Looking for Soccer News?

Wakiso Giants head coach Douglas Bamweyana is hopeful of a good Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season owing to the preparation they have had.

The Purple Sharks open their campaign on Friday with a tricky fixture against Police FC. The tactician has also expressed his feelings ahead of the restart of domestic football in the country since March.

"[Friday’s] game comes with mixed feelings; it is exciting, to begin with. Obviously, after a long time away from the action we are looking forward to getting onto the pitch and doing what we love," Bamweyana said ahead of the game.

"As far as our preparations are concerned, we are very happy with how the preparations have gone. On a personal note, I am happy with our preparations, and I am happy with the squad.

"We cannot wait to go out onto the pitch and do what we love, so we are looking forward to achieving what we feel is a challenge to the status quo.

"I stand from a privileged position because I feel we have the quality to compete with anybody in this league and therefore I don’t think we need years to get the team ready."

The tactician pointed out his charges have prepared well for the new season despite the challenges coming with Covid-19. He has also explained what he is expecting against the Cops.

"We are fortunate to have prepared well for this season. We know that as a group we might have blips throughout the season here and there but we know the league is a marathon," Bamweyana continued.

"So, we are confident our preparations and the quality in the side gives us a chance and puts us on the right track.  

"It is true that as a club we did not do so well against Police last season, but I believe last season was the last season. We are banking on how well we have prepared for this season and we are confident.

"On a personal level, I don’t think I have such a bad record against Police, there have been a couple of draws but it is not about individuals, it’s about the group rather than the individuals."  

Gennaro Gattuso has agreed a new contract with Serie A side Napoli, according to director Cristiano Giuntoli.

Gattuso, 42, is currently contracted to Napoli until the end of the season after replacing Carlo Ancelotti in December last year.

Since taking charge, former Milan boss Gattuso has guided Napoli to Coppa Italia glory in 2019-20 – the club's first piece of silverware since 2014.

Giuntoli was asked about Gattuso's future prior to Thursday's 1-1 Europa League draw at AZ.

"I know the lawyers are exchanging the contracts," Giuntoli told Sky Sport Italia. "We have reached an agreement and the paperwork was written up this week. I don't think there will be any problems.

"Gattuso is a little more agitated on a daily basis than Carlo Ancelotti was, but that's just their personalities. They are both great professionals."

Interviewed after the stalemate in Alkmaar, Gattuso preferred to speak about his team rather than his own personal business, stating: “Contracts are not my priority, it’s about daily work. We’ll see, but I am happy to work with a contract that’s four or five months long, I don’t mind.”

On the match itself, the Italian added: “We could’ve killed the game off, we didn’t, and in the end I think we were lucky to get a point.

“We allowed them too much of the ball as time wore on, we made mistakes. If you analyse it, both teams had chances, we could easily have lost too.

“It wasn’t a great performance. There were four or five situations we could’ve read better. In recent times, we’ve had a lot of support off the bench, but that didn’t really happen today.

“Now we have to see it out with Real Sociedad. It’s a pity, because we could’ve finished it all off today and we were in the position to achieve that, but we ended up almost losing.

“There are some positives, but I focus on the negative first. We didn’t control the game during the 90 minutes, whether we had the ball or not. There are positives, we created the chances against a very talented team with a lot of pace.

“We lost our way in the second half and the substitutes didn’t contribute very much. I know that I’m a pain for my players and keep hammering them constantly. I tried to do this work differently, I can’t, so they just have to get used to it.”

Napoli are fifth in Serie A this season, six points adrift of unbeaten leaders AC Milan after nine games.

Gattuso's outfit make the trip to bottom side Crotone on Sunday.

Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Thomas Muller was voted as the best player in the world in his position, beating out strong opponents and becoming the next player to cement his position in the Goal's Top eleven powered by FIFA 21 as we attempt to identify who you think are the best footballers around the world.

Muller led the table with 42% of the votes (20500) beating out the rest of the competition. Bruno Fernandes was second with 23% of the votes (11000) followed by Ziyech (17%), De Bruyne (16%) and Dybala (2%)

Stay tuned to this space as we ask for your help to identify the best players in their respective positions globally.

Anthony Martial needs to “up his game” at Manchester United, says Dimitar Berbatov, with the France international urged to use Edinson Cavani as a role model when it comes to being a fearsome number nine.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been tinkering with his options when it comes to a central striking berth.

After parting with Romelu Lukaku in the summer of 2019, Martial and Marcus Rashford have been given opportunities to prove that they can lead the line.

Both have delivered personal best returns when it comes to goals, but questions continue to be asked of whether either is a long-term solution for United down the middle.

Experienced Uruguayan Cavani has been acquired to help aid that cause, with the 33-year-old proving that he has lost none of his touch through productive early outings in England.

Berbatov believes the former Paris Saint-Germain star could be the perfect teacher for Martial, with it clear that the 24-year-old Frenchman needs to improve his game in order to become a reliable option for the Red Devils.

The ex-United frontman told Betfair: “I was thinking about him [Martial] and there were fans messaging me on social media about him asking what is going on with him and why he isn't producing and scoring goals. He needs to up his game, not only him but the whole team too. In the really important games he need to shine even more.

“I've been surprised with how well Edinson Cavani has performed, the guy is 33 years old and he's running around the pitch like he's a 25-year-old, fighting for the ball, making spaces, the passion he had is still there and that is something that Martial needs to look at and improve on. He needs to bully defenders and get dirty from time to time.

“He has the other attributes like technique, speed and stamina and other things like that, but in some games, like the one against PSG, you need to be a bit nasty and when you have an opportunity to score, you need to score.

“I hope it's just a blip for him because I like him as a player and as a human, I hope he can continue and get better with his development. I can tell that Solskjaer likes him a lot as well with the amount of game time he is getting. Hopefully, after the games, win or lose he looks for advice from Ole, and with Cavani there he can see how he is moving around and they've both been in the French league so they will know each other.

“The examples are around him, he only needs to look around him and ask, it's as simple as that. On the training pitch he just needs to stay and work on things that may be missing from his game.”

Martial has just two goals to his name this season, and none through his last six appearances for club and country, and will be looking to find a spark as United head towards the hectic festive period.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has officially disbursed the first grant to Premier League clubs.

Goal can exclusively reveal the money was wired to the clubs' accounts on Friday but ‘rebel’ clubs Zoo FC, Mathare United, and Ulinzi Stars have been left out, after their decision not to sign the endorsement deal between the FKF and broadcast partners StarTimes.

Some of the clubs, who have already received the grant from both BetKing and StarTimes, say it will go a long way to boost their preparation for this weekend and upcoming league matches.

“We have received Sh2million and it is a boost for us,” Nzoia Sugar chairman Evans Kadenge told Goal on Friday.

The three ‘rebel’ clubs had been given the chance to peruse through the StarTimes deal and confirm if they will sign the same, but it seems they did not agree with it.

A source, privy to the money issue, has now told Goal the three clubs have been left out of the first grant.

“Both Zoo, Mathare United and Ulinzi Stars will not receive the Sh2million from BetKing and StarTimes,” the source told Goal. “All the other clubs have been sent the grant, those in KCB have already received the amount and the rest will have money hit their bank accounts before the end of business on Friday.”

Gor Mahia, who were also among the ‘rebel’ clubs, have been sent the first grant as the FKF have used the letter of endorsement signed by club secretary-general Sam Ochola.

In a recent interview, FKF president Nick Mwendwa said they will move on with their activities with or without the ‘rebel’ clubs.

“We don’t have time to waste, we have given them time to sign the deal and we are waiting for their response,” Mwendwa told Goal. “It is upon them to see if they sign or not, but as FKF we are not waiting for anyone, we already have a bus of 15 teams and will proceed with what we have.”

