Former Chelsea player, Emmanuel Sarki, believes John Obi Mikel is a better player than Nemanja Matic, who is currently one of the players keeping the Nigerian out of the Blues line up.

Sarki who was on Chelsea’s books for five years but failed to make a senior team appearance, insists Matic found favour in new manager Antonio Conte.

“It’s a pity Obi lost his place in the starting line up to a player who the manager trusts, not because he is better than him,” he told Owngoalnigeria.com

“As a player you need to win the trust of the manager to be at your best, Obi has it under previous managers but Conte worked with Matic while Mikel was away and now he trust him”

Sarki alongside Obi, Chinedu Obasi and Ezekiel Bala trained with Chelsea in 2003 but only the 26-year-old was offered a deal with the rest sent to Norway under the watch of the Blues.

The newly capped Haiti man spent five years with the club, spending three years at Westerloo in Belgium on loan, with little degree of success not good enough to tempt a recall back to team.

Meanwhile of the trio who went to Norway, Mikel Obi established himself in the Norway Tipplegen with Lyn Oslo and won a transfer back to Chelsea after a drag with Manchester United.

However, Sarki insists his time at Chelsea is the reason he is still playing professional football up till now as it gave him the platform to build his career.

“I look back at my time with Chelsea with smiles so many of us who went on loan at that time very few of us are still relevant in top flight football, but I thank God am among the few,” he added.

“Chelsea taught me the basics of professional football, being part of three pre-season tournaments opened my eyes to the demands of what one must do to be successful as a player.”

The number of points needed by Nigeria to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia has been pegged at 13, after winning their first two qualifiers games as against other group teams.

Super Eagles currently lead group B with six points, two more than Cameroon who are in second place with Zambia and Algeria on one point apiece. Nigeria will next play Cameroun.

A total of seven points from their remaining four games or even less pending on results elsewhere will seal Nigeria’s place at the World Cup in Russia.

However coach Gernot Rohr has refuted speculations that his team will play to earn the required points in their remaining games pending on the opponents.

” We won’t treat any game differently, we want to win all our remaining games. That is the aim, we don’t want to give our opponents any opening. Our aim and approach to every game will be that of a Cup final” He told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Red hot Nigerian teen Orji Okonkwo made his Serie A bow for Bologna as speculated by Owngoalnigeria.com as they ran out 3-1 winners over Palermo.

Okonkwo has settled down nicely in Italy since moving to Bologna in the summer, with four goals in five games for the Primavera side, he was rapidly promoted to the first team.

The injury to Nigerian forward Sadiq Umar opened the door for him to be part of the squad for the tie against Palermo, and the 18 year old was introduced by coach Roberto Donadoni in the 99th minute for Luca Rizzo with Bologna comfortably leading Palermo 3-1.

He was brought in as a substitute on the dot of 90 minutes for his first professional game since turning professional in the summer. Okonkwo was a part of the Nigeria U-17 team that won the World Youth Championship in Chile last year.

Although the Nigeria U-20 team failed to qualify for the Africa Youth Championship, Okonkwo was one of the best players for the team during their ill fated attempt to qualify for the tournament.

Former captain of the Nigeria U20 team Abduljelil Ajagun scored a superb solo goal for Dutch side Roda JC Kerkrade who were forced to a 1-1 draw by AZ Alkmaar at their home ground, Parkstad Limburg Stadion.

Ajagun stole possession from the centre circle and embarked on a strong run straight into the opposition half before rifling an unstoppable drive into the corner to give his team the lead.

However his team were pegged back in the 59th minute when Wout Weghorst scored the leveller for the visitors, and they hanged on for a share of the spoils.

On his part, Ajagun who moved to Roda Jc in the summer from Greek giants Panathinaikos has emerged as one of the shining light of the Dutch side this season.

So far he has made 12 appearances for the team with today’s goal his first of the season. 23 year old Ajagun captained Nigeria at the 2013 World Cup in Colombia and also represented Nigeria at the 2011 edition, shortly after playing a key role for Nigeria at the U17 World Cup in 2009.

Coach of the Nigeria national team Gernot Rohr has given insight into how he plans to select and prepare his team before Nigeria back to back World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Cameroon next year.

Rohr in an interview on Nigeria’s national radio monitored by Owngoalnigeria.comallayed fears that his team won’t have enough games to gel before their all important double header against Camerooon.

Nigeria currently lead group B of the CAF World Cup 2018 qualifying series, but failure to qualify for next year Africa Cup of Nations made fans of the team fear the worst in terms of team chemistry when hostilities resumes for the World Cup qualifiers in August 2017.

However Rohr has played down such notion by saying the AFCON 2019 qualifiers which will take place in March next year will be a veritable test ground to help his team gel before the World Cup qualifiers against Cameroon.

He also said the friendly game against Egypt on the 9th of January in Dubal, will play a big part in the players that would be selected for the competitive games next year.

“We have a match with Egypt in Dubai for them to prepare for the AFCON,” said the former Burkina Faso, Gabon and Niger Republic coach.

“The next AFCON qualifiers begin in March and that will be good for us. We will look for good players to invite. We will try all good players and they will improve our team.”

The father of Arsenal rising star Chuka Iwobi has dismissed out-rightly rumours of Barcelona’s interest in the services of his son Alex Iwobi.

Per a report on Spanish website Don Balon, the Catalans are reportedly lining up a bid for the 20 year old, to get back at Arsenal after the frustration of losing out on their ex youth teamer Hector Bellerin.

Bellerin left Barcelona for Arsenal five years ago and this summer after a brilliant season with Arsenal, he was made a prime target by Barca, but he recently signed an extension.

