The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Osimhen

  • Ajax chases Osimhen

    Nigerian youngster, Victor Osimhen has been linked with a move to Dutch club, AFC Ajax.

    According to Owngoalnigeria, the 19-year-old striker may be on his way to Amsterdam when he ends his loan spell at Charleroi.

    Osimhen is on loan from Wolfsburg until next summer and has been spectacular at Charleroi, scoring 7 goals in 13 games.

    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 VfL Wolfsburg, he officially joined the club in January 2017 on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

  • Osimhen: I’m now a better player

    Former Golden Eaglets striker, Victor Osimhen has revealed to NationSport that his blossoming form with Belgium side, Sporting Charleroi is down to the experience gathered from the parent club, Wolfsburg.

    The 19-year-old moved to the German Bundesliga in the summer of the 2016/17 season after he helped Nigeria conquer the world in 2015 at Under-17 level and emerged top scorer with ten goals and two assists. However, he hasn’t hit the heights expected at club level due to injuries and was forced to seek a loan move to Charleroi where he reminded everyone of his abilities with an audacious back kneel goal during his side’s 1-1 draw against Waasland-Beveren at the weekend.

    Speaking exclusively to NationSport from his new base in Belgium, he said: “I feel great. I feel so overwhelmed. I feel really happy to be here – to get myself back on track. I’m really happy. The people here are nice and the Coach really believes in me.

  • LOAN DEAL: Osimhen fails Zulte-Waregem trials

    Victor Osimhen will not play on loan at Belgian club Zulte-Waregem from German Bundesliga club Wolfsburg after he failed to convince while on trials there.

    Osimhen has failed to establish himself at Wolfsburg, which is now willing to farm him out this season. His trials at Zulte-Waregem ended yesterday and Hetnieuwsblad has reported he did not do enough to convince the Belgian team to have him on loan.

    The publication said Zulte-Waregem have passed on getting the trialist Osimhen on loan because he did not do enough.

    Another top source further told SCORENigeria: “Zulte will not take him, he didn’t convince them.”

    Part of the reason for the trials was to ensure the 19-year-old striker is fully fit as he has struggled with injuries since he moved to Germany after shinning at the 2015 U-17 FIFA World Cup in Chile.

  • Rohr plans to turn Osimhen to Eagles’ top striker

    Rohr plans to turn Osimhen to Eagles’ top striker

    Super Eagles’ handler Gernot Rohr has tipped Wolsburg of Germany striker Victor Osimhen to be one of the best strikers in Eagles’ fold and he has mapped out the way he can bring out the best in the youthful but talented forward.

    SportingLife gathered from a very top official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that it was the main reason why Osimhen name was included in the list of the players that would prosecute the two friendly matches against Senegal and Burkina Faso.

    “Rohr has fallen in love with the quality of Osimhen, his strong frame, his dashing runs, the use of both legs actively and his vision at goal has endeared the boy to the Franco German Coach,” the NFF top official told SportingLife in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The name of Osimhen is among the names of players released yesterday to prosecute this month’s friendly matches. This means that Rohr will definitely see this teenage sensation in action against Senegal and Burkina Faso.

    “I am particularly happy that Rohr has seen the talent and the quality Osimhen is made of and working on him will further make him to blend well with the rest of the players in the Eagles. I won’t be surprised if Osimhen becomes a serious threat to the other Eagles strikers like Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi, Isaac Success and others,” the impeccable source disclosed.

  • Osimhen: Why I rejected Arsenal

    Osimhen: Why I rejected Arsenal

    VICTOR Osimhen says he rejected Arsenal in order to sign for Wolfsburg as he feels he will have more playing opportunities with the Bundesliga side.

    “There were many clubs that were interested in me. But my choice was Wolfsburg because I think that my development opportunities are highest here,” Osimhen told Bild.

    “If I had gone to Arsenal, for example, I might not have found the route to the first team so quickly. I love football and I have worked hard to get to where I am now.”

    The 18-year-old has joined Wolfsburg on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Nigerian side Ultimate Strikers Academy in a deal reportedly worth €3.5 million.

    Osimhen, who was named CAF’s Youth Player of the Year in 2015, was targeted by Arsenal and had also been linked with moves to Serie A sides Inter and Fiorentina.

    But the forward feels a first-team breakthrough is more likely at Wolfsburg than it would have been at the Emirates Stadium.

    Osimhen scored 10 goals to help Nigeria to the Under-17 World Cup title in October 2015.

  • Wolfburg Contract: Why I rejected Arsenal- Osimhen

    Wolfburg Contract: Why I rejected Arsenal- Osimhen

    Victor Osimhen says he rejected Arsenal in order to sign for Wolfsburg as he feels he will have more playing opportunities with the Bundesliga side.

    “There were many clubs that were interested in me. But my choice was Wolfsburg because I think that my development opportunities are highest here,” Osimhen told Bild.

    “If I had gone to Arsenal, for example, I might not have found the route to the first team so quickly. I love football and I have worked hard to get where I am now.”

    The 18-year-old has joined Wolfsburg on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Nigerian side Ultimate Strikers Academy in a deal reportedly worth €3.5 million.

    Osimhen, who was named CAF’s Youth Player of the Year in 2015, was targeted by Arsenal and had also been linked with moves to Serie A sides Inter and Fiorentina.

    But the forward feels a first-team breakthrough is more likely at Wolfsburg than it would have been at the Emirates Stadium.

    Osimhen scored 10 goals to help Nigeria to the Under-17 World Cup title in October 2015.

  • Osimhen focused on Super Eagles

    Osimhen focused on Super Eagles

    Victor Osimhen insists he has firmly put behind him, the disappointment of Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Zambia.

    The Flying Eagles were eliminated by Sudan after a dramatic 5-5 draw on aggregate in the third round of qualifying, with Nigeria losing out on the away goals rule.

    Osimhen, who is currently with the Super Eagles squad preparing for today’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania, says he has now set his sights on success with the senior national team.

    “I won the World Cup with the U-17s (in 2015) and finished as the highest goal scorer (with 10 goals), however, I lost out with the U-20s as we failed to qualify for the AFCON.

    “However, I have put that behind me and I cannot dwell on that anymore because this is a new chapter for me. I am here to learn, focus on helping the team and making the fans happy,” he said.

    Osimhen has never played for Nigeria at senior level.

  • FLYING EAGLES CAMP LATEST: Osimhen vows to prove class

    FLYING EAGLES CAMP LATEST: Osimhen vows to prove class

    Wolfsburg-bound Victor Osimhen has said he wants to prove himself again after he arrived the Flying Eagles training camp in Abuja ahead of next month’s African U-20 qualifier against Burundi.

    AfricanFootball.com first reported record U-17 World Cup hotshot Osimhen will hit the Flying Eagles camp even though he was not among the initial call-ups by coach Emmanuel Amuneke.

    “l am here to show the coaches what I can do. I have trained very hard to be here and just want to play football,” Osimhen said after his first training with the Flying Eagles on Wednesday.

    The Flying Eagles will take on Burundi in their first match of the 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifying series away in Bujumbura on the weekend of May 20-22.

    Presently, over 50 players are sweating it out twice daily as the battle for shirts intensifies.

  • BRAZIL FRIENDLY: Osimhen storms U-23 camp Friday

    BRAZIL FRIENDLY: Osimhen storms U-23 camp Friday

    Wolfsburg striker, Victor Osimhen has been excused from hitting Brazil directly from Germany for the international friendly match against the country’s U-23 side on March 24.

    Instead, the former Golden Eaglets player, who is among the 21 foreign based players called up by coach Samson Siasia for the encounter, is expected in Nigeria to fly out with the team by next weekend.

    According to the team’s Media Officer, Timi Ebikagboro ”’We are expecting Victor in Abuja on Friday, although he will arrive the country on Thursday,” he said.

    But when asked if it would not delay the player’s entry visa since the international passports of players and officials in camp have been submitted to the embassy, Ebikagboro said it won’t. ‘

    ”There should be no problem whatsoever in securing a visa for Victor since we have another week left before travelling out, ‘ he said.

    ”Do not forget that Victor has not started playing for the Wolfsburg senior side, he added.

    The Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) had instructed all the foreign based players called up for the international engagement to secure their visas from their various bases to join the rest of the squad on March 20. The match is billed for the city of Cariacica, Vitoria, Espirito Santo.

    Already Belgium-based, Godwin Saviour has been granted an entry visa with the others expected to secure theirs before next week.

    The friendly forms part of the team’s preparations for the Olympics coming up in August.

  • Amuneke to drop Osimhen, Nwakali, Chukwueze

    Amuneke to drop Osimhen, Nwakali, Chukwueze

    Recently appointed head coach of the Nigeria U-20, Emmanuel Amuneke won’t call up the trio of Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze when he announces his first set of call up to the U-20 next week.

    The Flying Eagles coach from scoop gathered by owngoalnigeria.com will leave out the trio to help them focus on their club careers after their recent transfers but might subsequently call them up in the future.

    We gathered he will instead call up players from his last all conquering U-17 side who are still clubless to help keep them in shape before qualifiers for the next Africa youth championship begins later in the year.

    Captain of Nigeria U-17 team to the last World Cup,  Kelechi Nwakali has already penned a five-year deal with Arsenal while Chukwueze is expected to do same in the coming days.

    Team’s topscorer, Osimhen is presently in Germany although not eligible to play for his new side, Wolfsburg he has been training with their B team but trains twice in a week with the main team of the Bundesliga side.