The camp of the Super Eagles of Nigeria for the upcoming Unity Cup tournament in England has come alive with the arrival of 20 players out of the 26 called up by head coach Eric Chelle, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle was the first to arrive in England earlier today before the contingent from Nigeria consisting of the backroom staff and players from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) led by captain Ahmed Musa arrived.

The ten players were joined by the foreign based which includes players like Moses Simon, Kelechi Iheanacho, Semi Ajayi, Wilfred Ndidi, Bruno Onyemaechi, Frank Onyeka, Nathan Tella and others.

They will all be available for the team’s first training session later today ahead of Wednesday’s opening game against Ghana, which will be followed by a game against either of Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago in the tournament’s other game.

Six Players are yet to arrive the camp as at the time of this report, but at least three namely Samuel Chukwueze, Stanley Nwabali and Chrisantus Uche are expected before the team’s training.

List of 20 Players in Super Eagles camp.

Ahmed Musa

Moses Simon

Kelechi Iheanacho

Semi Ajayi

Frank Onyeka

Nathan Tella

Cyriel Dessers

Felix Agu

Igho Ogbu

Wilfred Ndidi

Bruno Onyemaechi

Junior Nduka

Sadiq Ismaila

Waliu Ojetoye

Ifeanyi Onyebuchi

Papa Mustapha

Saviour Isaac

Collins Ogwueze

Sikiru Alimi

Abubakar Adamu

Players expected:

Stanley Nwabali

Maduka Okoye

Amas Obasogie

Chrisantus Uche

Samuel Chukwueze

Tolu Arokodare

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The news linking Nigeria international forward Ademola Lookman with a potential move to English Premier League side Arsenal has been denied by sources at the club, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Lookman who is the reigning Africa player of the Year is keen on leaving Italian Serie A side Atalanta in the summer, and reports say he is a target for the coach of Arsenal and their new sporting director Andrea Berta.

But according to Italian football transfer expert Matte Moretto their is no substance to the rumors linking the 27 year old with a move to Arsenal as he is out of the conditions required by the Gunners.

“Arsenal doesn’t seem interested in Lookman, neither in terms of technical qualities nor in terms of age, because Arsenal has certain criteria even regarding the ages of the players it signs”, he said.

He went further to say the forward who ended the season with 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions is instead a target for fellow Italian side Juventus and Napoli.

“Lookman doesn’t seem to me to be Arsenal’s first or even second choice in this position. He has been offered to several clubs such as Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, but so far, the clubs most interested in him are Juventus and Napoli”.

Daniel Martins

Cercle Brugge midfielder Lawrence Agyekum will be part of the squad of the senior national team of Ghana for the Unity Cup in England after being named among the Europe based players for the friendly tournament by head coach Otto Addo.

Lawrence is registered as a Ghanaian , but he told OwnGoalNigeria.com in an exclusive chat in October 2024 that he is eligible for Nigeria through his mother, and won’t hesitate to jump at the chance of playing for Nigeria if he is called up by then Super Eagles coach Austine Eguavoen.

” My father is from Ghana but my mother is Nigerian. I can play for both nations. That’s one part that many people don’t know about me and if the chance to play for Super Eagles comes, I won’t say no”, he revealed.

” I have love for both countries and want to see them do well. Not too good for Ghana in the AFCON qualifiers but they are doing well in the world cup qualifiers. For Nigeria reverse is the case. I follow both closely”, he stated.

With no interest from Nigeria, the coach of Ghana Otto Addo handed him a late call up to his squad as a reward for his fine form that has seen him play in 27 league games, making 23 starts and also five games in the Conference League with one start.

He has now been handed another chance with a spot in the squad for the Unity Cup where they will begin their campaign against Nigeria on the 28th of May before facing either Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago in the tournament’s other game.

It will be an emotional game for the 22 year old if he gets to play in the game owing to his desire to play for the Nigerian team, before Ghana offered him the chance to play international football.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Newly invited Super Eagles defender Igho Ogbu is a subject of interest for Turkish side Besiktas in the summer transfer window despite extending his contract with Czech Republic side Slavia Praha, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Ogbu extended his deal with Slavia two days ago, but he is available for transfer in the summer transfer window with a fee in the region of €5m enough for the deal to happen.

Linked with French Ligue 1 side Lille before the extension of his contract till 2027. The defender has represented Nigeria at U17 and U20 levels in the past, and has grown in leaps in bounds since joining to Slavia two years ago.

Head coach of Besiktas Ole Gunnar Solskjær is a huge admirer of the 25 year old , and has lined him up among his options in the central defence role fot next season, where they aim to wrestle the title from Galatasary.

Called up to the senior national team of Nigeria for the upcoming Unity Cup and friendly game against Russia, the 25 year old was also a part of the squad for the world cup qualifiers but didn’t get to play in any of the games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively.

Daniel Martins

Former Super Eagles defender Tyronne Ebuehi was an unused substitute as his team dropped down to the Italian Serie B following a 1-2 defeat to Verona in their final game of the Serie A season, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Capped 13 times by Nigeria, he hasn’t been involved with Nigeria since 2022, no thanks to injury and fitness issues since 2018. He joined Empoli three seasons ago and was making his way back to his best, but injury struck towards the end of last season .

A star for Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup, Ebuehi returned to full fitness one month ago from an anterior cruciate ligament injury making just four appearances this season.

He was hoping to have more game time next season, but that won’t be happening as he will leave the club when his contract expires on the 30th of June. His next destination will be made clearer in the coming days.

Daniel Martins

Saudi Arabia outfit Al Hilal are close to reaching an agreement on with Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen to join them after agreeing to trigger his buy out clause from Italian side Napoli, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

As we earlier reported, the 26 year old who spent the season on loan to Turkish side Galatasaray leading them to a league and cup double with 36 goals in all competitions is certain for a new chapter next season.

Already he is in direct contact with the president of Al Hilal Fahad bin Nafel negotiating personal terms, which many say will be a record pay for the Nigerian.

While he was expecting an offer valued at eighteen million dollars net per year to accept a move to Saudi Arabia, the value of the potential earnings could reach up to twenty million dollars a season.

While personal agreements are close to being reached between the player’s representative and Fahad bin Nafel, Al Hilal cannot yet validate this transfer yet .

The Saudi club is waiting to receive the total amount expected from the Saudi government in order to finalize the deal, and also contact Napoli to conclude the agreement between the clubs.

The so-called “financial viability” committee within the Ministry of Sports in Saudi Arabia has not yet given the green light to release the necessary funds. Without this, it will be impossible for the deal to happen.

However all parties involved are confident of reaching an agreement with Osimhen personally expressing his desire to join the Saudi outfit. He is expected to sign a three year deal if all goes as planned.

Daniel Martins

Italian giants AC Milan rounded up their Serie A campaign with a 2-0 win over Monza yesterday and immediately started plans for next season, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Milan endured one of their worst seasons in recent time by finishing 7th hence missing out on European football next season. They also lost the Coppa Italia final to Bologna to further compound the woes of the season.

A new sporting director in Igli Tare is expected to be announced soon and as reported by Calciomercato.com’s Daniele Longo, and there will be a lot for the Albanian to do when it comes to building the squad for the challenges of next season.

Top of his list will be to clear the players not needed in the club, before making moves for players who could improve the squad using the summer transfer window when it officially opens.

In total, eleven players already have their ‘bags packed’ as per Longo: Joao Felix, Kyle Walker, Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw, Yunus Musah, Emerson Royal, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Samuel Chukwueze, Riccardo Sottil, Alessandro Florenzi and Filippo Terracciano.

Daniel Martins

Former Nigeria U17 forward Olakunle Olusegun celebrated winning the Russian Premier League with Krasnodar with a call to the national team selectors of Nigeria to look his way, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The 23 year old represented Nigeria at the U17 world cup in 2019 after playing a leading role in their success at the WAFU B tournament, and also the AFCON where they picked the ticket to the world cup.

Since making the step up to the main team of Krasnodar he has played in 100 games with 12 goals and six assists. Two came this season in where he has functioned as a left winger, right winger and a striker.

Following his team’s emergence as champions, he feels forgotten considering that he wasn’t considered to be a part of the Nigerian team that will take on Russia on the 6th of June .

” They ( national team selectors) have forgotten me and I really understand. But it’s hard to take because I am based here in Russia and won’t be a part of my senior national team despite winning the championship. I will keep hoping for my chance to come”, the 2019 WAFU top scorer concluded.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

As the Super Eagles of Nigeria jet out today for the Unity Cup in England, two players in the list of players called up by head coach Eric Chelle made a profound signing to the end of the season with an assist, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria will begin their campaign against Ghana on the 28th of May before taking on either Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago in the tournament’s other game three days later.

Newly invited Christantus Uche ended a remarkable first season in the Spanish top division with an assist in their 1-2 loss to Celta Vigo. It was his sixth of the season in 33 games with four goals as well.

He is expected to be in the midfield despite playing majorly as a makeshift forward this season for Getafe. The 22 year old made a huge impression coming from the third division to the first division in the summer from Cueta.

One player who constantly divides opinion Samuel Chukwueze also shaked off speculations about his fitness playing 45 minutes for AC Milan in their 2-0 win over Monza. It has not been a vintage season for the 26 year old with just two assists and three goals in 26 games.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman