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Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) have once again kept faith in the academy after promoting Dominic Ayella to the senior team ahead of the new season.

The 18-year-old striker, who is currently a student at Masaka Secondary School was unveiled by the Lugogo giants on Sunday.

In a classy unveiling ceremony, Ayella, who was scouted by KCCA during the 2019 Copa Coca Cola tournament, was driven in a blue Mercedes Benz with customised number plates, all the way to Lugogo Stadium, where he changed into the yellow jersey and kicked the ball around the stadium.

“It is time to welcome another signing [Dominic Ayella],” the former Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions wrote on their social media pages.

Ayella has also responded after signing the deal by stating: “I am very happy to have signed for KCCA, looking forward to great memories and winning titles.

“Every finish line is the beginning of a new race...time for real football now!”

KCCA under coach Mike Mutebi has always banked on players from their academy, whom they promote to the senior team at each and every transfer window.

Ayella becomes the club’s eighth signing after Denis Iguma, Charles “Neymar” Lwanga, Italian midfielder Stefano Mazengo Loro, Ashraf Mugume, Brian Aheebwa, and Andrew Samson Kigozi.

In a recent interview, coach Mutebi revealed his main intention was to sign players below 20 years of age because he wants to groom players that can stick at the club for a long time.

“We are interested in players who are in their early 20s because we want to groom players that can stay at the club for some time,” Mutebi told the club’s official website.

“The idea is to give the players long term contracts to keep the team stable if we are to compete at the top level.

“We want to have at least three players in each position and competing at the top level if we are going to meet our goal to compete at the top level especially on the continent.

“When we suffered injuries last season especially with the core of the team, we did not have able replacements. But now that we have at least two to three players in every position I am quite sure we shall compete at the top-level next term.

“I am signing players who I know have potential and who are young and hungry to adapt to the modern way of playing the game the game.”

KCCA will represent Uganda in the Caf Confederation Cup while Vipers SC, who were declared champions for the last campaign, will take part in the Champions League.

Kerala Blasters are in advanced talks with Argentine attacking midfielder Facundo Pereyra as they look to shore up their attack for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season, Goal can confirm. 

The Argentine is likely to sign for the Kochi-based club if everything goes to plan.

He started his career in Buenos Aires for Estudiantes in 2006 and remained there until 2009. He was sent out on loan to Chilean professional club Palestino, where he scored once and assisted on two other occassions. 

Pereyra has also played in the Europa League for PAOK Thessaloniki, FK Qabala, and Apollon Limassol. In 16 Europa appearances, he has scored and assisted once. 

His most productive spell came in 2014-15 season for Greece professional side PAOK where he scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 30 appearances. He matched his goal-scoring tally with Limassol in 2018-19 in just 20 games. 

He has remained teammates with former Chennaiyin player Andre Schembri at Limassol in the 2018-19 season. He has also plied his trade in the Mexican premier league, Liga MX, with Necaxa. 

The creative midfielder can also be deployed in the wings as he spent significant time on the wide areas during his stint with PAOK.

Kerala Blasters had signed Colombian defender Oswaldo Henriquez earlier but he decided not to join the club due to fears over the Covid-19 situation. Blasters also had to part ways with Tiri and Bartholomew Ogbeche. With Sergio Cidoncha already in the squad, Pereyra could be the club's second overseas player for the season.

Chelsea legend Petr Cech believes Kepa Arrizabalaga can still succeed at Chelsea despite a poor 2019-20 season that has resulted in speculation the Spaniard may be sold.

Kepa was dropped on numerous occasions during the season by Blues boss Frank Lampard, and was benched for Willy Caballero in the FA Cup final defeat against Arsenal with the club eager to sign a new shot-stopper this summer.

Cech - who played 11 years at Chelsea, winning four Premier League titles and a Champions League - understands Kepa failed to perform last campaign but insists the club retains faith he will a top class goalkeeper in the future.

"Kepa struggled last season, that is unquestionable," Cech - now a technical and performance advisor at Chelsea - told  Sport.cz.

"But the club invested in him and gave him a long-term contract because they believe he has the qualities and attributes to be successful. 

"Additions will be made to the squad, perhaps even in goal, and this is what is being discussed now.

"But nobody is giving up on Kepa and we all hope he has a great future."

Chelsea have experienced a busy transfer window so far, with the likes of Timo Werner, Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Malang Sarr joining the club already, while German playmaker  Kai Havertz is tipped to also sign with the Blues imminently.

With the transfer window open until October, three weeks after the Premier League season begins, Cech believes there is still plenty of movement left for clubs to make as they all bid to navigate the difficult financial situation brought on by coronavirus.

"The issue of reinforcements is now very much alive," Cech said. "The transfer window is until the end of October this year so there will be a lot of changes after the league begins.

"And the question is how much the coronavirus pandemic will affect everything."

Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Brighton, who they drew with 1-1 in a friendly on Saturday.

Their first home match will see champions Liverpool come to Stamford Bridge, before they travel to newly promoted West Brom and host Crystal Palace in a tricky start to the campaign.

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra made a surprise return to the football pitch over the weekend as he turned out for Brentham FC - a club currently playing in the 11th tier of English football. 

Evra, who stopped playing professionally in 2019, played as a left winger and was wearing the number 11 shirt for the match which saw North Greenford United triumph 3-2. 

The Frenchman's cameo was filmed by a number of shocked spectators with his own team-mates left pinching themselves after sharing the pitch with a Champions League winner. 

Evra took to social after the match to thank Brentham for letting him play and joked that he hope he made Ryan Giggs proud by wearing the number 11 shirt. 

"Thanks for letting me playing with you guys. Such a good day, don’t worry Giggsy I honoured your number the best I could," Evra tweeted.

Evra, who wore the captain's armband for the game, was also filmed on the bench by a team-mate after being substituted and joked: "I’m not tired, it’s my toes from Senegal you know, in Europe I’m 39, but in Africa I’m 57!”

Brentham clarified after the game that Evra's surprise cameo was the result of the Frenchman seeking some match fitness before playing in Soccer Aid next month. 

Evra has been a regular participant in the charity match organised in support of UNICEF, with this year's match to take place at Old Trafford with fellow former Red Devil Wayne Rooney set to manage England's side. 

During his time at Manchester United, Evra won five Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008. His move to Juventus in 2014 also yielded silverware as he won Serie A and the Coppa Italia in successive seasons. 

After announcing his playing retirement, the Frenchman signalled his intent to become a manager when the time is right. 

"I started training for the UEFA B Coaching License in 2013, now I want to finish it and then go on to get the UEFA A license," Evra said in 2019. 

"Sir Alex Ferguson said two of my players will be great managers and he mentioned me and Ryan Giggs. It was a big compliment. 

"I don't want to do it straight away so I will work in TV and with my brand. I need maybe another year to enjoy life after so many sacrifices before becoming a manager.

"I know I can do it. I can't dedicate myself 100 per cent right now."

Rafael van der Vaart believes Donny van de Beek deserves a transfer to Manchester United as he lauded the Ajax star ahead of his switch to Old Trafford.

United are closing in on the signing of Ajax midfielder Van de Beek after reaching an agreement over a fee with the Eredivisie giants, who left the Dutchman out of Saturday's friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Van de Beek had also been linked to La Liga duo Barcelona and Real Madrid, but the 23-year-old Netherlands international appears set for the Premier League in a deal that could rise to £40 million (€45m/$53m).

Former Ajax and Netherlands star Van der Vaart, who also played for Tottenham in the Premier League, praised Van de Beek and believes the Red Devils will benefit from his addition.

"Donny deserves this transfer so much," Van der Vaart told NOS. "He has played excellent for Ajax.

"And Manchester United really need this kind of player in their team. This transfer is fantastic for us [Dutch people] too. We are all going to follow him now. This move is so deserved."

Academy product Van de Beek has spent five seasons in Ajax's first team, accruing close to 200 appearances in all competitions for the Amsterdam outfit.

Van de Beek was one of the star performers for Ajax as they embarked upon a memorable run to the semi-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League.

He scored eight Eredivisie goals and supplied five assists in the coronavirus-hit 2019-20 season, while he managed 10 goals across all competitions.

After being left out of Ajax's squad over the weekend for a friendly against Frankfurt, Erik ten Hag confirmed Van de Beek's future at the club was up in the air and a key reason behind his omission.

"The fact that Donny did not play does indicate a direction," he said. "The request not to let him play did not come specifically from one side. We do that together.

"Agreements have been made about a possible transfer, and if that possibility arises, you must also co-operate."

Ajax kick off their next Eredivisie campaign on September 13 against Sparta Rotterdam with the coronavirus pandemic seeing no title handed out last season. 

Argentina's president Alberto Fernandez has called on Lionel Messi to return to his homeland and end his career with Newell's Old Boys. 

Messi's future has dominated headlines over the past week after he handed in a shock transfer request at Barcelona. 

Any Camp Nou exit is now shrouded in controversy with La Liga recently declaring the Argentine attacker isn't allowed to leave the club for anything short of his mammoth €700 million (£624m/$823m) release clause. 

Despite that, a number of clubs continue to be linked with moves for Messi with Manchester City leading the race but Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Juventus also linked with interest. 

At 33 years of age and on the back of another strong season individually, Messi can still clearly compete at a top European club but that hasn't stopped Argentinians dreaming of a possible homecoming. 

Fans of Newell's Old Boys recently paraded through the streets of Rosario in support of Messi returning to the club he represented as a junior and now Argentina's president has also voiced his desire to see such a reunion sooner or later.  

"You are in our hearts and we have never seen you play in our country," Fernandez said in a message directed at Messi via C5N.

"Give us the pleasure of ending your career with Newell's Old Boys, your club."

Fernandez, who supports Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors, went on to admit he remains a bigger fan of Diego Maradona. 

"The great merit of Maradona is that he played alone against the world," Fernandez said. "I've never seen a player like Maradona. I admire him deeply - more than Messi, to be honest, because he comes from the Argentinos' youth. He was a kind of gladiator, with incredible strength."

Messi's battle to secure a move away from Barca is now threatening to become a drawn-out saga, even though he has already decided that he no longer wishes to play for the club.

The 33-year-old purposely failed to report for medical testing at the club's training facility ahead of the new season in order to put pay to any lingering doubts over his mindset.

Arturo Vidal has declared he and Claudio Bravo will never be friends again following their public falling out while representing Chile. 

The duo's relationship first began to fracture in 2017 when a 3-0 loss against Brazil meant Chile failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. 

Following the match, Bravo's wife Carla Pardo, took to social media and blamed some players for partying too much, with Vidal seemingly one of those she was singling out. 

Since that point, Bravo and Vidal's relationship in the national team has been subject to continued speculation with the duo generally refusing to admit there was any real issue. 

"I hope that the issue with Claudio has already been cut, they have been talking about this for two years," Vidal said in 2019.

"I think that for once in life we ​​should think about the good of the national team and not look for non-football issues.

"Things are going to be discussed, we have 10 days, but always thinking about the national team. Now they called him [Bravo] and we are going to see what happens. That remains within the dressing room. We must work so that Chile becomes one again."

Though the duo have done their best to silence the speculation surrounding their relationship, question marks have remained over just how well the two players get on with Vidal now conceding they'll never be friends again but stressing they can still represent Chile together without any animosity. 

"I know the codes, I respect my colleagues. When the triumphs are, we are all friends, but when it is lost, loyalty is lost. I do not share that," Vidal told Daniel Habif's YouTube channel.

"Friends we will never be again, but team-mates to defend the national team we will be with great strength. He will do the maximum and so will I. In football not everyone is friends, but other things happen on the pitch." 

It's been a turbulent few weeks for both players at club level, with Vidal strongly linked with a Barcelona departure, while Bravo has recently joined Real Betis following his release from Manchester City. 

Newly-promoted Premier League club Fulham have announced the signing of Mario Lemina on a season-long loan from Southampton.

The Cottagers are the second team Lemina will be joining temporarily from St Mary's and they hold the option to make the deal permanent after he spent the entire 2019-20 campaign on loan in the Turkish Super Lig with Galatasaray.

The 26-yeaar-old joined the Saints on a five-year deal from Juventus in 2017 but appears to be out of Ralph Hasenhuttl's plans at the club.

Since Hasenhuttl took over at the helm in December 2018, Lemina played just seven matches for Southampton across all competitions compared to the 45 appearances he made under his predecessors Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes.

After completing Lemina move on Sunday, Fulham sporting director Tony Khan is positive about how the Gabon international’s experience will help Scott Parker’s team this season.

“Mario Lemina has top-flight experience throughout Europe, including in the Premier League, and I’m very excited to announce his arrival at Fulham Football Club on loan,” Khan told the club website.

“I chose to pursue Mario this summer because in our recruitment conferences he’s been highly rated by our scouting team and our Head Coach Scott Parker, and our statistical research team.

“I believe he will thrive for our Club under Scott’s coaching and leadership. Come on Fulham!”

Lemina, on his part, is eager to begin the 2020-21 season when Fulham begin their Premier League campaign with a home against Arsenal at Craven Cottage on September 12.

“Now I’m with Fulham, I’m really happy and I’m glad to be part of the project,” the 26-year-old said.

“I spoke with the manager and he’s got some good ideas about the team, about the project, about everything he wants to do this season, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez brashly tried to put off Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk prior to their 5-4 penalty shootout victory in the Community Shield on Saturday.

After the match finished deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes at Wembley Stadium, Gunners captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang went with his Reds counterpart Van Dijk for the coin toss to see who would take the first penalty during the shootout.

Both 'keepers for each team - Martinez for Arsenal and Liverpool's Alisson - also viewed the flip with the referee alongside their team captains.

With Liverpool winning the toss, Van Dijk chose for the Reds to take the penalty and Martinez decided to engage in friendly banter questioning the Dutch defender's decision.

"You sure? Are you sure?" Martinez asked Van Dijk, while Aubameyang can be seen trying to hide a smirk.

Martinez had the last laugh in the penalty shootout, as Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster slammed his shot off the cross bar in the only miss to give the Gunners their second trophy in a month - having won the FA Cup on August 1.

Aubameyang put Arsenal ahead in the match after only four minutes with a stunning curling strike before Takumi Minamino forced an equaliser with 17 minutes left on the clock.

Martinez also engaged in mind games towards the Reds players during the shootout, most notably when youngster Curtis Jones stepped up to the spot.

The Argentine goalkeeper's future at the Emirates is in doubt - with Bernd Leno locked in as the club's No.1 - and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted that nothing was certain and Martinez could leave the club.

"We are in the market but there is a lot of speculation," Arteta said after the Community Shield victory.

"Emi has shown in the last few months what he's capable to do for this football club, I am convinced he has the level to play for us consistently at that level, he showed that today in a final.

"I cannot stop the speculation or what people write about us."

Arsenal will start their Premier League campaign on September 12 at newly-promoted Fulham, while Liverpool will host Championship winners Leeds United the following day.

Arturo Vidal has taken what could be a parting shot at Barcelona, claiming they've only had "13 professional players" in recent times but stressing he'd never join arch rivals Real Madrid.

Vidal, 33, has been deemed expendable at Camp Nou with new manager Ronald Koeman not naming him as one of his key players moving forward. 

The Chile international has been linked with a return to Juventus with fellow Serie A side Inter reportedly circling as well. 

While seemingly accepting his time in Barcelona is nearing an end, Vidal isn't happy with how details of his future have been leaked and has taken a not so subtle swipe at the club that is currently locked in a very public battle to keep Lionel Messi. 

"The last three years are not what a team like Barcelona deserves," Vidal told Daniel Habif's YouTube channel. 

"The best team in the world cannot have 13 professional players. You cannot always win with DNA. Messi is the best in the world, an extraterrestrial, but he needs help so that better results can be achieved.

"I have never understood placing the players with that word [transferable]. It is very ugly. If a player wants to leave or you want to sell him, find him a team but don't say so. It is to pass it on, and each person needs respect."

Vidal, added, in a playful tone about his situation: "I am in a situation of being thrown away to see if someone wants to receive me." 

While open to a return to Italy next season, Vidal was quick to shut down any suggestions he could sign for Zinedine Zidane's side. 

"I have earned the complete affection of the people of Barcelona, that is why I would not play for Real Madrid," he said. 

Prior to Barcelona's 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, Vidal had turned heads by declaring that Barcelona were the best team in the world, despite the fact they had finished second in La Liga. 

Vidal moved to Camp Nou in 2018 from Bayern and has gone on to make 96 appearances for the club in all competitions, winning two trophies in the process. 

Real Betis have confirmed the signing of Claudio Bravo following his release from Manchester City.

The Premier League side confirmed the goalkeeper's departure earlier this month when he reached the end of his contract and entered talks with Betis.

Having already enjoyed spells at Real Sociedad and Barcelona, the shot-stopper will return to La Liga for next season.

The 37-year-old, who was linked with a move to New York City FC in March, has signed a one-year contract at Betis with an option for another year included in the deal.

Bravo will team up with former City boss and compatriot Manuel Pellegrini, who took charge of the Spanish team at the start of August.

It was Pellegrini who urged Betis to move for the experienced number one as they looked to strengthen at the back, having conceded 60 goals in the league last season.

Betis finished 15th in the Spanish top flight in 2019-20, five points clear of the relegation zone despite losing their last three matches.

Bravo is their second signing of the summer transfer window, following right-back Martin Montoya's switch from Brighton.

The Chile international spent four years with City after making the move from Camp Nou at Pep Guardiola's request. Although he started off as the first-choice goalkeeper at City, he was dropped after some disappointing performances and Brazil international Ederson was signed to take his place.

Bravo made 61 appearances in all competitions but was limited to just 17 matches in the 2019-20 campaign as they finished second to champions Liverpool.

He was trusted to line up in goal throughout the Carabao Cup campaign, which culminated in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa to seal Bravo's sixth trophy with the club.

He is the third player to leave the English side this summer, following German winger Leroy Sane, who left to join Bayern Munich, and club legend David Silva after his free transfer to Sociedad.

Meanwhile, last season's Premier League runners-up signed centre-back Nathan Ake from Bournemouth and 20-year-old winger Ferran Torres from Valencia.

Moroka Swallows captain Lebohang 'Cheeseboy' Mokoena is pleased to have proved his doubters wrong after leading the Birds back to the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The Soweto giants secured automatic promotion to the elite league after clinching the National First Division (NFD) title with a 3-0 win over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila on the final day of the season on Sunday.

Mokoena, who had successful spells with Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, struggled to find a new club in the top flight league after leaving Ajax Cape Town in 2017 with the Urban Warriors having been relegated to the NFD.

The former South Africa under-23 international was clubless for a year before joining then-NFD side Maccabi FC in 2018 and later moved to Swallows ahead of the current season.

"This is a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I'm grateful that God has given me this opportunity because a lot of people wrote me off," Mokoena told the media. 

"They said 'Cheeseboy is no longer [the same player]. Cheeseboy will never play football again'.

"I'm not here for the love of money, but I'm here because of the passion and talent that God has given me. All praise goes to God. Also the support I got from my family, my wife and kids.

"I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart for keeping me in good shape and keeping me going in terms of what I love doing."

Swallows had a slow start to the current season, but the team started performing well after coach Brandon Truter was brought in to replace Zeca Marques in September 2019.

"It has been really tough. We did not start well, then we had coach Truter coming in. We had a lot of changes. We changed a lot of things," the experienced player added. 

"We had to work on the attitude, humbleness and unity of the team. We actually achieved that. Everyone knew that they had a role to play.

"We had a difficult time during the break which was enforced by Covid-19. It did take its toll on us. We were frustrated," Mokoena, who netted four goals in 27 league games for Swallows this term, said. 

The PSL and NFD seasons were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in March and the two competitions only resumed in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng earlier this month.

The 33-year-old believes that their individual training sessions on Zoom were key to the team's promotion to the PSL as they only struggled with injuries in their last game against Tshakhuma on Sunday.

"We came into camp early and we had the [coronavirus] tests done. We did Zoom sessions at home as individuals. That paid off because it really sustained us for the remaining six games that we had in the bio-bubble.

"We only struggled in the last game with me pulling a muscle at some stage. It was already wrapped up. We believed in the team. Everyone knew what they had to do."

Swallows are back in the PSL for the first time since they were relegated from the top-flight league to the NFD at the end of the 2014/15 campaign. 

Ajax Cape Town and Tshakhuma will participate in the PSL promotional/relegation playoffs after finishing second and third respectively on the NFD standings. 

They will be joined by the team which will finish 15th on the PSL standings this season.

Samuel Iling-Junior has confirmed his departure from Chelsea as his transfer to Juventus nears completion.

The 16-year-old had already been training with the Serie A giants since July but his contract is yet to be confirmed. 

Chelsea initially hoped to convince Iling-Junior to remain at Stamford Bridge by offering him his first professional contract, but feared losing him after the Bianconeri  joined the race to land him in May.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain were one of the main contenders to sign the winger, while Bayern Munich, Ajax and Schalke were also reported to have been interested in him. 

The England Under-17 international confirmed he has left the Blues in a post on social media on Sunday and expressed his gratitude to the club for their role in his development.

“Full of vast emotions, being at Chelsea from such a young age has truly built me, not only as a the player I am today but also as a person,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

“It’s been a blessed journey and I’m deeply thankful for all those in the Academy. From the groundsmen, kitchen staff, players, coaches, the list goes on.

“I’m filled with gratitude at the time and effort put into my development, leading me to where I am today.

“I would also like to give thanks to the people around me, my family and friends who have consistently supported me.

"Finally, I’d like to thank God for blessing me with this opportunity and protecting me throughout. This is just the start.

"I wish Chelsea all the best for the seasons ahead."

While the Blues have said goodbye to one highly-rated prospect, they are expected to welcome more players to west London this summer.

Thiago Silva, Malang Sarr and Ben Chilwell are the latest to join Frank Lampard's side in the current transfer window, following the signings of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and Hakim Ziyech from Ajax.

Meanwhile, the Premier League outfit are expected to complete the signing of Kai Havertz before the new season begins.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder is reportedly on the verge of sealing a switch to the English top flight from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £90 million ($120m).

Paris Saint-Germain made a last-ditch attempt to convince Thiago Silva to sign a contract extension before his move to Chelsea was announced, according to his agent.

The veteran centre-back left the Ligue 1 champions after his contract expired in the wake of their Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich and subsequently signed a deal with Chelsea.

The 35-year-old Brazil international's representative, Paulo Tonietto, says PSG sporting director Leonardo initially did not want to keep him in the French capital, but ended up turning back on that decision by proposing a new contract after the agreement with the Blues was reached. 

"He had given up hope [on a new contract offer] because Leonardo told him two months ago that he did not want to extend it," Tonietto told L'Equipe. "But last Tuesday, Leonardo called Thiago and raised the possibility that he would stay another year.

"Thiago had already reached an agreement with Chelsea, there was no turning back. When you make such a proposal, you have to be convinced. A sporting director who tells a player he doesn't want him anymore, and two months later wants to extend it, how do you take that?"

Tonietto says that PSG coach Thomas Tuchel had hoped to hold onto the former AC Milan star, but there was no chance of him agreeing to stay after Leonardo said his time in the French capital was up. 

"In a club, the sporting director and the coach have to walk together. This was not the case," he added. "Tuchel always wanted to keep Thiago. Leonardo was the one who didn't want to, and he's the one with the power.

"That's why, even if he hadn't signed with Chelsea, Thiago couldn't see how he could have accepted Leonardo's proposal given what he had told him two months earlier. It would have been humiliating.

"We never talked about money or the length of the contract. Never. Leonardo just said he wasn't counting on him anymore. Nothing more."

The Blues confirmed the arrival of Silva on Friday, with the defender signing a one-year deal with an option for a second season.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has described the current Premier Soccer League (PSL) title ras as “unbelievable” following the 1-0 defeat by Baroka FC at Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday.

Namibian midfielder Ananias Gebhardt scored in the 20th minute to separate the two sides and hand Baroka a lifeline in their fight against relegation.

Gebhardt headed in a corner kick taken by Tshediso Patjie to beat Sundowns goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene for the all-important goal.

With Downs blowing an opportunity to go up the PSL standings after leaders Kaizer Chiefs had suffered defeat earlier on, Mosimane placed blame on his tactics for the loss.

“The way it’s going no [I have never seen a league race like this] to be honest. It’s unbelievable,” Mosimane told SuperSport TV.

“Only one thing [went wrong]. We did not pick up [marking Baroka players] on their corner kick [which resulted in the goal] and we got punished. Yeah we did not pick them up.

“Yes probably [we did not create enough chances]. Only tactics change after the game becomes a different kind of a game. The game plan goes out of the way so we are playing, fighting to try and score. So it became totally a different game after they scored and you have to understand they are surviving. They needed the points.

“We thought we needed the points more than them but they fought for the points and you can’t blame them for sitting in all the time. They did what they had to do.”

As frustration and tempers flared during the match, there was a verbal altercation between Sundowns defender Motjeka Madisha and some Baroka substitutes during the match.

“Baroka players disrespected Madisha which was not good,” added Mosimane.

“I mean most especially it was players who were on the bench who were sitting there. You know disrespecting somebody who is playing whilst you are sitting there in the cold, in the stands I don’t think it’s good, it’s bad.

“It’s not a good thing to do but it’s okay, it’s part of football. We don’t have to focus more on that. That’s not what made us not to score. We didn’t score because we got the opportunities to score? We did not. We got the opportunities.”

The result was Baroka’s first win since the season restarted and they are now placed in position 13 after climbing two rungs up from second-from-bottom.

Baroka coach Dylan Kerr commended his side for some solid defending to repulse pressure from Sundowns.

An emotional Kerr also hailed his tactics being superior to Sundowns’ as he boasted of his capabilities.

“We defended like a unit and again a clean sheet is more important but yeah it’s fantastic. I know what they can do week in, week out but you know what they can do against big teams," said Kerr.

“Indeed [change of formation paid off]. I know my job, that’s the problem. I know my job because I have stood in for 30 years as a player and now as a coach. If people leave me alone to do my job I will make this club a success. You know and unfortunately, I should be up with this result but inside I am really angry.

“He [Gebhardt] is an ultimate professional. Every Friday we weigh the players since we have been in this bubble and he tells me before he gets on the scale that he will be 73.3 kilos and every Friday he has been 73.3 kilos. That’s true professionalism.

“He got sent off against Bloemfontein Celtic, massive disappointment and then he scores the winning goal. Fantastic. But everybody, the technical staff, the bench, the players who played today, [were] fantastic I can’t ask for much more.”

Baroka now prepare to face SuperSport United in their next match as they continue their fight for survival while Sundowns take on basement side Polokwane City in their next game.

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek after reaching an agreement over a fee with the Dutch giants.

It is understood the deal is worth around £40 million ($53m) and the 23-year-old is close to becoming Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing of the summer transfer window once personal terms and a medical are completed.

United have been monitoring the Netherlands international for a while as they look to strengthen their midfield options and firmed up their interest when it became clear that Van de Beek was keen on a move to Old Trafford.

There were reports of some late interest from Tottenham but it is understood United were always leading the race. 

Ajax boss Erik ten Hag fuelled speculation Van de Beek was on his way out of the club when asked for a transfer update ahead of a friendly clash with Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

“There have been some developments that made us decide us to keep him out of today's squad," Ten Hag told Ziggo Sport.

“We will see what happens. We'll make an announcement as soon as there's some clarity.”

United had hoped to have Jadon Sancho through the door as their first signing of the summer but the tough economic climate, due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, means they have not been able to reach an agreement with Borussia Dortmund for the former Manchester City youngster.

Dortmund are holding out for a fee of €120m (£108m/$142m) for Sancho, but United believe that is not a realistic figure given the state of their finances due to the impact of Covid-19. 

It is understood United have grown frustrated at the pace of discussions with the German side, who have taken the unusual decision to use a third party agent to discuss the deal.

Player wages and agent fees continue to pose a problem in negotiations, and United are wary of making the same mistake they did with Alexis Sanchez, when his huge £560,000-a-week wages ended up ripping up the whole salary structure at the club following his arrival from Arsenal in January 2018.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has consistently warned this would be a ‘difficult’ transfer window but the club are still keen to invest in the squad as Solskjaer looks to build on last season’s third-place finish, which secured a return to the Champions League. 

Ernestina Abambila scored her first Polish Ekstraliga goal in Medyk Konin's 6-0 victory over Rolnik Biedrzychowice on Sunday.

The 21-year-old joined the Polish top-flight outfit from Spanish Primera Iberdrola side Sporting Huelva in June and moved on to establish herself, featuring in the opening three games for Medyk.

She starred in their 1-1 opening draw with Katowice before playing a key role in the 2-0 win at Alice Ogebe's Sportis KKP Bydgoszcz and the 3-0 home win over Mpeh Bissong's Olimpia Szczecin last week.

After three wins in a row, Medyk aimed to build on their winning run against Rolnik and Abambila handed them an early lead with her fourth-minute effort to mark her first goal in the Polish top-flight.  

Dominic Kopinska scored in the 20th minute to double the lead for the visitors before Nikol Kaletka added the third 12 minutes later.

Rampant Roman Jaszczak's ladies continued from where they left off in the second half when Kopinska netted her second of the match and the visitors' fourth two minutes after the restart.

The ruthless Medyk took advantage of some hapless defending from the hosts to add the fifth through Olga Sirant in the 57th minute before Julia Maskiewicz struck three minutes later to seal the big victory.

Ghana midfielder Abambila was involved from the start to finish and has now scored a goal in four matches this season for Medyk.

Sunday's result moves Medyk to the third position with 10 points from four games  - two behind UKS Łodz and leaders Czarni Sosnowiec, who are yet to drop a point this season.

Abambila and Medyk will face their biggest test so far when they will visit leaders Czarni Sosnowiec in their next game on September 5.

Chidera Ejuke made his debut for CSKA Moscow in their 3-0 victory over Akhmat Grozny in Sunday’s Russian Premier League game.

The 22-year-old winger completed his move to the Red and Blues on Friday on a four-year deal from Dutch club Heerenveen.

The Nigerian forward immediately linked up with the rest of the CSKA team in training and proved his fitness and readiness for action.

Ejuke was subsequently handed his first appearance in the Russian top-flight by manager Viktor Goncharenko as a second-half substitute, and gave a good account of himself as the Red and Blues secured all three points away from home.

Konstantin Kuchaev opened the scoring 11 minutes into the encounter after benefitting from Fedor Chalov’s assist.

Kristijan Bistrovic doubled the lead with two minutes left to play before Nikola Vlasic sealed the victory at the death.

Ejuke featured for 25 minutes, made 15 touches, struck one shot and had had a 100 per cent successful pass rate in the encounter.

The win is CSKA’s third in this campaign and ensured they ended their three-game winless run, having also drawn once and lost twice in their last six Premier League outings.

Ejuke will hope to make his full debut when CSKA Moscow take on rivals Spartak Moscow in their next league game on September 12.

The Nigerian winger, who started his career with Supreme Court FC in Nigeria, has played for Gombe United and Norwegian club Valerenga before he joined Heerenveen last summer.

The 22-year-old has featured for Nigeria's U17 and U20 sides and will hope to impress with CSKA for a chance with the Super Eagles.

Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has lamented their 1-0 loss to Bidvest Wits, calling it a disaster and singled out striker Samir Nurkovic’s miss as unacceptable.

The Soweto giants failed to stretch their lead at the but they breathed a sigh of relief when the second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns lost to Baroka on Sunday evening by the same margin.

On the other hand, his counterpart Gavin Hunt said they had an excellent display in the opening half and that their mission is to finish well.

"I don't agree, it was not a disappointing game, the mentality, it's not the greatest football but what we're talking about is a disaster result," Middendorp told SuperSport TV.

"If you see the 90 minutes, the effort brought in by the players, by the team...

"I don't know actually, of course, that one will be again the coach is in charge but the number of possibilities...Good, if it has to be it's my fault, I take it.

"But I think the mentality of the players was very good, they were really fighting the full 98 minutes.

"The chances were there to make it 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 and of course, that's a bit of...I don't know how, at the end of the day, through the centre [Samir Nurkovic missing a sitter], that's of course something we have to face, not really acceptable.

"But we have to, two games to go of course we have to hope something will come out of the games, starting already to see what is happening at 6 o'clock, what will happen in the next two games.

"I personally hope we can put the players into the right mentality towards the next game, in particular, Chippa [United] on the second we will try again, we will go again all out, try to score, try to win this game, it depends now on Sundowns."

On his assessment of the 90 minutes, the four-time PSL winner expressed delight for his striker Bienvenu Eva Nga, saying their failure to score has been the story of their campaign.

"I thought the first-half we were excellent, I was really disappointed when we came to half-time, we could've turned it in, we had some good opportunities in the first-half and once you start turning the ball over in the second half, that's when they're getting in the game you know," Hunt told SuperSport TV.

"Nurkovic had a big chance in the end there, they should make it 1-0 but it's a story of our season we're not scoring and if you score, then you're making it easy for yourselves, which we didn't do.

"It turned for us a little bit today we got the ball in the end but I mean you know we could've been 1-0 down but we could've been one or two [up] in the first-half, that has been a story of our season. Maybe it is a bit too late but be that as it may, it is what it is I'm happy for the boy [ Eva Nga].

“I said to the guys 'you got to respect the game and play properly', people can say what they want, ah we're playing for nothing but we're playing for our pride, we want to finish well.”