Looking for Soccer News?

Rwanda international Patrick Sibomana has bid farewell to Young Africans (Yanga SC) after he was released by the club on Monday.

Sibomana was among the 14 players released by the Jangwani Street-based giants, who are in a restructuring process after missing out on silverware in the just-concluded 2019-20 campaign.

“I thank the management, teammates, and fans who supported me during my time with Yanga. It was a great time and I had the best memories here,” Sibomana told New Times.

“Unfortunately, I will not be part of the team next season, but I will forever wish the best for the club. I will take a few days to rest and refresh before thinking about my next destination.”

New Times has also reported the player has already entered talks to sign for Rwandan club SC Kiyovu.

On Monday, Yanga sent packing 14 players among them former Gor Mahia striker Gnamien Yikpe, who took much criticism last season, alongside captain Papy Tshishimbi, who refused to renew his contract and Congolese 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.

Other players retained include Kenyan keeper Farouk Shikhalo, Metacha Mnata, Ramadhan Kabwili, Haruna Niyonzima, Lamine Moro, Bernard Morrison, Feisal Salum, Juma Mahadhi, Adeyum Saleh, Said Makapu, Balama Mapinduzi, Deus Kaseke, Ditram Nchimbi, Abdulaziz Makame and Paul Godfrey.

The Jangwani Street-based giants have already signed four players – defender Bakari Mwamnyeto from Coastal Union, striker Waziri Junior from Mbao FC, left-back Yassin Mustapha from Polisi Tanzania and midfielder Peter Mauya from Kagera Sugar.

The Timu ya Wananchi have also been linked to a number of foreign-players, including Kenyans Jesse Were and John Makwatta, who play for Zesco United, Sven Yidah of Kariobangi Sharks, Erick Rutanga of Rayon Sports and Mukoko Tonombe of AS Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Former Orlando Pirates head coach Roger De Sa believes Lucas Radebe should be the next president of the South African Football Association (Safa).

The 55-year-old backed Radebe to replace Danny Jordaan as Safa president due to his experience as a former professional footballer. 

Radebe was ineligible to run for the top job in 2018 as he didn’t meet the requirement and Jordaan was re-elected unopposed after Ace Ncobo withdrew from the presidential election race.

The organisation's electoral code states the candidate needs to have served in the Safa structures for a period of five years in the lead up to the election

However, the former Bafana Bafana captain, Radebe had only served in the technical committee alongside Farouk Khan, Buti Mathathe, Anna Nyman, Neil Tovey and Natasha Tsichlas. 

When speaking to the South African Football Journalists Association (Safja), De Sa explained Safa needs a great influencer like Radebe, who had a successful playing career. 

“We need people that can speak like Lucas with a lot of experience to head the federation," De Sa told Daily Sun.

"He also made his name in Europe, but does he want it [the job]? I doubt it. He will be a great leader in football. He would probably need to have a good team around him.”

Radebe won trophies with Kaizer Chiefs, before moving to English side Leeds United where he achieved legendary status and he was also part of the Bafana team which clinched the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title.

De Sa is now a football administrator as he is serving as the general manager at National First Division (NFD) club Cape Umoya United.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper said Safa should look to emulate Cricket South Africa (CSA) which is run by a retired professional cricketer, Graeme Smith, who is the former Proteas captain.

“It’s nice to see ex-professionals lead the game. Graeme Smith [Director of Cricket at Cricket SA] is now doing it in cricket, so we need others [former players] to lead football," he added.

The next Safa elections are set to take place in 2023 and it remains to be seen whether Jordaan will run for a third term. 

Radebe has previously admitted his interest in taking over the Safa presidency, but he will have to meet the requirements .

Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga SC) have 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 last season’s top scorer David Molinga.

The team had also sacked head coach Luc Eymael, who had been with them for just half a season, for demeaning comments he made towards their fans and the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF).

“The reshuffle means our assistant coach [Boniface] Mkwasa will leave because his contract has ended and we have jointly agreed he is going to leave the club,” Yanga’s Competitions Committee’s chair Dominic Albinus told Mwanaspoti.

“Goalkeeping coach [Peter] Manyika will also leave but our team manager Abeid Mziba and kits manager Fred Mbuna will exchange roles in the team.

“The club would like to thank and appreciate them [Mkwasa and Manyika] for the services they rendered for us during their period of service.

“They are still part of the Yanga family but because of one or more reasons as I have already explained, we arrived at the joint decision.”

The reshuffle means the current composition of Yanga consists of just foreigners as Manyika and Mkwasa were the only Tanzanians.

“In the senior team, we will continue to have Reidoh Berdien and Fareed Cassim as our assistant fitness coach and the team doctor respectively,” added Albinus.

“The duo will work with the new head coach and the technical bench that we are going to unveil soon.”

The two who have been retained are South Africans.

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.

Gareth Bale is in the top three players in the world at his best, according to Casemiro, who insists the Welshman is still "very important" to Real Madrid.

Bale's position at Santiago Bernabeu has been the subject of much speculation since Zinedine Zidane's return to the club in March 2019.

The 31-year-old was touted for a big-money move to China last summer having initially been deemed surplus to requirements by the Frenchman, but his manager ultimately performed a U-turn which saw the deal fall through at the eleventh hour.

Bale has since found himself restricted to a bit-part role in the Madrid squad, making just 20 appearances across all competitions this season.

The Wales international cut an awkward figure during the club's La Liga title celebrations last month, and it has been suggested that his time in the Spanish capital will soon end.

Ex-Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy has been among those to advise Bale to return to north London and rediscover his "passion" for the game, while Manchester United has also been mooted as a possible next destination for the winger.

However, Casemiro is adamant his out-of-favour team mate still has a future at the Bernabeu, and that he remains fully committed to the cause ahead of their return to Champions League action later this week.

"He's working," the Brazilian told Esporte Interativo. "He knows it's not the best time in his career, but he has our support, that of the coach and of the club.

"He's very important for us, he can spring a surprise at any time and he's already shown that. He's a decisive player who scores goals in Champions League finals.

"We have to be honest and say that he's not at his best, but when he is he's incredible and in the top three in the world. I have a lot of love for him and that's why I try to take care of him as much as I can."

Bale will be in contention for a place in Zidane's squad when the Blancos arrive at Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on Friday, where they will be aiming to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit to progress to the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League.

After several months of uncertainty, Kenya international Johanna Omolo has finally extended his stay with Cercle Brugge.

The Harambee Stars midfielder had run down his contract with the Flemish club at the end of June and was yet to renew the same with his future remaining unknown.

However, the Belgian club has now confirmed on their official website they have extended the stay of the Kenyan star for another one year.

The statement confirmed: “Johanna Omolo has signed a new contract. The 31-year-old Kenyan international signed a new one-season deal and is entering his fourth football year at Cercle.”

Omolo had featured for Brugge for the last three seasons managing to feature in 59 matches. Omolo who is capped 19 times for the national team, Harambee Stars, featured in 12 matches for the club in the 2019-20 campaign.

On signing the deal, Omolo said: “This new contract is a great feeling. It clicked well with the coach, and it is also nice that I can play football for a long time here. I hope that we can achieve our ambitions in this period as a club, but I am anyway confident I made the right choice.”

Omolo was an important link in the Cercle team in 2018, which clinched the league title to earn promotion to the top-flight.

Omolo scored the lone goal for Kenya as they battled to 1-1 draw against Togo in 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

He has featured for several clubs in Kenya, Belgium, and Luxembourg among them Coast Stars, Vise, Fola Esch, Beerschot, and Lommel United, and received his first call-up to Harambee Stars’ in September 2010, making his debut for the country in 2011.

In 2019, Omolo won the prestigious Fifpro Merit Award for his community work in Dandora through his foundation. The award came with a Ksh2.5 million cash prize.

Started in 2017, the Johanna Omolo Foundation has been supporting kids in Dandora, where the Belgium-based player grew up, through education scholarships, mentorship, and entrepreneurship programmes, providing sanitary pads to teenage girls among many other initiatives meant to uplift the livelihoods of the youth of the informal settlement in Nairobi.

Omolo is also a member of Common Goal, a charitable organisation that draws willing professional footballers and coaches to donate 1 percent of their wages to non-governmental organisations working in football.

All the buzz that Odion Ighalo’s extended stay at Manchester United generated at the start of June has slowly faded in the last two months owing to the striker’s lack of appearances.

Having played a somewhat significant part in the FA Cup and Europa League before the lockdown, the Shanghai Shenhua loanee had little play time after the restart. The Nigerian got only 61 minutes on the pitch despite the intense scheduling in the Red Devils’ Premier League run-in, which may have disappointed supporters of the former Watford man.

In truth, while there was always the understanding that Ighalo wouldn’t be first choice, especially after Marcus Rashford’s return gave the team more attacking options, those willing the striker on hoped he’d get some time on the pitch given the frenzied run of matches.

Admittedly, he had barely featured in the Prem before football’s suspension in March but circumstances as regards scheduling of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team’s remaining nine games, played within five weeks from mid-June to late July, meant he was a viable option in some fixtures.

However, the ex-Nigeria frontman was at a disadvantage when it became obvious the club’s Norwegian boss was throwing all he had into Man United’s fight to end in the top four. This was ultimately accomplished as the red half of Manchester ended joint-third just above Chelsea on goal difference.

Indeed, Solskjaer took huge risks choosing to start the same XI for five games on the trot against Sheffield United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Southampton, risking burnout in their run-in. Ighalo got cameos in four of those games, before being an unused substitute in the team’s 2-2 draw with the Saints at Old Trafford.

It was significant that in the quartet of brief appearances, United had established unassailable leads thus allowing the 1999 Champions League winner rest his key players. When the going got tough, however, he was reluctant to turn to the Nigerian and other fringe players indicating a worry in the drop-off in quality between the starters and substitutes.

The threat of fatigue told in their performances toward the end of the season as United tended to start slowly before their superior quality eventually saw them overpower the opposition. They conceded early against the Cherries before winning 5-2 and the woodwork saved them from falling behind at Villa Park in their 3-0 success.

They didn’t quite get lucky against Southampton while Crystal Palace were in the game at Selhurst Park in the opening exchanges, were hard done by as VAR ruled out Jordan Ayew’s equalizer in the 56th minute for the most marginal of offside calls before Anthony Martial made it 2-0 with 12 minutes to play.

Despite his side’s laboured showing vs the Eagles, Solskjaer’s lack of trust in Ighalo and co. on the bench was evident as he made only two changes all game. Still, the West African frontman was to endure the most painful snub days later in the FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea.

Having hinted with his changed line-up that a top four spot was the priority, the ex-United striker left the experienced forward out of the XI at Wembley, only introducing the 31-year-old 10 minutes from time. At the time, the Red Devils trailed 3-0 having just conceded the third but found a late consolation strike in the 3-1 defeat.

There was opprobrium directed at Ole in the media which seemed odd as the criticism didn’t seem nuanced enough to take into consideration that, despite the appeal of a trophy, ending in the Champions League positions was the main goal for the Red Devils.

Having missed out this season, the Manchester giants could ill-afford successive years outside the top four. Also, the Norwegian’s lack of rotation in previous games left him with little choice but to tweak his selection against Frank Lampard’s troops, who were at full strength.

Expectedly, Ighalo didn’t start against West Ham United and Leicester City. Regardless of an insipid showing against the Hammers, the ex-Super Eagle was uninvolved until the 85th minute as it ended 1-1 and didn’t get a look in against the Foxes till deep into second-half stoppage time.

In truth, that was par for the course given Solskjaer’s prime concern post-lockdown but his selections for the resumption of the Europa League will fascinate the average observer.

Again, the enforced change to the format of the competition may not necessarily be to Ighalo’s benefit. While he’s expected to start against LASK on Wednesday, where United already hold a 5-0 lead, the on-loan frontman may then be restricted to watching briefs as the team’s heavy-hitters are called upon in the latter stages of Europe’s second-tier competition.

Had the pandemic not disrupted the season, the Nigerian was likely to play a huge role as the Red Devils chased success in a competition they won in 2017. With the deviation from the usual weekend-Thursday-Sunday scheduling, replaced with this year’s tweaked design it remains to be seen if the Shanghai Shenhua loanee will play a leading role.

However, if Solskjaer takes an unexpected route with his selection and trusts Ighalo to lead the line in Europe, it’ll give the marginalised man a chance to rescue what was once an uplifting loan spell.

Neymar says he is in his "best form" since arriving at Paris Saint-Germain, and that he is ready to "fight" for Champions League glory.

PSG acquired the forward for a world-record fee of €222 million (£201m/$262m) in the summer of 2017, in a move which sent shockwaves through the European football landscape.

The Brazil international called time on a hugely successful four-year spell at Barcelona to undertake a new challenge in France, with a view to increasing his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or.

He hasn't quite been able to reach the same heights at Parc des Princes as he did at Camp Nou, despite scoring 70 goals in his first 82 appearances for Thomas Tuchel's side.

A string of serious injuries have hampered Neymar's progress at PSG, and he has often found himself in the headlines for his conduct away from the pitch rather than his brilliance on it.

However, since failing to manufacture a return to Barca last summer, the 28-year-old has rediscovered his best form to silence his critics and begin to justify his huge price tag.

The dynamic attacker's performances have helped PSG win a domestic treble and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals, with a huge showdown against Atalanta on the cards next Wednesday. 

Neymar is determined to help the club pick up an elusive piece of silverware this month, after putting the most "difficult" stage of his career firmly behind him.

"During these three years I have acquired a lot of knowledge," Neymar told PSG's official website.

"I have lived through happy moments and difficult ones, especially when the injuries didn't allow me to play.

"With the help of my team-mates, I was able to overcome them and focus on what really matters, our performances on the field which translate into titles.

"Our fans, the club and all fans can see the fight of our team in any game.

"I am in my best form since I arrived in Paris, the team is like a family.

"We want to win the Champions League title. We will fight because we have never been so close."

Vipers SC have remained ambitious for the coming campaign after unveiling Simon Peter Njuba as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on Wednesday.

The Venoms, who were crowned the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions when the 2019-20 campaign was prematurely ended owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic, have been very active in the transfer window and have now appointed Njuba to take over the void left by his namesake Peter Lwanga.

Lwanga was relieved of his duties three months ago and the club has been searching for a replacement with almost 85 applicants applying for the vacant role.

According to Vipers Legal Director and Executive member Alex Luganda, who presided over the handing over ceremony, Njuba was picked from a pool of 85 applicants and that the selection for the most important job at the Venoms was thoroughly and ethically done through a Human Resource firm whose final shortlist comprised of six names.

“It was a very competitive race,” Luganda told the club’s official website. “The firm confirmed to us the best candidate that will take us forward is Simon Peter Njuba. Our job now is to make sure we give him the necessary support.”

Njuba, who had previously worked for the club as the Transfer Match System (TMS) manager, will work on a two-year contract and will be tasked with providing proper management and direction to the club will take part in the Caf Champions League by virtue of being declared the league champions.

Speaking after taking over the oath of office, Njuba said: “I have some good experience in football. I have also dealt with the federation before so it will not be hard for me to manage this job. I will make sure I fulfil the obligations of the club.”

On the pressure of working for the league champions in Uganda, Njuba explained: “I am very humbled to work with champions and I am coming with a champion’s mentality. I also know the job comes with the pressure to deliver but I am prepared for the task at hand to ensure Vipers stay at the top; both sporting and management wise.”

Njuba’s appointment comes just a few weeks after the club moved to beef up their technical bench with the arrival of Paul Kiwanuka and Francis Mugerwa, who will work as assistants to head coach Fred Kajoba.

In the transfer market, Vipers have already signed three players among them midfielders Ibrahim Orit from Mbarara City, Jamil Kalisa from Bright Stars, and left-back Disan Galiwango from Express FC.

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro said playing behind closed doors at Manchester City can help the La Liga holders overturn their Champions League deficit.

Madrid travel to Etihad Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Pep Guardiola's City on Friday, having lost the opener 2-1 prior to the coronavirus-enforced break.

Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne condemned Madrid - who had captain Sergio Ramos sent off in the Spanish capital - to defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu in February.

Madrid have a mountain to climb in Manchester, but star Casemiro believes Zinedine Zidane's side can benefit from playing without fans on the road.

"Without fans it's a different game," Brazil international Casemiro told Esporte Interactivo.

"It will be a very good game and difficult for both sides, but we're Real Madrid and we know we have a chance to go through.

"They won't have their fans and that might favour us a little.

"But the players are the same, the coach is the same and we all know that the difficulty level will be the same because they're a great team."

Casemiro's team-mate Raphael Varane explained the Los Blancos' drive to overcome the deficit against City and the team will be ready to put their best foot forward.

"We want to win every day, we're Real Madrid," the France international said in a video message posted on the club's social media accounts. "We want to win everything possible and gain more confidence that way.

"We haven't had games to play beforehand, so we have time to prepare ourselves. The best team on the day will win. We'll go into [the game] with hunger to win and the necessary determination."

Varane added on the likelihood of another fiercely competitive contest between two elite teams: "[It will be] a difficult game against a very good team. The first leg was a top-quality game, with pressing from both teams. "It was decided by the small details.

"[Real Madrid and City are] two teams that like to have the ball, are very intense and that require lots of concentration.

"These are the best games in the Champions League - the ones that are decided by very little. They are why we love this competition."

Madrid won three European Cups in a row during Zidane's first spell in charge, and Varane says that experience holds them in good stead to avoid an early exit this time around.

"We know what we've achieved in recent years is something exceptional," he continued. "What we have to do is carry this experience with us and know that the small details make the difference in big games.

"Now, we're a bit more relaxed, but we have the same determination and we know the traps we have to avoid. We have years of experience, but it's hard to win every game, repeat victories and always be at the top."

Henry Onyekuru has joined his Monaco teammates who are preparing for the resumption of the 2020-21 season.

In his first spell at Stade Louis II under manager Leonardo Jardim, the Nigeria international got one assist in four league appearances before he was loaned to Galatasaray.

At the Turk Telekom Stadıum, the winger scored once in 10 league appearances for Fatih Terim’s men before ending his loan spell to return to the French Ligue 1 outfit.

And on Tuesday, he teamed up with Niko Kovac’s team who are perfecting their strategies for next term.

“Henry Onyekuru is back,” the eight-time French elite division champions tweeted.

“Back soon,” the former Eupen, Everton and Anderlecht man responded.

Onyekuru joined Monaco on a five-year deal in August 2019 after an unsuccessful Everton spell but his debut campaign in the French top-flight did not go as planned.

He will be aiming to fight his way to into Kovac's team after he struggled to establish himself in Robert Moreno's system before the Spanish manager was fired this month.

Ultimately, the winger’s ambition is to feature in the English Premier League.

"We have our plans but then life brings its own plans, but I am still working on it, and hopefully I will be back soon, maybe not with Everton but surely in the Premier League," Onyekuru told BBC Sport.

"I have been with players like Keita Balde from my days at the Aspire Academy, Cesc Fabregas is a top guy, who welcomed me when I arrived at the club, it's like going back home.

"Monaco are a big club they know how to work with their players when it comes to transfers, just look at Anthony Martial.

"I hope to make a good season or two and hopefully the future will be bright."

Onyekuru has been a regular fixture in Gernot Rohr's Super Eagles set-up since his debut outing against Togo in an international friendly in June 2017.

A knee injury ruled him out of the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia but he was part of Nigeria's 23-man squad that won bronze at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Cedric Amissi scored Al Taawoun’s only goal in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Al Faisaly in a Saudi Professional League fixture.

The Burundi international beat goalkeeper Mustafa Malayekah in the 63rd minute yet his side ended on the losing side inside Al Majma'ah Sports City Stadium.

With football returning to the Asian country after a long hiatus owing to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, Al Faisaly took an early lead through Ahmed Al-Fiqi in the ninth minute courtesy of Igor Rossi’s assist.

The Burgundy held on to the slim advantage heading into the half-time break as Malayekah denied the visitors from equalising thanks to his brave saves.

Al Taawoun started the second half like a wounded animal and were rewarded 18 minutes from restart as the 30-year-old found the net with a cool finish.

Notwithstanding, the hosts regained their lead through Guilherme Augusto who fired past goalkeeper Hussain Shaian seven minutes later.

That proved to be the winning strike as no goals were scored for the remaining part of the encounter.

Amissi’s goal was his fifth in 19 Saudi Arabia topflight appearances so far this season. He was on parade from start to finish for Vitor Campelos’ side. Cape Verde international Heldon Ramos was an unused substitute for the Wolves.

Defeat leaves Al Taawoun in the league's eighth position having garnered 32 points from 23 league outings as Al Faisaly climbed to fifth after accruing 38 points from the same number of matches.

Unbeaten in their last four outings, Al Faisaly travel to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium on Sunday for a date with Damac, as Al Taawoun visit ninth-placed Al Shabab on Monday.

Amissi joined the Saudi Arabian outfit in 2017 from Portuguese side Uniao da Madeira and helped them win the 2019 Kings Cup. He had previously represented Prince Louis, Rayon Sports and FC Chibuto.

On the international scene, the midfielder boasts of 45 caps for the Burundian national team with 10 goals to his credit. He was part of Olivier Niyungeko’s squad to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations where the country failed to qualify from Group B that also paraded Nigeria, Guinea and Madagascar. 

Joe Bryan's unlikely double sent Fulham to the Premier League in a 2-1 extra-time win over west London rivals Brentford in Tuesday's Championship play-off final at Wembley.

The full-back caught goalkeeper David Raya off guard with a 35-yard effort towards the end of the first half of extra time, with the Brentford goalkeeper expecting his opponent to cross.

Incredibly Bryan scored a second after a wonderful move in the closing moments as the former Bristol City man proved the difference-maker in a game otherwise lacking in quality

Henrik Dalsgaard pulled one back in stoppage time of the second period of extra time but it was too little, too late as Fulham returned to the top flight at the first time of asking following relegation last season.

Brentford's defeat in a match dubbed the richest game in football meanwhile means their 73-year wait to play in English football's top tier continues.

Fulham were the main aggressors in a first half devoid of chances, Josh Onomah forcing Raya into a smart low stop down to his right after 17 minutes the closest Scott Parker's side went.

Harrison Reed was perhaps fortunate only to see yellow for a late slide on Christian Norgaard half an hour in, while Neeskens Kebano bent a free-kick in the side-netting shortly after the break.

Fulham again had a chance when Bobby Decordova-Reid shot wide on the half-volley from a promising position inside the area.

It took until the 71st minute for Brentford dangerman Ollie Watkins to test Marek Rodak with an edge-of-the-box drive and he also scuffed wide under pressure from Michael Hector early in extra time.

The game needed a spark and Bryan provided it to the dismay of Raya, the full-back shooting from an improbable free-kick out on the left after spotting Brentford's keeper well out of position. 

Fulham made sure when Bryan received Tom Cairney's pass, played a one-two with Aleksandar Mitrovic and slotted past Raya with his weaker right foot.

There was still time for Dalsgaard to nod in when Norgaard kept Said Benrahma's cross alive but the seconds soon ticked down on Brentford's promotion push as the final whistle brought delirious Fulham celebrations.

What does it mean? Fulham in the money and in the promised land

Brentford stood to gain a reported £160million if they were promoted. Fulham stand to earn slightly less at around £135m but a swift return to the Premier League will bring a sigh of a relief.

Bryan's brilliance the difference

In truth, Fulham just about edged the chances without ever really creating a clear-cut opportunity, which is why Bryan's ingenuity proved so inspired. There was a little more panache about Fulham's second.

Heartbreak for Raya

You do have to feel for Raya for such an incident occurring in Brentford's biggest game of the season. Never has the saying expect the unexpected been more true as Raya was left embarrassed by Bryan.

What's next?

Parker can now start preparing his Fulham side for a fresh tilt at the Premier League, while for Thomas Frank and Brentford it is at least one more campaign in the hustle and bustle of the Championship.

Inter Allies coach Tony Loko is not convinced about the safety of playing football ahead of a possible resumption of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) in October.

Ghana's domestic football competitions have been on hold since March when the coronavirus pandemic broke out around the world.

The Football Association (GFA) has set a tentative date in October for the return of the sport, subject to the national government's approval.

“We are not ready for our football to come back," Lokko said, as reported by the BBC.

"I have been communicating with my players and they are also scared, Look at the situation we are all scared of the virus.

"The health materials we are supposed to put in place are not ready and that is the fear of everyone at the moment.

“We do not have the necessary facilities to observe the medical precautions that have been laid for regular testing of players and technical teams."

There is currently a standing ban on all contact sports, including football, in Ghana.

When the suspension is lifted and football returns, the West African nation is looking to follow the likes of Germany, England, Spain and Italy to organise games under tight safety protocols such as playing matches behind closed doors.

The 2019-20 Premier League was at the matchweek 15 stage when it was forced to a temporary halt. After three months of standstill, the GFA completely cancelled the season.

“It has not been easy - football is a source of livelihood for we Ghanaian players and all of a sudden, coronavirus stopped our income," said Dreams FC player Patrick Arthur.

"Financially, it’s not been okay for us. Being at home for six months has not been easy.

“I understand it may be a challenge for our Ghanaian football to follow the precaution of the European clubs but I am trusting the authorities to put things in place.”

Despite the football ban, Ghana's national U17 men and women's sides and the national U20 women's team have been granted special permission to commence training ahead of major international assignments.

Presently, the nation has recorded 37,812 cases of coronavirus including 3,308 active cases, 191 deaths and 34,313 recoveries and hospital discharges. 

Mohammed Fouzair was on target as Al Raed defeated Damac FC 3-0 in Tuesday’s Saudi Professional League encounter.

Football in the Asian country returned after over four months owing to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic that crippled several activities across the globe.

However, it was Al Raed who made a winning return thanks to goals from Marco Perez, Ahmed Zain and Fouzair at Buraidah’s King Abdullah Sport City.

The hosts went ahead in the eighth minute through Perez, who profited from an assist from the Moroccan. That strike woke the visiting side from their slumber, however, they were unable to find their way past Al Raed’s solid backline.

Twenty minutes into the encounter, Nigeria’s Imran Ilyas was cautioned by the referee for a careless tackle on Husein Al Shuwaish.

Besnik Hasi’s team doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time after Zain turned Mohammed Al Amri’s pass past Algerian goalkeeper Moustapha Zeghba.

With 10 minutes left to play, Fouzair sealed the triumph with his team’s third goal of the evening. The goal was his sixth in 22 appearances so far this term following a permanent move from Ahmed Musa’s Al Nassr in 2019.

Nevertheless, the midfielder was replaced by Abdullah Almogren in the 90th minute, while his compatriot Jalal Daoudi was an unused substitute.  

Cameroon midfielder Arnaud Djoum was in action from start to finish as well as Algeria’s Azzedine Doukha, who was in goal for Al Raed.

For Damac, Farouk Chafai – who is on loan from MC Alger - was handed a starter’s role by manager Noureddine Zekri and saw every minute of action in Buraidah, as well as countrymen Zeghba and Ibrahim Chenihi.

Nigeria’s Adam was replaced at half-time by Hassan Raghfawi with Tunisia's Ghazi Ayadi coming off for Ayman Al-Hujaili in the 70th minute.

Victory for Al Raed see them move to sixth in the log with 35 points from 23 outings as Damac remain in the relegation zone after accruing 18 points from the same number of fixtures.

Fouzair would be hoping to take his scoring form to King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium for Sunday’s showdown with third-placed Al Wahda.

Turkish Kadınlar Ligi side Adana Idmanyurduspor have handed Nigeria midfielder Ramat Abdulkareem a one-year extension.

Abdulkareem joined Adana in September 2020 from Nigerian top-flight side Confluence Queens, and was signed for the rest of the season after she enjoyed a successful trial in December.

She impressed in her brief outing, playing in four matches and scoring twice for Adana before the Turkish league cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic in June. 

Her impact on her short stay with Adana in their top-flight survival fight saw the club reward her with a contract extension. 

Speaking on her new deal with the club, she told Goal: "I am excited about extending my stay at the club and signing an improved contract.

"Despite being brief, it has been an exciting experience here and I'm keen to establish myself and help the club excel in the new season."

Before her move to Turkey, Abdulkareen previously starred for Nasarawa Amazons, Abia Angels and Adamawa Queens, before playing a part in Confluence Queens' run to the 2019 final in Nigeria.

She has also been part of Nigeria's Flamingoes' build-up to the 2014 U17 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica and later with the Falconets to the 2016 U20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea.

Having extended her stay, Abdulkareen was handed the jersey number 10 and will be hoping to lead her side to a better season, having finished the last term with nine points from 16 games.

Manchester United will pursue other targets if they can’t agree a price with Borussia Dortmund for Jadon Sancho, with the two sides apart on their valuation.

The winger remains Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s top target this summer but Goal understands that the club will walk away from a deal if they can’t reach a realistic agreement over price. 

It is understood the German side want €120 million (£108m/$142m) for the former Manchester City man but United are not willing to go near that fee with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic hitting the club.

Reports had widely suggested Sancho had already agreed personal terms with United but it is understood discussions are continuing and no terms have been agreed. 

The club are still paying for the mistake they made when signing Alexis Sanchez and the impact his high salary had on the wage structure at the club. Consequently, any deal agreed with 20-year-old Sancho over wages would be with that in mind.

Solskjaer said in his press conference on Tuesday that the club would not be rushing transfers this summer. “This transfer window is a long one, every transfer takes its course. It is what it is,” the Norwegian said.

Dortmund have set their own deadline of August 10 in order to have their squad ready to start preparing for the new season but it is understood United will not be bound by the demands of the German side and if discussions - which are understood to be at an early stage - go beyond that date and the Bundesliga outfit won’t sell beyond that, then United will move on to other targets.

Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman is another player who Solskjaer is interested in and United could move their focus to either Coman or another alternative if they cannot come to an agreement with Dortmund.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward has warned for a while that it would not be business as usual during the current transfer window and while United are in a better position than many other clubs, it is understood they are still feeling the impact of the pandemic.

Wigan Athletic’s relegation to League One has been confirmed after an independent arbitration panel ruled the club's 12-point deduction for entering administration in July will stand.

The club finished 23rd out of 24 teams in the Championship in 2019-20 after the 12-point penalty was applied. They joined last-place Hull City and 22nd-place Charlton as the three teams heading down to League One for the 2020-21 campaign. 

Wigan had hoped that they could escape relegation with a successful appeal, which would have sent down 21st-place Barnsley in their place. 

But on Tuesday the EFL confirmed that the club's appeal had been rejected.

"The insolvency event occurred on the 1 July 2020 and under EFL Regulation 12.3, the Club was subject to a 12-point sanction; yet the timing of the deduction could only be determined once the final games of the season had been played," an EFL statement read.

"The reason for this approach was due to the administration taking place after the fourth Thursday in March. In such circumstances EFL Regulations state that, in the event a Club is relegated by virtue of their final position following the conclusion of the league campaign, then the deduction would apply in the following season. 

"As the Club was not in the relegation places following the last round of Championship fixtures, the sanction was then applied to their 2019/20 total which resulted in a 23rd placed finish."

Wigan, who have bounced between the Championship and League One since relegation from the Premier League in 2012-13, released a statement saying they were "disappointed" but would accept the decision.

"The club put forward a strong case and naturally we are disappointed at the decision," the statement read.

"The first-team management will now prepare the team for next season's Sky Bet League One campaign.

"No detailed reasoning behind the decision is available yet, but we will post further information at the appropriate time."

Wigan entered administration last month, saying that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic played a major factor.

"Obviously the suspension of the Championship season due to Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the recent fortunes of the club," administrator Gerald Krasner said last month in a statement.

Black Leopards caretaker coach Morgan Shivambu has stressed the importance of collecting points in their first four matches when the 2019/20 season resumes. 

Lidoda Duvha are rooted at the bottom of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) standings on 16th spot with six league matches left to end the campaign, which has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Limpopo-based side's first four matches will be against Maritzburg United, Golden Arrows, SuperSport United as well as fellow relegation-threatened side AmaZulu FC.

Shivambu, who was appointed as the club's new coach on an interim basis following the departure of coach Alan Clark last month, is looking to ensure that Leopards hit the ground running with the team under pressure to avoid relegation to the National First Division (NFD).

“We have to collect points in our first four matches so that in our last two games we’ll be relaxed and we don’t play under pressure,” said Shivambu on Daily Sun. 

“If we don’t do well at the beginning of this mini-league, it’s going to be difficult for us."

Shivambu also said that they should not be under pressure when they lock horns with top Gauteng clubs Bidvest Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns in their last two games.

"The last two games are against Wits and Sundowns and I don’t want to face those teams while we are under pressure," the retired central midfielder added.

Lidodo Duvha were struggling before the season was halted due to Covid-19 five months ago as they had recorded four successive defeats across all competitions 

Shivambu, who is assisted by former Leopards captain Mongezi Bobe, admitted that the team's defence needs to improve. 

“The players admitted they have been conceding easy goals. We have been working more on the defensive side because we know we are good going forward," he concluded.

The suspended season will be completed in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng and Leopards have been drawn to play their home games at FNB Stadium.

Lidoda Duvha are set to resume their league campaign against Maritzburg at the 2010 Fifa World Cup final venue on Sunday, August 16.