Fresh from playing against one of the greatest players in football history FC Porto Nigerian defender Zaidu Sanusi heads into the Super Eagles camp for the AFCON qualifiers in high spirit.

Zaidu is among the few foreign based players who are available for the game despite travel restrictions on some due to the coronavirus pandemic. He is expected in camp later today.

He spoke with Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman after starring for Porto in their 2-1 win over Portimonense in the Portuguese top division on his season so far and other issues.

Season So Far With Porto

To be honest I didn’t expect to play as many games like I have played now and seeing the team doing well on all fronts makes me happy to be a part of our season so far.

Knocking Out Juventus From UCL

So far that is the best moment of my career at club level. It was awesome that I will be playing in the quarter finals in my first year in the UEFA Champions League is what words can’t explain. All glory to Allah because he made it possible.

Facing Cristiano Ronaldo In Back To Back Games

Playing against one of the greatest in world football is enough motivation to be at your best and the feeling is amazing particularly our success on aggregate. He is still the toughest opponent I have faced this season and that game is the biggest of my career so far. However training and playing with the stars in the Super Eagles made it a lot easy for me.

Yesterday’s training of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of Saturday AFCON 2022 qualifiers against Benin Republic saw the players engaged themselves in a practice match.

Coach of the team Gernot Rohr made two teams from the 24 players in camp and gave them different formations to play against each other during the last one hour of the session.

Rohr watched on as they went up against each other with Samuel Chukwueze proving to be a handful for Jamilu Collins who was up against him.

Wilfred Ndidi was at his usual self but his passing range has improved tremendously as he thrice switch play with ease after robbing an opponent of the ball. At one instance he played Victor Osimhen through on goal but the Napoli forward couldn’t beat Francis Uzoho.

The star of the session was Kelechi Iheanacho who confirmed his red hot form with Leicester City is no fluke with a brace to hand his team a 2-1 win. Alex Iwobi got the only goal for his side.

Team A (4-3-3)
Maduka Okoye
Ola Aina
Zaidu Sanusi
William Troost Ekong
Leon Balogun
Joe Aribo
Oghenekaro Etebo (Shehu Abdullahi)
Wilfred Ndidi
Alex Iwobi
Samuel Chukwueze
Victor Osimhen

Team B (4-3-2-1)
Francis Uzoho
Chidozie Awaziem
Semi Ajayi
Adekunle Adeleye
Jamilu Collins
Oghenekaro Etebo
Kelechi Iheanacho
Tyronne Ebuehi
Anayo Iwuala ( Ahmed Musa)
Kelechi Iheanacho
Paul Onuachu
Henry Onyekuru

The senior national team of Nigeria had their second training session ahead of their upcoming AFCON 2022 qualifiers game against Benin Republic on Saturday at Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo.

Coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr supervised the session and after the usual warm up session and ball works, the goalkeepers were drilled by their coach Alloy Agu.

The other outfield players were involved in a tactical session supervised by Rohr before splitting them into two groups for a test match. The team were made to play against each other.

No hint as per how they will start the game yet but the way they were lined up suggest the coach has some players penciled down already for a starting berth.

Team A (4-3-3)
Maduka Okoye
Ola Aina
Zaidu Sanusi
William Troost Ekong
Leon Balogun
Joe Aribo
Oghenekaro Etebo (Shehu Abdullahi)
Wilfred Ndidi
Alex Iwobi
Samuel Chukwueze
Victor Osimhen

Team B (4-3-2-1)
Francis Uzoho
Chidozie Awaziem
Semi Ajayi
Adekunle Adeleye
Jamilu Collins
Oghenekaro Etebo
Kelechi Iheanacho
Tyronne Ebuehi
Anayo Iwuala ( Ahmed Musa)
Kelechi Iheanacho
Paul Onuachu
Henry Onyekuru

Captain of the senior national team Ahmed Musa has spoken out on when he thinks he will retire from football in the wake of the controversies surrounding his call up to the team.

Musa hasn’t played a minute of club football since last year October after terminating his contract with Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr and his failure to bag a short term deal with English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion.

Despite his inactivity he was named in the Super Eagles squad for the 2022 AFCON qualifiers although coach Gernot Rohr explained that he might likely not be involved in the games as he was called up for off pitch purpose.

Speaking at the media parley of the team Musa said the invitation came as a shock to him as he hasn’t been active for a while before dropping a hint on when he think he will quit football.

“I was surprised to when I saw my name on the list but there’s noting I can do. I always want to represent my country whenever I’m called up,” Musa said.

“I feel very happy, I will do my best, any opportunity I get I’m going to show what I know how to do best.”

“I have stayed many months at home, so it is not easy. When I sign for a new club I need more trophies because I’m getting older each day.

“I’m just 29 now so maybe in the next two to three years I’m going to finish football. We’ll see”.

The first training of the senior national team of Nigeria saw coach of the team Gernot Rohr split them into three different teams for a practice match after the usual drills.

All teams were handed a goalkeeper with the trio of John Noble, Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho fully involved after a thirty minute drill section with goalkeeper’s trainer Alloy Agu.

Against all odds the team of captain of the team Ahmed Musa emerged as champions with the trio of Victor Osimhen, Paul Onuachu and Samuel Chukwueze combining to devastating effect.

Henry Onyekuru was also a part of the team that won the session with Chidozie Awaziem anchoring the defence which had Francis Uzoho in goal. Rohr supervised the session.

Later this evening they will have their first full session as preparation hots up for the trip to Port Novo for the game against the Squirrels of Benin Republic hoping for another win like the 2-1 they enjoyed in the first tie between both teams.

The senior national team of Nigeria had their first training session yesterday ahead of the first of their final two matches in the AFCON 2022 qualifiers which is against Benin Republic.

Owngoalnigeria.com witnessed the session and picks out five things that caught our fancy during the course of the drills that lasted for one hour, forty five minutes.

Okoye Vs Uzoho Will Be The Main Battle

During the shooting drills with goalkeeper’s trainer Alloy Agu, the duo of Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho posted performances of two players keen on the number one spot.

Okoye has been picked as first choice ahead of the games against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively but Uzoho isn’t letting go without a fight.

Ahmed Musa Looks “Overweight”

One thing Ahmed Musa has going for him over the years is his physical appearance as he always look very trim and fit. That is however not the case this time around.

Musa looks to have added more weight and didn’t move as expected in tight spaces maybe due to his lack of match time for three months now. He was however impressive during the sprint drill.

Ndidi Works Extremely Hard Even In Training

Wilfred Ndidi is known for his workaholic nature on the pitch during games for club and country but not much has been said about his attitude in training. Yesterday’s session revealed a lot.

He was among the top three in all of the physical exercises and he was at same level from start to the end of the session even when others appear to have ran out of steam.

Iwobi The Jester

In the absence of Kelechi Iheanacho, Everton Alex Iwobi played the role of the jester during the session. He made fun of other players and all through the session he was all smiles even when he was tackled harshly by Chidozie Awaziem.

“Shy Guy” Adekunle Adeleke

Newly invited Abia Warriors defender Adeleke Adekunle didn’t look quite comfortable mixing with the rest of the squad. He spent most of the session alone or speaking with Anayo Iwuala but during the practice game he was very lively and vocal.

The camp of the Super Eagles now has the full compliment of all 24 players invited for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively.

Kelechi Iheanacho arrived the camp of the team in the early hours of this morning and will take part in their evening training after missing the first session which took place yesterday.

His arrival set the camp into a frenzy mood with players celebrating his arrival base on the way he makes the camp come alive with jokes , bants and more whenever he is around.

He is arriving the camp in his best form ever in a very long while with seven goals in his last four games for Leicester City. A form he will be hoping earn him a spot in the starting lineup preferably as part of a front two with Victor Osimhen.

Nicknamed “Seniorman Kels'” by his teammates at Leicester City, he showed his acceptance of the moniker by turning up in facemask with the words written by the side .

The camp of the Super Eagles now has the full compliment of all 24 players invited for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively.

Kelechi Iheanacho arrived the camp of the team in the early hours of this morningand will take part in their evening training after missing the first session which took place yesterday.

His arrival set the camp into a frenzy mood with players celebrating his arrival base on the way he makes the camp come alive with jokes , bants and more whenever he is around.

He is arriving the camp in his best form ever in a very long while with seven goals in his last four games for Leicester City. A form he will be hoping earn him a spot in the starting lineup preferably as part of a front two with Victor Osimhen.

23 of the 24 players invited by coach Gernot Rohr for the Super Eagles AFCON 2022 qualifiers against Benin Republic trained at full strength for the first time ahead of the game.

The game which is one of the two games they will play in search of one point to qualify for AFCON 2022 will take place in Port Novo. The other against Lesotho will be played in Lagos .

Rohr started the session by putting the players through their paces before having a little kick about between themselves as part of the process of easing up ahead of the main session.

The players were then divided into groups of two with the goalkeepers namely John Noble , Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho undergoing a separate drill supervised by coach Alloy Agu.

Outfield players were made to take part in a short practice match making use of just half the length of the pitch with Rohr closely watching the proceedings as he begin to draw up the players who will likely start.

Newly invited Enyimba FC of Aba forward Anayo Iwuala was particularly impressive in the way he maneuvered his way past tight spaces and same can be said about Samuel Chukwueze who was his usual self.

The session lasted for one hour, thirty minutes before it was rounded up with the players set to be involved in a full tactical set up tomorrow evening as preparations hot up.

Former captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria John Obi Mikel have lifted the lid on how he was forced out of Chelsea after eleven seasons by former coach Antonio Conte.

Conte was hired as coach in 2016 and for the first time in Obi’s stay at Chelsea he found himself not in the plans of the manager hence his decision to leave the team for Chinese side Tiajin Teda.

“ “There were tears in my eyes,” he tells The Athletic. “I parked around the corner. I just had to take a minute. There was the realisation that this was it for me and Chelsea.

“For 11 years I had done the same thing, had the same locker, driven to the same place every day. Chelsea was my second home. I was often there from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon. I was there more than I was in my own home.”

Mikel said their fall out stemmed from when he decided that he want to honor a call up as one of the over age players in Nigeria U23 squad to the Olympics in Rio as it’s the only tournament missing from his cv at international level.

“I had been called up by my national team to play and it was a dream,” he says. “It’s a dream for anyone to go to the Olympics. Yes, as players we want to win the Champions League and the World Cup, but the Olympics is a massive tournament.”

Mikel continues: “This guy (Conte) who has just walked in the door for five minutes is telling me I had to choose. He was saying, ‘If you do that, you won’t be a part of this team’. I spoke to the club and told them that I wanted to go. The club respected me because of what I had done for them and how long I’d been there. So off I went and I felt punished for that. I came back and I didn’t make the squad. I was never in the squad list on match days again.

According to Mikel, Conte did offer him a chance to be a part of the squad but he turned it down as he has already made up his mind to bring his stay at the club to an end.

“The funny thing is, just before the January window was going to start, he came up to me and said ‘I want a meeting with you’. This was after making me train on my own for months, treating a player who had been at Chelsea for a long time like this!

“When he tried to meet with me he was like, ‘Let’s try and make up, I will need you in the team, let’s squash this, blah, blah, blah!’. I was like, ‘Are you joking?! Are you fucking serious?!’ He knew I wanted out. I stood up and walked out of the room. You can’t disrespect a human being like that.

“I couldn’t wait for the window to open to get out. I was talking to the hierarchy and explaining that I would definitely have to go. And they agreed, they understood.”

On why he stuck to his decision to leave the team despite the route back by the coach, Mikel said it was evident from the get to that the coach never liked him.

“From the very first day, he did not like me for some reason,” Mikel claims. “After everything I had done… yes, I wasn’t a Drogba scoring goals and this and that, but I gave loyalty. I helped the club. I helped win trophies. I played in most of the finals: Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup.

“I was a big part of the team so to be treated like that by a manager who had been there for a few minutes was very disappointing. It was nothing to do with the hierarchy, I had a good relationship with them. They treated me fairly until the end.”