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The English Football Association has withdrawn its support for under-fire FIFA president Gianni Infantino after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, according to reports on Thursday.

The BBC and Sky said the FA has sent a letter underlining its refusal to back Infantino, who wanted to sell a 20 percent stake in the World Cup to private equity investors through his FIFA Forward Enterprise.

The plan sparked a cascade of criticism for Infantino and was rejected by European body UEFA and two other continental confederations, forcing him to scrap the scheme last week.

Amid growing calls for his resignation, the 56-year-old received the backing of senior FIFA directors at an emergency meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.

But UEFA turned the heat back up on Infantino on Thursday when it said it would maintain its plan to boycott the men’s and women’s World Cups in protest at his “shabby” plot.

UEFA said in a statement that FIFA’s support of Infantino “changed nothing”.

According to British media, the English FA has joined the chorus of disapproval by refusing to support his bid for re-election as FIFA president next year.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who now works for FIFA, and ex-Portugal star Luis Figo are among the leading names from the football world to condemn Infantino’s plan.

As Infantino clings to his role, global players’ union, FIFPRO on Thursday condemned FIFA and its president for their “abuse of power”.

FIFA had said during Wednesday’s meeting that “mistakes” were “acknowledged”.

World football’s governing body insisted it was “not the intention” for the FIFA Council and member associations to “feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently”.

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Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of Matthias Jaissle as the club’s new head coach following the departure of Eddie Howe.

The Genius Media Nigeria reports that the English Premier League club announced the appointment on Wednesday, with the 38-year-old German taking over at St. James’ Park after a successful spell with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.

Although Jaissle has built an impressive coaching résumé in recent years, he is yet to manage a club in one of Europe’s top-flight leagues.

Reacting to his appointment, Jaissle expressed delight at joining Newcastle, describing the opportunity as one of the biggest moments of his coaching career.

“It is an incredible honour to become head coach of Newcastle United.

“This is one of the biggest clubs in European football, with a unique history, identity and supporter base, and I am excited to experience that passion and connection first-hand.

“When Newcastle United comes your way, you take notice. The ambition of the club, the vision for the future and the opportunity ahead made this an incredibly compelling place to be. I have followed the club’s journey closely in recent years and the progress that has been made is clear for everyone to see,” he said.

Jaissle’s playing career ended prematurely at the age of 25 after he suffered an injury.

He moved into coaching and got his first managerial opportunity with Austrian club Liefering, where he guided the team to a second-place finish in the second division, matching the club’s best-ever league performance.

In 2021, he was appointed head coach of Red Bull Salzburg and enjoyed immediate success, leading the Austrian giants to back-to-back league titles as well as lifting the Austrian Cup.

He later joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in 2023, where he further enhanced his reputation by leading the club to consecutive AFC Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026.

Jaissle takes charge of a Newcastle side looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2025/26 campaign.

His predecessor, Eddie Howe, transformed the Magpies during his five-year spell at the club after replacing Steve Bruce in November 2021.

Howe guided Newcastle back into the UEFA Champions League in 2023 before securing qualification again in 2025.

His biggest achievement came in March 2025 when Newcastle defeated Liverpool in the League Cup final to win their first major trophy since 1969.

Despite his earlier successes, Howe came under increasing pressure last season as Newcastle struggled in the Premier League.

The uncertainty surrounding striker Alexander Isak’s prolonged transfer to Liverpool affected the team’s campaign, with the Magpies finishing 12th after suffering 17 defeats in 38 league matches.

Newcastle also reached the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 but were convincingly beaten 8-3 on aggregate by Barcelona.

The club has since lost more key players during the summer transfer window, with midfielder Sandro Tonali joining Tottenham Hotspur and England international Anthony Gordon completing a move to Barcelona.

Jaissle will now be expected to rebuild the squad and restore Newcastle’s challenge for European qualification and domestic honours.

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The 10 time Winner and the defending champion, has Nigeria’s Super Falcons defeated Egypt 6-2 in an 8-goal thriller during their final Group C match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Rabat, Morocco.

Needing victory to keep their knockout-stage hopes alive after losing to Malawi and beating Zambia in their opening two matches, the 10-time African champions delivered an emphatic performance at the Stade Larbi Zaouli.

Nigeria took the lead in the 21st minute when Asisat Oshoala calmly converted a penalty after the referee awarded a spot kick following a VAR review for a possible handball.

The Super Falcons doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time through substitute Gift Monday, who scored her first goal of the tournament with a decisive finish.

Egypt, however, pulled one back moments before the break after Nadine Ghazi converted a penalty awarded following another VAR review, sending the teams into half-time with Nigeria leading 2-1.

Nigeria resumed the second half on the front foot and restored their two-goal cushion in the 57th minute when substitute Uchenna Kanu capitalised on a defensive lapse to score.

The pressure continued to pay off as the Super Falcons were awarded another penalty after a VAR check in the 78th minute.

Christy Ucheibe stepped up in the 81st minute and calmly placed the ball into the right corner to make it 4-1.

Egypt responded three minutes later through Ghazi, who grabbed her second goal of the game to reduce the deficit to 4-2.

Any hopes of an Egyptian comeback were quickly extinguished when Nigeria won a fourth penalty after another VAR review late in the match.

Captain Rashidat Ajibade confidently converted in the 91st minute to extend the lead to 5-2.

Deep into stoppage time, Ajibade turned provider, setting up Joy Omewa, who rounded off the scoring in the 94th minute to complete a resounding 6-2 victory.

Nigeria finished the match with 59 per cent possession and six goals from a relentless attacking performance that secured their place in the last eight of the continental competition.

The encounter also saw several disciplinary incidents, with Egypt’s Essam H., Menna Tarek and Nour Abdelwahed all booked, while Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie and substitute Uchenna Kanu received yellow cards. Egypt coach Mohamed Kamal was also cautioned late in the game.

The convincing win sends the Super Falcons into the WAFCON 2026 quarter-finals with renewed momentum after recovering from their opening defeat of the tournament.

The scorers are:

Asisat Oshoala

Gift Monday

Uchenna Kanu

Christy Ucheibe

Rasheedat Ajibade

Joy Omewa