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Sudan have qualified for the 2021 Fifa Arab Cup after defeating Libya 1-0 in Doha on Saturday evening.

Mohammed Abdelrahman’s first half goal earned the Falcons of Jediane victory at the Khalifa International Stadium.

With just 15 minutes into the encounter, Hubert Velud’s men were awarded a penalty following Ali Salama’s clumsy tackle on Seif El-Din Malik in the box.

The 27-year-old Al Hilal striker took the resultant kick and sent goalkeeper Muhammad Nashnoush the wrong direction with a cool finish.

Despite Javier Clemente’s side coming out stronger in the second half, they were unable to get the much-needed equaliser as Sudan held on to scale through.

They will now join hosts Qatar, Iraq, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria in the tournament’s final phase which commences on November 30 - exactly a year before the 2022 World Cup final is set to take place. 

The Fifa Arab Cup is set to act as a preparatory competition to test the operational readiness of Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup which will be held in the Middle East nation.

The top nine ranked sides [according to the April edition of Fifa rankings] - Qatar, Iraq, Tunisia, UAE, Syria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Egypt – have already qualified for the group stages automatically.

Whereas, the 14-lowest ranked sides will play single-leg knockout qualifiers, with seven teams advancing to the preliminary round.

According to H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), claimed that the championship will not just be an assessment of Qatar's preparations, but also will excite the football fans in the region. 

"This tournament will see elite teams from across the Arab world compete in a Fifa-sanctioned tournament for the first time," he told the media.

“A tournament of this magnitude – played exactly a year before the World Cup – is sure to excite our football crazy region as we continue preparations for 2022.

“We look forward to hosting the Fifa Arab Cup and using the tournament to confirm our plans for the World Cup, which is just around the corner.”

Kei Kamara seems not to have gotten over the excitement of Sierra Leone’s historic Africa Cup of Nations qualification, judging by his latest social media post.

John Keister’s men defeated Benin Republic 1-0 in the last Group L qualification fixture staged at the General Lansana Conte Stadium – to qualify for African football showpiece.

The former Sporting Kansas City and New England Revolution star was the Leone Star’s hero as his first-half penalty helped his team silence Michel Dussuyer’s Squirrels.

In the process, the West African country ended their 26-year Afcon hiatus.

With this, the 36-year-old now stands a chance of featuring in the tournament before drawing the curtain on his career.

“So, I had to wait a few days to guarantee I wasn’t in bed dreaming,” Kamara wrote on Instagram.

“I have pinched myself few times to cross check. If you know how much I love Sierra Leone and football, then you will know my heart is filled with joy/tears and unselfish love for my teammates.

“Sierra Leone is going to Afcon 2022 in Cameroon after 25 years (sounds so good).

“My 12th year playing for this my national team and I just pray people tell me kids how much we went through to get here. I love you mama Salone.”

Tuesday’s crunch tie was initially billed for March 30 at the National Stadium, Freetown, however, it did not take place owing to a Covid-19 controversy.

The Confederation of African Football then moved the encounter to June 14, but the game did not take place as planned owing to another Covid controversy.

Finally, the game was postponed by another day – and the result determined the last team to secure a place in Cameroon.

Also, each member of Keister squad will pocket the sum of $10,000 in the coming days for qualifying for the competition, as promised by Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio.

The country’s last outing was at the 1996 edition staged in South Africa.

There, Roger Palmgren’s team crashed out of the preliminary round after failing to qualify from Group B that paraded Zambia, Algeria, and Burkina Faso.

Italy and Wales will go head-to-head for first place in Group A when they meet at the Stadio Olimpico in Sunday’s Euro 2020 clash.

The Azzurri are already through to the knockout stages after taking six points from their opening two matches, seeing off both Turkey and Switzerland by emphatic 3-0 scorelines.

Wales are second on the table and a draw will most definitely send them through.

Here's how to watch Italy vs Wales in India.

Contents

What time does Italy vs Switzerland start?

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How to watch Italy vs Wales on TV & live stream in India

In India, the Euros will be broadcast live on the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN). It will be livestreamed on the SonyLIV app.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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How does Group A in Euro 2020 look like?

With 10 wins in a row without conceding for Italy in a run of 29 without defeat in all competitions, Roberto Mancini side became the first team to qualify for the knockout rounds. Whereas Wales took a massive step towards the knockout rounds of Euro 2020 with a 2-0 victory over Turkey in Baku, after a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in their previous fixture.

Group A

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Where will Italy vs Wales take place?

Stadio Olimpico | Rome | Italy

Capacity: 72,698 | reduced to 25% capacity, subject to increase
Games: Group stage & quarter-final (four games)
Year built: 1937 (renovated in 1953 & 1990)

Stadio Olimpico  in Rome, Italy will be the venue for one quarter-final game at Euro 2020 as well as three matches in Group A (sharing duties with Baku's Olympic Stadium).

Home of Serie A giants Roma and Lazio, Stadio Olimpico has a storied history in football.

It has been the venue for the final of the European Cup/Champions League on four occasions (1977, 1984, 1996 and 2009) as well as hosting the 1980 European Championship final and the 1990 World Cup final.

Along with Parken Stadium, Hampden Park and the Johan Cruyff Arena, Stadio Olimpico represents one of four 20th century stadiums being used.

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Italy vs Wales: Team news & stats

Giorgio Chiellini is unlikely to feature after coming off injured against Switzerland, with Alessandro Florenzi, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Marco Verrati also doubtful.

The guests are likely to stick with the same line-up that proved so successful against Turkey, with Kieffer Moore continuing to lead the line in attack.

Key stats:

Wales have made it out of the group stages in their previous two appearances at a major tournament (1958 World Cup, EURO 2016). If they avoid defeat in this game, they’re guaranteed a spot in the knockout stages of this tournament.

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Further reading: 

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi’s effort could not rescue New York City FC from losing 3-2 to New England Revolution in Sunday’s Major League Soccer encounter.

The Libya international came off the bench to put the Pigeons back on level term, yet, they suffered their fourth defeat of the current campaign.

Buoyed by a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles FC their last time out, Ronny Deila’s men welcomed the Revs to the Yankee Stadium – with the ambition of extending their winning streak.

In the eleven minutes, they were presented with a chance to take the lead as referee Allen Chapman pointed to the penalty mark following Andrew Farrell’s clumsy tackle on Paraguayan midfielder Jesus Medina.

Valentin Castellanos stepped up to take the ensuing kick, but it was saved by goalkeeper Matt Turner.

Nonetheless, it was the visiting side who took the lead in the 27th minute courtesy of Gustavo Bou who volleyed past goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

That strike was a big setback to the hosts’ ambition of securing all three points as they went into the halftime break with a goal deficit.

In dire need of a win, manager Deila introduced debutant Thiago Andrade for Talles Magno before the commencement of the second half.

Ten minutes later, the Brazilian forward scored his debut goal to put his team back in contention. Anton Tinnerholm’s pass found Maximiliano Moralez whose cross was plucked out of the air by Thiago to fire in off the post.

In the 78th minute, New England Revolution took the lead after Carles Gil found space on the right and sent the ball to Jonathan Bell who headed home.

That lead lasted for just seven minutes as Tajouri-Shradi levelled matters for New York City. With that, the African star has now scored in his last three MLS games.

With the game looking destined for a draw, Thomas McNamara had the final say with his 88th-minute goal as the hosts were made to pay for missing several scoring opportunities.

Thanks to this result, New England Revolution - who were without Emmanuel Boateng (Ghana), Edward Kizza (Uganda) and Wilfrid Kaptoum (Cameroon) in action - now lead the Eastern Conference having garnered 20 points from nine outings.

For New York City, they sit in the seventh spot with just 11 points although with a game less.

Jose Mourinho has hit out at Eden Hazard, saying the Real Madrid winger is an amazing player but could be even better were he not an "awful" trainer.

Mourinho coached Hazard for two and a half seasons at Chelsea, a period during which they helped the Blues win the Premier League, Europa League and League Cup. 

Hazard moved to Real Madrid in 2019, but his €100 million (£86m/$121m) transfer has yet to pan out amid a series of injuries.

What was said?

“The truth is what you see from him, he is an amazing player with awful training," Mourinho charged during an interview on talkSPORT .

“You can only imagine what he could be with a super professional attitude in training.

“In the end, he is an amazing kid, he is an incredible family man, he looks like he doesn’t belong to this generation of players, he’s very quiet and is totally focused on family, on kids, on parents, on a very quiet life.

“But he gets onto the pitch every morning and … he doesn’t work much.

“When he gets onto the pitch you don’t see the reflection of a week of work, you just see a reflection of his talent.

“He is this amazing player and you can imagine if he was a top professional. When he went to Real Madrid I thought, 'Wow, this guy is going to the biggest club in the world and is going to feel this huge pressure to be always at the top, this guy is going to win the Golden Ball, because he is amazing.'

“But in terms of his fitness, his speed, his condition, he would be a much better player [if he trained properly]. What you see is just the talent that got Eden to where he is."

Mourinho backs Hazard at Euro 2020

Hazard, long a vital figure for Belgium, has been used off the bench in his country's two opening matches at Euro 2020.

The 30-year-old is being brought along slowly after another injury-hit season with Madrid, but Mourinho has backed him to eventually show his best at the tournament.

“In this case, he is back to Belgium, back to the big stage, you can feel he has a good relationship with Roberto Martinez, but he is on the bench at this moment," Mourinho said.

“But he will be ready to jump to win watches, so I believe Belgium will end the Euros with Eden starting and probably at the top of his game.”

Further reading

England captain Harry Kane has insisted he has no hard feelings toward Gareth Southgate after he was subbed off in both of his side's games to open Euro 2020

Kane was withdrawn in the 74th minute of a scoreless draw with Scotland on Friday, a move Southgate admitted was highly unusual after he also took the forward off in the 82nd minute of England's tournament-opening win over Croatia.

The prolific Tottenham star has drawn some criticism for his two goal-less performances to begin Euro 2020, though England have still managed four points from the matches. 

What was said?

"Gareth is within his rights to make the changes he thinks are best for the team," Kane said. "What we’ve learned over past tournaments is about trying to peak at the right time.

"The best time to be peaking is in the knockout stages and hopefully kick on from there."

On taking Kane off, Southgate added: "It’s important you have a bench but of course it’s always difficult when it’s your captain [being subbed] because he is a player we’ve never had to take off in the past and at the club you leave him on in any circumstance."

What else did Kane say?

The 27-year-old insisted he was fit after suffering from an ankle problem during the season, claiming that he is feeling the best he has in a long time.

"No, no, no. I didn’t have any [injury] issues," Kane said. "I didn’t feel physically I wasn’t up to it. I felt going into those games as good as I’ve felt all season."

Kane also dismissed the criticism coming in his direction, saying that going two games without a goal isn't unusual even for a striker as prolific as he is.

"Many times I’ve gone two games without scoring in my career," he said. "In tournament football, it gets highlighted a lot more and there’s a lot of talk about it.

"I’m not someone who gets too high or too low. I know the chances will come with the players we have got. And when they do I will be more than capable of putting them away."

What's next for England?

The Three Lions will face the Czech Republic on Tuesday in their Group D finale at Wembley Stadium.

England and the Czechs are currently level atop the group with four points apiece after two games.

Further reading

Super Eagles players joined Omonia Nicosia defender Abdullahi Shehu and Slavia Prague forward Peter Olayinka in celebration as they tied the knot on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Olayinka wed his heartrob, Yetunde Barnabas at a private ceremony in Lagos while Shehu had his marriage ceremony in Kano.

Yetunde Barnabas is popularly known for her role in Nigerian television sitcom Papa Ajasco as Miss Pepeiye.

She is also a former beauty queen who was crowned Miss Tourism Nigeria in 2019 and the Most Beautiful Girl in Abuja the same year.

A host of Nigeria stars including Odion Ighalo, Monaco loanee Henry Onyekuru, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, Nantes winger Moses Simon and Bordeaux winger Samuel Kalu were present at the ceremony.

The football stars did not hesitate to switch on their fashion game with their outfits and in company of the spouses.

Elsewhere in Kano, Shehu married a movie star in Kannywood - Hausa-language film industry, Murjanatu Yar Baba.

The former Bordeaux star previously married Sumayya Mustapha who gave birth to a boy during his international assignment with the Dream Team VI at Rio 2016 Olympics. 

Nigeria captain Ahmed Musa who plies his trade at Kano Pillars, was in attendance at Shehu's ceremony after Friday's Juma'at prayers.

Kaizer Chiefs’ 1-0 win over Wydad Casablanca in the a Caf Champions League first leg semi-final match at the Stade Mohamed V on Saturday night has put the South Africans firmly in the driving seat.

It was a great start for Amakhosi, although it’s only half-time in the tie and Zwane has cautioned against getting carried away.

“We came here to do the business, and we did exactly that. We are happy with the result, but it’s not yet over, because we are still going back home,” he said in the post-match interview.

“It’s not yet over, we still have another 90 minutes to make sure that we go through to the final.

“We are still going to play the second leg, we’ll welcome them back at home in Joburg. And obviously we will try and finish it off there.”

While the tie is indeed finely balanced, Chiefs may have an advantage in that Wydad will have to chase the game in Soweto. Which could allow Amakhosi to pick off their opponents on the counter attack, like they did in Casablanca with Nurkovic’s superbly-taken goal from Njabulo Blom cross.

Other than that, Chiefs’ win was based on some solid defending for the most part, and also some brilliant saves by Bruce Bvuma. Plus a few misses from the Wydad strikers.

“We’ve done what we came here for. We wanted to get a goal or two, fortunately we got one,” Zwane added.

“When we come back home, they will be chasing the game, it will open up a bit and so we’ll also try to punish them.

“I think we were very disciplined at the back today. We hope to keep a clean sheet at home as well and hopefully get another goal.”

Chiefs could potentially meet former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane in the final – he guided his Al Ahly side to a 1-0 first leg win over ES Tunis, also away from home.

Spain suffered a second successive blow to their ambitions of a sparkling Euro 2020 run after Robert Lewandowski rescued a point for a gutsy Poland at La Cartuja in Group E.

Alvaro Morata's early opener looked to have put Luis Enrique's side in the driving seat for a first win of the tournament, five days after they were held to a goalless draw by Sweden in their opening game.

Yet a second-half spot-kick for Paulo Sousa's side meant that La Roja were held to consecutive stalemates on home turf despite vastly superior possession once more, leaving their final group-stage clash with Slovakia as a "must-win" encounter to reach the knockout rounds, per defender Pau Torres.

What has been said?

“It’s not the result we wanted," the Villarreal centre-back admitted to Telecinco at full-time. "We always do our utmost to win. In the next game, we’re going to do the same in order to get a result.

"We have to win on Wednesday to stay in the tournament. We need to believe in ourselves."

Torres's Villarreal team-mate Gerard Moreno spurned a chance to deliver a possible matchwinner after his penalty hit the post mere minutes after Lewandowski tied things up, but the defender was quick to rally around the forward.

"Gerard hadn’t missed a penalty all season, I believe in him to score them," he added. "The message is to keep believing in ourselves. We’re going to give our all to be in the next round.”

Rodri 'frustrated' with latest slip-up

The sense of a lost opportunity hung like a spectre over Spain's unsuccessful efforts to break Poland down across the final half-hour. 

Manchester City midfielder Rodri acknowledged that La Roja cannot expect to have easy opponents every step of the way, but admitted that their struggles to finish opportunities fed into a lack of sure-footed confidence at points throughout the game.

“We’re very frustrated," he added. "The ball didn’t want to go in. You’re never going to have an easy opponent in these tournaments.

"We had our chances but you start doubting more when the ball won’t go in. The pitch isn’t in the best state but that isn’t an excuse.

"The word is frustration. No game is easy. I hope people stay with us right until the end because we need that. It’s not the time to give in or to criticise. It depends on us now.”

The bigger picture

Spain head to their final game with Slovakia knowing that victory will be enough to secure them a top-two berth, regardless of the result between Poland and Sweden in Saint Petersburg.

Defeat however will almost certainly spell the end of their road at Euro 2020, despite currently sitting inside the top four third-place teams at the tournament with two points heading into the last batch of group-stage fixtures.

A draw may be enough to qualify for the latter pathway still too, dependent on other results across the tournament, but Luis Enrique will know that a win is the only way to guarantee a knockout stage spot.

Further reading

Poland midfielder Kacper Kozlowski has broken Jude Bellingham's record to become the youngest-ever player to feature in the European Championship after taking the field against Spain at Euro 2020.

The 17-year-old, three and a half months younger than the Borussia Dortmund starlet, was a second-half substitute for Paulo Sousa's side in Seville as they held their hosts to an impressive 1-1 draw at La Cartuja.

It means that the Pogon Szczecin starlet breaks a record that stood for only six days after Bellingham played in England's tournament opener against Croatia.

What has Kozlowski achieved?

Brought on for Leeds United's Mateusz Klich just before the hour mark, he played a mostly defensive game after Robert Lewandowski's penalty cancelled out Alvaro Morata's opener for Luis Enrique's side.

It caps an impressive ascent through the ranks after winning only his first cap in March, in a World Cup qualifying clash with Andorra.

Teenager ends short Bellingham reign

Kozlowski's achievement comes less than a week after Dortmund midfielder Bellingham set the record following his appearance off the bench in England's 1-0 win over Croatia in Group D.

The former Birmingham City youngster replaced Three Lions captain Harry Kane at Wembley Stadium, making history as he capped a remarkable rise to international stardom over the past year, having made his senior debut only last November against the Republic of Ireland.

As the youngest player at this year's tournament however, Kozlowski's newly-minted record will not be broken for at least three years, though whether he will have the chance to feature in the knockout stages remains up in the air.

The bigger picture

Poland's draw with Spain hands them their first points of Euro 2020, yet still leaves them rooted to the foot of Group E heading into the final round of group-stage fixtures.

Sousa's side will face Sweden in Saint Petersburg knowing that victory will be needed to ensure a shot at a top-two finish, while needing Spain to likely deliver them a favour against Slovakia to secure automatic passage too.

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs boosted their hopes of winning the 2020/21 Caf Champions League title by securing a 1-0 win over Wydad Casablanca in the semi-final first-leg match on Saturday night.

Samir Nurkovic was the hero for Amakhosi as his first-half goal inspired the South African football powerhouse to a narrow win over the Moroccan giants in a game which was played at Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca. 

The Red Castle were targeting nothing but a win at home having extended their unbeaten run to 12 competitive matches when they drew 0-0 with Renaissance Zemamra in the Moroccan Botola League match on Wednesday. 

Mohamed Ounajem and Ayoub El Kaabi started for coach Faouzi Bezarti's side with the two experienced attackers having scored in Wydad's emphatic 4-0 victory over Chiefs at home in a Group C game in February this year.

While Amakhosi were hoping to record their first-ever away win in North Africa in the Champions League and they had recorded their second successive win when they defeated TS Galaxy 1-0 in their final 2020/21 PSL game two weeks ago.

Njabulo Blom, Yagan Sasman and Siyabonga Ngezana were recalled to the starting line-up as coaches Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard made three changes to the team which faced Galaxy.

Chiefs were under siege from the first whistle as they were bombarded with waves of attacks from Wydad, who were searching for an early goal in order to unsettle the visitors' defence.

Ounajem's powerful shot was well-saved by goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma, who then produced a world-class save to keep out Muaid Ellafi's free header as pressure mounted on the Amakhosi's backline. 

However, the Red Castle were left to rue their missed chances as Chiefs took a 1-0 lead against the run of play when Blom played a low cross for Samir Nurkovic, who scored with a first time shot in the 34th minute.

The hosts tried to respond with a goal, but Bvuma, who had a great first-half, made two smart saves to deny Wydad's troublesome duo of Ounajem and Ellafi and the score was 1-0 to Chiefs at the interval. 

Wydad continued to dominate the game after the restart, but they were frustrated by Bvuma's great goalkeeping and they were also wasteful in front of goal.

The Bafana Bafana international blocked shots from Walid El Karti and El Kaabi after the Chiefs defence was exposed, before an effort from Yahya Jabrane went inches wide of Bvuma's left upright. 

Zwane and Sheppard, who were in charge of the team in the absence of Stuart Baxter, decided to pull out Blom and introduce Kearyn Baccus as they refreshed the midfield with 17 minutes left.

Wydad were restricted to long-range shots in the closing stages of the game as Bvuma made a comfortable save from Aymane Hassouni's attempt and ultimately, Chiefs ran out 1-0 winners over Wydad.

Chiefs are now set to play host to Wydad in the second-leg encounter at FNB Stadium next week Saturday. 

Former Ghana U17 attacker Eric Ayiah believes he made the best choice in joining French Ligue 1 outfit Monaco despite struggling to break through the club's youth system. 

The striker made headlines in 2017 in leading Ghana to the Africa U17 Cup of Nations in Gabon and the Fifa U17 World Cup in India. 

Shortly after the tournament, he was snapped up by the French side, who secured his services from Ghanaian fold Charity Stars in a five-year contract. 

"Our facilities here [Ghana] are not up to what they have in France," Ayiah told Original FM .

"I think it is a better place to start from if only you have the aim to play football and also, the academy that I have played for about two and a half years now has helped me to learn a lot.

“If I watch some of my past videos, I can see there is a lot of improvement in many aspects of my game.

“I don’t regret the decision to move to Monaco. Joining Monaco has really helped me in terms of their facilities and what we have here in Ghana."

At the U17 Afcon four years ago, Ayiah netted four times to finish second top scorer at the tournament. 

Five months later in India, he scored three times to propel the Black Starlets to the quarter-final of the World Cup. 

“It is an honor to play for As Monaco, life has been great there despite injuries, I'm so happy as a player” Ayiah told Wontumi FM last year. 

“It is an honor to play for AS Monaco because of their past history, in fact I am loving life at Monaco.”

Ayiah was one time likened to PSG and France striker Kylian Mbappe who developed through the Monaco youth system to the senior team before moving to Les Parisiens in 2017.

"We [Charity Stars] believe the club is the best destination for his development. We’ve seen what the club has done with unearthing big players like Kylian Mbappe and believe moving to France with Monaco will help him,” Charity Stars Charity chief executive officer Samuel Owusu Amoah said after the player's move to Monaco in 2017.

Ayiah is yet to make a senior debut at Monaco.

Adel Amrouche has disclosed that he will quit his job as Botswana coach after the 2021 Cosafa Cup that will take place in July.

Amrouche's decision comes after the Zebras failed to make it to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon and also advance to the group stage of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Botswana managed just a win during the Afcon qualifiers (1-0 vs Zambia) and they finished at the bottom of Group H with four points after six matches, behind Zambia, Zimbabwe and leaders Algeria.

In 2019, they started their World Cup qualifying campaign on a promising note with a goalless draw against Malawi at the Francistown Stadium but their hopes of playing in Qatar were dashed after a 1-0 loss in the second leg.

Botswana currently occupy the 150th spot in the Fifa world ranking.

"Everything with a beginning has an end! Thank you to the Botswana Football Association, the players and the technical team. And thank you, especially, to you; Botswana," read a statement from Amrouche. 

"As I look to the future, I embrace the lessons learnt from my two-year stay in Botswana. It came with a lot of challenges, chief among them, the fact that Botswana has had no competitive football for the last 15 months.

"Sadly, the bulk of the national team players ply their trade in the domestic league, which is semi-professional. Having gone for over a year without any football many their match fitness was compromised as we played the crucial Afcon qualifiers.

"Nonetheless, I leave content that I have overseen the move of a number of footballers to clubs outside Botswana. My thinking has always been that the more players get exposed to more professional leagues, the better for the national team."

The 53-year-old Algerian added that he will help the Zebras have a good outing at the 2021 Cosafa Cup which will begin on July 7.

Botswana are paired against host country South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho in Group A.

"I intend to see off my contract with the BFA with the utmost professionalism and the upcoming Cosafa Cup tournament will be my final assignment. I will give everything as I have always done," Amrouche continued.

"Once again, thank you to the BFA president Mr. McLean Letshwiti and the vice-president Masego Ntshingane for entrusting me with the Zebras over the last two years.

"That being said, I wish Botswana the very best in future competitions!"

Franklin Sasere has opened up on the kind of relationship he wants to build with Demba Ba, revealing he wants to learn from him instead of seeing him as a rival.

The former Chelsea, West Ham United and Newcastle United star joined the Swiss Super League outfit on a one-year contract on Friday evening.

Ba had been a free agent since he was released by Turkish Super Lig outfit Istanbul Basaksehir owing to lack of playing time.

The 36-year-old’s move to the Cornaredo Stadium would help manager Abel Braga strengthen his squad’s attacking options that has the talented Nigerian striker and Uruguay’s Joaquin Ardaiz.

“I do not have any problems with Ba coming to Lugano,” Sasere told Goal.

“Seeing him in this team is a great development. This is a striker I watched on TV while growing up. So, I believe his presence would make me a better striker.

“He has achieved a lot for his club and for country and hopefully, he will bring his wealth of experience to the Cornaredo Stadium.

“Honestly, I am excited to see him here and I can't wait to get my boots on and get started.

“We will train together from time to time, and I want to learn from him.”

Ba was part of the Blues’ team that won the 2012-13 Uefa Europa League, while his time in the English elite division produced 43 goals and three assists in 99 appearances.

In the 2020-21 campaign, Lugano finished in the fourth position after accruing 49 points from 36 games.

Ahead of the new season, 22-year-old Sasere believes much is expected from the club in their quest to earn a berth in Europe.

“We tried last season, but we feel sad, not able to qualify for either the Champions League of Europa League,” the former Sunshine Stars’ man continued.

“This time around, we will surely step up our performances as we can't afford to miss out on a place in Europe again.

“With the depth of quality in Lugano at the moment, we are good to go as we want to make our fans proud of us.

“On a personal note, I will do all it takes to ensure that I score in every game that I feature in.”  

FC Vizela have confirmed that Emmanuel Adeyemo will go straight into training with the club’s first team.

Since joining the newly-promoted Primeira Liga from Tripple 44 Academy in January 2021 for an undisclosed fee, the teenager has made an instant impact on the club’s youth team.

Within the space of four months, the 19-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise – getting promoted to Vizela’s U23 side after awe-inspiring form with the U19 side.

Now, the midfield trojan seems to have the world at his feet as he would be hoping to cement a place in the senior team’s first team that boasts Cote d'Ivoire trio of Evrard Zag, Mohamed Aidara, Koffi Kouao, Cape Verde's Ericson Silva plus Ghana's duo of Richard Ofori and Francis Cann.

Adeyemo discloses that he has been waiting for this opportunity and promised to make the best out of it.

“I feel on top of the world at the moment as many kids in the club’s academy don’t get this rare opportunity,” he told Goal.

“My training with the big boys starts on Monday and I will work hard as if my life depends on it.

“Manager Alvaro Pacheco likes me, and this is the time to pay him back for his trust. The big picture is to cement my place in the first team as we continue our preparations for the Portuguese topflight in a few months’ time.”

Since embarking on a training tour at Swedish elite division side BK Hacken in 2018, Adeyemo looked destined to join FC Porto, however, his manager preferred a move to Vizela – where he was sure of regular playing time.

The youngster had told Goal that four-time African Player of the Year Toure is his football hero, while hoping to replicate the Cote d’Ivoire legend’s longevity.

“As a little kid, I looked up to the likes of Cesc Fabregas, John Obi Mikel and Sergio Busquets,” he said.

“But in all honesty, Yaya Toure is my hero because he ranks among the greatest midfielders ever. His excellence on the ball, imposing figure, and knack for goals inspires my own abilities.

“He is an achiever no doubt, but if I’m asked to pick one thing about him that I crave to emulate, that is his longevity. If I’m able to achieve that, I would be a happy man forever.”

Former Wigan Athletic and Derby County manager Paul Jewell has advised Crystal Palace to stop relying on Wilfried Zaha if they want to go to the next level.

Zaha has established himself as a key player for the Eagles since he returned from his disappointing short stint at Manchester United in 2014.

Last season, 28-year-old enjoyed his best scoring form in the Premier League and he also ended it as Crystal Palace's top scorer with 11 league goals.

During the campaign, Zaha struggled with injuries on several occasions which left Roy Hodgson's team short of opportunities in the frontline.

With the summer transfer window opened, Jewell urged the Selhurst Park outfit to reinforce their attacking options if they aim to surpass their 14th-place finish in the Premier League last season.

"If they want to go to the next level, they’ve got to get better players – get better players or more attacking players," Jewell told Football Fancast.

“Obviously quite highly reliant on Zaha and I think that has to change if Crystal Palace are going to look for that next step.”

Nigerian descent Eberechi Eze was another player who contributed to Crystal Palace's attack last season with four goals in his maiden Premier League campaign but he remains a doubt for the opening games of the 2021-22 campaign due to ruptured Achilles.

Zaha’s future at Crystal Palace is in question with reports claiming that the forward has demanded an exit from the club.

Meanwhile, the club chairman Steve Parish said that Zaha’s suitors must meet their conditions before a deal can be sanctioned.

"We understand his position. It's no secret that he would like to challenge himself,” Parish said.

"If those two things collide then we will have to look at it. But right now, we are two days into the transfer window so it's a bit early to talk about it."

Zaha started his playing at Crystal Palace and his first stint in the South London club started in 2010 after he played for their youth teams for six years.

After three years at Selhurst Park, the 28-year-old moved to Manchester United where he endured a tough period with just two appearances in two years. 

He has revived his career in South London again and his dazzling performances made him a reported transfer target for Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in the previous transfer periods.

Pitso Mosimane led Al Ahly to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in the 2020/21 Caf Champions League semi-final first-leg match on Saturday evening.

Mohamed Sherif's second-half goal earned the Egyptian champions the win in an encounter that took place at Stade Olympique de Rades in the Tunisian city of Rades.

Mosimane was hoping to mastermind his first win over Esperance having lost once and drawn once against the Tunisian champions during his time with Mamelodi Sundowns.

The South African coach rewarded Salah Mohsen with a starting berth after the attacker came off the bench to score in Al Ahly's 2-0 win over Moroccan outfit RS Berkane in the 2021 Caf Super Cup match on May 28.

Al Ahly were facing an Esperance side that had lost four of their last five competitive matches including their most recent game which was a 1-0 defeat to Etoile du Sahel in the Tunisian Cup game on 26.

The first real chance of the game was created by Ali Maaloul, who had been handed his maiden start for the Red Devils since February this year by Mosimane. 

The Tunisia international played a quick free-kick to the unmarked Sherif, whose angled effort was blocked by well-positioned goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia.

Sherif thought he had handed Al Ahly the lead when he fired home after Ben Cherifia had pushed the ball into his path, but the goal was disallowed for offside. 

However, the Blood and Gold finished the first-half the stronger of the two teams and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane cut inside before unleashing a shot which was brilliantly saved by keeper Mohamed El Shenawy.

Al Ahly, who are the current holders of the Caf Champions League, were then able to contain Esperance until South African match referee Victor Gomes blew the half-time whistle and the score was 0-0 at the interval.

The two teams continued to create chances after the restart as Khalid Abdul-Basit forced El Shenawy into an easy save and Taher Mohamed Taher hit the side-netting at the other end with the Esperance defence exposed.

Mosimane was forced to make a change when Mohsen went down injured and he was replaced by Mohamed Magdi Kafsha, who helped the Red Devils take full control of the match.

The visitors deservedly took the lead when Sherif scored from a rebound to make it 1-0 to Al Ahly in the 67th minute after his initial shot had hit the upright following a defence-splitting pass from Aliou Dieng.

Esperance surged forward as they searched for the equalising goal and Mosimane decided to refresh his defence as he pulled out Maaloul and he introduced Rami Rabia, who is a central defender by trade. 

The Red Devils' defence looked impenetrable in the closing proceedings and a long-range shot from Ben Romdhane was easily saved by El Shenawy and ultimately, the match ended in a 1-0 win in favour of Al Ahly. 

The two teams will now meet in the second-leg encounter which is scheduled to be played at Al Ahly's home ground, Al Salam Stadium next week Saturday. 

The winner on aggregate between Al Ahly and Esperance will take on either South African giants Kaizer Chiefs or Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in the final next month. 

Cristiano Ronaldo was on target for Portugal once again on his latest outing, but saw the reigning European champions make unwanted history in a 4-2 defeat to Germany.

An all-time great opened the scoring in Munich for the 2016 winners, but that was as good as it got for Fernando Santos' side in their second game of Euro 2020.

Germany, who were under pressure after losing their Group F opener to France, came roaring back and hit four goals without reply before Diogo Jota grabbed another consolation.

What is the record?

Portugal have built much of their success around Ronaldo in recent times, but are also renowned for their defensive solidity.

Those qualities deserted them against Germany, with gaping holes exposed in their back line.

Santos' side did themselves few favours by putting through their own net on two occasions in the first half.

They had already been saved by the offside flag on one occasion prior to that, with Robin Gosens denied.

Ronaldo fired them in front, but the record books were then re-written as Germany became the first side in Euros history to put four past the holders.

Who did the damage?

Kai Havertz starred for Germany as they produced an eye-catching display on home soil.

The Chelsea man was involved in much of the good work from Joachim Low's side, with the 22-year-old grabbing their third goal of the day.

Own goals from Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro had turned the tie on its head after Ronaldo's 15th-minute opener.

Gosens completed the scoring for Germany, ensuring that Jota's second for the Portuguese counted for little.

The bigger picture

France continue to top a loaded Group F, but were held by Hungary on Saturday and only have four points to their name.

Germany are now up to second, edging Portugal into third with the final round of fixtures in the so-called 'Group of Death' set to be held on Wednesday - with Ronaldo and company taking on Les Bleus.

Further reading