Entertainment Gists
Lacazette, Martial Left Out of France World Cup Squad And Payet Rules Out

Anthony Martial, Alexandre Lacazette and Dimitri Payet have all been left out of the France squad for the World Cup.
Manchester United forward Martial, who has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer, and Arsenal striker Lacazette had to be content with a place on the standby list, having failed to make it into the 23-man group announced by the French Football Federation on Thursday.
Payet, the former West Ham midfielder now at Marseille, will miss this summer’s tournament in Russia after aggravating a muscle injury during his side’s Europa League final defeat to Atletico Madrid.

France coach Didier Deschamps said Payet, who was in tears as he limped out of Wednesday night’s game, would likely have made the squad had it not been for his injury, which made his selection too big a gamble.
“Without injury he was a serious contender to be in the 23,” Deschamps told a press conference, as reported by L’Equipe.
“He played the first half hour of the final and the situation got worse for him.
“The recovery time for this type of injury is three weeks before being fit to play. But as it is muscular, there is a significant risk of it happening again.”
The omission of Martial and Lacazette is an indication of the wealth of attacking options at Deschamps’ disposal, with the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Arsenal in January, named in the squad.
Another striker, Payet’s team-mate Florian Thauvin, who has excelled in the south of France after an unhappy spell at Newcastle, will also go to Russia.
Giroud’s Chelsea team-mate N’Golo Kante has also been included, while Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy, who has spent the majority of the season out injured with a cruciate ligament rupture, and United midfielder Paul Pogba are the other England-based players in the party.
Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman had to be content with a place on the standby list, alongside the likes of Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko, Crystal Palace’s Mamadou Sakho and Kurt Zouma, on loan at Stoke from Chelsea.
Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny had already been ruled out of the tournament after suffering a ruptured Achilles.
France have three warm-up games ahead of the World Cup – against the Republic of Ireland on May 28, Italy four days later and the United States on June 9.
They start their World Cup campaign against Australia on June 16, with Peru and Denmark the other teams in their group.
France squad for World Cup:
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris St Germain); Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris St Germain), Adil Rami (Marseille), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid); Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Steven Nzonzi (Sevilla); Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Kylian Mbappe (Paris St Germain), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Florian Thauvin (Marseille), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Thomas Lemar (Monaco).
Standby list:
Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Benoit Costil (Bordeaux), Mathieu Debuchy (St Etienne), Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Paris St Germain), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Kurt Zouma (Stoke).
Entertainment Gists
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits?
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶

Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.
The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.
And the big question now is:
Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂
Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.


One X user joked:
“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”
Another simply said:
“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”
But then came “Lembe.” 🔥
The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.
Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.
And it didn’t stop there.
‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED
On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.
One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.
From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.
Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:
Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥

So, let’s settle this once and for all:
Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?
Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇
Entertainment Gists
RUAN-Badkid.96: The Unfiltered Voice Recommitting African Sound to Truth

RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.
Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.
Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.
For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.
Entertainment Gists
Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype
If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
What makes Emmy Blaq different is the journey behind the energy. Before the stages, the collaborations with Waje on her “Waje 2.0” album, DJ Consequence, and DJ Kaywise on the massively streamed “Joor Party Mix” series, he was repairing generators, cutting hair, and sewing clothes in Auchi. His first professional hype gig happened at a local fast food spot called Valchi, and the crowd response that night changed everything. He told The Nation directly: “My passion for entertainment and desire to make people happy led me into the craft.” Punch also captured his bigger mission when he said that hype men deserve more than what they currently earn, a statement that sparked a real conversation across Nigerian entertainment circles.
With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.
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