The future of Zulte Waregem left full back Kingsley Madu in the Super Eagles is under threat according to coach of the team Gernot Rohr, who is unhappy about Madu’s lack of game time in Belgium.

Madu who is the deputy left back of the team behind first choice Elderson Echiejile is not getting games at Zulte Waregem, a situation which Rohr suggest could cost him his spot in the team.

Rohr confirmed his search for full backs has yielded fruits following the capture of Tyronne Ebuehi and Ola Aina, but insist he is still on the look out for more options.

” We’ve committed time in finding full backs. We have an option in Ola Aina of Chelsea, who has committed to Nigeria ahead of England”, Rohr said.

” We have Tyronne Ebuehi, Kingsley Madu who may have game time issues, but we’re working to get more options. I am confident we can get more players in the full back role”.

Osas Mahawi

As debate continues to rage on over the none inclusion of home based players in the Super Eagles, coach Gernot Rohr has hinted that age might be a factor why they are not getting a look in.

Rohr who started by including at least one home based player in his squad has failed to name any of in consecutive games in the 3-1 win over Algeria and the recent friendly against Senegal.

Goalkepper Ikechukwu Ezenwa is the only home based player to have find favour in the Franco-German coach, but even at that he has found games hard to come by as third choice shot stopper.
” The door is always open for the best players. The Nigeria League players must prove themselves with the CHAN team first, because at the moment we have a winning team, so the home based players must prove they deserve a place in the team”, Rohr said in an interview on Brila Fm monitored by Owngoalnigeria.com.

” There is an existing problem with Nigeria based players. We cannot tell their real age”.
* Osas Mahawi

Sporting Gijon hopes of avoid relegation suffered a big blow when they were thrashed 1-3 by Real Sociedad in a La-Liga Monday night game.

18th placed Sporting Gijon are five points away from safety, and their woes was compounded by a Real Sociedad team battling for a spot in Europe.

Sociedad raced onto a three goal lead with goals from Willian Jose, Juanmi and Yuri Berchiche at the Jose Luis Gonzalez Stadium before Elderson Echiejile popped up with a consolation for the visitors in the 87th minute.

The goal is the first by the defender since the 2012/2013 season when he scored in the Portuguese league during his three and half year stay with Sporting Braga.

On loan to Gijon from Monaco, his second loan spell of the season after spending six months at Standard Liege of Belgium, he has so far made three league appearances this season for the La-Liga strugglers.

* Daniel Martins

The Franco-German coach of the Super Eagles Gernot Rohr says a host of friendly games have been lined up for the team later in the year, to help them in competitive games.

Nigeria will be heavily involved in AFCON 2019 and World Cup 2018 qualifiers later in the year, starting from the AFCON qualifiers against South Africa on the 10th of June.

Already test games to put the team in shape for more daunting and challenging games have been arranged, with coach Rohr eager to test a host of players before using them in competitive games.

Rohr confirmed talks are underway to play two friendly games in France, where the team are expected to hold a training camp later in the year, revealed talks are underway for a high profile friendly game with the German national team.

” We have made contact with top executives in the German FA about a friendly, so we could play them”, Rohr said in an interview on Brila FM

• Osas Mahawi

Alex Iwobi played his first game in over a year for the Arsenal U23s and lasted the entire duration of their 5-2 comeback win over Reading.

Back with the U23s for the first time since January 2016, his demotion from a first team player came as a surprise to many despite his poor form off late.

Iwobi’s return to the U23s dominated the headlines before the start of the game, but it was Yaya Sanogo who went home with the match ball and praises after plundering a hattrick.

Another out of favour Arsenal ace Mathieu Debuchy also found the back of the net, as well as highly rated left back Cohen Bramall who joined the team in January.

Iwobi played as a number 10 behind Sanogo, who lead the line but fail to get himself into goal scoring positions even when Reading were on the back foot.

*Daniel Martins

Highly rated Chelsea teen forward Tammy Abraham has asked to be left out of Nigeria’s squad for their upcoming AFCON 2019 qualifiers against South Africa, as he wants to focus on playing for England.

Abraham who is on loan to Bristol City went into the record books when he scored his 19th league goal of the season in the English Championship to become the first teenager ever to score 16 or more goals in a Championship season.

Overall he has 22 goals this season, a tally which could have been more if not for the injury he sustained that saw him missed some games.

Nigeria approached the father of the England youth international, who incidentally is a close childhood friend of the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick, but their request to see him switch allegiance to Nigeria immediately was turned down.

