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Super Eagles Captain Close In On Loan Move To Serie A Side Salernitana

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The January transfer window is around ten days away from closing meaning players will be in a hurry to seal their move. That is the case with several Nigerian players.

One of such players is the captain of the senior national team of Nigeria William Troost Ekong who has been a bit part player at English Championship side Watford this season. He has struggled to pin a regular berth under new coach Slaven Bilic.

Struggling Italian Serie A side Salernitana are said to be close to agreeing a loan deal with an obligation to buy the captain of the senior national team of Nigeria. The deal is said to be advanced according to Sky Sports Italia.

In the English Championship this season, he has played in 15 games out of a possible 27 games for 3rd placed Watford, who are keen on securing a return to the English Premier League last season.

Ekong is not entirely new to Serie A as he spent two years at Udinese and played 65 league games before joining Watford three years ago. A return is set to appeal to him with a run of regular games topping his wishes for 2023.

WAFU Star Emmanuel Michael Tops List Of 48 Players Called Up To Nigeria U17 Camp For U17 AFCON

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As exclusively reported by OwnGoalNigeria.com, the camp of the Nigeria U17 team will open on Friday for the start of preparation for the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place in Algeria.

Head coach of the team Nduka Ugabde has called up 48 players invited to the camp of the team in Abuja. The list has most of the players who helped the team win the WAFU B championship in Niger Republic.

Among them is Emmanuel Michael, the Simoiben Football Academy wonderkid, who was voted man of the match in three of the four games they played at the WAFU tournament.

The tournament in Algeria will run from the 8th to 30th of April and it will serve as the qualifiers for the U17 World Cup which will take place in Peru from the 10th of November to the 2nd of December.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Richard Odoh, Hameed Ayomide Balogun, Ebube Wisdom Okere, Umar Abubakar, Tochukwu Simeon Ogbabido, Tochukwu Joseph Ogboji, Utibe Friday Silas, Emmanuel Osaro Onotu, Jubril Odeyemi Azeez, Faruq Jimoh, Kevwe Onomigho Iyede, Suleiman Shehu, Abdullahi Buhari, Victor Divine Emmanuel, Daniel Ayomide Egunshola, Abubakar Shuaibu, Ozor Victor Okeke, Emmanuel Michael, Miracle Jackson Ogwor, Light Chijioke Eke, Raphael Oyebanjo, Miracle Agabi Williams, Yahaya Danjuma Lawali, Prince Oche Bawa, Favour Oluwasegun Daniel, Precious Tonye Williams, Jerry Patrick Ogbole, Emmanuel Junior Chidi, Mubarak Emmanuel Suleiman, Abubakar Ibrahim Zubairu, Richard Oliseamaka Uche, Joseph Oluwatobi Robert, Michael Uche Ogba, John Auta, Shola Oluwafemi Kolo, Pascal Obioma Uzoho, Victor Friday, Itaribo Ayebaekepriye, Jeremiah Oluwaseyi Olaleke, Basil Chimaobi Mbata, Oluwadare Olodan, Precious Benjamin, Tochukwu Michael Agbo, Samuel Aderibigbe, Abubakar Idris Abdullahi, Umar Jamiu, Tijjani Mohammed, Abdullahi Haruna

Where could Victor Osimhen go next after conquering Italy?

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Napoli star Victor Osimhen has been in scintillating form in Serie A and beyond this season so far. The Nigerian striker has bagged 10 goals in 13 games to lead the league’s goalscoring charts and help Napoli to the top of the league, and he is currently averaging a goal every 108 minutes in Italy. Not even halfway through the season the 24-year-old is already just five goals away from bettering his goal return last season, scoring 14 in 27 which was a career high.

His electrifying form for The Parthenopeans since he burst onto the scene in 2020 has led to his name being linked with big moves to some of the biggest clubs in Europe. In the sports betting, Napoli are favourites to make good on their performances so far and secure the Serie A title this year.

After bagging more than a handful of goals so far it seems that Osimhen is due for a huge season, but could he be on the move at the culmination of Serie A? He could be on the wishlist for many managers this summer or maybe even this month with the January transfer window now open. But where could he go and how would he fare?

English Premier League

The Premier League is undoubtably the biggest league in the world in terms of viewership. Broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people, it is the most popular league across all sports in the world and Osimhen may well value the chance to showcase his skills to an even wider audience. A division known for its physicality and pace, the 6 ft 1 in striker would likely fare well against opposing defenders.

His ability to beat offside traps with intelligent runs behind the lines would make him a credit to the spearhead of any attacking line in the league, but where would he be most likely to go? There seems an obvious answer so far with his name already being linked with a move to giants Manchester United, following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. Manager Erik Ten Hag has made it clear that a striker is on the top of his transfer wishlist in the summer and Osimhencould well be their man.

Bundesliga

The Bundesliga style is slightly more expansive than the Premier League with a mixture of physical, technical and attacking styles. Osimhen would likely settle in well to the more attacking sides. He actually started his pro career in Germany with VFL Wolfsburg, but never really got kicking before moving on to Lille in Ligue 1. With more experience and a more refined technique, now could be the time for Osimhen to return and put things right.

Despite boasting huge teams such as Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and more recently RB Leipzig, the German Bundesliga has been dominated by Bayern Munich for a decade now. Die Roten have won 10 of the last 10 league titles and look set to make it 11 this year, topping the table at the time of writing. However, they are notably without an out and out number 9 and the Nigerian star could fill that gap with a world class supporting cast of Sadio Mane, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry to provide for him.

La Liga

La Liga may be the most technically sound league in the world in terms of the talent pool and style of play. A host of extremely skilled passers and dribblers such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Pedri and Vinicius Jr light up the league every week. This may be where Osimhen would not fare as well. Whilst he displays good technique, his main asset as a striker is spearheading attacks behind the lines and the slower build up play of top teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona are less likely to accent his skillset.

However, he may be well suited to Diego Simeone’s rigid, defensive style where his pace could help hit teams on counter attacks. The Argentinian manager has valued big, physical centre forwards with the likes of Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata starring under him at Estadio Metropolitano. Whilst his workload would heavily increase, there is unlikely to be a better fit for him in Spain than with Colchoneros.

Ligue 1

Another one of Osimhen’s former homes, France is where he got his first real start on the big stage. In his sole season with Lille he managed an impressive 13 league goals in 27 appearances before making the move to Napoli. A league that values athleticism, Osimhen is a great fit. His intelligence in breaking lines to get through on goal is perfect for their style of play and he’d no doubt bag goals wherever he went. However therein lies the problem.

Napoli are known for being tough negotiators and are unlikely to let Osimhengo for much less than 100 million euros. The only team in the league who could afford that kind of transfer outlay is PSG and with a frontline of Neymar, Mbappe and Messi it is near impossible to see him getting in ahead of any of them.

Exclusive – Super Eagles Goalkeeper Picks Moving To MLS Ahead Of €2.2m Deal To French Ligue 1

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The January transfer window is currently on with players using the opportunity to sort their future and players from Nigeria have been heavily involved in the business so far, Owngoalnigeria.com reports.

Players from the senior national team of Nigeria have not been left out as well particularly the ones who have unresolved future or those who are wanted by other teams. Some others are also looking for a team where they will get ample game time.

For goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, the decision on his next destination is heavily a thing of interest in the past few days with Omonia Nicosia receiving an offer of €2.2m from an unnamed Ligue 1 team as first reported by Owngoalnigeria.com.

Recent reports has it that he also has another offer from a team in the MLS and he is more inclining to moving to the United States of America than moving to France for family reasons.

The 24 year old has been in fine form for the Cypriot side in the last few months with 8 clean sheets this season. All coming in the last nine games he has played this season including four in his last four games consecutively.

Exclusive – Nigeria U20 To Play Zambia In Back To Back Friendly Games In Abuja Ahead Of U20 AFCON

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An agreement has been reached for the Nigeria U20 team to play their Zambian counterparts in a two legged friendly game in Abuja, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The game will form part of their preparation for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Egypt next month. It will be played on the 27th and 30th of January respectively. It will be the last game the Nigerian team will play before the final list of players the AFCON will be made public.

The Flying Eagles have been drawn to play hosts Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique in Group A of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations taking place 19th February to the 11th of March this year. The Nigerian team are in the second phase of their preparation.

Their opponent Zambia will also be at the tournament, where they will take on Tunisia, Benin Republic and The Gambia in Group C as they go in search of a spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

All four semi finalists will qualify for the World Cup in Indonesia, which will run from the 20th of May to the 11th of June. We gathered the test game was made possible due to the relationship between the FA President of both countries.

Crystal Palace Sensation Hits Brace Against Brighton, Reveals Arrival Date To Nigeria U20 Camp For U20 AFCON

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Crystal Palace teen sensation Ademola Ola-Adebomi  is clearly putting himself in the picture to lead the line for the Nigeria U20 team at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt next month, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The 19 year old showed his efficiency in front of goal with a match winning brace for the U21 side of the English Premier League outfit to help them to a 2-1 win against Brighton. The game was his first start of the season.

He was missing in the squad for the game against Fulham on Monday which ended 2-1 in their favour as he perfects his trip to Nigeria where he will link up with the Nigeria U20 team at their camp in Abuja. In his absence little known Victor Tolulope Oluwatosin Akinwale, who is also of Nigerian descent got both goals.

A source close to Ola-Adebomi messaged Owngoalnigeria.com informing us of the new date the highly rated striker, who played against Manchester United in pre-season will arrive at the camp of the Nigerian team in preparation for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations.

“Hi there I saw you put an article on Ademola Ola-Adebomi. He is expected to join the camp on Monday not this week. Days were slightly changed as he was unable to fly this week but will be there on Monday ready to start”, the message reads.

Head coach of the Nigeria U20 team Ladan Bosso is keen on running the rule on the forward with the role of a top striker still a worrying headache, as they approach the final round of camping ahead of the naming of the squad for the tournament.

