The camp of the senior national team of Nigeria is yet to come alive ahead of their upcoming friendly game against Cameroon on the 4th of June.

Nigeria will play two games in four days against the Indomitable Lions but the first game is under threat with players of the Nigerian team threatening to boycott the game.

As at the time of filing in his this report only William Troost Ekong is in the camp of the team with five other players. Already four players have informed the technical crew that they won’t be available for the game.

They cited injury as an excuse but some inside sources claim the players are not motivated to play the game as they have not been paid their bonuses since 2019. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) only recently paid the bonus for the AFCON 2019 third place match win over Tunisia.

Owngoalnigeria.com exclusively gathered that some players are however expected to be in the camp of the team this evening with Maduka Okoye expected by noon today in Austria. Same as Moses Simon.

For now the home based duo of John Noble and Anayo Iwuala of Enyimba are in camp already same time with the duo of Oghenekaro Etebo and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Report has it that they left Frankfurt in Germany on same flight and all arrived the camp in the company of goalkeeper coach Alloy Agu. Marcus Abraham and Shehu Abdullahi are the other two players in camp.

The U21 coach of Ireland Jim Crawford says West Ham United teen sensation Mipo Odubeko has turned down the chance of representing Ireland as he awaits a call up from Nigeria.

The coach said the 18 year old who is viewed by many as the next big thing to emerge from the West Ham Academy said there is a high chance that Odubeko want to play for Nigeria and not Ireland.

According to reports in Ireland,Nigeria have already contacted the camp of the forward who is reportedly unhappy at being left out of the U17 squad of Ireland for the European Championship two years ago.

Crawford said he intends to sit and speak with the forward to formally hear why he turned down the chance to be a part of the U21. Coach of the senior national team of Ireland Stephen Kenny is also waiting on him to make a decision.

“That could happen but that’s out of our control,” Crawford said today when asked about a Nigerian charm offensive as the reason why Odupeko shunned the invitation.

“All we can do is to make sure that every player, no matter what their background is, every time they come into an Irish camp, they love putting on the green jersey and love being around the place.”

The coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr is battling to get players who will represent Nigeria in next month friendly game against Cameroon in Austria.

Rohr told Colin Udoh of ESPN that five out of the 23 players in his revised list for the game have pulled out of the clash citing injury as their reason for opting out.

It means the team now has 18 players owing to the decision of Victor Osimhen, Simy Nwankwo, Tyronne Ebuehi, Frank Onyeka and Ola Aina to skip the game.

Austria based Samson Tijani was handed a chance to replace one of the players who pulled out of the game but the 18 year old who has one cap for the team picked up an injury in training.

It now left to be seen if Nigeria will be able to raise a team of 23 players for the back to back friendly game against Cameroon on the 4th and 8th of June respectively.

“I invited the player Tijani from Salzburg who has told me that he is injured in training yesterday… hamstring. And Frank Onyeka from Midjtylland, I called him but he cannot come either,” Rohr told ESPN.

The Super Eagles squad for the upcoming friendly game against Cameroon has been decimated further by the withdrawal of five players in the revised list for the game.

Coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr called up 31 players in his provisional list before trimming it down to 23 players for the game in Austria.

That same list will have to be tempered with again with four players confirming that they won’t be available for the game according to coach of the team Gernot Rohr.

Rohr said Victor Osimhen, Simy Nwankwo, Frank Onyeka , Ola Aina and Tyronne Ebuehi have all reached out to say they won’t be available and with little or no room to add more players, the squad is heavily decimated.

“Ola Aina told me yesterday that his ankle is painful and he cannot make it and the club physio said he cannot play. Then we have (Kevin) Akpoguma, we knew already he is injured and cannot play.

“Victor Osimhen is injured. He send us an attestation. The meniscus in his knee is painful.

