The recently released Super Eagles squad for the upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Rwanda on the 7th and 10th of September respectively has left some players disappointed, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Top among them is Rangers of Scotland hitman Cyriel Dessers, who has six caps for the senior national team of Nigeria with two goals to his name. This season he has so far performed better than all Nigerian strikers but yet missed out on the list for both games.

It was the same scenario that played out under former coach Finidi George, who left out the 29 year old despite the fact that he scored the first goal of his time as coach, which was in the 2-0 friendly win against Ghana. He wasn’t called up for the subsequent games against South Africa and Benin Republic in the world cup qualifiers.

His tally of five goals in six games this season still didn’t earned him a chance and as expected he is disappointed, but won’t throw in the towel yet believing that he can catch the attention of the new coach of the team Bruno Labbadia.

Dessers will now focus on improving at Rangers, where he has turned around a not too impressive start to his time at the club with a whirlwind start to the season, forcing his critics into singing his praises so far this season.

Nigeria international midfielder Frank Onyeka has told English Premier League side Brentford that he wants to leave the club before the close of the summer transfer window,OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Onyeka who was one of the stars of the Super Eagles at the AFCON playing all of their games, as they went all the way to the final before losing 1-2 to the host Cote d’Ivoire is seeking more game time to aid his development.

The 26 year old has interest from a host of team but his intention is to join LaLiga side Valencia and he has communicated his desire to Brentford, hoping for a quick resolution before the close of the summer transfer window.

Valencia are willing to thrash out a loan deal, which Brentford are not opposed to but want it to have a clause of an obligation to buy rather than an option to buy as proposed by the Spanish side.

Fellow LaLiga sides Valladolid and Las Palmas have all registered serious interest in Onyeka – who made late substitute appearances against Crystal Palace and Liverpool this season.

But the three Spanish clubs can only afford to sign him on a season-long loan deal and would also need help to pay a portion of his wages.

Italian club Lecce and Russian giants CSKA Moscow have also made loan bids in the past few months.

The recent appointment of Bruno Labbadia as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria has opened the door for many players who have been out of the system to push for a recall, and for others they will be hoping for a chance, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Labbadia will begin his tenure with the AFCON qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Rwanda on the 7th and 10th of September respectively, but will work with players called up by the technical department of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Austine Eguavoen the head of the technical department of the NFF sent out the invitation and was expected to lead the team in interim capacity, before the decision to announce Labbadia despite the fact that some areas of his engagement is yet to be sorted.

While the duo of Leon Balogun and Kevin Akpoguma will be eyeing a return under the new coach as they continue to excel at their clubs, the coach who should be well aware of the duo owing to their German nationality will likely consider them in his first official list for the October games.

Jordan Torunarigha of Belgium side Gent will be having the same feeling that if he continues to impress, he could catch the attention of the German to add to his present one cap for the Super Eagles.

Werder Bremen duo of Justin Njinmah and Felix Agu who were both on the scoresheet in the opening game of the season, a 2-2 draw against Augsburg will more than ever fancy their chances, after making it clear that they want senior international football action with the Super Eagles ahead of Germany.

Newly signed Besiktas defender Felix Uduokhai has a solid reputation in Germany where he represented Augsburg until his move to Turkey. Labbadia is well aware of his exploits and considering the fact that left footed center backs are rare to find, the 26 year old ex German U23 defender will no doubt be of interest to his fellow German.

Italian Serie A side Udinese have announced the contract termination of Nigerian forward Isaac Success with immediate effect, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Success who still has a year to run on his deal after signing an extension last season joined the team from English championship side Watford in 2021, but injuries and poor form restricted him from performing at the top level.

The 28 year old managed a total of 79 league games in his time at the club scoring just four goals and picked up 14 assists. The decision to let him leave was made public yesterday.

“Udinese Calcio announces that it has reached and signed an agreement for the consensual termination of the contract with the footballer Success Isaac,” reads the statement on the club’s official website.

” Thanks to him for the years spent together and best wishes for the professional future.”

Already the forward who was an U17 World Cup winner with Nigeria and boast of four senior caps has been receiving offers from teams in the Gulf region, and other European countries according to his representative.

He is expected to make his next career move public in the next ten days.

Captain William Ekong, wing-back Olaoluwa Aina and forwards Victor Osimhen and Taiwo Awoniyi are back in the Super Eagles’ nest, for next month’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda.

This year’s AFCON’s Man-of-the-Competition, Ekong, was discountenanced for the Matchdays 3 and 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying race in June as he was recovering from injury, while Aina, Awoniyi and reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen were out injured altogether.

There are three goalkeepers, including AFCON 2023 star, Stanley Nwabali, seven defenders, six midfielders and seven forwards.

Bendel Insurance safe hands Amas Obasogie also returns, just as South Africa-based defender Olisa Ndah, and Taiwo Awoniyi, who has not been called since the 1-1 draw with Lesotho in Uyo on Matchday 1 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in November last year.

Meanwhile Bayer Leverkusen winger Nathan Tella was conspicuously missing from the list despite having a solid season last term out, and having a strong start to this season as well.

The Super Eagles go up against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Saturday, 7th September, before flying to Kigali to take on the Amavubi at the Amahoro Stadium on Tuesday, 10th September.

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Bendel Insurance FC)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates, South Africa); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC. Italy); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England)

The decision of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to appoint 58 year old German coach Bruno Labbadia as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria came as a surprise to a lot of people, who have closely followed the process of getting a replacement for erstwhile coach Finidi George, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Shortly after the decision to let go of Finidi following a poor showing in the world cup qualifiers, the NFF handed the task to the technical committee to entertain applications for the job ahead of the start of the qualifiers for the AFCON.

Three names were shortlisted for the job in Steve McClaren, Eric Chelle and Tom Saintfeit with Herve Renard standing alone as the preferred choice and the aforementioned trio as fall back plan.

Renard rejected the offer made by the NFF and not even a lucrative offer close to his financial demands swayed him into accepting the offer. The two time AFCON winner was obviously not interested in the role despite his representative telling the NFF something else.

Chelle was picked as the next option but he was immediately rejected by the powers in the NFF despite meeting with Gusau in France. A long time admirer of Saintfeit Gusau set the wheel in motion for the Belgian to be the next coach.

Discussions were held with the former coach of Gambia but his choice just like that of Chelle was rejected by forces beyond Gusau, which includes the minister for sports senator John Enoh this time around.

Not to be seen as being incompetent, Gusau immediately sent a contract proposal to former coach of Sweden Janne Andersson and stamped him the choice for the job. However the man who handled Sweden for seven years toyed with the NFF by constantly altering the planned date for his resumption.

He initially picked resuming after the games in September, but later switched to after the games in November without giving the NFF any strong reasons although they had a disagreement over some terms of the deal which led to his decision to walk away from talks.

At this stage, when all was set for Austine Eguavoen the technical director of the NFF to prosecute the games against Benin Republic and Rwanda respectively in the AFCON qualifiers, the minister and Gusau played a fast one on the board members of the football house.

Using a four man shortlist of Bruno Labbadia, Aitor Karanka, Fabio Cannavaro and Gustavo Poyet. Labbadia got the nod on the strength that he has coached teams in difficult situations to safety in Germany, so much that it earned him the nickname “The Firefighter”.

His choice was unpopular when it was revealed to the board members, and the back and forth dragged late into the night before the decision to announce him as the new coach of the Super Eagles, despite the fact that few grey areas are still untouched.

It is believed that the coach wants a running two years deal, which will be an initial one year with the option of another year while the NFF wants an initial ten months deal that terminates after the next AFCON where his position will be open to change.

Also there is still no agreement on where he will live and the composition of his backroom staff. Even a formal signing of contract hasn’t been done yet as only a deal was agreed in principle with Labbadia, who was first contacted four days ago. On Thursday the 22nd of August precisely.

Like veteran sports journalist Mitchell Obi said on a Whatsapp group only time will tell if the choice is the best and the heavily talked about expatriate coach as replacement for Finidi George, as said by the NFF in the communique announcing the exit for Finidi as coach.

“Like Lagbaja, your face was fully clothed to obstruct your view of this new coach. Very unlike you, no hint came from your end. Truly a thief in the night.. and you know what happens to such thieves…they go as they come..just two games like Finidi, we would judge if the wait was worth it. For now all those who promised us a world class foreign coach should throw away their loin cloth and dance for free in the market. Shame is their name”, Mitchell the master like he is called wrote in reaction to how Mowiz missed the appointment of the new coach.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The newly appointed coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Bruno Labbadia has demanded answered on the inclusion of certain names in the Super Eagles provisional list for the AFCON qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Labbadia was confirmed as the new coach of the Super Eagles in the early hours of this morning by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) , who have given him the task of handling the team in their AFCON qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Rwanda on the 7th and 10th of September respectively.

Prior to his appointment provisional invitation was sent to 35 players from which a final 23 man squad for the game will be arrived at. The task was handed to the technical director of the NFF Austine Eguavoen, who was billed to take charge of the game in interim capacity.

The entire arrangement changed following the appointment of Labbadia, who has now received the list from the NFF and has reservations about certain names included in the squad for both games.

It is highly unlikely that he will maintain the 23 man list already prepared by Eguavoen. He wants to make some little adjustments by adding three players who were not in the final 23 man list at the expense of three players who made it.

Alternatively he has also demanded for a 30 man list rather than the earlier 23 man list, so as to be able to accommodate the players he wants to add to the squad .

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The newly appointed coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Bruno Labbadia is not new to working with the top striker of the Nigerian team Victor Osimhen, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

58 year old Labbadia was in the early hours of today announced as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria replacing Finidi George, whom left his role two months ago after a disappointing performance in the world cup qualifiers.

Labbadia who is expected to take charge of the games against Benin Republic and Rwanda respectively in the AFCON qualifiers next month was the head coach of Osimhen in 2018, when the Nigerian was still finding his way in Europe at German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

It appears the coach will bring out a playing style that will help harness the talents available to the team in attack, which has been problematic to past coaches as they struggle to pick the best pair for the team in attack to play alongside Osimhen.

More often than not the reigning Africa Footballer of the year has been deployed as a lone striker, but judging by Labbadia’s statement four years ago he could be set for another role in his team under a new formation.

In 2020 while speaking on his time with the now established Osimhen shortly before his resumption at Italian Serie A side Napoli following his transfer from Lille, Labbadia explained his time with Osimhen and although he sees him as a classic number 9, in the three games he played under him he was a winger in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

“When he has the ball on his feet, he is formidable and in one on one he is very strong,” Labbadia was quoted saying in Il Mattino as reported by TuttoMercato, “and then he is very good in running without the ball to be found free by his companions.

“He knows how to descend in every reality, he always gives 200 percent,” the German coach added. “He makes a great central striker because he is the classic number 9.

“Not only that, he played outside for me in 4-2-3-1. He was young and he’s fast, but it is in front of goal that he can make the difference because he has a great flair for the goal.”

The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has reached an agreement with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said in the early hours of Tuesday: “The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to appoint Mr. Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. The appointment is with immediate effect.”

Born in Darmstadt, Germany on 8th February 1966, Labbadia, who won two caps for Die Mannschaft in his playing career that took him through clubs such as home-town team Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Armenia Bielefeld and Karlsruher SC, triumphed in the German Bundesliga with Bayern Munich as a player in 1994. He coached famous names Hertha Berlin and VfB Stuttgart this decade, and previously, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen, among others, and holds a UEFA Pro License.

He is only the sixth German, after Karl-Heinz Marotzke (who had two stints between 1970 and 1974), Gottlieb Göller (1981), Manfred Höner (1988-1989), Berti Vogts (2007-2008) and Gernot Rohr (2016-2021) to lead the Super Eagles. Höner led the Eagles to runner-up position at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified and led Nigeria to the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Labbadi’s immediate challenge is to take charge of the three-time African champions for two 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Saturday 7th Septemberin Uyo) and Rwanda (Tuesday, 10th Septemberin Kigali), with four other matches to conclude the qualifying race following in the months of October and November.