Auxerre central defender, Gabriel Osho has admitted that Nigeria is full of talented players even as he said to get called-up by Super Eagles interim coach, Austin Eguavoen is a great honour for him.

Osho who was born and raised in Reading, England has finally joined Nigeria’s squad for the first time after an injury had ruled him out earlier in March when he got his first call up to the Super Eagles.

The 26-year-old who said his parents were born in Lagos joined Auxerre from Luton Town as a free agent and has been impressive for the French side this season, making nine appearances in the French Ligue 1.

An injury unfortunately stopped him from making his debut for the Super Eagles in March but Osho has now been recalled after West Bromwich Albion defender, Semi Ajayi picked up a serious hamstring injury.

In an interview with the Super Eagles media team in Abidjan on Tuesday, Osho said: “My name is Gabriel Osho, defender for Auxerre and the Super Eagles. Both my parents were born in Lagos, I am happy to be here.

“I have been invited before but I couldn’t come because of injury and one or two other things, but when this time came, I could finally join up with the team.”

Osho during the interview also promised to give his best if selected for Thursday’s game against Benin Republic and is impressed with the quality of players in the Super Eagles squad.

He said he is impressed with, especially the attack which includes the likes of Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Ademola Lookman and Kelechi Iheanacho.

“I will just work as hard as I can. That’s what the fans can expect from every single player here, everyone is talented enough to be here.

“All you have to do is look at the frontline, you’ll see the names and all the players. The players that are here and the players that couldn’t be selected in the squad this time, the country is full of talented players.

“To get a call-up is a great honour for me because I know there are so many great players from Nigeria that are not here at the moment.”

Victor Osimhen has said that the brace of goals he scored against Samsunspor during the weekend will boost his confidence for the Super Eagles’ 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against both Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Osimhen was highly instrumental to Galatasaray beating Samsunspor 3-2 in a Turkish Super Lig game at RAMS Park on Sunday with two goals to his name.

The 25-year-old Nigerian striker played a key role in securing the top-of-the-table clash for Galatasaray who are currently league leaders against surprising challengers, Samsunspor.

Osimhen opened the scoring just four minutes into the game with a precise header from Lucas Torreira’s cross, placing the ball into the top corner to the delight of the fans.

Samsunspor equalised early in the second half but Osimhen quickly restored Galatasaray’s lead five minutes later.

He capitalised on the goalkeeper’s failure to clear a cross, heading the loose ball into the net at the far post.

This marked Osimhen’s second brace in four days following his Europa League performance in a 3-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur last Thursday.

With six goals in six league matches and eight goals in nine appearances since his loan spell began, Osimhen’s form continues to impress.

After his brace, both teams exchanged goals, but Osimhen’s efforts proved crucial in securing all three points for Galatasaray who extended their lead at the top of the league to six points.

Osimhen during an interview with the Galatasaray TV YouTube channel said his brace against Samsunspor will boost his confidence for the Super Eagles’ 2025 AFCON qualifiers against both Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Nigeria will visit Benin Republic in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Thursday, November 14 before coming back home to play host to Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Monday, November 18 to round off their AFCON qualifiers.

“The match was very difficult. We got a very important victory. We played against an opponent who knows what they are doing. I have a lot of respect for them,” Osimhen said.

“They played very well. We saw why they are in these places. It was very important for us to go into the national break with a victory. Not just for the leadership.

“We will go to the national teams. It was a confidence boost for there too. When we return, we will try to win every match again. We have a team that is strong enough to win every match.”

The Super Eagles striker also said that he is very happy at Galatasaray because the fans have been showing him great love and they were extraordinary against Samsunspor as well.

“I want to dedicate the victory to them as well. I thank them very much. I also dedicate my goals to Mauro Icardi,” he said referring to his injured teammate and fellow striker.

“Today was an important day for both Atatürk and Mauro. I dedicate my goals to them. He has always shown me love since I have been here. He treated me very well. He is also a very important figure for the team.

“We know that he will come back very strong. We trust him very much. He is a very important leader for the team, a very important character. I dedicate my wins and my goals to him.

“I know how important a day this is. I greet the Turkish people. Before I came to Turkey, I didn’t know much about this great person. After I came to Turkey, I talked about Atatürk with my teammates.

“There are huge photos of him everywhere. I tried to learn from everyone what he meant. Frankly, I have a lot of respect. He deserves much more respect.

“I think we need to do much more for him. I realized that he is truly a very important figure for history. I also feel this respect with his sazla.”

Joao Pereira will take over from Manchester United-bound Ruben Amorim as head coach of Sporting Lisbon, the Portuguese champions announced on Monday.

The 40-year-old will step up from his role as reserve-team boss following Amorim’s departure to Old Trafford.

Sporting staged a dramatic fightback from two goals down to win 4-2 at Braga on Sunday in Amorim’s final match in charge and maintain their 100-percent record in the Primeira Liga this season.

Pereira, a former Portugal right-back who enjoyed three spells at Sporting as a player, will hold his first press conference as boss later on Monday, Sporting said on social media.

Amorim left to take over at Man United following the sacking of Erik ten Hag after a golden spell in the Portuguese capital, taking Sporting to their first league title in 19 years in 2021 before regaining the trophy last season.

They also sit second in the Champions League table after thumping Manchester City 4-1 last week in Amorim’s last home game as coach.

Atalanta are very much desperate to retain the services of Ademola Lookman who has been one of their best signings ever and as such, the Italian Serie A club are ready to offer the attacker an improved €3.5m per year deal.

The Nigeria international has been instrumental in the club’s recent success since joining the club in 2022, attracting interest from top European clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Lookman’s current contract runs until 2026 with an option for an additional year. However, Atalanta is keen to reward his outstanding performances with a new deal that would extend his stay until 2027 and increase his release clause. According to reports emanating from Italy, the club is prepared to double his current salary to around €3.5 million per year.

“Ademola Lookman could be about to double his money with a new contract at Atalanta. The new deal would be worth €3.5m a year plus bonuses and would keep him in Bergamo until 2027, reports Bergamo & Sport’s Luciana Rota,” according to a post on the official X account of Atalanta BC News.

During the summer, Lookman agreed to personal terms with French giants PSG, but the transfer ultimately fell through.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on a lucrative move away from his Serie A club, the former Charlton academy player has returned with renewed vigor, establishing himself as one of the league’s standout performers this season.

The Nigerian forward’s impressive form has also earned him recognition on the international stage. He recently finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings and is a strong contender for the African Footballer of the Year award.

Lookman’s impact on Atalanta has been immense. He was instrumental in their historic Europa League triumph, scoring a hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen.

Lookman has so far reached his 13th goal involvement in the last 13 games across all competitions for Atalanta with the Nigerian having scored eight times and made five assists this season.

He has been in scintillating form since joining Atalanta from RB Leipzig in 2022 for €9.35m plus bonuses, amassing 40 goals and providing 23 assists in 91 competitive appearances for the Italian side.

Victor Osimhen has urged his teammates at Galatasaray to maintain their winning momentum following their 3-2 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in a UEFA Europa League group encounter in Turkey on Thursday evening.

Osimhen was on fire as he scored two goals which helped Galatasaray to secure a highly important victory against ten-man Tottenham.

Osimhen despite an earlier injury scare during the preparation for the game started against Tottenham and he justified his starting shirt by netting a brace within the space of eight minutes.

The striker said afterwards that the victory against Tottenham was important for Galatasaray and insisted he and his colleagues will keep fighting for each other.

“Tottenham was a very difficult opponent. We made our preparations accordingly. I want to congratulate my team. I would also like to thank our fans who supported us from the first moment to the last,” Osimhen told the GSTV YouTube channel.

“Of course, the two goals were important for me. On the other hand, I hope Mauro’s injury is not serious. This victory was important for us. 

“It was important for us to win against Tottenham who played well and fought until the last moment. We need to continue our momentum.

“We need to think about each match individually. Right now, we will focus on our league match. There will be an international break. 

“We will make our preparations. We will care about every opponent. We will show our quality and fight for each other. We will fight for victory every time,” the striker concluded.

Galatasaray head coach, Okan Buruk, started the match with a formidable attacking duo of Osimhen and Mauro Icardi. 

However, it was left-back Yunus Akgun who opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a well-struck shot from outside the box.

Tottenham got their equaliser in the 18th minute through teenager, William Lankshear who became their youngest goalscorer in major European competition since Harry Kane (18y 140d) who netted against Shamrock Rovers in the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League.

Osimhen thereafter took over proceedings in the 31st minute, converting a precise pass from Dries Mertens. 

Just eight minutes later after being set up once again by Mertens, the Super Eagles striker got his brace with a controlled volley that left Tottenham goalkeeper, Fraser Foster helpless.

Osimhen had a few more goalscoring chances to bag a hat-trick but he fell short with a header while he also saw a shot blocked. 

Since joining Galatasaray on loan from Napoli, the 25-years-old forward has scored two goals and contributed two assists in three Europa League matches. 

Osimhen has, however, scored six goals and rendered four assists in eight games across all competitions for the Turkish Super Lig club.

Flying Eagles head coach, Aliyu Zubairu says the men’s national U-20 football team is still a work in progress.

Zubairu stated this on Monday in Ilorin at a meeting with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Kwara Chapter.

The gaffer noted that in spite of their victory in the WAFU B championship in Togo, critical areas in the team still needed improvement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Flying Eagles’ hard-earned victory in Togo secured Nigeria’s place in the U-20 AFCON billed for South Africa in January, 2025.

The U-20 AFCON will also determine the continent’s representatives for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

“I’m somewhat dissatisfied with our defence; we were conceding goals consistently. This vulnerability cannot be overlooked on a larger stage,” he stated.

Zubairu decried the fact that the team had limited time to prepare for WAFU B championship, while stressing the need for adequate preparation for future tournaments.

“I had just 37 days from my appointment to the WAFU B tournament, and we retained only three players from the previous squad, necessitating the recruitment of new talents,” he explained.

He also acknowledged the interest from eligible players outside Nigeria, asserting that “We will not hinder their participation and are committed to selecting those with the necessary skills.”

The coach revealed that plans were underway for an early training camp ahead of the U-20 AFCON, while underlining the importance of securing a spot in the World Cup.