Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has handed first time invitation to new defenders in his squad for the world cup qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The coach who will be without one key central defender in Semi Ajayi in what will be his first set of games as coach, when they take on Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively in March has taken a bold step to replacing the 31 year old.

Chelle from what we exclusively gathered has handed a first time invitation to the duo of Igho Ogbu of Czech Republic giants Slavia Prague and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi of Nigeria Premier Football League side Enugu Rangers.

As we first reported Onyebuchi caught the eyes of the coach when he watched their CHAN qualifiers win over Ghana, and also visited the team at their camp in Ikenne, where they were preparing for the CHAN tournament before it was postponed.

Ogbu has been a standout performer this season for his Czech side in the three tournaments they took part in this season. He played 14 games in the league, four in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and three in the Europa League.

He has missed only six league games this season with five coming when he sustained a nasty head injury, and the other due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Ade Emmanuel

Sadiq Umar rescued a point for Valencia with a brace in their 3-3 draw against Osasuna which eased the relegation worries of the team as they head into the final 12 games of the season, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The brace which include an outrageous back heel late into the game to help his team snatch a point took his goals for the troubled side to four in eight games since his loan move from fellow LaLiga side Real Sociedad in the January transfer window.

Not expected to be in the Super Eagles list of players for the world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively, his recent run in front of goal suggests he could be an option for new coach Eric Chelle.

Chelle according to several sources watched the game from his hotel room in Kano, where he went to watch the NPFL game between Kano Pillars and Enugu Rangers. Sadiq did enough to convince the coach into having a rethink.

The list of players called up for both games by the coach is expected to be made public this week or after the round of games next weekend, but players have received their letters of preliminary invitation while some have been named in the final 23 man list.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The agent of Nigeria international forward Cyriel Dessers says he doesn’t understand why the 30 year old has been left out of the team in recent times by past coaches of the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Dessers scored a brace in midweek against Kilmarnock and followed it up with his team’s lone goal in a 1-2 defeat to Motherwell taking his tally for the season to 21 in 42 games in all competitions.

He has 11 goals in the league, two in the Europa League, four in the league cup, three in the Scootish Cup and one in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, but a spot in the Super Eagles team for the word cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively isn’t guaranteed for the forward.

The chances of adding to his tally of two goals in six caps is very remote, largely due to the presence of other forwards who are seen as better options as backup to first choice striker Victor Osimhen.

” I understand the competition for spots in the attack of Super Eagles is fierce with the presence of others who are also doing well. But I also don’t understand why someone with this amount of goals this season isn’t sure of making the team. It’s something that I don’t understand”, his representative told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach of Atalanta Gian Piero Gasperini has lamented the wastefulness of his team in the 0-0 draw against Venezia, which saw them blew a huge chance to narrow the gap with the top two Inter Milan and Napoli respectively.

Playing before the duo who were up against each other, Atalanta who were third could have narrowed the gap with one of the top two teams, but they failed to make the most of the early kick off drawing 0-0. The same result the top two had when they played each other in the evening.

Atalanta’s talisman Ademola Lookman was guilty of wasting several promising opportunities to decide the game in favour of his team, including an open net miss in the dying moment of the game.

Blamed by Gasperini for the penalty he missed in the UEFA Champions League, where they were knocked out by Belgium side Club Brugge in the round of 16. The coach this time around praised the Nigerian tagging him as their most lively player in the game.

“Ademola is still the most lively player. He has always been dangerous, as has Retegui. We have had several dangerous situations, and that is penalising us at home”, he said.

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has sounded a note of warning to the stars of the senior national team of Nigeria calling for total commitment ahead of the world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively in March.

Super Eagles will travel to Kigali for the game against Rwanda on the 21st before hosting Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo four days later.

Chelle will be in the dugout for the first time with the Nigerian team in both games, aiming to turn around the team’s poor fortunes in the qualifiers where they are four points behind the leaders Rwanda, after failing to win in any of their first four games.

The coach is optimistic that the Super Eagles have what it takes to win their remaining six games and make it to the world cup, and sounded it out to the star players during his conversation with them upon the confirmation of his employment as coach.

He told the players he has a winning mentality and expects that to be the same with every player in the team, that those who think otherwise or doubt their ability to win all of their remaining games shouldn’t bother turning up for the games.

His warning is deemed out of the fact that he believe the team currently has the best available players than most teams in Africa, hence should be doing better in the world cup qualifiers. Hinting that their poor run is a more of a mental thing than a lack of ability.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Victor Boniface has lost his regular starting berth at German cup and League champions Bayer Leverkusen after a failed move to Saudi Arabia side Al-Nassr in the January transfer window, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Boniface has been reduced to the role of a substitute in their last three games with Nathan Tella originally a winger now the favourite of coach Xabi Alonso.

