In a bid to put his career back on track forgotten Super Eagles defender Valentine Ozornwafor has signed a two year deal with top division Bulgarian side Septemvri Sofia, OwnGoalNigeria.com understands.

The 25 year old who was capped twice by former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr in 2021 has been clubless since leaving Belgium side Charleroi at the end of last season.

A member of the Nigerian U20 team to the 2019 World Cup, Septemvri Sofia will be his fourth club in Europe since leaving Nigeria for abroad where he started with Turkish giants Galatasaray.

He has since been at Spanish side UD Almeria, French side Sochaux and Charleroi without much success. Something he will be hoping changes for the good at his new side who are 12th on the log in the Bulgaria top division.

His signing is expected to boost the chances of the newly promoted side in ensuring that they kept their top flight status at the end of the season.

Daniel Martins

The newly appointed coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle will officially resume duty today after an unveiling ceremony and a press conference organized by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Chelle’s first task will be in the world cup qualifiers in March where the team will take on group leaders Rwanda, before hosting Zimbabwe at home.

He will however take charge of the Nigerian CHAN team made up of players who were picked from the Nigeria Professional Football League, when they take part in the CHAN Championship slated for next month.

Prior to accepting the Nigerian job, the 47 year old was in charge of Algerian side MC Oran and decided to terminate his contract which saw him hand his months wage to the club as financial settlement, after the NFF triggered a clause in his deal that says he can leave the club if a suitable offer from any national team arrives.

Per what we exclusively gathered, the coach also took a significant wage cut, that will see him earn $55,000 a month ,which will be shared between him and his three other assistants on the Super Eagles bench.

In his last game in charge of the team , he took his time to explain why he took such decision explaining that the job of the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria is one that he couldn’t refuse.

“This is my last meeting with you and it marks the end of my adventure here. From Monday, I will be in Nigeria to start a new chapter.

“The MC Oran officials insisted that I continue, but one cannot refuse to lead the one of the best teams in Africa and the world.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The coming of Eric Chelle as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria will no doubt pave the way for some players to be given a look in when the team regroup for the world cup qualifiers in March, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle will be unveiled later today as the new coach of the Nigerian team replacing Austine Eguavoen, who held the position in interim capacity all through the qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON.

Eguavoen will now return to his post as the technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leaving Chelle with the task of ensuring that the Super Eagles qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

We pick five players who could get their maiden call up under the coach , who was in charge of the Malian team at the last AFCON.

1. Hamzat Ojediran ( Lens) – Plays for the former team of the coach. The former Nigeria U20 midfielder has taken to life in Ligue 1 quite easily following his move in the summer. He has been involved in ten games this season in Ligue 1.

2. Ani Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba) – We exclusively gathered that Chelle has already taken notice of the shot stopper after watching him in goal for the CHAN team and Enyimba in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Chelle is said to be impressed with his ability to play with his legs, which will suit his style to playing from the back. He is very much in the frame for a fifth time call up.

3. Chrisantus Uche (Getafe) – Already in the loop and just waiting for his chance. He has kept his spot in the team of Getafe and with the coach keen on bringing more options to the team in the midfield, his chance will no doubt be on the cards.

4. Jide Fatokun ( Remo Stars) – He was watched by the coach in both legs of the CHAN qualifiers you against Ghana and did enough to catch his attention. Now he will need a good performance at the tournament to force his way into the thinking of the 47 year old gaffer.

5. Tolu Arokodare – The lanky forward could be in the team as early March for the world cup qualifiers. Already well known to the coach for his exploits this season in Belgium for Genk. He will no doubt be handed one of the spots available as backup to top striker Victor Osimhen.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Coach of Sevilla Garcia Pimienta has explained why the Nigerian duo of Childera Ejuke and Kelechi Iheanacho weren’t in his matchday squad for the 1-1 draw against Valencia, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The duo were conspicuously missing from the matchday squad as Sevilla left it late to draw 1-1 against Valencia, who are currently bottom of the league table. The result lifted Sevilla to 13th on the log.

Pimienta while speaking before the game explained that both players won’t be in the matchday squad due to fitness issues. Iheanacho is working his way back to match fitness after picking up a knock in training.

For Ejuke, the coach explained that the winger isn’t fully fit yet after returning from an almost three months injury lay off. He said it will take a while before he gets back to his level.

Both players who were signed in the summer have not really made a huge impact in the team , and reports suggest that the club are willing to listen to offers for Iheanacho in the January transfer window.

Are Ademola

The new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle will arrive in Nigeria on Monday to resume in his role per an official announcement by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Chelle will be in Abuja tomorrow for his official unveiling and also hold a press conference after the formal signing of his contract paper on a short term deal that covers the period of the world cup qualifiers.

He will be unveiled alongside his three assistants in Hedi Taboubi who will function as his first assistant and also video analyst, Thomas Gornourec as his fitness trainer and Daniel Padovani who will be in charge of the goalkeepers.

Upon their unveiling, they will join the B team of the Nigerian team who are presently in camp preparing for the CHAN Championship in February. Chelle will be in charge of the team according to the president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau.

