Looking for Soccer News?

William Troost-Ekong was in action as Udinese secured a 1-0 victory over Sassuolo in their last Serie A game for the 2019-20 season on Sunday.

The Super Eagles centre-back played a prominent role as Luca Gotti’s men return to winning ways at Stadio Mapei after losing against Lecce last time out.  

Troost-Ekong was handed a starting role in the encounter forming a three-man defence along with Samir and Sebastien De Maio.

The 26-year-old was rock solid for the White and Blacks, making four clearances, two interceptions and had a 77% successful pass rate to help his side keep a clean sheet in the encounter.

Stefano Okaka Chuka scored the only goal of the match in the 53rd minute after he was set up by Kevin Lasagna to ensure Udinese clinched all three points.

Troost-Ekong featured for the entirety of the game while Ivory Coast international Seko Fofana was a second-half substitute, replacing Marvin Zeegelaar.

The victory helped the White and Blacks to end the 2019-20 season on the 13th spot on the league table with 45 points from 38 games.

Troost-Ekong joined Udinese in the summer of 2018 from Bursaspor and has been a key member of the side since his arrival and this season he made 30 league appearances.

The 26-year-old defender started his career with Fulham academy before teaming up with Tottenham Hotspur youth set up.

The Super Eagles centre-back moved to the Netherlands to begin his senior career, joining Groningen in 2013.

 Troost-Ekong then signed for Belgian First Division A side Gent in 2017, where he spent two years, including a loan spell at Haugesund.

His impressive defensive performances for Turkish side Bursaspor caught the attention of Udinese, who secure his signature in 2017 and made 35 league appearances for the side in his debut season as they finished 12th in the Serie A.

Troost-Ekong is currently the Super Eagles vice-captain and has 42 caps for the West Africans since he played his first game against Chad in 2015 in an Africa Cup f Nations qualifying game. 

The defender was part of Gernot Rohr’s side that finished third at the 2019 Afcon in Egypt and will hope to continue his solid defensive showings during the World Cup and Afcon qualifiers. 

Mikel Arteta has challenged Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to stay at Arsenal and become a club great.

Aubameyang scored both goals - as he did in the semi-final win over Manchester City - as Arsenal completed a stirring 2-1 FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea on Saturday.

The former Borussia Dortmund forward has 70 goals in all competitions since joining the Gunners in January 2018, but his future is the subject of mounting speculation.

Aubameyang is out of contract next year, although Arteta has repeatedly expressed confidence the Gabon international is ready to remain at Emirates Stadium.

After his superb winning goal downed London rivals Chelsea, he was challenged by his head coach to place himself alongside the likes of Ian Wright and Thierry Henry in Arsenal history.

"It's the most difficult thing in football, that's for sure, and he makes it simple – look at the second goal he scored," Arteta said.

"We always had incredible strikers at this football club and Auba deserves to be named and compared with the big names.

"By winning trophies he will be closer to that and the longer he stays there as well.

"Hopefully we can have him for more time."

Arteta also made a point of praising Aubameyang's work ethic – the captain leading by example in a squad where the likes of Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi have fallen shy of their boss' exacting standards.

"The biggest problem as well was probably to convince [Aubameyang] to work the way he is working," Arteta added.

"He was going to get more rewarded, more respected and then that respect goes from respect to admiration – admiration from his team-mates, the people who work with him and the fans.

"I think now, the way he is conducting himself on and off the field, he has got that."

Arsenal's FA Cup triumph helped the club forget their struggling Premier League campaign, which saw Arteta's side finish eighth - a whopping 10 points outside the top four.

However the cup victory means the Gunners now qualify for the Europa League group stages - meaning Tottenham now have to qualify for the competition and Wolves are likely to miss out on Europe completely, unless they win this season's version to qualify for the Champions League.

Neil Lennon expects Odsonne Edouard to be in demand after he started the new season with a hat-trick in a 5-1 thrashing of Hamilton, though Celtic intend to do all they can to keep the forward. 

Everton and Leicester City are among the Premier League clubs to be linked with Edouard, who joined Celtic for a reported club-record fee of around £9million in 2018 after a successful season-long loan. 

Arsenal are also believed to be monitoring the striker's progress as they consider potential replacements for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose Emirates Stadium future remains uncertain.

The 22-year-old hit the ground running with a treble as Celtic began their quest to win a record 10th consecutive Scottish Premier League title with a commanding win on Sunday. 

Lennon is braced for interest in the former Paris Saint-Germain player during the transfer window, but he hopes to keep hold of his prized asset.

Asked about rumoured interest in Edouard, the Celtic boss said: "We can't help that, it's inevitable. But we'll try to stave off any admirers. I'm sure there are plenty out there, but we love having him here and I'm sure he’s enjoying it. 

"He'll be well on the radar of clubs before the start of this season. He had 28 goals up until March last season and I was delighted with that goal return. 

“I was delighted with the goals he got too, he was on the end of things and that pleased me. 

“I was really pleased, he scored great goals. His volume of goals is really pleasing me. 

“They were striker's goals. Normally you associate Odsonne with brilliant individual goals, but there were a few tap-ins and a near-post run. 

"I'm absolutely thrilled and I'm sure he's happy, but we are as a team looking to build on what we've started with."

Edouard played down talk of a move when he was asked about his future earlier this summer, saying he would "love to be a part" a tenth straight title win for Celtic despite being "flattered" by talk of a move to Arsenal.

Frank Lampard says Willian is set to decide his own future and the Chelsea boss is ready to accept whatever the winger chooses, whether he leaves or stays at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have offered the Brazilian a new contract but it remains a two-year offer, while the 31-year-old is cautious about accepting anything other than a three-year deal.

Willian's agent Kia Joorabchian has publicly admitted that his client has offers from five clubs. This includes three from overseas sides, an MLS club, understood to be Inter Miami, and two Premier League teams, that are thought to be Arsenal and Tottenham.

Lampard couldn't pick Willian due to injury in the 2-1 FA Cup final defeat to Mikel Arteta's side and the manager explained he can do little to convince him to stay at this stage.

“It is his decision, I haven’t got that answer," Lampard told reporters. "I know the situation at the club’s end. I have a great relationship with Willian, but I don’t actually know what the decision is.

"If that happens over the next whatever days, as he said, then that would be good for me in either way. Of course, I am very happy with Willian. He has been brilliant for me this season with his input and work ethic, within the squad.

"But it is his choice and I respect his choice. He has been a great servant for Chelsea if he decides to move on, and if he does decide to move on then Chelsea will move on and we have to look forwards ourselves.”

Meanwhile, the Blues will step up their efforts to sign new players in the transfer window after it opened on Monday ahead of the club's Champions League return.

After suffering a 3-0 home defeat, it is a tough ask for an injury-hit Chelsea to mount a comeback against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their last 16 clash.

Soon, the Blues will look to tie up a deal for Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz, while they are also targeting Leicester City's Ben Chilwell and West Ham's Declan Rice.

Lampard admitted he is looking to see defensive improvements as a result of the transfer window, with the manager having already locked up two attacking signings in Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

“Yeah, it’s true," Lampard added. "The numbers don’t lie. We are trying to play a certain way. I know that teams at the top of the game, Liverpool and Manchester City, have been through similar. I’m not saying we are going to get to that level, but similar periods in the early stages of their managers being at the club a few years ago.

"We are conceding too much; it is a work in progress for me. I can’t shelve it in another direction. We have to work defensively as a group. But some of the individual errors we are making, clear individual errors, some today clearly cost us goals, can’t be there if we want to keep moving forward.

"We have to work as a group to make that better. That is clear; we are not hiding from that. We have come fourth, we’ve had a good season. There are areas to improve and defensively we have to improve.”

Frank Lampard thinks his side won't be ready to start playing football again on 12 September as he has called on the Premier League to go easy on Chelsea for next season's scheduling.

Chelsea are fresh off a 2-1 loss to Arsenal in the FA Cup final in a match where three of Lampard's players were hauled off injured.

Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta suffered hamstring injuries early on, before Pedro was suspected of dislocating his shoulder in what will likely be his last Chelsea appearance.

Additionally, the club faced issues before kick-off due to problems for both Willian and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while N'Golo Kante has been absent for 50 per cent of his side's games this season and was an unused substitute for the FA Cup finale.

Lampard thinks his side need a delay in starting the season from the Premier League and is concerned they are struggling to handle the intensity of the scheduling.

“I am guessing we will be told on when we start and that will be dependant on how we go against Bayern Munich," Lampard told reporters about next season. “I do not forget that game; it is a big game for us. I am just maybe caught up on today. The players need a bit of rest before we prepare for that game.

“It’s not ideal if we carry on against Bayern and possibly go further. The players need a break; they need to be given a break to play at the level of the quality product that the Premier League is. Worst case scenario, if we don’t go through against Bayern, the 12th seems too early to start playing again.

"The players need a break. That is why we are pulling two hamstrings and having players pull out before this. I would like to think the Premier League will look seriously at that and look at the start for next season. I think we deserve it, as a Premier League club competing in the Champions League.”

Indeed, with progression in the Champions League not expected after a 3-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich in February, the Blues look unlikely to progress into the quarter-finals of the competition.

The FA Cup therefore represented the last chance of silverware, but Lampard thinks the future remains bright after a top-four finish in the league.

“I am delighted with the season," he added. "I have wanted to keep that within for the last week because I don’t want to get excited with a big game coming up. We have to reflect on the season going into it; people didn’t expect us to be in the top four.

"There were unknowns, transfer ban, other clubs around us are moving forward with recruitment. So I don’t think this result should reflect on that. You can lose a final. We have lost a final and that is frustrating. But there is a bigger picture we are working to here.

"We have seen good things, but we have to understand there are things to work on. For sure, we should be, the players should be, proud of the way they have competed all season domestically. The league position is a huge plus for us.

"Let’s get it right; not many people would have given us that chance at the start. Then we have to look at where we have to get better. Today showed there is plenty of room to get better.”

Asisat Oshoala scored a second-half brace as Barcelona thrashed Montpellier 3-0 in Sunday's international club-friendly.

The Nigeria international has continued from where she left off in the Calatans' regular-season run to their title triumph, scoring 20 goals in 19 league games before the league's cancellation.

With three weeks to go until their Uefa Women's Champions League quarter-final showdown with rivals Atletico Madrid, Barca are gearing up for the encounter following their return from a three-week break. 

For her part, Oshoala has hit the ground running, scoring twice in a training match on Thursday before coming on as a substitute to fire the Spanish champions to a win over the French side.

The two sides were meeting for the second in the last 12 months, with Barcelona claiming a 1-0 win over Montpellier through Oshoala's solitary effort in a build-up to their Round of 32 ties with Juventus.

The French ladies were starting their pre-season campaign ahead of their new season and held Barcelona 0-0 at half time.

However, Oshoala, who came on at the start of the second half, broke the deadlock to put the hosts in front in the 64th minute.

She went on to double the lead four minutes from time before Jenni Hermoso added the third inside injury time to wrap up the victory.

The 25-year-old has now scored three goals in two appearances against the French side and these were her third and fourth in two warm-up outings.

After Sunday's win, Barcelona are due to travel to France to face Montpellier in the second leg of the double-header on August 9. 

Barcelona will seek to repeat their excellent run in the competition last season when they battle Atletico in the first-ever all-Spanish tie in Bilbao.

Oshoala made history as the first African to score in a Women's Champions League final when she netted in Barcelona's 4-1 loss to Lyon, and she'll hope to celebrate European success again this term.

Victor Moses has shifted his focus to the Europa League after helping Inter Milan finish as Serie A runners-up in the 2019-20 season.  

The former Nigeria international reunited with manager Antonio Conte at the San Siro in January from Premier League side Chelsea after ending his 18-month loan with Turkish Super Lig club Fenerbahce.

The wing-back previously starred under the Italian tactician at Stamford Bridge, where they helped the Blues clinch the Premier League and FA Cup titles, and now has the opportunity to add an Europa League winner's medal to his collection, having won the competition with Chelsea seven years ago.

“Good 2-0 win, Thanks to all of our amazing fans for your support this season! Moses posted on Instagram. "All focus on the Europa League now,”

Moses made his 12th league appearance as Inter secured victory over Atalanta in their last Serie A game of the season on Saturday.

The victory ensured the Black and Blues ended the campaign behind Juventus and secure a place in next year’s Champions League.

Moses has made a key contribution since joining the San Siro outfit, providing five assists in 17 appearances across all competitions, and may well be in action again when Inter take on Getafe in the Round of 16 second leg on Wednesday.

Moses rose through the ranks in Crystal Palace and made his debut for the side against Cardiff City at the age of 16. He went on to make 58 appearances for the senior team, scoring 11 league goals.

The versatile forward then left for Wigan Athletic in 2010 and his dazzling performances caught the attention of Chelsea, who signed him in 2012.

Inter is the fifth club Moses will be playing for since he joined the Blues, having also previously had loan spells at Liverpool, Stoke City, West Ham United and Fenerbahce.

Moses was part of the Super Eagles team that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa under the guidance of Stephen Keshi.

The forward, who had 38 caps and 12 goals for Nigeria, retired from international duty after the 2018 World Cup in Russia.  

Mesut Ozil is “not bothered” about Arsenal and showed his selfishness by going to Turkey instead of joining in with the team’s FA Cup celebrations, according to Perry Groves.

The Gunners lifted the trophy for the 14th time in their history after a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday, with two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cancelling out an early strike from Christian Pulisic.

The players, management and staff continued their celebrations well after the final whistle, but midfielder Ozil was not present.

The Germany international was not even in the country, having been granted permission to travel to Turkey after he had been informed he would not be in Mikel Arteta’s matchday squad.

Ozil posted an image of Aubameyang lifting the trophy on Instagram with the caption “great job my boys" shortly after the final whistle. But that was not enough to pacify former Gunners forward Groves, who is furious at what he perceives is a lack of respect shown by Ozil for his team-mates.

“That just sums him up all over. He’s not bothered about Arsenal, he’s just bothered about himself,” he told TalkSPORT.

“I wouldn’t want my teammates to think that I was that selfish. So it just means that he knows he’s done with Arsenal.

“[If I was his teammate] I wouldn’t even… Don’t text or WhatsApp me, do you know what I mean?

“If you’re not really bothered, don’t pretend you are.”

Ozil has not played a single minute of competitive action since English football resumed in June, suggesting he has no future under Mikel Arteta.

But with the 31-year-old earning a reported £350,000 per week, the club will be keen to move the player as soon as possible rather than have such an expensive asset sitting in the stands.

Ozil has been heavily linked with Fenerbahce in recent weeks, with a number of MLS clubs also reportedly keeping a close eye on his situation.

However, Ozil’s agent Erkut Sogut revealed last week that he expects the player to see out the remaining year of his contract in north London and become a free agent in the summer of 2021.

Ghana's Alfred Duncan and Ivory Coast's Christian Kouame scored a goal each as Fiorentina ended their 2019-20 Serie A season with a 3-1 win against SPAL.

Duncan broke the deadlock at the Stadio Paolo Mazza in the 30th minute with his maiden goal for the Violets since his loan signing from Sassuolo in January.

Nine minutes later, Marco D'Alessandro equalised for SPAL as both teams headed into the interval with a 1-1 draw.

Both teams were tied for the majority of the second 45 minutes until Christian Kouame, who came on as a 55th-minute substitute for Kevin Agudelo, fired Fiorentina ahead in the 89th minute.

Eric Pulgar assisted the Ivorian forward in breaking his duck for Giuseppe Iachini's side with his first since his loan signing from Genoa in January.

A few minutes later, Pulgar wrapped up the victory for the visitors with his strike from the penalty spot in the stoppage-time.

Duncan was replaced by Christian Dalle Mura in the 95th minute, while Burkina Faso's Bryan Dabo, Algeria's Mohamed Fares and Senegal goalkeeper Demba Thiam could not stop SPAL from dropping to the Serie B.

They finished the campaign at the bottom of the Italian top flight table with 20 points from 38 matches, while Fiorentina secured the 10th spot with 49 points after the same number of games.

A ruptured cruciate ligament injury picked up during the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Egypt back in November delayed Kouame's debut for the Violets until July.

He made his long-awaited return to action in the goalless draw against Cagliari on July 8 and went on to play six more games.

It remains to be seen if Fiorentina will activate the option to sign Kouame permanently in the coming days. Meanwhile, they have the obligation to sign Duncan on a permanent deal after signing him temporarily earlier this year.

Simba SC midfielder Clatous Chama has taken to his Twitter account to taunt rivals after the Tanzanian giants won the FA Cup on Sunday.

It was Wekundu Wa Msimbazi's third trophy this season and the Zambian playmaker couldn't resist the opportunity to lay a jibe on supporters of rival clubs.

"Treble masters!" the 29-year-old Chama tweeted on Sunday evening.

"Community Shield, Premier League, [FA Cup]. How do you sleep when you know you are not a Simba SC fan? It is hard."

The taunt, seemingly, is directed towards bitter rivals Yanga SC who finished the season empty-handed. The closest they came was the semi-finals of the FA Cup but fell 4-1 to their bitter rivals Simba.

For the Msimbazi-based side, the journey for success began at the beginning of the season when they defeated Azam FC 4-2 in the Community Shield which launched the 2019/20 season.

Simba had won the league while the Chamazi-based side won the FA Cup respectively in the previous season to set up the traditional curtain-raiser.

The second title for Sven Vandenbroeck's charges came in the Tanzania Mainland League. Simba went on to finish the season with 88 points after taking 27 wins, seven draws and just four losses.

On Sunday, they completed the treble after defeating Namungo FC 2-1 at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Sumbawanga.

Captain John Bocco and Man of the Match Luis Miquissone provided the vital goals that ensured the Dar es Salaam side head back home as the champions.

After 35 minutes of failed attempts to break an otherwise tight Namungo backline, Simba finally got a hard-fought opener through Miquissone’s strike.

The Mozambican, who has proved to be an undroppable figure for Vandenbroeck, scored an important goal and further showed why his January signing was a masterstroke.

Shomari Kapombe delivered a swinging cross into the penalty box, but Bocco was denied the opportunity to strike as the opponents swarmed around him. However, as Namungo focused on Bocco, the ball fell into Miquissone’s path and the winger slotted home.

Bocco added the second goal four minutes after Miquissone had registered the opener, heading into the net and ensured Simba went into the break with a healthy 2-0 lead.

Anam Imo made her first start of the 2019-20 season as she featured in Rosengard's 2-1 win over Faith Micheal's Pitea on Sunday.

The Super Falcons striker, who joined Rosengard from Nigerian side Nasarawa Amazons in April 2019, helped them to the 2019 Swedish Damallsvenskan title, scoring five goals in 17 games.

The Nigeria international has featured in all seven matches of the champions this season, a;though she came off the bench on each occasion.

Impressed by her showing, coach Jonas Eidevall responded by thrusting Imo into his starting line-up, the Nigerian replacing the team's joint top scorer Anna Anvegard in Rosengard's front two.

The hosts made an impressive start to the contest, as Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd opened the scoring for the holders against the 2018 winners just 13 minutes into the encounter at Malmo IP.

Mimmi Larsson netted seven minutes later to double the lead, and Josefin Johansson's second-half strike for the visitors could not deny the hosts, who held on to claim the three points.

Imo featured from the start to the finish in Rosengard's win, while compatriot Micheal lasted the duration of the encounter but could not help Pitea avoid their third defeat of the season.

The result saw hosts Rosengard open a two-point lead at the top of the log with 19 points from eight matches, while visitors Pitea are fifth with 11 points from the same number of games.

In their next outings, Rosengard will travel to face 10th-placed IK Uppsala on August 7, while Pitea welcome last season runners up Goteborg and Swedish-born Nigerian Evelyn Ijeh the next day.

The World Freestyle Association will announce the Top-8 of the ongoing South African Freestyle Championship 2020 on Monday, 3 August.

The 2020 South African Freestyle Championship is currently underway virtually, and after announcing the Top-16 just last week, the judges will have to scrutinise the performances of some of the top freestylers in the country and trim down the list to eight. 

Defending Champion and favourite, Sipho “Six” Busakwe was up against Ozwin Edwards, while 2018 champ Rishaad Ebrahim also faced a tricky customer in Mzwandile Mbatha.

The rest of the Round of 16 match-up were as follows: 

- Rishaad Ebrahim vs Mzwandile Mbatha
- Josias Bingo vs Shane Nahamuja
- Adian Freestyle vs Zenande Sineke
- Lesego Toshiba vs Emilio Nahamuja
- Shaker Mashudu vs Bafana
- Sipho Busakwe vs Ozwin Edwards
- Jabu Mdaka vs Shoti Kubheka
- Success Teme vs Kyle Loogi

Don’t forget to stick around and check out the latest info about the 2020 Championship on Goal.com.

There are prizes to be won. 

Ghanaian wonderkid Jeremie Frimpong was among the goals as defending champions Celtic started the new Scottish Premiership season with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Hamilton Academical on Sunday.

The teenage right-back doubled Celtic's lead in the 31st minute, 11 minutes after Odsonne Edouard opened the scoring at Celtic Park.

The 19-year-old, who was born to Ghanaian parents in the Netherlands, was in action for the entire duration as Neil Lennon's started their league title defence on a commanding note.

Edouard completed his hat-trick in the second half while 86th-minute substitute Patryk Klimala completed the rout for the hosts on the stroke of full-time.

Ivory Coast Ismaila Soro was an unused substitute for Celtic while Zimbabwe's David Moyo played from start to finish for Hamilton Academical.

After developing through the ranks at Manchester City, Frimpong completed a four-year move to Celtic in September 2019.

During his debut campaign in Scotland, he played 18 games in all competitions with two goals to his name in the process.

Frimpong has played for the Dutch youth teams on the international scene and he is eyeing an opportunity to play for the Oranje at the senior level even though he is eligible to represent either the Black Stars or England.

“There is interest in me from Ghana but right now I want to play for Holland [Netherlands] although I won’t write off Ghana,” he said. "I could play for England as well. If that came about it would be between those three but I don’t have Scottish connections.

“I fully believe I can play in that company [Dutch national team]. It would be exciting to be a part of that. They play a lot of young players as well who are really good. The Dutch are building.

“Back in the day they were great and they are keeping it up. I’d love to be a part of it. I’d like to follow Virgil [van Dijk]. There’s a pathway. You get chances here [Celtic].”

Sunday’s commanding victory shot Celtic to the summit of the Premiership table with a superior goal difference of +4.

Frimpong will be hoping to maintain his fine performance when the Bhoys visit Kilmarnock for the next league outing on August 9.

Ugandan Premier League side Busoga United have publicly acknowledged that they owe players dues and have assured all concerned parties that a solution could soon be reached.

The top tier side was reacting to misleading reports in a section of the media as well as social media which could have negatively impacted the club.

The Jinja-based team have insisted that they are doing as much as they can to settle players' dues soonest.

"We greatly appreciate and recognize the immense contribution and extra efforts of our players in helping us finish the UPL 2019/20 season in record position [4th]," Busoga said in a statement obtained by Goal. "We indeed owe players dues and share their frustration over delay.

"It's a scary time just like other clubs or businesses, Covid-19 has hit us hard but we are establishing new avenues for raising finances," the statement continued. "We are committed to ensuring players’ arrears are cleared and confident that this will be handled in the best way possible.

"Players arrears are currently the club’s first obligation and management is fighting tooth and nail to raise funds needed to settle the outstanding dues."

The club has also appreciated the conduct of the players during these tough times, commending them for remaining professional. 

"Our players have exhibited utmost patience despite the very odd times and we greatly appreciate them," the statement read. "We have kept close contact with our players more than ever before and confident that they trust our effort.

"Our players are professional enough and aware of the proper channels to voice their concern and belief in dialogue. 

"We wish to protect our players from all allegations and false prophecies. It is our moments of struggle that define us, how we handle them is what matters! We are FAMILY that shall remain stronger together." 

Covid-19 led to the nullification of the 2019/20 Ugandan Premier League by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations with 80 percent of the matches being played.

At the time, Vipers SC were leading the chase with 54 points after 25 matches, four more than second-placed KCCA FC, who were the defending champions.

While the Venoms will play in the Caf Champions League, KCCA will represent Uganda in the Caf Confederation Cup next season.

Yanga SC's strengthening mission continued with the club completing the signings of Waziri Junior and Yassin Mustapha on Sunday.

Junior is the first striker Yanga have signed in the ongoing transfer window after the Tanzanian had a promising season with relegated Mbao FC.

He has signed a two-year deal, and is expected to represent competition for David Molinga and Ditram Nchimbi.

Junior scored 13 goals in the Mainland Premier League and two in the relegation/promotion play-offs, which they lost to Ihefu FC.

Yanga had initially planned to have Junior sign his deal in Dar es Salaam, but when they got wind that Azam FC were trailing the forward, the club’s treasurer Simon Patrick travelled to the forward's residence and duly secured his signature.

His arrival is set to cast more doubt on Gnamien Yikpe’s future at Yanga with the Ivorian struggling since his January arrival from Gor Mahia.

Yanga have struggled to find a prolific goalscorer, and their experiment with Juma Balinya – a 2018/19 Ugandan Premier League top scorer with 19 goals – did not work before they signed Yikpe.

Meanwhile, left-back Mustapha has signed from Polisi Tanzania for two years, and becomes Yanga's fourth new signing of the window.

He is expected to fight for first-team positions with Adeyum Saleh, who was signed in January from JKT Tanzania.

Saleh was preferred in league games more than his rival Jaffery Mohamed, and Mustafa’s arrival is set to give the incoming coach a larger pool of selection for that position.

Timu Ya Wananchi had confirmed the acquisitions of Peter Mauya from Kagera Sugar and Bakari Mwamnyeto from Coastal Union.

Finally, Kagera Sugar have moved with speed to tie down head coach Mecky Maxime with a new contract to prevent him from moving to Yanga.

The record league champions had already approached the tactician with an aim of making him an assistant coach.

Yanga also had made their intention of signing full-back David Luhende and goalkeeper Ramadhan Chalamanda from the Sugar Millers known.

The two have been given new contracts by Kagera Sugar in a bid to keep ambitious Yanga away.

“It is true the coach [Mecky Maxime] and the players had offers from elsewhere but we gave them new contracts and they will be part of the team for the next two seasons,” Kagera Sugar’s General-Secretary Ally Said told Mwanaspoti.

“Awesu Awesu [who has joined Azam] and Mauya had better offers that we could not match and that is why we let them go.”

The Tanzanian transfer window will shut at the end of August.

Tottenham forward Troy Parrott wants his loan spell at Millwall to be his catalyst for success in the same way that club-mate Harry Kane flourished after time at the Den.

Before breaking into the Spurs side, Kane enjoyed a 27-game loan deal with the Lions, during which he scored on nine occasions.

Although he would not break into the side at White Hart Lane immediately on his return, it set him up for a career that has seen him develop into an England star and one of the game’s deadliest attackers.

Now 18-year-old Republic of Ireland international Parrott wants to enjoy a similar trajectory after agreeing to a one-year loan move following a season in which he featured only four times under Jose Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“Hopefully I have a good experience and follow in the footsteps he [Kane] did – going back and playing in the Premier League,” he said. “Hopefully I can really buy into it for the season I’m here.”

Parrott’s hopes are up after speaking with manager Gary Rowett, who led his side to eighth in the standings, missing out on the playoffs by just a couple of points.

“I spoke to Gary and straight away I felt I had a good connection with him. I feel like I’m going to enjoy the way he plays and coaches. Just missing out on the play-offs, it shows how good the team is,” the Dublin-born forward noted.

“Hopefully I can help us push for the play-offs, or even promotion.”

Tottenham are said to be seeking back-up for Kane in the centre-forward role, with Mourinho seeking to take advantage of Watford’s relegation by reportedly looking at Troy Deeney. 

Meanwhile, Callum Wilson of another relegated side, Bournemouth, is a player associated with the north London outfit. 

Spurs endured a frustrating 2019-20 season, and while they improved to sixth after flirting with the relegation places following a poor start to the campaign that saw Mauricio Pochettino sacked, a sixth-placed finish synonymous with a spot in the Europa League next term was all they could muster.

The mother of former Orlando Pirates marksman Lesley Manyathela has backed her nephew Lesedi Kapinga to excel at Mamelodi Sundowns.

The 25-year-old winger has become one of the hottest properties in the Premier Soccer League after impressing at Black Leopards in the current season. 

Kapinga's late cousin, Lesley once looked destined to become of the greatest strikers in the history of the PSL until he tragically died in a car accident in August 2003, aged 21.

Lesley was coming off a successful 2002/03 season in which he inspired Pirates to the PSL title and he also scooped the Golden Boot award after scoring 18 goals. 

His mother Gladys understands that there is the pressure that comes with playing for a big club, but she believes Kapinga has what it takes to play for the reigning PSL champions Sundowns. 

“The sports [football] is in the family and what I wish is for him to go forward. I want him to show the world out there that he can make it," Gladys told Far Post.  "Right now, he is at Sundowns and I wish him the best. 

"I want him to play the football that he knows and show the world that he can do it."

Nicknamed Slow Poison, Lesley was a Bafana Bafana international having played nine international matches for his country, and hit the back of the net three times.

Gladys hopes Kapinga emulates his son by playing for Bafana at some point in his career. 

“I will be proud to see him selected in the squad [Bafana]," she added. "I wish him the best and I pray for him that really, God should prosper him."

The PSL award for the top goalscorer was renamed the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot in Lesley's honour following his death.

The national team also temporarily retired the number 19 jersey which Manyathela had previously worn.

While Pirates retired his jersey, number 22, as a sign of respect for the Limpopo-born frontman, who underwent trials with French Ligue 1 giants Olympique Lyonnais in 2003.

Kapinga will only be able to make his official debut for Sundowns in the new 2020/21 PSL campaign because he cannot be registered by his new club until then.

The 2019/20 PSL season which was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 is set to resume later this month. 

Harry Redknapp does not believe that former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe will be out of the game for long, suggesting that Premier League sides will have him “at the top of their list” when a job becomes available.

The Cherries ended a five-year stay in the top flight when they were relegated on the final day of the season, despite a 3-1 win over Everton, and in the aftermath, it was announced that Howe had left the club by mutual consent.

That came as a surprise to Redknapp, a former Bournemouth manager himself, and a resident of the area, who was well aware of the impact that the 42-year-old had during his second spell in charge of the club, which had dated since 2012.

“Maybe he felt he needed a break, even if they’d stayed up,” he told TalkSport. “I’m sure there will be plenty of clubs; I think Premier League clubs will, when the right jobs become available, put him at the top of their list.

“Anyone with any sense would look at Eddie and think: ‘Hang on, here’s a young guy who’s 42 years of age. What a record, what a job he’s done.’

“You’ve only got to listen to him, you know what he’s about. He”s a very bright guy, very clever.”

The former Tottenham and Portsmouth boss was also shocked that Howe did not hang around to lead the team in the Championship.

“It’s the weakest looking Championship that I think you could wish to be in. You’re never going to get a better opportunity [to get promoted],” he said. 

“I thought he’d stick around and give it a real go.

“Maybe he felt he needed a break, even if they’d stayed up.

“It’s a difficult one, he’s a Bournemouth boy… he’s spent his whole life in and around the football club.

“He really is a part of the community and a local kid who ended up managing his football team. It’ll be a massive loss, the work he’s done has been amazing. He’s been a credit, fantastic.”

Howe took charge of 190 Premier League matches, winning 56, drawing 43 and losing 91.

Romelu Lukaku believes Inter are heading in the right direction after finishing as runners-up to Juventus in Serie A.

A 2-0 final weekend win at Atalanta secured the runners-up spot for Antonio Conte's men, whose fine late-season form meant they finished only a point shy of Juve, who contrastingly shambled towards the finishing post.

Lukaku scored 23 goals in 36 top-flight outings in his debut campaign for the Nerazzurri following an €80 million (£80m/$94m) switch from Manchester United and hopes the best is yet to come.

"Serie A is finished but we're still building and going the right way," the Belgium striker wrote in an Instagram post.

"Thank you for supporting the team throughout this season. To all of my team-mates, you guys have been wonderful. I would give my all for you guys every single day."

Inter's final haul of 82 points matched their title-winning total under Jose Mourinho in 2009-10, with the club also famously winning the Coppa Italia and Champions League that season.

It is the first time they have earned in excess of 79 points without winning the Scudetto.

However, despite that strong finish, Conte appeared unhappy with the board and publicly criticised them after Saturday's game.

Conte accused the Inter hierarchy of showing a lack of support when the side was struggling for results earlier in the campaign and that they failed to protect him and his players from criticism.

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta responded to Conte's outburst , saying the former Chelsea coach's "work has made itself felt”.

He also expressed his "great pride" at the club's achievement in matching the points tally from their treble-winning year, and said "credit must be given to everyone," including Conte and his coaching staff for their hard work.

With their domestic season now over, Inter can turn their attentions to the Europa League.

Conte’s side travel to Germany take on Spanish outfit Getafe in a single-legged last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday.

Both legs of the original tie were postponed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana has acknowledged that it will be 'difficult' for his side to reach the Nedbank Cup final, and has emphasised that they will require considerable 'mental strength' to claim a third straight Premier Soccer League title.

What could be an eventful August awaits Sundowns, who mark their return to competitive action with a Nedbank Cup semi-final showdown against Bidvest Wits on Saturday. 

Three days later, coach Pitso Mosimane and his men resume their league campaign by hosting Orlando Pirates at Dobsonville Stadium, before visiting their closest title rivals Kaizer Chiefs at Orlando Stadium on August 27.

While facing what appears to be tough matches, Kekana is cherishing the assignments which he says gives his side considerable motivation.

“We have to beat Bidvest Wits. Our games against Wits are always difficult,” said Kekana as per IOL. “There’s a lot of motivation for us in the last remaining matches, that’s for sure.

"We all understand the importance of winning," he added. "Our mental strength will be required in these last [league] games.

"There are a lot of things that are not football related that are going to be happening. We have to control what we can and that is going to require mental strength. We will try to stay focused and win our matches.”

Second-placed Sundowns have nine remaining league matches, while Chiefs, who lead them by four points, have eight games to complete their campaign.

Downs are gunning for a third straight league title to match SuperSport United who are the only other team to complete three consecutive championship triumphs.

If they win the PSL title, it would be a third league crown for Kekana as captain and overall seventh together with Tebogo Langerman, Anthony Laffor and goalkeeper Denis Onyango.

After claiming the Telkom Knockout earlier this season, the Brazilians could end the season with a treble should they also bag the Nedbank Cup.

“We want to be remembered as the generation that brought a lot of trophies to Mamelodi Sundowns,” Kekana concluded. “We’ve been working very hard to ensure that.

"We have a team that can compete. The key is to win our matches.

"As much as we have a bigger plan of winning the treble but we will take one game at a time.”