With few days to the African Nations Cup dead rubber qualifying match against Sychelles, Super Eagles players continued their impressive performances across Europe and in Asia. In the English Championship, the versatile Semi Ajayi scored his seventh goal for Rotherham United. Also on target in the same league is Dominic Iorfa for Sheffield Wednesday.ย
However the standout player for the week has to be the 21-year-old Spezia forward, David Okereke who contributed a goal and an assist for his Serie B club.
In yet another package, the News Editor, ADEBAYO OLODAN writes on the performances of Super Eagles players and hopefuls abroad.
ENGLAND
Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City): Ndidi lasted 90 minutes while Iheanacho was an unused substitute as their club secured a 2-1 win at Burnley.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Semi Ajayi (Rotherham Utd): The Super Eagles lanky defender turned midfielder scored his seventh league goal for the relegation hopefuls as they lost 2-1 at home to table toppers Norwich City. He equalised for his side seven minutes after the break to make it 1-1.
Ajayi completed 70 per cent of his passes and also winning 5 duels in the clash.
Mikel John Obi (Middlesbrough): The Eagles’ captain suffered back to back defeats for the first time with his club as they lost 3-0 away at Aston Villa. The former Chelsea ace was on for the entire match duration but was powerless as Boro’s hope for a top-two finish suffered a major setback.
Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City): He returned to action for his team in their goalless draw against Reading to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games. Having sat out his side’s last two fixtures the midfielder returned to the starting XI and played for the entire match duration.
Dominic Iorfa (Sheffield Wednesday): The former England junior international scored once and set up another to his team to a 4-2 win over Blackburn Rovers.
The youngster set up Steven Fletcher for the first goal on 10th minute before making it 3-1 eleven minutes from time to bet his third league goal in just four starts for Wednesday.
Sammy Ameobi (Bolton): The former national team invitee came off the bench to score what proved to be just a consolation goal as his team lost 2-5 to Wigan Athletic.
Saka declared wanted in Germany
Arsenal youngster, Bukayo Saka has been literally declared ‘wanted’ in Germany, as a horde of Bundesliga clubs are said to be in the hunt for his signature.
Although Saka is yet to cement his place in The Gunners’ main team, after playing a couple of matches in the UEFA Europa League and FA Cup, it was gathered that the young winger is already attracting interest in Germany.
The odds are now rolling in his favour over a possible deal, which could make him the next Nigerian-born player, and England youth international, to try out in Deutschland.
This is sequel to additional reports that the 17-year-old dark-skinned lad was also watched by German scouts while he was playing for Arsenal’s under-23 team and in his three first team appearances this season.
Although Saka cannot sign a new deal at Emirates Stadium until he turns 18 in September, the winger, who penned his first professional contract with The Gunners last year, is eligible to sign elsewhere in Europe.
While Saka has been tipped by former Arsenal defender and ex-captain, Per Mertesacker, who is now their academy manager, for a great future at the London club, he could take a similar route with Jadon Sancho, who is now excelling in Germany with Borussia Dortmund.
Lazio makes enquiry about Liverpool winger, Adekanye
Italian Serie A side, SS Lazio has made contact with Liverpool about signing the talented young Nigerian/Dutch winger Bobby Adekanye who is also wanted by elite clubs in Europe.
This isn’t the first time that Lazio will be linked with the youngster as they were close to signing him on a five-year-deal in the January transfer window.
The 20-year-old can play on both wings or behind the forward and his contract at Anfield will run out at the end of the season.
Corriere dello Sport reports that Adekanye is demanding for a million euros annual wage to join the capital club.
The tricky lad is yet to make his first team debut for the Reds, but has been training with Jurgen Klopp’s first team.
The youngster, who plays his international football for the Netherlands, has appeared nine times in Premier League 2 this season, scoring once.
GERMANYย
Karim Onisiwo and Anthony Ujah (Mainz 05): Onisiwo made the starting line-up while Ujah was on the substitutes’ bench as their club trailed Bayern Munich 0-3 with about 30 minutes left to play as at the time of filing this report.
