Looking for Soccer News?

Ronald Koeman says Luis Suarez could have stayed at Barcelona to prove him wrong instead of moving to Atletico Madrid.

The Uruguayan attacker was deemed surplus to requirements after the Catalan side's disappointing 2019-20 campaign and subsequently joined Diego Simeone's team after seeing a move to Juventus fall through.

Suarez had spent a successful six-year spell at Camp Nou, winning the Champions League along with four La Liga titles among other trophies, and managed to net 21 times in 36 appearances in all competitions in his final season at the club.

The 33-year-old had a bright start to his Atleti career when he scored two and set up another in his debut appearance.

Koeman says he was happy with the former Ajax and Liverpool star and maintains he did not have to leave if he did not want to.

"In the case of Suarez, it had become very difficult for him to start playing and I made that known to him. He found it difficult, but I never had any trouble with him at all," Koeman told NOS.

"He trained normally, trained well. He finally made the choice to leave and I said: 'If you don't leave, for whatever reason, then you are just one of the group, then you can prove that I was wrong'. He could have stayed, yes.

"I'm good with Luis, but the club felt that we had to rejuvenate. You can see that now in the team. Ansu Fati plays, he is 17 years old. We have Pedri, 17 years old, who gets his chances. Ronald Araujo is there at the age of 21. Trincao falls in a lot and is 20 years old, and we have taken Sergino Dest, who is 19. Those are all players for the future."

Lionel Messi criticised the club's decision to push Suarez out, taking to Instagram to tell his former team-mate that he deserved better treatment.

Koeman says he understood the Argentina star's frustration and says he has discussed the situation with him.

"If you have someone in the locker room with whom you and your wife and children also hang out outside football, then such a reaction makes sense.

"I also said that to Messi: 'I understand that you are disappointed and think it is a terrible shame that he is leaving, but these are choices of the club'."

Messi also wanted to leave Barca before the season started, though he decided to stay because he did not want to take the club to court over the issue.

Koeman says the 33-year-old has performed well despite his disappointment and is happy with his conduct.

"After signing here, I immediately contacted Leo. I went to his house and talked to him about his future," he added.

"He was clear about his dissatisfaction. In the end it worked out well and from the moment he indicated: 'I'm going for it', he has done everything I expect of him."

South Africa captain Thulani Hlatshwayo has admitted that his colleagues did not showcase their best as they lost 2-1 to Zambia in an international friendly match on Sunday.

Keagan Dolly opened the scoreline for Bafana six minutes after the hour mark before substitutes Kelvin Kampamba and Chaniza Zulu came on with goals to claim victory for Chipolopolo.

It was the right tonic for Zambia as they prepare for back-to-back 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Botswana in November.

But for South Africa, it was a disappointing result as they gear up to face Sao Tome e Principe in next month’s home and away Afcon qualfiers.

Bafana skipper Hlatshwayo was not pleased with the way his charges performed as they failed to win after sharing a 1-1 draw with Namibia three days earlier.

“As from the first match we conceded from corner kicks, you can see they were coming at us,” said Hlatshwayo as per SABC.

“We spoke about it that Zambia will come at us, they will keep on running. They came behind us and we had to control the space.

"We ended up conceding a lot of corner kicks like in the first match. They wanted it more than us.

“Looking at us, according to our to our strengths; we are skilful and pacey players we could not execute on those things.”

It was an almost new side for Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki as he fielded some players who did not feature in Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Namibia.

The introduction of the likes of Hlatshwayo, Andile Jali, Themba Zwane and Percy at Tau hinted to the best squad Ntseki could assemble.

The Football Supporters’ Association has slammed plans to reform the structure of English Football, saying the proposals have been “stitched up behind our backs by billionaire club owners” who treat football as their “personal fiefdom”.

English Football League (EFL) chairman Rick Parry along with Liverpool and Manchester United are leading the proposals that would see the Premier League cut from 20 teams to 18.

The EFL would also be given a £250 million ($326m) bailout to cover the losses suffered as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, while The Football Association would receive a one-off £100m ($130m) payment to help deal with the Covid-19 crisis.

However, in exchange, the Premier League's nine longest-serving teams would be granted special status and the division's 'big six' - Liverpool, United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham - would be given the collective power to make major changes.

Critics of the proposals see this as a power grab by the elite sides, who would have the power to change rules, contracts, club ownership and even remove chief executives.

The Premier League has already voiced its criticism of the plans, claiming some of the proposals could end up hurting English football.

The Football Supporters’ Association have been even more vociferous in their criticism, saying in a statement: “The Football Supporters’ Association notes with grave concern today’s press reports of proposals for a major restructure of the Premier League, with far-reaching consequences for the whole of domestic football.

“Once again it appears that big decisions in football are apparently being stitched up behind our backs by billionaire club owners who continue to treat football as their personal fiefdom. Football is far more than a business to be carved up; it is part of our communities and our heritage, and football fans are its lifeblood. As football’s most important stakeholders, it is crucial that fans are consulted and involved in the game’s decision-making.

“We have welcomed the government’s commitment to a ‘fan-led review of the governance of football’; we would argue that today’s revelations have made that process even more relevant and urgent.

“We will of course study the detail of the new proposals, we remain open-minded to any suggestions for the improvement of the governance and organisation of the game, whatever their source, and we will continue to engage constructively in all discussions around reform. We would however emphasise that in our discussions so far, very few of our members have ever expressed the view that what football really needs is a greater concentration of power in the hands of the big six billionaire-owned clubs.”

The UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport were also critical of the plans, labelling them “backroom deals” that would create a “closed shop” at the top of English football.

"We are surprised and disappointed that at a time of crisis when we have urged the top tiers of professional football to come together and finalise a deal to help lower league clubs, there appear to be backroom deals being cooked up that would create a closed shop at the very top of the game," a DCMS spokesperson said.

"Sustainability, integrity and fair competition are absolutely paramount and anything that may undermine them is deeply troubling. Fans must be front of all our minds, and this shows why our fan led review of football governance will be so critical."

Ronald Koeman has not given up hope of bringing Memphis Depay to Barcelona and has confirmed he also wanted to sign Georginio Wijnaldum in the summer transfer window.

Barca tried to lure Lyon star Depay to Camp Nou, but were unable to get a deal over the line before the transfer period came to an end on Monday.

Lyon sporting director Juninho confirmed last week that the Netherlands international had reached an agreement to join the Catalan outfit, but the two sides could not reach an agreement over a fee.

The 26-year-old attacker, who is in the final year of his contract, said that "certain rules" prevented him from making the move and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says he expects Depay to try to reunite with former Netherlands boss Koeman when the window opens in January.

The attacker is confident more offers to come in the next transfer window, though he has not ruled out staying at Lyon for the remainder of the campaign.

Koeman, meanwhile, has suggested he is still eager to bring the ex-PSV and Manchester United winger to the Blaugrana at the next opportunity.

"Hopefully, we will have a second Dutchman in the squad," he told NOS when asked about interest in Depay.

"Giorginio Wijnaldum was on my list [too]."

While Barca missed out on Depay and Wijnaldum, they did manage to sign Dutch-born U.S. international full-back Sergino Dest from Ajax before the close of the transfer period.

And Koeman has dismissed claims that Barca are in danger of replicating Louis van Gaal's era in charge when as many as eight Dutch players were part of the senior squad.

"That was extreme. I don't think you can compare that with the current situation," he said when asked about comparisons to the Barca team of 1999.

"Now we have Frenkie de Jong. With Alfred Schreuder and myself on staff, we are two Dutchmen. But then there were eight or nine."

Barca, who have collected seven points from their first three games of the new La Liga campaign, will take on Getafe when they return to domestic duty next Saturday before turning their attention to the Champions League, in which they will host Hungarian side Ferencvaros on October 20.

Daniel Boga, the brother and agent of Sassuolo star Jeremie, has revealed that Napoli made numerous attempts to sign the Ivorian, however, the Emilia-Romagna didn't receive an offer close to their evaluation of the player.

The 23-year-old winger was one of the most-talked-about subjects during the summer transfer window in Serie A with others in Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan all linked with him.

Napoli were, however, the ones to make on official approach to Sassuolo for Boga but they failed to meet the club’s valuation of €30 million for the player who had a hand in 15 goals (11 goals, four assists) in the Italian top-flight, which led them to an incredible eighth-place finish.

Boga was also the league’s player with the most successful dribbles per game (3.9).

Boga’s agent and brother asserts there is still room for negotiations to happen between Sassuolo and Napoli in future.

“I don't know if Napoli will try to take him again, we have to ask [Napoli sporting director Cristiano] Giuntoli,” he told Il Martino.

“Napoli tried hard to take him, but Sassuolo didn't want to sell and wanted more money. It is not certain that in the future it cannot be otherwise.

"Relations with the club are excellent, it is not Napoli's fault if they didn't get him but Sassuolo who didn't want to sell him. We will certainly talk about it again in the future."

Boga was diagnosed with coronavirus in August and finally tested negative last week.

His brother says he has put the transfer saga behind him and is ready to focus on having another good season with Sassuolo, who are unbeaten after three Serie A rounds of the new season.

“He took the last test Monday and was negative twice with the swab. He feels good, he is back to work with the group,” Daniel said on Radio Marte.

“He should be back playing in a couple of weeks. Now the market is closed, he doesn't think about it anymore, he's concentrated on Sassuolo. The objective is to do better than he did last year, then when the market returns, we will see.”

Jeremie, speaking with Telefoot, also acknowledged Napoli’s interest in him and has committed to staying put with Sassuolo for this season.

“There have been several contacts with Napoli, but also with Rennes and other German clubs,” the former Chelsea player stated. “In the end, however, I decided to stay at Sassuolo.

“I confronted the club and we came to this conclusion. The club is ambitious and staying another year in Sassuolo is the right choice.”

Mason Mount's deflected strike earned England a 2-1 Nations League victory over a Belgium side who suffered defeat for the first time in almost two years.

Belgium beat England twice at the 2018 World Cup and were ahead after 15 minutes at Wembley through Romelu Lukaku's penalty, awarded when the Inter forward was brought down by Eric Dier.

It was the first goal Gareth Southgate's side had conceded in a year but they drew level before the interval, Thomas Meunier conceding a soft spot-kick from which Marcus Rashford scored.

Having spent much of the first half on the back foot, England looked reinvigorated for the second period and got their reward when Mount's shot looped off Toby Alderweireld and beyond Simon Mignolet's reach, as the world's top-ranked footballing nation were beaten for the first time since November 2018.

Yannick Carrasco lashed home what appeared to be an 11th-minute opener, but Timothy Castagne was adjudged offside in a position that was obstructing the view of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The hosts were looking to keep a seventh consecutive clean sheet, which would have constituted an England record, but those hopes were scuppered when Dier felled Lukaku in the box and the forward picked himself up to convert the spot-kick.

Lukaku produced a dominant display that summed up Belgium's early control of the contest, with England struggling to get a foot on the ball or lay a finger on the former Manchester United star.

But Southgate's side were handed a route back into the match when Jordan Henderson went down under minimal contact from Meunier and Rashford confidently fired home from 12 yards.

Belgium saw a 12-game winning run halted with Thursday's 1-1 draw versus Ivory Coast, while England were seeking a 20th win from 21 home matches, ensuring neither side was likely to willingly budge an inch in the second half.

It was England who started the period with a greater purpose but it took until the 64th minute for the next goal to arrive, Mount's shot ricocheting off Alderweireld and over Mignolet.

Roberto Martinez's men tried to force the issue inside the final 20 minutes, with Carrasco stabbing narrowly wide and Lukaku thwarted soon after, while substitute Harry Kane missed an excellent headed chance at the other end.

What does it mean? England grind it out

On paper, England's starting line-up appeared to lack a creative edge and that was borne out in a first-half display in which the hosts produced just two shots.

But the Three Lions stuck at their task, stayed in the contest and ensured their organisation and rigid shape were strengths rather than hindrances. 

Belgium's own creative talents failed to create a goal from open play, which will be a source of huge pride for Southgate, whose side top Group A2.

What's next?

England host Denmark on Wednesday, having been held to a 0-0 draw in Copenhagen, while Belgium head to Iceland after thrashing the same opposition 5-1 on home soil.

Frank de Boer is still waiting for his first goal since taking charge of the Netherlands after his side laboured to a 0-0 Nations League draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Having started his reign with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Mexico in Amsterdam, De Boer - appointed after Ronald Koeman's departure to take charge at Barcelona – saw the Netherlands dominate possession and territory in Zenica. 

However, they lacked a cutting edge as Bosnia-Herzegovina - knocked out of the Euro 2020 play-offs on penalties by Northern Ireland on Thursday – stood firm to earn a point from the Group A1 clash. 

Luuk de Jong – selected in place of the suspended Memphis Depay – came close to a breakthrough, his downward header forcing a superb save from goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic, while Ryan Babel spurned a glorious opportunity in added time.

A draw was hardly a surprise, though. Neither team had managed an attempt on target in a first half that saw plenty of intent but a distinct lack of quality, with the action barely improving after the interval. 

Stefan de Vrij wastefully headed wide from an early free-kick, though the defender make an important impact in his own penalty area later on, producing a well-timed challenge to block Amer Gojak's attempt. 

The Netherlands pinned their opponents in deep for long periods, yet Bosnia-Herzegovina looked the more likely to make a breakthrough as the minutes ticked by.

Edin Dzeko's introduction from the bench made a difference, his run and square pass allowing Miralem Pjanic to take aim with a firm drive that finally forced goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen into a save in the 69th minute.

At the other end, Sehic reacted smartly to prevent Frenkie de Jong's effort, then showed great agility to keep out namesake Luuk from the resulting corner.

The home keeper should have been beaten in the closing stages, though, when a loose ball fell kindly to Babel in the area, only for the substitute to rather sum up the performance by wastefully shooting wide.

What does it mean? Frank assessment over scoring issues 

A lack of goals will be a concern for De Boer; he becomes the third Netherlands coach not to see the Oranje score in his first two games at the helm, after Danny Blind and Guus Hiddink. 

Having lost out in the inaugural Nations League final to Portugal, the Netherlands will need to improve – and quickly – if they are to go so far in the second edition of the UEFA tournament. Having had 69 per cent of possession, they should have done better.

Dzeko shows his worth 

Having played 120 minutes against Northern Ireland, Dzeko was understandably spared from starting again. Still, the striker showed his worth during a lively cameo, including laying on the solitary on-target attempt Bosnia-Herzegovina managed in a largely defensive display. 

No Dutch delight for De Jong 

Luuk de Jong was not able to fully capitalise on the opportunity presented to him with Depay absent. The Sevilla forward had just 31 total touches and saw Sehic dive to keep out his solitary attempt during proceedings. 

What's next? 

The Netherlands have a trip to Italy – who won the reverse fixture on Dutch soil in the competition – to come on Wednesday, that game taking place at the same time Bosnia-Herzegovina tackle Poland in Wroclaw.

Hoffenheim centre-back Kevin Akpoguma has revealed he is proud to make his debut for the Nigeria national team.

The 25-year-old was born to a German mother and a Nigerian father which makes him eligible to represent both countries.

He previously starred for Germany at youth level before committing his international future to the West Africans after meeting with Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.

He was subsequently invited to the Nigeria camp, preparing for a friendly against the Desert Foxes as he awaited his clearance from Fifa.

The defender got the green light to represent the three-time African champions before their game against Algeria in Austria on Friday.

Akpoguma was afforded his first Super Eagles appearance in the encounter, replacing Twente defender Tyronne Ebuehi after the hour mark.

The centre-back gave a good account of himself but his effort was not enough to help the West African country avoid defeat.

Akpoguma has expressed his joy to make his debut for Nigeria and looks forward to better days with the Super Eagles.

“I’m very impressed and proud to be a Nigerian player fully. I’m looking forward to the best games already,” Akpoguma told the media.

“We lost [against Algeria] but we tried our best to get a point from the game because in the last 10 minutes we pressured them well but we, however, failed to get the needed equalizer.”

Nigeria will next take on Tunisia in another friendly on Tuesday before slugging it out against Sierra Leone in an African Cup of Nations qualifying game in November.

Akpoguma hopes the Super Eagles can learn from their defeat against Algeria and secure positive results in their next outings.

“It’s just a test game and I am sure the coaches have seen what we can improve on,” he continued.

“So, now we are looking forward to our next game and most importantly our Afcon qualifiers next month,” he concluded.

Akpoguma is one of the key members of Hoffenheim and has featured in more than 30 games for the side across all competitions since his arrival at the club in 2015.

Nigeria try Tunisia for size as they continue with preparations for November’s Africa Cup of Nations qualification against Sierra Leone.

Gernot Rohr’s second-string Super Eagles would be aiming to return to winning ways having bowed 1-0 to reigning African champions Algeria in their last outings.

Ramy Bensebaini’s sixth-minute strike handed the North Africans victory as coach Djamel Belmadi made it two wins from two against the three-time African kings.

Nigeria defeated Tunisia 1-0 the last time both teams met in the third-place play-off of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Cairo, courtesy of Odion Ighalo’s third-minute effort.

WHEN IS THE GAME?

The international friendly has been scheduled for 19:30 (West African Time) on Tuesday, October 13.

WHAT CHANNELS CAN I WATCH THE GAME ON TV?

WHERE IS THE CLASH OF THE TITANS?

Jacques Lehmans Arena

HOW CAN FANS GET INVOLVED?

Goal will be providing comprehensive coverage, news, interviews and features of the showdown.

Marcus Rashford reached a milestone shared by Bobby Charlton, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney when he netted England’s equaliser in their Nations League win against Belgium on Sunday.

Rashford beat Simon Mignolet from the penalty spot shortly before half-time at Wembley to cancel out Romelu Lukaku’s spot-kick opener at the other end.

It meant the 22-year-old has now scored in his last four competitive appearances for England, becoming just the fourth Manchester United player to do so after World Cup winner Charlton, former captain Beckham and all-time top scorer Rooney, who did so on two occasions.

Those four goals have been spread across almost exactly 12 months, with Rashford netting the opener in England’s 6-0 Euro 2020 qualifying win against Bulgaria on October 14, 2019.

He then scored England’s fourth goal in a 7-0 win against Montenegro the following month, as well as in a 4-0 win away at Kosovo a few days later. His goal on Sunday takes his tally to 11 in 39 appearances for the national side.

Rashford was one of nine changes to the England team from the one that eased past Wales in a friendly on Thursday, with only Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Kieran Trippier keeping their places in the side.

They did not get off to the best start, with Lukaku scoring from the spot on 16 minutes after he had been brought down by Eric Dier.

Rashford, though, levelled six minutes before the break after Jordan Henderson had been dragged back by Thomas Meunier as he attempted to get on the end of a corner.

Chelsea’s Mason Mount then scored what would prove to be the winner midway through the second half when his effort from just inside the penalty area took a wicked deflection off Toby Alderweireld and looped over Mignolet.

The result means Southgate's side have now won 20 of their last 21 competitive home games, scoring 67 goals in that time while conceding just 10.

The three points also puts England top of Nations League A Group 2, with a match against Denmark next up at Wembley on Wednesday.

Former Sofapaka striker Ronald Okoth has said coach Francis Kimanzi is capable of leading Kenya back to yet another African Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament.

Kimanzi was appointed in 2019 to take the Harambee Stars mantle from Sebastien Migne who failed to help Kenya progress in the African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers before he left.

Migne was in charge of the national team when it successfully fought for a place in the 2019 Afcon and Kimanzi was his assistant.

Kenya are in the process of looking for another slot in the African biennial tournament and Okoth believes the Kenyan Premier League-winning captain is capable of leading the Harambee Stars to Cameroon.

“Kimanzi is a capable coach who can lead us to another Afcon since he is a professional who knows what is expected and how to try and achieve his targets,” Okoth told Goal.

“It can be a huge task as many may want to put it but I know it is a task that Kimanzi can try and meet.”

The retired striker feels his former head coach just needs time to build a competitive team that is capable of mounting a meaningful campaign.

“Looking at almost everything, many factors favour him to take Kenya to Afcon once again. So, it is all about giving him time and see what he has up his sleeves,” he added.

Kenya drew with Egypt and Togo by the same 1-1 scoreline in the first two qualifiers and will face Comoros twice in November.

The former Western Stima and KCB forward also praised Kimanzi for his continued trust on Lawrence Juma, Kenneth Muguna and Samuel Olwande, who feature in the KPL.

“That shows there are players who are given an opportunity and make good use of it completely,” Okoth added. “If Muguna, Juma and Olwande have done a good job then it is proof that what the other players just need is trust and a chance to play.

“It is an encouragement for the player seeing their fellow local-based lads are getting enough time to feature for Harambee Stars. Kimanzi is taking a good step in the right direction and it is a vindication we have got talent in our local competition.”

Gor Mahia’s Muguna assisted Cliff Nyakeya to score the second goal against Zambia which Kenya won 2-1 on Friday.

Zambia international Barbra Banda has emerged as the Chinese Women's Super League top scorer for the 2020 season. 

Following Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to holders Jiangsu Suning, Shanghai missed a spot in the final but they went on to claim the bronze medal.

The 20-year-old wrapped up her debut season on a high as she scored the opener in Shanghai's 3-1 triumph over Beijing Phoenix in the third-place match in Kunming on Sunday.

To avoid finishing the season empty-handed, Banda raced through the middle of the opponents' defence before scoring with a brilliant instep for Shanghai after just seven minutes.

Six minutes from half-time, Shanghai pushed forward for more and Zhao Yingying's header doubled the lead from a corner kick. 

Fifteen minutes after the break, rampant Shanghai continued from where they left off as they notched a third of the match through Yan Jinjin.

Beijing, however, could not find the target until Gu Yasha gained a consolation goal 10 minutes from regulation time.

Banda lasted the duration and ended her maiden season with 18 goals for Shanghai in 13 games, nine more than her closest rival Temwa Chawinga.

Besides winning a bronze on her first season in China, the Copper Queens captain is expected to receive her top scorer prize in the coming days.

Mason Mount was proud of scoring his match-winning goal for England against Belgium on Sunday.

Belgium had taken an early lead in the UEFA Nations League clash at Wembley when Romelu Lukaku converted a penalty to break the deadlock, only for Marcus Rashford to pull the home side level before half time.

Chelsea midfielder Mount struck in the second half to seal a 3-1 win for the Three Lions, with his decisive effort bouncing off of Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld and flying past goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

But the deflection did not make the goal any less special for the 21-year-old, whose only previous goal for England came last November when they won 4-0 in Kosovo.  

"It's a special achievement to score my first goal at Wembley, I found myself in a bit of space and had only one thing on my mind," he said to Sky Sports.

"It took a really big deflection but it doesn’t matter how they go in. I'll take it."

He added to BBC Radio 5 Live: "Playing at Wembley and scoring against the number one ranked side and getting three points is massive for us. It means so much."

England are now unbeaten in their last seven matches and are in action again on Wednesday when they meet Denmark in another Nations League tie.

Mount is happy with their latest victory and believes it shows they are making progress under Gareth Southgate.

"We know what we can do. We know what players we've got in this group, that can perform, especially in these big games," he added.

"We want to win these games and keep improving and pushing to win things together and I think we're on the right path.

"It probably wasn't going to go in, but I'll take that every day. It means so much to me. Every opportunity to play for your country is massive, all of the boys are so behind each other. We're such a group, such a family and we keep pushing.

"We're all on the same path to win things together. We can get better and we can get better, we know that. Everybody wants to work hard for each other."

Ivory Coast manager Patrice Beaumelle says his dream with the Ivory Coast national team is to reach the knockout phase of the World Cup.

The Elephants have been to three World Cups, their maiden outing coming at the 2006 edition in Germany followed by the 2010 edition in South Africa and that of 2014 in Brazil. On each occasion, the two-time African champions failed to make it past the group stage and did not make to the 2018 edition in Russia.

Their journey to the next Mundial in Qatar in 2022 starts in May next year in a group containing Cameroon, Mozambique and Malawi.

However, Beaumelle’s mind is focused on the Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off on January 2022 and have to contend with Madagascar, Ethiopia and Niger to make it to the finals.

"Reaching the knockout stage at the World Cup with Cote d'Ivoire remains a dream for me. Every coach wants to reach the latter stages of this great tournament,” Beaumelle said on the Fifa website.

“The World Cup is the ultimate goal for any national team coach, but it’s premature to talk about it now. My goals under my current contract relate to the upcoming AFCON. As I said earlier, we’re going through a transition so are currently focused on the continental tournament. However, the World Cup is certainly on my mind.

“Our group is very difficult. Cameroon are used to making the World Cup and having faced Malawi and Mozambique previously, I can say they’re very tough teams, especially on home soil. Moreover, we know that travel in Africa is difficult, which will further complicate our task. Every point will be vital on the road to Qatar 2022.”

Ivory Coast’s most impactful era came with the likes of players of Didier Drogba, the Toure brothers, Salomon Kalou, and Didier Zokora, among others.

The bulk of them have either retired or are close to doing so and with a new crop of talent replacing them in the likes of Franck Kessie, Eric Baily, Serge Aurier, Wilfried Zaha, Maxwel Cornet and Nicolas Pepe.

As such, comparisons are made with the previous era, something Beaumelle advised against.

“Comparing the country’s golden generation led by Drogba with the current crop is premature. I came up against that powerful team several times when I was coach of Zambia, and I believe that the current generation of Côte d'Ivoire players is inspired by them,” he said.

“Young players have pictures of former stars in their rooms, so why can’t they follow in their footsteps? Perhaps the best example is Kylian Mbappe, who managed to fulfil his childhood dreams. The Elephants can do the same, and I’m here to help them do that."

Jordan Henderson says England want to compete “with the very best teams” after the Three Lions beat the world’s number one ranked side Belgium at Wembley on Sunday.

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount earned a 2-1 victory for Gareth Southgate’s side after Romelu Lukaku’s early penalty put Belgium ahead, the Red Devils' first defeat for nearly two years.

The win means England have now won 20 of their last 21 competitive home games, with the three points putting them top of their Nations League group.

With next summer’s European Championships on the horizon Liverpool skipper Henderson, who was fit to start after three weeks out with a thigh injury, hopes England can make a habit of playing - and beating - the top sides.

"It was very nice to get back out there, playing for England. It was nice to play again after a while,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It was a good game to come into, Belgium are a very good side. We've got to be delighted with the performance level and getting the three points.

"We managed the game very well, particularly second half. I thought we were a lot stronger and created one or two chances which I think we could have scored from and defended well overall. We know with the players that they've got that they are going to create problems, but I think we kept that to a minimum and managed to get the points which is important.

"We want to compete with the very best teams, and Belgium are certainly that. We competed very well and that's what we want to do, keep competing and growing and you never know where that may take us.”

Henderson was involved in one of the game’s key moments when he won a penalty shortly before half-time after being dragged back by Thomas Meunier as he looked to get on the end of a corner.

Meunier was seen animately speaking to Henderson on the touchline at the final whistle, clearly debating the referee’s decision.

"He wasn't sure it was a penalty, but I was pretty sure it was,” added Henderson. “I was in front of him and he pulled back on my shoulder.”

France striker Olivier Giroud has laughed off any notion of a rivalry between himself and Karim Benzema, and says that he might have achieved even more with the national team had the Real Madrid ace been selected.

Benzema has not featured for Les Bleus since scoring twice in an October 2015 friendly against Armenia, whereas Giroud has been a mainstay of the side since debuting in 2011. The latter won his 100th cap against Ukraine on Friday, in which he scored his 41st and 42nd goals for the national team – more than any other player with the exception of Thierry Henry.

The absence of the former Lyon striker has been a hot talking point in footballing circles for years, but Chelsea forward Giroud has played it down.

“I’ve always been blamed a little for the absence of Karim in the France team,” he told TF1. “There’s a supposed rivalry, which has been put together from nothing by some people.”

Meanwhile, Benzema once likened the selection of Giroud ahead of him for Les Bleus like picking a kart over a Formula 1 car.

“It made me laugh knowing him,” Giroud said. “I’ve not got a grudge against that.

“My career with Les Bleus might have been better by being played in conjunction with Karim Benzema, but we’ll never know.”

The 34-year-old has enjoyed a storied career with the national team, beginning in the aftermath of the 2010 World Cup debacle in South Africa and growing to climax at the 2018 World Cup, where France emerged as champions, despite the forward failing to register a shot on target during the competition.

Giroud, though, has otherwise been prolific for his country and in his last 13 internationals, including three appearances from the bench, has scored 10 goals.

On Sunday, he will aim to help France in their Nations League encounter against Portugal before a trip to Croatia on Wednesday.

Didier Deschamps’ side are thus far perfect in Group C to date, having already recorded wins over Sweden and the World Cup finalists.

They now have the opportunity to take revenge for their 2016 European Championship final loss against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side in Paris.

Zambia coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic has stated the Clatous Chama issue 'was blown out of proportion.'

The 2019/20 Tanzania Mainland League Most Valuable Player (MVP) alongside his compatriot from Azam FC Obrey Chirwa failed to join the Chipolopolo team for the Malawi, Kenya, and now South Africa friendlies. The tactician was so mad to the point that he said the duo will not be involved with the national team until further notice.

However, it seems the Serbian has changed his stance regarding the two players if his recent sentiments are anything to go by.

"We are focused on this group of players and [Chama] is one of the players who is proven [for international assignments]," Micho told Goal.

"In any way, he could not reach on time for our departure because of Covid-19 testing and this was the reason [why he failed to join the team]. Just that people have blown it out of proportion."

The 51-year-old has now stated the midfielder will be considered for the forthcoming assignments, most probably the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying doubleheader against Botswana. 

"For me, [Chama] is one of the regular members of the team and we are looking forward to having him in our future assignments."

Micho helped Chipolopolo to a 1-0 win at home over the Flames of Malawi on October 7, before falling 2-1 to Kenya on Friday three days later, a game which the tactician was not happy with especially on officiating.  

"You can lose the game but deep inside you feel sweet; one thing is we dominated and over dominated the Kenya team at their home despite conceding especially the second goal from the counter-attack," the tactician said.

"We also scored a genuine goal and those who feel we do not need VAR in the game got the answers because [the disallowed goal] is comedy. At this level, it should not be happening.

"But in football, it is you either win or learn the lesson and on our part, we have learned. We shall not look at the obvious intentional mistake by the assistant referee but we shall have to go and sit and assess ourselves critically."