Ogbunigwe: Re - Naija's greatest footballer ever.

PapaK · Post by **PapaK** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:06 pm

Chief Ogbunigwe wrote:Papak:

pass the gbana pon the left hand side

this was your response to one of my post where I said what most people worldwide know, i.e Okocha is the greatest Naija player ever.

Apparently, you disagree with that conclusion. I will like to know who then you think is the greatest.

I have some time today and in my shrining mood.

Chief Ogbunigwe · Post by **Chief Ogbunigwe** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:15 pm

papa K

pray, share some of that gbana you have been smoking.

For starters, Finidi over Okocha ANYDAY.
And while not being a big Yekin Fan, the man has been greater in Green and White than Okocha can ever be.

remember this quote?

honestly Okocha game lacks something very vital : FINISHING. - Papa K, Shriners CEO, March 13 2004

How can someone who lacks something as vital as finishing (for an attacking midfielder), in your own words be our greatest ever? Are you saying we are that bad?

How can somone who scored a total of ZERO goals and ZERO assists in 3 WC appearances while playing "10" be our greatest ever?

Once again, pass the gbana pon the left hand side!

I agree though that he's the greatest ever entertainer, with unparalleled circus tricks and mastubatory dribbles.

1naija · Post by **1naija** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:26 pm

Moderators, please let's curtail the amount of unnecessary posts made here, especially those that aim to give undue praises to a certain player.

PapaK · Post by **PapaK** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:33 pm

Chief Ogbunigwe wrote:papa K

pray, share some of that gbana you have been smoking.

For starters, Finidi over Okocha ANYDAY.
And while not being a big Yekin Fan, the man has been greater in Green and White than Okocha can ever be.

remember this quote?
honestly Okocha game lacks something very vital : FINISHING. - Papa K, Shriners CEO, March 13 2004
How can someone who lacks something as vital as finishing (for an attacking midfielder), in your own words be our greatest ever? Are you saying we are that bad?

How can somone who scored a total of ZERO goals and ZERO assists in 3 WC appearances while playing "10" be our greatest ever?

Once again, pass the gbana pon the left hand side!

I agree though that he's the greatest ever entertainer, with unparalleled circus tricks and mastubatory dribbles.

Chief Ogbunigwe:
Naija has never had a perfect footballer. Okocha for sure has his shortcomings. Look at Thiery Henry, he surely will be topping the chart for highest number of misses. Yet, some researchers actually found out that he's from Pluto.
I will soon be back to address Oga vs. Finidi. It seems to me that you UBA people actually never learn.

ayohoff · Post by **ayohoff** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 3:52 pm

HENRY NWOSU!

Ipe Grams · Post by **Ipe Grams** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 3:56 pm

How can Okocha be Nigeria's greatest footballer? dribbler yes and being effective with it no, even Yekini is greater than Okocha in my own opinion.

airwolex · Post by **airwolex** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 3:59 pm

Okocha, Yekini, Amokachi, Finidi, Odegbami are there or therebouts. Its up to you to rank them as you seef it.

Na wa for you peeps saying that Okocha cannot be our greatest footballer ever oo. You might not like the man but you need to give him credit; He is certainly one of the best footballerts we have ever produced.

smallpikin · Post by **smallpikin** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:15 pm

As a non-Naija, I go along with the view that Okocha is Nigeria's greatest ever. And in he whole of Africa, he is certainly in the top 10. Number 1 in terms of skills!

Mansa Musa · Post by **Mansa Musa** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:15 pm

Air,

Na best futbollor we go chop? Abeg sit down jare. Na production (titles) we want! Willingness to fight, rally, pull, egg on, etcherem, for team, dis na greatness! See dis sample:

1. Batistuta moved from Fiorentina to Roma so he could at least win a title which he did.

2. Rui Costa did same by moving to Milan

3. ZZ move from Juve to Real for UEFA Champions League win which he did

Otuoma Wuon Ogolo · Post by **Otuoma Wuon Ogolo** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:21 pm

How long will this topic be recycled? Give me something new to read folks.

Hard Man · Post by **Hard Man** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:29 pm

Who is Uganda's greatest footballer?

dem even get footballer ...

Otuoma Wuon Ogolo wrote:How long will this topic be recycled? Give me something new to read folks.

PapaK · Post by **PapaK** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:55 pm

Admins, moderators, please help me. I want to reproduce my JJ vs. Finidi thesis that I used to send Gabtigab and bashers into hiding sometimes in 2001. I have lost the story after formatting my harddisk on a few occassion. I know the story must be on Allard's forum which this forum inherited. I hate to rewrite same story again.
Kai! how can any one even claim that Finidi is anywhere near Oga??

Goldleaf · Post by **Goldleaf** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:03 pm

No 1 - "The Mathematical" Patrick Olusegun Odegbami MON

No 2 - "The goalsfather" Rasheed Yekini

No 3 - Henry Nwosu

No 4 - Austin J J Okocha

No 5 - Daniel "The Bull" Amokachi

Hard Man · Post by **Hard Man** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:20 pm

I pity all these people talking about stars from the 1970's and 80's ... to identify Nigeria's best ever player, you need ot go all the way back to the early days.

Folks like Peter "Eto" Amaechina, Frank Uwalaka, Friday "Senior Planner" Okoh, Teslim "Thunder" Balogun and Asuquo Ekpe all have a shout in. So do the likes of Haruna Ilerika, and some will press the claims of Christian Madu as having been a better/more effective playmaker than JJ.

I personally don't think, in any case, that cross generational comparisons are valid. Players in each generation face challenges unique to their particular generation...

Oguleftie · Post by **Oguleftie** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:26 pm

IT IS A USELESS TOPIC.

IT IS EVEN MORE USELESS BECAUSE YOU ARE TOO YOUNG.

MODERATORS PLEASE REMOVE THIS TOPIC.

AJ Guru · Post by **AJ Guru** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:34 pm

Hard Man wrote:Who is Uganda's greatest footballer?

dem even get footballer ...

Otuoma Wuon Ogolo wrote:How long will this topic be recycled? Give me something new to read folks.

una no go kill person ooo!!! I don fall yakata on top chair sef

PapaK · Post by **PapaK** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:43 pm

Hard Man wrote:I pity all these people talking about stars from the 1970's and 80's ... to identify Nigeria's best ever player, you need ot go all the way back to the early days.

Folks like Peter "Eto" Amaechina, Frank Uwalaka, Friday "Senior Planner" Okoh, Teslim "Thunder" Balogun and Asuquo Ekpe all have a shout in. So do the likes of Haruna Ilerika, and some will press the claims of Christian Madu as having been a better/more effective playmaker than JJ.

I personally don't think, in any case, that cross generational comparisons are valid. Players in each generation face challenges unique to their particular generation...

Hard Man:
If we want to start bringing the names of people that played football when TV was yet to be invented, the list would simply never terminate. We would then have to sift through real stories and fabbles of legendary dribble runs on the touchline, shots that tore bellies, etc.
I'm amazed how people are quick to bring up names of footballers that never managed to hold their own against North African opposition, when we have later had players that didnt stop at subduing the rest of Africa, but went on dazzle the world at 1,2 actually 3 mundials.
Some of the 'legends' you guys toss up couldnt play in Europe because the weather was cold. Yet you want us to believe they are greater than players that have their faces adorning billbards over Europe, people whose faces were used by European politicians to win votes are being compared with footballers that played 3 or 4 games for Green Eagles.
Pleaaaseee!! While I'm ready to discuss Okocha vs. Yekini, Okocha vs. Finidi, let's not insult Okocha by naming Christain Madu, etc. You might as well have mentioned Precious Monye.

ardile · Post by **ardile** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:43 pm

"He dribbles Christian Nwokocha!!!!"
"He dribbles Christian Madu!!!"
"He dribbles Chritian Chukwu!!!"
"He has dribbled Three Christians, this man must be a Muslim!!!"
"Yes!!! He is, Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal!!!!!"
(c) Late Earnest Okonkwo

Va Va Voom!!!!

Hard Man · Post by **Hard Man** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:53 pm

Actually Ardile, "he" dribbled 3 Christians .. Christian Nwokocha (striker), Christian Madu (midfielder) and Christian Chukwu (defender) and "he" was late Muda Lawal.

Hard Man · Post by **Hard Man** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:55 pm

papaK,
that's why I say cross-generational comparisons are invalid. There are however exceptions to that rule, and I will include the likes of Odegbami among those exceptions.

Each player must be judged according to the conditions he faced and surmounted in his era, and not on conditions that developed later.

PapaK wrote:
Hard Man wrote:I pity all these people talking about stars from the 1970's and 80's ... to identify Nigeria's best ever player, you need ot go all the way back to the early days.

Folks like Peter "Eto" Amaechina, Frank Uwalaka, Friday "Senior Planner" Okoh, Teslim "Thunder" Balogun and Asuquo Ekpe all have a shout in. So do the likes of Haruna Ilerika, and some will press the claims of Christian Madu as having been a better/more effective playmaker than JJ.

I personally don't think, in any case, that cross generational comparisons are valid. Players in each generation face challenges unique to their particular generation...
Hard Man:
If we want to start bringing the names of people that played football when TV was yet to be invented, the list would simply never terminate. We would then have to sift through real stories and fabbles of legendary dribble runs on the touchline, shots that tore bellies, etc.
I'm amazed how people are quick to bring up names of footballers that never managed to hold their own against North African opposition, when we have later had players that didnt stop at subduing the rest of Africa, but went on dazzle the world at 1,2 actually 3 mundials.
Some of the 'legends' you guys toss up couldnt play in Europe because the weather was cold. Yet you want us to believe they are greater than players that have their faces adorning billbards over Europe, people whose faces were used by European politicians to win votes are being compared with footballers that played 3 or 4 games for Green Eagles.
Pleaaaseee!! While I'm ready to discuss Okocha vs. Yekini, Okocha vs. Finidi, let's not insult Okocha by naming Christain Madu, etc. You might as well have mentioned Precious Monye.

mastermind · Post by **mastermind** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:55 pm

how many naija player have a DVD on sale on amazon.com ? Okocha is the most talented Nigerian player period. He is the fans favourite and the whole Africa loves him. Now the whole world is liking him, Pele pen him down on his greatest players list also.

PapaK · Post by **PapaK** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:55 pm

Finidi vs JJ

Midfielders
Finidi 1991 – 2002 (11 years)
Okocha 1993 –2004 (11 years)

Goals:
Finidi scored a total of 5 goals for the Eagles over a period of 11 years and Okocha has recorded 12 goals in the same number of years.

Passes::
I will never forget the day Burkina Suffered in 7-1 demolition in Lagos. Even though, Yekini recorded 4 goals Finidi as the star of that match supplying 2 of the crosses and scoring the 7th goals himself. The earlier version of Finidi went past his markers and laid easy tap ins for Yekini in many matches between 1991-1994. Finidi had killer passes. Nonetheless, Okocha’s greatest asset might actually be his passing ability. Starting from his home debut in 1993 when he tore Algeria’s defence to shreds setting up 2 goals and scoring 1 (in a 4-1) win, to ANC 94 when his passes destroyed Cote d’Ivoire, to 96 Olympic qualifiers (passes to Fatusi against Zimbabwe), 98 WC qualifiers Okocha (pass to Amuneke against Kenya) Okocha provided match winning passes over the year. Some UBA misinformers are quick to say Okocha has zero assists in 3 WCs but was he really expected to score for Yekini (good passes against Italy – USA 94), Kanu (sweet passes against Denmark – France 98), Babayaro (glorious cross against Sweden – 2002), Utaka (a clever through ball against Sweden – 2002), Jag (a number of lovely passes against England – WC 2002)??
In summary: a close-one but Okocha still has the edge, especially when it comes to 30-40 yard passes.

Shots::
Both players are good with shots with both feet. Okocha takes more and understandably scores more. Even with the hard luck of hitting the wood-work more than any other player in history, Okocha is still a better shooter than Finidi going by club record and national team match statistics.

Clubs & Team Impact::
A million thanks to Westerhof for helping Finidi get to Ajax. Finidi shriners will always point to his glory days at Ajax. No doubt Finidi had far more impact with that team much more than Kanu. Once Finidi left Ajax he has only succeeded in leading Real Betis and Ipswich Town to relegation. Okocha’s choice of clubs means he’s had close to zero club success. He’s always been the corner-stone of his clubs. His influence helped save Bolton from relegation and almost sent the modest club into Europe the following season. Okocha is the only Naija player (OK, Oba Martins to some extents) that have been begged by Nigerians from all walks of life to play and continue playing for Nigeria. The only players whose absence the fans and coaches say is responsible for Naija’s loss of matches. JJ’s impact on his team is so high, that I once called him the man-of-the-match specialist. He certainly makes more impact than Finidi.

Trophies & Awards: :
It’s a shame that none of the two great players had ever won Africa Player of the year. However, Okocha has been twice runner’s up with Finidi’s best showing being 3rd once. Finidi won the Champions league and a number of club medals with Ajax. They have equal number of national team trophies, 1 gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze, with Okocha adding an olympic gold. There’s not much to choose between the two.

Other Intangibles:
Freekick – On many occassions, Okocha has changed the course of a match with well struck freekicks. He’s been successful for Fenebache and Bolton. He’s had a few against the bar for Nigeria, but who will ever forget that one against Cameroon at ANC 2004.
Throw-in – (Probably one of the reasons 1naija shrines Okocha) – When the going gets tough, it might just be one long throw-in into the box that will cause trouble for the opponents. Ask Brazil at 96 Olympics semi-finals.
Popularity – Only one of the two players have shrines built around the world for ‘worshipping’ him. Okocha's influence in Germany, Turkey and England is probably greater than it is in Nigeria. If you really want to test how strong this player is admired, then fix a wedding ceremony for him in some streets of Surulere and witness the grand-mother of mob response.

Post by **Waffiman** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:59 pm

I agree Hardman that cross generation comparisms a odious. However, I am tempted to say Thompson Usiyen was the greatest.