The senior national team of Nigeria is presently having a mini goalkeepers crisis  as none of the present goalkeeper in the team can be said to be a regular at his club bar Adebayo Adeleye of Israeli side Hapoel Jerusalem.

It means other goalkeepers can have their eyes on breaking into the team particularly the players who have been called to the team in the past. Notably among them is former Kastina United shot stopper Stanley Nwabali.

Nwabali who was once on the books of Enyimba kept goal for the B team in the 0-4 loss to Mexico in a friendly game played in the United States of America. He has also been called up to the main team.

A picture of the giant goalkeeper in South Africa was posted on Twitter by popular Nigerian agent Mohammed Lawal, who is based in the rainbow nation and played a role in the transfer of several Nigerian players.

Look who we have here ⚽ @mekus102 @booday10 @ojeksaikhoje @fredokoligwe @FutballG @MrMowiz @RandaAndrew pic.twitter.com/PIo3vypOxv

— Mohammed lawal (@therealdankoli) August 21, 2022

We gathered Nwabali will have test games and subsequently hold talks with Chippa United where he is hoping to bag a deal. The club once had Nigeria international Daniel Akpeyi as first choice for more than five years.

Victor Osimhen scored his second Serie A goal of the season to power his team to a huge 4-0 win over Monza in the Italian Serie A. The goal was his second in as many games they have played this season.

He followed up his goal in the opening game of the season against Verona with another two minutes into time added on before the half time break. His goal handed Napoli a 2-0 lead going into the break.

Six minutes from full time and with scores at 3-0, coach of Napoli Luciano Spalleti subbed the Nigerian off for Adam Ounas. Osimhen didn’t hide his annoyance at the decision by the coach and he was asked by DAZN after the game .

DAZN : Angry after the substitution?

Osimhen – It’s nothing to do with the change, but I wanted to motivate the team even more.

Pressed On how many goals he expects to score this season. He once again insist on not setting any target instead he is focused on giving his best for the team.

“Everyone, from those on the field to those on the bench, will try to give our all for this season. There are many challenges to understand where this Napoli can go”, he concluded.

As many as five players from teams in the Nigeria Professional Football League have moved to teams in North Africa following the conclusion of the regular season in Nigeria’s top division.

Victor Mbaoma, Tosin Omoyele, Sikiru Alimi tops the list with the duo while others like Junior Lokosa moved to leagues in the Gulf region. TP Mazembe are also closing in on a deal for Austin Oladapo after signing ex Wikki Tourist forward Steven Gopey.

In time past, players from the domestic league in Nigeria use to move to top leagues and some even earn direct transfers to big teams like when Taiye Taiwo joined Marseille from Lobi Stars.

That era appears to be long gone and a top football agent, Alfa Mohammed explains why it’s almost impossible for top European teams to sign players from NPFL teams these day.

” Age is a big factor. Most of them are above the developmental stage of their career. That stage is usually before the age of 23 to 24. Most players in the NPFL are above that age, only teams from the North African region don’t worry about it. Also some teams in the Gulf region”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” If you watch the Brazilian league. Players are introduced into top professional teams at the age of 16 mostly. Back here I don’t think it’s possible. Unless our teams have young players who can be developed into big time players. European teams won’t look their way”, he concluded.

The chances of AC Milan signing Midtjylland Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika has taken a big hit, with the Danish side openly warning the Serie A champions not to continue their pursuit of the player.

After rejecting a bid of around €4m from AC Milan, Midtjylland director Svend Graversen insists the Danish club want to keep Raphael Onyedika at the club for one more season.

“We want to keep Onyedika for one more season,” he said, as quoted by Calciomercato.com. Other reports however has it that the Danish side want whoever is appointed as new coach to have final say on the future of the player.

Led by club legend and ex captain Paolo Maldini, AC Milan sees Onyedika as the like for like replacement for Franck Kessie who joined Barcelona on a free transfer at the start of the summer transfer window.

Onyedika is valued at €10m and many believed if an offer of that value is lodged, it will force the Danish side to reconsider their stand on the 21 year old Nigerian.

It was a night of constrat for two players of the senior national team of Nigeria when Villareal locked horns with Croatian side Hadjuk Split in the Europa Conference League qualifiers.

The Spanish side triumphed 4-2 in the first leg with their Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze getting a rare start, which he took with both hands by grabbing an assist aside his all round performance.

Same can’t be said about his international teammate Chidozie Awaziem who is on loan to the Croatian side from Portuguese side Boavista. He started for the second game running and still looks very uncomfortable.

Awaziem was all over the place yesterday, making several unforced errors while on the ball and his bad movement and positioning gifted Villarreal two goals. The performance wasn’t too different from what he put up over the weekend in the league against Dinamo Zagreb.

He comically handed the chance to Dinamo Zagreb to seal a 4-1 win when he inexplicably gave the ball to an opponent by attempting a back heel control inside his own box. It’s hasn’t been the best of start for the former FC Porto defender at the club.

The captain of English Championship side Blackpool isn’t giving up on his chances to represent Nigeria as a reward for his fine start to the season in England.

Marvin Ekpiteta has picked up two man of the match award in four games this season in the English Championship, following up to his last season perfomance where he was voted as the club’s player of the season.

His agent told OwnGoalNigeria.com two days ago that he will be writing to the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro on his case. Ekpiteta has now reacted to the story.

” He saw it and his reply was that maybe they have forgotten he is a Nigerian. I’m a Nigerian he jokingly said to me”, his representative revealed. ” He is 26 now and feels he need to have a taste of international football now as he is in his peak years”.

Ekpiteta trained with the 2013 Nigeria U17 team but failed to make the team to the tournament, where Nigeria emerged as champions. He has since grown into a defender rated among the best in the English Championship.

The departure of goalkepper Kasper Schmeichel from Leicester City to French Ligue 1 side Nice has forced coach of the  the club Brendan Rodgers into reshuffling the leadership group at the club.

Schmeichel’s role as captain was handed to Johnny Evans with long serving winger Marc Albrighton named as his vice captain. One of the longest serving players at the club as he has been there since joining in 2014 on a free transfer from Aston Villa.

They were a number of candidates for the role, with Jamie Vardy, Youri Tielemans, and Ricardo Pereira all having captained the side before, and with James Maddison and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall recently praised for their leadership abilities.

Prior to the decision to name him as vice captain, they were talks about the fact that he is no longer a regular hence Nigeria international Wilfred Nididi who has been a regular since 2016 should be considered. Rodgers however defended his decision.

“The squad have got two fantastic professionals that set a standard every day in Jonny and Marc. Their experiences and the level of how they commit themselves every day to their work, they’ll provide a great inspiration and a real source of comfort for the other players, who know they are there to look after them and support them.”

“Marc, whenever he’s asked to contribute and play, he always gives absolutely everything to the cause. He still fights and shows every day in training that he wants to play. I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“He’s a great guy who’s got the total respect of his team-mates and the total respect of all the coaches. Whether he starts or whether he’s on the bench, his contributions are always invaluable here.”

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English Championship side Watford are considering the next line of action on one of their Nigerian players after he suffered another injury which will keep him out for a month.

Despite the departure of Emmanuel Dennis, Watford have four Nigerians on their books namely Maduka Okoye, William Troost Ekong, Tom Dele Bashiru and Samuel Kalu who joined in January.

Kalu has been the unfortunate among the quartet as he has suffered six different injuries in his brief stay at the club limiting him to just four appearances. The 24 year old is set yet to make an appearance in the matchday squad this season due to a hamstring injury.

He will be out for a further one month and it has led to an inquest about his state of health, with the club exploring options to find a permanent cure or release him early from his contract, which still has three years to run.

Prior to the start of the season he was deemed surplus to requirements and his representatives were told a loan option won’t be turned down by the club, however that isn’t possible due to his current injury.

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has drawn up the list of players who will represent Nigeria next month in two proposed friendly games, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Nigeria will use the September international window to play two high profile friendly games following the postponement of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. As first reported by OGN, talks are underway with Portugal and also Cameroon.

Peseiro has already concluded plans on his part and we exclusively gathered that as many as five new players will be in the squad. Wilfred Nididi is expected to be among the players who will work with the Portuguese coach for the first time.

Ndidi missed the first two games of the coach due to injury but he is now expected to be in the squad alongside his Leicester City teammate Kelechi Iheanacho. There could be a return for exiled goalkepper Maduka Okoye.

” It’s likely more of the same players but five new faces could be in the mix. For now I know of three who have been contacted. For sure Ndidi, Iheanacho will be back in the team. Okoye is a possibility if all goes well in the coming days”, a technical committee member told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

He further revealed that three players namely Shehu Abdullahi, Leon Balogun and Oghenekaro Etebo will be left out of the team to enable them get their club career back on track.

” Shehu and Balogun are without a club for now. Etebo is technically in that list as he wasn’t registered by his team for the season. Unless he sorts out his club future he will be excused like the others”, he concluded.