SE vs Angola loading

[Bigpokey24]

they are ready for us. WC2006 qualifiers they took 4 points from us. I think we last met them in 2005

[Tbite]

Nigeria was actually the much better side in that group. Not even close. we had not declined by then. We still had a lot of quality in the team. That was a different era. That was the time when the SE were legitimately good but did not take things seriously. Angola were not even remotely in our league.

When we panicked and realised we were fumbling the bag, we trounced two teams in a row (if memory serves me right).

In fact we were even ahead on Goal Difference! We lost out on away goals, which must federations do not use.

The 2006 World Cup was a case of pure stupidity. We had no business not qualifying for that one. We shot ourselves in the foot with lazy players with a poor attitude, and also the NFF doing strange things organisationally, like putting home games in the scorching heat. I believe Kano was one venue....

My point is, this is not the case of an old nemesis coming to revisit us. They did not have our number, we were morons who did not take the qualifiers seriously. This is not disrespect, this is just the fact. Mid 2000s Nigeria was still a VERY strong side.

[Tbite]

We became weak around 2008 lasting to about 2012, won the AFCON in 2013, team imploded, became weak again around 2015 until about 2017. 2018-2019 we were decent. Became weak again around 2020-22

From Late 80s all the way to 2007, no Nigeria was strong in Africa! That 2005 team would have qualified easily if the players and NFF took the task seriously. Angola was not the issue.

They can certainly beat us. But I don't want us think they are some sort of bogeyside or something. They are NOT. They are just a side that benefitted from our poor planning. I don't think we are foolish right now, so they will not benefit.

[Dammy]

I remember the coach of the SE at that time saying before the WCQ in Luanda against Angola that if he took Enyimba to play the match, we would still beat Angola.
That was how unserious we were in that WCQs and ended up losing 1-0 in Luanda to a late Akwa goal.
The coach and some of the players even stopped over in South Africa to shoot a Globacom advert!

[Tbite]

I remember the coach of the SE at that time saying before the WCQ in Luanda against Angola that if he took Enyimba to play the match, we would still beat Angola.
That was how unserious we were in that WCQs and ended up losing 1-0 in Luanda to a late Akwa goal.
The coach and some of the players even stopped over in South Africa to shoot a Globacom advert!

That is how we missed out. It had NOTHING to do with the quality of the team.

If the team and NFF took that qualification series seriously. We would have qualified with two games to spare. It sounds kind of ironic to complain about arrogance by seemingly sounding arrogant.

Let me explain. When you are good, you still need to play the game and get the result. We were good, but we didn't play the game, and didn't get the results. When we realised our mistake, it was too late, the qualifiers were outside of our hands. We got some impressive results in the last games, but it was too late.

on CE, when I say Nigeria is good, some will say it is arrogance. Arrogance is not saying a team is good. Arrogance is when you don't play the team in front of you and do your job. Fast forward to 2024, I think we are ALSO better than this Angolan side, but we have to take them seriously. If we are truly arrogant and think the result is guaranteed, they will beat us.

We are better, but that means absolutely nothing. but Peseiro understands the task at hand. To be honest it does not matter who the team is in front of us, good, bad, excellent, whatever. We will take every opponent seriously. AFTER the match is over then we can discuss how good they were or weren't. I am a fan, so I can be in two minds, but the team should only be in one mind, just ignore everything. Ignore rankings, ignore history, focus on the game.

[Synopsis]

We were ranked #9 in the world at that time. Shame we didn’t make the World Cup.

[Bigpokey24]

it was too late to salvage the campaign, we did finish strong, away in Algiers winning 5-2 and scored 5 vs Zimbabwe . lost out on head to head

[King Futcha]

they are ready for us. WC2006 qualifiers they took 4 points from us. I think we last met them in 2005

Jimmy Gatete became a cult hero on ce during that time, the good old days.

[ANC]

I really do not see a way for them, unless SE changes formation or there is a defensive blunder.
May the best team win.

[Cellular]

they are ready for us. WC2006 qualifiers they took 4 points from us. I think we last met them in 2005

In a win you are in, some ahole at the NFF thought it was a good idea to take the game to Kano.

The Eagles withered in the heat and sun of Kano.
Thankfully, these Eagles are well-conditioned for the elements.

[hestonap]

We became weak around 2008 lasting to about 2012, won the AFCON in 2013, team imploded, became weak again around 2015 until about 2017. 2018-2019 we were decent. Became weak again around 2020-22

From Late 80s all the way to 2007, no Nigeria was strong in Africa! That 2005 team would have qualified easily if the players and NFF took the task seriously. Angola was not the issue.

They can certainly beat us. But I don't want us think they are some sort of bogeyside or something. They are NOT. They are just a side that benefitted from our poor planning. I don't think we are foolish right now, so they will not benefit.

Tbite ont the contrary, we have not found them an easy target historically. Not sure we have met often enough to statistically class them as a bogey team but they have denied us 2 WCQs in 1990 and 2006.

We were never going to pick up a point in Yaounde in 1989 against the Lions. We truly lost out WCQ in Luanda when we drew 2-2 against them and beat them 1-0 on the day Okwaraji died RIP. Everyone is familiar with the 2006 debacle.

If the Eagles are professional in their approach as they did against the Elephants and Lions and not just play down to the profile of so called ‘lesser names’ I suspect we may just find it a surprisingly easier game to win. If we u dare underate them, we’re coming back home.

My impression is that this is a Nigerian side at least in this tournament where the very senior players like Ekong and Omeruah seem largely devoid of large egos willing to do the dirty work and leading by example, while the highest profile player like Osimhen plays as if his life is on the line and his work ethic is infective. Shout out to the other unnamed players.

Bottom line is if we are professional in our approach and take nothing for granted, we are in the Semis.

[onovo]

Angola is going to be the most difficult opponent we have played so far in the competition. They are a better side than Cameroon. We just have to be battle ready against them.

[King Futcha]

they are ready for us. WC2006 qualifiers they took 4 points from us. I think we last met them in 2005

In a win you are in, some ahole at the NFF thought it was a good idea to take the game to Kano.

The Eagles withered in the heat and sun of Kano.
Thankfully, these Eagles are well-conditioned for the elements.

why did the Angolans not wither mr president? it doesn't get that hot in Angola.

[ANC]

they are ready for us. WC2006 qualifiers they took 4 points from us. I think we last met them in 2005

In a win you are in, some ahole at the NFF thought it was a good idea to take the game to Kano.

The Eagles withered in the heat and sun of Kano.
Thankfully, these Eagles are well-conditioned for the elements.

why did the Angolans not wither mr president? it doesn't get that hot in Angola.

Palancas Negras had more players playing at home.
SE likely withered because, as a home team, they were more likely the pressing side.
FYI, I am guessing.

[Bigpokey24]

[Cellular]

they are ready for us. WC2006 qualifiers they took 4 points from us. I think we last met them in 2005

In a win you are in, some ahole at the NFF thought it was a good idea to take the game to Kano.

The Eagles withered in the heat and sun of Kano.
Thankfully, these Eagles are well-conditioned for the elements.

why did the Angolans not wither mr president? it doesn't get that hot in Angola.

Most of our guys came from Europe and they didn't have time to acclimatize. We outplayed them earlier on until the heat affected our players more than it affected the Angolans.

[packerland]

I might be wrong but I thought one of the WCQ games we played with mostly home-based players and Okocha might have missed his way to the airport or something like that.

I remember being at a sports bar with my American and Mexican co-workers watching the game them asking me what happened to us.

[Cellular]

I might be wrong but I thought one of the WCQ games we played with mostly home-based players and Okocha might have missed his way to the airport or something like that.

I remember being at a sports bar with my American and Mexican co-workers watching the game them asking me what happened to us.

Okocha played and scored.

Kanu played as well. We had our full team.

[ugly boy]

I really do not see a way for them, unless SE changes formation or there is a defensive blunder.
May the best team win.

Or Uzoho happens

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

That was an amateurish piece of defending. I don’t clearly recall but that might have been the qualifiers in which we lost out on the h2h rule… oh well


Cheers.

[anointed]

they are ready for us. WC2006 qualifiers they took 4 points from us. I think we last met them in 2005

Jimmy Gatete became a cult hero on ce during that time, the good old days.

Jimmy Gatete is Rwandan. Scored against us in Kigali. Game was 1-1.

[Enyi]

Angola is going to be the most difficult opponent we have played so far in the competition. They are a better side than Cameroon. We just have to be battle ready against them.

I totally agree with you….

We have to do a professional job or lose out

[Tobi17]

Angola will be the more adventurous of the two sides but I have a feeling they will rather play it cautious against us just to size us up in the first 15-30 minutes...they will have the better of the possession but our physicality, defensive discipline and compactness + experience will see us nick a 1-0 type of win. I'm not worried about Angola, just stifle their danger-man (Mabululu) and we should be fairly comfortable.

But yeah they are the one team that will finally test our defence and have some close moments against us.