The Ballgecko podcast: Recent Episodes
Ballgecko
The Ballgecko podcast, Africa's most loved sports podcast, features opinions, stories and experiences from passionate African voices.
With the appointment of the new United manager, his credibility has already come under criticism even before he started. Today the hosts discuss this new appointment and if this is the rise of a new direction for Manchester United, after a long spell of decline in performance and trophies in the last 5 years, and since the SAF era.
Naz and Seyi are of the opinion that the arrival of ETH would bring about good change for United in terms of style of play, team direction, and squad improvement. While Mayieve is still in doubt of his abilities to improve Manchester United.
Remember that player who had so much potential he was fit to play as a striker for one of the biggest clubs in England? We are talking about Timo Werner and what really went wrong, and why he has been struggling so much at Chelsea, could it be as a result of being mispositioned? A mental state of mind, or a case of him not being used to the style of play in England, since he has played in Germany all his life.
His stats from his playing time with the German teams and his stats in Chelsea are totally different.
Listen to the opinions of the hosts and you be the judge of this.
And Osimhen wanted to leave the super eagles as he was called names and bullied and felt picked on by Amunike.
For him, he thought the process of becoming a footballer was a rosy one, but he soon realized he needed to increase his level of work and output to be the best In his field.
Even when he scored goals, his coach still criticized him for the way he scored the goal. Listen to this story of the man called Osimhim and find out what makes him special.
Remember the time when footballers were all about the game, winning trophies and scoring goals? Well, now football has evolved beyond that with the rise of Social Media. Now most players have created a brand for themselves out of football, either in fashion, entertainment or lifestyle. While some people would argue that the decline in a player's performance is a result of their flashy and crazy lifestyle, others argue it has nothing to do with it.
Today the hosts look at a few players and compare if truly their lifestyles have any impact on their performances, players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Pogba, Obafemi Martins, etc. While some people's lifestyle is what gets their results on the pitch, others have been in weird situations as a result of that.
Listen to today's episode and you be the judge of that.
As the season is almost coming to an end, it looks like we can already determine who would be the champion in their individual leagues, while for others it is a case of "you snooze, you lose" the podcast hosts discuss the race to the final this season, and who they think would come out on top.
Fan loyalty is a very important attribute when supporting a club/team because there are seasons when your club can be dragged down from the top, last season we have seen a couple of big clubs in football lose their charm, clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona and Arsenal just to mention a few. Today the podcast hosts discuss fan loyalty and if fans should stick to their clubs in times when things aren't looking so bright?
For years, the conversation around who is the best dribbler of all time, The Ballgecko Podcast host list and rank their best dribblers of all time, and as usual Mayowa and Naz didn't really see eye to eye, it is always expected that these hosts would always have a back and forth when it comes to their favs.
How many times have you seen a piece of news about your favorite footballer only to realize it was false? We asked the crew of the Ballgecko podcast and the unanimous answer was “too many times”. In this age where anyone can spring up with fake news and false narratives, we discuss the effects this has on players and who should be held accountable and who can best help change the negative-heavy style of football news content currently circulating.
In the future, awards may be all footballers have to show for their time in the game. Especially to people who never saw them play. But what will that mean for one of Nigeria’s best-ever players who has never won the African Player of the Year award?
Why did he never win one? Was he unjustly denied in any year or were there simply better players in the years he could have won it? Was he a victim of circumstance or did the choices he made during his career mean he was never well-positioned for the award?
How often do you come across a player who talks up his game as much as Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Not very often I suppose. But how many times does he back up his tough words with actions? Perhaps much less than you’d imagine. We check out the origins of Zlatan’s grandiose speeches and gestures and ask the important question. Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic really as good as he says?
On the World Cup Segment of the podcast, we discuss the disappointment of Nigeria missing out on a spot at the 2022 World Cup on home soil and point fingers at the biggest culprits of the failure in Abuja, including a certain Pep Guardiola enthusiast.
Join us as we analyze the 2nd leg between Nigeria vs Ghana, the hosts share their thoughts on what the team needs to do to avoid the mistakes made in the 1st leg. This game would prove how bad the Super Eagles want this, a victory against Ghana won't be so bad, don't you think?
The football season is about to come to an end and that means several managerial positions will invariably open up. We look at the managers who will be looking to fill the slots that open up. The biggest coaching names currently out of jobs will be looking to get back in the game as soon as possible. From Allardyce to Zidane, we check their profiles and see where they would best fit and who is most likely to end up where.
In the World Cup segment of the Podcast, we review the first leg of Ghana vs Nigeria tie and ask what went wrong for Nigeria and what went right for Ghana. We also discuss the repercussions of a 0-0 draw for both countries’ World Cup chances.
I start with myself in 2008 I went for a trial in Lagos Nigeria called FUTURE FOOTBALL in Sam Ethnan AirForce base and I saw corruption firsthand and gave up on ever playing football (Tell the Story). Being Old and Wiser now I know that it should not have been a reason for me to give up.
