Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro no longer has a contract as coach of the senior national team of Nigeria following the expiration of his one year contract yesterday, OwnGoalNigeria.com understands.

Although the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is leaning towards keeping the coach and have already held preliminary talks over an extension. An offer which will include a drastic cut in his current $70,000 a month pay will be tabled to him for another one year.

The proposed contract will come with a mandate for him to reach the semi final of the next Africa Cup of Nations and get a two year deal. A reduced task from his former deal which says winning the tournament is the condition for an extended deal.

With the proposal yet to be submitted, the NFF have also started plans to get the assistant of the coach Finidi George a proper contract as he has been without one since assuming as one of the local assistants to the Portuguese.

However, in the event that the NFF fails to reach a deal with Peseiro or Finidi, other indigenous coaches are pushing for the job with Emmanuel Amuneke the candidate whose name has been forwarded as a worthy candidate for the job.

Despite the pressure from some powerful persons around the football corridors and journalists, the first priority of the NFF is still keeping Peseiro as coach after he successfully qualified the team for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

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Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro appears no to be bothered by the uncertainty around the extension of his contract which ends tomorrow, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Image maker of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Ademola Olajire played down reports that the football house has decided to extend the contract of the coach till the next Africa Cup of Nations, as exclusively reported by OwnGoalNigeria.com.

“I am not aware that Peseiro’s contract has been renewed. Such information will be released by the NFF when it happens”, he told the guardian few days after the president of the NFF said they use opinion poll to decide the future of the Portuguese coach.

Despite that Peseiro isn’t slowing down with Sky Sports reporting that he is considering four new defenders for the Super Eagles, when they take on Sao Tome and Principe in a dead rubber AFCON qualifiers in September.

Nigeria have already sealed their spot at the tournament which will take place next year in Cote D’Ivoire following their 3-2 win over Sierra Leone, giving Peseiro the chance to call up new players.

The report cited the players as Jordan Torunarigha of Belgium side Gent, who recently switched to Nigeria, Emmanuel Aiwu of Italian Serie A side Cremonense, Gabriel Osho of newly promoted English Premier League side Luton and Tosin Adarabiyio of Fulham.

All four players bar Osho have played for their country of birth at different youth levels. Aiwu represented Austria, Adarabiyio played for England and Torunarigha had a stint with Germany up to U23 level, which saw him play for them at the last Olympic games.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Fresh from beating Brazil in an international friendly game 4-2, the star of the senior national team of Senegal Sadio Mane says the team will be wary of Nigeria when they begin the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations title in January, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Mane scored twice in the win over Brazil, which is part of their preparation for the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations title in Cote D’Ivoire. He played down the significance of the win saying defending the AFCON title is more on his mind.

” We won and it’s a nice feeling to have done this for the history and pride of our football but beyond that we have the Africa Cup of Nations to defend. It begins in January with a lot of top teams in Africa gunning to dethrone us. That should be our aim”, he said.

Asked about the teams that could possibly stop his team from achieving their aim. The Bayern Munich star said the AFCON is one tournament where surprises isn’t anything new but reckons the big guns will always be favorite going into the tournament.

” The job we have is to defend our title and it’s not something that is easy on this continent. The AFCON is full of surprises but we know the usual top teams like the host, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Algeria and Cameroon. These teams are the top teams and we must put that at the back of our mind and not the win over Brazil”, he stated.

Osas Mahawi

German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen have expanded their options in defence with the signing of 17 year old Nigerian defender Daniel Ihendu from fellow Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

His signing was made known by the club with a statement on their website, where it was also stated that he will start from the U23s, but his progress will be monitored for a possible promotion to the main team during the course of next season.

“We’re pleased to have signed a talented young centre-back in Daniel. He’s got a really good physique, is strong in the air and gets stuck in too. We’re confident that he will take the next steps in his career here with us,” explained Clemens Fritz, the club’s head of professional football.

Speaking on his decision to leave RB Leipzig for Werder Bremen, Ihendu who was born in Germany to a father of Nigerian descent said he believes the move is the best for his career, with the promise of a chance with the first team part of why he decided to join the team.

“I’m looking forward to my time in Bremen and I’m certain that this is the right step for my development,” said Ihendu who will begin training with the U23s on the 5th of July when his deal will officially expire with RB Leipzig, where he played for the U17s and U19s.

Eligible for Nigeria and Germany, he is yet to be capped at any level by both countries but sometimes around this year, he showed he is  proud of his Nigerian roots by posing in a jersey of the national team of Nigeria during an Instagram live interview.

Daniel Martins

Nigeria’s betting industry surpassed the $2 billion threshold in 2020, with a large percentage of the country’s 18-45s spending almost $6 million on a daily basis. Based on industry forecasts, it is expected that the gambling industry will account for approximately 1.5-3% of Nigeria’s total GDP in the next few years.

Whilst these figures are certainly impressive, an important question remains: is Nigeria the uncontested champion of Africa’s betting industry? Let’s explore both the current situation, as well as the future prospects for Nigeria going forward.

Nigeria vs. South Africa

In terms of overall gambling revenue, the answer is simple: Nigeria is not the uncontested champion. For now, that title belongs to South Africa, where the country’s gambling revenue accounts for nearly 50% of the total regional output.

South Africa’s success can be partially attributed to the early introduction of online gambling, with a range of new iGaming operators frequently launching. This has given the industry giant a first-mover advantage of sorts, coupled with the long-standing presence of brick-and-mortar establishments.

Why Nigeria Can Challenge South Africa

Nigeria’s betting industry has experienced record-breaking growth in recent years, but it would be fair to say that the country’s potential is only just starting to see its full fruition.

As it stands, Nigeria sits second in overall gambling revenue. There are several key reasons why the industry can expect to challenge South Africa for the no. 1 spot:

Population Growth

Perhaps the primary reason Nigeria can expect to see growing revenue from the gambling industry is its rapid population growth. The country is currently the 6th-largest country on the planet by population.

But what is perhaps more significant is the nation’s birth rate and increased life expectancy. The United Nations expects that Nigeria will reach 375 million citizens within the next three decades. This figure would catapult the country to the fourth spot overall.

The influx of Foreign Investment and Partnerships

Recent years have attracted the investment of significant players in the worldwide gambling industry. For example, companies like Sirplay, Intralot, and Gameloft have all created partnerships with local iGaming providers in Nigeria. This translates not only to a fruitful financial investment but also increased expertise and access to improved technologies.

Further, NaijaBillionaire, a local big hitter in the casino industry, has partnered with Lightmaker Lotto and Indus Net Technologies to widen their access to payment solutions and digital content. These partnerships highlight how Nigeria’s gambling industry is making a concerted effort to become more than just a regional player.

Improved Regulatory System

What has perhaps driven the influx of foreign betting companies in Nigeria is the improved regulatory framework.

On the state level, for example, the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB) has taken an active role in providing operators with the correct licenses. This strengthens transparency in the industry, as well as the tax revenue the country so sorely needs.

The state is not only issuing licenses but is also ensuring providers update any outdated paperwork and are pushing for payment of outstanding tax liabilities. With illegal gambling long having been a problem in Nigeria, these steps are eradicating room for these outfits, in addition to giving foreign investors peace of mind.

Middle-Class Nigerians

In Nigeria, there once existed a long-standing stereotype that gamblers only consist of low-income earners in the country. For the middle class, gambling was simply ‘not done’.

However, in recent years, the country has completely rejected this notion, significantly broadening the available customer base. Combined with cell phone penetration increasing to almost 50%, Nigerians on average are gambling a lot more compared to previous years.

Increase Internet Usage = More Users

Most bets in Nigeria are still placed in traditional betting shops. However, an increasing percentage of Internet users are now opting to bet online, a trend that is far more advanced in other countries, including South Africa.

Industry experts believe that the number of mobile subscribers with access to 4/5G will increase by at least 20% in the next three years. The reason this will have a big impact on revenue is that research has consistently shown that users will place more bets online compared to traditional shops. The convenience of placing a bet via a smartphone is an obvious driving factor.

The Nigerian gambling market already sits second in Africa, yet it is still early in its process of ascendancy. Considering the reasons outlined here, it is clear that the country is a challenger to South Africa’s current position at the top of the mountain.

As discussion over the future of Victor Osimhen continues, Italian Serie A champions Napoli are also looking at other areas of their team that require attention, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Next season aside from aiming to defend their league title, the team will be hoping for a better performance in the UEFA Champions League after reaching the quarter final last season. Already president of the team Aurelio De Laurentiis has outlined the above as their priority.

A new coach has been appointed in Rudi Garcia following the exit of Luciano Spalletti and he has put together a list of players he will be hoping to have before the start of pre-season ahead of next season owing to the demands made by the president of the team.

In midfield, Nigeria international Wilfred Ndidi is said to be top of the manager’s list following the relegation of Leicester City from the English Premier League. Reports in England have it that Ndidi has already told the team that he wants to leave.

With one year left in his deal, Leicester wants a fee in the region of €20m but Napoli per what we gathered wants him on loan with the option of signing him permanently. Their proposal has been rejected by the English side as the 25 year old will be out of contract at the end of the proposed loan.

Talks will continue with all parties involved with Napoli aware that the Nigerian has an offer from a team in Saudi Arabia, which will fetch Leicester City more money but the Nigerian is keen on remaining in Europe.

The lure of playing in the European Champions League is said to also be a factor and it’s why he has his sights on joining Napoli despite interest from teams in England and Germany. His camp will be hoping for a breakthrough in talks in around two weeks time.

Daniel Martins

Italian giants AC Milan are keen on sorting out the final details of their bid for Nigeria international winger Samuel Chukwueze after the his decision to open talks regarding a move to the Serie A giants next season, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chukwueze is into the final 12 months of his deal with Villarreal and with no talks over an extension despite his performance last season, which was his best in terms of goals contribution as he ended it with 13 goals and 11 assists from 50 games.

Villarreal are open to letting him leave for less than his buy out clause of €60m and talks have been held in that regard with Milan seeing their first bid for the 24 year old Nigerian rejected. A second bid will be lodged this week and it will be close to the €40m mark that Villarreal wants for his services.

The camp of the Nigerian have also been in talks with the Italian side where his proposed wages have been discussed extensively. Milan have made it known that they won’t be willing to go above a salary of €4m a year.

They are hopeful that an agreement can be reached on that front to enable them focus on getting the deal done with Milan. For now they are the only team who have made a firm bid for his services although other teams have shown interest as well.

Daniel Martins

Reports from Portugal have it that another Nigerian could join Zaidu Sanusi at Portuguese giants FC Porto before the end of the summer transfer window, OwnGoalNigeria.com understands.

Porto like every other team in Europe are strengthening key areas in their team and one is their priority is in defence, where head coach of the team Sergio Conceicao appears to have fallen in love with a Nigerian.

The club will listen to offers for Brazilian left back Wendell and plans are already underway to bring in his replacement with Nigeria international defender Bruno Onyemaechi of Boavista among the options.

Onyemaechi emerged as one of the stars of Boavista in the just concluded season, where he was on loan from second division side CD Feirense. The loan has an option of signing him permanently and Boavista will trigger the option which has a set fee of €500,000.

His permanent signing will almost immediately lead to an exit with Porto one of the teams keen on having the 24 year old. Who can play as the left centre back in a back three or as a left full back. He even excelled with distinction playing as a left wing back.

Porto have seen enough of him in the 29 games that he played last season and they are now willing to commit €5m to sign him. He is seen as the one whose salary demands won’t be as high other targets, which includes Alex Telles of Manchester United, who was on loan to Europa League winners Sevilla last season.

The idea is to have him as a rival to his fellow Nigerian Zaidu, who has been the undisputed left back of the team for three seasons. However that might be a tall ask considering that he has kept Onyemaechi out of the senior national team of Nigeria with ease.

Onyemaechi has been called up twice by Nigeria but he is yet to make his debut with head coach Jose Peseiro preferring Zaidu to him on both occasions.

Daniel Martins

The decision for Jose Peseiro to continue as coach of the senior national team of Nigeria appears to have been reached by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), OwngoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Peseiro’s one year deal which was signed last year will expire in four days time and despite calls in some certain quarters for the coach to be axed, the NFF have concluded plans for the coach to stay on until after the next Africa Cup of Nations in Cote D’Ivoire.

Speaking exclusively to OwnGoalNigeria.com, a board member of the football house said the fate of the coach will be decided after next year AFCON, which will happen in January but for now he will be given the necessary support to go all the way as he has met all the targets set for him.

” When the AFCON was moved to next year, Peseiro’s brief was to ensure that the team made it to the AFCON and he will get a renewal. That he did with a game to spare. Now at the AFCON the target for him is to at least get to the semi final. If that happens he will be around for the World Cup qualifiers”, he said.

” Results haven’t gone our way in some of the games we played particularly friendly games but if we are honest. We played some of the best teams in the world and Africa. Aside the shock loss to Guinea Bissau which we avenged by winning away, Peseiro has done relatively well. We can’t change him for the sake of it”