Arouna Kone helped Wigan Athletic to a historic English FA Cup triumph on Saturday after they edged compatriot Yaya Toure's Manchester City 1:0 in the final.

Wigan's determination to lift the crown for the first time in their history was helped by the sending off of Argentine defender Pablo Zabaleta in the 84th minute.

Kone and Yaya played every moment of the thrilling game which was decided in the 91st minute when substitute Ben Watson headed home from a corner kick.

Toure came close to scoring early on, but his shot was turned away by Spain's U-21 star Joel Robles who was in goal for Wigan.

FIFA hit French second-tier league leader Nantes with a one-year ban on registering new players Monday for luring forward Ismael Bangoura to break his contract with another club.

FIFA made Nantes and Guinea international Bangoura jointly liable to pay €4.5 million ($6.1 million) compensation to Dubai club Al Nasr over the January 2012 deal.

Nantes said it would challenge the "surprising" ruling.

"The sanction is heavy both financially and sportingly," Nantes said in a statement, pledging to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Kenya captain Dennis Oliech was unveiled at his new French Ligue 1 club AC Ajaccio on Tuesday alongside defender Matthieu Chalmé.

Oliech completed his move from French Ligue 2 side Aj Auxerre after signing a two and half year contract and was handed a number 29 jersey. Club President Leo Luciani welcomed the arrival of the Kenyan striker terming him 'a powerful and fast striker who brings a lot of experience to the club.'

Oliech said after completing the switch that he was elated to make a return to France's top flight league.

"I am very exited to have joined AC Ajaccio and will look forward to working hard to win a place in the starting eleven. I know it will be difficult to get straight into the starting squad but hopefully all will go well."

Kenya’s skipper and long-time AJ Auxerre hit man Denis Oliech is set to complete his move to French Ligue 1 outfit AC Ajaccio FC on Tuesday.

Ajaccio announced on its official website that the Kenyan centre forward, who has mainly been deployed as a winger at his Ligue 2 side, is set to join after agreeing personal terms.

No further details of the move were made public but it is believed that the versatile attacker has landed an improved deal.

As exclusively reported by Goal.com last week, Oliech had indicated his desire to quit the Ligue 2 side, either in January or at the end of this season and his brother and manager Nixon now says the Corsica-based club have landed a bargain.

Mali have called up uncapped striker Mana Dembele from French club Clermont Foot to replace Mamadou Samassa in their training squad for the African Nations Cup finals, officials said on Tuesday.

Italy-based Samassa pulled out of the team's preparations in Bamako because of injury.

Dembele, who was born in Paris, has scored seven goals in Ligue 2 this season, prompting his first call-up by Mali.

The 24-year-old might yet not make the squad, however, as Mali coach Patrick Carteron has to cut five players before Wednesday's deadline for submitting his final 23 for the tournament in South Africa.

Gabon captain and first choice goalkeeper Didier Ovono on Tuesday announced he was suspending his international career to concentrate on the search for a new club after he became a free agent last June following the expiration of his three-year contract with French Ligue 2 side Le Mans.

“I need to re-launch my club career. I need to secure a new club and a new contract to strengthen my professional career. And for this reason, I’m stepping aside from the Gabon national team to have the time and focus needed for my current ambition,” he said.

Ovono has been playing with the Panthers since 2002 and was a member of the squad that reached the quarterfinals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

French coach Kamel Djabour has been appointed the new national coach of Congo, replacing his Auxerre colleague Jean-Guy Wallemme who resigned last week, the Congo Football Federation said on Sunday.

The 52-year-old Djabour served as assistant to Wallemme at both the Ligue 2 club and with the Congo side, who lead their World Cup qualifying group after the first two matches in June.

Wallemme resigned last week saying he could no longer combine the two jobs and the Congolese have moved swiftly to promote his assistant.

Djabour has quit his functions at Auxerre to take up the post, the club website www.aja.fr confirmed on Sunday.

Jean-Guy Wallemme has resigned as coach of Congo, saying he is unable to combine the job with his role in charge of French Ligue 2 club AJ Auxerre.

His decision to step down came after he was criticised following Auxerre's home loss at the weekend after the 45-year-old Frenchman had spent a week away with Congo for friendly matches in the Middle East.

"I have made the decision in the interests of the club. It is regrettable given the relationship I have with the Congolese but the situation at Auxerre makes it necessary," he told the French sports daily L'Equipe.

The FIFA Appeal Committee on Tuesday rejected an appeal from Benin international Khaled Adenon, who was handed a one-year suspension from all national and international matches by the world’s football governing body last August for assaulting a referee.

The 27-year-old defender of French Ligue 2 side Le Mans has decided to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a spokesman for his club said on Wednesday.

Adenon, who has put up 63 appearances with his side across two seasons, was sent off for a rough tackle during the Rwanda-Benin 1-1 clash last June in the FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifier played in the Rwandan capital Kigali.

Monaco attacking midfielder Nacer Barazite has decided to switch allegiance in favour of Morocco national team, officials confirmed on Sunday.

Born in Arnhem in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Moroccan father, the 22-year-old who kicked off his senior career with Arsenal in 2007, has played for the Dutch U17, U19, U20 and U21 national teams but is yet to receive invitation to the senior outfit which makes him eligible to play for the Lions of Atlas.

“I have played for the junior teams of the Netherlands. That was then and it helped me to develop and horn my skills,” Barazite said.