Greater glory i said because this has been their best ever outing after beating defending champions the USA in the quarter finals.

Nigeria have reached the quarter-finals of the event no less than four times but this is the first time they have made it to the semis.

Against the Americans, i thought they had their work cut out because the USA were a tough side to beat. After conceding an early goal, the Falconets came out for the second half a completely changed team.
The way they took the came to the Americans baffled me, and when they equalised, you knew there was a certain wind behind them. The penalty win was sweet, and the semi final place historic.

Remember when Mr. President ask our super chickens to bring home the FIFA World Cup? if the Super Falconets bring home this cup, then it will be the Presidents orders working still, don’t you think?
Let’s give it up for the Super Falconets abeg.

Samson Siasia will next month be named as the new boss of the Super Eagles. This will gladden the hearts of Nigerians who have been clamouring for the Bayelsa born tactician, and former Super Eagles darling player to be appointed as the Eagles coach.

Meanwhile, former coach Lars Lagerback has formally turned down the offer of a four year deal to continue as the coach of the team.

This much was confirmed by NFF president Aminu Maigari, here isthe excerpt from supersport.com.

NFF president Aminu Maigari said that Lagerback told him he did not wish to continue in his post despite being offered a four-year deal, with Samson Siasia being lined up as a replacement.

“Lagerback told me he could not continue as the coach of the Super Eagles because he feared that he might not be able to pen a four-year deal that would keep him in Nigeria for that long,” Maigari told sports daily Soccer Star.

“He thanked the NFF for the opportunity given him to take the eagles to the World Cup. He said the experience was worth it and that he would always remember Nigeria and her good people.” Maigari added that Lagerback told him that his family played a big role in his decision not to extend his five-month contract.

Lagerback was in charge when Nigeria finished bottom of their first round group at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

However, the NFF agreed to hand the Swede a long-term deal on the evidence of the work he put in within a short time.

The NFF top official also disclosed that Siasia will next month be confirmed as the country’s new coach on a four-year contract.

“We have had talks with Siasia. The talks have been fruitful and all things being equal, he will put pen to paper next month subject to negotiations,” said Maigari.

“Siasia is the coach Nigerians want and we shall give him all the support to succeed in this new job.” Siasia led the national team to the final of both the 2005 Fifa Under-20 World Cup as well as the 2008 Olympics.

The former Lokeren and Nantes striker is currently handling Heartland FC of Owerri in the CAF Champions League.

The NFF also announced that caretaker coach Austin Eguavoen will lead Nigeria to next month’s friendly against South Korea in Seoul, before taking over the Olympic team.

Mikel returns to the line-up after missing out on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a knee injury.

The squad, which has been selected by the Super Eagles’ assistant boss Austin Eguavoen, features a large number of locally based players.

Eguavoen is in charge whilst the future of coach Lars Lagerback is resolved.

A final decision on the position of the Swede Lagerback is to be made next week.

Strikers Ikechukwu Uche and Joseph Akpala have also been recalled, after they were left out of the Super Eagles’ party for South Africa.

The friendly is a warm-up for Nigeria’s 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar on 4 September in Abuja.

Overseas-based players:

John Obi Mikel (Chelsea, England), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham, England), Kalu Uche (Almeria, Spain), Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), Obinna Nsofor (Malaga, Spain), Haruna Lukman (Monaco, France), Ikechukwu Uche (Zaragoza, Spain), Obafemi Martins (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam, Netherlands), Daniel Shittu (Bolton Wanderers, England), Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel), Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga, Portugal), Joseph Akpala (FC Brugge, Belgium).

Nigerian-based players:

Bassey Akpan (Bayelsa FC), Terna Suswam (Lobi Stars), Valentine Nwabili (Enyimba FC), Gabriel Reuben (Enyimba FC), Promise Onuh (Tornadoes FC), Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars), Solomon Okpako (Kano Pillars), Uche Nwofor (3SC), Gbolahan Salami (Sunshine FC), Taiwo Hassan (3SC), Eugene Salami (Tornadoes FC), Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves), Moses Bunde (Lobi Stars), Nnaemeka Anyanwu (Enyimba FC), Emmanuel Anyanwu (Enyimba FC), Chidiebere Okoli (Sharks FC), King Osanga (Heartland FC), John Owoeri (Heartland FC), Femi Balogun (Kaduna United), Ugwu Uwadiegu (Rangers FC), Suleiman Ismaila (Lobi Stars), Fengor Ogude (Warri Wolves).

Here we go again.

I read that the players are very trim and fast and that their ball control is very good. You see, i am a die hard fan, and even when they were not playing like we all know could play, i was still behind them.

