The Nigeria international duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi powered relegated English Premier League side Leicester City to a 1-0 win in a pre season game against Bangkok side Port FC at Alpine Football Camp Training on Wednesday, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Following the cancellation of their last test game against Tottenham Hotspur, the Foxes moved to Bangkok to engage Port FC as part of their preparation for their campaign in the English Championship, which is geared towards gaining promotion back to the English Premier League.

Despite facing uncertain future at the club, coach of Leicester City Enzo Maresca handed the Nigerian duo a start and they didn’t disappoint as they combined for the lone goal of the game in the 10th minute of play.

Victor Kristiansen slid the ball through to Kelechi Iheanacho, with the Nigerian squaring it for international team-mate Ndidi to slot home from close range.

A raised flag stopped the lively Iheanacho from doubling his side’s lead in what waa the last action of the opening 45 minutes. Ndidi who was also a threat all through the game had his curling effort palmed away before the half time break.

Into the second half, Iheanacho chipped the Port shot-stopper from a tight angle, but also missed the target. a raft of changes saw the Nigerian duo subbed off with Maresca switching his focus to Sunday’s game against Liverpool.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Newly promoted English Premier League side Burnley yesterday announced the signing of Luca Koleosho from relegated Spanish LaLiga side Espanyol for a fee of £2.6m plus £860,000 in add-ons.

Koleosho, who was part of the Italy squad that won the Under-19 European Championship this summer, has agreed a four-year deal. He is part of the additions made by coach Vincent Kompany to the team that secured promotion to the English Premier League as champions.

Born to a Canadian-Italian mother and a Nigerian father, Luca has already represented three of the four countries at international level before his 19th birthday, but crucially, has not declared his allegiance as of yet. Nigeria is the only team he is yet to play for but he has a strong affiliation to the country’s senior national team.

“I enjoyed every part of it,” Koleosho said. “Going with the U.S., being with those guys. Playing with the Canadian first team, seeing professionals that play for their country, how they represent it how they act, how they treat the young kid that comes in, and how they help guide them through it”, he said.

“Playing for Italy, a national team that’s won a lot. Seeing their mentality going into all these games and tournaments. Seeing all that and having to decide between those three, it’s really hard. My father made me a fan of the Nigerian team because he watches them a lot and he made me know most of the players in the team”, he said while speaking on his eligibility to play for four countries in May.

Daniel Martins

Former Nigeria U17 midfielder Jack Ipalibo is putting finishing touches on a free transfer move to newly promoted Greek side Kifissia following the expiration of his deal with Norwegian side Strømsgodset, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Ipalibo was a member of the 2015 Nigeria U17 team of coach Emmanuel Amuneke with the likes of Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Nwakali among others, but after impressing at the AFCON he was controversially dropped from the team that went ahead to win the World Cup.

He however did enough to catch the attention of Spanish LaLiga side Villarreal, who signed him to their youth team, where he spent three seasons but didn’t make the step up to the first team as envisaged when he was signed.

At the age of 21 he moved to Norwegian side Strømsgodset initially on a loan deal before it was made permanent the next season. He has been there the past three seasons with a total of 90 appearances to his name but at the expiration of his deal, he has now decided to try another country.

A defensive midfielder by trade, he will become the Kifissia’s 11th signing of the season as they get set for their maiden campaign in the Stoiximan Super League, following promotion from the second division last season.

25 year old Ipalibo will sign a three years contract in the coming days after successful passing a routine medical test.

Daniel Martins

The representative of Switzerland based Nigeria international goalkeeper Sebastian Osigwe says the 29 year old has not been treated fairly by the coaches of the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria have had its fair share of issues in goal with erstwhile first choice Maduka Okoye losing his spot following his move to English Championship side Watford, and Francis Uzoho still second fiddle at Omonia Nicosia despite upstaging Okoye as the new first choice.

In the last AFCON qualifiers game, Adebayo Adeleye of Israeli side Hapoel Jerusalem was handed his debut in the 3-2 win over Sierra Leone. In all these years Osigwe wasn’t considered.

Osigwe who was a part of the Nigeria U20 team in 2013 hasn’t been handed his senior national team debut despite the fact that he has been called up thrice. His agent said the situation is unfair because he has been the best Nigerian goalkeeper abroad in the period under review.

Last season at top division Swiss side FC Lugano he made a total of ten appearances in all competitions with seven coming in the league. The other three were in the Swiss Cup. His representative said he wasn’t at any point given a chance to stake a claim.

” For a goalkeeper that has played at this level for the past three years, I think the handlers of the national team have not been fair to him. No Nigerian goalkeeper based abroad played that much but sadly he wasn’t considered. That has been the case for a while but hopefully it will change under Jose Peseiro with the AFCON around the corner”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Ade Emmanuel

Arsenal are gearing up for the new season with another test game lined up against Barcelona tomorrow as part of their tour of the United States of America, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Players who are not part of the tour are in England as they await the next decision in their career, which will likely be taken by the manager before the close of the summer transfer window.

One of such players is Nigeria U23 invitee Tim Akinola who is back from a loan spell with English National League (5th tier) side  Chesterfield FC. The 22 year old is now facing an anxious wait about his future at the Emirates.

Akinola who was invited to the Nigeria U23 team for the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but left under a cloud on the eve of the qualifiers game against Tanzania in Ibadan. He has now detailed the chat he had with first team coach Mikel Arteta before his loan move away from Arsenal.

