Nigeria U20 defender Solomon Agbalaka has joined top division Russian side PFC Sochi on a season-long loan deal from Nigerian side Broad City Football Club, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The left full back who is also comfortable as a center back was signed on Thursday after impressing the technical crew of the team during a one month trial at the club.

Agbalaka represented Nigeria at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations and also the U20 World Cup playing in all of their games in both tournaments. He was twice voted man of the match during the course of both tournaments.

He was close to joining MLS side Vancouver Whitecap but the deal broke down late into talks leading him to the Russian side. His loan deal gives the club the option of making the deal permanent at the end of the season.

His immediate goal will be breaking into the first team set up and making his mark, but for now he will have game time with the youth team but train more with the main team, who finished 10th last season.

Daniel Martins

Nigeria international defender Calvin Bassey was among the goal scorers for English Premier League side Fulham in their 2-1 win over German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Bassey joined the team a few weeks ago after a turbulent season in the Netherlands with Ajax, where he was subjected to heavy criticism following his move from Scottish side Rangers.

At Ajax, he was subjected to all sort of unfair criticism of his abilities forcing the coaches, who handled the team during the course of last season to drop him. It eventually led to his departure from the team.

Now at Fulham, he has already won over coach Marco Silva and he made a huge step in repaying the faith with the match winner in the 73rd minute handing his team a  2-1 win over Hoffenheim.

He celebrated the match winner with his hands across his lips more like making the shut up sign. With five minutes left to play in the game he was subbed off to a standing ovation from the home crowd in what was his first start at the club.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

One of the star performers for Napoli in pre-season is 25 year old Michael Folorunsho, who is back from a season long loan spell at Serie B side Bari, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Folorunsho has impressed the new coach of Napoli Rudi Garcia with his all round play, but he isn’t sure of giving him regular run of games and have spoken with the former Lazio youth teamer to head out on loan.

After last season impressive loan spell in the Serie B, he has all but agreed another loan move but this time around to a Serie A side in Verona. However he has been told he will have to sign an extension before the move will be sanctioned.

Reacting to the reports, a source close to the player told OwnGoalNigeria.com that the move will likely go ahead next week, and will be the first step towards realizing his dream of playing for Nigeria.

He said the goal is to get regular run of games in a top league and make a decision on his future but he is more focused on catching the attention of the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria, even though he was last season summoned to a training camp by the coach of Italy Roberto Mancini.

Bayer Leverkusen warmed up for the start of the German Bundesliga season with a comprehensive 4-0 thrashing of English Premier League side West Ham United in a pre-season game, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

The German side took the lead in the 8th minute of play from Jonas Hofmann. His opener was followed by a quick fire brace from their new Nigerian signing Victor Boniface in the 24th and 38th minute to give his side a 3-0 lead going into the half time break.

Signed from Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise, the 22 year old introduced himself to the home fans of his new side with a smart finish for his first of the game, before hitting an angle drive with force for his second of the game.

He was subbed off to a standing ovation with coach Xabi Alonso all smiles on the touchline as he welcomed him to the substitute bench with a warm handshake. He will be hoping that the brace is the first of many for the Nigerian.

In line for a first call up to the senior national team of Nigeria, Boniface ended last season with 22 goals and 12 assists including a goal against his present team Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League.

Second division Malaysian side T-Team FC have confirmed the death of Nigerian defender David Oniya, who slumped during the course of their friendly game against top division side Kelantan, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

The 30 year old slumped three minutes into the test game and was rushed to the hospital, where he eventually gave up the ghost leading to the stoppage of the game in the 60th minute.

“Oniya was sent to the hospital and the doctors tried their best to resuscitate him.
He was pronounced dead at 10.05 p.m. local time,” the club’s chief executive Syahrizan Mohd Zain was quoted as saying by New Straits Times.

He said the manner of the death of the Nigerian came as a shock because the game wasn’t an intensive one, he went further to blame the ambulance driver, whom he accused of being slow to react because he was watching the game instead of staying alert to his job.

“There was no hard running and it was a slow tempo match. It’s only a friendly game,” Syahrizan said.

“The match was called off in the 60th minute when we received a call from the hospital that Oniya had died. He suffered a heart attack but it could have been a different story had the ambulance driver (been) alert. The driver was at the stands watching the game when Oniya suddenly collapsed and he was deprived of oxygen for several minutes”,he lamented.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The destination of red hot Nigerian forward Gift Orban is certainly in England as he arrived in London yesterday alongside his agent to seal a move away from Gent, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Orban became the bride of most teams in Europe after an extraordinary six months spell in Belgium following his January transfer move from second division Norwegian side Stabæk.

He scored 20 goals in 22 games in all competitions and this season picked up from where he stopped last season with two goals in the two games he has played this season.

It is now certain that he won’t continue Gent as we obtained exclusive picture of the 21 year old in England with Emmanuel audial, the executive director of his agency Atta Aneke/PMG , where according to a source he will be finalizing a deal to a top six team for a fee in the region of €30m.

Our source went ahead to say plans have been made for him to have his medical done tomorrow ahead of a possible announcement on Monday. He however didn’t reveal the identity of the team he will be joining.

Reports have been heavy this week about a move to Tottenham Hotspur, who are lining him up as a replacement for Harry Kane, who is a subject of interest to German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

Brighton are also looking for a forward and they have also made checks on the Nigerian, who is expected to be a part of the squad of the senior national team of Nigeria for their dead rubber AFCON qualifiers game against Sao Tome and Principe in September. Nigeria are already through to the tournament.

Daniel Martins

The future of the former first choice goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria Maduka Okoye at English Championship side Watford has been thrown into further doubt, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Okoye was signed for a fee in the region of €5m from Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam and after a season on loan, he joined the team last summer but failed to displace first choice goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.

At some point last season he lost the role of second choice to Ben Hamer with his only appearance coming in the cup games last season. In both games he failed to make his mark before his season was brought to an end by a shoulder injury.

Yesterday, the club made public the squad numbers for the season with three Nigerians in Samuel Kalu, Tom Dele-Bashiru and Tobi Adeyemo getting shirt number 28, 24 and 54 respectively.

However Okoye who wore shirt number 35 wasn’t listed on the official list on their site, effectively meaning that he isn’t registered for the season which begins tomorrow.  The 23 year old is in talks over an exit.

A move to Italian Serie A side Udinese appears to have suffered a setback and not much progress has been made about a potential loan move to an unnamed Turkish side.

Damian Waziri

The international future of Chelsea’s midfield star Carney Chukwuemeka was the subject of discussion after his team forced German side Borrusia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw in a pre-season game, Owngoalnigeria.com reports.

Chukwuemeka joined Chelsea last summer from Aston Villa but didn’t quite get going with the team struggling to meet up to expectations. Under new coach Mauricio Pochettino he has been ever present in their pre-season games.

Tipped to play a major role when the season gets underway, the 19 year old was asked about his chances of playing for England at senior level, and if failure to get into the team will make him consider switching to Nigeria.

“I would say it’s been a positive pre-season for us. Five games, unbeaten in all five. We are playing well, playing very good football. I feel like we have taken on board how the gaffer wants us to play”, he said to British journalist Jacob Ben.

A present U20 international for England, he explained that his focus is on progressing to the senior national team of England, but said playing for Nigeria is an option he won’t rule out yet.

“Could you play for Nigeria? “I haven’t really thought about it. I am focused on England, who I have played for at youth level. We will see what the future holds”, he stated.

Nigeria U20 winger Joel Ideho has been told his fate at Dutch side Heerenveen after spending a week on trial at the club following his release from English Premier League side Arsenal, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

The 20 year old missed out on a chance of playing for Nigeria at the U20 for the Africa Cup of Nations due to passport issues after impressing coach Ladan Bosso. He got his Nigerian passport in time ahead of the World Cup but injury robbed him off the chance to make the team.

At Arsenal he was released, three years after he joined them from Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam without a single first team appearance. After a failed move to Bournemouth, he turned up at Heerenveen for trials last week.

A statement on the official website of the Dutch side confirms, they won’t be signing him after a week of assessment, which was rounded up with giving him minutes in the pre-season game against Huddersfield Town.

The statement read thus:

Joel Ideho was on trial at sc Heerenveen last week. The club has decided not to continue with the transfer-free winger, who participated in the exhibition game with Huddersfield Town for more than twenty minutes on Saturday afternoon. “We thank him for his efforts in recent days and wish him every success in his further career,” said general manager Ferry de Haan.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman