U17 ROUND OF 16: NIGERIA 1 VS NETHERLANDS 3

[Sir V]

Our boys are coming home. 3-1 down.

Hope the NFF find another manager. Manu has not done well here at all. This team is not it.

He has not done well because we lost?
These boys are quite talented as far as I am concerned.
And they have played well in this (only) game I have watched.
We are not going to win the WC every time we enter an U17 team.

These are not the best 11 under 17 in Nigeria. No way.

I don't expect us to win it all the time but I expect a certain standard of football and this is not it.

At no time have we taken "the best U17s in Nigeria", even when we won the WC.
We take the best we can find. Manu did it once. He cn do it again but it is not his birthright to win every time he' lands' at the WC.

We have been spoilt by U17 success. So now we are hearing that the boys are "terrible" and 'Brainless"

Typical Nigerian sour grapes.

They are kids. They will learn...and hopefully will build on this their experience.
How anyone can smear them for their performance is beyond me.

Thats not how responsible adults react to failure in kids.

Kids or no kids, we are here ranting and raving about football. No other reason for staying awake this late.

I played football and I understand football. A lot of these players I have been watching over the last week are below par.

They played better today but it is still the same uncoordinated an selfish play.

I hope they are scouted.

[Damunk]

Our boys are coming home. 3-1 down.

Hope the NFF find another manager. Manu has not done well here at all. This team is not it.

He has not done well because we lost?
These boys are quite talented as far as I am concerned.
And they have played well in this (only) game I have watched.
We are not going to win the WC every time we enter an U17 team.

These are not the best 11 under 17 in Nigeria. No way.

I don't expect us to win it all the time but I expect a certain standard of football and this is not it.

At no time have we taken "the best U17s in Nigeria", even when we won the WC.
We take the best we can find. Manu did it once. He cn do it again but it is not his birthright to win every time he' lands' at the WC.

We have been spoilt by U17 success. So now we are hearing that the boys are "terrible" and 'Brainless"

Typical Nigerian sour grapes.

They are kids. They will learn...and hopefully will build on this their experience.
How anyone can smear them for their performance is beyond me.

Thats not how responsible adults react to failure in kids.

We know everyday nor be Christmas, what some of us are saying is the kind of football we displayed today, if they had played well and lost I will be the first to applaud the boys. I hope the boys and Manu learn something from this tournament.

Sir V, I simply cannot remember a single occasion when our team has "played well and lost" that our fans have not descended heavily on them. Not one.

Even when we don't lose, like in our recent 1-1 draw with Brazil, see how half of the forum were dealing uppercuts to the team left and right.

We are fans. We are emotional. We talk shyytt in the heat of the moment.

The boys I saw today were nowhere near as bad as y'all are insisting. They were not the 'playstation soccer' team of 2013 and 2015, but you do not have to be certified Wolrd Champions for a neutral observer to recognise your talent.

Like I said, we have been spoilt.
Amuneke's team of 2015 suffered serious yabbis in the early stages of his own campaign. Only difference is that he survived and went on to win. Now all that is blissfully forgotten.

[Sir V]

Our boys are coming home. 3-1 down.

Hope the NFF find another manager. Manu has not done well here at all. This team is not it.

He has not done well because we lost?
These boys are quite talented as far as I am concerned.
And they have played well in this (only) game I have watched.
We are not going to win the WC every time we enter an U17 team.

These are not the best 11 under 17 in Nigeria. No way.

I don't expect us to win it all the time but I expect a certain standard of football and this is not it.

At no time have we taken "the best U17s in Nigeria", even when we won the WC.
We take the best we can find. Manu did it once. He cn do it again but it is not his birthright to win every time he' lands' at the WC.

We have been spoilt by U17 success. So now we are hearing that the boys are "terrible" and 'Brainless"

Typical Nigerian sour grapes.

They are kids. They will learn...and hopefully will build on this their experience.
How anyone can smear them for their performance is beyond me.

Thats not how responsible adults react to failure in kids.

Kids or no kids, we are here ranting and raving about football. No other reason for staying awake this late.

I played football and I understand football. A lot of these players I have been watching over the last week are below par.

They played better today but it is still the same uncoordinated an selfish play.

Lolly,

You are correct per playing as a team but that does not mean that there are no individuals with the likelihood of making it. The fact that you acknowledged that they played better today should give you hope that there are scouts who will take a chance on some of them. I think, perhaps, our memories of previous great Nigerian teams at this level is leading to this judgment that you are making.

Maybe the scout thing went into their heads.

[Mister Dolly]

What kind of tactical nous did this team exhibit today when they were down 1-2.
Even after the subs there was no discernible tactical switch. Simply relying on talent or individual brilliance to save the day.
The team wqs flawed from their opening game to the last group game. You can't keep coming from behind to win games. They went to that well one time too many today and it was already dried up.
Hope lessons are learnt all around. Do we have our best minds coaching this kids or is it a case of relying on past glory to get the job?;
Just my own thoughts. Kudos to the lads for a valiant effort. The better organized and more tactical team won on the night.
Hope they all go on to do awesome things at the next level.

[gapped]

This team to me is the worst coached Nigeria under 17 team in modern memory. As much as folks will like to disagree, today this team was exposed as a team that is not really a team, lacks cohesive approach to playing as a team, tactically inept, technically underserved and underperforming, and above all, relies more on individual brilliance to succeed. Today, Netherlands figured out a way to shut down the aces and 3-1 is the result. Creativity is not really there and no discernable pattern of play can be deduced from the disjointed game approach that they have exhibited. Coaching was abysmal and non-existing. Talented Nigeria U17 kids that should be in the team were left at home. NFF officials, Ministers, Presidency, and tribe all played a role in this team selection so it is not a team that is based on talent, but on permutations.

Sad thing is that while making those decisions, they forgot that at some point that the team will need to be balanced in order to have a fighting chance. So they threw in names regardless of where they fit in a team, and that is why you see the pattern of play, no team unity, and crappy sorry state of a representative of Nigeria football. I am so freaking mad because Nigeria can do better.

None of this boys can make any professional team abroad, and that means that Nigeria senior team will have a talent pull gap in the next couple of years. Talk of shooting self on the foot. I wish those foolish Nigeria official decision makers well though.

[Gotti]

Manu is a stubborn man. I have no idea why he has chosen to bench Ubani. He took him off inexplicably after 30 mins of the second game and hasn't used him since. Ubani is probably the best finisher we have.

Reminds me of the U20 where after the Brazil game, he chose to bench his best players. The man is inept.

Ubani was out injured for 3 months...
It was clear he was rusty in the first 2 games.

[Gotti]

This is a terrible team and the coaching crew is outdated.

Good team. Loads of talent. Unfortunately, the coach let them down. I am still very high on Tijani. He will be a top level pro.

Talent indeed.I hate watching soccer players that can't just do the basics.

And "basics" were they unable to do?
They could trap the ball, good first for the most part, and could complete a pass.

The only questionable skill would be shooting...
But seriously, the team's problem was more TACTICAL than technical.

[Damunk]

Manu is a stubborn man. I have no idea why he has chosen to bench Ubani. He took him off inexplicably after 30 mins of the second game and hasn't used him since. Ubani is probably the best finisher we have.

Reminds me of the U20 where after the Brazil game, he chose to bench his best players. The man is inept.

Ubani was out injured for 3 months...
It was clear he rusty in the first 2 games.

Little facts like this people will not bother to find out.
They'd much rather put it all down to dubious factors.

Remember Manu's U20 team that failed? Same insinuations.
It later transpired that Nacho for one was hiding an injury.
But no, it is always some conspiracy theory or another.

[Gotti]

This team to me is the worst coached Nigeria under 17 team in modern memory. As much as folks will like to disagree, today this team was exposed as a team that is not really a team, lacks cohesive approach to playing as a team, tactically inept, technically underserved and underperforming, and above all, relies more on individual brilliance to succeed. Today, Netherlands figured out a way to shut down the aces and 3-1 is the result. Creativity is not really there and no discernable pattern of play can be deduced from the disjointed game approach that they have exhibited. Coaching was abysmal and non-existing. Talented Nigeria U17 kids that should be in the team were left at home. NFF officials, Ministers, Presidency, and tribe all played a role in this team selection so it is not a team that is based on talent, but on permutations.

Sad thing is that while making those decisions, they forgot that at some point that the team will need to be balanced in order to have a fighting chance. So they threw in names regardless of where they fit in a team, and that is why you see the pattern of play, no team unity, and crappy sorry state of a representative of Nigeria football. I am so freaking mad because Nigeria can do better.

None of this boys can make any professional team abroad, and that means that Nigeria senior team will have a talent pull gap in the next couple of years. Talk of shooting self on the foot. I wish those foolish Nigeria official decision makers well though.

Bookmarked...

[Enugu II]

Our boys are coming home. 3-1 down.

Hope the NFF find another manager. Manu has not done well here at all. This team is not it.

He has not done well because we lost?
These boys are quite talented as far as I am concerned.
And they have played well in this (only) game I have watched.
We are not going to win the WC every time we enter an U17 team.

These are not the best 11 under 17 in Nigeria. No way.

I don't expect us to win it all the time but I expect a certain standard of football and this is not it.

At no time have we taken "the best U17s in Nigeria", even when we won the WC.
We take the best we can find. Manu did it once. He cn do it again but it is not his birthright to win every time he' lands' at the WC.

We have been spoilt by U17 success. So now we are hearing that the boys are "terrible" and 'Brainless"

Typical Nigerian sour grapes.

They are kids. They will learn...and hopefully will build on this their experience.
How anyone can smear them for their performance is beyond me.

Thats not how responsible adults react to failure in kids.

Kids or no kids, we are here ranting and raving about football. No other reason for staying awake this late.

I played football and I understand football. A lot of these players I have been watching over the last week are below par.

They played better today but it is still the same uncoordinated an selfish play.

Lolly,

You are correct per playing as a team but that does not mean that there are no individuals with the likelihood of making it. The fact that you acknowledged that they played better today should give you hope that there are scouts who will take a chance on some of them. I think, perhaps, our memories of previous great Nigerian teams at this level is leading to this judgment that you are making.

Maybe the scout thing went into their heads.

This is the WC and you bet that there are scouts watching the Nigerian team. Note that scouts watch these players even in lesser tourneys than the WC. Lolly was asking me to name the top players. I certainly would not do so because it is so difficult to pick a player at this age who will be most definitely successful at the senior level with the exception of a mega type player which we did not have. I am, however, going by logic and previous results -- there are usually a player or two from a Nigeria U17 who gets to play at the very senior level. In the last edition of the U17 when Nigeria could not even make it to the African championships we had Igho Ogbu who moved quickly after to the top club in Norway(?). Within a year or two, you will read about a couple of guys moving on to a club in the elite league of some European country. Note that Nigeria currently ranks #10 in exporting players to clubs in the top 2 league levels in Europe. That is nothing to sniff at and many of those players do not even get the type of exposure that these kids have just experienced.

[Enugu II]

This team to me is the worst coached Nigeria under 17 team in modern memory. As much as folks will like to disagree, today this team was exposed as a team that is not really a team, lacks cohesive approach to playing as a team, tactically inept, technically underserved and underperforming, and above all, relies more on individual brilliance to succeed. Today, Netherlands figured out a way to shut down the aces and 3-1 is the result. Creativity is not really there and no discernable pattern of play can be deduced from the disjointed game approach that they have exhibited. Coaching was abysmal and non-existing. Talented Nigeria U17 kids that should be in the team were left at home. NFF officials, Ministers, Presidency, and tribe all played a role in this team selection so it is not a team that is based on talent, but on permutations.

Sad thing is that while making those decisions, they forgot that at some point that the team will need to be balanced in order to have a fighting chance. So they threw in names regardless of where they fit in a team, and that is why you see the pattern of play, no team unity, and crappy sorry state of a representative of Nigeria football. I am so freaking mad because Nigeria can do better.

None of this boys can make any professional team abroad, and that means that Nigeria senior team will have a talent pull gap in the next couple of years. Talk of shooting self on the foot. I wish those foolish Nigeria official decision makers well though.

Bookmarked...

This should be an easy one, Gotti. It will not even be just one player.

[Damunk]

This team to me is the worst coached Nigeria under 17 team in modern memory. As much as folks will like to disagree, today this team was exposed as a team that is not really a team, lacks cohesive approach to playing as a team, tactically inept, technically underserved and underperforming, and above all, relies more on individual brilliance to succeed. Today, Netherlands figured out a way to shut down the aces and 3-1 is the result. Creativity is not really there and no discernable pattern of play can be deduced from the disjointed game approach that they have exhibited. Coaching was abysmal and non-existing. Talented Nigeria U17 kids that should be in the team were left at home. NFF officials, Ministers, Presidency, and tribe all played a role in this team selection so it is not a team that is based on talent, but on permutations.

Sad thing is that while making those decisions, they forgot that at some point that the team will need to be balanced in order to have a fighting chance. So they threw in names regardless of where they fit in a team, and that is why you see the pattern of play, no team unity, and crappy sorry state of a representative of Nigeria football. I am so freaking mad because Nigeria can do better.

None of this boys can make any professional team abroad, and that means that Nigeria senior team will have a talent pull gap in the next couple of years. Talk of shooting self on the foot. I wish those foolish Nigeria official decision makers well though.

Bookmarked...

Seconded.

[Gotti]

WELL DONE LADS...
You gave it your BEST shot.

Shame we didn't get to see Abba Bichi though
Pretty sure the coaches were saving him for the tough final rounds.

[txj]

This team to me is the worst coached Nigeria under 17 team in modern memory. As much as folks will like to disagree, today this team was exposed as a team that is not really a team, lacks cohesive approach to playing as a team, tactically inept, technically underserved and underperforming, and above all, relies more on individual brilliance to succeed. Today, Netherlands figured out a way to shut down the aces and 3-1 is the result. Creativity is not really there and no discernable pattern of play can be deduced from the disjointed game approach that they have exhibited. Coaching was abysmal and non-existing. Talented Nigeria U17 kids that should be in the team were left at home. NFF officials, Ministers, Presidency, and tribe all played a role in this team selection so it is not a team that is based on talent, but on permutations.

Sad thing is that while making those decisions, they forgot that at some point that the team will need to be balanced in order to have a fighting chance. So they threw in names regardless of where they fit in a team, and that is why you see the pattern of play, no team unity, and crappy sorry state of a representative of Nigeria football. I am so freaking mad because Nigeria can do better.

None of this boys can make any professional team abroad, and that means that Nigeria senior team will have a talent pull gap in the next couple of years. Talk of shooting self on the foot. I wish those foolish Nigeria official decision makers well though.

Bookmarked...

This should be an easy one, Gotti. It will not even be just one player.

Player development at this level is full of uncertainties. A breakthrough could come from any one of the players, incl the bench players.

However on the basis of their performance alone, as a scout I will not pick even one player.

We have not served these players well in terms of proper development. And its a real damn shame...

[Man Ataye]

Damunk, thank u jo. We go win all the time.??? Sheesh!!!!! Good luck in next rounds to other teams. All the best.

[okidoki]

The team is simply not good enough. There was no time you could honestly say, they exhibited control. Everything was rushed, and nothing seemed deliberate. Technically, most of the players were on the borderline of average. Many have said it all, our game can’t be all about speed. They simply lacked the rudiments. None of these players, can honestly make it to the bench of the ‘13, or ‘15 teams.
That’s how mediocre they were.
Didn’t bother to watch today’s game, as I already knew what the outcome would be. Hope they get scouted, though. You never know with youth soccer, under the right influences, they could blossom right.

[JACKAL]

I am surprised and sad we are exiting at this point in the competition. I still thought we had enough to get to the Semi's. Garba's run has come to an end. Its time for him to part ways with the youth teams. Its time for new blood and a new attitude.

I am proud we finally produced a team playing with their age peers. I am happy to note that we were competitive all the way. This is a positive thing for us. I am still very excited for youth football in Nigeria.

[Rawlings]

Naija do well, shia
The "kids" can now return to school

[mystic]

The team has been a disappointment. They were poor at African Tournament and despite reshuffling their personnel, there hasn't been much difference at the World Cup.

[mystic]

Damunk, thank u jo. We go win all the time.??? Sheesh!!!!! Good luck in next rounds to other teams. All the best.

It's not about winning all the time. Rather it's about playing to the standard that one expects from a Nigerian team.

All the same, my best wishes to all our young lads as the journey of their individual careers is just beginning.

[mystic]

I am surprised and sad we are exiting at this point in the competition. I still thought we had enough to get to the Semi's. Garba's run has come to an end. Its time for him to part ways with the youth teams. Its time for new blood and a new attitude.

I am proud we finally produced a team playing with their age peers. I am happy to note that we were competitive all the way. This is a positive thing for us. I am still very excited for youth football in Nigeria.

Not sure that I can say the same with regards to excitement about our youth program. If you look at the product on the field at both the U17 and U20, as well as some of the underlying reasons for fielding below par teams, we've clearly lost our focus.

We need to go back to the drawing board and right the ship before we veer too far off course.

[theYemster]

The more important question is did we discover any promising talents?

[mystic]

This team to me is the worst coached Nigeria under 17 team in modern memory. As much as folks will like to disagree, today this team was exposed as a team that is not really a team, lacks cohesive approach to playing as a team, tactically inept, technically underserved and underperforming, and above all, relies more on individual brilliance to succeed. Today, Netherlands figured out a way to shut down the aces and 3-1 is the result. Creativity is not really there and no discernable pattern of play can be deduced from the disjointed game approach that they have exhibited. Coaching was abysmal and non-existing. Talented Nigeria U17 kids that should be in the team were left at home. NFF officials, Ministers, Presidency, and tribe all played a role in this team selection so it is not a team that is based on talent, but on permutations.

Sad thing is that while making those decisions, they forgot that at some point that the team will need to be balanced in order to have a fighting chance. So they threw in names regardless of where they fit in a team, and that is why you see the pattern of play, no team unity, and crappy sorry state of a representative of Nigeria football. I am so freaking mad because Nigeria can do better.

None of this boys can make any professional team abroad, and that means that Nigeria senior team will have a talent pull gap in the next couple of years. Talk of shooting self on the foot. I wish those foolish Nigeria official decision makers well though.

Bookmarked...

This should be an easy one, Gotti. It will not even be just one player.

Indeed I will be surprised if a handful of these players do not go on to have very productive careers. As disappointing as I think this team has been, there's at least a half dozen players on this team whose progress I will be paying close attention to in the coming years.

Having said that, there doesn't appear to be that 'special' talent or two that we've had in some previous editions of our U17 teams. But it's nothing to fret over as even those apparently 'special' talents do not always pan out. While we've seen situations where talents that were not deemed to be 'special' ended up having very good international careers.