Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-02-04 06:48:14
A Nigerian man, known for making accurate predictions about soccer matches, recently forecasted that the Super Eagles would emerge victorious over Angola and also made a bold statement about which teams from Group A would make it to the finals. Prior to Nigeria’s match against the Palancas Negras of Angola, Temitope Olayinka Ajagunna predicted a 1-0 win for the Super Eagles. He also suggested that the game could end with Nigeria winning 2-0, contingent on a VAR decision. Ajagunna shared his prediction on Facebook at 2:37 pm on the day of the game, which kicked off at 6:00 pm Nigerian time. He expressed his belief that Nigeria would keep a clean sheet and secure a 1-0 victory. He mentioned the possibility of a 2-0 win, but also hinted that VAR might influence the outcome of the game.
In a Facebook post on January 30, Ajagunna correctly predicted that two teams from Group A would reach the finals. Nigeria and Ivory Coast were in the group and have both qualified for the semifinals. Ivory Coast is set to face DR Congo on February 7, while Nigeria will play South Africa on the same day, but in an earlier fixture. Ajagunna had previously shared a screenshot of his prediction regarding the semifinalists of the AFCON 2023.
The hosts, Ivory Coast, secured their spot in the semifinals after coming from a goal down to defeat Mali with a back-heel goal by Oumar Diakite in added time at the end of extra time. They emerged with a 2-1 victory. South Africa also qualified for the semifinals after defeating Cape Verde on penalties.
Despite his accurate predictions, Ajagunna clarified that he does not consider himself a seer or prophet. He explained that he meticulously analyzes issues before making predictions, and while they are sometimes close to accurate, it is not always the case. He also emphasized that he does not support sports betting and that his predictions should not be taken as an endorsement for gambling. Ajagunna warned against the destructive nature of gambling and highlighted that his jokes about betting are just that – jokes.
