Details of how newly signed FC Porto Nigerian left back Zaidu Sanusi performed in his second test game has been made available to Owngoalnigeria.com.

The 22 year old who joined the team last week from modest side Santa Clara after just one season in the Portuguese top flight played his first game for the team in a 4-2 win over Tondela three days ago.

In continuation of their preparations for the new season they played a friendly and against Farense which they won 2-0 and unlike it was against Tondela, Zaidu started but was replaced with fifteen minutes left to play in the game.

He showed no sign of a player who is yet to fit into the team as he ran the left channel brilliantly using his pace and skills to good effect. He came close to scoring with a long range effort before the hour mark.

His performance in the two test games has no doubt put him in the frame for a spot in the team when they play their first competitive game against Braga on the 19th of September.

Osas Mahawi 

Napoli record buy Victor Osimhen for the first time in a Napoli shirt failed to find the back of the net as they secure yet another pre season win by beating Pescara 2-0.

21 year old Osimhen has hit back to back hattrick for Napoli in the first two pre season games he has played but he fired blanks against Pescara.

Piotr Zelinski opened scoring for Napoli to hand them a half time lead before further goals by Amato Ciciretti and Dries Mertens completed the rout.

Osimhen was substituted in the 67th minute with his most telling contribution coming before he was substituted. He played Ciciretti in with a well laid pass but the scorer of Napoli’s second goal couldn’t apply the final touch.

Defending the forward, Gattuso said it’s not right to expect Osimhen to score in every game particularly as he is still getting used to his teammates and the style of play .

The coach in an interview after the game also said the team that started the game couldn’t find a way to break down a resolute Pescara side until later on in the game, when they switched formation following the introduction of some players.

The scorer of 18 goals for Lille last season will now turn his attention to their next friendly game against Sporting Lisbon on Sunday and it will be their last test game before the start of competitive football in Italy.

Michael James

Napoli record buy Victor Osimhen for the first time in a Napoli shirt failed to find the back of the net as they secure yet another pre season win by beating Pescara 2-0.

21 year old Osimhen has hit back to back hattrick for Napoli in the first two pre season games he has played but he fired blanks against Pescara.

Piotr Zielinaki opened scoring for Napoli to hand them a half time lead before further goals by Amato Ciciretti and Dries Mertens put the game beyond the reach of Pescara. Andrea Petegna rounded up the rout in the second minute of time added on.

Osimhen was substituted in the 67th minute with his most telling contribution coming before he was substituted. He played Ciciretti in with a well laid pass but the scorer of Napoli’s second goal couldn’t apply the final touch.

The scorer of 18 goals for Lille last season will now turn his attention to their next friendly game against Sporting Lisbon on Sunday and it will be their last test game before the start of competitive football in Italy.

Ade Emmanuel 

As the search for young goalkeepers to help the senior national team of Nigeria in the future intensifies, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has taken the search abroad.

A dearth of young goalkeepers in the local scene has made it imperative for the NFF to switch their attention to some young Nigerian goalkeepers doing well for the youth teams of English Premier League sides.

Top of the list is 19 years old Joshua Oluwayemi of Tottenham Hotspur who only recently made the step up to the U23 of the team. Eligible for Nigeria and England he is yet to be capped by both nations at any level.

Last season he kept five games for the U23 in the Premier League 2. Former Nigeria U20 coach Paul Aigbogun met with him just before the lockdown to sound out Nigeria’s Interest in his services.

West Ham Daniel Jinadu has already tasted international football with Nigeria at U17 level and he has been tipped to form the base of the next U20 team. He was recently handed fresh terms at West Ham.

Arthur Okonkwo of Arsenal was a top target for former coach of the Nigeria U23 Imama Amapakabo but the injury which kept him out for 18 months prevented him from calling him up to the team. He is now back in full training with Arsenal.

16 year old Chelsea goalkeeper Prince Adegoke narrowly missed out on a squad in the 2019 Nigeria U17 team as he wasn’t released by his team. Another who has been marked for extensive scouting after inking a fresh deal at Chelsea .

Adegoke’s fellow youth team goalkeeper at Chelsea Kelechi Chibueze has kept goal for England at U15 and U16 level. That said he was keen on representing Nigeria at U17 level but got stopped by issues that has to do with his academics.

At Chelsea his scholarship deal will metamorphose into a professional deal when he turns 17 in November. He is also a target for Nigeria in the future.

Michael James

SKF Sered Nigerian goalkepper Matthew Yakubu has been voted the goalkeeper of the month in Slovakia after posting four consecutive clean sheets.

