One of the most talked about youngsters in the Crystal Palace set up is young forward Ademola Ola-Adebomi owing to the way he has taken the Premier League 2 by storm, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The 20 year old has found the back of the net 13 times in 15 games across all competitions this season. A form that has earned him two nominations for the award of young player of the month including that of this month.

In November, Ola-Adebomi netted a hat-trick against Leeds United in a resounding 7-1 win away from home, including a well-taken header that was nominated for Palace’s Goal of the Month award. He also helped the side to a 4-1 win against Birmingham City in the Premier League Cup, as well as netting against the first-team side of Stevenage in the EFL Trophy.

Dropped from the U20 team of Nigeria due to a mix up in the duration of time he is allowed to stay in the camp, he missed out on a chance of making the squad to the world cup due to club commitment.

Despite all he is still committed to playing for Nigeria at senior level, but reports in the British media suggest he is in line for a call up to one of the youth teams of the English set up before the end of this season.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The coach of the B team of English Premier League side Brentford Neil MacFarlane has predicted that Nigeria U20 defender Benjamin Fredrick has what it takes to be a top player for the senior national team of Nigeria in the future.

Fredrick joined the B team of the English Premier League side on a season long loan deal from Kaduna based football academy Simoiben Football Academy, and hasn’t wasted anytime in settling down in his new surroundings.

So far he has proved that his form at the U20 World Cup which led to the team signing him isn’t a fluke with impressive performances in the seven games he has played so far since his move.

He confessed that he initially struggled to get going but has now found his range under the guidance of coach MacFarlane, with his sights on the first team and a permanent deal he is contented with his progress so far.

“When I first came from Nigeria, my passes were very bad … the coach (Neil MacFarlane) always supports me when I make a mistake, he always encourages me … now I’m getting perfect.” he told the official website of the club.

Soaking in the praises for his input in the development of the Nigerian defender, the coach said it’s a two way thing because Fredrick has shown a willingness to learn new things and be better. A trait that he said will ease his way to the top of both club and international football.

” Very easy when a player want to learn and take in lessons and instructions. Fredrick has shown all of the traits required to be a top player and I can see a bright future for him at club and country level if he continues this way”, the coach said.

Osas Mahawi

Belgium top division side Kortrijk have once again handed the coaching duties of the team to former Nigeria international forward Joseph Akpala following the dismissal of Glen De Boeck, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

It will be the second time this season that the forward who had seven senior caps for Nigeria and was once top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League with Bendel Insurance will be put in charge of the team.

Just like his first stint, he will be in interim capacity until the appointment of a substantive coach for the team. He won the only game he handled as coach during his first tenure as interim coach of the team.

He is already warming up to his task this time around but reckon it will be much harder than the last time out considering the time he has to prepare the team for Friday’s game against Westerlo. It will be a battle between the bottom two in the Belgium league.

After his dismissal, I still had a lot of contact with Glen. We sent messages until late in the evening. But today I didn’t have time for that anymore, the match counts now,” he said at his press conference. “I know what awaits me.”

“Would I also stay as head coach until the winter break? I have no guarantees about that, no. There was no time to talk about that because I had to immediately start working with the playing group to prepare for this important match. This is not about me but about the team and the club. I don’t feel like I should take my chance now as head coach, that doesn’t concern me.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Unless the senior national team of Nigeria makes it all the way to the final of next year Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have already settled for a new coach for the team.

Head coach of the team Jose Peseiro will be given an extension if the team go all the way to the final but if otherwise then his contract won’t be extended upon expiration after the tournament.

OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal that Emmanuel Amuneke is the choice of the technical committee of the NFF led by Sharif Rabiu Inuwa popularly known as Ahlan.

Amuneke comes highly recommended from someone that the NFF chief holds in high esteem. Already talks have been made over his possible appointment after the AFCON.

This much was communicated to the minister for sports development Senator John Enoh, when a delegation of former players of the senior national team of Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit few weeks ago. He is sold out to the idea of having an indigenous coach handle the Super Eagles.

The choice of Amuneke is way easier because he isn’t entirely new to the system as he has twice served as assistant to previous head coaches, the last of which was the ill fated world cup qualifiers playoff where he was the assistant to Austine Eguavoen when they lost the world cup ticket to Ghana.

Meanwhile some sources claim that the president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau is still keen on a foreign coach and has the coach of the Gambian team Tom Saintfeit as his top pick.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

GD Chaves midfielder Kelechi Nwakali says he is hopeful of making the sqaud of the senior national team of Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place next year in Cote d’Ivoire, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

Nwakali has made 12 appearances for Chaves in the Portuguese top flight with two assists to his name for the team, who are placed 16th on the log in the Portuguese top division.

Last weekend he was voted the man of the match in the 2-1 win over Vizela and afterwards he revealed that the gear coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has been checking on his via his assistants.

The 25 year old seems to choose the best time to hit form following his MOTM performance in the Liga Portuguese game vs Vizela only a few days ago.

“The assistant coach of the National team has come to watch, three, four of my games and I spoke to him after one of the garnes.” The GD Chaves midfielder was quoted as saying.

