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Mame Thiam scored a brace as Kasimpasa settled for a 2-2 draw against Gaziantep on Saturday.

The former Juventus and Inter Milan forward grabbed two first-half goals to put the visitors ahead at the Gaziantep Stadium which took his tally to 11 goals after 24 outings in his debut Super Lig season.

Thiam who joined Kasimpasa in June 2019 on a two-year deal, has had a nomadic career with spells in Italy, Greece, United Arab Emirates, Iran and Belgium.

Seven minutes after Muhammet Demir opened the scoring for the hosts, Thiam equalised for Kasimpasa in the 13th minute.

Towards the end of the first half, he found the target again and fired the Apaches ahead in the 37th minute but his goals were not enough to secure maximum points as Alexandru Maxim's 78th-minute strike denied them victory.

Thiam was in action for the entire duration and Ivory Coast's Gerard Gohou played for 62 minutes before he was replaced by Ricardo Quaresma. Guinea's Fode Koita watched from the bench as an unused substitute.

Nigeria forward Olanrewaju Kayode was missing in action for Gaziantep while Senegal's Papy Djilobodji and Cameroon's Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik featured for the hosts but Ghana's Raman Chibsah was an unused substitute.

Kasimpasa moved to 10th in the Super Lig table after the draw with 40 points after 33 matches, three points behind eighth-placed Gaziantep.

Next Saturday, Gaziantep travel to Malatya for their final league match for the 2019-20 season against Yeni Malatyaspor while Kasimpasa host Super Lig champions Istanbul Basaksehir on the same day.

Frank Lampard faces several selection dilemmas ahead of his Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final match with Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, including which goalkeeper to play.

Typically, Lampard has opted to use his No 2 goalkeeper Willy Caballero in the domestic cup competitions this season, with his 38-year-old having kept a clean sheet in the quarter-final win over Leicester City. However, Kepa did start in the game against Liverpool in the round earlier having briefly lost his No 1 spot to the Argentina international.

Lampard was cautious about revealing anything about his line-up ahead of such a big game.

"It’s a question that I know the answer to already," Lampard said, before admitting that he wouldn't reveal the answer.

He did confirm though that N'Golo Kante remains injured after picking up a small hamstring problem, but the Blues have a full squad at their disposal aside from youngster Billy Gilmour.

The Blues also benefit from an extra day of rest, with the starters from the win over Norwich having had Wednesday off as a recovery day, while on Thursday they had a light session. They then conducted two full sessions ahead of the match at England's national football stadium.

Lampard denies that a win in the cup can help his side finish above Manchester United in the league, as the two clubs battle for Champions League football next season alongside Leicester City, with two spots available in the top four.

"I generally think it has no bearing," Lampard added. "This is a competition in itself. We all know what's at stake and what's at stake is a place in the final. The next two games will come very quickly after that and each of us will deal with it in our own way.

"Obviously, there's the physical demands of the game will have a small effect maybe on the Wednesday game that we play next week. We will have to deal with that and get on with it. Other than that, I am not sure it will have much bearing.

"We all know their front three are playing very, very well, the amount of goals they've put together has been amazing. So we have to understand that and work against that.

"They do have a strong team throughout, their midfield is functioning very well now, the introduction of Bruno Fernandes gave them a huge boost in January, I think everyone's seen that. So we need a complete performance to challenge Manchester United."

Chelsea have already played Man United three times this season in the Premier League and Carabao Cup, and they have lost all three matches.

Lampard has complained about the impact of VAR and felt some of the matches were harsh scorelines on his side, but he has ended up losing the matches by an aggregate scoreline of 8-1.

Indeed, conceding goals too freely has been a more general problem for Chelsea, as their 49 goals allowed is the worst among the top 10 in the league. Lampard is aware of the issues and he is aware that they need resolving against Man United.

"We are working on it, we always work on it specifically," he concluded. "There is never a neglect in the game and it always has to be constant and repeated constantly.

"A big problem of ours this season is that we have been committing individual errors in games, and sometimes in games where we have been in good comfort, but a counter-attack or a cross into our box, where we haven’t really been having to defend our box that regularly necessarily through the season.

"Certain games have been different to that. Like Sheffield United, where we just didn’t play well as a team. We have had individual errors in big moments which have changed the face of the results slightly. It has been too regular, no doubt.

"I look at it, as it’s my responsibility, individually where can we improve? It can only come on a training ground. This is what it is, and collectively how can we improve as well.

"We will always take responsibility as a whole, I always work on it and we will have to be very much on top of ourselves when it comes to the quality of the opposition we have on Sunday.

"Because no matter what they can always hurt any defence or any team with the individual quality that they have. So it was good to get a clean sheet against Norwich, but this will be a different animal and we will have to defend very well."

David Luiz has accepted his recent Arsenal criticism is "part of football" as he looks to respond in the best way on the pitch. 

The 33-year-old, who recently signed a new contract with the Gunners, played the full 90 minutes as Arsenal defeated Manchester City 2-0 in their FA Cup semi-final on Saturday. 

Exactly one month ago, Luiz was sent off in a shocking cameo against Pep Guardiola's side in the Premier League, with many quick to question the Brazilian's future at the Emirates. 

Luiz has however responded strongly on the pitch over the past week and stressed he's always remained focused on working hard despite the criticism. 

"It is part of the football. I understood that football is about surviving. Every day you are going to defend the odd thing," Luiz told BT Sport post-match. 

"I was working hard every single day after my mistakes. I was humble to work more and to work more for the team.

"We have a final to play this season and we will try and win a title for this club because this club deserves to win a trophy."

The Gunners backed up from a midweek win over Liverpool to dispatch City in convincing fashion on Saturday with Mikel Arteta's side showing what they are capable of at their best. 

Luiz insisted Arsenal will remain humble despite their recent results with the club's redevelopment still a work in process. 

"It was a great result against one of the best teams in the world. We were humble, we understood the way we had to play and we took the opportunities to score," Luiz said. 

"We have to be mature, to understand what level we are at in the process. We have an amazing coach but we can't go from 0 to 100. We are improving. The spirit was great and I'm happy for the team because they deserve it.

"All the team defended, it is not just the last line. Everybody has to fight and play every ball 100 per cent. It's part of the process. We could do more of this in the game so it would maybe be easier.

"The other team is miles away in front of us but we were humble so when we play we can hurt the opponent and we did that."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s brace for Arsenal against Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday at Wembley means that the Gabon international has equalled a club record.

In finding the net twice against the Citizens, Aubameyang became only the fourth player in the Gunners’ history to have scored at least twice in a competitive game at England’s football cathedral.

According to Opta, the first player to achieve this was Reg Lewis who found the net twice as Arsenal silenced Liverpool 2-0 in the final of the 1950 FA Cup final.

37 years later, Charlie Nicholas joined the hallowed ranks hitting a brace as George Graham’s men defeated Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool to lift the 1987 League Cup final. 

Before joining Manchester United and later Inter Milan, Chile international Alexis Sanchez wrote his name in the North London outfit’s history books having fired past goalkeeper Adam Federici to help Arsene Wenger’s team defeat Reading 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final. The team would take a step further demolishing Aston Villa 4-0 for their 12th triumph in England’s oldest football competition.

Auba, however, has emulated the trio’s achievement in his third season at the Emirates Stadium following a move from German topflight outfit Borussia Dortmund for a fee worth £55 million plus £5m in further add-ons.

The ex-Saint-Etienne man scored in Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat of arch-rivals Manchester United in the Fourth Round, before getting caged at Bramall Lane as Mikel Arteta’s men dismissed Sheffield United 2-1.

It is worthy of note that there were 18 passes made in the build-up to the Gabon international’s opener with 10 of Arsenal’s 11 players being involved in the move for the opener against Pep Guardiola’s side.

On the broader scale, despite his immense scoring record in the Premier League with 20 goals, the North London giants are ranked 10th in the league having accrued 53 points from 36 games - and will surely miss next season’s Champions League.

The 31-year-old would be hoping to add to his goal tally when his team travel to relegation-threatened Aston Villa Tuesday’s Premier League game before hosting Watford five days later in their last league game of the season.
 

Mikel Arteta overcame his former boss Pep Guardiola as a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang double saw Arsenal reach the FA Cup final with a 2-0 win over Manchester City.

Arteta left his role as assistant at City last December to take charge at Emirates Stadium, and while it has been far from straightforward for the Spaniard since, he could be on course to finish a topsy-turvy campaign with silverware.

Aubameyang was the hero as he struck twice at an eerily empty Wembley, sending his side through to face Chelsea or Manchester United on August 1.

City huffed and puffed throughout but were unable to blow Arsenal's well-constructed house down, suffering their first defeat at the national stadium since going out to the Gunners at the same stage of the competition three years ago.

Guardiola fielded the same starting XI that won 3-0 when these teams returned to Premier League action in June, when the master easily overcame his former apprentice in Manchester.

However, the cup holders never hit the same heights in familiar surroundings in the capital, failing to respond after Aubameyang converted Nicolas Pepe's cross with a half-volleyed finish in the 19th minute.

The Gabon forward had missed a glorious chance earlier in proceedings, shooting straight at Ederson when clean through, but made no mistake when stretching out to poke the inswinging right-wing cross back across the face of the Brazilian goalkeeper and in via the far post.

Shkodran Mustafi saw a header tipped over in the closing stages of a first half that saw a rather sluggish City fail to muster a shot on target.

Raheem Sterling carelessly missed the target soon after the break, but Emiliano Martínez was finally called into action to keep out a low attempt by Riyad Mahrez, while the goalkeeper was grateful to see a Kevin De Bruyne free-kick ripple the outside of the net.

Aubameyang, though, had no such issues locating the goal during a rare Arsenal attack in the 71st minute, running onto Kieran Tierney's lofted pass before slotting through Ederson's legs.

What does it mean? Gunners show their mettle

Having employed a rope-a-dope tactic to defeat Liverpool 2-1 in league action in midweek, Arsenal once again demonstrated a defensive toughness that has seemingly been missing for so long at the club. Arteta may want to play in a more expansive way in the future, but at least he has laid solid foundations to build on. A first win over City in eight attempts arrives thanks to a coach who used to be in the opposite camp.

Auba at the double

Playing in his first FA Cup game of the 2019-20 season, Aubameyang diligently worked hard for the cause when stationed on the left flank and, after an early sighter, showed the clinical edge Arsenal deserved as a reward for their stoicism.

Sterling fluffs his lines

The England international scored the opener against Arsenal at the Etihad last month, but this time his profligacy summed up City's poor showing, meaning there will be no domestic cup double for Guardiola this term. Sterling had four attempts at goal but failed to hit the target with any of them.

What's next?

Both clubs have two Premier League fixtures remaining, playing on Tuesday and Sunday. City are away at Watford before finishing up at home to relegated Norwich City. Arsenal also have the Hornets to come, though before that final-day encounter they travel to Aston Villa.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took a step closer to a goalscoring statistic led by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Profiting from a Nicolas Pepe assist, the Gabon international fired past goalkeeper Ederson Moraes to give Arsenal the lead against Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final clash.

Love that, Auba! ❤

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Following that effort, Mikel Arteta’s men went into the half-time break with a slim 1-0 advantage at Wembley. He completed his brace in the 71st minute with a close finish from Kieran Tierney’s assist.

That strike was Aubameyang’s 66th goal for the North London outfit since making his debut for Arsenal in February 2018.

Since joining Arsenal, he becomes the second-highest goalscorer in the English top-flight after Egypt and Liverpool’s Salah (68).

After leaving Borussia Dortmund for £55 million plus £5m in further add-ons, he has become a key figure in the club’s attacking line-up.

Last season, he shared the Premier League’s Golden Boot award with his African counterparts and Liverpool stars, Salah and Sadio Mane after scoring a brace in the team’s final league game of the season against Burnley to take his goal tally to 22.

This term, he has been productive in front of goal to achieve personal feats. Thanks to his strike against Leicester City on July 7, 2020, he became the second Arsenal player after Thierry Henry to score at least 20 Premier League goals in consecutive seasons.

Also, he became the sixth-fastest player in English top-flight history to hit the half-century milestone after scoring 50 goals in 77 league games.

That it arrived in fewer league matches than the likes of Sergio Aguero and Thierry Henry tells you just how prolific the Gabon international has been since his arrival from Germany.

Aubameyang's landmark goal, which arrived for Arsenal against Norwich City, is made all the more remarkable by the fact that he has not been playing in a particularly successful team during his time at Emirates Stadium, with the Gunners finishing sixth in his first season, fifth in his second, and starting the day in 10th as they faced the Canaries.

Should Pep Guardiola’s men fail to comeback, Arteta’s men would earn a place in the final where they face either Chelsea or Odion Ighalo’s Manchester United for the title.

On the same day Leeds United wrapped up the Championship title, the club's chief executive Angus Kinnear has boldly declared they want to be a Champions League team in the years to come. 

Marcelo Bielsa's side officially ended their 16-year exile from the Premier League on Friday after a West Brom loss guaranteed their automatic promotion to the top flight. 

Leeds' season got even sweeter on Saturday with Brentford's defeat to Stoke ensuring they'll be returning to the Premier League as Championship winners. 

While a successful season for the club, Kinnear was quick to stress that he hopes this is just the beginning of the Whites' resurgence with the Champions League now in their sights. 

"Whilst we're celebrating, whilst we're all very excited, we've got back to where we belong. This really is base camp for Leeds United," Kinnear said.

"Leeds United shouldn't be a Championship side, they should be a Premier League side, so really the challenge starts now and it's about competing in the PL.

"Now it's going to be really about building on that and making sure that over the next few years we start to compete at the level Leeds should be competing in, which ultimately is the top six, and that's always been our aim.

"Leeds should have a Premier League team. Candidly, Leeds should have a Champions League team and that's the vision."

Bielsa has played a key role in securing Leeds' return to the Premier League but the Argentine manager is out of contract at the season's end with the club desperate to extend his stay at Elland Road. 

"Victor, Andrea and I will be straight in with Marcelo next week and talking about plans for next season," Kinnear said.

"He has a review, he knows the direction he wants to take the club in and it will go from things we need on the playing side, right through to changes he wants to be made at Thorp Arch and in the backroom staff, and obviously his own personal arrangements as well we need to resolve.

"The challenge with Marcelo is his intentions are always a bit of a mystery because he's always focused on the next game and you're a brave man to try to distract him from the task of the next match.

"I think he's fallen in love with the club. I think he's committed to it."

On potential transfers for Leeds over the summer, Kinnear added: "We know we need to strengthen. Targets have been identified. We're working on them already, we're working on them now - today it's started in earnest. And that recruitment is going to be the biggest challenge because the window is so short.

"With the TV money being fairly evenly spread other than the performance related element, it means we immediately have a competitive advantage if we can harness that fanbase and use those resources to compete in the transfer market.

"I think next year the team will go out every week and play swashbuckling, attacking football, will show absolutely no fear, will show no team any respect. We're not going to be scared and I think we'll give Leeds supporters another year they can be proud of."

Leeds will now finish their Championship campaign with a trip to Derby County before hosting Charlton on the final day of the season.

Randal Muani and Samuel Moutoussamy were among the goal scorers as Nantes brushed aside FC Stade Nyonnais 6-0 in Saturday’s pre-season encounter.

With the cancellation of 2019-20 French topflight amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Canaries have commenced preparations for next term.

As they continue to fine-tune their strategies, they hit six past the Swiss Promotion team.

Marcus Mawkus handed Christian Gourcuff’s side a seventh-minute lead after blasting past a stranded goalkeeper Dario Thurkauf.

Eight minutes later, Andrei Girotto gave the Yellow and Green a two-goal advantage thanks to his strike from a close distance.

In the 43rd minute, Ludovic Blas finished from the far post thanks from a well-taken corner kick from Kader Bamba.

The French topflight side continued with their massive attacking move in the second half and got rewarded with the fourth goal in the 57th minute through 21-year-old DR Congo prospect Muani who volleyed home an unstoppable shot.

Three minutes later, his compatriot substitute Moutoussamy poke home from close range after Thurkauf had repelled Mehdi Abeid’s initial free-kick. The rout was complete in the 69th minutes through Renaud Emond.

Nigeria international Moses Simon was handed a starter’s role, albeit, he was replaced at half-time as manager Gourcuff made eleven changes that included Mali defender Charles Traore.

Simon joined Gourcuff's team on a season-long loan from La Liga outfit Levante played an outstanding part in helping them finish 13th in the French Ligue table. He was Nantes’ highest goalscorer with nine goals across all competitions, including five Ligue 1 goals – that feat also earned him the club’s Player of the Season diadem.

To reward his impressive performances, the 24-year-old was rewarded with a permanent deal that will run through until 2024.

According to Get French Football News, La Beaujoire-Louis Fonteneau giants are keen to offload Moutoussamy from the team alongside Abdoulaye Toure, Kalifa Coulibaly and Molla Wague.

The 23-year-old joined on a free transfer from Lyon in 2016, making just 17 appearances in the 2019-20 French elite league. Also, the DR Congo international is keen to move on as he hopes for a move where he would get regular playing chances.

Players and officials of the Nigeria women's national team have received their share of the country's Women's World Cup prize money after a year waiting, Goal can exclusively confirm.

In France, Thomas Dennerby guided his team to the knockout stages of the global event for the first time since 1999.

For reaching the Round of 16, the West Africans were entitled to get one million US dollars, which was later slashed to 760, 000 dollars as a result of the team's extended stay after a sit-in protest.

In February, Goal confirmed the Nigeria Football Federation's receipt of the clubs' benefits payment worth US$ 194,031.57 and shared by 20 Nigerian clubs, but no news had arrived then on the prize money from Fifa.

To this end, Goal twice launched inquiries into the delays which Fifa in its responses, revealed it was in process of fulfilling its obligation in February before the payment confirmation in June.

However, the NFF could not access the funds at the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] until this month and Goal has now learnt that the team has received their 30 percent share on Friday.

Confirming to Goal, a Super Falcons player, who spoke on anonymity, said: "The majority of us have received our monies, while others are waiting to confirm from their bank account officers."

Goal also gathered the 21 players who featured at the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations in Ghana, which was the qualifying tournament for the global stage, are receiving their dues.

One of the unnamed players at the Awcon 2018, who missed the World Cup, said, "We've also gotten our share of the money and do appreciate the team and the NFF for the gesture."

For the team's officials, a member of the backroom staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said:" We have received our share of the money."

Having fulfilled their obligations to the team, the Amaju Pinnick led administration will now shift their focus on the recruitment of a new substantive coach for the African champions in the coming weeks.

Bright Osayi-Samuel is close to leaving QPR with negotiations at an advanced stage with a Belgian club, manager Mark Warburton has confirmed.

The 22-year-old was dropped for Saturday’s game against Millwall despite training with the rest of his teammates on Friday.

According to several reports, the Anambra-born winger is a target for Belgian champions Club Brugge after his fine performances in this campaign.

He has provided five goals and eight assists in 36 league matches for Warburton’s side so far.

Following QPR’s thrilling 4-3 victory at Loftus Road, the manager gave a transfer update on Osayi-Samuel who has been at the club since 2017.

“There’s very strong interest from a Belgian club,” Warburton was quoted as saying by West London Sport.

“Bright was training with us yesterday to start today. But talks are now at an advanced stage and it was a case of acting in everyone’s interests.

“No paperwork has been finalised but talks are certainly at an advanced stage.”

Osayi-Samuel left Nigeria at a tender age with his family for Spain but he later moved to England at the age of 10.

He started his professional career at Blackpool in March 2015 and he spent two years at the club before switching to QPR in 2017.

Since joining Rangers, the Nigerian winger has played 91 matches across all competitions with 10 goals to his name.

He is eligible to feature for either Nigeria or England on the international scene, however, they are yet to call on his services.

The frustrated footballers who were stuck in Ethiopia due to the coronavirus pandemic have been evacuated back to Ghana after calling for help.

In June, a viral social media video showed over 20 players outside the Ghanaian High Commission in Ethiopia calling on the government of Ghana for evacuation after allegedly failing to get help from the Ghanaian consulate in Addis Ababa. 

The group was led by former Berekum Chelsea defender Lee Addy, who represented Ghana at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"Stranded Ghanaian footballers including national star Lee Addy have been airlifted home today, after an SOS message," Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Edwin Kurt Okraku posted on social media on Saturday.

"In all, 18 players and 12 others arrived at their quarantine base for Mandatory 14-day exercise.

"Thanks to the staff of the FA, my colleague FA President in Ethiopia, our Sports Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Security for a good job. Well done."

Former Asante Kotoko and Medeama goalkeeper Muntari Tagoe, Kweku Andoh, Latif Mohammed, Rahim Osman, Tuffour Frimpong and Aaron Amoah were among 22 players stranded in Ethiopia.

“We paid for our ticket cost but the government played a major role in terms of organization. We the senior players paid for some of the players who couldn’t afford the cost,” Addy told OTEC FM.

“Three players were left behind because they needed to negotiate with their clubs for contract renewals. We came straight to Prampram with some students who were also stranded in Addis Ababa and South Africa.

“We are pleased what the government and the GFA have done for us, in fact, we didn’t expect them to help us this way."

Wamu Mohammed, Isaac Oduro, Bismark Oppong, Bismark Appiah, Fusieni Nuhu Mawuli Osei, Iddrisu Nafiu, Amos Acheampong and Frimpong Manso were also among the stranded party in Ethiopia.

The coronavirus has disrupted many football leagues around the world, and Ghana's has been no exception.

In June, the Premier League (GPL) and other domestic championships of the 2019-20 football season, after three months of standstill, were permanently cancelled by the GFA. 

Reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions Mamelodi Sundowns have announced six players are currently nursing strains.

The Tshwane giants are currently in a training camp in Rustenburg with the current season set to resume soon, after having been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic since March.

Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane revealed on the club's official Twitter account on Friday his side is experiencing many injury concerns.

The club has now released the following statement on Saturday evening as Masandawana look to clinch their third successive PSL title this term.

“It has been more than 10 days since the team gathered together in camp, and the squad has been put through their paces by the technical team to get back to full fitness."

“The last time the boys trained on the field was on the 17th of March as they were preparing for the mouth-watering clash against Orlando Pirates before the lockdown was instituted.”

“Since then, training has not been the same for the boys as they had to train individually in small areas which are as big as 3×3 meters as they adhered to the lockdown rules.”

“As the players ease back into training, some have experienced minor strains. Sammy Seabi: Hamstring strain, Anele Ngcongca (Hamstring strain), Aubrey Ngoma (Quadriceps strain), Tiyani Mabunda (Hamstring strain), Keletso Makgalwa (Back strain), Mosa Lebusa (Back strain),” the club statement read.

The sextet will be hoping to recover from their respective injuries before the season resumes in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) which is set to be hosted by Gauteng soon.

Sundowns were embroiled in an exciting PSL title race with their Gauteng rivals, Kaizer Chiefs before the current campaign was halted due to Covid-19.

Masandawana are placed second on the league standings - four points behind leaders, Chiefs, but the former have a game in hand.

The Tshwane giants still have tough matches against Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, who both defeated Sundowns in the first round matches.

Mosimane will be looking to become the second coach to win three successive PSL titles after current Bidvest Wits mentor Gavin Hunt.

Hunt achieved this feat during his time with SuperSport United as he guided them to three consecutive league trophies between 2008 and 2010.

Yakou Meite found the back of the net but was unable to inspire Reading to victory as they lost 4-3 against Blackburn Rovers in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

The Ivorian was the star of the show when he scored four goals in the Royals’ 5-0 win at Luton Town a fortnight ago.

The Berkshire outfit lost at home to relegation-battling Middlesbrough in midweek and they started on the back foot with Blackburn racing to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Ben Brereton and Adam Armstrong. Reading however pulled one back via John Swift in the 15th minute.

It became 3-1 to the hosts 11 minutes after the restart after Joe Rothwell was assisted by former Tottenham Hotspur and Anglo-German midfielder Lewis Holtby.

Reading then tried to stage a comeback, starting with Sam Baldock in the 64th minute and then turning provider with a cross for Meite which the former Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate headed in to make it 3-3 four minutes later.

Sam Gallagher however crushed Reading’s efforts with the winner in the 87th minute.

Bar his goal, Meite had a rather quiet afternoon with just a total of three shots, his goal the only one on target. The 24-year-old also had 20 touches on the ball, seven accurate passes (70%) and won five of 12 duels.

He has a total of 17 goals in all competitions, 13 of which are in the Championship from a total of 44 outings. Aside from his four goals against Luton, Meite’s other notable performance came in a 3-0 home win over Derby County on December 21, 2019, scoring a goal and providing an assist.

Anglo-Nigerian players Tosin Adarabioyo and Oviemuno Ejaria were missing from the Blackburn and Reading matchday squads respectively, the latter out with an injury.

Both Blackburn and Reading are safe in the English second-tier as they sit in 10th and 15th places respectively with 63 and 56 points.

Rovers head into the final round of the Championship next Wednesday by challenging the relegation-trapped Luton at Kenilworth Road while the Royals will host promotion play-off hopefuls Swansea City at the Madejski Stadium.

Diego Simeone has a clear vision on how Atletico Madrid can make upgrades during the upcoming transfer window. 

Atleti were unable to mount a title challenge this term but have guaranteed a top-four finish in La Liga, meaning a place in next season's Champions League. 

While Simeone does not anticipate any major transfers taking place ahead of the 2020-21 season due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, he already knows what new additions he wants at the Wanda Metropolitano. 

"We continually talk to Miguel [Angel Gil, CEO] and Andrea [Berta, sporting director] about what we need and what expectations we have," said Simeone. 

"We are clear about what we will seek. We have a growing team, new people who will serve as a base for the next season. 

"In this transfer window, where surely there will be no big moves, the one that gets a solid, strong base and can keep competing from one year to the next is the one that will continue to be in the fight for all competitions." 

One player who could be joining Atletico in the summer is Simeone's compatriot, Ajax and Argentina defender Nicolas Tagliafico. 

Goal  revealed on Saturday that the Spanish side are set to challenge Chelsea for Tagliafico's services and are preparing a bid to take him from Amsterdam .

Atleti are unbeaten in 17 games in all competitions and have won seven of their 10 outings since LaLiga resumed in June. 

Their final domestic fixture before a Champions League quarter-final against RB Leipzig comes against Real Sociedad on Sunday. 

Asked if his squad is in the best shape it has been all season, Simeone said: "When the team wins the coach is very good, and when they lose he is very bad. When players are injured, the fault lies with the doctor and the coaches.

"The team prepared very well in quarantine. We came back in the best way, we were able to rotate in almost every game, especially at the beginning we changed six or seven players each game.

"Later we reduced the rotations because the players were able to respond to the demand, both when they were starters and when they came off the bench."

Frank Lampard made a “sensible” call in offloading “error-prone” David Luiz to Arsenal, says Chris Sutton, but centre-half is considered to remain Chelsea’s Achilles heel as they approach another transfer window.

The Blues sanctioned the sale of a Brazilian defender to Premier League rivals across London in the summer of 2019.

They were working under a recruitment embargo at that stage, preventing them from bringing in a replacement.

Chelsea did, however, welcome Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori back from loan spells at Everton and Derby respectively, while they already had Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on their books.

Lampard has had to keep faith with those at this disposal, but has seen leaks at the back prove problematic – with the Blues boasting the worst defensive record in the Premier League’s top-half.

Sutton believes those issues need to be addressed with a sense of urgency, with an in-form Manchester United side set to provide another stiff test of Chelsea’s credentials in an FA Cup semi-final clash at Wembley on Sunday.

The former Blues striker told the Daily Mail ahead of that contest: “Frank Lampard was sensible enough to sell the error-prone David Luiz to Arsenal at the start of the season. But he hasn’t been able to nail down his preferred centre back pairing.

“We’ve seen Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen start together this season. We’ve seen Christensen and Kurt Zouma. We’ve seen Zouma and Fikayo Tomori. And so on. No club in the top 10 have conceded more goals than Chelsea’s 49. That’s their Achilles heel, and they need protection. 

“N’Golo Kante has missed their last three matches because of a hamstring injury. He’s set to miss this semi final, too, and you worry for Chelsea in midfield because of that. 

“Not only must they try to contain [Mason] Greenwood, [Marcus] Rashford and [Anthony] Martial, they have [Bruno] Fernandes raring to become a pain in their backsides, too. The standards of United’s play have increased since the Portuguese playmaker’s arrival. He’s raised the bar. 

“Special players can have that impact – it’s as if their talent is infectious. On Sunday he will be feeding United’s forwards with through-balls while also looking to test Kepa Arrizabalaga himself, most likely from outside of the box. 

“Chelsea will want to plan for that, but this isn’t Jorginho’s forte. Nor is it Mateo Kovacic's. This is a job for Kante, but he is not fit enough to play the part. So while Lampard has a problem to solve there, [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer seems to have found a promising combination in his own midfield. 

“The partnership between Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic is thriving. The latter’s contribution might fly under the radar, but he is vital to Solskjaer’s way – hence why he was recently rewarded with a new three-year contract at the age of 31. 

“Often you will see Matic drop so deep that he is in between centre backs Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof. But when on the ball in this position, watch his passes. 

“He looks to break through the opponent’s lines and often manages to do so, direct into the feet of Fernandes. Solskjaer has found a formula that is working for him at present. It is up to Lampard to throw a tactical spanner in the works.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) blew away their chance of cementing second spot in the Mainland Premier League table after they settled to a 1-1 draw against Mwadui FC in a match played at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

The Jangwani Street-based giants entered into the fixture knowing a win will help them move five points clear ahead of third-placed Azam FC, who play against Lipuli FC on Sunday.

With Kenyan keeper Farouk Shikalo twisting and injuring his arm in training, coach Luc Eymael restored keeper Metacha Mnata into the starting XI while strikers David Molinga and Ditram Nchimbi started upfront with Lamine Moro manning the backline alongside Said Juma.

Yanga, who came into the match having beaten relegated side Singida United 3-1, took the lead in 27th minute when Feisal Salum slotted home after a corner-kick taken by Molinga.

However, Mwadui kept pressing for a goal and it was not a surprise when they levelled matters in the 56th minute, Yahya Mbegu’s left-footed effort sneaking past the defenders and beating keeper Mnata to the back of the net.

The draw now means Yanga will remain second on the 20-team table with 68 points but Azam can move above them on goal aggregate if they beat Lipuli on Sunday.

In the early kick-off fixtures, Namungo FC played to a 1-1 draw against Tanzania Prisons.

Namungo are involved in a second-place finish race against Yanga SC and Azam FC but the latest draw may end up proving costly at the end of the season.

They took the lead in the 43rd minute when Edward Manyana scored the opener, after the first 40 minutes failed to yield a goal. Tanzania Prisons fought hard and were duly rewarded in the 64th minute when Samson Mbangula equalised to ensure the tie ended in a draw.

Kinondoni Municipal Council's (KMC FC) resurgence continued after they managed to pick yet another win against Mtibwa Sugar.

Ramadhan Kapera’s 56th-minute goal ensured the Dar es Salaam-based club picked maximum points away from home.

KMC, with 46 points are standing in 10th position, have five more points than their Saturday opponents who have played the same number of matches so far.

KMC started picking wins and rose up the ladder after a poor start into the current season which also saw Ugandan coach Jackson Mayanja sacked.

Mbeya City registered a 1-0 win away from home against Ndanda FC. Samson Mandeleke scored the only goal that separated the two sides four minutes after the start of the second half.

Willian says he would sign a three-year contract extension at Chelsea “tomorrow”, but no such deal has been put to him and he continues to head towards free agency.

The experienced Brazilian forward has agreed to see out the 2019-20 campaign at Stamford Bridge.

He will, however, be able to take on a new challenge from July 26.

That is unless the Blues relax their stance and offer the 31-year-old what he wants.

With there no indication of that happening, interest in Willian’s services continues to build steadily after seven productive years in west London.

“There are rumours about several teams that may be interested,” the talented South American told the De Sola YouTube channel.

“For the time being, I have had no concrete proposal. But rumours always arise.

“I’m waiting. My agent hasn’t given me any news yet. I’m waiting for his call.”

Pressed on whether Chelsea are jealous of the attention he is attracting, Willian added: “No, not for the time being. Chelsea aren’t jealous.

“They didn’t say anything. At least they showed no jealousy. They’re letting go!

“Just kidding. I already had a conversation with the club a few months ago, even before the stop.

“Chelsea only offer me two years and I asked for three. My goal in the next contract is to sign for three years. So I haven’t had a deal with Chelsea yet.

“This is what I asked the club for, three years of contract. If you give me that, I’ll get the pen and sign the contract tomorrow.”

If Willian is to sever ties with Chelsea, then he will walk away with over 330 appearances to his name, 63 goals, two Premier League titles and a Europa League crown.

He claims to have enjoyed his time with the Premier League giants, even a testing spell under the guidance of Antonio Conte in which it appeared as though he may be edged towards the exits.

“Look, with all the managers I had, I learned," said Willian.

“We always learn, regardless of the situation. I already said a few times, I don’t like to keep repeating so as not to create controversy.

“But I was champion with him, I learned some things from him, but I had difficulty with him… it was Antonio Conte. I believe other players too.”

Willian is currently focused on trying to add to his medal collection, with Chelsea preparing to face Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday.

Neeskens Kebano scored his first Championship goal of the season and won Fulham a penalty in their 5-3 victory over Moses Odubajo’s Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

The Democratic of the Congo international was handed his 15th league appearance in this campaign and made the most of the opportunity with his eye-catching display.

The 28-year-old midfielder opened the glut of goals in the 11th minute after receiving an assist from Michael Hector.

Kebano then won the Cottagers a penalty after he was brought down in the box and Aleksandar Mitrovic calmly dispatched his effort from the spot to help his side to a three-goal lead.

The Craven Cottage outfit was reduced to 10 men in the 90th minute after Harrison Reed was given his marching orders but they managed to claim maximum points.

The victory brightened Fulham’s hopes of securing automatic promotion to the Premier League, having closed the gap between them and second-place West Bromwich Albion to two points with only one game to play before the end of the season.

Kebano featured for 79 minutes before making way for Bobby Reid while Anglo-Nigerian Odubajo played for 46 minutes in the encounter.

Elsewhere, Ivory Coast international Yakou Meite bagged his 17th goal of the season as Reading suffered a 4-3 defeat to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

The 24-year-old forward levelled proceedings for his side in the 68th minute after he was set up with a fine assist from Sam Baldock.

The loss is the 19th for the Royals this season which left them in 15th spot on the Championship table with 56 points from 45 games.

Meite has been a key member of Mark Bowen’s team in this campaign, having made 42 appearances across all competitions.

The former Paris Saint-Germain striker will hope to finish the season with yet another goal when Reading take on Andre Ayew’s Swansea City on July 22.

Former Uganda international Frank Kyazze has promised to table issues of retired players in parliament.

Kyazze is expected to run for the parliamentary seat of the Makindye Municipality in the general elections of 2021 and has promised to make the issues of the former Cranes’ his priority.

The death of Uganda’s most decorated captain Jimmy Kirunda exposed more reports of the retired players who are struggling in their lives.

Willy Kyambadde, Andrew ‘Fimbo’ Mukasa, and Obadiah Ssemakula have also been reported to be facing a lot of challenges.

“In the 70s and 80s, we normally played for honour, not money as it is now where players get lucrative deals and get paid huge sums of money,” Kyazze told Sports Nation.

“Many players who played during our generation are living a sorry state, but if sportsmen can get a strong voice especially in parliament, something can be done.

“Personally, I am standing for MP Makindye Municipality and I think I can use this platform to bring all sportsmen together and we see how we can lobby support.”

Kyazze, a former KCCA FC and SC Villa star, revealed he has accorded support to a few stars he has traced.

“The president recently put aside funds to pay some sportsmen that have excelled but they [retired players] have not got that money because no one is caring to make a follow-up,” he added.

“I have played football to a greater level, and there is no way I can forget all those people we went through the same struggle.

“At the moment, there are many players that I am looking after, my friend David Lumansi is the one who always gives me updates about the players’ welfare and I support accordingly.”

Kyazze also explained how Ugandan talented stars can bring national development.

“We can market our country through talent promotion and it’s easy to promote, build and develop our nation after reaching a certain level in talent development.”

Kyazze won two Premier League titles with KCCA in 1983 and in 1985 after he had bagged it while at SC Villa in 1982.

He also scooped the league top scorers’ award in 1984 and in 1985. He won two Uganda Cups with KCCA and one with Coffee FC.

Barcelona need to start planning for the future, says Rivaldo, with the Liga giants urged to bring in long-term successors to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at the earliest opportunity.

The Blaugrana find themselves approaching an important crossroads after being knocked from the loftiest of perches by arch-rivals Real Madrid.

A domestic crown has been surrendered to Clasico foes, with Messi among those to have aired concerns regarding the direction in which Barca are heading.

Rebuilding is required on and off the field, with a talismanic presence at Camp Nou said to have shelved contract talks as he waits on big decisions to be made.

The general consensus is that Messi will stay put and prolong his one-club association with Barca, but there will come a day when he either moves on or hangs up his boots.

The same is true when it comes to prolific frontman Suarez, as well as long-serving figures such as Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique.

Rivaldo believes future planning needs to start now, amid links to the likes of Neymar and Lautaro Martinez, with Barca in serious need of a refresh.

The legendary Brazilian told Betfair of his former club: “Luís Suarez is already 33 years old and his contract expires at the end of next season.

“He still has two or three seasons left playing at the highest level but it's always healthy for the club to think about who will eventually replace him and even sign a new player if possible. The same applies to Messi.

“Squad renewal is part of football and many other great players who played at Barcelona have left at some point - me, Romario, Ronaldinho or [Diego] Maradona are some examples - because one day your age starts sending a message.

“The players come and go and the club stays, so you always must think in new players even if you're satisfied with your current squad. It's normal at any club in the world.”

It appears doubtful that Quique Setien will be given the opportunity to oversee a rebuild at Barca, with Rivaldo among those hoping to see a familiar face drafted into the dugout at Camp Nou.

He added: “Xavi seems to be the right manager to guide Barca through a period of change as he knows the club very well and will be able to work on developing the club's youngsters.

“He had the chance to embrace that task before Barca contacted Setien, but the Spaniard decided he wasn't ready to coach his beloved club. I believe he will change his mind soon and become Barcelona manager.

“I don't know if it's going to happen this summer or not but I believe it's in his own hands to decide it as Barca's board have already showed interest in him.”