Online I stumbled on Nick Humphries from Train Effective who gave up everything he had and tried to become a professional football player. That's an outlandish dream in itself but Nick tried to accomplish becoming a professional football player in 100 days. He left his home in Australia, quit his well-paying job, left family and friends behind to pursue his dream of becoming a professional football player. He wanted to emulate the success of the likes of Jaime Vardy who also began his life as a professional football player at a relatively late period of his life. The goal was to get a professional contract in 100 days but while he might not have succeeded in becoming a professional football player in that short amount of time, the learnings he got along the way he hopes will aspire young football players to pursue their goals and achieve their dreams. He also sighted challenges like Politics and Ego and Corruption and people falsely collecting money from people in the promise of getting them trials and all, Let's not even get into how that is the norm here in Nigeria.
It's D-Day for Nigeria in Accra as they take on Ghana in the first leg of their final World Cup Qualifier. In a game in which the Super Eagles enter as favorites, we analyze the possible pitfalls they will face and their best chances of taking an important first-leg victory over the Black Stars.
We look at the life and injuries of Ronaldo De Lima and the guys make bold claims like “Ronaldo is the second-best Brazilian ever” and “his two-year injury layoff had its advantages”. There's a lot to agree and disagree on, so listen to the guys make their points for and against issues around his quality, consequences of his injuries, and how good he could have been.
We also discuss the World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Ghana and talk about the players that we’re looking forward to seeing from Victor Osimhen to Odion Ighalo and give predictions for the tie.
For years, the conversation around who is the best striker of all time, The Ballgecko Podcast host list and rank their best strikers this season, and as usual Mayowa and Naz didn't really see eye to eye, when Naz brought up a certain Chelsea legend who he believes can't dust Mo Salah's boots.
Ghana vs Nigeria war has gone on for a long time, from Twitter wars to jollof rice wars, to creative wars, Team Nigeria has always edged out Ghana, except for when it comes to football, in the many times both teams have met, Ghana has always had an edge over Nigeria. Both countries face each other for their spot in the World Cup Qualifiers, Nigeria will have to put in more than just efforts if they want to have the bragging rights in this war. We analyze how we expect the game to turn out, those players to look out for, and if Nigeria should have most of their older players in the squad.
They have conquered football, stamped their names as The GOATs of the game. Today, the hosts take a look at the football journey of two of the finest ballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, what would life be like after them and who are those young talents likely to succeed them. How long do they have left in football, and answer the question, are they both finished?
In the Nigerian Super Eagles' 73 year history, there have been major highs and lows for the national team. Three African Nations Cup trophies, six World Cup appearances, and a plethora of star players that represented the country and had stellar playing careers. We discuss who we think the best of the best among the many Super Eagles. From the one so good they named him twice to the goal-scoring goalkeeper who defied Lionel Messi. Listen and find our top five players for the Nigerian National team and see if we've selected a solid top five or left someone out.
When a French coach named Jean-Marc Guillou set up the MimoSifcom academy as part of the Asec Mimosa set up, his only intention was to get a steady stream of talented youngsters from Ivory Coast to European teams. To make a name for themselves and a few bucks for Guillou. His actions, however motivated, would eventually turn out to save a country on the brink of collapse from itself.
With civil war threatening to tear Cote D’Ivoire apart, it was the national team filled with the kids from Mimosifcom, with the mercurial Didier Drogba as their leader, who made perhaps the biggest impact on peace talks when they qualified for the World Cup and addressed the warring factions on the need for a ceasefire.
On BallGecko Narrated we discuss the History of Football. How Football as we know it today - began in England, with the laying down of rules by the Football Association in 1863. But before now we discuss how Football has been since 3rd and 2nd century BC under the name Cuju which translates literally as 'kick ball' and the aim of the game was to kick the ball into a net. We take you in how it moved from Greece to Roman Empire and England. How it was codified by Ebenezer Morley who has been referred to as the 'father' of the Football Association. Listen and enjoy this Narration with us as we take you on this journey.
In today’s episode Seyi Awolowo, Mayowa, and Ayoola Kelechi created The BallGecko XI of the 90s and 00s with a subs bench and a manager to boot.
Who knew creating a team of the best players from 1990 could be so difficult? There were many hard choices from who to man the posts. Oliver Kahn? Buffon? Casillas? or Peter Cech? There were center-back option troubles as well. Nesta, Stam, Canavarro, Ramos, Maldini, Terry. We all agreed with Seyi's Choice of Zidane and Iniesta in midfield but who would join them? Join us on this creative journey
In this episode, we discussed the immediate future of the playing squads of Chelsea and Manchester United. Position by position. Players that should remain in the squad till the end of the season, players that need to be loaned out, and players that should be sold in the January transfer window like Ross Barkley, Mata, and Lee Grant.
Also, we spoke briefly about the perceived stingy players in our teams; Mason Greenwood and Mason Mount as well as results from the recent matches at the AFCON 22; Hakimi's wonder goal (again).
In this episode, we spoke about the AFCON Knockout games. The bravery and industrious exploits of Comoros, The record-breaking Gambia, and Cameroon are showing Lion qualities with Vincent Aboubakar leading highest goal scorer chart with 6 goals.
We touched on how Cards have been flying around with 141 Yellows and 11 reds on the show already in just 40 matches.
In the Nigerian football Segment, we spoke about the way forward for Nigeria with Jose Peseiro about to take over from Eguavon who has stepped down. We also spoke about what we think we're the positives to take from Nigeria Disappointing Early Exit from AFCON after a fantastic group stage.
