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BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
African legends bring hope to Somalian football
When the wider world thinks of Somalia, the first things that are most likely to come to mind are conflict and the pirates who have threatened ships around the Horn of Africa in recent instability has restricted the development of sport in the country and the men's national football team, nicknamed the Ocean Stars, have not played competitively on home soil since game has historically united a population of around 17 million troubled by clan divisions, and Mogadishu could soon be granted permission to stage international matches at its 65,000-capacity National legends of African football - Emmanuel Adebayor, Samuel Eto'o and Jay Jay Okocha - travelled to the Somali capital this week to take part in an exhibition match which players and officials hope will help pave the way for the continent's top stars to return on a regular basis."This football showcase is truly a historic moment. It marks the day Somalia earned a golden place on the world stage," local youth coach and player Cabdulaahi Geesey told BBC Somali."Sharing the pitch with Okocha, Eto'o and Adebayor, wearing the same kit and even scoring a goal is a dream come true."The image these guests will carry back with them is of a peaceful Somalia, a united people and a football culture that is rising once again."Somalia deserves the trust to start hosting matches on home soil again." Former Arsenal and Real Madrid striker Adebayor hailed the match, part of a 'peace tour' backed by world governing body Fifa, as a "wonderful" thousands in attendance created an electric atmosphere in a stadium that has endured a chequered past."I know a little bit about Somalia," the 41-year-old former Togo captain said."We just pray for God to give you peace so that you can build your country."Yet the security situation in Somalia remains challenging, and the mood was tense outside the stadium, with a heavy police contingent guarding the State-aligned Al-Shabab militants launched a major offensive earlier this year and have made territorial gains since in April killed senior Somali military officials in a village 30km from Mogadishu, while several people died this month when a suicide bomber targeted an army recruitment centre in the security minister Mohamed Ali Haga described the match as a chance to "change the perception of the world towards Somalia and show the world that Mogadishu is peaceful". 'First step' to international return Somalia's footballers have always struggled to make an impact on the continental stage, and its men are currently ranked 201st out of 210 national teams in the world – with only Seychelles and unranked Eritrea beneath them in have never made it past the preliminary round in qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations and have only ever registered one win in qualifying for the Fifa World has become Somalia's most frequent venue for 'home' games during almost four decades in exile, during which time their stadium in Mogadishu was repeatedly requisitioned for military Football Association president Souleiman Waberi, who also holds high office at the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and Fifa, says the legends game is the first step to the return of the Ocean Stars."Maybe the next step will be a friendly match with another country," Waberi added."Then the Somalia FA can send a letter to Caf to request them to come to check the stadium."If it meets all criteria, Somalia can host international games here in Mogadishu."Recent home qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup have been staged as far afield as Morocco and Mozambique, but supporters are eager for their side to return to home Maxamuud was among the thousands in attendance on Tuesday to see Adebayor, Eto'o and Okocha in action."I'm genuinely very happy having three world-renowned footballers visit us, be warmly welcomed, and return safely," she told the BBC."To Somalia, I say may this peace last."Just as these players came and left in peace and good health, I hope the same will happen for others." A new dawn for stadium Built in 1977 with Chinese assistance, Mogadishu's main ground was closed in 1991 when the country descended into anarchy after the overthrow of President Siad Barre's military from the United States and Pakistan used it as a base for two years until 1995, when it reopened for a nine-year troops were then stationed there before Al-Shabab made it their main Mogadishu stronghold between 2009 and 2011.A new internationally-backed government was installed in 2012, leading to a new peacekeeping force using the stadium as an operational suffered heavily during the years of military use, but artificial turf was laid and facilities restored during a renovation in official reopening for a game between Horseed SC and Mogadishu City Club in July 2021 drew a capacity is now hoped the legends match will help demonstrate that sport can reclaim a space once dominated by violence."I know Somalia," Waberi said."It's a people of sport. There's football every day."We have a legends game, you see the stadium is full. I am sure this stadium will host international games."
South China Morning Post
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
K-pop superstars Blackpink set for Singapore return in November
Blackpink , the popular South Korean girl group, will perform two shows in Singapore later this year as part of their Deadline world tour, concert organiser Live Nation announced on Tuesday. The quartet will take to the stage at Singapore's National Stadium on November 29 and 30. Pre-sale registration for Weverse subscribers opens at noon on Tuesday, with the presale itself scheduled for June 10. Additional presales will follow: Visa cardholders can access tickets on June 11, while Changi Rewards members will have their chance on June 12. General ticket sales open on June 13. Blackpink last performed in Singapore to a sold-out crowd in 2023, having also played at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2019. Also on Tuesday, the group announced other regional stops on their Deadline tour from October to January next year. Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium is also set to host Blackpink on January 24 and 25. Photo: May Tse
CNA
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Blackpink will be performing in Singapore in November
Looks like Blackpink will be in our area after all. Hours after an advertisement by digital payment company Visa, showing that the K-pop girl group will be staging a concert in Singapore this November, concert organiser Live Nation Singapore confirmed that Blackpink will be performing two shows at Singapore's National Stadium on Nov 29 and 30. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Live Nation SG (@livenationsg) On Tuesday morning (May 27), Live Nation Singapore revealed that the Singapore leg of Blackpink's upcoming Deadline tour will have three presale sessions. The first will be for Blink membership holders on the fan platform Weverse which will be held on Jun 10 from 11am to 11.59pm. Visa cardholders should mark Jun 11 on their calendars as there will be two time slots to watch out for to get early tickets. The first is for Visa Infinite cardholders from 11am to 2pm. The next slot is for all Visa cardholders and will be held from 4pm to 11.59pm. The final presale session will be for Changi Rewards members on Jun 12 from 11am to 11.59pm. Do note that to qualify for this presale, Changi Rewards members will need to spend a minimum of S$200 in a single receipt at The Shilla Duty Free stores, Lotte Duty Free stores, participating retail and dining outlets at Changi Airport public areas (excluding Jewel) and iShopChangi between May 28 and Jun 9. The first 10,000 shoppers to do so will be entitled to one access code. General sales will then commence on Jun 13.
CNA
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
TikTok ad by Visa seemingly shows Blackpink will stage concert in Singapore in November
Is Blackpink coming to our area after all? Early this year, Blinks in Southeast Asia were left disappointed after an announcement for Blackpink's upcoming Deadline tour revealed that the group would not stage any stops in the region. However, a recent TikTok ad by digital payment company Visa might have just let slip that the quartet – comprising Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa – will be performing two shows at Singapore's National Stadium this November. Netizens were recently alerted to Visa's ad which showed a compilation of clips from previous concerts by Blackpink. The 30-second-long video then ended with a graphic showing the purported dates of Blackpink's upcoming concert in Singapore. According to the graphic, Blackpink will be performing at Singapore's National Stadium on Nov 29 and 30 with Visa cardholders apparently entitled to a presale session for tickets on Jun 11. While some fans have rightfully questioned the authenticity of the video, a quick check of the video's URL indicates that it shares the same user tag as other official Visa videos on TikTok. As of writing, there have been no official announcements from Live Nation Singapore, YG Entertainment and Visa on any potential Singapore stops for Blackpink's Deadline tour. CNA Lifestyle has reached out to Live Nation Singapore for comments. Blackpink's upcoming tour Deadline will kick off on Jul 5 at South Korea's Goyang Stadium. A recent video by YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun-suk indicated that Blackpink will release a new song "soon". Yang, however, has stated the agency does not have "a confirmed date" for the song, leading many fans to doubt if the song will be released before the start of the Deadline tour.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Do Lady Gaga's Singapore shows signal end to ticket-buying mayhem, slow demand?
Singapore 's concert boom may be cooling with reports of underwhelming resale prices for Lady Gaga's shows, as tourism experts point to geopolitical uncertainty and softer demand putting the brakes on the city state's runaway success as an live entertainment hub after it hosted megastars Taylor Swift and Coldplay last year. Advertisement Ahead of Swift's Singapore-only concerts in March last year, fans from around the region and beyond competed feverishly to catch the American singer during her Eras Tour, with about 300,000 tickets for all her six shows sold out. In contrast, some resellers had advertised prices for Lady Gaga's Asia-exclusive Mayhem shows in Singapore that were far below ticket value, according to media reports. Coldplay had earlier broken Singapore's record for the most number of tickets sold by an artist in a single day, with more than 200,000 tickets snapped up for four of the British rock band's concerts in January last year. All 300,000 tickets for Coldplay's six concerts in the city state were sold out after two shows were added in response to overwhelming demand. Lady Gaga's return to Singapore after more than a decade initially drew feverish anticipation, with over 2 million fans reportedly queuing online for presale tickets in March. Advertisement Originally billed as a one-night-only event on May 18 at the 55,000-seat National Stadium – the same venue for the concerts by Swift and Coldplay – strong initial sales prompted organisers to add three more Lady Gaga shows on May 19, May 21 and May 24.
