Manager of Chelsea Antonio Conte has provided an update on the injury suffered by Ola Aina, Chelsea’s teen defender of Nigerian heritage during their 3-2 win over Bristol Rovers in the English League Cup.

Aina went off injured in the second half during the Blues 3-2 win over the Championship side on his first team debut for the team he joined at the age of 9.

The 19 year old comfortable as a right full back, started at left back and showed part of the reasons why Chelsea pulled all of the stops to sign him to an extension this summer .

Speaking after the game, manager Antonio Conte was full of praise for the teen defender before confirming his fears about the injury the young full back suffered.

” We are working with the club every day on improving the squad and hopefully the injury that forced Aina off is not serious” He said.

Spanish La-Liga giants Valencia will be keeping a close eye on the poster boy of Nigeria Rio 2016 men’s football team Ogenekaro Etebo, during the course of the season in Portugal.

Etebo plays for newly promoted Portuguese top division side CD Feirense, and Valencia will be sending scouts to watch him play once he is fully recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of Nigeria’s final three games at the Olympics.

A deal for him in the future looks more likely, if he impresses the scout of the team that is assigned to Portugal to make checks on him.

Owngoalnigeria.com exclusively gathered from sources in Spain, that the 20 year old who scored four goals in Nigeria’s opening Rio 2016 game against Japan is also on the radar of several teams in Europe.

However CD Feirense have made it clear, that he won’t be sold this season as they want to keep him, to help them do well in their first campaign in the top flight of Portuguese football.

The former Warri Wolves forward joined CD Feirense last season and scored once from the 4 games he played before the end of the season.

Reports reaching Owngoalnigeria.com has it that newly appointed coach of the Super Eagles Genort Rohr is unhappy with some of the players called up for Nigeria’s AFCON 2017 qualifiers dead rubber tie against Tanzania.

Rohr allowed head of his assistant coaches Salisu Yusuf to handle call ups for the game, but the German was disappointed by some of the names submitted when he was vetting the list.

The coach had reservations about some players after going through their statistics from the current season and last season as well. However he was convinced that some players are just in the list for experience sake.

Our source refused to reveal the names of the players the coach complained about, but insist that the German made it clear to the coaches that henceforth only players who are active in their clubside will be called up to the team.

According to reports exclusively gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com, Arsenal latest signing Kelechi Nwakali could joined Viking of Norway in the winter transfer window.

The captain of the Nigeria U20s, who was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2015 Under-17 World Cup in Chile, is presently training with the reserve team of Arsenal, as he awaits a decision on his work permit application.

Already, Arsenal have made it clear that he could head out on loan this season, although he could spend some time with the U23s playing games before heading out on loan in January if he is granted a work permit.

However, Arsenal have sounded out his availability to the Norwegians, on the possibilities of a loan deal that could see him play in same league like his elder brother Chidiebere, who is on loan to Start from Manchester City.

Arsenal have strong connections with the Norwegian outfit, part of which saw them play a pre season game which Arsenal won 8-0. Nwakali could be the first player to benefit from their partnership in terms of players movements.

Nigeria international Odion Ighalo scored his first goal of the season for Watford, but it wasn’t good enough to help the Hornets survive a shock cup exit in the hands of League one side Gillingham.

Ighalo gave Watford the lead in the 58th minute but eight minute from time Mark Bryne levelled for Gillingham, and the upset was completed in the second minute of extra time when Bradley Dack scored a second goal for the third tier English league side.

Watford’s loss to the League one side was one of the shock result of the English League Cup formerly know as the Capital One Cup.

Their attention will now switch to Saturday when they will take on Arsenal, in a Premier League game where they will be looking to get back to winning way after suffering a 1-3 loss to Chelsea last weekend.

*Picture Credit: Watford FC

Nigerian winger Victor Moses has once again won the praise of manager Antonio Conte after netting in their 3-2 win over Bristol Rovers, in a Football League Cup game decided at Stamford Bridge.

25 year old Moses has made two appearances this season, but this is his first start for the Blues in over three years and he proved the manager right with a goal that showed his level of confidence.

Moses back in favour at Chelsea, after three consecutive loan spells away from the club, scored the second goal for Chelsea with a smart finish from a cross from Spanish winger Pedro.

The goal was his first goal for Chelsea since 2nd of May 2013, when he scored in the Blues 3-1 win over FC Basle in the Europa League, which Chelsea ended up winning that year.

His fine pre season form has made him the manager’s favourite, and it could lead to the possible departure of Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado as Conte is more at home with the Nigerian, when it comes to who gets the nod in crucial games.

As exclusively reported by Owngoalnigeria.com on the 28 of July 2016, Nigeria youth international Orji Okonkwo has been officially confirmed as a player of Italian Serie A side Bologna.

Orji was reportedly on the radar of English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspurs but the London based side were beaten to his signature by Bologna.

The 18 year old rejected a contract offer from Serie B side Spezia due to the paltry amount he was offered as salary by the team.

He will train and play games with the Primavera side of the Serie A side, where his progress will be monitored for promotion to the main team.

19 year old Nigerian forward Aliko Bala is drawing comparism with Gent star Moses Simon in Slovakia, due to his fine performances for AS Trencin, same club Simon passed through before moving to Belgium.

Bala joined AS Trencin last season from Nigerian Academy GBS, and ended up making 15 appearances with two goals to his name in his debut season as a professional footballer.

This season he has already surpassed his last season tally with two goals after just six appearances, as his brace last week against Ruzomberok took his season’s tally to four.

His fine performances has lead to watchers of the league comparing him to Moses Simon, who took the Slovakian league by storm in 18 months before heading to Belgium to join Gent for a record transfer fee.

For his perfomances Bala is highly tipped to depart the Trencin in the winter, despite recently extending his deal with the Europa League contenders last month.

*Picture Credit: Sportky.zoznam.sk

Manager of English Premiership outfit Antonio Conte has according to reports, settled for Nigerian winger Victor Moses to be a part of his team this season after giving his blessings for Juan Cuadrado to move to Juventus.

Moses has spent the last three seasons out on loan to Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham respectively but he is now set for a prolong stay at the bridge following the likely departure of Spanish winger Pedro and the soon to be completed exit of Colombian winger Cuadrado.

Cuadrado to Juventus is close to been finalise, while reports in Spain has it that Spanish La-Liga side Valencia are strongly pushing to sign Pedro from the Blues. The departure of the duo could kickstart Moses career at Stamford Bridge.

The Nigerian,25, was one of the star performers for Chelsea during their pre season tour and so far he has appeared in their first two premiership games albeit as a substitute.

Known for his pace, tricks and strength in duels, he was praised by the manager for his role in the comeback win over Watford last weekend, as his introduction according to the manager injected pace into the frontline of the Blues.

Chelsea current second longest serving player John Obi Mikel says he will in the coming days hold talks with Manager Antonio Conte before making any decision on his future at the club.

Mikel, 29, was the star man for the Nigeria U23s at the recently concluded Rio 2016 Olympics with four assists and a goal to his name for the bronze winning Nigerian team.

At Chelsea where only captain John Terry has stayed longer than him at the club among the current players, they are concerns over his future as he is yet to extend his contract which is set to run out in 12 months time.

However, Mikel hinted in his column for the London Evening Standard that, he will hold talks with Italian manager Conte regarding his future and how he fits into the plans of the manager.

“I will go back to see the manager and see what his plans are for me. I want to get back into training and prove myself. I want to play and help the team to win games.

‘I know it will be difficult because I have missed most of pre-season and the coach has a new way of playing. But it is a positive thing for me that I have been playing well in Brazil and I’m in good shape.

‘I will need a few days off first because this tournament has been so draining. I arrive back in London on Wednesday morning and the game against Burnley on Saturday will come too early to feature in.

‘The plan is to have a little break, which is why the timing couldn’t be better as the season stops for two weeks for international fixtures after the Burnley game anyway.

‘It will give me plenty of time to enjoy my bronze medal and reflect on what has been a magical few weeks in my football career.’