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It would seem like TECNO is always in our faces, but that is apparently because they are bent on being a brand that gives value every single chance they get. This time, they have decided to be a part of the football season and make an unforgettable impact in the lives of the brand’s fans.

Getting involved in sports isn’t a new thing for the smartphone giants. As is common knowledge, TECNO mobile is an official partner of Manchester City Football club. Without a doubt, TECNO is a football lover, and it is safe to say that they are out to open many more Nigerians to the love of the game.

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Customers will have the opportunity to win at three different stages during the Promo; at the point of purchase in authorised stores nationwide, at the regional draws, and at the grand prize event at the end of the promo.

To win, Walk into any of TECNO’s authorized sales outlets nationwide and buy the Spark 7 (32GB+2GB) variant or a TECNO Pop 5 smartphone. After the purchase, you will be given a raffle ticket that qualifies you for the regional and grand draws, as well as an instant lucky dip in the same store where your TECNO smartphone purchase was made. That’s all you have to do. Simple, right? 

There will then be both online and offline draws for such prizes as TVs, Microwave ovens, TECNO A3 earbuds and standing fans. Online draws will hold weekly, while the regional draws will be held at 2-week intervals.

Also, for every matchday, TECNO's social media fans also stand a chance to win a Spark 7 smartphone for correct score predictions. 

The mega draw for the Car grand Prize will hold in Lagos on the 15th of July 2021. 

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The campaign will run from the 20th of June to the 15 of July 2021. What are you waiting for? Get buying! 

Has Lionel Messi's latest Barcelona contract now expired? Goal is on hand to give you all the details and outline what could be next for the Argentine star as a free agent.

Speculation over Messi's future has been rife ever since his decision to hand in a transfer request at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, with it suggested that his career-long affiliation with Barca could soon come to an end.

The 34-year-old ultimately performed a U-turn to see out the final season of his current deal, but has not yet signed a renewal at Camp Nou. Could Messi really leave Catalunya this summer? 

Here's everything you need to know about the intriguing saga.

When does Lionel Messi's Barcelona contract expire?

Messi has now reached his June 30, 2021 contract expiry date, meaning he will be a free agent and able to join another club for nothing.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner became the best-paid player in La Liga history when he signed a fresh four-year agreement with Barca worth €555 million (£491m/$674m), but it has been reported that the club can no longer match his salary demands amid a worrying financial crisis.

Will Lionel Messi sign a new Barcelona contract?

Goal has learned that talks between Messi and Camp Nou officials over an extension were still ongoing last week , with a breakthrough in negotiations yet to be reached.

Barca had not submitted an official contract offer at that stage, but it has since been reported that the Argentina international has agreed to remain at the club until 2023 and an announcement has only been delayed due to final details on certain contract clauses.

Blaugrana president Joan Laporta has voiced his optimism over keeping hold of Messi on several occasions, most recently stating that new signing Sergio Aguero has been doing his part to convince his fellow countryman to sign on the dotted line.

"Aguero is helping. He is telling him every day to stay," Laporta said earlier this month. "He [Messi] is excited and I am grateful to him for the desire he is showing to stay."

Could Lionel Messi leave Barcelona & which clubs could he join?

Should Barca fail to conclude a deal with Messi, he will be able to leave the club on a free transfer, and will not be short on potential suitors .

Manchester City, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain were the three clubs most strongly linked with the playmaker last summer, and it has been reported that they are still keeping a close eye on his situation.

Real Madrid, Manchester United and boyhood club Newell's Old Boys have also been credited with an interest in Messi, but City has been touted as his most likely destination due to the possibility of a reunion with former Blaugrana boss Pep Guardiola.

Further reading 

Leicester City have confirmed the capture of Patson Daka from Red Bull Salzburg on a five-year deal believed to be worth £23 million ($32m).

The Foxes announced the arrival of the Zambia international from Austria, effective from July 1, subject to a work clearance.

The 22-year-old, who finished as top scorer in the Austrian Bundesliga last season, arrives having netted 68 times in 125 appearances across all competitions for Salzburg since he arrived in 2017.

What has been said?

"I’m so, so excited to join this great, historic club," Daka told the Foxes' LCFC TV following the announcement.  "It has been my dream and I’m so happy and looking forward to what’s coming next. 

"I have followed Leicester from the time they won the league. I feel it is the perfect place for me, because it’s a team that fights for titles.

"I know it’s not going to be easy, but I feel ready to face this new challenge.

More to follow.

Jose Mourinho said he'd been singing 'It's coming home' after England's victory against Germany and backed Gareth Southgate's side to go on and make the Euro 2020 final.

England beat Germany 2-0 in their Round of 16 tie at Wembley on Tuesday thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.

The Three Lions can now look ahead to a favourable quarter-final showdown against Ukraine, with Mourinho now extremely optimistic about their chances of progressing all the way through to the showpiece event.

What's been said?

If Southgate's men see off Ukraine they will be rewarded with a last-four clash against either the Czech Republic or Denmark, and the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss can't envisage them losing against any of those three sides if they're at their best.

Mourinho did, however, also warn that England can't afford to get complacent as he appeared on talkSPORT while admitting to singing along to one of the country's most famous anthems.

“I’m singing ‘it’s coming home’ to show my happiness,” said the Portuguese tactician, who will embark on the next stage of his managerial career at Roma next season. "But it’s not yet coming home.

“England need balance in the bad moments and in the good moments. The same way the media is critical in the bad moments, we have to be balanced now, there’s still a long way to go.

“In the normal conditions England are going to be in the final, because I don’t see them losing against the teams they could face in the next rounds. But we must respect football and the unpredictability. France are not in the quarter-finals because they didn’t respect the game in the final ten minutes.

“I’m very, very pleased. I just hope it ends well, I hope it comes home. But football is football. So I would say to them calm down and just focus on the next game.

“But, in my opinion, England are ready for anything and I will be very disappointed if we don’t make the final, because we should, we should, we definitely should.”

Mourinho's praise for Southgate

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Southgate opted to play three at the back against the Germans while starting with star trio Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Mason Mount on the bench, but Mourinho has hailed the Three Lions boss for his bold selection calls.

“I would always respect Gareth’s decision,” he added. "England have had three clean sheets playing with a back four and then you play against this Germany team and I felt deeply, I analysed the Germany vs Portugal [4-2 group] game very deeply and Germany killed Portugal because they played with a back four and they couldn’t control the wing-backs, period.

“Today when England decided to play with three at the back, it’s not like they don’t have the tactical knowledge and the coach just decided to do it. They worked really hard and the team was very, very solid.

"We have Trippier closing down the space on the inside, the wing-backs won their duels, Shaw controlled Kimmich and Tripper did the same, the two midfielders were giants, everybody worked really hard for the team.

"I think it was a very good decision by Gareth to play this way. And then in the right moment, it couldn’t be a better moment to do it [score] with ten minutes to go, and then the little bit of luck in that one-on-one with [Thomas] Muller.

“And then the bench is incredible, full of options. We forget players who did not play one single minute and they’re all good players – [Marcus] Rashford, [Jadon] Sancho, [Jude] Bellingham, [Phil] Foden, all these guys are ready to play.”

Further reading

Liverpool and Manchester United-linked Christoph Baumgartner has insisted that his future remains with Hoffenheim through next season.

The midfielder has seen his stock exponentially rise over the past two campaigns at the Bundesliga outfit, culiminating in international honours with Austria at Euro 2020 this summer.

Such form has seen him mooted as a popular target for Jurgen Klopp, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also interested, but now the 21-year-old has moved to pour cold water over chatter of a move.

What has been said?

"My clear plan is to play for Hoffenheim next season," Baumgartner told SportBILD when discussing the matter of his future at the club and whether he would seek a switch to England.

"I definitely extended my contract in March with the intention to play here next season," he added, in reference to the four-year extension through 2025 he penned earlier this year.

"I believe I have the biggest opportunity to develop further here. For me, that means playing consistently at a high level with more room for improvement."

Baumgartner caps super season

The former SV Horn youth starlet's career is likely to be closely tracked this season following his exploits at Euro 2020, where he netted Austria's only goal in their final Group C victory over Ukraine.

He started their last-16 defeat to Italy too, though was replaced ahead of extra-time with the scores locked, and was unable to prevent his nation's late exit to the Azzurri.

That form will undoubtedly see his suitors grow across the coming campaign, though whether Hoffenheim will be willing to sell is another matter entirely.

Liverpool left to continue hunt

The Reds remain in the market as they look to reverse the fortunes of a difficult 2020-21 campaign, one that saw them crash back to earth following their Premier League triumph the year before.

Georginio Wijnaldum's exit has left them needing to fill a creative void, with the midfielder's performances at Euro 2020 for the Netherlands indicating just how hard he will be to replace.

United too will look to continue to strengthen, as they seek to challenge for honours once more following a second-place top-flight finish and Europa League final defeat.

Further reading

Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt says he is itching to get back to the field amidst reports linking him with Zambian club Zanaco FC. 

The veteran tactician is currently jobless having parted ways with Amakhosi late last month due to a poor run of results in the PSL during the 2020/21 campaign.

Recent reports coming out of Zambia have indicated that Hunt is set to take over at Zanaco as the seven-time Zambian champions' new head coach.

This comes after the Lusaka-based club put their current coach Chris Kaunda on administrative leave due to poor results in the Zambian Super League.

However, Hunt has dismissed the speculation, but he didn't rule out accepting a job from the Southern African country as he looks to get back into coaching. 

“Zambia? I’m only thinking of a holiday in Zanzibar and not Zambia,” said Hunt on Daily Sun. 

“But seriously, this is the first time I’m hearing of this. I can’t comment on whether I’d accept such an offer or not. But yes, I want to start working again."

Hunt has been working as a pundit for SuperSport TV alongside African football legends such as Austin 'Jay-​Jay' Okocha, Sammy Kuffour and Joseph Yobo analyzing the ongoing Euro 2020 matches. 

However, the accomplished tactician, who served as Chiefs coach between September 2020 and May 2021, is keen to get a coaching job with the new 2021/22 PSL campaign set to start in August 2021.

"Football is my life, you know. I can’t be away from the game," the former Bidvest Wits head coach added. 

"I’ve taken time out. I’ve been doing some TV work, but I’m itching to get back to the field.”

Hunt has been linked with several PSL clubs including Orlando Pirates, SuperSport United, Stellenbosch FC and Marumo Gallants (formerly known as Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila F.C).

The Cape Town-born tactician began his coaching career at his hometown club, Seven Stars, and he went on to coach Hellenic FC, Black Leopards, Moroka Swallows, SuperSport, Wits and Chiefs.

He is one of the most decorated South African coaches having won four PSL titles, two Nedbank Cups, Telkom Knockout title and MTN8 trophy. 

Legendary Brazilian right-back Cafu feels that the 2022 World Cup, set to be hosted by Qatar, could be historic and will be considered the greatest in history. 

The former AS Roma star is one of Brazil’s most decorated players and is no stranger to World Cup achievements. He was part of the Brazil team which won the 1994 World Cup and led his country to the title in 2002. 

Cafu, having played in Asia’s first-ever World Cup in South Korea/Japan in 2002, feels the continent’s second World Cup next year in Qatar will be special. The host nation has grand plans for the tournament and all the venues are world-class with technological features like the Advanced Cooling Tech and more installed. 

“Qatar has changed a lot since my last visit before the pandemic. Every year the country progresses at such a fast rate that it is like visiting a new city or country. The infrastructure (for the World Cup) is now 95 per cent complete so they are almost ready for next year’s World Cup that I believe will be one of the greatest in history,” the Qatar Legacy Ambassador told the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).  

“I am very impressed by the way Qatar has dedicated themselves to ensuring this is an amazing tournament.

The 51-year-old also highlighted the fact that all eight venues for the 2022 World Cup are within an hour’s distance of each other, adding to the compact nature of the World Cup. Cafu feels this will be a game-changer for both players and fans alike. 

“At Qatar 2022 you will have an entire World Cup compacted into a small area. You will have all the venues, fan zones and facilities in one place with just a short distance to travel between any two venues. For example, the longest distance between stadiums is just 75km so fans will be able to watch two or maybe even three live games in a single day. 

“This is wonderful for the fans, but it is also great for the players. With less travel the players won’t be as tired as they can get more rest between games which should hopefully result in better performances on the pitch and less injuries.”

Cafu also felt that fans are in for a treat while watching the World Cup in Qatar's amazing venues. 

"I had the opportunity to visit Qatar earlier this year for the FIFA Club World Cup. My experience of the country during this tournament was wonderful as I had the opportunity to watch great games and see great teams in the stands as a fan. Watching football in Qatar’s new state of the art stadiums is the stuff of dreams for someone that loves football. Everything has been considered to make the fan experience as positive as possible."

Cafu also recounted his experience of travelling between two of the World Cup venues and touche upon the sights that amazed him earlier this year. 

“We travelled the longest distance possible between two World Cup stadiums – from Al Janoub to Al Bayt – taking in all the beautiful sights along the way. The journey took us just over one hour in total which really highlighted to me just how compact this World Cup will be. All the fans and everyone in Qatar for the World Cup will be part of the action from start to finish and it should help create a special atmosphere.”

The Brazilian way of playing football

Cafu felt that Brazil have a good chance of shining in Qatar. With a talented team led by Neymar, he felt the Selecao can win the World Cup after a gap of 20 years.

“Brazil will always be a very competitive team on the world stage because as a country we love football and always produce talented players. What the current Brazil team need is a long streak of great games and great results and I think this will lead to great achievements once again.”

Brazil's way of playing football has always captured football fans' attention, especially the Brazilian teams of the 90s of which Cafu was an integral part. Cafu explained how that identity was created.

"What made the Brazilian team of 1990s unforgettable is not only winning titles but the way that Brazil won titles. From 1990 to 2006, the Brazilian team won almost every competition it played in, including Copa América, Confederations Cup and the World Cup.

"Brazil created a very strong identity during this time in the minds of the fans, other players, the press, the critics. I think this identity of playing the Brazilian way is also what made this team special. During that time everyone had the desire and belief to try and win every game the Brazil way. This made us very difficult to beat."

Copa America's relevance and Brazil's chances

Brazil are currently at the 2021 Copa America and have reached the quarter-final where they will take on Chile next. While many feel that Copa America's importance is reduced, Cafu, who has won two Copa titles with Brazil, disagrees.

"During my career I had the privilege of playing for Brazil at the Copa America four times, winning it in both ‘97 and ‘99. The Copa América experience is always amazing for a player as playing for your country at this tournament is a special moment in any career. It is always an extremely competitive competition with the best players in the world. A lot of people don’t view the Copa América as being as important as winning the World Cup, but when it starts, nobody wants to lose."

Orlando Pirates legend Benedict Vilakazi says Mamelodi Sundowns' release clause could hold up Steve Komphela's reported move to Orlando Pirates.

The Buccaneers are reportedly in talks with Masandawana over the possibility of acquiring the services of the experienced tactician ahead of the new 2021/22 season.

Komphela signed a five-year deal with Sundowns when he joined the Tshwane giants as the senior coach in October 2020 and he would reportedly have to buy himself out of his current contract in order to leave for another club.

The release clause is said to be in the region of R28 million and Pirates would have to pay the money in order to get the 53-year-old tactician.

Vilakazi, who is Pirates' all-time top goalscorer with 52 goals for the club, feels that the release clause is the only thing stopping Komphela from replacing Josef Zinnbauer as the new Pirates head coach.

“The only issue here [Komphela joining Pirates] will be money, that will be the only problem because of his contact clause at Sundowns," Vilakazi told the Citizen.

"But other than that, I don’t see anything stopping him from joining Pirates.”

Zinnbauer's future at Pirates is reportedly uncertain after the Soweto giants added Komphela's former assistant, Mandla Ncikazi, to their technical team earlier this month.

Ncikazi joined the Buccaneers after guiding Lamontville Golden Arrows to a fourth-place finish in the PSL during the 2020/21 season and he has a good relationship with Komphela.

With Pirates having failed to secure Caf Champions League qualification in the recent season, Vilakazi believes that Komphela would improve the team.

“Steve is very good, he has the experience, he has been around and I believe he is one person who won’t just go to Pirates without analysing Pirates,” he added.

“He will know where the club is lacking, where are they strong, where he should maintain, and where he should start from scratch to fix."

Komphela worked under co-head coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena as Sundowns clinched their fourth successive PSL title this past season.

"He is the type of a coach who believes that before doing anything, he has to analyse. He will look at what happened at the club in the past seasons," he added. 

“So, he will come with whatever he found out and bring answers to the problems." 

He served as the head coach at Pirates' arch-rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, between 2015 and 2018. 

Emmanuel Dennis has revealed the advice he was given by former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo after his move to Watford.

The newly-promoted Premier League side announced the signing of the Nigeria international from Belgian top-flight Club Brugge on a five-year deal.

The 23-year-old has joined up with his new team-mates at Vicarage Road, as Xisco Munoz’s men commenced their pre-season campaign on Monday.

The striker has now admitted that he was counselled by his compatriot, who starred for the Hertford-based outfit from2014 to 2017 before heading to Chinese side Changchun Yatai.

“I’m a big fan of him. I watched him play here and score a lot of goals,” Dennis told the club website.

“I played against him in the Europa League so I met him after the game, we spoke together, he’s an inspiration.

“I spoke to him when I was here too, on FaceTime. He said: ‘I’m happy you’re here, you’re going to love it. The people are nice. Just play football, you’re going to enjoy yourself.’

“He’s like a big brother. He scored a lot of goals for Nigeria so I’m very happy I became his friend.”

The former Zorya Luhansk and FC Cologne player is confident he will not find it difficult to adapt to his new surroundings, as he already knows some familiar faces in the Hornets’ dressing room whom he has played alongside in Nigeria’s youth and senior teams.

“A lot of my friends are here, so it was really easy for me to accept and to come. I know that I’m really going to enjoy it,” he continued.

“I’ve played with [William] Troost-Ekong in the national team so we’re cool together, there’s a connection. Isaac [Success] is my guy. We’re friends, he’s a nice guy, we hang out, we laugh a lot.

“It’s crazy, it’s like a dream. I’m really happy to be here. Growing up, going to watch the Premier League you have to pay, sit in a crowd of people and watch it. But now, I’m here and going to be playing in it.”

Dennis could make his debut when Watford take on Colchester United in a friendly encounter on July 16.

Subsequently, they will take on West Bromwich Albion, Stevenage, Nantes, Dover Athletic and Serie A giants Udinese.

Thomas Muller has spoken out on his decisive miss for Germany against England, admitting it will be a moment that stops him sleeping at night.

Germany crashed out of Euro 2020 at the Round of 16 stage after suffering a 2-0 defeat to arch-rivals England at Wembley.

Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane grabbed the goals for the hosts, but the final outcome might have been different if Muller had not spurned a golden opportunity when his side were only one goal behind.

What happened?

Shortly after Sterling's 75th-minute opener, the England winger gave away the ball cheaply in Germany's half, which allowed Kai Havertz to break and play Muller through on goal.

The Bayern Munich striker looked destined to level the scoreline as Jordan Pickford blinked first in the one-on-one battle by diving to his left, but Muller's final shot flew just wide of the post to leave the away supporters in disbelief.

Muller's message to Germany fans

Muller has now broken his silence on the game in a post on social media, taking full responsibility for the miss while conceding that the whole squad is hurting after such a painful defeat.

"There it was, that one moment which will stick in your memory, which keeps you awake at night," the Germany frontman wrote on Instagram.

"That moment you work, train and live for as a football player. That moment when it is up to you to bring your team back into a tight knockout match and deliver joy to a whole football nation. 

"It hurts so bad that I had the chance and I missed it. It hurts for the whole team, my team-mates and our coach who trusted me to be there.

"But it hurts the most for all the German fans out there who supported us at the Euros despite the difficult circumstances."

What's next?

England can now start preparing for a quarter-final clash against Ukraine, who saw off Sweden after extra-time in their round of 16 tie.

Germany, meanwhile, will begin a new era under ex-Bayern boss Hansi Flick ahead of the resumption of their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in September, with Joachim Low now set to step down after 15 years at the helm.

Further reading 

Paul Pogba has vowed that France will "come back stronger" after their early Euro 2020 exit, admitting that "sometimes football can be cruel" but also "beautiful".

The pre-tournament favourites were sent packing in the Round of 16 after a thrilling battle with Switzerland which ended in a 5-4 penalty shoot-out defeat.

France, who reached the final in 2016 before becoming World Champions two years later, blew a 3-1 lead in the regulation 90 minutes and failed to find a winner in extra time before being humbled on spot-kicks, but Pogba is now eager to look forward instead of pondering what might have been.

What's been said?

The Manchester United midfielder, who scored Les Bleus' third goal at the National Arena in Bucharest, wrote on Instagram: "Sometimes football can be cruel… cruel and also beautiful. 

"The game brought us sadness but happiness to our opponents. That’s the beauty of football. Of course, we all wished that we could have had a positive result.

"Thank you so much to all of our fans across the globe. It was beautiful to see you, to hear you, and to celebrate with you. 

"You gave us hope and joy throughout all of our games. We will keep our heads up and we will come back stronger.

"Finally, I want to wish congratulations to Switzerland."

How did the Swiss upset France?

Switzerland were heavy underdogs heading into their clash with France on Monday, but ripped up the script by taking the lead after just 15 minutes via a Haris Seferovic header.

Les Bleus were ultimately fortunate to head in at half-time only a goal down, but stepped their game up early in the second period, with Karim Benzema hitting a stunning brace just before the hour mark.

Pogba then appeared to put Didier Deschamps' men out of sight with a spectacular long-range effort 15 minutes from time, but Seferovic halved the deficit before Mario Gavranovic hauled the Swiss level at 3-3 with a fine last-gasp solo goal.

After a subdued 30 minutes of extra time, penalties were needed to separate the two sides, and Switzerland emerged victorious when Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe saw his fifth spot-kicked saved.

What's next? 

France will now have two months to dust themselves down before resuming their latest World Cup qualification campaign.

Deschamps is set to remain in charge until Qatar 2022 despite his country's failure at the Euros, with their next Group D fixture against Bosnia-Herzegovina scheduled for September 1.

Further reading 

Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Kenny Niemach has warned Kaizer Chiefs against selling Samir Nurkovic.

The Serbian scored the only goal in the two-legged Caf Champions League semi-final fixture against Wydad Casablanca, which took the club to their first-ever final, and Niemach has advised the Premier Soccer League giants to stick with the striker.

Nurkovic had been linked with a number of clubs before the season began but he stayed with Amakhosi, who were serving a transfer ban meted out by Fifa.

"I told you about Nurkovic, I told you that he's a proven goalscorer. He doesn't lack in that department," Niemach told KickOff.com.

"What was lacking is how you combine and service a striker, who is very, very proficient in front of goals. Also, when you look at the creativity side of it, one could probably look at how those combinations could be fixed.

"I think they've got to keep that guy. I don't think you have a nice big striker like him, who can link up play and finish as well as he can right now in the league. 

"If they want to challenge for the title, they need to definitely keep him. He works hard, he is not a lazy striker, he's got everything. 

"He's a big, strong, tall boy; he's very good in the air; he is good in control, holding up – what more do you want in a striker? That's the reason everybody is interested in him because they can see his qualities."

In an earlier interview, the Serb revealed why he has enjoyed his Naturena stay, giving an indication he would remain with the club even after the Caf Champions League final.

"The other clubs I played for before were not big like Chiefs," Nurkovic said.

"When I came here, I was so overwhelmed and excited to play in front of amazing fans. To play in front of 90,000 fans was an amazing experience.

"I am so happy to be part of such a big club. In July it will be two years since I arrived here and I am really enjoying every moment here in South Africa. Even lifestyle-wise, I like it here."

After defying odds against Wydand, the Glamour Boys will face Al Ahly - led by former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane - in the Champions League final on July 17.

Germany had 'no courage to go forward' and were hampered by 'a lack of ambition', according to several former players, following their Euro 2020 exit against England on Tuesday.

Joachim Low's time in charge of the national team came to a close a decade-and-a-half down the line in defeat at Wembley, to cut short any hopes of a fairy tale finish for the 61-year-old.

Late goals for Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane ensured the end of their tournament run after a wildly fluctuating group-stage performance - but the manner of their loss to the Three Lions clearly struck a chord with figures past and present quick to pass judgement on another lacklustre showing.

What has been said?

Former Germany skipper Michael Ballack, a member of the squad which finished runners-up at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland before he was overlooked for the South Africa 2010 World Cup, was scathing in his criticism of Low's approach.

"[It was] sobering, unconscious," Ballack stated on MagentaTV. "The first half showed that we had no answers, that we had withdrawn unnecessarily. I don't understand why he waited so long to make his substitutions."

Fredi Bobic, a member of Germany's Euro 1996-winning squad in England, echoed Ballack's frustration over the lack of replacements, adding: "Even in the past, his changes have been questionable.

"[Elimination is] absolutely deserved. We had no courage going forward. Even after going a goal down, we offered nothing, except for one chance. It was very passive, and it is a shame we missed this opportunity."

Podolski slams lack of "absolute will"

Lukas Podolski - a key member of Low's Brazil 2014 World Cup-winning side - slated Germany's attitude, adding that he did not feel they showed the capacity to score against England.

"There was a lack of ambition, a lack of fighting spirit," he told BILD's podcast. "It all seems so bleak when you see the faces of the players; there's nothing that moves.

"A fire could break out in the stadium, and they would stay on the pitch. We're missing the absolute will to score a goal."

Germany Under-21 boss Stefan Kuntz brought insight into the nation's fragile issues at the back too, adding to ARD: "Our defence was never really good.

"In my opinion, a back three couldn't truly convince that it was stable. It has to play on one line; when it is not possible, you confuse everything. You can only drop deeper and deeper. That was a problem we had throughout the tournament."

The bigger picture

After an extensive reign that has seen two early tournament exits bring a close to an otherwise successful spell in charge of the national team, Low will hand over the reins following his final game at the helm, with Hansi Flick expected to take charge shortly.

Germany will be thrust back into the qualification path for Qatar 2022 in September, as they look to bounce back from the frustrations of defeat at Wembley, in what was their first tournament knockout loss to England since 1966.

They will first travel to Switzerland to face Liechtenstein, before games with Armenia and Iceland round off their first batch of autumn games.

Further reading

Wallace Karia is expected to be announced as the winner of the Tanzanian Football Federation presidential race after Hawa Mninga and Evans Mgeusa were not cleared to vie.
 
The TFF will hold its national elections on July 7 and Karia is expected to retain the seat unopposed after the duo were not cleared by the elections board. Mninga and Mgeusa have not indicated that they will appeal against the decision that was made to bar them from challenging Karia.
 
"According to the election regulations that I have, if one remains in the race unopposed, then he is not going to be subjected to an election process," Benjamin Karume, the election's vice-chair, told Mwanaspoti.

"According to the previous electoral code, stakeholders were asked to either vote yes or no for or against a candidate, but this time around, if one person remains in the race, then he is going to be announced as the winner."
 
"The approval of a candidate who has remained alone in a given race will not be done through voting because he was already taken through the nomination process that cleared them to stand for a given seat, which means he is qualified. 
 
"Those who were not cleared to run for a given seat have room to make an appeal before July 13."
 
Initially, Ally Salehe, Oscar Oscar, and Ally Mayay Tembele were barred in the preliminary nomination round from running for the presidency because they lacked the support of five stakeholders.

Rahim Kagenzi, Deogratias Mutungi, Abbas Tarimba and Zahoro Haji came with nomination papers but did not return them for verification and clearance. 
 
Salehe had called on the elections board to take actions against Karia, arguing the incumbent started his campaign early, before the dates stipulated for vote searching. 

Karia's reign has been regularly criticised for alleged bias, especially against Yanga SC, but he has always defended himself against those claims.
 
The most controversial issue - and that remains fully unresolved - was the transfer of Bernard Morrison from Yanga to Simba, where the TFF's Players' Status Committee allowed the Ghanaian to move, despite Timu ya Wananchi claiming the winger had an active contract.

Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Arthur Zwane has responded to suggestions that he could replace Stuart Baxter as Kaizer Chiefs head coach.

Zwane and Dillon Sheppard have impressed while in charge of the team, having guided them to three wins and one draw while Baxter, who replaced Gavin Hunt earlier this month, awaits his work permit.

The duo steered the Soweto giants to a top-eight finish in the PSL, before leading the team to its first-ever Caf Champions League final, where they are scheduled to face Egyptian football powerhouse Al Ahly on July 17.

Therefore there are some, including Zwane's former Chiefs teammate Brian Baloyi, who believe that the 47-year-old tactician is ready to lead the team.

However, Zwane says he is taking things slowly and he is looking forward to learning from Baxter, who is a two-time PSL title-winning coach.

“I would like to take things one step at a time,” Zwane told Robert Marawa on Marawa Sport Worldwide.

“I know people will always have their opinions and I respect that but it goes down to one thing, I want to grow and be ready. When the time is right, yes I’ll be given the opportunity, I know.

“At the moment, the focus is on development and helping our boys. I think that link-up is helping very well in terms of the transition and you know integrations of the players from development into the first team."

Having played under Baxter at Bafana Bafana, Zwane also enjoys working with Molefi Ntseki, who was recently appointed Chiefs' head of technical and the youth development academy.

“So, we don’t want to break that. It works for the team," he continued 

“Also having someone like coach Stuart, I think I’ll learn a lot from him. I once worked with him, when I had just stopped playing and also learned that time when I had the opportunity to learn from him first hand. 

“I don’t want to lose that opportunity to grow under his wings, and also having someone like coach Ntseki as well, who gave me the opportunity to work with him at the national team.”

Chiefs are currently preparing for the Champions League final, which is set to be played at Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca, Morocco.