Former Nigeria Under-20s midfielder Harmony Ikande has moved to Cypriot First Division side Aris Limassol from Israeli second division side Maccabi Yavne, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

A member of the Flying Eagles squad to the 2009 Under-20 World Youth Championship in Egypt, he has failed to match the high expectations that greeted his emergence.

Now 25, Ikande was once touted as a Super Eagles prospect but lost his way along the line and have had stints in Hungary, Bosnia, Ukraine and Israel without really making his mark for any of the clubs, he played for in the above mentioned country.

The former AC Milan youth team player only joined his former side Maccabi Yavne last summer on a free transfer, and has been a journey man since leaving AC Milan in 2011.

He failed to make the grades at AC Milan after years with their youth teams and loan spells away from the club failed to yield any positive impact on his career growth, which made the club to release him.

The Nigeria Under-23s have left their hotel in Atlanta and are presently heading for the airport, where they will fly to Rio for the 2016 Olympics male football event.

Their trip to Rio has suffered several postponement but an official of the team who spoke with Owngoalnigeria.com revealed they will connect a flight to Brazil in about two hours time.

” Everything have been resolved, we are on our way to the airport, as a matter of fact, we have checked out of the hotel, hopefully in the next two hours we will fly to Brazil” He told Owngoalnigeria.com on phone from Brazil.

The Nigerians will only have a day rest before taking on Japan in their first group game at the tournament, which could affect the performance of the players at the event.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick, will in the coming days forward the name of former coach of Gabon Gernot Rohr, to the Technical Committee of the NFF for consideration as Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles.

We gathered, Amaju Pinnick is under pressure to save face after the humiliation he suffered in the hands of French coach Paul Le Guen, who turned down the Super Eagles job after he was announced as coach of the team.

The pressure has made the NFF President to shun the Technical Committee, that has been screening applications from interested coaches from within and outside Nigeria, and press ahead with his own plan of appointing Rohr.

” It’s true that Pinnick has made contact with Rohr, but they are other coaches under consideration as well, it is to the glory of journalism if reporters confirm news before reporting it” A source at the NFF told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“Pinnick is not forcing Rohr on the NFF, He has only suggested him to be among those who will be considered for the job, but nothing close to solely appointing him”.

63 year Old Rohr, is an Ex German footballer who gained international prominence in 1996, when he managed Bordeaux to the UEFA Cup final, where they lost to Bayern Munich 1-5 on aggregate to the Germans, over two legs.

In Africa, he managed Etoile du Sahel but was fired after their failure to qualify from the group stages of the CAF Champions League in 2009. He also had unfavourable stints with Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso.

Presently he is on the shortlist for the managerial job of the senior national team of Guinea, who are also in the hunt for a foreign Technical Adviser.

Former Arsenal youth team prospect Chuks Aneke, has completed a free transfer from Zulte Waregem of Belgium to English League one side MK Dons.

A report on the club official website, confirmed he has joined the club on a one year deal, with the option of a further 12 months base on success and results.

The 23 year old is not new to the rigours and demand of League one as his last loan spell in England before his transfer from Arsenal was with Crewe Alexandra, where he scored 14 times and provided six assists.

Standing at an impressive 6ft 3in, the playmaker has scored 25 goals in 87 professional games during spells with teams like Stevenage, Preston North End, Crewe Alexandra and Zulte Waregem of Belgium.

He was called up to the Nigerian Under-23 team at the start of camping for their Olympic qualifiers two years ago, but injury and later club commitments stopped him from honouring the invitation.

MK Dons were last season relegated to the third tier of English Football after a season in the Championship and they are eyeing instant promotion back to the Championship.

English Premiership side Arsenal will later today confirm the signing of the captain of Nigeria Under-20s Kelechi Nwakali, on a five year deal, after the successful completion of his medicals with the Gunners.

Nwakali 18, will later today formally put pen to paper to turn the pre contract he signed in January into a professional one, which the club are expected to use in their application for the highly rated teen.

However, he will remain in England as his six months visa is yet to expire, and he will expectedly train with the youth side of the team before the first team return from their pre season tour, when he could be involved in training with the first team.

The most likely option for the winner of the Most Valuable Award (MVP) at the last Under-17 World cup could be a loan move in January, although it is based on the success of his work permit application,

If the Gunners are able to secure a work permit for the younger brother to Man City loanee Chidiebere Nwakali, he will remain with the B team of the Gunners and could even feature in some cup games.

Portuguese giants FC Porto are reportedly in search of loan destination for in coming Nigerian 17 year old forward Samuel Chukwueze, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

FC Porto beat Arsenal to the signing of the talented teen, who was one of the stars for Nigeria at the last U-17 World Youth Championship in Chile which Nigeria won. He was also one of the few bright spark for the Under-20s in their failed attempt to be at next year Africa U-20 Youth Championship.

Chukwueze is not yet 18 year old, hence will only sign a pre contract with FC Porto later this month, but the Portuguese side who presently have as much as six Nigerians on their books are already drawing up plans for the Nigeria youth International.

” FC Porto are looking at various options to help groom Chukwueze before he is ready for the first team, he is 17 now, so the plan is to get him a professional team possibly in the third tier, where transfer fees are not been paid to give him a taste of league football” A source close to the deal told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” There’s also the possibility of allowing him train with the U-18s for a year until he turns 18 on the 22nd of May next year, but for now, no conclusion has been reached regarding the next step after his signing”.

The Nigerian duo of Okiki Afolabi and Steven Tiongoli are few details away from joining Argentina league side Club Atletico Talleres de Cordoba, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The duo have already resumed training with the Argentine side, with tentative squad numbers already assigned to them ahead of the impending conclusion of their transfer deal to the top division side.

They were both taken to Argentina by popular Argentine agent Marcelo Houseman two months ago, with reports linking the duo with a move to popular Argentine side Racing, where they first trained upon their arrival in Argentina.

Former Sunshine Stars forward Okiki who was in the running for the top scorer award in the Nigeria Professional Football League before his trip abroad, could be given jersey number 18, the number he has been assigned to since he started training with the team.

Tiongoli, a Nigerian Under-23 forward, represented Bayelsa United in the Nigeria League before his trip to Argentina two months ago, where he could end up wearing jersey number 23 if his move to Talleres de Cordoba is finalised.

*Daniel Martins