African Football Discussion Thread {Male & Female} Current Topic: 👉 WAFCON

[Hatchy]

I don't think it has anything to do with the coach, it's about the seriousness of the players, what difference did Chelle bring to the super Eagles team yesterday that made Nigeria to win, it is not the same players we've been using.the players felt that their is need for them to get the three points after losing Several of their qualifying games. There was nothing extra ordinary that the coach did. I don't also think they had ego, I felt they've realized how important it is to qualify for the World Cup, so they don't want to give room for excuses anymore, from the first half, you could see how desperate the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola lookman and the rest forwarders where pushing forward the ball, until they secured that first two goals in the first half.

I think to be frank, the coach plays a major role in the team. He's Job is to make sure we get the best players we can and he's to manage their formations and lining on the Field. I won't totally conclude that the coach has been at fault in our super eagles, as even the players were supposed to play their roles as well. Nigeria players lacks unity like I'll always say, we have many star players playing for clubs outside the country, having a good team is not supposed to be a problem for us. I was happy with their last victory, and I hope we can see more in the upcoming games...

[Davidvictorson]

Super Eagles players played well and I will say they played better than before, yesterday performance against Rwanda shows that our Super Eagles are ready to qualify for the next World Cup competition, Rwanda has been a difficult team for Super Eagles for the past years but yesterday shows that the Super eagles are ready to play against any team, Before the match I was saying that if Super Eagles can not defeat Rwanda that shows that our last two years Africa players of the years are not serious but our Africa players of the year turn up.

I give them their flowers they played great. I want to also credit our coach for bringing freshness into the team. Despite their win though, Rwanda is still one point ahead of us. And we need another win to move up above them atleast into top three position on the Group C table. We have another leg with Rwanda and that is the one that I am more afraid of. That one is on 1 September 2025. This motivation and momentum must be sustained such that even if Osimhen didn't show up another player can as well score great goals against Rwanda again.

[KingsDen]

Rwanda is rank 122 and Nigeria is rank 31 place.

These rankings don't matter much anymore, just look at where Nigeria is in the table:



https://www.skysports.com/fifa-world-cup-african-qualifying-table

see that Rwanda even surpassed South Africa in the table, at least for now, my point is that the bookmakers do not offer money, when they put odds of 2.00 for the favorite, Is because of the analyses they did they concluded that there is a high risk of the favorite losing, as I have seen that in this thread there is a lot of talk about the Nigerian national team, so I thought I would see odds of 1.20 in favor of Nigeria, because that would mean that many people believe that Nigeria would win easily, even because I see Nigeria with a much better squad than Rwanda

There are metrics bookmakers use in determining these odds. The popular way gamblers pick their teams is to go through past data on matches played and making their predictions based on the information they gathered. Rwanda beat South Africa by two goals to nil remember therefore this data will also influence the odds. But Nigeria is a different and stronger team, I am happy that we won comfortably yesterday.

I don't understand this table. How did it come about and when did Nigeria play 4 matches and only able to get 3 points and against which countries did this happen. When looking at the table, it is not well balanced because Nigeria is supposed to be No 1, maybe SA number two and other countries will follow.

Is this African Cup qualifications or World cup qualifiers and when will it end. Like how many more matches are to be played so that I will know the possibilities of Nigeria qualifying from this group.

[Franctoshi]

Super Eagles players played well and I will say they played better than before, yesterday performance against Rwanda shows that our Super Eagles are ready to qualify for the next World Cup competition, Rwanda has been a difficult team for Super Eagles for the past years but yesterday shows that the Super eagles are ready to play against any team, Before the match I was saying that if Super Eagles can not defeat Rwanda that shows that our last two years Africa players of the years are not serious but our Africa players of the year turn up.

I give them their flowers they played great. I want to also credit our coach for bringing freshness into the team. Despite their win though, Rwanda is still one point ahead of us. And we need another win to move up above them atleast into top three position on the Group C table. We have another leg with Rwanda and that is the one that I am more afraid of. That one is on 1 September 2025. This motivation and momentum must be sustained such that even if Osimhen didn't show up another player can as well score great goals against Rwanda again.

The Super Eagles performance in that game was great and that's the kind of performance I want to see with them going forward, They won the game with ease despite that they're more stronger than their opponent team Rwanda, especially Victor Osimhen first account opening goal was what that really interest me the most, it was indeed a fantastic finishing strike that the keeper couldn't even move at all.
They make us proud after wining that match.

[Callido]

And I think anyone saying the Super Eagles has the best squad right now in Africa isn't making a wrong statement.

Having some famous players in the national team does not make the national team the best in Africa. What will make the national team the best in Africa are the achievements that a national team has achieved at that time. At the moment, the reality is that the Nigerian national team is the worst in Group C, along with Zimbabwe.

In all these 4 games in which the Nigerian national team lost points, they were playing with the same famous players that they have, and the result was that they lost against Benin, drew against Zimbabwe, against South Africa and against Lesotho. If the Nigerian players today play with inflated egos and consider themselves the best team in Africa, they may lose points again. They should not underestimate the opponent or set themselves a title when they are not winning anything big at the moment.

I don't think the players pride themselves as the best in Africa or played those matches with inflated egos. What happened was that we had a bad coach who did not know what he wasn't doing and this led to our poor performance. We've a new coach now and today's game is his first match in charge of the super eagles. I won't say we played very well but I'm happy we got all three points and I hope we improve more and get some good results.

I don't think it has anything to do with the coach, it's about the seriousness of the players, what difference did Chelle bring to the super Eagles team yesterday that made Nigeria to win, it is not the same players we've been using.the players felt that their is need for them to get the three points after losing Several of their qualifying games. There was nothing extra ordinary that the coach did. I don't also think they had ego, I felt they've realized how important it is to qualify for the World Cup, so they don't want to give room for excuses anymore, from the first half, you could see how desperate the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola lookman and the rest forwarders where pushing forward the ball, until they secured that first two goals in the first half.

@Spaceman1000$  are you saying these players never knew how important fixturing for the world cup means for them in their national shirts? I am making no mistake on agreeing with that. Secondly, all the previous coaches were really bad with their tactics and philosophy with the players because how is it that same players that they all failed to get all three points in those early games are the set of players Eric Chelle is using and advancing excellently with in all departments on the field. Lets give Chelle the accolades for doing what those other coaches failed to do and that's simple.

Are we not being too quick to judge the exceptional performance of Chelle the new coach over the past coaches, this is his first game managing the team, not that Rwanda are like a more tough opponent, Rwanda are 3rd in the group table, we can't call them the toughest in our group so i doubt if we should be celebrating this much, next match is against Zimbabwe not also a tough opponent where they hold the last in the group. Our next match should be a success, a compulsory win for the team.

Chelle arrangement of players on the pitch is really confusing, watching the game made me realized he might be up to something good but with the new tactics it will be best if we don't face a stronger opponent, we are not yet ready for the big games, the squad is there but the tactics still needs some level to it.

[Zigabel]

The super eagles played like they had something to loose and they delivered, afterall if they quality it is them that will play in the finals, not you and I. Also it was the first test for our new coach, whether it was is expertise or our players extraordinary efforts that got us the win, what matters is that our team collected all the points in the game. With subsequent games that the super eagles will play that is when we can judge whether the new coach is bringing something different and spectacular to the table or he is just hiding behind the super talents if our players. I wish the super eagles all the best in their upcoming matches.

The mindset of there's something to loose is a very practical one that did helped the Super Eagles well enough and got them to the point of victory,  indeed the first test has been successfully passed by the new coach and some level of trust will now be built on him because he has proven that he can be trustworthy even if this match alone isn't actually enough to tell just yet but it was quite an impressive one going by the way the players played .

I believe Osimhen would have gotten a hat trick if he had stayed long enough in the second half but that would have been at the expense of possible exposure to injury which will be disadvantageous to the Eagles,  so the coach made a smart move with that.

[Rockstarguy]

however I saw a coach whom appreciate this players yesterday because he could not help himself on what he saw and the wining turned into several hugging moments for him by meeting the players one after the other, so actually with positivity wining will never cease for the eagles.

