OwnGoalNigeria.com watched the first full training session of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of their campaign at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

We picked five things that we noticed during the course of the session which went on for around two hours with the coaches putting the players through several tactical drills and even playing a test match.

1. Iheanacho Is Best Finisher – The Leicester City forward showed his ice cold predatory instinct in front of goal during a drill involving strikers and goalkeppers. He succeeded with all of his efforts and during the course of the test match scored twice. He even scored another when the pitch was halved during the closing session of the training.

2. Sadiq Likely To Start As Lone Striker – Interim coach of the Nigerian team Austine Eguavoen gave a big hint that Almeria forward Sadiq Umar will start in attack as the lone forward as he had several drills with him. Mostly on his positional awareness and runs into the box.

3. Ejuke Vs Aribo For Number 10 Role- One battle that will go down the wire in the quest for players to nailed down spots is the role of the number ten. Coach Austine Eguavoen is sold on the idea of playing Chidera Ejuke in the role but the arrival of Joe Aribo means it won’t be a straight forward decision.

4. Frank Onyeka Is A Tank – There is no how anybody who watched yesterday session won’t take notice of Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka. He was the busiest among all players breaking and linking up play with ease. His industrious nature nullied the threat of Ejuke as he robbed him off the ball severally.

5. Moses Simon is “Undroppable” – He was by far one of the most impressive during yesterday’s session. Playing from his preferred position on the left. His combination with Zaidu Sanusi was particularly mind blowing but not as much as the way he glide past his markers at an alarming pace without losing the ball.

The training of the senior national team of Nigeria picked up today with as many as 23 players taking part in the session which lasted two hours.

Interim coach of the team Austine Eguavoen had the players up against themselves in a tactical game which is aimed towards improving the team’s ability in front of goal.

Defenders are not allowed to put in a tackle whenever a striker is thorough on goal for the first 30 minutes of the session. It was later adjusted to a normal game.

During the course of the first thirty minutes, Sadiq Umar finished on top of the scoring chart with three goals to his name after a slow start to the session by missing two easy to convert chances.

For the other team Kelechi Iheanacho finished off two lay off from Alex Iwobi for his brace with the duo of Frank Onyekuru and Peter Olayinka also finding the back of the net.

Below is how they were lined up in the session which had assistant coach of the team Joseph Yobo playing in defence alongside Chidozie Awaziem.

Daniel Akpeyi ( Francis Uzoho), Chidozie Awaziem, Zaidu Sanusi, Peter Olayinka, Olisa Ndah, Henry Onyekuru, Sadiq Umar, Taiwo Awoniyi, Moses Simon, Chidera Ejuke, Joseph Yobo

Maduka Okoye (John Noble), Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, William Troost Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Nwakali, Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho, Kenneth Omeruo, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka.

The senior national team of Nigeria had their first full training session ahead of their campaign at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Interim coach of the team Austine Eguavoen had the players play against each other in a practice match which was tactical as attackers are allowed to aim for goal once they go behind.

In the practice game, one of the team wore red training bibs while the other team trainied in the team’s green training vest. Eguavoen supervised the session, below is how they lined up for the one hour practice game.

Assistant coach of the team Joseph Yobo took part in the session pairing Chidozie Awaziem in central defence for the team in red training bibs.

Daniel Akpeyi ( Francis Uzoho), Chidozie Awaziem, Zaidu Sanusi, Peter Olayinka, Olisa Ndah, Henry Onyekuru, Sadiq Umar, Taiwo Awoniyi, Moses Simon, Chidera Ejuke, Joseph Yobo

Maduka Okoye (John Noble), Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, William Troost Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Nwakali, Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho, Kenneth Omeruo, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka.

Interim coach of the senior national team of Austine Eguavoen has handed a deadline to Al Shabab striker Odion Ighalo who is yet to arrive the camp of the Super Eagles for the 2021 Africa cup of Nations.

Al Shabab are refusing to let the forward leave for the African Cup Of Nations as it will affect their title aspirations with the forward their leading scorer with ten goals this season.

Ighalo is pushing the club to allow him team up with the Super Eagles team but the club insisting that the forward has a clause in his deal that he won’t appear for Nigeria at an international tournament when he was signed.

As at when he was signed, he has retired from the senior national team of Nigeria but he was talked out of it. Al Shabab are insisting that it will amount to a contract breach if he leaves for the tournament.

Reacting to the impasse, Eguavoen said he has given the striker a deadline of 5pm today to arrive the camp of the team else he will be replaced by another striker, “If we don’t have any positive news on Ighalo by 5pm, I will replace him”, he said.

He however refused to name the player who will take the spot of the forward who finished as top scorer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The four goalkeepers in the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria were all part of yesterday’s training session as the team step up their preparation for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Maduka Okoye, Francisco Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi and John Noble joined the players in doing the usual fitness drills before undergoing a different type of drill under goalkepper’s coach Alloy Agu.

Agu took the goalkeppers on reaction and reflex drills before having them work the ball with their feet to polish their distribution from the back. A warmer was set as the target for all four goalkeppers.

Akpeyi was the most successful as he hit the target with three of his four efforts, surprisingly even with his left foot he still got his attempt on target. Next to him was Uzoho who succeeded with two of his efforts.

Noble didn’t get any of his shot on target with Okoye who is tipped to be first choice hitting the target only once but did show amazing reflexes during the course of the drills.

Almeria star forward Sadiq Umar says the absence of Victor Osimhen in the Super Eagles squad is not in anyway putting him under pressure to impress when the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations gets underway.

Sadiq is for now the favourite to lead the line for Nigeria with Osimhen still recovering from the facial surgery he underwent following a nasty injury picked up while on club duty with Napoli.

The absence of the Napoli record signing who was top scorer for Nigeria during the qualifiers means one of Sadiq, Taiwo Awoniyi and Odion Ighalo will get the nod to lead the attack of the team in Cameroon when the Africa Cup of Nations gets underway.

“No pressure for me it’s just like a dream come true for a small child. I feel blessed. There is no pressure here. We have like three strikers here and we are all motivated to represent the country”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com in an exclusive chat.

”Osimhen is a great striker, a very top player but we hope all together with the team, we will give the good results that the country deserve. In football every game is a different game and especially representing the nation and all the attention on you. You know I will just be calm and whenever I get the chance. I will pick it and make the most of it”.

The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick says newly appointed coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro told him why Super Eagles didn’t get to the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Peseiro will formally take over as coach of the senior national team of Nigeria but according to Pinnick he has already started working behind the scene on how to get off to a flying start with the Super Eagles.

Pinnick said the coach even believe that basic errors cost Super Eagles the chance of playing in the 2018 World Cup final which Croatia, the team they played in the group game lost to France.

“If you look at Peserio, when I was talking to him, he was talking as if he has been coaching the Super Eagles for a long time. He said to me, listen, Nigeria, you played against Croatia in your World Cup opening match, they did not over dominate you.

“It was 45% to 55% ball possession. He then said Croatia eventually played in the final of the World Cup, it could have been Nigeria playing in the final. That maybe one or two things were not done properl”, Pinnick said while speaking on the appointment of the new coach on Arise TV.

CSKA Moscow winger Chidera Ejuke says he feels honoured to be mentioned in same sentence as Super Eagles legend Austine Okocha as the team gear up for their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Ejuke won Nigerians over with his close dribbling skills, same skill which has seen him complete more dribbles than any other player in the Russian Premier League this season.

Most Nigerians see him as the closest to Okocha when it comes to dribbling and the 23 year old says it’s not something that puts him under pressure instead it makes him feel proud.

”It’s not about filing in any shoes because for me to be mentioned close to him. I feel honored and to have my name close to his name means a lot. He is a legend in world football. It’s not about filing anything, I just want to play, enjoy myself and give the best for my team”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com in an exclusive chat.

He however said his aim is not the fill the boot of the legendary midfielder in the Super Eagles insisting that he gets on the pitch to enjoy himself and help his team pick the win available in every game he plays.

“I don’t get pressure to dribble. The aim is to play with the team and get the results. I just want to go out and enjoy just like the rest of my teammates with the aim of getting a good results at the end of the game”, he concluded.

The first choice goalkepper of the senior national team of Nigeria Maduka Okoye says he is excited at the prospect of playing against Liverpool star forward Mohammed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria will take on Egypt in their opening group game at the tournament on the 11th of January with all eyes on Salah who has scored 16 goals with nine assists in 20 games in the English Premier League. Salah also have seven goals from six games in the UEFA Champions League.

Okoye was asked about how he intends to keep the 29 year old at bay when they come face to face in Cameroon, the new Watford goalkepper responded by saying Nigerians shouldn’t add more pressure by speaking of the danger he possesses.

“90 minutes fully focused and confident. We know a lot about this game. I think we have the quality to keep even player like this in check. So don’t give us too much danger. I think it’s important how you enter the tournament, If you enter the tournament with a very good game then they already know about you”, Okoye said.

”So I think the first game is going to be very important after that it’s just doing my thing and be at my best.

“It’s a team achievement, we want to get goals and also not concede goals but as goalkeepers, the less goals we concede, the more points for our team”.