Looking for Soccer News?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic slammed Sweden coach Janne Andersson over his team selection in their 1-0 defeat to France on Saturday.

The former Sweden star hit out at the coach's decision to start Sebastian Larsson ahead of Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski for the UEFA Nations League encounter.

Kulusevski replaced the 35-year-old AIK star for the final 20 minutes and expressed his shock at not being named in the starting XI in a post-match interview.

Ibrahimovic expressed his outrage on Twitter the following day, linking to an article in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet with the comment: "What a f*cking joke. Further proof. Incompetent people in the wrong positions that suffocate Swedish football."

Kulusevski spent last season on loan at Parma and scored 10 goals and registered eight assists in 36 Serie A appearances.

Asked after the game, which was his second appearance for the national team, if his substitute appearance was enough to show his quality, he said: "No, I don't think so. I was shocked. It felt really, really good in training. But unfortunately, that's how football is."

Andersson said he would discuss the matter with the 20-year-old and praised him for his work in training and his quality.

"In this case, I had no separate talk with Dejan, absolutely not. I have not talked to him myself after the game, but if he has said that, he probably thinks so. We'll talk about that. I have not experienced him as very shocked," Andersson said. 

"He has done well in training, just like many others. We will see if there will be more playing time on Tuesday. He has great qualities and is a great player and will grow into this eventually.

"And we'll see, he might get to play more on Tuesday. This squad we have chosen to evaluate the situation of everyone who is at different levels. 

"I think there are a number of players who should definitely not play two matches. Then you can interpret for yourself what it will be like on Tuesday."

Reserve teams who play in the same competition pyramid as their first team are always in a peculiar situation, in that they cannot be promoted even when they finish the league in a promotional zone, unless their first team is relegated.

The four reserve teams in the Malaysia Premier League are also subjected to the same ruling, but this year another change was introduced by competitions organiser Malaysian Football League (MFL); just for this season, no team will be relegated from the second tier due to the fact that Malaysia's tiers three and lower has been abandoned due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While the eight non-reserve teams in the second tier can still fight for promotion, the decision has left JDT II, Terengganu FC II, Perak II and Selangor 2 in a sort of limbo. While they previously had not needed to push for promotion, this season, the need to win matches and collect match points in order to avoid relegation has also been taken away from them. To these teams, their five remaining league matches this season are effectively mere friendly matches.

But the situation is viewed positively by Selangor reserve team head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner, who told Goal that he is glad that he is now able to focus his coaching attention more on developing young players in their set-up by handing them competitive minutes and appearances against senior-level footballers.

Playing at home against a Kelantan side which fielded two foreign players in their round six matches on Saturday, Feichtenbeiner used only Malaysian players, while squad members who have recently been knocking on their first team's door; Mukhairi Ajmal, Harith Haikal, Anwar Ibrahim and Azrin Afiq only came on as a second half substitute. (A calculation puts the average age of Selangor 2's starting line-up against Kelantan at 19.8 years)

A similar player selection had been good enough to help them record a 4-1 away win one week earlier, over a Kuching FA which lacked sufficient preparations due to Covid-19 complications, but against the Red Warriors, who earlier in the week had been handed a morale boost in the form of ownership change and overdue wage payment, the young side struggled somewhat. An early second-half sending off of Syazwan Salihin for a second yellow reduced them to 10 men and made things a lot harder for them, and although they attempted to continue playing attacking football, fatigue and nerves eventually forced them to drop down to contain the visitors' onslaughts.

Predictably, they wound up committing a number of errors in their own defensive third as the game went on, but in the end, a combination of centre back Shahrul Nazeem's commanding presence, Mokhtar Dahari Academy graduate goalkeeper Firdaus Irman's confidence (he had earlier kept out a sixth-minute Kelantan penalty), as well as Kelantan forwards' sheer wastefulness helped them avoid conceding, to come away with a goalless draw.

The German trainer admitted to the press after the match that his young charges were fortunate to come away with a point, but he was happy that a lot more of Selangor's young talents were able to play in a competitive setting at the senior level.

Michael Feichtenbeiner. Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images/DFB

"Today Kelantan were the better team and they would have deserved to win. We were lucky today because the team didn't perform the same as in the last few matches. My team learned how to defend against a tough team like Kelantan especially after John (Syazwan) was sent off. They kept organised, defendeded and maintained the momentum. If we had been totally lucky we would have scored from an Alif Haikal chance.

"We are proud if we could send some of the boys to the first team in the Super League. But the rest needs match practice also because training alone isn't adequate, they need to play. I've had to sideline four, five of the boys who did well against Kuching [to accomodate Mukhairi, Harith, Anwar and Azrin]. The situation now is good for Selangor and their future young talents. I have to take a chance on who are getting match time this week and the next.

