As reported by this portal one month ago former captain of Germany U20 team Kevin Akpoguma has committed his international future to the Nigerian national team.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr is warming up to the idea of having German-Nigerian defender Kevin Akpoguma In his team for their games in November.

Akpoguma has agreed to switch allegiance to Nigeria from Germany where he was a German international at various levels and even captained their U20 team. He will however not be a part of the Nigerian team for their games in October with some procedures yet to be completed for him to play for Nigeria.

However Rohr said he is hopeful that the 25 year old will be available for Nigeria in November when they converge for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers.

“ We are hoping he will be available for us in November when the process would have been completed. He has very good experience of playing in the Bundesliga for some time and he can play in several roles. We need his type for tactical adjustments”, Rohr said.

“ In the team now we have players who can push the others for a spot in the team and it is better for all of us going forward. There is always room for good players to come in and we will continue to improve the team with the players available”.

Former coach of the the U20 team of Nigeria John Obuh says his decision to hand a call up to Semi Ajayi in 2013 played a role in his decision to commit his international future to Nigeria.

Obuh handed the West Brom defender his international football baptism while at the helm of the U20 team of Nigeria. He played in the 2013 Toulon Youth Championship.

Expected to start for Nigeria next month when they converge for their next set of friendly games, the 27 year old owe his rise in the senior national team of Nigeria to the bold decision of Obuh years ago.

“ I like him from the first time I saw him. He was very tall and also good in the air. Although he was young I wasn’t scared of playing him in the tournament. My decision to drop him from my team was because he wasn’t ready.

“ Semi can testify what I told him when I dropped him. The areas in his game that needed improvement were very clear and I told him to work on it. Today he is a star in the English Premier League. My decision to hand him a chance with my team made him available for Nigeria but many don’t know “, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.

As first reported by Owngoalnigeria.com Tyronne Ebuehi has been called up as replacement for Wilfred Ndidi in the squad of the senior national team of Nigeria for their upcoming games.

Ndidi was ruled out of the game after picking up an injury while in action for his team Leicester City leaving a vacant space in the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of their friendly games against Algeria and Tunisia respectively.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has already informed the defender who is on loan to Dutch side FC Twente from Benfica of his inclusion in the team.

Despite the fact that the coach has other midfielders on standby he opted for Ebuehi who has been a part of the team for three years but has been missing due to the injury and fitness issues for two years now.

The call up is seen as a way of re-integrating him back into the team as he has found his level at FC Twente with impressive performances in the first three games of the season so far.

Newly appointed coach of the Nigeria U20 team Ladan Bosso has drawn up a list of 40 players who will go through the process of training and camping as he his to select the best for the next U20 team of Nigeria.

Bosso was names as head coach of the Nigeria U20 team and the coach has already swung into action by putting out a plan for 40 players who he intends to run the rule on before their first engagement in November.

The coach according to reports exclusively gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com will have the players in camp at three different intervals before finally settling for the best to build his team.

A source close to the coach revealed that he is leaving no stone unturned hence will start with some players of the last U17 team who are unattached of failed the MRI Test alongside players from selected Academies.

Next up will be players from the lower leagues in Nigeria before the final phase which will involve selected players from NPFL teams and players based abroad.

He plan to have the players in camp in the first week of October with the hope of concluding the process in two weeks to allow for team harmony before their first competitive game.

Former Nigeria international Efe Ambrose has bagged his first managerial job following his appointment as assistant coach of the Reserve Team of Scottish side Livingston FC.

The club confirmed the appointment on their official website while announcing a new management team for their Reserve team led by club captain Marvin Bartley.

Ambrose will assist Bartley alongside Gary Maley as replacement for the duo of Stevie Pittman and Derek McWilliams who left the club in June this year.

In a statement welcoming the trio on the website of the club. Ambrose was referred to as a very experienced defender who will pass his wide knowledge of the game to young players at the club.

” Efe & Stretch are two massive characters but in all seriousness, they both bring their own high level of expertise.

“Stretch has been a goalkeeper for a long time and he’s now passing on that experience to the younger goalkeepers at the club and Efe has played at the absolute highest level so to have him involved is absolutely brilliant for us and the boys will love working with him.”

The defender who played over 60 games for Nigeria at senior level is still a player at the club but will alternate his time on the pitch with his new role on the sidelines.

One of the new players called up to the senior national team of Nigeria Frank Onyeka has been backed to put up a strong showing for Nigeria by the coach of his team.

FC Midtjylland midfielder Onyeka was handed a first time call up by Gernot Rohr for the games against Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire on the 9th and 13th of Octoberrespectively in Austria.

Ahead of the opening of the camp of the team, Brian Pedersen who is his coach at the Danish side said he has what it takes to be a hit with the senior national team of Nigeria.

In the absence of Wilfred Ndidi, Onyeka will likely start in midfield if trusted by Rohr and his coach believe he won’t look out of place if given the chance to replace Ndidi.

“ Frank has what it takes to make a good showing if given the chance with Nigeria. Over the years he has grown in the league and at the age of 22 he has played in some European games and the experience is what has made him a better player”, the coach said while reacting to his call up to the national team of Nigeria.

Samuel Chukwueze was rated as one of the worst players on the pitch for Villarreal as they succumb to a 4-0 mauling in the hands of Barcelona in the La Liga.

Chukwueze lasted 74 minutes in the game before he was replaced by Takefusa Kubo who surprisingly got a higher rating than the Nigerian in their game.

The Nigerian was rated 3/10 in the game same as Raul Albiol with both players getting the lowest rating among the players on parade for the Unai Emery tutored side.

Villarreal under the former Arsenal boss have won one of their first three games of the season as they come to terms with the demands of the new coach who took over in the summer.

On his part, Chukwueze has kept his starting spot in the team but he has to start delivering else he could be dropped from the starting lineup particularly with the way Kubo played after replacing him.

Less than 24 hours after he was dressed in a rather strange number 93 other than his number 5 shirt in Udinese 0-1 loss against Hellas Herona, William Troost-Ekong has joined Watford.

The 27 year old confirmed his move to the English Championship side with a message on Instagram thanking Udinese for the two years he spent at the club.

Ekong is leaving the Serie A side for Watford who are eyeing a return to the English Premier League next season following their relegation from the English Premier League last season.

Although the defender is keen and happy to return to England where he started his career he is however unhappy with the manner of his departure from Udinese which came from a fallout with coach Luca Gotti.

Gotti doesn’t see the Nigerian as part of his plans at the club, a decision which is in sharp contrast to what the owners of the club think of the Nigerian, hence their decision to send him to their sister club in Watford.

Udinese Nigerian defender William Troost Ekong has been stripped off the number 5 shirt at the club as his move to Watford draws near.

Last weekend, the 27 year old wore jersey number 93 as they crumble to a 1-0 defeat. A game which he wasn’t introduced but his number 5 shirt for two seasons now was handed to Thomas Ouwejan.

23 year old Ouwejan recently joined Udinese on loan from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar and the game was his first for his new side with coach Luca Gotti preferring him to Ekong.

As reported by this portal, the coach does not see the Nigerian as part of his long term plans at the club hence told the owners to let him leave.

The owners on their part still want the Nigerian at their disposal so they traded him to their sister club in England Watford, where he has undergone a medical and will be unveiled soon.

He is expected to lead the charge of the team in their quest to return to the English Premier League next season following their demotion to the English Championship.