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Amine Gouiri’s goals for Nice against Lens in Sunday’s Ligue 1 encounter means that the Algeria prospect has broken a club record that had stood for 70 years.

In bagging a brace against the Blood and Gold, Gouiri became the youngest player in Nice history to have found the net at least twice in his debut French elite division game.

According to Opta, the last player to score twice on his Eagles debut was Mario Balotelli in the 3-2 triumph over Olympique Marseille on September 11, 2016.

The 20-year-old, who joined Patrick Vieira’s men from Olympique Lyonnais for a fee of seven million Euros, had a debut to remember as he inspired Nice to a comeback 2-1 win over Franck Haise’s men.

Lens took an 11th-minute lead through DR Congo’s Gael Kakuta who beat goalkeeper Walter Benitez from the penalty spot after Dante had handled Ignatius Ganago’s cross.

After series of misses, Nice levelled matters through Gouiri who fired into the top corner of goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca's net following an assist from Hassane Kamara.

The striker completed his double of the evening by bending his strike past Leca after profiting from a Pierre Lees-Melou assist.

Born in Bourgoin-Jallieu, the striker is eligible to represent Algeria at the international level despite featuring for France at the U16, U17, 18, U19, U20 and U21 levels.

He will be hoping to continue with this fine form when Nice travel to Stade de la Meinau on Sunday for their encounter against Strasbourg next weekend, while Lens host Paris Saint-Germain.

As far as fan favourites at Chennaiyin FC go, Rafael Crivellaro is right up there.

One can argue about who was the best playmaker in the Indian Super League (ISL) last season, with some brilliant players like Hugo Boumous, Javi Hernandez, Edu Garcia, Dimas Delgado and more featuring in the discussion alongside Rafael Crivellaro.

But there is no doubting the adulation and adoration Crivellaro receives in the city of Chennai down south.

The talented midfielder has handed Chennaiyin FC and their fans a much-needed boost after extending his contract and is set to lead the club's charge in the upcoming ISL season.

The 31-year-old was quick to pay his tributes to Chennaiyin's fans after penning his extension while also stating that his experience in India has so far been exceptional.

"Everything surrounding the club convinced me, especially the fans and unconditional support we received last season became a huge reason for me to continue," he told Goal.

"It is honestly very difficult to find passionate supporters like this who stand by your side during your bad days. So I am very happy to come back to Chennaiyin. The club has opened the doors for me to India and the experience has been fantastic."

Chennaiyin had a poor start to the campaign last season before Rafael came into his own alongside fellow forwards like Nerijus Valskis and Andre Schembri. While the bulk of the scoring was handled by Valskis, Rafael was the orchestrator in midfield. He himself contributed seven goals and eight assists as Chennaiyin turned their form under Owen Coyle who came in six games into the season.

The result was a brilliant run of form that propelled Chennaiyin to the play-offs and subsequently into the final, with Rafael's heroics at the centre of it all. It was the sort of campaign that the Brazilian does not regret in any way, despite failing to beat ATK in the final.

"To not give up, and to have faith in your ability as an individual as well as having the faith in your teammates (was great). We backed ourselves and came back to have a very memorable season.

"For me personally, a season like this also makes you realize that the journey is more important than the result. Yes, the result in the final was not desirable, but the journey we embarked on to make it that far, left us with no regrets at all," he added.

The former Vitoria Guimaraes star, however, is not taking the loss in the final in a light manner. He feels the result serves as motivation for him and the club to go one better this time around.

"The nature of the comeback last season was great but the outcome in the final was not satisfactory. So that is also providing the motivation to succeed in the new season."

Before Owen Coyle's appointment in December 2019, Chennaiyin were struggling to score goals. They were languishing at the bottom and had scored just four goals in six matches. But the former Irish international managed to find a solution to the attacking woes with Crivellaro shining as the heartbeat in attack.

The elegant midfielder churned out chances galore for his attacking partners and helped the club generate quite a bit of momentum. Rafael feels that once he gelled with his teammates, he was able to turn his form around and with it, the side's fortunes.

"It is honestly very difficult to pinpoint one best or worst moment. But generally, I think the worst would have to be the slump we endured at the beginning of the season, we were taking time to gel and get to know each other as a team.

