The manager of Roma Luciano Spalleti has praised the quality of teen Nigerian full back Nura Abdullahi, whose path to the first team has been slowed down by issues outside football.

Spalleti who isn’t entirely convinced by the performance of Bruno Perez and the injury to Allesandro Perez means Nura could make the right back slot of the team his own by next month.

We gathered a tentative date of December 10th has been set as his integration day to the first team, while his debut could come in the game against Palermo barring any setback.

” His speed is impressive, he is like a breath of fresh air, so quick off the ground and very technical with the ball” Spalleti said of the 19 year old Nigerian.

Last season he underwent minor surgery to cure a minor heart defect, before picking up an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season on his return from the surgery.

Scouted by Barcelona after an impressive performance in the UEFA Youth League against the B team of the Catalan giants, he has worked his way back to full fitness after over coming the many demons that have slowed him down.

Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has revealed the spots in the team which players based in Nigeria, could filled in the team when they return back to action next year.

Rohr has been under attack from some section of the Nigerian media for snubbing home based players and chasing players based abroad, mostly those with dual nationality.

However, the coach insist there are areas in his team which he thinks is still open to both players based at home and abroad.

” We have options upfront, a lot of foreign based players who are doing well in top clubs and in bigger leagues. That said there are some spots in the team where we are shot of options” Rohr told owngoalnigeria.com.

” The left and right full back positions are all still open for depth, and we could look inward if we find an exceptional talent, who will improve the team. We won’t include players for the sake of including home based players”.

As Nigeria continue her drive to lure players with dual nationality to pledge their allegiance to the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

Owngoalnigeria.com takes a look at 11 talented players who could have been playing for the Nigeria senior national team but are now representing other countries.

Jonathan Ligali (Montpellier)

One area where Nigeria is well protected is in the area of goalkeppers. However Jonathan Ligali who keeps goal for French Ligue 1 side Montpellier is one who would have been another option for the Super Eagles.

Ligali was at a point in time under consideration by former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh but the move didn’t materialise and the 25 year old who has already represented France at youth level will be hoping to make the step up to the senior team in the future.

Ola Aina (Chelsea)

The teen full back who is highly respected and regarded at Premiership club Chelsea is a full fledge England youth international. Although he could still play for Nigeria in the future. It appears he is for now focused on playing for England at senior level

David Alaba (Bayern Munich)

A big miss to Nigeria but one who still relates with his Nigerian roots, as seen in his wrapping his body in the flag of Nigeria after winning the UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich.

He ranks high among the players who got away from the grasp of Nigeria. He currently captains the senior national team of Austria and he is widely regarded as one of the best left full back in the world.

Dennis Aogo ( Schalke 04)

The 29 year old left footed defender cum midfielder was initially keen on switching allegiance to Nigeria but FIFA rules on nationality switch stopped him. By the time the limitations that hindered him were removed he opt to represent Germany and turned down Nigeria thrice.

His decision to play for the country where he was given birth to paid off as he made the Germany team to the 2010 World Cup.

Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur)

Nigeria missed out on Alli who is now about the first name on the team sheet for Spurs in any game due to negligence, according to former England international John Fashanu.

Fashanu said he tried to get permission to speak with the teen during his formative years at MK Dons but he got no support from the then board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Now firmly established as a senior international. He recently removed his surname Alli from the back of his shirt to a more Nigerian name in Dele.

Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham)

Italy’s deputy centre back behind the fantastic trio of Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chellini. The power playing defender ironically made his debut for the Italian senior national team against Nigeria in a friendly game before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

His uncle said in a recent interview that he proposed the defenders to the Nigerian set up during his early days at Torino but was given cold shoulders by those he spoke to regarding his abilities.

Brian Idowu (Amkar Perm)

Born in Russia to a Nigerian father. Idowu’s case is entirely different as despite his consistent display for Amkar Perm. He is yet to be called up by Nigeria or Russia at any level, the two nations he is eligible to represent.

Karim Onisiwo ( Mainz 05)

Just like David Alaba who plays for Austria. Onisiwo who plays in same team with Nigeria international Leon Balogun is also a national team player of Austria despite his Nigerian roots.

However the former Austria youth international, could yet switch allegiance to Nigeria as he has only played in a friendly game for Austria, way back 2015 in a game against Switzerland.

Ross Barkley (Everton)

Voiced out his Nigerian roots and willingness to play for Nigeria if called up years ago before breaking into the first team set up at Everton.

Now a fully established England international. Nigeria were slow in making their push for him particulary when he mentioned his Nigerian roots which was a secret before he let it out.

Emmanuel Sarki ( Wisla Krakov)

The former Nigeria youth international played at different levels for Nigeria (U-17,20 & 23) but never got to play for the Super Eagles, which forced him to switch allegiance to Haiti.

A former youth player of Chelsea. He joined the club alongside Mikel John Obi in 2004 but after successful loan spells. He failed to make the grades and was cut loose. He now plays for Haiti at senior level.

Sidney Sam (Schalke O4)

The dashing winger was quick to make up his mind about his international future sticking to play for the land of his birth Germany as opposed to Nigeria.

He progressed through the German youth set up to the main team and made the provisional 30 man list of the German team that won the World Cup in 2014.

Relatively unknown Nigerian teen forward Patrick Igwe is showing no sign of slowing down on his whirlwind start to life in Portugal after another man of the match performance for his team.

Igwe who plays for third division high fliers Alcanenense scored a wonder goal to steer his side to a big 4-2 win away yo Alcobaca, and capped up his performance by winning a spot kick for his side.

