The rout was highlighted by two goals scored by two young academy players: Max Alleyne, a 20-year-old central defender, who opened the scoring; and 17-year-old striker Ryan McAidoo, who netted Man City’s ninth goal.
In his first match, Antoine Semenyo scored his first goal and provided his first assist!
Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo says their first-half performance let them down in their quarter-final defeat by hosts Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), leaving him “really sad” about the manner of his country’s exit from the tournament.
The Indomitable Lions went down 2-0 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Friday night, with Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari scoring the goals in front of a vibrant, partisan crowd.
Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams were on target as Nigeria advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a comfortable win over Algeria.
The West Africans were firmly in control in the first half in Marrakech, with Adams spurning a glorious chance to open the scoring eight minutes before the break when he curled narrowly over the bar.
Osimhen broke the deadlock for the Super Eagles just 85 seconds into the second half, heading Bruno Onyemaechi’s deep cross from the left down and back across goal for his fourth goal at these finals.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised Nigeria’s Super Eagles for their impressive performance following their victory over the Algerian national team on Saturday evening, assuring the players of the nation’s full support as they continue their campaign.
Reacting to the win in a brief but emphatic message on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, the President commended the team’s display and described it as both brilliant and inspiring.
Go, Super Eagles! You have the support of all Nigerians,” the President wrote.
Saturday’s with over Algeria has pushed Nigeria’s national team to the semi finals, listed to play against the host nation, Morocco next Wednesday.
The message, posted shortly after the final whistle, echoed the widespread excitement and pride that greeted the Super Eagles’ triumph over Algeria national football team.
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was named Man of the Match in a 2025 AFCON quarterfinal against Algeria in Marrakech tonight.
The 27-year-old striker scored a goal and provided an assist for the Super Eagles to fly past Algeria 2-0 and march into the semifinal of the AFCON against hosts Morocco.He has now fired four goals thus far in Morocco, just a goal shy of leading scorer Brahim Diaz of Morocco.
He is the fourth Nigerian player to bag the official Man of the Match prize after Semi Ajayi (vs Tanzania), Ademola Lookman (vs Tunisia, vs Mozambique) and Raphael Onyedika (vs Uganda).
Osimhen, is edging closer to breaking late Rashidi Yekini’s record as Nigeria’s all-time top scorer.This comes after the Galatasaray star scored a goal in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Algeria in the quarter-final at the ongoing AFCON, in Morocco on Saturday evening.
Entering the match with 34 international goals, Osimhen added to his tally during the match against the Desert Foxes, bringing his total to 35 goals, just two shy of Yekini’s record of 37.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui has angrily rejected suggestions his team is benefitting from favourable refereeing decisions as the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) host.
“We’re the team to beat. As the team to beat, people will try to find all sorts of reasons to say Morocco has an advantage,” Regragui said after his team’s 2-0 win over Cameroon in the quarterfinals Friday.
“The only advantage that Morocco has at this Africa Cup is playing in front of 65,000 spectators. The rest is on the field, we speak on the field.”
On the field, however, Cameroon might have had two penalties if experienced referee Dahane Beida hadn’t decided in favour of the home team.
Morocco defender Adam Masina was involved in both, appearing to catch Bryan Mbuemo’s right boot after missing the ball when Cameroon was trying to level the match, then, in the final minutes, appearing to strike Etta Eyong’s head with his elbow in the penalty area.
Beida, who refereed the final at the last edition, also decided not to show Bilal El Khannouss a second yellow card for stopping Danny Namaso on a counterattack shortly before Ismael Saibari wrapped up the win.
“Many people want to believe or make others believe that we have advantages from the referees. Personally, I saw penalties that could have been awarded to us. As for the referees, I never talk about the referee,” Regragui said.
•Nigerian OAU and Harvard scientist, Olakunle Jaiyesimi speaks on building Africa’s future through AI and Metabolomics
•Says, the most sustainable way to transform Africa is by training its youth in high-end technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Metabolomics
From the ancient Ijebu land to the hallowed halls of Harvard University, the journey of Dr. Olakunle Jaiyesimi is more than a personal success story; it is a blueprint for a continental scientific revolution, a testament to Nigerian ingenuity and a beacon of hope for the future of science and education on the continent. A proud alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Dr. Jaiyesimi is currently a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Extavour Lab at Harvard, where he uses cutting edge “Metabolomics” – a field with as much transformative power to answer many of biology’s outstanding questions.
Through his dual initiatives – STEMxAfrica and its grassroots arm, STEMxClubs – Dr. Jaiyesimi is on a mission to show that Africa is, amongst other things, the future hub of education and STEM innovation.
Why Metabolomics Matters
At the core of Jaiyesimi’s expertise is Metabolomics, a field he describes as biology’s ultimate precision tool.
“While genomics tells us what could happen based on our DNA, metabolomics reveals what is actually happening in the body right now. If our genes tell us what we ‘can’ be, metabolomics tells us what our bodies and environments ‘have become’,” Dr. Jaiyesimi explains.
By studying the unique chemical fingerprints associated with and left behind by cellular processes, his work addresses critical United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Supported by the Motsepe Presidential Accelerator Fund, he uses the fruit fly as a biosensor to detect the metabolic effects of oil pollution in the Niger Delta – an early warning system for human health and environmental safety (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being).
In May 2024, he visited the Ogoniland in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria, to carry out research on fruit flies, soil, plant and water from that region using metabolomics, the tool he is so much in love with, and with which he believes can be used to improve our understanding of the world around us.
Empowering 54 Nations: The STEMxAfrica Roadmap
Dr. Jaiyesimi believes that rather than relying solely on political shifts, the most sustainable way to transform Africa is by training its youth in high-end technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Metabolomics.
Along with other Metabolomics Experts from Africa, stationed around the world, he has founded Metabolomics Africa, a professional association of metabolomics experts from Africa, which is dedicated to increasing access to metabolomics on the African continent (https://metabolomicsafrica.org).
Just like the chess master, Tunde Onakoya is teaching kids in slums to be masters of the chess game, Jaiyesimi is using STEMxAfrica to train secondary school students across Africa inn Metabolism and AI, with the aim of positioning them as future African scientists who will leverage AI and metabolomics in solving African and global challenges.
STEMxAfrica already begun its continental journey, with its September 25 launch in Nigeria, partnering with relevant authorities, including Nigerian Teachers Organization, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Intergovernmental Affairs, Dr. Olanrewaju Smart, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Association of Model Islamic Schools, Muslim Secondary School Proprietors Association, Association for Formidable Educational Development.
In November 2025,it expanded to Ghana, andis already biled for launching in Tanzania in February 2026.
The Goal, according to him, is to replicate tes model across all 54 African countries.
“These students aren’t just learning theory; they are being groomed for membership in Metabolomics Africa, our professional association of experts who will provide local solutions to food security (SDG 2: Zero Hunger) and personalised, predictive healthcare,” Jaiyesimi stated.
On Monday, January 5, 2025, Nigeria’s revered octogenarian industrialist, Chief Rasaq Akanni Okoya (CON), chose compassion over celebration to mark his 86th birthday. It was a moment that blended gratitude, grace and generosity; reinforcing a pattern many have come to identify with the billionaire industrialist.
The Chairman of Eleganza Industrial City Limited turned what could have been a lavish birthday affair into an extraordinary humanitarian spectacle, which left residents of Ajah and neighbouring communities not just deeply moved but fostered a sense of belonging in them.
For a man whose name has become synonymous with enterprise, resilience and enduring wealth, Chief Okoya once again rewrote the script of celebration. The billionaire businessman, whose multi-billion-naira empire spans industries under the iconic Eleganza brand along with decades of active inventiveness, stunned many as he flagged off a massive, free medical outreach for people living around him.
Fondly called Eleganza by admirers, Chief Okoya’s legacy stretches beyond boardrooms and factory floors. Generations of Nigerians, pupils, students of tertiary institutions, market leaders, artisans and other professionals have different stories to tell about using the famous Eleganza biro, a modest tool that quietly became part of the success stories of several generations.
At 86, the industrialist, rather than roll out drums for a flamboyant birthday bash as many who are not even in his class are wont to, Chief Okoya deliberately redirected his celebration to the streets and homes of ordinary people in Ajah and the wider Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
For a people who ordinarily may never gain access to him, Chief Okoya unveiled the Okoya @86 Medical Outreach, a week-long programme designed to deliver free, quality healthcare services to people who might otherwise be denied such care due to poverty, limited education or lack of information.
As a result, his sprawling Oluwa ni Nshola Estate became a beehive of activities, as residents from near and far-flung communities including Ajah, Jakande, Ikota, Iru, Elegushi, Eleko, Epe and surrounding communities trooped out in their numbers – men, women, young parents and the elderly; hopeful and grateful as medical professionals attended to them with dignity and care.
The outreach, which continues until January 12, 2025, the actual birth date of the celebrant, stands as a bold testament to Chief Okoya’s long-standing commitment to community development, healthcare delivery and the service of mankind.
In what has been described as unprecedented, beneficiaries were doubly delighted when Dr. Jemilade Longe, Consultant for the Okoya @86 Medical Outreach and a retired Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Services Commission, announced that anyone who completed the cycle would go home with a food pack and N10,000 transport fare, courtesy the celebrator.
Addressing the guests, Chief Okoya explained that his decision to give back to the people of less means was born from observation and gratitude.
He noted that while he has been fortunate to enjoy quality healthcare throughout his life, many around him are not so lucky. “This birthday,” he implied, “is not about me — it is about giving people the chance to live healthier, happier lives.
“I prayed to God that I know this year. Health is wealth. I have been going in and out of the country but by the grace of God, now, I feel better. I see that most of us, if we detect our health challenges earlier enough, we won’t have problem. Six years ago, I even had prostate cancer, which I detected on time, I had been operated and I am happy with it.
“Today we have tests here, anyone who wants to do test for prostate cancer, HIV; it’s available. There is no disease that is untreatable once it is earlier detected and you know your status and you take care of yourself; you know what to eat, what to drink and you are taking good care of your health. So, health is wealth. You can live up to the age of 100 years or more,” he told the guests.
Chief Okoya added, “And this is why I am grateful today and I said I should extend what I have been enjoying to my community, so that everyone can know the status of his or her health and this is why we are here with this medical outreach today.”
He thanked the government of Lagos State, doctors, pharmacists, whom he described as ‘high caliber.’
“They are here for the next one week and we are ready to give our services; whoever needs attention, our doctors will take care of them,” he finished off.
Mrs Folashade Okoya, MON, wife of the celebrator and Managing Director of Eleganza Industrial City Limited, would, however, state that it was not the first time the Chief would be doing a social responsibility of this nature.
“Chief Rasak Okoya @86 Medical Outreach is just something we decided to do so that everybody will be conscious of their health status and they can control from there. So, this is just an awareness for people to know what is wrong with them physically and mentally. When you know your health status, you will be able to now start checking and start controlling and know what to do, what to eat, how to ensure that you are in the best state of health and today marks the first day.”
For Shubomi Okoya, son and director at Eleganza Industry, “These are some of the things that we as young boys aspire to do like him. So, we all support him today. He loves to give out. You can help just one person today; he will be grateful for life. We give glory to God for everything.”
Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, who represented Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the event, said, “I am very, very elated to be here representing the Ministry of Health, representing the Governor of Lagos State Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. When I was called to come here to flag off this event, I said to myself, perfect! I didn’t even have to think about it twice and chief has said it all: “Health is wealth”.
“The governor cannot do it all; everybody has to be responsible for their health. So, when events like this occur, when philanthropists like Chief Okoya decides to do this, it’s not just because of his community, it is also to honour God and, like he said, also to thank God because a lot of us has been through healthcare and the best thing is to lead other people and say ‘I do not want bad thing to happen to you’.
“Early detection is going to save life. That’s what this outreach is all about. There are many other outreaches that are going on in different places but this is such a comprehensive one. This is excellent, and I got the list of all the things you are providing, not only lab services even family planning that we are always talking about in Ministry of Health that people space out their children so that we can reduce our maternal and infant mortality rate. We have HIV screening, very, very important, tuberculosis, dental services, eye screening services, breast and cervical cancer, prostate cancer and, of course, you are going to get drugs….
