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Having already qualified for the Caf Champions League quarter-finals, Mamelodi Sundowns will complete the formalities of their Group B campaign against Algerian side Belouizdad at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday afternoon.

Sundowns are sitting pretty at the top of the group, with 13 points from five games, and it was only last week that they dropped their first points of the group, in a 0-0 draw away to Al Hilal Omdurman in Sudan.

Belouizdad, meanwhile, head into the game on Friday in Pretoria bolstered by their first win in five Group B matches, having defeated DR Congo side Tout Puissant Mazembe 2-0 last weekend.

That result means the Algerian side are second in the group, although with only six points, they can't catch Sundowns, who along with Simba, Ah Ahly, ES Tunis and Wydad Casablanca are already through to the last eight before this weekend's final round of games.

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Squads & Team News

Having welcomed both Mauricio Affonso and Sibusiso Vilakazi back from injury recently, Downs are close to full strength, bar the injured Kermit Erasmus, who is expected to be out for another three to four weeks.

Masandawana head coach Manqoba Mngqiti spoke this week about the importance of squad rotation as his side continue to challenge on three fronts - the Champions League, the domestic league and the Nedbank Cup.

With that in mind and with Sundowns already qualified, some fringe players are likely to get a run, while Vilakazi and Affonso will probably also get some more game-time.

With four games in 13 days after the Belouizdad clash, including a Nedbank Cup quarter-final against Orlando Pirates, Downs' big squad will be of major benefit.

Belouizdad have, meanwhile, confirmed that club captain Chemseddine Nessakh, as well as defender Mokhtar Belkhiter, are unavailable due to injury. Longer-term injury casualties midfielders Samir Aiboud, Khaled Bousseliou and Adel Djerrar as well as striker Mohamed Souibaa are also out.

Match Preview

While Belouizdad's 2-0 win over TP Mazembe shows they cannot be taken lightly, Sundowns will also have in mind their previous game against the Algerians in which they thrashed them 5-1 in a match played in neutral Tanzania just five weeks back.

Complacency could be the biggest challenge the Brazilians face, even more so considering that they are up against a side who need to win to ensure qualification - a draw could be enough but won't be a guarantee. As the group stands, Belouizdad are two points above Al Hilal Omdurman, who play away at Mazembe.

So the Algerians will be fired up for Friday's match and ready to throw everything at Downs in order to make it through to the quarters.

FC Goa duo Brandon Fernandes and Glan Martins have each signed a three-year contract extension, Goal can confirm.

Brandon, 26, has been an integral member of the club since joining them in 2017. The winger had signed a two-year extension at the club in 2019 and the fresh term of three years is now set to keep him at the club till 2025.

The former Mumbai City midfielder played a crucial role in ISL season 6 where the Gaurs finished at the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) table and thereby becoming the first-ever Indian club to qualify for the group stages of the AFC Champions League (ACL).

However, in the recently concluded season, Brandon had to sit out for as many as 10 games after suffering a groin injury in the 1-1 draw against ATK Mohun Bagan where he had to be replaced by Devendra Murgaokar.

He returned to action as an added-time substitute for Saviour Gama in Goa's second leg semi-final clash of ISL 7 against Mumbai City that Juan Ferrando's side lost out on penalties. In all, Brandon has five goals and 18 assists from 64 ISL appearances.

Along with Fernandes, Martins has also extended his stay at the club till 2024. The 26-year-old midfielder has been a regular member of the Goan team's starting XI since joining them in last January transfer window from ATK Mohun Bagan as Lenny Rodrigues went the other way.

Martins, a late bloomer, made his ISL debut as an 84th-minute substitute in the Kolkata derby against East Bengal that the Mariners won 2-0. But he did not play a single full game under Antonio Lopez Habas at ATK Mohun Bagan amid 223 minutes over seven appearances.

Moving to Goa, he was first introduced as a substitute in the 2-2 draw against NorthEast United. He well and truly announced himself in FC Goa's 3-3 draw against Mumbai City where he scored a peach of a goal from distance. He became a regular under Ferrando and became a key member of the squad. 

The contract extensions of the two Goan players comes as very good news for Juan Ferrando’s side who will be competing at the highest level in Asian club football this season, been clubbed with Iran's Persepolis FC, Qatar's Al-Rayyan and Al Wahda - the games of which will be played in Goa.

FC Goa are due to take on Al-Rayyan on Wednesday, April 14th in their opener.

Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane has insisted his team will not be coming into the match against Simba SC with the intention of getting revenge for the first-round loss in the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

In the previous meeting in Group A of the Caf Champions League, Luis Miquissone scored the lone goal to carry Wekundu wa Msimbazi past the reigning champions.

Friday's meeting will not have any impact on the group standings considering the fact that the East Africans are on 13 points while their opponents have eight.

"Simba deserve the top position because they have done well in the ongoing campaign," Mosimane said in the pre-match press conference. 

"They prepared well for the competition and managed to execute their plan well. But we are Al Ahly. We will not be playing to avenge the first-round loss; we know we have a good team.

"We had aimed at finishing top of the group but it went wrong for us [after the 2-2 draw] against AS Vita. But this is not the right time for me to talk about it."

The South African has further explained why he is set to make changes to his team.

"We have several injuries in the team which has forced me to make a few changes in the team," Mosimane continued. 

"The players who have not gotten a chance to play will now be granted the opportunity. In the next one month, we have important fixtures and we have to avoid making mistakes that will cost us.

"We cannot afford more injuries and it is the reason why we have to make changes in the team."

Mnyama have conceded just one goal in the five matches they have played. They have managed four wins and a draw, scoring nine goals in the process.

Their opponents have managed two wins, as many draws and a loss. They are the group's top scorers having scored 10 goals but have conceded five.

In another Group A match, AS Vita will host Al Merrikh in another dead rubber game. The Congolese charges have four points. They have won one game, drawn once, and lost three. While scoring seven goals, they have conceded 11.

The Red Devils are at the bottom with two points from two draws. They have lost three matches; they have further conceded 12 goals and scored just three.

Manchester United and Chelsea are the only sides that can afford to make a move for Erling Haaland this summer, claims Paul Scholes, with the Red Devils legend expecting ambitious Premier League outfits to lead the hunt for a much sought-after striker.

La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a prolific presence on the books at Borussia Dortmund, but both of the Spanish outfits are experiencing financial difficulties at present.

With that in mind, Scholes believes the path will be cleared for sides in England to top the bidding, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expected to enter the market for a proven No.9 after seeing further questions asked of Anthony Martial's ability to fill that role in 2020-21.

What has been said?

Former United star Scholes has told BT Sport when asked what type of forward Solskjaer needs to be bringing in: “Haaland’s the obvious one, isn’t he? Harry Kane?

“These types of players, will they come to Manchester United at this point? Can United pay the money for them?

“I think they probably can, I think it’s up to them which club they choose. I think the two of them would probably have the choice of any club in Europe.”

Pressed further on whether the Red Devils would be willing to spend big on landing a long-term solution to their striking poser: “I think they probably would. If it meant getting Haaland, then why not?

“I think it’s about the club that can pay for him though, I don’t think there is too many of them. Real Madrid or Barcelona, all the noises you hear, they probably couldn’t.

“City don’t look like they want to pay. To be fair, with Guardiola, they very rarely play with a No.9 anyway, even when he’s had [Sergio] Aguero and [Gabriel] Jesus, he’s hardly played them.

“So is he the type of player Pep Guardiola wants? I’m not sure it is. It’s a player United will be desperate for, a player Chelsea will be desperate for.

“They’re probably the two clubs that would be able to afford to pay that fee.”

Are Man Utd keen on Haaland?

It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will enter the race for Haaland if a scramble for his signature is sparked in the next transfer window.

Efforts were made, though, to put a deal in place before the highly-rated 20-year-old took the decision to leave Red Bull Salzburg for Dortmund.

Talk of interest from Old Trafford has rumbled on since then, with Solskjaer admitting that he continues to keep a close eye on a fellow countryman that he previously worked with at Molde.

Reports of Chelsea splashing the cash again - a year on from handing Frank Lampard over £200 million ($274m) to invest in fresh faces - refuse to go away though and it would be foolish to rule Barca and Real out of running despite the issues they appear to be enduring off the field.

Further reading

Uganda and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Dennis Onyango has demanded Ush50 million from each of Melbet and Paragon betting firms for alleged violation of his image rights.

Through his lawyers, Muwema and Co. Advocates, the experienced Cranes skipper claimed the two firms used his image for the promotion of their products before the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Malawi in March.

"Our client’s attention was recently drawn to advertisement carried out by both Melbet and Paragon bet on their social media handles to promote their products for the Uganda Cranes games against Burkina Faso and Malawi," the statement of demand read as reported by Kawowo Sports.

"The unauthorised use of our client’s image is a deliberate violation of his image rights for which we shall hold you liable, given the fact that our client is signed up as an ambassador to another entity in the same business.

"The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to demand that you desist from any future usage of our client’s image to promote your products and to further demand that you pay our client Ush50,000,000 [Uganda shillings fifty million only] as compensation for violation of his image rights."

The two qualifiers were of great importance for Uganda as they attempted to book a ticket to the Cameroon Afcon next year. However, after a 0-0 draw against Burkina Faso in Kitende and a subsequent 1-0 loss to the Flames in Blantyre, the Cranes could not qualify.

The failure to qualify for a third straight Afcon finals saw Fufa president Moses Magogo reveal some radical measures that are set to be implemented in order to revive the national side.

"We are going to start a new cycle of rebuilding Uganda Cranes," Magogo said. "It is indeed true that we have had a team. It is indeed true the team has performed. It is indeed true players get tired. Teams are built in cycles. 

"We have taken consideration into budding young players. Some results might not be good in the beginning. The rebuilding process will see some players retained in the senior team.

"It is unfortunate that we did not qualify for the Afcon finals for the third successive time. When I came into this office I said I do not want to be judged by qualification.

"I want to be judged by creating systems that help in the development of the game in the country. 

"Even the best teams in the world win or lose some matches. What you do is go back and do an analysis of the losses and react for the best football results.

"There are five key factors that help in getting successful football results and these are; infrastructure, coaches, players, logistics and motivation."

Vipers SC coach Fred Kajoba has called on his players to complete the job they started at home when they travel to face Busoga United in the return leg of the Round of 32 of the Ugandan Cup on Friday.

The Venoms picked up a 3-0 win in the first leg played at St Mary’s Kitende on Monday with the goals coming from Congolese import Cesar Manzoki, who notched a double, and Ibrahim Orit.

With the two sides facing off in Njeru on Friday, the Ugandan Premier League champions will be hoping to replicate their success in the first leg and advance to the Round of 16.

Kajoba’s side had its Uganda Cup journey ruined by minnows Kajjansi United at this stage last season and it is the reason coach Kajoba has made it clear to his players they have to win and keep their target of winning a double alive.

“We must play better than we did at home,” Kajoba told the club’s official website. “It’s the second leg of a knock-out tie that will give us the chance to progress further, it’s an objective that we want to achieve this season, winning a double.”

The veteran tactician maintained, despite winning the first leg 3-0, the tie is not over yet, insisting his players must strive to get the work done away from home.

“It will be a difficult match despite Busoga United losing in Kitende, it does not mean that everything is done and dusted,” Kajoba continued.

“There is quite some work for us to accomplish, we will need to go out there with the right attitude.”

However, Kajoba will have to navigate the fixture without key player David Bagoole, who is out with a bout of malaria and hence will not travel to face his former team, while Lawrence Tezikya is available for selection and could make the matchday squad.

Bobosi Byaruhanga missed the first leg but is back in training with the rest of the team, Allan Kayiwa pulled out of the last training session with a knock thus will not travel to Njeru, while Asiku Bashir and Shaban Mohammad remain unavailable through club suspension.

Kelechi Iheanacho has been announced as the winner of the Leicester City Goal of the Month award for March.

The 24-year-old fired home a first-time volley after he was set by his compatriot and teammate Wilfred Ndidi to help the King Power Stadium outfit shared the points with Burnley.

His strike beat off competitions from Ayoze Perez, Youri Tielemans, U23 star Kasey McAteer and Leicester City Women's Shannon O'Brien, Esmee De Graaf and Sam Tierney to clinch the prize.

The attacker had won the Premier League Player of the Month award for his blistering form in the month under review, where he scored five league goals.

The Super Eagles star has also been shortlisted for the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month prize and was recently handed a contract extension for his convincing showings for the Foxes.  

Ndidi had previously revealed the new-found form of the forward was not a fluke, recollecting his impressive performances for Nigeria at the youth level and backing him to continue the fine displays.

"Kelechi's talent was never in doubt, but as it is in life people love to criticise others when they are down," Ndidi said.

"He was unfairly criticised and judged by different people. This is someone I have known from our youth days at the under-17s and I know his quality, so it's not a fluke that he is producing his best football again.

"I am very happy for him because he's doing wonderfully well now and everyone can see.

“It's just sad that when he needed encouragement in the past few years many were quick to write him off, but thankfully some of these people have now turned around to praise him. That's life.

“He's a happy guy and Kelechi is only now enjoying a deserving reward for his tireless hard work. When you get the rhythm of games and the support of your coach, teammates and fans, it can only get better.

"This latest chapter is going to give him the belief and confidence that he is a really important player for his club and country.”

Iheanacho has now scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 29 appearances across all competitions this season and will be expected to continue the fine showings against West Ham United on Sunday.

His contribution has helped the King Power Stadium outfit to their current third spot on the Premier League behind Manchester City and Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta gave an update on Martin Odegaard's injury after the Real Madrid loanee was forced to miss Arsenal's 1-1 Europa League draw with Slavia Prague on Thursday.

Odegaard returned to Emirates Stadium from international duty with Norway last week nursing an ankle issue, but still managed to play the full 90 minutes of the Gunners' 3-0 Premier League defeat to Liverpool last weekend.

Arteta decided not to risk the 22-year-old again in the first Europa quarter-final leg, however, and admitted post-match that the playmaker may need some extra time on the sidelines to make a full recovery.

What's been said?

Asked if he had any concerns over Odegaard's long term availability, Arteta told a press conference: “We don’t know.

“He wasn’t able to play today and he will be out, I think, for the next game or two.

"But we don’t know yet.”

What other games could Odegaard miss?

Arteta's comments suggest that Odegaard will be unavailable for selection when Arsenal take in a trip to Bramall Lane to face the Premier League's bottom club Sheffield United on Sunday.

He could also be a doubt for their second leg clash with Slavia in the Czech Republic four days later, with the Gunners then set to wrap up their April schedule with top-flight fixtures against Fulham and Everton.

Arsenal falter in Europe without Odegaard

Arteta's side sorely missed Odegaard's creativity in the middle of the pitch against Slavia on Thursday night as they struggled to manufacture clear cut chances throughout the contest at the Emirates.

The Gunners eventually managed to find a breakthrough via a superb finish from substitute Nicolas Pepe with four minutes remaining, but shot themselves in the foot by conceding an away goal in stoppage time as Tomas Holes headed home for the visitors.

The 1-1 draw means Arsenal will now have to avoid a defeat or a 0-0 draw in the Czech Republic to keep their hopes of winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League alive.

Odegaard's record for Arsenal

Odegaard has settled into life in north London quickly following his January loan move from Madrid, becoming a key member of Arteta's squad in the process.

The Norwegian has already featured in 13 games across all competitions for the Gunners, scoring two goals along the way.

Further reading

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was pleased with his side’s Europa League victory against Granada but said it was “not a perfect night” after three bookings ruled out a trio of players through suspension for next week’s quarter-final second leg.

The Red Devils look well set for a place in the last four after goals in each half from Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes secured a 2-0 victory against the Spanish side.

However, they will be without Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay and Luke Shaw for next week’s return game after they all picked up bookings.

Solskjaer happy with ‘very good result’

Speaking after the game to BT Sport, Solskjaer said: "It was not a perfect night. We got three yellow cards and three suspensions. 2-0 is very good result. We know how difficult it is to come to Spain. We've got to play well to get a result.”

Solskjaer praised the impact of the two goalscorers, with Rashford’s fine first-half strike from Victor Lindelof’s raking cross-field pass taking his tally to 20 in all competitions.

It was also his eighth goal in European competition this season, the first English player to achieve that feat for the Red Devils since Sir Bobby Charlton in 1964-65.

Fernandes meanwhile scored a late penalty to move to 24 goals for the season. The Portuguese has scored 19 of the 20 spot-kicks he has taken for the club in all competitions this campaign.

"They [Rashford and Fernandes] have been exceptional, so important for us,” added Solskjaer.  

“It was a very good run by Rashford, takes the ball fantastically. Bruno is so confident on penalties even though the keeper almost saved it.”

"We want to win every game. It’s still a young team, a learning team. We have to improve all the time. Football catches you so quickly if you rest. We can’t have any other approach."

Red Devils winger Dan James, who played the full 90 minutes Nuevo Estadio de Los Carmenes, told BT Sport: "It's a massive win for us. We knew it'd be tough coming here. Getting a clean sheet was important. There's still a second leg we've got to concentrate on but we have to recover and get ready for Sunday [in the Premier League away at Tottenham].

"We knew it would be a tough game physically and we had to match that. We fought to the end and got that penalty.

"I'm really happy. We have to go into next week with the same attitude. Sunday is a massive game for us. We've got to get back, recover, get ready for that."

The bigger picture

The Europa League is Manchester United’s only realistic chance of silverware this season with the club 14 points behind leaders Manchester City in the Premier League and beaten by Leicester in the FA Cup quarter-final last month.

They have not won a trophy since the Europa League under Jose Mourinho nearly four years ago and have not reached a final since Solskjaer succeeded the Portuguese in December 2018, losing at the semi-final stage in three cup competitions last season.

They look all but certain of reaching another semi-final after a professional performance in Spain on Thursday evening, despite the absence of Maguire, Shaw and McTominay for next week’s second leg.

Granada are competing in Europe for the first time in the club’s history and began this competition in the first qualifying round, but it would take a remarkable result at Old Trafford next week for their fairy-tale run to continue.

Further reading

Mikel Arteta bemoaned Arsenal's missed chances after a 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague on Thursday night, while admitting that the "final result leaves a difficult taste".

Arsenal saw Nicolas Pepe's 86th-minute opener cancelled out in the last seconds of the Europa League clash at Emirates Stadium, with Tomas Holes scoring an all-important away goal for the visitors.

The Gunners will now have to beat Slavia in the Czech Republic to qualify for the semi-finals, and Arteta feels his team missed a good opportunity to establish an advantage in the last-eight tie.

What's been said?

The Spanish head coach told BT Sport after the final whistle: "It's difficult because they were a good opponent. They have beaten some big teams and are really difficult to play against. They have a lot of man-to-man situations and you have to resolve them. When we did that, we created chances, but when you can't, it's not easy.

"We were effective in our high press - they had the capacity to run in transition if they won the ball back but we controlled that well. It's more about the final result that leaves a difficult taste.

"The game was under control. We got the goal we wanted but we missed some big chances as well. We played two or three balls we shouldn't do and we put ourselves on the back foot and conceded the corner. They put bodies in there and it can happen. It changes the feeling after the game."

Slavia have the final word at the Emirates

Arsenal were made to work for clear cut chances throughout the first leg clash with Slavia, but were often guilty of wasteful finishing on the occasions that they did manage to find a way through their stubborn rearguard. Willian hit the post from a free-kick and Alexandre Lacazette struck the bar after racing through on goal.

They Gunners only managed to make the breakthrough after the introduction of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Pepe, who linked up with four minutes of normal time left to play, with Pepe charging into the box to receive a ball from his team-mate before producing a delightful dinked finish past the onrushing goalkeeper.

Slavia were not to be denied, though, with Holes stealing in at the back post to head home a flick-on from a corner in the third minute of stoppage time, sparking wild scenes of celebration among their coaching staff on sidelines.

What's next?

Arteta will now have to dust his players off ahead of a Premier League meeting with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday, with the Gunners set to travel to the Czech Republic for the second leg of their tie with Slavia four days later.

Further reading

Racheal Nachula has been handed a late Zambia call-up for Saturday's international friendly against South Africa, Goal understands.

On Wednesday, Goal had earlier reported that Banyana Banyana were boosted by the arrival of Eibar duo Thembi Kgatlana and Noko Matlou, increasing Desiree Ellis' squad to 25 in camp.

On the other hand, Bruce Mwape had initially announced a 27-player squad roster, with Shanghai forward Barbara Banda the only foreign player.

With limited experience available, head coach Mwape has now turned to the Zaragoza striker, after her exploits for the Spanish outfit, scoring six goals, including a brace at Parquesol.

Saturday's game will be the seventh meeting between the two sides, with the Copper Queens drawing twice and losing four times, including a 1-0 defeat in the 2019 Cosafa Women's Cup final.

Following a 2-1 triumph in Chile last November, Mwape is hoping to guide his side to a first-ever win over Banyana in their history.

With three months away from the Tokyo Olympics, Zambia will keen to step up their fine preparation build-up to the global sporting showpiece.

Goal understands, Zambia's delegation will depart Lusaka for South Africa on Friday, where they will be joined by Nachula from Spain.

On reuniting with her side for the first time since November, Nachula will be hoping to continue from where she left off, having scored the matchwinner in the victory over the Chileans in Santiago. 

Her engagement with Zambia will see Nachula miss out on Zaragoza's tie against Kholosa Biyana's Sporting Gijon on Sunday. 

Marcus Rashford has equalled a 56-year-old Manchester United record set by Sir Bobby Charlton after netting in a Europa League clash with Granada on Thursday night.

Rashford put United 1-0 up against the Spanish outfit in the first leg of their quarter-final tie at Nuevo Estadio de Los Carmenes with a trademark finish just after the half-hour mark.

The 23-year-old's latest strike in continental competition has seen him emulate former Red Devils midfielder Charlton, who is widely regarded as one of the finest players to ever play for the club.

What record has Rashford equalled?

Rashford now has eight goals to his name in Europe this season, having played a combined total of 11 matches in the Europa League and Champions League.

The talented young striker is the first English player to achieve that feat since Charlton way back in the 1964-65 season.

How did Rashford draw level with Charlton?

Rashford had recorded six goals in the Champions League and just one in the Europa League prior to United's trip to Granada, but doubled his account in the second-tier competition after latching onto a beautifully flighted through ball from Victor Lindelof.

The Granada defence were completely taken out of the game as Rashford produced a superb first touch before steadying himself and slotting the ball into the bottom corner, ensuring that the Red Devils went in at half-time with a 1-0 lead.

Rashford's overall record in 2020-21

Rashford has become the fourth Premier League player to reach 20 goals across all competitions this season after scoring against Granada, with only United team-mate Bruno Fernandes (23), Tottenham's Harry Kane (29) and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (27) boasting more.

The England forward has reached that mark after 46 games and is now just two short of his final record for the 2019-20 campaign. Rashford has also been effective when it comes to creating goals, providing 12 assists for his team-mates to date.

Further reading

New AS Roma acquisition Felix Afena Ohene Gyan is determined to make a quick jump to the first team of the Italian Serie A side.

The young Ghanaian striker, 18, joined The Yellow and Reds for an undisclosed fee last month after impressing on trial.

He was signed from Ghanaian outfit EurAfrica Academy.

"It is amazing. It is a dream come true for me," Ohene Gyan told BBC Sport Africa on his move.

"AS Roma made a lasting impression on me that night [against Barcelona in the Champions League in April 2018], and so being a part of this amazing club now is definitely a dream come true.

"It is down to hard work. It is never easy for a boy from where I come from to come here and also make it.

"Now that I am here, the target is to be in the first team and go on to become an important player for the club.

''I will work hard for it. I know it will come with a lot of challenges but I will stay focused and disciplined. I will stop at nothing to see that come to pass."

Having started his Italian adventure with Roma's youth side, the teenager has wasted no time in announcing his arrival by scoring in his first three matches, the first goal coming alongside an assist in a 5-0 triumph over Genoa, just a day after his signing announcement.

"I was involved in school sports from a young age. I captained my basic school, senior high school and the regional team, which was made up of students selected from the various schools in the region," the striker said of his journey.

"Initially my mother wanted to send me to Asante Kotoko, one of the biggest clubs in Ghana, but that did not happen because the club's academy had not taken shape then.

"Instead they took me to the EurAfrica Academy and I am very thankful to them for that decision. I will never forget what they have done for me."

Gyan will be hoping to earn a promotion to Roma's first team before the end of the current season. The club presently occupies the seventh position in the Italian Serie A table, and are still in contention in the Europa League. 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has admitted Arsenal's underwhelming display in their 3-0 loss to Liverpool in Saturday's Premier League match.

After keeping Jurgen Klopp's men at bay in the first 45 minutes, the Gunners fell to Diogo Jota's brace and Mohamed Salah's strike in the second half.

The defeat ended Arsenal's four-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League and Aubameyang has disclosed the performance was far from their best.

Ahead of Thursday’s Uefa Europa League outing against Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium, the Gabon captain said they paid for their lack of attacking threats against Liverpool.

"We did not perform anywhere near how we can on Saturday against Liverpool," Aubameyang wrote in the Arsenal matchday programme.

"We didn’t deserve to get anything and really it’s difficult to explain because we were confident going into it, that we could really get a result against them.

"But we didn’t create enough, didn’t attack like we have been lately and we couldn’t cause them problems. So when that happens, a team with the quality of Liverpool will find a way to make you pay, and that’s what they did in the second half.

Arsenal are aiming to bounce back to winning ways against Slavia Prague and Aubameyang said he knows the Czech giants have ‘really good African players’ with Nigeria’s Peter Olayinka, Senegal’s Abdallah Sima and Ivory Coast’s Ibrahim Traore on their books.

"We have to learn from that and turn things around fast because tonight’s game in the Europa League is a big objective for us," he continued.

"There’s no doubt how strong Slavia Prague are. They are really building a reputation in the last few years of a team that can go and beat anyone, and if they are in the last eight of the competition then they must be a dangerous side.

"I know Slavia have been very strong this season, in Europe and in their league too, so for sure we are going to be facing a team that is very high on confidence. It’s up to us to make them feel like a losing team for once!

"They have a very strong squad, I know there are some really good African players in the team as well that I know about, so we have no excuses - we will be ready for them and we will give everything to get through to the next round."