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Yanga SC have provoked Simba SC before their FA Cup semi-final meeting on Sunday.

Yanga said after earning sweet revenge against Kagera Sugar last Sunday in a Mainland Premier League tie, their focus is now on roasting Simba in Dar es Salaam.

“After chewing sugar cane [Kagera Sugar] at Kaitaba, it is time we congregate again on July 12 and roast meat from the wild [Simba] as we celebrate our FA Cup success,” Yanga wrote on their Facebook page.

As Yanga prepare to register what might be their second win against Simba in the year, having won the last league clash 1-0, Wekundu wa Msimbazi have been promised millions should they pick up a victory.

“Get it from me, the players who will start the match are going to get an equal share of the $100,000 and the issue of those who will come on from the bench is yet to be decided,” a senior official at Simba told Mwanaspoti.

“The money has been promised in order to motivate the players but the technical bench members are not part of the expected beneficiaries,” the official added.

“The club's hierarchy will also come up with a plan that will take care of the players who will not be involved in the match at all. We will also see how to say a big thank you to the players after winning the league title a few days ago.”

Meanwhile, Yanga’s midfielder Papy Tshishimbi has revealed his keenness to feature in Sunday's match, having been out injured and has not played in any of the recent engagements.

“I am thirsty to play this game. I will ask for just 40 minutes because I feel very fit and capable of playing,” Tshishimbi told Mwanaspoti.

The Democratic Republic of Congo star also revealed talks with Bernard Morrison, amidst rumours of a transfer from one Tanzanian giant to another for the Ghanaian forward.

“I was in talks with Morrison even during their time of friction with the club management and we also had a chat when he returned to the team,” said Tshishimbi.

“Whatever difference he has with the club officials does not concern me but I believe if they come together they will end up finding a solution.

“He came and apologised to the players due to the disturbances we had while he was out of the team.

“He has assured me that he is back to do what he was doing before and he really wants to play against Simba and help Yanga win.

“He knows what the fans want and he would like to score against Simba in order to clear rumours and be understood rightly.”

Christian Pulisic insists he is not trying to be the next Eden Hazard at Chelsea, with the United States international determined to become a star in his own right as he prepares to welcome added competition for places.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a productive debut campaign in English football, with a number of big tests passed with flying colours.

He got off to a slow start at Stamford Bridge, before suffering an untimely injury early in 2020 and finding himself stuck in coronavirus-enforced lockdown.

Pulisic has, however, unlocked the potential that Chelsea always believed he had when snapping him up from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019.

With the American forward having hit the ground running since the Premier League restart, he is now up to nine goals and assists for the season – with those efforts earning obvious comparisons to former Blues talisman Hazard.

Frank Lampard has, however, done his best to curb such talk, with Pulisic doing likewise.

He has told Sky Sports of the Hazard debate: "He's an unbelievable player. It's pretty obvious what he accomplished at this club and I'm not trying to compare myself to that. What's important for me now is winning games and having an impact for my team.

"I'm really happy I can do that as of recent and my style is always going to continue to be that very attacking-minded and creative kind of player. I'm happy I can help the team any way I can.

"I want to be a part of this team. Every day in training I work hard because I want to start and I want to be on the field and I want to create goals and I want to score goals. That's where I want to be. I want to continue to make a big impact every week and every game."

While Pulisic is thriving at present, he is about to see Chelsea bolster their ranks with the big-money additions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

On the challenge fresh faces will pose, the exciting youngster said: "I'm excited to work with them. It's fun to play with good players, it's easy to play with them and those are two guys we know that are really talented guys so I'm really looking forward to it. We can have a really strong team next season.

"I think there's still work that needs to be done [to catch Liverpool and Man City]. You can see this year that those two, especially Liverpool, have been just so consistent and dominant and that's right where we want to be.

"We want to continue to be that consistent team week in, week out, in tough games, midweek games. We want to be ready and be up for the challenge always. And that's what it’s going to take. We still have our work to do but that's where we want to be.

"We want to continue to win trophies, that's always a goal. We want to continue to be a strong team, contending for that Premier League title."

Simba SC have sent a warning to their rivals in the Mainland Premier League claiming they will have to wait for a long period before they lay their hands on the title.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi clinched their third straight title a week ago after the points they amassed proved too difficult for challengers Azam FC and Young Africans (Yanga SC) to reach and thus they will keep the trophy for good in their cabinet.

Simba SC information officer Haji Manara has now sent a warning that they are not ready to relinquish the title and their aim is to claim another permanent league trophy by winning three more successive titles.

“Ware ready to lift other upcoming five top-flight league titles back to back since our main target is to make seven-title wins consecutively,” Manara told reporters when the team arrived in Dar es Salaam from Lindi, where they were presented with the trophy after their 0-0 draw against Namungo FC.

“We will not surrender the title any time soon, we are the champions and will continue to dominate the local scene, we want to make it three wins in a row again, and we keep another trophy in the cabinet and also start another run of three wins to make it seven.