"However that slump led to one of the most memorable comebacks when everything clicked and fell into place. Momentum is a huge thing in football, and we really maximized the team’s potential in that run to the final."

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar was left in tears after his side suffered a 1-0 Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

The Ligue 1 champions succumbed to their German opponents due to a Kingsley Coman header shortly before the hour mark, and the 28-year-old was unable to inspire a comeback as Bayern kept the French outfit at arm’s length.

Neymar, who was consoled in the dugout by sporting director Leonardo at full-time, had one of the outstanding opportunities in the opening period of the game but was denied by an inspired Manuel Neuer, who also stopped a tame effort from Kylian Mbappe before the break.

It leaves the Brazil international star sitting on a single Champions League success, that claimed when he was a member of the Barcelona squad that defeated Juventus 3-1 in 2015. On that occasion, he rounded the scoring off.

He left the Catalans in 2017 to make a world-record move to PSG and has been seeking to justify that controversial decision since then by writing himself into the history of the Parc des Princes side by winning European football’s biggest prize as well as claiming individual honours for himself.

A divisive character throughout his career, he has been winning plaudits in recent months for a more mature and focused approach to the game, which critics believe is bringing the best out of his game for the team.

Previous tilts at the European Cup have ended in disappointment for the former Santos youth, who suffered foot injuries, which prevented him from featuring in vital matches against Real Madrid and Manchester United.

This was Les Parisiens’ best ever run in the competition, overcoming Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta and RB Leipzig in the knockout stages before failing at the final hurdle.

It marks the end of a long season for Neymar, who played 26 times over the course of an injury-hit campaign and scored 19 goals while creating 12 more.

Thoughts will have to quickly turn back towards their Ligue 1 title defence, with the French top flight having started over the weekend.

PSG’s first domestic match of the 2020-21 season will come next Saturday, when they travel to newly-promoted Lens, while a derby with Marseille follows after the September international break.

Champions League final hero Kingsley Coman revelled in Bayern Munich's European triumph, although the winger admitted that he felt "a bit sick" for runners-up Paris Saint-Germain.

The French winner scored the game's lone goal as Bayern edged PSG 1-0 in Sunday's Champions League final in Lisbon .

Following a back-and-forth first half, Coman provided what ended up being the game-winning goal in the 59th minute, getting on the end of a cross from Joshua Kimmich.

Coman headed home from close range, helping guide Bayern to the club's sixth Champions League title. The goal will be particularly painful for PSG given Coman's history with the Ligue 1 side.

Born in Paris, Coman was with PSG for a decade from 2004 to 2014, making four appearances for the first team before signing with Juventus upon the expiration of his contract.

And Coman admitted that it was difficult to see his boyhood club lose on the biggest stage, although that difficulty did not outweigh the joy that came from guiding Bayern to the title.

"It's an extraordinary feeling, a lot of happiness. I'm 100 per cent Bayern, but it makes me a bit sick for PSG," Coman told RMC Sports.

"We've been trying to keep the game under control from the start. We won and we didn't take a goal today, that's the most important thing.

"Paris played a great game, we played a great game and we're really happy." 

Coman joined Bayern from Juve in 2015 on a two-year loan, which was then made permanent in 2017.

He's scored 33 goals in 161 appearances for the German side, overcoming several major injuries throughout his career.

The winger has now won 12 trophies with Bayern, with Coman notably winning nine consecutive league titles with PSG, Juve and Bayern.

Throughout this season, Coman made 24 Bundesliga appearances, scoring four goals, while also scoring three goals in nine appearances in the Champions League.

On Sunday, Coman's goal saw Bayern join Barcelona and Real Madrid as the only three clubs to score 500 Champions League goals.

Bayern finished this season's competition with 43 goals as the German powerhouses won all 11 of their matches in Champions League play, becoming the first side to go undefeated throughout the tournament .

Bayern Munich were crowned Champions League winners on Sunday, giving a final flourish to a campaign which has been near to perfect for the Bundesliga giants.

Kingsley Coman struck against former club Paris Saint-Germain to score the only goal of the final, leading Bayern to continental glory in a 1-0 victory. 

It is the Bavarians' sixth win in the European Cup/Champions League, placing them joint-third in the overall trophy standings behind only Real Madrid, who have lifted the title 13 times, and AC Milan (seven). 

