The Nigeria Football Federation has announced the appointment of Finidi George as new Super Eagles head coach.

The former international beat Emmanuel Amuneke to the job.

George, who spent 20 months as an assistant to José Santos Peseiro before the Portuguese voluntarily left the post following the accomplishment of Africa Cup of Nations runner-up position at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, took charge of the squad in an interim capacity during two friendly matches in Morocco last month.

George’s immediate task will be to guide the Super Eagles to victory in two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, in a little over five weeks.

The matches are must-win encounters, with the Super Eagles lagging behind in third place in Group C of the African campaign behind Rwanda and South Africa.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta cautioned against overconfidence despite the thrilling 3-2 win over local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a hard-fought London derby on Sunday.

The Gunners surged ahead with a three-goal lead by halftime, but Spurs staged a spirited comeback, narrowing the gap to just one goal in the second half.

“Don’t get carried away with yourself. Just understand we have to be better, we want to be better. There’s room for improvement, and we go again against Bournemouth,” Arteta emphasized.

League leaders Arsenal will face Bournemouth next Saturday, followed by crucial matches against Manchester United and Everton, as they aim to maintain their position at the top of the table and fend off competition from Manchester City.

“We are right on it. The motivation and what lies ahead are exhilarating,” Arteta told reporters after a nerve-wracking finish against Tottenham, who nearly salvaged a draw in the closing moments.

Despite setbacks like the recent home loss to Aston Villa and Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, Arsenal has demonstrated resilience. They secured wins against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea, followed by a crucial victory over Spurs, a feat Arteta acknowledged as challenging.

Nevertheless, Arteta expressed confidence in his team’s readiness for the title race, highlighting their courage and determination.

“They’ve played a lot of minutes, a lot of games. It’s an emotionally demanding month, but yesterday I had to stop them in training because they wanted more. That’s a promising sign,” Arteta remarked.

“This team has a lot of courage and determination to make it happen. I have faith in the players.”

Arteta couldn’t help but smile as he admitted to moments of doubt in the final minutes of the match.

Manchester City continued their pursuit of a fourth consecutive Premier League title with a decisive 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Goals from Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland secured the win for the defending champions.

Pep Guardiola’s side now sits just one point behind league leaders Arsenal, with a game in hand, after the Gunners secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day.

“I think the most important thing is to not dwell on the title race, especially at these moments, but to take it day by day,” Haaland told reporters. “Honestly, if you overthink, you’re going to drive yourself crazy, so it’s important to relax now, enjoy, and focus on the next game.”

Forest managed to hold City at bay in a tense first half at the sun-drenched City Ground before Gvardiol broke the deadlock with a header from Kevin De Bruyne’s corner kick in the 32nd minute. Forest had been reduced to 10 men temporarily due to an injury to Neco Williams.

“I didn’t expect to score, but I found myself in a good position,” said Gvardiol. “We need to stay focused on ourselves, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We have four more finals until the end — let’s do it.”

Haaland, returning from injury, made an immediate impact as a substitute when he received a pass from De Bruyne in the 71st minute and found the back of the net with a clinical finish, marking his 21st goal of the season and securing his position as the league’s top scorer.

“It was a tough game, but we were prepared for that,” Guardiola commented. “The quick turnaround from our previous match against Brighton made it challenging, but the players showed great resilience.”

Despite Forest’s precarious position just above the relegation zone in 17th place, they put up a spirited performance, registering 14 shots compared to City’s 11. The home side even had a golden opportunity to score, but Chris Wood failed to convert from close range.

Forest’s struggles extend beyond the pitch, as they were recently docked four points for breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations. Additionally, the club’s criticism of refereeing standards following their loss to Everton prompted an investigation by the FA.

Manager Nuno Espirito Santo praised his team’s efforts, saying, “We played well, remained organized, and created chances. Considering the difficulty of facing City, I’m pleased with the attitude and performance of our squad.”

City faced adversity with goalkeeper Ederson leaving the field with an injury at halftime and Phil Foden sidelined due to illness. However, they remain focused on their upcoming fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United as they push for another title triumph.