Looking for Soccer News?

Macleans Chinonyerem was on target twice for Bobruichanka despite suffering a 7-2 defeat to Zorka-BDU in a Belarusian women's top-flight encounter on Monday.

The Nigerian joined the 11 times Belarusian champions this summer and has continued to impress in front of the goal for Nikolay Kasatkin's team.

Smarting from Wednesday's 7-2 semi-final defeat at Dinamo-BSUPC, where Bobruichanka could not overturn their first leg 5-1 loss to Yuri Ivanovich's team, they eventually lost 12-3 on aggregate.

On the part of Chinonyerem, she was aiming to help her side avoid suffering the fourth losing streak in all competitions following her goal in each leg of the Cup semi-final humiliation by Dinamo.

Hopes of upsetting Zorka on their ground were hit by a huge setback when Liana Miroshnichenko leveraged on a defensive mistake to fire the hosts in front after just three minutes.

10 minutes later, Zorka were gifted a penalty from the spot which Elvira Urazaeva converted to double the lead before Viktoriya Gerus added the third a minute later to compound the visitors' woes.

The rampant hosts did not relent in their search for goals as Diana Tropnikova netted the fourth in the 22nd minute before Urazaeva bagged her brace four minutes later.

However, Bobruichanka railed for a comeback and that saw them pull two back through the individual brilliance of Chinonyerem before the half time but could not go further to avoid a fourth defeat in a row.

With her latest brace, the 20-year-old Nigerian, who lasted the duration of the match, has now increased her tally to four goals in four league games and six in all competitions for Bobruichanka.

Besides Chinonyerem, Cameroon international Sorelle Tagne Metiefang was also involved from the start to the finish.

The latest defeat leaves Bobruichanka in sixth position on the log with 11 points from 14 matches and she will eye a return to winning ways against fourth-placed Neman at home on August 23.

Romelu Lukaku’s fine debut campaign at Inter continued when he broke two more records during their Europa League quarter-final against Bayer Leverkusen on Monday.

The Belgium international swept home the Nerazzurri’s second goal of the night in Dusseldorf to take his tally in all competitions to 31.

In doing so he became the player to score in nine successive Europa League or UEFA Cup matches, breaking the record of eight he previously shared with Newcastle’s Alan Shearer 2005. He is also the first player to score in six successive European matches for Inter.

In an eventful opening 45 minutes, Lukaku also had a role in Inter’s opener after 16 minutes, with his blocked shot landing in the path of Nico Barella, who fired the ball home through a crowd of players.

Lukaku then showed great strength to hold off Edmond Tapsoba, before somehow turning and squeezing the ball home as he was falling to the floor.

Leverkusen brought themselves back into the game before the break when Chelsea target Kai Havertz powered the ball beyond Samir Handanovic from inside the area after a neat one-two with Kevin Volland.

Lukaku is already enjoying the best goalscoring season of his career, having eclipsed the 27 goals he scored for Manchester United in the 2017-18 campaign with two goals during Inter’s Serie A win at Genoa last month.

That double took his away tally for the season to 15, the first Inter player to score that many goals away from home in 70 years, equalling the record set by Stefano Nyers during the 1949-50 campaign. 

By hitting the 30-goal mark, Lukaku also became the first Inter striker to score that many goals since Samuel Eto'o in 2010-11 , when the striker famously netted 37 times just one season as Inter claimed an historic treble.

Should Inter hold on for the win they will face either Shakhtar Donetsk or FC Basel in the semi-finals as they look to end the campaign on a high.

Their season so far has been one of near misses, with Antonio Conte’s side reaching the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia before finishing second in Serie A, one point behind nine-time champions Juventus.

Ahmed Musa found the back of the net for the first time in the Saudi Arabia Pro League this season as Al Nassr claimed a 2-0 away win against Abha FC.

The Riyadh side was on the end of a heavy 4-1 defeat at Al-Hilal last time out. It was their first game since the top-flight was suspended back in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was a goalless first-half at the Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Stadium on Monday evening but the game changed in the 55th minute after Musa was brought down as the last man by Karam Barnawi in an attacking move. After consultation with VAR, Barnawi was given a straight red card and Abderrazak Hamdallah scored the resultant penalty.

It did not take long for the visitors to make it 2-0 which came from Musa seven minutes later. The Nigerian winger latched on to a sublime pass by Khalid Al Ghannam from almost 40 yards before going past two challenges and also Abha goalie Abdelali M'Hamdi, then placed the ball into an empty net with consummate ease.

Musa was taken off in the 82nd minute and replaced by Abdullaziz Al Dawsari. The 27-year-old was Al-Nassr’s best player of the evening with his contributions including three key passes, 29 accurate passes at 74.4%, 60 touches and 100% success from his dribble attempts (three from three).

He also won nine of 11 total duels, eight of them coming from nine ground duels and was fouled four times by the opposition.

Aside from scoring his first goal of the campaign, Musa has provided five assists in the Pro League with all of them ending in victories. His most recent was in a 1-0 win at Al-Ettifaq just before the top-flight was suspended.

The 87-time capped Nigeria international joined Al Nassr from Leicester City last season and scored seven goals alongside another seven assists as the Riyadh outfit won the league, one point clear of Al Hilal.

Al Nassr are currently in second place after 24 matches and will next host Al Wehda at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Stadium on Saturday.

Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United have made a big mistake by failing to agree a deal with Borussia Dortmund to sign Jason Sancho this summer, after suggesting they are spurning the chance to sign a player who could become "the best in the world" over the next decade.

Dortmund announced on Monday that they will not consider any more offers for Sancho in this transfer window, after United failed to meet their deadline to pay their €120 million (£108m/$142m) asking price despite lengthy negotiations. 

Manchester United, meanwhile, are refusing to give up hope despite Dortmund's statement, although the Red Devils have been left frustrated by negotiations.

Speaking exclusively to Goal at a BT Sport event the banks of the River Thames in London, Ferdinand insisted Sancho was worth the money Dortmund were demanding, but it now seems their hopes of snapping up the England youngster have gone for now.

“If you have a chance to sign a player who has all the potential to be the best player in the world for the next ten years and has been the best teenager in the world for the last two years, go and get him, it's as simple as that,” stated Ferdinand.

"We have all seen how good he is now and we can only guess how could he can be at a massive club like United. You are buying him at an age where you can get ten years service out of him and if he is going to be as good as I think he will be, that has to be a good deal for United. It makes sense in many ways, but this is not a normal summer for transfers. 

“The window is open and not a lot is happening, which says it all about what is happening now. The situation we have all lived through in the last six months will affect what clubs can spend, but I still feel that one big transfer will lead to a few more around Europe.

“The big clubs with the big revenues can still spend money, but it is the teams below them that will struggle to spend what they did before. That gives United, Chelsea and Man City a chance to close the gap on Liverpool if they get their signings right this summer.”

Man Utd's signing of Bruno Fernandes in last January’s transfer window gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side an injection of invention, with Ferdinand suggesting it highlighted the importance of making key marquee signings.

“Fernandes has been a breath of fresh air for the team since he arrived,” he added. “Where he has been great is unlocking the imagination of the team. You see Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood and the minute Fernandes get the ball, they are off, they know their chance is coming.

“That’s what top players do. They change a team and a club with their presence and we have seen that with Fernandes at United.”

Watch every UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League game exclusively live on BT Sport. Sign up contract-free with a BT Sport Monthly Pass for just £25 per month. For more info visit bt.com/sport

Strasbourg manager Thierry Laurey has confirmed Lebo Mothiba will undergo surgery to treat his recurring knee injury, and he will be out of action for 'four to five months'.

Mothiba recently featured in the Racers' 2-1 friendly win against Montpellier on July 28, but he was only in action for 20 minutes before suffering 'a knock'.

Ahead of their next preparatory match against Dijon on Tuesday, Laurey disclosed the 24-year-old forward will not be available and the French club is looking to solve his knee problem permanently.

“It's a problem with a knee tendon that he has had for a while, we prefer to fix it once and for all,” Laurey told DNA.

“Lebo will be unavailable for four to five months, until January.”

Mothiba who developed his game at local side Mamelodi Sundowns before moving to Europe in 2014, has spent his professional career in France so far. He joined Strasbourg from league rivals Lille in 2018.

Last season, the 24-year-old played 21 Ligue 1 games for the Stade de la Meinau outfit and he contributed three goals and three assists before the French top-flight was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The injury update means Mothiba will be unavailable when Strasbourg kick-off their 2020-21 league campaign against Lorient on August 23.

When asked whether the club will move to sign players following Mothiba’s injury blow, Laurey said: “Not necessarily, because we know he's going to come back.

“We hope that he will come back “new”, without recurring problems. We will already work with the boys who are able. And we will see in the coming weeks whether to recruit or not, without rushing.”

Mats Hummels says Jadon Sancho can be “the player who makes the difference” for Borussia Dortmund next season after the club announced they had made a final decision not to sell the winger this summer.

The England international is high on Manchester United’s wanted list and extensive talks have taken place between the two clubs over recent weeks.

Goal can confirm that the Bundesliga outfit want €120 million (£108m/$142m) for the 20-year-old, and the two clubs were said to be far apart on their negotiations last week despite claims an agreement had been reached.

The uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak has impacted on Manchester United’s finances, meaning they are not willing to pay over the odds for any transfer, even one as high profile as Sancho.

Dortmund, meanwhile, are not under any financial pressure to sell and set their own unofficial deadline of August 10 on the deal, insisting if a transfer was not confirmed by that date then Sancho would be staying in Germany.

With that deadline now set to pass without agreement, Sancho was included in the travelling Dortmund squad on Monday for their pre-season training camp in Switzerland.

BVB sporting director Michael Zorc then publicly stated that Sancho, who has two years remaining on his current deal, would be staying at the club, insisting “the decision is final.”

Dortmund defender Hummels was unsurprisingly delighted at the news, telling reporters: "He can be the player who makes the difference. I'm happy that he is staying.”

Hummels also confirmed he is on the road to recovery after suffering an ankle injury in individual training at the end of last month.

The 31-year-old is also part of the squad travelling to Bad Ragaz for their pre-season training camp, which includes friendlies against Austrian sides SCR Altach on Wednesday and Austria Vienna on Sunday.

"I'm completely on schedule,” he added. “I was able to do what was planned every day. It's only a matter of days before I can at least do part of the team training again.”

Dortmund begin their 2020-21 Bundesliga campaign against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, September 19.

Burkina Faso international Edmond Tapsoba has been handed a starter’s role by Bayer Leverkusen for Monday’s Europa League quarter-final clash with Inter Milan.

Since joining the Bundesliga outfit from Vitoria Guimaraes on 31 January 2020 after agreeing to a five and a half year contract worth €18 million, the 21-year-old centre back has been a regular in Peter Bosz’s squad.

He was in action from start to finish as Bayer Leverkusen defeated Steven Gerrard’s Rangers 1-0 in their second leg Round of 16 clash – that saw them progress 4-1 on aggregate.

Against the Italian giants in Dusseldorf, he would be expected to stop Inter Milan’s attacking formation anchored by Romelu Lukaku.

For Antonio Conte’s men, former Nigeria international Victor Moses will start from the bench alongside Alexis Sanchez, Daniele Padelli, Stefano Sensi, Lucien Agoume and Antonio Candreva.

Victory in this one-legged affair will them face either Shakhtar Donetsk or FC Basel in the semi-finals.

Manchester United take on FC Copenhagen in Monday’s Europa League quarter-final with Odion Ighalo out of the English team’s starting XI.

Instead, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted for a pairing between Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial up front, while Cote d'Ivoire's Eric Bailly is expected to hold sway in defence.

The Nigerian was in action from start to finish against LASK as the Red Devils silenced the Austrians 2-1 to qualify 7-1 on aggregate.

There, the former Watford striker’s incredible goal-scoring run finally came to an end, which meant he could not topple a United record that has stood for 95 years.

The Shanghai Shenhua loanee had scored in each of his first four competitive starts for the Old Trafford giants, a record set by Jimmy Hanson.

Hanson achieved the feat in 1925 when he scored in consecutive starts against Hull City, Blackpool, Derby County and Aston Villa.

This is FC Copenhagen's first-ever European quarter-final appearance, while they are the first Danish side to reach a major Uefa European quarter-final since Brondby IF in the 1996-97 Uefa Cup.

Manchester United are refusing to give up in their pursuit of Jadon Sancho despite Borussia Dortmuind insisting that the winger will not be leaving the club this summer.

Sancho is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s number one transfer target this summer, with talks having begun over the future of the 20-year-old.

Dortmund, however, set their own deadline of August 10 to finalise a transfer as they set off for their pre-season training camp in Switzerland.

Sancho was named in Lucien Favre's squad for the trip, and with a deal not agreed upon, sporting director Michael Zorc seemed to suggest on Monday that United's hopes of signing Sancho were over.

“Jadon Sancho will play with us next season,” he told reporters. “The decision is final. I think that answers all the questions.

“Last summer we adjusted Jadon's salary to match the development of his performances. So in context, we had already extended his contract until 2023 back then."

It is understood Sancho is keen on a move to Old Trafford and that United have not given up hope of landing the former Manchester City man despite Zorc’s comments.

Goal  has learned that United are frustrated at the pace of discussions, which are being managed - at Dortmund’s request - by an independent agent.

Player wages and agent fees continue to pose a problem in negotiations, and United are wary of making the same mistake they did with Alexis Sanchez, where his huge £560,000-a-week wages ended up ripping up the whole salary structure at the club.

It is understood Dortmund are holding out for a fee of €120 million (£108m/$142m) for Sancho, but United believe that is not a realistic figure given the state of their finances due to the impact of Covid-19.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has repeatedly warned it will "not be business as usual in this summer’s window", with United being forced to reassess the market despite their huge wealth.

United believe that the August 10 deadline set by Dortmund was merely arbitrary and they still believe a deal can be agreed before the transfer window closes on October 5.

They are, however, willing to walk away should it prove too difficult to come to a compromise on price, with other players such as Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman seen as alternatives.

Zambian top-tier side Zesco United, home to three Kenya players, are set for massive changes to return to their best in the 2020/21 season.

Jesse Were, David Owino and John Makwatta are the three East African players plying their trade in Timu ya Ziko. However, the Ndola based side struggled at some point in the abandoned season and ended up finishing fifth, missing out on continental football.

"It is unfortunate especially if you consider the way we started this league, we won our first 10 matches and somewhere along the way we lost," Zesco United CEO Richard Mulenga told the club's website.

"The process of rebuilding starts on Monday. We already know what some of the issues are, we just need to start addressing them. Some of them, we started addressing them even before the league was closed because of the pandemic."

Ageing players have a reason to worry as the management has now resorted to part ways with a player once he hits a certain age.

"One of them is to ensure that no contract shall be given to a player who will remain at the club beyond a certain age," Mulenga added.

"Unfortunately, what happened was that, because of the transition in the league, player’s contracts were expiring at a time where you could not bring in other players because we were going to be short of players if we didn’t renew.

"What we did was to offer shorter-term contracts to sitting players because of the transition. Those whose contracts had expired but were above a certain age, we offered them shorter contracts so that we could give room to rebuild."  

The administrator has already set sights on the club reclaiming the top-tier next season, and dominate as they have done in the recent past.

"Zesco United is a team that thinks in the long term, that’s the reason you see that we don’t change coaches here and there. 

"We want stability at the club, so even this rebuilding process, we will want to win the league next season but we also need to be mindful that rebuilding takes some time. 

"We will not be in a hurry certainly to just pick players all over to try and regain the championship, that’s not the solution."

So what is the solution?

"We are looking at it in the long term and one of the issues goes back to policy. We have several teams that are scattered around the country which we call developmental teams. 

"We want to ensure that we are tapping into these teams, bringing talent through."  

Liverpool have made their first signing of the summer with the £11.75m ($15m) arrival of Greece defender Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiacos.

The 24-year-old, who has been given the number 21 shirt at Anfield after signing a five-year contract, will provide competition for Scotland international Andy Robertson in the left-back position.

Robertson did not face any natural competition for his starting place last season, with veteran James Milner filling in when required.

Tsimikas is a product of the Olympiacos youth academy and featured 46 times for the Pireaus side during the 2019-20 campaign, scoring seven goals.

The Reds turned their attentions to the Greece international after failing to agree terms with Norwich City over a deal for 22-year-old Jamal Lewis.

The Canaries turned down a £10m ($13m) bid from Liverpool for Lewis last week, and that ultimately persuaded Jurgen Klopp’s recruitment team to seal a deal for Tsimikas instead.

Speaking about the transfer, Liverpool boss Klopp said: “We have watched Kostas for a long time and are really happy that he has joined us. It’s the perfect news before we come back together very soon.

“He is a very good footballer with an attitude to win and to compete, and I really like his mentality. It fits perfectly with the mood and the desire we have in our dressing room already.

“He has showed already at a young age he can experience football in a different country and do well - and he has been a big part of the success Olympiacos has had to win their title this season and in their European campaigns.

“Kostas knows from personal experience what is required to challenge and succeed domestically and in the Champions League, and he is ambitious for more - just like us.

“He has come up against some very tough opponents in the past couple of seasons and done well and we know he relishes the challenge, which is perfect for us. For that reason we are delighted to know we’ll have him with us for the years ahead. I’m so pleased.”

Tsimikas has set his sights on winning silverware after joining what he says is "the biggest club in the world".

“I’m very happy, I’m very proud to be here," he told Liverpool's website. "For me, [it’s] the biggest club in the world. It’s an honour to be here and I will give my best.

“The league here, I like a lot. I watch it on the TV and it was always one dream I had from when I was a kid to come to play in this league and to come through.

“With a lot of work and focus on what I do and what the coach wants, and every day working hard in training, I can be on the highest level.

“[I want] to achieve [our] goals. To win the league again and also to win the Champions League.”

Prior to Tsimikas' arrival Liverpool's summer transfer activity had focused on outgoings, with Dejan Lovren moving to Zenit St Petersburg and Adam Lallana joining Brighton on a free transfer. Nathaniel Clyne and Andy Lonergan have also been released.

Simba SC official Crescentius Magori has stated it was unprofessional for former club's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senzo Mbatha Mazingiza to leave without notice despite misunderstandings in the top management.

The South African rendered his resignation on Sunday, ending his 11-month stay with Wekundu wa Msimbazi.

"There were some misunderstandings between the Board and [Senzo], regardless, we had gone for a foreigner because we believed he can bring changes in the team," Magori told Wasafi FM.

"I was surprised by the way he left; as per laid down procedures, Senzo was required to first hand in a notice and not post online. I am hurt that he joined our bitter rivals Yanga SC, two hours after announcing he has left." 

The official has now urged Senzo to come and hand over officially including all the club property in his possession. 

"We do not know where [Senzo] is, we cannot get him on his cellphone," Magori continued.

"He has some documents belonging to the club and should hand in that before he leaves to start a new life elsewhere. He should also return the club vehicle, it is all we are asking from him.

"Maybe, [Yanga] are offering him a better deal and maybe he has seen a challenge there as compared to [Simba]."

Coincidentally, he replaced Magori at the Tanzanian football powerhouse as the CEO.  

Mazingiza is an experienced football administrator having worked for Pirates between 2011 and 2013.

The former Platinum Stars general manager was in charge of the Buccaneers' administration as the club clinched the 2011/12 PSL title.

He left the Soweto giants for now-defunct Platinum Stars in 2013 where he also enjoyed success.

Dikwena clinched the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout Cup before Mazingiza left the club in September 2017.

Prior to joining Pirates, Mazingiza worked at Bay United and the University of Pretoria.

During his reign, Simba failed to go past the initial stage of the Caf Champions League as opposed to the previous season when they went all the way to the quarter-finals of the competition.

They turned their focus to domestic football where they won the league, FA Cup and the Community Shield. 

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane calls their Premier Soccer League (PSL) encounter on Tuesday against Orlando Pirates a big clash considering the fact they are playing a well-rested team. 

Bucs have not played since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak halted fixtures in March. The Brazilians are out to bag their second win across all competitions in the space of five days but will also be looking to avoid another defeat at the hands of the Soweto giants in the league this season.

Sundowns are fresh from a 3-2 win against Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup on the weekend and ‘Jingles’ has dropped a hint they have inside information on coach Josef Zinnbauer’s men, especially having his assistant, Rhulani Mokwena, who returned from the Ghost.

“It is tough and difficult. Yes, we have a little bit of information ahead of Orlando Pirates, we can say a little of advantage but I don’t know how many times I asked the bench and I asked the officials - do I still have a substitute to make?” Mosimane told the media.

“It is confusing, the half-time does not count as a substitute and I kept asking Lux [Luxolo September] all the time. So it is difficult it is not easy. It is going to be tough.

“We are playing a team that is resting and watching tonight [Saturday] when we had people who got hamstrings. But they will have their own chance, everybody’s coming.

“Advantage because we have played, a disadvantage because we are playing a well-rested team because we don’t have the legs until Tuesday so ice baths and let’s see how it goes.

“Big game on Tuesday but it is not the same as you have seen before.”

Despite the advantage of having their first full 90 minutes under the belt since the games were suspended five months ago, the reigning PSL Coach of the Season says they now know how to play the game behind closed doors.

“Football within Covid-19, we know it now, we can now comment on it but if you haven’t played you can’t talk because if you haven’t suffered a muscle injury, you don’t understand,” he added.

“First 15 minutes today [Saturday] Celtic [Bloemfontein] had a player pull a hamstring, ask Dylan Kerr [Baroka coach] if that is his team he saw. It is not the same.

“So, no one knows and you can’t comment until you have been in it so only four teams can talk about football within Covid-19 and they are the teams who have played. So, those who haven’t, can’t comment - they must comment after.”

A victory for the former Bafana Bafana mentor at Dobsonville Stadium will see his side narrowing the gap on Kaizer Chiefs to four points but the Soweto giants will have a chance to stretch it as they face the Clever Boys on Wednesday night at FNB Stadium.

Police FC have managed to keep star player Edward Kiryowa at the club after he agreed to renew his contract.

The attacking midfielder has penned a three-year contract that will see him remain a “Cop” until August 2023.

The club has confirmed the extension of the contract on their social media pages by stating: “Edward Kiryowa has extended his stay with the club for the next three years.

“Youth attacking midfielder Kiryowa who missed the larger part of last season due to injuries has signed a new three-year deal with Police Monday.”

Kiryowa was pleased with the terms offered and told the club fans he was ready to get started: “I feel so happy for the opportunity granted to extend my stay with The Cops. It’s a sign of trust and confidence in me as a player and I promise to do my best.

“I am going to work harder compared to the last season to help the club attain greater heights. We are all looking forward to achieving the best as we build our football profession.”

The attack-minded player first featured for the Farmers Football Club before joining “The Cops” last season.

Police CEO Fahad Lumu, who was present during the signing ceremony, said: “Kiryowa is a talented player, whom we had to keep in the team so that he can grow with us in our strides to become the best in the country.”

Kiryowa becomes the seventh player to renew a contract with Police after midfielder Yusuf Ssozi, right-back Denis Rukundo, winger Odong, left-back Musa Matovu, midfielders Bashir Kabuye and Mubarak Nsubuga.

On the signing front, the ambitious Police have already roped in five new faces among them Muwadda Mawejje, experienced midfielder Tony Mawejje, goalkeepers Tom Ikara and Sammon Oloka, defender Hassan Mohamood as well as left-back Eric Ssenjobe.

Police chairman Asan Kasingye has stated they will make sure they leave a mark in the league come the new season.

“We no longer just want to compete; we need to win trophies. We are former champions and it's time to think big,” Kasingye told reporters.

“Football is a big enterprise in the world that doesn’t entertain mediocrity. We need to do the right thing like other clubs.”

Kasingye added it was the right time for the team to secure sponsors because Police are a big organisation and many people want to be a part of it.

Former South Africa midfielder Benedict Vilakazi believes Mamelodi Sundowns will have an edge over Orlando Pirates because of last Saturday’s Nedbank Cup semi-final match against Bidvest Wits which prepared them for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) task against the Soweto giants.

Pirates are yet to play a game since the restart of football in South Africa and have been doing their business quietly away from the public glare.

Now they are set for a showdown against Sundowns who stormed into the Nedbank Cup final following a 3-2 victory over Wits and will be playing their second match after football returned.

“Looking at this match‚ I will say that Sundowns have a slight advantage,” said Vilakazi as per Sowetan Live.

“I am saying this because they have already played one full Cup game‚ which tested them‚ while Pirates have not been tested in a similar situation. With this Covid-19‚ teams were not able to play friendly matches and coaches could not test their players. This may work against Pirates.

“Of course this does not mean that Sundowns are going to win this game for sure because if you are a Pirates player‚ you don’t need to be motivated when you are going to play against Sundowns. The rivalry is too much and players will want to dig deep to ensure that they come on top.

“We don’t know what Pirates have been doing behind the scenes at their training ground and this is what is going to make this game intriguing for the fans and difficult for both teams.”

Second-placed Sundowns will be resuming their Premier Soccer League (PSL) title challenge as they seek to catch leaders Kaizer Chiefs who have a four-point lead and have played a game more than Downs.

For fourth-placed Pirates, they would be continuing their campaign whose most realistic finish would be third place.

Vilakazi who played for both teams, however, feels that while Sundowns received match practice against Wits, Pirates could plot a victory for Tuesday’s showdown by taking notes from what they watched of Downs on Saturday.

"I am sure that the Pirates coaches and players watched the match between Sundowns and Wits on Saturday and they picked up a few things,” Vilakazi said.

"What I saw from that match is that the two teams were struggling towards the end of the match in terms of fitness. The one thing that I think could work for Pirates is building mental strength because if you are strong mentally you are able to respond to tough situations.

"They will only know once the match has started how they are physically and there is very little they can do about it by then.”

After Tuesday’s match, it would be Chiefs’ turn to roll into action on Wednesday as they face a tested Wits side which stretched and frustrated Sundowns for the better part of last Saturday’s encounter.

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Helman Mkhalele believes every player in the PSL is under pressure, saying striker Gabadinho Mhango is not the only player that will feel the heat as the league returns on Tuesday night.

The Malawi international is vying for the top goalscorer award - he was on the score sheet in the first round as the Buccaneers bagged a 1-0 win against coach Pitso Mosimane’s troops, but Mkhalele hints the Brazilians will look to rectify their defensive errors.

“I think each and every player in the PSL is always under pressure to deliver and perform. Yes, Gabadinho Mhango would like to continue where he left off,” Mkhalele told Goal .

“So, I would say it will also depend on how much he wants to win the top goalscorer award.

"On the other hand, we are talking about errors on the part of Sundowns defence and that can work for Sundowns to wake up in a game as big as this one and ensure they don’t repeat them against Pirates," he said. 

“I also believe that when big teams play together, players tend to be hyped up and the motivation is different. These two teams have big stature in the league. I’m expecting a better and improved defending from Mamelodi Sundowns."

Although the 50-year-old legend also explains why all PSL players are under pressure, he is unsure if some will be able to adapt to playing behind closed doors at Dobsonville Stadium.

“I would say all the players are under pressure. The stakes are high. Sundowns still believe they can catch Kaizer Chiefs. On Pirates' side, as much as they have a less chance to catch Chiefs compared to Sundowns, they have to fight for their pride – that is at stake.

“But the other factor is playing in front of zero crowds; that will go to say how far the players have prepared mentally. It’s not an easy thing and I did experience it when I was in Turkey - it’s challenging.

“Even if they have been watching international games being played under the same circumstances, but to experience it is different.”

On Rhulani Mokwena’s return to Chloorkop, ‘Midnight Express’ believes the reigning PSL champions have the edge but there's no guarantee Sundowns will beat his former team.

“Having someone who has worked at Pirates in the likes of Rhulani can work better for Sundowns. It will come in handy because he knows the majority of the players at Pirates,” he added.

“He knows their mentality, strengths, and weaknesses especially the mental side of it. It will make it easier for Pitso or Sundowns to deal with such players.

“In terms of the quality, Pirates have quality players there’s no doubt about it but to know more about their mental status or level becomes more of an advantage for Sundowns.

“I would say Sundowns have an upper hand over Pirates but that alone doesn’t mean they will win the game. Having Rhulani is definitely a boost for Sundowns for this game because they have an advantage on something that’s very critical, knowing the mentality of the players on the opposite side.”

Every annual release of a FIFA video game features heightened anticipation about which new icons will be added into the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode.

In FIFA 21, EA Sports has revealed 11 new Icons, which will take the number of these special players in the game to 100.

Icons in previous versions of FIFA - that will remain in the new game - include Pele, Diego Maradona, Brazil's Ronaldo and Alessandro Del Piero.

FIFA 20 saw the addition of the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Pep Guardiola and Didier Drogba as icons - while Goal can reveal a sneak peak of the new players added in FIFA 21.

Eric Cantona (France)

Ex-Manchester United and France attacker Eric Cantona is finally added to the game as an Icon with his career trophy haul including four Premier League titles and two FA Cups.

Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)

With the FIFA award for best goal of the year named after him, Hungarian hero from the 50s and 60s, Ferenc Puskas, will now be in FIFA 21.

Barcelona legend and Spain World Cup winner Xavi gets the honour of being named as a FUT Icon - having won an incredible four Champions League and eight La Liga titles with the Blaugrana.

Nemanja Vidic (Serbia)

Nemanja Vidic joins his long-time Manchester United defensive partner Rio Ferdinand as an Icon and expect Red Devils fans to look to pair the duo in-game.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech gets rewarded with FUT Icon selection after an incredible trophy-laden career across the two Premier League clubs.

Joining follow African legend striker Didier Drogba as a FUT Icon, Samuel Eto'o has played for an illustrious list of clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter and Chelsea.

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)

Bastian Schweinsteiger - the legendary German and Bayern midfielder - gets the honour of being added as an Icon less than 12 months after his retirement from football.

Philipp Lahm (Germany)

Versatile German star Philipp Lahm is a slightly surprising but worthy addition as an Icon to the game. Lahm spent 22 years at Bayern, winning every major trophy at the club, while he also lifted the World Cup with Germany.

Fernando Torres (Spain)

Fernando Torres won a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain - while becoming an icon at Liverpool with two extraordinary seasons.

Ashley Cole is one of the few star players that have traded London rivals in the Premier League - moving from Arsenal to Chelsea in 2006 - winning the title on three occasions between the two clubs.

David Villa (Spain)

David Villa is a Spanish legend who won a multitude of domestic and European trophies at Barcelona, Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Real Zaragoza. He was also a part of the Spanish national team that won the 2010 World Cup and 2008 Euros.