Welcome, today we did a round-up of the weekend’s fixtures in Europe. Touching on the amazing goals and last-minute's comebacks at Real and Atletico Madrid as well as Manchester City finally dropping points after 12 straight wins in England. We spoke about the race to the Scudetto and how Juventus seems to have lost their way as well as Sergio Ramos’ first Paris goal.
In the AFCON segment, we discussed the fall of the Super Eagles and what Nigeria did wrong against Tunisia as Naz said he wasn’t surprised by the performance. Mayowa was also keen to point out why Umar Sadiq might not be a bad striker after all.
Aubameyang the man whose Family love got him stripped of Arsenal Captaincy.
Today we take you on a journey of how Aubameyang became the footballer he is today. From his numerous Loans from AcMilan to teams like Lille and Monaco filled with Uncertainty to his blistering form from France to Bundesliga and finally the EPL and who knows where next.
Is Arteta the problem ? or is it Arsenal ? or is it Aubameyang? Should he have put Arsenal before his Son and Ailing Mother or was the situation mismanaged?
Listen and draw your conclusions.
Today's conversation is very unique, all speakers are taking you on a personal journey down memory lane into how they fell in love with this beautiful game of Football. With stories like first European Match watched, first time football brought them tears, most joyful moment as a football fan as well as their first Football jerseys and paraphernalia owned and more.
After this, we dived into AFCON to Celebrate our Perfect Group Stage with Mayowa complaining about Umar Sadiq's body language and everybody agreeing with how blessed Moses Simon is with his feet.
You don’t want to miss this episode. All Laughs and Nostalgia as you journey with us on BallGecko.
Welcome, on this episode Mayowa and Naz both discuss the struggles of their teams. With Chelsea failing to win an Epl match they have scored first in 4 consecutive games as well as conceding in 12 games in the last 16.
Mayowa makes claims that fatigue and injuries are responsible but Naz suggests that the almighty Cohbam Academy should be able to save the Blues now.
There seems to be an increase in players taking on their clubs especially as regards transfers away from the club, so on this episode of the Ballgecko Podcast, we ask why?
We discuss examples from Carlos Tevez to Harry Kane and Tony Martial as we tried to find out if players are becoming more egotistical and difficult to handle? Or if they now see football as a just business rather than a passionate obsession?
In the AFCON segment, we look at fixtures from Groups A, B, and C. We swoon over Vincent Aboubakar's scoring form and ask important questions like "what happens if Ghana survives the group stage and get paired with Nigeria in one of the knockout rounds?"
It's a new week, and this means all the weekend football conversations come to life on the podcast.
We discussed how even though Nigeria won comfortably, the quality of play was not like against Egypt.
Ayoola refreshed Mayieve's memory on his false prophecies about Chelsea taking on Manchester City.
We debated the important question of Arsenal taking advantage of the EPL Covid Rules to postpone fixtures. Are they justified or not? Should teams be made to play with whatever squad they have or should the postponements continue?
We dived into transfers analyzing the situation of Haaland, the best fit for him, and the scary thought of him joining Manchester City. We look at the possibility of Mbappe extending his contract with the 2 years offers from PSG on the table.
Finally, in the AFCON segment, we discussed the final fixtures of all the groups as well as the big boys that could potentially miss out and the minnows making waves in the group stages.
Today is all about Brentford on BG Narrative. How their Enigmatic Owner since 2012, Matthew Benham a Professional Gambler, brought them to the top division of English football for the first time in 74 years in the most unique of ways using Data.
In a world where the money spenders are ruling the game, it’s beautiful to see how a club with very little money is making waves and making life difficult for money spenders even as newcomers in the top division.
On the AFCON segment we discussed The best African defenders we believe to have ever graced the AFCON stage and we hope to leave you Nostalgic as we try to relive how beautiful their era was.
With Rumours swirling about Mo Salah's salary demands and opinions divided between whether Liverpool will regret not giving into the Egyptian King's demands or whether they can take the risk of letting him go, we're asking just how important is Salah to Liverpool?
We've seen the goals, the assists but is he just part of a well-oiled machine or is he the reason the machine looks so well oiled?
Mayieve, ever the Chelsea fan, tried to claim Salah as one of their own, but Seyi and Ayoola were having none of it.
On the AFCON Segment, the focus was understandably on Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe's errors in the game between Tunisia and Mali. For a referee of his caliber, he made an almost inexplicable string of errors and we find possible reasons for his off day on the job. From exhaustion and heat stroke to straight-up beef with Tunisia.
Who is the better Mason? Mason Greenwood or Mason Mount? This is a question Manchester United and Chelsea fans have been asking since birth players made their debut for their respective clubs. Mason Mount a UCL Champion, and a world-best player, Mason Greenwood is yet to win a trophy, but he isn't far behind.
Naz, Mayieve, and our guest on the show UTDTrey share their thoughts on both players and they each brought strong opinions to defend who they think is the better Mason.
On the AFCON segment, the crew analyze the game between Egypt and Nigeria, Naz wasn't so impressed with the 1 - 0 performance by the Eagles, but Ayoola and Mayieve made a believer out of him.
Do you think Ronaldo Delima would have had more career goals and awards to his name if he didn't battle with a knee injury most of his playing career? Even after being out for more than 3 years, he still came back with a bang. A lot of good football careers have been cut short due to unexpected injuries, today the Ballgecko podcast crew talks about what would have been if certain footballers played to their full potentials.
Manchester City tops the EPL with a 10 point lead over Chelsea after winning three of the last four titles. Is there still any point contesting the league with Pep’s Sharks or should they just hand the title at the start of the season?
Mayieve still thinks Chelsea and Liverpool have a fighting chance this season, but can he give valid reasons why?
Let’s take you on a journey, tell you about a 'Diamond from the Dirt', a poor boy from Antwerp, Belgium.
Ushered into the world unceremoniously on May 13 in the year 1993, to struggling parents, who fled the rule of a Dictator in Congo, is a baby called Romelu Menama Lukaku Bolingoli.
They say don’t judge a man until you have walked in his shoes. Let’s listen and walk in his boots as we see life from the eyes of a now 6’3 powerful and versatile Striker from Belgium.
Enjoy.
Hindsight is 20/20, isn't it? With the winter transfer window getting into flow, the guys on the Podcast give their verdict on the players who moved in the summer transfer window from Memphis to Messi.
Mayieve defends Messi’s Unmessi like start to life at PSG and also sticks his neck out for Lukaku and Seyi considers Cristiano Ronaldo a victim of a subpar Manchester United team.
We also find out who each person believes would be the ideal signings for their respective teams.
On the AFCON Segment of the Podcast, Groups E and F are in view and a mini-debate about the best dribbler in Africa breaks out.
Ayoola also reveals the team he thinks can cause a major upset in Group F.
Welcome to the Naz vs Mayowa Episode 10
On this episode, we talk about Lukaku’s apology with Mayowa going from Fire on Episode 66 to Cold Water today while Naz can’t believe a simple apology was enough to change Mayieve’s mind.
Also in the mix was Rangnick’s first Loss as a United Manager. Naz says United Players need to wake up and stop hiding behind managers.
It's the new year and we have gotten to the middle of the Premier League season, the top 3 teams on the table have made it clear they aren't dropping anytime soon, this means the race for 4th place is getting heated, can Arsenal hold on to 4th position, or will the teams close behind knock them off?
How does a player who just joined for a club-record transfer fee less than six months ago give such a scathing review of his time at the club?
Lukaku's interview with Sky Italia where he said he didn't want to be at Chelsea but rather at Inter, Bayern, Real Madrid, or Barcelona has made the rounds recently and the guys in the studio have their say on the big man's outbursts.
Leicester City have been pegged down to the UEFA Conference league and are struggling in the League, Jidechi is strong of the opinion that Brendan Rodgers should already be out of a job and gives his reasons why there is no recovery for Leicester under Rodgers.
We also look at the biggest games coming up this weekend from the Madrid Derby in Spain to...Liverpool vs Aston Villa?
Guess there aren't that many top games in Europe this weekend. Or maybe there are. Listen to find out 😉
It's hard to figure out exactly how Barcelona has found itself in this situation, so we did the easy thing instead, made fun of them. Long trips to Jerusalem and Azerbijan are hardly what Cules would have envisaged when they hired Xavi, but here they are anyway.
We discuss the Catalan mishap and other teams dropping from the Champions League to the Europa League and the chances of Chelsea retaining their title now that they have finished second in the group.
We also highlighted results from the UWCL as Chelsea Women secured top and looked at Thursday's fixtures including the biggest clash of the game week between Barcelona and Arsenal.
Chelsea are going through a rough patch of matches with mixed results in the last 3 games - a win, a draw, and a loss. Mayieve explains the reasons for the recent slump in results (not performances) while Naz basks in the newfound relief of watching Manchester United play under Rangnick. Predictions for the last UCL group stage match and the weekend games in the EPL to follow. It's the Blue Blood vs The Red Devils.
Barcelona are in a more precarious situation than a glass cup sharing a table with a troublesome cat. If they lose to Bayern Munich during the final round of Group Stage games, then they will play in the lower ranks of European football for the first time since 2003/2004.
We've asked fans of the Podcast if they think Barcelona can escape from the Allianz Arena with a point or more and the answer? An emphatic NO!
Listen to the BallGecko Podcast fans share their opinions on Europe's most talked-about fixture and also listen to a preview of the UCL games and get a hint of what each team needs to qualify for the round of 16.
Fluke or fashion? Arthur Masuaku's goal against Chelsea caused a mini-debate about whether he meant the audacious attempt on goal or not. Ayoola and Jidechi also discuss the best and worst of Chelsea's weekend as CFC lost to West Ham while CWFC claimed the FA Cup against Arsenal.
We also discuss Die Klassiker controversy and Jude Bellingham's unguarded comments about referee Felix Zwayer in the wake of Bayern Munich's win over Borussia Dortmund.
And to top it all of, Serie A action featuring Olympicos and a raving, ranting Jose Mourinho after yet another disappointment for Roma.
Thank God it's Friday! With another weekend of exciting football in front of us, join Ayoola and Jidechi as they preview the weekend’a action. Featuring a debate about unfair goals. A look at Roma’s problems and why even top managers are likely to struggle with average teams. Plaudits to Xavi’s Barcelona and why Real Madrid will have too much for Real Sociedad. And of course predictions ahead of the biggest game of the weekend, Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich.
In this episode, we discuss Alexia Putellas and the Ballon d'Or feminine. Jidechi explains why the award was unlikely to be as hot a topic as Messi vs Lewandowski in the male category.
Experience the episode that also included England's record 20-0 win vs Latvia, the quality gap in the European qualifiers, the pros and cons of the lack of action on the African front during the women's international break, and a thorough dressing down of PSG and their unspectacular form,
Over the weekend, the much-anticipated clash between Chelsea and Manchester United ended in a draw. Naz and Mayieve share their different reactions to the result for both teams and discuss the effect of the incoming interim Manchester United manager, Ralf Rangnick. Will he be a success and what constitutes success for him at this point of the season?
It's the day after the Ballon d'Or awards and half the world will argue that the best man didn't win it. Luckily for Leo Messi, that wasn't the half he needed. We asked the fans of the Ballgecko podcast who they would have handed the award if they could and got some intriguing results. Listen as we discuss responses and the validity of Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or win.
Chelsea and Manchester United shared the spoils at the bridge and the big question today is, what was the main factor? Were Chelsea too lax with their finishing or did they simply meet a United side that defended well? Join us as we look back that fixture and some of the best fixtures across the big five leagues over the weekend.
From Italy to England, France to Spain, what are the biggest games and moments to look forward to from the weekend. Join us as we look at the most intriguing fixtures and give predictions ahead of another exciting weekend of football.
Carrick's first win, Dortmund in the Europa League, and the latest teams to qualify for the round of 16. There's a lot to talk about after the last round of UCL fixtures and we delve into them all and also preview the UEFA Women's World Cup qualifiers.
With OLE now history we discuss potential Interim Managers, Osimhen’s injury, and how Super Eagles Nations Cup Dreams will be impacted. We also discuss Chelsea’s recent domineering performances as defending European Champions and the predictions of the upcoming weekend match week across European leagues.
In today's episode, we asked the fans their highest high and lowest low of the football weekend, and quite a few people (mostly rival fans) were sad to see Ole Gunnar Solksjaer leave. We listened to the most intriguing contributions and discussed Ole's successor, Arsenal's future, Tuesday's Champions League games, and so much more.
When you predict a defeat for the mighty Bayern, then you deserve to brag about it. Join the Ballgecko Prophets as they review an exciting weekend of football that saw Liverpool maul Arsenal, Ole finally sacked, and the last unbeaten runs in Europe end.
Arsenal comes into the fixture vs Liverpool in better form than the reds, but the Merseyside boys have the better team on paper. So who truly are the favorites for the biggest fixture this weekend? Join us as we discuss this as well as preview the biggest fixtures in the football weekend calendar.
Gernot Rohr could be leaving the Super Eagles and we discuss the fairness of the decision to let him go as well as the ramifications for the Super Eagles. We also look at the best action from the UEFA Women's Champions League and preview the best UWCL games for Thursday.
Is Gernot Rohr out of depth as the Nigerian national team coach? Join Naz and Mayieve as they discuss his impact and decisions in improving the team. as well as Nigeria's chances in qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar, The European world Cup playoffs, Games to watch out for this weekend in the premier league, and Steven Gerrard in Aston villa.
With a point needed against Cape Verde in Lagos, fans of the Ballgecko Podcast have weighed in with their predictions on how the all-important qualifying fixture will go. Will they be right or wrong? Will the Super Eagles pull a Portugal? Only time will tell.
Portugal entered the last group games of World Cup qualifying needing only two points to qualify. They picked up only one and missed out on automatic qualification. We look at their chances of still making the Mundial as well as other countries that could fall victim to the same problems in their final group games.
What do you do during the International break weekend? Do you just mope about hopelessly bored out of your mind? Well here's a podcast episode just for you, giving you options to keep you busy and entertained all through the weekend.
What could drive a player to attack their teammate in such a violent manner? It has to be more than playing time, doesn't it? Ayoola and Jidechi discuss the unprecedented spat between two PSG Féminine Players and also review the UEFA Women's Champions League fixtures.
Eddie Howe has just been confirmed as the new manager of the latest premier money bags, Newcastle united. Naz and Mayieve deliberate on his chances at the helm and Newcastle's chances of challenging the top dogs in football hierarchy in the transfer market as well as for trophies and European places.
Based on the last episode, we asked fans what surprised them the most from the weekend of football and we got responses ranging from Liverpool's loss to Hellas Verona's draw against Napoli but mostly Barcelona dropping points at Celta Vigo despite being three goals up
On a weekend where Chelsea and Napoli dropped points to minnows, Norwich sacked their manager after they finally got their first win, Liverpool recorded their first league loss, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona blew big leads in extra time, and Roma fell to Hellas Verona we can only ask, is this the most surprising weekend of league football this season?
Build up to the biggest game in Italy and maybe the whole of Europe this weekend between Inter and AC Milan as well as the Manchester Derby and the rest of the weekend's action with the Ballgecko Podcast team. Enjoy unique insight and interesting talking points as always around the most exciting games.
On this episode, we review the UEFA Champions League games played on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as preview the UEFA Women's Champions League, and ask important questions like "why is it so difficult to watch the UWCL on local TV?"
Mayowa joins Naz to discuss Ole's situation in Manchester united and the ripple effect of Antonio Conte's appointment at Tottenham Hotspurs, Tuesday's champions league match results as well as the previous match weekend before.
We asked fans how well they think their teams can do in the UEFA Champions League and just about everyone said their teams will win the UCL. Ayoola and Jidechi wade through the responses to find out who might be right and who clearly has exaggerated expectations.
We warned that the ramification of a loss in the Manchester United vs Tottenham game would be huge and Spurs' 3-0 loss meant the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo. But was his sacking justified or a consequence of unrealistic expectations from Daniel Levy? We discuss this and other major talking points from a weekend of action that saw Juventus and Manchester City lose, as well as Liverpool and Barcelona drop points.
When Tottenham host Manchester United on Saturday, both managers will know that they are playing for their jobs. In this episode, we preview that fixture as well as all the other weekend fixtures from the top five leagues you are interested in.
Why is the format for the African Women's Cup of Nations Qualifier so out of whack? Are the minnows of women's football catching up to the traditional juggernauts? We discuss this as well as the inevitable sacking of Ronald Koeman and his possible successors.
With Naz knocked out last week and a double causality with the loss to Liverpool, it’s understandable that he didn’t show, but a fellow United Fan stepped up to battle and we discussed a way forward for UNITED and a possible chance to redeem himself this weekend against Tottenham. We had A Liverpool and another CHELSEA fan join in the convo
It's another day and Ole is still unexplainably at the helm of Manchester United. If the fans of the Ballgecko Podcast were in charge, Ole would have been gone yesterday. We asked for contributors to tell us how well they enjoyed their teams' performances over the weekend and we heard from three United fans, one Liverpool fan, one Chelsea fan, and a pair of el Clasico hopefuls as we discussed matters from all their clubs.
How good was Liverpool against Manchester United? Better than their league and Champions League-winning teams? We discuss the quality of this Liverpool team and the other talking points from the weekend including the el Clasico, Roma stopping Napoli, and PSG's struggles in France
There are more games to salivate over this weekend than any other week so far this season. El Clasico, Juventus vs Inter Milan, Manchester United vs Liverpool, and Marseille vs PSG. Who wins what? What games will make for the best viewing? Join us s we analyze the exciting weekend of football to come.
How did Manchester United escape dropping points against Atalanta? Why are Bayern so ruthless? Join us as we review the last round of UCL fixtures and also discuss Nigeria's performance in the first leg of the first round of the AWCON qualifying and evaluate their chances of going all the way.
Mayowa and Naz Face-off Part Two. Reflections on last week's football matches. Brief discussions about Newcastle Steve Bruce being sacked and Who their potential Manager would be.
Update on the Super League Rumor and its Pros and Cons. Review and Preview on Champions League match this week. Lastly, we spoke about EPL this weekend.
We asked the Ballgecko Podcast community who they thought the best player from the weekend was and there was one overwhelming answer.
Find out who it was on the Ballgecko Podcast and enjoy our preview of Tuesday's Champions League games featuring huge expectations of Sheriff Tiraspol.
Only Edouard Mendy stood between Chelsea and dropping points while Victor Osimhen ensured that Napoli continued their 100% record in Serie A, we discuss the heroics of these guys as well as all the major talking points from a weekend of pulsating football action
Do Leicester need to solidify offensively or defensively? Listen to the Ballgecko Weekend Preview as we discuss this and preview the weekend of football to come including thoughts on Napoli's incredible run, Ronald Koeman's future, and the most important game of the Serie A weekend.
The UEFA Women's Champions League is back and Juventus played host to a thriller against Chelsea. Listen to our review of the first set of round two UWCL fixtures as well as a preview for the second set of fixtures. We also discuss the strained nature of the CONMEBOL qualifiers and which of Brazil or Argentina is the truly dominant South American team at the moment.
Naz and Mayowa face off on issues ranging from Gernot Rohr's tenure as the Nigerian national team's coach, the end of the international break, and Ronaldo's international supremacy, to the return of club football for their respective teams - Man Utd and Chelsea.
Jorginho? Simon Kjaer? Gianluigi Donnarumma? Lionel Messi? Ronaldo? or someone else? Who should win the Ballon d'Or? Listen and find out our favorites to take home the prize for the best player in the World.
What giant of Africa loses to the Central African Republic? The Super Eagles of Nigeria that's who! Where should the fingers for the loss be pointed? Rohr? The Players? Join us as we dissect the realities of Nigeria's loss and other World Cup qualifiers and UNL games coming up during the weekend.
The UEFA Women's Champions League first round of games is done and the usual suspects are off to great starts. Can Barcelona retain their title? Who are the threats to their throne? We discuss this and Spain's sojourn to the final of the UEFA Unnecessary League.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria take on Cape Verde twice in the space of one week in the international break but how good are the current players called up to play the qualifiers? Were players left out who deserved to make the team? Listen to this episode of the Ballgecko Podcast as ask how Super are the Super Eagles.
It's the international break and we're wondering, is there anything to look forward to as national teams lock horns? Maybe, maybe not. Find out more on the Ballgecko Podcast and hear what fans all over Nigeria think about the International break.
After a weekend of shocking and also exhilarating football, join the Ballgecko Podcast crew - and Ricky - as we go over the best and worst moments of the weekend’s games.
Cheers to the Weekend. Liverpool vs Manchester City, Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona and so much more. Get a preview of the weekend's action with the Ballgecko Podcast.
On this episode of the Ball Gecko Podcast, we discuss the Champions League fallouts. The awesome Ronaldo and Cule tears. We also suggest reasons why the Women’s International goal record is so much higher than the Men’s.
How did a Moldovan side rock up to the Bernabeu and take away all three points? Who are these guys? Listen to our thoughts on debutants FC Sheriff Tiraspol as well as other major talking points from the 1st set of 2nd round Champions League games
It's Champions League day and Jidechi is dancing. Let's hear from fans whose teams made them dance or cry over the weekend and also preview PSG's crunch tie with Manchester City, the return of the Champions League anthem to the red half of the San Siro, and other interesting clashes from Tuesday's UCL line-up.
Arsenal's awesome North London Derby win.
Bruno's missed penalty, Ansu Fati's triumphant comeback, and all the major action from a weekend of football that did not disappoint.
From the Rome derby to the first clash between title challengers in the EPL, it's about to be an awesome weekend of football action. Join us as we preview all the major games of the Weekend on the Ball Gecko weekend preview.
After the Aisha Buhari Invitational final loss, some choice words were said about the Super Falcons which were less than desirable. When will the pattern of conscious disrespect towards arguably the best team in African Women’s football end? Also, enjoy some choice ramblings about United’s failures and Karim Benzema’s exceptional form.
Some managers are just lucky while others wish they could buy some luck. Which managers are where? Which managers are going to crack under the pressure of differing expectations? and most important;y, why is Daniel Farke going to last longer than Ole Gunnar Solkjaer at the helm?
Thiago Silva is the name on everyone's lips. The Chelsea man was outstanding over the weekend and we discuss his performance as well as hear from fans on the best players from the last game week. We also discuss Ronald Koeman's potential exit from Barcelona after a disappointing start to Barcelona's season.
Another awesome weekend of premium football summed up by the Ballgecko team. Join Ayoola and JJ as they take you through the most talked about topics from football over the weekend. From Messi snubbing Poch to Lingard securing the win for Manchester United against West Ham
It's the weekend. The best part of the week is because league football is back. Join us to preview the biggest games of the weekend from the Premier League, to La Liga and the other top European leagues you love.
US Soccer Federation offers identical contracts to men's and women's teams but should there be equal pay in sport? Join us on a new episode of the Ball Gecko podcast as we talk equality in sports, the UEFA Champions League and, Mohammed Salah.
"Man United falter on return to Champions League. Bayern thrash Barcelona AGAIN! PSG, Man City, Liverpool, Milan are all on Wednesday's spotlight. Join us on the Ball Gecko podcast as we dissect the biggest talking points from the first round of games in 2021/2022 UEFA Champions League."
The UCL is finally back and boy have we missed it. We talk all things UCL from the faves to the outsiders and the teams that have no chance. We also take fan contributions and discuss the possibility of Manchester United winning the league now that they have Cristiano Ronaldo.
Siiiiiuuuu Ronaldo brace, Benzema hattrick, Jose Mourinho top of Serie A. Join us on the Ball Gecko podcast as we dissect the biggest talking points from the weekend of football action across the top five leagues in Europe.
Welcome to a new season of the Ball Gecko Podcast. The show that brings you the ins and outs of the beautiful game. Join us as we preview the weekend's action from the top five leagues and touch on topics like Arsenal's relegation six-pointer and Ronaldo's second debut with United.
Season one of the Ball Gecko Podcast comes to an exciting end after 26 episodes. We'll take a break to work on being better in the new season. We are very grateful to our lovely guests that have graced the show and made it what it is today. We thank our listeners for giving up their time to listen and enjoy the show. If you enjoyed what we served you in season one, then, get ready for what we've got cooking in season two.
FIFA has begun a process to modify the way football will be played in the future. It includes a 30-minute half. They are in phase one of the tests. If successful, it will be passed on to IFAB, the body responsible for making laws in football.
The Ballgecko podcast team analyses the possibilities, the realities, the pros, and the cons of this week's episode.
Penalties and penalty shootouts have always been an integral part of football competitions. They can form the assessment of players and coaches. They can be the reason why a team is termed a success or failure at a tournament. The Ball Gecko Podcast crew discusses this art.
It's no news that Italy are now the current European Champions. The Azzurri defeated England on penalties at the Wembley stadium. The Ball Gecko Podcast crew discusses all of the stories from the just concluded tournament.
England took a huge step towards trying to clinch a first major title since 1966 after convincingly defeating Germany in the second round. The Three Lions seem to have the coast clear. They next face Ukraine. The Ball Gecko Podcast crew discusses their chances alongside other topical issues.
The group stage of the UEFA Euro 2020 has been concluded. We have seen some entertaining teams, disappointing teams, and some very organized teams. Medical Doctor and Arsenal fan, Femi joins the Ball Gecko Podcast crew to discuss these teams.
The UEFA Euro 2020 takes center stage in a couple of days. It will be hosted in 11 stadiums in 11 cities. The Ball gecko podcast crew preview the coming competition- the favorites, the outsiders, and the underdogs.
In what has been an unusual but exciting season across the major leagues in Europe, which has seen Chelsea become the UEFA Champions League winners for the second time ever, Chelsea fan and Logistics manager, Porter @tha_kaizen joins the Ball Gecko Podcast crew to discuss the just-concluded season.
In what has been an unusual but exciting season across the major leagues in Europe, which has seen Chelsea become the UEFA Champions League winners for the second time ever, Chelsea fan and Logistics manager, Porter joins the Ball Gecko Podcast crew to discuss the just-concluded season.
It has been a brilliant season of football in England. We have witnessed the highs, lows, and the stressful.
The Ball Gecko Podcast crew discusses the season in retrospect in Episode 17.
Barcelona Femeni became the latest winner of the UEFA Women's Champions League. There's has also been an increase in the following and viewing of women's football across Europe and in Africa.
Guest joins us on this episode to discuss the progress of the women's game.
Two weeks ago, Manchester United fans expressed their displeasure with the club's ownership by demonstrating aggressively at the stadium, thereby forcing a postponement of the match against United. Do fans of private clubs have the right to protest? Arsenal fan and doctor, Femi Unagi @theunagi_ joins us on the Ball Gecko podcast to discuss this and other topical issues in football.
Romelu Lukaku is having the best season career at Inter Milan having scored 27 goals and 10 assists. The Belgian has now helped his team to the Scudetto.
Was he rightly let go by Manchester United?
Manchester United Fan, Hodovai joins us to discuss his team's decision to sell amongst other topical issues.
The UCL final takes centre stage this week. Chelsea take on Real Madrid and PSG host Manchester City in what has been termed the "Oil Derby." Fan joins us to preview the semi-final matches as well as other topical issues in Football.
The top teams from the big European Leagues that include: the 'big 6' in the Premier League, three teams from Spain, and three teams from Italy have begun processes to start a breakaway Super League. Manchester United fan, Tosin Collins joins us to discuss the possibilities and implications of this proposition as well as other trending topics in football.
Harry Kane has been Tottenham's best striker in the past 5 years. He's the best striker in the Premier League this season with 19 goals and 13 assists. At 27, he doesn't seem like he may achieve his true potential at Tottenham. Is it time for the English forward to consider moving to a bigger club? Transaction advisor and Chelsea fan Oreoluwa Porter @tha_kaizen joins us to discuss this and other trending topics in football.
Racism rears its ugly head once again in the La Liga game between Cadiz and Valencia as Mouctar Diakhaby was allegedly abused by Cadiz defender, Juan Cala. Arsenal fan and Digital marketer Paolo Abamwa @paoloabamwa joins us on Episode 10 to discuss racism in football as well as other trendy topics in football.
The Super Eagles have now qualified for the Africa Cup Of Nations in Cameroon. They are unbeaten in the group, even without the most eye-catching of displays. Chelsea fan and Mall manager, Bass Ige @bass_ige podcast joins us to discuss the performance of Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr and what to expect at the upcoming AFCON.
The Super Eagles play against The Republic of Benin and Lesotho on the 27th and 30th of March for a chance to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup Of Nations in Cameroon. The team needs just one point to book a spot at Africa's number one football tournament. Football analyst and writer, Cerebrone @cerebrone joins us to discuss the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals, Valencia, and the Super Eagles.
Kelechi Iheanacho has faced ups and downs since he came to the limelight in 2013. In the past few weeks, he looks reborn at Leicester City. Kemi joins us to discuss the change in fortunes.
Gareth Bale looks rejuvenated at Tottenham after what looked like a frustrating last few months at Real Madrid. How has Jose Mourinho been able to get the best out of the Welsh forward? Ropo joins us on the Ball Gecko Podcast to discuss Gareth Bale's revival.
Former Real Madrid player, Antonio Cassano branded Cristiano Ronaldo as being selfish at Juventus. Akin Zane joins us on the Ball Gecko podcast to assess Ronaldo's influence at Juventus.
Chelsea are on a resurgence since the appointment of Thomas Tuchel with 5 wins and 2 draws. What are the objectives for the German this season? Chinaza joins us to discuss Tuchel's chances of success at the London club as well as the justification for sacking Lampard.
Jose Mourinho's future at Tottenham is once again in doubt after a scandalous loss against rival, Manchester City made it 4 losses in 5 games.
Is Mourinho still the special one? AmaraegbuJachi a football fan based in Lagos, had loads to say on the tribulations of one of football's most controversial figures.
With Liverpool's squad bereft of quality in both defence and attack, one gets to wonder if and maybe if, it's just about time for Klopp to leave when the ovation is still high.
We kick off our flagship podcast series with a catchy episode with talking points around Manchester City's resurgence to the top and how Liverpool's lethargic form and injuries might just be the good fortune Pep needs to stake a claim at the EPL title.