NFF CONFIRM THE RETURN OF SUPER EAGLES COACH BANNED FOR COLLECTING BRIBE

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have confirmed the return of Super Eagles coach Salisu Yusuf who was banned from football for a year after being found guilty of collecting bribe.

Yusuf was caught on camera collecting N357, 000 ($1,000) from journalists posing as football agents who wanted him to select two players for the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

According to a statement from the NFF, Yusuf will now continue in his position as coach of the Super Eagles home-based side, Nigeria’s U23 side and assistant to Gernot Rohr. 

Coach Imama Amapakabo who had been acting in that capacity will not step aside. 

"The Nigeria Football Federation has noted that the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf has now fully served the one–year suspension clamped on him last year," NFF's statement reads.

"The Federation thanked Coach Imama Amapakabo for his sterling efforts while in charge of the U23 National Team in the absence of the suspended Yusuf, and for eventually seeing to the team’s qualification for the U23 AFCON.

FA PLANS FIRST WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKEND FIXTURES

English Football Association (FA) has announced the first ever Women’s Football Weekend on the back of the top-flight Women’s Super League’s (WSL) record-breaking return to action.

The event, taking place from 16th to 17th November during the men’s international break, will feature a North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the latter’s new 62,000-seater stadium. The weekend will also see Liverpool face Merseyside rivals Everton and Chelsea play Manchester United.

The FA has called on soccer fans to take advantage of the gap in the men’s domestic calendar to attend a women’s match at any level in the pyramid.

The move comes after the WSL’s opening weekend of the 2019/20 season saw a record-breaking 62,921 fans attend the first round of six games, representing a 12-fold increase on the start of the previous campaign.

CHELSEA TALKING TO POTENTIAL NEW SHIRT SPONSORS

Chelsea are actively talking to potential new shirt partners as they enter the final year of their deal with Yokohama Tyres, according to the Athletic.

The Blues’£200 million (US$46.4 million), five-year deal with the Japanese tyre company was the second biggest in the Premier League when it was signed in 2015, but it has since been matched or eclipsed by top six rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham. Manchester United’s £53 million (US$65.3 million) a year contract with Chevrolet is the most lucrative in the top flight.

Chelsea and their current partner reportedly held discussions about renewing their deal beyond 2020 during the club’s pre-season tour to Japan, which featured a match in Yokohama against Kawasaki Frontale - a request the sponsor had apparently been asking for since the partnership started.

With the deal set to run out at the end of the season, Chelsea, apparently with Yokohama’s ‘knowledge and understanding’, have been testing the market. The Athletic report added that it has seen communication between the club and one unnamed company regarding the inventory.

As an established member of the Premier League’s elite, Chelsea remain an attractive commercial proposition. In 2016 they agreed a kit deal with Nike worth a reported UK£60 million a season over 15 years and their six-year, UK£50 million (US$64.4 million) Hyundai sleeve sponsorship signed in 2018 also places them amongst the league’s highest commercial earners.

FIFA TO STREAM AFRICAN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS ON YOUTUBE

FIFA will stream African qualifying games for the 2022 World Cup live and free on its official website and YouTube channel.

It follows the organisation’s request for an ‘irrevocable mandate’ to market the media rights for all 54 Confederation of African Football (CAF) associations qualifying fixtures, effectively centralising them.

With the CAF members having agreed to hand over control, FIFA is now free to broadcast games to viewers across the globe, starting with the first-round matches featuring 28 teams which get underway from 4th September.

The governing body added it would announce via its website which games would be available to stream.

In a statement, FIFA said: ‘Bringing this exciting action to a global audience for the first time underscores FIFA’s ongoing digital transformation and its ongoing efforts to support football development in Africa.’

The decision comes amid a period of political unrest for CAF, which saw FIFA send in its general secretary Fatma Samoura to take over the running of the regional soccer confederation for an initial six months after the move was put forward by CAF President Ahmad Ahamd.

BOLTON SAVED AFTER TAKEOVER BY FOOTBALL VENTURES

Bolton Wanderers have been saved from liquidation after Football Ventures completed its takeover of the troubled third-tier English soccer club.

Bolton had been on the brink of folding after warnings from their administrators, David Rubin & Partners. The situation looked bleak after protracted negotiations between the club and Football Ventures, who were named as preferred bidders on 1st July, looked to have collapsed on 26th August.

The English Football League (EFL) subsequently gave Bolton 14 days to find a buyer or prove they could fund themselves for the reminder of the season. If not, the club would be removed from the competition.

But with the takeover by Football Ventures finally completed, the club have secured their immediate future.

"I'm delighted we've finally reached a satisfactory conclusion with the sale," said joint administrator Paul Appleton.

"I have every sympathy for the staff, players and fans who have been forced to stand by while their club was taken to the brink. I am delighted their loyalty, dedication and patience has finally been rewarded."

Appleton also went on to thank the Eddie Davies Trust and its efforts to save the club, while also criticising former owner Ken Anderson for hampering the deal.

"Even at the 11th hour when other parties were content to renege on their agreements, the Trust realised the very existence of Bolton Wanderers was at stake and were willing to find a compromise to save the club," he said.

“Sadly, Mr Anderson has used his position as a secured creditor to hamper and frustrate any deal that did not benefit him or suit his purposes.

"Thankfully, with the assistance of the Trust and others, we were able to overcome this obstacle.