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Kaizer Chiefs attacker Lazarous Kambole has rubbished reports he is leaving the team, insisting those are just rumours.

The forward has struggled to settle at Amakhosi after joining in the 2019/20 season from Zesco United. This season, the Zambia attacker made 11 appearances for Amakhosi and managed one assist.

As a result, the 27-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club, but he has stated the claims are baseless.

"When it is the transfer window period, of course, there are always rumours," Kambole said as quoted by Sowetan.

"At the moment I am a Kaizer Chiefs player and that’s what matters. I don’t want to stress about rumours."

The experienced forward made 56 appearances for Zesco, scoring 39 goals in the process. He was playing in his favourite position, as the main striker, something that has not happened at Chiefs.

"As footballers, we are employed to play football," Kambole, who has also played for Zambia 14 times, scoring seven goals, continued.

"So as a player you need to be flexible, you need to at least play in more than two positions. Once you are called upon to play a certain position, you must not say ‘no’ because you are paid to play football.

"For me, it is nice to be able to play different positions. I enjoy football regardless of the position I am playing."  

Meanwhile, Chiefs interim coach Arthur Zwane held his cards close to his chest regarding his future at the club.

The 47-year-old took over from the fired Gavin Hunt alongside Dillon Sheppard and went on to help the team finish in the top eight in the PSL.

"I am one person that, you know, takes one step at a time," Zwale said recently.

"I believe that I'm a student of the game, so whether I'll be part of the first team next season or not, I'm still part of Kaizer Chiefs because I'm the reserve team coach."

The youthful tactician went on to say he will welcome any decision made by the Chiefs management over the future of the club.

"So when given the opportunity you always give your best and if things work out you move on," Zwane continued.

"It was a good learning curve for me, being given the opportunity with myself, Dillon, and the rest of the technical staff, obviously, to take the team forward."

Kylian Mbappe has spoken glowingly about Bayern Munich while revealing Lucas Hernandez has urged him to join the Bundesliga giants.

Mbappe has been heavily linked with a big-money move to Real Madrid ahead of the summer transfer window, having yet to reach an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain over a contract extension.

However, the 22-year-old says that Hernandez has been trying to convince him to choose a different path while away on international duty with France.

What's been said?

Mbappe has now expressed his admiration towards Bayern after talks with one of their players, telling SportBild : "Lucas Hernandez told me that I should come to Munich to play for Bayern.

"Bayern is one of the five best clubs in the world. One can only congratulate them on how they manage to keep the quality in the squad every year. They just know what they're doing.

"Now [Jerome] Boateng and [David] Alaba have left, but [Dayot] Upamecano, who is an excellent defender, came in. They have a clear concept that makes them a great club.

"And yes, you are always a favourite for any title. So I'll always have to win against Bayern in the future if I want to win a trophy."

Pressed on whether he could leave PSG this year or as a free agent in 2022, the forward added: "In football, you never know what's going to happen. But I am currently very happy as it is."

Why is Mbappe so sought after?

Mbappe's stock has risen rapidly since he burst onto the scene as a teenager with Monaco in 2015, with PSG snapping him up in an eventual €180 million (£155m/$219m) deal two years later.

He helped Monaco win their first Ligue 1 title in 17 years and reach the Champions League semi-finals, but has scaled even greater heights at Parc des Princes while playing alongside superstars such as Neymar and Angel Di Maria.

Mbappe has contributed 132 goals and 61 assists to PSG's cause in 171 outings across all competitions to date, helping them to win 10 trophies and become European Cup finalists for the first time.

The club have made it clear that they want to keep hold of the World Cup winner , but their resolve could be tested if teams like Bayern and Real submit lucrative offers when the market reopens.

Mbappe on Neymar

Mbappe went on to jump to the defence of PSG team-mate Neymar, who he believes has been unfairly criticised for his perceived lack of commitment and penchant for over-the-top theatrics in recent years.

"He is one of my best friends. There are many people who speak ill of his attitude," he said. "Maybe it's because of a few scenes from the World Cup when he was on the ground every now and then.

"But I can assure you: he is really a good guy, the image that many have of him in their heads is not true! I think people would have to know him better to judge him.

"We actually joke all the time. And our life is really only made up of bets. It's just good for both of us if we can always motivate each other and keep our spirits high."

Further reading

Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has been ruled out of Euro 2020 with the Netherlands through injury.

The 24-year-old, who has 19 international caps, has not featured in either of his country's warm-up games and it has now been confirmed he will not recover in time for the tournament, which begins on Friday.

In a statement, the Dutch FA said a replacement would not be called up to replace the former Ajax midfielder.

Injury blow for Netherlands on eve of Euros

Van de Beek played the full 90 minutes of Manchester United's final Premier League game of the season against Wolves on May 24 before being named in Frank de Boer's final 26-man squad for the European Championship.

However, he was an unused substitute for the 2-2 draw against Scotland last week before missing out on the matchday squad entirely for Sunday's win over Georgia.

It was revealed the following day that Van de Beek was struggling through injury and trained away from the main squad. It has now been determined that he cannot recover in time and will withdraw from the squad.

Netherlands get their Euro 2020 campaign under way against Ukraine in Amsterdam on Sunday.

More to follow.

Didier Deschamps has insisted that Kylian Mbappe is not getting distracted by talk of a transfer away from Paris Saint-Germain ahead of France's Euro 2020 campaign.

Mbappe is attracting attention from top clubs across the continent after another stellar season at Parc des Princes, during which he managed to score 42 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions.

Speculation over the 22-year-old's future is raging due to the fact he has yet to commit to fresh terms with PSG beyond the expiration of his current deal in 2022, but Deschamps says his focus is locked on the European Championship at present.

What's been said?

The France boss is confident the ongoing rumours won't affect Mbappe's performances at the summer tournament, as he said during his latest press conference: "It's part of the game. What is going on outside, Kylian has been clear on that, he is there, he knows why he is there. He is with the France team.

"He will have a decision. to take, he will take it when he sees fit. At the moment, he is still under contract with Paris Saint-Germain and supposed to be there next year.

"On what can happen, I do not know. He is totally in control, but in any case, he is in peace and serenity with us. He is focused on the France team."

Who has been linked with Mbappe?

Real Madrid has been touted as the most likely next destination for Mbappe if he does end up leaving Paris, with it reported that the Blancos are preparing to submit a lucrative offer when the transfer window reopens.

However, Liverpool have also been repeatedly linked with the World Cup winner, who has previously expressed his admiration towards the Merseyside outfit and their manager Jurgen Klopp.

PSG's stance on Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi came out to give an update on Mbappe's situation during an interview with L'Equipe earlier this week, insisting he will not be sold for any price.

Al-Khelaifi doesn't believe any other club can match the ambitions of a man he sees as a future Ballon d'Or winner and remains confident he will sign a renewal at Parc des Princes.

“I’ll be clear, Kylian is going to stay with PSG. We’re never going to sell him and he’ll never leave for free,” said the PSG chief. "I never give details to the media about ongoing negotiations. All I can say is that it’s progressing well. 

“He is a fantastic boy, as a person and as an athlete. He’ll win the Ballon d’Or in years to come, I’m 100% sure. He has everything he needs to extend here. Where can he go? Which club in terms of ambition and project can compete with PSG today?”

Further reading

Football Kenya Federation has rolled out their second Covid-19 vaccinations for all Premier League clubs but the officials will not be involved.

According to FKF CEO Barry Otieno, only 25 members from each club in the 18-team league will get the second dose starting from June 11 because of shortages of the vaccine.

What has been said?

“After our successful administration of the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to all clubs, the federation wishes to inform the same clubs that the second Covid-19 vaccination exercise for all clubs within Nairobi County, will be effected on Friday, June 11, 2021, at Kasarani Stadium between 9 am and 3 pm,” Otieno told Goal on Tuesday.

“Regrettably, due to acute shortage of the Covid-19 vaccine, priority will only be given to the 25 players who received the first dose of the vaccine.

“Even so, the federation remains cognizant of the significant role bestowed on both club and match officials and is continuously engaging the government on the need to prioritise and accelerate vaccinations of the said officials.”

Asked how soon the officials will get their jab, Otieno said: “I don’t know for now because there is a shortage of drugs, but we know they are also important in their respective jobs but all we can do is wait for the response from the government.”

The second vaccination has come at the right time when the federation is rushing to finish the FKF Premier League, which has already been halted once, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, and also the FA Cup.

FKF speeding league and Shield Cup

The federation has also increased their speed to end the Shield Cup with the knockout tournament now in the quarter-finals stage and finals planned for Saturday.

In the last eight, Tusker, who beat Luanda Villa 1-0, will face AFC Leopards, who reached the last eight after a hard-fought 4-2 win against Bungoma SuperStars in a Round of 16 fixture played on Sunday.

Defending champions Bandari, who qualified after a 5-0 win against Sigalagala, will come up against Equity, Nairobi City Stars, who beat Ulinzi Stars 2-0 will tackle Bidco United and Gor Mahia will face Kariobangi Sharks, who eliminated KCB on penalties.

Last season, Kenya was not represented in the Confederation Cup after the Shield Cup was canceled owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic but Gor Mahia took part in the Champions League where they failed to make it past the preliminary stage.

Tusker FC defender Eugine Asike has insisted they have a strong squad capable of seeing them through their remaining tough run in the FKF Premier League and Shield Cup.

The Brewers are currently among the teams chasing for the double this season as they are topping the 18-team table and have also reached the quarter-finals of the Shield Cup.

With matches coming in every two days, assistant captain Asike has explained the team’s depth will come in handy to help them push for the targets they had set before the season kicked off.

What has been said?

“With the games coming in thick and fast, I believe we have good depth in the squad and I believe anyone who will be called upon to play will deliver,” Asike told the club’s official website.

The Brewers have faced three matches in the last seven days and will play the fourth on Wednesday when they take on AFC Leopards in the quarter-finals of the Shield Cup at the Utalii Grounds.

On reaching the last eight, Asike said: “This is a good boost to the team going forward and it will also go a long way to give us some good confidence. We know we have many matches to play but this will bring good morale and a positive atmosphere to the team.”

Looking back at the game against Luanda Villa the defender noted: “It wasn’t an easy game. They gave us a good run for our money. They came in and showed their worth. It’s a good, young team and I wish them all the best in their coming matches.”

What did coach Matano say?

On his part, coach Robert Matano said: “The most important thing was to win and I am delighted with the performance. The opponents showed their worth but it is always expected when a team faces a bigger opponent but I am happy with how my players fared and we are through to the next stage.

The veteran tactician has also admitted the players showed signs of fatigue after the back-to-back matches but has hinted at rotating the team to ensure everyone remains fresh.

“There was some element of fatigue because we have been traveling and playing three games in one week, is not easy. But we are coming up well. We are many and there are others who are working. We will shuffle the team to ensure everyone remains fresh. We know we will do something better for the next match.”

In the other semi-finals, Gor Mahia will face Kariobangi Sharks, defending champions Bandari tackle Equity Bank while Nairobi City Stars will face Bidco United.

Four days on from their last assignation, the national teams of Cameroon and Nigeria will renew their acquaintance in Tuesday’s friendly in Austria.

The setting is the same, as are the circumstances. Which begs the question: why exactly are we doing this again?

It is the sequel no one asked for, less so considering even the first was not enthusiastically received.

Following injuries to William Troost-Ekong and Jamilu Collins, the Nigeria end is also now depleted, complicating matters further and shining an even harsher light on the paucity of playing personnel within the Super Eagles selection.

With that in mind, it is both understandable and entirely depressing that little-known Vincent Onovo, based out of seventh-placed Hungarian side Ujpest, joined the squad ahead of this re-run.

The 25-year-old journeyman defensive midfielder is an unwelcome call-back to darker days in the early to mid-2000s, when inadequate friendly (or, sometimes, even competitive) squads were padded out by random players whose only claims were proximity to the site and the possession of a Nigerian passport.

It is also rather unhelpful – and frankly amusing – that he has been brought into the fold when the major headache the coaching crew has been trying to solve is a dearth of defenders. Is that a marker of Onovo’s willingness to help the team in any capacity (yay for patriotism!), or simply further proof no one knows who or what he even is to begin with, beyond another warm body?

Both, maybe?

It all just adds to the sense of dysfunction, and heightens the feeling that perhaps this international window should have been left blank.

An unpopular proposition it would have been, granted, but is this any better?

What are the wider gains that will have been gleaned by the end of this pair of matches?

That was rhetorical; there are, however, clear downsides, not least of which is the loss of goodwill from the players themselves, who would almost certainly much rather be resting sore limbs and tired minds. Why not give them the window off, instead of rousing them for this train wreck? They might have actually thanked the NFF for the consideration.

As is, based on how events have shaken out, the Super Eagles will step out for their return leg against Cameroon with a central defence featuring, in Valentine Ozornwafor, a player who played a grand total of eight minutes of club football this past season.

Mercifully, the callow and undeniably match-rusty former U-20 international will have the vast experience of Chidozie Awaziem (a mere two years his senior) and another late entrant in Anthony Izuchukwu (zero senior international caps) to guide him through a testing encounter.

What is the great lesson or revelation that Rohr is supposed to receive here?

Everyone fit and available, none of these three players would start for the national team anyway, so what is the point of the entire exercise?

The absence of a left-back to deputize for Collins necessitates a shift to a wing-back system which will require some creative shoehorning, perhaps with Moses Simon adopting a deeper starting position than in the first match.

Unfortunate, considering he was the team’s standout performer in the first game.

One would have to assume that, after a gruelling season, the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Paul Onuachu and Wilfred Ndidi would not be expected to start the second time around, so: Peter Olayinka, Terem Moffi and (yet another graft) Samson Tijani? What happens at right wing-back then?

If it isn’t obvious, at this point it is less about giving players a chance to prove themselves as it is putting out a line-up with any kind of coherence or underpinning logic...and that, ultimately, undermines the entire utility of the exercise.

Bangladesh suffered their fifth defeat in their seventh Group E game of the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifiers as they went down 0-2 to India on Monday evening in Doha.

Sunil Chhetri scored a brace in the second half to fire India into the third spot in the group with Bangladesh’s chances of finishing fourth all but over unless a few results go their way, and they must defeat Oman on the final matchday.

What did the Bangladesh coach say on Sunil Chhetri?

Bangladesh coach Jamie Day was disappointed that his side couldn’t convert the half chances that came their way and heaped praise on Sunil Chhetri for being clinical upfront.

"For a long period, we did well, we had a couple of half-chances. But if you give Chhetri a chance, he scores like showed tonight. He had two chances in the last 20 minutes, and he took them. So, we move on to the next game now and take positives out of that,” said Day.

Cannot defend for 90 minutes against international teams

The score-line could have been much worse for Bangladesh had the referee awarded a penalty in the first half when Chhetri was brought down inside the box or had Chinglensana Singh’s header not being cleared on the goal-line. In fact, Sandesh Jhingan and Subhashish Bose too came close from corner-kicks as Bangladesh struggled to deal with crosses.

Day pointed that although his team’s work rate was top class, they gave away the ball far too easily to their opponents which made life further difficult for them.

“I thought for 80 minutes, we competed very well. The shape was nice and difficult to break down. You see the difference in quality between the players when they were in possession. I think one of the disappointments was that we gave the ball away too much and gave possession back to India,” he mentioned.

“I think our players were fantastic. They work their socks off, give their best every day. We just couldn't keep the ball and that shows in games where you give possession away too much. And if you do that against better teams and better players, then at some stage they'll punish you," he explained.

He suggested that it’s crucial for Bangladesh to be more creative when they have the ball, although that’s something which they can only overturn in the long term as opposed to it being an immediate goal.

"You can't defend for 90 minutes against international teams, but again I can't fault their effort. They worked hard. We just need to be better on the ball but that's a long-term plan, not a short-term plan."

UAE were in sublime form once again as they eased past Thailand 3-1 on Monday evening at the Zabeel Stadium to remain second in Group G of the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifiers.

Goals from Caio (14’), Fabio Lima (34’) in the first half put UAE in a strong position before Suphanath Mueanta pulled one back nine minutes after the break.

However, deep into the stoppage time, Mohammed Jumaa added his name on the score-sheet to make it 3-1 for the hosts. UAE are placed second in Group G, two points behind Vietnam and are up against Indonesia on Friday before facing Vietnam on the final matchday – 15th June.

Caio Canedo made his first competitive start for UAE and ensured that he stole the headlines with a goal in the 14th minute. 20 minutes later, it was the turn of another Brazilian-born naturalised player in Fabio Lima as he got on the end of a cross from Bandar Al Ahbabi to nod home with goalkeeper Siwarak Tedsungnoen beaten.

In the second half, it was Thailand who started on a strong note and were soon rewarded for their intent. Mueanta made the most of UAE’s inability to clear the lines and his volley didn’t give any chance to custodian Ali Khaseif. Star striker Ali Mabkhout was guilty of squandering a golden opportunity as he headed wide from an Ahbabi cross, which left the UAE supporters shell-shocked.

However, Jumaa scored the third goal late in the tie to clinch three crucial points for UAE with Mabkhout playing the role of provider.

The Al Ain striker, who now has three goals to his name, was pleased with his performance and hopes that they can clinch the top spot in Group G. “I am so happy to help out the UAE tonight. I am so thankful to the fans for all the support they have given me and I am glad to repay them. Now we will go for that top spot in the group as that is our main goal."

U.S. men's national team (USMNT) head coach Gregg Berhalter was furious after an incident at the end of Sunday night's CONCACAF Nations League final when fans hurled objects at players, with winger Gio Reyna injured by a bottle flying from the stands while Mexico's Henry Martin was also hit.

The incident came near the conclusion of the USMNT's 3-2 win over Mexico in extra time, with tempers also flaring on the field. As members of both teams came together following a hard challenge on Christian Pulisic by the touchline, projectiles flew en masse from the crowd.

USMNT full-back Sergino Dest was among the players screaming at the stands for fans to stop throwing objects but his pleas were largely ignored, as Reyna and Martin were struck. At least five arrests have been made in connection with the incident as of Monday afternoon.

What has been said?

"It has no place in the game, spectators throwing objects onto the field," Berhalter told reporters.

"A total lack of respect for what's happening on the field and all the effort that both teams were putting into the game, so I was really disappointed to see that.

"[Reyna is] going to be OK, but he did take something to the head and it could've been a lot worse."

What happened?

What has been done about it?

On Monday afternoon, the Denver Post reported that four fans were arrested for trespassing and another for throwing projectiles during the game.

“While the night showcased Denver as a world-class soccer destination and Empower Field at Mile High as a premiere sports and entertainment venue, the actions of a few patrons unfortunately took away from a memorable event,” wrote the management company in charge of Mile High Stadium in a statement.

Further reading

Tony Cottee has stated reasons behind Kelechi Iheanacho’s impressive goalscoring exploits for Leicester City during the 2020-21 campaign.

Before heading into 2021, the former Manchester City wonderkid could only boast of two Premier League games without finding the net, as he played second fiddle in the Foxes’ squad.

Nevertheless, a change of fortune saw him revive his scoring form which proved pivotal in the King Power Stadium outfit’s FA Cup triumph.

Also, that form earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for March, while he edged Jamie Vardy to the club’s top scorer prize.

Giving an assessment of the Nigerian’s performance, Cottee – who starred for the East Midlands-based outfit between 1997-2000 – claimed his manager’s switch of formation, which gave room for two strikers, was key in his goalscoring exploits.

“The goals were flying in and his confidence was sky-high,” Cottee told Leicester City website.

“I felt he formed a really good partnership with Jamie as well. As an ex-Leicester player and ex-centre-forward myself, I love it when teams play two up front because I just think it gives you so many more options. It brings so much more to the team.

“He was outstanding, especially in March. I remember the hat-trick he scored and there were some absolutely fantastic goals. We’ve always known he’s a fantastic finisher, that’s never been in doubt.”

“As a manager, you scratch your head at times. If you go through a difficult patch, you look and search for other ideas,” he continued.

“That’s something that I admire about Brendan – his ability to identify when you need to make a change, and also to be brave enough to do it.

“I had it myself consistently throughout my career where managers have told me that they know I can score goals. Martin O’Neill said it to me at Leicester, but it’s about bringing the other side to your game as well.

“You’ve got to work hard for the team and that’s not always easy as a centre-forward because I think, by nature, if you’re a goalscorer, you’re almost in ‘selfish mode’ because your focus and your aim is to score goals.

“I think Kelechi got everything right in the games that I saw. Every aspect of his game, he was playing as good as he’s ever played in his career.”

Ahmed Musa, Francis Uzoho and Valentine Ozornwafor will start for Nigeria against Cameroon in Tuesday’s international friendly, coach Gernot Rohr has confirmed.

Speaking after Monday’s training at the Wiener Neustadt Stadium, the German tactician opened up on the major changes that would be noticed during the second game versus Toni Conceicao’s men.

Captain Musa who was a second-half replacement for Kelechi Iheanacho gets the nod to lead the Super Eagles’ attack, while APOEL FC’s Uzoho will man the goalpost instead of Sparta Rotterdam’s Maduka Okoye.

Due to injury, William Troost-Ekong will not be available for action against the five-time African champions. In his absence, Galatasaray’s Ozornwafor is expected to marshal the backline of the three-time African champions.

“Observations are positive because some of the players who arrived from Nigeria were not so fit for the first game. They have now recovered well, and we should be better physically,” he told Super Eagles media as per Completesports.

“There will be some changes in the team, Francis Uzoho will be in goal, [Ahmed] Musa will start because he is fit, we lost Troost-Ekong so Valentine [Ozornwafor] will come in for the first time.

“There matches are made to test some players who have not played so much and also to have new organization maybe try something different and we want to win it also because we have never won in Austria after four games.”

For the 67-year-old, the team’s progress matters more than the result achieved against the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations hosts.

“The most important thing is not the result, the most important is to progress to learn to work,” he continued.

“We have 16 players who could not come, five central defenders, two defensive midfielders [Joe] Aribo, [Frank] Onyeka and all the strikers could not come, the wingers, [Samuel] Kalu, Henry [Onyekuru], [Victor] Osimhen, Simy [Nwankwo] and [Umar] Sadiq also because of the play-offs.

“It is a different camping but we have some experience now, we are interested in the new players and what they can do in this match against Cameroon.”

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s 37th-minute encounter separated the two teams in the first game played on Friday.

A Sunil Chhetri (79, 90+2') brace helped India defeat Bangladesh 2-0 to record their first win in Group E of the second round 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers.

The win has helped the Blue Tigers climb to third place in the group with six points after seven games. The result is a major boost to their chances of earning a direct spot in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers.

What did Igor Stimac say?

"We presented football as it should be. That's the way we always want to play. Of course, it's not always possible but when we are favourites against a lower-ranked team, it's something that we will like to present. The players did everything they could to get the win. So all the credit to them for executing the game plan perfectly," said the 53-year-old.

With Bangladesh ranked 79 places lower than India who are at 105, he continued, "The best defence against lower-ranked teams is attacking - keeping them away from the ball. Just to explain, if we didn't keep doing what we were doing right throughout the game, we wouldn't have scored the second and allowed Bangladesh to come at us."

Who can replace Sunil Chhetri?

The former Croatia national team coach went on to praise Indian forward Sunil Chhetri's contribution on and off the field. "Many people were asking last year or so, 'when is Sunil going to retire?' (If Chhetri retires) what are we going to do then? By far, in every training, he (Chhetri) is our best player," Stimac remarked.

'We have a great future'

The India coach praised the Qatari and Indian governments for enabling them to partake in the remainder of the second round qualification games wherein the Blue Tigers are set to play their final game against Afghanistan on June 15.

"Even if we didn't get a single point here out of three games, all I asked from my boys to do well and represent the country in discipline together as a team. If we were going to lose a game, we would lose it as a team because we didn't have any time whatsoever to do things better. But I'm very proud of my boys. They worked their socks off, they are learning and I think we have a great future," Stimac opined.

Real Betis have announced the signing of Youssouf Sabaly from Ligue 1 side Bordeaux.

Signed for an undisclosed fee, the 28-year-old Senegal international penned a five-year contract with the La Liga outfit until 2026.

“Real Betis Balompie has added Senegalese player Youssouf Sabaly to its ranks. The new Verdiblanco winger will be linked to the club until 2026,” a statement from the club website read.

“Youssouf Sabaly began his career in the youth ranks of Paris Saint-Germain, where he arrived in 2008. He played the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons on loan at Evian Thonon Gaillard FC.

“The new Verdiblanco player played on loan at Nantes FC in the 2015/16 season.

“In 2016, he joined the ranks of FC Girondins de Bordeaux, a team in which he has played for the last five seasons. In total, Sabaly has played 251 games as a professional, in which he has scored three goals and dished out 21 assists.”

At the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Sabaly is expected to add depth to Real Betis’ backline as they hope to have an impressive 2021-22 season.

In the just-concluded campaign, Manuel Pellegrini’s men fell one point short of a place in next season’s Europa League – having finished sixth on the Spanish elite division log after accruing 61 points from 38 games.

Real Sociedad finished in fifth place to claim one of Spain’s tickets to the competition with a point more.

With this move, Sabaly becomes the third African player in Betis' squad after Paul Akouokou (Cote d'Ivoire), and Aissa Mandi (Algeria).

Sabaly is expected to be unveiled by the club alongside other new signings before the end of this week.

On the international scene, he represented France at U17, U18 and U19 level.

His impressive displays saw him promoted to the French U20 team. There, he played a key role in the European side’s triumph at the 2013 Fifa U20 World Cup staged in Turkey.

Notwithstanding, he switched his allegiance to his parents’ country, Senegal. He made his Lions of Teranga debut in a 2–0 2018 Fifa World Cup qualification win over South Africa on November 10, 2017.

Since then, he has gone on to feature in 21 official games and he was part of Aliou Cisse’s squad to the 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia.

Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters have received a letter from the global football body FIFA stating that the club has been banned from signing players in the upcoming transfer window. 

The Yellow Army is set to sign Serbian Ivan Vukomanovic as head coach, as reported earlier by Goal but has now come across another issue as they prepare for the new season.

The correspondence from the FIFA player status committee was made on June 1 and the AIFF has sent a letter to the club on June 7.

Why did Kerala Blasters get a transfer ban? 

The Kochi-based club has been served a ban by FIFA who has acted upon a complaint about unpaid salary by former player Matej Poplatnik.

Players can approach FIFA if they aren't paid their wages on time and the global body is expected to intervene to get the issue resolved. 

How can Kerala Blasters proceed after the transfer ban? 

Kerala Blasters can solve the transfer ban issue by paying the dues to the player. The ban will be lifted immediately once the payment has been made and FIFA has confirmed the same. 

What next for Kerala Blasters? 

The club only needs to pay the amount following which they will be allowed to sign new players in the transfer window which starts from June 9, 2021. 

As per sources, the club has already initiated steps to resolve the issue and the ban is expected to be lifted once they receive official communication from FIFA after the confirmation of payment remittance

East Bengal's Jhonny Acosta is another foreign player who has approached the FIFA player status committee to get his wages and the Red and Golds have also been punished with a transfer ban by the football body. 

How did Matej Poplatnik and Kerala Blasters part ways? 

Slovenian striker Matej Poplatnik left Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters to join Scottish top division club Livingston FC ahead of the 2020-21 season. 

Poplatnik, who had a year left on his contract with Blasters, spent the 2019-20 season on loan at Hungarian club Kaposvari Rakoczi. He managed just one start in a total of six appearances during his loan spell.

Although he initially looked set to return to the club, Poplatnik chose to move on, with Blasters deciding that they want to head in a different direction under the then head coach Kibu Vicuna. 

Further reading

Lorient star Terem Moffi has explained how he reacted to his maiden Nigeria call-up.

On the back of an impressive 2020-21 campaign where he scored 14 goals in 32 Ligue 1 games, the 22-year-old was invited for the Super Eagles’ friendlies against Cameroon.

He made his international bow in the 1-0 defeat to the Indomitable Lions, replacing Paul Onuachu in the 66th minute.

He explained how coach Gernot Rohr sent him a message on WhatsApp after his treble helped Lorient silence Bordeaux 4-1 and what his response was.

“I got the call-up after the Bordeaux game. I scored a hat-trick and my phone was buzzing with messages, I looked at my WhatsApp I saw a message from Gernot Rohr. I couldn’t reply to the message instantly,” Moffi told NFF media per Completesports.

“I took a screenshot and sent it to my family group chat and I was like what do I say. It was really surprising because it’s the Super Eagles coach and it’s not everyone that gets the opportunity to a call-up in that way.

“I was really excited; it was really good, to be honest. It took me about 45 minutes to give him a response.

“I just said ‘thank you coach, it’s an honour to get a message from you. I would really like to play for my nation’, and he said he is looking forward to seeing me, it was incredible.”

The former Riteriai and Kortrijk star also stated that he was panicky sharing the pitch with some of Nigeria’s finest talents.

While claiming they helped him settle down quickly, Moffi vowed to always be at his best and score goals for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champions.

“I was really nervous at first because I never expected that I would share the pitch with [Kelechi] Iheanacho, [Wilfred Ndidi] Ndidi and [Alex] Iwobi,” he stated.

“It’s been good so far, training sessions we have had I think I’ve done well, the boys have been helpful, it’s a really good group and I’m happy. I will try and do my best and promise to score goals.”

Moffi would be eyeing his second cap when Nigeria take on Toni Conceicao’s men on Tuesday evening.

Gareth Southgate has warned that England have "a lot of work" to do before their first game of Euro 2020, highlighting their defending as a key area that needs improvement.

After getting the better of Austria last week, the Three Lions beat Romania 1-0 on Sunday in their last friendly before the tournament begins.

Southgate's team will open their Euro 2020 campaign with a match against Croatia at Wembley on June 13 and the coach fears they are still not good enough in some aspects.

What has been said?

"I didn’t like us without the ball in the first half but that was the whole team. That started from the front," Southgate told reporters when asked about his side's defensive work.

"We weren’t disciplined in the way we defended. Our recovery runs were not good enough. It meant that the midfield was stretched and the back players had too many decisions to make.

"They were having to come in spaces where they shouldn’t have needed to be. 

"Without doubt we can improve on that. I have also got to allow the team that played the reality that we had made a lot of changes and had to preserve some players and give others minutes that they needed. 

"There is a lot of work to be done on the training ground as, without a doubt, we cannot give up the number of chances we did [against Romania] and not expect to be punished.

"We can improve on all the small details in the two performances we have had. We were able to pick up a lot of learnings from the first game and feed them in to [Sunday's game]. You know, some of the things on discipline and details on defending set plays."

Southgate not settled on a starting XI

The England boss is open to changing his starting line-up throughout the tournament to accommodate for the strength of their opponents.

He added: "The best team for the game with Croatia may not be the best team for the game with Scotland. We have to make sure we get those calls right.

"Of course myself and Steve [Holland] have monitored these players so closely for 12 months so although we learn from these games, there are also things in those matches that we have seen over a longer period of time.

"So we are not surprised by things. These matches confirm things for us.

"I go away and have my individual thoughts but all of my coaches are the same and we come together and discuss those things and thrash them around and test the robustness of any decisions we are deciding on.

"But we have another week’s training to get through as well.

"Every time I have ever written a team down on a scrap of paper over the last 12 months I have had to get the pencil with the rubber out and changed it because we have lost people. So I am loathed to pen it in ink.

"Hopefully we can avoid any injury or illness issues in the next few days."

Who will England face at Euro 2020?

After the clash against Croatia, England will take on Scotland on June 18.

They will then round off the group stage when they meet Czech Republic on June 22.

Further reading