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Hakan Calhanoglu has said his desire is to join Galatasaray at some stage in his career.

The Turkish midfielder is in the final months of his contract at AC Milan, and there has been speculation about his future.

It has been suggested in Italy that the 27-year-old will sign a new deal with Milan, but a move to Turkey is on the cards in the future.

What has been said?

Calhanoglu arrived in Turkey on Monday to link up with the national team for World Cup qualifiers, and he was asked about links to Gala.

“I hope to play for Galatasaray in the future,” he said . “Why not? I got a lion tattoo because I cheer for Galatasaray.”

Who has been linked with Calhanoglu?

With no new deal having been agreed, the midfielder’s future continues to be a topic of debate.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United have been credited with an interest. The player can negotiate with other clubs, and Calciomercato has claimed the Red Devils have approached Calhanoglu.

United would have no trouble matching the player’s salary demands, while Milan's fellow Serie A side Napoli have been linked with a summer offer.

Talks over a new deal are set to continue with Milan, who remain confident that they will be able to find an accord with a player who boosted his negotiating position with the winning goal against Fiorentina on Sunday.

Further reading

The Cameroon women’s national team will aim to excel in the quest to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in this year's summer when they face Chile in the final qualifying play-off showdown in April.

Since its debut in London 2012, the Central Africans are bidding a return to the global showpiece, having missed Rio 2016.

With Zambia claiming the sole automatic slot for Africa last March, the Indomitable Lionesses will need to overcome the South Americans, who are eyeing their maiden appearance in Tokyo.

The doubleheader against Chile was due to take place in April last year and was later postponed to February this year.  

After postponing the encounter twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Fifa on Monday confirmed the Lionesses will finally battle La Roja at the Arslan Zeki Demirci Stadium in Turkey.

Cameroon's two-legged fixture with their Chilean rivals for the April international break, against the Chileans, will now be played on Saturday, April 10 and the rematch on Tuesday, April 13.

Ahead of next month's meeting, Cameroon coach Djeumfa had since started a local camp on March 17, with the invitation of 25 players, comprising of four goalkeepers, seven defenders, seven midfielders and seven forwards in Cameroon's capital, which ends on April 5.

On the other hand, Jose Letelier's side will resume their preparation camp this week at the Quilin Sports Complex, with training sessions expected to run from Monday, March 22 to Saturday, March 27.

The winner will join hosts Japan, Brazil, New Zealand, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, United States, Zambia and Australia for the 2020 Women's Olympic football tournament in Tokyo.

Ghana have made alterations to their squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, drafting in Swansea City ace Andre Ayew, Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew and Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey but the trio will not play against South Africa on Thursday.

The three England-based players were left out of the Black Stars' original 29-man squad announced for the penultimate Group C clash with Bafana Bafana and the final group game against Sao Tome and Principe three days later.

Their exclusion was on the request of their clubs as entry into South Africa for the away clash will require that the players undertake mandatory hotel quarantine for 10 days on their return to the United Kingdom before joining up with their clubs.

This directive is in accordance with the UK's safety protocols in relation to inbound travels from jurisdictions classified as Covid-19 high-risk countries and consequently red-listed, as is the case of South Africa.

With the Ghana FA having struck a deal with Swansea, Palace and Arsenal to exempt the trio from the South Africa trip, the players have been given the green light by the clubs to join the Black Stars’ camp for the Sao Tome clash.

Also, Germany-born Hamburg defender Stephan Ambrosius, who was surprisingly named in the 29-man squad, has rejected Ghana's call-up, instead opting to represent the country of his birth at the upcoming European U21 championship.

Fellow Germany-based centre-back Kasim Adams Nuhu, who plays for Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, has also pulled out.

In their place, Ghana coach CK Akonnor has called up Asante Kotoko defender Yussif Mubarik and Legon Cities man Joseph Adjei.

Vitoria Guimaraes left-back Gideon Mensah was also withdrawn from the 29-man squad after suffering an injury while in club action over the weekend and has been replaced by Asante Kotoko defender Imoro Ibrahim.

Real Mallorca midfielder Iddrisu Mohammed Baba, U20 Afcon Golden Ball winner Iddrisu Mohammed Baba and Gent midfielder Kamal Sowah have also not been named in the latest squad.

Colchester United attacker Kwame Afriyie Poku, whose inclusion in the original squad has generated criticism of the Black Stars management due to his status as a fourth tier league player in England, on the other hand, has been maintained.

Ghana are currently top of the table in Group C ahead of the final two rounds of games.

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Richard Ofori (Orlando Pirates – South Africa), Razak Abalora (Asante Kotoko - Ghana), Eric Ofori Antwi (Medeama SC - Ghana), Danlad Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko - Ghana)

Full Backs: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK – Greece), Benson Annan (MLK Zilina – Slovakia), Philemon Baffuor (Dreams FC – Ghana), Imoro Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko - Ghana)

Central Defenders: Nicholas Opoku (Amiens SC – France), Ganiyu Ismael (Asante Kotoko – Ghana), Joseph Adjei (Legon Cities - Ghana), Yussif Mubarik (Asante Kotoko - Ghana)

Central Midfield: Kudus Mohammed (Ajax Amsterdam – Holland), Mubarak Wakaso (Jiangsu Suning F.C - China), Afriyie Acquah (Yeni Malatyaspor - Turkey), Emmanuel Lomotey (Amiens SC - France), Gladson Awako (Great Olympics -Ghana), Kwame Afriyie Poku (Colchester United – England)

Left Attacking Midfield: Osman Bukari (Gent – Belgium), Joseph Esso (Dreams FC- Ghana)

Attackers: Emmanuel Boateng (Dalian Professional - China), Emmanuel Gyasi (Spezia – Italy), Kwame Opoku (Asante Kotoko – Ghana), John Antwi (Pyramids FC – Egypt), Kwasi Okyere Wriedt (Willem II – Holland), Caleb Ekuban (Trabzonspor – Turkey)

Mohamed Salah has been named the Liverpool Player of the Month of February 2021.

Monday’s recognition was the third consecutive time the Egypt international scooped the Reds’ monthly accolade in the 2020-21 campaign.

In the month under review, the former AS Roma and Chelsea star accounted for three goals although Jurgen Klopp’s team won just two out of the six games played.

Speaking to the club website during the award presentation, the two-time African Player of the Year winner expressed his delight winning the diadem, while assuring that the Anfield giants will work hard to salvage something from what has been a tough season.

"It's a nice feeling to be winning it again,” said Salah.

"It's a good feeling and I'm happy about our last results, so hopefully we can just keep winning. 

“It's tough for all of us because of the situation we have been through and our position in the Premier League, but I believe it's going to be better. In the Champions League we are doing good. 

“I don't want to just talk about my season because we play as a team, so I'd say it's a tough season for all of us and we just need to carry on and try to win games.

“I just want to say thank you very much for voting for me. We're going to give our 100 per cent to win the next few games and hopefully we can do that and do good also in the Champions League.”

Despite their struggles in the Premier League, they have reached the quarter-final of the Champions League having dismissed Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in the Round of 16.

To reach the last four, they must navigate their way past La Liga giants Real Madrid over two legs.

Having played a role in the Reds’ 1-0 defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers the last time out, Salah will join the rest of the Pharaohs squad who will face Kenya and the Comoros in this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

With eight points from four matches, Hossam El Badry's team leads Group G with eight points.

Mikel Arteta has left the door ajar for a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but says he has much to achieve at Arsenal.

Arteta took charge of Arsenal last season and led the club to FA Cup glory in his first campaign at the club.

Things have not gone to plan this term, but he has no intention of walking away any time soon.

What has been said?

"I love Paris, I love Paris,” Arteta told BeIN Sports.” I have very good memories from over there. It was my first club as a professional. The club is always in my heart. 

“You never know but I have a lot of work to do [here at Arsenal].”

Arteta’s record at Arsenal

The Gunners turned to Arteta after dispensing with the services of Unai Emery in December of 2019.

Arteta guided the club to an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League, but he put credit in the bank in beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

The Community Shield was secured in August, and they started the Premier League season with two wins to raise hope of a title challenge.

However, their season stalled following a loss to Liverpool and they have failed to gain any momentum.

A 3-3 draw against West Ham on Sunday has left them in ninth in the table, and effectively out of the running to qualify for the Champions League.

There is a route into the top tier of European competition open to them via the Europa League, where they face Slavia Prague in the quarter-finals.

Arteta is aware of the need to add to his squad in the summer, but outlining targets is easier than securing them. Much could depend on whether the Gunners can offer European football next term.

Further reading

Steven Gerrard has said he was "surprised" by Gareth Southgate’s decision to drop “world-class” Trent Alexander-Arnold from the England squad.

The right-back’s form has been some way below the level he produced in the previous couple of seasons, and Southgate elected to overlook the Liverpool man for the World Cup qualifiers with San Marino, Albania and Poland.

Rangers boss Gerrard has said he would be happy to speak to the 22-year-old to offer some advice, as he feels Alexander-Arnold is the best English right-back in the country.

What has been said?

“One thing’s for sure, I’ll always be there for Trent,” Gerrard told the Athletic . “It goes without saying, any second of the day. I wouldn’t make the first move. He’s a man himself. He knows where he’s at.

“Gareth Southgate makes the decisions there. I don’t necessarily agree with that decision. But I’m not the England manager. I think Trent is the best English right-back in the country.

“One thing I’ve learned from being a player is you can’t always be 10 out of 10. When you do come off, you need that support, love and attention from your manager more than anyone else. So, I was surprised by the decision but that’s my opinion and my opinion is not important in this.

“Trent is a world-class right-back, he’s the best right-back the country has got. We’ve got other fantastic right-backs by the way. But in terms of the loaded side of the question, I’m there for Trent and any of the other Liverpool players at any moment of the day.”

Alexander-Arnold’s England competition

Southgate has opted to select Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Reece James for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

All three have been in good form for their clubs, with the former selected despite missing a portion of the season with Atletico Madrid on account of a suspension due to a breach of gambling rules.

Walker’s form has been consistently excellent for runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City, while James has found favour with new Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.

Having made his England debut against Costa Rica in 2018, Alexander-Arnold has 12 caps to his name and will need to find consistency in the final weeks of the season if he is to force his way into the squad for this summer’s European Championship.

Further reading

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is targeting playing at the 2022 World Cup, as he wants to erase a failure point on his CV.

The forward has returned to the national side, and is in line to make his first appearance for his country since facing Belgium at the European Championship in 2016 when Sweden take on Georgia on Thursday.

Ibrahimovic said it was an emotional moment for him and his family when he left home to link up with the national side, and is targeting an extended run with Sweden.

What has been said?

In his two World Cup appearances, in 2002 and 2006, the forward drew a blank - and he wants a goal at international football’s biggest tournament on his record.

"That is something I will beat because I can't have a zero," Ibrahimovic said. "Looking too far ahead is dangerous. I must think more about what happens the next day.

"But If I feel the way I do today, I will be there."

Recalling the moment he left his sons Vincent and Maximilian, Ibrahimovic added: “Vincent cried when I left him.

"To play in the national team is the biggest thing you can do as a football player, and as I was following them [Sweden], inside me I was feeling I think I can help them, I think I can do something.”

Ibrahimovic’s record with Sweden

The 39-year-old, who will be 41 by the time the 2022 World Cup comes around, has 62 goals to his record from 116 international appearances.

His first cap for his country came against the Faroe Islands in 2001, and he has appeared in two World Cups and four European Championships.

Barring injuries, he will make a fifth European Championship appearance this summer - with coach Janne Andersson’s Sweden paired with Poland, Slovakia and Spain in Group E.

Ibra’s club future

Ibrahimovic’s current agreement with AC Milan is coming to an end, but the club have spoken positively about extending and the forward seems happy with the direction talks are going.

“I’m optimistic about the extension,” he said. “The team-mates are like my children.

“This is the atmosphere we have created and why we are doing well. I want to continue at Milan and improve, the project is exciting.”

Further Reading

Simba SC chair Mow Dewji's latest tweet has thrown into doubt their shirt sponsorship partnership with gaming firm, SportPesa.

Dewji, in reference to the upcoming Manchester United £235m deal with TeamViewer, said it could be time for them to look elsewhere in a bid to get a better partnership deal.

An agreement between the Red Devils and Germany-based remote software company, TeamViewer - which is set to replace Chevrolet - is the biggest shirt-only deal in the Premier League and will come into effect next season.

"Manchester United have agreed to a $350 million shirt sponsorship contract for five years. Simba SC do not get even one per cent of that with SportPesa," Dewji tweeted.

"Time has come to look out for better pastures."

Wekundu wa Msimbazi and SportPesa signed the current deal in 2017 and is expected to run for five years. The betting firm also sponsors their archrivals Yanga SC.

Meanwhile, Simba's board vice-chairperson Salim 'Try Again' Abdallah has stated they will work hard and advance further in the Caf Champions League in order to honour Tanzania's late president Pombe Magufuli.

"We are now doing a good job in and outside the country courtesy of Magufuli's encouraging messages," Abdallah told Mwanaspoti. "We sat down as the board of the club and agreed to come up with ways that will help achieve what he asked us to.

"We want to achieve something so as to give honour to him. It is an open case that in the six years he has been in power, there is no club that has achieved more than we have done. We are now on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals.

"Our aim as the board and the team of course is to go further up to the semi-finals or if it is possible to reach the ultimate stage. If we qualify for those stages we will feel that we have rewarded a great leader, one who did great things for our country."

Clubs that have already qualified for the quarter-finals are Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, Tunisia's Esperance and South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns who picked a surprising win against TP Mazembe in Kinshasa.

The future of Harambee Stars strikers Jesse Were and John Makwatta have been thrown into uncertainty after Zesco United head coach Numba Mumamba confirmed two foreign players will be offloaded.

Were and Makwatta, unlike goalkeeper Ian Otieno, have seen their playtime reduced significantly this season and the recent signing of Chitiya Mususu is set to complicate matters for them even more.

"I am happy that we have signed a local player [Chitiya Mususu] especially that we are on a roadmap to reduce the number of foreign players to five. We still have two more to remove maybe by the end of the year," Mumamba told the club's website.

"Mususu is a young man that we can count on and we will definitely add value to the team. His presence will make the other players work even extra hard."

The Zambian coach went ahead to praise the former Napsa Stars striker as he detailed what his expectations of the star are.

"We are happy to have Mususu at the club," he added. "He is a player I once worked with at Zanaco when we signed him from Napsa Stars. He is a young player with a lot of years to play at the highest level.

"I expect him to bring competition to our striking force especially that we have been relying too much on Winston Kalengo and Enock Sakala to score goals for us. We need more firepower and more goals from our strikers."

When Mususu was signed, Zesco United technical chair Peter Mutale explained why they had to go for Mususu even though they had more strikers at their disposal.

"Mususu has the qualities of a striker that can score goals for our team," Mutale said then. "He had an impressive run at Zanaco and knows our league very well. His partnership with [Winston] Kalengo, [John] Makwatta, [Enock] Sakala and [Jesse] Were will surely deliver quality upfront. 

"Our aim is to sign quality players because it’s the only quality that will bring success to the club."

The 26-year-old forward signed a two-year deal with Ndola-based Timu Ya Ziko.

Former Ghana U23 boss Abdul Malik Jabir has urged Black Stars coach CK Akonnor to stand his ground amid reports of interference in his national team job, particularly player selection.

Since the Ghana Football Association announced a 29-man squad for an upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome, Akonnor has been heavily criticised for some of his choices, particularly, Colchester United attacker Kwame Afriyie Poku, who plays club football in the fourth tier of English football.

Media reports, however, claim Akonnor has denied calling up the midfielder, suggesting the announced list may have been altered by FA officials.

"When you are appointed as the coach, you must act like one," Jabir, also a former Asante Kotoko coach, told Kumasi FM.

"He must take players that he thinks can help his course and drop those who cannot help achieve his target.

"If the Football Association wants to sack him for being firm on his decisions, then so be it."

While GFA communications director Henry Asante Twum revealed Poku, following the outcry, has been dropped from the Afcon qualifying squad and will instead join the Ghana B side for a friendly fixture with Uzbekistan, latest reports say the football governing body has made a U-turn on the 19-year-old who will now link up with the Afcon qualifying squad as originally planned.

"I recall during my time as the head coach of the Black Meteors, a management member at that time brought in three players and offered me $3000 (2,511.40 Euro) for me to take them into the team but I rejected the money and asked for an assessment of those players," Jabir revealed.

"I remember after the assessment the players were not fit enough for the team and were therefore dropped.

"CK Akonnor must be strong mentally and act as a coach to avoid influence from other people in order to achieve his goal."

Ghana’s squad also includes Germany-born Hamburg centre-back Stephan Ambrosius who has also been coincidentally called up by his country of birth for the upcoming European U21 championship.

Latest reports indicate the defender has rejected Ghana's invitation in favour of the European nation.

Uganda Cranes midfielder Micheal Azira believes Group B is still open and all the teams have a chance of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

With two matchdays remaining, Burkina Faso lead the race with eight points, one more than the second-placed East Africans. Malawi are third with four points while South Sudan are at the bottom with three.

The New Mexico United player is hopeful his team will qualify for the third Afcon competition in a row but they have to first do it against the Burkinabes on Wednesday, March 24.

"The win against Burkina Faso is really important because it sets up everything," Azira said after Monday's training .

"We know if we win this game we probably have the chance to go through. The group is open, first of all, we need to take care of the game at home then Malawi will take care of itself. 

"At the end of it all, we need to focus on ourselves, focus as a team, focus on how we play, how to get the three points and execute the job here at home."

The 33-year-old is happy to be involved after being overlooked in previous assignments. He has further insisted the players have to focus despite the absence of the fans owing to Covid-19.

"I have always been at home because at the end of the day you don’t control the coach’s decision whether [you fit in his tactics or not]," Azira continued.

"I am glad to be part of this group. I think it is a special group and I am happy to be here to represent my country.

"As much as we want fans there, at the end of the day we know there is a pandemic. We just need to focus and play. I know fans will be watching on TV all over the country."  

After playing Burkina Faso on Wednesday, Cranes will end their campaign on Monday, March 29 away to Malawi.

The Flames will be away to Bright Stars on Wednesday before finishing up with the East African heavyweights at home, as South Sudan play away to Burkina Faso in their final group game.

South Africa captain Thulani Hlatshwayo wants to avoid a situation they experienced in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign when they went into the final match uncertain of participation for the tournament in Egypt.

Bafana Bafana host Ghana on Thursday, before they travel to Sudan for Sunday’s final Group C match as they are currently second in their group with nine points, the same as the Black Stars.

Victory over Ghana, a Sao Tome and Principe win over Sudan or at least draw on Wednesday, will see South Africa claim a berth for Cameroon 2022 with a match to spare.

This would be unlike their 2019 Afcon qualification bid when they faced Libya away in their last game needing at least a draw to seal a place at the tournament.

“We obviously know how important these two games are, especially playing at home against Ghana who we lost to in the first round,” Hlatshwayo told the media.

“It’s very important for us to get a result because we don’t want to have the same situation like the last time we qualified for Afcon 2019 where we had to leave it late against Libya. For us, we have to make sure that we get a full result and go to Sudan knowing very well that we have qualified.”

Bafana Bafana began training on Monday but there were concerns about some overseas-based players not being released for national duty by their clubs.

Coach Molefi Ntseki has described as “unfair” and “punishment” that South Africa is regarded as a coronavirus hotspot, a label that has led to European club reluctant to release their players.

“We should all agree that nobody from South Africa or Africa brought Covid-19. It is very unfair for us to be punished by saying, ‘you cannot be released to go to South Africa because it is a hot spot'. I think all over the world, it’s a hot spot,” said Ntseki as per IOL.

“For them not to release our players it’s a very big disappointment for us. I think even in South America, they were made aware that there were players that weren’t going to be released for the World Cup qualifiers and they suspended their games.”

Benin Republic have announced a 23-man squad to face Nigeria and Sierra Leone in this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualification games with Dijon goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbe and Brest forward Steve Mounie making the cut.

The Squirrels currently occupy the second spot in Group L having accrued seven points from four matches played so far.

A positive result in both games will see the West African country reach the biennial African football showpiece for the fifth time.

Interestingly, all the players invited by coach Michel Dussuyer are foreign-based professionals, while captain Stephan Sessegnon, Olivier Gerdon and Rudy Gestede were omitted from the team.

Sessegnon remains without a club since the end of his spell at Turkish Super Lig outfit Genclerbirligi.

However, the 36-year-old will be in the Squirrels’ camp as a non-playing skipper to boost the morale of his teammates.

Benin welcome Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles to Porto-Novo’s Stade Charles de Gaulle on Saturday before heading to the National Stadium Freetown for their last group fixture against Sierra Leone who must win their last two games to stand a chance of reaching Cameroon 2022.

The Squirrels’ last outing at Afcon was during the 2019 edition where they crashed out of the quarter-final after a 1-0 defeat to Senegal.

Idrissa Gueye's 70th-minute effort settled the encounter staged inside Cairo's 30 June Stadium.

The 33rd edition of the biennial tournament was due to begin in Cameroon on January 9, 2021, but was pushed back to January 2022 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the continent.

Algeria are the reigning African champions, having defeated Senegal 1-0 in the 2019 final in Cairo.

FULL SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Saturnin Allagbe (Dijon/France), Fabien Farnolle (Sidama Cofee/ Ethiopia), Marcel Dandjinou (JDR Stars/South Africa)

Defenders: Youssouf Assogba (Amiens/France), Seidou Baraze (SC Shiltigheim/France), Khaled Adenon (USAvranches/France), Moise Adilehou (Breda/Netherlands), Cedric Hountondji (Clermont/France), Yohan Roche (Rodez/France), David Kiki (PFC Montana/Bulgaria), Emmanuel Imorou (Evian TGG/France)

Midfielders: Sessi d’Almeida (Valenciennes/France), Jordan Adeoti (Annecy FC/France), Anaane Tidjani (Menemenspor/Turkey), Rodrigue Kossi (Club Africain/Tunisia), Matteo Ahlinvi (NImes/France), Jerome Agossa (Djoliba AC /Mali)

Forwards: Michael Pote (Bandirmaspor/Turkey), Cebio Soukou (Bielefeld/Germany), Jodel Dossou (Clermont/France), Marcellin Koukpo ( CR Belouizdad/Algeria), Steve Mounie (Brest/France), Jacques Bessan (Olympique Beja/Tunisia)

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has launched legal action for defamation over the book Putin's People.

The Blues owner’s case relates to “a number of false and defamatory claims made about our client in the book published by HarperCollins.”

The book was written by author Caterine Belton and contains a number of claims about Abramovich and others close to Russia president Vladimir Putin.

What does the statement say?

Abramovich's statement, published on Chelsea's club website, says: “Today my legal representatives have issued legal proceedings in England in relation to a book that was published in the UK. The book contains a number of false and defamatory statements about me, including about my purchase, and the activities, of Chelsea Football Club.

“Today’s action was not taken lightly. It has never been my ambition to gain a public profile and I have always been reluctant to provide commentary on any matters, including any false or misleading statements about me or Chelsea Football Club.

"However, it has become clear that the false allegations in this book are having a damaging effect, not only on my personal reputation, but also in respect of the activities of Chelsea Football Club.

“My objective has been to avoid a legal case and my legal team has engaged with the publishers to try to find an amicable resolution. We have provided them with detailed information addressing the various false allegations about me in the book, including the repetition of allegations that have already been held to be false in the English High Court during previous legal proceedings.

"Unfortunately, these engagements were not successful, and the publisher has not corrected the false statements in the book.

