Nigeria’s 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier has renewed calls for data-driven football analysis, with sports analytics firm CRSPredictions urging fans and stakeholders to rely less on superstition and more on evidence.
The Lagos-based firm’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Olamiji Itunu Osifeso, said the Super Eagles’ performance in Bissau exposed not only tactical weaknesses but also a broader problem in how football is discussed, analysed and understood in Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview with GalaxyTV, Osifeso argued that the defeat should prompt a rethink of the country’s approach to football analysis, from team selection to in-game decisions.
“Football analysis is not simply about predicting outcomes or supporting favourite teams,” he said. “It is about identifying patterns, interpreting numbers and applying logic to understand a game that continues to evolve.”
Nigeria’s 3-0 loss was described as the Super Eagles’ heaviest defeat against an African opponent in decades. Goals from Franculino Dju, Mama Baldé and Alvario Djalo exposed a high defensive line that Guinea-Bissau repeatedly exploited with counter-attacks.
Former Nigeria international Duke Udi, however, attributed the result primarily to the players’ performance.
“You cannot blame the coach for this result. The players did not bring their best to the game,” Udi told New Telegraph. “We have reached a stage in African football where you cannot depend on names or reputation.”
Osifeso said the setback illustrated the risks of making football decisions without the rigorous statistical analysis increasingly used by elite clubs and national teams around the world.
“Prediction is not luck; it’s logic,” he said. “Every player, team, and match generates data. Our work is to interpret that data and help fans understand the logic behind every performance.”
Founded in July 2022, CRSPredictions has sought to distinguish itself from tipster services that dominate Nigeria’s online prediction market. Its platform offers detailed match previews, statistical breakdowns and trend analyses covering leading football leagues, with the aim of moving fans from intuition-led engagement towards a more informed understanding of the game.
The firm’s position comes amid widespread participation in football betting and prediction in Nigeria. Government data from the National Lottery Trust Fund indicates that more than 65 million Nigerians actively participate in betting, spending an average of $15 daily. Industry estimates put the sector’s annual value at more than $3.6bn.
Despite the market’s size, however, no Nigerian prediction platform has published independently verifiable accuracy data, according to a THISDAY analysis. The report identified this as the “backtesting problem”, noting that platforms often claim to use more rigorous methods than conventional tipsters without producing evidence that would allow their accuracy claims to be independently assessed.
Osifeso acknowledged the challenge but said CRSPredictions’ primary objective was education rather than betting.
“Our focus is not betting,” he said. “We’re teaching fans to think like analysts, to see sports as science, not superstition.”
His entry into sports analytics followed a career path that included automobile importation and a partnership in a fashion business at the Mandilas commercial district on Lagos Island. Osifeso, a graduate of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, said those experiences helped develop the resilience needed to build sustainable ventures.
He turned his attention to sports analytics in 2022, combining his interest in football with his academic background. In 2023, he launched the CRSPredictions website to provide enthusiasts with statistical insights and informed match analysis.
Beyond predictions, Osifeso is advocating a shift in Nigerian sports journalism, arguing that data-driven storytelling could deliver exclusive insights while increasing the commercial potential of digital sports platforms through advertising, subscriptions and partnerships.
“Sending a correspondent to cover a match is good; enabling them to run a Python script that reveals advanced metrics is better,” he said in an interview with THISDAY.
He maintained that using statistics would not diminish the emotion surrounding football but could deepen fans’ appreciation of the game.
“Data can amplify drama by explaining it. When we pair mathematical rigour with vivid storytelling, we give fans a deeper, more satisfying connection to the games they love,” he said.
In January 2026, CRSPredictions received the 2025 Corporate Impact Through Sports Award at the Social Impact and Sustainability Awards. The recognition acknowledged its work in data literacy, ethical analysis and youth empowerment. Osifeso described the award as validation of the company’s purpose-driven vision.
The firm, however, faces the challenge of demonstrating the reliability of its predictions through independently verifiable records. As noted by THISDAY, producing rigorous accuracy data is expensive, requires sustained record-keeping that many early-stage platforms have yet to establish, and carries reputational risks if the results are modest.
Osifeso said the company planned to launch a mobile application and integrate artificial intelligence-powered forecasting models. He added that discussions were ongoing with sports data and media firms across Africa to expand the brand’s reach.
“I am not in a hurry to build noise,” he said. “I am building something that will last: one prediction, one data set, one educated fan at a time.”
He said adopting data-driven analysis was particularly important for Nigeria, where sport remained both a major part of the country’s culture and a growing industry.
“For Nigeria, where sports is a cultural heartbeat and a growing industry, embracing data-driven analysis isn’t a luxury,” Osifeso added. “It is the next evolution of how we celebrate our athletes, engage our youth, and participate in a global sports economy.”
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