The 12-nation tournament will place in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Ismailia from 19th February to 11th March.

All four semi-finalists at the championship will fly Africa’s flag at this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup.

January Transfer – Injured Super Eagles Defender In Race Against Time To Complete Transfer To Sassuolo

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The likelihood of one cap Nigeria international defender Olisa Ndah joining Serie A side Sassuolo has taken a big hit with the defender currently facing a spell on the sidelines due to injury, Owngoalnigeria.com understands.

Linked with a move to the Serie A side, it was widely reported that they are keen on adding him to their defence in the ongoing January transfer window and have already sounded out his representatives and his club over a potential deal.

24 year old Ndah hasn’t played for Orlando Pirates for the past three weeks due to injury and he is expected back in action in the first week of February. Around that time the transfer window would have slam shut.

A source close to the player said, the likelihood of the deal happening is very slim now and talks have slowed down lately due to the injury and there are doubts over his fitness considering they will need him to go into the team almost immediately.

” I don’t think the move is happening anymore. We have to wait and see but the possibility is slim I must confess. The injury hasn’t helped because the plan is for him to move into the team immediately. He should be fully fit by February and maybe it will be too late by then. Fingers crossed we wait with the hope that if it doesn’t happen now, then maybe in the summer”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Rampant Nigeria U20 Team Thrash Galadima FC 6-1 In Friendly Game Ahead Of U20 AFCON

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The Nigeria U20 team stepped up preparation for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations with a comprehensive 6-1 thrashing of Abuja based football academy Galadima FC 6-1.

Just like it was in their friendly game against Global FC, the Ladan Bosso tutored team wasted no time in taking the lead with Ibrahim Yahaya putting them ahead. Adams Olamilekan made it 2-0 shortly afterwards.

Less than 24 minutes into the game , the signs that they will maul their opponent became apparent when Ayuba Francis made it 3-0. Galadima FC were hapless when enterprising substitute Nicholas Jonathan capped an impressive week in camp with the fourth goal.

The visitors pulled a goal back totally against the run of play but it didn’t take long before Thompson Ishaka restored the margin for the Nigerian team. Details of the scorer of the sixth goal is still sketchy as at the time of this report.

The win acts as another warning sign from Nigeria ahead of the TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Flying Eagles will face Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique in Group A.

The 12-nation tournament will place in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Ismailia from 19th February to 11th March.

All four semi-finalists at the championship will fly Africa’s flag at this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup.

A Look At The Players Retained By Nigeria U20 Coach After The Axing Of 14 Players From AFCON U20 Camp

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As many as 14 players have been sent packing from the camp of the Nigeria U20 team in Abuja ahead of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt,  Owngoalnigeria.com understands.

Ladan Bosso trimmed the players to a sizeable number after almost two weeks of training as he steps up preparation for the tournament with a test game against Galadima FC later today at the FIFA Goal Project.

In defence, the coach stuck with his favorite five during the first phase of camping in Dominion Ohaka, Daniel Bamaiyi, Benjamin Franklin, Augustine Njoku and Solomon Agbalaka. Two foreign based defenders in Abel Ogwuche of Swedish side Trelleborgs and Michael Ologo of Turkish side Istanbulspor are expected this week .

Simoiben Football Academy prospect Nicholas Jonathan has forced his way into the team but now faces a huge battle to get into the final squad with the likes of Daniel Daga, Aminu Mohammed, Hamzat Basit, Onuche Ogbelu, Samson Lawal also pushing.

In goal, they now have just three goalkeepers picked by the goalkeeper’s coach Olatunji Baruwa. They are the trio of Nathaniel Nwosu, Chijioke Aniagboso and Jimoh Saheed. Norwich City goalkeeper David Aziaya was axed after yesterday’s session.

His spot will be taken up by teen Arsenal shot stopper Ovie Ejeheri who is expected in camp later this week. Joel Ideho is teammate at Arsenal is also set to make a decision on the call up with the Netherlands pushing him to snub the invitation.

Nigeria U17 Gets Resumption Date Ahead Of U17 Africa Cup Of Nations In Algeria

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has picked a date that the Nigeria U17 team will resume camping ahead of the Africa U17 Cup of Nations, OwnGoalNigeria.comcan exclusively reveal.

Nigeria won the WAFU B U17 Championship in Ghana by beating Burkina Faso 2-1 and by so doing secured progress to the U17 AFCON, which will be hosted by Algeria in June.

Despite the tournament still five months away, the coach Nduka Ugabde led technical crew have been told  by the NFF to return back to camp on Friday, the 20th of January in Abuja for preparation ahead of the tournament.

The decision we gathered was taken with the new board of the NFF led by Ibrahim Musa Gusau keen on ensuring that they secure passage to the U17 World Cup, by finishing among the top four sides at the tournament.

Nigeria are five times winners of the U17 World Cup and the Gusau led board sees youth football as the first thing that needs addressing if the country is to reclaim its place in Africa and the world at large after eight years of instability under the tenure of Amaju Pinnick.