Cybereagles

The Untold Story of Emmanuel Amuneke’s ‘Mysterious Football Tactics’ [Won FIFA U17 World Cup In Chile 2015]
https://cheeronnigeria.blogspot.com/201 ... nekes.html
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By the round of 16 matches, it became obvious to the Technical Study Group (TSG) that Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will eventually win FIFA U17 World Cup trophy again in Chile. Thanks to Emmanuel Amuneke that tutored the boys so well in tactical discipline. He made it seem so easy, as the Nigerian team outright outshine their opponents with superior tactical approach; something that looked fresh out-of-box.

Not even TSG, with their years of experience, could decipher what pattern Amuneke was using. It was incredible how the Nigerian youngsters switched positions at ease. You always found five players crowding the midfield; with play-maker Kelechi Nwakali playing deep, more like a defensive midfielder. But at intervals, he quickly switched into the attacking role as the point-man Victor Osimhen drift away to the wings dragging along the opponent defenders.

Little wonder Osimhen alone scored 10 goals to cart away the all –time Highest goal scorer - Golden Boot Award, while Nwakali got 6 goals and also won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) – Golden Ball Award.

Eaglets could have scored as much as 10 goals per match, as no other coach in the tournament could find an antidote to Amuneke’s ‘mysterious tactics,’ so to say.

For large, Nigeria national teams do not play textbook football like most European sides, but Amuneke presented a pattern of play very much refined to watch. There was an indept team play and understanding among the boys; you’d wonder where on earth did he adopted this style of play from.

Amuneke is very experienced. He was an FC Barcelona player and part of the history making Super Eagles that won African Cup of Nation as well as qualified for the world cup for the first time in 1994. Amuneke was an amazing striker in his hare days. He won the African footballer of the year Award in 1995.

Amuneke’s playing career was cut short by a recurring knee injury. Then he switch over to coaching and went on to obtain a UEFA Coaching Certificate.

Amuneke was appointed Nigeria’s U17 national team coach after he assisted Manu Garba at the 2013 U17 world cup victory in UAE. Not many expected Amuneke to replicate such fit, because the 2013 squad was regarded the best U17 team ever assembled in Nigeria then.

The first six months of Amuneke’s appointment were spent selecting players from various football academies scattered across Nigeria. The NFF technical committee also recommended some players they penciled down. There was a lot of work to be done on the boys, as their first invitational tournament at Republic of Benin didn’t turned out so well.

Amuneke returned from that tournament as started rebuilding the team afresh. Some of the players were De-camped and new ones brought-in to fortify the team. Again, Eaglets were lucky to have qualified for FIFA U17 World cup, after they finished third at African U17 Championship in Niger.

Amuneke’s ability was in doubt and some school of thoughts at NFF wanted him sacked and to replace him immediately with Nduka Ugbade. Somehow, that didn’t happen.

Amuneke began a major fire drill, where the boys actually trained three times a day with high level competition for each position. A little mis-behavior saw some players De-camped and everyone had to sit up. “ It was like a Military camp of Soldiers preparing for a major war.” Recall Ibe

Gradually, Amuneke began to instill this self invented tactics. Although, some old friends I spoke to said it wasn’t that a new tactics all together. It was like something he learned earlier at his secondary school days at Coker High School in Ajegunle. But it was a wonder really how Amuneke still remembered the winning formula of Coach Temile. The pattern that brought so much trophies and glory to the school in the late 80s’

Perhaps, NFF technical committee should also study this incredible football tactics and see if we can adopt it both for the U21 and the Super Eagles. This winning tactics may be new and still mysterious to the world, but it is a traditional style that most Footballers in Ajegunle have already mastered.

vancity eagle wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:48 am tactical approach of an U-17 tournament ?

This is a joke right ?

There's a reason why African teams dominate the youth tournaments and it doesn't translate to the full national teams. I will let you figure out why, and no its not age cheating.

It has to do with why I think its so funny you are focusing on "tactical approach" when coaching 16 year olds.

