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Victor Wanyama’s manager Thierry Henry remained positive despite Montreal Impact's elimination from the MLS is Back Tournament by Orlando City.

Wanyama and his Montreal Impact teammates limped into the playoffs after a less than impressive Group C performances and their journey in the tournament hit a dead end after suffering a 1-0 loss to the Lions.

Henry singled out the lessons they learned despite elimination after picking up three losses and just a win in the tournament.

“Yes, we do have to improve, that’s for sure,” Henry said during his post-match interview.

“But we’re only five games into the league [season] and obviously we had games here, but it’s still early for me here. The process is still on.

“We still have to try to find the right balance defensively and offensively. We need to find the right balance. But I just arrived here.”

The 1998 World Cup winner also defended their performances all through but stated he has to find the right balance between defence and attack.

“I don’t know if you follow us since the beginning of the season, but we score goals. Have a look,” Henry said in his defence.

“We score goals, but we also concede. So, we have to find the right balance.”

“It’s like the end of the preseason. Obviously, some things can be improved. I am proud of my players. We came here, we did what we did despite having restarted to train later than other teams.

“I have to look after my players."

Wanyama’s captain Samuel Piette defended their playing style, saying although they have conceded goals, they have also fought and scored.

“I don’t think we’re a defensive team or offensive team,” Piette said.

“We try to keep clean sheets and try to score as many goals as possible. Like I said, sometimes it doesn’t go your way. It’s just how the game came up and how we played as individuals, as well.

“We weren’t creating enough offence as we wanted to. I don’t think it’s the coach’s fault or tactics or the way we’re playing. That’s not the case at all.”

“Obviously, we wanted to go all the way. We knew it was a tough tournament and the way we played against Toronto [4-3 loss] and D.C. [1-0 win], we strongly believed that we could’ve beaten anybody.”

Orlando City will now proceed to the quarter-finals to face the winner of the Round of 16 clash between the Seattle Sounders and LAFC on Monday.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho believes achieving home dominance like champions Liverpool is becoming more difficult due to increasingly competitive Premier League standards.

Jurgen Klopp's title-winning Reds completed a third consecutive unbeaten league campaign at Anfield with their 5-3 win over Chelsea on Wednesday.

Mourinho knows plenty about building that sort of record, having once gone 150 games without a home league loss across a nine-year period spanning four clubs.

But while the Spurs boss thinks Tottenham Hotspur Stadium can still become a fortress, he views Liverpool's incredible three-season stretch as an anomaly.

"I think the Premier League is getting into a direction where these unbeaten records are something more and more difficult to achieve because of the level of the teams," Mourinho told Sky Sports .

"But to be strong at home and to arrive at the end of each season with an important number of points in your pocket from home matches is very important.

"I think our recent results at home without the fans are important, but we need them back.

"I can imagine that [2-1] victory against Arsenal with the stadium full of Tottenham fans. This is the kind of empathy that you can create step by step."

Tottenham are still settling into life in their new stadium, and Mourinho is keen for his team to make the most of their state-of-the-art surroundings, though it has been robbed of atmosphere by the coronavirus pandemic.

He added: "Without [supporters] you can create a kind of fortress, but based on the tactical side of the game.

"But, I think with fans, you can do it in a much stronger way because you add the emotional side of the game that only your fans in your stadium can give to you."

Tottenham wrap up their Premier League season with a short trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Mourinho's men must hope Wolves drop points against Chelsea to be in with a chance of snatching sixth and a guaranteed Europa League spot.

Spurs are in good form, with Mourinho jokingly naming himself 'the champion of the last five matches' after taking 13 points from a possible 15.

Josep Maria Bartomeu says no club has been worse affected by the coronavirus crisis than Barcelona – but he claims the club’s debt levels are still healthy.

With spiralling wages for the club’s stars, a number of expensive signings who haven’t made an impact on the pitch and the ‘Espai Barca’ Camp Nou redevelopment project, some have predicted financial troubles ahead for the club.

President Bartomeu looks to be projecting a message of calm, though he had a stark warning about the effects of Covid-19 on football.

“We saw that there was a pandemic worldwide and said that it would be a complex summer with swap deals, and that’s what is happening,” Bartomeu told Mundo Deportivo.

“Since March 14 we have not received a euro. We have missed out on €200 million (£182m/$233m). €200m!

“We have recovered a lot by reducing wages and using ERTE’s (Temporary Employment Regulation File, with the government paying 70 per cent of wages).

“We have had to close the shops and the museum, there have been no ticket sales. We have paid back the ticket money for matches fans couldn’t attend. €200m is a big blow.

“This pandemic will have effects for two or three seasons,” he added. “Nobody should think that things will be fixed by next season. The great financial gurus talk about four years, but I think football will go faster.”

Bartomeu was keen to stress the point that Barca aren’t above feeling the effects of the economic downturn from the virus.

“In our Strategic Plan we had planned on earning €1.1 billion (£1bn/$1.3bn) and now we will bring in 30 per cent less because of Covid,” he said.

“I say this because if someone thinks that the pandemic does not affect Barca, they are wrong. It affects the big European clubs and Barca is the European club that makes the most money and is the most affected.”

But, when asked about reports of the club being in poor financial health, Bartomeu was defensive.

“It’s not true," he said We had a higher level of income than the other big clubs but on March 14, everything stopped and we had to adapt to the new situation.

“And despite the losses, we will continue to be the leader in revenue. The club's debt level is not very high.

“When the audit ends in mid-August, the economic vice president Jordi Moix will explain it and we will see that we are at normal debt levels."

The 23-year-old player is happy to finally be back in training this month with the current season set to resume soon having been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sekgota explained that it is important to be mentally strong and remain focused as the Clever Boys look to perform well in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Nedbank Cup.

“It is good to be back after a long time, football is something that we love and live for so this is a great feeling,” Sekgota told the club's official website.

“It is all about the dedication that you have, your goals in life. You have to stay strong. Challenges come and go, you just need to be mentally strong and remain focused."

Wits have nine matches left in their league campaign and they will also take on Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals when the season resumes.

Sekgota, who is a Bafana Bafana international, feels that there is still so much to play for, for the Clever Boys.

"We are in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals and we still have a few league games left so there is still a lot to play for," he added.

“Obviously we are a big team with a good coach [Gavin Hunt] that has a lot of experience."

Wits have agreed to sell their top-flight status to National First Division (NFD) club Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

Once the deal is approved by the PSL, Wits will relocate to the Limpopo Province and the club will be renamed Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila ahead of the 2020/21 season.

Sekgota explained that they will need to be competitive and professional in their remaining matches.

"We have a squad full of national team players so we will remain competitive and professional up until the end of the season,” he concluded.

The Seshego-born player is set to return to his parent club Vitoria Setubal following a successful loan spell at Wits.

The Portuguese Primeira Liga side has agreed to allow Sekgota to finish the suspended PSL season before returning to Europe.

He made seven appearances across all competitions for the Clever Boys before the campaign was halted.

Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has suggested he will not hesitate to handle the Kenyan national team if the seat falls vacant.

The British coach has told Goal he will not mind coaching any national team in Africa if an offer presents itself and will also not mind dropping off his CV if and when the Harambee Stars need a coach.

“Being a coach and also having coached in Africa I feel one day I will give it a try to handle a national team, and Kenya is not an exceptional, maybe, who knows if the chance comes up I will definitely drop in my CV,” Polack told Goal on Sunday.

“Every coach would love to handle a national team, not me alone and if they advertise the job I will put in my CV in, that is it because also my CV has been seen in Africa already.

“I know Kenya well and this might even make it easier for me to work here but for now I am committed elsewhere, I have a contract with Gor Mahia which I have to honour, but maybe one day, you never know, I might be among a thousand of coaches applying to coach the Kenya national team."

Polack continued: “I have never walked out of my job, I always make sure that I see through my contract and that is what I will strive to do with Gor Mahia, I signed a contract with them and I have to honour it to the end, unless they tell me they don’t want me, I will remain committed to the course.”

In a recent interview, Polack told Goal how he has missed his family back home in Finland since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, and promised to travel once international flights are allowed to resume in Kenya.

“I want to be quite frank, I really want to go home, I really want to go and see my family, I miss my children, my children every time I call them they keep asking me when are you coming, when are you coming, every month, every month and they ask me the same question, and I would really want to go and spend some quality time with them,” Polack told Goal.

“I need to spend time with them, father and daughter and father and son quality time, be next to them and that is something I have been looking forward to and now that the President says international flights will open in August, I am ready to head home and be with my family.

“If they resume in August, then I will go home for even seven days and come back home, I also need to find out when I go home, will I be in isolation in my country for 14 days? And when I come back another 14 days in isolation in Kenya? I need to know this before I travel.”

Polack joined Gor Mahia at the start of the season, replacing Hassan Oktay, and managed to win the curtain-raiser – KPL Cup – and the league title, after the FKF moved to end the 2019-20 season owing to the effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and declare K’Ogalo the champions.

Fatawu Safiu has recorded his first hat-trick for club and country after striking thrice in Trelleborgs’ 4-1 defeat of Dalkurd FF in Saturday’s Swedish second division encounter.

The visitors went to the Vangavallen with the ambition of ending their five-game winless run, however, they were silenced by Kristian Haynes’ side.

Erik Andersson handed Trelleborgs a sixth-minute lead before Safiu doubled his team’s advantage five minutes later after beating goalkeeper Filip Anger.

Guinean forward Kerfala Cissoko reduced the deficit for the visitors after slotting past Fritiof Bjorken from the penalty mark in the 21st minute.

Safiu, the unfamiliar Ghanaian hero, scored two quickfire goals in the 41st and 43rd minute to complete a first-half hat-trick as Haynes’ men went into the half-time break with a comfortable lead.

Before then, the visitors had Christoffer Styff shown the way out by referee Robert Daradic for a second caution.

In the second half, neither side found the net with the only significant moment Mouhammed-Ali Dhaini’s caution in the 51st minute.

After putting up an impressive display, Safiu was replaced with seven minutes left to play by Sweden’s Henrik Johansson.

For the visitors, Cissoko was substituted for Suleman Zurmati in the 66th minute, while Nigeria’s Okechukwu Offia came off for Arian Kabashi in the 73rd minute.

His compatriot John Igbarumah - who was handed a starter’s role - was substituted for on-loan Malmo striker Patriot Sejdiu in the 66th minute.

The Ghanaian’s feat ensured that he ended his eight-month goal drought since his last strike against Jonkopings Sodra on November 3, 2019.

Inspired by his achievement, the 25-year-old went on social media to celebrate his goals.

“You can’t stop a beast who is hungry for a better life,” Safiu tweeted.

Thanks to this result, Trelleborgs climbed to ninth on the Superettan log having garnered 11 points from eight games as Dalkurd remained 13th with seven points from the same number of games.

The former Asante Kotoko man will be hoping to continue this newly discovered form when they take on hosts Umea FC on Thursday, with Dalkurd welcoming relegation-threatened Orgryte to Nya Studenternas on Wednesday.

Harry Maguire says Manchester United won’t settle for a draw in their Premier League season decider against his former side Leicester on Sunday.

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side third and the Foxes fifth, a point would be enough to secure Champions League qualification.

But, with Chelsea behind them on goal difference alone, United are keen to make third place their own as they travel to the King Power Stadium.

“We won’t be going to Leicester and playing for the draw, that’s for sure,” Maguire told MUTV.

“We’ll go into the game wanting to win it. We want to get the three points; we’ll approach it like we approach any other game.

“Maybe if we’re drawing in the last couple of minutes, we might approach it a little bit differently but for sure we’re going to go into the game and try to get the three points.

“We’re sat third in the league and that’s where we want to be by the end of Sunday.

“At the start of the season we wanted to reach the top four - a lot of people didn’t think we would come Christmas, but we’ve put ourselves in a great position now and it’s an exciting game to be involved in.

“It’s really important [to play Champions League football]. I joined this club to win the biggest trophies and the Champions League is one of the biggest of them all. As a club and a player, we want to be in the Champions League, so it’s really important to be there.”

Maguire is also targeting a personal milestone as the clock ticks towards kick-off time.

In his debut season at Old Trafford, the 27-year-old hasn’t missed a minute of action in the league, and he is keen to keep up his 100 per cent record.

“Touch wood I manage to play the game on Sunday and do that [play every minute of every Premier League game this season],” he said.

“It’s something I do really take pride in, being available and looking after myself in order to play every game.

“It’s important for a top defender to play every game. I’ve done it once in my career, at Leicester in my first season where I played every minute of every game, and it’s been nice, touch wood, that I’ve stayed injury-free and not picked up any silly suspensions this season.”

Just when they seemed to be down and out, heading back to the Championship after securing promotion via the playoffs last year, Aston Villa have found a previously lacking resilience to pick up seven points from the last nine.

Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat of FA Cup finalists Arsenal was probably the most significant result of a topsy-turvy campaign which ends with a trip to West Ham United, a side that were until recently fighting for their Premier League status as well.

The unforeseen run cobbled together by Smith’s side will probably be attributed to many of Villa’s players realising the ramifications of being back in the Championship in a pandemic-hit universe.

The Villans are now seemingly giving that extra bit at the back and up front, and statistics against Mikel Arteta’s men somewhat validates this claim. The West Midlands side made 16 tackles and cleared the ball away from danger a staggering 32 times, the highest numbers they’ve recorded in both metrics since the restart.

In attack, even the much-maligned Trezeguet is on the goal scoring trail again. Having failed to score a Premier League goal since early December, the Egypt star has now netted three in both wins over Crystal Palace and the Gunners to take his league tally for his maiden campaign in English football to six – only talisman Jack Grealish has more.

Still, one deficiency remains for Smith’s side: their centre-forwards’ inability to score.

The signing of Mbwana Samatta, the January addition from Belgian side Genk, has bore little fruit since making his £8.5 million switch in the winter window. With one goal in 13 league appearances since becoming the first Tanzanian to play in the Prem, Villa have had to look for goals from elsewhere in their battle to avoid relegation.

Samatta had found the back of the net seven times in 17 starts in Belgium before his transfer, while an even more impressive three goals in six in the Champions League group stage, including one against Liverpool, presented encouraging signs for Smith’s team.

Given the season-ending injury of £22 million record signing Wesley on New Year’s Day, the East African forward was supposed to fill the void of the Brazilian striker, who’d scored a decent five times in 21 games pre-injury.

However, the club’s January addition last scored on his league debut at Bournemouth in February, a strike which incidentally was the club’s first headed goal of the season. At the time it bade well for Smith’s team as it seemed like his strength in the air could be harnessed to win more points for a side heavily reliant on Grealish to create and score.

When Samatta then scored a bullet header exactly a month later to halve the deficit in the EFL Cup final defeat by Manchester City, those assumptions were given further credence.

Unfortunately, the Tanzania star hasn’t scored since March, with his confidence seemingly ebbed away as the goals have dried up. His countenance after heading over from a pin-point Ahmed El-Mohamady cross against Palace was telling; it depicted a forward on a scoreless run that’s now affecting his self-belief.

Interestingly, having attempted a total of seven shots in his first three league games against the Cherries, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, the ex-Genk man has had a miserly three in Villa’s last three games. Against Arsenal on Tuesday, he had none and carried little threat against a Gunners defence that, recent wins over Liverpool and Man City aside, have shown they can be got at.

Even more fascinating has been Samatta’s tendency to not be in the box in recent games, instead retaining a preference to graft for long punts downfield or win knockdowns. This is a departure from his opening games in English football where he was regularly in the box and available to be picked out via crosses or cut-backs.

The upshot of this loss of morale has seen Smith’s side struggle to hit the back of the net before Trezeguet recently pick up the mantle. Two of Villa’s goals before the North African attacker’s improvement in form were scored by defenders (Kortney Hause against Chelsea and El-Mohamady vs Newcastle United).

The other member of the side to have scored since the restart is centre-back Ezri Konsa, who netted in a 1-1 draw with Everton last week. The fact 50 percent of Villa’s goals in the last month have come from defenders highlights the drop-off in productivity of Smith’s attacking players since June’s resumption, including Grealish, who hasn’t played particularly well post-lockdown.

Smith’s current strikers, Samatta and Keinan Davis, account for one goal between them since February, a truly inadequate return in front of goal. There won’t be a better time to come up trumps than at the London Stadium on Sunday, but recent evidence indicates this could be a long shot.

Having had on-loan Tammy Abraham score a staggering 25 goals last year, the West Midlands team have had their strikers largely toil this term, probably an indicator of why they’ve struggled this term.

If Villa do stay up, and their latest results suggest they just might, Smith will need to ask serious questions about Samatta as well as his colleagues at centre-forward, and whether the strikers who never seem to score are the right crop for the club going forward.

Liverpool will look to add the finishing touches to their incredible 2019-20 Premier League season when they travel to Newcastle United on Sunday.

With the league title long since sewn up and the trophy finally presented at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp and his side will look back with immense satisfaction at their form over the year.

When the Premier League returned from coronavirus suspension, it looked like being a record-breaking campaign.

While their patchier form in recent weeks has meant some of those potential milestones have fallen away, there are still some all-time records which can still be beaten or equalled on a team and individual level.

Goal rounds up the Premier League records which Liverpool can still beat or level, the ones they have already set, and the ones they have missed.

Premier League records that Liverpool could break or equal

Biggest winning margin (19 points)

Liverpool are 18 points clear of Manchester City going into the final matchday of the season, and need a slip-up from City at home to Norwich if they are to equal or beat their record.

City finished 19 points clear of Manchester United in 2017-18.

Most wins (32)

If Liverpool beat Newcastle on Sunday, they will level the record of 32 wins out of 38 Premier League games.

Manchester City hold this record too, also from the 2017-18 season.

Premier League records that Liverpool have broken or equalled

Most assists from a defender (13)

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross for Roberto Firmino’s goal against Chelsea was his 13th assist of the season – a record total for a defender which he can add to against Newcastle.

The previous record was 12, which Alexander-Arnold set himself last season.

Fastest title win (seven games to spare)

Liverpool lifted the Premier League title after Chelsea beat Man City, with the Reds still having seven of their 38 games still to play.

The previous best was five games. Manchester United achieved this in 1907-08 and 2000-01, Man City in 2017-18, and Everton did so in 1984-85.

Longest winning run at home (24)

Liverpool won 24 consecutive Premier League games at Anfield, a run stretching back to the previous season.

That beat a record which already belonged on Merseyside, with Bill Shankly’s Liverpool winning 21 straight home games between 1971 and 1972.

Most home wins (18)

Liverpool won 18 of their 19 league games at Anfield, only slipping up in a draw against Burnley.

Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd have all won 18 out of 19 in the past, with no club ever finishing with a 100 per cent home record.

Longest winning run (18 games)

Liverpool looked destined to break Man City’s 18-game record for the most consecutive wins in the top flight, only to be thrashed 3-0 at Watford.

Nevertheless, they made it level on 18 – beating their previous attempt of 17, which came to an end earlier in the season.

Biggest lead (25 points)

Before their form slipped after the title was confirmed, Liverpool were 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League, beating the previous record of 21.

Best start in Europe

Liverpool won 20 of their first 21 Premier League games, taking 61 points from a potential 63.

No side in any of Europe’s top five leagues – the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 – has ever started a season so well.

Beat every other team in the Premier League

Klopp's side successfully defeated all 19 other teams in the Premier League, the last of which being West Ham in January.

In the Premier League era, Manchester City (twice), Manchester United (twice) and Chelsea have also achieved the same feat.

Premier League records Liverpool cannot break

Most points (100)

When the season resumed, Liverpool were targeting a potential 107 points, if they managed a perfect finish to the season.

Now, the most they can finish on is 99 – one shy of Man City’s 100-point record.

Most away wins (16)

If Liverpool beat Newcastle on Sunday, they will set a new club record of 14 away wins in a league season.

The league record of 16 was set by Man City in 2017-18.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has revealed the reason their final Mainland Premier League match against Polisi Tanzania will be difficult for his side.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi have already been crowned champions for the third season in a row but will play their last league match at Ushirika Stadium as the curtain comes down on the 2019-20 season on Sunday.

However, Vandenbroeck has claimed because of the poor condition of the playing surface at Ushirika, his side will have a difficult game.

“We have always had problems playing our usual passing game when playing away from Dar es Salaam and Sunday will not be an exception,” Vandenbroeck told the club’s official website ahead of the match.

“We trained at the match venue on Saturday and to be honest I am very sure my players will have difficulties playing there, the pitch is bumpy and looks bad from all perspectives and it is unfortunate we are allowed to play in such a pitch.

“We were not able to give passes as we do in Dar es Salaam during training, and I am very sure the same thing will happen during matchday, it is not a good pitch at all and if you ask me, maybe we should have gone for an alternative venue but again, where?”

Vandenbroeck further said they will go into the match with a lot of care to avoid picking up unnecessary injuries ahead of their FA Cup final against Namungo FC on August 2.

“We will have to be very cautious to avoid picking injuries here because we have a huge domestic cup game coming up, we don’t want to play as if we have not won the league…no, we will play to entertain the fans but with one eye on the FA Cup final,” Vandenbroeck continued.

Vandenbroeck also confirmed he will make changes to the starting XI, a move he said will see regular starters rested ahead of the domestic Cup final.

“We only travelled with 22 players, and I want to make sure each and every player gets at least a few minutes to play, and especially those who missed our last league match against Coastal Union will play a part," he concluded.

The match will kick-off at 16:00.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael has revealed why he will have two goalkeepers on the bench when they take on Lipuli FC in their last Mainland Premier League match of the season on Sunday.

The Jangwani Street-based giants will be keen to seal the second spot ahead of closest challengers Azam FC, who will face Tanzania Prisons as the curtain comes down on the 2019/20 season.

Both Yanga and Azam are tied on 69 points, though the latter have a better goal difference which has seen them currently occupy the second slot while Yanga are third, followed by Namungo FC in fourth.

However, Yanga are heading into their match missing at least eight players, a situation coach Eymael has told Goal will force him to have two goalkeepers on the bench because he only has15 outfield players to use in the match.

“I explained to you everything, I explained all the details about the players and the problem as not changed from our last league match in Morogoro,” Eymael told Goal on Sunday.

“Lamine [Moro] got an injury in the last game and he will be out, he got a hard tackle and twisted his ankle and thus he will be out, he was stretchered off the pitch, Deus [Keseke] my winger was the best in attack for the moment is got to yellow cards, and that is one red card, so he is missing next game,

“So I have to play minus two players, two less than the players who were there in our last league match, so I have to put two goalkeepers in the bench and use Farouk [Shikalo] between the sticks, so that is the condition at the moment, I don’t have any more options.”

“Kevin [Yondani] did not travel, Patrick [Sibomana] did not travel and both don’t have permission to be away, the saga surrounding Bernard [Morrison], you know about it, the other midfielders, Papy [Tshishimbi] is out injured, Ally Ally, Dauda and Dante, have never reported to training with reasons best known to them, but it all comes down to indiscipline from the three players.”

Asked whether they still have a chance to finish second on the log, Eymael said: “Yes, we have a big chance, we are tied on points with Azam and we all play away from home, so anything can happen, all we need is win our match and hope Azam lose theirs, I know it not be easy but we will play to win our match and wait to see what happens.

“I still insist missing on the second position will not be a good season for me with the club, I joined the club when they were lying in position four, and the gap between them and Simba SC was too huge to close down, but we managed to come to the second position and also reduce the gap with Simba.”

Both matches will kick-off at the same time – 16:00.

Parfait Bizoza scored his first goal for Aalesunds as they bowed 3-2 to Odds Ballklubb in Saturday’s Eliteserien encounter.

With the fixture heading for a 2-2 draw at the Skagerak Arena, Holmbert Fridjonsson turned the ball inside his net in the second minute of added time.

The Burundian joined Lars Bohinen’s men from Raufoss earlier this year, however, he has gone on a run of five games without finding the target.

However, that run came to an end in his sixth league cap, against Jan Nornes’ side, to bag his maiden goal for the Orange and Blue.

Tobias Lauritsen put Ballklubb ahead in the 11th minute after converting a penalty following a foul committed in the visitors’ goal area.

Seven minutes later, Simen Nordli beat goalkeeper Sondre Rossbach to level the scores with Bizoza supplying the assist.

Aalesunds’ chances of getting an away win were reduced in the 22nd minute after David Olafsson was sent off by referee Kai Erik Steen for a second caution.

Espen Ruud restored the hosts’ lead from the penalty spot in the 37th minute, but Bizoza levelled matters for his side in the 43rd minute as the goal-laden first-half ended 2-2.

The second-half produced little spark as both sides adopted a cautious approach. And when it appeared that the encounter would end all square, Fridjonsson turned the ball into his net to hand Ballklubb all points at stake. 

While Bizoza was in action from start to finish, one-cap Nigeria international Izunna Uzochukwu was brought on for Niklas Castro in the 57th minute.

Following this defeat, Aalesunds have now failed to win any of their ten games played in the Norweigian elite division this season, with three draws and seven defeats, to sit at the base of the league table.

Having accrued 16 points from the same number of matches, Odds Ballklubb are now ranked third - 11 points behind leaders Bodoe/Glimt.

Born to Burundian parents in Norway in March 1999, the 21-year-old is eligible to represent Burundi at senior level. He was called up by the Football Federation of Burundi in 2019 - an honour he declined.

Do you consider yourself a huge fan of the Indian football? How abreast are you when it comes to developments in and around the Indian football ecosystem?

Mohammedan Sporting is a club with a lot of history and tradition. How much do you know about the Black Panthers?

This edition of Goal 's 'Sharp Minds' quiz is on Mohammedan Sporting.

As we see football take a backseat among the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, here's your chance to while away some time.

We will bring you a set of 10 questions, a mixture of easy and tough ones, every week on Indian football. Try answering them on your own (without googling, we hope) and see how much you know about Indian football.

Share your scores with others and showboat. The latest edition of Sharp Minds is right here. Have fun.

NOTE : You are welcome to contact us through social media, if you need any clarification on the answers. We will try, to the best of our abilities, to explain.

After the successful hosting of the fourth edition of the Indian Women’s League (IWL), the Bangalore Football Stadium is set to be the venue for the next edition of the tournament as well.

However, it depends on the Covid-19 pandemic and whether they can get the go-ahead from the local authorities.

Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) Secretary Satyanarayan asserted the same as he touched upon the tournament's success.

12 teams featured in the IWL last season which saw a group stage, followed by a knockout stage wherein the top two teams from two clusters qualified for the semi-final. All games were played at a single venue – the Bangalore Football Stadium.

M Satyanarayan, the secretary of the KSFA, explained how the tournament was a grand success and a win-win for all stakeholders. He stated how KSFA established a women's league system in the state in 2018. The Karnataka Women's League has two divisions now with the Super Division being the top one. Bangalore United FC won the tournament in the 2018-19 season and finished runners-up last season. Kickstart FC won all six of their games this season and were crowned champions. Both these teams represented the state in the 2019-20 IWL.

“The last two years have been excellent for us. AIFF came up with the idea of us hosting the Women’s Super League. Then we did the Super Division and Bangalore United FC qualified. Next year, we did it in a slightly better way. Two years ago, we had only four clubs for women’s football in Bengaluru,” he said.

“Then we held our first Impetus Trophy where 18 teams came up and we realised that there are so many girls playing. Now we have a Super Division and an A-Division. We have not played anything in the A-Division but we are planning to play either a seven a side or an eight a side there. Because, when you have just three good players at a club and others just make up the numbers, it makes the games one sided.

“The IWL was one of the last tournaments on the old turf but the pitch held up well. We did not see any injuries or anything. The Bengaluru crowd really enjoyed the IWL. The level of football was very high, including the final which ended 3-2. It was almost like watching two professional men’s team playing. This was the first time we organised and there were 12 teams in one venue.

“I think AIFF was happy and all the other teams were happy because everything – food, transport and so on was on time. It was a win-win for everyone. They gave us (Karnataka) two slots because someone pulled out at the last minute. We had Bangaluru United FC which has been there for a long time and Kickstart FC which was relatively new and won the Karnataka Women's League. I think the quality of the teams will be higher in the next season."

The KSFA Secretary pointed out that hosting the IWL again is logistically feasible. He is hoping that the tournament will return to the city and draw a bigger crowd.

He said - “One of the advantages we have is that there are two other grounds close by – the South United ground and the HAL ground. Training grounds were not a problem at all. All of them trained on the astroturf and the grounds were close. The AIFF have not told anything yet. But we are ready for it.

“We are aware of the flaws we had. One thing was that we would have preferred more spectators. It was good but this time we will try to get some schools so that the kids can watch and get inspired. That’s one area where we want to work on.

“Once our ground is ready, we are looking at a long-term plan of developing a women’s state team as well."

Additionally, the city is also a strong favourite to host the remainder of the I-League second division season. FC Bengaluru United, who are among the favourites to advance to the next round, could enjoy a marginal advantage, should Bengaluru host the competition.

Satyanarayan is hoping that second division football arrives at the city and he believes that the KSFA has already set a solid example with the smooth organising of the IWL.

“They are looking to finish the ongoing tournament before October 5th or so because the team which wins will go on to the I-League first division and will have about 15 days left in the transfer window to sign some players.

“We are ready (to host). We can get the clearances from the government. Mr Harris is an MLA also. We will get the clearance from the local government too, as the lockdown is lifted. But that is not an immediate concern. Once we are confirmed as the hosts, we can go about that process.

“We have the grounds also. I think they will take a decision on August 15 and we are hoping it comes to us.

“FC Bengaluru United are determined to make it to the I-League. If it is held here, it will be a slight advantage for them. If they make it, we will be glad to have an ISL club an I-League club,” he concluded.

No football club can ever dream of being successful without the support of local fans and investors, even those in Malaysia. 

The Malaysian club in the middle of rebuilding, Selangor are thankful to have the support of both parties during the Covid-19 pandemic, said its secretary-general Johan Kamal Hamidon to Goal earlier this week.

Around two months ago, when it was rumoured that the 2020 Malaysian league may resume behind closed doors (a rumour that has since been confirmed), the Red Giants' 2020 season pass owners went onto social media to voice their willingness to forgo a possible refund, in order to let their team keep the money.

READ: Keep the money, charitable Selangor season pass owning-supporters tell club

Just last week, it was revealed that their ultras group of fans, the Ultrasel, have gone even further; by contributing RM10,000 (around USD2,500) to participate as a micro-sponsor of the club this year, under its 'Local Giants' programme.

These acts of benevolence did not go unnoticed by Johan.

"We're very grateful to have fans who are very supportive, as it's a strong sign that they have confidence and trust in us, and that they want to do as much as they can to help the club achieve its ambitions.

"Despite the poor current economic situation, the fans are willing to 'let go' of the passes that they have bought without us asking for it. This shows that they're happy with what the board is doing. These are encouraging signs, but we don't want to take them for granted. The way we see it, we have to do more," he explained in a telephone conversation. 

Johan Kamal. Photo by Zulhilmi Zainal

Johan also provided more details on its Local Giants programme, which allows smaller businesses and companies to enter into small-scale sponsorship deals with the club.

Apart from the RM10,000 deal taken up by their ultras, the programme also offers one other, higher-tier package with an RM20,000 buy-in fee. In return, the participating businesses receive tax exemption benefits, matchday branding opportunities, and free match tickets.

"I'm not quite sure of the exact number [of participating companies], it's between 30 to 40, with a total revenue of between RM600,000 to RM700,000. We learnt about it from Japanese club Fagiano Okayama (Malaysia U-23 striker Hadi Fayyadh's team) who visited us in 2019. Their programme sees around 700 participants!

"There are a lot of companies out there who are very passionate supporters of Selangor, but are not able to sponsor us in the hundred thousands and millions. So it makes sense for us to still give them the opportunity to be a part of our journey with the Local Giants programme.

"For the first year of its implementation, the reception has been encouraging. We were looking for 50 to 100 participants, so what we do have now is not far behind. Seeing a fan group taking part is also a bonus, and we hope to see more fans taking part in the club in the future.

"But the economy is expected to be tougher next year due to the pandemic, which in turn is expected to make securing sponsorships and growing the number of participants tougher. Hopefully, next year we will get to equal the number of Local Giants as this year's," said the association official.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted it will not be the "end of the journey" regardless of the result against Leicester City as he looks beyond the Premier League's top four.

Champions League qualification is on the line, with third-placed United above Chelsea on goal difference and a point clear of Leicester ahead of their final-day trip to the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

With United eyeing a return to the Champions League, Solskjaer said sealing a spot in Europe's premier club competition would be a step towards chasing down Premier League holders Liverpool and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

"We've not ended up anywhere yet," Solskjaer, whose United have not won the Premier League since Alex Ferguson's final season in 2012-13, said. "If we get a result against Leicester I think people will say we've not had a bad journey this season.

"But whatever happens, it won't be the end of the journey because we've still got some catching up to do on the two teams ahead of us.

"If you want to be part of Manchester United you have to get used to pressure in the final match of the season.

"It's nothing new, it's what this club has been built on. We have given ourselves a fantastic chance to end the season on a high, and now it's up to us to take it.

"It's not the most important game of the season, it's just the next game, and you can ask anyone in football, the next game is always the most important.

"The result won't define our season because we've already had many defining moments this season. Bruno Fernandes coming in made a massive difference, and I think our overall fitness and mental robustness is so much better now than it was last season."

A win on Sunday would guarantee the Red Devils finish third in the Premier League this season - a position that would be just reward according to Solskjaer.

"It would be a good boost and a nice boost for the team to finish third," he told Sky Sports. "I know since October, after that international break, we've had the third-most points in the league.

"For a long, long spell now we've been the third-best team, we just, in the start of the season, we were too inconsistent. Now we have got more consistency, more fitness levels, we're more robust.

"And of course, we want to be in amongst the elite in Europe and play in the Champions League, but the old Winston Churchill quote is, 'success isn't final, failure isn't fatal - then what you need is the courage to continue'.

"That's what we're going to do with this team, we continue. We carry on developing the team, improving and knowing that this is not the end of the journey for the team, this is just one other stepping-stone in our development."

Inter head coach Antonio Conte described talk of the possible arrival of Barcelona captain Lionel Messi as "fantasy football", though he did welcome the transfer links.

Messi's future has dominated headlines in 2019-20 amid speculation the six-time Ballon d'Or winner is ready to quit Barca at the conclusion of his contract next year.

Linked to Inter previously, reports of Messi's father buying a house in Milan this week fuelled more rumours about a stunning switch to San Siro.

Conte was asked about Messi following Inter's 3-0 Serie A win over Genoa on Saturday and he told reporters: "We're talking about fantasy football, situations that at the moment cannot be linked to Inter. For many reasons.

"I don't think there's a madman in the world who wouldn't want Messi. But that kind of situation really is very, very, very far from Inter, from what we are doing and what we are trying to build.

"We need to create a solid base, and then maybe...I repeat, this is fantasy football; however, I like the fact that when fantasy football is involved, the team that is linked to it is always Inter."

Conte's comments echo those of Nerazzurri director Giuseppe Marotta, who also recently labelled Messi potentially joining Inter as "fantasy football".

Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Conte's Inter returned to winning ways at Genoa following consecutive draws.

Alexis Sanchez – on loan from Manchester United – continued his fine form with a goal of his own as Inter moved second in the table, a point clear of Atalanta and four adrift of leaders Juventus with two matches remaining.

Conte's former club Juventus can seal their ninth successive Scudetto against Sampdoria on Sunday.

"I think that so far we have 76 points, which is good, but I am sure it's not enough to win," Conte said.

"Therefore the league will be won by someone else. At the same time, we must have the determination to finish as high as we can."

Inter next face Napoli at home on Tuesday night before finishing their league season at Atalanta on August 2. They will then turn their attention to the Europa League where they face La Liga outfit Getafe in the Round of 16.