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Simba SC have lined up Cape Town City's Justin Shonga and Zanaco FC's Moses Phiri as targets to replace Luis Miquissone who has attracted interest from Egypt and Morocco.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi are ready to let Miquissone leave should unnamed clubs from North Africa match their demand of $700,000 (Tsh2 billion) and have settled their eyes on Shonga and Phiri as the primary targets.

The Mozambican, who was signed in 2019 from UD Songo, has been a sensational figure at the Mzimbazi club, especially in the Caf Champions League, before Simba were eliminated by Kaizer Chiefs at the quarter-finals stage.

"We are having a debate about Shonga and Phiri and the majority of the board members seem to agree that we should approach the two," a source within Simba is quoted by Mwanaspoti as saying. "We are now looking at the number of foreign players that will be in our team given that we have 10 at the moment."

"We are also looking at the possibility of letting Perfect Chikwende leave on loan and his position will be filled by one of the players to be signed and that is either Phiri or Shonga.

"What is holding us back from starting the Shonga and Phiri negotiations is that we are waiting to see which of the interested clubs will be ready to acquire Miquissone at our valuation of $700,000. The winger can even fetch up to $1 million but we will also be convinced if the interested party will offer him competitive salaries."

Goal understands that Simba's priority is to sign another creative midfielder, especially after the departure of Francis Kahata. Coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa has been forced to deploy Taddeo Lwanga, Erasto Nyoni, Muzamiru Yassin or Jonas Mkude in that position, although the players are naturally defensive.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi are expected to be very active again in the upcoming transfer window and get players who will propel their ambitions, especially, at the continental stage. They have been linked with AS Vita's Djuma Shabani who Goal understands is in advanced talks with Yanga SC who are ready to hand him a two-year deal.

Baroka FC forward Evidence Makgopa has ruled himself out of a local transfer as he sets his sights on a move abroad where he draws inspiration from AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

With Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns rumoured to have marked the newly-capped Bafana Bafana star as a transfer target, the player says he does not see himself joining another Premier Soccer League side from Baroka. 

The 21-year-old’s profile drastically improved in the just-ended season when he was named the campaign's best young player after scoring seven goals in 28 league starts, before making his Bafana Bafana debut on Thursday.

Interestingly, Makgopa’s determination to move abroad sees him not drawing motivation from any player plying his trade locally but he looks up to Ibrahimovic while also commenting on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I like playing for Baroka and I think the only time I would leave is if I move abroad. I think from Baroka I want to go abroad,” Makgopa told iDiski Times.

“I admire a lot of international players. I don’t think there is anyone in Mzansi who motivates me that much. I am for real. And internationally you know everyone is interested in Messi and Ronaldo, but I like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

"I think he has some things I like somehow, like his height you know. Messi is a short guy, so I look at the tall guys and try to learn from them.”

After a sterling season with Baroka, Makgopa also got his Bafana Bafana breakthrough and immediately made an impact by grabbing a brace after coming on as a second-half substitute in an international friendly match against Uganda on Thursday.

The performance on his South Africa debut could boost his chances of making it into David Notoane’s final Olympics team.

“To be honest I had a sleepless night [on Thursday] because my heart was full of joy,” Makgopa told Far Post.  

“Although it feels like a dream, I knew this would happen if I were to be given a chance at Bafana. I told myself that ‘just be yourself boy, you can do this, now it’s time to show the nation that you are the real deal. Everyone was happy for me in camp, I honestly enjoyed every minute at Bafana Bafana and I will cherish that moment forever.”

Former Chippa United head coach Dan Malesela has responded to allegations he referred to the Cameroonian striker, Bienvenu Eva Nga as a 'cow'.

Malesela was responding to claims made by Nga's agent, Charles Domingos, and wondered why the agent was concerned about comments he made about an unnamed player.

"So, how does he [Domingos] put Eva Nga because I didn't mention any names? So what? Let him speak whatever he wants to speak if he says I was saying [that] to Eva," Malesela told Kick.Off.com.

"There are so many giants that I was working with. Why is he choosing this particular player? Is he feeling that's the right person I'm talking about? If he's feeling that then I'm right. If it's not, then he wouldn't be worried. 

"If Eva is a star or a player who can trap the ball, then it's fine, he shouldn't be worried. If he can't trap the ball then he's worried about something he confirms is right, if that's the case. But I'm not saying that, I never mentioned any name. So let him deal with that."

Domingos explained why the comments made by the tactician could have damaging effects on Nga.

"I've just finished watching that entire interview of [Dan] Malesela, where I think a question was posed in terms of local and foreign players, and he went on to say, in terms of foreign players clubs are importing in South Africa is not good for our football," Domingos said.

"I mean, we know this is an opinion game, but he went on to say, in different languages, that in the team he recently coached, there were some 'giants' and 'Koei, cows, Inkomo' that were 'imported.'"

"I have a player that is Eva Nga, I mean it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise who he's referring to. I respect him as a coach, and he has his opinion, but your opinion sometimes must be reserved when you're going to insult people. 

"If he speaks three languages and refers to my player as a cow, what is he referring to when he refers to Gavin Hunt, who signed that player? What is he calling the chairman of Chippa or the coaches that were using this player? And who is the top goalscorer at Chippa at this point? 

"What is happening to the kid in Cameroon that is watching Eva Nga and he hears that, thinking, 'The guy that I'm aspiring to be like is called a cow?' Or Eva's son for argument's sake."

Simba SC midfielder Clatous Chama has penned an emotional message to the club and fans after his wife's funeral in Zambia.

The Zambian midfielder popularly referred to as ‘Mwamba wa Lusaka’ lost his wife Mercy Chama at Kitwe Teaching Hospital following an illness two weeks ago and she was buried on Thursday.

The loss of his wife meant the 29-year-old missed three matches for title-chasing Simba and also missed friendly matches for Zambia’s Chipolopolo as he was named in the squad by coach Milutin Sredojevic.

“These past few weeks have been very difficult for me and my family after losing the other side of me – Mercy, but all in all we give thanks to God for he has reasons for everything that happens in our lives,” Chama wrote.

“These days could have been even more difficult without the immense support I have been receiving from everyone.

“First of all, I thank Simba chairman Mohammed Dewji because on top of the support, you also prayed for me all along and that your prayers relieved me and my family from this unimaginable sorrow.”

Chama continued: “I would like to thank the management of Simba led by Dewji and Barbara Gonzalez for holding my hand when I needed their support the most.

“Special thanks to Lusaka Dynamos and all football fans around the world who took time to sympathise with me. It is at this time when you come to realise the great support behind you through thick and thin.

“Last but not least, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the management of Lusaka Dynamos, my previous club for the support they have shown me as well as everyone in Zambia, who joined me to send my beloved wife to her permanent home.

“It is very hard to mention everyone here but God will bless you all for he knows how supportive you were.

“May the soul of my beautiful wife, Mercy, rest in eternal peace, she is gone but not forgotten for she lives among us every day.”

Chama has enjoyed a good run with Simba in this campaign, helping them to reach the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League where they were bundled out after losing 4-3 on aggregate to Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa.

During the return leg when the Wekundu wa Msimbazi needed four goals to overturn the quarter-final first leg result having lost 4-0 at FNB Stadium, Chama was the main destroyer, setting up one goal scored by striker John Bocco and also added the third but Chiefs held on to advance.

His performance saw him named in the Champions League team of the week alongside four other Msimbazi players namely Bocco, assistant captain Hussein Mohamed, Shomari Kapombe, and winger Luis Miquissone.

Gareth Bale says he is “not worried” about his goal drought as he prepares to lead Wales in their Euro 2020 opener against Switzerland in Baku on Saturday.

The Real Madrid forward is Wales’ all-time leading goal scorer but goes into the European Championship without a goal in his last 11 international appearances stretching back nearly two years.

However, the 31-year-old believes he is still contributing enough to the team and is confident he will find the back of the net again sooner rather than later.

What did Bale say?

Bale, who has 33 goals in 92 appearances for Wales, last scored in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Croatia in October 2019.

Asked whether he was concerned about his barren run, Bale told reporters: "Like I've always said from when I started and when I was scoring loads of goals, it doesn't matter who scores - it matters about the result.

"I haven't scored for a while, but I've made maybe six or seven assists in that time. So I'm still contributing in terms of goals.

"I'm not worried. I know where the back of a net is and hopefully if a chance arises, I'll be able to take it."

Bale on 'honour' of Wales captaincy

Having scored in all three of Wales’ group games at Euro 2016, Bale was always going to be a key player in this summer’s tournament.

His importance to the team has been heightened by the fact he is now permanent captain following the retirement of Ashley Williams earlier this year, a source of great pride to the former Tottenham player.

"It's going to be a massive honour to wear the captain's armband," he said.

"It's a huge honour anyway but to be leading your country out into a major tournament is going to be one of the highlights of my career."

Bale leads fully fit squad in Baku

Wales have a fully fit 26-man squad available for Saturday's clash with Switzerland.

Aaron Ramsey missed group training on Thursday but is using his own staff to help with his conditioning work, so will still be available for selection.

Italy are the early leaders of Group A after beating Turkey 3-0 in the tournament opener in Rome on Friday.

After Saturday's game with Switzerland, Wales take on Turkey in Baku on Wednesday before heading to Rome to face Italy in their final group match on June 20.

Further reading

Gor Mahia striker Benson Omalla has terminated his contract with Swedish Division One side FC Linkoping City.

Goal can exclusively reveal the former Western Stima player, who signed a six-month loan deal to join the side, has already returned home after only two months with the team citing frustration and being played out of position.

“I have been forced to return home because of frustration, I was being played out of position and could not take it anymore,” Omalla told Goal on Saturday.

Omalla, has already resumed training with the Kenyan champions and was part of the squad that trained on Saturday at Camp Toyoyo.

He only joined Linkoping City in May and his contract was due to run until December.

After sealing the deal, Omalla had previously expressed his readiness to play in Sweden after completing his national examination.

“I have completed my exams and I am currently in Nairobi to finalise my travelling plans to Sweden,” Omala said before leaving for Sweden.

“I have the passport already and will know this week the exact day I’m leaving the country after obtaining my visa.

“My focus will now be playing football as I also wait for my results.

“I have been following up on Linkoping and so far they have played three league matches. As a young player, I want to grow and start playing professional football since I have the talent. I trust this will be the beginning of my successful football life."

In a previous interview, Gor Mahia secretary-general Sam Ochola clarified the youngster, who also features for the Harambee Stars, will return home after the short-term contract comes to an end and will not stay in Europe.

“Of course Omala is going to Sweden on a six-month loan deal and we are hopeful the deal will make him a better player while in Europe and we expect him back by January to play for us,” Ochola told Goal.

“We want the player to go out there and develop and nothing much and we know when he comes back, he will be a better player than he is now.”

When he joined Gor Mahia, Omala did not enjoy regular playtime with the Kenyan giants, with the arrival of Burundian Jules Ulimwengu and Tito Okello of South Sudan, who were signed in the same transfer window. The reinforcements saw him relegated to the bench most of the time.

Belgium, who finished third-place at the 2018 World Cup, begin their Euro 2020 campaign against Russia in St. Petersburg on Saturday.

Roberto Martinez' side enter the tournament on the back of a 1-1 draw against 51st ranked Greece and a 1-0 win against Croatia as part of their preparation. Meanwhile, for a team who reached the last eight of the last World Cup, Russia enter on the back of a 1-1 against Poland and having defeated Bulgaria 1-0.

Here's how to watch Belgium vs Russia in India.

Contents

What time does Belgium vs Russia start?

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How to watch Belgium vs Russia 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 the group look like

This will be the second game in Group B after Denmark kick things off against Finland earlier on Saturday. 

Belgium’s second game will also be on the road, against Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday. The Red Devils then close out group play on June 21 against Finland in St. Petersburg.

Group B

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Where will the match take place?

Krestovsky Stadium | Saint Petersburg | Russia

Capacity: 68,134 |  reduced to 50% capacity, subject to increase
Games: Group stage & quarter-final (seven games)
Year built: 2017
Address: Futbol'naya Alleya 1, Krestovsky Island, Saint Petersburg, Russia

The  Krestovsky Stadium  in Saint Petersburg, Russia will host one quarter-final match at Euro 2020 and it will also be the venue for three games in Group B, as well as three games in Group E.

One of the newest stadiums of the 12 being used by UEFA, the Krestovsky Stadium was built in anticipation of the 2018 World Cup, where it hosted seven matches, including the third-place play-off.

It is home to Russian giants Zenit and the Russia national team also play there on occasion.

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Belgium vs Russia: Team news

Belgium have confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne and Axel Witsel will both miss the team's Euro 2020 opener. De Bruyne is still recovering from a fractured nose and eye socket he suffered in the Champions League final, which required a minor operation. Witsel, meanwhile, has been out since January after suffering a torn Achilles with Borussia Dortmund.

Andrey Mostovoy has had to withdraw from the Russia squad ahead of Euro 2020 as the 23-year-old has tested positive for Covid-19 just a day before their tournament opener. Dynamo Moscow defender Roman Evgeniev has taken Mostovoy's place in the 26-man squad.

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Further reading: 

A fortnight has passed since Edouard Mendy and Chelsea defeated Manchester City to win the 2021 Champions League, clinching the European crown for the second time in the club’s history.

It’s a triumph that will live long in the memory, as Mendy followed in the footsteps of one of Africa’s greatest players—Didier Drogba—to play an influential role in winning the big one.

A comparison between these two players—and their roles in Chelsea’s European glories—was the subject of this week’s episode of The Hot Seat, as Goal Nigeria’s Oluwaseye Omidiora was grilled on one of his latest features.

Omidiora drew a parallel between the duo’s rise in the sport, their late starts in football, their time at Olympique de Marseille and how they appeared to make up for lost time after arriving at Chelsea.

Certainly, Drogba’s impact in the 2012 final cannot be underestimated.

It was the Ivorian striker who equalised against Bayern Munich late on, before then striking the winning penalty as the Blues enacted a smash-and-grab UCL masterclass in Bavaria.

The success was Chelsea’s first in the Champions League—and the first by any London club in the competition—and established the attacker as one of the club’s greatest ever players.

It represented the pinnacle of Drogba’s time at Stamford Bridge, and indeed, the highlight of his long and storied career.

Mendy wasn’t as influential in the final victory over City two weeks ago, although he did keep another clean sheet in another fine Chelsea defensive display.

His shut-out means that he equalled the record for clean sheets by a goalkeeper in a single season in the UCL, and broke the record for the most clean sheets by a stopper playing in his first European Cup campaign.

It’s the latest in a long line of outstanding feats by Mendy this season, as he settled quickly at Chelsea and swiftly established himself among the finest goalkeepers in the Premier League.

The Senegal stopper also proved himself in key moments in the Champions League, notably in the semi-final victory over Real Madrid, when he made a pair of magnificent stops to deny Karim Benzema and ensure Thomas Tuchel’s side retained the initiative.

16 years ago in Quetta, Pakistan, Indian football star Sunil Chhetri donned the Indian national team jersey for the very first time in his career.

India travelled to Pakistan to play a three-match invitational series in June 2005. In the very first match of the series, Chhetri was handed his international debut by then Indian coach Sukhwinder Singh. 

The Indian star currently has 74 international goals to his name in 117 international matches. He is also the third-highest international goalscorer among active footballers in the world, behind Cristiano Ronaldo (104) and UAE's Ali Mabkhout (75).

Did Sunil Chhetri score on his debut?

Yes, Sunil Chhetri made his international debut in Quetta against Pakistan at the age of 20. Chhetri went on to score his first senior international goal in the same match. It was the talismanic forward's goal that helped India secure a 1-1 draw against their rivals.

Who was the captain of India?

Current Indian national team assistant coach Shanmugam Venkatesh was Sunil Chhetri's first-ever captain in the Indian national team. The former Mahindra United midfielder had led the Indian team in the invitational series against Pakistan.

Who was the coach?

Dronacharya Award-winning coach former India international coach Sukhwinder Singh was in charge of the team in the invitational series in Pakistan.

What was India’s line-up?

India team (4-4-2): VP Satish Kumar; Surkumar Singh, Mahesh Gawli, Philip Gomes, Habibur Rehman Mondal; Syed Rahim Nabi, Shanmugam Venkatesh, Climax Lawrence, Clifford Miranda; Sunil Chetri (65' 20-Sukhwinder Singh), Abhishek Yadav (46' MA Abdul Hakkim).

Who was Chhetri’s strike partner? 

Current AIFF Deputy General Secretary Abhishek Yadav was Sunil Chhetri's strike partner in his debut match in Pakistan.

What happened in the Indo-Pak series?

The three-game invitational series in Pakistan ended in a draw. In the first match, the hosts had managed to hold the Blue Tigers to a 1-1. After Chhetri broke the deadlock in the 65th minute of the match, Pakistani forward Muhammad Essa restored parity in the 81st minute.

India then took the lead in the series by beating their rivals 1-0 in the second match, courtesy a solitary strike from MA Abdul Hakkim.

But Pakistan came back strong to in the third and final game as they thrashed India 3-0. Muhammad Essa, Tanveer Ahmed and Arif Mehmood scored for the home team.

Rio Ferdinand believes Harry Kane and Jordan Pickford are the two players who are going to be key to England’s chances of success at the European Championship.

Gareth Southgate’s side are looking to improve on their semi-final finish at World Cup 2018, with the Three Lions facing Croatia on Sunday in their Euro 2020 opener.

And while Ferdinand has named France as the favourites to win the competition, he believes the Three Lions are capable of reaching the latter stages.

What's been said? 

Asked by Goal who he thinks Southgate’s key men will be, Ferdinand replied: "I think Kane, your talisman, your captain, you need him fit and firing. If he’s fit and firing England have a chance to do really good things."

The former Manchester United centre-back also believes that Pickford, who is set to start in goal at Wembley on Sunday, will have a big role to play. 

Ferdinand added: "I was with Thierry [Henry] earlier and he brought up a very good point that you need a very good goalkeeper. I think Pickford proved in the last tournament that he likes the big occasion in an England shirt and if he can hit that type of form again then I think England have a chance."

Ferdinand's players to watch at Euro 2020

There will be plenty of exciting talent on display at this summer’s showpiece and Ferdinand believes the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Joao Felix have the chance to light up the tournament.

He said: "From England the wide players that we’ve got, there's probably five or six that could get picked and you’d be delighted if any of them got in. If [Jude] Bellingham gets time you want to see that.

"I like young players and seeing young players get opportunities. Obviously Mbappe, you want to see him flying at a tournament like this, you want [Cristiano] Ronaldo to go out on a high, he could provide us with some great moments.

"But I’d like to see someone like Joao Felix do well. I like the young ones, I was there when Michael Owen burst onto the scene and I saw what it did, not only for him but for football in general and you love to see it."

Ferdinand backs France & Portugal to go far

"I think France's reserve team could probably get close to winning it!" Ferdinand said. "Portugal [should do well], with the players that we see in the Premier League and some of the other players.

"They’ve got a really strong spine in that team with Bernardo Silva, and [Ruben] Dias, Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes backing up Ronaldo... you’ve got the mix of a really good team there, [Diogo] Jota as well. So they’re going to be a really good team. 

"Turkey are a dark horse to get into the latter stages. I think they’ve got some very good young players as well, performing well across Europe. Obviously England as well, I want them to do well!"

Rio Ferdinand is part of the BBC football team. Follow Euro 2020 on the BBC across TV, radio and online this summer.

Further reading 

In what is certainly a proud moment for Real Kashmir, coach David Robertson has received a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honours List for his contribution to the community in India's Jammu and Kashmir.

The BEM is awarded for a ‘hands-on’ service to the local community. This could be a long-term charitable or voluntary activity, or innovative work of a relatively short duration (3 to 4 years) that has made a significant difference’, as mentioned by the Government of the United Kingdom.

“The award recognises Mr Robertson’s outstanding contribution to the sport and the community as head coach of RKFC since January 2017. This included guiding the football team into the I-League – the first time the team has competed at this level. The last season of the I-League saw RKFC attain the highest number of home ground match attendees, averaging 25,000 people per match,” read a release issued by the British High Commission.

Robertson was pleased to have received the honour and stated that he has enjoyed his stint with the Snow Leopards.

“I am absolutely delighted and honoured to have been recognised and awarded this honour for my work in Kashmir. I have enjoyed every minute spent in Kashmir. It has been a real pleasure to have worked and met so many wonderful people. I think of Kashmir as my second home,” said the former Aberdeen player, who played under the legendary  Sir Alex Ferguson.

Jan Thompson, Acting British High Commissioner to India, said: “Shared love for sport is a great unifier of people, and I congratulate David on his inspirational work. The UK and India share a unique living bridge, and sports play a vital role in that.”

Orlando 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 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.”

Davids’ remarks come as there have been reports of Zinnbauer’s future being uncertain at Pirates after missing a Caf Champions League spot for next season.

Pirates struggled for consistency in the just-ended Premier Soccer League season, ending the campaign third on the standings and earned a return to the Caf Confederation Cup.

They were also knocked out of the Confederation Cup by Raja Casablanca in embarrassing fashion after losing 4-0 away in the second leg of the quarter-finals. 

But what could save Zinnbauer’s skin is winning the MTN8 trophy which ended a lengthy period without claiming silverware. 

Pirates’ improvement came after busy activity on the transfer market following the signing of big-name players, but they didn't finish as high as they would have liked in the PSL.

Tanzania have confirmed the absences of their captain Mbwana Samatta and Simon Msuva for the international friendly against Malawi on Sunday.

The Taifa Stars will welcome the Flames at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium as part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against DR Congo, Benin, and Madagascar.

While the team’s technical bench was optimistic the two players will report to camp for the friendly, team manager Nadir Haroub has now confirmed Samatta who features for Fenerbahce in Turkey on loan from Aston Villa, and Msuva, who turns out for Wydad Casablanca of Morroco, will not be available for the fixture.

According to Haroub, Samatta has family issues to take care of, while Msuva has a Caf Champions League engagement as his side Wydad is preparing to face Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-finals.

What has been said?

“We will not have Mbwana [Samatta] and Simon [Msuva] for the friendly against Malawi because the former is still sorting out family issues while Msuva has an engagement with his club back in Morocco,” Haroub told Goal.

Another player yet to report to camp is Novatus Dismas, who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv-Israel, and according to Haroub they don’t know his whereabouts and have not heard from him.

“We don’t have any information regarding the absence of Novatus [Dismas], we don’t know where he is and why he has not joined the camp,” the former Taifa Stars defender continued.

Nkulula released from camp

Haroub also confirmed they had made one change to the squad by recalling Yohana Mkomola, who plays for Ukrainian side Inhulets Petrove to replace injured Braison Nkulula.

“The problem with Nkulula is that he joined the camp with an injury and after being examined by the doctors they concluded it was not good to risk him, they recommended he be released and we have allowed him to leave camp and he will be replaced by Mkomola.”

Malawi have already arrived in Tanzania for the friendly but they will also be minus their head coach Meck Mwase, who tested positive for Covid-19 as the team was planning to depart alongside his assistant Lovemore Fazili and defender Peter Cholopi.

Assistant coach Bob Mpinganjira will take charge of the team but will miss four key players namely captain Limbikani Mzava, vice-captain John Banda, Gerald Phiri Junior, and Francisco Madinga. Mzava and Phiri, who are injured while Banda and Madinga were excused due to club commitments.

Ahead of the friendly, Mwase had named a 22-man squad with Be-Forward Wanderers midfielder Vitumbiko Kumwenda, Nyasa Big Bullets defender Eric Kaonga and Scotland-based defender Kieran Ngwenya making their first trip with the Flames.

Simba SC have come out to dismiss reports they were also in the race to sign defender Edward Manyama from Ruvu Shooting.

The left-footed player was officially unveiled by the ‘Ice-cream Makers’, just a day after reports in social media suggested Simba had already tied down the defender, who also turns out for the Tanzania national team, to a three-year deal and he will have to fight for a starting role with vice-captain Hussein Mohamed and Gadiel Michael.

However, on Thursday, Azam made the big announcement confirming Manyama had penned a three-year contract and will play for the team in the 2021-22 season.

Simba CEO Barbara Gonzalez has come out to delink the club’s name from the player insisting they were not interested in his services and at no time did they hold talks with his club.

What has been said?

“Manyama who?” Gonzalez posed a question to Goal when asked whether Simba had tabled a bid to sign the player.

“Simba is a big club in Africa and we have our plans as a club and we have already started talking to new players we want to sign as per the recommendation of the technical bench led by coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa.

“We already have the list and in fact, some of the targets we have, already started engaging them, and even others have already signed with us, but all is remaining is to unveil them.

“Simba did not have any plans to sign Edward [Manyama], if we were really interested then we could have talked to his club immediately after we played against them, but I want to put it clear that he was not part of our targets and if I give you the list from the coach [for new players to sign], even his name is not there.”

Simba set aside money for signings

Gonzalez continued: “We have set aside a good amount of money to sign new players especially because we will take part in continental football next season, we have seen how teams in Africa are using money to get good players, and Simba is following the same route to make sure we get good players ahead of the new season, we want quality signings.”

Manyama, who has managed only one cap for the Taifa Stars, has also featured for several teams in the Mainland League including JKT Ruvu Stars, Namungo FC, and Yanga.

India lock horns against Afghanistan in their final Group E clash in the second round 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.

India resumed their campaign on June 3 with a 1-0 loss against Qatar before bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Bangladesh courtesy of a brace by Sunil Chhetri in their penultimate match of the group stage.

While India does not stand a chance of making it to the next round of the World Cup qualification, they have a very good chance of finishing third in the group stage and qualifying directly to the third round of the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers if they avoid defeat against the Afghans in the final game. Afghanistan lost their penultimate group match against Oman 2-1 on Friday.

If India beat Afghanistan in the final group game, then not only will they seal their third spot, but they will also end their campaign in the World Cup qualifying group stage with a positive goal difference, a feat they have only achieved twice in the past.

The Blue Tigers so far has scored five goals in seven matches and have conceded only six. 2002 World Cup qualifiers was the only time they conceded less than this campaign (5 goals). However, they played only six matches in total compared to the eight this time around.

In the 2010 and 2014 World Cup qualifiers, India had conceded six and five goals respectively but India were ousted from the first round play-offs itself. So, they played only two matches in each campaign.

Only twice in history has India managed to keep positive goal difference. In 1986, India's first-ever World Cup qualifying campaign, their goal difference was +1 and in 2002 their goal difference was +6.

In 1986, India played in the group stage alongside Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh (FIFA Ranings came into effect only in 1992) and in 2002, India were clubbed alongside UAE, Yemen and Brunei. During the 2002 campaign, only UAE were ranked higher than India in the FIFA rankings. While Yemen on average were ranked 135 in 2001, Brunei were ranked 189 both below India (121).

India's goal difference in World Cup qualifiers over the years

How are India doing in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers?

India started their World Cup qualification run with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of Oman at home, followed by a historic goalless draw against Asian champions Qatar in Doha. In their third and fourth matches, the Blue Tigers managed 1-1 draws against both Bangladesh and Afghanistan and then they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Oman away from home.

They resume their campaign against Qatar on June 3 and lost 1-0 but followed it up with a 2-0 win over Bangladesh. They are set to take on Afghanistan in the final match on June 15. 

How can India finish in third place?

With Qatar and Oman locked in a battle for the top two spots, Afghanistan and India are fighting for third place which will ensure a direct spot in the third round of the Asian Cup Qualification 2023. 

After defeating Bangladesh, India need to avoid defeat Afghanistan in their final match to seal third spot. 

Afghanistan, after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Oman on Friday, are a point below India in the table. 

Afghanistan need to win against India to seal third spot for themselves. A draw in the game will see India finish third.

Copa America 2021 is set to take place from June 13 and conclude on July 10, 2021.

The 47th edition of the tournament was postponed from its original dates of June 12 to July 12, 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The rescheduled dates follows in the footsteps of Euro 2020, which UEFA postponed for a year. 

The Olympics, which were also scheduled to take place summer of 2020, had also been pushed back for a year.

Goal tells you how to watch Copa America 2021 in India.
 

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Copa America 2021: Match schedule

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How to watch Copa America 2021 on TV & live stream in India

In India ,  the Copa America 2021 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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Copa America 2021 teams & fixtures

Initially, Copa America 2020 was to feature 10 teams from South American confederation CONMEBOL and two teams from the AFC (Asian Football Confederation).

The 2021 tournament will go ahead with 10 CONMEBOL representatives - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. This is because the two AFC representatives - Australia and Qatar - pulled out due to scheduling conflict after the AFC decided to postpone the joint qualifiers' dates for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Groups:

Group stage fixtures:

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Where will Copa America 2021 take place?

Brazil will now host Copa America 2021 following CONMEBOL's decision to strip Colombia of hosting duties and later co-host Argentina also pulled out due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The competition was initially set to be held across nine venues in nine cities in Colombia and Argentina.

However, following  anti-government protests,  Colombia was stripped of Copa America hosting rights, while Argentina's hosting rights were suspended after a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.

CONMEBOL confirmed the list of hosting stadiums for the relocated Copa America, to be held in Brazil, on June 1.

Why has Brazil been chosen as Copa America host?

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Who won the last Copa America?

Brazil were the winners of the previous Copa America, which took place in 2019 in Brazil.

They defeated Peru 3-1 in the final thanks to goals from Everton, Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison, with Paolo Guerrero scoring for Peru.

It was the Selecao's ninth Copa triumph, moving them closer to Argentina, who have won 14 times, and Uruguay, who are the most successful team in the history of the competition with 15 titles.

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Further reading: 

Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez and Baghdad Bounedjah scored as Algeria secured a 2-0 victory over Tunisia in Friday’s international friendly.

The Desert Foxes hit the ground running in the encounter and opened the scoring as early as the 19th minute through an effort from Bounedjah.

Notwithstanding their lead, they continued to press for more goals and it came in the 28th minute when Mahrez found the back of the net.

Tunisia made efforts to try and reduce the deficit but could not get past the water-tight defense of the Desert Foxes.

Two minutes before the end of the encounter, Algeria were reduced to 10 men after Adlene Guedioura was shown a straight red card.

The victory ensured Djamel Belmadi’s men extended their unbeaten run, having last tasted defeat at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt against the Republic of Benin.

Algeria will take on Djibouti in a World Cup qualifying game on while Tunisia will square off against Equatorial Guinea in August.

Mahrez has now scored 22 goals and provided 33 assists in 63 appearances for the Desert Foxes since he made his debut against Armenia in 2014.

The winger along with Bounedjah played a key role as Algeria won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title for the second time in their history.

Mahrez also recently inspired the Desert Foxes’ qualification to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for Cameroon.

He also made a significant contribution to Manchester City as they won the Premier League title last summer.

Elsewhere, Guinea handed a 2-1 defeat to Niger in an international friendly at Emirhan sport center.

Guinea headed into the encounter on the back of their victory over Kosovo and continued with the form against Jean-Michel Cavalli’s men.

With the defeat to Niger, they are now on a five-game winless run, having last won a game against Ethiopia in November.

The match is part of their preparation for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers slated for August, where Guinea will take on Guinea-Bissau while Niger will slug it out against Burkina Faso.