But never in the long history of the competition had a single team managed to negotiate the entire campaign without dropping a single point, until Hansi Flick's relentless champions appeared. 

Sunday's victory over PSG was their 11th in as many games in the 2019-20 Champions League, making Bayern the first side to post a 100 per cent record in the tournament. 

That impeccable run began all the way back in September 2019 with a 3-0 defeat of Red Star Belgrade, a result that set the tone for what turned out to be a thrilling, goal-filled dash to glory. 

Along the way Bayern netted 43 goals, a mark only bettered in Champions League history by Barcelona. 

The Catalans managed 45 in the 1999-00 edition, albeit having played 16 games to Bayern's 11. 

Flick was originally appointed only as an interim replacement for the sacked Niko Kovac earlier in 2019-20, earning a permanent appointment on the way to a brilliant run of results that saw Bayern lift the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and now the Champions League. 

Amazingly, it is only his third head coach job after spells with Victoria Bammental and Hoffenheim, the latter of which ended in 2005. 

The coach went on to spend eight years under Joachim Low as Germany's assistant, before returning to Munich, where he picked up four Bundesliga titles as a player, as part of Kovac's backroom staff. 

At 55, Flick is now the fourth-oldest coach to get his hands on the Champions League, with Bayern legend Jupp Heynckes, at 68, leading that ranking. 

In his 36 matches in charge so far the trainer has won 33, his side scoring an incredible 116 goals while conceding just 26.

Yoane Wissa was on the scoresheet as Lorient begin their Ligue 1 campaign with a 3-1 victory over Strasbourg on Sunday.

The 23-year-old played a key role as the Merlucciidaes secured promotion to the French top-flight after emerging as Ligue 2 champions.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo forward scored 15 goals in 28 league games during the 2019-20 campaign as Lorient secured promotion from Ligue 2.

Wissa was afforded a starting role against Racing, forming a three-man midfield along with Quentin Boisgard and Ivorian Stephane Diarra.

The forward shone in the encounter, opening his account to help Christophe Pelissier’s men secure all three points.

Lorient started the game on the backfoot as Mehdi Chahiri opened the scoring for Strasbourg at the half-hour mark after he was set up by Ludovic Ajorque

Wissa ignited the Merlus' comeback in the 51st minute when he levelled proceedings after receiving a timely assist from Boisgard.

Adrian Grbic then gave the Stade du Moustoir outfit the lead for the first time in the game, converting from the penalty spot at the hour mark.

With three minutes left to play, Pierre-Yves Hamel sealed the victory to ensure the Merlus begin the season with a victory.

Wissa featured for the duration of the game while Diarra only played for 12 minutes after suffering an injury and was replaced by Laurent Abergel.

The forward joined Lorient in 2018 from Angers and has made 29 appearances for the side, scoring 25 goals.

Wissa will hope to continue his impressive performances when Lorient take on Saint-Etienne in their next league game.

Jose Mourinho, one of the top managers in the world, has given an invaluable lesson on how British football differs from other countries to American coach Ted Lasso.

Lasso is the newly-appointed manager of AFC Richmond  having previously only coached American football at college level in the United States.

The U.S. coach's appointment came as a shock to many, but Lasso is eager to learn from some of the best minds in football and contacted Tottenham boss Mourinho at half-time during the Champions League final to find out the secrets of his success.

"I just sat down to watch this Cup of Champions finale and I realised I don’t know jack squat about this game," Lasso admitted from his new digs in London.

After listing out his trophy cabinet of "eight league titles, two Champions Leagues, Europa League, UEFA Cup, four League Cups in England, FA Cup, Coppa Italia, Super Cup, Copa del Rey," Mourinho attempted to explain the intricacies of football in the major leagues across Europe where he has coached.

The former Inter, Chelsea and Real Madrid manager highlighted how the Premier League looks to strength and speed while La Liga is focused more on skill and style, although Lasso may have been asking how the European game of football differed from the oval-balled game they call 'football' back in his home country.

"There are similarities and there are differences," Mourinho attempted to explain to a visibily confused Lasso during a call between the two Premier League managers.

"British football is all about pace and power.

"Italy is defense-focused. They are the masters of the catenaccio system. Whereas in Spain, they favour tiki-taka."

Unfamiliar with the term, Lasso then told Mourinho he had eaten "chicken tik-itaka" on his flight from the U.S. to England before enquiring about the half-time entertainment during the Champions League final.

However, rather than explain that the Champions League is not like the Super Bowl shows Lasso is used to in his native country, two-time winner Mourinho went back to watching the second half of Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich.

Watch Ted Lasso exclusively on on Apple TV+

Cape Town City coach Jan Olde Riekerink has described Kermit Erasmus as 'a genius' after his winner against Orlando Pirates on Sunday, but says their 1-0 Premier Soccer League victory over the Buccaneers was a collective effort as they overcame some numerical disadvantage to collect maximum points.

City played for almost an hour of the match with 10 men following a red card to Mpho Makola in the 33rd minute.

Erasmus then scored on the stroke of half time to condemn his former club Pirates to a six-match winless league run of two defeats and four draws.

While the result puts Pirates’ chances of a top-three finish in serious jeopardy, it lifted the once relegation-threatened City into seventh.

Rienkerink lauded his charges for a valiant display especially wading off Pirates’ relentless pressure towards the end of the match, with City’s other stars of the show being goalkeeper Peter Leewenburgh and defender Tariq Fielies, who was crowned Man of the Match.

“There are two ways to look at this game. I think it was, for us, too bad that we played with 10 players,” Riekerink told the media. “We struggled a little bit in the beginning but then we slowly found spaces and we started playing football and I think we were then ready to play the [kind of] football we wanted to play, and the moment we started to do that I think we managed to play well with 10 men.

“From that moment you know you have to realise as a group that individuals cannot win the game only, groups can win games," he added. "They [players and staff] had to believe that we get out of this [five months without football] in just making a team and not individuals and that’s what you saw today.

"The team won this game by fighting more with a strong mind than the body and that’s almost the mirror of what we saw today. We had almost the biggest opportunities with Craig [Martin] and Kermit.”

After scoring the goal that defined their afternoon, Erasmus is now on 12 league goals this season, two below joint lead-scorers; Orlando Pirates’ Frank Mhango and Peter Shalulile of Highlands Park.

Erasmus' tally is the best he has managed in his professional career in a season.

“He has those exceptional qualities,” said Riekerink. “You know what’s important if you play the ball from the left side [where] we know that Surprise [Ralani] can play in between the lines so we know that we have to play the ball into his [Erasmus] feet and then he can make his action.

“He is a genius. If he plays, for example, on the right side Fagrie [Lakay] is there, we have to try and play the ball behind the defence and that happens with Kermit. The team showed him a lot of moments every time in the game that we didn’t play the ball to him.

"He is also now focusing only on his position as a striker and the space behind the defence of the opponents and not anymore too much in the midfield. He is very dangerous for us and he had the feeling to score the goalusesI think the team use him more on his exceptional qualities.”

Erasmus has scored three goals since the restart of the season, helping City to three wins, including beating title-contenders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Thiago Silva became the first Brazilian to wear the captain's armband in a Champions League final in his last-ever match for Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday. 

The centre-back, 35, led his team-mates out at Lisbon's Estadio da Luz in the club's maiden appearance in the fixture, as they seek to overcome Bayern Munich. 

PSG have fought past Atalanta and RB Leipzig in August to make the clash, while Bayern eased past Chelsea in the second leg of their last-16 tie at the Allianz Arena before going on to record heavy victories over both Barcelona and Lyon in the days leading up to the final in Portugal. 

And Silva, who will leave PSG after Sunday's decider, makes history in holding his side's captaincy, achieving a feat none of his illustrious compatriots have ever managed in captaining one of the two participants in a European Cup or Champions League final. 

He is one of three Brazilians to make Thomas Tuchel's first XI, with Marquinhos retaining his place in the centre of midfield ahead of Marco Verratti and Neymar joining Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria in the French side's attack. 

After eight seasons and more than 300 appearances for PSG, it is also a fitting way for the defender to say farewell to his long-time employers and their fans. 

Silva, unlike fellow club favourite Edinson Cavani, accepted a short-term extension to his contract, which expired in June, in order to complete this re-arranged Champions League campaign. 

His next destination is yet to be confirmed, with both Chelsea and Fiorentina linked with the defender's services once he officially leaves Parc des Princes in the coming days. 

"It is not easy to spend eight years in Paris," the player, who moved to PSG from Milan in the summer of 2012 explained to  AFP  at the start of August. 

"If I have managed that it is because I have been useful to the team. I am very happy with all that I have achieved here, with the respect the fans have given me. It is magnificent. 

"I hope to end this adventure by winning the Champions League, that is our dream."

Former Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra has revealed how angry he was about the manner in which his exit from the club to Juventus was handled.

The ex-France international turned out for the Old Trafford club between 2006 and 2014, playing 379 matches for them over the course of his stay.

He has explained how he felt his loyalty to the side was ignored by chief executive Ed Woodward, who did his best to block the defender from moving to Serie A by triggering an automatic one-year extension in his contract after the player had indicated his desire to move to Turin on a Bosman deal.

“I felt betrayed by Ed,” Evra said in an interview with The Guardian. “I called Juventus to tell them I am coming. Ed then said: ‘We offer you a two-year contract, more money, the captaincy, a testimonial.’ Too late [for Evra to keep his word with Juventus].”

He ultimately left for Juve less than a couple of months after his extension was made official, and he was rewarded for his persistence as the Bianconeri reached the Champions League final, in which they suffered defeat to Barcelona.

United, meanwhile, continued to suffer after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, with Dutchman Louis van Gaal only able to steer them to fifth in the top-flight standings.

Despite his acrimonious exit, which came about largely because ex-wife Sandra wanted to leave the Manchester area, he bore no lasting ill will towards the club.

“My ex-wife said: ‘See? Manchester are nearly in the Championship and you’re in this final.’ I love Juventus but I said: ‘Even if they’re in the Championship, I prefer to be at United. Nothing can replace my love for them,’” he explained.

Evra spent three seasons with Juventus, winning the Serie A title in each campaign he was there, and then departed to Marseille in January 2017.

He left the Stade Velodrome under a cloud the following season after assaulting a fan prior to a Europa League match and finally wound his career down in the Premier League at West Ham, where he featured on five occasions before retiring.

Dan Birikwalira has hit out at the Ugandan Premier League champions Vipers SC following his exit after five seasons at the club.

Birikwalira is among the players released by the Venoms, who are preparing to feature in the Caf Champions League, in the ongoing transfer window.

“There is nothing I am going to miss about Vipers for sure, I cannot tell you this or that reason but I will not miss Vipers,” the left-back told Sports Nation. “The decision to leave is not hard to take only that it wasn’t sporting or poor performance no, we play football and we know it.

“We don’t leave Vipers because of football issues no, I won’t lie, I don’t want my fans to say that my performance wasn’t good no.

“I left because of other issues from the greedy staff.”

The St Mary’s Secondary School, the feeder team for Vipers, graduate also claimed the team would be better if only the dishonest people around the club’s president Lawrence Mulindwa did not exist.

“Organisation is the main challenge at Vipers,” an agitated Birikwalira continued. “That’s why every year or whenever they win a trophy it’s like they are trying to rebuild a new team, they sign every type of player, they are ill.

“The big problem is that there are dishonest people who pretend to be loyal at the club," he added. "The irony is that the players who have done good things for Vipers are the ones who are always released with bad motives.

“I have done so many good things for Vipers ever since I was at school, winning trophies but the way we leave is always harsh because even the club cannot appreciate us, I won’t regret saying it and I won’t lie. We don’t admire to come back as it is elsewhere with former players at a club, that’s the truth.”

The full-back has picked out a few players he claims left the four-time champions feeling unappreciated.

“Just look at Suleiman Mutyaba, he was at KCCA FC for just two years but said he has never seen an organised club like KCCA," added Birikwalira. "Yet he had spent many years at Vipers/Bunamwaya.

“Look at Sulaiman Mutyaba, Saddam Juma etc they were not appreciated, but just terminated their contracts. Even the departure of Nicholas Wadada had some untold stories.

“Few coming players will never reach the milestones we achieved with Vipers. I have won almost everything during my five-year stay here.”

He joined Vipers’ senior team in 2014 with Farouk Miya and went ahead to win five titles with the Venoms.

Birikwalira won two league titles, one Uganda Cup and a Super Cup during his five seasons at Kitende. His contract was terminated after he had renewed it for two more years last year.

Barcelona have announced that newly-signed midfielder Miralem Pjanic has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Bosnian recently officially joined Barcelona, with the club announcing in June that Pjanic would be coming to Spain from Juventus on a deal that could rise to be worth €65 million (£59m/$73m).

Midfielder Arthur, meanwhile, went the other way in what was deemed a second deal worth €72m (£66m/$81m) plus up to €10m in bonuses.

Following the conclusion of Juventus and Barcelona's Champions League campaigns, the two were now free to join their new clubs, but Pjanic will not yet travel to Barcelona after testing positive for Covid-19.

"Miralem Pjanic tested positive for PCR on Saturday, August 22 after suffering some discomfort. The player is in good health and is isolated at home," Barca said in a statement.
 
"For this reason, the player will not travel to Barcelona until 15 days later to join Barca."

Pjanic heads to Juventus following a fairly successful final campaign with Juventus, as the club won Serie A yet again for their ninth consecutive domestic triumph.

The 30-year-old was a part of four of those Serie A title successes, making a total of 178 appearances for Juve after joining from Roma in 2016. 

In addition to the four Serie A crowns, Pjanic also won the Coppa Italia twice and a Supercoppa Italia while being named in the Serie A Team of the Year on four separate occasions.

However, while the club enjoyed another season of domestic success, Juve once again fell short in the Champions League this campaign, having suffered a shock elimination in the round of 16 at the hands of Lyon.

Pjanic's new club, meanwhile, is in a state of upheaval following an 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Head coach Quique Setien and director of football Eric Abidal have already been dismissed, with the former being replaced by former Netherlands coach and ex-Barca defender Ronald Koeman.

President Josep Maria Bartomeu, who has come under fire for the club's failures and is up for re-election in March next year, has also said that several key players will be up for sale during the transfer window as the club looks to bounce back from yet another Champions League collapse.

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra says that he and Cristiano Ronaldo were quick to recommend Bruno Fernandes to manager Ole Gunnar Solakjer ahead of the Portuguese midfielder's January move.

Fernandes made the move to Old Trafford this winter, joining the Red Devils from Sporting CP in a  €55 million (£47m/$60m) move.

The midfielder has started strong with the club, rapidly becoming a key figure under Solskajer.

Fernandes has already scored 12 goals in 22 matches for the club, helping Man Utd seal a top-four finish while reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.

And Evra says that, although Man Utd aren't ready to challenge for Premier League titles just yet, Fernandes' addition has been a step in the right direction for the club in the quest to return to that level.

“United can’t challenge Liverpool or Man City. Not yet. There’s been massive damage but we’re moving in the right direction," Evra told the Guardian. 

"When they wanted to sign Bruno Fernandes, Ole texted me. I asked for advice from Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano says: ‘Bruno’s a good guy and very professional.’

"I say: ‘Ole, I’ve spoken with Cristiano. Let’s go for it.’ And Fernandes had a massive impact. Without him, I don’t think we would have qualified for the Champions League.”

While Fernandes' on-the-field impact has been massive, Evra says that the most important thing the midfielder has brought is something else.

With Fernandes now a key figure, Evra says that Paul Pogba is playing more freely, allowing the French star to flourish now that he has a partner that can command attention.

“Paul’s really misunderstood. People talk more about his hairstyle but he’s a great kid, a shy boy actually," Evra said. 

"It was important for Fernandes to relieve that attention on Paul. It wasn’t fair. Paul is a happy person and we have been close so long. He Facetimed me yesterday at 11:30 pm. I said: ‘Paul, I’m in bed. Let me sleep.’”

Evra also added that he believes Solskjaer is the right man to bring trophies back to Old Trafford, with the former Man Utd striker guiding the club to a top-four spot in his first full season in charge.

“United have qualified for the Champions League. It’s not a big achievement but it’s massive progress from where we’ve come," he said. 

"I love Ole. One game we’re on the bench and I started talking. He said: ‘Patrice. I’m focused.’

"He would analyse everything so he knows which defender is getting tired. That’s why we called him the Babyfaced Assassin. He helped United win the Champions League [as a player in 1999] that way."

Kenyans must change their attitude and culture if they are to emulate love for football exhibited by the Tanzanians, according to former Gor Mahia treasurer Sally Bolo.

Bolo claimed the East Africans have always shown passionate love for football irrespective of the teams that are playing.

The former Green Army official picked an example of the 2017 match between the Kenyan Premier League giants Gor and Premier League side Everton in Dar es Salaam to reinforce her point of how the Tanzanians have embraced football regardless of the participants.

“The level of passion for football in Tanzania is extremely amazing. Big up. We need to change our attitude and culture to pull such a crowd,” Bolo Tweeted. “True, we only go to the stadium when our teams are playing.

“In Tanzania, things are different. Those people go to the stadium even if both teams are from other countries.

“A case study; when Gor Mahia were playing against Everton. Look at Cecafa tournaments held in Tanzania, they watch the match live.”

Bolo was also impressed by how Premier League and FA Cup winners Simba SC organised their Simba Day on Saturday.

“Wow, this [was] awesome! Look at the crowd and atmosphere. It’s full house at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam as Tanzanian giants Simba celebrate Simba Day.

“That was extraordinary and well-executed by Simba management. Truth be told, their fans are very passionate and love the beautiful game.”

Bolo’s suggestions come after former Cecafa General-Secretary Nicholas Musonye claimed Kenyans had abdicated their roles of supporting own teams.

“If Harambee Stars are playing at Nyayo Stadium and only 15,000 people turn up what is that? Football is people,” Musonye said in an earlier interview. “Look at our AFC Leopards vs Gor Mahia match where it has failed to attract people. Our people have immersed themselves in betting and European football.

“In an AFC Leopards match against Sofapaka, you can only be assured of 300 supporters attending. Others are hiding somewhere, drinking alcohol, betting and gossiping.”

Apart from the Simba Day, Yanga are have organised the Yanga Day whose events will culminate on August 29, while Azam FC are conducting Azam Festival 2020, both of which are events planned to meet and interact with fans before every new season.

Those moments are unique to Tanzanian clubs as no other regional team do the same.

In the ongoing transfer window, Tanzanian sides have attracted key foreign players who impressed for their former sides in the previous seasons.

Joash Onyango, Larry Bwalya and Chrispine Mugalu signed for Simba, whereas Yacouba Sogne, Michael Sarpong, Mukoko Tonombe, and Tuisila Kisinda are among the foreigners who landed at Yanga.

Azam FC, the former league and cup champions, signed Zimbabwe international Prince Dube.

The arrival of Ugandan duo Cleo Ssetubba and Joseph Zziwa at Biashara United is further indication that the Mainland League has become attractive to the region's best talent.

Kaizer Chiefs and Stellenbosch FC settled for a share of spoils following a 1-1 draw at Orlando Stadium on Sunday night, as the league leaders missed the chance to extend their advantage to Mamelodi Sundowns to eight points.

Lelethu Skelem opened the scoring for Stellenbosch in the first half but a second-half strike by Lazarous Kambole, finally breaking his duck for Chiefs, rescued a point for Amakhosi. 

Ernst Middendorp's men have now opened a six-point lead at the top of the PSL standings while Steve Barker's charges remained ninth with three league games to go. 

Middendorp made a couple of changes to the team that lost to Bloemfontein Celtic with Siyabonga Ngezana getting his first start since December. 

Siphelele Ntshangase also made the cut, cracking the nod for the first time this season. 

After a tightly contested opening quarter, Amakhosi started playing with confidence and knocked the ball around comfortably. 

However, they still couldn't hurt Stellenbosch where it mattered the most, and for Barker, this was a chance to use his side's speed to get behind the Amakhosi defence. 

As expected, Chiefs looked dangerous throughout, with crosses played inside the Stellenbosch box, and Ngezana came close to opening the scoring from a Parker cross, only for his header to go wide. 

After starting as a lone striker, Leonardo Castro limped off the pitch with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Samir Nurkovic, who had been rested for this encounter in anticipation of the Mamelodi Sundowns match next week Thursday. 

However, he was ultimately booked deep into stoppage time for his fourth yellow card of the season - meaning he will be suspended for this crucial encounter.   

Stellenbosch took the lead through Skelem in the 35th minute after he connected brilliantly with Ashley de Preez's cross. 

Du Preez turned Ngezana inside out on the left-hand side before whipping a perfect cross into the box and Skelem made it two goals in two matches, beating Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya to the ball, and Daniel Akpeyi hands down. 

Things improved for Chiefs in the second half after the introduction of Kambole, Dumusani Zuma and Kgotso Moleko. 

And with Lebogang Manyama absent due to injury, Zuma was expected to be the link between the midfield and the strikers - and he did well soon after his introduction, taking the game to Stellenbosch without the fear of losing it. 

Kambole made an immediate impact upfront, but his 57th-minute effort was superbly palmed by Lee Langeveldt. 

Stellenbosch didn't show any respect towards Chiefs with Du Preez and Skelem giving the Amakhosi defence a torrid time with their pace in the final third. 

It was on the side of Ngezana that the pair looked more dangerous as the Chiefs defender was often beaten for pace. 

Chiefs would finally find the equaliser through Kambole in the 70th minute after he was picked out by Reeve Frosler. 

He chested the ball down, leaving his marker behind before finishing with his weaker foot from close range for what was his first goal since joining Amakhosi.   

Stellenbosch sat back after conceding that goal but they had the chance to steal the three points three minutes before time when Nyiko Mobbie picked out Du Preez inside the Amakhosi box, but the young attacker hit the wrong side of the net with only Akpeyi to beat.  

Ultimately, neither team could find the winner, but for Stellenbosch, this was a huge point and they remain unbeaten in the league since the return of football.

For Chiefs, this match represented a missed opportunity to have moved eight points clear of second-placed Sundowns. 

Barbra Banda enjoyed a fine debut as she scored once and provided two assists in Shanghai Shengli's 5-0 trashing of Zhejiang Hangzhou in a Chinese Women's Super League contest on Sunday.

The Zambia international joined Shanghai in January from Spanish side Logrono and was handed a starting role in her maiden appearance in the Chinese outfit's winning opener of the season.

Having ended as runners-up in 2019, Shanghai are aiming to challenge for the league diadem this year and the Zambian star broke the deadlock in their opener with her fantastic solo run in the 23rd minute.

The hosts doubled the lead through captain Liu Jieru as she struck during a goalmouth scramble five minutes later. 

After the break, Banda continued to make light of the absence of Nigeria's Francisca Ordega, missing due to travel restrictions as she raced in to tee up Tang Jiali for Shanghai's third in the 53rd minute.

16 minutes later, the last season's vice-champions added the fourth when Fang Jie blasted home a remarkable long-range goal.

Deep into injury time, Banda intercepted a pass between Zhejiang's defenders to set up Jiali for her second to wrap up a big victory.

Shanghai will battle Henan Jianye, who suffered a 2-1 opening defeat to Wuhan, in their next Chinese top flight fixture on August 26.

Mino Raiola says that is set to hold talks with Manchester United over a new contract for Paul Pogba as the agent insists that his client is still a key player for the club.

Pogba has been with Manchester United since 2016, as he returned to Old Trafford after a four-year stay with Juventus.

He's made 157 appearances since making that return, scoring 32 goals while leading Manchester United to a Carabao Cup triumph and a Europa League title.

However, in recent seasons, Pogba has been at the centre of transfer rumours, with the midfielder often linked with an Old Trafford departure.

According to his longtime agent Raiola, though, Pogba is set to stay at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future as the two sides are set to begin talks over a new deal.

“Pogba is key player for Man Utd, they have an important project and he’s 100 per cent included. Man Utd will not accept any bid on this summer to sell Pogba," Raiola told Gianluca Di Marzio

"He is not the type to make controversy, especially in a moment where you have to stay calm and see how it turns out. We will deal with the renewal calmly, without stress. We will continue to talk about it."

While Pogba looks set to remain at Manchester United, Raiola also revealed that another one of his clients, Erling Haaland, will also remain at his current club this summer.

Haaland only joined Borussia Dortmund in January, but has run rampant since joining the Bundesliga side, scoring 16 goals in 18 games for the club.

Given his success, Haaland has been linked with a big-money move as soon as this summer as the 20-year-old forward has already become one of the world's most in-demand strikers.

However, Raiola says that those that missed out on Haaland in January must deal with their mistake as he will be a Dortmund player for at least another season.

"He is a regret for those who did not take him and a dream for those that did take him," Raiola said. 

"He will not move this year. He is fine at Dortmund. It is not the time to moving, we are very aware of the career path that can be done."