Highly respected Turkish journalist Adnan Adem has questioned the rationale behind the invitation of Musa Mohammed to the Super Eagles, ahead of Nigeria’s first World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Zambia in Ndola.

19 year old Musa was once again included in the list of players called up by the coach of Nigeria Gernot Rohr for the game on the 9th of October, maintaining his spot in the team after his first competitive debut against Tanzania.

Musa Mohammed plays in Turkey for Istanbul Basaksehir, same country where Adnan is highly respected for his coverage of the league and it’s players.

The former Nigeria U-17 and 20 captain is yet to make a single league appearance since joining Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir last summer, but keeps getting invited to the Nigeria senior national team.

Adnan said Musa Mohammed is in the league of players who were highly rated when they first arrived but after few months are viewed as flops.

” How do players get invited to the senior national team of Nigeria?. He is yet to play a single minute of league football in over a year. As a matter of fact, he is yet to make the match day squad for any of their games in all competition” Adnan said.

” He is presently third choice right full back if not fourth, someone they even tried to terminate his contract this summer. He has played more games for Nigeria than he has played for his club in over a year. How does he get invited?.”

Watford of England forward Isacc Success was handed his maiden call up by coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr, much to the surprise of all. However sources close to the coach have revealed the reason why the former Granada man was handed his first call up.

Success has been sparingly used by manager Walter Mazzari of Watford this season, as the coach is gradually easing him into the demands of English football.

Some Nigerians have joked that his call up was inspired by his strong showing last weekend against Manchester United , where he made mincemeat of highly rated defender Eric Bailly.

” It’s funny when Nigerians discuss issues , how can he be called up because he dribbled Bailly? How funny?. His call up was based on uncertainty over the fitness of Moses Simon, who is yet to fully recover from the groin injury he picked up few weeks ago” the source said.

” He earned his spot in the team based on Ogenekaro Etebo’s absence plus the Simon’s case I talked about earlier. You can’t doubt his talent. He will add pace, strength and experience to our strike force.

” You need to watch him at Granada. He has been unfortunate not to have been called up in the past. This is his time to show Nigerians what made Watford splash big on him in the summer”.

Coach of the Nigeria senior national team Gernot Rohr has revealed to his close aides and associates on the reason why Ogenekaro Etebo and Victor Osimhen, were dropped from the list of invited players for the World Cup qualifiers tie against Zambia.

The duo alongside FC Porto Chidozie Awaziem joined excused Watford star Odion Ighalo as the major absentee from the list of players excluded from the team, who were part of Rohr’s last squad for the Tanzania tie.

” Etebo was not listed because people tend to forget that in the last two months he has only played once, no thanks to fitness issues. Too heavy a risk to take especially as we have lot of options in his role. Aside that he has issues regarding hs work permit in Portugal” a source told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” For Osimhen, everybody knows he is one for the future, it’s not to his best interest if he is once again called up and later dropped from the match day squad. He will definitely be involved with the team in subsequent games but for this tie, we need players with big game experience.

” Awaziem is another for the future, the dicey nature of the clash against Zambia made his omission a no brainer. Kenneth Omeruo took his place. You can’t place them on same level when you talking experience”.

Moldovan top division side CSF Speranta have completed the signing of Nigerian trio Benjamin Francis, Akinjide Idowu and Kastan Igwe on a short term deal till the end of the season.

The duo of Benjamin Francis and Akinjide Idowu are defensive players while Kastan Igwe is a winger who last played in Qatar for Al-Markhiya.

Idowu was a member of the Nigeria U-17 team that won the World Youth Championship in 2013 and also made the squad to the last U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

He was on the books of MLS side Portland Timbers as at last season but after few games for their B team, it appears the 20 year old has been released by the team.

Francis started this season with Sunshine Stars of Akure, but the former deputy left full back of the Super Eagles under late coach Stephen Keshi was restricted from playing for the team due to contractual issues with his former side Heartland FC of Owerri.

Another Nigerian player, Ovye Monday Shedrack also returned back to Moldova where he joined Zimbru following his release by Kuwaiti side Al-Arabi.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS

Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah)

Defenders: Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz 05, Germany); William Paul Ekong (Haugesund FC, Norway); Kenneth Omeruo (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Jamiu Alimi (Kano Pillars); Abdullahi Shehu (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Musa Muhammed (Istanbul Basaksehir, Turkey); Elderson Echiejile (Standard Liege, Belgium), Kingsley Madu (SV Zulte Waregem, Belgium)

Midfielders: Mikel John Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk, Belgium); Nosa Igiebor (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Anderson Esiti (KAA Gent, Belgium)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Leicester City, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Isaac Success (Watford FC, England); Brown Ideye (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England)

Head coach of the Nigeria senior national team Gernot Rohr has according to Nigeria football expert Muyiwa Lawal hand a first time call up to Watford big money buy Isacc Success, ahead of Nigeria World Cup qualifiers against Zambia in Ndola.

The ever reliable Muyiwa Lawal also told Owngoalnigeria.com that Success’s Watford teammate Odion Ighalo was omitted from the list for personal reasons not stated.

Also, according to him Anderson Esiti who has one cap for the Super Eagles earned during the time of late coach Stephen Keshi has been handed a recall to the team.

Esiti recently joined Belgian side Gent from Portuguese side Estoril, and has so far played in the last three fixtures for his new side in all competition.

Their inclusion coupled with the coach recent pronouncement that Rio 2016 hero Ogenekaro Etebo and Arsenal star Alex Iwobi will be in the squad for the October 9 clash, are so far the only new faces in the list.

It is expected that the full list will be released later this week, with some even say in the evening of Thursday. The 22nd of September 2016.

Highly rated Cesena Primavera forward Franklyn Akammadu who is of Nigerian descent is set to be handed a call up to the Italian U-20s, a move that should give the Italians an edge in the race for the international future of the former Fiorentina teen hotshot.

In recent times, Nigeria have lost the likes of Stefano Chuka Okaka and Angelo Ogbonna to the Italian national team, a trend that could be extended if Akkamadu maintain or improve on his present career growth.

Owngoalnigeria.com gathered from sources close to the player that even though he still harbours dream of playing for Nigeria, he won’t turn down the chance to represent Italy, if he is called up.

” He won’t say no to Nigeria but at the same time, it will be a thing of joy for him, if he gets invited to the Italian youth set up. For now both nations are an option” a source close to the player told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Akammadu has already have a feel of the first team of Cesena this season after training with the squad before their game against Carpi.

He is viewed by many as one of the brightest prospect in the youth set up of various Italian teams, although he is yet to open his goal account this season in the Primavera.

18 year old Nigeria female national under-20 invitee Valerie Awelewa is drawing comparison with former Super Falcons forward and female football legend Mercy Akide.

She is in the list of 30 players called up to camp by coach Peter Devdevbo ahead of Nigeria’s campaign at the Under-20 World Cup billed for Papua New Guinea in November later this year.

Followers of the exploits of the teen forward revealed to Owngoalnigeria.com , that she is every inch like Akide, one of the early stars of female football in Nigeria judging by her performances for SK Herkenrode.

Aside their similarity in physical appearance and role on the pitch, Valerie has also got an intimidating record like Akide, who was nicknamed Marvelous Mercy due to her goal scoring abilities.

Last season she scored 18 goals to emerge as one of the top scorers of the female game in Belgium, where she is highly respected by watchers of female football.

Valerie will be hoping to make the Nigeria’s team to the World Youth Championship where they are in same group with Spain, Japan and Canada in group B.

Talented 18 year old Nigerian forward Taofiq Jibril populary refereed to as Nigerian Benzema has touched down Portugal, where he is schedule to undergo trials with SC Braga.

Owngoalnigeria.com picked up pictures of the arrival of the teen forward upon his arrival in Portugal, in the company of someone who can easily pass as the agent to the highly rated Kaduna born striker.

The trials for the forward who was a late minute omission from Nigeria’s all conquering Under-17 team at the last Under-17 World Youth Championship will start trials tomorrow.

As exclusively reported by Owngoalnigeria.com, the striker who is quick, strong and skillful plus an eye for scoring goals will spend time with the youth team of the Portuguese side, but will train intermittently with the main team.

At Braga he won’t be short of brotherly love and care as the club is presently the home of two other Nigerian players in former junior international Chidi Osuchukwu and Louis Ogana.