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The 2021 SAFF Championship will kick off on October 1 in Maldives. India will be vying for the title along with Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and hosts Maldives. However, Bhutan has refrained from participating due to travel restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, whereas Pakistan FA remains suspended by FIFA since April 7, 2021, due to third-party interference. 

This will be the 13th edition of the biennial international men's football championship. The Blue Tigers are the record champions in SAFF Championship as they have won it seven times. They have played 52 matches winning 34 games, drawing 10, and losing on eight occasions. 

Against Maldives, India have scored 22 times, the most number of goals against any SAFF nation. Let us see how Indian goal scorers, from IM Vijayan to Sunil Chhetri, have fared against the South Asian nations. 

From the table, we find that IM Vijayan has scored the most number of goals (4) against Pakistan. Meanwhile, against Afghanistan, Sunil Chhetri has netted the most number of goals (3) along with Jeje Lalpekhlua. Chhetri is also the highest scorer against Bhutan with three goals. 

Bhaichung Bhutia leads the charts against Bangladesh with his three strikes. He and Chhetri both have scored thrice against Maldives to occupy pole position. The former Indian captain is also the most successful striker against Sri Lanka along with Robin Singh as both of them have two goals. 
Against Nepal, five players are tied with two goals each. They are Mehtab Hossain, Sushil Kumar Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Chhetri and Bhutia. 
 

However, there are several other goal scorers who have netted only once for India in the SAFF Championship. They are as follows: 

Cote d'Ivoire put their 2022 World Cup qualification hopes back on track with a 2-1 victory over Cameroon on Monday night.

Sebastien Haller’s first-half brace propelled the Elephants past the visitors who got their only goal through Nicolas Ngamaleu.

Heading into the encounter staged inside Abidgan’s Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara, Patrice Beaumelle’s men had settled for a 0-0 draw against Mozambique while the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations hosts silenced Malawi 2-0 in Yaounde.

After a cagey start by both sides, it was the hosts who took a 20th-minute lead through Haller’s penalty.

Jean-Michel Seri’s freekick outside the penalty area was stopped by the hands of Vincent Aboubakar, prompting referee Mustapha Ghorbal to point to the spot.

The Ajax forward took the ensuing kick and sent goalkeeper Devis Epassy in the wrong direction.

Cote d’Ivoire doubled their advantage nine minutes later as Jean Kouassi teed up Haller to complete his double.

Not willing to go down without a fight, Toni Conceicao’s side started the second-half like a house on fire and their persistence paid off on the hour mark as they were awarded a penalty after Karl Toko Ekambi was found inside the area by Eric Bailly.

Ngamaleu stepped up and made no mistakes in sending the ball past the opposing goalkeeper.

With no goals in the remaining minutes of the crunch fixture, the Ivorians picked all three points to lead Group D with four points from two matches.

Elsewhere, Liberia bounced back from their 2-0 defeat to Nigeria in Lagos to pick an away victory against the Central Africa Republic.

Kpah Sherman was the Lone Star’s hero after scoring the winning goal with just four minutes from full time.

Notwithstanding their result against Francois Zahoui’s Wild Beasts, Peter Butler’s men occupy the second position in Group C with the Super Eagles trying Cape Verde for size on Tuesday.

At the Stade de l'Amitie, Benin Republic settled for a 1-1 draw with DR Congo.

The visitors had taken the lead in the 12th minute through Dieumerci Mbokani who headed Cedric Bakambu’s cross home.

Thirteen minutes before the half-time break, the Squirrels restored parity as Jordan Adeoti directed Delvyn Moremus’ cross into the net.

Benin had the opportunity to take the lead four minutes before the half time break but Steve Mounie’s header was punched away by the goalkeeper.

In other matches, Mali was held to a 0-0 draw by Uganda with a 10-man Niger Republic defeating Djibouti 4-2 away from home.

Gareth Southgate says he is not totally opposed to Arsene Wenger’s proposals for holding a World Cup every two years, though he believes some of the Frenchman’s plans need more work.

The former Arsenal boss, now FIFA’s chief of global football development, approached the England manager for support for his plan to make the World Cup a biennial event.

The plans have been met with some opposition, most notably from UEFA, though Southgate believes a conversation needs to be had about the structure of the international calendar.

What did Southgate say?

FIFA's members approved the launch of a feasibility study about staging the World Cup every two years instead of four, after the proposal was submitted by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

That study is ongoing, but Wenger has been promoting the idea in recent weeks in meetings with key figures within the game.

Southgate is one of those to have met the Frenchman and he believes some of the ideas have merit.

“I met Arsene a couple of weeks ago, so I have a pretty good idea of the proposals,” said the Three Lions boss.

“There are many different strands, so there are bits I thought could work, bits I think need more consideration and bits that probably wouldn't work.

“As a traditionalist it feels you could lose some of the allure of the World Cup because the scarcity of it makes it more important.

“But I also get it that if you are a player who has an injury for the World Cup, you might only get one opportunity every eight years, and that is really tough.”

‘The whole calendar needs to be tidied up’

As well as having a biennial World Cup, Wenger’s proposals would also see fewer international breaks, with condensed qualification campaigns in October and March.

That, Wenger argues, would not add to players’ workload and would instead make international football more exciting by encouraging more meaningful games.

Southgate is in favour of schedule reform but is wary of anything that would result in more games and says all stakeholders in football need to be involved in its development.

"The whole calendar generally needs to be tidied up,” he added. “Fewer matches, better quality, but there are lots of other things that need consideration and we can't just add more in at the moment.

“We keep adding more competitions and I’m intrigued to see what comes out to allow that space to happen, because we can’t keep [increasing] the workload of the players.

“Everybody has to work together on the calendar. We talked about this after Covid.

“We have had some fixtures that have been so difficult. If you think back to last September when the players had not played a league game, then we were expected to play at a high level in international fixtures. We can’t keep adding in those things.

“But none of us in the game are holding our hands out for less money, so we also have to accept that comes with a consequence. There is a balance to all this, but across the board governing bodies have to work for a calendar that works for the leagues and confederations and for FIFA. It has to be coordinated. If we are looking that far ahead, there is no reason it can’t be.”

Further reading

U.S. men's national team legend Landon Donovan says he is "incredibly disappointed" in Weston McKennie as he says that the midfielder's recent suspension leaves him in a place that "is almost beyond repair".

McKennie was suspended for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Canada for a breach of the team policy related to Covid protocols, with U.S. Soccer announcing on Monday that McKennie would also be excluded from the team for the upcoming game against Honduras.

It has not been confirmed yet how McKennie broke team rules but Donovan, who says he's been told the full story, says that it will take a lot for McKennie to earn back the trust of his teammates.

What was said?

"I will just say I am privy to what happened. I'm not going to announce that publicly," Donovan said on the Futbol with Grant Wahl podcast. "I will just say that I am incredibly disappointed in Weston, incredibly disappointed. Look, I can understand being at Juventus during a long club season, you're sitting at home for months and months and months and you want to have people over. Is it the smartest thing to do? No, but I get it.

"This is one week of your life with three massive games, not only for yourself but for your teammates and for your country to go to a World Cup and the level of selfishness in that moment is beyond me. Honestly, it's beyond me.

"I've made a lot of dumb mistakes in my life I get it. I'm not here to be all righteous, and he is young, yes, but he's old enough to understand that you don't do this. You don't need to put yourself in this situation and worse, put your team in that situation.

"Would they have won the game if he's on the field yesterday? I don't know, but their chances went up a lot, I promise. If he was on the field then their chances of winning or getting a point against Honduras go up a ton on Wednesday if he's in the lineup.

"I am just really disappointed with him. It doesn't mean you write him off and he's a horrible human being. He needs to learn from this, but this can never ever happen again.

"It is almost beyond repair and he has a lot of work to do with his teammates to make sure that he never does something like that again because you lose trust in your teammates. This is their livelihood. These guys want to go to a World Cup. Christian [Pulisic] knows what it feels like to sit on the field in Trinidad, crying because he didn't go to a World Cup, and you can't put your team in that situation."

The squad for Honduras

With McKennie out, USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter has called in Jackson Yueill as a replacement with the team currently dealing with several absences.

Gio Reyna, Zack Steffen and Sergino Dest have all been ruled out for the game as well, which will forced Berhalter to do some reshuffling for Wednesday's clash.

Further reading

Weston McKennie has been replaced in the U.S. men's national team squad for the team's upcoming World Cup qualifier in Honduras after the Juventus midfielder was suspended for a violation of Covid protocol.

McKennie was left out of the squad for the USMNT's 1-1 draw with Canada on Sunday with Gregg Berhalter saying after the match that McKennie's status was up in the air.

It has now been confirmed that McKennie won't travel to Honduras as he will be replaced by San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Jackson Yueill in the U.S. squad.

What was said?

"Weston will return to Italy and will be unavailable for the match against Honduras due to a violation of team policy,” said Berhalter.

“There are high expectations for those who are a part of the U.S. Men’s National Team, and in order to be successful it’s important that everyone in the group is accountable."

Dest also out

In addition to McKennie's exclusion, U.S. Soccer also confirmed that Sergino Dest will miss the trip to Honduras.

The fullback was expected to be out of action after suffering an ankle sprain against Canada.

Dest's injury comes after the U.S. lost Gio Reyna and Zack Steffen over the weekend to a hamstring injury and a positive Covid test, respectively.

Further reading

Donny van de Beek says he has held “positive” talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about his Manchester United future and is confident of making an impression this season after a difficult opening year at Old Trafford.

The Netherlands international made just four Premier League starts during 2020-21 following his £35 million ($48m) switch from Ajax and his future was brought into question over the summer.

The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo will push van de Beek further down the pecking order this campaign and a late loan move to Everton was mooted, but the midfielder says he has been reassured about his place in the squad.

What did van de Beek say?

Premier League rivals Everton were believed to have been in advanced talks over a loan deal for Van de Beek as the transfer deadline approached, but the 24-year-old says a chat with Solskjaer convinced him to stay at the Red Devils.

"I spoke with the manager about it (the interest from Everton) and the club. They were clear they wanted me to stay here,” he told Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE podcast.

“The manager was really positive about me and he said: 'I need you and I want to keep you here'.

"Of course, what I see here now in the beginning of the season is difficult, because I didn't play one minute, but he said; 'What I see every day in training, I see a different Donny now'.

"He was really positive about me and I'm feeling well. I'm in good shape so I hope that I can show the people that I improved a lot.

"He sees a big difference, that I'm a little bit stronger now. He can see that I now have one-year of experience here in England. If he sees me now [compared to] the beginning, he sees a big difference."

‘It’s difficult when you’re not in the team’

Van de Beek also opened up about his struggles during his first year at Old Trafford, where he was mainly restricted to substitute appearances or the odd fleeting start in cup competitions.

“It's difficult if you're not really in the team, you're waiting for your chance. That's not easy, if you're not playing. Also not for the confidence,” he said.

“It's normal you need a bit of time to adapt but of course you are not happy. I want to play, that is clear.

“I train really hard every day, I try to improve and just wait for your chance, that's the only thing I can do. If the moment is there, I have to be ready, it's as simple as that. Be close with the players, be part of the team. If you're not playing, try to help them and be positive. You can't sit there and be angry."

‘I need to trust Solskjaer’

Van de Beek accepts that there is no guarantee he will see more first-team action this season, but he has faith in Solskjaer to do the best for his career.

The midfielder has been on the bench for all three of Manchester United's games this season, but has yet to make it out on the pitch.

"I need to trust him. If he doesn't need me, I think he will let me go. I think he has plans with me,” he said.

"I just need to work hard and I hope I can show the people, one day, what I can do.

"You can never promise that [game time]. This is football and I think you can never promise a player if he will play - or not. You can train every day hard, but in the end you need game time to show your best shape. If you play once in a month or anything, you cannot show your best."

Further reading

Charlton Athletic have announced the signing of Pape Souare on a one-year deal.

Following the expiration of his contract with Crystal Palace in 2019, the 31-year-old sealed a one-year deal with Ligue 2 outfit Troyes.

Since leaving ESTAC, he has been without a club – which prompted him to train with Palace’s U23 squad with the aim of maintaining fitness.

However, he will now continue his career with the English Football League team.

“Charlton Athletic are delighted to confirm the permanent signing of Senegal international Pape Souare,” a statement on the club’s website read.

“The 31-year-old left-back becomes Charlton’s 12th signing of the summer.

“Souare began training with Nigel Adkins’ side last week and impressed the Addicks’ hierarchy, resulting in him signing a one-year contract, subject to international clearance, with Charlton on Monday.”

The African star who boasts 177 career appearances for Lille, Reims, Crystal Palace and Troyes expressed his delight with the chance of continuing his career in Nigel Adkins’ squad.

“I’m very, very happy to be here. I’ve been training for a few days,” he said.

“The welcome and the love from the players and staff around the club, makes me feel very good and happy. I can’t wait to get playing.”

Echoing this joy is owner Thomas Sandgaard: “We’ve been looking at our options to get another left-back in and I’m really pleased we’ve been able to sign someone of Pape’s quality,” Sandgaard said.

“He has played at the top level in France and England as well as international games for Senegal, so I’m looking forward to seeing him in a Charlton shirt.”

Born in Mbao, Senegal, Souare began his career with Diambars before heading to France where he represented Lille II, Lille, and Reims.

In January 2015, he joined Crystal Palace on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee. He was given the marching orders on February 13 following a foul on Valon Behrami in the Eagles’ 2-1 defeat to Watford.

After his expedition in England, he returned to France where he signed for Troyes on a one-season contract, with an option of a further 12 months.

The Senegalese star could make his debut when Charlton Athletic welcome Cheltenham Town to the Valley on Saturday.

Ghana coach CK Akonnor is in the firing line following their 1-0 away loss to South Africa in their 2022 World Cup qualifier on Monday. 

In the Group G matchday two fixture, Bongokuhle Hlongwane's second-half goal decided the match in favour of the hosts in Johannesburg. 

The result has seen Bafana move up above the Black Stars on the table, with a point between them.

Unsurprisingly, Ghana fans have taken to social media to express their displeasure by the team's performance, with many focusing on head coach CK Akonnor. 

Below are some of the best reactions:

Brazilian federal police have opened an investigation over allegations four Argentina players breached Covid-19 guidelines that led to the suspension of Sunday’s World Cup match against Brazil.

The match at Corinthians Arena was halted minutes after kick-off when health authorities attempted to reprimand Aston Villa duo Emi Martinez and Emiliano Buendia, as well as Tottenham pair Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Romero.

Officials believe the four players involved provided false information to avoid mandatory quarantine and could therefore be guilty of the crime of misrepresentation.

Why have Brazilian police opened an investigation?

Under Brazilian national law, foreign travellers from the United Kingdom must complete 14 days' quarantine once they have arrived in the country. 

The Argentine Premier League contingent, however, are said to have only declared that they had been to Caracas, the site of the Albiceleste's last World Cup qualifier against Venezuela, and allegedly did not reveal to immigration and health authorities that they had been in the UK. 

The Brazilian government originally recommended mandatory quarantine and deportation for the four accused players, but they were later cleared to travel to the fixture against Brazil anyway.

However, that did not stop health officials making their dramatic on-pitch intervention to bring the game to a halt.

The players left the country within hours of the game being suspended, but officials say they have given their testimony to police.

What are the potential punishments?

Anyone found guilty of misrepresentation in Brazil could face up to five years in prison and a fine.

Back in England, reports claim Tottenham will fine Lo Celso and Romero for their roles in the incident.

Further reading

For all that the performance and scoreline underwhelmed somewhat, Friday’s 2-0 win over Liberia was pivotal in getting Nigeria off to the best possible start to the World Cup qualifying campaign.

While few would have genuinely thought the Super Eagles were in any real trouble of failing to make it through the Second Round of African qualifying when the draws were made, stranger things have happened. Besides, there is a long, uncomfortable history of leaving it late to turn on the afterburners, an approach that famously singed the continent’s most populous nation in 2006.

Those days do seem to be long gone, however. Nigeria has hit something of a sweet spot in terms of its squad composition: relative to its contemporaries in Africa, this crop stacks up favourably against some of its more talented predecessors, while simultaneously being free of the egocentrism engendered by the standing of the late 90s to mid-2000s relative to their global peers.

As such, there are fewer incidents of important players simply electing to skip matches in difficult terrain, or wilfully turning up late; the sorts of hijinks that have undermined the Super Eagles in time past.

Nevertheless, ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with Cape Verde, Gernot Rohr finds himself without the services of as many as six starters. This time, however, it is less to do with their amenability to the altitude and uncertain footing of the turf in Praia, and more to do with the UK’s travel restrictions on account of Covid.

This is not, of course, an unexpected turn of events.

However, while the 68-year-old called up an expanded squad to cater to this exact scenario, the experience and aptitude levels of the replacements understandably has many concerned, not least of all the German himself. “It’s not easy to build another team in only two days,” he admitted in the aftermath of the Liberia result.

“Build another team” might seem a hyperbolic turn of phrase, even allowing for the unwieldiness of a second language.

After all, the extended squad contains only two players who have never been called up before. However, the fact that those two play in the area of the pitch most decimated means that Rohr is, in fact, essentially building 'another team', if Kingsley Michael and Innocent Bonke are taken as a pair in the heart of midfield.

It is a position of strategic importance, especially in a game where it is likely Nigeria will come under some distress.

The fact that the hard, unforgiving surface in store does not make for a pleasant change from the sodden, heavy turf of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos tells its own story.

How a neonate midfield partnership might respond to that challenge is the key question.

If reports are to be believed, Rohr has hitched his mast to the Michael and Bonke wagon, but there is something to be said for the experience and solidity that a Shehu Abdullahi might offer alongside one or the other, even accounting for the fact the Omonia Nicosia man has rarely played in midfield under this coaching dispensation.

It would be damning if he is overlooked, and would call into question the wisdom of calling him up in the first place, seeing as there is already depth at right-back, the one position he has featured most often in while Rohr has been in charge.

Elsewhere, the team fairly picks itself, although not without stylistic concerns.

With Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong departed, not only is Nigeria without its starting central defensive block, but the complementary dynamic at the back is lost.

Chidozie Awaziem and Kenneth Omeruo are competent defenders most of the time, but are both front-foot stoppers by nature and impulse, and so can be drawn out and bypassed.

Valentine Ozornwafor, a Rohr favourite, is of a calmer disposition, but lacks the nous and match sharpness to be a real option for a game of any significance. (This again calls into question the purpose of adding him to the squad to begin with).

Maduka Okoye, Ola Aina, Jamilu Collins, Moses Simon and Victor Osimhen should all keep their places – the last of this quartet, in particular, will be crucial with his work rate if the Super Eagles are under the cosh and need a reliable outlet.

That leaves two positions up for grabs, and here there are some decisions to be made.

There will no doubt be a predilection toward starting Ahmed Musa upfront alongside Osimhen, as the Fatih Karagumruk man continues his inexorable march toward the record for Nigeria international caps.

However, as the 2018 World Cup has faded from view, it has become increasingly difficult to remember his last standout performance in green and white.

His pace is one the wane and his conditioning is far from optimal, but perhaps the biggest negative in his column is the sense he is played out at this point.

You know what you are getting from Musa, and even at his best it was as good as flipping a coin.

Terem Moffi could provide something a little more exciting instead. He possesses probably the best movement of the strikers in the team, and could really profit from attacking the box as Osimhen forages out wide.

On the opposite flank to wherever Simon starts, there are a handful of choices.

Henry Onyekuru has never quite convinced on the international stage, and his stock is at its lowest since he broke out in 2017, so he might find himself on the outside looking in.

Samuel Kalu and Chidera Ejuke are arguably the frontrunners, but it is the former who will likely get the nod, as Rohr appears to have taken a real shine to him, form and fitness notwithstanding.

Recommended starting line-up: Okoye; Aina, Awaziem, Omeruo, Collins; Kalu, Bonke, Shehu, Simon; Moffi, Osimhen.

John Shaibu reveals Bayelsa United are still training despite the uncertainty surrounding their Caf Confederation Cup fixture against Guinea’s Ashanti Golden Boys.

The Yenagoa-based team is expected to travel to Stade Kankou Moussa, Siguiri – where they take on the 2021 Guinee Coupe Nationale runners-up in the preliminary round on Sunday.

However, the game may not go as planned owing to the backdrop of a reported coup d’etat attempt in the West African country.

Asked about the mood in Bayelsa’s camp owing to the reports from Guinea, the former Abia Warriors and Sunshine Stars player disclosed that Depreye Tebowe’s men are unruffled as they are still working hard even as Caf has not made a statement in that regard.

“What is happening there now is not pleasant at all and we hope things don’t go bad for our dear brothers over there. I heard the news yesterday and I was really scared. All we can do is pray for peace to reign in Guinea,” Shaibu told Goal.

“Considering our fixture this weekend, we are yet to receive any statement from the Confederation of African Football. So, we are still preparing very hard as usual.

“Even if the game is postponed, that will not stop us from training because we want to be in the best possible shape as we eye a place in the next round of the tournament.

“We are not in anyway distracted by what is happening in Guinea and I can tell you that our ambition remains to represent Nigeria well and hopefully reach the crucial stages of the championship."

Aside from becoming the first team from Nigeria’s second division to lift the prestigious cup since Dolphins FC's feat 20 years ago, the Yenagoa-based outfit will represent the West African nation in the Confederation Cup alongside Enyimba.

The 24-year-old had revealed that the youth and talent in his team's squad can take heart from the surprise triumph of Leicester City in the Premier League to rule Africa.

“Football is all about time and opportunity. Nobody gave us a chance in the first place to win the Aiteo Cup, yet we achieved that by defeating a top-flight team,” he told Goal.

“Now that we have this chance, we are looking forward to representing Nigeria well and we are not just going to make up the numbers.

“We have already commenced preparations for our campaign and with our youthful squad, we can do a Leicester City.

“We are drawing inspiration from them because no one gave them a chance to win the Premier League many seasons ago.

“Whether people call us underdogs or write us off, we don’t care. Our duty is to get on to the field of play and get the job done.”

Richard Ofori looks doubtful for Orlando Pirates’ game against Swallows FC on Saturday after he was forced off with an injury during Ghana’s 1-0 loss to Bafana Bafana in a World Cup Group G qualifier at FNB Stadium on Monday evening.

Hlongwane’s goal was scored against reserve keeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi and not his former Maritzburg clubmate, Ofori, whose night had ended on the hour mark after being carried off injured with what appeared a groin problem.

Groin injuries don’t heal quickly. Judging by the amount of discomfort Ofori looked to be in and the fact that he was carried off on a stretcher, there seems a strong chance he won’t be playing in the Buccaneers’ league fixture against Swallows at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Injury not Ofori’s only issue

The injury aside, Ofori had several other problematic moments against Bafana Bafana and at times looked shaky and short of confidence.

There was a free-kick from Teboho Mokoena in the first half which Ofori dropped at the feet of Mothobi Mvala and was lucky not to be punished.

And to say he was lucky not to be punished, when he dropped a cross from Mokoena in the second half, would be an understatement – having allowed what was a routine catch to go right through him, Ofori watched on with relief and probably disbelief as somehow Bafana striker Evidence Makgopa slid the ball the wrong side of the post from virtually inside an open net.

It’s not only on the international stage however that Ofori has made recent blunders, he’s made a couple of high-profile mistakes for Bucs already this season and has failed to recapture the form for his new club which he showed during his time with Maritzburg United.

A long-standing problem at the back

Ever since the tragic death of former Sea Robbers and Bafana Bafana number one Senzo Meyiwa, Bucs have struggled to find a regular and reliable shot-stopper.

The likes of Jackson Mabokgwane, Joris Delle, Brighton Mhlongo and Felipe Ovono have come and gone over the past five years, while Wayne Sandilands and Siyabonga Mpontshane, the current two Bucs reserves, probably have their best years behind them.

Already struggling for potency upfront, caretaker Pirates coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids now seem to have another issue, that of their goalkeeper, to get their heads around.

Brazil legend Pele has confirmed he has had successful surgery to remove a tumour from his colon.

The three-time World Cup winner revealed the tumour had been discovered during tests in hospital last week.

The 80-year-old is remaining optimistic about his recovery and says he will keep a smile on his face during the process.

What did Pele say?

Pele confirmed the news in an Instagram post alongside a picture of him wearing the famous yellow Brazil jersey.

“Last Saturday I underwent surgery to remove a suspicious lesion in the right colon,” he wrote.

“The tumour was identified during the tests I mentioned last week. Fortunately I am used to celebrating great victories alongside you.

“I will face this match with a smile on my face, a lot of optimism and joy for living surrounded by the love of my family and friends.”

Fainting rumours denied

The news comes just a few days after Pele was forced to deny reports he had fainted in hospital as rumours swirled about his health.

"Guys, I didn't faint and I'm in very good health,” he posted on social media.

“I went for my routine exams, which I had not been able to do before because of the pandemic. Let them know I don't play next Sunday!”

Pele is widely agreed to be one of the best footballers of all time, having excelled on the national and world stage for over a decade.

He scored over 1,000 goals for club and country throughout his career, with most of his club goals coming for Santos.

The former striker played at four World Cups and was part of three winning Brazil teams, in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He is also Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer with 77 goals in 92 appearances.

Further reading

Mohammed Kamara has announced his retirement from the Liberia national team without playing a single game.

This decision comes in the wake of his unceremonious exit from the Lone Star’s camp a few hours before the West Africans bowed 2-0 to Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

In a social media post attributed to the player by the Liberia Football Association, Kamara quit, however, he promised to keep supporting the squad because of his relationship with most of the players.

‘’Heard that everyone wanna hear my side of the story. I won’t throw anyone under the bus. In my years as a professional and college student, I’ve learned that respect is a two-way street,” wrote Kamara.

‘’You just don’t demand respect. Rather you have to earn it. After years of turning down the invitation, I blame no one but myself for coming here.

‘’I can promise you all that will never happen like ever again. It’s officially a wrap! I will be watching and cheering you guys from afar because most of you are my friends.’’

Explaining why the Turkey-based player left without permission, Englishman Butler claimed Kamara must have been upset by his decision to exclude him from the starting XI.

“Mohamed Kamara is a player I really like. I called him and chased him to join the Lone Star squad on many occasions and we managed to get him,” Butler said during a live chat on the Liberia Football Association Facebook page.

“When he joined the team; I had a chat with him, and everything seemed okay.

“We had training sessions and a few members of staff and I felt he wasn’t ready to be focused, but I was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“And unfortunately, after I did the team talk prior to the game [against Nigeria], the player in question absconded from the camp because he wasn’t in the starting line-up.

“I’m disappointed with Mohammed [Kamara]. I thought he did let me down; I think he let the nation down, I think he let himself down, very unprofessional and with no explanation whatsoever.

“So, we moved on and drew a line and life moves on and we’re spotting more players to play for the Lone Star.”

Liberia bounced back from their loss to Nigeria to defeat the Central African Republic 1-0 on Monday evening.

Several Premier League sides were interested in signing Germany starlet Karim Adeyemi before he joined Red Bull Salzburg three years ago, the president of his former club has confirmed.

