The FA Women’s National League is set for a dramatic Sunday at the top of at least four of its divisions in which the leading pairs clash.

The Northern Premier’s top two are away to mid-table opposition, as leaders Wolves travel to Liverpool Feds and Nottingham Forest – two points of pole position with a game in hand – go to West Brom.

Burnley – who have played fewer matches than all their title rivals – visit Sporting Khalsa, while Rugby host Hull and Stoke are away at Halifax, with Derby entertaining Stourbridge in the other fixture.

Hashtag United versus Oxford United is a clash of the Southern Premier’s leading pair, Ipswich are well-placed with two games in hand and on the road at Cheltenham.

Exeter head to Watford, fifth plays sixth with Billericay home to Wimbledon, while Plymouth take on Gwalia United and Lewes are at basement side MK Dons.

Division 1 Midlands also has its top two going head-to-head with Leafield playing Peterborough, Northampton and Loughborough – who have played fewer games than the top two – host Solihull and Sutton Coldfield respectively.

Middlesbrough lead Division 1 North and are away to Doncaster, Chorley in second face Leeds in fourth, Cheadle sit fifth ahead of hosting Huddersfield in fifth.

Yet another meeting of a leading pair comes in Division 1 South East with Norwich City against Actonians. Real Bedford and Chatham can catch the top two with a game in hand, while Dulwich and Sudbury are not far off the pace ahead of their meeting.

Not only does Division 1 South West feature second against first but both are unbeaten and AFC Bournemouth even with a 100% record before playing Swindon at the Vitality Stadium.

Over 100 top women’s soccer stars, including former US team captain Becky Sauerbrunn and Dutch ace Vivianne Miedema, have penned an open letter slamming FIFA for their sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabian oil giants Aramco.

The players described the partnership, which is part of the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, as “much worse than an own goal,” calling out Saudi Arabia’s controversial record on female and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as Aramco’s contribution to the climate crisis.

Sauerbrunn voiced concerns about the well-being of women currently incarcerated in Saudi Arabia.

“The safety of those women, the rights of women, LGBTQ+ rights and the health of the planet need to take a much bigger priority over FIFA making more money,” Sauerbrunn said in comments via campaign group Athletes Of The World.

The letter openly challenges FIFA to secure replacement sponsors which are in harmony with values of gender equality, human rights, and environmental sustainability; it also urges that players be consulted on ethical aspects of future sponsorships.

“This letter shows that as players this is what we don’t want to stand for and accept within women’s football. It’s simple: this sponsorship is contradicting FIFA’s own commitments to human rights and the planet,” declared Miedema.

In a partnership that saw FIFA and Saudi Arabia draw closer, a deal with Aramco was sealed in April. Come December, FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 men’s World Cup, with no rival bids on the horizon.

The Nigeria Basketball Federation has sent a thank you message to the Nigerian basketball community and particularly, Zenith Bank Plc, the sponsors of the Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Premier Basketball League, following the successful conclusion of the 2024 premier league season, being the 17th consecutive edition, held in the Indoor Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The league, which saw the MFM Women Basketball club of Lagos, retain the league title it won for the first time last year, as it defeated Nigeria Customs Basketball club by 64-53 points in the exhilarating final game that had the capacity crowd in attendance on the edges of their seats, from the jump ball.

An elated President of Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engineer Ahmadu Musa Kida, was full of praises and thanks  to Zenith Bank Plc, who are the sponsors of the Women’s premier basketball league, that have contributed immensely to the growth and development of female basketball in Nigeria, and with apparent benefits.

“Words alone are not enough to describe how elated we are at the NBBF and I want to express the sincere gratitude of Nigerians to Zenith Bank plc for the immense support given to Nigeria basketball over the so many years that they have sponsored the league,” he said.

He also noted that the working relationship between NBBF and Zenith Bank has helped to improve the fortunes of female basketball in Nigeria, even as several players like Murjanatu Musa, and others, who were discovered at the past editions of the championship, have gone ahead to represent the D’Tigress (Nigeria’s Women National team) on the continental and global stages, and proudly, so.

He equally recalled that practically all members of the Silver medal winning team of the U18 Afrobasket, the Junior D’tigress of Nigeria are all participants in the Zenith league.

He equally heaped  praises and appreciation on all basketball stakeholders in the country and all the players and officials of the clubs, that participated in the League, beginning from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences stages of the league.

He enthused that the next edition of the championship shall be more intense, competitive, glitzy and glamorous, as the NBBF, would ensure it continues to deliver top quality games and seamless organisation of the league.

The NBBF President also stated his eagerness to welcome the promotion of two finalists of the Zenith Div 1 women’s league that will be executed soon, to the women’s premier league next year.