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Sevilla striker Zenatha Coleman was among the new faces in Ghana's camp as the 2014 Africa Women's Cup of Nations hosts trained ahead of this month's double-header friendly against Angola.

The Brave Gladiators take on the Central Africans as preparations commence for the 2022 Africa Women's Cup of Nations qualifier, with their first camp since the Awcon 2020 cancellation.

Following almost 24 months of inactivity, including a shock 2020 Cosafa Women's Cup miss, the 27-year-old took to social media to express her frustration at the Namibian Football Association.

"Dear NFA (Namibia Football Association) as part of the Brave Gladiators and Captain as well, we are very disappointed to know that the Brave Gladiators are not participating in the Women's Cosafa, girls live from soccer, most [of them] do not even work or school, finding a job is hard," she wrote on her Facebook last October.
 
"While playing in the national team is the only way to get a little income and yet you denied them that, a potential professional contract could have been on the table for some of these players but again you denied them this too.

"We are ranked 143rd in the world, it's very painful because we only play qualifiers for Afcon and World Cup and can't make it through to the next round because of poor preparations. We need to see a change. Give the Gladiators the necessary support and equal treatment."

Since her inclusion in a 23-player squad, Coleman confirmed to Goal she has reunited with Robert Nauseb's side and is eager to inspire her side past the Angolans, who landed in Windhoek on Monday.

"I am now at home in Namibia and just trying to get some rest, the forward, who grabbed her third assist of the season in Sevilla's 4-2 loss to Sporting Huelva, told Goal. 

"I am excited about joining my teammates in the camp again and looking forward to exciting games against Angola." 

The Gladiators are hosting their neighbours with matches scheduled for the 7th and 10th at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, kicking off at 15h00 under the Covid-19 regulations, and without fans.

Namibia final squad:
Goalkeepers: Mellissa Matheus, Agnes Kauzuu, Lydia Eixas.
Defenders: Eddelsisingh Emma Naris, Veronika Van Wyk, Selma Enkali, Lovisa Mulunga, Kamunikire Tjituka, Lydiana Nanamus, Iina Katuta.
Midfielders: Milicent Hikuam, Thomalina Adams, Asteria Angula, Meltret Ujamba, Ivone Irene Kooper, Annouschka Kordom.
Strikers: Beverly Ueziua, Fiola Vliete, Memory Ngonda, Anna-Marie Shikusho, Precious Hambira, Zenatha Coleman, Juliana Blou.

Former Asante Kotoko forward Kwame Opoku believes he deserves another opportunity to prove his worth in the colours of the Ghana national team.

On his debut during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against South Africa last month, the forward put on an underwhelming performance in what ended in a 1-1 draw away in Johannesburg.

His performance saw him substituted at half-time during the penultimate Group C matchday fixture.

"I wasn’t really satisfied with my performance at the Black Stars, but the important thing is we qualified [for Afcon ultimately]," Opoku, who just last season was playing in the second-tier Ghana Division One League, told Spice FM.

“But I will be surprised if I don’t get invited again because I need more games to prove myself.

"I never thought my development would be this quickly from Division One to Kotoko and now to Black Stars."

In his first full season with Kotoko, Opoku has been unable to see out the term, having had to join Algerian outfit USM Alger.

He caught the eye of scouts with seven goals for the Porcupine Warriors during the first round of the Ghana Premier League.

"I'm okay with my performance at Kotoko even though I feel there is more in me to give them, but time didn't permit that," the 21-year-old added.

"A lot was considered before deciding to join USM Alger - the platform [playing for them provides], together with the risk involved in football and its business."

A major talking point regarding Opoku's below-par showing against South Africa was his deployment in what was rather an unusual position.

Having made his name as a centre-forward with Kotoko, the youngster was handed a starting role on the left wing by Ghana coach CK Akonnor, a situation many believe contributed to his disappointment on the day.

"No words can describe the feeling when you get a call up to the senior national team," Opoku told Asempa FM last month after the fateful game.

“There was little pressure on me playing my first game for Black Stars in South Africa and playing in an unfavourable position."

Owing to his underwhelming performance, the striker did not make the matchday squad for the final group clash with Sao Tome and Principe back home in Accra three days later.

Thomas Tuchel says that Kepa Arrizabalaga and Antonio Rudiger "showed character" to make up following what was described as a major training ground bust-up ahead of Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final encounter with Porto.

The Blues duo came together in a fracas on Sunday in the wake of the club's first loss under the German against West Brom the day before, forcing their manager to intervene.

But the ex-Paris Saint-Germain boss has revealed that no further action will be taken after he was left impressed by the way the pair resolved their differences following the altercation.

What did Tuchel say?

“It got heated up between Toni and Kepa,” the manager told his pre-match press conference. “We calmed the situation down immediately. These are things we don’t want to accept, but they can happen. They are all competitors and want to win training matches.

“The [initial] reaction was not OK. But the reaction to it, how the guys handled the situation, was amazing and showed how much respect they have for each other. They sorted it out straight after training in a very honest, humble and very direct way.

“Don’t get me wrong, it was serious. Sometimes you have little situations when you look away and let them sort things out. This was not the case. We needed to interfere in this situation so it was serious. How the guys handled the situation was impressive and showed a lot of character.”

What happened in the incident?

During drills on Sunday, Rudiger reportedly came in on Kepa with a late challenge that left the shot-stopper fuming, sparking a pushing match between the two.

Tuchel was forced to break the spat up and ordered the defender back to the dressing room with five minutes to go before the end of the training session.

It followed a particularly trying result that saw the Blues damage their chances to secure Champions League football next season, after Sam Allardyce's unexpectedly inspired relegation contenders got the better of them 5-2.

Chelsea's week in focus

The Stamford Bridge outfit face a busy seven-day schedule  as they look to bounce back from the humiliation of their defeat to the Baggies, particularly after West Ham leapfrogged them into fourth place.

They will first face Porto in an all-important European last-eight tie, with a trip to neutral Seville to face the Portuguese heavyweights due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A clash with Crystal Palace then follows, allowing Tuchel the chance to immediately resume his top-four charge in the Premier League, before his side then return to Spain for the second leg of their Champions League tie.

Further reading

Hertha Berlin have sacked goalkeeping coach Zsolt Petry for anti-gay and anti-immigrant comments made in an interview on Monday.

Petry made a number of controversial statements regarding fellow Hungarian and RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi's outspoken support for LGBT rights. 

The 54-year-old also criticised Europe's immigration policy, calling it a "manifestation of moral decline."

What did Petry say?

In an interview with Hungarian outlet Magyar Nemzet, Petry said of Gulacsi: "The majority of Hungarian society does not agree with Peter Gulacsi's liberal opinion on rainbow families.

"As an athlete, I would focus on football in his place and not formulate any position on public, social policy issues. 

"I do not know what might have caused Peter to stand up for people with homosexual, transvestite, and other gender identities. I certainly would not have stirred up tempers if I were in his place."

On immigration, Petry added: "I do not even understand how Europe can morally sink as deeply as it is now. Immigration policy for me is a manifestation of moral decline. 

"Europe is a Christian continent. I am reluctant to watch the moral degradation sweeping across the continent.

"If you don’t think immigration is good because Europe has been swarmed by a bunch of criminals, then they accuse you of being racist."

What was Hertha's response?

The Bundesliga side reacted swiftly, saying in a statement on Tuesday: "Following several remarks made by goalkeeping coach Zsolt Petry in an interview that the club was initially unaware of with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, and after intense internal discussions and consultations, the Hertha BSC board has decided to relieve Zsolt Petry of his duties with immediate effect.

"Hertha BSC signed the Diversity Charter for German companies and actively promote values such as diversity and tolerance, because these values are important to us.

"The remarks made by Zsolt Petry as a club employee in the public eye to not respect these values."

What was Petry's response to his sacking?

After he was sacked, Petry issued a statement of his own, saying: "I would like to stress that I am not homophobic or xenophobic. I deeply regret my comments about immigration politics and would like to apologise to all those seeking refuge here who I have insulted.

"I enjoyed working for Hertha BSC and respect their decision. I wish everyone at the club all the best for the future."

Further reading

Inter have been advised to shelve any interest in Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante and instead focus on landing themselves a playmaker in the Leon Goretzka mould.

Prising the Germany international away from Bayern Munich would likely be an impossible task, meaning that other avenues will need to be explored in upcoming transfer markets.

It has been suggested for some time that former Blues boss Antonio Conte will look to launch a raid on Stamford Bridge for a familiar face, but Nerazzurri legend Giuseppe Bergomi believes more creative options have to be prioritised.

What has been said?

A man who spent his entire 20-year playing career with Inter has told Gazzetta dello Sport on recruitment needs at San Siro: “I think there are three roles to retouch.

“Better still, perhaps it is more appropriate to talk about the types of players to be included in the context.

“The first: a fast defender. Because it would allow Conte to raise the centre of gravity in his team, trying to risk more.

“For Inter this is a comfortable situation, so much so in Italy that they know sooner or later they will find the goal... but if we think of Europe, the matter is different.

“[Ivan] Perisic has done well, [Ashley] Young proved to be reliable. But you need someone with a strong left foot.

“And finally, a midfielder with six to eight goals in his legs. A [Lothar] Matthaus. Or, looking at things today, a Goretzka.

“In my opinion it is no longer the case to think about Kante. I consider [Marcelo] Brozovic and [Nicolo] Barella to be perfect. It is on the third name that the investment should be made.

“Okay, there is Eriksen there. But to make the leap in Europe, something else would be needed in that area.

“In the Champions League, a different kind of football is played: you need people who are fast, able to beat their man, to make a difference in a one-on-one situation. It's another story, another tournament. All this, of course, while remaining at 3-5-2 as a starting point.”

The bigger picture

While Inter may have ambitions of dipping back into the transfer market for more top talent, financial issues are clouding matters in Milan.

The Nerazzurri may have to sanction sales before adding again, while they are yet to put the contract extension in place with Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez that has been mooted for some time.

Conte does, however, have his side closing in on the Serie A title for 2020-21, with an eight-point lead held over arch-rivals AC Milan and the rest of the chasing pack.

Further reading

Mouctar Diakhaby has accused Juan Cala of calling him a "sh*tty black" on the pitch, but the Cadiz star has denied any wrongdoing while claiming that he's the victim of a "public lynching".

Sunday's La Liga clash between Cadiz and Valencia at Estadio Ramon de Carranza had to be stopped after 30 minutes after an altercation between Diakhaby and Cala .

The Valencia squad walked off the pitch after Diakhaby accused the Spaniard of racially abusing him, only for the defender to instruct his team-mates to resume playing without him a short while later to avoid being docked any points.

What happened?

Diakhaby was seen confronting Cala in the middle of the pitch with the scores locked at 1-1 after 29 minutes as play continued around them.

The referee eventually came over to break up the pair, with Diakhaby visibly distressed as a melee between both sets of players threatened to break out.

Valencia went back to the dressing room for around 15 minutes before returning to the pitch, with the club confirming after their subsequent 2-1 defeat that the Frenchman had insisted that play continue.

What has Diakhaby said?

Diakhaby took to social media on Tuesday to give his account of the exchange with Cala, claiming that he only reacted after being subjected to a racist insult.

"In Cadiz on Sunday there is a play in which a player insults me and his words are "sh*tty black"', the 24-year-old said in a video posted to Twitter.

"That is intolerable, I cannot consent to that. You all saw my reaction. That cannot happen in normal life and neither in football, which is a sport of respect."

What has Cala said?

Cala has denied using any racist language, while insisting that the media has turned him into a scapegoat without any proper evidence.

"I've never said sh*tty n*****, I haven't said it and it's pretty clear," the Cadiz centre-back told a press conference.

"If there is a player from Cadiz who approaches a player from Valencia saying that, if I apologise, he will play again, I will quit football. It is false. It is a media circus.

"I have been suffering for a couple of days. It is a public lynching. There are more than 20 cameras, microphones, 22 players, three referees, nobody finds out. Nobody says they have heard it.

"I will take legal action against all the people who have played with my image and my honour."

What have Valencia said?

Valencia have issued a swift response to Cala's denial, expressing their disappointment in the player and publicly backing Diakhaby once again.

"Valencia CF are deeply saddened by statements made by Cadiz CF player Juan Cala this Tuesday, in which 48 hours later, he denied racially insulting Mouctar Diakhaby during the La Liga match played last Sunday at the Ramon de Carranza," a statement on the club's official website reads.

"Cala has missed a great opportunity to accept his mistake and apologise to the player affected. Instead of doing this, he attacked both Diakhaby and other members of Valencia CF.

"Valencia CF wish to reiterate that we believe our player and back him completely. After the threats made by Cala in his press conference this Tuesday, April 6th, the club, president Anil Murthy and Mouctar Diakhaby himself remain firm in the conviction to fight to the end, wherever necessary, on the matter for the good of football and society.

"Valencia CF will not stop fighting for an improvement in protocol and in the battle against racism in football."

Further reading

Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Chelsea duo Christian Pulisic and N'Golo Kante are fit to face Porto in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie on Wednesday night.

Pulisic was replaced at half-time of Saturday's 5-2 home defeat by West Brom after the U.S. national team player felt tightness in his calf.

Kante, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring injury while away on international duty with France and is expected to be on the bench against Porto.

What has Tuchel said?

"They are fit enough to be in the squad and will be in the squad all three, that's good news," said Tuchel in his pre-match press conference. "Christian went out before injury could happen. Tammy [Abraham] is in the squad, and N'Golo just did his last test and will be on the bench.

"He feels very comfortable, comfortable enough to be on the bench."

How are Porto shaping up?

Porto will be without their two leading scorers Mehdi Taremi and Sergio Oliveira, who are both suspended for the first leg after their bookings in their last-16 win over Juventus.

The only other player to miss training ahead of Porto's trip to face Chelsea in Seville was their back-up goalkeeper Mouhamed Mbaye.

“We would like to have everyone available, namely those two who cannot play as punishment, Mehdi Taremi and Sergio," said Porto coach Sergio Conceicao. "It may change something, but not in relation specifically to Sergio, regarding the strategy we have for the game.

"If Sergio played, the strategy would be exactly the same. But we are talking about the team's top scorer, an important player whose absence is not easy to fill. But I am here to find solutions.

"We are not going to change the way we look at the game just because two players are missing who have been playing regularly."

Further reading

Edin Terzic remains unfazed by the furore surrounding Erling Haaland, with Borussia Dortmund’s interim boss eager to point out that he “can’t stop” the Norwegian striker and super agent Mino Raiola from embarking on a transfer tour of Europe.

Amid intense speculation regarding the future of one of world football’s hottest prospects, the representatives of a much sought-after 20-year-old have been paying visits to the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Dortmund are currently in England to face another of Haaland’s suitors, Manchester City, in the Champions League quarter-finals, while Premier League giants Chelsea are also said to be casting admiring glances in the direction of a prolific frontman.

What has been said?

Terzic is aware of the circus surrounding Haaland but is not about to lose any sleep over issues that remain outside of his control, with the German coach telling reporters when quizzed on the future of a prized asset: “It has no impact on me because I can't stop Mino Raiola and Alfie Haaland from travelling.

“It's up to them, they're grown-ups and they can choose whatever they want to do.

“I just can have an impact on Erling and we are happy to have him in our team.

“He's been back with us since last Thursday, when he came back from the Norway national team.

“The feeling we had from the start was that he was very happy to see us and we're very happy to have him around.

“He's a lovely guy, his qualities are well known all over the world and we are proud and happy he's part of our team.”

Haaland’s record at Dortmund

The likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United were sniffing around when Haaland made the decision to leave Red Bull Salzburg for Dortmund in January 2020.

His stock has continued to soar since then, with 49 goals recorded through 50 games at BVB.

Of that haul, 33 efforts have come this season as talk of big-money moves and future Ballon d’Or wins continue to build.

Any other business?

Haaland now has City in his sights, but Dortmund will be without Jadon Sancho when taking in the first leg of an eagerly-anticipated continental clash.

Injury has ruled the England international out of a reunion with his former club, but Terzic is not expecting the 21-year-old to be missing from his plans for long.

He added on Sancho: “He started with a bit of running for the last couple of days and we hope that it won't take a long time to get back to team training, but he won't be ready for the next week, let's say.”

City will take in a visit to Germany for the second leg of their Champions League tie with BVB on April 14.

Further reading

Bruno Fernandes is demanding that Manchester United stop dropping so many points at home and land themselves a trophy after four years without tangible success.

The Portuguese playmaker has made no secret of the fact that he is a bad loser and wants all of those around him at Old Trafford to adopt a similar mindset.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping to see the winning mentality of a talismanic figure rub off on the rest of the Red Devils squad, with consistency across multiple competitions still proving elusive.

What has been said?

Fernandes told FourFourTwo when asked how United can improve: “We need to win more matches.

“We can't drop as many points as we do at home, but we've been in second, and at the start of the season there weren't many people who were saying United would be second.

“After a few games and a bad start, nobody was saying United could reach the top of the table, but we ignored what people were saying on the outside. We knew what we had said on the inside, we had confidence that things would improve, and they did. We still have to be the best United we can, but we have improved.”

Fernandes added on the need to secure major silverware: “We can't think of anything else at this club.

“United is made for trophies and the whole mood is around that. We reached the semis [of the League Cup] and lost to City, but that's not enough. That wasn't our time – we need to be in finals, and to win them.”

United’s record on home soil in 2020-21

The Red Devils have taken more points on their travels this season than they have at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer’s side remain unbeaten away from home, but have suffered four defeats in their own backyard.

They have also been held in three Premier League outings in Manchester, with only eight victories taken from 15 fixtures.

United’s defensive record on the road is also better than when running out on home soil, with seven fewer goals conceded (13 compared to 20).

Defeat was also suffered at Old Trafford to City in the Carabao Cup, while Paris Saint-Germain collected a Champions League group-stage win during a productive visit to England.

Can a trophy be secured this season?

Arch-rivals Manchester City continue to ease their way towards the Premier League title, with United left 14 points off the pace.

The Red Devils have already seen other routes to domestic silverware in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup shut off, leaving them with just one more shot at glory in 2021.

Solskjaer’s side are into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will meet Granada, but have made a habit of tripping up before trophies come into reach.

Four semi-final setbacks have been suffered in the space of 12 months, with Fernandes among those eager to see a concerning wrong righted in the not-too-distant future.

Further reading

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations president Moses Magogo will be seeking a third term in office in the forthcoming elections.

The administrator came into office in 2013 and was successfully re-elected in 2017 for second term. It was not clear whether the federation head will be in for another term but all the doubts have now been cleared.

"I will be vying for another term in the office in the forthcoming elections," Magogo told Goal on Tuesday.

"The exercise has already commenced, it is the election period and for that reason, I want to let everyone know my intentions. Many have been asking whether I will stand for another term and the answer is yes."

"This is the right time for me to make clear my intentions of continuing with the job of developing the beautiful game in this county."

Magogo confidently stated there has been progress in football as compared to the time when he was not in the office.

"I am here to talk about the state of football in the country," the Fufa president continued.

"However, for us to know where we are, currently, and where we want to go, we must look back and reflect where we have come from and how far we have moved. I can confidently say here that there has been massive progress."

The district football associations and regional level elections are already going on, with the Fufa polls expected to be conducted in August. So far, no one has declared intentions to challenge the incumbent.

Meanwhile experienced Ugandan coach Mike Mutebi believes the national team should consider hiring local coaches as opposed to foreign counterparts.

Fufa has been overlooking local tacticians in the past decade or so, always preferring foreigners. However, the former Kampala Capital City Authority FC coach believes a change should be considered by the federation.

"It is high time they gave [local-based tacticians] a chance. We are not different from them, we can do the international basic practices," Mutebi said in a recent interview.

"Sam Ssimbwa, Jackson Mayanja, Moses Basena, all these experienced coaches can do the job if given the chance."

The veteran coach also hinted he might be interested in taking over the national team only if it was available.

"There is no vacancy [at Cranes], there is still coach Johnathan McKinstry and Abdallah Mubiru. Let us wait and see."

Ugandan Premier League side MYDA FC have confirmed changes to their technical bench with the exit of long-serving head coach Musafiri Abdu Samadu.

Samadu, who helped the team to gain promotion to the top-flight last season, has parted ways with the Flying Eagles on mutual consent with his assistant Elisha Madanda taking over on an interim basis, and he will be assisted by James Kasirye.

In the letter labelled ‘changes in the technical department’ signed by the team’s communication department and obtained by Goal, the club has stated: “The management of MYDA and coach Musafiri Abdu Samadu have agreed to terminate his employment by mutual consent.

“MYDA has achieved two league titles under his stewardship, one in the regional league and the other…further with a historic promotion from our debut season in the Ugandan Premier League.

“The club management would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his tremendous contribution towards these achievements and its long-term vision, thereby wishing him all the best in the next endeavours.

“Coach Elisha Madanda will take over the head coach’s role assisted by James Kasirye both on interim basis effectively.

“The club will make official communication on our various media platforms concerning any further developments in our technical department.”

He becomes yet another casualty in this very season after the sacking of Brian Ssenyondo (Mbarara City), Charles Livingstone Mbabazi (Kyetume FC), and Mike Mutebi of KCCA FC, who was fired a week ago to be replaced by his assistant Morley Byekwaso.

Samadu, a CAF “B” licensed tactician, will leave MYDA lying second from the bottom of the 16-team table with six points from 16 matches, as they have only managed one win, drawn three, and lost 12 matches so far this campaign.

New coach Madanda will start his reign with a Uganda Cup fixture as MYDA travel to face defending champions Proline FC in the Round of 32 at Lugogo Stadium on Tuesday.

The return leg will be played at the King George IV Memorial Stadium on April 9.

Manchester United midfielder Fred has named “out of this world” Lionel Messi as his toughest opponent, with the Barcelona superstar billed as a “genius”, while Alex Telles considers fellow Brazilian Neymar to be the best that he has faced.

Two South Americans on the books at Old Trafford have lined up against some of the finest talent on the planet over the course of their respective careers.

Both have, however, had little trouble in picking out the cream from that crop, with the obvious qualities possessed by two of the most fearsome forwards around making it easy for their skill sets to be recognised.

What has been said?

While taking part in a Q&A session on United’s official website, Fred and Telles were asked to select their most fearsome foes.

Brazil international Fred said: “Neymar is a great player, it is so difficult to mark him.

“For me, I think the toughest player I came up against was Messi; he's out of this world, he's a genius. 

“For me he's the best in the world, a great player and I think he's the toughest opponent I've played against.”

Telles added: “I've come up against a lot of difficult opponents. I answered the same question last week and nothing has changed.

“Neymar was one of the hardest players to mark given his quality, speed and intelligence both with the national team and when we played against PSG.

“He's a highly versatile player with the power to make such quick decisions, so you have to really concentrate.

“He was one of the hardest players to mark for me and I'm sure numerous other players will say the same thing.”

When did Fred face Messi?

United were paired with Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League.

Fred played the full 90 minutes in both legs of that heavyweight encounter, with the Blaugrana running out 4-0 winners on aggregate.

Messi was the star of the show in the second of those fixtures, with the mercurial Argentine bagging a brace at Camp Nou as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side slipped out of Europe.

What about Telles and Neymar?

The Red Devils left-back lined up against his fellow countryman in the group stage of this season’s Champions League.

United got the better of PSG at Parc des Princes, as Telles made his competitive bow for the club in a 2-1 win, but Neymar and Co got their revenge at Old Trafford in a convincing 3-1 success.

Further reading

Real Madrid and Liverpool will be meeting for the first time in the Uefa Champions League since the 2018 final on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu in a quarter-final first-leg contest.

The 2018 edition was the third consecutive Champions League title Real Madrid had won, while Carlo Ancelotti is the only manager who has won the competition as often as Zinedine Zidane (three).

Real Madrid vs Liverpool Latest Odds

Real Madrid have won the first leg of eight of their last nine Champions League knockout ties and a win against Liverpool has been valued at (2.67) with ZEbet.

Liverpool have lost each of their last three games against Real Madrid in the Champions League and a victory for them is poised to occur at (2.57).

A draw between Zidane's and Jurgen Klopp's sides has been tipped to occur at (3.45).

Real Madrid vs Liverpool Team News 

The Spanish side will operate without Sergio Ramos, who is suffering from a calf problem. Dani Carvajal and Federico Valverde are the other stars expected to miss as the tie has come too soon for the recovering duo.

Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard could be named in the matchday squad after his steady progress from a muscular issue. On the other hand, Klopp will be without Jordan Henderson, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk. 

Real Madrid vs Liverpool Preview

In their only previous two-legged knockout European tie, Liverpool won 5-0 on aggregate against Real Madrid in the last 16 of the 2008-09 Champions League. That was Madrid's biggest ever aggregate defeat in a two-legged knockout tie in the competition.

Liverpool manager Klopp has won each of his last five games at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League, including all four of his games at this stage while in charge of the Reds - two versus Manchester City in 2017-18 and FC Porto in 2019-20.

Real Madrid have won their last three Champions League matches, last winning four in a row back in April 2018 when they had a run of five.

This will be Zinedine Zidane’s 50th game as a manager in the Champions League. The Real Madrid boss has won 30 of his first 49, while the only manager to have won more through their first 50 games in the competition is Josef Heynckes (32).

Real Madrid vs Liverpool Tips and Predictions

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane has scored 19 goals in 40 games in the Champions League. Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has scored in all three of his Champions League appearances against Liverpool and punters can take an offer of both teams to score at (1.58) with ZEbet.

Both teams to score at (1.58) with ZEbet.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

Former Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) FC head coach Mike Mutebi has revealed he opted to resign after interference in his work by the team's management led by Martin Ssekaja.

The veteran tactician parted ways with the Garbage Collectors a couple of days ago with his assistant Morley Byekwaso taking over. The former Uganda defender has now shed light on his exit from the team.

"I had already started to see indicators of people trying to interfere in what I was doing, and maybe some people wanted more glamour which prevented me from being the public face of the club and I was taking a back seat," Mutebi said in a recent interview.

"So, when I realised that, I wasn't going to see out my contract. I had already made up my mind.  

"I couldn’t accept the interference. It was coming from the powers that be. When I was with former Chairman Julius Kabugo and Aggrey Ashaba, we used to work together and could also exchange ideas. 

"The new chairman [Ssekajja] had new ideas... They interfered in technical issues."

The tactician believes he already achieved his objective of transforming coaching in Uganda.

"When I entered football, I had my personal objectives to achieve, one of them being to try to transform coaching in this country, which I did," Mutebi continued.

"Try to do things right technically, try to urge clubs to give the technical department the authority to do what they are supposed to do which I have done, and of course you can see now that I have won in all activities that the club has engaged in.  

"Personally, I believe that I have achieved but still there are other competitions to win like the Caf Champions League."  

During his time at the club, the Kasasiro Boys won three Ugandan Premier League titles, two Uganda Cups, four Super Cups, and Cecafa Club Competition. 

"Coaching was talent, a passion which I had to enhance. I had to do things right; I had to copy from others especially from abroad, I belong to the school of Johan Cruyff, everybody knows what he did to world football, so I tried to import what he had done," he added.

"I felt I can educate these young kids on these things and indeed I have done that. For me, the most important thing is that I have earned respect from football circles."  

Simba SC spokesperson Haji Manara has now rebuked those who mocked the signing of Kenya defender Joash Onyango on the basis he was too old for the Tanzania Mainland League.

The Harambee Star joined Wekundu wa Msimbazi from Gor Mahia at the beginning of the season after his contract with the latter expired.

However, critics felt the centre-back would struggle at Mnyama and taunted him further when he contributed to Yanga SC's goal in his first Kariakoo Derby that ended 1-1.

Since then, the 28-year-old has proved to be a consistent performer, and recently he won the club's March player of the month ahead of Aishi Manula and Mozambique international Luis Miquissone. 

The Mnyama communications officer has now taken to his social media platforms to hit back at those who criticized the signing.

"Where are those who said Simba have old defenders who will struggle this season?" Manara asked.

"Even some analysts were quick to claim the [Onyango] signing will flop. How are you feeling now? Let us assume Oyango is old, so which youthful defender can be compared to him?

"Lest you don't know, Onyango is used to winning awards and many more are coming. Critics don't have a place to hide their faces."

On winning the March club award, the former Gor Mahia star became the second recipient of the award, after Miquissone, which was launched by the Mainland Premier League champions in February.

The award is an initiative from the Msimbazi giants’ fans, is sponsored by Emirate Aluminum Profile company, and will see players rewarded for their efforts every month.

According to a statement from Simba and obtained by Goal, a total of 25,719 votes were cast by the fans with Onyango managing 20,288.

Tanzania keeper Manula, who is being linked with a transfer to Sudanese outfit Al Merrikh, came second after garnering 4,673 while Miquissone managed 758 to finish third.

With the award, Onyango, who has formed a strong partnership with Ivorian defender Pascal Wawa in the heart of the Simba defence, walked away with prize money of Tsh1,000,000.

Yannick Bolasie has expressed his delight after opening his scoring account for Middlesbrough in their 1-1 draw with Watford on Monday.

The 31-year-old cancelled out Senegal international Ismaila Sarr’s opener to ensure his side shared the points with the Hornets.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international teamed up with the Riverside Stadium outfit in January on loan from Everton till the end of the season and the centre-forward has now taken to social media to express his feelings after his eye-catching display against Watford.

“It’s been a minute since my last one in England but that felt good, getting my first goal for Middlesbrough,” Bolasie tweeted.

“I would have loved to get all three points but the team did well against a top-quality Watford side. We keep pushing.”

Bolasie last scored a goal during his time with Sporting Lisbon against Santa Clara in December 2019 before ending the drought at Riverside Stadium.

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock revealed the instruction he gave the attacker which helped him score the goal.

"I had to laugh with Yannick as he came over to take the free-kick and I told him 'get in the box somewhere' and he scored,” Warnock told BBC.

Bolasie has been with Everton since the summer of 2016 when he teamed up with the Premier League club from Crystal Palace and has had four loan spells away from the Toffees.

The attacker spent last season with Sporting CP and had also been on the books of Aston Villa as well as Belgian First Division A side Anderlecht.

The DR Congo star has featured in nine Championship games for Middlesbrough in this campaign and provided three assists, besides his goal.

His contribution has helped the Riverside Stadium outfit moved to the 10th spot on the league table after gathering 57 points from 40 games.

Bolasie will hope to also play a part when Middlesbrough slug it out against Barnsley in their next league game on April 10.

The forward has 44 caps for the Democratic Republic of Congo since he made his debut against Libya in 2013.