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Monaco forward Henry Onyekuru has revealed his desire to return to the Premier League in the future.

The Super Eagles star was snapped up by Everton in 2017 following his eye-catching performances for Belgian First Division A side KAS Eupen, where he scored 28 goals in 57 appearances during his two-year stay.

The forward was, however, immediately loaned to Anderlecht following his failure to secure a work permit which would have enabled him to play in the English top-flight.

The winger spent two years with the Goodison Park outfit without playing for the side as he made do with loan spells. 

Besides featuring for Anderlecht, the Aspire Academy graduate also played for Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray and won the league title with the side.

Last summer the winger teamed up with Monaco permanently but his failure to quickly adapt to Ligue 1 saw him return to the Turk Telekom Stadı in January on a short-term loan deal.

The forward has recently returned to Monaco after reaching the end of his loan deal with the Turkish outfit and stated he is open to returning to the English top-flight.

“The Premier League has always been my dream and I hope to return someday,” Onyekuru told Channels TV.

The forward made his debut for the Nigeria national team in a friendly against Togo in 2017 and has now played 11 times for the West Africans.

He was part of Gernot Rohr’s side that finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where he featured prominently.

The 23-year-old winger has recounted his emotion when he received his first call-up to the Nigeria national team.

“I was very happy I called my mum; you know she named me after Henry Nwosu. I didn’t cry but could not eat,” he continued.

“It has been a good experience so far with the Super Eagles; we are on the right path with a good coach, young talents; everyone is on the same goal.”

Following the outbreak of coronavirus, the few leagues that have returned are now played behind closed doors and the forward feels the situation could remain the same until there is a cure to the pandemic, which has wreaked havoc across the world.

“I think spectator will be back when the cure is found, playing without the fans is not the same,” he added.

Onyekuru will hope to use pre-season to adapt to Monaco to enable him to make a significant impact for the French club in the 2020-21 season.

Real Madrid moved a significant step nearer to a 34th LaLiga title as Karim Benzema set them on the way to a 2-0 win over Deportivo Alaves.

The gap to Barcelona in second place is back to four points, and it would take a mighty collapse from this position for the teams to swap positions.

Marco Asensio grabbed Madrid's second goal after Benzema's early penalty, and Zinedine Zidane's side could have stretched their lead as a string of chances came their way.

But lowly Alaves contributed plenty to an entertaining game, enough to suggest they can survive in the top flight under their new coach Juan Muniz.

Madrid edged ahead with an 11th-minute spot-kick from Benzema after Ferland Mendy – starting in place of the injured Marcelo – was brought down by Alaves right-back Ximo Navarro.

Benzema, filling in for suspended regular penalty taker Sergio Ramos, calmly fired into the bottom-left corner.

Madrid had by that stage survived a scare when Joselu headed against the crossbar from just five yards and Lucas Perez's follow-up was booted off the line by Raphael Varane.

Joselu squandered another chance when he shot wide for Alaves, who have now lost six straight games to put their place among the elite in unexpected peril.

The visitors to the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, being led by Muniz for the first time, continued to ask questions of Madrid's backline.

But the jig was up for them early in the second half, with Benzema fed by Rodrygo before slipping in Asensio to score from close range. To the naked eye, Benzema appeared offside, but VAR replays favoured Zidane's team.

Benzema and Rodrygo saw shots pushed away by Roberto Jimenez as Madrid went in for the kill.

It hardly mattered that they failed to add to their haul, the pressure now overwhelming for Barcelona as they head to Real Valladolid on Saturday.

What does it mean? Madrid edge closer

Barcelona are waiting for a Madrid stumble that does not look like coming. Los Blancos rode their luck in this game, especially in the first half when the clearest chances were created by Alaves, but it is eight wins from eight since the restart for Madrid, and a four-point cushion with three rounds remaining is massive. Alaves could do with halting their slide sooner rather than later, given their last game of the season is against Barcelona.

Benzema steps up

Not only did Madrid's number nine take over penalty duties from Ramos, he also took on the captaincy and performed like a true talisman. He finished the game in the stands, seemingly nursing an injury that may make him a doubt for upcoming fixtures.

Reasons to be cheerful for Muniz

Alaves are worryingly close to the drop zone, but this was always unlikely to be the game where they turned the corner results-wise. Six straight defeats is an awful run at any stage of the season, but it could be calamitous now should it be extended any further. However, for much of the first half here they were the more dangerous attacking unit, with Oliver Burke and Joselu especially threatening, and they should survive if this bold performance was not a one-off to mark the arrival of Muniz.

What's next?

Madrid are back in action when they face Granada on Monday. That could be the game in which they win the title, should Barcelona slip up against Real Valladolid on Saturday. Alaves face Getafe next, also on Monday.

Former Spain boss Vicente del Bosque says Bert van Marwijk travelled to Madrid to apologise for Netherlands' playing style in the World Cup final in 2010.

Spain beat Van Marwijk's Oranje in the final in Johannesburg 1-0 after extra-time, with Andres Iniesta scoring the decisive goal just four minutes before the final whistle.

Netherlands were heavily criticised for the way they played throughout the tournament and their display in the final in particular was seen as overly combative by many.

The image of Nigel de Jong's foot planted firmly in the chest of La Roja midfielder Xabi Alonso was held up as the crowning example of the Dutch's physicality in South Africa.

Their destructive style marked a complete turnaround from the attractive Total Football philosophy pioneered by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff which guided them to consecutive World Cup finals in the 1970s, though they were defeated on both occasions.

Dutch great Cruyff slammed Van Marwijk's team for playing "anti-football" in the wake of the 2010 defeat, while Spain were hailed for their exciting passing game which helped them claim a first ever world title as well as success in two successive European Championships. 

Van Marwijk said in the wake of the 2010 competition that he was proud of his players for coming in second.

But while Del Bosque held back from chastising the Dutch for their harsh tackles on his side, he revealed that Van Marwijk went out of his way to say sorry to his counterpart.

"He felt a little bit. He didn't completely agree. We had a big respect for Netherlands and their whole traditional style," Del Bosque said in an interview with Goal.

"In the beginning of the game, in their early steps trying to destroy our game they did some things that weren't that good but I am nobody to scold it.

"But it is true he came to Madrid in December to join us for a while. He is such a gentleman, a great guy. You must be a special guy for making these kinds of gestures."

Del Bosque spent eight years in charge of the Spain team and retired from the game after his tenure ended in June 2016.

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Josta Dladla says his good reputation at Danish Superliga side Aarhus GF paved the way for Bafana Bafana fringe player Gift Links to be accepted at the club.

Dladla spent three seasons at Aarhus during his playing career before returning home to join Mamelodi Sundowns and later on Kaizer Chiefs.

With Links now turning out for the Danish side, Dladla has encouraged the 21-year-old to leave good and lasting impressions that would open doors at the club for other South African footballers.

“It’s important that he carries himself well because that is how the Danish will judge South African players who will follow in his footsteps," Dladla was quoted as saying by Sun Sport.

"If I had given the club issues during my time there, they most likely wouldn’t have taken a chance on any other South African player after me. 

“The Danish Superliga is actually a nice league to play in, but isn’t always the easiest. Aarhus are a nice team which always embrace young talent.

"People were looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the team, that’s for sure.”

Links joined Aarhus from Cape Town City at the beginning of September 2019 and has been one of their regular players this season.

He has, however, managed just one assist and has scored no goals in 11 league appearances so far this season.

“And Gift was always going to encounter a few hardships but the most important thing was for him not to give up. He needed to take his time and get comfortable, and it will show on the field,” Dladla said.

“Aarhus is a very small city and you do the same things over and over again, which can get lonely and a player can easily get homesick but he needs to stay there and focus on his game.

“He is not the biggest player, but he has been blessed with skill and plenty of pace. He is good at using that speed to trouble defenders.

"Those Scandinavian players are huge and they don’t like people running at them.”

It is not the first time for former Platinum Stars player Links to ply his trade outside South Africa.

His first home on foreign soil was a brief stint at Egyptian side Al Assiouty Sport which are now named Pyramids FC.

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has revealed the officials who will be in charge for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final between rivals Simba SC and Yanga SC at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

It will be the third Kariakoo Derby this season with the initial two in the league - the first one ended 2-2 while the Jangwani-based side won the last meeting by a solitary goal.

The match commissioner will be Ally Katolila from Dar es Salaam, as well as Nadeem Aloyce, Ramadhan Kayoko, Frank Komba and Kassim Mpanga.

Other two officials are Abubakar Mturo and Abdallah Mwinyimkuu, who are from Mtwara and Singida, respectively.

The Tanzania Mainland League champions eliminated holders Azam FC after claiming a 2-0 win in the quarter-final.

Captain John Bocco, who has turned into a key goal-scoring figure for the Wekundu wa Msimbazi since football resumed in Tanzania, scored the opener in the 40th minute to ensure Simba were leading at the break.

Benedict Haule's misplaced pass was collected by Francis Kahata and the Kenyan's cross into the box was headed in by Bocco with minimal interruption from the opponents.

Simba fought and they were deservedly rewarded in the 57th minute when Zambian Clatous Chama scored the second to stretch the lead against the defending champions.

Yanga also made it into the final four after defeating Kagera Sugar 2-1 in another all top-tier quarter-finals.

Kagera were the better side as they pressured Yanga in the opening stages and it took them only 20 minutes to take a deserved lead when Aweku Ibrahim scored from close range.  

After the resumption, Yanga levelled matters when Congolese import David Molinga met a cross from a corner-kick to head home to score his third goal for the club in just three days.

Deus Kaseke then won the game for Timu ya Mwananchi after he slotted home from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after a Kagera defender was punished for bringing down Molinga.

On Saturday, Namungo FC will be playing Sahare All-Stars in another semi-final match.

Namungo defeated Alliance FC 2-0 to advance with All-Stars defeating Ndanda in a shoot-out to complete the list.

The eventual winner will play in the Caf Confederation Cup and Sunday's match will kick-off at 17:00.

Former Ghana international Shilla Illiasu Alhassan has shed more light on his failed 2006 move to Arsenal following a brilliant performance at the World Cup.

Then on the books of Ghana Premier League (GPL) outfit Asante Kotoko, the defender impressed in group matches against the Czech Republic and Italy, benefiting from a nightmarish outing of Samuel Kuffour in the tournament opener against Italy.

He attracted interest from Arsenal but failed to seal a deal with the Gunners after a trial spell.

“When the opportunity to play for Arsenal came, I was in doubt. I didn’t think my dream was coming to pass. I love Arsenal," Shilla narrated to TV3.

“After our game against Czech Republic, I was at the hotel when my agent came to me and said ‘Shilla, gradually we are getting close, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was at the stadium and so after the tournament, you are going to Arsenal for trial’.

“I went to Arsenal for two weeks. I nearly signed a deal. I remember Ghana’s [post-World Cup friendly] game against Togo in London, I came to the match and saw a journalist and he said ‘Shilla, congratulations you have been given the No.27 jersey to represent Arsenal’.

"Kolo Toure was there and he also said ‘sign, what are you waiting for?’ and I told him I was waiting for my agent. If you ask me what really went wrong, I can’t tell.

"I really regret not signing for Arsenal."

Illiasu's stay with Kotoko was courtesy of a loan agreement with King Faisal. Recently, the former centre-back blamed Faisal president Alhaji Karim Grunsah for sabotaging the transfer. 

“Arsene Wenger told me that he had monitored me against Czech Republic and believes that I’m one of the best defenders in Africa. He told me he wanted to sign me to Arsenal to help his team," Illiasu told Asempa FM in April. 

“I started training with them and after the third training session, the agent called and confirmed Wenger was impressed and wanted to sign me.

“Later, the agent called and requested that I speak with Alhaji Grunsah because he was being stubborn, and that I should also engage Kotoko - Kwabena Kesse 'Kessben' was then the CEO.

“I remember I spoke to him and Mr Kesse told me they were still in talks with Arsenal and assured me my future remained the central focus."

Retired from football, the 37-year-old Shilla is now a farmer in northern Ghana. 

Vipers SC head coach Fred Kajoba has insisted their transfer business will not be influenced by outsiders.

Vipers has been one of the busiest Ugandan clubs in the market and have signed four players so far in preparation for an appearance in the Caf Champions League next season.

The Venoms are strengthening in a bid to have a successful campaign in Africa’s premier tournament as well as on the domestic front.

“To be honest, we are not interested in opinions from outside. All our signings were agreed upon a couple of months ago after identifying the areas where we lacked and needed to recruit,” coach Kajoba told the club’s portal on Friday.

“It’s now six months since I came here, therefore, I have a clear picture of how best to improve this squad. I know the players to keep, the ones to send on loan and those to be released.”

The Ugandan tactician hinted that they may not bring many more players given what they did in the previous transfer window.

“Vipers recruited massively in the out-going season hence there is no need for such kind of business right now. We are only targeting one or two more signings and we shall then close that chapter,” he added.

“We already have a strong squad but our target is to balance all departments to favourably compete on the various fronts. In that regard, key decisions are to be made in shaping the squad and we’re up to the task.”

Kajoba is also hopeful youngsters from the junior team will be ready sp they can be promoted to the senior side.

“The emergence of Karim Watambala, Aziz Kayondo, Ahmed Amayo, Jacob Okao, and Bobos Byaruhanga clearly shows the importance of the club’s youth structure,” added Kajoba.

“Others like Musa Ssali, Umar Kyebatala, Najib Yiga, Richard Basangwa and Ivan Ashaba also look ripe for the big stage. So, we expect promotions within that area.”

Disan Galiwango, whose signing remain contested by his former club Express FC, signed a four-year deal with the Venoms, Ibrahim Orit was roped in from Mbarara City and signed a deal which will see him remain at the St Mary’s Stadium for three years

Jamil Kalisa from Bright Stars put pen to paper on a four-year deal too. 

Real Madrid are set to reveal their brand-new kits for the upcoming season as they look to clinch the Liga title ahead of close rivals Barcelona.

Goal has the latest information about Los Blancos' 2020-21 shirts - home, away and third - as well as when they expected to be fully released and more.

New 2020-21 football kits: Chelsea, Bayern Munich & all the top clubs' shirts & jerseys revealed

Real Madrid's 2020-21 home kit

The Spanish side are yet to reveal their new jerseys for the 2020-21 campaign, but it's a given that their new home strip will be the classic all-white number.

The new home kit under Adidas is expected to not look to different to the Bayern style, featuring the brand's signature three stripes down the sides.

Certain leaks that have surfaced online, however, have suggested that the white number will feature pink accents.

The new home jersey is expected to be revealed later in July.

Real Madrid's 2020-21 away kit & release date

Real Madrid aren't expected to release their away number until after their home kit has been launched, but some leaks have suggested that the club could go for an all-pink kit, matching the accents of their home kit.

Los Blancos have had an all-pink away kit before, with this upcoming away collection a potentially nod to the bright fuschia colours from their 2014-15 season.

Real Madrid's 2020-21 third kit & release date

If online leaks are to be believed, Real Madrid could be going for shades of pink as an ongoing theme for their upcoming 2020-21 kit collection.

The Spanish side's third strip is suggested to have a primarily black base, with the lettering and club crest a shade of pink.

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has predicted a difficult year for the Super Eagles if they qualify for the Fifa World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations, both in 2022.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the global football calendar with the Confederation of African Football (Caf) postponing several competitions, including the 2021 Afcon for health and safety reasons.

The continental tournament, initially scheduled to hold between June and July in 2021, has been moved to January 2022 with Cameroon still the host country.

The Super Eagles have commenced their qualification campaign for the tournament, and they currently are at the top of Group L ahead of Sierra Leone, Benin and Lesotho with six points after two matches.

With the next World Cup tournament in Qatar set to take place in the winter of 2022, the German coach said the hectic qualifying schedule in 2021 might affect the team the following year.

“The Africa Cup of Nations is postponed. It's the same for everyone so it's not a drawback,” Rohr told Girondins4ever.

“We have more time to prepare as well as for other countries. We can continue the play-offs and start the World Cup qualifiers at the same time.

"But it will be a difficult 2022 year because already in 2021, there are a lot of qualifying matches to play for the team.

“I think we will have time to play a few friendlies. In the year 2022, if we have qualified for the World Cup and the Afcon, there will be many, many games to play.

"So it will certainly be a difficult year.”

In May, Rohr agreed a two-and-half-year contract extension with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to continue as the Super Eagles coach until December 2022.

Included in the new deal is a mandate for the former Bordeaux manager to qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar and also win Afcon, after helping them win bronze in Egypt last year.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) youth committee chairman Chris Amimo believes the establishment of the U13 and U15 leagues was a good decision if Kenya is to achieve her dream of playing in the 2026 World Cup.

The competition will have 48 teams, an increase of 16 teams, with Africa set to produce nine teams to battle for the trophy.

The administrator is confident the East Africa nation will have a chance to be part of the tournament to be hosted in Mexico, Canada and the United States.

"This is the way to go if we want to play in the 2026 World Cup," Amimo told reporters.

 "Previously we didn’t have a way of identifying good players until it was too late. But the U13 and U15 leagues give an opportunity to do that.

"The advantage of it is that once we identify a player at that age, they cannot change as they are captured in our systems."

The chairman has also revealed the talents are collected from all over the country and there is a partnership with schools as well to approach players who can join their peers to ensure there is sufficient talent.

"It is a pilot project which we came up with after picking the players from different regions in the country," Amimo added.

"We currently have 30 players but we know this is not enough. We have also established a working relationship with schools who are encouraged to do the same and we set up standards for them."

Stanley Okumbi, who is coaching the U16 national team, believes the already set structures will help develop Kenya football.

