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Marcus Rashford has detailed the racial abuse he said flooded his social media accounts after Manchester United lost on penalties to Villarreal in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils forward counted at least 70 slurs in the immediate aftermath of the defeat. He has been among the footballers who have decried the pervasiveness of racism on social media over the past year, but so far, the problem has not subsided.

Rashford went on to say that a teacher was among those who sent him racist messages. The player also highlighted a fan who had said he "deserved" abuse, promoting their response to him as an example of the mindsets he has to deal with on a daily basis.

What has been said?

"At least 70 racial slurs on my social accounts counted so far," Rashford wrote on Twitter. "For those working to make me feel any worse than I already do, good luck trying."

Later, he added: "I’m more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile. He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence…"

Manchester United's statement

Not long after Rashford's experience, the club issued a statement condemning the abuse.

"Following the [Europa League] final, our players were subjected to disgraceful racist abuse," wrote the team on Twitter. "If you see any form of abuse or discrimination, act and report it."

Marcus Rashford took aim at Manchester United's critics after their Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, insisting that those who say the club is going downhill are misguided.

United fell in penalties against Villarreal on Wednesday after the two sides drew over 120 minutes, with David de Gea's miss settling an extraordinary shootout that saw both teams convert their first 10 penalties. 

With the defeat United's trophy drought extended to four seasons, having last won silverware in 2017 when they beat Ajax in the Europa League final. 

What was said?

"People say a lot about Man Utd going downhill, blah, blah, blah, blah but for me, the club, desire, hunger, talent, ability, the squad, we have everything to compete at the highest level," Rashford told BT Sport.

"We just have to show it to the world and ourselves, show why we belong in the top places and why we need to win finals like this."

Rashford did, however, admit that his side cannot be satisfied with second-place finishes.

"Second doesn't count for nothing," the striker said. "Manchester City win the league, we finished second. Doesn't mean nothing. Villarreal won the Europa League, we finished second. For us it's nothing.

"I don't want to hear 'they were so close' because it means nothing. One winner, one loser. Today we lost. We have to find out why and make sure next time we don't lose."

What's next for Rashford?

Rashford has fought through a foot injury for several weeks, with his goalscoring drying up somewhat in the final two months of the season.

Next up for Rashford is the Euros, with England set to get their campaign underway on June 13 against Croatia. 

Asked whether he'd be fit for the Euros, Rashford replied: "Forget about the foot for now. The disappointment of today, I don't feel the foot."

Further reading

Nigerians are celebrating Samuel Chukwueze's success at Villarreal after they defeated Manchester United on penalties in the Uefa Europa League final on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old did not recover in time for the game and he watched on from the bench as Unai Emery's men defeated the Red Devils 11-10 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw at the end of regular time.

Wednesday’s victory made Chukwueze the latest Nigerian player to win silverware this season after Asisat Oshoala won the Uefa Women’s Champions League with Barcelona and Leicester City duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi clinched the FA Cup.

Next up, is the Uefa Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City on Saturday and even though no Nigerian player will be involved, the fans went on to give their favourite player in the two clubs a Nigerian name for victory.

Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted that his side "didn't turn up" in their Europa League final loss to Villarreal on Wednesday. 

The Spanish side opened the scoring through Gerard Moreno in the first half before Edinson Cavani equalised on 55 minutes in Gdansk. 

The final would go to a penalty shoot-out where both teams sensationally converted their first 10 chances, before United goalkeeper David de Gea saw his spot-kick saved to give Villarreal the trophy.

What was said?

"It's quiet, a disappointed dressing room," Solskjaer told BT Sport. "That's football for you. Sometimes it's decided on one kick - and that's the difference between winning and losing.

"We have to learn from that one, not savour this feeling but taste this feeling and make sure we don't get it again.

"We didn't turn up. We didn't play as well as we know we can. We started all right and they got the goal, their only shot on target. We were disappointed to concede a goal on a set play.

"Now is not the time to point the finger at what I'd have done differently. But when you come out without the trophy you haven't done everything right."

The bigger picture

United's defeat means they will end the season without a trophy again, making it four straight seasons without silverware for a club not accustomed to such long droughts. 

The last trophy United won was the Europa League, which they clinched in 2016-17 by defeating Ajax in the final. 

Though the Red Devils did secure a second-place finish in the Premier League they fell short in the Champions League group stage, which knocked them into the Europa League. 

United also lost in the FA Cup quarter-final to Leicester City and the Carabao Cup semi-final to Man City.

Asked if this season has been a success, Solskjaer replied: "No."

Further reading

Football enthusiasts across Africa have refused to blame David de Gea for Manchester United’s Uefa Europa League final defeat to Villarreal on Wednesday.

After settling for  a 1-1 draw at the end of extra-time, the Spain goalkeeper stepped up to play United’s 11th penalty kick at PGE Arena Gdansk but his effort was parried away by Geronimo Rulli.

The missed chance cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side the Europa League trophy as Villarreal claimed their first major European title.

With De Gea acquitted, a section of fans on the continent are pointing fingers at Marcus Rashford and Solskjaer for the loss because of the forward’s missed chances and the coach’s selection dilemma.

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes that his side’s dominance across the board has underpinned their latest PSL title success.

The Brazilians clinched the South African title on Wednesday evening as they defeated rivals SuperSport United in the Tshwane derby.

The confident performance—an encouraging riposte after Sundowns’ Caf Champions League elimination at the hands of Al-Ahly at the weekend—was enough to take the Pretoria heavyweights out of reach of the chasing pack.

For Mngqithi, it’s exactly what they deserve after a season of dominance.

“Up until this point, with three matches remaining, we’ve dominated 99 percent of our matches played except for poor possession against Cape Town City, but we still won that one 3-0,” Mngqithi told journalists [as per News24].

“This was one of our objectives, and I believe we’ve dominated the entire season while the personality of our team remains important.”

With three games to go, Sundowns are 10 points clear at the top of the table, and have lost just one match all season.

“We’ve dominated all of the statistics in ball possession, shots at goal, goals conceded and other aspects of the game over the season,” he added, “and that will remain the objective in the next three games.”

Lebohang Maboe, Aubrey Modiba and Themba Zwane scored the goals on Wednesday—during a first-half blitz—as Sundowns outclassed their rivals.

Success means they clinched a record-setting fourth consecutive title, as they consolidate their status as the most successful South African team of the PSL era.

For Mngqithi and fellow head coach Rhulani Mokoena, the title triumph represents a strong response to critics who questioned how the double act would fare following the departure of celebrated head coach Pitso Mosimane in 2020.

“The biggest focus we had with regards to the team is how we had to restructure our plan in many ways and how we built on our foundations from the previous season,” the 50-year-old continued.

“New players came in and we had to find a balance and system that would work for them.
”We believe we’ve achieved a lot in that regard.”

Next up for Sundowns, they are away at Moroka Swallows on Saturday, before travelling to Bloemfontein Celtic in midweek.

They conclude their campaign at home against Cape Town City.

 Newly -promoted Swiss Super League side Grasshopper Club Zurich have announced the appointment of Seyi Olofinjana as the club’s technical director.

The 40-year-old was the loan manager at Wolverhampton Wanderers and played a key role in ensuring the club maintain their Premier League status.

The former Nigeria international parted ways with Wolves in April, where he has been since he retired from professional football.

Olofinjana is delighted with his new role at Letzigrund and looks forward to helping the club achieve success in the Swiss top-flight.

"I am happy to be part of a club with a history like GC. I hope together we can re-establish GC at the top of the Super League," Olofinjana told the club website.

Olofinjana started his European career with Norwegian side Brann before teaming up with Wolves in 2004 and went on to spend four years with the side, featuring in more than 130 league games.

The midfielder then moved to Stoke City and spent a season with the club in the Premier League before he left for Hull City.

He also played for Sheffield Wednesday and last featured for Start in Tippeligaen before he ended his professional career.

After his retirement, he returned to Wolverhampton Wanderers and worked with the club’s academy before he was made the loan manager.

Olofinjana made 48 appearances for the Nigeria national team before he quit international duty, helping the Super Eagles to finish third at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Grasshopper Club Zurich finished as champions of the Swiss Challenge League to earn promotion to the top-flight.

The Grasshoppers are currently without a manager and Olofinjana will be expected to play a key role in getting a new coach for the club.

Percy Tau said he will continue fighting to be a regular fixture at Brighton & Hove Albion despite his lack of playing time.

The 27-year-old played just three Premier League matches with the first two coming in January before he eventually returned to action against West Ham United on May 15 where he even contributed an assist that earned Brighton a 1-1 draw.

Since he moved to England from Mamelodi Sundowns in July 2018, Tau has been sent on loan to three Belgian clubs and he is not thinking of leaving the Seagulls for another temporary stint after his maiden Premier League season.

“I don’t think anyone is thinking of that (a loan deal) at this stage. It has been six months that I’ve been at Brighton. And if they were to loan me out, it would be based on what exactly? I didn’t play enough. I am looking to fight for my position,” Tau was quoted by IOL.

“We are still on the same page with the club. They still want me to stay and play. And I also want to fight for my position. You know what they say, they say you want to see the future. As things stand at the moment, we are both on agreement terms.”

Tau is in line to be on international assignment this summer at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, he has been named in South Africa's 30-man provisional squad.

The Bafana Bafana talisman sees his inclusion in the U23 set-up as a responsibility to guide the country to victory.

“I think we’ll take the responsibility well because there’s many of us that can handle it. I am sure that there are young players that will want to take the responsibility because there are tournaments that will want them to be responsible,” he added.

“It’s going to be challenging because some of us don’t enjoy being leaders or always talking. But now, there’s no one and we’ll be forced to talk and lead, but we’ll see how it goes. I came home to rest but the programme is tight and there’s a lot to do.”

South Africa are in Group A of the men's football competition and they are drawn against hosts Japan, Mexico and France.

Ruben Dias says it would be a dream to finish his first season at Manchester City by winning the Champions League.

The Portuguese defender has already won the Premier League and Carabao Cup since his £62 million ($79m) move from Benfica in September as well as being named the FWA Footballer of the Year.

Dias has made a huge impact at the club and helped them to their first Champions League final, and the defender warned Chelsea that City are 'fresh' for the challenge.

What’s been said?

“We couldn’t be more fresh. Obviously, we’re all very happy for what’s happened [this season] but we all know how special the Champions League is. We’re fresh because we want it so much,” he said ahead of Saturday’s final.

“Almost everybody has dreamed of winning the Champions League, I think it’s the biggest competition.

"To finish the club season with the Champions League, it’s all obviously a dream for everybody.

“We fought a lot to be here and we’re always thinking [about] the same thing: 'We want to win it'. So, now there’s one game left and we will do everything we can.”

The bigger picture

Chelsea have beaten City twice since Thomas Tuchel took charge of the club and Dias is expecting another difficult clash.

“It will be good because we know each other; because of that, we might have different weapons,” he added.

“We’re not focused on just one player because if Chelsea is one thing, it is strong because of the team they have, not just the individuals.

“They have top players like us, but I think we’re both teams that are stronger because of the collective. It will be a good game.”

Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in this season’s Champions League and won home and away at Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.

“We were playing against one of the toughest opponents in the world: special players, a special team,” Dias said. “And to be able to beat them, it says a lot about us and, at the same time, it says we’re ready to take on the final.”

More reading:

Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno kept his promise to a Spanish television show when he did a vaccine-themed celebration after scoring against Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday. 

Moreno opened the scoring in the 29th minute against the Red Devils, getting on the end of a Dani Parejo free kick to steer home from close range. 

The Spain international paid tribute to healthcare workers during his celebration while also highlighting the importance of vaccination against Covid-19.

Moreno's promise

The Spain international appeared on the "La Resistencia" program on Movistar+ and promised host David Broncano that he would do a vaccine-themed celebration should he score in the Europa League final.

“It’s fine although UEFA does a lot of anti-doping control, let’s see if they will think I’m doping," Moreno joked after making his promise.

The Spain international proved a man of his word after scoring in Gdansk, Poland, making a vaccination gesture while celebrating with his team-mates.

"La Resistencia" naturally took pleasure in Moreno's fulfilled promise, posting a video of the celebration along with the caption "ONE OF US".

Moreno reaches 30 goals

Moreno's goal also saw him reach the 30-goal milestone for the 2020-21 campaign. 

By reaching the 30-goal mark, Moreno became the first Villarreal player to do so since Giuseppe Rossi 10 years ago. 

Further reading

Football fans have advised Achraf Hakimi to move to Juventus, Chelsea, or Arsenal after Antonio Conte left Inter Milan.

The 22-year-old teamed up with Black and Blues last summer from Real Madrid after impressing on loan with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

Hakimi had previously revealed the role Conte played in convincing him to sign for Inter and featured prominently as they won the 2020-21 Serie A title.

On Wednesday, the Black and Blues confirmed the departure of the Italian tactician from the club and it is believed the wingback could also leave San Siro, notwithstanding, he has four years left on his contract.

Football fans across the world have taken to social media to urge the Morocco international to sign for their clubs.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt has insisted that his side will not be dragged into the PSL relegation playoffs. 

The Soweto giants let a lead slip in their 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened Black Leopards in a league game at Thohoyandou Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

A brace from Tiklas Thutlwa inspired Lidoda Duvha to a come-from-behind victory over Amakhosi, who had opened the scoring through Leonardo Castro.

Chiefs find themselves in 11th place on the league standings - five points above the relegation playoff spot with two games left which are against Lamontville Golden Arrows and TS Galaxy. 

"Nah, we'll be okay, we'll be okay," Hunt told SuperSport TV when asked if the team could go to the relegation playoffs where they would face two teams from the National First Division. 

The Glamour Boys came into their clash with Leopards having played Tanzanian giants Simba SC in the Caf Champions League clash in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

Hunt didn't want to make any excuses after losing to Leopards as he stated that his side had enough time to recover from their trip from East Africa. 

"Yeah, it's not but look I mean we've done well this season to get what we got with what we got, it was a battle again today," he continued.

"Defending again, two incidents where we should have done better...No excuses [traveling from Tanzania], we had enough couple of days, no excuse for that.

"We had a good couple of chances but obviously upfront we really got two strikers and obviously one is not gonna play more than 60 [minutes] but we had to keep him going, but otherwise we had nothing else you know."

Hunt was left to rue their missed chances in their defeat to Lidoda Duvha and he was hoping for a win which would have seen Chiefs go level on points with eighth-placed Baroka FC on the standings.

"Obviously it creates a problem, you can't make the change, before it was 1-1 he had a golden chance to tap it in, he didn't score so but I mean he's struggling, he did well for us," he added.

"All in all we had a good couple of opportunities, we could have scored but you gotta score the second goal which I said to them at half-time and it will be easier for you. 

"Obviously we tried to get it today [three points], to try and help us [for top eight], we had a good start and had another good chance to make it 2-0, we didn't score," he explained. 

"That's been the problem and obviously one chance they had, they scored. So it's been a problem, you know."

Kaizer Chiefs' struggles in the PSL continued on Wednesday as they extended their winless run to five matches when they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Black Leopards in Limpopo.

The defeat saw Amakhosi miss a chance to secure safety from relegation as they remained 11th on the league standings - five points above the relegation playoff spot with two matches left.

The Soweto giants now need three points from their matches against Lamontville Golden Arrows and TS Galaxy to guarantee safety. 

Chiefs' defeat to bottom-placed Leopards set social media alight as fans shared their thoughts in what was Amakhosi coach Gavin Hunt's 900th match as a professional coach.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Chiefs' loss to Leopards:

Former Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah has stated he is unable to confirm nor deny claims of interference in the West Africans' current nationality administration but says there was never any such cases during his era.

Appiah's comments follow recent controversy surrounding player selection for the Black Stars.

Ghana coach CK Akonnor has reportedly been forced to hand call-ups to some players on orders of top FA officials, a claim both he and the football governing body have rejected.

"Luckily in my time I never experienced that [interference in player call-ups]. The coaches called players based on form,” Appiah told TV3 .

“If you are playing well of course you would get a call-up.

"We have to know that even if the best players are called up, there will still be people that will be pointing out that certain players should be called up.

“I have never experienced the interference and now that I am away from this team, I don’t know what is going on there."

In March, Akonnor and the FA were caught up in a controversy following the announcement of Ghana's squad for Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

The coach received a lot of stick for calling up attacker Kwame Opoku Afriyie who plays club football for English fourth tier side Colchester United.

The coach was, however, reportedly unhappy by the bad press as he was said to have had no hand in the inclusion of the youngster in the squad.

“Call-ups for all national teams go through processes, and people must understand this,” Ghana FA boss Kurt Okraku recently said in response to the accusations .

“Gone are the days when one person will wake up one day and name a national team, it will never happen again.

“The coach and his team will work with the technical directorate to select a squad, then they have to convince the Management Committee about the squad they have selected.

"Then there is a meeting – some I may attend, others I may select someone to represent me. When there is a consensus, the squad is then announced."

The call-up of Dreams FC right-back Philemon Baffour and Amiens midfielder Emmanuel Lomotey has also raised questions.

“This is a system that is practised everywhere in the world. There is no country where one single individual names a squad," Okraku added.

“I have not heard CK Akonnor speak about someone imposing players on him, and I doubt he’d ever say that, because nobody imposes players on Charles Akonnor.”

Appiah is famously remembered for spearheading Ghana’s first qualification for the World Cup in 2006 and their subsequent run to the Round of 16 of the championship held in Germany.

He also played at the 2010 World Cup and held the role as technical coordinator between 2017 and 2019 following his retirement from active football.

Samuel Chukwueze has been ruled out of Villarreal’s Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday evening.

The 22-year-old was stretchered off in pain during the Yellow Submarine’s semi-final clash with Arsenal in North London as Unai Emery’s men held the Gunners to a goalless draw.

Nonetheless, a 2-1 win from the first-leg helped Unai Emery’s men advance to the final where they will slug it out with the Red Devils for a chance to win the diadem for the very first time in their history.

Having missed his team’s matches against Celta Vigo, Real Valladolid, Sevilla, and Real Madrid due to injury, the winger was expected to return to action against United.

But going by the Spaniards’ team list for the crunch encounter, the Super Eagle will play no role in the tie slated for the Polsat Plus Arena Gdansk.

“'Samu' does not make the game and Juan Foyth, if he trains normally tomorrow [Wednesday], we will be able to use him,” Emery told reporters per Manchester United website.

The winger had pulled out of upcoming international duty with Nigeria, signifying he needed more time to recover.

In the absence of Chukwueze, goal-scoring responsibilities will fall on the trio of Gerard Moreno, Carlos Bacca, and Spain youth international Yeremi Pino.

The African star would be hoping to win his first major title with the La Liga outfit since joining them from Diamond Football Academy after helping Emmanuel Amuneke’s Nigeria win the 2017 Fifa U17 World Cup in Chile.

In that tournament, he was named third-best player behind Johannes Eggestein and compatriot Victor Osimhen.

Having impressed for Villarreal’s reserves in the third tier, he was promoted to the senior team – making his debut in a Europa League game against Rangers – as manager Javi Calleja brought him in as a 79th-minute replacement for Nicola Sansone.

He made his league debut on November 5, 2018, playing every minute in a 1-1 draw against Levante.

Since then, he has been a regular in the Yellow Submarine setup - while accentuating his importance to the team with eye-catching performances.

In the 2020-21 campaign, the youngster has contributed five goals and six assists in 39 matches across all competitions.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has defended the Ksh498 million upgrading work done at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu after members of the public questioned the quality of work.

 As pictures of the renovated facility went viral on social media, some members of the public felt the work done does not reflect the value of money given what was allocated for it.

The work at the stadium started in mid-2020 after it was renamed Jomo Kenyatta Stadium from Kisumu Mambo Leo Ground.

 "There is no stadium that has taken seven months to construct just like this has done in. I am satisfied that it is world-class and meets required international standards," Mohamed said as was quoted by Daily Nation .

"We will be using the national Madaraka Day celebrations as a dress rehearsal for the facility. After that, we will be checking what structural adjustments to make."

The Cabinet Secretary - who was accompanied by the Sports Principal Secretary Joe Okudo on Wednesday - was in the lakeside city to inspect the ongoing job at the stadium which will be used by various teams in different leagues once it is completed.

The Jomo Kenyatta Stadium has a carrying capacity of 30,000 and is set to have the main playing surface, eight-lane running track, terraces around the stadium and the biggest VIP Pavillion in the region.

The six-acre stadium also has a packing capacity of 600 vehicles and structural adjustments will be done as they are needed.

Kisumu County has produced many players who have represented the Kenyan national team and clubs like Sony Sugar, Western Stima, Muhorni Youth, and Kisumu All-Stars are among the major teams situated in the sugar-belt region. 

Mentionable talents for the country have also been nurtured in the region including Allan Thigo, Peter Dawo and Dennis Oliech as well as Kenneth Muguna of Gor Mahia.

Once complete, it is expected Jomo Kenyatta will complement Moi Stadium and host high profile games including the Premier League and the National Super League games.

Currently, Bukhungu Stadium and Mumias Sports Complex in Kakamega and Sudi Stadium in Bungoma are among the few venues allowed to host top-tier games.

Egyptian-based striker Emannuel Okwi has been named Uganda captain for their first-ever international match since veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango called it quits.

Onyango, who was the captain of the side, and features for South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, quit playing for the Cranes on April 13 after earning 79 caps to his name since making his international debut in 2005 against Cape Verde.

While naming the provisional squad of 34 players, interim coach Abdallah Mubiru has confirmed Okwi, who features for Ittihad Alexandria FC, as the new captain and will lead the Cranes against Bafana Bafana on June 10.

Okwi named captain?

A statement on the Fufa official website confirmed: “Uganda coach Abdallah Mubiru has named a 34-man squad for the international friendly against South Africa national team Bafana Bafana on June 10, 2021.

“Experienced striker Emmanuel Okwi, who plays for Egyptian side Ittihad Alexandria has been named the new Cranes captain and will lead the team against Bafana Bafana.

“The team will enter camp on Sunday, May 30, 2021, at 8 am and they will camp at Cranes Paradise Hotel in Kisaasi. With the training set to start on Monday, May 31, 2021, at Omondi Stadium, Lugogo.”

Others in the squad?

With the absence of Onyango in goal, Mubiru has opted to give three goalkeepers – Ismael Watenga of Chippa United in South Africa, Charles Lukwago of KCCA FC, and Mathias Kigonya of Azam FC - a chance to impress and fight for the spot.

The Police FC custodian has also named Montreal Impact defender Martin Kiiza among the foreign-based players, others being Elvis Bwomono of Southend United FC, Abdu Lumalu of Pyramids FC, Patrick Kaddu of Youssoufia Berrechid, and Allan Okello of AC Paradou.

Uganda squad:

Goalkeepers: Watenga Ismael (Chippa United), Lukwago Charles (KCCA FC), Tamale Simon (Bright Stars FC), Kigonya Mathias (Azam FC).

Defenders: Bwomono Elvis (Southend United FC), Wafula Innocent (Mbarara City FC), Willa Paul (Vipers SC), Kizza Mustafa (Montreal Impact FC), Kayondo Aziizi (Vipers SC), Lwaliwa Halid (Vipers SC), Juuko Murushid (Express FC), Kizito Mugweri Gavin (SC Villa), Ssemakula Kenneth (BUL FC), Mbowa Paul Patrick (URA FC), Walusimbi Enock (Express FC), Muhamud Hassan (Police FC).

Midfielders: Lwanga Taddeo (Simba SC), Waiswa Moses Ndhondi (SuperSport United FC), Byaruhanga Bobosi (Vipers SC), Sserubiri Ivan (URA FC), Anukani Bright (KCCA FC), Kagimu Shafik Kuchi (URA FC), Mugulusi Isma (Busoga United FC), Serwaradda Stephen (KCCA FC), Lumala Abdu (Pyramids FC), Orit Ibrahim (Vipers SC), Akandwanaho Joseph (Bright Stars FC).

Forwards: Okwwi Emmanuel (Ittihad Alexandria FC), Bassangwa Richard (Vipers SC), Kaddu Patrick (Youssoufia Berrechid), Kakooza Derrik (Police FC), Sentamu Yunus (Vipers SC), Kambale Eric (Express FC), and Okello Allan (AC Paradou).

AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini has confirmed that goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will leave the club this summer as a free agent. 

Donnarumma made his Milan debut at age 16 and has established himself as one of the top young goalkeepers in world football after serving as Milan's starter for the past six seasons. 

Now 22, the Italy international is set to have plenty of options as he hits the open market. 

What was said?

“He was a protagonist, a leader and often a captain," Maldini said of the goalkeeper during an interview on the official AC Milan Twitch channel.

"A professional must also be ready to change his shirt," Maldini continued. "It is increasingly difficult to start a career in one place and finish it there. 

"We must thank those who gave so much for Milan and Gigio did it, without ever disrespecting the club. Our paths divide here and I can only wish him the best."

Who will replace Donnarumma?

With Donnarumma heading for the exit, AC Milan have already identified Lille's Mike Maignan as their preferred replacement. 

The 25-year-old France international has been spotted in Milan this week ahead of a medical, with a move likely to be announced in the coming days. 

Milan will pay a reported fee of €15 million (£13m/$18m) for Maignan, who helped Lille to an unlikely Ligue 1 championship this term. 

Where will Donnarumma end up?

At just 22, Donnarumma is already considered one of the world's top goalkeepers and with clubs not required to pay a transfer fee for his services, there will likely be a host of suitors. 

Chelsea, Tottenham and Juventus are just a few of the clubs who have been linked with Donnarumma, with further reports stating he has been offered to Barcelona as well. 

Donnarumma has made more than 250 first-team appearances for AC Milan and has 25 senior caps for Italy.

Further reading