Obafemi Akinwunmi "Oba" Martins

[intermilansg]

MARTINS GIVES NIGERIA 2-0 WIN

Sunday, 06 June 2004 13:55:19
MILAN - Martins has said it: "When I'm ready I will play for Nigeria, where I could be the protagonist." Two goals by Nerazzurri striker Obafemi Martins in his home debut as Nigeria defeated Rwanda 2-0 in their opening World Cup qualifier in Abuja on Saturday.

Martins, playing in front of his home crowd confirmed his will to play for his national side by netting two spectacular goals. Both goals came in the second half, the first with his favorite left foot at the 56' and the second goal at 87th minute.

http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=14285&L=en


great international start for martins 3 gls already

 

[Fabio]

Forza Oba Oba Oba

2 caps,3 goals!

 

[Ari]

He's gonna be great. I just hope we never let him go..

 

[Frisko]

Obafemi Martins

I'm starting this thread because I notice that there aren't many fans of the young Nigerian in this forum. If there are, I'd like to know who!

I think Oba Oba is a great talent. He runs at warp-speed, but he's more than that. The guy is so young but he's got great tecnique! Look at the goals he scored against Milan and Bologna. Look at the game at Highbury against Arsenal, he provided a great assist to Cruz and he scored a great goal while Sol Campbell (about 5 times his size?) was charging at him with all his strenght.

Many of you talk about Adriano, Vieri and Recoba as the challengers for a place in the starting 11 next season.

I personally believe that Martins will be there, and he will play a lot. He's gonna start on the bench, but when he'll come on the pitch he will impress everyone once again.

And we'll just see more and more of him.

 

[Handoyo]

10 bucks he's gonna win the top-scorer award in 05/06.

Martins is one of the brightest talent in the world right now, no doubt about it. It'll be a damn shame if we ever jeopardize his career by putting him behind the strikers' pecking order. I honestly hope that he is ranked higher than Kallon, Cruz, Ventola and Choutos by Mancini.


Handyo

 

[Giorgio]

10 bucks it's Adriano

I have to agree with what you guys are saying, Martins is great. Pace, power and no lack of technique.

There is no doubt that he'll start on the bench, but if the other partnerships fail he can link up superbly with any of our other forwards. This is why he will be a key player for us next year.

 

[Handoyo]

I forgot to say that Adriano is gonna be the co-top-scorer. :embarass:

In 02/03, I thought Martins was only pace. But in 03/04, he improved his ball control a lot and is not able to dribble past players. His goals against Reggina (San Siro) and Bologna (San Siro) are prime examples to my statement.


Handyo

 

[Marco The Butcher]

Martins is an exciting talent and if he had the consistency Rooney had with Everton and the national team, he would turn out to be better than him.

 

[MoH]

I think Oba has his fans among the Inter community, and some admirers in Seire A. What I don’t hear is praises from the media? Rooney scores four goals against Croatia and Switzerland and suddenly he is the new Pele While Martins seems to have a blast tormenting Serie A (Especially Juve-nuts) and gets nothing! Yet Kaka is the wonder kid and not Martins? Am I being bias in saying Martins had a more successful season?

 

[Jimmy]

Wayne Rooney at Everton is barely a regular. At freaking Everton. Martins plays quite a lot in a team like Inter with outstanding strikers to choose from.

Now that beats being benched by the Radzinski's and Ferguson's.

 

[Handoyo]

MoH: C'mon man. Rooney is the best. He can score against world class teams like Croatia and Swiss. What more can you ask of him? Furthermore, he's an Englishman. :wallbang: *high degree of sarcasm detected*

Honestly, I wouldn't trade Rooney for Martins, ever. Even if Everton add some money with Wayne. Another over-hyped player by the media. What was said when Martins destroyed Juve? What was said when Martins scored in his first 2 NT games? What was said went Adriano went crazy at the end of last season? What was said when Adriano scored 5 times in 4 games in the current Copa America? None!


Jimmy: But he should be a regular next season, shouldn't he be?


Handyo

 

[Frisko]

10 bucks he's gonna win the top-scorer award in 05/06.

Martins is one of the brightest talent in the world right now, no doubt about it. It'll be a damn shame if we ever jeopardize his career by putting him behind the strikers' pecking order. I honestly hope that he is ranked higher than Kallon, Cruz, Ventola and Choutos by Mancini.


Handyo

That's the least he could do! I personally rank him higher than Vieri and Recoba as well!

 

[Frisko]

Martins is an exciting talent and if he had the consistency Rooney had with Everton and the national team, he would turn out to be better than him.

Didn't Rooney have a terrible year at Everton last year? More red cards than goals?

Martins can't be consistent until he plays regularly!

 

[Handoyo]

Didn't Rooney have a terrible year at Everton last year? More red cards than goals?

I honestly can't remember but I think he had a quite good year.

Martins can't be consistent until he plays regularly!

Sorry to be off topic (And let's not discuss this here. ) but the same applies to every player, including Emre.


