The Super Eagles of Nigeria had their first training session ahead of their March 24 and 27th friendly games against Senegal and Burkina Faso respectively.

Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal that 16 players were present at the session but two players Carl Ikeme and newbie Joel Noah Sarenren Bazee missed the session after shake up.

They took parts in the shake up with their teammates but later trained separately from the rest of their teammates as they continue their recovery from various degree of injuries picked up during games for their respective teams.

Bazee’s fitness has been a key issue in the build up to the game and it was even suggested at a time that he could miss the games, but he denied such reports in a chat with Owngoalnigeria.com.

The case of Ikeme appears to have taken a lot of people by surprise as he has no history of fitness issue in the build up to the games, which will be played at Barnet’s Hive Stadium.

*Michael James (In London).

Nigeria Professional Football League U-17 team defeated their counterparts from Serie A side Torino 3-0 to claim their first win at the Guateng Future Champions Tournament holding in South Africa.

Kano Pillars teen sensation Nazifi Yahaya stole the show with a brace, including setting up Toluwase Arokodare to tap into an empty net for the opener as early as two minutes into the game.

The team made up of players selected from various Nigeria Professional League team drew their first game against host South Africa yesterday, and just like their first game they gave away an early penalty.

However Mohammed Galadima saved the Nigerians from going behind by stopping Nicola Rauti’s spot kick to save the blushes of Sadiq Abdullahi who handled the ball in the box in the 5th minute.

The save galvanised the NPFL U-17 team as star forward Nazifi Yahaya doubled their lead in the 16th minute for his first goal of the game, courtesy of a low cross from Mustapha Musa.

Torino were reduced to ten men when Simone Potop was sent off in the 20th minute for a professional foul he committed as the last man of his team defence.

Few minutes to the end of the game, which is usually played for 60 minutes, Nazifi grabbed his second and his side third goal of the game to round up a comprehensive win for the Austin Eguavoen lead lads.

*Daniel Martins

Chelsea wing back Victor Moses arrived the camp of the senior Nigeria national team yesterday evening ahead of their upcoming friendly games against Senegal and Burkina Faso.

However he was later released from the team camp by coach Gernot Rohr to allow him focus on treating the knock he picked up on his ankle while in action for his club side Chelsea.

The decision to let him leave the camp wasn’t arrived at just like that, as Rohr sort advices from one of his assistants who handles the fitness aspect of the Super Eagles.

After a three hours meeting , Rohr decided to release him to allow him continue his treatment with doctors from Chelsea, who are well abreast of his medical history regarding his ankle.

A replacement for the Chelsea man is yet to be arrived at by the technical crew of the team, there are even suggestions that he might not be replaced according to reports gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com.

* Michael James (In London).

Some players of the Super Eagles of Nigeria have confessed to Owngoalnigeria.com correspondent in London that they are missing the presence of their influential captain John Obi Mikel.

Coach of the Super Eagles Gernot Rohr excused Mikel to enable him settle down properly at his new Chinese side Tianjin Teda, particularly as the league is just starting in China.

The decision made the coach elevate vice captain of the team Ahmed Musa to the role of captain, but despite Musa’s senior status in the team, some players are still missing their main skipper.

” It’s not the same without Odogwu (Mikel). He is more than a captain to us, there is more fun and unity when he is around. He talks to us individually and usually light up training”, one of the players told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Another player who is staging a comeback to the team after a brief absence also lamented the absence of the 29 year old captain.

” So unusual for him not to be here with us, we are very used to his presence. His calming influence both on and off the pitch and also financial advices on how best we can spend our money. How can it be normal without a guy like that”.

*Michael James (In London).

FC Porto Nigerian forward Musa Yahaya has revealed to Owngoalnigeria.com the reason behind his conversion to a right wing back by the coach of FC Porto.

Yahaya played as a wingback for Porto B in their 0-0 draw against Vizela in a second division game in Portugal, and despite not playing in his original role gave a good impression of himself.

Prior to the game against Vizela, he played as a left winger against Manchester United in their 2-0 win in the International Premier League Cup, a game which he was voted man of the match.

His conversion to a right wingback raised some eyebrows but the 19 year old former Spurs trainee says it was done by the coach because of the way they intend to approach the game against Vizela.

” I am a forward player but I can play anywhere for my team. The coach told me I was going to play as a wingback before the game and I have no reason to say no”, Yahaya told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” The role is demanding and I love it, I won’t mind playing it again in the future. My aim is to improve in all aspect of my game and my new role will help me improve on my abilities to defend”.

* Prince Michael

A total of six players are already in the Super Eagles lodge at the Crowne Plaza hotel in London ahead of the upcoming friendly games against Senegal and Burkina Faso.

The games which will be played at Barnet Stadium popularly called The Hive will see Nigeria take on Senegal on the 23rd of March before tackling Burkina Faso on the 27th at same venue.

Already six players namely Ogenyi Onazi, Isacc Success, Carl Ikeme, Noah Sarenren Bazee, Alex Iwobi and Chidozie Awaziem have hit the camp of the team ahead of the games.

Owngoalnigeria.com gathered from sources on ground in London that the team first training session won’t take place today as planned, and instead they will most likely train for the first time tomorrow.

” Training will commence tomorrow morning, most of the players are expected to be in by this evening. So it’s just normal that training starts tomorrow morning”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.

*Michael James ( In London).

Nigeria U-17 team campaigning at the ongoing Future Champions Tournament in South Africa started their campaign at the Championship with a 1-1 draw in their opening game against the host.

South Africa took the lead via the spot in the 7th minute but the Nigerian lads respeonded through Dini Lawal before the end of the first half, to tie scores at 1-1 going into the half time break.

The Austine Eguavoen lead team gave a better impression of themselves in the second half and could easily have won the game were it not for poor finishing.

The team which is made up of youth players picked up from the various teams in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) are campaigning in the tournament for the first team as NPFL U-17 Allstars.

Their next game will be played tomorrow at the same venue and it will be against the U-17 team of Serie A side Torino, which will be their last group game of the 12 teams tournament.

* Prince Michael

Free scoring Nigeria youth international Orji Okonkwo has revealed the secret of his goal scoring exploit for Serie A side Bologna in an exclusive chat with Owngoalnigeria.com.

Okonkwo has been scoring goals for fun since joining Bologna, a feat that saw him promoted to the first team of the team in less than three months into his stay with the team.

The 19 year old forward suffered an injury setback which saw him missed the last one months , and upon his return dropped back to the Primavera side where he has been finding the back of the net on a regular.

” I now play as a top striker, that has helped me a lot because it is my preferred and original role. In Nigeria I played mostly as a winger due to the presence of other top strikers”, Orji told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” For instance I scored a free kick against Pisa in the Viarreggio, but I can’t remember the last time I took one in Nigeria because another player takes the responsibility. I have also improved a lot”.

* Daniel Martins

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick has voiced out his disappointment over the none inclusion of MFM forward Stephen Odey, in the Super Eagles squad for the upcoming friendly games against Senegal and Burkina Faso.

Coach Gernot Rohr didn’t include any player from the Nigeria domestic league in his 25 man list for the two friendly games, a move which has drawn criticism from several quarters.

Pinnick has also joined the league of people voicing out against Rohr’s action by insisting that Odey should have been considered by the coach in his team for the games.

The newly elected CAF executive committee member made this known in an interview with Supersports during the half time break of the Nigeria League top of the table clash between MFM FC and Plateau United.

“I suggested Stephen Odey should be encouraged . Nine goals from ten games , but we have decided to free hands to the technical crew”, Pinnick said during the interview which also focused more on his election into the CAF board.

Odey went on to make it ten goals in ten games when he netted his and his team second goal of the game via the spot to hand them a 2-1 win over league leaders Plateau United.

* Prince Michael

Little known Nigerian forward Uchenna Umeh has taken the league in Malta by storm this season with six goals to his name already for Valletta.

Umeh scored his first goal of the season in the Super Cup when he netted the winner for Valletta in their 2-1 win over Sliema Wanderers on the 21st of December last year.

He has since followed it up with goals against Balzan, Hamrun Spartans, Sliema Wanderers and Pembroke Athleta in the Maltese Super League.

The 25 year old is one goal away from equaliing his last season goal tally of 5 goals in 23 games with four goals to his name in the league from just 19 games this season.

Last weekend he was pivotal in their 1-0 win away to Balzan by setting up Brasilian forward Romeu Romao for the lone goal of the game scored in the 20th minute.

*Osas Mahawi