As the date for the announcement of the squad of the senior national team for the final two games of the AFCON qualifiers draws near, players who are in the list of invited players have been contacted by head coach of the team Jose Peseiro, OGN can exclusively reveal.

Yesterday, we broke the news about the inclusion of Belgium based forward Gift Orban, who has been handed his first call up after hitting 19 goals in 19 games since his move from Norwegian second division side Stabæk to Gent of Belgium.

We can also exclusively report that Tyronne Ebuehi has been handed a recall to the team with doubts surrounding the availability of Bright Osayi-Samuel, who has nailed the right back slot of the team for the past three games.

Osayi-Samuel is an injury doubt for the game and Peseiro has decided to reward Ebuehi for his fine form in the Italian Serie A for Empoli, where he has three assists in two games. He supplied the pass for the two goals that gave his team a 2-1 win over Salernitana. He followed it up with another assist last weekend in their 1-1 draw against Sampdoria.

27 year old Ebuehi will be returning to the team for the first time since the 0-4 loss to Portugal, a game he didn’t get to play. His last appearance for Nigeria came at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he played 75 minutes of the 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau in their final group game.

Damian Waziri

The viral story about Simoiben Football Academy placing a €5m price tag on Nigeria U17 star Emmanuel Michael has been termed as false by the president of the Kaduna based football academy, OGN reports.

Michael played all of the games of the Nigeria U17 team at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations but his two assists wasn’t enough to power the team for the semi final, which would have seen them pick a ticket for the World Cup.

He was one of the stars of the WAFU tournament, where Nigeria emerged as champions picking up three man of the match awards in five games at the tournament, he scored three goals from free kicks. His future is one that has generated a lot of discussion.

Speaking on his rumoured price tag of €5m, president of the academy Mrs Sarah Moses Simon frowned at the reports terming it as malicious and damaging to the image of the academy, which isn’t built around making the most money from players transfers rather helping them go through the path that will help develop their careers.

” It’s not true. We find it damaging and very malicious to our image. Michael like the rest of the players we have in our set up won’t be sold to the highest bidder rather to the team that will help advance their career*, she said.

The wife of Super Eagles star Moses Simon also said the situation is the same for Benjamin Fredrick, who is with the Nigeria U20 team at the U20 World Cup. He was one of the standout players for Nigeria at the U20 AFCON, and got rated as the sixth best player at the tournament.

” Benjamin and Nicholas Jonathan who was at the AFCON won’t be sold to the highest bidder rather to the team where they will develop. For Benjamin it will be decided after the World Cup while Jonathan is expected to travel very soon for negotiation with a team”, she rounded up saying.

Mohammed Mowiz

The Nigeria U20 team yesterday left their camp in the city of Buenos Aires to Mendoza, where they will be based for the duration of the U20 World Cup taking place in Argentina, OGN reports.

Led by team Ladan Bosso, the team left a day after their 3-3 draw against the U20 team of Colombia, their second friendly game in Argentina after beating Club Almirante Brown 3-2 in the other game.

A total of 20 players arrived Mendoza ahead of their first groups game on Sunday against Dominican Republic. The game will be the first game in the group, with the other group game between Brazil and Argentina billed for two hours later.

The only player yet to arrive in the camp of the team is AC Milan midfielder Victor Eletu, but the back and forth over his arrival has been put to rest as he is expected to leave Italy today and arrived in Argentina by tomorrow.

For now, reports from the camp has it that he isn’t in contention for the first game but Bosso won’t hesitate to throw him in, if he impreses him before the game against Italy on Wednesday, the 24th of May.

Mohammed Mowiz

Gent of Belgium rave of the moment Gift Orban has been handed his first call up to the senior national team of Nigeria, OGN can exclusively reveal.

20 year old Orban has emerged as one of the most sought after property in European football after scoring 19 goals in 19 games for Gent, the team he joined in January from Norwegian second division side Stabæk.

We exclusively gathered that head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro told him of his inclusion in the team when the pair met in Belgium, when the coach visited two months ago.

He cleared the air on why he snubbed a call up to the Nigeria U23 team for the U23 AFCON qualifiers and his explanation was taken by the coach. He was set to be disciplined by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the act.

His invitation will be for the final round of qualifiers games for the AFCON 2023, where Nigeria will take on Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe respectively for a spot in the tournament, which will be hosted by Cote D’Ivoire.

The list of players for the games is expected to be made public in around two weeks time. Orban who is wanted by a host of teams in Europe is expected to take the spot of Paul Onuachu, who will likely miss out after a barren run since his move to relegated English Premier League side Southampton.

Damian Waziri

The coach of the 2019 Nigeria U17 team Manu Garba has predicted that Akinsola Babatunde Jimoh who recently made his senior debut for Real Valladolid in the Spanish LaLiga will in the nearest future play for the Super Eagles.

Akinsola was introduced in the 80th minute with Valladolid losing 0-2 in a game which later ended with the visitors scoring a third goal to clinch a 3-0 win, further compounding the relegation worries of the home team.

