Here is our current first eleven.

[Ayo Akinfe]

I promise never to lose my temper on CE but alas, it is hard. Some people last watched the team a year ago at the Nations Cup and are using what happened then to pick the team today.

Those of you who watch these players religiously week-in-week-out know who are best players are at the moment, so please let us not take the bait here and get into a needless argument. This is the team we desperately need to take to the field in our nest two friendlies:

4-3-3:

**************************************Osimhen***************************************

*****************Kalu*************************************Chukwueze***************

*****************************************Ebere****************************************

*******************************Aribo************************Ndidi********************

*****Salisu***************Ajayi******************Ekong*******************Aina******

********************************************Uzoho*************************************

Subs:
Dele Alampasu
Maduka Okoye
Kingsley Ehizibue
Jamillu Collins
Chigozie Awaziem
Kenneth Omeruo
Ramon Azeez
Alhassan Yusuf
Kelechi Nwakali
Emmanuel Denis
Henry Onyekuru
Kelechi Iheanacho

Standby
Mathew Yakubu
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Calvin Bassey
Tosin Adarabioyo
Ogene Etebo
Alex Iwobi
Moses Simon
Taiwo Awoniyi


Anything else is just nonsense!

[Dammy]

It is very hard to read some of the line-ups here and not lose one’s cool. Naming a Super Eagles squad without Samuel Kalu is like asking Liverpool to play without Sadio Mane or asking Arsenal to take to the pitch without Aubameyang!

Phew!

Please when did Samuel Kalu attain this status or level of importance in SE? Has anything drastic changed about him since the last AFCON? I wonder how such a "super star" spent almost all the minutes on the Bench in Egypt. Is there anything new that you know about him that we do not know? Please let us know to be sure we are talking about the same Samuel Kalu.

Maybe you have forgotten, but in all fairness to Kalu he was rested a lot and subsequently used cautiously in Egypt after collapsing in training at the beginning of the tournament.
At one point we were all scared for his life because info on the cause of his collapse was sketchy.

The thing tire me bro, Kalu's incident in Egypt was not a minor issue. On CE we feared that he may have developed heart problems that could put an end to his career.
So for a CE to pretend that he's unaware of the reasons why Kalu was a bit part player in Egypt just to support his narrative points to a growing trend on the forum where folks just want to be right!
An example is the thread on Ekong v Juventus where a CE claimed that match was Ekong's first full match post Covid. Despite that fallacy being pointed out, these CEs continued to defend their assertion until I did what they should've done. I posted the stats with line ups on the forum and that made them keep quiet.
No one is always right and you don't get a prize for being always right on CE.

[Ayo Akinfe]

It is very hard to read some of the line-ups here and not lose one’s cool. Naming a Super Eagles squad without Samuel Kalu is like asking Liverpool to play without Sadio Mane or asking Arsenal to take to the pitch without Aubameyang!

Phew!

Please when did Samuel Kalu attain this status or level of importance in SE? Has anything drastic changed about him since the last AFCON? I wonder how such a "super star" spent almost all the minutes on the Bench in Egypt. Is there anything new that you know about him that we do not know? Please let us know to be sure we are talking about the same Samuel Kalu.

Maybe you have forgotten, but in all fairness to Kalu he was rested a lot and subsequently used cautiously in Egypt after collapsing in training at the beginning of the tournament.
At one point we were all scared for his life because info on the cause of his collapse was sketchy.

The thing tire me bro, Kalu's incident in Egypt was not a minor issue. On CE we feared that he may have developed heart problems that could put an end to his career.
So for a CE to pretend that he's unaware of the reasons why Kalu was a bit part player in Egypt just to support his narrative points to a growing trend on the forum where folks just want to be right!
An example is the thread on Ekong v Juventus where a CE claimed that match was Ekong's first full match post Covid. Despite that fallacy being pointed out, these CEs continued to defend their assertion until I did what they should've done. I posted the stats with line ups on the forum and that made them keep quiet.
No one is always right and you don't get a prize for being always right on CE.

That is Nigerians for you. Samuel Kalu is the closest thing we have to Sadio Mane, Pierre Aubameyang, Marcus Rashford or Neymar, yet some people are drawing an Eagles line-up without including him. This is a player who single-handedly tore Benin Republic and Ukraine to shreds coming off the flanks with his dazzling runs.

To be a Nigerians requires a lot of patience. Phew!

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

[1] Only the enemies of Nigeria will want Daniel Akpeyi within 100 miles of the Super Eagles camp
[2] Ola Aina is a right fullback. He should be fighting for the shirt with Tyronne Ebuehi and Kingsley Ehizibue
[3] Chigozie Awazie is a centreback
[4] We are not short of centrebacks as at the moment with Semi Ajayi, William Ekong, Chigozie Awaziem, Kenneth Omeruo and Tosin Adarabioyo
[5] How you left Joe Aribo out of the starting line-up is beyond me
[6] How you left Samuel Kalu out of our starting 11 is another unprecedented wonder
[7] Alex Iwobi is not creative enough to be our playmaker. We need one out of Ebere Eze or Kelechi Nwakali to come good
[8] Where is our leftback? We have Zaidu Sanusi, Calvin Bassey and Jamillu Collins and you have not picked one of them
[9] You have naively picked Iwobi, Osimhen, Moses, Chukwueze and Iheanacho to all play together. A team needs to get the balance between attack and defence right. Your formation will always lead to us conceding at least three goals per match
[10] Midfield is the engine room of the game. You only have one ball winner in your team in Ndidi. Remember the 1-4 loss to Denmark in France 98? Anyway, nothing wrong with a bit of humour.

