Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen has been accused of bringing the deadly Covid 19 variant to Italy following his positive test for the virus upon his return from Nigeria.

The Nigeria international tested positive after a routine test carried out by his club Napoli and he was forced to isolate for two weeks before getting the all clear to play again.

Various reports in Italy claimed the Napoli record signing is the unnamed African player who according to the doctors at the Italy infectious disease centre brought the variant which is deemed as more deadly to Italy.

“ The variant is not African but also found in African countries. We are bound by confidentiality regarding data and indications on positive subjects. We cannot give out the name out of privacy. The subject in question was in various countries”, the statement from Guiseppe Portella reads.

“ I don’t know if Osimhen brought this variant to Italy but it is from a sports personnel who just returned from Africa and it’s the first time it is found in Italy”, he concluded.

In a swift statement, Napoli categorically denied that the individual in question is Osimhen in a statement released by Hospital Federico II in Naples “ We categorically deny the news that Napoli player Osimhen is the professional from Africa that would have to isolate due to the variant Covid B.1.525. There are no player of SSC Calcio Napoli involved in this”.

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr will in ten days time release the list of players who will defend the colors of Nigeria in the upcoming AFCON 2022 qualifiers.

Rohr according to several sources has already drawn up the list of players for the games against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively in March.

Owngoalnigeria.com sources revealed that 26 players will make the squad with the addition of a new goalkeeper in Abia Warriors Olorunleke Ojo who will take the spot of Heartland FC shot stopper Ikechukwu Ezenwa in the team.

Aside Ojo, Anayo Iwuala has been recommended to the coach by the technical department of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after his impressive performance for Enyimba this season and he could be in the squad if Samuel Chukwueze is deem unfit after his recent surgery.

There is also a first time call up for the duo of Terem Moffi and Taiwo Awoniyi as reward for their performance at club level this season. They will contest with the regular duo of Victor Osimhen and Paul Onuachu for a spot in attack.
Barring a last minute change due to injury these are the players who will likely make the team for the games.

Goalkeepers:

Daniel Akpeyi
Francis Uzoho
Maduka Okoye
Olorunleke Ojo

Defenders
Semi Ajayi
Willam Troost Ekong
Leon Balogun
Kenneth Omeruo
Zaidu Sanusi
Ola Aina
Jamilu Collins
Shehu Abdullahi
Tyronne Ebuehi

Midfielders

Oghenekaro Etebo
Wilfred Ndidi
Alex Iwobi
Joe Aribo
Kelechi Iheanacho

Attackers

Moses Simon
Samuel Kalu
Chidera Ejuke
Anayo Iwuala
Victor Osimhen
Terem Moffi
Taiwo Awoniyi
Paul Onuachu

Captain of the senior national team of Nigeria Ahmed Musa is likely to be omitted from the Super Eagles squad for the upcoming AFCON 2022 qualifiers games.

Nigeria will take on Benin Republic and later Lesotho next month but it will likely be without their influential captain Ahmed Musa who is yet to get a club since parting ways with Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr.

Musa couldn’t secure a deal with English Premier League side West Brom with manager Sam Allardyce saying the club didn’t have the budget to complete the deal for the pacy 28 year old.

The deal not happening means the last time Musa was active at club level dates back to October 22nd before his decision to mutually terminate his deal on the 26th of same year.

Reacting to the chances of his captain making the squad for the games in March, Rohr said a decision on leaving him out will be taken by the crew as he seeks to get a new team to help him be in the best shape possible.

“ Our captain Musa hasn’t played for a while but we know what he can do. In the moment we will decide on what is best for him and also for us as a team when we make the list for the AFCON qualifiers”, he said.

Meanwhile there are every indication that Enyimba FC of Aba winger Anayo Iwuala will be given a first time call up to the team base on the advice of the technical department of the NFF, who have been monitoring his progress.

Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been declared the new first choice goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria.

Rohr confirmed the choice of the 21 year old in an interview with ESPN with an explanation on how they arrived at the choice alongside goalkeeper trainer Alloy Agu.

He listed the hierarchy of the goalkeepers in the set up of the team including out of favour Slovakia based goalkeeper Matthew Yakubu of Sered.

“No. 1 is Maduka,” Rohr told ESPN. “These decisions, I take them with [goalkeeper coach Alloy Agu] because he is a specialist for goalkeeper training.

“Myself and Alloy, we agreed that it’s actually Maduka. We have the experienced [Daniel Akpeyi] doing good matches with this club in South Africa.

“We have the young [Francis Uzoho] coming back after injury, but he has to play also now not only on the bench. We have also [Matthew Yakubu]. There’s a good potential now because this position was a big problem for us so we have more now.”

He said he was under pressure to drop the shot stopper after conceding four times against Sierra Leone at home but stuck to him as it isn’t proper to drop a goalkeeper after one bad game.

“You cannot drop a player because you say he plays one bad game,” Rohr told ESPN of the pressure he had faced to drop the youngster for the second leg.

“It is bad for his confidence.”

A top official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says Tosin Adarabiyio isn’t keen on representing Nigeria at senior international level despite showing interest via social media.

Adarabiyio has in several ways posted about Nigeria on social media including a post where he posed in a Nigerian shirt. His latest post was after the game against Everton.

He posted a picture of himself alongside the duo of Nigeria internationals Josh Maja and Ola Aina and captioned it “Naija Boys” despite all that an NFF board member said he hasn’t committed to Nigeria yet.

The duo of Maja and Aina have already represented Nigeria with Ademola Lookman likely to join them soon as he has already started the process but not Tosin who incidentally doesn’t need his switch of allegiance approved as he only represented England in friendly games at youth level.

“ Tosin hasn’t indicated yet. If he has he would have been in the squad as he doesn’t need a clearance but nothing from him despite all the social media post and comments by his agent. For Ademola Lookman we waiting on FIFA”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Liverpool and Senegal star forward Sadio Mane says Nigeria international Wilfred Ndidi makes it all easy for Leicester City to play to their strength.

Ndidi posted a man of the match performance in Leicester City 3-1 win over Liverpool further denting the chances of the champions holding on to their title and keep the top four hopes of the Foxes alive.

While speaking to Premier League Production on the game Mane said it’s a result that was made possible to a large extent the ability of Ndidi to shield the back four of Leicester City.

“ They had very good players making it easy to make the transition from defence to attack with Ndidi it’s so easy to do that. It’s something we knew before the game”, Mane said.

Coach of Leicester City Brendan Rodgers also spoke in same light about the Nigerian who has been by far the most improved player under the coach, “All the stats show you when he plays for us the difference he makes, and for him even to get an assist for the third goal was very pleasing.

Nigeria international winger Moses Simon once again showed his usefulness to the course of Nantes as they bid to escape relegation with a goal in their 3-1 win over Angers.

The 25 year old who was voted the club’s player of the season last year opened scoring in the 4th minute with a smart finish at the edge of the box after nice work from Ludovic Blas.

He lasted for one hour but did enough to hand new coach Antoine Kombouare a debut win in the game which is a derby as he claimed his third goal of the season in what has been a difficult season for Nantes.

Last seen he scored five league goals in 26 games before the league was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. He is now two goals short of the tally with six games less.