Coach of South Africa Hugo Broos says he is having the most difficult preparation ahead of the upcoming world cup qualifiers games against Lesotho and Nigeria respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Broos who was unable to name some important players in his team for the games due to injuries and fitness issues has also lost two players to injury ahead of the games.

Two players in Orlando Pirates star Patrick Maswanganyi and Hannover 96 defender Ime Okon were the latest to withdraw from the game due to injury, forcing the coach to replace them with Orlando Pirates’s Sipho Mbule and Stellenbosch FC’s Thabo Moloisane have since replaced the duo.

“This is one of the most difficult preparations I’ve had since I’ve been the coach of Bafana Bafana. We have many injuries to important players,” Broos lamented ahead of Friday’s game but he remain confident that they will get a good result on Friday to put the pressure on Nigeria.

“But we don’t have to focus on that; this is out of our power. We just must focus on the game because it’s a must-win match, and we cannot afford to lose points against Lesotho.

“The biggest mistake we can ever make is to underestimate our opponents. They are our neighbours, and we understand how challenging it can be to face tricky neighbours. We must be careful and keep the pressure on Nigeria”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

A total of 12 players are currently in the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of their upcoming world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and South Africa respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The camp of the Super Eagles opened yesterday in Uyo for the first assignment on Saturday against Rwanda, and head coach Eric Chelle has so far welcomed 12 players with more expected later today ahead of their first training session.

Below is the list of the 12 players who are in the camp led by captain William Troost Ekong who arrived yesterday alongside the trio of Amas Obasogie, Bruno Onyemaechi and Felix Agu.

Nine more players have arrived Akwa Ibom for WCQ. Latest arrivals are:

Players in Camp:

William Troost Ekong

Bruno Onyemaechi

Felix Agu

Amas Obasogie

Alex Iwobi

Calvin Bassey

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Ola Aina

Bright Osayi-Samuel

Moses Simon

Chidozie Awaziem

Adebayo Adeleye

Benjamin Fredericks

Bayern Munich will not be signing Ademola Lookman from Atalanta in the ongoing transfer window after their loan proposal was flatly rejected by the Italian Serie A side, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Lookman was the subject of a loan bid from the German giants who were keen on the 27 year old, following the refusal of Atalanta to let him join fellow league rivals Inter Milan. They made an official offer for him yesterday.

Atalanta replied that they will only entertain a loan deal with an obligation to buy and not an option, if they are not selling him outright. A stand they have maintained since yesterday.

The Germans have now pulled out of any plans to engage the reigning Africa player of the year, leaving him in limbo with the transfer window around major league set to close later today.

He is however adamant that he wants a way out of the club, and will explore the option of moving to Turkey where the window will still remain open for the next one week.

A return to training with the main team is another possibility, but his relationship with the club has broken beyond repairs following his public statement where he made it clear that he wants to leave the club.

Daniel Martins

The last has not been heard about the future of Victor Boniface at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen following the collapse of a loan move to AC Milan, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Boniface was close to joining Milan in the ongoing summer transfer window but the deal fell through after a knee issue was diagnosed during his medicals, and the Italian pull the plug on the deal.

He returned back to Germany and teamed up with his team, but didn’t get to play over the weekend. Reports has it that Werder Bremen are working on a deal to sign him on loan.

Bayer Leverkusen have given their blessing to his exit , and have stepped up talks with Werder for the deal to be concluded before the close of the transfer window later today.

The managing director of the club Simon Rolfes confirmed his likely exit from the club: “We would like to realize [a departure], if it suits all parties.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

As many as six players of the senior national team of Nigeria are expected to be late to the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria for the upcoming world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and South Africa respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The camp opens today in Uyo with head coach Eric Chelle already on ground expecting the first batch of players , but it won’t involve players who are trying to sort their future before the close of the ongoing summer transfer window.

Top of the list of the English Premier League bound duo of Tolu Arokodare and Uche Chrisantus. Arokodare is expected to undergo a medical with Wolverhampton Wanderers later today after a fee was agreed with Genk for his transfer.

Chrisantus is in London for a similar purpose after his release clause of €20 million was triggered by Crystal Palace leaving Getafe with no option but to sanction his exit. Both players will at the earliest be in the camp on Tuesday evening.

Also in London is Samuel Chukwueze with talks between AC Milan and Fulham for his loan deal progressing nicely, effectively ruling him out of the first few days of training till maybe Wednesday morning if all goes as expected.

Cyriel Dessers is already in Greece to seal a move to league giants Panathinaikos from Scottish side. A medical is expected to be the next step before an official announcement, it means he will also be late to the camp in Uyo.

For the duo of Ademola Lookman and Raphael Onyedika they are both pushing for a deadline day move, hence will be in the camp of the team at the earliest tomorrow or Wednesday.

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has hinted at a switch in the defensive shape of his team, which could see them revert to a three centre back option in the world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and South Africa respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle has played with a flat back four with the Super Eagles since taking over as coach, but said he is now considering altering the style as part of how to help the team defend better, especially against high pressing teams.

” We have to score goals ans also hope we don’t concede. Defensively we haven’t done as expected and it’s an area we are looking at swapping a little bit to a formation that protects the goalkeeper more when we play in September”, the coach said in Abuja.

Meanwhile sources close to the Malian say he will most likely start Getafe forward Uche Chrisantus in attack alongside Victor Osimhen ahead of Ademola Lookman, who is lacking match practice no thanks to the transfer dispute he is having with Atalanta.

Uche is seen as someone who understands the coach’s desire for his team to press high up the pitch, and will no doubt play a very huge role in both games. He is expected to arrive the camp as a player of English Premier League side Crystal Palace with his move waiting to be made official after a medical.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Relatively unknown Nigerian forward Uchenna Ogundu stole the show in the Turkish league with a wholesome performance for Alanyaspor in their 2-0 win over Besiktas, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Signed in the summer from Turkish second division side Sanliurfaspor, a team he joined last summer from Nigeria and progressed through their youth ranks to the first team where he ended the season with six goals and two assists in 19 games.

He was largely expected to join Galatasaray, who were reportedly leading the race to sign him but the promise of more game time at Alanyaspor lured him, and he has so far played in all three league games this season.

Blessed with pace to burn and an eye for goals, he literally tore the defence of Besiktas in today’s game despite not getting on the score sheet. He was awarded the player of the match award.

The expectation is that the 19 year old will continue to grow and in no distance future make a big money move from the Turkish league to a top European League.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Nigeria international winger Moses Simon powered his new team Paris FC to their first ever win in the French top division with a goal and assist in a 3-2 win over Metz, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Rocking an unfamiliar hair cut as opposed to the dreads that has become his signature, Simon followed up his goal last weekend against Marseille with an assist in the 52nd minute to put his team 2-1 up.

Two minutes later, Metz drew level but Simon has other ideas and in the 67th minute he rounded up a flowing team move with his team’s third goal, which ended as the deciding goal of the game.

He is now expected to join the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria for their world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and South Africa respectively on Monday in Uyo.

He has played all the minutes under new coach Eric Chelle who powered them to their first win of the Qualifiers, which was a 2-0 win against Saturday’s opponent Rwanda in Kigali. Three days later they will be up against group leaders South Africa at their backyard.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Nigeria international striker Sadiq Umar has gotten his wish to join Valencia from fellow La Liga side Real Sociedad on loan for the rest of the season, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The 28 year old spent the second half of last season on loan to Valencia, where he got six goals in 18 matches. He returned back to his parent owners after they surprisingly refused to take the option of making his deal permanent.

Other clubs immediately sounded out the lanky forward, but he picked Valencia when they once again requested to have him on loan, much to the disappointment of Real Sociedad who were keen on seeing him leave on a permanent deal.

Tried as they could, he rejected every other proposals notably from Elche, Girona and Turkish side Samsunspor in favour of a return to Valencia. A move that is now near completion.

We can exclusively reveal that Sadiq is now in Valencia, where he will undergo a medical before penning a season long loan deal with Valencia given the option of signing him permanently, it also brings to an end the uncertainty surrounding his future after not playing a minute in the first three games of the league.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Nigeria international midfielder Uche Chrisantus is set to join English Premier League side Crystal Palace from Spanish side Getafe on instructions from his team , OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

More suited to a role in the midfield, Uche who has largely play as a striker at Getafe since his move last summer form third division side Cueta, saw a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers stalled due to personal terms, but he is now traveling to London to finalize his signing for Crystal Palace, which would be close to the 20 million euros that is in his release clause.

Daniel Martins

However Chrisantus is willing to hold off on his signing , or at least to show his disagreement with the decision until at least the end of the transfer window. If the signing finally goes through as it will be against his will. His desire is to stay at Getafe.

Getafe are however obliged to sell in order for them to register the signings made this summer before tomorrow’s deadline of 11:59 p.m., did to LaLiga’s delicate situation with Fair Play regulations which means they have to sell one of their best players to make room for new players

” Tomorrow we have to decide whether to sell Uche or another player ,”president of the club Ángel Torres said on Friday.