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Hannibal Mejbri has been tipped to become a "future Paul Scholes" at Manchester United by his former youth coach.

The 18-year-old has impressed with the United Under-23s side in recent years and made his senior debut for the Old Trafford club when he came off the bench in the final Premier League game of last season.

The attacking midfielder has already made three appearances for the Tunisia national team and his former coach at Paris FC, Reda Bekhti, has backed him to break into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team in the near future.

What has been said?

Bekhti has likened the France-born midfielder to United legend Scholes, who won 11 Premier League titles with the club.

"The Premier League requires a lot of athleticism and a strong physical capacity. He can still grow more muscle. If he passes this milestone and does not pick up any injuries, he will win over [Solskjaer] I am sure," he told First Time Finish.

"He can become a future Paul Scholes at Manchester United. He has all the qualities in midfield to become a leader."

Who is Hannibal Mejbri?

The midfielder joined United in 2019 from Monaco after being linked to the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but United were able to land him in a deal reported to be worth €10 million (£9m/$11m) in total.

Mejbri has been tipped to succeed Paul Pogba in the middle of Solskjaer's team, with the France star constantly linked with a move away from the Red Devils.

Mejbri signed a new long-term contract with United in March this year.

Further reading

AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy has come out for the first time to reveal what transpired during his spat with SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo.

The two coaches were caught on camera exchanging words, during their Premier Soccer League match fixture which ended in a 0-0 draw on September 14 at Jonsson Kings Park Stadium.

Though the camera did not capture what Tembo told McCarthy, the former Bafana Bafana strikers’ exchange of words was captured well and he has now lifted the lid on why he reacted emotionally after what he was told.

What did McCarthy say?

“All I did was, the SuperSport bench was putting a lot of pressure on the referee, and then obviously when the rules were reversed, when we started doing it, we were told to f-off and sit down and blablabla,” he told Thomas Mlambo on the Ultimate Sport Show as quoted by Idiskitimes.

“And that’s when I said to the opposition coach, I said ‘coach, you can’t ask us to sit down and then you guys do the same and you pressure the referee so every decision that goes your way and we must just sit back. So now we’re also going to pressure’.

“Then I was told to ‘shut up, ’shut up, you f-ing c***’. And that was for me, that was the ultimate. If someone calls me a c*** which I’m definitely not and I know I shouldn’t engage on that but I won’t say that.

“So if someone calls me that then of course now you’re not just going about the football, now you’re attacking the individual and that is me.”

McCarthy believes he had every right to stand up defend himself and that is the reason he opted to respond.

“So of course I had every single right to stand up for myself and that’s exactly what I did, stand up for myself because I’m no wimp, I ain’t getting bullied by a coach or anyone else,” McCarthy continued.

“And people that know me, that that is the mother of all mothers. I’ll never do anyone wrong if you don’t do me wrong. Because I stand up for myself, now I’m made out to be the villain and I’m the bad guy, I’m this…and the person that started this whole saga, that is the person that is in the light, that looks like ‘oh what a fantastic guy, what a marvellous coach, what an example’.

'You ain't no example!'

“What example? You ain’t no example if you can call someone what I’ve been called. Then I lose it and I don’t care if I lose the respect from people because I stand up for myself but I never-ever change, and people mustn’t tell me that I’m better than that, that I must be the bigger person because I had been the bigger person all the time but you spit on, you get stumped on, but when you stand up for yourself you get respected that way. 

“If I worry about what everyone else says or what everyone else thinks of me, I would have never achieved anything in my life because I’m too worried about what ‘good people’ are talking about me, I couldn’t care less about what people say about me.

“I’m true to myself and I know who I am and I know what my purpose is. My purpose is to succeed for my team and I must be an example for my team.

“I ain’t going to stand for somebody calling me out and then they get to look like they are the heroes, they are the white knight with shining armour, not under my watch.”

Usuthu finished the game with 10 men after defender Tercious Malepe was sent to the showers in the 74th minute.

Ronald Koeman says Lionel Messi was like "a tyrant" during training at Barcelona.

The Argentina star raised the bar at the Camp Nou club as he developed into one of the greatest to ever play the game before departing to join Paris Saint-Germain this year.

Barca coach Koeman has lifted the lid on the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's conduct during practices with the team, revealing he would get very angry if he did not win games during the sessions.

What has been said?

"Lionel Messi has obscured everything. He was so good and he won," he told Voetbal International. 

"Of course he had good players around him, but he made the difference. Everyone seems better than they are because of him. This is not a criticism, but an observation.

"I knew how good he is, but it's still nice to see it up close every day. Everything you would like to teach a football player, in recognising situations, in taking the ball under pressure, in ball speed, in finishing; with Messi everything is a 10. Not normal, not normal!

"When we did a finishing practice during training, there were sometimes players who started to hit easy balls, a bit of fooling around. But with Messi everything was: boom, boom, boom, boom. Never frills, everything functional. And always wanted to win everything.

"We always play a rondo before training. If the ball goes around 20 times, then the players in the middle must have an extra turn. If that happens three times in a row, the players will form two lines and the two who were in the middle then walk through and get taps on their heads and such.

"I asked Messi if it had happened to him once. ‘Yes, once,’ he said. In all those years. With him, the older players never lost an exercise against the young. It happened once and Messi was seriously angry about that for a week. Really, a tyrant."

Have players lost discipline since he left?

Koeman has admitted that Messi's absence has been noticed since he left.

Some players, like Ansu Fati, are not training with the same intensity as they did in the presence of the man who helped guide them to 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.

“When I first became coach, I had a conversation with him at his house in Castelldefels. What immediately struck me was how involved he felt and how much he is interested in football.

"The start was difficult, he later apologised for that. Messi must have the idea that there is a future in what he does. But he started to get more and more enthusiastic.

"The performance with Messi is perfect. We now sometimes do a pass and kick practices, where you had to shoot the ball into a small goal, around a post. The other day I saw Ansu Fati shoot three metres wide, simply due to lack of concentration. But he wouldn't have done that if Messi had still been there. Then he got set right, Messi became furious. That never happened to [Messi].

"I have never met anyone except Johan Cruyff with his football intelligence. Alfred [Schreuder, Koeman's assistant] sometimes explained the exercises in English and Messi does not speak that very well. But after a few seconds he knew it.

"He delivered 50 goals last year: 30 goals, 20 assists. He was an example for the players. When we won the cup, Messi had won so many trophies, bigger than this one, but you saw that the Copa del Rey really did something for him this time. With those young players in there, he saw the future of the club. All those guys wanted to take a picture with him, I've never seen anything like it.

"That's how big he was and is. It was a shock to the whole town that he's not here now."

Further reading

South Africa women national team coach Desiree Ellis has claimed they need to maintain consistency in order to be considered one of the biggest teams in Africa alongside Nigeria.

Ellis made the claim despite her Banyana Banyana side beating the Nigerian side 4-2 during the Aisha Buhari Cup at Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Tuesday.

"They [Banyana Banyana] have delivered, but we want more and more," Ellis said during her post-match address.

"We wanted to test ourselves, and we are now duly tested, but we need to be consistent with what we do. Nigerians have been consistent over the years and we must not forget that they will be back. 

"They have proved they are good over the years and they are the best team on the African continent, and for us to be put in that bracket, we need to be consistent against bigger and better teams."

The tactician also analysed what handed them victory against the Super Falcons.

 "I think if I look back on the game, we were in control most of the game and I thought we played at the tempo we wanted. We also made them play at the tempo we wanted them to play," she added.

"We controlled all aspects of the game, although I thought we gave a lot of free-kicks away, which at times looked very dangerous, again, I think we handled that well. 

"Before the second half, we discussed that and we needed to stay concentrated. The two goals came quickly as we made errors because we played the way we should not have but I think the players showed a lot of character and a lot of confidence.

"We took control back as we made a couple of positional and tactical changes and it all just came together again. We managed the game very well, but the victory is not for us here in Nigeria, it is for everyone back at home, everyone involved.

"The athleticism and dynamism of the players really stood out and we knew that they would come, especially when it was 3-2, but we managed to control the pace of the game. The players were magnificently good."

The Aisha Buhari Cup was staged in order to prepare Nigeria for the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers against their neighbours Ghana in October.

Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has rubbished reports he is a “tourist” who took up the role of handling the team without a vision.

The 51-year-old Turkish tactician was unveiled on Sunday to lead the national team after the Football Kenya Federation had parted ways with coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who was only in charge of the team for 11 months.

Firat, who holds a Uefa Pro Coaching License and was most recently attached to the Moldova national team, signed a two-month contract to see Kenya through the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers and his deal could be extended if he takes the team to Qatar.

His appointment came just four days after the FKF had parted ways with Mulee, which left many stakeholders questioning why he had moved with speed to accept the job with others labelled him a “tourist” out to make money from the job.

What did Firat say?

“I am doing this job because I love this job, so I am not a tourist, I am here because when I talked to the President [Nick Mwendwa], he gave me a good view of what he wants and I felt it is a good challenge if we can work together and achieve the target we set,” Firat told Goal.

“I don’t see any difficulty to handle the team, it is a simple job for me and the main reason why I am here is, of course, to help the team reach Qatar, I want to take the team to the World Cup and I know it is not a difficult task.

“It is not about money [why I signed to handle Kenya], if it was about money, then I could have signed elsewhere because I had several offers on the table including my home country Turkey, which I turned down.”

On why he decided to handle Kenya instead, of Turkey Firat said: “I decided to come to Kenya against handling Turkey because the FKF president has a good plan for Kenyan national team, so it was easy for me to choose my destination, so it was good for me to come here to do a good job.”

On why he took a short-term deal?

There has been some criticism with regards to the short-term nature of his contract, but Firat further explained how it suits both parties.

“I like the way the President [Mwendwa] is motivated and it is good and it is good for the coach because the boss likes football and I think after two months we will see the outcome and see the way forward, for the future for both of us," he continued.

“I am very excited and motivated because I know Kenya is a football nation and I have checked what is in the team, I have analysed all the players and I believe there is a chance for the team to do well in remaining qualifying matches.

“I am very hopeful for this challenge and we decided to handle this campaign and then after we can talk if to extend the contract or not.”

He becomes the sixth coach under Mwendwa's reign to lead the national team after Stanley Okumbi, Paul Put, Sebastien Migne, Francis Kimanzi, and Mulee.

The former Moldova coach's first assignment will be the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Mali, away and home, on October 8, and October 12.

Mamelodi Sundowns forward Thabiso Kutumela has made a bold promise to the club's supporters ahead of their titanic clash with Orlando Pirates.

The two Gauteng giants are set to collide in an eagerly anticipated PSL encounter at the 2010 Fifa World Cup training ground, Orlando Stadium, on Saturday afternoon. 

Both teams recorded convincing wins over the weekend with Pirates defeating Chippa United 3-1 on Saturday, while Sundowns thrashed TS Galaxy 3-0 on Sunday.

Kutumela came off the bench to score his first goal for Masandawana against Galaxy and he celebrated with his usual Cobra dance alongside his teammate Peter Shalulile. 

“The dance? You know the cobra dance. You are still going to see it again," Kutumela told the club's media department. 

"I have to get my confidence back [in] scoring, but I am happy that I got my first goal to open my account for Mamelodi Sundowns."

Kutumela will now face his former side, having been on the books of the Soweto giants between 2016 and 2019, but he failed to make an impact at the club. 

The speedy striker moved to Maritzburg in 2019 on a permanent deal and he established himself as one of the most feared strikers in the PSL. 

After scoring 14 goals across all competitions for Maritzburg last season, Kutumela moved to Sundowns two months ago and he is pleased to have opened his scoring account at the reigning PSL champions.

“I managed to open my account in a Mamelodi Sundowns t-shirt, and I am really, really happy," the diminutive 28-year-old added. 

"It was not an easy goal because some players lose their cool when they get to the box, but I told myself when I got the ball, my first touch was alright then I went between the legs of the goalkeeper."

Kutumela, who was nominated for the PSL Footballer of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards last term, has scored once against Pirates in his career.

The goal came in last season's Nedbank Cup Round of 16 clash with Pirates claiming a 3-1 over Maritzburg at Harry Gwala Stadium. 

AFC Leopards assistant head coach Tom Juma has stated they would have to fall back on the youth team after a mass exodus by the senior players.

On Tuesday, Goal reported that the club is facing a dilemma after 17 players left, leaving the local giants with just 13 senior players at their disposal. 

Benjamin Ochan, Austin Odhiambo, Bienventure Shaka, Boniface Wafula, Clyde Senaji, Collins Lusaka, Elvis Baranga, Fabrice Mugheni, and Hansel Ochieng, Harrison Mwendwa, Robinson Kamura, Said Tsuma, Sellasie Otieno, John Oyemba, Eugene Mukangula, Ezekiel Owade, and Jafari Owiti are the players who have ditched Ingwe just days before the new season begins. 

"The most important players are the 11 who feature on the pitch and the bench does not worry us a lot," Juma told Citizen Digital.

"But still even if things won’t add up to the expected number then we have a youth team and we will have to promote a number of our youthful players to the senior team.

"It doesn’t matter the type of squad we have, we will remain with the objective of being top of the league."

The exit of the players who helped them end last season in fourth place will not force AFC Leopards to change their Premier League ambitions as Juma insists they will feature in the new season with eyes firmly on the title.

"Even if we have lost players, it does not mean we go pull the blanket and sleep but to work even harder to achieve what is expected of you," he added.

After the departure of all senior goalkeepers, Maxwell Mulili is expected to be the first choice when the season begins.

"When you join a certain club it does not mean that you will be there forever," hopeful Juma continued.

"Time will come and you will have to leave and so the likes of Ochan, Oyemba, and Owade] have served us for some time and they have left.

"Just like Mulili who will probably serve us for two or three years and then leave again. That is football and there is time for everything."

Abdallah Asad, Caleb Olilo, Collins Shivachi, Dan Sunguti, Isaac Kipyegon, Lewis Esambe, and Marvin Omondi, Omar Omari, Peter Nganga, Robert Mudenyu, Tedian Esilaba, Washington Munene and Yusuf Nasri are the senior players who are set to remain at the Den.

Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane and his team have been fined by the club's management following the Cairo giants' shock defeat to El Geish on Tuesday evening.

The Red Devils were hoping to redeem themselves by clinching the 2020/21 Egyptian Super Cup after missing out on the Egyptian Premier League title last month which they lost to their arch-rivals, Zamalek.

However, Al Ahly were frustrated by a stubborn El Geish side and ultimately, Mosimane's charges lost 3-2 on penalties in an encounter that had ended in a 0-0 draw at Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria.

The result was a big shock as the Red Devils were clear favourites to clinch the trophy for a record 12th time, but they were stunned by El Geish with the Cairo-based outfit winning the Super Cup for the first time in the club's history.

Without wasting any time, Al Ahly released the following statement on Tuesday night revealing that the club's technical team, director of football, and players were fined 300,000 Egyptian pounds ($19,092).

"Mahmoud El Khatib, Al Ahly's president, decided to impose a 300k fine on Al Ahly players, director of football and the coaching staff after the disappointing performance in the Egyptian Super Cup on Tuesday, despite the great support that the team receives to achieve titles and meet the expectations of the fans," a club statement read.

"Also, the administrative staff and the medical staff will be subjected to a fine that is relative to their salaries."

Mosimane and Al Ahly will be under pressure when they take on ENPPI FC in the Egyptian Cup Round of 16 encounter scheduled to be played at Alexandria Stadium on Saturday.

The Red Devils will then turn their attention to the Caf Champions League as they start their title defence against Niger's Union Sportive Gendarmerie Nationale in the first round tie next month.

Mosimane has won two Champions League titles, Caf Super Cup, Egyptian Cup and Egyptian Super Cup since he joined the club in October 2020.

Kerala Football Association (KFA) President Tom Jose has welcomed the collaboration between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Government of Kerala, announced on Monday. 

The collaboration will see the state host an international women's football tournament in Kochi this year in addition to other plans to develop the sport in the state. Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahman had revealed during a press conference that as part of the process, Kerala will also host the 75th Santosh Trophy tournament in addition to several other youth nationals.

And the KFA has welcomed the state government's decision to invest in the game, terming it a great initiative that will help the development of the game in the South Indian state. 

"It's a good thing that Govt has come up with such an initiative. So, the state government financing matches and tournaments is a great initiative," KFA President Tom Jose told Goal. 

Earlier, it was also announced that the Govt of Kerala plans set up residential football academies across the state with the help of the Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters and I-League club Gokulam Kerala. The clubs had won a government tender to set in motion the plan to set up the government football academies.

There have also been talks to set up a National Team camp in Kerala in the near future among other projects. 

Tom Jose, who owns a football club in Idukki district of Kerala himself, said that the KFA will co-operate with the Govt of Kerala in the initiatives. Furthermore, with the technical know-how, KFA will help the Govt of Kerala and AIFF implement the projects efficiently in the state.

"So, if the Govt is putting money in, the rest of the work, we will take care of. With projects like this, we can take care of our stadiums, maintain their standards to an international level and more," he said. 

"Since we are the representatives of AIFF in Kerala, we will be there to give support. So, we will be involved. Now, AIFF will tell us how the things are and where the Govt of Kerala will help us and how. It's important that we co-operate with each other. For any tournament, we will need police, ambulance and everything. So co-operation with the Govt is very important."

Jose also revealed that the KFA is set to call a meeting of its office-bearers to discuss the deal between the state government and the AIFF in the near future. He went on to mention that co-operation is key.

"Govt doesnt have the technical know-how. KFA has that. So, we have to move forward together. We have an office-bearers meeting next week where we will brief our members on what the deal is. When the Govt is doing a good thing by investing into the game, we have to co-operate completely because the game is important."

Rose Lavelle was buzzing after what she called a "special" night playing in front of friends and family in her hometown of Cincinnati.

Lavelle scored a goal and added three assists in the first half as the U.S. women's national team cruised past Paraguay in an 8-0 friendly win.

An announced crowd of 22,515 at TQL Stadium cheered Lavelle's every move as she put on a strong display in front of her hometown fans.

What was said?

"I think I'm going to probably say this over and over again, it was just it was so special," Lavelle said in the post-game press conference. 

"Just to be able to step out there in front of all my family and friends in the city that I feel like has built me into who I am today, it was incredible.

"I think the atmosphere was incredible. This is best soccer city in the world, I'll say. I might be biased, but the atmosphere was incredible and I just kind of took it all in.

"As proud as people are of me, I feel just as proud to be able to represent the city."

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski added: "With Rose Lavelle, she's special. You saw that in the first few goals. She had an impact with scoring goals or assisting the goals, that's who she is.

"She's a very important part of our team, an integral part of our team, and I have no doubt she'll keep getting better."

What's next for the USWNT?

The U.S. easily defeated Paraguay in their first two matches after winning bronze at the Olympics, winning the first game 9-0 last week before Tuesday night's 8-0 win.

Next up for the USWNT is a pair of friendlies against South Korea on October 21 and 26.

The last of those two matches will be Carli Lloyd's final game with the USWNT before she retires.

Further reading

Ronnie Brunswijk, the 60-year-old vice president of Suriname, started and played 54 minutes for Inter Moengotapoe in Tuesday's CONCACAF League clash with Olimpia.

Bruswijk, who owns the club and serves as the team president, captained the side and played into the second half before being substituted.

The politician's squad wasn't victorious, however, as Inter Moengotapoe fell 6-0.

What happened?

Brunswijk's history

Brunswijk assumed the role of Suriname's vice president in July 2020, having long been a key figure in the country's political climate.

He was a rebel leader who formed the Surinamese Liberation Army, better known as the Jungle Commando, in 1985 as he fought for the rights of African descendents. He was part of a civil war that lasted from 1986 until peace treaty was signed in 1992, with Brunswijk remaining active in politics in his homeland ever since.

After the war, the Netherlands prosecuted Brunswijk for drug trafficking, which he was convicted of in absentia in 1999.

Brunswijk is also a player/owner of Inter Moengotapoe, having helped build the club's stadium, Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, in 2002.

In 2005, he was suspended for allegedly threatening a player with a gun during a match, with the suspension later dismissed due to a lack of evidence, before being suspended in 2012 for verbally abusing a referee.

Tuesday's appearance marked a return from retirement as a player, with it lasting 54 minutes before he was substituted with his team trailing 3-0.

Further reading

Yoane Wissa was on target twice as Premier League side Brentford demolished Oldham Athletic 7-0 in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup encounter.

The DR Congo international scored in each half as the Bees swept aside the Latics inside Brentford Community Stadium.

Lifted by their 2-0 triumph at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English topflight on Saturday, Thomas Frank’s men got off to a flying start and took the lead after three minutes.

A goal-bound Wissa was tripped inside the area by Carl Piergiani - prompting referee Simon Hooper to award a penalty. Marcus Forss took the ensuing kick and sent it past goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler.

Forss doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 16th minute before Wissa made it three goals for Brentford in the 38th minute after he was set up by Danish midfielder Mathias Jensen.

In the goal-laden first half, Oldham’s Raphael Diarra turned the ball past Leutwiler and into his own net in the 43rd minute, while Forss completed his first half treble one minute later.

Despite the superior margin, Frank’s men continued to attack in the last 45 minutes to add two more goals through man-of-the-match Forss and Wissa – with three minutes left on the clock.

At the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City survived Wycombe Wanderers' scare to demolish the League One outfit 6-1.

In the seven-goal thriller, it was the Chairboys who took the initiative in the 22nd minute as Brandon Hanlan tapped into an empty net after Ryan Tafazolli picked up a wayward shot on the corner of the six-yard box and sent a low pass that cut out Zack Steffen.

That lead lasted for just seven minutes as Kevin De Bruyne put Phil Foden’s sumptuous assist beyond goalkeeper David Stockdale.

Algeria international Riyad Mahrez got his first goal of the evening in the 43rd minute as he swept home from 10 yards a fine past from debutant Jason McCarthy.

Foden and Ferran Torres ensured that the Citizens led 4-1 in the 71st minute before Mahrez found the net the second time in the 83rd minute before a lovely dinked effort from Cole Palmer sent Gareth Ainsworth’s men home empty-handed.

Elsewhere, Ghana’s Salisu Mohammed and former France youth international of Senegalese descent Ibrahima Diallo were among the goal scorers as Sunderland beat Sheffield United on penalties after scores stood at 2-2.

Sadly, it was a sour experience for Alex Iwobi’s Everton whose team got dumped out of the competition by Queens Park Rangers.

The Nigerian was on parade from start to finish but could not prevent the Toffees from crashing out on penalties following a 2-2 draw at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

Cristiano Ronaldo's big-money move to Manchester United has helped him leapfrog Lionel Messi to become Forbes' highest-earning footballer this year.

Ronaldo is set to earn $125 million (£91.5m) before taxes during the 2021-22 season, with $70m (£51.25m) of that coming from his salary and bonuses for his return to Old Trafford.

Messi, meanwhile, sits just behind him at $110m (£80.5m) with his new Paris Saint-Germain team-mates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe rounding out the top four.

Forbes' top 10 highest earners in football

How does Ronaldo compare to other athletes?

With $55m (£40m) of his earnings coming from commercial deals, Ronaldo is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world when it comes to sponsorship earnings.

Only three other active athletes make more commercially than the Manchester United star: Roger Federer ($90m/£66m), LeBron James ($65m/£48m) and Tiger Woods ($60m/44m)

In total, the 10 highest-paid footballers are set to collect pretax earnings of around $585m (£428m) this season, up from last year’s total of around $570m (£471m).

Further reading

Adana Demirspor forward Mario Balotelli taunted Besiktas coach Sergen Yalcin on the pitch after scoring a goal on Tuesday.

Balotelli ran toward Yalcin after his goal and pointed at his head, referencing Yalcin's comments in the past that the Italian "has no brain."

Balotelli's 79th-minute strike helped his side secure a 3-3 comeback draw against Besiktas.

What happened?

Balotelli posted a video of the incident on Instagram, showing his strike from distance followed by his pointed celebration

What was said?

After the game, Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak said that both his own player and the Besiktas manager were in the wrong.

"I wish it didn't happen," Sancak said. "Both Sergen Yalcin's comments at first and then what Balotelli did were not right."

Yalcin himself also expressed his shock at Balotelli's gesture, saying it could be related to the striker's disappointment at not joining Besiktas.

"It is the first time that I've seen a player doing such a thing to a manager," he said. "I could not understand why he did that, maybe the reason is that he did not join Besiktas last year. That shows his personality."

Balotelli also posted on his Instagram story after the game, saying: "We have brain and especially we have balls and heart. Very big heart and we are proud of it."

What did Yalcin say to anger Balotelli?

While playing for Manchester City in a pre-season match against LA Galaxy in 2013, Balotelli infamously tried a backheel finish that went awry.

That attempt infuriated City manager Roberto Mancini, who immediately took Balotelli out of the game.

Working as a pundit at the time, Yalcin said of the forward: "He has no brain, if I were in Mancini's shoes I would fire him!"

Further reading

South Africa have won the maiden edition of the Aisha Buhari Cup after defeating Nigeria 4-2 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Tuesday evening.

Michelle Alozie’s own goal including efforts from Linda Motlhalo, Gabriela Salgado and Mamello Makhabane helped Banyana Banyana topple Randy Waldrum’s women.

Although Vivian Ikechukwu got a second-half double, it was not enough to stop Desiree Ellis' team.

Banyana – who defeated Ghana 3-0 in their first match – converted their first chance in the seventh minute of the highly entertaining encounter as Alozie put the ball past her goalkeeper in an attempt to clear Thembi Kgatlana’s cross.

Things got worse for the Nigerians in the 16th minute as Onome Ebi handled the ball in the box – prompting the referee to award a penalty to the visitors. Motlhalo took the ensuing kick and expertly fired past goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

A minute before the half-time break, the rampant Cosafa Women's Cup queens got their third goal through Salgado who tapped in a deflected pass inside the Nigerians’ backline.

Like a wounded animal, the Super Falcons got off to an impressive start in the second half with Ikechukwu pulling a goal back two minutes after the restart.

Seven minutes later, she completed her brace after combining well with Gift Monday to send the ball past goalkeeper Kaylin Swart.

Desire Oparanozie put up a terrible display as she squandered several scoring opportunities while losing possession to the South Africans.

Nigeria’s hopes of completing their comeback proved futile as Makhabane fired in the fourth goal with three minutes left on the clock.

"We've got more footage of Nigeria playing other matches and we have to look at all of that to analyse because it's different opposition,” coach Ellis told media before the game. “We have to make sure that we get the plan right. They got two late goals (against Mali), but we know what [Nigeria] are capable of.

“They are not just the number one team in Africa for nothing and have shown the pedigree for many years. We have to remain at the top of our game and concentrated too."

The Aisha Buhari Cup will prepare Nigeria for their 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana in October.

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother Dolores Aveiro has said that if the Manchester United star fails to sign with Sporting CP before retirement, his son Cristiano "Cristianinho" Ronaldo Jr will do so.

Aveiro is a huge Sporting fan who claims her wish before death is seeing a family member wear the green and white stripes once again.

She would be unfazed if it was Cristianinho, 11, was the person to fulfil her dream, as she thinks the boy is better than his father was at his current age.

What has been said?

"Ronaldo has to come back here [to Sporting], for me he'd be here," Aveiro said on the ADN de Leao podcast. "He likes to watch Sporting's games. I've already told him: 'Son, before I die I want to see you return to Sporting'.

"'Let's see...', he said, but if it isn't [him], it's Cristianinho! At his age, he plays better than Ronaldo. At the time, Ronaldo didn't have a coach, but today Ronaldo is his son's teacher."

Ronaldo's Sporting connection

It's been quite some time since Aveiro got to see her son play club football in Portugal, as Ronaldo left Sporting as a teenager following the 2002-03 campaign to kick off his first stint at Old Trafford.

She wanted a reunion this summer, but her son instead chose a homecoming of a different kind by rejoining Manchester United.

What about Cristianinho?

At 11 years old, Ronaldo's oldest son is not quite ready for the football spotlight. Soon, he will choose whether to continue following his father from club-to-club in the youth ranks or start his own path elsewhere, potentially with Sporting.

Aveiro has claimed Cristianinho envisions himself at the Portuguese club - but the kid himself has yet to make a commitment.

Further reading

AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan has called for "comprehensive action" to be taken after he was racially abused by Juventus fans ahead of Sunday night's match. 

Video on social media captured fans yelling racial slurs at Maignan during warm-ups ahead of the 1-1 draw at Allianz Stadium.

Maignan took to Twitter on Tuesday with a lengthy post decrying the lack of action against racism in football.

What was said?

“On Sunday evening at Allianz Stadium, Juventus supporters targeted me with racial slurs and cries," Maignan said. "What do you want me to say? That racism is wrong and that these supporters are stupid? It’s not about that. I am neither the first nor the last player to have this happen. As long as these events are treated as ‘isolated incidents’ and no comprehensive action is taken, history is bound to repeat itself over and over and over again.

“What are we doing to combat racism in football stadiums? Do you really believe it’s effective? I am in a club that strives to lead the way by opposing all forms of discrimination. But we need to be more numerous and to be united in this battle for society which goes beyond football.

“In the proceedings, do the people who decide know what it feels like to hear insults and cries relegating us to the rank of animals? Do they know what it does for our families, for our loved ones who see it and who do not understand that it could still happen in 2021?

“I am not a ‘victim’ of racism. I am Mike, standing, black and proud. As long as we can give our voice to change things, we will.”

Pattern of abuse

Maignan is not the first AC Milan player to suffer racial abuse this season, as the club filed an official complaint this month over abuse allegedly suffered by Tiemoue Bakayoko in a game at Lazio.

Bakayoko also said that fans racially abused his team-mate Franck Kessie.

Further reading