Cybereagles

Okocha flies the flag, not only for nigerian, but for african football. He cant do no wrong, every time he touches the ball, a veil is thrown over the eyes of a nation. They are blind to his errors, but pay witness to his marvel. I dont doubt Okocha's ability, and I too, join in the admiration of hi...

Any foreign coach appointed, will be like a stranger in moscow-unable to communicate with those around him, because they do not speak the same language. Hoddle is a footballer, he knows football, tell me what have Mohammed Musa and Galadima achieved in the sport.What contributions have they made, an...

It was inevitable that this debate would rise from the soils of the nations cup. As the ball span around the cameroonian wall, this unplausible debate began to creep around the corner. And as the ball nestled into the back of the net, the unwelcome guest, was at the tongue of every nigerian supporte...

Rumours have surfaced about an approach for Glenn Hoddle, under what capacity, im not sure. I assume it will be a lucrative deal, though a respected figure in football, is it what we need? Hoddle will need his backing staff, you cannot take the man without the dog, will he be expected to perform as ...

Its pleasing to see somebody shares a similar vision for nigeria. Naivety keeps the people from realisation. Simply fielding 11 better players will not fuel progression, rather dress a bleeding wound, which will continue to bleed beneath its cover. Before change can be implemented, a serious approac...

Tell me how does one man do that of 3. It was a 4 amn midfield that Chukwu adopted and 3 of those 4 laid their responsibility and defensive duties on the young shoulders of Olofinjana. Its evident that Seyi is far from the finished article, and even a considerable distance from being the first draft...

Ayo, well put. Defence is indeed a reflection of work and effort. Attacking prowess can be shouldered by individuals, selfishness and genius, with great outcomes. Defence is where a team is put up against the intelligence of the 'fox-like' striker who aims to outwit the hunter. What did nigeria's de...

Yes, certainly, Okocha rolls the ball with such elegance, and precision, and rolls with such elegance and precision away from his captaincy and into the attics of 90 minutes. You cannot begin to question the mans ability, nor his re-emergence as a footballer on-par with the finer artists in the trad...

Team up and conquer the world, such a quote would be better placed in a cartoon, with 2 evil masterminds striving for omnipotence, than in a sentence decsribing nigeria/cameroons potential. Failure in the previous world cup, underachievement at the ANC, im sure every managers hoping they team up in ...

Open your eyes, for if you fail to see the wound now, it will bleed into to precariousness before its shows its face again. You cannot fault a man for fault-finding. Like every nigerian, i dont want to see nor accept inferiority, nor incapability. But there comes a time when ones resolve is spent, a...

Cosistency, stability and time are the ingredients of success. Chukwu tried a bake a cake without ingredients? I don t believe it isfair to say he stood eye to eye with Lemerre, for i believe he was so overwhelmed by the superiority of the opposition that he could only bow his head in shame and acce...

Round of applause- once again the clowns in their suits and armchairs look set to boost the nations hope of further underachievement and mediocrity. Don t expect a serious appointment, football is the last thing on the agenda, behind finance, self-profit, dinner menus and welcoming gestures. Like a ...

When will we see past this prehistoric, past dated argument of foreign involvement lay its head to rest. Football is an emotion and language spoken by footballers, and footballers alone. Being blood-relative of a continent or country doesnt supplement your footballing knowledge. This debate on forei...

Yes, look at the morocco line-up and their achievements at the ANC, and those of you blinded by nigeria-centrism, need only look at the way they destroyed nigeria, both tactically and technically. The tactics debate is one that wont go away. However, one should realsie, that in the inevitability of ...

Destroy and rebuild was a phrase uttered by liberationists, freedom fighters and one that has taken nest in the world of football. Why build your hopes on unproductive, scarred soil. Irrespective of who nigeria turn to, if they do so at all. Realisation has to kick in, this is a pain-staking task. F...

Marko, that was without doubt one of the most honest, analytical and well-constructed arguments i have read on this site. Football is such an important industry to soicety, that in a sense, it is a society within a society. If the pressure from without are soiled with corruption, how can those withi...

After paying equal mind to both sides of the argument, i felt it necessary to add my thoughts to this undying debate. Is Christian Chukwu the man for the job? Such a judgement, primarily depends on the quality of the service provided. This where nigerian fans are divided. On one side we have the opt...

Nobody knows Nigeria like a Nigerian, thats true. But more importantly, nobody knows football, like a footballer. This managerial circus has gone on for too long, one mans failure to fulfill his dream, is the que for another to close his eyes and begin his own-where is the stability in such a philos...

Yet another unknown, entrusted with the most treasured job in Africa. Ambition can not be reached through rash decisions, respect follows those who are respected. If the personnel are to be changed, let the tent be pulled down on this managerial circus. An individual respected in the world of footba...

11 men graced the pitch with their presence on wednesday, to play the blame upon the shoulders of 1 man is unjust. The ugly duckling or evil twin of Nigeria triumphed over excellence, and Nigeria were made to pay for their subordinate performance. Osaze, relatively unknown, was given te freedom of t...

After failing to capture the hearts of his crowd, the artist must head back to the drawing board.

Its important for Nigeria not to abandon what it has started and wander aimlessly till the next tournament arives, but to build on the few rocks scattered amongst this feeble attempt. Coupled with Nigerias instability and underachievement, this tournament may in part be remembered for the emergence of the George Abbeys and Olofinjanas. Amidst all the calamity and confusion in the Nigeria defence, even the most trained critic would praise the performance of the goalkeeper. In tournaments gone by, Nigerias progress has always been hindered by 'butter fingers' in between the sticks. Its look like our goalkeeping crisis is on the verge of being solved.

Nigeria must analyse their situation, and act strategically in their redevelopement. All good teams are built upon a sound defence, and although Chukwu attempted to harbour a defensive approach, balance and suitability remain the key to implementing such styles of play.

The defensive pairing of Okoronkwo and Yobo appeared 'individualised' with neither knowing where the other was, when to intervene and when to cover. Such attributes come with experience. It can be argued that a third body sitting behind the two, in a sweeping role, may well have helped Nigeria. Based on the lack of familiarity between the defenders, and the evident lack of match practice of Okoronkwo, perhaps it was a fatal misjudgement of Chukwu not to compensate for such flaws.

Abbey's emergence on the right side, adds reliability to the back line.Though he may not be employed by the most fashionable outfit, where and when you play is not a reflection of your desire nor work ethic. Similarly, Udezie on the left has potential. He may well progress into a real opponent for Babayaro, or plateau at the level he has reached, it remains to be seen.

Olofinjana, penalty and all, plays an essential and arguably the most important role for Nigeria.

'the show is remembered for the majician and all his tricks, not the assistant who assembled the equipment and helped rehearse each act to perfection'

Nigeria fans want to be amazed, the egos of the players battle on the pitch to be the David Copperfield over the 90minutes. Little attention is paid to the frequent squandering of possession and the strayed pass. Amidst this mel­ee, the role of the defensive midfielder swells unnoticed. 'we all want to be at the party, but no one wants to tidy up'. Seyi shoulders the responsibility of mopping up the mistakes of his seniors, and protecting a vulnerable defence. He doesn't get to spin on the ball, and win the admiration of Nigerians worldwide, but without such players the $%^&* in the armour, become gaping wounds. Okochas mistakes go unpunished if Seyi performs his duty, and JJ's game is thus remebered for his more telling contributions. Though blind of his importance, Seyi serves to protect the reputations of those eagles, fans have chosen to nest within their hearts.

Midfield remains the unsolved equation. The players are available, and so its likened to a game of chess, where the positioning of each piece becomes paramount-its the difference between checkmate and surrender.

Chukwu chose a flat four, unbalanaced by its attacking impetus. Again, one must question such a decision, was he oblivious to the drawbacks of such statements. Paradoxically, this grossly attacking midfield failed to provide goals or create opportunities. The lack of familiarity with roles and duties served as a barrier between sublime and subordinate.

On analysis the lack of tactical reserve, and obvious lack of thought, cost Nigeria heavily. A great team is built upon a sound defence, reinforced by stability in each third of the pitch .One cannot simply over-employ strikers in their line-up, and expect success. Strikers are the final third, the move is built up within the two-thirds preceeding them.

Nigeria must pick up its pen and head back to the drawing board. Though our heads may hang in defeat, from our failure we have gained knowledge of the importance of balance and strategy. Such knowledge will enable us to cross out less logical ideas and replace them with rationality.

As the critics scowered the pitch for a subject to blame 11 mens inadequacies on, the shoulders of olofinjana seemingly accepted the burden. His mistimed attempt to save his country from conceeding victory takes position at the top of his list of contributions to his side. The real importance of Sey...

This typifies my point exactly. When we choose t o look upon the nigeria side with an open eye, and not one blinded or squinted by national pride and bias, we recognise the shortcomings of our side. The self-destruct button is positioned within arms reach, whilst that of stability and unity remains ...