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Aston Villa star Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’ and Zambia football great Kalusha Bwalya have congratulated Al Ahly after winning the 2021 Caf Champions League.

The Egyptian Premier League giants defeated Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in Saturday’s final played at the Stade Mohammed V.

Despite the first-half ending 0-0 in Casablanca, the Red Devils triumphed over the 10-man South Africans with Mohamed Sherif, Mohamed Afsha, and Amr El Solia all firing past goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.

Thanks to this victory, Al Ahly have now won the tournament for a record tenth time. And to celebrate their remarkable feat, the duo took to social media to celebrate Pitso Mosimane’s men.

“Congratulations to Al Ahly club and its great fans for winning the African Champions League for the tenth time,” former Kasimpasa star Trezeguet wrote on Twitter.

The Egypt international who plays for Dean Smith’s men in the English elite division represented the 42-time Egyptian Premier League kings star between 2012 to 2016 before joining Belgium elite division side Anderlecht.

In the same vein, former Zambia captain – who is considered as one of the greatest players in African football history – Bwalya also joined the 26-year-old in praising the achievement of Mosimane’s squad.

“Al Ahly is champions, congratulations to coach Pitso and his Eagles,” the 1988 African Player of the Year winner tweeted.

For Stuart Baxter’s men, they were playing in the competition’s final for the first time in their history having negotiated their way past Wydad Casablanca in the semi-finals. 

They started the final on an impressive note; however, they were reduced to ten men before the halftime break as Happy Mashiane was given the marching orders for a dangerous tackle on Tawfik Akram.

Burundian referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana had cautioned him for that foul; however, VAR replays ensured that the decision was reversed for a dismissal.

That proved to be the turning point for the Egyptians who dominated the last 45 minutes to overpower Chiefs who rarely threatened goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.

With this win, Al Ahly have qualified for the 2021 Fifa Club World Cup in Japan. They will also square up against Caf Confederation Cup winners Raja Casablanca in the Caf Super Cup.

Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Shaun Bartlett says his former club paid the price for a lack of experience in the Caf Champions League final defeat against Al Ahly at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on Saturday.

The challenge was made inside the Al Ahly half and was not needed - Mashiane's rush of blood to the head proved to be Chiefs' downfall, as Bartlett said in the SuperSport TV studio after the game in Morocco:

"The sending off made a massive difference as far as the outcome of the game was concerned, but I still have questions as to where would the goal have come from," the ex-Bafana Bafana forward began. "Even with 11 players on the field, there was no real threat for me, from Kaizer Chiefs as to going forward, supporting [Samir] Nurkovic, having runs from the midfield.

"They were hoping that Mashiane would be one of those players, but that inexperience with the tackle, in the opposing half, was unnecessary and it cost them the game."

Fellow SuperSport TV analyst Stanton Fredericks concurred with Bartlett in terms of Mashiane's misdemeanor proving fatal.

"Inexperience really got the better of Kaizer Chiefs," the former Bafana Bafana, Orlando Pirates and Amakhosi midfielder said after the match. "When Mashiane got the red card, the writing was on the wall.

"If it was 11 v 11, Chiefs were defensively strong and could have possibly got a goal," Fredericks continued, "but when they went to 10 men, the frailties came and I think they really exposed that right-back position, where the second and the third goal came from.

"Kaizer Chiefs just couldn't hang on long enough, but the quality of Al Ahly came to the fore and it was just a matter of time before they scored."

Al Ahly successfully defended their Caf Champions League crown after securing a 3-0 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in the final which took place at Stade Mohamed V in Morocco on Saturday night.

Goals from Mohamed Sherif, Mohamed Magdi Afsha and Amr El Solia inspired the Egyptian giants to a well-deserved win over their South African opponents, who were making their maiden appearance in the final.

Coach Stuart Baxter took charge of Chiefs for the first time after receiving his South African work permit and the experienced British coach opted for Daniel Akpeyi between the sticks. 

Akpeyi, who got the nod ahead of Itumeleng Khune and Bruce Bvuma, had played six matches without conceding a single goal in this season's tournament.

On the other hand, coach Pitso Mosimane surprisingly dropped one of the Red Devils' best players, Aliou Dieng, to the bench ahead of the biggest match in African club football. 

Hamdi Fathi started ahead of the Dieng in midfield as South African tactician Mosimane looked to become the first African coach to win the Caf Champions League title three times. 

Chiefs had a decent start to the match - pressing high with their attackers Samir Nurkovic, Happy Mashiane and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo showing good movement in Al Ahly's half.

The first shot on target of the match went to Amakhosi, but Nurkovic's curling effort was easily saved by goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, who was well-positioned.

Al Ahly took control of the encounter after the half-hour mark with El Solia, who scored for the Red Devils as they defeated their arch-rivals Zamalek in last year's final, seeing a lot of the ball in midfield. 

The 32-year-old midfielder played a smart through pass for Ali Maaloul in the left flank, but the Tunisia international's low cross-come-shot was well-saved by Akpeyi.

Chiefs ended the first-half on a bad note as they were reduced to 10 players with Mashiane being shown a straight card for a reckless tackle on marauding right-back Akram Tawfik following a VAR check.

The score was 0-0 at the interval and Baxter made a change prior to the start of the second-half - pulling out Ngcobo and he introduced 2016 Caf Champions League title winner with Mamelodi Sundowns, Khama Billiat.

Tawfik, who was making dangerous overlapping runs, played a defence-splitting pass for Sherif and the tournament's top scorer scored his sixth goal in the competition to make it 1-0 to Al Ahly in the 53rd minute.

Sherif was involved when Al Ahly went 2-0 up in the 64th minute as he set up Afsha, who then curled the ball into the top left corner - beating one of Nigeria's top keepers, Akpeyi hands down.

Chiefs were looking disjointed at the back with Sherif tormenting the defence and he grabbed his second assist when his backheel pass was turned home by El Solia to extend Al Ahly's lead to 3-0 with 17 minutes left.

El Solia's well-taken goal sealed Al Ahly's emphatic 3-0 victory on the night with the Cairo giants having taken advantage of their numerical superiority over Chiefs.

The win saw the Red Devils clinch a record-extending 10th Caf Champions League title and they qualified for this year's Fifa Club World Cup, while Amakhosi's fairytale run in the competition ended with a defeat.

Leicester City's defender Ashleigh Plumptre was among the Super Falcons players that commenced training on Saturday in Austria.

Coach Randy Waldrum's women have camped in the European nation ahead of the Aisha Buhari Cup that will take place in Lagos in September.

The competition is organised in honour of Nigeria's first lady and it will serve as preparations for the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana in October.

Apart from the England-based star, Paris FC's Chiamaka Nnadozie, Ngozi Okobi - Okeoghene, Tochukwu Oluehi, Yetunde Balogun, Nicole Payne, and Toni Payne were among the players who worked out at the Event Hotel Pyramide in Vienna.

Others include Glory Ogbonna, Akudo Ogbonna, Joy Bokiri, Onyinyechi Okeke, Chidinma Okeke, Monday Gift, Rasheedat Ajibade, Iniabasi Umotong, Evelyn Ijeh, Josephine Ijeh, Mitchel Alozie, Ohale Osinachi, Desire Oparanozie, Ashleigh Plumptre and Ebere Orji.

Meanwhile, Barcelona striker Asisat Oshoala has been excluded from the training camp in a bid to rest after a hectic season with her Spanish top-flight outfit.

Nigeria will compete with four-time Fifa Women's World Cup winners United States of America, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa and Cameroon for the top prize at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Despite featuring for England at youth level, the youngster had expressed her desire to represent the reigning African queens.

"The idea of me being able to play for Nigeria, with that being an option, I would happily grab that with both hands," she told BBC Sport Africa.

"Representing that which really means something to somebody is very important. Obviously, there's a lot of things I can openly say that I don't know about Nigerian culture but I want to learn because I know that it's in me, and it's in my sister and in my dad.

"We can only get it from my granddad; he's the only thing that we know in terms of Nigeria. I've obviously visited Nigerian relatives in America and in England.

"Seeing this little journey my sister and I have been on, and the understanding of our family heritage, not just that but watching Nigerian documentaries and learning about the past is incredible."

New Arsenal signing Nuno Tavares was pleased to receive his first taste of action with the Gunners after appearing and scoring in Saturday's friendly against Rangers. 

The ex-Benfica defender needed just over 20 minutes to mark his maiden goal for the club before being substituted at half-time. 

Arsenal went on to draw 2-2 with the Scottish giants, with Eddie Nketiah also netting for Mikel Arteta's side. 

What was said? 

"I felt good. It was a good game for me and for us. A good test. I think we had a good match and we learned a lot," Tavares told Arsenal's official website after the match.

"I feel very happy to score my first goal with Arsenal. I'm so excited for this and today I did it.

"It's good to play with the best, like Aubameyang and Laca. They're very good players and to play with them, it's so good.

"Play free and do my job" 

Tavares joined Arsenal on a £8 million ($11m) move from Benfica this summer, but was unable to take the field for the club's first friendly against Hibernian due to paperwork issues. 

The left-back is glad to be in Arteta's plans, and knows exactly what is expected of him as the Premier League season slowly approaches. 

"To play free, not be scared, do my job and that's it," he added.

"I'm so excited to play with fans at the Emirates. I can't wait for this. We will see."

Further reading 

Hearts of Oak received their Ghana Premier League trophy on Saturday, having been already confirmed league winners following a 1-1 draw with Liberty Professionals last week.

In their final match of the 34-week season, the Phobians suffered a 1-0 away loss to Wafa, but the result did no harm to their status.

It is their 20th GPL title in history, three less wins than archrivals Asante Kotoko who are the most successful club ever in the elite domestic championship.

Hearts finished the campaign four points ahead of Kotoko who could reduce the deficit to one should they beat bottom-placed Elmina Sharks in one of six matches scheduled for Sunday.

In Saturday's away fixture, Atte Yousifou registered Wafa's lone goal from a free-kick in the 64th minute to seal the win over Hearts. By the win, the Academy Boys have sealed the third-place spot as they sit four points clear ahead of their closest contenders.

While the top three spots have been decided, the fourth position is still up for grabs.

On Saturday, Great Olympics beat Dreams to move to the fourth spot, the status only possible because of their superior goal difference to fifth-placed Aduana Stars who could take over the position on Sunday should they grab at least a point in their clash with Karela United. The latter are ninth on the table.

One point below tied Olympics and Aduana, Medeama also stand a chance of finishing in the fourth position should they defeat Berekum Chelsea and Aduana fail to record a victory. Chelsea, meanwhile, are currently 10th on the table.

Also on Saturday, relegated Inter Allies bowed out of the elite division in humiliating fashion by a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Ashanti Gold, who are ninth on the log. Amos Addai scored twice while Opoku Agyemang registered a hat-trick.

Interestingly, however, Inter Allies' Hashmin Musah probably left Obuasi's Len Clay Stadium as the most talked-about player after coming on as a second-half substitute and scored two own goals before being substituted out of the game before full-time.

In the other matches on Sunday, Legon Cities will face Eleven Wonders, Ebusua Dwarfs take on Bechem United while Liberty and King Faisal lock horns in Dansoman. 

Jean-Philippe Gbamin scored Everton's only goal in Saturday's 1-0 victory against Blackburn Rovers in a pre-season outing.

The Cote d'Ivoire international - who has been out due to injury - capped his comeback with an impressive display and a goal.

Nine minutes before half-time, Gbamin showed doggedness to win the ball from midfield and slid a pass into the path of Moise Kean.

The Italian's thunderous strike was parried by goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski, albeit, the African slammed home the rebound from close range.

The 25-year-old was substituted at half-time alongside Nigeria international Alex Iwobi as manager Rafael Benitez made several changes which saw Mali prospect Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan introduced for the last 45 minutes.

Even at that, the Premier League outfit was unable to score more goals as they claimed bragging rights against Tony Mowbray's men. 

For the English Championship side, Namibia international Ryan Nyambe was handed a starter's role but he was substituted on the hour mark by Sam Durrant.

Gbamin has been out of action for the Toffees following a knee injury before Everton's Premier League encounter against Brighton & Hove Albion in April.

That setback saw him miss the rest of the 2020-21 campaign. Before then, the former Mainz 05 star had featured in 11 games. 

“In the next week we are going to have Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Yerry Mina, Fabian Delph and Bernard,” former manager Carlo Ancelotti told the club website.

“It will be longer for Gbamin and Doucoure. Gbamin doesn’t need surgery but he will be out for at least eight weeks. The plan for him is to be back for the start of the new season.”

His career has been hampered by injury problems since he teamed up with the Liverpool-based side from the German Bundesliga in the summer of 2019.

Gbamin suffered a thigh injury after only two games with the Goodison Park giants and was expected to be ruled of action for eight weeks.

Nonetheless, the midfielder damaged his Achilles tendon in training just as he was recovering from thigh problems.

Before pledging his international allegiance to the Elephants, he had previously played for France at U18, U19, U20 and U21 levels.

James Milner has been impressed by Ibrahima Konate's early showings in Liverpool training, with a Reds veteran embracing a "strange" situation that now sees "top-class centre-halves all over the place" at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp found himself short in that department during an injury-hit 2020-21 campaign, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all picking up problems that kept them stuck on the sidelines for long periods.

They are now back in the fold, along with £36 million ($50m) summer signing Konate, and Milner is among those feeling encouraged by what he has seen from a squad that is determined to get back in the trophy hunt.

What has been said?

Milner told the Reds' official website of Konate, who has been snapped up from RB Leipzig: "Very good. He certainly looks like a central defender! 

"He’s obviously very strong, he’s good on the ball, a very good defender positionally. I’ve not seen much of him in training but a couple of things he has done have stood out. 

"It’s a strange situation: you obviously go from last season not having too many centre-halves and now we’ve got top-class centre-halves all over the place! It’s fantastic. 

"Nat [Phillips] is obviously here and Davo [Ben Davies], Rhysy [Williams] obviously and all the guys in there – it’s a great standard of centre-half that we’ve got with everyone pushing each other and that’s exactly what you need."

What are Liverpool's aims for 2021-22?

The Reds enjoyed domestic, continental and global dominance across two seasons that delivered Premier League, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup honours.

A humbling fall from grace was endured last time out, as Klopp's men finished empty-handed, but Milner believes positive steps are being taken in the right direction.

The versatile 35-year-old added: "We know what we want to achieve in the season, we know what’s expected, we want to win trophies – that’s obviously always the aim. 

"But I think this period is important. Getting through it with no injuries, making sure people are fit and building that team and that feeling again and that rhythm that obviously you lose when you are in the off-season and obviously with the changes we had all last season with the injuries and ups and downs. 

"That’s all part of it but I’m pretty sure we’ll have learned more last season than we will have done in the two or three seasons before it and that’s a positive."

Further reading

Former Italy international Gaetano D'Agostino believes Victor Osimhen can be like Mirko Vucinic and Vincenzo Iaquinta under new Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti.

In his previous managerial spell, Vucinic and Iaquinta are some of the players who stood out under Spalletti in Roma and Udinese respectively.

D'Agostino is looking forward to seeing the Nigeria international dazzle in the Serie A next season after scoring 10 league goals in his debut campaign.

"What do I think of Victor Osimhen, the number 9 of Napoli? I'm curious to see him at work after a year in which he is already used to Serie A,” the former Fiorentina midfielder was quoted by Area Napoli.

“He can do like Mirko Vucinic at Roma or Vincenzo Iaquinta to Spalletti's Udinese: if you remember, they were both fast and did very well with the coach, who was able to exalt them.”

Meanwhile, Spalletti has had a glimpse of Osimhen in training sessions and he described him as a complete striker.

The Italian coach added that he is ready to help the 22-year-old striker improve on some areas of his game.

"He will certainly be a foothold for us and a strength of this team,” Spalletti told the club website. “He is a complete striker, he knows how to score and he knows how to fight for his teammates.

“It is clear that he also has aspects to improve and this is where we need to work, but it has already given great availability.”

Napoli will intensify their preparations for the 2021-22 Serie A campaign with fixtures against Serie C club Pro Vercelli and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on July 24 and 31 respectively.

The Parthenopeans will begin their new season with a date against Venezia at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on August 21.

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann is relaxed over the slow rate of transfer activity around the Allianz Arena, despite a disappointing start to his first pre-season at the club. 

The Bundesliga champions, fielding a side largely consisting of reserve and youth players, went down 3-2 to Koln in Saturday's friendly, Nagelsmann's unofficial debut in the post. 

But despite losing stars like David Alaba, Javier Martinez and Jerome Boateng over the summer, the former RB Leipzig chief is happy to see things develop at their own pace.

What was said? 

"The financial conditions are the same as a last week. We always have the duty to control everything and see what works and what doesn't work,"  Nagelsmann explained to reporters after the match.

"You have to react to the current circumstances, that's quite normal. But it's not like the players will be out for four months.

"We don't have to panic. If we have a lot of injured players, it's normal that we have to look.  But if these injured players only have to rest for six weeks, we don't need to rush."

Nagelsmann was also content with what he saw from an unfamiliar Bayern side, praising a handful of youngster who made a positive impact during the defeat.

"Overall, it was okay. There were many players who don't play in the Bundesliga and have no rhythm," he added.

"We created our chances and goals well. We conceded the three goals in almost the same way: We played for offside, without pressure on the ball, and didn't defend the opposing crosses well. That was a bit too easy. But considering the squad, the performance was okay.

"Three or four of the young players did well. Armindo Sieb for example was good. Also Tyler (Booth) or Malik (Tillmann).

"That was alright, they are not so rhythm and don't have any Bundesliga minutes yet. And Cologne were almost at full strength, with one or two exceptions, their first-half eleven will be on the pitch for the start of the Bundesliga."

Further reading 

Franklin Sasere says he chose a return to Hamrun Spartans because he has "unfinished business" in Malta, plus the atmosphere at Victor Tedesco Stadium is conducive for his growth in football.

The striker joined Lugano from Nigeria Professional Football League side Sunshine Stars in 2019, albeit, his inability to get regular playing time in Switzerland saw him loaned to Tas-Sikkina.

There, he scored 14 goals as Mark Buttigieg's men won the Maltese elite division diadem for the first time since the 1990-91 campaign.

Despite his notable pre-season form for the Swiss Super League, he was shipped to Hamrun Spartans for a second spell.

"My decision to return to Hamrun Spartans was not a tough one at all because I feel at home here. Also, the environment is very conducive for my growth as a footballer," Sasere told Goal.

"In addition, I feel like I have unfinished business with this great club. During my first spell, I emerged as the top scorer and also helped the team win the Maltese Premier League title - which earned us a ticket to next season's Champions League.

"This time around, I want to do more and prove to everyone that my performances in the 2020-21 campaign were not a fluke.

"Really, I feel happy here and the reception from the club management and fans have been great and that shows they really love and appreciate me. I can’t just wait for the season to start so that I repay them back for believing in me."

Asked if he regrets not been given a chance to prove his worth by manager Abel Brage in southern Switzerland, the 23-year-old added: "That's football and I have no regrets leaving Lugano.

"It would not make any sense remaining there and not getting regular playing time.

"I scored a couple of goals for them during this ongoing pre-season, so the reason why I preferred a loan move has nothing to do with my abilities on the field.

"The most important thing is that I am happy to be in Hamrun Spartans and I am in coach Buttigieg's plan. After the completion of next season, we shall see what the future holds."

Gold Cup 2021 Group D continues on Saturday when Grenada plays Qatar and Panama takes on Honduras in Houston, Texas.

Watch Gold Cup on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar are the tournament's special guests this year, having been invited by CONCACAF and started its campaign with a 3-3 draw against Panama.

Grenada suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Honduras, meaning it needs to get points from its second game or else face elimination from the tournament.

Honduras knows a win will guarantee a spot in the knockout stage, with the winner of Group D set to take on the runner-up from Group A, which could be one of Mexico or El Salvador.

Ahead of the games, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), the games can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Grenada vs Qatar team news

Grenada head coach Michael Findlay will be wondering whether he should stick with goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook after the English-born player conceded all four shots he faced in the opening game.

The more experienced Jason Belfon could return to the starting XI as a result, but few other changes are expected to the lineup.

Predicted Grenada starting XI: Belfon; Sterling, Paul, Pierre, Ettienne; Charles-Cook, Norburn, Paterson, Frank; Lewis, Charles.

Felix Sanchez Bas did not make any changes to his side until 80 minutes into its opening fixture, meaning he could be likely to stick with the same XI again.

Qatar played five-at-the-back against Panama and the biggest question is whether Sanchez will stick with that formation again after conceding three times.

Predicted Qatar starting XI: Barsham; Ro-Ro, Al-Rawi, Salman, Hassan, Ahmed; Al-Ahrak, Boudiaf, Hatem; Ali, Afif.

Panama vs Honduras team news

Panama had an exciting opening game, coming from behind three times against Qatar to secure a 3-3 draw.

That could cast doubts over goalkeeper Luis Mejia, with head coach Thomas Christiansen also having veteran Jose Calderon on the roster and may be tempted to make a change.

Predicted Panama starting XI: Mejia; Davis, Machado, Peralta, Palacios; Cooper, Carrasquilla, Yanis, Quintero; Torres, Blackburn.

Dallas midfielder Brian Acosta was only used from the bench against Grenada, but could be in line to start in Honduras's second game of the tournament.

A win for Honduras would seal its place in the knockout round, but even a draw may be enough to guarantee qualification into the last eight.

Predicted Honduras starting XI: Lopez; Crisanto, Alvarez, Figueroa, Rodriguez; Acosta, Flores, Solano; Quioto, Bengtson, Elis.

Recent results

Romelu Lukaku's agent has assured Inter that his client will not be looking for a move this summer, despite transfer speculation suggesting that the Belgian is interesting Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Manchester City.

Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola are in the market for another goalscorer, and there are few better in European football than the prolific 28-year-old.

Lukaku also boasts useful experience of life in England from spells at West Brom, Everton and Manchester United, with over 100 top-flight goals recorded after being denied opportunities at Stamford Bridge.

What has been said?

Inter are under pressure to sell this summer, with Achraf Hakimi already moved on, but Lukaku's representative insists there is no substance to the speculation surrounding a star frontman.

Federico Pastorello told FCInterNews when asked if the Serie A champions can be calm: "Yes, sure, sure.

"Romelu is on vacation and I think he deserves a holiday like he’s taking, there are no problems."

Will Lukaku stay at Inter?

Financial issues for the Nerazzurri are making life difficult for new boss Simone Inzaghi.

Lukaku is, however, tied to a contract through to the summer of 2024 and has not seen an exit door opened.

Pastorello has held talks with Inter bosses regarding future plans and appears happy enough for Lukaku to continue in his current surroundings.

He added on those discussions: "It went well, we took stock of various situations."

Lukaku joined Inter from Manchester United in 2019 and has hit 64 goals in 95 appearances in all competitions.

Further reading

Mikel Arteta is expecting "some new faces" to join Arsenal when they take part in the Florida Cup, with the Gunners closing in on top transfer targets such as Brighton defender Ben White.

Goal has been able to confirm that a £50 million ($69m) fee has been agreed with the Seagulls for an England international.

Other recruits are also being chased down, with Nuno Tavares already on board, and the expectation is that deals will be done while the Premier League heavyweights are in America.

What has been said?

On the back of a 2-2 friendly draw with Scottish champions Rangers at Ibrox, Arteta told Arsenal Media of his immediate plans: "Now a little bit of recovery. 

"We trained really hard, played two games, and now we're going to be travelling to America in the next week. 

"We didn't have any injuries which is really positive in the first week. We're going to have some new faces arriving probably, so very positive."

Are Arsenal heading in the right direction?

Tavarez, who has joined Arsenal from Benfica in an £8m ($11m), caught the eye on debut against Rangers - with the 21-year-old Portuguese defender getting on the scoresheet alongside Eddie Nketiah.

Arteta is looking to take positives from that display, which came on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian, but admits that his team still need to be more clinical.

He added: "It's been really good. We created so many chances but we are not converting enough. 

"Today we should've scored many more goals and with the quality of the players we have up front, they have to demand much more of themselves. But at least we are getting there, the process is becoming much clearer, much better. 

"Without the ball as well, we worked really hard and were really efficient. We won a lot of balls in the final third so there are a lot of positives to take."

The Spaniard added: "Overall I'm really pleased with the performance. I think we dominated the game, we created so many chances - I counted about eight or 10 clear chances to score - but this game is decided in both boxes. 

"We weren't clinical in the opponent's box and we conceded two goals from two corners, which were the only chances they had apart from the counter-attack from our own corner.

"It's much better from the other day and you can tell that physically we were already better in the second game, the organisation was better, individually they played better, but I really liked the collective understanding of the game and how we executed a lot of things we've been working on in the training pitch."

Arsenal are set to face Inter in the semi-finals of the Florida Cup on July 25, as they continue their countdown to a 2021-22 Premier League season opener against newly-promoted Brentford on August 13.

Further reading

Former Bafana Bafana international Tyren Arendse says he would choose Gift Leremi over Godfrey Sapula and Surprise Moriri as he picked the best player he has ever played with.

Arendse and Leremi were teammates at both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns before Leremi sadly died in an accident after losing control of his car in Alberton, Gauteng in September 2007.

Nicknamed Continental, Leremi, who sadly passed away at the age of 22-years, was widely considered to be one of the best attackers in the PSL at the time. 

Arendse pointed out that he is yet to see a player, who plays like the former Bafana Bafana and South Africa under-23 international. 

“There are a few, but the most talented one was the late Gift Leremi. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to see more of him," Arendse told The Citizen. 

"You know, I get to talk to a lot of people especially on the anniversary of his birthday. I would see a lot of people and players posting about him.

"Last time I was chatting with his cousin and I was like, you know, even today I don’t know if there is a player I could say he plays similar to Gift or something."

Arendse also played with skillful midfielders Moriri and Sapula at Sundowns with the Tshwane giants clinching the PSL title during the 2006/07 season. 

The retired winger, who got the nickname Kaapse Dans during his days at Cape Town side Santos FC, described Leremi as an unbelievable player with Continental having been known for his great ability on the ball. 

“He was just an unbelievable player. He would do stuff with the ball that no one else can do. I am yet to see any player that can do the stuff that Gift used to do and the way he played," he said. 

"But again, there was also the likes of Surprise Moriri and Godfrey Sapula. But yeah, if I had to choose one player, it will definitely be Gift Leremi."

Leremi was nurtured in the Pirates academy and he went on to win the PSL title with the club's first team on his debut season (2002/03). 

The Soweto-born player joined Sundowns ahead of the 2007/08 campaign with Masandawana being the reigning PSL champions. 

Leon Balogun scored the opening goal in Saturday’s pre-season friendly match as Rangers settled for a 2-2 draw against Arsenal.

Balogun placed his header past Arthur Okonkwo to break the deadlock in the 14th minute, following a corner-kick by James Tavernier.

The lead did not last long as new Arsenal signing Nuno Tavares drew the teams level with his effort in the 23rd minute.

Both teams went into the break on level terms, but Rangers started the party again with Cedric Itten finding the back of the net in the 75th minute, courtesy of an assist from Glenn Middleton.

A few minutes later, Eddie Nketiah rescued the Gunners from defeat with his 83rd-minute equaliser.

Balogun was in action for 46 minutes before he was substituted for Nathan Patterson, while his compatriot Joe Aribo was not included in Steven Gerrard's matchday squad.

For Arsenal, Ghana's Thomas Partey, Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Egypt's Mohamed Elneny, Ivory Coast's Nicolas Pepe and goalkeeper of Nigerian descent Arthur Okonkwo - all started the encounter and they were later replaced in the second half.

Saturday's result means Rangers have won just one, lost one and registered a draw in their three pre-season friendly fixtures. Next up for Gerrard's men, is an outing against Championship club Blackpool on Wednesday.

Balogun who extended his stay in Glasgow by another year in April, will begin his second campaign in Scotland on July 31 when Rangers host Livingston in the Premiership.

Arsenal, however, are yet to win a pre-season game after they lost 2-1 to Hibernian on Tuesday before their draw with the Gers on Saturday.

The Gunners are scheduled to travel to the United States of America early next week, where they will continue their preparations for the 2021-22 season and also participate in the Florida Cup.

Fikayo Tomori claims to feel no pressure from the £25 million ($34m) price tag that has taken him from Chelsea to AC Milan, with the highly rated defender looking to play his way into England's 2022 World Cup plans.

The 23-year-old has seen his loan deal at San Siro turn into a permanent transfer, with Serie A giants impressed by what they saw from the talented centre-half.

Tomori is aware that expectations will rise again during his second season in Italy, especially now that considerable funds have been invested in his potential, but a confident character is backing himself to thrive.

What has been said?

On being a big-money signing for the Rossoneri, Tomori told Corriere delle Sera: "No pressure, it’s actually satisfying to feel trust around me, everybody is helping me, this is the right project for me.

"Everybody welcomed me all very well, from the first day. This is a great club, with exceptional training facilities. There is everything to grow and to win, it’s a dream.

"Nothing is impossible, we play to win. We have a young team and we are improving. Last season we finished second and it means we are on the right path. We need to continue like this, step by step."

What are Tomori's targets?

The former Chelsea man made just 27 appearances for the Blues after stepping out of their academy system, with four loan spells elsewhere taken in.

He is now looking to put down roots and land major silverware with Milan.

Tomori also has international ambitions, having already been capped by England on one occasion, and wants to catch Gareth Southgate's eye ahead of another major international tournament in 2022.

He said of earning recognition with the Three Lions, who just suffered a Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy: "In the final, we [England] took the lead and the situation seemed to be positive, but Italy grew up strong during the game.

England came close to winning and played a great Euro, but Italy deserved it.

"Now we must focus on the World Cup, we’ll need to have the same mentality and use this experience to improve. The team is very young and the World Cup is just around the corner.

"I hope I will be part of the team, that’s my target. Everybody would like to play the World Cup and it’s a dream I have. Milan are an enormous opportunity for me, I am focusing on this and I am feeling well."

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