New appointed technical adviser of the senior national team of Ghana Chris’Hughton says his brief is to ensure that he helps the Black Stars pip Nigeria to the World Cup ticket in March.

Ghana will host Nigeria in Cape Coast on the 24th of March before travelling to Nigeria for the second leg of the World Cup playoff tie in Abuja three days later. The tie has been nicknamed the jollof derby.

Hughton who was announced by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as part of a newly constituted technical crew following the sacking of Milovan Rajevac says he knows and understands the weight of the task before him and the new crew.

He said his Ghanaian roots gives him more impetus to ensure that the job of picking the world cup ticket ahead of Nigeria is a reality after both games in Cape Town and Abuja respectively.

“Yes, and I have a lot of energy. I am going to be involved with Ghana”, the ex Brighton coach said.

“My father hailed from Ghana and Ghana have two World Cup play-off games against Nigeria. I am involved in that.

“There is a coach but I have the title of technical advisor and my role will be to support the coach and the staff for these two games.But I am very much looking to get back and have a lot to offer.”

Spanish second division side Huesca has fired back at the Association of Spanish Soccer Players over their criticism on the way the club is treating Kelechi Nwakali.

Nwakali returned ten days late following Nigeria’s elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations and he was subsequently fined by the club who viewed the act as a breach of laid down procedure for discipline.

The Nigerian claimed sickness was responsible for his late arrival. A claim backed by the players union who went as far as saying that Huesca are treating the Nigerian badly due to his refusal to renew his deal which expires in the summer and also his unwillingness to leave during the January transfer window.

Responding to the allegations Spainish journalist Pablo Barrantes told Cope Huesca  that the club have since replied the players union insisting that they did nothing wrong with their handling of the issue with the Nigerian.

According to Barrantes, the club insist that they acted correctly and that the act of Nwakali is a serious case of indiscipline. They cited the fact that Nwakali’s international teammates who were also at the tournament with Nigeria arrived immediately after the country’s exit to help their club.

Nwakali on the other hand went missing and didn’t contact the club till the 31st of January when he communicated his desire to leave the club. A move which failed to materialize as he also turned down a loan move to fellow second division side Burgos despite both clubs agreeing terms on a loan deal.

His explanation that he was sick wasn’t accepted by the club and they are going ahead with plans to terminate his contract without compensation. The case is been handled by the legal service of the club although it could react the Spanish social court in charge of labor situations.

The senior national team of Nigeria are having a mini crisis in defence as key senior members of the backline are not getting regular run of games ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers playoff against Ghana.

Nigeria will take on Ghana in a two legged playoff on the 24th in Ghana and three days later in Nigeria to determine the country that will make it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Ahead of the game, OwnGoalNigeria.com gathered that interim technical adviser of the Nigerian team Austine Eguavoen isn’t in anyway happy with the lack of playing time his defenders are currently facing at their clubsides.

His fear is that it could see them lose sharpness before the crunch tie, which is also instrumental to the stay of the coach at the helm of the senior national team of Nigeria. For now only Kenneth Omeruo and Semi Ajayi are enjoying regular run of games since after the Africa Cup of Nations.

At Scottish side Rangers, Leon Balogun has been battling with injuries and fitness and it has limited his game time to just one full senior game since January. Ironically Calvin Bassey a one time Super Eagles invitee has been deputising brilliantly in his absence.

Worst of all is Alanyaspor defender Chidozie Awaziem who has only played one out of five for his club since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, where he was a bit part player for the Nigerian team.

At Watford William Troost Ekong, the vice captain of the Nigerian team has been frozen out by new coach Roy Hodgson. He hasn’t played a single minute since the coach took over. Meaning he is without match practice since the exit of Nigeria from the AFCON.

Ola Aina is also not faring any better at Italian Serie A side Torino with no game since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. Jamilu Collins at second division German side Paderborn has only played once and that came over the weekend against Erzgebirge Aue in a 3-3 draw.

Tyrone Ebuehi is currently out injured but shouldn’t be much of a problem as Shehu Abdullahi has returned back to full fitness playing in all of the last three games for Omonia Nicosia. Zaidu Sanusi has also been ever present for FC Porto this season.

It appears rising Nigerian goalkepper Adeleye Adebayo has lost his spot as the first choice goalkepper of Israel top division side Hapoel Jerusalem.

The former Nigeria U17 shot stopper and U20 trainee has not been in goal for consecutive games for the first time since he became first choice of the team two years ago.

After keeping goal in 22 consecutive games this season, he has been relegated to the bench after the 0-2 defeat against Maccabi Netanya on the 12th of February. He wore the captain armband for three consecutive games before that game.

However since then he has played second fiddle to Yonathan who has impressed by keeping back to back clean sheets against Ashdod and Kiryat Shmona respectively. He now half as many clean sheets as Adeleye in just two games.

21 year old Adeleye has been on the radar of the senior national team of Nigeria for w while with many suggesting that he could rival Maduka Okoye, as he is the only Nigerian goalkepper enjoying a regular run of games in Europe.

Victor Osimhen will be allowed to leave Italian Serie A side Napoli next summer during the transfer window per reports by Rai journalist Ciro Venerato.

Speaking to Domenica Sportiva, he said the club have decided to cut their losses on the Nigerian as he is yet to fully settle in the country and have already set a price tag for his sale.

He said president of Napoli Aurelio De Laurentius sees reasons in letting the forward leave but for a fee in the region of a €100m and have already initiated contact with Sassuolo over their forward Gianluca Scamacca.

“Victor Osimhen can leave Napoli at the end of the season. Manchester United are part of the teams keen on him. Their manager Ralph Ragnick sees him as a perfect replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo”, he said.

“De Laurentius has set a price tag of around €100m after evaluating his options. At the same time Napoli have asked for information with Sassuolo for Scamacca. Spalleti considers him the perfect replacement for Osimhen if he leaves”, he explained.

Meanwhile fellow Italian journalist Dario Di Gennaro has expressed his surprise over the behaviour of the referee in the 2-1 win Napoli had over Lazio yesterday in the Serie A, he claimed they didn’t bother to stop the game when Osimhen was racially insulted by Lazio fans.

“But racist insult for Osimhen without anyone from the referee saying anything”, he posted on his official Twitter handle @dariogennaro.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will still continue its search for a foreign technical adviser for the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

A source at the glass house told this portal that the decision to name Austine Eguavoen in interim capacity is intentional as they see him more like someone who can help develop football from Nigeria with policies and ideas.

He said the outcome of the world cup qualifiers playoff against Ghana will be the determinant on the next move by the football body. For now there is a verbal agreement on ground similar to what Jose Peseiro had before talks broke down.

The idea is to keep the technical crew for two years if they scale through the qualifiers and get out of the group stages at the World Cup. But if they fail to secure a ticket then the crew will be overhauled again in preparation for the start of the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

A foreign coach will be engaged on that ground with as many as six coaches already pencilled down for interviews and negotiations. More will no doubt indicate their interest when it’s official made vacant.

Bar a last minute change of mind, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal that Rangers of Scotland left back Calvin Bassey has been handed a spot in the Super Eagles squad for the World Cup qualifiers playoff against Ghana.

We gathered Bassey made a positive impression on coach of the Nigerian team Austine Eguavoen who was once again impressed with his performance in yesterday’s 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund, where he bagged an assist.

A source close to the coach revealed that Bassey will surely be in the 24 man list expected to be released by the coach in two weeks time ahead of the game against Ghana in March.

” Bassey looks like a sure banker. Eguavoen likes him a lot particularly the fact that he can play as a left back and also in central defence. He has the size and the ability to thrive in African football. He will be in the list”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

“It’s going to be a 24 man list of foreign based players with the rest of the sqaud about five or so picked from teams in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). They will train for a week or two before the foreign base arrive camp”, he concluded.