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Wilfried Zaha called out racial abuse on Twitter as Crystal Palace prepare to take on Aston Villa in Sunday’s Premier League clash.

Despite anti-racism protests across England and Europe in response to George Floyd’s death, the Cote d’Ivoire star was the latest target.

The 27-year-old shared the tweet of a fan addressing him as a “black c**t”, while threatening to come to his house dressed as a ghost should he not score against Dean Smith’s men.

The post was accompanied by an image of the white supremacist hate group, the Ku Klux Klan.

Zaha also posted screenshots of abuse received on numerous accounts on social media.

Meanwhile, the club has reacted to the incident via their Twitter handle.

“This is an absolute disgrace and should not be happening. We stand with you, Wilf, and anyone else who has to suffer such horrific abuse,” Palace tweeted.

West Midlands police have also issued a statement, vowing to pursue the perpetrator.

“Hi Wilfried, we are looking into who the owner of this account is," the statement began, "and would encourage you to report it to your local police force too.”

This racist act comes in stark contrast to the Premier League's ongoing commitment to support the Black Lives Matter movement, with players continuing to wear the BLM logo on their kits and taking a knee at kick-off before all fixtures.

The former Manchester United man has scored four times in 34 Premier League outings this season, with his latest coming in the Eagles’ 3-2 defeat at home to Chelsea.

Following that effort, manager Roy Hodgson claimed Zaha who hit a personal best of 10 goals last season has returned to his best while backing him to maintain his new-found form.

"He's had some good games during this period and some games where I'm sure that he'll have said he can do better," Hodgson was quoted by the Standard.

"The other night he was certainly at the very, very top of his game and I see no reason why he shouldn't keep that going in the last four games.”

"I'm convinced we're going to see some very good things from him in these last 360-odd minutes,” he continued.

“I'm pretty sure also he'll be looking to try and add to that tally of goals and assists so at the end of the season he's got a bit more to show for what he's done this season."

That screamer from the Ivorian which ended his 17-game league drought was the furthest of all his previous 35 recorded in the English elite division.

Before the resumption of English football, Crystal Palace were looking for a place in the Europa League, but, successive defeats ensured that dream faded into thin air.

Currently, Roy Hodgson’s men remain 14th in the Premier League log having accrued 42 points from 34 games. Victory over already-relegated Villa will see them end the season well.

Former Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari has jumped to the defence of former coach Jose Mourinho over the Portuguese's style of play which has been largely described as 'negative football'.

Mourinho, currently in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, is widely known for his defensive philosophy, a system during his time as manager of Chelsea and Inter, with whom he won the Champions League in 2010.

Muntari played under the former Real Madrid boss at Inter from 2008 to 2010.

“I really don’t buy it because I know who we are talking about here," the Black Stars told Metro FM.

"He is the leader and you need to obey what your coach tells you, and that’s what he wants from his side. So if he wants them to defend in a certain way, they have to do it.

“Every coach has his style of play and that’s the way he wants his team to play, that’s his choice.

"For instance, when he was our coach, he didn’t say anything during matches because we know what he wanted. We knew where we wanted to be, we knew we wanted to win trophies.”

Without a doubt, Muntari and Mourinho's biggest accomplishment together remains the 2010 Champions League success where they beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final.

"It was amazing, we still keep in touch as I speak, and we have a chat group which has the squad that won the triple at Inter Milan so we keep in touch,” Muntari said.

“It was always fun around him. He is a very principled man, he is an amazing coach. He gives you all the attention in other to perform. He doesn’t accept if you are not in good shape, you should be in good shape the whole year.

“So that’s what he gets from his players and everybody is loyal to him because he is loyal. He is very amazing."

Former Udinese and Portsmouth ace Muntari went on to play for AC Milan and Pescara in Italy, Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna and Ittihad in Saudi Arabia after his Inter adventure.

The 35-year-old is currently on the search for a new club since ending a short spell with Spanish second division fold Albacete last year.

Tottenham must move beyond their "dominant" rivalry with Arsenal if they are to rediscover their best form and challenge at the top of the Premier League table once again, according to former striker Dimitar Berbatov.

Just over a year after they finished as runners-up to Liverpool in the Champions League final in Madrid, Jose Mourinho's side could miss out entirely on European action next season as they find themselves locked in a mid-table tussle.

Having parted ways with long-term boss Mauricio Pochettino in November following a poor run of form, Spurs have won less than half of their top-flight fixtures since and trail their north London rivals by a point ahead of this weekend's derby encounter.

With a particularly congested race for continental football this term, the club face the prospect of being limited to domestic action only for the near-future, unless they can turn around their uneven fortunes.

Speaking ahead of the visit of Mikel Arteta's Gunners, Berbatov - who helped fire Juande Ramos' Tottenham side to an EFL Cup triumph at Wembley in 2008 - has admitted that Tottenham's tenure as the most successful club on their patch could come to an end if Arsenal stay ahead of them.

But the former Bulgaria captain stressed that his old club need to be aiming higher than their neighbours if they hope to resume their position in the upper echelons of English football.

“Spurs have been the ­dominant side in north ­London for some time, but that could change now," he told the Mirror .

“At the end of the day this is about pride, but you can’t forget they want to be even higher in the table. As a former player of the team and a fan, I know Spurs can do a lot better than they are at the minute, looking at the position they are in.

“Their goal shouldn’t be about competing with ­Arsenal – it should be about competing with Liverpool and Manchester City. What is the point of ­battling it out with Arsenal if you are only fighting for eighth or ninth position?

“They might finish above Arsenal, but you don’t get a trophy for that. For both teams the goal should be about qualifying for the Champions League and challenging the teams on top.”

Heading into the north London derby, Arteta's Arsenal are nine points adrift of fourth-placed Leicester City, while Mourinho's Spurs are 10 points behind.

Neither side are still competing in Europe, with Tottenham knocked out of the Champions League by RB Leipzig in March and Arsenal were knocked out of the Europa League by Olympiacos.

Former Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs will keep his position as Ayanda Dlamini's assistant until the end of the season after being handed a contract extension. 

This was confirmed by Usuthu general manager Lunga Sokhela who said they have already reached an agreement with the Mitchells Plain-born legend. 

Josephs' initial contract with the Durban-based outfit expired at the end of June.

He then left the club's base afterwards but he's expected to return and sign on the dotted line before resuming with his duties now that the team has reported for training.    

"We've agreed with Moeneeb that he will stay on as an assistant coach to Ayanda Dlamini until the completion of the season," Sokhela told Daily Sun. 

According to Sokhela, AmaZulu will sit down with Josephs at the end of the current campaign to discuss his future. 

"At the end of the season, the club will hold talks with him," he added.   

Media reports emerged last week that Usuthu wanted Josephs to take up the role of assistant coach on a permanent basis, meaning the goalkeeper may be forced to retire from professional football.

However, that's the decision Josephs still has to make and that will depend on whether or not the club believes in his combination with Dlamini. 

As things stand, Josephs is registered as a goalkeeper and an assistant coach by Usuthu. 

The pair were handed the job following Jozef Vukusic's suspension due to a series of poor results earlier this year. 

The future of Vukusic is far from being resolved but both Dlamini and Josephs know they at least have their jobs secured for the next two months or so. 

They got their tenure off to a flying start when Usuthu stunned Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 before the lockdown in March.

AmaZulu are under immense pressure to avoid relegation in the remaining matches of the season which are likely to be completed in the Gauteng province by August 31. 

They are three points above bottom-placed Black Leopards after managing just 23 points from 24 league matches thus far. 

Should both Josephs and Dlamini help the club retain its PSL status, chances are that they could be given another season to prove themselves as coaches.

Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane says an inconsistent policy of switching the number one role pushed him out of the Soweto giants.

After arriving at Pirates at the beginning of the 2016/17 season, Mabokgwane was met with competition from Brighton Mhlongo, Siyabonga Mpontshane and Equatorial Guinea international Filipe Ovono.

Then Wayne Sandilands was signed the following season in a move that stiffened competition for Mabokgwane.

After managing just three Premier Soccer League (PSL) games last term while working under goalkeeper coach Andrew Sparkes who is now at Premier League side Southampton, Mabokgwane decided not to renew his Pirates contract.

“There was a lot of rotation, they were never really sure who was their number. Only this season they have decided that Sandilands is their number one but my whole three years at the club, we shared, there was just rotation going on the whole time,” Far Post quoted Mabokgwane as having told iDiski TV.

“At the time when I was there, there was no clear number one and that affected me because I wanted to play as the number one and to be consistent and to grow but with the quality that is there you cannot really blame the rotation system that happens because if a team has too much quality and you don’t play so well you will be dropped as somebody else is waiting and that’s what happened.

“So I cannot really blame anyone because if it meant I was supposed to play 100 percent performances each and every game for me to play 30 games then that’s what it was expected and if I didn’t achieve that, I couldn’t perform at a 100 percent every single match and then I was dropped, that’s unfortunate and I had to accept.

“If you keep clean sheets and win Man of the Match awards every game, then they won’t change you and unfortunately, I didn’t do that. When my contract ended, we sat and agreed to part ways.”

At Bloemfontein Celtic, he has Sipho Chaine and South Africa national Under-23 goalkeeper Mondli Mpoto to contend with for a starting place.

He arrived at the Free State province side to find the two already there and has managed take over as the first-choice goalkeeper also thanks to the departure of Patrick Tignyemb.

The 32-year-old has managed to feature in 19 league games, keeping five clean sheets this season and declares that he still has unfinished business with the South Africa national team which he last played for in 2016.

“I am just looking forward to putting in the performances and go back to Bafana Bafana, complete my career by playing a few seasons overseas, I still have a long way to go, I’m just getting started,” said Mabokgwane.

Coach Mussa Hassan Mgosi has taken a jibe at Yanga SC saying their quality is too low for Simba SC and the best they can do is try and find a way to play Simba Queens in the FA Cup.

The former striker is in charge of the Msimbazi based women's team and on Friday he helped them to a 5-1 win against Yanga Princess in a game played at Uhuru Stadium. 

"Simba showed top quality when they played Azam FC [in the 2-0 win]," Mgosi told Mwanaspoti regarding the Wekundu wa Msimbazi win over the holders in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

"If I was a Yanga official, a walkover would have been the best thing to do, or maybe write to Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) and request to play Simba Queens instead of their male counterparts."

The 34-year-old believes the Tanzania Mainland League champions will dominate the proceedings in the Kariakoo Derby and Timu ya Wananchi fans will leave early.

"I do not see any chance of Yanga defeating Simba in this game," Mgosi continued.

"All I understand is that Simba mean business and will be aiming at dominating and getting early goals. If they maintain their technique and play as planned, I am sure Yanga fans will leave the stadium early.

"Now to avoid that from happening, Yanga should play with Simba Queens."

The Kariakoo Derby will be played at the National Stadium from 5 pm with the winners advancing to the final where they play Namungo who beat Sahare All-Stars by a solitary goal on Saturday.

Earlier on, the Tanzanian government confirmed only 30,000 tickets will be available for the derby to be played at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

"Covid-19 is not completely eradicated in the country that is why we still need to take precautions hence 30,000 is a good number during this period," the Government's Director of Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports Yusuph Singo said. 

"Those who will not have tickets should just remain in their homes and watch the game via television since we will not allow people to congregate outside the venue and we will have enough security personnel to facilitate that."

The government also increased ticket prices for the fans keen to watch the derby with VIP A, B, and C tickets going for 30,000/-, 25,000/- and 20,000/-, respectively, while those who will occupy ordinary seats will pay 10,000/-.

"We hope the Covid-19 pandemic will end soon and after that then normal attendance will be allowed," Singo concluded.

Kelechi Iheanacho has stressed that Leicester City are still on course for a top-four finish in the Premier League, throwing down the gauntlet to Manchester United.

The Foxes have won just one of their last five games in the English top-flight since football returned in England owing to a hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

A consequence that has seen them drop to fourth behind Manchester City and Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.

In sharp contrast, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have impressed, winning four of their last five Premier League games as they continue their bid for a ticket to next season’s Champions League.

Nevertheless, the Nigeria international stated that his King Power Stadium outfit can still finish above the Red Devils who have slashed their eight-point lead to one, claiming his side is unfazed by their red-hot form.

"The race is on. Anyone can get into the top four, anyone can get into the top six,” Iheanacho told Sky Sports.

"Bruno [Fernandes] is a top player. They've got Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba back in the team now.

“They're flying. But that's not what we need to worry about. We just need to focus on our games."

Iheanacho also reflected on his time at Manchester City, where he had the best goals-to-minutes ratio of any player in the English elite division, disclosing the lure of regular starts led to his £25m move to Leicester in 2017.

"My Premier League debut was against Watford in 2015. I got a few minutes or so. It was truly heart-warming. So nice, being young and then scoring goals,” he continued.

"There are young players doing well now and I'm happy for them, like Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood. You never know how it really feels until you start getting older and understand more.

"Everybody wants to play. No one wants to sit on the bench."

With five goals from 17 games so far this term, the 23-year-old is expected to be on parade when Rodgers’ men take on relegation-threatened Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday evening, with the Cherries in dire need of a win to keep their battle against the drop alive.

FIFA 21 will arrive on consoles in October, boasting the best graphics and realism in the franchise's history.

EA Sports usually shows the game's graphical power through FIFA's story modes, with The Journey and Volta Football offering gamers the chance to progress through a narrative by starting at the bottom and working their way to the top in the past.

But will both game modes be on the latest edition? Goal brings you all you need to know.

Will The Journey be in FIFA 21?

The Journey was the major storyline-based game mode launched in FIFA 17 where users played as fictional footballer Alex Hunter, playing in trials before being signed to a Premier League team and eventually winning caps for England.

The second instalment of The Journey arrived in FIFA 18, titled 'Hunter Returns' and saw the hero move to the United States to play in Major League Soccer before returning to Europe to join Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.

The final part of the trilogy was called 'Champions' and tied in with EA Sports acquiring the license for the Champions League and Europa League. The story concludes with Hunter playing in the Champions League final against childhood friend Danny Williams.

As of now, there are no plans to bring the Journey back for future versions of FIFA, but Hunter and Williams both had cameos in Volta Football in FIFA 20.

Will Volta Football be in FIFA 21?

The Journey was replaced by Volta Football in FIFA 20, which combined the storyline aspects of the previous games while also incorporating indoor and small-sided games from the FIFA Street series.

In the original Volta Football story, users played as a street footballer called Revvy who had aspirations of becoming a world champion. As well as the Volta Football story mode, four- and five-a-side matches could be played individually using custom players or real-life footballers.

EA Sports has confirmed that Volta Football will return in FIFA 21 and it is expected to have a new storyline, continuing on from where the action left off at the end of FIFA 20.

What changes will Volta Football have in FIFA 21?

So far, changes and updates to Volta Football have been a closely guarded secret by EA Sports, but a new storyline is set to be announced as a sequel to the story in FIFA 20.

More venues and pitches are expected to be revealed, as well as gameplay improvements and new objectives.

Many FIFA fans are hoping that FIFA 21 will add an online mode to Volta and even the option to play Volta Football using Pro Clubs.

Full details about FIFA 21 Volta Football will be announced in August 2020.

What other game modes will FIFA 21 have?

The release trailer and initial game announcement did not reveal any new game modes for FIFA 21, but did show a host of graphical and game experience upgrades, particularly on the next generation of consoles, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

These include haptic feedback through the controller, more realistic lighting and player movement, immersive stadium sounds and weather detail.

Details on updates to existing game modes like FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) and Career Mode will be revealed in August 2020.

FIFA 21 will be released worldwide on October 9, 2020.

Rwandan top tier side AS Kigali have reached an agreement with its players to reduce salaries by 50%.

According to the club’s secretary-general Francis Gasana, the negotiations and final decision was taken to help assist AS Kigali’s financial health that has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

AS Kigali is one of the clubs which had not taken a decision to reduce or suspend the players' salaries initially.

The Rwanda Football Federation (Ferwafa) suspended the leagues in March before it cancelled them in May which means the players have not been on the pitch for the last four months.

“We have reached an agreement with players and technical staff for the [50 per cent] pay cut because they have been out of action – no training of matches – since March,” Gasana told The New Times.

"We will pay them their full salaries and bonuses when full training resumes.

“The financial predicament caused by the pandemic also hit us, we are looking into ways of dealing with its impact on the life of the club and our survival post-coronavirus.”

With the coronavirus restrictions still active, sport might be allowed to resume fully in August as Gasana acknowledges there will be dire consequences on football from the pandemic.

Meanwhile, AS Kigali have appointed Corneille Hakizimana as the second assistant coach. Hakizimana has filled the void that was left by Ismael Nshutinamagara who is said to have quit the club without prior notice.

It is reported Nshutinamagara, a former APR striker, left for Canada just before the outbreak of the coronavirus where he has settled already.

“We wrote to him asking about his absence and if he intended to come back, but he never responded. We took it as leaving his job without notice and appointed a replacement,” the Secretary-General told the same publication.

“Corneille [Hakizimana] is our new fitness coach.”

Hakizimana has previously been on the books of AS Kigali’s rivals Rayon Sports as an assistant coach.

Finally, Isaie Songa has joined Etincelles FC from Police FC.

The New Times reports the striker has made the move and will remain at Police for two seasons.

Songa had been with the Police side for the last five years and helped them win the 2015 Peace Cup, before he made the July 11 move.

Barcelona have confirmed Antoine Griezmann has suffered a muscle injury and will could miss the remainder of their La Liga campaign.

The 29-year-old forward started for Quique Setien's team as they beat Real Valladolid 1-0 on Saturday, but he had to be replaced at half-time, with Luis Suarez coming on to partner Lionel Messi up front.

Setien confirmed after the game that the France international had asked to come off because he was feeling some discomfort after the first half.

Griezmann had to undergo scans on his right leg on Sunday which revealed he had suffered an injury and the Catalan side are unsure how long he will be kept out of action.

"Tests this morning have shown that first-team player Antoine Griezmann has a muscle injury in the quadriceps of his right leg," a statement on the club's website confirmed. 

"He is therefore not available for selection at the present time and the evolution of the injury will condition his availability."

Griezmann will at least be unavailable for Thursday's match against Osasuna, but will likely miss the final clash with Deportivo Alaves on July 19.

Griezmann, who joined the Camp Nou outfit from Atletico Madrid last summer, has scored nine goals in 35 appearances in La Liga this term.

The attacker's injury will likely see Suarez return to the starting XI for the last two matches, as Setien confirmed on Saturday that he was just being rested after playing five games in a row.

The Catalan side are second in the Spanish top-flight and trail leaders Real Madrid by one point.

Barca will then turn their attention to their Champions League campaign, which resumes on August 8 when they face Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 tie.

The two sides drew 1-1 in the first match in Italy in Febraury before the competition was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jose Mourinho hopes to instil a winning mentality in Tottenham as they gear up for Sunday's derby clash with Arsenal.

The Portuguese coach took charge of the north London side in November, replacing Mauricio Pochettino at the helm following a dismal start to the season despite reaching the Champions League final last term.

Spurs' struggles are not yet over, however, as they sit 10th in the Premier League and have been eliminated from all other competitions.

The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid boss admits it will take time to get Tottenham playing the way he wants, but he is determined to turn them into a real Mourinho side.  

"I want the team to be a reflection of what the coach is. When that happens, that's when you feel: 'This is really my team.'," he told Sky Sports.

"This is something that is not a finger click. It's a process. But if you have that feeling that it is your team even when you lose matches - because you will always lose matches - then that is when you are really happy."

He continued: "To come mid-season to a team in this situation is not easy. 

"I think it's good, in relation to next season, because it helps you to prepare.

"But for the moment it's not a very easy situation, especially for myself as this is only the second time I have done it in my career."

Tottenham are a point behind Arsenal heading into Sunday's clash with Mikel Arteta's team.

They have not finished below their local rivals in the table since the 2015-16 campaign and Mourinho says he and his team are fired up for the first north London derby of his tenure.

"When I am in a club, I like to be one of them and I like to feel what my people feel," he added.

"It's a new feeling for me when I move from club to club, but I learn that feeling very, very fast. I would say that the moment I put my foot in a club for the first time, I learn it automatically.

"So yes, I am one of them. In this case, one of us, which is Tottenham people. What is important for the fans is important for me.

"When I go to a derby as Inter manager, I know what it means for them. When I go as Real Madrid manager, I know what it means for them. And when I go as Tottenham manager, I know what it means for them.

"They can count on me to have exactly the same feelings, the same desire and the same passion that they have.

"When you are a player or a coach of a certain team, it cannot just be a job for you. You must have a sense of duty and a responsibility towards the people who love your club.

"For me, my club, my passion, my love, is the club where I am. In this moment, if you ask me if I know how important it is for Tottenham fans to look at their biggest rivals, then of course I know it and of course I share it."

The South African Football Association (Safa) has expressed disappointment at the PSL's decision to resume the season on July 18. 

In a letter sent to Safa's acting CEO Tebogo Motlanthe dated July 10, the league acting CEO Mato Madlala said the board of governors resolved in their meeting to go ahead with matches next weekend. 

The PSL and its board of governors also identified 14 stadiums around the Gauteng province to be used as training venues while matches will be played in 11 venues. 

The following stadiums have been chosen as training venues for the clubs: Marks Park (Johannesburg), Wanderers (Johannesburg), St Stithians (Johannesburg), Fourways High (Johannesburg), Johannesburg Stadium, Ruimsuig Stadium (Johannesburg), Auckland Park Bunting (University of Johannesburg), Chris Hani Stadium (also UJ), Loftus Versfeld (Tshwane), University of Pretoria (Tshwane), Pilditch Stadium (Tshwane), TUT Stadium (Tshwane), Germiston Stadium (Ekurhuleni), Vosloorus Stadium (Ekurhuleni)

The board of governors put forward the FNB Stadium, Orlando Stadium, Dobsonville Stadium, Rand Stadium, Makhulong Stadium, Ellis Park, Bidvest Wits, Loftus Versfeld, Lucas Moripe Stadium, University of Pretoria Stadium and the Tsakane Stadium as the match venues.

This despite Gauteng being the new epicentre for the coronavirus having overtaken the Western Cape in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases this week.   

However, the resolution by the board of governors is subject to government's approval but Safa is against the idea of exposing players and match officials to the coronavirus so soon. 

In his response to Madlala's emailed letter, Motlanthe said he was surprised by the contents of the letter, especially because it came hours after the two football bodies agreed to postpone their meeting. 

The reason for the postponement was because PSL compliance officer Michael Murphy wasn't present due to health issues. 

"I would like to express utter surprise at the contents of the letter, coming as it does only a few hours after we agreed at our meeting, (at the request of the NSL) that we cannot conduct any substantive deliberations due to Mr Murphy's absence due to ill health," said Motlanthe.

Furthermore, Motlanthe feels the PSL's resolution undermines Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa's directive that Safa should oversee the return-to-play. 

He indicated Safa's stance that no football should be played before August 1 to ensure the safety of the players and officials, including match officials, in his response. 

It is for that reason the association said it will being their head of referees Tenda Mashikhwa to their Monday meeting with the PSL, confirmed Motlanthe. 

"The unilateral confirmation of training venues and date for resumption of play on 18 July 2020 by the NSL is against the spirit of our meeting and the resolutions of the Joint Liaison Committee," he added.

"Sadly, it also undermines Minister Mthethwa's directive that the Association should play an overarching role in this matter," he added.

"I wish to reiterate two critical factors we outlined at the meeting today [Friday], namely; that we are committed to the resumption of play under safe conditions wherein the safety of players, team officials, match officials and other participants is not compromised and secondly, that for the reasons outlined at the meeting and in the presentation I have since sent you, it is not practical to expect the resumption of play before 1 August 2020.

"It is for this reason that we agreed to invite the management of the Referees Department to our next meeting to outline their project timelines, which will then enable all of us to make informed, responsible decisions." 

Safa feels the match officials won't be ready to get on with the work on July 18.  

"One of the primary considerations for the return to play is that the mobilization, administration, group training, and conditioning of match officials cannot be done with haste. It must be executed meticulously and with due regard to for Caf and Fifa prescripts. This is in addition to the prerogative to respect the process outlined by the government," explained Motlanthe. 

PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza is set to address the media on the return of football at 12:00 on Monday. 

Harambee Stars legend Dennis Oliech has welcomed the move by Wazito FC to release 12 players, so far,  over what was termed as under-performance.

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side axed foreigners Issioffu Bourahana, Paul Acquah, Piscas Kirenge and Augustine Otu. Others released include goalkeepers Steve Njunge and Kevin Omondi. Victor Ndinya, Teddy Osok, Derrick Otanga and Lloyd Wahome were not spared either.

Striker Paul Kiongers, whose short contract with the team had expired as well, was let go.

Club owner Ricardo Badoer took to Twitter to slam the released players, saying they were being paid for doing nothing, and they were signed without his approval.

His statements received wide-spread criticism but Oliech suggested the Wazito owner was justified with his remarks.

"I like people who are firmly in charge of their teams and take the bull by his horns like Ricardo [Badoer]," Oliech said as quoted by Nairobi News.

"I support his decision to axe the lazy players because they were a big let down to him. 

"Gor Mahia players and other clubs have been suffering after failing to get pay for months yet Wazito players have been paid to date but didn’t perform on the pitch.

"They were just not committed to the team."

The 35-year-old believes the Swedish investor would have been the ideal Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president, only he is not Kenyan.

"Nobody would want to invest and pay underperformers even in business," Oliech added.

"If he was a Kenyan, I would have vouched for him to lead the federation because he is a no-nonsense man in management.

"He is firmly in charge of his team and rewards hard work by retaining those who are ready to excel."

Kiongera has since shed some light on why he parted ways with the 2018/19 National Super League side.

"I take this opportunity to thank the management and teammates for the great time and the success we achieved together at Wazito," Kiongera wrote on his social media pages.

"However, due to differences in opinion as regards my terms of engagement I'm to take a new challenge elsewhere."

The former Gor Mahia striker managed to score four goals before the season was halted in mid-March owing to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Fans travelling to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup can expect a truly special and unique experience, says CEO of the World Cup Nasser Al Khater.

The tournament is set to be one of the most compact World Cups ever held, with all the eight venues situated quite close to each other. This is apart from other pioneering aspects like the use of cuttng-edge technology like the Stadium Cooling and other similar initiatives that make the first ever World Cup to be held in the Middle-East unique.

Al Khater says that much of their planning for the World Cup has centred around ensuring the fans have a lot to engage themselves in.

"Much of our focus remains on operational planning and ensuring we offer a fan experience which makes this World Cup unique,” said Al Khater during a webinar hosted by the Swiss Business Council Qatar.

Given the close proximity of the stadiums, there is a possibility for fans to watch even two or more games in one day in Qatar. Al Khater says the organising committee is focusing on ensuring adequate travel arangements to facilitate their movement.

Al Khater also promises dedicated fan zones in strategic locations which will feature a wide vareity of activities to satiate football fans.

"We want to make sure fans have a holistic experience in terms of transport and are able to watch more than one match per day. There will be large fan zones in strategic locations, a vast range of activities and the opportunity to walk between West Bay and Souq Waqif."

The high-ranking Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) official also revealed that more than 85 per cent of the construction work for the 2022 event has been completed, with two more stadiums set to be unveiled before the end of 2020.

Despite the work being slowed down due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, all construction work will be completed at least a year before the tournament is slated to begin.

"We have reached 85 per cent completion across our construction portfolio. Two more stadiums will be launched by the end of this year, followed by Lusail, Al Thumama and Ras Abu Aboud in 2021. We will have at least a year between the completion of the stadiums and the beginning of the World Cup.”

Al Khater added: “The pandemic has affected everyone – and of course our project is not immune. However, preparations have continued and we have taken all the necessary health and safety measures – in line with government regulations. We have all become very familiar with Zoom and Microsoft Teams in recent months.”

Qatar recently unveiled the Education City stadium - the third World Cup 2022 venue to be inaugurated - after a digital ceremony that paid tribute to frontline health workers fighting the pandemic.

Graeme Souness believes Tottenham are "stalling" under Jose Mourinho and have fallen behind Arsenal.

Despite reaching the Champions League final last season, Spurs have endured a turbulent 2019-20 campaign.

Mourinho took charge of the London side in November after the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino, but the Portuguese has been unable to get them back in form.

Having won just two of their last 11 matches in all competitions, Spurs are 10th in the Premier League and have crashed out of the Champions League and FA Cup.

Souness believes the Tottenham job is the toughest the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid boss has faced so far in his career, but fears they are falling further behind their rivals.

"It seems strange to say this when you consider that Tottenham reached the Champions League final last June and have finished in the top four in the past four seasons while Arsenal have not made it into that bracket since 2016, but ask yourself this: who would you rather be managing right now — Tottenham or Arsenal?," the ex-Liverpool manager wrote in The Times.

"Arsenal are a long way from the finished article but they have two strikers with good scoring rates in Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and some young players, most notably Bukayo Saka, who provide energy and the promise of something good to come not far down the line.

"Tottenham look like a club which is stalling. Against Bournemouth last Thursday and in defeat by Sheffield United a week before, their players looked like they were ready to hit the beach.

"That is inexcusable at any time for a professional footballer but especially when you consider that when they went into the latter fixture Champions League qualification was far from a distant prospect.

"What Mourinho must be realising is that the club’s progression to the Champions League final papered over the cracks.

"They played some brilliant football and showed huge character to come through the quarter-final against Manchester City and semi-final against Ajax yet they also played some very sloppy football in those ties and ran out of steam in the final weeks of last season."

He continued: "Last summer they spent more than £50 million on Tanguy Ndombele. Unfortunately, he has yet to prove that he can cut it in the Premier League.

"Recruitment is integral to a successful club but at Tottenham it’s not clear who is in charge of it and what the strategy is.

"For Mourinho, it’s a bit like when he took over at Old Trafford — but without the big budget."

While Souness believes Spurs must address their ageing and underwhelming defence, he is more concerned about their chances of convincing star striker Harry Kane to stay.

"The worry must be, though, that Kane is gone within a year. He turns 27 later this month so is in his prime yet has no honours to show for being one of the best strikers in the world," he added.

"You will often hear the phrase 'Show us yer medals' in the context of footballers sizing up a manager. There comes a time too though when the best players must turn that phrase on themselves. Kane has no medals to put in his trophy cabinet. However well paid he is and however loyal he feels to the club, that should annoy the hell out of him.

"It’s not even as if he will have Champions League football next season. In fact, Spurs will be lucky if they are back in it the year after that because Chelsea, Manchester United and, possibly, Arsenal are getting their acts together.

"My take on Spurs is that they are back to the same position they found themselves in when Mauricio Pochettino took over in 2014."

Marcus Rashford deserves more credit for his "amazing" teamwork for Manchester United despite his goal return drying up, Bruno Fernandes says.

Rashford reached 20 for the season in all competitions with a penalty in the 5-2 Premier League win over Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

This has been the England forward's most productive campaign of his career in terms of goal involvements, but he has not yet scored from open play since the Premier League returned last month.

Fernandes has had no such trouble finding the net, his four goals in his past three league games helping him to win the Premier League Player of the Month award for the second time in a row.

But the Portugal star insists Rashford is hugely important for a United side unbeaten in 17 matches and with a top-four finish now in their own hands.

"I think everyone is talking about Marcus not scoring a lot of goals but he is doing an amazing job," Fernandes told United's website ahead of Monday's clash with Southampton.

"The game he is playing now, maybe he is not achieving his goals and everything but, with everything we are doing now, he will achieve more goals and more assists.

"In the games, in the complete football, because football is not just about goals and assists, it is about the team and Marcus is playing very well for the team.

"I hope Marcus can find more goals because he deserves it for the work he is doing for the team, and nobody sees it because everyone sees the goals and who scores and assists. The work he is doing for the team is amazing.

"Marcus was injured for a long time so it's difficult to find that confidence again, to do things like shoot from far out. But he is doing an amazing job for the group and I think he deserves credit for this."

Fernandes drew attention to Rashford's off-the-ball run in the 3-0 win at Brighton that helped to create the space for the swift counter-attack that ended with Fernandes volleying in United's third goal.

"The play we did, the way we came to score, means it's one of the best goals from a team [perspective] that I've scored,” he said.

"That's because of all the teamwork. We won the ball with the header from H [Harry Maguire], Nemanja [Matic] takes the ball and Mason [Greenwood] did an amazing run but, at that moment, Rashy did a perfect run.

"He was one of the far [off] guys but comes so fast to the goal that defenders know if they give him space, he will score. 

"So maybe he [the defender] closes him down being closer to the ball and, when the cross comes over, and it was a great ball by Mason, after that I just need to score the goal."

Former Orlando Pirates winger Tlou Segolela has suggested that the Soweto giants sign a goalkeeper, centre-back and a midfielder in the next transfer window.

Following a season in which Pirates’ chances of lifting the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title are very slim, Segolela feels that the team should be beefed up for next term.

“As you see, Pirates now have a nice foundation,” said Segolela as per Sun Sport.

“I can say the team needs to sign a centre-back, goalkeeper and in the middle, they need that one hard player who will do the dirty job for them and release the attacking players to score goals.”

Pirates have scored the second-highest number of goals (35) in the PSL so far this season and coach Josef Zinnbauer appears to have a decent strikeforce highlighted by the league's top goal-scorer Frank Mhango, who has scored 14 times.

This has left Segolela recommending reinforcement in other departments.

Experienced Wayne Sandilands is the current Pirates number one goalkeeper and he was having a good season before football was paused in South Africa after a nervy start to the term.

They also have Siyabonga Mphontshane, who has struggled for game time, and Frenchman Joris Delle, who started the season ahead of Sandilands but was elbowed out as number one after a series of blunders.

This has seen the Soweto giants being linked with Bidvest Wits shot-stopper Brandon Peterson and Maritzburg United’s Richard Ofori.

In the backline, Pirates have been battling to find a trusted partner for captain Happy Jele at the heart of the defence.

Largely due to a non-impressive combination between the goalkeeping department and defenders, Pirates have conceded the highest number of goals (26) in the top six in the PSL standings.

The arrival of South Africa and Bidvest Wits skipper Thulani Hlatshwayo, who is strongly linked with a move to the club, would be a big catch for Zinnbauer.

Former Maritzburg defender and free agent Siyanda Xulu has also been talked about as a Pirates transfer target, together with his former central defence partner at the Team of Choice, Rushine de Reuck, who is reportedly eyeing a move to Europe.

Wits midfielder Deon Hotto has also been reported as on Pirates' radar and but it remains to be seen if Zinnbauer manages to secure most of his rumoured targets.

Segolela has hailed the German as having made players believe in his coaching methods.

“Players are starting to believe in the coach’s philosophy, style of play. Usually, those things take long but they have to get it right,” Segolela said.

Pirates are currently in the fourth position on the PSL log but have strong chances of finishing third, which would hand them a spot in the Caf Confederation Cup next season.

Yanga SC communication officer Juma Antonio Nugaz has taunted his counterpart from Simba SC, Haji Manara, stating the Jangwani-based side is ready 'to fluke' again in Sunday's Kariakoo Derby.

A Bernard Morrisson free-kick handed Timu ya Wananchi maximum points in the last meeting on Sunday, March 8 at the National Stadium.

Despite the defeat, Manara has been insisting it was a fluke and Wekundu wa Msimbazi were the better side and they will prove so in the FA Cup semi-final match.

"We can not stop [Manara] from talking, but if we fluked to beat them in the last meeting, then be rest assured we are determined to fluke again and win on Sunday," Nugaz told reporters.

"Preparations have been on point and we know we have a point to prove at the National Stadium. We are determined to show Simba that we are a quality side and can get back to back wins against them."

The Msimbazi-based side have been boasting about the depth in their squad which gives coach Sven Vandenbroeck a chance to rotate as he pleases. However, that does not worry their opponents.

"We believe in the quality we have in our players and not about quantity," Nugaz continued. 

"Coach [Luc Eymael] understands our players better and we have faith he will select a side capable of sending us to the final of the FA Cup. It is all about who can deliver what on the pitch.

"So for [Simba] having many players, it does not worry us, the many players they have will not all be involved. Just selected 11, same case with us. The selected ones will meet and battle it out on the pitch."

Simba have already won the league and are guaranteed a place in the Caf Champions League. For Timu ya Wananchi, Sunday's game means more than getting bragging rights, with a spot in the Caf Confederations Cup on the line.

"Kariakoo Derby is a massive game which every team want to win, and we want to ensure we give our fans something to brag about," Nugaz continued.

"But apart from getting the bragging rights, we want to play in continental assignments next season, we want to play in the Caf Confederation Cup and it is the reason why we must win the derby."

Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga failed to score again as Kashiwa Reysol registered a straight third loss on Saturday.

Olunga and Reysol were tormented by Kawasaki Fontale at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium as they lost 3-1.

It was the third match for the J2 League 2019 title winners since the resumption of the Japanese league after losing initial matches to Tokyo FC and Yokohama FC.

A double from Akihiro Lenaga, in the 40th and in the 42nd minutes, was enough to ensure Kawasaki Frontale went to the half-time break with a clear lead. Kyohei Nabarizato, incidentally, was the provider of both assists.

Kawasaki Frontale scored the third goal seven minutes after the resumption of the second half through Leandro Damiao to ensure Olunga and his company were not going back home to Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa with any points.

Hiroto Goya scored Kashiwa Reysol’s lone goal four minutes after Damiao’s to deny the home side a clean sheet.

The win took Kawasaki Frontale to the top of the table with 10 points after four matches played. Olunga and Kashiwa Reysol dropped to the 14th position as they find the top-flight journey rather tough at this point.

In another Saturday match, Oita Trinita drew 1-1 against Vissel Kobe. There will be seven matches scheduled to be played on Sunday as the league gathers speed following a suspension that saw it halt matches for close to four months.

A win for Sagan Tosu against Sanfrecce Hiroshima will see them go ahead of Kashiwa Reysol on four points against the latter’s three.

The matches are being played behind closed doors as a measure to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Olunga opened his maiden J1 League campaign with a double for Kashiwa Reysol against Consadole Sapporo on February 22.

The former Gor Mahia and Thika United star had expressed fear his form might go down when football activities were suspended.

“I had scored against Gamba Osaka in the J-Cup and then scored in the first league match of the season and then the games were stopped,” Olunga explained in an earlier interview.

“With that form, I was looking to be among the top scorers in the league here and also positively influence the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.”

Kashiwa Reyol’s next match will be against Shonan Bellmare on July 18.