Sports Briefs

FIFA appoints first female secretary general

MEXICO CITY (AP):

FIFA's corruption crisis was declared to be over by president Gianni Infantino yesterday as the scandal-battered governing body broke new ground by appointing a Senegalese United Nations (UN) official as their first female and first non-European secretary general.

Fatma Samoura has no experience working in sports, but Infantino hopes that will help it try to regain the trust and credibility of the world after far-reaching corruption, bribery, and financial misconduct. The organisation also swelled to 211 members after Gibraltar and Kosovo were admitted.

"Nobody can change the past, but I can shape the future," Infantino told his first FIFA Congress as president since succeeding the banned Sepp Blatter.

"FIFA is back on track, so I can officially inform you here, the crisis is over."

The 54-year-old Samoura, who will replace the fired Jerome Valcke if she passes an eligibility check, is currently working in development for the UN in Nigeria.