The camp of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau has received a huge boost for the first of the two games against Guinea Bissau.

They were fears that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen will likely miss the games with Napoli insisting on a scan on the striker before he is allowed to honour the games according to several reports in Italy.

However, OGN can exclusively reveal that Osimhen is already in Nigeria but presently in Lagos for the games. He is expected to arrive the camp of the team before their first real training session later this evening at the Moshood Abiola stadium in Abuja.

We gathered, he would have been in camp earlier but he took permission to attend an event in Lagos, where he is set to sign a multi million dollars endorsement deal with a brand Situs Slot gacor.

” They were some issues but it’s sorted. He is in Lagos now on permission from head coach Jose Peseiro. All things being equal he will be in training this evening, the reason for his stop over in Lagos is to seal an endorsement deal. So no shaking”, a team source told OGN.

Mohammed Mowiz

The Nigeria U23 will on Wednesday take on Guinea in the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers first leg game in Abuja before travelling two days later for the return leg in Conakry.

Already the Nigerian team have been training at their camp in Abuja in readiness for the game which is the final hurdle to seal a spot at the U23 Africa Cup of Nations. However it hasn’t been the best of preparations for a game of such importance.

From the initial invitation of players where 16 out of the 30 players were found out to be above the age to the disgraceful list of foreign based players called up to beef up the team. They are also going to be without the services of some of their technical staff.

One of the assistant coaches in the team Fidelis Ilechukwu has been told not to report to the camp of the team for the games. The Plateau United coach was with the team for the last round of qualifiers where they defeated Tanzania.

Also, the coordinator of the team Bashir Badawiy has also left his role and we gathered both decisions were taken by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as part of the measures to cut cost.  The same measure has been taken with all national teams by the Ibrahim Musa Gusau led board of the NFF.

Osas Mahawi

The real reason why coach of Enyimba FC of Aba Finidi George won’t be a part of the technical crew of the Super Eagles has been made known to the editorial team of OGN.

Finidi as reported by OGN won’t be part of the technical crew of the team for the AFCON 2023 qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau in Abuja and Bissau on the 24th of March and 27th respectively.

His exclusion is said to be the decision of the head coach Jose Peseiro as he was excluded from the team alongside the goakeepers trainer of the team Ike Shorunmu. However we exclusively gathered that with Finidi it was his decision to quit the team ahead of the games.

We gathered he decided on quiting the team as he hasn’t been offered a contract one year into his role as assistant coach of the team. He insist on having a valid contract else he won’t be a part of the coaching crew anymore.

It was his decision that made the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to summon second assistant of the team Usman Abdallah to join the team in camp for the game. Abdallah is also working without a contract like the other local coaches.

” Finidi wasn’t sacked. He quit the team on one condition which is he can’t continue working without a contract. Nobody should do that in a set up like the senior national team of any country. Unless that is sorted he won’t be a part of the team anymore”, a source close to the coach told OGN.

Mohammed Mowiz

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has told the goalkeeper trainer of the team Ike Shorunmu to stay away from the ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau.

Super Eagles are in camp for the back to back AFCON qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau on the 24th of March and the 27th in Abuja and away in Bissau respectively. The team will now prosecute the games without first assistant coach Finidi George and goakeepers trainer Shorunmu.

No idea on who will take the spot of Finidi as first assistant but it has been confirmed that the goalkeeper trainer of the Nigeria U20 team Baruwa Olatunji Abideen will be in the camp of the team for the games against Guinea Bissau

Shorunmu confirmed to Newstap.com.ng that he has been told to stay away from the camp of the team by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) but he hasn’t been officially notified by Peseiro.

“What you heard is true. In fact, I have been called by the NFF on the situation. I was told not to bother to go to camp. They told me it was Peseiro who didn’t want me to be part of the game. But as we speak, I have not heard from Peseiro himself,” Ike Shorunmu said.

