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Juventus veteran Sami Khedira has been left off the club's list of 23 players to play in the upcoming Champions League group stage.

The decision made by new coach Andrea Pirlo effectively means the 33-year-old is no longer in Juventus' plans for the campaign, having failed to be selected in either of their two Serie A squads since the start of the season.

Juve have been keen to find a mutual agreement with Khedira to terminate the last year of his contract, but discussions are yet to find a suitable outcome for both parties, with the German's wages worth €6 million net for the last 12 months.

Former Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic suffered a similar fate to Khedira after the arrival of Maurizio Sarri last summer, eventually reaching an agreement to end his association with the club in December last year to join Qatar's Al-Duhail, after being frozen out of the Old Lady's Serie A and Champions League squads.

After five successful years at Real Madrid where he won a Champions League and two La Liga titles, Khedira joined Juve in June 2015 on a free transfer.

The Germany international won the Serie A title in all five of his seasons in Turin, making 145 appearances in all competitions, scoring 21 goals and creating 13 assists.

His most famous individual moment in Juve colours came when he scored his only career hat-trick in a 6-2 win against Udinese in October 2017.

Khedira has been linked with a move to PSG, while Man Utd are also reportedly interested in the veteran's services.

Juventus have started solidly in the Serie A under new boss Pirlo with a comfortable 3-0 win at home against Sampdoria, before drawing 2-2 with Roma in the Italian capital.

However, the result of their third league match against Napoli is still up in the air after the contest was called off when Gennaro Gattuso's side failed to arrive at Juventus Stadium following a coronavirus diagnosis to two of their players.

Juventus are claiming they should be awarded a 3-0 walkover win despite Napoli's inability to travel after the diagnoses to Piotr Zielinski and Eljif Elmas.

Juventus' Champions League 23-man squad

Szczesny, Chiellini, De Ligt, Arthur, Ronaldo, Ramsey, Morata, Dybala, Alex Sandro, Danilo, McKennie, Cuadrado, Bonucci, Church, Rabiot, Demiral, Bentancur, Pinsoglio, Bernardeschi, Frabotta, Portanova, Kulusevski, Buffon.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler has admitted that he contemplated a summer transfer amid links with Premier League outfit Leeds United.

PSG forked out €42 million (£38m/$50m) to bring Draxler to Parc des Princes from Wolfsburg in January 2017.

He has since racked up 145 appearances for the French champions, scoring 22 goals and laying on 32 assists, but fell down the pecking order under Thomas Tuchel last season.

Draxler only featured in 11 Ligue 1 matches for PSG in 2019-20, and had to make do with a bit-part role in their run to the Champions League final.

The 27-year-old was tipped to leave the club during the summer transfer window having entered the final year of his contract, with Elland Road mooted as a possible next destination.

However, Leeds were ultimately unable to sign the German playmaker, and he will now have to wait until January before speaking to any potential suitors about a free transfer in 2021.

Draxler admits that while PSG achieved plenty of team success in 2019-20, he viewed the campaign as a "season to forget" on a personal level.

"Last season didn't go well at all," Draxler told Bild. "Not on a sporting level and also due to my injuries, then the season ended due to coronavirus. It was definitely a season to forget for me."

The Germany international admitted that he considered a move away but ultimately did not find a situation that suited him.

"In the summer I thought about trying to do something else," Draxler said. "Due to the coronavirus situation, it was ultimately difficult to find a club where I would have said: 'Everything fits well together, I definitely want to [come here]'. 

"That was not the case, so I decided that I would not dare to take a quick shot and keep looking for my chance at Paris."

When asked if he was willing to take a lower salary to make a move happen, Draxler said: "Definitely. The top priority is not to sign a contract with the same salary. The overall package just has to be right. 

"That I can imagine playing in the club, that good football is played there and that I play an important role - that would be the great sense of a change at this point, one year before the European Championship. 

"Next year things will look easier when I'm free and another club doesn't have to negotiate a transfer with Paris."

Though he was looking for a way out of the French capital, Draxler does believe he'll have a better chance at playing time this season after recent conversations with his manager.

He said: "I had a good conversation with Thomas Tuchel. I felt then that I still had the chance to be deployed and that I was definitely not written off."

Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi has admitted they are racing against time to build a strong side that will compete effectively against Zambia in a friendly on Friday.

The Harambee Stars were finally allowed to host the Chipolopolo this international break after the Kenyan government gave the all-clear to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to host the friendly but, under strict Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

While Kimanzi had named a provisional squad of 34 players for the friendly, only 22 players are available with most professionals - led by captain Victor Wanyama of Montreal Impact and striker Michael Olunga of Kashiwa Reysol - set to miss the build-up played at the newly-refurbished Nyayo Stadium.

It is for this reason Kimanzi has revealed they are now working on the team’s fitness since the squad in camp is composed of local-based players, who have not been active since the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) was suspended in mid-March owing to coronavirus pandemic.

“We have 20 players at the moment and we are expecting two more to make it 22 and that should be enough and then we now have only 72 hours before the game,” Kimanzi told Goal on Tuesday.

“The fitness level is always an issue especially when we have the squad dominated by local-based players and most of them have not been active for the last six and half months now [because of Covid-19], so we don’t expect them to be at the top level in terms of fitness but at least we can be somewhere to compete so we will try to build a base for competition but again there is no time because the match is on Friday.

“That means, we will be working on a quick fix because everything as to be combined, it will be a combined effort, to build the team technically and tactically and also try to build the fitness level of the players to see if we can compete effectively on Friday.”

On his part, defender Brian Mandela, who is likely to captain the team in the absence of Wanyama and Olunga, said: “We are enjoying good morale in the camp and we all know it has been long since we played but all the players are looking forward to a good game.

“I respect Zambia very much because the last time we played against them, they gave us hard times that is why we are training very hard to capitalize on what we did not do right last time out and do well, I also ask the fans to give us the support now that they will not be allowed to come and cheer us live.”

Kenya’s record against the Cosafa nation is poor as only six wins and seven draws have been registered from the previous 37 matches.

Thomas Partey has sent a farewell message to Atletico Madrid after completing his move to Premier League club Arsenal.

The Emirates Stadium outfit triggered the midfielder’s £45 million release clause on transfer deadline day to secure his signature.

The 27-year-old will receive a £250,000-a-week salary, making him the third highest-paid player at the club after Mesut Ozil and Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Partey has been with the Red and Whites since 2011, where he has developed to become one of the best midfielders in the world.

The midfielder helped the Metropolitano Stadium outfit win a number of laurels, including the Europa League and Uefa Super Cup titles. 

Partey, who put smiles on the faces of Atletico Madrid fans with his commanding displays in the middle of the park, has sent a farewell message to the supporters following his move to the Emirates Stadium.

“Dear Atletico fans, today I only have words of gratitude for you. For several years now, Atletico Madrid has been my home and this family will always be a part of me,” Partey posted on Instagram.

‘I want to thank the club for the trust placed in me from day one, but above all, I want to thank you, this wonderful fanbase that accepted me from the first moment and one that never stops believing in both the good and the bad times. Atletico Madrid is not just a club, it is a family. Thank you.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his delight after the midfielder completed his switch to the Emirates Stadium outfit and feels he will be a good addition to his side.

“We have been watching Thomas for a while, so we’re now delighted to add such a high-quality player to our squad,’ Arteta said.  

“He is a dynamic midfielder with great energy. ‘He brings a lot of experience from a top club that has competed at the highest level in La Liga and the Champions League for several years.

“We’re very impressed with his attitude and his approach to the game. ‘He’s an intelligent footballer and we’re looking forward to him integrating into our system and contributing to the progress we’re building at the moment at the club.’

Partey could make his debut for Arsenal when they square off against Manchester City in their next league game on October 17.

The midfielder is a key member of the Ghana national team and has 27 caps for the West Africans since he made his debut against Mauritius in 2017.

Partey will be expected to play a prominent role for the Black Stars in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Neil Tovey has urged Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena to place emphasis on effective communication and understanding each other in their new role as the Brazilians’ co-coaches.

The pair was thrust into the Downs hot seat following last week’s departure of former head coach Pitso Mosimane, who took up the coaching job at eight-rime African champions Al Ahly.

While Mngqithi and Mokwena are both at the helm of Sundowns, the arrangement in place states that in the event of a stalemate in decision making, Mngqithi’s word prevails over his counterpart.

“It is not an easy task, the two coaches certainly cannot have egos, they have got to work really well together and understand the roles. My advice would be that they need to communicate before they try to relay the message to the players,” Tovey told Phaaakathi.

“It is important that you get the understanding that if someone will have to make that final decision, it has to be the responsibility of someone and that happens to be Manqoba, because he has been around in coaching more than Rhulani.

“Fortunately they have got players who have been on the bench with them for a while and they understand the type of players and they understand the club. It is nothing new that is coming. When things don’t go according to plan they are going to need to stick together in their decision making and always try to make one decision.”

Tovey has been in Mngqithi and Mokwena’s position before when he was Sundowns co-coach together with Argentine Miguel Gamondi.

Together with Gamondi, they led Downs to the 2005/06 Premier Soccer League title and Tovey continued to offer advice to the current coaches in charge at Chloorkop.

The former Bafana Bafana captain feels that the co-coaches have in-depth knowledge of the team after working for a lengthy period with Mosimane.

“Those coaches have been watching the players when Pitso was not selecting them and they would have had discussions with them. When a new coach comes in or a situation of an assistant coach being promoted, it gives the players a new chance,” said Tovey.

The Sundowns coaching duo takes over a team that has received at least 10 new signings during the current transfer period.

It is not yet clear which players would be released to make way for the new arrivals but midfielder Aubrey Ngoma has returned to Cape Town City.

Temwa Chawinga scored the final goal to help Wuhan advance to the Chinese Women's Super League final against sister Tabitha's Jiangsu Suning, after beating Beijing Phoenix 4-0 on Tuesday.

Going into the clash, Wuhan were in search of at least a win to seal their passage and also bounce back from a recent 4-3 defeat to Shanghai Shengli, and build on the earlier 1-0 win over Jiangsu.

The Malawi international has been an impactful outing so far on her debut season, scoring eight goals in 11 outings for Shanghai and she was eager to power her side to the competition's final.

Wuhan got off to a flying start when Biya's brilliant chip over the Beijing goalkeeper handed them the lead after just three minutes.

Eleven minutes later, they went on to consolidate on their lead when Wang Xinxin's fine cross from the right flank beat the goalkeeper for their second goal of the day.

Wuhan continued with their rampant form just the way they started as Han Peng's direct strike from a corner kick surprisingly beat the goalkeeper for their third two minutes after the restart.

Nine minutes from full-time, Chawinga guided in the fourth with her body to complete the rout for Wuhan, guaranteeing their final place.

Chawinga's latest goal marks her eight in 12 matches this season for Wuhan and takes her to second on the scorers' chart - nine behind leading scorer Zambia's Barbra Banda, who has 17 goals.

The result sees Wuhan progress to the final after they ended on top on goal difference with six points from three matches, and will square off with holders Jiangsu Suning for the title on October 11.

It's the third time this season that the Malawian sisters will be meeting after Temwa's Wuhan claimed earlier 3-0 and 1-0 victories.

Chelsea defender Malang Sarr has joined Portuguese champions Porto on a season-long loan deal.

Sarr, 21, joined the Blues on a five-year contract from Nice earlier this summer and was always expected to head out on loan.

A France international at six youth levels, Sarr made his Nice debut at just 17 years old and played more than 100 times for the Ligue 1 side before joining Chelsea.

“I am very excited," Sarr told Porto's website. "It was an opportunity I was looking for, so I am grateful and happy to be here. I feel prepared to start helping the team to achieve their goals.

“FC Porto is the best club in Portugal, it is a very big club with talented players and a history that, for me, is very important. I know this story, it's a proud club and that's what I hope to find, a team that fights and with a good mentality.

“I know that Porto is an ambitious club and I also came for that. I'm looking forward to the competition, big games, the Champions League and helping the club and the team to win another league title.

“The Porto fans are very good. I know that they have been helping the team as much as possible and that they want to get back to the stadiums as soon as possible. But for now, I know that they will continue to support us to help us get where we want to be.”

Chelsea are known for their transfer strategy of hoovering up young talent and loaning players out to gain first-team experience, and this season has been no different.

As well as more senior players like Tiemoue Bakayoko, Davide Zappacosta, Ross Barkley, Michy Batshuayi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, youngsters such as Ethan Ampadu and Jamie Cumming have been loaned out.

Sarr joins a Porto side which has risen back to the top of the pile in Portugal in recent seasons. Last season, they won a Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal double under Sergio Conceicao, and the Dragoes will be expected to keep the good times rolling in 2020-21.

Manchester United had been eyeing teenage star Amad Diallo Traore for more than a year, according to Giovanni Galli, the man who discovered the winger and his brother Hamed.

On Monday, the Red Devils confirmed the capture of Amad from Atalanta in a deal that could be worth as much as €41 million (£37m/$48m).

The right-sided attacker is expected to join the club in January and the deal is subject to a medical, personal terms and work permit. Though he is only 18, Diallo is expected to join United's first team right away.

Galli, who represented Italy as a goalkeeper in the 1980s and was the Azzurri's No 1 at the 1986 World Cup, recalled the first time he saw Amad and his brother Hamed play.

“Their quality was incredible," Galli told Football Italia. "They trained with the guys born in 1999. Hamed Junior was born in 2000 and his brother Amad was born in 2002. Despite that, there was a huge gap between them and the others.

"Amad was tremendous. Great technical skills, outstanding personality. The way they touched the ball was different, they did nutmegs and all that. They were on another level.”

Hamed would join Empoli and then Sassuolo, where he is currently on loan, while Amad linked up with Atalanta. Although he has only made three Serie A appearances, Amad has shown enough to convince United he's worth a fee which is believed to be €21m (£19m/$25m) with a further €20m (£18m/$23m) in add-ons.

“I knew they had been scouting him for over a year," Galli said of Amad's new club. "I know a scout of Manchester United very well as we usually meet at games. He used to tell me that the club sent him several times to watch the player."

Though he is unproven at the senior level, Galli believes that Diallo will show he is worth the investment and has backed the teenager to successfully secure a work permit.

"[The transfer fee] is high, but there is a reason behind it," Galli said. "[Diallo] still needs to get a work permit since he has not played with his national team yet.

"The club need to have valid reasons to take him to the UK. One reason is that the player is coming from a top team and with Atalanta [having] been playing international competitions over the last few years, there are no problems to prove it.

"The second reason is the price tag. A €40m signing means he is an important investment for the club.

"If the cost would be €1m or €2m it may have been more difficult to get the work permit. That being said, €40m is still a lot of money.”

South Africa national team forward Kermit Erasmus says he wants to carry last season’s form with Cape Town City into Bafana Bafana and “contribute positively” to coach Molefi Ntseki’s side.

Bafana Bafana are set to take on Namibia on Thursday, before playing Zambia on Sunday in international friendly matches both to be staged at Rustenburg’s Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

Erasmus was one of the outstanding Premier Soccer League players last season, scoring 13 goals and making two assists for Cape Town City, as he came three goals short of joint top-scorers Peter Shalulile and Frank Mhango of Orlando Pirates.

That form saw the former Pirates forward attracting the interest of Mamelodi Sundowns, whom he signed for last weekend, and the player is now eager to maintain that momentum in the national team.

“It is exciting to be back, seeing that we have a challenge with the coronavirus, and I am looking forward to the matches that are coming,” said Erasmus as per Far Post.

“Hopefully I can continue doing that for the national team [scoring goals], that can rub off from the club to the national team and hopefully I can contribute positively so I am excited to be part of the national team again after such a long time.”

Ntseki continues to show confidence in Erasmus, who was part of South Africa’s last international match, a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 1-0 win over Sudan in November 2019.

The national team coach has already stated that he wants Erasmus to be a key member of his squad as South Africa prepare for the 2021 Afcon qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo is also excited to be back in action with the national side as he emphasised that the Namibia and Zambia friendlies should be result-oriented.

Hlatshwayo is eager for positive results to set the tone for next month’s back-to-back 2021 Afcon qualifier against Sao Tome e Principe.

“We are looking forward to getting the results and we know how important they are, we have faced both teams before and we know what kind of national teams they are and it is important for us to get positive results as we are preparing for Sao Tome and Príncipe back-to-back,” Hlatshwayo said.

Hlatshwayo is seeking to captain South Africa to a second-successive Afcon tournament and his side is placed second in Group C led by Ghana, while Sudan are third and Sao Tome anchor the standings.

Nigeria take on Algeria in a friendly game organised to help Gernor Rohr’s men stay in top shape for November’s Africa Cup of Nations double-header qualification tie against Sierra Leone.

The game against the reigning African champions is the Super Eagles’ first international match of 2020 as Covid-19 ensured all football-related activities was placed on hold.

Djamel Belmadi's men clash with the three-time African champions for the fourth time in three years. The Desert Foxes had the upper hand in their last encounter at the 2019 Afcon semi-final in Cairo.

WHEN IS THE GAME?

The international friendly has been scheduled for 19:30 (West African TIme) on Friday, October 9.

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.

Arsenal’s decision to make beloved mascot Gunnersaurus redundant after 27 years of service was one of the most unexpected stories of transfer deadline day.

While the Gunners were pushing through a £45 million (€50m/$58m) move for long-term transfer target Thomas Partey, Jerry Quy, who has donned the famous dinosaur suit since 1993, was told his services were no longer needed.

Arsenal made Gunnersaurus redundant as part of cost-cutting measures amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The club's board had already faced criticism earlier in the summer after proposing 55 staff redundancies as a result of the ‘significant and long-lasting’ financial implications of the pandemic.

The Gunners had a net spend of around £60 million ($78m) in this summer’s transfer window. Gabriel Magalhaes was also signed and Pablo Mari’s loan move made permanent, with Emiliano Martinez the only significant outgoing transfer.

However, with fans not allowed to attend matches due to Covid-19 restrictions, the popular Quy was told he didn't have a role at the club.

That prompted an angry response from sections of Arsenal’s fanbase and a global outpouring of support with the hashtag #JusticeForGunnersaurus. On Tuesday, Mesut Ozil stepped in, offering to pay Quy’s wages.

He wrote on social media: “I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot @Gunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years. As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player...so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much. #JusticeForGunnersaurus”

Ozil’s offer takes on an interesting dimension given the current state of Arsenal’s squad.

Having failed to find moves away for the likes of Sead Kolasinac, William Saliba, Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi, Mikel Arteta will need to leave two players out of his 25-man Premier League squad.

Ozil, who is Arsenal’s highest-earning player but who has not featured since football returned from lockdown, could find his place in the squad in doubt. If he was left out, talk of a move elsewhere will no doubt increase.

Arsenal have not yet publicly responded to Ozil’s offer, so Gunnersaurus’ future is still unclear. However, ESPN reports a club spokesman has said: “Gunnersaurus is not extinct and will return to action when fans are allowed back at matches.”

If the mascot is to resume his work when fans return to stadiums, it isn’t clear when that will be as plans to reintroduce spectators have been delayed indefinitely.

Gunnersaurus first donned the Arsenal shirt in August 1993, in a match against Manchester City at Highbury. He emerged after a competition for the club’s younger fans to design a new club mascot, with ‘Gunnersaurus Rex’ submitted by 11-year-old Peter Lovell.

Germany boss Joachim Low says that Timo Werner has undergone several coronavirus tests after experiencing some flu-like symptoms, but the Chelsea star has not received the results yet.

Werner has been called up by Low to join the Germany squad for the international break, with the team set to play a trio of matches.

Germany are set to face Turkey on a friendly on Wednesday before taking on Ukraine and Switzerland in a pair of Nations League matches in the coming days.

However, Werner has been battling illness since joining up with the national team from Chelsea, after scoring one goal in his first five appearances for the Premier League side.

On Tuesday, Low revealed that Werner has undergone tests for the coronavirus, but the team is still awaiting the results of those tests.

"Several tests have been done, but the results are not in yet," Low said.

Germany were held to a pair of draws in their last two matches, their first since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

First up was a 1-1 draw with Spain, with Werner's goal being cancelled out by a late Jose Gaya strike before the Germans sealed the game result against Switzerland, once again conceding after taking the lead with an Ilkay Gundogan finish.

"We need to talk," Low said. "We have given away leads too often, we lose the merits of our work."

He added: "You can feel that everyone is in a better rhythm. In September the situation was very different."

This time around, Low says he expects to test a few different things, despite Germany only having one training session between the matches against Turkey and Ukraine.

Still, Low says he will "put all the cards on the table" as he looks to learn more about his team as the Nations League continues and the Euros loom.

"Games like this are there to see which players can add to our starting XI in the near future," he said. "This is an opportunity. Who shows himself? In what condition are the players? How are our specifications implemented?"

He added: "[I expect players to be] greedy, hungry, consistent and cold-blooded - we have to present ourselves in such a way that the audience feels like seeing us again."

Luka Modric has defended his former team-mate Gareth Bale, saying the Welshman never had problems in the Real Madrid dressing room, and urged fans to remember all he accomplished at the Santiago Bernabeu.

After seven seasons with Real Madrid, Bale returned to former club Tottenham last month on a season-long loan that his agent has said could be extended longer.

Bale achieved plenty of success during his team in Madrid, winning four Champions League titles, two La Liga crowns and one Copa del Rey. 

The 31-year-old's time at Madrid turned sour toward the end of his stint, however, as he was frozen out of the side by Zinedine Zidane amid rumours he didn't mesh well with his team-mates and spent too much time on the golf course. 

Modric has defended Bale, a player with whom he also played at Tottenham, saying he fit in well with his team-mates and that he spoke Spanish well.

"I have been with Gareth most of my professional life and he is a spectacular guy," Modric said to COPE. "He is shy, similar to me. 

"What is said about him is not fair, they judge him in recent years but what he has done at Madrid is something impressive and he will always be remembered as a player who has done a lot for the club. 

"He has never had any problems in the dressing room, he is a great guy. He spoke Spanish, he joked with us. 

"In recent years many things have come out and they have forgotten what he has done. When time passes they will remember him and how important he has been. 

"Every person has their own behaviour. He was like that, he didn't associate much, but in the dressing room he was very good. It makes me sad that everything he has done has been forgotten in the last year."

Another big-money Madrid signing that has been called into question is Eden Hazard, who has struggled with fitness and form since joining from Chelsea last year. 

Modric admits the Belgian's time at the Bernabeu has been difficult but has backed the attacker to eventually show the form he demonstrated while at Stamford Bridge.

"It is not a comfortable situation for him," Modric said of Hazard. "He has come to show that he is one of the best players in the world and I am sure he will prove it this year. When he was good he has shown that he will be important, but injuries stopped him. It's a shame because we need him and he will show why Madrid paid so much for him."

Randy Waldrum has confirmed his full commitment to Nigeria amid reports questioning his coaching role with the African champions.

The 64-year-old was announced as the head coach of the Super Falcons on Tuesday, replacing former trainer Thomas Dennerby, who left the post for personal reasons a year ago.

Besides enjoying huge respect in the US, Waldrum is no stranger to women's football on the global stage as he had handled Trinidad and Tobago and the US U23 side.

Deep concerns emerged over the American's terms of engagement with Nigeria hours after the University of Pittsburgh hinted he will retain his headship role with Pitt Panthers.

However, the former coach of Houston Dash and the University of Notre Dame has immediately moved to declare his full-time commitment to guiding the team to long-term success.

"I want everyone to know that I am extremely excited about being your coach for the Super Falcons," Waldrum told Goal.

"It's been a dream of mine for some time now. I appreciate Mr [Amaju] Pinnick and his faith in me and our staff to bring the Super Falcons to new heights. 

"I also understand the full commitment that it takes for my time, for training camps, games, scouting, player management, staff development, and of course team development. 

"These expectations are very clear and I'm anxious to get started. In fact, I will be the one pushing the federation for more opportunities to prepare and train, I'm quite sure. 

"I've already been working and have a ten-year plan I'm anxious to share with the federation in order to prepare our young players in the country now for future years as national team players. 

"Our stars of the 2027 and 2031 World Cups are between 10-12 years old currently, so let's get them in the proper environment now."

After Tuesday's local media outcry over the conditions of Waldrum's appointment, the American's Twitter account was suspended - a shocking development he provided an explanation for.

"As for my social media, I'm working on one for the Super Falcons now," he said.

"I hope to have it up very soon. I'm looking forward to meeting you and all the others very soon."

Even though the duration of his contract are still unclear, Waldrum is expected to lead the Super Falcons to the 2022 African Women's Cup of Nations and qualify for the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Tanzania winger Thomas Ulimwengu has promised fans a win over Burundi in an international friendly to be played on Sunday.

The Taifa Stars will be hosting the Swallows at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in preparations for the African Nations Championship (Chan) and the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The forward could also not hide his joy at getting a chance to play for the national team for the first time in almost a year.

"Covid-19 has made things tough, we could not get a chance to play for the national team but here we are," Ulimwengu told reporters after arriving in the country on Tuesday afternoon from Democratic Republic of Congo outfit Tout Puissant Mazembe.

"I am urging the fans to turn up in large numbers to cheer us; everybody wants a win. Fans want a win, players want a win as well and I promise we will deliver it on Sunday.

"To be honest I am delighted to be part of the team for Sunday's game. These are preparations for the forthcoming matches. Winning [against Burundi] will help us build momentum for future matches."

The 27-year-old has made 44 senior team appearances and scored seven goals in the process.

A couple of days ago, head coach Etienne Ndayiragije named a 25-man squad for the Burundi assignment.  

The Taifa Stars will be playing Tunisia on November 11 away, before hosting them in Dar es Salaam two weeks later.

The East Africa nation started their campaign in Group J with a 2-1 win over Equatorial Guinea, before falling 2-1 away to Libya in their second game.  

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Metacha Mnata (Yanga SC), Aishi Manula (Simba SC), David Mapigano (Azam FC)

Defenders: Shomari Kapombe, Mohamed Hussein (Simba SC), Israel Mwenda (KMC FC), Brayson David, Abdallah Sebo (Azam FC), Bakari Mwamnyeto (Yanga SC) Dickson Job (Mtibwa Sugar), Iddy Mobbi (Polisi Tanzania)

Midfielders: Jonas Mkude, Said Hamisi, Yassin Mzamiru (Simba SC), Himid Mao (ENPPI SC, Egypt), Iddy Nado, Salum Abubakar (Azam FC), Feisal Salum (Yanga SC), Ally Msengi (Stellenbosch FC, South Africa) 

Forwards: John Bocco (Simba SC), Mbwana Samatta (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey), Nickson Kibabage, Simon Msuva (Diffa El Jadidi, Morocco), Thomas Ulimwengu (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Ditram Nchimbi (Yanga SC)

Azam FC have set a target of winning at least one major trophy by the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ have enjoyed a good start to the current Mainland Premier League campaign as they are perched at the top of the league table with a maximum 15 points from five matches played.

With the team also set to take part in the domestic cup, information officer Thabit Zakaria has maintained that they are targeting to end the season with silverware.

“We want to make sure that this season we at least end it with a trophy, one major trophy will be good for the team and the fans,” Zakaria is quoted by Sokaletu.

“We are in a battle now; the boys have shown they can fight with how they have started the campaign in the league but we have also told them that a major trophy will be necessary for the team to lift this season.”

In a previous interview, Zakaria revealed their main aim is to win all their matches in the Mainland Premier League.

“So far so good,” Zakaria is quoted by Sokaletu. “For us to achieve our targets, we must keep winning our matches, we must maintain consistency until the end of the season.

“The biggest thing in league matches is to get three points from every single match you play, we have achieved to get maximum points from the five matches played so far, and it is a good run which we want to keep going.

“The players are also very aware that the fans want to see the team winning matches and that is why they are supporting them, the players also want to win matches because they know at the end of the season, they can win silverware so that is why they are giving their all when in the field of play.”

Against Kagera, striker Prince Dube scored the opener after a good pass from Obrey Chirwa, but the Sugar Millers levelled matters in the 32nd minute when Mudathir Yahya committed a foul at the edge of the 18-yard area, and David Luhende rose to the occasion and managed to beat the wall and goalkeeper David Mapigano.

It was the first time the 2014 champions conceded this season, having kept four clean sheets in four matches.

Chirwa then put Azam ahead once again after the resumption, however, the Sugar Belt side was not going down without a fight and they pushed for a leveller which came in the 49th minute through Yusuf Mhilu.

In the 51st minute, Bruce Kangwa left his markers for dead, entered the danger zone before cutting the ball back for Richard Djodi to direct it on target to make it 3-2 in favour of the former champions.

Dube completed his brace in the 87th minute when he headed in a cross by Iddi Nado. It was his fifth goal in as many matches.

The result means Azam are leading the table, while Simba SC come second with two points fewer, the same as Yanga, who are third owing to their inferior goal difference.

Karim Benzema's ongoing exile from the France team is "a shame" and "kind of a mess", but Olivier Giroud insists he has nothing but respect for his fellow striker.

Real Madrid forward Benzema has not played for Les Bleus since 2015 having been kept out of the set-up due to his alleged involvement in a plot to blackmail Mathieu Valbuena.

Giroud has established himself as a key part of France's attack in his absence and is set to earn his 100th cap in a friendly against Ukraine on Wednesday.

Since being dropped, Benzema has been heavily critical of Giroud's presence up front for Les Bleus. Asked to rate the Chelsea striker on social media last April, Benzema said: "You don't confuse F1 with go-karting … and I know I'm F1."  

But Giroud insists he has no issue with the former Lyon star, who he regrets has been consigned to the international wilderness for so long.

"Clearly, it's a shame, because Karim remains an impressive player for his qualities," Giroud told RMC Sport.

"Me, I never had a dispute with him, history wanted us to be opposed. I've always had a good understanding with him, a lot of mutual respect ... at least from me towards him.

"I think it's a shame everything that has happened, it's kind of a mess, but now we have to move on. The English envy us a lot over this young generation which is growing up."

Giroud was part of the France squad that won the World Cup in 2018 and feels he has proved he merits his place in the team, with a "supposed rivalry" with Benzema manufactured in the media.

"At the time, when I was unfairly criticised because of Karim's absence, it hurt me," said Giroud, who has made just one substitute appearance in the Premier League for Chelsea so far this season.

"I continued to prove that I deserved my place and that this supposed rivalry with Karim was created from scratch by some people.

"I had nothing to do with it, we just play the same position. It happened but I reacted well to these difficulties."

Olivier Giroud is prepared to “fight” for game time at Chelsea, but the World Cup winner admits he may need to consider a move elsewhere in the January transfer window.

Exit talk is nothing new for the France international striker, with speculation having followed him around for some time.

That is because, despite his best efforts, he has struggled to nail down a regular starting berth at Stamford Bridge.

He was promoted ahead of Tammy Abraham in Frank Lampard’s pecking order towards the end of 2019-20, leading to a 12-month contract extension being taken up, but has slipped again this term.

With Timo Werner having been added to the attacking pot in west London, competition for places is fierce.

At 34 years of age, Giroud cannot afford to be wasting time on the bench and accepts that a big call will have to be made in 2021 if he still finds himself on the fringes of the fold at Stamford Bridge.

Quizzed on his future plans while away on international duty, the former Arsenal star said: “I've written a book called 'Always Believe It' so I’m not going to go anywhere without a fight.

“There is competition but I will fight and we saw the rewards of that at the end of last season.

“I am convinced that I have a role to play at Chelsea. We will see in January.”

For now, Giroud is focused on friendly and UEFA Nations League dates with France.

Didier Deschamps has already revealed that the experienced frontman will be awarded a 100th cap for his country at some stage.

Giroud is rightly proud of that achievement, saying of reaching a century: “I signed in Ligue 1 at 25, it's an atypical course. The chance to play for Les Bleus at that age was just a bonus.

“I never set any limits for myself and maybe at 75-80, I thought 'why not 100?' It's a good number but I still have many years ahead of me.”

A man who helped his nation to global glory in 2018 added: “If someone told me I was going to reach a centenary at 34, I wouldn't have believed it when I was at Grenoble or Tours.

“But, that's the beauty of football. I have always worked my way up through the ranks one after the other, thanks to great people.

“I am a good example for young people who do not turn professional at 17.”

Giroud is also chasing down the 41-goal mark of French legend Michel Platini, with just one more effort required in order to emulate an icon and move second on an all-time chart behind Thierry Henry – who has 51 efforts to his name.

“My goal is to match him as quickly as possible, to become the second-best scorer in history and it would be a privilege and an honour to match such a legend of French football,” said Giroud.

France are due to face Ukraine in a friendly on Wednesday before then taking in Nations League clashes with Portugal and Croatia.