Nigeria v KSA. Starting lineup and game thread

[airwolex]

Good performance so far.

Semi Ajayi's passing no be am.

Lookman looks slow...what's up? He had a good turn of pace.

Boniface looks like a Kanu type. Skillful but lazy.

Ebuehi is awful.

[metalalloy]

On the whole, very good performance. More balanced than usual.
Samu and Lookman has missed easy chances.
The Boniface - Osi partnership has potential but needs work.
Ndidi and Iwobi are bossing the midfield

But the Saudi’s woeful. Like Sao Tome woeful.

I don't know about the highlighted. Our players are just a bit too fast for them and havent made a ton of mistakes. They are struggling against our press.

[Ekorian]

Man dey look for link una dey hia dey tok formation for match wet you no see

There are several links on Facebook. I'm watching the one with about 1.9k views.

[vancity eagle]

Wow, just wow.

I can say today that coaching and formation IS NOT THE PROBLEM.

The formation is actually working very well today, and the players are playing positionally very well to make this formation work. Something we havent seen in the past.

The problem is THE PLAYERS, and their piss poor finishing and decision making in the final third.

Osimehn and Lookman both missed sitters

Boniface shot from a poor angle when he could have squared to Lookman for an easy tap in.

Chukwueze failed to hit an empty net.

Ebuehi is not SE material. I now see why 3 coaches in a row have not fancied him. I guess this was Peseiro giving him one final chance, and he has failed miserably.I expect Samuel to replace him in the 2nd half.

Chukwueze has been also very poor.

Boniface dissapears at times.

Despite the many complaints, the team, AS A TEAM, and positionally has played very well.

They are well coached I can tell you that. Peseiro is nowhere near the problem.

[waka-man]

At Lookman delivered some dangerous crosses.
Samu needs help. So much talent, so poorly used.
Ebuehi doesn’t belong in the SE.Theres nothing there.
Bruno on the other hand is a massive revelation. Both defensively and offensively.

[Robotnik]

I see why Nigeria will struggle in AFCON

Our so called strikers cannot convert chances in high pressure situations. There seems to be misunderstanding finding themselves in the final 3rd of the pitch.

The team cannot move the ball in the middle of the park, we have to resort to the wings

When wingers are not delivering the team is flat

Need to see what Fisayo can do along with Boniface in the middle attacking 3rd.

[Bigpokey24]

All SE in this half.. it's been a miss=match..if not for poor finishing..but Saudi aren't giving us any test at all

[YUJAM]

A decent game. Quick passing and playing with purpose. But there are some question marks. Ebuehi has been merely average. Lookman also seems ineffective

[ANC]

Chukwueze needs to be dropped

or moved to the left, he is far too predictable for defenders.

[lacidi]

Ebuehi, Ajayi, Chukwueze and Lookman haven't played well. Ajayi is very poor playing out from the back. He has made like 4 wrong passes.

[metalalloy]

I see why Nigeria will struggle in AFCON

Our so called strikers cannot convert chances in high pressure situations. There seems to be misunderstanding finding themselves in the final 3rd of the pitch.

The team cannot move the ball in the middle of the park, we have to resort to the wings

When wingers are not delivering the team is flat

Need to see what Fisayo can do along with Boniface in the middle attacking 3rd.

How many teams can effectively move the ball in the part of the congested part of the field where most of the bodies are? Playing it through the wings where we have our fastest players makes sense. We just havent converted the handful of chances that we have had. Delivery into the box has been pretty good compared to what we have seen in the past.

[maceo4]

On the whole, very good performance. More balanced than usual.
Samu and Lookman has missed easy chances.
The Boniface - Osi partnership has potential but needs work.
Ndidi and Iwobi are bossing the midfield

But the Saudi’s woeful. Like Sao Tome woeful.

I agree overall we’ve been played a good possession game and took it to them, but yes they are very poor team, but our poor finishing might give them confidence in the second half…

[mapet]

1. Chukwueze been Poor
2. Ebuehi has been poor going forward... most useless SE player in this half
3. Iwobi is not moving, not influencing midfield play
4. Lukman and Oyemachi combining well, but Lookman's finishing poor
5. No creativity behind Osimen and Boniface, so we're making the duo do extra work. We need Iheanachor in the 2nd
6. Lukman should understand a team psychology - You give Osimeh the ball to bury it, not when we're yet to score.
7. In spite of our ball possession, I'm yet to see us make those possession count in terms of positive forward movement. We're not creating spaces in the middle until we send the balls to the wings.

[airwolex]

I can see why Lookman is a support striker in Atalanta. He just isn't effective against fast defenders on the wings.

Plenty of positives though. Ndidi looks very good. Iwobi looks good. Osimhen is Osimhen.

[metalalloy]

Ebuehi is just not Eagles material.

And Chukwueze na jos Choosin Material!

[Lolly]

What's gone wrong with Ebuehi? That injury has really set him back.. He doesn't look strong on the ball (not that he was very strong before) and doesn't have the confidence he used to have before. I feel for the boy.

[packerland]

I see why Nigeria will struggle in AFCON

Our so called strikers cannot convert chances in high pressure situations. There seems to be misunderstanding finding themselves in the final 3rd of the pitch.

The team cannot move the ball in the middle of the park, we have to resort to the wings

When wingers are not delivering the team is flat

Need to see what Fisayo can do along with Boniface in the middle attacking 3rd.

You get it A good team will shut down the wing play and and over run our two man midfield.

[Dammy]

Ebuehi, Ajayi, Chukwueze and Lookman haven't played well. Ajayi is very poor playing out from the back. He has made like 4 wrong passes.

I thought I was the only one who noticed Ajayi’s poor passing. I counted at least 3 such passes and Ebuehi is playing himself out of the team. His competition are Osayi-Samuel and Aina, and they both offer better.
Chukwueze just dey spoil ball, although he gave that wonderful pass to Lookman

[metalalloy]

1. Chukwueze been Poor
2. Ebuehi has been poor going forward... most useless SE player in this half
3. Iwobi is not moving, not influencing midfield play
4. Lukman and Oyemachi combining well, but Lookman's finishing poor
5. No creativity behind Osimen and Boniface, so we're making the duo do extra work. We need Iheanachor in the 2nd
6. Lukman should understand a team psychology - You give Osimeh the ball to bury it, not when we're yet to score.
7. In spite of our ball possession, I'm yet to see us make those possession count in terms of positive forward movement. We're not creating spaces in the middle until we send the balls to the wings.

Are you sure you watching the same game No creativity, and Iheanacho is the solution?

[airwolex]

What's gone wrong with Ebuehi? That injury has really set him back.. He doesn't look strong on the ball (not that he was very strong before) and doesn't have the confidence he used to have before. I feel for the boy.

He is the only one that looks like he doesn't belong at all.

[naijaguy]

The only issue we have is just converting out chances.

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

1. Chukwueze been Poor
2. Ebuehi has been poor going forward... most useless SE player in this half
3. Iwobi is not moving, not influencing midfield play
4. Lukman and Oyemachi combining well, but Lookman's finishing poor
5. No creativity behind Osimen and Boniface, so we're making the duo do extra work. We need Iheanachor in the 2nd
6. Lukman should understand a team psychology - You give Osimeh the ball to bury it, not when we're yet to score.
7. In spite of our ball possession, I'm yet to see us make those possession count in terms of positive forward movement. We're not creating spaces in the middle until we send the balls to the wings.

All Pessiero needs to do is remove Lookman for Fisayo . That’s all!

[Lolly]

What's gone wrong with Ebuehi? That injury has really set him back.. He doesn't look strong on the ball (not that he was very strong before) and doesn't have the confidence he used to have before. I feel for the boy.

He is the only one that looks like he doesn't belong at all.

Chukwueze and Lookman are not far behind. Lookman even looks dangerous but Chukwueze is just dancing around the ball apart from that pass to Lookman. I will sub both if I am the coach. They need to know they should be doing much better.