The Nigeria U17 team have been preparing for the U17 Africa Cup of Nations at their camp in Abuja with test games against local teams around Nigeria, OGN reports.

So far, the team who are the champions of WAFU is yet to test defeat in their last five friendly games, where they have also scored goals for fun much to the delight of the technical crew of the team led by Nduka Ugabde.

Top of the results they have picked so far is the 7-0 thrashing of Hendrich FC and also 8-2 whitewash of Anambra Selected FC. They are however set for stiffer tests in the coming days when they leave on a training tour.

OGN exclusively gathered that the team has already started the visa application process of the trip to Germany with players who scaled through the Magnetic Imaging Resonance test (MRI). The test is meant to detect players who are within the age limit for the tournament.

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria are in group B and will take on Zambia, Morocco and South Africa at the tournament, which is the qualifiers for the U17 World Cup. It will be hosted in Algeria and played played between 29 April and 19 May 2023.

Damian Waziri

The chances of the U23 of Nigeria qualifying for the U23 Africa Cup of Nations appears not to be over yet following a protest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the eligibility of six players from the Guinean team that knocked Nigeria out of the qualifiers, OGN can exclusively reveal.

Nigeria were beaten 2-0 on aggregate by Guinea in the qualifiers for the tournament, which is the qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic games that will take place in Paris. They are still pushing to qualify on technical ground.

We gathered that they have filed a protest to CAF on the eligibility of six players in the Guinean team with evidence to show that they are above the age limit, using their past documents in previous CAF tournaments.

Guinea have been made aware of the development and a player from the Nigerian team said when they met players of the team at the airport after the game in Morocco, they were sober and some were even in tears.

CAF is expected to rule on the case after studying all the documents and also getting a defence from Guinea. No time frame has been set for the proper hearing of the case but it will be done in time to allow for preparation for the tournament.

Osas Mahawi

Reports in France indicates that Aliko Dangote who is officially rated as the richest man in Nigeria has shifted his much publicized intention to buy English Premier League side Arsenal for a French side, OGN reports.

Dangote, who is a massive Arsenal fan, started his long quest to become the superior figure at the Emirates all the way back in 2011. The 62-year-old revealed he was interested in taking over the 15.9 per cent stake purchased by much-maligned Kroenke nine years ago.

However it appears that plan has been put on hold as he is now reportedly close to sealing a deal that will hand him 100 percent control of French Ligue 2 side Valenciennes according to L’equipe.

The report went further to say he was present at the Hainut Stadium, when they lost 4-5 at home to Paris FC. He is currently studying the documents that will hand him full control of the team currently placed 14th in the league.

Founded 110 years ago, the club have spent 40 years in the top division and 36 years in the second division of French football. They have never won the top division but have twice won the second division.

Since suffering relegation in 2014, they have been unable to return to the top division, where they spent eight consecutive years, no thanks to a huge financial crisis that has now made the club available for sale.

Mohammed Mowiz

The top scorer in the English Championship Chuba Akpom is showing no sign of slowing down yet as he was once again on target despite his team losing 2-4 to Huddersfield Town.

Akpom found the back of the net for the fifth game running with what ended as a consolation goal in the 77th minute. His 25th goal of the season, seven clear of his closest challenger for the top scorer award Viktor Gyökeres of Coventry City.

His form has also kept alive the dream of Middlesbrough to steal a promotion playoff spot, the 27 year old fromer Arsenal striker is one of the success stories of the reign of Michael Carrick as coach of the team.

AK-47 as the forward is called switched nationality to Nigeria in 2019 from England, where he played for their youth teams at different levels but poor club form has denied him a look in until now.

However, it seems he will still have to wait for his debut for the senior national team of Nigeria with head coach Jose Peseiro confirming during the international break that he isn’t part of his plans for now.

“If I give you one chance to take someone from my team and put him. Who will you remove? I like all my players. I like them and I understand you”, he responded to OGN editor in chief Mohammed Mowiz.

“It’s my job as the coach to choose the best player for our team but if I ask other guys or maybe the 120 million Nigerians . They can’t choose others but it’s my job and in my mind I choose the best players for our team.

“Of course I know this player., I have visit this player, you check this player. You know I visit many players at their clubs. If I choose this one in this moment. I believe more on him than the others . For that I am the coach, I take responsibility. If I loose cut my neck not your neck.

“I appreciate, I know this player, my staff also. We see these players for each weekend, we see 48 match, watching all the players. Yes he (Akpom) is a good player I know but in this moment. I don’t have enough confidence in him but in the future of course, it’s open for everyone”, he rounded up saying.

With his 25th goal of the season, he has once again put himself in the spotlight to be mentioned for a call up for the next round of international games in June.

