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Ini Umotong made her debut in style as Vaxjo defeated Portia Boakye and Linda Motlhalo's Djurgardens 1-0 in a Swedish Damallsvenskan encounter on Sunday.

The Nigeria international joined the Swedish outfit on an 18-month deal after parting ways with English side Brighton & Hove Albion, where she scored 19 goals in 59 games during her three-year spell, in June.

Just three days after arriving in Sweden, the 26-year-old was handed her first appearance as a substitute by manager Magnus Olsson as they eyed the second win of the season at Visma Arena.

The hosts struggled to create chances against their ambitious visitors, who came close five times and got five corners but could not find a net as the former held on to keep the scores goalless at half time.

After the restart, the visitors continued to trouble the hosts' defenders in search of a goal, forcing Olsson to replace Elin Nilsson with Umotong 12 minutes into the second half of the match.

Despite Boakye almost scoring for Djurgardens in the 59th minute, Vaxjo kept their composure and were gifted a 76th-minute penalty, which Signe Holt Andersen converted to seal the victory.

While debutant Umotong played the final 33 minutes of the contest in Vaxjo's win, her Ugandan teammate Violah Nambi was an unused substitute.

On the part of Djurgardens, Ghana's Boakye was in action for 61 minutes of the encounter before being replaced by Simone Edefall, while South Africa's Motlhalo lasted the duration.

The result means Vaxjo climbed out of relegation places to ninth position on the log, with eight points from eight games, while Djurgardens are seventh with the same number of points.

In their next games, Vaxjo will visit Eskilstuna United, who have Nigeria's Ngozi Okobi and Halimatu Ayinde on their books, while Djurgardens will welcome Orebro on August 8.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been cited as a leading influence in his career by Everton attacker Moise Kean.

Juventus ace Ronaldo, who finished the Serie A campaign with 31 goals to make him just the third player ever to hit that mark for the Turin side, was a team-mate of the Portuguese great during his time in Italy.

So positive the impression that Ronaldo made on the 20-year-old, he was named as the greatest the Italy international has worked with.

“Everyone knows how he is an unbelievable player – he is the best – but you also have to look at the person, and he is a good person. He helped me so much when I was at Juve,” Kean explained to the Toffees’ official website.

When asked who his most difficult opponents were, Kean named a couple of Paris Saint-Germain stars.

“There are two who stand out – Neymar and Angel Di Maria. I came up against them when Juventus played PSG and they are both fantastic players,” he said.

In terms of his greatest personal moments, though, he mentioned a couple of goals that stand out.

“I have had a few nice moments,” he explained. “One was scoring my first goal for Juventus. It was in an away game at Bologna. Scoring my first goal for Everton, in the game against Newcastle, was also a great feeling. I loved celebrating with the Everton fans – I have a great relationship with them.”

Elsewhere, he revealed that he has strong interest in US sport, citing a love of American football and basketball.

“I watch a lot of NFL and NBA. In American football, I like Odell Beckham Jr. In basketball, I am a huge fan of LeBron James,” he said.

Kean had a turbulent first season in English football, managing just a couple of goals in 29 Premier League outings after a high-profile move from Juve. 

He finished the season on a high, however, as he scored a close-range goal against Bournemouth in a 3-1 defeat, adding to the strike he netted previously against Newcastle in January.

AC Milan have entered the race to secure the signature of Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier after the club’s sporting director Paolo Maldini confirmed contact has been made with the player’s agent.

The 27-year-old has been with the Lilywhites since 2017 when he moved from Paris Saint-Germain, and he's been club’s first-choice right-back since Kieran Trippier’s departure to Atletico Madrid last summer, although the Rossoneri have confirmed they're looking to take him to Italy this summer.

“We had talked to [Aurier's] agent last year, there was a chance,” Maldini told Sky Sports Italia after AC Milan’s 3-0 win over Cagliari, when asked about the prospect of signing the full-back. “Now let's think about ending the season, then we will act on the market in the three weeks that the players will go on vacation.”

The Ivorian played 42 times in all competitions this term, 33 of them coming in the Premier League where he scored one goal and provided five assists.

He also scored and assisted in Spurs' 4-2 Champions League Group B win over Olympiacos and provided another assist in a 5-0 win over Red Star Belgrade at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Aurier’s performances have been inconsistent, although he did enjoy a brief renaissance under Jose Mourinho as Spurs finished sixth in the league to qualify for the Europa League.

The Rossoneri end the Serie A season as the best side since the resumption of the Italian top flight, going unbeaten in 12 games, winning nine times and drawing thrice, all which saw them seal sixth place and a place in the Europa League qualifiers next season.

Milan are not the only club interested in Aurier with French club AS Monaco, whose recruitment department is overseen by Paul Mitchell, formerly part of the Tottenham backroom staff, also understood to be keen on the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winner.

Aurier recently suffered a tragedy after his brother Christopher was shot dead in the French city of Toulouse, but despite the setback, the Ivorian summoned the courage to play 24 hours later in a league game against Newcastle United which ended in a 3-1 victory.

Dani Ceballos has suggested that his future will not necessarily lie with Arsenal, despite helping the London side to FA Cup glory.

Spanish midfielder Ceballos has played the duration of the season with the Gunners and was a key figure as they defeated Chelsea 2-1 in Saturday’s Wembley showpiece, in which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got both goals for Mikel Arteta’s side.

His time at the Emirates Stadium, though, was only a loan deal from Real Madrid, and the 23-year-old wants to keep his options open regarding where he plays next season.

"I haven't spoken to Real Madrid yet, but anyone who wears that shirt is happy," Ceballos told El Partidazo de COPE. “Madrid are better than any club in the world. We'll see about my future.

“I'm not thinking about whether or not I can play for Real Madrid, Arsenal or another club.

“Now it's time to disconnect. I have to be calm and think clearly with my family about the coming year.”

Ceballos did confess, however, that Real Betis have been monitoring his progress and have been in close contact for the duration of his time in England.

“I’ve a lot of love for Betis, for everyone that works at the club,” he explained, having turned out in 98 La Liga encounters for the Sevilla side between 2014 and 2017 after coming through their youth system.

“They know the love I have for them and we've been in contact all season. Betis means a lot to me.”

Ceballos has featured on 37 occasions for the Gunners, scoring two goals and grabbing two assists. 

His spell started particularly promisingly as he created two goals in a 2-1 home Premier League success over Burnley, though his fortunes were hit by a muscular injury sustained in November that kept him out until the very end of January.

When Premier League action restarted after the height of the coronavirus crisis, he started every game with the exception of the 2-1 home victory over Liverpool, though he featured off the bench against the champions and still managed to play more than half an hour.

Young Africans have entered the race to sign ex-Gor Mahia forward Dickson Ambundo.

Ambundo is among the two players who have been released by the Kenyan Premier League champions ahead of the new season.

The Tanzanian attacker has now emerged as a top transfer target for Yanga, who are keen to strengthen their squad after missing out on silverware and finishing second on the 20-team league table.

“Yanga have entered the race to sign [Ambundo] and I can tell you they have already held talks and the deal could be confirmed anytime this coming week,” a source, who did not want to be named, told Goal.

“Ambundo was among the players fired coach Luc Eymael had requested the club to sign and the club have said they will go ahead and get his services even without Eymael because they believe he is a good player who can add value to the team.”

Before signing for Gor Mahia, Ambundo also featured for Alliance FC in the Tanzanian league. However, he did not make his mark at K’Ogalo as he struggled to nail down a starting role.

In a recent interview, Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack told Goal that Ambundo was allowed to leave by mutual consent.

“Ambundo is a good player but both parties reached an agreement not to renew his contract, I was keen to have him stay but it could not be the case, as the player had already kept his mind elsewhere,” Polack told Goal.

On Saturday, Yanga confirmed their first signing after beating rivals Simba SC to the services of defender Bakari Mwamnyeto from Coastal Union.

Mwamnyeto has been one of the outstanding defenders in the top flight and his prowess rightfully attracted interest from local giants, including Azam FC.

He'd played a pivotal role in Coastal Union’s season, which saw them just concede 30 goals; a fifth-best record, which was only bettered by Simba, Yanga, Azam, and Biashara United.

Having put pen to paper on a two-year deal, he will now set about proving that he proves to be the successor to his international teammate Kevin Yondani.

The 35-year-old has been a regular figure at the centre of defence alongside Lamine Moro, and the addition of Mwamnyeto is a sign that Yanga are now preparing for life without him.

Simba SC sealed a season treble after beating Namungo FC 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Sumbawanga.

The 21-time league champions also won the Community Shield when they defeated Azam FC in August last year.

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 for the FA competition.

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 coach Sven 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, but 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 headed into the break with a healthy 2-0 lead.

The Tanzanian, in the absence of Meddie Kagere, worked hard and ensured the club will not miss the Rwandan talisman.

With nine league goals, Bocco has turned out to be Simba’s dependable captain and goalscorer throughout the campaign, even though he has had to battle a knee injury.

As Sven Vandenbroeck fielded a strong side for the domestic tournament finale to conclude his maiden season in charge, Kagere was the only regular starter who was benched, with the goal-hunting responsibilities placed on the shoulders of Bocco, Clatous Chama, Francis Kahata and Miquissone.

Namungo equalized in the 57th minute when Edward Charles Manyama managed to beat Aishi Manula in Simba's goal as the affair in Sumbawanga turned into an end-to-end encounter.

The biggest test perhaps lies ahead for the former Zambian national team coach as he has to ensure Simba prosper in the 2020-21 Caf Champions League.

Last season, under Patrick Aussems, the club was eliminated in the preliminary round by UD Songo of Mozambique.

Miquissone, then on the books of Songo, scored the goal that eliminated Simba in Dar es Salaam in August 2018.

Defeated finalists Namungo, who finished fourth on the league standings, will still look back on a successful campaign as they reach the Confederation Cup by virtue of advancing to the FA Cup final.

The big test for coach Thierry Hitimana will come when the team face continental rivals and try to better the league’s performance in the 2020/21 campaign. 

Going into their final day encounter with relegation-threatened Trapani, Crotone’s Simy Nwankwo still had unfinished business despite the Pythagoreans gaining automatic promotion to Serie A a week earlier.

Locked in a two-way battle with Perugia’s Pietro Iemmello to end top scorer in Serie B, the towering frontman, guaranteed the best-ever league return of his career, wasn’t about to let his one-goal lead slip at the death.

With 20 goals from 36 games before Friday night, the 28-year-old’s keenness to extend his advantage in their final fixture was apparent as he attempted four of his team’s 15 attempts – only Junior Messias from midfield attempted more. Interestingly, he had three fewer efforts in Crotone’s penultimate game in midweek, a 1-0 over Frosinone in their final home game of the season.

Friday night’s 2-0 loss didn't change the final standing of Giovanni Stroppa’s team, who still finished second. Although defeat meant they finished a staggering 18 points behind Filippo Inzaghi’s Benevento, who recorded a 4-2 success over Ascoli.

Fortunately for Simy, Iemmello’s blank in Perugia’s 3-1 loss at Venezia means he won’t be supplanting the Nigerian in the regular season (Perugia face Pescara in the relegation playoffs in mid-August).

Indeed, the gigantic frontman has come a long way from the striker that netted only three times in 21 appearances when Crotone narrowly avoided relegation in 2016/17 but weren’t so lucky the following season as they finished third-bottom with 35 points.

In fairness, their raw statistics when they went down indicated a bit of misfortune: the Pythagoreans scored 40 in 17/18, seven more than they managed the previous year and picked up 35 points, one higher than in 16/17.

The problem was at the back where they let in 66 goals, eight more than they allowed in a dramatic first year in Serie A under Davide Nicola. Only two sides conceded more than the Calabria-based side when they finished in the bottom three – Hellas Verona (78) and Benevento (84) – who didn’t stay in the top flight, either.

As an attacking unit, however, Crotone netted 40 times, more than all but one of the clubs in the bottom half and a staggering 11 higher than 11th-placed Sassuolo who netted 29. Simy scored seven of those in 23 matches, netting double his tally in 16/17, to end joint-top scorer for the side.

He’s become even more prolific in the last two campaigns, albeit in Serie B, hitting the back of the net 14 times last season before scoring his career-best of 20 in a single season.

Despite coming in second-tier football, his haul in the last two years bodes well on the face of it but would the frontman deliver such numbers on his return to Serie A?

A dive into the Pythagoreans’ promotion campaign under Stroppa has seen an interesting shift in approach from their two years in the top flight. In 16/17 under Nicola, Crotone averaged 37.1 percent of possession, unsurprisingly the lowest mean in the division. They fashioned out the lowest big chances (18) and were in the bottom three top-scoring sides having scored 34 times.

The following season, their average possession of 39.5 percent, although slightly higher, remained the lowest in the league. Still, their attacking vibrancy in possession saw them fashion out 36 big chances, double their number in their maiden year, and better than two sides in the competition – Verona and SPAL.

While not the sole reason, it’s no surprise Simy also doubled his tally of three goals in 16/17 to score seven in 17/18.

This term, though, the drastic shift in Crotone’s approach ultimately led to the forward hitting his best return of 20 league goals.

In Stroppa’s first full season in charge, the side from Calabria averaged 60.6 percent possession as they finished second in the table. Their mean wasn’t only the highest in the division, but it was also significantly higher than Benevento’s average of 49.7 percent, which put the champions 12th in the standings for how teams kept the ball throughout the season.

Surprisingly, despite Stroppa’s tendency to dominate the ball, his side created 10 fewer clear-cut chances than Inzaghi’s troops (83 to 93) and were slightly less clinical than the champions.

A bigger worry will be the runners-up’s shoddy defensive record which saw them allow 40 goals in 38 games, a staggering 13 goals more than the league winners who let in just 27. Given their leaky rearguard was a major contributory factor for failing to avoid the drop in 2018, the just-concluded season, despite being under another manager, implied they haven’t learned from mistakes that affected their second season in the top flight.

In an attacking sense, it also remains to be seen whether Stroppa still seeks to dominate games and play on the front foot against teams of better quality or whether he adopts a more pragmatic approach and cede possession to the opposition.

Indeed, the 52-year-old manager’s decision will certainly play a part in Simy prospering or otherwise on his return to the top flight after proving with two prolific campaigns in Serie B that he’s a step above second-tier football.

Despite the threat of not posting as high as this year’s 24 goal contributions next season, fans of the club can draw positives from how he bowed out in 17/18 when he netted six of his seven goals in the final eight fixtures of the campaign.

Having ostensibly improved in the last two seasons, the forward might feel he has unfinished business in the top flight, but the jury is still out on the forward’s ability to dominate against the top sides in the country.

In fairness, how well Crotone adapt to not having as much possession on their return to Serie A will undoubtedly influence Simy’s ability to thrive in the Italian top flight after two seasons away. The goals have flowed in the last 24 months but the forward’s assumed improvement is now set to be put to the test against the nation’s best in the top flight.

Cristiano Ronaldo appears committed to at least another season with Juventus as he wants to win a third Scudetto with the club.

Ronaldo joined Juve from Real Madrid in a shock €100 million (£88m/$115m) transfer two years ago and has maintained strong form despite seemingly entering the twilight years of his career.

The 35-year-old scored 21 Serie A goals in 2018-19, before bettering that by 10 this term as Juve clinched a ninth successive league crown.

In doing so, he set club history as he became just the third player to notch more than 30 strikes in a single season, following in the footsteps of Felice Borel (31 in 1933/34) and John Hansen (30 in 1951/52).

Indeed, his exploits in front of goal have been eclipsed only by Lazio's Ciro Immobile and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski in European football this season, with the Rome-based striker denying the pair the Golden Shoe by registering on 36 occasions.

Mild speculation had suggested in recent months that Ronaldo, who did not feature in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Roma in the final Serie A fixture of the season, might be considering moving on again, with the Portugal great and coach Maurizio Sarri reportedly enduring a rocky relationship at times this season.

But Ronaldo has given an indication that he plans to stay for the 2020-21 season.

Writing in an Instagram post published after Juve lifted the Serie A trophy on Saturday, Ronaldo said: "Happy to win the last two of the nine consecutive Serie A titles for Juventus!

"It seems easy but it isn't! Year after year with talent, dedication and hard work you can achieve your goals and be better than before! Let's go for my third."

Juve could yet end a 24-year wait for Champions League success this season as well. The two-time European champions last won the trophy in the 1995-96 season.

The Old Lady head into Friday's last-16 second-leg clash with Lyon 1-0 down, but will fancy their chances of overturning that deficit in Turin given their opponents have played just one competitive match - Friday's penalty shoot-out defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de la Ligue final - since March.

Roma have a player who has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or on their books in Nicolo Zaniolo, according to Fabio Capello.

The coach, who led AC Milan to the 1994 Champions League title, as well as Roma to a historic 2001 Serie A crown, has compared the 21-year-old playmaker to Kaka and says he has all the attributes to reach the very top.

Capello was speaking after Zaniolo played a virtuoso role in Roma’s 3-1 win over Juventus, the player’s first start since an ankle ligament injury in January, during which he set up Diego Perotti after a driving run.

“This Roma talent has extraordinary physicality, power and pace, mixed in with quality. He has the potential not just to win the Golden Shoe in future, but something more,” the 74-year-old told Sky Sport Italia.

“Kaka didn’t have the same strength as Zaniolo, as he was more technical and expressed himself better in the final third.

“I am in love with Zaniolo, because he has everything at the highest level: power, quality and pace. There are players out there with a lot of potential, but not like him.

“Looking at the assist for Perotti against Juventus, to reach the edge of the area after running from midfield with the ball at his feet and still having the cool head to make that precise pass, that means he has great vision and a really precise feel for the ball.

“I don’t see other young players as good as Zaniolo around at the moment, so yes, I think he has the potential to become a Ballon d’Or winner.”

Tottenham and Inter have previously been credited with an interest in the youngster, who posts six goals and two assists in 26 Serie A performances this season, though head coach Paulo Fonseca says that this will not happen.

“We don't want to sell Zaniolo or [Lorenzo] Pellegrini,” he told Sky Sport Italia after a 6-1 victory over SPAL.

“They are important for the future of Roma.”

Roma finished the season fifth in Serie A, eight points distant of fourth-placed Lazio, who claimed the final Champions League berth.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu wants to keep attacker Ansu Fati at the club “for life”.

The 17-year-old winger has had an exciting introduction to top-team football in his debut campaign, scoring eight goals in 32 outings in all competitions and showing flair in the tradition of the Catalan club.

Such is the impression that the teenager has made, there have been reports of a €100 million (£88m/$115m) bid made for him by an unnamed club, thought to be Manchester United, but Bartomeu has said there has never been any formal talks over a talent he hopes will never leave the Catalans.

“There have been no formal offers but there has been interest from some clubs,” he confirmed to Sport. “Barcelona’s answer has been: ‘No.’”

“He’s essential for the future of the club. Ansu is not for sale. He represents the academy the players come out of, learn from and consolidate themselves in the first team.

“He’s unique because he jumped from the youth team to the first team. There are not many players like him and Barcelona cannot sell him, even if it would be an economic solution for the club in the times of this pandemic.

“At no time have we considered selling him. On the contrary: what we have to do is help him in his growth and get him to sign a new contract in the future, so that he plays here for life.”

Ansu signed a deal in December that runs until 2022, though Bartomeu confirmed that the plan is to tie him down to fresh terms as quickly as possible.

“He signed the contract as a Barcelona B player. Now the plan is to transfer him to the first team,” said the Blaugrana chief. “He’s going to the first team because he’s earned it.

“Along with Riqui Puig and Ronald Araujo, he represents La Masia, which makes young players capable of growing into the first team. They show that, although some people say it doesn’t work, continues to generate footballers. 

“Generations don’t always come out, but now there are three players who are here to stay.”

But while the teenager has shown much promise, Bartomeu does not want to give him any grand labels, such as the superstar to take over from Lionel Messi.

“He’s only 17, let’s not put pressure on him,” he said. “Now he has to play and train with the best. Let him get into the team. The role that awaits him will be decided by him when appropriate. It is still early.”

Wayne Rooney says Sir Alex Ferguson's "suicidal" tactics led to Manchester United's Champions League final defeats against Barcelona.

Ferguson won two European cups during his 27-year reign at Old Trafford, with the first success coming in 1999 against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou before a triumph over Chelsea in Moscow nine years later.

The Red Devils beat Barca in the last four to earn a place in the 2008 showpiece, with a Paul Scholes goal enough to send them through 1-0 on aggregate.

United set up to frustrate the Spanish giants and look for openings on the break, which proved to be an effective strategy as they minimised the threat of talismanic trio Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Andres Iniesta over the two legs.

However, the two teams met again in the final a year later, and Ferguson altered his system in an attempt to honour the club's time-honoured philosophy of free-flowing attacking football.

Goals from Eto'o and Messi gave Barca a 2-0 victory in Rome, a result which ultimately flattered the Red Devils given Barca's dominance on the night.

The Blaugrana repeated the trick two years later at Wembley, as Pedro, Messi and David Villa found the net to cancel out a fine Rooney strike in another one-sided game.

Speaking ahead of Real Madrid's trip to Etihad Stadium on Friday, where they will be aiming to overturn a 2-1 deficit in the second leg of their round of 16 tie against Manchester City, the United legend admitted that Ferguson took the "wrong approach" in both finals against Barca.

"It's always hard for a club like Real to go into a game saying 'we'll surrender the ball'. It is the same for United," Rooney told The Sunday Times. "But we lost two Champions League finals going toe-to-toe with Guardiola's Barcelona, by trying to press high and get round them, which was suicidal.

"I remember Alex Ferguson saying 'we're Man United and we're going to attack, it's in the culture of this football club' and thinking 'I'm not too sure about this'.

"I think all the players knew, deep down, it was the wrong approach, that we were abandoning the way that had brought us success in that 2008 semi-final, and sure enough both times we got outplayed."

The Red Devils' all-time record scorer went on to reference Liverpool's 2-0 win against Tottenham in last year's final as proof that pragmatism often reaps rewards on the biggest stages.

"There is being true to the club, but then there's sitting back afterwards and thinking 'we lost'," Rooney added. "For me, it doesn't matter how you do it in these big Champions League games, as long as you win — look at how Liverpool ground it out in last year's final — and I think [Madrid boss Zinedine] Zidane has the same mindset."

Manchester City "may never have a better chance to win the Champions League", according to Wayne Rooney, who has backed Pep Guardiola's side to beat Real Madrid in the last 16.

City will welcome Madrid to Etihad Stadium for the second-leg of their round of 16 tie on Friday boasting a 2-1 aggregate advantage.

Guardiola got his tactics spot on in the reverse fixture at Santiago Bernabeu, as Gabriel Jesus and Kevin de Bruyne scored late goals to earn the four-time Premier League champions a huge away victory.

However, Zinedine Zidane picked his players up after that result to dethrone Barcelona in La Liga, and he is now targeting the fourth European cup of his managerial career.

Madrid won ten successive games to overhaul their arch-rivals and win a 34th Spanish title after returning from lockdown.

City will be missing star striker Sergio Aguero through injury in the second leg, but Real will also be without a talisman with Sergio Ramos ineligible due to suspension.

Rooney can't see Madrid keeping the Blues at bay without their captain, and has predicted that Guardiola will mastermind another positive result which will take them one step closer to an elusive Champions League crown.

"City may never have a better chance to win the Champions League," the Manchester United legend wrote in his latest column for The Times. "Sergio Ramos is suspended which is a huge loss to the Real defence and I think City will score. Whether they are solid enough at the back themselves is my only question.

"Real will target their centre-halves and it's a worry that this season every other [Premier League] 'Big Six' club beat City. This shows Guardiola's team can struggle to keep the best sides out."

Rooney says that although Zidane has proven in the past he is capable of inspiring European turnarounds, he cannot see City losing from such a strong position.

The Derby midfielder added: "I saw Zinedine Zidane do it in his first spell as Real coach when he played against Guardiola-style teams in big games, and it brought him successes.

"Yet my money is still on City. They don't have to chase the game. They don't have to score. They can even afford to lose 1-0 and go through, and in the first leg they surprised Madrid by sitting in themselves.

"It was the first time I've seen Guardiola play like that and I've a feeling he'll do the same at the Etihad. It could be a game of cat-and-mouse."

Eder Militao is eagerly awaiting the second leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League last-16 tie with Manchester City and is ready to plug the gap that Sergio Ramos’ absence will leave.

The Spain defender was dismissed with four minutes remaining of the first leg, in which City scored twice in the last 12 minutes earn a 2-1 win.

With the second leg to be played in England, it leaves the Liga champions with a mountain to climb as they will need to score twice to stand any chance of progression, a particularly difficult ask without their talismanic captain. Militao, though, is ready to step up to the plate.

“Ramos is not there and I have to show my heart, play with everything I have,” he told AS. “It’s a really strong feeling. It is a unique moment for me.”

Still to score for the club which he joined in the summer of 2019, Militao has admitted that he has dreamed of making a decisive contribution in the second leg.

“I can imagine it now, in the Champions League, in Manchester. The winning goal, with a header. I wouldn't know how to celebrate it. Nothing is impossible, so I'm going to go for it,” he said.

Madrid, whose three-year reign as European champions was ended in 2019, have been through some difficult periods this season, sacking two coaches before Zinedine Zidane led them past Barcelona to the domestic crown, but former Porto man Militao says the squad always retained confidence in their abilities.

“The media always have to talk about something to do with Madrid,” he said. “We know what we worked on in training, and how well we were doing. We don't like to lose, we always want to keep winning, but it doesn't always happen. We knew we were on the right track.

“I said that the Champions League was very important, but the league is also important and I can't explain the feeling of winning it, it was incredible. Now comes the Champions League, and we’ll fight and battle to reach the final and succeed.”

Since losing 2-1 at home to City, Madrid have won 11 of their 13 fixtures, with a 2-2 draw against Leganes in their last outing on July 19 nothing more than a dead rubber for them. Their tie at the Etihad Stadium will be played on August 7.

As the games are set to restart next weekend after they were suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane insists the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) title is in the hands of the log leaders Kaizer Chiefs.

Although the reigning PSL champions trail Amakhosi by four points and have a game in hand, ‘Jingles’ says he cannot be emotional about their title aspirations.

Moreover, he believes the two upcoming matches against German coaches, Josef Zinnbauer and Ernst Middendorp, may not decide the title race but warned SuperSport United can still win it.

“For me, it’s always about winning the next match, that’s my attitude. Some people say you’ve won this and you’ve won that,” Mosimane told SundayTimes print version.

“So, what else inspires you? I always say top coaches want to win everything. We’ve done the treble, in fact, we won four [2015/16].

“In those nine games, big clubs [Pirates and Chiefs] are coming. Who can get maximum points in the remaining games? I don’t think anybody can really.

 “The league is not in our hands, it’s in Chiefs’ hands. They don’t need anybody’s favour. All they have to do is win their remaining matches and they’re champions.”

Speaking about the fact that he will meet the two Soweto giants in the second round, games many reckon would have a say in the race, the former Bafana Bafana boss has a different view, saying he won’t be emotional about winning their 10th league trophy.

“Anybody can win the league even SuperSport United can,” he added.

“Football is not the way we say it. Football is on the pitch and it’s played on the pitch: and then it’s a different story.

“I remove my heart from being emotional about all these talks. It’s our supporters who are on that. Same as Chiefs, it’s their 50th anniversary and they’d like to celebrate that with winning the league.

“But my job is to make sure I remain sober-minded and the players must get into my mode of knowing that yes we have to deliver, yes we can but we can’t be reckless and be all over the place, planning the party without winning the games.”

Meanwhile, the Brazilians will resume their current campaign with a mouth-watering semi-final clash against Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup as they look to reach the final.

As things stand, Sundowns are gunning for their third consecutive PSL crown and have already lifted the Telkom Knockout Cup trophy – and winning another cup will complete a treble for them.

Mauricio Pochettino feels no regret over his decision to honour his Tottenham contract and shun Real Madrid in 2018, but did reveal frustration at a perceived lack of "support" from the Spurs board.

Pochettino spent five years with Spurs after joining from Southampton in 2014 and turned the team into Premier League top-four regulars and Champions League finalists.

But a difficult start to the 2019-20 season led to his dismissal in November last year, with Spurs bringing in Jose Mourinho as his replacement.

Pochettino previously had the opportunity to leave on his own terms in 2018, when Real Madrid attempted to hire him as Zinedine Zidane's successor, but he opted to stay put.

In the short term it proved a wise decision, as he went on to guide Spurs to their first ever Champions League final and Madrid sacked Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari in the same campaign, eventually persuading Zidane to return in March 2019.

But within a few months of Spurs' Champions League defeat to Liverpool, the club's outlook was much gloomier and Pochettino rued not being shown more support by chairman Daniel Levy and the board.

"I was happy at Tottenham and I signed a contract," Pochettino told El Pais when asked if he regretted not joining Madrid when the opportunity arose.

"And we [his staff and Spurs] finished very well, the relationship is impeccable. I always say, without false humility, that we too made mistakes that led to what happened, although we did expect a little more support or reassurance to reverse the situation.

"But the club line was going another way and there was wear; respite was needed from both sides.

"We work in a result-led environment where it seems that all the things that have a good result are the ones that continue. But, how do you measure what works or not?

"Only the one who wins or the one who exceeds expectations? After the Champions League final, four years in the top four, two years without signings ... a different management strategy was needed.

"Sometimes the vision of a coaching staff is not accepted by the club management. We knew what could happen.

"You need to fall, be down to then go up, but Tottenham made the decision to separate us after five and a half years. I understand that it is a long time."

Tanzania Mainland League side Azam FC have completed the signing of midfielder Ayoub Lyanga on a two-year deal.

The 2014 league champions have been active in the transfer window so far, aiming at strengthening the team ahead of next season. The midfielder, who was turning out for Coastal Union last season, is among the new players who are expected to bolster the squad.

"Attacking midfielder Ayoub Lyanga has joined Azam FC after signing a two-year contract as a free agent," the club confirmed on their official social media accounts.

"In presence during the signing of the contract was Azam FC CEO Abdulkarim Amin who was also there during the medical tests.

"The midfielder has been in a fine form for Coastal Union, scoring eight goals in the process and creating four."

Lyanga helped the team finish in the seventh position with 53 points after winning 14 matches, drawing 11 and losing 13.

A couple of days ago, the 2018/19 FA Cup champions completed the signing of midfielder Awesu Ally Awesu from Kagera Sugar on a two-year deal.

The player made a return to the team which developed him between 2014-15 while at the Azam Academy. In the last two seasons, he has been in good form and it was not a tough decision for the technical bench to make him the first signing in the transfer window. 

"I am delighted to sign this deal, it is like making a return home," Awesu said during the signing.

"No one can turn down a deal from Azam because it is a big team in Tanzania. It is home for me because I played for them [in the reserve team] for two years.

"I had to leave and gain experience elsewhere, but in my heart, I always promised myself to make a return to the team and not in the reserve but as a first-team player. I am happy it has happened."

On Saturday, the team also announced the signing of Ally Niyonzima from Rayon Sports.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ confirmed the arrival of the Rwanda international who signed a two-year contract that will see him stay at the Chamazi-based club until 2023.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Bidvest Wits manager Gavin Hunt says they face an uphill battle in their remaining matches of the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season.

The Clever Boys have nine games to wrap up the campaign and the experienced boss says they require physical and psychological strength, although they will be professional until the end.

On the other hand, his counterpart at Baroka, Dylan Kerr, says playing the Nedbank Cup semi-final match against Bloemfontein Celtic next weekend without friendly matches is set to cause headaches when it comes to team selection.

“It’s difficult because we have so much to deal with. So, it’s not only the physical but psychological issues to deal with. We’ll see how it goes and we will show professionalism until the end,” Hunt told CityPress print version.

“In a normal pre-season, you would play five or six friendly games. We haven’t really done anything like that. Our programme will not be easy because we have so many catch-up games.”

The Braamfontein-based club was recently sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) and are set to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup semis next weekend at Orlando Stadium.

On the part of Bakgaga Ba Mphahele, Kerr says he hopes his men can overcome John Maduka’s Phunya Sele Sele for them to gain an advantage heading to the remaining matches in the league.

“It goes against everything a coach wants to do before any game. Never mind such a huge game. We normally need to play competitive games against good opponents to see the level [of fitness] of your team,” Kerr said.

“Now we have 25 players who want to play in the semi-final. Within our team, we have played 11 versus 11 – it’s very competitive and you risk injuries.

“If we win, it will give us good momentum going into other games. It would set us up nicely for the remaining league games and then the cup final.

“It’s our FA Cup and the biggest competition in the league for me. It’s the last cup of the season and what a way it would be to end the season on a high by winning it.”

Looking at Wits’ league schedule, they will clash against PSL table-toppers Kaizer Chiefs in their next match on Wednesday, August 12, and are currently sixth on the log with 38 points from 21 games.

Meanwhile, the Limpopo club will target a safe finish this term as they are involved in the relegation battle – they occupy the 13th spot with 23 points from 24 games so far.

Maurizio Sarri's Juventus have posted the worst Serie A statistics from the club's last nine title-winning seasons.

Juve were crowned champions of Italy for a ninth successive season after beating Sampdoria 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium on July 26. Sarri's men clinched the Scudetto with two matches to spare, but benefitted greatly from the inconsistent form of their main title rivals Inter, Atalanta and Lazio.

The Bianconeri only picked up two victories from their final eight matches, and finished the campaign with back-to-back defeats against Cagliari and Roma.

After wrapping up their domestic schedule with a 3-1 loss at home to the Giallarossi, Sarri admitted that his side's motivation levels had dwindled.

While looking ahead to a Champions League last 16 showdown against Lyon, the Italian boss said Juve knew the title was all but wrapped up after last month's win against Lazio.

"A little fear can do us good. After Lazio we felt the championship was won and we had a mental decline," Sarri told reporters.

The truth is that Juve have failed to reach the same heights as in previous years throughout the season, which is reflected in their final points tally.

Their latest haul of 83 is the lowest number they've amassed in the last decade, and they also conceded more goals than in any of their previous eight title successes - 43. Juve have recorded their worst goal difference of that period (+33) along with the highest number of defeats (seven) and the smallest final points gap between the top two clubs.

To make matters even worse, the Turin-based outfit have dropped 21 points from a winning position, more than any other title-winning side in Serie A history, beating Roma's previous mark of 20 set in 1982-83.

Sarri also saw his team beaten in both the Italian Super Cup and Coppa Italia finals, but he could end up silencing many of his critics if he can deliver the Champions League later this month.

Juve haven't won the competition since 1996 and face an uphill battle to reach the quarter-finals this time around having been beaten 1-0 by Lyon in the first-leg of their first knockout tie.

The Bianconeri will be rewarded with a last-eight clash against either Real Madrid or Manchester City if they can complete a comeback against the French outfit on Friday.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has asserted that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future doesn’t seem to be with Arsenal, even after the Gabon striker lifted the FA Cup for the first time on Saturday.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund man scored twice as the Gunners edged past Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley for a record-extending 14th cup crown.

Aubameyang has a year left on his existing deal and there has been no indication he is keen to commit to new terms, even though coach Mikel Arteta has been positive that he will sign.

When quizzed after the game, Auba, as he has done in time past, didn’t give a definitive answer.

“I’m really not thinking about this. I just want to enjoy this with the guys and take the trophy," he told BT Sport.

"I think we deserved the win. Everyone gave their best today for the team and yeah, we deserve it. The journey has been long but today we’re enjoying this great game."

This response prompted Ferdinand to think Aubameyang isn’t focused on staying at Arsenal, believing the FA Cup triumph would have been a perfect opportunity for him to announce his commitment.

“I think he's [Aubameyang] gone from that reaction. He's already decided,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport.

"I'm going to enjoy this with my team-mates" - he sounds like someone who is going elsewhere.

“Arsenal need to do all they can to keep him. He was unbelievable. But the Arsenal fans adore him. Is he going to find that elsewhere in his career?

"I feel there have definitely been negotiations or he’s already decided I’m going to go.

"I’m going to enjoy this moment with my team-mates and I don’t want to talk about my future.

"From my own perspective if I’m committed to the club and I know I’m staying this is a moment for me to say I’m going to sort it out it’s not done yet but I will try and get it sorted out here guys."

Former Chelsea and Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson was of the opinion that Aubameyang will definitely want to leave Arsenal, citing his desire to want to win bigger trophies like the Premier League and playing in the Champions League, which Johnson doesn’t believe Arsenal can win in the next four years.

"Yeah I think you're right [he'll want Champions League football]," Johnson told Stadium Astro.

“I think there's two different equations - if you're Arsenal Football Club you have to do anything possible to keep hold of him.

"As Aubameyang, he's 30, and Arsenal aren't winning the league in the next four years. That's a fact, they're miles away from it. So in four years' time, Aubameyang is not going to be the same player.

"For him personally, if he wants to win trophies - it sounds silly after them winning the FA Cup of course, but trophies like the league or playing in the Champions League then of course he needs to move on.

"But he seems to enjoy his football there, and these strikers are hard to come by.

"If you want to go and buy a striker now that's going to get you 20 goals a season, you're talking £100million.

"Arsenal have that player so as a club they need to do all they can to keep him. Liverpool would take him, City would take him, United would take him - everyone would take him.

"For him personally he might look elsewhere but he does seem to enjoy the lads and he does seem to enjoy Arsenal Football Club so maybe he will stay."

Aubameyang ends the season with 29 goals in 44 competitive matches, 22 of those coming in the Premier League which was one short of Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy of Leicester City.

Overall, he has 70 goals in 109 outings since joining Arsenal in January 2018.

Bayern Munich great Oliver Kahn believes that UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules need to be examined after Manchester City had their two-year European ban overturned at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pep Guardiola’s side had expected to sit out the next two years of competition but were found to have exploited a loophole in UEFA’s regulations that meant this aspect of their suspension was annulled, while a €30 million (£27m/$35m) fine was reduced to €10m (£9m/$11m).

The outcry that has followed from City’s European competitors has been a frustrated one, with Kahn, currently a director at Bayern, of the opinion that the laws need examining.

When asked if the current situation means that it will be harder for Bayern to secure a sixth European title, he replied: “Yes, that's right, if we look at the Financial Fair Play issue it would be. We are very interested that Financial Fair Play should be taken more seriously.

“I don't know the situation exactly now in Man City or Paris Saint-Germain or other clubs but I think we should take this Financial Fair Play in the future more seriously, because if we don't do that, we don't need it.

“I think there is a lot of work to do and as you see from the competition in Europe, we need a clear structure and serious Financial Fair Play so that we get more balanced competition.

“If in the future you only have the same clubs winning the Champions League or winning for example Bundesliga or Premier League or other leagues I think it's getting a little bit boring. So, I think we should do everything to get really strong Financial Fair Play.”

Bayern have now won the Bundesliga eight times in succession, but Kahn believes competition can only be healthy in the sport, although how to achieve it is a more problematic issue.

“I think that's the big question at the moment in football,” he admitted. “If you look for example in Italy, you have Juventus winning now the ninth title. If you look to Spain, you have always the situation between Real Madrid and Barcelona. I think if you look to England, you have different champions in the last years.

“We as Bayern Munich we are always interested in a more balanced competition in our league, but we have to be careful concerning the money because we are not only competing in the German Bundesliga, we as a global brand are also competing in Europe. These are not easy questions but we need to find an answer in the next months.

“We have to find this balance between our local leagues and get a good competition there but we as Bayern Munich must also compete in Europe against the other clubs. To find this balance is I think not an easy thing.”

Bayern are still active in the 2019-20 Champions League, with a strong 3-0 advantage over Chelsea before the second leg of their delayed last-16 fixture next week.