Show of appreciation cannot only be expressed through hugs, the other coaches that the Super Eagles have had may have expressed their appreciation through other ways, I do not think they were less appreciative. I think Eric Chelle was particularly happy with the players because they put in their best and helped him win his first game as the coach of the Super Eagles knowing that his appointment was followed with a lot of criticism first about his nationality then also about his experience and qualification for the role.

Super eagles winning the game would be a happy moment for the coach infact not just  for the coach only but for fans that are supporters of the supper eagles. One of the interesting about the game was that the super eagle's were able to win the game without struggles,  the game was very lively compare to some of the games of super eagles before now. For the new coach to see the super eagles with an impressive performance with the first game as coach with the team, I just hope to see the coach do better with the team.

[Abbatty]

Senegal failed to win their match today against Sudan, I never expected this score line, the match ended in goalless draw 0-0. I think I have to give the Sudanese defense and goal keeper credit this night, they really played well. To be honest I don’t think after match day 5 Sudan will be top of the table, they now have 13points. Senegal are in a very shaky position, they sit 3rd in the standing having just 9points in 5 matches. Well I still believe they can still find their way back from to qualify for the World Cup.

There is a huge quality in the Senegal squad and I strongly believe they will make up for the draw today. Their next match is against Togo at home and I believe they are going to win that one.

[knowngunman]

I don't think it has anything to do with the coach, it's about the seriousness of the players, what difference did Chelle bring to the super Eagles team yesterday that made Nigeria to win, it is not the same players we've been using.the players felt that their is need for them to get the three points after losing Several of their qualifying games. There was nothing extra ordinary that the coach did. I don't also think they had ego, I felt they've realized how important it is to qualify for the World Cup, so they don't want to give room for excuses anymore, from the first half, you could see how desperate the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola lookman and the rest forwarders where pushing forward the ball, until they secured that first two goals in the first half.

What are you saying bro? It has everything to do with coach ooo. Let give applause when and where it's due please. I agree the game was not generally perfect because I was personally expecting super eagle to get draw at most considering our record history with Rwanda. The coach feature the players in the pitch and determine which formation to use. You'll agree with me that should super eagle failed to win that match, we'll lament and call for crucification of coach for not doing well.

It was same players Under George and yet we couldn't get positive results but rather end up in a difficult position that put our qualification at stake. It's a win for all, the coach, players and we the fans as well. The fact that we don't support the idea of bringing external coach should not make us to be bias and being sentimental with our opinion.

That being said, I applaud our guys but there's serious work yet to be done especially in our midfield. We are yet to have a good and working combination in our midfield although the defense was somehow solid to some extent. We need the likes of Onyeka in that defensive midfield and Iwobi should up his game much more. The aim is to see us qualified for the world Cup by every means. 

[Marvelockg]

I don't think it has anything to do with the coach, it's about the seriousness of the players, what difference did Chelle bring to the super Eagles team yesterday that made Nigeria to win, it is not the same players we've been using.the players felt that their is need for them to get the three points after losing Several of their qualifying games. There was nothing extra ordinary that the coach did. I don't also think they had ego, I felt they've realized how important it is to qualify for the World Cup, so they don't want to give room for excuses anymore, from the first half, you could see how desperate the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola lookman and the rest forwarders where pushing forward the ball, until they secured that first two goals in the first half.

What are you saying bro? It has everything to do with coach ooo. Let give applause when and where it's due please. I agree the game was not generally perfect because I was personally expecting super eagle to get draw at most considering our record history with Rwanda. The coach feature the players in the pitch and determine which formation to use. You'll agree with me that should super eagle failed to win that match, we'll lament and call for crucification of coach for not doing well.

the win is partly a coaching effort and also the kind of squad we came with and the mentality of the players that started the game.
remember the first time we played home against Rwanda and lost, the players we had in the squad were nothing close to what we had in this game. Boniface and Iheanacho were the attack we had because osimehn and Lookman were not available for that fixture. i think it would be wise to say that we didn't take our chances or that we were unlucky with the players we used in some of the earlier qualifying games.

the intensity of the game is completely a coaching effect if not, we can agree that this is not the usual way we normally play. we could see that the coach is somehow a disciplined man who made them play to his instruction and not play the usual way they have been used to. as it should be, this is just too early to rate how effective this coach can be in the long run but if they can pull up a good victory at uyo and also work on getting enough possession on the ball, then it will be safe to say that we are moving a step in the right direction.

[Promocodeudo]

Are we not being too quick to judge the exceptional performance of Chelle the new coach over the past coaches, this is his first game managing the team, not that Rwanda are like a more tough opponent, Rwanda are 3rd in the group table, we can't call them the toughest in our group so i doubt if we should be celebrating this much, next match is against Zimbabwe not also a tough opponent where they hold the last in the group. Our next match should be a success, a compulsory win for the team.

Chelle arrangement of players on the pitch is really confusing, watching the game made me realized he might be up to something good but with the new tactics it will be best if we don't face a stronger opponent, we are not yet ready for the big games, the squad is there but the tactics still needs some level to it.

Mate I think super eagles winning against Rwanda is worth celebrating, after all the team they defeated is representing a country so why won't  we celebrate it, why is that we humans are unsatisfiable, what if super eagles had loss the match to their opponent? I think we would've been blaming the new manager, atleast he deserve kudos irrespective of the team the encountered, for me I wasn't expecting anything but as they won am happy because is my country team so I celebrate them, there's a saying that if you thank or praise someone on little things he has done, it was will trigger him or her to do more, personally I will continue to celebrate them because it is not a easy.

We should know that every manager has their strategy which must be tested in the football field to ascertain how effective such pattern is, Chelle may have some stuff we may not know so let's not be too quick to judge somethings although we are entitled to what we feel about things but I believe if any lapses occurs as time goes by, he can also make some amendments which  I think is normal.

[Salahmu]

There was nothing extra ordinary that the coach did. I don't also think they had ego, I felt they've realized how important it is to qualify for the World Cup, so they don't want to give room for excuses anymore, from the first half, you could see how desperate the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola lookman and the rest forwarders where pushing forward the ball, until they secured that first two goals in the first half.

You may be thinking that the only small work the super eagles coach did was as he was calling and telling them what to do, he did a lot you did not realize, the coach should be the most celebrated because without him the super eagles may not win because a player cannot select other players that will be on the match, actually to tell you how important he is, this world Cup we want to go can only be possible through this coach you think are not doing anything, actually I have been fortunate to play a community local football to practically see what coaches covers, from fixturing, Substitute, encouragement, conflict resolution, unity and wining, so what do you think he should have done to prove that he was the key to the wining?.

[7juju]

I don't think it has anything to do with the coach, it's about the seriousness of the players, what difference did Chelle bring to the super Eagles team yesterday that made Nigeria to win, it is not the same players we've been using.the players felt that their is need for them to get the three points after losing Several of their qualifying games. There was nothing extra ordinary that the coach did. I don't also think they had ego, I felt they've realized how important it is to qualify for the World Cup, so they don't want to give room for excuses anymore, from the first half, you could see how desperate the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola lookman and the rest forwarders where pushing forward the ball, until they secured that first two goals in the first half.

I think it has everything to do with the coach, the coach of a team is always blamed for bad results and the coach is also held accountable for the good results. If players are good on their own, why do they need coaches? A football team plays according to the tactics of the coach and any coach that's without good tactics to win matches you will see that the team will suffer. Even if the players are good, there is always someone who is supposed to bring out the best in them, and give them directions to play with. The Super eagles team were doing well during the time we had the Portugal Man coaching us. After that time they crumble under Finidi and now they found their feet again under Eric. That's to tell you that coaches has an effect in the rise and fall of a team. And what we are seeing in the Super eagles team right now is the effect to the coach.

[Obim34]

There was nothing extra ordinary that the coach did. I don't also think they had ego, I felt they've realized how important it is to qualify for the World Cup, so they don't want to give room for excuses anymore, from the first half, you could see how desperate the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola lookman and the rest forwarders where pushing forward the ball, until they secured that first two goals in the first half.

