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Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. has joined the ownership group of the Seattle Sounders, the club announced on Tuesday. 

The former center fielder joins several other high-profile co-owners of the MLS side, including Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, his wife and singer Ciara, and rapper Macklemore.

Griffey Jr. is one of Seattle's most recognizable sports figures, having become an all-time great during his time with the Mariners from 1989 to 1999 and then again from 2009 to 2010.

With 630 career home runs, Griffey Jr. is seventh in MLB history, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Griffey Jr. has said his desire to join the Sounders ownership group came in part from his reaction to the team's crowds, which can reach nearly 70,000 at CenturyLink Field.

“I wanted to be a part of something, not only for myself, but for my kids to be proud of,” Griffey Jr. told the Sounders website. “This is it.”

“It was loud,” he said of the noise from the stadium he heard from his downtown apartment when the club kicked off in 2009. “As a player, when a stadium is loud, that’s what you want. When new things come in, the city is behind you, they want you here.”

The Sounders have won a host of trophies since they joined MLS as an expansion team in 2009, including two MLS Cups, one Supporters' Shield and four U.S. Open Cups.

Griffey Jr. has said he is looking forward to continuing the club's winning tradition. 

“You always want to be a part of a winning team,” he said. “To be on a championship-caliber team and an organization that wants to win and wants to compete and wants to go out there every single game and put the best product on the field, not only for the guys who are in that locker room, but for the 70,000 people who are watching [in the stadium] and the people who are sitting at home watching, that’s important. You want a winner.

“I don’t play games to be competitive, I play to win. I want the Sounders to be compared to the Yankees. Twenty-seven, 28 championships. That’s what I root for, that’s what I want.”

Egypt and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has offered his first public comments since being diagnosed with Covid-19, saying on Twitter that he's "confident" he'll be back on the field soon.

The 28-year-old was confirmed to have coronavirus on Saturday, with the Egyptian FA saying the star winger had tested positive on two consecutive occasions.

Salah, who is away on international duty, has been forced into self-isolation as he looks to recover from the virus. 

Though Egypt's team doctor Mohamed Abou Elela has said that Salah is suffering from "mild" coronavirus symptoms, the Liverpool star has expressed his belief that he will be back on the field soon.

"I’d like to thank everyone for the supportive messages and well wishes. I’m confident I’ll be back on the field soon," Salah wrote on Twitter.

Salah is likely to miss out as Liverpool face Premier League leaders Leicester City on Sunday, but he'll be aiming to return in time to face Atalanta in the Champions League next Wednesday or Brighton next weekend. 

There has been plenty of controversy over Salah's recent attendance at his brother's wedding, with the Liverpool winger seen dancing and interacting with many attendees without wearing a mask. 

Former Egypt striker Mido has joined in on the criticism, saying that Salah "showed great negligence" with his actions at the wedding.

“Mohamed Salah made a big mistake by attending his brother's wedding a few days before the Egyptian national team match, he showed great negligence with the steps taken to prevent the coronavirus and the result was that he was infected," the former Tottenham striker told Al-Nahar TV.

“The neglect of Mohamed Salah caused the Egyptian team to lose an important player in a very important match and time, and he also risked the health of his team-mates.

"He should not have been present at his brother's wedding, especially at that time. The wedding included more than 800 people, and half of them accepted to embrace and kiss Salah.

“The other point here is the silence of all those responsible for the player's negligence, which confirms the fact that the player is still bigger than the national team and this will lead to a great failure."

Real Madrid have been dealt a potential injury blow as Sergio Ramos walked out of Spain’s Nations League clash with Germany on Tuesday.

The defender went off before half-time and appeared to gesture to the back of his right thigh as he reached the touchline.

Spain were already 3-0 up when Ramos went off after goals from Alvaro Morata, Ferran Torres and Rodri.

Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane will be hoping Ramos' withdrawal was precautionary with his team enjoying a healthy lead, as the Spanish champions have a number of important fixtures coming up.

They return from the international break with a trip to second-placed Villarreal on Saturday, knowing a win could take them to within a point of early leaders Real Sociedad at the top of the table.

League clashes with Deportivo Alaves and Sevilla are also coming up, while Madrid have work to do in the Champions League.

At the halfway point of the group stage, they are third in Group B, though only a point behind leaders Borussia Monchengladbach. Madrid play Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk away from home before finishing the group stage against Gladbach at their temporary European home, the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Immediately after that game is a derby clash with Atletico Madrid. 

Ramos has been in the headlines in recent weeks, with some personal milestones reached and plenty of paper talk about his future at Madrid.

He recently scored his 100th goal for Real Madrid , before becoming the most-capped player in European international history as he passed the benchmark previously set by Gianluigi Buffon .

There has also been speculation that Ramos' time at Madrid could be coming to an end. Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with a move but  Goal  understands PSG's priority is to tie down star duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to new contracts .

Ramos is out of contract at the end of the season but Zidane has said he has no doubt the defender will sign a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu .

"I have no doubt that he will stay," Zidane said in a press conference. "He is our leader and of course we love him forever."

La Liga is ready for Lionel Messi to leave Barcelona, according to president Javier Tebas.

The outspoken league chief says the Spanish top flight coped without a hiccup when Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar left, and he doesn’t believe a possible Messi departure would have any more of an impact.

However, he once again criticised what he sees as the unfair financial practises of Manchester City, who have been the club most strongly linked with signing Messi from Barca.

"We would prefer Messi to stay in La Liga but Ronaldo and Neymar left and we have not noticed any difference," Tebas said. "We are ready."

Last year, Tebas said Messi was "essential" to La Liga as a part of the division's heritage.

"It seems the only club in the Premier League that talks about registering Messi is Manchester City, who compete outside the rules," he added. "I am not the only one saying this.

"I am not too worried about them. I have criticised what they do so many times. Doing it one more time makes no difference. City is neither affected by Covid or pandemics or anything because they are financed differently and it is impossible to fight against that."

Tebas also spoke in support of former Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who recently resigned after a turbulent 2019-20 season that saw the club fail to win a trophy and Messi attempt to leave.

Bartomeu was a target of much criticism during his time at the helm and there was some celebration among the club’s fans when he stepped down in October.

Barca’s financial difficulties have become a topic of public discussion in recent months but Tebas says Bartomeu was not to blame for debts nearing €800 million (£724m/$950m).

"Barcelona are not considering insolvency proceedings," he said.

"Their debt might be slightly larger but they were perfectly solvent pre-Covid. But Covid has come along and taken away a lot of revenue. They are not so capable of repaying the debt, so their salary volume has to go down.

"That is the essential factor for most clubs. It is not because they were mismanaged earlier."

Tebas also commented on the discussions around a potential European Super League, which Bartomeu said Barca were in favour of as he stepped down. No other club has publicly signed up to the idea.

"It was a clandestine league for the 10 minutes after Bartomeu said they had joined," Tebas noted.

"I feel sorry for Bartomeu. He said it but then no one else said they were joining. This project is not viable financially for the clubs competing or the other clubs. It would really break the ecosystem we have established."

Nigerian football fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment with the Super Eagles’ 0-0 draw against Sierra Leone on Tuesday.

Gernot Rohr’s men managed to share the points with the Leone Stars in Freetown in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Freetown.

The draw is their second in two games after they were held 4-4 by John Keister's men in the first outing of their meeting in Benin City.

Although the result was still enough to ensure the three-time African champions maintain their lead in Group L, it has, however, failed to confirm their qualification for the Afcon finals.

Football enthusiasts have expressed their dissatisfactions with the outcome of the game and also the quality of the pitch at the Siaka Stevens Stadium.

Egypt put the absence of Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny behind them to beat Togo 3-1 away in Lome to maintain top spot in Group G the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Goals from Mohamed Kafsha, Mohamed Sherif and Aston Villa midfielder Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan saw the Pharaohs get past Togo, who got their injury-time consolation goal from Elom Nya-Vedji.

The result saw Egypt remaining at the top of Group G with eight points, the same as Comoro Islands. who beat Kenya 2-1 on Sunday.

But the North Africans are top of the group due to a draw they claimed away in the Comoros.

With Egypt travelling to Lome without Salah and Elneny, who both tested positive for coronavirus, the Pharaohs appeared depleted but they turned the tide against Togo, who anchor the group without a win after four games.

It was a second consecutive victory for Egypt who edged Togo 1-0 in the reverse fixture in Cairo on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Morocco opened a five-point lead in Group E following a 2-0 win away to Central African Republic.

It was a third consecutive victory for the Atlas Lions who went ahead through Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech, before Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri sealed victory for Morocco.

Ziyech had a big say in the contest as he also provided an assist for En-Nesyri to complete this international period in which Morocco won 4-1 at home with Ziyech grabbing a brace, on a high.

The Atlas Lions now have 10 points in this group, followed by Mauritania who are ion five points.

In Group K, Madagascar maintained course to qualify for the 2022 Afcon after coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against leaders Ivory Coast at Barikadimy Stadium in Toamasina on Tuesday.

AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie opened the scoring for Ivory Coast from the penalty spot 15 minutes into the match before Ibrahim Amada levelled for Madagascar six minutes into the second half.

Tied on seven points each, Ivory Coast lead the standings courtesy of head-to-head record after beating the Indian Ocean islanders 2-1 in the reverse fixture last Thursday.

CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying returns this week as the 10 South American nations compete for a place at World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

And Tuesday delivers a mouth-watering fixture as early pace-setters Brazil visit Uruguay at Montevideo's venerable Estadio Centenario.

CONMEBOL qualifiers can be watched through Fanatiz. The streaming platform offers the option to watch each game in the US..

How to watch Colombia vs Uruguay on US TV

What has happened to Uruguay and Brazil so far in CONMEBOL's World Cup 2022 qualification?

Uruguay endured mixed fortunes in October's opening qualifiers, squeezing past Chile 2-1 thanks to Maxi Gomez's last-gasp goal before coming unstuck at altitude in Quito as Ecuador romped to a 4-2 win.

The Celeste fared far better on Friday, breezing past Colombia 3-0 in Barranquilla to inflict a first qualifying defeat on Carlos Queiroz's charges. Luis Suarez netted a penalty - his fourth goal in just three games, all from the spot - while Edinson Cavani and substitute Darwin Nunez were also on target for the away side.

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Brazil, meanwhile, ended that first double-header tied with Argentina at the top of the CONMEBOL standings as the only two sides to win both their games, downing Bolivia and Peru 5-0 and 4-2 respectively. 

And the Selecao ensured it would enter the weekend in first place with victory over Venezuela last week, albeit one they were made to work for. Roberto Firmino finally broke the deadlock 20 minutes into the second half to end the Vinotinto's stout resistance in Sao Paulo, leaving the giants with a perfect nine points from nine so far.

Uruguay and Brazil team news and preview

Uruguay will have to do without star striker and its all-time top goalscorer Luis Suarez after the Atletico Madrid man tested positive for COVID-19 this week. 

Oscar Tabarez will otherwise likely choose to repeat the side that was so impressive in Barranquilla, with Nicolas de la Cruz's early withdrawal oweing to tactical rather than fitness considerations. 

Brazil lost Neymar and young full-back Gabriel Menino to injury ahead of the international week but also came through their Friday fixture without selection issues. 

Douglas Luiz picked up a yellow card against Venezuela and is one of only two Brazil players currently on a booking, along with Thiago Silva.

Probable Uruguay XI: Campana; Caceres, Gimenez, Godin, Vina; Nandez, Torreira, Bentancur, De la Cruz; Nunez, Cavani.

Probable Brazil XI:  Ederson; Danilo, Marquinhos, T. Silva, Lodi; E. Ribeiro, Allan, Douglas Luiz/Arthur; Richarlison, Jesus, Firmino.

CONMEBOL's World Cup 2022 qualification table ahead of Matchday 4

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U.S. women's national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski has said he is expecting Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe to be back for the team's January camp.

The duo's extended absence from the field continued on Tuesday as both were omitted from the USWNT roster for their upcoming friendly at the Netherlands.

Neither player has seen the field since March. Lloyd missed out of the NWSL Challenge Cup and the Fall Series for Sky Blue FC as she continued to deal with a knee injury. 

Rapinoe, meanwhile, opted out of both competitions with OL Reign. Andonovski said last month that he still considers the 2019 World Cup Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner a part of his plans moving forward.

In a conference call on Tuesday, Andonovski expressed optimism that the duo, along with injured winger Mallory Pugh, will return for the team's camp in January.

"Mal has a little bit of an injury and she's still recovering," Andonovski said of Pugh. "She's not 100 percent back from her injury but she's on track to be back probably in 2-3 weeks which is very exciting. 

"With Carli Lloyd she had a little injury and a little surgery that she's also recovering [from] and right now she's not physically ready for the game.

"Rapinoe is in a situation where she's not able to train and we know she didn't do the Challenge Cup [and] the Fall Series and she was not able to train in a team environment, so from a physical perspective and this short camp that we have, [we] will not be able to help her to get her up to speed. 

"Regardless all three of them are on track to be ready for the January camp or at least we hope at that point they're going to be ready for the January camp."

As Rapinoe has leaned more into her role as an activist – her book came out earlier this month – there have been suggestions that the 35-year-old has moved on from her role as a player. 

Andonovski, though, was quick to refute that suggestion, saying he expected Rapinoe to be in the mix as the USWNT looks ahead to the Olympics in Tokyo, which begin in July 2021.

"I'm excited about where they're at and after talking to both of them," Andonovski said of Lloyd and Rapinoe.

"I had a conversation with Carli and I had a great conversation with Pinoe as well, I don't think either one of them, and in particular Pinoe, have moved on.

"They're excited and looking forward to January camp and not just January camp, they're looking forward to the challenges in front of them and the Olympics."

One of the candidates in Barcelona’s upcoming presidential election says the club needs to ensure Lionel Messi stays not only in the short-term, but beyond his retirement as a player.

Messi shocked the football world when he tried to leave Camp Nou over the summer, and his public criticism of the club’s leadership was a key factor in former president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s resignation in October.

Victor Font is campaigning to replace Bartomeu and he is hoping his proposal to bring Xavi back to Barcelona as head coach will help keep hold of Messi.

"When you are lucky enough to have the best player in the world in your team, you need to retain that talent," Font said.

"If Messi goes to a competitor, we will not find an alternative easily as there is no alternative to Messi. So that's why retaining him in the short-term is critical.

"But for us the association between Messi and Barca is a strategic relationship and we want to make sure we create the right conditions for Messi to play a role in the club even after he retires. Messi could contribute plenty of ideas.

"Messi needs to be convinced we have a competitive and winning project and Xavi can play a decisive role in us doing that.

"Xavi's credibility and know-how about football is the right one to convince someone like Messi. They are friends, they know each other, they trust each other and that's going to be key."

Off the pitch, Barcelona’s financial struggles have been laid bare during the coronavirus pandemic.

The club’s debts are believed to be nearing €800 million (£724m/$950m), and Font is hopeful Messi would accept a pay cut in order to help Barca through the crisis.

"All clubs are in economic crisis [due to the pandemic] and everyone needs to adjust their expectations," he said.

"The good thing with Messi is he loves the club as we all do and I'm sure he is ready to take a long-term perspective and make a contribution so the club can manage the short-term in the best possible way.

"When you have someone like Messi who loves the club and who the club wants to retain for many years, you have the framework to regenerate and build a winning team."

Barcelona's presidential election will take place on January 24, with Carlos Tusquets currently serving as interim president.

Dominik Livakovic's calamitous late error gifted Portugal a 3-2 victory as Fernando Santos' side ended their Nations League campaign on a high note but Croatia avoided relegation from Group A3.

Croatia, reduced to 10 men early in the second half when Marko Rog received a second booking, seemed to be heading for a draw in Split on Tuesday.

Mateo Kovacic opened the scoring in the 29th minute before curling in from the edge of the box after goals from Ruben Dias and Joao Felix had put Portugal ahead.

But Livakovic endured a 90th-minute nightmare, fumbling a corner to the feet of Dias, who completed his double to snatch the points, yet Croatia avoid the drop due to France's win over Sweden.

Diogo Jota and Cristiano Ronaldo went close as Portugal turned the screw, but the visitors had Dias to thank when he blocked Mario Pasalic's goal-bound effort at the other end.

Yet Dias could not prevent Croatia from opening the scoring – Kovacic lashing home at the second attempt after having his initial shot from Pasalic's cross blocked.

Portugal should have been two down eight minutes later, only for Josip Juranovic to head wide from inside the six-yard box, and Danilo Pereira would have made Croatia pay if not for Livakovic's instinctive stop.

But Portugal had their equaliser eight minutes into the second half.

Rog was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Ronaldo, whose free-kick was parried out by Livakovic and Ruben Semedo squared for Dias to add insult to injury by prodding in.

Portugal were in front on the hour-mark, with Joao Felix on hand to tuck in from Jota's lay off, yet Croatia defied their numerical disadvantage to hit back when Kovacic curled a low strike into the bottom-left corner.

Bernardo Silva squandered a golden chance to win it for Portugal, but his blushes were swiftly sparred by Livakovic.

The goalkeeper charged out to claim Joao Moutinho's corner, only to drop it after making contact with Dejan Lovren, enabling Dias to snatch victory.

Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick as Spain secured a place at next year's Nations League Finals with a 6-0 demolition of Germany on Tuesday. 

Alvaro Morata, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal were also on the scoresheet in Seville as Joachim Low suffered the heaviest loss of his 14 years in charge. 

Germany needed only a point to secure top spot in Group A4 but found themselves 3-0 down by half-time, Spain delivering their best performance under Luis Enrique despite losing Sergio Ramos and Sergio Canales to hamstring problems. 

Manchester City's Torres added two more after the break before substitute Oyarzabal piled further pressure on Low, whose position will look increasingly perilous following this chastening defeat. 

Morata could hardly believe his luck when he was allowed a free header at the far post from a deep corner by Fabian Ruiz, on as an early substitute for the injured Canales, to open the scoring. 

Germany had struggled to get into the game and were fortunate not to be 2-0 down when Morata turned in Torres' cross only to be denied by a contentious offside call. 

Manuel Neuer, who became Germany's most-capped goalkeeper as he made his 96th appearance, did superbly to turn Torres' strike around the post as Spain once more got in down the right. 

However, he could do nothing to stop Torres smashing a rebound home from six yards after Dani Olmo's header had come back off the crossbar. 

It was 3-0 to an utterly dominant Spain five minutes later as a corner from Koke found an unmarked red shirt, this time in the form of Rodri, who glanced a brilliant header out of Neuer's reach. 

Ramos went off before the break after hurting his hamstring when sending a long pass forward, but his absence did little to shake Spain from their rhythm. 

With Germany pushing for a route back into the match, La Roja sprung a counter-attack down the left and Jose Gaya squared for Torres to steady himself and smash home number four. 

Torres secured his treble with 19 minutes to play, sweeping a low shot past a helpless Neuer as Spain once again cut the visiting defence to ribbons, and Oyarzabal was gifted an easy finish when Gaya prodded the ball into his path.

What does it mean? Spain cruise through 

Spain needed a victory to reach the last four of the competition but would likely not have expected one to come so easily. 

They finish Group A4 with 11 points, two ahead of Germany, who were left to rue that 95th-minute equaliser from Gaya in the reverse fixture in September. 

Fabulous Ferran 

Torrres was too much for Germany to handle throughout - he was inches away from another goal and an assist in the second half. 

He might only have completed 16 passes, the lowest of any starting Spain player, but the 20-year-old scored from three of his four shots on target and twice teed up potential tap-ins for Morata. 

A new Low for Jogi 

Germany were unbeaten in their first five games and were in pole position heading into this fixture, yet the 2014 world champions could scarcely have got things more wrong. 

Low's set-up of a left-hand-side comprising Timo Werner, Toni Kroos and Philipp Max was the most notable weak point of a shockingly fragile team, with Torres exploiting the flank at his leisure. 

The scrutiny of Low's plans as attention turns towards the Euros next year is only likely to increase. 

What's next? 

Germany's next scheduled match is their Euro 2020 opener against France on June 15 next year, with friendlies early in 2021 yet to be arranged. 

Spain, who will feature in next October's Finals, are likewise yet to finalise their plans before they begin their Euros challenge against Sweden on June 14. 

Kenya international Anthony Akumu says he does not mind playing for either Simba SC or Yanga SC in future as long as they match his demands.

The lanky midfielder has been on the rise and he is currently with South African giants Kaizer Chiefs. It is for this reason that the two sworn rivals in the Tanzania Mainland League have shown interest in the player.

"To be honest, I do not mind playing for either Yanga or Simba," Akumu told Goal when asked about a possible move to Tanzania.

"These are respectable teams in the region with history and ambition. They have a massive following as well and any player would wish to play for them.

"But it depends on the offer that comes with it. The team that comes with a good offer and matches my targets and ambitions then I will not hesitate; it does not matter whether it is Simba or Yanga.

"But as it stands, I am okay and happy at my current team."

Earlier on, the 26-year-old had stated he might consider leaving the PSL if a better offer comes his way. Some felt his close relationship with Timu ya Wananchi official Hersi Said might play a role in his decision. 

"I know [Hersi Said] well and I have no problem if he gives me an offer to join Yanga SC," Akumu said.

"The main thing is reaching an understanding, especially on personal terms because I don't want to remain here [at Kaizer Chiefs] for a long time.

"The South Africa league is big, same as the team I am playing for; however, it is not an excuse for not leaving for another team if I get a better offer."

The Kenya international has in the past played for Zambian giants Zesco United and Sudanese outfit Al Khartoum.

Akumu was part of the Kenya team that defeated Zambia 2-1 in an international friendly match played on October 9 at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.

He was also in the squad that played Comoros in the Group G of the Africa Cup of Nations double-header.

However, he did not play as Harambee Stars drew the first game 1-1 before falling 2-1 away in Moroni.

Jack Grealish can cope with the increased expectations following a strong start to his England career, though Gareth Southgate has emphasised success will only be achieved as a team. 

Aston Villa playmaker Grealish, 25, made his full England debut in a 3-0 victory over Wales in October - setting up the opening goal for Dominic Calvert-Lewin - but was not used by Southgate for the subsequent Nations League fixtures. 

He set up Jadon Sancho in a 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland last week and was bright in a 2-0 loss to Belgium on Sunday, attempting more passes in the opposition half than any player on the pitch and drawing a game-high seven fouls. 

That result ended England's hopes of reaching the last four of the Nations League and there have consequently been calls for Southgate to begin building his team around Grealish, who has been involved in 12 goals in as many appearances for club and country this season. 

Asked whether it was important to manage the expectations on Grealish ahead of Wednesday's meeting with Iceland, Southgate told a news conference: "I think that's always important with any player, we are going to succeed or fail as a team. It's for everybody to contribute. 

"We've tried to ensure over the past four year that it's collective expectation, we could put pressure on Harry Kane, Raheem [Sterling], other players, and it needs to be the same with Jack. 

"He's had a super start to his international career. I think he'll be able to handle the attention because he thrives under that pressure. He's got great courage with the ball, so I don't think that'll faze him. Equally, it's going to be the squad that brings us success as a collective."

There has been a focus on the performances of Marcus Rashford following his charity work to help reduce food poverty among children in the United Kingdom. This week he also launched a book club for kids. 

Amid criticism from certain parts of the media and suggestions he should focus on football, Southgate has been left baffled by the treatment of the Manchester United forward.

"I don't really understand those comments. The days where the players just focused on their football and did nothing else are in the far distant past," he said.

"Modern players recognise they have an opportunity to make a difference, whether that's in their local community or on a broader scale, they have a voice and a social media presence.

"You know as a sportsman you're going to have a second career when you finish football, that's the reality, so I don't know why they would limit themselves to just one thing.

"Of course, it's important you're training and focus on games isn't affected, but it's possible to achieve that balance."

Another player in the embryonic stages of their international career is 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham. 

When told Bellingham wears the number 22 because he was challenged to be capable of playing as a number four, eight and 10 at former club Birmingham City, Southgate said it is important not to try to categorise the teenager as a specialist in any one position yet. 

"Well, I think he could end up playing any of those roles. At Dortmund he's playing as one of two fours or as an eight, and most of the time at Birmingham he was kind of in the position of an eight really," said Southgate. 

"But he's so young, you don't have to specialise yet. [With] a lot of midfield players, it's more important he learns the game, he gets brilliant experiences playing in whatever positions might be his strongest and as time develops it'll probably become apparent which is his more suited position. 

"But he is a midfield player who can pass, tackle, break forward and score goals, so he can do any of those jobs and I never think with young players we should rush to pigeonhole them into one, we should wait to see how he develops. And, at the moment, he's developing really well." 

Ukraine's Nations League away match against Switzerland was called off on Tuesday after the visitors were put into quarantine by local health authorities due to a spate of Covid-19 cases.

The Group A4 match in Lucerne was in doubt from the moment Swiss regional health officials declared their decision regarding the Ukraine travelling party.

Three Ukraine players tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday and there were four further positives announced on Tuesday - affecting Ruslan Malinovskiy, Sergei Kryvtsov, Junior Moraes and a member of the coaching staff.

Kryvtsov and Moraes had previously tested positive for Covid-19 and had antibodies in their system that prevented reinfection, the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) said.

Ukraine press officer Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi said in a statement: "UEFA informed the Ukrainian Football Association that 'due to the competent decision of the Department of Health of the Canton of Lucerne to quarantine the entire delegation of the national team of Ukraine, the UEFA Nations League match Switzerland - Ukraine cannot take place'.

"Note that UEFA, UAF and the Swiss Football Association are ready for the match, but the ban [issued by] local authorities cancels all hopes of football organisations to hold the game.

"The decision on the future of the match will be made by UEFA."

Tuesday's game wasn't the first time that a Ukranian side had been affected by the virus, as Dynamo Kiev were forced to field a weakened side for their Champions League defeat at Barcelona earlier this month. 

The Swiss FA also confirmed the match would not go ahead, saying the Ukrainians could not produce a replacement team to contest the fixture.

"The UEFA Nations League match between Switzerland and Ukraine will not take place," a statement read. The Ukrainian team, quarantined, will not be able to field a replacement team. The outcome of the meeting is now in the hands of UEFA."

Ukraine were sitting third in the group ahead of the final round of fixtures, with Switzerland winless from five games and bottom on three points.

Norway's Nations League clash with Romania on Sunday was also called off after Norwegian health authorities banned the team from travelling due to a positive coronavirus case.

On Tuesday, FIFA announced that the 2020 U-17 Women's World Cup, which was scheduled to be held in India, has been cancelled due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Instead, India has been given the right to host the 2022 edition of the World Cup.

The competition was initially supposed to be held in November 2020. FIFA then revised the schedule and the tournament was supposed to be held in February and March in 2021 in India.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das thanked FIFA for awarding the rights to host the 2022 FIFA U17 World Cup once again to India. He also suggested that hosting two high-profile competitions like the U17 World Cup and the Women's Asian Cup (2022) will benefit women's football in India.

"We are thankful to FIFA for considering and allotting India the hosting rights for the Women's Under 17 World Cup in 2022. India will also host the Women's Asia Cup in 2022. For women's football, this will be a great moment which can help take the women's game to the next level in India," said Das.

Earlier this year, India were also given the rights to host the AFC Women's Asian Cup. The competition will be held in October and November in 2022. Ahmedabad and Navi Mumbai are the likely venues for the competition.

The Local organising committee (LOC) of the FIFA U17 World Cup also expressed their disappointment over the cancellation of the competition in 2021 but suggested that the infrastructure development projects which they had undertaken will continue keeping in mind the 2022 editions of the World Cup and the Asian Cup.

The AIFF and LOC have developed eight new training sites in Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar and have renovated the Kalinga Stadium. 

Nigeria were held to a goalless draw by Sierra Leone in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture in Freetown.

The result at the National Stadium means the Super Eagles would have to wait for the other group games to go in their favour to confirm their place at Cameroon 2022, though they remain at the summit of Group L with eight points after four matches.

Following Friday's 4-4 draw in Benin, coach Gernot Rohr made two changes to the starting XI as Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho led the attack, in the absence of injured Victor Osimhen while Fulham's Ola Aina got the nod ahead of Zaidu Sanusi.

The Super Eagles started the encounter on a promising note with Iheanacho registering the first shot on target in the third minute but his free-kick failed to beat goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara.

A few minutes before the half-hour mark, Sierra Leone had their first real chance but Mohamed Buya Turay's strike from outside the penalty area was comfortably saved by Maduka Okoye.

John Keister's men continued to push for the opener but Okoye was ready to produce some fine saves to keep both teams level in the first 45 minutes.

Nigeria were forced to make an early substitution towards the end of the first-half as Oghenekaro Etebo was replaced by Abdullahi Shehu because of an injury.

Six minutes after the restart, Iheanacho had another chance to fire Rohr’s side ahead but his effort did not find the target.

The Leicester City forward got the ball into the back of the net in the 61st minute after a cross from Alex Iwobi but it did not count because the Everton midfielder was in an offside position.

Nigeria captain Ahmed Musa was shown the only yellow card of the encounter in the 71st minute while Akpoguma came off for Chidozie Awaziem shortly thereafter.

It was an eventul last 10 minutes for the Super Eagles as Iheanacho had a shot parried away by the Leone Stars shot-stopper after some fine teamwork.

After his fine solo effort, he was immediately replaced by Club Brugge's Emmanuel Dennis while West Bromwich Albion defender Semi Ajayi was introduced for Joe Aribo.

FIFA has confirmed the Club World Cup will take place in February 2021, rather than December of this year.

The annual event, which is being staged in Qatar, is traditionally held at the end of the year and had been scheduled to begin next month.

"The FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020, which was originally scheduled for December, has been subject to the disruptive effect of the pandemic on the confederations’ continental club championships that serve as a pathway for the event," FIFA stated in a release. 

With Tuesday's decision, the competition will instead be staged from February 1 to February 11.

European champions Bayern Munich and Al-Duhail, the 2019-20 Qatar Stars League winners, are the only confirmed participants so far.

Bayern secured their spot this summer by beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, while Al-Duhail will join the competition as the host team.

Champions of continental championships from CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, AFC, OFC and CAF will also qualify for the tournament, with those respective continental competitions expected to be completed in the next few months. 

The 2021 tournament will be the last before the expanded competition, which is due to replace the Confederations Cup on the football calendar, is first held in China.

FIFA also confirmed the 2020 Under-20 and Under-17 Women's World Cups have been canceled after stakeholders raised concerns about staging the tournaments.

The events, which were set to be held in Costa Rica and India respectively, had been postponed until early next year because of the impact of the pandemic.

England FA’s head of women’s technical development Kay Cossington said of the cancellation: “This has been an unprecedented year for football, and whilst the cancellation of the FIFA Women’s Youth World Cups is, of course, disappointing, we are fully supportive of the difficult decision FIFA have taken today.

“We were all looking forward to the tournament in India next year, but the health and wellbeing of competitors is, quite rightly, the primary concern for FIFA and all the national associations who were due to compete.”

FIFA said the 2020 hosts – Costa Rica for the Under-20 tournament and India for the Under-17 event – will now have hosting rights moved to the 2022 competitions.

Ghanaians were visibly displeased by the Black Stars’ shocking defeat to Sudan in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday.

Fresh from registering a 2-0 home triumph in a Group C matchday three clash on Thursday, CK Akonnor's outfit were stung in the reverse fixture in Omdurman as Mohamed Abdelrahman scored in the second minute of injury time to secure all three points for his side.

The defeat at the Al Hilal Stadium has delayed Ghana's qualification for the final tournament in Cameroon. A win or a draw would have confirmed the Black Stars' place at the continental gathering.

Ghana still top the table in Group C despite the defeat but now sit tied on nine points with South Africa.

Sudan occupy the third position with six points, while Sao Tome and Principe sit bottom of the standings, having lost all four games played thus far.

Ghana, four-time African champions, will have to wait until next Match to possibly secure their Afcon 2022 qualification as the series is set to take a four-month break.

In their next game, the Black Stars will play away to South Africa in a top-of-the-table clash before wrapping up the qualifying campaign with a home tie against Sao Tome and Principe.

A place at Cameroon 2022 will be Ghana's 23rd appearance at the showpiece.

Below are some social media reactions to Tuesday's defeat: