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Former Manchester United forward Odion Ighalo has described Paul Pogba as one of the best he has played with in his career.

The 31-year-old spent a year with the Red Devils and had an opportunity to feature along with the World Cup winner and observe the talent of the France international.

Ighalo has praised the quality of Pogba, who has one year left on his current contract and advised United to do all it takes to keep the ‘influential’ midfielder at Old Trafford.

“He's one of the best players I've played with and one of the best players at Manchester United,” Ighalo told Sky Sports.

“Apart from playing on the pitch, he's a good guy in the dressing room, a funny guy, he's always happy. The only time he isn't happy is when he's not playing and I can understand that - everyone wants to play.

“If Manchester United have the opportunity to keep him on a new, longer deal, they should because he is so influential.

“Sometimes he doesn't have the best of games but that's normal, you can't be 100% in every game but when he turns up, like he did yesterday against Tottenham, he is exceptional.”

Ighalo’s former teammate at Manchester United Jesse Lingard is enjoying his time with West Ham United, a club he joined on loan in January.

The Nigeria forward is not surprised by the forward’s impressive showings for the Hammers and feels he could return to Old Trafford in future.

“Not at all [surprised] because he works so hard in training and when he was given the opportunity to play for Manchester United, he did so well,” he continued.

“But when you play for a team like Manchester United, there's a pressure to win every game. Manchester United is all about winning, winning, winning, and sometimes that pressure kicks in.

“West Ham is not as big as Manchester United and he's there on loan so he's more free to express himself. There's not as much pressure or weight on him to do well and he is doing what we know he can do and we are seeing the best of him.

“I don't think he'd want to return to Manchester United to sit on the bench because he is playing regularly at West Ham United - week in, week out.

"But if he comes back with the confidence he has now, then it can only be a good thing for Manchester United. Personally, I don't see him coming back - I can see his loan being extended or West Ham buying him.”

Shabab Al Ahli announced their squad for the upcoming AFC Champions League (ACL) on Monday. The two notable exclusions were Omar Abdel Rahman "Amouri" and Ahmed Khalil. 

It must be noted that Amouri joined the team in the winter transfer window and was one of the players that the fans were hoping would make a difference in the continental stage. But Mahdi Ali has decided to drop him from the contingent that is set to fly to Saudi Arabia to play in the marquee competition of the continent. 

The following players have been selected:

Majed Nasser, Hassan Hamza, Gamal Ismail, Hamdan Al Kamali, Salmeen Khamis, Muhammad Marzouq, Youssef Jaber, Walid Abbas, Muhammad Jaber, Abdul Aziz Haykal, Saud Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ahmed, Abdul Aziz Sanqour, Yahya Al Ghassani, Federico Cartabia, Ahmed Gamil, Abdullah Abdul-Rahman, Rashid Suhail, Abdullah Al-Naqbi, Marwan Fahd, Carlos Eduardo, Hareb Abdullah Suhail, Jalaluddin Masharibov, Eid Khamis, Majid Hassan, Ahmed Al-Attas, Igor Jesus, Muhammad Gomaa.

On Monday, the team flew to Saudi Arabia in a private jet to reduce the chances of getting infected by the Coronavirus. 

They have been placed in Group A along with Saudi outfit Al Hilal, Tajik side Istiklol and FC AGMK from Uzbekistan. They will begin their campaign on April 15 against Istiklol, at the King Fahad International Stadium. 

They are in a rich vein of form as they have won their previous four matches. In their last match, they defeated Al Ain and won the Arabian Gulf Cup title in tie-breakers. 

They are in the third position in the Arabian Gulf League with 43 points from 23 matches. They are in a 13-match unbeaten streak, as their last defeat came against Fujairah on December 18, 2020, away from home. 

Vipers SC coach Fred Kajoba has stated his players must be wary of Busoga United whom they face in a Ugandan Premier League fixture on Tuesday.

The Venoms will host Busoga yet again at St Mary’s Stadium in a span of eight days after they beat them 3-0 in the first leg of the Uganda Cup and subsequently advanced to the Round of 16 on a 5-1 aggregate scoreline having won the return leg 2-1.

The two sides will now shift their focus to the league action – the Venoms beat Busoga United 5-3 away in Njeru last December in the first round and will be keen to complete a double when they face off in Kitende.

Kajoba is well aware of the threats posed by their opponents and has moved to caution his players to make sure they remain tight at the back because Busoga will try to exploit his team.

“We are glad to have a good start in the Uganda Cup but we have to keep calm and focused and also stay in contention for both competitions,” Kajoba told the club’s official website.

“Going into this game requires a lot of concentration because we are facing the same team for the third time in about eight days. They will want to exploit various avenues to score but we have to be tight, quick, and active and make sure we win this tie.”

Having secured their place in the last 16 of the domestic Cup, the hosts’ confidence is sky high and there is hopefully a good omen at the St Mary’s Stadium where they have not lost a domestic match this season.

However, they should not underrate Busoga, who have won their last four league matches in succession – beating Kitara FC, MYDA FC, Onduparaka FC, and Wakiso Giants - and, therefore, they will be seeking their fifth victory and first triumph over Vipers at Kitende.

Kajoba will be happy to have Milton Karisa back in the squad as he is in line to make his first appearance of 2021 after fully recovering from a thigh muscle injury.

The forward last played in Njeru last December in his side’s 5-3 victory over Busoga and scored in the game.

Congolese import Cesar Manzoki was rested during last Friday’s Uganda Cup match and is expected to lead the striking line for the reigning champions, Siraje Sentamu limped off with a knock in Njeru but is back and will be available for selection while Ahmed Amayo will miss the clash after he picked up an injury in the Cup game last Friday.

Odion Ighalo has revealed that West Ham and West Brom were keen on keeping him in the Premier League when he left Manchester United, while an approach from Tottenham was shunned prior to moving to Old Trafford.

The Nigerian striker completed a dream switch to the club he supported as a boy when a loan agreement with Shanghai Shenhua was pushed through in January 2020.

That short-term deal was extended through to the start of 2021, at which point the 31-year-old opted to head for Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab, but the option was there for him to remain in England.

What has been said?

Quizzed by Sky Sports on whether Premier League interest was shown when it became clear that he would be leaving United, Ighalo said: "Yeah, there was the possibility of West Ham and West Brom to stay in the Premier League, which I thought about.

"But after being at Manchester United, the biggest club in England if not the world, what else could I possibly do in the Premier League?

"I had good offers to stay in England, but I just didn't think I could stay after achieving my dream of playing for the club I had supported since I was young.

"I came all the way from China because it was Manchester United when I had already rejected other offers because United has always been my dream."

Did Ighalo snub any other Premier League sides?

Having previously caught the eye in England during a productive spell at Watford, Ighalo had been registering on recruitment radars for some time prior to joining the Red Devils.

Spurs were among the first to make a move, but advances from north London were knocked back once Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put his cards on the table.

Ighalo added on the links to Tottenham: "That was close - my agent called me and told me they had offered to match whatever I was earning but once I heard Manchester United were interested, there was no turning back.

"I couldn't think about anything else other than making the Manchester United deal work. I was going to have to take a pay cut but I didn't care, I just wanted the deal to happen.

"I just wanted to play for Manchester United. It's my dream club and it was always going to be a privilege for me to play at Old Trafford."

How did Ighalo get on at United?

Ighalo scored five goals through 19 appearances in the second half of the 2019-20 campaign, but he was restricted to just four outings in the current campaign, as Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani battled it out to fill a central striking berth.

Asked if staying on at Old Trafford was ever an option, Ighalo said: "There wasn't much possibility because I wanted more playing time. At my age, I want to play and not just sit on the bench and not have any minutes.

"I didn't just want to be there picking up a salary - I wanted to be involved so I said to my agent that if an offer comes in, I will look at it and see what's best for me, which is what I did.

"I'm so happy that my path crossed with Manchester United - it's the club I love with all my heart and for all my life so playing for them was a big privilege that I do not take for granted.

"No matter the circumstances that led me to leave, I will always be grateful to the coach, my team-mates, the fans, and everyone around Manchester United."

Further reading

Kampala City Council Authority FC head coach Morley Byekwaso has called on his players to keep the rhythm of winning matches going when they take on URA FC in a Ugandan Premier League match on Tuesday.

The Kasasiro Boys will visit the Arena of Visions in Ndejje for the second-round match against the Tax Collectors and the game comes after both sides featured in the Round of 32 of the Uganda Cup where KCCA eliminated Nyamityobora FC on Saturday while URA progressed at the expense of Mbarara City on Friday.

Byekwaso, who will be taking charge of the team for the fourth time during his period as an interim manager after replacing Mike Mutebi and has won his first three games, has urged his players to make sure they keep the good run going against their bogey side.

“We want to maintain our rhythm and that means winning games,” Byekwaso told the club’s official website. “We shall go to Ndejje knowing the threat our opponents pose to us, they are joint top on the league table and have been playing well.”

Byekwaso further admitted his boys must produce a better game if they are to beat a side they are yet to beat in the last four league outings.

“We have not won against them in the last four league games and we need to get our act together to pick maximum points against them,” Byekwaso continued.

“We are boosted by the return of Musa Ramathan and Mazengo Stefano and this gives us plenty of options moving forward.”

The Tax Collectors won the first round meeting 2-1 at Omondi Stadium in Lugogo and KCCA have not won against them in the last four games and the last win for KCCA against URA came on January 8, 2019, at Namboole with Timothy Awany notching the lone goal in the 1-0 win.

Byekwaso will be boosted with the return of Musa Ramathan and Stefano Mazengo, who are back from long injury lay-offs, and are available for selection while forwards Sam Ssenyonjo, Charles Lwanga, and Sadat Anaku are also all available for selection after missing the domestic cup fixture.

Ssenyonjo has scored six goals in all competitions this season for KCCA, Lwanga has scored nine goals in the last 13 games, while Anaku has managed seven goals in the last nine games for the club.

Meanwhile, Brian Aheebwa, Juma Balinya, Gift Ali, and John Revita are all ruled out due to injuries, while teenagers Dominic Ayella and Joseph Kafumbe will miss the clash as they are currently sitting for school examinations.

Uganda Revenue Authority coach Sam Ssimbwa has challenged his players to make sure they better their good record against KCCA FC when the two sides clash in a Ugandan Premier League match on Tuesday.

The Tax Collectors will welcome the Kasasiro Boys for the second-round match at the Arena of Visions in Ndejje with the home team enjoying a better record against their visitors as they have won three matches from the last five, with one ending in a draw and KCCA winning the other.

The results in the past five meetings also coincide with the time Ssimbwa took over as head coach at the club in 2018 and it’s at the backdrop of his dominance, that the veteran coach has urged his players to make sure they protect the good run against their rivals.

“We have a good record against them [KCCA] in recent years and our aim is to even better it,” Ssimbwa told the club’s official website . I trust the boys know what to do and have the conviction.”

URA will be boosted with the first-round result which saw them beat KCCA 2-1 at home with the goals coming from Benjamin Nyakoojo and Shafik Kagimu but Ssimbwa has maintained they should expect a tough game.

“The first game we played against them was hard considering that we had to come from behind. KCCA has always been a strong team and we expect them to give us a run for our money,” Ssimbwa continued.

However, KCCA have looked impressive under the stewardship of their interim head coach Morley Byekwaso as they comfortably dispatched BUL FC 3-0 in their last league assignment and will be hoping for a better showing come Tuesday.

Ssimbwa has received a huge boost with news midfielder Hud Mulikyi is back training with the team and will be available for selection. While Nyakoojo Benjamin and Cromwel Rwtohomio who missed their Round of 32 Uganda Cup second leg clash against Mbarara City are also back to the squad.

Since 2012, there have been 17 meetings between the two sides, URA have managed six wins, five draws, KCCA have also registered six wins, however, URA have dominated the fixture in recent times especially in the last three years, winning three times and drawing just once.

Meanwhile, Ssimbwa has lost only once against KCCA since he joined URA in 2018 and that was in his first season with the club with the league game ending 1-0 in favour of the Kasasiro Boys.

The game will no doubt have a huge bearing on the title hopes of both teams especially for the fact URA is just six points ahead of KCCA in second position after amassing 36 points (joint top with leaders Vipers SC) while the Kasasiro Boys are lying fourth with 30 points.

The 2021 AFC Champions League group stage gets underway with Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa taking on Qatar's Al Rayyan at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa on Wednesday. 

FC Goa qualified for the ACL 2021 by winning the league stage of the 2019-20 ISL. 

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have announced that they will telecasting FC Goa's ACL debut.

Commentary will not be available in vernacular languages for the ACL games on Star Sports. 

 SQUADS

FC Goa have registered a 28-man squad for their ACL campaign this year.

All clubs are allowed to have at most four foreign players in their squad including player from an AFC (Asian Football Federation) member association. Australian defender James Donachie fulfils that criteria for the Gaurs. 

Forward Igor Angulo and midfielder Alberto Noguera have been left out from the squad that competed in the Indian Super League.

Indian forwared Romeo Fernandes has been included in the FC Goa first team for the first time since 2016.

Goalkeepers :

Mohammad Nawaz, Naveen Kumar, Shubham Dhas, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem

Defenders:

Sanson Pereira, Seriton Fernandes, Leander D'Cunha, Iván González (Spain), Mohamed Ali, James Donachie (Australia), Aibanbha Dohling, Saviour Gama, Adil Khan

Midfielders:

Edu Bedia (Spain), Glan Martins, Princeton Rebello, Brandon Fernandes, Phrangki Buam, Redeem Tlang, Makan Winkle Chothe, Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Romeo Fernandes

Forwards:

Jorge Ortiz (Spain), Devendra Murgaonkar, Ishan Pandita

 KNOW THE OPPONENTS

Al Rayyan are one of the biggest clubs in Qatar and finished third in the 2020-21 season of the country's top division which is named Qatar Stars League. They finished behind Al Sadd, coached by Xavi Hernandez, and Al Duhail. 

The team is coached by former France national team and PSG manager Laurent Blanc. They qualified by finishing the 2019-20 Qatar League as runners up. 

Ivorial striker Yohan Boli is Al Rayyan's top scorer this season with 11 league goals - only four players including former Arsenal man Santi Cazorla has scored more goals in the Qatar top division.

The team is in Group E and will take on Goa, Al Wahda and Persepolis this month in their group stage campaign. 

Expansion of the Women’s Super League is ‘inevitable’ in the ‘medium term’, says Kelly Simmons, the FA's director of the women's professional game, with the Championship set to have an extra club next season.

Simmons confirmed the news on Monday, speaking to reporters on the eve of the WSL’s 10th anniversary. The league began in 2011 with just eight teams and over time has since grown to 12, becoming one of the best in the world in the process.

Rumours had circulated to suggest that number may grow as soon as next season, but Simmons dismissed the idea for the time being, though confirmed the Championship will have two new clubs in 2021-22.

What has been said?

Asked about the WSL rumours, Simmons said she had “no idea” where they had come from, though added that she thinks “it's inevitable that the leagues will grow because there will be 12 and 12 next year”, referring to the numbers in the WSL and the Championship.

“What we've got to do is make sure that it grows without diluting the quality of the product, that we've got enough, in the top tier, fully professional teams with the right support and the right amount of revenue,” she said.

“Obviously, the more teams we have, the more it dilutes central revenues that are being distributed to support them. With Covid as well, it's really hard, we don't know what the true impacts of Covid are in any industry yet. I think it would be high risk to expand too early. I think it's inevitable in the medium term that it will expand.”

Asked what else she envisions for the next 10 years of the league, Simmons added: “I think the big change for me will be that the women's game should be able to generate enough revenue to stand on its own two feet.

“At the moment it's growing revenue. You've seen a lot of brands come in at club level. Obviously, [the FA has] seen Barclays, we've seen the multi-million pound TV rights announcement we made a couple of weeks ago, but it's not yet sustainable. It can't survive without money made through men's football.

“I think over 10 years, we'll see that change, revenues will grow and ultimately, we should be looking at a sustainable professional league in its own right and that will be a big shift.”

Who will play in the Championship?

The National League divisions were not completed this season due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, so the two clubs that will join the Championship next season will do so through an application process. London Bees’ relegation from the division was confirmed last week.

Derby County have applied for a licence in the second division, the club's chief executive Duncan Gibb told the Athletic. Huddersfield Town were top of the National League North when the season was suspended due to another lockdown in England, but have announced they will not apply for promotion.

“I think it’s really important to go to 12 and 12,” Simmons said. “We don’t want another season - assuming we can get two clubs that can meet the criteria - with an odd number of teams in the Championship.”

There have been 11 clubs in the second-tier for the last two seasons, having been 10 in 2017-18, when the league was then known as WSL 2.

Doncaster Rovers Belles, Sheffield FC, Oxford United and Watford all dropped down to the National League following its rebranding. Manchester United, Lewes, Leicester City, Sheffield United, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace all joined.

The Red Devils won the division in 2018-19 to win promotion to the WSL, while Leicester were crowned champions earlier this month to secure their place in the top-flight for next season.

Further reading

Valencia defender Mouctar Diakhaby has spoken about the clash with Juan Cala during the game with Cadiz that resulted in his side walking off the pitch on account of racism.

The Liga game between the two sides on April 4 was halted following a clash between Diakhaby and Cala, with the former visibly upset with his Cadiz opponent.

Cala has denied any wrongdoing, but Diakhaby has said the Cadiz defender called him a “black sh*t” after the pair tangled for possession in the box.

What has Diakhaby said?

An investigation by La Liga found no evidence of guilt, but Diakhaby has said he would stand up in court if necessary and face Cala.

When asked if he would be prepared to speak in front of a judge with Cala present, Diakhaby told As : "Of course. I’m not afraid. I’ll reiterate what I understood, because I understood it only too well.

"I’ve been in Spain almost three years now and I understand almost everything. And those types of words, even more so. They are not difficult words to understand. 

“If no proof of what happened is found in the investigation it’s my word against his. I understand that. 

“Without proof I don’t think he’ll be punished. That’s logical. But we’ll see. I hope that proof is found and everything possible is done to find that proof.”

Education key for Diakhaby

Sadly, racism is rife in countries around the globe and Diakhaby feels the best way to tackle the issue is by education.

“There is racism in society and in every country, it’s not just Spain,” he said. “It happens in Spain, in England, in France. It’s everywhere. That’s why it’s something we have to stop. People have to think before they say something, we are all human and we’re all equal. 

“I don’t know Cala personally, I can’t say if he’s racist, I don’t know him, but he used a racist word and he should be punished because if we let these things go, we’ll never stamp out racism in society. 

“I’ll say it again, I don’t know Cala personally and I can’t say he is racist. But he has said a word that he has to account for, in the same way I should pay if I made a mistake like that. 

“If there is no punishment it’s as good as saying we can say whatever we like and we can’t fight to eradicate racism like that. 

“There’s a lot of talk about stopping racism, but not much is done about it.”

"There are always insults"

Football is a high-stakes game, and Diakhaby is aware that insults are traded between players. However, he says Cala crossed a line with that he said.

“On the pitch everyone wants to win and sometimes we get angry,” he said. “There are always insults during games and what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch… but not in every case. People can insult me, but never about racial issues. You should never hurt someone because of the colour of their skin.

“A man should respect another man’s race. We can’t let this be overlooked.”

Further reading

Dieumerci Mbokani scored two goals as Royal Antwerp recorded a 3-2 win over Royal Excel Mouscron in Monday’s Belgian First Division A encounter.

The DR Congo international had gone on a run of five games without finding the net Against Les Hurlus, however, he rediscovered his scoring form – which inspired his team to a notable away win.

Buoyed by their 1-1 away draw at Sporting Charleroi their last time out, Jorge Simao’s men faced the Great Old with the aspiration of picking up a win. However, they were silenced on home soil.

With just 22 minutes into the encounter, Mbokani put the visitors ahead with Aurelio Buta providing the assist. Left unmarked in the hosts’ goal area, the 35-year-old controlled a pass from the Portuguese midfielder before slotting past Burkina Faso international Herve Koffi.

Their lead was threatened after Maxime Le Marchand was given the marching orders with four minutes left into the half-time break. Following a dangerous tackle on Hamdi Harbaoui, referee Jan Boterberg had no option than to send him off.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, they doubled their advantage through Mbokani in the 48th minute. With Didier Ze dribbling his markers in the box, he teed up the African star who rolled the ball into an empty net.

Almost immediately, Fabrice Olinga pulled a goal back for the hosts after rifling the ball past goalkeeper Ortwin de Wolf thanks to a pass from compatriot Serge Tabekou.

Two minutes after the hour mark, Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Seck restored Antwerp’s two-goal advantage after heading home a cross from Lior Refaelov.

In the 88th minute, Tunisian forward Harbaoui got Excel Mouscron’s second of the evening by heading home a corner kick.

After an outstanding shift, Mbokani – who has scored nine league goals so far – was replaced by Cameroonian midfielder Frank Boya while Martin Hongla (Cameroon), Ze (Cameroon) and Seck (Senegal) were on parade from start to finish.

Elsewhere, Congo duo of Luete Ava Dongo and Nill De Pauw as well as Angola's Bruny Nsimba plus Ghana's Opoku Ampomah were not dressed for action.

Thanks to this away victory, Royal Antwerp are second in the Jupiler league log with 57 points from 33 games, while Royal Excel Mouscron languish in the 17th position with just 31 points from the same number of matches.

Neymar has spoken in glowing terms of his Paris Saint-Germain attacking partner Kylian Mbappe, adding weight to rumours he could soon sign a new deal at the club.

The Brazil superstar joined PSG in the summer of 2017, but his future has been the subject of speculation for much of his time in Paris.

Despite rumours swirling this season over a possible return to Barcelona, Neymar has seemed settled in the French capital and has spoken positively about the influence of team-mate Mbappe on his own happiness.

What has Neymar said about Mbappe?

"He taught me a lot about the way 'to be French,’” Neymar told France Football. “He explained to me the French mentality. 

“I owe a large part of my adaptation to him, and, therefore, my happiness to be here.

"First of all, I was very touched by the man he is. Kylian is very considerate, always happy, polite and kind to everyone. He is a very beautiful person. That’s why we’ve got along so well since our first contact.

“Then, of course, I had the opportunity to watch him train, to observe his speed, his dribbling repertoire, his intelligence and to see his humility to keep evolving. There, I said to myself: ‘he is our golden boy!’

“Speed alone doesn't mean anything. You have to be smart to use it properly, and Kylian is. He is not only very smart and fast, but he also has a huge repertoire of dribbling."

Neymar’s future

It had been suggested that the 29-year-old was considering a return to Barca to link up with Lionel Messi once again, but it is now being claimed he is in favour of remaining in Paris.

Fabrizio Romano has relayed quotes from Neymar’s entourage to France Football, amid talk that a deal until 2026 has been thrashed out.

“Neymar wants to stay at PSG,” Romano is reporting members of Neymar’s camp as saying. “He sees that the club is growing. He likes the project.”

Champions League the target

Glory in Europe has been the primary target of PSG’s mega-rich owners.

They have come up short in recent years but did reach the final last season - losing to Bayern Munich.

They are in the ascendancy against Bayern after the first leg of their quarter-final this term, so hope is alive of a first Champions League success.

Even if they fall this term, the project at PSG is promising and Neymar arguably has a better chance of success in Europe by staying in Paris as Barcelona look in need of a rebuild.

Further reading

Matheus Pereira has closed in on Saido Berahino for a West Bromwich Albion record held by former Nigeria international Peter Odemwingie.

The Brazilian forward was among the goalscorers as Sam Allardyce’s side defeated Southampton 3-0 in Monday’s Premier League fixture.

Pereira got to Ainsley Maitland-Niles' great reverse ball and was caught by a clumsy Fraser Forster tackle in the box, which prompted the referee to award a penalty to the hosts.

The 24-year-old took the ensuing kick and slammed the penalty down the middle, with Forster diving to his right.

Thanks to that goal, the former Sporting Lisbon man has now contributed 13 goals (8 goals, 5 assists) for the Hawthorns’ giants in the 2020-21 campaign.

Berahino is directly above him on this list, as the Burundi international had a hand in 15 goals for the club during the 2014-15 campaign. There, he scored 14 goals and contributed just one assist.

Belgium international Romelu Lukaku occupies the second position having contributed 21 goals in 2012-13. During that campaign, the forward, who now represents Serie A outfit Inter Milan, accounted for 17 league goals and four assists in his only season in the West Midlands.

Way out in front at number one is Odemwingie on 22, with an impressive 15 goals and seven assists during the 2010-11 season.

The ex-Super Eagles enjoyed a fine goalscoring return with the Baggies before heading to Cardiff City on a two-year contract worth £2.25 million.

Goals from Matthew Phillips and Callum Robinson helped Allardyce’s team subdue the visiting Saints, who paraded English youngster of Nigerian descent Nathan Tella, Mali's Moussa Djenepo and French midfielder of Senegalese background Ibrahima Diallo.

Even with the win, West Brom remain in the 19th position on the log after accruing 24 points from 31 games, while Southampton occupy the 14th spot with 36 points from the same number of outings.

Both of these sides face Leicester City next - Allardyce’s men have a bit of a break before visiting the King Power Stadium in the league, with Ralph Hasenhuettl’s side facing Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes in the FA Cup semi-final this weekend.

Ghana Football Association boss Kurt Okraku has confirmed player selection for the national team is not solely at the doors of Black Stars coach CK Akonnor.

The governing body has come under fire after speculation emerged that the squad list for the recent 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe last month was influenced by FA officials.

Akonnor, who was appointed Ghana coach in January last year after the Okraku-led GFA administration assumed duty, also had his fair share of criticism.

“Call-ups for all national teams go through processes, and people must understand this,” Okraku told Joy FM.

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

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

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

Like the Black Stars, there have also been reports that call-ups for the other national teams, including the home-base team B side, the U23s, U20s, U17s and U15s are heavily influenced by FA and management officials.

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

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

After the last squad was announced, Akonnor received a lot of stick for calling up Colchester United attacker Kwame Afriyie Poku, who plays in the English fourth tier.

Questions were also asked of the invitation of Dreams FC right-back Philemon Baffour, largely due to his affiliation to a club which was led by Okraku until he became president of the Ghana Football Association.

Hamburg centre-back Stephan Ambrosius was also handed a call-up despite having also accepted an invitation to the Germany U21 side. 

Celta Vigo defender Joseph Aidoo revealed the club have set their sights on grabbing a place in next season's Europa League. 

With eight rounds of matches to go and a game in hand, the Sky Blues occupy the 10th position on the La Liga table.

Their current position is five places below the current Europa League qualification spot and four spots adrift of the novel Europa Conference League qualification position. 

“Currently, we are still striving hard to be up there. Next season we will be playing in the Europa League. That’s the target we have set for each other," Aidoo told Joy Sports.

Celta's relatively good position so far this season has been starkly different from their fortunes last season, when they battled relegation for the most part of last season, and only confirmed their survival on the final matchday of the term. 

“I think it’s one of those things because we played really good but the goals were not coming. This season things have changed because we are still playing good and this time, the goals are coming in," Aidoo said in relation to last season's struggles.

Last season, Aidoo made 32 league appearances for Celta, making the starting XI in 27 of the matches. 

This term, the centre-back, who idolises former Ghana and Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kuffour, has played 21 times in La Liga, starting in 10 of them.

He joined the Sky Blues on a five-year deal from Belgian side Genk in 2019.

“I chose Sammy Kuffour as my mentor because for me, I think I will be playing for Bayern Munich in future and he has been there," the centre-back, 25, told Joy Sports about his future ambitions.

"And that is why I am always looking up to him and he has made a good impact on the football world. When I was a kid, Bayern was the club that touched my heart and that is why I admire them.

“I do watch their [Bayern Munich] games and even sometimes I go to their website to watch some clips and stuff."

Left out of Ghana's last squad, Aidoo will be hoping to make a return to the Black Stars fold when they reconvene for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in June.

Don Garber admitted that Las Vegas, San Diego and Phoenix are among the contenders to be MLS's 30th team amid all of the uncertainty with the league's plan to expand to Sacramento.

The Sacramento expansion team is currently in limbo after lead investor Ron Burkle pulled out of plans in February due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, there is uncertainty surrounding the team's future, with Garber admitting that other cities could jump into that picture for that expansion slot.

What did Garber have to say?

"I call this expansion project there leading up to this season a Covid casualty," Garber told reporters on Monday. "We had a lot of momentum. We were working very closely with Ron Burkle and with Mayor [Darrell] Steinberg, who is a guy that I'm very friendly with, working with other local leaders and partners to launch a great new team in Sacramento.

"Ron Burkle is a good guy and he had to face enormous economic challenges that were created by the pandemic with costs rising dramatically with the Railyards project and other factors that created pressures on him that, ultimately, had him decide to walk away.

"But there's still a lot of energy in Sacramento. It's a good soccer market. Mayor Darrell Steinberg is very focused on trying to put another ownership group together. We're going to work with him to see what can be achieved if another group can come together and reach an agreement with the city and with others to be able to bring a team there.

"Right now there are other markets that we're looking at, and people are, I'm sure, expecting that, whether that be Las Vegas or San Diego or whether it be Phoenix. We'll see where all of them, how all of those develop to see who can be our 30th team."

MLS expansion plans

MLS is set to introduce its 27th team this weekend when the 2021 season kicks off with Austin FC joining the league following the additions of Inter Miami and Nashville SC last season.

Waiting in the wings are Charlotte FC and St. Louis SC, who will begin play in 2022 while becoming the 28th and 29th teams to join the league.

Sacramento was set to be No. 30 but, despite ongoing work to reignite the project, doubts remain over the city's potential MLS future.

Still, Steinberg said in February that he remains hopeful that a plan could be put in place to keep Sacramento in the picture.

“We will still bring MLS to Sacramento, and we will work with the league to find a new lead investor,” Steinberg told The Bee. “We are not starting from scratch by any means. We have an approved stadium plan and an approved plan to build and pay for infrastructure. We also have the best fan base in the country - one that has shown time and time again that it can support an MLS team.

“We have only begun to fight for what our city deserves.”

Further reading

Barcelona have climbed above Liga rivals Real Madrid to top Forbes’ Football Rich List.

Real topped the rankings two years ago, the last time the list was published, but find themselves staring up at Barca who have a valuation of $4.76 billion (£3.46bn).

The Premier League makes up the bulk of the top 10, with Manchester, United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham all featuring.

What has been said?

Forbes’ Mike Ozanian compiled the list and said the average worth is up 30 per cent from two years ago, but there is pain being absorbed due to the coronavirus pandemic limiting matchday revenue.

“The world’s 20 most valuable soccer teams are worth an average of $2.28 billion (£1.66bn) apiece, an increase of 30% from two years ago, the last time we published the ranking,” Ozanian said. “The jump comes despite a decline in revenue caused by limited attendance during the pandemic, with buyers focused on what they see as still untapped revenue potential in the sport’s massive global following.

“Average revenue for the 20 teams was $441 million (£321m) for the 2019-20 season, down 9.6% from 2017-18, while average operating income fell by 70% over the period to $23 million (£17m).

"The pain is far from over, with a worsening decline in match-day revenue during the current season as most of the teams in Europe’s top leagues still permit few fans to attend games.”

Football’s rich list in numbers

The rankings have been dominated by Manchester United and Real Madrid, with the Red Devils topping Forbes' list on 11 occasions to Real's five. Those two sides showed the lowest two-year change, while French powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain crashed the top 10 in style with a 129% increase in value. 

Despite having arguably football's most marketable asset in Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus dropped out of the top 10 - coming in at 11.

Further reading