“We spoke at length, and he said they are watching me. So. hopefully I will get an invitation. I am ready to play again for the national team.” Nwakali revealed.

Ade Emmanuel

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the final three man shortlist for the award of the player of the year among all players playing for African countries, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The three players who are left to vie for the award from the list of 12 nominated for the award was made public earlier today on the social media handle of the African football body.

The award will be a straight battle between the trio of Victor Osimhen of Nigeria, Achraf Hakimi of Morocco and Mohammed Salah of Egypt. The final three man shortlist has already generated discussions on social media platforms.

Many are wondering why Algerian Riyad Mahrez who won the treble with Manchester City wasn’t in the final three man list with others questioning the omission of Morocco’s shot stopper Yassine Bounou.

Their omission has brightened the chances of Victor Osimhen, who powered Napoli to their first league title in 33 years to be crowned the Africa footballer of the year, although Hakimi who won the league with PSG and also impressed for Morocco at the World Cup is no pushover.

Osas Mahawi

The international future of Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu has taken a different turn with the head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro confirming that he is interested in having the 19 year old play for Nigeria instead of Denmark.

19 year old Dorgu is one of the breakout stars in the Serie A this season with commanding performances in the 14 games he has played this season. Already there are talks of top teams around Europe lining up for a bid for him in the summer.

Born in Denmark to parents of Nigerian descent, he has represented Denmark at U18, U19, U20 and U21 levels but he is yet to be capped at senior level, leaving the door open for a potential switch to Nigeria.

” He is Nigerian so you can’t rule it out. Presently he is with the U21 of Denmark and we will like it to be that way and see what the future holds. Interesting to note is that his rise and career decisions have been spot on so far, and the same route we will use when it’s time to make a decision on his international future”, a representative of OUS group who recently entered into a partnership with CAA Base on managing the left back told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Responding to questions yesterday on the sidelines after a meeting with the minister of sports development and members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF, the coach listed Dorgu as one of the players he has noticed in the Serie A who he wants in his team.

” The Lecce left back (Dorgu) I like a lot with my assistants we have identify him like others in the Italian top division. He has to be ready to come to us because we already know he is good enough for us. He is a player we want to build the team”, he said in Abuja.

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro is still searching for a solution to the goalkeeper crisis that the team is suffering from ahead of the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire next year.

Peseiro has openly defended first choice Francis Uzoho who has been guilty of making costly errors. However behind the scene the coach is working on other options who will be an upgrade on the Omonia Nicosia goalkeeper.

One of the goalkeepers who have caught his attention according to what we exclusively gathered is Doma United shot stopper Kingdom Osayi after his tenth clean sheet in 12 games this season in the Nigeria Premier Football League.

Yesterday’s clean sheet away to Kwara United in Ilorin was communicated to the coach, who has now posted someone to monitor and report the performance of the shot stopper who also has two assists this season.

The idea is to see if he has what it takes to challenge the goalkeepers in the team at the moment and an invitation will be made if the report is positive. A spot in the sqaud for the Africa Cup of Nations is a huge possiblity.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Cash for spot in the youth teams of Nigeria is one scourge that has continued to stall the growth of youth football in Nigeria and sometimes robs the team of good players, that will bring about good performances.

A problem which has been with Nigerian football for ages has refused to go away, with a coach who handled one of the youth teams last year now under huge pressure to refund the money he was given to include a player in his team.

An aggrieved agent (names withheld) reached out to OwnGoalNigeria.com with documents of the financial transactions done with a youth team coach of Nigeria for his client to be in the squad for tournaments, but was later dropped.

We forwarded the details to the coach (names withheld) and he admitted to receiving the said funds from the agent, who works for a football agency but said it was for a different business entirely not related to including a player in his team.

He however confirmed that the agent sent three players to the camp who didn’t meet his requirements, hence weren’t included in the squad. He defended himself by saying if the money was for a player to be in his team, there is no way he wouldn’t have done that.

The amount involved is in foreign currency and it runs into over 13 million naira in Nigerian money. The agent has vowed to collect every penny of the money sent to the coach who is insisting that it is a case of a separate business, which went bad between them.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Unless the senior national team of Nigeria makes it all the way to the final of next year Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have already settled for a new coach for the team.

Head coach of the team Jose Peseiro will be given an extension if the team go all the way to the final but if otherwise then his contract won’t be extended upon expiration after the tournament.

OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal that Emmanuel Amuneke is the choice of the technical committee of the NFF led by Sharif Rabiu Inuwa popularly known as Ahlan.

Amuneke comes highly recommended from someone that the NFF chief holds in high esteem. Already talks have been made over his possible appointment after the AFCON.

This much was communicated to the minister for sports development Senator John Enoh, when a delegation of former players of the senior national team of Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit few weeks ago. He is sold out to the idea of having an indigenous coach handle the Super Eagles.

The choice of Amuneke is way easier because he isn’t entirely new to the system as he has twice served as assistant to previous head coaches, the last of which was the ill fated world cup qualifiers playoff where he was the assistant to Austine Eguavoen when they lost the world cup ticket to Ghana.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman