By Wale Mustapha
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has been announced as one of the headlining performers at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup final halftime show.
FIFA, in collaboration with Global Citizen, confirmed Tems’ participation in the event scheduled for July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States.
The halftime show will also feature performances by American rapper Doja Cat and Colombian singer J Balvin.
The performance is part of a campaign to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aiming to raise $100 million to improve access to quality education for children worldwide.
Tems expressed her excitement about being part of the landmark event.
“We are going to bring the world together for a beautiful moment — to celebrate football, feel the unity that music brings, and improve the lives of millions of children through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. I can’t wait — see you at the Club World Cup final!” she said.
This year’s expanded edition of the FIFA Club World Cup will feature 32 teams from across the globe, marking the first time the competition will follow a World Cup-style format.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
