According to reports reaching Owngoalnigeria.com sources in the camp of the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of their clash against Tanzania, Gernot Rohr has revealed the hierarchy of his six assistants.

The coach made it known to his coaches during a meeting yesterday how the composition of his technical bench will be like during competitive games, with assistant coach Imama Amakapabo not given a role.

Rohr came to Nigeria with three assistants and bar his video analyst who won’t sit on the team’s technical bench, the other two alongside Salisu Yusuf and goalkepper coach Alloy Agu are the others who will be with him during games.

Yusuf has also been demoted to the role of third assistants behind Rohr’s main technical assistant and his video analyst, as the German get set to proper work to position Nigeria for qualification for Russia 2018 World Cup.

A sign of this changes was seen yesterday during the first training session of the team, as Yusuf was isolated while Rohr and his foreign assistants speak on issues regarding the team.

The first training session of newly appointed Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr took place yesterday at the Nest of Champions in Uyo, Owngoalnigeria.com brings you details of what transpired.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria arrived at the stadium few minutes to 6pm as opposed to the 5pm the training was initially billed to begin.

There was no explanation as to why the training started about an one hour late, as it appears the issues were beyond those we sort to hear from.

Captain John Obi Mikel and Kelechi Iheanacho were the notably absentees from the full session, with Mikel hobbling off after less than five minutes, while Iheanacho was excused to be with the masseur after a chat with the coach.

63 year old Rohr showed his fitness by taking part in the team’s light jog at the start of their session, much to the amazement of the players.

After the light jog and mild stretching, the German gathered the players and gave out instructions before dividing the team into two groups ahead of the start of the main session.

The groups were instructed to initiate attack from one part of the field to the other, and specifically told to keep the ball in flight, failure to do so we result in the group doing push ups as punishment.

” I don’t want the ball on the ground, if it touches the ground, your group will give me five press up, now that is the instruction, start” he roared.

William Troost Ekong, Leon Balogun and Chidozie Awaziem were by far more comfortable in carrying out the instructions, which saved their team from been asked to do press up.

FC Porto youngster Awaziem got the German coach nodding, when his cross field pass to Balogun reached the Mainz 05 defender who in turn cushioned a well drilled header to Ekong.

Newly appointed Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr had his first training session with the Nigeria senior national team yesterday evening, without the England based duo of John Obi Mikel and Kelechi Iheanacho.

The duo were talked to separately by the German trainer before the start of training, and they were both left out as they had individual sessions with the team masseur and physiotherapist.

No reason was given for their exemption but Owngoalnigeria.com gathered, Rohr possibly exempted Iheanacho from his first session to allow him time with the masseur due to the muscle injury he recently recovered from.

Meanwhile, Mikel who started jogging with the team before a chatwoth the coach saw him leave the training for a session with the Physioterapist could be nursing a slight knock picked up at the Olympics.

The duo are as good as been ruled out of today’s friendly game against Akwa United which will take place by 5pm at the nest of champions in Uyo, venue of the dead rubber AFCON 2017 qualifiers game against Tanzania.

Reports coming out of Morocco has it that Moroccan top division side OCK Khouribga are close to agreeing a deal with Lobi Stars forward Barnabas Imenger Jr.

The forward who represented Nigeria at the 2014 CHAN Championship will in the coming days put pen to paper on a deal reportedly worth two years with the Moroccan side.

Imenger is no stranger to playing outside Nigeria as the 24 year old once played in Sweden for Trelleborgs FF before returning back to Nigeria in 2014.

He is the son of former Nigeria international Barnabas Imenger, who played for Nigeria in the mid 90’s during the era of Clemens Westerhoff as coach of Nigeria.

Originally named Nanen, he was named Barnabas Imenger Junior by Westerhoff during his formative years at Kwara Football Academy (KFA) when the Dutch man was the principal.

According to reports gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com, Slovak side AS Trencin are closing in on a deal for former Nasarawa United left full back Timothy Simon as a replacement for Kingsley Madu, who has joined Zulte Waregem of Belgium.

Trencin have got a rich connection with Nigerian players and Simon will join the Nigerian trio presently at the Slovak side following the departure of Rabiu Ibrahim and Madu.

Samuel Kalu, Aliko Bala and Maduka Christopher are the three Nigerians at the club, but they will soon be joined by three players from Golden Boot Soccer Academy (GBS), according to a staff of the academy.

Golden Boot Soccer (GBS) Academy based in Jos Nigeria, have been the go to Academy for the Slovak side and from same academy they will in the coming days snap up three more players.

