The Super Eagles of Nigeria had their final training session ahead of today’s games against Central Africa Republic (CAR) in the race to be at the final rounds of qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.

OwnGoalNigeria.com witnessed the two training sessions of the team and picked five things we noticed during the session.

1. Calvin Bassey Is Truly Living His Dream

Not so often do we see new players integrate into the senior national team of Nigeria as quickly as Bassey did. The Rangers of Scotland left back gets along nicely with everyone and doesn’t look like a player who is joining the group for the first time. He is truly living his dream of playing for Nigeria.

2. Taiwo Awoniyi Might Make His Debut

The Mainz O5 forward looked very lively in training with his ability to run the channels unsettling the duo of Leon Balogun and William Ekong. A debut looks very likely particularly as Paul Onuachu is struggling to be fit for this game. He will likely be the first choice deputy to top striker Victor Osimhen.

3. Frank Onyeka Runs Non Stop

Built like a tank, the Brentford of England midfielder hasn’t slowed down since arriving the camp of the team. Full of running from the start to the end of every session. So good is his performance that he has already displaced Innocent Bonke in the starting lineup. A sure banker to start.

4. More Defensive Duties For Moses Simon

It’s going to take a whole before we see the Simon of Nantes in the colours of the Super Eagles. Coach Gernot Rohr is defiant that the winger must help out in defence hence sacrificing his attacking instinct which has seen him rise to the number one spot in terms of assists in Ligue 1. He will start from the right as opposed to his left wing role at Nantes.

5. Ejuke Seals Left Wing Spot With Collins

Unless something extra ordinary happens , the duo of Chidera Ejuke and Jamilu Collins have sealed the left side of Super Eagles. They will likely continue their partnership which started in the away game to Cape Verde as Rohr feels very impressed with how they compliment each other .

Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi was caught on camera reacting to famous Arsenal fan Kelechi Anyikude who asked him to join Arsenal when the pair hooked up in London.

Kelechi was alongside his brother and had a chat with Ndidi who has emerged as one of the finest midfielders in England the past few seasons and he shared the video on twitter.

He went further with a narration of the conversation they had alongside the video which has now gone viral but won’t be of any trouble or source of concern to Leicester City as he has two more year to go on his deal with the club.

Out injured for the next four to five weeks. Ndidi is seen by many as the best ball winner in the English Premier League an area where Arsenal have been found wanting the last few years.

Me and my bro trying to get Wilfred Ndidi to Arsenal 😂Translation

Me/Obi: Ndidi pls come to Arsenal

Ndidi: You guys hv Partey, he’s a great player

Me: We want Ndidi and Partey combo

Ndidi: Just like Essien and Mikel 😂

Me: Yes, lock the midfield😂Just doing the lord’s job,

https://twitter.com/kelechiafc/status/1445439394060582913?s=21

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr says Maduka Okoye won’t be in goal tomorrow when they take on Central Africa Republic (CAR) tomorrow in a 2022 World Cup qualifiers game.

The coach made this known during the pre match conference of the team explaining that it’s due to his late arrival to camp for the game. He said the Sparta Rotterdam midfielder need to be discipline after missing his flight for the game.

He said he has to make the decision considering the fact that many players see the game against CAR as an easy game and axing Okoye will help in keeping the team focused for the game.

The decision means Francis Uzoho will likely start in goal as he is the deputy to the 22 year old since losing his position as first choice largely due to injury and later inactivity at club level.

More details later.

The senior national team of Nigeria yesterday had their first training session ahead of tomorrow’s game against Central Africa Republic (CAR) in the race to qualify for the final stages of the 2022 World Cup.

Under the guidance of coach Gernot Rohr, the team had a one hour, thirty minutes training at the Teslim Balogun stadium where the game will be played tomorrow with twenty players taking part in the session.

Two players were not part of the enlarged session, one of which is Paul Onuachu as he trained separately with the physiotherapist while Maduka Okoye arrived camp yesterday evening after the training.

Rohr have a slight hint on how he will possibly lined the players up when they engaged each other in a practice game which ended in a 0-0 score before a shoot out was conducted to pick the winner of the session

Below is how they were lined up for the practice match.

Team A

Francis Uzoho
Ola Aina
Jamilu Collins
William Troost Ekong
Leon Balogun
Frank Onyeka/Innocent Bonke
Joe Aribo
Kelechi Iheanacho
Moses Simon
Samuel Kalu
Victor Osimhen

Team B

Daniel Akpeyi
Shehu Abdullahi
Calvin Bassey
Kevin Akpoguma
Kenneth Omeruo
Chidozie Awaziem
Innocent Bonke/Frank Onyeka
Taiwo Awoniyi
Chidera Ejuke

The chances of Arnold Groeneveld Danjuma switching nationality to Nigeria received a boost when the Villarreal winger was snubbed by coach of the Netherlands Louis Van Gaal.

Danjuma was widely expected to be given a call up after excelling in the UEFA Champions League game against Manchester United despite his team suffering a 1-2 defeat.

He followed that performance with a brace against Real Betis but he still wasn’t considered good enough for a call up. Something which he said if it doesn’t change he will be forced to consider the option of representing Nigeria.

Danjuma told NOS: “I think I have a better chance of being called up to the Dutch national team again if I assert myself at Villarreal. That is certainly a goal.”

He added: “Yes, of course. I have to be honest: at a certain point time runs out.

“I have always consciously chosen the Dutch national team and I would really like to play for Oranje again. But of course I can’t wait until my thirties to do that. I also really want to play football as an international and experience a major world tournament.”

16th of October will make it 3 years since he played for Holland at the age of 21

He will be eligible again in eleven days time per FIFA rules on players willng to switch nationality after playing for the senior team of another country.

 Players can now switch if they have played no more than three competitive matches at senior level prior to them turning 21. Appearances in World Cup finals matches or continental finals such as the European Championships would prohibit a change of eligibility. However, appearing in a tournament qualifier would not.

Nantes of France wing forward Moses Simon is the latest player to arrive the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of this weekend 2022 World Cup qualifiers game against Central Africa Republic (CAR).

The arrival of Simon will no doubt lift the mood of the players in camp as he is presently one of the best players among the players plying their trade abroad with his tally of five assists, the highest among all players in Ligue 1 after seven rounds of games.

Simon’s arrival swell the number of players in Super Eagles camp to 22 with the goalkeeper Maduka Okoye , the only player yet to arrive the camp of the team in Lagos. Okoye per his post on social media is in London waiting to board a flight to Nigeria.

Players in camp: Ejuke Chidera, Daniel Akpeyi, Onuachu Paul, Samuel Kalu, Kevin Akpoguma, Jamilu Collins, Innocent Bonke, Chidozie Awaziem, Taiwo Awoniyi, William Ekong, Frank Onyeka, Leon Balogun, Joseph Aribo, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Ahmed Musa, Shehu Abdullahi, Francis Uzoho, Kenneth Omeruo, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho. Moses Simon.

Rangers of Scotland left full back Calvin Bassey Ughelumba arrived the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria yesterday full of excitement at finally achieving one of the dreams of his career.

The defender was handed a first time call up by coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers back to back game against Central Africa Republic (CAR) on the 7th and 10th of October respectively.

Upon arrival in camp yesterday Bassey was all smiles, taking pictures and making videos of himself. In one of the videos he couldn’t hold back his emotions as he screamed “I’m so happy to be back home”.

Born in Italy to Nigerian parents , the former Leicester City U23 defender is eligible to also represent England, but playing for Nigeria has been his dream for a long while and two years ago he went as far as introducting himself to the U20 coach of Nigeria Paul Aigbogun.

” He came to me in 2019 requesting to be given a chance to play for us at the U20 World Cup in Poland but I was very honest with him as my captain back then Ikouwem Utin was playing in same position”, the coach told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Bassey has since moved on to establishing himself as a first team squad member of Scottish champions Rangers and he played some part in their run to the league title last season. This time around he need not to approach the coach as he was duly invited base on the strength of his performance.

As many as 21 players have arrived the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers game against Central Africa Republic (CAR) on the 7th of October.

We gathered that at the moment out of the 23 players called up for the game only two in Moses Simon and Maduka Okoye are still being expected ahead of their first full training session this evening.

The duo will likely be in camp before the training this evening giving coach Gernot Rohr the opportunity of having the full compliment of all invited players for the game.

Players in camp: Ejuke Chidera, Daniel Akpeyi, Onuachu Paul, Samuel Kalu, Kevin Akpoguma, Jamilu Collins, Innocent Bonke, Chidozie Awaziem, Taiwo Awoniyi, William Ekong, Frank Onyeka, Leon Balogun, Joseph Aribo, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Ahmed Musa, Shehu Abdullahi, Francis Uzoho, Kenneth Omeruo, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho.

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has spoken out on the reason why he called up Rangers of Scotland left full back Calvin Bassey Ughelumba to his squad for the World Cup qualifiers.

Bassey was handed a first time call up by Rohr who also explained that it isn’t the first time the 22 year old is getting an invitation to the team but he couldn’t honour the first call up as he tested positive for coronavirus.

“Last time he was in our list but he couldn’t come because of a positive COVID test. He was unlucky,” Rohr said. “Now it is October and this is the right moment, he is the only new player we have invited.”

His invitation came at the expense of Zaidu Sanusi, the FC Porto left back but Rohr explained that beyond playing as a left back , Bassey will bring competition to the central defence with his left foot an added advantage.

“There will be big competition but it is good to know that Bassey can also play central defence. We don’t have any left-footed central defenders, what we have is only five right-footed central defenders.”