Tella has only failed to start in one of their last five games and that was when he had a knock. He recovered and scored in their 4-1 win over Eintract Frankfurt yesterday.

The team will be back in action on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League against league rivals Bayern Munich, and if the club’s post on social media is anything to go by Tella could yet keep his spot in the starting lineup.

“Frankfurt, Dortmund and Bayern. (A) big game player”, the official handle of the club posted on X referencing his goals against Borussia Dortmund and Frankfurt in the league and also his goal against Bayern Munich in the German Cup.

He is expected to be in the Super Eagles squad for the upcoming world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively in March.

Ade Emmanuel

The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) has announced the appointment of Algerian coach Adel Amrouche as the new coach of their senior national team ahead of their world cup qualifiers game against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

Rwanda who are leading the world cup qualifiers group ahead of South Africa and Benin Republic on goal difference have been without a coach since the exit of German coach Thorsten Spittler upon the expiration of his contract in December.

They announced Amrouche as the new coach alongside two other assistants in Eric Nshimiyimana and Carolina Braun as first and second assistants respectively.

Their first assignment will be the world cup qualifiers game on the 21st against Nigeria in Kigali, where they will be looking to extend their four points lead over Nigeria, and keep alive their dream of making it to the 2026 World Cup.

55 year old Amrouche has handled other African national teams like Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Kenya, Libya, Botswana and Tanzania.

His last job at national level was with Tanzania which ended after he was suspended by CAF for eight matches and fined $10,000 for his comments about ” Morocco having influence in CAF, to manipulate a game against his team and also schedule officiating”.

He was dismissed by Tanzania after that interview. His major achievement was leading them to qualification in 2023.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Victor Boniface showed his frustration at not getting among the goals for his team Bayer Leverkusen in their 4-1 win over Eintract Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga.

Benched for the third game in a row, the 24 year old was involved in a heated argument with teammate Emiliano Buendia towards the end of the game following his introduction as a substitute.

The pair got into each other’s way in an attempt to increase the tally to 5-1 leading to an exchange of angry words, with Boniface pushing the Argentine after using his index finger to tell him off. They were separated by teammates.

It hasn’t been the best of time for Boniface at Leverkusen, since his failed move to Saudi Arabia side Al-Nassr. Coach of Bayer Leverkusen Xabi Alonso played the incident when he was asked about it after the game.

“He (Boniface) wanted to score a goal. It’s not a problem. We’ll talk about it. The most important thing is the team, the performance and the result,” said Xabi Alonso, adding that it’s normal to show “passion” in football.

Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabiyio spoke with the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle during his visit to England, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Chelle who will be in charge of the team for the first time in March when they play in the world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to put a formidable squad for both games.

The coach per what we exclusively gathered told the 27 year old how he intends to build the team around him and secure a ticket to the 2026 world cup, despite the poor start the team had before his appointment as coach.

Tosin who has in the past shunned advances to play for Nigeria in favour of England was impressed with the plans of Chelle , and sources say he could be one player who will likely be added to the squad for subsequent games, if the March games comes a bit too sudden for him.

With reliable defender Semi Ajayi out injured, reports about Tosin considering the move to play for Nigeria will be a welcome relief, and he won’t be needing any one time switch from FIFA as he didn’t play any competitive game for England despite representing them at various youth levels.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Top scorer in the Belgium top division Tolu Arokodare did his chances of getting a first time call up to the senior national team of Nigeria a whole lot of good with his 16th goal of the season for Genk in a 1-1 draw against Charleroi.

Arokodare struck in the 71st minute of the game and his goal was destined to be the winner until home side were awarded a penalty in the 89th minute, which helped them to draw level.

The former Nigeria U17 striker who also boast of five assists this season is widely tipped to be handed a call up to the senior national team of Nigeria by new coach Eric Chelle ahead of their world cup qualifiers games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe respectively in March.

Already he made the provisional list of players, but there is no assurance or confirmation that he is in the final 23 man list for the games in Kigali on the 21st and in Uyo four days later.

His form has already caught the attention of the number one striker in the senior national team of Nigeria Victor Osimhen, who reacted to a post about the lanky 24 year old on social media and tipped him for greatness.

“To see him making a huge name for himself and for his team is something amazing. Knowing how he started, I know he will surely achieve greatness”, he commented.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman