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Siphelele Ntshangase's agent Jazzman Mahlakgane has explained why and how his client ended up renewing his contract with Kaizer Chiefs despite not kicking a ball in competitive matches this season. 

The 27-year-old fell down the pecking order under Ernst Middendorp at the end of last season after the German mentor made it clear that he didn't play the kind of football he would like to see Chiefs play. 

Mahlakgane believes Ntshangase is one of the best midfielders in South Africa, and he feels Amakhosi have realised that as well hence their decision to keep him for another season.   

"It's about whether or not he didn't play this season. I believe Stash is one of the best midfielders in this country, and that's how Chiefs see it," Mahlakgane told Goal.  

Mahlakgane is confident Ntshangase will eventually get his chance to play at Chiefs - and it doesn't worry him how long that could take. 

"We also believe he will get an opportunity to play - be it this season or next season. It doesn't worry us because Stash wants to play for this team and the team, with this deal, has shown that they believe in him as a player," he added. 

He further revealed that Chiefs bought Ntshangase for R3 million from Baroka in January 2018, and therefore that's perhaps one of the main reasons the club couldn't afford to lose the South Africa international that easily. 

"And I want to thank Mr Kaizer Motaung for realising this. I mean, he bought this player for R3 million from Baroka, and he didn't want his money to go to waste by losing him for free. Stash still has a role to play in this Chiefs team," continued the veteran agent. 

Asked about the nature of negotiations between Ntshangase and Chiefs, Mahlakgane said: "There were no negotiations really. Chiefs made the call to keep him because they had the option to renew his deal, and we were happy about it, and this is one of the best midfielders in the country as I said, and we are grateful to the club."

Ntshangase has featured 31 times for the Glamour Boys thus far and has two assists to his name since his arrival in 2018.  

Liverpool midfielder James Milner has revealed the culture shock that the Reds’ players had when Jurgen Klopp took charge, with the intensity of the German’s training formidable.

Klopp claimed the Anfield hotseat from Brendan Rodgers in October 2015 and set in motion a sequence of events that resulted in the Merseyside club winning the Champions League in 2019 followed by the Premier League 12 months later.

Milner admits that training proved to be particularly difficult and that it took players some time to get used to the work that the former Borussia Dortmund coach wanted them to put in.

“To see one of the young lads throwing up on the side of the training field in one of his first training sessions, that sets the tone, you know what you're in for,” he told Sky Sports.

“We had to adapt to that, there were a lot of injuries early on. People were saying, 'You can't do that!' You could, you just had to get used to it. Straight away you saw the tempo and the intensity in that first game at Spurs.

“It was ridiculous really - it wasn't like we had played at a slow tempo under Brendan. That journey started then with the manager's methods and how he wanted us to play. 

“You saw it come in bit by bit. One week the quality would be there and the next week we would be miles off it. That was a process again; the consistency started to come in and, eventually, learning how to win ugly and become a more rounded team.”

Milner also admitted that there is a tremendous emphasis on the mental side of the game in training, with Klopp’s methods requiring focus at all times.

“You're reacting to the next situation, always being switched on. If you are doing a shooting drill there might be three balls coming in at once. You might be passing one and a millisecond later there's another one coming at you to shoot,” he explained.

“It's a bit different to anything I've done before, it's based around needing to be switched on at all times in a game. Defensively, as well, it's not training man-for-man or two blocks of four, it is doing two or three jobs at once.”

Crested Cranes head coach Faridah Bulega has claimed Uganda are better than teams that have always been termed footballing giants in Africa.

Bulega says the only thing that has worked against the Uganda Women's football team is the fear that affects the players.

"We are better than those women's teams they tag as ‘superpowers’ here in Africa, but the fear factor has always been one of our major challenges while on the pitch," Bulega told Football256.

"You as a coach can confidently lay an effective game plan to win but then the players due to lack of experience and exposure, are affected by stage freight and you effectively lose the game before it even starts."

Bulega further welcomed the establishment of the Caf Women's Champions League which is set to be first played in 2021.

"Caf did a great job, I was happy about it," Bulega added.

"The initiative will help women's football in Uganda to change for good, and I see it helping bridge the sporting gap against the better countries in terms of women's football like Cameroon.

