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Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer has emphasised the importance of beating Kaizer Chiefs yet again in Sunday’s Soweto derby clash at FNB Stadium as he recalls the little faith in him when he took up this job.

Zinnbauer first tasted the confrontation between the two sides in a league in February 2020 and was on the losing side as Chiefs won 1-0 away at Orlando Stadium.

But since then, the tide has shifted with the Pirates coach leading his side to three victories over their traditional foes this season.

“First of all we have to win the game,” said Zinnbauer as per Sowetan Live.

“This is important to me if I win four in a row. Yes‚ I’m happy about it but we work a lot on ourselves. We have to play this game and we have to focus on this game. It will be good for the supporters. It’s the 100th [league] derby but for me, as a coach, you aim to get three points in this game.

“I can’t forget the first time I came here‚ and nobody trusted me. But now we fight together‚ we fight and work for all these results. I hope this is not the end because as we go forward we need more points. For me, this gives more motivation as we go forward.”

Zinnbauer has already clocked 50 games across all competitions as coach of Orlando Pirates since his arrival in South Africa in December 2019.

In those games he has guided Pirates to 30 wins, 14 draws and six defeats.

As he enters into his 51st match in charge of Pirates, the German, however, acknowledges that their supremacy over “top club” Chiefs this season does guarantee them victory on Sunday.

“I know it will be a hard game for us against top opponents‚ a top club‚ and we have to focus on this,” Zinnbauer said.

“Yes‚ I saw the statistic also and I’m happy about it but it’s not my work alone. I have Fadlu [Davids‚ Zinnbauer’s assistant] and all the other technical team members including fitness coaches. This comes from the work of all of these guys‚ the management‚ the chairman [Irvin Khoza]‚ all of us are working on these results.

“They also deserve this statistic. It’s not just me alone. I have to thank all these guys and especially the squad. The team takes the points‚ they fight for the points and they come back when we’ve had a bad game. And when we lose a game they come into the next game and bring us a win.

“That’s the kind of teamwork that we need for a side like this. We have now these statistics‚ which I’m happy about."

Simba SC coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa is impressed with the way his striker Chris Mugalu has been playing in the Caf Champions League.

The striker has been involved in all four Group A matches played, scoring two goals in the process. The latest strike was a couple of days ago as Wekundu wa Msimbazi claimed a 3-0 win at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium with Luis Miquissone and Mohammed Hassan scoring the remaining two games.

Another goal for the Congolese attacker had come away to AS Vita in the 1-0 win and the French tactician has now explained what the towering striker brings to Mnyama.

"In my system, one striker needs to be more confident as compared to others and it is what I have seen in Mugalu," Gomes told the Championi. 

"He has been doing well and he showed it in our recent game against Al Merrikh where he scored an important goal. 

"It is vital for him to be confident because it benefits the entire team. We also have the likes of Meddie [Kagere] and our captain John [Bocco] who have also been doing well when called upon.

"I am proud to have them."

The Msimbazi Street-based charges lead their group with 10 points and are almost guaranteed a spot in the last eight. They started their campaign with a 1-0 win away to the Democratic Republic of Congo against their hosts AS Vita.

They followed it up with another win by a solitary goal at home over the defending champions Al Ahly with Luis Miquissone scoring the only goal in the first half.

Mnyama went to Sudan to play the Red Devils but were held to a goalless draw before getting a healthy 3-0 win in the second round in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 

The 21-time Tanzania Mainland League champions are the only team in Group A yet to concede a goal and will be hoping to extend their record when they host the Black Dolphins on Saturday, April 3.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi need a point from the Congolese heavyweights to qualify for the quarter-final of the annual competition. 

Tusker defender Wellington Ochieng has explained why he is yet to make an appearance since he joined the Premier League side from Gor Mahia.

The full-back believes the adaptation process has been quite a challenge since he made the move in the transfer season before the season began.

“It has been good so far and I feel at home," Ochieng told the Tusker website . "Adapting has however been a bit tough for me because it has taken some time, but I think I am almost there."

The Premier League winner with K'Ogalo also explained what he must do in order to break into Robert Matano's first eleven.

"I know that I must do my own bit, on top of what the coach gives in training to ensure that I am ready,” he added.

"I must focus to be stronger in areas I am strong and also perfect where I have weaknesses. I know my time will come."

"I am patiently waiting and working hard in training. This is a positive challenge for me and I have to continue showing my work in training and pushing hard. 

"I know when I am given the chance I will be ready and slot in seamlessly into the team."

Matano has not been making many changes in his starting line up given the team looks stable and is comfortable at the top of the Premier League table.

Meanwhile, the club's assistant coach Charles Okere explained how he is satisfied by the offensive organisation and stated they have to improve defensively.

"Offensively we were doing well but we had a few lapses in compact defending and that is one of the things we have tried to work on and perfect," Okere told the club's portal .

Okere also pointed out the importance of a break Tusker have enjoyed since they last played Ulinzui Stars and picked a 1-0 win.

"I believe it has been a good opportunity for us to go back to the drawing board and plan well for the remaining games of the season," added the coach.

"For us, the most important thing is how we play as a unit."

Tusker have enjoyed quite good form and are sitting pretty at the top with 35 points ahead of KCB who have 29 points although the Bankers have played one fewer game.

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena says there is still “a lot of work needed to improve” as they prepare to host Black Leopards at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday.

The Brazilians lead the PSL standings four points better than second-placed Golden Arrows who have played two more games than them.

The current campaign sees Sundowns bidding for a historical fourth successive league title but Mokwena feels the job is far from being completed.

“Huge compliment to the players for the current space we find ourselves in. We appreciate a lot of hard work and players adopting life principles and infusing a soul into the game,” Mokwena told Sundowns’ media.

“When we speak of life principles we mean brotherhood, selflessness and honesty. With honesty to their performances and this has led to the consistency that we find ourselves enjoying and of course no championship has ever been won in March. No league title, no Caf Champions League title has ever been won in March.

“Still in a humble way, there is a lot of work needed to improve and a lot of things to work on in relation to our schemes both defensively and offensively. We are humbled to appreciate the small milestones because for you to be blessed with bigger milestones you have to appreciate small ones.

“While we appreciate the small milestones, we then galvanise ourselves for bigger challenges that lie ahead of us because we know that our April is going to be nine games and May is going to be really that moment when everything is going to be decided.”

Still unbeaten in the PSL this season, Masandawana welcome basement side Leopards without in-form striker Peter Shalulile who is suspended.

Mokwena admits Shalulile’s absence will force them to alter their game.

“We are going into this game without Peter Shalulile and that means we have to change a little bit in a certain way our schemes because Peter is such an integral part of the squad and not just our offensive schemes but also defensive schemes,” said Mokwena.

“So we have to change a little bit and adjust the way we want to go against Black Leopards. It will be interesting to see how we deal with their build-up triangle of [Khomotso] Masia, [Sibongiseni] Mthethwa and [Edwin] Gyimah.”

The reverse fixture between the two sides saw Sundowns winning 2-1 away in Limpopo in January.

SC Villa coach Edward Kaziba is still optimistic about winning the Ugandan Premier League despite trailing leaders Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) FC by 11 points after the completion of the first round of matches.

The Jogoo are seventh on the table with 25 points from the 15 games they have played in the ongoing season. The tactician concedes mistakes were made but lessons have been taken.

"The table shows that we are seventh but when you look at the points, we are not so far away and I think we are in a good position going into the second round," Kaziba said after the completion of the first round.

"Our target is still to win the title and we believe it is very much still possible because we still have 15 games to play.  

"We have lost to some teams in the first round but we have also learned from our mistakes and will continue sharpening up during this time in recess and I am positive we are still going to win the league."

The last game the team played to reach the midway of the season was against Bright Stars. Benson Wagima scored an own goal with Nicholas Kabonge hitting the winner after Joseph Akandwanaho had equalised to help the former league champions to a 2-1 win on Wednesday.

"We knew we were away to Bright Stars and understood that there were aspects where they had an advantage on us," Kaziba continued.

"The good thing is that we were well prepared and I am glad to say that our players played under instructions. They all played well save for the mistake we made in the build-up to their goal but that is inevitable in the game. 

"Generally, I think we had a good game because we outplayed them on top of going away with the points."  

The league will resume on April 1 and the tactician has revealed his plans for the team.

"The break will not be that long. Good thing is that the players can now have a breather after playing a game every two days which had a massive effect on them.  

"We will rest for like four days and then resume training because we will not wait for the league to return to kick-off our preparations for the second round. We expect to be a very different side in the second round as we gun for as many points as we can to accumulate. 

"The good thing is we have young players so they can endure playing the entire league and everyone knows it is a marathon. Even in the last game, they showed everyone that they can very much endure over a long period." 

