Looking for Soccer News?

Former Nigeria captain Jay-Jay Okocha admitted he ‘did enough’ during his playing days and regrets not winning the African Footballer of the Year award.

The ex-Bolton Wanderers star came close to securing the coveted individual honour in 1998 after his impressive displays at PSG but he finished in the second-place behind Morocco's Mustapha Hadji.

Five years later, Okocha grabbed the third spot behind Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba and in 2004, he came second again after claiming the Best Player award and the Golden Boot with four goals at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

Although he won several laurels in his 18-year career, the 46-year-old said he was probably not destined to win the prize that rewards the best player in Africa.

“And if I’m to say, I’ll say, I regret not winning the African Footballer of the year,” Okocha said in a chat with MasterCard.

“But of course, if you look back, there’s always a time that you say oh maybe you could’ve done a bit better than you did.

“I thought I did enough to have won it because it was not a fluke that I won BBC player of the year three years in a row and not manage to win that CAF award, but I mean maybe it was not meant to be.

“Well, I think I don’t want to sound greedy, but I’ve had an amazing career, I never thought I would make it that big.”

Okocha, renowned for his dribbling skills and creativity, is referred to as a mentor by several African stars and upcoming players, but he picked Pele as his biggest influence and recalled his experience with the Brazil legend in Tunisia back in 1994.

“The person that influenced me the most is none other than Pele,” he said.

“As a child, growing up we were always talking about him and how great he was on the pitch but then, I was fortunate enough to meet him in 1994 during the Africa Cup of Nations final, and I was impressed with the way he conducted himself off the pitch.

“I was blown away with the way he related with everyone.”

Okocha made his Super Eagles debut in 1993 and he played 73 matches, scoring 14 goals before calling time on his international career in 2006.

Gent striker Jonathan David has named Lille as his preferred next destination, despite having been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in recent months.

Goal reported back in March that Arsenal were tracking David's progress at Gent in preparation for the potential departure of either Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette in the summer transfer window.

The 20-year-old admitted that the Premier League holds great appeal to him during an interview with The Guardian a month later, while outlining his ambition to become one of the top forwards in Europe.

David stated: "The Premier League is the best in the world and most competitive so obviously that is somewhere I would love to play in the future."

The Canadian has enjoyed a prolific 2019-20 campaign with Gent, scoring 23 goals in 40 appearances, including three in the Europa League.

David is still under contract with the Belgian club until 2023, but he is already planning to take the "next step" in his fledgeling career later this year.

However, Arsenal will not be seeing the talented frontman star at Emirates Stadium any time soon, as he has now admitted that he wants to join Ligue 1 outfit Lille.

Gent have reportedly received a €25 million (£23m/$29m) bid from the French suitors, who are ready to hand David a five-year contract at Stade Pierre Mauroy, 

When quizzed on Lille's interest in his services, David told L'Equipe: "Yes, I want to come to Lille. I have had a very good season. For me, my next step, is Ligue 1.

"And the footballing project at Lille is fantastic. They are a very good team in France. I already speak French. That will help during my adaptation period.

"And Lille is very close to Gent geographically. So I will be able to concentrate on the pitch."

The Gent starlet added on the ongoing negations between the two clubs: "Talks are difficult. The club says they want to keep me. Or be ready to sell me for a price that I don’t think is realistic (at least €30m) when you take into account the Covid-19 situation. That is making negotiations complicated.

"In any case, I made it clear that I want to go to Lille. They said to me that they would not block me. At the start, things were going quicker. Now, everything has slowed. As if they are waiting for a better offer. I don’t know where that is supposed to come from."

MLS announced on Friday that the start dates for a trio of expansion franchises will be pushed back by one year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Originally set to begin play in 2021, Charlotte will now join MLS in 2022 while St. Louis and Sacramento will now push towards a 2023 start date.

Austin FC, meanwhile, remains on schedule and will begin play next season as planned.

“We have always taken a thoughtful and strategic approach to our expansion planning and have delivered successful launches for every new club,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber in a statement.

“It is important for each club to take the necessary time to launch their inaugural MLS seasons the way their fans and communities deserve. With the extra year to make up for what has been a challenging 2020, these teams will be well-positioned for their debuts and for long-term success.”

Charlotte recently announced the first signing in their brief club history in Spanish midfielder Sergio Ruiz, with the outfit expected to announce its team name, logo and colours next week.

The club began its youth academy in March with the expectation that there will be a return to training soon despite the pandemic.

“We are committed to bringing Major League Soccer to our city and region,” Charlotte MLS owner David Tepper said in a club statement. “The party’s still on! We are just delaying it a bit to ensure we have the best experience for our fans when we do start playing.”

Club president Tom Glick added:  “When we were awarded the team in December, we knew we were on an extremely tight timeline to begin play in 2021, but we were ready to meet that challenge. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted several of our essential initiatives. We have made huge progress in the last few months but having additional time to build is important.”

St. Louis, meanwhile, are in the process of building the club's stadium and headquarters, with those plans expected to go on largely as originally scheduled.

“We’ve been working closely with the league and collectively agreed that the adjusted timeline was the best decision to position our club for a historic launch and long-term success,” said Carolyn Kindle Betz, MLS4TheLou CEO. “We can’t wait to get on the pitch in 2023 and are still moving full steam ahead to build a world-class club and stadium district that will invigorate Downtown West and be a meaningful part of our current downtown renaissance.”

Finally, Sacramento will continue to play in the USL Championship division through the 2022 season with Republic FC also working towards a new stadium.

The Railyards Stadium is set to break ground this fall and be ready in advance of the 2023 jump to MLS.

“Our goal remains the same – to build the best stadium and MLS club befitting the wonderful Sacramento region," said Sacramento Republic FC investor Matt Alvarez in a club statement. 

"With an additional year, we can better adjust for the impact of the pandemic on our community and identify how we can best serve the neighbours and friends that have supported our club on its rise to Major League Soccer.

"We will bring Sacramento into the top-tier of American soccer ready to compete at a championship level, and create an opportunity to support the next era of regional growth with a world-class venue and a commitment to continued community investment.”

MLS is currently in the middle of the MLS is Back tournament in Orlando with the 2020 season including two new expansion teams: Inter Miami and Nashville SC.

Nashville, however, were forced to pull out of the competition as a result of a series of positive coronavirus tests.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential candidate Sam Nyamweya has questioned the legal mandate the current regime has in terms of negotiating deals affecting football in the country, especially the top tier.

On Thursday, the incumbent Nick Mwendwa announced a KSh1.3 billion sponsorship with Nigerian betting firm BetKing. In the deal, the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) clubs are set to receive at least KSh8 million every season for the next five years. 

However, the administrator is not enticed with the sweetness of the deal and says the outgoing office is taking advantage of the desperate teams.

"News of the takeover of KPL by FKF and the supposed sponsorship of Ksh1.2 billion shillings five-year sponsorship is an oxymoron," Nyamweya said in a signed statement obtained by Goal.

"The desperate times by the KPL clubs should not be used as an excuse to perpetrate illegality, the need for securing the much-needed sponsorship notwithstanding.

"This deal is shrouded in controversy, secrecy and illegalities, simply the deal between FKF and BetKing and or its holding company is not adding up."

Nyamweya has gone ahead to state that the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) ruled the FKF National Executive Committee's term ended on February 10 and without it, there is no way the Federation can secure such a deal.

"By dint of the Tribunal ruling of 17th March 2020, the president of FKF remains in office as a ceremonial president with no powers or capacity to enter into any contractual obligation for and on behalf of FKF," the aspirant added.

"There exists a valid contract between FKF and KPL on the management of the top tier league which is set to be reviewed once the current contract lapses on or about September 24 2020."

Nyamweya has further insisted the KPL has exclusive rights regarding the top tier, and also have the first priority in renewing the contract with the Federation before the same can be extended to another party.

"It, therefore, goes without saying that such a decision to revert the rights of the top tier league to the Federation and or donating the same to another entity requires the approval of a General Meeting where all members are present and represented," Nyamweya concluded.  

"The said General Meeting can only be constituted once FKF holds an all-inclusive, free and fair election and constitutes the organs requisite for holding a General Meeting of FKF.

"In view of the aforementioned and the illegalities therein the purported termination of the rights to manage the top tier league by KPL, the sponsorship contract between BetKing its parent or holding company is a nullity and cannot be enforced."

Rio Ferdinand says Anthony Martial's confidence "needed rebuilding" after Jose Mourinho's exit, and that the Manchester United striker is finally back to his best under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United forked out £54 million ($68m) to bring Martial to Old Trafford from Monaco back in 2015, despite the fact he was still a relatively unknown quantity on the European stage.

The Frenchman showed exactly why the Red Devils invested so heavily in his talent during a stunning first season in Manchester, during which he scored 17 goals to finish as the club's top scorer.

Unfortunately, Martial's development hit a snag when Mourinho was drafted in to replace Louis van Gaal in the dugout in the summer of 2016, as the Portuguese brought in Swedish frontman Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer. 

Martial played second fiddle to Ibrahimovic before also being forced to serve in a backup role behind Romelu Lukaku, who joined United from Everton the following year.

It wasn't until Mourinho was sacked in December 2018 that the 24-year-old was trusted to lead the line again on a consistent basis, which has led to him rediscovering his best form in 2019-20.

Lukaku departed for Inter at the end of last season after Solskjaer opted to make Martial his first-choice number nine, and he has rewarded his manager's faith by hitting 22 goals in 42 appearances.

His latest effort came in a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Thursday, with Ferdinand singling the France international out for praise post-match. 

The ex-United defender told BT Sport: "I think Anthony Martial was probably the main one, for me, that needed rebuilding.

"Jose Mourinho brings in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, takes his number nine shirt. What that does for a player's confidence I cannot tell you. It absolutely zaps the confidence out of you.

"He’s a poacher, a six-yard box player, scoring the scruffy goals, if you like. But he can also bring other people into the game.

"The intensity with which he plays, the skill, the guile that he’s got. This is what I love about him. He’s doing everything you’d want from a number nine right now."

Ferdinand added on the progress Martial has made since being taken under Solskjaer's wing: "This is what we saw when he first burst onto the scene for Man United as a teenager. He came in scoring absolute world-beater goals, taking people on and driving at people.

"The dribbling, that’s world-class football what you’re seeing there. What I love about him is his intensity has changed, his whole body language has changed, there’s a new positivity about him.

"He’s somebody that is enjoying having the belief of the current manager. That’s what you need.

"No matter what level you are as a player, you need the backing and the belief from your manager to be able to put what you have on show."

Nigeria's Semi Ajayi and Egypt's Ahmed Hegazi could not stop West Bromwich from bowing to a 2-1 loss against Huddersfield Town in Friday's Championship encounter.

The defeat at the John Smith's Stadium was a massive blow to West Brom's automatic promotion hopes as they are just a point above Said Benrahma’s Brentford in second place, who have a game in hand.

Dara O'Shea's equaliser was not enough to save Slaven Bilic's men as goals from Arsenal loanees Chris Willock and Emile Smith Rowe steered Huddersfield Town to a vital win and out of the relegation waters.

Ajayi and Hegazi partnered each other at the centre of West Brom's defence and they were in action for the 90 minutes.

Ajayi completed three tackles and a clearance during the game while his Egyptian teammate completed two tackles and registered five clearances - the highest in Bilic's team.

Meanwhile, Benin forward Steve Mounie came on as a 63rd-minute substitute for Fraizer Campbell and DR Congo's Elias Kachunga replaced Willock in the 80th minute, as the Terriers bagged their first win in five outings.

The result sealed Leeds United's promotion to the Premier League after a 16-year absence while West Brom remain second in the league table with 82 points after 45 matches, a point ahead of Brentford who visit Stoke City on Saturday.

Huddersfield Town boosted their survival chances with the victory and they climbed to 17th in the log with 51 points after 45 outings.

West Brom will shift their focus to Wednesday's home game when they battle QPR at the Hawthorns in their final league match of the season.

Ajayi has played 41 games in the second division this term with five goals to his name while Hegazi has scored a goal in 15 matches so far.

The 2014 film Next Goal Wins  was a popular sports documentary, winning over those who already appreciated football and those who didn't.

And now, Taika Waititi is set to be at the helm of a new iteration of the film that also shares its name, and Goal brings you all you need to know about it.

What is Next Goal Wins?

Waititi's latest confirmed project will be a feature film based on the 2014 British football documentary Next Goal Wins .

Sharing the same name, Waititi's take on the documentary will be a new adaptation, featuring the national football team of American Samoa as they try to bounce back from being known as one of the world’s weakest teams. The film follows the team in their attempt to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with the help of Dutch-born, America-based manager Thomas Rongen.

Waititi will co-write the script alongside Iain Morris. Garrett Basch, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis, Mike Brett, and Steve Jamison will serve as producers, with principal photography on the project having begun in autumn 2019.

The original documentary made its world premiere at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards in 2014.

Who will star in Next Goal Wins?

Michael Fassbender is set to star as Rongen, with the rest of the supporting cast to consist of Elisabeth Moss, Kaimana, Beulah Koale, Rachel House, and Armie Hammer.

Who are the American Samoa football team?

American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, south-east of Samoa.

Their football team was regarded as one of the world's weakest by November 2011, when they were the joint-lowest FIFA ranking of all countries registered for full internationals.

They hold the world record for the heaviest defeat in an international match, set after their 31-0 hammering at the hands of Australia.

Who is Taika Waititi?

Waititi is an Academy Award-winning New Zealand director, screenwriter and filmmaker, most famous for his work on Thor: Ragnarok  (the third instalment of Marvel's  Thor films and his Hollywood debut), Hunt for the Wilderpeople  and What We Do In the Shadows.

He earned his first Oscar in 2020 in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for Jojo Rabbit , a film he also directed. The film, which stars Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell, is a comedic satire set during World War II about a young boy who discovers that his mother (Johansson) has been hiding a Jewish girl in their home.

Waititi was also nominated for an Academy Award for his 2004 short film Two Cars, One Nigh t.

Typically, his comedy is known for its dry, deadpan and sardonic humour.

Additionally, he is set to be one of the directors of the upcoming Star Wars live-action streaming series The Mandalorian , which tells the story of a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the period between the events of Return of the Jedi  and The Force Awakens .

Leeds United's return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence has been confirmed with two fixtures of the 2019-20 season left to spare.

Marcelo Bielsa's men beat Barnsley 1-0 at Elland Road on Thursday to move to within just a single point of promotion, with Michael Sollbauer's first-half effort proving to be the difference between the two sides.

The result also ensured that the Whites would be assured of a place in the top-flight if West Brom were to drop points away at Huddersfield on Friday, and sure enough, the prayers of supporters across Yorkshire were answered.

The Baggies were beaten 2-1 at the John Smith's Stadium, with Chris Willock opening the scoring for the hosts before Dara O'Shea hit an equaliser just before half-time.

West Brom toiled to find a winner in the second period, but it was the Terriers who struck late on through Arsenal loanee Emile Smith Rowe, meaning Leeds will officially compete in the Premier League for the first time since 2003-04 next season.

After Leeds latest victory Bielsa insisted he would not be tuning in to watch West Brom or Brentford, who could have also handed his side promotion if they failed to beat Stoke on Saturday.

Asked if he would follow their Championship rivals' games, Bielsa said: "No, we always think that what we are able to get depends on us. We are thinking of the next match.

"Until the situation is mathematically resolved, we cannot talk about promotion."

The Argentine head coach can now rest safely in the knowledge that Leeds are guaranteed to finish at least second in the table, with fixtures against Derby and Charlton set to bring their campaign to a close over the next week.

The Whites will also pick up the Championship trophy if they win just one of their remaining games before preparations begin for their return to English football's top tier.

Bielsa's side finished third in the standings last term before losing their play-off semi-final against Derby County, and their latest promotion bid looked like it might go off the rails in similar fashion after a 2-0 defeat away at Cardiff in their first game back following last month's restart.

However, Leeds bounced back to win five of their next six outings, including an impressive 5-0 victory over Stoke, taking their tally of victories for the season to 26, more than any other side in the division.

Posta Rangers chairman John Tonui has welcomed the move by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to sign a new Kenyan Premier League (KPL) sponsorship deal.

FKF secured the KSh1.2 billion sponsorship partnership with BetKing which will run for the next five seasons.

“We have been paying salaries before but this deal will help us start giving our players allowances and bonuses,” Tonui told Goal just a day after the record-breaking sponsorship pact for the top-tier was confirmed.

“It will also improve the livelihoods of players, coaches, referees and those directly involved in the game. Players will be motivated going forward hence the level of competition will shoot up.”

Meanwhile, football administrators Caleb Malweyi and Gabriel Mghendi also lauded the new partnership that Mwendwa revealed earlier this week.

Malweyi, who is the FKF Nairobi West Branch chairman, said the development will now encourage players who faced a tough 2019/20 season.

“This is a great milestone. Now the players can fully focus on their performance on the pitch,” the administrator said.

Mghendi, the FKF South Coast Branch chairman, said the FKF-BetKing partnership will help improve the level of competition within the KPL level of competition.

“The sponsorship will improve the quality in the league,” said the South Coast official.

“Earlier, some clubs had started going under because of lack of funds. Now with the funding, we can expect better competition.”

Mwendwa, who is seeking a second term in office for the next four years, detailed how he is keen to help the KPL clubs.

“We are ready to help the clubs to start pre-season training and what we are now waiting for is for the government to allow sporting activities and social gatherings to return, we now have enough money to help the teams which struggled last season to plan themselves accordingly,” Mwendwa said in an earlier interview with Goal.

Clubs will be entitled to at least KSh8 million annually from the new sponsorship kitty and the FKF and BetKing partnership will officially be launched in September.

With the arrival of BetKing, the KPL will now change the name to the BetKing Premier League.

The FKF is set to run the competition as it has confirmed the KPL’s contract will not be renewed when it shall end in July.

FIFA 21 will hit screens in October 2020 and avid gamers can already pre-order their copy online so that they will get their hands on it as soon as it drops.

EA Sports released a teaser trailer to give a glimpse of what's in store on the latest instalment of the franchise and we know that there will be three editions available to buy.

They are: standard, Champions and Ultimate.

Contents

What is the FIFA 21 Champions Edition?

The Champions Edition of FIFA 21 is a special version of the game that includes exclusive extras, such as Ultimate Team items.

It is one of three editions of FIFA 21, along with the standard edition and the Ultimate Edition.

The edition takes its name from the Champions League, with EA Sports acquiring the rights to UEFA competitions in 2018, from FIFA 19 on.

While the basic game is the same across the three editions, each one has its own cover star and bespoke imagery.

How much does the FIFA 21 Champions Edition cost to buy?

FIFA 21 Champions Edition can be pre-ordered for £79.99 in the UK or $79.99 in the US.

Early Access subscribers can get it at a discounted price of £71.99 in the UK or $71.99 in the US - 10 per cent off.

The Champions Edition is £20 more expensive than the standard edition in the UK, which costs £59.99 and $20 dearer than the standard edition in the US, which costs $59.99.

When and how can I pre-order FIFA 21 Champions Edition?

You can pre-order the FIFA 21 Champions Edition right now.

Click on the relevant console for more details on pre-ordering.

What features does the FIFA 21 Champions Edition have?

If you purchase the Champions Edition of FIFA 21, you will receive the following perks:

Champions Edition features

In comparison to the offers available when you purchase the standard edition, the Champions Edition allows you to play the game a bit earlier - on October 6 instead of October 9.

It also includes more Rare Gold Packs (12 compared with three) for FUT, as well as Career Mode Homegrown Talent, which does not form part of the standard offer.

While the Champions Edition has more to it than the standard edition, it is not as comprehensive in its offering as the Ultimate Edition:

As well as offering a early access and FUT items, the Champions Edition also features a different cover star. 

In FIFA 20, the Champions Edition cover star was Virgil van Dijk, who had helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2018-19. 

It is likely that the FIFA 21 Champions Edition cover star will be drawn from the club that wins the 2019-20 Champions League.

How do the FIFA 21 editions compare?

You can see a breakdown of what each edition offers in the table above.

Former AFC Leopards patron Musalia Mudavadi has called on the government to come up with mechanisms to help players against crooked agents.

Mudavadi said sportspeople can be exploited by their handlers and end up not benefiting from their talent at the end of their careers.

“We should look at what kind of support we should give to these young people willing to earn from their talents,” Mudavadi told KTN News.

“They also need protection because there is a situation that if it is not well done the young sportspeople can seriously be exploited by the so-called managers or handlers.

“We have seen some crafty fellows who get in and before the young man or woman knows what has happened they have been made to sign a complicated contractual arrangement.

"Then you get to see all their sweat is actually feeding somebody else and not them.

“These are issues that we should look at, for example having a special legal team formed or supported by the government which can then help young people enter into contracts that they have actually consented to.

“The lawyers can also be trained enough to ensure they are safeguarding the interests of the sportspeople diligently.”

The former Deputy Prime Minister also explained the need to improve football management in the country and make it more professional.

“We need to find a law which allows professionalisation of soccer in Kenya so that there is a clear way to pay players and that there is a revenue stream,” he added.

“Majority of the young men and women, and maybe not talking about athletics, the other fields literally depend on the goodwill of the fans.” 

The Kenyan leader had earlier called on administrators to come up with strategies that will help the players earn more so that they can enjoy a financially stable future.

“You know with sports there is a shelf life where one is good at a certain bracket and up to a certain point you need to give way,” Mudavadi recommended.

“So, we need to have programmes that will help the youth come up with a sustainable venture once they give way to others and settle after a sporting career.

“Investments in sports are something we have not taken seriously before. The level of commitment is not as it should be.

“We need to find a way of bringing in investors in our soccer so that we can have a sustainable way of buying players and give them a livelihood for the duration that he is working for that club.”

The Kenyan football fraternity has had to deal with a lack of or delayed payments for players mostly because of a lack of sponsorship.

Nigerian U17 captain Samson Tijani has joined Austrian champions RB Salzburg on a five-year contract, the club confirmed.

Tijani, who led the Golden Eaglets to the 2019 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations in Tanzania and the Fifa U-17 World Cup in Brazil, joins Die Mozartstadter from Lagos-based outfit Collins Edwin Sports Club.

The 18-year-old’s contract is expected to run until May 31, 2025 and he joins a host of African stars in Jesse Marsch's team, which include Ghana's Majeed Ashimeru, Cameroon's Jerome Onguene, Mali duo Sekou Koita and Mohamed Camara, and Zambia duo Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu.

“I am so grateful to sign for Red Bull Salzburg,” Tijani said.

“I hope the fans will support us and be with us in this journey, which will not be easy.”

Tijani will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Borussia Dortmund talisman Erling Haaland as well Liverpool duo Naby Keita and Sadio Mane who developed their game in Salzburg.

The defensive midfielder helped the Golden Eaglets to a fourth-place finish at the U17 Afcon last April where they bowed to Angola in the third-place playoff.

During Nigeria's U17 World Cup campaign in Brazil, he played every minute of the country's games and produced a man-of-the-match performance in their first group outing by scoring a brace in their 4-2 victory against Hungary.

Manu Garba's side were eliminated from the World Cup in the Round of 16 after a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands.

Tijani is the latest player from the Golden Eaglets to move to Europe with teammate Peter Olawale set to decide on his future when the ban on international flights in Nigeria is lifted ahead of his 18th birthday on July 26.

Former Ghana U17 coach Samuel Paa Kwasi Fabin believes Mohammed Kudus' transfer to Dutch side Ajax bodes well for the Black Stars.

The 19-year-old completed a move from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland in a five-year deal reportedly worth €9 million on Thursday.

He becomes the latest Ghanaian player to join the Ajax family after the likes of Samuel Kuffour, Anthony Obodai, Kwame Quansah and Emmanuel Boakye.

"It is a good thing to see him sign for Ajax and becoming the most expensive youngster in Ghana and I hope more youngsters will come up so we can have a strong Black Stars," Fabin, who coached Kudus at national U17 level, told Ghsportsnews.

"I’m happy because it doesn’t happen more often. I keep saying that talent without effort is useless and he has been able to put in a lot of efforts to get that price tag. [A pricetag of] €9 million is a big money for an African youngster.

"I’m hopeful he will justify the amount Ajax splashed on him.

"Ajax is a team that gives the opportunity to youngsters like Kudus and I believe it is a good move. If he is able to develop well, the big guns will come calling."

Kudus first starred for Ghana at the 2017 U17 World Cup in India where the Black Starlets reached the quarter-final.

Two years on, he played at the 2019 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Niger.

Last November, the attacking midfielder received his first call-up to Ghana's senior side for a 2021 Afcon qualifying double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

It would be a debut to remember for the Accra-born as he netted shortly after coming on as a second-half substitute to ensure a 2-0 home triumph over South Africa.

He made his second appearance in 1-0 away victory over Sao Tome four days later.

"I discovered him at Right to Dream Academy, he is one of the boys I picked from Right to Dream," Fabin said.

"He was in Denmark when I was preparing the team for the world cup and he was part of my plans. He had to join the team at the latter part for the World Cup right after his tournament in Europe."

Kudus joined Nordsjaelland from the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana in 2018.

He made 25 league appearances and scored 11 times for the Danish outfit this season. 

Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier is set to reclaim his seat unopposed after no candidate offered to contest against him in the coming polls.

The long-serving official was among aspirants who presented their papers by deadline day on Friday at 17:00 and according to a source who spoke to Goal on condition of anonymity, there was no other candidate who offered to challenge him for the chairmanship post.

The Kenyan champions will also have a new secretary-general after Sam Ochola became the only contestant for the post of the polls set to be held on August 8.

“We have received all the papers from candidates keen to contest and the chairman is set to return unopposed because no one offered to challenge him,” the source told Goal on Friday.

In the other posts, Sally Bolo will square it off with Francis Wasuna for the vice-chairman seat while the treasurer’s post has attracted Dolfina Onduto and Chrisphine Okoth.

Goal understands, former organising secretary Judith Nyangi, who was keen to vie for the treasurer position, will not be in the ballot box after she failed to hand in her papers.

K’Ogalo are set to conduct the polls using an electronic online voting system after the government extended the curfew of sporting activities and social gatherings for another 30 days on Monday.

Only four positions will be contested during the polls that will be done under the club’s new constitution, which was changed to comply with the Sports Act 2013, which directs that only three officials are mandated to run the affairs of the club.

In an earlier interview, Rachier confirmed his interest to keep his seat has the blessing of his family.

In 2019, Rachier said he would be leaving the club but after a change of mind, the veteran administrator revealed he talked with his family members and sought permission to contest the August 8 elections.

The Electoral Board secretary Kennedy Mbara confirmed on Friday they will not rescind the decision to demand a degree as one of the rules for all the aspirants keen to contest for various seats.

“We will make sure we verify the papers accordingly and maybe by Saturday, we will release the names of those who have passed the rules and are eligible to vie,” Mbara told reporters.

Gor Mahia were declared the 2019-20 Kenyan Premier League champions and will now represent the country in the Caf Champions League next season.

Squad numbers are regarded as important in football. They are indicators of positions and there are expectations of players who wear certain numbers.

Skilful playmakers such as Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi usually wear No. 10, and you had better fit that mould if you want to wear it.

At some clubs, numbers have come to be associated with particular players, such as the No. 7 at Manchester United, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona and, of course, David Beckham donning it.

The No. 7 became something of a brand when Beckham wore it at Old Trafford (as it later did with Ronaldo), but he switched to the No. 23 when he signed for Real Madrid.

So why did he do it? Goal takes a look at the squad numbers Beckham wore in his career and why he chose the No. 23.

Why did David Beckham wear No. 23 at Real Madrid & LA Galaxy?

While Beckham may have been the biggest star in world football when he signed for Real Madrid in 2003, the No. 7 was worn by Raul, the club captain and a Blancos icon.

Unable to continue wearing the No. 7 - a number he was building the 'DB7' brand around - Beckham chose the No. 23, inspired by Michael Jordan, who wore that number for the Chicago Bulls.

According to former Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano, No. 4 and No. 23 were Beckham's options and the player's wife, Victoria, steered him towards No. 23.

“We spoke to him about the numbers four and 23. He asked my opinion and I told him I prefer the classic numbers from one to 11," Valdano told AS. "But I also told him that I understood things had changed and today’s fans can easily accept any number. He said he thought it was a bad idea to delay a decision on the subject.

"Finally, his wife intervened to say something like: ‘The number 23 didn’t do Jordan any harm.’"

Beckham has indicated that he would never have had the audacity to ask Raul for the No. 7 at Real Madrid and that wearing No. 23 was a "no brainer" given the Jordan connection.

"So 23 was available and I’d always been a huge fan of Michael Jordan and I’ve loved him as a player and a person," he said in an interview with ESPN. "Everything that he represented. Everything that he did in his career. I was a huge fan so yeah it was a no brainer."

He then resolved to remain attached to the No. 23 when he made the switch to MLS to play for LA Galaxy, out of a classic sense of footballer's superstition: he had enjoyed good times with it. 

When asked why he continued with No. 23 in the US, he said: "It was just kind of a number that I wanted to keep because I’ve been successful with it with Real Madrid, and like I said being a fan of Michael Jordan."

What squad numbers did David Beckham wear?

Beckham wore No.7 at Manchester United, but switched to No. 23 when he joined Real Madrid in 2003 and continued to wear that number when he moved to LA Galaxy in 2007.

While the No. 23 had become his favoured squad number, he wore the No. 32 in his loan spells at AC Milan, since the No. 7 and No. 23 were held by Alexandre Pato and Massimo Ambrosini respectively.

In choosing to wear the No. 32 at San Siro, Beckham followed legendary Italian striker Christian Vieri, who wore it for the bulk of his career at Inter, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Atalanta.

Beckham, who has '723' tattooed on his hand, also wore No. 32 at Paris Saint-Germain, continuing the use of the digits 2 and 3 until the conclusion of his career.

At international level for England, Beckham wore the No. 7 for the entirety of his Three Lions service.

Cypriot outfit APOEL have completed the signing of Francis Uzoho on a three-year deal from Spanish second division club Deportivo La Coruna.

The Super Eagles goalkeeper, who has spent the last 18 months in Cyprus, penned a permanent contract that will keep him with the Legend until May 2023.

APOEL will be participating in the 2020-21 Europa League first qualifying round after they finished third on the league table before the Cypriot First Division was declared null and void because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The company APOEL Football (public) Ltd announces the conclusion of an agreement with Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña for the acquisition of Francis Odinaka Uzoho,” the club announced.

“The co-operation between APOEL and Uzoho will last for three years until May 2023.

“We welcome Francis to APOEL and wish him to celebrate titles and European successes with the blue and yellow jersey."

Uzoho spent the 2019-20 season on loan with league rivals Omonia Nicosia where he played five matches before suffering a knee injury that has kept him out of action since November.

He suffered a ligament injury during Nigeria's international friendly outing against Brazil in Singapore which forced him to go under the knife for treatment.

Uzoho started his European career at Deportivo La Coruna in 2017 after he was scouted while in action for Aspire Academy at a tournament in Barcelona.

He featured prominently for Deportivo's reserve team that year but struggled to break into the first-team even though he made two La Liga appearances, against Eibar and Girona, in 2017-18.

The 21-year-old spent the following campaign in the Spanish Segunda division with Elche where he played seven matches before moving to Cyprus to seek first-team football at Anorthosis Famagusta.

During his brief stint in Famagusta, Uzoho won an appeal after he was fined €1,000 and handed a one-game ban by the Cyprus Football Association for submitting an invalid medical certificate ahead of his league debut, while Anorthosis were deducted nine points.

He continued the 2019-20 season in Cyprus with Omonia Nicosia but his stint at the club was plagued by the injury he suffered eight months ago.