Sports
Visa to Support Women-Owned Businesses at FIFA Women’s World Cup
By Adedapo Adesanya
Global payment service giant, Visa, will celebrate the numbers, and the stories behind them throughout this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, scheduled to start later this month in Australia and New Zealand.
Visa, a FIFA Women’s Football Partner, announced a first-ever extension of the coveted Visa Player of the Match athlete award to support women-owned small businesses (WSMB) with $500,000 in total grant funding across the 64 matches and potentially 32 qualifying countries.
Speaking on this milestone, Mr Andrew Uaboi, Vice President and Head of Visa West Africa, said, “Visa understands equity requires action and resources. We’re excited to use the world’s biggest stage for women’s sports to put the power for change into the athlete’s performance – and uplift a business in the home country of each game’s Player of the Match.”
“Nigeria is one of the leading African countries with the highest number of female entrepreneurs. We are passionate about using this initiative to create a positive impact on society, in addition to advancing the growth of women-owned small businesses in our region. We also see this as an opportunity to inspire young girls to dream big and pursue their passion for the beautiful game,” he added.
The Visa Player of the Match trophy is awarded at each of the 64 matches to the player who fans vote to be the most outstanding of the match. At this year’s tournament, which is scheduled to start on July 20 through August 20, audiences watching at home will once again have the opportunity to celebrate the women on the pitch and for the first time, help elevate women in business at the same time.
Building up to the final match, Visa will award 64 grants to women small businesses from the same country as the national team represented by the winning footballer.
This means if a player from first-time entrant Panama or a veteran from the defending champion United States team wins the player of the match, a woman small business owner in her country will receive a grant to help towards her own goals.
In Nigeria’s case, if Barcelona forward, Asisat Oshaola, wins any of the awards, a woman’s business owner in the country will be rewarded.
The funding ranges in value from $5,000 for the 48 first-round matches up to $50,000 for the final. The winning small businesses will be announced live at the athlete trophy presentation.
This initiative stems from Visa’s multi-year commitment to helping women entrepreneurs access crucial financial resources and empower inclusion in the global economy, noting that supporting women in sports is important for future business success.
Visa noted that it is committed to empowering women across its organization and through its brand support. For more than 15 years, Visa’s investment in women’s football has advocated for equity, inclusion, and creating meaningful connections with athletes, fans, and communities around the world.
Visa is the first FIFA Women’s Football Partner, the first standalone sponsor of UEFA Women’s Football, and a sponsor of national teams, including the US Soccer Federation and Mexican Football Federation.
In the host countries of Australia and New Zealand, Visa’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 tells the story behind the FIFA Women’s World Cup athletes, honouring and spotlighting their own numbers and journey.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will look to secure their place in the quarter-finals when they face Egypt in their final Group C match on Wednesday at 9:00 pm at the ongoing WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
The defending champions bounced back from their disappointing 3-2 defeat to Malawi with a crucial 1-0 victory over Zambia and will now be aiming to finish the group stage strongly. All the matches of the tournament air live on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv.
The final matchday of Group A saw hosts Morocco play out a goalless draw with Senegal, a result that was enough to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals in first position in their group. Algeria also secured their place in the knockout stages after a 2-0 victory over Kenya, bringing their group-stage campaign to a strong close.
Tuesday, Group B will conclude with Burkina Faso facing South Africa before Tanzania takes on Ivory Coast. South Africa and Ivory Coast played out a 2-2 draw in their previous match, while Burkina Faso bounced back from their opening defeat with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania. With the group still to be decided, the final results will determine which teams join the quarter-final line-up.
All eyes will then turn to Group C on Wednesday, where Egypt will face Nigeria, and Malawi will take on Zambia, with both matches kicking off at 9:00 pm. The Super Falcons will be hoping to build on their victory over Zambia and secure the result they need to advance to the knockout stages, while Egypt will be looking to end their campaign on a positive note after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in their previous game.
Nigeria’s final group match comes after a difficult start to their title defence. The Super Falcons were stunned 3-2 by Malawi in their opening game but responded with a 1-0 victory over Zambia to revive their campaign. The ten-time champions will now need to complete the job against Egypt as they look to keep their hopes of retaining the continental crown alive.
The final group-stage fixtures on Thursday will see Ghana take on Mali, and Cape Verde face Cameroon on Thursday, with both matches also scheduled for 9:00 pm. Ghana suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their previous outing, while Mali secured a 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. The final results will determine which teams progress to the knockout stages from Group D.
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Tuesday, August 4
Burkina Faso vs South Africa – 9:00 pm
Tanzania vs Ivory Coast – 9:00 pm
Wednesday, August 5
Egypt vs Nigeria – 9:00 pm
Malawi vs Zambia – 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 6
Cape Verde vs Cameroon – 9:00 pm
Mali vs Ghana – 9:00 pm
SuperSport Brings All the Live Action
Catch every match of WAFCON Morocco 2026 live on SS Football (Ch. 202, GOtv Ch. 61) and SS Football Plus (DStv Ch. 202) on DStv and GOtv. Fans can also stream every match live on DStv Stream from ₦6,000, with no decoder or dish required.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
At least for the next four seasons, DStv and GOtv subscribers are guaranteed access to all UEFA men’s club matches on SuperSport.
This is because CANAL+, the parent company of MultiChoice, which owns DStv and GOtv, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions across Sub-Saharan Africa through 2031, ensuring SuperSport will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues live to DStv and GOtv subscribers.
The four-season agreement, which begins with the 2027/28 campaign, covers more than 40 countries across the region and includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA club competitions, bringing the continent’s biggest European club matches to DStv and GOtv subscribers. The agreement also restores full UEFA Champions League coverage on CANAL+ Sport channels in French-speaking Africa, alongside the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The rights deal further strengthens CANAL+’s sports portfolio, which already includes major football competitions such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership and the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The agreement ensures football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to enjoy live coverage of Europe’s premier club competitions on SuperSport when the new rights cycle begins in 2027.
“We are very proud of this new partnership, which gives us exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For four seasons, until 2031, our subscribers will enjoy the thrill of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League’s biggest matches. Today, CANAL+ offers the most attractive sports line-up across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the acquisition of these rights is a perfect illustration of that.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to UC3 and to the teams at Relevent for once again placing their trust in CANAL+, following our recent agreements in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Austria,” the chief executive of CANAL+, Mr Maxime Saada, stated.
The start of a football season always tricks people a little. Everything looks fresh. New shirts, new signings, clean tables, confident managers, fans talking themselves into hope again. Then the first few matches arrive, and half the predictions start wobbling. That is what makes early-season betting interesting. It is not tidy yet. Manchester City may still be Manchester City, but that does not mean they are sharp from the first whistle. Arsenal might look strong on paper and still need time to settle. Chelsea can have another summer full of noise and still leave bettors guessing. Real Madrid might have the stars, but even stars need minutes together. The first weeks are not about certainty. They are about spotting who is ready before the market fully catches up.
New Signings Need Time
Transfer excitement can make people rush. A new striker arrives at Arsenal and suddenly every goals market feels tempting. Manchester United sign a defender and people start talking about clean sheets. Chelsea add another expensive player and the same old question comes back: does this actually fix the team, or just add another name? Sometimes a signing changes everything quickly. More often, there is an awkward stage first. A forward needs to learn where the passes come from. A midfielder needs to understand the press. A centre-back needs to build trust with the goalkeeper and full-backs. That is why early-season betting after the Betway app download should not treat a new signing like a finished answer. The name matters, but the fit matters more.
World Cup Legs Will Matter
This season also carries the weight of the World Cup. Some players will come back flying. Some will come back flat. Some may start the season with managed minutes because their clubs cannot afford to burn them out early. That can change player markets fast. A bettor looking through the betway app before a weekend card should not only check the famous names in the lineup. Look at who played deep into the World Cup, who missed pre-season, who came back late, and who is being protected by the manager. A star on the pitch is not always a star at full speed.
Early Tables Can Lie
The first league table always looks more dramatic than it is. One big club drops points, and everyone starts asking if there is a crisis. One promoted side wins at home, and suddenly people talk about momentum. A striker scores twice, and the golden boot conversations begin before anyone has really learned anything. That noise can be useful, but only if bettors do not get swallowed by it. Early results need context. Did the team actually play well, or just finish two chances? Did they control the game, or survive pressure? Was the opponent missing key players? Did the manager rotate because of fitness?
Patience Beats The Big Prediction
The new season will settle. The strong teams will usually rise, the weaker squads will get exposed, and the table will start to make more sense. But the opening weeks are different. They are full of strange fitness levels, overhyped signings, tired stars and teams that are still trying to remember what they are meant to be. That is why betting on the upcoming season should start slowly. Do not fall in love with last season’s form. Do not trust every transfer story. Do not assume every World Cup star is ready to carry club football straight away. The value is often hiding in the messy part, before everyone else agrees what the season really looks like.
