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Kylian Mbappe heaped praise upon 'idol' Cristiano Ronaldo after coming up against the Portugal attacker in France's Nations League stalemate on Sunday. 

Despite both forwards having solid efforts at goal, neither team could find the breakthrough in a fairly even contest. 

While there were no goals to speak of, Mbappe and Ronaldo still managed to provide plenty of entertainment with the duo clearly savouring their personal match-up. 

At the beginning of the second half, the pair were filmed in a friendly exchange with the Frenchman's smile suggesting Ronaldo's remarks were possibly quite cheeky. 

The superstars last faced off against one another in March 2018 when Real Madrid took on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16. 

Since then, Ronaldo has joined Serie A giants Juventus and Mbappe has established himself as one of the game's great talents with a World Cup already to his name. 

Mbappe has previously expressed his admiration for Ronaldo and took to social media after their latest match to label the Portugal star his 'idol'. 

Ronaldo himself commented on the post with a fist-bump emoji as the pair's relationship clearly begins to blossom. 

Speaking before the match on Sunday, France manager Didier Deschamps stressed that it was too soon to compare Mbappe to the Juventus icon . 

"He [Ronaldo] was his idol. But I think that Cristiano was and is the idol of many young football players," Deschamps said. 

"It's difficult to compare them. Cristiano has been playing for many years at the highest level. They aren't the same age. I think it will be better to make a comparison when Kylian will be as old as Cristiano is now. 

"They are two players who are able to be decisive for their team at any moment. It is a strength of Cristiano and it is also one of Kylian, even if he is younger. They both are top players."

Deschamps was relieved post-match that France had managed to keep Ronaldo relatively quiet as he once again failed to fire against Les Bleus. 

"We can always do better, then there is the quality of the opponent too. They take precautions like us, with respect to the players opposite like Cristiano, who we didn't see too much tonight," Deschamps told M6.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has declared Lionel Messi's intention to leave Barcelona over the summer wasn't a good idea, while warning of a financial crisis should the coronavirus pandemic force football to stop again.

Messi handed in a transfer request following a tumultuous 2019-20 season, which saw Barca humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and dethroned by Real Madrid in La Liga, before the six-time Ballon d'Or winner opted to remain at Camp Nou this term.

The 33-year-old – who has a €700 million release clause – was heavily linked to Premier League giants Manchester City, while Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Inter also emerged as possible destinations.

Asked about Messi, Tebas told reporters: "As I always said, I will always want to see Messi in La Liga. If he stays at Barcelona, much better for Barcelona.

"The union between Barcelona FC and Messi is so good for Barca, for Messi and for La Liga. I'm not sure whether departing from Barcelona would have been a good idea for Messi.

"Maybe yes as a player, but not for Messi as a football industry, because Messi is a machine in creating industry around him. Not sure whether it would have worked for him.

"Messi will finally stay but I must say that we had already sold La Liga TV rights worldwide for the next four years and nobody called us asking to cancel that agreement in case Messi would leave. No one."

The Covid-19 crisis forced the 2019-20 La Liga season to be suspended in March before the league resumed behind closed doors in June, with Madrid winning the title.

The 2020-21 La Liga campaign has kicked off but coronavirus cases are rising across Spain and Europe.

"We are reading in the newspapers that the economical activity cannot be stopped again, there must be a balance between the health and the financial aspect," said Tebas.

"If not, we could move from a health pandemic into a financial pandemic, which would be really dangerous."

Zinedine Zidane's side are currently top of La Liga but have played one more game than Barcelona, who they face off against at Camp Nou on October 24. 

Ini Umotong's hot goalscoring streak continued on Sunday when she scored the solitary goal as Vaxjo defeated Pitea 1-0 in a Swedish Damallsvenskan encounter at Visma Arena.

The Nigeria international broke her duck with the consolation in Vaxjo's 2-1 league loss to Djurgarden on October 3 and followed that up with another goal in Wednesday's 3-1 triumph over Kalmar.

The 26-year-old was handed her eighth start of the season since she arrived this summer from English outfit Brighton and went on to give a good account of herself in front of goal against Pitea.

Magnus Olsson's team made a strong start to the contest as Jennie Nordin set up Umotong to net what proved to be the winner after just 12 minutes.

Umotong was in action for 76 minutes and has now scored three goals in 12 appearances in all competitions this season for Vaxjo.

Besides Umotong, Ugandan star Violah Nambi was also in action for the final 24 minutes of the encounter as a second-half replacement for the Nigerian and she came close to scoring twice.

On the other hand, Nigeria's Faith Micheal featured from the start to finish of the match for Pitea but could not rescue her side from a 10th defeat this season.

The result moved Vaxjo out of relegation waters to the 10th position with 18 points from 18 matches, while Pitea dropped to 11th on the log with 16 points from the same number of games.

Umotong will hope to help Vaxjo continue their survival quest when they take on Uppsala on October 17, while Micheal's Pitea will aim to bounce back against Eskilstuna United the following day.

Moussa Zouwairatou scored her first brace for Neman as they thrashed Botsor 13-0 in Sunday's Belarusian Women's Football Championship fixture at Grodno Indoor Arena.

The 19-year-old midfielder continued her impressive form for Denis Levchenko’s team since she arrived in January from Cameroon women’s top-flight outfit Vent du Nord de Garoua.

Going into the contest, Neman aimed to extend their unbeaten run after a third win in a row in a recent 5-0 win against Dnepr Mogilev.

Siarheichyk Lizaveta set the ball rolling for Neman with the opener after just nine minutes of action before she went on to net her second and third in the 20th and 23rd minutes, respectively.

Dudko Katsiaryna added the fourth for the hosts four minutes later before she increased the tally to five on the brink of half-time.

A minute after the restart, Verkhalaitsava Katsiaryna ensured the Levchenko’s goal-hungry team earned their sixth of the match before Khvesko Diana made it seven in the 69th minute.

Katsiaryna bagged her second and third goal of the match to raise Neman's tally to nine before the 78th minute before Zouwairatou netted her first and second goal in the space of four minutes.

A minute from regulation time, Dolmatova Polina got on the scoresheet with the 12th goal of the contest for the hosts before Katsiaryna bagged a quadruple before the blast of the whistle.

Zouwairatou, who has now scored six goals in 19 appearances this term featured for 57th minutes before Karolina Zhitko took her place.

Nigeria's Otuwe was in action for the duration, while Cote d’Ivoire defender Mickaela Koutouan was in action for 81 minutes before she was replaced by compatriot Zote Nina Kpaho.

The victory keeps Neman in the third position on the log with 27 points from 19 matches and they will seek to close the gap against Minsk when the two teams clash on November 1.

Gareth Southgate praised England’s resilience in their 2-1 win against Belgium, saying the players “have to suffer” to win such big games.

The Three Lions fell behind to Romelu Lukaku’s early penalty at Wembley, but Marcus Rashford levelled from the spot before the break.

Mason Mount then put England ahead with a deflected strike midway through the second half, with Southgate’s side holding on for a fine victory against the world’s number one ranked side.

It is Belgium’s first defeat for nearly two years and another impressive scalp for the Three Lions, who beat Spain during their run to the Nations League finals in 2019.

Southgate was particularly impressed with the battling qualities displayed by his side and hopes they can maintain those characteristics ahead of next summer’s European Championship.

“It was a top level game. We had a lot of young players there for whom that was a really great experience," he told Sky Sports.

"Belgium are a top side and we knew the questions they would ask us down the sides. In the first half, they overloaded us in wide areas and they caused us problems.

"The penalty gave us a foothold and our second half performance was so compact without the ball. In these games, you can’t just play with the ball. Against the very best, the detail of how you defend has to be bang on.

"We had to see that spell through and we had the resilience to do that. You have to suffer to win these big games and the players did that.”

One of the factors behind England’s improved performance in the second half was their ability to shackle Lukaku, who had been central to most of Belgium’s attacking play during the opening period.

Southgate admitted England could have done more to limit the Inter striker’s threat during the opening 45 minutes.

"We were getting caught in transition and he was getting balls played straight into him,” he added.

“We shouldn’t have got caught on the penalty. We should have been positionally better. But to ride that storm and to respond how we did was really impressive.”

The three points puts England top of their Nations Group having taken seven points from their opening three games.

Southgate, though, is keen to keep his players’ feet on the ground, with a clash with Denmark to come at Wembley on Wednesday.

"We’ve got loads that we can get better on. We’re not carried away by this win and need to back it up against Denmark,” said Southgate.

“The quality of our opponent is what we aspire to on a consistent basis.”

Amiens defender Nicholas Opoku is racing against time to be fit for Ghana's international friendly tie against Qatar on Monday.

The centre-back's chances of taking to the pitch against the 2022 World Cup hosts have been hit by an injury picked up while in action in the Black Stars' 3-0 loss to Mali in a first test game on Friday.

He was substituted in the 67th minute, his place taken by Joseph Aidoo.

"Ghana defender Nicholas Opoku is not likely to feature in Monday’s game against Qatar after suffering a bruised muscle in his right leg in Friday’s 3-0 loss to Mali," the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced on its official website.

"Opoku hobbled off in the 79th minute after he went in for a tackle against Mali striker Coulibaly Lassana and was replaced by Joseph Aidoo.

"The medical team of the Black Stars led by Prof. Dr. Chris Adomako is currently working to get him back to full fitness.

"Ghana will on Monday play against Asian Champions Qatar in another friendly game at the Titanic sports complex in Antalya, Turkey."

Celta Vigo defender Aidoo, Hoffenheim man Kasim Adams Nuhu, France-born Alexander Djiku or Amiens team-mate Emmanuel Lomotey could slot into Opoku's position in CK Akonnor's starting XI against Qatar should the former Berekum Chelsea ace lose his fitness battle.

Looking to cement a regular place in the national set-up, the latest injury could become the 23-year-old's second major challenge to his international ambitions after he was forced to miss the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt last year due to injury.

He returned to the Black Stars for a double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in November last year but watched both games from the bench.

Opoku's French club Amiens will be keeping an eye on his situation in the Ghana camp, the centre-back being a key member of their squad in their push for elite division promotion.

Signed on loan from Serie A outfit Udinese in August, he has featured in all league games played since his arrival at the second tier fold.

After the international break, Amiens face Grenoble in their next game, with hopes of having Opoku back in action.

Pitso Mosimane extended his unbeaten start to three matches as Al Ahly drew 0-0 with Pyramids in the Egyptian Premier League match on Sunday.

The South African tactician's assistant and compatriot Cavin Johnson sat on Al Ahly bench for the first time. 

Pyramids were expected to present Mosimane with his biggest challenge since he took over the reins at the Red Devils earlier this month.

Al Ahly's opponents were previously known as Al Assiouty Sport before Saudi Sports Authority chairman Turki Al Sheikh took over the club in May 2018 and renamed it Pyramids.

The Red Devils came into the encounter having won just one of their last five matches against the Egyptian Premier League big spenders across all competitions. 

Al Ahly were banking on their great form as they were undefeated in their last 12 competitive matches and they were also enjoying a five-match winning run.

The team was without Marwan Mohsen, who netted a brace in the previous match against ENPPI in midweek and Mosimane replaced him with Mahmoud Kahraba. 

The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach also recalled Amr Al Sulaya back to the starting line-up after he relegated to the bench as Al Ahly thrashed ENPPI 3-0.

However, Mosimane's side suffered two blows in the first half as Kahraba went down injured and he was replaced by towering Senegalese centre forward Aliou Badji.

Al Sulaya was then given a straight red card and the Red Devils were reduced to 10 players and the hosts had to redouble their efforts. 

Despite being numerically advantaged, Al Ahly continued to attack as they looked to break the deadlock and they were awarded a penalty on the stroke of haft-time.

However, Mohamed Magdy Afsha was denied by Pyramids goalkeeper Al Mahdi Soliman and the two teams were locked at 0-0 at the interval.

Mosimane made a tactically change at the beginning of the second half by withdrawing Badji and he introduced midfielder Ahmed El Sheikh as he packed his midfield.

Al Ahly were able to contain Pyramids until the match referee blew the final whistle and the two teams shared the spoils following a 0-0 draw.

The Red Devils, who have already won the Egyptian Premier League title, have now turned their attention to their Caf Champions League semi-final tie with Wydad Casablanca.

The first-leg encounter will take place at Stade Mohamed V in Morocco on Saturday, October 17 and the second-leg clash is scheduled to be played in Cairo on Friday, October 23.

France and Portugal remain locked together at the top of Nations League Group A3 after playing out a goalless draw at the Stade de France.

Facing each other for the first time since Eder proved Portugal's unlikely hero in the final of Euro 2016 at the same venue, a pair of all-star attacks found no way through against similarly elite defences.

Didier Deschamps' hosts, who enjoyed the backing of 1,000 socially distanced fans within the cavernous arena, were unable to relocate the free-scoring form that saw them demolish Ukraine 7-1 in a midweek friendly.

Portugal followed up their 0-0 draw against Spain with another stalemate, although Pepe thought he had headed a 74th-minute winner, only to see the offside flag raised.

Lucas Hernandez made a last-ditch block to deny Cristiano Ronaldo on the end of Bernardo Silva's deft 24th-minute flick – the opening exchanges having been easy on the eye without yielding much in the way of goalmouth action.

Antoine Griezmann drifted in between Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro latch on to Paul Pogba's floated pass and fire at Hugo Lloris, while Joao Felix incurred Ronaldo's wrath at the other end by flinging himself at Bruno Fernandes' free-kick to divert it away from the Juventus superstar.

Kylian Mbappe looked to rip the game open early in the second half, beating Danilo Pereira with a brilliant piece of skill, but Rui Patricio saved his dinked effort well.

Ronaldo uncharacteristically misjudged a half-volleyed attempt from Guerreiro's searching cross and it was an unerring set-piece delivery from the Borussia Dortmund man that picked out a stooping Pepe, whose celebrations were correctly cut short.

A more familiar match-winner almost presented himself in stoppage time, but Lloris got down sharply to repel Ronaldo at his near post.

What does it mean? All to play for in the return

Despite the lack of a decisive moment, this was a high-class encounter with some of Europe's finest talents catching the eye. Portugal and France have seven points from their three matches and expect them to add three more apiece before meeting again next month.

What's next?

France travel to Croatia on Wednesday, when Portugal host Sweden.

Italy missed the opportunity to take a commanding lead at the top of Nations League Group A1 as an inability to finish off chances saw them held to a 0-0 draw by Poland in Gdansk on Sunday.

Roberto Mancini's men extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches across all competitions, though they will be frustrated that they were unable to go three points clear of the Netherlands given the quality of their openings.

Italy posed the greater threat throughout but were particularly wasteful in the first half, with Federico Chiesa and Lorenzo Pellegrini spurning two glorious opportunities in an entertaining opening 45 minutes.

Poland managed to tighten up a little in the second period, though they again had a let-off when Emerson Palmieri headed agonisingly wide and that proved to be Italy's last clear-cut chance.

Italy enjoyed a positive start and should have consolidated their position in the ascendancy by taking an 11th-minute lead, but Chiesa inexplicably shot over from close range after meeting Andrea Belotti's inch-perfect cross.

Poland sprang to life at the other end shortly after. Robert Lewandowski's left-wing delivery looked sure to be turned in by Kamil Jozwiak, only for Emerson to clear the danger in the nick of time.

The hosts had another fortunate escape 10 minutes before the interval as a low cross from the right found its way through to Pellegrini in the centre of the box, but he could not get enough on the ball and Lukasz Fabianski gathered gratefully.

Poland began the second period brightly and went close through Jakub Moder – his fierce effort from a tricky angle just outside the area forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma into a necessary save.

Italy remained the dominant force, though Poland became even tougher to break down.

Nevertheless, the visitors did work another glorious opening just past the hour, as Emerson met Chiesa's cross and failed to hit the target with his header.

Poland almost nicked the three points right at the end, but Karol Linetty slammed into the side-netting after being teed up by Grzegorz Krychowiak.

What does it mean? Azzurri their own worst enemies

On the whole, there was much to like about Italy's performance. Their shot count of 17 was far superior to the hosts' four, while they had 61 per cent of the ball.

The issue was their finishing – just two shots hit the target, while they passed up three wonderful opportunities to open the scoring.

Victory would have given them an extremely healthy three-point lead over the Dutch, whom they face next.

Verratti in control

Marco Verratti's commanding midfield performances are no new phenomenon, but they are always a joy to behold. Once again he was a cut above for Italy here, on and off the ball.

In possession he attempted (96) and completed (84) more passes than anyone else on the pitch, with 60 played in the attacking half, while he made a team-high four tackles and 12 recoveries.

A rare quiet day for Lewandowski

It would be harsh to be too critical of Lewandowski's display given the service to him was not great, but Poland were by no means playing with 11 men behind the ball. The Bayern Munich striker was unable to inspire here, failing to register a single shot while only Sebastian Szymanski (22) had fewer touches than Lewandowski (32) of the hosts' starting line-up.

What's next?

Both teams are in Nations League action again on Wednesday, with Italy hosting the Netherlands and Poland welcoming Bosnia-Herzegovina in Wroclaw.

Erling Haaland continued his stunning goalscoring form with a hat-trick in Norway's 4-0 win over Romania but was quick to praise team-mate Martin Odegaard, warning there is much more to come from the young duo.

Lars Lagerback's side bounced back from their Euro 2020 play-off loss to Serbia on Thursday with a resounding Nations League triumph, with Haaland the star of the show.

The Borussia Dortmund striker has scored 17 goals in 18 Bundesliga appearances and now has six in as many outings on the international stage.

Two of the 20-year-old's goals on Sunday were assisted by Odegaard, who is just a year older, and Haaland was keen to share the credit.

"I just have to pay tribute to him a little. Finally he came to his senses and played the ball to me," he joked after interrupting Odegaard's interview with TV2, with the Real Madrid midfielder suggesting he could share the match ball.

"Yes, I can simply split it in two," added Haaland. 

"It's nice to play with Odegaard. It will only get better in the years to come. We are still young."

Odegaard revealed what a luxury it is to play with Haaland, who has perfected the timing of his runs to make the most of any passes in behind.

"We know that it's just [a case of] getting the ball in behind," said Odegaard.

"He starts perfectly every time and almost never goes offside. He times it well and always gets there first."

Coach Lagerback was also quick to join in with the praise, adding of Haaland: "He is still very young.

"It's unfair to compare players, but I've never had a striker who has been as far ahead as him. 

"He holds a high international class. But if you wait a little longer, I will compare with other players."

Norway are in first position in Nations League group B1 - ahead of Austria on goal difference - as they attempt to earn promotion back to Group A for the next edition of the tournament.

Bafana Bafana suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Zambia's Chipolopolo in the final match of their preparation for next month's Afcon qualifiers against Sao Tome. 

Keagan Dolly opened the scoring for South Africa in the 66th minute but Kelvin Mubanga Kampamba equalised before Chaniza Zulu sealed the win for Micho Sredojevic's men. 

This was Sredojeevic's first visit to the country he left in August last year for Egyptian giants Zamalek. 

And the result caused social media uproar with Bafana Bafana fans calling for the national team to be disbanded. 

Coach Molefi Ntseki also didn't survive the wrath of unhappy Bafana Bafana fans as calls for him to be sacked gained momentum. 

Some shifted the blame to the hierarchy at the South African Football Association (Safa) and have called for heads to roll.

France manager Didier Deschamps was happy his side "didn't see too much" of Cristiano Ronaldo in a 0-0 draw with Portugal in their Nations League clash on Sunday. 

Ronaldo took three shots across the 90 minutes but once again failed to strike against Les Bleus, who he has now faced five times across his career without scoring. 

Portugal also played out a goalless friendly draw with Spain four days prior and are now top of their Nations League group on goal difference despite failing to fire against the French.

After conceding in their past two matches, Deschamps was happy to see France keep a clean sheet and noted Portugal's biggest threat was kept relatively quiet. 

"We can always do better, then there is the quality of the opponent too. They take precautions like us, with respect to the players opposite like Cristiano, who we didn't see too much tonight," Deschamps told M6 post-match.

"Sometimes the movements are not good, sometimes the pass comes a bit late too. The defensive sector and the midfield performed quite well. In the last phase, we have to do better to be able to win the match even if it could have been on a set piece like them they also had.

"I knew Portugal were a great team, we saw that tonight. It's better when there are goals, but hey there is quality and not just offence.

"A solid game, fairly tactical, I think we were better in the second half. We had more control but few opportunities on one side and the other. There is quality on both sides, it could have changed.

"I think we took the upper hand in the second, but without succeeding in creating a lot of shifts as they on their side created very little too."

Les Bleus started the match with a three-man midfield that included N'Golo Kante, Paul Pogba and Adrien Rabiot with Antoine Griezmann deployed slightly higher. 

Deschamps believes all four played crucial roles and allowed France to dictate the game as it progressed. 

"I cannot dissociate them from Antoine Griezmann. The three were very efficient, I find, whether in the technical accuracy, in the complementarity," he added.

"It allowed us to have control especially in the second half and more availability. On that side, I am very satisfied." 

Hugo Lloris believes France team-mate Paul Pogba demonstrated his strong leadership in a 0-0 draw with Portugal on Sunday. 

After struggling with injuries, the Manchester United star has returned to the Les Bleus set-up after nearly a year out and hasn't taken long to remind his team-mates of what he can offer. 

Starting alongside N'Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot in midfield, Pogba played the full 90 minutes and took an equal-game high three shots. 

Watching the action from France's goal, Lloris liked what he saw from Pogba, who made sure his presence was felt out on the pitch. 

"Very present, he wanted the ball. He put on his voice. He is a leader, and we felt it. After a year of absence, we felt him in the legs. But he was fine," Lloris told M6 about Pogba.

On the game itself, the Spurs shot-stopper added: “There was a high quality opponent in front. In the second half, we played higher and there was a lot more activity.

"In the first half there was a tendency to retreat, perhaps because of the fear. Afterwards, there was quality in the other side. Everyone had their period.

"In the last 30 metres, we lacked sharpness. We would have preferred to win, but it’s a solid performance." 

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Rabiot played alongside Pogba in midfield and believes Les Bleus' main problem against Portugal was a lack of attacking freedom. 

"There is satisfaction, and disappointment too because we could have done better," Rabiot told L'Equipe TV.

"Defensively we were solid, but offensively we played with the brake. We didn’t totally let go. In the second period, we had more control and we should have supported more. 

"I felt good. I arrived in the group late. The coach told me that I will play, and I felt good. I am confident. I tried to give the maximum. Personally, I am happy. We will try to quickly move on."

France had won their previous five matches and this was the first time they failed to score in match since a 2-0 loss against Turkey in June 2019. 

The goalless draw sees Portugal stay top of their Nations League group on goal difference with France second and Croatia four points adrift in third. 

Mamelodi Sundowns have parted ways with the midfield duo of Lucky Mohomi and Jose Ali Meza. 

The news was confirmed by Sundowns' legal and commercial manager Yogesh Singh in an interview with City Press, the publication reports. 

Mohomi had been expected to leave the Brazilians following a frustrating three-year spell with the club. 

In September 2019, the former Free State Stars man revealed how Pitso Mosimane, his coach at the time, convinced him to stay and fight for his place in the Sundowns team after he had requested to, at least, be loaned out. 

This was Mohomi's attempt to search for a club that would give him regular game time as it became evident that competition for places was tougher with the likes of Hlompho Kekana, Tiyani Mabunda, Rivaldo Coetzee and Andile Jali ahead of him in the pecking order. 

The same competition forced Oupa Manyisa to leave Sundowns upon the expiry of his contract in June. 

The arrival of George Maluleka and Lesedi Kapinga among other new players brought in by the Tshwane giants meant Mohomi's chances of playing regularly were non-existent.  

Mohomi was previously linked with a possible move to SuperSport United and it remains to be seen if the Sundowns neighbours will rekindle interest in the Mamelodi-born midfielder now that he's a free agent, especially after losing Dean Furman in June.

Meanwhile, Ali Meza's departure from the Brazilians comes as a shock after he appeared to have done enough to cement his place in the starting line-up in the final matches of last season. 

This after a tough start to the campaign where he almost joined Maritzburg United on-loan during the January transfer window.

However, reports, at the time, suggested the Team of Choice had requested to assess Ali Meza before any deal could be signed.

Sundowns and Meza rejected the proposal and the Venezuelan attacking midfielder had no choice but stay and honour his contract with the Chloorkop-based outfit.

But fresh local media reports claim talks between Ali Meza and Maritzburg are at an advanced stage.

Singh told City Press that more players will leave Sundowns to open space for the new signings, adding that they have already engaged several clubs who could take some players on loan just like how Cape Town City and Swallows FC did with Aubrey Ngoma and Sammy Seabi.  

"We are also talking to other clubs as more players will be going out," confirmed Singh.  

A Goal source confirmed that both Mohomi and Ali Meza are have left the club, saying the club will make an announcement in the near future. 

"Yes, Lucky and Jose are no longer with the team but the club will release an official statement in the near future," the source told Goal. 

England boss Gareth Southgate has confirmed flying full-back Ben Chilwell is in doubt to play against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League match at Wembley on Wednesday.

The Chelsea star was absent from the 2-1 win against Belgium on Sunday with a virus unrelated to coronavirus, as Kieran Tripper was drafted in to the left wing-back role.

Chilwell created controversy earlier in the international window with the 23-year-old joining Jadon Sancho and Tammy Abraham in not being selected for the victory against Wales after the trio were photographed breaking Covid-19 restrictions at the latter's birthday party in London.

Speaking after the victory against Belgium, Southgate explained Chilwell had been training by himself but he would need to be examined ahead of the Denmark match following his isolation from the rest of the group.

"Ben reported to the hotel today," Southgate said. "He did a training session on his own.

"We've just got to assess where he's at because he hasn't been able to train through the week.

"So, there's a little bit of assessment needed over the next couple of days but he is with the group now."

Chilwell's Chelsea career got off to a flying start with the ex-Leicester City man scoring and assisting on debut in the 4-0 thumping of Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on October 3.

Abraham's surprise 23rd birthday party - which was held after the Blues victory - saw Chilwell in footage breaking social distancing guidelines alongside his Chelsea team-mate and Dortmund star Sancho.

Prior to England's match against Wales, Southgate admonished the trio for their actions and explained that the Three Lions were keen to follow all guidelines set for to prevent the spread of the virus.

"I think the players have already accepted they were in the wrong," he said. "They had broken those lockdown guidelines that were there. I have to be careful being on my moral high-horse when we aren't in camp with the team.

"We do have an issue with the Covid guidelines and making sure any players that comes in is as lower risk as possible. We are having to monitor the players, they are being tested today and tomorrow, we have to check for further symptoms. They obviously miss the game v Wales."

Premier League club West Ham United have agreed on a deal with Championship side Brentford for the signing of Said Benrahma.

The deal for the signing of the centre-forward is believed to be close to £30 million according to Sky Sports.  

The 25-year-old delivered spectacular performances for the Bees in the 2019-20 season, scoring 17 goals in 43 league games to help the club reach the playoff final, where they lost against Fulham.

The Algeria international eye-catching showings generated interests from a number of Premier League clubs including Chelsea and Arsenal.

The forward, however, failed to make his dream move to the English top-flight before the end of the main transfer window.

The attacker will now hope to reach personal terms with the Hammers before the end of the domestic window between Premier League and EFL clubs on Friday.

Benrahma moved to England in the summer of 2018 when he teamed up with Brentford from Ligue 1 side Nice.

The forward has since bagged more than 27 goals across all competitions for the Bees since his arrival at the club.

Benrahma, who has four caps for the Algeria national team, is currently on international duty with the North Africans side and featured in their 1-0 victory over Nigeria in Austria on Friday.

He will also be expected to play a part when the African champions take on Mexico in their second friendly on Tuesday.

Benrahma will hope to sort out his career on his return to England after the international break.

Should his move to West Ham be successful, the forward would link up with the Democratic Republic of the Congo international Arthur Masuaku at the club.

The Hammers narrowly escaped relegation last season after finishing 16th in the Premier League.

In the current campaign, David Moyes' men have won two games and lost two in four matches to be placed 10th. 

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and Arsenal forward Mesut Ozil have added their voices to those calling for an end to the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigeria Police Force, which has since been disbanded by the government.

SARS have been accused of unlawful arrests, torture and killings, which has sparked mass protests across the country.

Images of those protests as well as of some of the alleged activities of SARS have been widely shared on social media, meaning the issue gained worldwide attention.

The #EndSARS hashtag gained traction on social media, with a number of well-known celebrities, sports stars and sports clubs responding by calling for change.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright, Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and Serie A side Roma tweeted their support earlier this week to show solidarity for Nigerians.

Gunners star Ozil has now added his voice to those calling for change, tweeting: “Horrible to hear what’s been going on in Nigeria. Let's make this a trending topic everywhere. #EndSARS - My thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected.”

Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham, who has Nigerian heritage, tweeted: “Dear Nigeria #EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutality”

Abraham’s England team-mate Rashford then replied to Abraham’s tweet, adding: “My thoughts and prayers with all of those affected.”

Earlier this week, the federal government promised to reform the police unit, but citizens are demanding more than reorganisation, with a disbanding of SARS the goal of the protesters, who feel previous efforts to reform the police have not resulted in genuine change.

With the protests showing no sign of abating, it was confirmed on Sunday that the government had agreed to the protestors' demands, with a presidential directive disbanding SARS with immediate effect.

A government statement read: "The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force has been dissolved with immediate effect.

“All officers and men of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) are to be redeployed with immediate effect.

“A new policing arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps the dissolution of SARS will cause is being worked on and will be announced by the Nigeria Police Force.”

Tout Mazembe defender Kabaso Chongo has refuted claims discipline issues led to his release from the Zambia national team.

Shortly before Chipolopolo flew to South Africa for a friendly match, Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) confirmed that the skipper will not be part of the team as he stood released from the camp for undeclared reasons.

Chongo was the captain of the former African champions when they played and lost against Kenya on Friday.

“First and foremost I would like to clear all rumours and stories going on that I have been sent away from camp over discipline issues,” Chongo wrote on his Facebook page.

“I didn’t want to talk about this but it has come to my attention and I will clear everything up. I didn’t do anything wrong in camp as many of you expected and thought it was.

“I have no issues with the coach. On the day we were supposed to travel to South Africa at the airport the head coach just called me and told me that you are dropped from the national team and I was surprised and shocked.

“When I asked what I did, no clear response was given to me. All I received was best wishes in my career.

“At the moment I’m in South Africa at a different hotel with my friends, I wait for further details on my travelling program.”

The Zambian also hinted his time with the national team might have to come to an end.

“I would like to thank the national team coach and entire technical team,” he added.

“I also want to thank the Football Association of Zambia for giving me the opportunity to represent the country and not forgetting my mates who I have worked with at the national team.

“Not forgetting the entire supporters who have stood with me. May God almighty be with you always.”

When FAZ confirmed the release of the defender, they did not expressly state why they had to take the decision.

“The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) wishes to inform the football family that Chipolopolo skipper [Kabaso] Chongo has been excused from the ongoing international friendly matches for technical reasons,” FAZ said on Saturday.

“Following the decision of the technical bench, Chongo will not proceed with the rest of the team to South Africa where they will play Bafana Bafana on Sunday in Rustenburg.

“All the parties involved have been informed with Chipolopolo coach Milutin Sredojevic wishing the player all the best in his career.”

Chongo’s exit comes after Clatous Chama and Obrey Chirwa raised issues for failure to turn up for national duties leading to temporary suspension.