How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Mate, the irony is that Croatia 🇭🇷 is the opposite: it has a good young GK and one of the best defenders in the world, yet is “light” in the center forward position. I wonder: in a fantasy world where Osimhen and Lookman were Croats, would their extra cutting edge in attack have helped Croatia win that World Cup semi-final against Argentina 🇦🇷?…
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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wiseone wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2023 7:56 pm Mate, the irony is that Croatia 🇭🇷 is the opposite: it has a good young GK and one of the best defenders in the world, yet is “light” in the center forward position. I wonder: in a fantasy world where Osimhen and Lookman were Croats, would their extra cutting edge in attack have helped Croatia win that World Cup semi-final against Argentina 🇦🇷?…
I definitely think so. Imagine them receiving from Modric, Brozovic, and Kovacic...with Persic supporting from the flanks? Osimhen and Lookman with Croatia would have put Argentina on its heels big time...negating the big counters where we failed uncharacteristically, finally exposing Lovren.

I'm going to watch the initial Euro qualifiers closely to see how we deal with the forward crisis.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Mate, remember when I said that when Osimhen, Moffi, and Bassey are eventually sold, their combined transfer fee will be in the £100-150 million range?

I was wrong. Osimhen keeps on inflating his eventual transfer fee (he scored another 2 goals in the Champions League tonight). Osimhen alone will cost at least £100 million.

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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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wiseone wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 2:25 am Mate, remember when I said that when Osimhen, Moffi, and Bassey are eventually sold, their combined transfer fee will be in the £100-150 million range?

I was wrong. Osimhen keeps on inflating his eventual transfer fee (he scored another 2 goals in the Champions League tonight). Osimhen alone will cost at least £100 million.


Good stuff. The kid is definitely good and still has a higher ceiling. We've been watching him for a while...so far so good.

This is good for Nigeria. Let's hope the Super-Eagles find the midfield and he deserves.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Seems that Croatia has some talented lads in its next generation. Croatia 🇭🇷 U21s beat England U21 2-1 - away in England. Croatia was winning 2-0 until England scored a penalty with 3 minutes remaining.

Croatia’s victory is all the more impressive when one sees the quality of players in the England U21 team such as Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer from Man City, Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Ben Johnson (West Ham), and James Garner (Man Utd will regret selling him to Everton).
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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wiseone wrote: Wed Mar 29, 2023 5:14 am Seems that Croatia has some talented lads in its next generation. Croatia 🇭🇷 U21s beat England U21 2-1 - away in England. Croatia was winning 2-0 until England scored a penalty with 3 minutes remaining.

Croatia’s victory is all the more impressive when one sees the quality of players in the England U21 team such as Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer from Man City, Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Ben Johnson (West Ham), and James Garner (Man Utd will regret selling him to Everton).
I'm counting on this. As I keep bringing up, we badly need attackers. Our senior team beat Turkey 2-0 away in EC qualifying.

If he had but 1 forward, it would have been 3 or 4 goals. A lack of goal scoring left us vulnerable against a Wales team we dominated last Friday. They scored in the last minute of extra time.

Balance is important. We have it all except up front...and has been the margin of difference between being very good vs a champion. Again, I'm hoping our youth come through.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Wisone, BTW: I saw Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau trade 1-0 results in the past 2 games. I didn't get to watch...but read on the SE main channel that osimhen simply didn't get the support he needed up front...again, the reverse problem of Croatia.

https://africa.espn.com/football/africa ... p-up-front

Are you in the USA? How do you watch Nigeria games? I had to buy a Fubo 1 month package for $75! Expensive. Wish there was a better way to get global football for a fair price.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Hi Mate. Here is another U25 Nigerian player to keep tabs on: Gift Orban (20yo). He is being touted as The Next Big Thing and Premier League clubs such as Chelsea, Man Utd, and Spurs are apparently monitoring him.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... Orban.html

His entire professional career consists of 1 year during which his record so far is:

Played 43 matches
Scored 38 goals

He was not on my original list along with Osimhen and the others because 6 months ago he was not on most people's radar. Come to think of it - last year, he was not even a professional footballer!

In the space of 1 year, this young man has gone from obscurity to tearing up scoring charts in Europe (he averages a goal every game for his club Gent). People did not even know about him in Nigeria until a few months ago because only last year, he was playing in non-professional regional leagues!