“I want to thank the players for the good show and their commitment throughout this season and our prayers were always to win the title on the field of play and it is good that we resumed the league to win the title on the field of play, it was what we wanted to avoid people saying Simba have been handed a trophy without playing all the matches.”

On the FA Cup clash against Yanga SC on Sunday, Manara said: “It will be a huge match, a big contest for that matter but as usual Simba are ready to do what they do best, win and there is nothing else.

“We have all players fit and it will be good to win two trophies this season, we want the trophy and we will give all we can to get it, a win will be fine for the boys as we will reach the final.”

Simba CEO Senzo Mazingiza dedicated the league win to all the fans of the club, saying they had really supported the team throughout the season.

“I want to thank the fans, they were always behind the team and their support pushed the players to do their best,” Mazingiza told reporters.

Simba and Yanga will face off at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Thierry Henry made a powerful show of support for the Black Lives Matter movement as the MLS is Back tournament continued on Thursday.

The Montreal Impact coach, wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt, took a knee in his technical area for the first eight minutes and 46 seconds of his side’s game against the New England Revolution.

That is the amount of time prosecutors said police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked worldwide protests.

"Well, I sat down for eight minutes and 46 seconds," Henry said after the game.

"I guess you guys know why. It was just to pay tribute and show support to the cause. That was basically it. It was simple."

A number of soccer teams and players have shown their support for the cause since the sport returned from coronavirus-enforced suspension.

Players from the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage knelt during the playing of the U.S. national anthem in June when the NWSL became the first American league to return.

Members of Black Players for Change made a striking pre-game statement ahead of the opening match of the MLS is Back tournament on Wednesday, as Orlando City faced Inter Miami.

Philadelphia Union players took to the field for their game against New York City FC wearing jerseys featuring the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other victims of police brutality.

Players have made their support for the Black Lives Matter movement clear in spite of President Donald Trump’s snipe at U.S. Soccer on Twitter, when he said he wouldn’t watch the sport anymore after the decision to repeal a policy which forced players to stand during the national anthem.

A statement from U.S. Soccer at the time said: "The policy was put in place after Megan Rapinoe kneeled in solidarity with the peaceful protest inspired by Colin Kaepernick, who was protesting police brutality, and the systematic oppression of Black people and people of color in America.

"It has become clear that this policy was wrong and detracted from the important message of Black Lives Matter.

"We have not done enough to listen -- especially to our players -- to understand and acknowledge the very real and meaningful experiences of Black and other minority communities in our country. We apologise to our players -- especially our Black players -- staff, fans, and all who support eradicating racism."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have opted to pitch camp in Bukoba to prepare for the FA Cup semi-final clash against rivals Simba SC on Sunday.

The two Tanzania giants will meet for the third time this season, in the domestic Cup, after they both won their respective matches in the quarter-finals, against Kagera Sugar and Azam FC.

Yanga were in Bukoba for their Mainland Premier League match against Kagera Sugar which they won 1-0 and instead of returning to Dar es Salaam, where the Simba match will be played at the National Stadium, they have opted to pitch camp there.

According to the club’s information officer Hassan Bambuli, players who were in Dar es Salaam have been forced to join the team in Bukoba ahead of the must-win contest.

“Due to logistics reasons, the big part of preparations will be done in Kagera that is why some players who remained in Dar es Salaam have since been deployed to Kagera to regroup with their colleagues,” Bumbuli is quoted by Daily News .

Yanga are also struggling with injuries heading into the clash with Haruna Niyonzima and Juma Abdul both in a race against time to be fit against the Wekundu wa Mzimbazi.

However, Bambuli is very optimistic the two players will be involved in the clash by stating: “Doctors confirmed they did not sustain dangerous injuries to keep them off the pitch for a long time as such, we expect them to be fully fit on Sunday.”

In the two fixtures they have played so far this season, Yanga came from a goal down to snatch a 2-2 draw in the first round before they turned the screw to beat Simba 1-0 in the second round fixture courtesy of a well-taken free-kick by Ghanaian forward Bernard Morrison.

While Yanga have decided to train in Bukoba, Simba, who were presented with the league trophy at Majaliwa Stadium after their 0-0 draw against Namungo FC, arrived in Dar es Salaam on Thursday and will train at Mo Simba Arena on Friday ahead of the clash.

Yanga are keen to win the trophy and represent the country in the Caf Confederation Cup since Simba have already earned the ticket to take part in the Champions League for the third season in a row following the league triumph.

Liverpool’s front three remain “ahead” of the rest, admits Gary Neville, but Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood are considered to boast the potential that could see Manchester United form their own fearsome attacking unit.

Those at Old Trafford have outperformed Premier League title winners at Anfield this season.

Teenage sensation Greenwood was back among the goals in a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, with the Red Devils seeing their exciting striking trident contribute 56 goals between them.

Mohamed Salah bagged a brace on his most recent outing for Liverpool, but his efforts when combined with those of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane only add up to 53.

The tangible success enjoyed by Jurgen Klopp’s side of late, along with the consistency shown over a prolonged period of time, means that star turns on Merseyside continue to set the standard in English football.

Neville, though, believes that United now have a unit to rival the Reds, telling Sky Sports: “Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are matured, they are established, they are the real deal - the best front three in the Premier League. I was saying that even when Manchester City were winning the league.

“The three that United have got are not at the level of Liverpool's front three yet, you wouldn't expect them to be, but they have the talent and ability.

“There were questions whether Rashford was good enough, whether Martial was good enough and Greenwood hadn't obviously emerged back then, but they are proving they are good enough, that they can play and that they will get better.

“The Liverpool front three are ahead, but it is exciting for Manchester United. If you believe in young players and give them opportunities in the positions they want to play in, you will be amazed what you can achieve.”

While Martial and Rashford have both reached the 20-goal mark this season, it is the emergence of 18-year-old Greenwood that has captured the imagination of those at Old Trafford – with Neville of the opinion that there is even more to come from a talented academy graduate.

The former United and England defender added: “I think Greenwood will develop into a central striker naturally over time. There will come a time when he will step up, he's stepping up game by game now.

“He is outstanding, his talent is incredible. He has everything, the composure, the receiving of the ball, the awareness, the finishing ability.

“You look at Martial, Rashford and Greenwood and think who you would put your money on to finish from all areas of the field. Inside the box, outside the box, left foot, right foot - it would be Greenwood. He's 18 and that is the exciting part.

“It's a no-brainer for him to be in and around the England squad. Gareth Southgate is getting more and more options by the month, players are being developed and are breaking into top teams now.

“Greenwood is such a brilliant talent, if he continues to work hard and keeps his feet on the ground, he can be anything he wants.”

Police FC are set to unveil Eric Ssenjobe as their new signing as they continue building up for the 2020/21 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

The 21-year-old KCCA FC left-back has been a long-term target for coach Abdallah Mubiru and his signing is set to improve the team's rearguard. 

"The club is looking forward to making a number of recruitments ahead of the new season and the next addition will be Eric [Ssenjobe] from KCCA," Sports Nation reported on Thursday.

"He will be unveiled [on Friday] at the Police headquarters in Naguru and will be handed a two-year deal."

The administrative side finished 13th on the table with 25 points, one point above the relegation zone after the league was cancelled by Fufa owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

After 80% of the matches had been played and the results posted before the league break, UPL rules were used to determine the fate of teams.

The Law Enforcers have already sealed the signing of former Uganda international midfielder Tony Mawejje and Hassan Muhamood, from Onduparaka and as a free agent, respectively.

Mawejje was unveiled on Tuesday after agreeing to pen a two-year contract to become the first signing for the club ahead of the new season.  

Mawejje was part of the Police squad, then known as Police Jinja, in 2006 and 2007 although he might take a while to return to full fitness as he has been clubless since 2019 when he terminated his contract with Al-Arabi SC of Kuwait.

Mawejje, 33, is an experienced midfielder having played for more than 10 clubs in his career spanning over a decade.

The Ugandan started playing football in 2004 at Kampala City Council FC, now KCCA FC, until 2005 before he joined Police Jinja for a stint that lasted about two years.

In 2008, Mawejje joined Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) and left in 2009 for IBV Vestmannaeyjar and the club became his first foreign team.

Mawejje spent a long time with the Icelandic club compared to the other clubs he has featured for. He made 106 appearances and scored 10 goals.

The midfielder joined Golden Arrows of South Africa in 2012 on loan, made an appearance, and scored no goals before returning to Europe, and this time around joined Norwegian club Haugesund, but made no appearance at all in 2014.

Alphonso Davies can become a Bayern Munich legend as former head coach Carl Robinson lauded the incredible success story of the Canadian teenager.

Davies has established himself as one of the most exciting players in European football since joining Bundesliga champions Bayern from MLS outfit Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019.

The 19-year-old speedster – who capped a fine campaign with the 2019-20 Bundesliga Rookie of the Year award – has been a revelation on the left side of Bayern's defence, helping the German powerhouses to an eighth consecutive league crown.

Davies also recorded a top speed of 36.51 kilometres per hour in Bayern's 1-0 over Werder Bremen in June, the fastest of any Bundesliga player since at least 2013-14.

The success of Davies, however, comes as no surprise to Welsh coach Robinson, who handed the Canada international his debut as a 15-year-old for the Whitecaps in MLS.

So, Robinson knows Davies better than most and while he is on the path to greatness, the ex-Wolves midfielder insisted there is still plenty of room for improvement.

"I do," Robinson – now coach of A-League side Newcastle Jets – told Stats Perform News when asked if Davies can become a Bayern legend. 

