Nine-time Nigerian league champions, Enyimba International FC of Aba, has signed former Super Eagles’ striker and 2013 AFCON winner Brown Ideye.

Biztellers reports that Ideye signed till the end of the 2024/25 season.

The Sporting Director of the ‘Nzogbu-Nzogbu Boys’ and ex-international, Ifeanyi Ekwueme, made the disclosure on Tuesday.

Ekwueme said, “The talks have been going on for a while and we completed it yesterday.

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“He will be with us until the end of the season and we believe he will bolster our team’s attack as we compete in the league and the continent.”

It was gathered that Ideye, 36, has been without a club since leaving Kuwaiti side Al Yarmouk in 2022 but he is now set to stage a return to Nigeria’s top flight, taking after former international teammates Ahmed Musa and Abdullahi Shehu who are currently playing for Kano Pillars.

The move will also mark the return of Ideye to the domestic scene 17 years after he left Ocean Boys in 2006.

Ideye was on the verge of joining former league champions Rivers United in October but the move collapsed.
Enyimba have two matches crucial to their domestic and continental aspirations in the next five days as they play Sunshine Stars on Wednesday in a rescheduled NPFL game before travelling to Maputo, Mozambique for their third group game in the CAF Confederation Cup against Black Bulls.

David Coote, a Premier League referee, has been dismissed by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following a comprehensive investigation into multiple allegations of misconduct.

The decision, announced in a statement on Monday, comes after weeks of scrutiny over Coote’s actions, which the PGMOL described as “serious breaches” of his employment contract.

“David Coote’s actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract,” the statement read.

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“Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us, and we remain committed to his welfare.”

Coote, 42, retains the right to appeal the decision, leaving the possibility of further legal or procedural developments.

The controversy surrounding Coote began in early November when a video surfaced online, reportedly showing him making derogatory remarks about Liverpool FC and their former manager, Jürgen Klopp.

The comments allegedly referenced Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Burnley in July 2020—a match officiated by Coote that drew sharp criticism from Klopp over refereeing decisions.

The situation escalated on November 13 when The Sun published images allegedly showing Coote using a white powder during the summer’s European Championship.

In response, the PGMOL launched an investigation, describing the allegations as “very serious.”

The fallout extended beyond England, with UEFA suspending Coote and initiating its own probe.

Meanwhile, the FA opened a separate investigation into an alleged incident from 2019, where Coote was accused of discussing a yellow card decision ahead of a Championship match between Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion. Coote denied the claim, calling it “false and defamatory.”

While Coote’s dismissal concludes the PGMOL’s investigation, questions remain over the impact of these allegations on the integrity of football officiating.

The case has also raised concerns about the pressures faced by referees in high-stakes matches.

The PGMOL reiterated its commitment to Coote’s welfare, emphasizing the sensitive nature of the dismissal.

However, with Coote denying wrongdoing and holding the right to appeal, the matter may not be fully resolved.

The manager of Arsenal FC, Mikel Arteta is looking forward to the English Premiership League (EPL) side dominating all aspects of football.

This came to the fore after the London side defeated their EPL rival, Manchester United with two set-piece goals in their clash on December 4.

The defeat despite marking the first time the Gunners would defeat the Red Devils in four consecutive EPL ties sparked reactions with many dubbing the London side set-piece kings. The Red Devils conceded 13 corner-kicks in the game.

Biztellers reports that other teams in Europe now fear that the Gunners have turned the corner-kick into a penalty, having used the same to great effects in Europe and domestic cup ties.

When the media took on Arteta on the matter after the encounter, he maintained that his objective has always been to see his side dominate on every aspect of football.

Arteta said, “Well we want to be the kings of everything.

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“On set-pieces we want to be the best in the world. High press, the best in the world. Attacking open spaces, the best in the world. Best atmosphere. The best at everything.

“Before it was we weren’t scoring enough goals. We were soft when defending. We didn’t have mentality. We weren’t physical enough. We could not challenge the top teams, 22 years, 17 years without winning away from home in big matches.

“We want to be the best at everything now. The best academy. The best individual development for players. The best recruitments. The best coaches. The best players. The best of the best. That’s the aim.

“If that’s not the objective then we should be working somewhere else.”

The Arteta-tutored side would be squaring up with London rivals, Fulham FC in an epic EPL tie on Saturday afternoon. The derby would see Fulham line up at least three former Arsenal stars with a view to upsetting the more illustrious neighbours.

Those likely to feature for Fulham in the encounter, include Nigerian-born Alex Iwobi, who netted twice to lift his side to victory in their midweek encounter. Others include, their former first-team goalkeeper, Bernd Leno. Reiss Nelson is ineligible to play because of the terms of his loan move but he, Emile Smith Rowe.

The three outfield players are Arsenal academy graduates.