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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed his delight after Eric Bailly extended his stay with his side.

The Ivory Coast international recently signed a new contract with the Red Devils this month, which will see him continue his stay with the club until 2024.

Bailly has been in talks with United for a new deal for about a month and was believed not to be happy at the Old Trafford due to lack of game time.

He was subsequently linked to a number of Serie A and La Liga sides but put an end to the speculation when he put pen to paper on a new deal.

Solskjaer has praised the defender, who recently recovered from coronavirus, for his decision and lauded him for his contribution to the club.

“Eric's been showing he is more and more resilient, more robust,” Solskjaer said in a pre-match press conference.

“With Covid, nothing can be guaranteed there so that was a disappointment but I think he's shown this season that he's maturing, developing, and getting better.

“We want to get the best out of Eric. He's a very highly regarded member of our squad. The boys love him, he's got such a good heart.

“His performances when he plays, he never lets us down. He's a heart on the sleeve kind of guy. You know you'll get blocked tackles and aggression as a defender should do.

“He's improving with the ball, he's improving his build-up play. I'm very pleased he's going to stay.”

Bailly has been with the Red Devils since the summer of 2016 when he teamed up with the Premier League giants from La Liga side Villarreal.

The defender has subsequently made more than 100 appearances across all competitions for United since his arrival.

In the current campaign, he has been limited to 15 games, including eight in the Premier League, due to a number of factors.

The 27-year-old will hope to feature when Manchester United take on AS Roma in a Europa League game on Thursday night.

Some half-time tactical tinkering from Zinedine Zidane helped Real Madrid regain some initiative in their Champions League semi-final first leg against Chelsea.

Los Blancos were fortunate to go in level at the break after an opening 45 minutes largely dominated by the Premier League side, with Christian Pulisic’s opener cancelled out by a spectacular Karim Benzema strike.

The second period was much closer though neither team could find a winner, leaving the tie finely balanced going into next week’s second leg at Stamford Bridge.

What did Zidane say?

Zidane set his team out with a high pressing 3-5-2 formation with Casemiro on top of Jorginho to try and limit Chelsea’s creativity.

However, Real pushed too far forward and Chelsea were able to escape the press too easily, allowing the pacey Mason Mount and Pulisic to break clear.

It was American Pulisic who opened the scoring, latching on to a long defence-splitting pass from Antonio Rudiger before rounding Thibaut Courtois and beating two men on the line.

Goal understands Zidane gave a short and focused speech at half-time, telling his players: "We can't keep letting them run so easy.”

What did Zidane do to change tactics?

Zidane asked his players to play closer together and play safer passes to mitigate the threat of N’Golo Kante, who was regularly able to win back possession before releasing Mount or Pulisic on the counter.

They attempted to slow the game down and prevent Chelsea from playing at the pace they had done in the first half. Luka Modric also dropped deeper to take the ball off the central defenders and help maintain possession.

The result was a much less frenetic second half than the opening period, with few chances for either side.

Zidane was pleased with the improvement in his side’s performance after the break and believes that if they are more physical in second leg then they have what it takes to reach the final.

Further reading

Spanish Primera Iberdrola side Levante have completed the signing of Francisca Ordega on a two-year deal, Goal can confirm. 

Before now, the Nigeria international had previously starred in Spanish football during her six-month loan spell with Atletico Madrid from Washington Spirit in 2017, featuring in only just eight games.

In her career journey, she turned out for Bayelsa Queens and River Angels in Nigeria before stints with Russian Rossinyaka, Swedish Pitea, USA's Washington Spirit, Australian Sydney FC and recently Chinese Shanghai Shenhua.

Following the expiration of her contract with Shanghai Shenhua last summer, the forward parted ways with the Chinese outfit after seven goals in 14 appearances to finish as the club's top scorer in 2019.

Having teamed up with the Valencia-based side, the 27-year-old is now also back in the Spanish top-flight and will stay with Granotes at Ciudad Deportiva Bunol, until the end of 2023 summer.

The signing of Ordega will boost the attacking line of coach Maria Pry's ladies as they gear up for a Champions League return next season, sitting in second place with 58 points from 27 matches.

Following her announcement, she becomes the second Nigerian on the books of the club after Spanish-Nigerian born Andrea Okene, who made her senior debut against Tenerife last week.

It also brings the number of Nigerian stars in the Spanish top flight to nine, after Levante's Okene, Eibar's Charity Adule, Barcelona's Asisat Oshoala, Sevilla's Toni Payne.

Other Nigerians are Atletico Madrid's Rasheedat Ajibade and Madrid CFF quartet of Rita Chikwelu, Ogonna Chukwudi, Osinachi Ohale and Chidinma Okeke.

On the global stage, she has helped Nigeria to four African Women's Cup of Nations titles, featured at three Fifa Women's World Cups and also nominated for the African Women's Player of the Year twice.

Her arrival also heightens speculations of the departure of Spanish Iberdrola leading scorer Esther Gonzalez to top clubs in Europe, having scored 26 goals in 27 matches this season. 

Following her signing, Ordega is expected to arrive in the Spanish city in the coming days for her medicals before uniting with her teammates.

Simba SC striker John Bocco has extended his stay with the club after signing a new two-year contract.

The Msimbazi giants have confirmed on their official website that the striker, who also features for the Tanzania national team and signed for the team from Azam FC in the 2017-18 season, will now stay at the club until 2023.

“Captain John Bocco has signed a new two-year contract to remain in our team which will keep him until 2023,” read the statement on the club’s official page.

“Bocco's contract was due to expire at the end of this season but due to his ability and importance, the management has decided to extend his contract.

“Bocco joined us from Azam in the 2017-18 season and since then we have won the Premier League title three times in a row as we aim to take it for the fourth time.

“Apart from the ability he shows on the field, his other qualities are discipline but also a role model in the squad.”

The 31-year-old forward's decision comes just a few hours after left-back Mohamed Hussein also ended transfer speculation by extending his stay with the champions.

The 29-year-old defender was being linked with a transfer to rivals Yanga SC at the end of his contract which had two months remaining.

However, Simba have moved to tie the player down with another two years and the club confirmed: “After much speculation on social media, assistant captain Mohammed Hussein ‘Zimbwe Jr’ has finally put an end to the controversy after signing a two-year contract to remain within the team.

“For about a week now there have been rumours circulating in the media and online that the star will leave after the end of his contract but due to his ability, the management has decided to give him a new contract.

“In that sense, the lone goal scorer in the Premier League game against Gwambina FC will continue to wear the red and white jersey until 2023.”

In a recent interview, Simba coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa confessed he will not sit down and watch his key players leave the club in the next window.

“I know we are far from approaching the transfer signing period but I have seen people talking about players leaving Simba at the end of the season,” the French tactician said.

“Personally I will not accept to see any of my players leave due to the great importance they have in the team, as it is always dangerous for the team to make changes in the squad by removing the key players who have given the team success, especially in the Caf competition this season.

“But I don't know anything about any of my players leaving, the biggest thing I can say is I wish to remain with all the players for another two or three seasons as this continuity will give us success in the future.”

Simba are currently in the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League and are also leading the Mainland Premier League table.

Obinna Nwobodo was sent off for the first time ever in his professional career as Goztepe played out a 1-1 draw versus Trabzonspor in Wednesday’s Turkish Super Lig outing.

Playing his 28th game in the 2020-21 campaign, the Nigerian was shown the way out by referee Tugay Numanoglu.

Nwobodo had already been cautioned in the 72nd minute, and a careless challenge on Abdulkadir Omur in the 90th minute saw him red-carded.

Inspired by their 1-1 draw with Fatih Karagumruk last time out, Goz Goz welcomed Abdullah Avci’s men to the Gursel Aksel Stadium.

After several missed opportunities by both teams, the hosts took the lead on the stroke of half-time courtesy of Adis Jahovic.

Having been set up by Malian midfielder Fousseni Diabate, the Macedonian forward slotted the ball past goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.

Not willing to surrender their eight-game unbeaten run, the Black Sea Storm came out stronger in the second half, but their attacking forays met strong resistance from the hosts.

Trabzonspor’s aspirations of recording a comeback triumph suffered a huge setback as Berat Ozdemir was sent off for serious foul play in the 67th minute.

The Turkish midfielder pulled down a goal-bound Diabate forcefully, to the irritation of referee Numanoglu.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Avci’s side was unwilling to give up as they stepped up their attacking play. In the 88th minute, they restored parity through Ghanaian Caleb Ekuban.

Capitalising on the hosts’ inability to clear a cross from Yusuf Sari, the Ghana international tucked the ball past goalkeeper Irfan Egribayat.

With no goals scored in the remaining minutes of the cagey encounter, both teams walked home with one point apiece.

Senegal’s Lamine Gassama was in action from start to finish for Goztepe, his compatriot Cherif Ndiaye was substituted for Zlatko Tripic in the 79th minute - the same time Diabate came off for Austrian midfielder Peter Zulj.

Nigeria’s duo of Brown Ideye and Anderson Esiti was brought on for Jahovic and Soner Aydogdu, respectively, with a minute to play.

For the visitors, Anthony Nwakaeme, who was handed a starter’s role, came off for Flavio in the 90th minute.

Whereas, on-loan Stoke City forward Benik Afobe was an unused substitute.

Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman admits he did not expect his side to still be in the title race after their poor start to the season.

The Catalan giants are currently third in La Liga, behind Real Madrid only on goal difference, but can go one point clear of leaders Atletico if they win their game in hand against Granada on Thursday.

That represents a remarkable turnaround for Koeman’s side, who were 10 points behind Atletico down in sixth place at the turn of the year.

What did Koeman say?

Barca’s final game of 2020 was a laboured 1-1 draw at home to Eibar, but they have looked a team transformed in 2021.

Koeman’s side have won 15 out of 17 La Liga matches, with their only defeat coming against Real Madrid earlier this month, to fire themselves back into title contention.

Victory at Camp Nou on Thursday would put the title race in their own hands with five games remaining.

“It is important to win because we are in a moment where we know we can be leaders and it can be a reward, but first we have to win," Koeman told reporters.

"It's one game at a time. If you look back, it's an unexpected situation. We had a big points difference and it's something big that we've achieved, the opportunity to fight to win La Liga

"In the last 17 games, almost half of the season, we have 15 wins. That's impressive.

"And it had to be like this, because otherwise we wouldn't be fighting for the title."

Koeman shuts down Messi talk

Koeman was asked about reports suggesting Paris Saint-Germain had offered Lionel Messi a two-year contract, but he would not be drawn on the rumours.

"I'm not interested in what has come out [in the press] because I don't know if it's true and because I hope he stays with us," he said.

"I've said several times that he [surely] has to finish [his career] here, but it's a decision he has to make."

Koeman pleased with forward's output

Koeman did, however, praise his forward line for improving their goal output during the second half of the campaign, including Antoine Griezmann, who scored twice in last weekend's 2-1 win against Villarreal

The club were criticised in some quarters for failing to sign an out-and-out replacement for Luis Suarez last summer.

"We have to remember that, for example, [Ansu] Fati has been out for five months. We have created more goalscoring opportunities [recently], we have scored more. The team has done a great job offensively.

"During the summer I told him (Griezmann) he was an important player.

"Of course I had been critical about the forwards not taking chances, and also Antoine. But he's a guy I like, he works for the team and gives his all. Now he is more confident.

"The first goal he scored against Villarreal, you can't score that if you're lacking confidence. He's in an important and good spell of form."

Barca ‘working’ on possible transfers

Koeman also revealed the club are working on potential new signings over the summer, though he concedes their current financial situation may limit what they can do in the transfer market.

"Of course we are working on next season, like any coach and any club," he said.

"As a coach I always try to improve the team, but it depends on the economic situation of the club because, in the end, the club and the president are in charge.

"Whether a signing is possible or not, we are talking because there is [still plenty of] time.”

Further reading

Mamelodi Sundowns’ league title hopes took a knock when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Golden Arrows at the Loftus Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The result means Sundowns are just one point clear of AmaZulu, who won 5-1 away at Cape Town City.

While the first half was largely a niggly affair with a lot of fouls and few clear-cut chances, it was Arrows who looked the more fluent and dangerous team going forward.

Sundowns, though, had the first opening of the afternoon, when Kermit Erasmus got to the byline and put in a dangerous cross, but Siphelele Mkulise arrived fractions too late to convert.

In the 12th minute, there was a scare for Downs defender Mosa Lebusa, who nearly chested a cross from Divine Lunga into his own net, Lebusa having been credited with an own goal last weekend in the 2-1 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs.

On the half-hour mark it was the turn of another home defender, Rivaldo Coetzee, as Pule Mmodi's cross deflected off his head and just wide of Denis Onyango's goal.

Sundowns' only real first-half effort on goal came in the 42nd minute when Thapelo Morena's cross located Lebohang Maboe, who from 14-yards out volleyed narrowly over the crossbar.

Just before the interval, there was another chance for Arrows, but Knox Mutizwa lacked conviction and Onyango was able to save the low shot comfortably.

Following the restart, Onyango did well to come out and dive at the feet of a goal-bound Mmodi, while at the opposite end, Arrows keeper Sifiso Mlungwana kept out Themba Zwane’s shot from range.

But following those couple of chances, there was little in the way of goal-mouth action – while both sides had their moments in trying to push forward and the game remained on a knife-edge, neither team could make things happen in and around the opposition box.

Credit, though, should also go to both sets of defenders, who were really on top of their games, while goalkeepers Mlungwana and Onyango also did well when called upon to deal with aerial balls.

Real Madrid left-back Marcelo has been selected for local election duties, which take place the day before the Champions League second-leg clash with Chelsea - meaning his participation in the match could be in doubt.

The Brazilian would be unable to fly to England with the rest of the Madrid squad for the match at Stamford Bridge, with Covid-19 restrictions making it difficult for him to travel on the same day of the game.

However, Madrid plan to request that the 32-year-old left-back be excused from those duties to allow him to travel with the rest of Zinedine Zidane's team, and then be named in the squad for the fixture.

Why has Marcelo been selected for election duties?

All Spanish residents that appear on the electoral register face the possibility of being required to assist with election duties, where they are paid €65 (£56/$78).

The draw for polling station duty was made on April 5, with Brazil international Marcelo - who was granted Spanish citizenship in 2011 - having been selected to monitor the elections at the Madrid assembly on May 4.

Marcelo's Madrid team-mate Victor Chust has also reportedly been selected to assist with the local election, although he is currently absent through injury and wasn't in the squad for the 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Will Marcelo miss the match against Chelsea?

It's difficult to ascertain if Marcelo will definitely be unavailable to face Thomas Tuchel's side at this stage, although El Mundo reports that the Liga club's initial appeal to the Electoral Commission had been declined.

There have been occasions previously where players called up for similar duties have been excused on the basis of them needing to play for their respective clubs, which Madrid will undoubtedly point to in their attempts to have Marcelo available.

However, in those instances the players in question have had matches on the same day as the elections, whereas in Marcelo's case the Champions League semi-final second leg takes place the following day, May 5.

Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez was excused from election duties in November 2019 due to his side's fixture against Athletic Club going ahead on the same day.

In a similar case, Athletic forward Inaki Williams was not required to be present at a polling station back in 2015 as his team had a league fixture, ironically against Levante, that would have clashed with the election.

Should Madrid be without Marcelo, who started the first leg of the tie, Zidane will be hoping Ferland Mendy recovers from a muscle injury in time and, if not, he may be forced to select Alvaro Odriozola, Dani Carvajal or even Marco Asensio in an unfamiliar role.

Further reading

Luke Shaw has credited Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for helping him play the best football of his career amid a standout campaign for Manchester United.

The full-back has been one of the best players in Solskjaer’s squad and has turned his Old Trafford career around after being cast aside by Jose Mourinho.

United are in Europa League semi-final action against Roma on Thursday night with Shaw a certain starter but, the last time they lifted the trophy in 2017, the 25-year-old didn’t even get a place in the squad. He was injured for the final showdown against Ajax, but was also overlooked for the three other finals United have played since he signed. 

What was said?

Shaw credited Solskjaer for helping him develop and spoke about what has changed in the last few years to aid his form.

“A lot of things. One of them is the manager - and I'm not just saying that as he’s sat next to me,” Shaw replied. “Myself as well, I've changed a lot of things and I believe in myself more and I feel a lot more confident the most important thing is I am just enjoying playing football again and that is important thing to have for our job, you need to enjoy it and I’m doing that.

“The team is going in right direction and I want to be part of it so I need to keep high performances up to keep myself in the team because there is competition all over the squad and I want to keep improving and get getting better and keep helping the team to push to get trophies.”

What else did Shaw say?

The full-back agreed that he is currently playing the best football of his career.

“Yeah definitely,” Shaw said. “The season I won player of the year you could have picked anyone out of the hat, I don’t think there was a standout person that season.

"I think this season is my best and I’m enjoying it and I need to keep working hard and keep improving and I feel like I can keep getting better and give more to the team and I need to be doing that and keep going and keep my head down and what will come, will come.”

Man Utd team news

Solskjaer would not reveal who would start in goal out of David de Gea and Dean Henderson. Marcus Rashford is also fit to play despite playing through a foot injury.

Solskjaer said: “Marcus, we’ve managed him and we’ve had to manage him quite a while actually. Last year with his back, then his shoulder that he’s recovered really well from and I feel he’s gone through the worst of his foot as well and he almost played a full game against Leeds.

“He’s available for selection tomorrow and I think he’s happy with the progress he’s made. We didn’t lose anyone after the Leeds game, which is great preparation for us because it was a high intensity, very difficult game.”

Further reading 

Harry Kane has reflected on Tottenham's latest trophy failure amid talk of summer exit, admitting that he still has a burning desire to win the "biggest prizes" in the game.

Spurs extended their trophyless run to 13 years after being beaten 1-0 by Manchester City in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.

Kane is still looking for the first major piece of silverware of his career, and it has been suggested he will leave north London this summer to try and break that duck with Manchester United and Real Madrid among those reportedly weighing up a move.

What's been said?

Speaking after being named the Premier League player of the year at the London Football Awards, the Spurs captain conceded that he is more interested in team trophies than individual honours.

"Individual awards are great, they are fantastic achievements," said Kane. "When I look back at the end of my career, I will go over it and take in a little bit more.

"The goal right now as a player is to win team trophies. As much as this [award] is great, I want to be winning the biggest prizes that there is to offer as a team and we are not quite doing that.

"It is one of those [situations], it is bittersweet. I would rather be winning team trophies and this award. It is what it is."

Kane added on Tottenham's current standing in England after their humbling against Man City: "We still have a way to go before we can reach that level of City and those teams at the top of the league. We've got to keep working hard, learn from it and try and finish the season strongly."

Kane's thoughts on Mourinho

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy took the decision to bring Jose Mourinho's 17-month tenure to an end six days before the club's appearance at Wembley, with 29-year-old Ryan Mason drafted in as his replacement on an interim basis.

Mourinho was unable to deliver consistent results at Spurs but Kane thrived under him, and says it's a "shame" he wasn't given more time to take the team forward.

"He's a fantastic manager, he's managed the biggest players at the biggest clubs in the world," said Kane. "He came in with a real understanding of what he wanted and we had good conversations early on that continued all the way through.

"In terms of style of play, I've always liked to drop deep and be involved, but the biggest change was making sure people were running in behind and using all the tools to try and exploit opposition weaknesses.

"We had a good relationship, I feel like my games been evolving over the last three or four years anyway and it was just a good matchup. It was a shame we couldn't go onto better things or win any trophies, but I'll take the experience I had with him forward for the rest of my career."

What's next for Kane?

Kane will be back in action with Tottenham when they take on Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday, where he will be aiming to add to his hall of 31 goals across all competitions in 2020-21.

Spurs have five games left to try and overhaul Chelsea in the race for fourth place, with the Blues currently five points ahead of their London rivals.

Once the campaign ends, Kane will turn his attention to England's latest bid for glory at the European Championships, which are due to kick off on June 11.

Further reading

Manchester United have expanded their scouting network in London in the hope of convincing the 'next Marcus Rashford' to join the club.

The Red Devils have brought in two scouts to focus on the capital in the hope that they can continue to bring the best young talent to the club, with the idea of getting United back to the top.

United have an extensive scouting network across the whole world who report back to club chiefs including Football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher.

What's been said?

In a fans' forum meeting held in April, Murtogh discussed the expansion of the scouting network and said: "The north-west area remains important to ensure we convince the next Marcus [Rashford], Jesse [Lingard] or Mason [Greenwood] to play for United.

"The scouting network across the rest of the UK have also been strengthened. Recently, two new scouts have came on board to focus on the London area.

"The club’s tradition of looking at bringing in the best 17-18 year olds from across the world will also continue. The scouting team work closely with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] to produce options for consideration based on the type of profile which Ole feels that the team needs.

"Ole has a veto, because as a club we will not sign a player that a manager doesn't want."

United's youth system

United’s extensive scouting network is nothing new. In recent years they’ve been targeting the best players from overseas in a bid to boost their youth system, with the global scouting team headed up by Marcel Bout.

Players like Hannibal Mejbri, Marc Jurado and Alvaro Fernandez have all impressed since arriving from Monaco, Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.

They’ve also brought in Charlie McNeill from Manchester City, while Joe Hugill has also joined from Sunderland as the Red Devils continue to target the best young talent in the country.

The head of the academy at United is Nick Cox, while the club's former midfielder Nicky Butt had been the head of first-team development before an announcement back in March that he would be stepping down from the role.

United's Under-18s side, meanwhile, are managed by Neil Ryan and they are currently sitting top of the standings in Group North of the Under-18 Premier League. They were, however, knocked out of the FA Youth Cup at the fourth round stage by Liverpool.

What else was said?

Murtough spoke about the transfer window, with the Premier League club hoping to bring in a couple of new faces to add to Solskjaer’s squad.

He said: "The club has always backed its manager in the transfer market. It’s evident from what's gone on over the last two or three seasons that there has been a structured and disciplined approach to player recruitment. 

"The transfer market will be challenging in the next 12 months but when the right players are available, which fit our profile, for the right values, we will be in and around those opportunities as and when they arise."

Further reading 

Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos has said it "would be difficult" for him to extend his stay at Arsenal, admitting that he likes La Liga "a lot more" than the Premier League.

Ceballos joined Arsenal on a season-long loan from Madrid in the summer of 2019, with the agreement renewed for an extra year following his impressive first campaign in England.

However, the 24-year-old has struggled to reach the same high standards in 2020-21 and feels that a return to Spain would be best for him to rediscover his form.

What's been said?

"I've had a bad time because I didn't have the consistency I had last year," Ceballos told Onda Cero ahead of Arsenal's Europa League semi-final tie against Villarreal on Thursday. "These last 5 or 6 games I've played at a good level.

"To be honest I like La Liga a lot more. The Premier League is more complete but with my style, La Liga is much better for me.

"Another loan would be difficult from both sides, for Real Madrid and for me."

The Spain international went on to reveal that he is open to taking in a second spell at Real Betis, where he spent six years before being snapped up by Madrid in 2017.

"I'm about to turn 25 in August and I have to settle at a club where I feel important, that's what I'll look for," he added. "I have a lot of affection for Betis, I'm a Betis fan, I watch every Betis game, [Manuel] Pellegrini is a really good coach who I like."

The bigger picture

Ceballos was one of the first names on Mikel Arteta's team-sheet last term, but the summer arrivals of Willian and Thomas Partey saw him fall down the pecking order.

The Madrid loanee has only started 15 of Arsenal's 33 Premier League gamesthis season and has yet to record a single goal or assist.

Competition for places in the Gunners' midfield will likely increase later in the year too, with the club set to back Arteta in the transfer market as he seeks to transform the team into an elite European force once again.

Ceballos still has two years left to run on his contract with Madrid, but Zinedine Zidane also has a plethora of options meaning a return to Real Betis could suit all parties.

Further reading

Egypt squaring up against Algeria in the Fifa Arab Cup is ‘an opportunity to decrease tension’ between both countries, according to African football great Mohamed Aboutrika.

During the 2010 Fifa World Cup qualifiers between both countries in November 2009, there were disturbances before and after the games – which lead to diplomatic strains in Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan.

However, the draw for the competition organised to act as a preparatory competition to test the operational readiness of Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup which saw the Pharaohs zoned in Group D with the Desert Foxes as well as the winner of Lebanon v Djibouti and the winner of Libya v Sudan.

According to the two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner, seeing both teams square up against one another in the same group will help them resolve their problems.

“I’m very happy to be drawn with Algeria, it’s an opportunity to resolve problems and improve our relationship, respect, and love for one another. I love visiting Algeria very much, people are friendly, I love it, the country of a million martyrs,” Aboutrika said on beIN Sports per Kingfut.

“I hope the match will be an opportunity to decrease tension between both nations. I hope all teams will have their top players.

“I know how difficult it is for players abroad to participate. In Egypt, for example, Mohamed Salah will not be present.

“I would have liked to see Palestine qualify directly, I hope they qualify, no offense to Comoros. They should’ve made an exception for them.”

He also gave his own assessment of the North African side under the command of coach Hossam El-Badri, while giving tips on how they can thrive.

“The Egyptian national team needs more time and stability,” he continued.

“The coach should not be subjected to great pressure. If the team plays a bad match, 100 million people will attack the coach.”

“There are no training camps like the previous one and there are also no fans. All this affected the national team.

“We have stars in the team and technical staff at the highest level. Hossam El-Badri has great experience, with some support and stability and without any pressure, he will thrive.”

Dodoma Jiji coach Mbwana Makata has blamed the team’s 3-1 defeat against Simba SC in the Mainland Premier League on the lack of concentration among his players, especially in the second half.

Jiji came into the match at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam seeking to avenge the first-round defeat but it was the Msimbazi giants who ended up sealing a double over them after goals from Chris Mugalu (2) and Luis Miquissone.

Simba had taken a deserved lead through Mugalu but Jiji were level three minutes later courtesy of Cleophace Mkandala but in the second half, Miquissone and Mugalu scored to end their hopes of getting a win against the champions.

Makata has told Goal after a good display by his side in the first half, their level of concentration dropped in the second period allowing Simba to take advantage and carry the day.

“The game was good, we have managed 90 minutes by losing the first half. We played very well with tactical discipline, and we also managed to contain them by sealing all the loopholes,” Makata told Goal.

“We also managed to play some counter-attacking football but I think we all know Simba are good especially when playing at this venue [Mkapa], they can use their space and ball well, and what we did we denied them space and tried to use the counter-attack and it helped us to go to the half-time break at 1-1.

“In the second period, my players lost concentration and allowed Simba into the game, they gave them much space to move the ball easily and we got punished with the two goals, we did not defend as a unit like it was in the first period, and we were beaten.

“But to be honest, we must congratulate Simba for winning the game, I concede defeat because they managed to penetrate and spoil my plans, it means they have experienced players, they are good and on top of their game now, we now must focus and return to winning ways in our next match.”

On his part, Mkandala, who scored the lone goal for Jiji told Goal: “We knew we were playing against a big team, who are representing us in Caf competition and we planned to face them with confidence and we also wanted to earn revenge since they had beaten us in the first meeting but it was not easy for us, because we all know what Simba can do.

“They are approaching to win the league and so they are dangerous to face now, we played according to the coach’s instruction but let me admit the best team won, Simba were the better side and deserved to win.”

On scoring twice against Simba in the two matches so far this season, Mkanda said: “I am happy to score against Simba twice, it is not easy, to score against them [home and away] and it gives me the confidence to face other teams.

“I will continue to score goals, I now have three and I want to add to my tally, I don’t have to score against Simba only but must fight to score against every team in the league.”

The win saw Simba reach 61 points from 25 matches, four more than second-placed Yanga SC, who have 57 from 27 matches while Azam FC are third on 54 points from 28 outings.

The two teams will now shift their focus to the domestic cup whose matches will be played this weekend.

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal fans "would be surprised" if they got to know Stan and Josh Kroenke and welcomed the statement issued by the owners reaffirming their commitment to the club.

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) announced on Tuesday that they had no intention of selling Arenal, amid much publicised interest in a takeover from Swedish billionaire Daniel Ek.

The founder and CEO of Spotify is expected to make an offer for Arsenal in the coming days and has enlisted the support of club legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira.

But the Kroenkes remain adamant that they will not be selling, despite the large scale protests from fans against their ownership before last Friday’s game against Everton.

Arteta has welcomed that commitment and believes Arsenal supporters would be surprised by their owners if they heard from them on a more regular basis.

What has been said?

When asked whether Stan Kroenke should communicate more with fans in the future, Arteta said: “If we all feel that that is necessary and that would be helpful, I’m sure they would do anything it takes to bring the fans closer to them.

“If they (Arsenal fans) get the opportunity to know them, I think most of them would be surprised. And if that is the case, I think that will benefit everybody at the football club.

“It will benefit the fans and bring a lot of clarity. If there is a way to do that and it is going to be helpful, let’s do it, if that is what is necessary.”

Arteta’s view on KSE

Arsenal’s manager has once again stated his belief that the club’s current owners want to do all they can to bring success to Emirates Stadium.

He told reporters: “I said from the beginning what my perception was.

“Everything that I sense, all the communications I have with them and they are fully excited and committed to this project, and they really want to push everybody to do what we want to do.

“We spoke to them and I think it was very clear. They showed their commitment to the football club and showed ambition to the football club - because we all want a successful team on the pitch.

“I think it was very clear and took any doubt out of the situation.

“I cannot control the speculation and what is going on. What I like to talk about is the reality and the reality is we have owners that are really, really committed.

“They want a successful team on the pitch and they are going to do everything they can to achieve that. This is what we have and I feel fully supported with them.”

Is takeover talk a distraction?

With Arsenal preparing for Thursday night’s crucial Europa League semi-final first leg against Villarreal, the speculation surrounding the ownership issue is far from ideal.

But Arteta says the time is now right for everyone to to move forward following the statement issued by KSE on Tuesday.

“A lot of talk and a lot of speculation has been surrounding the situation in the last week or so,” said the Arsenal boss.

“Our fans raised their voices during the match against Everton. But now we have a very clear and very committed statement from the ownership.

“I think that it (the speculation) is gone when they said what they did, they showed the commitment and the desire to take the team where we all want.

“I think it is very clear where we are moving forward.”

Further reading

The Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed has admitted there is little she can do to ensure sport resumes in the country.

Soccer, among other sports disciplines, were suspended in March as the government took measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic and Mohamed has now affirmed resumption lies in the decreasing of infection numbers.

“I am not going to lie. All our efforts are directed towards ensuring levels of infections are down. So, we all have a role to play towards that agenda. As a ministry, there is nothing we can do at the moment,” the minister told People Daily.

In readiness for the resumption, Football Kenya Federation had ensured players have been vaccinated against the coronavirus but Mohamed said it is only president Uhuru Kenyatta who can give directions.

“I realised several federations have taken the measures of ensuring the athletes are vaccinated. But, even in our efforts to see sports resume, we should remember this is a presidential directive which we must respect,” she added.

The top government official stated she is hopeful of future resumptions but stated control measures must be given room first.

“Yes, there is hope we shall be able to resume sports but first things first, we must be able to observe all the protocols put in place to boost containment measures,” the minister concluded.

The FKF Premier League was suspended when a number of teams had played 16 games. AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia had played the least number of games standing at 14.

The resumption of the competition will see Tusker, KCB and AFC Leopards engage in a rather tight affair at the top as they sit first, second and third respectively. Vihiga United, Mathare United and Zoo will be given chances to fight against possible relegation.

The suspension could also affect the national team Harambee Stars who will be playing World Cup qualifiers in June. FKF president Nick Mwendwa had confirmed they were thinking of an alternative that would see the qualifiers held outside the country should the suspension order remain unlifted.

Kenya are in Group E alongside Mali, neighbours Uganda and Rwanda.

The Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed is unsure when soccer activities will be allowed to resume since the March suspension.

Gor Mahia midfielder James Macharia has spoken about how they have been conceding easy goals during the FKF Premier League.

The Kenyan top-flight is currently on a break after a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta to suspend sporting activities owing to the Covid-19 pandemic but before the break, Gor Mahia were working hard to close the gap between them and the leading pack.

The winger who joined the club from FC Kolkheti Poti of Georgia has said they easily conceded goals in most of the matches they played before the league took a break and warned they must rectify the same when it resumes so as to avoid dropping points.

“I can’t say there is any tough match we’ve played locally because we are used to them and we are always on top of our game – we dominate yes, but sometimes we concede easy goals from our simple mistakes,” Macharia told the club’s official website.

“There is quality in the team and we always do try to bring out our best – we just need to work on the mistakes that make us concede such goals and all will be fine.

“We are not at the position we want because we know what we are capable of…we just have to forget the past results and focus on the remaining matches which are really important. I still believe we are the best and we are capable of doing it.”

On his time since joining the Kenyan champions, Macharia said: “My time at the club hasn’t been bad and I can’t complain…it’s been a good run though I had a tough start – getting sick for weeks then after recovering, I picked up an injury that kept me out for a while.

“I had to work on it and put in more effort when coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto arrived and I must admit it’s been a good one all through because we’ve worked well and gelled as a team.”

On the team’s participation in the Caf Champions League, Macharia explained: “Playing in various competitions with the team has been a great experience and a good exposure. I can’t say we were badly off in Caf matches, we did the best we could to qualify, we had a good game but sometimes things happen beyond your control.

“We just have to put our heads up and focus on future tasks.”

The left-footed player joined the club last year and sickness, together with an injury he picked up, had disrupted what he thought would have been a good start at the club.