The Super Eagles’ head coach, Jose Peseiro is on course to win his first ever career silverware as his team looks to winning the African Cup of Nations trophy, Bet Extract reports.

Portuguese coach, Peseiro Vitor dos Santos Peseiro exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations as he has now guided Nigeria to the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations.

To get to the African Cup of Nations finals, the Super Eagles of Nigeria defeated Bafana Bafana of South Africa 4-2 on penalties.

After extra time, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The three-time winners will play now have to play the hosts, Ivory Coast, in Sunday’s championship match.

Teboho Mokoena equalized with a penalty kick in the ninetieth minute, while Nigeria’s captain William Troost-Ekong scored the first goal after 67 minutes. Both goals during regular time also came from penalties.

Prior to now, the Super Eagles under him had been on a steady loss in relevance as the once most fancied team in Africa could not hold assert itself even in contest with far lower teams like Lesotho and Zimbabwe among others.

The pedigree of Jose Peseiro did not support a dream of his leading Nigeria to glory in AFCON.

He had only previously handled two lowly-rated national teams – Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Peseiro’s other jobs were being assistant to other coaches and handling clubs in the fourth-tier Portuguese league.

As a player, he was a second-tier striker in Portugal. As he said in an interview on UK’s Sky Sport: “I did not play at a high level.”

His coaching career took a turn after promotion to the top flight with Nacional. A job offer set him on a different trajectory.

Legendary Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz made him his assistant at Real Madrid in 2003. That was Jose Peseiro’s biggest moment.

Jose Peseiro was taking sessions with Raul, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo, with Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo. “Until then, I was afraid. Never before had I shared a dressing room with big players. But it was not difficult because they are so smart. It was fantastic.” The experience lasted only one season.

In his playing career, he never won any silverware. So also, had been in his coaching career that started in 1992 with União de Santarém in Portugal.

An AFCON trophy on Sunday against Ivory Coast will be Jose Peseiro’s first and biggest silverware. The Super Eagles are playing in their first AFCON final in eleven years. The squad’s most recent AFCON victory was in South Africa in 2013. The Eagles has previously won it in Tunisia (1994) and Nigeria (1980). Whether the team will win again this time is still to be seen.

https://blog.betextract.com/jose-peseiro-on-course-for-first-ever-career-silverware/

South Africa’s Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and Nigerian’s Stanley Nwabali seem to be in battle for the African Cup of Nations award after a very impressive run at the ongoing AFCON tournament, Bet Extract reports.

Both goalkeepers have earned fourth clean sheets each in the tournament with Nwabali clutching his against Angola while Williams against Cape Verde.

Ronwen Williams was South Africa’s hero in their Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final, saving four of Cape Verde’s five spot-kicks as the Bafana Bafana prevailed in a penalty shoot-out.

Prior to Saturday’s quarterfinal, no goalie in the current tournament had ever stopped a penalty in an AFCON shootout. While three players, including Egypt’s goalkeeper Gabaski, missed the mark in the Pharaohs’ loss to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal’s Moussa Niakhate struck the post in his team’s elimination, and all other shoot-out penalties had been scored.

In a recent Best Semi-Finalist Goalkeeper Poll by CAF, South Africa’s Williams Beats Nwabali to emerge the people’s favorite after his Quarter finals performance.

The 32-year-old Bafana Bafana goalkeeper polled 56.7% votes in the Confederation of African (CAF) poll while Stanley Nwabali got 35.5% votes.

On Sunday, February 4, the African Football Confederation (CAF) revealed the outcome via its X handle (previously known as Twitter) @CAF_Online.

With 4.9% of the vote, Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi finished far third, followed by Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana with 2.9%.

The Super Eagles’ Nwabali and Bafana Bafana’s Williams will be in goal when Nigeria plays South Africa in the semifinal on Wednesday, February 7.

The host team, Cote d’Ivoire, will play Congo in the second semi-final. Mpasi and Fofana will be starting goalies for their respective nations.

https://blog.betextract.com/south-africa-goalkeeper-williams-and-nigerian-goalkeeper-nwabali-battle-for-afcon-award/

Liverpool plays Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday in the reds’ Anfield stadium, Bet Extract reports.

With Jurgen Klopp announcing his departure from the team in the summer, the Reds’ home field will undoubtedly become an even more intense battleground for the duration of the season.

In the FA Cup, Liverpool defeated Norwich City 5-2 on Sunday. Chelsea will be the next team to visit Anfield in advance of the Carabao Cup final in February.

Chelsea will be without eight players on Wednesday night as they travel to Anfield.

After missing a month due to a hip injury, Christopher Nkunku is set to make a comeback to help Chelsea ahead of their trip to Liverpool on Wednesday.

However, it’s possible that the 26-year-old forward will only be well enough to start off the bench. Malo Gusto, the defender, has resumed full training and may play with his colleague.
Due to a slight tendon injury acquired during the warm-up prior to last week’s FA Cup 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, Levi Colwill is still sidelined. Despite working out with the team, Trevoh Chalobah is still not prepared to go back into competition.

Lesley Ugochukwu, Romeo Lavia, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana, and Reece James are all out with injuries.

And Klopp is the only manager of the Reds to have won the FA Cup, League Cup, European Cup/UEFA Champions League, and the top flight. His current win percentage of 60.8% is the highest of any Liverpool manager to have managed 100 or more games. Despite having played one extra game, Liverpool leads second-place Manchester City by five points going into Matchday 22, and the German will be keen to cap off his tenure with a second league championship.

Liverpool has advanced to the EFL Cup final, the FA Cup fifth round, the final 16 of the UEFA Europa League, and they have won their past three Premier League games, defeating Bournemouth 4-0 and Newcastle United 4-2.

Their last three league victories, each with four goals or more, came in November and December of 2021.

In their most recent league match, Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota both scored two goals against Bournemouth and one goal each against Norwich. Both Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Ali might play important roles once more today, with the latter currently out due to a muscle ailment sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations.

https://blog.betextract.com/liverpool-vs-chelsea-preview-and-prediction/

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi meet again, as Al Nassr plays against Inter Miami in a new friendly match in the Riyadh Season Cup, Bet Extract reports.

On Thursday, February 1 at 19:00 CET, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr will play a friendly encounter.

The American squad that opens the new season on February 22 will be put to the test by the Saudi squad, which is captained by the Portuguese great.

Luis Suarez, who will reunite with Messi following their amazing time together at Barcelona, was a fantastic addition for Inter Miami as they began the preseason.

Cristiano’s ability to play in this game is still in question because of his muscular ailment, which forced the squad to postpone their tour of China.

They might not set foot on the same football pitch again after this Riyadh match.

As North America and the Middle East try to use their money and experience to ultimately challenge European football’s position as the heart of the footballing universe, both clubs want to be at the centre of the game’s new power base.

Here, we’ll witness Messi and Ronaldo square off for what may be the last time in their intense, long-running argument over who is the greatest player of all time.

https://blog.betextract.com/al-nassr-vs-inter-miami-ronaldo-and-messi-meet-again/

Norwich manager, David Wagner will be reunited with one of his closest friends when he arrives at Anfield to take on Klopp’s Liverpool in the FA cup, Bet Extract reports.

After being teammates at Mainz, Klopp and Wagner have been friends for over 25 years; Wagner even served as the best man at his wedding. However, more lately, they have found themselves on different sides of the technical area.

During their brief Premier League tenure, Wagner managed Huddersfield, although they lost all three of their games against Liverpool.

He now brings the Canaries to Anfield on Sunday for a fourth-round match in the hopes of getting a favor from his old pal that he knows he won’t receive.

After defeating Fulham 3-2 on aggregate to secure their spot in the Carabao Cup final, the Reds are back in action just four days later.

One of the best teams in England is Jurgen Klopp’s group, and the Premier League leaders will want to win this competition all the way.

This implies that the Canaries, who were forced to watch a replay by Bristol Rovers in order to guarantee a trip to Merseyside, will have a difficult task ahead of them.

https://blog.betextract.com/fa-cup-liverpool-vs-norwich/

Fulham hosts Newcastle United at the Craven Cottage on Saturday in their FA Cup fourth-round match following an agonizing exit at the EFL Cup semi-final, Bet Extract reports.

The Cottagers’ incredible Carabao Cup journey came to an end when they lost 3-2 overall to Liverpool. The teams drew 1-1 on Wednesday in Fulham, after the Reds had won the first leg 2-1 at Anfield.

Luis Diaz made it 3-1 on aggregate after just 11 minutes, dashigning Marco Silva’s team’s hopes of winning the match at home.

In the 76th minute, Issa Diop gave the London team a small comeback, but it was too little, too late.

Fulham will now focus on winning a different cup, and they will be hoping to avoid the humiliating scenario of losing in the cup on back-to-back games.

Newcastle United saw a sharp decline in performance the previous season after hitting unprecedented heights. The Magpies have lost their previous four premier league games and are currently in 10th place in the league standings with just 29 points from 21 games.

Nevertheless, they are still three spots above of Fulham despite having five more points and a 3-0 home victory over the team in a Premier League match in December.

Although Newcastle isn’t currently enjoying a winning streak, Fulham hasn’t defeated the Magpies in a very long time. With the home advantage, the Cottagers will try to take advantage of their weaknesses.

We anticipate Fulham to cause a surprise following a draw during regular time.

https://blog.betextract.com/fulham-vs-newcastle-prediction-tips-and-football-news/

Following a 2 – 1 win to Liverpool in the first leg, Fulham seek a miraculous comeback against the Reds in the semi-final leg 2 of the Carabao Cup, Bet Extract reports.

Surprisingly, Willian handed Fulham the advantage in the semi-final first leg. But goals from Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo in the second half saw Liverpool steal it from them. The last four games for the Cottagers have been tough ones, with matchups against Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

Arsenal was defeated by Fulham in their 2023 season finale. In their most recent Premier League game, they were defeated 1-0 by Chelsea. Therefore, there’s no reason why Marco Silva’s team shouldn’t be optimistic about their chances when they play Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Early in December, the two teams faced off in the Premier League at Anfield. It was a goal-fest that saw the Reds win 4-3.

In the meantime, Liverpool’s most recent game saw them defeat Bournemouth 4-0, which was encouraging. Despite missing some important players, such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, the Reds were a strong defensive team and an inventive attacking unit.

To help Jurgen Klopp’s team increase their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota both scored two braces.

Before their semi-final match on Wednesday night, Liverpool had won their previous five games in a row in all competitions, so they were in fairly excellent form.

When Fulham plays Liverpool at Craven Cottage, they should come out swinging and throw a few punches. This season, the Reds have taken their time to get into games, but once they do, they seem to be unstoppable. Here, Liverpool is probably going to win by the narrowest of margins.

https://blog.betextract.com/fulham-clash-liverpool-in-carabao-cup-semi-final-battle/

The tournament hosts, Qatar will play against China at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday in the final round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup group stages, Bet Extract reports.

China’s win over Qatar on Monday at Khalifa International Stadium will ensure their spot in the Asian Cup’s round of 16.

The current hosts and incumbent champions secured their spot in the knockout stage with a 1-0 victory against Tajikistan on matchday two, while the Chinese were held to a 0-0 tie with Lebanon.

Qatar leads their group with six points out of a possible six, guaranteeing their place in the tournament’s round of 16.

China, on the other hand, has not yet found their feet in the competition; in their group opener last Saturday, they drew 0-0 with Tajikistan. After two games, the Dragon’s Team has two points, placing them second in Group A. If they win on Monday, they will go to the next round of matches; however, if Tajikistan and Lebanon draw somewhere else, a draw might also work.

Qatar has won five of their previous six games in all competitions as they go on a winning streak. The hosts of the competition, who have recently shown well at home, will be hoping to end their group stage run with a bang.

China, on the other hand, has lost their last four games and has not scored any goals throughout that time. Before Monday’s game, the Maroons are playing much better, therefore they ought to win this one.

https://blog.betextract.com/afc-asian-cup-qatar-vs-china-in-final-round-of-group-stages/

Nigeria’s super eagles will be faced with Guinea-Bissau Djurtus in their final group-stage encounter of the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (AFCON) at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny on Monday, Bet Extract reports.

Guinea-Bissau was eliminated from the competition after losing their opening two group-round matches. Following a 2-0 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire in the opening round of the competition, Equatorial Guinea thrashed them 4-2.

Following a 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea in their season opener, the 2013 winners Nigeria overcame hosts Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 on Thursday thanks to a superb showing. In the fifty-fiveth minute, captain William Troost-Ekong scored the game’s lone goal from the penalty spot.

The only way the Super Eagles miss out on the knockout stage is if they lose this game and Cote d’Ivoire wins instead of Equatorial Guinea.

For Guinea-Bissau, despite no hope in sight of making it to the next round, the Djurtus will be looking to end their winless run at the AFCON and would cherish the chance of winning against the Super Eagles whom they defeated in the AFCON qualifiers in 2023.

Guinea-Bissau Djurtus have participated in the AFCON group stage for the past four years, although they haven’t won any of the games yet. They have reached the back of the net this time around and will try to finish the competition with another goal after failing to score in the 2019 and 2021 editions.

They are anticipated to put up a strong fight in this encounter because they have never lost all three of their group-stage matches at the AFCON.

https://blog.betextract.com/guinea-bissau-vs-nigeria-super-eagles-meet-with-the-djurtus/

Bayern Munich will be back in Bundesliga action on Sunday as they play against 13th-place Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena, Bet Extract reports.

In Bremen, Bayern’s 2023–24 league season opened with Harry Kane scoring in his Bundesliga debut game as the team won 4-0.

Since then, Thomas Tuchel’s team has had a successful domestic season, but they are still four points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen following Exequiel Palacios’ dramatic last-gasp goal against Augsburg last weekend.

In the first meeting of the 2024 season, Bayern defeated Hoffenheim 3-0 thanks to two goals from Jamal Musiala.

Werder is certain to finish in the middle of the table, but they need to be cautious of teams below them. The visitors this weekend have only won one of their past five games, leaving them just six points above the drop zone.

On August 18, Werder Bremen were defeated by Bayern Munich in their most recent encounter. Werder Bremen took six shots while Bayern Munich took 24, as the game ended 4-0. Leroy Aziz Sane led Bayern Munich with two goals on three shots. Ducksch scored Werder Bremen’s only goal of the game.

https://blog.betextract.com/bayern-munich-play-against-13th-place-werder-bremen/

London Rivals, Arsenal and Crystal Palace will be playing in top-flight action for the first time in 2024 at the Emirate Stadium on 20 Jan 2024 at 12:30 UTC, Bet Extract reports.

With a London derby against Crystal Palace this weekend, Arsenal will play in the Premier League for the first time since 2024. They will be trying to bounce back from a slump that has severely hurt their chances of winning the championship.

After suffering back-to-back derby losses to West Ham and Fulham, they finished 2023 with a dismal run of three losses and one victory in five games.
Palace is a must-win match, as Manchester City and Liverpool both have difficult trips to Bournemouth and Manchester after Liverpool defeated Newcastle with a last-minute winner.

Although they defeated Brentford recently, it was their first victory since early November. They face a difficult challenge on Saturday to extend their derby winning streak.

Gabriel Jesus is expected to play for Arsenal this weekend after seemingly recovering from a knee injury sustained during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai during the midseason. Oleksandr Zinchenko is anticipated to be ruled out due to his calf problem, though.

Fabio Vieira, Jurrien Timber, and Thomas Partey are still not accessible.

As for Crystal Palace, it is the same situation. For Michael Olise, Joel Ward, Rob Holding, and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, the game will arrive far too soon. While Jordan Ayew is at the Africa Cup of Nations, Cheick Doucoure is out for the season.

https://blog.betextract.com/arsenal-vs-crystal-palace-london-derby-at-the-emirate-stadium/

Real Madrid and city rivals, Atletico Madrid will be clashing again in the Copa del Rey round of 16 after meeting just a week ago in the Supercopa de Espana, Bet Extract reports.

In their most recent match, Real Madrid emerged victorious, defeating Atletico 5-3 in extra time at their Super Cup semifinal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With a hat-trick by Vinicius Junior in the first half, Carlo Ancelotti’s team defeated Barcelona 4-1 in the championship match to win the trophy.

Even though Real Madrid has been playing fantastically this season, this is their only loss across all competitions as they were defeated by Atletico. That encounter, which took place at the Wanda Metropolitano like Thursday’s cup clash, ended with Diego Simeone’s team winning 3-1.

Simeone will be content with his choices going into the derby because there aren’t any significant new injury concerns. However, Reinildo, the defender who is presently travelling with Mozambique for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, would undoubtedly be absent.

Pablo Barrios, who hasn’t played since late November, is also questionable for the Real Madrid match. However, he might participate. Long-term absentees include Marcos Paulo, Vitolo, and Thomas Lemar.

Even though Aurelien Tchouameni missed a recent training session due to a slight injury, Ancelotti has not had any serious concerns since the Supercopa de Espana final. The Frenchman may not be risked against Atletico but is likely available for the trip across Madrid.

The three players who are still sidelined for the foreseeable future due to ACL injuries are Eder Militao, David Alaba, and Thibaut Courtois. These absences represent some significant losses for the Italian coach’s team.

With Real Madrid’s success in the Supercopa de Espana, Ancelotti would be inclined to rotate, but Lucas Vazquez is also sidelined due to a thigh issue.

https://blog.betextract.com/copa-del-rey-real-madrid-vs-atletico-in-madrid-derby/

Morocco will be playing against Tanzania at the Stade de San Pédro stadium in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group F opener on Wednesday, Bet Extract reports.

Morocco, who placed fourth at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is the top-ranked African side in FIFA (13) and is a clear favourite. They have only ever won one AFCON, and that victory was in 1976.

In the 2019 AFCON quarterfinals, they lost 2-1 to eventual winners Egypt. In the seventh minute, Sofiane Boufal gave his team the lead. However, Mohamed Salah's equaliser in the second half and Trézéguet's goal in extra time helped Egypt pull off a victory.

Tanzania is participating in the AFCON for the third time; they were not selected for the previous edition and returned to the competition in 2019. Earlier this month, they were defeated 2-0 by Egypt in a friendly match.

Morocco has won four of their previous five games in all competitions, going undefeated. They most recently defeated Sierra Leone 3-1 in a friendly. In the first half, Youssef En-Nesyri scored twice, and Boufal also scored.

The Atlas Lions are in strong form going into the season opener, having won four of their previous five games. They are also considered heavy favourites after their incredible showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, so they must live up to the hype.

For the event, head coach Walid Regragui has selected a well-balanced Morocco team, including Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, Hakim Ziyech, and Ismael Saibari in the starting lineup.

After losing all three of their games in the 2019 tournament, the Taifa Stars will play in the competition for the third time and want to make a strong impression. In their last five games, they have only managed one victory and have failed to score three times.

https://blog.betextract.com/afcon-2023-morocco-vs-tanzania-today-at-6pm/

Tunisia will play against Namibia at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium on Tuesday in a bid to top Group E of the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON), Bet Extract reports.

For the sixteenth time in a row, Tunisia is participating in the continental competition’s group stage. The previous season, they advanced to the quarterfinals and were defeated 1-0 by Burkina Faso in a closely fought game. It’s interesting to note that in 2004, they were the hosts and won their only title in the continental competition.

In the last four competitions, Tunisia has advanced to the quarterfinals, and they will try to continue that streak. Group E’s other two teams are South Africa and Mali, and they are heavy favourites to win the group.

Namibia was eliminated from the group stage in 2019 and was unable to advance to the previous tournament edition. They lost all three of their group-stage matches in that edition, managing just one goal and giving up six.

The 2004 winners have not lost in their last four games across all competitions, and they have also maintained a clean sheet in these encounters. In a friendly match on Wednesday, Tunisia defeated Cape Verde 2-0.

Namibia has only triumphed once in their previous eight games in all competitions, and on Tuesday they were held to a scoreless stalemate in their friendly matchup with Ghana.

https://blog.betextract.com/tunisia-clash-against-namibia-for-top-place-in-afcon-group-e/

South Africa will face Mali at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium on Tuesday in the opening round of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Bet Extract reports.

The Eagles of Mali have participated in ten of the previous eleven Africa Cup of Nations competitions, making them a fixture in the competition. In their most recent game, they crushed Guinea-Bissau 6-2. Six different players scored, including Lassana Coulibaly of Salernitana, who netted his first-ever goal for his country.

Mali is hoping to extend their winning streak in their AFCON group opening on Tuesday. They have won their last seven group openers.

While the Bafana Bafana of South Africa was not present at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, they will make a comeback to the continental showcase this week. They played Lesotho at the Lucas Moripe Stadium last week in a friendly match that resulted in a scoreless draw.

In their tournament debut in 2019, Hugo Broos’ team was defeated 1-0 by Ivory Coast; maybe, they will have better fortune this time around.

Mali is unbeaten in their past seven games and has won two of their last three. They want to end their losing streak against Bafana Bafana this week, as they haven’t had the best of luck in this matchup lately.

South Africa has only won one of their last five games and is currently experiencing a run of consecutive defeats. Before Tuesday’s contest, the Eagles are playing better and ought to win every point of their group-stage campaign.

https://blog.betextract.com/mali-vs-south-africa-all-eyes-on-the-bafana-bafana/

Juventus will play against Sassuolo at the Allianz Stadium in the Italian Serie A action on Tuesday, Bet Extract reports.

Juventus have won five straight games and are undefeated in their past 16 contests in all competitions. In their last game, they defeated Salernitana 2-1 on the road, with Dušan Vlahović scoring the game-winning goal in the first minute of extra time.

They defeated Frosinone 4-0 at home on Thursday in their Coppa Italia quarterfinal matchup. Due to his hat-trick in the victory, Arkadiusz Milik is predicted to start this game in the starting lineup.

After losing six games in their last match, the visitors were victorious again as they defeated Fiorentina 1-0 thanks to a goal from Andrea Pinamonti in the ninth minute.

With five fewer points than league leaders Inter Milan, Juventus are in second place in the rankings and has a game in hand. With 19 points from as many league games, the visiting team is in 14th position.

With nine goals this season, Domenico Berardi leads Sassuolo in scoring, thus Juventus will need to contain him. With four assists this season, Filip Kostić leads the Juventus assist chart, thus Sassuolo will need to keep a close eye on him.

Sassuolo will want to take advantage of Adrien Rabiot’s impeccable discipline record, as he leads Juventus in cards this season with six. Domenico Berardi, who has six cards, is Sassuolo’s player with the least discipline, so if you’re hoping to wager on yellow or red cards in this game, keep a watch on him.

Juventus has scored 24.1% of their goals during the 75–90 minute mark this season, which is also when they are most likely to score. With a ratio of 23.1%, Sassuolo is most likely to concede in the 0–15 minute timeframe.

Juventus’ average possession percentage in games this season is 47.53%, compared to 45.53% for Sassuolo.

https://blog.betextract.com/juventus-vs-sassuolo-in-serie-a-rumble/

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Equatorial Guinea in their opening Group A match at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan on Sunday, Bet Extract reports.

After missing out on a spot at the World Cup, the Super Eagles have placed third eight times and second four times more frequently than they have won three times in AFCON, a competition they participate in as one of the continent’s giants. Leading their team in Ivory Coast is Victor Osimhen, who is a member of a stellar group of players who play in Europe’s top leagues.

Jose Peseiro, nevertheless, has been in charge of a dismal sequence of results lately, which includes a friendly loss to Guinea to be ready for the AFCON and draws with Lesotho and Zimbabwe in World Cup qualifying.

In contrast, Equatorial Guinea has made it out of their group on each of their three prior AFCON expeditions.

Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea will play each other in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. In their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying encounter, Nigeria defeated them both 1-0 and 2-0. Nigeria is participating in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the twentieth time. They have advanced to the semifinals in 14 of their previous 17 AFCON contests, and they have won the competition three times (1980, 1994, and 2013).

In the 1984 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria was eliminated as finalists after losing to Cameroon 3-1 in Côte d’Ivoire. In the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria has won 12 of the previous 15 games. Their most recent draw was against Zambia in the 2013 group stages (1-1).

Out of the 24 teams competing in this year’s tournament, the Super Eagles scored the most goals—22—in six games to qualify for the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Victor Osimhen scored 10 of those goals, which is twice as many as any other player (4 players on 5 goals). Although Equatorial Guinea has participated in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations four times, this is only their second qualifying event as non-hosts. They have never failed to advance to the next round, having finished fourth in 2015 and as quarterfinalists in 2012 and 2021.

In their previous 15 CAF Africa Cup of Nations games, Equatorial Guinea has never scored more than two goals. Equatorial Guinea has only scored two goals in the first half of games at the AFCON.

Victor Osimhen scored 10 goals and provided two assists throughout the qualifying campaign, accounting for 55% of Nigeria’s goals. This is the most goals scored in an AFCON qualification round since Moumouni Dagano’s Burkina Faso squad in 2010 (12 goals).

More than any other side, the Super Eagles had 10 different goal scorers in their qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, even though Victor Osimhen scored 10 of their 22 goals.

https://blog.betextract.com/super-eagles-face-equatorial-guinea-in-afcon-showdown/

Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao is scheduled to host Real Sociedad at the weekend in the Basque Derby in a bid to maintain its position in the La Liga top four, Bet Extract reports.

It has been ten years since Bilbao finished in the top four of the Spanish league; perhaps this is the year. But only half of the championship remains, and Real Sociedad, a neighbouring opponent, is about to play in one of the most difficult games.

Despite not having as successful of a season as some of the previous ones, the San Sebastian club, another Basque city, is ranked highly, coming in at sixth place. Overall, Sociedad had won their last 13 games, had a lot of draws in La Liga, and had advanced past Inter to the Champions League group stage.

Athletic Bilbao has won 7 of their previous 9 home league games, going undefeated in the process. They have also preserved a clean sheet in their last 3 home La Liga games.

Real Sociedad travels to the San Mamés Barria for a quick match after defeating Malaga 1-0 in the Copa del Rey round of 32 the previous weekend.

Real Sociedad advanced in the game thanks to the lone goal of the game, which came early in the second half.

With the victory in Malaga, Real Sociedad has won all 12 of their most recent games in all competitions.

In La Liga, there have been victories over Sevilla at home and away against Almeria and Villarreal.

Additionally, Real Sociedad defeated Andratx away in the Copa del Rey and Benfica at home in the Champions League.

Real Sociedad, although difficult to defeat, has only triumphed in one of their last five games across all competitions.

They have lost none of their previous five away La Liga games, but they have drawn three of them.

Real Sociedad has won both of its previous away La Liga games, according to trends.

Athletic Bilbao doesn’t have any forward as IŇaki Williams is currently serving for Ghana abroad. Yeray Álvarez and Dani García’s fitness are questioned.

Three Real Sociedad players—Takefusa Kubo, Hamari Traore, and Sadiq Umar —are currently serving on the international team and won’t be available.

https://blog.betextract.com/fourth-placed-athletic-bilbao-play-against-in-basque-derby/

Sevilla will face Deportivo Alaves at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for the 20th gameweek of the Spanish La Liga in an attempt to avoid a possible relegation, Bet extract reports.

With 19 games played, Sevilla is one point clear of the relegation zone, with Alaves trailing Quique Sanchez Flores’ team by the same amount.

Juanlu Sanchez’s goal three minutes before the end of regulation allowed Sevilla to secure a 2-1 victory and advance to the next round of the Copa del Rey. Somehow, sevilla withstood the storm during their visit to Ferrol, a second-tier team.

Although the Andalusian team needed the win as they were going through one of the worst top-flight campaigns of the twenty-first century, supporters are concerned since their W3 D7 L9 record is uncannily similar to their last La Liga season of 1999–00.

But this Friday’s matchup offers Sevilla the perfect chance to end their run of home losses as they take on Alaves, a team they have defeated seven times in the previous nine meetings in front of their fans.

Babazorros, who are only one point ahead of the Andalusians in the standings, begin the 20th La Liga gameweek with optimism after pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the Copa del Rey third round by defeating Real Betis in a thrilling 1-0 triumph.

Without a question, this is a promising beginning to 2024 for Alaves, who just a few shorts of a spectacular victory in San Sebasian away from the Champions League hunters Sociedad, managed to steal a crucial point in a 1-1 draw.

Alaves haven’t celebrated a victory since the beginning of the season, and despite their best efforts, they are still unable to win away from home. Of their ten La Liga visits, they have managed just four points out of a potential thirty (D4, L6).

To make matters worse, they have scored only three goals in their last seven competitive games, two of which have come in Copa del Rey games. Their productivity in the final third has been poor. Because of this, we hope that the Andalusians will be able to turn every shortcoming of their guests into an essential victory.

https://blog.betextract.com/sevilla-plays-against-alaves-in-a-fight-to-avoid-possible-relegation/

The most anticipated Premier League match of the weekend will see Manchester United host Tottenham at Old Trafford this Sunday, Bet Extract reports.

The team led by Erik ten Hag continues to be incredibly erratic; they lost to Nottingham Forest before defeating Wigan in the FA Cup.

Given their inconsistent play thus far this season, it wouldn’t be shocking if Manchester United put on a strong showing at Old Trafford, similar to what they did on Boxing Day against Aston Villa.

After Harry Kane left for Bayern Munich in the summer, Tottenham, under the direction of Ange Postecoglou, is performing better than expected and is a strong contender for a top-four finish. This season, they have only suffered a single loss among the remaining five elite teams—a 4-1 setback at home against Chelsea that saw two of their players sent off.

Spurs are one spot and one point behind their North London rivals, Arsenal, in fifth place. Before their November loss to Chelsea, which initiated a five-game losing skid, they were the only unbeaten team in the league. It also happened to be the start of some very bad injury luck, as Micky van de Ven and James Maddison sustained permanent injuries.

They are still only six points behind Liverpool at the top of the table and three behind Aston Villa in second place, despite the momentary dip in performance.

United has played nine games thus far, winning ten of them, and is presently ranked seventh. They may even slip a spot before the game begins as a result of being eight points behind their rivals.

Just 22 goals have been scored by Manchester United in 20 games this season. Only two teams, Sheffield United and Burnley, who are in the bottom two spots, have scored fewer goals. They are the only team in the top half with a goal differential of -5 due to their total of 27 goals conceded.

https://blog.betextract.com/old-trafford-heat-manchester-united-hosts-tottenham-hotspur/

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will square off on January 10, 2024,19:00 UTC at the Al-Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the Super Cup match semi-finals, Bet Extract reports.

An eleven-man team consisting of Lunin, Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy, Tchouameni, Kroos, Valverde, Bellingham Rodrygo, and Vinicius are being predicted for Real Madrid.

The starting lineup that Atletico de Madrid projected for the Super Cup semi-final was: Koke, Llorente, De Paul, Griezmann, Morata, Nahuel, Savic, Gimenez, Hermoso, and Oblak.

Ancelotti has a wide range of alternatives for his midfield, with Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga among those who might start for the Italian coach. Rudiger and Nacho will start in the middle of the defence, while Bellingham, Rodrygo, and Vinicius will head the offensive line.

https://blog.betextract.com/real-madrid-vs-atletico-madrid-in-spanish-super-cup-semi-finals/

Man City, the reigning champions, will be visiting Newcastle intending to unseat Liverpool as the top EPL team. Both teams have a lot riding on this game, with the hosts looking to improve their dismal league performance, Bet Extract reports.

With Man City trying to close the gap on the two teams above them, Liverpool and Aston Villa, this game is crucial to the title fight. If City wins, they will pass Villa and move up to second place before playing Everton the next day. Given that Liverpool is off this weekend, it will also reduce their lead at the top to two points.

Newcastle is now 11 points off of the top four in ninth place. It will be difficult for them to earn a spot in the Champions League in consecutive seasons. If Chelsea wins at noon, they might be in eighth place by kickoff. They will move up to seventh place if they win, passing both Brighton and Manchester United.

Newcastle’s 39 goals this season are only surpassed by four other teams, demonstrating their strong offensive performance. Earlier in the season, they achieved a significant 8-0 victory against Sheffield United. Their current record of nine wins and nine losses represents their current level of inconsistency.

It should come as no surprise that Man City leads the league in goals scored with 45. They’ve only given up 21 goals as well. With eighteen, only Liverpool has let in fewer. Pep Guardiola’s team has stayed within striking distance of the top two despite a recent run of bad performance, so they should be optimistic about their chances of winning the championship for a record four times in a row.

In the rematch, Man City won all three points at the Etihad in August thanks to a goal from Julian Alvarez. But a month later, the Geordies got their comeuppance when they eliminated City from the League Cup with a 1-0 win of their own thanks to Isak.

Nine goals in 15 league appearances have the Swedish striker established himself as the club’s leading scorer. In addition, Callum Wilson and Anthony Gordon have each scored seven and six goals, albeit the former will be out due to injury. City has dominated the last ten Premier League encounters, winning eight of them and losing just one. Salomon Rondon and Matt Ritchie’s goals at the start of 2019 offset Sergio Aguero’s opening minute to give Newcastle their lone victory. When the Magpies play their opponents this weekend, they will be looking to snap an eight-game league winless streak.

Both teams have played a total of 46 matches together with 9 straight games won by Newcastle United. Man City emerged victorious in 31 games. Six games resulted in draws. In straight-up games, both sides scored 2.91 goals on average in each game.

Newcastle United averaged 1.89 goals per game throughout the actual season. The overall number of goals (both team and opponent) in 13 (72.22%) home games was more than 1.5 goals. 10 (55.56%) of the 2024 season’s home games included total goals (by both the team and the opposition). More than 2.5 goals.

In the 2024 season, Man City scored 2.42 goals on average per game. Out of 14 (82.35%) away games, the total goals (both team and opponent) were More than 1.5 goals. Goals total for the away team in 13 (76.47%) of the games played More than 2.5 goals.

https://blog.betextract.com/man-city-faces-newcastle-in-a-fight-to-regain-top-epl-spot/

In a West London derby, Chelsea welcomes Fulham to Stamford Bridge on Saturday as the hosts attempt to climb higher on the premier league table, Bet Extract reports.

With a fourth victory in five league games, the Blues will be looking to build on their recent success.

For Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino, the opening match of the Premier League weekend is crucial as they try to close the gap on the clubs ahead of them in the race for European qualifying. Both teams enter the match fresh off midweek League Cup matches against Middlesbrough and Liverpool.

Pochettino’s team is now ranked tenth, but with a victory, they might move up to seventh before the day’s final games, passing Manchester United, Brighton, and Newcastle. If Fulham wins, they will trail their opponents by just one point with 27 points. Eleventh on the table are the Cottagers.

Chelsea had a good defensive start to the season, but in the last 13 Premier League games, they have only kept one clean sheet due to their struggles in stopping the ball in the net. They have, however, improved offensively as evidenced by their past four home games, all of which ended in victory, where they have scored at least twice. Cole Palmer, who joined the team in the summer and has already tallied eight goals and seven assists, is primarily to blame for this. With Nicolas Jackson away on international duty, an extra offensive boost will be much needed with Christopher Nkunku’s return.

On the other hand, Fulham who have scored nine goals in ten games, have struggled away from home. They have only triumphed once this season, and that was against Everton on the first weekend of the league. With six victories 19 goals scored and 12 goals given up at Craven Cottage, their home and away performances are very different. Twenty-three goals have been allowed. Raul Jimenez and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, who have each scored five goals in all competitions, will be Marco Silva’s main sources of output.

Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja scored two goals in as many minutes to help Chelsea win 2-0 away from home in the rematch in early October. The match this weekend marks the 91st meeting between the two teams in all competitions, with Chelsea winning 51 of those encounters. Though it would only be their second in the previous four games, Fulham will be looking to win just their 13th matchup with the Blues. Their first victory against their hosts in all competitions since March 2006 came in a 2-1 victory in January of the previous year.

Although Mauricio Pochettino has a long list of injuries to deal with, he will be expecting to see some key players return for this weekend’s match against Fulham.

After suffering a knee injury that kept the midfielder out for a long time, Carney Chukwuemeka is also close to returning, as is Ben Chilwell, who has been out since September due to a hamstring ailment.

Benoit Badiashile, who had missed a few games due to a slight injury, will also be looking to play again.

Senegal is travelling with Nicolas Jackson for the Africa Cup of Nations. Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, and Reece James are among the longer-term absentees.

As for Fulham, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Fode Ballo-Toure have also all left to compete in the AFCON competition. Luckily for Marco Silva, he has no new fresh injury concern building on Friday night’s triumph over Rotherham.

https://blog.betextract.com/fulham-to-play-against-chelsea-in-saturdays-london-derby/

Victor Boniface has been excluded from the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, which is being held in Cote d’Ivoire, which is a major blow for both Bayer Leverkusen and Nigeria, Bet Extract reports.

The exact nature of Boniface’s injury is still unknown, with differing sources suggesting that he may have suffered a groyne or knee damage.

Concerns for both club and nation are raised by Victor Boniface’s absence from multiple squad training sessions and a pre-tournament test match against Guinea on Monday, as the AFCON, which is scheduled to begin on January 13 and end with the final on February 11, approaches.

Though the Nigerian Football Association has not released an official statement, all signs point to the gifted striker missing a significant portion of the competition.

The 23-year-old striker Victor Boniface has been excluded from the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations, which is being held in Cote d’Ivoire, which is a major blow for both Bayer Leverkusen and Nigeria.
The exact nature of Boniface’s injury is still unknown, with differing sources suggesting that he may have suffered a groyne or knee damage.

Concerns for both club and nation are raised by Victor Boniface’s absence from multiple squad training sessions and a pre-tournament test match against Guinea on Monday, as the AFCON, which is scheduled to begin on January 13 and end with the final on February 11, approaches.

Though the Nigerian Football Association has not released an official statement, all signs point to the gifted striker missing a significant portion of the competition.

On social media, Victor Boniface expressed his disappointment, stating that he is heartbroken to miss the AFCON, mirroring his absence from the 2021 U20 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 24-year-old Nathan Tella, Victor Boniface’s colleague at Bayer, who received his maiden international cap this autumn, is one of the qualified applicants. Tella has scored two goals in club play this year, showcasing his goal-scoring ability. He might be a great addition to the Super Eagles.

The loss of Victor Boniface adds an unexpected twist to Nigeria’s AFCON trip, causing fans and commentators alike to speculate about the possible impact on the team’s performance in the next tournament while the football world waits for further developments.

https://blog.betextract.com/afcon-2024-victor-boniface-out-of-nations-cup-over-injury/

Super Eagles, the senior men’s football team from Nigeria, lost 2-0 to Guinea in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday, January 8, in a pre-Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) friendly, Bet Extract reports.

Two practice matches for the Super Eagles were organised by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in advance of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, January 13, in Cote d’Ivoire.

Before the continental tournament began, the matches were meant to assess the team’s technical proficiency.

On Sunday, January 6, they played their first game against AI Gharbia FC, a local team based in the United Arab Emirates. They crushed their opponents 12-0. It was a walk in the park.

Ademola Lookman scored four goals, and Moses Simon and Victor Osimhen each scored a brace to round out the scoring.

The home team’s two own goals and goals from captain Ahmed Musa and Sadiq Umar completed the dozen-goal total.

The Super Eagles’ dominating strategies against Guinea proved ineffective the next day, despite their convincing victory on Sunday.

William Troost-Ekong, who was captaining the team against Guinea, made a return, and Stanley Nwabali, a custodian based in South Africa, filled in.

However, Aguibou Camara gave Guinea the lead in the game’s 14th minute of play.

The Super Eagles persevered in bringing the score back to par. When Real Sociedad attacker Sadiq Umar was knocked down in the box, their tenacity cleared the path.

https://blog.betextract.com/super-eagles-lose-against-guinea-in-a-friendly-pre-afcon-match/