Italian Serie A side Atalanta are through to the final of the Coppa Italia after a comprehensive 4-1 win over Fiorentina in the second leg of their semi final clash, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Atalanta progressed on a 4-2 aggregate score after losing the first leg of the tie 1-0. Their passage to the final where they will take on Juventus wasn’t smooth sailing as the result suggests.

They were tied 2-2 on aggregate before the introduction of Nigeria international forward Ademola Lookman, who scored the game changing goal to put his side 3-2 up on aggregate four minutes into time added on after regulation time.

His goal was subjected to a review by the video assistant referee before it was finally awarded sending the home crowd into wild celebrations. It was Lookman’s third goal contribution within a space of three days after his brace of assist power them past Monza in the Italian Serie A.

Lookman who finished as the top scorer for the senior national team of Nigeria at the AFCON is now eyeing his first piece of silverware with the Gian Piero Gasperini led side in his second season at the club, following his move from German side RB Leipzig just before the start of last season.

Ade Emmanuel

A new coach for the senior national team of Nigeria is expected to be made public within the next 72 hours according to reports exclusively gathered by OwnGoalNigeria.com.

The technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stepped up the search for a new coach by screening the list of applicants for the job made vacant by the exit of Jose Peseiro upon the expiration of his deal in February.

Candidates were screened for the job and a shortlist of three coaches was recommended to the board of the NFF for consideration and possible approval.

Despite wide-spread reports on Emmanuel Amuneke as one of the favorites for the job, a member of the committee who drafted the recommendations said the name of the 55 year old former Barcelona winger isn’t in the list of candidates shortlisted for the job.

He said the former Nigeria U17 and U20 coach who has also served on two different occasions as the assistant coach of the Super Eagles has the backing of some powerful people in government, but it wasn’t enough to get him into the list of shortlisted candidates for the job.

Explaining further he said unless the NFF decides to bow to superior powers, there is no way the ex coach of Tanzania will be head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria.

According to our source, the favorite still remains a foreign coach, who is expected to be named in the next two days unless a dramatic change of event which will likely see interim head coach Finidi George continue in his role. A scenario that looks possible but highly unlikely.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Beneath the spotlight, celebrities have the same feelings and emotions as any other person. It is, therefore, unsurprising that they also engage in everyday leisure activities. One such activity is sports betting.

Given its ability to deliver big wins, many celebrities have become interested in the industry. Our guide explores some of the most prominent celebrity bettors.

Drake

Drake tops our list thanks to his recent activities. The Canadian is not shy about gambling and shares his experiences online. Based on recent estimates, the rapper is worth around $250 million. However, it is estimated that he has bet close to $1 billion so far.

In terms of his recent wins, Drake won $2.34 million on 2024 Super Bowl Sunday. His winnings came after betting $1.15 million on the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the San Francisco 49ers.

He placed a £113,000 bet on Israel Adesanya to defeat Jared Cannonier. This wager paid off, and he earned £750,000. An NFL accumulator saw his £240,000 bet rise to £1.67 million.

It’s worth noting that Drake’s foray into sports betting has encountered its fair share of challenges. For instance, he lost a £300,000 bet on Jake Paul's knockout of Tommy Fury.

He also lost a £1.7 million wager on Adesanya’s defeat against Alex Pereira. The rapper also saw a £837,000 bet crash after France forced the World Cup Final game into extra time.

Overall, Drake’s sports betting experiences have been mixed. He has experienced remarkable successes and failures. However, it’s unlikely that these setbacks will deter him.

Floyd Mayweather

Mayweather’s ability to place winning bets on sporting events is second to none. The professional boxer has enjoyed remarkable success in this regard. Between September and October 2014, the American won $75,000 wagering on college basketball teams. He also won $4.7 million in just one month betting on NFL teams.

Mayweather also earned $800,000 within four days of betting on the NBA and boxing. His largest win during this period came from a boxing match between Gennady Golovkin and Willy Monroe Jr.

Like most successful punters, Floyd has also lost money while betting. According to estimates, he has lost over $45 million. Mayweather has been keeping a low profile in recent times; he still has the potential to land more wins betting on his favorite sports.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson

American rapper 50 Cent is another top celebrity sports bettor. Curtis shot into the limelight after the release of his debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’’ in 2005. He has since expanded his professional pursuits. Now, his portfolio includes roles acting as well as an executive producer for various film and television projects.

In 2012, Curtis received a huge payout after the Giants defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL playoffs. He predicted the Giants’s victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. This result ensured he won a $1 million wager against music producer Birdman.

In 2015, 50 Cent backed Mayweather to defeat Pacquiao. He placed a $1.6 million bet and received another large payout. However, his gambling experiences have not always been positive.

In 2006, 50 Cent acknowledged in a rap verse that he had lost money betting. In that rap verse, he stated, ‘I lost money when I bet on Roy, won money when I bet on Floyd.’

Matt Lucas

English actor Matt Lucas makes this list thanks to his unique approach to sports betting. Rather than place high bets, the comedian enjoys placing smaller wagers to win modest amounts.

For example, in 2022, Lucas placed a £2 bet with 100.00 odds on two unlikely events that occurred between Arsenal and Leeds. Specifically, he wagered that Eddie Nketiah would score the first goal. He also bet that Leeds’s Luke Ayling would be sent off from the game.

Remarkably, both of these improbable outcomes came to pass, resulting in a £352 payout for Lucas’s modest £2 stake. Lucas promptly donated the £352 to a food bank supported by the Leeds United Trust. His gambling style makes him a risk-free gambler with little to lose.

Ashton Kutcher

Many celebrities view gambling as a source of entertainment. However, Ashton takes a more analytical approach. The film producer focuses heavily on data and research when selecting his bets. By applying this stance, he treats his gambling activities as a business venture.

In a 2013 interview with Esquire, Ashton revealed that he once served as a guide for "the largest national sports betting syndicate in America; For half a season, he placed wagers on their behalf. Ultimately, they won $750,000 on college football within four weeks. Ashton described the experience as enjoyable.

However, Ashton’s success was short-lived. Vegas bookies eventually learned his strategy and barred him from betting. Given his interest in sports betting, Ashton was not deterred by the ban.

Instead, in 2015, he joined forces with Unikrn, an online gambling platform. The sportsbook offers betting opportunities on sports. They also deliver betting opportunities for esports and video games.

Several other notable celebrities have become successful sports bettors. Some of them include Georgia Toffolo, Mattress Mack, Dana White, Michael Jordan, Charlie Sheen, and Bryan Williams (Birdman). All of these individuals are active sports bettors who are proud of their activities.

Conclusion

Betting on sporting events is a fun activity that provides an avenue to grab huge wins. It is enjoyed by all, including celebrities who are at the top of their industry. However, it must be done cautiously.

Most celebrities have a large financial portfolio and are thus better placed to wager higher amounts. Do not imitate their example. Remember to only bet with funds you can afford to lose. Also, be cautious about the betting sites you select to play at. Only opt to play at the top betting sites in Nigeria for your gambling needs. Doing this puts you at an advantage.

Nigerians have not witnessed the kind of mixed stories that has characterized the search for a new coach for the senior national team of Nigeria following the exit of Jose Peseiro as the coach of the team in February.

Peseiro who led the team to a second place finish at the AFCON earned the right of first refusal to extend his deal, but declined the contract extension offer from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

His refusal to extend his deal officially opened the door for the NFF to try other options and the football house wasted no time in advertising the position.  As expected coaches from all around the world threw their hat into the ring leaving the NFF with the task of picking a suitable coach for the team from the list.

The responsibility was passed on to the technical committee and after almost six hours of going through the list of applicants, they arrived at a three man shortlist which was forwarded to the board of the NFF for consideration and approval.

A conflict of interest soon ensued with the NFF keen on hiring a foreign coach, while the ministry for sports led by the minister Senator John Enoh feels an indigenous coach is best for the team. That confusion led to the constant change in the news about a new coach for the team.

The ministry has also made it clear to the NFF that they should hire a coach that fits their budget as they won’t be getting any financial support to pay whoever gets the nod as coach. That move arm twisted the NFF into thinking of an indigenous coach but still tested the water by holding talks with a foreign coach yesterday.

The minister wants assurance from the NFF that they will be able to foot the bill of a foreign coach, which will be around $50,000 to $70,000 a month, an amount which will be around 40 times less if an indigenous coach is handed the role.

President of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau returned back to the country yesterday and he is expected to meet with the minister for the go ahead to take the next step in making the news of the new coach official.

For now there is a foreign coach waiting for the outcome of that meeting and two indigenous coaches in Emmanuel Amuneke and Finidi George, who are also in the mix ahead of an official announcement later today or by the end of this week.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleman

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) of Nigeria has taken to their social media handle to announce the appointment of Emmanuel Amuneke as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Jose Peseiro left his role as coach following the expiration of his contract in February, a few weeks after leading the team to a second place finish at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire. His replacement is yet to be officially named by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) but the NOA has gone ahead to announce his hiring.

On it’s official handle on X formerly known as Twitter, the agency which is an arm of the federal government of Nigeria sent their message of congratulations to the former Nigeria U17 coach , who is a among the favorites to replace the Portuguese.

The statement has caused confusion as the NFF has long dismissed the news of the appointment of Amuneke insisting that  a decision is yet to be made, and when it’s right, they will make it public.

Below is the statement from the NOA.

“Emmanuel Amunike, a revered figure in Nigerian football, contributed to the 1996 Olympic men’s football team that clinched the gold medal for Nigeria, notably scoring the decisive goal. His illustrious career spanned clubs like Zamalek, Sporting CP, Barcelona, and Albacete. With 27 appearances for Nigeria and nine goals, he notably stood out in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, netting against Bulgaria and Italy. That same year, he played a crucial role in Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations victory in Tunisia and was later honored as African Footballer of the Year. The Nigeria Football Federation has now formally named Amunike as the new head coach of the national team, the Super Eagles”

Leicester City took another huge step towards returning to the English Premier League with a convincing 5-0 trashing of Southampton in an English Championship game.

20 year old Ghanaian forward Abdul Fatawu led the rout with a hattrick by netting in the 25th, 76th and 91st minute of the game. He now has six goals and 12 assists this season.

For the second consecutive game Nigeria international midfielder Wilfred Ndidi found the back of the net following up with his strike over the weekend against West Brom to take his season account to four goals, he also has six assists as well.

Meanwhile as it has become customary these days there was no place in the matchday squad for Kelechi Iheanacho, who has been frozen out of the team since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. He has only played two games with a combined total of less than 60 minutes.

Meanwhile Joe Aribo was on for 83 minutes for the losing side, a defeat which dampened their chances of making the play off, while Leicester City consolidated their top spot as they now hold a four point lead over second place Leeds United.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The search for a new coach for the senior national team of Nigeria has come to an end following after an agreement was reached with the new coach of the team,  Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Nigeria have been without a substantive coach the exit of Jose Peseiro as coach following the expiration of his contract in February, a few weeks after leading the team to a second place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Peseiro’s exit made the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to call for application and after a successful screening of the applicants, a coach was picked from the list and negotiations on the terms and conditions of what we are told is a two year deal was concluded earlier today.

The coach from what we gathered met with the president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau in Europe today, and a meeting which had the technical director of the NFF Austine Eguavoen and the head of the technical department joining via zoom was successful.

His identity wasn’t revealed to us by our source, but he maintained that the coach is a foreigner with German roots, and an announcement will likely be made by tomorrow or the end of this week. He is expected to earn around $50-60,000 a month.

His name has been forwarded to the minister for sports, who is expected to grace the occasion of the official unveiling of the coach planned for the end of this month in Nigeria.

Former striker of the senior national team of Nigeria Osaze Odemwingie has backed a former player of the same team Abbey George in going against the calls for an indigenous coach to be handed the role of the coach of the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The role of the head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria is vacant following the exit of Jose Peseiro upon the expiration of his contract in February, a few weeks later leading the team to a second place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

His replacement is expected to be announced this week by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), who have carefully studied and screened all candidates who applied for the job, which a section of the media believe should be given to an indigenous coach.

Abbey who played for Nigeria at the 1992 AFCON kicked against the idea saying it will be hard for an indigenous coach to manage the ego of the present players in the team.

“There is no local coach who can handle the big egos of the Super Eagles players so that he can earn their respect. It is important that the next coach has the full respect of the players because without that, you cannot guarantee success.” he was quoted as saying in an interview.

Odemwingie backed his stand with a comment under a post of the comment on Instagram ” You are right my legend. They are also football agents looking for an avenue to push their players and interest”, he said.

It is not the first time that the now retired striker who represented Nigeria at four editions of AFCON and two FIFA world cup has accused indigenous coaches of using the team to trade players.

“Some picked a weaker player over a stronger one who played in a better club because they wanted to market their player,”Osaze told the Super Eagles media team in an interview via Instagram Live in 2020.

“Some of our coaches did get involved in a bit of player management, they had management companies. Shuaibu Amodu for instance had a management company.

“He was in and out as a coach and an agent, but he was a great man. I used to talk with him whenever I could about it. I loved Amodu”, he stated.

Crystal Palace midfielder Micheal Olise has shut down any potential option of switching nationality to the senior national team of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com understands.

Olise was invited to the senior national team of Nigeria by former coach Gernot Rohr for the AFCON qualifiers in March 2021, but placed on standby due to issues bothering on getting a Nigerian passport.

He was 19 year old when he got the call up and playing in the English championship for Reading. He has since established himself as one of the stars of Crystal Palace in the English Premier League putting himself on the radar of several teams in England and Europe at large.

In a report on the Athletic about his international future, it was clearly stated that he has his sights on breaking into the French team for the Euros, and not even the option of playing for England appeals to him at the moment. He is presently a member of the U21 of France.

No mention of playing for Nigeria in the article, which had quotes from a source who is reportedly very close to the 22 year old, who has seven goals and four assists in what has been an injury hit campaign for him limiting his involvement to just 17 games this season.

The section of the article read thus:

“Although also eligible for England, any possibility of representing them is not on Olise’s mind: he is fully focused on France. There is also a possibility that playing for France will open up more of the world for him when he leaves Palace. Alongside Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain would be the calibre of club for whom he would like to play one day”.

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