Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma is arguably one of the best Nigerian defender at the moment owing to the fact that he has been a regular for his German side who are chasing a UEFA Champions League spot.

However his name was conspicuously missing from the list of players called up for the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of their World Cup qualifiers playoff against Ghana.

Akpoguma has been a part of the Super Eagles and has four caps to his name, the last of which came in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone. He wasn’t selected for the Africa Cup of Nations by Austine Eguavoen who was named as interim coach following the sacking of Rohr who gave the 26 year old his Nigerian debut.

Explaining why he wasn’t in the list for the AFCON and subsequently the sqaud for the game against Ghana, Eguavoen said that the ex Germany youth international was called up as a replacement for the injured Leon Balogun for the AFCON but turned it down.

”Akpoguma was out of the list that went to the African cup of Nations but shortly after the list was released, we still had the opportunity to bring in one or two and then Leon Balogun was hurt and then we summon Akpoguma to come he didn’t. His club now said no”, he told Elegbete TV.

Speaking further he explained that the fact that Akpoguma isn’t in his sqaud doesn’t mean he isn’t a part of his squad anymore as he can still be called up for future games.

“So you see I want people to know that if you are out of a team that does mean you  cannot be recalled that’s the end. I have not watched Akpoguma but I have seen him close a little bit in Lagos and in Benin we went to against Sierra Leone together. Very good player no doubt.

”But I must say I have watched Ekong, Balogun, I have watched Omeruo, I have watched Ajayi and made me say he isn’t ahead of them. Now that Balogun isn’t available, I sent for him, he didn’t come and his club replied that he won’t be coming. That was why I went for Olisa Ndah. A very good young player who isn’t in the list at the moment but he is still in our plans”, he concluded.

Coach of Dutch Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam Henk Fraser belives Nigeria international goalkepper Maduka Okoye has shown enough to be listed among the best young goalkeppers in Europe.

Okoye has been excellent since making his top flight debut for Sparta Rotterdam following his free transfer from German side Fortuna Dusseldorf, where he was a part of their youth team set up.

Last season he kept ten clean sheets to stamp his feet as one of the top prospects in the league and in the process became the first choice goalkepper of the senior national team of Nigeria. This season he has four clean sheets.

After watching him keep his second consecutive clean sheet this season following the 1-0 win over Go Ahead Eagles, Fraser says he has shown over time that he is in the bracket of the best young goalkeppers in Europe.

” He has it in him to be the best because his foundation is very grounded. Over time you see his mental strength and development increase and it is helping him. He has done well this season enough to say he is the debate of the best young goalkeppers in Europe at the moment”, he concluded

In the wake of euphoria surrounding the brace scored by Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen for Napoli in their 2-1 win over Verona, legendary Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi has called for the Nigerian to stay humble..

Osimhen who have been criticized heavily for his lackluster performance in the last three games responded with a well placed header and a side foot effort to help Napoli beat Verona.

The goal took his goal count for the season to 9 in the league from 19 games and as expected sparked talks that he is back to his best form but Sacchi belives he need to stay humble. He noted that he has the quality to be the best in his role.

“He has everything, it all depends on his mentality,” Sacchi said.

“Osimhen must remain humble. Values like humility, enthusiasm, generosity, and passion allow every player to give their best. If the team is dominating, it’s even better because the striker can get more service. Even the most famous actors need help from others.”

The interim technical adviser of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen says they have added another coach to the set up of the team ahead of the World Cup qualifiers playoff against Ghana.

Eguavoen has already had the technical crew which he heads beefed up after the Africa Cup of Nations with the addition of Emmanuel Amuneke who will serve as his first assistant.

Ahead of the game against Ghana, another coach will now join the set up as video analyst according to Eguavoen, he will complement the job currently handled by the duo of  Dr. Terry Eguaoje and Paul Aigbogun. Who were part of his assistants at the AFCON.

” We have a video analyst in Terry and Paul. However there is a guy coming to join us from the United Kingdom. He will assist us in the area is video analysis for the game against Ghana”, Eguavoen told Elegbete TV.

Relatively unknown Nigerian forward Solomon John made the headline in Czech Republic with the third goal for high flying Vlasim in their 3-1 win over Lisen.

20 year old Solomon who was signed from Nigeria football academy Simoiben provoked memories of Nigeria’s football legen Austine Okocha with the manner which he took his goal.

He used his pace to get past his markers with ease before showing clean pairs of heels to get past the goalkepper and scored what is his first goal for the club, who are pushing for promotion to the Czech Republic top division.

John who has trials with French Ligue 1 side Nantes before joining the Czech Republic will be hoping to help second placed Vlasim secure promotion to the top flight. He is also courted by top division sides in same country.

Quick, strong and deadly in front of goal, the club will look to cash in on him sooner rather than later but might decide to hold on to him if they eventually secures promotion to the top division.

22 year old Hamburg defender Jonas David will get a call up to the senior national team of Nigeria in the nearest future after talks with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Jonas has represented Germany at youth level playing five games for their U19 before stepping up to the U20 where he played four more games but he has decided to commit his senior international future to Nigeria.

Per a report by German news website Mopo.de , an official of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) visited the training ground of Hamburg, where he met with Jonas. His name was given as Baba Abdulrahman.

The report has it that he works as a scout for the NFF and during the course of his visit assured Jonas that he has a future with the senior national team of Nigeria, as long as he continues to play well.

This season Jonas has played 16 league games in the German second division for Hamburg who are 7th on the log standing. He is a central defender who is also comfortable as a right full back.

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen has picked the starting lineup for Nigeria against Ghana in the world cup qualifiers playoff scheduled for the 25th of March in Cape Coast.

Eguavoen made this known while speaking on Elegbete TV ahead of the two legged games against Ghana on the 25th and 29th of March in Cape Coast and Abuja respectively.

He said his decision to pick the lineup is to avoid any form of distraction and also help the team to start preparations in earnest ahead of both games. As they will have little time to adjust and include new players in the team.

From his statement he is pinning on using almost same players who played at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon where Nigeria crashed out in the round of 16 after a 0-1 loss to Tunisia.

“We have the eleven that will start. We don’t need distractions, all we need is support to cross this hurdle,” he said.

Coach of Napoli Luciano Spalleti has replied the coach of Verona Igor Tudor on his statement that Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is a better striker than Victor Osimhen.

Tudor ahead of the game against Napoli said the Nigerian isn’t the best striker in the division hence shouldn’t be given more priority saying he rates Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus a better striker than the big money Napoli signing.

Responding to his comments after Osimhen’s brace condemned Verona to defeat, Spalleti says Tudor has his reasons for what he said but insist that Osimhen is a top player. He however listed areas he wants the 23 year old to work on

“Vlahovic is a champion and if a club like Juventus signed him, it means they checked carefully he has everything required to play at that level”, he said.

“Osimhen is a top player with everything on his side. He’s young, he’s a good lad, he can be a bit too enthusiastic and gives his all. When we are talking about timing, movement, the dummy on a defender to change direction, these are the areas where he needs to improve”.

Villarreal and Nigeria international winger Samuel Chukwueze believe he is back to his best after dazzling for Villarreal in their 1-0 win over Celta Vigo in the La Liga over the weekend.

Chukwueze was picked as the man of the match for the game and it reminded a lot of people about this ability which appears to be on the wane lately. Although he still maintained the trust of his manager Unai Emery.

For the Nigerian team, he is also very much a part of the plans of interim head coach Austine Eguavoen who handed him a spot in his squad for the World Cup qualifiers playoff against Ghana in March.

22 year old Chukwueze has fresh competition in the senior national team of Nigeria following the invitation of the duo of Ademola Lookman and Emmanuel Dennis from Leicester City and Watford respectively.

He is however unfazed as he believe he is back to his best after series of injuries and knocks the past two seasons. ” I have not been this fit for a while. I feel better now and it’s showing in my game. It’s a gradual process and it’s nice to be playing at the level I know I am capable off”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.