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Ghanaian centre-back Abdul Mumin has joined Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, the club has announced.

The 22-year-old has moved to Os Vimaranenses on a four-year deal.

His services have been secured on a free transfer, having left Danish outfit Nordsjaelland at the end of last season.

"Vitoria Sport Clube, Futebol SAD announces that it has signed the player Abdul Mumin a contract valid for the next four sports seasons, also ensuring 100% of the economic rights of the Ghanaian central defender," the Portuguese club announced on their official website on Saturday.

"The experience accumulated in the Danish championship has made him a well-known player in the news market, with Vitoria SC having secured his contract until 2024."

Mumin, 22, graduated from the Right to Dream academy, but in 2016 headed to Denmark to represent FC Nordsjaelland.

"Despite having the under-19s as destination, he made his debut for the main team a few days after the arrival, skipping stages in his affirmation process.

"In 2018 he represented HB Koge on loan, before returning to his home club and becoming one of the most used elements over the past two seasons.

"Mumin will present his work on Monday, joining the group that will be available to the trainer Tiago Mendes."

Last season, Mumin made 26 appearances for Nordsjaelland in the Danish Super Liga. He started 19 of the games and found the back of the net once.

The season prior, he made 14 league outings, starting 13 of the matches before heading for HB Koge for the remainder of the campaign.

In his first term, however, he featured just three times in the Super Liga.

"Goodbye Mumin. Thank you for your effort! And thanks for everything. It has been a pleasure. Good luck with your next event. We will follow your journey and cheer for you. You are always welcome here,” Nordsjaelland posted on Twitter in bidding their former defender farewell after a four-year stint last month.

A product of the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, Mumin joined partner club Nordsjaelland in 2016.

At Guimaraes, he will hope to convince Ghana coach CK for his first international call-up. 

Jules Kounde insists he is in no rush to leave Sevilla at the end of the season despite links with several European heavyweights, though he accepts not everything will be in his control.

Kounde, 21, joined Sevilla from Bordeaux last year in a deal that could reach €25million (£22.6m/$30m), which would make the centre-back the club's record signing.

The Frenchman has enjoyed an impressive adaptation and cemented himself as a regular partner for Diego Carlos, who, like Kounde, arrived from Ligue 1 last year and is attracting significant interest.

Kounde's impressive performances in the recent Europa League victories over Roma and Wolves have contributed to even greater exposure and admiration.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are just two of the clubs said to be interested in the France Under-21 international, who is reported to have a release clause greater than €75m.

Up next for Sevilla is a semi-final showdown with Manchester United, giving Kounde another opportunity to catch the eye, and while he sees it a good thing to be interesting other clubs, he is relaxed about the future.

"It is always good that you interest teams, be it Diego or myself," he told Marca . "We are very focused on winning this cup. I don't look at other teams.

"I'm good at Sevilla. Next year we are going to play in the Champions League and we all deserve it. I am very focused and very happy here.

"It is something that I control, but sometimes there are parameters that do not depend on me. I do not look away [from Sevilla]."

Despite Sevilla's pedigree in the competition and their 19-match unbeaten run, Kounde does not think Los Nervionenses will be considered favourites by most.

"I do not know if we are favourites. For most people I don't think so," he added. "But we don't care.

"Nobody wants to go to the final and win the cup as much as we do. We will give everything on the pitch. In the end, when we give everything, we can beat any team."

Sunday's contest will see Kounde come up against fellow Frenchmen Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial and he considers himself very familiar with the latter.

He said: "I have seen [Martial] play many times. He is a very good forward, very complete. Powerful, fast, skilful with the ball and we are sure that we will have to be very aware, as with Adama [Traore, against Wolves], even if he is another level of power.

"Diego and I will have to talk a lot. We cannot leave him spaces."

On Pogba, Kounde added: "He is an important player, a reference in world football. He has a lot of quality, one of the best midfielders in the world and is very important in the France team.

"Their individuals are very powerful, but we focus on the collective and ourselves. We know what United represents in the world, they are a reference."

In a special episode of the African Football HQ podcast this week, Malek Shafei speaks to Jeremy Seethal, the head scout of the Right to Dream Academy, one of Africa’s finest centres for youth production.

Founded in 1999 by Manchester United’s former African scout Tom Vernon, the academy’s origins can be found in Accra, with just a handful of students training on a dusty pitch.

In the subsequent decades, it’s progressed to become one of the jewels in the crown of African youth development and, in 2010, moved to a new academy—based in a bespoke $2.5million facility.

Right to Dream academy products can be found across the footballing world.

The likes of Michael Tetteh, Joshua Yaro and Godsway Donyoh graduated from the club’s academy, so too Thomas Agyepong and Yaw Yeboah, both of whom also spent time at Manchester City as they learned their trade.

From a Black Stars perspective, the talents of David Accam were honed at Right to Dream, while Majeed Waris—currently with Strasbourg on loan from FC Porto—became the first graduate to play at the World Cup.

Latterly, wonderkid Mohammed Kudus, who was just 12 when he arrived at the academy, swapped RTD partner club FC Nordsjaelland of Denmark for Dutch giants Ajax, signing for the Amsterdam heavyweights in a €9 million deal last month.

Head Scout Seethal spent time with AFHQ to talk us though his experiences with the academy, the progress made and some of the work that has already been undertaken in West Africa.

In the eight years Seethal has been at the academy, he’s been a key figure in several remarkable stories of personal progression, for youngsters whose football talent has allowed them to access higher education overseas.

He’s a man with a honed eye for talent, having worked as a scout with both Man City and Nordsjaelland, and has relished the prospect of taking on young talent and seeing them thrive on bigger stages, although he acknowledges that the process and model in Africa needs to be different to the academy system in Europe.

The South African scout also discusses the difficulties facing youngsters in his homeland, where he recognises that there’s an absence of viable structures in South Africa to help the best talent in the country reach the level that their talent deserves.

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes says that he is thrilled to be compared to club legend Eric Cantona, but the Portuguese midfielder admitted that he has plenty of work to do to truly earn the right to be held up alongside the former French forward.

Fernandes joined Manchester United in January and has begun his time with the club in spectacular fashion, instantly becoming a vital piece for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after signing from Sporting CP.

Man Utd are set to face Sevilla on Sunday in the Europa League semi-finals, giving Fernandes a chance at securing his first trophy with the club.

And the 25-year-old midfielder says he'll need to lift plenty of silverware to justify comparisons to club legends like Cantona.

"For me it's really good to listen, talking about those names, but really for me, Cantona was an amazing player for the club," he said.

"I need to do much, much, much better to be compared with him. Like the coach said,[we want] to win some trophies and I will be happy this season if we win the Europa League."

Cantona won four Premier League titles in five years with Manchester United, having also found success at Leeds, Montpellier and Marseille.

In total, the Frenchman lifted nine trophies with Man Utd, scoring 82 goals across 185 games.

Fernandes, meanwhile, has scored 11 goals in his first 21 matches, including two in four Europa League games as the Red Devils close in on the tournament finale.

His adjustment to life at Old Trafford has been virtually seamless, and Fernandes says that Man Utd's surge since he made his move has been the result of a team-wide effort.

"I can't say it was easy but, of course, we have good results," he said. "I was scoring some goals, but it was easy, everyone in the team helped me a lot, gives me a lot of confidence.

"It was much easier for me, I've played already in Italy, I know how it is to be out of my country playing different leagues.

"The Premier League is completely different, but I have the confidence of the coach, staff, teammates and things are going really well because, when you have the confidence of everyone, you try and do your best."

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could not hide his admiration for Bayern Munich after watching them dismantle Barcelona in Friday's historic Champions League victory. 

The Bundesliga champions confirmed their status as favourites to win the European trophy in a scintillating 8-2 thrashing of Barca, who had no answer to their opponents' attacking verve as they were comprehensively beaten across the 90 minutes. 

Bayern now await confirmation of their semi-final opponents, with Manchester City and Lyon playing the final quarter of this streamlined Champions League competition in Lisbon on Saturday. 

Solskjaer of course is no stranger to the Bavarians, having come off the bench to mastermind United's 1999 final victory in injury time to clinch the Red Devils' first win in the tournament for 33 years. 

The Norwegian boss cannot help but applaud Bayern's latest all-conquering team, who he believes have set a new benchmark for excellence through their exploits this season. 

"We watched it of course and I have to say Bayern Munich are setting the standard at the moment, throughout the season really," Solskjaer told reporters ahead of United's Europa League semi-final against Sevilla on Sunday.

"The new coach came in and they've been absolutely brilliant. Aggressive, pressing, their recovery runs, technically adept, it was a top, top class performance by a top team."

Sevilla will pose their own challenge to United's Europa League hopes, having booked their place in the last four with a late victory over Wolves thanks to Lucas Ocampos' goal. 

The Andalucians also impressed in the last 16 by dispatching Roma with ease and Solskjaer is in no doubt that Sunday's clash will be hard-fought for his charges. 

"It's a good, very well organised team, aggressive style of play, pressing, they've got some very good individuals there," he added.

"We have to play our best game, keep the ball when we can, play out of their press, we've got to be clever, creative and step up in big moments.

"The last pass is the finish. These games will be decided so often on either a set-piece or piece of individual brilliance by some players."

Ex-Paris Saint-Germain star Valdo believes that when Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are on song the forward pair are a match for any defence on the planet. 

Neymar was in fine form in Wednesday's Champions League comeback victory over Atalanta, redeeming himself in the final stages after missing two clear chances early on. 

The Brazil international set up Marquinhos to bring PSG back level in the 90th minute and moments later set substitute Mbappe loose down the left to square for Eric Choupo-Moting, who sealed a 2-1 victory deep into injury time. 

PSG missed Mbappe prior to his introduction, with the France sensation recovering from an ankle sprain and starting on the bench. 

Valdo, who was part of the last PSG side to make the Champions League semi-finals back in 1995, believes that when fit both his Brazilian compatriot and Mbappe give the Parisians a crucial edge when going forward. 

"When you're Neymar Jr. or Kylian Mbappe, it's easier not to doubt," the ex-midfielder, who also represented the likes of Benfica, Gremio and Cruzeiro during his career as well as picking up 45 caps for Brazil, told PSG's official website.

"It's true that Neymar missed two opportunities that he usually scores. But we could feel he was in the game. When he plays at that level, there's no tactical system to stop him.

"A bit like Mbappe or Messi. When it’s the right night, he's unstoppable. Neymar had a lot of space, and on counter-attacks he was really impressive.

"As for Mbappe... If I'm the Atalanta coach and I see Kylian Mbappe coming on, I'm already very worried. It already means it's impossible to stop him, you need at least two players to stop him and the same goes for Neymar, it's very complicated.

"That's the strength of having a squad like Paris Saint-Germain. Let's hope now that Kylian will be at 100% for the next game, so that the opponents can't sleep well."

PSG now face RB Leipzig in Tuesday's semi-final, after the German side overcame Atletico Madrid in a tense quarter-final tie on Thursday.

The second last-four clash will be disputed between Bayern Munich, who destroyed Barcelona 8-2 on Friday, and the winner of Manchester City's tie against Lyon. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called on his big-game players to step up to the challenge ahead of Manchester United’s Europa League semi-final clash against Sevilla.

The game, being played in Cologne, is United’s third semi-final of the season and Solskjaer is hoping his team can do what they have failed to do on the two previous occasions, against Manchester City and Chelsea, and reach the final, which is being held on August 21 at the RheinEnergieStadion.

“You know that, when you come to a semi-final, you're playing against good teams, big teams with quality, it's time to step up for big players in big-game moments,” Solskjaer said.

“You have to have 100 per cent focus, any little moment can win, lose or change the game and we've learnt it's very painful to lose a semi-final.”

One of those big-game players who can help drag United to their first final of the season is Bruno Fernandes.

The Portuguese scored the decisive penalty in the quarter-final victory over FC Copenhagen and he spoke about the support he has been given since arriving in the January transfer window.

“When a club pay €55 million (£47m/$65m) for a player, you have confidence from the club, of course from all the conversations I had with the coach and my team-mates,” Fernandes said.

“The coach, all the time, speaks to me to do my game and what I already did in Sporting to have the same confidence, try the same things, improve. When you have that voice to do your own thing it's easy for you.”

Solskjaer will be hoping his team start with that confidence Fernandes speaks of after they were slow to get out of the blocks against Copenhagen in the quarter-finals.

“We've had a few good days now preparing and recovering," said Solskjaer. "It's not very often we have six days between games, so we're ready, we are physically, definitely ready, mentally the boys will be ready.

"It’s a semi-final, everyone will want to take part and join in and I just want them to enjoy it. For me, I'm looking forward to it.

"We've had two semis this season, and we're happy with going as far as we have but we want to go one step further.

“I think in any game it’s important to start well. We talk about it, we prepare for a good start against good teams and if you start on the back foot, don’t get the first touches and the first goal, it’s going to be difficult. We're playing a team full of quality and if you don’t get touches it will be hard.”

Simba SC continue to be busy in the transfer market as they have now confirmed their fifth signing in the ongoing August transfer window.

The Tanzania champions have signed Zambia international Larry Bwalya from Super League side Power Dynamos. Bwalya is the third foreign player to have signed for Wekundu wa Msimbazi so far.

The Dar es Salaam-based club has already acquired Harambee Stars defender Joash Onyango on a two-year contract as well as Ghanaian winger Bernard Morrison, whose move remains a contested issue for now.

“Zambia midfielder [Larry] Bwalya has joined Simba from Power Dynamos. He is best known as 'Locomotive' and is a box-to-box midfielder, a magician left-footer,” Simba announced as they confirmed the arrival of the star from Kitwe.

“He who brought us Clatous Chama is the one who has brought Bwalya to us.”

Wekundu wa Msimbazi claimed one of their rivals had already set out on a journey to go and sign Bwalya.

“He came with the Ethiopia Airlines, the same plane our rivals boarded to go and sign him but in short, they have failed in their pursuit."

The 25-year-old has already featured for the Zambian national team three times. Simba have, however, failed to give the length of the contract handed to Bwalya.

Bwalya’s arrival means Simba now boasts of two Zambians. Chama was signed by the Tanzanian champions and went ahead to become one of the key figures of a dominating team in the country.

The midfielder adds to the number of foreign players already at the club. Francis Kahata and Onyango from Kenya, Luis Miquissone from Mozambique, Meddie Kagere from Rwanda, Tairone Santos and Gerson Fraga from Brazil and Morrison are the other foreigners already in the books of Simba.

Midfielder Sharaf Shiboub of South Sudan, defender Pascal Wawa of Ivory Coast and midfielder Deogratius Kanda of the Democratic Republic of Congo are also foreigners now turning out for the 21-time league champions.

Local players who have already been signed are striker Charles Ilamfia from Premier League side Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC) and right-back David Kameta from relegated Lipuli FC of Iringa.

Simba are rebuilding their team with the hope of doing better in the Caf Champions League for the 2020/21 season.

They were eliminated in the preliminary round in the previous season by UD Songo of Mozambique.

Penalties updated in FIFA 20, making them harder to score than ever. The same penalty system has been carried over into FIFA 21, meaning that players who mastered the process last year can be masters again this year.

FIFA 19 used to have an arrow which you powered up with the shoot button, but this was replaced by a cursor in FIFA 20 which you could aim anywhere in the goal but was trickier to point than the previous arrow indicator.

At first, this can seem a little daunting, but once you get used to aiming and powering up your shots correctly, penalties will become an almost guaranteed way to score goals.

Follow our expert advice on how to score penalties in FIFA 21.

How to aim penalties in FIFA 21

The first and most difficult part of scoring penalties in FIFA 21 is deciding where to aim your shot.

Players with high penalty attribute ratings are better at aiming as their shot cursor moves slowly.

To aim your penalty, choose the destination by using the left stick. 

The analog sticks are very sensitive, so you want to hold it in place when you have found the correct spot - usually in the top corner of the net.

Once you are holding the stick on the correct spot, you can power up your penalty.

Be careful, though, if you spend too long trying to aim, the player will just take a weak penalty down the middle.

If you are playing a two-player game and do not want your opponent to see where you are aiming, you can turn off the cursor by pressing Up on the D-Pad.

Turning it off just hides the icon on the screen, but aiming and shooting remains the same.

How to power up penalties in FIFA 21

Powering up penalties is easier than aiming them and is a quicker skill to perfect too.

The ideal penalty will fill two or two-and-a-half bars, which gives it more than enough power to ensure the goalkeeper cannot reach it.

Timed finishing has also been integrated into FIFA 21's penalties, meaning that you can improve the accuracy of your spot kicks by pressing the shoot button at the moment of impact.

To do this, watch the animation of the player and ball rather than the power bars after you have initially powered up your shot and press shoot when you see the player's foot hitting the ball.

The best way to perfect this and the aiming system is to practice in the Skill Games section of the game.

How to do a panenka penalty in FIFA 21

Once you have perfected taking proper penalties, you can add some flair to your spot kicks and troll your opponents from the penalty spot.

To do a chipped or panenka penalty, aiming is the same, but when powering up your shot, hold L1 on PlayStation or LB on Xbox to attempt to dink the ball over the goalkeeper.

A proper panenka will aim right down the middle of the goal, but you can use a chipped penalty while aiming towards the sides of the goal as well as down the middle.

Beware, if your opponent guesses right, these will be extremely easy saves for the goalkeeper.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have handed fitness trainer Riedoh Berdian the mantle to handle the team until they secure a permanent coach.

The Jangwani giants 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.

Yanga have started preparations for the new season which is set to kick off on September 6 and according to information officer Hassani Bumbuli, Berdian will remain in charge until they secure the services of new a coach.

“We are still looking at the many CVs we received for the vacant role and will name our new coach as soon as we pick one,” Berdian is quoted by Sokaletu.

“The team will thus remain under the watchful eyes of fitness coach Berdian, who will handle them for the period we are looking for a coach when we hire one, then he will resort to his normal duties at the club.

“We have at least 64 coaches who have applied for the vacant job and it will not be easy to get one from the list, we are still perusing every part of their CVs so we give the club a deserved coach, who can take us forward in the new season.

“The process might take two weeks or at least a week, and we will make the announcement.”

Yanga are keen to do well in the new campaign and they have already released 14 players, among them captain Papy Tshishimbi, as they restructure the team.

Other axed players include 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.

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.

Stellenbosch defied their numerical disadvantage to dismiss Golden Arrows 1-0 at Tuks Stadium to steer seven points clear of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) relegating zone.

Ashley Du Preez scored his first goal of the season when he struck five minutes into the second half to hand Stellies three points as both sides returned to action for the first time since the restart of the South African football season.

Stellenbosch romped to the slender victory despite finishing the match with 10 men following a red card to Zimbabwean midfielder Ovidy Karuru 18 minutes from time.

It was redemption for Steve Barker's side as they picked themselves up after going for the coronavirus-induced break on the backdrop of two straight defeats.

Leletu Skelem set up Du Preez for the all-important goal that saw Stellenbosch climb a rung up to 10th spot on the log while Arrows remained in position eight.

Stellies could, however, drop back to 11th if Bloemfontein Celtic beat SuperSport United on Sunday.

For Steve Komphela's Arrows, it was a third straight league match without tasting victory as they struggled to breakdown their opponents.

Even striker Knox Mutizwa, who is the club's top goal-scorer with 11 league goals, could not infringe the Stellenbosch defence fortified by veterans Marc van Heerden and Robyn Johannes.

Arrows' quest to stop their winless run faces another stern test when they clash with Bidvest Wits at FNB Stadium on Tuesday, while Stellenbosch have Cape Town City at Tuks Stadium the following day.

Meanwhile, no goals were witnessed as AmaZulu and Baroka FC drew 0-0 at Lucas Moripe Stadium in a battle against relegation.

Both teams had gone to the nearly five-month football break with high revival hopes after registering victories in their respective last games in March.

Although they returned to action by avoiding defeat, Saturday's result saw Usuthu moving one place from the relegation zone up to position 14 while Baroka remained in 13th spot.

But AmaZulu could plunge back into the relegation zone if Polokwane City beat Kaizer Chiefs in the later kickoff. If Polokwane City win, Baroka would also drop one rung down but to position 14.

AmaZulu now have six days to prepare for their next assignment which is against Wits as Baroka get ready for Tuesday's fixture against Orlando Pirates.

Real Madrid full-back Marcelo has heaped praise on Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies after his impressive display in the 8-2 win over Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final on Friday.

The German giants progressed to the final four of the competition when they humiliated Quique Setien's team in Cologne.

Left-back Davies collected the ball and rounded Barca icon Lionel Messi and skipped past Arturo Vidal before he pulled off an excellent move to evade Nelson Semedo and dart inside the box.

He then passed the ball into the middle of the six-yard box where Joshua Kimmich burst in to slot beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen and net his side's fifth goal of the game.

Davies celebrated the victory by posting pictures from the game on Instagram, adding the caption: "Amazing performance from the team last night."

A host of footballers commented on the 19-year-old's post and among them was Brazil international Marcelo, who said: "You bring joy to my eyes when I see you play kid!"

Germany international Kimmich described Davies' assist as "world class", while Bayern coach Hansi Flick remarked that it was "simply beautiful" as he sang the Canada international's praises after the game.

"He has the quality. If he does it more often, it would be all the more beautiful," the former Germany assistant coach added.

Davies has been described as "a real hit" and a "top class" performer by Bayern president Herbert Hainer, while his former coach at Vancouver Whitecaps Carl Robinson recently backed him to become a legend at the Bundesliga champions.

Davies, who joined the Bavarian side from the Vancouver Whitecaps in January 2019, has scored three times and set up a further eight goals in 41 appearances in all competitions for Bayern this season.

They will go on to face the winner of Saturday's quarter-final tie between Manchester City and Lyon, while RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain will meet in the other semi-final.

Kaizer Chiefs managed to secure the full three points when they beat Polokwane City 3-2 in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Saturday afternoon at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

In their second PSL match since the restart of their league campaign, Chiefs visited their bogey side and they went into the half-time break trailing 1-0.

As they were fresh from a 1-1 draw against Bidvest Wits on Wednesday night, the log leaders were looking avenge the 1-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of Rise and Shine at FNB Stadium in the first round.

Coach Ernst Middendorp made four changes from the team he used against the Clever Boys at Orlando Stadium where he brought on Anthony Akumu, Lazarous Kambole, Kearyn Baccus as well as Reeve Frosler.

On the part of the hosts, coach Clinton Larsen was chasing a win as they returned to action since March when the season was forcefully halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, in the seventh minute, Samir Nurkovic nearly opened the scoring when he received a ball in the box, yet his half-volley could only hit the side of the net.

Seven minutes later, City forced a save out of goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi who managed to punch Vusimuzi Mngomezulu’s cross away from danger.

However, the deadlock was broken two minutes later by the Polokwane-based club when Baccus was dispossessed in the heart of the park allowing Lesiba Nku  to capitalize when he flicked the ball over the oncoming Akpeyi.

Skipper Jabulani Maluleke delivered his trademark defence-splitting passes for Salulani Phiri but the speedy attacker could not direct his effort on target with only Akpeyi to beat in the 20th minute.

Polokwane goalkeeper Cyril Chibwe had to protect their lead when he denied the Soweto giants through Kambole heading to the 40th minute as Larsen's troops went to the tunnel leading 1-0.

Upon their return from the interval, Middendorp introduced Willard Katsande for Baccus, Ramahlwe Mphahlele for Frosler whilst Bernard Parker came on for Yagan Sasman as they looked to solidify their midfield and break down the hosts’ defence.

Amakhosi resorted to long balls into the final third in search of Nurkovic, but Chibwe was equal to the task towards the hour mark.

On the other hand, veteran midfielder, Maluleke was at his best on set-pieces when he doubled their lead from range after his free-kick deflected off the wall to beat the Nigerian keeper on his left corner, making it 2-0.

Chiefs looked for an immediate response from a free-kick in a promising area just outside of the box, but defender Erick Mathoho’s header could not trouble Chibwe.

A few moments later, Lebogang Manyama and teammates continued to probe for a goal as his delivery into the box produced brilliant save from the Zambian international goalkeeper.

Eventually, the Naturena-based giants managed to pull one back through Katsande  when he headed home on the far post after Nurkovic’s intelligent flick-on from the near post with 19 minutes to go.

Four minutes later, Akumu made it 2-2 for the log leaders from Parker’s well-taken corner kick, allowing the big midfielder to slot it home from close range.

As City was still licking their wounds, Nurkovic unleashed a thunderous shot from range a minute later to beat Chibwe on the right corner, making it 3-2 for the Glamour Boys.

Heading to the final 10 minutes of the thrilling contest, Larsen called in Puleng Tlolane to replace skipper Maluleke whilst Middendorp rested Khama Billiat for Philani Zulu.

Meanwhile, Kambole came close to making it four and also net his first in Chiefs’ colours, but he was denied on the goal line following a beautiful pass from Zulu in the 83rd minute.

As they looked to kill off the encounter, substitute and debutant Keletso Sefama managed to win a penalty for his club after he was fouled in the box and Daniel Cardoso missed as his effort hit the crossbar.

Resulting from the hard-earned win, Chiefs now have 52 points at the summit from 24 matches, leaving City in 15th with 23 points from 25 games.

Kenya’s Michael Olunga was on the scoresheet once again as Kashiwa Reysol lost 3-1 at Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium against Cerezo Osaka on Saturday.

Kashiwa Reysol were headed for a defeat without a goal before the former Gor Mahia forward struck in the 88th minute to deny the visitors a clean sheet.

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 Harambee Stars striker struck just a minute later.

The goal is Olunga’s 11th of the season and has helped him remain at the top of the J1 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.

Kashiwa Reysol lost the encounter against Cerezo Osaka despite enjoying more shots on goal - 23 against the latter’s five. They registered nine shots on target against the visitors' three.

Olunga and teammates also bossed ball possession; 62% against Cerezo Osaka’s 38% and had 478 passes against their tormentors’ 311.

Kashiwa Reysol also had a superior pass accuracy standing at 85% against Cerezo Osaka’s 76% but it did not help them pick up the fourth win in five matches.

The J2 League champions also recorded the most fouls; 16 against 11 committed by the winners.

There were three yellow cards registered with Kashiwa Reysol’s Shunki Takahashi getting booked in the 54th minute while his teammate Yuji Takahashi was warned in the 80th minute.

Hiroaki Okuno of Cerezo Osaka was the first man to be booked in the 44th minute of play.

The loss saw Olunga and Kashiwa Reysol drop to the seventh position and will be up against Vissel Kobe on August 19.

Meanwhile, Consadole Sapporo lost to Kawasaki Frontale with a 6-1 scoreline while Vegalta Sendai drew 0-0 against Shimizu S-Pulse.
 
Yokohama picked up a 4-2 win against Shonan Bellmare as Oita Trinita defeated Yokohama F. Marinos 1-0.

Urawa Reds registered a slim 1-0 victory against Sanfrecce Hiroshima while Tokyo FC picked up a win against Nagoya Grampus by the same scoreline.

Ander Herrera says it "wouldn't be a failure" for Paris Saint-Germain if they don't end up winning the Champions League this month.

PSG are on the verge of winning Europe's elite competition for the first time in their history, having earned a spot in the semi-finals for the first time since 1995.

Thomas Tuchel's men beat Atalanta in dramatic fashion in midweek to set up a last-four tie against RB Leipzig, who pulled off the upset of the round so far to knock out Atletico Madrid.

The Ligue 1 champions rode their luck to overcome Italian opposition at Estadio da Luz, with stoppage-time goals from Marquinhos and Eric Maxim Chupo-Moting cancelling out Mario Pasalic's first-half opener.

Neymar and Kylian Mbappe led PSG's charge in the second half to complete a stunning turnaround, and they are now considered strong favourites to reach the showpiece event on August 23.

However, Herrera says success in Europe won't define the club's season, given the fact they have already got their hands on all four domestic trophies on offer in France.

The 31-year-old midfielder told a pre-match press conference: "If we didn't win the Champions League, it wouldn't be a failure. It would be a failure for ten teams then. We have already done a fantastic job at the national level with four titles won this season. 

"But it is true that Leipzig, or Lyon for example, perhaps didn’t expect to be here. We have the quality and the ability to win the semi-final, but we have to know they will play free, without the pressure of winning the game. They will be very dangerous for us. "

Pressed further on the challenge Leipzig will pose PSG on Tuesday, Herrera responded: "They are a very offensive and very courageous team. They don't have the pressure of having to win the Champions League or play the final. It may be more dangerous for us. They have a diagram with the ball, and another without.

"We will have to prepare well for this match because they will play more liberally, with less pressure. The fact that they are offensive can be a good thing for us because our attackers can build up speed, but we will also have to defend well because they can create a lot of chances." 

The Spain international added on how Tuchel will set his team up to get a positive result against the Bundesliga side: "This season, we have played in several systems, with three central defenders, in 4-4-2 or in 4-3-3 as well. We have a lot of good players and possibilities. 

"It’s not just [Angel] Di Maria. Mbappe seems ready to help, Neymar too, Pablo Sarabia is reliable. He gives assists, he scores goals. We are very respectful towards Leipzig, but we are confident because we have a lot of players who can play and change the course of a game."

Herrera was also asked to weigh in on Bayern Munich's remarkable 8-2 victory over Barcelona in the quarter-finals, but refused to allow the focus to shift from the current task at hand for PSG.

"We were all impressed with the result," he said. "It’s the first time in history that something like this has happened in the quarter-finals, but we prefer to be aware of Leipzig. Our goal is Leipzig.

"The most important thing is to prepare this game against a team that played fantastic against Atletico Madrid. We saw a team with a lot of confidence. Leipzig impressed me too.

"We have to be very respectful of this team and prepare for the match in the best possible way."

Manchester United should be wary of seasoned knockout campaigners Sevilla when the sides clash in the Europa League semi-final. 

That is the warning from former United star Robin van Persie, who cited the Spanish club's fine record in the competition as a reason for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side to be on high alert in Cologne.

The Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan side eliminated Wolves in the quarter-finals to set up a last four tie with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team, who edged past Copenhagen thanks to an extra-time winner from midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Sevilla have won the Europa League five times, including twice when it was the UEFA Cup, and claimed the honour three times in a row from 2014 to 2016. 

Even before that emergence as the dominant force in Europe's secondary knockout tournament, Sevilla had a profile that put them firmly on Dutchman Van Persie's radar before he ultimately swapped Feyenoord for Arsenal in 2004. 

And he knows Julen Lopetegui's men, unbeaten in 19 matches in all competitions, will pose a threat to United on Sunday.

"[Sevilla are] one of the favourites, [but] first they have to find a way around Manchester United," Van Persie, who won the 2012-13 Premier League at Old Trafford, told Stats Perform News . 

"They are cup fighters, they live to play these type of games. 

"I almost talked to them before my time at Arsenal, they were one of the three options I could go to. It was tempting to go there, but then I chose Arsenal." 

United finished the domestic season with a flourish to claim third spot in the Premier League, but it is a club which measures success in trophies. 

Asked if securing silverware was a prerequisite for calling this campaign a success, Van Persie said: "[The] last couple of months [have] definitely [been] positive but they have to keep showing that – the pressure is on. 

"I can't say that if they don't win the season is not a success, after the break it looks positive. It's promising for next season."

The winner of Sunday’s encounter will take on either Inter or Shakhtar, who will clash in the other semi-final on Monday.

Tanzania Premier League and FA Cup winners Simba SC have confirmed their fourth new signing in the ongoing transfer window.

David Kameta from relegated Lipuli FC is the new man joining Wekundu wa Msimbazi. The Tanzanian is the second defender to join the local giants after the signing of centre-back Joash Onyango from Gor Mahia on Friday.

“Simba family, we have officially brought for you [David] Kameta, a right-back from Lipuli FC of Iringa,” the club announced as they revealed Kameta has signed a three-year deal.

“He is a player with a taste for Simba and a good player especially in defending. Welcome, David to the club of the people and the champions in the country.

“Kameta showed great potential and performances in the league that was concluded recently despite his team getting relegated. He was among the best three right-backs for the just-ended season.”

Kameta is expected to fight for the first-team position with Haruna Ramadhan Shamte as well as Shomari Kapombe, who has been majorly preferred in the previous assignments.

Charles Ilamfia, a striker from Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC) and Bernard Morrison from Yanga SC are the other players who have signed for Wekundu wa Msimbazi already.

Meanwhile, Ruvu Shooting have parted ways with head coach Salum Mayanga and have consequently appointed former Yanga assistant coach Boniface Mkwasa.

Mkwasa acted as Yanga interim coach after Mwinyi Zahera was fired and became an assistant when Luc Eymael was appointed. He is among the technical bench members who parted ways with the record league champions recently.

Ruvu Shooting media officer Masau Bwire confirmed Mayanga was let free when his contract with the club expired.

“As the management of the club, we have agreed to have [Boniface] Mkwasa on board in order to lead our team. We are not going to reveal the details of his contract since that is what was agreed on by the two parties concerned,” Bwire told Mwanaspoti.

“After getting Mkwasa, that is when we are going to start our transfer business since he is the one to give directions on what must be done.

“We believe, with his great experience of Tanzanian football as both a player and a coach, we are going to see better results.”

Mkwasa previously coached Ruvu Shooting before he left to deputise for Hans van der Pluijm at Yanga.

Ashley Young has explained his decision to swap Manchester United for Inter as a "no-brainer", while insisting that he's "still got a lot to give" at the highest level.

Young's eight-year stint at Old Trafford came to an end when he joined Inter for €1.5 million in the January transfer window.

The 35-year-old won five major trophies during his time in Manchester, including the Premier League, and was named club captain following Antonio Valencia's departure last summer.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka's arrival from Crystal Palace, and the emergence of Brandon Williams, saw Young fall down the squad pecking order, and he only started 10 Premier League games for the Red Devils in the first half of the 2019-20 campaign.

Inter pounced for his signature before he dropped into the free agency pool, tying him down to a one-year contract with the option of an extra year.

Young has since helped Conte's men secure a second-place finish in Serie A and a spot in the Europa League semi-finals, with his stay at San Siro likely to be extended at the end of the season.

The former England international says it was an easy choice for him to leave United after being told he wouldn't figure in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future plans, and he saw Inter as the ideal next destination due to their standing as one of Europe's most successful clubs.

"Obviously being in England all my life, it was a totally different change," Young told UEFA's official website. "But it was an experience that I jumped at. It was an opportunity for me to go and play regularly.

"I spoke to Ole and he said that I wasn't going to play as much as I wanted to, and when you’re coming towards the end of your career you want to be playing as much as you can. I’m as fit as anyone and I feel like I've still got a lot to give.

"For me, age is nothing but a number. Ole said that he was going to bring younger players through and that I wasn't going to have as many opportunities. When the opportunity arose to come to Inter, it was a no-brainer for me. I was like, 'get me on the plane, get me out there. Get me signed on the dotted line'.

"I was just speaking to the manager and players that were here that I knew as well. It was a fantastic opportunity; a club that’s massive worldwide, one of the biggest teams in world football."

Ahead of a last-four showdown against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League on Monday, which could set up a final clash against his former employers, Young also offered an insight into Conte's coaching methods before discussing his forward-thinking role in Inter's line-up.

“He [Conte] demands everything, not just in matches, in training as well. You can tell he’s a winner," the ex-United star added. "He wants to win, and he demands that from all the players, a winning mentality. Everyone’s got that.

"Obviously, it’s more of a tactical league [Serie A] than I’ve been used to, but it’s one of those things you have to adapt to pretty quickly and I felt I have adapted to that.

“Playing the wing-back position, there’s a lot of running to do, getting forward, defending. But as the way that we play, you’re more on the front foot and playing as an attacker, and it’s felt like a new lease of life being able to get on the scoresheet and get assists.

"I’m used to that, but when I was back at United, I was more of an out-and-out defender, having to defend more. When you’re here, you’ve got a licence to get forward more than staying back.”

Former Watford striker Kevin Phillips believes Ismaila Sarr would be a good signing for Liverpool and has backed the forward to be a success at any of the top European clubs. 

The Senegal international teamed up with the Vicarage Road outfit last summer from French club Rennes on a club-record fee of £30 million.

The winger delivered eye-catching performances for the Hornets in his debut campaign after overcoming his initial struggle of adapting to the Premier League.

The forward scored six goals and provided six assists in 30 appearances across all competitions, including his brace against the Reds which ended the unbeaten run of the Premier League champions.

Sarr was, however, unable to prevent the Hornets from being relegated from the English top-flight after finishing 19th on the table.

The winger’s form for Watford has seen him linked to a number of European clubs and according to Sky Sports, the Championship club are willing to sell their star player but not for less than £40million.

Phillips feels the forward would be a hit in any of the top European clubs after making his own personal findings of him.

“He would be a good signing for Liverpool. I like him a lot," Phillips told Football Insider.

"I was amazed when he first went there that he was not played straight away because he arrived for a lot of money.

"Nigel Pearson got the best out of him. He started to score some goals and from what I have been told from within the club he is a top player and will only get better.

“Any of those big clubs like Liverpool will be looking and if they can get him out of there on decent money he could turn out to be a great signing."

Sarr began his professional career with Senegalese club Generation Foot before moving to France to continue his development, joining Metz.

The highly-rated forward spent two years with Rennes and scored 13 league goals in 59 appearances before he signed for Watford.

Sarr has 26 caps for Senegal since he made his debut against Namibia in September 2016 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The winger was part of the Teranga Lions team that reached the final of the 2019 Afcon in Egypt, which Algeria won.