U-17 World Cup: Nigeria's late rallies mask deeper issues

[iworo]

U-17 World Cup: Nigeria's late rallies mask deeper issues

Solace Chukwu
Correspondent

The Golden Eaglets are perfect so far in Brazil, but their ability to come back late in games is hardly sustainable.

In football, as in life, everyone loves a comeback. The only thing people love more than a comeback is a late comeback.

It is probably the closest thing to operatic theatre, and is a narrative that can appeal to even the casual observer, not altogether interested in football but able to relate to a triumph against the odds.
The timing of the comeback also heightens the feeling of euphoria, concentrating it right at the end for an eruption of emotion, and thereby mostly erasing the negativity that might have built up during the earlier parts of the game.

It is no surprise, then, that Nigeria's two come-from-behind victories at the ongoing Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Brazil have been greeted with overwhelming credit and positivity.

In overcoming first Hungary and then Ecuador, the Golden Eaglets have drawn praise for their fighting spirit and superior fitness levels, and also secured a place in the Round of 16.

However, for all the joy that comes of winning in such exhilarating fashion, the performances themselves have left a lot to be desired.

The theme of both matches so far in Brazil has been an utter lack of control and poor structure, both with and without the ball. While the former is not a surprise to anyone who has watched a team coached by Manu Garba, the latter is more jarring, and is a newer concern that exacerbates the issues that come from the former.

Garba preaches a weird version of the Dutch total football, where the emphasis is not so much on versatility and interchanging positions as it is on attacking en masse and at all times. Matches therefore become a series of sprints, first up the pitch, and then down the pitch – at its best, it can seem pretty euphoric, as in 2013 with the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Musa Yahaya and Taiwo Awoniyi running riot; at its worst, it takes on a frantic, helter-skelter quality.

This side simply does not have the level of ability to win shoot-outs in every game and blow teams away, even at this level. Instead, what it has largely relied upon so far is the ability to outlast opponents physically in games, coming on strong when the opposition is floundering.

In that sense, Manu’s insistence on grilling the team physically in camp has borne dividends, and has also dictated his squad selection (talented Arsenal youngster Malcolm Ebiowei was dropped because he lacked the physical rigour to fit in).

It is a gamble, however, that relies on still being within touching distance of opponents when the game enters the latter stages. What happens if the team enters the final 15 minutes faced with an already insurmountable deficit, their dysfunction having already proven terminal?

It is by no means a sustainable strategy, either in the short or long term.

Even if it were in the short term (in truth, this explains Africa's dominance at youth level, and why it is difficult to replicate further down the line), there is a reason why so few of the group that took the world apart in 2013 are pulling up trees now. Iheanacho, the shining light of the tournament, is struggling for games at Leicester City, and yet is still arguably the most distinguished of that crop in terms of his overall career.

That unstructured, harum-scarum football simply won't cut it at higher levels. Even the nature of the finishes have been less about incisive associative play than about cracking strikes from distance; for those interested in the Expected Goals metric, the shots Nigeria created were markedly weaker in terms of quality overall than Ecuador's.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Garba and his technical crew find a more stable structure without the ball and advance into the latter stages of the tournament. However, forging a youth team whose standout quality is physical endurance is hardly a recipe for long-term progress. Even if they win, Nigeria might ultimately lose in the end.

https://www.goal.com/en/news/u-7-world- ... 50l6eegayp

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

See the regressive mentality of Nigerians. Wouldn't it be also true to say that the team ability to come back shows they haven't fully developed as a team and will get better with each game? Instead, the tout is using their success against them by saying they're doing the wrong things even though they're winning. Backward azz tout!

[Man Ataye]

See the regressive mentality of Nigerians. Wouldn't it be also true to say that the team ability to come back shows they haven't fully developed as a team and will get better with each game? Instead, the tout is using their success against them by saying they're doing the wrong things even though they're winning. Backward azz tout!

No.mind den. And we came back n won. Shows resilience. People self. Mscheeewww

[megapro]

See the regressive mentality of Nigerians. Wouldn't it be also true to say that the team ability to come back shows they haven't fully developed as a team and will get better with each game? Instead, the tout is using their success against them by saying they're doing the wrong things even though they're winning. Backward azz tout!

Typical Solace
He prefers if they lose to a late rally

[Bigpokey24]

What a daft article

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

U-17 World Cup: Nigeria's late rallies mask deeper issues

Solace Chukwu
Correspondent

The Golden Eaglets are perfect so far in Brazil, but their ability to come back late in games is hardly sustainable.

In football, as in life, everyone loves a comeback. The only thing people love more than a comeback is a late comeback.

It is probably the closest thing to operatic theatre, and is a narrative that can appeal to even the casual observer, not altogether interested in football but able to relate to a triumph against the odds.
The timing of the comeback also heightens the feeling of euphoria, concentrating it right at the end for an eruption of emotion, and thereby mostly erasing the negativity that might have built up during the earlier parts of the game.

It is no surprise, then, that Nigeria's two come-from-behind victories at the ongoing Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Brazil have been greeted with overwhelming credit and positivity.

In overcoming first Hungary and then Ecuador, the Golden Eaglets have drawn praise for their fighting spirit and superior fitness levels, and also secured a place in the Round of 16.

However, for all the joy that comes of winning in such exhilarating fashion, the performances themselves have left a lot to be desired.

The theme of both matches so far in Brazil has been an utter lack of control and poor structure, both with and without the ball. While the former is not a surprise to anyone who has watched a team coached by Manu Garba, the latter is more jarring, and is a newer concern that exacerbates the issues that come from the former.

Garba preaches a weird version of the Dutch total football, where the emphasis is not so much on versatility and interchanging positions as it is on attacking en masse and at all times. Matches therefore become a series of sprints, first up the pitch, and then down the pitch – at its best, it can seem pretty euphoric, as in 2013 with the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Musa Yahaya and Taiwo Awoniyi running riot; at its worst, it takes on a frantic, helter-skelter quality.

This side simply does not have the level of ability to win shoot-outs in every game and blow teams away, even at this level. Instead, what it has largely relied upon so far is the ability to outlast opponents physically in games, coming on strong when the opposition is floundering.

In that sense, Manu’s insistence on grilling the team physically in camp has borne dividends, and has also dictated his squad selection (talented Arsenal youngster Malcolm Ebiowei was dropped because he lacked the physical rigour to fit in).

It is a gamble, however, that relies on still being within touching distance of opponents when the game enters the latter stages. What happens if the team enters the final 15 minutes faced with an already insurmountable deficit, their dysfunction having already proven terminal?

It is by no means a sustainable strategy, either in the short or long term.

Even if it were in the short term (in truth, this explains Africa's dominance at youth level, and why it is difficult to replicate further down the line), there is a reason why so few of the group that took the world apart in 2013 are pulling up trees now. Iheanacho, the shining light of the tournament, is struggling for games at Leicester City, and yet is still arguably the most distinguished of that crop in terms of his overall career.

That unstructured, harum-scarum football simply won't cut it at higher levels. Even the nature of the finishes have been less about incisive associative play than about cracking strikes from distance; for those interested in the Expected Goals metric, the shots Nigeria created were markedly weaker in terms of quality overall than Ecuador's.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Garba and his technical crew find a more stable structure without the ball and advance into the latter stages of the tournament. However, forging a youth team whose standout quality is physical endurance is hardly a recipe for long-term progress. Even if they win, Nigeria might ultimately lose in the end.

https://www.goal.com/en/news/u-7-world- ... 50l6eegayp

In Nigeria, one can claim to be anything one chooses to be without exhibiting any related latent or innate qualities with respect to the thing. That’s how an ignorant Solace Chukwu gets to be a sports correspondent


Cheers.

[pajimoh]

While going behind is not the best, especially if you're facing a formidable opponent, "come back" win is far better than taking the lead early and losing out.
They just need to find a balance and maintain a good defensive strategy

[mcal]

U-17 World Cup: Nigeria's late rallies mask deeper issues

Solace Chukwu
Correspondent

The Golden Eaglets are perfect so far in Brazil, but their ability to come back late in games is hardly sustainable.

In football, as in life, everyone loves a comeback. The only thing people love more than a comeback is a late comeback.

It is probably the closest thing to operatic theatre, and is a narrative that can appeal to even the casual observer, not altogether interested in football but able to relate to a triumph against the odds.
The timing of the comeback also heightens the feeling of euphoria, concentrating it right at the end for an eruption of emotion, and thereby mostly erasing the negativity that might have built up during the earlier parts of the game.

It is no surprise, then, that Nigeria's two come-from-behind victories at the ongoing Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Brazil have been greeted with overwhelming credit and positivity.

In overcoming first Hungary and then Ecuador, the Golden Eaglets have drawn praise for their fighting spirit and superior fitness levels, and also secured a place in the Round of 16.

However, for all the joy that comes of winning in such exhilarating fashion, the performances themselves have left a lot to be desired.

The theme of both matches so far in Brazil has been an utter lack of control and poor structure, both with and without the ball. While the former is not a surprise to anyone who has watched a team coached by Manu Garba, the latter is more jarring, and is a newer concern that exacerbates the issues that come from the former.

