Nigeria Professional League club, Enyimba FC, have officially announced the appointment of former Super Eagles winger, Finidi George as their new head coach.

The confirmation of the former Ajax and Real Betis winger as the new gaffer for the People’s Elephant was contained in an official statement released on Wednesday.

George signed a two-year contract with the eight-time Nigerian champions and replaces Fatai Osho whose contract expired at the end of August.

George, a legend of the Nigeria’s men’s senior national team, made 62 appearances for the Super Eagles in an illustrious playing career that lasted 15 years.

He was a key member of the glorious era that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994 and represented the country at two FIFA World Cups – the 1994 and 1998 editions.

At club level, George won the UEFA Champions League with Ajax in 1995 and went on to play for Real Betis, RCD Mallorca and Ipswich Town

His first official game as Enyimba head coach will be the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round fixture against Senegalese side Diambers FC in mid-October.

Speaking to Enyimba’s media immediately after putting pen to paper, George said: “I have to say it’s a great opportunity for the club to have this confidence in me.

“I want to thank the chairman, the members of the board, and the supporters for even thinking about me. On my own part, I will be here to just work and do the job. It’s never going to be easy but I’m here to work and make the team win.”

The Chairman of Enyimba, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, stated that the arrival of George represents a new chapter for the club.

“I believe that the time has come for us as a club to open up a new chapter, a chapter that will showcase the many hardwork that has been going on behind the scene and usher in lots of success.

For us to have engaged a coach like Finidi George who is coming from Europe is a clear statement of intent about our aspirations,” Mr Anyansi-Agwu added.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson struck a rare Champions League goal to earn his side a 3-2 victory over AC Milan in a rip-roaring Group B opener at a rocking Anfield on Wednesday (Sept 15).

Henderson rifled home in the 69th minute to settle an absorbing contest Liverpool had threatened to run away with when Fikayo Tomori’s own goal handed them an early lead.

Remarkably, after soaking up a Liverpool bombardment in which Mohamed Salah missed a penalty, Milan struck twice in quick succession at the end of the first half with Ante Rebic and Brahim Diaz silencing the home crowd.

Milan had a goal disallowed shortly after the break before Salah made amends for his penalty miss by equalising from close range in the 49th minute.

The outcome was still in doubt until Henderson capped a memorable Anfield night with a thumping effort – only his second in the competition and first for seven years.

Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has set a new African record as the first player from the continent to be ranked in top 15 in the ITTF Ranking.

In the Week 37 of September 14 ranking released by the world table tennis ruling body, Aruna who was runner’s up in the men’s singles of the Cameroon 2021 ITTF African Championships moved four steps up the ranking ladder to be rated 15 as the first African to attain such height in the world ranking to erase Omar Assar’s record of world number 16 set by the Egyptian on January 2018.

Aruna’s unbeaten run came to an end in the final of the tournament in Cameroon when he lost 4-1 to Assar and for his performance, the former World Table Tennis Player of the Year gained ranking points to join the elite club in the world.

Also his partnership with Bode Abiodun won the men’s doubles in Cameroon and the duo has gained ranking points to be ranked 20th in the world by ITTF in the men’s doubles.

For emerging as the men’s singles champion in Cameroon, Assar gained eight steps up in the ranking to be rated 28th in the latest ranking.

Also, Assar’s compatriot – Ahmed Saleh garnered ranking points to move to 47th in the world, Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw moved 10 steps up to 59, while Olajide Omotayo rose to 87th in the world rating.

In the women’s ranking, bronze medalist in Cameroon and six-time African champion Egypt’s Dina Meshref held on to the top in the continent after rising to 35th in the ranking.

 Her compatriot and teammate, Yours Helmy gained 16 steps to rise to 85th in the world, while Nigeria’s Offiong Edem gained 12 steps to rise to 107 in the ranking.

Meanwhile, China’s duo of Fan Zhendong and Meng Cheng held on to the pinnacle of the ranking as the best rated players in the men and women rating in the world.

South Africa is hoping to replace Japan as hosts of this year’s Club World Cup after the Olympic and Paralympic host country withdrew from staging the tournament because of COVID-19.

South African Football Association President Danny Jordaan is set to meet FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino today to discuss the nation stepping in to hold the event.

Jordaan is also due to have meetings with FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura and Confederation of African Football President Patrick Motsepe over South Africa’s interest in hosting the competition, scheduled to take place in December.

South Africa must receive Government approval if it is to be successful with its bid.

There has also been reported interest from Saudi Arabia, which has aligned itself closely with Infantino in recent years.

Japan last week pulled out of staging the seven-team World Cup, featuring the six continental champions and the winners of the host nation’s top-tier domestic league, amid concerns over the risk of rising COVID-19 infections.

South Africa has seen a reduction in new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past two weeks, leading to the Government relaxing restrictions and raising the possibility that fans could soon be allowed back into stadiums.

The country has recorded more than 80,000 deaths from COVID-19, the highest of any African nation, but has vaccinated around 10 million people.

UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea could be prevented from taking their place in the tournament if it is hosted in South Africa as the country is on the British Government’s red list, meaning they would have to quarantine for 10 days upon their arrival back in England.

South Africa’s representatives at a home Club World Cup would be Mamelodi Sundowns, the club formerly owned by Motsepe until he became CAF President.

This year’s Club World Cup had been scheduled to be held in China under a revamped 24-team format before the postponement of Tokyo 2020 and other events forced FIFA to push it back.

FIFA then decided it would be staged using the traditional seven-team format.

Plans to hold a 24-team tournament appear to have been put on the backburner as FIFA is pushing for the main World Cup to be staged every two years rather than four, in a move which has drawn the ire of UEFA and its President Aleksander Čeferin.

Algeria’s Fethi Nourine and his coach Amar Benikhlef have been suspended for 10 years by the International Judo Federation (IJF) after withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics to avoid facing an Israeli opponent.

Nourine, 30, who was in the men’s -73kg class, said at the time that his political support for the Palestinian cause made it impossible to compete.

The IJF said the pair “with malicious intent” used the Games as a “platform for protest and promotion of political and religious propaganda”.

The governing body’s disciplinary commission said it was a “clear and serious breach” of its statutes, code of ethics and the Olympic charter.

Nourine was due to face Sudan’s Mohamed Abdalrasool in his first bout and a win would have paired him with Israel’s Tohar Butbul.

At the time he was provisionally suspended and the Algerian Olympic Committee withdrew their accreditation and sent them home.

The ban covers all IJF events and activities through to 23 July 2031, though they can appeal against the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The incident was not the first time that Nourine had withdrawn from competition to avoid facing an Israeli opponent. He pulled out of the 2019 World Championships in Tokyo for the same reason.

Substitute Gift Monday handed Nigeria a sweet 2-0 victory on the opening day of the maiden edition of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament in the City of Lagos.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State led eminent political big-wigs, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe led football’s top echelon, including President of NFF and FIFA Council Member Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to the showpiece at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.

Monday, interestingly a player of FC Robo Queens of Lagos, spun in the air to meet a cross by Captain Asisat Oshoala in the 83rd minute and nod past goalkeeper Fatoumata Karenta, six minutes after coming into the fray for Francisca Ordega.

The goal put the Super Falcons in the lead after a rather turgid day on Lagos island, with the Malians showing greater zest and desire in the opening half and returning after the recess with the same impressive fighting spirit.

The visiting Female Eagles had survived a raid on their area in the 5th minute as Nigeria looked to go into the lead with a corner, but the defence cleared. Nine minutes later, Ordega sidenetted from another quick dash upfront, and in the 18th minute, Ageusissa Diarra tested goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie from a 30-yard free-kick.

In the second half, Uchenna Kanu sidenetted in the 67th minute, before Oshoala, who should have scored with only the goalkeeper to beat, failed to get past Karenta. In the 74th minute, Karenta again saved from Kanu.

In the 83rd minute, Monday rose highest in the box and nodded past Karenta, bringing so much excitement to the Arena.

One minute into added time, Monday was again at the end of an Asisat assist, and looped the ball over an advancing Karenta to put huge smiles on the face of Nigerians.