Iwobi: There will be more UK-born Players in the SE

[Cellular]

Somewhat surprised by Iwobi’s lexicon, or rather lyrics. A well established, seasoned Premier League professional, had assumed he’d exude a certain degree of polish before the microphone. “Bare man”, “dem man”, “man like”, “you get me”, the colloquial tone of black London Town. Thoroughly annoying and all the rage for this anomic generation.

With all the media training he’s had? It wasn’t wrong to assume he’d be articulate, eloquent and a reminder to the myriad that you don’t have to speak Streetglish to succeed.

Accepting the charge of being old-fashioned and yet so young and laying that aside, as a Londonian, the heart breaks every time one hears young black folk talk like so. For the most, of which Iwobi is an exception, it’s a sentence to asininity. Most don’t become footballers, few make it as rappers, many become pariahs acceptable to no profession besides sociopathic industries.

One can be black excellence without talking like the black profile. Iwobi, along with fame and riches, is an intelligent young man, one hopes for the day when the young black audience welcomes portrayal of intellect with arms just as wide. For without intelligence talent is destined to squander.

Those outside of London and perhaps those yet to father children mightn’t understand the message. We have not yet arrived at such pastures where showcasing stereotype serves no burden for the most.

Is everything okay at home?

You are asking this seriously ?

E reach to ask cos this is ridiculously ridiculous.

When Coachito goes to the barber shop he speaks proper grammar. He even uses proper grammar when he is ordering food at a canteen assuming he would do such a thing as go to a canteen.

[furiously frank]

I’m careful on commenting on some of the current and some prospective Innit lads for fear of betraying trusts. But I can confidently say that if the fball association in Nigeria got its house in order, you’d see so many more. That’s literally the only thing holding back so many more diaspora parents steering their kids towards the eagles.

However I always struggled with this, in that the first dibs on the national team should be given to home born players if the talent level is similar … however you have to make exceptions if you have generational talent regardless of where they were born. The success of a nation overrides sentiments

Simple.
But don’t expect everyone to get it, or even agree.
The best we can hope for is local-born players moving out young and becoming world class in the top leagues eg Osimhen, Enyeama, Finidi, Okocha.
But expecting that level of performance ‘Straight-Outta-Naija’ ain’t happening any time soon because the gap in league quality is too wide for it to catch up in the next 20 years.
The NPFL can’t exist in a vacuum where the Naija economy is struggling.

It literally took Nigerian league more than 20 years to produce a decent goalkeeper for SE. let that sink in

[Coach]

@Celly, it’s a London thing perhaps. Black London. Once upon a time stereotypes were tar and feather, today, they’re accolade and award. Conformity is a badge of honour. As Tx alluded to, perhaps it’s all contextual, it’s acceptable to dumb it down and lobotomise language around certain peoples. Situational application of restricted and elaborate code.

Again, each to their own. Personally, cannot understand why young blacks predominantly, although the miasma has spread to all ethnicities with differing degrees of virulence, celebrate this self-sabotage. The vast majority will not make it as footballers, do not make it as rappers and are left sounding like they were repeatedly dropped on their heads at birth by Goldilocks before an audience of 3 bears.

Sadly this, along with any other negative attribute, is considered being black in London Town, or euphemistically termed Urban. Have always found it befuddling why we talk like this amongst our own but when Sebastian steps into the room, the pinky finger is extended at a 45 degree angle whilst drinking Earl Grey. “Man done even like tea fam”.

Certainly not for here or now, will toss this topic into Rant and Rave and let the two Spartacuses, Ohsee and Sinequanon duel till all the bears are steak and fur.

[wiseone]

In an alternate universe in which FIFA allowed “international transfers” so that players could switch national teams after playing for a different country at senior level, and ALL players of Nigerian descent agreed to play for Nigeria, what would the SE team be?

Something like this?

Bazunu
Aina-Akanji-Tomori-Alaba
Ndidi-Eze
Saka-Musiala-Lookman
Osimhen

That is a seriously dangerous team (and Olise, Adeyemi, Okafor, Udogie, Abraham, Tosin, Barkley, Ogbene, Ugochukwu, Madueke, et al would not get into the team!).

EVEN TODAY, the SE could easily field a world-beating foreign-born dominated first eleven if most (not even all) our Nigeria-eligible players pledged allegiance.
We’d be talking about winning the World Cup as casually as we talk about winning AFCON.