ITALY
Ola Aina (Torino): The Chelsea loanee was in action for 90 minutes as his team fell to a 3-2 home defeat against Bologna. He was issued a straight red card deep into stoppage time for a rash tackle. The encounter at Stade Olimpico was Aina’s 25th of the campaign for Walter Mazzarri’ s men and he has scored once.
Okereke scores, bags another assist for Spezia
Hot- in-demand Spezia forward, David Okereke once again showed his undoubted talent with a goal and an assist for his team in their 3-2 win against Benevento in the Serie B.
Okereke provided the assist for Alessio Da Cruz to put his team 2-1 before scoring in the 67 minutes to kill any hope of a late comeback by Benevento with the win also lifting his team to 8th position on the log.
The 21- year- old now has eight league goals and ten assists to his name from 24 games, a form which has alerted top teams in Europe including Serie A giants Juventus who are heavily rumoured to be leading the queue to sign him.
A product of Football Academy Abuja, Okereke has worked is way back into the Serie B side after spending last season on loan to Serie C side Cosenza after two and half years in the first team of Spezia.
He is expected to depart for Tunisa later today to team up with the Nigeria U23 team for their AFCON U23 Cup of Nations Qualifiers game against Libya on Wednesday and hopefully he will also be around for the return leg of the fixture in Asaba in a week time.
Montreal Impact, Perugia release Okonkwo, Michael for U-23 duty
Bologna loanees Orji Okonkwo and Kingsley Michael have confirmed their availability for this week’s U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya.
According to their agent, Femi Olaniran of Quintessence Sports Management, Major League Soccer outfit Montreal Impact and Italian Serie B club Perugia have agreed to release both players to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
On Saturday, Okonkwo had his best game in a Montreal Impact shirt against Orlando City and his good pal Michael was introduced at half-time in Perugia’s 1-0 win at Calcio Padova.
Okonkwo and Michael were part of the Golden Eaglets squad that won Nigeria’s fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2015 and are products of Football College Abuja.
SPAIN
Kenneth Omeruo (Leganes): The central defender ended on the losing side as his teamย lost 2-0 at home to Girona. He picked up a yellow card in the 63rd minute of the encounter.
Omeruo who is on loan at Leganes from Chelsea has made 22 league appearances for the club.
PORTUGALย
Zaidu confirms agreement with Santa Clara
Former Gil Vicente youth team prospect, Zaidu Sanusi will join Portuguese top division side Santa Clara in the summer according to the 21-year-old.
At the end of the current season the SC Mirandela left back who moved to Portugal in 2016 will join Santa Clara if the club maintains their top division status at the end of the season and retain same management.
With a total of two goals in the 18 games he has played this season, Zaidu who originally went to Portugal as a left winger but now plays as a central defender or left full back has established himself as one of the best player in the third tier of Portuguese football league structure.
โI will join Santa Clara next season but that is subject to them staying in the top division which looks very much the case after 25 games. If the technical crew is maintained it will further boost my chances,โ Zaidu disclosed.
8th placed Santa Clara has already agreed personal terms with him two months ago and Mirandela are not in any way opposed to his departure in the summer.
TURKEY
Anthony Nwaekeme (Trabzonspor) & Emem Eduok (Erzurumspor): The former Israel-based forward scored the winning goal for his club in their 1-0 defeat of BB Erzurumspor for whom Emem Eduok lasted the duration of the game.
Nwaekeme netted the winner in the 64th minute to help his side seal all three points in the game. The goal was the striker’s fifth in his last four games for the club and his eighth in 19 league appearances this season.
Erzurumspor paraded their Nigerian import Emem Eduok for the entire duration of the game.
Chidozie Awaziem, Azubuike Okechukwu and Aminu Umar (Rizespor): The trio were all action as their club secured a 2-0 win at Konyaspor. Awaziem and Okechukwu featured for 90 minutes while Umar came in with 24 minutes left to play.
Nwakaeme happy to score winnerย
Super Eagles forward Anthony Nwakaeme is happy to grab the winning goal for Trabzonspor in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Emem Eduok’s BB Erzurumspor 1-0 in their Turkish Super Lig clash at the Kazim Karabikir Stadium on Saturday.
Nwaekeme netted the winner in the 64th minute to help his side to their third win in four games.
The goal was also Nwakaeme’s fifth in his previous four consecutive games for the club and his eighth in 19 league appearances this season.
โGood fight from the whole team together without amazing fans,โ Nwakaeme wrote on his Instagram Page on Sunday.
โVery important win away from home on a snow ground. Happy to have scored the winning goal for my team with the assist from my little man Caleb Ekuban.โ
Trabzonspor remains fourth in the Turkish Super Lig and will face Antalayspor when the international break resumes on the 4th of April.
Moses bags assist, hails performance against Sivasspor
Former Super Eagles winger, Victor Moses continued his impressive form at Turkish giants Fenerbahce as he helped them to a 2-1 comeback win at home to Sivasspor to move four points off the relegation zone.
Needing a win to boost their survival chances, the hosts failed to break their resolute guests as both teams went into the break goalless.
Sivaspor did, however, break the deadlock, seventeen minutes from time when Ozer Hummarci gave them the lead but it lasted just 60 seconds when Victor Moses set up strike partner Roberto Soldado to level scores.
Mehmet Ekici then ensured the comeback was complete for Fenerbahce when he scored four minutes from time to seal all three points for the Istanbul giants.
โBig performance from the lads tonight! Massive 3 points! Fans were amazing again,โ Moses posted after the match.
The Nigerian had a game rating of 7.1, made 4 key passes, won 13 of his duels and was also fouled 7 times for his persistence down the flanks for the hosts.
BELGIUM
Osimhen may join AC Milan for โฌ15m deal
Victor Osimhen could be on his way to join Serie A giant AC Milan from Wolfsburg this summer in a deal worth โฌ15m.
According to reports, Milan has already made plans for the 20-year-old’s development with a loan deal to French Ligue 1 side Lille already mapped out.
Osimhen started his career at the Ultimate Strikers Academy, in Lagos before representing Nigeria at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. After a stellar performance at the showpiece, Osimhen caught the attention of Wolfsburg and officially joined the club in January 2017 on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
DENMARK
Leicester, Ajax scouts watch coveted striker, Jubrilย
Leicester City scouts were in Denmark on Wednesday to watch one of Europe’s most exciting young talents, Jibril Abubakar.
It was claimed that Leicester was one of about 20 clubs represented at the UEFA Youth League Round of 16 tie between FC Midtjylland and Manchester Utd.
The scouts, who included representatives from Juventus and Ajax, were present to watch the up and coming Nigerian talents.
The 6ft 3in 19-year-old didn’t score in the game but he played a part in a historic win with
Midtjylland becoming the first Danish side to reach the quarter-final stage of the competition.
Abubakar has played vital part in his team’s extended run in the Youth League,scoringย four times in 19 appearances across all competitions.
SAUDI ARABIA
Ahmed Musa (Al Nassr): The Super Eagles assistant captain, provided an assist in his club’s 4-0 away win against Al Wahda. Musa has now failed to score in 10 league outings for Al Nassr. The forward has now scored five goals in 18 league appearances for his club.
EGYPT
Omoyele’s goal fails to lift club out of relegationย
Former NPFL hot shot, Tosin Omoyele scored his second goal in the Egyptian top flight as his side Ngoom FC earned a hard fought 1-1 draw away at El-Entag El-Harby.
The former Plateau United forward led the line for the relegation battlers whilst another His compatriot, James Owoboskini was handed the responsibility to fire the hosts to all three points.
But it was the visitors who drew first blood when the persistent Omoleye put Ngoom ahead with a well-taken goal nine minutes into the clash before Mohammed Mosaad drew the hosts level six minutes later.
Both teams did, however, push for the winning goal but had to settle for a share of the points with Ngoom still searching for their first win in seven games.
The draw, however, takes them momentarily off the bottom of the table with 23 points from 27 games played so far, with just two points separating them and 15th placed Project.
