Bendel Insurance midfielder, Divine Nwachukwu, is relishing the possibility of setting a landmark achievement with the club in the Nigeria Professional Football League as they continue their unbeaten run in the 2022/23 abridged season

The former U-17 star has been pivotal for Insurance this season, having not missed a game and has scored a goal and provided four assists.

Nwachukwu’s only goal was an equaliser against Remo Stars in Ikenne on match-day 14, as the Benin Arsenal picked up another vital point on the road. They have since extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches in the league, with a four-point gap on top of the Group A table.

In a chat with our correspondent, Nwachukwu expressed delight at surpassing the expectations so far this season.

“Remaining unbeaten feels so special, knowing that we are newly promoted from the Nigeria National League and now topping the table in the NPFL. It’s like a dream come true and I want to be part of that history,” Nwachukwu said.

He maintained that the team’s focus was still on making the Super 6, even as they continue to enjoy a good run of form.

“It’s not been easy playing in the league, but we have progressed as a team and at this point, we believe anything is possible. The main target is Super 6, and when we have that in our hands, we can begin to talk of even winning the league.”

Bendel Insurance are sure of a place in the Super 6 and are also through to the round of 32 of the Federation Cup, where they will face Osun United in Lagos.

Their next game in the league is a home affair against Shooting Stars on match-day 17 before ending the regular season away against Nasarawa United in Jos.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed $152m as the prize money for this year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Infantino made the confirmation while speaking alongside the World Trade Organisation Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during Making Trade Score for Women!, a series of panel discussions held at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The biggest women’s football competition is slated to start on July 20 and will be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand with FIFA also set to increase the pool of prize money significantly from what it was four years back in 2019.

“As a father of four beautiful daughters, I know very well how much attention we need to give women in our lives,” Infantino said at FIFA Congress.

“Our ambition will be, of course, to be able to have equality in payments for the ’26 Men’s and ’27 Women’s World Cups. FIFA is stepping up with actions, not just with words… but unfortunately this is not the case of everyone across the industry. Broadcasters and sponsors, dear friends, have to do more in this respect.”

Although the $152m fund for the first 32-team tournament is a huge boost from the $30m for the 24-team edition in 2019, and 10 times what it was in 2015, it is still considerably lower than the $440m total prize money awarded at the 32-team men’s World Cup in Qatar last year.

At the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the tournament champions received $4m while every participating country received $750,000.

The FIFA boss, in a statement on the football governing body website, said FIFA had already set an example by increasing the total funding package at the Women’s World Cup 2023 to $152m, treble the amount paid in 2019 and 10 times more than in 2015, prior to his election as FIFA president.

However, he added that FIFA still had to sell media rights for the tournament to some major markets because the offers were undervalued.

The FIFA President’s call was supported by Okonjo-Iweala.

“I hope the broadcasters are listening to what the FIFA president is saying about bidding higher for the Women’s World Cup as this is a real opportunity to support women’s football, and I hope they’ll take you up on your offer,” Dr Okonjo-Iweala stated.

City were made to work by an under-manned Hammers to edge one point clear of Arsenal in the title race, with a game in hand still to come.

Erling Haaland set a new record of 35 goals in a Premier League season as Manchester City overcame West Ham 3-0 to move back to the top of the table on Wednesday as Liverpool edged out Fulham 1-0.

City were made to work by an under-manned Hammers to edge one point clear of Arsenal in the title race, with a game in hand still to come.

The visitors were missing England international Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Nayef Aguerd through illness, while injuries meant David Moyes could only name five outfield substitutes.

But Moyes’ men held out for 50 minutes before succumbing at the Etihad to remain rooted in a relegation battle.

Nathan Ake was the unlikely figure to break the deadlock as the Dutch defender rose highest to power home Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick.

But there was no surprise over the scorer of City’s second as Haaland raced onto Jack Grealish’s pass and deftly dinked the ball over the advancing Lukasz Fabianski.

The Norwegian moved past Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s mark of 34 set for Blackburn and Newcastle respectively in the 1990s.

Haaland was given a guard of honour by his teammates as he left the pitch after full-time.

However, he will still fall someway short of the all-time scoring record for a season in the English top flight of 60 set by Everton’s Dixie Dean in 1927/28.

Phil Foden came off the bench to add the final flourish as his sweetly-struck volley deflected off Emerson Palmieri to leave Fabianski wrong-footed five minutes from time.

City’s 13th consecutive home win in 2023 edges Pep Guardiola’s men ever closer to a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.

The champions need just four wins from their remaining five games to ensure Arsenal are denied their first title in 19 years.

Defeat leaves West Ham still four points above the relegation zone with four games to play.

At Anfield, Liverpool refused to give up the fight for a top-four finish by keeping the pressure on Newcastle and Manchester United for the final two places in next season’s Champions League behind City and Arsenal.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have now won five league consecutive league games for the first time this season.

Mohamed Salah’s 29th goal of the season was the difference between the sides as the Egyptian shrugged off his recent struggles from the penalty spot to convert after Darwin Nunez had been fouled by Issa Diop six minutes before half-time.

Liverpool close to within four points of fourth-placed Manchester United, who have two games in hand

Leeds United have on May 3, 2023, appointed Sam Allardyce to take charge for the rest of the season as they bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League, with just four games remaining.

Gracia, who only arrived at Leeds in February, leaves the club after four defeats in five Premier League games — they are outside the drop zone on goal difference with four games remaining.

Leeds have sacked manager Javi Gracia and appointed Sam Allardyce for the rest of the season as they bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Having already removed director of football Victor Orta, the club announced the departure of Spaniard Gracia on Wednesday along with his backroom staff.

Gracia, who only arrived at Leeds in February, leaves the club after four defeats in five Premier League games — they are outside the drop zone on goal difference with four games remaining.

“Leeds can confirm Javi Gracia will leave the club after 12 games in charge,” a club statement said. “Zigor Aranalde, Mikel Antia and Juan Solla, who joined alongside Gracia, will also leave the club.

“We thank Javi and his team for their efforts under difficult circumstances.

“The remaining four games of the season will be overseen by experienced head coach Sam Allardyce.”

Allardyce suffered his first Premier League relegation when West Brom went down in 2021, leaving the club six months into an 18-month contract.

The 68-year-old former Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and England boss becomes Leeds’ third permanent manager of the season after Jesse Marsch and Gracia.

Paris Saint-Germain are set to move on from Christophe Galtier and have reportedly set their sights on Jose Mourinho.

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly held talks with AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho to take over as manager at the end of the season. 

Although PSG are at the top of Ligue 1, they have struggled to reach expectations this season, and Christophe Galtier is expected to be relieved of his duties at the end of the season. 

PSG are said to be in search of their next manager, and Jose, whose future at Roma is unresolved, is said to have been contacted by the Parisians. 

Mourinho to PSG 

A meeting has been held between Jose Mourinho and Paris Saint-Germain representatives for a managerial job. 

The club’s sporting director, Luis Campos, is said to have him at the top of his list of targets for the position expected to be vacant in the summer, with the Portuguese charisma valued by the administrator.

Galtier only recently took the job at the start of the season, replacing Mauricio Pochettino; however, a disappointing Champions League campaign in which they finished second in their group behind Benfica and crashed out of the competition, losing both legs to Bayern, and their current league form have cast doubts over his continuation. 

The 2023 Nigeria Women’s Football League champions may miss out of this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League competition if they fail to get prospective club licensed before the end of this month.

Following CAF directive and statement credited to the Nigeria Football Federation that the champions of the 2023 Women’s League would not be determined until after the completion of WAFU B U20 Championships in Ghana. If that decision doesn’t change, then, Nigeria club may not participate in this year’s Champions League as the U20 women’s competition ends in June as against ending of May deadline date for registration of clubs given by CAF.

The Confederation of African Football has given directives to all participating clubs in the Women’s Champions League to complete their registration before the end of May, 2023.

While other countries like Ghana have opened applications for licenses for the representatives in the CAF Women’s Champions League (Sekondi Hasaaca Ladies and Ampem Darkoa Ladies) same cannot be said of Nigeria whose 2023 Women’s League champions has not been determined following postponement of Super 6.

The Nigeria Women’s Football League had on Monday announced that May 6th to 12th in Asaba Delta state would be the date and venue for this year’s Super Six.

But it took a new turn on Tuesday when Modupe Shabi, Chief Operating Officer of the NWFL confirmed the postponement directive by the NFF in a statement issued on 2nd May.

Though, the reason for the postponement was not mentioned in the statement, however she added that the new date for the Super 6 competition will be decided after the upcoming maiden WAFU-B U20 Women’s Cup in Ghana, which holds from May 20 to June 3 in Kumasi.

Delta Queens, Rivers Angels, title holders Bayelsa Queens, Confluence Queens, Robo Queens and Edo Queens are the clubs that have qualified for the Super Six playoffs.

FIFA Legend and the World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador for Sport and Health Didier Drogba has spoken about football’s power to teach people from different backgrounds how to live together, the growth of women’s football and the need to create more opportunities for players in Africa.

The former Côte d’Ivoire and Chelsea forward was appearing alongside HRH Princess Reem Bint Abdullah Bin Mosaad Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the Making Trade Score for Women! event which was held at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Football isn’t just about winning or losing, football is also about being a good person, learning how to live together, in a team full of different nationalities,” Drogba said. “For example, at Chelsea, I was playing with Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, Ivorians, Ghanaians and we had to learn how to live together, to respect each other’s culture and play for the same badge. These are the values that you win and you learn when you play football. This is something all the kids should have.”

Turning to football in Africa, he spoke of the need to create the right conditions for players to develop. “I think we need to create opportunities in Africa, on the continent, give opportunities to kids, to have youth leagues,” Drogba said. “If you want to become a superstar, there are some stages of practice that you need to learn, and we don’t have that.”

He said that the African Super League, which is set to kick off later this year, would be a great opportunity for the continent to develop infrastructure and praised the FIFA President Gianni Infantino for altering perceptions of African football. “Since his election, he really changed the way we see football in Africa…Now, we see the economics, the development in terms of investments for companies into football.”

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 less than three months away, Drogba praised the standard of women’s football.

“I played with great players, in great teams, but I could see some of these women players being in our squad and performing and competing with the boys,” he said. “You know, when I watch the game, I see the way they touch the ball. You know, the first touch is so important when you play football, and trust me, even I missed some of my first touches, but they’re so focused on it, and they make it a better, more beautiful game to watch.”

Lionel Messi is set to leave French giants Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons at the club following a rough second season at the Parc des Princes off the pitch. According to Fabrizio Romano, the decision is said to have been communicated by his father Jorge to the club’s hierarchy over a month ago.

Messi, who has been suspended by PSG following an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, had been at loggerheads with the club over a contract renewal for months. The superstar forward signed a two-year contract with the club in 2021 and did not sign an extension despite several offers from the club. According to reports emanating from France, he wanted to be clear on the club’s project before committing to an extension.

The decision to suspend Messi for two weeks has been rumoured to be politically motivated because of the Qatar-Saudi relations. It was reported that the club’s president Nasser El-Khelaifi was unhappy that the 35-year-old travelled to Saudi Arabia, a country that Qatar has diplomatic conflicts with. While Messi was in Saudi, veteran defender Sergio Ramos was spotted in Madrid but has faced no such sanction from the club, fuelling speculation that this decision may have been political.

Messi has had offers from several clubs outside of Europe, including David Beckham’s Inter Miami. The forward, however, wishes to continue playing in Europe. He was approached by FC Barcelona, but a deal is said to be difficult at this stage due to numerous financial restrictions imposed by the Spanish La Liga. It remains to be seen which team he joins, but the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will not be short of suitors.