The decision not to hand game time to the duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast is the sole decision of head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Iheanacho is yet to be given a minute of action despite making full recovery and impressing in training since missing the he first game. It is the same for Moffi who was called up as a replacement for Victor Boniface.

In all of the four Super Eagles games at the tournament, Moffi has only made the match day squad twice while Iheanacho has been present for three straight squad as an unused substitute.

Reacting to the development, a member of the backroom staff said it is down to the manager who is using his new found authority to clamp down on acts of indiscipline to keep every player in check.

” They had issues with him (Peseiro) prior to the tournament and it is why Moffi was on standby earlier on. For Iheanacho it is the same situation of indiscipline not at the AFCON but in games before the tournament”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Speaking furthest he said tactical reasons and game moments has also played a role in the decision not to play the duo so far at the tournament, with the decision to revert to a 3-4-3 formation giving an edge to players who can cover grounds and put in a shift defensively for the team.

” Iheanacho has played mainly on the right in recent games for the team and for now the formation requires who can track back and that isn’t his strength. We also don’t play with a two man attack meaning his role behind the striker isn’t available. Moffi is very similar to Victor Osimhen. Paul Onuachu is ahead of him because he brings something entirely different”, he concluded.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The first choice goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations Stanley Nwabali has confirmed that he won’t be in goal when the team take on Angola in the quarter final of the tournament, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nwabali who has kept goal in all of the Super Eagles games at the tournament was subbed off after a nasty collision in the game against Cameroon in the round of 16. He was subjected to a scan to check the severity of the knock.

As we exclusively reported, the Chippa United safe hands will miss the game against Angola and possibly the rest of the tournament. A sad development which he confirmed with a heartbreak emoji on his WhatsApp status.

Sources close to the 27 year old revealed that he is currently feeling depressed due to the sad result from the scan, and his teammates have been rallying around him to cheer him up and lift his mood.

In his absence, Uzoho who replaced him in the game against Cameroon will be in goal. It will be his first start since a series of costly errors cost him his spot as first choice in the build up to the start of the tournament.

Uzoho is said to have the backing of his teammates and coaches ahead of the game against Angola. So far he has been impressive in training and the hope is that he will replicate that same form on Friday against Angola.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The coach of the senior national team of Angola Pedro Gonçalves has given his opinion about the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of their quarter final clash at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, OwngoalNigeria.com reports.

Angola are having their best ever performance in the history of the tournament with seven points from their group games and also progressing to the quarter final for the first time in their history.

Coach of the team Gonçalves who has been largely credited for his role in turning the fortune of the team around has his sight on one major upset, which will be a win against the Super Eagles of Nigeria who have so far shown that they can go all the way to lifting the trophy.

“Nigeria is a colossus of African football, although it had some difficulties before the African championship. But, what is certain is that Nigeria is an African colossus full of talented players, many of them playing in the Premier League or reference leagues in Europe, such as the Italian League and the Portuguese League, including”, he said in quotes from Portugal monitored by OwnGoalNigeria. com.

He went further to explain the reason behind the Super Eagles show of strength so far at the tournament starting with the attack led by Napoli’s forward Victor Osimhen alongside Ademola Lookman of fellow Serie A outfit Atalanta.

Gonçalves confessed that he voted for Osimhen in the FIFA beat award because he sees him as one of the best in the world at the moment. He also praised the defence of Nigeria while giving his take on the strength of the Super Eagles.

“I myself, in the FIFA votes, also voted for him (Osimhen ) as one of the best players in the world, so we will play against a selection equipped with players with a lot of talent, who have tremendous, mind-blowing playing capacity, a lot of speed, especially derived from of the two forwards, Osimhen and Lookman, who, in fact, add great versatility to the game. On the other hand, he ( Jose Peseiro ) has played with three very robust central defenders who are extremely adapted,” he admitted.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The newly crowned first choice goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria Stanley Nwabali has been ruled out of the team’s quarter final game against Angola with a suspected back injury, OwnGoalNigeria.comcan exclusively reveal.

Nwabali who has risen to the role of first choice of the Nigerian team was substituted during the course of their 2-0 win over Cameroon after a nasty collision with a Cameroonian forward with around 20 minutes left to play in the game.

Yesterday he had a separate session from the rest of the team while awaiting the results of the scan he under went earlier. The result showed he won’t be available for the game on Friday unless something else happens after further tests today.

There are also fears and concerns that he could be out for the rest of the tournament when more tests are conducted later today. The situation has left the technical crew led by Jose Peseiro with no choice but to revert to former number one Francis Uzoho.

Uzoho came on as a substitute for Nwabali and he is likely to get his first start on Friday against Angola. Guilty of making costly errors in the months leading to the tournament, the Omonia Nicosia shot stopper has the backing of the coaches to come good.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Cameroon international striker Karl Toko Ekambi says the senior national team of Nigeria are his favourite to win the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations judging by how they sent his team packing from the tournament, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

A brace from Ademola Lookman sent the Cameroonians out of the tournament and booked a spot for Nigeria in the quarter final, where they will take on Angola for a spot in the semi final.

Toko Ekambi started for Cameroon in the 0-2 loss to Nigeria in the round of 16 of the tournament, where they didn’t even have a shot on target for the entire duration of the game. Something that has made him to tip the Super Eagles for the title.

“There was a team (Nigeria ) opposite that was solid. We made a mistake that cost us dearly because I think we were well in the match. We had the ball, we did good things, we managed to come out well. We weren’t dangerous but we had control. We made a mistake which cost us this first goal and in a knockout match, at 1-0, we know it’s complicated …We are disappointed, we will move on”, he told beIN sports after defeat to Nigeria.

” A very organized team like Nigeria are usually very hard to beat and many other teams will soon realize. We weren’t that bad but when you see the team that has the stuff of Nigeria then they can be champions of the tournament”, he concluded.

Osas Mahawi

The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro says Victor Osimhen carries a huge threat even when he doesn’t get among the goals, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Osimhen has scored one goal so far in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria through to the quarter final, where they will take on Angola on Friday for a spot in the semi final.

A lot has been made of Osimhen not finding the back of the net in the same manner he did for Napoli last season, where he scored 26 goals to power them to their first league title in 33 years.

However his all action style has seen him won a penalty for Nigeria and also an assist in the 2-0 win over Cameroon. Peseiro says even without the goals he carries a threat which scares opposition defenders when they are up against him.

“He didn’t score but he had a fantastic game,” Peseiro said while speaking on Ademola Lookman getting the brace that helped Nigeria to breeze past Cameroon.

“It is not easy to stop that guy.” Osimhen’s influence was evident in the first goal, where his tireless work created the opportunity for Lookman to finish.

“Ask the opposition defenders how much they suffered. The first goal, he created the goal. He is fantastic for our team,” says Peseiro. “Nobody can win a match alone, everybody has to play, but he is a good example.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

A member of the senior national team of Nigeria says Victor Osimhen didn’t play as the top striker for the Super Eagles in the 2-0 win over Cameroon in the round of 16 game at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Despite not getting among the goals, Osimhen was simply unplayable in the win and set up the assist for the first goal scorer by Ademola Lookman, who grabbed a brace in the game.

Osimhen chased every ball down and was the first line of press for the team. His all round display earned him lot of praises especially how he tracked back to help out in defensive actions when Nigeria had to in their half.

Explaining a player in the team said, their game plan was executed perfectly by Osimhen who was told by head coach Jose Peseiro to play away from the box and drag defenders out of position for Lookman to play in the box.

He said Moses Simon the third player in the attack on paper was saddled with the job of covering up in the midfield for Alex Iwobi, who was also given the freedom to roam into the box when we went to oherload the box.

” When you are on the bench you see it clearly. I was on the bench and the execution of the role assigned to Simon, Lookman and Osimhen left me stunned. Osimhen wasn’t in the box like other games. His job was to pull the defenders away. The striker role was left for Lookman”, he said in an exclusive chat.

” Simon is meant to defend in the middle for Iwobi when he goes into the box to stop a counter. Many didn’t know that Osimhen wasn’t a number 9 in that game per say, it was Lookman”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

A lot has been made over the non involvement of Kelechi Iheanacho in the games for the senior national team of Nigeria at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

So far Iheanacho who has been passed fit by the medical team is yet to play a minute for the Super Eagles at the tournament, where they are through to the quarter final after a 2-0 win over Cameroon in the round of 16 on Sunday.

Iheanacho was once again an unused substitute in the game and he was also not seen in any of the video of the team celebrating their win after the game. A situation that has got many talking about his actions with many saying he should be happy for the team, despite his non involvement so far.

However contrary to public speculations, the Leicester City forward was absent because he was with the CAF doping team after his name popped up in the drawing of ballots for who will be tested for a potential drug use.

He was with the medical team of CAF to drop his samples for the test, while the rest of his teammates were celebrating in the dressing room. It is why he wasn’t seen in any of the video of their celebration that has made it to the public space.

Speaking after the win over Cameroon game, Peseiro explained why Iheanacho wasnt involved in the game but hinted that he could potentially be involved in the quarter final game against Angola.

“I explained yesterday (Friday). I know the value, quality, and capacity of Kelechi,” Peseiro started.

“I don’t like to speak about individual situations because other players didn’t play also.”

Highlighting the circumstances surrounding Iheanacho’s situation, Peseiro stressed that, “Kelechi arrived here without one collective practice. Thanks to Leicester [City] for his recovery, we brought him here but without collective training.”

“If we needed to score today (Saturday), it is possible he would have entered but they didn’t need to score. I need to protect my goal; why put Kelechi if I am fighting to win the match?”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The Super Eagles of Nigeria secured a 2-0 win over Cameroon to seal a spot in the quarter final of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

A brace from Ademola Lookman handed the win to the Jose Peseiro tutored side and after the game, the Atalanta forward was awarded the title of man of the match for his feat. It is the third time a player from Nigeria has won the award in the four games they have played.

Victor Osimhen won the award against Ivory Coast while Moses Simon claimed the honour against Guinea-Bissau. Lookman’s award is now being questioned by former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo, who was the top scorer at the tournament in 2019.

He said Osimhen who was a thorn in the flesh of the Cameroonians should have won it for his all round performance, which he capped with the assist for Lookman for the first goal. He robbed a Cameroonian defender before laying it on the plate for the former England youth international to finish.

“My MOTM is victor, omo he ran all 90mins, he chased their defenders for 90mins. That young man has too much strength wowwwww. Congrats boys” 🙌🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬 🦅🦅”, he posted on social media.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman