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SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo has opened up on the continuous talk of Kaizer Chiefs being interested in midfielder Sipho Mbule.

Mbule has been in outstanding form this season and has five assists and four goals from 23 league games, while playing as a central midfielder.

He's already in his fourth season in the top flight and has 85 games under his belt. For months now there has been talk that he's on Chiefs' wanted list, and that he may be signed as soon as Amakhosi's transfer ban ends.

Tembo sees it as complimentary when any of his players are linked to some of South Africa's biggest clubs such as Chiefs, although he is also concerned about the potential distraction.

“It has always been the case with our team whereby most of our players are always targeted in terms of other teams wanting them,” Tembo told the Citizen.

“It also shows the quality that we have if most of the clubs are always looking to get players from, at the same time it is also difficult for the young players because that can also destabilize them and derail their progress because if you hear about big teams being mentioned alongside your name, it might also destruct him on the primary thing which is playing football.

Tembo, who played as a central defender for SuperSport back in his day, also spoke of the importance of mentoring the younger players.

“As a club we have to try and make sure that they are level headed and they keep their feet on the ground because in this industry you are always as good as your last game," he added.

"One minute people want you because you are playing well and the moment you are no longer performing they shift focus and go somewhere else. Consistency is very key, that is what I have been preaching to my youngsters.”

Memphis Depay has had a move to Barcelona mooted for several months, with the Lyon forward becoming a free agent in the summer, but the Dutchman says the Liga giants are not the only side in the running for his signature.

The highly-rated Netherlands international emerged as a target for Barca when Ronald Koeman took the managerial reins.

No deal was done then or in the winter window, but the 27-year-old will be taking on a new challenge at the end of the current campaign as his contract in France runs down.

What has been said?

With Depay mulling over his options, the former Manchester United winger told L'Equipe: "Barcelona has shown interest in me, but they are not the only ones who have been interested. At the moment, nothing has been done with any team."

When will a decision be made?

Depay is in no rush to make a call on where he will be playing in 2021-22, with the domestic campaign to finish in Ligue 1 before attention turns to international matters at this summer's European Championship.

"First I want to focus on the Euro," Depay said. "The decision regarding my future deserves a time of reflection. I would not have liked not to end my contract at Lyon. Right now I enjoy my freedom and football."

Why is Depay in demand?

A testing spell at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho saw Depay lose his love of the game, but his spark has been rediscovered in France.

Across five seasons with Lyon, the Dutch star has registered 76 goals and 53 assists in 177 appearances.

"It [Lyon] will be in my heart, a part of my life. I thought about adding a tattoo: a souvenir or a date. Coming here was a great decision," Depay added. "People would say to me: ‘Why are you leaving Manchester United? A new coach will arrive, you in the biggest club in the world.’ 

"In their place, I would have been sad to see a player wasting good years by staying at a big club and playing too little. There, I lost my joy, and my football. Here, I found them."

Further reading

Going into the final round of games in Serie A, the majority of teams are already in relaxed states with their fate largely decided, save for the battle for the Champions League spots which has gone down to the wire.

Critics often accuse teams who have nothing to play for of already ‘being on the beach’ in these circumstances, but the same probably can’t be said for Crotone who have picked up four points from their last six, regardless of relegation from Italy’s top division.

Simy probably epitomises his team’s desire to bow out on a high after his late, late equaliser against Benevento in the penultimate gameweek of the season.

The Nigerian’s leveller for the 10-man visitors saw the game end 1-1 and that stalemate was to have damaging ramifications for the hosts, whose exit from the big time was confirmed after Torino eked out a goalless draw at Lazio on Tuesday, rendering the final day encounter between Benevento and the Turin outfit pointless.

After going three games without finding the back of the net, it looked like the West African was just going to miss out on equalling last year’s 20-goal tally in Serie B, but his poacher’s effort to tuck away Pedro Pereira’s low cut-back saw him match his personal best return in club football.

The late leveller means Simy’s now joined the illustrious set of players to have hit 20 goals this term and he could go one better by surpassing his best-ever return from 2019/20.

The aforementioned five-player group also includes Cristiano Ronaldo (29) Romelu Lukaku (23), Luis Muriel (22), Dusan Vlahovic (21) and Ciro Immobile (20), further illustrating the Nigerian’s year-long brilliance in front of goal.

Observers may try to water down his return, owing to the volume of penalties (eight), ignoring that all but Muriel (two) have scored a high number of spot-kicks as well — Ronaldo, Lukaku and Vlahovic have converted six penalties each while Immobile has dispatched four from 12 yards.

Simy’s goals account for 44.4 percent of Crotone’s total of 45, which outdoes the Juventus star’s 39.7 percent, the Belgian’s 27 percent, Muriel’s 22 percent and Immobile’s 32.8 percent for the Old Lady, Inter Milan, Atalanta and Lazio respectively.

Only the Fiorentina youngster’s 44.7 percent of his team’s goals comes closest to the West African, and the two indispensable frontmen interestingly face off this weekend at Stadio Ezio Scida.

Vlahovic may be in awesome form right now, but his team continue to languish in the bottom half of the table.

The Viola have won two of their last eight games, with three defeats and as many draws, leaving them in 13th spot, four places below where they ended in 19/20. Clean sheets have been at a premium for the Tuscany outfit, too, with only two shut-outs in their last 14 games, a statistic that ought to give Simy hope of setting a new career-high on Saturday.

For someone who managed 10 goals combined in two previous Serie A campaigns, scoring double that amount in one season is worthy of recognition and it’s no surprise the forward believes he’s enjoying the best moment of his career.

“I’ve been in Italy for five years, the toughest league in the world for a striker. Crotone is a fantastic place, the people and club have given me everything and this is the best moment of my career,” the 29-year-old remarked after last week’s equaliser vs Benevento. “I think now the time has come to give even more.”

While Simy’s desire to remain in Calabria is taken, it remains to be seen if top flight teams will test the striker’s resolve, particularly after an amazing individual year.

Staying with the Pythagoreans could have consequences for his Super Eagles future, especially after Gernot Rohr’s bizarre assessment of the marksman recently.

Cosmi, though, values the striker and the Crotone boss praised his team’s resilience against Benevento having had Vladimir Golemic sent off after 24 minutes.

“A goal down, a man down for over an hour, nobody would’ve been surprised if we had given up, but we didn’t,” the pleased 63-year-old stated post-match. “We stayed in the game, we kept going and the substitutes did a great job in setting up the equaliser that had seemed impossible.”

“In my view, Simy is the player you saw today. He is a ruthless poacher in the box, but he can also really help the team and work for them.

"His penalties are impeccable," he added. "He is a player who in my view belongs in Serie A.

“It’ll all depend on where he goes and how he will be used in future, but I can say as his coach that he is an extraordinary young man and that is what every coach wants to know.”

He has certainly outgrown Serie B and after proving that he can cut the mustard in the big time, Simy definitely deserves top flight football. Without a doubt, even more observers will rave about the Crotone man if he reaches another milestone on Saturday.

Bangladesh Premier League champions Basundhara Kings have submitted a request to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) to initiate talks with AFC (Asian Football Confederation) to further postpone the group stage fixtures of Group D which are scheduled to start from June 30, as the new dates clash with their domestic commitments.

They want the matches to be held after completion of the domestic league on August 2.

"Bashundhara Kings want to respect [the Bangladesh Premier League's] fixtures published by Bangladesh Football Federation as it was published way ahead of new dates given by AFC, which has also changed their original official calendar," a Bashundhara Kings statement read.

"We request BFF to inform AFC to reschedule the group stage fixtures after 2 August, 2021 when Bangladesh Premier League will be fully completed. This will help BFF to complete their predetermined league schedule in time to help all clubs of Bangladesh football."

At the same time, it believed that BFF is preparing a bid to host the South Asian Zone games sticking to the new schedule provided by AFC. Previously, they had submitted the same bid but Maldives won the hosting rights. 

However, AFC was forced to reschedule the dates given the breach of Covid-19 protocols by Indian club Bengaluru FC who were set to play the play-off game against Eagles FC for the last remaining spot in the group. 

With the incident angering the Maldives government, AFC had to postpone the matches.

It was a blessing for ATK Mohun Bagan as if the matches were held in May, they would have missed the services of several key foreign players including talisman Roy Krishna and his partner-in-crime David Williams. Moreover, after a few Bengaluru FC personnel breached the Covid-19 protocol in Maldives, sports minister Ahmed Mahloof requested the club to leave the country leaving AFC with no option but to postpone the games. 

According to the new dates, Bengaluru will play their playoff match on May 27 and the group stage fixtures will be held on June 30, July 2, and July 6. 

After winning nine back-to-back Serie A titles, for the first time in this decade will Juventus go into the final day of their domestic league campaign needing to seal their place in the Champions League.

More so, since his first appearance in the Champions League with Sporting Lisbon in the 2002-03 season, Cristiano Ronaldo has also been part of a team who has finished among the top four for the past 17 straight years - may it be Manchester United, Real Madrid or Juventus.

Meanwhile, AC Milan haven't made it to Europe's top club competition for as long as eight years since the 2013-14 season and Napoli would be looking to get past the Round of 16 of the competition for the first time should they finish in the top four in this season's Serie A.

While Bologna await Juventus, and third-place Napoli face Verona, Milan finish up against second-place Atalanta - a side who have secured their Champions League slot.
 

Contents

Serie A standings (top eight)

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Can Juve qualify for the Champions League?

With Lazio left to play in the UEFA Conference League Qualifiers after dropping points thrice in their last four outings, Juventus have done themselves a huge favour in the run for a top-four spot as the Old Lady defeated champions Inter 3-2 at the Allianz Stadium last Saturday.

Though currently fifth, Andrea Pirlo's side will have their hopes high following AC Milan's goalless against Cagliari as the Rossoneri are yet to fulfil their Champions League fate for next season, while Napoli's 2-0 win at Fiorentina put Gennaro Gattuso's men on equal footing but with an inferior head-to-head record to Stefano Pioli's outfit at the third spot.

In order to finish in the top four, Juventus will have no option but to win at Bologna besides requiring at least one of Milan or Napoli to drop points on the final matchday.

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Where to watch or stream the Serie A

The Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) have the rights to show Serie A matches in India.

Matches will also be available on streaming mobile application SonyLIV, allowing supporters to watch multiple games simultaneously and catch the replay of matches. 

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Serie A fixtures

Matchday 38

*All Serie A matches may be watched online on SonyLIV.

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Related links

Colombia will no longer act as co-host for the 2021 Copa America, CONMEBOL confirmed on Thursday. 

The nation had been scheduled to hold the competition alongside Argentina, including the final on July 10 which was to be played in Barranquilla's Estadio Metropolitano. 

But ongoing protests at the country's governance forced CONMEBOL to intervene, with the decision coming after a last-ditch effort from Colombia to postpone the Copa until November failed.

What was said? 

"With regards to the Colombian government's formal request to reschedule the CONMEBOL Copa America for November, CONMEBOL can reveal the following," the governing body explained in a statement published on its official website. 

"Due to reasons related to the international competition calendar and tournament logistics, it will be impossible to move the 2021 Copa America to November. 

"CONMEBOL is grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the President of the Republic of Colombia, Ivan Duque and his collaborators, as well as by the president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramon Jesurun, and his team. We are sure that in the future new projects together will emerge for the growth of Colombian and South American football. 

"CONMEBOL can ensure the playing of the 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America and will reveal in the coming days the relocation of the games that were due to be played in Colombia."

The bigger picture 

Protests in Colombia began at the end of April due to planned tax and healthcare reforms announced by President Ivan Duque. 

They have continued almost without a pause for three consecutive weeks, with capital Bogota, Medellin and Cali - three of the prospective Copa venues - seeing some of the most vehement demonstrations. 

Human rights groups allege that more than 40 have died in clashes between protesters and authorities, who have responded in force to the 'national strike', while there are also accusations against vigilante groups who are claimed to have fired on and attacked demonstrations across the country. 

CONMEBOL had originally responded to the crisis by confirming Colombia as a host nation, despite several Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana games being moved outside the country due to security concerns and others, such as River Plate's clash against Junior in Barranquilla and Atletico Mineiro's victory over America de Cali, suffering frequent stoppages due to violent clashes outside the stadiums. 

"We hope to play the Copa there and that is why we changed the timings of those games, so that government forces are fully focused on the current social situation," CONMEBOL director Gonzalo Belloso had told Clarin on May 9. 

Just nine days later, however, the continued tension on the streets - which protest leaders have promised to continue - made it clear that the Copa could not be held in Colombia.

While CONMEBOL is yet to confirm where the matches will be moved, one option is to play the entire tournament in Argentina - while Chile and Paraguay have also expressed interest in taking on hosting duties at the last minute.

The Copa America, which was originally scheduled to be played in 2020, kicks off on June 11 and brings together only the 10 CONMEBOL nations, as guests Australia and Qatar both pulled out. 

The sides are split into two groups of five, with the top four qualifying for the quarter-final stage.

Further reading 

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is surrounded by a host of exciting young talent as the nation looks to defend its European Championship title this summer. 

On Thursday Portugal released a preliminary list of 26 players who will complete in the delayed Euro 2020 competition. 

And having won five years earlier in France, expectations are high for Ronaldo and the Selecao this time round. 

The squad in full 

Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Rui Patrício (Wolverhampton), Rui Silva (Granada).

Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Nelson Semedo (Wolverhampton), Jose Fonte (Lille), Pepe (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Nuno Mendes (Sporting CP), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund).

Midfielders: Danilo Pereira (PSG), Joao Palhinha (Sporting CP), Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Joao Moutinho (Wolverhampton), Renato Sanches (Lille), Sergio Oliveira (Porto), William Carvalho (Real Betis).

Forwards: Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP), Andre Silva (Eintracht Frankfurt), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid), Rafa Silva (Benfica). 

Youth and experience

Portugal boss Fernando Santos has struck a fine balance in his squad, combining several veterans of international football with more inexperienced names. 

Ronaldo, 36, 37-year-old Pepe and Wolves duo Rui Patricio and Joao Moutinho boast 508 caps between them, while at the other end of the spectrum attacking duo Joao Felix and Pedro Neto, both 21, and Liverpool's Diogo Jota will be keen to make their mark on their first Euros campaign. 

The defending champions kick off their Euros campaign in Group F against Hungary on June 15 before taking on Germany and France. 

First, they will warm up with two friendlies at the start of June, against Spain and Israel.

Further reading 

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr said Bordeaux winger Samuel Kalu did not have adequate family support during his struggles with a recurring thigh injury this season.

The 23-year-old's campaign was hampered by setbacks but he still made a contribution of four goals and an assist in 20 Ligue 1 matches for the Girondins.

Kalu first picked up the injury in last October which kept him out of action for a month, and he tried returning to action against Rennes on November 20 but he suffered a relapse a week later and he was on the sidelines until January.

Since January 1, the former Gent star has suffered the thigh injury three times – February, March and mostly recently as a fortnight ago.

Ahead of their final game of the season against Reims on Sunday, Bordeaux are 14th in the Ligue 1 table but they risk dropping to the relegation playoff spot if they lose and other results don't go in their favour.

Having missed the Super Eagles’ last five matches, Rohr assessed Kalu’s season in France and he also praised him for the quality he adds to his team.

“We had invited him for Nigeria's last game, and the Girondins told us no, that they needed him to save themselves,” Rohr was quoted by Girondins 4 ever.

“And then he got hurt. They finally sent him to Nigeria anyway, so it was kind of weird. Still, the boy has a lot of injuries this year, I hope he is well supervised on all levels, mentally, medically and sportingly.

“Every time he plays with me he's good, but it's true that this season has been rotten with injuries. I hope he can help the Girondins for the end of the season. I rely on him a lot. We communicate quite often. He’s sorry. He was also a bit lonely without his family in Bordeaux. He lacked a little family support. But it's going to get better and better.”

It remains to be seen if Kalu will be passed fit for the Girondins' crucial match at Stade Auguste-Delaune because his last outing was against Rennes on May 2.

Former Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah believes the inclusion of home-based players in the Black Stars squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament will boost the team’s chances.

While past Ghana coaches in recent times have mostly overlooked players in the local league, current boss CK Akonnor has charted a different path altogether.

In his most recent squad announced for international friendly matches against Morocco and Cote d’Ivoire on June 8 and 12 respectively, as many as eight home-based players made the cut.

“I think so because this season, the league is looking interesting and very competitive,” Appiah said when asked whether he thought Akonnor’s faith in home-based players bodes well, Citi Sports reports.

“Years back, there would have been a 12-year difference between the top two but this time around it is not like that.

“And all the teams have about three or four players that are outstanding and at a point, we were not seeing that.

“That means they are doing well and our league is going well.”

Asante Kotoko duo Razak Abalora and Ismail Abdul Ganiyu, Ibrahim Danlad of King Faisal, Legon Cities centre-back Joseph Adjei, Medeama midfielder Rashid Nortey, Gladson Awako of Great Olympics and Dreams FC man Philemon Baffour have been called up for the upcoming friendlies.

Steadfast FC’s 17-year-old starlet Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, who plays in the Ghana second-tier, has also been summoned, his second successive invitation to the senior side.

“Since I got the job [in January last year], I said I was going to give the locals a chance,” Akonnor said after handing debuts to five home-based players in March’s round of internationals against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

“When was the last time you saw a lot of locals in the squad? We are moving from one end into another, and I think today and in the last match against South Africa, we saw a lot of them and that’s helpful.

“It’s also up to them to do well and improve because we’re looking for the best.”

The Afcon tournament, originally scheduled for this year, has been postponed to run between January 9 and February 6 next year.

Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha is missing but Ivory Coast have named Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe and Manchester United’s Amad Diallo in their 24-man squad for next month’s international friendly matches.

The Elephants are scheduled to play Burkina Faso in Abidjan on June 5 before traveling to Cape Coast to battle Ghana, eight days later.

While there is no official statement regarding Zaha's omission, Sochaux goalscoring machine Chris Bedia has been handed his maiden invitation to the Ivory Coast national team after he scored nine goals in 35 Ligue 2 matches this season.

Diallo is joined in the selection by his brother Hamed Traore who plies his trade at Sassuolo and 20-year-old Torino defender Wilfried Singo.

The two games are expected to prepare Patrice Beaumelle’s team for their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign which will start in September.

Ivory Coast are in Group D alongside Cameroon, Mozambique and Malawi.

Full List

Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohouo (TP Mazembe - DR Congo) Ali Sangare Badra (JDR Stars - South Africa).

Defenders: Serge Aurier (Tottenham Hotspur - England) Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers - England) Wilfried Singo (Torino FC - Italy) Eric Bertrand Bailly (Manchester United - England) Diomande Sinaly (Olympique Lyon - France) Wilfried Kanon (Al Gharafa - Qatar) Hassane Kamara (OGC Nice - France) Odilon Kossounou (Club Brugge - Belgium) Maxwell Cornet (Olympique Lyon - France)

Midfielders: Serey Die Geoffroy (FC Sion - Switzerland) Sangare Ibrahim (PSV Eindhoven - Netherlands) Ismaila Wafougossani Soro (Celtic FC - Scotland) Franck Yannick Kessie (AC Milan - Italy) Serge Arnaud Aka (El Gouna - Egypt) Hamed Junior Traore (US Sassuolo - Italy) Max Alain Gradel (Sivasspor - Turkey) Amad Diallo Traore (Manchester United - England).

Forwards: Junior Lago (Real Mallorca - Spain) Sebastien Haller (Ajax Amsterdam - Netherlands) Christian Koffi Kouame (Fiorentina - Italy) Jeremie Boga (US Sassuolo - Italy) Chris Vianney Bedia (FC Sochaux - France).

English League One side Sheffield Wednesday have released Moses Odubajo and Elias Kachunga following the expiration of their contracts.

The former England youth international of Nigerian descent and the Congolese striker were among the 10 players released by the Owls following their demotion from the English Championship.

Apart from the duo, Joost van Aken, Kadeem Harris, Tom Lees, Matt Penney, Joey Pelupessy, Adam Reach, Jordan Rhodes and Keiren Westwood will leave the Hillsborough Stadium.

Following an awful 2020-21 campaign, Sheffield Wednesday got demoted from the English second-tier – sitting at the base of the log after accruing 41 points from 46 games played.

In a post on social media, Odubajo penned a heartfelt message to Darren Moore’s squad.

“I would like to thank everyone at Sheffield Wednesday who has supported me throughout my time here. I’m grateful for the journey and hope the club bounces back. I wish everyone at the club the best for the future,” the 27-year-old wrote on Twitter.

Signed on a free transfer from Brentford by former Hull City manager Steve Bruce during the summer of 2019, he struggled to settle, showing only glimpses of his pace and quality.

In the just-concluded campaign, the Super Eagles prospect featured in 18 league games, with just three of them as substitutes.

Overall, the former Leyton Orient star made 46 appearances in an Owls shirt, with his last appearance coming on New Year’s Day when a hamstring injury in the 1-0 defeat of Derby County ended his time with the club.

A serious knee injury in the 2016-17 pre-season ruled him out of the entire Premier League campaign, but after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, he returned from the setback in March 2018.

In a bid to get his career back on track, Odubajo returned to Griffin Park as a free agent last summer by signing a one-year contract with the option of a further year.

He was a consistent performer for Brentford and featured in 35 games in all competitions to help the Bees finish the 2018-19 campaign in 11th place in the Championship table.

For Congolese forward Kachunga, he played 27 fixtures this term with no goal to his credit.

Meanwhile, Anglo-Nigerian defender Osaze Urhoghide has been offered a new contract at Sheffield, while Liam Shaw declined a new contract offer and has signed an agreement with Celtic.

Orlando Pirates legend Benedict Vilakazi has urged the club's management to dismiss Josef Zinnbauer and replace him with Herve Renard. 

The Buccaneers are struggling after winning just one of their last seven matches across all competitions and they are also out of the race for this season's PSL title. 

However, Zinnbauer, nicknamed JZ, ended Pirates' six-year trophy drought when he led the team to the 2020 MTN8 title triumph, but Vilakazi feels that this season has been a failure. 

“Saying Orlando Pirates have failed this season sounds harsh, but I genuinely believe that they have failed this season," Vilakazi told iDiski Times. 

“I know they won the MTN8 and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Caf Confederation Cup, however, I still believe that this season has been a failure for the mighty Buccaneers. 

“For the last five seasons, Pirates have had a strong squad which should be easily challenging Mamelodi Sundowns for the league title, but every season has ended in disappointing fashion," he continued.

“Things are even worse this season because as it stands both AmaZulu FC and Golden Arrows are above Pirates in the league.”

Vilakazi, who won two PSL titles and a BP Top 8 (MTN8) with Pirates, believes German tactician Zinnbauer will not be at the Houghton-based giants next season.

The retired central midfielder also advised Bucs to try and bring in accomplished French coach Renard, who is currently in charge of Saudi Arabia. 

“I don’t think Josef Zinnbauer will be the coach at Orlando Pirates next season. I have seen enough of him to realise that he will not take the team anywhere,” he added.

“There were pictures of Afcon-winning coach Herve Renard circulating and the suggestion was that he is here in South Africa. 

“Orlando Pirates needs a strong coach like him who will lead the club to domestic and continental domination," he explained. 

“Renard won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and the Ivory Coast. He is a respected coach across the continent and he knows African football. 

“I think it will be a great idea if the Buccaneers get his services going forward.”

Renard, who has been in charge of Saudi Arabia since 2019, was linked with the Bafana Bafana coaching job last month, but he denied reports of applying for the position which was vacant at the time. 

Belgian tactician Hugo Broos has since been appointed Bafana coach replacing Molefi Ntseki. 

Manchester United and Liverpool "are in the race" to sign NXGN starlet Kamaldeen Sulemana, claims Nordsjaelland boss Flemming Pedersen.

Sulemana has emerged as one of the brightest talents outside of Europe's major leagues since starting his professional career at Nordsjaelland in 2020, attracting a number of high profile potential suitors in the process.

Pedersen says two Premier League giants are among those interested in the 19-year-old, who was included in Goal's 2021 NXGN list of the world's top teenage footballers, and he is expecting the winger to "take the next step" sooner rather than later.

What's been said?

Quizzed on the most likely next destination for Sulemana, the Nordsjaelland head coach told TV3 Sport: "That's a really good question. Ajax is perhaps the safe choice where he will definitely get plenty of playing time.

"[Manchester] United, Liverpool and others are in the race. Well, I also know Kamal so well that when he is pressured, he automatically takes the next step as well.

"And with the personality and mentality he has, there I will never ever say it will be too big a leap, for he is extraordinary."

Pedersen added on whether the Ghana international is destined to leave Farum Park at the end of the season: "You could well assume that.

"I cannot stand here to say that I expect him to be here next season because there is so much talk about him.

"That's completely understandable, and I myself helped hype him last spring when he made his debut. But we have to see what happens."

Praise for Sulemana

Pedersen talked up Sulemana's enormous potential earlier this year, drawing similarities between the Ghanaian and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar.

"We are talking about a player with potential on a par with Neymar, and maybe even more than that, because he is even faster," he said.

FC Midtjylland captain Erik Sviatchenko has also hailed Sulemana's unique talents, having enjoyed a number of competitive battles against the Nordsjaelland starlet over the past two seasons.

“[Sulemana is] really good,”  Sviatchenko told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten recently. “When he plays simple and knows when to play the ball, he is amazing. He is fast, strong and has an understanding of the game like few others.

“He’s on his way to something big, and it’s a pleasure to be tested against one of the great talents in Europe.”

Sulemana's record at Nordsjaelland

Sulemana has racked up 42 appearances for Nordsjaelland across all competitions to date, scoring 14 goals and laying on eight assists.

The teenager, whose current contract is not due to expire until 2024, will likely have the chance to add to his tally when Pedersen's side take on Brondby in their latest Superliga play-off clash on Monday.

Further reading

Abdallah Sima secured the Czech Cup for Slavia Prague with his match-winning goal in their 1-0 victory over Viktoria Plzen in Thursday's final match.

After a goalless first-half, the 19-year-old replaced Lukas Masopust in the 60th minute and he went to on to separate both teams in Plzen with his effort in the 73rd minute.

The victory completed the domestic double for Slavia Prague after they clinched their third successive Czech Liga title last month.

Ivory Coast duo Ibrahim Benhamin Traore and Simon Deli were also introduced as second-half substitutes for the Red and Whites while Nigeria’s Peter Olayinka was not involved in the encounter.

Sima moved to Prague last July and he has quickly adapted to Jindrich Trpisovsky's team with his contributions in front of goal.

He has scored 15 goals in all competitions this season and he is the third-highest scoring player for Slavia Prague in the Czech top-flight.

The Dakar-born teenage sensation has three years left on his contract but he is reportedly attracting transfer interest from Premier League clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United after his remarkable debut season at Sinobo Stadium.

After Thursday's win, Sima and his Slavia Prague teammates will aim to extend their nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions when they travel to Jablonec for their next Liga fixture on Sunday.

They currently hold a 14-point lead above second-placed Sparta Prague and they will also aim to finish the campaign on a high when they host Ceske Budejovice for the final league match on May 29.

On the international scene, Sima has made just an appearance for the Senegal national team – which came in their goalless result with Congo in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture in March.

Cyriel Dessers found the back of the net while Paul Onuachu provided an assist as Genk secured a 4-0 victory over Royal Antwerp in the Belgian First Division A Championship Group game on Thursday.

Dessers had lamented his limited playing time recently, having only made five starts this season and at Luminus Arena, he came off the bench to make a significant contribution for his side.

His compatriot Onuachu was handed a starting role and utilized the opportunity to continue his impressive performances.

The game started with both sides aiming to outwit each other but despite their efforts, they failed to get the ball into the back of the net in the opening 40 minutes.

With two minutes left to the half-time break, Kristian Thorstvedt broke the deadlock to hand the Blue and White the lead.

John van den Brom’s men continued to push for more goals after the restart and doubled their lead in the 49th minute when Thorstvedt scored after benefitting from Onuachu’s assist.

Thorstvedt completed his hat-trick moments after the hour mark before Dessers was brought on for Onuachu in the 74th minute.

The centre-forward immediately made his impact felt, sealing the victory for the Blue and White three minutes after his introduction.

The victory ensured Genk maintained their second spot in the Championship Group with 41 points to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season alive.

Dessers has now scored six goals and provided three assists in 32 appearances across all competitions this season.

The forward also recently revealed he could leave Luminus Arena in the summer, notwithstanding he still has three years left on his contract.

His compatriot Onuachu is currently one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe, having scored 35 goals and provided four assists in 40 games this season.

The Nigeria internationals will hope to continue their eye-catching performances when Genk take on Club Brugge in their last league game of the 2020-21 campaign on May 23.

Azam FC have reduced the gap between them and Simba SC in the Tanzania Mainland League to just one point after claiming a 2-0 win over Biashara Mara United.

The Chamazi-based charges needed strikes from Prince Dube and Mudathir Yahya to claim maximum points at Azam Complex on Thursday night.

The initial two meetings had ended in a 1-1 draw, and the 2014 champions had to win the game to maintain their dwindling hopes of winning the league title.

The hosts waited until the 11th minute to get their first goal. Goalkeeper Mathias Kigonya played a long ball to Zimbabwe forward Dube whose one-time strike was too match for the custodian. That was the 13th league goal for the 24-year-old attacker.

It happened to be the goal separating the two teams by the end of the first half, despite the many chances created by the Ice-cream Makers.

After the break, the George Lwandamina-led team had no sign of relaxing. They continued pushing for another goal and were rewarded in the 55th minute. Iddi Selemani teed Yahya and the latter took a shot from 25-yards out to double the advantage. 

That was Azam's 17th win in the 30 matches they have played in the ongoing campaign. The former champions have drawn nine games and lost four, and as a result, they have 60 points. 

The Ice-cream Makers have further scored 44 points and conceded 20 goals. Following the defeat, Biashara, who are under Kenyan coach Patrick Odhiambo, remain on 45 points from 30 matches. 

The Shinyanga-based side has managed 12 wins, nine draws and as many losses.

In another top-tier game, Ihefu FC defeated Dodoma Jiji FC by a solitary goal to move to 12th position. Andrew Simchimba scored the lone goal in the 20th minute to hand his team maximum points.

Ihefu have 34 points from 30 games after nine wins, seven draws, and 14 losses. They have scored 22 goals and conceded 36.

On the other hand, Dodoma are eighth with five more points. They have won 10 matches, drawn nine, and lost 11. They have further scored 27 goals and conceded 29.

Nordsjaelland boss Flemming Pedersen has stated Liverpool have entered the race for the signature of Ghana starlet Kamaldeen Sulemana.

The 19-year-old attacker has reportedly attracted interest from Dutch champions Ajax, Manchester United and German outfit Bayer Leverkusen, while French fold Olympique Lyonnais and Belgian side Club Brugge have also been linked. He has caught the eye of scouts with a series of fine performances in the Danish Superliga.

Liverpool have been recently speculated to have shown interest in the Ghanaian.

"That's a really good question. Ajax is perhaps the safe choice where he will definitely get plenty of playing time," Pedersen told TV3 Sport.

"[Manchester] United, Liverpool and others are in the race. Well, I also know Kamal so well that when he is pressured, he automatically takes the next step as well.

"And with the personality and mentality he has, there I will never ever say it will be too big a leap, for he is extraordinary."

On Wednesday, Kamaldeen was in action for Nordsjaelland in their penultimate match of the season.

Once again, he did not miss a chance to impress as he set up his side's opening goal in what ended in a 2-1 victory over Randers.

With nothing to play for in their final game, it has been speculated the club would leave him out of their squad, so not to risk an injury that could scupper his likely move away.

"You could well assume that," Pedersen replied when questioned about such a move.

"I cannot stand here to say that I expect him to be here next season because there is so much talk about him.

"That's completely understandable, and I myself helped hype him last spring when he made his debut. But we have to see what happens."

Kamaldeen has scored 10 goals in 28 matches in the Superliga this season, sitting as Nordsjaelland's top scorer.

Wednesday's effort took his assist tally to five.

Former Nordsjaelland teammate and current international colleague Mohammed Kudus, who left the Danish side for Ajax last summer, has urged the 19-year-old to snub the likes of Manchester United for a career with the Dutch side.

Tusker defender Rodgers Aloro has claimed they have a strong mentality to deal with the pressure that comes with being Football Kenya Federation Premier League leaders.

The Brewers have been at the top for quite a long period this season and Aloro believes they can handle the pressure as they chase the title and a Caf Champions League slot.

“Of course, it brings a bit of pressure on the team but I believe we have a strong mentality as a team, we have been on top of the table for a while and we know how to handle the pressure as players and also the coaches,” Aloro told the club’s website.

The star further said they should positively pick the draw registered against KCB in the previous encounter. The Bankers and the Brewers are among the favourites to lift the title thus far.

“We didn’t take the draw so well because we needed to win. But all in all, we are thankful for the point because at least it took us somewhere. We can pick up from the draw and look to ensure we do better in the next match,” he added.

He has also urged his players to show fighting spirit when they handle Wazito in the next engagement. As Tusker drew, Wazito were defeated by Sofapaka in their first game since the Premier League was allowed to resume.

“We are highly motivated for that game and we have the belief because we won in the first leg. We believe we can do it again. We believe in ourselves and we should step up because we are Tusker Football Club and we are a big team,” said Aloro.

For Tusker to get the needed goals and wins, Aloro advised their strikers to be composed and clinical in the remaining games.

“We need to be calmer in front of goal and be more clinical. We also need to put more impetus on our speed to attack and I believe we shall overcome,” he concluded.

Going forward, FKF Premier League clubs are expected to deal with congested fixtures especially after a 58-day break occasioned by the Covid-19 restrictions.

Tusker defender Rodgers Aloro is adamant they can handle the pressure that comes with being leaders of the FKF Premier League.

The 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup will be held in India from October 11 to October 30, 2022.

The dates were announced via a virtual FIFA Council meeting held on Thursday, May 20, 2021.

What happened to the 2021 U-17 Women's World Cup? 

The 2021 U-17 Women's World Cup, which was scheduled to be held in India, was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic and it had also been decided that India will host the 2022 edition of the World Cup.

The tournament was initially supposed to be held in November 202 but FIFA had to postpone the tournament to February and March in 2021.

India was appointed as the host by the FIFA Council meeting in Miami on 15 March 2019. But after taking stock of the pandemic situation, the governing body for the sport decided to scrap the event in its entirety. The 2020 U20 Women's World Cup has also been cancelled along with the U17 edition. 

Which cities were supposed to host the World Cup in India? 

Before the pandemic forced the 2021 edition to be called off, five venues in India had been selected as host cities for the tournament - the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, EKA Arena in Ahmedabad and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.