IKPEBA: "Current SE players can't play during my era"

[Lolly]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

[kalani JR]

who cares.

[Damunk]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

Hmmmm. Really?

[Lolly]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

Hmmmm. Really?

Yes.

Start by naming those who are better than him.

[danfo driver]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

Hmmmm. Really?

Did you watch Victor at Monaco?

[deanotito]

(I disliked seeing Ikpeba on SE team lists as much as some people dislike seeing Musa on current lists.)

Na wa o.
Which Ikpeba do you speak of?

I no go lie. Na true. Didn’t rate him at all. Thought he was just a loud mouth

[ANC]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

Hmmmm. Really?

Did you watch Victor at Monaco?

Yes O, I watched him @ Monaco. He was a very good player.

[Enugu II]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

Many forget that Victor was named African Footballer of the Year. He was a deadly striker at Monaco but with the SE he had difficulties because his period of emergence coincided with the entrenchment of both Yekini and Amokachi as a productive strike force for Nigeria. .....this reminds me of the debate here about Akpoborire. This was also the period that impacted him and the three named here were all ahead of Jonathan.

[Cellular]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

Many forget that Victor was named African Footballer of the Year. He was a deadly striker at Monaco but with the SE he had difficulties because his period of emergence coincided with the entrenchment of both Yekini and Amokachi as a productive strike force for Nigeria. .....this reminds me of the debate here about Akpoborire. This was also the period that impacted him and the three named here were all ahead of Jonathan.

Dude was a malcontent.
He felt his stature at Monaco should guarantee him shirt.
I also believe he was the highest earner at that time and he was alluding to the fact that there was jealousy from his teammates.

The fact that Amokachi out hustled him and was a tank. Marked... and was fearless (wasn't afraid to get kicked) didn't help his cause. And then they preferred Siasia off the bench because Siasia actually didn't mind passing the ball.

[Enugu II]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

Many forget that Victor was named African Footballer of the Year. He was a deadly striker at Monaco but with the SE he had difficulties because his period of emergence coincided with the entrenchment of both Yekini and Amokachi as a productive strike force for Nigeria. .....this reminds me of the debate here about Akpoborire. This was also the period that impacted him and the three named here were all ahead of Jonathan.

Dude was a malcontent.
He felt his stature at Monaco should guarantee him shirt.
I also believe he was the highest earner at that time and he was alluding to the fact that there was jealousy from his teammates.

The fact that Amokachi out hustled him and was a tank. Marked... and was fearless (wasn't afraid to get kicked) didn't help his cause. And then they preferred Siasia off the bench because Siasia actually didn't mind passing the ball.

Cell,

This is why I thought weeks ago that the story on Jonathan Akpoborire being included in the WC teams of 1994/1998 was far fetched. I had forgotten that Siasia was even part of the equation.

[naijaguy]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

You don't seem to understand how much football has changed over the years.
Ikpepa saying no current SE player can play during his time is wrong. The gra gra football of those years has been completely replaced.
Refereeing, technicality, rules of the game has changed a lot since Ikpepa retired in 2004. He'd probably not win the African player of the year in this era if he still plays.

[Enugu II]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

You don't seem to understand how much football has changed over the years.
Ikpepa saying no current SE player can play during his time is wrong. The gra gra football of those years has been completely replaced.
Refereeing, technicality, rules of the game has changed a lot since Ikpepa retired in 2004. He'd probably not win the African player of the year in this era if he still plays.

naijaguy,

Ikpeba definitely can play in this era. Would you state that Diego Maradona cannot play in this era?

Yes, rules change and styles change but that does not mean that a baller cannot play across eras except if the game was to change drastically. The reality is that there are changes but none so drastic that players of those days cannot play today. Ikpeba was AFOY. That means he was, in the eyes of voters, the most dominant African footballer in the year in which he received that vote. Think about that for a moment given the top African players across the years. Though, I agree with you that it is a bit over the top for Ikpeba to claim that none of these guys today would have been able to play in his era. That one na serious rubbish. Did Garba Lawal not play during Ikpeba's era?

[naijaguy]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes. Prime Ikpeba is better than all our current strikers with the exception of Osimhen.

You don't seem to understand how much football has changed over the years.
Ikpepa saying no current SE player can play during his time is wrong. The gra gra football of those years has been completely replaced.
Refereeing, technicality, rules of the game has changed a lot since Ikpepa retired in 2004. He'd probably not win the African player of the year in this era if he still plays.

naijaguy,

Ikpeba definitely can play in this era. Would you state that Diego Maradona cannot play in this era?

