Nigeria international winger Moses Simon came off the bench to score a late winner handing Nantes a 3-2 win over Lens in the French Ligue 1 yesterday.

Simon started the game from the bench and was introduced in the 70th minute with scores level at 2-2 against a Lens side who have been one of the surprise package of the season so far.

The Nigerian added to his tally of two goals this season with a late strike which will go down as one of his best goals so far in the colours of Nantes, the team he joined on a permanent deal last summer after a productive loan spell the previous season.

With less than a minute left to play and both teams looking like they have settled for a draw, Simon picked up a pass from the left and went past three Lens defender before rifling home a thunderous effort which made the stadium go wild.

It ended up as the winner for his team and once again cements his spots as one of the most influential player at the Ligue 1 side who are already imagining how they will cope when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has played down the chances of Victor Osimhen representing Nigeria at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations starting in January.

Osimhen is well ahead of schedule in his return from a facial injury as he is back on the pitch doing ball work with the aide of a facemask just two weeks after a major surgery.

Although he has stepped up his recovery and expected to return in time for Nigeria’s AFCON challenge, Rohr is already looking at the possibility of not having the services of the 22 year old at the tournament.

Per a report on AFP credited to Guillaume Maillard-Pacini, the coach was quoted as saying he has little hopes of the forward representing Nigeria at the AFCON and sources close to the German also confirmed that he is looking at alternatives.

Rohr has his sight on red hot Feyenoord striker Cyriel Dessers who only yesterday took his goal count to 8 for the season with another goal in the European Conference League.

Dessers has rediscovered the form that made him a hit at Heracles before his move to Genk where he failed to stamp his authority in the team. Back in the Netherlands on loan he has eight goals in 17 games in all competitions.

Coach of French Ligue 1 side Nantes Antoine Kombouare says winger Moses Simon isn’t as influential as he was at the start of the season as he is now the target of opponents.

Simon started the season like a house on fire with six assists and a goal in the first ten games of the season but since scoring against Strasbourg on the 7th of November, he hasn’t had a goal or assists.

Asked if the influence of the 26 year old is waning at the club, Kambouare said it’s not the case and explained that teams lay more emphasis on Simon than last season citing the game against Marseille as a case study.

He said travelling to represent Nigeria has also taken it’s tool on the wing wizard insisting that he isn’t worried as he believe Simon will definitely get back to his groove very soon.

“I am still waiting for him to perform. He has made a resounding start to the season and he is now less well like the rest of the team. It is up to him to make his way back to his best. He has to recover”, the coach said ahead of today’s game against Lens.

” He started with his national team with travelling. Physically and mentally it’s difficult. The opponents especially now him better. Against Marseille he had two players on his back. He has to adapt. It’s a period and I’m not worried”.

Nantes of France winger Moses Simon is prime to play a prominent role for Nigeria when the Africa Cup of Nations gets underway in Cameroon in January.

Simon was ever present for Nigeria all through the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup. He played in all of the games as Nigeria progress to the final play off round of the qualifiers.

Speaking to the official website of Ligue 1 where Simon has emerged as the first name on the team sheet of Nantes the past two seasons, coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr was full of praises for the 26 year old.

He said Simon’s ability to play at right back is a secret weapon for the Super Eagles making his game much more than his bravery and technical abilities.

“I really like this player, he has a foolproof mind. He is small (1m68) but he has a big heart. He is very talented technically, physically with his speed, despite his size.

“With me he can play right back, and he does! He has a lot of strings to his bow”, the coach said.

Werder Bremen defender Felix Agu says he is no longer open to representing Germany at U21 level with his sight now on representing Nigeria at senior international level.

The 22 year old turned down the chance to represent Nigeria two years ago for a chance with the U21 of Germany where he ended up playing two games.

However following the relegation of Bremen to the second division in Germany, he hasn’t been considered for a call up and that appears to have play a role in his decision to commit to Nigeria.

Per an interview with Deich Stube, Agu said although he hasn’t heard from Nigeria in a while, he is now more than ever ready to play for Nigeria despite turning down an invitation in favour of playing for Germany U21.

“I haven’t heard anything for a long time (From Nigeria). Maybe it will come again. At that time I canceled the Nigerian Association because I wanted to go to the German U21s first. Up until then I had never been to the national team and I wanted to get used to it.

“Now my time with the U21 is over. But it wasn’t a decision against Nigeria, it was a decision to keep my surroundings that are more or less familiar. Now I am open to the topic.”

Following the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to stick with Gernot Rohr as coach ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, OwnGoalNigeria.com takes a look at five players who will likely be out of favour at the tournament.

Top of the list is Watford defender William Troost Ekong with sources close to the coach of the opinion that his poor form during the qualifiers accounted for the pressure the coach survived only recently.

He was culpable for the defeat they suffered against Central Africa Republic (CAR) in Lagos with his indecisiveness leading to a mix up with Leon Balogun that led to the only goal in favour of the visitors.

Ekong was also the man at fault for the leveller scored by Cape Verde in Lagos three weeks ago which brought about a nervy end to the game which Nigeria were prime to coast through after scoring very early into the game. His spot is up for grabs despite his role as vice captain.

We also gathered that Rohr is fed up with Paul Onuachu and is looking at alternatives to the lanky forward who has failed to match his club form in the national team. It was the lack of trust that made him persuade Odion Ighalo to quit his retirement from international football.

To make matters worst, Onuachu who ended last season with 34 goals is struggling to find same height in Belgium this season at Genk. He has been in and out of the team the past seven games.

Samuel Kalu is another who is struggling to win back the trust of the manager. Kalu’s lack of game time at Bordeaux has a lot to do with his predicament with the Nigeria national team with CSKA Moscow flying winger Chidera Ejuke now ahead of him in the pecking order.

Leganes defender Kenneth Omeruo is seen as one of the senior players in the Super Eagles team and a well behaved professional. However Rohr’s unwillingness to hand him a permanent spot all through the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup means his spot at the AFCON isn’t guaranteed.

We also gathered that on loan Benfica defender Tyronne Ebuehi is not seen as an option by the German coach with Kevin Akpoguma now seen as a better option due to his ability to play in central defence and as a right back.

Akpoguma is having a stellar season at Hoffenheim and despite Ebuehi not doing badly at Venezia, Rohr according to sources don’t see him in his plans for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The return of Victor Osimhen to training after the facial injury he sustained in November while playing for Napoli against Inter Milan will in the coming days spark a crisis between Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Italian side.

Osimhen is back in training but with a face shield as he continue his recovery from surgery and Nigeria have already registered their interest in having him play at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

Napoli on the other hand are adamant that the 22 year old won’t be available for Nigeria at the tournament as they are sticking to his timescale of needing three months to recover fully.

Per a report by Il Mattino, doctors from the NFF will travel to Italy to have an independent assesment of Osimhen’s health state to see if it tallies with claims by Napoli that he won’t be ready for the Africa Cup of Nations.

If the medical report fails to match it could spark a club vs country row for the 22 year old who is the club’s record signing following his move from French Ligue 1 side Lille two summers ago .

Spartak Moscow winger Victor Moses has no idea over his much talk about return to the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com exclusively gathered.

Moses is said to be in talks with coach of the Super Eagles Gernot Rohr and was also reported to be in the provisional list of players for the Africa Cup of Nations starting in January.

Moses through one of his aides told this medium that he is not aware of any plans to call him up to the Super Eagles as he hasn’t been contacted by the coach or the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The aide said only when he is contacted will he make a decision on accepting or declining the invitation to be a part of the team to the Africa Cup of Nations, same tournament he played a role in helping them win in 2013.

For now he is still sticking by his decision to quit the team. A step he took in 2018 after the World Cup in Russia where Nigeria were eliminated at the group stage of the tournament following a 1-2 loss to Argentina. Moses scored Nigeria’s lone goal in the game .

Highly rated 18 year old Nigerian forward Maxwell Sani has agreed a five year deal with Portuguese top division side FC Vizela, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Sani will team up with the team in January for what will be his second stint in Europe after starting this career at Belarusian side FK Slutsk. He is quick, strong and skillful with an eye for goal and was spotted at a scouting tournament in Abuja six months ago.

The Global Academy of Zaria FC prospect will be looking to make the step up to the first team of the Portuguese side who were only recently promoted to the top division from the second division.

Vizela are currently placed 15th on the league table in Portugal after 13 games as they adjust to playing in the division for the first time in their history since 1985 and after a 35 years absence.

The head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has told sources close to Owngoalnigeria.com that he will continue in his role as coach of the team for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Rohr’s position as head coach was verbally terminated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) but failure to reach a compromise on the financial terms of his disengagement made the football house to put the brakes on officially severing terms with him.

Now with the Africa Cup of Nations around three weeks away, the NFF have told Rohr that he should continue as coach of the team for the tournament with a target of winning the tournament as contained in his contract.

Failure to lift the tournament or get to the final will see his role as head coach come to an end but that too isn’t a guarantee because the play off for the final round of the World Cup qualifiers will be played one month after the tournament.

The NFF might decide to stick with the German for the two legged play off due to time constraints just as they have done now in letting him take the team to the Africa Cup of Nations ” Three weeks ago NFF told me to stop but now they requested that I should continue”, the coach was quoted as saying by a source very close to him.