You think those same tactics will translate to full grown men ?

waka-man wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:31 am What language was this written in originally? Reads like something from Google Translate. Fuse after fuse. Makes it hard to take it seriously.

Purity wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 12:12 pm Amuneke will be a huge gamble, but it will be a wise gamble.

Damunk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:51 am

waka-man wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:31 am What language was this written in originally? Reads like something from Google Translate. Fuse after fuse. Makes it hard to take it seriously.

It was - and still is - written in Nigerian English by a Nigerian.
There is lots of evidence in the article to confirm this and it is obviously an opinion piece which doesn’t really offer much by way of tactical analysis other than to suggest that Amuneke’s style is ‘unanalysable’.
Interesting.

Sunset wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:31 pm For those who actually watched his Tanzania team there was a clear approach in his teams play that was consistent with his U17's and it was each players spatial understanding as an individual and a collective. The only difference was the quality of execution, I'm sure with a stronger team they can actually do quite well under those circumstances.

Enugu II wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:04 pm

Sunset wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:31 pm
My concern about his approach is that it would wear thin among Nigerian professional players. His approach is very tasking with the constant aggressive shutting down of spaces when the other team has the ball. It is often quite frenetic and I am not sure players coming from Europe will find that fun under the heat playing in such a regimen. That is just my concern.

Well, then the 'professional' players might have just stumbled unto our version of Tiki-taka. Maintain possession and let the other team be chasing the ball. Good luck with that style with Balogun, and Ekong as part of your setup.

Enugu II wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:04 pm

Sunset wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:31 pm For those who actually watched his Tanzania team there was a clear approach in his teams play that was consistent with his U17's and it was each players spatial understanding as an individual and a collective. The only difference was the quality of execution, I'm sure with a stronger team they can actually do quite well under those circumstances.

Sunset,

What is clear to me is that many people here never watched Tanzania under Amuneke. That much is clear.

As I have noted several times, that Tanzanian team was pretty impressive but lacked the individual talent and depth to achieve the coach's dream. In my view, if he was managing a more talented team he would have achieved much more.

My concern about his approach is that it would wear thin among Nigerian professional players. His approach is very tasking with the constant aggressive shutting down of spaces when the other team has the ball. It is often quite frenetic and I am not sure players coming from Europe will find that fun under the heat playing in such a regimen. That is just my concern.

Enugu II wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:48 pm

Damunk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:51 am

waka-man wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:31 am What language was this written in originally? Reads like something from Google Translate. Fuse after fuse. Makes it hard to take it seriously.

It was - and still is - written in Nigerian English by a Nigerian.
There is lots of evidence in the article to confirm this and it is obviously an opinion piece which doesn’t really offer much by way of tactical analysis other than to suggest that Amuneke’s style is ‘unanalysable’.
Interesting.

LOL. Is it unanalyzable because it does not fit their current models or it is too complicated for them to breakdown? Apparently it was good to overcome those who used analyzable tactics in the competition.

“Nearly every team defended zonally, although Nigeria deployed a mix of zonal and man marking in their own half”

Virtually all of these 17 teams kicked off with a lone striker, who would be available for a pass when the ball was won back or would run into space during counter- attacks (e.g. Nigeria).

The successful teams varied their attacking play: Mali, Nigeria, Mexico and Belgium all scored from wing play, passes in behind the defence, long-range shots, combination play and counter-attacks, and set pieces.

Enyi wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:45 am There is no tactical approach to coaching by Amunieke, never was, never will.

He lucked out in Tanzania and thats it. He is not goodenough to coacb the SE. Either we get s young coach with hunger anx pedigree abroad or we give the dominant coacb in the NPFL a chance period

Damunk wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 8:17 am

Enugu II wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:48 pm

Damunk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:51 am

waka-man wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:31 am What language was this written in originally? Reads like something from Google Translate. Fuse after fuse. Makes it hard to take it seriously.

It was - and still is - written in Nigerian English by a Nigerian.
There is lots of evidence in the article to confirm this and it is obviously an opinion piece which doesn’t really offer much by way of tactical analysis other than to suggest that Amuneke’s style is ‘unanalysable’.
Interesting.

LOL. Is it unanalyzable because it does not fit their current models or it is too complicated for them to breakdown? Apparently it was good to overcome those who used analyzable tactics in the competition.

Prof, like I said, this article is the writer’s personal opinion piece and much of what he says is pure conjecture. Even fabu.

FACT CHECK:
The FIFA Technical Studies Group (TSG) report on the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup said no such thing on Amuneke’s team or his tactics.

If that were indeed the case, one would expect that having won the tournament Nigeria would have had a lot more coverage in the tactical analysis section. But that did not happen. Rather Nigeria was mentioned only in reference as an example of what a number of teams were doing.
For example:

“Nearly every team defended zonally, although Nigeria deployed a mix of zonal and man marking in their own half”

Or,

Virtually all of these 17 teams kicked off with a lone striker, who would be available for a pass when the ball was won back or would run into space during counter- attacks (e.g. Nigeria).

The successful teams varied their attacking play: Mali, Nigeria, Mexico and Belgium all scored from wing play, passes in behind the defence, long-range shots, combination play and counter-attacks, and set pieces.

Nothing in the technical report suggested our team’s tactics were ‘unanalysable’ or that there was anything unique about our play. That is just a figment of the writer’s imagination.

I think it is a bit far fetched to believe FIFA’s technical study groups are unable to break down and understand a coach’s tactical approach, no matter how innovative they might be.

Enugu II wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 6:26 pm

Damunk wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 8:17 am

Enugu II wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:48 pm

Damunk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:51 am

waka-man wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:31 am What language was this written in originally? Reads like something from Google Translate. Fuse after fuse. Makes it hard to take it seriously.

It was - and still is - written in Nigerian English by a Nigerian.
There is lots of evidence in the article to confirm this and it is obviously an opinion piece which doesn’t really offer much by way of tactical analysis other than to suggest that Amuneke’s style is ‘unanalysable’.
Interesting.

LOL. Is it unanalyzable because it does not fit their current models or it is too complicated for them to breakdown? Apparently it was good to overcome those who used analyzable tactics in the competition.

Prof, like I said, this article is the writer’s personal opinion piece and much of what he says is pure conjecture. Even fabu.

FACT CHECK:
The FIFA Technical Studies Group (TSG) report on the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup said no such thing on Amuneke’s team or his tactics.

If that were indeed the case, one would expect that having won the tournament Nigeria would have had a lot more coverage in the tactical analysis section. But that did not happen. Rather Nigeria was mentioned only in reference as an example of what a number of teams were doing.
For example:

“Nearly every team defended zonally, although Nigeria deployed a mix of zonal and man marking in their own half”

Or,

Virtually all of these 17 teams kicked off with a lone striker, who would be available for a pass when the ball was won back or would run into space during counter- attacks (e.g. Nigeria).

The successful teams varied their attacking play: Mali, Nigeria, Mexico and Belgium all scored from wing play, passes in behind the defence, long-range shots, combination play and counter-attacks, and set pieces.

Nothing in the technical report suggested our team’s tactics were ‘unanalysable’ or that there was anything unique about our play. That is just a figment of the writer’s imagination.

I think it is a bit far fetched to believe FIFA’s technical study groups are unable to break down and understand a coach’s tactical approach, no matter how innovative they might be.

Damunk,

All tactical analyses that you read, including FIFA's, are based on personal views. Nothing different here.

The writer shares his/her own personal views of Amuneke's tactics. The FIFA Technical Group (TSG) does the same.

The articles I shared about the other two coaches that Nigeria may be considering are also based on personal views. The only certainty is when the Manager specifies the tactics that he had designed and attempted to use. I use the word "attempted" deliberately because the use is always an attempt because nothing is given in the success of those methods either in its implementation by the team and how much is disentangled by the opposition.

Damunk wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 6:34 pm

Enugu II wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 6:26 pm

Damunk wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 8:17 am

Enugu II wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:48 pm

Damunk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:51 am

waka-man wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 7:31 am What language was this written in originally? Reads like something from Google Translate. Fuse after fuse. Makes it hard to take it seriously.

It was - and still is - written in Nigerian English by a Nigerian.
There is lots of evidence in the article to confirm this and it is obviously an opinion piece which doesn’t really offer much by way of tactical analysis other than to suggest that Amuneke’s style is ‘unanalysable’.
Interesting.

LOL. Is it unanalyzable because it does not fit their current models or it is too complicated for them to breakdown? Apparently it was good to overcome those who used analyzable tactics in the competition.

Prof, like I said, this article is the writer’s personal opinion piece and much of what he says is pure conjecture. Even fabu.

FACT CHECK:
The FIFA Technical Studies Group (TSG) report on the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup said no such thing on Amuneke’s team or his tactics.

If that were indeed the case, one would expect that having won the tournament Nigeria would have had a lot more coverage in the tactical analysis section. But that did not happen. Rather Nigeria was mentioned only in reference as an example of what a number of teams were doing.
For example:

“Nearly every team defended zonally, although Nigeria deployed a mix of zonal and man marking in their own half”

Or,

Virtually all of these 17 teams kicked off with a lone striker, who would be available for a pass when the ball was won back or would run into space during counter- attacks (e.g. Nigeria).

The successful teams varied their attacking play: Mali, Nigeria, Mexico and Belgium all scored from wing play, passes in behind the defence, long-range shots, combination play and counter-attacks, and set pieces.

Nothing in the technical report suggested our team’s tactics were ‘unanalysable’ or that there was anything unique about our play. That is just a figment of the writer’s imagination.

I think it is a bit far fetched to believe FIFA’s technical study groups are unable to break down and understand a coach’s tactical approach, no matter how innovative they might be.

Damunk,

All tactical analyses that you read, including FIFA's, are based on personal views. Nothing different here.

The writer shares his/her own personal views of Amuneke's tactics. The FIFA Technical Group (TSG) does the same.

The articles I shared about the other two coaches that Nigeria may be considering are also based on personal views. The only certainty is when the Manager specifies the tactics that he had designed and attempted to use. I use the word "attempted" deliberately because the use is always an attempt because nothing is given in the success of those methods either in its implementation by the team and how much is disentangled by the opposition.

Yes Prof, I understand perfectly.
But the writer was giving the distinct impression that he was reflecting the views of the 2015 FIFA U17 TSG.
Moreover, he doesn't even identify himself so that we can know how much respect to accord what is obviously his very personal opinion. If he didnt understand Amunke's tactics then he should have said so, rather than project his confusion onto FIFA's TSG.

The guy na 4-one-9.

Enugu II wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 7:04 pm Damunk,

I actually do not think the guy's report is 4-1-9. What I do agree is that it is his personal view and not drawn directly from FIFA report. However, there is no place in the guy's report where he wrote that he obtained his views from the FIFA Report. I may have missed it but if you can you may direct us to the passage where he makes this claim..

By the round of 16 matches, it became obvious to the Technical Study Group (TSG) that Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will eventually win FIFA U17 World Cup trophy again in Chile.

Not even TSG, with their years of experience, could decipher what pattern Amuneke was using. It was incredible how the Nigerian youngsters switched positions at ease.

Damunk wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 10:03 pm

Enugu II wrote: ↑Wed Nov 24, 2021 7:04 pm Damunk,

I actually do not think the guy's report is 4-1-9. What I do agree is that it is his personal view and not drawn directly from FIFA report. However, there is no place in the guy's report where he wrote that he obtained his views from the FIFA Report. I may have missed it but if you can you may direct us to the passage where he makes this claim..

Prof, his opening sentences suggested he was quoting from a reputable source or that he was reflecting the views of the FIFA TSG.

By the round of 16 matches, it became obvious to the Technical Study Group (TSG) that Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will eventually win FIFA U17 World Cup trophy again in Chile.

Not even TSG, with their years of experience, could decipher what pattern Amuneke was using. It was incredible how the Nigerian youngsters switched positions at ease.

Since that was not the case, one wonders where he got the above two points from.
The answer is obvious: his yansh.