Coach of Napoli Gennaro Gattuso says record singing Osimhen has qualities which is entirely from the other strikers he has handled since his appointment as coach of the team.

Speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss , the coach while reacting to their friendly win over Castel Di Sangro where Osimhen scored a hattrick in what was his first friendly game for the team, the coach said he hope this is the start of something great for the Nigerian.

Osimhen according to Gattuso is different from the strikers he has managed since he joined the team and rate him as a special player who they didn’t have doubt about before splashing big on him.

“ Right now it’s easy, you have to make him work , he’s an important player because we paid for him but there was no doubt.  He gives us something different that we haven’t had since I arrived but we love to him calm with his commitment and tranquility he can be a big plus for us. He is special”, the coach said.

The idea will be for him to maintain his current form in pre season when the Serie A resumes with Napoli hoping to challenge the dominance of Juventus as early as when both teams clash in the Italian Super Cup.

Michael James

Napoli record signing Victor Osimhen showed fans of Napoli what to expect of him when the season begins with a hattrick in his first pre season game for the club.

Signed for a record €80 million, the 21 year old was introduced as a substitute in their test game against Castel Di Sangro and immediately got into the act with a hattrick.

Three minutes after his introduction he helped himself with a brace before adding another to complete his hattrick within the first eight minutes of his introduction into what ended up as an exhibition for the winners of the Coppa Italia.

Osimhen’s combination with Lorenzo Insigne and Hirving Lozano In attack was too much for the defence of Castel Di Sangro to cope with in the second half of the game.

Nigeria international goalkeeper Maduka Okoye is in prime position to clinch the first choice spot at Dutch Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam after impressing in their final pre season game ahead of the start of a the new season in the Netherlands.

The shot stopper was in goal from start to finish in the 1-1 draw against RKC Waalwijk, a game that coach of the team Henk Fraser named a squad considered by many as his preferred starting eleven.

Okoye was unfortunate not to keep a clean sheet when in the 63rd minute Anas Tahiri beat him with a well taken strike that he could do nothing about to bring scores to 1-1.

However he showed enough to when called into action to further underline his claim to keep goal when they begin their campaign next week Friday against ADO Den Haag.

The new signing from the N team of Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany is largely favored to keep goal for Nigeria when they reunite for their next set of international games in November.

Ade Emmanuel 

Napoli record signing Victor Osimhen has made a change of mind on the shirt number reserved for him by the team upon his signing from Lille.

The 21 year old had his first training session with the team wearing jersey number 7 but it appears that is not the shirt number he intends to use next season even though he wore same number at his last club.

Napoli reportedly offered the striker who scored 18 goals last season in all competitions for Lille the number 9 shirt but he has according to several reports in Italy shunned the number .

Report suggest that he will be wearing jersey number 15 but no one is entirely sure if that will be his choice. A clear picture is expected when he plays in their first pre season game later today.

Shirt number is not something that Osimhen is really stuck on as he has used three different numbers at the three professional teams he has played for in his career.

Osas Mahawi

A new goalkeeper will be in the camp of the Super Eagles is Nigeria when they resume for training in October, owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Coach is the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr as already established contact with the goalkeeper who was impressive last season for a team base in Europe.

The unnamed goalkeeper wasn’t born in Nigeria but he is eligible to play for Nigeria as he hasn’t represented any country at youth level with last season his most consistent so far.

Young and highly rated he will push the duo of Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho for the first choice spot as they are all in same age bracket with Rohr keen on moving away with the duo of Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi.

Although Akpeyi is having one of his best season in South Africa for Kaizer Chiefs, the coach has one eye on the future of the team and at 34 , the shot stopper is gradually approaching the end of his career.

Coach of English Championship side Stoke City Michael O’Neil has provided update on his squad for Saturday’s Carabao Cup first round game against Blackpool.

He listed the duo of Ryan Shawcross and Sam Vokes as players who will miss the game via injury with Joe Allen and Thibaud Verlinden not back in training yet.

O’Neil also said he is studying the fitness of former Super Eagles John Obi Mikel who joined the team two weeks ago before making a decision on including him in the matchday squad .

However , he made no mention of Oghenekaro Etebo who spent the second half of last season on loan to Spanish side Getafe after failing to convince the coach of his abilities less than a year after he was voted the player of the year at the club.

Getafe won’t be pursuing a permanent deal for the Nigerian international and it appears he is also not part of the plans of the coach at Stoke City although he still has two years left in his deal at the club.

Michael James

Former Chelsea left back Celestine Babayaro says Leicester City Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi should be pushing for a move away from the team this summer .

Speaking on the sale of Ben Chilwell to Chelsea , Babayaro said it has become a tradition that players who perform well at the club leave for teams who are constantly fighting for honors and wondered why Ndidi isn’t pushing for a move .

He cited the case of N’golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez , Danny Drinkwater and now Chilwell as players who moved on after a fairly successful season with Leicester City.

” When a player performs consistently for a modest side , the reward is usually a move to a team that pushes for titles . With all due respect to Leicester City Ndidi should be eyeing a move to a traditional top six”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“ Leicester City is a selling club judging by the exit of Kante, Drinkwater, Mahrez and Chilwell. So Ndidi who has been their best player the past two seasons shouldn’t be comfortable where he is because he can play for any top six team in England”.

New coach of top division Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem hope to develop Nigerian winger Hilary Gong into a world class talents after comparing him to Liverpool star Sadio Mane.

Thomas Letsch who was appointed as coach of the team in May is strong admirer of the winger and even tried to sign him while he was coach of Red Bull Salzburg before Hong joined Vitesse from Trencin of Slovakia.

Letsch is keen on shaping Hong like he did with Mane while the Liverpool star was playing for Red Bull Salzburg In Austria owing to the similarities in their style of play.

Hong only recently returned to trained after recovering from coronavirus, a setback he suffered upon his return from Nigeria where he got married to his long term girlfriend.

Now fully fit after an injury hit first two seasons at the club and with a coach that believes in him. Next season could be the year where he delivers on the promise that saw him move from the famous GBS Academy in Jos to becoming an instant hit with AS Trencin of Slovakia.

Former captain of the Nigeria U17, 20 and 23 team Kelechi Nwakali made a huge impression for newly promoted Laliga side Huesca in their 2-1 comeback win over Alaves in a pre season game.

Nwakali dropped to the bench after starting in the previous pre season game and was introduced after the hour mark with his game tied at 1-1.

His introduction sparked what ended as a comeback win for his team as three minutes after he was introduced his team level score; what ended as the winner courtesy of Penaloza.

On his part , Nwakali almost ended the game with an assist to his name when he teed up fellow Nigerian Kelvin Omoruyi but the 19 year old who only recently signed a new deal at the club failed to make use of the chance.

In the game Nwakali wore jersey number 3 which is same he wore in their last game and it could possibly be his new shirt number for the season , an upgrade from the number 28 shirt he wore last season at same club.

Ade Emmanuel

Over the last few seasons, the French Ligue 1 has become a hotbed for some of the most rising talents in the world’s football. Today, the French top flight is a valuable production line for EPL heavyweights and other top leagues in Europe.

The Ligue 1 takes credit for helping to unveil the talent of great players like Ismaila Sarr, Jean Michael Seri, and Nicholas Pepe. All the three players recently transferred to the EPL in big money moves during the last transfer window. Here are more Ligue 1 African players that might become huge EPL stars in the future.

1. Eduardo Camavinga
At 17 years, Eduardo Camavinga is currently among the most exciting soccer players in the world. Camavinga is already proving to be among Ligue 1’s best all-round midfielders, and he was very influential in helping Stade Rennes reach the Champions League last season.

Besides his impressive technical qualities, the Angola-born footballer has an eye-catching tenacity and immense defensive work. Despite moving into France as a kid, Camavinga is eligible to play for both Congo-Brazzaville and Angola, though he’s only for the French youth team for now.

2. Rayan Cherki
If you’re on the lookout for talented players worth betting on at Betway, Rayan Cherki is your guy. Cherki was the youngest player to play in a Champions League semifinals game, going in as Lyon’s substitute against Bayern Munich.

While the 17-year-old renewed his contract with Lyon until 2023, the versatile attacker has attracted the attention of Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid. As such, you can expect to wager on Cherki with Betway English Premier League Bets, if Lyon were to consider a deal.

3. Samuel Kalu
While Samuel Kalu didn’t exactly shine in the League 1 last season, his talent on the field is undeniable. The Nigeria native managed to record only one goal and a single assist last season, though his injuries might have contributed to his poor performance.

Recently, Kalu has been linked with a move to the Turkish Super Lig side, Fenerbahce, though other EPL teams are said to be interested in him. Nonetheless, nothing has been confirmed yet, as other teams, including Galatasaray, are interested in acquiring Kalu.

4. Rayan Ait Nouri
After making 17 league appearances for Angers last season, Rayan has proven that he has solid defensive fundamentals and an effective crossing. The Algeria native registered two assists last season, and he’s known for wreaking havoc on the opposition’s backline.

The 19-year-old currently plays for the Les Bleus under-21 international team, and he has been linked with a move to Manchester United. However, some fans feel that Rayan isn’t ready to play for the Red Devils first squad though he could be a long-term solution to the team’s problem with the left-back position.

5. Boubakary Soumare
Compared to Paul Pogba in terms of potential and style, Boubakary Soumare has continued blossoming since joining Lille from the PSG academy. Soumare boasts of impressive technical quality, and his physical strength allows him to dominate the midfield.

Soumare is eligible to play for Senegal, though he’s currently playing for the international side, Les Bleus. He might also be the next big EPL star after Pogba, having been linked with a move to Manchester United. However, reports indicate that Newcastle is also looking into the possibility of signing him.