Wilfred Ndidi was voted the man of the match as Leicester City claimed a 4-1 win away to Blackburn Rovers in the English Championship. A win that saw them return back to the top of the table, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

Ndidi now playing in an advanced role post another five star performance which he capped with an assist for Jamie Vardy to slot home the second goal of the game in the 28th minute. It was his third assist of the season from the first 12 games of the season.

He also has two goals to his name as he continues to contribute to the course of his team returning to the English Premier League, following relegation last season.

His performance earned him the man of the match award with his teammate Jamie Vardy tasked with the honour of handing him the award after the game. ” Here you go Willy, You sabi”, he said in pidgin english while handing him the award.

Vardy probably picked the words form Ndidi and likely Kelechi Iheanacho, who have been his teammates for the past six seasons at the club.

Osas Mahawi

Captain of Italian Serie A side Napoli Giovanni Di Lorenzo says it his the decision of Victor Osimhen to leave the duty of taking penalties for the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Osimhen is the designated penalty taker of Napoli but he hasn’t taken one since missing from the spot in their 0-0 draw against Bologna last weekend.

Since then the team has had two penalties in back to back games including on Saturday against Lecce, but Osimhen didn’t take them as expected leaving the task to his teammates.

Explaining the situation, captain of the team Di Lorenzo said it is the Nigerian who has decided to hand the responsibility to his teammates, although the manager usually draws up a list before any game.

His statement is coming in the wake of the controversy that has engulfed the club, when the club social media handle posted a video mocking the Nigerian for the penalty miss. Napoli have since apologized for the gaffe and the social media team have also quit their role in the wake of the controversy.

*This article was edited after the Super Eagles list was made public.

The list of players who will represent Nigeria when they take on Saudi Arabia in an international friendly game in Portugal has been trimmed down to just 24 from the provisional list of 35, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Nigeria will use the game to prepare for the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in November, where they begin their quest to be at the tournament with a game at home against Lesotho at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo.

Head coach of the team Jose Peseiro sent out invitations to 35 players but has now trimmed the list to 24 players, and they will be sent flight tickets for the game.

In the list we gathered, the coach brought back five players who weren’t part of the team that defeated Sao Tome and Principe 6-0 in the final game in the AFCON qualifiers.

Players returning include captain of the team Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, Terem Moffi, Kenneth Omeruo and Bright Osayi-Samuel. They were all not part of the sqaud for the last game for various reasons.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC); Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Jordan Torunarigha (KAA Gent, Belgium); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (Cardiff FC, Wales); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayaspor FC, Turkey)

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

Newly capped Nigeria international forward Victor Boniface says he isn’t getting carried away by his new achievement in the German Bundesliga despite firing blanks in Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 win over Mainz 05, Owngoalnigeria.com reports.

Boniface joined the German side in the summer from Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise and hasn’t wasted any time in adjusting to life at his new base, with six goals and two assists in six league games this season.

Aside his goals and assists tally, he went into the record books as the player with the most shots after five games in the history of the league. A record which was set by Uwe Wegmann in the 1995/1995 season.

Wegmann took 35 shots after five games, a record Boniface has already smashed with 38 shots but when made aware of the milestone, he quickly played it down as nothing significant if they don’t lead to goal.

“If you shoot 38 times on goal you should have scored at least 25 goals. That’s why I don’t congratulate myself”, he said when he was made aware of the record last weekend.

Capped by Nigeria during the last international window, he is expected to keep his spot in the team for the October 13th friendly game against Saudi Arabia in Portugal.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The senior national team of Nigeria will on the 13th of October take on Saudi Arabia in an international friendly game in Portugal as part of their preparations for the start of the World Cup qualifiers in November, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Ahead of the game, the Nigerian team have been forced into making two changes to the squad, with the duo of Zaidu Sanusi and Calvin Bassey ruled out of the game due to injury.

That number is about to swell with Ola Aina set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a muscle injury according to his club Nottingham Forest. No timeline was set for his return but club sources speculates that it could take a minimum of two week before he is back in action.

It means he is clearly out of the squad for the game, which will be a huge blow to his aspiration of nailing down the right back spot after an exciting performance against Sao Tome and Principe in the last game.

He is facing stiff competition from Bright Osayi-Samuel of Fenerbahçe, who was given a rest during the last international round of game but will certainly return for the game in October.

Ade Emmanuel

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has been looking at areas he needs to strengthen in the team before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations next year, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Peseiro signed a short term deal that will terminate after the AFCON if he fails to get to the semi final, but it will extend automatically for two years if he meets the target set for him by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

In his bid to meet the target, he has been looking at players who can help the team achieve not just reaching the semi final but also win the tournament, something he has repeatedly said is his target.

One player that he has his sight on is Ajax new number 10 Chuba Akpom, who joined the Dutch giants in the summer after an extraordinary year in the English Championship with Middlesbrough, where he was voted the best player in the division as a reward for his 29 goals in 42 games.

Peseiro while responding to questions before the Super Eagles game in the AFCON qualifiers against Guinea Bissau, revealed that the 27 year old hasn’t completed the process of switching allegiance from England to Nigeria, after representing the country of his birth at various youth levels.

Speaking two days ago, he confirmed that Akpom who is yet to properly settle down to life in England is high in his plans for the AFCON next year, despite having a load of forwards in his team.  He also made mentioned of the reasons why Sadiq Umar isn’t back in the squad yet as well as recognizing Terem Moffi for his two goals against PSG.

“Yes, and there is Akpom (Ajax) who hasn’t come. Moffi, who has scored two goals for PSG. There are many. It depends on when they are and if they are playing. Sadiq is recovering from a very serious injury”, he said.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Nigeria international winger Moses Simon has been in his best form in the last four games for French Ligue 1 side Nantes making a total of six goals contribution in games against Monaco, Marseille, Clermont Foot and FC Lorient, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Simon had an assist against Monaco and Marseille respectively, a goal against Clermont Foot before picking up two assists and a goal last weekend against Lorient.

His form has won him admiration from on loan Arsenal winger Marquinhos, who is at Nantes on a season long loan deal as part of the process of his integration to European football and also his  development following his move from Brazil last summer.

He was at English Championship side Norwich City for the second half of last season. Now at Nantes, where he has played in five games and has an assist says he is still in the process of learning at the Ligue 1 side pointing at the 28 year old Nigerian as someone he is learning from.

” It has been good so far. With the language and the food no longer a problem like it was when I first arrived. The football education too has been good and it’s nice to see and learn from the senior players like Moses Simon who is a winger like me. I am learning to be better for the future”, he said while speaking on his adaptation at his new base.

Ade Emmanuel

Former Italian international Mario Balotelli says Victor Osimhen should have taken the penalty in Napoli’s 4-1 win over Udinese two days ago, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Osimhen who was among the goals in the 4-1 win passed on the chance to score from the spot. The Napoli designated penalty taker het Piotr Zielinski take the kick after the controversy that his last penalty miss had generated.

A TikTok video posted on the official handle of Napoli mocked the forward for the spot kick he missed over the weekend against Bologna, and it led to a lot of backlash on the club, with the player also unhappy over the video making the club to delete it from the handle, and also tendered an apology yesterday via an official statement.

Balotelli said Osimhen shouldn’t have bothered about the entire incident and should have taken the spot kick in the last game, saying he felt disappointed in Osimhen who is his personal friend.

“Osimhen is a friend of mine, I greet him, but in the penalty against Udinese he disappointed me a bit. He should have kicked and not Zielinski. That video is meaningless. Victor has personality, there’s no denying that. The goal he scores is complicated, don’t think it’s easy. Didn’t he rejoice? He did well, he copies me (laughs, ed.).”  the former AC Milan forward told TV Play.

The goalkeeping department of the senior national team of Nigeria is one area that head coach of the team Jose Peseiro is keen on having more options ahead the start of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, OwnGoalNigeria.com understands.

Peseiro currently has the trio of Adebayo Adeleye, Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho as his preferred trio of the position with Uzoho holding the position of first choice, despite not having a regular run of games at Cyprus side Omonia Nicosia.

For now, the coach is open to the idea of having more options in goal and that is why Real Oviedo young shot stopper Victor Egboh is sensing the chance of getting involved with the team next year. The tournament might come a bit too soon for him but he hopes to be in the mix for a possible call up.

” It his dream (representing Nigeria at the AFCON) but it starts with getting into the first team of Real Oviedo. He has done enough to maintain his spot in the first team and take his chance when called upon and show how well he has grown since his loan spell last season”, his representative told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Get ready for an action-packed weekend of football with our exclusive guide to the TOP 5 matches worth betting on! We’ve sifted through the fixtures to bring you the most thrilling games, complete with insights and expert tips to help you make informed bets. Don’t miss out on the thrilling matchups ahead – stay tuned for our picks!

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool

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Spurs and Liverpool are set to face each other in a crucial match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the headline EPL fixture on Saturday. The game promises to be an exciting showdown between two teams that haven’t suffered a defeat in the current campaign. Hosts recently secured a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the North London derby, and they are determined to extend their unbeaten streak. Ange Postecoglou’s men won 4 out of 6 league games at the start of the season, scoring 15 goals and conceding 7 during that run.

With that, Spurs haven’t secured a single victory against Liverpool since October 2017, suffering defeat in a frightening 9 out of 12 H2H matches. Moreover, Salah and Co celebrated 5 victories in the last 6 EPL games, which makes the task even more challenging for Spurs. Apart from a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, the Reds scored no less than two goals, so the upcoming encounter is expected to be a goal-filled affair.

Possible picks:

☑️ Liverpool Draw No Bet – 1.65
☑️ Liverpool Over 2 – 2.25
☑️ Total Over 3 – 1.58

RB Leipzig vs. Bayern Munich

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The upcoming match between RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich is intriguing not only because it involves two of the Bundesliga leaders and contenders for the title but also because it raises the question of whether Bayern can exact revenge for the humiliating 0-3 defeat to the Red Bulls in the German Super Cup at the start of the season. The hosts are in excellent form with 5 consecutive wins in all competitions, where they managed to score 15 goals. Therefore, they appear ready for another showdown with the Bundesliga’s reigning champion.

After the initial five rounds, Bayern Munich currently top the league table and seems poised for a rematch. They also clinched a 7-0 victory against VfL Bochum in their previous league game where Harry Kane marked the hat-trick and set the benchmark as the league’s top scorer with 7 goals. Considering that 6 of the last 7 H2H matchups produced 3 or more goals, the game is likely to be a high-scoring one.

Possible picks:

☑️ Harry Kane To Score First Goal – 4.33
☑️ Total Over 3 – 1.59
☑️ Both Teams To Score – 1.41

Monaco vs. Marseille

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Monaco has had a promising start in the Ligue 1, and they have extra motivation to bounce back after a couple of recent setbacks as they host Marseille on Saturday. After 6 rounds, Adi Hutter’s team has 11 points, just 2 points behind the leader, Brest. They have good chances for a comeback, especially since Marseille is struggling to score and recently suffered a 4-0 defeat against PSG.

Marseille haven’t won in their previous 6 away Ligue 1 matches and their total of 7 goals from the first 6 games is the least among all teams in the top half of the table. Monaco kept clean sheets in victories over Strasbourg and Lens and can repeat this success in the upcoming duel.

Possible picks:

☑️ Monaco To Win – 2.18
☑️ Monaco Handicap (-1) – 3.10
☑️ Marseille Under 1 – 2.64

Milan vs. Lazio

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Ahead of the head-to-head clash between Milan and Lazio, the two teams find themselves in different parts of the league table. Milan, with 15 points, share the first place with Inter, while Lazio, with 7 points, hold the 11th spot. Aside from their humbling defeat to their city rivals, Milan have been in excellent form. Rossoneri secured 5 victories in the first 6 rounds of the championship and have no intentions of slowing down against a struggling Lazio.

In the first 6 rounds of Serie A, the Eagles have only secured two victories, scoring just 7 goals and conceding 8. Furthermore, Maurizio Sarri’s team lost both of their away games at the start of the season, so it is expected that they will face particular difficulty in the match against Milan, who defeated at home Verona 1-0 and Torino 4-1.

Possible picks:

☑️ Milan To Win – 1.79
☑️ Milan Handicap (-1) – 2.46
☑️ Lazio Under 1 – 1.62

Atalanta vs. Juventus

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Atalanta started the new Serie A campaign with a blend of successes and setbacks, winning 4 and losing 2 of their opening six games. Nevertheless, their current standing at fourth place in the league suggests they remain contenders for the Champions League places. Given that Juventus are also not performing at their best, this clash offers the home team a favourable opportunity to secure some valuable points.

Max Allegri is currently in the process of determining which players should be part of the starting lineup. In the previous match against high-flying Lecce, the substitutes who took the field performed well, putting themselves in contention for another opportunity in the upcoming weekend. That 1-0 win on Tuesday helped the Old Lady climb up into third place in the Serie A table and somewhat silenced the criticism directed at Allegri and his team. Interesting fact: Both teams have scored in all of their matches since their last head-to-head friendly encounter in August. This gives reason to believe that the upcoming clash won’t be a dry one.

Possible picks:

☑️ Both Teams To Score – 1.68
☑️ Over 2.5 – 1.86
☑️ Juventus Over 1 – 1.62