So, if this is the sign, then our opponents are in trouble. I have been in many online soccer discussion boards in forums, and you need to see how the team is rubbished. Some people think we will not even get out of the group stage and that Messi will wreck us in the very first match. I like that because it is good for the team. Not being rated highly is the way we like it, it gives us the calmness to play our own game.

Under Amodu, the players were dull and lazy because the coach himself was a dull and lazy looking person, nothing personal.
Lagerback has revived the Nigerian mentality, and i have also heard he is going back to our favorite style of play, wing play. I though doubt  if we have any natural wingers in that team. But hey, professional players can adapt to any style and formation favored by the coach. This is exciting news.

As for Messi, i know he is the best player in the world, but we have an antidote for him, and until that day, we will just watch the space. But i tell you, he is a player with 2 legs just like any other player, with the right mentality, any defender can mark him out of a game and make him useless on the pitch. We have done that to him before and we will do it again.

There are some surprises in the list, of note is the exclusion of  Hull City midfielder Seyi Olofinjana. Another surprise is the recall of John Utaka, the Portsmouth forward who was left out of the Nations Cup. Fit-again Everton striker Victor Anichebe has also been recalled.

Two locally-based players – goalkeeper Akpan Bassey and defender Terna Suswan – are named in the squad, with Lukman Haruna, the under-17 World Cup-winning captain in 2007.

Here is the full 30 man list:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama, Dele Ayenugba, Bassey Akpan, Austin Ejide

Defenders: Taye Taiwo, Uwa Elderson, Chidi Odiah, Joseph Yobo, Onyekachi Apam, Danny Shittu, Dele Adeleye, Rabiu Afolabi, Terna Suswan

Midfielders: Nwankwo Kanu, Obafemi Martins, Ike Uche, Brown Ideye, Kalu Uche, Victor Obinna Nsofor, Dickson Etuhu, Mikel Obi, Lukman Haruna, Yusuf Ayila, Sani Kaita

Strikers: Yakubu Ayegbeni, Victor Anichebe, Chinedu Obasi, John Utaka, Osaze Odemwingie, Peter Utaka

I don’t want to question the coach’s wisdom, but i am surprise by the inclusion of Yakubu Ayegbeni. Maybe his time, Ayegbeni will be more useful to the team than he was at the CAN.

Lagerback saw off competition from his compatriot Sven-Goran Eriksson for the role, while another former England manager, Glenn Hoddle, was also in pole position until Lagerback was interviewed by the Nigerian Football Federation yesterday.

A NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire said: “In the early hours of this morning we appointed Lars Lagerback.”

Olajire admitted Lagerback had pipped Hoddle and the former Senegal coach Bruno Metsu to the job. He said: “Previously, Bruno Metsu was ahead, Glenn Hoddle took over on Wednesday but in the end it was Lagerback, who [was interviewed] last, who won it. He has now signed a five-month contract to take Nigeria to the World Cup.”

Lagerback succeeds Shaibu Amodu as coach of the Super Eagles after they finished third at the African Nations Cup in Angola last month.

The Swede will watch Nigeria’s friendly against DR Congo on Wednesday and will be based in Nigeria from next month until the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Lagerback was co-coach of Sweden at Euro 2000 alongside Tommy Soderberg and led the team outright from the summer of 2004 until 2009, when he resigned following the failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Read his profile below:

Lars Edvin “Lasse” Lagerbäck (born 16 July 1948 in Katrineholm, Sweden) is a Swedish football manager and former player.

Career

As youth, Lagerbäck played for Alby FF. When he was 13 years-old, he began playing for their P16 team. In 1970, he left and moved to Gimonäs CK under the guidance of Calle Lindelöf.[2] He continued to play there until 1974. [3] In 1974, he attended Gynastik and Idrottshögskolan (GIH), where he was a classmate of current assistant coach Roland Andersson.

Managing Career

Club

In 1977, he was called up to the senior team. It was former teammate Kjell Pettersson that recommended him to Kilafors. He coached the Division IV team until 1982. In 1983, he moved to Arbrå IK until 1985. In 1987, he takes over Hudiksvall ABK but leaves by 1989.[4]

In 1990, Lagerbäck takes a job with the Swedish Football Association. He began to coach the junior levels which included Fredrik Ljungberg. He helped Tommy Svensson and Tord Grip with Swedish National Team.[5]

In 1996, Lagerbäck takes over Sweden B national team, until 1997. In 1998, Tommy Söderberg takes him on as assistant coach for the Swedish National Team. In 2000, he is promoted to dual-coach, a responsibility he would share with Söderberg until 2004.[6] Under his guidance, the Swedish National Team qualified for the Euro 2000 but lost in the group stages.

In 2002, he led Sweden to the World Cup where Sweden was in ‘group death’. Sweden lost against Senegal. In 2004, Sweden qualified for their third straight championship. In the Euro 2004, Sweden made it to the quarter-finals where they lost against Holland.[7] That same year, Tommy Söderberg left the Swedish National Team to coach the U21 Team.

After the departure of Söderberg, Lagerbäck appointed Roland Andersson as assistant coach. In 2006, Lagerback took Sweden to their fourth consecutive championship, the first time in Swedish history. He led Sweden to the 2006 World Cup, losing against Germany 2 2–0 in the knockout stage.[8] Under Lagerbäck, Sweden also qualified for UEFA Euro 2008, however they were eliminated in the group stage after losing 2-0 against Russia. The team’s early dismissal from the tournament led sport columnists to ask Lagerbäck to be sacked..[9] Despite this, he signed an extension, which would keep him until the end of the 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign. After Sweden’s unsuccessful qualification campaign for this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, Lagerbäck resigned.[10].

The Egyptians started cautiously, but when they went behind to Chinedu Ogbuke’s clinical finish in the twelveth minute, they upped the tempo and eventually caught a flat footed Nigerian defense off guard to benefit from Vincent Enyeama’s ill timed run to equalise.

The Egyptian equalizer did not surprise me much, what did was the way the Nigeria team approached the match in the second half, just passing the ball around as if they had 3 goal advantage. How on earth would a team play such football at such a level. No tactical nor technical soundness.

Just how long will Nigerians be subjected to that sort heartbreak, and how many matches will we play and lose before Amodu is finally shown the door out of that team?

But for patriotism in my blood, i would have wished that we don’t even qualify for the next round so that everybody will see just how technically and tactically inefficient Shaibu Amodu really is.

It was really hard to imagine Africa hosting it’s first ever world cup and Nigeria not being there, not being at a second successive world cup.
But it is like a new wind is blowing behind our back, and this is quite refreshing. Today we play for a chance to win the Under 17 world cup for a record 4th time, and it seems like the luck and fortune brought in by the scintillating performances of the Golden Eaglets have also shown on the senior national team.

Okay, so we have qualified, therein lies our problem. We are never proactive. All of us, even the shit heads in the so-called glass house, the NFF know that their man, i.e Amodu is not a capable hand. He does not have the technical nor the tactical ability to blend the gifted individuals that make up the Super Eagles. He should be relieved of the post and a more capable hand given the job.

A lot of people are calling for a foreign technical adviser, but i will fault this because with barely seven months to kick off, we need somebody who is not only versed in the workings of Nigerian football, but one who is also technically sound.

Siasia has proven that he is not only sound, but also very stubborn, a vital ingredient needed to succeed as a coach of any of the national teams. I think the NFF should not delay in naming him the next coach head coach of the national team.

But hey, we have qualified for the world cup and that from a very unlikely situation. I don’t know about you, but am now making my preparations for my trip to South Africa.

UP SUPER EAGLES

Ok, so it was the penultimate match for our respective teams across the globe. In Europe, it was fairly straightforward, and the big teams did what they had to do to either book their place or stay in contention for at least a play-off place. My darling Portugal won against Hungary to keep their hopes alive, while Denmark confirmed their place in South Africa. Germany also reserved a place for themselves at the Mundial come 2010.

One team though surprised me at least. Slovakia, seating atop their group only needed a point to book their place, but to my amusement, the lost by 2-0 to Slovenia at home. They do still to the group, and qualification goes down to the wire.

In Africa, Ivory Coast belatedly confirmed their place with 1-1 draw away to Malawi with Didier Drogba coming to their rescue. Ghana lost their 100% record as the Black Stars lose by the odd goal to Benin, not that they will lose sleep over that. Egypt also kept their hopes alive by beating Zambia 1-0 in Lusaka.

Nigeria, yes, Nigeria also kept alive their very slim hope of snicking behind Tunisia with a last gasp goal from Victor Obinna Nsofor undoing hard fighting Mozambique who in my mind were better organized than the Nigerians.

Reflecting after the match, my thought went back to a moment in the first half when a short from inside the 18 yard area cannoned off the crossbar. Had that ball go into the net, ???

Well, in the end, they just managed to squeeze the win from the Southern Africans. But for how long will Nigeria continue to manage to win football matches as it has now become our custom.

Going down memory lane, well lets keep that for another day. You wouldn’t want me to run out of gist, would you?