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Ferran Torres says he wants to follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo as he nears a move to the Premier League.

As revealed by Goal, The Valencia winger is on the brink of completing a  £21m ($27m) transfer to Manchester City this summer.

The 20-year-old has already reached an agreement over a five-year contract with Pep Guardiola's side and is expected to replace Leroy Sane, who departed for Bayern Munich.

While Torres has been inspired by City legend David Silva and former Barcelona and Spain striker David Villa, it is former Manchester United star Ronaldo he hopes to emulate with his conduct on and off the field.  

"From an early age I had two main references, one when I was very small and he arrived at Valencia and that was David Villa. Villa and David Silva the duo that took Valencia to such great heights," Torres said in an interview with Guillem Balague.

"But for me, Cristiano above all is a great reference not just because of the way he plays his football but also because of the way he carries himself away from football.

"It is worthy of admiration and I would like to follow his steps."

He added: "Maybe my best position at the moment is on the flanks but with the passing years when I get a bit older and perhaps lose a bit of speed and the power that I am known for then maybe I will finish playing inside because I have played there in the past.

"Something else they have instilled in me since I was small is that the more positions you can cover on the pitch then the more possibilities you have to play and the more you can contribute.

"As a player I consider myself to be ambitious, someone that wants to win, win, win and of course it is true that as time passes and you feel you are better prepared then you want to take on greater challenges, experience a change of environment. I think I am ready to do so.

"Inside I always think that I am the best, and that I want to be the best and I work to try to be the best. If you don’t believe yourself that you are the best then no one is ever going to believe that you are."

Ugandan goalkeeper Tom Ikara has revealed why his initial Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) move was a mistake.

Ikara has already been unveiled by Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side Police FC as their fourth signing of the transfer window so far.

Ikara was released by the former league champions, the Kassasiro Boys, after a one-year loan stint at Mbarara City, a move he has now claimed was a mistake.

He joined KCCA FC in 2018 after he played a key role in helping Busoga United earn promotion to the Premier League.

“Joining Police, I wanted playing time and did not want to make the same mistake I made at first while joining KCCA because I did not get chance to play enough as I expected,” Ikara told Ndibba.

The custodian had been heavily linked with another two Premier League sides but has now stated why he did not consider those interests.

“At Police, I am expecting to get enough playing time which will help regain my form and confidence and I am contented with the deal that is why I left out Vipers SC and URA FC deals,” he added.

“I know Police are a historical club in the country and will do my level best to put them where they belong.”

Ikara is expected to fight for starting positions with Davis Mutebi under coach Abdalla Mubiru.

Meanwhile, Ezra Bida has reportedly agreed to join Kyetume FC from rivals Onduparaka FC.

The forward is said to have held unsuccessful talks with the Caterpillars over a possible contract extension and the stalled talks forced him to engage Kyetume.

Reports indicate Bida has already agreed on a two-year deal and the expected move will see him reunite with coach Livingstone Mbabazi.

The talks between the player and Onduparaka reportedly hit a dead end when Bida demanded a sign-on fee attached to a new contract.

“We’ve had verbal talks and I have made my intentions known to them [Onduparaka], however, they haven’t tabled a contract for me yet,” Bida told Football256.

“When I get to view the contract and it satisfies me, then I will decide.”

Bida arrived at Onduparaka two years ago as a teenager and managed five goals in five seasons with intermittent injuries affecting his performances.

Azam FC have started the clean-out of unwanted players after they confirmed the release of three ahead of the new season.

The players released are all foreigners, led by goalkeeper Razak Abalora, winger Emmanuel Mvuyekure, and striker Donald Ngoma, who the club had loaned to KMC FC.

According to club CEO Abdulkarim ‘Popat’ Amin, they have reached an agreement to release the three players after they ran down their respective contracts.

"We have decided to release the three players because they have run down their contract and we are not keen to renew them, both parties have agreed that we part ways,” Amin told Goal.

“We released [Ngoma] whom we had taken on loan to KMC, and Razak, whose contract ended last Sunday, same as Mvuyekure, we don’t have them now in our squad, they have all left and we wish them well in their future engagements.”

In an earlier interview after unveiling their first signing – Awesu Ally Awesu from Kagera Sugar – Amin promised to sign players in every position for the club.

“As usual and especially here at Azam since I took up my position, we always sign players according to what the coach wants and the good thing is that the coach has already given us the list of players he wants and that is what we want to fulfil,” Amin told Goal.

“Two days after we played our last league match, our coach [Cioaba] gave us the list of what players he wants, what areas he wants the team to work on and I can confirm he wants us to buy at least 12 players for the new season.

“We have already discussed as officials, we sat and discussed the list from the coach and out of the 12 players we have already landed [Awesu] and are also talking to the other targets.”

Amin continued: “The coach wants, two fullbacks, one defensive midfielder, two wing-backs, and one striker, because it was one of our weakest links this season, we did not score many goals because we lacked an out and out striker, and so the areas will be looked.

“And also out of the 12 players, we will also sign one goalkeeper, to give a challenge to existing keepers that we already have in our ranks, so it is going to be a beehive of activities as far as transfer of new players is concerned at Azam this window.”

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ did not enjoy as good a season as they had anticipated at the beginning of the campaign, as they managed to finish third in the league with 70 points, 18 fewer than winners Simba SC, and two behind second-placed Yanga SC. They managed to get 20 wins, 10 draws and eight defeats.

The team also failed to retain their FA Cup title to stand a chance of representing the country in the Caf Confederation Cup. They were paired with Wekundu wa Msimbazi in the quarter-finals and fell 2-0.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says exciting prospect Promise Mkhuma reminds him of Brighton and Hove Albion forward Percy Tau. 

Mkhuma was promoted to the Masandawana senior team in January 2020 and he is now part of the club's camp in Rustenburg, North West, where the team is preparing for the resumption of the 2019/2020 campaign.

The Sundowns reserve team captain scored 11 goals and registered six assists in the Multichoice Diski (MDC) this season.

Mosimane, who is widely credited by many for Bafana Bafana international Tau's exploits at Sundowns, explained that Mkhuma will have to work hard and learn under his guidance.

“A free-kick specialist, a quick scorer who has a good left foot and good one-on-one situations and reminds me of Percy [Tau]," Mosimane told the club's official website.

"But I don’t wanna use the name Percy a lot and put him under pressure, he has to work more and learn.

“He is coming from our youth [Sundowns Academy] which is a plus for us."

Currently enrolled at the Tshwane University Of Technology where he is studying towards a Diploma in Officiating and Sport Science, Mkhuma is a South Africa youth international.

The talented youngster represented the country at the Under-20 World Cup and Caf U20 Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2019.

Mosimane feels that Mkhuma is finding his feet in the first team with the current season scheduled to resume next week, having been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"He is training very well whilst slowly adjusting to the intensity of the game here and is finding his feet. It’s okay," Mosimane added.

"We have time and patience for it because he is a young player."

Sundowns are placed second on the PSL standings and they will be looking to beat leaders Kaizer Chiefs to the coveted league title when the season resumes in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng.

Masandawana are set to take on Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals on August 8, before facing Orlando Pirates in a massive league clash on August 11.

Dylan Kerr has revealed how Kenya international Michael Olunga could have ended up playing in England, but he instead opted to sign for Kashiwa Reysol in Japan.

The former Gor Mahia coach, who currently handles Baroka FC in South Africa, has exclusively revealed to Goal how he negotiated for Olunga to go for trials with Bolton Wanderers but the striker instead decided to sign in Japan.

Olunga signed for Reysol on a two-year deal worth Ksh300million two seasons ago, a deal that saw him earn more than Ksh15million per month, making him the first Kenyan footballer to professionally play in Japan.

The deal to Reysol saw the towering Olunga end a loan spell with Spanish side Girona and also terminate a contract with top Chinese club Guizhou Zhicheng.

“He [Olunga] was interested to go to England and I asked a friend who said he’d be interested having a look at the player,” Kerr told Goal on Saturday from his base in South Africa.

“But that is it because he already decided to go to Japan, it was to happen two years ago but now the deal could not be sealed because he opted to sign in Japan.

“It was to happen at [Bolton], I got a chance for him at Bolton but he went to Japan, that is it, nothing much to say, I know [Olunga] is happy he went to Japan, he chose Japan for his career.

“Bolton would have loved to have a look at him but he was signed by Reysol, so whilst Bolton would have invited him, he had already picked his destination as Japan, I don’t think this is a story, because it never happened anyway.”

Asked on how he managed to secure a trial for Olunga at Bolton, Kerr explained: “It was a conversation I had with my friend as I do for many players I know could add value to a team.

“I’ve recommended players to may clubs that I believe they can add value to their teams all over the world, but then that is all I can do, my work is to recommend then the club can act, and it was the same case with Olunga.

“I’ve recommended [Olunga] and other players to people I know and who trust my opinions in the game across Asia, America, and Europe.

“Just recently, a team in the USA asked my opinion on Kenneth [Muguna] of Gor Mahia and I told them I think he can be a good acquisition to any squad, I am always asked by agents for African players to play even in Asia.”

Olunga has gone ahead to make a name in Japan and is currently leading the goal-scoring chart with eight goals since the J1-League resumed a month ago.

Indian football is experiencing a milestone event on Saturday as millions of East Bengals fans get together, whilst staying apart, to celebrate the club’s centenary day. Exactly 100 years ago, the foundation stone was laid for one half of the famous ‘Bengal Giants’. 

The origin story encapsulates what the club stands for – a club with a unique identity born out of resilience against discrimination.

On July 28th Mohun Bagan was to face Jora Bagan in Coochbehar Cup and star half back Sailesh Bose and Nasha Singh were excluded from the latter’s side. Jora Bagan’s vice-president and chairman Suresh Chandra Chaudhari requested for their inclusion but his request fell on deaf ears and so, he severed all his connections with the club.

Both these players were from the eastern part of Bengal and Suresh was also from the same region. It did not take him much time to connect the dots and he parted ways with the club immediately.

He went on to form a new club alongside Sailesh, Nasha, Shri Tait Bhusan Roy, Manmatha Nath Roy Chaudhari and Aurobindo Ghosh. Thus, on August 1, 1920, East Bengal was born.

Success followed almost immediately as the Red and Golds eased to the Hercules Cup, a seven-a-side tournament, in the same month. The club’s authority dreamed big and took measures accordingly. They appealed to the players of Eastern Bengal descent to sign for the club and things began to fall in place.

East Bengal gained acceptance to be affiliated with the Indian Football Association (IFA) and were soon playing the second division. Suresh, the Maharaja of Santosh, was an influential figure and played a key part in making it happen. It is worth mentioning here that the Santosh Trophy was named after him.

In 1924, East Bengal along with Cameroon’s B team, became joint champions of the second division. Given, Cameroon A were already playing in the first division, the B team could not be promoted. This paved the way for the Red and Gold brigade to march on, despite resistance from Mohun Bagan and Aryans.

Only two slots were available for Indian sides in the top divisions and those were occupied by the above-mentioned sides. The inclusion of East Bengal in the top division was hence, a massive milestone for Indian football at that time.

After being given the thumbs up, the Red and Gold brigade never turned back. In the very next year, they bettered rivals Mohun Bagan 1-0 in the first Kolkata derby ever played. 50,000 fans in the stadium were sent into a frenzy and a new religion was born in Bengal.

However, it took close to 10 years for the club to land coveted silverware. East Bengal won their first Calcutta Top Division football league in 1942 and went a step ahead by conquering the IFA Shield Trophy for the first time. In 1945, they did the double and gradually went on to establish themselves as the powerhouse of Indian football.

The Red and Gold brigade have managed to conquer the test of changing times and maintain its legacy as one of the biggest clubs in India. Players from the top echelons of Indian football history such as Tuslidas Balaram, Ahmed Khan, Bhaichung Bhutia, Sudip Chatterjee, Peter Thangaraj and several others have donned the famous Red and Gold .

The legendary PK Banerjee won 30 trophies at the club as manager and was the man behind their domination in the 1970s. 100 years since their foundation and East Bengal have won the IFA Shield a record 29 times, the Calcutta Football League a record 39 times, the National Football League thrice, the Federation Cup eight times and many other trophies.

East Bengal invokes a lot of passion in Kolkata and among the Indian football fraternity as they celebrate 100 years of a truly special institution.

Injured superstar Kylian Mbappe could make a miraculous recovery to play in PSG's Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta, according to team-mate Ander Herrera.

Mbappe suffered a nasty ankle sprain in last week's Coupe de France final victory over Saint-Etienne, with PSG releasing a statement saying the 21-year-old will be out for three weeks, meaning he would miss the August 12 European tie.

But despite coach Thomas Tuchel insisting Mbappe would need a 'miracle' to recover in time, Herrera believes the World Cup winner should not be ruled out yet.

Speaking on Friday after PSG lifted the Coupe de la Ligue, Herrera said: "We are optimistic with Kylian (Mbappe).

"We have seen that he can walk quietly. He's very professional, he's young. He really wants to play and we can be very calm. He works every day, morning and afternoon.

"But if it's not possible for him to play, we also have other solutions. Kylian is very important and I'm sure he will try to play."

Mbappe's absence didn't matter for PSG as they made it a clean sweep of French domestic competitions with a 6-5 penalties win in the Coupe de la Ligue final against Lyon after the match ended 0-0 after extra time.

The French giants were awarded the league during the coronavirus hiatus, and have also picked up the Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions.

Tuchel hailed his team's achievement of winning four trophies this season, insisting that the clean sweep of domestic trophies wasn't easy.

"We did not lose the concentration, the hunger to win, the confidence, we won on penalties and that counts," he said. 

"We won these four titles, there is a good atmosphere in the locker room. And I'm very happy because everyone thinks it's okay to win, but it's not that easy. 

"Winning four titles is the merit of this team and I am happy.

"They are reliable guys who play, enjoy working and suffering together."

PSG's match against Atalanta will be played in Lisbon, with the winner of the tie set to square off against the victor in the RB Leipzig and Atletico Madrid quarter-final.

Shyam Thapa has played for both the Kolkata giants in his illustrious career. In fact, he started his career in East Bengal when he was still a teenager after he was signed by East Bengal's General Secretary Jyotish Guha in 1966. 

The young forward grabbed headlines when he scored the winner in Subroto Mukherjee Cup final for Gorkha Higher Secondary school. But it was in Dehradun that he was spotted by Guha during a friendly match and was roped in for East Bengal. Back in the 1960s, the Calcutta Football League (CFL) was fiercely fought and upon the insistence of Guha, the young striker was given a start. 

Thapa did not disappoint and he scored a hat-trick against Rajasthan Football Club. 

"I owe my gratitude to Jyotish Guha. He signed me for East Bengal when I was a nobody and provided me the platform to shine. Whatever I am today, it is due to that man," reminisced the former India international to Goal on the eve of East Bengal's centenary foundation day. 

He spent one year at the club and returned to Gorkha Brigade only to come back to East Bengal in 1970. In that season, East Bengal won back the CFL title but Thapa had to leave for Mumbai as he received an offer from Mafatlal Mills, where he would rejoin several former teammates from Gorkha Brigade like Ranjit Thapa, Bhupender Singh Rawat, and Amar Bahadur. 

"After winning the CFL in 1970-71 I left for Mumbai. Santo Mitra (former East Bengal captain) requested me to come back. But I told him that I cannot leave a lucrative job in Mumbai and get back to Kolkata. But he was adamant. He assured me that he would help me get a job in Kolkata as well. So, with a lot of uncertainty, I came to Kolkata in 1974."

Thapa reached Kolkata to help the Red and Golds clinch a sixth successive CFL title which would help them surpass Mohammedan Sporting's five consecutive wins from 1934-38. 

"I was a man on a mission. In 1975, all good players like Mohammed Habib, Syed Nayeemuddin, left East Bengal for Mohammedan just to weaken East Bengal so that the record stays intact. It hurt me a lot. Mohun Bagan also made a good team that year to stop East Bengal. The onus was on me and Subash Bhowmick. 

"In one of the first few rounds, we had to face Mohun Bagan. I cannot forget that match. I beat four defenders and scored a goal. It was eventually the winner. I regret that the match was not televised. The goal has no clipping. It is the best goal I scored. We also beat Mohammedan 3-1 and I scored the opener beating (Mohammed) Akbar and Naim (Syed Nayeemuddin)," recounted the striker. 

Thapa was also the protagonist in the IFA Shield final where East Bengal created history by humiliating Mohun Bagan 5-0. Thapa scored a brace and he could have become the first player to score a hat-trick in a derby only if he had converted a spot-kick in the 11th minute. 

"It is one of my biggest regrets. I missed the hat-trick in that match. I could not convert a penalty. And interestingly, I took all penalties for the Indian national team. Later, Bhaichung (Bhutia) became the first to score a hat-trick in a derby. But I heard that a Bagan supporter could not bear the 5-0 loss and ended his life. It hurt me a lot. After that incident, I always wanted to come to Mohun Bagan and win for them. So it was one of the reasons behind joining Mohun Bagan in 1977," stated Thapa. 

During his first three East Bengal stints, Thapa won the Calcutta League and IFA Shield thrice and the Rovers Cup title in 1975. In ’75 East Bengal did the Rovers-Shield-League treble with Thapa being an instrumental figure in the dressing room.

Life in the Indian Super League (ISL) has been sort of strange for Jamshedpur FC in the three seasons since their inception in 2017.

The Tata Steel-owned club has a dedicated fan following, extremely good facilities and managed to bring in very good overseas players and accomplished coaches. However, they remain the only side in the 10-team competition to never have reached the play-offs.

And it is not like they have not threatened to do so. In each of the three seasons, Jamshedpur have seen themselves miss out narrowly on the top-four. A lot of it is down to a combination of factors including a medley of coaches, none of whom have stayed at the club for more than a season.

Now, having managed to secure a coach who arguably was one of best in the ISL last year despite coming in midway through the season, Jamshedpur will be finally hoping to break that jinx.

It was Steve Coppell who was entrusted with the job in their first season. Coppell was fresh off a run to the final with Kerala Blasters and managed to turn Jamshedpur into a very tough outfit. Coppell, known for his pragmatic approach, took a while to get the squad to churn out results. However, they managed to put together a good run of results towards the business end of the league.

If not for a loss to FC Goa in the final group stage match, where a brainfade from Subrata Paul and his subsequent sending off cost them dearly, Jamshedpur would have reached the play-off in their very first season.

Jamshedpur opted to undertake a change in philosophy after that season, bringing in Spanish coach Cesar Ferrando. With the Spanish revolution, came a big name in Tim Cahill along with influential midfielders like Mario Arques and Sergio Cidoncha.

Much was expected of the team and they started the season well, only to lose momentum and form midway, thanks to . Once again, they finished fifth on the table, two points off the play-off spots.

It was a similar case in the 2019-20 season as well. Jamshedpur had a partnership with Atletico Madrid for their junior team. But they did have a technical director in Julian Villar Aragon from Atletico. On paper there was no formal tie-up for the senior team but through that network, in came a young, exciting striker Sergio Castel. Cesar Ferrando was replaced by his compatriot Antonio Iriondo. Once again, Jamshedpur started brightly and looked favourites for a place in the play-offs.

But injuries to key players including Castel and a lack of quality among their Indian contingent saw them lose their way and finish a lowly eighth.

Now the mantle has been passed to Owen Coyle. The Scotland-born coach's arrival will most definitely be greeted with a sense of excitement, for such was the turnaround he impacted at Chennaiyin FC last season.

He turned a rigid team that lacked confidence and invention in attack into one of the most feared attacks in the league in a very short span. When Coyle came in, Chennaiyin FC had scored just four goals in six matches and were wallowing at the wrong end of the table.

But when the group stage ended, Coyle's side had scored 26 goals in the 12 games they played under him. From a hopeless position, he managed to turn the mood completely around the club and sealed a play-off spot with a match to spare. Then he went on to knock the league-stage toppers FC Goa out in a two-legged play-offs where they pumped six goals past them.

Of course, a fitting climax eluded them as a compact ATK team did just about enough to win the title in the final.

The 54-year-old's adventurous approach to football is very different to what people identify with managers from the United Kingdom and Ireland. However, it is always how he has played football. Even his Wigan, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers sides were known to play positive football.

In many ways, Coyle's Chennaiyin FC played with more verve and imagination in attack than many other coaches from regions famous for attacking football managed to display. And he did it with a squad in which he had absolutely no say.

Not one player in that Chennaiyin squad was brought in by him, not even during the winter transfer window. Coyle managed to bring out the very best with the hand he was dealt with.

Numerous Indian players also had stellar campaigns, re-inventing their game and playing with confidence under Coyle. Jerry Lalrinzuala found his mojo at left-back again, thriving in his role after stalling a bit last season. Edwin Vanspaul was an absolute revelation, be it at right-back or as a holding midfielder. Anirudh Thapa proved what a precocious talent he is, running the midfield with aplomb for Coyle, to name a few.

Coyle obviously has an eye for detail and trusts Indian players to perform, at key positions. He has made it clear more than often that improving the local players is a priority for him. In fact, he is one of the very few coaches who played an all-Indian midfield last season.

Jamshedpur do have an exciting bunch of youngsters in Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Aniket Jadhav, Mobashir Rahman and Sandip Mandi in their roster. These players can look forward to playing under Coyle.

It is this committed approach that Jamshedpur FC can expect from the former Irish international. Of course, there will be higher expectations from him, given that he will have a big say in choosing his squad this time around.

Is he the right man to do the job at Jamshedpur? Only time will tell. But Coyle's signature is an excellent start for the club for the upcoming season.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Jamshedpur FC are all set to announce Owen Coyle as their manager for the 2020-21 season, Goal can confirm.

Coyle, who took Chennaiyin FC to the final of the ISL last season, has opted to part ways with the South Indian outfit and take charge of the Men of Steel.

The former Bolton Wanderers manager has penned a two-year deal with Jamshedpur FC.

The former Irish international only joined Chennaiyin FC six games into the 2019-20 season after John Gregory parted ways after a poor start to the campaign. However, he had only signed till the end of the season and has now opted to take on the Jamshedpur challenge.

Coyle was an instant hit after taking charge of the Marina Machans, changing the mood at the club with a terrific run of form.

Coyle's adventurous and attacking approach suited Chennaiyin's key players like Rafael Crivellaro, Anirudh Thapa, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Nerijus Valskis as they managed to land a play-off spot despite being bottom of the table at one stage.

The 54-year-old even managed to mastermind a two-legged win over FC Goa in the play-offs before faltering at the final hurdle against ATK.

Jamshedpur, on the other hand, endured a disappointing campaign despite starting the season on a positive note. But injuries to their key players at important junctures in the season meant they missed out on a play-off spot for the third season in a row.

The Men of Steel will hope that Coyle can finally ensure they end the ignominy of being the only team yet to reach the ISL play-offs ever.

Pablo Sarabia said Paris Saint-Germain would grow in confidence for their upcoming Champions League mission after sealing another clean sweep of French football.

The Spanish midfielder tucked away the decisive 12th penalty in a 6-5 shoot-out win over Lyon at the Stade de France, following a disappointing goalless 120 minutes, in what was the last ever Coupe de la Ligue final.

PSG's victory meant they added to their Trophee des Champions, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France triumphs, further underlining their domestic dominance.

Having now secured a historic domestic quadruple, Sarabia says that PSG's French achievements will only bode well for their European push as PSG prepare for their return to the Champions League.

They face a difficult test when the Champions League does resume, though, as PSG will take on in-form Atalanta in their quarterfinal match.

Sarabia told Canal+ Sport: "It was an especially difficult game. But it's true that we won four titles this season. It was important to give a good impression and show good rhythm before the Champions League.

"This win will give us confidence. There's a great confidence in the team. Now we want to make sure we're physically ready for the game against Atalanta."

That clash with the free-scoring Italians is the Champions League quarter-final game that will take place in Lisbon on August 12.

Atalanta have scored 28 goals in 12 matches since the restart, remaining unblemished while securing 30 points during that time period to make their mark as one of Europe's most in-form teams.

Sarabia's midfield colleague Marco Verratti said PSG would deservedly celebrate on Friday before turning their focus to Atalanta, as the team remains far from full strength as a return to European football looms.

Verratti told France 2: "To play a 120-minute match, after a four-month hiatus ... we suffered. It's nice to win at the end."

He added, according to L'Equipe: "We're going to party and tomorrow we'll be thinking about another great match."

Asked about Marquinhos and Thiago Silva who went off with physical complaints, Verratti said both were "doing well".

"They had a bit of cramp," he added. "Playing 120 minutes isn't easy, but it's nothing serious."

Former Cameroon captain Stephen Tataw has died at the age of 57 from an illness, as confirmed in a statement made by Fecafoot president Seidou Mbombo Njoya on Friday.

Tataw was famously known for leading the Indomitable Lions to a first World Cup outing in 1990 where they reached the quarter-finals but lost out to England 3-2 after extra-time. They became the first African side to reach that stage, an achievement which has since been equalled by Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.

Born in the capital city of Yaounde on March 31, 1963, Tataw’s club career began with his hometown side Tonnerre Yaounde before moving to Olympic Mvolye in 1991 and then joining Japanese side Tosu Futures in 1994, playing there until 1996 where he finally called time on his career. He was the first African player to ply his trade in the Far East country.

“It was with sad emotions that I learned the death of former Indomitable Lions Captain Stephen Tataw today,” Mbombo Nioya said on Twitter. “I keep the memory of a great footballer and a remarkable leader.

"All my condolences to his family and loved ones.”

Tataw played for the Cameroon national team between 1986 and 1994 and won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1988, seeing off bitter rivals Nigeria 1-0 in Casablanca.

In the 1992 edition, the Super Eagles got the better of the Indomitable Lions in the third/fourth place playoff, winning 2-1 courtesy of goals from Rashidi Yekini and Friday Ekpo.

Tataw led Cameroon to the 1994 World Cup in the United States, but they failed to replicate the heroics of the 1990 edition in Italy, this time crashing out of the group phase, finishing last in Group B behind eventual champions Brazil, Sweden and Russia.

Cameroon’s most-capped player and former skipper Rigobert song described Tataw as an “emblematic captain”, asserting he had some of his attributes when he also took over the captain responsibilities of his country.

“I had a personal relationship with him. I feel very indebted to him. He was an emblematic captain,” Song was quoted saying on the Fecafoot website. “I had the opportunity to know and meet him during the 1994 World Cup and then I was young.

"I was with seniors who played with him in 1990. He greatly touched my life… he was modest and very present in the field of play and when I became captain, I think I had the same spirit.

“He gave reason to spectators to want to watch matches. He was reserved yet very efficient. This is a major loss. When he called me captain, I told him you are the true captain.

“Man proposes and God disposes. May he rest in peace.”

Tataw was a member of the Fecafoot technical directorate before his death and was among the officials to preside over the draws of 2020 Africa Nations Championship, which was to be held in Cameroon between April 4 and 25, but was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic and has since been shifted to January 2021.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Montreal Impact midfielder Victor Wanyama, Manchester United's Odion Ighalo and Bursaspor star Shehu Abdullahi were among the African players who took to social media to celebrate Eid al-Adha.

Eid al-Adha is second of the two annual Islamic festivals after Eid al-Fitr, and it commemorates the obedience of the prophet Ibrahim.

It takes place in the last month of the Muslim lunar calendar with family and friends praying together at mosques before feasting.

Even though coronavirus pandemic impacted this year's celebration across the world, the football personalities joined their supporters on social media to pray and celebrate the holiday.

"Happy Eid, everyone. Happy new year," Salah tweeted.

Alexandre Lacazette has expressed his belief that an FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea would save Arsenal's season.

Arsenal finished their latest Premier League campaign down in eighth, which marked the club's worst top-flight showing in 25 years.

Unai Emery was sacked in November after overseeing a seven-match winless run, and the Gunners turned to former club captain Mikel Arteta to steady the ship.

The Spaniard has since managed to lift the mood of gloom surrounding Emirates Stadium, with two recent victories over Liverpool and Manchester City serving as solid proof of the team's progress.

Arsenal handed Jurgen Klopp's champions only their third defeat of the season before knocking City out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory at Wembley, thanks to a stunning Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang double.

Arteta will take his squad to the same venue for the showpiece event on Saturday, where they will come up against Frank Lampard's Chelsea.

The Gunners can still qualify for the Europa League if they win the competition for a record-extending 14th time, and Lacazette is desperate to deliver silverware to a success-starved fanbase after a turbulent 12 months.

"We are excited because we know we can save our season with a trophy, which would mean a lot for us and the fans," the 29-year-old told reporters ahead of this weekend's final.

"In the league, we finished in a bad position, we lost against Olympiacos early in the Europa League, so we missed a few of our targets. That's why I say it would save our season."

Lacazette added on European football being crucial for Arsenal to attract new players in the summer transfer window: “I came to Arsenal to win trophies. Yes, it’s been really frustrating, but this is part of football.

"Nothing is ever easy and this is why I love this sport because you can learn from this and become a great man with these kinds of experiences.

“But obviously at the end, you are a bit disappointed. So you just go forward to the next season to change this and to reach your targets. So obviously this time it’s a really big game for me and for Arsenal.

“We know Arsenal is the team that has won this cup the most, so even if the fans are not in the stadium we know they will be following us all over the world.

“European football is really important. It’s going to bring money to the club for the future. Players who have a lot of ambitions want to play in Europe and I think it will be easier to sign new players and to keep all the players in the group with the Europa League.”

The Arsenal frontman went on to discuss the ongoing speculation surrounding Aubameyang's future at the Emirates , insisting the club should do everything possible to tie him down to fresh terms beyond 2021.

“I think it is obvious we need to keep him. He has scored 44 goals in the league in the past two seasons," said Lacazette. "He is our captain and everybody likes him. He has love from the fans.

"I think it is obvious Arsenal should keep him but after this, it’s a conversation between him and the club and we are not involved in it.”

Frank Lampard has not received any special communications from Roman Abramovich since qualifying for the Champions League and getting to the FA Cup final, as he talks with Petr Cech on the future of Chelsea.

Cech arrived in the same summer as Lampard to help supply his football knowledge in decision making at board level, which extends to transfers. Ultimately though, deals are decided by the club's director Marina Granovskaia.

Granovskaia signs off on any deal and is heavily involved in all aspects of the process, having already signed both Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech for a combined fee of £84 million (€94m/$110m), with talks ongoing with Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz.

Lampard says that Cech has helped him adapt to the most unfamiliar part of management, which is the business and recruitment side, while explaining that it is a slick operation running behind the scenes even without the owner's constant input.

“I wouldn’t expect anything [from Abramovich]," Lampard told reporters ahead of Saturday's clash at Wembley with Arsenal. "I have a very close relationship with Marina and with Petr. That relationship has been really good and it’s been a real strength.

"It feels like a real strength in the camp that I can speak to Petr regularly. I can speak with Marina and work in a joined-up way in taking the club forward. All of that will come through the owner; it’s his club. It helps a great deal [having technical and performance advisor Cech].

"In terms of on the grass and on the training pitch and working with players and all around the game and how we prepare, I feel that’s somewhere where my playing experience helped me a huge amount because I was trying to take things in all the time.

"Relationships with people upstairs, they are different so I have to say I am very happy to have Petr here because I know him so well, because we get on well, because I trust and value his world and how we speak. There is a real honesty about how we work and how we can speak to each other.

"I trust that he’s been a winner and he knows what it takes to win and I think we have something in common over how we have a real desire to get to that. So, yeah, it’s felt like a strength for us this year. We will be judged, of course, on results as we move forwards but it will certainly not be for want of trying that we want to bring success to the club.

"We work towards the aims that we know and the standards of this club. I am a big boy. I am in this job and I know that there are demands. I would always be ready to take any call or have any meeting because this is my life and I am obsessed with how I can get this club to where it wants to be.

“Coming in the top four, I think we all felt was something we really aimed for this year and we managed to achieve it. Sometimes it was difficult, but I don’t need a phone call or a message or recognition like that because my job when we come fourth this year is to think about how we come higher than fourth next year and close the gap.

“It’ll be similar with whatever the result will be against Arsenal, whether we line or lose, my job is to think what does the next day look like or what does the next season look like. I feel the support from the owner. I have felt it him from the moment I took the job.

“I felt it for many years as a player. I am happy if I can make him happy. Last Sunday was a step forward in where we are right now and I want to continue making those steps. I don’t need those calls [with the owner], but I’ll be there if they are to be had."

Chelsea's players celebrated a fourth-place finish in the Premier League which earned them qualification for next season's Champions League, and the lucrative windfall that accompanies it.

Still, having come from Chelsea's most successful era, Lampard was cautious to over celebrate the achievement of a top-four finish as he believes consistently winning trophies should be the aim for the west Londoners.

He said: "We can’t just claim we’re going to be title contenders, even next year there’s a gap to close before we start having those conversations. Do we want to win titles here every year? Yes, of course, we do.

"The fact that we’re in a cup final means we’re close to maybe doing that this year. I hope that I can bring us forward to a point where expecting titles every year includes expecting Premier League titles. We’re not at that position now and that’s where I want to get to and that is going to be a process.”

To get to that point, Lampard has been obsessive in his work, having known what it takes after winning 11 major honours and becoming Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer in his 13 years as a player for the Stamford Bridge club.

"I work hard here – as hard as I can," he said. "I don’t want to miss anything. I am very hands-on in terms of how I do this job and on the training pitch and being across as much as I can be. I rely on people around me but I can’t just go home and put my laptop down and pick it up again the next morning.

"At the moment, my wife is working on TV so she is making her notes for two or three hours every evening and I am doing my prep for training the next day. That’s how exciting our lives are at the minute. I feel that’s the only way I can do it.

"When I look around, I don’t know what the top managers do when they get home, but I bet they aren’t flicking on Netflix and watching series after series. I think they are thinking about their team and how they can get better. I try and do as much as I can to get us to be as good as we can be."

That work may all be worth it if he can win his first major honour as a manager in Saturday's FA Cup final against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.