Garba preaches a weird version of the Dutch total football, where the emphasis is not so much on versatility and interchanging positions as it is on attacking en masse and at all times. Matches therefore become a series of sprints, first up the pitch, and then down the pitch – at its best, it can seem pretty euphoric, as in 2013 with the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Musa Yahaya and Taiwo Awoniyi running riot; at its worst, it takes on a frantic, helter-skelter quality.

This side simply does not have the level of ability to win shoot-outs in every game and blow teams away, even at this level. Instead, what it has largely relied upon so far is the ability to outlast opponents physically in games, coming on strong when the opposition is floundering.

In that sense, Manu’s insistence on grilling the team physically in camp has borne dividends, and has also dictated his squad selection (talented Arsenal youngster Malcolm Ebiowei was dropped because he lacked the physical rigour to fit in).

It is a gamble, however, that relies on still being within touching distance of opponents when the game enters the latter stages. What happens if the team enters the final 15 minutes faced with an already insurmountable deficit, their dysfunction having already proven terminal?

It is by no means a sustainable strategy, either in the short or long term.

Even if it were in the short term (in truth, this explains Africa's dominance at youth level, and why it is difficult to replicate further down the line), there is a reason why so few of the group that took the world apart in 2013 are pulling up trees now. Iheanacho, the shining light of the tournament, is struggling for games at Leicester City, and yet is still arguably the most distinguished of that crop in terms of his overall career.

That unstructured, harum-scarum football simply won't cut it at higher levels. Even the nature of the finishes have been less about incisive associative play than about cracking strikes from distance; for those interested in the Expected Goals metric, the shots Nigeria created were markedly weaker in terms of quality overall than Ecuador's.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Garba and his technical crew find a more stable structure without the ball and advance into the latter stages of the tournament. However, forging a youth team whose standout quality is physical endurance is hardly a recipe for long-term progress. Even if they win, Nigeria might ultimately lose in the end.

https://www.goal.com/en/news/u-7-world- ... 50l6eegayp

In Nigeria, one can claim to be anything one chooses to be without exhibiting any related latent or innate qualities with respect to the thing. That’s how an ignorant Solace Chukwu gets to be a sports correspondent


Cheers.

...he is a CE material.
Big enough to be a moderator, big enough to insult, big enough to turn upside down the norms and he's accepted, and they will call him chief, mazi, oga mi, just name the going title

[aruako1]

Several comments. A few insults. Hardly any attempt to challenge the points he made. He us trying to say that the reliance on physical strength is not sustainable and uses the struggles of the 2013 team as an example. I do not agree with him but I am not sure how that stance invites all the insults he has received on thos thread.

[gapped]

Totally agree with this writers position and the article. This team to me is the worst coached Nigeria under 17 team in modern memory. As much as folks will like to disagree, soon, this team will be exposed as a team that is not really a team, that lacks cohesive approach to playing as a team, tactically inept, technically underserved and underperforming, and above all, relies more on individual brilliance to succeed. Soon, a team will figure out how to shut down the aces and then what? Creativity is not really there and no discernable pattern of play can be deduced from the disjointed game approach that they have exhibited.

My son played and won both state and regional championships in the US under 17, and I can tell you that the games I have seen his team play in that level is far superior to what I'm seeing in a national team level and that to me is disappointing and unacceptable.

[txj]

Several comments. A few insults. Hardly any attempt to challenge the points he made. He us trying to say that the reliance on physical strength is not sustainable and uses the struggles of the 2013 team as an example. I do not agree with him but I am not sure how that stance invites all the insults he has received on thos thread.

I've come to the conclusion that many here are half literate, like Bigpokey and Emir; both cannot read properly and cannot comprehend slightly nuanced English...

I said it in the game thread about the lack of modern training in our approach to youth development.

We are winning almost entirely on the basis of superior physical attributes. Which is sad given we always have talented players...

I 'coach' u10/13 players and its hard to overstate the decisive influence of any kind of physical advantage and/or age at the youth level...

[adebisy]

I partially agree with the writer. I believe he is right we have some dependence on physical ability which has helped our team and also doing massive attack and massive defense. For an experience team or at a higher level, we can get punished big time and not recover. Manu Garuba has always gambled with this approach at U17 and has worked so far, hopefully it continues that way. Where I disagree is; We also need the mental ability and character to win games- a good quality the boys have, even if you have talented bunch, without the mental ability and character, they cannot win games.
That being said, I believe the boys have some talents and with some adjustment from the coach, we will get better with each game and hopefully win the cup again.

