[Friendly] NIGERIA 0 MEXICO 0 FT

[goldenera94]

True, Mikel was horrible just like in the Italy match, lossing possession, shielding the ball to no effect, slowing the team down. By the way add Oboabona to the list also

Mikel has been useless.

[ohenhen1]

Nsofor didn't have the best of games, could be due to match fitness problems. He kept on fouling players in dangerous positions. Egweke was okay. If I were to pick the 23 man squad today. Egweke will make the team. I will also name Odunlami on the World cup team.

[Tbite]

Mexico are not a side along the likes of Uruguay or Spain that we met in the confed cups.

Mexico are a team that Nigeria should be defeating, period! Forget about saving face...or getting a draw. We should be defeating Mexico, period! This is not about pride...or feeling like we walked away with something. We should be defeating Mexico period!

a lot of people, may talk about the Fifa rankings....but that ranking means absolutely nothing. We should be playing like a top 20 team.

Mexico....should be playing like a top 30 team and they played like a top 35 football team. Forget the rankings...Mexico are not all that.

Not defeating Mexico, does not mean that we are bad.....but what it does mean, after two attempts - is that we are not a global threat. Some people will say to me, that it is just a friendly.....but we lack the killer instinct.

I watched the Confed Cup....and with a little more bite, we could have defeated both Spain and Uruguay....NO JOKE! We look like the type of team, that will go up against an Argentinian team that is BEATABLE.....lose or draw and then talk about moral victories.

Nigeria is more capable than Nigerians realize and these so called top teams are beatable. Defeating Mexico...should have been used as a stepping stone. It is just a friendly...but it should be used as a confidence booster and a small gesture....in signalling our long term ambitions.

The first time....fine.....but drawing TWICE...........I'm sorry, but we lack the killer instinct. Our job is not to go to Brazil and make the 2nd round. Our job is to make the 1/4 finals or Semi finals. If we drew with Mexico...but looked like we should have won, then fine. The issue here is not only did we draw 0-0....but we didn't even look like we deserved to win.

I think there is time....but we need to have bigger ambitions. Right now we are playing like a team.....resting on its laurels. We are not the African Champions. We are a team that has won the ANC....that must now go the the World Cup......and prove something.

[Novocaine]

I was disappointed in the level of play by Naija. Here are a list of my observations

1) They did not play as a cohesive unit. When one player had the ball, he was surrounded by mexicans and the Nigerian players would not make off the ball runs to give him easy options.

2) Poor first touch. We gave the ball away too cheaply. I lost count how many times we had a throw-in and once our player touched the ball, he conceded possession to the mexicans as a result of poor first touch.

3) Selfish play. Moses was one of the biggest culprit. He would take the ball from outside our 18-yard box, run the full length of the field and gift the ball to a Mexican defender.

4) Poor defending of corners. We always seemed to come up second best when it came to heading the ball. Enyeama made some really amazing saves to keep a clean slate.

5) Gave away silly free-kicks. We were just gifting away free kicks especially on the right flank near the corner flag. The fact that we were not very good in the air will be a source of pbms for us going forward as this will be exploited by teams with players that are good in the air

6) Inability to deliver a killer pass just behind the mexican defence to set up our strikers potential one vs one with their goal keeper.

[chendosplastic]

Solid game all around. Mexico brought its best as did Nigeria and I think both sides played very well

Mexico came to win the match.... They left cleat marks and elbows.

I liked the friendly because it showed us what we need to work on, aside from defending set pieces... and we have to preach UNSELFISH play... I liked the energy level. The coaching staff did not do any of the debutants any justice... Uchebo was starved of service and had to drop deep... Azeez was played too advanced to have any impact, Leon looked stiff (then again when he went away the replacement at RB did not look any better), Imoh was trying too much to show he belonged (he needed to have the game come to him)... I think with some camping, these guys will learn to trust one another and know what each player is capable of.

Gbam! Gbam! Gbam!

[chendosplastic]

Anyone that called this a good game got it way wrong!
1.Some guys could not control the ball.
2.Almost every corner kick was poorly defended as the mexicans got to it first and had to be saved by the goalie
3.Some guys were ignoring the unmarked man on the flanks only to turn and run into a waiting crowd of Mexicans
4.Poor poor poor decisions in the final third several times...
5.Very very poor handling of freekicks....did not use the height advantage over the Mexicans in this regard.
Plusses:
1. Imoh Ezekiel..I like him. Defended well for the team and in the few minutes he had took a goalbound shot that was deflected.
2. Hardworking midfield...got to most balls first before the Mexes
3.Agile goalies...saved our blushes when called upon
4.Somewhat cohesive defensive unit..made a couple of questionable decisions but you can tell these are good defenders
5.This team was gathered a few days ago and played against a team that's been training together for weeks so that deserves credit.

verdict: We should have beaten them..I expected us to.If we can finish better in the world cup we'd be ok...some teams wont be as forgiving..
Pa

It was a friendly...

..that's no excuse for making poor decisions with the ball...you can't perfect what you havent practised..

If one considers point no 5, you guys are much on the same page.

The post match analysis on this thread has been great.
Fine posts.

[mapet]

Me

The SE need in Mba in Brazil.

[Kabalega]

True, Mikel was horrible just like in the Italy match, lossing possession, shielding the ball to no effect, slowing the team down. By the way add Oboabona to the list also

Mikel has been useless.

Which game did you see?

Mikel was not himself but he clearly was not at fault.

Mexico came out to press him. At times he had 3 Mexicans around him and no help. I know he is not the fastest passer but the guys around him made things worse. Oboabona was another bright spot on the team. He reminded me of Pirlo (I'd just seen Spain vs Italy), and Paul Breitner. Keshi, should release Oboabona and turn him into an attacking defender.

The onus is on Oboabona to develop the lungs and pace to bomb back and forth.

One or both of them will one day captain the team. You read it here first.

[mcal]

...we were lucky Mexico could have nipped this one and all hell will break loose. The first half of period one was ours but we fluffed all chances. Against tough killer teams we may not be lucky.

[balo]

True, Mikel was horrible just like in the Italy match, lossing possession, shielding the ball to no effect, slowing the team down. By the way add Oboabona to the list also

Mikel has been useless.

Joined the game at the 29th minute. Within the first few minutes I turned on the TV, the camera was on Oboabona. He kept mistiming his tackles.

[balo]

...we were lucky Mexico could have nipped this one and all hell will break loose. The first half of period one was ours but we fluffed all chances. Against tough killer teams we may not be lucky.

Neither here nor there. The team was disjointed as expected. When they camp together for several weeks, they will be better.


Same goes for Mehiko.

[Mudi E]

There's clearly work to be done in this team as the midfield was non-existent, particularly on the attacking side. The central midfield was AWOL.
I guess one day isn't enough to prepare a team after a transcontinental flight for this match..the Mexicans cut through our defense like knife through butter effortlessly..that need to be fixed.
The team need work work work.

[Mudi E]

It's astonishing how the shorter Mexicans beat us consistently in aerial balls. What da heck was that?
They were even quicker to the ball more fleet-footed and made more darting runs into our 18, while we were floundering.
This is the team that Honduras take drink tamales at Azteca stadium during world cup qualifying o.
We are in deep doo-doo come world cup time if these glaring problems are not fixed.

[Gotti]

...we were lucky Mexico could have nipped this one and all hell will break loose. The first half of period one was ours but we fluffed all chances. Against tough killer teams we may not be lucky.

Neither here nor there. The team was disjointed as expected. When they camp together for several weeks, they will be better.

Same goes for Mehiko.

[maceo4]

It's astonishing how the shorter Mexicans beat us consistently in aerial balls. What da heck was that?
They were even quicker to the ball more fleet-footed and made more darting runs into our 18, while we were floundering.
This is the team that Honduras take drink tamales at Azteca stadium during world cup qualifying o.
We are in deep doo-doo come world cup time if these glaring problems are not fixed.

Don't be fooled the likes of Rafa Marquez are not short. But we need some serious work in defending set peices...

[1naija]

Solid game all around. Mexico brought its best as did Nigeria and I think both sides played very well

Mexico came to win the match.... They left cleat marks and elbows.

I liked the friendly because it showed us what we need to work on, aside from defending set pieces... and we have to preach UNSELFISH play... I liked the energy level. The coaching staff did not do any of the debutants any justice... Uchebo was starved of service and had to drop deep... Azeez was played too advanced to have any impact, Leon looked stiff (then again when he went away the replacement at RB did not look any better), Imoh was trying too much to show he belonged (he needed to have the game come to him)... I think with some camping, these guys will learn to trust one another and know what each player is capable of.

Bad friends to fat girls.

If Mexico came to win the match, what did we come to do? We were outcoached, outplayed, and out everything except goal keeping for 75 minutes. Let's stop telling our fat friend she looks like Beyonce.

[Mudi E]

Mexico, indeed, outplayed Nigeria. All these moral victories sef.

[Gooner1]

The following have me concerned.....
Our concentration in defending corners....when the ball was wiped in from either side, our players were rooted to the ground, enabling mexican midgets to have free headers ....
Cohesion, Cohesion, Cohesion......what happened to our player understanding for 80 minutes?
I am worried about where our goals will come from..........
If emenike is not firing, where are we going to get the goals from in midfield?
'94 team you had amo-taxi, finidi, amunike, babaginda etc........
There were at least 5 golden opportunities to break after we stole the ball from the mexicans, all came to naught, not even a shot on target.....
Currently, I just can't see this team going beyond the second round.......

The only good points were our hustle, and defensive our defensive discipline

[paj]

Me

The SE need in Mba in Brazil.

..Muppet..I disagree

[platinum]

For those saying Mexico are a team Nigeria should be defeating. You need to put a big stinky sock in it.

1st, Mexico have been much better under Herrera, much much better. They have a core of players from club america who have been playing together for a while PLUS Herrera was the guy who coached them at club america before accepting the mexico job...in other words, they know themselves and their coach knows them. THIS is their ceiling I'm afraid, they gave us their best shot. Nigeria has several other gears we can and will get to before the world cup, Mexico doesnt have that many other gears to step up to.

2nd and more importantly, you have to understand matchups. There are teams whose style will always pose problems for Nigeria. Any day, almost any era. Even that much hyped Nigerian 96 olympic side, we beat Mexico 2-0 while performing at our peak but that was no easy game. Understand that there are those who matchup well with you. Mexico with their quick passing and street savvy ways are always quite a team for us to face.

Naija will be fine. People were screaming and yelling for new players, we saw some, nothing to scream about really. No one can say without a doubt that balogun, imoh, and uchebo belong. They were not sensational really. Status maintained, carry on big boss.

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Our guys were being careful not to cup injury this close to world cup, I have no doubt they will bring it in Brazil.

Thanks for reminding them it was a friendly.

I don't think Mexico understood it was a friendly. Their primary defensive tactics, at least in the 2nd half, was to hack down Mikel at every opportunity


Cheers.

[pajimoh]

SE need serious conditioning to maintain the tempo of the first 15 min for 90 min. I don't know if that can be achieved in 2 Weeks but Keshi need to put the boys through serious endurance exercise and get them to direct the bitterness of the experience against the opposition

[Gotti]

For those saying Mexico are a team Nigeria should be defeating. You need to put a big stinky sock in it.

1st, Mexico have been much better under Herrera, much much better. They have a core of players from club america who have been playing together for a while PLUS Herrera was the guy who coached them at club america before accepting the mexico job...in other words, they know themselves and their coach knows them. THIS is their ceiling I'm afraid, they gave us their best shot. Nigeria has several other gears we can and will get to before the world cup, Mexico doesnt have that many other gears to step up to.

2nd and more importantly, you have to understand matchups. There are teams whose style will always pose problems for Nigeria. Any day, almost any era. Even that much hyped Nigerian 96 olympic side, we beat Mexico 2-0 while performing at our peak but that was no easy game. Understand that there are those who matchup well with you. Mexico with their quick passing and street savvy ways are always quite a team for us to face.

Naija will be fine. People were screaming and yelling for new players, we saw some, nothing to scream about really. No one can say without a doubt that balogun, imoh, and uchebo belong. They were not sensational really. Status maintained, carry on big boss.