New signings are usually the players in the spotlight when teams get their season underway particularly if they are signed for big money. The pressure is usually heavy on the said players to deliver from the get go.

It gets worse when the players have slow start and that is much the case with Nigeria international defender Calvin Bassey who was signed by Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam for huge money.

He started his stint at the club by getting sent off in the Dutch Super Cup, and as expected critics wondered if he is worth the huge amount of money spent in signing him from Scottish side Rangers.

According to Ajax legend Frank de Boer, critics of the Nigerian are now being forced to eat their words with his strong performance in three straight games, which has seen the defence keep three straight clean sheets.

“I’ve been really impressed by Bassey,” De Boer told Record Sport. He added: “He was unlucky to be sent off in the Super Cup. He started the game well and we have already had the people who thought he was just a big lump, charging around kicking people, changing their opinions.”

De Boer went further to explain the extra thing that Bassey brings to the team of the Dutch giants. He was particular about his strength and pace which to him makes it impossible to drop him.

“He gives Ajax strength and speed and on the ball he’s alright. Of course, he can still improve on that part of his game but I think he showed in the last few games that he’s undroppable. Together with Jurrien Timber, they make a great couple in defence.”

Bassey is in contention to make his UEFA Champions League debut against the team he left in the summer and De Boer says they won’t be happy he is up against them.

“Rangers won’t be looking forward to meeting him again. I thought he was one of the best players in the Europa League final, he was unbelievable.”

On his ability on the ball which is what still remains a weakness in the game, the Ajax legend says it’s a matter of time before that area which is his weakness will disappear.

“He’s still very young so it’s a great signing for Ajax. He has some rough edges but Ajax is the perfect place to polish those up. He’ll come under the wing of Daley Blind and be taught the Ajax philosophy, which is to play the ball along the ground and make combinations.”

“I’ve seen a lot of defenders come to this club with what we call hard feet. But by the time they leave they have soft feet. Calvin is still young and he’s capable of learning that.”

Nigeria international Victor Osimhen has been termed a huge doubt for Napoli ahead of tomorrow’s UEFA Champions League first group game against Liverpool.

Napoli will be playing in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in two years and a fine start to the season has already led to talks of the team performing way better than they did when they last appeared in the tournament.

According to a statement on the website of the Italian team, Osimhen didn’t train with the rest of the team during yesterday’s session as he is nursing a knock picked up during the closing stages of their 2-1 win over Lazio in the Serie A over the weekend.

A small issue with his left adductor to be precise and although in itself is not excessively worrying, it could be aggravated if he takes part in full training in preparation for the game against Liverpool.

The little time left to properly diagnosed the issue before the game is largely why he is a doubt but he is adamant that he is fit enough to play the game. His extra ordinary will and indomitable character is making him hopeful of being fit for the game.

However Napoli are careful not to push him to the limit after two injury ravaged season. Osimhen isn’t seeing it that way and has told coach Luciano Spalleti that he is available for selection.

Games in the Italian Serie A continued today with as many as six teams with one team standing a chance of going top of the table if they pick up a win.

Going into the games, Napoli were joint leaders of the league with defending champions AC Milan after five rounds of games after they both picked up wins over the weekend.

However they have both been dislodged by Atalanta who were 2-0 winners of Monza with Nigeria international winger Ademola Lookman stealing the show with a goal and an assist.

Lookman laid the first goal on the plate for Rasmus Højlund to put Atalanta ahead before grabbing a goal of his own but it appears the goal will likely be given as an own goal by the goal panel of the league.

He slid in onto a cross at the left post directing it across goal, retreating Monza  defender Marlon couldn’t adjust his body and he deflected the effort into his own net. Lookman claimed the goal but it will clearly be subjected to a review.

However coach Gian Piero Gasperini won’t be bothered about who gets the credit with his team getting the needed three points to go top of the league on 13 points.

As players continue to push for a spot in the senior national team of Nigeria following the permanent appointment of Jose Peseiro as coach, some players who fell out of favour are also in contention.

Peseiro will in the coming days release his first full list of players for two proposed friendly games against Algeria and Portugal respectively and some new players are expected to be a part of the team.

Players who are regulars at their clubs will no doubt be the ones in contention for a call up with the European season just starting in several top leagues. One player who has been a regular is Isaac Success of Udinese.

Success was once again in the starting lineup for his team in the Serie A, where they picked up what can be described as the first shock result of the season by beating Roma 4-0.

The former Watford record signing made his international debut under former coach Gernot Rohr but never truly stamped his feet in the team with the German coach said to be unimpressed with his attitude, commitment and work rate.

” I am due for a recall. This time around I am going to give my all to remain in the team especially with my present form. We (Nigeria) have a new coach and I see a fresh beginning not just for me but several others who have not been a part of the team for a while”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

The practice of established players returning home to play in their domestic league when they get to the twilight of their career is an established practice but not quite the case in Nigeria.

Sani Kaita and Ahmed Musa are two players who have returned back to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in recent times but they left upon the opening of the transfer window in other countries.

Dele Aiyenugba can easily pass as one who is winding down his career in the NPFL after years of playing abroad as he has been at Kwara United for two seasons. The former senior national team goalkepper of Nigeria might soon be joined by another shot stopper.

Former goalkepper and captain of the senior national team of Nigeria Vincent Enyeama has declared that he will be open to play for his home town team Akwa United for free. He made this known in an interview in Uyo anchored by George Iniabasi on Comfort 95.1 FM.

The AFCON 2013 winner who is a veteran of three World Cups last played in the NPFL 17 years ago. He has been unattached the past four years but he still isn’t close to quitting the game yet.

“It’s really interesting, yes it is, and I miss football. So, I would like to return to it, first with a team here in France, because I trained here in Lille and back when I was in Akwa Ibom”, he told George.

“And I will come back to Nigeria next year. So, if Akwa United needs a goalkeeper for 4 to 5 months, yes, I have the opportunity to play for free.”

The coach of Atletico Madrid Diego Simeone has aired his view on his team’s 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad which his team had a goal controversially ruled out for handball.

Simeone’s ward were pegged back by a goal from Real Sociedad deadline day signing Sadiq Umar, with the Nigerian nodding home to draw his side level on his debut.

The goal didn’t quite go down well with Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, who was furious that they had a goal disallowed for an alleged hand ball, and the goal by Sadiq came off his head to his hand before entering into the net.

“I had to let go and then, on their goal, Sadiq touches it with his hand. They come to give us talks about the rules and then do something different,” Koke complained.

Simeone, however, tempered his speech when reviewing the possible refereeing errors. “It would not seem fair to me, after the tie, to confirm what they ask me. A pity that second goal that, possibly, hit João in the biceps and the VAR collaborates with the referee to annul it. For Real Sociedad, Sadiq was the great character. He can adapt very well to our style”, he concluded.

Napoli secured a hard fought 2-1 win over Lazio in the Italian Serie A to remain top of the log after five games although level on points with defending champions AC Milan.

Lazio took a 4th minute lead through Mattia Zaccagni but Napoli found a way back in the 38th minute through Kim Min-jae to go into the break level at 1-1. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia popped up with what ended as the winner one minute after the hour mark.

The goal was the fourth goal the 21 year old Georgian has scored this season slowly making him the star of the team ahead of Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen, who has three goals this season but haven’t found the back of the net in their last three games.

Reacting to the perfomance of the two players Italian journalist Raffaele Auriemma termed Kvaratskhelia as a champion who can be relied on in difficult moment and also said Osimhen is an animal who is difficult to stop as he fights for every ball.

Do we want to talk about Kvaratskhelia then?

This is a champion, he has a rage inside that makes you understand that with him on the pitch you lose the game only if the others have really been better and more bad than you. 

Osimhen?

An animal, if you throw the long ball forward, he always takes it. It is difficult for the opponent to be able to stop him. In the second half Napoli played many balls on Victor, who only missed the goal. 

The 2-5 defeat Leicester suffered in the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion in the English Premier League over the weekend has been largely blamed on the perfomance of two players during the course of the game.

Leicester City took an early lead but no sooner had they taken the lead Brighton and Hove Albion levelled and went ahead to impose themselves on their opponents, who despite drawing level to tie at 2-2 couldn’t stand the firepower of the Seagulls.

Reacting to the result, Match of the day pundits Ian Wright and Troy Deeney laid the blame on Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Nididi who was played in central defence and goalkeeper Danny Ward.

Deeney started by pointing out to a disagreement between the duo shortly after Leicester City went a goal up. The duo were involved in a heated exchange which according to Deeney doesn’t look good.

The Birmingham City striker said: “It doesn’t look great. We could highlight all of their (Leicester) players but we’re going to highlight two – the keeper (Ward) and Ndidi – just for the simple fact of what they kind of epitomised.”

“This is one minute after scoring, two minutes into the game – inviting pressure. You’re under pressure, your team is under pressure. They don’t learn from that… They are not even set up to play here – Ndidi goes back to start again. In think it’s a decent pass, poor touch, invites Danny (Welbeck) on, and unlucky for Welbs it just goes over.”

“They’re getting at each other – and apologies to anyone who can lip read!”

Ndidi conceded the second-half penalty, bringing down Trossard in the area, Deeney wasn’t impressed by his act “Ndidi is so much bigger, stronger and better than this. He can’t let him get around him there. He just has to keep his arm on him and he’s off the pitch.”

Fellow pundit Ian Wright, meanwhile, was critical of Ward’s positioning for the third and fifth goals. “I thought the goalkeeper had a poor game,” said the former Arsenal striker.

In Ward’s defence, Deeney said: “No goalie should be having to save 23 shots (in one match).”

With the transfer window still open in some countries notably Turkey and Greece, players can still move from even leagues that the window has closed.

For that reason most players who are out of the plans of the coaches at their present teams are expected to seal moves to teams in such countries and that is the case for Nigeria international midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo.

Etebo who has spent the last three seasons away from Stoke City with two different loan spells is on the verge of joining Greek side ARIS Thessaloniki. He wasn’t registered by Stoke City for the season.

Many were of the opinion that a change of coach will help give him a fresh start but recent reports suggest that he could be a player of ARIS in the next 48 hours. Talks are said to be really advanced with the 26 year old.

The move will offer him another chance of getting his club career back on track after struggling to get going at Stoke City despite emerging as their player of the season in his first season at the club.

The push to be a part of the senior national team of Nigeria under new coach Jose Peseiro is on for several players who have fallen out of favour before the appointment of the Portuguese coach.

The surest way to get into the plans of the coach is to use the ongoing season to make a statement and catch his attention with the team not playing any competitive game till next year, following the postponement of the AFCON qualifiers.

One player who hasn’t done his chances any bad at least in the last two games has to be Bordeaux of France forward Josh Maja, who was close to a move to Birmingham City before the recent closure of the summer transfer window.

Maja stayed behind at relegated France side Bordeaux and ensure they keep their position as leaders with a hattrick to power them to a 3-0 win over Paris FC. Last week he was on target in the 4-0 win over Quevilly Rouen. The forward who has one cap for Nigeria also has three assists.

Bordeaux are in line for promotion back to Ligue 1 as they presently lead with maximum points from all seven games played so far.