German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim continue their fine form this season with a routine 3-0 win over Freiburg to move to third on the table, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Their rise has been one of the most talked about this season in Germany, considering how they struggled last season. They are now only behind Borussia Dortmund and runaway leaders Bayern Munich.

They have already start preparing for next season, where they are very likely to play in Europe’s top club tournament, which is the UEFA Champions League.

As part of their preparations, they have drawn up plans for players that will form the nucleus of the team next season and others who are deemed surplus to requirements.

Among the players told to leave is Kevin Akpoguma who will be out of contract in the summer. The 30 year old who has eight senior caps for Nigeria after switching from Germany has been a bit part player this season.

His rare start last week against the league champions ended in an early dismissal, when he was shown a red card in the 17th minute. So far he has played just 54 minutes in all competitions.

He is now expected to leave the club in the summer bringing an end to his 13 years association with the club.

Arthur Okonkwo picked up his ninth clean sheet of the season as Wrexham continue their giant killing run in the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Ipswich yesterday, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Okonkwo who was the hero for the English Championship side in the last round of the tournament, where they knocked out Premier League side Nottingham Forest on penalties was once again at his best.

It was his ninth clean sheet of the season with 8 coming in 32 games in the English Championship, where they are 8th on the log and pushing for a spot in the promotion playoff.

His rise has not gone unnoticed with the head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle, succeeding in convincing him to switch his international allegiance from England to Nigeria.

He has already gotten the green light to play for Nigeria by FIFA after representing England from U15 to U18 level. The 24 year old is now available for selection by Chelle when the team resume in March.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The international career of Brentford defender Michael Kayode could take a dramatic turn with reports indicating that the 21 year old hasn’t ruled out a switch to Nigeria from Italy, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Born in the Italian city of Borgomanero to parents of Nigerian descent, he has represented Italy at different youth levels from U18 to U21, but still remains eligible for Nigeria as he is yet to be capped at senior level.

After bursting into limelight as a 17 year old at Fiorentina, he somehow lost his spot in the team and had to be loaned to Brentford where he signed permanently last summer.

Despite fully establishing himself as a regular in the English Premier League, playing all 26 games for Brentford and earning a reputation for his long throws he doesn’t seem to be in the plans of head coach Gennaro Gattuso who fancies others ahead of him.

Sources say head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has sounded him out and he looked quite interested and fascinated by the idea. ” The first reaction was positive and we hope to hold more talks in the summer. There are still some areas to agree on but the response for now is very good”, he revealed.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has been warned about listening to offers from oil rich Angola, who are searching for a coach following the sacking of Patrice Beaumelle.

Beaumelle’s deal as coach of the senior national team of Angola was mutually terminated after a disappointing performance at the recently concluded AFCON, where they were knocked out in the group stage.

An agreement was reached for his deal to be terminated, allowing him to open talks over taking over as coach of Tunisian side Esperance.

Top of the list as possible replacement for the Frenchman is the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle, who led his team to a third place finish at the AFCON playing an irresistible brand of football.

However he has been warned to respect his contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which still has a year to run and talks have opened over an extension of his stay.

” I know Chelle is not daft to think that he can walk away from his current contract with the NFF. He is still the Super Eagles coach and can’t negotiate with any team by the laws of the game. If he decides to leave then he will have to pay for breaching his contract”, a chieftain of the NFF claimed.

Nigeria international midfielder Frank Onyeka has explained why he turned his back on a move to Spanish LaLiga side Valencia in favour of a move to English Championship side Coventry, Owngoalnigeria.com reports.

Onyeka joined Coventry on loan from top division side Brentford in search of more game time, but the move was seen as shocking considering that he had the option of moving to a top team in Spain.

Explaining the reason behind his decision, the 28 year old who was one of the stars for Nigeria at the recently concluded AFCON said he considered staying close to his family, and also a chat with Frank Lampard the coach of the team played a role as well.

The Nigeria international said: “My agent told me about it early in January but I was just focussing on AFCON so we didn’t speak much about it. And then I think two weeks before the transfer deadline I had a call with Frank Lampard and that’s when everything started.

“I spoke to him and could see the club is going in the right direction, the club is going up and it was something that I wanted. And also for family reasons, I want to stay close to them, and also a lot of challenges like this. So that was the reason why I chose Coventry over other clubs.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The Congolese Football Federation is allegedly doing everything within their powers to hand twist FIFA into rulling in their favour as the World Football Governing body meets on Monday February 16, to decide on the petition filed by the Nigeria football federation on the eligibility of six Congolese players in last year’s FIFA 2026 Africa World Cup play-offs.

Véron Mosengo-Omba, the General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appointed in March 2021, is a Swiss-Congolese national born in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He previously worked as the Chief Member Associations Officer at FIFA before taking the role of CAF’s General Secretary four years ago. He is also a close associate of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

According to very reliable sources, Omba and a few other top football executives from Congo and some Francophone countries are allegedly using their strong influence in FIFA to lobby for a favourable decision in this matter.

They know the seriousness of the petition and are scared that FIFA could decide in favour of Nigeria based on leaked information and available evidences.

FIFA on their part, is convinced that Nigeria has presented a very strong case and will not want to do anything that will rubbish their reputation, knowing that the Nigeria football federation and the Congolese Football Federation, might want to proceed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lucerne Switzerland, if decisions do not go in their favour.

For that reason, they have taken time to carefully look at the matter before them and could take a decision at their next meeting on Monday February 16.

In September last year, CAF General Secretary, Mosengo-Omba was accused of having “repeatedly obtained bonuses” five times higher than the maximum allowed in his employment contract with the Confederation of African Football but was later cleared of any wrong doing after thorough investigation.

His influence in Africa and World football will come handy for Congo as the Nation looks forward to Monday’s ruling that could decide who picks Africa’s sole ticket for next month’s intercontinental play-off against the winner of Jamaica and New Caledonia.

On their part, the Nigeria football federation and the National Sports commission are not losing any sleep on this matter. They are confident that they have done thorough investigation and provided the necessary documents and evidences to FIFA.

They also believe that the recent FIFA verdict on Malaysia is a clear indication that the world football governing body does not joke with anything that has to do with players eligibility, especially when there are documented evidences of discrepancies and falsification.

Written by Wale Ajayi

As many as five players of the senior national team of Nigeria will have to make a decision on their club career at the end of the ongoing season, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

In Italy Ebenezer Akinsamiro who is on loan to relegated haunted Pisa from Inter Milan, will return back to the Italian giants at the end of his loan with Pisa unlikely to take up the option of signing him permanently, if they eventually get relegated. Inter will decided his next move.

Another player who is also going to be looking for a new home next summer is Uche Chrisantus who is on loan to Crystal Palace from LaLiga side Getafe. Although the loan deal has an obligation to buy it can only be triggered if he plays a certain number of games, which isn’t possible anymore. Already Palace have informed Getafe that he won’t be signed permanently.

Terem Moffi who is on loan to Portuguese giants FC Porto after refusing to play for French side Nice owing to an attack by fans of the club is expected to seek a permanent exit at the end of his loan spell.

One time Super Eagles favourite Joe Aribo moved to fellow English Championship side Leicester City on loan from Southampton. His contract is due to expire in the summer making him a free agent.

Frank Onyeka made his second consecutive loan move away from Brentford, when he accepted to join Frank Lampard’s Coventry City. The deal carries an option of signing permanently based on certain terms. His future at Brentford is far more secured.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle says he didn’t go to the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco with two of his best players, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Nigeria finished third at the tournament playing a brand of football that many considered as the best in the tournament. Chelle is however of the opinion that they could have gone a step better if he had two of his players at the tournament.

The coach in an interview said the absence of the duo of Ola Aina and Benjamin Fredrick limited his options, particularly in making key tactical decisions and adjustments during the tournament.

Both players were ruled lot of the tournament through injury, after playing in the team’s run of games under Chelle who said they already became a strong part of the core he is building with.

” If you notice we didn’t have two of my best players at the tournament because of injury. Ola Aina and Benjamin Fredrick. You need your best players to switch ideas during games but we didn’t have them. Maybe it could have been different with them because they already understand how we want to play and the project we are building”, he stated.

Nigeria U20 star Onuche Ogbelu has taken the shock decision to leave Esperance of Tunisia for Libyan side Al-Ittiha, where he win earn almost five times his current salary.

A member of the Ladan Bosso U20 team for the AFCON, but missed out on the chance to be a part of the world cup with new Marseille signing Tochukwu Nnadi picked in his position.

He moved to Esperance two years ago, and immediately stamped his authority in the team including impressing mightily at the club world cup, catching the attention of head coach of the Nigerian team Eric Chelle.

However a call up didn’t happen with Chelle once again opting for Nnadi ahead of him. He is now set for a big pay move to Libya for the next phase of his career and development.

” I can tell you that he will earn five times his current wage, when you include bonuses it could be around ten times more. A lot of players don’t earn that in Europe. It’s the kind of deal you can’t refuse”, a member of his representative revealed in an exclusive chat with OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” You know his contract will be up in the summer, and he hasn’t agreed on an extension. It made Esperance too to push for his exit so that they can recoup what they have spent on him”.

Daniel Martins