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Football consistently reminds you just how quickly things can change.

The example of Kelechi Iheanacho provides a perfect case study, particularly in light of the big-money arrival of Patson Daka at Leicester City on Wednesday.

Last season, Iheanacho looked to be proving the critics right at the King Power Stadium.

From the start of the campaign until early February, the forward netted in just two matches—both on the Europa League—and failed to score in 18 games.

Opportunities had come his way in the absence of Jamie Vardy to prove—finally—that he could one day replace the veteran ex-England forward, but Iheanacho had failed to take them.

Recall the anonymous performances away at Crystal Palace, away in Braga, at home against AEK Athens, as fixtures came and went with Iheanacho failing to take responsibility for the Foxes’ scoring burden.

On this form, it would have come as no surprise had the striker been cut loose in the summer, having failed to realise the potential he demonstrated as a youngster at Manchester City.

But then came a glorious purple patch.

Starting with an effort in the 2-0 victory at Fulham in February, Iheanacho would proceed to score nine goals in his next nine games.

He would score a further seven before the season ended, breaking his personal Premier League record goals haul with 12 strikes overall.

No Prem forward scored 12 goals from Gameweek 22 onwards,

In the FA Cup, he truly made his presence felt, with several critical strikes as Leicester reached the final.

Ultimately, the Wembley showcase passed him by, but it mattered little in the end, as Iheanacho clinched a winner’s medal.

After winners against Manchester United and Southampton, no one could begrudge him a quieter outing against Chelsea.

No player has scored more in the FA Cup since Iheanacho’s debut in the competition—he eclipsed even Sergio Aguero this season—and no African player has ever scored more in the oldest ongoing football tournament in the world game.

These accolades, and the quality Iheanacho demonstrated during this run, will surely have convinced many that the striker was primed to further take the burden from Vardy during 2021-22.

However, Leicester’s decision to strike big and strike bold in the transfer window to recruit Daka—potentially the next big thing in African football—suddenly throws all of this into doubt.

While the Zambia frontman will take his time to adapt to the Premier League after starring in the Austrian Bundesliga, it is surely he—now—who is in pole position to replace Vardy as Leicester’s leading man.

With 95 goal contributions in his last 144 appearances for Salzburg, Daka is a genuine prospect, and has the potential to emerge as a Premier League superstar.

For an initial £23 million, he hasn’t been signed for a bench role.

At a glance, things don’t look good for Iheanacho, but could he still have a key role to play in the Foxes’ plans?

As he demonstrated this season, he’s best when playing off or alongside another forward, and Brendan Rodgers may well be considering Daka as a Vardy replacement to play alongside—not instead of—Iheanacho.

Certainly, during the latter part of the 2020-21 campaign, the Nigerian proved himself to be indispensable, and if he can maintain that level of performance during the early portion of the coming season, then he can surely remain prominent in Rodgers’ plans.

The trio are going to be a fearsome prospect for opposition defences next season, and it’s up to Iheanacho, once again, to prove himself for the East Midlanders.

Mathew Olorunleke believes the arrival of Patson Daka at Leicester City would ensure Kelechi Iheanacho does not relax.

The Zambian’s move to the King Power Stadium was officially announced on Wednesday, on a five-year deal following his departure from Red Bull Salzburg, bringing an end to his trophy-laden four-year career in Austria.

Daka is expected to add to the Foxes’ attacking firepower as they compete in several competitions ranging from the Europa League to the Carabao Cup in the 2021-22 campaign.

Giving his thoughts on the Foxes’ latest transfer, Olorunleke, who represented Reggiana, Bagnolese and Juve Stabia during his active playing days, has told Goal what the 22-year-old’s presence means to the 2013 U17 World Cup winner.

“Leicester City are playing in Europe next season, as well as the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, so it was good they acquired the services of a good striker knowing they have so many matches to play,” he told Goal.

“Realistically, Iheanacho and Vardy can not play in all these competitions for a whole season else they will be worn out.

“So, I feel his addition is a good thing and an advantage for the English team.

“Of course, Daka is going to have his fair share of playing time because you don’t pay £23 million to keep a player on the bench.

“Also, if Brendan Rodgers can offer him a new contract, that shows he has faith in him and today, he has established himself in that club. All he has to do is prove himself.

“Iheanacho has garnered a lot of experience playing in the team, while Daka is a young player who still has a lot to learn.

“For those thinking Iheanacho should go, where should be his destination? Manchester City, Arsenal or Manchester United?

“Honestly, I feel his arrival is a good thing for him and that would enable him to sit up and ensure that he doesn’t stay relaxed in his comfort zone.”

Thanks to his awe-inspiring performances for the Premier League side last term, the Nigerian was handed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2024.

The Portland Thorns have signed midfielder Olivia Moultrie, 15, after a protracted legal battle with the National Women's Soccer League. 

The NWSL attempted to prevent Moultrie from signing a professional deal, citing the league's minimum age of 18. 

After suing the league, Moultrie and her legal team were granted a preliminary injunction earlier this month that allowed her to sign a three-year deal with the Thorns.

What was said?

“We are pleased to have Olivia join our team,” said Gavin Wilkinson, Thorns general manager and president of soccer. “She has been part of this club since early 2019 and there have been many Thorns staff fully invested in her development.”

“This step is very important for Olivia,” added Thorns head coach Mark Parsons. “For this club to have the commitment and vision to sign a young, talented player that we really believe in is immense.

"Olivia has continued to grow and push forward throughout her time here and has taken every challenge and turned it into an opportunity.”

On Twitter, Moultrie added: "Incredibly proud and humble to sign my first professional contract today! Too many people to thank in a tweet, but Thorns FC is where my heart is at. My goals are bigger than this, but can’t wait for this step!"

Moultrie's journey

Moultrie made headlines in 2019 when she turned professional at age 13, becoming the youngest female soccer player to ever do so.

She has been training with the Thorns since 2019 but, due to the league's age restriction, has only been able to play with the team in non-official matches. 

Moultrie has now become the youngest player in NWSL history and will become the youngest to ever appear in a game when she first takes the field.

On the international stage, Moultrie has represented the United States at the U-15 and U-17 levels. 

Further reading

Former Ghana defender Anthony Baffoe has left his position as the Deputy General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) on Wednesday.

The 56-year-old was appointed as an assistant to late General Secretary Amr Fahmy in November 2017 and he has been in charge of development and competitions.

Earlier this month, the former Metz and Fortuna Dusseldorf star joined a Caf delegation for a working visit to Cameroon to assess the country's readiness for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations which will begin on January 9 and they also opened a new office in Yaounde.

Baffoe disclosed that he made the choice to leave the continental football body in March due to reasons best known to him only, however, he expressed his gratitude to former Caf President Ahmad Ahmad and incumbent leader Patrice Motsepe.

"This was a decision I took three months ago due to personal reasons. The journey which started in November 2017 sadly ends, giving way to the start of a fresh journey,” he told Caf website.

“I count myself lucky to have served CAF and being at the forefront of the administration of the game on the continent. Praise be to Almighty Allah. I am grateful to the CAF Executive Committee led by Patrice Motsepe for the opportunity, not forgetting former CAF President Ahmad Ahmad for seeing the potential in me at first hand.”

Last year December, the Black Stars legend was also part of Caf's delegation to Ivory Coast to assess the West African nation's preparations for the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations which will take place in 2023.

"I leave with my head high as together with your support we achieved many milestones and crossed many hurdles as far as the development and promotion of African football is concerned,” he continued.

“As the first footballer to serve in such a senior management position, I am convinced I won’t be the last. My fellow legends, thanks for the support and my family for always being my rock."

The German-born former player featured for Ghana at 1992 and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, and he made 25 appearances with a goal to his name during his three-year international career.

Arsenal have lodged an official bid for Sassuolo star Manuel Locatelli, according to the Serie A club's CEO Giovanni Carnevali.

The Gunners are "pushing hard" for Locatelli amid his strong Euro 2020 campaign with Italy.

However, Juventus are also after the midfielder and have a meeting scheduled with Sassuolo to discuss a potential deal.

What has been said?

“Arsenal have made an official bid for Locatelli," Carnevali told Sky Sport Italia. "They’re pushing hard to sign Manuel and it’s an important bid. We will see.

"Also Juventus want Locatelli and we’ve a special relationship with them. We’ve a new meeting scheduled with Juve.

“We are trying to leave the lad calm, so I haven’t spoken to him or his agents yet. We can think about Locatelli’s future, but above all we care about his present and that means Italy doing well at the Euros."

How would Locatelli fit in at Arsenal?

While the 23-year-old often plays defensive midfield at club level, he has playmaking skills that enabled him to fill in a more free-wheeling role with Italy when asked to cover for Marco Veratti early in the Euros.

His best game came against Switzerland, when he bagged two goals in a 3-0 group stage victory.

The Gunners have been rumoured to be on the brink of selling Granit Xhaka, and if that proves true Locatelli would likely be targeted as his replacement.

Last season, Locatelli ranked among the best midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for passes attempted per game, pass completion percentage, progressive passes and progressive carries. Those are the four categories Xhaka has been best at throughout his career.

Locatelli development history

The Sassuolo man began in AC Milan's academy, making his Serie A debut in 2015-16 as an 18-year-old, but he's taken off since leaving the Rossoneri, as increased playing time has enabled him to flourish and become a national team regular.

Further reading

Leicester City new signing Patson Daka has described Jamie Vardy as one of the players he looks up to, having been an ardent follower of the club since their Premier League success in 2016.

The 22-year-old who moved to England on a five-year deal from RB Salzburg, is looking forward to learning and playing alongside the England international who has ended the last six league seasons as the Foxes' top scorer.

Wednesday's switch comes as a new challenge for Daka who clinched the top scorer prize in the Austrian Bundesliga last season with 27 goals in 28 matches.

The Zambia international disclosed his admiration for Vardy’s qualities and his readiness to make a statement in ‘one of the best leagues in the world’.

“I have been following Leicester from the time they won the Premier League,” Daka told the club’s website. “I follow their games and their playing style. Jamie Vardy is one of the players I look up to because of his playing style and the qualities that he has.

“I’m so excited to be able to have this opportunity to be next to him and to learn from him. It’s just a privilege for me. The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world. I have been preparing for this challenge and I know it’s not going to be easy, but no one said it’s going to be easy!”

Since he left Zambia’s Kafue Celtic in 2017, Daka has spent the last four years in Austria where he made a name for himself with his goalscoring abilities and he won the league title four times in a row.

Ahead of the new adventure in England, the 2017 Caf Young Player of the Year acknowledged that he needs to quickly find his feet in Brendan Rodgers’ squad where he will link up with Ghana's Daniel Amartey, Nigeria duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi.

“I have to make [my playing style] suit! I have adapt to the environment. I didn’t suit this environment where I was before at first, but I had to make it work,” he continued.

“In the Premier League, I have to know what I have to do to make it easy for me. My playing style depends on the situation of the game and the kind of opponents I’m playing against. It’s something that I love to do, scoring goals. It’s just a different feeling. As a striker, it’s what is expected from me.”

Lionel Messi has become a free agent after the Barcelona star's contract expired at the end of June.

Although Barcelona were hopeful of signing Messi to a renewal before the June 30 deadline, the 34-year-old is now officially unattached. 

Barcelona still believe that Messi will eventually sign a new deal, but his status as a free agent will generate concern among the club's fans and management.

What is the status of contract talks?

The two sides continue to be in consistent dialogue, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta communicating with Jorge Messi, the player's father and agent.

An agreement continues to be elusive though, due to the complex nature of Messi's demands and Barca's uncertain financial situation. 

Goal has learned that both sides continue to discuss economic and tax-related issues in relation to Messi's contract, as well as the player's image rights. 

In addition to any financial considerations, Messi is looking for assurances that the club will be able to build a competitive team around him in the near future. 

Barcelona won the Copa del Rey in 2020-21 but missed out on their two biggest goals - La Liga and the Champions League.

Messi's contract status

Messi becoming a free agent adds a new layer of complexity to the situation. Should Barcelona re-sign the player, he will have to be registered with La Liga as a new signing.

As a new signing, Barcelona would have to find a creative solution to fit Messi into the framework of La Liga's financial regulations.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has already warned Barca that they must bring their wages down, or they won't be able to register Messi ahead of the 2021-22 season.

What happens next?

Barcelona continue to be confident that Messi will sign a new contract, but the Argentine becoming a free agent is still a worrying development.

Messi is currently with Argentina at Copa America, where the Albiceleste will face Ecuador in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Goal understands that Messi is calm and focused on his national team, rather than his contract situation.

Further reading

U.S. women's national team (USWNT) head coach Vlatko Andonovski has hinted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to approve expanded rosters for the upcoming Olympics.

Men's and women's football teams are allowed 18-player rosters with four alternates for the tournament, which will kick off in July.

Reports have suggested however that the four alternates could be allowed to become part of the full roster, giving each team 22 players from which to pick.

What was said?

"We got word from the IOC that we will have a little flexibility on the roster," Andonovski told reporters on Wednesday. "We are very happy about it and as of right now, we're just waiting to see a little more details on what all the rules and regulations are going to look like. 

"I have to say even before this it was well known that there were things in [the] works and obviously we thought about it. We were preparing in some ways for it if it happened so we are going to be ready if the changes come in place.

"We did receive a note that there would be some flexibility but we're not sure what it's going to look like until it's official."

What would this mean for the USWNT?

Andonovski admitted he was happy with the proposed changes, which would be a lift for a team that has some injury questions among its 18 players.

Julie Ertz and Tobin Heath were both named to the roster despite currently being sidelined with injuries. Heath has not played since January due to ankle and knee problems.

Having alternates Catarina Macario and Lynn Williams on the full roster would give Andonovski some valuable depth in midfield and up front, while goalkeeper Jane Campbell and full-back Casey Krueger would also be added to the team if all four alternates were moved to the full roster.

Further reading

Manchester City are set to be handed around £10 million ($13.5m) following Jadon Sancho's move to neighbours United from Borussia Dortmund.

It is understood that a fee of just under £73m ($101m) has been agreed between the two club with the England international now set to undergo a medical before the deal is completed.

City initially received £8m ($11m) when he left City's Academy to move to Germany in 2017 but also negotiated a 15 per cent share of any future transfer.

Why did Sancho leave City?

City paid Sancho's boyhood club Watford a fee of around £66,000 when he joined the club as a 14-year-old.

He was part of the same youth team as Phil Foden and the pair seemed destined to break into the first team.

But Sancho turned down the offer of a new contract and was snubbed for a preseason tour to the United States before completing a move to Dortmund that saw Watford receive a further £800,000.

Were City interested in re-signing Sancho?

City boss Pep Guardiola has no doubts about the quality of the 21-year-old but dismissed any suggestions that he could return to the Etihad Stadium.

"We wanted him to stay but he decided to leave, and when people decide to leave all we can do is [let them] leave," the City boss said in March before his side played Dortmund in the Champions League.

"I wish him all the best, except when he plays against us. No regrets at all. If he's happy, I'm happy."

What will City use the money for?

City hope to sell a number of fringe players to bankroll a big move in the transfer market themselves this summer.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish are both on their wanted list with £100m moves being lined up for after Euro 2020.

Bundesliga scouts are regularly watching City's Academy players and the transfer kitty could be boosted again with Lukas Nmecha, who spent last season on loan at Anderlecht, expected to move to Germany this summer.

Further reading:

Nigeria take on Mexico in a friendly encounter organised to expose players from the Nigeria Professional Football League.

Both teams will be meeting for the sixth time ever with four of their previous encounters ending on a no winner, no vanquished note.

The only win in the series belongs to El Tri, who defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a US Gold Cup fixture in Texas.

This game is part of the Super Eagles’ preparations for their World Cup qualifying campaign which commences in September.

WHEN IS THE GAME?

The international friendly has been scheduled for 03:30 (West African TIme) on Sunday, July 4.

WHAT CHANNELS CAN I WATCH THE GAME ON TV?

WHERE IS THE CLASH OF THE TITANS?

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

HOW CAN FANS GET INVOLVED?

Goal will be providing comprehensive coverage, news, interviews and features of the showdown.

Tottenham's long search for a new manager is at an end, after they announced the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nuno, who left Wolves at the end of the 2020-21 season, replaces Jose Mourinho in the hotseat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs went 72 days without a permanent manager after sacking their old boss just before the League Cup final.

Spurs thereafter were linked with, and rejected by, several candidates before confirming Nuno on Wednesday evening.

Nuno announced

Spurs have confirmed their new manager has signed a two-year contract until 2023, after a successful four-year stint at Molineux.

Wolves won the Championship in his first campaign, before earning consecutive seventh place finishes in their first two seasons back in the top-flight, their highest league position since 1980.

He also took Wolves to the 2019-20 Europa League quarter-finals, and will be tasked with a similar run in Europe with Spurs, who enter next season's UEFA Conference League.

What has been said?

The new Spurs manager told the club website: “When you have a squad with quality and talent, we want to make the fans proud and enjoy. It’s an enormous pleasure and honour, there’s joy and I’m happy and looking forward to starting work. We don’t have any days to lose and we must start working immediately as pre-season starts in a few days.”

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy added: “We should like to thank our supporters for all their patience throughout this process.

"I’ve spoken already about the need to revert back to our core DNA of playing attacking, entertaining football and Fabio and I believe Nuno is the man who can take our talented group of players, embrace our young players coming through and build something special.”

Nuno arrives as manager following the appointment of former Juventus boss Fabio Paratici after their new managing director of football, to oversee transfers as well as playing a role in Nuno's appointment.

Paratici said: “The brief for this appointment has always been clear, we wanted a head coach that can instil all the values that are important to this club.

"You only have to look at Nuno’s time at Wolves to see his ability to take a group of players and implement an adaptive style that brings success and allows players to develop and thrive. We are all looking forward to getting started in what we hope will be a successful time with the club.”

More follows.

Mamelodi Sundowns attacking midfielder Themba Zwane's agent Jazzman Mahlakgane says he is aware that Kaizer Chiefs are keen admirers of his client.

The 31-year-old has been linked with a potential transfer to Amakhosi with his Masandawana contract set to expire at the end of this month.

However, Sundowns have activated a clause to extend his contract according to Mahlakgane after Zwane played an important role in helping the team clinch the 2020/21 PSL title. 

Mahlakgane has also confirmed that they are now locked in negotiations on a new contract.

“I know, Naturena has not made it a secret. I think they always said if he’s available, they want to take it," Mahlakgane told iDiski Times. 

"Yeah. But I mean, this thing is about, you know, negotiations on the table. But we’re on the table, which is good. I mean, the club has come to the table, and I think, understood our proposal.

“We haven’t finalized but the club, they have already exercised the option. Okay, you know, so therefore, the issue that we’re discussing now, it’s more about getting one contract that we can all go out and announce.”

Zwane has reached double figures in the PSL scoring charts in each of the last two seasons and Sundowns are now looking to tie the influential player down to a new long-term deal. 

“With Mshishi, as you may know, they’re going take an option. But now what we have done is we are on the table discussing. Because remember, Sundowns does like a three-year with an option, so now we’re trying to negotiate the entire things as one total package," Mahlakgane continued. 

“Because, I mean, you know, he’s done well, and I think the base on which we are communicating now is the fact that, there could be something that could be done as opposed to taking an option, which, I mean, automatically, they gonna take it. But I think we want to just come up with something better.”

Zwane scored 11 goals in 25 league matches during the 2019/20 season and he was named PSL Footballer of the Year, Player's Player of the Season, and Midfielder of the Season.

He then hit the back of the net 10 times from 25 league games in the recent 2020/21 campaign and he was nominated for the PSL Footballer of the Year, Player's Player of the Season and Midfielder of the Season accolades.

However, he only retained the Midfielder of the Season prize as his Sundowns teammate Peter Shalulile scooped the PSL Footballer of the Year and Player's Player of the Season awards.

NFF technical director Austin Eguavoen has confirmed Ikechukwu Ezenwa will miss the Super Eagles’ international friendly outing against Mexico on Sunday morning.

The 32-year-old suffered an ankle injury during a training session in the Abuja camp and he has not recovered fully to make the trip to the United States of America.

Nigeria’s 22-man squad will leave the country on Wednesday for California, where they will battle El Tri at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Ezenwa's withdrawal leaves Eguavoen with two goalkeepers - Enyimba's John Noble and Lobi Stars' Nwabali Stanley – for the game.

“It is a bit funny, he came with no problem at all and then we had a very tough training session, he complained about his ankle and the medical team managed him well,” Eguavoen told NFF media.

“The next day, he came out and that evening, he said he could not even walk and it was swollen. Up until yesterday, we were trying to see how far we can go, we have taken him to the hospital for a scan.

“And the good news is that the scan revealed there is no fracture, just ligament - swollen tissues. The swelling is still there and he has not trained for the past two days.

“He is out and I will speak to him later, he should just take it in good fate, another opportunity will present itself. He is out of the trip, so we are having two goalkeepers.”

On Monday, Ezenwa told Goal the Super Eagles are capable of beating Mexico as they eye their first victory over the North American country.

Meanwhile, Eguavoen added that the one-week training camp of the home-based players has been helpful for the technical team to familiarise themselves with the squad.

He continued: “22 players will be on the journey tonight, we had almost 27 in camp but we have trimmed that, and we will have 22 players on board the aircraft. There have been a lot of improvements, I'm not saying there were down there before because they’re up there, it is just to let them know how we want to play and how to figure out what position should be best for the players.

“It has not been easy, it's been very tough. It’s not been so easy with the player selection, they should give us a lot of commendation because selecting 22 players out of a league of over 800 players is not so easy and this is a league that is on, and we were not able to see all of them.

“It's not been so easy, so it's just something we just accept, and you know it is not my primary role, I just decided to take it because there is no coach on ground so let's try to see how we can encourage ourselves. We're giving an opportunity to these kids now, for them to showcase themselves and hopefully, they will go out there and put up a good performance.”

Ghana midfielder Thomas Teye Partey believes good preparations will play a big role in their quest to win the Africa Cup of Nations title in Cameroon next year.

The Black Stars are in search for a fifth success, their last victory coming far back in 1982.

On three occasions in recent times, they made it to the grand finale but ultimately lost out on the royal diadem.

"The expectation starts from our good preparations," Partey, who represented Ghana at the last two Afcon tournaments, said, as reported by Footballghana.

“We have to start preparing now, we have to go from one game to another.

“First we have to prepare for the Africa Cup and make sure we have to win our friendly games before the Africa Cup starts.

“So there, we will be able to build our confidence and through hard work, for sure, everything is possible, so I think they [fans] have to relax, they have to be calm and keep supporting us."

At the last continental gathering in Egypt in 2019, Ghana endured a disappointing turn-out, failing to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006 after a Round of 16 defeat to Tunisia.

Two years earlier, the Black Stars fell to eventual champions Cameroon in the semi-finals.

“It’s not about me. It’s about us," Ghana coach CK Akonnor, who has been tasked to lead Ghana to continental glory next year, told TV3.

"Over 30 years we’ve not won Afcon. I don’t want to be just another coach who comes in to manage Ghana and goes and then it’s the same story.

"I want us to work and make an impact, be relevant.”

In 2015, an Avram Grant-led Ghana side reached the final of the Afcon tournament where they succumbed to Cote d’Ivoire on penalties.

Five years before then, the Black Stars, under Milovan Rajevac, surpassed expectations to go all the way to the final before losing to Egypt.

In Ghana’s first final after the 1982 success, Ghana lost to Cote d’Ivoire on penalties in Libya in 1992.

Nigeria goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been named Sparta Rotterdam's Player of the Season for the 2020-21 campaign.

Okoye helped the Rotterdam outfit finish eighth in the Dutch Eredivisie last season with his eye-catching performances between the sticks.

After moving from German Bundesliga club Fortuna Dusseldorf on a permanent deal last July, the Super Eagles shot-stopper went on to make himself the preferred no. 1 - displacing Dutch duo Tim Coremans and Michael Fabrie.

He initially played for Sparta Rotterdam's youth team between September and October, before he made his Eredivisie debut in a 4-1 defeat to Heerenveen on November 1.

Despite the disappointing start to life in the Dutch top-flight, Okoye made a name for himself with his record of 10 clean sheets in 29 league appearances.

The German-born goalkeeper received the prestigious award from ex-Sparta Rotterdam midfielder and coach Henk van Stee on Wednesday morning before he joined the team’s training.

“Supporters of Sparta Rotterdam were given the opportunity to vote for their Player of the Season, an election that was won by Maduka Okoye,” the club statement read.

“The goalkeeper, who played 28 league games and managed to keep his goal clean 10 times, received the prize this morning from Henk van Stee.”

Their eighth-place finish in the Eredivisie enabled the Castle Lords to participate in the Europa Conference League play-offs but they eventually lost to Feyenoord who sealed the sole qualification ticket.

Okoye, born in Dusseldorf, started his football career at Bayer Leverkusen academy between 2012 and 2017, he proceeded to Fortuna Dusseldorf to become a professional.

After several fruitless attempts by Nigeria to lure him to their national team, the 21-year-old finally yielded their call in August 2019 when he was invited for an international friendly match against Ukraine.

He made his debut two months later against Brazil in Singapore, after replacing the injured Francis Uzoho in the game that ended 1-1.

Okoye has become the Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper having played in six of their last seven matches, and most recently featured in their double-header friendly against Cameroon in Austria.

Barcelona kick off La Liga 2021-22 against Real Sociedad at Camp Nou on August 15, 2021.

Ronald Koeman's side will be eager to put last season's third-place finish behind them by getting off to a positive start when they take to the field for the new campaign.

After that the Catalan outfit face Athletic Club away on August 22, followed by games against Getafe, Sevilla and Granada.

The fixtures were confirmed by the Spanish football association (RFEF) on June 30, 2021 and Goal has all the details about Barcelona's schedule.

When do Barcelona play Real Madrid?

Barcelona's first game with Real Madrid in the 2021-22 Liga season is scheduled to be played on October 24, 2021 at Camp Nou.

The return Clasico fixture in Madrid will take place on March 20, 2022.

Barcelona La Liga 2021-22 fixtures

You can see the full list of Barcelona's 2021-22 Liga fixtures in the table below.

Note that fixtures and dates will be subject to change.

Real Madrid begin their quest for La Liga glory in 2021-22 with an away game against Alaves on August 15.

Carlo Ancelotti was brought in to replace Zinedine Zidane during the off-season and the Italian coach will be keen to hit the ground running in his second spell in charge.

Levante await Madrid in their second game of the season, with Real Betis, Celta Vigo and Valencia to follow.

The Spanish football association (RFEF) confirmed the fixtures on June 30 and Goal has all the details.

When do Real Madrid play Barcelona?

Real Madrid's first Clasico of the season against Barcelona will be played on October 24, 2021 at Camp Nou.

The Catalan club will be welcomed to the capital on March 20, 2022 as they collide in the league for the second time in 2021-22.

When is the Madrid derby?

The first Madrid derby of the 2021-22 season between Real and Atletico will be hosted by Real on December 12, 2021.

Atletico host the second derby of the season on May 8, 2021 at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Real Madrid La Liga 2021-22 fixtures

You can see all of Real Madrid's fixtures in the table below. Note that the fixture dates are subject to change.

African football great Finidi George tells Kelechi Iheanacho he must not contemplate leaving Leicester City following the arrival of Patson Daka.

The Zambia international was announced as the Foxes’ newest recruit on Wednesday after he was handed a five-year contract in a deal worth a reported £23 million ($32m) from Red Bull Salzburg.

Daka finished as the Austrian elite division’s top scorer in the 2020-21 campaign, and he would be expected to strengthen the attacking line-up of Brendan Rodgers’ men as they look forward to having an impressive outing next season.

However, some feel the arrival of the 22-year-old would reduce the Super Eagles star’s playing chances at the King Power Stadium – thus, he has been advised to continue his professional career elsewhere.

For the retired winger who played a starring role in Ajax’s Champions League title-winning outing in 1995, the former Manchester City wonderkid should remain at Leicester and fight for a regular shirt.

“Iheanacho has adapted to how they play football at Leicester City, so he has nothing to fear or worry about,” George told Goal.

“He has to be there to compete because competition is always good. And remember, the World Cup is around the corner.

“It is only when he feels he is not getting the opportunities – then he can think of moving elsewhere to have that playing time.

“If he is doing his best when the season starts in terms of scoring goals – definitely, he would be playing week in week out.

“So, there is no need for him to pack his bags and think of leaving.”

Despite a shaky start to last season, the 24-year-old ended on a high – accruing 19 goals and seven assists in 39 matches in all competitions.

Nonetheless, the former Real Betis and Ipswich Town star hints at the grey areas the youngster must work on if he hopes to reproduce his blistering 2020-21 form.

“He is still a young man and he has to improve every year,” he continued.

“If his problem is not defending very well, he should add that to his game during the pre-season.

“So far, he is an all-round player, but I think he should make use of his right foot more often because he is always trying to turn to his left before taking a shot. That would help him in the long run.”