The real enemies of Nigeria are those who bury their hands in the sand and think we have a world class goalkeeper hiding under the bridge somewhere. Akpeyi is it until you can come up with a capable replacement. I didn't add him in the list on sentiment. He is currently our no.1 keeper.

All the other stuff you wrote are attention seeking gibberish. The only real question is who partners with Ekong on defence since it seems Omeruo has dipped in form.

Ezenwa is better than Akpeyi. He ought to be the #1 right now


Cheers.

[Otitokoro]

Nonsense, for me is when:
1. You forcefully stick a player into a lineup that has yet to declare his allegiance to the green and white (Eze).
2. You take a player who is predominantly a left wing back (Ola Aina - Torino) and insist he is a right back.
3. You decide that unproven, bit part (and in some cases, no name) players like Alhassan Yusuf (Who???), Kelechi Nwakali (yet to be on Rohr's radar), Emmanuel Denis and Henry Onyekuru should be your subs, while...
4. You relegate proven, battle tested players like Alex Iwobi and Oghene Etebo and place them on a standby list.
5. Matthew Yakubu??? Its pretty obvious you don't watch any of these players 'week in, week out' and you're just a name dropper. Otherwise, you wouldn't be posting ridiculous lists

I promise never to lose my temper on CE but alas, it is hard. Some people last watched the team a year ago at the Nations Cup and are using what happened then to pick the team today.

Those of you who watch these players religiously week-in-week-out know who are best players are at the moment, so please let us not take the bait here and get into a needless argument. This is the team we desperately need to take to the field in our nest two friendlies:

4-3-3:

**************************************Osimhen***************************************

*****************Kalu*************************************Chukwueze***************

*****************************************Ebere****************************************

*******************************Aribo************************Ndidi********************

*****Salisu***************Ajayi******************Ekong*******************Aina******

********************************************Uzoho*************************************

Subs:
Dele Alampasu
Maduka Okoye
Kingsley Ehizibue
Jamillu Collins
Chigozie Awaziem
Kenneth Omeruo
Ramon Azeez
Alhassan Yusuf
Kelechi Nwakali
Emmanuel Denis
Henry Onyekuru
Kelechi Iheanacho

Standby
Mathew Yakubu
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Calvin Bassey
Tosin Adarabioyo
Ogene Etebo
Alex Iwobi
Moses Simon
Taiwo Awoniyi


Anything else is just nonsense!

[1naija]

[1] Only the enemies of Nigeria will want Daniel Akpeyi within 100 miles of the Super Eagles camp
[2] Ola Aina is a right fullback. He should be fighting for the shirt with Tyronne Ebuehi and Kingsley Ehizibue
[3] Chigozie Awazie is a centreback
[4] We are not short of centrebacks as at the moment with Semi Ajayi, William Ekong, Chigozie Awaziem, Kenneth Omeruo and Tosin Adarabioyo
[5] How you left Joe Aribo out of the starting line-up is beyond me
[6] How you left Samuel Kalu out of our starting 11 is another unprecedented wonder
[7] Alex Iwobi is not creative enough to be our playmaker. We need one out of Ebere Eze or Kelechi Nwakali to come good
[8] Where is our leftback? We have Zaidu Sanusi, Calvin Bassey and Jamillu Collins and you have not picked one of them
[9] You have naively picked Iwobi, Osimhen, Moses, Chukwueze and Iheanacho to all play together. A team needs to get the balance between attack and defence right. Your formation will always lead to us conceding at least three goals per match
[10] Midfield is the engine room of the game. You only have one ball winner in your team in Ndidi. Remember the 1-4 loss to Denmark in France 98? Anyway, nothing wrong with a bit of humour.

The real enemies of Nigeria are those who bury their hands in the sand and think we have a world class goalkeeper hiding under the bridge somewhere. Akpeyi is it until you can come up with a capable replacement. I didn't add him in the list on sentiment. He is currently our no.1 keeper.

All the other stuff you wrote are attention seeking gibberish. The only real question is who partners with Ekong on defence since it seems Omeruo has dipped in form.

Ezenwa is better than Akpeyi. He ought to be the #1 right now


Cheers.

What's the basis of this conclussion? When was the last time Ezenwa started for any club.

One thing none of you can say is that Akpeyi is in the team on sentiment. Rohr has shown that if a better goalkeeper is available he will use that goalkeeper. The question all of you should be asking yourselves is, why has Akpeyi constantly started ahead of the other goalkeepers when Rohr is desperate for steady no.1?

[1naija]

I have not seen Ajayi play, but given that Omeruo seems to have dropped off, our top 11 at the moment is.

Akpeyi
Ekong
Ajayi
Awaziem
Ola Aina
Ndidi
Iwobi
Chukwueze
Moses Simon
Iheanacho
Osimhen

If Rohr decides to play the lone striker, which in my opinion is negative football, then the starting line up will be.

Akpeyi
Ekong
Ajayi
Awaziem
Ola Aina
Ndidi
Aribo/Etebo
Iwobi
Chukwueze
Moses Simon
Osimhen

[Ayo Akinfe]

Nonsense, for me is when:
1. You forcefully stick a player into a lineup that has yet to declare his allegiance to the green and white (Eze).
2. You take a player who is predominantly a left wing back (Ola Aina - Torino) and insist he is a right back.
3. You decide that unproven, bit part (and in some cases, no name) players like Alhassan Yusuf (Who???), Kelechi Nwakali (yet to be on Rohr's radar), Emmanuel Denis and Henry Onyekuru should be your subs, while...
4. You relegate proven, battle tested players like Alex Iwobi and Oghene Etebo and place them on a standby list.
5. Matthew Yakubu??? Its pretty obvious you don't watch any of these players 'week in, week out' and you're just a name dropper. Otherwise, you wouldn't be posting ridiculous lists

I promise never to lose my temper on CE but alas, it is hard. Some people last watched the team a year ago at the Nations Cup and are using what happened then to pick the team today.

Those of you who watch these players religiously week-in-week-out know who are best players are at the moment, so please let us not take the bait here and get into a needless argument. This is the team we desperately need to take to the field in our nest two friendlies:

4-3-3:

**************************************Osimhen***************************************

*****************Kalu*************************************Chukwueze***************

*****************************************Ebere****************************************

*******************************Aribo************************Ndidi********************

*****Salisu***************Ajayi******************Ekong*******************Aina******

********************************************Uzoho*************************************

Subs:
Dele Alampasu
Maduka Okoye
Kingsley Ehizibue
Jamillu Collins
Chigozie Awaziem
Kenneth Omeruo
Ramon Azeez
Alhassan Yusuf
Kelechi Nwakali
Emmanuel Denis
Henry Onyekuru
Kelechi Iheanacho

Standby
Mathew Yakubu
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Calvin Bassey
Tosin Adarabioyo
Ogene Etebo
Alex Iwobi
Moses Simon
Taiwo Awoniyi


Anything else is just nonsense!

No point responding to you. A man who does not know that Ola Aina is right footed is simply not worth my attention.

According to the logic of your argument, "tried and tested" players like Mikel, Balogun, Moses, Ighalo and Echiejile should all play because they have proven themselves over the years. Cl;early, the phrase current form means nothing to you.

[Enugu II]

Ayo,

IMO, Otitokoro has a point. While he is off on Ola Aina given that Aina has played several times already at fightback for Nigeria, his main point certainly is more convincing than the lineup you placed there. Now if you were simply placing that lineup to rile CE contributors then one can understand. Beyond that, the lineup you put there has little basis in terms of reality. I and believe many others, remain unaware that Ebere Eze has declared eligibility to play for Nigeria. That, alone, makes me consider this lineup one that is done with jest.

Nonsense, for me is when:
1. You forcefully stick a player into a lineup that has yet to declare his allegiance to the green and white (Eze).
2. You take a player who is predominantly a left wing back (Ola Aina - Torino) and insist he is a right back.
3. You decide that unproven, bit part (and in some cases, no name) players like Alhassan Yusuf (Who???), Kelechi Nwakali (yet to be on Rohr's radar), Emmanuel Denis and Henry Onyekuru should be your subs, while...
4. You relegate proven, battle tested players like Alex Iwobi and Oghene Etebo and place them on a standby list.
5. Matthew Yakubu??? Its pretty obvious you don't watch any of these players 'week in, week out' and you're just a name dropper. Otherwise, you wouldn't be posting ridiculous lists

I promise never to lose my temper on CE but alas, it is hard. Some people last watched the team a year ago at the Nations Cup and are using what happened then to pick the team today.

Those of you who watch these players religiously week-in-week-out know who are best players are at the moment, so please let us not take the bait here and get into a needless argument. This is the team we desperately need to take to the field in our nest two friendlies:

4-3-3:

**************************************Osimhen***************************************

*****************Kalu*************************************Chukwueze***************

*****************************************Ebere****************************************

*******************************Aribo************************Ndidi********************

*****Salisu***************Ajayi******************Ekong*******************Aina******

********************************************Uzoho*************************************

Subs:
Dele Alampasu
Maduka Okoye
Kingsley Ehizibue
Jamillu Collins
Chigozie Awaziem
Kenneth Omeruo
Ramon Azeez
Alhassan Yusuf
Kelechi Nwakali
Emmanuel Denis
Henry Onyekuru
Kelechi Iheanacho

Standby
Mathew Yakubu
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Calvin Bassey
Tosin Adarabioyo
Ogene Etebo
Alex Iwobi
Moses Simon
Taiwo Awoniyi


Anything else is just nonsense!

