Think of the connotations. Why not say south of the Sahara? Why do you need to use the term below (sub)?

...okay, never knew that. Have been used since secondary school

[oloye]

In the first half they were playing like they could afford to lose and not get hurt. People were hailing them as being confident, where is that confidence now

Them talk say na African coach better pass. No be so?

You dey mind who folks who just say anything convenient for them to say

[oloye]

Den suppose wire this guy slap!!!

There is no tactics that teaches this. Tactics says put someone there to block the ball and not to pose for picture

Well, what can you say on that play?

Again...that dead horse can't be beaten enough...it comes down to individual actions in details like this.

Why this Senegalese defender lapsed like that? Only he knows. But he did. If he was more alert, maybe it's a blocked shot.

It wasn't tactics. It was a moment.

Funny thing most if not all the mental breakdowns were from foreign based players. God forbid if the player was local based it would be because we are thick or somn.

I watched the sequence for that goal and I was like WTF?!

When a coach who works with the team everyday looks at the collection of players at his disposal and notices traits like this and come out to say his team is not ready, people will lambast the coach. No coach trains a player to do what Gueye did there, in training the coaches would have shouted themselves hoarse. The simple question is what was his role in that position, the only reason he is there was to block the ball. But he went there and put his back on the post as if his job was done for the day and could not even be bothered to lift a leg.

Look at the second goal we conceded, knowing we needed to defend and only needed a draw, Moses left his position in the defensive wall, he stood there lazily watching Rojo stand in the position he ought to be standing. It was only when he saw the ball in flight that he realised the danger. No the danger occured the moment he left his position not when the ball was played. The danger occured the minute Rojo was allowed to occupy his position.

these drills would have been done over and over in training, but laziness and lack of concentration remain the bane. Moses can be forgiven being an attacker converted to defensive duties, but Argentina was not in a forgiving mood as they needed that win badly. At this level such mistakes are preyed upon.

Look at Senegal, for all the domination in the first half they were utterly useless in making them count. Stupid decisions, bad execution of free kicks and crosses made sure all the domination came to nothing. Compared the quality of their free kicks and corner kicks to the Colombians then you can clearly see who is most likely to take their chances.

At this level, the best in the world come together and what makes them the best is shown by the way chances are utilized when it shows up.

We have players who hardly take free kicks or corner kicks in their clubs, most of them suddenly become free kick specialist when they show up in the national team..free kick specialist for just a couple of days, it will account for why the deliveries are poor.

The next phase of the evolution of African football is the mental and attitude towards the game. The need to be clinically ruthless. Marcos Rojo epitomizes that ruthlessness, the way he calmly slotted in that ball into the far corner! If Ighalo was that cool and ruthless, Nigeria would still be in the tournament.

[Senator WIRES]

Den suppose wire this guy slap!!!

Senegal own YOBO