…Moses wins Barclays FA Cup
With the European Leagues and other leagues across the globe drawing to an end, it was a weekend to forget so soon for China-based Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel and Odion Jude Ighalo as they both suffered defeats in the presence of their crowd.
For Victor Moses, he ended the season on the high as his team won the Barclays FA Cup by defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the final played on Saturday at the Wembley Stadium in London.
Elsewhere, after protracted speculation, Super Eagles right-back, Tyronne Ebuehi finally made the switch to Portuguese giants, Benfica at the weekend.
In yet another extensive compilation, the News Editor, ADEBAYO OLODAN reports the performances of Nigerian players abroad.
ENGLAND FA CUP FINAL
Victor Moses (Chelsea): He lasted the duration of his team’s famous 1-0 win over Manchester United.
‘Little Messi’ Ademuyiwa, joins Liverpool
Talented forward, Kole Ademuyiwa has taken his first steps to becoming a professional football after signing a contract with Premier League side Liverpool.
Liverpool has informed via their official website that Ademuyiwa and 21 other hopefuls signed their first contracts with the club at Anfield last week, with Russia-bound Academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold in attendance.
The promising footballer will represent Liverpool’s U-19 team in the 2018-2019 campaign.
The scouting report on him is excellent; he has a brilliant left foot, has an eye for a pass, pacy with good dribbling skills, excellent ball control and has been labelled the next Lionel Messi.
Trent Alexander-Arnold advised Ademuyiwa and the new group of U-19s to enjoy their stay at Liverpool keeps working hard so as to get better every day.
Former Golden Eaglets invitee Ovie Ejaria and Nigeria Football Federation targets Dominic Solanke and Sheyi Ojo have played for the first team of Liverpool in recent seasons, while Ibadan native Bobby Adekanye is inching closer to his first competitive game for The Reds.
SPAIN
Oghenekaro Etebo, Imoh Ezekiel and Emmanuel Emenike (Las Palmas): The former Warri Wolves midfielder played for 90 mins and was cautioned in the 59th min as his club suffered a 1-2 loss to Girona. Ezekiel and Emenike played no part in the match.
Brown Ideye and Isaac Success (Malaga): Ideye came off the substitutes’ bench in the 68th min while Success lasted the duration of their club’s 0-1 loss to Getafe. Success won 16 duels out of 21, made six dribbles out of eight attempts and made three key passes. He was fouled seven times, made three tackles and two interceptions.
Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna): He was not listed when his team suffered a 1-2 loss away at Valencia.
ITALY
Joel Obi (Torino): The diminutive midfielder was an unused substitute when his team defeated Genoa 2-1 away from home.
Crotone almost axed Eagles newbie, Simy in January
Italian Serie A side, Crotone was on the verge of eliminating Simy Nwankwo from its roaster in January but the club had few takers for the leggy striker who has been included in Nigeria’s 30-man provisional list for the World Cup.
Simy who at the weekend lasted 90 mins in the 0-2 loss of his team at Napoli, wasn’t getting enough games and the Italian side was looking for a club where the Nigerian will get playing time in a co-ownership deal but few teams were interested in the player who joined from Gil Vincente.
The coming of coach Walter Zenga in December saved Simy’s season as the legendary Italian boss upon replacing Davide Nicola showed faith in the striker.
Zenga was patient with the player until April when he scored the lone goal in their 1-0 win over Bologna. A strike he followed up with a stunning overhead kick against Serie A winners, Juventus.
From having just one goal up until April, Simy now has six more goals to take his tally to seven, a form which earned him a call up to the Super Eagles ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Simy, who was a player Crotone was desperate to get off their wage bills is presently attracting interest from a number of clubs including Fiorentina.
PORTUGAL
Ebuehi joins Benfica on 5-yr deal
Portuguese giants Benfica has completed the signing of World Cup bound defender, Tyronne Ebuehi from Dutch club ADO Den Haag.
