The international future of on loan Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun appears to have narrowed to just two countries in the USA or Nigeria after his latest snub by England, OGN reports.

Balogun has 16 goals in 26 Ligue 1 games for Reims where he is on a season long loan from the English Premier League leaders. His form is good enough for him to get a look in from selectors of senior national teams for the upcoming round of international games.

An England youth international but eligible for both Nigeria and the USA through his parents, the 21 year old was snubbed by England’s manager Gareth Southgate in his list of players for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.

The Three Lions boss selected Brentford’s Ivan Toney as Harry Kane’s understudy for March’s international fixtures. That decision appears to have angered the forward with his recent post on social media platform Instagram pointing in that direction.

“In life, go where you’re appreciated”, a post on his Instagram story reads on his verified handle on the platform. His unhappiness could mean narrowing his options to either Nigeria or the USA but the Americans have the lead at the moment.

The caretaker coach of the USA, Anthony Hudson has confirmed that talks are ongoing over recruiting Arsenal-owned striker Folarin Balogun.

Hudson told reporters : “All I’ll say, there is open dialogue with him and his team. That dialogue is continuing. That’s all I can say”. It is believed for family reasons he prefers the USA but for the love of his grand mother who still lives in Nigeria he is also not keen on immediately pledging his future to the team.

Daniel Martins

The list of 23 players called up to the senior national team of Nigeria was made public by coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro ahead of the back to back AFCON qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau.

One player who was conspicuously missing from the list is Torino of Italy defender Ola Aina who has returned to full fitness hence fit enough to add to his international caps for the senior national team of Nigeria.

His omission caused lot of uproars but from checks made by the editorial team of OGN, we can authoritatively reveal that cards accumulation is why the 26 year old was axed from the team.

He got his first yellow card in the 73rd minute of Nigeria’s encounter with Sierra Leone in Abuja. Days later, he was again booked in the 58th minute of the  10-0 defeat of Sao Tome in Morocco.

In accordance to Article 42.1 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, “a player who receives two

cautions shall be automatically suspended from playing the following match.” It is this provision that rules out Ola Aina in the encounter with Guinea Bissau.

Mohammed Mowiz

The list of the players called up to the senior national team of Nigeria for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau has been made public by the Nigeria Football Federation.

Head coach Jose Peseiro called up 23 players which includes two players from the Nigeria U20 team that finished third at the recently concluded U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. The team’s goalkeeper Chijioke Anigboso and captain Daniel Bameyi were handed their first senior call up.

While the decision to call up Anigboso can be said to be justified owing to his near faultless performance, the same can not be said of Bameyi who had to settle for a spot at right back as he couldn’t displace the duo of Benjamin Fredrick and Abel Ogwuche who formed a near perfect relationship in centre defence in his absence due to suspension.

His invitation has raised five questions begging from answers as compiled by OGN editor in chief Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman.

1. Which team is Yum Yum FC ?- When Bameyi was first called up to the B team of the senior national team of Nigeria for the friendly game against Costa Rica. Yum Yum FC was stated as his team.

A quick search was done and uptil date no club in Nigeria is registered with that name. Furthermore there is no any other player linked with the club be it in the past or present. Where exactly are they based? Abuja they said but sources in Abuja denied ever knowing a team with that name.

2. He wasn’t the best defender in the U20 team- At the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, Bameyi lost his spot in centre back after picking up two booking in the group stages of the tournament. Upon his return he had to settle with a spot at right back in the semi final and losers final game. Even that too ended up as a mockery of common sense as the player he displaced Augustine Njoku made the list of CAF best XI players of the tournament as the best right back.

3. Who is behind His National Team Call Ups- It has been a year to behold for the 17 year old defender in the national team set up of Nigeria. Played for the B team of the senior squad, played for the U23 and captained the U20. One would have been forced to understand if he is special but from all we have seen so far it’s more of a case of an unseen force pushing him around all the national teams he is eligible for.

4. Non League player in Super Eagles – One of the allegations leveled against then Super Eagles Stephen Keshi that led to his sack was his decision to invite a non league player in Gabriel Okechukwu to the senior national team. So what has changed between then and now that a non league player is worthy enough to be handed a senior national team call up.

5. What criteria led to his invitation – So clearly for a 17 year old to be in the senior team he must be special and seen as one with a future in the team. Special can’t be used in the same sentence as the Yum Yum FC teenager, so what was the criteria used in handing him a senior call?

So many questions begging for answer but we will stick with these five for now.

Head Coach José Santos Peseiro has invited team captain Ahmed Musa, in-form forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman as well as 20 other players to the Super Eagles’ camp, ahead of this month’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against the Djurtus of Guinea Bissau.

Nigeria and Guinea Bissau clash at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja from 5pm on Friday, 24th March, and then make it a second date at the Estadio 24 de Setembro in Bissau on Monday, 27th March, also starting from 5pm.

Captain of the Nigeria U20 side that finished in third place at the recently-concluded Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Egypt, Daniel Bameyi is called alongside team goalkeeper Chijioke Aniagboso. In-form goalkeeper Victor Sochima, one of the reasons Rivers United FC have inched close to a CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final ticket, will contend for the number one shirt with Francis Uzoho.

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Victor Sochima (Rivers United); Kingsley Aniagboso (Giant Brillars)

Defenders: Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Calvin Bassey (FC Ajax, The Netherlands); Daniel Bameyi (YumYum FC); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Joe Aribo (Southampton, England)

Forwards: Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal CF, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Paul Onuachu (Southampton FC, England)

A top shot in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has exclusively reveal that the football house has extended an invitation to Gent of Belgium striker Gift Orban for the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games against Guinea.

Orban has shot himself into the global attention with 12 goals in just nine games in all competitions since his move to Belgium side Gent from second division Norwegian side Stabæk in January.

Yesterday he grabbed a hattrick in three minutes in the Europa Conference League against Istanbul Basaksehir. His form made waves back home and they were calls for him to be handed a chance with the national team of Nigeria.

Head coach of the Nigeria U23 team Salisu Yusuf shunned the calls to include the 20 year old in his team but the NFF have now decided to take the initiative by calling up the forward for the U23 AFCON qualifiers game in Abuja against Guinea.

” They ( coaches) said they don’t know him and will look at him after the games against Guinea if they make it to the U23 Cup of Nations but we refused. How can you snub a player like that who is eligible for your team? We (NFF) established contacts with his representatives and the club will get a letter of his invitation”, he told OGN.

” He (Orban) will honor the call up because it’s in line with the final international window. We don’t have any concerns plus we have assurance from his agents that he will be available. That kind of form is not one that we will leave for the coaches to decide”, he rounded up saying.

Mohammed Mowiz

The top striker of Napoli Victor Osimhen has explained why he passed on the chance to score a hattrick by not taking the spot kick after he has scored a brace in their 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League.

Osimhen was on a hattrick when they were awarded a penalty but the Nigerian who has already scored in the second minute of time added on and also seven minutes after the half time break left the ball for Piotr Zielinski.

Zielinski scored the goal that sealed their passage to the quarter final on a 5-0 aggregate win but focus was on Osimhen, who could have gone home with the match ball but decided to hand the chance to a teammate.

After the game he was asked about the incident and he explained thus “Zielinski asked if he could take the penalty and I said no problem,” he said in the post match .

“It doesn’t matter who scores as long as the team achieves success.

“It’s the most important thing. I know my goals will come with or without penalties.”

Osas Mahawi

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Fresh from hitting four goals last weekend for Gent in their 6-2 win over Zulte Waregem, 20 year old Nigerian forward Gift Orban struck a first half hattrick to fire his team past Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir in the Europa Conference League.

Gent were too good for the Turkish side thrashing them 4-1 at their backyard with their Nigerian forward stealing the show once again much to the light of his coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck.

Orban struck his hattrick within a space of three minutes scoring in the 31st, 32nd and 34th minute to hand his team a 3-0 lead before his strike partner Hugo Cuypers ensured they go into the break leading 4-0.

The game at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium was over as a contest with the Belgium side having a healthy 6-1 aggregate score after drawing the first leg 1-1 at home. The win ensured their spot in the quarter final of the tournament.

Signed in January Orban has now hit double digit goals with 12 goal in just nine games. He has five in four games in the Europa Conference League and seven in five league games.

His transfer fee of around €3m is slowly looking like the bargain of the year with his club now demanding for a fee in the region of €50m in light of interest from top European teams who have been alerted to his exploits.

Mohammed Mowiz

The coach of Manchester City Pep Guardiola wasn’t in anyway carried away by his team’s 7-0 win over RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg tie at the Etihad.

Guardiola’s team ran riot with Erling Haaland leading the charge with five goals as they power to a 8-1 aggregate win and sealed a spot in the quarter final of Europe’s premier club competition.

After the game he was asked about the fact that two Italian teams are already through to the quarter final in AC Milan and Inter Milan with Napoli prime to be the next when they take on Eintracht Frankfurt later today.

Napoli hold a 2-0 lead made possible with their Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen who has 19 goals in Serie A scoring one of the goals. They will be hoping he finds his range against the Germans.

Asked about Napoli, who are runaway leaders in the Italian Serie A Guardiola didn’t mince words praising them as the best team  in Europe at the moment rating them as playing like the English Premier League leaders Arsenal.

“In terms of playing style they’re very close to Arsenal. Inter and AC Milan are back. I am very pleased”, he said.

‘And then here we have [Roberto] De Zerbi who is changing many things in English football [at Brighton], playing wonderful football.’

Damian Waziri