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The 2020/21 Premier Soccer League awards ceremony is edging closer as anticipation has already gripped fans who are eager to know who will be crowned as the season’s biggest achievers.

Three nominees per category were revealed on Wednesday by the league and Mamelodi Sundowns dominate, while Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates struggled to provide players on the list of nominees.

When are the 2020/21 PSL Awards?

The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday June 6, 2021 at 20:00 South African time.

It comes a day after the conclusion of the current PSL campaign which is now coming close to conclusion.

How to watch the event

The PSL Awards night will be broadcast live on SuperSport's PSL Channel (202) and SABC.

Online, the event will be streamed live and subscribers can access it on DStv.com/DStv Now App.

Categories and Nominees

PSL Footballer of the Season 

This biggest award of the night. Mamelodi Sundowns attacker and reigning Footballer of the Year Themba Zwane is part of the nominees and in line to defend the prestigious gong.

He will come up against his Sundowns teammate Peter Shalulile and Maritzburg United captain and forward Thabiso Kutumela, who has 12 league goals in 26 appearances.

Players' Player of the Season 

The same line-up for the Footballer of the Year features in this category.

Zwane is again a holder of this award and it is yet to be seen if he will reclaim it.

Coach of the Season 

Sundowns feature in this category with their co-coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena the nominees.

Benni McCarthy, who is credited for transforming AmaZulu into a title-chasing outfit, is also on this list.

Golden Arrows who, like AmaZulu, appeared as surprise title contenders, have provided their tactician Mandla Ncikazi for this award which went to record six-time holder Pitso Mosimane last season.

Midfielder of the Season 

The Brazilians again dominate in this category which features two of their players - Zwane and Rivaldo Coetzee.

AmaZulu’s Makhehlene Makhaula, who transformed himself from being a bit-part player at Highlands Park last season, will contend with the Masandawana pair for this recognition.

Zwane is the reigning Midfielder of the Season. 

Defender of the Season 

Playing his maiden PSL season, Swallows’ Njabulo Ngcobo immediately made an impact and is in the running for this gong after 26 league starts as he missed just one match for the Dube Birds.

AmaZulu centre-back Tapelo Xoki is also a nominee with the scoring defender boasting of four league goals this term.

Mosa Lebusa of Sundowns completes the line-up in the category and could succeed his teammate Rushine De Reuck, who won it last season while at Maritzburg United.

Goalkeeper of the Season 

AmaZulu’s Veli Mothwa has been recognised after a season in which he broke into the Bafana Bafana fold.

He will battle it out against Masandawana veteran keeper Denis Onyango, who won this award for the 2015/16 season.

Sifiso Mlungwana, who has featured in all Golden Arrows’ 28 PSL matches, also features on this list.

Young Player of the Season 

Maritzburg United striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane has flourished under Ernest Middendorp and is up for this honour, together with another 20-year-old striker Evidence Makgopa, who has grabbed seven goals for Baroka FC this season.

Also appearing is TS Galaxy defender Kamogelo, who at 19 is the youngest in this category.

Diski Challenge Player of the Tournament

Top performers from the reserve league will also be recognised on June 6.

Orlando Pirates’ Boitumelo Radiopane is in line for this award which also have AmaZulu striker Lindokuhle Zungu and Siyanda Nyanga of Sundowns in the running.

Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament 

After an impressive run in the Nedbank Cup which ended with being crowned champions, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila have provided two players in this category.

Goalkeeper Washington Arubi has been nominated after his penalty shootout heroics against Swallows FC and Mamelodi Sundowns in the Round of 16 and semi-finals, respectively, were key to TTM reaching the final.

Midfielder Ndabayithehwa Ndlondlo, whose goal had the final say in the final against Chippa United, has also been considered.

Sundowns' Shalulile, who was the tournament's joint top-scorer with Pretoria Callies' Pogiso Mahlangu, who also had four goals is on the list. Shaluliule makes his case strong with four assists.

Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player of the Tournament 

Kaizer Chiefs’ Njabulo Blom is a surprise inclusion in this category despite playing just 44 minutes in this tournament which has six rounds of matches including the preliminaries.

Former South Africa Under-17 star Khanyisa Mayo of Richards Bay has also been considered together with 24-year-old Maloisane Mokhele, who helped Chippa reach the final.

MTN8 Last Man Standing 

The Orlando Pirates midfield duo Ben Motshwari and Deon Hotto come upo against each other after they helped the Buccareens to the MTN8 crown.

Victor Letsoalo of Bleomfontein Celtic has also been nominated.

2020/21 PSL Awards voting criteria

According to the PSL, top-flight league coaches vote for the Footballer of the Season and no coach is allowed to select a player from his team.

The Players’ Player of the Season is voted for by the players themselves but they are not permitted to pick their teammates. 

The remaining categories are selected by a panel consisting of journalists, football commentators and analysts.

Antonio Conte will leave Inter after guiding the Milan outfit to the Serie A crown, bringing the curtain down on a two-year stay at San Siro.

The 51-year-old, previously a Scudetto winner with Juventus as well as a Premier League champion with Chelsea, led the Nerazzurri to a first top-flight title for over a decade in his sophomore season at the helm.

Yet even as the club has marched towards the trophy, friction between the manager and the club's hierarchy have grown more readily noticeable over the future direction of the team, resulting in Conte's exit mere days after adding another honour to his repertoire.

Why has Conte left?

Even before the title was assured, Inter's majority owners Suning Holdings Group and club chairman Steven Zhang had alluded to a financial overhaul in the Nerazzurri's operations.

Conte was believed to have been adamant about ensuring the nucleus of his squad remained unchanged, with deals for players such as Romelu Lukaku an essential priority.

However, management above him refused to offer such assurances, leading to several no-shows for media conferences from the coach, with assistant Cristian Stellini often deputising for post-match duties.

What will Inter do next?

Simone Inzaghi and Massimiliano Allegri are just some of the names mooted as Conte's potential replacement, but wth Euro 2020 likely to dominate the off-season for several key players, the club may choose to wait before appointing a successor.

The former has been tipped to leave Lazio and make the move to Milan, while the latter has been out of management since he stood down at Juventus.

Conte meanwhile is expected to be handed a payout of €6.5million (£5.6m/$7.9m) to cover the remainder of his contract.

Further Reading

Mamelodi Sundowns defeated 10-men SuperSport United 3-1 in Wednesday’s Tshwane derby at Loftus Versfeld to wrap up the PSL title in some style.

Lebohang Maboe, Aubrey Modiba and the returning Themba Zwane all scored in a 12-minute first-half blitz as Sundowns cruised to the championship in style, while SSU, who lost Guily Cyprien Manziba to a seventh-minute red card but pulled one back through Teboho Mokoena, were largely outclassed.

Victory means that Sundowns become the first team ever to win the title on four consecutive occasions in the PSL era, while SSU still have a fight on their hands to secure a top three finish with two matches to play.

The hosts enjoyed 74 percent of the possession during a one-sided encounter and victory takes them up to 30 points, out of reach of AmaZulu, on 50 points with three games to play.

Downs’ emphatic triumph was a perfect riposte to their Caf Champions League exit at the hands of Al-Ahly and former mentor Pitso Mosimane, who had overseen their five league successes since 2014 before moving on to the Egyptian giants last year.

Wednesday’s victory extends Sundowns’ winning run in the PSL to four matches, with their 3-0 triumph against Orlando Pirates a major highlight as they romped to the gold yet again.

The triumph also extends the Brazilians’ fine run against SuperSport United this season; they defeated their rivals in the Nedbank Cup in February, while their pair shared a 0-0 draw in the league earlier in 2021.

In truth, Sundowns never looked like losing on Wednesday, and they were helped by a ninth-minute straight red card for Manziba, after he was deemed to have assaulted Sphelele Mkhulise with a high boot.

Maboe duly opened the scoring for the champions-elect in the 32nd minute when he met Modiba’s pull-back following the wideman’s fine interplay with Gaston Sirino.

It was an impressive side-footed finish that left Ronwen Williams with no chance.

Next, it was the outstanding Modiba’s turn to take Downs even closer to the title against his former employers, although there was a stroke of fortune about the goal.

Surely aiming to pick out Kermit Erasmus with a delicious cross from the right flank, ex-SuperSport man’s delivery evaded the Bafana Bafana frontman. However, it also duped Williams, who could only watch on as the ball flew into the net.

Four minutes later, with SuperSport in disarray, Zwane rounded off the blitz, again meeting a Modiba cross at the near post to take the contest beyond the visitors.

Early in the second half, Sundowns had an opportunity to extend their lead when Phillips handled in the visitors' box following an Erasmus cross. Keenan Williams was equal to Zwane's effort from the spot, however, and saved the resulting spotkick.

Mokoena did respond for SSU late on, albeit to save face, as he beat Denis Onyango with a magnificent volley in the 86th minute.

There was further late drama at the death for Sundowns, as Brian Onyango was forced to deputise for his namesake between the sticks after the Uganda No. 1 had to be replaced with injury and Downs having used all of their substitutes.

Samuel Chukwueze’s Villarreal will defeat Premier League side Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final, according to the majority of Goal readers.

The Yellow Submarine square up against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men at the Polsat Plus Arena Gdansk – with the ambition of winning the competition for the first time in their history.

To reach this stage, Unai Emery’s men defeated Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.

Nigeria international Chukwueze has been instrumental in the Spaniards’ run, featuring in 11 games with one goal to his credit – which he achieved against Sivasspor in December 2020.

As his team prepares to slug it out with the Red Devils, we asked our readers if the La Liga side can stop the Old Trafford giants in Poland.

In a poll conducted on the Goal Africa Twitter handle, a staggering 57.8 percent of total votes cast believe Villarreal – who finished as semi-finalists in 2003–04, 2010–11, 2015–16 – will reign supreme against United.

Whereas, 42.2 percent of fans think Solskjaer’s side will emerge victorious after 90 minutes.

The United boss claimed that his men are facing a quality side with a lot of experience in the Europa League.

“Yes and their manager has won the most Europa Leagues in the history of the tournament,” Solskjaer told the club website.

“They’re a team with loads of experience, upfront, at the back, and in midfield, so we know we’ve got to play well.

“We’ve prepared well, we’ve prepared to win, we always expect to win any game of football, but we know we have to earn it by being a good Man United

“Well, the final, first of all, is the reward for all the hard work they’ve put down in the last two years.

“They have worked together as a group and the spirit is fantastic, so now we hope we can perform on Wednesday night because that’s the main thing.

“We will prepare as normal and then I’m sure the result can hopefully come.”

For the 2020-21 campaign, just as the 2019-20 season, the Europa League winners will earn €8,500,000 (£7.5m/$10m), while the runners-up earn €4,500,000 (£4m/$5m).

Simba SC CEO Barbara Gonzalez has stated they will not repeat the mistakes witnessed against Kaizer Chiefs in the Caf Champions League since they have put measures in place to prevent them in future.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi were knocked out of the Champions League after they conceded a 4-0 loss to Amakhosi at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg and 3-0 win at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium was not enough to send the Tanzanian champions to the semi-finals.

Simba had set their eyes on a final berth, especially after impressive outings in the group stage, but a stumble in South Africa all but ended their season dreams.

Gonzalez, without revealing how they will correct the mistakes, promised that such scenarios witnessed against Kaizer Chiefs will not be repeated.

"The mistakes we made against Kaizer Chiefs away must not be repeated, and we have put measures in place to ensure that they do not occur again," the official told Mwanaspoti.

On the other hand, Simba's board chairman Salim Abdallah said they have already received recommendations from head coach Didier Gomes da Rosa on how to make the team stronger during the next transfer window.   

"We still have the anger and determination to do better and progress far from where we reached. We are going to strengthen the team in order to make sure we have a far better squad, " said Abdallah.

"According to the recommendations by the coach, we are going to sign specific players that will strengthen a few areas where there is a need to."

Wekundu wa Msimbazi are expected to spend heavily in the transfer market, as they did in previous transfer windows, in order to field a squad large enough to compete in the Premier League, Champions League, and Shield Cup.

The league champions are in a good position to retain the title and are also contenders in the Shield Cup, where matches have been played up to the Round of 16.

As they plan to strengthen the team, doubts about whether they will extend the contracts of Francis Kahata, Ibrahim Ajibu, Hassan Dilunga and Perfect Chikwende remain unanswered.

It is also not clear whether Wekundu wa Msimbazi will retain goalkeeper Aishi Manula who has attracted interest from South Africa and Sudan following an impressive outing on the continental stage.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson wants to take the decisive penalty in Saturday's Champions League final.

City will be making their first appearance in the European showpiece against Premier League rivals Chelsea this weekend at Porto's Estadio do Dragao.

Ederson will likely feature between the sticks for Pep Guardiola's side, and has revealed that he will be one of the players to step up if the contest has to be decided by a penalty shoot-out.

What's been said?

Asked how he would react to being asked to take a spot-kick on Europe's biggest stage, the Brazilian told TNT Sports: "I am [on the list]. I don't need to train much, but the fifth one, I'm taking it. The decisive one. I think I'll take the fifth one."

City's penalty struggles in 2020-21

City have just wrapped up their third Premier League title under Guardiola in comfortable fashion, finishing 12 points ahead of Manchester United.

The Citizens have also secured a fourth successive Carabao Cup title and now stand on the brink of a treble, but their record from the penalty spot still leaves plenty to be desired.

11 penalties were awarded to City over the course of their latest campaign but they only converted seven, with Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Sergio Aguero all guilty of failing to find the net from 12 yards.

What has Guardiola said about Ederson?

Guardiola identified Ederson as a potential candidate to take penalties after Gundogan became the third member of his squad to miss, during a clash with Liverpool in February.

"He is an option because I am pretty sure he's a good taker," the Spanish head coach told reporters of his No 1.

Ederson's record for City this season

Ederson has racked up 47 appearances across all competitions for City this term, recording 26 clean sheets along the way.

The 27-year-old has not yet been given the chance to open his scoring account from the penalty spot, but has laid on two assists for his team-mates while also scooping the Premier League's Golden Glove award.

Further reading

Orlando Pirates' bid to secure their rights to play continental football next season intensifies when they host AmaZulu in Thursday's Premier Soccer League clash at Orlando Stadium.

It will be an afternoon in which second-placed AmaZulu could also make history by guaranteeing themselves a top-two finish with a win, which would earn them maiden participation in next season's Caf Champions League.

Such a result would dent Pirates' ambitions to finish third on the PSL table and play Caf Confederation Cup football next season.

Inconsistency has diminished the Buccaneers' prospects of claiming a top-two finish although they still stand an outside chance of achieving that as they are currently sitting fourth on the table.

Seven points separate Pirates and Usuthu although the Buccaneers are left with four league games to complete their campaign while AmaZulu have three assignments remaining.

Victory for Josef Zinnbauer and his men will leave them tied on 43 points with third-placed Golden Arrows.

These permutations makes Thursday's showdown in Soweto a potentially stormy one.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Pirates have been haunted by injuries this season especially since the turn of the year.

Zinnbauer is sweating over the availability of Tshegofatso Mabasa who has missed their last three matches in all competitions and the forward was injured against Black Leopards just as he had hit top form.

Captain Happy Jele is also another injury concern and has not been available in the last nine games across all competitions.

Forward Terrence Dzvukamanja is another player who has been in a fitness race while Zakhele Lepasa and Jean-Marc Makusu have also been struggling with injuries in what has compromised the Soweto giants upfront.

No player from Benni McCarthy's AmaZulu camp has been confirmed as suspended or reported injured.

Given the magnitude of Thursday's match where experience could be key in deciding the contest, McCarthy would be relying on regulars like Augustine Mulenga, Lehlohonolo Majoro, Luvuyo Memela and Xola Mlambo to carry the team.

Match Preview

Pirates' season has largely been defined by inconsistency and only twice have they managed to complete two consecutive victories.

This is in stark contrast with AmaZulu who have twice knitted six-match winning streaks in between a 16-match unbeaten run in the league. 

But Usuthu go into Thursday's match on the backdrop of a 1-0 defeat by Baroka FC which was their first PSL loss since January.

They face a Pirates side which has managed two wins, as many draws and a defeat in their last five games. 

What could be encouraging for AmaZulu is that they might have fresh legs going into battle against Pirates after 15 days away from competitive action since the defeat by Baroka FC.

But within that period of AmaZulu's rest, Pirates have been involved in taxing and back-to-back Confederation Cup assignments against Raja Casablanca which ended with distant travel and a 4-0 thumping last Sunday.

The reverse fixture between Pirates and Usuthu saw the two teams canceling each other out 1-1 in Durban, in what was their opening league game of the season. 

African fans are pumped up ahead of Villarreal’s Europa League final against Manchester United, and have launched an emotional rallying call ahead of the fixture.

Unai Emery’s men defeated Arsenal 2-1 on aggregate to reach the final of the tournament for the first time ever.

The Yellow Submarine would be backing on fit-again Samuel Chukwueze to wreak havoc against the English team in their quest to emerge as champions in the fixture billed for Stadion Miejski in Gdansk, Poland.

Meanwhile, the club’s African fans have taken to social media to show their support for the Super Eagles, while hoping he draws inspiration from Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala and Leicester City duo, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi who won Cups recently.

Barcelona outcast Miralem Pjanic has posted an Instagram message demanding answers after being left "with a bitter taste" at the end of his first season at Camp Nou.

Pjanic arrived at Barca from Juventus last June in an exchange deal that saw Arthur move the other way, bringing to an end his four-year stay at the Allianz Stadium.

The Bosnian established himself among the top midfielders in Europe during his time in Turin, but has so far been unable to live up to the same high standards in La Liga.

What's been said?

Pjanic has had to make do with a bit-part role in Ronald Koeman's squad over the course of his first season at Barca, and took to social media to vent his frustration following their final-day victory over Eibar - during which he made a 16-minute cameo from the bench.

"Honour the shirt. Respect the team. Give everything on and off the pitch," the 31-year-old wrote on Instagram.

"This is what you deserve Barcelona. This is what I have done with my teammates from day one.

"This season leaves me with a bitter taste & questions that still need answers."

Pjanic's record at Barca

Pjanic featured in 30 games across all competitions for the Blaugrana in 2020-21, but only started 13 games, including just six in La Liga.

The former Juve star has yet to record a single goal or assist in Barca colours, and was left out of Koeman's squad for the 4-0 Copa del Rey final victory over Athletic Club on April 17.

The bigger picture 

Pjanic has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou ahead of the summer transfer window, but he still has three years left to run on his current contract.

He has previously insisted that he plans to remain on Barca's books for the foreseeable future despite a lack of regular minutes, while outlining his ambition to win the Champions League.

However, Pjanic has also lamented a lack of direct communication with Koeman over his situation, telling Mundo Deportivo in March: "Of course, I did not sign for Barca to leave the following year, I signed to make history at a club that had been on my path for many years.

"I've come to Barca to win the Champions League, that's my goal. I never give up. If I don't play, the next morning I am training harder than ever so that the coaches will notice that I am not giving up. 

"Koeman doesn't talk much to players so what I have to do is keep working to be ready when he needs me."

Further reading

AmaZulu head coach Benni McCarthy has stressed the need to beat Orlando Pirates and potentially finish second on the Premier Soccer League table.

Although Usuthu have had an impressive campaign so far, McCarthy has conceded the title race but his focus is finishing in second place in the end. The game could determine the side that will grab second position. 

"It might be late to challenge Sundowns but we have to do it for ourselves. It wasn't by chance that we played the football that we have played and won the matches that we have won," the retired Bafana Bafana star said.

"We worked exceptionally hard and made immense sacrifices, so hopefully come Thursday the boys have the same hunger, the same desire to want to win. Hopefully, it will be a game that will secure our stronghold on that second-place finish."

McCarthy also talked about how the over two-week break could impact his players during the tie at Orlando Stadium on Thursday.

"It's been a long 16 days since we last played Baroka. At least it gave us an opportunity to work on some tactics. I would have enjoyed it more if it gave us the opportunity to play a couple of friendly games because our opponents have played two really tough competitive games.

"But I am happy with the attitude and mentality of the boys, preparation has been good and now we just have to show it in a real match come Thursday."

Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer believes his unstable side can pick a win against AmaZulu despite the good form they have enjoyed.

“It’s possible. You have to win against AmaZulu‚ then it’s entirely possible. It’s not easy but it’s possible‚" Zinnbauer said.

“They are a strong team at the moment and they have successful players there. They have points ahead of us and it will be a good game for us, and we are looking forward to it.”

As Usuthu look to build on a good run they have had in the previous 14 games, eyes will be on Luvuyo Memela and Lehlohonolo Majoro who have been quite instrumental in their last five games. Memela has scored twice in their last three games while Majoro - a former Orlando Pirates star - has found the back of the net on three occasions.

Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has categorically stated they will not appeal against the decision by Caf to ban their players following the fracas in their Caf Confederation Cup fixture against Napsa Stars.

On Monday, the African body moved to ban K’Ogalo players Kenneth Muguna and Boniface Oluoch from taking part in their competitions for their next four matches, fining them after being were found guilty of unsporting behaviour in the third preliminary qualifying round game against the Zambian side.

The duo was accused by Caf of acting aggressively as Gor Mahia conceded a penalty late into the match which was converted and as a result the match ended 3-2, ensuring the Zambian outfit advanced to the group stage.

Rachier has now explained the club will not appeal against the move insisting they had not been fined as a club.

What did he say?

‘’We have not been fined as a club, the fine and the four-match ban were slapped on the two players and not the club, we are not appealing this decision,” Rachier said as quoted by Citizen Digital.

‘’We will reach out to Napsa Stars and agree on how we will settle the damages. As of now, we are not sure of how much is involved in terms of damages.’’

Rachier has further said the club will convene a meeting soon to come up with ways of helping the players who were each fined Ksh1.5million to settle the fine.

‘’Yes, the two players are our players and at times fraudulent decisions by match officials can ignite fury. We shall convene a special sitting to deliberate on the entire content of the letter including the modalities of how the issue of the hefty fine will be addressed,” Rachier continued.

What did Caf say on bans?

On banning the two players, Caf said in a statement obtained by Goal: “After the match, Gor Mahia players Boniface Oluoch and Kenneth Muguna attacked and used abusive language against the referees.

“They were stopped by the police. Gor Mahia players also broke three windows of the stadium dressing room that they were using. [Caf] suspends both players, namely Boniface Oluoch and Kenneth Muguna for their next four Caf inter-club matches.

“[Caf] imposes upon each player a financial sanction of $15,000 (Ksh 1.6 million) for their regrettable aggressive behaviour against the referees.”

Gor Mahia are currently chasing the FKF Premier League title and are seeking to return to continental football next season.

Mario Lemina stated Fulham got relegated to the Championship because they ‘weren’t good enough’ to stay in the Premier League.

In the just-concluded season, Scott Parker’s men finished in 18th position having amassed 28 points from 38 outings.

The Gabon international who joined the Cottagers on loan from Southampton, scored a magnificent winner at Anfield earlier in the season, to move the club equal on points with Brighton & Hove Albion in 17th position.

However, they failed to build on that result and eventually moved a step down to the Championship.

While stating his teammates gave their best to avoid the drop, the 27-year-old claimed that the Londoners were not good enough to maintain their top-flight status.

“I don’t think that this Liverpool game changed something in our attitude or anything,” Lemina told the club website.

“We just tried to play our game like we always play.

“After Liverpool it just didn’t work like we wanted. Sometimes that’s life and we have to accept it.

“The only thing I can say is that the whole team didn’t give up, we never gave up, and that’s what we have to remember.

“Honestly, I still feel pain, because we had a great team to stay in the Premier League, but it didn’t go as we wanted.

“We’ve been so unlucky, but at the same time, I’m not going to lie, we weren’t good enough to stay in the Premier League this year. But I think in the next seasons, Fulham is going to get better and better.”

Last week, he posted an Instagram story detailing the respect he holds for the Whites supporters.

Explaining the meaning behind the post, he continued: “The feeling that I had, when I said that, I was feeling that all the fans were still behind us.

“The messages they sent to me said they were proud of what I had done because I never gave up, and I think all the team did the same.

“That’s why I wanted to say thank you to them. They weren’t in the stadiums, but still they could see that we tried to fight and give everything until the end.

“You still feel the love from them because we are on social media. They were still believing until the last moment that we could stay in the Premier League.”

Daniel Ek will "definitely" attempt to buy Arsenal again after his initial attempt to take over the club was rebuffed by current owner Stan Kroenke, says Patrick Vieira, the former Gunners midfielder who formed part of the consortium with the Spotify founder.

Vieira, along with fellow former Arsenal stars Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry, backed the Swedish billionaire as a formal bid was made for the club, which was knocked back by the Americans.

However, the former France international says Arsenal fan Ek has not been discouraged from buying the club, and feels that a takeover is necessary to arrest the slump seen on the field from the Gunners in recent seasons.

What has been said?

Vieira told ITV: "Yeah, he's definitely going to try again, he's going to be there for quite a long time. He's a massive Arsenal fan - talking to him a couple of times, his desire and commitment to Arsenal would be fantastic.

"If the club is not for sale then there is nothing he can do, but he's going to wait, he wants to buy the club.

"It would be really important because Arsenal is in a critical moment, and for me it is important for him to do his maximum to buy the club, because in the last couple of years they have not taken the right direction and it is time for a change."

The story so far

Ek confirmed he wanted to buy Arsenal amid the backlash against Kroenke - already unpopular among Gunners fans for poor on-field results and a perceived lack of investment - for getting the club involved in the aborted breakaway Super League.

He has been supported by former Arsenal players Henry, Vieira and Bergkamp, with the latter explaining that the club remains very close to their hearts.

Bergkamp said: "After I left the club I always kept in touch with Thierry and Patrick, and of course I continued to watch the games. Just like Patrick and Thierry, I recognise the Arsenal from our own time less and less.

"The ambition to win top prizes is in Arsenal’s DNA. Never accepting to lose. That mentality has slowly disappeared. I sense resignation about the current situation. That is serious. As if, given the financial situation, it is normal for Arsenal to end mid-table. That does not belong to this club. Arsenal’s DNA must be restored."

Ek, who is said to boast a net worth of £3.2 billion ($4.4bn), is the focal point of the takeover project, however, and revealed via Twitter that he had made a formal bid for Arsenal - but it was turned down.

Further Reading

Ronald Koeman might end up staying at Camp Nou beyond the 2021-22 season, according to his agent Rob Jansen, who says the Barcelona coach's job is safe for now.

Koeman inherited the managerial reins at Barca following Quique Setien's sacking last summer, and quickly set about stamping his own mark on a confidence-stricken squad.

The Dutchman was able to deliver Copa del Rey glory in his first season at the helm, but the Blaugrana fell short in the Primera Liga title race and the Champions League, and it has been reported that the club have been considering another change in the dugout.

What's been said?

However, Jansen has moved to quash the speculation over Koeman's future after a constructive meeting with Barca president Joan Laporta on Monday.

Koeman's agent told De Telegraaf: “There was a positive atmosphere during the meeting and I personally left it with a good feeling. There was mutual respect.

“The feeling is even that positive that Ronald might even stay longer (than 2021-22). But we have not got this far yet, more conversations will follow."

Koeman's record at Barca

Koeman has already overseen 52 games in all competitions as Barca head coach, recording 34 wins, 10 defeats and eight draws.

One of their most painful losses was inflicted by Paris Saint-Germain, who ran out 4-1 winners in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash at Camp Nou in February.

Barca ultimately exited the competition after a 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes in the second leg, before suffering more heartbreak in La Liga.

Koeman's men finished third in the Spanish top flight after winning just two of their final six matches - seven points behind eventual champions Atletico Madrid.

Koeman's assessment of debut season at Camp Nou

Koeman's salvation came in the form of an impressive 4-0 victory over Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey final, with a Lionel Messi brace and goals from Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann clinching the trophy for Barca.

The Blaugrana completed their campaign with a 1-0 league win against Eibar, after which Koeman insisted he will need to be backed in the transfer market in order to take the team to the next level.

“When we arrived we took the template that was available," he told reporters. "[Sergino] Dest only came on the last day. For me this squad is not made to have the level that it demands and that we want for Barcelona.

"There are older players with all due respect. And there are young players who have to gain more experience to be better. The project is not done, in one season you cannot do everything."

Further reading

Football Kenya Federation has moved to assure Kenyans and the football fraternity that they will soon rival and overtake their neighbours in terms of prize money for teams winning the FKF Premier League.

On Tuesday, the East African nation left their Kenyan counterparts in shock after they secured a deal worth Tsh225.6 billion for the Tanzanian Mainland Premier League and will see Tanzania’s league winner receive a Ksh23.2m bonus while Kenya’s winner will walk home with a paltry Ksh5m prize money.

The signing of the deal caused debate in Kenyan football circles with stakeholders wondering what the FKF office was doing to make sure Kenya also have huge prize money paid to teams that do well at the end of every season.

FKF CEO Barry Otieno has told Goal in a matter of time, they will also be where Tanzania is as far as prize money for teams in the top-flight is concerned.

What did he say?

“We will be there soon, so Kenyans should not worry about it at all,” Otieno told Goal on Wednesday. “We took over the running of the league from KPL when they were giving out Ksh3m for the winners and now we have pushed it to Ksh5m for this season.

“It shows you our trajectory is going up and not down, so there is nothing to panic about, everything is under control and soon, our clubs will also be taking home good money at the end of the season, we will soon overtake them [Tanzania] and there is nothing to raise.”

Last July, FKF signed a sponsorship deal for the league with BetKing worth Ksh1.2billion, who replaced SportPesa, committing to pay each club in the top-flight Ksh8 annually.

The payments were to be made as follows: $120,000 upon or within seven days of the signing of this agreement, $693,334 one month prior to the official kick-off of the season, $693,333 on or before the end of the third month of the season and $693,333 on or before the end of the sixth month of the season.

What was signed in Tanzania?

The new deal means Azam TV will continue to beam live the top-flight matches for the specified period thereby giving an opportunity to sports stakeholders within and outside the country to enjoy the country’s top-flight league.

The broadcaster will own the sole rights of the Mainland Premier League for the next 10 years following the sponsorship renewal with TFF.

The previous deal was signed in 2016 worth 23bn/- for five-years, where the 16 clubs in the league were set to receive a fund worth 126m/- annually, paid in three installments of 42m/- and it was an improvement of 26 percent from the previous deal, in which each club received 100m/- from the official league broadcaster.

The Indian national team is all set to play a practice match against Philippines as preparation ahead of their 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers which will be held in Qatar next month, Goal can confirm.

The Blue Tigers have already flown to Doha to play their remaining World Cup 2022 qualifying games. They resume their campaign on June 3 against hosts Qatar followed by Bangladesh and Afghanistan on June 7 and June 15 respectively. Igor Stimac's side has already started training in Qatar and will be playing the match against Philippines this weke.

This will be the first since March that the Blue Tigers will be playing a match. They last played friendly matches against Oman and UAE in Dubai. They had drawn 1-1 against Oman and lost 0-6 to hosts UAE.

How are India's rivals preparing?

Qatar are not playing any practice match ahead of their qualifying games. Felix Sanches' side started training on May 18 in Doha. Before that Qatar had played three friendlies, where they won over Luxembourg and Azerbaijan and drew against Ireland. 

Afghanistan are currently in Dubai where they will play two practice matches against Indonesia and Singapore on May 25 and May 29 respectively.

Bangladesh were supposed to get some competitive minutes under their belt but their trip to Saudi Arabia has been postponed in the eleventh hour as Bangladesh Football Federation is yet to receive the quarantine exemption letter from Saudi authorities.

India's journey so far in the Qualifiers

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

Further reading

Rival watch

How can India finish in third place?

28-man India squad

In the summer of 2019, following a first season in charge of Arsenal that had culminated in a painful Europa League final defeat by Chelsea, Unai Emery laid his transfer demands before the Arsenal board.

At the top of it was Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, a player who the Spanish manager was convinced could “win games on his own”, and allow a shift away from the back three system that had fallen short against Chelsea in Baku.

Instead, the Emirates Stadium hieratchy opted to sign Zaha’s international teammate Nicolas Pepe for a club record fee, believing his potential and greater upside made up for his lack of experience of English football.

“I met Zaha and he wanted to come,” Emery told The Guardian. “The club decided Pepe was one for the future. I said: ‘Yes, but we need to win now and this lad (Zaha) wins games.’”

Emery played the hand he was dealt, but it never appeared he had a handle of exactly how to extract the best from Pepe, and in December the former Sevilla and Valencia boss was relieved of his duties as Arsenal head coach.

In addition to waning results, his inability to properly communicate his ideas jarred with his predilection toward hyper-analysis, and ultimately saw him lose clarity and respect from the dressing room.

His stock remained high in his native Spain, however, and when Villarreal, in need of silverware after more than a decade of top-half stability, came calling, Emery once more laid out his demands.

This time, they were met: Etienne Capoue, Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin came in to provide steel and vision in midfield, while another former charge in Alberto Moreno arrived to bolster the left-back position.

Curiously, despite the immediacy and specificity of Villarreal’s amibition – to win the Europa League – this time there was no requirement from Emery for a dynamic, match-winning wide forward.

Instead, under his watch Samuel Chukwueze appears to finally be blossoming into that player, adding decisive contributions to his dazzling speed and close control.

In the Europa League this season, the 22-year-old has scored once and assisted four more during the Yellow Submarine’s run to Wednesday’s final in Gdansk.

That’s roughly 25 percent of Villarreal’s total haul in matches he has featured, and even beyond the numbers the Nigeria international has both come through Emery’s peculiar brand of confrontational motivation and seen off the challenge of youngster Yeremi Pino to claim that spot on the right of the attack for his own.

It seems such a long time ago that Emery was lumping him together with former loanee Takefusa Kubo and slating what he perceived to be a sense of entitlement and lack of consistency in their performances.

This led to Chukwueze losing his spot in the starting lineup; by the end of January, he had only made six league starts.

To battle back as he has is admirable, especially as he has learnt – under the manager’s compulsion – to temper some of his instincts and place his talents at the service of the team.

“Before, I saw football as an entitlement just to play how I want,” he said in April during a La Liga event. “Now I think I understand what it means to be tactically disciplined. I think my overall understanding of the game has changed a huge amount.”

Slowly, he has won Emery’s trust, and after victory in the quarter-finals against Dinamo Zagreb, the manager praised his “individual contributions” to the team’s progress.

He also started seven out of 10 league matches between mid-February and the start of May, having previously only been afforded consistent minutes in the Europa League

This palpable growth makes the prospect of Chukwueze missing out on the final all the more frustrating.

The winger was stretchered off with what looked like a hamstring injury in the semi-final second leg against Arsenal, and consequently missed out on the last four matchdays in La Liga. Despite reportedly making an unprecedented return to training over the past week, is surely a risk to start against Manchester United.

Having worked so hard through the season to make himself useful, to then miss out on the biggest game of his career to date would be deeply galling.

It also would arguably impair the occasion, depriving watching fans of a potential battle for the ages between Luke Shaw and Chukwueze that not only has the physicality and dynamism to rock the earth on its axis, but would be one of the game’s defining tactical battles.

If Villarreal pull of the mild upset (and under Emery’s guidance, it is a real possibility), Chukwueze’s impact on the campaign as a whole would be impossible to ignore, and he would join an elite group of Nigeria internationals – Kanu, Finidi George, Mikel John Obi, Victor Moses, Taribo West and Chidi Odiah to date – to have won a European trophy.

However, if he is unable to shake off his niggle in time to play an active role in Gdansk, there will be the unmistakable feeling of missing one’s own bachelor party: all of the fulfilment in the aftermath, but none of the fun.