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Wazito FC have continued their rebuilding with the signing of defender Mark Otieno from Leads United.

The versatile young defender has been confirmed at the 2018/19 National Super League champions.

"We are delighted to announce the signing of Mark Otieno from Leads United, United plays in the Super 8 Division One League," Wazito confirmed on their official website on Friday.

"Otieno is primarily a left-back but he can play across all positions at the back. He will compete with our first-choice left-sided defender, Dennis Ng’ang’a for the left-back berth."

Head coach Fred Ambani has welcomed the defender at the club and revealed why the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side went for his signature. 

The youthful tactician has also welcomed the versatility of the defender in his team.

"He is a good young player. We watched him closely in the lower leagues and we were impressed with his quality. I am happy to have him in the team," Ambani commended the player.

"His versatility is also another important aspect of the game because sometimes you can miss one or two defenders through suspension or injuries but when you have a player who can comfortably play in any position that’s a big plus for the team." 

Otieno becomes the second player to be signed by the club after the arrival of Vincent Oburu from AFC leopards.

While at Ingwe, the winger managed to score 13 league goals in the three years he was involved with the senior team. He is delighted to join the 2018/19 National Super League champions, saying it will give him an opportunity to improve.

"I am happy to join this team, it is a good career step for me because it gives me an opportunity to work hard and improve as a player," Oburu said after sealing a reported three-year deal.

"I want to work well with my coach and teammates so that we can achieve what the team wants which is winning titles.

"To the fans, I urge them to keep supporting the team and we the new players will help take the team to the next level."   

Lyon left-back Marcal believes that his team have a “great chance” of winning the Champions League despite having to face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the quarter-finals, citing the fact that the match will be played on neutral ground as a potential advantage.

The remainder of Europe's premier club competition is being played out in Portugal, with all matches being played over one leg rather than the conventional two, as UEFA look to wrap up the tournament in the safest manner possible.

It is no secret that City have one of the most expensive squads ever assembled, with Guardiola having several options for each position on the pitch and boasting some of world the game's finest footballers throughout the ranks.

Upsets can happen, however, as Diego Simeone's much-fancied Atletico Madrid side found out on Thursday as they were knocked out by Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig – all without the services of former star striker Timo Werner.

With that in mind, Marcal has stated that the belief within the Lyon squad is high and that he and his team-mates already have one eye on the ultimate prize.

“In the locker room, everyone is thinking about going all the way to the final,” the defender said in an interview with Le Progres.

“And if we go there, we will have a great chance of winning. We play on neutral ground and without an audience. In that context, it might not be the favourites who win. This might be our chance.”

Marcal is under no illusions that City have the stronger squad, but after knocking out a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Juventus side and taking Paris Saint-Germain all the way to penalties in the final of Coupe de la Ligue, Les Gones are brimming with confidence.

“They buy the best players and their coach is one of the top three in the world,” the 31-year-old added. “So in this sense we are not on a level playing field. However, with what we did against Paris and Juventus, we know that we have a chance.”

Marcal's Lyon side take on Man City at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Saturday evening.

In one of the most surprising announcements of the season, Premier League side AFC Richmond have unveiled American coach Ted Lasso as their new manager.

The appointment has come as a shock to football pundits and supporters alike, with some notable names left confused as to why the Premier League side would appoint someone with no experience in football management and no experience in football at any level.

Despite those reservations, Lasso does have coaching experience in a different type of football, having previously taken charge of an American Football team at college level.

He will bring with him experience from his time as a lower-tier Kansas college coach and will be assisted by Coach Beard.

It is hoped that Lasso's arrival can help get the best out of players such as veteran Roy Kent and bright young star Jamie Tartt.

The announcement was a closely guarded secret until Friday's unveiling where Lasso was given the opportunity to speak to journalists for the first time and reveal why he has decided to test himself in England's top flight, having never coached a soccer team before.

Lasso spoke highly of his new employers and claimed that he would bring a different attitude to the team, one where hard work is important, but perhaps not the most important aspect of coaching.

"I know that AFC Richmond is going to give you everything it's got, win or lose," Lasso claimed at his first official press conference.

However, there may have been one eventuality Lasso did not prepare for: drawn games, which is something one intrepid reporter present was quick to point out.

"That's right, y'all do ties here," the coach exclaimed, before highlighting the importance of all aspects of player development.

"For me, success is not about the wins and losses," he said. "It's about having these young fellas being the best versions of themselves on and off the field."

Additionally, Richmond have revealed that the appointment of the former American football coach represents a new direction for the rudderless team, insisting: "Richmond are changing the way we do things. That way is the Lasso way."

Already, both the media and the team's players are cynical about the appointment, but the important question remains: can the new coach get them to see the Ted Lasso way?

Watch Ted Lasso from August 14 on Apple TV+

TheNigeria Football Federation (NFF), Confederation of African Football (Caf), Fifa, Bolton Wanders and Eintracht Frankfurt have celebrated with Jay-Jay Okocha on his 47th birthday.  

The midfielder is regarded as one of the greatest players from Africa, winning the Nigeria Player of the Year award seven times and twice scooped the BBC Africa best player prize.

The governing bodies and his former clubs, where he enjoyed great success, have congratulated him on his birthday.

Okocha, who was born in Enugu, started his career from his home town, where he joined Enugu Rangers in 1990 and his dribbling skills soon draw the attention of

One of his memorable moments in the Nigerian league was his skilful display against BCC Lions, where he rounded off experienced Super Eagles goalkeeper Willy Okpara before finding the back of the net.

He then moved abroad to begin his European career with FC Saarbrucken and his impressive showings soon caught the attention of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Okocha signed for the Bundesliga side in December 1991 and made 90 appearances for the club during his four-year stay.

One of his highlights at the club was his goal against Karlsruher SC in 1993, where he dribbled past a number of players, including German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn before slotting home his effort. The strike was awarded as the Goal of the Season.

The mercurial midfielder then teamed up with Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce in 1996 and helped the club win the Prime Minister's Cup and Ataturk Cup during his time with the side.

Okocha joined PSG for £14 million to become the most expensive African player at the time and scored 12 goals in 84 appearances for the French outfit.

In 2002 he moved to Bolton Wanderers and soon became the toast of the fans, steering the club from relegation in his debut campaign.

He was handed the captain armband following the retirement of Gudni Bergsson and led the side to their first League Cup final in nine years, finishing as runner-up in the competition. He also played for Qatar SC and Hull City before his retirement.  

Okocha had 73 caps and scored 14 goals for the Super Eagles and was part of the side that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.

He helped the West Africans finish as runners-up in the 2000 edition of the continental tournament and played a key role as Nigeria won bronze medals at 2002, 2004 and 2006 Afcons.

The midfielder played in three World Cup tournaments in 1994, 1998 and 2002 co-hosted by Korea and Japan. 

The right-back registered four goals and 13 assists in 38 league appearances in 2019-20 - only Manchester City attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne set up more goals than the 21-year-old. 

Alexander-Arnold also helped the Reds keep 12 clean sheets as Jurgen Klopp's team ended their 30-year wait for the top-flight title.

The Liverpool academy graduate beat seven other players to the award, consisting of Manchester United trio Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, Aston Villa star Jack Grealish, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount of Chelsea and Sheffield United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

He has also been nominated for the Player of the Season award.

"I can't ever remember one player have such an influence on his team at right-back as Trent has on Liverpool, let alone from a 21-year-old," former Chelsea and Blackburn defender Graeme Le Saux told the Premier League's website.

"He's adding more goals to his game, his assists record is second to none among defenders. I can see him continuing to improve in the environment he is playing in at Liverpool.”

The England international has been topped to become one of the world's best players in the future by Brazil, Roma and AC Milan legend Cafu.

"He’s a sensational player, a rare talent," Cafu told FIFA's website in June.

"If he keeps playing the way he has been he will be regarded as one of the best players in the world. He has the potential to win [The Best FIFA Men’s Player] award.

"He’s technically brilliant, he has so much quality. He has a Brazilian style of play. I love watching him play. And playing in such a great team will help him grow." 

Alexander-Arnold made his Liverpool breakthrough in 2016-17 and has made 134 appearances in all competitions. As well as the Premier League crown, he has won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with the Anfield side.

Sports lawyers in Tanzania have questioned the Tanzanian Football Federation's (TFF) move to declare Bernard Morrison as a free agent.

TFF’s recent judgment on the contractual tussle between Morrison and Yanga allowed the Ghanaian to enter into negotiations with other clubs and eventually signed for Simba SC.

Yanga contested the winger had signed a two-year extension, an assertion that was denied by the player, leading to the TFF taking up the matter and later decided in favour of the former Orlando Pirates star.

According to Frank Chacha, a former legal advisor for Yanga, the judgement by the federation was far from convincing.

“Anyone above 18 years has been granted the free will to enter into a contract so long as he is of sane mind, the contract does not contravene the laws of the country and that it was not signed under duress,” Chacha told Mwanaspoti.

“I have not seen convincing reasons why the contract [the contested agreement between Yanga and Morrison] was nullified. The reasons given are not convincing enough to cancel a contract.

“It is only the manner in which one decides to sign a contract that is not illegal in the eyes of the law.”

Joseph Shingano, who is a former TFF legal advisor, said the federation must make it clear why they deemed the contract between the Ghanaian and Yanga illegal.

“A contract is a deal between two parties and must include intricate details. When it comes to football contracts it must include the seasons the player intends to play,” Shingano told the same publication.

“The contract can also be cancelled after taking into account a player's current form and an example is [Mbwana] Samatta when he left TP Mazembe.

“Therefore TFF must state the deficiencies that the Morrison-Yanga contract had which made it illegal in the first place.”

A former elections board chair for the TFF, Revocatius Kuuli, also gave reasons why he was left with a number of questions after the judgement.

“They [TFF] were saying that maybe the documents were fake, the player is a free agent, that Morrison has a case at the Disciplinary Committee and this is the first time I have seen a court giving a judgement that is not self-explanatory and independent,” Kuuli said.

“This is the first of a kind instance I have come across.

“There is no way one is going to be punished for a mistake that was committed by a different person.”

Morrison will, however, have to pay Yanga $25,000 to be fully cleared to play for Kariakoo rivals Simba.

Sofapaka FC have been dealt another blow after their target Michael Kibwage turned down their advances. 

Batoto ba Mungu had set their eyes on free agent and Kenya defender Musa Mohammed, but the latter's reported Ksh 6 million signing-on fee thwarted them. It is, for this reason, the 2009 league champions opted to go for KCB youngster Kibwage to help in strengthening their defense.

"Sofapaka president [Elly Kalekwa] met the player hoping to convince him to join his charges," a source close to the player told Goal on Friday.

"The team was prepared to part with Ksh 1.5 million as a sign on fee but Kibwage refused to join them. It is a blow for Sofapaka who are desperate to bolster their defence to stand a chance of winning the league next season."

Goal understands the Bankers are also desperate to keep hold of their captain whose contract expires in October.

The Bankers are one of the stable teams in the top-tier and are targeting the league title in the next few seasons. 

In an earlier interview, 22-year-old had revealed why he was enjoying his time at the club.

"Any player wants to play in a team which provides a good environment for development and KCB have provided that for me," Kibwage told Goal.

"I am happy here and to be honest, moving to another team playing in the same league is out of mind. I have not even thought about it and to be honest, there is no chance.

"As I said earlier, we have an ambition of winning the KPL title and it is a motivation for me; I want to achieve that with this team."

Before moving to KCB, Kibwage had managed to break into AFC Leopards' first team and was seen as the future of the 13-time league champions. Ingwe had signed the player from Mukumu High School in 2017.

A couple of weeks ago, the Kenya U23 defender was linked with a move to 20-time Tanzania Premier League champions Simba SC as well as a move to an unnamed Zambia team but the centre-back insists those are baseless rumours.

"Well, I was surprised to hear [Simba] are after me because I do not have an agent. So if someone wants me, there is no shortcut he has to talk to me," he said.

"Yes, it is a dream for every player to move abroad, but when the right time comes it will happen. Currently, my concentration is on helping KCB perform well and help in building the team towards winning the league."

Mamelodi Sundowns will get another chance to close the gap between them and Kaizer Chiefs when they take on Highlands Park at Dobsonville Stadium on Friday night. 

The Brazilians have already played two games since the return of football and will fancy their chances against Owen Da Gama's side. 

However, having recently played them before the lockdown, Sundowns know they cannot afford to take Highlands Park for granted. 

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

The match will be screened live on SuperSport and SABC.

Highlands Park have not reported any new positive Covid-19 cases since the team entered the bio-bubble. 

Da Gama will therefore have a full squad to select his best starting XI from but all eyes will be on the usual suspects.  

Peter Shalulile has already been linked with a possible move away from the Lions of the North, and has set himself a target of 18 goals this season. 

He's undoubtedly Highlands Park's dangerman and the Sundowns defence cannot afford to let him leave their sight. 

There is also Mothobi Mvala who hasn't quite hit form this season but remains an integral member of the squad. 

Sundowns, on the other hand, had a few of their key players such as Anele Ngcongca and Thapelo Morena out injured while Sibusiso Vilakazi started on the bench against Orlando Pirates. 

However, their hopes will be on Gaston Sirino who is expected to walk straight into the starting line-up after serving his two-match ban. 

Lebohang Maboe started at right-back against the Sea Robbers, and it remains to be seen if Mosimane will again trust him with defending against Highlands Park. 

Sundowns' dangerman is Themba Zwane who has scored nine league goals this season while Rivaldo Coetzee is also expected to pull the string in the middle of the park alongside Hlompho Kekana. 

Match Preview

In head-to-head stats since 2016, the Lions of the North and the Brazilians have met seven times across all competitions. 

Five of the seven matches were in the league with Sundowns winning three and drawing the other two matches. 

The last two league matches were won by Sundowns while Highlands Park recorded consecutive draws against the Tshwane giants in 2017 and 2018. 

Sundowns are second on the log with 45 points from 22 matches while Highlands Park are placed eighth on the log with 31 points from 23 matches.  

Although there were rumours that Malaysia will play Japan in a friendly, the Malaysian FA (FAM) general secretary Stuart Ramalingam has denied that anything concrete has been agreed between the two countries' associations.

Earlier this week, UK tabloid Daily Mirror wrote that Japan will play Malaysia sometime in September, in a story on Liverpool FC star Takumi Minamino.

However, in a press briefing held by FAM on Friday, August 14, Stuart explained that the job of organising friendly matches has become more difficult due to restricted overseas travel under Covid-19 pandemic conditions.

Stuart Ramalingam

Most recently, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has postponed three rounds of the World Cup Asian qualifying stage that had earlier been scheduled for October and November this year, due to the increased number of Covid-19 cases throughout the continent. The 2020 AFF Championship had also been postponed to 2021.

"There have been preliminary, open discussions between me and my colleagues from the other FAs, but no confirmation can be made due to difficulties in organising overseas travel. On our part, we don't have the authority to travel abroad as the power is with the National Security Council and the health ministry. Only the matches against Bahrain and Kuwait had been confirmed earlier to take place later, and even these two look doubtful now. But they will be discussed with the national team committee later.

"And due to the sudden availability of time because of the postponement of the qualification, we'll ask head coach Tan Cheng Hoe whether he wants to hold a brief national team centralised camp during that time," explained Stuart.

When asked by the press, he also stated his belief that Cheng Hoe, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the year, has performed well and is likely to have his tenure extended.

"I'm glad that we now have more time and Cheng Hoe is at the office more! We have started discussions on his contract and I think the national team has been performing well since last January, in that our form has not dipped. 

"Both parties have a good relationship, and the discussion is on how we are going to move forward together," noted Stuart.

AFC Leopards midfielder Eugene Mukangula has revealed going without pay for months made him think about changing his career.

Many Kenyan Premier League (KPL) clubs were negatively impacted after the exit of the title sponsors SportPesa and Ingwe and Gor Mahia were the ones who were badly affected considering the betting firm was also their main sponsor.

"I have been through many challenges in my football career, it is normal for any player," Mukangula told Goal.

"However, going for months without pay was my worst challenge which made me think about changing my career. But the passion for the game keeps you going; because you wholeheartedly love the game hoping things will become better in the future.

"Basically, it is the biggest challenge I have faced in football; it is not easy going for months without salaries."

The 13-time champions' fans were also on the heels of the player in the 2019/20 season after he picked up some weight. Abuse came from some of them and the former Thika United player has revealed its impact on him.

"The mocks, abuses did not affect me that much negatively because if you analyse the situation, they had some sense in it and it gave me something to think about as well," Mukangula continued.

"I took it positively and I started working on it to ensure I play better. It is not about body size, it is how you understand the game and how you played. Regardless, I took it positively and started working on my weight.

"To be honest, my performance had gone down; I knew where the problem was and I started working on it. My weight limited me from achieving my set targets and I struggled a lot trying to reduce it.

"If it could have affected me negatively, I could not get the energy to work, I could easily start thinking about it and it would have been worse. But it was a motivation for me to give my best to ensure I get back to my former self."

The midfielder has also set a target for next season.

"A player is defined by numbers, and for that reason, I want to have more assists and goals in the new campaign," he concluded.

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has revealed Elvis Rupia will remain at the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) club.

The striker, who was signed from Wazito FC in the last January transfer window, was almost at the exit door as his short-term contract was set to end in mid-20202 but Shikanda has said he remains an Ingwe player.

“[Elvis] Rupia is a player for AFC Leopards. He has got a contract and that means he is a player for AFC Leopards,” Shikanda told Goal on Friday.

Rupia, a former Nzoia Sugar and Power Dynamos striker, was brought to fill the void left by John Makwatta, who had left for Zambian giants Zesco United.

In his latest interview with Goal, Rupia had indicated that his contract had not been renewed as discussions had not been conducted.

“My contract with AFC Leopards was just short term and I am now a free agent," the former Nzoia Sugar star said.

“Of course the [Leopards] officials have approached me over a contract extension but I have told them to wait.

“It is something which needs keenness and consultations before making the final decision.”

The chairman is confident that AFC Leopards will land their transfer targets as they look to strengthen for the 2020/21 season.

They have so far been linked with Peter Thiong’o of Kakamega Homeboyz, Musa Masika of Wazito FC and former Sony Sugar’s striker Derrick Otanga, who was recently released by Wazito.

The former KPL champions have already lost Vincent Oburu, who signed for the 2019 National Super League (NSL) champions Wazito.

“Those players who we feel are good for the team will be retained and those who we feel are surplus shall be released of course,” Shikanda added.

“The ones who we want and are elsewhere we will surely get them.”

AFC Leopards have not confirmed any new signings so far and Austin Odhiambo’s situation has not been resolved either.

The youngster had indicated he wants to leave the club with his probable destination being arch-rivals Gor Mahia.

Shikanda had said they were keen to sign just three to five players in order to bring in experience and help build their current relatively young squad.

Barcelona legend Rivaldo has responded to German icon Lothar Matthaus's assertion that Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is the best player in the world ahead of Friday's Champions League clash, with the Brazilian still convinced Lionel Messi holds that honour.

Both of the attackers are their teams' main goalscoring threat and will endeavour to do their part to seal a spot in the semi-finals as the European heavyweights face off in Lisbon.

While Rivaldo believes that Messi has no peers when it comes to quality of consistency over his decorated career, he concedes that Lewandowski's current form could see him named player of the season if his Bayern side can knock out the Blaugrana.

“German legend Lothar Matthaus has said that Messi is about to face his successor as the world's best player - Robert Lewandowski,” Rivaldo wrote in a column for Betfair.

“Lewandowski is in such extraordinary form, and is well placed to be the best world player in 2020, but he still has to beat the current best player. It will be fascinating to see how the two players perform on Friday.

“As we know, Messi tends to show up on the big stages, raising his game when needed. Lewandowski has scored more than 50 goals this season and will be desperate to reach the semi-finals.

“Whoever goes through the next round out of these two stars can call himself the best in the world in 2020.”

Bookmakers have Bayern down as favourites for Friday's match-up, with strong collective performances having seen the Bavarians overcome a poor start to the season to clinch yet another Bundesliga title.

Rivaldo, however, still feels that Barca have a good chance of seeing off their German opponents due to the individual brilliance of their talismanic captain.

“Barcelona have excellent players who can capitalise on opponents' slips and, for that reason, I think Barca have a good chance of qualifying,” he said.

“If they maintain their concentration for 90 minutes and take advantage of any Bayern errors, they can get through to the semi-finals. Bayern are an excellent team but in Lionel Messi Barca have the best player, and the most effective match winner, in the world.”

Only a fortnight after football in Scotland restarted for the first time since mid-March, it has been threatened with a fresh shutdown over the behaviour of some players.

The 2020-21 campaign opened with Rangers’ 1-0 victory away against Aberdeen, yet hours later, it immediately found itself put under question as it came to light that eight Dons players had breached strict protocols designed to minimised the chance of players contracting the virus.

After the tepid display against Steven Gerrard’s side, Bruce Anderson, Craig Bryson, Sam Cosgrove, Michael Devlin, Jonny Hayes, Matthew Kennedy, Dylan McGeouch and Scott McKenna broke their sporting bubble by visiting a bar on the evening a fresh cluster took hold in the north east that has since caused the region to move back into a state of stricter lockdown. 

Two subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, and while both were asymptomatic, the SPFL was forced to postpone last weekend’s match with St Johnstone, the only UK match due to be televised live that day, leaving the whole of Scottish football red faced.

To the club’s credit, chairman David Cormack did state that they were “fully prepared” to play the fixture due to “the fact we caused it ourselves”. Of course, the eight players in question would not have been eligible. 

“As a player group, we once again apologise unreservedly,” a joint statement issues by the group said. “We, as a small group of players, made a huge error of judgement last weekend by thinking it was OK to visit a city centre venue together.

“None of us could have foreseen the escalation of Covid-19 cases in the Grampian area.”

The Scottish Government, though, was left unimpressed.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted that she was “pretty furious” over the situation, adding: “We are expecting members of the public to behave in a highly precautionary manner right now and, when a football club ends up with players infected with Covid - and let's remember this is not through bad luck but through clear breaches of the rules - we cannot take even the small risk that they spread the infection to other parts of the country.”

To that juncture, football had escaped censure for what were perceived to be minor infractions of the new rules. Rangers, Motherwell and Hibs all received little more than a slap on the wrist for breaching testing protocols in pre-season, while testing itself was stepped up to twice per week after St Mirren had eight members of staff test positive, albeit six of these were false positives. 

The Aberdeen incident, however, thrust the game firmly into an unwelcome spotlight.

Step forward Celtic left-back Boli Bolingoli, then, who put the whole future of the campaign in doubt a matter of days later.

The 25-year-old’s response to being given two days off by Neil Lennon following the club’s opening weekend victory over Hamilton was to fly out to Spain on Monday, then back again the following day. 

The Scottish Government’s instructions on quarantine after returning from Spain are clear: “If you arrived or returned from Spain from 00:01 on 26 July you will need to self-isolate,” it states.

But Bolingoli, who had not told anyone in the club about his trip, appeared last weekend as a late substitute against Kilmarnock, sparking universal outrage having failed to self-quarantine. 

“We have been bitterly and sorely let down,” Lennon said. “The players are angry, disappointed and frustrated. The selfish actions of the individual is baffling. I’m livid, it was a total betrayal of trust.”

It was the action that has brought Scottish football to the very brink. Another similar infraction could halt the season in its tracks. 

“Consider today the yellow card. The next time it will be the red card because you will leave us with absolutely no choice,” the First Minister explained at her briefing with the press on Tuesday.

“We can't have privileged football players just deciding that they are not going to bother [following government guidelines]. This can't go on.”

It left the midweek fixture card bereft of two matches: Celtic’s encounter with St Mirren joining Aberdeen’s scheduled clash with Hamilton as being postponed. Furthermore, the scheduled match between the two clubs for Saturday, August 15 has also been pushed back to a later date.

Greater implications are afoot, however, with new rules set to be hurried in by the SPFL in order to clamp down on players who breach coronavirus guidelines. Among the punishments being considered are community service, fines and long suspensions, according to reports.

Reacting to the stern warning of the First Minister, Rod Petrie, the chairman of the SFA, said: “Clubs and players are in no doubt there is no more margin for error.”

With Celtic chasing a record 10-in-a-row, the stakes could barely be higher, but by the time they kick a ball again on August 22 when they visit Dundee United, they could find themselves a daunting 11 points behind Glasgow rivals Rangers. 

For now, though, there is more on the line than just a league title: the immediate future of the season sits on a knife edge.

Amadou Haidara has expressed his joy after RB Leipzig defeated Atletico Madrid in the quarter-final of the Champions League on Thursday.

The Red Bulls reached the last eight of the European competition after thrashing Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in the Round of 16.

Julian Nagelsmann’s men continued their impressive showings at Estadio Jose Alvalade, handing a 2-1 defeat to Atletico.

Tyler Adams scored the match-winning goal with two minutes left to play after Joao Felix’s strike had cancelled out Daniel Olmo’s opener.

Haidara made his seventh appearance in the European competition as a second-half substitute after replacing Christopher Nkunku.

The Mali international has taken to social media to express his delight with the progress of the Red Bulls in the tournament.

“Yes, semi-finals here we come,” elated Haidara posted on Instagram.

Manager Nagelsmann has praised the performances of Haidara and his teammates in the encounter and now looks forward to their semi-final game against French champions Paris Saint-Germain on August 18.

"We're very happy and I'm so proud of the group. We defended with a lot of passion and were the better team against a very good and experienced side. We were brilliant,” Nagelsmann told the club website.

“We got off to a strong start and were highly-motivated. The boys stayed calm, which is great to see. I was happy that the match didn't go into added time. This way, we can save our strength for the upcoming game.

“Paris Saint-Germain are a top-level side with a top-notch coach. They have a lot of quality and are a threat right until the final minute.

“You saw that during the match against Atalanta Bergamo. They have a star-studded squad. We will need to give it 100 per cent, but we are looking forward to the match and will go in highly-motivated."

Haidara has made 28 appearances for RB Leipzig across all competitions this season and will hope to play a more impactful role in their semi-final against PSG.

The 22-year-old midfielder has 12 caps for Mali since he made his debut against Ivory Coast on October 2017 in a World Cup qualifying game.

Ugandan Premier League side Onduparaka FC have denied reports of a mass exodus from the club.

The financial crisis has seen the team fail to pay players for six months and there have been speculations that some have been let go by the Caterpillars. However, Onduparaka have set the record straight regarding the issue.

They have also confirmed talks are underway with some unnamed players regarding contract extensions.

"The club hasn’t officially released any of its players but, however, we can confirm the departure of two players; Hassan Muhamud and Andama Sabir whose times ran out with us and opted to grow elsewhere in their career," the club confirmed through their official website.

"We are also aware of rumours surrounding the departure of a few of our players and members of the coaching staff but we cannot confirm these rumours because we have not had an official communication from the individuals.  

"We are in talks with our players whose contracts ran out and hope to confirm a few who will agree to extend their contracts in the subsequent days to come."

The Arua-based side had an ambitious project of buying a team bus and everyone associated with the club, including sponsors, had supported the idea.

The project was started in February, and the Caterpillars have commented on the issue as well.

The team had managed to raise $8175 against a proposed budget of $200,000 and the team is optimistic the target will be realised. The procurement partner had also pledged $100,000.

"This being a very costly venture that will require at least $200,000, we are far from over but halfway there," Onduparaka updated.

"We have since halted the [bus project] initiative in acknowledgement of the challenges posed by Covid-19 which has affected all of us. As the situation gradually returns to normal, we intend to reignite the fire with more interesting strategies and ideas.  

"We, therefore, intend to continue to play our part in fundraising through our networks and we implore you our fans to do the same as we reintroduce this initiative bigger and better.  

"We are very determined and optimistic that we shall achieve this goal with your support and God's grace."  

AFC Leopards will get Kakamega Homeboyz’ Peter Thiong’o even for KSh100 million despite Cleophas Shimanyula’s pride, chairman Dan Shikanda has vowed.

Shimanyula had earlier claimed that Ingwe are a broke club who cannot afford to sign the highly-rated winger but Shikanda has responded and said nobody will stand on their way if the player is on their transfer wish list.

“The players we want we are hopeful of getting them and it all depends on the interest we have as AFC Leopards. If [Peter] Thiong'o is in my list of the players AFC Leopards want, we will surely get him,” Shikanda told Goal.

“Even if [Cleophas] Shimanyula is going to ask for KSh100 million we will get him.

“We have not drafted any list of potential new signings so far and I do not know between Kakamega Homeboyz and AFC Leopards which side should be bragging of having more money than the other.

“Yes, you can brag you have got money when you have KSh1 million and another one may have KSh100 million and both can rightfully chest thump that they have got money.

“The word money is relative and it depends on what you are talking about. I wonder how much Shimanyula pays his players against what we pay our players so that he can brag that he has money and AFC Leopards have got no money."

Shikanda, who is serving his second year as AFC Leopards chair, did not want to engage his Kakamega Homeboyz counterpart on the money debate.

“We are only interested in players that we want and if Shimanyula thinks AFC Leopards have got money or not is none of our concern,” he continued.

“So, I do not understand why somebody should tell me that AFC Leopards have got no money. Let him continue thinking he has got money and AFC Leopards do not but let me say if Thiong'o is in my list Shimanyula will cry in the washrooms.

“But if we are not interested in the player then that is it. I am just sorry for Shimanyula if Thiong'o is on our list.

“Time will tell. It is not important to debate who has got more money and who has got no money.”

Shimanyula has been a critic of his rivals and when reports indicated Ingwe were in talks with Thiong’o, Derrick Otanga and Musa Masika, he quickly claimed the winger was above the purchasing power of the former Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions.

“AFC Leopards are simply broke and cannot afford to buy Thiong’o, they should try to sign players from elsewhere, they don’t have money to pay for the player and we all know they are struggling financially,” Shimanyula told Goal on Wednesday.

AFC Leopards and Kakamega Homeboyz are yet to sign any new players since the transfer window opened.

The Freestyle Football Community, regarded as the world's fastest-growing sport, rewrote history this year as the South African Freestyle Championships 2020 had two female entrants, a historic first for the annual competition.

This is after efforts by the World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) to add to the ever-growing wave of female development in a sport that is still very much in its infancy.

After announcing Laura Biondo as the first-ever Head of Female Development, the WFFA also announced the first-ever Women’s European Freestyle Football Championships. The Los Angeles freestyle community also initiated the first female-specific competition in the United States.

More history was made in South Africa as Ceeti Bodibe,17, and Rethabile Kola,12, submitted entries for the 2020 virtual event.

The Vanderbijlpark duo is mentored by Sipho 'Six' Busakwe, the current South African freestyle football champion and a semi-finalist for this year's event.

The ongoing 2020 event is currently in the semi-final stage where Rishaad Ebrahim takes on Emilio Nahamuja and Busakwe is up against Kyle Rinquest.

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

Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago “doesn't fit the mould” of what Liverpool require in their midfield, club legend Steve Nicol has warned, and would only be used as an impact sub or a cup player if the Spain international swaps Bavaria for Merseyside.

The Reds have been credited with an interest in the 29-year-old, who looks set to leave Bayern after seven years of service after telling the club's hierarchy that he would like to start a new chapter of his career elsewhere.

Head coach Hansi Flick has hinted that Thiago's preferred destination is the Premier League, while Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitted that the German champions would be willing to part with the ex-Barcelona man, who is in the final year of his contract, should the right offer arrive.

Nicol, however, who won a plethora of titles during his time at Anfield, does not believe Thiago to be a good fit for Jurgen Klopp's workmanlike engine room, although he did add that having him as an option off the bench could be useful.

“I would sign him, don't get me wrong,” Nicol said when quizzed on the subject during a discussion on ESPN. “I think he's a great footballer and he can pass the ball. Unfortunately, he just doesn't fit the mould of what Liverpool do in the middle of the park right now.

“Yes, he's got ability, but he also has to have dynamism, he has to have legs, he has to close down quickly, he's got to have energy. Those are thing that all those players in the middle of the park for Liverpool have.

“That isn't Alcantara. But at the same time, having a player like that to bring on, he can play in the FA Cup, the League Cup, you can bring him on and give him half an hour to pass the ball around if that's what you need.

“I would sign him, I think he's a quality player. If the money is right, go and get him.”

Thiago could have the chance to showcase his abilities to potential suitors on Friday evening as Bayern take on Barcelona in Portugal as part of the one-legged Champions League quarter-final clashes.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA on Wednesday announced that they have decided to postpone the remaining 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifying matches to 2021, taking into consideration the Covid-19 situation in numerous countries in the continent.

But it must be noted that the other marquee competitions, namely the AFC Champions League (ACL), AFC Cup, and the AFC U16  and U19 Championships, which are slated to be hosted at a centralised venue will stick to schedule. 

The U16 tournament is proposed to take place from November 25 to December 12, 2020, in Bahrain. India have been drawn in Group C along with South Korea, Australia, and Uzbekistan. The tournament will be played at three venues, Riffa, Isa Town, and Muharraq. The Blue Colts will start their campaign on November 26 against Australia at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa. 

Group C fixtures

The AFC U19 Championship will continue to be hosted by Uzbekistan from October 14 to 31, 2020. India have failed to qualify for the final round of this competition.

Whereas, centralised venues are to be used for the remaining group stage matches of the AFC Cup and the AFC Champions League. All of the group stage matches will be played in full while the knock-out rounds will now consist of single match ties (rather than home & away), as will the final of both competitions.

India's lone representative happens to be Chennai City FC in the AFC Cup. They are drawn in Group E alongside Basundhara Kings (Bangladesh), TC Sports Club, and Maziya Sports and Recreation Club (both from Maldives). All the remaining group stage matches will be held in Maldives and the Lions will resume their campaign on October 23 against TC Sports Club. However, the team have a very tough task ahead of them to prepare themselves for the rest of the group stages, given the Covid-19 situation in India.

The winner of the group will be crowned South Zonal champions and will qualify for the Inter-Zone semi-finals which will take place on November 24 and 25, 2020. The venue of the single-leg ASEAN Zonal semi-finals and final will be confirmed after the AFC Cup 2020 knockout stage draw on August 27, 2020, at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Qatar has been confirmed as the centralised venue host for the ACL group and knock-out stage matches in the West region (A, B, C & D). While Malaysia will host the East Zone groups (G &H) from October 17 to November 1, 2020. Venues for Groups E and F as well as the remaining knockout stage matches and the final are yet to be confirmed. 

As far as the World Cup qualifiers are concerned the apex governing body had no choice but to postpone the matches, reportedly due to many member associations unwilling to do play the remaining fixtures in a single venue as that would prevent them from making the most of their home advantage.