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Karim Benzema scored a goal in each half as Real Madrid clinched a 34th LaLiga title with a 2-1 victory over Villarreal.

The Frenchman's 20th and 21st league goals - the second of which came from a contentious penalty - of the season ultimately earned a win at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano that meant Barcelona's result against Osasuna was rendered immaterial.

Zinedine Zidane's men were in control against game opponents until Vicente Iborra's late header made for a nervy finish, but a 10th straight win since LaLiga's resumption means Madrid are champions with a game to spare.

Benzema has scored seven times in that run and it was fitting his contribution should round out their title success given the striker's goals and a solid defensive base have been the pillars of Madrid's campaign.

This game did not initially look like being the banana skin it had the potential to be and it felt a matter of time before Madrid found an opening, albeit bar Luka Modric's long-range drive their early endeavours proved fruitless.

The opener arrived after 29 minutes, though. Casemiro picked off Sofian Chakla's pass and Modric quickly laid into the path of Benzema, who drilled through the legs of Sergio Asenjo.

Asenjo denied Dani Carjaval early in the second half after the full-back showed quick feet to get a left-foot shot away.

Madrid were gifted a golden opportunity to double the lead when Sergio Ramos tore forward and was awarded a dubious penalty when the referee judged Chakla to have clipped Los Blancos' captain.

Ramos cheekily passed the ball off the spot for Benzema to score, only for the latter to have encroached, but Benzema clinically dispatched the re-take into the bottom-left corner.

Toni Kroos rattled the crossbar prior to Iborra's thumping header to set up a tense finale, in which Thibaut Courtois brilliantly saved from Bruno Soriano and Iborra in the same move.

Marco Asensio thought he had calmed the nerves in the final minute of added time only to be denied by the VAR, but it did little to dampen the mood of the new champions.

What does it mean? Madrid reign again in Spain

There are few who would argue Madrid are not worthy champions. The goals again have not flowed as freely as once they did in the halcyon days of Cristiano Ronaldo but Zidane's men have been far and away more consistent than deposed champions Barcelona.

Madrid have now won 11 trophies during Zidane's two spells in charge, while with 34 top-flight titles they have eight more than their Clasico rivals.

Benzema the Karim of Madrid's title-winning crop

Much of Madrid's success this term has been built on the back of a stoic defence that has been breached just 23 times.

But Benzema has been their chief goal threat and was once again outstanding at linking Madrid's midfield and attack. A landmark goal is just reward for a tremendous campaign and he has now registered 20-plus goals in consecutive LaLiga seasons for the first time.

Los Blancos accept Chakla gift

Chakla had already been booked having been caught out by Eden Hazard and his lack of awareness was pounced upon by Casemiro. He was unlucky with the penalty award but it was not a night the full-back will remember with fondness.

Key Opta Facts:

- Real Madrid have won their 34th LaLiga title - this is the most of any team in the competition's history.
- No other player has scored more in LaLiga since the restart in June than Karim Benzema.
- Madrid have just conceded 23 goals after 37 games in LaLiga this season, their best defensive total at this stage in the competition's history. 
- Luka Modric has provided seven assists in LaLiga this season, his best ever return in a league campaign (LaLiga and Premier League).
- Benzema has scored all of his 10 penalties he has taken in LaLiga for Real Madrid - no current LaLiga player has netted more with a 100 per cent success rate.

What's next?

Madrid will celebrate their title triumph with a short hop to Leganes, while Villarreal end their own campaign at home to Eibar.

Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic is keen to keep Musa Barrow on a permanent basis.

The 21-year-old Gabonese joined the Rossoblu on loan from Atalanta in January and has not missed any Serie A game, scoring eight goals and providing one assist in 14 matches.

His latest came in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Napoli, equalising in the 80th minute after Konstantinos Manolas had given the home team the lead early in the first half.

Barrow’s loan deal was supposed to end in June, but due to the Serie A being suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, loaned players can extend their temporary contracts until the season officially comes to a close.

“We took him [Barrow] as a priority. Unfortunately, there was Covid-19, we didn't have time to work on it,” Mihajlovic told DAZN.

“Now I see him more as an outsider, but next season we can make him the centre forward. Let's see in future.”

Barrow also speaking with DAZN credited Mihajlovic as well as former player turned backroom staff member Marco Di Vaio for his improved form which sees Bologna sit comfortably in 10th place with 43 points.

Roberto Soriano who provided Barrow with the assist for the goal also played his part in making the Gabon international ensure Bologna took a point on their turf.

"In the first half we didn't close well. Before the second half the coach spoke to us, he said to take them up and in the second half we did well,” he said.

“Di Vaio is a striker and helps me with the movements. Soriano told me not to give up before the goal. All of them, including the coach, help me training after training.

“We now try to recover well and try to give everything on the pitch. Let's try to do what the coach asks.

"I will do my best on the pitch until the end. If I feel tired I ask for a change, otherwise, I will stay and give everything."

Before his Bologna move, Barrow had played seven times for Atalanta in the first half of the season, providing two assists in defeats by current Serie A leaders Juventus and Bologna.

Five rounds remain to end the season with Bologna having AC Milan, Atalanta, Lecce, Fiorentina and Torino left to play.

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has hit back at Thomas Meunier after the new Borussia Dortmund signing claimed the club refused to let him play in the Champions League.

Belgium international Meunier joined Bundesliga runners-up Dortmund on a free transfer on June 25, with his PSG contract set to expire a few days later.

The 28-year-old revealed in an interview on Thursday that he wanted to sign a short-term deal with PSG to play in next month's Champions League 'Final Eight' tournament, but the French champions were apparently unwilling to find common ground with BVB.

However, Leonardo insists that is not the case as Dortmund were demanding a loan fee from PSG that made striking a deal "impossible".

"For these players who were at the end of their contracts, we have implemented a common policy," he told Le Parisien.

"That was to extend them by two months in order to complete the competitions under the same conditions as those in their contract which ended on June 30, 2020.

"Thiago Silva, Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and Sergio Rico agreed. They behaved perfectly.

"Thomas Meunier had already signed for Borussia Dortmund. I do not know when. He was free to do so since January 1 - he was perfectly right to do so.

"He asked for the same salary as in Dortmund. I called Dortmund to get a loan and the German club demanded a paid loan. In these conditions, it was impossible."

Leonardo added: "There was no reason to act differently with him. The club never disrespected him. We tried to extend him, he didn't want to, it's his right."

Meunier, who spent four years with PSG, also alleged the Ligue 1 giants denied him access to their training base after he had agreed to join Dortmund.

"He asked to come to the training centre. He was told no by mail from the club because it made no sense to come for eight days," Leonardo said.

"We have communicated to say that he was released from the last eight days of his contract.

"He came to greet the players at the Camp des Loges on June 26, the day after he signed for Dortmund. He was therefore not prohibited from a training centre."

Arsenal have confirmed that Gabriel Martinelli will miss the first half of the 2020-21 season.

Martinelli damaged the cartilage in his left knee during a training session on June 21, and underwent surgery on the issue later in the month.

The 19-year-old was ruled out of action for the remainder of the current season, which had been an impressive one for the man snapped up for a modest fee of £8 million from Ituano last summer.

The Brazilian has hit 10 goals in his first 26 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, despite the fact he has operated in a back-up role behind first-choice strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

Unfortunately, Mikel Arteta will also be without Martinelli for the start of his first full campaign in charge at Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal releasing an official update on his rehabilitation programme on Thursday.

A statement on the club's official website reads: "Surgery was successful, with consultants and our medical team very encouraged with Gabi’s current progress at this stage of his recovery.

"[He is] currently at our training centre every day receiving specialist attention and support from our medical team. [He] will continue his recovery throughout the close season, with the aim of a return to full training by the end of 2020."

Arsenal have also informed their supporters that Pablo Mari is on course to return to action in September, having been sidelined since the club's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on June 17.

The 26-year-old had to be withdrawn from the game early in the first half after sustaining ankle ligament damage, and was subsequently sent to Spain to undergo therapy on the injury.

The Gunners' statement added on Mari's recovery: "[Mari] Will return to the UK later in July to resume his rehabilitation at our training centre throughout the close season, with the aim of returning to full training in September."

Arteta has had to maximise the output of his squad in the absence of Martinelli and Mari as Arsenal continue to fight for Europa League qualification.

The Gunners picked up a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool on Wednesday, which saw them move to within three points of sixth-placed Wolves in the table.

Next up for the north London outfit is an FA Cup semi-final showdown against City on Saturday, with a crucial trip to Aston Villa set to follow three days later.

National First Division (NFD) side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) have confirmed two positive coronavirus cases in their camp.

All 16 PSL teams and 16 NFD clubs are expected to complete their second and final round of testing which is mandated by the National Soccer League (NSL) health and safety return to training protocol.

The 32 teams are preparing for the resumption of the 2019/20 season which was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic last March.

TTM released the following statement on their official Twitter account on Thursday: 

"After conducting Covid-19 tests on the management, technical team and the players, the results came back negative except for one player and a technical staff member who tested positive for Covid-19."

"The two have been advised to isolate with immediate effect and also inform all those who had contact with them. The club would like to wish them a speedy recovery during this trying time," a club statement read.

This means there are now 15 confirmed positive cases that have been reported across both the PSL and NFD.

Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Bloemfontein Celtic, Stellenbosch FC, Swallows FC, TS Galaxy, TS Sporting and Tshakhuma are the clubs that have announced positive cases of coronavirus in their camps.

However, Pirates midfielder Ben Motshwari and Celtic midfield maestro Given Mashikinya have both recovered from the deadly virus.

PSL and NFD teams are set to move to a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng where the suspended season will be completed with matches expected to start next month.

Tshakhuma, who are placed fourth on the league standings having accumulated 38 points, have six matches left in their current campaign.

The Limpopo-based side is also waiting for the PSL to approve their deal to purchase Bidvest Wits' top-flight league status ahead of the 2020/21 season.

Once the deal is approved, Wits will relocate to Limpopo and the club will be renamed Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and the team will play its home games at the Thohoyandou Stadium.

Tshakhuma's Limpopo rivals, Black Leopards have been hosting their PSL and cup matches at the multi-purpose venue.

Alexis Sanchez scored one and set up another as Inter saw off bottom side SPAL 4-0 at Stadio Paolo Mazza to move up to second place in Serie A and within six points of leaders Juventus.

Reigning champions Juve dropped points for the third game running in Wednesday's 3-3 draw with Sassuolo and Inter took full advantage a little over 24 hours on.

Antonio Candreva opened the scoring with a first-half strike for the visitors, who rested Romelu Lukaku, Stefan de Vrij and a number of other first-team players.

Sanchez set up that goal, played a part in Cristiano Biraghi's drive the other side of half-time and then headed in a third for Antonio Conte's men, before Roberto Gagliardini rounded things off.

SPAL were nearly behind inside five minutes as Marcelo Brozovic's shot clipped the post.

The hosts held Milan to a draw here two weeks ago, though, and they gave Inter a scare when Andrea Petagna's deflected shot on the turn hit the crossbar.

But Conte's side edged in front eight minutes before half-time through Candreva's clinical finish past Karlo Letica after being played in by Sanchez.

The hosts were further dismayed three minutes later as a penalty shout for Samir Handanovic's challenge on Gabriel Strefezza was turned down following a VAR check.

Inter extended their lead nine minutes after the restart - Biraghi cutting inside and picking out the bottom corner with a good finish.

Sanchez was involved in that goal and Biraghi repaid the favour by swinging in a cross for the loanee to head in from five yards out with an hour played.

A win that lifts Inter above Lazio and Atalanta was sealed by Gagliardini, who timed his run well to tap in substitute Ashley Young's cross.

What does it mean? Inter's Scudetto dream still alive

Inter looked well out of the title race after taking one point from games against Bologna and Hellas Verona, but back-to-back wins in the space of three days has changed that.

Juventus have lost one and drawn two of their last three games and play fourth-placed Lazio next, offering Conte's men hope of further closing the gap with four games to go.

Sharp Sanchez steps up again

With Lukaku being given the day off it was left to Sanchez and Lautaro Martinez to lead the line.

Sanchez was lively throughout and now has a combined eight goals and assists since last month's restart - only Juve's Cristiano Ronaldo (nine) has been directly involved in more.

Handanovic let off

The usually reliable Handanovic endured a moment to forget in the comeback win over Torino and he was perhaps fortunate to avoid giving away a first-half penalty on Thursday.

The Slovenian goalkeeper made clear contact with Strefezza inside the box, but the SPAL winger was not going to get to the ball so the referee decided against pointing to the spot.

What's next?

Inter travel to fifth-placed Roma on Sunday and SPAL take on Brescia, the side directly above them in the table, on the same day.

The Nigerian was last handed a starter’s role against Norwich City in the FA Cup. There, he equalled the Red Devils’ 95-year-old record.

Ighalo became only the second player in the club’s history after Jimmy Hanson to have scored in each of his first four competitive starts for United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are in dire need of three points against Palace to boost their bid for next season’s Champions League. Currently, they are six points behind fourth-placed Leicester City who defeated Sheffield United earlier on Thursday.

For Crystal Palace, Roy Hodgson will be counting on the duo of Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew to beat the visitors.

Senegal international Cheikhou Kouyate would be hoping to get some minutes following his inclusion amongst the substitutes.

The Eagles have nothing but pride to fight for in this encounter, and they would be hoping to end their five-game losing streak in the competition.

Since scoring against Bournemouth – which saw him eclipse Tony Yeboah’s record as the highest-scoring Ghanaian in Premier League history, Ayew has gone on a run of five games without a goal as he aims to reach double-figures for the first time in England.

Eleven Wonders chief executive officer (CEO) Albert Commey reveals he was not surprised by the Court of Arbitration for Sports' postponements of their final verdict on the case between former Ghana Football Association (GFA) presidential aspirant Wilfred Kwaku Osei 'Palmer' and football's governing body.

Osei is seeking redress from the sports tribunal for wrongful disqualification from the GFA presidential race by the defunct Fifa/Caf Normalisation Committee for Football in 2019.

CAS had initially set the date for the announcement of their final ruling on Friday, but on Wednesday rescheduled the decision to August 4.

Edwin Kurt Okraku ultimately won the GFA presidential contest last October.

“When we heard the news we weren’t surprised because the bench is looking at the weighing of the verdict to see if nobody will file a case for appeal the moment the verdict comes out," Commey, reportedly a member of Okraku's camp, told Mabesh TV.

“It is normal if you know how CAS does their works. Our campaign manager for Kurt Okraku, Mr Abu Alhassan has experience in CAS because he has filed cases in CAS and has won before. He will tell you that CAS might even postpone it on 4th August, 2020 and it’s not cast in stone.

“Kurt and the other aspirants had no hand in the decision to disqualify Osei Kwaku Palmer. We are patiently waiting for the ruling and we are waiting for the way forward. We have experienced persons among us who advise us and it is even likely the date might be postponed again."

Ghana went to the polls last year under the supervision of the Normalisation Committee in search of a replacement for Kwesi Nyantakyi whose administration as GFA boss was crashed by a bribery and match-fixing scandal.

Osei and six others filed their candidacy for the presidency but the Tema Youth president was ultimately disqualified from the contest on the recommendation of a Vetting Committee for breaching financial regulations after the transfer of a player of his club.

The displeased Osei promptly filed an appeal but the Normalisation Committee threw out the request on grounds of late submission.

'Palmer' then moved to seek redress at CAS. Should his appeal be successful, the GFA could be forced to organise a new presidential election. 

Mbao FC boosted their chances of playing in the Tanzania Mainland League next season after a hard-fought 3-2 win over champions Simba SC.

Rajabu Rashidi, Waziri Junior and Jordan John were on target for the Mwanza based side with Meddie Kagere and Miraji Athumani replying for the hosts.

The newly crowned champions came into the match aiming at bouncing back from three successive 0-0 draws in the top-tier against Tanzania Prisons, Ndanda FC and Namungo.

However, the 4-1 win in the Kariakoo Derby in the FA Cup quarter-final over sworn rivals Yanga SC was to motivate Wekundu wa Msimbazi on Thursday. 

For the Mwanza based side, a win was vital considering their status on the table. Mbao came into the match in 19th position with 35 points, and with a handful of games remaining, a win was vital.

The visitors needed just five minutes to get their deserved lead. Ali Salim pulled a fantastic save to deny the relegation-threatened side, but the danger was not cleared. A fierce strike from 25 yards was not cleared by the keeper, but the rebound fell kindly to Rajabu Rashidi who took it well to hand his team the lead.

In the 33rd minute, the 21-time league champions levelled matters. Gadiel Michael was fouled in the danger zone by Abdulrahman Said and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Rwandan Meddie Kagere rose for the occasion to score his first goal since the league resumed and his 20th in the 2019/20 season. 

With a few minutes to the break, Herbert Lukindo picked Waziri Junior between the defenders, and the latter took a one-time shot to restore his team's lead.

The Sven Vandenbroeck-led charges came back strongly in search of an equalizer. Muzamiru Yassin forced the goalkeeper to an excellent save in the 52nd minute. The ball went out for a corner and Miraji Athuman managed to capitalize on it.

The defenders let him loose in the red zone and the attacking midfielder capitalized on the advantage to head the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net.

Mbao were determined to get maximum points from the game and their effort was rewarded once again with minutes to go. The impressive Lukindo capitalized on his marker's slip up to pick out Jordan John.

John turned his defender inside out before comfortably beating Salim from about 10 yards to score his team's third goal. It turned out to be the winner 

It was the first time Mbao defeated Simba in Dar es Salaam.

They will now have to win their three remaining matches to stand a chance of playing in the league beyond this season. They are on 38 points, just three below safety.

Only three points separate 13th placed Mtibwa Sugar and Mbao remain in the second last position.

Hugo Lloris says Tottenham striker Harry Kane "wants at least 100 more goals" after reaching his double century.

Kane took his career tally at club level to 201 in 350 appearances across all competitions by scoring twice in Spurs' 3-1 victory away at Newcastle on Wednesday night.

Son Heung-min's first-half effort was cancelled out by a Matt Ritchie thunderbolt in the 56th minute, but Jose Mourinho's side regained the lead when Kane headed home a pinpoint Steven Bergwijn cross on the hour mark.

The England international added extra gloss to the scoreline when he nodded a rebound into the back of the net following a great run from Eric Lamela in stoppage time, as Spurs moved to within one point of sixth-placed Wolves.

185 of Kane's goals have come in a Tottenham shirt, and Lloris is certain that the 26-year-old's insatiable hunger for glory in the final third will see him score plenty more before he finally hangs up his boots.

When asked to assess Spurs' latest performance, the French goalkeeper told the club's official website: “We played against a team that wanted to play, it was quite open, especially in the second half.

"We were a bit worried at 1-0 because we couldn’t control the game. It was open, we conceded and then we reacted in a fantastic way. We showed personality and we came back into the game with two goals from Harry, by the way, goal numbers 200 and 201 - an amazing record and we are all proud of him and happy for him.

“You know Harry, he doesn’t want to stop at this stage - I think he wants at least 100 more. His target as soon as he goes on the pitch is to score goals. You know how good he is in front of goal and his attitude to be clinical.”

Lloris went on to describe the experience of playing in an empty St James' Park - a ground which has always been respected for the intense atmosphere generated by the fierce support of the Toon Army.

“It’s the Premier League. There are a lot of tough places to deal with everywhere in the country, and you never know what to expect in front of you because there is a lot of quality,” the Tottenham shot-stopper added. “What a strange feeling to play in this amazing stadium, empty. Usually, the atmosphere is fantastic.

“We came for the three points though and this is what we got at the end - that’s the most important thing. There are some results that will help us to keep our belief with two games to go, and we will finish as high as we can and try to win the next two games.”

Tanguy Ndombele should move away from Tottenham if he's not given the "chance to play", according to Dimitar Berbatov, who says the midfielder may be "fighting a losing battle" with Jose Mourinho.

Ndombele completed a £54 million ($68m) move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from Lyon last summer, becoming the club's most expensive signing of all time in the process.

The Frenchman committed to a six-year contract with the north Londoners, but his first season in the Premier League hasn't gone quite according to plan. The 23-year-old has only featured in 21 of Spurs' 36 Premier League fixtures, and has found himself reduced to a bit-part role in the squad since Mourinho's arrival as head coach in November.

Mourinho has publicly questioned Ndombele's fitness levels on a number of occasions, and he has only seen 64 minutes of action since the resumption of the campaign on June 17.

The Tottenham boss left the ex-Lyon star out of his squad for the 3-1 midweek win over Newcastle, and confirmed after the match that he will miss the final two games of the season due to a knee injury.

Berbatov is not certain that Ndombele will be able to force his way into Mourinho's plans when he returns, and has urged him to seek a transfer if regular playing time is no longer guaranteed.

"Ndombele was brought in under Mauricio Pochettino and it is normal for a new manager to shake things up. Maybe Mourinho thinks the Frenchman doesn't fit into his system," the former Spurs striker wrote in his latest column for Betfair.

"I was in a similar situation at Leverkusen. We changed managers three times and I needed to prove myself to each one, show them that I deserved to play.

"Also, at Spurs when Martin Jol left and Juande Ramos came, I remember him telling me that for his first game in charge he wanted to try something different, and he put me on the bench. I knew then that I needed to show him that he was wrong and he had made a mistake in doing that, so I had to prove myself.

"You have these situations where you need to fight for your place and show the boss that he has made the wrong decision. Sometimes, you can change the mind of a manager - I was lucky enough to do that at Spurs - but sometimes it doesn't matter what you do, a manager just might not like you.

"Ndombele has been linked with Bayern Munich and, if Mourinho continues to leave him out and the player doesn't want to sit on the bench, then he should move for sure. If he wants to stay and fight, he needs to be realistic and know that he has a chance to change the manager's mind, and that he isn't fighting a losing battle with Mourinho.

"Sometimes you can bust your balls in every training session, score goals in games and play good football but, if the manager doesn't like you, there's nothing you can do. If that is the situation between Mourinho and Ndombele, the player needs to move.

"He has been at Spurs for just a year and hasn't really had much of a chance to play. I'm a Spurs fan and I don't know how he can play and how he will turn out after five or six consecutive games so that I can make a fair assessment of him. For me, he should get more time, otherwise, it will be money stupidly spent."

Musalia Mudavadi has explained why AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia must end their dependency on financial support from politicians.

A number of politicians have always come to the rescue of the two clubs especially when they are facing acute financial problems.

The former AFC Leopards patron said any politician who opts to support either team should do it as an ordinary fan.

“Let us find a way of getting the politicians out of the way as privileged financial supporters of clubs. Let politicians be supportive as is the case with other ordinary fans,” Mudavadi told KTN News.

“They should not look at it from a privileged position that because one is a politician then it's is a privileged position to support ether AFC Leopards or Gor Mahia.

“It is not sustainable to imagine a politician or two can underwrite any club in this country.

“I can tell you that when I was the patron of AFC Leopards, I used to pay salaries for the players and I can say it was not easy. The players have families, have to pay rent and take care of their medical needs.

“There should be a well-thought arrangement and strategy and it should not be a politically-driven agenda but it should be driven by the management of the clubs. 

“This is why I was telling Dan Shikanda he has a challenge as the chairman of AFC Leopards because he has to find a way of making it attractive so that people can come in and support him.

“Times and circumstances have changed and we must provide new approaches of how to support teams."

Musalia believes Kenyan clubs can borrow management formula from established leagues in order to keep teams afloat and sustainable.

“Look at the number of Premier League clubs in the UK and see who owns them, who runs them, and what is the management structure behind those clubs,” urged the former Sabatia Member of Parliament.

“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 former Deputy Prime Minister also revealed the steps AFC Leopards have taken in as far as the construction of their home stadium is concerned.

“They have started processing the ownership of the land details but what I can say is that the journey has just started. Because subsequently, resources must be raised to start developing that stadium,” he concluded.

“We can, if we work out well, have an investment policy because AFC Leopards have already laid down their development programme.

“They are now looking at how to raise funds systematically and I would want everybody who is a supporter to support it. We also need to see if we can encourage large corporations to come and support such an effort.

“I think we can do it.”

Mudavadi paid KSh633,000 for the outstanding land rates that had made it impossible for AFC Leopards to build the facility.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) have confirmed the departure of Jackson Nunda.

The midfielder arrived in 2015 at Lugogo Stadium but his stay was affected by regular injuries and the club has now confirmed he has left.

Nunda becomes the first player KCCA have confirmed to have departed in the ongoing transfer window.

Reports in Uganda indicate Sadam Juma, Mike Mutyaba, Jamal Malyamungu, Muzamir Mutyaba, Erisa Ssekisambu and Nicholas Kasozi will also leave the 13-time Premier League champions.

Kassasiro Boys have already made a few signings in preparation for the 2020/21 season where they will participate in the Caf Confederation Cup after finishing second in the abandoned season.

Ashraf Mugume, Dennis Iguma, Stefano Mizengo and Charles Lwanga are the players who have already sealed moves to KCCA.

Further reports indicate Pius Obuya and Bright Anukani will be unveiled soon after successful contractual negotiations with the Kampala-based side.

Meanwhile, KCCA's new defender Iguma has revealed he had to use a huge sum of money in order to get medication after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Iguma got injured when he twisted his knee while playing for Kazma of Kuwait in 2019 and he had to seek private treatment after the club failed to cater for it.

“We had developed misunderstandings with the club management and they refused to take care of me,” Iguma told Daily Monitor.

“I knew I still had a bright future ahead and within a week I had terminated my contract and returned to Kampala.”

The 27-year-old defender said he sought treatment at Kampala Imaging Centre and Nsambya Hospital among other facilities.

“Even before I checked in at CoRSU Hospital-Kisubi for the final operation, I had spent over USh20M in a bid to get back to action,” he added.

“I’m glad that after 10 months out in recovery, I managed to start kicking a ball and later getting this KCCA deal.”

The former SC Villa and Al Ahed star signed a two-year deal with KCCA.

“My main focus now is not playing for the national team or going back to professional football but to get back my best form,” he concluded.

“I want to repay the faith KCCA and manager Mike Mutebi have given me and win trophies here.” 

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side AFC Leopards hosted prominent businessman Zedekiah Bundotich for talks over a possible sponsorship deal.

AFC Leopards are in the market looking for another sponsor and the meeting between Bundotich and the top club officials is said to have centred on talks of working together.

“Buzeki [as the businessman is popularly known] met and held lengthy discussions with club officials led by chairman Dan Shikanda as they explored the possibility of working together,” AFC Leopards' statement read.

The Rift Valley politician also confirmed he has been an AFC Leopards fan for a very long-time.

“I remember when I was young, without the TV, I knew the Leopards players by name by just following the matches on the radio. AFC Leopards have always been my team,” Bundotich said.

“We have to stop talking and walk the talk. The club can share the kind of engagement how they would like to have with us and we can work out a mutually beneficial partnership.”

Dr Shikanda is confident the meeting will lead to a concrete future partnership between AFC Leopards and the businessman.

“We need more partners on board,” Shikanda said.

“We are delighted to have you with us here at the club during these challenging times and we look forward to creating a long-lasting working partnership with you. We need all our fans back in the stadium.”

AFC Leopards signed a three-year partnership deal with Betsafe in June where they are expected to land KSh40 million per year.

Meanwhile, former AFC Leopards defender Michael Kibwage has revealed how the club helped him deal with the loss of his mother.

“My morale went down and I felt like the world had ended,” Kibwage told The Star.

“I was so disappointed and felt so bad knowing that she won't be there to see my game at the top level and even in the future.

“It's been disturbing me but I always try to keep going. I also thank my former club AFC Leopards who supported me during that difficult period of my life and for giving me the confidence I needed at that time.”

Kibwage left Ingwe and joined KCB in 2018 where he says he is happy as the captain.

“I have had a fantastic time with KCB,” concluded the star.

“Everyone at KCB is happy and ready to do his part. The management is doing their job, the technical bench is doing their job and the players know what is required of them as well.”

Gary Neville has warned Manchester United not to delay signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.

The Red Devils have been strongly linked with Sancho throughout the 2019-20 campaign, which has seen the winger's stock rise higher than ever before.

The England international hit 20 goals in 40 appearances for BVB, and also contributed 20 assists as Lucien Favre's side finished second in the Bundesliga and made it to the Champions League knockout stages.

United are thought to be leading the race for Sancho's signature ahead of Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester City, but Dortmund are reportedly set to demand a fee in excess of £100 million ($126m) for a prized asset in the summer transfer window.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with the 20-year-old, however, it has been suggested that the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis will prevent Europe's top clubs from finalising any big-money deals.

Neville says United cannot afford to wait another year before making a move for Sancho, with it his belief that his former club are well placed to secure his services when the market reopens on July 27.

The Red Devils legend said during an interview with Webby & O'Neill: "You’re still going to have to basically encourage the player to come, you’re still going to have to pay the money to the club. You’re not going to be able to bully Borussia Dortmund if they’re going to sell him.

"Next summer, Real Madrid might be in for him, Bayern Munich might be in for him, City might be back in for him – although they’ve said they’re not – and Chelsea might come in for him.

"When all the other clubs are armed with money, he might have four or five choices. The fact that he could come to Manchester United this summer, because Manchester United are the only shop in town maybe that can afford him this summer, is where United will get players they may not have been able to get previously.

"Manchester United, I’m sure over the last six, seven, eight, nine years when they’ve signed players and they’ve spent all that money, they have probably wanted players that have gone to other clubs but they’ve not been able to get them because those players have preferred to go and play for other clubs.

"Manchester United now, hopefully, are in a position whereby they can get players to come to the club. Paul Pogba’s staying at Manchester United now, I think. He wouldn’t be if it hadn’t have been for coronavirus. I’m sure the other clubs in Europe would have said, 'Right, we’ll have him', but now they haven’t got the money to have him.

"Manchester United now have the opportunity to exploit the market. That might not mean getting players cheaper – I think they will get them cheaper – but just the fact they can get players without the market being as competitive.

"If there’s only you going into the shop you’ve got a better chance of buying than if there’s four or five of you going in and looking at the same thing, and I think that’s where Manchester United have an advantage.

"If they can somehow put together a £150m pot, they can get maybe another £30m to £50m from players they want to get rid of, they’ve got a pot of money there to go and do some real damage with to get three or four players."

Former Black Leopards coach Cavin Johnson says he hopes to return to the technical area next season as he has no offers on the table because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Johannesburg-born manager says due to the lockdown, the transfer market is quiet as clubs prefer to cut costs considering the fact the ravaging pandemic has brought about financial implications.

Johnson parted ways with Lidoda Duvha in the middle of the current campaign and was replaced by his assistant manager Allan Clark who is looking to save the Thohoyandou-based outfit from relegation.

“I'm on lockdown like everybody else. The teams are using what they have to make sure they survive as you know this is a challenging period for everyone,” Johnson told Goal.

“Once the lockdown ends and everything else returns to normal, we will see what happens. There are no offers as yet for me. Hopefully [I can return next season], we hope so."

The 61-year-old former AmaZulu manager took over at Leopards in December when he replaced Luc Eymael who is now in charge of Tanzanian giants, Young Africans SC.

Formerly in charge of Platinum Stars, Johnson returned to top-flight football for the first time since September after he was released by Durban-based AmaZulu.

In the wake of his departure from the Venda-based Premier Soccer League (PSL) club in February, Leopards announced Clark as his successor on a caretaker basis until the end of the season, but the experienced manager is hopeful of a possible return to the elite division.

Staying with the former National First Division (NFD) outfit, players such as former Mamelodi Sundowns winger Mogakolodi Ngele, reported Brazilians' target Lesedi Kapinga, as well as ex-Dikwena anchorman Robert Ng'ambi and Tshwarelo Bereng were retained on short-term deals until the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

As things stand, Leopards occupy 16th spot on the PSL log table with 20 points from 24 matches and their mission is to salvage their top-flight status once the season resumes next month since it was halted in March.

On the other hand, the former SuperSport United manager has endured tough times in the current campaign as he was sacked twice by Usuthu and Leopards but hopes his agent will pull all the stops and find a job for him.

Uganda attacking midfielder Moses Waiswa believes young players like Vipers SC's Frank Tumwesigye, who is commonly referred to as Zaga and Ashraf Mugume need support and trust to realise their potential.

Zaga and Allan Okello were seen as the prospects of Ugandan football, but while the former has proved his ability and sealed a move to Moroccan top-tier side Paradou AC, his peer is struggling to get playing time at the newly crowned Ugandan Premier League side.

"I can say Frank Tumwesigye and Ashraf Mugume (Fadiga) are in the same category, so talented but need support and trust," Waiswa said as quoted by Football256. 

"They can be great treasures in our football. Zaga is a promising and a very talented young lad. So, I will say he needs your support and trust for him to gain back his full confidence.

"He came from a hard background with bad people so we need to applaud him for his resilience because amidst the struggles he has kept pushing."

The 23-year-old SuperSport United player feels the player's confidence is a notch lower and it has played a role in his performances and growth at the club.

"Basically, I can say the boy needs a second chance and trust from the coaches because this gives the player the zeal to keep performing. At his age, it’s early to call him off," Waiswa continued.

"Zaga’s problem is not the team. I played with him from school and later at Vipers SC and I would see the challenge from him; but his confidence has been toned down and with our support, he can get back to his best."

The Cranes midfielder has also urged players to have a strong mentality in the game. He has also urged the Ugandans to help their players grow and have patience with the upcoming ones.

"As Ugandans, we have to learn to support our people because at the end of it all we are the same. But still, I call upon players to also boost their mentality and dream big," Waiswa advises.

 "At some point, we all lose it. You know football is a mind game; though the legs kick the ball, the commands come from the head. So, inspiration and support are so vital to breeding the right mindset of a player.  

"I reckon we have a lot of talent in Uganda just like my brother Zaga, but we need patience and time for them to show the world what they can offer.  

"I can say the biggest problem with Ugandan players is a poor mentality. At times we have small dreams, but as a player, it would be right if you dream to be at the biggest level of the game."

The midfielder was to be part of the Uganda squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) held in Egypt, but a nasty knee injury denied him the opportunity.

He has since recovered and was a key player for his team in the South African top-tier before the Covid-19 outbreak led to the suspension of games.

Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo has revealed that Manchester United refused to sign him after a trial in his teenage years.

Todibo began his professional journey at Toulouse, where he spent three years before being snapped up by Barcelona on a free transfer in January 2019.

The French centre-back's career trajectory could have been quite different had United decided to offer him a contract before he moved to Stadium de Toulouse from Les Lilas as a youth player.

The 20-year-old says he was pleased with how he performed during his brief trial with the Red Devils, but was left in the dark when they decided against bringing him onto their books permanently.

"It was crazy, I went from Les Lilas to United," Todibo told Onze Mondial. "It was a dream that was coming true when I hadn’t done anything, really. It was just a trial. Everything went well, but I wasn’t taken.

"I don’t know why my trial didn’t lead to anything. I still haven’t received an explanation to this day."

The defender's first year at Barca was a frustrating one, as he was restricted to just five first-team appearances amid strong competition for places alongside the likes of Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti.

The Blaugrana decided to send Todibo out on loan to Schalke in the winter transfer window, and he featured in ten games for the German outfit before missing the end of the 2019-20 campaign through injury.

The France U20 international feels he was unfairly omitted from Barca's squad on a number of occasions in the first half of the season, as he added: "For me, this season, I deserved more playing time.

"The first six months, when I arrived, I did not mind not playing because in training, I saw that I didn’t have the level yet, but this year, I would have deserved to play more. I didn’t make a big deal out of it because it was the choice of the coach and I understand. 

"If I’m a coach, I prefer to put Pique to Todibo. He has a real track record, he’s a great player - but I think I could have played certain matches."

Ghana youngster Mohammed Kudus completed a move to Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam on Thursday.

The 19-year-old joins Erik ten Hag's fold from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland on a five-year deal reportedly worth €9 million.

He has been handed the No.20 jersey at the Eredivisie side.

"Ajax have reached an agreement with Mohammed Kudus and FC Nordsjaelland about the transfer of the Ghanaian to Amsterdam," Ajax announced on their official website.

"The multifunctional midfielder/attacker will sign a contract that will take effect immediately and he has a term of five years, until June 30, 2025.

"Kudus was born on August 2, 2000 in Accra, Ghana."

Kudus made 25 Super Liga appearances for Nordsjaelland this season, starting 22 of the games and scoring 11 times.

"I would have liked to have left FCN [FC Nordsjaelland], the club's fans and my teammates with European football to look forward to next season, and it is a disappointment to me that it did not succeed, but I feel that after all, I got a footprint, and everyone in the club must know that you have left a big imprint on my heart that I will always have with me," the attacker told his former club's official website. 

"It has been a long journey for me with both tailwinds and bumps on the road. I am grateful for it because it has brought me development, confidence and opportunities.

"Now a new place awaits me and Ajax Amsterdam is a very special club with a very special culture, which I look forward to embracing. I look forward to continuing my development at Ajax and continuing the pursuit of my dream. 

"I owe it to all my coaches and teammates in FC Nordsjælland and at Right to Dream."

The 19-year-old joined Nordsjaelland from feeder Ghanaian club Right to Dream Academy in 2018.

"Kudus' journey and development with us has been fantastic. A huge gift must be given to Kudus himself and to the many coaches, staff members and teammates who have contributed to the big step he is now ready to take," Nordsjaelland coach Jan Laursen said.

"That the choice ends up falling on Ajax is the result of a very long and thorough process where they have followed him closely and they have been really thorough and have laid out a plan for him so that his development can continue and we will hopefully see him realise the enormous potential in future.

"It is no coincidence that Kudus has reached where he is now and that he could strive so quickly in FCN and Denmark. 

"His time at Right to Dream Academy shaped him into the strong player and strong man he is today. The many tournaments he played with his [would-be] future teammates in FC Nordsjælland at our joint international academy have had a great impact on the feeling and welcome and as he was ready to perform both humanly and as a football player. 

"We are very proud of both Kudus, his entire journey and the great work behind it all in Denmark and in Ghana."

After representing Ghana at both U17 and U20 levels, Kudus made a step-up to the senior team last year, scoring on his debut as the Black Stars beat South Africa 2-0 in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier last November.