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Former Stoke City and DR Congo centre-back Gabriel Zakuani, 34, has retired from football.

In a video posted on his social media account, the ex-Leopard skipper announced the decision to call time on his professional career that lasted for 20 years.

“I've been getting lots of calls and lot of questions, but I've been waiting for the right time. So, a quick announcement that I am retiring from full-time professional football,” he said.

“I feel it is the right time. I am 34 years old, I started the game really early, playing first team football at 16 and I feel I have achieved everything I set out to achieve for my ability.

“I improved greatly throughout my career and won a lot of things, everything there was possible to win in the Football League.”

“After a very successful career and international career I feel I have given everything that was possible to give to football. I have left it all on the pitch, I have given everything,” he continued.

“I feel like I’ve left everything on the pitch. The Covid has brought so many opportunities for me so I feel like I’m moving into the corporate world, coaching, media and I want to fulfil my potential in those things.

“I want to thank everyone who has helped me along the journey, anyone who supported me, anyone who booed me, anyone who bought a shirt, sent a message, everyone. Thank you for everything.”

After his youth career at Dagenham & Redbridge, Zakuani signed his first professional contract with Leyton Orient. Thereafter, he teamed up with Fulham for a fee of £1m.

His failure to get first-team action necessitated his move to Stoke City where he helped Tony Pulis’ men to secure promotion to the Premier League having featured in 19 English Championship games.

He was sent to Peterborough United on a three-month loan and it was confirmed that he would make his loan move permanent when the transfer window reopened on January 1, 2019.

Zakuani also played for Greek Super League side Kalloni, Northampton Town, Gillingham and Swindon Town before returning to Dagenham & Redbridge.

On the international scene, the defender made boasts of 29 caps for DR Congo before retiring in 2018 after 29 appearances.

Gareth Bale has missed out on the Wales roster for his country's upcoming three matches due to the lingering effects of a knee injury.

The Tottenham forward suffered the injury during international duty earlier this month, with Wales defeating Finland and Bulgaria in Nations League action.

Since those two matches Bale has made a high-profile move back to Spurs from Real Madrid after originally leaving the north London outfit in 2013 to join up with the Spanish giants. 

The 31-year-old, however, has yet to make his debut for Jose Mourinho's side and his international boss Ryan Giggs has now confirmed that Bale is set to miss games against England, Republic of Ireland and Bulgaria.

"Unfortunately since our last camp, Gareth's not trained," Giggs said. "He's only just started getting on the grass the last few days. We've had conversations with Gareth and the medical team and he's just not quite right for this camp unfortunately.

"It wasn't a big injury and of course Gareth always keeps himself fit so he's able to come back as soon as the injury is right.

"With him going to a new club we had to think seriously not only about the short term but the long term, get Gareth back fit, get him playing."

Wales will face England in a friendly on October 8 before Nations League matches against Ireland on October 11 and Bulgaria on October 14. 

In other roster news, Rhys Norrington-Davies has earned his first senior call-up for Wales while Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey returns to the squad for the first time since November. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Mourinho declared Bale "very committed" and "very happy" with his return to Spurs, while also confirming he would not play a part against Maccabi Haifa in the Europa League on Thursday or against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

"Bale cannot play tomorrow or on the weekend, that I can confirm," the Spurs manager said. "He's working hard, very committed, very professional, very happy, but not yet for tomorrow or for the weekend.

"I believe that the two weeks of the international break can be important weeks to his last phase of recovery and fitness problems, hopefully, to play when we're back the weekend after the national teams. We'll see if it is possible to arrive there. From yesterday, it's just fatigue, no injured players, no."

Orlando Pirates defender Thulani Hlatshwayo says he will not be weighed down by the pressure that comes with playing for a traditional giant like his new club.

The South Africa captain joined the Buccaneers last week from the now-defunct Bidvest Wits and arrives at the club with much expectation on his shoulders.

The 30-year-old centre-back feels that he can be a game-changer at Pirates and would bring “something different" to the club. 

“Obviously I believe I have grown as a player, as a human being and as a sportsman,” Hlatshwayo told Marawa Sports Worldwide on Metro FM.

“Coming to a big team like Pirates, what I bring is what I have acquired from all the teams I have played for before. There was a lot of questions that were asked; ‘are you going to handle the pressure?’

“I said what we do here in football is what we love with our passion so pressure will be someone outside, a father that can’t afford to feed his family, that is pressure. What I bring here coming to Orlando Pirates, I’m here to contribute to what the team has done so well, so far. I’m here to bring something different from what they have always had.”

Hlatshwayo arrives at Pirates, whose last major trophy was the 2014 Nedbank Cup, and last won the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title in 2012.

The Buccaneers have began preparations for the upcoming season which kicks off on October 17 with the MTN8 quarter-finals.

But Pirates fans are likely to have already watched him in action in Saturday’s CBL Cup showdown against Kaizer Chiefs.

“The pre-season has been good, the welcoming has been nice and easy,” said Hlatshwayo.

“I say easy because I have a lot of guys who I know, who I have played against, played with them, friends on and off the field. So the pre-season has been good. Obviously it is different as compared to where I am coming from in terms of the style of play and everything.

“So far, so good I am trying to adjust as quick as possible. Now we don’t have time so I want to make sure that by the time the league starts I would have adjusted well.”

In the MTN8 Cup quarter-finals, Pirates have been paired against Cape Town City.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has boasted that with striker Meddie Kagere and Chris Mugalu in his squad, they can beat any team in the Mainland Premier League.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi are currently on a run of two straight wins – 4-0 against Biashara United and 3-0 against promoted Gwambina FC – with the strikers both scoring in the matches.

Vandenbroeck has now said the quality of the two players, especially when it comes to scoring goals, has given him confidence they can go into any game with intentions to win it.

“The way my strikers are scoring goals is making me feel that we can win anywhere, they have been finding the back of the net with easy and I am happy to have them,” Vandenbroeck is quoted by Sokaletu.

“Another thing that makes me more than happy is the fact we don’t depend on one player to get goals, my strikers are playing to score goals, they are not selfish to one another, they are assisting one another to score and it is good news for us heading into the Caf competition.”

Meanwhile, former Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Mwinyi Zahera has acknowledged that Simba have a strong squad capable of retaining the league title this campaign.

Zahera, who currently is the technical director for Gwambina, has stated after watching Simba hammer his side 3-0 with goals from Kagere, defender Pascal Wawa and Mugalu, he has made a conclusion that Simba have a strong side that can beat any team in the league.

“You don’t have to argue about it, it is clear that Simba have a strong squad this campaign and they will do a lot of good things before the season ends,” Zahera told Sokaletu.

On the performance of Gwambina, Zahera said: “We have played four matches so far but if you ask me, the game against Simba is the one we deserved to lose.”

Simba, who have now scored seven goals from two matches and without conceding, will face JKT Tanzania at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma on Sunday before travelling to the Rukwa region to take on Tanzania Prisons at Nelson Mandela Stadium on October 10.

Ronald Koeman has responded to Lionel Messi's call for unity at Camp Nou, admitting he doesn't know if he's "going to have a quiet life" after the Barcelona superstar's latest quotes.

Messi pushed for a move away from Barca in the wake of their 8-2 demolition at the hands of Bayern Munich in last season's Champions League quarter-finals.

The 33-year-old sought to trigger the release clause which allows him to leave Camp Nou at the end of any season, having grown frustrated with the way the club is being run at boardroom level.

However, Barca blocked the move with the help of La Liga, insisting that the clause in question had expired in June, and that the Argentine could only leave if his €700 million (£638m/$820m) buyout clause was met.

Messi ultimately decided to see out the final year of his contract to avoid a drawn-out legal battle, but revealed exclusively to Goal at the start of August that he no longer feels that the Blaugrana can compete for the biggest titles on offer at the highest level.

Barca's all-time record goalscorer criticised the club once again following Luis Suarez's departure to Atletico Madrid last week, writing the following message to his former team-mate on Instagram: “You did not deserve for them to throw you out like they did.

"But the truth is that at this stage nothing surprises me anymore.”

Messi was included in Koeman's first starting line-up of the new La Liga season despite his comments, and scored a penalty during the 4-0 home win against Villarreal on Sunday.

He has since justified venting his frustrations publicly in a lengthy interview with Spanish publication SPORT, insisting he has only ever tried to do what's best for Barca and that he will continue to give his all to their cause.

Asked to comment on Messi's rallying cry at a press conference on Wednesday, Koeman told reporters: "I don't know if after Leo's quotes I am going to have a quiet life. 

"I don't think so because always there's something here but it is very positive the captain asks for unity, I hope we all are more calm in respect of what we experienced in the last weeks."

The Dutch head coach added on how he plans to keep the six-time Ballon d'Or winner happy: "I don't know if it is entirely in my hands. As a coach I think we must find the best possible team to help him to shine, finding a position where he can produce his best performance as he always did for this club.

"We are looking for a formula in the training sessions, he lives for football and wants to win it all, even the games in the training session, he does everything for trying to win and there's no other medicine for making him happy."

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Gor Mahia have appointed Raymond Oruo as an acting CEO.

Oruo is taking up the position that was left by Lordvick Aduda, who decided to quit and vie for the Football Kenya (FKF) presidential seat in the upcoming national elections.

K’Ogalo have listed Oruo’s expertise as one of the reasons for appointing him to the position.

“Gor Mahia on September 9 2020, appointed [Raymond] Oruo as Sports Management Consultant, Marketing Consultant and Acting Chief Executive Officer,” read a letter dated September 30, obtained by Goal and signed by the secretary-general Sam Ochola.

“Raymond brings a lot of sports management experience to our club having done the same in other areas including holding the position of Sports Manager at KCB bank. He will be the head of the club's secretariat and will work under the supervision of the club's secretary-general.

“The club's executive and the entire Gor Mahia FC fraternity wish Raymond Oruo the best in this challenging and exciting position in our club.”

In a separate interview with Goal, Ochola explained why Gor Mahia did not advertise the position before appointing Oruo.

“The position became vacant since Aduda left to vie for the FKF presidency and he has the club's recommendations in the race,” Ochola said on Wednesday.

“Oruo is coming to lead the club in that position in an interim capacity though.

“Thereafter we will advertise the position to find a permanent Executive Officer. We did not advertise the vacancy before because of the financial constraints the club is facing but we will surely do in the next process.”

A Gor Mahia CEO is expected to undertake various responsibilities that include marketing and reinforcing the club's organisational structures.

“Develop and implement the Gor Mahia strategic plan, marketing and business plans to maintain and increase revenues from existing operations as well as new business opportunities,” read the club's requirements of a CEO.

“Develop policies and strategies for financial management, accountability and long terms stability through conservative fiscal management of resources.

“Lead, guide, integrate the secretariat and reinforce organisational structures for effectiveness and efficiency. Be in charge of matchday activities both in and out of the country.

“Provide significant input into the budgeting process and ensure an efficient and effective process in place ensuring compliance. Attend executive committee meetings; take agenda, minutes and materials and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory obligations.”

PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza has confirmed that the prize money for the league champions will remain unchanged. 

This despite the league acquiring DStv as the premier sponsor following the expiry of Absa's contract at the end of the 2019-20 season.   

Meanwhile, Khoza confirmed that the 2020-21 PSL season will get the underway on October 17 and not on October 8 as previously announced. 

According to Khoza, the MTN8 will kick start the campaign with the first round of league matches pencilled for October 24. 

Furthermore, the PSL boss confirmed that there will only be two Cup competitions in the form of the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup. 

This after Telkom withdrew their sponsorship, and as a result, the league's executive took a decision not to replace the telecommunication company due to the expected congestion of the fixture list.  

The PSL awards will take place before the start of the upcoming season. 

More to follow...

William Troost-Ekong has disclosed that former Nigeria teammate Odion Ighalo played a key role in his transfer to Championship side Watford.

After two seasons at Serie A outfit Udinese, the 27-year-old joined Vladimir Ivic’s side on a five-year deal for an undisclosed amount.

The defender will now link up with compatriots Isaac Success and Tom Dele-Bashiru at Vicarage Road.

Troost-Ekong was linked with a number of European clubs across Europe, but ultimately decided that Hertfordshire had the best project for him to fulfil his ambition of featuring in the Premier League.

The Super Eagles star revealed that the Manchester United striker helped him choose his next destination.

“Ighalo used to be my roommate. I spoke to Odion last week. He only had good things to say about the club. He’s a great guy, a fantastic player and like a big brother for me,” the ex-Haugesund and Bursaspor star told the club's media team.

Just like Troost-Ekong, Ighalo joined Watford from the Italian topflight outfit – helping them win promotion to the English elite division in the 2014-15 campaign.

After three seasons in England, he was snapped up by Chinese outfit Changchun Yatai for £20m, however, he switched to Shanghai Shenhua following their demotion to the lower league.

The 31-year-old arrived in Manchester from the Chinese Super League club on a temporary loan deal on the final day of the January transfer window, to provide Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with cover for the injured Marcus Rashford, who was sidelined with a back issue.

Thanks to a string of impressive showings, his deal was until January 2021.

Troost-Ekong will be in contention to make his debut when Ivic’s team travel to the Madejski Stadium to face Reading on Saturday.

The Hornets are fifth on the Championship log having accrued seven points from three games, with their latest game a 1-0 victory over Luton Town thanks to Joao Pedro's 35th-minute strike.

Born and raised in the Netherlands, the 27-year-old started his professional career in the Dutch elite division with Groningen and Dordrecht before heading to Gent and Haugesund.

He is expected to play a crucial role in the team’s return to the Premier League.

This wasn’t the way things were supposed to work out for Nicholas Kasozi.

Once linked with a move to Gor Mahia, the cultured midfielder ultimately secured a move to Ugandan giants KCCA FC and appeared primed to become one of the most prominent players in his position in East Africa.

Now, having quit the Kampala heavyweights for the more modest surroundings of Kyetume FC, he has a rebuilding job on his hands.

Such a decline couldn’t have been predicted a few years ago, when the 25-year-old was first making a name for himself in his homeland.

Here was a player to get excited about.

Through his early days with Synergy FC, he demonstrated the poise in possession and the vision with the ball at his feet to pique the interest of domestic giants SC Villa.

He immediately stepped up to the plate at Villa during the 2017-18 season, and a move to KCCA—led my Mike Mutebi—was supposed to represent an immediate step up.

Admittedly, some were disappointed not to see ‘Picasso’ make the switch to Gor Mahia and test himself in the Kenyan Premier League, but KCCA still represented an ideal platform to one of Africa’s bigger leagues.

There were concerns that he might fail to live up to the expectations that came with his glitzy arrival—complete with Balenciaga trainers and a Mercedes Benz—but Kasozi soon proved the doubters wrong.

However, after an impressive first campaign, when he settled quickly into life at the title contenders and was arguably Uganda’s best local player during the first quarter of 2019, his problems started.

Injuries began to mount up during that tricky second season, and Kasozi unfortunately lost his focus while his professionalism dipped as his playing time reduced.

The one-time prodigy struggled to unseat Gift Ali in the base of Mutebi’s midfield, rumours of a fall-out with the coach followed, and ultimately, Kasozi appeared to burn his bridges with the club by going absent without leave in February 2020.

Clearly, there was no way back at KCCA, despite his technical and mental gifts, and now he must rebuild his career at Kyetume FC.

It will be a tricky road back to the top; even if Kasozi does demonstrate his previous form back in the heart of the park, will the region’s biggest clubs be willing to take a punt on a player who has had his fair share of injury and disciplinary issues?

Hopefully, Kasozi’s performances can one day tempt East Africa’s heavyweights to take a look.

Indeed, few players in the region can match his intelligence in possession, his energy in a box-to-box role and his ability to control a midfield when fit and firing.

It’s too soon to write off such a precocious talent who, at only 25, should still have his best years ahead of him.

Kenya captain Victor Wanyama has released a statement on his official Twitter account after allegations were made by a 19-year-old socialite name Shakila during an Instagram Live interview.

"My attention has been drawn to a video circulating online containing false, fabricated, and insulting allegations aimed at scandalising my good name and reputation," read the statement.

"I wish to distance myself completely from the contents of this defamatory video. The allegations made therein are a total fabrication and a figment of the maker’s imagination at best. 

"I have never met any party in the video.

"I strongly condemn the actions of both the woman in the video and the publisher of the video Arthur Mandela via his Instagram account @Xtiandela for encouraging the disparagement of the character of individuals based on false accusatory statements."

The 29-year-old Montreal Impact player went on to state that he will be taking legal action to "protect my good name and character".

"The allegations made are manifestly fictitious and clearly meant to boost the online audience of both the maker and of the insulting allegations and publisher of the video," Wanyama continued.  

"I have worked long and hard to build my character and standing in society. 

"Such malicious, scandalising, and false assertions about my name and character are unacceptable to me, my family, and institutions who have placed great trust in me.

"I am prepared to go to great lengths to protect my good name and character.

"Consequently, and with the blessing of my management team, I have instructed my legal team to pursue all legal remedies available to me and to which I have the unreserved right to seek." 

Uganda head coach Johnathan McKinstry is hopeful the country will scale unprecedented heights during his reign.

The Northern Irish coach was appointed on this day one year ago to replace Sebastien Desabre, who had resigned just after the African Cup of Nations finals in Egypt in 2019.

On October 13, McKinstry oversaw his first match during a friendly tie against Ethiopia at Bahir Dar Stadium with Emmanuel Okwi’s goal giving the coach a winning debut.

In the 10 matches he has taken charge, Uganda have won nine as the former Rwanda coach is expected to lead the Cranes in the upcoming African Nations Championship (Chan) in Cameroon.

Other tasks include fighting for a back-to-back Afcon qualification and a maiden slot in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

“We are still in the early stages of our journey. But I believe that together with unified effort, effective application and discipline in our approach - we can scale the highest peaks,” McKinstry tweeted as he celebrated a one-year anniversary as Uganda’s coach.

“Thank you to everyone who has played their part so far and for the continued support.”

Abadlla Mubiru is McKinstry’s first assistant coach while Livingstone Mbabazi is the second assistant. Vipers SC’s Fred Kajoba is the goalkeeper’s coach with Alexander McCarthy and Geoffrey Massa act as a trainer and team coordinator, respectively.

McKinstry won his maiden trophy when he led Uganda to a record 15th Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup after a 3-0 victory against Eritrea.

Uganda also qualified for Chan after beating Burundi 3-0 while a 2-0 win against Malawi and a 0-0 draw against Burkina Faso, both at the Afcon qualifiers, marked McKinstry’s scorecard in the other matches.

Before playing in the next qualifiers, which will be conducted in a tight calendar, Uganda have scheduled a trip to Dubai during the upcoming Fifa calendar.

The training camp will be conducted between October 6 and 13 before the East Africans face South Sudan in an Afcon qualifier in a doubleheader in November.

South Sudan, on the other hand, have scheduled a friendly tie against African giants Cameroon as they seek to mount a successful campaign and qualify for an international tournament for the first time.

Lionel Messi said his emotions spilled out after "a lot of things hurt me in the last few weeks", following his attack on Barcelona in an Instagram post after they sold Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid.

It has been a summer of upheaval at Barca, not least because of Messi asking to leave the club before eventually reversing his decision, revealing exclusively to Goal that he will honour the final year of his contract.

One star player who has left, however, is Luis Suarez, who was allowed to depart Camp Nou by new manager Ronald Koeman. The Uruguayan has subsequently joined Atletico, where he scored twice on his debut.

Messi once again showed publicly his unhappiness at the way Barcelona is being run, saying Suarez had been "thrown out" despite being "one of the most important players in history".

He wrote on Instagram: “I had already begun to imagine it but today I went into the dressing room and it truly dawned on me. It's going to be so difficult to not continue to share every day with you both on the pitches and away from them.

“We're going to miss you so much. We spent many years together, many lunches and many dinners. So many things we will never forget, all the time we spent together.

“It will be strange to see you in another shirt and much more to come up against you on the pitch. You deserved a farewell that fit with who you are: one of the most important players in the history of the club. Someone who achieved great things for the team and on an individual level.

“You did not deserve for them to throw you out like they did. But the truth is that at this stage nothing surprises me anymore.”

Messi has now expanded on his feelings that led him to post such a lengthy retort to his own club, admitting his actions were divisive but he needed to express his unhappiness at seeing a valued team-mate sold.

He told Spanish news outlet Sport: "I said what I felt in what was a tough moment. I understand people may have thought I should have shut up or let it go, as I did on many other occasions, but a lot of things hurt me in the last few weeks and it was my way of expressing that."

The end of last season saw Barcelona suffer multiple humiliations, as they lost the Liga title to rivals Real Madrid, and were crushed 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-finals by eventual winners Bayern Munich.

Those losses hurt Messi, and while this may be his final season at Barcelona - his contract expires next summer - he says he is determined to give his all for the club and that the tumultuous situation has not lessened his desire.

He said: “Whoever knows me knows that I am not capable of playing any way other than always to win, and giving everything on the pitch. It was like that throughout my career and that is not going to change. Today my commitment to this shirt and this badge is total, it is still intact.”

Gary Neville has voiced his frustration at Manchester United over a lack of transfers and told them to urgently sign three players.

United have been among the lowest spenders in the Premier League this summer, with Donny van de Beek's £35 million ($45m) move to Old Trafford from Ajax the only piece of business the club have been able to get over the line to date.

Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho has long been mooted as the Red Devils' primary transfer target, but Goal has reported that they have yet to submit a formal bid for the winger , with the German outfit thought to be holding out for a €120m (£108m/$142m) fee.

The likes of Harry Kane, Alex Telles, Jack Grealish, Ousmane Dembele, Edinson Cavani and Luka Jovic have also been linked with moves to United, but it remains to be seen whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be able to add any more new players to his ranks before the October 5 deadline.

While Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham have all strengthened significantly, United have so far been unable to finalise deals amid the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis, leaving supporters exasperated and disillusioned.

The Red Devils have kicked off their latest Premier League campaign with a surprise defeat to Crystal Palace and an unconvincing win over Brighton, with pressure beginning to build on Solskjaer as he bids to end the club's three-year wait for major silverware.

Neville cannot understand why his former employers have been so quiet in the market in comparison to their main rivals, and has highlighted three key positions that must be reinforced in order to avoid another season of mediocrity.

"It’s appalling that in this market which is probably the easiest in PL history to get transfers done that United haven’t done more yet!" the United legend wrote on Twitter .

"They must get Ole a CB, LB and forward pre-deadline! The others are managing to get things over the line why not United!"

After being accused of pressuring the club into panic buying by one of his followers, Neville added: "They’ve needed these positions filling for 12 months, had a national lockdown to regroup and re-set and ample time to manoeuvre deals to a conclusion."

Solskjaer will hope that another meeting with Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night can provide a timely distraction for fans amid the ongoing transfer speculation surrounding the club.

A second-string United side beat Luton Town 3-0 in the third round last week, and the Norwegian boss will be expected to ring the changes once again with one eye on a crucial Premier League clash with Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday.

New Gor Mahia signing Andrew Juma has revealed the toughest opponents he faced from the club while turning out for Mathare United in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

Juma is among the new players unveiled by K’Ogalo ahead of the 2020-2 season which is likely set to kick off on October 24.

“My toughest opponent from Gor Mahia during my time at Mathare United was Francis Kahata and Jacques Tuyisenge, they were the biggest threats,” Juma told Gor Mahia TV.

“Especially Kahata was the difficult player to face because when playing against him, you cannot tell where he intends to put his pass.”

On why he signed for Gor Mahia, Juma explained: “Gor Mahia is a good team in Kenya and they have a lot of advantages in Kenya when you play for them and also it is a team if you play for at least you get the pressure from fans which pushes you to do even better.”

On what will make him succeed at the KPL champions, Juma said: “I only believe in hard work, nothing else, I have to work hard and that is what will help me to leave a mark at the club.”

Juma was signed as a replacement for defender Joash Onyango, who quit the club to sign for Tanzania giants Simba SC, but the player insists his style of play is not similar to his predecessor.

“I must admit our style of play is very different, the way [Onyango] plays is very different from how I play but we have to achieve the targets set by the team, and that is why I joined the club and also build my name as a player," he revealed.

On how he is getting on since signing for the club, Juma said: “It was easy for me to settle because most of the players in the team are my friends, we meet at the national team and even play in local tournaments together, so it was not difficult for me to settle in.”

In a recent interview, Gor Mahia captain Kenneth Muguna praised the team’s new signings, saying they are capable of helping the side reach the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League in this campaign.

K’Ogalo will be representing Kenya for the fourth straight season, having been crowned the 2019-20 champions when the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) moved to end the season prematurely owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Muguna, who joined K’Ogalo from Western Stima, is confident the squad they have assembled is good enough to help them do well in the Caf competition.

After losing five key players – Joash Onyango to Simba SC of Tanzania, David Mapigano to Azam FC, Dickson Ambundo to Dodoma Jiji, Omondi, and keeper Peter Odhiambo to Wazito FC – Gor Mahia have been actively involved in the current transfer window.

Other new signings at Gor Mahia include Andrew Malisero Numero from Malawi, Benson Omalla, midfielder Sydney Ochieng, goalkeeper Samuel Njau, and defender Wesonga from Western Stima, Cameroonian midfielder Bertrand Konfor, John Macharia, Jules Ulimwengu (Rayon Sports), and John Ochieng from Chemelil Sugar

Pitso Mosimane has reportedly resigned as head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns just weeks after winning his fifth PSL title with the club. 

According to SowetanLIVE, the Kagiso-born mentor could be on his way to either Al Ahly of Egypt or Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca. 

The news comes as a shock because Mosimane recently committed his future to the Brazilians after signing a new four-year deal.

Prior to signing the deal, the former Bafana Bafana mentor revealed he had offers from North African teams, some of which Sundowns played against in the Caf Champions League. 

However, he vowed to stay at Sundowns for as long as possible and his reasons were that he "loves the club and the supporters loved him".

And his latest success with the Brazilians proved that Mosimane's heart was still with the club. 

It is unclear at this stage what prompted Mosimane's reported resignation, especially because the coach previously said his delay in renewing his contract with Sundowns wasn't about the money. 

Furthermore, PowerFM Sport reports that Mosimane will leave with Rhulani Mokwena and physical trainer Kabelo Ragoaga, after Al Ahly reportedly agreed that he brings with him three people to form part of his backroom staff. 

It is understood that Al Ahly are willing to pay compensation for Sundowns to release Mosimane from his contract. 

This means Manqoba Mngqithi would be the only man left from the three-man technical team. 

The Gauteng-based commercial radio station further revealed that Jose Ramon Alexanko is Patrice Motsepe's preferred choice to take over from Mosimane with Mngqithi as his assistant. 

Should the move materialise, Mosimane would leave South Africa as the most successful coach in the PSL era.

He has won all the trophies on offer since starting his coaching career with SuperSport United over two decades ago. 

Mosimane recently bagged his fifth league title and Sundowns' 10th in the PSL era, and subsequently leapfrogged the late Ted Dumitru, Gordon Igesund and Gavin Hunt, who have four league titles to their names.

He is also the only South African coach to win both the Caf Champions League and Caf Super Cup - this was when Sundowns dominated African football in 2016 and 2017.    

Mosimane has won 11 major trophies with the Chloorkop-based outfit during his eight-year stay. 

Liverpool No.1 Alisson is Cristiano Ronaldo-esque in terms of his ability between the sticks, but Manuel Neuer is the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment, according to David James.

Alisson has had a huge impact at Liverpool since completing a £67 million ($86m) move to Anfield from Roma in the summer of 2018.

Jurgen Klopp's side have won four major titles with the Brazilian in goal, including the Champions League and Premier League, having cut out the defensive errors which undermined their efforts in the German manager's first few years at the club.

The likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk all helped the Reds reach a new level, but Alisson proved to be the final piece in a title-winning puzzle after replacing Loris Karius as the club's first-choice 'keeper.

The 27-year-old claimed the Golden Glove award in his first season at Anfield, and was instrumental in Liverpool's run to a first league crown in 30 years in 2019-20 despite dealing with niggling injuries throughout the campaign.

James says Alisson is similar to Juventus superstar Ronaldo in terms of his faultless all-round game, and that the Brazilian is capable of maintaining his level for many years to come.

"I met him at Melwood and [Liverpool sporting director] Michael Edwards introduced me to him - he’s so young!" the ex-Reds shot-stopper told the Liverpool Echo.

"The idea of peak being attributed to age is a misnomer because you could peak at 15 - there’s nothing saying you are going to be better at 16 or 26.

"In the end, it’s about biology and whether you are capable of going further and faster and higher but with Alisson, you are looking at a 'keeper who everything he does is so good.

"He might be a bit Cristiano Ronaldo-esque in the sense that he doesn’t have to do something exceptional to still be at the highest level."

James believes Alisson was far and away the best 'keeper in the business during his first year at Liverpool, but claims that Bayern's Neuer has overtaken him over the past 12 months.

The Germany star helped his side win the treble last term, while Alisson was perhaps not at his best post-lockdown following the coronavirus-enforced break.

James is confident that the ex-Roma 'keeper will wrestle that title back from Neuer though, as he added: "The season before last, Alisson Becker was the best goalkeeper that I was seeing anywhere - I have to say Europe, because I don’t know what’s happening in all the leagues around the world.

"I can loosely say the best in the world and Alisson was the best. But last season there was a lot of injury issues.

"When Alisson came in, it was clean sheet after clean sheet and he proved his value. After Covid-19, he wasn’t at his best but all Liverpool needed to do was win the league and they did that.

"Manuel Neuer on the other hand has been faultless - in the Champions League final, there were two saves that he made that kept a clean sheet.

"[In the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla] the save against [Samir] Nasri was top-drawer and he is at the moment, as we speak, the top-performing goalkeeper in the world.

"I think that Alisson is better than Neuer over a longer period of time and he will once again be the best - I love everything about him and he seems unflappable."

Kylian Mbappe is the brightest young star in football right now and EA Sports seem to agree based on their FIFA 21 ratings. 

Ahead of the release of their newest game, EA has revealed the ratings for the best Under-21 players in the world right now with Mbappe crowned king courtesy of an overall rating of 90. 

The Paris Saint-Germain prodigy already has a World Cup to his name for France and helped guide his club to the Champions League final this year.

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and Borussia Dortmund attacker Jadon Sancho round out the podium with overall ratings of 87. Both already play for England at international level and have turned plenty of heads at club level with Sancho desperately wanted at Manchester United.

New Chelsea signing Kai Havertz headlines the next best batch of youngsters with his overall rating of 85 matched by Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt and AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. 

Dortmund, Chelsea and Real Madrid are the best represented clubs when it comes to talented U-21 players with each team boasting three players in EA's list. 

Interestingly, no Barcelona names have made the cut with 17-year-old Ansu Fati not included despite his breakout season at Camp Nou. 

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has refused to rule out Luka Jovic's departure from the club amid links to Manchester United and clubs in Serie A.

Jovic has struggled for game time since his €70 million (£62m/$79m) arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt in June last year, with form, fitness and Zidane's preference to play Karim Benzema up front hindering the Serbia international.

United have emerged as a loan option for Jovic, while Roma, AC Milan and Inter have also been linked with temporary moves for the 22-year-old.

Asked about Jovic - who was handed a rare start alongside Benzema in the 3-2 win over Real Betis last week - on the eve of Madrid's La Liga clash against Real Valladolid, Zidane told reporters: "You have to take everything into account.

"Until the fifth [of October], the market is open. We will see. The players are fine and that's what interests me."

Jovic endured a turbulent first season with Madrid in 2019-20 following his big-money arrival from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht, managing just two goals in 25 appearances.

There have been suggestions of a rift between Zidane and Jovic, with the French tactician asked whether he had an issue with the striker following his decision to leave the Serbian on the bench as Real battled to a 0-0 draw against Sociedad in their opening La Liga match.

However, Zidane was quick to dismiss any speculation about an issue with Jovic, explaining it was a tactical decision to use young attackers Marvin Park and Sergio Arribas instead.

"I didn’t want to change the formation. So, I could have put on another centre-forward by taking one off, but I didn’t want to change the formation," Zidane said after the stalemate with Sociedad. 

"I’d have had to take [Karim] Benzema off, but he was playing well. By playing two centre-forwards, I would have needed to change the formation yet I wanted to keep two wingers on the wings."

"We have a squad and many players and I have to choose. Today, this is how I picked things. But, I don’t have anything against any player. Like I said before, I didn’t want to change the formation."

The former Red Star Belgrade and Benfica forward was prised from Germany after scoring 27 goals in 2018-19 as Eintracht reached the Europa League semi-final.

Madrid have four points from two games to sit seventh in La Liga, three points behind leaders Getafe - who have played three matches.