Zaidu Sanusi is making good his chances of getting a call up to the senior national team of Nigeria following his man of the match performance for Santa Clara against Portimonense.

The 23 year old was on from start to finish in the game that ended in a 1-1 draw and after the game he was rated as the best player on the pitch by Whoscored.com after the game.

Operating from his primary role as a left back , he was brilliant in winning tackles and showed his attacking instincts by joining the attack , where he whipped in three good crosses not converted by his teammates.

The summer signing from 3rd division side Mirandela has so far proved to be a shrewd bargain with his impressive performance in his first season in the Portuguese top flight.

Already there are talks of a call up to the senior national team of Nigeria where coach Gernot Rohr is keen on more options in the left full back position to provide stiff competition for first choice Jamilu Collins.

Ade Emmanuel 

The contract of Former Nigeria U20 invitee Emmanuel Apeh has been extended by Spanish Laliga side Celta Vigo, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

His contract was extended by a year in last summer but after a run of 12 goals in 25 games for the B team of the Laliga side he has been handed an extension till the summer of 2023.

He is expected to be made a part of the first team starting from this season with the introduction of five substitutes for the remainder of the season, although the plan is to fully integrate him during pre season ahead of next season.

Called Manu by teammates in Spain he has set a new goal record for the B team with his goal count of 21 in 49 matches since joining the team from Lorca in 2018.

Already he has played in two games for the first team in the Spanish first division both times coming on as a late substitute. The Kaduna born forward will now be hoping to be a mainstay in the first team following his contract extension.

Osas Mahawi 

Coach of Serbian side Partizan Belgrade Savo Milosevic says Sadiq Umar will be worth €30 million if he spends another season at the club.

Sadiq has found his way into the hearts of top teams in Europe with 17 goals and 16 assists this season for Partizan Belgrade in all competitions. A form which has even made Manchester United to post scouts to watch the lanky forward .

Reacting to links about his possible departure, Milosevic who is credited with bringing out the best in the former Roma striker said his wish is to say the striker spend another season at the club.

Rated at around €15 million by Partizan , the coach believe he will be worth twice that amount if he spends another season at the club and they are also keen on his retaining his services for at least another season.

The statement of Milosevic will serve as a warning to Anderlecht who are reportedly the front runner for his signature but are bulking over the demands of Partizan. Lyon are also keen on signing him.

Ade Emmanuel

Nigeria international wing forward Samuel Kalu is keen on a loan move to Turkish giants Galatasaray after an unhappy spell last term out with Bordeaux.

The Ligue 1 side are not in anyway opposed to his departure but they are insisting on an outright transfer for a fee of around €10 million. Something the Turkish side can’t afford at the moment.

Galatasaray want Kalu to join them on loan with the option of signing him permanently next summer but Bordeaux want the money from his sale this summer to strengthen other areas of their team.

The Nigerian failed to build on the success of his first season at the club with injuries, fitness and family issues affecting his performance on the pitch forcing Bordeaux to make a decision on his future .

A move to Hertha Berlin broke down in January and hopes of the deal happening this summer is potentially zero as Galatasaray are the only club keen on his services at the moment.

Daniel Martins 

Nigeria International wing forward Samuel Chukwueze proved his worth to Villarreal by setting up Carlos Bacca for the only game of the game in his team 1-0 win over Mallorca.

The 21 year old Nigerian was criticized by African football legend Samuel Eto’o over his lack of contribution in the area of goals scored and his assist is a direct response to the words of Eto’o.

Chukwueze ended a brilliant solo run with an assist to Carlos Bacca whose only job was to steer home a well weighted cross from the Nigerian into the net of Mallorca for Villareal’s second win after the lockdown.

It’s is the second game in a row that the Nigerian had proved his worth to the team after played a pivotal role in their last game against Celta Vigo where he was introduced as a substitute.

Linked with a move away from Villarreal in the summer , a host of clubs interested in his services are however bulking at the asking price of around €60 million by Villarreal in the light of the coronavirus pandemic that has affected the finances of teams.

However the amount is what is contained as his release clause in the new deal he signed with Villarreal before the start of last season after this breakthrough year the previous season.

Germany youth international Felix Uduokhai has joined Augsburg on a permanent deal from fellow Bundesliga side Wolfsburg after an impressive season on loan.

The move will become official on the 1st of July with the 22 year old going into the record books as the most expensive defender in the history of the club as he cost them six million euros.

Uduokhai who is a left footed central defender is one of the players coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr revealed he is in talks with over a switch of allegiance.

Rohr said the defender asked for time as he is part of the Germany U23 team and wants to be at the Olympics with the team. Suggesting he could make a decision after then.

However , Uduokhai at the start of the season said his aim is to settle his club career and put himself in the best position to pick from any of the country and that has happened following his permanent transfer to Augsburg.

The move is the first step towards making a decision on his international career while the next step will be after the Olympics next year with the defender keen on representing Germany although doubts persist on if he will make the team.

Daniel Martins

Coach is the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has lifted the lid on how he gave three times World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane his first career breakthrough.

Rohr was coach of Bordeaux in 1992 when a young Zidane then 20 years old arrived from Cannes and the coach says he immediately won him over with his technical abilities.

“We immediately saw his technique, his skill with the ball. We also saw his mind which was that of an ambitious young player who wanted to make his place. He was 20 years old at the time. We saw him arrive with all his qualities and we immediately saw that he was a player of the future”, Rohr said.

He said the present coach of Real Madrid didn’t show any sign of nervousness when he was mixed with the senior players and that was what convinced him to give him a chance with the first team.

“He was one of the best on the team. We had a very young team. There were young players like Christophe Dugarry, Bixente Lizarazu. We had a young, winning team and this young Zizou, as we called him, was very promising, from his arrival […] He had this technical facility, which is not just natural. This talent for football that he had, it is also the fruit of work. He trained as a young trainee player, as an aspirant at Cannes where he has already acquired the basics.

“At 15, he was already in a training center. Then, by means of working hard, he was able to perfect his technique with a great speed of execution, he went very quickly with the ball. And he also had this specialty of set pieces, which he had also worked on in training, after group sessions.

“He kept the ball so he could train on his own. He took a goalkeeper, it was at the time Gaëtan Huard and he repeated free kicks, with his right foot, without stopping. It is therefore also the fruit of work ”, he concluded.

Osas Mahawi

Highly rated Manchester United teen prospect Teden Mengi has cleared the air on the countries he is eligible to represent after being linked with Nigeria.

Mengi was said to be born in Kaduna state in Nigeria with a British publication even going as far as saying he is eligible to be called by Nigeria through his father .

However , the defender who has been promoted to Manchester United first team told Owngoalnigeria.com through his representatives that he is not a Nigerian and has no connection to the West Africa country.

“ Mengi doesn’t have Nigerian roots and he wasn’t born in Nigeria. There’s a confusion somewhere because I saw the story in the British press that started the whole confusion “, his representative said.

“ He has Angolan roots but not Nigerian . He plays for England at youth level as well and those are the two countries he can represent at international level. When the time is right he will decide on his senior career for now its England all the way”, he concluded .

Ade Emmanuel 

Sadiq Umar picked up the man of the match award after a sterling display for Partizan Belgrade in the derby game against Red Star Belgrade.

Partizan won the semi final cup tie 1-0 with Sadiq providing the assist with smart piece of skill that took out three players before laying a pass on the plate for his teammate to score the only goal of the game.

The striker who is viewed as the best in Serbia right now has caught the attention of coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr who watched the video of his well worked assist.

So far he has scored more goals than any other Nigerian striker with 17 goals and 17 assists to his name and his performance in what is seen as the biggest game in Serbia has further enhanced his ratings.

Linked with a summer move the forward who was signed permanently from Roma during the summer transfer window is reportedly keen on a move to a team playing in one of Europe’a top five leagues .

Ade Emmanuel 

Nigeria International forward Kelechi Iheanacho was partly on his way out of Leicester City before the intervention of assistant coach Kolo Toure.

Toure is the first assistant to coach Brendan Rodgers and he took a particular interest in Iheanacho who at that time was battling with confidence .

Owngoalnigeria.com gathered Toure organized private train drills for the 23 year old and once told him he can be the best in the world if he focus in his strength other than weakness.

The Arsenal legend told Iheanacho that he has been his fan since his playing days at Manchester City where they were teammates for two seasons and knows about the quality he possesses hence he shouldn’t let it waste by not getting game time.

Before the intervention of Toure , Iheanacho was already pushing for a loan move but decided to fight for his spot and that paid off as he was back to his best before football was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in England.

Osas Mahawi