The 2020-21 season kicked off last weekend with eight matches played across the country and three of them televised live by StarTimes.

AFC Leopards opened the season with a 2-1 win against Tusker.

Former AFC Leopards star Boniface Ambani has called out the club’s chairman Dan Shikanda over claims ex-coach Tomas Trucha's life was threatened.

Trucha resigned on Wednesday after Shikanda claimed threats were directed to him and his agent by some Ingwe members, but Ambani has now claimed the chair erred in parading fake agents and picking threats as the only reason why the Czech left.

“What is his [Shikanda] problem now?” Ambani asked in a Facebook post.

“So what did I do? When a sick man wants to die he will even claim a chicken has eaten his food. I have no business with you Shikanda but do what you were asked to do.

“Kindly keep your hands off my name and get the name Ambani out of your mouth. And for your information, I have all along been quiet and I only point issues affecting football and I won’t stop.

“Let it sink into your head.

“I fear no one! the threats you direct at me please take it somewhere else. Always talking of Ambani and group, do you even know how busy I am at the moment in the western region?”

The former youth coach stated if the threats towards the coach were real, it should have been reported to the state security agents.

“When somebody threatens you, the simplest thing to do is to go to the police and report and look for that person who threatened you,” he concluded.

“I only told you, stop parading fake agents at the club. As simple as that.”

As AFC Leopards accepted Trucha’s resignation, they stated the events were disturbing.

“This has been occasioned by the coach feeling that his safety is not guaranteed since his manager, Mr Prince Channis, has been threatened by people purporting to be Ingwe supporters,” the resignation acceptance statement read.

“This is disturbing and unacceptable for anyone who claims to be a supporter of this esteemed club.”

Shikanda, without specifically mentioning names, said some members had resorted to acts that are aimed at destabilising the club owing to the good work going on.

“But now what they have decided is to stabilise the team and make sure that Trucha does not operate peacefully,” Shikanda said. “I do not know what they want. The coach is definitely not happy with what is happening.

“The same people were saying he does not have papers and that he is just a tourist. But when they saw his credentials they went silent.

“If I invite you to a place and people start threatening will you be comfortable in that place? There are a lot of threats on our coach and his agent and the people who are bringing all these threats are also agents.”

Trucha’s departure left the club at the hands of Anthony Kimani and Tom Juma as interim head coach and an assistant, respectively.

NorthEast United remain unbeaten after three games but Gerard Nus' side have looked toothless in attack. They have scored just one goal from open play and the rest have come from dead-ball situations. 

But the Spaniard feels that it is just a matter of time before they start scoring from open play as they have been focussing on this same in training. They next face East Bengal on Saturday at the Tilak Maidan, Goa.

"We are working to create chances from open play and set-pieces. We will not have only one plan. We are focussing on ourselves. We watched them (East Bengal) play and they did not have the results they wanted. But they are going to be difficult and a threat to us. It will be a tough game. We know how good they are with the ball. They are well organised during set-pieces. We are going to stop them and create chances against them. That's the plan. Not a single game is easy. It has just started. Everybody has the energy and it will be a tough challenge," stated the coach. 

East Bengal have a specialist set-piece coach in Terence McPhillips but Nus isn't concerned as he is confident that his side will also pose a threat.

"Terence and I have a history with Liverpool. But not at the same time. He was there as a player and I was there as a coach. It is great to have a set-piece coach. It is an important area of the game. But we prepare set-pieces for every game and this will be no different. We will do what we can do best." 

Nus does not want to set a long-term goal for the season and instead believes in taking one step at a time. He wants his players to give their all and get the best possible result.

"We want to compete. We have started in a good direction. We have to improve a lot. The goal for this season is to be competitive. We have to take one game at a time. We will do everything we can to win. We will analyse the opponents. We put a lot of passion to control the game. Everyone is putting in good energy. If someone is not willing, he is free to go. We have created a bubble inside a bubble. We are not here for holidaying in Goa.

"I think you have to get the best possible from your squad. We have many new faces. We have six foreign players and many Indians who are new. This is a short season. We have established a plan since day one. We have started to bring in tactical ideas. We have a clear idea of how to do things. We know how to defend and how to deal with various situations. If everybody sticks to the plan then the job becomes easier," he explained. 

Nus has faith on all the 28 players at his disposal and interestingly, said that he doesn't subscribe to the idea of having a best XI. 

"I don't have the best XI. I have 28 players and I want all of them to play. Sometimes some players don't train well or are not fully fit. It is not only about who starts but those who come in as well. They change the games as well. I don't believe in a best XI. I am sad that I can not give chances to everyone. Having just two friendly games also didn't help as I could not give chance to everybody. 

"Many experiences in football help you grow. It helps you adapt. If you learn from those you can prevent the negative ones. And you can do the positive ones more often. Being an assistant coach, you understand the way to approach. It helps you to do the job in the best way possible."

NorthEast United's centre-back pairing in Dylan Fox and Benjamin Lambot have gelled well at the heart of defence. But on Friday they will have their hands full as they will have to deal with a tricky Anthony Pilkington. However, Fox remains confident that his team can keep a check on the former Norwich City player. 

"He (Pilkington) has a lot of experience. We will not take him lightly. We are capable of keeping him quiet. I have good chemistry at the back with Lambot. We are taking game by game. We have been defending from the front. That is a good positive. I enjoy playing with him," said the defender. 

Former AFC Leopards forward Boniface Ambani has claimed he has been vindicated after head coach Tomas Trucha resigned.

Ambani claims the suspicion he had around the former Township Rollers coach arrival at the Den has been proved right after a short while. Trucha, who oversaw just one Football Kenya Federation Premier League game which Ingwe won 2-1 over Tusker, left his position with claims of threats on his life from unidentified club members.

“My gods always vindicate me,” Ambani said on a Facebook post.

“The coach was on a mission and there is a lot behind all his hasty move. As I always say, don't fight naked truth.”

Ambani used his criticism of the Nairobi Governor Mike ‘Sonko’ Mbuvi to state he has always been on a mission to find the truth over matters he believes in. He has also alleged Trucha’s signing was an underground deal but did not mention people he suspects to have been part of it.

“Sonko [Nairobi’s impeached governor] once mocked me but I was right and I can see that he has been beaten hands off at the City Hall,” he added.

“Here he [Trucha] has pocketed enough and left the club naked and these are known as underground deals. He had a wonderful holiday, sampled the country for a month or so and left

“Never fight the truth.”

Another former AFC Leopards star Francis Xavier replied to Ambani’s post by stating those in leadership must be ready to face the challenges that come with their positions and never rely on hearsay.

“Leadership is no cup of tea. You don't rely on rumours and hearsay to run an institution and attack people,” Xavier replied. “Shame will catch up with you and your personality will be put on a blade.”

In a separate post, Ambani said the club chairman Dan Shikanda must not attempt to link him with any threat directed towards the immediate former coach.

“Kindly keep your hands off my name and get the name Ambani out of your mouth. And for your information, I have all along been quiet and I only point issues affecting football and I won’t stop,” he posted.

“Let it sink into your head.

“I fear no one! the threats you direct at me please take it somewhere else. Always talking of Ambani and group, do you even know how busy I am at the moment in the western region?

 “When somebody threatens you, the simplest thing to do is to go to the police and report and look for that person who threatened you.

“I only told you, stop parading fake agents at the club. As simple as that.”

Trucha has already been appointed as Penang FC head coach in Malaysia and Anthony Kimani has taken over at the Den as an interim coach.

Georginio Wijnaldum has been warned against leaving Liverpool for more money at Barcelona or Real Madrid, with Philipp Degen urging the Dutch midfielder to avoid following Emre Can’s lead.

The Netherlands international is only tied to the reigning Premier League champions through to the summer of 2021. He will become a free agent if no fresh terms are agreed, with the option for him to enter into talks with interested parties from January.

La Liga giants Barca are said to be leading the chase for Wijnaldum’s signature if an exit is sought on Merseyside, with Ronald Koeman eager to be reunited with his fellow countryman at Camp Nou.

Degen can appreciate why such a move would appeal, especially with no transfer fee involved, but he believes walking away from one of “the top teams ever” could be a mistake.

Liverpool have seen seasoned stars making similar calls in the past, with versatile Germany international Can opting to link up with Juventus in 2018.

Former Reds defender Degen, who now works as an agent, told the Liverpool Echo: “This is a big question - the same, a little bit, as Emre Can.

“In football, I always say to every player that of course, in the end, you want good money, but in my life, I think a very important part in life is to see not only money, but everything.

“I don’t know if it is only because of money, but he is in one of the top teams ever. What is the next step? Real Madrid? Or maybe Barcelona?

“I don’t know but I don’t think he will be a star in these teams. If I were him, I would be thinking very hard. We have a very tough time in this world with coronavirus and we cannot go to the stadium and see the people.

“I don’t know exactly what his status is and why he hasn’t signed, so maybe it is money, maybe he wants to move - but if I am him and I am part of this club which won the Champions League and the league - I stay in Liverpool.

“Sometimes a club really wants to keep you, sometimes a club wants to keep you, and sometimes a club doesn’t want to keep you. This is three points.

“The one who really wants to keep you will do everything. The clubs who just want to keep you, they don’t do everything. And the clubs who don’t want to sign you, they leave out the contract. There is always three parts.

“I don’t know which part Liverpool is exactly on that so I don’t know, but if I am him, he can sign in five weeks, six weeks, but I would really think about it. He is at one of the best teams in Europe and you have to be a high, high club where he wants to move.”

Wijnaldum has remained a key man for Liverpool this season despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, with the 30-year-old making 17 appearances across all competitions.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has no intention of retiring as a coach any time soon, with the Portuguese tactician stating that he could have 10 to 15 years left in his career.

One of the most successful and respected trainers in the game, Mourinho has won trophies in every country he has worked and could be forgiven for a loss of motivation after amassing such an impressive haul of silverware.

The 57-year-old insists that is not the case, however, with his mission to deliver glory at Spurs just the latest task on his agenda as he plans to continue plying his trade potentially into his 70s.

“I'm 57, very young in relation to my job, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I have 10-15 years ahead of me,” Mourinho said at Web Summit, the world's largest annual tech conference.

“There is a difference between success and a successful career. I always believe that there is a huge difference. Success is a moment. Success can be related with your talent, but can be just the fact you are in a certain place in the right moment, in the right time. 

“Another thing is a successful career, which is based on year after year after year, I always wanted that kind of career. It’s part of my DNA. If I love what I do, if I feel fresh, it’s motivation, I always like to take players into a different dimension.

“I know that people probably don’t think this about me but I consider myself a very humble person, I always try to learn, I always try to be better and this is a kind of job where experience only can make us better. I really believe today I’m much better than I was 10 or 20 years ago.

“Everybody says my career is long, which is true, but I don’t see the end. I feel exactly the same passion, the same desire to learn every day. I think it’s just a pleasure. My white hair for sure has nothing to do with a stressful job!”

Mourinho's journey to becoming one of management's all-time greats is all the more impressive given how difficult it was to become a top-level coach without having had a storied playing career – and he feels that will be remembered as something of a trailblazer.

“Today, people believe in different ways to become a football manager,” he said. “There are different ways to arrive there - 20-30 years ago the biggest barrier was the fact people were totally focused on former players.

“They forgot that with the evolution, with times, people studying and following an academic career and mixing an academic career with some football experiences - even if not at the top level as a player – [can still be a success].

“The fact that today any kid that loves football and is not hugely talented to become a top football player, any student who decides to go in another direction and goes to sports science, to football methodology and follows an academic career in the search of scientific knowledge can be as good or even better than others. 

“That was the barrier I had, nowadays people don’t have anymore. Honestly, I think it’s quite a legacy that I leave behind.”

Mikel Arteta was always a “big risk” for Arsenal, says David Seaman, but the Spaniard is being backed to get things right at Emirates Stadium if given time in which to turn their fortunes around.

The Gunners took a calculated gamble when appointing their new head coach in December 2019 following the departure of Unai Emery.

Former Arsenal captain Arteta returned to north London and took on the first managerial post of his career. While he boasted Premier League experience from his playing days, and had been working alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, the 38-year-old was a rookie tactician thrown in at the deep end.

Early success was enjoyed, with FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs, but the wheels have started to fall off in 2020-21.

Inconsistency remains an issue for a side that has made its worst start to a season in 39 years, but Seaman believes Arteta will prove to be the right choice if patience is shown.

The legendary former Arsenal goalkeeper told The Target Men Podcast: “Overall, I’ve been impressed with Mikel Arteta.

“When he first signed for Arsenal, I thought it was a big risk because it’s his first job and it’s a big job. After Emery and the latter years of Arsene, we weren’t getting any better, so for Mikel to take over was a tough ask.

“At the time I thought Patrick Vieira might have been a better choice because he’d already had experience, but after I saw Mikel’s first press interview, I was really impressed.

“Since then, I like how he’s affecting the team, but he needs to be given time from the board to make it his own team.

“The game against Wolves showed that Arsenal are still lacking in confidence and a clear idea of what is expected of them.”

Arsenal have made it through to the last-32 of the Europa League this season, with continental progress maintained in a 4-1 win over Rapid Vienna, but a domestic spark is still being sought and the next opportunity to find one will present itself on Sunday in the north London derby with Tottenham.

Despite persistent uncertainties in Malaysia's ability to participate in international football action in the coming year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Harimau Malaya have been preparing for the near future nevertheless.

On Friday, the Malaysian FA (FAM) and sportswear producer Nike revealed the home and away Malaysia jerseys for 2020 through 2022.

The home kit is a minimalistic yellow top with its collar and arm portions in black, with a black strip running down on each side from the armpit down. According to the press release, it is the first home Malaysia kit to sport a collar, since Nike first became the Malaysia national teams' kitmaker back in 2007.

The away jersey meanwhile adopted the brave design choice of ditching the colours blue, white, yellow and red, the colours of the Malaysian flag, of previous Malaysia away kits, in order to retain the black and yellow of the traditional Malaysia home kit colours.

The away jersey sports diagonal stripes that alternate between black and yellow. Its round neck collar and arm end rings are in yellow.

However, there are fans who are seemingly unhappy with the design choices adopted for the two kits, with many criticising its extreme minimalism and humourous similarity to school sports attires.

Their retail price of RM299 (USD74) has also made them rather unaffordable, when compared to most Malaysian teams' original jerseys.

However, regardless of everyone's opinion on the new kits, surely they agree on one matter; that they want the national team to be able to return to action and put on the jerseys next year, having had their brilliant form in the World Cup Asian qualifiers in 2019 interrupted by the pandemic. 

Ghanaian winger Osman Bukari believes he was let down by complacency during his time with Belgian giants Anderlecht in 2018.

In his first stint abroad, the attacker, now with Gent following a summer move, joined Anderlecht on loan from local side Accra Lions.

After six months with the Purple and White, the 21-year-old headed for Slovakian outfit Trencin after failing to land a permanent deal with the former.

"I had a hard time there [at Anderlecht] in the beginning," Bukari admits, Ghanaweb reports.

"I thought I could achieve anything with my talent. But I was a bit lazy. There I learned that I also had to work hard.

“I played nine matches with the reserves, in which I scored six times. When I heard at the end of those six months that I did not get a contract, I was disappointed, because I really wanted to play football in Europe.

"But then my manager came up with Trencin. The first year I still had a hard time. I had to adapt to the playing style. Sometimes I was so fast that I had to wait at the front for a counterattack until my fellow players could join.

“But I told myself that I was only with Trencin to get better and move to bigger competition. Last season I scored 10 goals in 25 games. Not bad for a winger."

After two years away, Bukari returned to Belgium in October this year, signing a three-year deal with Gent after catching the eye with a series of fine performances for Trencin.

He was reportedly on the radar of Portuguese giants FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon as well as the Turkish trio of Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas before opting for the Buffalos.

Bukari made a combined 32 league appearances for Trencin. He had arguably his best time in Europe since leaving Ghana last season as he made 26 elite division outings, starting all the games, scoring 10 times and assisting nine other goals.

Yet to be called by Ghana at senior level, the attacker helped his nation qualify for the 2019 Africa U23 Cup of Nations in Egypt, but was unable to join the team for the final tournament due to club commitments.

Kenya midfielder Tobias Otieno is among 14 players who have been retained by Union Omaha ahead of the new campaign in 2021.

The U23 national team member sealed a move to the USL League One side from Kenyan Premier League (KPL) giants Gor Mahia in January this year, but the coronavirus pandemic situation in the country delayed matters.

However, the 21-year-old finally managed to link up with his new teammates on October 10, was handed jersey number five, and grabbed an assist on his debut when the USL League One side faced and defeated Richmond Kickers.

The club have now confirmed in a statement Otieno is among the 14 players they intend to retain on their roster for next year.

“Evan Conway [six goals] and Ethan Vanacore-Decker [six assists] are expected to be back with the club in 2021,” the club announced on their official website. “As is goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu, who was a finalist for USL League One’s top keeper award this past season.

“Also set to return next year: forward Elma Nfor; midfielders Devin Boyce, Christian Molina, Tobias Otieno, Austin Panchot and JP Scearce; and defenders Jake Crull, Daltyn Knutson, Illal Osumanu, Panzani Ferrety Sousa and Damia Viader.

“Midfielder Tyler David, who started nine games, was one of eight players the club announced will not rejoin the team. Nathan Aune, Sebastián Contreras, Xavier Gomez, Luke Hauswirth, Sam Howard, Elvir Ibišević and Juan Ignacio Mare are also out.”

Omaha managed to finish second in the league during their first campaign in the competition, which was cut short owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Owls were slated to play in a winner-takes-all title game but multiple Covid-19 positive tests forced a cancellation of the championship match and awarded the first-place crown to Greenville Triumph SC.

Coach Jay Mims was impressed with the team’s output for the season, saying he was happy to have worked with the players.

“This team was a special group with every single player contributing on and off the field, which made for a one-of-a-kind incredible locker room,” Mims said in a statement.

“I will forever be grateful for this historic group that laid down a great foundation and something the community can be proud of.”

Otieno had also turned out for Sony Sugar in the Kenyan top-flight.

FKF Premier League side AFC Leopards have closed their merchandise shop after failing to secure new stock of replica jerseys.

Goal can exclusively reveal the shop which was opened on June 23, and was supposed to serve fans with the club’s merchandise, has not been operating for the last month.

A source privy to the happening has confirmed to Goal the shop was closed because the first stock of replica jerseys had been sold, and the office was yet to secure or ship in new stock.

“It is true the shop has not been operating for the last one month,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal. “The office is saying they don’t have money to bring in new merchandise and as such the shop will remain closed.”

The 13-time league champions have been trying to set up structures to enable them to get a sustainable financial income and in June, they became the second club in the country to open a fully-fledged merchandise shop.

On opening the shop, Ingwe chairman Dan Shikanda told Goal: “We have done most of the things regarding the merchandise shop, and by the end of this month, we believe it will be up and running.

“It will be located at the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) where it will be easier for our fans to locate. We will have club replica jerseys, caps, t-shirts, bands, watches...everything with Ingwe brand.

“The fans will have a way of directly contributing to the club's growth by purchasing the Ingwe merchandise from the shop. We will also have our match-day tickets sold at the shop at any given time.”

The former striker did not hesitate to comment on the quality of the goods to be stocked on opening the shop.

“We will have quality jerseys for our fans which will be durable as compared to the counterfeit ones which do not last. Cheap is expensive, so for those who want to go for low-quality merchandise by other vendors, we cannot stop them. But buying in our shop will help us grow," he added.

“Our plan is to expand and have branches all over the country.”

Wazito are the only other club in the top tier with an official merchandise shop.

Cape Town City defender Taariq Fielies has highlighted the importance of his team keeping their discipline against Orlando Pirates on Saturday afternoon.

The two clubs clash in a league encounter which will take place at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch, with kick-off set for 15:30.

Matches between these north-south rivals have resulted in some thrilling games since City's formation in 2016.

In 10 fixtures, the Citizens have won three and Pirates two. There have been five draws - the very first game between the sides ended 0-0, but since then, there have been three 2-2 thrillers, and one 3-3.

The two most recent meetings between the clubs ended in a 1-0 home win for Bucs in the MTN8 competition (this season) and a 1-0 home win for City in the league last season.

On both of these occasions, the Cape side played large portions of the match a man short after having a player sent off in the first half (Mpho Makola and Fagrie Lakay, respectively).

Fielies, who will be playing his 100th game for the Citizens since signing from Milano United, understands that his team-mates will need to keep cool heads on Saturday to make the job easier for themselves.

"It is a new game and we can't look at the past but playing Pirates is always a big game," he was quoted saying by IOL.

"The past two games we have got two reds card so that has made it even tougher.

“Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it goes against you. Obviously you have to run the extra miles and that's not a problem, but sometimes you also looking for that extra player to create a space. But hopefully, we can finish with all our players on the field this week.”

The Soweto side are currently lying third on the standings, with nine points from five games. City are in sixth spot, with eight points from their five league outings this season.

Frank Lampard has the makings of a future England manager, according to former Chelsea teammate Branislav Ivanovic, following the former's sterling start to his coaching career.

The former Blues midfielder took the reins of his old club following a debut stint at Derby County last year, succeeding Maurizio Sarri in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge.

In his first season at the helm, Lampard took his side to a top-four finish and an FA Cup final appearance, helping to reaffirm Chelsea's status as a perennial contender on the top domestic stages.

The 42-year-old has continued to bolster his credentials this term, with an impressive unbeaten run in the Champions League group stages just the icing of a campaign so far that has seen his team challenge at the top of the Premier League once more.

Such form has seen the former England mainstay emerge as one of the brightest managerial talents in the English game and Ivanovic - who has returned to the top flight from a spell in Russia with West Brom this season - believes that he could be a credible successor to Gareth Southgate for the Three Lions job when the time comes.

"When Frank decided to become a manager, everyone who knows him knew he was going to be a success," the 36-year-old was quoted by the Daily Mail. 

"He is the right person in the right place, not just for Chelsea. I hope he will stay at Chelsea for life, but for sure he could give to his country and be manager of the England national team.

"He knows football and has great ideas. I watch his interviews and you can see he understands the game, the things he needs to do and how to give belief to the group. 

"It's a massive job to understand football and to make the team play and work like you want. He has a good group of people around him to help him. He will be a success.

"He fully deserved to be Chelsea manager, not just because of his name. Of course I wish him all the best and for me he will always have a huge part [to play]."