He scored the fastest hat-trick in UEFA competition history (scored 3 goals in only 3 minutes in a Europa Conference League match), scored a hat-trick in his last match, and has scored 19 goals in 19 games for his current club.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Just to share, Croatia did a great job reaching the European Nations League final. Losing to Spain on PKs. I am proud of the team, cannot complain...as we played to maximum potential.

The margins are thin in any game, let alone between 2 finalists. This one came down to Croatia not having 1 top class attacker. Spain doesn't either, as ironically we're extremely similar teams.


PKs, in spite of our reputation for being good at them, are a lottery. If we were to win, we had to score in regulation. We have a better midfield and defense than Spain, but without an attack, it usually comes down to a low scoring affair where any team is in it in a game like football.

Anyways, this speaks to our ongoing discussion, one impacting Nigeria: BALANCE.

How do you ensure balance? A complete team? It isn't easy. We're about to go through a major transition here as Modric retires. I don't know we can take up the slack. Brozovic is 30 and I'm not confident in Kovacic. I definitely now see Majer isn' it...overrated and showing his limits when it counted.

I'm gutted for our team. I really wanted some kind of title. I guess I continue to dream the impossible dream for a small country like Croatia.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:03 pm Just to share, Croatia did a great job reaching the European Nations League final. Losing to Spain on PKs. I am proud of the team, cannot complain...as we played to maximum potential.

The margins are thin in any game, let alone between 2 finalists. This one came down to Croatia not having 1 top class attacker. Spain doesn't either, as ironically we're extremely similar teams.


PKs, in spite of our reputation for being good at them, are a lottery. If we were to win, we had to score in regulation. We have a better midfield and defense than Spain, but without an attack, it usually comes down to a low scoring affair where any team is in it in a game like football.

Anyways, this speaks to our ongoing discussion, one impacting Nigeria: BALANCE.

How do you ensure balance? A complete team? It isn't easy. We're about to go through a major transition here as Modric retires. I don't know we can take up the slack. Brozovic is 30 and I'm not confident in Kovacic. I definitely now see Majer isn' it...overrated and showing his limits when it counted.

I'm gutted for our team. I really wanted some kind of title. I guess I continue to dream the impossible dream for a small country like Croatia.
My commiserations on losing on PKs, to Spain of all teams! :woot: Had Spain ever won a PK shootout before that game?

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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Scipio Africanus wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:53 pm
mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:03 pm Just to share, Croatia did a great job reaching the European Nations League final. Losing to Spain on PKs. I am proud of the team, cannot complain...as we played to maximum potential.

The margins are thin in any game, let alone between 2 finalists. This one came down to Croatia not having 1 top class attacker. Spain doesn't either, as ironically we're extremely similar teams.


PKs, in spite of our reputation for being good at them, are a lottery. If we were to win, we had to score in regulation. We have a better midfield and defense than Spain, but without an attack, it usually comes down to a low scoring affair where any team is in it in a game like football.

Anyways, this speaks to our ongoing discussion, one impacting Nigeria: BALANCE.

How do you ensure balance? A complete team? It isn't easy. We're about to go through a major transition here as Modric retires. I don't know we can take up the slack. Brozovic is 30 and I'm not confident in Kovacic. I definitely now see Majer isn' it...overrated and showing his limits when it counted.

I'm gutted for our team. I really wanted some kind of title. I guess I continue to dream the impossible dream for a small country like Croatia.
My commiserations on losing on PKs, to Spain of all teams! :woot: Had Spain ever won a PK shootout before that game?
I’m not sure.

But most Spanish fans were complementary and even sorry to a degree. They really like Modric and Croatia.

They too suffered many defeats before finally breaking through. I’m going to have to wait. I’m 57 and hope I see Croatia win a title before I die.

I’m hoping the same for the USA with a World Cup or at least deep run. CONCACAF titles aren’t so meaningful.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 9:17 pm
Scipio Africanus wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:53 pm
mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:03 pm Just to share, Croatia did a great job reaching the European Nations League final. Losing to Spain on PKs. I am proud of the team, cannot complain...as we played to maximum potential.

The margins are thin in any game, let alone between 2 finalists. This one came down to Croatia not having 1 top class attacker. Spain doesn't either, as ironically we're extremely similar teams.


PKs, in spite of our reputation for being good at them, are a lottery. If we were to win, we had to score in regulation. We have a better midfield and defense than Spain, but without an attack, it usually comes down to a low scoring affair where any team is in it in a game like football.

Anyways, this speaks to our ongoing discussion, one impacting Nigeria: BALANCE.

How do you ensure balance? A complete team? It isn't easy. We're about to go through a major transition here as Modric retires. I don't know we can take up the slack. Brozovic is 30 and I'm not confident in Kovacic. I definitely now see Majer isn' it...overrated and showing his limits when it counted.

I'm gutted for our team. I really wanted some kind of title. I guess I continue to dream the impossible dream for a small country like Croatia.
My commiserations on losing on PKs, to Spain of all teams! :woot: Had Spain ever won a PK shootout before that game?
I’m not sure.

But most Spanish fans were complementary and even sorry to a degree. They really like Modric and Croatia.

They too suffered many defeats before finally breaking through. I’m going to have to wait. I’m 57 and hope I see Croatia win a title before I die.

I’m hoping the same for the USA with a World Cup or at least deep run. CONCACAF titles aren’t so meaningful.
No worries. I am fairly certain Croatia will win a major title within the next 20 years. They have beaten the big 4 of Italy, Brazil, Argentina and Germany at the highest level. They just have to get over their nemesis France and this should happen soon. If not the WC, then you are definitely going to win the Euros. Mark this post. Stay away from the red meat and put in the cardio work and you will definitely be around to see it :mrgreen:

The USA should make at least the semifinals of the next WC with a favorable draw, meaning they only face one of the big eight(big 4 + Netherlands, Spain, France and Portugal/Uruguay)

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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:03 pm How do you ensure balance? A complete team? It isn't easy. We're about to go through a major transition here as Modric retires. I don't know we can take up the slack.
Mate,

We would never agree on where Modric seats in the pantheon of Croatian footballers, still my third best ever Croatian attacking midfielder for example. Having said that, his hard work ethic (shown again in that Spain game) to top off the skillset he has is making me do a rethink.

Just like Boban and Prosinecki retired and little Croatia were still breeding incredible footballers, same would happen with Modric.

I can't even remember a period since Euro 96 that we haven't seen unknown people turn up in that red and white checked shirt causing problems for big teams.

You will win summat soon enough. The mindset is there already that you are not just happy being in tournaments and that is a start.

Someone still needs to find out what is in the water in your country, that you also manage to export to your diaspora, that breeds fine footballing artisans.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Scipio Africanus wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 9:28 pm
mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 9:17 pm
Scipio Africanus wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:53 pm
mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:03 pm Just to share, Croatia did a great job reaching the European Nations League final. Losing to Spain on PKs. I am proud of the team, cannot complain...as we played to maximum potential.

The margins are thin in any game, let alone between 2 finalists. This one came down to Croatia not having 1 top class attacker. Spain doesn't either, as ironically we're extremely similar teams.


PKs, in spite of our reputation for being good at them, are a lottery. If we were to win, we had to score in regulation. We have a better midfield and defense than Spain, but without an attack, it usually comes down to a low scoring affair where any team is in it in a game like football.

Anyways, this speaks to our ongoing discussion, one impacting Nigeria: BALANCE.

How do you ensure balance? A complete team? It isn't easy. We're about to go through a major transition here as Modric retires. I don't know we can take up the slack. Brozovic is 30 and I'm not confident in Kovacic. I definitely now see Majer isn' it...overrated and showing his limits when it counted.

I'm gutted for our team. I really wanted some kind of title. I guess I continue to dream the impossible dream for a small country like Croatia.
My commiserations on losing on PKs, to Spain of all teams! :woot: Had Spain ever won a PK shootout before that game?
I’m not sure.

But most Spanish fans were complementary and even sorry to a degree. They really like Modric and Croatia.

They too suffered many defeats before finally breaking through. I’m going to have to wait. I’m 57 and hope I see Croatia win a title before I die.

I’m hoping the same for the USA with a World Cup or at least deep run. CONCACAF titles aren’t so meaningful.
No worries. I am fairly certain Croatia will win a major title within the next 20 years. They have beaten the big 4 of Italy, Brazil, Argentina and Germany at the highest level. They just have to get over their nemesis France and this should happen soon. If not the WC, then you are definitely going to win the Euros. Mark this post. Stay away from the red meat and put in the cardio work and you will definitely be around to see it :mrgreen:

The USA should make at least the semifinals of the next WC with a favorable draw, meaning they only face one of the big eight(big 4 + Netherlands, Spain, France and Portugal/Uruguay)


I appreciate the good vibes. We all want our favorites to do well.