He said: “Arteta has done a good job of bringing people together. I spoke to him more before I went out on loan than now that I’ve been on loan…He’s a very honest manager, he will tell you what you’re good at and what you need to work on.”

“He said to me I’m very, very good in terms of tenacious, off the ball, winning the ball back from people, working hard. Midfield is the most demanding position, he wants me to be more crisp with my passes.”( BallersMindsetPodcast).

Damian Waziri

Belgium top division side Club Brugge are lining up a move for Nigeria international defender Chidozie Awaziem, who is back at Portuguese side Boavista after a year loan deal at Hajduk Split in Croatia, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Talks have been held among the parties involved in the move but a difference in valuation is what is holding the deal from advancing to the stage of a medical.

Boavista wants €4m but Brugge are willing to pay around €2m for the 26 year old who has three more years to go on his deal at the Portuguese side. He has been heavily involved in their pre season games and their first cup game of the season in the Portuguese Cup.

Last season he made 28 appearances and scored five goals at Hajduk Split but they were unable to make his deal permanent. Panathinaikos are the other side said to be keen on a move for the defender who has 29 caps for Nigeria.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Samuel Chukwueze could become the first Nigerian to make more than four appearances for Italian giants AC Milan as he’s set to complete his move to the Rossonerri from Spanish side Villarreal.

None of his compatriots who have associated with the Milan side in the past have not made it past four appearances.

Taribo West was the first Nigerian to make more than three appearances for the multiple time Italian champions following his switch from city rivals, Inter Milan, after his four appearances made under controversial circumstances could barely prove enough for him to daring to make the much dreaded inter city switch. He defected to Germany’s Kaiserslautern thereafter.

Mohammed Aliyu Datti was first to arrive at the San Siro in 1999 but could not do more than the three appearances he would cherish as an achievement before AC Monza rescued him.

Taye Taiwo came with a huge price tag after having nothing to prove again at Olympique Marseille but could only match West’s four-game record, before heading to England at Queens Park Rangers to continue to find his rhythms that had been patented in France. He would only struggle to find his Marseille super form before oblivion set in.

Samu got nothing to leave behind in Spain except his breathtaking left foot, fast dribbles and periphery of the box intelligence and the fashion city of Milan will surely welcome his brilliance.

Milan got all to play for to price Samu over, smart money is his to create his trademark chances with his wizardly from the flanks bringing his delightful left foot to the party.

Chukwueze isn’t aware of such poor record from his compatriot in his new base, coaches’ delight he also is, his Milan adventure is already saved in the Bank of Milan.

His pedigree isn’t in question, Milan’s gain through and through…

Meanwhile, welcome to AC Milan, Samu!

Ikenwa Nnabuogor

Nigeria international forward Paul Onuachu has greed to return to Belgium side Genk from relegated English Premier League side Southampton, OwnGoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The 29 year old left the Belgium side in January for Southampton but struggled to hit the same height that saw him score 85 goals in 135 games for Genk. He suffered relegation with the Saints ending the season with just 11 appearances and no goal.

As part of their preparation for next season, he was one of the players deemed surplus to requirements paving the way for his exit. German Bundesliga side Stuggart showed interest in taking him on loan but he wasn’t keen on the move owing to fears of getting involved in another relegation scrap.

Genk approached his representatives to discuss a likely return and he accepted not minding the fact that he will take a huge pay cut on his wages. Both parties have concluded talks about his return but no agreement has been reached with Southampton.

Southampton could yet price him out of the deal with their asking price of €6m, an amount that Genk will struggle to meet with their current valuation €4m less. A loan deal is another option but that too will depend on the English side who are interested in selling the lanky forward permanently.

Daniel Martins

The second round first leg games in the UEFA Champions League saw Belgium side Genk draw 1-1 against Swiss side Servette in one of the games of the night, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Former Nigeria U17 forward Tolu Arokodare opened his goal account for the season by scoring the lone goal for the Belgium side following up his goal at the weekend, when they secured a shock 2-0 win over Burnley in a pre season game.

Signed in January from second division French side Amiens as a replacement for his fellow Nigerian Paul Onuachu who moved to Southampton, the member of the 2016 Nigeria U17 team broke the deadlock in the game with the opener in the 21st minute.

His goal was cancelled in the 77th minute by Steve Rouillier keeping both sides level heading into the second leg of the qualifiers. The winner will secure a spot in the third and final round of qualifiers for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Some of the games of the second qualifying rounds in the UEFA Champions League were played today, and in what could turn out to be one among the shock results of the night Lithuanian side Zalgiris scored a late goal to draw 2-2 against Turkish giants Galatasaray.

It started with 24 year old Nigerian striker Mathias Oyewusi opening scoring with a strong solo effort to take his goals for the year 2023 to 16 in 23 games. He finished last season with 14 goals in 18 league games.

His effort was upstaged in the second half within a space of three minutes with Abdulkerim Bardakci and Halil Dervisoglu scoring in the 75th and 78th minute respectively to put Galatasaray 2-1 up.

Galatasaray were heading for a comeback win but Donatas Kazlauskas scored inside the first minute of time added on after regulation time to deny them a win ahead of the return leg in Turkey.

The winner of the tie in Turkey will progress to the third and final round of qualifiers for the prestigious and money spinning group stage of Europe’s elite club tournament the UEFA Champions League.

Osas Mahawi