The main name in the hat for the job of the senior national team of Nigeria was Emmanuel Amuneke with a lot of stakeholders backing the former U17 coach made vacant by the exit of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Amuneke was however beaten to the job by the interim coach of the team Finidi George, who was made the permanent coach after serving under Peseiro for 20 months as his second assistant.

Finidi was picked by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) despite opposition from some top individuals in power, a choice which has drawn praises and knocks in some quarters since it was made official.

Reacting to his candidacy for the job, Amuneke decried the way his interest in the job was used by some certain individuals to smear his name. He went further to say he refused to be bullied and it led to bad blood with some officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

“They succeeded in smearing my name in the media because of the Eagles job,” Amuneke said, as per the Punch.

“They can continue with their propaganda, but I will remain disciplined. It’s not do-or-die job.

“All those allegations made in the media online because of the Eagles job are obviously not true, but those who recommended candidates for the job know I will not be easily bullied. I know there is still bad blood with these officials, but its fine”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The newly appointed coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George will get down to work in the coming days as the date for the resumption of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup draws near, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Following the official announcement of his appointment, the talks have been about the way he will line the team up tactically and the system he will want to play. He was the assistant to erstwhile coach Jose Peseiro for 20 months.

Peseiro who is an apostle of 4-4-2 played a different formation at the AFCON shifting to a more conservative 3-4-3 system. Finidi maintained it in the games against Ghana and Mali where he stood in as caretaker coach.

However he explained his preferred style of play afterwards and said the team played in a slightly different way at the AFCON from how they played in the games he handled, saying he played 3-5-2 in both games.  He gave a hint of what to expect shortly after his first game as interim coach.

” My preferred style of play is to have the ball and exert control. It is key to whatever you do tactically. I want my team to set up in a 4-4-2 formation with two men in attack but it all depends on how the game flows. I like it when we play close to each other making 4-3-3 another favourite option of mine”, he said aftwr the friendly win against Ghana in March.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The former coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Clement Westerhof has taken a swipe at former coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro for the manner which the team played at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Peseiro’s team were beaten in the final by the host of the tournament Cote d’Ivoire, who came from a goal down to win 2-1. That game was the last time the Portuguese handled the team as he left his role upon the expiration of his contract.

Reacting to the game, Westerhof who led the Super Eagles to AFCON glory in 1994 and also qualified the team for the first time ever for the world cup said the tactics of the coach, and his decision not to subbed off Osimhen in the final cost Nigeria the title.

” Osimhen wasn’t at his best in that game. The pressure got to him and he lost balls he ordinarily shouldn’t and that put pressure on the team, but you have to be fair with him because he was left all alone in ten attack. A reason why you have to look at the tactics of the coach”, he said.

” The coach (Peseiro) didn’t set them up to dominate. They were just there to contain. Such kind of tactics don’t help forward players but Osimhen should have done better with the balls that came his way”, he concluded.

Ade Emmanuel

The main name in the hat for the job of the senior national team of Nigeria was Emmanuel Amuneke with a lot of stakeholders backing the former U17 coach made vacant by the exit of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Amuneke was however beaten to the job by the interim coach of the team Finidi George, who was made the permanent coach after serving under Peseiro for 20 months as his second assistant.

Finidi was picked by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) despite opposition from some top individuals in power, a choice which has drawn praises and knocks in some quarters since it was made official.

Reacting to the appointment Amuneke said called for all to back Finidi but said the process which brought him in as coach could have been better despite admitting that it was fair to a certain level.

“There was no interview (for the job), neither was there any talk about the job with the federation. There was no contact from the federation nor was there an offer to take the job. They have chosen a new coach, who is one of us, we just need to move on and support him,” Amuneke said to Punch.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Discover the untold stories behind coaching legends and their profound impact on athletes. From transformative mentorship to unparalleled leadership, delve into the behind-the-scenes narratives that have shaped the world of sports.

The Legacy of Coaching Legends: Untold Stories of Impact and Inspiration

Coaches are the unsung heroes of the sports world, often working tirelessly behind the scenes to mentor, motivate, and mould athletes into champions on and off the field. While their names may not always make headlines, the impact of coaching legends reverberates throughout the sporting landscape, leaving an indelible mark on the athletes they inspire. Let’s explore the untold stories of coaching legends and their profound influence on the athletes they’ve guided to greatness.

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The Mentorship of John Wooden:

Regarded as one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, John Wooden’s legacy extends far beyond his record-breaking championships at UCLA. Behind the scenes, Wooden was a masterful mentor who instilled a philosophy of excellence, integrity, and character in his players. He emphasized the importance of hard work, discipline, and teamwork, guiding his athletes to success on and off the court. Wooden’s legendary Pyramid of Success inspires coaches and athletes worldwide, serving as a blueprint for personal and professional growth.

The Leadership of Vince Lombardi:

Vince Lombardi’s name is synonymous with excellence and leadership in football. As the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, Lombardi transformed a struggling franchise into a dynasty, leading the team to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls. Behind the scenes, Lombardi’s leadership style was characterized by discipline, accountability, and unwavering commitment to excellence. He demanded nothing but the best from his players, pushing them to exceed their perceived limitations and achieve greatness.

The Innovation of Bill Belichick:

Bill Belichick’s legacy as one of the most successful coaches in NFL history is built on innovation, adaptability, and strategic brilliance. Behind the scenes, Belichick is renowned for his meticulous preparation, attention to detail, and ability to outsmart opponents through strategic game planning. His coaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of versatility, teamwork, and situational awareness, empowering his players to excel in any circumstance. Belichick’s relentless pursuit of excellence has earned him multiple Super Bowl titles and cemented his status as a coaching legend.

The Heart of Pat Summitt:

Pat Summitt’s impact on the world of women’s basketball transcends wins and championships, as she was not only a coach but also a mentor, role model, and trailblazer for female athletes everywhere. Behind the scenes, Summitt’s leadership style was characterized by compassion, toughness, and an unwavering commitment to her players’ success both on and off the court. She challenged her athletes to push past their comfort zones, embrace adversity, and strive for excellence in everything they did. Summitt’s legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched and her enduring impact on basketball.

The Inspiration of Herb Brooks:

Herb Brooks’ coaching journey culminated in one of the most iconic moments in sports history—the “Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Behind the scenes, Brooks was a visionary leader who instilled in his team a belief in their ability to achieve the impossible. He pushed his players to their limits, fostering a culture of unity, resilience, and unwavering determination. Brooks’ leadership and coaching philosophy inspired an entire nation and left an indelible mark on hockey.

Conclusion:

Behind every successful athlete lies the guiding hand of a coaching legend whose impact transcends wins and losses. From John Wooden’s mentorship to Vince Lombardi’s leadership, Bill Belichick’s innovation, Pat Summitt’s heart, and Herb Brooks’ inspiration, coaching legends shape the world of sports through their unwavering commitment to excellence and profound influence on the athletes they mentor. Their untold stories testify to the transformative power of coaching and the enduring legacy of those who dedicate their lives to shaping champions on and off the field.

In Nigeria, online sports betting is exploding thanks to the World Cup and AFCON. This is one of the vectors likely to accelerate the development of online payment in a country that is still poorly banked.

The field of sports games on football has attracted many online gaming companies. Russian, Slovak and Italian platforms are already present in this large African market. The British bookmaker Betway arrived last year and launched a vast promotional campaign for the AFCON by offering various promotions match scheduled, the same gift offered by the number one in the market, the Nigerian Bet9Ja . The start-up Nairabet claims two million customers. An activity which contributes to the promotion of financial inclusion among a public which, sometimes, does not even have a bank account.

Naira spent per year on sports betting

Nigerians spend over 730 billion naira per year, approximately €1,788,934,350 on sports betting and at least two billion naira, €4,901,190, is generated daily, according to recent studies.

Data revealed that over 60 million Nigerian punters spend over 3,000 naira (€7.50) per day to place bets. The country has at least 50 betting sites, the number of which increases every year.

Punters interviewed say they placed bets to generate quick and easy income and turn their passion for football into cash. For Segun Mukoro, a 28-year-old fashion designer, who bets at least once a week, it’s the quickest way to double his income; although he sometimes loses, the young Nigerian confirms that the winnings are enormous.

“It’s a guessing game and you get better with time. I know it’s addictive, but I see it as an investment, a way to double my income,” Segun Mukoro continued.

The Nigerian News Agency also reports that leading betting platform Bet9ja has invested heavily in advertising by sponsoring the reality TV show Big Brother Naija. Success awaits you!

Nigeria is an economic giant but still a dwarf in terms of digital finance.

Nigeria is one of the African countries where less than 10% of adults have a mobile account which majority are still using old app on mobile, the World Bank’s index on financial inclusion. When Kenya, the pioneer in this area, exceeded the 40% mark. Nigeria is also one of the least banked countries, with only 40% of adults having a bank account. This delay is partly explained by the country’s recent economic difficulties and also partly by the lack of IT security, the slowness of the Internet, and the fear of fraud and scams have deterred users. A situation which has improved a lot recently thanks to payment technologies offered by local start-ups, PayStack and Flutterwave.

The services of these two start-ups were quickly adopted by online gaming companies.

PayStack is the most popular payment method for those playing on the Nairabet site and 1xBet. The start-up founded two years ago by two young Nigerian computer scientists thanks to a Silicon Valley incubator is booming. It raised more than a million dollars with the support of the Chinese Tencent and the American Comcast. Paystack is not only used for gaming sites, it is also a technology appreciated by Nigerian transport and insurance companies. Fluterwave, the other local start-up, launched at the same time, is also developing rapidly with a foothold in Silicon Valley. It raised ten million dollars to ensure its future development.

The online gaming market represents a significant share of digital payments?

The turnover is estimated at one billion dollars today in Nigeria. This activity has taken off since last year. As evidenced by the jump in tax revenues collected from sports betting, they increased by 30 to 40% between 2016 and 2017. A trajectory that follows that of online payments. From one year to the next, the number of digital transactions has doubled. Sports betting is therefore one of the drivers of financial inclusion in Nigeria. There is still a lot to do in this area in Nigeria: 98% of monetary flows are still carried out in cash.

English Premier League side Brentford have taken up the option of making the loan deal of Nigeria U20 defender Benjamin Fredrick into a permanent deal on a four year deal, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Fredrick joined the team last summer on a one year loan deal from Nigerian football academy Simoiben Football Academy after excelling for the Nigeria U20 team at the AFCON and World Cup.

The club were sufficiently impressed by his performance for their B team and named him on the bench for the main team four times this season. His rise has now earned him an extended stay at the club.

Speaking on the deal, the president of Simoiben Football Academy Mrs Ibukun Moses Simon said his permanent signing is a testament to the pursue of excellence that the academy preaches for all the players on their books.

” The joy is what I can’t explain so let’s just say it’s a win for all involved in his development to this stage that we are now. As a club we are excited because we have always preached the spirit of going all out to be the best you can be in your career and lifestyle”, the wife of Nigeria international Moses Simon said.

Daniel Martins

The Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) yesterday announced Finidi George as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria on a permanent basis, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

In the announcement made yesterday by the football house, the 51 year old was given the role to replace Jose Peseiro whom he worked with as assistant coach at the AFCON, where the team finished second behind the host Cote d’Ivoire.

Peseiro left his role upon the expiration of his deal in February declining to extend his stay despite meeting the target for an extension which is getting to the semi final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

One key thing missing in the announcement of Finidi as coach was the area of his assistants. No one was mentioned in that capacity and a member of the executive board of the NFF in a chat with OwnGoalNigeria.com explained why his announcements didn’t come with that of his assistants.

“We have to empower the local coaches, when Paseiro was announced it was unveiled he will come with his assistants, So why not also give Finidi the same privileged and or atleast be part of the selection process for his assistants”, he said.

“If we (NFF)  annouced him with assistants, we have already weakened him as the assistants would start feeling like they too are appointed by NFF like him and it may even lead to sabotaging him, but any assistant that comes in with the coach’s agreement would be loyal and will stand to always support the coach to succeed”, he stated.

On reports that the NFF has recommended some coaches for the role of the assistant he said that is a possibility, but any process will involve Finidi having the final say. ” We can do that but Finidi will be part of the decision making and will have the final say”, he concluded.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

A member of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation Victor Ikepba says the appointment of Finidi George as the coach of the Super Eagles wasn’t the decision of the technical committee saddled with the role of picking a coach for the team, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday announced former international Finidi as the new coach of the team on a permanent basis after holding the role in interim capacity following the exit of Jose Peseiro as coach in February.

Peseiro left following the expiration of his contract as coach, a few weeks after leading the team to a second place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. His position was subsequently declared vacant by the NFF.

Coaches from all over the world applied for the job and the technical committee was mandated to pick a suitable coach for the role. Ikpeba who was a part of the committee said the newly appointed coach wasn’t their top choice for the job.

“Firstly, I want to congratulate Finidi George on his appointment as the Super Eagles coach. However, it was a difficult task because we (technical committee)  initially wanted a foreign manager”, he said during the broadcast of Monday Night football.

“However, we settled for Finidi because of the finance. It’s not like we don’t have confidence in our own coaches back home. We thought there should be continuity in the way Peseiro took the team to the final of the 2023 AFCON. So, eventually, we were guided by the NFF President to look inward.

“It’s not that we can’t afford a foreign manager, but Nigerians back home want a Nigerian coach, and that is what we have now”, he stated.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday announced the permanent appointment of Finidi George as the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria, a position he has held in interim capacity before now.

Finidi according to the announcement will fill the void created by the exit of Jose Peseiro who left his position upon the expiration of his contract, a few weeks after leading the team to a second place finish at the AFCON with Finidi among his assistants.

Following the announcement by the NFF, OwnGoalNigeria.com picked five key areas that weren’t covered in the announcement of the 51 year old as the coach of the Super Eagles.

1. Length of contract  – It’s very unusual to announce a deal without the duration it will last, particularly one that the NFF wants people to believe wasn’t an afterthought. It took two months to appoint Finidi and it was done without the length of time he will spend in his new designation.

2. Date of resumption  – Nothing was said in the area of when he is to take over as coach of the team considering that in a little over five weeks the team will be involved in a world cup qualifiers and Finidi is still pre occupied with helping Enyimba fight for the league title.

3. Enyimba’s Role – Again in the press release it wasn’t stated that he will quit or remain in his role as coach of Enyimba leaving many unanswered questions on how he will shuffle both commitments with the Aba side gunning for the NPFL title and the Super Eagles needing at least 4 from the 6 points available in their next two games in the world cup qualifiers.

4. Assistants – The idea from what we gathered is for the new coach to pick his assistants but considering that negotiations were held with Finidi prior to his engagement. He should have applied or gone for the interview with the names of those he wish to have as his assistants. It’s very rare to name a new coach without clarity on how the backroom will look like.

5. Targets – While this can be treated as a thing of confidentiality. It is not out place to include the immediate goal set for the 51 year old with the AFCON set to hold in June at a time when the world cup 2025 qualifiers is still on .

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman