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Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Hansi Flick won’t be replacing Joachim Low as manager of the German national team.

Low is set to stand down from his position after Euro 2020, bringing to an end a successful 15-year tenure which brought World Cup glory in 2014.

Flick is less than two years into his own career as a manager but, after winning a historic sextuple with Bayern, he has been tipped as one of the top candidates for the job.

What has been said?

Speaking after Bayern thrashed Stuttgart 4-1 to go four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, Rummenigge told Welt am Sonntag: "I told [Flick] that we are very satisfied with him.

“We are well advised to finish what we have agreed in the contract. I told Hansi that in no uncertain terms.”

Flick’s Bayern contract runs until 2023 and Rummenigge says that the coach staying in his role "has nothing to do with probability. That is a fact."

He also said the German FA (DFB) don’t want to talk to a coach who is under contract already.

"President Fritz Keller confirmed that to me in a phone call this week," Rummenigge added.

If true, this would also rule the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann out of the running.

Who is favourite to be next Germany manager?

While Flick, Klopp and Nagelsmann have been the most high-profile names linked with the job, none of the three seem likely to take on the role at this stage.

Both Klopp and Nagelsmann have stated their intentions to remain with their current clubs for the foreseeable future.

The current favourite for the job is Ralf Rangnick, the experienced former Leipzig and Schalke coach who was most recently head of sport and development across Red Bull’s clubs. Rangnick has also held talks with Schalke over a return to the club as sporting director.

Further reading

Karim El Berkaoui continued with his impressive goalscoring run in Saudi Arabia’s top-flight, while the duo of Ahmed Hegazi and Mohamed Fouzair were given their marching orders as Al Raed played a 1-1 draw with Al Ittihad on Saturday evening.

With Raed Al Tahadi looking destined for defeat, the former Morocco U23 star ensured honour was shared at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, thanks to his fine strike.

Boasting victories in their last three encounters, the Tigers travelled to Buraidah with the ambition of claiming maximum points – which would boost their title ambitions. However, that dream suffered a massive setback as Egyptian star Hegazi was sent off for dangerous play in the 37th minute.

The West Bromwich Albion loanee was shown a straight red card by referee Khaled Al Teris for forcefully bringing down a goal-bound Abdullah Al-Mogren.

Even at the numerical disadvantage, Fabio Carille’s men looked unruffled as they launched pouring attacks on their hosts. On the stroke of half time, they were awarded a penalty kick, albeit, Romarinho failed to beat Algerian goalkeeper Azzedine Doukha.

In the second half, Al Raed stepped up their game, nonetheless, it was the visitors who took a 64th-minute lead through Romarinho thanks to an assist from Fahad Al-Muwallad.

That lead lasted for just five minutes as El Berkaoui - who replaced Khalid Al-Khathlan a minute earlier levelled matters for Besnik Hasi’s team. The Moroccan midfielder rifled the ball past goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe after Ronnie Fernandez chested the ball to his path.

The 25-year-old now boasts 11 goals in 19 Pro League outings in the 2020-21 campaign.

Buoyed by the equaliser, Al Raed pushed further for the winner, but that ambition faded into thin air as they were reduced to 10 men after Fouzair was sent off for a second caution in the 86th minute.

At the end of the final whistle, both sides walked home with a point each as the tie ended on a no winner, no vanquished note.

Moroccan midfielder Karim El Ahmadi was in action from start to finish for the Tigers, while Cape Verde’s Garry Rodrigues replaced Abdulaziz Al Bishi in the 90th minute. Following his dismissal, Hegazi will miss his team’s next outing against league leaders Al-Hilal.

When it comes to tournament soccer, the most talented team doesn't always win. These competitions are often sprints, not marathons, and the teams that find themselves successful during those sprints are the ones that find a way to avoid those little moments that cause others to stumble.

The victorious teams are the ones that avoid those silly yellow cards and backbreaking reds. They're the ones that can put together results even on their off days, collect three points and get out of Dodge. And, perhaps most importantly, they're the ones that can manage their schedule, knowing when to move players in and out and when it's safe to take the foot off the gas for a quick breather without squandering it all.

That is the challenge that the U.S. U-23 men's national team faces on Sunday when they face the Dominican Republic, fresh off a lopsided loss to Mexico, in the second match of their CONCACAF Olympic qualifying run.  The U.S. is certainly the more talented team and, after their win over Costa Rica in their opener, are now favorites to advance from this group stage scenario and into the almighty knockout rounds.

But on Sunday, the U.S. U-23s' biggest task may not be the Dominican Republic team that stands across the field from them. Rather, it will be managing themselves and their own fitness while positioning themselves for the important games ahead.

“We’re considering all options, there’s no doubt about it,” U.S. head coach Jason Kreis told reporters when asked about managing his squad. “We feel that we’ve got an extremely deep team with a ton of experience. I wouldn’t see any reason why we couldn’t have the majority of these players contributing for us, either in this game or the next game.

"Three games in a week for players that are at the fitness levels that we’re at, in preseason basically, I think would be a lot to ask. So yeah, we are considering some rotations.”

On Sunday against Costa Rica, the U.S. looked, for lack of a better word, exhausted. The 1-0 win was a drag of a game, one devoid of much style but, ultimately, one where the U.S. came out on top. But they did so by the skin of their teeth, with the players on the field giving every last ounce of energy to claim those vital three points in their first competitive game in nearly six months. By the time the final whistle blew, several U.S. players were spent, with cramps claiming the legs of several key starters.

And, because of that, as Kreis said, some rotation will be key. The U.S. cannot qualify for the Olympics with only their 11 best players because, by the time the knockout rounds roll around, those players will be mincemeat if not given rest. 

The question is how much is too much, and how little is too little? It's a fine line to walk for a team still learning to play with one another and still trying to fit into this system. Kreis has plenty of healthy players ready to go, with some expected starters initially on the bench in the opener. The question, then, is how to move things around while avoiding what looks like an obvious trap game against an unheralded underdog?

One such position that rotation should be expected is up top, with goalscorer Jesus Ferreira a candidate to come out of the lineup after going down with an apparent cramp in the second half of Thursday's win. In could come Sebastian Soto, a more than capable scorer himself with two goals for the senior team.

Kreis will also likely make some changes in the midfield, an area of the field that did prove a position of concern against Costa Rica. Captain Jackson Yueill, a senior team veteran, was all but man-marked out of the game, putting pressure on the likes of Hassani Dotson and Djordje Mihailovic to find a way to move the ball upfield.

And, while Dotson was one of the U.S. team's bright spots, they did struggle to find those line-breaking passes required to open up Costa Rica. Kreis says that those passes aren't just the responsibility of the midfield, though, as he looked to the defense, which could also be an area of rotation due to a Justen Glad yellow card.

Julian Araujo, Sebastian Saucedo, Andres Perea and Johnny Cardoso all came in as substitutes on Thursday, and one would expect at least a few of them to move into the starting XI going forward.

“We had a couple of players that that were in the same situation as Jesus, where their muscles were cramping,” Kreis said. “This is due to a little bit of dehydration. A lot to do with altitude and a lot to do with the fact that it’s all of these players' first game in a very long time.

"As I said before the game, we’re not quite match-fit yet, but we’re hoping to continue to build that fitness and build that soccer form as we move forward in this tournament.”

With a win on Sunday, the U.S. will all but assure themselves a spot in the semifinal round while making the group stage finale, a heavyweight battle with Mexico, a game that becomes a bit less do-or-die. If the U.S. takes care of business on Sunday, the meeting with El Tri will become one about seeding, not their tournament lives.

And, although their tournament-opening win was ugly, the U.S. is still on track. This is exactly the position they expected to find themselves in and now it's about turning that position into another step forward while inflicting the least damage possible on their own legs.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Kreis said. "Ultimately, we’re really, really pleased with the result, really pleased to win our first game in the group. It was a big objective for our team in this tournament, but also I think we were left wanting more. The entire team knows and the staff knows that we could have played better. It’s our objective to not only win games but in a certain way.

"I don’t think that we completed everything that we wanted to in that game. We have a hungry group that wants to get a win and do it in much better fashion."

Tyrone Mings says Premier League players should not throw away the ‘opportunity’ of taking the knee before matches and disagrees with those who say the practice has lost its impact.

Wilfried Zaha has become the first player to stop taking the knee before Premier League games, saying he found it “degrading” and wanted to see real action being taken against racism.

Mings welcomed Zaha’s contribution to the conversation about discrimination in football and wider society but says the pre-match routine is having a real impact.

What has been said?

Aston Villa and England defender Mings told Sky Sports: “If we’re completely honest, I haven’t heard one substantial argument as to why we should stop it. I’ve heard it’s lost its power and I think, who have you spoken to, to say that it’s lost its power?

“Because I completely understand that us as players and anyone who goes to Premier League matches can think that this is becoming monotonous, or we’ve done it for a long time now, or it’s not as impactful as it was at the start.

“I completely get that and I had to ask myself the same question, is it still having the desired impact? It was only by speaking to people out in the field and out into society that I really got the feel of the size and importance of what we’re doing.”

‘These are conversations we should be encouraging’

Mings says Zaha’s own stance must be respected but he feels the chance to keep the anti-racism message in the public eye before every match is one which shouldn’t be squandered.

“Obviously Zaha has come out as the first player to stop doing it and any person who has a passionate stance on what we’re doing at the moment should be respected.

“For Zaha to be the first person to come out and be so passionate about not doing it, that he is happy to stand out there on his own as a black man and not take the knee, they are the sort of conversations that we should be encouraging.

“What are his reasons? If he doesn’t feel it’s having the impact, if he doesn’t feel he’s being respected by doing it, then they are conversations we need to have.

“The only thing I would say to that is that we have never had this opportunity as a group of black players. Look at players that have come before us. Never would they have had the opportunity for the Premier League to get behind them so strongly and so passionately to back their anti-racism message.

“I think that is something so powerful and we shouldn’t be getting away from that any time soon.”

Further reading

Having been lofted high over the heads of legendary figures such as Bobby Moore and Pele among others, the Jules Rimet trophy occupies a special place in football's unique mythos.

The first-ever World Cup, it was once the symbol of the highest-attainable glory in the sport. Nowadays, however, it is no longer in use, having been replaced by the current iconic FIFA World Cup trophy in 1974.

Nevertheless, the Jules Rimet trophy underwent a tumultuous existence and has even been a topic of a number of football documentaries.

So what happened to it? Goal brings you everything you need to know about the fate of the classic prize.

On this page

What happened to the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy?

The Jules Rimet World Cup trophy was stolen ahead of the 1966 World Cup in England, prompting a major investivation.

It happened on March 20, 1966, while the prize was on public exhibition at Westminster Central Hall in London, four months ahead of the tournament was scheduled to kick off.

To the relief of FIFA and the Football Association, the trophy was located seven days after it was first reported missing.

Prior to that, a ransom note was received by FA chairman Joe Mears and it warned: "If I don't hear from you by Thursday or Friday at the latest I assume it's one for the POT."

A ransom sum of £15,000 was demanded, but police managed to apprehend an individual by the name of Edward Betchley in a sting operation.

Betchley claimed to be nothing more than a go-between and was convicted for his part in the scheme, getting two years in prison.

It is not known exactly who was behind the theft of what was then the most sought-after commodity in football, but there have been plenty of rumours over the years.

Second Jules Rimet trophy theft

Remarkably, in 1983, 17 years after it first went missing in England, the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen again.

The second theft occurred in Brazil and it has never been found since, disappearing into the ether of speculation and intrigue.

It was stolen from a display case in the headquarters of the Brazilian football association (CBF) in Rio de Janeiro.

There have been a number of hypotheses regarding the ultimate fate of the Jules Rimet trophy after it's Brazilian disappearance, including the suggestion that it may have been sold to be melted down into gold bars.

However, since the trophy was not made of solid gold (it was made of gold-plated sterling silver) such an outcome is not likely.

Who found the Jules Rimet trophy?

When the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen for the first time in 1966, it was found by David Corbett and his dog Pickles.

Corbett was walking to a telephone box in order to phone his brother when Pickles began sniffing at a package wrapped in newspaper, which was propped against the wheel of a car.

“At the time the IRA (Irish Republican Army) were at large, so I personally thought it was a bomb. So I put it down. Picked it up, put it down again," Corbett told FIFA.com.

"Then curiosity took hold. I tore a bit off the bottom and there was a plain disc. Then I tore around and there was Brazil, Germany, Uruguay.

"I ran back in and said to my wife: ‘I think I’ve found the World Cup!’"

Pickles - a mixed breed Collie, in case you're wondering - earned something of a cult status among football fans and canine enthusiasts in England following the discovery.

“People remember the dog," Pickles' owner Corbett later admitted. "They don’t remember me!"

Of course, as mentioned, the trophy was never found after it was stolen the second time, but the mystery lingers in the minds of fans, particularly those in Brazil, who valued it as a symbol of their stature.

A replica was, however, presented to the CBF by FIFA not long after the theft, in 1984.

Who was Jules Rimet?

Jules Rimet was the third president of FIFA, who served in the position from 1921 until 1954 - a tenure of 33 years.

He is the longest-serving president in the organisation's history and was 80 years of age when his time at the helm concluded.

Hailing from France, Rimet was one of the masterminds behind the World Cup and he helped get the initiative off the ground in 1930.

In 1946, in recognition of Rimet's contribution to the establishment of the popular tournament, the World Cup trophy - originally named 'Victory' - was renamed in his honour.

Born in 1873, Rimet died in 1956 at the age of 83, just two years after he stood down as FIFA president.

AS Vita Club coach Florent Ibenge has said in order for the team to advance to the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League they need to emerge victorious in their remaining two matches, including the one against Simba SC of Tanzania.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo outfit will next face the Msimbazi giants in their fifth match of Group A and are placed third on the table with four points from four matches.

On the other hand, Simba are sitting top of the group with ten points from four matches while Al Ahly of Egypt are second on seven points from four outings.

Ibenge has rallied his players to make sure they win the two remaining matches starting with Simba, whom they will face at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, knowing very well the home team is yet to lose a match on their home ground.

“We need to win both of our remaining games against Simba and Al Merrikh of Sudan in order to advance to the quarter-finals,” Ibenge said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“The results we have achieved have not been very good for us, but this is not the time to blame each other, all we have to do is make sure we move forward by winning the remaining matches.”

The match against Simba will be played on April 2 with their final match against Al Merrikh lined up for April 9 in Kinshasa.

Ibenge’s sentiments come just a day after Simba coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa explained his main target with the team in the Caf competition is to make sure they reach the semi-finals.

“Getting the team to that stage [semi-finals] is very possible thanks to the cooperation I get from the leaders, my assistants, and the players who are thirsty for success,” Gomes said on Saturday.

“If you look we are leading the group standings and we have two games left - one we will play at home against AS Vita and the other one away against Al Ahly, if we do well we can obviously finish at the top in the group stage.”

Simba are unbeaten in their group stage campaign and are yet to concede a goal, winning their first match away to AS Vita in Kinshasa 1-0 before returning home to stun Al Ahly 1-0 and then, travelled to face Al Merrikh in Sudan where they secured a 0-0 draw before returning home to hammer Al Merrikh 3-0.

Dirk Kuyt thinks Steven Gerrard’s natural leadership qualities mean he would do “a great job” as Liverpool manager – and the Dutchman would love to be his assistant at Anfield.

Gerrard is revelling in the success of his first job in management, after leading Rangers to their first Scottish title in 10 years.

His title win has intensified talk that he could one day take the reins at Liverpool and Kuyt – who Gerrard invited to spend time with him in training at Rangers – thinks he is tailor-made for the job.

What has Kuyt said?

Kuyt told the Mirror: “I feel that his leadership qualities are going to take him very far as a manager. I think it would be great if Steven Gerrard went on to manage Liverpool. He’s Liverpool through and through and spent his entire playing career at Anfield.

“I have always got on very well with him, and we are still in contact from time to time.

“Steven has said some great things about me in the last couple of years, we have a special bond. He does not have to speak about me, but he still does.

“It has made me proud of our bond and it was great to go over to see him work with his team in Scotland.’’

Kuyt ‘looking at options’ to start managerial career

Kuyt became a fan favourite in his six years at Liverpool, and retired from playing in 2018. He is yet to make the move into management but says he is looking to take his first step soon.

“I have a desire to be a manager soon and I am looking at options,” he said. "But there are exceptions for choosing a path as an assistant manager and being alongside Stevie would be one of them.

“If he wanted me to be his assistant, I’d like that a lot. In principle, I see myself going on to work as a head coach, but, like I say, there are always exceptions.

“The most beautiful moment I can see is when Steven gets the job and can call himself officially the manager of Liverpool.

“And he’d do a great job. As he’s done at Rangers, he will have a process, doing things gradually, step by step.”

Further reading

Luke Shaw admits he had given up hope of returning to the England squad before his dramatic return to form at Manchester United this season.

The 25-year-old has played eight times for the Three Lions, but only twice in the last five years and none since 2018.

Gareth Southgate has called him up for World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland. With Ben Chilwell in and out of the team at Chelsea, Shaw has the opportunity to make a problem position his own at international level.

What has Shaw said?

Asked if he had lost hope of returning to the international fold, Shaw told United’s official website: “Yeah, I think so. At times, I made bad mistakes, pulling out of squads maybe at times when I shouldn’t have. That was down to me.

“Of course, back then, I was going through bad times. Especially my family and my girlfriend, they thought that it was done.

“At the start of the season I had ambitions and sat down with my girlfriend and said that I wanted to get back in the England squad, doing everything I can to be back there. You know, of course with my form, I thought there was a bigger chance than ever that I could be back in it.

“Gladly, Gareth’s given me another opportunity to be involved in there, so I’m just really happy and honoured to be selected again. Hopefully I can show Gareth why I deserve a spot in the squad.”

Which games will Shaw play?

Manchester United play Leicester in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, with Shaw setting off for international duty afterwards providing he comes through the clash unscathed.

England start their World Cup qualifying campaign at home to San Marino on Thursday, with the trip to Albania on Sunday and a home fixture against Poland on Wednesday, March 31.

Given the busy schedule at club level, Shaw perhaps won't expect to play all three games. Chilwell has also been called up, while Kieran Trippier and Bukayo Saka have also been deployed on the left in recent England matches.

Further reading

Rwanda striker Meddie Kagere has stated he is still a top striker despite warming the bench at Mainland Premier League champions Simba SC.

The 34-year-old forward, who signed for the Msimbazi giants from Kenyan champions Gor Mahia in the 2018 season, started warming the bench under Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck, who later left the club to join FAR Rabat in Morocco.

And immediately new coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa came in, Kagere started to play but he did so in a few matches before he was once again dropped to the bench.

Kagere who holds the record of being the top scorer in the Mainland league for two consecutive seasons 2018-19 and 2019-20, has now claimed his stay on the bench does not put pressure on him as he believes he is still a good striker with quality standards but every coach has his own choice.

"I have not dropped the level of my play, I am as I was when I was in the first team, I continue to train as usual, because I know even if I am given a chance I have to show the ability to score and help the team,” Kagere said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“You know every coach has his own players he wants to use according to the match and that’s what I encounter with the coach preferring to start someone ahead of me.”

Kagere has, however, claimed despite being put on the bench, he has not given up on his quest to play for the team adding whatever minutes the coach will give him, he is ready to deliver.

“I always believe in strength training and I usually do it if I have not played in a competitive match and it helps me to be at level with the players, who have been given a chance and played for 90 minutes,” Kagere continued.

“I don’t feel the coach is looking down upon me, hence the reason I am warming the bench…no, that is not the case, I have to continue training hard until my time to play comes again. I don't want to see my football career go down easily, so I will remain positive until my time to play comes.

“If you look at it despite playing a few matches I am still at the top of scoring goals in the league this season and I still have a chance to add some goals, so I need to play a few matches and I am confident I will be given a chance very soon.”

Kagere is currently tied with captain John Bocco as Simba’s top scorers in the top-tier with nine goals each.

Former Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder George Lebese is now a free agent after mutually agreeing to exit from his contract with USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

He had failed to travel back to the United States due to a ban imposed on travellers from South Africa by the American government following the discovery of a new coronavirus variant.

The player was stranded in Gauteng while Colorado Springs started pre-season training for the upcoming season.

“It is with a heavy heart that I have to terminate my contract with Switchbacks,” announced Lebese on social media.

“This pandemic has consumed and taken away from many people and I am now a living force of that. Due to the decision of the President of the US made on the 26th January to close borders for South Africa with no exception. I am not able to travel to fulfil my contract with the team and after patiently waiting to see if it opens, two months are passing with no upliftment and the club proposed a termination to minimise risk from both ends.

“I thank Switchbacks for the opportunity to be a part of the team, This was honestly not an easy but heartfelt decision. As of with immediate effect I am a free agent and looking forward to what is next for my career.”

So far Lebese has not been linked with any club but a return to the Premier Soccer League might not be ruled out.

He leaves Colorado Springs four months after extending his contract with the club by a further year.

Lebese had joined the American club in December 2019 after partying ways with Mamelodi Sundowns.

His stint at Sundowns was largely unsuccessful as he struggled for game time which saw him being loaned out to SuperSport United.

Before joining Masandawana, Lebese had spent almost a decade at Chiefs where he established his name.

As a free agent, he is now free to join a team of his choice and it will be interesting to see which PSL teams would make the move for him.

Sofapaka head coach Ken Odhiambo has explained why they will not easily see off Kakamega Homeboyz during a Football Kenya Federation Premier League tie at Bukhubgu Stadium on Sunday.

A point is what separates the two sides although Kakamega Homeboyz have played one more game and Odhiambo has pointed out why the match will not be an easy one for them.

"We are facing strong opposition, they are compact at the back and lethal upfront that makes them a hard side not to crack easily," Odhiambo told the club's website. "The point difference tells it, we are in for a tough match but we are well prepared for the duel on Sunday.”

"It has always been close affairs in our past fixtures though we have emerged winners in most occasions and we only want to maintain on the record.”

The Harambee Stars assistant head coach also called for consistency from his side, especially after a poor season start.

"To win matches, be at the top, and challenge for the title calls for strong mentality from players throughout," he added. "It has been a concern for us in the past fixtures where we lost matches that we should have picked maximum points.

"We want to be champions and for us to achieve that we need to up on our mentality, we have discussed it and I only hope we start seeing a positive change on it.
 
"Consistency is still a huge concern, we haven’t had a string of positive results from our fixtures and we want to bring an end to it. A win over Kakamega Homeboyz and the next two home fixtures will give us a proper picture and momentum.”  

The former Bandari head coach also believes a win over Kakamega Homeboyz will help in halting a poor record from the away games.

"Sunday’s game is a crucial one for us because we seriously need the points," he added. "We go into the clash with the sole aim of bagging the points and of course bragging rights too. 

"Our away record is a poor one and we want to bring an end to such by winning the Kakamega Homeboyz fixture and making it two out of two from Posta Rangers win a fortnight ago.”

Brian Nyakan, Pistone Mutamba, Tomothy Otieno, Mohamed Kilume and Aigba Moubarak will not be avaialble for Sofapaka.

“A huge blow to us missing our key point men up front but we have a good squad and I believe those selected will do a splendid job,” he said concerning the injuries.

Batoto ba Mungu have picked five points from the previous three engagements against KCB, Posta Rangers and Bidco United.

Jurgen Klopp has been backed by Rafa Benitez to repeat his feat from 2004-05 and win the Champions League despite a disappointing Premier League campaign.

Liverpool, who sit five points outside the top four with nine games to play, face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and could play Chelsea, their semi-final opponents in 2005, in the following round.

With the final set to be played at Istanbul’s Ataturk Stadium, the venue for Benitez’s side’s miracle comeback against AC Milan, there is plenty of talk of destiny for Liverpool.

What has Benitez said?

Asked if Liverpool could go all the way again in Europe, Benitez told the Daily Mail: “For sure. Liverpool has the potential and the manager, it's not a problem.

“People talk about Istanbul like we were lucky. But we were not lucky to win the Champions League because we played against Juventus [in the quarter-finals], that was a top side and they played 5-3-2.

“Tactically we had to adapt to a very difficult opponent and then, because we did well, the confidence was growing and growing. And we played Chelsea, at this time it was the best team maybe in Europe - for sure in England - [but] our team had so much confidence that tactically we could manage. We were a team with belief.

“I think Liverpool can do the same and go to the final obviously. AC Milan was a great team but the team was growing in confidence because, in these knockout competitions, we could do it.”

Liverpool’s route to the Champions League final

Liverpool are looking for revenge for the 2018 final in their quarter-final clash with Real Madrid. The first leg is at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 6, before the home leg at Anfield eight days later.

If they progress, Liverpool will play either Chelsea or Porto in the semi-finals, which begin on April 27-28 and end on May 4-5.

The final in Istanbul is then scheduled for May 29.

Further reading

Orlando Pirates assistant coach Fadlu Davids insists their previous three derby wins over Kaizer Chiefs this season as well as their good form will not matter when they meet their rivals in Sunday’s Premier Soccer League Soweto derby showdown at FNB Stadium.

Having recorded eight victories and two draws across all competitions in their last 10 games, Pirates appear the stronger side on paper.

Their form is in stark contrast to Chiefs’ run in the last 10 games where they have managed just one win, five draws and four defeats.

With Pirates having also beaten Amakhosi in three derby meetings so far this season, Davids feels that will not influence Sunday’s game.

“It’s really important to focus on the tactical plan and not the occasion. The task is what we are focusing on, what we have to do as a team, as a unit.” Davids told Pirates’ media.

“This game is different to the previous three derbies this season because they are a different team. Tactically they have adjusted with Nurkovic back. It is a completely different game.

“We have to be really careful in our preparations because when it comes to the Soweto derby, a game of this magnitude, form is out of the window. So we approach the game as a once-off with three points at stake.”

Victory for Pirates will see them climbing from fourth to second spot on the PSL table, while Chiefs will only reach ninth in the table with a win.

Pirates midfielder Fortune Makaringe agrees with Davids that form does not count going into this derby confrontation which he calls “a very special fixture.”

“In a derby, it matters not how you've been performing. It's all about what you do on the day,” Makaringe told the Pirates website.

“We just need to make sure that we do the job on the day. It's about focusing on the job at hand, and not dwell on what you've done in the past. So, we need to be as professional as possible, and make sure that we fight for the Buccaneers, and fight for the badge.

“It's a very special fixture. It's always a big occasion. When you step to the field, you do so knowing that the pride of the club is at stake. It's truly something special.”

Pirates go into this match on the back of beating Enyimba 2-1 in a Caf Confederation Cup Group A match last Wednesday.

“It [the win against Enyimba] is definitely a confidence builder. I mean, at this stage of the season, you have to take each positive you can get, whether big or small,” said Makaringe

Gor Mahia have come out to clarify youngster Benson Omala will return from Sweden at the expiry of his short-term contract.

The former Western Stima striker officially sealed a six-month loan deal to play for Swedish Division One side FC Linkoping City, returning to Kenya in December 2021.

Gor Mahia secretary-general Sam Ochola has now clarified the youngster, who also features for the national team Harambee Stars, will return home after the short-term contract comes to an end and will not stay in Europe.

“Of course Omala is going to Sweden on a six-month loan deal and we are hopeful the deal will make him a better player while in Europe and we expect him back by January to play for us,” Ochola told Goal on Saturday.

“We want the player to go out there and develop and nothing much and we know when he comes back, he will be a better player than he is now.”

Linkoping will officially have the services of Omala after the centre-forward clears his final high school examinations in March.

In a recent interview Gor Mahia official Omondi Aduda, who sits in the club’s technical committee, revealed to Goal the agreement signed between the club and Omala by stating: “Let Omala go and develop in Sweden.

“He has made the move on a season-free loan and that is the agreement between Gor Mahia and Linkoping City. The deal was completed here in Kenya as the officials from the team came to finalise everything in the country.”

Since joining Gor Mahia Omala has not enjoyed regular playtime with the giants, with the arrival of Burundian Jules Ulimwengu and Tito Okello of South Sudan, who were signed in the same transfer window, saw him relegated to the bench most of the time.

There was also stiff competition from Nicholas Kipkirui who has left the club to sign for Nairobi City Stars.

Recently, the goalscoring responsibility has been handed to either forward Wilson Silva, the newly signed centre-forward for the Green Army from Brazil, or Ulimwengu with Okello enjoying more minutes as a substitute.

Although minutes have been limited at club level, Omala has always been called to the national side as he was also summoned for the friendlies against South Sudan and Tanzania but school duties rule him out entirely.

Omala made his name at Western Stima before he attracted interest from Gor Mahia. The youngster earned his debut in the Premier League against KCB and scored his first top-tier goal.

His form saw him included in the Rising Stars squad that featured in the Cecafa U20 championship in Kampala, Uganda in 2019 and he went on to score on two occasions.

While serving the Powermen, he registered his first hat-trick against Zoo FC, a game they won 4-1 in December 2019, and became the first Western Stima player to do so.

Former Barcelona and Valencia midfielder Gaizka Mendieta said Thomas Partey should not expect to play every game at Arsenal because of the 'evolving' state of football.

Despite battling with injuries, the 27-year-old has 19 appearances in all competitions for Mikel Arteta's side since his permanent move from Atletico Madrid in October.

After playing every minute in the Gunners' 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday, Partey dropped to the bench on Thursday but he was later introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their 1-0 Uefa Europa League defeat to Olympiacos.

The Ghana star is expected to play a part when Arsenal visit West Ham United on Sunday, however, Mendieta – who had stints in England and Spain during his career – thinks his chances of playing are not just limited to competition for places in Arteta's team.

"When you analyse football nowadays like in many clubs, there is not many players that play every single game not only because of the sort of competition within the team especially in big clubs like Atletico Madrid but also because of the number of games,” Mendieta told Goal during a LaLiga hangout.

“Sometimes players - even when I was playing, don't really see that from outside and I understand why he felt he should be playing more often. I think, my guess is that he will be similar in Arsenal, whenever he goes to a big club he is going to be in a similar situation because football is evolving, there is not many players that feature week in, week out.

“He's got to understand that football is in that way now these days. Hopefully for him, there is no injury that will stop that progression and he is new in the environment."

Partey is gradually establishing his presence in the Gunners' midfield with his fine performances and he has contributed two assists so far in all competitions (one each in the Premier League and Europa League).