
Norway and Morocco have both qualified for the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history. Norway achieved a significant upset by defeating five-time champions Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16. Morocco secured their historic spot with a 3-0 victory over Canada in their Round of 16 match. Switzerland also advanced to the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout win against Colombia, marking their return to this stage since 1954. The tournament's quarter-final lineup now includes both established football powers and these first-time quarter-finalists.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Must ReadEgypt, Senegal, and DR Congo were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after each team surrendered a winning position in the knockout stage. Egypt lost 3-2 to Argentina in the Round of 16, despite holding a 2-0 lead with 11 minutes remaining. Senegal, also with a two-goal advantage, fell 3-2 to Belgium in the Round of 32 after extra time. DR Congo was defeated 2-1 by England in the Round of 32, having held an early lead. These outcomes highlight a recurring pattern of African teams struggling to maintain leads against higher-ranked opponents in the tournament's closing stages, prompting discussions on game management and tactical discipline.
Must ReadDangote Industries Limited has started preliminary work on its proposed $17 billion, 700,000-barrels-per-day refinery in Kenya, which is expected to become East Africa鈥檚 largest refining project. The company has selected a site on Lamu Island off the Kenyan coast, with soil tests and engineering design currently underway. The refinery is projected to take about three years to complete and will supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and neighboring countries, aiming to reduce East Africa鈥檚 reliance on imported fuels. Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, personally assured the Presidents of Kenya and Uganda of his commitment to establish the refinery in East Africa. This project is Dangote Group鈥檚 largest refining investment outside Nigeria and is part of its strategy to expand refining capacity across Africa. The financing will come from a combination of internally generated cash, bonds, and proceeds from the company鈥檚 planned initial public offering. The proposed Kenyan refinery reflects a growing recognition in Africa that local refining is crucial for energy security, foreign exchange conservation, and industrial development. This initiative follows the successful commissioning of the 650,000-barrels-per-day Dangote refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, which has significantly boosted local fuel production. Dangote Industries also plans to increase its combined refining capacity to 2.1 million barrels per day across Nigeria and Kenya, and invest an additional $46 billio

The National Universities Commission and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board have approved the enforcement of admission quotas for engineering and technology programs in Nigerian universities. This decision, announced by Professor Sadiq Abubakar, President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria COREN, aims to enhance the quality of engineering education and practical training. The quotas will ensure that universities admit only the number of students that their existing infrastructure, laboratories, workshops, equipment, and academic staff can adequately support. This move is intended to produce competent graduates with stronger hands-on skills who can compete globally. COREN is also working with the National Board for Technical Education to introduce similar controls for polytechnic engineering programs. Additionally, COREN has reintroduced the indexing and oath-taking for engineering graduates, along with a mandatory one-year Engineering Residency Program for degree and Higher National Diploma holders before their National Youth Service Corps. The council has also trained and certified 239 engineering infrastructure failure and forensic investigators and 839 engineering program evaluators to strengthen accreditation and quality assurance. COREN has intensified compliance inspections, expanded regional offices, digitized registration, and reactivated its disciplinary tribunal to bolster engineering regulation and address failures stemming from n