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AmaZulu FC caretaker coach Ayanda Dlamini has stressed the importance of having Moeneeb Josephs in his technical team.

Joseph is currently serving as the third-choice goalkeeper and assistant coach under Dlamini at the KwaZulu-Natal giants 

The duo has been tasked with ensuring that AmaZulu retain their status in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) with head coach Jozef Vukusic having been placed on special leave since March.

Dlamini explained that he enjoys working with Josephs, who is the oldest player in the South African top-flight having celebrated his 40th birthday in May.

"We all know what kind of a person Moeneeb is, he is a good guy, always a crazy character. I'm very happy to work with him," Dlamini told the media.

Josephs is an accomplished player, having won the PSL title with both Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates, and he also played for Bafana Bafana at the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals.

Dlamini, who is a retired striker, revealed that the man nicknamed 'Slim Kat' (Clever Cat) has a good working relationship with the players, having joined the club from Wits before the start of the 2018/19 campaign.

"He is that guy who can get the best out of the players by talking to them, being around them and they understand him very well and like to work with him too," he added. 

"I think he is that guy I really enjoy working with and he is playing a really big role at AmaZulu."

Dlamini took charge of his second match as Usuthu interim coach on Saturday and the league encounter against Baroka FC ended in a goalless draw at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Prior to the clash, the former Bloemfontein Celtic striker had guided AmaZulu to a surprise 1-0 win over PSL title contenders Kaizer Chiefs in March.

Usuthu are currently placed 14th on the league standings - a point above the relegation zone with five matches left this season.

The Durban-based side will be in action on Friday, August 21 when they lock horns with a Wits at the 2010 Fifa World Cup final venue, FNB Stadium.

Ghanaian defender Abdul Mumin believes he made the right decision by joining Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes.

The centre-back was announced as the latest acquisition of the Primeira Liga outfit, penning a four year deal.

He transferred as a free agent, having left Danish fold Nordsjaelland at the end of last season, and becomes the third Ghanaian at Guimaraes, joining Alhassan Wakaso and Joseph Amoah.

"Vitoria has a history of developing players, it is a club with a very high standard and that is why it is the ideal club for me and for me to continue to grow as a player," Mumin told Vitoria's official website.

“The years I spent in Denmark were very good, they gave me a lot of experience. I fulfilled the goals I had for myself and it was time to take a step forward. Vitoria is that step without a doubt, and I feel that I take it at the right moment, I am prepared.

"I spoke to Wakaso, who told me the best of this club. I expect a very good atmosphere, I felt this in the games I’ve seen from Vitoria."

Mumin is expected to meet his new teammates for the first time on Monday when Guimaraes begin pre-season preparations for the 2020-21 league season.

“I am looking forward [forward to the new season starting on Monday], I confess. I want to start as soon as possible, I feel it will be a great season for us," he continued.

“I am a central defender who likes to play. Having the ball is important to me and defensively I am strict, I know that this is essential in a great team."

Mumin left Ghanaian side Right to Dream Academy for associate club Nordsjaelland in 2016. In 2018, he was farmed out for a loan spell with Danish lower division side HB Koge, where he made 13 league outings.

Last season, he featured in 26 league matches for the Wild Tigers, starting 19 of the matches.

The 22-year-old has not been capped by Ghana, a status he will hope to change during his time with Vitoria. 

Kai Havertz has the creativity to succeed in the Premier League, according to Lukas Podolski, but the ex-Germany international says the Chelsea target still has a long way to go to thrive at the top of English football.

The 21-year-old is at the top of the Blues' wish list as Frank Lampard looks to bolster his young squad following a top-four finish and an FA Cup final appearance last season.

Havertz has yielded prolific results for Leverkusen since he made his senior debut in 2016, becoming the youngest player to clock up 100 games in the Bundesliga and having netted 46 goals across all competitions, with a string of caps for Joachim Low's national side also duly picked up since 2018.

Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro admitted that the attacking midfielder was ready to "make the next step" in his career earlier this week and Chelsea have long been among the favourites to secure his services.

Asked on whether he feels Havertz can further bolster his reputation with a move to English football, former Arsenal man Podolski highlighted both the player's strengths and weaknesses and how his own experiences informed his opinion of the Premier League — but not before cracking wise about his former club's rivalry with Leverkusen.

"Why are you asking me about a Leverkusen player?" the 35-year-old joked to The Athletic. "I’m [a] Cologne [man] and they are our rivals along with Gladbach and Dusseldorf.

"[But] he’s a great talent. On the ball he is so creative, but he’s still young — let’s see if he can fit into the Premier League. I think he is still missing some strength and power, but he should taste the drink of the Premier League and see if he likes it.

"I did, but I knew I would like it. I’m strong, I have a good shot, I’m from the street, I’m like a pitbull. I knew I could deal with the Premier League with the long balls, the physical side and the referees. It was perfect for me and we had a good team and atmosphere at Arsenal."

Podolski played in the Gunners' 2014 FA Cup final victory over Hull City at Wembley, just weeks before he helped his nation to World Cup glory in Brazil.

Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng said he was blown away by Alphonso Davies' display against Barcelona, particularly the Canadian's solo run to set up his side's fifth goal of the evening. 

The Bundesliga champions blew away Barca on Friday in the Champions League quarter-final, scoring goal after goal in an incredible 8-2 win.

Davies, who has developed into one of the world's top left-backs at age 19, blew past Nelson Semedo on the left wing before pulling back for Joshua Kimmich to tap home and make it 5-2 in the 63rd minute.

Kimmich said after the game he was "almost ashamed of how happy I was after the goal, because it was 99 per cent, of course, [Davies'] goal."

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's semi-final match against Lyon, Boateng added to the chorus of praise for his team's young star.

"I just say wow about his solo [run]!" Boateng said. "That was world class. About his development? I don't think there are such young talents often. He's exploded, I'm happy.

"He's also super likeable off the pitch and a down-to-earth boy. He still has so much potential. We can still expect a lot from him, he will be even better."

Bayern's destruction of Barca led many to compare it to another infamous one-sided match that Boateng took part in: Germany's 7-1 humiliation of Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final. 

Boateng, however, has underlined the differences between the two matches. 

"I think they were two different games," the 31-year-old said. "The game against Brazil was different, we didn't control as much as we did against Barcelona.

"We got a boost in confidence after the game against Brazil, but afterwards you saw that the final against Argentina was different. It wasn't a particularly nice game for the spectators, there were few chances.

"We have to know now that the next game is always the most difficult. Lyon is not in the semi-finals for nothing."

Boateng added that he's happy to see two German teams and two French sides in the Champions League semi-finals, but cautioned against drawing any major conclusions with PSG and RB Leipzig set to face off in the other final-four tie. 

"It's a snapshot, you can't always explain it," the defender said. "You can't say that another league is suddenly weaker. But I believe that it is an indication that good work is being done in Germany. Not only here, but also in Leipzig, Dortmund or Leverkusen, for example. That makes me happy.

"I'm also happy for the French league. It shows that there is not only PSG. But you mustn't forget that the English and Spanish clubs have always been in the semi-finals or finals in recent years. That's why I wouldn't speak of a new era."

Kenya international Joash Onyango has revealed some details of how he ended up signing for Mainland Premier League champions Simba SC.

The burly defender was unveiled as a Simba player on Friday, just a few days after he had tabled a transfer request to leave Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia.

Onyango, who penned a two-year contract and also features for Kenya’s national team, has now come out to explain how he was lured to sign for Wekundu wa Msimbazi by another Kenyan in Francis Kahata, whom he played with at K’Ogalo.

“I kept talking to Francis [Kahata] since the time Simba showed keen interest in my services and he really played a major role for me to move here,” Onyango is quoted by Sokaletu.

“I had also wanted to come to Tanzania for a new challenge because I had played for four years at Gor Mahia and that was a bit a long time to be at one club, so I wanted to move out and test another challenge.

“I was talking to [Kahata] on a daily basis and he kept telling me if you come [to Simba] everything will be fine, he asked me to sign the deal and come play for Simba and that is how I ended up being a Simba player.”

In addition, the 27-year-old confirmed Simba rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) had also sought his services before he ended up signing for the champions.

“Before I signed for Simba, Yanga were also trailing me, they even talked to my agent but it did not go far, I only took seriously the deal from Simba and signed it and left out Yanga," he concluded.

Onyango’s move from Gor Mahia to Simba brings the number of players to four who have left the Kenyan champions for their Tanzanian counterparts. Others are Kahata, Meddie Kagere, and Dan Sserunkuma.

Onyango, nicknamed 'Berlin Wall' due to his defensive performances, had established himself as one of the outstanding defenders in the KPL while serving the Green Army.

He never looked back since he became a regular first-team member for Gor Mahia when Musa Mohamed left for KF Tirana of Albania in 2018, and his outstanding partnership with Harun Shakava and later on Charles Momanyi saw him consequently appointed the K’Ogalo’s assistant captain.

Xherdan Shaqiri says he has no plans to quit Liverpool this summer, despite what he describes as a "frustrating" season in 2019-20.

The Swiss forward struggled for regular first-team football at Anfield as he failed to dislodge the likes of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane from Jurgen Klopp’s first-choice side.

His cause was also not helped by a series of niggling injuries, which restricted him to just 11 appearances in all competitions.

That led to speculation the former Bayern Munich player, who joined the Reds from Stoke in 2018, could look for a move this summer.

Shaqiri, though, insists he is fully focused on maintaining his fitness and earning significant minutes like he did during the 2018-19 campaign.

"Always if you are injured or if you are not playing, you're frustrated,” he told the club’s website.

“But I'm looking forward to this season and trying to help the team all the time, so I have the chance to play like the first season.

"As a team, I just want us to achieve a lot of things. I think we have a lot of good players in our team, everyone can play and we try to make it very difficult for the coach as always.

"I'm trying to give my best too and to help the team to win games, titles – that's the most important thing for me.”

Shaqiri and the rest of his Liverpool team-mates are back in pre-season training less than three weeks after the previous campaign concluded.

The coronavirus shutdown has played havoc with the football calendar, meaning there is now less than a month before the Reds kick off the defence of their Premier League title.

The Merseysiders ended a 30-year wait to become champions of England once again in 2019-20, and Shaqiri believes the squad is good enough to win successive titles for the first time since they won three in a row in the early 1980s.

"Everybody is excited to play again and to defend the season we had last season,” he added.

"It's very difficult but we try to achieve again a lot of things and we want to win a lot of games.

"We have the capacity, we have the team who is still hungry and wants to win many titles.

"To win the title last season was unbelievable, something different after 30 years for the fans and for us too.

"We are really excited and we always want to win every game but we know it's going to also be difficult. The other teams also want to win, so I think it's going to be an exciting season."

Uchenna Kanu continued her rich goalscoring form after netting a brace and Ebere Orji provided a late assist in Linkopings' 3-1 win over Uppsala in a Swedish Damallsvenskan game on Sunday.

Olof Unogard were smarting from Wednesday's 7-1 humiliation at Rosengard, where Kanu registered the visitors' solitary goal and they aimed to end their three-match losing streak against Uppsala.

This time, the Nigerian striker almost fired the hosts in front but her efforts went wide in the ninth minute but eventually, she broke the deadlock to put them ahead in the 21st minute.

She twice came close to increase the tally for Linkopings in the 31st and 44th minute but could not find breakthroughs before the break.

After the break, Nilla Fischer and Lina Hurtig missed the chance to score in the 47th and 53rd minutes, respectively, from corners until Kanu bagged her first Damallsvenskan brace on the hour mark.

With seven minutes left, Unogard brought in Orji to replace two-goal hero Kanu and the former made an instant impact as she assisted Hurtig to net the third for Linkopings a minute later.

Despite Beata Olsson pulled one back inside injury time for the visitors but the hosts held their nerve to preserve the two-goal lead and celebrated their first win in four successive matches.

Kanu’s goal tally for Linkopings now stands at five coupled with one assist in 11 outings in nine starts in the ongoing campaign. 

Kanu's Nigerian compatriot Orji bagged her second assist of the season to add to her five goals for Unogard's team in 11 appearances this term.
 
The result saw Linkopings move up to fourth on the Damallsvenskan log with 19 points from 11 matches and they will travel to face rock-bottom Vaxjo in their next fixture on August 23.

Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham has admitted that he is "impatient" for the club to compete for trophies at home and abroad after he succeeded Raul Sanllehi as head of football at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have streamlined their operations amid the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in a reshuffle from top to bottom that saw former Barcelona director Sanllehi the latest non-playing face to leave in the wake of the news that 55 staff would be let go.

His previous role has been absorbed by Venkatesham, whom the club confirmed would lead them off the field going forward as they look to build on Mikel Arteta's first campaign in charge in north London.

The Spaniard saw success in his maiden term at the helm with an FA Cup triumph over rivals Chelsea, but there has been little escaping the fact that without that win at Wembley, Arsenal would be preparing for a season without European football after finishing eighth in the Premier League.

Now, with a Europa League group stage berth confirmed, Venkatesham has turned his attention towards restoring his club's status as a powerhouse of the English game, pledging to match the dreams of supporters who long for a return to the glory days experienced under Arsene Wenger.

"We are fortunate to be followed all around the world by hundreds of millions of passionate fans and we have an extraordinary history of success," he told the club's official website. 

"Our fans expect and our fans demand that this football club wins trophies and is at the top of the game both here in England, but also in Europe.

"What fuels me is delivering on the expectations and delivering in regard to what our fans demand of us."

Venkatesham acknowledged that the club's 2019-20 campaign was broadly a mixed bag despite their FA Cup result, but feels that they are now firmly on the right path.

"We started last season full of expectations, we looked forward and we looked upwards and unfortunately it's not worked out in the way that we wanted it to," he added.

"We obviously changed coach in the middle of the season, which obviously was not part of the plan, and then we've had the coronavirus hit us and hit everybody this spring.

"But despite all of the challenges this season has thrown at us, our squad and our players and our football staff kept fighting and they kept fighting all the way to the end.

"I think we can look forward with some real optimism. I think, in Mikel Arteta, we have an absolutely fantastic, dynamic head coach, and if we look at our academy, I think we're in really, really strong hands with Per Mertesacker.
 
"We did not achieve our expectations last season and we need to do better and we need to improve. But I think we're absolutely on a positive trajectory and we're on the right path. The message really is [that] we need to improve. We're really focused on where we need to improve and there's lots of things that we need to do.

"We are impatient. We know we're not where we want to be and we are impatient, because we want to get to where we want to be, as quickly as we possibly can. I think the key message for our fans is that we all want exactly the same thing.

"We all want Arsenal Football Club to be back where it belongs, competing for and winning the biggest trophies in the game. That's what fuels us, that's what our focus is and we ultimately want to do that so our fans all across the world are proud of their football club."

Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer says he is not thinking about playing in Caf inter-club competitions next season, but is simply focusing on the “most important” task of winning their next games.

Pirates, who are 10 points behind log leaders Kaizer Chiefs, could earn a Caf Champions League berth if they finish the season in position two.

But they face a stern challenge for that spot from second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns who have played two games less and are four points better than the Buccaneers.

Having been eliminated from the Nedbank Cup, there is still an opportunity for Caf Confederation Cup football for Zinnbauer and his men if they finish in third position, but SuperSport United, Bidvest Wits or Maritzburg United can stop them.

“We don’t speak about next season,” Zinnbauer told the media.

“What we do now is we have a game in every two days and the last two games two points [earned] and not enough. We can speak about the next game and the next game we want three points. That is 100 percent sure what we want and we work on it, then we have to see what will come.

“But you see Wits have less games like us...We don’t speak about the next season. We do what we can. What is most important for me is three points in the next game.”

The last time Pirates participated in Africa was during the 2018/2019 season when they reached the group stages of the Caf Champions League under Milutin Sredojevic.

Now with Zinnbauer in charge, their return to continental club competitions could be complicated as they have failed to win their two league games since the Premier Soccer League (PSL) season restarted.

The 0-0 draws against Sundowns and Wits marked their return to football but saw Bucs extending their winless run to four league matches.

Having also failed to score in their last four games, Zinnbauer would be hoping that his team now makes the most of their five remaining matches, starting against relegation-threatened Baroka on Tuesday.

Simba SC fans can now breathe a sigh of relief after their coach landed back in Dar es Salaam ahead of the new Mainland Premier League campaign.

The Belgian coach, who guided the Wekundu wa Msimbazi to two titles – the league and FA Cup – had cast doubt over his future after the final game of the season when he said he was not sure whether he will be in charge of the giants for the new season.

“I don't know with me or without me,” Vandenbroeck answered reporters when asked whether he will be with the team for the campaign or not.

“There is no meaning, everyone reads newspapers, everyone listens to rumours even me, so we will see what happens. I will go on holiday in two days with a big smile with whatever happens.”

Vandenbroeck then went further to explain the need to ensure the team is united ahead of the next campaign.

“But there is one big challenge, you cannot talk about the Champions League [first],” Vandenbroeck added during the interview conducted after beating Namungo FC 2-1 to win the domestic cup. “We first have tours to play. 

“I think the first big challenge is to unify everyone in the club. To unify for the one and the same challenge that is to make this team better. If you can do that, you will succeed, if you don't succeed as a club, to unify everyone, it is going to be difficult.”

The doubts are now over after the 40-year-old tactician was pictured on Sunday arriving at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam where he was received by Simba chairman Mohammed Dewji.

Dewji then went to his social media pages to welcome the coach by stating: “Iron is back! Welcome back, coach! The battle starts now.”

The Belgian took over from countryman Patrick Aussems who was fired late in 2019 after falling out with the club's management.

Simba have actively been involved in the transfer market as they target to do well in the Caf Champions League where they will be taking part for the third season in a row.

Tanzania Mainland League champions Simba SC have completed the signing of striker Chris Mugalu.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi have been desperate in bolstering their attacking department to be effective in the continental assignments. The move has been confirmed on the team's official social media.

"Our scouts and technical bench including our colleagues from Zambia and Congo have come to an agreement that for Simba to be competitive in the Caf Champions League they have to sign a quality striker like Chris Mugalu," Simba posted on their Facebook page.

"[Milutin Sredojevic] who is Zambia head coach has also expressed satisfaction by the signing of the player, and he is confident the team will have a say in the continent."

The East Africa team has revealed the qualities the former Lusaka Dynamos player possesses.

"He is a top striker in Africa, a fighter in and outside the 18-yard area. By his signing, you will understand our focus.

"With [John] Bocco, [Meddie] Kagere and Mugalu, we have no challenge domestically."  

Last season, Simba were eliminated from Africa's elite competition in the early stages, and this time around they want to get into the latter stages of the competition.

The 21-time league champions managed to secure the services Ibrahim Ame from another top-tier side Coastal Union.

Ame has signed a three-year deal from Coastal Union of Tanga. He is signing for the club which is expected to fight for starting places with Pascal Wawa, Erasto Nyoni and Kennedy Juma who were in perfect form in the season that saw Wekundu wa Msimbazi sweep three titles.

Apart from Wawa, Nyoni, and Juma, the Tanzanian star will have to edge competition from his fellow new signing Joash Onyango of Kenya.

Onyango was an undisputed number one choice for coaches who have worked with him at Gor Mahia since 2018 and that means Ame will need to work extra hard if he has to establish himself as one of the first team choices for coach Sven Vandenbroeck.

"He is a complete defender, and unfortunately, many people might not know him but the technical bench asked the club officials to sign him," Simba said as they announced Ame as their sixth signing of the ongoing transfer window.

"Do you know why the technical bench desired to sign him? He is a fighter, good in aerial balls as well as ground balls and has the best quality of a defender.

"He is courageous and that is a trait a good defender must possess. Welcome, Ame to the champions of the country. You have chosen the best place where you are guaranteed monthly salaries and of course, trophies."

Former Chelsea player Salomon Kalou ha stated he would try to convince his Ivory Coast teammate and former Arsenal player Gervinho in joining Brazilian outfit Botafogo.

Kalou joined the Rio de Janeiro side after his contract with Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin had expired. He had been with the German capital team since 2014 and scored 53 goals, providing 16 assists in 173 competitive appearances.

Kalou was officially unveiled by Botafogo on Saturday with the Brazilian Serie A finally kicking off after football in South America’s largest country had been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gervinho is currently on the books of Italian Serie A side, Parma.

“I believe that by bringing certain players, you can attract others to have an interest in the club. I think Botafogo is in the right direction and this will attract more players, foreign players, and I hope to help Gervinho come, who knows, next year, why not? It's a possibility he plays at the club and I will advise him to do it too.” Kalou told FogaoNET.

Prior to the announcement of Kalou’s capture, the 35-year-old had joked in a tweet that he had landed in Gervinho’s second country as his nickname is synonymous with Brazilians.

“My brother Gervinho, I am in front of you in our second country. The Elephants of the Ivory Coast know Gervinho-Kalhuno,” he captioned.

Kalou believes he is fit and can still play an important role at the age of 35 when most footballers would be thinking of retiring.

“I think age is just a number. I feel fit, I feel young and I have had no injuries in my career,” he continued.

“I prepare well mentally and physically every day. I believe that playing in Brazil is a good opportunity for me

“My motivation is to play football, good football. Or as they say in Brazil: play nice! I try to play with joy, in a big club, with a big crowd. And I really hope that we can do something together. My goal is to play at Botafogo.”

Kalou also cited former AC Milan midfielder and Cameroon manager Clarence Seedorf as a reason for joining Botafogo. The ex-Netherlands international wrapped up his playing career with the Fogao in 2013, playing 59 times, scoring 17 goals and providing 14 assists.

“Botafogo is one of the biggest clubs in Brazil. Clarence Seedorf played at the club. I've played in the Netherlands and I know a lot about Seedorf. He's a big influence for young players,” Kalou said.

“Knowing that Seedorf already played for Botafogo was a motivation when the club showed interest in me. Clarence Seedorf played at Botafogo for two seasons and had an excellent pass.”

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has admitted that he was surprised by the side's muted celebrations in the wake of their Champions League demolition of Barcelona, but the former forward hailed their collective focus as they hunt European glory.

The Bundesliga champions dismantled their opponents from La Liga in brilliant and brutal fashion on Friday, inflicting an 8-2 defeat upon Lionel Messi and co to secure their semi-final berth in emphatic fashion.

The result set a new record for the most goals in a singular Champions League quarter-final tie, exceeding that of Manchester United's seven-goal haul against Roma in 2007, but post-match, Rummenigge has revealed that Hansi Flick's squad were not getting ahead of themselves.

"I went to the locker room after the game and I was expecting the guys to be celebrating this great victory," the former West Germany star told Sky Sports Italia. "But I saw them there, very calm and focused instead, [and] ready for the next game."

Bayern's evisceration of an aging Barca side was just the latest demonstration of their talents, with the club having won every match across all competitions they have played in since they resumed action in May amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Rummenigge feels that the enforced lay-off only served to fire up the squad's desire more than ever, saying: "They continued training at home when that was not possible on the pitch. When the Bundesliga and the Champions League restarted, they showed that they want to play football."

The 64-year-old also took his time to praise a number of key figures at the club in helping to mastermind their pursuit of a potential treble, following Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal success, citing Flick - who succeeded Niko Kovac on a then-interim basis in November - as well as players Alphonso Davies and Ivan Perisic for their contributions.

"Hansi Flick changed our season," Rummenigge noted. "I have to admit that even we are surprised at how well he did it.

"Alphonso Davies has an incredible pace and a great will to learn. He was bought as a left winger and is now a left-back - and as that, he is indispensable for the team today."

Perisic represents a curious case for Bayern, with the Inter loanee having extended his stay - and taken a pay cut in the process - in order to help the team complete their European quest, for which Rummenigge has professed his gratitude, while suggesting that the Croatian may yet have a future beyond his short-term stay.

He said: "As for Perisic, he may not do spectacular things, but he scores goals and gets assists. We really appreciate the fact that he's stayed until the end of the Champions League season even though we had to cut their salaries. He hasn't made a final decision yet [regarding his future] but both I and Flick like him a lot."

Bayern will next be in action on Wednesday as they look to secure a place in the final in Lisbon, when they face Ligue 1 outfit Lyon following their shock victory over Manchester City on Saturday.

Blaise Matuidi has revealed that David Beckham was one of the main reasons why he elected to leave Juventus for Inter Miami.

The 2018 World Cup winner reached an agreement to end his stay in Italy a year early after the Serie A champions lost out in the Champions League to Lyon, with the MLS outfit, who have lost all of their competitive fixtures this season, his choice of destination.

He has revealed talks have been ongoing for months, with Beckham particularly eager to link up with a man he once played with at Paris Saint-Germain.

“The first contact was in December,” Matuidi told L’Equipe. “A relation of David called me to ask if I was interested. At the time, I told myself it was too early in my career. The Euros were to come and the Covid problems didn’t exist. For me, it was clear I’d stay at Juventus.

“They came back to me in June saying they were still very interested. David really wanted me to be the first Frenchman to wear his franchise colours.

“Things had changed. Confinement made me realise how much I had to think about my family. I already knew they were the dearest thing to me, but after being in lockdown with them for two months, the link became even stronger.

“I told myself I really needed to take advantage of my children, to think of them first, even if they enjoyed being in Italy. I looked back, retraced my career path and though: ‘What do you want to go looking for?’”

Matuidi has revealed that he has also had talks with Beckham himself.

“He told me he’s very happy with my signing and that he’ll be there to help me,” Matuidi said. “It will be an honour to play for his club. David is an exemplary role model on and off the pitch. That’s the path I want to follow.”

Meanwhile, moving to MLS does not mean the end of his France career, at least according to Matuidi.

“I’m aware that by going to MLS, it complicates my access to the France team,” he admitted. “It made me think. I’ve been in it for 10 years, I’ve got 84 caps – and that’s not nothing. 

“I don’t close the door but I’m a realist too. I know that young players will arrive and show they have the qualities to be important. But I’ve not said my last word either, I remain available.”

Meanwhile, Matuidi is backing PSG to win the Champions League. “Since Juve were eliminated, I’ve been a staunch supporter of PSG,” he said of the club with who he spent eight seasons. “I want them to go all the way, but it’s true that the Bayern that beat Barcelona is scary.”

Simba SC have completed the signing of Ibrahim Ame from Mainland Premier League rivals Coastal Union.

Ame has signed a three-year deal from Coastal Union of Tanga. He is signing for the club which is expected to fight for starting places with Pascal Wawa, Erasto Nyoni and Kennedy Juma who were in perfect form in the season that saw Wekundu wa Msimbazi sweep three titles.

Apart from Wawa, Nyoni and Juma, the Tanzanian star will have to edge competition from his fellow new signing Joash Onyango of Kenya.

Onyango was an undisputed number one choice for coaches who have worked with him at Gor Mahia since 2018 and that means Ame will need to work extra hard if he has to establish himself as one of the first team choices for coach Sven Vandenbroeck.

“He is a complete defender, and unfortunately, many people might not know him but the technical bench asked the club officials to sign him,” Simba said as they announced Ame as their sixth signing of the ongoing transfer window.

“Do you know why the technical bench desired to sign him? He is a fighter, good in aerial balls as well as ground balls and has the best quality of a defender.

“He is courageous and that is a trait a good defender must possess. Welcome, Ame to the champions of the country. You have chosen the best place where you are guaranteed monthly salaries and of course, trophies.”

Ame and Bakari Mwamnyeto, who have signed for Simba’s rivals Yanga SC, were key for Coastal Union’s 2019/20 campaign where they finished seventh.

The Mwamnyeto-Ame partnership enabled the Tanga club to concede 30 goals; a fifth-best record after the ones registered by eventual champions Simba, Azam FC, Yanga and Biashara United.

‪Simba have already signed David Kameta from relegated Lipuli FC and is expected to vie for positions against Shomari Kapombe and Haruna Ramadhan Shamte.

Bernard Morrison, who handed Yanga a 1-0 win against the Wekundu wa Msimbazi on March 8 in a league tie via a sublime free-kick, has already been signed although the move remains a contested one.

Larry Bwalya from Zambian Super League side Power Dynamos and Charles Ilamfia from Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC) are the other new players at the Msimbazi street-based club.

Manchester United youngster Tahith Chong has joined Werder Bremen on a one-year loan, the Bundesliga outfit announced on Sunday.

The Dutch youth international's widely touted switch from Old Trafford was confirmed hours after the winger undertook training for the first time at Weserstadion alongside his new team.

The 20-year-old has made a dozen appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils this season, but by and large has been left on the fringes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's plans as the Norwegian continues his overhaul at Carrington.

While other young starlets such as Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams flourished last term, Chong has mostly been restricted with half-a-dozen games in Europe the highlight of his campaign.

He will take no further part in his club's Europa League exploits however after Bremen confirmed that he had linked up with them for a year-long stay.

The Curacao-born player was expected to sign imminently after the club previously posted a picture of the player on their social media feeds on Sunday morning, confirming that he had joined their pre-season training sessions.

Chong's agent Erkan Alkan earlier indicated a move to mainland Europe was on the cards in August when he openly announced that the player desired to ply his trade in Germany, stating: "Tahith wants to go to the Bundesliga. We will talk about that with Manchester United."

Bremen sporting director Frank Baumann subsequently confirmed discussions over a move for Chong, while professing his frustrations with Alkan's conduct in pursuing a deal, adding: "I like to keep a low profile when it comes to something like this, but when the player's advisor communicates so aggressively, there is no point in denying our interest."

United meanwhile have their attention focused on their Europa League semi-final clash against Sevilla in Cologne later today, having reached the last four with an extra-time victory against Copenhagen thanks to Bruno Fernandes' spot-kick.

Victory would take manager Solskjaer to his first final since he took charge of the club, with one of Inter or Shakhtar Donetsk set to meet them there as the Red Devils hunt their first silverware since 2017.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have emerged as the favourites to sign winger Sharaf Shaiboub in this transfer window.

The South Sudanese player is a free agent since rivals Simba SC are yet to renew his contract which concluded at the end of June.

Goal now understands, Yanga officials have approached the player over a possible transfer before the current window closes down at the end of August.

“Before the player left Dar es Salaam, Yanga officials talked to him as they wanted to know if he can play for them, Yanga have also tabled an offer to the player and I think a process to sign him is underway,” the source, who did not want to be named told Goal.

Shaiboub’s playing time at Simba was affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic as he was held back home owing to the lockdown which was imposed by his country.

Simba struggled to secure the release of the player when the Mainland Premier League resumed on June 13 and hence by the time he was arriving in camp, Simba had already won the title and had four matches to play to end the season and which Shaiboub could not feature in.

Yanga are in a restructuring process having released 14 players and they have already signed seven among them defender Bakari Mwamnyeto from Coastal Union, Yassin Mustapha from Polisi Tanzania, Zawadi Mauya from Kagera Sugar, Abdallah Shaibu from LA Galaxy II, Waziri Junior from Mbao FC, Kibwana Shomari from Mtibwa Sugar and Farid Mussa from CD Tenerife in Spain.

On the foreign front, Yanga have been linked with Kenyans Jesse Were and John Makwatta, who play for Zesco United, Sven Yidah of Kariobangi Sharks, Erick Rutanga of Rayon Sports and Mukoko Tonombe of AS Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Timu ya Wananchi had a disappointing campaign in the last season where they failed to reach the final of the FA Cup after losing to eventual winners and rivals Simba SC, and could only finish a distant second on the table.

Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has revealed the hurdles he faced in moving through the club's ranks following his breakthrough campaign at Stamford Bridge, including the departure of former Blues youngster Declan Rice when the pair were just teenagers.

The 21-year-old has seen his stock take a meteoric rise over the past 12 months under Frank Lampard, having established himself as a regular first-team player and an England international.

Yet, in reflecting on the ups and downs of a campaign that saw the Blues come away empty-handed, Mount has spoken  about his time in the club's youth team, where he played alongside close friend Rice before the latter was let go at the age of 14.

Born only four days apart, the pair got the chance to line up together at senior level for the first time when they were both called up for Three Lions duty by Gareth Southgate as England embarked on their European Championship qualification run.

Mount has admitted that Chelsea's choice to part ways with Rice over five years ago caught him out, but he never doubted the West Ham star would find a way to bounce back.

"When Dec left it did affect me a lot at the time," he told the Sunday Times. "But I knew what kind of player he was and what kind of person he was like, so I knew it wouldn’t stop him even if I didn’t agree with the way it happened.

"I knew as one of my closest friends that that wouldn’t be the end of him and he would work as hard as he could to get where he is.”

Mount himself nearly left of his own accord around the same time however, after his father Tony had questioned whether he would be able to progress through a notoriously tough youth system - but he was determined to prove himself in the shadow of Stamford Bridge.

“My dad always had questions because there weren’t many young players coming through," he added. "JT [John Terry] was the only one who really came through and had an unbelievable career.

"I always believed that I would make it to the first team through hard work and determination and I didn’t let anybody get in the way of my focus, even my dad when he had questions.

"I said I [was] going to stay here and work as hard as I can. I [believed] totally that I [could] make it to the first team and then go all the way.”

Mount was one of the key beneficiaries of incoming boss Lampard's squad prediciment at the start of the 2019-20 season, with the former Blues great facing a transfer ban as he picked up the reins left by Maurizio Sarri.

Having managed the midfielder during a loan spell at Derby County however, the 42-year-old had little hesitation in blooding him in the season-opening encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Mount has nothing but respect for Lampard, having worked with him for two years now, adding: “The gaffer has been there and done it. He knows when to put his arm around you and he knows when to tell you you need to improve on something or look at this in your game and see where you can do better.”

In regards to chasing their rivals both at home and abroad, Mount added that he believes Chelsea are not too far off the mark to succeed, noting: “There are things we have to work on to get better but we are on the right path, we are driven to win trophies, to really step up our game. We have shown this season that we are capable of doing that.”

Uganda international defender Shafik Batambuze might be on his way out of Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Gor Mahia.

K’Ogalo have seen several top players leave the team in the current transfer window; Boniface Omondi has joined Wazito FC while Joash Onyango has sealed a deal with Tanzania Mainland League champions Simba SC. Captain Kenneth Muguna is also reportedly on his way out with Angolan top-tier side Petro Atletico favourites to sign him.

Goalkeeper David Mapigano has also joined Azam FC while his counterpart Dickson Ambundo has completed a move to Dodoma Jiji FC.

“Gor Mahia have not yet talked to me,” Batambuze told Goal from his native Uganda on Sunday when he was asked about his status with the Kenyan side.

“Well, I am still under contract until November, and I cannot tell what the future holds. But no one has spoken to me over a contract extension. So, all I have to do is continue concentrating on the current deal. I cannot guarantee whether I will be in the KPL or somewhere else.

“Only God knows.”

In an earlier interview, Gor Mahia head coach explained why he has no power to stop players from leaving.

"What do you want me to do?" the tactician posed a question to Goal when asked about the mass exodus at the club.

"It is beyond me, the situation at this club is beyond me, I can do nothing, I don’t have anything to say, the players are looking after money, we play football to get money but it is not the case here, so how can you ask the players to stay?

"I will be a very bad coach if I try to convince the players to stay, they have families to take care of, they have bills to pay, they have other things to do with their money, so why stay in the club where you don’t get the money?

"It is a very bad situation now, some players are owed up to five months’ salaries, and this is not good at all, others have used the Fifa clause to demand for the exit, it means I have nothing to do, I cannot do anything to have them stay if they have decided to go, I wish them well.

"It happens in the other parts of the world not only at Gor Mahia, players leaving [though not because of finances], it happens even at Real Madrid, even at Barcelona but now the most important thing is how do we respond to the exodus, how do we fill the voids? That is the question for the management to answer.

"I have my targets ready but we can only negotiate with them when we have money to buy, I don’t want to negotiate with a player without money on the table, the club should show me the money and I will talk to my targets and bring them on board."

Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes has hailed his side’s performance after they dumped Manchester City out of the Champions League at the quarter final stage.

The Ligue 1 club opened the scoring through Maxwel Cornet and though they were pegged back in the second half, struck twice late on through substitute Moussa Dembele to seal their second trip to the semi-finals of the competition.

Despite having already accounted for Juventus by defeating the Italian side on the away goals rule after a 2-2 draw on aggregate, few gave OL a hope of ousting City and setting up a date with Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

“It’s incredible because we’re clearly the surprise team,” Lopes explained to RMC Sport in the match’s aftermath. “No-one expected us to be at that level. We’ve got the right to continue to dream, to believe in what we can do.”

The Lyon-born Portugal international, meanwhile, suggested that coach Rudi Garcia deserves credit for what the club has achieved.

“Our system is helping us enormously, playing with five at the back,” he said. “We knew that we would have chances and that we would have to take them. 

“We’re really happy to be a club like Manchester City. You play football to experience such matches. Now, we’re in the semi-finals and we’ll going to try to continue our nice little match. We’re going to rest well and calmly for the match against Bayern Munich.”

Meanwhile, goal hero Dembele said: “We knew it was going to be a complicated match against a big team. It's not easy when you're on the bench but I told myself that I was going to give my all. We made a promise to ourselves to give everything during the break and that's what we did.

“The mentality has changed in the squad. There is always sadness not to start but I tried to bring my stone to the building at the end. We’re going match by match. There is no point in seeing yourself too beautiful, too fast.”

Lyon’s previous trip to the semi-finals was in 2010, when they were knocked out 4-0 on aggregate by Bayern.