The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Eric Chelle as the head coach of the Super Eagles.

The NFF announced the appointment of the Malian tactician in a statement on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old was recommended for the job by the NFF technical and development sub-committee on January 2. The federation’s executive committee endorsed the recommendation a few hours before the announcement.

He is the first-ever non-Nigerian African to be named the head coach of the Eagles.

Chelle was Mali’s head coach at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He led the team to the quarter-final, where the country lost to the hosts in extra time.

The coach’s reaction to the loss is perhaps one of the most unforgettable scenes from the tournament. He squatted and was hyperventilating. His assistants had to douse him with bottles of water to revive him.

He had only managed a slew of clubs in the lower rungs of French football, like GS Consolat, FC Martigues, and Boulogne, before he joined Mali in 2022.

During his playing days, he featured five times for the Malian senior men’s national team. He also had spells at teams like Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens, Istres, and Chamois Niortais in France.

Chelle’s appointment takes effect immediately, and he is responsible for guiding the Super Eagles to earn a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.

The Malian’s first task will be the next round of games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March. Nigeria are currently fifth in Group C of the qualifier. The team is also winless after four games.

United States Olympic sprinter Fred Kerley was tasered and arrested by police following a confrontation with officers in Miami, Florida.

The 29-year-old, who won 100m bronze at last summer’s Paris Games, faces charges of battery, resisting a police officer and breach of the peace following the incident on Thursday evening.

Officers were investigating another incident when Kerley approached them with an “aggressive demeanour” over concern about his car, according to a police report.

The report said Kerley “continued to resist officers and used evasive movements to avoid being arrested” before being wrestled to the ground by four officers.

Police bodycam footage shows Kerley getting back to his feet then being tasered and falling back to the floor before being taken into custody.

Local media in Miami reported, external that on Friday Kerley made an appearance in court and he has now been released on bail.

His lawyer said the incident had been a “total misunderstanding”.

As well as his bronze in Paris, Kerley also won 100m silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and gold at the 2022 World Championships.

He has also won world 4x100m and 4x400m gold medals, and has recorded the sixth-fastest 100m time in history with 9.76 seconds.

Gift Orban, former Super Eagles invitee, has completed a move to Germany’s Hoffenheim from Olympique Lyon.

The German Bundesliga side announced the 22-year-old centre forward’s signature in a post on their X handle.

Orban signed a four-year deal and will wear jersey number 14 at his new club.

The move ends Orban’s torrid one-year spell at Lyon, in which he featured in 21 matches, scoring only five times.

He has only played five times this season, playing three Ligue 1 and two Europa League games, respectively.

The pacey striker has not been included in nine of the last 10 league matches for Lyon. Orban’s previous league appearance was on September 22, while he last played in a match for the former French League champions in the Europa League, coincidentally against his new club. The game ended 2-2, with Orban lasting 62 minutes before substitution.

Orban, who scored 32 goals in 52 matches for Genk before his move to Lyon, posted on his X that he handled his excitement about swapping France for Germany. He described his new home as “wonderful.”

“New year, new adventures! Excited to be part of This Wonderful Club Hoffenheim,” said Orban.

Andreas Schicker, Hoffenheim’s sporting director, was also excited about the player’s joining the club and believed his attacking skills would improve the struggling side.

“In Gift Orban, we have found exactly the fast striker with good depth that we were looking for. He has proven time and time again his goalscoring talent and his enjoyment of playing.

“We are therefore confident that he will bring our team greater offensive variability thanks to his abilities.”