Blessed with searing pace and eye for a goal, the forward can also operates on the flanks, where his pace and dribbling abilities makes him a nightmare to opposition defenders.

The 19 year old now has five goals this season aside picking up several man of the match award, a form which has alerted top clubs in Portugal, who have scouted him lately.

It’s almost certain that he will leave at the end of the season even if Alcanenense gains promotion to the second division at the end of the season.

The top scorer in the recently concluded Nigeria Professional Football League Godwin Obaje is back in the country after spending time on trial with Russian side Spartak Moscow.

Owngoalnigeria.com can authoritatively that the 19 year old was offered a five year deal by the Russian side, and he had a routine medical before leaving Moscow after doing very well during the trials.

However, according to his elder brother Joshua Obaje, the deal has areas yet to cleared by his owners Wikki Tourist and Obaje’s representative.

” To God be the glory, he was offered a five year deal but there are some grey areas, we need to sort out before the deal can be made official”, Obaje told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” I can’t reveal the areas at least for now, but he had his medical which was okay, although lasted very long. There are issues to be sorted out with Wikki Tourist and even himself. Let us say for now the deal could happen, it could not”.

Al-Ahly big money signing Junior Ajayi maintained his newly found form in front of the net with his fourth goal of the season for his new team from seven games.

Ajayi who was signed from Tunisian side Sfaxien has taken to life in his new surrounding quite quickly, judging by the ease at which he is scoring.

20-year-old Ajayi was signed to beef up Ahly’s attacking department following the departure of Evouna, who bagged 12 league goals in his side’s triumphant campaign last season.

The Nigerian striker opened his account in the 2-2 draw against Alexandria’s Ittihad before going on to score further goals against El-Entag El-Harby and Talae El-Geish. His latest goal came this evening against minnows El Nassr Taadin in Aswan, a game they convincingly won 3-0.

His goal was sandwiched in between a brace for Walid Soliman, with the 3-0 win keeping Al-Ahly top of the league table in Egypt after 11 games.

A top executive of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has exclusively confirmed to Owngoalnigeria.com that three England youth international have committed their senior international career to Nigeria.

Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has been busy trying to convince players of Nigerian heritage born abroad to commit their international future to Nigeria.

His desire to have the best legs represent Nigeria have also seen the president of the NFF Amaju Pinnick establish contact with some highly rated Nigerian teen footballers born abroad.

Already Pinnick has confirmed that talks are well underway with the likes of Chelsea teen forward Tammy Abrahams and Chelsea Ola Aina, while he has also given assurances on Liverpool Ovie Ejaria.

” We already have assurances from three England youth international over committing their future to the Super Eagles, am sorry I can’t give out their names” Vice President of the NFF Seyi Akinwunmi told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Despite claims made by his agent Emeka Amajiriaku, Nigeria U-20 workaholic midfielder Chukwudi Agor has not been offered a deal by English Premier League side West Ham after turning 18.

Agor turned 18 yesterday but Amajiriaku who said in June that the U-17 World Cup winning midfielder will head to West Ham after turning 18 didn’t come up with the contract as promised.

Amajiriaku said that West Ham offered his client a straight deal without trials after reviewing his perfromances for the youth teams of Nigeria from the U-17 to 20.

A mooted move to Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon was squashed by the agent, who assured the youngster that the deal from West Ham is well on the cards.

He is reportedly hawking the talented midfielder around clubs in Europe after another failed attempt to entice Swansea City into making a move for Agor.

Former Super Eagles left back Celestine Babayaro has praised John Obi Mikel’s effort in trying to convince Chelsea teen prospect Ola Aina to switch allegiance to Nigeria.

Aina was born in London to Nigerian parents, and he presently represents England at youth level but Mikel confirmed he is talking the youngster into switching allegiance to the Super Eagles.

Celestine Babayaro believes the Super Eagles captain is clearly doing his job as captain and leader of the team, in trying to persuade Aina, something former captains of the team, notably Joseph Yobo failed to do while at Everton with Ross Barkley.

Barkley is already a full fledged senior international for England, but Babayaro believed that if the Everton star, who confessed to having a Nigerian father and once voiced his intention to opt for Nigeria before making the switch to England, was put under pressure at a young age, he could have succumbed.

” Mikel is doing a captain’s job with Aina, he knows his worth and clearly wants him to play for Nigeria, it’s nice to see a captain of the national team getting involved in serious issues” Celestine told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” When Yobo was at Everton with a young Barkley back then, I stand corrected though but I think, if he had applied a little bit of pressure, he could have been playing for Nigeria instead of England”.

The career trajectory of Nigeria U-20 midfield dynamo Jack Ipalibo went up a notch higher when he dazzled for the junior side of Villarreal against Valencia, in front of scouts from Barcelona.

Scouts from Barcelona were at the game to check on some other players, but the 18 year old stole the show, putting up a five star performance in a noticeable number as he was in jersey number 10.

Owngoalnigeria.com gathered that he received glowing reports from the scout, who let out a bit of his satisfaction with the Nigerian saying “the boy in jersey number 10 (Ipalibo Jack) is very good.

18 year old Ipalibo nicknamed “Nigerian Yaya Toure” made the step up to the Flying Eagles after missing out on a place with the U-17 winning team of 2015 but left the camp of the Nigeria U-20 team, who were preparing for the Africa Youth Championship qualifiers to seal a three year deal with Villarreal.

Ipalibo joined the Yellow Submarines from Diamond Academy in Nigeria this summer, but he has taken to life in his new surrounding really well judging by his performances for the youth team.

The Nigerian is highly rated by the club, and he could make the step up to the main team faster than earlier anticipated if he continues his steady rise in the youth team.