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Former Egypt and Al Ahly striker Mohamed Nagy Gedo has confirmed his retirement from football after he was released by Egyptian Premier League club El-Gouna in October 2020.

Gedo was most notable for his super-substitute role in Egypt’s victorious campaign at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

During the continental showpiece, the former Hull City striker came off the bench on six occasions and scored five goals which made him the tournament’s top scorer as the Pharaohs lifted their seventh Afcon title.

He sealed Egypt’s 3-1 win over Nigeria after coming on as a substitute in their opening game and he scored the match-winning goal that ensured a 1-0 triumph over Ghana in the final match after he was introduced as a 70th-minute substitute.

“I feel that this is the right time to retire. Thank God I had a wonderful career that was much bigger than I could have imagined,” Gedo tweeted.

“I am very grateful for every moment. I am fortunate to have achieved all my dreams, but this would not have happened without your encouragement. I am now ready for the new journey in my life. Thank you to all of you.”

Gedo started his career at Ala'ab Damanhour in 2002 before securing a move to Al-Ittihad in 2005 where he spent five years.

Following his remarkable performances at Afcon 2010, the 36-year-old was signed by Egyptian Premier League giants Al Ahly where he won two Caf Champions League titles, two league titles and two Caf Super Cups, amongst others.

During his stint in Cairo, Gedo was loaned to Hull City for his first European adventure and he helped the Tigers secure promotion to the Premier League in the 2012-13 campaign. The Damanhur-born star later made two appearances in the English top-flight.

He also had stints at El-Entag El-Harby, the Arab Contractors before finally playing for El Gouna between 2018 and October 2020.

Goal remembers the big moments, personalities and games from this week in LaLiga history, including Lionel Messi breaking yet new ground, and a rare feat for Zinedine Zidane.
 

11 January 2016: Messi moves to five Ballon d’Ors

There was tension at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on 11 January 2016 as the Ballon D’Or ceremony progressed. Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo had won the trophy in the two previous years, but Lionel Messi had led Barcelona to five trophies including LaLiga and Champions League during 2015.

In the end the decision was clear, Messi won 41 percent of the votes cast, Ronaldo was second with 28 percent, and another Barca attacker Neymar third with eight percent.

The mood among the trio was friendly, with Ronaldo saying at a shared news conference that “Messi’s left foot is pretty good, better than mine.”

“I’d take both of his feet,” said Neymar, to smiles all around.

“Cristiano has many great qualities, which every player would like to have,” said a gracious Messi, then 28 and at the peak of his powers, as he won a fifth Ballon D’Or. (He now has six, after winning again in 2019, when he won his 10th LaLiga title). 

13 January 2019: Messi scores his 400th goal in LaLiga

2019 also saw Messi set even more personal records - with his 400th LaLiga goal arriving on 13 January, when a swish of his left boot sent the ball flying past Eibar goalkeeper Asier Riesgo during a 3-0 victory over the Basque side at the Camp Nou.

Luis Suarez got Barca’s other two goals that night, but as often around FC Barcelona, it was all about the team’s talismanic number 10.

Blaugrana statisticians calculated that 327 of Messi’s first LaLiga 400 goals were scored with his favoured left foot, 58 finished with his right, 14 with his head and one had gone in off his hand.

It took the Argentine, then 31 years old, just 435 LaLiga games to reach the mark.

At the end of 2020, he is up to 451 LaLiga goals in 499 games, and still hungry for many more. 13

January 2018: Villarreal’s first LaLiga win at the Bernabeu 

History was also made at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on 13 January 2018, although the majority of those present did not celebrate too much!

Real Madrid dominated possession and managed 28 shots at goal over the 90 minute, but a number of excellent saves from Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo kept it scoreless.

Cristiano Ronaldo had 11 efforts at goal without success, including one shot from just three yards which the Portuguese poked uncharacteristically wide.

As the game moved towards added time, Madrid threw more players forward, but were caught on the break as a splendid Villarreal counter-attack was finished sweetly by Pablo Fornals.

Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane could not believe what he was seeing, as his reigning LaLiga title holders fell 16 points behind leaders and 2018-19 champions elect Barcelona.  

15 January 2006: A collector’s item for Zidane against Sevilla

Zidane had a happier day at the Bernabeu on 15 January 2006, when Sevilla arrived for a top of the table LaLiga clash. The Frenchman set up teammate Guti for Madrid’s opening goal, only for Sevilla’s Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano to smash in an equaliser after half-time.

Zidane restored Madrid’s lead from the penalty spot, before Guti repaid his earlier assist with a sensational back-heel which freed the Frenchman inside the area to make it 3-1 by firing confidently to the top corner.

Sevilla kept battling, and the Andalusians’ defender Aitor Ocio pulled one back at a set-piece. Zidane would not be denied though, and slammed in a left-footed shot from the edge of the area to complete the scoring, and complete the only LaLiga hat-trick of the Galactico’s career.

After a five-year absence from the Premier Soccer League (PSL), Swallows FC have come back with a bang.

Placed second on the standings, they are unbeaten in 10 league matches with two points fewer than leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

So far they have prevailed over fellow traditional giants Kaizer Chiefs following a 1-0 victory before Kamohelo Mahlatsi’s injury-time goal helped them frustrate Orlando Pirates in Sunday's 1-1 draw.

Hitting back at Pirates deep into injury time when the Buccaneers thought they had secured three points was a show of character by Swallows.

This is part of their convincing displays that have left them already being mentioned as title contenders.

But everything appears to be down to the mass signings they made for this season, dominated by PSL veteran players.

Going on a shopping spree, acquiring the services of the likes of Thabo Matlaba, Ruzaigh Gamildien, Musa Nyatama, Sifiso Hlanti and Keegan Ritchie, all aged 30 and above, coach Brandon Truter appeared to be making a grave mistake as some of the players were unfairly deemed 'rejects' of other PSL clubs.

Talk of Swallows being a retirement village started emerging.

However, attacking midfielder Gamildien, at 33 and signed from Chippa United, has scored seven goals in 10 league matches in what is arguably his best season ever since making his PSL debut with Bloemfontein Celtic in September 2011.

Matlaba’s experience is proving crucial for the Dube Birds while Hlanti, Nyatama and Ritchie have not disappointed in the few games they have featured.

Truter appeared unmoved by critics’ sentiments that he was building a team around spent forces since his old legs had already done well for him in their bid for promotion into the PSL.

Central to their GladAfrica Championship campaign was 36-year-old Vuyo Mere and captain Lebohang Mokoena who is two years younger.

The duo is still key to Swallows’ current run after another demonstration of steely nerves in the second-tier where they helped the team avoid the promotion/relegation play-offs by overtaking favourites Cape Town Spurs (known then as Ajax Cape Town) for an automatic top-flight league ticket.

That show of character led by their old pairs of legs is still manifesting itself this term.

“This run started in February 2020, it’s almost two calendar years that we are on. We carried on from where we left off in the GladAfrica Championship,” said Truter as per Phakaaathi.

“Not to blow my own trumpet, but the technical team we assembled, the guys we brought in – that made the transition from the GladAfrica to the PSL a bit better. I think we were one of the stronger tactically organised teams in the GladAfrica.

“I remember signing a few of these [experienced] players at the beginning of the season and I can remember the headlines that were from the media saying Swallows is a retirement home. So, it pays to fit into the structure and we also built a culture at Swallows. It’s very difficult for a coach to build a culture of a club. The culture is one for all and all for one, that’s what we live by.”

While Swallows’ late comeback against Pirates was proof that they are not pushovers, Truter was still not too pleased by his side’s showing, giving an impression that he is a very demanding coach.

“That’s why I’m not too happy about what transpired in the second half in the pitch. Because we were a bit disjointed and we weren’t together. So, that’s our culture. We have certain rules at the team, but not that I’m asking you to press or put your body on the line,” said Truter.

When the Dube Birds travel to on-fire Sundowns on January 23, it would be a chance for them to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that they are not a retirement home.

ATK Mohun Bagan suffered their second defeat of the season as they went down 0-1 against table-toppers Mumbai City in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash on Monday.

The Mariners were the second best side for the majority of the game as the Islanders dominated from the off and in the end, Bartholomew Ogbeche's strike made the difference in the game.

ATK Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Lopez Habas, though, felt that the teams were evently matched and he claimed that his team did not allow the Islanders to create many chances.

"I didn't see much of a difference between Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan today. They got two chances and we got two chances. I am very angry with the team's performance in the first 45 minutes. The team did not find the pace to play but in the second half we improved and maybe we could have scored an equaliser. 

"The idea was to press high from the first minute but they didn't understand and did not press high. The team didn't play well but I don't remember more than one chance of Mumbai in the first half," said Habas after the game.

The Spanish coach suggested that the team needs to keep on improving and his target is to do well against FC Goa in their next match.

"It is about improving. Today we conceded the first goal from open play. In the rest of the matches, we conceded from setpieces. I have to make the players recover immediately and have to think about the next match which is against FC Goa."

The two-time ISL-winning coach did not like Mumbai City's decision of continuing the match and then scoring from that move after Edu Garcia had gone down due to an injury and he called it unfair.

"When the move happened we were a man down. Edu was down on the ground and they should have kicked the ball out but they continued and scored when we had one player less. It was not fair play and it wasn't good for us," said the Mariners' boss.

A candidate for the presidency of the French Football Federation (FFF) says he would demand the recall of Karim Benzema to the national team, despite the Real Madrid striker facing trial over a blackmail case involving a former France team-mate.

Michel Moulin is among the candidates running against incumbent Noel Le Graet, and he has promised that he would work to restore the outcast Benzema to the France team.

The 33-year-old has not figured for Les Bleus since November 2015, when the last of his 81 caps was earned.

Benzema is to face trial over his alleged involvement in the attempted blackmail of Mathieu Valbuena relating to a sex tape said to feature the Olympiakos star. The former Lyon forward is accused of trying to extort money from his fellow France international ahead of a friendly against Armenia five years ago.

Benzema, who denies any wrongdoing, has been overlooked for international duty with France ever since the allegations were first made against him, during which time Les Bleus have become world champions after triumphing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

However, Moulin has now said he would demand that manager Didier Deschamps restore Benzema to his squad.

In an interview with Le Figaro, Moulin said: "On the management of Karim Benzema, who is a great striker, Didier Deschamps, he is an employee of the FFF. If above him, he is told to play Benzema, he must make him play."

Benzema has spoken out on the blackmail case on a regular basis in recent years, with the Frenchman accusing Valbuena of dragging his name "through the mud".

He told L’Equipe in May 2017: "He said he would not have lodged a complaint if he knew I was involved in the story. For more than a year and a half I'm his worst enemy, a bad guy, a thug, I have to be punished, dragged through the mud, my name and that of my family, in the dirt.

"[Saying] I am his enemy, I wanted to take money from him, he really has to stop inventing, it makes me mad to keep on lying. He just had to tell the truth about what really happened, and he would not have had all of this."

Benzema has remained a prolific source of goals for Real Madrid, with 261 strikes in 533 appearances. He ranked eighth in Goal 50 last November.

Juventus are pushing ahead with talks over the signing of Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo following an injury to Paulo Dybala.

Argentina international Dybala is facing three weeks on the sidelines after damaging a knee ligament in Juventus’ 3-1 win over Sassuolo on Sunday.

"This morning Paulo Dybala underwent diagnostic investigations at J | medical which revealed a low-grade lesion of the medial collateral ligament of the left knee with recovery times of approximately 15/20 days," Juventus said in a statement on their official website.

With Alvaro Morata also struggling with injuries, Juve coach Andrea Pirlo is concerned about being light in attack for the second half of the season.

Pirlo is keen to bring in some attacking pep, and he has set his sights on Scamacca.

The 22-year-old is currently on loan at Genoa, but they are prepared to step aside should a permanent offer come in - subject to a compensation package being agreed.

Juventus took the chance to speak to Sassuolo following the game between the two sides on Sunday.

“Scamacca? We’ll talk about that later. Let’s see what Juventus come to us with,” Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali told Sky Sport Italia.

Goal Italy can confirm that an “exploratory chat” took place between Juventus and Sassuolo.

The key piece in the jigsaw could be how Scamacca plays against Juventus in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday. It could be viewed as an audition for the attacker, who could seal a move to the Serie A champions with an imposing performance.

Juve’s schedule is packed in the second half of the season, and Pirlo would like a new face in place as soon as possible in order to take the goalscoring burden off the shoulders of Cristiano Ronaldo.

In the coming days there will be further talks, but Juventus are not the only interested party.

Gazzetta Dello Sport reports that Serie A leaders AC Milan have already held talks with the player’s representatives.

Carnevali comments appear to point to Juventus being in pole position to sign the forward, but any delay could complicate matters.

Following the meeting with Genoa in the Coppa Italia, Juventus travel to Inter to take on their fellow title rivals.

Real Betis want to sign Sokratis from Arsenal and the defender is keen to move to Spain, Goal can confirm.

The centre-back is surplus to requirements at Emirates Stadium and would like to move to the Liga side currently managed by former Real Madrid, Manchester City and West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini.

However, it is understood that Betis will need to sell players first as they are struggling under the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules enforced by La Liga and need to reduce their wage budget before they can make any major signings.

Betis are looking to get rid of Brazilian central defender Sidnei, either permanently or on loan, which would provide the funds to sign Sokratis. The 32-year-old has been offered to several clubs, including fellow Liga side Getafe.

They are also investigating possibly selling Portugal international midfielder William Carvalho to Benfica.

This would allow a move for Sokratis, who is seeking an exit from Arsenal after falling down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta. Goal understands he is interested in playing in Spain, while the Gunners are keen to get him off their wage bill to the extent that they would not demand a transfer fee.

The Greek international was not registered in Arteta's Premier League squad in the summer, leaving him stuck on the sidelines like fellow outcast Mesut Ozil. He earns £5 million a year in wages on a contract that expires this June but has been stuck playing reserve team football this campaign.

He is also keen on a return to either Bundesliga or Serie A, having previously played for Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen and Genoa, however Betis are the club who have shown the most concrete interest so far.

Sokratis made 69 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring six goals. His only major trophy for the Gunners came last summer as they lifted the FA Cup, the defender coming on in the 88th minute as a substitute at Wembley as they beat Chelsea 2-1.

He joined from Dortmund in the summer of 2018 for £14m ($17m), however Arsenal have long since accepted they will not recoup any of their financial outlay on the 90-cap international defender.

Asante Kotoko registered their biggest win of the season by a 2-0 triumph over Liberty Professionals in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) on Monday.

Kwame Opoku's first-half double sealed three points for the hosts in the matchday eight fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The result has catapulted the Porcupine Warriors to sixth on the league table, tied on points with archrivals Hearts of Oak who sit a spot above due to a better goal difference.

Liberty, meanwhile, occupy eleventh position.

The major talking point of Kotoko's team news was the presence of new Brazilian signing Fabio Gama Dos Santos for his first start for his new club.

Joining the former Brazil U17 and U21 attacker in coach Johnson Smith's starting line-up were Mubarik Yusif, Samuel Frimpong and Emmanuel Sarkodie, with Habib Mohammed and Emmanuel Gyamfi among the casualties.

Kotoko went all guns blazing from the start as Opoku set up Christopher Nettey for a first goalscoring opportunity in the second minute but the defender's final effort went wide.

In the 10th minute, the Porcupine Warriors broke the deadlock as Opoku latched on to a Gama ball inside the box, created space for himself before shooting into the net to make it 1-0.

Opoku and the Brazilian combined once again for their side's second goal in the 10th minute, the latter putting the former through on goal. Opoku then calmly slotted into the net to double the score. It was his fifth goal in six appearances so far this season, having also registered one assist.

Four minutes later, the striker almost made it a hat-trick of goals after connecting to Samuel Frimpong's shot into the penalty box but Liberty Professionals goalkeeper Kofi Baah was alert to keep the ball out of the net this time around.

At the other end in the 31st minute, Kotoko goalkeeper Razak Abalora was at hand to save a shot from inside the box to keep the score unchanged.

Back after recess, Liberty tested Abalora again in the 59th minute but the goalkeeper proved able to the task once again.

In the 72nd minute, Gama almost registered a goal of his own but goalkeeper Baah pulled off a save to deny the Brazilian who played a neat exchange with Opoku.

That was to be the last big chance of the game as the referee whistled to bring an end to the game after three minutes of injury time. 

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Promise Mkhuma has expressed his huge admiration for Brighton & Hove Albion attacking linkman Percy Tau’s “hard work,” saying it was not easy for the South Africa international to be loaned out thrice.

Tau was recalled by Brighton from a loan stint at Belgian giants Anderlecht last week and immediately made his debut in Sunday’s FA Cup third round penalty shoot-out win at Newport County.

The South Africa international featured in the last 19 minutes of the match after coming on as a substitute for Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

After signing for Brighton in July 2018, Tau was also sent out on loan at Union Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge due to complications in securing a British visa.

But Mkhuma who rose through Downs’ development ranks, just like Tau, is drawing inspiration from the latter player.

“I would like to congratulate him for his hard work and being patient throughout the journey. It was not an easy journey for him to be loaned out more than once,” Mkhuma told the Sundowns official website.

“He never stopped putting an effort wherever he was loaned out to. I am really happy to see him back at Brighton because it’s everyone’s dream to be where he is now but it all comes with hard work and staying positive.

“It is inspiring mostly to us the younger ones that no matter what the circumstances, just stay positive and put in the hard work. It’s a lesson that nothing in life comes easy and lastly, I would like to wish him well and I believe he is going to do well. Hard work pays off.”

Tau's time in Belgium was not the first occasion he was loaned out to other clubs as he was once sent by Sundowns to spend a season at Witbank Spurs in the then National First Division.

After making his Seagulls debut on Sunday, the South Africa star could make his Premier League maiden appearance away at Manchester City on Wednesday.

This is after Brighton manager Graham Potter gave rave reviews of Tau after the Newport County match.

“Yes, he did well. Obviously we will get to know him better and he will get to know us better. He contributed well. Pleased with his performance and contribution,” Potter was quoted as saying by Sussex Live.

Robert Lewandowski has spoken in glowing terms about his relationship with Jurgen Klopp, saying the now Liverpool boss was the “bad teacher” who propelled him on the path to greatness.

After finding life tough in his teenage years, Lewandowski began to score regularly for Znicz Pruszkow and Lech Poznan, which earned him a move to Borussia Dortmund in 2010.

Lewandowski’s start to life in the Bundesliga was not smooth sailing, as he was played in an unfamiliar No.10 position and found life tough in training under Klopp.

Things came to a head following a Champions League defeat to Marseille in September of 2011. 

Lewandowski confronted Klopp and asked his manager what he wanted from him. Despite his German being patchy at that stage, the Poland international picked up on what was required of him and things blossomed to the extent that he won a second Bundesliga title before securing a move to Bayern Munich.

Revealing how his relationship with Klopp developed to the Players' Tribune, Lewandowski said: “Jurgen was not only a father figure to me. As a coach, he was like the “bad” teacher. And I mean that in the best sense of the word. 

“Let me explain. Think back to you when you were in school. Which teacher do you remember the most? Not the one who made life easy for you and never expected anything from you. No, no, no. You remember the bad teacher, the one who was strict with you. The one who put pressure on you and did everything to get the best out of you. That’s the teacher who made you better, right? And Jurgen was like that.

“He was not content to let you be a B student, you know? Jurgen wanted A+ students. He didn’t want it for him. He wanted it for you. 

“He taught me so much. When I arrived at Dortmund, I wanted to do everything quickly: strong pass, one touch only. Jurgen showed me to calm down - to take two touches if necessary. 

“It was totally against my nature, but soon I was scoring more goals. 

“When I had that down, he challenged me to speed it up again. One touch. BANG. Goal. He slowed me down to speed me up. It sounds simple, but it was genius, really.”

Lewandowski has continued to dominate the goalscoring charts since moving to Bayern, and was named the Best FIFA Men's Player for 2020.

Tendayi Darikwa has disclosed he is eager to get off to a fine start after joining Wigan Athletic until the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

After a long term injury – with his last competitive game coming for Nottingham Forest 18 months ago, the Zimbabwe international teamed up with the Latics where he would be hoping to put his career back on track.

Although he has not featured at club level this term, Darikwa played for the Warriors during November’s Africa Cup of Nations qualification fixtures against Algeria.

With over 200 English Championship matches to his credit, the right-back reveals he is ready to make an impression at the League One outfit.

“I’m delighted, it’s happened quite quickly,” Darikwa told Latics TV. “I’m a Wigan Athletic player and I’m delighted to be here and I can’t wait to get started.

“I’ve not played too much football in the last 18 months after a bad injury. But I’m fit again and I can’t wait to get on the pitch and start playing competitive games again.

“I hope to help the team as quickly as possible. I’ve looked at the league table, of course we are in a tough position at the moment in the league.

“I think we have enough quality to get out of it. I want to come in and help the lads and hopefully move up the league.

“I’m fit and have been training with the first team at Forest since I came back from my injury and I haven’t missed a session. I’ve played a few international games as well [for Zimbabwe] and I came through them very well.

“It’s important now to play some competitive games at first-team level, help the lads and hopefully get some wins as quickly as possible.”

Having accrued 19 points from 20 league outings so far, Wigan Athletic occupy the 23rd position in the log and are in danger of getting demoted to League Two.

Darikwa who has been handed the number 2 shirt and becomes the fourth African in Leam Richardson’s squad after Nigeria’s duo of Viv Solomon-Otabor and Emeka Obi plus DR Congo's Divin Baningime. He could make his debut when Wigan face Rochdale on Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino has been boosted by the news that Neymar is back in training at Paris Saint-Germain, with the Brazilian forward stepping up his recovery from an ankle injury.

The 28-year-old has been out of action since facing Lyon on December 13. A full-blooded challenge from Thiago Mendes forced the South American superstar onto the sidelines, and he has not been seen since.

Much has changed at Parc des Princes since Neymar last took to the field, with Thomas Tuchel having been relieved of his managerial duties in the French capital.

Former Tottenham coach Pochettino has been appointed in his place, with the Argentine having plenty of early problems to contend with.

Neymar has formed part of that, while Presnel Kimpembe and Leandro Paredes have also been nursing knocks, along with Mauro Icardi, Danilo Pereira, Juan Bernat, Layvin Kurzawa and Alessandro Florenzi.

Rafinha, meanwhile, has been ruled out after contracting Covid-19, meaning that Pochettino has had to get creative with his team selections.

PSG’s list of absentees is, however, starting to ease. Kimpembe and Paredes have joined Neymar in making a return to the training field, while Kurzawa, Florenzi and Icardi were all included in the matchday squad for a 3-0 win over Brest.

That victory was Pochettino’s first in the most demanding of posts, with the plan being to kick on from this point.

Neymar’s return will be expected to aid that cause, with the Brazil international proving to be a prolific presence during his time in France.

PSG would have liked to see him involved in the clash with arch-rivals Marseille on Wednesday, but that contest may come too soon.

Just two training sessions will be taken in before facing what promises to be another keenly-contested derby date.

No risks will be taken with Neymar, given his value to the cause, and his return to competitive action may have to be nudged back slightly. The same is true for Kimpembe and Paredes, who cannot be expected to step straight back in for such an important fixture.

Pochettino is, however, getting close to full strength, as he seeks to deliver on expectations back in France, and Neymar may come into contention for the Ligue 1 meeting with Angers on Saturday.

The 2021 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season is almost upon us, with the excitement to only build when the NWSL Draft takes place on Wednesday.

Previously known as the NWSL College Draft, the event will see the most talented players in the U.S. college system brought into what is arguably the best league in the world of women's soccer.

The draft will include expansion team Racing Louisville for the first time as they look to bolster their roster following the headline-grabbing Expansion Draft back in November.

A currently unnamed Kansas City NWSL team will also feature, with the city returning to the league for the first time since 2017, when FC Kansas City ceased operations and all its player-related assets were absorbed by the Utah Royals. The Royals ceased operations in 2020, with all player-related assets transferred to a Kansas City-based ownership group.

Last year, Stanford's Sophia Smith was chosen by the Portland Thorns as the No.1 pick, after scoring 17 goals and providing nine assists as a sophomore in 2019. She also helped Stanford win the NCAA title for the second time in three years before becoming the first teenager to ever be selected in the draft.

This year, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced huge changes to the event. The most significant of those is a change to the player eligibility rules.

Previously, players would have to declare for the draft in order to be picked. However, after the impact of coronavirus hit college sports hard in 2020, the NWSL have now announced that all senior college athletes will be eligible without the need to register.

In the past, declaring for the draft would make players ineligible for college sports. But with the college women's soccer season pushed back from the end of 2020 to spring 2021, aspiring NWSL players will have the opportunity to play their final senior season of college soccer and then turn their attentions towards becoming professional.

There has been some controversy surrounding the change, with any player selected in the draft to have their rights kept by that club until the start of the 2022 NWSL pre-season begins, whether they want to play in the league or not.

Nonetheless, the positive is that players will not have to choose between playing their final college season and registering for the draft, a dilemma which would likely have deterred some.

Who will be this year's top pick, then? Catarino Macario is almost everyone's undisputed prediction. The Brazilian-born forward acquired American citizenship last year and is set to become the first naturalized citizen to play for the USWNT, once she is cleared to represent the senior team. She has already been called up Vlatko Andonovski.

Macario announced last week that she will forego her final year with Stanford and turn professional, but reports say there is also interest in her from Europe, so it may be that the next chapter of her career is not in the NWSL.

Should the 21-year-old choose to move across the Atlantic, USWNT international Emily Fox could be chosen as the No.1 pick by Louisville. The defender already has three caps at senior level, making her debut back in November 2018 when she was just 20 years old.

Fox has spent the last four years as part of the North Carolina Tar Heels, who reached the College Cup final in 2018 and 2019.

The 2021 NWSL Draft will be streamed live on the NWSL's official Twitch channel. The event will begin at 4pm PT/7pm ET on Wednesday January 13.

Azam FC CEO Abdulkarim ‘Popat’ Amin has stated they are not afraid of Yanga SC as the two sides are set to clash in the Mapinduzi Cup’s first semi-final on Monday.

The former Mainland Premier League champions will meet at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar as the competition enters the knockout stage.

Popat believes the Ice Cream Makers are in the right frame of mind to tackle and see off Timu ya Wananchi.

“We are playing against Yanga and they are not a team to be afraid of,” Amin told Mwanaspoti ahead of the match that will be played at 16:00 EAT.

“As I have pointed elsewhere, every team that has participated in the tournament has had to face an opponent.

“The most important thing is that we qualified for the semi-final but we need to fight and see that we progress to the final.”

The official pointed out preparations as one of the difficulties they have encountered. The participating teams had to fly to the Island just after the Premier League entered its mid-season break.

“The most difficult challenge has been preparations but I am confident we will do great and earn a slot in the final,” he added.

Amin also defended Mpiana Monzinzi, who has scored just once in the competition. The official believes it would be too early to pass a judgement on their new striker.

“I think we cannot judge him based on the two games he has played alone although he scored in the first game, let us give him like five matches and see whether he will score,” he explained.

“But his transition always happens for almost every player. He is a good player I have no doubt about that.”

Azam and Yanga will be meeting for the first time since November 25 where they met in a league tie and Azam lost 1-0. The loss ended Aristica Cioaba’s reign and George Lwandamina – a former Yanga coach - was appointed in his place.

The technical changes would give the Ice Cream Makers a sense of confidence against Timu ya Wananchi, who are leading and have not lost a game after playing 18 in the league.

Record-breaking Japanese star Kazuyoshi Miura has signed a new contract with J1 League side Yokohama, at the age of 53.

'King Kazu', the oldest goalscorer in Japanese professional football, has committed to his 17th season with the club and the 36th overall in his storied career.

Miura turns 54 on February 26, the day before the J1 League campaign is due to get underway.

Last September, he became the oldest player in the top-flight's history against Kawasaki Frontale at the age of 53 years and 210 days – he went on to make three more appearances that season.

Miura started that fixture, wearing the captain's armband and playing 53 minutes before being substituted during the 3-2 victory.

"When I stepped onto the pitch, I felt a deep desire to fulfill my duty and harness everyone's feelings in that armband," Miura said after the match.

In a statement released via the club, Miura said his "hopes and passion for football are only increasing" despite making only seven league appearances in the past two years.

“Last season, I was feeling the joy of playing football at a time when the world was facing a tough situation because of the new coronavirus,” he said.

Miura's last goal came in March 2017, when he scored in a 1-0 win over ThespaKusatsu Gunma in Japan's second tier at the age of 50 years and 14 days. It made him the oldest player to score in a professional league match in Japan.

Having started his career with Santos in 1986, Miura became the face of the J-League after its launch in 1993, having been the first Japanese winner of the Asian Footballer of the Year award in 1992. He led Verdy Kawasaki to the title in 1993 and 1994.

Miura, who scored 55 goals in 89 international appearances for Japan and won the Asian Cup in 1992, also had spells with Genoa, Dinamo Zagreb and Sydney FC.

He is one of only three men to score more than 50 goals for Japan, along with Kunishige Kamamoto and Shinji Okazaki.

Yokohama finished last season 15th in the 18-team J1 League, with 33 points from 34 fixtures.

Axel Tuanzebe is looking for Manchester United to hit top spot in the Premier League this week, allowing them to “bounce on” in their 2020-21 title bid.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have overcome a slow start to the current campaign to position themselves among the frontrunners early in the new year.

A return to form has seen the Red Devils pull level with defending champions Liverpool at the summit, and a crunch clash between two old adversaries is due to be staged at Anfield on Sunday.

United could be perched at the top of the division by then , with Solskjaer’s side due to play their game in hand away at Burnley on Tuesday.

Two positive results against North West neighbours will allow the Red Devils to start dreaming of a first English top-flight crown in eight years, with Tuanzebe eager to turn potential into something more tangible.

He told MUTV heading into a potentially pivotal run of fixtures: “We want to be top of the league, you know, and this is the time to do it. [They are] two games that can really cement our position at the top and we just bounce on from there.”

Tuanzebe has made 10 appearances for United across all competitions this season and, having figured again in the FA Cup third-round victory over Watford , wants to start cementing a place in Solskjaer’s plans.

He added: “I would obviously love to get more minutes, so I can constantly keep my performances up. Obviously the team are doing well so the only way in is really to force myself in with the chances that I do get.

“Sometimes it [the opportunity] can just come out of the blue, but the main thing is that we kept a clean sheet and we won the game.

“Respect to Watford. We said it before the game: they're a very tough-spirited side. Even though they made changes to the team, we know their ethos, their culture. So we knew that we had to perform to get the victory.”

Solskjaer is expected to rotate as United compete on multiple fronts, with a hectic schedule playing into the hands of Tuanzebe and those on the fringes.

The 23-year-old defender added: “For one it prevents injuries, it gives everyone opportunities to perform, spots [become] open, nobody can be lacking and it keeps competition high. So that's the positive thing about it.” 

Tottenham will play Fulham in midweek instead of Aston Villa, with their original clash against Dean Smith's side postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak.

Spurs confirmed the news in an official statement on their website, which reads: "We can confirm that our fixture against Aston Villa, due to take place on Wednesday 13 January, has been postponed.

"Our previously postponed home fixture against Fulham, originally scheduled for 30 December 2020, will now take place on the same evening (Wednesday 13 January), kick-off 8.15pm on Amazon Prime Video.

"The Premier League informed us of the decision following a request by Aston Villa on the grounds of the number of their players and staff who have either tested positive for Covid-19 or have been placed in isolation.

"Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur sends their best wishes to Aston Villa for a safe and speedy recovery to all those who are affected.

"Details of a new date for our match at Villa Park will be confirmed in due course."

Villa were hit with a significant outbreak of coronavirus among squad and staff members last week, leaving Smith with only youth-team players to call upon in a third-round FA Cup tie against Liverpool on Friday - which they ended up losing 4-1.

The number of cases at the club remains too high for their latest Premier League outing to go ahead, meaning Tottenham are having to deal with their second fixture postponement in the space of two weeks.

Fulham, meanwhile, have also seen a meeting with Chelsea that was originally scheduled for Friday pushed back by a day so that they have more time to prepare after their encounter with Spurs.

Jose Mourinho's men will be expected to pick up three points against the Cottagers on home turf after opening their latest FA Cup campaign with a 5-0 thrashing of eight tier outfit Marine at the weekend.

Fulham progressed to the fourth round by beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0 at Loftus Road, but they are still languishing down in 18th in the Premier League, while Tottenham are only four points adrift of first-placed Liverpool having played a game less.