"When teams qualify for the Champions League, they will get to compete against the better teams from the ‘powerhouses’.

"And at the end of the day it grows the game in terms of quality, technicality and exposure and of course it brings a degree of familiarity."

Bulega says what the players will gain from continental football will also be felt at national level.

"At the end of the day, when these players get to play for the Crested Cranes, they will be used to competing at a higher level than in the league and that helps their confidence when you’re playing against teams like Ghana or Nigeria," she concluded.

Meanwhile, striker Vitalis Tabu has praised BUL FC coach Arthur Kyesimira for his managerial abilities.

"Arthur [Kyesimira] is more than a coach because of his discipline and an approachable personality," Tabu told Football256. 

"His approach to guiding, nurturing, and coaching players is unique and wholesome.

"He organizes meetings in which he makes motivational speeches, invites players to the centre to share their life stories, and encourages each other.

"His style has turned the club to a family just within a short time and I feel at home.

"Coach Kyesimira will send you away even when you are late for training or a meeting by a minute but won’t take it personally as he will be willing to listen to your excuses later."

The agent of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale believes that the transfer market will not be adversely affected by the coronavirus crisis in the long term.

The pandemic has played havoc with world football since the beginning of the year, with play stopped around much of the globe between the middle of March and June as communities around Europe went into lockdown.

With clubs having been left without crowds to play in front of and complications with TV revenue, there has been a fear that the football market might implode, with some predictions suggesting that transfer values could drop by up to 30%, potentially scuppering moves like Jadon Sancho's reported switch to Manchester United, but Jonathan Barnett does not believe that will be the case.  

“If a club has the finances to pay for a transfer, they will do it,” he told ESPN. "The clubs have to be run properly. Every business in the world has to be run properly. Nobody forces anyone and says 'you must have a big transfer.' You've got to look at it generally, and you can't compare apples and oranges. Some clubs can, some clubs can't. What is most important is that every club is run properly."

Barnett believes that clubs have been winded more than anything else and that after a period of stabilisation, normal service will return. 

“Clubs have suffered losses and it will take time to get back because they will have to recoup them,” Barnett said. “But when the crowds come back, the money comes back into the game, it will carry on as normal. Slowly things are coming back but it will take a while. There's no doubt about that.

“We've maintained a slightly different view because we haven't really been looking to talk about football with clubs. With this virus going on and unfortunately a lot of people being ill and dying, it wasn't the right time to start talking about transfers and things like that.

“We haven't really gone into that aspect of it. As we're coming out of it and clubs start to play again, then we can start to talk.”

Additionally, Barnett hit out at UK Ministers, who had criticised footballers for not contributing sufficiently to society.

“I think some of the statements that were made early on by a couple of ministers were outrageous,” Barnett said. “They were made by people who don't know what they're talking about. As a group of people, I think footballers give more money to charity than most. They do some great things and some of those statements were outrageous.

“I have a player who has given a million pounds. Others have given a few hundred thousand pounds. They've given a lot of money to charities. The statements weren't thought out. The answer that was given was ignorant.”

Bandari FC technical director Twahir Muhiddin believes the monetary injection to AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia and other Kenyan Premier League (KPL) teams will make the 2020/21 season tough.

After struggling to honour matches in the 2019/20 season owing to the exit of their main sponsor Sportpesa, K'Ogalo and Ingwe were boosted by another betting firm Betsafe. The two local giants and Betsafe, yet to launch their services in the Kenyan market, signed a partnership deal that will last for the next three years.

According to the details of the deal, AFC Leopards will get KSh40 million per year while Gor Mahia will get KSh55 million per year from Betsafe.

"It is a boost for the two teams and it will motivate the players to give their best," Muhiddin told Goal.

"Gor Mahia and Leopards struggled so much in the concluded season owing to their failure to get a sponsor. They struggled to give their best and we all know their players went months without their salaries.

"The new sponsor will motivate the players and I believe Leopards will up their game as well as Gor Mahia now that there will be money coming in."

The former Harambee Stars coach also pointed out on other teams he believes will be a hard nut to crack in the KPL.

"We have Wazito FC and KCB who are financially stable and will be aiming at making a statement next season," Muhiddin added.

"Nzoia Sugar have just received a new bus and remember there is money from the government to the sugar industry. We also have the likes of Kakamega Homeboyz who are keen on repeating their performances next season.

"Of course we have the likes of Tusker FC who have always pushed for the title every season.

"It will not be an easy season for any team playing in the top-tier."

The experienced coach also revealed plans to help the Dockers be among the top dogs in the KPL.

"The technical bench sat and analysed our shortcomings and came with solutions which we will implement to ensure we get back to the top," Muhiddin continued.

"Bandari can be one of the best teams in the country and we are here to ensure the dream comes true."

Crotone manager Giovanni Stroppa believes Simy’s physical strengths made him outperform his teammates after scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Serie B leaders Benevento.

Filippo Inzaghi’s men bagged automatic Serie A promotion after seeing off Juve Stabia 1-0 last week even with 10-men.

For Stroppa’s side, they have been winless since the resumption of second-tier games, drawing with Chievo Verona, Perugia and Ascoli. The positive side though is they were last beaten in February 3-2 by Juve Stabia.

For Simy, it marked his first Serie B goal since a 1-0 win over Pisa in March.

“I think he [Simy] could count this so much as a test, given his physicality, he probably did more for the team than others,” Stroppa told the media after the match.

“In this game, beyond the goals, he put in place an important performance in both halves, both in the offensive and in the defensive. I believe that in general, the whole team worked very well and the result repays us for the work done.

“Certainly, the last three games before this shout revenge for the final result [because] we have thrown away several points. The team is doing well from a physical point of view. They have returned to playing a certain type of football also carrying out an athletic race with a certain rhythm. Too bad not having scored points in the last few matches. This victory leads us to be still [second] in the ranking and this time we will do everything to maintain this position.”

Simy – who played for 80 minutes and was replaced by Samuel Armenteros, has now taken his goal tally for the season to 16, putting him one goal behind Trapani’s Stefano Pettinari and Perugia’s Pietro Iemmello. With his four assists, he has a hand in 20 goals, which puts him top of the Serie B goal involvement chart.

Crotone are now unbeaten in eight league games (five wins, three draws) and still maintain second place on the standings, 21 points behind Benevento.

While first place seems settled, second place for the final automatic promotion spot is very intense with Citadella, Pordenone, Frosinone and Spezia, all within reach of Crotone with six rounds left to wrap up the season.

South Africa head coach Molefi Ntseki has explained why he will not consider Gaston Sirino and Samir Nurkovic for national team selection for now.

This comes after Serbian marksman Nurkovic, who has impressed at Kaizer Chiefs this season, declared himself available for Bafana Bafana.

While Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane has called for the inclusion of his influential Uruguayan playmaker Sirino in the Bafana squad in the past.

Sirino and Nurkovic are yet to play for their national teams at senior and junior level which makes them eligible for South Africa.

However, Ntseki, who has been in charge of the national team since last August, insisted that he is only focused on profiling South African-born players.

“The attention that we are giving is to profile South African players. We must be very careful. Let me make an example about Sirino and Nurkovic," Ntseki told IOL.

"Are we giving enough attention to what we have before we can move for a player that has to be naturalized? Are we comparing that player with what we have in the country and giving opportunities to what we have in the country?

“If you go to the junior teams, all the junior teams have given our players an opportunity to play for their country. That’s why most of them are playing overseas."

Tunisia, who lost to Bafana in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final, have enjoyed some success with naturalized players from Brazil in the past.

The Brazil-born duo of Francileudo dos Santos and Jose Clayton played an integral role in helping the Carthage Eagles clinch the Afcon title in 2004 with the former being the joint top scorer in the competition.

"I’m talking about the likes of Lyle Foster, Gift Links, Kabomelo Kodisang, Liam Jordan and Luther Singh. These players played for our junior teams and they are now in the overseas market,” Ntseki explained.

“If we don’t have anybody who can be of a level of the second player, it means we will always be looking into that player. Let’s say we approach a [naturalized] player and we say we are interested in him playing for our country but that has to be done in such a way that the player will be protected and the coach will also be protected.

"What will happen if that player doesn’t have a good first game or second game? People will start to say all the negative things about that player. We need to do it properly."

Ntseki indicated when the 2022 Fifa World Cup and 2021 Afcon qualifiers start he will only focus on South African-born players.

“For me, it is a very long process that has to be done properly without emotions but we should be highly tactical and technical to decide on such players. It might not be Ntseki alone doing this but it has to be done in the right manner,” Ntseki said.

“Let us make an example of Rushine De Reuck. He was born [in South Africa] in 1996 and then there is someone like Ricardo Nascimento [who is a Brazilian player] from Sundowns.

“Nascimento is older than Rushine. If you were to overlook Rushine, who are you disadvantaging? People will say instead of helping in the development of football and selecting Rushine, you’ve decided to convert a non-South African to be a South African. That is the reality of the situation and that’s why I say we should not be emotional about it.”

The 2021 Afcon finals have been postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic says that he is “very, very confident” as the Red Devils push to end the season in third place in the Premier League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side currently lie fifth in the standings but were given a midweek boost as they saw rivals for the top four Leicester and Chelsea both unexpectedly slip up.

On paper, United have a relatively easy run in, with a Saturday match against Bournemouth followed by encounters against Aston Villa and Southampton.

And following a thumping 3-0 win over in-form Sheffield United and a convincing success over Brighton, the Serbia international believes United’s momentum will carry them onto the podium.

“We don’t depend only on us, we have to win our games and wait for others to drop points and I hope we can reach that third spot and, if we do that, then the season will be fantastic for us. I’m very, very confident and I think the team looks well at the moment,” he told the club’s official website.

“For us, every game is a final, it doesn’t matter if it’s a real final in the FA Cup or the Europa League, for us every game is a final, we have to think like that. We have to try to win every match and, at the end, we will see.”

He is wary that Bournemouth are currently fighting for their lives and will not prove easy prey.

“The Premier League is very hard, anyone can beat anyone, and it cannot surprise me because I’ve been here a long time and I’ve seen many things and anything is possible,” he said.

“They’re a good team and, in the last few years, they have played some amazing football and won a lot of big games against big opponents. We will prepare for that game as we do for every game and we will try to give our best with a lot of respect for them, but we know our quality and what we have to do.”

Meanwhile, he revealed how he copes with playing in an empty stadium in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

“I try to imagine the stadium is full,” he said. “It’s strange and not good for us. We like to play in front of our supporters because they sing during the 90 minutes and that gives you more motivation and you give more. But the situation is like this and we have to adapt and it’s the same for everyone.”

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has sensationally claimed he was keen to face sworn rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

The two Tanzanian giants will square off again in the last four of the domestic competition after they both sealed their places with wins on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Yanga were the first to qualify after beating Kagera Sugar 2-1 before Simba followed them with a 2-0 win against Azam FC and now they will face off for the third time this season on July 13 at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

In the first match of the season, the two sides settled for a 2-2 draw before Yanga tuned on the screw in the second round fixture to win 1-0 courtesy of a well-taken free-kick from Ghanaian forward Bernard Morrison.

It is the reason the Belgian coach has now said he is eager to earn revenge and was the reason why he worked very hard to eliminate Azam so they can face off again.

“We lost to Yanga in the second round fixture because my players lost concentration and we could not push ourselves to get an equaliser or even a winning goal,” Vandenbroeck told Goal.

“We wanted to play against them again before the season comes to a close so we can rectify the mistakes we committed against them and beat them, I know it will not be easy but I want to prepare my team to be ready.

“It is a match I am really looking forward to, it is a derby and you know the fans will come in large numbers, the derby is the game for the fans and we will do all we can to make amends and beat them to reach the final.”

In a previous interview with Goal, Yanga coach Luc Eymael revealed he would rather have played Azam as opposed to Simba in the FA Cup semi-finals.

“Many have asked for my reaction after setting a date with Simba in the last four of the FA Cup but I will respond as I did already,” Eymael told Goal on Thursday.

“I know many of my players wished to play Simba in the semi-finals but would have preferred to play Azam. However, it is still okay; Simba were a good team, same as Azam, we will still give our best.”

In the other semi-final, division one side Sahare All-Stars will face Namungo FC.

Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has criticised the aggressive attitude of former team-mate Roy Keane with regard to his analysis.

The ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder recently hit the headlines as he suggested that he would be “swinging punches” at Red Devils goalkeeper David de Gea after a recent error that cost his side a goal against Tottenham. 

Yorke, who turned out for the Red Devils between 1998 and 2002, and was a key member of their treble winning squad of 1999, has suggested that such an attitude is the reason that Keane failed to cut it as a manager – and was one of his downfalls as a player.

“I played with him and played under him as a manager. I know what he’s like as an individual,” Yorke told The Mirror.

“You’ve just got to take it on your chin when it comes to him. He says what he likes to say. Some people buy into it, some people don’t.

“His harsh words, sometimes it’s warranted at times, but maybe the way he delivers it is how it gets under people’s skin.

“We all make mistakes. He wasn’t perfect when he played. He made mistakes along the way. He has to tone that back a little bit.

“Maybe one of the downfalls which I recognised from his management career is that the way he delivered his approach to players could be quite offensive.

“Although they needed a rollicking, there's a way of how you go about it.

“I looked at Keano in the past and sometimes it’s the way he says something which people do not take lightly and get upset by.

“De Gea knows it was a huge mistake against Tottenham. But as an ex-player, you have to be careful.

“At the end of the day, you made similar mistakes along the way. With Keano, you can only laugh when he delivers these things.

“But I dread to think if he said this kind of stuff, how players would react [today].

“That old school mentality, the Brian Clough, the Ron Atkinson, maybe even Sir Alex Ferguson at some point, you get those kinds of rollickings.

“Players of yesterday could easily dust those kinds of comments off and say: 'I’ll show you.'

“But in the modern day, things have changed. It’s the way you go about it which is important and that’s one of Keano’s problems. He doesn’t know how to deliver it.

“He was correct about De Gea making a mistake, but it was his delivery which made people sit up and think ‘wow’.”

United’s next outing is against Bournemouth on Saturday.

When the coronavirus put a standstill to football in March, leaving many leagues in limbo as to how to decide their campaigns if the season couldn’t be restarted, conversation surrounded deciding the title (if it was still in play), European spots and, particularly, promotion and relegation.

In England, the latter was discussed extensively given the state of the Championship standings at the time: Leeds United, absent from the Premier League since 2004, and West Bromwich Albion were seven and six points ahead of third-placed Fulham, and 10 in front of Brentford and Nottingham Forest who were joint-fourth.

Would the top two sides occupying the promotion spots ultimately miss out after their largely dominant campaigns?

Three gameweeks after, Leeds and West Bromwich are ahead of the side in third with six and five points respectively, with the gap only being reduced by a point since the return.

However, recent doubts surrounding The Albion keeping hold of their automatic spot has crept in, considering the form of the side in third.

Brentford, 10 points behind before football’s suspension, had reduced the chasm between them and Slaven Bilic’s troops to two points, before the latter played Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday, after a run of three wins on the trot (four if you add the Bees’ 5-0 defeat of Wednesday in early March).

WBA, though, just when it seemed they were collapsing, responded with a hugely significant 3-0 success at Hillsborough Stadium, restoring their five-point advantage.

Interestingly, Slaven Bilic made a change at centre-back as the Baggies returned to winning ways: dropping Semi Ajayi, to pair Ahmed Hegazy and Kyle Bartley in central defence.

In fairness, that move wasn’t the reason the away side triumphed. After all, the Nigerian had played well when the West Midlands club kept their 10th and 11th clean sheets of the year against Swansea City and Birmingham City, so it's likely to just been a case of Bilic resting the Super Eagle.

Indeed, statistics show Bilic has an impressive trio in central defence, with little separating Ajayi, Bartley and Hegazy. Even though the towering Englishman leads the way for tackles, interceptions and clearances per game (1.4, 1.2 and 4.7 per match), the Egypt and Nigeria internationals aren’t slouches either, with Hegazy’s reading 1.2, 0.9 and 4.1 respectively, while Ajayi posts 1.0 tackles and interceptions per game, with 3.4 clearances per match.

The West African is the team’s joint-sixth top scorer with five, better than Bartley and the North African, while he wins 63 percent of his duels, better than the Pharaohs’ top centre-half and edged by the former Swansea City man (67 percent).

Frankly, The Albion’s recent issues aren’t defensively but in attack.

Their run of four games without scoring against Wigan Athletic, Swansea, Birmingham and the Bees either side of the pandemic is why Thomas Frank’s side have been given hope of reining in Ajayi and co. in the final weeks of the campaign.

The odds of the side from Greater London have been boosted given the imperious form of the remarkably talented Said Benrahma, the Algeria star whose playmaking has been instrumental in Brentford boasting the best attack in the division (70).

Interestingly, Brentford also possess the joint-stingiest backline in the competition, letting in 33 goals alongside Leeds, and since finding consistency, they've been hot on the heels of the top two.

With the stars seemingly aligning for the Bees at the right moment, West Bromwich, the second-highest scorers in the league, need to dispatch struggling Hull City at the Hawthorns on Sunday to record successive wins for the first time since February.

Bilic’s troops have tended to go on commendable runs after setbacks this season, and defeating the Tigers, who just ended a 14-game winless run vs Middlesbrough on Thursday, is the expectation before kick-off.

However, with two blanks in their last two home games against Birmingham and Wigan, the Albion have to be third-time lucky to prevent another surprising defeat, especially with Derby County, the league’s form side to come after Hull.

West Bromwich remain in pole position to secure automatic promotion with their Nigerian colossus anticipated to play a major part in the run-in. Still, the Baggies’ recent problems higher up the pitch will make or mar their automatic promotion joust.

Managing Director of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole Jamil Ssewanyana has explained why the facility is not in good condition to host the national team yet.

Late last year, the stadium was closed for renovation but Ssewanyana says it is not ready to host any matches including international assignments for the Cranes.

"Namboole can host the Cranes and league matches although the quality of the pitch is still not there," Ssewanyana told Football256.

"The pitch needs an overhaul to put it at competitive standards. Over usage is also a big challenge that we shall now manage from previous experiences."

Ssewanyana also called pitch managers in Uganda to ensure their own facilities are in good condition through renovations as sports activities remain banned due to the coronavirus restrictions.

"They should be working on re-greening their pitches," said Ssewanyana.

"There are normally three windows or phases for pitch recovery – offseason, mid-season break, and during the season. Now is the time for seeding or planting for those that don’t have a green turf."

In May, Uganda Minister of State for Sports Denis Hamson Obua confirmed the government's commitment to renovate the Namboole Stadium.

"What we have at the moment is an old testament stadium but we had already drawn the plan both in the short and long run," Obua said then.

"There are some things that were highlighted in the Caf report, for instance, the floodlights, the drainage system, pavilions, the playing surface and the dressing rooms.

"Some of these can be addressed in the short run.

"As the government, we want a stadium that will benefit us in various ways. When Caf stopped Fufa to host games there, we had already made our plans to renovate Namboole."

The stadium at Namboole is the only international sports facility in Uganda but the Cranes can use the St Mary's Stadium in Kitende, which has passed Caf tests, for international engagements should the Mandela stadium take too long to be renovated.

In October 2019 when the stadium was closed for an upgrade, Ugandan Premier League (UPL) clubs URA FC, Kyetume FC, and SC Villa were forced to look for alternative venues.

The national stadium has a carrying capacity of 42,000.

Hansi Flick and Manuel Neuer were delighted to welcome Leroy Sane to Bayern Munich on Friday but quickly turned their attention back to the DFB-Pokal final.

Bayern have confirmed the long-anticipated arrival of Sane from Manchester City on a five-year deal , with the fee reportedly worth up to €60 million (£55m/$67m).

But the Bundesliga champions have little time to reflect on their successful pursuit of the winger as they prepare to take on Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin on Saturday in the second leg of their treble bid.

Flick said of his new signing: "We're happy, but it's not the time to talk about it."

Captain Neuer was slightly more forthcoming when asked about his Germany team-mate Sane, but his primary focus is on lifting another trophy.

"I hope [Sane] can win the Pokal with Bayern in the future," he said. "We Bayern players are happy that he will be with us next season."

Flick hopes to have Niklas Sule back involved, with his defence tasked with containing Leverkusen's Kai Havertz, another Germany international linked with Bayern.

Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz says his side cannot rely solely on 21-year-old Havertz.

"He is important but cannot win the game alone," Bosz said. "I don't think the game has anything to do with his future."

Flick agreed individual quality alone would not decide the day, adding: "Both teams have very good players, but you cannot be successful alone.

"You need a good team effort. We shouldn't think about who the top player is."

Bayern have been in formidable form since returning to action following the enforced break because of the coronavirus pandemic. Playing in empty grounds has not proven to be a problem for Flick's men as they have enjoyed a 10-match winning streak, which includes a 4-2 victory over their Saturday opponents.

FCB are the defending champions, having enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 victory over RB Leipzig in the 2018-19 showpiece, in which Robert Lewandowski won the man of the match award after netting either side of a Kingsley Coman strike.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, have not won the cup since 1993, when they overcame Hertha BSC Amateure. It is the only occasion on which they have won the DFB Pokal.

Azam FC have received a huge boost with the return of winger Salum Abubakar ‘Sure Boy’ as they prepare to take on Singida United in a Mainland Premier League match on Sunday.

The speedy player has sat out league matches for the past two weeks after he sustained a knock to his right knee but resurfaced on Friday after recovering and ready to claim his place in the squad.

Azam coach Aristica Cioaba is happy to have the player back, as the team aims to beat Young Africans (Yanga SC) to second spot after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Simba SC.

Azam had hoped to go all the way and win the domestic cup to earn a straight ticket to the Caf Confederation Cup but their hopes were dashed as Simba, who have already been crowned league champions, scored goals from John Bocco and Clatous Chama to win the quarter-final clash 2-0.

Cioaba has now told Goal the return of Abubakar will help their push to finish in the second position as they start their fight with a clash against Singida United at Azam Complex on Sunday.

“We have really missed Abubakar since he got injured and I am very happy to have him back in the squad,” Cioaba told Goal. “I always want to have my players fit and ready to play and his return will help us to fight for second spot.

“We still have a chance to beat Yanga to the spot, we still have six matches to play to end the season and anything can happen, Yanga can still drop points and we need to capitalise on that and take the advantage of sealing second position, we have been in the position before and want to reclaim it.”

On facing Singida, Cioaba said: “It will be a tough game, remember my players used too much energy against Simba and they must recover and be fit again to use another energy against Singida.

“I know Singida is not an easy team so we will make sure we play well and don’t underrate them, they can upset you if you underrate them and I have warned my players against complacency, it can cost us points and I don’t want that to happen.”

Azam are lying third on the log with 59 points while Yanga, who are second, have 60 points.

Chippa United are hoping to keep Orlando Pirates defender Tercious Malepe beyond the current season.

The Chilli Boys have been busy preparing for the resumption of the 2019/20 campaign having recently parted ways with Thabo Rakhale and Tebogo Makobela.

The club also brought back experienced local football administrator Morgan Mammila as their general manager.

“Tercious will remain with the team as he is part of our plans,” Mzinzi was quoted as saying on Daily Sun.

Malepe, who can also operate as a defensive midfielder, is in his second successive loan spell at the Chilli Boys where he is a key player.

The South Africa under-23 captain has made 40 appearances in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) for Chippa since he first joined the club from Pirates in August 2018.

However, Mzinzi indicated the futures of Pirates loanees Diamond Thopola and Meshack Maphangule will be decided at the end of this season.

“The two players will be with the club until the end of the season. Whether we will replace them or not that decision will be made at the end of the season,” said Mzinzi.

Meanwhile, Mzinzi also revealed that Mbuyiselo Sambu will be in charge of the team’s remaining six matches in the PSL as a caretaker coach.

This comes after the Chilli Boys decided against extending Rhulani Mokwena’s contract when it expired on Tuesday, June 30 having joined the club on loan from Pirates last March.

“Sambu was given the coaching role on a caretaker basis until the end of the season,” Mzinzi concluded.

Mokwena is now a free agent, as his three-year contract, which he signed with Pirates prior to the 2017/18 season also came to an end on Tuesday.

He took charge of only one match as Chippa head coach with the team drawing 0-0 with Bidvest Wits in a league clash on March 7 just before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sambu, who has been coaching the Chilli Boys' reserve team, will take charge of the first team for the second time, having served as a caretaker coach during the 2016/17 season.