The German Nigerian duo of Jordan Torunarigha and Felix Uduokhai have both shun the option of switching nationality to Nigeria in the immediate, OwnGoalNigeria.com understands.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr revealed in August last year that two new players have agreed to switch to Nigeria after representing Germany at youth level.

“Two new players want to camp with us now. And this is a very important news for us. I travelled to meet them in March. I met one of them but didn’t meet the other until three weeks ago,” he said.

We gathered that although he didn’t mention names he was however referring to the duo of Torunarigha and Uduokhai but recent reports indicate that they have put a halt on the plan.

Hertha Berlin defender Torunarigha was suppose to be in the Super Eagles squad earlier than Augsburg Uduokhai who was handed a call to the senior team of Germany but didn’t get to play, both players have now shelve the option with the Olympics on the horizon.

Stefan Kuntz, who is the coach of the Olympic team of Germany has already informed the duo that they are part of his plans for the Olympics in Tokyo later this year, they are waiting on him before revisiting the earlier decision to switch to Nigeria.

Former Watford teen prospect Uche Mubiru Ikpeazu still has his mind on playing for the senior national team of Nigeria despite only recently committing his future to the Crane of Uganda.

26 year old Ikpeazu who was last season voted second best player by fans of relegated Championship side Wycombe Wanderers is yet to play a competitive game for the Uganda National team.

Born in England to parents to Nigerian and Ugandan descent he only recently left the capital of Nigeria Abuja where he came to spend part of his holidays. He told a contact he is open to playing for Nigeria if called up.

“ Ikpeazu is so Nigerian and will jump at the chance of playing for Nigeria even though he recently accepted the chance to represent Uganda. It’s a no brainer if he gets called up by Nigeria he will never say no”, a source told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

“ It is something we talked about while he was in Nigeria for his holiday. If he doesn’t get called up then he will gladly love to play against Nigeria in the colors of Uganda”.

Former Super Eagles captain Daniel Amokachi has once again voiced his opinion on coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr.

Amokachi has severally criticized the Franco-German coach who he believe hasn’t done well with his job as coach of the Super Eagles since his appointment in 2016.

Although Rohr’s tenure as coach has seen Nigeria move up the FIFA rankings and also qualify for tournaments with ease as opposed to the back to back failure of not qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations, Amokachi isn’t impressed.

“I’m one person that is not a fan of the coach, I’m not scared of saying it because I don’t think he has the ability to take our football for the next dimension.

“He has been here for five, heading to the sixth year and we don’t even have a stable team. We keep flipping the players like pancakes without getting real dimensions, we don’t know how we play and we don’t know the formation we play, we watch the game and we don’t know how substitutions come about.

“It is a shame.”

Former Nigeria international Finidi George has been handed the role of head coach of the youth team of newly promoted La Liga side Real Mallorca.

Finidi will handle the B team of the side where he spent a year from 2000 to 2001 as a player before making the switch to Ipswich Town in the English Premier League.

Based in the city of Mallorca, it is the second managerial role he will be handling for a Spanish team as he was at a time the director of international football at Real Betis.

He also worked as assistant at same club at same level years ago. The winger who won the UEFA Champions League with Ajax was tipped to be handed the U17 job of Nigeria but Fatai Amoo was instead appointed.

In one of the shock and unexpected move so far in this transfer window out of favour Club Brugge forward and Cologne flop Emmanuel Dennis has joined newly promoted English Premier League side Watford.

The 23 year old made just 23 appearances last season in two separate spells initially starting the season at Club Brugge before making a loan move to Cologne after a fall out with the head coach.

At Cologne he failed to make a big impression playing in just nine games as they successfully escape the drop via the playoffs. He scored just two goals last season, a form which makes his move to Watford more surprising.

The highlight of his career so far is scoring a brace against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the UEFA Champions League two season ago. He has one senior international cap to his name for Nigeria.

As part of his drive to use sports In repositioning the youths under his area of command Brigadier General MLD Saraso hosted Super Eagles star Moses Simon in Lagos.

The Nantes star was invited by the Commander of 9 Brigade in a short ceremony which ended with a novelty match between Little Wonders Football Academy and 36 Lions FC.

Simon took part in the friendly game and laid the assist that helped Little Wonders FC to win 3-2 and at the end of the game gave both teams the sum of 100,000 Naira each as his support to their project.

Speaking on the honour, Simon thanked Saraso for the honour and described the Nigerian Army General as someone who is keen on fostering a healthy relationship between civilians and the military.

He said football which is the number one unifying factor in Nigeria is the surest way to go as Nigeria seek to engage the youths to ease the current problem of tackling insecurity.

“ I felt honoured when he asked me to come over and help out in this noble cause. His desire to use sports particularly football to reposition the youths under his area is commendable”, he said.

“ The idea will no doubt play a role in boosting the relationship between the Nigerian Army and the civilian population. That trust will go a long way in helping out in the fight against insecurity. It’s a noble idea”, he concluded.

The much publicized proposed transfer of Nigeria international goalkeeper Maduka Okoye to Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam from Sparta Rotterdam won’t be happening as reported by this portal.

Ajax have already signed two goalkeepers in Jay Gorter and Remko Pasveer, the duo joined from Go Ahead Eagles and Vitesse Arnhem respectively and effectively putting an end to their quest to sign Okoye.

Okoye talked about the move as a dream move if it happens but unfortunately it won’t be happening this summer meaning another year at Sparta Rotterdam for the Nigerian.

Per reports in the Dutch media Ajax decided to sign Gorter who is of same age with Okoye but despite playing in the Dutch second division he is seen as a better and cheaper prospect than the Nigerian.

Last season he kept 25 clean sheets a new record in the Dutch second division beside that amazing statistics he is also familiar with the surrounding of the Dutch side as he spent time with their youth team.

Unlike Okoye who want to spend a year on loan at Sparta instead of playing second fiddle at Ajax due to his status as the first choice goalkeeper of Nigeria, Gorter isn’t bothered about it. Beside he is also cheaper than the Nigerian.

Italian Serie A side Napoli have state their own part of the story as investigation into the actual amount paid as transfer fee to Lille for Victor Osimhen gather pace.

French investigators are looking at the details of the deal after the new owners of Lille raised alarm over the amount left behind by the ex owners who handled the transfer.

Reacting to the investigations, Napoli according to Corriere dello Sport are not part of the ongoing investigations as they have met all the deadlines for payments due to Lille for Osimhen.

Mattinodinapoli went a step further by saying the camp of the Serie A side are relaxed over the investigation of Lille despite giving an official position of “No Comment”. They feel they have no business in the investigation.

The payment for Osimhen is valid for UEFA otherwise the transfer wouldn’t have taken place in the first place. They insist the total fee of the deal is the reported €81.3 million and not just the €40 million cash as revealed earlier this week.

Although the fee will be paid in installments and that probably explains the lack of profit in the first year of the deal which many said is worth €40 million in cash with €10 million to be paid in bonuses.

Nigeria international midfielder Frank Onyeka is one step closer to sealing a switch to newly promoted English Premier League side Brentford, OwnGoalNigeria.comunderstands.

The lanky midfielder wasn’t among the players who resumed pre season training with FC Midtjylland this week as he is still
in Nigeria with reports of a switch to Brentford at it peak.

With his recent omission in the players who have resumed for pre season training and with the club not giving an explanation on his absence it’s safe to say his move away from the club is only few details away.

Both teams are owned by same individual in Matthew Benham and with Rasmus Ankersen, the current Chairman Board of Directors at Midtjylland also occupying the position of Director of football at Brentford and also Head of Scouting the deal is expected to be sealed soon.

He was asked about Onyeka’s imminent move to Brentford and he acted coy during an interview on a podcast made available to the editorial team of Owngoalnigeria.com.

The issue of work permit won’t be a problem as he was adopted by Danish parents when he arrived the country as a 17 years old from FC Ebiede of Nigeria.

A member of his representative team Stirr Associates declined to comment on the move when asked about the possibility of the 23 year old making the jump from the Danish League to the English Premier League.

Onyeka made his debut for the senior national team of Nigeria last year in the 0-1 loss to Algeria in an international friendly in Austria. Since then injuries have prevented him from adding to his cap. He pulled out of the squad for the last round of international games over same issue.

The list of players who will represent Nigeria in the upcoming friendly games against Mexico on the 3rd of July was made public yesterday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

A total of 25 players were selected from teams in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). A list put together by the technical department of the NFF led by Austin Eguavoen.

Eguavoen will coach the team for the game with substantial coach Gernot Rohr handing him the honour of tinkering the squad, which will form the core of players that will represent Nigeria at the next Africa Championship meant for players playing in their domestic leagues.

Going through the list, OwnGoalNigeria.com senior editor and publisher Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman picked out some names who have no business in the list as well as some glaring errors both in the selection and positions assigned to players.

To start with the joint top scorer in the NPFL Mohammed Zulkifilu of Plateau United was listed among the defenders. Although he played in that role for two seasons. His rise this season is all about his adaptation to his new role as a striker with 11 goals to his name.

Stephen Jude of Kwara United was listed among the strikers but he is actually an attacking midfielder apparently that he has scored nine goals informed his listing among the strikers.

His goals were all from runs into the box and not from a role as the top striker in the box. He also boast of six assists which is his main role as a playmaker.

In the list two injured players in Ekundayo Ojo and Imoh Obot were called up. Both players are presently out injured as a matter of fact Obot has played just a game in two months, so on which form was the left back called up?

Abdulmutalib Sanusi of Katsina United was picked as striker but he is a right full back. The list also has as many as five wingers in Nenrot Silas, Anayo Iwuala, Ibrahim Olawoyin, Auwalu Ali Mallam and Uche Onwuasoanya who has most times played on the flanks for Plateau United.

Only two central strikers in Charles Ashimene and Chinonso Ezekwe were called up. One is left to wonder why Silas Nwankwo with eleven goals for Nasarawa United wasn’t called up. However Sadeeq Yusuf who is the league joint top scorer was omitted due to passport issues.

It’s understandable that Ikechukwu Ezenwa is handed a role in the squad but picking him alongside John Noble as the only goalkeepers in the list is not fair on the duo of Adewale Adeyinka of Akwa United who has the highest clean sheet and Vincent Edafe who has been magnificent for Abia Warriors.

Another area that calls for condemnation is the inclusion of Ifeanyi Anaemena of Rivers United who has had a topsy turvy time this season including getting suspended for as many as eight matches this season by his team. He is certainly not in the list of best defenders in the league at the moment.

Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC); John Noble (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Olisa Ndah (Akwa United); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors); Tope Olusesi (Rangers International); Ifeanyi Anaemena (Rivers United); Christopher Nwaeze (Kwara United); Enyinnaya Kazie (Rivers United); Mohammed Zulkifilu(Plateau United); Imoh Ubot (Enyimba FC);Tebo Franklin Degaulle (Nasarawa United); Lawal Oriyomi Murtala (KwaraUnited)

Midfielders: Anthony Shimaga (Rangers International); Seth Mayi (Akwa United); Uche Onwuasoanya (Plateau United); Samuel Nnoshiri (KatsinaUnited); Ekundayo Ojo (Enyimba FC)

Forwards: Anayo Iwuala (Enyimba FC); Stephen Jude (Kwara United); Ibrahim Olawoyin (Rangers International); Charles Ashimene (Akwa United); Chinonso Ezekwe (Rangers International); Auwalu Ali Malam (Kano Pillars); Nenrot Emmanuel Silas (Plateau United); Abdulmutalif Sanusi(Katsina United)