You may be thinking that the only small work the super eagles coach did was as he was calling and telling them what to do, he did a lot you did not realize, the coach should be the most celebrated because without him the super eagles may not win because a player cannot select other players that will be on the match, actually to tell you how important he is, this world Cup we want to go can only be possible through this coach you think are not doing anything, actually I have been fortunate to play a community local football to practically see what coaches covers, from fixturing, Substitute, encouragement, conflict resolution, unity and wining, so what do you think he should have done to prove that he was the key to the wining?.

One thing i learnt is knowing when to give credit to coaches and players. The game against Rwanda was totally inspired by the coach, the formation used was something we haven't seen before, the players did well but it is only just the tip of an iceberg managed by Eric Chelle, the players looks very comfortable, a friendly environment within coach and players will contribute massively to the success of how they perform on set to win games.

If any team has a wrong coach then no matter how good the players under the team are they can't win games, a better coach with an average team can do better than potential players and a wrong coach, coaches are more mentally than physically creating impact on players.

[Btcdeybodi]

I know that we have the best players because they're all doing pretty good in their various clubs. However, this is not what I want. I want the Super Eagles to use what they have to get what they want as the Giant of Africa. We cannot have all these talents in the Super Eagles and still cannot show for it. Perhaps, their performance was very impressive yesterday.

Nigeria used to be a hard number in Africa and even internationally. Nowadays, although they still have good names but they are less effective.. It is Morocco which is now way superior to the other nations, it was Egypt, Algeria and Cameroon in the previous years. They are obviously other good terms but they cannot persist long time with good results.
Nigeria has an opportunity to shine again but seriously they need a talented and stable management.

I agree with all what you said, Nigeria have talented and promising young players but i think they're over hyped because when i looked at the rankings of FIFA, Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria are higher than Nigeria and even in the Africa, Egypt, Cameroon and Ghana have won the AFCON more than Nigeria so this is to say that regardless that Nigeria have produced world class players in International leagues but they still need to do better and make greater improvements so that their performance can equate with their ratings.

[Mr Reporter]

The super eagles played like they had something to loose and they delivered, afterall if they quality it is them that will play in the finals, not you and I. Also it was the first test for our new coach, whether it was is expertise or our players extraordinary efforts that got us the win, what matters is that our team collected all the points in the game. With subsequent games that the super eagles will play that is when we can judge whether the new coach is bringing something different and spectacular to the table or he is just hiding behind the super talents if our players. I wish the super eagles all the best in their upcoming matches.

They definitely did. Knowing that anything short of a win would put them in danger of missing out on the world cup finals. It was great to see them play cohesively and secure the much needed result. The performance of the Super Eagles was incredible , kudos to Erick chelle and his players. There's no denying that the team looks more organized and motivated compared to the previous administration. Wishing them success in the rest of their qualifying matches. I look forward to seeing Nigeria compete when the World Cup kicks off in 2026.

The Super Eagles recent win was a crucial one, as anything less would have put their world cup qualification Hope's in jeopardy, with their sights set on the 2026 world cup, the Super Eagles will need to maintain their momentum and secure wins in their remaining qualifying matches, fans like you are eagerly anticipating their performances on the global stage.

[Mate2237]

I know that we have the best players because they're all doing pretty good in their various clubs. However, this is not what I want. I want the Super Eagles to use what they have to get what they want as the Giant of Africa. We cannot have all these talents in the Super Eagles and still cannot show for it. Perhaps, their performance was very impressive yesterday.

Nigeria used to be a hard number in Africa and even internationally. Nowadays, although they still have good names but they are less effective.. It is Morocco which is now way superior to the other nations, it was Egypt, Algeria and Cameroon in the previous years. They are obviously other good terms but they cannot persist long time with good results.
Nigeria has an opportunity to shine again but seriously they need a talented and stable management.

I agree with all what you said, Nigeria have talented and promising young players but i think they're over hyped because when i looked at the rankings of FIFA, Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria are higher than Nigeria and even in the Africa, Egypt, Cameroon and Ghana have won the AFCON more than Nigeria so this is to say that regardless that Nigeria have produced world class players in International leagues but they still need to do better and make greater improvements so that their performance can equate with their ratings.

