The form of the Nigeria international duo of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman has drawn a reaction from coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro.

Osimhen is the current top scorer in the Italian Serie A with 13 goals for runaway leader Napoli, one more than Lookman who has been a revelation for Atalanta since his summer transfer from RB Leipzig.

Nigeria will resume competitive football in March with two back to back AFCON qualifiers games against Guinea Bissau. They are comfortably topping their group with two win from their first two games.

Ahead of the game, Peseiro was asked about the form of the duo heading into the game and he said the fact that they are scoring goals for fun has left him with nothing but excitement with the hope that it’s translated to the senior team.

“ It is an exceptional moment for Nigerian footballers and knowing that they can count on two strikers like Osimhen and Lookman is something incredible. I’m telling the truth: knowing that I have two strikers like that makes me feel much better, it puts me in a good mood. At this point I hope they bring their positivity to the national team as well”, he told OGN.

The U-17 team of Nigeria faced their first real test since they resumed camping ahead of the Africa U17 Cup of Nations, which will take place in Algeria, OGN reports.

Nduka Ugabde led team resumed camping two weeks ago to prepare adequately for the tournament, which serves as the qualifiers for the U17 World Cup. They secured a spot in the tournament by beating Burkina Faso 2-0 in the final match of the WAFU B championship played in Ghana.

After scoring 15 goals in two straight games, they were brought down to earth by Kaduna based football academy Unity Academy. The famous academy took the lead very early into the game.

Their lead brought out the best in the Nigerian kids , who were quick to respond with two goals to win the tie 2-1 , much to the relief of Ugbade who was full of praises for their opponents.

In yesterday’s draw for the U17 AFCON, the Nigeria national U-17 football team, the Golden Eaglets, will battle against Morocco, South Africa, and Zambia in Group B of the 2023 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.

Mohammed Mowiz

The man looking to buy Sheffield United had been revealed as Nigerian billionaire Dozy Mmobuosi, according to reports. Reports from several media outlets in England claimed last night that the club was ‘close’ to completing its takeover.

An African billionaire was said to be behind the takeover attempt and recent reports has it that the person in question is Mmobuosi.

A technology entrepreneur, he is the founder and CEO of Tingo, Inc. and Tingo International Holdings and his company has been valued at £7bn by financial experts.

It was  revealed in December that Prince Abdullah had accepted a substantial offer to sell the club. The offer per what is reported is currently with the EFL as they do their due diligence as part of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test.

The takeover attempt is to purchase Sheffield United and not United World, the holding company that houses current owner Prince Abdullah’s footballing interests.

The Times reports that the deal to buy the club is worth £90m (50 Billion Naira). It comes at a time when the club is facing financial pressures following two seasons outside of the Premier League. They are currently second in the English Championship and in pole position to return to the English Premier League.

They are currently operating under a transfer embargo after failing to keep up with transfer payments owed to another club, believed to be Liverpool for the sale of Rhian Brewster.

Waziri Damian 

The club future of former Nigeria B team forward Sunday Faleye is sorted as he is few details away from joining Georgian Cup Champions Torpedo Kutaisi, OGN can exclusively reveal.

24 year old Faleye last played in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) for his hometown club Shooting Stars of Ibadan following his return from Czech Republic, where he spent a year with Dukla Prague.

In the past he has represented Altach Juniors and FC Wacker of Austria. He was a member of the Nigerian team to the 2018 CHAN Championship, where Nigeria lost in the final 0-4 to Morocco.

A well known face and name in the NPFL, he is expected to arrive in Georgia next week to begin life at his new base. The team will be playing in the Europa Conference League. The duration of his contract wasn’t made known to us as at the time of filing in this report.

The chances of Nigeria convincing Folarin Balogun to pledge his international allegiance to Nigeria took a big hit with his agent speaking up on having him play for the senior national team of England.

