The constant failure of the senior national team of Nigeria has drawn a reaction from former coach of English Premier League side Arsenal Arsene Wenger, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Wenger has long been a fan of the Super Eagles and in 2017 shortly after Alex Iwobi’s goal secured Nigeria a spot at the 2018 World Cup, he picked the Nigerian team as one that will make Africa proud at the tournament.

“Good morning congratulations to all our fans in Nigeria – I know that you are very, very many  and we are very proud that you have qualified for the World Cup. On top of that of course, our player scored the goal for you and that makes us even prouder”, he said in 2018.

“Well done and see you at the World Cup and I’m sure you will have a great, great trip there “, he said in the 24 seconds video post on Arsenal’s social media handle.

The Nigerian team failed to get past the group stages at the world cup and failed to make it to the next one, which was held in Qatar. That failure and several others made the FIFA chief to tag three times Africa Cup of Nations winners as greatest underachievers in a chat with ace Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwuna.

“I had a very brief chat with the former @Arsenal manager, now FIFA’s chief of global football development, Arsene Wenger on Thursday, at the @Hyatt in Sydney. When I told him I was Nigerian, this is what he said about #Nigerian football: “#Nigeria has incredible talent but they are one of the great underachievers in world football.”  he posted on his social media handle on X.

I had a very brief chat with the former @Arsenal manager, now FIFA’s chief of global football development, Arsene Wenger on Thursday, at the @Hyatt in Sydney. When I told him I was Nigerian, this is what he said about #Nigerian football: “#Nigeria has incredible talent but they… pic.twitter.com/NiYLnxQW5k

— Osasu Obayiuwana (@osasuo) August 17, 2023

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Italian Serie A side Salernitana has concluded all the formalities for the transfer of former Nigeria U20 forward Chukwubuikem Ikwuemessi, OwnGoalNigeria.com understands.

We gathered that an agreement has already been reached with his Slovenian side NK Celje, where he ended last season with nine goals and five assists. He is expected later today for a routine medical.

Ikwuemessi was few details away from joining French Ligue 1 side Le Havre but the move broke down owing to a disagreement on personal terms and also length of the contract.

The 22 year old was a part of the coach Ladan Bosso U20 team of 2020 that failed to make it past the group stages of the WAFU B championship, hence failing to qualify for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations.

His European sojourn started with a loan spell from Giant Brila to Austrian side Vorwarts Steyr. He returned to Nigeria after the loan spell before joining NK Krsko from where he moved to NK Celje.

Daniel Martins

Spanish top division side Cadiz are keen on improving on their last season finish of 14th, hence the need to strengthen the team before the close of the ongoing summer transfer window, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

They started their campaign in this season LaLiga with a 1-0 win over Alaves with Fede scoring the lone goal of the game in the 7th minute, a game they ended with ten men following the sending off of Gonzalo Escalante with two minutes left to play.

Ahead of their next league game against Barcelona, one of the areas they badly need more options is in the midfield and they have identified 27 year old Nigeria international Oghenekaro Etebo as a prime option.

Etebo spent last season at Greek side Aris Thessaloniki on loan from English Championship side Stoke City. He is back at Stoke City but yet again he has been told he is surplus to requirements.

Stoke are keen on moving on the Nigerian permanently but Cadiz like a host of other teams are only looking at loan deal with the option of a permanent signing at the end of the season.

Cadiz are however said to be the front runners for his signing and talks are progressing nicely. Etebo is keen on getting his career back on track as he bid fight his way back into the senior national team of Nigeria, where he has 45 caps but last played for the team in November 2022, when they suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to world cup bound Portugal in a friendly game.

Daniel Martins

The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Ibrahim Musa Gusau has confirmed that the senior national team of Nigeria presently don’t have a coach with the qualifiers for the World Cup set to start in November, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Gusau while speaking on the coach of the team in an interview with ace broadcaster Mitchell Obi said Jose Peseiro’s contract has ran out, and there isn’t any resolution on a new deal for the Portuguese coach.

He said although talks are ongoing with his representatives, they hope to reach an agreement before the Super Eagles play Sao Tome and Principe in their last game in the AFCON qualifiers. Even that too is dependent on the decision of the newly inaugurated technical committee of the football body.

Below is extract from the radio interview as published on social media platform X by ace journalist Osasu Obayiuwuna.

Hot in demand Nigerian striker Gift Orban is yet to make up his mind on joining English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur despite reports saying they are the obvious for his signing, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

Gent wants €30m for the forward who scored 22 goals at the club following his January move, which went through on the final day of the window. His form has led to interest in his services.

Spurs are seen as the one team who can comfortably afford the 21 year old and are in talks over a deal as part of their search for a replacement for their captain Harry Kane, who moved to German giants Bayern Munich.

The player’s camp are not opposed to the move but sources say their is a concern on if he will get regular run of games to further develop and possibly break into the first team of the senior national team of Nigeria.

To that extent, Sevilla are now seen as the team he is more likely to join because there is a huge chance of getting a lot of games at the club than at Spurs. Furthermore the pressing on him will be less than what he will face at Spurs in the light of the fact that he will be replacing a club icon.

Meanwhile, the widely reported agreement to join Monaco has been termed as false by his camp, a source said despite the fact that he is on their wishlist they haven’t firmed up their interest with a bid yet.

Daniel Martins

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has given the clearest indication that the coach of the women’s team of Nigeria Randy Waldrum won’t be given fresh terms following the expiration of his deal, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Waldrum led the Super Falcons to the round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup before bowing out to England on penalties. His team were largely praised for their performance at the tournament.

Prior to the World Cup, the team was troubled with the issue of unpaid bonuses and also salaries of the technical crew which cut across two years for the players and above one year for the coach.

That row was however not a distraction as they went ahead to post what can arguably be termed as Nigeria’s best display in the history of the tournament before their exit. But it appears it won’t be enough to hand the coach fresh terms.

Speaking on the future of the coach, the president of the NFF Gusau hinted that he will likely not be in charge by refusing to name him as the coach that will lead them in the Olympic qualifiers next month.

“When the contract of the coach expires, we have to allow the Technical Committee to do their job and make a proper recommendation.

“Next month, the Super Falcons will play in the Olympic Qualifiers and before that time we must have decided on who will be the coach”, he said.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The spending spree of English Premier League side Chelsea has been the major talking point of the ongoing transfer window considering the amount of money they have spent, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelsea’s signing reached the peak when they agreed a deal of £115m to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton, a sum that makes him the most expensive player in the English Premier League.

That signing which came after a battle with Liverpool took their spending to the £1b mark, but that sum will now increase substantially after breakthrough in their quest to sign Michael Olise from Crystal Palace.

In 2020 Olise, while at English Championship side Reading was handed a call up to the senior national team of Nigeria by former coach Gernot Rohr for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively.

He was on the standby list with Rohr explaining that he is yet to be issued a Nigerian passport as he was born in France.  That summer he went to Crystal Palace and decided to pledge his international future to France, where he is a youth international.

Last season can easily pass as his best with 11 assists and two goals. A form that placed him on the summer wishlist of top teams in Europe with two teams in Manchester City and Chelsea the front runners for his signing.

Chelsea have now won the race after agreeing a fee for his transfer with Palace, he will now hold talks on his wages which isn’t expected to be an issue before a medical that will be the final step before his signing on an eight year deal will be made official.

Daniel Martins

The champions of Portugal got their league campaign underway with a disappointing result crumbling 2-3 away to Boavista in a bad tempered game that saw two red cards, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Benfica opened scoring in the 22nd minute through Angel Di Maria and the lead lasted till ten minutes after the half time break when Róbert Boženík drew the home side level. Five minutes after Benfica had a player sent off.

With 15 minutes left to play in the game, Rafa Silva restored the lead of the visitors and just when it looked like they were cruising to an away win to start their defence title, Bruno Lourenço struck from the spot on the dot of 90 minutes to bring scores to 2-2. He was sent off ten minutes later.

A draw was what both teams look destined to settle for before Boženík struck in the 13th minute of time added on made possible after a lengthy stoppage in play. It ended up as the winner but large credit will go to the duo of Chidozie Awaziem and Bruno Onyemaechi.

The duo who are linked with a departure from the club before the close of the transfer window put in a fantastic display with Awaziem in particularly showing why French Ligue 1 side Nantes are keen on signing him.

He impressed with his tackles, aerial duels and passes from the back. A performance that can easily pass as one of his best in the Portuguese top division. Onyemaechi on the other hand was a rock on the left side of defence with his constant foray down the flanks.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

19 year old Samuel Omorodion Aghehowa marked his debut in the LaLiga by scoring for Granada in their 1-3 loss to Atletico Madrid yesterday, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The teenager was handed a start for his first game in the Spanish top division after an extraordinary year with the youth team of Granada, where he scored 18 goals in 33 games.

He showed that form isn’t a flash in the pan by introducing himself to the top level with a smart finish after reacting quickest to a low cross. He diverted the ball powerful pass Jan Oblak in goal for the home side in the 62nd minute.

Born in Spain to Nigerian parents, his form last season caught the attention of our editorial team, and two months ago he was noticed by the U20 youth team selectors of Spain and rewarded with a call up to the U19 team of Spain, where he has five caps and a goal.

Despite that, the well built forward is still eligible for Nigeria at various levels but for now Spain hold the aces regarding his international future.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman.

A call has been made to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and other stakeholders on the need to have very good playing surface for the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria have decided to move their games to the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo from the Moshood Abiola stadium in Abuja, which have been their home for the last two years despite complains from the players about the poor nature of the pitch.

Speaking on the main issue the players are facing, Aina said the lack of a proper playing surface is a bigger hindrance to their quest to dominate Africa and the world at large, more than even the much talked about non payment of allowances.

” You see the whole issue of unpaid allowances is not pleasant at all but that is not our major problem. If we can get at least ten good pitches where we can play train and play our games at home, we will be unplayable. If you remember we won all our away games during the world cup qualifiers but struggled at home. It’s the playing surface”, he said.

” Alex (Iwobi) complained about it and he is very correct. We will beat almost any team in Africa and probably the world if we get good pitches in Nigeria. The team is loaded with talents, all we need is a better surface to express ourselves”, he rounded up saying.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman