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Cape Town City have announced the signing of promising striker Diego Appollis.

The 19-year-old player has joined the Citizens from fellow Premier Soccer League (PSL) club Chippa United.

Appollis was one of the best players in the PSL's reserve team in the Multichoice Diski Challenge (MDC) during the 2019/20 campaign.

His exploits caught the eye of City, who have signed him on a three-year deal as the club strengthened coach Jan Olde Riekerink's squad.

The Citizens released the following statement on Sunday morning: 

A club statement read: "The Club is delighted to announce the signing of 19-year-old striker Diego Appollis from Chippa United."

"He signs a three-year deal with City after a phenomenal breakout season in the MDC. The next generation is here, welcome Diego."

This comes after the 2018 MTN8 champions parted ways with experienced striker Siphelele Mthembu, whose contract was not extended when it expired at the end of June 2020. 

Appollis will compete with Tashreeq Morris and Kermit Erasmus in the Citizens' striking department next term as he cannot be registered this season.  

The teenager was in great scoring form for the Chilli Boys reserve team having, where he netted 14 goals in the MDC, before the competition was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

The PSL has since decided to cancel the 2019/20 MDC season with Chippa placed 11th on the league standings. 

Appollis has become City's first signing as they prepare for the new 2020/21 campaign, but they will have to ensure that they retain their status in the PSL this term.

The Citizens, who have a game in hand, are placed 10th on the league standings - four points above the relegation zone. 

They are set to resume their league campaign with a clash against Appollis' former club at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Friday, August 14.

Chippa will use the historic stadium as their home ground for the remainder of the current season.

Meanwhile, City have been drawn to play their home matches at the 2010 Fifa World Cup venue, Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. 

All matches will be played in Gauteng which is the host for the Biolgocally Safe Environment (BSE). 

Sofapaka FC have released captain George Maelo and former Gor Mahia midfielder Cercidy Okeyo after the expiry of their contracts.

The two complete the list of three players who have been let go, the other being striker Ronald Okoth.

"For Maelo, he has been deployed outside Nairobi, it will not be easy for him to train with the team and so we have opted to let him go," Batoto ba Mungu team manager Hillary Echesa told Goal on Sunday.

"We wish him all the best in his endeavours and at the same time thank him for his contribution to the team. He has been a role model for all the players and always gave the best when on the pitch."

However, it was a different case with Okoth and Okeyo as the former Kenya midfielder explained.

"Okeyo has struggled to get into the first team, his consistency was wanting and we had no option but to release him," Echesa continued.

"It was the same case with Okoth; he has since retired and we would like to thank him for the contribution he had for the team."

The Nairobi-based side will bring onboard some new faces to bolster the squad ahead of the new campaign.

"We will sign defenders and forwards, we are short on those areas and we have to get quality players to help us achieve our objectives," Echesa added.

"The transfer window has not been opened but once it happens, we will go for the targets we have identified already. We want to get them into the team as soon as possible in that by the time the season starts, we will be ready."

Batoto ba Mungu struggled at the beginning of the season but turned around their form prior to the 2019/20 Kenyan domestic season was suspended.

"It is not going to happen this time around," he said of their ambition in the new season. "It is something we want to make right.

"For us to be real title contenders, we have to start early, not to wait until the season has progressed then we try to catch up with the leaders. If we manage to start on a high, we will stand a chance of winning the league."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken of his emotions as his side finally sealed their first title of the Premier League era.

The Reds ran away with the crown, sealing it by a massive 18-point margin over second-placed Manchester City, picking up 32 wins from 38 matches.

They were not, however, on the field when the trophy was finally secured, instead watching on as Chelsea’s victory over City – their eighth loss of nine over the course of the season – pushed the Anfield club into an unassailable position.

“Counting the minutes, it was just incredible and absolutely one of the best football moments I’ve ever had in my life with not being in a stadium,” Klopp explains in LFCTV’s ‘Golden Sky: Klopp’s Champions’ documentary.

“Because we were there together you could see each face. Players were sitting there, some couldn’t really watch it and stuff like this. We were all like this and it was absolutely exceptional.

“You have no idea how it will feel before it happens. It was pure joy! Massive relief in the next second and then I started crying. So I went and called Ulla [his wife].

“I called my family 10 seconds before the end of the game so they watched it together. I said, ‘OK, I love you all’ and I put the phone down on the table. I said, ‘Leave your phone on so you can see what happens here!’

“Then I wanted to speak to Ulla and couldn’t. I had her on the phone but I just was crying. I didn’t know why it happened. I had no idea. I was proud of and I was worried about [it], but I couldn’t stop. I have never in my life had a situation when I just couldn’t stop crying.

“I didn’t know exactly why, so I just went for a few minutes in my room because I didn’t want to show everybody when I was stood around there and couldn’t stop crying.

“Then I realised step-by-step and step-by-step obviously there was some pressure! Which I don’t really feel when I’m in the situation but being manager of this club is a big honour – I see it as pure luck – but it was some responsibility, let me say it like this.

“And obviously that fell off my shoulders in that moment and that must have been the reason for it. It was very strange, very good, very emotional, [a] very special moment in my life.”

Liverpool’s next outing comes on August 28, when they face FA Cup winners Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero has sought to draw the positives from his side’s 4-1 thumping by Bayern Munich on Saturday.

The Blues exited Europe after losing 7-1 on aggregate to the German champions, with Tammy Abraham offering the sole response in a tie dominated by the Bundesliga outfit, who struck twice through Robert Lewandowski and once each from Ivan Perisic and Corentin Tolisso. 

Nevertheless, Caballero, who has recently taken over goalkeeping duties from Kepa Arrizabalaga, believes the outcome was harsh on Frank Lampard’s side.

“The total score after two games is very tough,” Caballero told the club’s official website. “We started the game knowing it would be tough because of what happened at Stamford Bridge in the first leg but we tried to play this game in the same way and go face-to-face with them from the beginning.

“The penalty and the first goal killed us but after that we worked really well. We did everything we could and scored a couple of goals, although obviously one was disallowed. We have to go home knowing we tried and did our best.”

Chelsea secured Champions League qualification for next season and will be reinforced with the arrivals of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and former Ajax man Hakim Ziyech.

The 38-year-old, though, believes that the Blues cannot be caught looking too far ahead into the future and have to start the new campaign with humility.

“I think we have to start next season in the same way that we started this season, going step by step and game by game. We have done well in the Premier League and of course we have some new players arriving to work with us and they will have a lot to give us next season,” he said.

“We have to think about recovering well our injured players because we have a lot. We didn’t miss them too much today and that’s good news.”

Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League and reached the knock-out stages in Europe, but they suffered disappointment in the FA Cup, in which they were defeated 2-1 by local rivals Arsenal.

Former Western Stima coach Salim Babu has revealed why he was quick to take up the assistant coaching role at Wazito FC.

Babu, who has also handled Sony Sugar in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL), was named the assistant to Fred Ambani, who was elevated to the head coach role following the exit of Stewart Hall two months ago.

Babu has now revealed how his friendship with coach Ambani made him quickly take up the hot seat at the club, which only last season fired numerous members of their technical bench.

“Fred [Ambani] has been my friend for many years, we played together and even as coaches we have been exchanging notes frequently, when he asked me to join him it was an easy decision to make,” Babu told the club’s official website.

“I believe together we will move this team forward.

“Joining Wazito is a great opportunity because I am joining a team with big ambitions and I want to be successful here. My role is that of an assistant coach and my duty is to help the head coach, that is what I will stick to.”

Wazito, who were promoted to the KPL in the 2019-20 campaign, fired several coaches among them Ambani, who was sent packing alongside then technical director Stanley Okumbi, before Ambani was reinstated, and also fired former Melis Medo, who was in charge for only two months.

Despite the turnover of coaches at the club, Ambani, who guided the team to promotion, has also remained confident he is the right person to take the team to the promised land.

“I want to thank the club management for believing in me once again,” Ambani told the club website.

“Wazito is a team that is so dear to me and I am looking forward to getting started. My target is to work with everyone at the club to ensure that the team is successful.

“Stewart Hall is the best coach I have ever worked under or with, he took me in well and our working relationship was a very good one, you do not come across such coaches every day. I want to thank him for everything he taught me and I wish him the very best wherever he goes because he is a good coach and he will land another job soon.”

Wazito will be keen to wrestle the league title from Gor Mahia when the new campaign gets underway in October.

As disappointments go, Torino’s 2019/20 campaign will surely go down as one to definitely forget.

Ironically, turbulence seemed to be the theme for the clubs in Turin this season, with Juventus, despite securing another Serie A title under now-departed boss Maurizio Sarri, facing more questions about their capabilities and performances, which were underwhelming throughout the season.

Still, there’s a feeling the city’s lesser side would swap places with the Old Lady in an instant, which only puts their current situation in context, after what went down as their worst year in the top flight since gaining promotion way back in 12/13.

The Maroons’ struggles were understandable back then, given they’d just regained promotion to the big time after three years in Serie B. Their 16th-place finish in 2013 mirrors this year’s disaster, while their tally of 40 points only betters that haul from seven years ago by one.

It wasn’t the campaign Ola Aina envisaged either, following an encouraging maiden season at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in which he played a significant role in taking the Bull’s to seventh. Their high finish, coupled with their first European campaign since 14/15, heralded a new dawn for the team, especially as they’d finished in seventh after seemingly sneaking into ninth for successive seasons previously.

Indeed, Walter Mazzarri’s team’s tally of 63 points was just six behind fourth-placed Inter Milan, who qualified for the Champions League.

Aina was understandably hit and miss in his opening campaign but there was a feeling he had done relatively well, was more hit than miss, and held his own in his first campaign outside England.

The marked progress in the ex-Chelsea full-back had seen him go from the Stamford Bridge bench to thriving in the Championship at Hull City where he was one of the Tigers’ best players before moving to Italy.

In a season where AC Milan were underwhelming at the start and Napoli were embroiled in early-season in-fighting so intense that it threatened to derail their entire campaign, Torino failed to kick on from 18/19’s success to push for a higher league position and maintain their European spot.

More disappointing for the Turin side under Mazzarri was how, after finally gaining entry into continental football, they then failed to progress into the group stage. Their elimination at the hands of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers (5-3 on aggregate), after sailing through the first two qualifying rounds, seemed to dampen their spirits and they never truly recovered all season.

The Bull lost a staggering six of their first 10 games, which sent alarm bells ringing given they only suffered defeats seven times in Serie A the previous season – only champions Juventus (four) were beaten on fewer occasions. Interestingly, one of the Maroons’ two wins in that wretched run came vs Atalanta in Bergamo where the away side emerged 3-2 victors on the opening day.

It was then notable that Mazzarri's penultimate league game came against the same opponents, who obliterated La Granata 7-0 in Turin. Not even a change of head coach could stop the rot as Moreno Longo oversaw another three defeats in what was a bleak seven-game losing run in all competitions.

Having saved his former club from the threat of relegation, Longo left after the club’s 1-1 draw with Bologna on the final day.

Torino have, yet again, hit the reset button but the appointment of Marco Giampaolo has raised eyebrows in some quarters.

He oversaw Milan’s early-season woes where the Rossoneri picked up just three wins from four before getting the chop barely four months after getting the job in June 2019. While there were other extenuating factors for the Italian giants’ issues, their managerial choice was odd given the 53-year-old’s tendency to not stick around for a significant period.

This trend has seen Giampaolo manage at Catania, Cesena, Empoli and Sampdoria before his ill-fated time in Milan.

There was no resounding success story at any of those clubs, although he did guide Samp to three mid-table finishes in three successive campaigns. In the other jobs, barring Empoli where he completed the 15/16 season, Giampaolo was jettisoned months into his contract.

The jury is certainly still out on whether the ex-Milan boss is the right man for a side like Torino, and whether the club are making the right decisions that’ll benefit Aina’s growth as a player.

An interesting dive into the Nigeria international’s stats over the last two seasons suggest his raw numbers have declined somewhat since 18/19.

According to Fbref, the 23-year-old was second for progressive passes made in the Torino side in the just-concluded campaign. However, there was a decrease in volume (150 to 133 progressive passes) compared to last season despite making two fewer appearances on his season-long spell.

Given Mazzarri and, later, Longo utilised wing-backs, it was striking that Aina also played fewer passes and crosses into the penalty area this year unlike during his loan spell where he ranked in the top four for both metrics, alongside other widemen Lorenzo De Silvestri and Cristian Ansaldi.

With Giampaolo supposedly wedded to a 4-3-1-2 formation, it’ll be interesting to see how Aina adapts to the switch in approach and whether the much-maligned trainer turns out to be the right man to help the Super Eagles star’s development.

Torino couldn’t wait for the season to be over and have unsurprisingly moved to change their approach on the pitch.

The effect of Giampaolo’s expected changes and where the Turin side are in six-to-12 months will lead to an assessment of Aina’s time at the side, with observers evaluating whether the Nigerian made the right choice in hindsight or otherwise.

Back in 1975, Malaysian legend Mokhtar had scored a brace against the mighty Arsenal in a friendly match but little did he know that his feat would be repeated by another Malaysian in 2012. Eight years ago, Arsenal returned to these shores for the second straight year having already done one pre-season tour match in 2011 in Kuala Lumpur when they ran away comfortable 4-0 winners over Malaysia.

Arsenal had just finished the 2011/12 season in third place behind both Manchester clubs, City and United with Arsene Wenger facing a second straight summer of losing his club captain in Robin Van Persie after seeing Cesc Fabregas left the summer previous. Although interestingly enough, that match in 2012 contained Wenger's eventual replacement in Mikel Arteta.

Wenger's side clawed their way back into the game thanks to two late goals from Thomas Eisfeld and Chuks Aneke after Azmi had produced a thunderous opening goal for Malaysia in the first half. A goal that the then ATM player and now Pulau Pinang captain will always remember fondly by.

"To be honest, I did see the space opened up in front of me and I thought why not have a go. I had confidence in my shooting capabilities and perhaps I could force the keeper into a save. But I connected with the ball sweetly and it flew into the top corner. It was incredible to have been able to score against a top club.

"They never expected to concede to us and we can all see it in their response. They reacted angrily towards each other for allowing me space to shoot. It was amazing to see," Azmi recalled the moment to Goal.

That was a period where the Malaysia as a country was frequently graced by the presence of Premier League clubs for their pre-season friendlies but that Arsenal match represented what was the start of the end. Only three more teams from England came here to play since then in City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

While for most of the fixtures, the stadium was sold to the brim - games such as these were not taken kindly by sections of the local fans who thought that those games should have been played using a Malaysia Super League XI instead of the national team.

A perspective which Azmi completely understands and accepts but at the same time, remained glad that he was among those that had the chance to feature in those matches against players whom they would normally only see on television or on the internet.

"It was a golden opportunity for me to be chosen to be in the squad to face both Arsenal and Manchester City. It's a privilege for me to be able to play against two prestigious names that have won the Premier League titles before. It's not something that happened often to players from this region and in that sense, I felt really lucky.

"It's an unforgettable moment for me. Yes, there are a lot of other big memories in my career as a professional from competitive matches for my club side as well as for the national team but despite what some may think of games like these, it will always be a beautiful moment for me to cherish to be able to be part of those fixtures.

"We just took it as an experience to face such big clubs who do thing very differently to us and is in a different level to us. It's not an everyday opportunity to play against top players and even though it's only a friendly, there are many things which we can take away from playing in that game," added Azmi.

Kai Havertz has no "COVID discount" and Chelsea must meet Bayer Leverkusen's valuation or miss out on a deal, Rudi Voller has warned.

Germany international Havertz is reportedly keen on a switch to the Blues, who have long been linked with a move for the 21-year-old.

Havertz is said to be in favour of a move to Stamford Bridge but the two clubs still seemingly have work to do to strike a deal.

Leverkusen are claimed to want £90 million ($115m) for Havertz, with Chelsea thought to be interested in a structured deal that starts at around £70m.

But sporting director Voller said simply any club wanting to buy Havertz must pay the asking price otherwise he will stay at the BayArena for another year.

Asked if Leverkusen have agreed to sell Havertz, Voller told La Gazzetta dello Sport : "No, but with his talent, it means he's on the list of all the best clubs.

"We know of the interest of a couple of clubs, especially Chelsea, but for us, the situation is quite simple: he has a two-year contract, if anyone wants him on our terms, fine, otherwise he stays here another year and we are happy.

"It won't be easy, but for an artist like him there is no COVID discount."

In Voller's opinion, Havertz is on course to be better than some illustrious Leverkusen alumni.

"For me, he's the best I've seen at Leverkusen, and I've been here for a lifetime. We had Emerson, [Michael] Ballack, Ze Roberto, [Toni] Kroos, but he's on top," Voller added.

Former Germany star Voller said Havertz reminds him of Ballack and Mesut Ozil, adding: "He takes the best bits from both of them."

Voller also has no doubt Havertz will continue to represent Leverkusen for the completion of their Europa League campaign, with a quarter-final tie against Inter next up.

Timo Werner opted not to play for RB Leipzig in the remainder of the Champions League after agreeing to join Chelsea, but Havertz did feature for Leverkusen in the second leg of their last-16 tie against Rangers and Voller is sure he will do so as long as the team are in the competition.

"Of course he will play [in the Europa League quarter-final], also because he wants to," Voller said. "I am a bit old-fashioned: for me a season is over when it all ends.

"Nobody leaves first. Now, with COVID-19, there have been transfers before the end of the season, but not from us."

Former India international footballer Laishram Manitombi Singh passed away, aged 40, on Sunday.

He was born on June 10, 1981 in Achanbegei, a suburb of Imphal. The defender started his career Army Boys and also played Services for two seasons at the beginning of his career. He later donned the jerseys of Air India, Salgaocar FC and Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan.

Along with his friend Tomba Singh, Manitombi was a household name amongst the Green and Maroon loyalists between 2003-2005. He won several accolades during that period with the Kolkata club.

Singh represented the Indian national team and was part of the Indian squad at the Busan Asian Games in 2002. He was also a member of India U23 side which under the tutelage of Stephen Constantine had won the historic LG Cup in 2002. India had defeated Vietnam in their own backyard to win their first ever International tournament since 1971 (not counting SAFF Cup).

He had been playing in the Manipur State League since 2012, first for NEROCA FC, whom he helped win the maiden League title in 2014. He then joined Manipur State League defending champions, Anouba Imagi Mangal (AIM), in the 2015-16 season.

Post retirement, he joined former Manipur State League champions AIM as their head coach.

Kenya international Michael Olunga has revealed why he has enjoyed a good scoring run for Kashiwa Reysol in the  J1 League.

The former Gor Mahia striker took his tally of goals to 10 from nine matches after he scored yet again as Resyol secured a 1-1 draw against former champions Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday.

Olunga took advantage of a defensive blunder to make a solo run and fire home a powerful shot to give Resyol the lead in the 62nd minute, but they could not maintain their advantage, as Yokohama drew level in the 78th minute when Ado Oneiwu scored from close range to deny Reysol a fifth straight win in the top-flight.

The towering striker has now explained why he has been in prolific form in front of the goal in the past five matches, which made him the first player in the history of the league to reach the 10-goal mark in every division of the Meiji Yasuda J. League.

“It is basically hard work because each and every game is a difficult game and the defenders in each and every team are now marking together,” Olunga told reporters after the draw against Marinos.

“You have to be on top of your game, you have to be ready to finish off the chances your team creates, so it is not an easy task, as a striker your main target is to position yourself well and make sure you are clinical in front goal, nothing else.

“You know [Marinos] played better, they had better ball possession but as strikers, you have to wait for your moment to come, be patient and when your moment arrives, be clinical, and thus the goals will come.”

On how he scored the goal against Marinos, Olunga said: “It was a clearance from the backline and I was upfront alone and you know the defender, tried to give a back pass to the goalkeeper, and I did not give up and then he made a defensive error and I took the ball, it was one on one situation with the defender then I beat him to the ball and beat the ball with my right foot and then it was a goal.”

On Marino ending their four-match winning run with the draw, Olunga said: “It was a positive point because [Marino] were the champions last year, and whenever you go to play against champion at their own backyard, and in front of their supporters it is always going to be difficult.

“As I said before, they had the better part of ball possession but as a team, we played solid, we defended very well, each and every player played well, and at the end of the day we took home a draw, it is a positive result, we take the one point away and each and every game we just play to work hard.”

The former Thika United and Tusker centre-forward failed to score in the first three matches since the J1 League restarted on July 4 but his recent fine form now sees him top the scorers’ chart with 10 goals.

The towering Olunga, who scored his first J1 League hat-trick against Vegalta Sendai on July 26, has established himself as one of the clear favourites for the Golden Boot at this stage.

He was the runner-up in the second division when he managed 27 goals in a successful campaign which pushed Kashiwa Reysol back to the top tier.

Olunga’s next match will be a J. League Cup against Oita Trinita on Wednesday before they resume league action against Cerezo Osaka on Saturday.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be an amazing experience for players and fans, thanks to some absolutely wonderful stadiums and facilities, feels South Korean midfielder Jung Woo-young.

Jung, who plies his trade with Qatar Stars League (QSL) outfit Al Sadd, has experienced the facilities being developed for the global footballing extravaganza by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) first hand and feels they are top-notch.

Three of the eight planned venues for the World Cup have already been inaugurated - Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub stadium and the Education City stadium. Jung joined Al Sadd in 2018 and has been an important part of the squad coached by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.

"It’s wonderful to drive by the stadiums. Right away, you feel a desire to play in them. We had several games at the Khalifa International Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah," Jung told FIFA.com .

Jung, who is a part of the South Korean team vying to qualify for the 2022 edition, will be hoping he gets to experience his second World Cup in a country where he is currently based.

"It’s amazing. I can imagine how the players who will be coming to the World Cup in two years’ time are going to feel. I hope I’ll be in top form then so that I can keep my spot in the national team and take part in this big tournament."

Korea are currently second in their qualification group and stand a very good chance of making it into the final qualification round.

"Yes, we have a long tradition at the World Cup and we want to maintain this legacy. The qualifiers have been very difficult, and opponents want to deny us a place in the final round. It’s true we’re in second position in our group, but we’ve played one game less. Moreover, we’ll be playing three games [Turkmenistan, Lebanon and Korea DPR] on home soil, which gives us the advantage to finish top of the group and make the final qualifying round."

The 30-year-old is no stranger to great World Cup moments, having been a part of the Korea side that beat defending champions Germany in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He started the game against Joachim Low's side as they won 2-0.

“We were very happy to beat the defending world champions and prove we could compete with big teams. We wanted to progress to the last 16, but luck wasn’t on our side in the first two fixtures. We certainly weren’t happy with our group-stage exit and expected a lukewarm reception at home, but the moment we came out of the airport, we found thousands of fans waiting for us. They thanked us for our good performance. It was great to feel that appreciation from them,” he said.

Jung is loving life in Qatar and he hopes to be a part of the tournament which will bring the entire footballing world to the Middle-Eastern country.

"I never thought I’d love life here," he said. "Everyone is friendly and that has helped me adapt to this new lifestyle. In fact, I was delighted to find some Korean restaurants in Qatar. That said, I still share traditional Qatari meals with club-mates when we have our training camps. I love eating lamb."

New Simba SC signing Bernard Morrison has urged Yanga SC to accept and move on after he signed for their rivals on Saturday.

The Ghanaian forward, who has been at loggerheads with the Yanga management for a while now, was unveiled as a Simba player on Saturday after he signed a two-year contract with the Mainland Premier League champions.

However, immediately after Simba made the transfer official, Yanga came out with a statement in which they claimed Morrison was still their player as he still has a running contract with them until 2022, and that his case will be discussed by Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) on Monday.

“The leadership of Yanga have seen stories and rumours going round in social media which has unsettled our fans and the followers at large,” stated the statement from Yanga seen by Goal.

“Yanga is following keenly and closely the transfer revolving around Morrison to Simba and tough disciplinary action will be taken against those who violated the set rules.

“We want to clarify and state here clearly that Morrison has a contract with the club running until 2022 and the case is already in the hands of TFF, who will listen to the same on Monday.”

Morrison has now talked for the first time after the transfer by asking Yanga to accept and move on since he had already signed for Simba and was ready to play for them in the new season.

“It is part of the game, and I don’t take any personal offense about whatever that has been happening for a while now,” Morrison told Azam TV on Saturday.

“Yanga is a big team and Simba is also a big club and moving from Yanga to Simba it is not really a big deal, though the [Yanga] supporters are disappointed and the management are disappointed, but it is part of football.

“It happens so I don’t think they have to see me as a bad person, in moving from Yanga to Simba because it is part of football and they have to accept it and move on and welcome me to Tanzanian football.

On how he will compete for his position at Simba and the challenges he will face at the new club, Morrison explained: “This is football, the fact I came here to work, wherever you find yourself you just have to prepare yourself and work wholeheartedly.

“I know there is a big challenge ahead of to play for [Simba] in the league and Caf Champions League but I have to prepare my mind to be extra strong in any way so I can be able to be ready for the challenge ahead of me.

“I also want the Simba fans to welcome me home, I am home now, they must make me feel happy, I am coming to work hard, they must show me they love me, I know they love their players, and I also want them to appreciate me as one of their own because I am coming to work hard and help them to win trophies.”

The trouble for the former Orlando Pirates player started immediately after the humiliating 4-1 defeat Yanga suffered against Simba in the FA Cup, when he was substituted for Patrick Sibomana but instead of going to the bench, he walked straight down the tunnel to the dressing and drove away from the stadium never to return to training again.

Just a week ago, the Jangwani Street-based giants released 14 players, among them captain Papy Tshishimbi, striker David Molinga, and ex-Gor Mahia player Gnamien Yikpe but retained Morrison, hoping they could convince him to stay at the club.

Other players axed include veteran striker 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.

Floyd Pinto, who has built himself quite a reputation in youth coaching, is keen to step into coaching senior teams.

The former Indian Arrows and India U19 coach wants to shatter the stereotype of a youth coach and is set to join Punjab FC as an assistant coach.

"When you are with the AIFF (All India Football Federation), with the Indian Arrows or even with the U-19 team, you will always be known as a youth coach. So I wanted to get out of that mould of a youth team coach and move into a senior team setup," he opined to Goal.

"I'm looking to challenge myself both on and off the field. My main aim was to do the (AFC) Pro License. An aspect of doing the Pro License when it happened last time is that you need to be with a professional club playing in the professional league. So what I thought is, if I'm doing my Pro License course, then why not attach myself with a professional team," said the 33-year-old.

Goal understands that Floyd has agreed terms with I-League outfut Punjab FC. The engineer turned coach believes that he has a lot to offer from his experience.

"The experience that I had in the I-League for two years gave me the confidence that I can step up. There are a lot of things to learn once I make that step up and there are also a lot of things I can contribute having worked with some of the best talents in the country who are now playing in the top leagues. So I feel that this is the right time to make that step up. 

"With Covid-19 (Coronavirus pandemic), now everything has slowed down, but in a way it has also given me more time to reflect on my time with the AIFF and prepare myself for what's coming next. My contract with AIFF ended in March and ever since I have been talking to a few coaches to have a feel of what's going on," he said.

Ever since Floyd assumed the position of head coach at the AIFF Elite Academy, he has won the U-18 I-League twice in a row – 2015-16 and 2016-17 – besides lifting the Subroto Cup as the head coach of the AIFF U-17 team in 2015 where the trophy was handed over by legendary Brazilian footballer Pele at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. 

He also did a meritorious job with the Indian Arrows since taking over from Portuguese coach Luis Norton de Matos following the bottom-placed finish in the 2017-18 I-League season. With more or less the same squad which had  the likes of Deepak Tangri, Boris Singh, Prabhsukhan Gill, Rahul KP, Rahim Ali etc, he fared much better in the following season with an eighth placed finish. His Arrows team also defeated Kerala Blasters in the qualification round of the 2019 Super Cup before being ousted by FC Goa.

"I want to be working as a head coach or an assistant," Pinto reiterated that he is not willing to settle for a role lesser than the first team.

His last assignment was at the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers where they couldn't make it out of the group stage albeit after leading his boys to the 2019 SAFF U-18 Championship title.

"I'll obviously want to contribute to what the club is currently doing or willing to do as far as the youth [development] is concerned - getting a good structure in place, making sure that training standards are up to the mark, getting in players from the youth to the first team.

"I'm not someone who will stick to one role and just do my job. I will be interested as to what is going on around me at that particular club, and I'll always want to give my two bits of information to help the club grow and evolve," he concluded.

Owen Coyle took the Indian Super League (ISL) by storm last season after turning things around miraculously at Chennaiyin FC.

Chennaiyin FC were staring at yet another disappointing season after just six matches when Coyle came on board with his magic wand and changed the mood around the club.

However, the love story between Coyle and the club was short-lived. The former Bolton Wanderers manager had come on a short term deal and was a free agent after the 2019-20 season.

The Scotland-born manager has now joined Jamshedpur FC on a two-year deal and is looking forward to recreating his magic in the ISL once again.

Things, though, will be a bit different this season owing to the unfortunate ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which has affected sports across the world. ISL too will act according to the ‘new norms’ and will be played at a centralised venue this year.

Coyle suggested that playing under such circumstances will be difficult and he believes that the players need to be mentally strong to cope with the changed situation.

“It is a difficult situation and there is no doubt about that. And that is why while recruiting the players we went for those players who would enhance the strength of the side. We also find players who have the ability and who can deal with the mentality because that will be a big issue. Everybody will be in the same area and movements will be restricted. So we need players who are mentally strong and can be a part of a group. There will be challenges and this is unprecedented and we did not have any hand in this. What I can do is prepare the team well to make sure that the transition is as smooth as possible,” the new Jamshedpur boss told Goal.

The former Irish international though chose to focus on the positives.

He said, “The games will come very fast and we have to make sure the players recover well and go again. The other thing which will probably help in that respect is that there won’t be much travelling. We have to counter these problems and make sure it is as smooth as possible.”

Coyle suggested that he loved his time at Chennaiyin and is looking forward to Jamshedpur challenge.

“I absolutely loved being there with Chennaiyin FC. Obviously, after March I was a free agent and then Jamshedpur came and we had positive talks. Chennaiyin was a good club with good people but Jamshedpur is also a great challenge."

He also touched upon the most memorable match from last season which came against league-stage toppers FC Goa whom they defeated with a 4-1 scoreline in the first leg of the play-off. Chennaiyin would go on to win the tie 6-5 on aggregate.

Rio Ferdinand has declared that Thiago Alcantara would be a "dream" signing for Liverpool after seeing the midfielder star in Bayern Munich's 4-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday. 

Despite being linked with an off-season move away from Bayern, Thiago started for Hansi Flick's side against the Blues and impressed before being withdrawn in the 70th minute as the Bundesliga champions strolled into the Champions League quarter-finals. 

The Spaniard is a reported target for the Reds with the 29-year-old eager to play in the Premier League. 

After seeing Thiago star for Bayern against Chelsea, Ferdinand praised the midfielder's intelligence and conceded he could be exactly the type of player Jurgen Klopp needs at Anfield 

"He is a conductor, somebody who controls the tempo of the game, he’s got a wing mirror so he can see behind him, can see all angles, play every pass in the game," Ferdinand told BT Sport. 

"Intelligent player, he speaks the language which is an important part of it as well.

"He’d be a dream to have for someone like Liverpool. He’s the type of player they probably haven’t got."

Flick was also impressed by Thiago's showing on Saturday as the Spaniard demonstrated that speculation over his club future won't impact his performances moving forward. 

"If Thiago plays like he does today, he is very important to us," Flick told reporters.

"He had a lot of ball wins on the defensive and also determined our game. He played smart passes, let the ball circulate and acted very well in the three-man setup. I liked that very much. I am very satisfied."

Bayern veteran Thomas Muller backed up his manager's comments, declaring Thiago has been brilliant for a decade now. 

"The qualities of our players should be known by now. We don't have to talk about Thiago. He has been showing what he can do for ten years," Muller added.

"He can not only handle the ball well and delight the spectators and his own team, but he is also an excellent ball thief. He showed that again today. He brought what he means to us into the game." 

Thomas Muller is hopeful Robert Lewandowski can state his case as the best all-round attacker right now when Bayern Munich face off against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals. 

Lewandowski had a hand in all four of Bayern's goals on Saturday as they beat Chelsea 4-1 in the second leg of their last-16 tie to book a place in the final eight. 

The Bundesliga champions will now face Barcelona in the quarter-finals after they claimed a 3-1 victory over Napoli - with Lionel Messi once again proving key as he scored a sublime goal. 

Both Messi and Lewandowski have enjoyed stellar seasons in front of goal with the duo winning their respective league's Golden Boot. 

While Messi is renowned for both creating and scoring goals, Lewandowski also showcased his all-round ability against Chelsea as he contributed two assists, while finding the back of the net twice himself. 

Muller was asked after the match on Saturday which player he believed was the better all-round attacker right now and seemed to back Lewandowski to provide the answer in their next match. 

"We'll see that on Friday. Lewy will have to answer this question," Muller told reporters.

"Messi also played very well today. But it's up to Lewy and us to answer this question in Lewy's favour on Friday."

Asked about Barcelona, Muller added: "Barca may not have won the Spanish championship and they have certainly revealed some problems, but anything can happen in these knockout games. Any run can end there if you have a bad day."

Bayern manager Hansi Flick praised Lewandowski's role in his side's win over Chelsea as he admitted the Blues were a side he was worried about playing. 

"We would not mind if he continued like this. He showed again today how important he is for us," Flick said.

"He not only scored two goals, but also assisted two goals. We are very happy that we have him in our team.

"I was a little more tense than usual. I had a lot of respect for Chelsea because the team is very speedy. Chelsea have a very exciting team with many young, talented players and I am excited to see how the next few years will look.

"I was very happy with the way we came back after the short break. We were very dominant in the first 30 minutes, that was really good. In the second half we got the game back on track and earned this win."

Cristiano Ronaldo spoke of the importance of "critical thinking" in the wake of Juventus' Champions League exit and the sacking of Maurizio Sarri.

Ronaldo scored twice on Friday to give Juve a 2-1 win over Lyon in Turin, but it was not enough to prevent them going out at the last-16 stage on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw.

On Saturday, the Bianconeri announced they had sacked head coach Sarri barely a year after he was appointed following his departure from Chelsea.

Sarri guided Juve to a ninth Serie A title in a row, but defeat to Napoli in the Coppa Italia final and a failure to instill his playing style on the squad had led to doubts about his suitability to the job.

Andrea Pirlo, who was only appointed coach of the Juventus under-23 team last month, has since been appointed to take charge at the Allianz Stadium.

Ronaldo urged everyone at Juve to use the short off-season for "critical thinking" so that they can return to satisfy fans' expectations.

While he did not mention Sarri or Pirlo specifically, the Portugal star made it clear the club now need to get things right.

"The 2019-20 season is over for us, much later than usual but yet sooner than we expected," Ronaldo wrote on Instagram.

"Now it's time for reflection, time to analyse the ups and downs because critical thinking is the only way to improve.

"A huge club such as Juventus must always think like the best in the world, work like the best in the world, so that we can call ourselves one of the best and biggest clubs in the world.

"Winning the Serie A once again in such a difficult year is something that we are very proud of. Personally, scoring 37 goals for Juventus and 11 for the Portuguese national team is something that makes me face the future with renewed ambition and desire to keep doing better and better each year.

"But the fans demand more from us. They expect more from us. And we have to deliver, we must live up to the highest expectations.

"May this short vacation break allow us all to make the best decisions for the future and come back stronger and more committed than ever. See you soon!"

Slovan Bratislava began the new season on a winning note after decimating hosts FC Nitra 5-0 at Stadion pod Zoborom, with Nigeria’s Rabiu Ibrahim finding the net.

Having won the 2019-20 Slovak Super Liga title, the Sky Blues came into Saturday’s game aspiring to commence their title defence on a winning note.

Zan Medved put the visitors ahead after twelve minutes. Poor communication between goalkeeper David Sipos and defender Oliver Podhorin saw the Slovenian slot inside an open net.

It was the turn of Ibrahim to double his side’s lead after 37 minutes – jabbing home a cross from Moroccan winger Moha who raced into Nitra’s backline. Five minutes later, Daniel Magda deflected the Nigerian’s shot into his own net.

On the stroke of halftime, David Strelec made it four for Jan Kozak jr’s men by tapping home Medved’s pass after capitalising on the hosts’ shaky defending.

Medved completed his brace in the 49th minute to help Slovan Bratislava race to a five-goal lead that put the game beyond Nitra.

Although the hosts had their own fair share of scoring opportunities, they were halted by impressive goalkeeper Michal Sulla who made a couple of beautiful saves.

After an impressive shift, Ibrahim was replaced by Nono in the 73rd minute while his compatriot Ezekiel Henty was not listed for the clash.

Also, Central African Republic’s Quentin Ngakoutou was not dressed for action.

Thanks to this win, Bratislava lead the league table with three points plus a superior goal difference. They welcome Zemplin Michalovce to the Tehelne pole on Tuesday, while Nitra chase their first win versus last season’s runners-up Zilina.

After a failed expedition at Genk, the Nigeria international joined the Slovaks in 2017 in a deal worth €1 million.

The pint-sized midfielder played a key role in helping Yemi Tella's Golden Eaglets win the 2017 U17 Fifa World Cup staged in South Korea. His only goal of the championship came in the opening game where Nigeria silenced France 2-1 inside Gwangyang Football Stadium.

On the professional scene, he has gone ahead to represent Sporting Lisbon, Real Massama, PSV, Celtic, Kilmarnock and Trencin.

Robert Lewandowski shut out thoughts surrounding individual records and fixed his focus on firing Bayern Munich past Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals after notching another brace in Saturday's triumph over Chelsea.

The Poland international improved his season goal tally to 53 in all competitions as he scored twice and assisted another two in a 4-1 victory at the Allianz Arena that saw Bayern advance from the last 16 as 7-1 aggregate winners.

Lewandowski now has 13 goals in seven Champions League appearances this term, four behind the record Cristiano Ronaldo set for a single season in 2013-14.

But the prolific 31-year-old striker insisted he is more interested in helping his side progress from next Friday's single-leg quarter-final in Lisbon, where Barca await following their 4-2 aggregate win over Napoli.

"It's not a target for me," Lewandowski told Sky Germany when asked about Ronaldo's record. "We have another knockout game to come and have to play really well as a team.

"The most important thing is to play well and reach the next round. We have to show as a team we are better [than Barcelona] in order to reach the semi-finals.

"Barcelona are always dangerous and play great football. We have to be at it from the first minute and show our quality. The better team will play in the next round."

Lewandowski played a direct part in every goal for Bayern in their 7-1 aggregate victory over Chelsea, having also scored one and set up a couple for Serge Gnabry in February's first leg at Stamford Bridge.

Head coach Hansi Flick was keen to praise his whole side and not just in-form Lewandowski, who has netted more times in 2019-20 than any other player in Europe's top five leagues.

"He scored twice, so it goes without saying what he can do," the Bayern boss said. "This is what makes us stand out as a team.

"I was very satisfied with the 90 minutes from everyone. We wanted to win the game and pick up from where we left off. 

"Chelsea have an exciting team and an incredible amount of speed. It would have been our fault if we let them into the game, but the first 30 minutes from us were great."

The only sour note for Bayern was the sight of Jerome Boateng hobbling off with an apparent knee injury in the second half, but Flick was hopeful the centre-back would be fit for next week's huge showdown with Barca.

"I don't think it is so bad for Jerome," he said. "That's the information I got from the medical staff. [Benjamin] Pavard is also trying everything to be ready.

"We will prepare for that game like any other. We want to show our strengths again and must be 100 per cent focused, not just on Lionel Messi but every player."

Barcelona head coach Quique Setien has backed Lionel Messi to make the cut for Bayern Munich after being felled during his side's Champions League last-16 victory over Napoli.

Goals from Clement Lenglet, Messi and Luis Suarez secured a 3-1 win for Barca at Camp Nou on Saturday and a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Barca were 3-0 up and had another goal through Messi disallowed for handball in the first half, and although Lorenzo Insigne's penalty shortly before the interval gave Napoli some hope, they could not find a way back into the contest against a resilient Blaugrana.

Indeed, Barca's biggest scare of the evening came when Messi went down from a heavy kick to his calf in winning a penalty against Kalidou Koulibaly, which Suarez stepped in to convert as his captain received treatment.

Setien, though, is confident the Argentine will be fit to face Bayern, who destroyed Chelsea 7-1 on aggregate, in Friday's quarter-final.

"He took a strong hit, but he looks okay. It'll need treatment but I don't think it'll be a problem," he told Movistar when quizzed on Messi's fitness.

"It'll be a really tough game. They have gone through a tie with a six-goal margin. They are an amazing team and it'll be a great game."

Setien insisted that Barca had their Champions League last-16 second leg against Napoli under perfect control - even though he was feeling nervous on the touchline.

Barca have endured nightmarish second-leg losses to Liverpool and Roma in the past two seasons, so Setien was particularly pleased with the manner of their performance when under pressure from Napoli, even if he could not always keep his anxiety in check.

"It was what we were looking for, to take the first step and to wait for the rest of the games with the same excitement with which we faced this one," he added.

"We were very good and we deserved the victory.

"It's true they had us compromised in the opening minutes. Napoli are a really good team - it's not easy to do what we've done. They're one of the best teams in Italy.

"We controlled it perfectly, we had a really good first half and in the second they were more in charge but they still didn't put us in much danger.

"A second goal would have given them a boost that could have threatened us. It's normal to be a little bit nervous, of course."

Barcelona and Bayern will meet on Friday in Lisbon's Estadio da Luz, with the winner set to face either Manchester City or Lyon in the last four.