Balogun who is on loan to Reims of France from Arsenal is currently the top scorer in the Ligue 1 with 13 goals. He is an England youth international but qualifies to play for the senior national team of Nigeria through his parents.

However that chance appears to be very slim despite claims by the player that he is open to the idea of playing for Nigeria and the United States of America, the other country is eligible to represent.

A member of his representatives was quoted as saying that the 21 year old has a personal goal of reaching the senior national team of England in the next two years saying he is well on track towards achieving it.

” Balogun knows the English set up are aware of him and his goal still remains breaking into the senior team within the next two years. It is achievable because he is on track. It all begins from the summer when his club future will be sorted at Arsenal”, he said.

On loan Napoli midfielder Michael Folorunsho hasn’t close the door on playing for the senior national team of Nigeria despite getting his first call up to the senior national team of Italy.

Folorunsho caught the attention of the coach of the senior national team of Italy Roberto Mancini  with his all around performance for Serie B side Bari. He has been every present for the 5th placed team who are pushing for promotion to the Italian Serie A.

He has played all but one of their 22 games this season with the only game he missed coming when he was suspended. That consistent run didn’t go unnoticed and the 24 year old who is eligible for Nigeria through his parents got a shock call up to the Italian senior national team.

He was invited by Mancini to a camping exercise meant for players of national interest to Italy playing in the lower division but he was unable to honour the call up due to an injury picked up while on club duties, few days before the start of the camp.

Despite that he is still open to the idea of playing for Nigeria according to one of  his representatives who replied a mail sent to him by the editorial team of OGN on the chances of the highly rated midfielder playing for Nigeria after the call up by Italy.

” There have been no contact with Nigeria but it is something he is open to because he feels Nigerian. When the coach (Jose Peseiro) makes the move then we will decide, for now it’s just Italy and that is where his mind is at the moment”, he said in his reply.

Daniel Martins

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has praised the Nduka Ugabde led Nigeria U17 team after watching them score 15 goals in two separate test games.

The team have been in camp for a little over a week as part of their preparation for the Africa U17 Cup of Nations in Algeria. Nigeria qualified for the tournament as champions of their regional qualifiers tournament after beating Burkina Faso 2-1 in the final match of the WAFU B zone.

They played two test games in readiness for the U17 AFCON which is the qualifiers for the U17 World Cup and put up a gallant show in front of Peseiro who watched the game at the Package B training pitch of the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja.

Kaduna based football academy Ikon Allah were thrashed 9-0 shortly after that game, the team regrouped and spanked Propel Sporting Academy 6-0. After the game, a visibly happy Peseiro couldn’t hide his joy at what he saw.

He said players of the team are headed for big things if they maintain focus and stay disciplined as they progress in their careers.

“I must say I have been impressed by a number of players in this team. They are headed for great things if they keep level heads and remain disciplined,” Peseiro said as he welcomed NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi towards the tail end of the second encounter.

Among the numerous transfer deals that happened yesterday, Spanish LaLiga side Real Valladolid were not left out as their also added a Nigerian to strengthen their attack, OGN reports.

The 19 year old Nigerian is right winger Babatunde Jimoh Akinsola who has been in the picture of their B team for some time now, training and playing test games. He has now been offered a deal that will run till the summer of 2024.

Tunde, is left-footed and can also play on the left wing or behind the striker, although he enhances his speed and usually loves to cut in from the right flank.

Coach Julio Baptista already knows him, since he participated in all the friendly matches and in those of the Diputación Trophy that the Promises (B team) played before the start of the season, as well as continuing to train with the team in the first part of the season.

He rose from the youth ranks of Valiant FC in the 2020/21 season before moving to Swedish side Vasalunds IF, with whom he made his debut in the Superettan -second category of the Scandinavian country-.

Nicknamed “king of assists”, his growth with the B team will determine his promotion to the main team of the club which is owned by Brazilian football legend Ronaldo De Lima.

Waziri Damian.