BTW: slight friendly correction...we beat France in our Nation League group to advance to the semifinals.

:)

We just need to ace an entire tournament. We shall see...and I plan to stay alive for this.

:P
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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mate wrote: Tue Jun 20, 2023 10:28 pm
Scipio Africanus wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 9:28 pm
mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 9:17 pm
Scipio Africanus wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:53 pm
mate wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:03 pm Just to share, Croatia did a great job reaching the European Nations League final. Losing to Spain on PKs. I am proud of the team, cannot complain...as we played to maximum potential.

The margins are thin in any game, let alone between 2 finalists. This one came down to Croatia not having 1 top class attacker. Spain doesn't either, as ironically we're extremely similar teams.


PKs, in spite of our reputation for being good at them, are a lottery. If we were to win, we had to score in regulation. We have a better midfield and defense than Spain, but without an attack, it usually comes down to a low scoring affair where any team is in it in a game like football.

Anyways, this speaks to our ongoing discussion, one impacting Nigeria: BALANCE.

How do you ensure balance? A complete team? It isn't easy. We're about to go through a major transition here as Modric retires. I don't know we can take up the slack. Brozovic is 30 and I'm not confident in Kovacic. I definitely now see Majer isn' it...overrated and showing his limits when it counted.

I'm gutted for our team. I really wanted some kind of title. I guess I continue to dream the impossible dream for a small country like Croatia.
My commiserations on losing on PKs, to Spain of all teams! :woot: Had Spain ever won a PK shootout before that game?
I’m not sure.

But most Spanish fans were complementary and even sorry to a degree. They really like Modric and Croatia.

They too suffered many defeats before finally breaking through. I’m going to have to wait. I’m 57 and hope I see Croatia win a title before I die.

I’m hoping the same for the USA with a World Cup or at least deep run. CONCACAF titles aren’t so meaningful.
No worries. I am fairly certain Croatia will win a major title within the next 20 years. They have beaten the big 4 of Italy, Brazil, Argentina and Germany at the highest level. They just have to get over their nemesis France and this should happen soon. If not the WC, then you are definitely going to win the Euros. Mark this post. Stay away from the red meat and put in the cardio work and you will definitely be around to see it :mrgreen:

The USA should make at least the semifinals of the next WC with a favorable draw, meaning they only face one of the big eight(big 4 + Netherlands, Spain, France and Portugal/Uruguay)


I appreciate the good vibes. We all want our favorites to do well.

BTW: slight friendly correction...we beat France in our Nation League group to advance to the semifinals.

:)

We just need to ace an entire tournament. We shall see...and I plan to stay alive for this.

:P
:clap: I forgot about that. There you go then. All that you need now is the luck of a favorable draw. You have the players and the mentality to do it.

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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Guys, I keep bringing up how important it is to have top players on top teams. Kovacic just signed for Manchester City. Fingers crossed, but Gvardiol might sign soon as well.

That would be 2 players on a Manchester City inheriting best club from Real Madrid. Ironically, Kovacic is expected to be the heir of Modric as he winds down his career at Real Madrid. It's time for Kovacic to prove himself, let's see if he has what it takes to be our midfield general.

Likewise, I hope Gvardiol becomes one of the great defenders of history. That's the hype right now. It seems Manchester City is willing to make that bet.

You never know. But my fingers are crossed.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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wiseone wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 2:51 am Keep an eye 👁 on Osimhen, Bassey, and Moffi. Those 3 are unlikely to be at their current clubs for many years. When they get sold, the combined transfer fee will be in the 100-150 million range. There is also another highly rated lad at Fenerbahce called Bright Osayi-Samuel.

The other players to keep an eye on are the dual national Nigerian players also qualified to play for other countries. Nigeria 🇳🇬 has been burned 🔥 in the past by losing several players qualified to play for Nigeria to other countries (e.g. Alaba, Musiala, Saka, Akanji, Tammy Abraham, Tomori, Karim Adeyemi, Dele Alli, Noah Okafor, Ogbonna etc).

