• Candidates urged to re-check new results after 48 hours, students protest, parents slam CBT plans There was outrage after the West African Examinations Council denied candidates access to its results portal for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates following technical glitches. A statement by the Head of Public Affairs, WAEC National Office, Moyosola Adesina, revealed that the Council identified bugs in its result system following a post-release review of the 2025 WASSCE results, which led to the access denial. The Council said access to the result checker portal had been temporarily suspended, urging candidates who had previously checked their results to re-check from Friday for the updated versions. While defending its serialisation method for Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics, WAEC admitted that the post-release quality checks exposed technical glitches in its backend systems. The statement read in part, “The West African Examinations Council sincerely regrets to inform the general public of technical issues discovered during the internal review of the recently released results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates, 2025. “As part of our efforts to curb malpractice, the Council embarked on an innovation—paper serialisation—already deployed by a national examination body. It is worth noting that this is in line with best assessment practices. The paper serialisation was carried out in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics. However, an internal post-release procedure revealed some technical bugs in the results. “The Council, being a responsive body that is sensitive to fairness and professionalism, has decided to urgently review and correct the technical glitches that led to the situation. As a result, access to the WASSCE SC 2025 results has been temporarily denied on the result checker portal. “We extend our deep and sincere apologies to all affected candidates and the general public. We appreciate their patience and understanding as we work diligently to resolve this matter with transparency and urgency within the next 24 hours. On this note, candidates who have previously checked their results are advised to re-check after 24 hours from now.” Thursday’s clarification came less than 24 hours after WAEC, via its official X handle, declared a temporary shutdown of its result portal, citing “technical issues.” The Council has been under intense scrutiny since Monday, when the Head of National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, revealed that only 38.32 per cent of the 1,969,313 candidates who sat the 2025 WASSCE obtained credits and above in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. The figure, the worst in a decade, sparked widespread concerns among stakeholders about the state of education, increasing exam malpractice, and readiness for a full digital transition in the conduct of national examinations. Among those who reacted to Thursday’s development were the Nigeria Union of Teachers, the National Association of Parent-Teacher Associations of Nigeria, and the National Association of Nigerian Students. Speaking, the National President of NAPTAN, Haruna Danjuma, said while it was commendable that WAEC accepted responsibility, he described the planned transition to full Computer-Based Testing for external exams as impracticable. “It is good for whoever made a mistake to acknowledge it. But this idea of moving WASSCE and NECO entirely to CBT is unrealistic,” Danjuma said. He stressed that there were two major challenges: inadequate infrastructure and poor computer literacy levels among pupils. “If truly we want our children to succeed in CBT, let the government at all levels provide computers in schools and ensure students become computer-literate. “Right now, about 80 to 90 per cent of students, especially in rural areas, are not computer literate. If WAEC and NECO are going CBT in 2026, let governors start equipping schools now, maybe begin with SS2. That way, we can start seeing changes.” However, the National Association of Nigerian Students came down hard on WAEC, accusing it of incompetence. NANS Assistant General Secretary, Adejuwon Olatunji, faulted WAEC for failing to thoroughly test its systems before release, saying the situation had caused unnecessary psychological distress for candidates and parents. “This incident is not just regrettable; it is a clear sign that the leadership of WAEC has failed,” Olatunji said. “For an exam body responsible for millions of West African students, there’s no excuse for this level of incompetence. Introducing new systems without proper testing or backup plans shows disregard for the emotional, academic, and financial impact on candidates. “The result checker portal is not a minor tool—it’s the final step in a long academic journey. Any glitch at that stage is an unforgivable failure.” He dismissed WAEC’s apology, demanding that those responsible be sanctioned. “Students received the wrong results. Some couldn’t access theirs. Others were misled into thinking they had failed. And now, WAEC quietly makes corrections. “This is about more than tech failure. It’s failed leadership, poor oversight, and no accountability. The Head of WAEC must go. One blunder too many. “The Council withheld over 192,000 results for alleged malpractice, yet it couldn’t even get its process right. If WAEC wants to enforce integrity, it must start with itself.” He added, “This is a call for accountability. The WAEC leadership has proven unfit to manage an institution this vital. We demand change—competent, transparent, and responsible leadership. Our education system must not be a haven for carelessness.” Nigerians on social media also said they patiently awaited the miracle that WAEC intended to come up with in 24 hours. SeyiB, @SaintSeyiB wrote, “I’m curious about how they intend to justify the 24-hour ‘miracle’ of grade changes. Many parents will likely demand a review of their children’s scripts. Whatever you’re working on, ensure it’s done correctly, or you could face a year of lawsuits. Parents are upset… And not everyone would smile at any crocodile tears on national television.” Tweeting at @peculiarpat1, PATO PATO slammed WAEC for failing to conduct its reviews and due diligence before announcing the release of the result. He wrote, “The question is, why the haste to release results? Shouldn’t all the reviews take place before results are released? JAMB did theirs and now WAEC. If people didn’t complain, would there have been any review? Why is it that institutions often compound people’s challenges in our climate? Do all the reviews and due diligence before releasing results. There is no gain in giving our young ones unnecessary heartaches!!” Similarly, Dum Spiro Spero, @Inv_Dos wrote, “When you marked the scripts and saw massive failure in English, were you not supposed to review it first before releasing it to the public? Bunch of incompetent officials.” Carpe Diem, @esoonet, said officials found culpable for the glitches should be sacked. He wrote, “If no one is held accountable, if there are no resignations by Monday, then President Bola Tinubu is not ready to hold these incompetent people strongly before they kill his dream for him.” Several Nigerians, including Kayode Abaniwonnda, Akabani2005 and Ade @I_am_Adedolapo_ _, described as baffling the failure of WAEC to conduct an efficient internal review of the result before announcing the result. President of the NUT, Audu Amba, called for WAEC to return to the drawing board, noting the public outcry was justifiable, especially as many students who passed other subjects failed English Language and Mathematics. He knocked critics blaming teachers for the mass failure, instead, he called attention to student attitude, parental involvement, government funding, and ineffective quality assurance. “As far as the teaching profession is concerned, there is no teacher assigned to teach who will not give their best. The pride of every teacher is to pass knowledge,” Amba said. “But the teacher also needs assistance. First, the students. Are they even willing to learn? Are today’s students ready to study? Today’s children are different. We studied by candlelight. How many students would do that today?” On the part of parents, Amba asked, “Do they check their children’s academic performances? How many ask their children what they were taught in school? A child should know that if he doesn’t perform, his parent will follow up.” He questioned the government’s political will to fund education to improve the learning and teaching environment, pointing to decrepit infrastructure, apart from a lack of effective monitoring by relevant government agencies. “Thirdly, does the government have the political will to fund education as it should? In many schools today, pupils sit on bare floors, there are no teaching materials, and classrooms are dilapidated. Teachers aren’t well cared for, and learning environments are poor. “Some schools don’t even have chairs for teachers to mark scripts. And how effective are the Quality Assurance Departments in our ministries of education? Are they properly funded? At the end of the day, people blame the teachers. But who recruited them: The government or school proprietors?” While commending WAEC for owning up, Amba said the Council ought to have completed its internal checks before the results were released. “But I want to sincerely commend them for owning up. They’ve admitted to technical issues. Let’s follow up and see,” he said. Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education has confirmed that the glitch has been resolved. In a statement on Thursday, Director of Press, Folasade Boriowo, said the Ministry commended WAEC for its swift response, transparency, and professionalism in addressing the issue. “Updated results will be accessible via the result checker portal within the next 24 hours. The Ministry also appreciates the patience of affected candidates and assures the public of its continued pursuit of fairness and credibility in assessment processes,” Boriowo said. She added that the development aligns with the Minister’s broader reform agenda, which prioritises integrity in examination bodies, especially WAEC and NECO. Both bodies, she noted, would begin phased implementation of CBT for objective components from November 2026. According to the Ministry, the CBT initiative aims to curb malpractice, prevent exam leakages, and restore public trust in the exam system. “It is a necessary reform to ensure Nigerian students are assessed strictly on merit and that their certificates retain credibility both locally and internationally,” the statement added.

The celebrations were wild. As Pedro Neto's 93rd-minute stunner completed a defiant Chelsea fightback at Fulham, there was no doubt about the importance of the strike. Chelsea leapfrogged rivals Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest to return to the Premier League top five, a spot which would earn the club qualification for the Champions League next season. And, after weeks of negativity around Chelsea's form and hostility from sections of supporters towards head coach Enzo Maresca, the players and fans celebrated as one - with the scenes carrying on long after the final whistle. Chelsea's first away league win of the year was sparked by the introduction of 18-year-old academy product Tyrique George, with his 83rd-minute equaliser the prelude to a dramatic finale. And it all came just when Chelsea's top-five challenge was in danger of fizzling out. Had Chelsea drawn, we would be talking about a club without a win in nine away matches, seventh in the table with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez's struggling and several goalless forwards. But, instead, Maresca was able to speak in bullish fashion about his side's season. "Chelsea in the last two years have never been in the Champions League spot and this season we spent the whole season there," he said. "Today doesn't change my view, it is already a good season and can become very good if we finish in the Champions League spot. "But for sure today was an important win because it is a derby and can give us a chance - it was probably also the most difficult win - because our rivals all played yesterday so it is was must-win." After celebrating on the touchline, Maresca went down the tunnel rather than join his players and coaching staff in soaking in an important victory with the 3,000-strong away support. He will know Chelsea's first-half performance left a lot to be desired at Craven Cottage, with the late goal showing the mission to return to the Champions League after two seasons away is still on a knife edge. There are still some causes for concern at Chelsea after the comeback win, with struggling forward Christopher Nkunku left out due to a "technical decision". In addition, Maresca said that defender Malo Gusto's muscular injury is "not a good one" and the Frenchman joins defender Wesley Fofana and striker Marc Guiu on the injured list, with winger Mykhailo Mudryk provisionally suspended following a failed drugs test. After the match, Maresca said his decision not to celebrate with the away end was more about giving his players time in the spotlight. He said: "I was very happy because it is a nice feeling to win the game at the end but I think it was a moment for the players because they deserve to celebrate with the fans. "That's the reason I left the pitch immediately. And then when we scored the second one, I celebrated and this was the reason they give me the yellow card, but it was a nice moment between the players and the fans to share that moment. I said many times, the players need to feel that support." There remains concern about the 16-game goal drought of Cole Palmer and Chelsea's general lack of production from their forward line. Jadon Sancho's strike against Ipswich last week, ending a run of 21 games without scoring, was the first by a Chelsea forward in the league since 25 February. Striker Nicolas Jackson has not found the net in 13 matches, while match-winner Neto's goal was his first in eight matches. Tyrique George was promoted from the academy team to the first team on 19 December in a touching moment filmed by the club's channels. He and defender Josh Acheampong were both given permanent first-team lockers after signing new deals in 2024, and most of their opportunities for game time have come in the Conference League. George, who has been with Chelsea since the age of eight, made 10 Conference League appearances, scoring his first goal for the club away at Legia Warsaw in the last round. He is the fifth youngest Premier League scorer for Chelsea and youngest since Callum Hudson-Odoi against Burnley in 2020. "I think Tyrique, when he scored, it was a nice moment but also gave an extra energy to the players to try to win the game in the last minute," said Maresca. "I'm very happy for Tyrique, Ty and Josh both from the academy are good talents, they have to work hard."

The Ligue 1 match between local rivals Saint-Etienne and Lyon was suspended for around 40 minutes after an assistant referee was hit by an object thrown from the stands. Visitors Lyon, trailing 1-0, were about to take a 44th-minute throw-in when Mehdi Rahmouni held his head after being hit by something. French newspaper L'Equipe said Rahmouni had been hit by a coin thrown from the stands. Lyon's medical team treated Rahmouni before referee Francois Letexier led the players and officials left the pitch. Play did eventually resume after a lengthy break, with Saint-Etienne going on to win 2-1. "We're going to restart the game because the assistant referee feels up to restarting," Noel Mannino, the league matchday representative, told AFP. "At the next incident, the match will be stopped for good." Lyon fans were banned from travelling to the match because of previous incidents. Saint-Etienne had previously been threatened with having two ends of the ground closed after recent "massive use of pyrotechnic devices and verbal abuse". In March, their match at Montpellier was abandoned after home fans threw flares on to the pitch and part of a stand caught fire.

Federico Valverde's stunning stoppage-time strike kept Real Madrid in the La Liga title hunt as Carlo Ancelotti's side eventually overcame stubborn Athletic Bilbao at the Bernabeu. Valverde crashed an emphatic half-volley into the top corner with the outside of his left foot three minutes into time added on to finally reward incessant second-half pressure from the hosts. It was his sixth league goal this season, but first since December against Sevilla. Victory kept Real, who were without France striker Kylian Mbappe as he served a one-match ban following a red card in the 1-0 win at Alaves, four points behind leaders Barcelona with six games to go. Barca had produced their own added-time drama on Saturday, coming from 3-1 down to beat Celta Vigo 4-3 thanks to Raphinha's 98th-minute penalty. However, after a humbling week that saw the Champions League holders dumped out of this year's competition with a 5-1 aggregate defeat by Arsenal, Real kept alive their hopes of retaining their league title. It appeared they would be frustrated by Bilbao and goalkeeper Unai Simon, who thwarted Eduardo Camavinga's rising drive and a Jude Bellingham header in a one-sided second half. Real thought they had made the breakthrough with 11 minutes remaining but Vinicius Jr's classy curler was ruled out for a marginal offside against Endrick in the build-up. It took a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) delay to disallow the strike and, when the officials later deemed a clip on Bellingham in the area was not worth a review, it seemed another frustrating night was on the cards for the defending champions. But full-back Valverde, who had twice earlier gone within inches of breaking the deadlock, popped up late with his sublime strike to ease the pressure on Ancelotti, whose side next face Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. With ex-Real midfielder Xabi Alonso increasingly linked with the manager's job, Ancelotti admitted this week he would discuss his future at the Bernabeu in the summer despite having a deal until 2026. He is though expected to leave the club.