Mohamed El-Assy the General Manager of newly promoted La Liga side Almeria has opened up on the amount it will take to price Nigeria international forward Sadiq Umar away from the club.

Sadiq has been linked with a move away from the team after finishing as their top scorer for the second consecutive season at the club. His deal at the club still has three years to run but it does come with a buy out clause.

Almeria were last summer hesitant to discuss his future as they were keen on keeping him to aid their quest for promotion. They did gain promotion and are insisting on the full amount of his buy out clause. Sources close to Sadiq said they would have been open to lowering it if they had failed to gain promotion.

In a chat with OwnGoalNigeria.com, Sadiq confirmed he will be staying at the club following their promotion to the Spanish top flight but El-Assy insist he is available for interested teams only if the clause in his deal which is reportedly €60m is met.

“Sadik ? It depends on the offers, we know what our valuation is”, he told Moviestar when asked about the future of the lanky forward who was signed from Serbian side Partizan Belgrade two seasons ago.

Calvin Bassey says his improved performance for the senior national team of Nigeria in back to back  2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers games was partly due to playing alongside Moses Simon.

Bassey was super impressive for Nigeria in games against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe respectively depsite playing as a left full back in the first game and as a centre back in the second game away in Morocco.

He showed no sign of the player who partially struggled against Ghana in the World Cup qualifiers playoff which ended 1-1 and saw Nigeria missed out on qualification for the World Cup in Qatar.

Asked what has been the turning point since that game , he said playing alongside Simon helped him express himself freely in the first game and boosted his confidence for the second game.

” In the first game I had to stay careful but Simon kept urging me to push up and join the attack. He dropped or move central leaving enough space for me to express my myself. He played to my strength and when I was tired he dropped and helped me in defending”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Aalesund hosts Valerenga at the Color Line Stadion in a game from the 10th round of the Eliteserien. Stay with us and our free football predictions for today for this match from the Norwegian league.

Aalesund is having a decent start to the 2022 season. They approach this round from 5th place in the Eliteserien, which is pretty good. They have 15 points won, putting them very close to the 4th Stromgodset. Aalesund is among the newcomers in the Eliteserien for 2022, and it’s curious how good they are performing so far. Maybe even better than they expected.

Before the break, Aalesund made the third draw for the season. Lars Arne Nilsen’s team paid a visit to Haugesund, and these two sides shared the points after a 2-2 draw. The 20-years old midfielder Isak Maatta opened the score for the visitors, but Haugesund managed to take the lead after scoring twice. It was Oscar Solnordal who equalized for Aalesund with a late goal in the 86th minute.

Aalesund’s Sigurd Haugen continues to be one of the most consistent strikers in Norway at the moment. Last year he scored 21 goals for the club, and now he started pretty well, too – 5 goals in 10 matches. Haugen is one of the strikers showing potential to be included in the Norwegian national team at some point. The only thing he has to do is keep scoring.

One of Aalesund’s midfielders, Kristoffer Odemarksbakken, is winning the fans’ love with his performances so far. He was an essential part of the team that won promotion last year, and now he’s doing well in the Eliteserien, too. He already scored one goal from midfield, but what he does is much more crucial. Odemarksbakken is one of Aalesund’s most creative players, so a lot of the team’s success depends on his form.

Valerenga can make a jump in the standings if they win on Sunday. Right now, they are 11th in the table with 10 points, but just three points separate them from the 7th Sarpsborg 08. Just a few wins would improve a lot their position in the standings.

Before the break, Valerenga was not in good shape, though – they lost four of their last five fixtures. The previous defeat was during the home game against Rosenborg – 0-4. Clearly, the head coach Dag-Eliev Akkeraugen had some work to do during the international break. Valerenga’s fans hope he did well enough to change the team’s dynamics.

The Icelandic striker Vidar Orn Kjartansson is one of the players who could inspire Valerenga to improve in the next few weeks. A player with substantial international experience, Kjartansson has already scored four goals in the league this season. If he gets enough service from the midfielders, he could be a precious player for the club. Now it depends on the manager Akkeraugen to find a way to support his best striker with enough good balls. That’s the only way to allow him to score many goals.

Another player who should step up for Valerenga is the key midfielder Henrik Bjordal. A former Brighton & Hove Albion player, Bjordal is probably the essential player in the team’s midfield. He didn’t find a way to remain in England, but he is still an excellent player for the Eliteserien. Now the 25-years old must remind everyone that he was once a massive prospect in Norwegian football.

That’s the free football predictions for today for the Eliteserien clash between Aalesund and Valerenga on Sunday. Both teams are ambitious to improve their position in the standings, but only a win here would allow them to chase that goal.

After a grueling season, the transfer period is here with us and we are about to witness the money-spinning window once again, as teams strengthen for next season. With the 2022 World Cup coming midway through that season, we expect a significant investment by clubs and players will also want to position themselves well. Play time will be very crucial for players who wish to attract their national coaches and command places at the 2022 World Cup.

For European players, there’s an advantage they will have over other players as participating in the ongoing Nations League campaign will keep them in the headlines and offer them a chance after probably having had tough seasons at their clubs. That will however only work as far as their national teams are performing well.

French players, for example, will desperately hope their Nations League campaign takes off after a poor start. The French, starting this competition as champions, were expected to sail easily through to the finals but after three winless outings, it is difficult to authoritatively back a sure win prediction today for France on the SportyTrader football tips.

This, in effect, means a busy off-season beckons, and as we prepare for the talks, sagas and transfers, here we will sample some of the most profitable ones that have been made in the recent years in Europe.

Neymar: Brazilian forward Neymar, currently at French giants PSG, remains the most expensive player after his transfer from Barcelona. He cost PSG £200m, Barcelona having acquired him for £79m from Santos. A profit of about £121m makes him not just the most expensive but also most profitable.

Philippe Coutinho: The proceeds from Neymar’s sale were used to lure his Brazilian compatriot, Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona from Liverpool. Liverpool, who had acquired him from Inter Milan for £10m, went on to sell him five years later at £120m, making him the second most profitable player.

Ousmane Dembele: Still on Barcelona and the proceeds from Neymar’s sale, the Catalans were in the market for Frenchman Ousmane Dembele, who eventually joined from Borussia Dortmund. While his transfer from Rennes to Dortmund cost £15m, the German giants passed him on to Barcelona after just two seasons, for £105m, making a £95m profit to place him as the third most profitable player.

Gareth Bale: Another player from the Spanish league on the most expensive list is Gareth Bale. The Welshman was acquired by Tottenham Hotspur from Southampton for £14.7m in 2007. He was so good that six seasons later, Spurs sold him to Real Madrid for £100.8m, netting £86.1m in profits for the English Premier League club.

Eden Hazard: The Belgian international hasn’t had the best of times at Real Madrid. His time in Spain has so far been plagued with injuries, following a £103.5m move from Chelsea in 2019. Chelsea had acquired his services from French side Lille for £31.5m, thus the move to Spain netted them £72m in profit, making him the fifth most profitable player.

The senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has revealed the secret of his team beating Sao Tome and Principe 10-0 in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers away in Morocco.

OwnGoalNigeria.com rates the players who represented Nigeria in the game.

Francis Uzoho – He had virtually nothing to do all through the game as Super Eagles dominated the game from start to finish. He wasn’t involved enough to earn a rating.

Ola Aina – Linked up well with the other players high up the pitch and delivered the pre assist for Victor Osimhen to set up Terem Moffi for the third goal. Took up position high up the pitch that made it easy for Ademola Lookman to add to the numbers in the box……7/10

Zaidu Sanusi – Bagged the assist for Moffi’s second goal of the game. Ran the flank with authority and linked up nicely with Simon……8/10

Semi Ajayi – Very calm in possession and displayed a high sense of positional awareness. Distributed the ball nicely from the back. Certainly repaying the trust new coach Jose Peseiro has for him…….8/10

Calvin Bassey- Slowly making himself the first name on the team sheet for games. Followed up his three perfomances at left back with another commanding display at centre back. Can’t seem to do any wrong lately……..8/10

Oghenekaro Etebo – Capped an all round brilliant perfomamce with a well taken free kick. Looked like he is back to his best and pushing to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup…….8/10

Ademola Lookman – A goal and an assist to cap a brilliant display. Helped out in defence with ease, won back possession to initiate attacks and dropped to the midfield to add up the number. He had his best game so far for Nigeria……8/10

Victor Osimhen – Man of the match by a mile. Could have scored five goals if he kept his effort that came off the bar on target. A ten over ten rating he would have got but for that miss……9.5/10

Terem Moffi – Took his two goals nicely. Linked up well with Osimhen in the two man attack. A battling ram who can be a force in the team with more games…….8/10

Moses Simon – Three assists in two games summed up why he wore the captain armband. Took his goal with sheer determination and looked quite lively all through……..9/10

Alex Iwobi – Ran the show for the second consecutive game with a new found energy and drive. Unlucky not to get among the goals but kept the team ticking with simple and clever passes………8/10

Substitutes:

Ahmed Musa – Played really well and had a hand in three of the four goals scored following his introduction. Showed his sportsman’s side by letting Emmanuel Dennis take the spot kick………7/10

Shehu Abdullahi- He didn’t get involved enough to earn a rating.

Emmanuel Dennis – Only major contribution was the penalty he scored. Hopefully that will help his confidence going forward. Nothing spectacular to earn a rating.

Leon Balogun – Wasn’t under pressure to earn a rating.

Sadiq Umar – Same as most second half substitutes, he didn’t get involved enough to be given a score.

The senior national team of Nigeria smashed ten goals past Sao Tome and Principe in their second 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers played in Morocco, the adopted home ground of the host of the tie.

Victor Osimhen smashed four goals in the win two assists as well. Terem Moffi grabbed a brace while Simon Moses, Oghenekaro Etebo, Ademola Lookman and Emmanuel Dennis scored one each to complete the rout.

Osimhen who is presently the top scorer in the qualifiers with five goals in two games was asked the secret behind his four goals haul and he explained that it was down to the instructions of the coach Jose Peseiro.

“First of all I have to say congratulations to the entire team and also a big kudos to the coach for all the instructions he gave us. I believe we carry out 80 to 90 percent of them and of course I am happy to score four goals and I am happy for my other teammates that got their goals as well. Their first goals the likes of Ademola Lookman, Terem Moffi and Emmanuel Dennis”, he explained.

“There is a big solidarity in the team and this is what the coach has taught us and I believe as a group we have the quality to build on this momentum and yes I want to score more goals for the team.

“Of course keep on getting the wins for the team and I believe as each game come by we are going to get the three points because it’s important in this qualifiers games because we don’t want to lose any game and we are working towards it”, he concluded.

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has revealed the secret of his team beating Sao Tome and Principe 10-0 in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers away in Morocco.

Peseiro’s wards ran riot with Victor Osimhen scoring four goals while Terem Moffi grabbed a brace. Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Oghenekaro Etebo and Emmanuel Dennis completed the rout.

Reacting to the hefty scoreline, the coach of the Nigerian team said the secret behind the heavy win is due to the fact that the players are beginning to understand how he wants his team to play.

“I want to improve our organisation on the pitch because we didn’t train too much with them and we want to introduce our ideas. This match was good because they tried to follow our organisation. Our style, our ideas they follow it. They tried and the guys who were introduced in the match, they did well. I select the players to start and they did well”, he said at the post match presser.

The senior national team of Nigeria picked up their second win in as many games with a comprehensive 10-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Nigeria got off to a flying start with Victor Osimhen profiting from a well timed cross by Moses Simon to make it 1-0. Ten minutes later Osimhen returned the favour by turning provider for Simon to put Nigeria two goals up.

Terem Moffi grabbed the first of his two goals making good use of a through ball by Osimhen to put the Super Eagles 3-0 up going into the half time break. It didn’t take long after the restart for Nigeria to score again.

Oghenekaro Etebo put the game to rest with a well taken free kick but even at 4-0, they still wanted more and Osimhen duly provided it for his second of the game.

Moffi was next in line for Nigeria’s sixth and his second of the game. Ademola Lookman got in on the act with a goal of his own. Osimhen grabbed his hattrick to make it 8-0. He was on target again to make it 9-0.

Substitute Emmanuel Dennis make it ten from the spot picking himself up after he was fouled in the box to earn Nigeria their biggest win ever in international football.

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has released the list of players who will start for Nigeria against Sao Tome and Principe in their second 2023 AFCON Qualifiers game.

Peseiro dropped three players who started the win over Sierra Leone on Thursday with the quartet of Terem Moffi, Zaidu Sanusi, Ademola Lookman and Oghenekaro Etebo replacing Joe Aribo, injured William Troost Ekong, Samuel Chukwueze and Sadiq Umar.

Moses Simon will wear the captain armband for the game and it will be the first time the Nantes winger will be leading Nigeria out in a competitive game. He was made captain in the absence of Ahmed Musa and his vice Ekong.

*Super Eagles 11*
Francis Uzoho
Ola Aina
Oghenekaro Etebo
Semi Ajayi
Ademola Lookman
Victor Osimhen
Terem Moffi
Zaidu Sanusi
Moses Simon  *Captain*
Alex Iwobi
Calvin Bassey

The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has revealed what his team need to do in order to stem the tide of conceding early when they take on Sao Tome and Principe tomorrow in Morocco.

In the three games Nigeria have played under the guidance of the Portuguese, they have conceded first even in their first game of the qualifiers, they came from behind to beat Sierra Leone 2-1 in Abuja.

Peseiro speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game said he has been working with the team on their shape defensively hoping that it will bear fruit as he hates his team conceding goals not to even talking of conceding early into the game.

“I don’t want that. I don’t like to suffer goals, any time. We must work more. More time, more sessions, more meetings and we have been doing that. Working on how to defend as a group and also attack as a group. Several video sessions on defending set piece as well”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” We go into the game tomorrow with a different approach and mindset to defend better and also attack better. When we don’t concede we can play to our strength and joy”, he concluded.