Looking for Soccer News?

Jack Grealish has been given a first senior call-up to Gareth Southgate's England side following a number of withdrawals from the squad.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has pulled out with an ankle injury, while Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has also withdrawn, leaving spaces in the senior squad, one of which Aston Villa star Grealish has been called on to fill.

England will face Iceland in UEFA Nations League action on September 5 in Reykjavik before hosting Denmark four days later.

Villa captain Grealish has previously represented England at under-21 level and was a member of Southgate’s 2016 Toulon Tournament-winning squad, having chosen to represent the Three Lions over the Republic of Ireland, for who he was also eligible.

Grealish could be one of several England players to make his senior debut against either Iceland or Denmark, along with Wolves defender Conor Coady and Arsenal utility man Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who were also late call-ups following Southgate's initial announcement last week.

Phil Foden of Man City, Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United, and Man United duo Mason Greenwood and Dean Henderson could also win their first senior caps in the coming internationals.

Rashford meanwhile posted a message on social media following his withdrawal, saying he was disappointed to miss out but that he is still not fully fit as he recovers from an ankle knock.

He wrote on Twitter: "Gutted. Never want to let this team down but these fixtures just came a little too soon for me. I tried my best but I have to focus on starting the season at my strongest for club and country. Good luck boys, I’ll be cheering you on from home."

Grealish was the stand-out player in Aston Villa's team last season, his 10 goals and eight assists in 41 matches in all competitions in 2019/20 proving invaluable as Dean Smith's side narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League.

His initial snub by Southgate was criticised by some England fans on social media and by several pundits, including former England captain and record goal scorer Wayne Rooney.

Rooney told talkSPORT before Grealish's late call-up:  “It’s very surprising. The season he had he was outstanding.

“I’ve been there when I was a young player at Everton and the team probably weren’t to the standard I was, and I think that’s where Jack is at now – Aston Villa are not at the standard of the player he is.

“I can’t work it out why’s he’s not in the squad – I have no idea. He should be in that squad. Even if he is just in the squad to train and you just bring him on for 10 minutes to see his character and see how he reacts to it. It was shocking that he wasn’t in the squad.”

In response to the news that Lionel Messi has handed a transfer request in to Barcelona, Stuttgart fans have rallied around to make an audacious crowdfunded bid for the Argentina superstar.

Messi believes that he is out of contract with the Primera Division side and eligible to depart on a free transfer this summer, but La Liga has ruled in favour of his club, meaning any team that wants to sign him is likely to have to stump up his release clause of €700 million (£627m/$835m).

The Stuttgart supporters are apparently unperturbed by such an eye-wating amount of money and have set their sights on raising €900m (£805m/$1bn), presumably to finance the superstar wages that come with such a name. 

In order to generate the finances required for a deal to take place, the fans of the side that finished third bottom of the Bundesliga last season - and avoided relegation only because of their success in a play-off - are holding an unlikely whip round.

A statement on the GoFundMe page states: “We VfB fans are collecting money to pay for Lionel Messi's transfer. In the event that the planned amount is not reached on time or Lionel Messi joins another club, 100% of the money raised will be donated to Viva con Agua.”

Formed in St Pauli, Via Con Agua “is a non-profit organisation committed to ensuring that all people worldwide have access to clean drinking water”.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are leading the way in the race to sign Messi, while Paris Saint-Germain and Inter are also credited with a close interest in the player. All three clubs benefit from wealthy owners and are not having to rely on crowdfunding to generate their finances.

Stuttgart, whose star players include Orel Mangala, Nicolas Gonzalez and Silas Wamangituka, have thus far been bringing in far more modest signings this summer than Messi.

Waldemar Anton and Gregor Kobel have arrived from Hannover and Hoffenheim for reported fees of €4m (£3.5m/$4.7m), while Konstantinos Mavropanos has arrived on a one-year loan deal from Arsenal.

They will begin their Bundesliga campaign against Freiburg on Saturday, September 19.

ATK Mohun Bagan FC defender Boris Singh has tested negative for the Coronavirus.

On August 20, Goal had reported that Singh had tested positive for Covid-19 and was kept in institutional quarantine in his home town though he was asymptomatic. He will be released on Tuesday after testing negative.

The young full-back was supposed to undergo strength and conditioning training in the city of Bengaluru ahead of the new season of ISL. His was the first case of Covid-19 among active high-profile footballers in India.

The fresh test result comes as a huge relief for his club as well as Indian football fans.

The 18-year-old was a key member of India's FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 and subsequently attracted eyeballs with his impressive performances in the I-League. Although he was a consistent performer for Indian Arrows for two seasons, the youngster is yet to make his first team debut for ATKMB in the ISL. 

He had appeared for the team's reserves side last season in the Durand Cup.

Boris had been earmarked as a huge talent ever since he caught the All India Football Federation (AIFF) scouts' eye when he led Manipur to the U14 national championship title in 2013.

He was also part of the India U20 team beat Argentina 2-1 in the COTIF tournament in Spain under Floyd Pinto's tutelage in 2018.

Pep Guardiola could one day return to Barcelona as head coach of the first team, presidential candidate Toni Freixa has declared, as he revealed a manifesto designed to lift the Catalans back to the top of the game.

The Camp Nou side have seen their reputation battered in 2020, as they failed to retain their Primera Division crown and suffered a humiliating Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, who defeated them 8-2.

With star player Lionel Messi now agitating for a move, the club finds itself in disarray and Freixa believes that they need to go back to basics, with the Manchester City boss, who won 14 titles in his previous four-year stint in charge of the club, a man he sees as a natural option to lift them back to where they belong.

“Pep once let it be known that he would like to head the Barca academy in the future, but he would also be a wonderful solution for the first team,” he told Goal. “The important thing is that the team plays successful and exciting football again, and that nothing like what happened against Bayern happens. 

“They exposed us for over 90 minutes, all the mistakes and failures of the team, but even more so the weaknesses of the sporting leadership in recent years. It was the end of the end. Now it's time for a change.”

While Xavi, the club’s great former central midfielder, has been touted as a potential coach one day, Freixa believes it is too soon to call upon the services of the World Cup winner, who is presently only one year into his career in the dugout with Al Saad.

“He would be one possibility,” Freixas said when asked if the ex-Spain man will return as coach. “Xavi is just taking his first steps as a manager, he still needs time. The question is not whether he will return, but when.”

The secretary of the club when they were in their pomp under Guardiola, Freixa has seen at first-hand what is required for success and has set out a roadmap to return to those days.

“My goal would be to bring about an era similar to the one I had under Pep,” he explained. “The past is not repeatable, but the club must go back to its base. It needs a philosophy of play that is practised both in the youth teams and in the professional team. La Masia deserves a more important role than it has today. 

“The squad must consist of world-class players and of players who can become world-class players. Here, Barca can also take Bayern Munich as an example.”

Could Gor Mahia midfielder Lawrence Juma have confirmed his imminent departure to AFC Leopards or Sofapaka?

In a cryptic Facebook post on Monday, the Harambee Stars midfielder sent some fans of AFC Leopards into overdrive as the short statement could have hinted he was on the move.

Juma has been one of the Gor Mahia players who have been linked with AFC Leopards and Sofapaka and the social media post could have suggested the reports are true.

“Turn on the flashing blue lights,” Juma’s post, accompanied by a photo in the national team colours, read.

AFC Leopards, Sofapaka, and Bandari are the KPL teams that trade in blue colours.

Goal understands the midfielder has already been approached by the 2009 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) winners and personal terms have been agreed to some extent.

On Monday, a source close to AFC Leopards and Juma confirmed the club is eager to sign the former Nzoia Sugar star as they hope he would be of a great addition to a team that is rebuilding after seasons of on and off the pitch struggles.

“I understand Sofapaka have made an approach already but recently even AFC Leopards have shown interest in him,” the source told Goal.

Since joining Gor Mahia in 2017, Juma has established himself as one of the outstanding midfielders in the league. His performance for the 18-time KPL winners also saw him earn a place in the national team.

He had previously played for Nakuru All-Stars in the National Super League.

Juma was part of the squad that featured in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers against both Egypt and Togo as well as in the Cecafa tournament where Kenya failed to impress in Kampala.

Gor Mahia – who have already signed Cameroonian midfielder Bertrand Konfor, goalkeeper Levis Opiyo, Andrew Juma, Sydney Ochieng, and John Macharia – are in the process of revamping the squad ahead of their Caf Champions League duties where they hope to impress.

Juma’s departure could come out as a shock for most Gor Mahia fans who have come to adore him given his composure, ability to press and stabilise the team from the midfield.

He formed a formidable understating with captain Kenneth Muguna, something that moved Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi to give both of them national team call-ups in the previous assignments.

If the Harambee Star is eventually going to ditch the Green Army, he would be following in the footsteps of David Mapigano who joined Azam FC of Tanzania, now Dodoma Jiji’s Dickson Ambundo, Boniface Omondi who left for Wazito FC and Joash Onyango who signed a two-year deal with the Tanzanian champions Simba SC.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirants led by Sam Nyamweya have confirmed they will give direction on the next course of action on Tuesday just a day after they skipped the nomination exercise.

The four aspirants – Nyamweya, Nicholas Musonye, Twaha Mbarak, and Sammy Sholei – had revealed on Sunday that they will not hand in their papers on Monday, and true to their word they skipped the exercise held at FKF’s Goal Project.

The officials have now confirmed they will hold a major press conference on Tuesday to show the way forward and called on other aspirants to join their course of action because the exercise is already flawed.

“We said we will not present our papers today [Monday] and we have done exactly that,” Nyamweya told Goal on Monday. “Nothing will change, we will not take part in an already rigged exercise, we will instead, follow other channels to have the exercise stopped.

“Apart from the presidential aspirants, even our NEC members have not handed in their papers and that shows you how bad the exercise is being conducted, no one is having faith in the exercise, they have decided to bend the law to favour the incumbent and we will not accept that.

“We don’t care how many years it will take to have the exercise done, but all we need is to have a proper election, with all stakeholders taking part, not a one-sided exercise.”

Mbarak, on his part, told Goal they will issue the way forward in a press conference on Tuesday.

“We are inviting you to the press conference and this is where we will unleash the way forward,” Mbarak told Goal. “We will not accept to go into a contest in an already rigged process, the incumbent has already rigged himself back into the office and it will be a waste of time to participate in the exercise.

“I can assure you we will not stop at that, we already have a case in court challenging the process and we will continue to press and get justice, only the court will be able to help us.”

Mbarak added: “I want to assure you that we will not have an election again, the exercise has been stopped twice and I can assure you, it will be stopped again because FKF has refused to follow the raid down laws.”

The Electoral Board has already set October 17 as the date for the national elections which will be preceded by grassroots polls held across the 47 counties on September 19.

It will be the third time in a year that the FKF will be holding elections. The previous two exercises were nullified by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) last December and in March this year, with SDT chairman John Ohaga ruling the rules of engagement were flouted on both occasions.

Mark Bosnich has backed Dean Henderson to take the No 1 jersey from David de Gea at Manchester United.

Henderson returned to Old Trafford last week after an impressive two-year loan spell at Sheffield United, and committed to fresh terms which will see him remain at Old Trafford until 2025.

The 23-year-old told United's official website after the announcement was made: "The faith that the manager and the club have shown in me with this contract means a lot to me and will continue my progression as a goalkeeper. I’ll be giving everything to improve every day so that I can play as many games as possible for this great club."

De Gea has been the Red Devils first-choice shot-stopper for the best part of eight years, but a dip in form over the past two seasons has seen his reliability between the sticks questioned.

The Spain international made several high-profile errors in 2019-20, most notably during the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, with suggestions now that Solskjaer should look to replace him in order for United to start challenging the elite once again.

Bosnich, who had two spells in goal for United during his playing days, thinks Henderson has been brought back to do exactly that, as he told Sky Sports: "The fact that he’s signed such a long-term deal, he’s obviously part of their long-term plans.

"Whether or not it’ll be at the start of the season, I think at some time during next season – unless De Gea starts off and he’s doing absolutely fantastic – I do believe that Dean Henderson will take over.

"Obviously De Gea, over the last 12 months, hasn’t been quite the goalkeeper he is and I believe that now the contract is done and signed, if De Gea continues his in and out form, that Dean Henderson will take over.

"The only thing that will stop that is De Gea performing out of his skin if he starts again – and that’s only good for the club either way."

All eyes will be on Solskjaer when he picks his starting XI for United's first game of the new season against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on September 19.

The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League last season, but failed to win a single trophy, and will be expected to push for major honours across all competitions when the action resumes.

Cameroon striker Henrietta Akaba will lead Minsk when they take on South Africa striker Rhoda Mulaudzi's Dinamo-BSUPC in the Belarusian Women's Cup final in the Belarusian capital on Monday.

It is a match which will see the defending champions take on a side which was launched earlier this year.

It will also be their third meeting in all competitions this year, with Dinamo claiming 1-0 at home and 2-1 away victories in the previous two encounters in the ongoing domestic league campaign.

To reach the finals, Minsk eliminated Neman on a 2-0 aggregate semi-final win, while Dinamo bounced out nine-time record winners Bobruichanka after a 12-3 victory on aggregate last month.

Back-to-back defeats to Dinamo have seen Minsk's dominance in Belarus hugely threatened by the emergence of Maleyew Yury's team, who hold a nine-point lead on the league log. 

Ahead of Monday's showdown, Minsk will be without their biggest asset and 2019 Belarus Women's Player of the Year, Emuidzhi Oghiabekhva for the first time since 2016, who left this month.

Besides Nigeria's Oghiabekhva, compatriot Chioma Wogu will also be missing for Minsk, due to injury, but they are now set to unleash their new signing Akaba against Dinamo.

While Akaba will lead Minsk's attack, compatriot defender Alvine Njolle and Cote d'Ivoire midfielder Nadege Cisse will be key in their quest to avoid losing out on the Cup title for the first time since 2013.

On the other hand, Dinamo are aiming to celebrate their first-ever domestic title and also maintain their incredible winning streak of 19 consecutive wins in all competitions this season.

They boast of five Africans in Cameroon's Claudia Dabda along with joint-top scorer Salimata Simpore from Burkina Faso and South Africa trio Rhoda Mulaudzi, Bambanani Mbane, Lebogang Ramalepe.

With head-to-head advantage over Minsk, Dinamo will hope to prove their mettle by ending their rivals' dominance at the Dinamo Stadium.

While Minsk will need to rediscover their winning mentality to derail Dinamo's maiden title dream, as they look destined to lose the race to retain the league crown with six games left to go.

On Monday evening, history will be made as Minsk eye their ninth title to equal Bobruichanka's record, while Dinamo are seeking to become the eight different winner of the competition since 1992.

The agent of former Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has claimed that the Ligue 1 champions “lost two years” of progress when they appointed Unai Emery as their head coach.

The Spaniard arrived in France after enjoying great success in Spain with Sevilla, where he won three Europa League titles.

Such triumphs would not follow him to the French capital, however. Under his guidance, PSG claimed two domestic trebles but twice failed at the Champions League at the last-16 stage, notably giving away a 4-0 first-leg advantage to Barcelona in a matchnow known as the infamous ‘Remontada’.

Emery was subsequently not retained and under Thomas Tuchel, the Parisians have enjoyed something of a bounce. Last season under the German, they reached the final of the Champions League before falling narrowly to Bayern Munich 1-0 in Lisbon.

Paulo Tonietto believes they would have reached that goal more swiftly had they not appointed Emery in the first place.

“PSG lost two years the day they recruited him,” the agent told L’Equipe. “His problem is that he has trouble managing the stars.  In Paris, it was the players who solved the situation after Neymar and [Edinson] Cavani clashed on-field over a penalty. When he went to Arsenal, the first player he got angry with was Mesut Ozil

“He's a good coach to play in the Europa League, not the Champions League. The suit was too big for him. He was a terrible coach for PSG. 

“If there had been a coach of another calibre during these two years, PSG would have already won the Champions League.”

Tonietto also reflected on the 6-1 second-leg loss to Barcelona, a match in which Silva’s performance came under question.

“The person foremost responsible for the Remontada is Emery,” the agent said. “He put Angel Di Maria on the bench. When he came on, the team played better before the final collapse.

“Against Real Madrid in a 3-1 loss in 2018? Emery made bad changes by putting Dani Alves through the middle to bring in Thomas Meunier. At the same time, Zinedine Zidane brought on Marco Asensio, who was decisive.”

Tuchel was a notable ally of Thiago Silva, campaigning for him to stay at the club even after his contract expired following the Champions League final. The Brazil international has since signed for Chelsea.

Midfielder Ronald Ssekiganda has revealed the inspiration behind his move to Sports Club Villa.

The Ugandan signed a two-year deal with the record Premier League champions and said it is a privilege to join his boyhood club.

“Villa have always been a special club for me. It has always been in my blood,” Ssekiganda told Football256.

“Since I started playing football as a small boy, this was simply the club for me.

“I once told my agent that one day I would love to play in the blue jersey. However, I had to first play at a lower division side in order to develop and mature for the big stage before signing for my darling club.

“I honestly believe that it is a privilege to play for the club and at the same time have the opportunity to help bring this club back to the top of Ugandan football because it’s where it belongs.”

Ssekiganda featured in the 2019 Airtel Masaza Cup for Bulemeezi and went on to win the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament award. He has also played for Ssingo FC, Buruuli FC in the Masaza Cup as well.

Lungujja Galaxy and CATIDA in the third division have also been his homes.

“I had some good years in Masaza Cup, and it was great playing there,” Ssekiganda added.

“We live in a changing world and always new players come in which literally means those that have been there for a long time like me have to move on.

“From the fans, administrators, players and every one playing a role in the Masaza Cup, I wish you all the very best, and I know that you feel the same about me.”

He became the fifth new signing made by SC Villa after Meddie Kibirige, Martin Ssenkooto, Andrew Kiwanuka and Geoffrey Oyirwoth.

Right-back Joseph Nsubuga and goalkeeper Saidi Keni have renewed their contracts with the Jogoos ahead of the 2020/21 season that will tentatively start on October 17.

Meanwhile, Richard Matovu has returned to Kyetume FC from BUL FC.

The left-back had joined the Jinja club for the 2017/18 season and spent two years establishing himself as one of the dependable full-backs at the club.

“I thank God for those two years which I have been in BUL. The fact is I am going to miss you guys. I am going to miss BUL family just know that I love you all guys. God bless all of you,” Matovu said as per Kawowo Sports.

Jamshedpur FC have announced the signing of midfielder Alexandre Monteiro de Lima for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season.

The Brazilian midfielder will be Jamshedpur's fourth overseas player for the season along with Aitor Monroy, David Grande and Nerijus Valskis.

The 31-year-old last plied his trade with Vietnamese outfit Ho Chi Minh City FC where his stint was shortlived.

Alex Monteiro de Lima is a creative midfielder who plays behind the number nine. He has played for various clubs in Asia including Suwon FC and FC Anyang in South Korea's second division.

The Gremio youth product started his senior career in Switzerland with Wohlen and has played for Chicago Fire in the Major League Soccer.

Jamshedpur Head Coach, Owen Coyle, shared his excitement at Alex's signing. He said, “Alex is a player of multiple capabilities. A team-player, aggressive, smart, quick, a powerhouse – I could go on with a hundred adjectives and yet, it would not be enough to describe him.

"He is an amazing talent who can unlock the toughest of defences. I remember I signed him when I was a coach at Houston and he did his job perfectly well for the club and I hope he will do the same here. A warm welcome to Alex. Wishing him a successful time with us.”

On joining the club, Alex said, "I have played football across four continents. To now join this exciting league wearing the colours of one of the top teams of India makes me extremely proud. I can’t wait to meet my teammates."

Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side Onduparaka FC have sealed double signings ahead of the new season.

“We are delighted to announce the signing of holding midfielder Okot Simon and goalkeeper Ogiramoi Stephen as we continue to strengthen the squad ahead of the forthcoming season,” the club confirmed on their official website.

“Okot who previously featured for Katwe United and is part of the Acholi Province Team joins us on a two-year contract while former U-Touch goalkeeper Ogiramoi has signed a three-year contract to stay with us.

“The duo joins our already signed players who are expected to link up with the Arua team soon as the season preparations begin.”

The signing of the duo comes just a day after the club announced the signing of free agent Augustine Opoka.

Opoka, who formerly turning out for Busoga United, signed a two-year deal with the Caterpillars and became the 10th new player to arrive.

“You requested for a UPL material, we heard you and now we give you a UPL material,” the club confirmed while unveiling Opoka on Sunday. “Welcome goalkeeper [Augustine] Opoka from Busoga United who has joined us on a two-year deal”

At Busoga United, Opoka did not manage to command a place in the starting line up regularly with stiff competition coming from Rodgers Omedwa and Ali Kimera.

At his new home, he will have to square it out with Yussuf Wasswa, who was largely trusted last season. Opoka had featured for Spartans FC, Kamwoka, and Kampala University FC.

Coach Vialli Bainomugisha will work with the new players including Gabriel Matata, Augustine Akoch, Nelson Opiyo, Emmanuel Odur, Emmanuel Okech, Bony Musema, Jerry Jakisa, Kennedy Atibuni, and Jasper Okello.

Meanwhile, the Caterpillars have announced Dan Obote as their chief scout.

The club has maintained their strategy of spreading to other parts of the country will be achieved if they sign talents far away from the West Nile region.

“As Onduparaka Football Club aims to extend its love beyond West Nile to other regions of the country and abroad, we are delighted to welcome and announce  [Dan Obote] as the club’s chief scout for Lango and North Eastern region,” the club announced.

“Obote who holds coaching qualifications in Fufa beginners Level D and Caf C Coaching license is a retired professional Uganda Cranes international who also featured for the U20 [Hippos] and U23 [Kobs].”

During his heyday, Obote had an active career that saw him feature not only for Ugandan clubs but also for regional outfits.

Obote played for Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC), SC Villa, and Boroboro FC in Uganda. The scout played for Rayon Sports of Rwanda as well as a number of South African clubs that include Vasco Da Gama, FC Cape Town, and Ikapa Sporting.

Conor Gallagher has completed a medical at Crystal Palace ahead of a season-long loan at Selhurst Park - however the move is being delayed by contract talks in west London.

Chelsea are trying to tie down their 20-year-old star, who was the pick of the bunch from last season's loan group, due to him having less than two years on his current deal.

It is expected that a deal will be agreed for the season-long loan that will see Gallagher follow in Ruben Loftus-Cheek's footsteps, having had a year in South London before earning a permanent spot in the first-team squad.

Lampard played Gallagher in the 1-1 draw with Brighton at the Amex Stadium in a friendly on Saturday ahead of the 2020-21 season.

Gallagher has targeted a Premier League loan move this season and Palace won the race amid competition from several fellow top-flight clubs.

This comes after the homegrown star spent last season on loan at both Charlton Athletic and Swansea City, ultimately losing in the Championship play-off semi-finals for the South Wales club.

The England Under-21 made an impact in the Championship, playing in 47 games, scoring six goals and claiming 11 assists.

Meanwhile, Ethan Ampadu also featured in the pre-season friendly and remains intent on trying to earn a spot in Lampard's squad despite loan interest.

Jake Clarke-Salter looks set for another loan in the Championship, with Derby County, Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday showing an interest in him.

Newly-promoted Premier League side West Bromwich Albion could be another option as Chelsea assess which club would be best for his development, following a good year at Birmingham last season.

USMNT international Matt Miazga is set for another season out on loan with a host of clubs overseas looking at securing the defender. Danny Drinkwater and Baba Rahman both lined up for the Under-23s against Palace this weekend and are also exploring their options for moves away.

Meanwhile, Rennes, along with a host of Premier League clubs, have offered Fikayo Tomori a loan move. Everton are among those still tracking the homegrown defender, who broke through last season.

Chelsea's newest recruit Malang Sarr has loan interest from Germany after Chelsea announced he would spend next season on loan, despite only being signed last week.

Nathan Baxter and Dujon Sterling will also likely spend another season out on temporary moves from Chelsea, with 10 players in the group that are overseen by Claude Makelele's loan department.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has stated it will "strictly enforce" health and safety protocols at its Ordinary Session of Congress on Tuesday amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Originally scheduled to take place online via video conferencing technology Zoom, the meeting has been re-organised to an in-person session following the lifting of conferencing restrictions as the nation continues its way back to regular socio-economic activities after the implementation of various Covid-19 restrictions. 

The convocation, meanwhile, has also had to fight boycott threats over a supposed inappropriate choice of date. 

"The Ghana Football Association wishes to inform members and all stakeholders that the Association will fully comply with all Covid-19 safety protocols at the 26th Ordinary Congress on Tuesday," the GFA has announced on its official website.

"Thermometer guns, hand-washing buckets, hand sanitizers and other Personnel Preventive Equipment will be provided at the Congress which will be held at the GFA Technical Centre (GSCE) at Prampram on Tuesday.

"Strict security measures will be enforced at the venue from the entrance to the main hall to ensure that Members of Congress, Invited Guests and the accredited Media men and women go through the health and safety procedures put in place successfully.

"Only accredited representatives nominated by Members of Congress will be allowed into the Congress premises in accordance with the Social Distancing Protocols.

"Participants are therefore urged to come early on Tuesday to ensure a successful Congress.

"Delegates are kindly reminded that No Mask No Entry!"

On the agenda of the meeting is the review of the activity report for the 2019-20 football season which had to be cancelled midway through due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Also, there will be a presentation and approval of the GFA budget for the 2020-21 financial year.

The Ordinary Session of Congress was also originally scheduled to take place on August 27.

The event is an annual one which officially closes a football season and paves the way for an Extra-Ordinary Session of Congress to usher in a new term.

The 2020-21 domestic campaign, headlined by the men’s Premier League (GPL) and FA Cup competitions, has been tentatively set to commence in the second week of October should it get clearance from the Government of Ghana.

Portuguese champions FC Porto have announced the signing of Zaidu Sanusi from rivals Santa Clara.

The defender signed a five-year deal with the Blue and Whites which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025.

The Nigerian full-back is FC Porto’s third signing this summer after also acquiring the services of Claudio Ramos and Carraca.

The 23-year-old will join Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem, who was on loan to Spanish side Leganes in the 2019-20 campaign, at the club.  

He will also link up with Senegal duo of Mouhamed Mbaye and Mamadou Loum as well as Mali’s Moussa Marega, Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo defender Chancel Mbemba.

Sanusi is looking forward to working with manager Sergio Conceicao and hopes to help the Estadio do Dragao outfit win many titles in the 2020-21 campaign.

“I am extremely happy to play for FC Porto. I can’t explain it, but I am thrilled to wear this shirt,” Sanusi told the club website.

“I hope to do a good job and help the team. We are going to win everything this season.

“The club and the fans can expect me to give everything. I received a lot of messages from FC Porto fans, and that made me happy.

“I still haven’t talked to him [Sergio Conceicao], but I’m sure we will talk a lot. From now on, he’s my coach, so we will be talking a lot, I’m sure. I’m extremely motivated to start working.”

Sanusi is no stranger to Portuguese football, having spent most of his career playing in the European country.

The left-back started his exploits in the country in 2016 when he teamed up with Gil Vicente, but did not make a single appearance for the club before he was sent on loan to Mirandela.

Sanusi impressed on loan to earn a permanent deal with Mirandela in 2018 and featured 74 times for the club during his two-year stay.

The defender then teamed up with Santa Clara in 2019 and made 24 league appearances for the Estadio de Sao Miguel outfit before his departure.

Sanusi could make his debut for FC Porto when they take on Sporting Braga in their next league game on September 20.

Jack Grealish should be a part of England's midfield, according to Danny Murphy, who says Gareth Southgate is "wrong" to leave the Aston Villa star out of his plans.

Southgate named his 24-man squad for upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Iceland and Denmark last week.

Manchester City's Phil Foden, Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood and versatile Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who has never played in the Premier League, were all handed first call-ups, but Grealish was snubbed despite playing a key role in Villa's survival bid last season.

The 24-year-old was widely regarded as one of most consistent performers in the top-flight in 2019-20, as he stood out in a struggling side lacking quality in several other areas of the pitch.

Grealish contributed eight goals and six assists to Villa's cause, and his final day strike in a draw against West Ham ensured that Dean Smith's side escaped relegation.

Southgate justified the playmaker's omission by insisting that there are players ahead of him in the pecking order, but Murphy believes the Three Lions coach is missing a trick by pinning him down as a winger.

"I feel for Jack Grealish," the former England international told the Daily Mail. "He was superb for Aston Villa last season, one of the standout English players in the Premier League, and was the key to his side's survival. So it was a huge blow for him to be left out of the England squad for the Nations League games.

"Gareth Southgate said he sees Grealish as a winger, maybe as a No 10, and he has a wealth of talent in those areas with Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.

"It's true, England have tremendous quality in attacking areas. Where I think Southgate is wrong is seeing him only in those positions. At his best, I believe Grealish is part of the midfield trio behind the front three."

Murphy is confident that, despite Southgate's comments, Grealish will eventually be given the chance to step onto the senior stage with his country due to his strong mentality.

"It is a bit predictable that England chose the orthodox options," he added. "The misconception about Grealish is that people see him as just a dribbler. He's not. He has a superb range of passing and can open teams up from this deeper position.

"I feel for Jack but he is determined. His time will come. He will get his chance."

The preparations for the 2022 World Cup is in full swing in Qatar. The host country are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to 'Deliver' Amazing'. Qatar have now secured around 15000 accomodation facilities to meet the demands of the fans visiting the country for the World Cup.

To ensure the delivery of accommodation options for the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Housing and Governmental Buildings Department of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs (MADLSA) and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March 2020 to lease residential properties that would be used as lodging for visitors during the marquee event, set to kick off on 21 November 2022.

After reviewing hundreds of landlord requests to be a part of the accommodation plan, 150 properties have been given the nod in the first batch. These are fully furnished and would provide 15,000 additional rooms for use during the tournament. 

As part of this initiative, there are plans to sign five-year renewable contracts with homeowners so that it can be used beyond the tournament.  This will be done keeping in mind Qatar’s long term government housing needs, a key part of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Speaking on this occasion, Yousef bin Muhammad Al Othman Fakhro, Minister of ADLSA said: "We are pleased to complete the first phase of this project and secure thousands of rooms for guests of the State of Qatar. Through cooperation with the private sector, these rooms can be used during the tournament and then leveraged for future government housing needs."

He also confirmed that the online application portal is still open, and real estate owners can register their properties to take advantage of this distinct opportunity.

His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC, commented, “We succeeded in securing thousands of rooms more than two years before the start of the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world as a result of this cooperation with the Ministry of Administrative Development Labour and Social Affairs, and we are very pleased with this key achievement."

Al Thawadi added, “The SC will continue its commitment to work with its local partners to provide sustainable accommodation options in a way that contributes to strengthening the local economy and supporting the continued development of the business sector and Qatar’s preparations to host the tournament."

The government understands that this project would support the local economy through greater participation of the private sector during the preparation period for the tournament and beyond.

Tusker FC are on the verge of losing striker Timothy Otieno, who is in Zambia to negotiate a deal with the National Pension Scheme Authority Stars Football Club (Napsa FC).

The Kenya international was in a fine form for the Brewers in the abandoned 2019/20 season, scoring 14 goals to finish top of the goal scorer's chat. It is for this reason the Zambian outfit have shown interest in him and are keen on securing his services ahead of the new season.

"It is true Otieno has left, he is in Zambia to negotiate a deal with a top tier team," Tusker FC coach Robert Matano confirmed to Goal.

"Yes, he is a good player whose quality is undoubted and as a team, we would have loved to keep him. However, some things are beyond our control and all we can do is wish him the best."

The striker joined the 11-time Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions in 2018 from Gor Mahia, a team he helped win the league title.

The Brewers hope they will have a say in the league race in the new campaign, but the veteran tactician says he cannot do anything since nothing has been made clear on when the season starts.

"We can not say the team is close to signing anyone, it will be a blatant lie," Matano revealed when asked about the plans in the current transfer window," he added.

"It is not clear when the league will start, and some decisions depend on that. All I can do is continue planning hoping more light will be shed on when everything starts again.

"However, as it is right now, I cannot say we have done anything, no we have not but we hope soon we will."

The Ruaraka side have lost goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure, whose contract with the club expired and he opted against extending his stay. He revealed he is on his way to South African giants Orlando Pirates.

The 30-year-old disclosed that he is among the three goalkeepers on the Pirates radar after impressing in the preliminary round of selection.  

Mvuyekure will be hoping to emulate Olivier Kwizera, who played for Free State Stars in the PSL, between 2016 and 2019. 
 

Mikel Arteta's unique "philosophy" was clear to see in the Community Shield final, according to Martin Keown, who says the Arsenal boss "deserves a great deal of credit" for delivering the second trophy of his reign at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners built on their triumph in last season's FA Cup final by picking up another piece of domestic silverware on Saturday.

Arteta's men beat Premier League champions Liverpool after a dramatic contest at Wembley, which ultimately had to be decided via a penalty shoot-out.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's stunning goal opened the scoring with just 12 minutes on the clock, but the Reds eventually found an equaliser through Takumi Minamino deep into the second half.

With no extra time granted in the 2020-21 curtain-raiser, the match went straight to penalties at the end of the 90 minutes, and Liverpool's Rhian Brewster ended up being the only man to fluff his lines from 12 yards.

Aubameyang made the young forward pay for hitting the crossbar by dispatching the winning penalty to wrap up a 5-4 victory for Arsenal, who lifted the Community Shield for a record-breaking 16th time.

Keown was hugely impressed by the Gunners' performance at Wembley, and hailed Arteta for the way he set his side up to beat Liverpool for the second time in two months - with a 2-1 win recorded in the last Premer League meeting between the two sides in July.

The former Arsenal defender wrote in his latest column for the Daily Mail: "Mikel Arteta will happily take this win and he deserves a great deal of credit. In the last 50 days, Arsenal have got the better of Liverpool (twice), Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final and Chelsea in the final.

"The players had only a handful of training sessions together in the build-up, but we saw a well-coached side cause Jurgen Klopp’s team problems.

"You could see the philosophy behind the opening goal as Arsenal went from back to front in less than 20 seconds. There was a real identity to this performance under Arteta.

"His back three was sturdy and you wonder whether that is the system he is ready to stand by.

"Mohamed Elneny came back from his loan at Besiktas looking secure in midfield alongside Granit Xhaka.

"Emiliano Martinez looks worthy of being Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Bernd Leno.

"Of course, we’re all wondering whether Aubameyang will stay and, judging by Saturday, it seems more likely that he will.

"This was a good day out for Arteta’s Arsenal."

Keown added on the significance of Arsenal securing back-to-back domestic trophies: "Say what you want about the Community Shield — whether you think it is a trophy or a glorified friendly — but the act of securing silverware is never a bad habit to have."