Super Eagles right full back Musa Muhammed has been told to search for a new club in January by high flying Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir.

Since joining the team last summer, the 20 year old Nigerian is yet to make a single appearance for the Turkish side, and he is presently viewed as the fourth choice right fullback of the team.

So far he has just five professional appearances to his name in over one year at the Turkish side, and the table toppers in Turkey have made it clear that his services are no longer required.

” Yesterday when they played Galatasary, I spoke with a member of the team shortly after the game which they won 2-1 away from home to maintain their fine start to the season. I asked about Muhammed’s situation and I was told he has been told to leave” Turkish journalist Adnan Adem told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” As a matter of fact, he is aware he is not needed even before the start of the season, one wonder why he stayed behind. It’s a pity but he hasn’t really grown”.

Portuguese giants FC Porto hav formally applied to UEFA for Musa Yahaya to be registered for the UEFA Youth League, when the second stanza gets underway next year.
Rated as one of the best teen prospect in Nigeria alongside the likes of Iheanacho and co after conquering the world at U-17 level in 2013, he trained with English giants Tottenham Hotspur before heading out on loan to Portimonense.

After spending six months at Portimonense, he was traded by Spurs to Portuguese side FC Porto, where he has been since the summer but still waiting for his first game with the club.

However, while his first team debut might take a while, he will most likely play for the B team in the UEFA youth league going by reports exclusively gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com.

The 19 year old was at the embassy for his visa, which will enable travel with the team to all of their games in the tournament.

” Yahaya is a part of the first team of FC Porto. He trains regularly with them that is why he is not playing for the B team in the lower league but he will represent them in the UEFA Youth League” a source close to the player told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” He went to the embassy few days ago to get his visa, he will definitely play for the team this season. Most likely next year after the Christmas celebration”.

Portuguese top division side Boavista have won the race for the signature of highly rated 18 year old Nigerian forward Taofiq Jibril, popularly called “Nigerian Benzema”.

Taofiq was invited by SC Braga for trials as exclusively reported by Owngoalnigeria.com on the 19th of September, but while they were pondering on offering him a deal, Boavista stepped in and offered him one after trials.

Boavista have agreed a deal in principle with his owners for a three year deal, which will be made official in January, after his fine performances during a period of trials with the club.

A late omission from the Nigerian team that conquered the world at the World Youth Championship in 2015, he will be hoping to better the records of the Nigerian trio of Rueben Gabriel, Uche Nwofor and Michael Uchebo who were all released by the club in the summer.
Meanwhile, another Nigerian has arrived Portugal in person of 18 year old Okolie Kenechukwu Charles, and will undergo trials in the coming weeks before a decision will be made on his possible signing.

Just like Taofiq, Charles was spotted and groomed by popular and fast rising Kaduna based coach Chuba Shedrack, who played for the likes of Plateau United and Kaduna United during his playing days.

The coach of the Nigeria senior national team Gernot Rohr has ruled out playing Victor Moses as a wing back for Nigeria, when they take on Algeria on the 12th of November in Uyo.

Moses who missed Nigeria’s first World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Zambia, the 2-1 win in Ndola is among the new faces called up by the manager for the Algeria tie.

This season the Nigerian has flourished in a new role as a wingback under the 3-4-3 system of manager Antonio Conte, but Rohr confirmed in a chat with Owngoalnigeria.com that his preferred style for the Algeria game means there will be no spot for a wing back.

” We don’t play the Chelsea way, against Algeria we won’t play like Chelsea, so we might necessarily not need a wing back. On the flanks we have Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon and Alex Iwobi, Victor Moses is part of them” He said.

“The idea is to put out the best team with the best formation for the Algeria game, although we intend to maintain most of the players who started the game against Zambia. We will build from there”.

Fast rising Arsenal defender Joseph Olowu says he is yet to make up his mind as to which nation he will represent between England and Nigeria at international level, as he approaches a crucial phase in his career.

The six feet centre back who joined Arsenal at the age of 13 was born in England to Nigerian parents, making him eligible for both nations at international level.

However he is yet to decide on which team he will represent when he is called up by either of the nations, but he made it clear that Nigerian forward Alex Iwobi has been an inspiration to him.

” My parents are from Nigeria and I am eligible to play for either Nigeria or England. I have not featured internationally yet but that may come. Alex Iwobi has really been an inspiration to me and to my team mate Tobi Omole who I also live with in digs in Cockfosters” He told Arsenal.com

“He came through the Arsenal Youth system and is doing so well. He scored against Zambia in the World Cup qualifiers the other week and his name is growing and growing in African football. My dad has also noticed that there is a lot of attention being given to Toby and I in the African football forums which must in part also be due to how well Alex has been doing.”

Following the exclusion of goalkepper Carl Ikeme from the Super Eagles squad for the World Cup 2018 tie against Algeria in Uyo, one of the other goalkeppers in the list Dele Alampasu has been backed to man the post.

Alampasu who is on loan to Portuguese third division side Cesarense from top division side Feirense has caught the eyes in the six games, he has played so far in the league.

The 19 year old who was voted the best goalkepper at the 2013 U-17 World Youth Championship face stiff competition from the experienced duo of Daniel Akpeyi and Ikechukwu Ezenwa, if he is to be between the sticks on the 12th of November.

However, Nigeria U-17 coach Manu Garba , the coach who trusted him with the number one spot at the World Youth Championship that catapulted him to fame three years ago believes he has the quality to fill in for the injured Ikeme.

” He is a natural shot stopper. He won’t be intimidated by the opposition, his confidence between the sticks is rare. If selected he won’t disappoint, am confident in his abilities” He told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” People talk about his lack of experience but he has been in Europe for two years. How many young African goalkeppers are in Europe? It tells you his quality.”

Manchester City 3-1 win over Spanish giants Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League left a bitter taste in the mouth of football global icon Lionel Messi, who was later involved in a dressing room shout out after the game.

Messi was dragged away from the Manchester City dressing room door by close friend and fellow Argentine Sergio Kun Aguero, with reports claiming that Messi was responding angrily to an insult from a member of the City team.

However, while Brazilian midfielder Fernando and Spainsh assistant coach Mikel Arteta have been mentioned among the names, suspected to have provoked the five time winner of the best player of the year award. The duo have since denied the accusation.

Nigerian teen forward Kelechi Iheanacho who watched the game from the bench has not been mentioned, although he was in the dressing room when Messi was was reportedly cursing out.

UEFA and Manchester City have since played down the incident with only Aguero confirming the incident, which wasn’t captured in the reports of the officials who officiated the game.

Ahead of Nigeria Under-17s participation in the Korea Invitational tournament, Owngoalnigeria.com Ahmed Ishaya list five prospects to watch out for when they take on England and Iran in the friendly tournament.

1. Adebayo Adeleke

Described by coach Manu Garba as the best goalkeeper he has seen at youth level, since he came into the set up in 2005. Adeleke has cat like reflex, firm handling and above can start attack from the back with his near perfect distribution from the back.

2 Igoh Ogbu

Vice captain of the newly assembled Under-17 team of Nigeria. The hard as nail defender is partly the reason why most of their games has ended in a clean sheet for the defence.

Mobile, agile, and strong in tackles, Manu Garba rates him so highly to the extent of comparing him to former U-17 & 20 captain Musa Mohammed.

3. Nazifi Yahaya

Crafty, smart and intelligent, the forward who was plucked from a Kano based academy has attributes in the box above his age. The striker scores at least a goal in two of four sessions since stealing the attention of the coaches in his first training session with the team, when he struck a hattrick.

4. Abdulrazak Isehq

The Unity Academy of Kaduna midfielder is blessed with the rare gift of being able to hit correctly a 40 yard pass with both feet to release other players, neat in possession, enterprising and skillful. He is the one of the livewire of the team.

5. Abduljabar Sani

Named captain of the team few days ago by coach Manu Garba. He is by far the most consistent player since the team was assembled, the G-Smart Academy prospect has the ability to create something out of nothing with his ability to wriggle out of tight situation with ease.