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Simba SC will have to do without three key players when they take on Ihefu FC in their Mainland Premier League opener on Sunday.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi, who will be seeking to win a fourth straight league title this campaign, will start the season against the promoted side in a match set for Sokoine Stadium.

However, they will have to navigate the fixture without three players – defender Pascal Wawa, winger Luis Miquissone, and striker Chris Mugalu – who have been ruled out owing to various reasons.

According to Simba coach Sven Vandenbroeck, new signing Mugalu had travelled back home to Zambia to sort out family issues and though he has returned to Dar es Salaam, he will not be ready for the match while Wawa and Miquissone have fitness issues.

“[Mugalu] requested to visit his native home and sort out some family issues and we gave him permission, he has already returned to Dar es Salaam but I will not have him in the squad for the league opener, I want him to have enough rest for the next match,” Vandenbroeck told Goal on Friday.

“Pascal [Wawa] and Miquissone were left in Dar es Salaam with our fitness coach, they are not fit and ready and so they are all working hard to come back into the squad, we will check them again when we return to Dar es Salaam.”

Mugalu is among the new players who were signed by Simba in the just-concluded transfer window with the others being Joash Onyango from Kenya’s Gor Mahia, Bernard Morrison from Yanga, Charles Ilamfia from KMC, David Kameta from Lipuli FC, and Ibrahim Ame from Coastal Union.

Simba have enjoyed a good pre-season, winning all their friendly matches including the 2-0 win against Vital’O of Burundi during the Simba Day celebration at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

Simba's rivals Yanga will start the new season with a match against Tanzania Prisons, Namungo, who booked a place in the Caf Confederation Cup by virtue of reaching the FA Cup final, will host Coastal Union at Majaliwa Stadium while another promoted side Gwambina FC will start their journey with a game against Biashara at Karume Stadium.

Opening fixtures; Namungo vs Coastal - Majaliwa, Lindi, Biashara vs Gwambina - Karume, Mara, Ihefu vs Simba - Sokoine, Mbeya, Mtibwa vs Ruvu Shooting - Gairo, Morogoro, Yanga vs Prisons - Mkapa, Dar, KMC vs Mbeya City - Uhuru, Dar and Azam vs Polisi Tanzania - Azam Complex.

Harambee Starlets captain Dorcas Shikobe and her counterpart Janet Budi have reportedly joined Yanga Princess.

The duo has made the rumoured moves just a few days after Harambee Starlets full-back Wincate Kaari had joined the Tanzanian Women Premier League side.

With Kaari's move already confirmed by Yanga Princess, Shikobe and Budi will have to wait for the procession of their International Transfer Certificates (ITC) to formalise the said transfers.

Initially, Bertha Omita had signed a deal with Simba Queens although her club Kisumu Starlets were not keen to let the forward cross the border and sign for the Tanzanian champions.

“Harambee Starlets have registered stellar performances and as a result, our players are being scouted internationally. Our target is to qualify for the 2021 African Women Nations Cup [AWCON] and 2023 Women World Cup,” Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa told NTV on Friday.

Should Shikobe and Budi complete the moves, it would mean five Kenyans have joined Tanzanian clubs in 2020. Bolton Omwenga was signed by Biashara United whereas Joash Onyango joined Simba SC.

Meanwhile, Young Africans (Yanga SC) used $400,000 (TSh924M) to acquire new players in the Mainland Premier League August transfer window.

Mwanaspoti - with reports from an unnamed Yanga official - claim the new players will also enjoy huge salaries compared to the ones who were released.

The 27-time Premier League champions signed 12 players and have now a playing unit consisting of 27 players. The publication reports that Mukoko Tonombe and Tuisila Kisinda - both from AS Vita of the Democratic Republic of Congo - were the most expensive of the stars that were signed.

Tonombe and Kisinda impressed during the match against Aigle Noir of Burundi – and the latter indeed scored one of the two goals at the Wiki ya Wananchi celebrations at the Benjamin William Mkapa Stadium. It is understood Yanga splashed TSh250,000 million on the pair.

Carlos 'Carlinhos' Fernandes from Petro Atletico of Angola, former Asante Kotoko star Yacouba Sogne and Ghanaian Michael Sarpong are understood to have also cost the club a considerable amount of money.

Going by the number of foreigners they have signed, it means Yanga still have two slots to accommodate non-Tanzanians remaining.

It has been reported Timu ya Wananchi would fill the void with a foreigner in the next transfer window whereas the remaining slot will be given to the new coach Zlatko Krmpotic to bring a player of his choice.

Former Manchester United full-back Rafael has mocked Alexis Sanchez over his revelation that he wanted to leave the club after his first training session.

The Chile international joined the Red Devils from Arsenal in January 2018 during Jose Mourinho's time at the helm, but he was unable to hit his top form at Old Trafford.

Sanchez made just 32 appearances and scored three goals in the Premier League in his 18 months at the Red Devils and was subsequently loaned to Inter last August.

The former Barcelona star has since made a permanent move to the Serie A side and admitted in a video posted on Instagram this week that he immediately wanted to terminate his contract and return to the Gunners, where he scored 80 goals in 166 appearances and lifted the FA Cup twice.

Brazilian right-back Rafael has speculated about what went wrong for Sanchez at Old Trafford, suggesting paranormal activity may be to blame for his underwhelming performances.

Commenting on an Instagram post about Sanchez's remarks, the 30-year-old said: "Maybe he saw a ghost and get scared that's explain why he play so bad every time."

Despite a knee injury which kept him out for around three months last season, Sanchez has had an easier time at Inter than at United.

Although limited to just 10 starts and 12 appearances from the bench in the Italian top-flight, he netted four goals and chipped in with eight assists as Antonio Conte's men finished as runners-up behind Juventus.

The 31-year-old forward completed the switch to the San Siro side on a free transfer and signed a three-year deal with the Europa League finalists.

While Sanchez complained there was no family atmosphere at United, he said last month that he has found one in Milan and is happy at the club, while he is eager to guide the Nerazzurri to silverware.

"I'm hungry and I want to win - my goal is to make all our fans happy," he added. "I'm here to win, and I'm happy that I'm staying here at Inter!"

Former EFA vice-president Ahmed Shobier has revealed the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt has been misplaced by Egypt Football Federation.

The North Africans enjoyed great success in the continental tournament between 2006 and 2010, clinching the trophy three times as a result won the trophy permanently.

The missing of the trophy was discovered as the country was preparing to build a museum where the diadems will be displayed.

It was previously claimed former player Ahmed Hassan was in possession of the highly coveted trophy, which he denied vehemently.

Shobier, who is now a journalist, made the revelation during his programme while the federation have also confirmed the missing trophy as well.  

"The EFA started looking for some trophies as they aim to put them in a notable museum inside the EFA," Shobier said. 

"However, the EFA was surprised to find that the AFCON trophy was lost and decided to open an investigation.

"They were informed by an employee inside the association that it was held by former Egypt captain Ahmed Hassan who refuted this claim. Nobody knows where is the trophy at the time being."

Egypt are the most successful country in the competition, having won it seven times in 1957, 1959, 1986, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker is keen to mastermind another win over Orlando Pirates on Saturday. 

The two teams are set to wrap up their 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaigns at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.

Stellies secured an impressive 1-0 win over the Buccaneers in the reverse fixture in October last year at Cape Town Stadium.

They will face a Pirates side which is hoping to finish in the top three as they are currently placed fourth on the league standings - a point behind third-placed SuperSport United.

“To do a double over Orlando Pirates will be a massive achievement for us,” said Barker on Daily Sun . 

“We also have a chance to finish in the top eight and we don’t want to regret but we want to go there and put up a good performance.

"We are going out guns blazing. We don’t have pressure, we can now play with freedom and we want to reward ourselves for this game.”

Stellies have caught the eye in their debut season in the top-flight league and they could qualify for next season's MTN8.

They are placed 10th on the league standings - two points behind eighth-placed Highlands Park, who will face AmaZulu FC on Saturday.

Stellenbosch played their home matches at either Athlone Stadium or the Cape Town Stadium this season. 

This was because their preferred venue, Idas Valley Stadium was deemed inadequate for the league's standards by the PSL.

The Western Cape side used the venue when they won promotion to the elite league from the National First Division (NFD) last season.

However, Danie Craven Stadium in the Stellenbosch University campus was refurbished and it is ready to host PSL games.

Barker, who has coached AmaZulu and the University of Pretoria in the PSL, explained that they are looking forward to playing in the campus next season.

“We have upgraded Danie Craven Stadium at the University of Stellenbosch and we’ll be using that as a home venue next season,” said Barker.

“It made extra tough for us as we started this league with seven games away and that was a tough period but we did come through it.

“We are looking forward to our home stadium next season, making it a tough environment for the opposition teams to come through.”

Ex-Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper John Tlale has tipped Kaizer Chiefs to lift the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title on Saturday afternoon.

Sundowns and Chiefs are both looking to celebrate their 50th year anniversaries in style on the last day of the 2019/20 season.

On the other hand, the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations winner has also credited Bidvest Wits for their gallant fight and he also believes Orlando Pirates can still qualify for a continental competition.

“It’s such a difficult one, to be honest. I don’t know where to start looking at the title race. Chiefs have the advantage, their job is to make sure they don’t lose the game,” Tlale told Goal .

“If they lose to Baroka, Sundowns will gain the advantage, I think their clashes against Black Leopards and Baroka are not going to be easy. It’s tough but I think Chiefs will lift it.

“However, it will not be easy because Baroka can also upset Chiefs. Both teams [Sundowns and Chiefs] are not consistent and it becomes very difficult to predict. Sundowns played well to collect two wins in a row but losing to Baroka means anything is possible now. If I put my head on the block, I think Chiefs will take it."

Tlale also touched on the importance of having Itumeleng Khune back in the Chiefs team. 

"[Itumeleng] Khune is a good goalkeeper for the country and in the PSL, his return has definitely given Chiefs a massive boost," he added.

“Khune will always be the number one and his presence can motivate the defence and youngsters to focus and do well to lift this.”

With both clubs celebrating their 50th birthdays and tied on 53 points from 29 matches, Tlale has credited the title challengers for their dedication throughout the 2019/20 campaign whilst saying Bidvest Wits will end their campaign with integrity.

“I can only wish all the teams the best of luck because to have 53 points, both celebrate 50 years of existence means there’s a lot at stake,” continued the legend.

“I can also commend all the teams for the commitment and hard work because this has been the toughest season.

“It has literally gone to the wire. Whoever wins the title will definitely deserve it and if you look at a team like Wits, they have also given their best up to so far. I think they tried to ensure the clubs pulls down the curtain with integrity.

“For Pirates, they still can qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup, if they do well and win the three points tomorrow, they can still see them in Africa next season because it’s not over for them.”

As things stand, Pirates sit fourth on the log table with 49 points, Wits are placed fifth with as many points whilst SuperSport United occupy the third spot with 50 points.

Scott McTominay never allowed his head to drop during injury struggles at Manchester United in 2019-20, with the Scot saying “you’re only mugging yourself off” if you do not work hard to bounce back stronger than before.

The 23-year-old did just that last season after finding himself stuck on the sidelines around the turn of the calendar year.

An untimely knee problem kept McTominay out from Boxing Day to February 23, with 12 games missed in total.

With there fierce competition for places at Old Trafford, anybody who drops out of the side faces a tough task to get back in.

United academy graduate McTominay has, however, won the trust of Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time as a senior star in Manchester.

A positive attitude, along with no little ability, have made him a useful asset for the Red Devils, with every challenge put to him – on and off the pitch – being faced head on.

“Whenever it’s all going swimmingly, you’re playing every week and scoring a few goals here and there, it’s good. Then you get a setback and you have to react to that,” McTominay told the official podcast of the Scotland national team.

“You can’t hang your head and be disappointed about that. You have to think about when you’ll be back and set dates for yourself to push yourself back from injury as well as you can without re-injuring yourself.

“For me, injuries are part of football and you have to accept that. You’ll never go through your career without picking up a minor injury, or a longer-term injury. Everyone will have some troubles in their career, but that’s part and parcel of football.”

McTominay has battled hard to become part of the first-team fold at United and, with a close-knit support network around him, he is not about to give anything up without a fight.

He added: “A lot of that does come from the people you’ve got around you, your family… my mum and dad stayed at my house for two or three months when I got injured.

“They made sure I ate all the right foods, which I do anyway, checking if there’s anything you need. They’re the type of people who get you through stuff; always having someone there to speak to if you’re having a tougher time.

“For me, it went so quick from when I first got injured [in December] - my knee, that was 10 weeks - that went really quick because I had people around, coming to see me. You can’t really do much when you’re on crutches!

“The physios at the club were amazing and they pushed me every single day to my limits to get me back as quick as I could, and it shows when you come back to matches and you’re ready. You’re only mugging yourself off if you don’t come back in that way.”

Nathan Ake claims Manchester City have snapped him up in a £40 million ($53m) deal to cover “three positions” within Pep Guardiola’s squad.

The Blues moved to acquire the versatile Netherlands international after seeing Bournemouth relegated out of the Premier League.

Ake’s services had been much sought-after long before the Cherries found themselves sliding back into the Championship.

They were never going to be able to retain his services once they tumbled into the second tier, with City moving quickly to position themselves at the front of a transfer queue.

Guardiola was thought to have made that move in a bid to find a suitable successor to Vincent Kompany at the heart of his back four.

Defensive issues held City back at times in 2019-20, with Ake viewed as a long-term option to fill a centre-half berth at the Etihad Stadium.

The 25-year-old is, however, capable of operating at left-back and in a holding midfield post, with the Dutchman suggesting that he could be asked to fill a number of roles for his new employers.

Speaking to Voetbal International, Ake said of his discussions with Guardiola and life in Manchester: “We talked about normal life first. That includes everything - family and how we are as people. That was easy and automatic. It is nice to get to know someone like this, for him too.

“Then it was about [the fact] that I can play in multiple positions. They are happy with that and they told me that. I think it’s a bonus that I can play football in three positions.

“I think we had a good conversation with each other. There was a warm feeling that felt good right away.”

Ake is currently away on international duty with the Netherlands, as they prepare to open their UEFA Nations League campaign against Poland on Friday.

They also have an outing against Italy to come on Monday, before a star-studded squad then breaks up and the players return to their domestic clubs.

Ake will be hoping to hit the ground running at City, with Guardiola’s side set to make a slightly delayed start to their 2020-21 Premier League when taking in a trip to Wolves on September 21.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed that the club are trying to sign Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Arsenal.

The 32-year-old centre-back joined the Gunners from Borussia Dortmund in 2018, but featured just 19 times in the Premier League last term.

Sokratis is in the final 12 months of his deal with Mikel Arteta's team and they are open to selling him ahead of the new campaign, with the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba having been introduced into the first-team squad.

Napoli have emerged as top contenders to land the defender and De Laurentiis confirmed they hope to bring him to Italy, but says the transfer market is unpredictable.

"We're working on it," he said to Radio Kiss Kiss. "The transfer market is a laugh. In the world of football, balls swell out of proportion, it seems that you are talking to people who are blackmailers."

But the Napoli chief has admitted that he has been unnecessarily stubborn when it comes to keeping the Serie A side's top players, citing midfielder Allan and centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly as examples.

Allan looks set to reunite with ex-Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti at Everton while Koulibaly has long been a target for Manchester City, among others.

"They are two excellent players, but I should have sold them first," he said when asked if the pair will be sold in this transfer window. 

"I didn't sell the Brazilian midfielder to protect Ancelotti. When I was offered €110 million, I was unfair not to sell Koulibaly to the Premier League. 

"I realised that you have to give up the players when the time is right, even if they have only been with us for just a year.

"From now on, when there are important offers, we will sell. I understand that in this country, which guarantees nothing, you have to live for the day. 

"When I was offered €110 million I was unfair to the fans. Same thing with Allan, even if there he was a sort of protection for Ancelotti."

He continued: "I think [Allan to Everton] is all done. I don't know if there is a signature or not, you have to ask [CEO Andrea] Chiavelli."

Ronald de Boer is confident Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum would fit in at Barcelona, but has warned Ronald Koeman not to sign too many Dutch players.

The Netherlands duo have been linked with moves to Camp Nou since Koeman was appointed as Quique Setien's successor at the Catalan giants this summer.

Indeed, Goal revealed on Friday that Barca remain confident of landing Wijnaldum from Liverpool before the October transfer deadline.

The Reds midfielder himself  has stayed quiet about the links to the Catalan giants , while 26-year-old attacker  Depay has suggested he is open to leaving Lyon in the near future.

Ex-Barcelona and Netherlands player De Boer is sure Wijnaldum would join the midfield together while Depay would impress in attack, but he fears the presence of too many Dutchmen could upset the dressing room.

"As a commuter, Wijnaldum could be the cement between the stones," he said to  Fox Sports.

"And Memphis really adds something individually, he can create something out of nothing."

De Boer himself followed his former Ajax coach Louis van Gaal to Barca in 1999, joining a large contingent of Netherlands players at the club which included his twin brother Frank, Patrick Kluivert, Michael Reiziger and Winston Bogarde among others.

With Dutch midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Ludovit Reis already there in the present day, De Boer fears Koeman could cause trouble if he brings too many compatriots with him.

"In our time you had the feeling that the Dutch-Spanish ratio was 50-50. There were 11 or 12 Dutch people in the team, including the technical staff," he added.

"In retrospect, that wasn't good. You really have to take that into account, you have to make sure that you don't just buy Dutch people."

He continued: "Of course, you also see this with German and Portuguese coaches, they also attract a lot of fellow countrymen to their clubs.

"As a coach, you attract players that you know well and who suit you well in terms of mentality and character. But it would be strong if Ronald Koeman gets a good player from the Spanish league."

Newly-promoted Premier League club West Bromwich Albion have confirmed the signing of Cedric Kipre from Wigan Athletic on a four-year deal.

The defender was one of the standout performers for the DW Stadium outfit last season, featuring in 36 Championship games.

The Ivorian’s efforts were, however, not enough to help the Latics avoid relegation, following their points deduction after they went into administration.

West Brom announced the signing of the 23-year-old on Friday and the Baggies’ Sporting and Technical Director Luke Dowling hopes the defender will add value to the DW Stadium outfit.

“I believe we’ve signed someone in Cedric who has got the potential to really establish himself as a Premier League defender,” Luke told the club website.

“He was part of a Wigan team that, from the turn of the year, produced results which would have placed them in the Championship’s top three and Cédric was a very impressive figure in that run of form.

“He has been on our target list for some time. We are delighted to get the deal done and look forward to watching him progress.”

Kipre reveals the opportunity to play in the Premier League and learn from manager Slaven Bilic lured him to sign for West Brom.

“I heard of the interest a month ago and the head of recruitment spoke to me and I had to be patient with it but finally I’m here - I am happy,” Kipre said.

“It’s a big club and the chance to play in the Premier League was what attracted me. My goal was to play in this division by the age of 25 and today I’m 23 so I’m grateful for the chance.

“I’m expecting to learn a lot from Slaven because he played in the same position and he can teach me areas to progress.”

Kipre started his career with Paris Saint-Germain youth team before joining Leicester City in 2014, where he spent three years, including a loan spell at Corby Town.

The Ivory Coast U23 centre-back also featured for Motherwell before he teamed up with Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2018.

He will hope to help Leicester, who finished fifth in the Premier League last season, compete for the title in the 2020-21 season.

Azam FC have assured their fans they will not end the 2020-21 Mainland Premier League season without silverware.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ failed to win a trophy last season after losing 2-0 to Simba SC in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and were then forced to battle with Young Africans (Yanga SC) for the second spot in the table and they eventually finished third.

Azam CEO Abdulkarim Amin ‘Popat’ has described the past season as disastrous and promised fans they will make sure they end this new campaign with a trophy.

“We had to sign new players after the season ended because we feel we did not deserve to end the last campaign without a trophy,” Amin told Goal.

“Everyone at Azam was shocked how we could end the season without a trophy, we are not used to this, at least we win a trophy in the last three seasons but last season was not good for us.

“If you look at our new signings, we did the best we could and some of the players we signed we need them for the next season for continuity and that is why we signed them.

“We also want to make sure that we end the season with a trophy, not any trophy but we want to win the league and take part in the Caf Champions League, so I don’t think we will have troubles to lift the trophy this time around.”

Some of the players signed by Azam this transfer window include Ayoub Lyanga from Coastal Union, Ally Niyonzima from Rayon Sports, Awesu Ally Awesu from Kagera Sugar, Ismail Aziz Kada from Tanzania Prisons, David Mapigano from Gor Mahia, Emmanuel Charles from Mbao FC, striker Prince Dube from Highlanders FC and Allan Thiery Akono Akono from AS Fortuna du Mfou of Cameroon.

On top of the signings, Azam also managed to keep their technical bench intact after Romanian Aristica Cioaba and his staff extended their stay at the Chamazi-based club for another season.

Azam will start the season with a clash against Polisi Tanzania.

Striker Samir Nurkovic said while he doesn't know how and why Kaizer Chiefs couldn't win the league title for five years because he wasn't there, the first impression he had when he first arrived at Naturena was that this club deserved much more than the trophy drought they have gone through. 

Amakhosi are in pole position to bag their first league title since 2015 as they are at the summit of the PSL log with one match to go. 

However, standing on their way is Baroka FC whom they have to beat convincingly on Saturday to be ensured of being crowned champions. 

"I wasn't here for the past five seasons, but what I thought when I arrived at this big club, Kaizer Chiefs is that it's not acceptable to not win the title because [Chiefs] deserve everything the way everything is working in the club – everything is on the highest level, the players have basically everything," Nurkovic told the Amakhosi media team. 

Having topped the standings since August 2019, Nurkovic believes Chiefs have worked hard to be where they are and vowed the players will give everything against Baroka to lift the trophy. 

"So, we deserve to be on the first place and we've fought from the beginning of the season to be there, and we're going to fight in the last game for the entire 90 minutes to secure [the league title]," added the forward.

The forward also spoke of the joy he would feel to lift the league trophy in his first season at the club.

"I think it will mean a lot to the chairman because it's the 50-year celebration, and I'll be happy that in my first season I'd have won this title," added Nurkovic. 

Apart from eyeing the league title, the Serbian marksman is also in the running for the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award. 

The 28-year-old is currently two goals behind both Peter Shalulile of Highlands Park and Gabadinho Mhango of Orlando Pirates.

This means he will have to score at least a hat-trick against Baroka to overtake both Shalulile and Mhango provided the two strikers don't score in their teams' respective matches. 

Chiefs and Sundowns are tied at the top of the log, with Amakhosi boasting with a +4 superior goal difference.

The Ugandan Premier League (UPL) Secretariat has confirmed the receipt of a Covid-19 financial boost from the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa).

The Fufa’s Executive Committee met on August 17 to approve the appropriation of the monies to both the secretariat and the individual clubs. The federation went further to state how the funds will be disbursed to the beneficiaries within a fortnight.

Fufa had further explained the support was targeted for utilisation of the funds to help the football fraternity to manage the current and post Covid-19 effects to the game in Uganda.

“UPL Secretariat and StarTimes Ugandan Premier League (SUPL) clubs are happy to have received Fifa Covid-19 relief funds as per the notification by circular No:1113. UPL Secretariat received USh52,000,000 million,” a statement read

“The SUPL clubs all together have received USh526,720,000 million while each individual SUPL club has got USh32,920,000 million. This money is to offset financial losses both at UPL secretariat and at club level.