"I know his dream is maybe one day to play in England, like it is for a lot of North American players, South American players, Australasian players. Going to play in Europe is the cream of the crop. That won't surprise me at some stage if that comes, but that will only be based upon his development and continuation.

"But one of my coaches had said to him, there was a clip where they saw him getting back on Mason Mount from 30 yards [in the Champions League]. Mount was breaking and Alphonso managed to get himself back into that area and stop the danger. Everyone was raving about how quick he is, he's not human, he's so quick.

"It's interesting that one of my coaches, Pa-Modou Kah who is now the manager of Pacific FC in the CPL and a very talented coach, turns around and says, 'Alphonso, you were in the wrong starting position'.

"So, the way he gets taught is very important. He is scary in relation to his physical attributes but the detail in it was he was in the starting position. Can you imagine if he plays against a player like him, who is as quick as him, speed of thought is quicker and more experienced?

"He's not getting back and it will be 1-0. The teaching point for him there was he's had an excellent season, so many attributes you can build on and they're already talking about him being a €50 million, €60m player, but there's still areas on his game that he needs to improve.

"What I've learned over my career, the top players need to be coached. If you don't coach them, they complain and moan. They want to be taught. That's why the best managers in the world and Premier League – the Mourinhos, Pochettinos, Klopps and Guardiolas – they are just so demanding on their players and you can see them getting frustrated sometimes with their top players because they need to be coached and you need to show them. If you do that, they progress.

"Football is short. The lifespan of a footballer is very, very small. Your life actually starts when you retire. So, the window gets shorter every year but it's important you learn.

"Lots of good things but also areas to improve if he's to play at that level year in, year out, which I firmly believe he will. But when he comes up against a Marcus Rashford, he needs to be in the right position or he probably won't get back in time."

Rewind back to July 2016 and Robinson – coach of the Whitecaps at the time – introduced Davies to MLS football, just one day after signing a league contract with the club.

Davies came off the bench against Orlando City and became the second-youngest player to take the field in MLS at 15 years, 257 days, behind Freddy Adu (14 years, 306 days).

"It's a great success story for him. I'm really pleased. I'm not surprised one bit," Robinson added.

"Yes, I gave him his debut and I'm really proud that I did do that because back then, I knew what I saw and I gave him that chance. That's what leads me into this next chapter of how can I judge a player when I don't give them a chance? Can you imagine if I didn't make the decision to throw on Alphonso because there were people that said he wasn't ready to play and he wasn't ready to step into first-team football?

"We played Crystal Palace in a friendly game at BC Place and I was told he wasn’t ready but I listened to my staff and coaches key to me, and I believed them and took the chance...Alphonso deserves all the credit.

"He is a fantastic, talented young boy. Now it's about consistency because after having a very good year at left-back, which was key for his development, then he has to do it next year and the year after.

"Then, he can be put into the category of the Gareth Bales, Ashley Coles, the top players like that all over the world. That will be his next challenge but I firmly believe he can do it because he's a good kid."

The fantasy sports industry has seen rapid growth in India over the last few years.

Major players in the industry have overcome the legal issue of fantasy gaming in India. When the functioning of Dream 11 was challenged legally, Rajasthan, Punjab & Haryana and Bombay High Courts ruled that playing such games involved considerable skill and thus, exempted them from the provisions of the Public Gambling Act, 1867. 

India's betting laws haven't realy evolved and there haven't been any regulations or guidelines when the internet era kicked off and brought along with it quite a few online games of skill that offered financial rewards to users. As a result, in 2017, the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) was formed. The FIFS is India’s first and only fantasy Sports self-regulatory body which was established to protect consumer interest.

Fantasy sports, the money-spinner?

The FIFS published the contents of a KPMG report on Thursday, which gave us an insight into the immense growth of the fantasy sports business in India. According to the report, the gross revenues of the online fantasy sports platforms in India stood at $320 million+ for the FY20 (financial year) as compared to INR 920+ crore in FY19. Over a period of 12 months, the figures have been tripled. And interestingly, close to 50 per cent of the transactions on OFS platforms in 2019 was from Tier 2 and Tier 3 Indian cities. 

Talking about the growth of the fantasy sports industry in India in his speech at a FIFS conference on Thursday, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog (The NITI Aayog is a policy think tank of the Government of India), said, “I have very keenly followed the growth of Indian fantasy sports industry as a supporter of technology and good governance. I am a long term believer that India must become a global champion of the fantasy sports industry."

Can Indian football benefit? 

While cricket remains the biggest contributor to fantasy sports platforms, football has played its part. According to a KPMG survey, 77 per cent of fantasy sports users are engaged in contests on cricket and football stands at 47 per cent. 

Over 65 per cent of the respondents of the survey indicated that there is a direct increase in the time spent in analysing, watching and reading about the sport once they started participating in fantasy sports online. But this includes European football, which dominates India's community of football lovers. Can it help bring more people into Indian football? 

With the arrival of Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014, the awareness and marketing aspects of Indian football have improved leaps and bounds. More people are aware of Indian clubs and footballers and the fantasy sports platforms have also been coming up with contests for players to play the games based on Indian football, mainly the ISL.

The FIFS has generally argued that the number of people tuning into real-life sport has also increased with the help of fantasy sports. Players need to be aware of what is happening in matches to enjoy a good run in the games they take part in and earn rewards and this can help football in the country. 

To really make a difference, the quality of football also needs to improve, as pointed out by La Liga India managing director Jose Antonio Cachaza during a FIFS webinar on Thursday. In his response to a question about whether the number of people playing football in India has improved, he observed, "You have to consider football at three levels, grassroots, club level and the national team. India is moving forward but there is still a long way to go. Football connects India to the world. Virat Kohli is a hero in 15 countries. Lionel Messi is a hero in 150 countries. 

"Until a few years ago, we (Spain) were in the same situation. A strong grassroots backed by local government and a good high-performance model (helped us improve)."

There is a reason why all the major fantasy sports platforms have either a movie star or an Indian cricketer as their brand ambassador. The KPMG survey also noted that only nine per cent of its respondents who did not use fantasy sports platforms were aware of ISL, compared to 19 per cent who were fantasy sports consumers. The figure for the same jumped to 84 per cent (non-users) and 88 per cent (users) for Indian Premier League (IPL), 52 per cent (users) and 21 per cent (non-users) for Premier League, 26 per cent (users) and 11 per cent (non-users) for La Liga.

Fantasy sports platforms are here to stay and there are a lot of people who use it. In the long run, they could also contribute to helping the Indian football industry and it would be an added benefit to the real-life sport. 
 

There is a real chance that all the Indian Super League (ISL) club might undergo their pre-season training at the same location where the competition will be held in the 2020-21 season.

With the uncertainty over the Covid-19 crisis not showing any signs of abating, the ISL will be held at a centralised venue in the upcoming season. Goa and Kerala have been mooted as potential hosts, with the former in prime position to hold the competition.

With the tournament following such a direction, the league authorities, ie Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), have asked the teams consider undergoing pre-season training at the same location where ISL will be hosted.

While it is up to the discretion of the clubs but it is very much likely that they will take up the league's suggestion.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there is bound to be quarantine protocols for inter-state travel. So, all teams will have to take that into account when they finalise their arrangements.

As such, all teams will want to arrive at the host state well in advance so as to not leave anything to chance including getting the entire team in quarantine when the competiton kick starts.

A point to be noted here is that international players who come to India will have to definitely undergo quarantine when they enter the country. The clubs wouldn't want them to undergo another round of quarantine with such an interstate travel.

As far as Goa is concerned, travellers coming in can take a Covid-19 swab test two days prior to the travel. Else, travellers will have to get tested in Goa for the same. If the test is negative, they will be allowed in. Anyone testing positive for Coronavirus would either have to go back or stay in quarantine in Goa until their test result is negative.

It also remains to be seen if the protective measures are eased or tightened in the coming months.

From a time when numerous teams flew abroad to conduct pre-season training, this year will be a marked difference with all teams most certainly set to do their pre-season training in India if not at the same location.

On Thursday, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel launched the first-ever batch of the AIFF Masters Programme via an online meeting.

A first-of-its-kind program to be launched by a national sports federation, the AIFF Masters hopes to build a supply line of football management professionals who will cater to the needs of the growing market that is Indian football.

There was well thought out curriculum and syllabus for the students of the one-year course when it was announced back in January this year. However, the thinktank behind the course have had to do some shadow boxing with the Coronavirus pandemic that has brought life to a standstill across the globe.

But, with a few tweaks, the program has launched on schedule, on July 9, 2020. Spanish club Cadiz CF, AIFF's partners in the program, were also present for the launch, albeit via online means.

Right from the Common Admission Tests (CAT) to actually launching the program, everything has gone to plan despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, explains the Program Head Shail Kapri.

"Our CAT exams happened on schedule. The program started on schedule with the AIFF President (Praful Patel) and General Secretary Kushal Das speaking. The Cadiz Sporting director Enrique Perez also joined live for the launch. They are all keyed in," he told Goal .

Of course, the pandemic has meant that physical classes that were set to involve international faculty will not be happening. Instead, it will all be done online. It is not ideal but something that has been necessitated by the pandemic, states Kapri.

"The first couple of months will be challenging. The international faculty were supposed to teach them face to face but now the sessions will be online. There will be challenges because classroom sessions are classroom sessions at the end of the day. But the good thing is, we have not allowed the pandemic to change our schedule at all," Kapri explains.

The schedule for the program will now see online classes for the first two months followed by a stint at the AIFF House in New Delhi. Kapri hopes that by that time, the lockdown and travelling restrictions are eased and classes can be held at the prestigious St. Xavier's College in Mumbai.

"At the moment, we have a batch size of 30 students which includes a woman. The plan for the first two months is to have online sessions because we have to abide by the government regulations. Then they move to Delhi to the AIFF House where they will learn how the Indian FA functions. Then they will come back to Mumbai where they will finish the remaining session.

"Then the students will work with the AIFF on the U17 Women’s World Cup in February. Then they will proceed for the Cadiz trip. The World Cup gets over on March 7th and after wrapping it up, we are looking to have them till April 15th in Spain."

Kapri feels that the Spain stint might become memorable for the students because of the fact that Cadiz are in the running for promotion to La Liga. They are five points clear in the Segunda division with three games remaining.

"I think Cadiz are playing really well. They are right now five points clear and if they get a promotion, there is a good chance that these students will get to see Cadiz play a big LaLiga team like Barcelona or Real Madrid. And working on such an event will be a huge opportunity."

Kapri further explains how the commitment showed by the 30 students to take up the course amid the pandemic bodes well.

"You will have adversity in your quest but the fact that all these students have shown a commitment to enroll during such an environment. It bears testimony that they are posing so much faith in the federation. The belief that the program will train them to handle pandemics like this and they're going to come out of this journey ready to make a positive impact on Indian football and football at large."

David de Gea moved past Peter Schmeichel on Thursday to become the overseas player with the most Manchester United appearances. 

The Spanish goalkeeper played for United for the 399th time when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side travelled to Aston Villa in the Premier League and claimed a 3-0 win. 

It saw De Gea, who joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011, move beyond another keeper in Schmeichel in the club's all-time list.

De Gea, 29, remains a long way behind Ryan Giggs, the man with the most United appearances regardless of nationality. The Welshman spent his entire career at Old Trafford and played for them on 963 occasions.

The Red Devils' shot-stopper is however eager to continue building on his appearance tally for the club as he also apologised to Schmeichel for breaking his record. 

“Sorry to Schmeichel,” De Gea told MUTV. “It's great. That means I've been here a long time and I've been playing really, really well to the top level so I'm really, really proud. I'm happy to play for this club for that many games.

“Hopefully I have another 400 games coming! So I'm really really happy.”

Manchester United became the first Premier League club to win four straight league games by three or more goals with their victory against Villa as they close in on the top four. 

Currently one point shy of fourth-place Leicester City, the Red Devils next take on Southampton and De Gea stressed the club must remain focused and not get carried away with their good form. 

"Of course, we are very confident now but we haven't done anything yet," he said. "We have some important games coming now so we need to be very, very focused and keep the level that we showed today and in the last four games.

“We're in a good mood, a good way, so yes, we keep looking forward to the next game.”

De Gea has enjoyed a mixed season in goals for United with club legend Roy Keane blasting his performance last month in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

“I am sick to death of this goalkeeper," Keane told Sky Sports. "I would be fighting him at half time. There’s no getting away from it, I would be swinging punches.

"It's a standard save for an established international goalkeeper. I am flabbergasted." 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic doubts he will remain at AC Milan if the situation does not change, while insisting neither he nor the Serie A club belong in the Europa League.

Ibrahimovic returned to Milan – where he previously won the Scudetto in 2011 – as a free agent in January after leaving MLS side LA Galaxy but there are doubts over his future beyond 2019-20.

The 38-year-old striker has scored six goals since his Milan comeback, rejuvenating the team and helping the Rossoneri – seven-time Champions League winners – move into Europa League contention.

AC Milan are seventh and just two points adrift of Roma and Coppa Italia champions Napoli through 31 league games after stunning leaders Juventus 4-2 on Tuesday.

Despite Milan's resurgence, head coach Stefano Pioli is set to be replaced by German Ralf Rangnick, who has been tipped to combine the role with that of sporting director, which is currently occupied by club legend Paolo Maldini.

Amid the uncertainty and chief executive Ivan Gazidis' reported plans to bring in Rangnick, former Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star Ibrahimovic issued a warning.

"Ibra plays to win something or he stays at home," Ibrahimovic told La Gazzetta dello Sport's Sportweek magazine in an interview set to be released on Saturday.

"They told me that retiring in America was too easy, so I came back to Milan. I am here purely for passion, because I'm basically playing for free...Then this Covid situation stopped everything and I thought, maybe there’s something trying to tell me that I should retire...

"Fortunately, we got back on the pitch. My calf managed to get involved too, but after two days I was ready to come back into the team. Ibra is like that. But they told me to take it slow.

"Ibra was born to play football and is still the best at playing football. We'll see how I feel in two months. We'll also see what's happening with the club. If this is the situation, to be honest, it's unlikely you'll see me at Milan next season.

"Ibra is not a player for the Europa League and Milan are not a club who belong in the Europa League."

Quizzed on a reported confrontation with Gazidis prior to the Coppa Italia semi-final, Ibrahimovic said: "I spoke for me and for the team. I needed to have some explanations on the future, both mine and of Milan. I said that this is not the Grande Milan I once experienced, that is true, but we must do the best we can even in this situation. All the way to the end.

"Ibra is here, Ibra takes care of it. I have to be here or you'll lose the fans.

"I don't know if there will be another club after Milan, I never like to close doors to opportunities. I will only go somewhere I have some control, not where words are worth nothing.

"I still have too much passion for what I do."

Pioli only replaced Marco Giampaolo in October and while he has overseen an upturn in results, former RB Leipzig boss Rangnick has reportedly agreed to take over in 2020-21.

"Who is Rangnick? I don't even know who he is," Ibrahimovic added.

Inter boss Antonio Conte refused to blame his players after they threw away a lead to draw 2-2 at Hellas Verona on Thursday.

The Nerazzurri had been leading going into the final five minutes at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi but Miguel Veloso showed wonderful composure to seal a point for the hosts.

Inter had forged ahead early in the second half thanks to an Antonio Candreva strike and own goal from Federico Dimarco after Darko Lazovic had given Verona a second-minute lead.

It is the second time in five days Inter have thrown away a lead following their 2-1 defeat to Bologna on Sunday but Conte would not be drawn into criticising his side.

"In terms of effort, hunger and determination, I have no complaints," he told Sky Sport Italia. "Let's not forget, we played against a Verona side that keeps a high tempo and makes that its greatest strength. I think Inter replied blow for blow.

"There is the usual regret that we conceded a goal five minutes from time on a throw-in. These are situations that are disappointing because you drop points along the way and they add up. We deserved to win the game.

"Verona barely had a shot on goal in the second half. We conceded through a throw-in and ball across to a player on the edge of the box.

"I don't want to say too much as people love to claim I always criticise, criticise, criticise. I don't; I just want to help everyone improve and move forward."

Inter have now dropped a whopping 20 points from leading positions in Serie A this season, with Conte well aware it is an issue that needs resolving swiftly.

"We're doing important work and I focus on that," he added. "I think you can see the results of the work we're doing. The fact we lost 20 points should push us to reflect and continue improving.

"We're well aware that we dropped points in a stupid fashion throughout the season, otherwise we'd be talking about a very different campaign."

Inter now sit fourth in Serie A, 10 points shy of league leaders Juventus, and are next in action on Monday against Torino. 

Kevin-Prince Boateng found the back of the net in Besiktas’ 3-2 victory over Bengali-Fode Koita‘s Kasimpasa in Thursday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

Ghana international Boateng made his third appearance since returning from an Achilles tendonitis injury which forced him out of Denizlispor clash.

The 33-year-old midfielder shone at Vodafone Park after replacing injured Gokhan Gonul to help the Black Eagles secured their 16th win of the season.  

Guinea international Koita, meanwhile, gave a good account of himself scoring twice, although his efforts were not enough to help his side avoid defeat.

Tyler Boyd opened the scoring for Besiktas in the sixth minute after he was played through on goal by Caner Erkin.

Koita then levelled proceedings for the Apaches after receiving a fine assist from Mame Thiam in the 21st minute of the encounter.

Eight minutes later, Koita doubled handed the lead to the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium outfit for the first time in the game after he was set up by Haris Hajradinovic.

Boateng then equalized for Besiktas in the 49th minute after receiving a timely pass from former Tottenham Hotspur forward Jeremain Lens.

With the match looking to end in a draw, Guven Yalcin grabbed the match-winner at the nick of time after receiving a through ball from Victor Ruiz.

Egypt international and Arsenal loanee Mohamed Elneny featured for the duration of the game along with Mali’s Abdoulay Diaby while Koita was replaced in the 46th minute.

With the result, Besiktas are fourth on the Super Lig table with 53 points from 31 games while Kasimpasa are 11th with 36 points from the same number of matches.

The Black Eagles will slug it out with Yeni Malatyaspor in their next league game while the Apaches will take on Rizespor on June 13 respectively.

Jason McAteer is no stranger to Liverpool fans. The midfielder was a mainstay in the Reds first XI during a four-year spell from 1995 to 1999.

Nicknamed Trigger, McAteer was a Liverpool fan right from his childhood and his dream of playing for the club he supported came true in 1995 when he decided to spurn the advances of Blackburn Rovers in favour of the Reds.

He went on to make 139 appearances for the Reds in what was an eventful spell. But there are several highlights that Liverpool fans will still remember of the Irish international.

In January 1998, McAteer broke his leg during a match against Blackburn. But he made a full recovery and went on to score a brace on his return to first-team action in May 1998, in what was a 5-0 win over West Ham United.

It was also McAteer who would provide a telling cross for Stan Collymore to fire in a winner in a thrilling Premier League encounter against Newcastle United that Liverpool won 4-3. The match which took place during the 1995-96 season would go down in history as one of the greatest Premier League encounters.

McAteer did not score many goals for Liverpool but when he did, they were special. Leading 1-0 against a strong Arsenal side at Highbury in 1997, Liverpool were awarded a spotkick to seal the game. Robbie Fowler would miss the spotkick, only for McAteer to steer it in. Though Arsenal pulled a goal back, McAteer's effort turned out to be the difference.

McAteer also scored the final goal in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the 1995-96 FA Cup semifinal, helping the Reds reach another FA Cup final.

Of course, McAteer's most famous goal for his country came against the Netherlands in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup. McAteer's effort off a Steve Finnan cross would help the Irish qualify for the World Cup past a star-studded Netherlands.

No doubt, the lifelong Liverpool fan was a club icon and was regarded highly by the supporters. He would be as joyous as any Liverpool fan across the world after Jurgen Klopp's men won the Premier League after a hiatus of 30 years.

Here's your chance to catch up with the midfielder and interact with him as you celebrate a title triumph. McAteer will be appearing on Standard Chartered's Soundboard during Liverpool's Premier League encounter against Burnley this Saturday alongside singer-songwriter Jamie Webster, as well as The Anfield Wrap's James Sutton.

As the official partner of the club, Standard Chartered are bringing together various Liverpool legends and fan hosts on their YouTube platform with SC Soundboard. Tune in and let the Soundboard bring the best of Kop chants directly to your home. Sing along and enjoy the experience during every remaining Premier League match of Liverpool.

This Saturday, it's McAteer who will be live. You can catch him in action here.

Brasileirao Serie A side Botafogo have announced the signing of Ivorian forward Salomon Kalou on a free transfer.

The 34-year-old joins the team two days after announcing his departure from Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin after a six-year spell.

Disclosing this development, the Rio de Janeiro based outfit published a video on its social media handle.

Although there were no further details about his contract in terms of duration, the former Chelsea star is expected to make his debut for Paulo Autuori’s men when the Brazilian league returns in August.

The club failed to seal a deal for Yaya Toure, who Vasco da Gama presidential candidate Leven Siano has promised to sign.

Nevertheless, Kalou joins former Japan international midfielder Keisuke Honda as the club hopes to challenge for honours.

Meanwhile, the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winner expressed his delight with his move “Very proud to be in Botafogo,” he said.

Botafogo are among the top clubs in Rio and the former Chelsea star is expected to add bite to their attack when football returns in the country after a coronavirus pandemic break.  

Carlos Augusto Montenegro, a member of the Brazilian club's executive committee had hinted on the veteran’s potential move on June 28, 2020.

"He already has the pre-contract, but he asked for just one more detail in the contract that was sent to him," Montenegro told SporTV.

"I think it's okay. And if no presidential candidate for Vasco appears at his house, I think that maybe he will come."

Before leaving the Olympiastadion, Kalou was punished for posting a video showing him disobeying many of the German football league's (DFL) safety measures upon his return to training with Hertha. 

Kalou began his professional career at Feyenoord before moving to Chelsea after three seasons in the Eredivisie.

In England, he enjoyed a trophy-laden spell – winning the Champions League, one Premier League title, Four FA Cups, Football League Cup and the FA Community Shield.

On the international scene, he marked his debut in a 1–0 friendly win over Guinea on 6 February 2007 and went a step further scoring 28 times in 97 appearances for the Elephants.

Moussa Marega was on the scoresheet for the 13th time this season to inspire Porto to a 3-1 win against Tondela in Thursday’s Primeira Liga game.

The Mali international was handed his 25th league start, pairing Soares in attack and delivered a fine performance in the encounter.

After scoring a brace against Boavista, the 29-year-old forward then bagged another brilliant goal in their last outing against Belenenses.

At Estadio Joao Cardoso, he continued his fine goalscoring form to help the Primeira Estadio do Dragao’s outfit secure their 24th win of the season.

The game started on a high tempo but both sides failed to break the deadlock in the first half after missing the few opportunities that came their way.

In the 47th minute, however, Danilo Pereira found the back of the net with a brilliant header which left Senegalese goalkeeper Babacar Niasse no chance.

Moments after the hour mark, Marega then doubled his side’s lead after benefitting from a timely assist from Jesus Corona.

Ronan Jeronimo reduced the deficit for Tondela from the penalty spot before Fabio Vieira sealed the victory in a similar manner.

Marega featured for the duration of the game along with his teammate and the Democratic Republic of the Congo international Chancel Mbemba.

With the victory, the Estadio do Dragao outfit now open an eight-point gap lead on the table after 24 wins, four draws and two losses.

Marega has scored 13 goals and provided eight assists across all competitions for Porto, including 10 strikes in the Portuguese top-flight this season. 

The forward, who has been with the Blue and Whites since 2016, has racked up 41 goals in 91 league appearances during his four-year stay so far. 

Marega will hope to continue his impressive performances when Porto face Sporting CP on July 15.