Nigeria duo of David Okereke and Emmanuel Dennis Bonaventure have lost the Club Brugge Player of the 2019/2020 season award to Angolan defender, Clinton Mata, OwngoalNigeria reports.

The Nigerians were in the running to clinch the prize having both contributed to the club’s march to a 16th Belgian league title upon the cancellation of the Belgian Jupiler.

Super Eagles forward, Bonaventure made a total of 33 appearances in all competitions, starting 27 times. He scored nine goals and bagged two assists also. Playing six games in the UEFA Champions League, he famously scored a brace at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid.

Compatriot, David Okereke made a total of 33 season appearances, starting 20 times. He scored 11 goals, registering two assists. He score 9 goals in the league with a further two coming in the Cup.

Player of the year winner, Clinton Mata made a total of 39 appearances for the Blue and Blacks, scoring 3 times and registering 3 assists. The defender started 24 out of 25 league games, while also starting 4 games and 2 games in the Champions League and Europa League respectively. He had a brilliant season at the back for Brugge as he amassed 34.94% of the total votes.

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Benin Republic International Abdulrazak Omotoyossi says he was approached by officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to help the team win a game at the African Cup of Nations.

Omotoyossi is of Nigerian descent and even played in the local league before making his way out of the country to Benin Republic where he naturalized and became a senior International.

He revealed that because of his Nigerian roots he was approached by some members of the NFF to aid the quest of Nigeria to qualify from one stage at the African Cup of Nations.

“I was offered a bribe to lose a game to Nigeria which I never did,” Omotoyossi said in a chat with Footballers Connect on Instagram.

“In the 2008 and 2010 Nations cup, Nigeria versus Benin, they had an issue to sort out. I was happy and proud of myself because these were people who had thought I would not be able to make it in football. They wanted to cut the journey of my life short.

“Coming to ask me not to play well in the game for (Nigeria) to win was just annoying, yet I did what I wanted to do. I wanted them to feel the pain and understand that I deserved better. There is no amount of money or begging that could rewrite that wrong. It may also not be about money but, whoever neglected you and comes back with an option, you just have to be happy and see yourself as a winner.”

“I have said it to everyone in the world, I never regretted being a Beninoise.” he said.

German-Nigerian defender Jordan Torunarigha once again put up an outstanding performance in the heart of Hertha Berlin’s defence as his side defeated Augsburg to register consecutive wins.

22 year old Torunarigha and Deydreck Boyata were solid from start to finish for the home side as they both combined to stop Nigerian, Sarenren Bazee and his team mates from getting anything from the game.

The encounter started on a slow pace but tempo went up as the game progressed. Hertha had the early advantage at the Olympiastadion, working hard to open up Augsburg’s defence marshalled by Felix Uduokhai’s who is being targeted by Gernot Rohr.

The home side however deservedly took the lead in the 23rd minute through Javairo Dilrosun, who reacted quicker than Uduokhai, beautifully lifting the ball pass the sweeping defender before burying the ball beyond the reach of Augsburg goalie, Luthe.

Bazee had an unfruitful afternoon trying to breach the solid Hertha Berlin defence, as the first half ended in a lone goal, with Hertha dominating the game.

Augsburg put up a spirited display at the resumption of the second half, Bazee and Reuben Vargas leading the onslaught from the wings for the away side. Hertha also threatened with Kristof Piatek coming off the bench to inject blood into the team. In the 71st minute, Felix Uduokhai got yellow-carded for a foul on Skjelbred.

Noah Sarenren Bazee lasted 82 minutes before he was replaced in the game. The winger manged 33 touches on the ball with one shot on target.

As Augsburg threw all they had going forward in search of an equalizer, Hertha Berlin found a second goal via sub, Kristof Piatek in additional minutes and it was all that was needed to seal the three points for the home team.

The result sees Hertha up to ninth position on the log while Augsburg remain on the 14th place.

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26 year old former Nigeria U20 trainee Sebastian Osigwe will likely leave Swiss Second division size SC Kriens at the end of the season.

Osigwe’s present deal will run out this summer and so far there has been no talks about an extension to his contract meaning his six years stay at the club will likely come to an end after this season.

He was instrumental in helping the team gain promotion to the Swiss second division where he has kept goal in 20 League games after extending his contract a little over a year ago.

In the games he kept goal , the former Swiss U15, U16 and U17 goalkeeper kept 8 clean sheets while he also conceded 30 goals before the season was aborted due to Coronavirus pandemic.

Since training with the Nigeria U20 In 2013 , he has since switched his allegiance to Nigeria but hasn’t been called up to the senior team.

Daniel Martins 

Rueben Gabriel has parted ways with Saudi Arabia top division side Abha, a year after joining the team on a free transfer, owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

29 year old Gabriel made a total of 16 appearances and was rated among the top midfielders in the team before he has a fall out with the coach of the team that cost him spot.

According to some other sources the lanky midfielder terminated his contract due to non payment of his wages by the modest Saudi Arabia outfit.

Gabriel is back in his home town of Kaduna as his contract was terminated on the 1st of February. A move to another Asian team is reportedly on the cards .

He was a member of the Super Eagles team to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but since moving to Europe after representing Kaduna United , Enyimba and Kano Pillars in Nigeria he hasn’t settled at any club.

Osas Mahawi

French Ligue 1 side Lyon has stepped up their offer to hit in demand Nantes player Moses Simon in a bid to lure the player from the hands of fellow Ligue 1 rivals Rennes.

Simon ended the season with nine goals and eight assist to pick the award of the club player of the year. Already Nantes have made it known to Levante that they will make his deal permanent in the summer.

For now a transfer from Levante to Nantes need to be completed before the club will start accepting bids but the teams are already speaking with his representatives on what they intend to pay him if he decides to join them.

The idea is to transfer him to another club and despite the player verbally agreeing to join Rennes , Lyon are yet to give up on his chase and they have made an improved offer in terms of personal terms for the 24 year old.

Although Rennes have the upper hand right now as they will be able to offer Champions League football to Simon, Lyon are pushing by offering him more by way of a better pay package and bonus than Rennes.

Daniel Martins

The senior national team of Nigeria is presently two wins away from qualifying for the next Africa Cup of Nations which will take place next year.

Following wins over Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively. A win in their next game against Sierra Leone which is a double header will see them book their spot at the tournament which will take place in Cameroon.

Per the terms of the new contract signed by the coach, he has been mandated to lift the tournament as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) want an upgrade on the third place they finished at last AFCON.

While Rohr accept that it’s a possibility, the coach is however calling for all to be modest in their quest as the Super Eagles is presently not the best team in Africa even though they have progressed nicely .

“It’s my philosophy all the time we want to win but we are not better like all the other teams. We are not the best one in the world . We are number three in Africa which is already very good”, he told Colin Udoh during an Instagram live interview monitored by Owngoalnigeria.com.

“When I arrived Nigeria we were number 8 or number 9, I don’t know. In the world we are now around number 40, we were 80 or so when I arrived. That’s progress with young players and when you have the bronze already you want to go a step better . Better means at least the same . When you’re number 3 in Africa, you have to finish the same. When you’re number 4 it’s not in your value.

“So let’s wait for what happens before the AFCON, if you want to be number one in Africa you must win it but you know you can lose in the round of 16 if you qualify and you’re out like Cameroon last year or Morocco who were one of the favorites. It’s not rocket science.

“ But I know the president is very ambitious, I am as well. We want to win it but we know they are so many good teams and so many surprises. For me Algeria now is number one but this can change but I don’t know what will happen before the next game”.

Ade Emmanuel 

Coach of the senior national team Gernot Rohr says Bournemouth midfielder Philip Anyanwu Billing and his representative used Nigerian interest to catch the attention of Denmark.

As exclusively revealed by Owngoalnigeria.com , Billing accepted to play for Nigeria but made a dramatic u-turn 48 hours after his decision to switch from Denmark to Nigeria was published by this portal.

Speaking to Colin Udoh in a live video on Instagram monitored by this portal , Rohr revealed it was the agent of the player that contacted him first and gave him the number to call Billing who told the coach that he is keen on representing Nigeria.

“There was one problem with Philip Billing.It was the agent of Billing who called me and he said that he is interested in playing for Nigeria cos he is not playing for the senior team of Denmark and so he wanted me to call him. I said I don’t have his number. He gave me his number”, Rohr explained.

“I called him and he asked me some questions about Nigerian team and he said I am very very interested in playing for Nigeria but give me some time. I think the agent is using this interest from Nigeria to give him the chance to play for Denmark. Sometimes you can have this disappointment”.

Osas Mahawi

The world of online betting is expanding every day. The casino went from being giant, lavish buildings, with gold all over the walls to being inside everybody’s pocket. Because of the access to the Internet, and the rule of smartphones, you can place football bets anywhere in the world, at any time, on any game.

The wonderful thing about football is there is no official season. There’s always somebody playing, and there are always ways to win. If you’re a fan of the game, or you’re trying to make a profit with your knowledge, there a ways that you can bet that will definitely thicken your bankroll.

The More Teams, The Better
The Confederation of African football is the largest FIFA recognize confederation in the world. There are 54 registered teams all filled with the greatest athletes and team players you’ll ever see. In terms of pure talent, nobody can beat the continent of Africa.

The cradle of civilization will always yield the best. With that said, having so many registered teams allows for a widespread of bets on the higher and lower ends. You can clearly see on Nigeria’s biggest betting portal that there are a million ways to win.

If you know the team is making moves to go up the rankings. Follow the trend. Follow it like stock. General managers have a stake in their team winning. Follow your team, study their moves, and bet on a sure win.

Bet With Your Head, Not Your Heart

Bet with your mind, not with your heart. Yes, your favorite football team may be up to win. As much as it is smart to bet on a team that you know, you must not do that with emotion. Betting to increase your bankroll is a lot different than betting $100 with your friends at a party.

As much as you may ride the highs and lows of a win or a loss, betting to win requires more prudence. You’ve got to keep your cool throughout.

If you see that your favorite team has injuries, and contract disputes, bet on the other team. These athletes are not only battling other warriors, they are battling personal demons at the same time. That usually calls for bad performance.

Ignore Tipsters

Ignore people giving unusual and unsubstantiated advice. As much as we all want to have insider information, most of it is not trustworthy. It may slightly offset the odds in your favor, but don’t think that you have any information that the highest levels of gamblers do not. This is why avoiding tipsters is a smarter bet than listening to them. Remember, you’re betting to win in the long run. You’re not betting to win big on one game.

As much as gambling is all about luck, the whole point in sports betting is to use your knowledge to sway the odds in your favor as much as possible. If you’re smart about it, you stick to what you know, and you avoid bad advice from others, you’ll be on your way to turning 10,000 to 1,000,000 and beyond. The possibilities, if you stick to it, are endless.

One-time capped Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye has expressed confidence in his abilities to become the first choice goalkeeper of the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the near future.

The 20 year old goalkeeper is facing is faced with the herculean task of battling for first choice alongside in-form Chiefs keeper Daniel Akpeyi, home boy Ikechukwu Ezenwa and also the returning Francis Uzoho.

Maduka said “I’m very confident I can be the first choice for Nigeria even though the team has very goof goalkeepers. First of all I have to be number one in a first league.

“I have to get my first place in the next month somewhere, a lot of playing time in a higher level, in a higher league, then I will fight for my spot. Alloy Agu (GK trainer) will choose and the best person will play”, he said.

Speaking on the quality in the team, the German-born player said everybody there is a high class goalkeeper. I can learn from everyone and they can learn from me too. It’s a nice team and we are brothers.

The Fortuna-born goalkeeper is on the verge of securing a move to the Eredivisie as Rotterdam are closing in on a deal to secure the signature of the Nigerian.

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