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Didier Deschamps has opened the door to extending his contract with France, while adding to the calls for N'Golo Kante to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or.

Deschamps is currently preparing Les Bleus for this summer's European Championships, where they will be aiming to go one better than their appearance in the 2016 final.

The 52-year-old is into the ninth year of his reign in charge of the national team but only has 12 months remaining on his current deal, and hopes to be offered fresh terms after overseeing their latest major tournament.

What has been said?

"I may continue after 2022 with the agreement of my president," Deschamps told RTL. "People have to want to keep me and for that you need results. I will do something else at some point, but I am thriving in this role of manager. 

"I have a contract until December 2022, but today I am not thinking of becoming a club coach. I am very happy, all the conditions are met."

Deschamps' record as France manager

Deschamps has been on the touchline for France's last 112 matches across all competitions, recording 74 wins, 20 draws and 18 losses.

Les Bleus reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup under his stewardship before winning the competition four years later in Russia, beating Croatia 4-2 in the final.

Praise for Kante

Kante has been touted as a potential winner of this year's Ballon d'Or after another exceptional season at Chelsea, who he helped win the second Champions League crown in their history last month.

France team-mate Paul Pogba has been among those to endorse the midfielder for football's most prestigious individual prize, and Deschamps agrees that he would be a deserving winner.

"N'Golo, he doesn't have the record of a striker," the France boss added. "He can score a few goals but because of what he does everyone must have watched his last games, especially the Champions League final, N'Golo is also a driving force.

"The Ballon d'Or? He deserves it. You know the criteria as well as I do, it mainly concerns offensive players. When there was a defender or a midfielder, it was because there was no attacking player who had really marked the football year. 

"He is one of those driving forces of the France team too, he has a place - it is not in relation to his size by saying that he is small, but he is huge!"

Further reading

Umar Sadiq will be left to reflect on his football future in the wake of Almeria’s failure to achieve promotion to LaLiga following their play-off defeat to Girona on Saturday.

The former Nigeria U23 star was arguably the leading name among an ambitious squad looking to make it back to the Spanish elite division following their demotion in the 2014–15 season.

However, a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Francisco Vilchez’s side proved too much to overcome, settling for a 0-0 draw in the second leg at the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterraneos.

Despite playing from start to finish, he could not save the day for the Rojiblancos.

Having found the net on 20 occasions in 39 league games, Sadiq finished behind Sporting Gijon's Uros Djurdjevic (22 goals) and Espanyol's Raul de Tomas (23 goals) in the race for the 2020-21 Golden Boot prize.

Before the play-off, the former AS Roma and Bologna star had voiced his desire to win the Segunda Division Golden Boot, as well as help Almeria return to LaLiga.

“I’m satisfied, on a personal level, with the goals that I’ve scored so far, but the important thing is not that,” he told  the club website.

“All that matters is that we can win promotion to Primera Division, which is the prime objective.

“I don't look at what the other players who also have scored many goals are doing, although it’s clear that I’d like my team to get promoted and also be the top scorer.

“We, strikers, are here to score goals and help our teams, so in addition to scoring, I like giving assists and contributing as much as I can to the team.”

Sadiq joined Almeria from Serbian side Partizan on a five-year contract on October 5, 2020.

With a long-term deal signed, questions around his future will indisputably arise, however, Rubi’s team will undoubtedly aim to go one better next term.

On the other hand, Senegal's Mamadou Sylla and Mali's Ibrahima Kebe are back to the Spanish elite division with Girona.

The Catalonia based outfit got demoted to the second tier after placing 18th during the 2018-19 campaign.

Manchester United wonderkid Hannibal Mejbri made his much-awaited Tunisia debut as the Carthage Eagles defeated DR Congo 1-0 in Saturday’s international friendly.

The 18-year-old midfielder was introduced for Youssef Msakni in the 46th minute as Mondher Kebaier’s men extended their unbeaten run to 12 in all competitions.

Despite playing for France at U16 and U17 levels, the teenager decided to switch his allegiance to the African nation.

The European country might have been a more attractive choice for many teenagers, nonetheless, Mejbri disclosed that his decision to represent the Carthage Eagles was not purely a sporting one.

“I think that it is the best decision for my family and me," he told RMC Sport per Manchester Evening News.

"I am very proud of this decision. Tunisia is my country, the country of my parents so for sure there is a strong complicity.

“I like this country a lot, that is why I made this decision. I speak a little Arabic, but not very well. I lost it since I arrived in England. I am not scared about that.

“The higher the bar, the more you can improve. It can only help me to gain experience. My father and my mother were very happy that I chose Tunisia, certainly.

“It is like a present for them. But it makes me happy too. I think that I made the right choice. We will see in the future if that is the case. I am trying to build something, not purely on the sporting side.”

In the keenly contested affair at the Stade Olympique de Rades, Naim Sliti’s effort on the stroke of half-time separated both sides.

Left unmarked at the edge of the Leopards’ goal area, the Saudi Arabia based midfielder drilled a beauty past goalkeeper Baggio Ngusia.

With the fixture producing no goals in the last 45 minutes, veteran Argentina tactician Hector Cuper began his reign as the handler of the sub-Saharan African team on a losing note.

Following the sack of Christian Nsengi-Biembe, the 65-year-old was appointed on May 13, 2021, with the task of guiding them to the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

Mejbri would be gunning for his second cap when Tunisia take on Algeria on Thursday in Rades.

Sadio Mane has edged ahead of El Hadji Diouf on Senegal’s all-time top goalscorer list, with the Liverpool star having taken his international tally to 22 goals.

The 29-year-old got a goal plus an assist as the Lions of Teranga silenced Zambia 3-1 in Saturday’s international friendly.

Mane opened the scoring in the 21st minute from the penalty mark after he was brought down by Paul Katema in the box.

He stepped up to take the ensuing kick and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Lameck Siame.

It is his 22nd goal for the West Africans, putting him above legendary Diouf into fifth place.

That mark saw him equal Mamadou Diallo’s mark for the two-time Africa Cup of Nations runners-up as they are joint-third.

During his time in the national team between 1994–2000, Diallo – who represented Kawkab Marrakech, St. Gallen and Tampa Bay Mutiny scored 22 times for Senegal.

Ex-Strasbourg and Olympique Marseille striker Mamadou Niang is second on the goal chart, while Wigan Athletic icon Henri Camara occupies top spot on 31.

Mane will hope to continue closing the gap on those Senegalese heroes against Cape Verde on Tuesday, with his latest effort seeing him extend his international scoring run to three.

Krepin Diatta doubled the advantage for Aliou Cisse’s men in the 31st minute after he was set up by Watford goal machine Ismaila Sarr.

In the goal-laden first-half, Sarr registered his name on the scorer’s sheet after he was set up by 2019 African Player of the Year, Mane.

Notwithstanding, Dominic Chanda reduced the deficit for Milutin Sredojevic’s side in the 54th minute thanks to an assist from Edward Chilufya.

While the Liverpool star was in action from start to finish, Sarr was substituted for AS Monaco midfielder Fode Ballo-Toure will eleven minutes left on the clock.

For goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who helped Chelsea beat Manchester City to claim the Champions League title in Portugal, he was not listed against the Copper Bullets as coach Cisse preferred Rennes’ Alfred Gomis in goal.

On the other hand, Patson Daka was not dressed by Zambia as Moses Phiri and Rodgers Kola led their attack.

Unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions, Senegal would be hoping this form continues in August and September when they take on Togo and Congo respectively in their 2022 World Cup qualifying encounters.

Thibaut Courtois has insisted that Eden Hazard will "100 per cent" remain at Real Madrid next season. 

Hazard's first two seasons at Real have fallen short of expectations, as injuries and lack of form have seen him fail to live up to his €100 million (£86m/$122m) transfer fee from Chelsea.

But amid talk Madrid could look to cut their losses, Hazard's team-mate for club and country has backed him to remain at the Bernabeu. 

What was said?

"I'm 100% sure he's staying. He doesn't want to move. Only the Madrid press writes about the desire to leave," Courtois said in an interview with Le Soir.

"He wants to continue, play free of injuries and win titles," the Belgium goalkeeper continued. 

"At Real Madrid there is criticism all the time and for everyone. Gareth Bale was criticized, but he won the Champions League and scored a double in the final in Kyiv.

"We all know that in Madrid there is pressure and criticism from the press and the fans. But Eden can handle that. I know him well enough to say it. He can still change everything.

"He still wants to be an important player for Madrid and win titles."

Hazard happy with Ancelotti arrival

After taking over as Madrid head coach this week, Carlo Ancelotti will now have plenty of influence over Hazard's future at the club. 

Hazard has yet to work under the Italian but has said he is excited by the prospect of having him take over in the Spanish capital.

The 30-year-old is set to represent Belgium at the Euros this summer before he embarks on his third season with Madrid. 

Hazard has been limited to just 43 games across all competitions with Real, contributing a modest tally of five goals and eight assists.

Further reading

William Troost-Ekong and Jamilu Collins have been ruled out of Nigeria’s second leg international friendly against Cameroon because of injury.

The Watford and Paderborn stars suffered different knocks as the Super Eagles bowed 1-0 to the Indomitable Lions on Friday at the Wiener Neustadt Stadium – with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s first-half effort settling the encounter.

While Collins was in action from start to finish, Troost-Ekong was replaced in the 90th minute by Galatasaray centre-back Valentine Ozornwafor – who was making his Super Eagles debut.

Coach Gernot Rohr confirmed this development while disclosing that he would try a new approach against Toni Conceicao’s men on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, we lost two other players to injury and it’ll be difficult for the second game in defence because Ekong and Collins are out; they cannot play, so I think we’ll have to manage this difficult situation,” the German tactician told media per Brila Fm.

“But it will be an opportunity, perhaps also to play with three defenders only, and to change the system a bit; to try something different, that’s why we are happy to have this second game.”

Also, Rohr took positives from the Super Eagles’ defeat to the five-time African kings stating he was satisfied with the showings from his side.

“The most important thing is not the result because it was just a test match. It was interesting to see some new players because we had to manage the situation and we did well,” Rohr told the Super Eagles media team.

“I think we had 17 shots on the goal while Cameroon only had three, they had only one on target which was the goal and we had six on target.

“Like I said, the result is not the most important thing in a friendly, the most important thing is to learn, to see some interesting things, to test some new players and to see what we want to do in September for the World Cup qualifiers.

“Our domination was not good enough because we had to score in the beginning of the game, but we didn’t and when you don’t score you get punished.”

Nigeria are billed to take on Mexico at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 3 before their squaring up against Cape Verde and Liberia in September’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Ronald de Boer understands the resistance to his brother Frank's deployment of the 5-3-2 formation with the Netherlands national team, adding that Oranje legend Johan Cruyff "would turn in his grave" if he saw it – but stresses that there is still a place for it on the international stage.

De Boer saw his side held to a 2-2 draw against Scotland in their first warm-up game ahead of Euro 2020, with a late Memphis Depay goal needed to salvage a share of the spoils against Steve Clarke's side.

Throughout, the Oranje trialed a more defensively minded formation than their traditionalistic 4-3-3. The formation's shortcomings earned blowback post-match from both players and pundits - but their coach's sibling can see both the merits and flaws of such a tactic.

What has been said?

"Johan Cruyff would turn over in his grave," De Boer told  De Telegraaf  of the formation ahead of the Netherlands' final warm-up against Georgia.

"But he would also do that [if he saw the] games of Barcelona under Ronald Koeman. While it is still a very attractive system, it is about how you fill it in.

"When you have two very good opponents against you, it is useful to put someone between your two central defenders. Then you always have certainty and you also play offensively."

The bigger picture

Having missed out on qualification for the 2018 World Cup, De Boer will now lead the Netherlands to their first major tournament since they finished third at the 2014 World Cup.

That gap means that a clutch of generational talent will be competing in their maiden competition for their country - though in a cruel dash of fate, captain Virgil van Dijk will miss out through injury, while goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is absent following a case of Covid-19.

They will face Ukraine, North Macedonia and Austria in Group C, and are favoured to reach the knockout stages.

Further reading

Manchester United forward Amad Traore scored the winning goal as Ivory Coast secured a 2-1 comeback win over Burkina Faso on Saturday. 

Ajax star Lassina Traore opened the scoring at the Stade Alassane Ouattara D'Ebimpe in the 15th minute and the effort separated both teams at the break. 

Later in the second half, Ibrahim Sangare inspired Ivory Coast's fight-back with his equaliser in the 72nd minute and the game was looking to end as a draw until Traore's brilliance stoppage-time. 

The Manchester United teenager scored gsi first international goal for the Elephants with his free-kick in the 97th minute.

Traore got his maiden invitation to the national team this year and he made his debut against Niger in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on March 26. 

Patrice Beaumelle's will aim to maintain their fine form when they travel to Cape Coast for another friendly game against Ghana on June 12.

Orlando Pirates midfielder Fortune Makaringe has thanked the club's fans for their support during the 2020/21 season. 

The 28-year-old player was speaking after the Buccaneers ended the campaign with a 0-0 draw with Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) in a PSL match at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The result saw the Soweto giants finish third in the league for the second season running and they booked their place in next season's Caf Confederation Cup. 

Makaringe acknowledged the support from the Bucs fans, who were forced to watch the team's matches from home as supporters are not allowed in stadiums due to Covid-19 restrictions. 

"My message to the supporters is, they should always be faithful to the Orlando Pirates badge," Makaringe told the club's official social media platforms after the game. 

"We know that we gave them heart attacks, but they always stuck with the club. We are really happy."

Makaringe is among the Pirates players, who have come under heavy scrutiny from frustrated Bucs fans on social media this season due to his inconsistency.

The former Swallows FC academy player, who replaced Siphesihle Ndlovu in the starting line-up ahead of the clash with TTM, understands that the criticism they receive from the supporters. 

"We are grateful for everything that they have been doing for us, we know that there is always going to be negative and positive criticism," he added.

"But it all comes from the heart and what they love the most which is the team. They are doing it because they love us and we also love them. We will always play for them at all costs."

Makaringe, who is nicknamed Maestro, was one of the most used players by Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer this term as he made 43 appearances across all competitions. 

Maestro grabbed three assists and four goals including one in the 2020 MTN8 which the Buccaneers won after defeating Bloemfontein Celtic in the final.

He joined Pirates from Maritzburg United in June 2019. He made 27 appearances across all competitions for Bucs in the 2019/20 season and he grabbed two assists.

Ashleigh Plumptre has expressed her delight after committing herself until 2023 with FA Women's Championship side Leicester City women.

Since joining Jonathan Morgan’s side after spells at Notts County and LA Galaxy, she has been a key figure in the Foxes squad.

Also, Plumptre played a key role in the club’s promotion to the top division of women’s football in the just-concluded season.

In a chat with the club website, the 23-year-old defender revelled in the extension by stating that Leicester City have provided so much for her.

“This is my hometown club and to have achieved what we have in my first full season of being here was amazing,” she said.

“Being around the city that I grew up in and being around my family for at least another two years, being at a club that has provided so much for all of us on the women’s side already. I can’t complain, there’s nothing else I could ask for really.

“It’s nice because I look back on the pictures from when I was at the Centre of Excellence and I pretty much look the same, I’ve just got a foot taller!

“It’s crazy to think it’s been 14 years; it’s gone so fast. I remember my time there like it was yesterday.”

The Foxes square up against Manchester City in the quarter-final of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup. To reach this stage, they silenced Manchester United 3-2 in a fifth-round clash.

“We’re all really excited because we finished the league and the FA Cup in a really good place. Obviously, Man United was a really good test right at the end of the season,” she continued.

“Not only when we’ve had a long season but having to play a team that just missed out on a Champions League spot, and we’d already won the league, so we had to be prepared to play against a team like that.

“But it put us in good stead because we got a good result. Those are the types of teams we want to be competing with next year. It’s just been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest, but mostly success this season.”

Born to a Nigerian father and a British mother, Plumptre is eligible to represent the Super Falcons despite representing England at U15, U17, U19 and U23 levels.

Kaizer Chiefs stand-in coach Arthur Zwane conceded that the club should be setting a higher target than a top eight finish.

Samir Nurkovic’s 26th minute goal enabled Chiefs to leapfrog Galaxy into eighth place on the final day of the season.

However, such is the tight nature of the log that in the penultimate round of matches in midweek, when Chiefs secured a 3-2 win over Golden Arrows, they had still been in danger of getting sucked into the relegation fight.

The Glamour Boys hardly threatened against Galaxy and capitalised on an error to score the game’s only goal. And on the day it was the home side who made more of the play.

“We have been travelling a lot as a team,” Zwane said in his post-match interview with SuperSport TV.

“We went to Venda, we came back, we played on Wednesday and we knew that our energy levels would drop too soon. So we had to try manage the game, more than to play pound for pound, because Galaxy are a very good team.

“Yes they gave us a run for our money. But I give credit to the boys, they had to dig deeper, they gave their level best even when you could see they couldn’t run anymore.”

Together with the team’s other assistant coach Dillon Sheppard, Zwane has been in charge for the last two matches, following the dismissal of head coach Gavin Hunt.

While relieved to have made the top eight, he admits it’s not what a team like Chiefs should be celebrating.

“They kept on pushing until; the end. All we wanted was to pick up the maximum points, to be in the top eight. Though that’s not how it’s supposed to be for a team of Kaizer Chiefs’ calibre. But yes, we had to scrape through this one just to be in the top eight.”

Bruno Fernandes admits to taking inspiration from all areas of Cristiano Ronaldo's game, with the Manchester United midfielder following in illustrious footsteps at Old Trafford.

A fellow countryman started out on his path to superstardom with Premier League heavyweights, with the first of five Ballons d'Or and as many Champions League crowns secured while in England.

Ronaldo has gone on to cement a standing as an all-time great, with Fernandes taking important lessons from the 36-year-old when it comes to seeking continuous improvement and shrugging off any setbacks.

What has been said?

Fernandes, who has become the latest Portuguese talisman in Manchester, has told United's official website of emulating his idol and current international colleague: "Growing up, everyone knows Cristiano was my favourite player.

"I think it was a little bit of everything. When Cristiano began to take his first steps in the national team, it was in the Euros in our home country [Euro 2004], so I was nine years old. That year stays with everyone because we lost the final in Portugal, we saw him crying after the final, he was a young boy who was starting to shine and from there I started to watch him. 

"It wasn’t because he plays in my position because that wasn’t the case, but it was the way he worked every day, the mentality he had, the capacity he had to give 100 per cent in every game at a high level, for me it was like a motivation, like you always have to do better. He was scoring goals every game, but game after game he was still trying to improve, get better.

"My mentality comes a little bit from understanding what sort of player you want to be. Do you want to be that player who has a good season, and maybe goes up and down, up and down, or do you want to be the player who always wants to be at the top? Okay, you will have bad games for sure, everyone has – Cristiano has had bad games, 100 per cent – but the point is, coming back from a bad game.

"Coming back with the mentality that is, 'okay I didn’t play well in that last game and I really need to do well in this one'. The mentality to do better day after day is really important for me. I’m improving a lot because of this, and that was my biggest motivation."

The bigger picture

Fernandes boasts the same relentless drive for perfection as Ronaldo, with the 26-year-old stating on a regular basis that he will not settle for second best at United.

He is doing all he can to put the Red Devils back on a trophy trail, with a further 28 goals and 18 assists added to his impressive tally in 2020-21.

Those efforts were not enough to deliver major silverware, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer forced back to the drawing board.

There has been talk of Ronaldo being drafted back into those plans, as he approaches the final year of his contract at Juventus, but no deal has been discussed as yet and recruitment plans continue to be pieced together ahead of the summer transfer window.

Further reading

Nigeria’s defeat to Cameroon in Friday’s international friendly is nothing to lose sleep over, according to coach Henry Makinwa.

Although the Super Eagles put up an imposing display against the Indomitable Lions, they bowed 1-0 at the Wiener Neustadt Stadium.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s 37th minute encounter separated both teams in the affair that saw Abraham Marcus, Valentine Ozornwafor and Terem Moffi make their international debuts.

The loss has continued to generate contrasting opinions from the football sphere, with some claiming Gernot Rohr’s men are off-guard for the Africa Cup of Nations slated for 2022.

Nonetheless, the former Abia Warriors and Katsina United handler claims there is nothing to worry about, picking out the positives against Toni Conceicao’s team instead.

“No cause for alarm because defeat is a possibility in football. Now that we ended up on the losing side, it should be taken as a loss as nothing more,” Makinwa told Goal.

“Before the game against Cameroon, it was obvious that Nigeria could not use all their players due to injuries, logistic reasons and maybe restrictions on travelling due to Covid-19.”

On Tuesday, both teams lock horns again in the second leg of June’s international friendlies.

When asked about the grey areas the Nigerian technical crew should correct ahead of the encounter, the former Vitoria Setubal and Rapid Bucuresti forward says all necessary correction lies on the table of Eagles’ German handler.  

“The changes to be made are known only to the head coach because he knows exactly what went wrong [in the first leg] and the immediate solution,” he continued.

“People can speculate from outside, but the stakeholders know what the next step is.

“All I want to implore Nigerians to do is keep supporting the boys before, during and after the next game. Up Super Eagles!”

Before taking on Cape Verde and Liberia in September’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the West Africans are billed to take on Mexico at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 3.

The last meeting between the two countries was in a friendly match en route to the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.

After 90 minutes of entertaining action, the Super Eagles and El Tri settled for a 0-0 draw at the Georgia Dome, with goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa making a couple of fine saves to deny Stephen Keshi’s men.

Clement Lenglet has vowed to see out the summer transfer window on Barcelona's books despite generating talk of an imminent move being made.

Change is on the cards at Camp Nou, with Ronald Koeman looking to bolster his ranks after being cleared to take in a second season at the helm.

Eric Garcia is among those to have been acquired, adding to the competition Lenglet faces at centre-half, but a 25-year-old France international expects to stay put.

What has been said?

Quizzed by Eurosport on his future plans, Lenglet has said: "I do not see myself leaving.

"I re-signed a new contract last season. I will be at Barca next season."

Lenglet's record at Barca

The Frenchman has just completed his third season in Catalunya, having been snapped up from Sevilla in 2018.

He is up to 133 appearances for the Blaugrana and has been a regular throughout his time at Camp Nou.

There are, however, holes at the back for Barca to plug and that could deliver more comings and goings in upcoming windows.

The bigger picture

A final decision on Lenglet's future could rest with Koeman, as the Dutch coach starts preparations for 2021-22.

He has fended off questions regarding his future to earn the right to see out a two-year contract.

Copa del Rey glory was secured last season, in a testing campaign for all concerned on and off the field, and Lenglet is pleased to see stability being sought.

He added on his current coach: "He did a good job in his first year. 

"We had some somewhat complicated periods but also others with a quality of play, wins and a positive image. 

"I hope that we will continue the work undertaken and progress next year. We are heading in the right direction."

Further reading

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Robson Muchichwa insists former coach Gavin Hunt failed to build the team and did not deserve to continue being at the helm.

The 56-year-old was fired on May 28 owing to consistent struggles in the PSL that threatened to drag Amakhosi into a relegation battle. 

The now 45-year-old believes the tactician failed at Amakhosi since he did not do what was expected of him.

Why is Muchichwa considering Hunt a failure?

"For me, he failed; he failed because I didn't expect him to go out there and win things, of which if he did, that was going to be a bonus," the Zimbabwean said in an interview on Kickoff.

"But we were expecting him to rebuild the team, give direction to the team, of which none of those has materialised because now the team was even number 12. Which shows there was no direction there."

Who is the ideal coach for Chiefs?

"I think for me I don't want to say bring this one or bring that one, but look for somebody who is more organised, who knows what he is doing," Muchichwa continued.

"Somebody who can look at that situation at Chiefs and say 'Okay, what am I going to do to improve the situation?' That's the type of a person who is needed now.  

"They might bring whoever, I don't care. As long as he’s got all those qualities I have just mentioned, then that's the right person for Chiefs."

Meanwhile, the club sneaked into the top eight on the final day of the PSL season with a 1-0 win over TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

The only goal of a somewhat cagey game between teams eighth and ninth on the log, was scored by Samir Nurkovic in the 26th minute.

The 13-time champions finished the 2020/21 season with 36 points from the 30 matches played. They managed just eight wins in the whole season, 12 draws, and 10 losses. The Soweto heavyweights scored 34 goals and conceded 37 in the process.

Massimiliano Allegri's coaching mentor, Giovanni Galeone, claims a man back at Juventus for a second spell snubbed approaches from Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain during a previous stint with the Bianconeri.

A highly rated 53-year-old finds himself back in Turin two years on from being relieved of his duties in the same post on the back of five Serie A title triumphs.

Allegri saw his stock soar during that trophy-laden tenure, with questions asked of his future plans by leading sides in Spain, England and France as high-profile posts became available or change in said dugouts was mulled over.

What has been said?

Galeona, who had Allegri work under him at Pescara and has played a leading role in the shaping of a productive coaching career, has told Il Bianconero: "The last year that he was at Juventus, Allegri said no to five big offers. Chelsea tried twice in the space of 15 days and he always rejected every proposal.

"Then Real Madrid contacted him more than once, while Arsenal, PSG and Manchester United also tried. This was all in the space of a year, but he always said no.

"I do think that if Juve hadn’t called, he would be in Madrid now, even though he wasn’t entirely convinced by the organisation there. Nobody is, really."

Was Juve return the right choice?

Allegri was the favoured option of Real to replace Zinedine Zidane when it became apparent that the French tactician would be heading for the exits.

Juve, though, moved quickly to replace managerial rookie Andrea Pirlo with an experienced head.

Galeona believes the right call has been made by all parties, despite the Bianconeri enduring a testing 2020-21 campaign that left them scratching around for Champions League qualification in the final round of Serie A fixtures.

He added on Allegri heading back to the Allianz Stadium: "If he’d returned last year, I don’t think I would’ve agreed to it, but now I am truly happy on his behalf, because the club realised it made a mistake by sacking him."

Further reading

Gareth Southgate insisted England are "more determined than ever" to kneel before matches in response to fans booing the action on Wednesday. 

The Three Lions took a knee prior to their friendly against Austria at the Riverside Stadium, which led to scattered boos ringing out around the ground.

Teams across the Premier League kneeled prior to every match in 2020-21 to call attention to racial injustice worldwide. 

What was said?

“We feel more determined than ever to take the knee,” Southgate said at a press conference on Saturday.

“We accept there might be an adverse reaction and we’re just going to ignore that and move forward.

“We accept that there could be elements of the crowd that boo. We’re prepared to go through that. That’s the stance we are going to take going into the tournament.

"Those people [that boo] should put themselves in the shoes of the young players. How would they feel if their kids were in that situation?”

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips added that England's players were "confused and disappointed" to hear fans booing prior to kickoff.

What's next for England?

England will close out their Euro 2020 preparations on Sunday when they take on Romania in a friendly at the Riverside Stadium.

With the match taking place at the same venue as Wednesday's game, England players could hear a similar reaction to fans prior to kickoff.

The Three Lions will play their first game of the Euros on June 13 when they face Croatia at Wembley. They will then take on Scotland five days later before finishing the group stage with a clash against Czech Republic.

Further reading

PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns ended their excellent season in style as they claimed a 3-0 win over Cape Town City on Saturday afternoon.

Lyle Lakay's perfect free-kick and a brace by Peter Shalulile was enough for the Brazilians to bag maximum points at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

It was the visitors who started the game on a high and Kennedy Mweene was called into action after just three minutes.

A good pass from the midfield caught the defenders out of position and Fagrie Lakay managed to put himself in a one-on-one situation with the Zambia shot-stopper. However, the latter pulled off a great save to send the ball out for an unfruitful corner.

Mosa Lebusa was forced out with an injury two minutes later, and Kenya international Brian Onyango was introduced in his place.

The champions were not that dangerous in the opening minutes, but when they got their opportunity, they made it count.

The Citizens conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position in the 10th minute, and Lyle Lakay rose to the occasion, leaving the goalkeeper glued to his spot as he watched the ball sail into the corner of the goal.

It was the fourth league goal for the 29-year-old in 24 league matches in the campaign.

The visitors upped their tempo hoping to get an equalizer, but the Brazilians stood firm at the back to ensure they didn't leak an equaliser.

Namibia forward Shalulile had a massive chance to score his 14th goal of the season when he beat the offside trap, but his shot went narrowly wide with goalkeeper Marc Anderson well beaten.

Miscommunication in Masandawana defence allowed Fagrie Lakay to steal possession before sprinting clear in the 41st minute and he unleashed a fierce strike that Mweene - who was deputising for Ugandan Denis Onyango - kept out.

But it was the hosts who ended the first half in the ascendancy with Shalulile coming close twice. In the 43rd minute, his feeble shot from a great position was calmly collected by the goalkeeper while his header moments later, missed the target by inches. 

Three minutes after the restart, Mweene had to be alert to stop a rocket from Mduduzi Mdantsane who had been slipped into the danger zone by a teammate.

Morena Thapelo was then forced to make a goalline clearance from the resulting corner. 

Lyle Lakay almost doubled the advantage in the 60th minute from another set-piece from about 20 yards, but hawk-eyed Anderson pushed the ball out for a corner.

The dangerous Shalulile was rewarded for his hard work in the 75th minute when he danced his way past two defenders, before calmly slotting home to double the advantage.

The Namibian was at it again in the 82nd minute, this time around tapping in a Morena pass to score his 15th of the season and his 31st in two PSL seasons.