An explanation on why Innocent Bonke of Ligue 1 side Lorient wasn’t included in the Super Eagles 23 man list for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau has been revealed to OGN.

Nigeria will take on Guinea Bissau in back to back AFCON qualifiers games starting from the first tie on the 24th before the reverse tie away three days later. Both teams have already made public the list of players for the game.

Bonke was said to be a part of the team per a release by his club on their players who will be involved in international games during the break but his name wasn’t on the list when it was made public by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

It is the second time his club has posted about his invitation but missing when the NFF official make public the list of players for games and it forced us into writing a report, and it drew a response from the authority concerned.

A top official of the NFF speaking on the condition of anonymity said there was nothing sinister in his omission from the final 23 man list for the games, explaining that he was part of the initial 34 man provisional list before it was pruned down to 23.

“Bonke was on the provisional list of 34 players which entails we inform all the clubs 15 days before the start of the FIFA window and then u pick ur final 23 as the case may be and decided upon by the head coach “, he explained.

As first reported by OGN editorial team, red hot Gent of Belgium forward Gift Orban has been extended a call up to be a part of the Nigeria U23 team for the upcoming U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea.

Orban is among the 16 players we added to the squad that was severely decimated when 16 of the 30 players called up were found out to be above the age limit.

The list has four players who were part of the team that played against Tanzania in the last round namely Michael Ologo (Istanbulspor), Ibrahim Sunusi (Montreal Impact), Sucesss Makanjuola (Liepaja), Isiah Ejeh (Mjallby), Abiodun Ogunniyi Omojesu (Auda).

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Success Makanjuola (FK Liepaja, Latvia); Bello Babatunde (Future FC, Egypt); Isaiah Ejeh (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Abiodun Ogunniyi (FK Auda, Latvia); Monsuru Opeyemi Abdullahi (FC Vizela, Portugal); Omole Akinyinka Olaoluwakitan (Athletic Newham, UK); Owen Tega Udoh (UD San Sebastian Reyes, Spain); Azeez Temitope Yusuf (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Charles Uba (Lillestrom FC, Norway); Simon Omon (Clube Operation Desportivo, Portugal); Ihekuna Maximillian Ugochukwu (FC Sfintul Gheorghe Suruceni, Moldova); Chukwudi Goodluck Igbokwe (KAA Gent, Belgium); Abass Saidi (Zagalata FC, Azerbaijan); Ibrahim Buhari (IF Elfsborg, Sweden); Gift Emmanuel Orban (KAA Gent, Belgium); Samuel Amadi (Eramica Cleopatra, Egypt)

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro caused a lot of debate with his decision to include some players in the list of players called up for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau.

Peseiro’s list was largely filled with players who are mostly inactive ahead of players who have been doing really well this season. Their inclusion had led to many labelling the coach as incompetent.

That appears not to be the case according to Colin Udoh of ESPN, he wrote the coach was forced to compromise because of an instruction from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on a particular quota for foreign based players.

In his report, Udoh quoted an unnamed chief of the NFF who said the coach has been told not to call up more than 20 foreign based players as a means of cutting cost due to the financial issue the football house is facing, he was also mandated to call players from the Nigeria Professional Football League to bring visibility to the league.

“We cannot afford to invite so many players from Europe any more because we need to be very judicious in our use of the limited funds we have,” the board member said. “Peseiro can call as many players as he wants, but only 20 can come from abroad. If he needs any more, he should get them from the local league.”

“The president wants to make sure that the local league players are recognized in the Super Eagles, and this will be one way to help strengthen the league and make it more attractive,” the board member told Udoh.

It was on the premises of the above that two Nigeria U20 players in Chijioke Anigboso and Daniel Bameyi were handed a call up to the team in addition to Victor Sochima of Rivers United.

For the case of Ahmed Musa, the coach had to hand him a call up with his contract up in few months time and Musa is seen by the Portuguese as someone who can influence the top men at the NFF to give him an extension.

Another reason is for Musa to act as mediator in the planned discussion with the new NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau, over their unpaid wages which runs into billions of Nigeria left behind by the former NFF board led by Amaju Pinnick.

Mohammed Mowiz

As first reported by OGN editorial team, red hot Gent of Belgium forward Gift Orban has been extended a call up to be a part of the Nigeria U23 team for the upcoming U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea.

Orban is among the ten players we exclusively gathered have been added to the squad that was severely decimated when 16 of the 30 players called up were found out to be above the age limit.

The list has five players who were part of the team that played against Tanzania in the last round namely Michael Ologo (Istanbulspor), Ibrahim Sunusi (Montreal Impact), Sucesss Makanjuola (Liepaja), Isiah Ejeh (Mjallby), Abiodun Ogunniyi Omojesu (Auda) and Promise David who is said to be on  the books of Maltese side Sirens FC.

We gathered outside Orban, another new name in the mix is former Nigeria U17 midfielder Monsuru Opeyemi of Portuguese side Vizela. As at the time of filing in this report we don’t have the names of the remaining foreign based players invited by coach Salisu Yusuf.

Nigeria will host the first leg of the two legged tie on Wednesday, the 22nd of March before travelling to Guinea for the reverse tie which will be played on Saturday, the 25th of March in Conakry.

Mohammed Mowiz

The list of players called up to the senior national team of Nigeria by coach Jose Peseiro has continue to divide opinion among soccer loving Nigerians. He called up 23 players for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau.

Peseiro’s list had players who are struggling for games at their clubs or some out of form at the moment. The listed is headed by captain of the team Ahmed Musa and it includes Joe Aribo, Wilfred Ndidi, Paul Onuachu, Kenneth Omeruo and Semi Ajayi.

But who should have taken the place of the aforementioned players? OGN editor in chief Mohammed Mowiz picks five players who would have made the list ahead of some of the players listed above.

1. Tella For Musa – While Musa is struggling to get games at Turkish side Sivasspor, Nathan Tella is among the driving force behind Burnley’s record making season in the English Championship. They are on course for promotion and he has contributed 17 goals from 34 games.

The only meaningful reason would have been if his switch of allegiance process from England to Nigeria isn’t completed yet but from what is available to us that is not the case.

2. Akpom For Onuachu – It makes no sense to leave out a 27 year old who has 23 goals in 30 games and for the third month running has been voted the best player in the English Championship. Onuachu who was picked in attack hasn’t really settle down to life in England since his January transfer deadline day move to Southampton. No case of his call up being held up by a switch of allegiance process because he has been cleared to play for Nigeria since 2019.

So why is he not in the team?

3. Ebuehi For Ajayi – For a team that has just one right back in Bright Osayi-Samuel owing to the absence of Ola Aina through suspension. It’s makes no sense that Tyrone Ebuehi who has been in fine form for Empoli this season wasn’t given a look in.

Aside that the Serie A is rated highly that the Turkish league where Osayi-Samuel plays , Ebuehi has also played more games than the 25 year old. So maybe there is even a case of him getting a call up ahead of not just the inactive Semi Ajayi but also Osayi-Samuel.

4. Bonke For Aribo/Ndidi- If dropping Ndidi is hard then that of Aribo should be straight forward. The duo have struggled to get games the past one month but Aribo who has a new coach in Rubén Sellés should have been allowed to stay back and fight for his spot by getting used to the system the new manager.

Innocent Bonke of Ligue 1 side Lorient must be wondering who he offended as for the second straight time he was handed a spot in the provisional list of 34 players but failed to make the cut for the final 23 man list despite his better performance than the players called up in his place.

5. Frederick For Omeruo – One of the revelation for Nigeria at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations has to be Benjamin Fredrick. The best time to have him take the first step towards the senior team would have been this game. Omeruo hasn’t had the best of years at Leganes and only played his first full game in four months last weekend.

When you consider that Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi and Kevin Akpoguma are ahead of him in the pecking order, a young defender should have been considered instead.