Asisat Oshoala and 35 other players called up to the Super Falcons team

Super Falcons coach Samuel Okon has called up 36 players to his training camp for Nigeria's preparations for the FIFA Women's World Cup tournament.

Also, the team will be preparing for the qualifiers of the 2015 All Africa Games as well as the Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifiers.

Out of the pool of 36 players called up by Okon, 26 players were drawn from the local league while the remaining 10 players are foreign based.

Liverpool Ladies’ striker Asisat Oshoala is the pick of the cherry in the players invited by Okon to the camp.

The team is expected to resume camping on February 22nd with only the locally based players, while the foreign based players will join them after their club's engagement this season.

Already, the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF)has lined up two friendly games for the team.

The Super Falcons will be playing against New Zealand and also Canada later in the year. 

TOO HOT: Brown Ideye Nets Two Goals in West Brom's 4-0 Win Over West Ham

Nigeria international Brown Ideye was again the toast of Albion fans following the two goals he netted in West Brom's 4-0 rout of West Ham in the English FA Cup.

Ideye who some weeks back was on the verge of being offloaded by West Brom, seems to have found his form at the right time, scoring vital goals for his club.

The 26-year old opened the scoring in the game, before James Morrison struck in the second goal to give his side a 2-0 lead going into the break.

He bagged his second goal in the match, following up Morrison's strike in the second half which Adrian couldn't keep out, only for Ideye to be right on hand to guide the ball home.

Saido Berahino got West Brom's fourth goal in the match and Tony Pulis' team has now qualified for the quarterfinal of the competition.

Ideye has now scored in three successive games, with his two goals today making four in three matches.

The Nigerian has now started repaying the big money West Brom invested in securing his services from Dynamo Kyiv .

Stephen Keshi applies to coach Burkina Faso

Stephen Keshi has revealed that he has been approached for the vacant job to manage the Burkina Faso national team.

The Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) are believed to be in the final stages of negotiating a new contract with Keshi for him to continue managing the Super Eagles.

Keshi has been without a contract since last July, following the expiration of his three-and-half year deal with the NFF.

Burkina Faso are seeking for a new coach to replace their former Belgian manager Paul Put, who was sacked for failing to take them past the group stages of the 2015 African Nations Cup tournament.

FBF president,Colonel Sita Sangaré said that former Congo coach Claude Le Roy and former Senegal coach, Alain Giresse, as well as Keshi have all shown their interest in the job.

"Yes, I was approached by the FBF for the vacant position but I have not decided yet on the right direction to take,”Keshi told the Complete Sports     

Malik continues El-Kanemi romance

After an impressive start to his El-Kanemi Warriors career in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Cameroonian import Demba Malik has expressed readiness to continue with the Maiduguri side this term.

Malik scored four goals in the second round of the league after joining the Maiduguri side during the mid-season break.

“I’m happy with my performance for El-Kanemi and ready to play again this season,” the Cameroonian told supersport.com.

With the exit of Joel Djondang to champions Kano Pillars Malik and central defender Souleymanu Douri continue to fly the Cameroonian flag at El-Kanemi.

Malik has played in the Central African Republic, Chad and in his native Cameroon before his Nigerian adventure.

Ittihad bank on Okpotu’s magic

Libyan powerhouse Al-Ittihad will turn to their Nigerian forward Anthony Okpotu for goals when they begin their 2015 Caf Confederation Cup campaign against Chadian side Elec Sport on Sunday.

Okpotu is in his second season with the Libyan side and makes his second appearance in the competition after making his debut with Lobi Stars in 2013.

Seven goals in five matches and a fantastic goal against Esperance have boosted Okpotu’s confidence as he prepares for their African conquest.

“I scored two hat-tricks, but will pick my goal against Esperance as my best since it was scored from a distance. We defeated Esperance 5-2 during a friendly,” he told supersport.com.

Ittihad will play in Tunisia due to the crisis in Libya and have since relocated to the Tunisian capital to intensify preparation.

“We are determined to follow the example of Libyan side Al-Ahly Benghazi, which played in Tunis and had a good campaign in the Champions League, last year," he told supersport.com.

Okpotu joined Ittihad from Nigerian side Lobi Stars.

CAF Football: Nigerians seek African honours

No fewer than five Nigerians will defend the colours of their foreign clubs as the preliminary round of Africa’s club competitions - the Caf Champions League and Caf Confederations Cup - are decided this weekend across the continent.

Nigerian international and former Enugu Rangers forward Osaguona Ighodaro started the weekend on a positive note with a goal for his new club Raja Casablanca.

Indeed, it promises to be a busy weekend from South Africa to the Maghreb.

Several Nigerians have won these competitions with foreign sides in the past to underscore their importance to their teams.

Former Nigerian international and USA ’94 World Cup star Emmanuel Amuneke won the defunct Champions Cup at Zamalek Sporting Club, where he remains a club legend.

The duo of John Zaki and Willy Opara also won the competition with Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas and South Africa’s Orlando Pirates respectively.

Nigerian goalkeeper Austin Ejide and Okechukwu Obiakor equally won the defunct Cup Winners Cup, now Confederation Cup, with Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel in 2003.

Caf Champions League

Raja Casablanca: Morocco

Fans of Raja Casablanca went home satisfied with the performance of Ighodaro, who scored the second goal on his debut for the Moroccans in Africa’s elite competition on Friday night.

Osaguona scored in the 70th minute as his side walloped Congo’s Diable Noir 4-0 to take a massive advantage into the second leg.

ZESCO United: Zambia

The trio of Emmanuel Matthias, Christopher Chigozie and Ayo Oluwafemi play for Zambian champions ZESCO United but Matthias has since changed nationality and is now a Togolese international.

Matthias, who played for Heartland in Nigeria, is on loan to the Zambian side from South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

However, only Oluwafemi and Matthias travelled with the Ndola side to Swaziland for Sunday’s first-leg match against Swazi Premier League outfit Mbabane Swallows.

Chigozie will miss the match due to injury.

Mamelodi Sundowns: South Africa

Chan 2013 Most Valuable Player Ejike Uzoenyi will try to gain the attention of Pitso Mosimane as the South African champions play Seychelles St Michel United.

Caf Confederation Cup

Centre de Formation de Mounana: Gabon

A lot is expected from experienced Nigerian David Tyavkase as Gabonese side Centre de Formation de Mounana make their debut in the second tier competition.

Tyavkase, who won the Caf Champions League twice with Enyimba, continues his Gabonese adventure with Mounana after a year at rivals Union Sportive de Bitam.

Last year, Tyavkase’s former team US Bitam played in the Champions League.

“We have a good team that can do well,” Tyavkase said to supersport.com.

Mounana play Zanzibar’s Polisi.

Al-Ittihad Tripoli: Libya

Al-Ittihad’s Nigerian forward Anthony Okpotu will play a key role as the Libyan side return to the continent.

Interestingly, the Nigerian has improved tremendously with seven goals in five matches ahead of the clash against Chadian side Elec Sport.

“I’m ready for the assignment and we’re determined to make an impact,” the former Lobi Stars forward told supersport.com.

Okpotu’s Ittihad play away from home in Tunis due to the crisis back in Libya.

Others

The first round of both competitions will see more Nigerians from other African clubs join the race.

Esperance’s rave-of-the-moment Emem Eduok and Al-Ahly Sporting Club’s golden boy Peter Ebimobowei will play in the Champions League.

Eduok hammered a hat-trick recently to confirm his readiness for business, while Ebimobowei got his first Al-Ahly goal against Ittihad Al-Shorta on his first start.

And another former Lobi Stars export, Moses Orkuma, will be on duty for his new club Etoile du Sahel.

Orkuma excelled in the 2014 Caf Champions League with Libya’s Al-Ahly Benghazi who led to his switch to the Sousse outfit.

Like the Biblical Moses, Orkuma will inspire the Sousse side from the midfield.

Kano Pillars on the march again

Since 2009 when Kano Pillars reached the semifinals of the Caf Champions League, the perennial Nigerian champions have appeared in three editions without success.

In the last five years, the Kano side have emerged as Nigeria's most consistent representative in the competition due to their consistent success at home.

On their way to the group stage in 2009, Pillars eliminated African powerhouse, Al Ahly Sports Club on away goals to announce their emergence as a force in Africa.

Till date, the feat remains evergreen in the record of the club.

Former league top scorer, Victor Namo, Hilary Chukwu, Rabiu Mohammed, Abdulwasiu Sowemimo, Bello Musa Kofarmata, former captain, Bala Mohammed as well as inspiration goalkeeper and present captain, Theophilus Afelokhai, were some of the stars who twinkled, when history was made in Cairo.

The team have evolved over the years, but Afelokhai remains the link between the old and new generation.

"Ahly underrated us and we were determined to make an impact on our debut. We tried, but lost in the semifinals to Heartland," Afelokhai said.

2015

The 2015 edition is the fourth attempt for the club and their third successive appearance in Africa's elite competition.

Fans of the club have erased the memories of last year's shock exit in the first round to eventual runners-up, AS Vita, and hoping for a good campaign this year.

The decision to retain experienced Okey Emordi is a confirmation of the club's readiness to learn from mistakes of the past.

Opponents

Pillars begin the quest to win the competition against South Sudan side, Al-Malakia, and the expectation is that this will be a walk-over.

However, the Nigerians must be careful against the team which only made their debut in the 2014 edition of the Caf Confederation Cup.

Interestingly, both sides failed to cross the preliminary round last term. Pillars failed in the Champions League, while Al-Malakia lost out in the Confederation Cup.

Key Players

Aside from Afelokhai, Emordi's arsenal is loaded with several Nigerian internationals with experience at continental level.

The presence of stars like Rabiu Ali, Gambo Mohammed, Zango Umar, Eneji Otekpa and newly signed Christian Obiozor will scare opposition sides.

Former junior international, Samuel Tswanya, returns to the club after a two-year romance at Bayelsa United to boost competition at right-back with Promise James.

Also in Emordi's roster are the duo of goalkeeper Emmanuel Fabiyi and Isaac Loute, who play for the Benin national team.

Debut

Loute, who was converted to left-back from his previous position in the forward line by Emordi, is one of the players set to make his debut in the competition.

Also making their debut for the Kano aristocrats in the competition are Reuben Ogbonnaya, Tony Edjomariegwe and Joel Djondang, who joined the club from El-Kanemi Warriors.

Kano Pillars in Caf Champions League:

2009: Semifinal

2011: First Round

2013: First Round

2014: Preliminary Round

2015: ??