Handyo

 

[Marco The Butcher]

I think Oba has his fans among the Inter community, and some admirers in Seire A. What I don’t hear is praises from the media? Rooney scores four goals against Croatia and Switzerland and suddenly he is the new Pele While Martins seems to have a blast tormenting Serie A (Especially Juve-nuts) and gets nothing! Yet Kaka is the wonder kid and not Martins? Am I being bias in saying Martins had a more successful season?

Agreed.

Wayne Rooney at Everton is barely a regular. At freaking Everton. Martins plays quite a lot in a team like Inter with outstanding strikers to choose from.

Now that beats being benched by the Radzinski's and Ferguson's.

That's always the case in the premier league. They nurture them. Reyes with Arsenal, Rooney with Everton, Ronaldo with Utd, even Owen used to sit on the bench at that stage.
I am not totally convinced with that though.

Didn't Rooney have a terrible year at Everton last year? More red cards than goals?quote]

Well the Whole Everton team was in a very bad form.

MoH: C'mon man. Rooney is the best. He can score against world class teams like Croatia and Swiss. What more can you ask of him? Furthermore, he's an Englishman. :wallbang: *high degree of sarcasm detected*

Rooney is not Pele or Maradona. He has a long way to become one, but certainly he is very very very exciting to watch.
He can run at defenders, tackle and score from inside and outside the box.
I am sure he is leaving Everton this summer, and i can see him only getting better.

 

[Giorgio]

Martins is an exciting talent and if he had the consistency Rooney had with Everton and the national team, he would turn out to be better than him.

Didn't Rooney have a terrible year at Everton last year? More red cards than goals?

Martins can't be consistent until he plays regularly!

More cards than goals.

MoH I would say that Kaka had a better season than Martins to be honest, but I would also say that Martins really hasn't got the recognition that he deserves.

 

[Gaetan]

Rooney had a horrible season at Everton even for a wonderkid, he had more cards then goals. Perhaps he needs better players around him to shine, but at club level Martins is way above him. Martins has also been scoring at will for Nigeria since he's been called up, the kid is a wizard.

His speed is amazing, but i still feel he's got some growing up and maturing to do on the pitch. I am being critical, but i'd like to see him become more comfortable with the ball at his feet because i know he has the technique.

I am still amazed by his upper body strength. He can hold the ball very good, especially for a player his size. Oba gol is one to watch for the future, but i believe he'll be starting the season off the bench. He'll have his strings of matches when he starts and is on good form, ofcourse.

 

[bobati]

Of course we are all Oba fans here. It´s something special about Primavera players coming up and making it in the senior squad. I´d say he is maybe my biggest Inter favourite even if I don´t have many.

Adriano(22years) - Oba (19 years) :drool: :drool: :drool:

 

[Handoyo]

Rooney is good, no doubt about it. I didn't say he was bad, did I? But, he is nowhere as good as what the media portraits him to be. He's just a young talent who's still like a raw diamond. He's in the same berth like the Martinses and Adrianos but the coverage that he has is too much and it's very common to English players. Of course, I'm not blaming him since he has nothing to do with it and I think he doesn't have a lavish Beckham-esque life-style. But this Rooney-mania by the media is just making me sick.

I'm absolutely sure he won't leave Everton. It's totally a bunch of balloney that Real Madrid or Chelsea or Man Utd will buy him. They have enough strikers/forwards, he's not the real deal yet and his prize doesn't justify his current talent.


Handyo

 

[Marco The Butcher]

I'm absolutely sure he won't leave Everton. It's totally a bunch of balloney that Real Madrid or Chelsea or Man Utd will buy him. They have enough strikers/forwards, he's not the real deal yet and his prize doesn't justify his current talent.

We shall see. I would be really surprised if he stays. Here are my reasons?
1-He refused a new contract and has 2 years left only. Therefore if he didnt leave this year, then he will leave the next year because he will not leave after 2 years on a bosman, eh..??? If he leaves next year though he would be for half the amount Everton can ask for now..i.e. Kewell last summer left for pennies.

2-Everton will not even play in a Uefa cup and they need the money to make a squad that at least can escape relegation. Imagine how will 30+M pounds can do.

3-The offer Everton reportedly offered is just crap. They dont have the money to pay him this salary, and i am sure this was just reported so when Rooney leaves, they can tell the mad fans "we tried our best to keep him."

Now let's see where will he end up going:
1.Mourinho said he is not needed, and they already bought Drogba.
2-No Real Madrid. No space for him.
3-Arsene Wenger is a big admirer and he would do anything to partner him with Henry, but no money.
4-Man Utd said they will not do a 30+ deal again "unless" the deal is very very good and a must.
Fergie is a big big big admirer and he is dreaming of bringing him with Ruud, Saha and Smith on the expense of selling Forlan, Butt and Ole.

I think Man Utd is very close, because last year they missed on Ronaldinho for a few bucks and all of the fans(include me), Fergie and the whole board are mad they didnt get the talent. Therefore i am sure they will not repeat the same mistake again, and they will do their best to lure Rooney to Old Trafford. Imagine Rooney can play for 12 yrs in top form.

I will only include Arsenal to the race if they sell Vieira. With the money they will get, they would be able to compete but i shall say Rooney will choose Utd simply because he is still young, near his family and the club has a lot of his english friends (scholes, smith, nevile brothers, etc..)