"We tend to focus a lot on the senior national teams and even Premier Leagues but the future is with the youth," the former Harambee Stars coach told reporters.

"It is only through the youth structures that we can begin to build our football. This is the future. If we stay on this road, we will see some good progress in the coming years."

Kenya has never qualified for the World Cup since its inception in 1930. 

Papiss Cisse is on the verge of leaving Alanyaspor for their Turkish Super Lig rivals after his agent Sedat Atmaca confirmed "positive" discussions with Besiktas.

Cisse is set to leave the Bahsesehir Okullari Stadium on a free transfer when his two-year deal expires at the end of the 2019-20 season.

The 35-year-old is enjoying his best goalscoring run since 2011 in the Turkish top-flight this season with a return of 22 goals in 29 league outings, which makes him the leading top scorer.

In an update about his striker's future, Atmaca disclosed that the Senegal international has agreed on a one-year contract with the option of another year with Besiktas, but they are yet to reach an agreement on his salary.

“Our negotiations continue. It will be either Besiktas or another place. It will be announced in a few days,” Atmaca was quoted as saying on Radyospor.

“Our meeting with Besiktas was positive, we are trying to agree on the figures. The contract will be 1+1 but the salary issue has not been clarified.

“Cisse looks at Besiktas very positively and wants to play there. Everyone wants to play in a big club like Besiktas. Hopefully, this season he will finish the league as the top scorer.

“We expect this work to be finalised in a few days. Signatures are not made before the season ends. He is currently a contract player of Alanyaspor.”

Cisse has been in fine scoring form since football activities in Turkey resumed after the coronavirus lockdown, scoring nine goals in six games so far.

He has scored at least a goal in his last five matches for Alanyaspor and most recently inspired them to beat Galatasaray 4-1 with his brace on Wednesday.

The Dakar-born star will be aiming to continue his impressive return in front of goal when Alanyaspor visit city rivals Antalyaspor for Sunday's derby match.

With three matches remaining, Erol Bulut's side is sixth in the Super Lig table with 51 points from 31 games. They will also be playing Trabzonspor in the Turkish Cup final on July 29.

Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama made his anticipated Major League Soccer (MLS) debut when Montreal Impact fell 1-0 to New England Revolution on Thursday.

A Gustavo Bou goal was enough to see Thierry Henry's Impact suffer a loss in the first match of the 'MLS is Back' tournament, and the former Arsenal striker said the tie was not won by tactics while calling for improvement from his players.

“Time will tell,” Henry said after the match with regard to whether they are ready for the upcoming fixtures.

“A lot of teams came with different schedules in terms of preparation. You just have to adapt to whatever comes our way. When we play, we're going to try and be ready, and in a better way than we were.

“If you don't fight and you don't win battles, and you lose balls, there is no need even to talk about tactics. There was nothing to do about tactics today [Thursday night]. It was about desire that we didn't have that, and it can happen.

“I'm not questioning the desire of my players but it wasn't there.

“We didn't know where we were going to be physically, but that's not an excuse.”

The Frenchman went ahead and said there was no urgency to fight from his side when compared to the previous ties.

“There's one thing that always I've been talking to the team and talk about before this game is that we do fight, and you saw that before at the beginning of the season,” he added.

“And then at the beginning of this [tournament] again, that didn't happen. This is not an attack against anyone but that didn't happen tonight.

“I'm not saying it won't happen again.”

Henry also accepted the defeat and acknowledged their opponents deserved the slim win more than his side.

“You have to be honest, give credit to New England,” the Arsenal great continued.

“We beat them once and they beat us [on Thursday]. They wanted it more than us. We made too many mistakes under no pressure, individually and as a team.”

Impact are ninth on the MLS table while the win moved New England to the seventh position.

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has admitted the Championship club is not able to sign Tosin Adarabioyo permanently from Manchester City, although they would have loved to have him beyond the 2019-20 season.  

The Anglo-Nigeria has been with the Citizens from the age of five and was promoted to the first team in 2016, making his debut in an FA Cup game against Chelsea.

The defender has, however, struggled for game time since his promotion and he is yet to play in the Premier League for the side.

His quest to play regularly saw him join West Bromwich Albion last season and he went on to make 30 Championship appearances for the side, helping them to the quarter-final stage of the playoffs.

The Super Eagles target teamed up with Rovers last summer and has been a key figure for the side, making 33 appearances across all competitions in the current campaign.

Adarabioyo is nearing the end of his contract with the Citizens and with the uncertainly over his future, Rovers boss Mowbray is unsure of having him for next season on another loan, and revealed his side does not have enough money to sign him permanently.

“Ultimately, we couldn’t afford him, that’s the first part of the question. This is why this loan system is really good because not in a million years could we afford Tosin Adarabioyo,” Mowbray was quoted as saying by Lancashire Telegraph.

“We’ll wait and see, but I’m not thinking sat here that Tosin will be starting next season with us unless Man City do us a huge favour, of course, I’m not sure that will be the case.

“Adarabioyo, in my opinion, he’s been very good for us. He’s still a young boy learning his trade in such a crucial position. He has wonderful attributes.

“I hope he’s enjoyed it. We’d love to have him back, I think it’s a bit more complicated than that.

“First and foremost, for his career, his advisors would expect him to be moving on to try and nail down his career in the Premier League.

“Whether that’s with Manchester City, and that’s not for me to say, he would like to be in the Premier League and be in a squad somewhere, or he could go to La Liga or the Bundesliga to get his career going.

“From our perspective, we’d love to do something with him. At this moment I don’t know Manchester City’s plans.”

Rovers are currently 10th on the Championship table with 59 points from 42 games, five points below a playoff spot and Adarabioyo will hope to help them secure promotion to the Premier League before his departure.  

The defender will be expected to feature when Rovers take on West Bromwich Albion in their next Championship game on Saturday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed it will announce a decision on Manchester City and their appeal against a Champions League ban on July 13.

The Switzerland-based body will confirm the verdict at 10:30 local time on Monday, it said in a statement on Friday.

City's hearing at CAS began on June 8 and concluded two days later, with proceedings having been conducted by video call.

The Premier League club are seeking to overturn UEFA's decision to ban them from European competition for the next two seasons and fine them €30million (£27.2m) after finding them guilty of "serious breaches" of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

City have persistently denied wrongdoing in relation to the matter, which stemmed from a series of articles published by Der Spiegel in November 2018, drawing on information purportedly obtained by the whistleblower Football Leaks.

"The club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position," read a statement at the time from City, who UEFA said had "failed to cooperate" with the investigation.

Speaking on Friday, City manager Pep Guardiola said he had faith in the club's chances of success in their appeal.

"I'm so confident because I saw the arguments of the club that next season we will be there [in Champions League]," he said.

In an interview with HLN, star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne suggested he might be happy to stay at City in the event of a reduction to a one-year ban, although a two-year Champions League absence would force him to consider his options.

"I'm just waiting," he said. "The club told us they are going to appeal, and they are almost 100 per cent sure they are right. That's why I'm waiting to see what will happen. I trust my team.

"Once the decision is made, I will review everything. Two years would be long, but in the case of one year I might see."

Manchester City currently sit second in the Premier League, with Liverpool having already clinched the league title.

City, who maintain a nine-point lead over third-place Chelsea, will face Brighton on Saturday.

Former Ghana striker Baffour Gyan believes players must have a "purpose" to be selected for national duty if the Black Stars hope to realise their Africa Cup of Nations title ambitions.

The four-time champions have suffered a series of disappointments following their last glory at Libya 1982.

On their last attempt at the 2019 championship in Egypt, Ghana produced their worst performance in the competition since 2006.

"I think hard work and discipline can help win the Africa Cup of Nations," Baffour, elder brother of legendary Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan, told Asempa FM.

"We tried winning it during my playing days but we could not achieve what we were expected to achieve.

"Players must not come to the Black Stars anyhow. We must have the purpose of inviting them to play for the country.

"During our time, we hard senior players that we all looked up to, so before they leave [the scene], we are well trained and acquainted to replace them.

"For me, once we are planning to win the Afcon, this must be taken into consideration and I believe we can win it."

Ghana won their first three Afcon titles in 1963, 1965 and 1978, and beat Cote d’Ivoire on penalties in the 1982 final to make it a quartet of titles.

It has since been one heartache or the other for the Black Stars, though.

At the 1992 championship in Senegal, the West Africans bowed to Cote d'Ivoire on penalties in the final. Four year later in South Africa, the Black Stars went just a step further to pick up bronze.

A semi-final loss to Cameroon at the 2008 tournament on home soil broke many Ghanaian hearts. Ultimately, the Black Stars finished third, a position they just surpassed in 2010 when they finished the tournament with silver.

In 2017, Ghana ended the championship in the fourth position.

After two rounds of matches in the qualifiers for the 2021 Afcon, Ghana lead the table in Group C and are well on course to secure a ticket for the championship. 

Young Africans coach Luc Eymael has warned Simba SC forward Bernard Morrison is ready to dump them out of the FA Cup on Sunday.

The two Tanzanian giants will clash in the semi-finals of the domestic Cup at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, with Yanga keen to beat their sworn rivals and reach the final of the competition.

The Belgian coach has now told Goal the Ghanaian forward, who has been in and out of the team but was the tormentor when Yanga beat Simba 1-0 in the last league meeting, is now fit and focused to do another great job on Sunday.

“[Morrison] is fit and ready to down Simba again, he really wants to play against them, he is psyched up and I am also ready to unleash him,” Eymael told Goal on Friday.

“It is true [Morrison] has missed a couple of matches since the league resumed on June 13 but for the last week, he has shown real commitment and determined to help the team, he scored for us against Kagera Sugar and he now wants to score against Simba again.”

During the league match, Morrison curled in a 76th-minute free-kick which beat Simba Aishi Manula for the all-important win.

To further add to the narrative, Morrison has also been the subject of transfer speculation, with Simba reportedly among the teams interested in his services.

On whether injured captain Papy Tshishimbi and midfielder Haruna Niyonzima will face Simba, Eymael said: “The boys did well in training today [Friday], Harun [Niyonzima] is 70% ready and we will make last assessment tomorrow [Saturday] because he only trained alone, partly alone and we don’t want to take a risk with him because he fractured a fibula.

“On [Tshishimbi] we will also make an assessment after training tomorrow, he really wants to play but like I have said before, it is not good to risk a player coming back from injury with a big match like a derby, we will look at him again and decide whether to start him or not.”

On facing Simba again, Eymael said: “It is a derby, the biggest derby in the region and so it will not be an easy task. We have to be ready mentally and I am confident we will get the win we want.”

The match will kick off at 15:00 local time.

Marseille left-back Jordan Amavi has compared the qualities of new teammate Pape Gueye to those of French midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.

The 21-year-old Gueye joined the Olympians as a free agent from Le Harve. He was initially due to join Watford but due to contractual irregularities, he cancelled the deal which paved the way for Marseille to sign him.

Even without kicking a ball, he is already getting rave reviews about his qualities and his likeness to Pogba and Kante, who are on the books of Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively.

The duo of Guinean and Malian descent are World Cup winners with France and have won multiple trophies at club level with Juventus, Manchester United, Leicester City and Chelsea.

“He [Gueye] draws inspiration from Pogba's technique and Kante's recovery,” Amavi told La Provence.

"He has long legs and many qualities. He has a bit of a very fine style with his long passes and is technically comfortable. He is discreet, but on the field, he goes into the duel.”

Marseille boss Andre Villas-Boas revealed the club were on Gueye’s trail for a while and is hoping there will be no legal issues over his purchase as was the case with Watford.

“We have been following him for several months, he was on our list, we thought we had lost him to Watford," Villas-Boas told L’Equipe.

“I leave the legal part to [club President] Jacques-Henri [Eyraud]. We know that things can happen with Watford but we trust our legal department and I hope to have the player all season.

"He has athletic ability, he can play 6 or 8, he has technical qualities for a person his size [1.89m] and he is integrating very well.”

Gueye, upon arriving, equally acknowledged he needs to integrate quickly if he is to be a mainstay in the team.

“I know I will have to work a lot. I am a worker. I chose Marseille because it's a good challenge, with good players. I will learn on a daily basis,” Gueye said on the Marseille website.

“With a coach like Andre Villas-Boas, I can progress a lot in certain areas. I don't have too many fears. I know that I have to progress a lot, integrate as quickly as possible and be good on the field.”

Marseille finished the 2019-20 Ligue 1 season in second place and will be participating in the Champions League for the first time since 2013 next season.

The 2020-21 Ligue 1 season is set to commence on August 23 with Marseille hosting Saint-Etienne at the Stade Velodrome.

Former Chelsea player Gael Kakuta has admitted playing for Lens has been a childhood dream for him after joining them on loan from Amiens.

The 29-year-old DR Congo international was on the books of Les Sang et Or between 1999 and 2007 as a youth player before moving to Chelsea, where his senior career kicked off.

He was not a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge, making just 16 appearances in six years, and spent time on loan at seven different clubs before joining Sevilla in 2015.

Kakuta has also played for Hebei Fortune in China and Spanish clubs Deportivo La Coruna and Rayo Vallecano.

“After I left, I continued to follow Lens. I have always kept in touch with my friends I have known here, players and employees.” Kakuta said on the Lens website.

“This is where it all started. I always wanted to play with the Lens first team. It was my childhood dream.

"This club has always been in my heart and Bollaert-Delelis is a stadium that makes you dream! I did not hesitate as soon as I got the Lens proposal. No matter which club approached me, it was Lens and nothing else.”

Lens are returning to Ligue 1 for the first time since 2015 after they finished second in the second division in the abruptly-ended season and coach Franck Haise is thrilled to have Kakuta, who he says will be an “important element”, at the squad.

“We really wanted Gael to join us. He has qualities and experience of the highest level. The most recent being that of Ligue 1 with Amiens,” Haise said.

“He also wanted to join us. Now make way for the field! We will expect a lot from Gael, but not only from him. Not everything will rest on his shoulders. It will be an important element for us.

“He is a creative player capable of making others play, of creating differences. He is comfortable in the broken phases. We need experienced players who are decisive and able to manage the pace of a match. We expect this from Gael."

Lens president Arnaud Pouille was equally pleased to have Kakuta, saying negotiations were lengthy with Amiens, but in the end worth it.

“It is a great satisfaction to be able to welcome Gael. The discussions were long, which is normal for a player of this quality,” Pouille said.

“We would like to emphasise the attitude very worthy of Gael. Between his determination to join us and get involved in our project and respect for Amiens SC, he demonstrated real values.

“The story is beautiful, that of a young man trained at La Gaillette that we hadn't managed to keep at the time. He will be able to bring to our group his high-level experience and all his technical abilities."

"We are really delighted to welcome him and wish him to accomplish beautiful things in our colours. "

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says he is not interested in watching the documentary series about the team's season.

The Premier League outfit are the latest subject of Amazon's All or Nothing series, documenting their hectic 2019-20 campaign.

Despite reaching the Champions League final last term, the north London side endured a difficult start this time around and saw coach Mauricio Pochettino sacked in November.

Former Chelsea and Manchester Untied boss Mourinho took charge shortly after the Argentine's departure and has guided them to 13 wins from 31 matches in all competitions.

Spurs sit ninth in the table and were knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage by RB Leipzig, while Norwich eliminated them from the fifth round of the FA Cup in March.

The series will be released later this year and Amazon released a trailer on Friday which focused on the Portuguese's arrival.

Mourinho says he does not know what will be included in the documentary show, but he has no desire to find out.

"I try to forget them during the time. If you ask me [is it] something that I enjoy, no," he told reporters.

"I don't like the feeling of being in Big Brother, I tried to forget them and I think I managed to do that for the majority of the time.

"I have no idea what is there, I have no concerns. Nothing is fake, everything is real.

"I think for them it must be great for them because they have day by day, 24 hours of what football club and dressing room is. They have everything.

"So, so, so, so real, nobody acted for it. It is just the way it is. Am I going to watch it? No. No I'm not. 

"It is not something I want to, also because I know better than anyone what our day by day is here but I think it will be very, very interesting for the people who love football and love sport. I think it will be really great for them."

Tottenham are in action again on Sunday when they host local rivals Arsenal, who sit one place and one point above them in the league.

Newly-appointed Chippa United coach Lehlohonolo Seema believes he only needs three wins to save the club’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) status.

As they are left with six games to play to wrap up the 2019/20 PSL campaign, the former Bloemfontein Celtic manager says stability is important in football despite joining a club known not to be patient with underperforming coaches.

Taking a glance at the PSL log, the Eastern Cape-based outfit is 12th with 26 points from 24 matches, six points ahead of bottom club Black Leopards as the season remains halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think we [Chippa] need about three wins out of six and we will be good to go,” Seema told DailySun.

“Then we can prepare well for next season. The chairman [Siviwe Mpengesi] said I have his blessings to assemble the squad the way I want next season, and he will support me to get the players that I want.” 

The former Lesotho international skipper didn’t mince his words, and said he is not scared to get sacked even though Mpengesi has built a reputation as one of the most inpatient bosses in the division.

“Look, coaches will come and go. I’m not scared that I will get fired. I believe in my abilities and I will work as hard as I can,” the former Orlando Pirates skipper added.

“It’s one of the things we know as coaches. They say you are fired the day you are hired.

“Stability is always good. Even in my playing career, I didn’t play at many clubs. I stayed long at Celtic. I stayed long at Orlando Pirates.

“This [Chippa] is my second team. Let’s hope we can work together with the guys and everybody at Chippa and bring the results to the club.

“The chairman spoke to me and said it’s only six games left and there’s nothing much we can do. We just need to make sure we save the status.”