As a way of getting back at Arsenal, Barcelona are reportedly perfecting plans to unsettle Arsenal by slapping in a bid for one of their prized assets Alex Iwobi.

However the father to the Arsenal man has refuted the rumours, insisting that his son is very happy at the Emirates and not even Barcelona can tempt him to leave.

Iwobi’s father said, “In football, you never say no. But at this point in time, he is at the right place.

“He’s doing well at Arsenal, but should any club come for him now, the answer would certainly be no.

“For him now, it’s not about the money.

“So, should a club like Barcelona come with more money, he will certainly stay back at Arsenal because now it is not about him making money, it’s about him concentrating on his career, progressing and going on to the next stage.

““I took him to Arsenal when he was 6 and they signed when he was 8. All he has known is Arsenal. He has never gone on loan, he has always been with Arsenal.

“He has broken into the first team and what they all talk about is his humility. Personally, that’s very important because when a player starts getting arrogant that’s when the player fails.

“It’s been good, God has been great.

“I see him being in Arsenal for very many, many years.”

Despite Nigeria’s fine run in the World Cup 2018 qualifiers, the minister for Youth and Sports Development Solomon Dalung says they shouldn’t bother going to the World Cup in Russia, since they can’t win it.

Nigeria is presently holding a four point lead over Cameroon in group B of the CAF race to be in the World Cup 2018 tournament. Dalung in an interview with
the hausa service of the Voice of America (VOA) wants the Eagles to focus on the Africa Cup of Nations.

He believes Nigeria stands a chance of winning the AFCON unlike the World Cup, terming participation at the Mundial a waste of scarce resources.

Dalung said, “The cup that we can win is the African Cup of Nations.

“There is nothing again that will take us to another man’s balcony in the name of the World Cup. We already have the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. For these, we can attend such meets.

“But I am opposed to the World Cup. We don’t agree to it. Conspiracy in the World Cup is too much.

“We are here suffering from hunger and we don’t have money for such things.

“There is the issue of bribery and favouritism, there is also the issue of corruption before you are even given the hosting rights.

“That is why, even if we try many times, once it gets into the politics of the game, we can never win.

“That was why this year, we had to tackle him (FIFA President, Ginani Infantino) and we said, ‘you , Infantino, if you win this election, you have to give us a position.

“If not, we shall not agree.’ And you see, by the grace of God, he even picked an African as his Secretary-General, that means one day, we shall get to really lick the honey, that also means he has started taking honey and rubbing on our lips,” he added.

Following unsuccessful attempts to lure the duo of Tyronne Ebuehi and Kingsley Ehizibue from the Netherlands. The international future of Dutch wonderkid Nigel Ogidi Nwankwo is sure going to spark another war between Nigeria and the Netherlands going by recent reports gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com.

17 year old Nwankwo plays for the U-19s of Dutch side ADO Den Haag and has been tip to represent the Netherlands at U-17 level but recent reports suggest contacts has been established with Nigeria where his parents hail from.

We gathered one of his family member sounded out his Nigerian roots to a member of the football family in Nigeria who has now set the wheel in motion to lure the talented teen to Nigeria.

Comfortable as a left full back,winger or central defender he is regarded as one of the best left full back under the age of 18 in the Netherlands according to a report on Haaglandenvoetbal.nl.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have been very busy of late luring talented players with Nigerian roots to switch allegiance to the Nigeria national team, and so far they are making efforts to lure about four players ahead of the resumption of games in the World Cup 2018 qualifiers.

The fine form of Malaga’s Cameroonian shot stopper Kameni Idris Carlos against Barcelona in the La-Liga played a big role in helping the modest Spanish side hold the Catalan giants to a 0-0 draw.

Kameni frustrated Barcelona with top draw saves which frustrated the likes of Neymar, Francisco Alcacer, Arda Turan and co from scoring in the game despite his team finishing the game with 9 men.

Fans of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Cameroon’s next opponent in the World Cup 2018 qualifiers were however happy that the 32 year old is no longer the first choice goalkepper for the Cameroonian national team.

Most of them expressed their joy on social media with posts that the highly rated goalkepper won’t be in goal when Super Eagles take on Cameroon in August 2017 in back to back World Cup qualifiers.

He has been in the international wilderness since losing his first team spot to Souleyman Hamidou at the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Although he was left out subsequent squad for allegedly trying to orchestrate disorder in 2015.

Coach Volker Finke handed him a call up for the game against Niger Republic in Cameroon’s first World Cup 2018 qualifiers, but since his departure, the Malaga shot stopper has not been considered by new manager Hugu Broos.

Broos prefers 20 year old Sevilla shot stopper Joseph Ondoa to the 32 year old, so far Ondoa has kept goal for the team in their last two qualifiers, thanks to his fine form for his loan side Gimnastic de Tarragona in the Spanish second division.

The left full back of the Nigeria Rio 2016 team Stanley Amuzie has been officially promoted to the first team of Serie A side Bologna, and could make his debut soon after picking up a first team squad number.

Amuzie joined Sampdoria in the summer from Portuguese second division side Olhanense, but he has been restricted to playing games for the Primavera side although he has made the bench for the main team in league games.

However it appears all of that is about to change after the full back was handed a first team squad number in jersey number 3. A number he proudly dispayed on his official facebook wall.

He is in contention to play for the first team when they take on Sassuolo, this afternoon at their home ground, the Stadio Luigi Ferraris Stadium.

The former Flying Sports Football Academy of Lagos graduate has two senior caps for Nigeria, and played in all of the games for the U23s at the Rio 2016 Olympics.