The senior national team of Nigeria have been drawn in Group C for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place in Morocco in the month of December, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Super Eagles who were beaten finalist at the last AFCON were in Pot A due to their placement among the top five on the FIFA Ranking for last month, they were in the same pot with other African giants in Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire and the host Morocco.

Nigeria were grouped alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania with the top two in the group getting automatic qualification for the knock out round of the tournament.

Below is how all the teams were grouped for the group stage of the tournament.

Group A

Morocco

Mali

Zambia

Comoros

Group B

Egypt

South Africa

Angola

Zimbabwe

Group C

Nigeria

Tunisia

Uganda

Tanzania

Group D

Senegal

Dr. Congo

Benin

Botswana

Group E

Algeria

Burkina Faso

Equatorial Guinea

Sudan

Group F

Cote d’Ivoire

Cameroon

Gabon

Mozambique

Spanish LaLiga side Sevilla are close to adding to the number of Nigerian players at the club with talks ongoing for a deal to sign Jordan Torunarigha from Belgium side Gent, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Reports in Spain say the 27 year old who will be out of contract in the summer is a prime target for the Spanish side in the January transfer window, hot on the heels of the signing of another Nigerian in Jerome Akor from French side Montpellier.

Capped once by Nigeria at senior level, the defender who is comfortable as a left back of center back represented Germany at various youth levels, before making the switch to Nigeria two years ago.

Gent have repeatedly tried to extend his deal , but he is keen on trying a new option after three years with the club he joined from German side Hertha Berlin after an initial loan spell.

If he eventually signs, it will mean the club will have four Nigerians on their books with the duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Childera Ejuke completing the list, although there is a strong chance that Iheanacho could leave the club he joined in the summer on a free transfer before the close of the January window.

Daniel Martins

Nigeria international winger Moses Simon has added to his number of children with the birth of a baby boy by his partner Ibukun Moses Simon in the early hours of this morning, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The couple welcomed their first male child after two girls with their union heading into it’s tenth year later in the year. She was his childhood girlfriend before their marriage in 2015.

His wife is the president of fast rising Kaduna based football academy Simoiben Football Academy, with her husband largely responsible for the finances for the running of the team.

Yesterday Simon bagged his 11th goal contribution of the season with the assist for Mostafa Mohamed with virtually the last kick of regulation time to help them draw 1-1 against Lyon in the Ligue 1 game, they moved to 14th on the log after the draw.

Simon now has six assists and five goals this season from 17 games, he has already surpassed his tally of last season with five games less, although last season ended prematurely for him following an injury picked up while on international duty with Nigeria.

Upeh Waziri

Coach of the senior national team of South Africa Hugo Broos has taken a swipe at the senior national team of Zimbabwe, Lesotho and others saying they don’t bring out the best in his team due to their weakness.

The coach made this known while speaking ahead of the draws for the 2025 AFCON, which will be held later this year with his team hoping to go further than they did at the last tournament where they finished as third.

Sitting in Pot B there is the likelihood that they can be drawn against one of the giants in African football in either Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria or the defending champions Cote d’Ivoire.

He said a positive campaign in the world cup qualifiers, which ends in October will put his team in good stead ahead of the tournament and praised his team for bringing out their best when up against quality oppositions like Nigeria, Morocco and Algeria among others.

“Yes, because six months later there is a World Cup. I think, if we qualify for the World Cup, we can make another good AFCON that will certainly help us in the World Cup,” said Broos.

“This is something I said when I came here, and maybe it was a little bit disrespectful to the other teams but – I don’t want to play against Zimbabwe, Lesotho and [other neighbours] every time. I want to play against the big teams.”

“You see what a gift that gave us that we played in Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Morocco, and we had such games in the last AFCON, and those games make us progress,” he added.

“Against Morocco you have to go at 100 percent, against Algeria you have to go at 100 percent, and games like that gives you more satisfaction, and you learn and progress more.

“So therefore, AFCON 2025 in December and January will also help us if we qualify for the World Cup – it will help us have a good World Cup after that.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The claims by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that the new coach of the Super Eagles Eric Chelle is on a two year deal with the option of another year has been termed as false, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

President of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau while unveiling the coach said he signed a two year deal with the option of another year pending on certain variables, which includes good results in the world cup qualifiers and also the 2025 AFCON which will take place in December.

That claim has been dismissed as false by a member of the NFF who said the coach is on a deal that could be terminated in October, if the Super Eagles fail to make it to the 2026 World Cup at the end of the qualifiers.

He said the contract is performance based, similar to what Finidi George signed that made it easy for the board to hire him after just one month at the helm without any financial compensation or contract breach.

Explaining further he said the only difference could be the length of time afforded to Chelle to show his credentials unlike Finidi who was given just a month to turn things around.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Sadiq Umar is expected to play some part later today when Valencia takes on Barcelona in the LaLiga after missing last week game against his parent club Real Sociedad, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

He joined Valencia on loan for the rest of the season, but with a clause that says the club will pay his parent side €300,000 before he will be permitted to play against them. Last week he wasn’t in the team for the game which they won 1-0.

Coach of Valencia Carlos Corberán said the decision not to name the 27 year old wasn’t related to the payment of the clause, rather due to fitness issues.

“The Club’s commitment is maximum. Obviously, it was committed to the fact that if the player was fit he could play in the match”, he explained before speaking further on the knee injury that kept the lanky forward out.

“The injury he had is a long time ago. Last year he never missed a matchday because of it, and he hasn’t missed one of the squads this year”, he said in his preview of today’s game at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

“The injury happened a while ago, but that won’t stop the player from having pain in his knee or any other part of his body and these pains have to be treated rigorously, as has been done. He has returned and there is no cause for alarm.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Ademola Lookman has been told that a potential exit from Atalanta in the summer is not going to be straightforward with the club keen on retaining him, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Lookman will have a year left on his contract at the club at the end of this season making it almost a must for the club to listen to offers for his signing, unless he makes a u-turn and sign an extension.

During the last summer transfer window, Lookman handed in a transfer request following interest from PSG. It made coach Gian Piero Gasperini to leave him out of their games for a while.

Upon his return many speculated that he will be offered fresh terms to extend his contract at the club, but that didn’t happen leaving the door open for his exit next summer.

On their part Atalanta have made it clear that they will do all they can to ensure that the forward who has 14 goal and seven assists in all competitions this season remains at the club beyond next summer’s transfer window.

This much was made known by Atalanta’s President Antonio Percassi and his son, the club CEO Luca. “We’ll do all we can, but he must not be forced. “After all, we have already replaced Zapata, Muriel and Gomez”, they said regarding the future of the 27 year old who is the reigning Africa player of the year.

Daniel Martins

Fit again Victor Boniface has emerged as a prime target for Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Nassr in their search for a striker in the ongoing January transfer window, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Reports in Germany two days ago has it that the 24 year old extended his deal at the club till the summer of 2029, making him one of the highest earners in the team, who are the current league and cup holders in Germany.

His exit is however still on the cards with the club open to offers as he isn’t seen as one of the non-transferable players at the club, particularly with Patrick Shick deputizing perfectly in his absence since last year due to injury.

According to German publication Kicker an unethical bid in excess of €50m will tempt the Germans into letting the forward leave, but coach Xavi Alonso will demand for the money to be invested in the team for his replacement, who will likely be a backup to Shick.

Boniface started his stay in Germany on a sound note with 21 goals and ten assists in 34 games in all competitions, but this season injuries and fitness issues have limited him to just 8 goals and one assist in 15 games.

Daniel Martins

Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen has given his side of the story in the alleged bust up with three Turkish journalists, where he was alleged to have punched one of them.

The incident was said to have happened two night ago at night in front of a nightclub in Maslak that had been previously shut down by authorities.

Osimhen and a group of 10 friends left the venue when reporters, including Posta journalist Tolga Bozduman, began taking photos. Witnesses said Osimhen became furious when he noticed the cameras.

Bozduman described the altercation, saying, “As soon as the flashes went off, he started shouting and ran at me. He tried to grab my camera, but I held on to it. Then he punched me in the head. The right side of my head is still in pain.”

Osimhen allegedly hurled insults at the journalists and offered them money to delete the images. When his offer was declined, he issued threats, saying, “If these images are released, I will ruin you.”

Reacting to the claims via a voice note sent to the media officer of the senior national team of Nigeria Promise Efoghe, Osimhen termed the allegations that he punched the journalist and also debunked other parts of the viral story.

Below is a summer of what he told Efoghe about the incident.

1. He was never at a night club but an african restaurant to do dinner with a few friends.

2. ⁠He was done and was outside to sight his friend’s brand new car which was brought to the location.

3. ⁠The intruders came from no where and started taking pictures and videos of him publicly without consent and he asked them to stop. This he says is within his rights to do. He wasn’t on the football pitch, nor on the Galatasary training ground, he has his personal life too.

4. ⁠He said never came close nor raise a finger on anyone as against what has been circulated. If he did, that would be regarded an assault and he could be sued.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Out of favour Super Eagles forward Emmanuel Dennis have been offered a lifeline to relaunch his career by English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday after he was left out of the squad of Nottingham Forest for the season.

Dennis haven’t had the best of time since joining the team from Watford, where his ten goals failed to rescue them from relegation. Last season he was loaned out to Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir for the first half of the season, before making a return to Watford on a loan deal.

Upon his return to Wolves, he was involved in their pre season games and training under new coach Nuno Espirito Santo but he was subsequently left out of the squad for the season with the high flying side keen on cutting ties with him.

Attempts to mutually terminate his contract or send him to a team in the Gulf notably Qatar , UAE and Saudi Arabia yielded no fruit, hence his stay at the club for the entirety of the transfer window.

Latest reports from England says he is a subject of interest to English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday who are 11th on the table and badly in need of a top striker.

Dennis is among the options they have lined up in attack before the close of the January transfer window, with a loan deal said to be what they are likely going for, a situation that might not sit properly with Forest who are keen on getting him off their wage bill.

Daniel Martins