As many as 15 new players have been handed a spot in the squad of the senior national team of Nigeria for the upcoming Unity Cup tournament in London, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Nigeria will be defending the tournament they won last year next month with a game against Zimbabwe in the semi final, before facing one of either India or Jamaica in the tournament’s other game.

Head coach Eric Chelle has already said he will use the tournament to try out new players in less glamorous but competitive European leagues, and also players from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

Chelle will arrive in Nigeria this week, and watch a couple of games in the league before settling on the players who will be in the team. Sources say as many as 15 new players will be in the team for the tournament.

” At least 15 new players will be in the team. That I can tell you and around five or six will be from the NPFL. Provisional invitation has been sent out ahead of the trimming before it will be made public two weeks before the tournament”, he stated.

The two most celebrated players in the senior national team of Nigeria is arguably the duo of Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

They were instrumental in helping the team at the last AFCON with Osimhen scoring four goals with two assists. Lookman weigh in with four goals ans four assists as the team finished third at the tournament in Morocco.

During the course of the tournament, they had a heated arguement on the pitch during the 4-0 win over Mozambique in the round of 16 at the tournament.

Lookman shrugged it off as nothing serious saying it’s just football, but Osimhen hasn’t said a thing about the incident in which he was the aggressor and even asked to be substituted after the incident.

” We have to thank the senior players in the team for not making that incident to blow open. It was scary for many of us the new players but two senior players spoke with Osimhen and he apologised before our next training session”, a player in the team revealed.

We sought to know if it subsequently affected their relationship, and he said they didn’t have any before so it affected nothing. ” They are not friends and everyone in the team know about it but it’s not like they are not cool with each other. That kind of close relationship is what they don’t have although Lookman can be said to be close to anyone”, he concluded.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

19 year old Genoa forward Jeff Ekhator has opened up on the possibility of playing for the senior national team of Nigeria, despite his eligibility to play for England.

Ekhator is in his first full season as a professional and has found the back of the net three times this season in the Serie A, and as expected talks over his international future has popped up.

“Both my parents are Nigerian,” Ekhator said as per Pedulla. “They speak to me in both Italian and Nigerian. I’d like to go, maybe this summer. They told me something about when they came here to work.

“We’re all happy together. When I’m with my friends, I feel more Nigerian, but otherwise, I feel more Italian. I didn’t expect this quick progression because there are other players who deserve it. I’m confident in my abilities and that I’ve made another step from the Under-19s to the Under-21s.”

His declaration means he is open to the idea of playing for Nigeria, but he isn’t the only Italian born player to have made himself available for Super Eagles selection.

OwnGoalNigeria.com picks four others who have also made similar comments on playing for Nigeria.

Alessio Marcandalli – He is Ekhator’s teammate at Genoa and despite representing England at U21 level he said he is open to the idea of playing for Nigeria, if called up by head coach Eric Chelle.

Caleb Okoli – Linked with a move from relegated Leicester City to Juventus in the summer, the 24 year old famously turned down Nigeria two year ago, while at Atalanta and got his maiden invitation to the Italian team two months after. He didn’t make his debut and recent reports suggest that he is now open to the idea of playing for Nigeria.

Nosa Obarentin – On loan to Empoli from Serie A defending champions Napoli, the 23 year old says his dream is to play for the senior national team of Nigeria. Clearly turning his back on Italy despite his eligibility.

Luca Koleosho – An U21 international for Italy, but still eligible for Nigeria. According to his teammate at Paris FC Moses Simon he will likely accept an invitation to play for Nigeria.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

There are concerns over the availability of Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi for the senior national team of Nigeria for the upcoming high profile friendly games against Poland and Portugal respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Iwobi has been ruled out of the season after picking up a hamstring injury, and it has put his availability for the Super Eagles games in May in doubt.

Head coach of the Nigerian team Eric Chelle is aware of the situation and has a replacement lined up already in Derby County midfielder David Ozoh, who is waiting on an authorisation letter from the English FA to FIFA clearing the way to play for Nigeria.

If all goes according to plan, he will be in the squad for the Unity Cup, where his performance will be assessed for inclusion in the high profile friendly games against Poland and Portugal respectively in May.

Ozoh has been a revelation for Derby County where he is on loan from English Premier League side Crystal Palace, making a total of 32 appearances with two goals.

” The Derby County midfielder (Ozoh) need clearance from the English FA to play at the Unity Cup. Once that is done he will be in the team and a good performance will see him take Iwobi’s place for the games in May, if he fails to make it”, a source close to the coach revealed.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Despite viral reports in the Danish and Nigerian media on Newcastle United forward Willian Osula switching his international future from Denmark to Nigeria there is still no talks with head coach Eric Chelle, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Osula according to the Danish media has been approached by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to pledge his international future to Nigeria, and talks were said to be underway among all parties involved.

The 22 year old is an established youth international with Denmark, but he is yet to play for their senior team keeping him eligible for a switch to Nigeria.

However such reports of holding talks with Nigeria are wide off the mark , as the striker who has four goals in 20 games in the English Premier League has had zero contact with Chelle.

” No contact with Chelle or with the NFF. I don’t know where the report came from but it’s not true. No doubt he will be a good addition to the team but for now there has been no talks or contact with him”, a chieftain of the NFF revealed.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has started sending out letter of provisional invitation to players who will prosecute the upcoming Unity Cup friendly tournament in England next month, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The coach said he will use the tournament where they are defending champions to try out fringe players, and also players who are doing well in lesser known but competitive leagues in Europe as well as players from the Nigeria Premier Football League.

Chelle’s idea is to see how certain players will perform in the absence of his regulars, who are expected to be a part of the team for the friendly games in June against Poland and Portugal respectively.

