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David Silva has said Real Sociedad's style of play and family considerations led him to select the Basque side as his next destination instead of Lazio.

After 10 hugely successful years at Manchester City, Silva left England as a free agent with plenty of clubs around the world showing interest.

Lazio appeared to be in pole position to land the 34-year-old but in an unexpected move, Silva signed with Sociedad on a two-year contract on Monday.

The move angered the Serie A side, who believed they had done enough to seal a move for the Spaniard. The club's director Igli Tare was particularly incensed.

"I learned about David Silva's transfer to Real Sociedad. I have great respect for the player, but not for the man," Tare said. 

Speaking to his new side's official website, Silva outlined his reasons for choosing a return to La Liga ahead of a move to Serie A.

"The sensations are very good. After the announcement, I have received many expressions of affection, messages from many people," Silva said. 

"I've had quite a few offers in all this time. I decided on Real Sociedad because they are doing things very well. They have a style that suits my game very well. I know San Sebastian, it is a very beautiful and quiet city.

"My family had to do with my decision. I watched Real Sociedad games and they play very well. I also have very good references from the coach.

"We can do important things, there is a good group and for my conditions it is very good. It is a very nice challenge, I am looking forward to starting.

"Holidays help relax the head. I hope we finish the challenge well and I can do my bit to help the club win things.

"There is a great atmosphere, I already played in the old stadium and the grass was always spectacular. When you sign up for a new club, you want to get started. Now I will rest my mind and then start with my batteries charged."

Silva will play in La Liga for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign, his final season with Valencia before he left to join Man City.

Manchester United goalkeeper Lee Grant joked that he still has Zlatan Ibrahimovic in his pocket as he added that he had the Swedish star 'on toast' during their clash in the Premier League.

Grant has been with Manchester United since 2018, having moved to Old Trafford after previously playing for Stoke, Derby, Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday.

His arrival came shortly after the Swedish star's departure, with Ibrahimovic leaving the Premier League to sign with the LA Galaxy and, eventually, AC Milan.

Even after Ibrahimovic's departure, he remained a much-discussed figure in the Manchester United dressing room, with Grant saying that he's still a player that many in the squad look up to.

“He wasn't here as a player but he was in LA, he came and visited us,” Grant told the Utd Podcast. “All I was hearing in that first month or so, while I was acclimatising, were stories about Zlatan.

“His period at the club had just come to an end but the lads would talk about him constantly. 'Do you remember when Zlatan did this?' 'Do you remember him getting on to such and such in training and he nearly made him cry?' 'Do you remember that thing he does, the kung-fu kick over his head?' 'Do you remember Zlatan scored that goal? Do you remember when he nutmegged that guy and absolutely took the p***?

“I thought: 'Oh my god, who is this Zlatan character?' but that was what it was like all the time.

“I got to meet him in LA but it was literally for five or 10 minutes, just to say hello and ask how he was enjoying America and all the rest of it.

“For me, just to see how the lads interacted with him. Huge stars, well huge stars to me, looking up to the king! It was quite an eye-opener. But he seemed a really nice guy.

“I'm actually disappointed I didn't get the chance to play with him myself. I played against him, of course."

Grant's face-off with Ibrahimovic came in October 2016 with the goalkeeper's Stoke side taking on Ibrahimovic and Man Utd.

On that day, Stoke held on to a 1-1 draw with Grant having a spectacular game that he still recalls fondly.

“I had him on toast!" Grant joked. “He's in here, in my pocket somewhere.

“I had him on toast that day. Of course, I wouldn't say that to his face. If I was training against him, I would imagine he would have me on toast more than I had him on toast but that was a good day for me.

“I wanted to show the Manchester United fans, and everyone in that stadium, not consciously perhaps, but I wanted the fans to remember Lee Grant after this game. Subconsciously, I really wanted to do well and make some impression. I made 10 saves and had a really good game.”

Grant has made two appearances since making the move to Man Utd, featuring in a Carabao Cup loss to Derby in September 2018 before starting this past November's Europa League loss to Astana. 

Bloemfontein Celtic secured an impressive 3-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in a PSL match which was played on Wednesday evening. 

Amakhosi were presented with an opportunity to extend their lead to nine points at the top of the league standings after edging out Polokwane City 3-2 on Saturday.

Coach Ernst Middendorp made four changes to the team which faced Polokwane with Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Bernard Parker, Leonard Castro and Willard Katsande all returning to the starting line-up.

On the other hand, Phunya Sele See were looking to move closer to the top eight on the league standings after drawing 1-1 with SuperSport United on Saturday.

Middendorp's counter-part John Maduka named an attack-minded team with strikers Motebang Sera, Victor Letsoalo and Ndumiso Mabena all starting upfront for Celtic.

Phunya Sele Sele were the better side in the opening stages of the encounter with the hosts' front three, Letsoalo, Mabena and Sera looking lively.

Maduka's men threatened first when Letsoalo unleashed a thunderous effort from range, but Chiefs goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi produced a fantastic finger-tipping save to deny the frontman.

The visitors grew in confidence as the match progressed and Leonardo Castro forced Celtic shot-stopper Sipho Chaine into a great reflex save with a good header.

Phunya Sele Sele were conceding too many corner-kicks and set-pieces in their own half and they were punished by Amakhosi's towering central defender Eric Mathoho.

The Bafana Bafana international headed home birthday-boy Khama Billiat's corner-kick to make it 1-0 to Chiefs 10 minutes before the half-time break.

However, Middendorp's men went to sleep on the stroke of half-time and they were punished by Sera, who beat Akpeyi with a decent finish and the score was 1-1 at the interval.

Celtic came back brimming with confidence following their half-time team talk with Malawian tactician Maduka.

The hosts took the lead for the first time on the night when Sera completed his brace with a close-range finish to make it 2-1 to Celtic with the Lesotho international netting his sixth league goal of the campaign.

Chiefs then took control of the match with Katsande dictating terms from the middle of the park and he forced Chaine into a magnificent diving save with a long-range effort.

Maduka then made a change pulling out a tired-looking Sera and the retired central midfielder introduced another striker in Harris Tchilumbu as the hosts refreshed their attack.

Phunya Sele Sele looked dangerous every time they pushed forward and they took a two-goal lead when Mabena set-up Letsoalo, who fired past Akpeyi to make it 3-1 to Celtic with 16 minutes left.
 
Amakhosi launched late attacks as they looked to grab at least two goals in order to ensure that the match ended in a draw, but the Siwelele defence stood firm at the back and Chaine was not seriously tested.

Ultimately, the match ended in a 3-1 victory in favour of Celtic, who moved up to the tenth spot on the league standings - a point behind seventh-placed Cape Town City.

Now leaders Chiefs are six points above second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, who have a game in hand.

New Young Africans (Yanga SC) winger Tuisila Kisinda has warned Mainland Premier League champions Simba SC that he is coming to deal with them.

Kisinda was signed from AS Vita of the Democratic Republic of Congo and has confirmed he has been briefed on how the Yanga-Simba rivalry is and thus he is ready for the duel.

Both Kisinda and his teammate Mukoko Tonombe were signed for two years by an ambitious Yanga who are ready to dominate the Tanzanian Premier League after recent shortcomings.

“I have had a long conversation with Hersi Said [Yanga official] and he has explained, in detail, to me about the Yanga and Simba rivalry,” Kisinda is quoted as saying by Mwanaspoti.

“He has told me the only big team there is Simba and that he is in the market for strikers now.

“I have asked him to buy good strikers and then he should leave Simba matters to us. We, the players, will deal with them [Simba] on the pitch.

“I fear no defenders because I have played against a lot of them and even Simba, I have met them before and they know what kind of work I am capable of doing.

“It will not be long before I arrive to start on my new job.”

Kisinda and Tonombe are expected to join their new teammates on Thursday.

Meanwhile, AS Vita assistant coach Raoul Shungu has explained how productive both Tonombe and Kisinda can be for his former club.

“At AS Vita, we were told the two players will leave and they are really good but you know football is business,” Shungu told Mwanaspoti.

“I am happy that both are leaving and joining one team and it is a team that I support in Tanzania. They are going to be of great value to Yanga but what I will just wish is that the coach should know how to get the best out of them.

“Yanga have done the transfer business in quite a diligent manner unlike how things were done in the past.

“AS Vita bosses are also happy after seeing how Yanga came and conducted the whole transfer activities with them which ended in a very professional way.”

Finally, Fullback Aboubakr Ngalema has extended his stay with newly-promoted side Dodoma Jiji FC. Ngalema's contract extension was confirmed just hours after another defender George Wawa was signed from relegated side Singida United. 

Desire Oparanozie is excited about her positive start to life at Dijon after opening her goal account with her new French women's top-flight outfit.

The Nigeria international has begun to hit the ground running for Yannick Chandioux's team since arriving from Guingamp this summer and scored three goals in four warm-up games.

The 27-year-old could not score in Dijon's wins against Servette Chenois and French Thonon-Evian but eventually broke her duck with a brace in Standard Liege before her late strike against Reims.

Having found her scoring boots again, the Super Falcons star is vowing to continue her impactful form in the friendlies and beyond.

"I'm really happy to have scored my first goals for Dijon," Oparanozie was quoted by The Nation newspaper. 

"It was an amazing feeling for me and I hope to carry on like this for the remaining two friendly games we have and the start of the season on September 5. 

"The magic behind the two goals I scored against Standard Liege was because I played for a long period in the game, unlike Servette where I only lasted 45 minutes. 

"I played for 80 minutes against Liege and added 10 minutes more against Reims, where I also got a goal. I'm looking forward to the new season with high expectations."

Dijon will open their French top-flight campaign with a trip to face Soyaux on September 5 before hosting Issy a week later and visit her former side Guingamp on September 26.

Before the league's commencement, they will continue their build-up against Chiamaka Nnadozie's Paris on Saturday in Beaune before wrapping up their pre-season against Fleury a week later.

Rising Borussia Dortmund star Youssoufa Moukoko has mentioned the names of Lukasz Piszczek, Emre Can and Julian Brandt as the first team players who are doing the most in helping him integrate into the first team.

The 15-year-old - who is dubbed the 'New Eto’o’ due to the prolific scoring nature of Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o during his career, has made headlines for the right reasons because of such attributes.

Indeed, the Yaounde-born striker, who also holds a German passport, has scored more than 150 goals for Dortmund at youth level.

This prompted calls for the wonderkid to be included into the first team and with the DFB reducing age restrictions to make a senior debut from 17 to 16. Moukoko is now poised to feature in November.

He has already started training with the first team as pre-season has resumed ahead of the 2020-21 Bundesliga season kicking off on September 18.

"Lukasz Piszczek helped me a lot, but Emre Can and Julian Brandt also support me," Moukoko said.

“Piszczek pulled me straight to the side and said: “Just have fun, be yourself. And don't be afraid of us professionals.”

Piszczek has been at Dortmund since 2010, amassing more than 360 appearances for the club and winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles under current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp in 2011 and 2012.

Can is a Germany international who played the previous season on loan from Juventus before his move to the Signal Iduna Park was made permanent this summer, while Brandt is a 31-time German international that joined Dortmund last summer after five years with Bayer Leverkusen.

Moukoko has been able to adjust to the difference of first-team training and that of the youth squad. He did admit he will remain with the Under-19s at the start of the new season with the hope of reaching 200 goals as he currently stands at a combined 183 strikes in the various youth categories.

“You don't have time to think about it anymore [first team training], you have to be very quick to act," he stated.

 "I will use the time until November in the U19. I still want to break the 200-goal mark.”

Vipers SC have appointed Charles Masembe as the club’s new sporting director ahead the new Ugandan Premier League season.

“The club is pleased to announce the appointment of Charles Masembe to the new role of sporting director,” confirmed a statement in the club’s official website.

“Masembe has a wealth of experience in the Ugandan game, having played, coached and officiated as a Fifa certified referee at international level.

“The former Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will have to ensure he creates a favourable environment at the club for the players, coaches, management and oversee youth structures with the responsibility of organising workshops and training for all staff.

“His other major role will be as a link between the technical staff and board of Directors. He will be mandated to provide technical advice to the coaching staff, give guidance for the club's vision and sporting strategy.”

The statement continued: “At such a challenging time, the club looks forward to Masembe commencing his role, helping to drive the continual improvement in the football operations by ensuring that it is implementing best practices, to enhance the overall performance of the club.”

Vipers President Lawrence Mulindwa who was at hand to unveil Masembe said: “We are delighted to have appointed Masembe. This is a role we have been keen to introduce into the structure for some time, and it has been in our strategic plan.

 “We unveil Masembe as one of the most experienced and exposed football administrators because our dream is big and we want people like him that can help us archive our vision of becoming a first-class football club in Uganda and Africa.”

On his appointment, Masembe said: “It is an honour and privilege to join Vipers, an institution with big dreams. I have always admired to give my contribution to institutions with dreams and I have landed well in a place where I can also be helpful.”

Masembe will also be charged with ensuring the successful delivery of the agreed aims, objectives and outcomes of the first team within the strategic football development plan.

Vipers won the league title last season, beating their closest challengers KCCA FC, after the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) moved to end the top-flight prematurely owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

By winning the league, Vipers will represent Uganda in the Caf Champions League while KCCA will go for the Confederation Cup.

Newly-unveiled Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman says he plans to sit down and talk with Lionel Messi as he looks to work alongside the Argentinian star for years to come.

Koeman was speaking at his introductory press conference with the club, having recently been unveiled as Quique Setien's successor.

Setien was dismissed on the heels of a trophy-less end to the season, with Barca falling short to rivals Real Madrid in La Liga before being trounced by Bayern Munich in an 8-2 beatdown to conclude their Champions League run.

Koeman joins Barca as he leaves his role with the Netherlands national team, and he'll find that his old club is currently in a state of disarray.

Technical director Eric Abidal has followed Setien out the door, while Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu faces an election in March.

The president has already stated that several Barca stars are available for transfer, with the club only committing to keeping hold of individuals they see as key players. 

One player that the club is eager to hold on to is Messi, although recent reports have stated that the captain is fed up with Barca's decision-making and is considering a departure from Camp Nou.

Koeman, meanwhile, is hopeful that Messi stays on with the club for as long as possible as he looks forward to working alongside the club's long-time star.

"I don't know if I have to convince Messi or not," Koeman said on Wednesday. "You want to have the best in the world in your team, not the opposite.

"I want to work with Messi. He wins you games and, if he provides the performances he has always shown, I'll be happy if he wants to stay.

"He has a contract. I have to talk to him, because he is the captain of the team. We are going to work and talk with several players. And in the case of Messi, I hope that he will be here for many more years."

He added: "What I talk to Messi, there are private things between player and coach. We will talk about what he thinks of Barcelona and then I will make decisions.

"Messi has one more year on his contract and is a Barca player and I want him in my team."

The Argentine was Barca's standout yet again throughout the 2019-20 campaign, breaking former team-mate Xavi's assist record with 21 assists while also firing 25 goals of his own. 

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have learned the new dates for the Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 and the group stage of the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers.

The scheduled fixtures had been postponed after the coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension of most football action in the continent.

But the Caf Emergency Committee has approved the resumption of the qualifiers which means the three East African countries will have to honour the matches in a condensed calendar.

Doubleheaders have been scheduled between November this year and November 2021 as teams will be expected to scramble for the available slots for both the Afcon finals and the World Cup.

Afcon qualifiers will resume from November 9 to 17 2020 as matchday three and four ties are being played.

The penultimate and ultimate qualifiers will be played between March 22 to March 23, 2021.

World Cup qualifiers will resume between May 31 and June 15, 2021, with matchday one and two actions. From August through to September 7, matchday three and four actions are expected to be honoured.

Day five and six actions have been slated for October 4-12, 2021.

“Meanwhile, Caf is monitoring the situation closely and working with the relevant authorities with regards to hosting of the matches and will make pronouncements accordingly in the event of developments that will affect playing a match at the designated venue,” a Caf statement read.

Kenya are in Group E of the preliminary World Cup qualifiers with neighbours Uganda and Rwanda while the West African nation Mali are the other rival.

Tanzania, under Burundian coach Etienne Ndayiragije, are in Group J with DR Congo, Benin and Madagascar.

To advance to the finals of the knockout round which will involve 10 teams, the East African nations have to finish top of their respective groups. The winners of the final two-legged round will qualify for the World Cup to be held in Qatar.

None of the three countries has ever managed to qualify for the World Cup despite numerous attempts.

In the Afcon qualifiers, Kenya are second in Group G behind Comoros after draws against Egypt and Togo. Third-placed Tanzania are in Pool J alongside Tunisia, Libya and Equatorial Guinea.

The Cranes, under Irish coach Johnathan McKinstry, tops Group B where South Sudan, Burkina Faso and Malawi are the other competitors.

SuperSport United stormed back into the top three following Wednesday's 2-0 win over Polokwane City at Bidvest Stadium.

Ghampani Lungu's goal as well as Bradley Grobler’s late strike at both ends of the match helped SuperSport claim maximum points and seal a four-match unbeaten run.

In reclaiming third-spot, the Tshwane side had to thank Orlando Pirates for dropping points the previous day and they are now just a point above the Soweto giants who are placed fourth.

For Polokwane City, it was yet another disappointing afternoon as they succumbed to their third straight defeat which leaves them at the bottom of the table.

SuperSport did not wait too long to change the complexion of the contest eight minutes into the match when Lungu broke loose to meet a Grobler pass before slotting it past George Chigova in goals for Polokwane City.

The Limpopo side attempted to respond seven minutes later via Lungu's Zambian compatriot Salulani Phiri whose long-range shot went just wide of Ronwen William's goal.

Lungu almost doubled SuperSport's advantage in the 19th minute but saw his headed effort narrowly missing the target off a Giuly Manziba cross from the right.

A minute later, Grobler cleverly tried to connect from a low cross but was blocked as SuperSport appeared relentless in attack.

Polokwane City, however, tried to come back when Mohammed Anas saw his penalty appeal being ignored by referee Philangenkosi Khumalo after the Ghanaian striker was brought down inside the box by Clayton Daniels at the end of a counter-attack.

It was now SuperSport’s turn to briefly back-paddle as Vusumuzi Mngomezulu beat Williams but agonizingly watched his low drive miss the upright post by just a whisker on the half-hour mark.

Teboho Mokoena then shot over the bar for SuperSport while Jabulani Maluleke also had an effort going over in a missed opportunity to equalise for Polokwane City.

Matsatsantsa appeared keen to go on the break leading with two goals but Chigova twice saved with his legs near the goal line in the first half’s stoppage time.

After the break, it was SuperSport again who showed intent to further go ahead as they pressed their opponents more.

Aubrey Modiba then blew a glorious chance when he tapped over the bar from close range with a yawning goal at his mercy off a Manziba low cross five minutes into the second half.

With Polokwane surviving that attack, they kept on trying to strike back but Themba Chauke and substitute Kabelo Mahlasela were let down by their final touches.

The match was killed as a contest a minute into injury time when Grobler struck off a feed by substitute Kudakwashe Mahachi to earn SuperSport the vital three points.

The past week saw four of the country's finest freestyle footballers battle it out for a spot in the grand finale of the 2020 South African Freestyle Football Championships. 

Cape Town duo Emilio Nahamuja and Kyle Rinquest were joined in the semi-finals by former champion Rishaad Ebrahim (2018) and defending champion Sipho “Six” Busakwe. 

Ebrahim faced Nahamuja while Busakwe took on Rinquest in the other semi-final.

In deciding the two progressing contestants, judge and renowned freestyler Kunal Rathi said, "At this stage of the tournament, all participants repeat most of the tricks with some new variations and combinations to deliver a high-performance level."

"And I always select a winner who showcases their own style and can present themselves in the best way possible.

"Originality for me is either doing original self-created moves or showcasing yourself with a unique and presentable style."

Out of a score of 90, Nahamuja was ranked the highest, 77, and was followed by Busakwe (76) in second place. The two will square off in what will be a repeat of the 2019 final.

Ebrahim finished third 74/90 while Rinquest finished fourth with a score of 73/90. 

Goal will be publishing the winners of each round, as well as all details and selected videos in their different platforms.

Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa has emphasised the importance of converting their goalscoring opportunities. 

The 23-year-old player marked his return to the Bucs starting line-up with a goal in their 1-1 draw with Baroka FC in a PSL match on Tuesday evening.

Mabasa started his first league match since November 2019 with the Buccaneers enduring a four-match goal drought.

It took 16 minutes for the left-footed hitman to net his seventh league goal of the season and he is grateful to Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer for handing him a chance to start at Ellis Park Stadium.

"First of all I would like to thank the man [God] above and thank the coach for the opportunity that he gave me," Mabasa said on the club's official Twitter account.

"I have been working hard recently, even during the lockdown. I am honestly grateful for the opportunity that I got tonight. 

"Even if you look at the amount of work I put in tonight it helped the team somehow," he added.

Pirates striker Frank Mhango is the league's top goalscorer with 14 goals, but he has failed to score in his last six matches in the competition. 

The Soweto giants are also winless in their last five league matches and Mabasa indicated the team needs to start scoring goals in order to stand a better chance of winning games.

"Honestly, we need to get better results and we need to utilize the chances that we create," the former Bloemfontein Celtic centre forward said.

"We have to score goals definitely."

Pirates are currently placed third on the league standings - three points behind second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, who have two games in hand.

The Buccaneers have four matches left which are against Cape Town City, SuperSport United, Maritzburg United as well as Stellensbosh FC.

Finishing third in the league will see Zinnbauer's side qualify for next season's Caf Confederation Cup having been the runners-up in the continental tournament in 2015.

While a top-two finish would earn Pirates a spot in the 2020/21 Caf Champions League - a tournament which they won in 1995 and they were runners-up in 2013. 

Pirates' next encounter against City is at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday, August 23.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has announced the new international calendar for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying matches.

African countries face a busy schedule of continental football in 2021 with all international windows packed with qualification games starting from November 2020 to November 2021.

Caf, in a statement released on Wednesday, disclosed the Afcon qualifiers will resume in November while the World Cup qualification games will begin in May 2021.

Initially, the third and fourth round of matches for the 2021 Afcon were slated for March before the coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement.

Countries will play the round three and four games between November 9-17 while the final two matches will be held between March 22-30 in 2021.

On June 30, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations was supposed to be hosted by Cameroon and was moved to January 2022 and will end in February - a year later than the initial date, after Covid-19 disrupted the global football calendar.

Similarly, the calendar for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers has also been adjusted and the matchdays one and two will now be held between May 31 and June 15 in 2021.

The matchdays three and four have been scheduled for August 30 to September 7 while the penultimate and final group games come up between October 4 and October 12.

The two-legged final qualifying round which will produce Africa's five representatives for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be between November 8 and 16.

The global competition is still unmoved despite the effects of the coronavirus on football activities and will be the first World Cup to be held between November 21 and December 18.

Express FC have confirmed their fourth signing after unveiling midfielder Abel Eturude Michael.

The 23-year-old has joined the Red Eagles from fellow Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side Onduparaka FC after agreeing to pen a two-year contract that will see him stay at the club until August 2022.

“Express have acquired the services of creative midfielder Abel Eturude Michael on a two-year deal,” the club confirmed on their official website on Wednesday.

“The 23-year-old joins from Onduparaka and becomes the team’s fourth signing ahead of next season. Eturude is known for his vast creativity in the middle of the park along with his good passing abilities and vision.”

On signing for Express, Michael side: “I am very happy to be a Red Eagle, arguably the biggest club in this country but most importantly am here to make the team better and with the fans’ support, the sky will be the limit.”

Apart from Michael, Express have also signed goalkeepers Cryspus Kusiima and Denis Otim along with centre-back Richard Bbosa.

Express are building a squad to challenge for the league title from Vipers SC when the new campaign kicks-off on October 17.

The signing of Michael comes just two days after Express appointed former Uganda national rugby 7s and 15s star Hellen Buteme as the strength and conditioning coach.

Buteme, who was declared the Most Valuable Players in 2004, 2005, 2008, arrived at the club with a contract that is set to expire at the end of the two years and explained what attracted him to the club.

“When I met the club CEO [Isaac Mwesigwa] at the beginning of this year, he told me about his plans for Express,” Buteme said.

“Basically to bring back its glory days and seeing that I am also a strength and conditioning coach, he wanted me to join the technical bench and take over the conditioning needs for the team.

“It turned out to be a challenge that I couldn’t resist and so I will be making sure that the players are in the best possible shape to execute the coach’s game plans and ensuring that they are as injury-free as possible.

“I will be assisting the medical team with the rehabilitation of injured players and just basically making sure that the players are the best that they can possibly be.”

Buteme is a Leipzig University Level B conditioning License holder and has started sharing the conditioning programme for players through the Whatsapp group.

South Africa national team fringe player Gift Links is eyeing to leave a mark in the Europa League and Danish Superliga with improved performances in the 2020/21 season.

Links' club AGF Aarhus qualified for Europe’s second-tier club competition where they will start from the preliminary rounds in the upcoming campaign.

It would be the first time for the South Africa international to play in any European club tournament.

Aarhus begin their Europa League campaign against FC Honka from Finland on August 27.

With the Danish domestic league also set to kickoff on September 14, Links has set himself a target of increasing his scoring rate and assists.

“We really had a good season after a very long time you know, it’s been over 20 years since AGF won a medal and I am super proud to be part of this great group of players you know – we fought until the end and we managed to get something out of it,” Links told Far Post.

“We haven’t made it yet to Europa, remember we have to play qualifiers first and what I know is that we will take it one game at a time – we are going to fight until the end, to be honest.

“The team’s targets come first you know, but personally my target for next season is to see myself scoring and assisting goals as much as I can so I just have to work on my numbers and consistency with my performances.”

Links managed just a goal and an assist for Aarhus in 20 games across all competitions last season in what was his first term in Denmark.

Improved performances could catch the attention of South Africa national team coach Molefi Ntseki to consider Links for Bafana Bafana.

The midfielder has only featured for the South Africa B squad in Cosafa Cup matches.

An impressive season at club level would also increase Link’s chances of being included in the Olympics squad by Under-23 coach David Notoane.

He has been a surprise omission in Notoane’s side.

Manchester United are set to complete the transfer of Barcelona wonderkid Marc Jurado, with international clearance finally due to be sorted in the coming days.

It is understood the 16-year-old agreed to join United earlier in the summer after turning down a new deal at Camp Nou, but there has been a delay on his arrival due to paperwork taking time to finalise.

The right-back appeared to confirm his move with a reply to a Bruno Fernandes Instagram post with ‘we keep fighting’ and his signing is expected to be completed soon. 

However, the teenager will not be able to instantly start training with his new team-mates as a government ruling due to the pandemic means he will be forced to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

United announced their academy intake for next season last month and that included the arrival of Logan Pye and Joe Hugill, who were previously at Sunderland, and Radek Vitek from Sigma Oloumouc.

Left-back Alvaro Fernande\, who similarly to Jurdao has already posted a goodbye message on his Instagram page, is also expected to join having agreed to leave Real Madrid earlier in the summer. 

Like Jurado, he is awaiting the finalisation of international clearance which should be completed imminently, and he will also have to quarantine for 14 days.

The pair will likely join Neil Ryan’s Under-18s side, who have been back in training for three weeks, while Neil Wood’s U23s have been training for a month ahead of a return to action on weekend of September 12. 

Wood is anticipating having a very young side this season with a number of more senior players in the squad expected to go out on loan.

James Garner is set to join a Championship club while Tahith Chong has joined Werder Bremen for the 2020-21 campaign. 

Aliou Traore has signed for French club Caen for the season and it is understood the club is also considering other loan deals for Matej Kovar, Di’Shon Bernard and Dylan Levitt. 

Teden Mengi, who has recently earned a promotion to the first team squad, is expected to stay at the club to further his development.

Television pundit Jabu Mahlangu believes while Kaizer Chiefs aren't playing good football, they will still win the league this season. 

This is a different view from what Mahlangu said a while ago where he backed Mamelodi Sundowns instead of Amakhosi to win lift the PSL trophy at the end of the current campaign.  

However, he doesn't think Chiefs will keep Ernst Middendorp as head coach for next season. 

"In my opinion‚ the only reason Chiefs wouldn't win this league title would be because they don’t want it. They are not playing good football at all‚ but they are grinding out results like they did last weekend when they came from behind to beat Polokwane City (3-2)," Mahlangu told TimesLIVE . 

"And because of this, I don’t think that coach Ernst Middendorp will stay at the club next season because their fans don’t like the brand of football they are playing," he said. 

Mahlangu is not suggesting in any way that Chiefs should change their style of play in the remaining matches, saying playing good football shouldn't be a priority. 

"By saying that they are not playing good football‚ I am not in any way suggesting they must change their style because what they are doing is working for them. At this stage of the season‚ it is not about playing good or entertaining football‚ but about getting results."

The Daveyton-born legend said the reason for picking Chiefs over Sundowns is that Pitso Mosimane's men have had a dip in form since the resumption of the season. 

Sundowns are winless in their last three league matches - drawing against both Orlando Pirates and Highlands Park and losing to Cape Town City. 

"I have changed my mind and I am saying this league title will go to Naturena."

"Sundowns have dropped in form since they returned and this has presented Chiefs with a good opportunity‚" continued.

"The fact that Sundowns have dropped points since the restart of the season has left Chiefs in a very good position at the top.

With a handful of matches to go before the completion of the 2019-20 season, Mahlangu doesn't see Chiefs losing two games.

"I don’t see Chiefs losing two matches and allowing Sundowns to close the gap on the log standings.

Igor Angulo is of the opinion that that FC Goa have a good squad going into the 2020-21 Indian Super League and the upcoming AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League.

During a conversation with a group of reporters on Wednesday, the Spaniard stressed that he is not concerned with the overhaul at the club. After Sergio Lobera depared the club midway through the 20019-20 season, several key players such as Hugo Boumous, Ferran Corominas, Ahmed Jahouh, Mourtada Fall, Mandar Rao Dessai and Jackichand Singh have also left. 

"We are going to have a lot of new players but it is like this for all the teams around the world. I think we will have a squad good enough to play the league, in the [ISL] play-offs and in the [AFC] Champions League. So I hope it's going to be a very good season for us," said the former Athletic Bilbao marksman.

Speaking about the expectations of the club and the new head coach Juan Ferrando on him, the new signing added, "I spoke with both of them and they want me to be one of the most important players in their team. I think I can do it. My role is going to be important and I am used to playing important roles in my previous teams."

Ferran Corominas has the enviable record of being the ISL's all-time top scorer with 48 goals and has 50 goals for the club over the span of the last three seasons. Angulo feels the credit for his success has to also be given to the team. 

"Corominas is a legend at the club but if he scored so many goals, it is because of the team," Angulo mentioned. "So both the team and Corominas have to be great for each other. Corominas was a good part of Goa but now we have to look at the future as he's not going to be with us.

"As I said, we have a very good squad and I'm sure that we will not miss him. I wish him the best because I know him personally from when we were playing together in the Spanish U-21 national team.

Igor Angulo himself has scored around 80 goals for Polish side Gornik Zabrze in the last four years and is used to the pressure of scoring goals. 

"I know that I am going to replace Coro because he has scored so many goals for the club, but I'm used to having this kind of pressure. In the last four years, I had the pressure to be the best for the team.

"I think in Goa it's going to be the same. In the end, football is a collective sport and we will need the help of everyone. One player cannot do anything by himself. Only a good squad can do it and I think we will have it," he culminated.

FC Goa have managed to retain the services of Edu Bedia and have signed Jorge Ortiz and Ivan Gonzalez. As far as Indian signings go, the club has roped in the likes of Redeem Tlang and Makan Winkle Chote while Alexander Romario Jesuraj is set to return from his loan stint with Mohun Bagan.

UEFA is considering using the Super Cup next month as a trial for allowing fans back into stadiums, the organisation announced on Wednesday.

The federation is currently hosting both the Champions League and Europa League in neutral locations behind closed doors, as supporters are still not allowed to attend due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Europe's top leagues recently completed their domestic seasons without fans as well, although there have been friendlies in France with supporters in attendance.

On Tuesday, UEFA hosted a videoconference featuring all 55 general secretaries of the member associations, with the key point of discussion being the potential gradual return of fans to UEFA matches.

With one eye on the 2020-21 season and another on the current status of the pandemic, UEFA revealed on Tuesday that the federation could use September's Super Cup as a test run with a reduced number of spectators allowed to attend.

"Today’s participants underlined the need for strict hygiene and sanitary measures to be in place to guarantee the health of all those present at a game before allowing fans to return," the federation said in a statement.

"UEFA mentioned that it would be too early to already allow fans into the upcoming UEFA national team competitions matches to be played at the beginning of September and that test matches should take place to study precisely the impact of spectators on current medical protocols.

"UEFA suggested to use the UEFA Super Cup, which will be played on September 24 in Budapest, as a pilot match for which a reduced number of spectators could be allowed in."

The Super Cup is a match that features the winner of the Champions League taking on the winner of the Europa League, with Liverpool's victory over Chelsea serving as the most recent iteration.

This upcoming match will feature either Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich or Lyon taking on either Sevilla or Inter at Puskas Arena in Budapest.

Originally scheduled to be played at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto, the match was relocated to the Hungarian venue after the remainder of the 2019-20 Champions League campaign was moved to Portugal in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

In addition to discussing the possibility of allowing fans back into matches, UEFA's meeting also focused on international matches, including the possibility that players would be travelling from countries that would force them to be quarantined upon arriving for international duty.

The federation is encouraging their representatives to approach their local governments to request exemptions, adding that the UEFA protocol would mean travelling players and staff would not present any danger to the rest of the local community.

Associations would also be permitted to move matches to a neutral venue in an effort to prevent games from being cancelled due to local restrictions.