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One of the candidates in Barcelona’s upcoming presidential election says the club needs to ensure Lionel Messi stays not only in the short-term, but beyond his retirement as a player.

Messi shocked the football world when he tried to leave Camp Nou over the summer, and his public criticism of the club’s leadership was a key factor in former president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s resignation in October.

Victor Font is campaigning to replace Bartomeu and he is hoping his proposal to bring Xavi back to Barcelona as head coach will help keep hold of Messi.

"When you are lucky enough to have the best player in the world in your team, you need to retain that talent," Font said.

"If Messi goes to a competitor, we will not find an alternative easily as there is no alternative to Messi. So that's why retaining him in the short-term is critical.

"But for us the association between Messi and Barca is a strategic relationship and we want to make sure we create the right conditions for Messi to play a role in the club even after he retires. Messi could contribute plenty of ideas.

"Messi needs to be convinced we have a competitive and winning project and Xavi can play a decisive role in us doing that.

"Xavi's credibility and know-how about football is the right one to convince someone like Messi. They are friends, they know each other, they trust each other and that's going to be key."

Off the pitch, Barcelona’s financial struggles have been laid bare during the coronavirus pandemic.

The club’s debts are believed to be nearing €800 million (£724m/$950m), and Font is hopeful Messi would accept a pay cut in order to help Barca through the crisis.

"All clubs are in economic crisis [due to the pandemic] and everyone needs to adjust their expectations," he said.

"The good thing with Messi is he loves the club as we all do and I'm sure he is ready to take a long-term perspective and make a contribution so the club can manage the short-term in the best possible way.

"When you have someone like Messi who loves the club and who the club wants to retain for many years, you have the framework to regenerate and build a winning team."

Barcelona's presidential election will take place on January 24, with Carlos Tusquets currently serving as interim president.

Dominik Livakovic's calamitous late error gifted Portugal a 3-2 victory as Fernando Santos' side ended their Nations League campaign on a high note but Croatia avoided relegation from Group A3.

Croatia, reduced to 10 men early in the second half when Marko Rog received a second booking, seemed to be heading for a draw in Split on Tuesday.

Mateo Kovacic opened the scoring in the 29th minute before curling in from the edge of the box after goals from Ruben Dias and Joao Felix had put Portugal ahead.

But Livakovic endured a 90th-minute nightmare, fumbling a corner to the feet of Dias, who completed his double to snatch the points, yet Croatia avoid the drop due to France's win over Sweden.

Diogo Jota and Cristiano Ronaldo went close as Portugal turned the screw, but the visitors had Dias to thank when he blocked Mario Pasalic's goal-bound effort at the other end.

Yet Dias could not prevent Croatia from opening the scoring – Kovacic lashing home at the second attempt after having his initial shot from Pasalic's cross blocked.

Portugal should have been two down eight minutes later, only for Josip Juranovic to head wide from inside the six-yard box, and Danilo Pereira would have made Croatia pay if not for Livakovic's instinctive stop.

But Portugal had their equaliser eight minutes into the second half.

Rog was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Ronaldo, whose free-kick was parried out by Livakovic and Ruben Semedo squared for Dias to add insult to injury by prodding in.

Portugal were in front on the hour-mark, with Joao Felix on hand to tuck in from Jota's lay off, yet Croatia defied their numerical disadvantage to hit back when Kovacic curled a low strike into the bottom-left corner.

Bernardo Silva squandered a golden chance to win it for Portugal, but his blushes were swiftly sparred by Livakovic.

The goalkeeper charged out to claim Joao Moutinho's corner, only to drop it after making contact with Dejan Lovren, enabling Dias to snatch victory.

Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick as Spain secured a place at next year's Nations League Finals with a 6-0 demolition of Germany on Tuesday. 

Alvaro Morata, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal were also on the scoresheet in Seville as Joachim Low suffered the heaviest loss of his 14 years in charge. 

Germany needed only a point to secure top spot in Group A4 but found themselves 3-0 down by half-time, Spain delivering their best performance under Luis Enrique despite losing Sergio Ramos and Sergio Canales to hamstring problems. 

Manchester City's Torres added two more after the break before substitute Oyarzabal piled further pressure on Low, whose position will look increasingly perilous following this chastening defeat. 

Morata could hardly believe his luck when he was allowed a free header at the far post from a deep corner by Fabian Ruiz, on as an early substitute for the injured Canales, to open the scoring. 

Germany had struggled to get into the game and were fortunate not to be 2-0 down when Morata turned in Torres' cross only to be denied by a contentious offside call. 

Manuel Neuer, who became Germany's most-capped goalkeeper as he made his 96th appearance, did superbly to turn Torres' strike around the post as Spain once more got in down the right. 

However, he could do nothing to stop Torres smashing a rebound home from six yards after Dani Olmo's header had come back off the crossbar. 

It was 3-0 to an utterly dominant Spain five minutes later as a corner from Koke found an unmarked red shirt, this time in the form of Rodri, who glanced a brilliant header out of Neuer's reach. 

Ramos went off before the break after hurting his hamstring when sending a long pass forward, but his absence did little to shake Spain from their rhythm. 

With Germany pushing for a route back into the match, La Roja sprung a counter-attack down the left and Jose Gaya squared for Torres to steady himself and smash home number four. 

Torres secured his treble with 19 minutes to play, sweeping a low shot past a helpless Neuer as Spain once again cut the visiting defence to ribbons, and Oyarzabal was gifted an easy finish when Gaya prodded the ball into his path.

What does it mean? Spain cruise through 

Spain needed a victory to reach the last four of the competition but would likely not have expected one to come so easily. 

They finish Group A4 with 11 points, two ahead of Germany, who were left to rue that 95th-minute equaliser from Gaya in the reverse fixture in September. 

Fabulous Ferran 

Torrres was too much for Germany to handle throughout - he was inches away from another goal and an assist in the second half. 

He might only have completed 16 passes, the lowest of any starting Spain player, but the 20-year-old scored from three of his four shots on target and twice teed up potential tap-ins for Morata. 

A new Low for Jogi 

Germany were unbeaten in their first five games and were in pole position heading into this fixture, yet the 2014 world champions could scarcely have got things more wrong. 

Low's set-up of a left-hand-side comprising Timo Werner, Toni Kroos and Philipp Max was the most notable weak point of a shockingly fragile team, with Torres exploiting the flank at his leisure. 

The scrutiny of Low's plans as attention turns towards the Euros next year is only likely to increase. 

What's next? 

Germany's next scheduled match is their Euro 2020 opener against France on June 15 next year, with friendlies early in 2021 yet to be arranged. 

Spain, who will feature in next October's Finals, are likewise yet to finalise their plans before they begin their Euros challenge against Sweden on June 14. 

Kenya international Anthony Akumu says he does not mind playing for either Simba SC or Yanga SC in future as long as they match his demands.

The lanky midfielder has been on the rise and he is currently with South African giants Kaizer Chiefs. It is for this reason that the two sworn rivals in the Tanzania Mainland League have shown interest in the player.

"To be honest, I do not mind playing for either Yanga or Simba," Akumu told Goal when asked about a possible move to Tanzania.

"These are respectable teams in the region with history and ambition. They have a massive following as well and any player would wish to play for them.

"But it depends on the offer that comes with it. The team that comes with a good offer and matches my targets and ambitions then I will not hesitate; it does not matter whether it is Simba or Yanga.

"But as it stands, I am okay and happy at my current team."

Earlier on, the 26-year-old had stated he might consider leaving the PSL if a better offer comes his way. Some felt his close relationship with Timu ya Wananchi official Hersi Said might play a role in his decision. 

"I know [Hersi Said] well and I have no problem if he gives me an offer to join Yanga SC," Akumu said.

"The main thing is reaching an understanding, especially on personal terms because I don't want to remain here [at Kaizer Chiefs] for a long time.

"The South Africa league is big, same as the team I am playing for; however, it is not an excuse for not leaving for another team if I get a better offer."

The Kenya international has in the past played for Zambian giants Zesco United and Sudanese outfit Al Khartoum.

Akumu was part of the Kenya team that defeated Zambia 2-1 in an international friendly match played on October 9 at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi.

He was also in the squad that played Comoros in the Group G of the Africa Cup of Nations double-header.

However, he did not play as Harambee Stars drew the first game 1-1 before falling 2-1 away in Moroni.

Jack Grealish can cope with the increased expectations following a strong start to his England career, though Gareth Southgate has emphasised success will only be achieved as a team. 

Aston Villa playmaker Grealish, 25, made his full England debut in a 3-0 victory over Wales in October - setting up the opening goal for Dominic Calvert-Lewin - but was not used by Southgate for the subsequent Nations League fixtures. 

He set up Jadon Sancho in a 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland last week and was bright in a 2-0 loss to Belgium on Sunday, attempting more passes in the opposition half than any player on the pitch and drawing a game-high seven fouls. 

That result ended England's hopes of reaching the last four of the Nations League and there have consequently been calls for Southgate to begin building his team around Grealish, who has been involved in 12 goals in as many appearances for club and country this season. 

Asked whether it was important to manage the expectations on Grealish ahead of Wednesday's meeting with Iceland, Southgate told a news conference: "I think that's always important with any player, we are going to succeed or fail as a team. It's for everybody to contribute. 

"We've tried to ensure over the past four year that it's collective expectation, we could put pressure on Harry Kane, Raheem [Sterling], other players, and it needs to be the same with Jack. 

"He's had a super start to his international career. I think he'll be able to handle the attention because he thrives under that pressure. He's got great courage with the ball, so I don't think that'll faze him. Equally, it's going to be the squad that brings us success as a collective."

There has been a focus on the performances of Marcus Rashford following his charity work to help reduce food poverty among children in the United Kingdom. This week he also launched a book club for kids. 

Amid criticism from certain parts of the media and suggestions he should focus on football, Southgate has been left baffled by the treatment of the Manchester United forward.

"I don't really understand those comments. The days where the players just focused on their football and did nothing else are in the far distant past," he said.

"Modern players recognise they have an opportunity to make a difference, whether that's in their local community or on a broader scale, they have a voice and a social media presence.

"You know as a sportsman you're going to have a second career when you finish football, that's the reality, so I don't know why they would limit themselves to just one thing.

"Of course, it's important you're training and focus on games isn't affected, but it's possible to achieve that balance."

Another player in the embryonic stages of their international career is 17-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham. 

When told Bellingham wears the number 22 because he was challenged to be capable of playing as a number four, eight and 10 at former club Birmingham City, Southgate said it is important not to try to categorise the teenager as a specialist in any one position yet. 

"Well, I think he could end up playing any of those roles. At Dortmund he's playing as one of two fours or as an eight, and most of the time at Birmingham he was kind of in the position of an eight really," said Southgate. 

"But he's so young, you don't have to specialise yet. [With] a lot of midfield players, it's more important he learns the game, he gets brilliant experiences playing in whatever positions might be his strongest and as time develops it'll probably become apparent which is his more suited position. 

"But he is a midfield player who can pass, tackle, break forward and score goals, so he can do any of those jobs and I never think with young players we should rush to pigeonhole them into one, we should wait to see how he develops. And, at the moment, he's developing really well." 

Ukraine's Nations League away match against Switzerland was called off on Tuesday after the visitors were put into quarantine by local health authorities due to a spate of Covid-19 cases.

The Group A4 match in Lucerne was in doubt from the moment Swiss regional health officials declared their decision regarding the Ukraine travelling party.

Three Ukraine players tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday and there were four further positives announced on Tuesday - affecting Ruslan Malinovskiy, Sergei Kryvtsov, Junior Moraes and a member of the coaching staff.

Kryvtsov and Moraes had previously tested positive for Covid-19 and had antibodies in their system that prevented reinfection, the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) said.

Ukraine press officer Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi said in a statement: "UEFA informed the Ukrainian Football Association that 'due to the competent decision of the Department of Health of the Canton of Lucerne to quarantine the entire delegation of the national team of Ukraine, the UEFA Nations League match Switzerland - Ukraine cannot take place'.

"Note that UEFA, UAF and the Swiss Football Association are ready for the match, but the ban [issued by] local authorities cancels all hopes of football organisations to hold the game.

"The decision on the future of the match will be made by UEFA."

Tuesday's game wasn't the first time that a Ukranian side had been affected by the virus, as Dynamo Kiev were forced to field a weakened side for their Champions League defeat at Barcelona earlier this month. 

The Swiss FA also confirmed the match would not go ahead, saying the Ukrainians could not produce a replacement team to contest the fixture.

"The UEFA Nations League match between Switzerland and Ukraine will not take place," a statement read. The Ukrainian team, quarantined, will not be able to field a replacement team. The outcome of the meeting is now in the hands of UEFA."

Ukraine were sitting third in the group ahead of the final round of fixtures, with Switzerland winless from five games and bottom on three points.

Norway's Nations League clash with Romania on Sunday was also called off after Norwegian health authorities banned the team from travelling due to a positive coronavirus case.

On Tuesday, FIFA announced that the 2020 U-17 Women's World Cup, which was scheduled to be held in India, has been cancelled due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Instead, India has been given the right to host the 2022 edition of the World Cup.

The competition was initially supposed to be held in November 2020. FIFA then revised the schedule and the tournament was supposed to be held in February and March in 2021 in India.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das thanked FIFA for awarding the rights to host the 2022 FIFA U17 World Cup once again to India. He also suggested that hosting two high-profile competitions like the U17 World Cup and the Women's Asian Cup (2022) will benefit women's football in India.

"We are thankful to FIFA for considering and allotting India the hosting rights for the Women's Under 17 World Cup in 2022. India will also host the Women's Asia Cup in 2022. For women's football, this will be a great moment which can help take the women's game to the next level in India," said Das.

Earlier this year, India were also given the rights to host the AFC Women's Asian Cup. The competition will be held in October and November in 2022. Ahmedabad and Navi Mumbai are the likely venues for the competition.

The Local organising committee (LOC) of the FIFA U17 World Cup also expressed their disappointment over the cancellation of the competition in 2021 but suggested that the infrastructure development projects which they had undertaken will continue keeping in mind the 2022 editions of the World Cup and the Asian Cup.

The AIFF and LOC have developed eight new training sites in Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar and have renovated the Kalinga Stadium. 

Nigeria were held to a goalless draw by Sierra Leone in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture in Freetown.

The result at the National Stadium means the Super Eagles would have to wait for the other group games to go in their favour to confirm their place at Cameroon 2022, though they remain at the summit of Group L with eight points after four matches.

Following Friday's 4-4 draw in Benin, coach Gernot Rohr made two changes to the starting XI as Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho led the attack, in the absence of injured Victor Osimhen while Fulham's Ola Aina got the nod ahead of Zaidu Sanusi.

The Super Eagles started the encounter on a promising note with Iheanacho registering the first shot on target in the third minute but his free-kick failed to beat goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara.

A few minutes before the half-hour mark, Sierra Leone had their first real chance but Mohamed Buya Turay's strike from outside the penalty area was comfortably saved by Maduka Okoye.

John Keister's men continued to push for the opener but Okoye was ready to produce some fine saves to keep both teams level in the first 45 minutes.

Nigeria were forced to make an early substitution towards the end of the first-half as Oghenekaro Etebo was replaced by Abdullahi Shehu because of an injury.

Six minutes after the restart, Iheanacho had another chance to fire Rohr’s side ahead but his effort did not find the target.

The Leicester City forward got the ball into the back of the net in the 61st minute after a cross from Alex Iwobi but it did not count because the Everton midfielder was in an offside position.

Nigeria captain Ahmed Musa was shown the only yellow card of the encounter in the 71st minute while Akpoguma came off for Chidozie Awaziem shortly thereafter.

It was an eventul last 10 minutes for the Super Eagles as Iheanacho had a shot parried away by the Leone Stars shot-stopper after some fine teamwork.

After his fine solo effort, he was immediately replaced by Club Brugge's Emmanuel Dennis while West Bromwich Albion defender Semi Ajayi was introduced for Joe Aribo.

FIFA has confirmed the Club World Cup will take place in February 2021, rather than December of this year.

The annual event, which is being staged in Qatar, is traditionally held at the end of the year and had been scheduled to begin next month.

"The FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020, which was originally scheduled for December, has been subject to the disruptive effect of the pandemic on the confederations’ continental club championships that serve as a pathway for the event," FIFA stated in a release. 

With Tuesday's decision, the competition will instead be staged from February 1 to February 11.

European champions Bayern Munich and Al-Duhail, the 2019-20 Qatar Stars League winners, are the only confirmed participants so far.

Bayern secured their spot this summer by beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, while Al-Duhail will join the competition as the host team.

Champions of continental championships from CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, AFC, OFC and CAF will also qualify for the tournament, with those respective continental competitions expected to be completed in the next few months. 

The 2021 tournament will be the last before the expanded competition, which is due to replace the Confederations Cup on the football calendar, is first held in China.

FIFA also confirmed the 2020 Under-20 and Under-17 Women's World Cups have been canceled after stakeholders raised concerns about staging the tournaments.

The events, which were set to be held in Costa Rica and India respectively, had been postponed until early next year because of the impact of the pandemic.

England FA’s head of women’s technical development Kay Cossington said of the cancellation: “This has been an unprecedented year for football, and whilst the cancellation of the FIFA Women’s Youth World Cups is, of course, disappointing, we are fully supportive of the difficult decision FIFA have taken today.

“We were all looking forward to the tournament in India next year, but the health and wellbeing of competitors is, quite rightly, the primary concern for FIFA and all the national associations who were due to compete.”

FIFA said the 2020 hosts – Costa Rica for the Under-20 tournament and India for the Under-17 event – will now have hosting rights moved to the 2022 competitions.

Ghanaians were visibly displeased by the Black Stars’ shocking defeat to Sudan in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday.

Fresh from registering a 2-0 home triumph in a Group C matchday three clash on Thursday, CK Akonnor's outfit were stung in the reverse fixture in Omdurman as Mohamed Abdelrahman scored in the second minute of injury time to secure all three points for his side.

The defeat at the Al Hilal Stadium has delayed Ghana's qualification for the final tournament in Cameroon. A win or a draw would have confirmed the Black Stars' place at the continental gathering.

Ghana still top the table in Group C despite the defeat but now sit tied on nine points with South Africa.

Sudan occupy the third position with six points, while Sao Tome and Principe sit bottom of the standings, having lost all four games played thus far.

Ghana, four-time African champions, will have to wait until next Match to possibly secure their Afcon 2022 qualification as the series is set to take a four-month break.

In their next game, the Black Stars will play away to South Africa in a top-of-the-table clash before wrapping up the qualifying campaign with a home tie against Sao Tome and Principe.

A place at Cameroon 2022 will be Ghana's 23rd appearance at the showpiece.

Below are some social media reactions to Tuesday's defeat:

Former Chelsea winger Jeremie Boga’s dribbling ability is second only to that of Lionel Messi, according to his Sassuolo coach Roberto De Zerbi.

After loan spells with Rennes, Granada and Birmingham, Ivory Coast international Boga left Chelsea for good in the summer of 2018, and has starred for Sassuolo ever since.

He helped his side to an eighth-placed finish in Serie A last season and they have kicked on since then, sitting second in the table behind AC Milan going into the international break.

Boga missed the start of 2020-21 with coronavirus but has been finding his way back to the form which saw him register 11 goals and four assists in Serie A last season .

He regularly competes with the likes of Messi, Neymar, Wilfried Zaha and Adama Traore for the most dribbles completed in Europe, and his coach thinks he deserves his place among the very best.

“Boga arrived here and he did not know how to link up with his team-mates or score goals, but as far as his ability to beat his man, I would put Messi ahead of him… and then I would have to think about it,” De Zerbi told La Repubblica .

“Now he plays with the team and they all benefit from it. Everyone does.”

De Zerbi also singled out midfielder Manuel Locatelli. The 22-year-old joined from AC Milan after impressing on loan and his coach believes he has become Italy’s best midfielder.

“Locatelli is the best Italian midfielder. With the national team against the Netherlands, he was against [Georginio] Wijnaldum, a huge player for Liverpool – and yet he dominated.”

Sassuolo’s early-season form has captured the imagination of many in Italy and De Zerbi is making no secret of his ambition for European qualification – though he worries his squad could be picked apart if they don’t make it.

"I have no problem declaring my ambitions. If we finished eighth last season, this year we want to win a place in Europe,” he said.

“Our players have been chosen one by one, no one is here by chance.

"Without Europe, the cycle of this group would be over and next year we should start fresh. It is a very strange season; the cups each week have a huge impact, and I don't think we will return to normal again before the new year.”

South Africa goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has led celebrations for captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, who reached 50 national team caps during Monday’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome e Principe in Port Elizabeth.

A former South Africa junior international, Hlatshwayo captained Molefi Ntseki’s men to a third straight win which put them on course for the 2022 Afcon finals.

The 30-year-old Orlando Pirates defender is in an exclusive club of players to captain the country at major tournaments, comprising of 1996 Bafana captain Neil Tovey, Lucas Radebe, Aaron Mokoena and Dean Furman.

“Congratulations on your milestone Skipper Thulani. 50th cap Flag of South Africa. There’s your reward for all the hard work you put in. Enjoy every bit of it winking face raising hands,” Khune, a former national team captain himself, said on social media.

After captaining Bafana Bafana at the 2019 Afcon finals in Egypt, Ntseki has maintained his trust in the 30-year-old to continue leading the national team on the pitch.

The 30-year-old’s leadership qualities have also seen Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer appointing him co-captain as Happy Jele struggles to command a starting place.

This is after the centre-back joined Pirates in September from the now-defunct Bidvest Wits.

If Bafana qualify for the 2022 Afcon tournament, Hlatshwayo could captain the national team for a second straight continental tournament.

Adama Traore’s contract negotiations at Wolves have stalled with the winger disappointed at his recent lack of first-team action.

Sources have told Goal that the 24-year-old was expected to have signed a new deal by now but talks have slowed with Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto preferred out wide at Molineux this season.

Traore has not started a Premier League match since the 4-0 defeat to West Ham at the end of September, coming off the bench in each of Wolves’ last five league games.

He enjoys a good relationship with manager Nuno Espirito Santo and would be happy to sign a new deal if he returns to his regular starting spot. His current contract runs until the summer of 2023.

However, with his status within the game growing since making his senior international debut for Spain in October, Traore is unlikely to agree to an extension while he is not in the Wolves team – and the club’s hierarchy are growing impatient with the lack of progress.

Traore was one of Wolves’ star performers in 2019-20 and it came as little surprise when he was called up to the Spain squad by Luis Enrique, but his form dipped after English football returned from coronavirus lockdown.

He failed to register a goal or assist in any of Wolves’ last seven league games or the latter stages of the Europa League, while January signing Podence has found his feet at last.

However, Wolves boss Nuno suggested last month that he did expect Traore to sign a new deal and he was sure he is happy at the club.

“What I can say about this is Adama is delighted to be here,” he said. “You can see how happy he has been in training just by seeing us be together again.

“Things will happen naturally. Speculation around our players doesn’t bother us. We know what we have to do. First of all, you have to be happy where you are, and he clearly is.”

Traore, formerly of Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs in recent months.

Liverpool and Manchester City have been linked with both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola gushing in their praise of him when their sides faced Wolves last season, while a return to boyhood club Barcelona has also been suggested as an option.

With Liverpool having spent big on former Wolves team-mate Diogo Jota over the summer, a move to Anfield now seems unlikely.

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has picked Arusha as the town to stage the Cecafa U20 Championship.

TFF president Wallace Karia has confirmed the tournament, which was earlier scheduled to be hosted by Sudan, will now be held in Tanzania, with matches being played at Karatu, Manyara, and Arusha town.

According to Wallace Karia, the tournament will kick off on November 20 and will run until December 2, with nine nations taking part.

Rwanda and Eritrea are the only member countries that will not take part in the competition after pulling out at the eleventh hour.

“We have settled for Arusha to stage the tournament and this is after Sudan withdrew from hosting the same,” Karia told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

“We will have nine countries taking part but I want to confirm Rwanda and Eritrea have pulled out owing to various reasons and will not grace the competition, we hope we will have a good tournament as it will give the young players a chance to showcase their talent.”

Meanwhile, the Kenya U20 national team, the Rising Stars, started residential training for the tournament on Tuesday at the Kenya School of Government with, both the team and the members of their technical bench undergoing the mandatory Covid-19 tests ahead of the regional junior tournament.

The team has been in non-residential training and is set to play a friendly match against AFC Leopards on Wednesday before they leave for the showpiece early on Friday.

Kenya has been pooled in Group C of the tournament that will run from Sunday, November 22, to Wednesday, December 2, 2020, in Arusha.

Group Stage fixtures: Tanzania vs Djibouti (Sunday, November 22, 2020, Black Rhino Academy, 16:00), Djibouti vs Somalia (Tuesday, November 24, 2020, Black Rhino Academy, 16:00), Somalia vs Tanzania (Thursday, November 26, 2020, Black Rhino Academy, 16:00), South Sudan vs Uganda (Monday, November 23, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 16:00), Uganda vs Burundi (Wednesday, November 25, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 13:00, Burundi vs South Sudan (Friday, November 27, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 16:00), Ethiopia vs Kenya (Monday, November 23, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 13:00), Sudan vs Ethiopia (Wednesday, November 25, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 16:00) and Kenya vs Sudan  Friday, November 27, 2020, Sheikh Amri Abeid, 13:00).

Alex Morgan has been named to the U.S. women's national team's 23-player roster for their upcoming friendly against the Netherlands. 

Morgan has not featured for the U.S. since the 2019 World Cup final, having given birth to her first child in May. 

The veteran striker has been working her way back to fitness after signing with Tottenham in September, and made her debut for the Women's Super League outfit earlier this month.

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski has named 15 players to his squad that took part in last month's training camp, along with England-based players Morgan, Rose Lavelle, Sam Mewis, Tobin Heath and Christen Press. 

The November 27 friendly against the Dutch, which will take place at Rat Verlegh Stadium in Breda, Netherlands, will be the USWNT's first match since March.

It will also be the team's first game abroad since the 2019 World Cup final, a game in which the U.S. defeated the Netherlands 2-0 to clinch their second straight World Cup title and fourth overall. 

“I love the challenge of bringing this group together, getting about a week of training and then playing the European champions on their home ground,” Andonovski said.

“We have a lot of experience on this roster, but also a few players who have never been through a match like this before, so the best thing is that we will learn.

"We’ll learn about individuals and about the team. Consistent high performance is the most important factor in making rosters and starting lineups, and this trip will give our players the chance to show themselves in high level training and match environments.”

Also on the roster is Stanford phenom Catarina Macario, who will not be on the game day roster as she continues to pursue her eligibility after securing U.S. citizenship last month. 

Full USWNT roster (club; caps/goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Bledsoe (Washington Spirit; 0), Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 3), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 63)

DEFENDERS (8): Alana Cook (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 1/0), Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage; 61/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 26/1), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 104/24), Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 131/2), Margaret Purce (Sky Blue FC; 1/0), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 177/0), Emily Sonnett (Orlando Pride; 45/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 102/20), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 86/19), Rose Lavelle (Manchester City, ENG; 45/12), Catarina Macario (Stanford; 0/0), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash; 15/1), Samantha Mewis (Manchester City, ENG; 67/18)

FORWARDS (6): Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 2/0), Tobin Heath (Manchester United, ENG; 168/33), Alex Morgan (Tottenham Hotspur, ENG; 169/107), Christen Press (Manchester United, ENG; 138/58), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Lynn Williams (NC Courage; 28/9)

South Africa midfielder Bongani Zungu has hit back at the team’s fans, questioning their loyalty in supporting the team’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualification bid.

Bafana Bafana beat Sao Tome e Principe 4-2 on Monday, to follow up on the 2-0 victory they recorded in Friday's reverse fixture as they maintained the second spot in Group C.

In the reverse fixture, Zungu came on as a substitute to score in injury time after Percy Tau had broken the deadlock from the penalty spot.

With Zungu grabbing the second goal in Friday’s win, the Glasgow Rangers FC man was given a starter's role on Monday.

Both victories were unconvincing for Bafana Bafana and they were made to sweat in the second fixture in particular, when two of the goals were scored in the final three minutes with the hosts down to 10 men after Ivonaldo's second booking.

“We lose. Some of you complain! We win, you say it’s not good enough. kanti nifunani entlek [what do you really want]?” Zungu wrote on Twitter.

The ever-demanding Bafana fans on Twitter could feel Zungu’s concerns after the midfielder was dropped from last month’s international friendly matches against Namibia and Zambia.

His omission attracted criticism to coach Molefi Ntseki, who was believed to be having personal issues with the player.

Zungu publicly criticised Ntseki after he was previously left out of selection.

“No. No he didn’t [Ntseki explaining the snub] and that’s okay… Guys, you know my manager, my family asked me not to be open about the situation with Bafana on social media and stuff. But what I can say is, I am very angry,” said Zungu on social media as per Phakaaathi earlier this year.

Zungu scored two of Bafana’s three goals at the 2019 Afcon finals and was expected to be one of the key players in the road to the next Afcon edition as well as their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification bid.

His performances over the last week have seen him cement his position as one of Bafana’s important players.

The 2021 U-17 Women's World Cup, which was scheduled to be held in India, has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, FIFA announced on Tuesday. It has also been decided that India will host the 2022 edition of the World Cup.

The tournament was supposed to be held in November 2020 initially, only for the pandemic to force a postponement. FIFA then revised the schedule and the tournament was to be held in February and March in 2021 in India.

India was appointed as the host by the FIFA Council meeting at Miami on 15 March 2019. But after taking stock of the pandemic situation, the governing body for the sport decided to scrap the event in its entirety. The 2020 U20 Women's World Cup has also been cancelled along with the U17 edition. 

"Since the previous decision earlier this year to reschedule both tournaments to early 2021, FIFA has been consulting with all stakeholders. As a result and after careful consideration of the feedback received by the stakeholders combined with the inability to further postpone these tournaments, the FIFA-Confederations COVID-19 Working Group subsequently recommended that the 2020 editions of the two women’s youth tournaments be cancelled and that the hosting rights for the 2022 editions be offered to the countries that were due to host the 2020 editions," a release from FIFA stated. 

FIFA also asserted that the decision was taken after the various stakeholders decided to take a 'health and safety first' approach.

India will now host the 2022 U17 Women's World Cup while Costa Rica will get the chance to host the 2022 U19 Women's World Cup. 

Most of the qualifiers for the 2021 U17 Women's World Cup also had not been completed and with the pandemic still continuing worldwide, it seemed highly unlikely that they would have been conducted in time for the tournament.

It must be noted that the CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America) and CONMEBOL (South America) qualifiers had not been conducted while UEFA (Europe) cancelled their qualifiers outright earlier this year, nominating Spain, England and Germany (as the highest-ranked teams) for the World Cup.

OFA also cancelled their qualifier and nominated New Zealand as their representative in the World Cup.

Five venues had been selected as host cities for the tournament - the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, EKA Arena in Ahmedabad and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.