[Bigpokey24]

Several comments. A few insults. Hardly any attempt to challenge the points he made. He us trying to say that the reliance on physical strength is not sustainable and uses the struggles of the 2013 team as an example. I do not agree with him but I am not sure how that stance invites all the insults he has received on thos thread.

I've come to the conclusion that many here are half literate, like Bigpokey and Emir; both cannot read properly and cannot comprehend slightly nuanced English...

I said it in the game thread about the lack of modern training in our approach to youth development.

We are winning almost entirely on the basis of superior physical attributes. Which is sad given we always have talented players...

I 'coach' u10/13 players and its hard to overstate the decisive influence of any kind of physical advantage and/or age at the youth level...

a functional illegitimate illiterate, who writes a pointless blog and can only get 2 or 3 CE folks to read it... only illiterates will be writing essays about comebacks etc towards a u17 tournament....

you illiterate choose to compare youth football with that of what you watch week in week out at the highest level from season pros who gets paid... the joke is on men in their 50s losing sleep and comparing u17 football with that of what we see from the pros

we've won the yeye tournament 5 times and been to the final 8 times and still cannot get past the 2nd round of the WC...smh una power nah for youth football..pathetic...who goes around comparing tactics in u17s..it's a freaking kids game.... u 17s are all about athleticism etc ...nothing more nothing less

[metalalloy]

Even if it were in the short term (in truth, this explains Africa's dominance at youth level, and why it is difficult to replicate further down the line), there is a reason why so few of the group that took the world apart in 2013 are pulling up trees now. Iheanacho, the shining light of the tournament, is struggling for games at Leicester City, and yet is still arguably the most distinguished of that crop in terms of his overall career.

Some valid points are raised, however, the above is where the author lost me. It's an incredibly lazy conclusion where correlation does not imply causation. Did the likes of Florent Pongolle, Sergio Santamaria and Julio Gomez struggle in their careers and fail to replicate their u-17 golden ball achievements because of their over reliance on their physicality? Their teams were quite impressive as well at their respective tournaments.

No, Manu's strategy is not to intentionally go down and chase games simply because he is banking his team outlasting the opponent..

[pajimoh]

Wow, lets be careful with over analysing and in the process being too hard on our team. The chances of them winning is slim, so it's easy to say they won't get anywhere.
There's nothing wrong in being physical. Today's pressing game requires such.
I'm pretty sure if the boys start showing their skills, many will say they are playing to the gallery.
As for being tactically aware, ot soundsike invert racism. Whites sing the "Naive" song and the locals sing the "tactically inept" song.
Maybe they are tactically inept but the teams they've played so far must be worse tactically or lacking physical presence, both are needed to be successul

[txj]

Even if it were in the short term (in truth, this explains Africa's dominance at youth level, and why it is difficult to replicate further down the line), there is a reason why so few of the group that took the world apart in 2013 are pulling up trees now. Iheanacho, the shining light of the tournament, is struggling for games at Leicester City, and yet is still arguably the most distinguished of that crop in terms of his overall career.

Some valid points are raised, however, the above is where the author lost me. It's an incredibly lazy conclusion where correlation does not imply causation. Did the likes of Florent Pongolle, Sergio Santamaria and Julio Gomez struggle in their careers and fail to replicate their u-17 golden ball achievements because of their over reliance on their physicality? Their teams were quite impressive as well at their respective tournaments.

No, Manu's strategy is not to intentionally go down and chase games simply because he is banking his team outlasting the opponent..

He's citing the issue wrt African teams and the dominance at this level and the failure to transfer this to higher levels. That's not to say that there are no other issues involved at both a broader level and with specific reference to African teams.

[txj]

Several comments. A few insults. Hardly any attempt to challenge the points he made. He us trying to say that the reliance on physical strength is not sustainable and uses the struggles of the 2013 team as an example. I do not agree with him but I am not sure how that stance invites all the insults he has received on thos thread.

I've come to the conclusion that many here are half literate, like Bigpokey and Emir; both cannot read properly and cannot comprehend slightly nuanced English...

I said it in the game thread about the lack of modern training in our approach to youth development.

We are winning almost entirely on the basis of superior physical attributes. Which is sad given we always have talented players...

I 'coach' u10/13 players and its hard to overstate the decisive influence of any kind of physical advantage and/or age at the youth level...

a functional illegitimate illiterate, who writes a pointless blog and can only get 2 or 3 CE folks to read it... only illiterates will be writing essays about comebacks etc towards a u17 tournament....

you illiterate choose to compare youth football with that of what you watch week in week out at the highest level from season pros who gets paid... the joke is on men in their 50s losing sleep and comparing u17 football with that of what we see from the pros

we've won the yeye tournament 5 times and been to the final 8 times and still cannot get past the 2nd round of the WC...smh una power nah for youth football..pathetic...who goes around comparing tactics in u17s..it's a freaking kids game.... u 17s are all about athleticism etc ...nothing more nothing less

You can't even write complete sentences!

