Coach of Napoli Gennaro Gattuso says Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen is finally showing the form that made the club splash big on him in the summer.

Osimhen followed up his goal against Lazio over the weekend with another in yesterday’s 2-0 win over Torino which further cemented their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

The Nigerian now has seven Serie A goals this season with five coming in his last nine games. A sign of his return to form after a run of games, something he hasn’t enjoyed since his move to the team in the summer.

Gattuso who has been under fire lately for sanctioning the purchase of the Nigerian from Lille for around €90 million last summer said he is now living up to his ability.

“He is slowly getting his bearing right after a run of consecutive games. The numerous setbacks he had didn’t help him to settle in his new environment but now he is unstoppable. The confidence is back”, Gattuso said.

Coach of Leicester City Brendan Rodgers says Kelechi Iheanacho is now a different player from the one that missed a penalty in December against Crystal Palace after scoring in their 2-1 win over same opponent yesterday.

In December, Iheanacho missed a penalty in the reverse fixture in what was a poor performance but Rodgers stuck by him and yesterday he repaid the manager’s faith with a spectacular winner ten minutes from full time.

He received a pass from Johnny Evans at the edge of the box and despite having two men on his worked his way nicely into a shooting position before curling home a sweet left foot effort from a tight angle.

The goal ended up as the winner and it was Iheanacho’s 17th goal of the season but more remarkable is that fact that he has now scored 14 goals in his last 14 games. A form which Rodgers was quick to praise after the game.

“It’s a great comparison, because he missed a penalty and his confidence wasn’t high,” Rodgers said, reflecting on Iheanacho’s improvement. “A few months on, he’s a different player.

“We knew the quality he has, the talent he has, and now he’s getting an opportunity.

“We were playing a system that only allowed him to come into games, but we’ve now designed the team around the injuries, with a bit of common sense, we’ve put in attacking players.

“He’s been incredible, that’s 14 goals in 14 games now and all different types of finishes.

“Tonight, wow, what a strike. The team are delighted for him.”

Kelechi Iheanacho was once again the match winner for English Premier League side Leicester City with his goal helping them to a comeback 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Leicester went into the break trailing Palace by a lone goal but five minutes after the restart, Iheanacho set up Timothy Castagne to draw the Foxes level before finally scoring the winner.

The forward received a pass from defender Johnny Evans with ten minutes left to play and with two defenders on him he smartly created space for himself before bending the ball into the net.

It ended as the winner of the tie and in the process took Iheanacho goal count for the season to ten English Premier League goal. A new personal record for the 24 year old who only recently signed a new deal at the club.

More impressive is the fact that he has scored twelve goals in his last nine games in all competitions. A form which has earned him the moniker Seniorman.

Nigeria international striker and Napoli record signing Victor Osimhen scored his 7th Serie A goal of the season to help Napoli to a 2-0 win over Torino.

Osimhen followed up his goal against Lazio at the weekend with another in the 13th minute to put Napoli two goals up after Tiemoue Bakayoko has given them the lead two minutes earlier.

The win pushed Napoli to 4th on the Serie A table same as AC Milan who are in 3rd on same points, same tally has Juventus in 5th position as the battle for Champions League spots in Italy hots up.

On a personal note, the 22 year old who was signed for around €90 million appears to have found a rich vein of form as the season draws to an end with five goals from his last nine games with an assists as well during that time.

Leicester City and Super Eagles of Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has refuted comparisons with Chelsea midfielder N’golo Kante, the player he replaced at Leicester City.

Ndidi was signed by the Foxes after the transfer of Kante To Chelsea and that led to many tagging him as the new Kante. Something which he said he is uncomfortable with as he wants to be his own man.

The Nigerian said he is irritated by the comparison in an interview with celebrated Nigerian journalist Shina Okeleji who writes for BBC, he insist it is more comfortable in being himself than someone else.

“Yes it [comparison] used to irritate me but it’s football and I completely understand the fans because they love to find something to talk about,” Ndidi told BBC Sport Africa.

“Even before and then when I arrived at Leicester I heard it. I only wanted to be Wilfred Ndidi and not someone else.

“I focus on myself, I am always critical of myself, I do my best to improve as a footballer game by game and giving my best for my club.

“The comparison with others, about who is better or if Kante and I play alike, is irrelevant to me. I think all that comparison was for those who love to talk and I didn’t focus on it.

“You’re comfortable when you are yourself and not listening or trying to be something you are not.”

Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam appear to have jettisoned the much talked about plan to sign Nigeria international goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, Owngoalnigeria.comunderstands.

Okoye revealed contact has been made with Ajax after his impressive start to life at modest Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam where he has remained first choice for majority of the season.

However recent report coming out of the Netherlands indicate that Ajax have picked another goalkeeper as replacement for Andre Onana who is expected to leave the club this summer.

According to Mike Verweij , first choice goalkeeper of Vitesse Arnhem Remko Pasveer is the main target of the club to bring competition to current first choice Maarten Stekenlenburg.

Ajax have lined up the duo to compete for the first choice spot next season with Onana who is currently suspended after failing a drug test turning down the option of renewing his contract with the club.

The report will no doubt trouble the camp of the Nigerian goalkeeper, who were already bracing up for his move to a top side but his performance will no doubt put him on the shopping list of several teams if Ajax as reported back out.

The representative of Reading midfielder Michael Olise has confirmed to Owngoalnigeria.com the date he expect the 19 year old to make his international bow for Nigeria after agreeing to represent Nigeria.

Olise agreed to represent Nigeria after representing France twice at U18 level and he was subsequently called to the senior national team of Nigeria for their final round of AFCON qualifiers but couldn’t honour the call.

Explaining why he was placed on standby, coach of the senior national team of Nigeria, Gernot Rohr said it was due to travel restrictions and it finally led to his exclusion from the squad after his club refused to release him.

However that won’t be the case in June when Nigeria take on Liberia in the first game of the World Cup 2022 qualifiers according to a representative of his management team.

“ He should play for Nigeria on the 6th of June in Lagos against Liberia. Already he has spoken with the coach and barring any late issue he should play for Nigeria twice in June with the game against Central Africa Republic in mind as well”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has picked Al Shabab forward Odion Ighalo among the forwards who will prosecute the group stages of the World Cup qualifiers for Nigeria.

Owngoalnigeria.com exclusively gathered from sources close to the coach that Ighalo who quit the team in 2019 after finishing as top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations is open to the idea of returning back to the team.

Rohr has penciled him down for the first qualifiers which is in June but could leave him out till subsequent games owing to the fine form of the forwards in the team at the moment.

The coach is banking on the trio of Kelechi Iheanacho, Paul Onuachu and Victor Osimhen to provide the goals but if one of the trio is missing he will bring back Ighalo bring some experience to the squad.

“ I can tell you that Ighalo is in the 50 man list for the World Cup qualifiers but his inclusion will depend on injuries to one of the trio of Osimhen, Iheanacho and Onuachu. They are his preferred trio”, a close associate of the coach told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“ If any of them is absent then for experience sake he will instead invite Ighalo. The other guys doing well like Sadiq Umar and Terem Moffi have no experience at this level and in a World Cup qualifiers it matters. Simy Nwankwo’s case is a bit different because the team has moved on but he will still get his chance in the future”.

Nigeria international winger Samuel Chukwueze ended on the losing side with Villarreal despite scoring from an almost impossible angle against Barcelona.

Chukwueze ran onto a defence splitting pass from Pau Torres and went round Ter Stegen with ease before slotting home the opening goal from a very tight angle.

That lead lasted for just two minutes as Antoine Griezmann scored twice in eight minutes to put Barcelona 2-1 up heading into the half time break. A lead they protected till full time.

A red card to Manu Trigueros in the 65th minute made it difficult for Villarreal to mount any sort of late comeback to snatch something from the game.

On a personal note, the goal took Chukwueze’s goal count to four for the season, one less than his best scoring season where he scored five goals two seasons ago.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr was among the spectators when Terem Moffi scored a hattrick to hand his team Lorient a 4-1 win over Bordeaux.

Rohr who said only last week that he is open to the idea of helping Bordeaux in some capacity as they bid to beat the drop watched on as Moffi condemned them to yet another defeat.

He scored in the 20th, 43rd and 80th minute of the game to take his goals in all competitions this season to 15 with 13 coming in Ligue 1.

The 21 year old has emerged as a prime target for German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and his performance today will no doubt increased his valuation.

Already he has earned his first call up to the senior national team of Nigeria but Rohr explained that travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible for him to honour the games against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively.