The reason why Samuel Chukwueze isn’t starting games for Italian Serie A side AC Milan has been made known by coach of the team Paulo Fonseca ahead of this weekend’s game against Lecce, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chukwueze was largely expected to command a starting spot in the team’s lineup after a spectacular showing in pre season games. Many predicted that this will be his season to deliver on the promises that made the team to splash big on his signing from Villarreal two summers ago.

It hasn’t gone as planned with the 25 year old starting just two out of the five games they have played so far this season, and not even getting minute in the UEFA Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

Explaining the fortune of the Nigerian at the club, Fonseca who took over as coach at the end of last season said the Nigerian is battling to gain his confidence back and it has affected his form, but hope he gets going in Friday’s game against Lecce.

Fonseca said; “Chukwueze? He had a very good preseason. In the first matches of the league, he hasn’t performed as well; it’s not a matter of quality but of confidence. He needs to gain confidence in Serie A, where there’s less space and he has to manage the ball differently. He is learning and improving; he came on well against Inter. In matches like tomorrow’s, with little space, he needs to grow.”

The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee for the Federation’s Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen to continue in his role as Head Coach of the Super Eagles, and lead the team in its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Libya next month.

The 58-year-old, in temporary charge of the squad he had led three times previously, steered the three-time African champions to a 3-0 defeat of Benin Republic and scoreless draw with Rwanda in Matchdays 1 and 2 earlier this month.

Eguavoen and the current technical crew that also includes Fidelis Ilechukwu, Daniel Ogunmodede, Olatunji Baruwa and Tomaz Zorec will also take charge of the Super Eagles B team for the qualifying campaign for next year’s African Nations Championship, otherwise known as CHAN.

The former first choice goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria Francis Uzoho insist he isn’t to be solely blamed for the failure of the team to make it to the 2002 world cup in Qatar, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

A Thomas Partey strike sailed through his body for the goal that saw Ghana picked a 1-1 draw to qualify via the away goal rule in the second leg of the play off in Abuja, after a 0-0 draw away in Accra.

Uzoho was targeted by fans of the team after the game, and it wasn’t so much of a surprise when he was axed as first choice at the AFCON with his spot given to Chippa United shot stopper and new captain Stanley Nwabali.

Two years after the incident, Uzoho who was completely omitted from the squad for the last round of international games, which was the AFCON qualifiers 3-0 win over Benin Republic and the 0-0 draw against Rwanda has given his opinion about that sad day in Abuja.

He said “I can’t take that responsibility alone,” Uzoho told Eagles Tracker. “I had a good game in Ghana, but when we came to Abuja, it didn’t go the way we wanted.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t let that ball pass me out of fear, it just happened.”

Speaking further he said the attack, which was led by Victor Osimhen should share a part of the blame as it could have been different if they had scored after he conceded. “Football is teamwork. When my team failed, I kept the score 0-0 in Ghana. When they came to Abuja, it was their turn to bail me out, and they did score a goal.

“If we had scored two goals, it would have been a different story.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Nigeria international Victor Osimhen picked up his third assist for his loan side Galatasaray to help them to a 3-1 win over Greek side PAOK in the UEFA Europa League, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

It’s his third consecutive assist in as many games, but he is yet to open his goal account in three games, with his strike in yesterday’s game counted as an own goal. “Unfortunately, it was counted as an own goal again”, he lamented after the game.

“I feel my first goal is very close. Helping the team and the team winning is more important. My goal will come. I also thank the fans. We need to continue winning in the league and in Europe.”

He went further to say he has approved the music that will be played when he eventually scores for the Turkish side. The song is titled Yarim Yarim and it was played when they thought he had scored his first goal yesterday.

” It was played when it was first thought he scored the first goal against PAOK. The music is something from my days at Lille. My Turkish friend there played it in the gym. I also have a video of me dancing. It will be exciting to have this playing every time I score a goal,” he said.

Players of the senior national team of Nigeria have given their backing to the current interim coach of the team Austine Eguavoen to continue in his role as coach ahead of the AFCON qualifiers games against Libya next month, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Eguavoen will once again be in charge of the team when they play in the AFCON qualifiers in October against Libya in Uyo before the away game in Tripoli three days later.

The technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is holding the role in interim capacity after a breakdown in the discussion to hire German coach Bruno Labbadia last month, after he was announced as the new coach of the team.

Earlier this month Eguavoen started his reign with a 3-0 win over Benin Republic before drawing 0-0 with Rwanda away in Rwanda. It took the team to the top of their group with four points, making the NFF to extend the mandate of the coach to include the next two games.

Speaking to OwnGoalNigeria.com on the decision, four players of the team praised the interim coach saying his man management skills makes up for whatever many think to believe he lacks technically.

They say his style of asking the players their favorite role on the pitch before making his decision on the lineup is working magic, and also the fact that he speaks with players and explains why they are not in the matchday squad or starting lineup.

His style according to them is more accommodating and brings a relaxed atmosphere in the camp, which is way better than what they have experienced from any foreign coach who have handled the team in recent history.

Fast rising Nigerian midfielder Uche Chrisantus of Getafe has criticized the standard of officiating in the Spanish top division terming the referees as very bad , OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Uche who joined the team from third division side Cueta in the summer transfer window has played in all of the team’s games so far this season, alternating from his usual role as a midfielder by playing in attack as well.

In an interview with ESPN, the 21 year old lamented the standard of officiating in the league saying most times when he gets fouled, the referees tend to wave play on telling him to get up. He said he noticed the trend after his first three games in the top division.

“In the first two or three La Liga games I have seen with my own eyes that the referees are very bad. They hit me and the referee simply told me to get up. No, it is a foul and he has to signal it. But if they hit another person, the referee simply blows the whistle and it is very painful. It is very painful. You cannot do anything and you have no power. The referee has the power to do what he wants. No, he has to stop it. It is not good,” Uche said.

Speaking further he also revealed that he suffers racial insults from rival fans who use his colour to taunt him during games, and he gets no protection from the referee when he is targeted.

“They call me a f***ing black man and the referees do nothing,”. His statement we gathered has now landed him in trouble waters both at his club and also with the Spanish federation.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Fast rising Nigerian midfielder Uche Chrisantus of Getafe has criticized the standard of officiating in the Spanish top division terming the referees as very bad , OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Uche who joined the team from third division side Cueta in the summer transfer window has played in all of the team’s games so far this season, alternating from his usual role as a midfielder by playing in attack as well.

In an interview with ESPN, the 21 year old lamented the standard of officiating in the league saying most times when he gets fouled, the referees tend to wave play on telling him to get up. He said he noticed the trend after his first three games in the top division.

“In the first two or three La Liga games I have seen with my own eyes that the referees are very bad. They hit me and the referee simply told me to get up. No, it is a foul and he has to signal it. But if they hit another person, the referee simply blows the whistle and it is very painful. It is very painful. You cannot do anything and you have no power. The referee has the power to do what he wants. No, he has to stop it. It is not good,” Uche said.

Speaking further he also revealed that he suffers racial insults from rival fans who use his colour to taunt him during games, and he gets no protection from the referee when he is targeted.

“They call me a f***ing black man and the referees do nothing,”. His statement we gathered has now landed him in trouble waters both at his club and also with the Spanish federation.

His comment about the standard of officiating is said to have led to plans of serving him a charge for bringing the game to disrepute with his careless statements, while his claims of suffering racial insults will make them summon him to defend his statement, and why it hasn’t been reported by the player or the club.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Arsenal progressed to the next round of the Carabao Cup picking up a 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers to set up a tie against Preston North End in the next round of the tournament, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Coach of Arsenal Mikel Arteta handed debut to two young players from the club’s academy in Jack Porter who started in goal, Josh Nichols who played at right back while the duo of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly started their first game for the club.

They gave a good account of themselves with Nichols who recently turned 18 catching the eyes with his composition on the ball, and also his link up play with Bukayo Saka on the right. Despite his small frame he was hardly bullied by bigger players for the entire duration of the game.

Per what we gathered about him, Nichols is born to a Nigerian mother and a Jamaican father and grew up in England making him eligible for all three countries at senior level.

Speaking to the Arsenal matchday programme in April, Nichols said: “I was born in Newham, and I grew up around Dagenham. When I was around nine or ten, I moved out to Essex and started playing football at the Sunday League level for my local team called Euro Dagenham, and I just loved it.

“My dad was big into football too – he used to play and now coaches, so he has encouraged me a lot.

“My family background is that my mum is Nigerian, and my dad is Jamaican and Guyanese. In school I did a lot of athletics, and sprinting, but I was good at long jump; that was one of my specialties.”