What sensible and mature fans will want tonight

[Ayo Akinfe]

What we want from the Super Eagles as they soar into action again tonight

Ayo Akinfe

So 7.30 pm tonight it is then. Our Super Eagles take on the Desert Foxes of Algeria. From what I am hearing, the starting line-up will look something like this:

Matthew Yakubu
Tyrone Ebuehi
Semi Ajayi
Kevin Akpoguma
Zaidu Sanusi
Mikel Agu
Frank Onyeka
Alex Iwobi
Samuel Chukwueze
Paul Onuachu
Samuel Kalu

For me, the result is a very secondary matter tonight as the primary objective of this friendly and the one against Tunisia next week is to try out some new faces. I am looking forward to seeing how Yakubu copes in goal, whether Ebuehi is back to his pre-injury self, how Akpoguma and Ajayi jell as a unit, how good Sanusi really is, how solid Onyeka is in midfield and whether Onuachu can really live up to the hype.

As we have seen over the last two days, Spain, Portugal, England, Belgium, etc all fielded experimental sides to blood their youngsters and new faces. We should basically be doing the same tonight and are thanks partially to injuries and Covid-19.

Nigerian football fans need to now grow up and appreciate the fact that building a team is more important then meaningless victories in friendly games. There are no three points at stake here, so a win is just a bonus, not the primary objective.

[proclaimjesus02]

Kevin Akpomena

Kevin Akpomena?

[Enyi]

Ayo, this is not a meaningless friendly....qualifications start again in November so Rohr would like to see a unit. Yakubu wont start.....Maduka should, Ekong will start and will captain the team....

There is nothing like team bonding in a losing team....esp against Algeria....if we are winning 2-0 then he can make changes and new players can come into a winning side....

How bad do u think Ejuke/Akpoguma/Onyeka will look/feel if they were to be subbed with the team 3-0 down?.....

even if we are losing, u can bring in the new guys but not the other way round.

[Ayo Akinfe]

Ayo, this is not a meaningless friendly....qualifications start again in November so Rohr would like to see a unit. Yakubu wont start.....Maduka should, Ekong will start and will captain the team....

There is nothing like team bonding in a losing team....esp against Algeria....if we are winning 2-0 then he can make changes and new players can come into a winning side....

How bad do u think Ejuke/Akpoguma/Onyeka will look/feel if they were to be subbed with the team 3-0 down?.....

even if we are losing, u can bring in the new guys but not the other way round.

Teams actually step up their games after losing. See how we went on an amazing winning World Cup qualification run after that loss at home to South Africa.

[waka-man]

Ayo, this is not a meaningless friendly....qualifications start again in November so Rohr would like to see a unit. Yakubu wont start.....Maduka should, Ekong will start and will captain the team....

There is nothing like team bonding in a losing team....esp against Algeria....if we are winning 2-0 then he can make changes and new players can come into a winning side....

How bad do u think Ejuke/Akpoguma/Onyeka will look/feel if they were to be subbed with the team 3-0 down?.....

even if we are losing, u can bring in the new guys but not the other way round.

Teams actually step up their games after losing. See how we went on an amazing winning World Cup qualification run after that loss at home to South Africa.

I love the way Ayo uses a single data point to establish an absolute:
“Teams step up after losing because Nigeria stepped up one time after losing... QED”.

[Odas]

I used to think friendly games are what their names denote; therefore, win/lose outcome results are not important. However, FIFA doesn't see it that way, so winning friendly game(s) to me, is very important.