It was not the best of home coming for Super Eagles defender Olisa Ndah as his South African club Orlando Pirates, lost on penalties to Morocco’s RS Berkane in the final of the CAF Confederation Cup inside the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday.
After 120 minutes ended 1-1, Berkane emerged 5-4 winners in the penalty shootout.
Ndah featured for Orlando Pirates and saw action for 90 minutes which was not enough to help his side win a first continental title since 1995.
Orlando Pirates have now suffered their second defeat in the final of the Confederation Cup after losing out in the 2015 edition.
Also Read: UPDATE: Flying Eagles Defeat Benin Republic To Emerge WAFU Zone B Champions
For Berkane it is their second Confederation Cup title since landing their first in 2020.
Following a goalless 90 minutes, Berkane opened the scoring six minutes into extra-time after Youssef El-Fahli converted from the penalty spot.
But three minutes before the end of the game Orlando Pirates equalized thanks to Thembinkosi
Lorch whose tame effort managed to roll into the bottom corner.
But in the shootout, Orlando Pirates scorer Lorch turned villain as he lost his side’s second spot kick while Berkane converted all their five attempts.
12 Comments
Ndah and bassey are a blessing to us, can’t wait for this boy to go abroad, they are very good at defending and very good with the ball at their feet. Teams in the epl, europe require defenders like this because they help in attack, playing positive passes from the back, so assuming balogun and ekong are better defenders than these guys, these guys will offer a lot more in attack, making up for their defending deficiencies, but thats not even the case, ndah and bassey are better defenders, and better attacking defenders too, we are very lucky
Nigeria coaches don’t like ball playing defenders, remember Anthony Izuchukwu. Out coaches like rugging long ball playing defenders which to me doesn’t make any sense at all if you want to create a winning team that controls proceeding.
So we still have a good pitch in Uyo that CAF can even recognize and stage a final match!!!
Tomorrow now, nff will take our boys to one rice farm in the west to suffer and when the results backfires, they all act innocent.
Is the location of the pitch you problem of the state of the pitch?
For over 10years the Eagles didn’t play in the West and just because 2 matches were played in Lagos now, you are developing HBP, calm down bro! More matches to be played in the Lagso and Abuja….as Teslim is undergoing a major renovation and Abuja is already settled! No one has the monopoly of hosting the Eagles!
I am amazed to read your comment that “So we still have a good pitch in Uyo”.
Do you call that a good pitch? By Nigeria standards maybe
The surface is still good but it has lost its green colour. This might explain why it might look less appealing.
I will rather talk about Olisa Ndah, I think Nigerians are sleeping on This kid and are looking down on him because he plays club football in SA. That kid is talented, high technical ability, decent pace, dominant in the air, reads the game well and he is a ball playing defender.
The first time I watched him play was against Mexico and recall telling myself that ” This kid has something”. You see if you understand the game, it should not take you 10 games to discover potential. I will partner him with Bassey in the central defence. They compliment themselves very well. Both are good technically, with Bassey’s pace, strength coupled with Ndah’s calmness , aerial presence and passing ability. It could be a marriage that yields dividends for the SE.
Oyinbo wall has served its course, SE need to move on as a new future under peseiro beckons. We have young centre backs like Ndah, Bassey, Awaziem,Ajayi, & Valentine O. That is if sentimental Nigerians will allow this to happen. Generally, I think Nigeria is within a dispensation where there is an explosion of talent. If properly managed and harnessed, the SE could dominate African football for years to come. This is a big IF.
Well Said Golden Child hats for you.
@ Golden brodaman, Olisa Ndah is talented no doubt. But he is too casual n his recovery rate is way behind. If he can work on these aspects of his game adding a bit more physicality, he will surely then be taking his game to the door step of top teams.
On a flip side, I have been personally impressed with that U-20 captain, Adegbite, I think. He is real potential; quick foot off the ground, assured on the ball, ball player, reads the game well, strong, anticipate danger from distance. Maybe his only let down which may still be nothing to worry about,is his size; hasn’t got that intimidating,easily sellable size for a central defender. Just wish Adegbite has the Semi Ajayi’s size while Semi Ajayi borrow a leaf from Adegbite’s qualities mentioned above. Lolzzz….
@Glory, what you call casual, others will call calmness. I am not saying he is the finished article but if you would look through the lens of potential, you would agree with me his ceiling is high. The best defenders are not the ones with the best recovery rate but the ones who read the game. Knowing where to be in crucial moments
, their sense of anticipation is high. Germany’s Metersacker is a good example, he is as slow as they come but was instrumental in Germany winning the world cup. Ndah is no slouch. Such players bring a sense of calmness to the backline that makes it solid. Also, with the technical ability of the players we have now, we should be working to be a possession based team and such defenders are a catalyst for this. This why I do not understand the continued snub of goal keeper Adeleye in Israel. He would be perfect for a possession based team. Apart from his reflexes, there is no goal keeper in the SE fold that distributes the ball better than him. It is very sad that these guys who have impeded our football from growing struck again with th underwhelming list for the Mexico and Ecuador games. It would have been a good time to evaluate Adeleye in preparation for the nation’s cup qualifiers. It is a missed opportunity in my opinion. MY thoughts anyway.
Well said @Golden Child. We should never engage in pull him down syndrome. Just because Olisa Ndah threatens the Super Eagles position of the favourites of some fans, we should not just tarnish the talent of hard working players who work hard to put food on the table of their families just because they play in South Africa. This was how they pulled Ladan Bosso down only to praise him after success lolzzzz. Ndah will do to them what Bosso did to them. Heaven bless Ndah and all deserving Super Eagles players.
@ Golden child, sure, calmness is always an admirable quality but such calmness must take cognizance of quick footed players like Sadiq Mane n his likes. That casual/slow recovery was Ndah down side in that Mexico match up otherwise he did pretty well in that game. Tomori is selling today simply because of those qualities; good recovery rate n very quick footed. So I hope you don’t wish Ndah to be that type of ogbolor defender lolzzzz but the lightening quick one.
Anyway, I am just highlighting observed weak areas of his game, that he can work on to take his game to where his talent truly belong. He has it in him to be up there, left to him to do the needful.