Head coach Francis Kimanzi has explained why his Wazito FC and Bandari are under pressure ahead of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League Saturday tie.

Bandari and Wazito are fifth and sixth respectively on the log and have been separated by just two points although the Dockers have played one more game.

"Every team in the league is an opponent and any opponent will always come with a lot of pressure and the pressure is that every team wants a win," explained Kimanzi. "We will play Bandari who have a few points more than us and so the pressure for both teams is there.

"But we want to leave the stadium with maximum points."

The last game Wazito played was on March 6 and Kimanzi has explained the positives and the bad side of such a break. The Nairobi club engaged in a friendly match against South Sudan who were in the country for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying preparations.

"With 10 days of rest, sometimes there is a lot of positive things and of course, there are some negatives but we cannot complain because it is something that is in the calendar and we must cope with it," explained the former Mathare United coach.

"What is important is the way you keep your team active during that time. We have been busy working and we were also lucky to have a friendly against a team that is strong and that helped us to get back on the track of the competition."

The tactician also gave injury updates from his camp as key games lie ahead; Wazito will face Tusker and Sofapaka after the Bandari tie.

"We were worried about Ellie Asieche's injury but now he is back and ready for the team's selection. For Dennis Sikhayi, I think in a week's time we will have him back for rehabilitation," Kimanzi concluded. 

"One or two changes will always be good in order to help the team and a change of player always comes for another player in the team."

The showdown will kick-off at 15:00 at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani.

Tusker midfielder George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo has confessed why he was happy they had lost to promoted side Bidco United in the FKF Premier League.

The title-chasing Brewers were dealt a major blow after the Thika-based side managed a 2-1 win against them in their second last league assignment played at Kasarani Annex on February 27.

The Brewers later bounced back to defeat Ulinzi Stars 1-0 at the same venue before the league went on a break but the former Gor Mahia striker has revisited the defeat to Bidco United where he says he felt good for them to lose in the fixture because it was a wake-up call to everyone.

“After the loss to Bidco United, everyone was angry but for me somehow I felt it was good for us because it was a wake-up call to everyone,” Odhiambo said as quoted by the club’s official website.

“Losing that game gave everyone a picture of just how painful it is to lose a match and we managed to bounce back and win against Ulinzi Stars.

“Mentally, it made us stronger and I believe we are now cautious moving to each new game because we don’t want to drop any points.”

Odhiambo now believes the team has benefited from the break and everyone is now focused on the match against Nairobi City Stars on Tuesday.

“It has been a welcome break and the rest has been good for us. Fatigue had begun to catch up with us but now we hope we can be fresher for City Stars and the focus is now back 100 percent,” Odhiambo continued.

“I haven’t watched City Stars this season but from what we have been told by the coaches, they are a good and tough team. Every match for us now is like a final and we must focus on picking three points.

“Winning the league is not easy. I have been there before and I know it and I hope we can all remain focused on every single match and everyone to give 100 percent when called upon.”

The Brewers, who have lost two matches so far in this campaign, are topping the 18-team table on 35 points from 15 matches, six more than second-placed KCB, who have 29 points but have played a game less, and AFC Leopards, who are third on 28 points from 13 matches.

Simba SC assistant coach Raul Shungu has named three players in the Simba SC squad he feels will trouble them when the two sides face off in a Caf Champions League match on April 3.

The Msimbazi giants will host the Democratic Republic of the Congo outfit at Mkapa Stadium where they have already won their two first Group A matches – a 1-0 win against Al Ahly of Egypt and a 3-0 win against Al Merrikh of Sudan.

Simba also secured their first win of the campaign against the same AS Vita side after they beat them 1-0 away in Kinshasa with forward Chris Mugalu notching the all-important goal from the penalty spot.

Shungu, who has previously coached Simba rivals Yanga SC and speaks fluent Kiswahili, has now said they are already thinking about facing the three red stars - Luis Miquissone, Taddeo Lwanga, and defender Joash Onyango.

He explained the three players are the biggest weapons that the Reds have in their squad and added they have contributed the biggest share to the team’s good start in the group stage campaign.

“If you look at the Mozambican Luis [Miquissone] that’s everything in front of them, he has the power to step up the attack and the intelligence to make a quick decision,” Shungu said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“You need intelligence and a good plan to stop him [Miquissone], we tried to do it when we played in the first meeting back home but in the end, we made the mistake of forgetting ourselves and it caused the harm as we suffered defeat.

“In the middle, they have defensive winger from Uganda Taddeo [Lwanga], he has also added power into the middle of the pack and works extra hard and he has also added some difficulty for any team to pass through to reach their defence, and also at the back, they have that defender Joash [Onyango], who plays very intelligently.

“We must be well prepared to reverse the outcome but it is not an easy task but it is possible, it will depend on what mistakes they make,” Shungu concluded and admitted that should AS Vita suffer defeat in Dar es Salaam, then their target of reaching the quarter-finals will be over.

Simba are topping the group on 10 points from four matches, while African champions Al Ahly are second on seven points from a similar number of matches and AS Vita are third on four points from four matches.

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) was a year to forget for both Chennaiyin FC and their star midfielder Anirudh Thapa. While the club finished at the eighth position on the league table, the midfielder through an injury-laden campaign. 

Both Thapa and Chennaiyin kicked-off the season in style as the midfielder scored the first goal in Chennaiyin’s 2-1 win over Jamshedpur in their first game but as the season progressed both the club and the player experienced tough times.

Anirudh Thapa appeared in 14 matches this season, scoring two goals, but was out of action for more than two weeks midway into the campaign due to an injury. He suffered that injury at a time when his form looked on the up. Moreover, he had to sit on the sidelines again during the season through fitness concerns after recovering.

For a player who consistently performed at a very high level for the past few years, this year was nothing short of a disappointment for the midfielder. 

Thapa, though, is confident that he and his club will be able to overcome the bad phase and start afresh. 

“It was definitely a massive challenge for me, sidelined with injury,” Thapa told Goal. “It ended up being a stop-start season for me, definitely not something any player wishes for. But it is a part and parcel of the game, and I am glad I could come through this tough spell. As Chennaiyin, we will bounce back and come back stronger next season. We owe it to our fans.” 

He added, “I think it just was one of those seasons were things kept going against us, with injuries as well. But we can't blame anyone. We only have to focus on the positives, obviously, learn from our mistakes and come back stronger as a unit next season. We've always shown that fighting spirit. So I am certain next season will be better, and we will be challenging on all fronts.” 

The midfielder has managed to make it to the national team squad despite all the setbacks and he is now raring to give his best in India’s upcoming friendly games against Oman and UAE. 

"Any opportunity to go shoulder to shoulder with sides like Oman and UAE is more than welcome. It is fantastic that we have these friendly games against top quality opponents. And with many players new to the national team setup, I am certain it will be an incredible learning experience for them as well. We are all raring to go in the upcoming friendlies while preparing hard for the qualifiers in June,” said a confident Thapa. 

The midfielder is also looking forward to playing alongside some new faces who have come up the ranks and made it to the national side this time. 

“It is a really exciting time for Indian football. The emergence of top Indian talent is amazing to see. The likes of Lalengmawia, Rahul KP and many others surely are the stories everyone wants to see, coming out of the ISL. And the ones who have been called up to the national team have fully deserved it. I am waiting to link up with them on the pitch, and I am certain it will also bring the best out of me,” said the Chennaiyin star. 

Thapa suggested that he doesn’t want to look too far into the future when asked if the plan of the Indian team is to secure an automatic berth in the qualifiers for the Asian Cup, but they are rather taking one step at a time. 

“We need to take one game at a time. Instead of focusing on what happened before the lockdown when we last played as a national team, we must focus on the here and now. And also, not look too forward. Right now, we need to make the best use of these friendly games to gel as a unit, and then give our everything in the qualifiers. We have shown our potential in recent times, we need to take inspiration from that and go out again to make our country proud,” opined the 23-year-old player. 

Everton midfielder Allan says that his two children idolize Cristiano Ronaldo, but he will not let them wear the Portuguese star's Juventus kit.

Allan recently shaved off his hair as a show of solidarity for nine-year-old Miguel, who suffers from alopecia.

Miguel and Allan's daughter Manuela are both massive Ronaldo fans, although he'll only let them wear their idol's iconic Real Madrid shirt.

What did Allan say?

"Definitely, he loves football, he is always watching football, he is always in an Everton shirt and shirts of the other teams I played for," the former Napoli midfielder said, according to the Liverpool Echo. "He's my greatest motivator, him together with my daughter at home.

"They are big fans of Cristiano Ronaldo so he has always had a Ronaldo shirt, however he is not allowed to have a Ronaldo Juventus shirt because they are massive rivals of Napoli, so there are a lot of Real Madrid No. 7 shirts at home.

"That is normal. The kids always dream about scoring goals and idolise the goalscorers, my son is no exception."

Allan at Everton

The Brazilian midfielder signed with Everton this summer, moving from Napoli in a £22m ($30m) deal.

He's featured 17 times for the club this season, with Everton currently sitting seventh in the Premier League.

The Toffees are set to face Manchester City on Saturday in the quarter-final round of the FA Cup.

Further reading

West Ham manager David Moyes has said it would have been “ludicrous” for Arsenal to have sacked Mikel Arteta earlier this season.

Arteta was under pressure after Arsenal went on a miserable run earlier this season, leading to speculation he could lose his job after only being appointed in December 2019. 

But the Spaniard has led Arsenal to a turnaround with the club going 8-3-3 in their last 14 Premier League matches, though the Gunners still sit in 10th place. Arsenal have also reached the Europa League last eight.

What did Moyes say?

"If they had even considered making a change at Arsenal, it would have been ludicrous,” said Moyes, who coached Arteta during the Spaniard's time as a midfielder at Everton.

“I think it would have been an incredibly stupid thing to do on someone who has already come in and won a couple of trophies. But that would be easily forgotten about, as if that was easy to do.

“Everybody knew he was going to have to take time to change. He’s got to be given an opportunity to do so.

“So, if that had even been considered by the media, or considered by the club, then I can only have seen it as being the wrong decision, because Mikel needs time - as all coaches need - but I think especially when you step into a job like that.

“If anything, you need to be given a bit of opportunity to turn it around.”

What did Arteta say?

The Arsenal boss spoke highly of the influence Moyes had on his career, as the two managers get set to face off when Arsenal visit West Ham on Sunday.

“He was the one that introduced me to the Premier League and he has been a huge influence,” said Arteta.

“First of all on a personal level because I think he made me a better person, made me mature in the earlier stages of my career.

“He was really demanding and challenging but at the same time really, really supportive.

“I learned a lot as well as a footballer, I think he made me a much more complete player, he made me play in different positions and gave me a lot of responsibility as well. I have great memories with him and we had some great times together."

Further reading

Carlo Ancelotti says that his former pre-match preparations to face Lionel Messi at Barcelona have informed his tactical approach with Everton for Saturday's FA Cup clash with a seemingly 'unbeatable' Manchester City.

The Toffees will look to become only the second side to inflict defeat upon Pep Guardiola's men in 2021 when they face off in a quarter-final clash this weekend at Goodison Park, with the visitors still chasing an unprecedented quadruple.

The two sides only met last month, when Everton were downed 3-1 in the Premier League, and the hosts' manager has vowed to try a different tact - but will still take lessons from his time in charge of Real Madrid into battle too.

What has Ancelotti said?

The Italian revealed ahead of the last-eight encounter that he avoided mentioning Barcelona playmaker Messi whenever his team was set to face the Blaugrana, so as not to spook his players - and that he has attempted to do the same with City, refusing to give them airtime in his briefings.

“When we played a lot of time when I was in Madrid against Messi - who was one of the best opponents - I didn't talk about Messi to the players," Ancelotti was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo.

"They are going to be scared. I try not to talk too much about Manchester City. Everyone knows the players and the quality of the individuals and the quality of the team."

Ancelotti on new gameplan

The former Chelsea boss added that he hoped his side would adapt to a different approach for their latest encounter with Guardiola's high-flying side, stressing that they need to keep themselves in order throughout.

"It has to be different than in the league game. We have prepared a different strategy and I hope this strategy is going to work.

"We have to be focused on what we want to do on the pitch and forget about the quality of Manchester City. Everyone knows.

"We have to be focused on ourselves and what we want to do, use a good attitude and a good spirit. Man City feels unbeatable in this moment but in the history of football no team is unbeatable."

Further reading

Ademola Lookman provided an assist as Fulham lost 2-1 to Leeds United in Friday’s Premier League game at Craven Cottage.

The forward was handed his 25th league start and gave a good account of himself, although his effort was not enough to save his side from defeat.

Lookman formed a three-man attack for the Cottagers along with Nigeria international Josh Maja and Ivan Cavaleiro.

Fulham began the game on the back foot allowing Leeds United to open the scoring in the 29th minute through Patrick Bamford.

Moments before the half-time break, Lookman set up Joachim Andersen with a fine pass to reduce Fulham’s deficit.

The 23-year-old Nigerian forward has now been directly involved in Fulham’s last five Premier League goals at Craven Cottage.

After the restart, Raphinha scored the match-winning goal in the 58th minute after receiving an assist from Bamford.

With the defeat, the Craven Cottage outfit remain in the relegation zone after gathering 26 points from 30 games.

Lookman featured for the duration of the game along with his compatriot Tosin Adarabioyo while Ola Aina was replaced in the 72nd minute by Kenny Tete.

Maja only played for 46 minutes before he was taken off for Aleksandar Mitrovic while Cameroon’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was on parade for the entirety of the game.

Lookman has scored four goals and provided three assists for Fulham, amid other dazzling displays since teaming up with the Cottagers last summer on a season-long loan from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.

The forward played for Charlton Athletic and Everton before he left for Germany to join Red Bulls initially on loan before signing a permanent deal. 

While the forward is still awaiting Fifa clearance to play for the Nigeria national team, his teammate Aina has featured 17 times for the Super Eagles.

The defender is part of the squad to take on the Republic of Benin and Lesotho in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this month.

Tyler Adams, Nicholas Gioacchini and Tim Weah have withdrawn from the U.S. men's national team squad with Gregg Berhalter calling in midfielder Christian Cappis and forward Jordan Siebatcheu ahead of friendlies against Jamaica and Northern Ireland.

The trio of departing players have withdrawn from the roster due to quarantine requirements in their respective areas, with several other players set to depart camp after the match against Jamaica on Thursday.

After that game, John Brooks, Reggie Cannon, Chris Richards, Gio Reyna and Josh Sargent will depart and return to their respective clubs in accordance with quarantine rules.

Who's in the USMNT squad?

GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City), Zack Steffen (Manchester City)

DEFENDERS: John Brooks (Wolfsburg), Reggie Cannon (Boavista), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht), Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien), Tim Ream (Fulham), Bryan Reynolds (Roma), Chris Richards (Hoffenheim), Antonee Robinson (Fulham)

MIDFIELDERS: Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg), Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Christian Cappis (Hobro IK), Luca de la Torre (Heracles), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

FORWARDS: Daryl Dike (Barnsley), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Jordan Siebatcheu (Young Boys)

Who is Siebatcheu?

Siebatcheu will be joining up with the USMNT for the first time, having only recently confirmed his desire to represent the U.S. on the international level.

The 24-year-old former France youth international is currently with Swiss side Young Boys, having featured for the club throughout their Europa League run this season.

Siebatcheu has scored nine goals in his last 13 appearances for Young Boys.

Who is Cappis?

Cappis will be joining the U.S. for his second camp, having also been called in for January camp in 2020.

The 21-year-old plays for Hobro IK in Denmark, where he has made 48 total appearances for the club.

Further reading

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has insisted he has no regrets about Jadon Sancho leaving the club in 2017 to join Borussia Dortmund. 

Sancho moved to Manchester City in March 2015 at the age of 14 and was quickly tipped as a star of the future. 

But due to concerns over a path to first-team minutes at City, Sancho was sold for for £8 million (€9m/$11m) and has gone on to become one of the top players in the Bundesliga. 

What was said?

"I've said many times, it is not a regret. He decides. He's doing really well," Guardiola said after his side drew Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-final on Friday.

"Congratulations, he's an exceptional player. He is a national team player with huge quality, doing really well in Dortmund.

"We wanted him to stay but he decided to leave, and when people decide to leave all we can do is [let them] leave.

"I wish him all the best, except when he plays against us. No regrets at all. If he's happy, I'm happy."

When asked what might have been if Sancho stayed, Guardiola said: "Nobody knows. Maybe he stays and we don't play good or better. The life of every person decides what life they lead."

The bigger picture

Sancho, who turns 21 next week, has already posted three consecutive seasons reaching double figures in both goals and assists for Dortmund. 

Those performances have made him a full England international and seen him consistently linked with a big-money move back to the Premier League. 

City's crosstown rivals Manchester United pushed hard to sign Sancho last summer but saw their repeated attempts rejected by Dortmund.

Dortmund refused to let Sancho leave for less than €120m (£109m/$141m), which the Manchester outfit were not prepared to pay upfront.

Sancho will miss England's upcoming matches against San Marino, Albania and Portugal with a calf injury, but is expected to be fit for the games against City on April 6 and 14.

Further reading