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Fufa's Deputy CEO Decolas Kiiza has stated Juliet Nalukenge's Goal.com NXGN 2021 honour will push Uganda's ambition of becoming the number one nation in Africa.  

The Crested Cranes' starlet was mentioned among the promising talents due to what she has achieved with the team in the Cecafa U17 and Cosafa U17 competitions as well as in the World Cup qualifiers.

"It is a big achievement not only for the player but for women’s football in Uganda as well," Kiiza told the Fufa website .

"As Fufa, we have the mission of becoming the number one football nation in Africa on and off the pitch and this gives us belief that we are on the right path."

On her part, Nalukenge said the honour will act as a great source of motivation as she chases her dream.
   
"I’m thankful and happy for this award. It is a big honour to be recognised globally and I’m optimistic that this will motivate me to even work harder," the senior form six student at Kawempe Muslim secondary school said.

Nalukenge's efforts were key when Uganda won the Cecafa U17 competition in 2019 in Jinja and also in the Cosafa Girls championship - where she made her debut in 2018 - when the starlet scored 18 goals in just five games.
  
Nalukenge won the 2019 Uganda Women’s Footballer of the Year award, is already capped at senior level and harbours her own dreams of playing professionally in Europe.

"Winning the Fufa Women's Player of the Year was a huge thing for me. There are other girls who had equally successful seasons and to be chosen as the best meant a lot for me especially at my age,"  she said then .

She was also key as the Crested Cranes continued with the pursuit for Women’s World Cup qualification, where they were scheduled to play Cameroon in the final round before it was cancelled.

She was also the top scorer in the junior World Cup qualifiers as she had already scored five goals in four games.

Maika Hamano, 10th on the list of honour, Haley Bugeja of Sassuolo in eighth, Brighton's Maya Le Tissier who is seventh and sixth-placed Mary Folwer of Montpellier and Australia, are among the promising starlets listed with the Ugandan.

Lyon's target Melchie Dumornay, Alexis Missimo of USA, Mexican Alison Gonzalez, former Ajax starlet Nikita Tromp and Sweden's Hanna Bennison are fifth, fourth, third, second and first, respectively on the list.
 

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon believes that Gareth Bale has been left disappointed by his loan move back to Tottenham.

Bale retraced his steps back to London in September last year to much fanfare, having fallen out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu under Zinedine Zidane.

The Wales international has featured in only 12 Premier League matches since his arrival, however, and Calderon believes that both the player and Spurs manager Jose Mourinho are not happy with the situation.

What has been said?

Bale still has a year left to run on his contract in Madrid and recently stated his intent to return to Spain after his loan expires.

“He's not happy about his time at Tottenham and Mourinho doesn't seem to be very happy either,” Calderon told talkSPORT.

“He's not counting on him in many matches and Bale is disappointed. Maybe that's the reason he would like to return [to Real Madrid].”

Bale's Blanco boo boys

Despite scoring a number of incredible – and important – goals during his time in the Spanish capital, the winger does not enjoy the most friendly of relationships with the club's fans.

Indeed, Bale has been derided for seemingly not giving his all for Madrid and came under fire for displaying a “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.” flag while on international duty.

Calderon, however, believes Bale can get fans back in his corner simply by delivering the goods on the pitch.

“Fans are very volatile, it depends on his performances,” he said.

“If he’s going to play well and score goals like he did when he came then fans will back him. But if he’s not then problems will come again. 

“This club is very demanding, I remember with Zidane they were booing him for the first five months because they thought we’d paid a lot of money for a player that wasn’t playing as they expected.

“I’m sure fans will be backing him if he does things well.”

Further reading

Baroka FC central midfielder Goodman Mosele has commented on reports linking him with Orlando Pirates.

The 21-year-old is one of the brightest young talents in the country and he has been a consistent performer for Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele this season. 

Pirates are the latest club to be linked with Mosele with the Buccaneers said to have convinced the South Africa under-23 international to join the Soweto giants at the end of the current season.

Mosele has also been constantly linked with Pirates' arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs since last season, when he had an outstanding campaign for Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele and he was named PSL Young Player of the Season. 