You're saying the truth and I completely agree with you because Nigeria as a footballing country has produced world class players both in the past and in the present but they have not been able to achieve much in football especially in the world cup in terms of winning trophies, this is because winning major trophies especially the world cup is beyond having having talent but the role of organization and football management is key Nigeria problem has been it administration of football.



There is high level of corruption in the way that the country football is been rund  because monies ment for the development of football has been diverted to personnel pockets with no welfare of players, the country fA always Fighting and at loghead due over who will head the football body in the country, infact there was a time that monies disappeared from the office of the countries football governing body so Nigeria as a country will not do much if they are not committed in developing their football

[igebotz]

I think it has everything to do with the coach, the coach of a team is always blamed for bad results and the coach is also held accountable for the good results. If players are good on their own, why do they need coaches? A football team plays according to the tactics of the coach and any coach that's without good tactics to win matches you will see that the team will suffer. Even if the players are good, there is always someone who is supposed to bring out the best in them, and give them directions to play with. The Super eagles team were doing well during the time we had the Portugal Man coaching us. After that time they crumble under Finidi and now they found their feet again under Eric. That's to tell you that coaches has an effect in the rise and fall of a team. And what we are seeing in the Super eagles team right now is the effect to the coach.

Coaches and managers are essential and have huge influence on a how the team performs, talents is never enough and agreed with you on that, but I'm not too confident and convinced with the new super eagles coach just yet. We played against Rwanda, a national team we are more better than and should be winning comfortably but that was not what I saw yesterday..

The next game is a must win game for us to have a chance to qualify, let's see how he manages to handle all the pressure and needs to qualify us. Then we can have a conversation about him.

[buwaytress]

Senegal failed to win their match today against Sudan, I never expected this score line, the match ended in goalless draw 0-0. I think I have to give the Sudanese defense and goal keeper credit this night, they really played well. To be honest I don’t think after match day 5 Sudan will be top of the table, they now have 13points. Senegal are in a very shaky position, they sit 3rd in the standing having just 9points in 5 matches. Well I still believe they can still find their way back from to qualify for the World Cup.

There is a huge quality in the Senegal squad and I strongly believe they will make up for the draw today. Their next match is against Togo at home and I believe they are going to win that one.

So I wasn't the only one who fell for this trap -- it was odds on to be under 2.5 goals, but even under 1.5 goals was not likely, and the shot attempts, xG, demonstrated that but in the end, as you say, I guess Sudan's wall held. I lost a really important point here in a separate competition but you just expect so much from a lineup that has some really good in-form players now.

In the end, though, it's all calculated risk here and they had Togo in mind I suppose, win that one and it's back in their hands (though they could have made their job easier with 3 points from last night.

[Zanab247]

I know that we have the best players because they're all doing pretty good in their various clubs. However, this is not what I want. I want the Super Eagles to use what they have to get what they want as the Giant of Africa. We cannot have all these talents in the Super Eagles and still cannot show for it. Perhaps, their performance was very impressive yesterday.

Nigeria used to be a hard number in Africa and even internationally. Nowadays, although they still have good names but they are less effective.. It is Morocco which is now way superior to the other nations, it was Egypt, Algeria and Cameroon in the previous years. They are obviously other good terms but they cannot persist long time with good results.
Nigeria has an opportunity to shine again but seriously they need a talented and stable management.

I agree with all what you said, Nigeria have talented and promising young players but i think they're over hyped because when i looked at the rankings of FIFA, Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria are higher than Nigeria and even in the Africa, Egypt, Cameroon and Ghana have won the AFCON more than Nigeria so this is to say that regardless that Nigeria have produced world class players in International leagues but they still need to do better and make greater improvements so that their performance can equate with their ratings.

As it stand now, I guess Nigerian players are doing perfectly well in their various clubs and they will like to do what will make super Eagle more popular in this world cup qualifiers, because their fans will love to see their performance in this season.  With what I have seen so far in this world cup qualifiers teams, I have confidence in Nigeria team to be among the qualifiers because their new coach will do what will make the team to win their home game so that it will make Nigerian believe in their players.

The advantage Nigerian have is that majority of their players belong to international clubs, and it will make super Eagle to apply some local and international strategies to play those Africa teams to qualify for world cup in this season