🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Lamine Yamal leads Europe's top dribblers in 2025-26 season
via Punch Nigeria4 min read
Lamine Yamal, an 18-year-old, leads Europe's top five leagues in completed dribbles for the 2025-26 season with 133. He also has the most attempted dribbles at 262, with a 51% success rate. Following Yamal is Yan Diomande, a 19-year-old Ivorian winger, with 108 completed dribbles. Vinicius Junior ranks third with 83 completed dribbles, despite 119 unsuccessful attempts. Kylian Mbappe is fourth with 76 completed dribbles, noted for his pace. Victor Munoz of Osasuna is fifth with 74 completed dribbles, though he has 123 unsuccessful attempts. Kenan Yildiz, a 20-year-old Turkey international for Juventus, is sixth with 73 dribbles. Yann Gboho, a Toulouse midfielder, is seventh with 70 completed dribbles and is reportedly set to declare for Ivory Coast. Jeremy Doku is eighth with 69 completed dribbles, leading the English Premier League. Antonio Nusa, a 20-year-old Norwegian, is ninth with 66 dribbles, and Marco Palestra, a 21-year-old from Atalanta on loan at Cagliari, is tenth with 64 completed dribbles.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Must ReadMr. Denys Denya, Senior Executive Vice President of African Export-Import Bank, announced that the bank is financing three additional refineries in Nigeria. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to increase local refining capacity and decrease Africa's reliance on imported petroleum products, thereby reducing vulnerability to external supply shocks. The bank's support extends beyond the Dangote refinery to other projects in Nigeria and Angola. This push into refining is driven by recent global supply chain disruptions, particularly those linked to Middle East tensions, which have increased the cost and complexity of fuel imports for African economies. Afreximbank is employing a dual approach: supporting immediate trade finance needs and investing in long-term productive capacity to lessen structural import dependence. The bank's intervention is supported by a $10 billion Gulf Crisis Response Programme, which aims to stabilize access to essential imports like fuel, food, fertilizers, and pharmaceuticals. This facility is already being utilized by countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. The shift towards local refining is also expected to improve macroeconomic stability by reducing foreign exchange pressures associated with fuel imports. In Nigeria, this could help moderate domestic inflation over time. Afreximbank also supports a local currency framework for crude supply to the Dangote refinery, allowing refined products to be sold in naira to ease pressure on
Anthony Joshua is scheduled to return to boxing on July 25 for a warm-up fight against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This event, part of an 'Esports World Cup', will be broadcast live on DAZN. This marks Joshua's first fight since his knockout victory over Jake Paul in December and his subsequent involvement in a car accident in Nigeria that resulted in the deaths of two friends and left Joshua with minor injuries. Joshua has signed a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season, which includes a highly anticipated clash with Tyson Fury later in the year. Saudi Boxing Chief Turki Alalshikh confirmed the signing, stating, "To my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed." Joshua expressed his delight at the multi-fight deal, stating he has taken time to consolidate and rebuild and is looking forward to competing and picking up where he left off.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced his endorsement of his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, as his preferred successor for the 2027 governorship election. The announcement followed a closed-door meeting at Lagos House, Marina, where Hamzat formally declared his intention to contest the governorship seat to members of the State Executive Council and key party leaders. Members of the Governor’s Advisory Council, including former Minister of State of Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro, and Ganiyu Solomon, were also present. Sanwo-Olu described the endorsement as a unanimous decision by stakeholders, highlighting Hamzat's experience, integrity, loyalty, and commitment over their seven years of working together. He stated that Hamzat is prepared and capable of leading the state, describing him as a man who knows where all the rooms in the house are. The governor also acknowledged President Bola's role in their political journey. Sanwo-Olu characterized the meeting as a consultative process that resulted in broad agreement among stakeholders, signaling an early alignment within the All Progressives Congress in Lagos ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Voting for the 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards AMVCA has officially closed, with the winners scheduled to be announced on May 9. Africa Magic expressed gratitude to viewers for their participation in the audience categories. The ceremony will be broadcast live across Africa Magic channels, with the red carpet starting at 4:00 p.m. WAT and the main awards show at 7:00 p.m. WAT. The 2026 edition includes 32 categories, comprising 18 jury-decided awards, 11 audience-voted categories, and three special honors such as Lifetime Achievement and Trailblazer awards. Veteran actress Joke Silva is serving as Head Judge for this year's edition. Two new categories, Best Indigenous Language Film North Africa and Best Indigenous Language Film Central Africa, were introduced to enhance continental representation. Nominees include prominent figures like Lateef Adedimeji, Gabriel Afolayan, Funke Akindele, Sola Sobowale, and Bisola Aiyeola. With voting concluded, focus now shifts to the awards night, where winners in film, television, and digital content will be revealed.