The Limpopo-born player dismissed the reports suggesting that he will be moving to the Buccaneers in the upcoming PSL transfer window. 

“These are all rumours,” Mosele said when speaking on Daily Sun. 

“I haven’t heard anything from my employers and representatives.”

Chiefs have been unable to make a move on Mosele as the Glamour Boys are currently banned from registering new players until July 2021. 

Chiefs were hit with a ban after they were found guilty by Fifa of illegally signing Andriamirado "Dax" Andrianarimanana in 2018‚ when he had a contract with his former club, Fosa Juniors in native Madagascar.

Mosele did admit that he was flattered by the reports linking him with the two biggest football clubs in the country. 

“It keeps me going. It’s not really getting into me. I’m happy here. If the chairman feels it’s the right [move] then yeah,” he concluded. 

Mosele played a vital role in helping Baroka avoid relegation from the PSL last season - playing 26 times across all competitions. 

The lanky player has featured in 18 matches in the league thus far this term and he has also captained Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele a couple of times.

He is currently part of South Africa's under-23 squad comprising of only locally-based players in a training camp in Durban. 

The training camp is part of the preparations for the Olympic Games scheduled for Tokyo, Japan from July 23 to August 8 and the team is under the guidance of coach David Notoane.

The Nigeria senior national team received a big boost ahead of their African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho following the arrival of Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho on Wednesday morning.

According to a tweet on the Super Eagles’ social media handle, the 24-year-old star completes Gernot Rohr’s list of invited foreign-based professionals, having touched down at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island.

“Good morning...Update! Kelechi has arrived.,” the tweet read.

Goal had gathered that Iheanacho could not join the rest of the team earlier owing to delays in his flight schedule.

The former Manchester City prodigy - who has been in terrific form recently – bagged a double and an assist as Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes secured a 3-1 victory over Manchester United in Sunday’s FA Cup last eight fixture at the King Power Stadium.

In the process, the Nigerian became one of only two players – along with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero - to score 20 or more goals in England’s cup competitions over the last six years.

For context, only Aguero - with 21 goals - has scored more during that period in the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Iheanacho has also had a direct hand in 15 goals in his 15 starts across all competitions this season and has found the back of the net in each of his last four games, including a hat-trick against Sheffield United.

The 2013 U17 World Cup Golden Ball winner is expected to join Rohr’s team when they go to the Teslim Balogun Stadium in the evening to finetune strategies for Saturday’s crunch tie against coach Michel Dussuyer’s men at the Stade Charles de Gaulle.

The three-time Africa champions will travel by waterways on Friday morning, and will stay the night in the Beninoise capital, Cotonou before moving to Porto Novo on Saturday for the game.

LIST OF PLAYERS IN CAMP

Ahmed Musa, William Troost-Ekong, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Henry Onyekuru, Peter Etebo, Adekunle Adeleke, Chidozie Awaziem, Abdullahi Shehu, Anayo Iwuala, John Noble, Alex Iwobi, Leon Balogun, Joe Aribo, Tyronne Ebuehi, Maduka Okoye, Jamilu Collins, Paul Onuachu, Francis Uzoho, Zaidu Sanusi, Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen, Iheanacho

Portugal boss Fernando Santos has offered Cristiano Ronaldo advice on his future while insisting that the Juventus superstar doesn't have "any problem in terms of mentality".

Ronaldo's future at Juve was thrown into doubt following their surprise last-16 Champions League exit at the hands of Porto earlier this month.

It has been suggested that the Italian giants are now ready to listen to offers for the 36-year-old, with Santos prepared to help the striker make a decision on his next move during the current international break.

What's been said?

"I give advice to Cristiano personally. I was his head coach when he was 18, and we have a close relationship," the Portugal head coach said of his captain at a press conference ahead of this week's 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

"We talk a lot, but these are private conversations between friends. We don't really have a coach-player relationship, but it is different when he is in the national team.

"If he asks me for any advice, I will let him know what I think."

Santos also dismissed any suggestion that Ronaldo's struggles at Juve will affect his mindset at international level.

"When Cristiano is with the national team, he always comes with the same vision, the same passion, the same will, the same joy," he added

"He always gives 100 per cent when he comes to the national team. I don't think he has any problem in terms of mentality at the moment."

Who has been linked with Ronaldo?

Real Madrid are reportedly eager to bring Ronaldo back to Santiago Bernabeu when the summer transfer window reopens, having been unable to achieve the same success in terms of silverware since selling him to Juve for €100 million (£86m/$118m) in 2018.

Zinedine Zidane has publicly welcomed the prospect of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's return, telling Sky Italia: "Are the rumours true? Yes, it could be. We know Cristiano, we know what he has done for Real Madrid. We'll see what his future will be."

Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with an interest in Ronaldo, who has been tipped to link up with long-time rival Lionel Messi at Parc des Princes as the Barcelona talisman nears the end of his current contract at Barcelona.

Manchester United has been mooted as a potential landing spot for the Portuguese, too, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having played alongside him when he became one of the world's best players at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009.

"I played with Cristiano and he’s been the best player in the world alongside Messi for the past 10 to 15 years now," the United boss said of Ronaldo at the start of the month. “You’d take him in your team, for sure.”

Can Ronaldo still deliver at the highest level?

Juventus have allowed their standards to dip significantly as a collective this season while dropping out of Europe and the Serie A title race, but Ronaldo's output in the final third remains as impressive as ever.

The former Madrid striker has hit 30 goals in 34 games across all competitions for Andrea Pirlo's side this term, taking his overall tally for the club to 95 in 123 appearances.

Those numbers prove that Ronaldo is still one of the most deadly forwards in European football, despite the fact he is now heading towards his-late thirties, and he will likely be able to take his pick from a whole host of high-profile potential suitors should he decide to leave Juve in the summer.

Further reading

Ghana goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim was livid by accusations of age-cheating.

The shot-stopper first made headlines in 2017 when he represented Ghana at the U17 World Cup in India aged 14, the youngest member of the team at the time.

Two years on, he graduated to the Ghana U20 squad that played at the Afcon in Niger, and made a return to the tournament again this year as the Black Satellites was triumphant in Tanzania earlier this month.

"I was so down when we went to the Under-17 World Cup and people back home were accusing me of age cheating," Danlad, who recently completed a loan move from Asante Kotoko to King Faisal, told Untoldstories TV GH.

"I was feeling very bad because I was fighting for my country and my people are doing this to me on social media and everywhere.

“It affected me and it showed in our game against Mali which I even made a mistake and we got eliminated from the competition.

“But now I have grown to accept that criticism is part of the job as Neymar always says it. So now it doesn’t worry me at all when people make those accusations against me."

At the U17 World Cup, Ghana reached the quarter-final before losing 2-1 to continental counterparts Mali, the winning goal a result of a Danlad error.

"Sometimes when playing in the rains, the gloves get so wet and slippery,'' Danlad said of his costly error after Ghana's elimination at the time.

''I made my mind to push the ball out because I didn’t want to take the chance of trying to grab it. There was not so much power behind the ball and I didn’t get the movement of the ball well.

''It pains me a lot that the team couldn’t go beyond this stage. We had plans of taking the name of Ghana high in this competition, but it didn’t work out. I'm sorry for the mistake I committed."

Danlad's good showing in Tanzania saw him adjudged as the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

On his return to Ghana, he, together with Steadfast FC attacker Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Dreams FC right-back Philemon Baffour were drafted into the west Africans' senior squad ahead of upcoming Afcon qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe. 

QUICK FACTS

Country: Oman

FIFA Ranking: 81

Nickname: Al-Ahmar (The Reds)

Last match played: Oman vs Jordan (20 March 2021)

Coach: Branko Ivankovic
 

TEAM PROFILE

Like India, Oman too have never featured in the World Cup. Their best record in the qualifiers arrived in the 1998 edition when they won four of the six games in Group 4 but they finished behind Japan who walked away with the sole qualification berth. Oman are currently second in the ongoing qualifiers, four points behind Qatar (16 points from 6 games) who have played a game more.

After poor form on the international stage before the turn of the millennium, The Reds saw a change in fortune under coach Milan Macala. They qualified for their first-ever Asian Cup campaign in 2004 and have been consistent on the continental stage ever since.

Oman followed Group stage exits in the 2004, 2007 and 2015 editions with an improved show in 2019 where they qualified to the last-16. They qualified as one of the best third-placed sides after finishing behind Uzbekistan and Japan. Oman were then eliminated after a 2-0 defeat to Asian heavyweights Iran.

They have slowly established themselves as one of the strongest sides in the Gulf region, as evidenced by their consistency in the Gulf Cup. Oman came tantalizingly close to be crowned champions of the eight-team tournament in 2004 under Macala and and repeated the feat in 2007 as well.

The persistence paid off after they finally won the trophy in 2009 under French manager Claude Le Roy. Oman later repeated this feat in 2017 under Pim Verbeek after beating UAE 5-4 on penalties in the final. Ahmed Mubarak Kano was adjudged the most valuable player of the tournament.
 

RECENT PERFORMANCES

Oman started their 2022 World Cup second round qualifiers under Erwin Koeman who succeded Verbeek who led the nation to their best ever run in the 2019 Asian Cup where they faced a Round of 16 exit following a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Iran.

Starting off with a 2-1 victory over India in the ongoing qualifiers, thanks to a late double by Al Mandhar Al Alawi (82', 90') after Sunil Chhetri had put the Blue Tigers ahead in the 24th minute, Oman suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Group E leaders Qatar sandwiched between comprehensive wins over Afghanistan (3-0) and Bangladesh (4-1).

In November 2019, The Reds did the double over the Indian national team in the joint qualifiers, courtesy a first half strike by Muhsen Al-Ghassani (33'), In the 2019 edition of the Gulf Cup, Oman entered as defending champions but failed to make it past the group stage after a goalless draw against Bahrain and losses against Kuwaits (2-1) and Saudi Arabia (3-1).

Since the Coronavirus pandemic, the Oman national team under new coach Branko Ivankovic played out a goalless draw in a friendly against Jordan last Friday.
 

LESSONS FROM THE PAST

India's last two games against Oman in the ongoing qualifiers having ended in defeats. The two sides also played out a goalless draw in what was a lacklustre affair in their last friendly encounter in the UAE.

The Blue Tigers are yet to beat the Gulf nation and have suffered heavy defeats such as the 5-1 loss in the first ever World Cup qualification tie between the two sides in 2004, the return fixture however ending in a goalless draw in Muscat.

TEAM COMBINATION

Not many predictions can be made about how Ivanković will field this Oman side. The Reds could line-up in either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2.

The midfield is certainly their strength. It is a toss-up between Abdul Aziz Al Muqbali and Mohsin Al Ghassani for the number nine slot but Salaah Al Yahyaei might have to sacrifice his place for the return of the influential Ahmed Kano.

Al-Mundhir Al-Alawi, Basil Al-Rawahi, Muhammad Ramadan and Jumah Al-Habsi are not part of the squad due to injuries. 

POSSIBLE LINEUP: Faiz Al Rushaidi (GK); Saad Suhail, Khalid Al Buraiki, Mohammed Al Musalami, Ali Al Busaidi; Harib Al Saadi, Yaseen Al Sheyadi; Mohsin Jawhar Al Khaldi, Ahmed Mubarak 'Kano', Moataz Saleh Rabbo; Abdul Aziz Al Muqbali. 

PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT FOR

Saad 'Suhail' Al Mukhaini: The experienced defender could provide the likes of Ashique Kuruniyan a tough time at the back. The former Al-Nassr full-back is capable of playing anywhere in defence but prefers to function on the right. Saad also gave trials for Premier League giants Arsenal in 2012 but stayed in Oman his entire career.

Ahmed Mubarak 'Kano': Oman’s hero from the 2017 Gulf Cup will be their main man in the centre of the pitch. 34-year-old Kano could help his team win the midfield battles and assume a major advantage in the game. Kano scored a brace in Oman’s 5-1 win over India in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers in Kochi.
 

FULL SQUAD

Chennaiyin FC did not have the best of seasons this time in the Indian Super League (ISL) as they finished eighth on the points table with 20 points from as many games.

Their star campaigner Lallianzuala Chhangte was the joint top scorer for Chennaiyin with four goals but he was also guilty of squandering a fair few amount of chances, most of which he had created himself. He took 38 shots in the entirety but only four were converted.

Chhangte, though, wants to forget the bygones as he vows to help the team come back strongly next year. For the time being, the Mizo attacker is focused on performing well for the national side in the upcoming friendly matches against Oman and UAE.

"Personally, a lot to learn from a season like the one we just had. We worked hard but couldn't replicate the good bits from training, in the match situations. We don't have any excuses. We just have to treat it as one big learning experience. For me, I know I will work even harder and come back stronger with Chennaiyin FC next season. But now the focus is entirely on our national camp and getting back into the groove with the squad," Chhangte told Goal.

The 23-year-old footballer sounded excited while speaking about the emergence of some new faces in the national side but he also mentioned that he is ready to compete against the youngsters in the national side.

"First and foremost, I am my own competition," stated Chhangte. "And I couldn't be happier for my compatriots, who all had brilliant seasons personally and for their teams. At the end of the day, to see everyone grow is good news for Indian football, irrespective of the clubs we play for. At the same time, healthy competition is an absolute must.

"Like you said, it keeps me spurred on and I know I absolutely cannot take anything for granted. I am thankful to the Indian Head Coach and the management for picking me for the camp. I will do my best to deliver and make our national team fans proud, back home."

Chhangte is also pleased to face strong Asian teams like Oman and UAE and claimed they are confident of putting up a good show in the friendly games.

"Donning the India jersey and representing your nation is an unparalleled feeling. We know we have a lot of work to put in, so we will put our heads down and focus on improving. Playing two strong Asian teams in Oman and UAE can only mean good things for us. We are pitting ourselves against the best in the continent. We will give a good account of ourselves, I am certain," opined the winger.

While Chhangte admitted that the aim of the Indian team is to now secure a berth in the Asian Cup qualifiers, he maintained that they are taking baby steps to achieve their target.

"We have to take one game at a time and focus on our improvement. On being a cohesive unit that is a well-performing national team not just for now, but the future. We have faith in the Head Coach and his management, and I am sure with more time and international match experience, we will grow by leaps and bounds. And yes, securing an automatic berth in the Asian Cup qualifiers will be a massive boost to our confidence," said the national team player.

Jesse Lingard has said England boss Gareth Southgate advised him to join West Ham on loan from Manchester United.

Lingard did not log a single Premier League appearance for the Red Devils in 2020-21 before he made a temporary switch to West Ham in January.

The 28-year-old has hit the ground running with the Hammers, tallying five goals and two assists in his first seven Premier League games to earn a recall to the England squad.

What was said?

“He’s shown a lot of support and belief in me, he gave me my England debut, which I’m proud of,” Lingard told talkSPORT of Southgate.

“I still kept in contact with him even though I wasn’t playing, just to get his advice on what I should do.

“It was just about the right move, whether it was going out to Europe or staying in the Premier League.

“He said, ‘If I was you, I would stay in the Premier League’. After that, it was about finding a Premier League side and West Ham fitted in perfectly.”

Lingard makes England return

Lingard will have a chance to add to his 24 caps when England take on San Marino, Albania and Poland in World Cup qualifiers this month. 

The attacker became a key figure for the Three Lions after making his debut in 2016, and he started all but one game as England advanced to the 2018 World Cup semi-final. 

The most recent cap for Lingard came in June 2019, when he started the UEFA Nations League third-place play-off against Switzerland. 

On his England return, Lingard added: “I’ve had to work hard and graft, and I still believe in myself to play at the highest level. If you work hard, you get the rewards in the end."

Further reading

Barcelona wonderkid Pedri is delighted to be involved in the Spain national team set-up, but played down comparisons with club legend Andres Iniesta.

Pedri, 18, received his maiden call-up in March for the start of the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. 

Having represented Spain at every level from Under-17 to U21, he now has a chance of making his senior bow in the coming days. 

What was said?

“I have to be Pedri,” he responded when asked about the links to his predecessor in the Barcelona midfield. “It’s an honour to be compared to Andres Iniesta."

“From the first day they’ve treated me very well," he added, referring to his new colleagues with Spain. “Knowing Jordi [Alba], Busi [Sergio Busquets] and the U21 teammates makes everything easier. I like Luis Enrique’s style of play a lot.

"I hope to learn and adapt well to contribute as much as possible to the national team.”

Ramos to Barca?

The teenager was also called upon to answer a curious query concerning Real Madrid and Spain enforcer Sergio Ramos, one of Barca's principal antagonists over the last decade. 

Ramos' future at Santiago Bernabeu is far from certain - but does that mean he could line up at Camp Nou? 

“It’s very difficult for Ramos to go to a rival club,” Pedri answered. "He’s a good player, but I’m not the one who signs. I have no reference, I’d like to sign everyone who are excellent players and people.”

Spain's World Cup journey

Spain, who went out of the 2018 World Cup at the last-16 stage following a shock defeat to hosts Russia on penalties, are in Group B of the 2022 UEFA qualifying competition. 

They are joined in the six-team pool by Sweden, Kosovo, Greece, Georgia and Estonia, and will play three games in the current international window to kick off their campaign. 

Greece are first up on Thursday, followed by an away visit to Georgia on March 28 and a home clash with Kosovo three days later.

Further reading 

New England call-up Ollie Watkins wants to stake a regular claim to a place in the Three Lions squad as he enjoys his first taste of international football. 

The Aston Villa striker, 25, was selected by Gareth Southgate for England's opening World Cup qualifiers in March. 

It is a reward for the fine season Watkins has had in the Premier League as he continues to impress in attack for the Birmingham side. 

What was said? 

Harry Kane has long been England's automatic choice at centre-forward, and Watkins hopes to put pressure on the Tottenham star in Southgate's strongest first XI, even if he recognises the scale of the challenge. 

"Impossible to replace Kane? Tough question. I can't speak more highly of him," he told reporters. "Everyone knows what he is capable of and there are a lot of talented English strikers as well, and attacking players.

"It is always hard to play for England for a start, let alone take a position but I'm trying to be the best player I can be. If I get my opportunity, I'll try to perform well, make an impact on the team and see where we can go from there."

When asked if an England call was on his mind, Watkins added: "No, not really. I was just focusing on club form. England are blessed with so many attacking players. It's the elite, another level, so I didn't put myself in that category. I hoped to be in the England squad one day but didn't think it would come so soon."

Watkins' attacking idol

While he is gearing up to represent the Three Lions, it is a France star from yesteryear who remains Watkins' example to follow. 

"Thierry Henry is the best striker to ever play in the Premier League in my eyes," the Villa man, who with 10 goals is his club's top scorer in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign, said.

"Some may disagree but he had everything, could dribble, was quick, he could score with both feet and create. He was someone I looked up to when I was supporting Arsenal from young. I'm definitely a long, long way from being like Thierry."

Further reading 

Chelsea youngster Marc Guehi is making quite the impact at Swansea City this season and is hoping that England's campaign in the Under-21 European Championships gives him a chance to showcase his skills once again.

The 20-year-old has been described as the best defender in the Championship, with his side chasing promotion to the Premier League. The youngster has 50 senior appearances under his belt and has played almost 3,000 club minutes in Wales this season.

Alongside his training in Chelsea's academy, Guehi has found his selections with England crucial for his development. He won the Under-17s World Cup under his Swansea manager Steve Cooper, afterwards earning an U21 call up before making his senior club debut. He says that his call ups with England have given him the chance to showcase his skills.

What did Guehi say?

"It's been massive," Guehi told reporters. "From the first day when I was here at Under-16s, for them to show that trust in me and a belief in my skills and development as a player.

"I take real confidence from every call-up and then go back to my club to try and improve after each time that I'm here. Having the FA and England coaches and players show that trust in me is amazing.

"Playing men's football is every kid's dream after playing in the youth teams for so long. You just want to get out there and learn. That was an aim for me to be a sponge for knowledge. Especially this season that has come to fruition. I am just grateful for the opportunity."

Who is in the England squad?

Callum Hudson-Odoi, Conor Gallagher, Rhian Brewster and Emile Smith-Rowe are in the squad that won that U17s World Cup with Guehi.

England didn't even qualify from the group stage last time with Mason Mount, Phil Foden, Tammy Abraham and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in their squad. Guehi isn't focusing on failures of years gone by and is confident in the group.

"I've not spoken to Mason," he added. "He's done fantastically well at Chelsea, captain at the weekend. His career has gone from strength to strength. I'm aware of what happened at the last U21 Euros.

"It was a fantastic group but this is a different group of players. We have this opportunity to go out now and show what we can do in a touch group with good teams. Hopefully, we can come out on the other side.

"Naturally, when you put on this shirt, it is vital to go out and do your best but in this camp, especially, we feel there is an opportunity to go out and win this tournament.

"It's fantastic having all us boys that were the U17 World Cup together. We're all good friends, grew up together and playing against each other in youth teams and U21. We know a lot about each and follow each other, which is fantastic.

"It's just a really good group of friends, a tight unit of players that want to do the best for one another. That's really important."

What is England's schedule at the U21 Euros?

England play in the group stage in March before potentially competing in the knockout rounds of the tournament in the next international break. Switzerland, Croatia and Portugal are with the Young Lions in Group D.

Further reading

David Beckham has said that his former Manchester United team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is doing an "incredible job" as Red Devils head coach.

Solskjaer took over from Jose Mourinho in December 2018 and has had ups and downs at Old Trafford, but has United poised for a second straight top four finish under his watch. 

Beckham, now a co-owner at Inter Miami, played with Solskjaer at United between 1996 and 2003, winning five Premier League titles together as well as the Champions League in 1998-99.

What was said?

"I've seen some of the criticism but I suppose when you are a manager of Man Utd when they've had success over the years that they've had, there was always going to be a point where people get criticised, whether it's the players, whether it's the owners, whether it's the manager," Beckham told ESPN.

"Ole's been in the game long enough to be able to take any kind of criticism. He's very quiet, he gets on with his job, and I think he's done an incredible job down at United.

"The results are starting to show that. Hopefully it continues because the fans love Ole, we all love Ole and we all want him to do well. So when the criticism comes, he's one person that can take it."

The bigger picture

Solskjaer has had a mixed record as Man Utd manager, performing relatively well in the Premier League while falling short in other competitions. 

In 2019-20, his first full season as United boss, Solskjaer led the club to a third-place finish in the league but lost in the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.

Solskjaer has United in second place in the league this term, but the Red Devils are 14 points back on first-place Manchester City with a game in hand.

United have also been eliminated from the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League, though they have now advanced to the last eight of the Europa League. 

Further reading

Thiago Alcantara doesn't understand why anyone would challenge the record of compatriot Sergio Busquets at Barcelona.

While the calculated style of Busquets has perhaps led him to be under-rated by some supporters, Thiago sees him as someone who has always made Barcelona better.

The duo played alongside one another for Barcelona early in Thiago's career, giving the now-Liverpool playmaker an up-close perspective of the quality Busquets gives his Liga side.

What has been said?

“You always open the debate and for me there isn’t one,” Thiago told SPORT of Busquets. “I always say it, over time you watch football and become more analytical. When Busquets is playing for Barcelona, Barcelona always work. He’s a great professional. You watch him train and you continue to learn from him.

"I'm not the one to question, just congratulate him and take advantage of it when we are together."

Busquets accomplishments

Busquets has an overflowing trophy cabinet from his 405 league appearances with Barcelona. He's an eight-time La Liga champion and three-time Champions League winner, and won the 2010 World Cup with Spain.

Thiago and Busquets' relationship

Thiago, who is three years younger than Busquets, came up through Barcelona's academy and spent five years as Busquets' senior team-mate. They've also appeared together internationally, keeping them close as Thiago moved to Bayern Munich and then Liverpool.

Further reading

Mikel John Obi has spoken out about the bust-up with manager Antonio Conte which ended his career at Chelsea. 

Conte had just arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2016 when he advised the midfielder that he would not be part of his plans if he decided to represent Nigeria at the Olympics.

Mikel would go to the Rio Olympics, helping Nigeria win a bronze medal and in the process, permanently damaging his relationship with the Italian. 

What was said?

“I had been called up by my national team to play and it was a dream,” Mikel told The Athletic. “It’s a dream for anyone to go to the Olympics. Yes, as players we want to win the Champions League and the World Cup, but the Olympics is a massive tournament."

“This guy [Conte] who has just walked in the door for five minutes is telling me I had to choose.

"He was saying, ‘If you do that, you won’t be a part of this team’. I spoke to the club and told them that I wanted to go. The club respected me because of what I had done for them and how long I’d been there.

"So off I went and I felt punished for that. I came back and I didn’t make the squad. I was never in the squad list on matchdays again.

“The funny thing is, just before the January window was going to start, he came up to me and said ‘I want a meeting with you’. This was after making me train on my own for months, treating a player who had been at Chelsea for a long time like this!

“When he tried to meet with me he was like, ‘Let’s try and make up, I will need you in the team, let’s squash this, blah, blah, blah!’. I was like, ‘Are you joking?! Are you f*cking serious?!’ He knew I wanted out. I stood up and walked out of the room. You can’t disrespect a human being like that.

“I couldn’t wait for the window to open to get out. I was talking to the hierarchy and explaining that I would definitely have to go. They agreed, they understood.”

What happened after the bust-up?

Mikel had been at Chelsea for 11 years by the time Conte arrived but within months, he was off to China on a free transfer to Tianjin Teda. 

The midfielder spent two seasons with the club before returning to England with Middlesbrough. He would then move to Turkish outfit Trabzonspor in 2019. 

Mikel would return to England again ahead of the current season, signing a one-year deal with Stoke City in August 2020.

Mikel, now 33, has been a key figure with the Potters this season, starting 28 games in the Championship. 

Further reading

Saint-Etienne star Wahbi Khazri has pulled out of Tunisia’s squad for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games.

Khazri was initially included in coach Mondher Kebaier’s team for the games versus Libya and Equatorial Guinea, albeit, he withdrew from the side on health ground.

A post on the Tunisian Football Federation social media page confirmed that the former Bastia and Bordeaux star will be missing in action against the Mediterranean Knights and the Nzalang Nacional.

“Wahbi Al-Khazari's absence is confirmed for health reasons for both interviews and the technical framework will not compensate him,” the statement read.

On Tunisia’s fourth day of preparation on Tuesday morning, they went through a tactical session under the supervision of their Tunisian boss.

“Today's program included a morning class, in the Muscle Strength Hall at residence and a second afternoon class embraced by the Olympic Stadium at the walk and knew the participation of all the players invited by the technical framework,” it continued.

“Hours before travel to Libya programmed for tomorrow [Wednesday] morning, the preparations coordinated a rise because the technical framework attempted to benefit from this class to finalise the play-way or the basic line-up that will go through the interview, along with enhancing collective gains and attempting to integrate elements new so she can accommodate how to play.

“In this context, the tactical aspect has been overwhelmed by trying to program several applications of interest to defensive or offensive positions as well as paying attention to fixed balls.”

Furthermore, Saudi Arabia based midfielder Saad Bguir completed the list of invited players before lunch time.

The Carthage Eagles lead Group J after garnering 10 points from four games played in the qualifying series, while Equatorial Guinea occupy the second spot with six points from the same number of outings.

Tanzania (four points) and Libya (three points) occupy the third and fourth position respectively.

Victory for the 2004 African kings against Libya at the Martyrs of February Stadium, Benghazi on Thursday will see them book a place in Cameroon 2022, rendering their last tie with Equatorial Guinea a mere formality.

The North African’s finished fourth in the 2019 Afcon in Egypt – losing 1-0 to Nigeria in the third-place play-off.