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Former Gor Mahia head coach Frank Nuttall has explained why he left Ethiopian giants St George SC.

The 53-year-old former Township Rollers coach has explained he was only hired on a short-term deal by the Ethiopian top-flight side and contrary to the rumours he was sacked, he left his position after achieving what he was asked to do.

"Contrary to false information circulating in some media, I am happy to confirm that I have completed my contract satisfactorily with Saint George SA Football Club in Ethiopia," the former Hearts of Oak coach wrote on his Facebook page.

Nuttall highlighted the highlights of his time with the Addis Ababa club, among them the integration of junior players into the senior team.

"I was invited by the club to lead them in the last nine matches of a difficult season for them. I enjoyed the experience, including improving the team, winning the derby against Ethiopia Coffee and giving first-team debuts to three youth team players," he added.
 
"I wish everyone connected with the club good health and good luck. I now look forward to returning to my family and watching Scotland at the Euros whilst preparing for my next role in football. Stay safe!"

At St George, Nuttall was coaching Kenya goalkeeper Patrick Matasi, who was recently involved in a road accident in Rift Valley while travelling from his upcountry home to Nairobi.

The Kenya international was planning to jet out of the country and join his teammates for pre-season training.

Since leaving Gor Mahia in 2016 after a successful Kenyan Premier League season, Nuttall has had fairly short stints with the clubs he has taken charge of.

K'Ogalo won the league unbeaten with a squad that boasted of Michael Olunga, Musa Mohamed, Khalid Aucho, Boniface Oluoch among others, in its tranks.

He joined Zamalek as an assistant coach in 2016 before he moved to Ghana where he served Hearts of Oak from 2017 to 2018. Between 2018 and 2019, he was with Al Hilal Obeid of Sudan before he joined Botswana against Township Rollers in 2020.

Golden Arrows chairperson and acting PSL CEO Mato Madlala says the success of the Durban club is based on the systems which are in place rather than the influence of former coach Steve Komphela.

It was under the guidance of Mandla Ncikazi that Arrows enjoyed a fine season; Ncikazi stepped up from the assistant coach position to take the head role after Komphela's departure to Mamelodi Sundowns last October.

At Sundowns, Komphela has served as an assistant to the two co-coaches at the championship-winning club, Manqoba Mngqiti and Rhulani Mokwena. Mngqiti is also a former Arrows coach and won the MTN8 competition while in charge in Durban.

It could be thought that Komphela laid the foundations for Ncikazi's success - the squad this season was after all the same one which Komphela had moulded during what was a stay just short of two years at the KwaZulu-Natal club.

Madlala, however, refuted such a suggestion.

“How many seasons Steve spent at the club? You sound like my players were relying on him to gain experience,” she was quoted saying by the Daily Sun.

“I think he had one full season and a half, so I wasn’t concerned. My club has a good structure and it is the structure that led us to succeed.

"As long as the structure and the foundation are right, chances of failing are none existence. I didn’t get worried to see Steve go, not at all.”

The 52-year-old Ncikazi was a nominee for PSL Coach of the Season, but he lost out to AmaZulu tactician Benni McCarthy.

His only previous experience as a head coach came at Maritzburg United, but he lasted only five matches.

Komphela’s success at helping Sundowns win the league title last season was the first time the former Kaizer Chiefs defender and head coach has won silverware since retiring as a player.

He also coached at Free State Stars, Manning Rangers, Maritzburg United, Platinum Stars and was a caretaker Bafana Bafana coach for two games, as well as working with various SA national youth teams.

Yanga SC forward Farid Mussa has stated he has been working hard in training to ensure he helps the team finish the season strong.

The winger joined Timu ya Wananchi in August 2020 from Spanish outfit CD Tenerife 'B' where he had been playing since 2016, making 80 appearances and scoring seven goals in the process. 

After signing a one-year deal with the 27-time Tanzania Mainland League champions, the Tanzania international was injured and has hardly featured for the East African heavyweights.

However, he has now recovered and insists he is ready to help the former champions in their seemingly almost impossible task of toppling their bitter rivals Simba SC.

"We still have some matches left and I have been giving my best in training to ensure I give my best in matches," Mussa said as quoted by Mwanaspoti.

"What delayed my return even after recovering from an injury is Malaria. I needed some time before I get back on the pitch, but I am now ready to help the team to end the season well."

Wekundu wa Msimbazi lead the race for the season's league title with 67 points from 27 matches, after 21 wins, four draws, and two losses. They have scored 64 goals and conceded 11.

On the other hand, the Jangwani Street-based charges have 61 points from 29 matches. They have managed 17 wins, 10 draws, and two losses, scoring 43 goals and conceding 17.

With five matches remaining - against Ruvu Shooting, Mwadui, Simba, Ihefu, and Dodoma Jiji, it is unlikely Yanga will win the league. However, Mussa is not giving up.

"I believe things will be better for us and there is a chance of finishing the season on a high. Anything can happen, so we cannot just assume that it is finished," he added.

The league has taken a break to pave way for the international week where Tanzania are scheduled to play Malawi on Sunday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The Taifa Stars are using the match as a practice ahead of their 2022 World Cup qualifiers. They are aiming of performing better after failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon.

Timo Werner has praised France's Karim Benzema as one of the best strikers in the world. 

Werner and Germany will come up against world champions France on Tuesday in their opening game of Euro 2020.

It will be Benzema's first appearance at an international tournament since the 2014 World Cup. He was exiled from the France team after his alleged role in a plot to blackmail Mathieu Valbuena and for accusing coach Didier Deschamps of "bowing to racists" by leaving him out of the Euro 2016 team.

What has been said?

After scoring 30 goals for Real Madrid last season, the 33-year-old has been welcomed back into the squad and Werner says France will be even more dangerous adding him to an attack with Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe.

"It certainly doesn't make France worse! Benzema is one of the best No 9s in the world," he told a press conference. "The trio Benzema-Griezmann-Mbappe, if they play together like that, is of course extremely dangerous and world-class."

He added: "Of course you learn something from a striker like Benzema. Just because he has achieved a lot, but also because of his quality. For me, he is incredible with the ball, the way he dribbles, the way he moves, the way he finishes.

"I think he's like Roberto Firmino at Liverpool, getting the ball early, distributing and still being quick with his qualities in the penalty area. With Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo, he forms the top three centre-forwards for me."

What about Werner's role for Germany?

While Benzema is starting games again for France, Chelsea forward Werner has fallen down the pecking order with Germany.

Serge Gnabry has been preferred by Joachim Low as Werner has dropped to the bench and has not started a game for the national team since last November. 

"Maybe I'm a bit behind the starting XI, but that's not bad either. I'm not a player who sits in the stands with his arms folded and sulks," he said.

"I put myself at the service of the team. We have a lot of players in the squad who all deserve to play from the start. It's a tournament and we want to be successful as a team.

"Of course I want to play, but it's normal at this level to come off the bench sometimes. It's important to show the coach that you can then help the team."

Who else is in Germany's group?

After taking on France on June 15, Germany will face Portugal four days later. They will then round off the group stage with a match against Hungary in Munich on June 23.

Further reading

Kieran Trippier says England will not fear anybody at the European Championships.

Gareth Southgate’s side kick off their campaign on Sunday against Croatia, the side that beat them in the World Cup semi-finals three years ago.

That run to the last-four was England’s best tournament performance in 22 years and Trippier is excited for the Euros to start after a 12-month delay because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

What’s been said?

“I feel like as a team we don't fear anybody,” the Atletico Madrid defender told Goal. “We know what we can do as individuals and as a team, but there's fantastic teams - France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy - so we know it's going be a tough tournament but we just need to focus on ourselves.

“We know how good we are as individuals and as a team and we've got experience, youth and hopefully that can get us a long way.”

Rising stars

England have had a number of young players make their debuts for the national team since the World Cup 2018.

At 30, Trippier is one of the more senior players in the squad but he believes that Southgate has an exciting blend of youth and experience.

“There's so many young English players coming through for their clubs and most importantly getting the time,” he said. “You look at people like Mason Mount, for example, he came through at Derby and has gone to Chelsea and taken his game to a whole new level. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, unbelievable players.

“It's good to see, you want young players coming through the clubs and playing for their first teams and you them coming through the under-21s, or even younger all the way to the senior.”

Handling the pressure

Mount and Foden have already become key players for clubs Chelsea and Manchester City respectively. Both featured in the Champions League final and Trippier, who played in the 2019 final with Tottenham, believes it will help them on the big stage with the national team.

“For their experience, playing in a Champions League final. it's so big,” he added. “Even though they're so young, they're so mature for their age, they'll handle it no problem like they've shown this season.

“They've got the talent, the desire to do as well as they can for themselves and their clubs. Two huge talents with a bright future ahead and there's no doubt that they'll keep performing at the highest level.”

Ahead of UEFA EURO 2020  adidas has released a campaign to inspire fans, players, and communities to look towards a more positive and inclusive world, celebrating that what makes people different, is what makes the game – and ourselves – stronger. 

Further reading:

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe says opponents move their defensive lines back 30 metres when he is on the field to accommodate for his pace.

The France striker's speed has been one of his greatest assets in his rapid rise to become one of the best players in the world.

Mbappe, 22, says he is working on controlling his speed when he closes in on defenders to give him better control of situations, and believes he could end up scoring 60 goals per season. 

What has been said?

"Now I know my speed is scary. When I'm not playing, the opponent's block is higher, at the limit of the halfway line," the attacker told France Football. "When I'm on, it automatically goes back 30 metres, even for a team like Bayern Munich who are known to play high enough. Against us, they were 30 metres behind compared to usual.

"Since the World Cup, it's rare that I find myself in a one-on-one situation. Opponents, they do everything to avoid that. At the beginning, it was a little difficult but I think I knew how to evolve my game, in particular by avoiding getting stuck along the line.

"With [PSG coach Mauricio] Pochettino, I worked on it a lot. I had to improve my finish, adapting it to my profile. When I arrive in front of a back line, I am at 37-38.5 km/h. It's not quite the same as a player who arrives at 26 km/h.

"I had to learn to decelerate a bit as I approached the goal to better control this speed. I was drawn in training to an area outside which I must not hit, because afterwards the angles are too small since I am too close to the goalkeeper.

"It's starting to come in because I scored quite a few goals this season shooting very quickly, even before the goalkeeper or the defender had time to react."

He added: "I'm just learning to manage this speed to, for example, switch to the approach of the goal from 38 to 33 km/h, which is usually the maximum speed of a defender. This reduction in speed should allow me to adjust as precisely as possible to 'finish' the action and avoid any rush.

"I must be the player who creates the most chances in Europe, but I am not yet the one who scores the most.

"Pochettino told me that if I could achieve more chances, I would end my seasons with more than 60 goals. He keeps telling me that I have to raise my standards and he is right."

Mbappe admires pace masters

The World Cup winner has been impressed by the pace of some other players, admitting that PSG team-mate Neymar has him beaten in one area.

He said: "Lately, I was talking with my father about a player I had noticed from the stands - because I was not playing - for his qualities of speed, it is Jeremy Doku, from Rennes. In five years with the pros, I have never seen downforce that gives off so much power.

"In the ultra-fast players, I would also put Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Neymar too, especially before his injuries. He could change his bearings at crazy speeds. There are other less explosive players at the start like Kyle Walker of Manchester City. He's like a tank that picks up speed once launched."

He added: "Ney is more elastic than me. I am more explosive. On the first presses, I go faster than him but, in the changes of direction with the ball, he is unique. On one step, he will break his trajectory and the kidneys of his defender."

How many goals did Mbappe score last season?

While the 2020-21 campaign was a disappointment for PSG, Mbappe had another impressive year. He finished top of the Ligue 1 goal charts with 27 goals - seven more than nearest challengers Memphis Depay and Wissam Ben Yedder.

Mbappe also struck eight times in the Champions League and seven in the Coupe de France - scoring one and setting up the other as his side beat Monaco 2-0 in the final.

Further reading

Tanzania Premier League giants Simba SC have launched a new jersey specifically meant for their Azam Federation Cup matches.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi unveiled the new colours on Saturday as they prepare to face Azam FC in the semi-final on June 26 at Maji Maji Stadium in Songea.

The new jersey carries the traditional red and white colours associated with the Msimbazi giants.
 
Bernard Morisson and Chris Mugalu were among the stars who appeared at the unveiling ceremony because some of the local stars were unavailable due to national team training for the friendly against Malawi.

Simba are hopeful of beating Azam at the penultimate stage and progress to the final to try and retain one of the three trophies they won last season.

 
After a brief break, Simba have resumed training at the Mo Arena in Buju, under the supervision of assistant coach Adel Zrane, while the head coach, Gomes Da Rosa, is on vacation in France.

Before facing the 'Ice Cream Makers', Wekundu wa Msimbazi will first play Polisi Tanzania and Mbeya City on June 19 and 22, respectively, in Premier League games.
 
Simba, who have played 27 league games, two fewer than second-placed Yanga, are on course to win the title for the fourth straight time. In a recent interview, the club's CEO, Barbara Gonzalez, explained why the players are determined to win the titles again.

"It is that feeling of winning the title again that is pushing the team to get positive results," Gonzalez said.

"They [players] are determined to make sure they are crowned champions and so they don’t want to make any mistakes, they know how tough it is to be crowned, so the players have come out to show they can fight to the end."

"If you stay focused and fight then you get the result you want and it is the reason my players are pushing themselves, they don’t want anything else apart from the title, if you ask them about winning, then they will always respond, yes we want to win but it must have a title to it."

"We all know now we need nine points to be crowned, and the players also know that, so we don’t want to lose any game now, we want to go all the way."

Didier Deschamps has attempted to play down the hype surrounding his France side going to the European Championship, warning those who think they “have already won" that plenty of hard work lies ahead.

The 2018 World Cup winners are favourites to land this summer’s tournament, with Deschamps possessing a hugely talented squad with depth in all areas.

That has understandably caused excitement among the supporters across the country, something Deschamps is keen to temper before the big kick-off.

What did Deschamps say?

Asked whether not winning the tournament would be considered a failure given the talent at his disposal, Deschamps told Mundo Deportivo: “Right away there is talk of failure. We are world champions. I am aware, and the players are too, of our strengths.

"We have quality, talent, high-level players, but there will also be all of that in front of us.

“We cannot settle into our comfort zone. In France many think that we don't even have to get onto the pitch and we have already won. That is the worst [attitude] for a high-level athlete.

“Beyond quality and talent, there are other essential ingredients on a mental level, such as aggressiveness and determination that allowed us to win in 2018.

"Winning at the highest level is very difficult and staying there is even more so. But we have players with that ambition, [though] we have to prevent them from becoming overconfident.

“You have to go through things in stages. We can't think of [the final at] Wembley today, we have to go to Munich first and Budapest twice.”

Deschamps wary of class of 2000 comparisons

If France do lift the trophy they will match the achievements of 21 years ago, when Les Bleus won Euro 2000 two years after winning the World Cup on home soil.

The side that won in Belgium and the Netherlands was seen as a more mature, well-rounded team than the 1998-winning squad.

Deschamps, who was France captain for both tournaments, is keen to play down direct comparisons with today, though he does feel his current squad, like in 2000, is stronger than the one that became world champions.

“In 1998 there were 18-year-olds who two years later, especially offensively, were more mature and had progressed,” he said.

“Now I have many players who were in the 2018 squad and have continued, not just young players.

“I don't like to compare. I have no less strength at all levels than in 2018. I would even say that there are more offensive options today than three years ago.”

Further reading

Orlando Pirates forward Tshegofatso Mabasa is hopeful he will have a better 2021/22 season after a difficult campaign owing to injuries.

The forward made a return to Bucs in March after being out for close to three months. He went on to make 11 PSL appearances, scoring five goals in the process. 

However, the 24-year-old has now set his sights on the new campaign where he is optimistic things will be better.

"Another season has gone; by far, the most difficult for me personally [due to injury and lack of game time]," Mabasa said as quoted by the Daily Sun.

"When I recovered I played five games and then got the same injury again. I am happy to have played my part in it all. I can't wait for the new one to begin."

The forward believes he will be stronger for the new campaign as Pirates aim at challenging for the league title as well as have a decent outing in the Caf Confederation Cup after finishing third in the league.

"Sometimes our biggest breakthrough comes after our heaviest trials," Mabasa continued.

"There is a blessing in the breaking and a reward beyond the storm. Your tears are not in vain."

Meanwhile, Pirates assistant coach Fadlu Davids has likened himself to former Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Queiroz who went from being Real Madrid boss to Sir Alex Ferguson’s understudy at Manchester United.

Davids also took a similar path from a role as Maritzburg United head coach to being part of Pirates’ backroom staff under three coaches so far.

After arriving at the Soweto giants in January 2019 to work under Milutin Sredojevic, Davids has also been the understudy to Rhulani Mokwena and presently Josef Zinnbauer.

"I did not take this job because I was not ready to be a head coach, I was always ready to do the job as head coach," Davids told iDiski Times  

"I set out my career path and what I want to achieve in my career. It’s all about timing, being a head coach or assistant coach makes no difference to me, it’s about the project that excites me. That is why I came to Pirates.  

"Carlos Queiroz was head coach of Real Madrid and went back to be assistant of Manchester United for another four years thereafter. It’s the project that is appealing, not the title at times."

Karim Benezma says Brazilian legend Ronaldo was his role model growing up as he prepares to make his major tournament return with France.

Ronaldo is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time having won a string of honours during the 1990s and early 2000s, including two World Cups with Brazil and two Ballon d'Or awards.

Benezma concedes Ronaldo’s skills were “a level above” his own, but says he took great inspiration from the former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker during his early career.

What did Benzema say about Ronaldo?

Asked by BeIN Sports about his idol Ronaldo, who scored 352 goals in 518 career club appearances, Benzema said: “I met him, I was lucky to meet him in Madrid. He was my role model, he still is.

“He is someone who made me believe in myself, to mirror the skills that he showcased, not in the same way or at the same pace, because he was at a level above me. But this type of attacker is what I like.

“He is the only player from whom I tried to take three or four things. So when I was young, that was when I really loved him. I had a VHS of him from 1996-97 when he was playing at Barca.

“I have always wanted to be a model attacker. Someone who knows how to score, but also to organise play, who knows how to play with the ball at his feet. One touch, make movements, stay in the box. A bit of everything.”

Benzema ‘not yet finished’

Benzema has not featured at a major tournament for France since the 2014 World Cup having been dropped by coach Didier Deschamps in 2016 due to his alleged involvement in the Mathieu Valbuena sex tape scandal.

However, he is now back in the international fold and joins a Les Bleus squad highly fancied to add the European Championship to the World Cup they lifted in Russia three years ago.

At 33, Benzema is approaching the final years of his career, though the Real Madrid striker insists there is still plenty more to come.

"I have not yet finished,” he added. “I feel good with the man I am, the man I have become.

“I think there have been highs and lows. I have never wanted to be at the highest high or lowest low, I just want to be level.”

France open their Euro 2020 campaign against Germany in Munich on Tuesday, though Benzema is a doubt for that game after limping off with a knee injury in the first half of last week's friendly win against Bulgaria.

Further reading