That just makes my point.

Half education is dangerous...

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Several comments. A few insults. Hardly any attempt to challenge the points he made. He us trying to say that the reliance on physical strength is not sustainable and uses the struggles of the 2013 team as an example. I do not agree with him but I am not sure how that stance invites all the insults he has received on thos thread.

The point is that he didn’t make any useful points and neglected to include relevant facts in his analysis, such as the fact that Hungary’s goals were somewhat fortuitous and that Ecuador is quite capable of putting 4 goals past the best u17 teams in the world, like they did against Argentina. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being physically fit or with being capable of come backs. Those are great qualities to have in a team. The only point he really made is that he doesn’t think much of Coach Manu Garba, something that’s totally irrelevant imho


Cheers.

[Bigpokey24]

Several comments. A few insults. Hardly any attempt to challenge the points he made. He us trying to say that the reliance on physical strength is not sustainable and uses the struggles of the 2013 team as an example. I do not agree with him but I am not sure how that stance invites all the insults he has received on thos thread.

look here if people choose to reply to a pathetic article with insults exposing the poor critical thinking skills of the worthless article written by some hungry clueless junk journalist, i see nothing wrong with it....T

There are consequences and repercussions for spitting out rubbish... if you cannot stand the heat then get the heck out of the kitchen.... the internet is free...be ready to receive harsh response if ones comments , articles etc makes no sense. I do not get people who talk rubbish and when they get hit back, they get all sensitive, or we get cry cry folks whining about response etc, life is not a bed of roses.......we have many on this forum example pajimoh etc ..sensitivity gets you no where..learn to grow a thick skin.... if not then don't write junk

[Bigpokey24]

Several comments. A few insults. Hardly any attempt to challenge the points he made. He us trying to say that the reliance on physical strength is not sustainable and uses the struggles of the 2013 team as an example. I do not agree with him but I am not sure how that stance invites all the insults he has received on thos thread.

I've come to the conclusion that many here are half literate, like Bigpokey and Emir; both cannot read properly and cannot comprehend slightly nuanced English...

I said it in the game thread about the lack of modern training in our approach to youth development.

We are winning almost entirely on the basis of superior physical attributes. Which is sad given we always have talented players...

I 'coach' u10/13 players and its hard to overstate the decisive influence of any kind of physical advantage and/or age at the youth level...

a functional illegitimate illiterate, who writes a pointless blog and can only get 2 or 3 CE folks to read it... only illiterates will be writing essays about comebacks etc towards a u17 tournament....

you illiterate choose to compare youth football with that of what you watch week in week out at the highest level from season pros who gets paid... the joke is on men in their 50s losing sleep and comparing u17 football with that of what we see from the pros

we've won the yeye tournament 5 times and been to the final 8 times and still cannot get past the 2nd round of the WC...smh una power nah for youth football..pathetic...who goes around comparing tactics in u17s..it's a freaking kids game.... u 17s are all about athleticism etc ...nothing more nothing less

You can't even write complete sentences!

That just makes my point.

Half education is dangerous...

nah. that wan no dey work, however a worthless txj, offers nothing ...i dare you to post your blog and tell folks how often it is visited.... you've failed woefully, so you hide on the internet , writing some gibberish thinking you've arrived...guess what ... you are on CE arguing with bigpokey et al.. you see your life? you've lost...just jejely live the remaining years of your life day dreaming that you will succeed in the world of sports as some pundit or a 12th rated under 5 football coach.. e no go happen...... you are wasting your time .... it will never happen you are almost 62 years old....


for your own good, just soffry soffry buy playstation and fifa 17... then begin coach for video game, that is your level...FACT minus after the fact

[Eaglezbeak]

Youth football is about development right?So I'm supposed to be listen to someone complaining that they are not playing like Liverpool?Nigeria have won more U17 World Cups than teams that win the actual World Cup why?

[DIMKA76]

Nothing regressive about that. It's about continuous improvement. Where you debrief and determine what went well and what didn't. You analyse performance and break it down into smaller chunks so chumps can understand.

[Bigpokey24]

Youth football is about development right?So I'm supposed to be listen to someone complaining that they are not playing like Liverpool?Nigeria have won more U17 World Cups than teams that win the actual World Cup why?

exactly... can you imagine...they are all clueless...comparing u17 with the finished products...it's too funny