The 22-year-old, who spent five years at The Hague, joins on a five-year deal.
“It is a feeling of great happiness to join a massive club like Benfica,” Ebuehi told the club’s official website.
“It’s a dream come true and a big step in my young career.
“Benfica is a great club with excellent facilities and is known all over the world.
“The fact that the club plays on the big stage was very appealing to me. In fact, it was very easy to choose Benfica.”
Ebuehi began his professional career at ADO Den Haag and scored once in 82 appearances for the club.
The right-back was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Nigerian father.
He was eligible to play for the country of his birth but opted to play for Nigeria, making his debut against Togo in June 2017.
Ebuehi has played four times for the Super Eagles and is included in Nigeria’s 30-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
HOLLAND (Playoffs)
Ryan Sanusi and Fred Friday (Sparta Rotterdam): The duo were in action for 90 mins as their team suffered a 1-3 loss at home to FC Emmem.
TURKEY
Sokari closes in on Basaksehir switch
CS Sfaxien midfielder, Kingsley Sokari is closing in on a dream move to Turkish club, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Sfaxien are said to be in talks with the Turkish club over the transfer of the 22-year-old.
Per the report, a bid was lodged by Basaksehir on the 17th and 18th of April but it fell below the demands of Sfaxien, who are keen on selling him to a club abroad rather than their local rival, Etoile Du Sahel who had earlier failed with a bid.
Sfaxien are demanding a few believed to be in the region of 1.5m euros which is higher than the 800,000 euros bid made by the Turkish side in their opening bid for the former Enyimba player, who has a year left on his Sfaxien deal.
The Tunisian club and Basaksehir are however expected to continue talks over the transfer of the player and from all indications; an agreement may soon be reached rather than Sfaxien losing the Nigerian for free at the end of next season.
SWITZERLAND
Stephen Odey (FC Zurich): He was introduced in the 58th min of his team’s 1-1 draw with FC Lugano.
BELGIUM
Abdul Ajagun (Kortrijk): The former U-20 captain was on target in a 3-1 victory against Waasland-Beveren in a UEFA Europa League play-off game. The midfielder struck either side of a Jeremy Perbet and Medjon Hoxha effort for the visitors to render Nana Ampomah’s goal for Beveren consolatory. The goal was his ninth in all competitions this season.
Gent keen on Arsenal loanee, Akpom
Belgian first division side, Gent is interested in the services of Arsenal loanee, Chuba Akpom, according to report from Belgian news outlet, Het Nieuwsblad.
Having bolstered his reputation with a sensational showing since joining The Canaries from the Emirates stadium and scoring six goals in fifteen outings, Akpom would not be short of suitors when he returns to his parent club and it seems a host of clubs in the Belgian topflight are bracing up to try and lure him.
Understandably, St-Truiden would try to tie him down for much longer particularly if Arsenal deem the 22-year old surplus to requirements for next season but would now face stiff competition from the Buffaloes who already have a host of Nigerians in their rank.
Prior to his move to St-Truiden last year, the Hale End Academy product had previously played on loan at Brighton & Hove, Hull City, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest and Brentford.
The Super Eagles target is contracted to Arsenal till the end of the 2018/2019 campaign.
Russia 2018: Anderlecht boss washes hands off Onyekuru snub
Anderlecht coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck has dismissed reports that suggested that he was to blame for Gernot Rohr’s decision to axe Henry Onyekuru from Nigeria’s preliminary World Cup roster.
The Everton loanee resumed training in April but was not given a run-out in Anderlecht’s matches in the Belgian First Division A playoffs due to question marks surrounding his fitness.
”The player’s camp says he’s not at the World Cup because of us? It’s easy to say that it’s Anderlecht’s fault, but it’s been repeated how many times before his injury,” Vanhaezebrouck told reporters at Friday’s press conference.
”I know Nigeria players who have a lot of caps and were not selected. Kara did not play a lot, but he was called up by Senegal because Henry has yet to prove anything with Nigeria and his non-selection is also linked to his injury.”
Onyekuru played two reserve team matches against Standard Liege and Sporting Lokeren, and Vanhaezebrouck has explained further the Nigerian was afraid to tackle.
”He played half an hour then an hour with the reserves, we saw he’s not ready yet, he’s afraid to make tackles, everyone at the club has seen him,” added Vanhaezebrouck.
DENMARK
Ogochukwu Onyeka, Rilwan Hassan and Paul Onuachu (Midtjylland): Onyeka struck his fourth goal of the season in the 2-0 win over Copehangen in a pulsating encounter at the Telia Parken. The 20-year old put his team ahead after 15 mins before being substituted six minutes from time. The goal was the second of the Playoffs. Hailed as the ‘New N’Golo Kante’ by the official website of his club, Onyeka spent his formative years as a footballer with cooperative club, FC Ebedei before his arrival in Denmark in January 2016. Onyeka’s compatriot, Onuachu had a half chance to score following a counterattack but miscued a shot. The duo however did not finish the match as Onuachu was replaced after 79 mins while Onyeka was substituted with six minutes left to play. Their compatriot, Hassan was not listed for the encounter.
Midtjylland is now only a game away from being crowned Danish champions as the club host Horsens at home, today.
BULGARIA
NPFL hotshot, Lokosa’s Ludogorets move stalled
The proposed transfer of Kano Pillars striker, and Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), top scorer, Junior Lokosa to Bulgarian club FC Ludogorets has reportedly fallen through.
Sportal.bg reported on Saturday that there was a heated disagreement between Ludogoret coach Dimitar Dimitrov and Lokosa’s agent Ismail Adedoyin which looked to have stalled the deal.
Coach Dimitar reportedly insisted on seeing the new invited Super Eagles striker in action during training or a two-sided game but Lokosa’s agent was against the arrangement and maintained his client be allowed to sign a contract directly.
The Ludogorets coach pointed out that having not seen the 18-goal hotshot in action, Lokosa had to undergo trials before a deal could be reached.
He stressed further that players from the club’s academy are better positioned to move up into the senior team rather than an unknown player.
SWEDEN
Chima Akas (FF Kalmar): He lasted the duration of his team’s 1-2 loss at Brommapojkarna.
AUSTRIA
Bright Edomwonyi (Sturm Graz): He lasted the duration of his team’s 2-0 defeat of Admira Moedling.
Yusuf Otubanjo (Altach): He was an unused substitute when his club lost 1-4 at Rapid Wien.
Alhassan Muazam Ibrahim (Austria Wien): The former Flying Eagles star was not part of the matchday squad when his team lost 0-2 to SKN St. Poelten.
FINLAND
Taye Taiwo (FC KoPS): The veteran defender was on for the entirety his team’s goalless draw with FC Lahti.
CHINA
Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai): He fired blank as his team lost 0-2 at home to Beijing Guoan.
John Obi Mikel (Tianjin TEDA): He played for 90 mins and was cautioned in the 89th min when his club lost 1-2 at home to Shandong Luneng.
MOROCCO
Moroccan club, Wydad Casablanca has commenced negotiation with former Super Eagles winger, Michael Babatunde, who was a former fans’ favourite at archrivals, Raja Casablanca.
Babatunde who recently terminated his contract with Asian club, Qatar SC wants a return to Morocco.
KENYA
Leopards release Uche over poor output
AFC Leopards has parted ways with its midfielder, Henry Uche, the club Chairman, Dan Mule has confirmed.
Uche joined the club late last year from Shooting Stars of Ibadan on a one-year contract.
The Chairman confirmed that a decision was reached between the two sides to terminate the midfielder’s contract after he was unable to help the team positively.
The Kenya Premier League window opens in less than a month and Leopards is eagerly creating space for new players.