” Tammy won’t be in the Nigerian team for upcoming qualifiers, maybe in the future but not so fast. He has confirmed his participation for England at the U-20 World Cup in Korea, which is around same time when Nigeria will be taking on South Africa”, Owngoalnigeria.com United Kingdom (UK) correspondent Michael James reports.

” He is keen on progressing through the ranks of the English national team set up. He has been told he is the future with age not on the side of Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy and Jermaine Defoe who are all ahead of him in the England pecking order”.

The 19 year old becomes the second Anglo-Nigerian player who has opt to represent England instead of Nigeria within the space of one week, as Everton Ademola Lookman also did same last week.

*Michael James

Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi has been relegated to the U-23s of Arsenal by manager Arsene Wenger due to a poor run of form.

Iwobi is presently lining up for the U-23s in a Premier League 2 clash, while the first team get set to take on Crystal Palace in a Premier League clash later this evening.

The Nigerian was sacrificed by the manager for the returning Francis Coquelin who missed the game against West Ham due to family issues that required his presence in France.

Playing for the U-23s will be strange for the Nigerian as the last time he played at that level was in January 2016, over a year ago since he became a regular with the first team.

He will line up alongside familiar first team faces in Yaya Sanogo, Mathieu Debuchy, Rob Holding and Carl Jenkinson against the U23s of the Championship side.

*Daniel Martins

The violence that erupted at the Muhammed Dikko Stadium after visiting team Enyimba lost 1-2 to Katsina United was triggered by the goalkepper of the Aba side Fatai Dauda.

Ade Emmanuel who was at the game for Owngoalnigeria.com says the Ghanaian out of frustration hit out at a ball boy with his elbow after Udechukwu Chinedu scored the winning goal for the home side with six minutes left to play.

Dauda was infuriated by the antics of the ball boy who celebrated the second goal wildly, and the goalkepper angrily tried to collect a ball held by the ball boy, and in the process swung his elbow at the ball boy.

The poor lad received first aid treatment before he was whisked away in the Ambulance at the stadium, minutes later pictures emerged of the youngster in the intensive care unit of an unnamed hospital receiving treatment.

” The moment that happened, we at the stadium knew there was going to be problem at the end, Dauda was escorted into the dressing room by policemen and steward. The fans couldn’t get close to him.

” However, the barbaric act happened few metres away from the gate when irate fans of the home side threw stones at the bus of Enyimba, particularly in the direction where Dauda sat, they smashed the glasses on the window of the car, first at a distance then later on when the bus stopped at a traffic spot.

” What is clear to all is that Dauda was the target of the fans, because Enyimba came in three cars, none bar the bus carrying Dauda was touched. He was the target”.

*Ade Emmanuel

Kenneth Omeruo posted a five star performance at the heart of Alanyaspor defence to help his side edge a five goal thriller 3-2 against Gaziantepspor in a top flight league game in Turkey.

In what is his fourth consecutive loan spell away from Stamford Bridge, Omeruo has grown in leaps and bounds this season, with the defender going as far as distinguishing himself as a defensive midfielder.

Omeruo who has also distinguished himself as a right back for the Nigeria national team in their last two games returned to his favourite role in central defence for his team, and played a huge role in helping his side survive a late onslaught from the home side.

Alanyaspor were comfortably ahead, leading by 3-0 before Gaziantepspor started a late rally with two goals in two minutes in the 87th and 90th minute respectively.

Gaziantepsor late attempt to grab something from the game brought out the best from the Chelsea loanee who marshaled the back line of his team to ensure they didn’t throw away two points.

*Daniel Martins

Highly rated Nigerian forward Dennis Bonaventure who has taken the league in Ukraine this season with fine performances for Zorya has declared himself ready for Super Eagles action.

Nicknamed “Nigerian Neymar” the former Football Acadey Abuja prospect has found the back of the net four from 14 games in what is his first season as a professional player in Ukraine.

Bonaventure believed the experience he has gained this season by playing in the Europa League and the domestic league has prepared him for the arduous task of playing for the Nigeria national team.

” I have no doubt about my abilities, hence I’m ready if the coach calls me up. The experience i gained by playing against the likes of Manchester United and top teams in the league have increased my confidence level”, Dennis told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” If the coach calls me up, I’m ready to contribute my quote, every Nigerian player dreams of wearing the national team colours. In the past have not been fortunate with the youth teams but I believe my experience will be different with the Eagles”.

*Daniel Martins