For the Nigerian, it has been a remarkable rise to the first team and his career as a whole, which all started from the 2019 WAFU tournament where he represented the U17 team of Nigeria under coach Manu Garba.

He joined the Spanish side in the summer from Nigeria League One side Valiant FC and made the step up to the first team after impressing with the B team in the Segunda Federacion- Group 1 league.

Speaking on his rise to the top in just a year, Garba said he isn’t surprised and predicted that in not less than one year, He will be in the senior national team of Nigeria because he has that technical edge every teams needs.

” Akin’s rise isn’t surprising to me. There is now way he won’t be appreciated by a coach who knows what he wants. He is quick and also very technical, that’s an edge he has that every team needs. Like the 13 of my former players who have played for the U17 team of Nigeria, he will join them very soon. He just need to have a steady club career”, he told OGN.

Mohammed Mowiz

The Nigeria U20 team played their last test game ahead of the start of the U20 World Cup yesterday and it ended in a 2-2 draw against fellow World Cup side Colombia, OGN reports.

Nigeria came twice from behind including when they were 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with goals from Jude Sunday, Mohammed Beji and Emmanuel Umeh. A member of the backroom staff picked the five players who made a mark in the game.

Jude Sunday: The way he scored the first goal can be said to be out of nothing. He picked up a loose ball, went past two players with ease before curling the ball into the net. So effortlessly and I think if he plays at his level, we have a gem on our hands.

Tochukwu Nnadi – Among the new players added to the team he is the one that I can say has no issue in settling down. He controlled everything yesterday and his partnership with Daniel Daga has blossomed in such a short time. In the second half, when Dafa was subbed on they dictated the game.

Benjamin Fredrick – He keeps improving everyday in training and test games. He didn’t put a foot wrong yesterday. I’m not sure anyone in the back four can say the same. So much at home when on the ball to the extent that he was getting fouled by the Colombians.

Mohammed Beji – His energy is different. He ran at the Colombians non stop. Took his goal well and did a very good job defensively for the team.

Daniel Daga- His introduction was the catalyst for the comeback. The way he wants the ball even when he is under pressure unsettled the Colombians. He is one player who can slot into any team with ease.

Mohammed Mowiz

The former coach of Egyptian giants Al Ahly Pitso Mosimane is among the five names favored to be the next Super Eagles coach when the contract of the current coach Jose Peseiro runs out, OGN can exclusively reveal.

Peseiro’s deal will be running out in June and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) isn’t keen on extending the deal, hence have started making moves towards engaging another coach as soon as possible.

We gathered, already it has been unanimously agreed by the board members of the football house that the coach shouldn’t be given an extension even on reduced wages. Also they have already start receiving applications from coaches interest in the job.

Among the coaches who have contacted the NFF is South African coach Mosimane, whose current at Saudi Arabia side Al-Ahli has ended after guiding the team back to the top division. His representative has already taken the first step regarding his interest.

” We (NFF) have been receiving applications from coaches and some have been offered to us by their representatives. Since you asked I will be tell you that Pitso Mosimane is among the top names offered to us by a Nigerian who has a very close relationship with him”, a source at the NFF told OGN.

” His case is very much like a continuation of what was started before he went to Saudi Arabia. In his final year at Al Ahly he was offered to us by the same person. Around that time Peseiro was the anointed choice. So it didn’t work, let’s wait and see what will happen in the coming days.

” He (Mosimane) is not the only one even Peseiro wants to continue in his role beyond the expiration of his deal. For now we are not looking at firing him but no talks over an extension of his deal. I’m sorry I can’t tell you the other names. Five of them are really top options for now*, he stated.

Mohammed Mowiz

Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam has warned the club against signing of Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen in the summer transfer window, OGN reports.

Osimhen is reportedly among the players wanted by coach of the team Erik ten Hag to boost his attack at the end of the season. The attack has been one of the problems of the team relying almost entirely on Marcus Rashford for goals.

In the summer , they are said to be faced with the option of either going for Osimhen or Tottenham Hotspur captain Harry Kane who will be entering the final year of his contract at Spurs by the end of the season.

Both players will likely cost them in excess of £100m but Stam believes Kane will be much more value for money than the Nigerian, who could struggle in England while getting used to the tempo, pace and demands of the league.

As per Full Circle with Bet365, Stam said it was ‘difficult’ to say which forward would suit Erik ten Hag’s side more.

‘Kane knows the Premier League very well, he’s proven himself at Spurs and he’s one of the best goalscorers in the world, he knows the level of play and what’s been expected from him, and what he can bring,’ Stam told the newspaper.

‘So you can bring in a player like Kane and of course you would be doing a very, very good deal for United in bringing him in. I think Osimhen, he’s a different type of player.

‘For him, he needs to get acquainted with the Premier League at first. It can go fast, but it can also be a struggle at times as well.’

Daniel Martins