Manfred Schwabl says Chelsea were among the sides to send scouts to watch Adeyemi in action for fourth division side SpVgg Unterhaching.

Despite that interest, Adeyemi ultimately opted to sign for Salzburg and has developed into of Germany’s rising stars, becoming the first German player born this millennium to score for the national side when he netted on his debut in Sunday’s World Cup qualifying win against Armenia.

What did Schwabl say?

Adeyemi joined Unterhaching as a nine-year-old in 2012 after a deal to stay at Bayern Munich broke down.

After progressing through the club’s youth sides he then moved to Salzburg as the age of 16 in 2018, signing a three-year deal with the Austrian side.

Schwabl, who has followed Adeyemi’s career closely and is seen as something of a mentor figure, has now revealed there was interest from England, though he believes the move to Salzburg was the correct decision.

"When he was 16, some clubs from England wanted to sign him. For example, some scouts from Chelsea came, but I don't know if that would have worked out,” he told Goal and SPOX.

“The move to Salzburg was exactly right because it's not too far away from his home in Munich. The closeness to his family is very important. He has a very good and stable environment.

"You should never take two steps at once. Salzburg is a good station for him, but also a club that doesn't put any obstacles in the way of young players with suitable offers. If he continues like this, I would say it will be interesting from the spring."

‘It was a goosebump moment’

Schwabl sat alongside Adeyemi’s family at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart on Sunday to watch Adeyemi become the youngest German goalscorer since Mario Gotze in 2011.

He takes great pride in the youngster’s development into an international player and admits it was an emotional moment when he saw him take to the pitch for the first time.

"It was a goosebump moment to see the boy play in the Germany jersey,” he added.

“His development lately is like a little fairy tale. We are very proud of Karim as a club. The goal was of course the crowning glory. I congratulated him afterwards, but also said: 'Stay on the ground, boy!' That is so important. He is only at the beginning of his career."

Further reading

Marc Guehi has explained why he left Chelsea for Crystal Palace in an £18 million ($25m) move over the summer.

The highly-rated 21-year-old's move raised eyebrows, with many having tipped him for a role at Stamford Bridge this season under Thomas Tuchel.

However, he opted to move to Selhurst Park and has quickly been given a starting role under Patrick Vieira. Ahead of an England Under-21s game against Kosovo, where he has been named the captain under new manager Lee Carsley, he explained his summer move.

What he said?

"It wasn't an easy decision for me to leave Chelsea," Guehi said. "I was at the club for so long - since I was seven years old. I am extremely grateful for everyone who has helped me get so far and it's because of them that I'm here.

"I felt like it was the right decision for me to move to Palace. I wanted to play regular football at a high level in the Premier League and test myself to see how far I can go. I think I will really improve myself.

"So looking at it that way, I think it was the right decision. My mentality is to get the most out of myself."

Guehi went on to talk about his new position as U21 captain, but not before reserving praise for Chelsea legend John Terry, stating: "I learned an immense lot with the way he conducted himself, the way he played and the professionalism.

"He is seen as such a high standard through his professionalism and commitment to the game.

"It's a privilege to be captain and it is a proud moment for me and my family. I was a bit shocked at first. There's a lot of leaders and fantastic players in the group.

"It honestly could have been so many people. [Carsley] sees maybe something from a different perspective or from the sidelines. But I am confident and I try to help people on or off the pitch. Those are some of the qualities I feel I have."

What else is going on with England's Under-21s?

The Young Lions' friendly match with Romania was cancelled after two players in the group tested positive for coronavirus.

Instead of travelling to Budapest, the Football Association opted to play an in-house friendly instead.

Unfortunately, Carsley has since seen both Liverpool's Harvey Elliott and Tottenham's Ryan Sessegnon drop out of the squad due to injury.

Aston Villa midfielder Aaron Ramsey has been called up to the squad ahead of the match at Stadium MK against Kosovo on Tuesday night.

It will be the first 2021 European Championship qualifying match in Group G for the side. Along with Kosovo, England have been drawn alongside Albania, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Andorra.

Further Reading