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Callum Hudson-Odoi is trying to sway Jamal Musiala to choose England over Germany after the pair lined up together again with England's Under-21 team.

The Chelsea forward both played and went to school with Musiala while he was in the Blues academy before he made the switch to join Bayern Munich in 2019.

Musiala was born in the German city of Stuttgart but grew up in England, making him eligible for the two countries. His father also holds a Nigerian passport so he is also able to play for the Super Eagles if he so chooses.

But  even the DFB (German Football Association) concede that England are most likely to convince the wonderkid to play for them  after seeing him debut and score for Aidy Boothroyd's side over the international break.

Still, Musiala can change his mind until he makes his senior debut in a competitive match for any country, and Hudson-Odoi has offered his opinion to his fellow young star.

"We talked about it. I said he should be staying with England," Hudson-Odoi said after the pair both scored in the 5-0 win over Albania. "He knows a lot of the boys already and has been really welcomed into the team.

"I said to him, 'I can't choose for you but it would be nice if you stayed with England.' Hopefully he gets to the seniors as quickly as possible."

The excitement over Musiala's talent is highlighted by two records broken at Bayern, with the 17-year-old having becoming the club's youngest Bundesliga appearance-maker and goalscorer in recent months.

After signing Musiala, Bayern have had several attempts to sign Hudson-Odoi rejected by Chelsea. Hudson-Odoi spoke of being reunited with Musiala for his country after the clubs failed to do business in the summer once again.

"Jamal is a top, top player. I have known him from young, when he was at Chelsea," he continued. "He is a great player and I've watched him for a while. He went to the same school as me as well.

"On day one, I wanted to welcome him to the U21s as soon as possible. He is a good guy, very shy, and before the game I wanted to see he was feeling himself and confident and not scared or shy. I said, 'Play your own game and get a goal for yourself,' which he did.

"I was really happy for him. I have always said to him, 'Keep doing your thing day in, day out, and you will get to the seniors sooner rather than later.'

"Wherever he is I will be watching him and seeing he is doing himself proud."

England eased to qualification for next year's U21 European Championships with two victories over the international break to ensure they reached 28 points from a possible 30 in their qualification group.

Aidy Boothroyd says England have not given up hope of convincing Valencia youngster Yunus Musah to choose the Three Lions over the U.S. national team despite his recent call-up to Gregg Berhalter's senior side.

The 17-year-old is also eligible for Ghana and Italy but he has been with the USMNT having played against both Wales and Panama in friendly matches this month.

Due to only appearing in non-competitive fixtures for the USMNT, the door remains open to other nations. It is unlikely Musah would get a call-up to Gareth Southgate's senior squad without passing through Boothroyd's Under-21s and the Young Lions boss is still hopeful of changing the wonderkid's mind. 

"We knew about him. We have known about it for a little while and I did speak to Yunus’s father," Boothroyd told reporters. "I know a few coaches in the senior staff spoke to the family as well. We put our hat into the ring.

"We are keeping a close eye on things. This is the priority where we are at the minute. But he is a very good player and we have got to do our jobs and keep an eye on him.

"There’s only so many players that can play, I am hopeful we will see him in the U21s at some point. I don’t know [if he has made his decision]. I hope he hasn’t because I think if he came here and saw what we are all about that he would really enjoy it.

"But I don’t want to be disrespectful to the brilliant young players we have in his position already. They may even be better than him but that’s the challenge isn’t it?

"That’s the challenge and at some point or other we will miss out on one. Provided we get more right than wrong, that’s the key."

Musah has already worked at the National Football Centre at St George's Park having been through the U15s to the U18s while in Arsenal's academy. England manager Southgate, who coached his way up through the FA's youth teams to lead the senior side, is aware of Musah's talent.

“I know John [McDermott, assistant FA technical director] has spoken with the family and they know where we sit with it,” Southgate said last week.

"But also we want to get that balance right of not just pushing him up the age groups quicker than we think is right because we’ve got other boys in the system as well, and we don’t want to promise things that we can’t fulfil.

"He’s going to meet with America this time and experience that. That doesn’t rule him out of being with us moving forward, so, we’ve just got to make sure that the boy and the family know that we think he’s a good player, that he’s on a good trajectory.

“We’re monitoring him. He’s been with us in the last couple of months and we’d very much like his future to be with us.”

Valencia coach Javi Gracia gave Musah a first-team spot this season, which has so far led to eight senior appearances in La Liga. That in turn has led to an international scramble over his future. 

The youngster is one of a number of England-eligible young players to hold dual nationality. There are similar debates around the futures of Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala, Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah and Brighton's Tariq Lamptey.

However all of those players remain in Boothroyd's squad, which has qualified for the U21 European Championship in the summer.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has admitted that the last 18 months have been a "rollercoaster" while stating his belief that he is still young enough to develop into a top player for Chelsea and England.

The 20-year-old has started just four of the Blues' last 13 games, which has seen him drop from England's senior team into the Under-21 side.

Away from the pressure of senior football, U21 manager Aidy Boothroyd has seen Hudson-Odoi become one of his star players ahead of the U21 European Championship in March.

Hudson-Odoi spoke about the pressure and expectation around him to become a superstar after he scored and earned man of the match in the 5-0 win over Albania on Tuesday.

“I am only 20! Sometimes people forget the age because I have been around for a while," Hudson-Odoi told reporters at Molineux. "I started young. I have just turned 20. I have kicked on well and I can keep progressing day in day out.

"The last 18 months have been strange, not something I'd have liked, but we have to deal with it. I want to look to the future and hopefully better things will come. I put pressure on myself. I want to prove myself every time, do my best every game.

"Sometimes there is a lot of expectation and you just have to play your normal game, and the result will go your way. I just say to myself keep being positive, things might go wrong but be positive and hope the end result will be good.

"It has been a rollercoaster, up and down, up and down. But stuff like that you move on from and think of the present and the future. For myself, I want to make sure I am training every day. I am working my hardest, trying to get in the team and working my way back to the senior England team.

"I keep trying, working. In the last 18 months, I have enjoyed bits and not enjoyed bits. I feel I am getting more confident game by game. Gareth [Southgate] and Aidy say: 'Get your crosses across goal, get shots on target, and keep being a threat, the player everyone fears when you play them.'

"I want to be on the ball. Try to work as hard as possible for the team as well. I want to get wins and trophies as well."

There will be now four months of club football after three international breaks in close succession with Hudson-Odoi getting another chance to earn more minutes under Frank Lampard.

Chelsea will find Hudson-Odoi in better shape following valuable minutes on the international scene. However, he isn't guaranteed to start against Newcastle United on Saturday having been overlooked in recent weeks despite the absence of both Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz.

Still, Hudson-Odoi is willing to be patient to earn Lampard's trust once again. 

"You train hard at Chelsea every day, the managers are always looking and you always want to prove a point that you are ready when called upon," he added. "When I train and play in games, I want to score, assist, work hard for the team and always improve myself on the pitch and to prove a point as well.

"No matter what it is, I want to give 100 per cent, keep trying and staying positive. I have the right people behind me, giving me the right instructions and keeping me grounded. I am really happy with the people in the background with that and I want to get back into the team."

Lindsey Horan has tested positive for Covid-19 and has been removed from the U.S. women's national team roster for their upcoming friendly againts the Netherlands, U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday.

"Horan is currently doing well and is observing the appropriate quarantine protocols," a U.S. Soccer statement read.

"Her positive test came during the U.S. Soccer’s pre-trip testing procedures. No other players have tested positive at this time."

Florida State midfielder Jaelin Howell has been added to the USWNT roster as Horan's replacement. 

Following the announcement, Horan spoke out on Twitter to say she is "home resting and feeling okay."

"Disappointed I won’t be able to join my teammates in the Netherlands but I’m home resting and feeling okay," Horan said. "Best of luck to the team this week, I will miss you guys and [will] be cheering from [afar]."

Horan was included on the team's 23-player roster announced on Tuesday for their November 27 game at Rat Verlegh Stadium in Breda, which will be the USWNT's first match since March.

The rematch of the 2019 World Cup final will also be the USWNT's first game abroad since they defeated the Dutch 2-0 in Lyon to clinch their second straight world championship in July 2019.

But Horan, who is the USWNT's leading scorer so far this year with seven goals and three assists, won't be involved as the team's pre-travel protocols detected the virus in her system.

According to U.S. Soccer, "the U.S. delegation has received an exemption from quarantine provided to professional sports organizations," ahead of travelling to the Netherlands for a six-day camp. 

"Everyone entering the environment will be tested for Covid-19 before traveling, upon arrival and every two days thereafter. The USA will not begin full team training until the results of all arrival tests are confirmed."

After she was called up for last month's training camp, Howell will now have the chance to earn her first senior cap with the USWNT.

The 20-year-old, along with teammate Sophia Smith, would become the first player born after the 1999 Women’s World Cup to earn a full national team cap should she feature against the Dutch. 

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has called in a number of his Europe-based stars for the match, including Alex Morgan, who will be searching for her first minutes with the national team since the World Cup final, having given birth to her first child in May.

England's new generation of talent came to the fore at Wembley on Wednesday to achieve a landmark that had last been reached in the 19th century. 

The Three Lions took on Iceland in the UEFA Nations League playing for pride after missing out on a spot in the competition's final phase. 

Belgium and Denmark were the only two sides in Group A2 still able to take first place and advance to the semi-finals, while Gareth Southgate took the opportunity to inject youth into his first-team squad. 

And the kids came through with flying colours as Iceland were dispatched 4-0 in a one-sided clash. 

Declan Rice opened the scoring 20 minutes in, before Mason Mount quickly added another to send the hosts into half-time with a two-goal advantage. 

After the break Manchester City youngster Phil Foden took centre-stage, netting twice to seal an easy win for Southgate's charges. 

Rice and Mount are both 21, with Foden a year younger at 20. Together, the trio marked a special bit of history for the Three Lions. 

Not since 1883, in the very first days of international football, had three players aged 21 or younger managed to score in a senior England game. 

Rice, Mount and Foden thus follow in the footsteps of William Cobbold, Oliver Whateley and Frank Pawson, who all got on the scoresheet against Ireland 137 years ago. 

Bukayo Saka, 19, also started, meaning that England fielded four players under 22 for the first time since a Home Nations clash against Northern Ireland in November 1959. 

Foden received an additional distinction, becoming the first England player under 21 ever to score more than once in a match at Wembley. 

The Three Lions will be back in action in 2021, kicking off their World Cup qualification campaign for Qatar in March with two games. 

But they will have to wait until December's draw to find out who their opponents are, with the groups set to be decided in a virtual ceremony held in Zurich.

Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum scored as the Netherlands came from behind to beat Poland 2-1, but it was not enough to secure a return to the Nations League Finals.

Both teams needed to win the match at Silesian Stadium and receive some assistance from Bosnia-Herzegovina against Italy in the other Group A1 game, but the Azzurri's 2-0 victory ensured it was they who finished top of the pile.

Kamil Jozwiak's stunning solo goal gave Poland the lead inside five minutes and Przemyslaw Placheta rattled the post as the hosts proved a significant threat on the break.

Poland were punished for sitting back in the second half, though, with Wijnaldum winning a penalty that Depay fired home before the Liverpool man saw his deflected header secure the win in the 84th minute.

Jozwiak put Poland in front when he surged away from Davy Klaassen down the left, cut inside of Daley Blind and stabbed in off the post.

Wijnaldum and Donyell Malen missed decent chances to restore parity before Placheta hared forward on the right and crashed a shot against the near post from an acute angle.

Kamil Glik and centre-back partner Jan Bednarek made important interventions to keep Wijnaldum and Depay at bay, but Lukasz Fabianski was needed to stop Frenkie de Jong equalising before half-time.

Krzysztof Piatek replaced Robert Lewandowski, who had been a doubt for the game with a muscular problem, at half-time and he was involved in a rapid break that ended with Placheta shanking wide.

Poland focused on defending and Fabianski did well to tip the Netherlands' first shot on target of the second half from Depay away from the bottom-right corner.

However, Fabianski was beaten by Depay from 12 yards in the 77th minute after Bednarek pushed Wijnaldum over in the area.

Wijnaldum completed the turnaround himself by flicking substitute Steven Berghuis' corner home, but it was only enough to secure second place in the group.

What does it mean? A corner turned

The Netherlands' 3-1 success against Bosnia-Herzegovina last time out, that represented Ronald de Boer's first win as coach in his fifth game at the helm, looked in danger of being a false dawn as they trailed for much of this game.

Each of Oranje's three previous defeats against Poland have come in Chorzow, but they stopped the hosts ending a 41-year wait for a fourth victory in the same city, in what was the 17th meeting between the teams.

With back-to-back wins recorded, De Boer will hope the Netherlands can continue on an upward trajectory.

Leading by example

Wijnaldum wore the captain's armband in the absence of injured Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk and was a persistent threat with his runs from depth. He played a role in the first Netherlands goal and scored the second, while supplying two key passes.

Bednarek blunder

Netherlands had struggled to make Fabianski work in the second half but Bednarek's needless foul on Wijnaldum for the penalty was the start of everything unravelling for Poland.

What's next?

Both teams will get to enjoy another campaign in League A, but they will reconvene in March and look to build towards Euro 2020.

Romelu Lukaku scored as decisive double as Belgium beat Denmark 4-2 to reach the Nations League Finals.

Roberto Martinez's side needed only to avoid defeat to prevent Denmark from finishing top of group A2 and they started strongly in Leuven, Youri Tielemans putting them ahead after only three minutes.

Jonas Wind levelled in a first half in which the visitors were the more threatening side, but when Kasper Schmeichel could not quite do enough to deny Lukaku 57 minutes in, the contest was effectively settled.

Lukaku nodded in his second and Belgium's third 12 minutes later to make certain of the victory and reach 57 goals for his country, including six in his past four appearances.

A late aberration from Courtois gifted Denmark a second but Kevin De Bruyne struck an immediate reply to quash any fear of a late comeback.

Tielemans fired Belgium ahead against England and did so again here from a similar distance, his left-foot shot from the edge of the area bobbling beyond Schmeichel and into the bottom-right corner.

Denmark equalised 14 minutes later, Wind heading a loose ball beyond Courtois after Martin Braithwaite's shot had been blocked.

Braithwaite had a great chance to make it 2-1 but was denied by a sprawling Courtois, and Lukaku nearly glanced Belgium back in front from De Bruyne's cross.

Lukaku had cut an isolated figure but took the next chance that came his way in the second half. A quick free-kick allowed De Bruyne to feed the striker, whose shot struck the onrushing Schmeichel but looped up and over the line, with the covering Andreas Christensen only able to hook the ball high into the net.

The Inter striker planted a firm header past Schmeichel from six yards out after a fine cross from Thorgan Hazard to make it 3-1, before Courtois allowed Nacer Chadli's pass to roll beneath his foot and into the net to leave Martinez looking thunderstruck on the touchline.

De Bruyne soon calmed any nerves, though, side-footing into the net after Thomas Foket's cross had bobbled across the Denmark box.

What does it mean? Belgium ease into Finals

The result means Belgium finish top of Group A2 with 15 points, five above Denmark and England, and it secures their place at the Finals next year.

Denmark may feel frustrated to have failed to capitalise on a sluggish display by Martinez's men, particularly in the first half, but their performance here augurs well for the meeting between these two in the Euro 2020 group stage.

Lukaku lethal when it counts

Lukaku only attempted 21 passes, 11 fewer than goalkeeper Courtois, and often seemed detached from the action in a first half in which Denmark posed the bigger threat.

However, when his two opportunities came, he did not falter - even if Schmeichel was unlucky not to keep out his first.

Sliding doors for Braithwaite

By contrast, Braithwaite could not convert his best opening when the scores were level, as Denmark failed to make the most of a good first 45 minutes.

The Barcelona man did not manage another shot until the 80th minute, by which time their fate was all but sealed.

What's next?

These teams are finished for 2020 and have no fixtures set in stone before the Euros begin next June. They will face one another then, too, in a Group B game in Copenhagen on June 17.

Phil Foden opened his England account with a double as Gareth Southgate's side ended their Nations League campaign on a high with a 4-0 victory over 10-man Iceland.

Defeat to Belgium on Sunday had ensured Wednesday's Group A2 meeting at Wembley was a dead rubber, but England's youthful team nevertheless turned in an impressive display.

Making his first competitive England appearance since breaking coronavirus protocol after a victory over Iceland in September, Foden marked his return in style, setting up Declan Rice's opener before adding further gloss to a routine win with a superbly taken brace.

Mason Mount had doubled England's tally, with Birkir Mar Saevarsson's red card for a second bookable offence all but ending any comeback hopes for outgoing Iceland coach Erik Hamren.

For differing reasons, Jack Grealish and Foden were the big stories heading into the game and the two playmakers combined for England's 20th-minute opener.

Rice was the benefactor, heading in his maiden England goal from Foden's free-kick, which was won by Grealish, who moments later teed up Bukayo Saka.

The Arsenal youngster failed to beat Ogmundur Kristinsson, but Mount made no such mistake with England's next chance, coolly prodding in after latching onto Harry Kane's knockdown.

Harry Maguire's marauding run forward resulted in a fine pass through for Foden, whose shot was charged down by Kristinsson, who then denied the midfielder again before Kane curled wide.

Iceland's hopes seemed to have been extinguished nine minutes into the second half – Saevarsson receiving a second yellow for pulling back Saka.

Kari Arnason might have changed that, yet he headed wide from Ari Freyr Skulason's corner.

Yet England had the third goal their dominance deserved in the 80th minute when Foden swept home from Jadon Sancho's cutback.

The 20-year-old Foden was not done there, however, and capped off a fine individual display with a thumping strike into the bottom-right corner.

What does it mean? Southgate's system finally clicks

England have now remained unbeaten in their final game of a calendar year in each of the last seven years (W5 D2), since a 1-0 defeat to Germany in 2013. And though it has been a frustrating Nations League campaign, Southgate’s 3-4-3 formation clicked in style on Wednesday.

The trick now will be if Southgate can find a winning formula at the back to provide the platform for the likes of Grealish, Foden and England's other young guns to do the damage.

The kids are all right

England had four players aged 21 or younger – Saka, Foden, Rice and Mount – in the starting XI for a competitive international for the first time since November 1959 against Northern Ireland, and the youngsters did not let Southgate down.

Foden – the youngest player to score twice in the same match for the national team at Wembley – was the pick of the bunch, and his strikes meant England had three players aged 21 or younger score in the same match for the first time since February 1883.

Hamren's Iceland tenure ends with a whimper

Hamren has taken the decision to step down after this match and Iceland's new coach will face something of a rebuild.

Having taken over after the 2018 World Cup, Hamren has failed to lead Iceland to a third successive major tournament and, on Wednesday, his team mustered just two attempts, failing to test Jordan Pickford at all, and they had only 21.7 per cent of possession.

What's next?

Both of these sides will next be in action during the March international break, with World Cup 2022 qualifying set to start.

Andrea Belotti and Domenico Berardi were on target as Italy beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 to book a place in the Nations League finals.

The Azzurri's convincing victory at the Grbavica Stadium saw them finish a point above the Netherlands, who beat Poland 2-1 in Wednesday's other Group A1 contest.

Without boss Roberto Mancini for a third game running because of his positive coronavirus test, Italy got the job done in Sarajevo thanks to volleys from Belotti and Berardi.

Bosnia had already been condemned to relegation heading into the final round of fixtures and were unable to truly trouble their opponents, who are now unbeaten in 22 outings.

Belotti snatched at a volley on the edge of the six-yard box and then guided a diving header wide from slightly further out as Italy dominated right from the off. 

But it was third time lucky for the Torino striker as he slid in to meet Lorenzo Insigne's cross from the left and sent the ball looping over stand-in Bosnia keeper Kenan Piric. 

Berardi was then denied by Piric and Insigne curled a shot inches wide, either side of Gianluigi Donnarumma's fine stop to keep out Smail Prevljak's low effort.

Bosnia, without Edin Dzeko and a couple of other key players, wasted another good opening when Sinisa Sanicanin fired into the side-netting nine minutes into the second half.

Italy soon clicked back into gear and doubled their lead through Berardi's strike - the Sassuolo attacker watching club-mate Manuel Locatelli's pass all the way and volleying in from 13 yards.

Bosnia lost Sanicanin to a hamstring injury late on and had to conclude the game with 10 men, their misery almost compounded by a strike from Federico Bernardeschi that cracked the underside of the crossbar.
 

Perth Glory went down 2-1 against Shanghai Shenhua on Wednesday night as they got their Asian Champions League campaign going again in Qatar. 

The A-League club's first group game was way back in February when they lost 1-0 against Tokyo FC before the coronavirus pandemic halted the continental competition. 

Now boasting a new coach in the form of Richard Garcia and nearly three months after their last A-League game, Glory were always going to take time to find their feet against Shenhua. 

The Chinese Super League outfit, who had won three of their last four games, started the clash brightly and took a 2-0 lead into half-time courtesy of goals from Peng Xinli and Yu Hanchao. 

Glory struggled to get a grip on the match in the first 45 minutes with Tando Velaphi guilty of some poor goalkeeping for Shenhua's second goal just before the break. 

Glory showed more promise in the second-half however with star players Bruno Fornaroli and Diego Castro gradually getting more involved. 

Perth centre-back Jonathan Aspropotamitis would hand his side a lifeline in the 82nd minute with a goal from close range and Garcia's side never stopped pushing for an equaliser with Fornaroli going closest in injury-time with an overhead effort that went well wide. 

Though consecutive losses mark a poor start for Glory in Asia, the nature of this defeat should give them some hope moving forward with games set to come thick and fast over the next fortnight. 

Garcia started the match against Shenhua with a number of young, untested players, who will benefit greatly from this experience.

Goalscorer Aspropotamitis meanwhile dominated across the pitch, completing a game-high 97 passes and 12 recoveries. Having initially joined Glory simply for this competition, he looks eager to secure a longer deal and certainly did his chances no harm on Wednesday. 

Castro and Fornaroli also showed glimpses of their class after a long off-season and their performances moving forward will be key to Perth's latest foray into Asia. 

Minister of Sports and Youth Development in Nigeria, Sunday Dare is unconvinced by Gernot Rohr’s competence as Super Eagles coach after their goalless draw against Sierra Leone on Tuesday.

The three-time African champions failed to confirm their qualification for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon following back-to-back draws with the Leone Stars.

Last Friday, Rohr’s men capitulated a four-goal lead at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to settle for a 4-4 draw against Sierra Leone.

The result in Benin led to an outcry from fans and in reaction, the Super Eagles were charged by NFF President Amaju Pinnick to win by a convincing margin in Freetown.

They failed to outclass Sierra Leone on Tuesday as both teams settled to share the spoils at the National Stadium, Freetown. The outcome of the encounter made Dare tender an apology to Nigerians and he also assured that Rohr's ability as the technical adviser will be questioned.

"The performance of the Super Eagles from their last two matches calls to question the suitability and competences of Technical Adviser, Rohr. Nigerian football deserves better. The needful will be done. Apologies to all football lovers," Dare tweeted.

Nigeria remain at the summit of Group L despite the draw with eight points after four matches. They are a point above second-placed Benin while Sierra Leone are placed third with three points and Lesotho are at the bottom with two points.

Jamie Carragher has slammed England's decision to play a friendly against the Republic of Ireland during the latest international break, stating that differing priorities for domestic and national teams are resulting in the players being "treated like meat".

The former Liverpool favourite's comments come as the Three Lions wrap up their third and final game of the November international break against Iceland in the UEFA Nations League, completing a run of three games in the space of seven days.

It is the latest in a run of two-week-long pauses for the international game across the opening stages of an already condensed 2020-21 campaign, with several figures in Gareth Southgate's squad already playing multiple fixtures per week due to European as well as domestic commitments.

The fixture congestion has taken its toll on a host of players, with Liverpool's Joe Gomez one of several faces forced to withdraw from contention across the international break after picking up injuries thought to have been exacerbated by a relentless schedule.

Speaking at Wembley ahead of England's concluding match, Carragher - who featured in three major tournaments for the Three Lions during his international career between 1999 and 2010 - blasted the choice to add an extra match to the team's programme following the collapse of their original game against New Zealand last week.

The 42-year-old acknowledged that the balance between club and country remains a tough one to handle, with the compressed timeframe for fixtures on both levels creating problems for the other, echoing previous comments by Southgate on the matter.

"I think Gareth's come out on the front foot [about this issue]," Carragher told Sky Sports. "He's England manager, so he's going to do what's best for him.

"Club managers do what's best for them and they will be putting the pressure on certain players to maybe try and get out of this game. If I was a club manager or an England manager, I'd be doing exactly what both sets are.

"But I just think what this season has told us - [be it] null and void the league, Project Big Picture, five subs or international footballers - everybody just looks after themselves, they do what's right for them.

"Hence why England had a friendly, a joke of a friendly, against the Republic of Ireland. It's just nonsense. They play that game and again, no-one is giving up anything. The players have just been treated like meat."

Lionel Messi has fired back at claims that he is responsible for Antoine Griezmann's failure to acclimatise to life at Barcelona, with the Argentine stating that he is fed up of shouldering the blame for failures within the club.

The Blaugrana skipper's response comes after both the France striker's uncle and former agent criticised the veteran striker, citing him as the root of all problems at Camp Nou.

Messi and Barcelona have endured a tempestuous relationship over the past year, ignited by the club's decline in matters both on and off the field. The Blaugrana finished the 2019-20 campaign empty-handed in search of silverware, ending with a humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern in the Champions League quarter-final.

A protracted battle over the forward's future saw him unable to secure a release from his contract, leaving him tied to the club for at least one more season, while president Josep Maria Bartomeu and the board of directors resigned in late October following further dissatisfaction from supporters.

Manager Ronald Koeman has meanwhile failed to restore Barca's fortunes across the start of the new campaign, with the side lodged in 11th in La Liga, nine points off the pace of leaders Real Sociedad.

Close to the centre of renewed scrutiny however is former Atletico Madrid man and France star Griezmann, who swapped the Spanish capital for the Catalan outfit in pursuit of greater glories, only to underwhelm so far.

The attacker has been defended by both his uncle Emmanuel Lopes and former agent Eric Olhats in recent days, with the duo launching blistering attacks on Messi as the cause of his teammate's struggles.

“[Griezmann] was convinced that he wasn’t going to be successful within the first six months, but what I didn’t expect was that it would last an entire year,” Lopes told El Chiringuito. “Besides, with Messi, I know what’s going on inside [the club] – it’s not easy.

“Basically, [Messi] doesn’t work hard enough at Barca and the training sessions are structured in order to please certain people, which is fine if you don’t want to work [as hard]."

The Albiceleste captain, upon returning from the international break, delivered a curt response to pressing reporters upon his arrival at El Prat Airport, with Goal confirming that the 33-year-old also had an encounter with a tax inspector seeking documentation beforehand that further irritated the weary star.

"I'm tired of always being everyone's problem at the club," Messi stated to a crush of reporters. "I get here after a 15-hour flight and I find a tax agent here, it's ridiculous."

Messi will be expected to feature in Barca's next match following the international break, with high-flying Atleti providing a chance for Griezmann to reunite with his former side on Saturday.

Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr has expressed his satisfaction with the Super Eagles’ 0-0 draw against Sierra Leone on Tuesday.

The three-time African champions laboured to a second consecutive draw against the 120th-ranked team in the world in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game.

The first outing with the Leone Stars in Benin City ended in a 4-4 draw, despite the Super Eagles racing to a 4-0 lead in the encounter.

Rohr and his side have been criticized by fans for the uninspiring displays but the German tactician has defended his team, explaining there are no more minors in African football.

“It’s a long time that we had a goalless defence and we wanted to be solid after what happened in the second half the other day and I am especially very happy for our goalkeeper who showed to everybody that he is a good one,” Rohr told the media.  

“We have a young team and it was a shock the other day after the injury of Victor Osimhen, everybody was afraid.

“They wanted to fight for him, they did it, they fought very well and I think that this draw keeps us top of the table, we have to play another two games now against Benin and Lesotho.

“Normally, it is not official, but we are very close now to qualification, we saw also the result of Benin who played a draw in Lesotho. All the games are difficult, there are no little opponents.”

Despite the draws, Nigeria still maintain their lead on the top of the Group L table with eight points from four games.

They will hope for a favourable result when they take on the Republic of Benin and Lesotho in their next qualifying game for a chance to seal a place in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

The Super Eagles players and officials have returned to Nigeria after their game against Sierra Leon in Freetown. 

Rohr has been in charge of the Super Eagles since 2016 and guided the side to a third-place finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Ghana women's coach Mercy Tagoe has invited 30 players for an international friendly against Morocco in Accra next month.

The Black Queens will be playing for the first time since their participation in the 2020 Turkish Women's Cup in Alanya in March following the lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

With the West Africans scheduled to host their Northern Africa opponents, coach Tagoe has named a 30-woman squad, comprising of 29 home-based professionals and one foreign player.

Alberta Ahialey, who last turned out for Portuguese side Atletico Ouriense, was the only overseas-based professional on the squad.

According to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the invited players are expected to resume camp at the GFA Technical Centre (GSCE), Prampram on Thursday and will, on arrival, undergo the mandatory Covid-19 test.

Tagoe's ladies are scheduled to square up against the senior Atlas Lionesses on November 30 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Juliet Acheampong, Janet Egyir, Mary Essiful, Philicity Asuako and Rita Okyere were among 13 home-based players that featured at the Turkish tournament in March and were also invited for the Morocco clash.

The Ghanaian side will be hoping to end the year on a winning note to boost their placement on the rankings.

FULL SQUAD
Fafali Dumehasi (Police ladies), Abigail Tawiah-Mensah (Berry Ladies FC), Azume Adams (Prisons ladies), Mary NiiQuaye (Immigration ladies), Janet Egyir (Hasaacas Ladies), Linda Eshun (Hasaacas ladies FC), Philicity Asuako (Police ladies FC), Victoria Osei (Berry Ladies FC), Selina Animah (Berry Ladies FC) Gladys Anfobea (Lady Strikers FC), Beatrice Sasu (Police ladies FC), Ellen Coleman (Lady Strikers FC), Edem Atovor (Lady Strikers FC), Juliet Acheampong (Prisons Ladies FC), Mary Essiful (Soccer Intellectuals), Priscilla Okyere, (Amper Darkoa Ladies FC), Grace Adams (Berry Ladies FC), Basira Alhassan (Pearl Pia Ladies FC) Henrietta Annie (Police ladies FC), Alice Kusi (Fabulous Ladies FC), Nyanyimaya Gnabekan (Berry Ladies FC), Bridget Adu (Berry Ladies FC), Rashida Ibrahim (Berry ladies FC), Sandra Owusu-Ansah (Supreme Ladies FC), Faustina Kyeremeh (Immigration ladies FC) Deborah Afriyie (Police ladies FC), Georgina Aoyem (Pearl Pia ladies FC), Grace Animah (Police ladies FC), Rita Okyere (Prisons ladies FC] Alberta Ahialey [Portugal]
 

Atletico Madrid's coronavirus headache worsened on Wednesday when Lucas Torreira joined Uruguay team-mate Luis Suarez in testing positive. 

The Celeste's most recent qualifiers, which ended with victory over Colombia followed by home defeat at the hands of Brazil, have been overshadowed by an outbreak of the pandemic disease within the squad. 

Suarez and left-back Matias Vinas were ruled out of the clash with Brazil after testing positive on Monday, while defender Alexis Rolon and forward Diego Rossi as well as several members of Oscar Tabarez's backroom staff joined them in returning positive PCR analyses 48 hours later. 

Suarez also saw his positive test confirmed on Wednesday, meaning that he will be unable to take part in the weekend fixture against Barcelona and thus misses his first reunion with his former team-mates since leaving Camp Nou for the Wanda Metropolitano over the summer. 

Torreira, who played against Brazil but was found to be carrying the virus upon his return to Madrid, will also be forced to isolate and will not be able to take the field. 

"Lucas Torreira underwent PCR tests on Wednesday upon arrival in Madrid after returning from international duty with Uruguay, following the usual protocol when our international players return after their national teams’ commitments," Atletico confirmed in a statement published on the club's official website. 

"The midfielder has tested positive for Covid-19.

"The footballer is asymptomatic and isolating at home, in compliance with the health authorities’ quarantine protocols."

Atletico's woes during the international break continued on Tuesday when they learned of an injury to Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera, who had been in fine form for Diego Simeone's charges prior to the recess. 

Herrera suffered a thigh injury in training for El Tri and is expected to miss several weeks while he recovers, leaving the Colchoneros severely hamstrung for Saturday's clash against Barcelona. 

The club currently sits third in the Liga standings after seven matches, three points behind leaders Real Sociedad having played two games fewer and no less than six ahead of lowly Barca, who languish in 11th. 

Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan claims Egypt’s ambition is to emerge as champions of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Cameroon.

The Aston Villa winger found the net as the Pharaohs recorded a 3-1 win over the Hawks on Tuesday – a result which saw them complete a double over Claude Le Roy’s men as well as overtake Comoros as Group G leaders.

Before facing Togo, the North Africans were third on the log having accrued just two points following consecutive draws against Kenya and Comoros. Now, Hossam El Badry’s men need just a win in their last two games to guarantee their place in the African football showpiece.

Speaking to media after their victory at Lome’s Stade de Kegue, the 26-year-old, who now boast of seven international goals, disclosed that his team is already looking beyond the qualifiers, insisting the Afcon diadem is their main priority.

“Our goal is not only to qualify for the tournament, but to win the title to make the Egyptian people happy,” said Trezeguet per Kingfut.

“Every match we give everything we have on the field to win, despite the difficult circumstances.

“We performed better in this game than the previous one, and God willing, the performances will continue to improve with time and matches.”

El Badry’s side head to Kasarani’s Moi International Sports Centre for a date with the Harambee Stars in their next outing on March 22, 2021.

Egypt won the competition for a record seventh time at Angola 2010 - defeating Ghana 1-0 in a keenly contested final played at the Estadio 11 de Novembro, Luanda.

After winning the competition in 2006 and 2010, the North Africans have struggled to impress in the tournament since then. Despite hosting the 2019 edition, they were kicked out in the Round of 16 by South Africa.

Thembinkosi Lorch’s 85th-minute strike saw them bow out at the Cairo International Stadium.

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

Kaizer Chiefs forward Khama Billiat has indicated that it is not easy being a professional footballer in South Africa.

This comes after the 30-year-old player received his Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) Best Foreign Player award over the weekend.

Billiat has been plying his trade in South Africa since 2010 and he is widely regarded to be one of the best players in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

When speaking on Zimbabwean publication Soccer 24 on Wednesday, Billiat revealed some the challenges which he has faced in South Africa. 

“It is never easy playing outside the country, trying to deal with different situations, different cultures, different personalities in terms of the difference between countries," Billiat said. 

The 2015/16 PSL Footballer of the Season has enjoyed a lot of success in the country having won seven major trophies during his time with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Zimbabwe provides the bulk of the foreign contingent in the PSL and Billiat has urged his compatriots to continue working hard.

”We are Warriors, I just wanna urge everyone that the journey should continue," the Aces Youth Soccer Academy product added.

"It is never easy. If you are somewhere where you are having it easy then you are in the wrong place." 

Billiat's first South African club was Ajax Cape Town having joined the now-defunct Mother City side from Zimbabwean giants Caps United in July 2010.

The diminutive player spent three seasons with Ajax and he was a key member of the Urban Warriors team which came close to clinching the PSL title in the 2010/11 season.

His exploits attracted interest from top local clubs Sundowns and Orlando Pirates and it was Masandawana who won the race for Billiat's signature. 

Billiat arguably played his best football during his time with the Tshwane giants under coach Pitso Mosimane.

The Harare-born player spent five successful campaigns with Sundowns, before he decided against extending his contract and he became a free agent.

Billiat was linked with Egyptian giants Zamalek and Egypt, but he chose to stay in South Africa and joined Chiefs, who reportedly offered him a lucrative deal.