One player who hasn’t had the best of time since the appointment of the Malian is Valencia striker Sadiq Umar. He hasn’t played a game under the coach.

Ahead of the Unity Cup, he has reached his best run of form the past one year with back to back goals in the LaLiga , rescuing a point against Mallorca before scoring the second goal in the 2-1 win over Girona over the weekend.

A run that should ultimately guarantee a spot in the team for the Unity Cup, but the 29 year old isn’t thinking in that direction. ” An invitation to the Super Eagles is not what’s on my mind at the moment. It’s always a big honour when I play for Nigeria and I have done that a couple of times already to the glory of God”, Sadiq told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” If the invitation comes to God be the glory. But it’s not something I am losing sleep over. My focus is on helping Valencia finish high up the table at the end of the season”, he stated.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The excitement that greeted the decision of Wrexham’s goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to switch to the senior national team of Nigeria has quickly evaporated as he is no longer the first choice goalkeeper of the English Championship side.

Okonkwo who represented England at youth level got the all clear from FIFA to switch to Nigeria, and is expected to be part of the squad for the Unity Cup and the friendly games against Poland and Portugal respectively.

However at his club where he was the undisputed first choice prior to that decision, all is not well as he has lost his position to former Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward.

There were doubts about Okonkwo helping the team to their aims this season, but he proved everyone wrong until two weeks ago when the team started to experience a poor run, that cost them their position on the table.

Those concerns resurfaced earlier this month in a 2–0 defeat to Birmingham City, when he struggled for both goals. Although he still produced several important saves, he fell short in the decisive moments.

The loss left Wrexham seventh, four points outside the top six with four games remaining. Two matches later, with Ward reinstated, they are back in sixth place and occupy the final playoff spot.

The decision to recall Ward came quickly. During training last week, Parkinson asked if he felt ready after more than seven months out. “Well, you’re not going to turn that down, are you?” Ward said after the win over Stoke.

“Wardy was very unlucky at the start of the season when he got an injury,” Parkinson told Sports Illustrated in his post-match media duties. “That took a long time to get right. Arthur came in and produced so many moments to win us points, but I felt the time was right to take him out of the team. He has played a lot of minutes in a new division, and Wardy deserved the opportunity. He gave us a really experienced performance when we needed it.”

The 24 year old has enjoyed another excellent season, but Parkinson has ultimately turned to experience in the run-in. The same logic has applied elsewhere, with 31-year-old Dan Scarr replacing 23-year-old Max Cleworth in defense. The priority is clear: secure a playoff place by any means necessary.

With 10 clean sheets in 39 Championship appearances, Okonkwo has shown he can perform at this level. His long-term future, however, may hinge on what happens next. If Wrexham fall short of promotion, he remains a strong option for next season. If they go up, it is difficult to see him playing regularly in the Premier League.

For now, his future is uncertain. Both Okonkwo and Ward are entering the final year of their contracts, and no extension talks are currently underway. That makes this summer the last realistic opportunity for Wrexham to command a transfer fee. Signed on a free after leaving Arsenal, any sale would represent pure profit.

Having recently committed his international future to Nigeria, Okonkwo’s priority is simple: regular football. This season has shown that patience can bring opportunity—but it has also underlined how quickly circumstances can change.

Ade Emmanuel

AIK teen sensation Zadok Yohanna has officially received the letter of his invitation to the senior national team of Nigeria for the upcoming friendly tournament in England tagged Unity Cup.

Like we exclusively reported two weeks ago , the 18 year old who has become an instant sensation in Sweden since his debut was among the new players called up by Chelle for the tournament.

A top source at his club confirmed that the 18 year old officially got his letter of invitation for the tournament four days ago from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has been largely impressed with his performance, and sees the tournament as the perfect way to give him his first taste of international football.

Yohanna will be hoping he gets game time when they start their campaign at the tournament against Zimbabwe, before facing the winner or the loser of the other game between India and Jamaica in their final game.

Super Eagles go into the tournament as defending champions after winning the previous edition of the tournament last year.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach of English Championship side Blackburn Rovers Michael O’Neill says playing for the senior national team of Nigeria has made Ryan Alebiosu a better player, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Alebiosu was a member of the senior national team of Nigeria and played the entirety of their third group game against Uganda, a game which they won to seal a perfect record in the group stage of the tournament.

An injury picked up in the game made him to miss the remainder of the tournament, where Nigeria finished as third. Despite his limited game time he is now a better player according to O’Neill.

” You can see he has improved a lot from when he came and now it a taste of playing in an international tournament he is now much better by way of experience and leadership”, the coach said after the 24 year old picked his fifth assist of the season in their 3-1 away win over Sheffield United.

He has been linked with a summer move to Italian Serie A side Genoa, Scottish giants Rangers and a host of others.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach of Portugal Roberto Martinez has defended the logic behind their decision to play the senior national team of Nigeria in a friendly game before the world cup, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria who won’t be at the world cup will travel to Lisbon for the high profile friendly game which will take place on the 10th of June. It’s among the tune up games that Portugal want to use as part of their preparation for the world cup.

Criticism trail the decision of Nigeria with many in the Portuguese media saying it’s of no use engaging a team that won’t be at the world cup, that it will be better if they faced a team that qualified for the tournament.

Defending the decision Martinez argued that the choice of Nigeria is logical, because they will open their campaign at the tournament against DR Congo, an African country whom ironically stopped Nigeria from making it to the intercontinental playoff.

The idea of the Super Eagles is to give the player a feel of what to expect when they come up against an African country, and Nigeria one of the power houses in African football is just perfect despite not qualifying for the tournament.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman