Bendel Insurance of Benin have broken loose in the Group A of the Nigeria Premier Football League after defeating their closest rivals, Remo Stars 3-0 at the Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.

With the scoreline, Bendel Insurance are now on 12 points, three more than that of Remo Stars whose unbeaten run and clean sheet were terminated.

Bendel Insurance therefore remain the only unbeaten side after Match Day 4.

The home side opened their account with early in the match when Imade Osehenkhoe scored in the fifth minute. Emmanuel Seriki doubled the lead in the 26^th minute before Austin Ogunye completed the rout in the 78^th minute.

In Group B, last year champions, Rivers United are holding tenaciously to the top position when they inflicted a 2-1 defeat on their hosts, Dakkada in Uyo.

Isaac George had put the hosts ahead in the 16^th minute before Rivers United fought back 20 minutes later through Nyima Nwagua. Naibe Akpesiri put in the winner in the third minute of the added time of the first half.

Men’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 29, 2023 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas

Novak Djokovic said his win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s Australian Open final was the “biggest victory” of his career, as he claimed his 22nd Grand Slam title and won back the hearts of the home fans a year after being deported from the country.

Having arrived in Australia unvaccinated 12 months ago, the 10-times Melbourne champion was deported amid a backlash from angry Australians.

But the Serbian’s woes are now well behind him and his 6-3 7-6(4) 7-6(5) victory over Tsitsipas was met with thunderous applause from a packed crowd at Rod Laver Arena.

“I have to say that this has been one of the most challenging tournaments I have played in my life, considering the circumstances,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview.

“Not playing last year, coming back this year. I want to thank all the people that made me feel welcome and comfortable to be in Melbourne, Australia.

“I try to pinch myself and really live through these moments and it’s a long journey… Only the team and family knows what we have been through in the last four to five weeks. This, probably, is the biggest victory in my life considering the circumstances.”

In a rematch of the 2021 French Open decider, 24-year-old Tsitsipas was unable to convert the few chances he had as he failed to stop Djokovic winning his 22nd Grand Slam title.

“Tough luck tonight, great battle. This is definitely not your last Grand Slam, you still have a lot of time, much more than me,” Djokovic said.

“I would also like to congratulate your family and your team… You are one of the most professional tennis players that I know on the tour, and one of the most interesting guys.”

Tsitsipas, who fell short of becoming the first Greek tennis player to win a Grand Slam, commended Djokovic’s contribution to the sport.

“I have had the privilege to play a lot of high intensity matches, but I would like to say one more time that Novak brings the best out of me and these are the matches I have been working my entire life for,” Tsitsipas said.

“He is one of the greatest in our sport and I think he is the greatest that has ever held the tennis racket.

“I would like to thank you for pushing our sport so far and it deserves a player like you who pushes every single player who is involved in this sport.”

A Cup – Fourth Round – Walsall v Leicester City – Bescot Stadium, Walsall, Britain – January 28, 2023 Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho shoots at goal

Kelechi Iheanacho spared Leicester City from a potential FA Cup giant-killing as his second-half goal saw the Foxes beat fourth-tier Walsall 1-0 and progress to the fifth round on Saturday, while Leeds advanced with a 3-1 win over Accrington Stanley.

Top-flight Fulham were in danger of losing to visiting Championship (second-tier) team Sunderland but salvaged a 1-1 draw thanks to Tom Cairney’s equaliser at Craven Cottage.

Southampton put their Premier League woes aside to beat Championship strugglers Blackpool 2-1 while Bristol City eased to a 3-0 win over fellow second-tier side West Bromwich Albion.

Leicester, who beat fourth-tier strugglers Gillingham with an Iheanacho goal in round three, faced a stern test from a hard-working, high-energy Walsall outfit.

It took 30 minutes for Leicester to get a shot on target and a frustrating afternoon was made worse as Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans’ struck a penalty against the post after Patson Daka was fouled inside the box.

Second-half substitute Iheanacho unlocked Walsall when his effort from the edge of the box deflected off the back of home defender Brandon Comley, turning it into a curling, dipping ball that proved too much for goalkeeper Owen Evans to handle.

With Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers saying after the match that first-choice striker Jamie Vardy will be out for “a few weeks” after suffering a gluteal injury in training, Iheanacho, who has started once in the league this sesaon, could get his chance.

“He will get more game time with Vards out for a few weeks. It depends on the type of game we are looking to play,” Rodgers told reporters.

“He has been first class, trains virtually every day and is very rarely injured. He sometimes starts games not so good, sometimes he is a little hit and miss, but you know when he plays to a high level he is a threat.”

Leeds reached the fifth round for the first time since 2016 as they avoided a slip-up at third-tier Accrington.

Jack Harrison put Leeds ahead with a spectacular long-range strike after 23 minutes before Junior Firpo and Luis Sinisterra scored within two minutes of each other midway through the second half to put Jesse Marsch’s men on course for victory.

Leslie Adekoya, 18, pulled one back for Accrington in the 81st with his first senior goal seconds after coming on, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation strike.

Later on Saturday, Manchester United beat Reading 3-1

Aruna Quadri

Russian table tennis league champion Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg will today Monday, January 30, unveil their new signee Quadri Aruna at a colourful occasion in Moscow, the Russian capital.

According to the itinerary of Nigerian, the signing ceremony which will precede the unveiling will hold at the headquarter of Gazprombank (GPB), owner of Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg based in Moscow.

The Nigerian will early on Monday, January 30 undergo medical before the singing and unveiling ceremonies in Moscow.

GPB is a private-owned Russian bank and the third largest bank in Russia funds the club after the signing of the agreement, Aruna will be unveiled to the fans later today in Moscow.

Also, the necessary work permit needed by Aruna will also be obtained by the management of the club this week ahead of their league match on Friday, February 3 against Samara at the Russian Table Tennis Centre in Moscow.

Aruna joined the Russian 10-time champion early this year from Bundesliga side TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell for the remaining part of the 2022/2023 season.

The Nigerian joined the Russian champion alongside Chinese internationals An Yan and Hongyu Chen and they are expected to continue the team tradition of dominating the lucrative Russian league this season.

An elated Aruna said after his arrival in Moscow at the weekend that the reception accorded him by the club management would surely inspire him to give his best in the league.

“I am really impressed with what I have witnessed since my arrival on Saturday because the organization was top notch and I can wait to start playing for the club. There is no doubt that I will be playing in one of the best leagues in Europe with a top club as well. I am so excited and I am indeed looking forward to my first match for the club this weekend,” Aruna said.

FA Cup – Fourth Round – Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool – The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain – January 29, 2023 Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tariq Lamptey in action with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah Action I

Holders Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup after losing 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round on Sunday as Kaoru Mitoma struck the winning goal in stoppage time.

Harvey Elliott put Liverpool ahead, Lewis Dunk equalised before halftime and the score stayed at 1-1 until Mitoma found the net in the 92nd minute with a fine finish.

It was the second time Brighton defeated Liverpool in two weeks, having also beaten  Juergen Klopp’s side 3-0 in the Premier League.

“Unbelievable ending. Sometimes you’ve got to win a game like that. We weren’t at our best today. Nowhere near it. But we ground it out against a top side and got the win,” Dunk told ITV Sport.

“We feel like we can beat anyone on our best days and we showed here we can beat them on our not-so-good days. We’ve got everything in our squad to keep pushing on and hopefully we can go further in the competition.”

Earlier, Liverpool’s teenage midfielder Elliott put them ahead in the 30th minute with a low shot into the far corner following a clever pass from Mohamed Salah.

Brighton equalised nine minutes later when Dunk got a flick on a long-range effort from Tariq Lamptey which deflected into the goal, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker wrong-footed.

Elliott, who also scored in Liverpool’s win in the third- round replay, could have made it 2-1 before halftime as he latched on to Cody Gakpo’s pass but Lamptey made a superb last-ditch tackle.

Liverpool had another chance on the hour mark when Salah connected with a wonderful pass from James Milner but the Egypt forward chose to whip in a cross instead of taking a shot and Brighton keeper Jason Steele easily blocked it.

The tie looked set for a replay when Brighton’s Solly March missed a golden opportunity to score in the 71st minute when he failed to beat the onrushing Alisson from close range after Mitoma set him up with a brilliant low cross.

But Mitoma took things into his own hands, scoring a superb goal following a free kick as he controlled the ball on the half volley, dummied and rifled it home.

It was another disappointing result for Liverpool who have struggled with form and injuries this season and are ninth in the Premier League standings.

“This season has been nowhere near good enough. At the start of the year, we wanted a fresh start but that hasn’t happened. We’ve been worse,” Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said.

“In the league, we haven’t been good enough and now we’re out of both cups,” he added.

Championship Stoke City progressed to the fifth round after beating fourth-tier Stevenage 3-1 as Jacob Brown scored an early goal followed by a stunning strike from Josh Laurent and a penalty by Lewis Baker.

Later on Sunday, fifth-tier Welsh club Wrexham, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, host Sheffield United.