Nigeria will not make any move towards convincing Arsenal teen star Bukayo Saka to switch allegiance to the team according to coach of the team Gernot Rohr.
Saka is eligible to represent Nigeria as his parents are from the West African country but he is already a junior international for England hence will need a switch of allegiance process to be eligible for Nigeria.

His form this season has led to talks about a possible call up to the senior national team of England as he has excelled for Arsenal despite their struggles this season.

While speaking on what it takes to convince players born abroad to switch allegiance to the Super Eagles, Rohr said his approach is very straightforward as he is only focus on players who want to play for the team.

“ We have good players in several positions but we are still open to having more. For players who have already represented another country it’s not easy to have them cleared to play for Nigeria “, Rohr explained .

“ However we don’t beg any player. If they want to play they should call me to indicate their interest like Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina and Joe Aribo. It’s not the wise thing to beg them to play for Nigeria, we want players who are committed to making Nigerians happy “, he concluded.

Nigeria International striker Kelechi Iheanacho is currently undergoing a different training process than the rest of the Leicester City team , owngoalnigeria.com understands.

Iheanacho arrived form the forced Covid 19 break overweight with a pot belly that made some teammates mocked him if he is the coach on the first day of training.

In a bid to trim him to the shape that saw him recapture some of his old self before the international break, the 23 year old has been placed on special fitness routine .

“ His routine is different. He clearly need some extra sessions to get back to shape . The good thing is that he is putting in work to return to the best shape possible. All things been equal he should be fit and ready for the premier league restart”, a club source revealed .

The English Premier League will return on the 17th but Leicester City won’t be in action until the weekend of same week with games set to be played behind close doors.

Newly invited Nigeria International striker Cyriel Dessers won’t be joining Belgium Genk as talks with his club Heracles appears to have broken down totally, owngoalnigeria.com reports.

The 25 year old who finished as top top scorer with 18 goals in the Dutch League which was ended with games to spare due to the coronavirus crisis is pinning for a move away from Heracles.

Heracles asking fee of €6m proved to be too much for Genk who have confirmed their interest in the forward . Dessers is also a childhood fan of the club.

The idea was to pair him with the Nigerian duo at the club Paul Onuachu and Steven Odey but that dream isn’t likely going to happen unless something changes in the coming days.

Called up to the senior national team of Nigeria for the first time for the last International round of games that was cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. He will be hoping to make his debut when International football resumes.

Ade Emmanuel

The future of Chidera Ejuke at Dutch side Heerenveen is still in doubt as teams around Europe are strongly interested in his services.

Ejuke made an instant impact at Heerenveen following his arrival in the summer from Valerenga of Norway with eight goals and four assists before the season was declared concluded in the Netherlands.

As expected his form has attracted top teams in Europe and PSV are the latest to signify their interest in the 22 year old who loves to operate from the flanks.

Aside PSV, fellow Dutch side Feyenoord have also made their interest known but a bid is yet to be formally lodged while there are also talks of a club in Spain and another in Italy .

His agent Attah Aneke confirmed the interest of top teams in Europe without naming any club but denied rumors of a bid from Marseille for the player that many believe will be made available by Heerenveen if a fee of around €10 million is lodged.

Daniel Martins 

Coach Gernot Rohr has decried the speed at which NPFL players sign for Europeans clubs once they are invited to play for the senior national team, Owngoalnigeria reports.

After being accused of neglecting NPFL players, Rohr said the players he picks from the Nigerian League always go out and unfortunately they are no more local league players.

He said “I have invited already 23 players from the Nigerian league, I still have one, Ikechukwu Ezenwa. All the players that we invited once they are in our Super Eagles team, they go to Europe and they are sold to this or this club and then they are no more NPFL players”

Rohr added that the home-based players still have a chance to play in the national team and his coaches will continue to invite the best ones.

“The best players form the NPFL have a chance to get into my team. With my assistants we are looking for them. They have a chance I will watch the games, my assistants will see the games but they have a chance”.

Players from the NPFL to have been invited at one point or the other by Gernot Rohr include Stephen Eze, Stephen Odey, Ebube Duru, Ifeanyi Anaemena, Ndifreke Effiong, Junior Lokosa, Jamiu Alimi, Ikouwem Utin, Dele Ajiboye and a host of others.

Godwin, N.

The technical crew of the Nigeria national team had their first meeting two days ago following the contract extension signed by coach of the team Gernot Rohr.

In attendance was all of the assistants of the coach bar Salisu Yusuf who has completed his suspension from a ban for accepting cash from undercover reporters posing as players agent.

Although the coach has finished his suspension for the offense and even resume with Nigeria Professional Football League side Rangers he still hasn’t gotten the all clear to join the technical crew .

President of the NFF , Amaju Pinnick revealed that although he has completed his suspension for the offense, the football house still need to make some consultations with other stakeholders particularly the minister for sports before taking a decision on his full return to the crew.

“Coach Salisu Yusuf has finished serving his sanction and that was why we sent him on secondment to Rangers International FC to help the club in its CAF Confederation Cup campaign. Of course, it is not an individual decision as the Board has to still look at it, and we also need to cross-fertilize with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and do some other consultations”, Pinnick said.

‘But the truth is, he has served his punishment and I always said from Day One that punishment is meant to reform and not to deform”.

Ade Emmanuel

As the debate for inclusion for Nigerian League players in the Super Eagles team continues, coach of the side, Gernot Rohr has insisted that he and his technical crew alone can pick players who will represent Nigeria.

Rohr said he would not be forced to pick bad players for Nigeria and only the best will play in the Super Eagles and he will not be told on how to go about selection.

The Franco-German coach made it clear that he is on the look out for only the best player to represent Nigeria regardless of where they are born or where they play. He also confirmed that he is in talks with some players of Nigerian descent to switch allegiance.

He said “It’s not a part of my contract to take players who are not good like other ones. I can choose my players myself. It is the most important thing, so nobody can tell me you have to pick this one or that one.

“I can take the best players and I don’t do it alone, I have my assistants, I have my analyzer and we speak about the players. We have to pick the best no matter where they are coming from”.

Godwin, N.

Coach of English Premier League side Leicester City Brendan Rodgers has explained the instructions he gave Wilfred Ndidi that made him a class act in the English Premier League.

Ndidi is presently viewed as one of the best in the English top division since the coming of Rodgers and the coach has now lifted the lid on the adjustment he did to the game of the midfielder.

Speaking to The Athletics , the coach said he had to tell the 23 year old Nigerian to play simple and focus on his strengths and not the weakness that are apparent in his game.

“We have been working on his technique, the simple basics of the game, passing and receiving. He takes the ball now and he understands he doesn’t need to spread the ball 60 or 70 yards — he is a continuity player. He has the ball, takes the ball and passes the ball. And when he hasn’t got it, he then uses his incredible athleticism to affect the game.

“From a tactical perspective, a lot of the work has gone into that with him. From a technical perspective, he has constantly worked on his touch and how he turns with a touch. Those little basic fundamentals of the game”, Rodgers told The Athletic.

Osas Mahawi 

Super Eagles Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr has reiterated that any NPFL player who wants to play for the national team must be the best for him to be selected.

The Franco-German coach said he and his assistants will keep watching the NPFL and the players who do well in the league will be invited. Rohr added that the players from the local league have a chance of making it into his team if they are good enough in an interview on Channels TV.

Rohr said “They (NPFL players) have a chance to come. I still have Ezenwa in the team. We have the CHAN team also although they didn’t qualify (CHAN 2021) but the best players all the time from this team have a chance to get into my team.”

He added “I will watch the game, my assistants will watch the games like we did all the time but we want the best ones. If you want to be in my team you have to be very strong”.

Coach Rohr has continually faced pressures to reserve a quota in his squad that is to be filled by NPFL players and the debate has continued to rage till date while the coach remains adamant that they will be no favouritism in selection.

Godwin N

Greek football power house Olympiakos have made a firm bid to sign former Everton forward Henry Onyekuru, Owngoalnigeria.com reports.

Presently out on loan to Turkish side Galatasaray after failing to nail a spot in the first team of the Principality outfit, his main aim is to remain with the Turkish giants.

Last week the coach of Galatasaray Fatih Terim confirmed they would like to keep him at the end of his loan spell but didn’t mention if they will buy him or ask to loan him for another season.

On his part Onyekuru is keen to remain in Turkey but admits that the final decision lies with Monaco where he still has three more years to run on his deal with the club.

Freelance French journalist Ignazio Genuardi reports that the intention of Olympiakos is to have him on loan for next season with the option of signing him permanently.

Monaco will assess if he fits into the plans of new coach Roberto Moreno next season before arriving at a decision on the future of the 22 year old Nigeria international.