“The UPL Secretariat and the clubs are happy to be able to use this money to pay salaries, pay rent and other outstanding overheads as per circular No:1114.”

The development comes after clubs had sought Fufa’s financial intervention to rescue them from monetary challenges since the league was suspended. Some clubs had gone for months without paying their players.

The league was suspended in mid-March when the government imposed restrictions on sporting activities across the country. It is for this reason that Fufa went ahead to annul the Premier League and crowned the Kitende-based Vipers SC as the champions in May.

Vipers were consequently given the duties to fly the Ugandan flag in the Caf Champions League while their rivals KCCA FC would participate in the Confederation Cup's next edition.

Fufa had already indicated that football may return on October 17 and are in regular meetings with National Council of Sports and Government of the Republic of Uganda to discuss steps that are meant to draw a roadmap for the return of sporting activities.

Since the social gathering ban is still active, teams have not resumed joint training ahead of the anticipated October return.

With East Bengal roping in Shree Cement as their investor, they are just a couple of steps away from ensuring their participation in the Indian Super League (ISL) from the 2020-21 season itself.

As revealed earlier by Goal, FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited) has now invited bids from 'interested parties' to add a team in the upcoming ISL season. 

The tender read, "Invited bids from interested parties for the award of one additional team to enroll and participate in the Hero Indian Super League, from its seventh edition to be staged in 2020-21."

Delhi, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Silliguri and Bhopal have been identified as the six cities from which the bid will be accepted. 

The soft bid document must be submitted by September 14th and hard copy by September 17th.

The Indian Super League currently has 10 teams - ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, Odisha FC, NorthEast United, Hyderabad FC, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters and Jamshedpur FC.

Their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan had already ensured their berth in ISL after merging with ATK.

With both the Kolkata giants set to participate in ISL, this will be for the very first time that two teams from the same city will ply their trade in the league at the same time, since its inception. 

East Bengal took a massive leap towards playing the Indian Super League (ISL) from the 2020-21 season when they announced the arrival of Kolkata-based firm Shree Cement Limited as their new investor.

The Red and Golds’ participation in ISL, which is India’s top tier league, has been a subject of speculation ever since their arch-rivals entered into a merger with ATK and joined the league.

Now that the club has roped in a firm like Shree Cement as their investor, the fans can envision their club playing in the top tier of Indian football.

The ISL has already floated a tender for a new team and all the club needs to do is pick it up and submit the bid.

Just like the club fans, former East Bengal captain and Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia to expressed his happiness over East Bengal’s tie-up with a new investor.

"I am very happy and excited that East Bengal got an investor. I am very happy for all the fans who were dying to see East Bengal playing the highest league and finally the investors have come and they are going to play ISL. It is a great thing and I am very excited,” Bhutia told Goal.

The former Indian skipper also believed that the addition of the two Kolkata giants will add great value to the ISL.

“It is going to lift the competition and passion of the league. It will be more competitive now that East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will be in it. It adds great value and the league itself will become much bigger with these two clubs.

"It adds huge value in terms of support. Overall Mohun Bagan and East Bengal add huge value to the league,” opined the Sikkimese legend.

Alexis Sanchez has admitted he wanted to leave Manchester United and return to Arsenal after his very first training session with the Red Devils. 

The former Barcelona attacker left the Emirates for Old Trafford in January 2018 but struggled to impress across two seasons before being sent to Inter on loan last year. 

In Serie A across the 2019-20 campaign, Sanchez showed glimpses of his former self and secured a permanent move to Milan in August. 

Reflecting on his time in Manchester via a video posted on his Instagram, the 31-year-old claims he knew very quickly he wasn't going to enjoy his time with the club and hit out at the squad's lack of unity during his time there. 

"After the first training session I realised many things, I came home and asked my family and my manager if I could not break the contract and return to Arsenal, something did not fit me, but I had already signed," Sanchez said. 

"Months passed and I kept feeling the same. We were not united as a team at that time.

"The journalists also spoke without knowing and it hurt. Former players also spoke and had no idea what was happening inside the club. And they hurt me.

"A player also depends on the internal environment, that we need to be a family. We weren't like that, and it was reflected on the field. If someone had to be blamed, they blamed me.

"I do self-criticism and should have played better. But I was always blamed, even if I played for a few minutes." 

Sanchez ultimately made 45 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring just five times and contributing nine assists - statistics that pale in comparison to the 80 goals he struck across 166 games with the Gunners. 

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently conceded Sanchez simply failed to play to his full potential while at United.

"We wish him all the best and he is a top player who we want to see play his best football," Solskjaer said. 

"For whatever reason we didn’t see the best of him here, but he’s a top professional and we wish him all the best."

Former East Bengal head coach Trevor James Morgan expressed his delight after the Red and Golds roped in an investor in Shree Cement Limited.

The Kolkata club announced the arrival of their new investor on Wednesday and also suggested that they will now take all the necessary steps to enter the ISL which is just a formality.

The bidding process has already been opened after ISL floated a Request for Proposal (RFP). And all the club has to do is pick it up and submit an official bid to enter ISL.

Morgan, who is one of the most successful East Bengal coaches in the last two decades, expressed his delight that his former club had got an investor and would play in the Indian Super League (ISL) which is currently the top tier of Indian football.

“I am happy that a company has invested in East Bengal and that the opportunity for them to play in the ISL has come,” the Brit told Goal.

The coach who had won a total of nine trophies in four years at the Kolkata club felt that it was a much needed change at the helm of the club and expressed his happiness that the club will now be run by a better group of professionals.

“It is vital that the club is now run professionally. It is not about egos and "I'm in charge", it is about getting the right people in the right positions and everyone pulling in the same direction to make East Bengal the biggest and best club in India and Asia.”

Under Trevor Morgan’s tutelage, East Bengal had won four Calcutta Football League (CFL) titles, two Federation Cups, one IFA Shield and one AIFF (All India Football Federation) Super Cup.

The 63-year-old coach recently joined Philippines Football League club United City FC as their head coach. It must be noted that he was the interim coach of ISL outfit Kerala Blasters during their early years.

Much to the joy of millions of fans across the world, East Bengal announced that they have secured an investor in Shree Cement, with the help of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and now their participation in the Indian Super League (ISL) remains a mere formality. 

Their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan had already ensured their berth in ISL after merging with ATK, and the Red and Gold officials kept striving to make a breakthrough, which is finally set to bear fruit in the next few weeks upon completion of a few formalities and paperwork. 

The entry of the two Kolkata giants into the top-tier of Indian football certainly bodes well for fans and Tarun Jhunjhunwala, Chief Executive at Reliance, went a step ahead even termed the development as "a new beginning in Indian football". 

With both the Kolkata giants set to participate in ISL, this will be for the very first time that two teams from the same city will ply their trade in the league at the same time, since its inception.

In 2017, when FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited) invited bids for interested parties, to add a maximum of three teams in that season, Kolkata was one of the cities in spite of having ATK being based from the city. The ten cities were Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri, and Thiruvananthapuram.

It must be remembered that East Bengal had picked up the bid document in 2017 as well though they ended up not submitting it.

It is commonplace in football to have two giants from the same city, which only fuels the rivalry and competition between the two. The best derbies in world football have sprung from the co-existence of two rivals in the same city, and the Kolkata derby is no exception. 

There were apprehensions amongst fans that they might have to spend a season without witnessing the famed 'boro match' of Maidan on the national stage but with the East Bengal already having one feet in ISL, their fears have been quashed for good.

The glitz and glamour of the ISL will combine with the passion and legacy of one of the oldest derbies in the world. The fixture that gave fans countless unforgettable memories, one that evokes a feeling of nostalgia among the older generation who have been accustomed to watching the Kolkata giants battle it out in the National Football League (NFL) or the I-League, now gets a different a dimension.

It is only going to get bigger and better with enhanced marketing, promotion, coverage and the overall experience for fans be it at the stadium or in front of devices. 

Indian football is indeed set for a new beginning.