Damian Waziri

Red hot Nigerian striker Gift Orban took his goal count to nine in eight games in the Belgium top division with a brace in their 5-0 win over
RFC Seraing, OGN reports.

Orban showed his predatory instincts by reacting quickest in the box to turn home the opening goal of the game in the 18th minute, he made it two for himself and the team with another goal in the 52nd minute.

He added gloss to his performance when he laid the assist for Hugo Cuypers for the third goal of the game. Cuypers helped himself to a brace of his own with his second and his side’s fifth in the 77th minute.

German born defender of Nigerian descent Jordan Torunarigha scored in between the brace for the high flying side as they picked up another comprehensive win powered by Orban, their January signing once again.

He now has  a total of 13 goals from just 11 games in all competitions. Before his move to Gent in January, he scored 16 22 games for second division Norwegian side Stabæk.

Osas Mahawi

Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen is set for a spell on the sidelines that could potentially wreck the chances of his team going all the way in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Napoli have all but wrapped up the Serie A title with a healthy 21 points lead over second placed Lazio but in the UEFA Champions League, they are in the quarter final where they will take on fellow Serie A side AC Milan.

Osimhen is likely to miss both games owing to the muscle injury he picked up while on international duty with Nigeria, already he will miss this weekend game against AC Milan in the league and their next game against Lecce.

The hope was he will return in time for the game against AC Milan in two weeks time but his recent post on Twitter suggests he could miss both games and possibly the rest of the season pending on the speed of his recovery.

” Sorry guys, I will be back stronger than ever in a month or two. #Forzanapolisempre #Godisgreat 🙏”, he posted on Twitter, he has however deleted the post leading to suggestions that he probably made a mistake.

Scottish League giants Rangers have announced the signing of Nigeria U20 trainee Ishaka Thompson on a two year deal, which will run till the summer of 2025, OGN reports.

The recently turned 18 year old has been on the radar of the club for about a year after impressing at a youth team tournament where he represented Brooke House Football Academy. He had two separate training times at the club.

He recently played with the B team of the Scottish side at a youth tournament in Morocco after which a decision on signing him was reached and today, it was officially announced.

Ishaka trained with the Ladan Bosso bronze winning U20 team for three weeks at their camp in Abuja but failed to make the team for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, where they picked a ticket to be at the U20 World Cup.

There is still no confirmation on if he will be considered for the tournament which will now be held in Argentina, however his chances would have brightened up with this move to the Scottish side. He will start with the B team from where his progress will be monitored for promotion to the first team.

The invitation of the top scorer in the Europa League Victor Boniface to the Super Eagles for the AFCON Qualifiers , which was said to have been received without a return tickets has been proved as false.

It was widely reported that , the 22 year old who is the joint top scorer in the UEFA Europa League with Manchester United Marcus Rashford on five goals snubbed an invitation to the Nigerian team.

The report said he was asked to buy his ticket and will be reimbursed by the Nigeria Football Federation, when he shows up for the games which would have been his first in the colours of the senior national team of Nigeria.

Boniface took to Twitter to deny the report that he was called up for the games against Guinea Bissau in Abuja and Bissau respectively. 24 hours later the Nigeria Football Federation have now added their voice to the issue.

“By way of clarification, Victor Boniface was not invited for the Super Eagles’ AFCON Qualifiers against Guinea Bissau. He was on the provisional list but didn’t make the final list, and therefore was not sent a flight ticket”, the official Twitter handle of the Federation posted.

It means his situation is the same as that of Lorient’s midfielder Innocent Bonke, whose call up was announced by his Ligue 1 side but we were made to understand that he was on the provisional 34 man list for the games. He missed out when it was trimmed to 20 in the days leading to the game.

Mohammed Mowiz

The future of the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has dominated discussions in the wake of the team’s uninspiring performances in back to back AFCON qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau.

Nigeria lost 0-1 to Guinea Bissau but won away 1-0 in the reverse tie to reclaim top spot but their performance in both games was far from convincing leading to calls for the coach to be cut loose when his contract expires in June.

With the NFF still owing the Portuguese four months of unpaid wages, not ten as widely reported and a clause saying he can only be sacked if he fails to win the next AFCON, a decision appears not to be imminent on his future.

Reacting to his unsettled future, former Nigeria U17, U20 and also Chelsea youth teamer Emma Sarki said even though the coach looks out of his depth, he is still better than any other indigenous coach being talked about his possible replacement.

” The problem with most indigenous coaches is that football has left them behind. We see how the U23 crashed out of the race to be at next months U23 AFCON. Look at our teams in the CAF tournaments under indigenous coaches. Peseiro to me over any indigenous coach unless we want to continue recycling those who failed the team”,he rounded up saying.

Mohammed Mowiz