Former Nigeria U17 and 20 defender Lukman Zakari says his dream is to remain with Real Betis beyond this season with his loan deal set to expire in the season.

The Nigeria U17 World Cup winner joined the team last summer on loan from Latvian side FS Metta but due to registration and visa issues he hasn’t been able to make any appearance for the B team.

Zakari got the all clear to play for the B team in February and was already gearing up to make an impression for the team in their final round of games before the coronavirus pandemic brought football to a halt in Spain.

Reacting to the disappointment, the 21 year old said he is positive that he will stay at the club beyond his loan spell as he has settled down to life in the country quicker than many expected even though he admitted that the language is still a mini barrier.

“ I have enjoyed my time here in terms of getting quality football education. The coaches have been amazing. Same as my teammates even though the language has been a problem of some sort to me”, Zakari told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“ My aim is still the same as when I first arrived and that is to stay here beyond this season but I know it’s not in my hands. Hopefully it will happen for the good of all involved in making it work”, he concluded.

Osas Mahawi

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr says the chances of having players form the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in the Super Eagles will be very possible if teams recruits young players.

The coach who has been underfire for snubbing players in the NPFL said he is keen on lowering the average age of players in the senior national team of Nigeria hence his decision to focus on young players.

He said even players base in Europe who are at a certain age are not been considered because of younger players in their positions who have a ceiling to grow and become better with age .

“ In the past I have Imama Amapakabo who scouts players for me in the league and I have always say give me young players who can improve and be a part of the team in the future”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“ Now I have Joseph Yobo and my other assistants doing same and I have given them same instruction. The plan is to have a squad of young players who will serve the team for years that is why even some good players in Europe are not in the team at the moment.

“ Teams in the NPFL need to work closely with the academies to produce players for the junior teams from there they can make it to the senior team of Nigeria. We need to have a system that encourage young players in NPFL”, he concluded.

Osas Mahawi 

Former Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro says Manchester City rave of the moment Phil Foden is not in any way a better player than Nigerian forward Samuel Chukwueze.

Foden has emerged from the coronavirus lockdown with strong performances for Manchester City with two goals in his last two games for the team in the English Premier League.

Speaking on his rise , Babayaro told Owngoalnigeria.com in an exclusive chat that the 20 year old still has some way to go in order to fulfill the promise he is showing at the moment.

“ Foden is progressing nicely and kudos must be given to the coaches for their patience and also the players for his hardwork but beyond that he still has some way to go before he can be termed as a top player”, he exclusively told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“ I see no much difference in his game with that of Samuel Chukwueze of Villarreal. The difference is that the media focus more on Foden than Chukwueze. Our players need to do more particularly in the media. It works well with the local media”, he concluded.

Daniel Martins 

Fast rising Nigerian left back Zaidu Sanusi was amongst the goals in a seven goal thriller, as Santa Clara defeated Benfica away from home in the Primera Liga action.

The defender who is among the options coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr is scouting as option for first choice Jamilu Collins proved his worth with a very solid display away at the home of the champions.

Zaidu directed a bullet-header into the roof of the net to give his side a 2-1 advantage in the 57th minute before Benfica scored twice in two minutes though Carlos Vinicius to take a 3-2 advantage.

23 year old Zaidu started the game at left back but was pushed up to play from the left wing while Mamadou filled the left back role.

The move paid off as Crysan levelled scores at 3-3 eight minutes from time. Scorer, Crysan turned provider in the final minute as he set up Ze Manuel to score the winner

Zaidu made three clearnces while also winning three of his five ground duels. The win takes Santa Clara up to the eighth spot on the log after 27 games.

Godwin, N.

Belgian Champions, Club Brugge have scouted Ostersunds FK striker, Jordan Kadiri Attah for a possible swoop when the transfer window opens.

Brugge are set to lose star forward, Emmanuel Dennis Bonaventure who is being monitored by top sides including Newcastle United. As they line up options for their attack line, 20 year old Attah as emerged as a top target for the Belgian club.

The forward spent a season in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) where he defended the colours of Nasarawa United before heading to Sweden. He has blossomed since his move and as expected interest in his service is racking up.

Attah joined Swedish side, Ostersunds FK in August 2019 from Sunsel FC and in the Swedish Cup, he scored 4 goals and an assist in 3 games before OFK were knocked out.
Top clubs within and outside Sweden have been monitoring his progress as it looks like he would take the exit at Oster.

Godwin N

The COVID-19 Pandemic has created turmoil around the world. It has stopped businesses, downed planes, and locked consumers in their homes. The sporting world has come to a standstill. However, things are starting to return to normal. Sports leagues across the world are returning to action and this is a good thing for hardcore and casual fans.

If you’re a fan of soccer, you’ll be thrilled to know that the sport you love has returned. This week, Nigerian fans welcomed the return of English football. More about that can be found below.

The Game
Nigerian fans have been eager to watch a football game for many months. Due to COVID-19, they’ve been stuck at home too long and they’ve missed the sport they love so much. When fans heard that football war returning, they couldn’t wait to enjoy the action. On Wednesday night, Manchester City and Arsenal played a game in Northwest England. The action was competitive and fans were excited to enjoy every minute of it.

In Nigeria, fans weren’t going to let a little social distancing hold them back. They came out to enjoy the game with their friends and family members.
Lagos

A few weeks ago, you wouldn’t have been able to step outside without wearing a mask. And, you have to keep a safe distance away from everyone else. Things are changing and football is back. While the game between Manchester City and Arsenal was held in an empty stadium, Nigerian fans in Lagos got in on the action.

In the commercial capital, fans ignored social distancing rules so they could watch the game.

The Sir T pub portion of Lagos was crammed full of football fans. Even when it started raining heavily, these individuals weren’t willing to stop. They starting from start to finish so they could return the return of football. The majority of Nigerian fans cheered for Arsenal which has developed a dedicated Nigerian fanbase over the years.

Things Were Different

While some stayed at home to play Sbobet Indonesia, most people in the region were interested in watching the football game. And, they were going to let the Coronavirus or a little rain stop them. However, people knew that things were going to be different this time around. Approximately 50 meters from the pub, police stood by at a checkpoint so they could enforce a curfew that was set to begin at 22:00.

The good news is that the game was over before the curfew went into effect. That gave Nigerian football fans plenty of time to finish watching the game and return home. While the government has made an order that wearing a mask in public is compulsory, many did. They would periodically lift their masks so they could take a drink.

Viewing Centers

Before the Coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria was different. When Arsenal plays, hundreds of people travel to viewing centers so they can watch the games. They pay 150 naira to watch the games in a bit hall with big screens and a great sound system. And, they usually stick around well into the night. When there are no football games to watch, these facilities are used to broadcast Bollywood movies.
Unfortunately, these establishments have been closed since late March due to the pandemic. Hotels have opened but bars remain shut. And, the government has ordered that only 20 people can gather at once. Since many football fans in Nigeria have no cable or satellite television, they had to find an alternative. They decided to travel to the pub to watch the game even though that meant breaking the law.

The Battle Continues

At the end of the night, Manchester City had beaten Arsenal with a final score of 3 to 0. Nevertheless, Nigerian fans in Lagos were happy that they were finally out of their homes. They were finally able to see their friends once again. Nevertheless, a lot of fans had left by the time Phil Foden scored the third and final goal for Manchester City.
In Nigeria, there were 490 new cases of the coronavirus. And, 142 of them came from Lagos. The country has had 455 deaths so far. Nevertheless, fans of football in the area were willing to risk it all so they could watch Arsenal play!

A hint on where Ovie Ejaria will fit in when he finally gets to play for the senior national team of Nigeria has been revealed to Owngoalngeria.com

Ejaria has been granted the all clear by world football governing body to feature for Nigeria after representing England at youth level after impressing coach Gernot Rohr.

The coach of the Nigerian team watched the on loan midfielder while on a tour of England and was impressed by the way he was able to come out of tight spaces during the course of the English Championship game with his loan side Reading.

After watching the 22 year old in action, the coach concluded that the Liverpool midfielder is different from the other midfielders in the team at the moment and hence his decision to approach him.

“ Ejaria won Rohr over with his dribbling abilities in tight spaces . When Rohr watched him he was convinced he has found a different kind of midfielder than the ones in the team at the moment”, a backroom staff of the team told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“ He is someone who can unlock tight defences with his dribbling skills . It’s important to have a player like that and we have Ejaria now . It’s really going to be interesting when International football returns “.

Osas Mahawi 

Partizan Belgrade are facing the prospect of losing their top scorer this season Sadiq Umar with Ligue 1 side Lille set to pay the amount they are demanding for the 22 year old.

Sadiq has caught the eyes this season with 17 goals and 16 assists for Partizan Belgrade and as expected, teams around Europe have shown interest in signing him before the end of this summer transfer window.

Although Partizan are keen on holding onto him for another season , the fact that Lille are willing to pay €15 million , which is the fee they are demanding has made them soft pedal on their stand.

Lille plan to pay the money from part of what they will make for the sale of Victor Osimhen who will join Napoli as soon as he is back from Nigeria , where he went for the burial of his father .

“ Lille are among the teams interested in Sadiq . They are about 19 teams but Partizan want €15 million. Something that only Lille appear to be willing to pay if Osimhen completes his move. Talks are progressing nicely between both camps but no offer yet “, a member of his representatives told Owngoalnigeria.com

Daniel Martins 

The effort by Turkish side Galatasaray To sign Nigeria International winger Samuel Kalu from Bordeaux has suffered a setback following the intervention of coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr.

Kalu’s representatives and that of the Turkish side have held productive talks over his wages but Bordeaux refused the idea of loan proposed by the Turkish side as they are in dire need of money which can come permanently from his sale.

The refusal of Bordeaux slowed down the deal and even when Galatasaray agree to include an option of buying him permanently next summer, the Ligue 1 side refused to bulge.

Rohr wasn’t pleased with the proposed move to Turkey and according to reports had a hand in the deal the player is set to agree with an unnamed German team.

Already an offer of a loan with the obligation to buy has been lodged with his representatives already close to agreeing terms of his wages as they are confident the deal will see the light of the day.

In January, Hertha Berlin were keen on the 23 year old but owngoalnigeria.com has no confirmation on if the proposed move is to the same team or to another team in country.

Daniel Martins 

Kelechi Nwakali finally played his first game for Spanish second division side Huesca almost a year after joining them on a free transfer from Arsenal.

A combination of several issues delayed his debut until yesterday when he played for 13 minutes in their 1-2 loss to Mirandes at home .

Introduced in the 83rd minute for Sergio Gomes he immediately got in the act in his role as a central midfielder with his most notable contribution coming in the 92nd minute , where he used his strength and ball carrying ability to turn defence into attack for his team.

Generally he was decent but tends to hold on to the ball a little bit too long and also his recovery rate when high up the pitch was poor but that could be down to his physical level, which is understandable.

He need to learn to move the faster to his teammates high up the pitch which is something he can do due to his range of passes which are most times very accurate.

His performance will no doubt put him in the frame for more games before the end of the season as Huesca continue their push to gain promotion to the Spanish top division.

Osas Mahawi