“(Zaidu) Sanusi is injured. He was in Paris to see a doctor, for surgery perhaps but not for the moment. (Tyronne) Ebuehi sent us a message with a medical attestation that he cannot make it. And Semi Ajayi also says he has problems with his back and the Physio says he needs two weeks of rest.

“Simy Nwankwo also, they send us attestation from his club that he cannot make it because he is injured.”

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr trimmed his squad of 31 players to 23 ahead of the upcoming friendly game against Cameroon in Austria.

Some players who have been ever present in the past squads will omitted by the Franco German coach who gave no reason for their omission.

Findings by the editorial team of Owngoalnigeria.com revealed that five players were dropped for reasons not related to their abilities but a compromise between them and the coach.

FC Porto Zaidu Sanusi was left out due to the injury that made him miss Porto’s last set of games with Rohr leaving him out to allow him recover fully.

Joe Aribo was also left out for same reason as he picked up a knock which will require time to hence the decision to leave him out of the team.

Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma returned from injury three weeks ago but Rohr isn’t keen on rushing him back into the international fold. He is expected to be in the squad for the next round of competitive games.

For Semi Ajayi his club future was primarily why he was axed by Rohr as he is keen on leaving West Brom following their relegation from the English Premier League. He was excused to allow him time to decide on his next career move.

Henry Onyekuru also has an unsettled future with Monaco but it wasn’t the reason why he was left out. He asked to be left out of the team due to his mother’s burial ceremony which will be around same time with the game.

Nantes moved a step closer to staying in the French Ligue 1 with a 2-1 win away at Toulouse in the first leg of their relegation playoff.

A final day 1-2 loss to Montpellier pushed them to the play off spot against the 3rd placed team in Ligue 2 and they have started on a positive note.

Nigeria international winger Moses Simon who has six goals and five assists for the team after setting up the first of their two goals yesterday has urged his teammates not to rest on yesterday’s result.

He said attention should now be channeled towards the return leg on Sunday where a draw or a win will be sufficient for them to preserve their Ligue 1 status.

“ It’s not over yet. We still have another cup final like game to look forward on Sunday. The return leg should be given same respect like the first despite the fact that we won away. There is still all to play for”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has handed the duo of Sadeeq Yusuf and Muhammad Zulkifilu a first time call up to the senior national team of Nigeria, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

They are among the players picked by Rohr for the July friendly game against Mexico in Los Angeles which will largely be prosecuted by players plying their trade in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

Sadeeq is presently the top scorer in the NPFL with 9 goals for a Sunshine Stars team that is yet to win a game since January, he has however continue to impress and a move abroad is reportedly on the card in the summer.

On his part, Zulkifilu who is primarily a defensive midfielder or a full back has excelled in a new role as striker with 8 goals this season for Plateau United. He has been one of the surprises of the season so far.

Ebere Eze’s teammate at Crystal Palace Androos Townsend says the 22 year old received a message from England that he will be in the squad for the European Championship seconds after discovering he suffered a nasty injury.

Eze suffered an injury to his Achilles and it will time him out until 2022 according to reports, Townsend who shares close relationship with the midfielder revealed what happened afterwards.

In his first season in the English Premier League, Eze scored four goals and six assists but coach of the England senior team Gareth Southgate deem it fit to include him in his squad.

Linked with a nationality switch to Nigeria with the coach of the Nigerian team a firm admirer of the player who trained with Nigeria In 2016, It would have been all over for Nigeria in their quest to lure him if not for the injury according to Townsend.

Eze was mocked by a section of the Nigerian populace after this non inclusion in the English squad even though it was injury induced but it wouldn’t have been so, “As soon as he got in the dressing room and turned on his phone there was a message from England to say he was in the provisional squad”, he told TalkSport.

“That compounded his misery and a lot of us were in tears. It was a sad day.

“He’s had his surgery now and hopefully he’s on the mend and I know the player he is and character he is, he’s going to come back strong.”

Africa is the hometown of many football legends in the world such as Roger Milla, Jay-Jay Okocha or Samuel Eto’o. In recent years, young African players have also made stellar records. As a result, clubs have established more and more player recruitment networks in this region. Many young names have appeared and hope to create new things for world football. 

Which African football team do you admire? Algieria, Senegal, Nigeria,… They are all excellent teams that are loved by fans. African football is popular with the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) held every 2 years. Follow Africa Cup of Nations football live matches, final results, fixtures and standings at bongdatructuyen.site! 

Below is the list of top 10 young African football players in the world right now. 

Top 10 young African football players 

1. Mohamed Camara (2000 –  Red Bull Salzburg)

Mohamed Camara is a young player from the JMG academy in Bamako. After a period of training here, he moved to play for his hometown club Real Bamako. In 2017, he became captain of the Mali U-17 team. He led the team and won glory in the Cup of African Nations. 

During the FIFA World Cup U-17 tournament in India, he was also impressed when he guided Mali to a fourth-place finish. 

After signing a contract and moving to RB Salzburg, Camara continued to develop his capabilities and became a regular main player here. Many people rate Camera with outstanding maturity, possessing the excellent property of retaining and recycling possession. He is really a midfielder with a lot of potential in the future.

2. Lassina Traore (2001 – Ajax Amsterdam)

Younger football player Lassina Traore had a period at the legendary Ajax academy. He is also the cousin of Bertrand Traore. Lassina’s reputation has grown in popularity after he has scored many goals for Ajax this season. 

In the 2019-2020 season, he only scored 2 goals. He has made remarkable progress in recent times, scoring 7 goals and six assists in 10 appearances in this tournament. Lassina’s performance has also been shown very well in the national team’s, with 5 goals in 12 appearances for Burkina Faso. In the 13-0 win over Ajax against VVV-Venlo, he contributed 8 goals. 

Lassina is a promising striker. He often used his qualities to penetrate the penalty area and become a shield for the opponent’s defender. This player is considered a very promising factor in the Ajax training academy.

3. Youssouf Hadji (2001 – Club Brugge)

Youssouph Badji is a new name in African football. This is a talent that emerged from Senegal. In January 2020, he moved to the European football club Brugge. Here, he has had a remarkable record, scoring goals for the club against KAS Eupen and contributing to the victory over Grenk. 

As a young player, Badji has to work a lot to be able to take a position in the main squad of the team. Currently, manager Phillippe Clement often uses him in the latter part of the match to hope that he will make a difference at the end of the match.

4. Samuel Chukwueze (1999 – Villarreal FC)

Young player Samuel Chukwueze has joined and been with Villareal FC for several seasons. He is a good winger. He has a great capability of cutting the ball with his left foot and kicking the ball from a far distance. Because of these characteristics, many people compare Chukwueze’s style of play with the way of Dutch striker Arjen Robben. 

This player has a very physical endurance. His primary position in the squad is the winger. However, the coach Unai Emery wants him to take more responsibility, so he often sends him to play as the support striker. 

The only problem Chukwueze needs to improve is consistency and the ability to make quick decisions in the last minutes of the match.

5. Krepin Diatta (1999 – Club Brugge)

Krepin Diatta joined the Brugge club in 2018. Since then, the Senegalese player has shown steady progress in his play. Diatta was from the Oslo academy in Dakar. In 2017, he joined Norway’s top tier outfit Sarpsborg. Then, he moved to kick in Breydel’s stadium a year later.

Diatta is a right-winger, but he can still function on the left and even behind the striker. He has a skilful bubble play, a wide range of movement with the advantage of passing balls or passing the ball through defenders. 

In the most recent season, Diatta contributed 2/3 of the goals for coach Phillippe Clement’s team. His tendency to penetrate the penalty area has increased and the quality of the shot has also improved a lot.

6. Amadou Haidara (1998 – RB Leipzig) 

Amadou Haidara’s soccer career also began at the JMG training academy in Bamako. In 2016, he joined RB Salzburg club and became an indispensable member of the midfield squad. 

In 2019, this player moved to RB Leipzig. Here, he has made a positive mark. Under the tutelage of coach Julian Nagelsmann, Haidara develops physical and football play. 

Haidara specializes in defense. In some cases, he can also play in an attacking position. He is a player who is not too outstanding physically but he is highly appreciated for his speed on the football field. In addition, the ball cuts or transmissions are also highly valued for their effectiveness and creating a connection with other members of the team.

7. Youssoufa Moukoko (2004 – Borussia Dortmund)

Youssoufa Moukoko made his first appearance at the age of 16. He participated in the youth level tournament where he scored goals and was promoted to the first team at Signal Iduna Park. He was commented to have a timely explosion in the last third of the match. Maukoko also has the ability to score goals and handles ball situations quite subtly. 

Although just over the age of 16, Moukoko has shown his remarkable points. This is the reason that in Dortmund, this guy is appreciated with many prospects in the future. 

The most important now for this youngster is his ability to adapt to tournaments at a higher level. In addition, developing and shaping a long-term stable football play is a matter that this player should focus on in the near future.

8. Edmond Tap Soba (1999 – Bayer Leverkusen)

Edmond Tapsoba started his career in Burkina. He later moved to Portugal and joined the Vitoria Guimaraes team. Which contributed to a complete change in his career. 

After making a strong impression while in the reserve squad, he was promoted to the first team at Vitoria Guimaraes. The player is still young but has quickly become a mainstay in the team’s defense center. He and his club participated in Liga Nos and other Europa League tournaments. 

The coach Peter Bozx praised Tapsoba’s play. He has a calm demeanor and is comfortable controlling the ball at his feet. At the same time, this player is also appreciated for fitness. This makes him a remarkable and promises center-back and in Vitoria Guimaraes

9. Victor Osimhen (1998 – Napoli)

Edmond Tapsoba started his career in Burkina. He later moved to Portugal and joined the Vitoria Guimaraes team. Which contributed to a complete change in his career. 

After making a strong impression while in the reserve squad, he was promoted to the first team at Vitoria Guimaraes. The player is still young, but has quickly become a mainstay in the team’s defense center. He and his club participated in Liga Nos and other Europa League tournaments. 

The coach Peter Bozx praised Tapsoba’s play. He has a calm demeanor and is comfortable controlling the ball at his feet. At the same time, this player is also appreciated for fitness. This makes him a remarkable and promises center-back and in Vitoria Guimaraes

10. Ismael Bennacer (1997 – AC Milan)

Ismael Bennacer is a young central midfielder with a dynamic and technical mindset. This guy started his career at Athletic Club Arles in France. Then he took some time to move to Arsenal’s youth academy. At AC Milan, this player has shown a very good performance. However, this creates more pressure because he must always break through to get over his own shadow. 

This player also had time to play at Empoli. Here, he learned many experiences on the pitch. This has contributed to shape the way he plays football now. After moving to AC Milan. He continued to practice both his football play and his fitness. 

Bennacer is a good midfielder. He can play as a dribbler, hold the ball or make breakthroughs when needed.

To sum up

Despite their young age, these players are considered to be very promising in the future. Let’s wait and see the next time, what changes will they make to assert their foothold and make a difference in world football.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr says the Super Eagles of Nigeria desire to be the number one ranked team by FIFA after the latest ranking placed them as 3rd in Africa.

Yesterday FIFA published the latest rankings for the month of April with Nigeria retaining their position as 3rd in Africa after placing 32nd in the world.

Senegal and Tunisia were the only African teams rated higher than the Super Eagles is Nigeria but Rohr insist the aim of his team is to be the number one in Africa.

“ When I arrived we were out of the top ten in Africa that was 2016. Now we have just two teams ahead of us but we want to be top. It’s not going to be easy because other teams are also improving”, Rohr told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“ The result we want is to continue to work hard and be the number one in Africa with results and also big performance when we play competitive and friendly games”.