The top striker of the senior national team of Nigeria at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations Victor Osimhen is in danger of missing the semi final game of the tournament due to an abdominal discomfort according to the official media handle of the team.

Osimhen who has started in all of the Super Eagles five games at the tournament didn’t make the trip to Bouake, the venue of the semi final game against South Africa. He will however be monitored till tomorrow morning before a decision will be taken on his inclusion in the game.

The Napoli forward who has one goal and one assists is a huge doubt for the game on Wednesday, a situation which will no doubt leave the technical crew with a lot of thinking to do regarding his replacement ahead of the game.

“We will fly from Abidjan to Bouaké today via a 10pm Air Cote D’Ivoire flight. Victor Osimhen will not join us on this trip as a result of an abdominal discomfort. Team medics confirmed that he has been placed under close watch with a member of the medical team staying behind in Abidjan with him. If cleared by tomorrow morning, he will join the rest of the squad before 5pm“, a statement from the Super Eagles media team reads.

If he ends up missing the game, one of the duo of Paul Onuachu or Terem Moffi will take his place in the starting lineup. For now the situation favors Onuachu more as he has twice replaced the Napoli man, while Moffi is yet to get a minute at the tournament.

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has revealed how he went about the substitutions he made in the 1-0 quarter final win over Angola at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria defeated Angola to book a spot in the final four of the tournament, where they will take on South Africa on Wednesday. Ahead of the game the coach made a revelation about the substitutions he made against Angola.

He substituted Alex Iwobi for Alhassan Yusuf and later brought out Frank Onyeka with Joe Aribo taking his place with around three minutes left to play in the game. He explained that he was advised to take off the Brentford midfielder by captain of the team William Troost-Ekong. He said during the half time break he confirmed from both players who among them is tired so he can be subbed off.

Speaking to reporters at the post-match press conference, Peseiro said: “Before the break I called Iwobi and Onyeka, asked them who is more tired so I can bring in one substitute. No one said I’m tired.

“After five minutes Ekong came to tell me Onyeka cannot continue. Ekong informed me you must change Onyeka.

“From my bench, it’s better I keep Iwobi, put Yusuf, and Onyeka goes out but I know all the players want to complete the game.

“I was angry in that moment. Two times Ekong said Onyeka is tired due to the pain in the shoulder. But I asked him five minutes before, not 10, 15 or 20 minutes, said he was okay, it’s happening in football.

“The captain on the pitch can inform me about some situations – some players tired, some players feeling some pain.”

Ade Emmanuel

Ahead of the Super Eagles Africa Cup of Nations semi final game against South Africa on Wednesday, the discussion has been about the two goalkeepers of the team who are both plying their trade in the Premier South Africa League, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

32 year old Ronwen Williams of Mamelodi Sundowns has been massive for the Bafana Bafana making four penalties save in the 2-1 win over Cape Verde during the shootout. He has four clean sheets in the tournament, the same number as Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

27 year old Nwabali has risen to the role of first choice goalkeeper of the Nigerian team at the tournament displacing former number one goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.

In the PSL where they both ply their trade, Williams boast of nine clean sheets ahead of Nwabali who has seven this season, but according to Rob Edwards who covers the South Africa League, while both can pass as the best two in the league Williams is slightly ahead due to the quality of the team he plays for.

” Nwabali is easily the second best goalkeeper in the PSL (Premier South Africa League). I will pick Ronwen Williams of Mamelodi Sundowns over him but when you consider the team they play for then you will have to respect Nwabali”, Edwards told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” Take a look at his (Nwabali) numbers and you will see how identical it is to that of Williams so far, even though one plays for a modest team while the other plays for a team that is about the best in the league”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Austine Eguavoen has warned about the danger of letting the head coach of the Super Eagles Jose Peseiro leaves if he wins the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

Peseiro will lead the Super Eagles against South Africa on Wednesday in the semi final and it will mean he has met the target set for him to be given a fresh two year deal as coach of the team.

However, sources in Egypt says he has already agreed a deal to take charge of top division side Zamalek at the end of the tournament. Peseiro also confirmed he hasn’t decided on extending his stay with the Super Eagles.

Eguavoen said whatever that is the decision of the NFF he will respect it, but warned that it could have an adverse effect on the team if he wins the AFCON, and leave for another team.

“If that is the decision of the federation, then I stand by it,” the 1994 AFCON winner added.

“One thing that I advise now is that whether Peseiro leaves now or later, let’s say positive things about him. If he keeps hearing negative things about himself he gets demoralised.

“Even if we are going to part ways, let’s do so amicably. There is always tomorrow. If he wins AFCON for us, then we say he should go; he will go to a bigger country.

“Let’s be careful of what we say. Let’s speak positively about the boys and the coaches.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Napoli forward Victor Osimhen was expected to carry the burden of scoring goals for the senior national team of Nigeria at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast  after his exploits with Napoli last season, which landed them the Serie A title.

That hasn’t been the case so far with the Super Eagles through to the semi final and Osimhen who has started in all of their games at the tournament has a goal and an assist to his name so far. Ademola Lookman is currently the team’s top scorer with three goals.

Osimhen is expected to once again lead the line for Nigeria against South Africa on Wednesday hoping to get his act today and kick start a possible run in front of goal with just two games left for them to be champions.

Many who have followed the team say he hasn’t been getting proper service from the players around him but AFCON 2013 winner Efe Ambrose says that isn’t the case from what he has seen so far and gave his opinion.

” Osimhen is not yet at that level to carry a team like the Super Eagles. People really don’t remember that this is his first real international tournament at senior level. It’s totally different from playing with your club, that is why we most times have players who are unplayable at their clubs but shadow of themselves in the national colours”, Ambrose told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” I know he will come good and make a decisive point but for now it is not a problem of not giving him good balls. It is about the pressure on his lean shoulders at international level. He isn’t dealing with it properly but that comes with time. It is not too different from what Ahmed Musa experienced at the 2013 AFCON before exploding at the world cup”, he concluded.

Ade Emmanuel

South Africa have been handed a huge warning ahead of their AFCON semi final game against the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria will take on the Bafana Bafana for a spot in the final of the tournament on Wednesday after both teams progressed from the quarter final, with Nigeria seeing off Angola 1-0 while South Africa went through 2-1 on penalty kicks after extra time against Cape Verde.

Ahead of the game Angolan defender Kialonda Gaspar says their defeat to Nigeria was largely due to the fact that they didn’t adequately deal with the Super Eagles pace in transition, which was led by Nantes winger Moses Simon.

Simon claimed the assist for the lone goal of the game scored by Ademola Lookman, which decided the game in favour of the Jose Peseiro led team. Gaspar said the transition from defence to attack of the Super Eagles led by Simon made it difficult for them.

” We didn’t plan for the transition that we saw against Nigeria. Our idea worked well but they were quick in transition and also solid in defending as a team. Simon was leading their transition and tracking back and we couldn’t handle him”, he said.

Osas Mahawi

A top source at Egyptian side Zamalek said the head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro will leave the team at the end of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

Peseiro’s deal with the Nigerian team will run out after the tournament , although there is a option of a further two year deal after he took the team to the semi final of the AFCON hence meeting the target for an extension.

However, the extension is down to him accepting it and he confirmed last week that he isn’t keen on extending his stay with the Super Eagles, but it is believed that he will come clear with his decision at the end of the tournament.

From the look of things, it appears a deal has been struck already with the Portuguese to take over at Zamalek with a source saying a welcome video is being prepared by the club with materials from a Nigerian photographer, who is at the AFCON.

” They paid a photographer in Nigeria good money to get them his pictures and videos for the unveiling immediately after the tournament. An agreement is on ground already and it is why Zamalek still haven’t appointed a manager in permanent capacity”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” At Zamalek he will earn more than what he is earning now with the Super Eagles. Unless he has a change of mind, it’s common knowledge in Egypt that he is the next coach of Zamalek. They are waiting for him”, he concluded.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The fine form of Ademola Lookman for the Super Eagles of Nigeria has been the major talking point of the team as they head into the semi final game against South Africa on Wednesday, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Lookman has three goals all in the knock out round with his brace against Cameroon helping the team win 2-0 and his lone strike good enough to send Angola packing from the tournament taking place in Ivory Coast.

However that wouldn’t have been possible if the head coach of England Gareth Southgate had his way few years ago, when Nigeria first made the move to have the then Everton forward switched nationality to Nigeria.

Full name Ademola Lookman Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman, he was born on 20 October 1997 in Wandsworth, Greater London to Nigerian parents making him eligible for both countries. He started off with England at youth level.

He played 31 games for England from U19 to U21 and was a part of the team that won the U20 World Cup in 2016. Five years later he completed a switch of nationality to Nigeria where he now has 17 caps with five goals and four assists.

The discussion to have him switch to Nigeria started in 2018 and coach of England Gareth Southgate admitted that he is doing everything within his reach to stop him from playing for the Super Eagles.

Southgate said: “I know every country is quite aggressive in their recruiting and I know they have always had an interest in him, but he is playing and has been in our squads, the 20s, 21s.

“So in terms of encouragement through game time, we are doing as much as we possibly can”, the coach said after Lookman’s impressive loan spell at RB Leipzig in 2018.

All of that his history now as he has now become an integral part of the senior national team of Nigeria and hoping to win the AFCON for the team for the first time since ten years ago.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman