Enugu II wrote:Dammy wrote:
Prof, the world has moved on and the SE is a pan Nigerian global selection now. The standard is very high and I don't believe any hb player will make the squad except we just dash out spots.
You mentioned 6 hb players in AFCON 2013, but how many of them actually played and contributed, only Oboabona and MBA. The likes of Oshaniwa, Egwueke, Reuben, Agbim, Uzoenyi , Odunlamietc were regular members of Keshi's squads, yet they were never fully convincing in national colours and couldn't even pursue successful professional careers.
The NPFL needs serious investment to get to the level where it can supply players to the SE on merit.
What should be uppermost in our minds, is that the best players should constitute the SE irrespective of where they play or don't you agree?
Dammy,
My argument is not to have an SE of 1973 where all players are attached to home-based clubs. Not at all. Instead,
my argument is that all Nigerians, wherever they may be (Including those that are home-based) are offered a fair chance to play for the SE. Presently, I do not believe that a fair chance has been offered to players in the NPFL especially when players from infinitely lower divisions in Europe are invited to the national team. They home-based players are Nigerians too. Why cite the likes of Egwuekwe and Agbim and few others as never fully convincing? Was Nosa Igiebor, Obiora Nwankwo, or even Ideye fully convincing for the SE?
While I agree that NPFL has a lot to do in order to improve the league, that should not deny talented players in that league from being scouted on an individual basis to make a determination on their usefulness to the national team. Your last statement is indeed a statement that I agree with completely but it does not at this moment appear to be the practice.
PROF, I have to disagree with you here.
The 'fair chance' you (and indeed the rest of us) argue for can only at the moment be achieved by having a quota system for HB players - something you say you are against, as we all are.
That as you know is not about "being given a fair chance" at all. It is more about 'backdoorism'. As Dammy rightly pointed out, HB players have and will continue to have ample opportunity to show what they can do. But they have NOT impressed anybody so far. Not the fans, not the SE coaches.
For me, this is the
koko of the matter and negates your position:
Dammy wrote:The performance of our local clubs in African Club competitions is another pointer to the level of the standard of the Nigerian league and players. Even the home based SE failed to qualify for both WAFU and CHAN championships.
These things cannot be swept under the carpet. Its the reality and the only measurable metric.
Back in the Keshi era, I was forever championing the likes of Egwueke and Oshaniwa. I had great hopes for Oboabona, Odunlami and Mba. Egwueke in particular was a let down even though for the 2013 AFCON he was down with measles or chicken pox or something. But they all left our shores soon after and we've heard virtually nothing of them since.
The only conclusion is that even though they were our best at the time, they didn't have the pedigree to compete on the international stage, talk less excel.
What is happening now is a continuation of that, for reasons we all know.
There is no longer a back door entry to the SE.
YOU GET IN ON MERIT AND WE MUST PROTECT THAT.
Even if you are a FB (foreign based/foreign born) Nigerian, there is no automatic back door for you. Players like Chuba Akpom (striker, Greece), Ejimadu (GK, USA) and many others who have openly "declared" for Nigeria are not getting called up because they are not felt to be good enough. So why should we advocate for a backdoor quota for home-based players if they cannot prove to be better than invited players who happen to be based/born abroad?
It is in all fairness not their fault but it is what it is.
Rohr cannot be help responsible for the poor state of the league and its players and if he is compelled to choose local players against his better judgement, it is the same Nigerians that will kill him when results don't go to plan.
Look at the abuse and libellous accusations the late Keshi suffered over his squad selections, which sadly remain until today. His ONLY saving grace was that he won AFCON. Look at the abuse Akpeyi gets every day. Ighalo same thing. Ogu too. And these are players who are actually performing well, served their country well but have made the occasional costly mistake.
Already there are 'patriotic' Nigerians with an agenda accusing Rohr of having his own agenda by being an "agent" for "4th division FB players".
Nobody wants or deserves that.