” In the coming days, Timothy and two forwards will join AS Trencin, Timothy will replace Madu while the two other strikers will help bolster the forward line of the team” a source at the camp of GBS told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Coach of Enugu Rangers Imama Amapakabo has reacted angrily to stories making the rounds, that he has been sacked by newly appointed Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.

Reports broke out last night, that the Franco German has ordered the former Nigeria U17 goalkepper to stay away from the team, as he is comfortable with the three assistants he brought in.

Imama and Salisu Yusuf were appointed as assistant coaches to the German by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but the German flew into Nigeria with three of his own assistants in Jean- Luc Royer,Nabil Trabelsi and Everton Ferreira.

Aside from goalkepper trainer Alloy Agu, Rohr picked Yusuf as the only Nigerian trainer he wants in his coaching crew according to various reports, but Imama says he left the camp out of his own volition, not because he was asked to leave by the German.

” I left to prepare my team for today’s game against MFM FC, we are in a title race, we need all points we can gather, am shocked to hear stories that Rohr has sacked me, even the NFF are not aware” Imama said to our correspondent on phone.

” Hopefully I will return to the team after our game, maybe that will give people a better picture of what am saying”.

Nigeria U-23 star forward Sadiq Umar has expressed his sadness at leaving Roma, as his loan move to fellow Serie A side Bologna gathers pace.

19 year old Sadiq scored two goals from six Serie A appearances for Roma during the tenure of Frenchman Rudi Garcia, however since the sacking of Garcia, he has only played one minute of first team football under Luciano Spalleti.

He pushed to go on loan this season and after a super showing for Nigeria at the Olympics in Rio, where he scored four goals with three assists for the bronze medal winning team, interest in his services soared.

Crotone, Bayern Leverkusen and Bologna where all keen on him, but as reported by Owngoalnigeria.com two months ago. He has agreed a switch to Bologna.

“It’s so sad to leave a city, a team and a place have known as home for one year, am grateful to Roma for the chance given to me, This is not goodbye, I will return back a better player” Umar said in his farewell post on instagram.

Shortly after extending his contract with Chelsea till the summer of 2019, Kenneth Omeruo will in few hours from now complete a loan move to Alanyaspor of Turkey for the rest of the season, Owngoalnigeria.com understands.

The Chelsea defender has once again been made available for loan by the Blues and just when it looks like Besiktas were his next destination, talks have reportedly broken down due to his wage demands.

” It”s complicated, but the last time I checked, deal is off, Alayanspor will most likely sign him, the deal could be wrapped up tonight, so many things went wrong with the Besiktas loan deal”, respected Turkish journalist Oguzhan Mehmet told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” They were disagreement over salary, terms of loan deals and above all option of full purchase, at the end it’s too much a problem for Besiktas, they have pulled out”.

Omeruo spent last season on loan to Kasimpasa in Turkey, and made 25 appearances for the modest side but still wasn’t considered good enough for new Chelsea manager to give him a chance with the team, three years after joining the Blues.

Owngoalnigeria.com can confirm that Nigeria international Kenneth Omeruo has extended his deal with Chelsea till the summer of 2019.

We gathered Omeruo extended his deal few hours ago before travelling out to Turkey where he is set to join a team on loan for the rest of the season.

Omeruo spent last season on loan to Kasimpasa in Turkey, and made 25 appearances for the modest side but still wasn’t considered good enough for him to be given a chance by new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.

He has had three different loan spells during his time at the club, with his impending move to Turkey set to increase it to four different loan spells and without a single appearance for Chelsea at any level.

Besiktas were the initial favourite to sign the 22 year old, but reports reaching Owngoalnigeria.com has it that Alanyaspor will in the coming hours announce his capture after a routine medical.

Ifeanyi Matthew has been given the all clear to feature for his Norwegian side Lillestroem following his successful work permit application, Owngoalnigeria.com can reveal.

At the start of the month, Matthew concluded his move to the Norwegian side as exclusively reported by Owngoalnigeria.com two months ago but work permit issues delayed his debut.

However, he was issued the all clear last week and was even on the bench for Lillestroem in their 2-2 draw against Viking on Sunday, according to a source close to the player.

” He has been issued a work permit, he didn’t make his debut last weekend for tactical reasons I guess, but he was on the bench, he is fit and ready whenever he is called upon” He told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Widely regarded as one of the best players in the Nigeria Professional Football League this season, he was a member of the Nigeria Under-20 team to the last World Cup in New Zealand and made the senior B team that campaigned at the CHAN championship at the start of the year.