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It has reached the point where the mere thought of a penalty shootout is enough to send shivers down the spines of even the most optimistic England fans.

For some unknown reason, the Three Lions and spot-kicks don't seem to mix, with even the most talented English players crumbling under the pressure of the 12-yard showdown.

Penalties have haunted England for generations at major tournaments throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, but they have managed to win a few too.

Goal takes a look at England's penalty shootout record at the World Cup, European Championship and Nations League, as well as those who stepped up to hit them.

Contents

What is England's overall penalty shootout record?

England have been in nine penalty shootouts at major international tournaments (World Cup, European Championship and Nations League), losing six and winning three.

As of the 2018 edition, the Three Lions have been involved in four shootouts at the World Cup. They won their first at a World Cup in 2018 when they defeated Colombia in the last-16 stage.

Prior to their spot-kick triumph over the Colombians, England had lost in 2006 against Portugal in the quarter-finals, in 1998 against Argentina in the last 16 and in 1990 against Germany in the semi-final. 

*West Germany in 1990

In the European Championship England have an identical record, having lost three penalty shootouts and won just one. They lost to Italy in the quarter-final of Euro 2012, bowed out against Portugal in the quarter-final of Euro 2004 and were beaten by Germany in the semi-final of Euro 96.

Their only penalty shootout victory at a European Championship came in the quarter-final of Euro 96 against Spain.

They competed in a penalty shootout in the 2018-19 Nations League third-place play-off, beating Switzerland.

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What is England's penalty shootout record at the World Cup?

England have competed in four penalty shootouts at the World Cup: in 1990, 1998, 2006 and 2018.

Until their 2018 win over Colombia in Russia, England had lost all of their penalty shootouts at World Cups, having been beaten by West Germany in 1990, Argentina in 1998 and Portugal in 2006.

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World Cup 1990: West Germany 1-1 England AET (West Germany won 4-3 on penalties)

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World Cup 1998: Argentina 2-2 England AET (Argentina won 4-3 on penalties)

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World Cup 2006: England 0-0 Portugal AET (Portugal won 3-1 on penalties)

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World Cup 2018: Colombia 1-1 England AET (England won 4-3 on penalties)

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What is England's penalty shootout record at the European Championship?

England have been in a total of four penalty shootouts at the European Championship, losing three and winning one.

The Three Lions beat Spain in the quarter-final of Euro 96 before losing to Germany in the semi-final of the same tournament.

Since then, they lost to Portugal in the quarter-final of Euro 2004 and Italy in the quarter-final of Euro 2012.

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Euro 96: Spain 0-0 England AET (England won 4-2 on penalties)

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Euro 96: Germany 1-1 England AET (Germany won 6-5 on penalties)

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Euro 2004: Portugal 2-2 England AET (Portugal won 6-5 on penalties)

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Euro 2012: England 0-0 Italy AET (Italy won 4-2 on penalties)

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What is England's penalty shootout record in the Nations League?

England have competed in one penalty shootout at the Nations League, winning one - against Switzerland.

Nations League 2019: Switzerland 0-0 England AET (England won 6-5 on penalties

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Liverpool assistant manager Peter Krawietz says Sadio Mane has exceeded expectations following his £34 million ($47m) move from Southampton in 2016, to become "one of the top three players in the world in his position as a winger".

Five years at Anfield for the Senegalese forward have delivered 218 appearances, 97 goals, a Champions League crown and Premier League title.

Mane has starred across a memorable era of success for the Reds, with considerable value found from a man who ticks all of the right boxes for Jurgen Klopp's style of football.

What has been said?

Krawietz told Liverpool's official website of Mane: "I believe Jurgen feels that as a manager it was one of his biggest mistakes not to sign him for Borussia Dortmund! Then of course we had him always in our minds, we knew how unbelievable he can be.

"We followed his development at Southampton as well and he performed already on this higher level, in the Premier League, and this was in the end a no-brainer opportunity to bring this player to our squad.

"That was one of our golden decisions, I would say. We were absolutely right with our first impression. At the same time, we were surprised with how well he developed during his time in Liverpool.

"His qualities are unique. Sadio is a player with every, every, every possibility in attacking: his one-v-one skills, his speed, left or right, his finishing. His ability to score goals with his head as well is unbelievable - to jump as high as he is able to do, I never saw that before.

"As well, his readiness and ability in terms of defending; whatever you want from him he is able to learn very, very, very quick and has this effort he puts in for the team in defending situations as well. He leads by example, he leads by quality, he leads by his attitude."

Why is Mane so important?

Krawietz says Mane offers much more to the Liverpool cause than just goal threat. His energy and willingness to work hard have made him a fan favourite on Merseyside.

Krawietz added of a man who needs just three more goals to become the 18th to reach a century of strikes for Liverpool: "You can see the fire which is burning inside him on the pitch and a lot of opponents try to provoke him.

"This is something that he learned during the years as well, to stay calm and at the same time not to lose his fire and his will and his ambition to play successful football and to give the opponent no possibility to bring him out of the middle of his brain, to disturb his concentration or his focus.

"This is something that he improved so massively and is a clear sign of his personality and his development to be one of the top three players in the world in his position as a winger."

Further reading

Harry Kane can win Euro 2020 for England but has to "wake up" first, according to Sven Goran-Eriksson, who cannot understand why the Tottenham striker has had such a subdued start to the tournament.

Kane is still looking for his first goal of the European Championship, having drawn blanks in all three of his country's group-stage fixtures, including their 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic last time out.

Despite his struggles, Gareth Southgate will likely stick with the 27-year-old in a huge last-16 clash against Germany at Wembley on Tuesday, and Eriksson is hopeful he can finally spark into life and set the Three Lions on their way to glory.

What's been said?

The former England manager told Ladbrokes: “Harry Kane has to wake up and arrive at the European Championships now.

"Everyone knows what he can do, but for some reason, he hasn’t been successful so far in this tournament. I think it will come; he can win the Euros for England."

Eriksson also expressed his belief that Raheem Sterling should retain his place in Southgate's line-up, before talking up Jack Grealish as a potentially match-winning option for the current Three Lions boss.

“Southgate has so many attacking options, but for me Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling must play from the start," added the Swede.

"Then the most important thing is executing the right system, and picking the players accordingly. Do you play two up front or two wingers? Do you go with two or three at the back?

“I don’t know if he’s going to start the game, but Jack Grealish is the game-changer. He’s fantastic. But there are so many other options. It’s good to have these options, but at the same time, you need balance – especially for the game against Germany.”

Kane's international record 

Kane made his international debut back in 2015, and has since established himself as a talismanic figure in the England squad while also taking up captaincy responsibilities.

The Spurs forward has 59 caps and 34 goals to his name, including six at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he earned the Golden Boot after helping the Three Lions reach the semi-finals.

Who will England play if they beat Germany?

Should England dispatch their arch-rivals Germany, they will be rewarded with a favourable last-eight tie against Eriksson's native Sweden or Ukraine.

A semi-final showdown with either the Czech Republic or Denmark could await thereafter, with the showpiece event then set to take place at Wembley on Sunday, July 11.

Further reading

Gareth Bale has "no option" to go back to Tottenham in 2021, claims the Welshman's agent, with the final 12 months of a contract at Real Madrid set to be honoured.

The 31-year-old forward returned to familiar surroundings in north London on a season-long loan during the summer transfer window of 2020.

There has been talk of another agreement being put in place, but Jonathan Barnett says that will not be happening as a slate is wiped clean in Spain under new Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti.

What has been said?

Bale's representative has told Standard Sport when asked if there is any chance of Spurs doing another deal: "As I have said from the beginning, there is no option.

"Gareth has no agreements whatsoever. He is under contract to Real."

Bale's record at Spurs

The Wales international made his way back to the Premier League after being frozen out at Santiago Bernabeu by Zinedine Zidane.

A man who was once the most expensive player on the planet headed back to Britain with two La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns to his name.

Fitness issues remained a problem early on, with Jose Mourinho needing to be convinced that a regular role could be enjoyed in his plans.

Bale did eventually find a spark and ended the 2020-21 campaign with a run of six goals in his last seven appearances - including a hat-trick against Sheffield United.

He found the target on 16 occasions in total and proved that he could still cut it at the very highest level.

Questions of his international future with Wales have now been addressed, with Bale vowing to play on, and his focus can turn back to domestic matters after suffering a last-16 defeat to Denmark at Euro 2020.

Further reading

Asante Kotoko coach Mariano Barreto conceded their fate as far as winning the Ghana Premier League title is no longer in their own hands following Sunday's 1-0 loss to rivals Hearts of Oak.

In the matchweek 31 fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium, Daniel Barnieh Afriyie scored the decisive goal on 66 minutes to win three points for the Phobians.

Tied on points heading into the 'Super Clash', Hearts have now taken a three-point lead at the top of the standings, with three more rounds of matches to go.

“Of course, Hearts of Oak have three points more than us on the Premier League table with three matches to the end of the season,” Barreto said after the game, Sportsworldghana reports.

“The remaining matches are tough, very difficult matches and for now the league doesn’t depend on us but what Hearts of Oak can do in the future.

“We have to continue to work hard but it’s still difficult.”

Despite putting himself in pole position for his first league title, Hearts coach Samuel Boadu is refusing to get carried away.

“I cannot say we’ve won the 2020-21 Ghana Premier League title yet because there are three games to play before the season ends," he said.

Hearts are looking to win the title for the first time since 2009. It will be their 20th championship win, three fewer than that of Kotoko.

Boadu started the season with Medeama before later resigning to take up the Hearts job.

"Coach Boadu deserves some commendation,” former Kotoko star Frimpong Manso told Silver FM.

“If you look at the situation in which he found himself, leaving Medeama at that time was a big risk…and since he came, things have gone well for him. 

"There are three matches remaining, but I think he deserves all this."

For their last three matches, Hearts next play as guests of Ebusua Dwarfs in Cape Coast before returning home to take on Liberty Professionals in Accra. Their final game of the term is against Wafa away in Sogakope.

Kotoko, on the other hand, face King Faisal (home), Elmina Sharks (home) and Bechem United (away).

Cristiano Ronaldo acted like a "true captain" throughout Euro 2020, says Portugal coach Fernando Santos, with the Juventus superstar forgiven for his emotional reaction to a last-16 defeat that saw him throw a captain's armband around.

The current holders of a continental crown have seen their grip on that trophy slip, with a 1-0 reversal suffered at the hands of Belgium in Seville on Sunday.

Ronaldo was understandably disappointed at the final whistle, leading to him parting with his armband and kicking it across the turf, but Santos has no issue with the contribution of his talismanic skipper at another major tournament.

What has been said?

Santos told reporters when quizzed on a five-time Ballon d'Or winner: "Ronaldo scored five goals in the tournament.

"He didn’t score today but he was a true captain in every sense of the word.

"He tried to turn the game around. There’s no issue with Ronaldo."

The bigger picture

Ronaldo's five-goal haul has seen him draw level with Iran icon Ali Daei at the top of the all-time international scorers chart on 109.

He will not be breaking that record any time soon, with Portugal not due back in action until facing the Republic of Ireland on September 1 in World Cup qualifying, but there is no sign of a modern-day great slowing down.

Santos will continue to call upon a mercurial talent, with the Portuguese frustrated at seeing their latest Euros campaign come to a close after bossing proceedings for long periods against the much-fancied Belgians.

"I think it is unfair but this is football. If you score you win - they scored, we didn’t," Santos added.

"But apart from the first 10 minutes when we didn’t play that well, my players played with a strong mentality and tried to attack.

"We wanted the ball. We had 29 shots and couldn’t score one. They had six shots and one on target and they won.

"We hit the post and carried on being dangerous but the ball wouldn’t go in.

"We kept our heads up and kept thinking we could turn things but this is football. Sometimes we have had fewer chances and won.

"We are very disappointed. We thought we could reach the final and win – that was our attitude.

"Some of the lads are crying in the changing room but we can still win more titles and now we are looking forward to the World Cup."

Further reading

Robin Gosens has expressed his belief that "very cute" Jamal Musiala can go onto have a "great career" if he continues on his current trajectory.

Musiala has quickly emerged as one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe since bursting onto the senior stage at Bayern Munich in 2020.

The 18-year-old is currently starring at the European Championship with Germany, having switched allegiance from England in February, and Gosens has been impressed with the maturity he has shown so far.

What's been said?

The Atalanta star admits that Musiala is far more sensible and disciplined than he was at his age, and expects him to go on and reach the very highest level of the game.

Speaking ahead of Germany's last-16 clash against England on Tuesday, Gosens told a press conference: "When I was 18, I was still out with my boys and had nothing to do with professional football.

"He is very cute, open and capable of learning. He's a level-headed boy, very down to earth.

"If it continues like this, it will help him to have a great career. He should just enjoy it."

Musiala's career record 

Musiala made his debut for Bayern last June in a Bundesliga clash against Freiburg, becoming the club's youngest ever player in the competition at 17 years and 115 days old.

The teenager has since made 37 further appearances across all competitions, scoring seven goals, while also picking up his first league winners' medal.

Joachim Low handed Musiala his first senior outing for Germany in a World Cup qualification win against Iceland in March, and he now has four caps to his name, the last of which was earned after he came off the bench in their 2-2 draw with Hungary in their final Euro 2020 group game.

Gosens' verdict on England 

Gosens went on to admit that Germany will have to be wary of England's attacking firepower at Wembley as they bid to set up a quarter-final clash against either Sweden or Ukraine.

"It's their great strength, they have a lot of speed and offensive power. For me, it's primarily the defence that is challenged," he said.

"We have to take their strengths out of the game first before we can play to our strengths."

Gosens also discussed the mood in Low's squad following their disappointing performance against Hungary, insisting the 4-2 win against Portugal on matchday two was a better indication of how strong they can be at their best.

"I think our real face was the one against Portugal. After the Portugal game, we were the nation's heroes and after Hungary, we were the nation's bogeymen," he continued.

"The contrast is a bit too big for me. We made some mistakes in the preliminary round. But we advanced from the most difficult European Championship group."

Further reading 

Al Ahly legend Ahmed Hassan has claimed head coach Pitso Mosimane is receiving unending criticism because he is an African.
 
The African Cup of Nations winner with Egypt said the South African has not been wholly accepted at the Red Devils, especially by the public, who are not used to anyone from within the continent taking charge of the side.

"Mosimane deserved the praise from the beginning. He’s a distinguished coach and a tactician at the highest level, and his problem is that he is African because the public and the media are used to foreigners," Hassan said as was quoted by KingFut.

"He achieved everything that was asked of him and the decision of him coaching Al Ahly was the correct one."

Hassan defended Mosimane's record while in charge of the Egyptian giants, saying the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach has achieved success despite facing some tough situations.
 
"Mosimane is the one who succeeded in implementing Al Ahly’s style of play. He was able to keep Al Ahly in great form despite the absences that the team had. He took advantage of the players’ abilities to build his plan in the matches," he stated.
 
Mosimane's Al Ahly booked a second consecutive Caf Champions League final spot at the weekend and Hassan warned his former side to work extra hard in order to beat Kaizer Chiefs, even though he doesn't think the PSL side will pose much of a challenge

The Glamour Boys eliminated Wydad Casablanca 1-0 on aggregate, after Samir Nurkovic scored the crucial away goal two weeks ago, before the second leg fixture ended 0-0 on Saturday night.

"Kaizer Chiefs are an average team compared to Al Ahly, and Wydad dominated possession in the two matches. But Al Ahly need to make a lot of effort to win the tenth title," Hassan added.

"The advantage of him [Mosimane] is Al Ahly trio, [Aliou] Dieng, [Amr] El-Sulya and Hamdi Fathi, is that they can add a lot to the team offensively and defensively. Especially Dieng, who has great potential and was a great transfer for Al Ahly."

The former Bafana Bafana head coach is on the verge of winning the fourth trophy with Al Ahly since he took charge last year.

He has already bagged the 2019/2020 Champions League trophy, the Caf Super Cup and Egypt Cup.

Fatau Dauda is cautiously optimistic about plans to introduce an African Super League, but only if it is for the benefit of African club sides.

The former Ghana and Orlando Pirates stopper has a unique perspective on the continent’s game, having played in many of Africa’s biggest nations, but remains unclear as to how a Super League will work in the African game.

For Dauda, it’s not yet clear how any Super League would benefit Africa’s top sides, nor how it could be executed considering the disparities in finances and ownership of continental clubs.

“I’ve played most of my football in Africa, on the continent—in South Africa, in Nigeria, in Ghana,” Dauda told Goal, “and with the Super League, I don’t know how they are going to do it.

“We are all affiliated to Fifa, and all affiliated to Caf, but the teams and the clubs will wait to see how it will go, and whether it will favour clubs or not.

“That one is above me as a player, so we will see what happens.”

As well as his current employers—GPL side Legon Cities—Dauda has also represented Ghanaian heavyweights Ashanti Gold, PSL side Chippa United and Orlando Pirates, as well as Nigerian giants Enyimba.

He believes that disparate financial situations across Africa may complicate the implementation and competitiveness of a Super League.

“We have big teams in Africa, and in Ghana—Hearts of Oak, Asante Kotoko, my team [Legon Cities] as well, so we’ll see how it will go and how it will help the clubs individually.

“Especially in Ghana, we’ll see,” he added. “Individually I train very well, I try my best to ensure we do well with our teams, but it’s not easy. 80 or 90 percent of clubs in Ghana are owned individually, which is difficult financially, compared to Nigeria.

“It’s very different to Nigeria where 90 percent of the clubs are being financed by the government so you can see the difference,” Dauda concluded. “About the Super League, let’s see what’s going to happen, how Caf will bring it on board, and how it will help the clubs.”

Despite the failure of the European Super League, new Caf president Patrice Motsepe has given the green light for the introduction of the African version.

"We are assessing and in preliminary discussions to start an inclusive and broadly supported and beneficial Caf African Super League," he said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters.

"We have been following the attempts by some top European clubs to form a Euro Super League and will learn from their experience and pitfalls."

Granit Xhaka has left the door open for Jose Mourinho and Roma to make a move for his services this summer, with the Swiss midfielder saying, when quizzed on his future plans: "Arsenal know what I want to do."

The 28-year-old has spent the last five years at Emirates Stadium, with 220 appearances taken in.

He is tied to a contract through to 2023 and has seen regular game time under Mikel Arteta, but a switch to Serie A heavyweights Roma has been mooted and Xhaka is seemingly willing to explore that option.

What has been said?

Xhaka is currently on Euro 2020 duty with Switzerland, with the pre-match press conference for a last-16 encounter with France held just outside Rome.

Asked by a reporter whether he was enjoying his time in the Italian capital, the combative performer said: "It’s very nice, yes."

Pressed further on whether he has informed the Gunners of a desire to move on in the current window, Xhaka added: "Arsenal know what I want to do."

Will a move be made?

Arsenal invested £35 million ($49m) in Xhaka when snapping him up from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016.

Roma are said to have seen a £13m ($18m) bid knocked back, with those in north London not prepared to take such a big hit on the fee they paid out.

Xhaka has, however, been a divisive character at times, hitting out at his own club's supporters at one stage, and has aired his pride at drawing admiring glances from Mourinho.

He has said of being on the new Roma manager's wish list: "To be honest, I didn't hear what Mourinho has said about me. But that makes you proud. Everyone knows Mourinho, knows what he has achieved. Mourinho knows how to win titles.

"You can now see what work I have done over the past few years."

The Gunners may do a deal eventually as they are being linked with a number of midfield reinforcements, including Rennes youngster Eduardo Camavinga, Wolves star Ruben Neves and Leicester playmaker James Maddison.

Further reading

The friendly match between South Africa and the Netherlands scheduled for July 3 has been called off.

The decision has been reached by Safa after five team members tested positive for Covid-19.

 The South Africans were to leave the country on Monday to play the European side this weekend in preparations for the Awcon qualifiers.

On their part, the Lionesses were using the build-up to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics to be held from July 23 to August 8.

"This is a difficult time where we are in the middle of the third wave in our country, and unfortunately Banyana Banyana has not been spared from this pandemic," the 58-year-old former midfielder told Safa.

"Due to positive cases in our camp, the full delegation has been put into isolation, and we will therefore not be able to honour the friendly fixture against the Netherlands. At this moment, of utmost importance is the health of everyone – both us and our opponents – and football takes second place.

She has now challenged everyone involved to ensure the laid measures are practised to avoid spreading the virus. 

"Let me take this opportunity to thank the Netherlands for the invite and also wish them all the best at the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games," Ellis continued.

"To my fellow South Africans, please take extra care and caution out there – Covid-19 is real, let’s protect each other by wearing masks in public, keeping a safe distance, and sanitizing all the time."

Aymeric Laporte has claimed Didier Deschamps did not return his texts before he swapped France for Spain at international level.

Laporte represented France from U17s to U21s and was called up to the senior squad for the first time in 2018 before having to withdraw through injury.

The Manchester City defender decided to switch allegiances to Spain earlier this year having successfully applied for dual citizenship, which prompted a critical response from Bleus boss Deschamps.

What did Deschamps say?

The Frenchman said he never received any prior warning from Laporte, telling reporters at the start of the month: "What makes me uncomfortable is what he might say, and that's a lie. The only message I received from him was in October about a situation regarding an injury. He hasn't played for us? It could've happened, ten seconds would've been enough."

Laporte sets the record straight 

Laporte has now offered his side of the story in an interview with The Guardian, insisting he messaged Deschamps directly but never received a response.

Asked if he'd made France aware of Spain's pursuit of his services, the 27-year-old said: “Six years before. They didn’t call me. While I don’t want to go over this again, I had sent a message and didn’t get a reply.

“I have it here. Maybe he [Deschamps] changed number, got a new phone. Could be. I don’t know, but I replied to the same number he’d called from before.

“I didn’t get a reply then. Anyway, given everything that happened, nor did I think I was important enough to France to have to inform them of anything.

"My importance to them has been more a media issue than anything. I’ve always been very clear that I’m going to be with those that want me, not those that don’t.

"I’m not saying France didn’t want me, but I’m grateful to those that ‘bet’ on me. Spain did and I’m trying to return that faith."

When did Laporte make his final decision?

Laporte made up his mind to switch nationalities after being contacted by current Spain manager Luis Enrique prior to his squad announcement for the Euros, but admits that his family did not take kindly to the news at first.

“I’d been in contact with Spain for years because they’ve always wanted me. Luis Enrique called. I took the decision," he said.

“It wasn’t an easy decision at all. My family still lives in France and from very young I played there with the national team. There were family chats, discussions, an exchange of opinions, the same doubts there would be if you had dual nationality I imagine.

"Everyone has different feelings. I felt comfortable coming with Spain, fully identified. That’s what made me change everything. Also, my family hasn’t spent eight years in Spain like me.”

Laporte's record with Spain so far

Laporte made his debut for Spain in a friendly clash with Portugal on June 4, after being named in Enrique's final 26-man lineup for the European Championships.

The City centre-back started all three of La Roja's group stage matches at the tournament, scoring in a 5-0 thrashing of Slovakia, and will be in line to feature once again when they take on Croatia in the round of 16.

Further reading 

Kenya internationals Ian Otieno and Jesse Were were celebrated by Zambian Super League champions Zesco United for the standout campaign in the 2020/21 season.

Otieno was named the most consistent player as he was the number one goalkeeper for the Ndola club, who regained championship status from Nkana FC.

Were, on the other hand, emerged as the club's top scorer with 10 goals.

Although Were, the club's all-time top scorer with 105 goals, emerged as their most prolific marksman of the campaign, he did not enjoy regular minutes when the campaign began. He scored four goals as Zesco United defeated Buildcon FC 7-2 in the season's final game on Sunday.

Zambian international Adrian Chama was named the player of the year while the young player of the year award went to Chanda Mukuka.

The players' player of the year award was won by John Ching'andu while Zimbabwean midfielder Thabani Kamusoko went home with the most disciplined player's award.

In a statement, after being confirmed as champions, Timu ya Ziko praised head coach Numba Mumamba, saying his tactful use of experienced and young players helped them stand out.

"Mumamba’s ability to start his first eleven with a mixture of youth and experience was having dramatic effects on the opposition," the club said. "There were several occasions during the season that some teams stood firm during most parts of their matches only to be unlocked in the last 10 minutes of the 90 minutes.

"When the tide was too slow for Mumamba’s liking, Chingandu would pave way for Mukuka, Were for Enock Sakala and Luwawa Kasoma would be thrown into the fray to whip in pinpoint crosses. It’s this type of shuffling of players that proved unbearable for Zesco United’s opponents.

"It is Mumamba’s wizardry in getting to the hearts and minds of young and experienced players, especially in difficult times, that has been remarkable for the entire season."

Ching’andu, Simon Silwimba, Solomon Sakala, Winstone Kalengo, Marcel Kalonda and Clement Mwape were the senior players who the young ones - mostly bought at the beginning of the season - looked up to in terms of leadership.

Jadon Sancho has seen just six minutes of action for England at Euro 2020, but it is the Borussia Dortmund winger that Jurgen Klinsmann says "Germany would fear - if he plays" in Tuesday's heavyweight last-16 showdown at Wembley.

Gareth Southgate favoured alternative options in a lacklustre group-stage showing from the Three Lions, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford getting the nod in wide attacking berths.

That is despite Sancho boasting more goal involvements at club level across the last three seasons than all but one of his current colleagues in a 26-man squad.

What has been said?

The 21-year-old could play a more prominent role against a number of familiar faces in knockout competition, with Euro 96 winner Klinsmann telling BBC Sport of the obvious threat posed: "It is Sancho that Germany would fear at Wembley - if he plays. They know how good he is.

"What makes him such a special talent is his technical capability at a very fast pace, and he is fearless - he just goes at people. I love watching him because, when he gets the ball, he excites the fans.

"Of course people who watch him for Dortmund expected him to get more of a chance at this tournament - he has had only six minutes of action so far, as a substitute against the Czech Republic - but the same discussion you are having about fitting England's young talent in your team, we are having about Germany's emerging players too.

"We have Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Jamal Musiala but, like England manager Gareth Southgate, Joachim Low has the choice of five or six players but only maybe three roles to give away since he brought back Thomas Muller, who is a fixture in that team.

"The interesting thing about all of these youngsters is their power to surprise - they have so much ability and can decide a game at any given time, but they can also be inconsistent.

"So, do you go with exciting young faces, or the tried and tested ones? Both managers have got some very similar decisions to make."

The bigger picture

England and Germany boast plenty of history at major international tournaments, with penalty shootouts figuring prominently in that, but Klinsmann cannot see the past influencing the present for exciting young squads in 2021.

The legendary former striker added: "Whoever plays at Wembley, I don't think the past meetings between the two sides will have any bearing on the outcome.

"Of course, for the fans that are a bit older and the generation of players like myself who were in those big games like in 1990 or 1996, we look at it a bit in the context of history - the games we played in or watched.

"But the younger generation will not do that at all. There have been no big clashes between England and Germany at tournaments in the recent past - it is 11 years since the 2010 World Cup and Muller is the only player left on either side who played in that game.

"So, don't ask the players that play this game on Tuesday what their kind of feeling is for our wins at the 1990 World Cup or 1996 European Championship is, because they didn't live through that.

"Most of these current England and Germany players were not even born in 1996, especially the young attackers I have just been talking about.

"There is a lot of football history between these two nations, but not between these two teams - it is a completely new set of cards that is put on the table this time, and at a new stadium."

Further reading

Arsenal have rejected a second offer from Aston Villa for Emile Smith Rowe.

The Gunners knocked back an initial bid of £25 million ($35m) from Villa for their young playmaker two weeks ago and made it clear that he was not for sale.

Tthat stance has not put off the midlands outfit, who have now returned with an improved offer for the 20-year-old.

How much was the bid?

Villa upped their initial offer for Smith Rowe by £5m ($7m), submitting an official bid of £30m ($42m) for the England Under-21s international.

Arsenal rejected it out of hand once again, reiterating their stance that the player is not for sale.

The academy product has two years left on his contract at Arsenal and talks are taking place to try and extend that deal.

What will happen next?

It is currently unclear whether Villa will return with a third bid for Smith Rowe.

Arsenal remain hopeful that contract talks will soon reach a successful conclusion and he will commit his long-term future to the club, but until the contract is signed, interested clubs will continue to believe there is an opportunity to prize the young attacker away from Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's new head of football operations Richard Garlick is leading the contract negotiations, with a five-year deal believed to be being discussed.

Further reading

Everton fans have continued to voice their opposition to the imminent appointment of Rafa Benitez as manager, with a threatening banner left close to the home of the former Liverpool boss.

The sinister message, which read ‘We Know Where You Live. Don’t Sign’, was hung near to Benitez’s residence on the Wirral.

A picture of the banner was posted online, and received widespread condemnation from Toffees fans.

Why are Everton fans opposed to Benitez?

It is expected that Benitez’s appointment will be confirmed this week, after several rounds of positive discussions with the club’s board, but the 61-year-old’s past with Liverpool has led to opposition from many Everton fans.

Nobody has ever managed both Everton and Liverpool, and Benitez clashed with the Goodison Park club while in charge at Anfield between 2004 and 2010.

The most infamous incident came in 2007, when he referred to the Toffees as “a small club” following a Merseyside derby. In a later interview, published in 2011, Benitez attempted to clarify those comments.

"I didn't want to be disrespectful to the club,” he said. “I was talking about the way they were playing, not the club.”

Everton fans, though, have not forgotten. Banners were hung outside Goodison Park when news of the club’s intentions emerged earlier this month. ‘Benitez not welcome’ read one. Others were far less polite.

Will the club think twice about appointing him?

It appears not, at this stage. Everton have been searching for a manager since Carlo Ancelotti’s shock resignation and return to Real Madrid earlier this month.

Nuno Espirito Santo and Eddie Howe have been linked, while former bosses David Moyes and Roberto Martinez were also considered, but Benitez, who is without a job having left Chinese
Super League side Dalian Professional in January, has emerged as the No 1 contender having impressed majority owner Farhad Moshiri and director of football Marcel Brands in talks.

He last managed in the Premier League with Newcastle, leaving in 2019 having guided the Magpies to 10th and 13th-placed finishes in his two full seasons in the top-flight. Previously, he had led them to promotion from the Championship in 2017.

It remains to be seen whether Moshiri and Brands will perform a u-turn in the face of growing opposition from the club’s supporters. Sources close to the situation suggest not, but rarely, if ever, has a managerial appointment prompted such anger from fans.

Further reading

Azam FC captain Aggrey Morris believes concentration lapses were the reason why his team were knocked out of the FA Cup by defending champions Simba SC.

The two Tanzanian heavyweights were tied 0-0 until the 90th minute of the seme-final when the Ice-cream Makers conceded a foul in the danger zone.

The resultant free-kick was taken by Mnyama vice-captain Hussein Mohammed and Mozambique forward Luis Miquissone easily beat Uganda shot-stopper Mathias Kigonya to send the fans at Majimaji Grounds in Songea to wild celebrations.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi will now play Yanga SC in the final aiming at successfully retaining the crown.

What did Azam captain say?

"It was a tough game to both teams, but we lost concentration late into the game and Simba fully capitalised on it to win the match," Morris told Goal.

"From the first whistle it was obvious, any team that will have concentration lapses will lose the game, unfortunately, that team has happened to be us."

The veteran centre-back has further expressed his optimism on guiding the 2014 Tanzania Mainland League champions to a major trophy before hanging up his boots.

"This is not my last season with the club, I have an ongoing contract which I intend to honour," Morris continued.

"I opted to retire from the national team so that I can have more time for the club. 

"It hurts when you fail to challenge for top honours and it is even worse when you are a leader. My time is almost coming and I want to win something. It is football, things happen, and our main focus now should be on the new season hoping to perform better than this one."

What did Simba say?

"We are happy with the win, the preparations have been good and everyone is delighted for making it to the final," Hussein said after the match.

"It is also exciting with the fact that we will be playing our sworn rivals [Yanga]. It makes the final even more interesting.

"The season is almost ending but we want to conclude it on a high. It is the best thing we can do."

Simba are aiming at winning both the league title and the FA Cup and are on target to do so, considering they have a six-point lead at the top of the league table.

Gareth Bale is being backed to grace "many more" Wales squads, with Chris Mepham reading little into reports suggesting that the Real Madrid star has been mulling over his international future.

At 31 years of age, a man with 96 caps to his name has seen another campaign at a major tournament come to a close, with Rob Page's side suffering a 4-0 defeat to Denmark in the last 16 at Euro 2020.

Bale walked away from questions on his future at the end of that contest, but has since come out and said that he will remain in contention with his country for as long as his career at the top continues.

What has been said?

Mepham cannot see a talismanic figure opting out of international duty, telling reporters when quizzed on Bale's plans: "As soon as I came into the Wales set-up I could see how passionate Gaz was about putting the Wales shirt on.

"I know it's a massive part of his football and his life.

"Every time he comes away he seems to be enjoying it so to be honest I would expect to see him at many more camps."

The bigger picture

Bournemouth defender Mepham, at 23 years of age, forms part of the long-term thinking with Wales.

There are a number of other promising talents that are expected to have lengthy international careers ahead of them, with the likes of Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen on hand to provide advice and inspiration.

The knockout stages have now been reached at successive European Championships, while qualification is underway for the 2022 World Cup.

Stoke midfielder Allen sees a bright future for a squad that blends youth and experience, with the 31-year-old saying: "We’re proud we’ve been able to get out of the group stage for the second time.

"The message is clear to the group. We've got to think about World Cup qualification now. That's the next step for us to really throw absolutely everything into.

"We’ve got a young group who have a lot more to give and a lot left to show.

"This journey is over but we're confident that we've got a group that can create more history and get some more success stories in the future."

Further reading

Arsenal Women have appointed Jonas Eidevall to succeed Joe Montemurro as their new head coach.

The 38-year-old has been unveiled by the Gunners after leaving Swedish side Rosengard, where he has spent the last three years of his career.

Eidevall replaces Montemurro in the managerial hot seat following the Australian's decision to leave and subsequently move to Juventus, and will now oversee Arsenal's latest pre-season campaign.

What's been said?

The Swede told the Gunners' official website: “I feel honoured to be taking this role. Arsenal have a rich history, more successful than any other women’s team in England.

"I want to add to these honours. It's super important that we win, and we will be very ambitious about that, but it's even more important that we live the values and defend the club badge on a day-to-day basis. I cannot wait to do that at Arsenal."

Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham added: “Jonas was the standout candidate of everybody that we considered for this role and we think he's going to be a great fit to be the head coach of Arsenal Women. It was important that we found the right person to represent our club, both on the pitch and off the pitch.

“As for his coaching style, he will bring the style of football that Arsenal fans want to see. He's someone who likes to play on the front foot, high-tempo, attractive, attacking football.

"The thing that really came out in all of our interactions with Jonas is how much he wanted to join Arsenal and his desire to be part of this club, his desire to be part of our future and to help us deliver our ambitions going forward. So we're delighted that he's joining us.”

Eidevall's credentials

Eidevall's appointment comes on the back of Leah Williamson signing a new contract earlier this month, with the 24-year-old having stated that she trusted the club to appoint a good manager with a desire to develop the younger players in the squad.

The rise of Goal's NXGN winner Hanna Bennison proves that Eidevall has a knack for nurturing talent, as the 18-year-old helped his unfancied Rosengard side reach the Champions League quarter-finals last season.

Eidevall, who previously took in a spell as Henrik Larsson's number two at Helsingborgs, also guided the Swedish outfit to three league titles, and will be expected to help the Gunners win their first Women's Super League crown since 2018-19.

Further reading