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Scotland have said they will join England in taking a knee before the two nations face off at Wembley in Euro 2020 play.

England will host Scotland at Wembley Stadium next Friday and the Three Lions will continue to kneel prior to kickoff to call attention to racial injustice.

Scotland have said they will kneel along with their rivals, while they will "stand against racism" for their other two group-stage matches at their home ground of Hampden Park.

What was said?

"We will show solidarity with our counterparts in England, many of whom are team-mates of our own players, and who have found themselves on the receiving end of abuse from fans in recent international matches," said head coach Steve Clarke in a statement on the Scotland FA website.

"We will continue to take a stand – together, as one – for our matches at Hampden Park. For our match at Wembley, we will stand against racism and kneel against ignorance."

Scotland captain Andy Robertson added: "Our stance is that everyone, players, fans, teams, clubs, federations, governing bodies and governments must do more. Meaningful action is needed if meaningful change is to occur.

"But it is also clear, given the events around the England national team, taking the knee in this tournament matters as a symbol of solidarity.

"For this reason, we have collectively decided to again take the knee as a team for the fixture against England at Wembley Stadium."

England fans jeer players kneeling

Some England fans have booed players taking the knee during two recent friendlies at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough.

England boss Gareth Southgate said "I sadly sort of expected what happened to happen" following the second of those matches, but vowed his players will continue taking the knee throughout Euro 2020.

The Three Lions will face Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic in group play, with all three matches taking place at Wembley.

Further reading

Stuttgart star Silas Katompa Mvumpa has been suspended for three months and fined €30,000 by the German Football Association for playing under a false identity.

The winger was the alleged victim of blackmail by his former agent, who has been accused of requiring Silas to play under the last name Wamangituka throughout his career.

After revealing his desire to now go by his real name, the winger has now been hit with a punishment from the DFB.

The club's response

“It was clear to him and us that Silas was going to be sanctioned by the DFB, and that’s the way it has to be according to the by-laws,” said sporting director Sven Mislintat.

“At the same time, the verdict takes into account the exceptional circumstances of his case. We are glad that this concludes matters for Silas in terms of sporting legalities from the DFB.”

What happened?

The ban comes after Silas revealed that he had been playing under this false identity while also revealing that he was born in 1998 not 1999, which makes him 22 years old.

Silas began his career in the Democratic Republic of Congo before moving to French side Ales in 2017 before heading to Paris FC a year later.

He joined Stuttgart in 2019 and has played 58 games across all competitions for the club, scoring 21 goals.

Earlier this week, the winger revealed that a former agent from Belgium changed his personal data after gaining control of his bank account and possession of his passport.

Fearing for the safety of his family and his own career, he felt he was unable to come forward until just recently, as he announced his real name and identity.

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While the ban does seem harsh given the circumstances, it is not one that should impact Silas much in terms of playing time.

The Stuttgart star suffered a knee injury towards the tail end of last season and, even if he were to recover in time for the start of the Bundesliga season, he would only miss a few weeks.

The Bundesliga campaign is set to begin on August 13, with Silas' suspension officially coming to an end on September 11.

Further reading

Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling are among those to be given MBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The duo are currently with the England squad, having been selected to the Three Lions' 26-man team for the Euros.

And now the Liverpool captain and Manchester City star have been recognised for their charitable work alongside former Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson, who has been awarded an CBE for his services to football.

Henderson's work with the NHS

Henderson's honour comes as a result of his work with the NHS in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Liverpool captain formed a charitable fund, Players Together, which was used to support the NHS last spring as he rallied together the Premier League's players, encouraging them to donate to causes that aided public health.

The midfielder has also become an ambassador for the NHS Charities Together organisation while also working with Cybersmile’s anti-cyberbullying campaign ‘People Not Profiles’, which fights against online abuse.

"My family and I feel greatly humbled to be recognised in this way, more so given the reason for it," Henderson said.

“There are many privileges that come from playing professional football, but having a platform to promote a charitable cause such as Players Together and NHS Charities Together is as big a privilege as any. 

“It’s important for me to state that although the honour has been issued to me personally, the credit must be shared to a far larger group of people and I accept this in the knowledge I was part of something special, rather than the reason for it. 

“The other Premier League captains were the catalyst and the rest of the players, including my own teammates at Liverpool, were a driving force behind the scenes. Huge numbers of football fans from across the country also displayed great generosity in donating. 

“But the true heroes are the NHS staff; they put themselves in harm’s way to serve and protect us. 

“Therefore I dedicate this to all the nurses, doctors, carers, porters, admin workers, cleaners, security personnel and every single individual who devotes their career and their lives to making the NHS the part of British life we are rightly most proud of as a nation.”

Sterling's battle for racial equality

Sterling, meanwhile, has fought for racial equality in sport, having been one of the leading figures in football when it comes to that fight.

The Manchester City winger has spoken openly and candidly about his experiences with racism, having worked with the United Nations’ #FightRacism campaign while launching his own foundation for young people.

“Receiving this honour is a fantastic feeling – I know it’s something my family and friends will be truly proud of," Sterling said.

“It’s a lovely achievement, not only for me, but my family and friends, too. My motivation regarding racial equality is trying to get the general public and people as a whole to understand the difficulties that certain diverse backgrounds face and just try to create an environment where everyone are equals because at the end of the day we all are.

“That’s been my motive from day one and I can slowly see  progression and we are making a step in the right direction.

“If you want to make a change, it has to start from within. I’ve launched my foundation with the idea of giving back to  kids from less privileged areas and give them something else as a motivation.

"It’s something that I’m really excited to work on because I can relate to it and I will give 100 per cent.

"If I can help to change one or two lives then I’ve done a massive thing there. If you want to make change then it has to start from yourself.

“I feel we are making a step in the right direction but there is a lot more hard work to do."

Further reading

Italy star Ciro Immobile basked in his goal against Turkey on Friday as he and his team-mates embraced fans returning to the stands after more than a year of battling the coronavirus.

Immobile scored the second of Italy's goals, leading the way in a 3-0 win that also included a finish from Lorenzo Insigne and an unfortunate own goal from Merih Demiral.

Italy's Euro 2020-opening win came at the Stadio Olimpico, home of Immobile's club team Lazio, making the striker's goal even sweeter.

What did Immobile say?

“Seeing the fans celebrate after all this time was wonderful, we finally got to come together after so long of this damned virus,” Immobile told RAI Sport.

“I think we showed patience this evening. Turkey are a strong side and caused problems for many top teams. We tried to tire them out in the first half, moving the ball left and right, trying to spread them.

“Unfortunately, we regularly hit their brick wall, especially as we’re not that good in the air. Turkey were more tired after the break, and after the goal they had to open up some spaces, so that’s when our quality emerged.

“Scoring a goal on the Euros debut in my stadium, it doesn’t get better.”

'It gave us goosebumps'

Immobile wasn't the only one moved by Friday's match, as Man of the Match Leonardo Spinazzola admitted it was an emotional day.

Italy was one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus over the last year, and seeing fans in the stadium once again was something special to the Italy defender.

“The emotions started on the bus towards the stadium, seeing all the people in the streets. It really did give us goosebumps,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“It was a perfect performance. We were patient, we moved the ball around well. Then afterwards I saw my son in the stands, it was emotional.”

A long road ahead

Italy kickstarted the tournament in style with the 3-0 win in what was their first ever three-goal performance at the Euros.

The Azzurri are seen by many as a contender to make a deep run into the tournament, although they haven't received the same attention as some of the other tournament favourites.

Friday's result will no doubt give them some momentum heading through the rest of the group stages and perhaps even into the knockout rounds going forward.

“When you start this adventure, you need some tension, some goosebumps, the desire to get out there. I imagined it’d be like this because of the path we took to get here,” defender Leonardo Bonucci told Sky Sport Italia.

“Now this is the first in a long journey, so we keep our feet on the ground, as it’s going to be a run of very close games, the opponents will get to know us better, but we know that we can have our say.

“With people around us in the stands, it’s a whole other style of football. They keep our hearts aflame throughout the match.

“Now from tomorrow let’s cancel out the negative, take the positive and prepare for the next match.”

Further reading

Kylian Mbappe has openly questioned whether Paris Saint-Germain in the right place for him, adding fuel to transfer speculation that should intensify even further after Euro 2020.

The forward said he feels good at his current home, but has wondered aloud whether another location could prove even more joyous.

PSG failed to win Ligue 1 this past season and were blown away by Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final. Mbappe has been strongly linked to Real Madrid in the past but would be the subject of interest from most of Europe's top clubs should he push for a transfer.

What has been said?

“I don't necessarily need to go fast. I have to make the right decision, which is difficult, and give myself every chance to make up my mind," Mbappe told France Football when asked about his immediate future. "I am in a place where I like myself, where I feel good. But is this the best place for me? I don't have the answer yet.

"I know that a project with or without me is not quite the same for the club. 

"But PSG understand my feelings. Probably also because they knows that I will not sneak. 

"Being a great player also proves itself outside the field where you have to know how to do things cleanly and with class."

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Mbappe has selected an unusual time to make a dramatic admission about his future as France are about to begin their Euro 2020 campaign.

However, it is not entirely surprising that he feels this way, as he has long been rumoured to eventually consider a move away from his home nation.

Further reading

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been announced as the winner of 2020-21 Premier League PFA Fans' Player of the Year.

The 28-year-old was again one of the stand-out performers for Jurgen Klopp’s men in the campaign, scoring 22 league goals and setting up five others.

His effort was, however, not enough to help the Reds win the league title after finishing third behind Manchester United and winners Manchester City.

Fans have, however, appreciated the attacker's impressive showings and overwhelmingly voted him as their best-performing player of the campaign.

The fleet-footed forward bagged 31 goals across all competitions last season and provided six assists in 50 appearances.

Salah has been with Liverpool since the summer of 2017 when he teamed up with the side from AS Roma and has been delivering eye-catching performances.

The Egypt international has won the Premier League Golden Boot twice and the Player of the Season, among other individual accolades.

His contribution also ensured the Reds clinched the Champions League trophy and domestic league titles, which had eluded them for a number of years.

The winger has two years left on his current contract and has previously spoken of his desire to play in La Liga in the future.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Rami Shaaban, has, however, advised him to remain at Anfield except Real Madrid or Barcelona bid to sign him.

“Liverpool fans love Salah, I want Salah to continue with the club even if he receives an offer from Paris Saint-Germain because the competition in England is stronger than in France,” Shaaban told OnTime Sport TV.

“The situation will be different in one case, which is if he receives an offer from a team in the Spanish League, and we’re talking here about Real Madrid or Barcelona.

“I wish Salah would’ve joined Arsenal before moving to Chelsea, Salah’s style suits Arsenal.”

Salah will be expected to continue with his spectacular performances for Liverpool when the pre-season starts.

The two-time African footballer of the year will hope to replicate his fine club form for Egypt in their World Cup qualifying game against Angola in August.

Mason Mount admits to being starstruck after meeting Cesc Fabregas in Russia on a trip to the World Cup in 2018.

Chelsea's young midfielder travelled to the tournament, along with Manchester City's Phil Foden and Tottenham's Ryan Sessegnon, with the trio combining their trip with media and commercial activity.

Ahead of his first tournament with England, Mount spoke about meeting the former Blues midfielder ahead of a clash with Croatia on Sunday at Wembley Stadium and the impact that moment had on him at the time.

What he said?

"With that Russia trip, I look back at the pictures now and we all look so young," Mount told reporters. "I remember we were walking around the [BBC] set and we did a little interview with Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker, and we actually stumbled across Cesc Fabregas and we had a little chat.

"He actually remembered me from training at Chelsea and, yeah, we know he's an absolute legend with what he's done in the sport.

"For us to have a little chat with him and Lineker and Shearer as well, it was special to be around those people and learn little bits from them. It was a special trip and we all enjoyed it."

How will England use Mount?

Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate has used Mount in almost every match in the last 12 months and that trend is expected to continue at the Euro 2020 tournament.

Having grown up in the Blues academy at Cobham Training Centre, Mount learned how to play in a host of positions and he is ready to do so for his country over the next few weeks.

“The focus wasn’t always too much on winning [as a youngster], it was a lot about learning, learning how to play in tough games, or in different circumstances how to swap formations or play in different positions," he added.

"That was always something I remember, playing in loads of different positions when I was younger, and learning about what it takes to play a right-wing role, or holding midfield, or as a striker. I had a lot of experiences in those different formations and positions. So it really helps.

"And now I can feel like I can play in different positions. I know how to adapt, and that helps when you’re playing now.”

Further reading

Merih Demiral was the unfortunate protagonist of Friday's Euro 2020 opener between Turkey and Italy as the tournament kicked off with an own goal for the first time ever.

The big moment came in the 53rd minute following a fairly dull first half, with Turkey defender Demiral forced to turn the ball into his own net from a Domenico Berardi cross.

The irony of Demiral being a Juventus player was not lost on those watching the game, who were quick to joke about the Turkey defender's connections to the Italian heavyweights.

'Juve's in his blood!'

Further reading

Ghana international Yahaya Mohammed has urged the nation to look beyond score lines as the Black Stars prepare for upcoming assignments.

CK Akonnor’s outfit are bracing themselves for the start of the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September and the Africa Cup of Nations in in January.

On Tuesday, the team succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Morocco in a test game, with another friendly tie against Cote d’Ivoire scheduled for Saturday.

“In my opinion I’m not thinking about the score line of the game. I’m thinking about how prepared we are to win the [2021] Africa Cup because winning all our friendly matches and losing the Africa Cup, it’s zero,” Aduana Stars striker Yayaha, formerly of French side Nice, told Goodnews FM.

“I think building my team to win the Africa Cup is better than you winning all your friendly matches without thinking about building a team and filling your holes to win Afcon, work done is zero.

“Ghanaians should lower their expectation [about the friendly matches] and rather come together to help the coach.

“Now he [coach Akonnor] is the one there, you have no option but to support him. Whether you are party A or party B, you have to support him for him to win the ultimate for us.”

Akonnor has been tasked to lead Ghana to Afcon glory for the first time since 1982 and as well guide the team to secure qualification for the 2022 World Cup.

In September, the Black Stars are set to begin their journey to Qatar 2022 with consecutive games against Ethiopia and South Africa in Group G, which also features Zimbabwe.

The West Africans are determined to secure a ticket for the championship, having missed out on the 2018 edition in Russia.

Already qualified for the January-February Afcon tournament in Cameroon, the Black Stars are seeking to end a series of disappointments since their last continental success 39 years ago.

At the last gathering in Egypt, Ghana, then led by James Kwasi Appiah, suffered a Round of 16 defeat at the hands of Tunisia.

New Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter has insisted he will not be making massive changes at the team to dismantle what his predecessors had done.

After struggling for a run of good results for most of the season, Gavin Hunt was shown the door, with interim coaches Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard ultimately leading the team to an eighth-place finish.

Many expect the experienced tactician, who is in his second stint at the club, to make massive changes but seemingly, with Chiefs' transfer ban coming to and, it is not going to be the case. 

"I think it’s important that people understand the coaches who’ve been here before me, they’re good coaches. Some are top coaches in the country," Baxter told Sowetan.

"This is not about me coming in and dismantling everything that’s been done. This is about me finding a better balance, and maybe rebuilding the culture around the team as well.  

"Kaizer Chiefs have moved forward a lot since I was here last.

"This time it will be about expectations. I’ll have to manage that."

However, the 67-year-old concedes it will be an interesting challenge to understand how the PSL has changed since he was last in charge, to help Amakhosi move forward.

"This time it’s a tougher league. The league has improved in terms of the bottom teams. There are no pushovers now. They’re all tight games," Baxter continued.  

"It will be different. The game has moved forward and changed. I remember the last time I came and spoke about transitions and people laughed. Now it’s an integral part of everybody’s game.  

"I have got to find out what is new, and what can I use that is going to bring us an advantage – that edge. It will be interesting, it will be a challenge, but it’s going to be an interesting challenge."  

The last time Baxter was at Chiefs was from 2012 to 2015, and he has further compared that time and the present.

"When I was here last, Chiefs had not won anything for a while. Coming in I knew winning something was a priority. But I didn’t look only at trophies," he added.

"I was trying to build a team, trying to bond with the supporters, trying to help us find an identity. 

"That will be the same now. If we can keep our eyes very firmly on the pathway, and not on the destination, that will be important for Chiefs.

"Now we are the hunters. Gradually we became the hunted in my first stint."   

Malaysia huffed and puffed against Vietnam in the penultimate Group G match of the joint 2022 World Cup/2023 Asian Cup qualification match but ultimately suffered again against their bogey side in recent times to bow out of contention for a place in the next round of the qualifiers.

Comparatively, it was a much higher energy performance and output from Tan Cheng Hoe's boys than what was seen during the United Arab Emirates (UAE) match but still it wasn't enough to overcome a resolute Vietnam side who adopted a far more cautious approach in the game than what they showed against Indonesia.

Cheng Hoe opted to give Guilherme de Paula a chance at redemption after a poor outing against UAE, brought back in Brendan Gan into the starting line-up and rewarded Syafiq Ahmad for his industrious play as a substitute in the first game with Liridon Krasniqi and Nor Azam Azih both dropping to the bench.

Park Hang-seo knew Malaysia had to go for the jugular and that meant gaps would be left at the back for their quick counter attacks to capitalise. While there were a few opportunities for the Golden Dragons using that tactic, their solitary goal came from a set piece situation which Malaysia failed to defend properly.

Aidil Zafuan's headed clearance from a corner kick wasn't far enough and that allowed Doan Van Hau to head the ball back into the danger zone in the 27th minute. As a handful of Malaysian players stood ball watching, Nguyen Tien Linh reacted quickest to head into an empty net.

After a strong start to the match, Malaysia allowed Vietnam back into the game by easing off midway through the half but found their second wind towards the end of the half. Coming close twice with a Syafiq header which Bui Tan Truong tipped over before the same keeper pushing out a Safawi Rasid free kick right before the half time whistle.

Desperate and knowing nothing but a victory would keep Malaysia in the hunt for progression, Cheng Hoe made a double substitution after the break with Nazmi Faiz and Akhyar Rashid coming on for Syafiq and Safawi, meanwhile Arif Aiman also got off the bench for his competitive international debut in place of Mohamadou Sumareh.

Malaysia continued to have more of the ball possession in the game but Vietnam were equally comfortable fending off any attacks. Just when all hopes seemed to be lost, Malaysia were offered a lifeline in the 70th minute when the referee judged Doan Van Hau to have fouled de Paula with the naturalised Brazilian dusting himself off to slammed home the equaliser.

While it was understandable that there were a lot of pent-up pressure released by scoring his first goal, the subsequent overexuberant celebrations only served to waste time when a quick restart was needed to chase a second goal that Malaysia needed from the game.

But instead of being inspired by the leveller, it was Vietnam who bounced back when they earned a penalty themselves after a tired looking Brendan tripped substitute Nguyen Van Toan inside the box. Up step Que Ngoc Hai who had little problem sending the ball past Farizal Marlias.

The higher octane performance was asked and delivered but without much direction and shape as Malaysia repeatedly were found wanting in the final third. There were very little attacking plan and when neither Safawi nor Sumareh were able to beat their markers, Tan Truong was left with little to do in the game than he might have anticipated.

One more game remain in the group for Malaysia and a place in the third qualifying round of the Asian Cup is still up for grabs with the result against Thailand dictacting whether it's a place in the next group stage or a spot in the playoff. 

On a day where Cheng Hoe also suffered a personal loss, the defeat and the subsequent meek bowing out of the World Cup path is hard to take after an inspired start to the campaign that begun two years ago which saw the team claiming three wins from five matches will no doubt leave a bittter taste in the mouth.

Former Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder has advised Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana to join Real Madrid or Barcelona rather than Arsenal.

The 37-year-old believes the Gunners have dipped in form in recent years, having last played in the Champions League in the 2016-17 season.

In the recently concluded 2020-21 season, Arsenal finished eighth on the Premier League table, thus, failing to qualify for any European competition.

Onana is serving a ban by Uefa after testing positive for Furosemide, although his suspension was recently reduced to nine months after an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The goalkeeper has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium and Sneijder has urged him to rather consider joining the Spanish giants than the Gunners.

"I expect him to leave. I think he is a great goalkeeper. European top? Yes, certainly," Sneijder told Voetbal International Live.

"I'd rather not see him at Arsenal. It's a fantastic club, but it has slipped in recent years. I'd rather see him play at Real Madrid or FC Barcelona."

Sneijder also believed the suspension of the Cameroon international should have been reduced to six months by the apex court.

"I think it's nonsense, If you can reduce such a sentence by three months, why not by six months?" he continued.

Onana has been with Ajax since January 2015 and was promoted to the first team a year later after delivering convincing showings in the youth setup.

The goalkeeper has made more than 142 appearances for the Dutch side, helping them to win two league and KNVB Cup trophies as well as the Johan Cruyff Shield title.

The 25-year-old starred for Ajax in the 2016-2017 Europa League campaign as the Sons of the Gods finished as runners-up in the competition.

Before his ban, Onana, who has one year left on his current contract, featured 26 times for Ajax across all competitions in the 2020-21 season.

Onana has already served four months of his suspension which has seen him miss a number of games for both club and country.

The goalkeeper was not involved as Cameroon recorded a win and a draw against the Nigeria national team as part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September.

South Africa captain Thulani Hlatshwayo has opened up about being omitted from the recent Bafana Bafana squad.

The Orlando Pirates defender was one of the noticeable absentees' from the South Africa squad that faced Uganda in an international friendly on Wednesday, with Bafana securing a 3-2 win at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.

New Bafana head coach Hugo Broos stated that the majority of the squad that failed to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals after losing 2-0 to Sudan in March this year were over 30 years of age, including Hlatshwayo.

However, Broos included 31-year-old Thabang Monare of Pirates in the squad despite being the same age as Hlatshwayo, but Tyson does not hold any grudges.

The Soweto-born player, who has played 52 international matches for South Africa, explained that no one is given a divine right to play for Bafana. 

“The national team is for everyone. It’s our team. It is for me to support them," Hlatshwayo told Daily Sun. 

Tyson feels that he underperformed in the 2020/21 season and that his omission from the squad will serve as a wake-up call for him.

“To be called for Bafana, you need to do well for your team and I haven’t been doing well. It’s probably a wake-up call for me to work harder again to be called up again," he concluded.

Hlatshwayo recently admitted to being disappointed with his form for Pirates, but he is determined to bounce back next season.

The former Ajax Cape Town player endured one of his worst seasons in the PSL as he struggled for form in his debut campaign with the Soweto giants. 

Hlatshwayo, who joined the Buccaneers from Bidvest Wits in September 2020, was dropped from the starting line-up towards the end of the 2020/21 PSL season.

He played 36 matches across all competitions for Bucs without finding the back of the net despite having been a goalscoring defender during his days with Wits. 

He will get an opportunity to impress Broos and his technical team when the new 2021/21 PSL campaign starts in August 2021.

Bafana are set to start their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign in September 2021 with clashes against Ghana and Zimbabwe.

Ghana are determined to beat Cote d'Ivoire on Saturday to meet expectations, Black Stars management committee chairman George Amoakoh has stated.

The four-time African champions are set to welcome the Elephants for an international friendly fixture in Cape Coast.

The game forms part of Ghana's preparations for the beginning of the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

"We are determined for the game; we are not going to joke. Ghanaians have high expectations and we know the task is not something small," Amoakoh told Happy FM.

“Fortunately the crop of players we have in camp now are comporting themselves very well and they are doing well in training. So I hope it continues to show in an enhanced performance.

“We should believe in the team and I’m sure they will deliver."

Ghana come into Saturday's tie on the back of a 1-0 friendly away defeat to Morocco on Tuesday.

"Today, we will have a meeting to discuss the match," Ghana coach Akonnor said on Wednesday.

"What we did right and what went wrong and we look forward to the Ivory Coast match and going to that game, we have to do video analysis and see how bet we can play and of course outsmart them and win the match.

"We need to win and that is what we are concerned about. We don’t need to destroy what we have done.

"The discipline, work ethics, cohesion of the team, team spirit, I think we need to keep it going, it’s important for us."

Ghana are set to welcome back Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey and Brentford winger Tariqe Fosu Henry, who both missed the Morocco trip after arriving late to camp.

Captain Andre Ayew, who was an 80th minute substitute against the Atlas Lions, is expected to be handed a starting spot on Saturday.

In September, Ghana, who are leaving no stone unturned in a bid to secure a return to the World Cup after missing out of the 2018 championship, face Ethiopia and South Africa in their first two games of the qualifiers. 

The investment director of GSM - Yanga SC's partners - Hersi Said, is set to land in South Africa for talks with Kaizer Chiefs over a possible transfer for Lazarous Kambole, Goal can report.

A few days ago, Said was in DR Congo where he negotiated Djuma Shabani's transfer from AS Vita to Yanga and is now set to travel south to meet Amakhosi officials for talks over the Zambian star.

Goal understands Shabani has already agreed in principle to join Timu ya Wananchi on a two-year deal.

"Said is in the skies to finish our transfer deals," a source close to Yanga told Goal. "You must have noted he was in Kinshasa a few days ago and he is now headed south to see what the club has to say about Kambole.

"We want to finish these transfers as soon as possible in order to focus on what matters most before the new season."

The Zambian has failed to settle at Naturena and has scored just a single goal in 39 appearances for Chiefs, and this season he hasn’t scored in 22 appearances.

Apart from Kambole and Shabani, Goal understands AS Vita's Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele is also a primary transfer target for the record Tanzanian champions.

Timu ya Wananchi are expected to prioritise the signing of strikers after Fiston Abouldrazak and Michael Sarpong failed to live up to expectations.

Sarpong was signed before the season began and so far does not feature among the top five best scorers. Abdoulrazak came during the mid-season transfer window but has been unable to challenge Saidi Ntibazonkiza and Yacouba Sogne for a starting berth.

Makusu is expected to return to AS Vita after he failed to replicate his previous goalscoring form while at Premier Soccer League side Orlando Pirates on loan.

The AS Vita star struggled to fully recover from a leg injury, but Yanga nonetheless see him as one of the best solutions to their problem, according to reports.

Mukoko Tonombe and Tuisila Kisinda, two of DR Congo's stars at the club, have reportedly expressed their support for moves for their international counterparts.

Should Kambole and Makusu talks fail to bear fruits, the third rumoured option on the list for the Jangwani giants is Fiston Mayele of AS Vita. Mayele scored 12 goals in the season and helped the club win the Ligue A title.

He was second on the top scorers' chart behind Tour Puissant's Mazembe's Jean Baleke, who found the back of the net on 14 occasions. Yanga are, however, are expected to face a challenge as Mayele is at the heart of coach Florent Ibenge's plans for the next campaign.

Dark Kabangu, the third-best striker in the DR Congo league with nine goals, is said to be on Yanga SC's transfer wishlist too.

Timu ya Wananchi are also rumoured to be interested in the Ivorian forward Magbi Gbagbo.

He had attracted interest from the Tanzanian giants in the previous mid-season transfer, but Wydad Casablanca were not keen to enter into talks regarding the transfer of the striker.

Former England goalkeeper David James has praised Jordan Pickford for the way he bounced back from criticism for his role in the injury to Virgil van Dijk.

After a challenge from Pickford in October's Merseyside derby, the Liverpool defender suffered cruciate knee ligament damage which ruled him out for the season and this summer's European Championships. 

Ex-Reds keeper James believes that Pickford suffered a dip in form because of extra scrutiny but says he is back to his best in time for Euro 2020, with the Everton man set to start for England in Sunday's opener against Croatia.

What’s been said?

“It was a foul, in my opinion, but it's something that Jordan was always doing or naturally does - there was no intent to hurt anybody,” James told Goal.

“For Jordan that could in part have had an impact on some indifferent form because ultimately it was Liverpool's Van Dijk.

“It wasn't some young defender from Fulham who most people wouldn't have recognised, this was one of the world's best defenders from the Premier League champions so the conversation would just rumble on and on.

“For him to come through that and to be in the form that he was at the end of the season going into the tournament, that shows a positive mark of maturity from him.”

Pumped up Pickford

Pickford has also come under criticism for being too fired up for big games - an accusation that was also fired at his predecessor Joe Hart.

But James says the Three Lions keeper should be judged on how he performs for the national team and says he has never let down Gareth Soutgate.

“There has to be a sweet spot for any player. Some of them are calm, some are more energetic," James added.

“When it comes to England, he's played marvellously well. All this energetic behaviour to get himself pumped up, it works for England.

“Jordan doing whatever he needs to do to get England over the line is not a problem.”

Dettol are encouraging fans to make good hygiene habits part of their matchday ritual this Summer, so we can all play on. Search @Dettol_UK for more information

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