Abduljelil Ajagun emerged as the hero for Roda JC Kerkrade as his brace helped them to a 3-1 win over Sparta Rotterdam in a tie between two teams struggling to remain in the Eredivisie .

Ajagun grabbed his brace in the 14th and 61st minute to put his side two goals up , and in the process increased his season goals tally to four in the league from 28 games for the team he joined in the summer from Greek side Panathinaikos.

The former Nigeria U-20 captain has recaptured the form that made him a big hit when he first arrived Greece in 2014 since moving to Roda JC in the summer despite playing in a team that has struggled all season long.

24 year old Ajagun has failed to progress to the senior national team of Nigeria after starring at U-17 & 20 level, although his club form hasn’t been the best the last 18 months.

Prince Michael

Leicester City played out an entertaining 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace which saw the home side coming from two goals down to hold the champions to a draw at Selhurst Park.

The champions went into an early lead thanks to a Robert Huth header from a throw in, and they doubled their efforts minutes into the second half courtesy of a goal from Jamie Vardy, who curled home a sweet left foot effort into the net inside the box of Crystal Palace.

Palace started a late rally to gain something from the game after Cabaye pulled a goal back for them , minutes after Vardy’s goal to bring scores to 2-1. A score line which was leveled by Christian Benteke who evaded his marker Wilfred Ndidi.

Ndidi did a good job on the big Belgium striker especially in aerial duels but was no where near the former Liverpool striker when headed home the equalizer for the Eagles.

Michael James.

Former Watford striker Odion Ighalo ended a seven months old goal drought with a brace for Chinese side Changchung Yatai in their 2-3 loss to Shanghai Shehua to open his goal account for his new side after four games without a goal.

Ighalo found the back of the net in the 40th and 50th minute but was helpless as a late strike two minutes from time from Giovanni Moreno handed the visiting team all three points, leaving Ighalo and co still without a win after five games.

The highest paid Nigerian player was however not the only Nigerian player abroad to score twice in a game this weekend as his tally was beaten by little known forward Tosin Aiyegun grabbed a hattrick for Latvian side Ventspils to power them to a 4-0 win over SK Babite.

18 year old Aiyegun went home with the match ball following his goals in the 20th, 28th and 34th minute of the game, his fourth goal in two games after his goal against Liepaja in their 3-0 last weekend.

Elsewhere they were goals from Simmy Nwankwo who helped Crotone draw 1-1 against Torino to breathe life into their battle to avoid relegation from the Serie A. The goal was also his second of the season.

Prince Michael

Italian Serie A side Torino failed to hang on to their lead against Crotone, no thanks to a late equalizer from Nigerian striker Simmy Nwankwo which helped relegation haunted Crotone to draw 1-1.

Torino took a 66th minute lead through league top scorer Andrea Belotti in the 66th who netted from the spot, and they were nine minutes away from clinching all three points before substitute Nwankwo leveled for Crotone.

Nwankwo was introduced in the 76th minute for his 17th appearance of the season, and the 24 year old proved to be an inspired substitution with the equalizer for his five minutes after coming on to rescue a point for his side.

The goal was his second of the season but his first of 2017, which ended a barren run of seven months without a goal since his strike against Atalanta in a 1-3 loss for his side on the 29th of September 2016.

Crotone are now 18th on the 20 team Serie A table, five points away from safety with six games left to play this season.

Daniel Martins

Super Eagles latest invitee Noah Joel Sarenren Bazee has extended his deal with German side Hannover 96 till the summer of 2021 despite reported interest from Bundesliga seasoned campaigners Schalke 04.

Hannover 96 are close to securing promotion to the Bundesliga with their 1-0 win over rivals Eintracht Braunschweig taking them to the top of the Bundesliga 2 table ahead of Stuttgart, who have played one game less as the race for promotion to the Bundesliga hots up.

The future of the highly rated Sarenren Bazee has troubled the club for a while as the club had to contend with the new agent of the German-Nigerian forward, who took over after negotiations have reached an advanced stage with Bazee’s former agent.

However few hours ago, the club announced through official channels that the 20 year old has put pen to paper on a fresh three year contract , which extends his deal at the club to the summer of 2021.

Presently out injured with a hip injury which has limited his appearance for Hannover 96, and it also denied him the chance to make his senior debut for Nigeria last month after opting for the Super Eagles ahead of Germany.

Osas Mahawi

Super Eagles and Gent forward Moses Simon says he is ready to take the next step in his career amid reports of interest from English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough.

Simon has been at the Belgium side since moving from Slovakia side Trencin in January 2015 in a deal reportedly worth €1m, following an 18 months spell where he grew into one of the most coveted star in Slovakia.

After recovering from a poor start to the season, the 21 year old has returned back to the form that made him a feared force in Belgium in his first six months in Belgium, and so far he is one of the stars of the play offs in Belgium.

“If I get the chance, I will grab it. I’m ready for the next chapter,” Simon told Belgium news outfit Het Laatste Nieuws in reaction to questions about rumors of a move away in the summer.

“My goal is to play in the Premier League, but that does not need to be my next step. West Bromwich? Middlesbrough? I read the articles on the internet too, but I can’t tell you now if the interest is real or just inquiry”.

Daniel Martins

Out of favour Manchester City Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho is currently courting interest from lot of clubs around Europe as doubts continue to surround his stay at the Etihad when the transfer window opens in the summer.

Iheanacho has been sparingly used by coach Pep Guardiola following the signing of Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, and reports has it that his style of play which is predominantly centered on finishing inside the box doesn’t suit the style of play of the manager.

He is expected to leave the team in the summer on a loan deal or permanent transfer which City will ensure a buy back option after some years is included in the summer. For now interest from Premier League teams have been all about having him on loan.

However couple of Spanish sides have made enquiries over his availability but German side Hoffenheim are ahead in the race to sign the forward , who failed to push through a move to fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Leverkusen in January according to Mundo Deportivo.

Coach of Hoffenheim Julian Nagelsmann is a big fan of the Nigerian, and will target him as a replacement for Andreij Kramaric if the Croatian forward move to China in the summer as expected.

Daniel Martins

Italian Serie A side Inter Milan have been told by fellow Serie A side Bologna that their 19 year old Nigerian sensation Orji Okonkwo is not for sale unless they match his fee which could be in excess of €7m.

Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal Inter Milan made contacts with his agent who sounded out their interest to Bologna last week but was told the forward who has 13 goals from 14 Primavera games this season won’t be sold unless his price tag in excess of €7m is met.

Orji only joined Bologna in the summer, in a deal exclusively reported by this portal two months before it became official , and the forward who has made his debut for the first team has clearly taken to life in his new surrounding like a duck to water by scoring goals for fun for the Primavera side of the Serie A team.

Last week he plundered a hattrick against Cagliari to take his season tally to 9 in the Primavera League , and his goal count of 4 at the prestigious Viareggio Championship completes his season account to 13 with games to spare.

Daniel Martins

Super Eagles and Leicester City star Wilfred Ndidi has revealed part of what Leicester City saw in him that made them sign him in January from Belgian side Genk.

Ndidi has taken the Premier League by storm since his 16 million pounds move from Genk, and the 20 year old said he has improved beyond what made the club snatch him from Genk since his move in January.

The 20 year old Nigeria international believes same trait of tireless running and winning balls which made former coach of Genk Peter Maes to snap him up two years ago, was what convinced Leicester City to splash big on him in January.

Despite being compared to former Leicester City hardman N’Golo Kante, Ndidi says he wants to be known for who he is than the tagged “New Kante” , which has been severally used in describing him since his move to the King Power Stadium.

“I can only see myself as myself,” he says. “Whether people say I play like Kanté, or that he’s better than me, I don’t listen to them. All I want to do is play and keep improving, and it is working well at the moment – we are doing the basic things well and we try to kick on from there. I prefer to enjoy the winning mentality of the team rather than how I play or what I try to achieve.”

Daniel Martins