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Bastian Schweinsteiger has led calls to reinstate Bayern Munich “leaders” Thomas Muller and Jerome Boateng to the Germany national team in the wake of the 6-0 thumping at the hands of Spain, with Joachim Low's decision to drop the pair coming under heavy scrutiny.

The experienced duo were dropped from the squad in March 2019 as Low looked to begin blooding a new generation of German talents to future-proof the national team for years to come.

Things have not gone exactly to plan, however, with Germany's most recent loss marking their worst defeat since 1931, while Muller and Boateng continue to win silverware at the highest level with their club side.

With all the facts in consideration, Schweinsteiger cannot understand his old national team coach's decision to leave two fellow World Cup winners out of the squad.

“The national coach and his team have one opinion but unfortunately I personally have a different one,” the former midfielder explained to ARD.

“Players like Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller won the treble with the best team in Europe. They play regularly in the first team and are quality German players. Why aren't they in the national team?

“In games like this especially, it's important to have players on the pitch that are a cut above, who have experience, who have quality. You could see that we don't have the required quality yet.”

Ex-Germany head coach Jurgen Klinsmann echoed his countryman's sentiments, raising questions as to who among the squad can “step it up”, with the European Championship on the horizon.

“Nobody can say why this decision was made besides Joachim Low and his coaching staff,” Klinsmann told ESPN. “We're out of the period now of experimenting with a new back line. 

“Jonathan Tah came in, Rudiger was on site, but nobody could really step it up in that timeframe since the other players left the team.

“The biggest question still is about leadership – who is the real leader of that team? Obviously Manuel Neuer is a very quiet, very strong personality and still an outstanding goalkeeper, but nobody on the field besides Neuer has stepped it up in the last two years.

“The team lacks a leader, it's sad to see. It lacks a personality that after the second or third goal sends out some signals, does something, does a foul, interrupts the game, gets in the face of the Spanish players, and that raises the big question about Thomas Muller.

“Muller is a leader. He's the leader of the pack at Bayern Munich still because he keeps the young players in line. Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry... they all follow Thomas Muller on the field and that's why Bayern is unbeaten in I don't know how long in the Champions League.

“It's a big problem for Germany when we're just six or seven months out from the Euros.”

While many are calling for Low to be sacked, however, Klinsmann believes such action would only worsen the situation.

“There's no need for a new coach because then you panic completely,” he added.

“What message do you send out there? You'd then need to establish a new hierarchy within the team within half a year, which would be very difficult. I don't see a reason to panic and look for a new coach.

“There are a lot of issues to be addressed, so you have to go and fly around places and meet the players individually or in small groups and have a lot of communication between the leaders within that group – whoever they are.”

Ghana coach CK Akonnor believes his team "did well" in their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Sudan on Tuesday despite falling to a 1-0 defeat.

The Black Stars suffered their first loss of the series as Mohamed Abdelrahman scored in the second minute of injury time to secure all three points for the hosts at Al Hilal Stadium in Omdurman.

Ghana, nonetheless, top the table in Group C after four rounds of matches.

“Overall, I think we did well. We lost to a team that showed more hunger than us," Akonnor said after the game.

“If I look at the way we played in Ghana and the way we played here, I feel there is a bit of improvement in terms of containing pressure and all that.

“The players fought under uncomfortable conditions like the weather and the Sudanese tried to frustrate us before the game and I appreciate the player's effort.

"The Sudanese players were hungrier than us. We will learn from the mistakes we did today and we’ll do well against South Africa and Sao Tome and qualify.

"I strongly believe and I can assure Ghanaians that we’ll do our best to qualify."

On Tuesday, Ghana had to do without a host of key players due to injury setbacks and suspension.

Captain Andre Ayew, who scored twice in the 2-0 matchday three home win over Sudan, missed the reverse tie due to injury.

First vice-captain Thomas Teye Partey was also absent due to an injury sustained while in club action for Arsenal while Ajax Amsterdam prodigy Mohammed Kudus also missed the matchday four fixture due to fitness issues. The situation was not any different from that of Real Mallorca midfielder Iddrisu Mohammed Baba.

Ghana second-vice captain goalkeeper Richard Ofori was also suspended for the game due to his accumulation of yellow cards.