“On the subject of Chelsea Football Club. In contrast to the portrayal in the book, my ambition with Chelsea has always been to create world class teams on the pitch and to ensure the club plays a positive role in all of its communities.

"I believe our successes and activities over the years speak for themselves, including the trophies won, expansion of the academy, development of the women’s team and the Chelsea Foundation becoming the largest charitable organisation within the Premier League.

“It is my hope that today’s action will not only refute the false allegations in regard to my own name, but also serve as a reminder of Chelsea’s positive footprint in the UK. I have every belief that the courts will give me a fair hearing, as they have in the past.”

The Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge

The Russian bought the club from Ken Bates in 2003, and has brought unprecedented success to Stamford Bridge.

Prior to Abramovich taking the reins, Chelsea’s only previous league title came in 1955. Since assuming control in west London, the Blues have won the Premier League on five occasions and also won the Champions League in 2012.

Abramovich has invested huge sums on the team, and has not tolerated failure. Fourteen managers have been let go by the Russian, with Thomas Tuchel the latest to assume control following the sacking of Frank Lampard in January.

Further reading

The Confederation of African Football has disqualified Chad from the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations after the government disbanded the Chadian Football Federation this month.

The country's minister for youth and sports, on March 10, released a statement to prevent the FTFA from performing its obligatory duties due to a reported dispute between both parties.

Following Caf's punishment on Monday, Chad face another severe punishment from Fifa which could be a ban from competitions.

"By the definitive withdrawal of this delegation of powers, it is formally forbidden for the (FTFA) to participate in the various international meetings and to organise or participate in any other national or international competition or event on behalf of Chad,” the statement cited by Goal read.

Ahead of Chad’s final Afcon qualifiers against Namibia and Mali this week, Caf made the decision to drop the Central African country out of the competition billed for Cameroon in January 2022.

They sit at the bottom of Group A with a point after four games while Mali maintain their dominance at the top with 10 points while Guinea follow in second spot with eight points and Namibia with three points.

“Following the withdrawal of the FTF's approval by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Chad, Caf has decided to disqualify the Chad national team from the qualifiers for the Total Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021,” the Caf statement read.

“Consequently, scheduled qualifier matches between Namibia (match 106) and Mali (match 130) for Total Afcon 2021 are canceled.

“In line with Article 61 read together with Article 64 of the Caf Regulations, Chad is considered a loser of both matches against Namibia and Mali.

“Chad were playing in Group A alongside Mali, Guinea and Namibia. After four matchdays, Mali tops the group on 10 points, followed by Guinea (8 points) and Namibia (3 points). Chad were trailing the group on one point.”

South Africa forward Percy Tau was one of the players to check-in for the national team camp early after he jetted in on Monday morning ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana and Sudan.

Bafana Bafana are set to host Ghana on Thursday before wrapping up their Group C campaign away in Sudan three days later.

Following reports that Brighton & Hove Albion were not prepared to release Tau to travel to South Africa due to the United Kingdom Covid-19 restrictions, the player was however allowed to report for international duty.

“Good news for Bafana Bafana was the early arrival of star striker Percy Tau who plays in England for Brighton & Hove Albion. Tau jetted into the country on Monday morning and joined his teammates for some video analysis sessions,” announced Safa.

Before the encouraging news of Tau’s arrival, Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki had already made contingency plans in the event the player as well as others based overseas would fail to travel to South Africa.

Orlando Pirates forward Vincent Pule, Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Mothobi Mvala and Thabo Nodada of Cape Town City were called up as back up for Rangers FC star Bongani Zungu and France-based Keagan Dolly who have been doubtful for the camp.

Safa said “there were some issues regarding certain overseas-based players” and “they were busy negotiating with respective teams to make sure that all called up players are available for the upcoming games.”

Ntseki also added to his squad Sundowns’ Lebohang Maboe and Maritzburg United’s forward Thabiso Kutumela as replacements for the injured Bradley Grobler and Kermit Erasmus.

It is now the second successive occasion for Grobler to miss the Bafana camp after he also got injured ahead of back-to-back Afcon qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe last November.

He has not featured in SuperSport United’s last two Premier Soccer League games after getting injured in the 1-0 league defeat away at AmaZulu on March 2.

Bafana are second in Group C with nine points, the same as leaders Ghana who beat them 2-0 in the reverse fixture.

Finishing second in this group will hand South Africa a ticket to the next Afcon edition to be staged in Cameroon in January 2022.

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has confirmed Ahmed Musa will not play their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin and Lesotho.

Musa is yet to find a new club since he left Saudi Professional League club Al Nassr in October 2020 and he has not played a competitive match since he featured in the Super Eagles’ 4-4 draw against Sierra Leone on November 13.

Earlier this year, the former Leicester City forward was close to returning to the Premier League but his late move to West Bromwich Albion broke down due to the Baggies’ lack of funds.

Musa’s latest invitation to the Nigerian national team has raised eyebrows but Rohr maintained that he is still the team captain and he is in camp to train and keep his fitness level.

“Musa is our captain, and he is a part of the team though he won’t play because he has not been active, but we want to assist him to train and he will also help our team as we prepare for these two important matches,” Rohr told the Caf website.

Nigeria lead the Group L qualifying group with eight points after four matches while Benin trail in second place with seven points and Lesotho are at the bottom of the group with two points.

Rohr disclosed he is anticipating tough games in Porto Novo against the Squirrels and in Lagos against Lesotho on March 27 and 30 respectively.

“We want to finish our qualification on a positive note, and the two matches against Benin and Lesotho are very important,” he continued.

“Of course, we know that Benin is difficult to beat after our last game in Uyo (Nigeria won 2-1) and we need at least a point against them to qualify for next year’s Afcon.

“Then, we are playing our final game in Lagos. We want to win in Lagos because it has been a long time since we last played there, and we want to conclude the qualifiers with a victory as well.

“These are not going to be easy matches because Lesotho drew with Benin, but we are going to give our best against these opponents.”

Mohamed Salah has vowed that “it’s going to get better” at Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp’s side seek to salvage something from what has been a testing 2020-21 campaign.

The Reds opened the season as Premier League title holders and with more major silverware very much in their sights amid talk of a new dynasty being established at Anfield.

Untimely injury blows have savaged those plans, leading to a humbling tumble being taken down a domestic table, but Champions League glory is there to be shot at as the walking wounded return.

What has been said?

Salah has been able to maintain his high standards amid collective struggles and has told Liverpool’s official website on the back of being named their Player of the Month for February: “It's a nice feeling to be winning it again.

“It's a good feeling and I'm happy about our last results, so hopefully we can just keep winning. 

“It's tough for all of us because of the situation we have been through and our position in the Premier League, but I believe it's going to be better. In the Champions League we are doing good. 

“I don't want to just talk about my season because we play as a team, so I'd say it's a tough season for all of us and we just need to carry on and try to win games.

“I just want to say thank you very much for voting for me. We're going to give our 100 per cent to win the next few games and hopefully we can do that and do good also in the Champions League.”

Has Liverpool’s form improved?

The Reds had started to show signs of life heading into the latest international break.

A second successive 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig booked a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they will face Real Madrid, while a 1-0 win was collected over Wolves in their last Premier League outing.

Klopp’s men remain without a win at Anfield since December 16, with six straight home defeats suffered for the first time in the club’s history, but they remain in the hunt for a top-four finish.

Liverpool will be back in action on April 4 away at Arsenal, before then travelling to Madrid and seeking to end their sorry run of form on Merseyside when playing host to Aston Villa on April 10.

How has Salah been getting on?

While the Reds sit off the Premier League pace as a group, Salah sits at the top of a notable individual chart.

The two-time Golden Boot winner is chasing down an impressive hat-trick after finding the target on 17 occasions in the English top-flight this season, but has been joined on that mark by Tottenham striker Harry Kane and knows Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes sits just one effort off the pace.

Salah does have just one effort to his name through his last six appearances, but he remains the Reds’ most consistent source of end product and will continue to be looked to for inspiration as speculation rages regarding his future.

Further reading