馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
Arsenal players achieve 1,000 England international caps milestone
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Arsenal Football Club has reached a significant milestone, with its players accumulating over 1,000 England international caps. This achievement follows England's 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final victory against Norway, where Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, and Ebere Eze contributed to the total. The club now stands at 1,002 caps earned by 73 players since Jimmy Ashcroft became Arsenal's first England international in 1906. Noni Madueke and Ebere Eze are the most recent players to debut for England while at Arsenal, having done so in September 2025. Arsenal is the fourth club to reach this 1,000-cap mark, following Manchester United 1,423, Liverpool 1,209, and Tottenham Hotspur 1,062. Former midfielder Kenny Sansom holds the record for the most England caps while playing for Arsenal, with 87 appearances. Among current players, Bukayo Saka is Arsenal's fourth most-capped England international with 55 appearances and holds the club record for most England goals scored by an Arsenal player, with 14. In total, 34 of Arsenal's 73 England internationals have scored a combined 116 goals for the national team. Eddie Nketiah is the most recent player to earn a single England cap for Arsenal, featuring against Australia in October 2023. Francis Jeffers is the only Arsenal player to score in every England appearance for the club, netting in his lone international outing in 2003.
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Four Nigerian students, including 2026 African Spelling Bee Junior champion Oluwadamilola Adeolu, will represent Nigeria for the first time at the 2026 Spelling Bee World Cup in Shanghai, China, from July 10 to 20. The team also includes Abdurrahman Yusuf, Chinedu Okediachi, and Maryam Yusuf. Their participation follows their success in the Nigerian and African Spelling Bee championships. The Nigeria Spelling Bee organization described this as a historic moment, highlighting the students' journey from national to continental and now global stages. The quartet carries the hopes of Nigeria and the pride of Africa into the competition. Oluwadamilola Adeolu, a 14-year-old from St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, expressed excitement about competing, meeting new spellers, boosting her vocabulary and confidence, and aiming to win the trophy. She thanked the Nigerian Spelling Bee, the Governor of Ekiti State, parents, coaches, and teachers for their support. Adeolu previously won the Junior category at the African Spelling Bee in Harare, Zimbabwe, where Abdurrahman Yusuf placed third, and Nigeria emerged as the second-best overall team. Her achievements also include second place at the 2023 MTN Spelling Bee, second at the 2024 Ekiti State Spelling Bee, fifth at the 2025 African Spelling Bee, and second at the 2025 Nigeria Spelling Bee. This debut at the Spelling Bee World Cup signifies Nigeria's growing reputation in international academic competitions.
Must ReadUS President Donald Trump stated that the United States would likely take over the Strait of Hormuz and should be compensated for securing the strategic waterway. Speaking on Fox News, Trump indicated the US would become the "guardian of the strait" and should be reimbursed by nations benefiting from its security. He emphasized that Washington expects to be paid "a lot of money" for this role. These comments come amidst heightened tensions between the United States and Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had announced the closure of the waterway, citing an unauthorized transit, and stated shipping would remain suspended until stability is restored. Trump accused Tehran of breaking previous agreements, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that continued US military interference could lead to further incidents in the global oil and gas sector. The latest developments follow recent missile and drone attacks between US and Iranian forces, which Tehran claimed targeted US military facilities and contributed to higher global oil prices. These hostilities have cast doubt on a recent interim agreement between the US and Iran to reopen the strait and suspend military action.
The Federal Government has increased financial support for cancer patients through health funds and insurance initiatives, while also boosting investments in local research, drug production, and clinical trials to enhance access to affordable cancer care. This was announced by Professor Usman Malami, Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, at the Best of American Society of Clinical Oncology Africa 2026 conference in Abuja. Professor Malami noted that interventions like the Catastrophic Health Fund and the National Cancer Health Fund are in place to subsidize treatment and provide financial assistance to indigent patients. The Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain aims to accelerate local production of cancer medicines, reducing reliance on imports. Dr. Lolade Adewale, Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Minister of State for Health, highlighted expanded insurance coverage and the commencement of three immunotherapy clinical studies in Nigeria, offering advanced cancer medicines like Nivolumab and Keytruda free to eligible participants. Dr. Miriam Mutebi, Immediate Past President of AORTIC, emphasized the need for increased domestic investment in cancer research in Africa, which currently contributes only about eight percent of global research despite a significant disease burden. Dr. Julie Gralow, Chief Medical Officer of ASCO, stressed the importance of locally generated evidence for cancer thera