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Manchester City are expecting comings and goings in what promises to be a “strange” transfer window, with Txiki Begiristain confident that the Blues can “improve the squad”.

With an elongated Premier League season having come to a close, another recruitment market has opened for business.

There are just seven weeks until the 2020-21 campaign is due to kick off, with City still hoping to challenge for Champions League glory before the curtain is pulled down on the current campaign.

Focus at the Etihad Stadium is very much locked on the pursuit of a much-coveted continental crown.

Attention will, however, be given to the tweaks required in order to keep the club competitive on multiple fronts.

Director of football Begiristain has a leading role to play there, with plans already being drawn up when it comes to freshening up the ranks.

Arrivals are expected, with Pep Guardiola still in need of another commanding centre-half, while sales could also be sanctioned as City prepare to part with those deemed surplus to requirements.

Begiristain has told the club’s official website: "We are working a lot, we have to be ready.

"It will be a strange window because people have to move fast, we have to bring in players who can improve our squad but also it means that maybe someone can leave.

"It will be strange also because we have the Champions League so we have to wait to move forward until the Champions League is finished.

"We might have less time than ever but we’ll have time to make the changes we need to improve the squad."

One of those that City will definitely be parting with is long-serving midfielder David Silva as, after a decade of loyal service in Manchester, the World Cup winner is preparing to depart at the end of his contract.

Silva has been showered with plaudits as he readies himself for a new challenge, and Begiristain hopes City can deliver the perfect send-off by capturing a first Champions League trophy.

He added: “He deserves it for his career.

“He has been winning leagues, cups, World Cups, Euros. We want to try to help him win the Champions League.

“It will be the best way to say goodbye. And also the best way for him to say thank you to the City supporters and the club.”

Fulham midfielder Josh Onomah has dedicated his goal in their first leg of the semi-finals of the Championship play-off against Cardiff City on Tuesday to the club’s manager Scott Parker.

The 23-year-old's strike and an effort from the Democratic Republic of the Congo international Neeskens Kebano gave the Cottagers a 2-0 advantage ahead of the second leg on Thursday.

After a cagey first half, Onomah, brought life into the game in the second half when he received the ball from Harrison Reed and beat three of his markers in the box before slotting home his effort, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Alex Smithies.  

The midfielder has been a key component of the Craven Cottage outfit since joining the side from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur last summer.

Onomah is delighted with his strike in the encounter and praised Fulham boss Parker for giving him the opportunity to showcase his ability.

“Harrison Reed gave it to me and when I got into the box I knew they couldn’t really touch me so I triple-pass them and when I hit the back of the net I was over the moon,” Onomah told FFCtv.

“It was a great feeling for men and my family, we will go into the second leg and do the same again. I relaxed, stayed calm and gained composure and did that and got the reward for it.

“He [Parker] is someone I looked up to, I dedicate that goal to him because he someone who always believes in me and I thank him for giving me the chance.

“From the day one I have come in he has always believed in my ability trying to get the best from me and towards the end of the season, I started to show him.  

“We started the game quite slowly and in the second half we came out strong and we got the goal after the goal we defended as a team and worked hard and it shows how good the morale is

“We must be composed, stay calm and do the same thing on Thursday.”

Onomah has now scored four goals and provided three assists in 34 appearances across all competitions this season and will hope to help Fulham achieve their target of playing in the Premier League next campaign.  

The midfielder has featured for England at U16, U17, U18, U19, U20, U21 level but he still eligible to play for Nigeria through his parents, having not represented the European country at senior level.

Sofapaka have revealed they have tabled a good offer to sign former Gor Mahia defender Musa Mohammed.

Mohammed is currently a free agent after his two-year contract with Nkana FC of Zambia came to a close at the start of June.

Batoto ba Mungu boss Elly Kalekwa has now revealed to Goal they have already made their first approach for the services of the player and are now waiting for his response.

“I held a meeting with Mohammed, we have been talking and gave him an offer we feel he deserves, he asked us to go and think about it, so we are waiting for him to get back,” Kalekwa told Goal on Tuesday.

“Mohammed told us he does not want to rush into signing a deal before he goes through it, and as a club, we gave him time to go and look at it, it is a good offer which fits the player and I cannot reveal further details until he puts pen to paper.”

In a recent interview, Kalekwa told Goal he was a keen admirer of the defender who guided Gor Mahia to five Kenyan Premier League (KPL) titles before he left for Nkana FC of Zambia where his contract ended in June.

“It is not an open secret Sofapaka have always wanted to sign Musa [Mohammed], since we engaged him last season before he left for Zambia,” Kalekwa told Goal.

“I am informed he is now a free agent after ending his contract with Nkana but we have not reached out or talked to him, we will talk to him when the right time comes, he is a good player, who can fit in well into our squad and give us the leadership quality that we want in the team.”

Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga SC) are among the clubs that have reportedly shown a keen interest in signing the defender.

At Nkana, the central defender was parading alongside other Kenyan stars, including former AFC Leopards captain Duncan Otieno, former Gor Mahia captain Harun Shakava and Duke Abuya, who joined in January 2020.

Mohammed featured for K'Ogalo from 2010 to 2017, before moving to Albania for a short stint with KF Tirana.

When he ended his contract with the European club, he returned home before moving to Zambia in 2018.

Bruno Fernandes believes Jesse Lingard is unfairly singled out for criticism, with the Manchester United midfielder delighted to see a much-maligned colleague get back among the goals against Leicester.

The Red Devils knew that a positive result was required from a trip to the King Power Stadium in order to secure Champions League qualification.

Fernandes opened the scoring from the penalty spot against the Foxes, before Lingard settled any nerves late on when he capitalised on a mistake from Kasper Schmeichel to wrap up a 2-0 win.

That effort was the England international’s first in the Premier League since December 2018, with a lengthy barren run seeing the 27-year-old fall under the microscope for all of the wrong reasons.

Lingard has admitted to finding the going tough at times, with many picking him out as an easy scapegoat, but Fernandes believes the perfect response has been offered to the detractors.

The Portuguese playmaker told MUTV: "Of course it's a mistake from the keeper also but if Jesse doesn't go there the goal doesn't come so it's for this we work.

"For me Jesse deserved this goal because of what he works for all week, for all the comments everyone is saying about him and other players because they don't play too much or they don't play good enough. 

"I think this is the reason Jesse scored because we're training hard, training hard to help all the team."

Fernandes’ second-half spot-kick on the final day of the Premier League season was his 10th goal in just 20 appearances for United.

A stunning contribution has been made to the collective cause on the back of his January arrival, but the 25-year-old is not one to dwell on the past and will continue to look forward.

Quizzed on his goal return, Fernandes said – with United now readying themselves for the resumption of Europa League competition: "I think the most important one will be the next.

"I'm always thinking about the next one. I'm happy, all goals are important in different ways.

"It was important for us and for me to score this goal because it gives us the chance to be more calm in the game."

The Red Devils will be back in action against LASK on August 5, with a 5-0 advantage in that contest meaning that they already have one foot in the quarter-finals and are a step closer to securing major silverware.

Deputy Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Leagues and Competitions manager Doreen Nabwire is optimistic the Harambee Starlets will soon be playing in the Fifa World Cup.

In the recent past, the East Africa team has tasted some success, including competing with the best on the continent as well as winning the regional title. It is for this reason the former forward believes gracing the biggest stage is within their grasp.

"There has been a lot of growth for the women’s game in Kenya over the last four years. Though we have a long way to go, I believe we have made some huge strides," Nabwire told Cafonline.

"We qualified for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 2016 and missed out of qualification narrowly in 2018.

"This year, we have come through to the penultimate round of qualification to the Olympics and we have won the Cecafa Cup for the first time too.  

"I believe that soon we will be contending to play in the Fifa Women's World Cup."

The former FC Koln striker is, however, adamant the country must remain consistent in top-level football to achieve the feat.

"If we can consistently play at a high level and compete with some of the top teams, we will mature as a team," Nabwire added.  

Nabwire has been one of the key people in the Federation as far as women's football in the country is concerned.

"We started off by re-modelling the Premier League in 2016 and in 2017 we started the second-tier," the former international, who was forced out of the game owing to a knee injury, continued.

"The growth up to now has been immense but we can still do better. We have been forced to revert to zonal leagues because of lack of funds but if we can get more sponsors on board, we can grow the league to be one of the best in Africa."  

The administrator was the first-ever Kenyan to play in Germany, initially for Werder Bremen and also managed to win the Golden Boot after scoring 13 goals.

She is also Fifa and Caf Instructor as well as a qualified coach.

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Sergio Aguero will sit out Manchester City's Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

Aguero has been out of action since suffering a knee injury during a Premier League victory over Burnley in June.

The Argentine recently stepped up his recovery in the gym after undergoing surgery on the issue, and Guardiola dropped the biggest hint yet over a possible return date for the striker prior to City's final day win against Norwich at the weekend.

"I think against Madrid everyone will be fit," the 49-year-old head coach said before watching his side beat the Canaries 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

After the match, however, Guardiola performed a U-turn regarding the status of Aguero, who was left on the bench when City beat Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of their round of 16 tie at Santiago Bernabeu back in February.

When asked if the 32-year-old will be a part of his squad for the second leg on August 7, the City manager told reporters: “No, I think it will not be possible for the timing.”

Aguero has 23 goals to his name from 32 appearances in all competitions this season, with Raheem Sterling the only man in the City squad currently boasting a higher tally, as he reached the 30-mark for the first time in his career by scoring against Norwich.

Gabriel Jesus will likely continue to lead the line in Aguero's absence when Madrid arrive at the Etihad, having scored an all-important equaliser at the Bernabeu earlier this year.

City's latest five-goal haul in the Premier League took them to 100-plus goals in the competition for the third time in their history, but Guardiola insists that thrashing Norwich will have little bearing on the Madrid encounter.

“Different competition, different opponent, cannot compare,” he added. “We have two weeks.

"We are going to start to prepare the game, tell them what they should do, try to play the game, do a good game. Arrive in the best conditions and we are going to do it.”

Should City finish off Madrid in Manchester, they will be rewarded with a quarter-final showdown against either Juventus and Lyon, which will be held in Lisbon under the new straight knockout format.

Arsenal have been “in freefall and haven’t fixed things in six years”, says Charlie Nicholas, but Mikel Arteta has offered enough encouragement to suggest that he can be the man to turn the tide.

The Gunners could only muster an eighth-place finish in the Premier League during the 2019-20 campaign, and that is a long way short of expectation in north London, with the three-time title winners having taken in a humbling fall from grace.

FA Cup glory could still salvage their season and offer a route into European competition for 2020-21.

Major silverware would, however, be masking serious faults, with Arsenal having been in decline for some time now.

Arteta has been charged with the task of getting a fallen giant back on its feet, with cause for optimism offered through the early months of his reign.

The Gunners remain a work in progress, though, and Nicholas concedes that there will be no quick fix to be found at Emirates Stadium.

He told Sky Sports when offering his assessment of Arsenal in what has been a testing season for all concerned: “It's not Mikel Arteta's fault, it's a club that have been in freefall and haven't fixed things in six years.

“They finished eighth because they only won 14 games - that's the lowest I can recall in the Premier League era. I could probably look back while Arteta has come in and say why am I giving them a D?

“But I have to take it as a whole season. He's made it better. I'm not a great man for stats, and his stats have not been great, but I think as Arsenal people we want to see progress and we are.

“There's been too many draws, I look at Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - his goals have been great, both goalkeepers have been good, and other than that, I'm looking at Bukayo Saka. But no other players of real substance.”

Arsenal need to find that inspiration from somewhere, but Arteta is still waiting to discover what his budget will be for a summer transfer window that is now open for business.

Polokwane City goalkeeper George Chigova is looking forward to the resumption of the 2019/20 season despite his future at the club being uncertain.

The current season is set to resume in the first week of next month having been suspended since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Chigova recently admitted that he was unsure of his long-term future at Rise and Shine after signing a two-month contract with the club.

The Zimbabwe international's initial deal with Polokwane expired at the end of last month and the Limpopo-based side has decided to keep him until the end of the current campaign.

“I’m feeling happy now we know that we going to resume our games,” Chigova told Zimbabwean publication, The Herald.

“It’s been tough for the last four months; not doing what we love most but now we are happy that we going to be able to finish the games."

Chigova is in his fifth season with Polokwane having joined prior to the 2015/16 campaign after being released by SuperSport United.

The towering shot-stopper also provided an update on Rise and Shine's preparations as they look to avoid relegation from the PSL to the National First Division (NFD).

“During the lockdown, they gave us programmes to follow and we were doing training sessions via the zoom app," he added.

“But, since we started training as a team, three weeks ago, we have been working to prepare for the games.”

Polokwane are placed 14th on the league standings - three points above the relegation zone with six matches left in their league campaign.

Chigova is set to continue his battle with Mwenya Chibwe for Rise and Shine's number one spot when the season resumes.

Chigova will have to impress the club's head coach Clinton Larsen in order to reclaim his place in the starting line-up.

Chibwe joined Polokwane from NFD side Jomo Cosmos in June 2019 and the Zambia international has managed to dethrone Chigova as the team's first-choice keeper.

Simba SC assistant coach Seleman Matola has rubbished transfer reports linking him with a move to Azam FC ahead of the new season.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ have been linked with the former Taifa Stars player for many seasons and recent reports indicated they were very close to acquiring his services.

Matola joined Simba from Polisi Tanzania at the start of the current campaign and has been working under Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck.

Matola, who recently guided Simba to their third straight Mainland Premier League title after they finished the season on 88 points, has now come out to clarify the transfer issue, insisting he is still contracted to the Wekundu wa Msimbazi and has never been approached by Azam.

“I am a coach of Simba and that is where I do my work, and with reports, I have landed a new job at Azam, I don’t know where those reports are coming from, I don’t have any idea, no team has approached me for my services, and I am contracted to Simba,” Matola is quoted by Sokaletu.

According to reports gathered by Goal, Matola was picked from a pool of other assistant coaches who had submitted their CVs for the job, which also included Kagera Sugar head coach Mecky Maxime.

In a recent interview, a source privy to the deal but did now want to be named told Goal: “It is true that Matola will cross over from Yanga to handle Azam on the same capacity.

“Matola was among the coaches Azam officials were looking at and he has been picked ahead of Maxime, Azam are keen to build a strong technical bench as they want to challenge for titles in the coming season.”

Azam are currently under the tutelage of Romanian coach Aristica Cioaba and lost their fight to finish second on the 20-team league table as Young Africans (Yanga SC) beat them to the spot on the final day of the 2019-20 season on Sunday.

Azam have already confirmed they will sign at least 15 players to help beef up the squad ahead of the new season.

With the team also missing out on winning the FA Cup after losing 2-0 to Simba in the quarter-finals, the club officials have now asked coach Cioaba to go for quality players so they are able to challenge for trophies next season.

Azam information officer Thabit Zakaria has confirmed they have given the Romanian coach a free hand to pick the players he wants for the team and they will not care about the number even if he signs 15 new players.

Gor Mahia have finally caved in and remitted a confirmation form that will allow the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to transfer the first payment from new sponsors BetKing Kenya.

The Kenyan champions alongside Kakamega Homeboyz and Nzoia Sugar missed out on the first instalment last week after they developed cold feet and refused to fill in the forms which were mandatory and were to include the club’s bank accounts to allow Ksh500, 000 to be wired in.

Gor Mahia and Homeboyz maintained they will only sign the forms after scrutinising the deal signed between the FKF and the Nigerian-based betting firm.

Nzoia stated the forms they had initially received were faulty, but they made their submission on Monday.

The rest of the KPL clubs including promoted sides Nairobi City Stars and Bidco United have already received the payments, awaiting the second instalment which will be remitted if and when the new Kenyan Premier League (KPL) season gets underway.

However, Goal can now report after a closed-door meeting between top Gor Mahia officials and partly the federation, the club has finally agreed to sign the contentious form and the money will hit their bank account on Tuesday.

“It is true we have signed the forms, we really needed to know whether the contract signed between FKF and BetKing was genuine and it was the reason we had to take our time,” a top club official, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Tuesday.

In a previous interview, Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula told Goal they will only fill the form after getting a clearance from their legal team.

“We are not in a hurry to get the money, first of all, we want to know whether the deal signed by FKF is genuine or not,” Shimanyula told Goal on Friday.

“We are not starving, and furthermore Ksh500, 000 is very little to even pay player salaries so we are not in a hurry to go for the money, we will sign the form and remit our bank account when we are very sure that the deal signed between FKF and BetKing is binding.

“I know some other club chairmen have been lured to sign and submit their bank accounts but I can assure you Homeboyz, will be the last, we have to be very sure what we are doing is legal and binding.”

A week ago, the FKF signed a lucrative sponsorship deal worth Ksh1.2billion with the betting firm, who is replacing SportPesa and will see each club in the top-flight receive Ksh8million annually.

Jack Grealish “has his heart set on Manchester United”, according to Michael Owen, with the Aston Villa playmaker expected to push for a move despite his asking price rising on the back of Premier League safety.

The talented 24-year-old has helped his boyhood club to retain their standing among English football’s elite.

Severing ties with the Villans will not be easy for a talismanic figure in the West Midlands, but a fresh start may be required in order for his game to be taken to even greater heights.

Talk of that career path leading him to Old Trafford has rumbled on for some time now, with United having been heavily linked with a big-money move for much of the 2019-20 campaign.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has less of a need to bring in added creativity after acquiring Bruno Fernandes in January and seeing Paul Pogba reassess his options, but squad depth is required as the Red Devils prepare to a return to a Champions League stage.

Owen believes that will see interest in Grealish retained, with it unlikely that any other side will swoop in and lure the England hopeful elsewhere.

The former Red Devils striker told Premier League Productions: “I think he’s after Manchester United as well.

“I’m told he has his heart set on Manchester United. I’d be surprised if he went anywhere else.”

While tipping Grealish to end up at Old Trafford, Owen concedes that Villa’s successful bid to stay in the Premier League means that they can now demand even more from any deal involving their captain.

“He’ll be more expensive now to possible suitors,” Owen added.

“There is that tie now that it’s his team and they’re still in the Premier League – it would have been an easier decision if they went down.

“You can’t have someone like that playing in the Championship. He’s a top player, he would suit an awful lot of teams; he’s exceptional.

“People compare him to James Maddison and others like that but I think he’s head and shoulders above him. He can run with the ball well, score goals, he’s in double figures this season, he assists.

“He’s actually much better out of possession and I think that’s where this season he has developed that side. He covers a lot of ground. He’s not one of those flashy players where you give him the ball and he turns it on, he actually works hard out of possession as well."

Jan Vertonghen would be the ideal partner for Harry Maguire, according to Jermaine Jenas, who says a move to Manchester United "makes sense" for the ex-Tottenham defender.

Vertonghen confirmed his departure from Spurs in a heartfelt social media post after taking in his final outing for the club during a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The 33-year-old told his followers on Instagram: "So my time at the club comes to an end, a sad day for many reasons

"Thank you for all the support over the years. You've been amazing. We had many unbelievable memories but for now, it's goodbye."

The Belgium international racked up 315 appearances for the Lilywhites over the course of an eight-year spell in north London, forming a formidable centre-back partnership with fellow countryman Toby Alderweireld in the process.

Vertonghen declared himself open to a new challenge away from Tottenham earlier this year, citing Spain or Italy as possible next destinations.

Jenas believes the experienced defender still has plenty to offer in the Premier League, and that he could be the answer to United's issues at the back.

Maguire has helped transform Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side into a more solid outfit since completing a record £80 million ($103m) move to Old Trafford from Leicester last summer.

However, it has been suggested that the England international has been hindered by playing alongside Victor Lindelof, and Jenas says Vertonghen would be a far more reliable option for the Red Devils.

The former Spurs midfielder told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I keep touting him around everywhere but I’m sorry, Jan Vertonghen on a free is the best free transfer centre-half out there.

"If you can get Harry Maguire back on the right side and get an actual ball-playing centre-half as a left-sider, that little dynamic may change things for them as well and he’s free.

"Manchester United will know what they’re doing, they’ll have a plan but defensively they’re miles off it. I know how good he is.

"It baffles me when I see him in the stand every week because I know how good he this player is. I’ve played with him, I’ve watched him and on a free transfer, it just makes sense."

Former Bafana Bafana attacking midfielder Ayanda Patosi has the desire to one day play for one of South Africa's Big Three clubs. 

The 27-year-old is currently on a season-long loan at Iranian club Foolad from Cape Town City, and he revealed the two teams are currently negotiating a permanent move for him. 

He hopes for the deal to go through, suggesting he is still happy at Foolad.

His contract with Foolad expired at the end of June but the club extended it for the remaining matches of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic which forced the majority of football leagues across the globe to be suspended.   

"At the moment I am still with Cape Town City. I am here on loan but we are in negotiations to make it a permanent deal," said Patosi in an online press conference with the South African Football Journalists Association. 

"Hopefully, that can go through."

Patosi's future plans, however, are in the PSL with Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns or Kaizer Chiefs top of his priority.

The Cape Town-born player admitted he would prefer a move to the Buccaneers because they are a club grew up supporting. 

This despite giving the Sea Robbers a torrid time while on the books of Cape Town City prior to his departure to Iran.   

Patosi faced Pirates on four separate occasions during his time with the Citizens and scored four goals - including a brace in that memorable 2-2 draw at Orlando Stadium in the 2018/19 season.   

"I would really love to play for the top three in South Africa," added Patosi.

"But mostly for Pirates because I grew up supporting Pirates. So, hopefully, something can come up when I want to come back home."

Patosi was on the losing side on Monday night as Foolad let a two-goal lead slip to eventually go down 3-2 to FC Nassaji, who scored twice deep into stoppage time.  

The former Lokeren winger has featured nine times for Foolad so far this season and found the back of the net just once while recording a single assist for his efforts. 

Twenty years ago, a football-loving Malayali named Manoj founded a local club and named it Red Star, after the then supreme Serbian team Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda). The club played in local sevens tournaments.

Fast forward to 2014. Manoj teamed up with a few football aficionados in Kerala and put together the early version of what is now the Red Star Academy. They've had Bino George and Jo Paul Ancheri as coaches in the first few years before Jali Ibrahim took over as the chief. 

In April 2014, they started out by conducting trials started in Wayanad, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram with the likes of Bino and VP Shaji as selectors. A total of 20 players were selected and Thrissur's famous Professor PC Thomas' the then newly-built hostel became the players' residence. Red Star, one of the state's first residential football academies, has since moved out to four apartments in Kuttanellur.

Jali is a former national record-holding athlete whose passion for football guided him into the world of coaching. His modern ideas, an eye for picking out the best traits of young footballers have helped the academy take another step forward. He's honest and straightforward as a coach and in his own words, it has helped him become 'the most hated coach in Kerala'.

Hrishi Dath (who played for Kerala Blasters and the state team in the Santosh Trophy), Ananthu Murali (who was at FC Bayern for a few days as part of a commercial deal), Alex Saji (who played for KBFC reserves), Amarjeet Mishra (currently at Portuguese club CD Estrela) and Bineesh Balan (former I-League winner with Churchill Brothers) are some of the names that have turned out for Red Star.

They had five of their players called up for the camp for the U-17 team for the World Cup in 2017 although none of them made it into the final squad. Not only were they the first club from Kerala to be zonal champions in the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) 2016-17 U-16 league, four of the five players selected for the U-15 national team camp from Kozhikode last year were from the Thrissur-based academy.

But results do not give you the full picture. "For an academy coach, seeing his student improve is the biggest win. But to take the next step and drive more growth, we need funds and for that we need results," chief coach Jali Ibrahim told Goal. 

"Red Star will continue what we are doing right now - to try and make them play football in the most beautiful manner and make them capable of playing at the top level."

He opined, "The process followed by most of the academies in India is wrong. Players need to be treated on a one-to-one basis. I'm not saying Red Star is 100 per cent perfect. But the thought process applied in our academy is similar to that of those in Europe. "

Jali is against the current methods (or a lack of it) of coaching that are in practice at the grassroots in Indian football and he is not one to shy away from his opinions. "A senior coach once said that I have become the most hated football coach in Kerala but I have taken that as an honour. I'm a straightforward person."

Currently, there are 25 players with Red Star. The Coronavirus pandemic has affected their plans but the players living in nearby regions still get fitness programmes thrice a week. Under the supervision of Jali, there is Sudheesh KR who is a former Calicut University player and a D License coach and former Gokulam Kerala player Bineesh Balan. 

Running a football academy properly requires patience, perseverance, passionate staff and a boatload of cash.

Finance has not been easy and yet, they have somehow managed to keep it going on the field. Several players left unexpectedly, people who initially invested have left due to financial constraints. But for now, under the tutelage of Jali Ibrahim and the academy's all-in-all Manoj, Red Star is staying afloat and is producing talented footballers.

Mallorca teenager Luka Romero said he was bothered by comparisons to Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

Romero, 15, became the youngest player to feature in La Liga when he came off the bench against Real Madrid last month.

The Argentina youth international has been compared to Messi, but the attacker said that made him uncomfortable.

"It bothers me because there is only one Messi," Romero told Fox Sports.

"I want to make a name for myself in football as Luka Romero."

Romero is eligible to play international football for Argentina, Mexico and Spain.

But Romero knows who he wants to represent, saying: "I can choose, but if Argentina still loves me, I will continue playing there.

"If possible, I want to play for the Argentina national team."

At the age of 15 years and 219 days, Romero was used as an 83rd-minute substitute Mallorca in their 2-0 defeat in the Spanish capital in June.

By coming on to replace midfielder Iddrisu Baba on Wednesday, Romero broke a record set in 1939 by Francisco Bao Rodriguez, known as Sanson, who made his league debut for Celta Vigo aged 15 years and 255 days.

Romero has been dubbed the 'Mexican Messi' in the Spanish media, having been born in the North American country and blessed with rare talent, although he has represented Argentina at youth level.

Mallorca coach Vicente Moreno was impressed by Romero's attitude and said the youngster was excited about making his bow.

"What you have to try and do is reassure him. He's a 15-year-old boy," Moreno said.

"The most important thing is that he's there because he deserves to be."

Quoted on Mallorca's website, Moreno added: "Before I walked in, I put my hand on his chest and he was going three thousand miles an hour.

"He's done very well and he's been very aggressive. If we're give him that stimuli, I'm sure he's going to grow."

In 2011, Romero had a trial with Barcelona as a six-year-old but could not sign with the Catalan club because he was under 10 years old and didn't live in the area.

Four years later, he signed an eight-year youth contract with Mallorca at the age of 10.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed that Malaysia will be the country to host the remainder of the Group G and Group H matches of the 2020 AFC Champions League (ACL), as well as the Round of 16, two quarterfinal matches and the semi-final.

Malaysia was picked ahead of other applicants with one of the hosts for the East region with the host for the Group E and Group F yet to be decided, while Qatar will play host for the matches remaining in the West region.

This means that Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) will be completing their Group G matches at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium where they still have four more matches to play against Guangzhou Evergrande (twice), Vissel Kobe and Suwon Bluewings.

Currently sitting in second place in the group, this is a real opportunity for JDT to create even bigger history should they be able to capitalise on home advantage and make it through to the knockout stage in only their second year in the competition.

In their short time in the group stages of the most elite club competition in Asia, JDT have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with when playing at home as the wins over Kashima Antlers (2019) and Suwon (2020) have shown.

No details have yet been released on the other group being played in Malaysia which is the Group H that has Yokohama F. Marinos, Shanghai SIPG, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC and and Sydney FC as the competing teams.

Johor has the capacity to host both groups given that they also have the Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin which has previously played host to ACL matches, on top of the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.

The other possibility would be to play the Group H matches in Kuala Lumpur where the Bukit Jalil Stadium could be used.

The top two teams from Group G and H will crossover and play each other on Nov 4 in the Round of 16 before being joined by the qualified teams from Group E and F for the quarterfinal stage that is expected to be played on Nov 25.

Pep Guardiola's unrivalled knowledge of Spanish football will be key to Manchester City holding off the threat of Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, according to Bernardo Silva.

City are aiming to triumph in Europe's elite club competition for the first time, but must first get past Madrid, the 13-time winners, who they lead 2-1 after the first leg in February.

Guardiola coached Madrid's bitter rivals Barcelona between 2008-2012 and Silva is confident the former Spain midfielder's experience can help City overcome Zinedine Zidane's side on August 7.

"There's nobody like him to help us against a Spanish team, especially one he knows so well," he told Marca. "Having him as our coach and playing against Real Madrid is a good thing. He has always been a coach who knows how to play against Real Madrid the best."

Madrid go into the clash at the Etihad Stadium having claimed a first La Liga title since 2017 and Silva knows City will have to be at their very best to progress to the quarter finals.

"Since the restart Real Madrid have won almost all their games and, as a result, are the La Liga champions," he added. "This will only spur them on and they will be fully prepared for this game.

"We have to be in very good shape ourselves and play really well because, if not, we won't go through. We know that we're coming up against a big team and we need to show all our qualities in order beat them."

"We know that we are playing against a massive club, one of the best in the world, but we are going to try and I believe that we also have a strong team that is capable of winning again."

City missed out on a Champions League semi-final spot last season after an away goals defeat to Tottenham in the last eight; a failure Silva says the club were desperate to rectify in this campaign.

"I think that the Champions League is a very complicated competition, but this year we have already done one thing against Real Madrid that didn't happen against Tottenham, which is scoring away goals," he said.

"Scoring two goals away at Real Madrid was so important and I believe that that was one of the big lessons about the match against Tottenham.

"Also, you must manage the game better when you have an advantage in a knockout game, as these little details can count for everything.

"Therefore, we are going to try to better what we have achieved in the previous two years in the Champions League, a competition that neither me nor the club has won before and we really want to do that this year."

Toulouse have announced the signing of 18-year-old Cameroon international Steve Mvoue from Azur Star Yaounde.

The teenager, son of Regine Mvoue - the first ever captain of Cameroon women’s team will continue his development with the Violets, who will commence life in French Ligue Two next season.

At the Stadium de Toulouse, he joins his elder brother Stephane Zobo who is expected to help him settle down quickly in Patrice Garande’s squad. Zobo scored twice in Cameroon’s 2017 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Gabon.

Mvoue announced himself to the beautiful game having featured in the 2019 Africa U17 Cup of Nations where he helped Cameroon win a second African title in Tanzania and was named as tournament’s best player in the process.

In June 2019, he was handed his senior international debut under former coach Clarence Seedorf, coming in as a 68th minute substitute for Paul-Georges Ntep as the Indomitable Lions defeated Zambia 2-1 in an international friendly.

At the Fifa U17 World Cup staged in Brazil, he could not help his team progress past the group stage from Group E which had Spain, Argentina and Tajikistan.

"It's a great joy for me to officially sign with the Toulouse Football Club,” Mvoue told club website.

“For a long time, and even since my first visit here, I had this desire to engage with the club, and work with people I know and with whom I get along very well.

“Now I want to focus only on the field, and perform with the club. I will first have to recover from my injury. I'll be patient, and I'll come back even stronger!"

He also went on social media to show his excitement following the move to the French team while showing appreciation to his mother and Barcelona and Inter Milan great Samuel Eto’o.