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Maxwel Cornet has admitted he enjoys playing against the best clubs in the world after Lyon clinched a shock 3-1 win over Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Saturday.

The Ivorian winger set the ball rolling in the 24th minute with a beautiful strike from outside the 18-yard area, which caught City goalkeeper Ederson off guard. Kevin De Bruyne equalised for the Citizens in the 69th minute, but Moussa Dembele came off the bench to score a brace in the closing 11 minutes.

Cornet’s strike was his fourth against Pep Guardiola-led City in the Champions League, equalling Barcelona icon Lionel Messi’s tally as the player to score the most goals when facing the Citizens under the Catalan tactician’s watch.

His previous goals against the English club came during the group phase of the 2018-19 season. Lyon won the tie at the Etihad Stadium 2-1 before being held to a 2-2 draw in the return fixture at the Groupama Stadium.

"These are exceptional matches to play. We don't play quarters every day. I score, it still falls on City but the most important is the work of the whole team,” Cornet told RMC Sport. “I enjoy playing against the best in the world. It's no coincidence that we're here. We worked well during the preparation and we saw it tonight.”

Cornet’s performances have been criticised in the past but he asserted he does not give in to his critics.

Lyon take on Bayern Munich, who decimated Barcelona 8-2, in one of the semi-final ties and Cornet believes his team must have the same attitude as they had against City to have a chance to progress.

“The critics? it's part of football, you just have to turn the trend around and that's what I've been trying to do since I've been in Lyon", he said. “Underestimated by other clubs? I don't know but we certainly weren't expecting to be at this level. We ride on our hump, all in humility, to be able to perform this way.

“We know the offensive power of Bayern Munich and it will be a complicated game. We will have to have the same desire as tonight."

Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster says that he is thrilled to be back in the fold with Jurgen Klopp's side, adding that he hopes to play a part as the club prepare for their Premier League title defence starting next month.

The striker - who picked up a Champions League winners' medal before he even played a senior minute of football for the Reds over a year ago - spent the second half of the 2019-20 campaign on loan at Swansea City as his parent club romped to domestic glory.

The England youth star was a key presence up front at the Liberty Stadium as the Swans finished sixth in the race for promotion, but was unable to help them reach the play-off final despite a late effort in defeat to Brentford last month.

Now, having returned to Anfield ahead of the new campaign, Brewster at the club's pre-season training camp in Austria as he hopes for a breakthrough season in the top flight following his exploits in the Championship.

“It’s good to be back and see the boys and the staff and stuff – and it feels good to pull a Liverpool shirt back on,” the 20-year-old told the Reds' official website following their first day of drills.

“It’s a bit different because we didn’t have the full time off that you normally get; it was a shorter period of time that we had off, so we didn’t lose that much fitness, I would say. The first day of pre-season is always going to be tough, but it was a good day and good to get back into it.

“It feels good to maybe be a part of it next season. Being away and then coming back, it’s a bit different, but seeing everyone again, seeing them all smiling and coming back confident, it’s good to be back.”

Brewster bagged 11 goals in 22 games during his stay in South Wales, and added that he was grateful for the chance to pick up vital senior minutes as Swansea came close to a Wembley appearance and a shot at a return to the Premier League.

“It was a good experience – a great experience, I would say,” he added. “Going there in January, having that first game against Cardiff and the last game against Brentford, I’ve had a lot of experiences, ups and downs in football.

“I would say I had more highs than lows there, but it was a great experience and great to get some first-team games under my belt.

“It’s very good for your development at such a young age. Not a lot of 20-year-olds can say they’ve played in the play-offs. Obviously we didn’t quite make it to the final and get promoted, but to play in the semi-final, the cameras are on you and they are high-pressure games, as you will have seen on TV.

“So, it’s good to get them under your belt from an early age and who knows, hopefully I can play in a lot more high-pressure games to come.”

Romelu Lukaku has "found his happiness" again at Inter and will have no regrets over leaving Manchester United.

That is the view of former United star Robin van Persie, who believes Lukaku is thriving in Italy after losing his way at Old Trafford.

The Belgium international may get the chance to show the Premier League club what they are missing if Inter and United win their respective Europa League semi-finals.

The Serie A side face Shakhtar Donetsk while United take on Sevilla, with Van Persie impressed by Antonio Conte's well-drilled Inter, led by a reinvigorated Lukaku.

"He [Lukaku] looks happy, Conte works his players very hard – [Stefan] De Vrij once told me that pre-season is very hard," the former Netherlands striker told Stats Perform News.  "You can see that they are acting as one.

"He made the right choice; he's got his confidence back. He's having a great time, he looks happy. Based on his last years at Manchester United, he wasn't, so he found his happiness again."

Lukaku spent two years with United after joining from Everton in 2017, scoring 28 goals in 66 games in the English top flight for the Red Devils.

He netted 23 times in 36 outings in Serie A this term as Inter finished just a point behind champions Juventus.

While he may be happy at Inter, another former Red Devils striker, Dimitar Berbatov, says Lukaku will still have frustrations at United and will be looking to take them out on his former employers.

"Lukaku is a concern for me, he's scored 23 goals for Inter this season which is a great achievement," Berbatov told  Betfair . 

"I always said I liked him as a player, that if he got chances he would score goals. He's very quick, and very strong, and his goal on Monday was spectacular. He's the main danger for whoever they play against.

"Inter also have Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Young, who will know United very well. If they play United in the final, these players will want revenge, to show United that they were wrong to let them go.

"Lukaku would love the chance to bang in some goals against the team that let him go. Lukaku took a lot of criticism in Manchester, and he was right to leave. Look at him now, he has been fantastic for Inter."

Robin van Persie is working with UEFA Europa League partner Enterprise Rent-A-Car. To discover more and to enjoy special rates on car hire across Europe, visit www.enterprise.co.uk

New Express FC defender Richard Bbosa has explained how the club can avoid leaking more goals as they did in the 2019/20 abandoned season.

Bbosa is among the new players the Red Eagles have already signed and he vowed to work hard, in partnership with other defenders, to make the club’s backline as imperious as possible.

“I know about last season’s leakage at the back which is rather unfortunate and no defender would want to be a part of that,” the 21-year-old told Football256 a day after the confirmation of his Express arrival. 

“However, for us to have a solid backline everyone has to come to the party, it takes two to tangle.” 

Express depended on Issa Lumu and Arthur Kiggundu and Bbosa’s signing is expected to make the partnership even better.

Head coach Wasswa Bbosa will be keen to have strong defenders after the club conceded 37 goals in the recently cancelled season.

Bbosa is the third signing made by the club after the acquisition of goalkeepers Crispus Kusiima and Denis Otim previously.

Express last won the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) title in 2012 and Bbosa stated that one of his major targets is to lift the seventh trophy for them.

“I have joined Express to ensure we don’t concede and also work together as a team so that we can win the league next season,” Bbosa said.

Express have also been linked with Faisal Ssekyanzi, Steven Luswata and Godfrey Lwesibawa.

Murushid Juuko, Abel Eturude and Enock Walusimbi are some of the defenders coach Bbosa is also targeting to strengthen the team even more.

Express have also set a top-three finish as one of their 2020/21 ambitions. They last finished among the best three sides in the 2015/16 season.

Finally, midfielder Amos Etoju has joined Malaba Youth Development Association (MYDA FC) on a one-year deal.

“We are happy with the move,” Jens Leidewall, Etoju's manager, told Kawowo Sports.

“Amos could compete to get the needed game time every single week in Uganda Premier League. This is very important for young talented boys like him.”

The newly-promoted side has already signed former AFC Leopards defender Ramathan Yakubu, midfielder Isaac Mweru Doka and Waiswa Kasango, who is also a midfielder.

Kevin De Bruyne has cited Houssem Aouar as the Lyon player who impressed him most during Manchester City’s shock Champions League exit to the Ligue 1 side on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s men suffered a 3-1 loss in Lisbon, despite the best efforts of the Belgium international playmaker, who squared the match up with a composed finish after being the recipient of a cut back from Raheem Sterling.

Prior to that, Maxwel Cornet had pounced to give Lyon the advantage, while the French side cut free in the last 11 minutes, countering effectively to score twice through substitute Moussa Dembele to put the match out of reach.

It was not, however, the goal scorers who impressed De Bruyne the most.

“I don’t watch a lot of French football,” De Bruyne admitted to RMC. “But if I had to pick it one name, for me it would be Houssem Aouar. Today, he played a good game.”

Aouar has been linked with a potential move to City in the past, with his technical attributes thought to be attractive to Guardiola’s style, and indeed his long-term future at boyhood club Lyon is not assured as they will not play European football next season unless a French side wins the Champions League.

Meanwhile, reports in France suggest that Arsenal have made an offer for him in the last week, though Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas judged it insufficient, with the Gunners offering Matteo Guendouzi as part of the deal. 

Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be closely following him.

The 22-year-old, who is as yet uncapped for France, has been a lynchpin for OL this season, featuring on 40 occasions, while contributing nine goals and 10 assists.

He made his debut as Lyon made a run to the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2016-17, netting in an 11-2 aggregate victory over Alkmaar, and he has since gone on to feature on 136 occasions for the first team.

He will hope to play a big positive role for the Rhone outfit in their forthcoming Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich – the second time in their history that they have reached that stage of the competition.

Indian Super League (ISL) club Hyderabad has announced a two-year partnership deal with Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. 

The partnership will be officially launched during Dortmund's Virtual Asia Tour on August 20, 2020. The two-year deal also has an option to extend for additional years with an extended scope until 2025.

Hyderabad will be the German club's fourth such partner and their first in India. They have existing deals with Thai Premier League Club Buriram United, Australia’s NPL Club Marconi FC and Iwate Grulla Morioka in Japan.

The grand launch of the partnership on August 20 will be streamed live on Hyderabad's social media channels.

The 2020-21 season of the Indian Super League will be held behind closed doors in Goa.

The seventh season of the league will be held in three venues in the region, namely the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim and the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco.

“I am delighted to bring the ISL Season 7 to the state of Goa, from where we had left the action last season. Congratulations to the beautiful state of Goa and their passionate fans of football, as they once again become the epicentre of the beautiful game in India!," Mrs Nita Ambani, the Founder & Chairperson of Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) commented on the development. 

FSDL will work closely with the Sports Authority Of Goa, Goa Football Association and the State administration to ensure a safe and secure season of football amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The organisers have also confirmed that each ISL club will be allocated a separate training pitch.

An extensive plan to upgrade the facilities has already been formulated after a thorough inspection and the facilities will be made available for use for the clubs after upgradations which will take place next month. 

The sixth season of the competition saw ATK emerge as champions beating Chennaiyin in the final. The winners 

Young Africans (Yanga SC) acting coach Riedoh Berdien is confident the team will still challenge for the titles in the new season despite axing 14 players in the ongoing transfer window.

The Jangwani giants shocked many including their fans after they moved to send home 14 players, among them captain Papy Tshishimbi, after they finished the 2019-20 Mainland Premier League campaign without silverware.

Other played released included Congolese striker David Molinga, ex-Gor Mahia striker Gnamien Yikpe, Mrisho Ngassa, Jafary Mohamed, Mohamed Issa Banka, Tariq Seif, Andrew Vincent Dante, Patrick Sibomana, Muharami Issa, Ali Ali, Rafael Daud, Ali Mtoni Sonso and Eric Kabamba.

Berdien, who was working under coach Luc Eymael as the fitness coach before the Belgian was shown the exit door, has been handed the mantle to handle the side on a temporary basis as they search for a permanent coach ahead of the new season, which is set to kick off on September 6.

Berdien has now told Goal it was a blow for the Tanzanian giants to lose 14 players in one go but admitted the few players in camp have already responded well in training and promised to build a winning culture at the club.

“You know we just started pre-season for a week, the players that are in pre-season have responded well to training,” Berdien told Goal on Sunday.

“We are still waiting for the new coach to be named and a few more signings to come through but we still have a good chance now to instil a football fitness working culture with this great club.”

On whether the club will feel any impact after releasing 14 players, Berdien explained: “Of course losing those players is a huge blow but Rome was not built in a day.

“The club is very busy with a great restructuring process both in the management and in how it wants the players to play and work in re-growing the Yanga brand.”

Yanga have already plunged into the transfer market to sign 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.

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.

They have also been linked a number of foreign players, among them 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.

Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic has spoken about the importance of his team's 3-2 win over Polokwane City on Saturday. 

Amakhosi came from two goals down to beat Rise and Shine on the day with Nurkovic grabbing two assists and netting the winner in the final 14 minutes of the game. 

According to the 28-year-old marksman, the five-month break due to the lockdown helped the team gain mental strength and he is pleased this was the case in their game against Clinton Larsen's men. 

"I am really happy actually. A very important win for us. Once again, like I said during the lockdown that five months was really important to gain the mental strength and this game has shown from our mental side that mental strength is very important for the team," Nurkovic told SuperSport TV.

Nurkovic urged his teammates to quickly forget about the emphatic result against Polokwane City and focus on the next match as the season isn't over yet. 

"There are still six more games to play. This is in the past now. All that we can do is focus on the next match," he added.

Asked what Chiefs should do differently in the remaining six matches of the season, Nurkovic said: "We just have to continue with the same fighting spirit and focus on the next game."

After netting his 13th league goal and his 14th across all competition, the Serbian striker admitted his job is to score goals but he also has the responsibility to set up teammates whenever they have a better chance of scoring.  

"My job as a striker is to do as much as possible to score and assist. If a teammate is in a better position, I will pass to him," continued Nurkovic. 

Furthermore, Nurkovic isn't concerned about bagging individual awards after edging closer to Gabadinho Mhango in the race for the Golden Boot award, saying the entire team has the same goal and that is to win the league title.  

"I want to say it is not about individual accolades. We all have the same goal - to win the title. And this award is for everyone at Chiefs," he concluded.

When Moussa Djenepo’s year at Southampton is assessed, there will be an inclination to put a negative mark on what was a mixed season in the Premier League.

After signing for a big-money move from Standard Liege, reported being around £14 million, the expectation placed on the new arrival increased significantly owing to his transfer fee.

For context, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first signing for Saints cost more than Virgil van Dijk and was only about £6 million short on the fee paid to acquire Sadio Mane from Red Bull Salzburg in 2014. Both players have since gone on to make colossal impacts at Liverpool, taking Jurgen Klopp’s men to the pinnacle of the game at home, Europe and the world.

Following a promising breakout year with the Belgian side, the south coast club splurged on the Malian hoping he’d be a success like the current African Footballer of the Year, rather than disappoint like Sofiane Boufal, the then-promising Lille wonderkid whose impact at St. Mary’s has been hit-and-miss.

Eight domestic goals in the Belgian top flight and an additional three in five games in the Europa League, taking his tally to 11 in all competitions in 2018/19, showcased his knack for getting into goalscoring positions, a profile of attacker Hasenhuttl’s side desperately needed.

Indeed, the Saints were joint-sixth lowest scorers in 18/19, something the Austrian boss was out to correct. Fast forward to the end of the season and 51 goals scored, the highest in the bottom half, represented a six-goal increase from the previous season. However, Djenepo’s raw numbers – two goals and as many assists – added little to their overall return.

This wasn’t what player, head coach and supporters expected when he signed, still, it may be harsh criticising the 21-year-old attacker heavily despite a trying season. The youngster had a more than promising start, too, scoring two goals in his first three games but the second of the pair was the highlight of his maiden year in England.

Just after the hour mark against Sheffield United in September, the young attacker picked up an under-hit pass from John Lundstram, beat defensive midfielder Oliver Norwood with skill and poise, dribbled past John Egan and Jack O'Connell with clever feints before finishing coolly into the bottom corner. It was the only goal in a 1-0 win, and Djenepo’s solo effort, a Goal of the Season nominee, was a worthy strike to win any contest.

However, that was as good as it got for the 2018 Belgian Cup winner in 19/20, as he failed to build on that bright start to add to his tally in front of goal.

The undoubted low point for Djenepo came in late February when he lost his mother just before the coronavirus halted the season.

“Rest in peace the queen of my heart. I love you forever because you gave me all the love to succeed. I will never forget you mom,” he posted on Instagram.

His emotional message on social media indicated how distraught he was at the time, a fact echoed by Hasenhuttl before the club hosted Newcastle United in early March.

“Moussa is back now from the funeral of his mum. He seems to be getting into a better mode again. It was not easy for him. We tried to help him as much as we can,” Hasenhuttl told the club website at the time. “I like to see him laughing and don’t like to see him when he is sad.

"He was not really in a good moment when he came back, but now it is getting better and better.

Unfortunately for Djenepo, his very next game against the Magpies saw the 21-year-old receive his marching orders for serious foul play after the VAR intervened to upgrade an initial yellow card to red. A devastated wideman was cheered on by the fans at St. Mary’s as his teammates consoled him, yet the logic in playing him so soon after a personal tragedy was questionable.

That’s the last that was seen of the promising forward, with a three-game suspension, niggling injuries and non-involvement meaning he couldn’t add to his 18 Premier League appearances (10 starts). A couple of goals and two assists after Southampton’s outlay may discourage supporters of the club, but an extensive observation suggests he was already buying into his manager’s ideas.

Per Fbref, Djenepo contributed to the Saints being the division’s top pressing side, harrying his opponent in possession 265 times. He was his team’s 11th highest presser but 10 of the players with better numbers, excluding Cedric Soares, played more games than the Malian.

Despite his limited minutes compared to other colleagues, the tricky winger was Southampton’s fourth-best dribbler, beating his marker 48 times from 70 attempts. He attempted 2.4 dribbles per game, third behind Boufal and Nathan Redmond (2.6 and 2.5 per match) and it’s no surprise he made 11 dribbles leading to shots – also the third-highest in the team.

Even more encouraging for Djenepo was his shot-creating actions (passes or dribbles) per 90 – 3.78 – only outperformed by Boufal, while he topped the goal-creating actions metric. He sits fifth for Expected Goals per 90 and sixth for non-penalty xG per 90.

While the talented winger endured a seemingly tough first season, his underlying numbers suggest he could turn the corner from next season as he gets even more accustomed to Hasenhuttl’s style in and out of possession.

Southampton were heavily reliant on Danny Ings for their output in the final third in 19/20, with the Englishman accounting for 43 percent of their goals. Given the overall improvement after their 9-0 drubbing at the hands of Leicester City in October, the Saints boss will demand even more productivity from his attacking contingent as the south coast side opt to break into the top 10 or even challenge for a European spot.

For Djenepo, fans of the club will hope their talented youngster grows used to life in England and also overcomes personal tragedy that truncated his season as he seeks a significant increase to his raw numbers next season.

AFC Leopards midfielder Eugene Mukangula has revealed he is targeting 20 or more goals a season.

The player has been inconsistent since signing for the 13-time league champions, however, his talent is undoubted. The midfielder has also revealed he is keen on providing goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates.

"It has been my wish to be effective in the league regardless of where I am playing," Mukangula told Goal.

"I have been wanting to score 20 or more goals a season, but I have not achieved it. But I have not given up, it is still possible for me to get my desired goals only if I maintain my consistency.

"My other target is to get most assists in a season and by doing that my team will also benefit."

The player has also compared his time at Thika United and Leopards.

"In terms of numbers, at Thika I was good because assists and goals came consistently," Mukangula continued.

"It has however changed at Leopards because I have not managed to get the numbers I wanted. It is not that the season was bad for us, it was good, only that more work is needed in terms of stats.

"If I manage to get my form back, in terms of scoring and getting assists regularly, then it will be good on my side."

In addition, Mukangula revealed why he was delighted with the 13-time league champions' campaign in the abandoned 2019/20 season.

"We were struggling financially but the team spirit was really good, we enjoyed staying at the top and always gave the best in every game we played," he added.

"It is something we hope we will maintain even in the coming season because we want to challenge for the league. We have a good coach and a good squad, and I am confident the season will be better." 

The last time Ingwe won the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) was way back in 1998 and since then, they have struggled to challenge for honours.

Ingwe are currently in the market to get players who can help them achieve the feat and play in the Caf Champions League. 

David Molinga has revealed he had planned to play for Young Africans (Yanga SC) for another season in the Mainland Premier League.

However, the Congolese import was among the 14 players fired by the Jangwani giants as the team restructures ahead of the new season set to kick off on September 6.

Molinga has now claimed his intention was to stay at Yanga for one more season before he would think of his next move but as fate could have it, he was released by the club.

“I was prepared to stay at play for Yanga for another season, I wanted to show the team that I can help them and score goals but now I don’t have any options rather than get a new club,” Molinga, who was the team’s top scorer last season, is quoted saying by Sokaletu.

“What I know is that I still had a good chance to play for Yanga, and even start in matches, and my plan was to do big things for the team, because at my first season I managed to be the top scorer, but now I have to accept and move on to the next challenge.”

Molinga was axed alongside captain Papy Tshishimbi, ex-Gor Mahia striker Gnamien Yikpe, Mrisho Ngassa, Jafary Mohamed, Mohamed Issa Banka, Tariq Seif, Andrew Vincent Dante, Patrick Sibomana, Muharami Issa, Ali Ali, Rafael Daud, Ali Mtoni Sonso and Eric Kabamba.

On Saturday, the club confirmed they have handed fitness trainer Riedoh Berdien the mantle to handle the team until they secure a permanent coach.

Yanga are without a coach after they fired Belgian Luc Eymael at the end of the 2019-20 Mainland Premier League campaign where they finished the season without silverware.

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 behind their old rivals on the league table.

They have now been linked a number of foreign players, including 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.

Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has won the Premier League Player of the Season award for the 2019-20 campaign, despite Liverpool running away with the title.

The Belgium international playmaker matched the record for assists in a single campaign by providing 20, equalling a mark set by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in the 2002-03 campaign, while he also scored 13 goals. 

Furthermore, he created the most chances and had the most goal involvements of any player in the division.

The fans recognised his achievement by nominating him as the league’s outstanding player in a public vote, in which he saw off competition from Liverpool trio Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane, plus Southampton striker Danny Ings, Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope and Leicester forward Jamie Vardy.

De Bruyne takes the crown from Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, while Anfield favourite Mohamed Salah won it for the 2017-18 campaign.

The 29-year-old started the season in strong fashion, with eight assists and two goals in the opening seven rounds of fixtures, where he was involved in at least one goal in each with the exception of a shock 3-2 loss to Norwich – a match he played only 33 minutes of after he was named as a substitute.

While he enjoyed his richest vain of form at the start of the season and over the festive period, when he scored three and created three more in a blistering four-game burst, he was a consistent provider of excellence for Pep Guardiola’s side throughout the campaign, finishing on a high as he scored two and laid on another in a 5-0 win over the Canaries.

City, however, finished a distant second in the league behind champions Liverpool, who romped to the crown by an 18-point margin.

The last league-winning player to win the gong was N'Golo Kante of Chelsea in 2016-17.

The news of the award will come as little consolation to the 29-year-old, who was a member of the City squad that surprisingly crashed out of the Champions League to Lyon at the quarter-final stage following a 3-1 defeat. De Bruyne netted in that game but his contribution was not significant enough to stop Guardiola’s side being on the wrong end of a monumental upset. 

