English Championship side Leicester City are preparing for life in the lower division following their relegation from the English Premier League last season, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Ahead of the campaign, the team who are eyeing an instant return to the English top division have released their list of players retained and also those who have been allowed to leave the team.

Leicester City is home to two senior international of Nigeria in Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho and while the duo, who have a year to go on their deals have been retained, the same can’t be said of little known Nigerian goakeeper Kelechi Chibueze.

The shot stopper who was born in England to parents of Nigerian descent was let go alongside  ten other youth team players with even senior players also following them out of the exit door at the team.

Among the senior players are established English Premier League stars like Youri Tielemans, Caglar Soyuncu, Ayoze Perez and Ryan Bertrand. Daniel Amartey and Papy Mendy completes the list.

Osas Mahawi

Head coach of Bayern Munich world squad Roy Makaay has picked three Nigerians in his team for a training camp in Argentina, where they all also play three test games.

The 21 man squad has players selected from twenty different countries with Nigeria and Mexico having three and two players respectively. The highest among all the countries from which players were selected from.

Nigeria will have the trio of  the attacking duo of Treasure Odunze and Victor Orakpo with midfielder David Emmanuel completing the list for Nigeria. The team have already arrived in Argentina.

During the stay in Argentina, the squad will have the chance to show what they can do in three friendly fixtures. The first game on 20 June is against Estudiantes. That is followed three days later (23 June) by the match against Argentinos Juniors. The final fixture on the morning of  departure (27 June) is against River Plate.

Below is the full list of players selected.

Goalkeepers:
#1 Jakov Borna, Žaja (Croatia)
#26 Lukas, Da Silva Pötzinger (Germany)
#32 Viktor, Baier (Czechia)

Defence:
#2 Ignacio, Isla (Argentina)
#3 Carlos, Colina (Mexico)
#4 Youngmin, Cho (South Korea)
#12 Rafael, Werneck (Brazil)
#24 Dawid, Kalbarczyk (Poland)
#27 Saged, Zakaria (Egypt)
*

Midfield:
#5 Gustavo, Telles (Brazil)
#6 Adam, Mahamid (Israel)
#7 Geon, Kim (South Korea)
#8 Sebastian, Plätzer (Norway)
#10 Siam, Yapp (Thailand)
#17 David, Emmanuel (Nigeria)
#19 Jermaine, Clarke (Jamaica)
#22 Ryan, Ayoub (USA)
#25 Degnon Julien, Brito (Togo)

Attack:
#9 Marko, Popović (Serbia)
#11 Victor, Orakpo (Nigeria)
#14 Isaias, Galvan (Mexico)
#20 Treasure, Odunze (Nigeria)

*#21 Jiaxuan, Guo (China) will join up at the training camp in Germany.

The senior national team of Nigeria booked their spot at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-2 win over Sierra Leone in Monrovia yesterday.

Sierra Leone twice came from behind cancelling Victor Osimhen’s brace but just when they thought they are running away with all three points Kelechi Iheanacho scored what ended as the winner for Nigeria.

OwnGoalNigeria.com rates the players who represented Nigeria in the game.

Adebayo Adeleye – Made three good saves that kept Nigeria alive with scores at 2-2. Came off the line smartly and commanded his area really well. Not at fault for any of the two goals conceded. A great way to start his international career….. 8/10

Bright Osayi-Samuel – For the first time since his debut, the Fenerbahce man was made to look ordinary with the physical approach of Sierra Leone limiting him. Got snubbed off for Akpoguma. Not quite at the level he performed in the three games he has played for the team prior to yesterday….. 6/10

Zaidu Sanusi – Did all of the job for third goal by laying the ball on a plate for Iheanacho to tap into an empty net. Enjoyed the physical nature of the game and looked so comfortable linking up with Moses Simon on the left….. 7.5/10

Semi Ajayi – Another player who showed how well he is ready for the physical approach of most African teams . Bullied all that came his way. Won duels with ease with his partnership with Omeruo looking like what could be the long term option in central defence….. 7/10

Kenneth Omeruo – Beaten for pace way too easily for the first goal scored by Sierra Leone. Struggled like the rest of the team in the second half. A solid but not spectacular showing….. 6/10

Joe Aribo – Started really well but went missing in the second half.  His lack of game time at Southampton appears to be catching up with him as he wasn’t at the pace and level of the others.

Alex Iwobi – Kept the team moving with short passes as the state of the pitch wasn’t suitable to go long. Ran his socks off for the team and displayed absolute understanding of his position just in front of Ndidi….. 7/10

Wilfred Ndidi – Not quite at the level he was once but he is very much at home with games like this. Won tackles with ease and defended well. Ran out of steam in the second half like the rest of the team….. 6/10

Moses Simon – Could have had a goal and two assists in the first half. Worked really hard for the team in defense and took the game to the host especially in the first half and early stages of the second half….. 8/10

Samuel Chukwueze – Wasted two good opportunities to kill the game off in the first half. Redeemed himself with a well weighted pass for the second goal scored by Osimhen. Another who also suffered from burn out especially in the second half….. 6/10

Victor Osimhen – Took his first goal really well . The second as well and was a menace all through the period he was on. His determination can not be faulted. Not just for his goals but for his all round play. What a performance….. 9/10.

Substitutes:

Kevin Akpoguma – Went missing upon his introduction with the pace of the game too much for him. Might not get another chance….. 5/10

Frank Onyeka -His introduction helped Nigeria to regain control of the game. Willing to get stuck in and was full of energy at both side of the pitch….. 6/10

Kelechi Iheanacho – Got his goal by not straying offside. That was his only major contribution but it was decisive. 7/10

Taiwo Awoniyi -Up for a fight but didn’t do enough to earn a rating.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The lineup of the senior national team of Nigeria for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game against Sierra Leone had been made public by coach of the team Jose Peseiro, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

In goal , the Portuguese picked Adebayo Adeleye ahead of the duo of Olorunleke Ojo and Victor Sochima. He will be screened by a back four of Semi Ajayi, Kenneth Omeruo, Zaidu Sanusi and Bright Osayi-Samuel.

The midfield three will be the trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Joe Aribo playing in an advanced role afraid of the duo. In attack the team will rely on the trio of Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen will lead the line.

Starting XI- Adeleye, Osayi-Samuel, Sanusi, Ajayi, Omeruo, Aribo, Iwobi, Ndidi, Chukwueze, Osimhen, Simon.

Osas Mahawi

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro could be sacked if the team fails to beat Sierra Leone in tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Peseiro’s contract will expire next month and talks over a renewal has not been held with all attention on the team’s next game which will be tomorrow. Their penultimate game in the qualifiers.

So far they have won three out of their first four games and a win against Sierra Leone will confirm their spot at the tournament with a game to spare. Even if they fail to beat Sierra Leone, they will need a draw  at least against Sao Tome and Principe in their final game at home to be at the tournament.

The tomorrow’s game has taken a dimension of more than just a qualifier game as it will have an impact on the future of Peseiro as coach of the team. Sources at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) say failure to beat the Lone Stars will see the coach take a walk before the team’s final game in the series against Sao Tome and Principe.

However if they are able to get a win, his deal will be extended for another year with a clause mandated him to win the Africa Cup of Nations next year and trigger an automatic two years extension. All the plan deals will only happen if he agrees to a pay cut.

He currently earns $70,000, a wage which the football house is struggling to cope with the former board agreeing to pay the Portuguese that much because of a failed promise by former minister of sports Sunday Dare that the federal government of Nigeria will handle the wages of the coach.

Osas Mahawi

Crystal Palace midfielder Ebere Eze yesterday made his senior international debut for the English national team potentially ending any hope of a siwtch to the senior national team of Nigeria.

Eze was subbed on in England’s 4-0 win over Malta in the Euros Qualifiers. A debut he referred to as a dream come true owing to how he rose to the senior national team from that teen who was released by Championship side Millwall four years ago.

He joined QPR on a free transfer and made his mark there for two seasons and it earned him a move to Crystal Palace, where he stole the show last season as they recover from a slow start to beat the drop. Especially in the final run in of the season under coach Roy Hodgson.

That form was rewarded with an England call up and yesterday he made his debut, four years after training with the senior national team of Nigeria during their training camp in London, and two years after twice meeting with the former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick on playing for Nigeria.

Despite the move he stuck to his decision to play for England ahead of Nigeria and that decision drew him attacks and curses from Nigerians when he posted his excitement at finally playing for England at senior level.

” You won’t finish well. Mark my words”, a Nigerian posted under his Instagram handle. Another one wrote ” You will wake up to find out that the dream is nothing but a nightmare”.

” Your next cap will be in 2027. Ask Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori. It will end in tears”, writes another using the international black out the anglo Nigerian duo of Abraham and Tomori are currently enduring with England. They also turned down Nigeria for England.

Osas Mahawi

The Super Eagles of Nigeria yesterday had their last training session at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game against Sierra Leone in Monrovia, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

All 23 players called up by coach of the team Jose Peseiro have been part of the preparation and it includes 19 foreign based players and four players called up from teams in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The four players are Victor Sochima of Rivers United, Olorunleke Ojo of Enyimba, Ebube Duru of Rivers United and Divine Nwachukwu of Insurance. All four of them have been mixing it up with their more illustrious teammates from top teams abroad.

Nwachukwu’s invitation can be said to be the shock of them all as the 20 year old was deemed not good enough by the U20 team and the U23 team earlier this year. But a fine performance for Insurance at the NPFL playoff caught the attention of Peseiro, hence a first time call up.

We asked a senior player of the team to give us his assessment of the diminutive midfielder who started off as a striker for the U15 team of Nigeria, rose to the U17 and went to the 2019 World Cup but got limited playing time as Nigeria exited the tournament in the round of 16.

” I think he is talented but this level is a bit too high for him particularly for a game of this importance. I don’t think he is ready for this stage yet but if nutured properly, he will no doubt have a career to be proud of. The talent is there to see especially when he tries some moves. A lot of players from the NPFL have trained with us in the past and showed promises.  I hope he makes the step up from here”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Osas Mahawi

Italian giants AC Milan are no doubt keen on bolstering their options in attack and in recent days they have been linked to two Nigerian players in Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Boniface.

While discussion with Chukwueze has progressed nicely with only a fee left to be agreed with Villarreal, Boniface of Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise who finished as joint top scorer in the UEFA Europa League is seen as a back up plan, if they fail to get their main target Marcus Thuram.

While the aforementioned duo are players who need little or no introduction, a lot of Nigerians would have forgotten about Chukwubuikem Ikwuemessi who was a part of the 2021 Nigeria U20 team that failed to qualify for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ikwuemessi was the top striker of the Ladan Bosso led team but didn’t quite turn up at the WAFU B championship which serves as the qualifiers for the AFCON. He has however found his feet in Slovenia particularly this season.

Reports from Italy has it that the 21 year old who has been a revelation for NK Celje is a target for AC Milan after hitting nine goals with five assists from 30 games. He will reportedly cost the Italian side around €300,000 to €500,000 to sign him.

Coach of Milan Stefano Pioli is said to be a huge admirer of his direct play after glowing recommendation on him from a scout who works with the coach. His potential transfer is said to be one that will likely go as one of the shock moves of the summer.

Daniel Martins

The owner of English Championship side Watford Gino Pozzo claimed that he was offered the chance to sign Nigeria and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Osimhen powered Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years with as many as 31 goals in all competitions this season and that has led to talks about his future at the club, considering the fact that he has two years left on his deal.

His rise from the boy who couldn’t cut it at German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg to one that is one of the most coveted strikers in European football in the world has really taken a lot of people by surprise.

One of them is the owner of Watford, who claimed he was offered the chance to sign the Nigerian while he was on loan to Belgium side Charleroi just before he joined French top division side Lille.

He said they rejected the chance to sign him, a move that he probably secretly regrets with the Nigerian now out of the league of teams like Watford with his price tag pegged at €150m. ” We actually missed Osimhen, they ( Charleroi) offered him to us and we didn’t take it”, he said.