The 21 year old didn’t concede in the games against FK Senica, Ruzomberok and Sparta Trnava. He rounded up an impressive month with another clean sheet in the 8-0 Slovakian Cup win over SK Gbelany.

A member of the Nigeria U20 team of 2019 he has so far conceded just one goal since moving to SKF Sered towards the end of last season. He nailed down the first choice spot at the team in less than six months.

His performances haven’t gone unnoticed as he is now in prime position to be invited to the senior national team of Nigeria when they converge for their next set of international games in October.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr sees the 21 year old as a long term rival to the duo of Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho who are his preferred options for now.

Ade Emmanuel

All eyes will be on Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen when Napoli take on Pescara in a pre season game as part of preparations for the new season.

Osimhen has scored back to back hattrick in his first two games for the Italian side since the start of friendly games following his record breaking £80 million move from Lille.

Pescara is a formidable opponent than other teams he has faced since his move to Napoli and that will make many to see the game as his first real test in a Napoli shirt.

The 22 year old has wasted no time in settling in his new surroundings and with the season about to start in two weeks time all eyes were surely be on him to replicate his pre season form.

Today’s game will be followed by another on Sunday in Portugal against Sporting Lisbon and it will be their final pre season game before the start of competitive games.

Oghenekaro Etebo recently concluded his loan move from English Championship side Stoke City to Turkish outfit Galatasaray. His second consecutively loan spell away from the club.

Last season he spent the last six months with La Liga side Getafe has he was deemed surplus to requirements by coach Michael O’Neil. Just six months after he was voted the club’s player of the season.

At Getafe he didn’t quite stamp his feet in the first team but he was hoping the spell will help him revive his career with the English Championship side who are keen on promotion to the English Premier League.

However all of that changed when the club signed former captain of the senior national team of Nigeria John Obi Mikel, who also plays in the middle like Etebo.

Mikel impressed in pre season games while Etebo was away as he was handed an extended break. In his absence Mikel filled the extra midfield slot O’Neil was desperate to cover.

O’Neil’s satisfaction with Mikel made it easy for the coach to turn his back on suggestions to hand Etebo a second chance at the club. Hence the decision to loan him to Galatasaray with the option of signing him for £7 million also included in the deal.

Musa Yahaya has departed Portuguese side FC Porto following the expiration of his deal at the club. Owngoalnigeria.com
can exclusively reveal.

The 22 year old spent four years at the club but despite several training sessions with the first team he didn’t make any appearance with most his his time at the club spent with the B team.

Yahaya who was one of the stars of the 2013 Nigeria U17 team is presently locked in talks with a top division team in Belgium while also studying offers from a team in Turkey as well.

At Porto B he was converted from a flashy winger to a right wing back and leaves the team with a total of 82 games with four goals and three assists to his name.

Last season he made a total of 16 appearances and in nine of those games he played as a right back. A position he made his own as he played the entire duration of their last eight games.

Daniel Martins

As many as six forwards are will be in the Super Eagles list of players for the friendly games against Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia respectively.

Nigeria will take on the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire on the 9th of October before taking on Tunisia four days later with both games schedule to take place in Austria .

Ahead of the game , coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr has been putting finishing touches to his list of players for the game which will serve as an avenue to try some new players.

In attack Victor Osimhen will as expected lead the line with Bordeaux forward Josh Maja In pole position for the role of back up striker.

Cyriel Dessers and Kelechi Iheanacho are however still in the running for same spot Maja is keen on making his own ahead of the game in October. Captain of the team Ahmed Musa will also be pushing for a spot in attack even though he can play from either flanks.

Paul Onuachu stands an outside chance of making the team with his inclusion subject to the non availability of other players mentioned above.

Ade Emmanuel 

Former captain of the Nigeria U17, U20 and 23 team Kelechi Nwakali is prime to have his breakthrough season at newly promoted Spanish La Liga side Huesca after impressing for the team in pre season.

According to reports he was supposed to be loaned out to a team where he will get enough playing time but the club shelved the idea after his performances in pre season games particularly in the last game against Real Sociedad.

Already he has been handed a squad number which is jersey number 3, a step up from number 28 that he wore last season but beside that he has also gotten a new role on the pitch.

He has been moved from the number ten role that made him famous at the 2015 U17 World Cup where he was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament as Nigeria romp to the title in style.

In the games he played for Huesca in pre season he was deployed as a deep lying playmaker. The role famously refereed to as “Regista” and he has excelled in it thanks to his passing range and quick feet.

The idea is for him to develop into a deep lying playmaker in the role made famous by former Juventus and Italy international Andrea Pirlo who is now the coach of Juventus.

Ade Emmanuel