In all competitions during the 2019-20 season, De Bruyne featured 48 times for Guardiola’s men, scoring 16 times and laying on another 23.

He has been with City for five campaigns and now has 57 goals and 89 assists in 222 appearances for the club.

Former Gor Mahia left-back Godfrey Walusimbi is in transfer talks with Uganda Premier League (UPL) side Police FC.

The Cranes defender last played for Albania Super League side KF Vllaznia Shkoder, a team he signed for after an unsuccessful stint with Kaizer Chiefs of the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Football256 reports Walusimbi and the Cops are in talks over a possible two-year deal and medical tests are expected to be carried out over the coming week.

“[Godfrey] Walusimbi and Police have agreed on a two-year contract, they will be holding final talks and a medical early next week before they announce him,” Football256 quotes a source close to the full-back.

Police view Walusimbi’s experience as key for their next season after struggling in the 2019/20 campaign, where they finished 13th in a competition that involved 16 teams.

The 2015 Premier League champions have so far signed Hassan Mahmood, experienced Tony Mawejje, Eric Senjobe, Tom Ikara, Sammon Oloka, and Muwadda Mawejje.

Should the deal go through, it means Walusimbi will be featuring for his third Ugandan side after initial stints with SC Villa, from 2006 to 2010 and Vipers SC from 2010 to 2013.

He has also played for CS Don Bosco of the Democratic Republic of Congo where he stayed for a shorter period in 2013.

At Gor Mahia, a club he joined in 2014, the Ugandan won three Kenyan Premier League (KPL) titles in his maiden season, in 2015 under coach Frank Nuttall where they were unbeaten in the KPL, and in 2017 under Dylan Kerr.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Ssebwato and Brian Kayanja have mutually agreed to terminate their contracts with Sofapaka.

The duo's agent Simon Musoke has revealed the Ugandans agreed with the KPL side to end their half-a-season association. They were signed by Batoto ba Mungu from Bright Stars.

“The two parties [players and Sofapaka] agreed on a mutual termination of contracts after the season was disrupted because of the coronavirus pandemic,” Musoke told Kawowo Sports.

Ssebwato and Kayanja's exit follows Ronald Okoth's similar move that was announced a few days ago. Captain George Maelo is also expected to leave the club and the armband is set to be given to midfielder Ellie Asieche.

Manchester United teenager Teden Mengi has been praised by his coaches for his effort and application after making his first-team debut.

The defender, who turned 18 in April, featured off the bench against LASK in the Europa League clash at Old Trafford last week, having only started to train with the Under-23 side a year ago.

He was given the last six minutes of the encounter and was on the field when Anthony Martial got the winner to secure a 2-1 win on the night, after United had previously trailed. For those who have worked with him throughout his time at the academy, it is a just reward for the work he has put in.

“Everyone in the club is proud of him as we are with any player who makes his debut,” Neil Wood told The Manchester Evening News. “Teden has been at the club a long time, he has been here since a very young boy and there have been a lot of coaches to have played a part in his journey along the way.

“You have to give Teden massive credit as well. The way he came up to us to train with the U23s this time last year, the season he had, the way he is every day, the way he works.

“He got the chance to go in and train with the first team during the lockdown because of those performances, because of that attitude, because he trains the right way every day. That was the opportunity which he was given.

“I spoke to the first-team staff and he has done really well training with the first-team. So it is great that the manager trusts him to put him in a Europa League game, that is what the manager has been doing this year. If they are good enough and show they can cope up there then he will give them a chance.”

United will seek to take the next step towards Europa League glory on Sunday, when they face Sevilla in the semi-finals at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.

They reached the final four stage with a 1-0 victory over Copenhagen after extra time, Bruno Fernandes scoring a decisive penalty.

Jadon Sancho should snub a move to Manchester United this summer and instead wait for Liverpool or Chelsea to swoop in a year, according to Danny Murphy.

The Borussia Dortmund winger has been closely linked with a switch to Old Trafford but United missed the deadline imposed upon the deal by the German club.

Despite officials from BVB insisting that the transfer is now dead in the water, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have made the 20-year-old their top transfer priority and will push for a deal to be completed before the end of the transfer window in October.

Nevertheless, Murphy now believes that the former Manchester City youth may be better sitting on his options until next year.

“United are an attractive proposition, one of the biggest clubs in the world with a young and exciting team, but Sancho won’t be short of suitors in his career and he’ll be aware that in a year’s time, when football finances are a bit steadier, he may have a choice that also includes Liverpool, his ‘local’ team Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid,” Murphy wrote for the Daily Mail.

“It’s possible he may prefer to wait and weigh up his options after the Euros next summer rather than rocking the boat now by telling Dortmund he wants to leave.

“If that’s the case and United are fighting against an inflated fee and a player considering other options, they have a problem - and that’s without factoring in the agent fees that usually accompany a deal like this.

“Sancho is young and publicly respectful but his career to date indicates a player who knows his own mind and will have a say in his future. If his heart really is set on joining United, there are ways of letting all relevant parties aware.

“Whatever is beneficial for your career, you are going to try to make it happen. If United know that, I’d pay Dortmund the asking price even if I admire the principle of not being dictated to. Sancho’s value isn’t going to diminish.

“However, judging by what I’ve seen so far there is no rebellion from Sancho, which makes me sense he’s not desperate to move to United.”

Meanwhile, United are the last remaining Premier League club in Europe and will play their Europa League semi-final against Sevilla on Sunday.

Kenya international Michael Olunga has revealed why they lost 3-1 against Cerezo Osaka in a J-1 League match played Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium on Saturday.

Kashiwa had headed into the match with a run of five matches without defeat but they found themselves trailing when Bruno Mendes scored Cerezo Osaka’s first goal in the fifth minute before an own goal by Taiyo Koga extended their lead in the 55th minute.

Jun Nishikawa scored the visitors' final goal in the 87th minute before the towering Harambee Stars striker salvaged a consolation with two minutes left to the final whistle to deny the visiting side a clean sheet in the entertaining contest.

Olunga has now admitted Osaka were the more organised side in the battle and also blamed his side for wasting numerous scoring chances, especially in the first half.

“It was a difficult game because they [Cerezo] were tactically well organised, I think their organisation was really good,” Olunga told reporters after the match.

“But we should also take the blame because we created numerous chances especially in the first period but we couldn’t finish them off, but at the end of the day we take the positives because we tried everything to try to salvage something from the game but it did not work, congratulations to [Cerezo] because they played very well and deserved to win.”

Olunga’s goal came after a blunder from the Osaka keeper, who failed to clear the ball and instead, hit it straight to the legs of the striker, who turned to score with his left foot.

Explaining the goal, Olunga said: “As a striker, you have to believe in everything you do because keepers and defenders are always bound to commit mistakes, football, is a game of mistakes, and as a striker you have to try and chase every ball and see whether the opponent can make a mistake.

“It is what happened to my goal, I tried to apply pressure to the goalkeeper and he made a mistake which I capitalised on to score.”

On scoring again, Olunga explained: “I can say it is always a matter of hard work, each and every game you have to be hungry and try to be in a position where you can score, now everyone is seeing you are scoring and it means the coming matches will be tough.

“Each and every game provides for me a chance to prove myself and you must always remain focused and I did exactly that today [Saturday], scored though the goal was not enough to give us a win, it is a challenge to me to score in every game and my focus now is on the next match.”

The goal was Olunga’s 11th of the season and has helped him remain at the top of the J-1 League top scorers’ chart after engaging in 10 matches.

The former Thika United and Tusker striker has one assist to his name so far as he continues to enjoy a remarkable season since he helped Kashiwa Reysol earn promotion after winning the J2 League title in 2019.