A total of six players have turned down the chance to switch their nationality to Nigeria since Eric Chelle was appointed as head coach, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Chelle has been proactive in approaching players born abroad to commit to the senior national team of Nigeria, and has so far succeeded in bringing two into the fold in Felix Agu of Werder Bremen and Ryan Alebiosu of Blackburn Rovers.

However he has recorded failures with some players , starting with Femi Seriki of English Championship side Sheffield United. He was Chelle’s top pick at right back but he declined citing the need to get back to full fitness after injury issues.

Then there was Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor who was clear that his future lies with Italy, despite the fact that he only just became eligible to be handed an Italian passport after turning 18 this year.

Tim Iroegbunam of Everton was prime for a spot in the midfield by Chelle ahead of the AFCON, but the 22 year old asked to be given time before making a decision on his international future.

Then there was George Ilenikhena formerly of AS Monaco and now with Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia. He still remains a target despite turning down the chance to be a part of the team for AFCON.

Although talks are still advancing with Michael Kayode of Brentford, his decision is however tied to if he is called up by coach of Italy Gennaro Gattuso for the upcoming world cup playoff later this month.

The last on the list is Carney Chukwuemeka who has decided to opt for Austria. Chelle went as far as using his close friend Alebiosu to speak with him but the talks ended unsuccessfully.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Flamengo fires Filipe Luis hours after an 8-0 win in the Carioca semi-final. The coach won 7 trophies in just over two years but lost the job amid internal issues.

Shock Sacking Right After Big Win

Flamengo dropped a real surprise. They sacked head coach Filipe Luis just hours after his side crushed Madureira 8-0 in the Carioca Championship semi-final. If you only checked the latest football scores, you’d never expect this kind of drama behind the scenes. The team booked their place in the final against Fluminense on March 8, yet the club decided to part ways anyway. The news broke around 1 a.m. local time, catching almost everyone off guard.

From Player Legend to Trophy Machine

Filipe Luis knows big clubs inside out. As a player he spent eight seasons at Atletico Madrid across two spells. He lifted La Liga in the historic 2013/14 campaign when Atletico pippedBarcelona and Real Madrid. On top of that, he guided his team to two Champions League finals in just three seasons. That winning mentality carried over when he switched to coaching.

He took charge of Flamengo in September 2024 with a contract until December 2027. In roughly two and a half years he delivered seven trophies. Last season was especially strong. The team won the Brazilian Serie A, Copa Libertadores, Supercopado Brasil and Campeonato Carioca. Those titles marked one of the most successful periods in Flamengo’s entire history.

What Went Wrong This Season

The good times did not last into 2026. A couple of key defeats hurt badly. The turning point came on February 27 with a 2-3 loss to Lanus in the Recopa Sudamericana final. The start of the year felt shaky overall, and fan patience wore thin. Even during big wins, you could hear boos in the stands.

Inside the club, things got tense. President Luiz Eduardo Baptista, usually called Bap, pulled his support. Parts of the dressing room drifted away, too. Technical director José Boto, who built experience at Shakhtar Donetsk, argued for more time to steady the ship. He believed the early struggles could be fixed. In the end, he accepted the majority view, and the change went ahead.

The Ironic Timing of the Decision

Picture this. The team scores eight goals without reply, looks unstoppable, and celebrates reaching another final. Then the coach walks into a press conference, answers questions, and gets told his time is up. Reports say the conversation lasted under a minute. That kind of speed shows how fast decisions move at Flamengo. Some stories mention extra friction. There were whispers about Filipe holding talks with Chelsea owners regarding a possible move to their sister club Strasbourg. True or not, the board felt trust had broken. That sped up the whole process.

What Happens Next for Flamengo

Filipe Luis Moves On

Filipe left with dignity. In his farewell, he said he chased the dream of coaching Flamengo and achieved a lot along the way. He can hold his head high after those titles. For fans tracking his journey on livescore mobi, his name will always be linked to this special period. At 40, he remains young in coaching terms. His Atletico background and recent success should open doors again, maybe back in Europe. Football rarely waits. One night, you are toasting an 8-0 demolition, and then you are clearing your desk. That is life at a club like Flamengo, where expectations never drop.

Nigeria international forward Kelechi Iheanacho has been told he is free to leave Scottish side Celtic when his contract runs out in the summer, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Iheanacho joined the team on a free transfer in the summer after terminating his contract with Spanish side Sevilla. He signed a one year deal with the option of another year.

However the move hasn’t worked out as planned, and the club has informed his representative that they won’t be taking the option of extending his deal for another year.

Since joining the team in the summer, Iheanacho has been plagued with injuries and fitness issues limiting his appearances to just 14 in all competitions, where he has three goals and one assist.

The 29 year old will leave the club as a free agent, and likely head to the Middle East where a couple of team made enquiries about him before he decided to join Celtic , where he was reunited with his former coach at Leicester City Brendan Rodgers.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

English Premier League side Bournemouth will make another move to sign Nigeria international midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru from Lazio in the summer transfer window, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Bournemouth pushed to sign him in the January transfer window, but Lazio who have already let go of two midfielders in the same window were not open to his exit.

Lazio decided to hold on to the Nigerian, who was at that time with the senior national team of Nigeria campaigning at the Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished third.

A summer move is now on the card, but Bournemouth won’t be having a free run at the 25 year old with some other teams in England notably Leeds United also monitoring his situation in Italy.

Fisayo is interested in a return to England, where he started his career with the youth team of Manchester City. He is valued in the region of €25 million by Lazio the team he joined permanently in the summer from Turkish side Hatayspor after a year on loan.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle says he is getting linked to every available job in the wake of reports linking him to the job of Wydad of Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle who still has a year to go on his deal with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was earlier linked with the job of Ligue 1 duo of Marseille and Nantes respectively.

The coach denied registering his interest in both jobs, and said it’s not true that he is used the reports to push the NFF during talks on extending his contract with the senior national team of Nigeria.

Earlier this week he was linked to the job of Wydad of Morocco, a report which the NFF were quick to shut down. Chelle said the reports have left him wondering why he is getting linked to every job.

” Every time I see a report it’s about going to one club or one country and I wonder why they are doing that. They link me to every available jobs even the once that have coaches working. I don’t think it’s fair”, the coach said.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

RB Leipzig have already picked a replacement Yan Diomande who is linked with a summer move to Liverpool after his explosive season, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The Ivory Coast international has scored 11 goals and assisted seven times in just 27 appearances across all competitions this season. Leipzig are claimed to value Diomande at roughly $116.5million.

According to reports, the Liverpool hierarchy is willing to make an early move for the 19-year-old in an attempt to beat its rivals to his signature. The report states that the Reds are discussing the possibility of making a push to sign Diomande this summer, while the move isn’t dependent on Mohamed Salah’s future.

On their part Leipzig have already signed his replacement in Sani Suleiman, who joined in the summer from AS Trenčín of Slovakia for a club record fee.

Suleiman suffered a setback in training which has delayed his potential debut, but he is now back in training and expected to make his debut before the end of the season.

In the summer he is expected to be fully integrated into the team’s pre season training, and will begin the season pushing for a spot in the team’s starting lineup for next season.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Retired Turkish footballer Sinan Engin says Bayern Munich will in the summer make a bid of €115 million for Victor Osimhen, who will replace Harry Kane, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Osimhen has blossomed in the UEFA Champions League for unfancied Galatasaray leading them to two wins over Liverpool which includes yesterday win, and in the previous round they knocked out Juventus.

As expected, top teams around Europe have been alerted to his performance, and he is expected to be on the shortlist of couple of top teams around Europe.

Engin who now works as a television pundit made this known shortly after Osimhen powered Galatasaray to a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.

Reacting to the performance of Osimhen, who has been linked with a summer departure from Galatasaray, the 61 year old said in the summer Galatasaray will receive an offer of €115m for Osimhen.

“Bayern Munich has a 115 million euro offer for Victor Osimhen. Harry Kane is leaving, and they’re considering Osimhen as his replacement. I heard there’s a 115 million euro offer. In the eyes of Galatasaray fans, Osimhen’s price is boundless.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The captain of the Nigeria U20 team Daniel Daga has been convicted of sexual activity without consent and sentenced to six months in prison, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The 19 year old stood before Nordmøre and Romsdal District Court for having committed a sexual act against a person who did not consent to it.

However the player has through his defense attorney, notified an appeal of the verdict. The case is therefore not legally binding, and it will be processed further in the legal system according to a statement by his club Molde.

Molde say Daga will not be part of the match squad until further notice due to the situation and the ongoing legal process

Daga joined Molde last year from Enyimba after excelling for the Nigeria U20 team at the world cup.

19 year old Liverpool midfielder Afolami Onanuga trained with the first‑team squad of Liverpool ahead of the trip to Turkey for the UEFA Champions League round of 17 game against Galatasaray, offering a glimpse of another highly rated youngster edging closer to the senior picture.

Onanuga, nicknamed “Fola”, is a 19‑year‑old box‑to‑box midfielder who signed his first professional contract with Liverpool in November 2023 after progressing through the academy since joining as an under‑11 from grassroots football in Manchester.

Despite training with the first team, Onanuga failed to make the final in 21-man sqaud that travelled for the game later today.

The Nigerian‑born, England‑eligible prospect has been a standout for Marc Bridge‑Wilkinson’s under‑18s, known for carrying the ball forward, linking play and affecting games in the final third, and he has already made the step up to feature for the under‑21s.

As for his international future, a source close to the player revealed his outmost desire is to play for the senior national team of Nigeria, due to his strong Nigerian heritage.

” I spoke about him when he (Fola) signed his contract in 2023 and it’s still the same desire to play for Nigeria. However the focus now is on making the first team of Liverpool before any talks of international football”, he said.