Yes, rules change and styles change but that does not mean that a baller cannot play across eras except if the game was to change drastically. The reality is that there are changes but none so drastic that players of those days cannot play today. Ikpeba was AFOY. That means he was, in the eyes of voters, the most dominant African footballer in the year in which he received that vote. Think about that for a moment given the top African players across the years. Though, I agree with you that it is a bit over the top for Ikpeba to claim that none of these guys today would have been able to play in his era. That one na serious rubbish. Did Garba Lawal not play during Ikpeba's era?

I quite acknowledge that he's a top player in his days. Won the AFPOY and all that.
That said, I don't think in this era and how football ratings has changed over the years that he would win the AFPOY.
In the current SE, he would probably only get to start from the bench.
Diego Maradona would probably not win all he won if he played in this era with Messi and Ronaldo.
Ikpeba's statement on how no current SE players would have played in his era is a complete hogwash.

Different eras, no need to compare. A lot has changed.

[ANC]

Village people are still after prince of Monaco even after retirement.
I guess Weah Opong, would not win APOY is this era too.
The current SE player that comes close to how Ikpeba played is Lookman.
Ikpeba played with Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, (I believe Thierry Henry, and David Trezeguet were benchwarmers), Weah Opong, and was coached by Arsene Wenger, FYI.

[The Eagle]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes .... Ikpeba would definitely play in the current Eagles, and in every iteration of the Eagles we have had since the start of the five years we wasted under Rohr, heck from even before then.

On the other hand, the "1990s Eagles" were comprised of three different generations of players who played in different squad/team combinations at different tournaments during that decade. The older generation (Keshi, Yekini, Rufai, etc), the middle generation (Okocha, Oliseh, Finidi, Amunike, Joseph Dosu, etc), and the younger generation (Nwankwo Kanu, Babayaro, Tijani Babangida, Wilson Oruma, etc).

One of these tournaments was the 1998 World Cup .... during which Nwabali would have been better than the returned-from-retirement Rufai, Osimhen would have been better at centre-forward than Ikpeba, and Lookman would have been a better attacking choice than Garba Lawal on the left (freeing Lawal to pair with Oliseh in DM to protect our centre-backs, while Okocha played directly behind the centre-forward instead of beside Oliseh). And speaking of centre-backs, I have been a fan of Eagles legend Uche Okechukwu since he played for Nationale (i.e. before he became an international), but comparing his form at the 1998 World Cup to Troost-Ekong's tournament MVP-winning form at the most recent Nations Cup leads to an obvious conclusion. And the younger version of Ndidi would definitely at least have made the bench as Sunday Oliseh's back-up.

So .... Ikpeba is wrong.

PS: The above is my subjective opinion, what I used to call "my 10 kobo".

[Cellular]

Can Ikpeba play in this current SE?

Yes .... Ikpeba would definitely play in the current Eagles, and in every iteration of the Eagles we have had since the start of the five years we wasted under Rohr, heck from even before then.

On the other hand, the "1990s Eagles" were comprised of three different generations of players who played in different squad/team combinations at different tournaments during that decade. The older generation (Keshi, Yekini, Rufai, etc), the middle generation (Okocha, Oliseh, Finidi, Amunike, Joseph Dosu, etc), and the younger generation (Nwankwo Kanu, Babayaro, Tijani Babangida, Wilson Oruma, etc).

One of these tournaments was the 1998 World Cup .... during which Nwabali would have been better than the returned-from-retirement Rufai, Osimhen would have been better at centre-forward than Ikpeba, and Lookman would have been a better attacking choice than Garba Lawal on the left (freeing Lawal to pair with Oliseh in DM to protect our centre-backs, while Okocha played directly behind the centre-forward instead of beside Oliseh). And speaking of centre-backs, I have been a fan of Eagles legend Uche Okechukwu since he played for Nationale (i.e. before he became an international), but comparing his form at the 1998 World Cup to Troost-Ekong's tournament MVP-winning form at the most recent Nations Cup leads to an obvious conclusion. And the younger version of Ndidi would definitely at least have made the bench as Sunday Oliseh's back-up.

So .... Ikpeba is wrong.

PS: The above is my subjective opinion, what I used to call "my 10 kobo".

THEophilus FANta, welcome back from exile.

I am surprised you still remember your password.

That being said, I don't agree with everything you just wrote...







Pps., dis is how we welcome people back... by properly aggressing dem.

[danfo driver]

Ikpeba was unbelievable at Monaco and only Osimhen is ahead of him in our team today. Absolutely no other striker on the team today comes cloise to his level.

Yes, Ikpeba was always stubborn like a true bendel boy, but I think some people also forget that one of the things that threw him over the edge was when his wife had cancer and died. He seemed to completely lost trust for everyone and his anger grew ten fold. He began to fight everyone! Not only did the sickness and death of his wife ended his football - as you would expect, but also his anger at the time cost him dearly.

Funny enough, he is in the NFF today and seems to have adapted well to the politics, while those who adapted to the politics when they played do not seem to be able to get into the NFF right now

[deanotito]

Ikpeba was unbelievable at Monaco and only Osimhen is ahead of him in our team today. Absolutely no other striker on the team today comes cloise to his level.

Yes, Ikpeba was always stubborn like a true bendel boy, but I think some people also forget that one of the things that threw him over the edge was when his wife had cancer and died. He seemed to completely lost trust for everyone and his anger grew ten fold. He began to fight everyone! Not only did the sickness and death of his wife ended his football - as you would expect, but also his anger at the time cost him dearly.

Funny enough, he is in the NFF today and seems to have adapted well to the politics, while those who adapted to the politics when they played do not seem to be able to get into the NFF right now

Ikpeba’s impact at Monaco is one of the most overrated and exaggerated parts of Nigerian fan folklore. This special tales by moonlight was aided by Larry Izamoje and his daily radio show deceiving Nigerians that Ikpeba was the ‘Prince of Monaco’. He never was. Monaco fans never saw him as such

He had 2 distinct eras at Monaco…when he supported Jurgen Klinsmann, and when he supported a very young duo of Thierry Henry and a David Trezeguet in a 3-pronged attack. In both incarnations, he was the junior partner … in acclaim and production.

But Nigerians thought he was setting the place ablaze. He most certainly was not.

[danfo driver]

Ikpeba was unbelievable at Monaco and only Osimhen is ahead of him in our team today. Absolutely no other striker on the team today comes cloise to his level.

Yes, Ikpeba was always stubborn like a true bendel boy, but I think some people also forget that one of the things that threw him over the edge was when his wife had cancer and died. He seemed to completely lost trust for everyone and his anger grew ten fold. He began to fight everyone! Not only did the sickness and death of his wife ended his football - as you would expect, but also his anger at the time cost him dearly.

Funny enough, he is in the NFF today and seems to have adapted well to the politics, while those who adapted to the politics when they played do not seem to be able to get into the NFF right now

Ikpeba’s impact at Monaco is one of the most overrated and exaggerated parts of Nigerian fan folklore. This special tales by moonlight was aided by Larry Izamoje and his daily radio show deceiving Nigerians that Ikpeba was the ‘Prince of Monaco’. He never was. Monaco fans never saw him as such

He had 2 distinct eras at Monaco…when he supported Jurgen Klinsmann, and when he supported a very young duo of Thierry Henry and a David Trezeguet in a 3-pronged attack. In both incarnations, he was the junior partner … in acclaim and production.

But Nigerians thought he was setting the place ablaze. He most certainly was not.

cool . . .

[ANC]

Ikpeba was unbelievable at Monaco and only Osimhen is ahead of him in our team today. Absolutely no other striker on the team today comes cloise to his level.

Yes, Ikpeba was always stubborn like a true bendel boy, but I think some people also forget that one of the things that threw him over the edge was when his wife had cancer and died. He seemed to completely lost trust for everyone and his anger grew ten fold. He began to fight everyone! Not only did the sickness and death of his wife ended his football - as you would expect, but also his anger at the time cost him dearly.

Funny enough, he is in the NFF today and seems to have adapted well to the politics, while those who adapted to the politics when they played do not seem to be able to get into the NFF right now

Ikpeba’s impact at Monaco is one of the most overrated and exaggerated parts of Nigerian fan folklore. This special tales by moonlight was aided by Larry Izamoje and his daily radio show deceiving Nigerians that Ikpeba was the ‘Prince of Monaco’. He never was. Monaco fans never saw him as such

He had 2 distinct eras at Monaco…when he supported Jurgen Klinsmann, and when he supported a very young duo of Thierry Henry and a David Trezeguet in a 3-pronged attack. In both incarnations, he was the junior partner … in acclaim and production.

But Nigerians thought he was setting the place ablaze. He most certainly was not.

Bros, I watched many of his matches while @ Monaco.
He was a better footballer than Amokachi etc.

[Lolly]

Ikpeba was unbelievable at Monaco and only Osimhen is ahead of him in our team today. Absolutely no other striker on the team today comes cloise to his level.

Yes, Ikpeba was always stubborn like a true bendel boy, but I think some people also forget that one of the things that threw him over the edge was when his wife had cancer and died. He seemed to completely lost trust for everyone and his anger grew ten fold. He began to fight everyone! Not only did the sickness and death of his wife ended his football - as you would expect, but also his anger at the time cost him dearly.

Funny enough, he is in the NFF today and seems to have adapted well to the politics, while those who adapted to the politics when they played do not seem to be able to get into the NFF right now

Ikpeba’s impact at Monaco is one of the most overrated and exaggerated parts of Nigerian fan folklore. This special tales by moonlight was aided by Larry Izamoje and his daily radio show deceiving Nigerians that Ikpeba was the ‘Prince of Monaco’. He never was. Monaco fans never saw him as such

He had 2 distinct eras at Monaco…when he supported Jurgen Klinsmann, and when he supported a very young duo of Thierry Henry and a David Trezeguet in a 3-pronged attack. In both incarnations, he was the junior partner … in acclaim and production.

But Nigerians thought he was setting the place ablaze. He most certainly was not.

He must have done well for him to win CAF Player of the Year. So it wasn’t just Nigerians who noticed him.

Victor was at Monaco for 6 years, played 170 league games and scored 55 goals. He also scored 14 goals in Europe (Champions League and UEFA). So averaging 10 goals per season. And he must have been doing something well to have spent 6 years in a top club in Europe. Mention any other Nigerian player who had such a record in the top flight.

His club honours include Belgian Cup winner, French League champion, Best African player in the Belgian League, CAF Player of the Year. Nothing more to add.

[akamoke]

The discussion I want to have is whether an ex player who is lined to NFF should be openly criticizing current players when they need all the encouragement to prosecute important world cup qualifiers in a few weeks.

What we need is ex players who have achieved something to counsel and nurture the players, have a tough conversation with them but give them all the encouragement they need even if chips are down

What the ex players dont need to do is going off saying that these players will not make the team of their time

Let us be abundantly clear, those players 1994 - 2002 underachieved big time, but yes we had good memories of them. We need cool heads onboard to impart their experience onto this current set of players.

First of all is discipline, and mental preparedness... We need somelevel headed group of people to let the players know they have to put everything on the line to get maximum 6 points in the next 2 games, no ifs or buts

[danfo driver]

The discussion I want to have is whether an ex player who is lined to NFF should be openly criticizing current players when they need all the encouragement to prosecute important world cup qualifiers in a few weeks.

What we need is ex players who have achieved something to counsel and nurture the players, have a tough conversation with them but give them all the encouragement they need even if chips are down

What the ex players dont need to do is going off saying that these players will not make the team of their time

Let us be abundantly clear, those players 1994 - 2002 underachieved big time, but yes we had good memories of them. We need cool heads onboard to impart their experience onto this current set of players.

First of all is discipline, and mental preparedness... We need somelevel headed group of people to let the players know they have to put everything on the line to get maximum 6 points in the next 2 games, no ifs or buts

This seems to be our problem. We have become very weak.

- for 5 years a man came here to tell us that we should only go to games to learn
- the NFF installed a weak captain who they controlled and used him to weaken the team' mentality.
- Back in the day, Surulere was a hot uncomfortable ground. Our players legs were held to fire! But today, fans will say we shouldnt upset them. We shouldnt say anything to make them sad. boo hoooo hoooo.. lets hug them and give them a kiss.

And you wonder why we do not have fighters on the team? Instead we have weak, cowards?

You guys do NOT know the damage you have caused us. Absolutely severe damage. Our players will go into away game, dungeons and completely collapse under that pressure.

What makes me happy is the words of Chelle, where he described himself as "strict and sometimes, very hard." Hopefully, he will change this culture of cowardice, loserism and weakling. He will toughen them up!

I am strict; sometimes I am very hard. But I would be a big brother on the pitch with my players, and we are going to work hard for the team,”