Gusau explained that the decision for the present coach Daniel Ogunmodede and his assistant Fidelis Ilechukwu to step aside is as a result of a new policy by the NFF aimed at giving the coach a chance to work with players from the domestic Leagues, where he could likely see one or two who will be a part of the main team.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The father of AC Milan winger Bob Omoregbe says the ambition of his son is to play for the senior national team of Nigeria and not Italy, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Omoregbe made his debut yesterday for AC Milan in their 1-1 draw against Cagliari replacing Rafael Leao with AC Milan pushing for a winner. He managed to create an opportunity with a cross from the right after a dribble down the right side, causing a ricochet inside the box that drew a save.

His inclusion in the first team came as a surprise because he hasn’t been a regular for the B team of the Italian side, yet he was picked by the new coach of the team Sergio Conceiçao as the replacement for the departed Noah Okafor who joined RB Leipzig and Samuel Chukwueze who is presently Injured.

Born in Italy to parents of Nigerian descent, the 21 year old joined AC Milan in 2022 and his father back then made strong effort to have him included in the Nigeria U20 team.

” Bob’s father is keen on him playing for Nigeria. I remember very well how he tried to get him to the attention of the coaches of the U20 in 2022. It’s still the same I think but he need to have a stable club career first”, a staff of the NFF said in reaction to his debut yesterday.

The winger hasn’t been capped at any level by either nation, but all that could change for good in the coming days if he keeps his spot in the first team and build on yesterday’s performance.

Ade Emmanuel

The new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has made changes to the technical assistants he will work with when he officially resumes, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle was announced as the new coach of the Nigerian team taking over from Austine Eguavoen who held the role in interim capacity all through the qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON, which ended in November.

Eguavoen will now return to his role as the technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with Chelle expected to be at the helm, when the world cup qualifiers resumes in March.

Ahead of the games away to group leaders Rwanda and at home to Zimbabwe, the coach will work with three of his trusted allies who were with him, while he was at the helm as the coach of Mali.

He has replaced the video assistant Eboboritse Uwejamomere who worked with Eguavoen in the AFCON qualifiers with his first assistant and close friend Hedi Taboubi. Also fitness trainer Tomaz Zorec has been replaced by Thomas Gornourec.

Another casualty is the goalkeeper’s trainer Abideen Baruwa who has been replaced by Jean Daniel Padovani. All three assistants will be unveiled alongside Chelle by the NFF in Abuja.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

New coach of AC Milan Sergio Conceiçao has handed a first team spot to 21 year old Nigerian winger Bob Murphy Omoregbe in his squad for today’s Serie A game against Cagliari, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Conceiçao will be handling the team in a league game for the first time since replacing Paulo Fonseca as the coach of the team. He however started on a strong base helping them to the Italian Super Cup title with a comeback 3-2 win over Inter Milan.

Ahead of today’s game, the coach who is without RB Leipzig bound Noah Okafor has decided to hand a spot to Bob Murphy Omoregbe, who was born in Novara to Nigerian parents.

Omoregbe is making the step up from the B team of the club called Milan Futuro as a replacement for Okafor, and he will wear the jersey number 77 for tonight’s game where he is expected to at most make a substitute appearance.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Former Nigeria international striker and a member of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Victor Ikpeba has fired a barb at his former teammates, who have been vocal in their criticism of newly appointed Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle.

Chelle was named as the new coach of the Nigerian team by the NFF on the recommendation of the technical committee, he will take over from Austine Eguavoen who held the position in interim capacity in the AFCON qualifiers.

Eguavoen is now expected to return to his role as technical director of the football house, with Chelle now saddled with the responsibility of handling the team in the upcoming world cup qualifiers games in March.

The announcement has drawn criticism from a lot of quarters largely from former players of the team, who were at a time teammates of Ikpeba who was a part of the body that decided in handing the role to the former coach of Mali.

In an interview on a radio program on Brila FM monitored by our editorial team, Ikpeba called for Chelle to be given the necessary support to thrive before taking a swipe at his former colleagues who were silent when one of them Finidi George was going through a hard time while at the helm and coach.

Finidi was openly called out by the team’s top striker Victor Osimhen in an Instagram video, where he was reacting to a report that says the coach questioned his commitment to the team owing to the injury that saw him miss the games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively.

“LET US RALLY AROUND THE MANAGER AND PLAYERS. IF WE WIN THE 2 GAMES IN MARCH, WE ARE BACK IN CONTENTION FOR THE WORLD CUP. THIS IS NOT ABOUT MANAGER. HE IS WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND WE WILL SUPPORT HIM”, he said.

“WHEN FINIDI WAS HEAD COACH, HOW MANY OF THESE EX INTERNATIONALS CAME OUT TO SUPPORT HIM AND SPEAK FOR HIM WHEN THERE WERE ISSUES WITH PLAYERS.”

Are Ademola 

Five times Norwegian champions Molde FK are few details away from completing the signing of the captain of the Nigeria U20 team Daniel Daga on a long term deal, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Daga already agreed terms of the contract with only his medical and official resumption pending until he clocks 18. He arrived in Norway earlier this week for both process.

He had his medicals and per what we exclusively gathered, the midfielder who played for Enyimba in the CAF Confederation Cup scaled through unscathed, and will now be officially presented in the next 48 hours.

He captained the Nigerian U20 team of Ladan Bosso to the quarter final of the U20 World Cup in Argentina, and he is rated as one of the best young midfielders in Africa at the moment not just Nigeria.

Blessed with the ability to dictate play from deep and also control the tempo of games, his move to Norway is seen by many as the first step towards his development into an all round midfielder in the coming years.

Daniel Martins