West Brom forward Jay Rodriguez was yesterday charged by the Football Association over an incident involving Brighton’s Gaetan Bong during which he was accused of using racist language. Footage from the Premier League match on January 13 shows the pair arguing and bumping into each other, before Rodriguez holds his nose and waves his hand as if to gesture Bong smells. It is not clear what was said but Bong immediately complained to match official Martin Atkinson and the referee included the complaint in his report. The FA said Rodriguez, who strongly denies any wrongdoing, has been charged with using “abusive and/or insulting words which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race”.
Rodriguez, 28, who won one England cap in 2013, has until February 16 to respond to the FA charge. He could face a lengthy ban if found guilty. Cameroon defender Bong posted a since-deleted comment on his official Twitter feed after the game, saying: “Some words should not be said on a football field and specially not by players. Rodriguez words are unforgivable for the man I am!!” Bong appeared on an French television channel to say Rodriguez’s comment was “racist in nature”, and Brighton said their player had the club’s full backing as the FA opened its investigation. West Brom said they remained fully supportive of Rodriguez. Then Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned in 2011 for eight matches and fined by the FA after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

FIFA chief sets VAR ruling for next month
 FIFA President Gianni Infantino yesterday said football’s governing body will decide next month whether to officially endorse the video assistant referee, a move that could see the controversial technology used at the World Cup. VAR, so far trialled in nearly 1,000 matches, reviews key moments linked to goals, penalty decisions, straight red card decisions and cases of mistaken identity. Its merits have been vigorously debated by football fans and pundits across the world, with some criticising the introduction of tech for slowing down the game.
Speaking in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Infantino raised the prospect of VAR being co-opted into the rules of the global game well in time for the World Cup in Russia. “On the 3rd of March, we will decide whether the video assistant refereeing will be part of the laws of the game and will become an official help for referees or not,” the FIFA chief told reporters.
Infantino, who has previously endorsed the system, said he is “confident and positive” ahead of next month’s meeting. 

Kenyan punter hits jackpot with countryman’s goal
 A lucky Kenyan gambler won a record-breaking 230mn shilling ($2.2mn) sports betting jackpot, thanks to an English Premier League goal from fellow countryman Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur.
Gordon Opiyo, a 31-year-old shopkeeper in Nairobi’s sprawling, poor Kibera neighbourhood, took home the biggest jackpot in Kenyan history after correctly guessing the outcome of 17 matches in different European leagues.
The final prediction that sealed his good fortune was Sunday’s 2-2 draw between Spurs and Liverpool, in which midfielder and Kenyan captain Wanyama scored the first equaliser at Anfield to keep Tottenham — and Opiyo — in contention.
“I was happy when the Kenyan national football team captain Victor Wanyama and Harry Kane scored the two equalising goals for Tottenham in the dying minutes of the second half. I had stopped watching the game when Liverpool went one up,” said Opiyo.
The giant jackpot was paid out by Kenyan betting firm SportPesa.