By Rosemary Ugiomoh Mikel Arteta believes Bukayo Saka’s presence and confidence can push Arsenal over the line, with just three games left in their push for a first Premier League title in 22 years. Arsenal struggled during Saka’s five-game absence with an Achilles injury, winning only once. Since his return, the momentum has shifted. He set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener and then scored himself in a 3-0 win over Fulham last weekend. Days later, Saka netted the decisive goal as Arsenal edged Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate to reach their first Champions League final since 2006. The 24-year-old,…
Author: ROSEMARY UGIOMOH
…We’re Proud of What the Race Has Achieved – Says Ilaboya Sportsville Communications has thrown its weight behind the 11th edition of the annual Okpekpe International 10km Road Race, pledging massive publicity support for Nigeria’s only World Athletics Gold Label Road Race. Speaking during the unveiling of Sportsville’s support for the race, the Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Frank Ilaboya, lauded the remarkable impact the competition has made on the host community, Edo State, and Nigeria as a whole. “I have attended all the editions of the race since its inception and I must say I am very proud of the…
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Thursday, 7 May 2026, declared open a four-day capacity-building workshop for journalists in Abuja as part of efforts to deepen media understanding of the Service’s ongoing Trade Modernisation Project and broader digital transformation agenda. The workshop, themed “Enhancing Media Knowledge and Understanding of Customs Modernisation Project,” attracted journalists from various media organisations across the country. Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Timi Bomodi, said the media remains critical to the success of Customs reforms. DCG…
BY ROSEMARY UGIOMOH Nigerian superstar Burna Boy has joined forces with Shakira for the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The track is called Dai Dai, and it’s set to drop on May 14 just weeks before the tournament kicks off. The announcement came directly from Shakira, who posted a teaser on her social media. The clip was filmed at Brazil’s Maracanã Stadium, one of football’s most iconic venues, and it immediately got fans talking. The combination of Shakira’s global pop legacy and Burna Boy’s Afrobeats sound has people expecting something big. For Burna Boy, this is another…
Adeniyi pledges Deeper Impact as Customs, Yakubu Gowon University Renew Strategic Alliance The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has pledged to revitalise the long-standing institutional relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja), with renewed support aimed at improving learning, research and student development. CGC Adeniyi made the commitment at the Customs Headquarters, Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, while receiving the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi, who led the institution’s principal officers on a courtesy visit. Speaking during the engagement, the Comptroller-General recalled his long-standing institutional relationship with the university,…
.. FC Barcelona Academy MOU to be Signed Director General of Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football spectacle, the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament, tagged the Prosperity Cup, Mr. Ono Akpe says the FC Barcelona Academy in Bayelsa will give grassroots players in the State a new direction in the pursuit of their footballing career. Mr. Akpe made the assertion in an interview with journalists ahead of the grand finale of Season 8 of the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament. He noted that due to the philosophy and focus of the FC Barcelona team, a team of scouts were sent to…
BY ROSEMARY UGIOMOH Nigeria’s track queen and 100m hurdles world record holder, *Tobi Amusan*, has officially confirmed she will compete at the 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra. The six-day event runs from *May 12–17* at the Legon Sports Stadium, marking Ghana’s first time hosting the continental championships in more than 40 years. Amusan arrives as the undisputed face of Nigerian athletics and one of the continent’s biggest stars. She still holds the *women’s 100m hurdles world record of 12.12 seconds*, set during the 2022 World Championships semifinal in Eugene, Oregon with a legal tailwind of +0.9 m/s. She…
_Rooney Backs Arsenal to Win EPL After Fulham Rout_ BY ROSEMARY UGIOMOH The Emirates was still buzzing. Red confetti clung to the turf like cherry blossoms after a storm, and the 5-0 scoreline against Fulham hung on the big screen, almost taunting the rest of the league. In the Sky Sports studio, Wayne Rooney leaned back, mic in hand, watching the highlights loop: Saka cutting in, Ødegaard threading passes like needles, Rice bullying midfielders off the ball. Fulham hadn’t just been beaten. They’d been dismantled. “Look,” Rooney said, cutting off the panel’s debate mid-sentence. “I’ve played in title races. I…
The 67th minute in Abidjan felt like it lasted an hour. Senegal 1, Morocco 1. Extra time looming. The Stade Alassane Ouattara was a wall of noise, half green, half white. Then it happened: En-Nesyri chested down a cross, Amallah volleyed, and the ball slammed into Koulibaly’s tucked arm. The referee waved play on. VAR stayed silent. Morocco’s bench erupted. Regragui got booked for protesting. On the pitch, Hakimi just put his hands on his head, knowing what that miss might cost. Ninety minutes later, Senegal lifted the trophy on penalties. The handball was a footnote by midnight. A “maybe”…
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Deputy President Comrade (Prince) Dr. Adewale Adeyanju celebrates Dr. Taiwo Afolabi of Sifax Group, a Maritme Business Mogul on his birthday recently. Comrade Adeyanju described Afolabi as an astute employer of labour, whose milk of kindness cannot be overemphasized, having done much in the sector for the improvement on lives and welfare of humanity. The erstwhile Maritme Workers’ Union President -General, and Oyo Prince further said of Dr. Afolabi as a Philanthropist of note, saying that he’s one man, whose generosity towards mankind knows no bounds. While expressing that his birthday message was a bit…