No point responding to you. A man who does not know that Ola Aina is right footed is simply not worth my attention.

According to the logic of your argument, "tried and tested" players like Mikel, Balogun, Moses, Ighalo and Echiejile should all play because they have proven themselves over the years. Cl;early, the phrase current form means nothing to you.

[Otitokoro]

Ayo, since you brought up the 'logic' argument, let's try and unpack your logic in making the selection you did.

First of all, I would challenge you on Ola Aina. If you did your homework, you would realize the kid is ambidextrous. He is very comfortable playing on the left, as he is on the right. He primarily plays as a LWB for Torino. He debuted for Nigeria against Algeria playing on the left flank (WC qualifier in Constantine which we won 3-2 in Algeria). During AFCON 2019 -> (i.e. Nigeria v. Burundi, Guinea, Madagascar and Cameroon) he played as LB - Collins was on the right. In Nigeria's last game (against Lesotho), he played the full 90 as LB. So, your 'logic' about him being a 'RB' is completely flawed.

Lets review the logic behind your selection of Samuel Kalu. On current form, prudence would have very strongly suggested that Kalu should not be anywhere near this team, based on the very poor season he had with Girondins Bordeaux in 2019/2020. He pretty much stunk up the joint, if you considered every important metric: games played, # of minutes played, impact on the field, goals scored, awards, etc. So much so that his coach (Portuguese legend Paolo Sousa) was pushing to get rid of him, save for the intervention of another Bordeaux legend, Gernot Rohr. Simon Moses, on the other hand, was loaned to Nantes at the beginning of the season from Levante and made an immediate impact (30 games, 9 goals, 8 assists). He also ended up the season being voted as Nantes player of the season, as well as winning the Nantes goal of the season award. He was also voted into Nantes Team of the decade! He also showed a new dimension to his game - as point man (and he excelled at it). To cap it off, Nantes immediately exercised its option to buy him outright from Levante. So, how can anyone 'logically' place Moses on standby, while putting Kalu in the starting lineup? Makes absolutely no sense!

Lastly, Oghene Etebo. Why this kid gets so much disrespect from folks like you is well beyond be! This is a lad who was picked up on loan by a solid La Liga team (Getafe) and had started to put down great performances until he pulled a hammy, ending his season. This is someone, who Getafe has added to their UEFA league roster and might be considering exercising their tight to purchase outright. Yet, you 'logically' place him on standby, and put no-names like Yussuf and Nwakali above him? With all due respect (and speaking of current performance), WTF have those two done to warrant a spot over Etebo? Please remind me how many minutes Nwakali has played this past season? And don't get me started on that Yussuf fella!!
And lest I forget, not one of the players you listed as 'tried and tested' (in your list below) are worth discussing. With the exception of Leon Balogun (who is trying to revitalize his career), the others have called it quits with the National team and that decision should be respected. Besides, I have never being an Odion Ighalo fan (and this dates back to his days in U20).

In closing, logic (to me) means doing your research, developing a fact based argument, then positing a credible argument for discussion - not trying to force hyperbole down everyone's throat. You should naturally expect some push back if you do that, especially from those who strive to base their arguments on facts.

No point responding to you. A man who does not know that Ola Aina is right footed is simply not worth my attention.

According to the logic of your argument, "tried and tested" players like Mikel, Balogun, Moses, Ighalo and Echiejile should all play because they have proven themselves over the years. Cl;early, the phrase current form means nothing to you.

[Flex Swift]

Ayo, since you brought up the 'logic' argument, let's try and unpack your logic in making the selection you did.

First of all, I would challenge you on Ola Aina. If you did your homework, you would realize the kid is ambidextrous. He is very comfortable playing on the left, as he is on the right. He primarily plays as a LWB for Torino. He debuted for Nigeria against Algeria playing on the left flank (WC qualifier in Constantine which we won 3-2 in Algeria). During AFCON 2019 -> (i.e. Nigeria v. Burundi, Guinea, Madagascar and Cameroon) he played as LB - Collins was on the right. In Nigeria's last game (against Lesotho), he played the full 90 as LB. So, your 'logic' about him being a 'RB' is completely flawed.

Lets review the logic behind your selection of Samuel Kalu. On current form, prudence would have very strongly suggested that Kalu should not be anywhere near this team, based on the very poor season he had with Girondins Bordeaux in 2019/2020. He pretty much stunk up the joint, if you considered every important metric: games played, # of minutes played, impact on the field, goals scored, awards, etc. So much so that his coach (Portuguese legend Paolo Sousa) was pushing to get rid of him, save for the intervention of another Bordeaux legend, Gernot Rohr. Simon Moses, on the other hand, was loaned to Nantes at the beginning of the season from Levante and made an immediate impact (30 games, 9 goals, 8 assists). He also ended up the season being voted as Nantes player of the season, as well as winning the Nantes goal of the season award. He was also voted into Nantes Team of the decade! He also showed a new dimension to his game - as point man (and he excelled at it). To cap it off, Nantes immediately exercised its option to buy him outright from Levante. So, how can anyone 'logically' place Moses on standby, while putting Kalu in the starting lineup? Makes absolutely no sense!

Lastly, Oghene Etebo. Why this kid gets so much disrespect from folks like you is well beyond be! This is a lad who was picked up on loan by a solid La Liga team (Getafe) and had started to put down great performances until he pulled a hammy, ending his season. This is someone, who Getafe has added to their UEFA league roster and might be considering exercising their tight to purchase outright. Yet, you 'logically' place him on standby, and put no-names like Yussuf and Nwakali above him? With all due respect (and speaking of current performance), WTF have those two done to warrant a spot over Etebo? Please remind me how many minutes Nwakali has played this past season? And don't get me started on that Yussuf fella!!
And lest I forget, not one of the players you listed as 'tried and tested' (in your list below) are worth discussing. With the exception of Leon Balogun (who is trying to revitalize his career), the others have called it quits with the National team and that decision should be respected. Besides, I have never being an Odion Ighalo fan (and this dates back to his days in U20).

In closing, logic (to me) means doing your research, developing a fact based argument, then positing a credible argument for discussion - not trying to force hyperbole down everyone's throat. You should naturally expect some push back if you do that, especially from those who strive to base their arguments on facts.

No point responding to you. A man who does not know that Ola Aina is right footed is simply not worth my attention.

According to the logic of your argument, "tried and tested" players like Mikel, Balogun, Moses, Ighalo and Echiejile should all play because they have proven themselves over the years. Cl;early, the phrase current form means nothing to you.

BiG BiG KPOM!!! Still waiting for Eze to declare for Nigeria and move to one of Liverpool, Mancity, Chelsea or Tottenham as rumored by cybereagles

[Ayo Akinfe]

Ayo, since you brought up the 'logic' argument, let's try and unpack your logic in making the selection you did.

First of all, I would challenge you on Ola Aina. If you did your homework, you would realize the kid is ambidextrous. He is very comfortable playing on the left, as he is on the right. He primarily plays as a LWB for Torino. He debuted for Nigeria against Algeria playing on the left flank (WC qualifier in Constantine which we won 3-2 in Algeria). During AFCON 2019 -> (i.e. Nigeria v. Burundi, Guinea, Madagascar and Cameroon) he played as LB - Collins was on the right. In Nigeria's last game (against Lesotho), he played the full 90 as LB. So, your 'logic' about him being a 'RB' is completely flawed.

Lets review the logic behind your selection of Samuel Kalu. On current form, prudence would have very strongly suggested that Kalu should not be anywhere near this team, based on the very poor season he had with Girondins Bordeaux in 2019/2020. He pretty much stunk up the joint, if you considered every important metric: games played, # of minutes played, impact on the field, goals scored, awards, etc. So much so that his coach (Portuguese legend Paolo Sousa) was pushing to get rid of him, save for the intervention of another Bordeaux legend, Gernot Rohr. Simon Moses, on the other hand, was loaned to Nantes at the beginning of the season from Levante and made an immediate impact (30 games, 9 goals, 8 assists). He also ended up the season being voted as Nantes player of the season, as well as winning the Nantes goal of the season award. He was also voted into Nantes Team of the decade! He also showed a new dimension to his game - as point man (and he excelled at it). To cap it off, Nantes immediately exercised its option to buy him outright from Levante. So, how can anyone 'logically' place Moses on standby, while putting Kalu in the starting lineup? Makes absolutely no sense!

Lastly, Oghene Etebo. Why this kid gets so much disrespect from folks like you is well beyond be! This is a lad who was picked up on loan by a solid La Liga team (Getafe) and had started to put down great performances until he pulled a hammy, ending his season. This is someone, who Getafe has added to their UEFA league roster and might be considering exercising their tight to purchase outright. Yet, you 'logically' place him on standby, and put no-names like Yussuf and Nwakali above him? With all due respect (and speaking of current performance), WTF have those two done to warrant a spot over Etebo? Please remind me how many minutes Nwakali has played this past season? And don't get me started on that Yussuf fella!!
And lest I forget, not one of the players you listed as 'tried and tested' (in your list below) are worth discussing. With the exception of Leon Balogun (who is trying to revitalize his career), the others have called it quits with the National team and that decision should be respected. Besides, I have never being an Odion Ighalo fan (and this dates back to his days in U20).

In closing, logic (to me) means doing your research, developing a fact based argument, then positing a credible argument for discussion - not trying to force hyperbole down everyone's throat. You should naturally expect some push back if you do that, especially from those who strive to base their arguments on facts.

No point responding to you. A man who does not know that Ola Aina is right footed is simply not worth my attention.

According to the logic of your argument, "tried and tested" players like Mikel, Balogun, Moses, Ighalo and Echiejile should all play because they have proven themselves over the years. Cl;early, the phrase current form means nothing to you.

You really exasperate me. Ola Aina only plays on the left sometimes because Collins is not good enough. Rohr will then play Awaziem as his rightback. If we have a solid leftback like Zunaid Sanusi, Aina will never play left back again.

It is good that Aina can play both flanks but he is naturally right footed. Against Lesotho, I love his cross for the third goal. Collins cannot do that, which is why Aina got the nod over him at leftback.

As per Etebo, he is simply not talented enough. hardworking, industrious combative midfielder who deserves credit but sorry, he is all brawn and no finesse. He loses the ball too often, has a poor first touch and will never be able to score a goal like Nwakali did against Atletico Madrid.

When it comes to Samuel Kalu, watch this space. I am hoping he comes good this season and proves that he is just as talented as Aubameyang and Mane.

[Otitokoro]

Out of love for a fellow CE brother, the feelings about exasperation are mutual, as I know we both share a deep passion for our beloved Super Eagles - albeit, from different perspectives.

Regarding Ola Aina, the argument can be made that he has played on the right side of defense perhaps only once in his SE career, so you're point is incorrect. He has been predominantly a left back for the SE. And regarding your comments about Zaidu Sanusi - I believe Ola offers a lot more in comparison to Zaidu. He plays at a tougher league (Serie A vs. Portuguese league), He is equally as fast as Zaidu and more of an offensive threat and he is better defensively. And yes, I have seen Zaidu play for Santa Clara at least 4 times over the past 2 months!

Nigeria is very fortunate to have Ehizibue and hopefully Ebuehi (once back to full fitness) as its predominant RBs. Collins Awaziem will no longer be a necessary 'fill in' at that position - he is far too error prone for my liking. That means at LB, Aina will be the preferred choice (unless the likes of Zaidu, Jamilu, Calvin-Bassey and perhaps, one of the german boys, are able to compete).

[The beauty about Nigerian talent now is there are so many up and coming kids popping up everywhere! Thanks to you, I have been monitoring the Latvian league and there are quite a few 18-20 yr olds in that league, who, over the next 2-3 years, will migrate to the next level leagues in Europe and will start competing for spots in the SE. That is why I question those who are agitating for NPFL players to be given a spot in the SE - they don't stand a chance!] Anyway, I digress...

On Samuel Kalu, I think he still lacks a few critical components to his game to take him to the next level. I think he will be facing a very tough battle in securing a starting spot going forward, as there are several up and coming players ready to step in as flank players and who also present greater versatility in comparison to him. The likes of Awoniyi (who seems to have found his feet now with FC Mainz), Osarenren-Bazee (who had a decent post covid-19 season with FC Augsburg), Osayi-Samuel (ex-QPR and likely FC Brugges or a premiership team) and Ademola Lookman (who had a bad 2019/2020 season with RB Leipzig, but who I would most certainly not write off, as he has a point to prove!). These are players on the outside looking in! Not to mention Simon Moses who had a very good season with FC Nantes and perhaps Emmanuel Dennis, who seems to be on the up and up. So, there is intense pressure for spots on the SE and I am not sure about Kalu's psychological mindset, especially regarding what happened between himself and Paulo Sousa. And no, he is certainly nowhere near close to the talent of Auba and Mane!

Oghene Etebo. You talk about losing the ball too much - the one midfield player in the SE who makes, by far, the MOST number of unforced errors is Ndidi. I say this after watching a TON of SE matches and Leicester games. The key metric for Midfielders is 'workrate', first and foremost and not the 'beauty' of their once-in-a-blue-moon goals. That is why the likes of Partey (the Ghenien ), Ngolo Kante, De Jong, Arturo Vidal, Josh Kimmich, Axel Witsel, Toni Kroos, etc are spoken of in glowing terms. Its all about WORKRATE!!! The truth about Nwakali is that he comes across as being a very lazy player - you see him walking around the field when his mates are busting their guts up and down the field. Being talented does not mean a hill of beans if you're a lazy player. Being lazy is certainly not a thing you can accuse Etebo of, as he is certainly one of the most hard working players we have. And the fact that a player like Mahrez would go on record and say a particular player caused them concerns, speaks volumes of Etebo's abilities.

You really exasperate me. Ola Aina only plays on the left sometimes because Collins is not good enough. Rohr will then play Awaziem as his rightback. If we have a solid leftback like Zunaid Sanusi, Aina will never play left back again.

It is good that Aina can play both flanks but he is naturally right footed. Against Lesotho, I love his cross for the third goal. Collins cannot do that, which is why Aina got the nod over him at leftback.

As per Etebo, he is simply not talented enough. hardworking, industrious combative midfielder who deserves credit but sorry, he is all brawn and no finesse. He loses the ball too often, has a poor first touch and will never be able to score a goal like Nwakali did against Atletico Madrid.

When it comes to Samuel Kalu, watch this space. I am hoping he comes good this season and proves that he is just as talented as Aubameyang and Mane.

[danfo driver]

Did Ehizibue refuse to play for Nigeria?

[Damunk]

Balogun or Ajayi: Who should worry Omeruo more?
Seye Omidiora
Correspondent
Last updated 17 hours ago

NIGERIA
The ex-Chelsea man could fall further down the pecking order in Gernot Rohr's team after the improvement of his direct competitors in the last year

A whole lot can change in 12 months, something Kenneth Omeruo will know a thing or two about following Leganes’ relegation from La Liga.

For the former Chelsea defender, 2018/19 was a really good year with Lega, where he thrived initially on loan for Mauricio Pellegrino’s side to end the campaign in 13th as arguably the team’s best central defender.

He then rode the wave of that rosy season in the Spanish top flight to be one of Gernot Rohr’s leading men at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. While Odion Ighalo got most of the rave reviews for ending top scorer at the continental showpiece, Omeruo was arguably the Super Eagles’ best performer and certainly their most influential defender as they finished third.

However, the emergence of Semi Ajayi after the Afcon saw the Kaduna-born defender surprisingly lose his place at the heart of the Nigeria defence alongside captain William Troost-Ekong.

This could have turned out differently had work permit issues in Spain not caused Omeruo to pull out of September’s friendly vs Ukraine in Dnipro. Ajayi deputised for the ex-Blue against Andriy Shevchenko’s side and has started every game for the West African nation since.


Semi Ajayi and William Troost-Ekong Nigeria vs Brazil

While persisting with the towering defender at centre-back seemed odd initially, Ajayi’s steady improvement with West Bromwich Albion in 19/20 was striking. Having joined Slaven Bilic’s team from relegated Rotherham United, the former Arsenal defender was largely consistent during a gruelling Championship campaign that culminated in automatic promotion on the final day.

Up until football’s suspension, it seemed like the West Bromwich man was the only competition for Omeruo, but Leon Balogun’s resurgence since the turn of the year has seen him roll back the years to show the sort of form that saw him form half of the ‘Oyibo Wall’ in the second half of the 2010s.

After a largely frustrating time at Brighton & Hove Albion, the 32-year-old was part of the Wigan Athletic group that rallied late on in the Championship season trying to beat the drop after entering administration.

Even though the Latics couldn’t retain their second-tier status, the former Mainz centre-back seemed back to his very best following a run of games.

Given he endured a torrid time in Nigeria’s 2-0 Afcon defeat by Madagascar just over a year ago, where he was culpable in the concession of the first, Balogun’s short spell and early-season form at Rangers bodes well if the goal is to push for a Super Eagles return.

Meanwhile, Omeruo’s end to the season was a bit of a mixed bag. His performances were decent-to-good but Leganes’ poor run of results meant satisfactory individual performances never really translated into points for the Cucumber Growers.

After a tough start to the season, the 26-year-old nearly returned to his 18/19 form and was playing well till injury struck post-lockdown. What made this period stand out was how that injury, as well as Chidozie Awaziem’s struggles at the time, saw Javier Aguirre stumble on a central defensive trio that kept Omeruo out of the side till the end of the season.

As far as a place in Rohr’s Nigeria is concerned, the triumvirate are locked in a three-way battle to partner the nation’s captain Troost-Ekong. Ajayi, 26, is probably the bigger threat to the former Chelsea defender because he seemed to be in favour just before a positive season at the Hawthorns and could well be the likelier to challenge Omeruo.

The Albion defender also has age and durability on his side, whereas Balogun, 32, won’t be a mainstay in the Super Eagles selection even if he regains his place. Injuries have also been a bugbear for the former Brighton defender whose resurgence has nonetheless been pleasing to see.

A keen eye will be kept on Ajayi at West Bromwich at the start of next season’s Premier League, assessing the performances of the Nigeria defender to evaluate his progress at the top level. Balogun, for his part, has been quick out of the blocks for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side and looks to have picked up where he left off with Wigan. He wasn’t only a defensive colossus on debut vs Aberdeen, he then played even better in Sunday’s victory over St Mirren.

Omeruo’s performances haven’t been bad, rather the raised standard, increased competition from Ajayi and resurgence of Balogun at various points in the last 12 months are putting his place in the side in danger.

Dropping further down the pecking order won’t be ideal, especially after that 18/19 season and dominant Afcon campaign, still, the turnaround in the ex-Chelsea centre-back’s fortunes since isn’t any less notable.
https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/balogun ... sbqblke8d1

[chief nfachairman]

Our current first 11 based on their performance in the just concluded season (19/20) is

GK: Akpeyi

RB - Awaziem/ Ehibuzie
CD - Ekong, Omeruo
LB - Collin

DM - Ndidi
CM - Aribo
AM -- Iwobi (ebere Eze has not pledged his allegiance to NIgeria)

LW - Simon Moses
St - Osimhen
RW- Chukwueze



If we are going to consider a mix of the just concluded season plus team build, importance to team, etc

GK: Akpeyi (still wouldnt be Uzoho who has been out of footie for over 5months)

RB - Awaziem
CD - Ekong, Omeruo
LB - Collins

DM - Ndidi
CM - Etebo (Rohr's trusted midfield engine)
AM -- Aribo (his played a more attacking role/ free role for rangers after the first few games)

LW - Simon Moses (samuel Kalu has had a poor season also coupled with injuries and his mother's ish)
St - Osimhen
RW- Chukwueze

[Otitokoro]

A wise executive in a fortune 100 company once told me: "an argument without data is BS".

Club wise, regarding the recently concluded 2019/2020 season:
1. Omeruo: 23 games played, 1878 total mins, 0 goals
2. Awaziem: 29 games played, 2293 total mins, 0 goals
3. Ajayi: 45 games played, 3944 total mins, 5 goals.

National team wise: Ajayi has played the full 90 mins as CB (alongside Ekong) for Nigeria in its last 4 consecutive games - Ukraine, Brazil, Benin and Lesotho. There is no way Omeruo should even be on your list, if you we were being honest. Not only that, even Awaziem had a better season than he did (both with Leganes).

The sad truth is Omeruo might have played himself out of contention here. Not only is he facing an uphill battle with the options we have at CB, his club side (Leganes) was also relegated. Ajayi will be playing Premiership ball (West Brom) and Balogun is currently having a resurgence in his career with Glasgow Rangers. Awaziem is back with Porto and may be moving to Ligue 1 in France (Rumor), while Tosin Adarabioyo is awaiting final FIFA clearance (having applied to become a Super Eagle). There may also be an opportunity to land one of the German/Nigerian center backs (Tourunariga or Udohkai). Considering Omeruo is the second oldest option (behind Balogun) and not having the best of seasons means he is clearly at the lower end of the toting pole of options.

I would not be surprised if we may have seen the last of him in an SE shirt (I hope not).

Our current first 11 based on their performance in the just concluded season (19/20) is

GK: Akpeyi

RB - Awaziem/ Ehibuzie
CD - Ekong, Omeruo
LB - Collin

DM - Ndidi
CM - Aribo
AM -- Iwobi (ebere Eze has not pledged his allegiance to NIgeria)

LW - Simon Moses
St - Osimhen
RW- Chukwueze

[chief nfachairman]

*Omeruo started 22 games and Awaziem 21 even though Omeruo was injured ALOT this season.
*Omeruo was rock solid in most games he played in
*According to whoscored, sofascore, etc, Omeruo total score for the season is 6.85 and Awaziem 6.72

At 27, Omeruo's is just getting to the prime of his game and you cant compare a championshsip player to a regular started in Laliga.

if Omeruo is truly 27, he has a long career in the SE. lets not forget Balogun got into the SE when he was 27ish

[Tobi17]

The beauty of this thread is that the arguments going back and forth reveal one interesting fact... the SE is too stacked with options right now that we can now afford to argue and fight over which player deserves which spot etc... meanwhile Collins should be very wary...aside for his below average form in the NT and his club getting relegated (though I hear Werden Bremen are interested in him), the likes of Zaidu (about to be signed up by Porto) and Calvin Bassey (another solid prospect having a good season at Rangers FC) are ahead of him.

[Tobi17]

*Omeruo started 22 games and Awaziem 21 even though Omeruo was injured ALOT this season.
*Omeruo was rock solid in most games he played in
*According to whoscored, sofascore, etc, Omeruo total score for the season is 6.85 and Awaziem 6.72

At 27, Omeruo's is just getting to the prime of his game and you cant compare a championshsip player to a regular started in Laliga.

if Omeruo is truly 27, he has a long career in the SE. lets not forget Balogun got into the SE when he was 27ish

Bros Omeruo is down the pecking order right now. The likes of Ajayi, Awaziem, Adarabioyo and even Balogun are ahead of him... if one or both of the German boys declare their nationality switch, then it's over for him. Omeruo in truth has had a below average season with Leganes.

[Tobi17]

How does Ejaria fit into the team line up? and if Ebere and Saka declare for Nigeria... whom will they start ahead of?

[maceo4]

*Omeruo started 22 games and Awaziem 21 even though Omeruo was injured ALOT this season.
*Omeruo was rock solid in most games he played in
*According to whoscored, sofascore, etc, Omeruo total score for the season is 6.85 and Awaziem 6.72

At 27, Omeruo's is just getting to the prime of his game and you cant compare a championshsip player to a regular started in Laliga.

if Omeruo is truly 27, he has a long career in the SE. lets not forget Balogun got into the SE when he was 27ish

Bros Omeruo is down the pecking order right now. The likes of Ajayi, Awaziem, Adarabioyo and even Balogun are ahead of him... if one or both of the German boys declare their nationality switch, then it's over for him. Omeruo in truth has had a below average season with Leganes.

Tobi, talk true, do you watch La Liga? How many times did you watch Omeruo? He's not my favorite but if he had a below average season then Awaziem (whom he was better than) had a poor season. Every single time he recovered from injury they would throw Omeruo back into the starting lineup and he would end up re-injuring himself after a run of some games where he played well above average. His main problem was the continuous injuries. On the other hand, Awaziems defensive part of his game was below par, other aspects like ball distribution and calmness in possession were definitely above average.

I think Omeruo will definitely have a part to play going forward, if not as a starter then as a very capable backup.

[Dammy]

How does Ejaria fit into the team line up? and if Ebere and Saka declare for Nigeria... whom will they start ahead of?

That's a very tough question and Rohr would have to earn his salary answering the question.
This are indeed exciting times to be an SE fan.