JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (TICKER) -- Jacques Santini has been named France coach, succeeding Roger Lemerre, who was sacked after the World Cup defending champions' first round exit last month.

The 50-year old Santini steered Olympique Lyon to their first ever French league title last season. The first task for the new national coach will be to qualify France for the 2004 European championship finals in Portugal. They will start with an away game in Cyprus on September 7 after warming up in a friendly match in Tunisia on August 21. Slovenia, Israel and Malta are also in France's European qualifying group. ...

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES: Georgia has pulled out of next month's friendly against Estonia and has arranged a first ever meeting with Turkey instead.

"We were trying to get this (Turkey) match for two years and finally it came to reality," Valery Cholaria, secretary general of the Georgian soccer federation, told Reuters. "It's a major achievement and a big honor for us to play the team which finished third in the World Cup finals."

It will be the last warmup for both countries before they begin their respective Euro 2004 qualifying campaigns. Turkey, which is drawn with England, Slovakia, Macedonia and Liechtenstein in group seven, host the Slovaks in its Euro opener on September 7, while Georgia, grouped with Switzerland, Russia, Ireland and Albania, face the Swiss on the same day.

Cholaria also said that Georgia will try to reschedule its friendly with Estonia.

"We're playing Estonia next February in Tbilisi and we'll try to organize a return match in Tallinn next summer," he said.

Japan is hoping to play Argentina in a friendly on November 20 at Tokyo's National Stadium. It could be Japan's first international under former Brazil star Zico, who will replace Frenchman Philippe Troussier. The JFA also decided to host the Inter-Continental Cup at the Yokohama International Stadium on December 3 between European champions Real Madrid and whichever South American side wins their continental cup.

The USAs World Cup-winning womens team beat Norway 4-0 this past weekend on two assists and a goal from Tiffeny Milbrett. Cindy Parlow and Mia Hamm provided the rest of the fireworks as the Norwegians wilted in the brutal heat and humidity; it was close to 103 at kickoff. ...

AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Guinea Bissau became the second country to withdraw from the 2004 African Nations Cup qualifying competition, the Confederation of African Football announced in Cairo on July 22. Guinea Bissau was due to play with Egypt, Madagascar and Mauritius in group 10 of the qualifiers, starting with a home match against Mauritius on September 8.

In May, Djibouti announced their withdrawal from group one. They were scheduled to compete against Angola, Malawi and Nigeria and cited financial difficulties for their decision. CAF gave no reasons for Guinea Bissau's withdrawal but it is likely to have been caused by the travel costs the small west African country would have incurred, particularly away to Indian Ocean island opposition.

NAMES AND NOTES IN THE NEWS: Brazil World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said he would decide whether to continue at the helm during a meeting with Brazilian football officials July 29 or 30. During a press conference, Scolari made it clear he was not sure whether he would continue as Brazil coach.

Hernn Daro Gmez has ruled himself out of returning to the post of Colombian national coach. Gmez, who was in charge of Colombia at the 1998 World Cup finals where they exited in the first round, has only recently stepped down from the Ecuador position after leading them to their first ever World Cup finals. Gmez said he believed the best option for Colombia, whose previous coach Francisco Maturana stepped down in January when they failed to qualify for the finals, would be a foreign coach. While Gmez is keen on Brazilian Paulo Csar Carpegiani, Colombian Football Federation (FCF) president Alvaro Fina is believed to favor Jaime de la Pava, coach of Colombian champions Amrica de Cali.

The Republic of Congo has appointed Henri Endzanga as national coach. He replaces Romania's Eugene Moldovan, who was appointed to the post last year but later turned it down. Endzanga will lead Congo's bid to qualify for the 2004 African Nations Cup finals. They start their campaign with at home to Burkina Faso on September 8 and will also face the Central African Republic and Mozambique in their group, from which the winner qualifies for the Nations Cup finals.

Leeds United has agreed to sell England defender Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United for a British record transfer fee of 30 million pounds ($47 million). The 23-year-old Ferdinand will become the most expensive defender in soccer history if he agrees to personal terms with Manchester United, whose chief executive Peter Kenyon finally reached an agreement with Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale after days of negotiations.

"I did not want to sell Rio Ferdinand but he asked for a transfer last week and when your captain says he does not want to play for your club there comes a time when you have to make a decision and move on," Ridsdale told Sky Sports. "I feel a mixture of disappointment and some elation that the deal has been completed. Rio is a great player and a nice lad and he will go with our best wishes."

The fee for Ferdinand, who joined Leeds from West Ham United two years ago for 18 million pounds, will surpass the $35.4 million Juventus paid Italian rivals Parma for France defender Lilian Thuram in 2001. Manchester United also paid the previous British record transfer fee of 28.1 million pounds to Lazio for Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron in July 2001.

French midfielder Zinedine Zidane is the world's most expensive soccer player. He cost Spanish club Real Madrid $64.4 million when he moved from Juventus in 2001. The last Leeds player to join Manchester United was French striker Eric Cantona whose arrival at Old Trafford in 1992 inspired Manchester United to win the English title in 1993 for the first time in 26 years.

The Bolton Wanderers signed French defender Bernard Mendy from Paris St Germain on a one-year loan deal. The 20-year-old right back has agreed to terms at Reebok Stadium -- subject to a medical -- with the club agreeing to an option to sign him permanently at the end of the season

Nigeria's World Cup defender Joseph Yobo completed his move to Everton. The 21-year-old signed from French club Marseille for five million pounds (7.9 million dollars) on a one-year contract last week, pending a work permit application.

Senegal striker El-Hadji Diouf has signed a five-year deal with Liverpool.

"We can confirm that Diouf has signed a five-year deal that will keep him at Anfield until June 2007," a club spokesman said.

The former Lens striker, who has cost Liverpool 10 million pounds, was joined in training by fellow newcomers Alou Diarra and Bruno Cheyrou, who have both signed long-term deals at Anfield. French midfielder Diarra, 21, arrived on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, while 24-year-old Cheyrou joined for four million pounds from Lille Ireland defender Kenny Cunningham has completed his move to Birmingham City.

The deal for the Wimbledon player cost Birmingham about 3.5 million pounds ($5.51 million) and came as a surprise to him. The 31-year-old told Birmingham's website, "There were a number of reasons for my move but the main one was the attraction of premiership football. It was an opportunity too good to turn down." ...

Liverpool called off a proposed transfer by Lee Bowyer because manager Gerard Houllier is not convinced the Leeds United midfielder has the qualities required to play at Anfield Leicester City captain Matt Elliott, midfielder Dennis Wise and goalkeeper Tim Flowers were handed free transfers on July 22 as the relegated English first division club looked to cut their wage bill.

The 35-year-old Wise was sent home from a preseason training camp in Finland last week after an incident in which his teammate Callum Davidson suffered a fractured cheekbone. But the club said the three players had been informed before they left for the tour and that the two matters were unrelated.

Blackburn Rovers manager Graeme Souness has signed a new four-year contract with the English club.

"This is a first class club with a really bright future and the place I want to be," Souness, the former Liverpool and Rangers boss, told Blackburn's website on Monday. "I had no hesitation in agreeing to sign a new contract."

France promoted Nice have had their right to play in the French first division restored following their demotion to the third division on financial grounds.

"The decision was taken by a strong majority," FFF spokesman Jean-Yves Le Huede said after a council meeting. Nice finished third in the French second division last season and were one of four clubs to win promotion to the top flight, which is being increased from 18 to 20 clubs.

Nice's reinstatement ends Metz's hopes of remaining in the top flight. They were relegated after finishing last but one in first division.

German champions Borussia Dortmunds young Brazilian striker Ewerthon was stretchered off during a preseason friendly with an ankle injury and could miss the the August 9 season opener against Hertha Berlin. Eintracht Frankfurt has avoided relegation to Germany's lowly regional league after the former UEFA Cup winners retained their licence to play in the second division, despite concerns about the club's financial health.

The German Football League (DFL) said Eintracht could stay in the second division after courts in Stuttgart and Frankfurt reversed a German Football Association (DFB) decision in June, revoking their license because the club did not meet league financial rules.