Coach of Napoli Gennaro Gattuso has backed record signing Victor Osimhen after the forward fired blank in their 6-0 win over Genoa.

Osimhen was handed his first start by the coach in their first home game of the season and despite lasting the entire duration of the game, he wasn’t among the goal scorers in the rout.

His major contribution was the assist to Piotr Zielinski which resulted in the second goal of the game but on his part he twice came close to scoring in what was his debut game in front of 1,000 fans.

After the game Gattuso praised his effort in the win before sorting to explain why the 21 year old wasn’t among the goal scorers in what was their second consecutive win in the Serie A.

“ He was unlucky but he played for the team and when you do that it’s fine . He celebrated the goal with the kind of spirit I want to see and I believe he will score lot of goals but we don’t want to put him under pressure”, he said .

Liverpool and Senegal forward Sadio Mane says a lot of African teams know about the dangers in facing the senior national team of Nigeria.

The forward was speaking in a English Premier League programme watched by Owngoalnigeria.com and was asked about the chances of an African nation going all the way to the final of the next World Cup.

Mane who was a losing finalist at the last African Cup of Nations with Senegal against Algeria said there is a current rise of new super power in Africa but picked Nigeria as the one team many teams dread on the continent.

“ At the last AFCON we were unlucky to lose in the final. In Africa we have new teams springing up to challenge the dominant ones. It’s a trend that I have observed the past few years and it shows that football is growing in the region.

“ Many teams know the giants and Nigeria plays in a rather different way most times and many will tell you that meeting them isn’t the best thing but if the need arises you can’t run away from it “, he said.

He also picked Côte d’Ivoire and the countries from North Africa as giants that many want to avoid because of how organized they are backed up with the quality of players in their team.

Freshly invited Super Eagles forward Chidera Ejuke is yet to find his feet in the Russian League where he has been handed a new role at CSKA Moscow.

The 22 year old played as the top striker once again yesterday as CSKA Moscow slumped to a 0-1 defeat to Locomotive Moscow. He struggles to make an impression and that led to his substitution.

Ejuke was subbed off after 77 minutes and for the period he was on he wasn’t at his best just like it was in the game against Ufa.

Although he has scored once, it’s worthy to note that he did that in his second game while playing from the flanks. Same position that made him a big hit in Norway with Valerenga and later in Holland with Heerenveen.

Playing as a top striker means he won’t be able to use his pace, dribbling abilities in one on one situation and both traits are the strength of his game right from his formative years as a young footballer.

Coach of Napoli Gennaro Gattuso says the contribution of Victor Osimhen in their 6-0 win over Genoa goes beyond the assist he provided in the Serie A game.

Gattuso handed Osimhen his first start and although the 21 year old failed to get among the goals, the coach hinted that his presence was pivotal to the goals scored.

The coach was quick to point out that the forward gave his side focus in attack with his direct running , skills and power and all that made it possible for the team to play as they wanted to hence the win.

Napoli’s next games will be against Juventus and all eyes will be on the table topping side after their perfect start to the season with two win in two while the Champions drew 2-2 against Roma yesterday.

“It’s an option we have, although I must say that playing like this takes something away in terms of possession.

“We have a lot of attacking and young players who get excited about this kind of formation. But, as I’ve said, the search for balance is important.

“This year we have a centre forward who gets us up the pitch. [Victor] Osimhen is involved in almost all our attacking play and that shows his value.

“I don’t know to what extent we’re seeing the Napoli I want. What I certainly want is the same intensity in both the defensive and attacking phases. I would like both to be optimal, but in the meantime we have to work and we’ll do the best we can one game at a time.”

The first choice goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria Francis Uzoho was left out of the squad for the upcoming friendly games against Tunisia and Algeria next month much to the surprise of many.

Uzoho was widely expected to be named in the team following his return to full fitness after the injury that kept him out for around six months but he wasn’t called up.
Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr called up the trio of Maduka Okoye, Dele Alampasu and Matthew Yakubu In his squad for the friendly games.

Owngoalnigeria.com exclusively gathered that the 21 year old was left out on the instruction of his Cypriot side as they believe he should use the period to build up his fitness ahead of a busy schedule for them after the international break.

Since returning to training he is yet to keep goal in any game for the team and they plan to organize test games during the international break for him to work on his fitness hence their decision to ask Nigeria to leave him out of their squad.

He could however return to the Nigerian team for their games in November pending on how well he acquits himself between the sticks between now and when the games are played.

Napoli record signing Victor Osimhen was unfortunate not to get among the scorers as Napoli thrash Napoli 6-0 but he did bag an assist.

The 21 year old started his first game for his new side and teed up Piotr Zielinski for the second goal with a back heel pass that left the pole with less work to do.

A brace from Hirving Lozano and further goals from Dries Mertens, Elif Elmas, Matteo Politano and Zielinski rounded up the rout for the Gennaro Gattuso tutored side.

On his part, Osimhen who lasted the entire duration of the game came close to scoring twice in both half but was unfortunate not to get his first competitive game for table topping side.

The President of the Campania Region in Italy where Serie A side Napoli are based has granted permission to 1,000 fans for this weekend game at the San Paolo against Genoa.

Vincenzo De Luca signed the ordinance number 73 documents granting access to fans for the game despite the empty stadium role in Italy as they bid to curb the transmission of coronavirus.

As part of the concession, fans are required to come along with hand sanitizers, no one is allowed to stand, no betting coupon is allowed, fumigation of the access gates, no use of flags or banners, closure of all stadium bars and above all no contact with the players.

Napoli’s record signing Victor Osimhen will make his home debut for the team who were victorious in their first game away from home courtesy of a 2-0 win over Parma with Osimhen coming on as a second half substitute.

He is widely expected to start Sunday’s game against Genoa owing to how he performed for the period that he was on against Parma even though he didn’t get among the goals.

Reigning African champions Algeria have replaced Cote d’Ivoire as the opponents of the Super Eagles in the first of two international friendly matches arranged by the Nigeria Football Federation to be played in Austria next month. The matches fall within the FIFA window for international matches and have been approved by world football –governing body, FIFA and CAF.

An explanation on how the duo of Ladan Bosso and Fatai Amoo were handed the roles of Nigeria U17 and U20 team has been revealed to Owngoalnigeria.com.

As exclusively reported by Owngoalnigeria.com a month ago, the coaches were earlier today confirmed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with the job of bettering the achievement of their predecessors.

Explaining the choice of the coaches to Owngoalnigeria.com, a chieftain of the NFF said they were appointed as head coaches for several reasons but with competence the watch word.

“ Amoo is an experienced coach who will act as a fatherly figure to the players and also his assistants. So it’s like the method of Yemi Tella of blessed memory. An experienced and elderly coach with young coaches as his assistants. Tella had Manu Garba and Ben Iroha as assistants.

“ The U17 set up has Ahmed Dankoli, the head coach of Football Academy Abuja who has produced over 50 players in Europe. Then Nnamdi Onuigbo owns an academy, a grassroot coach to the core. So they will be the foot soldiers. Amoo job is to harmonize”.

On the appointment of Bosso, he explained that many are playing down the success Bosso had with the past U20 team he handled and he is one coach that can’t be intimated or influenced.

“ One of the problem of youth team coaches is outside influence. That can’t happen with Bosso. Look at his past U20 team the likes of Obiorah Nwankwo, Nosa Igiebor, Gbolahan Salami, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Efe Ambrose, Brown Ideye, Aminu Umar, Azubuike Okechukwu and Elderson Echiéjilé were all given their career breakthrough by Bosso.

“ All the coaches need is support and as a board we will give them the platform to excel in their various assignments”, he concluded.

Former coach of the Nigeria U17 team Manu Garba says Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria will be pleasantly surprised by the qualities of Samson Tijani.

The 18 year old was handed a shock call up to the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of their next set of friendly games against Tunisia and Côte d’Ivoire respectively.

Tijani on loan to Hartberg from Red Bull Salzburg was made captain of the 2019 U17 team by coach Manu Garba who insist that he has all it takes to snatch a spot in the midfield of the Super Eagles.

“ He plays without fear. Controls the game from deep and never afraid to shot. He wasn’t my captain initially but after the captain and vice failed MRI test he was my automatic choices. I can say without fear that he can win a spot in the midfield of the team.

“ Many don’t know his qualities but he will surprise Rohr. My joy is that players from the various U17 team that I have handled have made progress to the senior team. That alone leaves me fulfilled”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.