Author: Vincent Osuwo

World Cup debutants Cape Verde will face defending champions Argentina in the knockout rounds after drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia on Friday to extend their fairytale journey. The draw in Houston, along with Spain’s 1-0 victory over Uruguay, resulted in the 67th-ranked squad finishing second in Group H behind Spain. Having drawn all three group matches, the archipelago nation of little over 500,000 will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina on July 3 in Miami, adding another chapter to their incredible journey. Cape Verde’s players, the third-smallest team in World Cup history by population, were in tears afterward, as did several of…

Belgium trounced New Zealand 5-1 on Friday to advance to the World Cup knockout rounds, winning their first match of the tournament and finishing first in Group G in Vancouver. Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard scored twice, while goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers propelled the Red Devils into the final 32, ahead of Egypt on goal difference. Egypt finished second following a 1–1 draw with Iran in Seattle. The Iranians finished third in their group. Belgium dominated a lopsided first half and sounded the alarm in New Zealand’s defense early on when Trossard’s angled shot cannoned off…

Husband shares the pain of losing his wife, Mrs Ummulkhairi to an irate mob, alleges police complicity in her death, and speaks about the emotional toll the tragedy has taken on his family Could you briefly introduce yourself? My name is Aliyu Muhammed. I am 42 years old and a mechanic. I live in Sabo Gari, Mararaban Jos, in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Can you take us through what happened on the day your wife was killed? I left home that morning while my wife was on her way to an Islamiya school run by Mallama Maradiya…

France forward Ousmane Dembele scored one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history on Friday as the Ballon d’Or winner starred in France’s 4-1 win over a second-string Norway, while Erling Haaland watched on from the bench. Paris Saint-Germain star Dembele opened the scoring in the seventh minute at Gillette Stadium near Boston, struck again in 20 minutes, and, after Thelo Aasgaard had pulled one back, made it 3-1 in the 32nd minute. The only player to complete a hat-trick earlier in a World Cup match is Erich Probst, who scored three inside the first 24 minutes for Austria…

Idris Zekeri Jr., the media aide to Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress’ (NDC) presidential candidate, said on Friday that the party’s legal team was reviewing the Federal High Court decision that overturned the judgment requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the NDC as a political party. Zekeri, in an Abuja statement, urged followers to be calm, stating that the party was analyzing the verdict and will seek legal recourse. He claimed that the party had been overwhelmed with inquiries following what he termed the “bizarre” verdict of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State. “We have…

The Federal High Court in Lokoja has overturned its earlier decision requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party, allowing for a new hearing of the substantive suit. Justice Isah Dashen, who delivered the finding on Friday, said that the court’s December 10, 2025, decision harmed the rights of the Peace Movement Party, which was not joined as a party in the litigation despite claiming ownership of the emblem used to secure the judgment. As a result, the judge ordered that all parties be restored to their places before the December…

The Lagos State Government has announced that it will examine the collapse of a three-story building in the state’s Alakija neighborhood and prosecute anyone found responsible, while advising people not to ignore evacuation alerts given for damaged structures. Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, issued the warning on Friday while briefing journalists at the scene of the tragedy on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Omotoso expressed condolences to the victims’ families, calling the tragedy regrettable. “Our first duty is to commiserate with the families who lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident. On behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu,…

Eight kidnapped victims were recovered from Pandam Forest in Plateau State’s Qua’an Pan Local Government Area by Sector 9 troops as part of Operation Enduring Peace. Captain Chinonso Oteh, the Joint Task Force’s Media Information Officer for Operation ENDURING PEACE, acknowledged the rescue operation in a statement issued on Friday. According to the statement, the operation began at 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, after credible intelligence indicated the presence of kidnappers in the forest. According to Oteh, forces stationed in Namu Town Plateau state, launched a premeditated offensive operation, resulting in the successful rescue of the casualties. He stated…

France head coach Didier Deschamps has temporarily left the team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 camp, mourning his mother’s passing. The French Football Federation said on Tuesday that Deschamps would return to France to attend the burial and would be absent from the bench for Les Bleus’ final Group I encounter against Norway. In a statement, the federation said, “Didier Deschamps will not be able to be on the bench on Friday for the final Group I game. “The coach had the painful experience this morning of learning of the death of his mother. He will return to France to attend…

A thrilling clash between in-form goal scorers Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will take center stage at the World Cup on Friday, when France plays Norway in a key Group I decider. Real Madrid star Mbappe and Manchester City striker Haaland have started the tournament in blistering fashion, with four goals each in the race for the Golden Boot, trailing only leader Lionel Messi, who has five. The two forwards will face off in a heavyweight bout at Foxborough, near Boston, on Friday at 3:00 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), with first place in the group at stake. France, who…