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Liverpool are still "far from far from the finished article", according to Joe Gomez, who says the Reds must strive for consistent success after winning the title.

Since picking up a sixth European Cup at the end of last season, Liverpool have gone from strength to strength.

Jurgen Klopp's men added the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup to the Anfield trophy cabinet in the first half of the 2019-20 campaign, while also storming clear of their rivals at the top of the Premier League.

The Reds opened up a 25-point lead over Manchester City at one stage, having enjoyed an 18-match winning streak between a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on October 20 and a shock 3-0 defeat against Watford on February 29.

Liverpool's 30-year wait for domestic glory came to an end when Pep Guardiola's Blues were beaten 2-1 at Chelsea last month, as Klopp's side were named champions with a record-breaking seven games left to play.

Gomes has now challenged his team-mates to bring a conclusive end to City's recent dominance of English football by continuing their relentless pursuit of silverware in the coming years.

The Reds defender told Premier League Productions: “I think consistency and striving year in, year out. Obviously, City have done it a fair few times now and they’ve set the bar for what it’s like.

“Maybe five years ago, with some of the points tallies, if you knew they had been achieved, you would say there’s no chance. I don’t know if it’s possible to carry on losing one or two games a season, but I think consistency is what we are striving for. 

“I just feel that the bar has been set so high that, maybe, it’s difficult to carry on emulating that level of consistency, where it’s 100-point seasons every year. 

“As a group, we are trying to maintain that consistency whereby we can continue getting results [and] I think that’s what is so good about this year - that regardless of whether we got the result, sometimes our performance might have lacked a few things or not been quite the way we wanted it to be, but we still got there in the end. 

“I think continuing to keep that level of desire to win and finding a way to win, while maintaining high levels of performance week in, week out is obviously what we can strive for now.

“We are far from the finished article and we’ve got a young, hungry squad that hopefully can keep on learning.”

Gomes added: "I am fortunate to be part of our current squad, under the manager that we have and the fact that we’ve been able to achieve those things over the course of this year. 

“It’s what we play football for and it will definitely be a year that I know we will look back on with great memories. Hopefully, we can continue to emulate that sort of success. "

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has reportedly proposed July 19 as the return date for competitive football in South Africa. 

According to various media reports, the league discussed possible dates in their Thursday board of governors meeting which was conducted via Zoom. 

However, the proposed date (July 19) is subject to approval from both the South African Football Association (Safa) and the country's government. 

It's unclear at this stage how long the process will take before everything can be made public - as the suggestion was only made on Thursday.

Several PSL teams returned to training grounds late last week while others only allowed their players to train together this week.

And only clubs that have complied with government's protocols on 'return-to-play' have gone back to training while those who haven't complied are still relying on technological means to keep an eye on their players. 

Cape Town City, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Bidvest Wits, SuperSport United, AmaZulu and Maritzburg United are some of the teams that claimed to have returned to training. 

Nonetheless, with July 19 just around the corner, this means technical teams have only 10 days to prepare for what will be a very taxing fixture schedule. 

The league has proposed that all the remaining matches be completed by August 31 to allow for the transfer of players from one team to another. 

There are 54 PSL matches, 44 NFD games and three Nedbank Cup matches still to play before the end of the current campaign.

Chiefs still top the standings with 48 points from 22 games - they are four points ahead of second-placed Sundowns who have played a game less.  

Meanwhile, Gauteng is reported to be the province that has been put forward to stage the remaining fixtures of the suspended season. 

This is despite being the new epicentre for the coronavirus with over 75,000 confirmed positive cases to date. 

Last week, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and North West were reported to have raised their hands as the PSL looked for a biologically safe environment.   

Both KwaZulu-Natal and North West were touted as suitable bio-bubble venues but it appears the PSL executive has other ideas as their main intention is to complete the season. 

Tottenham's hopes of achieving European qualification suffered a setback with a toothless 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Bournemouth on Thursday.

Spurs beat Everton 1-0 on Monday but could not make it back-to-back wins for the first time since the Premier League resumed last month, failing to register a single shot on target at the Vitality Stadium.

Harry Kane felt aggrieved not to be awarded an early penalty and Jose Mourinho was visibly irked neither the referee nor the VAR spotted Joshua King's shove in the area.

Bournemouth, who saw Adam Smith and David Brooks go off injured, thought they had a winner in the 90th minute, but Callum Wilson's overhead kick went in off King's arm and was chalked off, leaving them three points adrift of safety.

Mourinho was heavily critical of VAR after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in June and a 3-1 loss to Sheffield United last week, and he had more cause to be frustrated with the system inside five minutes on the south coast.

King appeared to push Kane over in the six-yard box at the back post from a corner and referee Paul Tierney's decision not to award a penalty was upheld by the video official.

Kane made an important intervention to stop Nathan Ake nodding home at the back post, before Hugo Lloris kept Junior Stanislas' skidding 18-yard effort out of the bottom-left corner on the stroke of half-time.

Bournemouth saw Smith leave the pitch on a stretcher after a clash of heads with Ben Davies and then Brooks hobble off, before having a potential win taken away from them following a VAR review of Wilson's late goal.

Lloris produced a stunning stop to deny Harry Wilson in a one-on-one situation in the sixth added minute, ensuring Tottenham avoided a surprise defeat.
 

What does it mean? More problems than VAR

Mourinho will no doubt once again feel hard done by due to the lack of a penalty that really should have been awarded, but Spurs were dismal throughout.

They managed nine attempts on goal and were unable to test Aaron Ramsdale with any of them.

After Son Heung-min and Lloris had to be separated during the victory over Everton, Mourinho has bigger issues to worry about than contentious VAR calls.

Vertonghen back on song

Handed his first start since the restart due to Eric Dier's four-game ban, Jan Vertonghen was solid at the back for Spurs. Few impressed across the 90 minutes, but the centre-back was strong on the deck and forceful in the air.

Lacklustre Lo Celso

It was unsurprising to see Giovani Lo Celso hooked at half-time. He gave away three free-kicks and had a passing accuracy of just 73.3 per cent during his time on the pitch.

What's next?

Tottenham have a north London derby against Arsenal to look forward to on Sunday, when Bournemouth's fight against the drop does not get any easier with the visit of Leicester City.

Paul Pogba scored his first Premier League goal in 15 months as Manchester United broke a Premier League record in a 3-0 victory at Aston Villa.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side became the first in the division's history to win four successive matches by a margin of three goals or more as they extended their unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions.

Bruno Fernandes set them on their way by converting a controversial penalty, before Mason Greenwood took his tally to four goals in three games prior to the break.

Pogba picked out the bottom corner of the net from a Fernandes corner in the 58th minute to leave United one point outside the top four.

Despite United's recent purple patch, it was Villa who began brighter and Jack Grealish missed the target with a volley early on from a back-post Ezri Konza cross.

They came closer still when Trezeguet dispossessed Pogba and bent a low effort against the outside of the post.

Yet, a minute later, United had a penalty. Fernandes attempted a double drag-back to go beyond Konza, but his left leg came down into the defender, an act that referee Jon Moss deemed worthy of a spot-kick.

The contentious decision stood after a VAR review and it was Fernandes, rather than Marcus Rashford, who stepped up to slot home United's record-equalling 13th Premier League penalty of the season.

Greenwood and Fernandes then both came close before the former continued his fine scoring streak by blasting home right-footed in first-half stoppage time.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka really should have added the third early in the second half with a header that missed the target, and although he could not register his first goal of the season, Pogba soon did.

Fernandes picked out the Frenchman on the edge of the box from a corner and the World Cup winner steered his effort inside the post.

Pogba's compatriot Anthony Martial came close to adding a fourth - firing against the woodwork - but relegation-threatened Villa suffered no further misery.

What does it mean? Free-scoring United continue rich vein of form

Villa had good opportunities to open the scoring - and they may feel aggrieved at the manner in which United went ahead - but once Fernandes slotted in the penalty only one team looked like winning.

United are two points behind third-placed Chelsea and one behind Leicester City in fourth, and they still have to play the Foxes. In this form, it is hard to imagine them not finishing in the top four.

Brilliant Bruno

The impact January signing Fernandes has had on United is clear to see and this was another awesome display from the playmaker.

He has now had 28 goal involvements in 27 league goals this season with Sporting CP and United, scoring 15 and providing 13 assists.

Mings not merciless

England international Tyrone Mings was the latest target for Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane's ire at half-time, the ex-United captain ripping into the Villa defender for not closing down Greenwood.

Anyone who has seen Greenwood of late knows he possess a venomous shot from distance and Mings' inability to close the teenager down was emblematic of Villa's problems.

What's next?

United will hope to make it 18 unbeaten against Southampton at Old Trafford on Monday, while Villa will see the visit of Crystal Palace on Sunday as a more realistic chance to pick up points.

Spanish side Logrono have completed the signing of South Africa defender Nothando Vilakazi for the 2019-20 season.

The Primera Iberdrola outfit captured the Banyana Banyana star from the Sasol Women's League side Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) ladies, who she helped to claim the domestic crown in 2019.

The 31-year-old enjoyed stints at Moroka Swallows, Palace Super Falcons and TUT ladies in South Africa before getting her first professional spell with Lithuanian side Gintra Universitetas in 2019.
 
At Gintra, the South Africa international enjoyed a fine though short spell, scoring three goals in eight games, including in the 2019 Amber Cup champions triumph for Rimantas Viktoravicius's team.

At international level, Vilakazi has been a regular face for Banyana since 2007 as she featured at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games and at four African Women's Cup of Nations.

Following her announcement, she becomes the sixth to join Gerardo León's side during the summer window, after Olga García, Paloma Tajonar, Julie Tavlo, Inés Juan Altamira and Marta Cazalla.

Vilakazi's signing further confirmed the determination of Leon to challenge for glory in the 2020-21 season, having finished seventh and reached the Spanish Women's Cup semi-final last season.

Her arrival also swells the number of Africans on the books of the club to four as she will team up with Equatorial Guinea's Jade Boho, Ghana's Grace Asantewaa and Cote d'Ivoire's Ida Guehai.

She also becomes the third South African woman to join a Spanish top-flight outfit after the stints of Ode Fulutudilu and Jermaine Seoposenwe with Malaga and Real Betis respectively.

On her second sojourn in Europe, 'Vivo' as nicknamed, will aim to impress and inspire her side to success when the 2020-2021 season gets underway.

UEFA has confirmed that the outstanding Champions League and Europa League last-16 second leg matches will be hosted by the clubs who were scheduled to play at home.

Four Champions League fixtures, including Manchester City against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich versus Chelsea, have still to be played, while in the Europa League, there are six second legs to be played, plus two fixtures that will be played as one-off ties after the first legs were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As anticipated, all these fixtures will be played behind closed doors.

In a statement, UEFA said: “Consistent with the principle of sporting fairness and considering that current conditions - all clubs due to play at home in the return leg of the Round of 16 and are currently playing the remaining matches of their domestic leagues in their own stadiums, and that travelling is possible without restrictions for the visiting clubs – the UEFA Executive Committee decided that the remaining Champions League and Europa League round of 16 second-leg matches will be played at the home teams’ stadiums.

“As already communicated in June, the ties of Inter v Getafe and Sevilla v Roma, whose first legs were also postponed, will be played as a single leg in Germany.

“UEFA will continue to monitor the situation and reserves the right to reassign any such matches to the venues of the final tournament of the relevant competition should new events occur that would make it impossible to play one or more matches at the original venues.

“The respective fixture lists will be communicated after tomorrow’s draws at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon.”

Additionally, UEFA have confirmed that qualifying fixtures for the 2020-21 continental competitions will be played as one-off matches, rather than home and away, and these matches will also be played without a crowd present in the stadium “for reasons of sporting fairness”.

The quarter-final stages of the Champions League are scheduled to be played in Lisbon, while the final stages of the Europa League are slated to take part in Cologne.

The Champions League final will be played on August 23, with the Europa League showpiece two days earlier.

Arsenal have failed in their appeal against Eddie Nketiah's red card versus Leicester, meaning he will now serve a three-game suspension.

Nketiah endured a night to forget as the Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw by the Foxes at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

The 21-year-old was introduced to the action as a second-half substitute, but only lasted four minutes on the pitch before being given his marching orders by match official Chris Kavanagh.

The Arsenal striker was initially shown a yellow card for his high challenge on Leicester defender James Justin, but Kavanagh pulled out a red after consulting VAR.

The Gunners attempted to get the decision overturned on the grounds of wrongful dismissal, but the FA have now officially upheld Nketiah's three-match ban.

He will now miss upcoming Premier League fixtures against Tottenham and Liverpool, while also sitting out the FA Cup semi-final clash against Manchester City on July 18.

Nketiah has been a bright spark in Mikel Arteta's squad since returning to the Emirates in January following a frustrating loan spell at Leeds.

The England U21 international has hit four goals in his last 13 appearances, the latest of which came during a 2-0 victory away at Southampton last month.

He has proved himself as a more than capable backup forward behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyeng and Alexandre Lacazette this year, but Arsenal will have to cope without him as they head into the final weeks of the season.

Arteta questioned the use of video technology in the wake of Nketiah's dismissal against Leicester, telling Sky Sports post-match: "I don't understand the rules. I never see a referee check any of the images."

Arsenal legend Ian Wright, meanwhile, expressed his belief that although the young striker's mistimed tackle was "purely accidental", the laws of the game dictated that he had to be sent off.

"He can say whatever he likes about the sending off, it was a sending off - no matter what he says about his age and stuff," said the Gunners legend.

Arteta's men are sitting eighth in the Premier League standings after their latest setback, nine points adrift of the top four with only four matches left to play.

Simba SC chairman Mo Dewji has promised players millions in cash should they defeat Yanga SC on Sunday during the FA Cup semi-final tie.

It will be the third time the Mainland giants are meeting in 2020 after their earlier matches which were played on January 4 and on March 8.

The first league tie ended in a 0-0 draw before Yanga won the second match with Bernard Morrison’s free-kick then making the difference

Dewji has promised to award the players with $100,000 which is equivalent to TSh230M should they get a win over their archrivals.

“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, who preferred anonymity, told Mwanaspoti.

According to the official, the players will be informed of the plan once they land in Dar es Salaam from Lindi where they had already entertained Namungo FC on Sunday.

“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.

“We are not going to let them go without a token of appreciation.”

Simba’s chief executive officer Senzo Mazingisa revealed that the players are always guaranteed of allowances for picking wins.

“Every time you see Simba play and win there is always an allowance to motivate them for working hard to ensure we as a club attain our objectives,” Masingiza told Mwanaspoti.

“These allowances will always be different when we are playing against either Yanga or Azam FC.”

The club’s top scorer Meddie Kagere said the allowances have always made them want to win more games.

“Apart from our usual salaries which are regularly paid in time, the club's management has always made sure we are motivated by way of giving us allowances after every win,” Kagere said.

“This has always made us hungrier to go and fight for victories.”

The match between Yanga and Simba will be played at the National Stadium.

Peter Olayinka has expressed his joy after helping Slavia Prague win the 2019-20 Czech First League trophy.

The Super Eagles forward joined the Red and Whites in the summer of 2018 from Belgian First Division A side Gent on a four-year deal for a fee of €3,200,000.  

The 24-year-old winger has since made 39 league appearances for Jindrich Trpisovsky’s men since his arrival in the Czech Republic and scored 10 goals.

In the 2019- 20 season, the forward found the back of the net five times and provided five assists in 28 appearances across all competitions.

Olayinka damaged his fibula fracture on May 6 and last featured for the Sinobo Stadium outfit against Sparta Prague before making a return to the side in their last home game of the season against Jindrich Trpisovsky’s men on Wednesday.

The Nigeria international made a cameo appearance in the encounter after replacing Petr Sevcík to help his side secure a goalless draw and clinch the trophy.

Slavia Prague finished the campaign with 85 points from 35 games to finish nine points above runner-up Viktoria Plzen.

They have now clinched the title for the sixth time, having also previously won it in 1996, 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2019.

Following the feat, Olayinka has taken to social media to express his delight and is pleased with his return from injury.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me during the time I was out of the game, God bless you all.  I'm back and we are champions of the 2019/20 season,” Olayinka posted on Instagram.

The forward, who has been capped once by the Super Eagles, will hope to use the pre-season games to regain his fitness.

Former Asante Kotoko star Eric Bekoe is the latest to advise the club against continental inter-club football next season.

The Porcupine Warriors are set to represent Ghana in the Caf Champions League for the second year running after getting the nod from the Football Association (GFA) Executive Council following the premature termination of the Premier League.

Under normal circumstances, the domestic league winners represent Ghana in the Champions League.

“Kotoko should not accept the opportunity to compete in Africa next season to waste money," Bekoe, who gained prominence with Kotoko in winning the 2007-08 Premier League title and top scorer award, told Opemsuo FM.

"The club is not well-prepared to get a group stage birth which of course will be a waste of resources.

“The Board and the technical team should work fervently to shape the club before they will resolve to compete in Africa.

“For a team to perform majestically in Africa, it comes with a quality crop of players. This Kotoko team is low quality."

Kotoko's campaign in the Champions League in 2019-20 ended disappointingly as they suffered a first-round elimination at the hands of Tunisian fold Etoile du Sahel.

Ashanti Gold are the other beneficiary of the season cancellation as they have been given the green light to represent Ghana in the Caf Confederation Cup.

"Allow them to go and disgrace themselves," King Faisal president Alhaji Karim Grunsah told Kumasi FM.

"They represented the country during the era of the Normalization Committee but brought nothing better but shame.

"No one can seize them from participating once they have their money but they should be mindful, especially with their gate proceeds [now unavailable]. Some management members capitalize on that to dupe the club.

"Nonetheless, we [Ghana] cannot waste our slot hence they can keep on trying [to make an impression in Africa]. It may be better for them someday."

Kotoko, 19-time Premier League winners, are eyeing their first continental title since 1983. They last made the group stage of the Champions League in 2006.

The Porcupine Warriors' best continental campaign in recent times came in the 2004 Confederation Cup where they reached the final and lost to country rivals Hearts of Oak in the penalty shoot-out.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has played down a potential reunion with James Rodriguez at Goodison Park, insisting the midfielder is likely to remain at Real Madrid for at least one more year.

James' future at Santiago Bernabeu has been the subject of much speculation in recent months.

The 28-year-old returned to Madrid last summer after a two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich, with a view to fighting for a regular spot in Zinedine Zidane's starting XI.However, the Colombia international has only featured in 14 games in all competitions for the Blancos in 2019-20, and has just entered the final year of his current contract.

He didn't even make the bench for Madrid's trip to Athletic Club on Sunday, with Zidane claiming post-match that the playmaker "wanted to be left out because of his own reasons".

Madrid paid £68 million ($86m) to bring James to the Bernabeu from Monaco in 2014, but now look set to cut their losses on a player who has yet to live up to his full potential.

A possible move to the Premier League has been mooted for the Colombian, with Manchester United and Everton among those being credited with an interest in his services.

Ancelotti was the man who signed James at Madrid six years ago, and although he remains a keen admirer of a former charge, the Toffees manager thinks a summer transfer is doubtful.

“James Rodriguez? I like him a lot as a player. When I left Madrid, James Rodriguez followed me to Munich," Ancelotti told The Guardian. "But he followed me as a rumour to Napoli and now he is following me to Everton as a rumour.

"I have to be honest, I like him a lot, but he is a Real Madrid player and I think he will still be a Real Madrid player.”

Despite playing down a move for James, Ancelotti is hoping to add to his Everton squad when the transfer window reopens, as he looks to create a team capable of challenging at the top end of the Premier League.

“We need good players and the players that we are going to sign will be good players,” the Italian tactician added. “It doesn’t matter whether they are young or old; with experience or without experience. It is important to have good players.

“It is important to improve the character and personality of the team. I can improve their knowledge on the training ground day by day but the mentality of the squad can also improve to compete better with the top-six teams in the Premier League.”

Nashville SC has become the latest team to be forced out of the MLS is Back tournament as the expansion club has withdrawn due to a series of nine positive coronavirus tests.

MLS announced the decision on Thursday, the day after Nashville were set to take on the Chicago Fire in the club's opening match of the competition, with that game originally postponed as a result of a series of positive tests for Covid-19.

“We have withdrawn Nashville SC from the MLS is Back Tournament. Due to the number of positive tests, the club has been unable to train since arriving in Orlando and would not be able to play matches,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber.

“For every decision we make in our return to play, the wellbeing of our players, staff, officials and all participants is our top priority.”

Added Nashville CEO Ian Ayre: “In what has been a challenging year, and in an uncharted environment created by the Tornado that devastated our city and COVID-19, this is another big disappointing outcome for Nashville SC and its supporters,Our focus now lays on the recovery of our players who have been infected with COVID-19 and on getting our complete traveling party back home safely.

"Once everyone is safe and healthy in Nashville, we can then turn the page and focus on our preparation and participation in the return to play for the latter half of the season post-Orlando.”

FC Dallas announced on Monday that the club would withdraw from the competition after the club had produced 11 positive tests for coronavirus.

With the departures of Dallas and Nashville, the MLS is Back tournament currently features 24 teams spread across six groups now featuring an even four teams.

Group A had initially featured six participants to account for the number of teams, with each other group featuring four.

However, with the departure of FC Dallas, Group B dropped to three teams while, with Nashville's withdrawal, Group A featured five.

MLS confirmed on Thursday that Chicago Fire have moved from Group A to Group B to provide balance, joining the San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps.

The MLS is Back tournament kicked off on Wednesday, beginning a month-long competition featuring a group and knockout stage. As a result, it became the first men's professional sports league to return to play in the U.S., following the NWSL which began in June.

The tournament opened with a 2-1 win for Orlando City, who took down newfound rivals Inter Miami in the first-ever meeting between the two Florida clubs.

On Thursday, the tournament continued with the Philadelphia Union picking up a 1-0 win over New York City FC. Next up is a match between the Montreal Impact and New England Revolution on Thursday night.

Cesc Fabregas has revealed the funniest moment during his career came at Chelsea when playing with Diego Costa and being managed by Antonio Conte.

Currently on the books of Monaco, the 33-year-old has been involved in the professional game since debuting for Arsenal in 2003, turning out subsequently for Barcelona and the Blues at club level.

It was at Stamford Bridge that produced his funniest moment, despite being consistently frustrated by Conte’s preference for more physical midfielders.

“When Conte first came to Chelsea I didn't really play the first three months. He made it clear he wanted a different type of midfielder,” he told BBC Sport. “Nemanja Matic was playing, I had an injury as well and I didn't really play the whole season.

"Then we went to Manchester City, we had won seven games and Conte says to me: 'You have to play.' We won 3-1, I played well and gave the assist to Costa for 1-1. It felt like I had made a point to the coach that he could count on me.

"Next we played West Brom, Matic recovers and he starts. It was a typical game and for 70 minutes it was 0-0. They were defending well. The game was calling for someone like me to come on to open the door or do something but the minutes went by and nothing. I remember Costa coming to the touchline and shouting at Conte, saying: 'Put Cesc on!'

"Conte is not the manager you mess with this and he was pretending not to listen to Costa. Two minutes later he says 'Cesc come', and two minutes after I come on and I provided the assist for Costa to score."

The Spain international striker, who is now with Atletico Madrid in La Liga, had a rocky relationship with the former Italy and Juventus boss and ultimately departed on bad terms. Fabregas, however, survived the Conte era but departed early in 2019 when he failed to make an impression under Maurizio Sarri.

Fabregas, now with Monaco, also considered Costa when asked about his craziest ever team mate, but had him in a tie with a former Barcelona colleague.

He said: "It is between Costa and Gerard Pique. Gerard I have played with since I was 10 years old. He hasn't changed much but now he is a business man and the image he has is completely different.

"He used to do crazy things all the time. One day he burst the tyres on the car of our goalkeeper. The guy went home and halfway back he was stuck on the motorway. He has to be in my top two."

Former Bafana Bafana striker Katlego Mphela explains why he cannot pursue a coaching career, saying his personality doesn’t suit the job.

‘Killer’ is of the view coaches must be crazy and eccentric, and that he doesn’t possess such qualities and that not all retired professionals can be successful coaches in their retirement.

On the other hand, the retired Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs hitman has called for Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs to look at hiring former strikers to focus on finishing.

“To be honest, I don’t have the personality to take up coaching,” said Mphela as quoted by Daily Sun.

“We must remember that not every soccer player has the characteristics of being a coach. Coaching is a nice fall back option after retiring because you continue doing what you always wanted to do. But it’s not easy.

“You need to be a little crazy and be eccentric. I don’t know if I can do that.”

The 2010 Fifa World Cup campaigner also shares an update on his current occupation after hanging up his scoring boots at the age of 35 in 2019.

“I am working with some of my buddies who are running academies to assist them. I am enjoying working particularly with strikers,” he added.

“Maybe our clubs can start embracing that idea because we do not have specific striker coaches in the country I do not have any regrets. 

“But a lot of things have changed. I have to do everything myself. There are no agents anymore to do all the stuff for you. I organize everything and I am adjusting.”

The former PSL winner with the Glamour Boys and SuperSport United is still rated as one of South Africa’s top finishers where he netted 62 goals, provided 14 assists out of 191 official matches in his career.

His statistics include stints in French Ligue1 and 2 where he played for Stade Reims and RC Strasbourg as well as in the Caf Champions League with Masandawana.

Apart from winning the league title, the Brits-born legend has an MTN8 gold medal with the Naturena-based side plus he has found the back of the net for Bafana Bafana on 23 occasions from 53 international matches.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel launched the first batch of the AIFF Masters Programme on Thursday via an online meeting.

The sports management programme started by the Indian FA is a first-of-its-kind and the apex body for football in India is the first national sports federation to take up such an initiative.

Welcoming the first batch of the course, the AIFF president said, “Warm welcome to the inaugural session of AIFF Masters.

"This is a unique programme by the All India Football Federation. I'm really happy that the first batch is kick-starting in 2020. I know a lot of people are passionate about Football. But we don't have more talented football administrators in our country. A new breed of football professionals is required, and hence, we took it upon ourselves to start this Masters Programme.”

"The current situation is a bit difficult. I consider the world is moving in one particular direction, and so are we. We have to keep the pace and work accordingly. This too shall pass.

“We intend to build a very robust system on the basis of which all of you will get a very sound future. There will be a lot of opportunities in India and beyond India. With comprehensive learning, you will be going through, the Masters Course will bring you on par with the best in the world.

“I will be happy to interact with all of you in person. You are in fine hands. This programme will certainly give you enlightenment and a better understanding of the game.

“The knowledge of the Spanish language which will be taught during the course will go a long way in your professional career.”

AIFF senior vice president Subrata Dutta stated, “We would be complying with the highest standard of governance, integrity and all the management ethics. The programme will also give an on-job experience to learn in the right manner and direction.”

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das, corporate and business director of Spanish club Cadiz CF, Enrique Perez and all the Head of the Departments (HODs) also attended the online meeting.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has described non-contact training as “frustrating” and not easy for them “to address the tactical side of the game.”

Mosimane and his men have resumed group training to join their Premier Soccer League (PSL) title closest challengers Kaizer Chiefs, as well as the likes of SuperSport United, Bidvest Wits and Bloemfontein Celtic who had already restarted.

With clubs conducting their training sessions under very strict coronavirus health and safety protocols, Mosimane views it as a strange new normal although he acknowledges that they "have to observe the health issues and be an example."

Sundowns have set a training camp in Rustenburg, away from Gauteng which has become the epicentre of South Africa’s coronavirus cases.

“It has not been easy, it is a new life,” said Mosimane as per SuperSport.

“We just met here, it is a bit strange. When we meet, we always usually greet each other and hug each other. It has been three months that we have not seen each other, but the funny part of it, is now we meet on the WhatsApp group.

“Everybody just comes in, gets their room key and heads straight to their room. Because the rules that have been put in place by the doctors mean no hanging around, no loitering [with each other].

“So we speak to players, ask 'How are you, are you back?’, through the WhatsApp group, or through the phone from room to room. It is a strange feeling, but it is how the situation is, we have to respect Covid-19 and understand the situation as it is.”

Sundowns are training in small groups of four players each which Mosimane says is time-consuming to accommodate all their players.

With the group work-outs not allowing them to be in close contact, the Downs tactician feels that makes it difficult for them to practice certain aspects of their game.

“We knew what it would be like, but when you face it, it is something else. Everybody has their own basket with boots, kit, sanitiser, mask … we don’t sit together as usual,” Mosimane said.

“When you arrive for the training session, you have your station and you stay there. You put your basket there and you change into your equipment. That is your place. When you want to drink you must go back to your station. You must collect your own water or Energade.

“It is a non-contact training session. That means it is not easy to address the tactical side of the game. It is frustrating not to be able to be face-to-face with the players and hug, only being able to give instructions from a distance."

If the 2019/20 season resumes, Sundowns will continue with their bid for a third straight league title as well as the Nedbank Cup campaign.

They are second on the PSL standings, four points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs who have played a game more than them, and will face Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals.

Christian Kouame has stated he wished he could have gotten a goal on his Fiorentina debut which ended in a goalless draw with Cagliari.

The 22-year-old has been out with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury since November 2019 while on international duty with the Ivory Coast.

He had contributed to eight goals (five goals, three assists) in 11 Serie A outings with Genoa before the injury.

Despite not recovering, he was loaned to Fiorentina in January and used the lockdown period to step up his fitness of which the Viola extended his loan deal until the end of the season.

The former Citadella player came on for Dusan Vlahovic in the 75th minute having made the bench for the first time in the previous match against Parma which ended in a 2-1 away win for the Florence-based club.

“The injury has never been a nightmare for me,” Kouame told Sky Sports Italia.

“If I had managed to score it would have been fantastic: I had dreamed of doing it, but the appointment is only postponed to the next. The choices will then be made by the coach and I will only give 100% in training.

"For me, it's the same, whether I play or someone else. Whoever deserves will play, I'm happy anyway. But when I go out on the pitch, I have to give my best."

In the 15 minutes played, Kouame had one shot on target, 13 touches, three accurate passes (42%), one accurate long ball and won two of three total duels.

Fiorentina boss Giuseppe Lachini says he is happy to have extended Kouame’s loan and will be monitoring his progress closely as he gives the club a “great hand”.

"I am happy to have reviewed it [Kouame’s loan] after the long injury, now let's see,” he told Sky Sports Italia.

“We are monitoring him from time to time. When the injury is so problematic, he must be reintegrated gradually. He can certainly give us a great hand."

Fiorentina are in 13th place on the log, eight points clear of Koaume’s parent club, Genoa, in the relegation zone. They host Europa League-chasing Hellas Verona at the Artemio Franchi on Sunday evening.

Wycombe Wanderers striker Adebayo Akinfenwa has taken to social media to release a statement in which he explains the racist abuse which was targeted towards him by a Fleetwood Town official in Monday’s 6-3 aggregate win in the League One play-off semi-finals.

The Chairboys had taken a 4-1 lead from the first leg at Highbury Stadium before drawing 2-2 in the return fixture on their turf.

Akinfenwa started from the bench in both matches and came on for fellow Anglo-Nigerian Fred Onyedinma and Alex Samuel in their respective games.

The 38-year-old narrates that he was called a “Fat Water Buffalo” by a Fleetwood representative after the game was over on Monday.

It sets a bad precedent at a time when football in England is standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the quest to end racial injustice following the death of George Floyd in the United States.

The FA according to TalkSPORT, have said they are aware of the incident and will be launching an investigation.   

“Monday night was one of the highlights of my career with Wycombe so far as we secured our place in the League One play-off final at Wembley. However, what should have been an evening of joy and excitement quickly turned into one of anger and frustration,” Akinfenwa said in a statement posted on Instagram.

“Historically, I have been subjected to and have experienced abuse across a number of areas tags about many things, including my size but also about the colour of my skin. Throughout my career, dating back to when I suffered severe and widespread racism playing in Lithuania, I have always vowed to stand up and have a voice when it comes to racism, believing that education is ultimately the key to a future without racial discrimination.

“Following the conclusion of the game, I learned that a representative of the opposition had repeatedly referred to me as a Fat 'Water Buffalo' in a derogatory tone. Regardless of whether or not there was deliberately racial intent by using that language and irrespective of the context in which it was used if we are to make real and long-standing change, then we must work together to ensure those who have not and do not face racial prejudice understand that what may appear to them to be a throwaway remark can have such a big and hurtful impact.

“I believe that it dehumanises me as a black man by associating me to a Water Buffalo, a dark animal, in a derogatory manner. I feel passionately around raising this because we as a sport and as a society must wake up. We must do more. We must educate ourselves and understand the potential repercussions of using such language and be aware of the hurt it can cause. The bigger issue to me would be the lack of understanding as to why calling me this term would not be hurtful to me as a black man, and this must change.

“Taking a knee, supporting social media campaigns and wearing a logo on our kits is a start, but it is not enough. It will not result in real and long-standing change.

“The real work must start now and the only way to move forward collectively is thorough education. We must all play our part. #BlackLivesMatter."

Akinfenwa has been on the books of Wycombe since 2016 when he joined from AFC Wimbledon and has scored more than 50 competitive goals which is his most productive tally in a career that has seen him play for 12 different English clubs including FK Atlantas in Lithuania where his senior career began in 2001.

Wycombe will come up against Oxford United, who saw off Portsmouth via penalties in the other semis, next Monday at Wembley, for a chance to reach the Championship for the first time in their history.