"Those who had the chance to play did their part but unfortunately it wasn’t enough for us to carry the day,” Akonnor added.

“Of course we played without many key players, the likes of the captain, Kudus and other people. And so looking at all this, I believe that we did well."

Ghana will play away to South Africa in their next game of the qualifiers in March 2021 before closing the group with a home tie against bottom-placed Sao Tome and Principe. 

The Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee has appointed a Premier League Management Committee (PMC) ahead of the 2020/21 season.

The committee will be chaired by KCB FC chairperson Azu Ogola while Dan Shikanda of AFC Leopards, Robert Maoga of Kariobangi Sharks FC, Western Stima’s Laban Jobita, John Terry of Posta Rangers, Sofapaka’s Elly Kalekwa and Dennis Gicheru of Wazito FC are the other members.

Meanwhile, former Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) official David Thairu has been appointed as the FKF Premier League Manager.

“Thairu has been appointed the FKF PL League Manager and will be tasked with overseeing the league’s operations,” a statement from FKF obtained by Goal read.

“David is a university lecturer, former Fifa/FMARC - Project leader for Africa and former CEO, MYSA.

“At the same time, Grace Mwelu has been appointed the league’s Communication and Marketing Manager. The decision to establish the PMC has been necessitated by the need to maintain the league’s independence and safeguarding the interests of all participating clubs.”

Thairu and the PMC’s reign will start with new hope for the clubs who ran without a sponsor in the 2019/20 season. The financial constraints that came after SportPesa’s exit saw clubs struggle and Sony Sugar, after giving three walkovers, were relegated.

Chenmelil Sugar, who failed to show up for two games and were at the bottom, were eventually relegated when FKF cancelled the Premier League due to the emergence of Covid-19.

So far, BetKing has been confirmed as the FKF Premier League title sponsor for five years beginning with the 2020/21 campaign.

The season was expected to begin on November 20 with a match between AFC Leopards against a new-looking Western Stima but the tie was pushed to November 28 as was confirmed by FKF President Nick Mwendwa.

“The new season will now kick-off on November 28 and not this Friday [November 20] as earlier planned,” Mwendwa told  Goal  on Tuesday . “We have a number of logistical issues which need to be done, including testing of players and officials [for Covid-19] and all those who will be involved during matches.

“It is the reason we have shifted the date but we are confident the league will now start on November 28.”

The committee will face a number of challenges and the first one is the current dialogue between the clubs and FKF on the complete autonomy of the league.

Apart from securing the BetKing sponsorship deal, Chinese Pay TV StarTimes has also been confirmed as the official broadcasting partner of the league.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have suspended club official Patrick Simon with immediate effect.

According to a statement from the club signed by the chairman Mshindo Msolla and obtained by Goal, the decision to ban Simon, who was the acting secretary, was reached during an emergency meeting held on November 17.

“The executive committee of Yanga hereby announces the immediate suspension of the acting secretary and the head legal and members Patrick Simon,” read the statement from Msolla.

“The decision comes after a resolution taken at an emergency meeting of the Excom that was held in Dar es Salaam on November 17, 2020, which was called to deliberate on issues and allegations raised against Simon.”

The statement continued: “In the interest of fair practice in this regard, the Excom will appoint an independent committee to investigate all the allegations. The Excom is looking forward to receiving the final report from the committee and finalise this matter expediently.”

Yanga are currently enjoying a good run in the Mainland Premier League as they are still unbeaten from 10 matches and are second on the 18-team league table with 24 points

In an earlier interview, Yanga coach Cedric Kaze confirmed he was happy to have winger Carlos Carlinhos return to the squad after missing a number of matches including the derby against Simba SC owing to a knee injury.

“All my players in the squad are very important and when you miss one of them, it gives you headache because you are missing a key player,” Kaze told Sokaletu.

“And when you have a full fit squad to pick from during matchday it gives you the chance to pick the best squad that can give you a win and that is why I am delighted to have Carlinhos back, we missed him and are happy to have him back.

“I will help him to come back into the squad and I am happy we have all players now available, it is the best way to compete and reach your target and we thank God we don’t have star players out anymore.”

Kaze, who is yet to lose a match since joining Yanga following the sacking of Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, has also said they are taking it a game at a time, hoping to achieve their targets including winning the league title.

“We still have a lot of work to do as a team, we are not there yet, we must stay focused and do our job, we want to win our matches, and let us see how far we can.”

Since joining Yanga, Carlinhos has managed to score one goal when Yanga beat Coastal Union 3-0 and set up two goals.

Yanga are currently preparing to face Namungi Fc in a league match on November 22 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

Arsenal teenager Ovie Ejeheri has been invited to England’s December training camp for goalkeepers.

The 17-year-old Anglo-Nigerian has been in fine form for the Gunners' U18 team over recent months and this invitation presents him a chance to be handed an international call-up.

Should Ejeheri impress English national team selectors, he could be handed a call-up to England’s squad ahead of preparations for the 2021 FIFA U20 World Cup billed for Indonesia.

Speaking to Goal through his representative Segun Jegede of Utmostt Sports Management, the teenager revels in this opportunity that will help him ‘showcase’ his talent as well as boost his professional career.

“I feel it’s a very good opportunity for me to showcase my talent and put myself in the mix,” Ejeheri told Goal.

“I've been working hard at Arsenal for over a decade. I'm happy that the work I've been putting in is being noticed by the English FA and coaching staff.

“It's definitely a means of progression for my career. It's a development that will challenge me to keep raising the bar in my career endeavours.

“It's a step in the right direction for me to get more recognition in the England set-up.”

Born in Greenwich, London to a Nigerian father and a mother from Uganda, the goalkeeper could spark a selection war between Uganda, Nigeria and England in future.

Ejeheri, whose football role model is Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon, also talked about his future and the heights he would love to reach.

“My goal in the next three years is to play regular first-team football at club level and represent England or Nigeria at international level,” he continued.

“I look forward to the challenges of professional and international football at the highest level.”

Alongside Nigeria prospects like Miguel Azeez, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Mazeed Ogungbo and Daniel Oyegoke, Ejeheri is a second-year scholar at Arsenal for the 2020-21 season and could be offered a professional contract should he continue to dazzle academy coaches.

Former Barcelona and Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas has expressed "disappointment" in his old mentor Pep Guardiola, while revealing he still considers Jose Mourinho a "friend" to this day.

Guardiola lured Fabregas to Camp Nou from Arsenal back in 2011, having seen him emerge as one of the best midfielders in Europe at Emirates Stadium.

Barca went on to win four major trophies during the Spaniard's first full season at the club, but ultimately missed out on La Liga and Champions League honours.

Guardiola decided to call time on his four-year reign in Catalunya at the end of the campaign, and took a 12-month sabbatical before returning to management at Bayern Munich.

Fabregas says he hasn't spoken to the 49-year-old, who is now in charge at Manchester City, since his departure from Camp Nou, and has hinted that the pair's relationship has been damaged beyond repair.

Asked if he's been in contact with Guardiola at all over the past eight years, the Monaco playmaker told CCMA: "No, no, with Pep nothing at all.

"I don't know if the disappointment with Pep is mutual. Things happened, but I prefer not to talk about it. Pep was my idol since I was a child. It is from him that I have learned the most, perhaps, since I was four until now."

Fabregas eventually left Barca to join Chelsea in 2014, and went on to pick up his first Premier League title under Mourinho.

The 33-year-old has credited a man currently occupying the hot seat at Tottenham for helping him to rediscover his best form at Stamford Bridge, having previously seen him as a rival during his time at Arsenal and Barca.

"Mourinho inspired me the most when I left Barca," Fabregas added.

"He told me that we had had our issues on the pitch when he was at Chelsea and I was at Arsenal and then when he was coaching at Real Madrid and I was at Barcelona, but that for him, it all ended there. We turned the page.

"He told me about his project. I had to go where I thought I would do best, the decision was mine and it didn't depend on what people said. I prioritised the professional [aspect], and today I still write to him and I consider him a friend.

"He helped me a lot at a difficult time in my career and perhaps I played one of my best seasons with him."

Fabregas brought the curtain down on a hugely successful five-year spell at Chelsea when he signed for Monaco last year, and will be back in action when the French outfit play host to reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain on Friday.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze is delighted to have winger Carlos Carlinhos back in the squad for the Mainland Premier League matches.

The Angolan star, who signed for the Jangwani giants in the just-ended transfer window, has resumed training with the team after missing three league matches including the derby against rivals Simba SC which ended 1-1 before the Fifa international break.

However, Carlinhos was involved in a friendly against African Lyon which they won 3-1 and coach Kaze has now said his return gives him enough options to pick from the squad.

“All my players in the squad are very important and when you miss one of them, it gives you a headache because you are missing a key player,” Kaze told Sokaletu.

“And when you have a fully fit squad to pick from during matchday it gives you the chance to pick the best squad that can give you a win and that is why I am delighted to have Carlinhos back, we missed him and we are happy to have him back.

“I will help him to come back into the squad and I am happy we have all players now available, it is the best way to compete and reach your target and we thank God we don’t have star players out anymore.”

Kaze, who is yet to lose a match since joining Yanga following the sacking of Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic, has also said they are taking it a game at a time hoping to achieve their targets including winning the league title.

“We still have a lot of work to do as a team, we are not there yet, we must stay focused and do our job, we want to win our matches, and let us see how far we can.”

Since joining Yanga, Carlinhos has managed to score one goal when Yanga beat Coastal Union 3-0. He also set up two goals.

Yanga are currently preparing to face Namungi FC in a league match on November 22 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The Timu ya Mwananchi are now second on the 18-team table with 24 points, from 10 matches, while Azam FC are leading the table on 25 points.

In the wake of their draw against Sierra Leone, African football legend Nwankwo Kanu has jumped in defence of the Nigeria senior national team, claiming there are no longer minnows in African football.

Gernot Rohr’s men kept their qualification for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations on ice after failing to defeat John Keister’s Leone Stars in both games.

The three-time African champions surrendered a four-goal lead to settle for a 4-4 draw in the first game at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, while the reverse fixture in Freetown ended 0-0 after 90 minutes.

To the former national team captain, Rohr’s team stepped up their game in the return leg but could not secure victory owing to the poor playing surface plus their mental state - a consequence of their performance in Benin City.

“Going by the game [on Tuesday], the Super Eagles did not concede any goal and to me, that is a sign of improvement,” Kanu told Goal.

“To me, that is not a bad result when compared with what happened in Nigeria. They should have won in Freetown but as we all saw, their pitch was bad and I’m sure our players were playing with caution to avoid a repeat of what happened in Benin City.

“The fact remains that we have to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, and I believe that the boys will get the job done.”

Like many football fans, the Super Eagles were expected to stroll past the Sierra Leoneans who are ranked 120th in the world, but the former Arsenal and Portsmouth forward says there are no longer minnows in the beautiful game.

He went further counselling Rohr’s side to learn from the mistakes noticed in the just concluded games with the aim to bounce back stronger.

“In the first leg, we scored four goals in the first 30 minutes, that is Nigeria playing but the scoreline changed in the second half,” he continued.

“We must realise that football is a sport where one plus one will never give you two. The game against Sierra Leone is a wakeup call or maybe it is trying to point our attention to something we are not doing right.

“But honestly speaking, football has really changed and those countries we call whipping teams have grown and are not where they used to be.

“Not being able to beat Sierra Leone is not a sign of decline, we still have the quality players who can score five goals against any team in the world. All we just need to do is learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating them again.”

Nigeria still lead Group L with eight points from four matches. They travel to Porto-Novo’s Stade Charles de Gaulle for their next fixture against Benin Republic in March 2021.

Rhys Williams has joined Liverpool's list of defensive injury concerns after being sent home from the England Under-21 squad.

Williams graduated to Liverpool's senior squad in 2019 after eight years in the club's youth set-up, and is already beginning to push for a regular place in Jurgen Klopp's side.

The 19-year-old has featured in three Champions League games and two Carabao Cup fixtures for the Reds this season, and has been likened to Virgil van Dijk due to his similar appearance and style of play.

With both Van Dijk and Joe Gomez sidelined until the new year with serious injuries, Williams looked set to play an even more prominent role at Anfield in the coming weeks, but his progress has been halted while away on international duty.

The defender returned to Merseyside as a precaution after being left out of England U21 boss Aidy Boothroyd's squad to face Albania on Tuesday due to a hip problem.

"He had a very minor stiff hip," Boothroyd told reporters of William's condition. "It was in his best interests to get him back to Liverpool.

"With all the players, if there's any potential injuries or niggles then our medical staff is in contact with the club.

"Rhys wasn't actually on the bench so I thought the best thing was to get him back to Liverpool."

Klopp is facing an injury crisis at the back heading into a top of the table clash against Leicester City at Anfield on Sunday.

Fabinho and Andrew Roberston are also doubts for the meeting with the Foxes along with Williams, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to be out of action until December as he continues his recovery from a calf issue.

Liverpool will also be without talismanic forward Mohamed Salah in their next top-flight outing, with the Egyptian currently taking in a spell in self-isolation following a positive coronavirus test.

The Reds are sweating on the fitness of captain Jordan Henderson and summer signing Thiago Alcantara too, with the former set to miss England's Nations League clash with Iceland on Wednesday and the latter only just beginning to shake off a knee issue.

Sir Geoff Hurst has called for urgent action to be taken around restricting the amount of times professional players head the ball, while also calling for a complete ban on headers for young players at grass-roots level.

To date, Hurst has lost four of his World Cup-winning England team-mates to dementia – Ray Wilson, Martin Peters, Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles – while it was recently revealed that Sir Bobby Charlton has been diagnosed with the disease.

Research published in 2019 stated that ex-players are 3.5 times more likely to die of dementia than the average person and Hurst feels that big changes must be made – and fast – in order to protect the health of sportsmen and women in the long term.

“More and more people are talking about it, and more pressure is going to be put on governing bodies to do whatever they can,” the 1966 World Cup final's hat-trick hero told the Telegraph.

“The danger for me is the amount of times you head the ball in practice and not in a game. Going back, I wouldn’t do the practice. I would cut that out tomorrow. No practice on heading and we just play the game. No practice at all.

“At West Ham, we had a ball hanging from the roof. You were heading that 15, 20 or 30 times in the space of 10 or 15 minutes. We played head tennis. On the grass, we were practising near-post heading for half an hour to 45 minutes. 

“The practice is probably far more detrimental than the game itself.”

Repetitive heading of the ball may be Hurst's biggest fear for senior players, but he also voiced concerns for younger generations, whose brains are not fully developed and thus could cause themselves damage in the short term.

“Absolutely,” the 78-year-old said when asked if he would impose restrictions for kids. “Their brains are nowhere near as developed as adults. 

“I don’t think stopping heading would be detrimental to the quality of grass-roots football for kids. They would still be able to play and enjoy as much without heading at [aged] 10 or whenever the scientists think they should not be heading.

“The practice, and the kids, are fundamental issues that could be dealt with very quickly and I think would have an impact.”

Former Uganda Cranes captain Andy Mwesigwa has claimed Johnathan McKinstry erred for not starting Emmanuel Okwi against South Sudan on Monday.

McKinstry made six changes to the team that had picked a 1-0 win against Bright Stars in the home tie and trusted an attacking line-up of Allan Okello, Fahad Bayo and Luwagga Kizito in a game they ultimately lost.

“I think the coach was ill-advised to leave Okwi on the bench,” Mwesigwa said as was quoted by Sports Nation.

“You know senior players sometimes are like that, you can know that, ‘I have played bad, the day has not been mine’ but what comes in your mind is that ‘I have to prove in the next game’ and I am very sure Okwi would have had a different game in Nairobi.

“We would be telling a different story now because we would have gotten the right results from him.”

The retired star also said Okwi was made to play in a position which is not traditionally his best place during the Thursday encounter.

“I don’t know why Okwi played as a leading striker in the first game because for years we have known him as a winger and a come-in striker,” he added.

“When you play him as a leading striker you won’t get results from him, more so against tall defenders like those of South Sudan.”

The former skipper also stated there is no need to put more pressure on young players like Okello who started in the game against South Sudan in Nairobi.

“Young players are good but when you are grooming you don’t groom at this stage, the Cranes stage is for prayers who are fit for it,” Mwesigwa concluded.

“You don’t have to put them on pressure and I think we should give players like Okello time, he is a very good talented player, the future is very bright for him but I don’t think we should start putting a player like him under pressure that we need results from him.

“Actually, Okello has to be a substitute for at least two years, then he can be a starter on the third.”

The nation's first Group B loss saw Uganda miss an early Africa Cup of Nations qualification ticket as the Bright Stars picked up their first win.

Shakhtar Donetsk star Manor Solomon has opened up on his failed €10 million (£9m/$12m) switch to Manchester City in 2017.

Solomon began his career in Israel with Maccabi Petah Tikva in 2016, and didn't take long to start attracting attention from top clubs across Europe with his performances.

Shakhtar eventually won the race for the winger's signature after agreeing a €6m (£5m/$7m) deal in January 2019, tying him down to a five-year contract.

The 21-year-old has since established himself as a key member of the Ukrainian club's squad, scoring 10 goals in 56 games while also getting his hands on two league titles.

However, his career trajectory would have turned out differently had he joined City three years ago, with the Premier League giants having registered their interest during his first season in Maccabi's senior squad.

Although Solomon sat down with officials from the Etihad Stadium to discuss a transfer, a final deal never came to fruition, as he told The Guardian while also describing his emotions after scoring against City in a Champions League group-stage clash last November: “They really wanted me and I had a meeting with them but unfortunately it did not work out.

"I played against them with Shakhtar and it was a really good point for us but in the end, it didn’t help us to qualify. It was also very special to play against Manchester City and Pep Guardiola and to score.”

The Shakhtar talisman went on to reveal that Maccabi demanded a larger fee from City than the one which the Ukrainian outfit eventually paid, before outlining his ambitions to reach the very highest level of the game in the future.

“Clubs in Europe don’t look at the Israeli league as a strong league, so they don’t buy players from the Israeli league for such big money. My owner in Israel demanded a lot of money; he wanted €5m for me and then he heard it was Manchester City, he wanted €10m," Solomon added.

"After, he was willing to sell me to Shakhtar Donetsk and I wanted to go. I looked at the history of the club, I saw everything, the players they produced over there. I thought it was a great opportunity for me to play in the Champions League, to continue my young career in this club.

"I am enjoying life at Shakhtar, I am only 21 years old but one day – sooner or later – I will join one of the best leagues in the world.”

Solomon scored the decisive goal for Shakhtar in a thrilling 3-2 Champions League win away at Real Madrid in October, and was delighted to make his mark against Europe's most successful club.

“It was incredible, it was really amazing for us as a team to win in Madrid, against one of the best teams in the world,” he said. “Real Madrid have won so many titles and have such a great history, so it felt really, really special for us.

"I think nobody thought that we would win … It was maybe one of the biggest wins in the history of Shakhtar and for me it was also very special to score in the Champions League against Real Madrid, who are maybe the biggest club in the world.”

Former Orlando Pirates fan-favourite Thabo Rakhele wouldn’t pass up on the opportunity to join Kaizer Chiefs. 

This is despite the experienced winger having recently joined new Premier Soccer League (PSL) club Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila on a free transfer.

Rakhale became a free agent after he decided against extending his contract with Chippa United and he was released by the club in June 2020.

The 30-year-old player was strongly linked with Chiefs, but a move to the Naturena-based giants never materialized with the club banned from registering new players. 

“No no no, honestly speaking that [Kaizer Chiefs interest] was just a rumour," Rakhale told SAFM.

"I mean that story has been going on since 2018 so even now I don’t know who started that rumour.

“Even here in Limpopo people are asking me if I’m still going to Kaizer Chiefs and I’m like ‘No I’m here now guys, isn’t it? Rakhale is here,'" he revealed. 

“I’d consider playing for Kaizer Chiefs if they came for me. The most important thing is playing football, I’d play for any team.

"I mean not a single person would’ve thought I would come to play in Limpopo.”

Rakhale was once considered to be one of the best wingers in the PSL during his time with Pirates - helping the team finish second in the Nedbank Cup (twice), MTN8 and Caf Confederation Cup. 

The dribbling wizard, who was also on the radar AmaZulu FC, explained that he joined Tshakhuma because they showed strong interest in his services. 

“Yeah, there were other offers but I think Tshakhuma showed a lot of interest and I’ve worked with the coach [Joel Masutha at Chippa] before and played with some of the players before," he said. 

"There are many quality players here, and [other] players would love to join this team.

“It’s a worry that Tshakhuma has had many off-field challenges but there are always challenges and this is one of them," he added. 

"So, I decided to risk it and see what would happen. My agent was in contact with AmaZulu but I don’t know what happened with that. He just told me AmaZulu decided otherwise.”

Rakhale could make his official debut for Tshakhuma in the Limpopo Derby clash against Baroka FC in a PSL match on Sunday.

Denmark stars Lucas Andersen and Jannik Vestergaard are proud of their achievement of finishing above England in their Nations League group but are eager to push on and qualify for the Finals.

A 2-1 victory over Iceland on Sunday saw the Danes keep their hopes of qualification alive going into a clash away to Belgium on Wednesday.

Only a victory will do in that encounter, but Andersen is bullish after securing second ahead of England.

“It is a great scalp to finish above England in the group,” he told Goal. “I am a big admirer of English football, so it means a lot. We have done well to win four points against England.

“Now we have a ‘group final’ against Belgium - one game left that decides the group – and that’s just perfect.

“Belgium are great, No.1 in the FIFA ranking right now, but we definitely want to win the group.”

Andersen went on to highlight the formidable mentality his side possess.

“Being part of this group of players is great,” he said. “The winning mentality is so strong, and the sense of team spirit is really amazing. When Iceland equalised against us the other day just a few minutes before the end of the game, we all had the same thought: ‘We are still going to win this.’ So we just stepped up and hit them right back.”

Southampton defender Vestergaard, who has won five of his six Premier League matches this season, echoed that sentiment.

“It says a lot about us as a team that we will keep England behind us in our Nations League group,” he said. “I believe that no-one likes to play against us.

“Last month we went to Wembley thinking: ‘Well, we could win here.’

“It wasn’t arrogant, we weren’t without respect for a very good England team - but we had winning mentality and a great, well-founded belief in ourselves as a team.

“We are new in the ‘A’ level, but our results show that we belong here with the best teams. After five rounds of the Nations League, only Belgium and France have won more points than us in all of the A groups. That's a great achievement, but we also go into the last game to win it - even though Belgium are an impressive team.”

Vestergaard went on to outline some of his side’s achievements.

“I have good friends playing for England, and they have a great group of players with extreme potential, no doubt. After all, I know the English players from everyday life in the Premier League, which is the biggest league in the world, and I love to play here,” he said.

“Denmark is different. We are a small country, but we have only lost one of our last 40 internationals - to Belgium in September, and that string of results should be respected as well.

“We are not here by coincidence, but because we deserve it. We work hard for each other, and we have kept cleansheets in five of our last six internationals, so we are difficult to beat.” 

Meanwhile, Andersen is a relative newcomer to the international scene, having only won his sixth cap against Iceland.

The creative left winger, who started his career at Ajax, is settling nicely and was involved in winning the decisive penalty in that encounter.

“I was happy to be part of our match-winning goal, and that is what I am here for,” the Aalborg man explained. “I always enter the pitch to be a decisive player - to be involved in the defining situations, to create assists or to score myself. But more now than before in my career I am aware of the need also to work hard for the team - to take the long, tough defensive runs, to help the team.

“I guess that being the club captain has made me a better player in that way, and I feel more mature.

“At Ajax it was more about attacking and creating - now it is both ways. It is true what people say about experience - it completes you as a player, and I feel that I am entering my best years as a player.

“I dream of playing for my country in the Euros next summer, but talk won’t take me there - only consistent performances will.”

Odisha FC is one of the three teams in the Indian Super League (ISL) who have chosen to sign six foreigners. Apart from Manuel Onwu, the remaining five of them are new additions to the squad. Midfielder Cole Alexander is one of the notable recruits. 

Here is all you need to know about the South African international. 

Jersey Number: 6

Youth Career

Alexander was born in Cape Town and grew up playing football for the local side Leeds Lentegeur. 

But soon he joined Seven Stars academy and would later go on to play for Santos. When he was 10, he moved to Hellenic and stayed there for six years. In 2008, he joined Ajax Cape Town's U17 side and after a season, he was promoted to the senior squad. 

During his stint at Ajax, he honed his skills under South African legend Duncan Crowie. It was Crowie who changed his position from an attacking midfielder to a more box-to-box defensive midfielder - a position he has made his own. 

Senior Career

Alexander won the Telkom knockout tournament with Ajax in his very first season. Under manager Muhsin Ertugral, he was a regular but a knee injury hindered his progress. He failed to impress new coach Roger De Sa and struggled to get minutes. Subsequently, he was loaned out to Vasco Da Gama and then to Chippa United. 

Although he had no qualms about his first loan stint, he was disappointed when he was sent out for the second time. He acknowledged that the second loan stint 'broke me as a player' and also made him feel 'unwanted'. 

In 2014, he joined Polokwane City after signing a two-year deal. Then coach Boebie Solomons was instrumental behind the deal who promised Alexander minutes on the pitch and the player did not have second thoughts to jump ship. 

Initially, he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings and had sinus-related problems. But soon he found his feet and started delivering the goods. He held his position under new coach Kosta Papic and continued to be the linchpin in midfield. 

He was fondly known as 'white chocolate' by the fans and for his consistent performances, he also received a national team call-up. In two years, he made 52 appearances and scored four goals. 

In February 2016, he joined another Premier League Soccer side SuperSport United. But it was another disappointing spell for the midfielder as he made only nine appearances in two years. 

At the end of his contract, he joined Bidvest Wits where he bounced back. In 2018-19 he made 28 appearances and in the following season, he played 25 matches in the league scoring once and thrice respectively in the two seasons. 

In 2020, he joined ISL side Odisha FC, in what will be his first stint outside South Africa. 

Alexander is Manchester United fan and idolises Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric. 

International Career

In 2015, Alexander made his debut for South Africa in a friendly under coach Ephraim Mashaba. In 2017, he made two appearances in the COSAFA Cup with current Odisha FC head coach Stuart Baxter at the helm of Bafana Bafana. 

Jorginho "could follow" Maurizio Sarri to his next club, according to his agent, who says the Chelsea star is eyeing a reunion with his former manager.

Jorginho worked under Sarri at Napoli for three years before both men made their way to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018.

The Italian duo combined perfectly to help Napoli emerge as a major force again in Serie A, and were able to pick up from where they left off in the Premier League.

Jorginho played a key role in Chelsea's run to a third-place top-flight finish and Europa League glory in his first full season in west London, but Sarri received plenty of criticism for his stubborn selection policy and rigid tactical approach.

The 61-year-old ended up leaving the club to take up the top job at Juventus in June 2019, with Blues legend Frank Lampard drafted in as his replacement.

Sarri delivered the Bianconeri's ninth successive Serie A crown last season, but was sacked after a surprise Champions League defeat to Lyon in the round of 16.

The former Napoli boss is now on the lookout for his next role, while Jorginho is currently helping Chelsea fight for major honours across all competitions after an impressive summer recruitment drive.

The 28-year-old's main legal representative, Joao Santos, says that although his client is content in his current surroundings, the midfielder is keeping a close eye on Sarri's next move with a view to potentially linking up with his old mentor again.

“He’s very happy with Frank Lampard and Chelsea can do even better than last season,” Santos told Calcio Mercato.

“Almost all the Italy players are in Serie A, as it’s an important league, but his journey took him to London. If Maurizio Sarri had remained, perhaps he’d have joined Juventus.

“Jorginho has a personal and professional bond with the coach that is very strong. We’re waiting to see where Sarri goes, and if it’s a big club in Italy, Jorginho could follow him.”

Chelsea are due back in Premier League action away at Newcastle on Saturday, with Jorginho likely to be in contention for a place in Lampard's starting XI again after starring for Italy during the latest international break.

The experienced playmaker scored a penalty in the Azzurri's 2-0 Nations League win over Poland at the weekend, and is currently preparing with the rest of the squad for their final League A, Group 1 fixture against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday.