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It was an honour to play alongside David Silva, according to former Manchester City defender Kolo Toure – who marvelled at how the Spain playmaker combined with his brother Yaya.

Silva will bring down the curtain on a 10-year City career when they conclude their 2019-20 campaign this month.

Friday's Champions League last-16 encounter with Real Madrid, for which Pep Guardiola's side hold a 2-1 advantage, could prove his final game in sky blue.

Silva won the first of his four Premier League titles in 2011-12, Toure's penultimate season at the Etihad Stadium before joining Liverpool, while the pair featured in the 2011 FA Cup run that concluded with City ending a 35-year trophy drought.

"We called him El Maestro," the former Arsenal centre-back told Stats Perform News. "He's a fantastic player, technically unbelievable. I loved to play with him, especially with Yaya.

"All you had to do was pass them the ball. Yaya would come next to you, to get the ball, then Yaya would see David ahead and send the ball up quickly and the attack was on."

Toure remarked upon how the diminutive Silva's capacity to sharply read the game helped him to negotiate the physical demands of the Premier League.

"David doesn't go to fight, he looks for gaps, for space to play between lines to help players," he explained. "He doesn't look for fights, he doesn't need that. He just looks to help players. It was an honour to play with him."

Silva's exit comes a year after long-serving captain Vincent Kompany called time on a decade with City, while Yaya Toure left in 2018 having proved similarly influential.

Toure has no doubt his younger sibling should be rightly recognised among the finest performers the Premier League has seen; a midfielder ranking alongside celebrated England duo Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

"Yaya at one point was the most influential player in the league," he added. "Scoring goals, making assists - scoring crucial goals.

"On the other side there are lots of things that have distracted his life, but Yaya is a legend in the Premier League, not just because he's my brother, but because he's a top player.

"Like Gerrard, Lampard. They were the best. He could score goals, pass, and run the game – a top player."

Lionel Messi has paid tribute to Real Madrid hero Iker Casillas following his retirement, insisting the shot stopper's "status as a legend of the game was secured long ago."

Casillas called time on an illustrious 22-year career on Tuesday, as he delivered a heartfelt message to his followers on social media announcing his decision.

He wrote on social media: “The most important thing is the path you travel and the people who accompany you, not the destination that it takes you. I think I can say, without hesitation, that this has been the right path and the dream destination. Thanks.”

Casillas served as Madrid's No 1 goalkeeper between 1999 and 2015, winning five La Liga titles and four European Cups, while also racking up 725 appearances for the club.

The 39-year-old also enjoyed unprecedented success on the international stage, helping Spain secure back-to-back European Championships with a 2010 World Cup triumph wedged in between.

Barcelona superstar Messi came up against Casillas on numerous occasions while he was at Santiago Bernabeu, with their battles in El Clasico destined to live long in the memory of supporters from both clubs.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner acknowledged the Spaniard's achievements after seeing him hang up his gloves, telling AS: "Iker is retiring today, but his status as a legend of the game was secured long ago - not just because he was one of La Liga's best players, but also because he won everything at international level."

Messi also addressed Casillas directly to thank the shot-stopper for bringing the best out of him, adding: "You’re a fantastic goalkeeper and were a really tough opponent, I have to say. Looking back, I think it was a really special rivalry that pushed us to reach new levels every time we came up against each other."

Casillas took on a new challenge in the Primeira Liga after leaving Madrid, signing a two-year contract with Porto.

The veteran keeper added another two league titles to his collection while featuring in 156 games in all competitions, before being struck down with a heart attack in May 2019.

The Madrid great moved into a coaching role at Porto after making a full recovery, and publicly expressed his desire to run for the presidency of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in March.

Casillas ended up withdrawing his candidacy amid the coronavirus outbreak, with his next role in the game set to begin back at the Bernabeu as an advisor to Madrid president Florentino Perez.

New Manchester City signing Ferran Torres has expressed his frustration at the Valencia hierarchy for how they handled his exit, insisting that he was told back in 2019 that he would be the fifth-choice winger at the club.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that Pep Guardiola's side had secured a £21 million ($27m) deal to sign the Spaniard, who is rated as one of Europe's top emerging talents.

Torres has, however, painted a bleak picture of his situation with the Liga side, insisting that he made the decision to leave after the club told him they weren't counting on him as an important first-team player heading into the 2019-20 season.

He told Marca when asked when he first thought about leaving: "I started thinking about it last summer after the European Under-19 Championship. The club told me personally that they weren't counting on me. They literally said that I was the fifth winger in the squad, that reinforcements were coming and other players from other positions were ahead of me.

"It was a very hard blow for me, but what was worse was that they even put me on the market and offered me to teams in Spain. There were calls from 12 La Liga clubs, including Levante and one Segunda Division club. That's when I started thinking about leaving.

"The problem is that there are people within the club and a few journalists who are determined to damage my image. I don't want to leave on bad terms because I'm a Valencia fan.

"When the club decided to put me in the first team I began to come under pressure and criticism. It wasn't just me, but they wanted to harm my representatives and my family.

"The same people who now campaign against me said then that I would fail, which hurt a lot at 17. I have to say that there were other journalists who treated me with love and respect. There are, though, club employees working to smear my image.

"I'm sure I can [return to Valencia one day]. I refuse to think otherwise. Even if there are crooked people. A lot of them won't be there in a few years and I'll have shown that I deserve to return."

Torres, who made 44 appearances in all competitions for Los Che during the 2019-20 season, also revealed the conditions involved for his contract renewal with the Liga club, prior to the agreement being reached with City.

He said: "One was for [Valencia owner] Peter Lim to be involved so that I knew I was important, another was to be captain as I had seen other clubs do, [Atletico Madrid] with Fernando Torres, for example, and the third was to be one of the highest paid players. I wanted two of the three, but none were fulfilled.

"I wanted to stay and I put forward the conditions to do so. They weren't above the club's means. I know they're not in the same position as big European clubs, but I was able to lead that project and wanted to be treated as such. The club didn't want to keep me."

The 21-year-old went on to discuss his indifferent relationship with club captain Dani Parejo, adding: "After three years I'm more mature and mentally stronger, but at 17, no. He's a great player but I never had a relationship with him.

"When I joined the first team at 17, a number of weeks passed before he said a simple 'good morning' to me. He wasn't a good captain with me. The worst of it came after [former Valencia head coach] Marcelino's departure when [Lee] Kang-in and I were seen as culprits in the dressing room and they stopped talking to us for weeks."

Bidvest Wits midfielder Thabang Monare has revealed how his friendship with Mamelodi Sundowns star Andile Jali is helping both of them to always be on their toes whenever taking to the field.  

The two players are likely to face each other when the Students visit the Brazilians in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup on Saturday night, and Monare admits they cannot avoid each other on the field. 

"Yes‚ we are very close friends and our rivalry on the field is healthy," Monare told Sowetan LIVE.

"It helps us to push each other so that we can be the best that we can be. We see it as part of pushing each other to the limits and competing against each other because of the position we play‚ we can’t avoid each other on the field," he said.

Jali is known as a tough-tackler but Monare said he will not pull out in a 50/50 situation with Jali just because they are close friends. 

"If there is a 50/50 situation during the match‚ I will go in to win the ball. That’s the way it is because we are competing for our teams," he continued. 

Monare recalled how the public came to know he was Jali's close friends after keeping it away from the fans for so long, including other players such as Lehlohonolo Majoro and Aubrey Ngoma.    

"Last time he called me out on social media and it got the attention of football fans.

"It was the first time he took our little personal attacks on WhatsApp to the public. We always chatted on our WhatsApp group which includes other good friends Aubrey Ngoma and Lehlohonolo Majoro," he added. 

"It is a funny group and before matches they will be telling us how they are going to smash us and we will be doing the same," 

The Malahleni-born midfielder has, however, admitted that they have not talked about the upcoming game but said Jali won't hear the end of it if Wits beat Sundowns and seal their passage to the Nedbank Cup final.   

"We haven’t really discussed the game but deep down we do know that we will be coming against each other. There is always that talk about us whenever Sundowns plays against Wits and this time is no different‚" he said.

"I know that he (Jali) wants to win and I also want to win. I have not won against him and I am dying to beat him because he will never hear the end of it.

"It is the same with him when Sundowns have beaten us‚ he talks about it a lot to try to get to me. That is also part of the motivation and he will not hear the end of it if we win on Saturday.”

Toulouse midfielder Max Gradel rejected an offer from Arsenal to start his professional career with Leicester City in League One because they presented different assurances.

The 32-year-old had a four-month trial with the Gunners, but snubbed a scholarship offer to continue his development in North London. However, he opted to join the Leicester City academy with the promise of getting his professional career started at the club.

Gradel signed his first professional contract with the Foxes in 2007 and he spent four years at the club before completing a permanent move to Leeds United in 2010.

“One was the chance to become a professional footballer,” he told the Athletic when asked about the Arsenal snub.

“That’s the point — not just a footballer but a professional footballer. It was my dream and having a scholarship didn’t mean as much. Lots of players with scholarships don’t make it.”

During his stint at Leicester City, the Ivory Coast international was loaned out to Bournemouth in 2007-08 and Leeds United in the 2009-10 season.

The 32-year-old recalled how desperate he was to play at Elland Road by paying for his hotel accommodation.

“I was ready to use my own money. The club didn’t make me pay in the end but I was ready to do it,” he said.

“In Africa, the way we are and the way we think, we don’t need much to make things happen.

“To play in the street, you need a street and a ball. That’s it. So we played football all the time and every day.”

Toulouse are resigned to losing Gradel this summer following their relegation to Ligue 2, bringing an end to his two-year stay at the club.

The former Saint-Etienne midfielder did not hide his aspiration to return to Leeds United for their Premier League campaign next season, and he also expressed his admiration for Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa.

“He looks crazy and they tell you he’s crazy but he’s not,” Gradel said of Bielsa. “To me, he knows exactly what he’s doing. I don’t know him but I know this.

“There’s always a chance. While you’re still playing, there’s always a chance. Leeds are family. Leeds are Leeds. If it was to happen one day, I couldn’t be happier.”

Manchester City are "more than a match" for Real Madrid but they must be wary of Karim Benzema's threat in the final third, says Joleon Lescott.

City will welcome Madrid to Etihad Stadium on Friday for the second-leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, with the aggregate score currently standing at 2-1.

Pep Guardiola's men earned a famous win at Santiago Bernabeu in February thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin de Bruyne, and only need a draw in Manchester to progress to the quarter-finals.

The Blancos put that disappointment behind them to clinch a 34th La Liga title last month after an impressive run of form post-coronavirus lockdown, as they won 10 of their final 11 fixtures to dethrone Barcelona.

Madrid are still confident of a comeback against City as they bid for a domestic and European double, with Casemiro pointing out that Zinedine Zidane's men could benefit from the reverse fixture being played behind closed doors.

Lescott acknowledges the fact that the Spanish champions will provide a stern challenge even without their suspended captain Sergio Ramos, with it his belief that Benzema is the man to watch for his old club.

The former City defender says it will be crucial for Guardiola's men to keep the Frenchman quiet on the night, but also believes they are capable of producing another stellar performance against Madrid to progress to the last eight.

"Sergio Ramos is going to be a big miss for Real Madrid and they could look back on his red card as the defining moment in these games," Lescott told Football Index.

"Eden Hazard might well be back, but Benzema is still Real Madrid’s biggest threat. I don’t think Benzema gets enough credit for the number of goals he has scored consistently over a long period of time for the club.

"I think Varane is the best central defender in the world, alongside [Aymeric] Laporte and [Virgil] Van Dijk. Real Madrid have a lot of talent and accomplished world stars throughout their team, but Manchester City are more than a match for them.

"No-one will want to face Manchester City in the Champions League and that’s a big compliment for any team in an elite competition."

Lescott thinks City will ultimately prove too strong for Zidane's outfit despite the fact that they have benefitted from three weeks off since their last outing against Leganes.

"I see Manchester City beating Real Madrid again and progressing to the next round of the Champions League," he said. "It’s going to be tough, but the result in the first leg means Real Madrid know they need to score at least twice to stand a chance. I think that plays into Manchester City’s hands.

"It’s going to be a very different game to the first leg because Real Madrid are now in a much better place with more confidence having just won La Liga and playing well since the restart. The Real Madrid players have benefitted from a holiday before this game too."

Lescott added on City needing to win the Champions League to salvage their season: "I think by the standards that Manchester City and Guardiola, in particular, have set, the club needs to win the Champions League for this season to be considered a success.

"Manchester City have become accustomed to winning the Premier League and dominating the domestic cups, but they’ve fallen well short of Liverpool in the league and lost disappointingly to Arsenal in the FA Cup.

"The Champions League is a massive competition for Manchester City, If they were to go on and win the Champions League, that would be huge and we’d suddenly be looking at arguably the best season in the club’s history."

Police FC have intensified their transfer activities after landing the services of goalkeeper Oloka Sammon.

The 23-year-old has agreed to join the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side after putting pen to paper on a three-year contract which has an option for extension.

Police have confirmed the arrival of Sammon on their social media pages by stating: “Police have acquired the services of 23-year-old keeper Oloka [Sammon] in a move to strengthen the department next season.

"Oloka put pen to paper on a three-year-deal at our offices in Kibuli, with an option for extension.”

On signing the new deal, Sammon told the media: “I really feel great joining Police. It was one of my aspirations to play in the top league. I am going to give it my best and the team should expect a good performance.”

Police CEO Fahad Lumu, who was present when the transfer was sealed, welcomed the player to ‘the Cops’ by saying: “He is young blood joining the club with a lot to learn and a new talent to look out for.

“With the 15 clean sheets kept from his former club, he will be an asset in our goalkeeping department.”

Goalkeeping coach Richard Kansole also spoke highly of the new signing by saying: “We are equipping our department to make it competitive in the coming season. The two signings [Oloka and Ikara] will be instrumental to the club and we have hope in them.”

Before signing for Police, Sammon previously turned out for Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) regional league teams, Lukaya Town Council Football club, and Northern Elephant.

He managed to keep 15 clean sheets with Lukaya Town in the previous season attracting scouts in the process.

His arrival comes just a week after the club beat UPL champions Vipers SC and URA FC to the services of another experienced keeper Tom Ikara.

Ikara was a target for the two giants but opted to sign for the ambitious Police side, who have also captured the services of former Uganda Cranes midfielder Tony Mawejje.

Gor Mahia electoral board chairman Henry Ogoye has promised the polling exercise will take a record five minutes.

The Green Army’s registered members are expected to vote for the vice-chairman and the honorary treasurer since Ambrose Rachier stands elected as chairman as no one showed interest to challenge him for the influential position.

Sam Ochola will become the new secretary-general as he also did not receive any challenger in the August 8 elections.

The virtual elections are expected to be carried out by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), the only body allowed to conduct online elections.

“We have decided to issue the code a day to the elections so as to address any issue that will arise and put to test the integrity of the whole process,” Ogoye said as was quoted by Nation Sports.

“We have completed the coding of candidates and all the voters. Those are the two important components of the virtually held polls.

“I can assure you the exercise will be free and fair. It will take a record five minutes to know the results.”

Ogoye further detailed how sensitive the process will be as only the registered members are expected to take part in the matter.

“A voter should not share his code because it cannot be used to vote on his behalf,” the chair added.

“The code is synchronised since it will ask for the Identity number which must correspond to the Mpesa SMS. The link will be shared on the last day.”

Meanwhile, dissatisfied members have yet again reiterated their desire to have the elections stopped.

Through their lawyer Omondi Omollo, the members had laid down their demands of how they wanted the polls to be conducted.

They contested some of the eligibility requirements from candidates and said if their prayers were not going to be addressed, they are ready to petition the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) to stop the polls altogether.

“Saturday is still far,” Omollo said. “We are still working on our case and we will be heading there any time before the date of elections.”

Judith Nyangi, who has an interest in the honorary treasurer post, has publicly claimed the requirements for candidates to possess a degree are meant to lock her out of the race.

However, Rachier maintained the eligibility test were applied to help the club elect competent officials.

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has taken a swipe at AFC Leopards for their repeated declaration they are keen to sign Peter Thiong’o.

The attacking midfielder has also on many occasions openly stated he would love to leave Homeboyz for a new challenge and Ingwe have come out as one of the teams keen to acquire his services.

However, Shimanyula has now told Goal Thiong’o is a Homeboyz player and will not leave the club and went on further to accuse AFC Leopards of unsettling the player.

“AFC Leopards are simply broke and cannot afford to buy Peter [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.

“The problem with [Thiong’o] is that he is a young boy who has gotten carried away with telling his stories to the media, I guess he likes to be seen in the newspapers and online all the time, he has not approached us that he wants to leave and I don’t think he will leave this season.

“I have just seen rumours AFC Leopards are interested but honestly speaking, they don’t have money to pay for his services, I know they cannot afford him so we should not discuss the player anyway.”

Thiong’o was part of the Homeboyz squad that did exceptionally well in the 2019-20 campaign where they almost beat Gor Mahia to the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title before the season ended prematurely owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

After ending the season, Gor Mahia were declared champions on 54 points, while Homeboyz finished second, seven points behind and they still had a game in hand.

Shimanyula is still adamant Gor Mahia were lucky to be crowned champions for the third season in a row as his side were in a very good position to beat them to the title before the pandemic.

“Gor Mahia should always thank their God because were it not for Covid-19, Homeboyz were primed to lift the crown,” Shimanyula continued.

“We only needed to win our remaining matches and I knew Gor Mahia was to lose because they still had tough matches to play, adding that to the game we still had in hand, then we were the favourites to win the title, not Gor Mahia.”

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is yet to confirm when the new season will kick-off.

Tusker defender Eugene Asike has revealed how he misses football action since the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) was suspended due to the coronavirus.

With a case at Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) lodged by KPL and Chemelil Sugar against the Football Kenya Federation's (FKF) move to cancel the league, the fate of the competition remains undecided.

The recent extension of public gathering by President Uhuru Kenyatta also raised concerns on when the next campaign could start.

Kenya's neighbours Uganda and Tanzania have already given tentative dates for the start of the 2020/21 season as October 17 and September 6 respectively.

"I miss the smell of wet grass, the nostalgia of pre-match adrenaline, the hard tackles and everything that comes with this beautiful game of football," Asike tweeted.

Meanwhile, Vihiga United striker Lawrence Luvanda has revealed how his short stint at AFC Leopards almost discouraged him from football.

Luvanda played a key part after Vihiga United were relegated at the end of the 2018/19 season and finished third when FKF cancelled the National Super League (NSL) this year.

Vihiga United will face off with Kisumu All-Stars in the play-offs to determine the side that will earn a KPL slot.

“When I completed Form Four at Chavakali High School, having captained the school team for two years, I had a lot of expectations,” Luvanda told The Star.

“I found myself at AFC Leopards but it was hard to compete with experienced and talented players which relegated me into a bench warmer.

“This affected me badly. However, some club officials and senior players encouraged me and asked me to remain patient and work hard but when the opportunity to join Vihiga United on loan came, I couldn’t hesitate.”

The club’s team manager Nick Yakhama revealed he has complete faith on the striker and said he is destined for bigger things in future.

“I believe Luvanda has what it takes to play at the top level if he maintains discipline and hard work. At his young age, he is on the right course. Let him learn from others and gather enough experience,” the former Kenya international said.

Luvanda, Dennis Wafula and Mike Isabwa formed a rather formidable striking unit for the Vihiga county club.

Adama Traore "could easily play for Manchester City or Liverpool", according to Joleon Lescott, who has talked up the talents of the Wolves talisman.

Traore has been a bright spark for Wolves since moving to Molineux from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018.

The 24-year-old has built on an encouraging first year with the club to establish himself as a key member of Nuno Espirito Santo's squad this season.

Traore has featured in 52 games for Wolves in 2019-20, scoring six goals while also providing 12 assists.

His performances helped the team secure a seventh-place Premier League finish, and he will be back in contention for a place in Santo's line up when they take on Olympiacos in their Europa League round of 16 second-leg tie on Thursday.

Traore has impressed enough to attract a number of high profile potential suitors, including Liverpool, Man City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Lescott certainly believes the talented attacker has the ability to play for one of England's top two clubs, after seeing him hone his skills at Molineux and add a "final product" to his game.

The former City defender told Football Index: "Adama Traore has the ability to play for any side in club football. Traore could easily play for a Manchester City or Liverpool. I have never seen such speed and strength on a football pitch before.

"Before this season, there were question marks over his game management and his final product, but he has really improved over the last 12 months.

"Traore has simplified his game and has taken his foot off the pedal. He used to sprint at his absolute fastest to beat defenders which meant he had no time to deliver a telling cross or shot.

"He now beats defenders only running at 80% which has given him that extra bit of time he needs to make the position count with a goal or assist. He was a star in the Premier League this season."

One man who now looks destined to complete a move to City is Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake, with Goal reporting that a £40 million ($52m) deal will likely be finalised in the coming days.

Lescott thinks the 25-year-old will be valuable addition to Pep Guardiola's ranks due to a combination of his Premier League experience and technical ability.

"I think Nathan Ake would be a very good signing for Manchester City if he does sign," the former England international added. "He’s an established Premier League defender and while Bournemouth were relegated, Ake has proven to be more than capable at this level.

"He probably didn’t perform as well this season as he would have liked, but he rarely has a bad game and his decision making is excellent. He loves to defend and he is comfortable on the ball so I could see him settling in well at Manchester City."

Rangers defender Leon Balogun has been named in the Scottish Premiership Team of the Week after his impressive debut on Saturday.

The Nigeria international who moved to Scotland at the end of the Championship season with Wigan Athletic, helped the Gers defeat Aberdeen 1-0 in their maiden game in the 2020-21 season.

Balogun was handed his first start at the Pittodrie Stadium as Ryan Kent's 21st-minute goal separated both teams to get the visitors off to a flying start.

The 32-year-old defender was in action from start to finish in the fixture and he made the most clearances (3) for the Gers. He also completed one tackle.

Celtic right-back Jeremie Frimpong was recognised in the weekly team selection after helping the defending league champions begin their new campaign with a commanding 5-1 win against Hamilton Academy on Sunday.

Apart from his defensive role, the player of Ghanaian descent contributed to the Bhoys’ attack on the right flank and he was able to score a goal in the rout of their visitors at Celtic Park.

Also included in the Team of the Week are Motherwell goalkeeper Trevor Carson, Hibernian duo Martin Boyle and Ryan Porteous, Celtic duo Odsonne Edouard and Greg Taylor, Ross County's Ross Stewart, St. Mirren's Jamie McGrath, St Johnstone's Liam Craig and Dundee United's Ian Harkes.

Balogun is not eligible to play for Rangers in Thursday's Europa League round of 16 return fixture against Bayer Leverkusen. However, the former Brighton and Hove Albion defender will be hoping to help Steven Gerrard's side build on their fine start to the season when they host St. Mirren at Ibrox Stadium for their next Premiership match on Sunday.

Kagera Sugar coach Mecky Maxime has offered himself for the vacant role at Young Africans (Yanga SC).

The Jangwani Street-based giants are in the market for a new coach after they fired Belgian Luc Eymael.

Maxime, who guided Kagera to a top-eight finish in the just-concluded season after they accumulated 59 points, has openly come out to state he will not mind replacing the fired Belgian in the hot seat.

“I am still attached to Kagera Sugar but will not mind if they [Yanga] come for my services,” Maxime is quoted by Sokaletu.

“If they come for my services, I will be readily available, I will take up the job, if all goes well, and they give me a good contract, I will definitely take up the job and strive to do well with the club.”

On Wednesday, Yanga continued with their reshuffle as the club has let go of key members of the technical bench.

First assistant coach Boniface Mkwasa and goalkeeping coach Peter Manyika are the latest to end their association with the Dar es Salaam-based club.

Mkwasa and Manyika’s exits follow the recent decision to part ways with 14 players that included captain Papy Tshishimbi and striker David Molinga.

Others dropped are 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.

Surprisingly, the club has retained controversial Ghanaian forward Bernard Morrison, who has missed training since the team suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat against rivals Simba SC in the FA Cup semi-final clash and was since arrested under suspicion of marijuana possession.

Yanga have been the busiest Mainland Premier League side since TFF opened the transfer window on August 1.

They have so far signed highly-rated defender Bakari Mwmanyeto, left-back Yassin Mustapha, striker Waziri Junior and midfielder Peter Zawadi Mauya.

Yanga finished a distant second to Kariakoo arch-rivals Simba SC and their new signings together with the expected new technical bench is a suggestion they are building and hoping for a better 2020/21 campaign.

Next season will start on September 6.

India national team players will have to submit a 'training consent' form before they join the preparatory camp, that is expected to start next month, for the World Cup qualifiers under coach Igor Stimac, Goal has learnt. 

According to the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) athletes are required to declare that they are voluntarily joining the training session in spite of being aware of the prevalent Coronavirus situation. 

The consent form requires the athletes to "acknowledge the risks associated with resuming training at the centre under the present Covid-19 pandemic situation."

The rest of the points in the consent form are:

1. I hereby acknowledge that the risks involved, necessary precautions and protocols for resumption of training have been duly informed to me by _______ (name of National Sports Federation (NSF)) and the centre.

2. I hereby acknowledge the centre cannot guarantee the complete elimination of risks posed by COVID-19 through the implementation of the precautions and protocols identified by the centre.

3. I hereby declare that I am willing to resume training at the centre on my own consent without the influence of any other party and I shall adhere to suggested safety precautions and protocols at the centre. 

The NSFs are also required to sign an undertaking, where they are also acknowledging the risks of resuming training in the current scenario, declared that they have studied the SOP in detail and that they will adhere to the protocols of the SOP and government orders.

Premier League players had also provided written confirmation that they agree to their club's new safety measures before they returned to group training in May. 

SAI has permitted 11 disciplines to resume outdoor training following relaxations in the lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. However, football has been kept out of the ambit. 

According to the current schedule announced by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), India are set to host Qatar on October 8 before facing Bangladesh away from home on November 12. Their last group stage fixture against Afghanistan is set to be played on November 17 at home.

But these dates were subject to how the Coronavirus situation unfolded across Asia and the travel regulations, as applicable to each country. However, given the increase in the number of cases in many countries, AFC might end up tweaking the dates and changing the venues.

They might consider holding the remaining matches at centralised venues in each of the groups. It could well see matches in each group being played at one venue in one of the countries in that group. 

India are currently placed fourth in Group E with three points from five matches. Qatar top the table with 13 points while Oman are hot on their heels with 12. India are virtually out of contention for the top two spots but a third-place finish is well within the reach of the Blue Tigers. That will book them a direct berth in the third round for the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers. 

India lost narrowly to Oman at home before pulling holding Asian champions Qatar to a goalless draw. The inspiring result was followed by two more draws and a loss against Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Oman respectively. 

On first glance, Paris Saint-Germain’s reported interest in Andre Ayew may seem far-fetched, but it may prove to be an astute move for the French giants.

It’s an issue that divides this week’s African Football HQ podcast, with Ed Dove and Malek Shafei unable to agree on whether or not there would be any sense in the Ghana forward moving to the Parc des Princes.

For Malek, the rumours are nonsense; surely the French champions wouldn’t be interested in a 30-year-old who’s currently in the second tier of English football, having failed to secure promotion for Swansea City.

However, PSG’s signing of Cameroon’s Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting from Stoke City sets a precedent, and he could be—at least—a valuable squad player capable of making the difference in Ligue 1.

For Dove, the Black Star—who scored 16 goals and contributed seven assists this term—still has an awful lot to offer, and at a rumoured €5 million, could be one of the bargains of the summer for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

However, how would Olympique de Marseille fans respond to one of their golden boys signing for their sworn rivals?

Also up for discussion this week, the pod dissect Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s performance in the FA Cup final, as he netted twice and became the first African player to lead a team out in English football’s traditional season closer.

It’s a magnificent landmark for African football, as the continent’s stars continue to enjoy increasing prominence at the highest levels of the European game.

What remains to be seen, however, is whether Aubameyang’s double in the final—and him finally getting his hands on silverware—can translate to a sustained stay at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta appears confident, but his performance against Chelsea will have only reminded Europe’s biggest clubs of his enduring class.

Also on the agenda, we discuss the end of the season in Tanzania—and Simba SC’s dominance—as well as preview some of the African stars set to feature in the Europa League and Champions League as those two competitions return to action this week.

We also focus on Glasgow Rangers and their African contingent, while discussing the futures of the likes of Siphiwe Tshabalala, Ismaila Sarr and Aissa Mandi.

Antonio Rudiger says Chelsea will miss Willian should he ultimately decide to leave the club on a free transfer and compared the Brazilian winger's abilities to former Blues talisman Eden Hazard.

Chelsea next face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on August 8 but have an uphill task to reach the quarter-finals after a 3-0 defeat in the home leg back in February.

And the match at the Allianz Arena is likely to be Willian's last for the Stamford Bridge club, with him having rejected a new contract offer  and  Arsenal having been heavily linked with signing him when his contract expires.

Having arrived in the Premier League in 2017, Rudiger was welcomed into the dressing room by the 31-year-old and he says he'll miss the winger should he leave in the summer.

"Since day one of coming to Chelsea, he and David Luiz got me into the team and helped me out in the first couple of months because it was not that easy," the Germany international told reporters.

"He is a great guy and a really, really good footballer. He is calm and humble and it will be sad if I don’t see him again as a team-mate. He is not the type of player who talks that much.

"He does his thing on the pitch, just like Eden Hazard. By playing, he shows what he is about. He is a guy who dictates the game and not many players in the world have this type of quality.

"He is always training [hard] and practicing free-kicks after. He is someone who always wants to improve."

Willian helped Chelsea to a top-four finish in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season and Rudiger has praised the work done by Frank Lampard in what is his first season in charge of the west Londoners.

He added: "To be honest, he is not like [Antonio] Conte or someone who, when you lose games, will rant at you. Of course, the coach is a bit quieter in the way that he says things. But the most important thing is that he gets to the point, and he does.

"We are all grown men and everyone can hear what the coach has said. I think he dealt very well with that pressure and kept us alive. Even if it went good or bad, he always kept us alive.

"For me, it is about the human being I am talking too. It is not only because someone wins titles. Of course, it can help because he is an open-minded coach and you can ask him about the times when he was playing.

"He knows the pressure and what the people want to see at this club. He knows about those pressure games, finals and everything."

Kasper Schmeichel's "biggest dream" is to join Manchester United, according to his ex-Manchester City team-mate Mikkel Bischoff, who says the Leicester goalkeeper "will do anything to get to" Old Trafford.

Schmeichel has enjoyed a stellar career in English football over the past 15 years, which began when he graduated to City's senior squad in 2005.

The Denmark international spent four years at Etihad Stadium but ultimately failed to earn the No 1 jersey after a string of loan spells away from the club.

He ended up joining Notts County in 2009 and spent one season at Meadow Lane before joining Leeds United, where he did enough to attract the attention of Leicester.

The Foxes snapped Schmeichel up on a three-year contract in June 2011 and he has since made 378 appearances for the club, becoming a Premier League winner in the process.

The 2019-20 campaign has been another strong one for the 33-year-old, who recorded 13 clean sheets to help Brendan Rodgers' side finish fifth in the top-flight.

Schmeichel is now being linked with a move to United, with his only previous affiliation to the club coming due to his father Peter's status as an Old Trafford legend.

The Red Devils' current first choice keeper David de Gea has allowed errors to creep into his game this term which have cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men valuable points on several occasions.

United have been urged to replace the Spaniard before the 2020-21 campaign gets underway, and Bischoff insists that Schmeichel won't hesitate to jump ship if he gets a call from the Manchester outfit in the coming weeks.

The ex-City centre-back, who was on the books at the Etihad between 2001 and 2006, told Ekstra Bladet: “United will certainly not be deterred by his [Schmeichel's] age of 33 years. The most successful goalkeepers at the club in recent years have been well into their thirties. He can easily play three or four good years there.

“Schmeichel is a huge United fan. He always has been and always will be, it will be the biggest dream come true if he were to succeed [in joining United].

“If Kasper gets the opportunity to play just ten games for United, then he jumps. It’s simply so big for him. He is such a big fan that he will do anything to get to that club.”

Bafana Bafana attacker Percy Tau has officially completed a season-long loan move to Anderlecht from Brighton & Hove Albion. 

The club confirmed Tau's arrival on Wednesday morning after weeks of speculation they were interested in the former Mamelodi Sundowns star. 

Tau enjoyed spells with Royale Union Saint-Gillioise and Club Brugge over the past two years in Belgium.

Anderlecht sporting director Peter Verbeke spoke highly of Tau but admitted the attacker will need time to adapt to his new surroundings for the bigger role he's earmarked to play in the upcoming season. 

"Percy is a player who already knows our capital and the league," Verbeke told the club's website.

"He is a creative, technically strong, fast and agile player, he can play in various attacking positions.

"In addition, he has already demonstrated that he can be efficient and decisive. Due to a lack of preparation, we just have to give him some time to be important for us, but we are of course happy with his added value to our squad," he concluded.

Speaking to the club's website after putting pen to paper, Tau said Anderlecht's style of play suits his style of play and he has vowed to contribute positively to the club's success during his loan stint. 

"I am part of a team that always wants to play good and attacking football. That suits me perfectly. RSCA plays my style of football. We are made for each other. I will do everything I can to contribute to this team and guide the club back to where it belongs: to the top of Belgian football," said the Witbank-born attacker. 

After two successful loan stints with Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge, Tau's camp worked hard to earn him a move to the Premier League but those plans were not achieved.