When one considers the calibre of clubs they play for (Real Madrid, Bayern, Man City, Arsenal, AC Milan, Dortmund etc), their absence from the Nigerian NT is the difference between a team that can reach the World Cup semi-finals and a team that routinely gets knocked out in the 2nd round.
mate wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 2:19 am That is the word on the street. I heard Chelsea gave a lower offer, but it looks like Juranovic will leave Celtic soon.

BTW: I am starting to track the Nigerian NT...especially with younger players, seeing how they develop.

As we're discussing, it's important to create, train, and develop a pipeline across all positions.

This is what the modern NT game has become.
That's the problem, those guys are NOT Nigerians.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Neither were captain Ekong, Aribo, Okoye, Balogun, Akpoguma, Ebuehi, and Lookman.
Mr. Piffington wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 11:56 am
That's the problem, those guys are NOT Nigerians.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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wiseone wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:46 pm Neither were captain Ekong, Aribo, Okoye, Balogun, Akpoguma, Ebuehi, and Lookman.
Mr. Piffington wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 11:56 am
That's the problem, those guys are NOT Nigerians.
Osimhen is said to be commanding $100M+.

https://theathletic.com/4624377/2023/06 ... li-future/
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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wiseone wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:46 pm Neither were captain Ekong, Aribo, Okoye, Balogun, Akpoguma, Ebuehi, and Lookman.
Mr. Piffington wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 11:56 am
That's the problem, those guys are NOT Nigerians.
My apologies...but do you mean they are not native Nigerian?
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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All of them were born outside Nigeria, and all but 2 of them are the sons of Dutch and German women.

Yet all of them have played for the Nigerian national team.
mate wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 10:41 pm
wiseone wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:46 pm Neither were captain Ekong, Aribo, Okoye, Balogun, Akpoguma, Ebuehi, and Lookman.
Mr. Piffington wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 11:56 am
That's the problem, those guys are NOT Nigerians.
My apologies...but do you mean they are not native Nigerian?
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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mate wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 10:41 pm
wiseone wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:46 pm Neither were captain Ekong, Aribo, Okoye, Balogun, Akpoguma, Ebuehi, and Lookman.
Mr. Piffington wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 11:56 am
That's the problem, those guys are NOT Nigerians.
My apologies...but do you mean they are not native Nigerian?
Mate, Africans aren't like Europeans, we don't like the thrill of building systems we prefer the easiest path to success. There's a reason why we want third rate foreign born folk to play for us even with a population of over 200 million. Does that sound like a serious country to you? Our music industry is proof that we can create world class products if we can harness our talents, we have critical mass for it. The only reason why these foreign borns play for Nigeria is because they don't get call ups from their countries of birth but then we take them and start banging our heads on the wall wondering why we don't do well nowadays.
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Re: How come Croatia with a tiny population

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Mr. Piffington wrote: Fri Jun 23, 2023 8:32 am
mate wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 10:41 pm
wiseone wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:46 pm Neither were captain Ekong, Aribo, Okoye, Balogun, Akpoguma, Ebuehi, and Lookman.
Mr. Piffington wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 11:56 am
That's the problem, those guys are NOT Nigerians.
My apologies...but do you mean they are not native Nigerian?
Mate, Africans aren't like Europeans, we don't like the thrill of building systems we prefer the easiest path to success. There's a reason why we want third rate foreign born folk to play for us even with a population of over 200 million. Does that sound like a serious country to you? Our music industry is proof that we can create world class products if we can harness our talents, we have critical mass for it. The only reason why these foreign borns play for Nigeria is because they don't get call ups from their countries of birth but then we take them and start banging our heads on the wall wondering why we don't do well nowadays.

I agree that Nigeria doesn't do enough for its footballers. It's obviously painfully evolving. 200M is a great population pool for a society loving the sport.

I still think there might be a place for exceptional talent. Croatia as I posted way earlier actively identifies and recruits players from abroad with Croatian heritage. The best example was Ivan Rakitic, born and raised in Switzerland, but visiting Croatia a lot...maybe this is a differentiator, being so close in a compact Europe?

We almost got Pulisic from the USA. Croatia gave him a passport to play in Germany at 16. I truly believe we'd win WC 2018 if he were playing up front with Manzdukic and Rebic.

It's worth taking really good players if they have your heritage. And are genuine about it.
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