Author: News Room

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has apologised to Nigerians for the team’s failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup and has assured fans of a strong showing at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations. Osimhen’s remarks were shared on Sunday by CAF-accredited photojournalist Pooja via X. Osimhen said expectations surrounding the Super Eagles were high but insisted that neither he nor his teammates were under pressure, expressing confidence in the quality within the squad. Osimhen said, “The expectation is really high, not just within the camp but also from the Super Eagles fans all over the world. I think…

Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, lit up the opening ceremony of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as he delivered a thrilling performance alongside global rap star French Montana. The opening ceremony, held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, marked the official kickoff of the continent’s biggest football tournament. Davido and French Montana thrilled fans with a live performance of the newly released AFCON official soundtrack, drawing loud cheers from thousands of supporters inside the stadium. The energetic performance underscored the tournament’s blend of football, music and African cultural expression, setting the…

Tokenization will transform the financial industry faster than digital technology disrupted legacy media, such as print newspapers, physical copies of music and other analog formats, according to Keith Grossman, president of crypto payments company MoonPay.“While many feared digitization would destroy media, what it actually did was force its evolution,” Grossman said, adding that real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, the process of representing traditional assets onchain, will force traditional institutions to adapt. He added:“This is no longer hypothetical. BlackRock is offering tokenized funds. Franklin Templeton is running tokenized money market funds on public blockchains. Major global banks are piloting onchain settlement, tokenized…

Ariana Grande was grateful to celebrate her friend Bowen Yang’s Saturday Night Live swan song in person. “I love you more than words can say and I am just so very proud of you and all of the eggnog you’ve made over the years,” Grande, 32, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, December 21, sharing footage of Yang, 35, performing in his final skit during the live show. She continued, “It meant more than words can say to have been there for your sendoff last night. Happy trails, my brilliant and beautiful friend.” Grande hosted the Saturday, December 20,…

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday congratulated the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, on his recognition as a champion of press freedom by the Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI). Mr Ajayi received a commendation award at the IPI Nigeria Annual Conference held on 2 December in Abuja. According to IPI Nigeria, since his appointment as SSS director-general in late August 2024, Mr Ajayi has shown a clear commitment to press freedom and respect for journalists and media organisations. The organisation said the award was not only to acknowledge his record but also to…

Hosts Morocco started their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 campaign with a comfortable 2–0 victory over Comoros on Sunday night at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The winning start by Morocco will give their home fans an early reason to believe in a long-awaited continental triumph. After a lively opening ceremony, the Atlas Lions dominated the match from the first whistle but found it difficult to break down a well-organised Comoros side, inspired by goalkeeper Yannick Pandor. Morocco controlled possession, moved the ball with patience and created several openings, yet the first half ended goalless. The hosts…

The Centre for Leadership Legacy International. Centre LLI, has once again urged President Bola Tinubu to reject any conduct among his cabinet members that could undermine the credibility of his government. The civil society organisation, CSO, in a statement on Sunday, called on President Tinubu to investigate allegations of certificate forgery against any member of his cabinet, particularly the ongoing controversy surrounding his Minister of Interior, Olubumi Tunji-Ojo. The statement, signed by the centre’s spokesman, Davies Isaiah Ijele, expressed concern that despite public outcry and repeated calls for an investigation into discrepancies in the minister’s certificates, the government has remained…

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State, has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of using proxies to attack the party’s governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. The party made the allegation in a statement issued by its state chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, on Sunday in Osogbo. According to Lawal, the governor and his supporters have become belligerent over what he described as their visibly disadvantaged position in the state’s political calculations. “We have observed the orchestrated efforts of the injured and embittered Mr Adeleke and his co-travellers, their coordinated efforts to either sponsor hatchet writers or directly heap…

The Federal Government has announced the rescue of the remaining 130 pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, describing the development as a major relief for the nation and the affected families. In a press statement issued on Sunday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the latest release marked the conclusion of rescue efforts following the November 21 attack on the boarding school. “The rescue of the remaining 130 children and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, marks a fitting end to the year,” he said. According to…

CAF’s decision to switch the Africa Cup of Nations to a four-year cycle from 2028 has sparked widespread debate across African football, with many observers highlighting the influence of FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the move, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Announcing the change in Rabat on Saturday, CAF President Patrice Motsepe said the shift would take effect after the 2027 AFCON in East Africa and a subsequent 2028 edition. He also revealed the creation of an African Nations League, set to take place annually from 2029, which he described as “the equivalent of an AFCON every year.” Motsepe said the…