"If you ask me, it doesn't matter where we finish the league campaign; in first, second or mid-table. We want to win every match, yes, but the ranking is not important. What's important is that the players learn from all the matches, so that next year we can send them up to the first team," explained the former MPPJ FC head coach.

The cancellation of national-level U-21 and U-19 competitions, President's Cup and the Youth Cup have also allowed him access to players on their junior team rosters.

"When the junior teams were still unable to train because of the pandemic lockdown, as the club technical director I decided that the U-21 head coach, Shaifulnizam Abdul Khamis and the U-19 head coach Noor Zaidi Rohmat would join the reserve team training as additional assistant coaches. That way, they would better learn our system and football style.

"Alif Haiqal for example was playing for the President's Cup team when he was recommended to me by Shaiful, and when he was given the chance to play, he performed well. It's the same with Ikhwan [Hafizo] who played today, who's the captain of the U-19 team. We always have discussions among the coaches, with the objective of finding the best players among their teams. This is our main focus," noted the German.

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has criticised Britain's Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake for claiming it was 'a parent's job to feed their children'.

Rashford's comment came after Hollinrake - the member for Thirsk and Malton - tweeted about the success of the government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which involved participating restaurants giving subsidised discounts to patrons.

A Twitter user, Bryan Barrett, praised the government's efforts, but asked why it took until Rashford raised the child poverty issue for action to be taken.

"Whilst we're discussing food, why does it take footballer @MarcusRashford to make a stand for the hungry children in our society? Is that not the Government's job?," Barrett tweeted.

Hollinrake replied: "Where they can, it's a parent's job to feed their children."

In a follow-up tweet than has gathered more than 80,000 likes, Rashford criticised Hollinrake's statement, suggesting the MP was out of touch.

"I would urge you to talk to families before tweeting. To this day I haven't met one parent who hasn't wanted or felt the responsibility to feed their children," the Red Devils attacker tweeted.

Put to the side that this comment came from an MP, Rashford continued. "It’s comments like this that prevent people from speaking their truth and asking for help.

"We need to start uplifting each other. I would have had the same response to anyone tweeting this..."

Rashford is currently preparing for Manchester United's Premier League campaign, which begins on September 19 against Crystal Palace.

The 22-year-old is however under an injury cloud after he was forced to withdraw with an ankle injury from England's two Nations League games against Iceland and Denmark.

Rashford enjoyed a breakout season with the Red Devils in 2019-20, scoring 17 league goals despite missing eight matches with a back injury in the second half of the campaign.

He also contributed five goals across 13 appearances in the Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

The striker has established himself as a regular starter in England's attack alongside Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling but is expected to be challenged for his role by Dortmund sensation Jadon Sancho and his Red Devils teammate Mason Greenwood.

Chelsea have struck a deal with League One club Burton Albion to sign 17-year-old goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe. 

The England Under-19 international joins the Blues for an undisclosed fee but will remain at Burton on a season-long loan. 

Sharman-Lowe joined the Brewers in 2017 from Leicester and enjoyed a breakout 2019-20 campaign as he was called up to Burton's first-team and attracted the attention of England's youth scouts. 

The teenage shot-stopper has signed a three-year deal with Chelsea and is excited about what his future now holds as he dreams about one day lining up in goal at Stamford Bridge.

"It’s brilliant and it has all happened so fast. Burton have developed me so well and now it’s another new beginning and, hopefully, I can develop further with Chelsea," Sharman-Lowe told Burton's official website.

"I’m excited to be joining such a great club, especially as they are known for bringing on young players.

"It has all happened in a flash, from playing for the first team in pre-season, and then joining a top-four Premier League contender.

"I want to say a massive thank you to all the first team staff, Jake Buxton and the players and to Nigel Clough, Dan Robinson, Paul Reynolds, Sam Rose and all the Academy staff for all their help and support.

"I just want to continue training with that support, develop as a player, get a few games and see how it pans out."

Burton manager Jake Buxton revealed Chelsea had been monitoring Sharman-Lowe over the off-season with club legend Petr Cech even coming down to watch the youngster in action. 

“Teddy joined us as a first-year pro when he turned 17 and this is an amazing situation he has found himself in. When we were approached in the off-season, we arranged for Chelsea’s Head of Recruitment to see him play and Petr Cech came to watch him as well," Duxton said.

“We had a conversation with Teddy and his parents and said if he can stay with us and develop that would be great, and he’s proved he’s more than capable of being an important part of the goalkeeping mix here this season.

“He’s a cracking player but he’s also a smashing lad, his parents should be proud of how he is growing up." 

England midfielder James Ward-Prowse believes his side have to show their darker side more often to ensure greater international success. 

Gareth Southgate's side beat Iceland 1-0 on Saturday in the Nations League with the Three Lions seeing their opponents miss a penalty at the death after Raheem Sterling had converted just minutes earlier from the spot. 

Ward-Prowse was spotted doing everything he could to delay Iceland's decisive spot-kick and believes England have to deploy such tactics more often and abandon their reputation of being "too nice". 

"It wasn't any digging of the spot, it was more just delaying the penalty," Ward-Prowse said.

"It was a bit of a mad few minutes. We'd just obviously scored what we thought was the winning goal and then we faced the penalty so it was more a delaying tactic just for everyone to get their heads together and prepare for the penalty. Thankfully it went in our favour.

"It's something which we can all take forward, for sure. Certainly at club level we have developed that ourselves as well and we've learned a lot with that, so it's just something that has added to my game. It's an important factor in the modern game.

"There are certain scenarios in a game and you have to take yourself out of the situation and see what is best at that time.

"Maybe we had the reputation of being a bit too nice, so we had to show a bit more aggression and a bit of that darker side in order to help us win games. It's just something that I have learned along the way." 

The Southampton midfielder earned a recall to the England squad after a strong Premier League season under the guidance of manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who demanded the 25-year-old develop more of an edge. 

"He showed me sides of my game which weren't suitable for his style of play and we had an honest conversation about him wanting me to be more aggressive and better against the ball," he said.

"I love the way that he plays and wanted to be part of that. I knew had had to go away and work hard at it and that side of the game has definitely come into it.

"I am a bit older now, a bit more responsibility and I am learning all the time. Playing that central role for Southampton you have to be aggressive and do that side of things."

Indian football legend IM Vijayan feels that the entry of Kolkata giants East Bengal into the Indian Super League (ISL) would be a fantastic move for the sport in India.

Last week, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, announced East Bengal's entry into the ISL and had said, "Mohun Bagan had joined ISL after an arrangement but East Bengal were trying for a very long time to play the ISL amidst the pandemic and that will finally happen now." 

If things go according to plan, the Football Sports Development Ltd-owned (FSDL) league will have the involvement of two of the biggest clubs in India this season. Earlier this year, East Bengal's arch-rivals Mohun Bagan had wrapped up a deal with ISL club ATK to form a new entity ATK Mohun Bagan. 

"Mohun Bagan have already entered into the ISL. East Bengal coming into the ISL would be fantastic. It's great for the federation that two of the top clubs in India are playing together in the ISL," Vijayan told Goal.  

With both teams set to play in the ISL from this season, the supporters can also continue enjoying Kolkata derbies in the national league. Vijayan believes the focus will not only be on the oldest derby in India and suggested that the nature of the contest will remain the same regardless of the competition. 

"I don't think it (Kolkata derby in ISL) will be different. All teams in ISL are very good. Bengaluru, Chennaiyin, Mumbai City, Kerala Blasters are all very good teams. The focus will not be just on Kolkata clubs. Indian players will get more chances so that's a good thing," he said. 

"Mamata is a Bengali so she may be a supporter of East Bengal. Politicians, whichever party they might be part of, love football in Kolkata. 

"The important thing is that East Bengal are playing in the ISL. I wish to see both these Kolkata clubs playing in the ISL."

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) have officially unveiled striker Juma Balinya ahead of the new season.

Goal had exclusively reported on August 25 the Uganda striker was negotiating for a transfer with the Lugogo-based giants and was keen to leave Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia.

Balinya had stated his stay at the KPL record champions was dependent on the improvement of the club’s financial health.

Gor Mahia signed the former Ugandan Premier League (UPL) top scorer from Tanzania’s Young Africans (Yanga SC) at a time they were experiencing financial turmoil.

However, Balinya and his teammates had to go for months without monthly payments and it is one of the reasons that is understood to have forced him to end his association with K’Ogalo.

KCCA have in a video posted on their social media pages the unveiling of the striker on a three-year contract by stating: “Juma Balinya is a yellow!”.

Balinya has also responded by stating: “Here is a new beginning, time to be the top scorer of the league again.”

In Kenya, Balinya struggled to find the back of the net after he was brought on board to replace Ghanaian Francis Afriyie who left for Township Rollers and Gnamien Yikpe who headed in the opposite direction to Yanga in January.

Balinya was the UPL’s 2018/19 top scorer with Police FC and those exploits saw Yanga sign him but the 28-year-old did not replicate the form in the Mainland Premier League.

He and Yanga decided to end their association mutually as the club also dealt with their tough financial status back then.

Balinya’s move to KCCA is the latest exit made by a Gor Mahia star after goalkeeper David Mapigano joined Azam FC on a two-year deal after only a season with the Green Army.

Winger Dickson Ambudo, who had a good start at Gor Mahia in the initial part of the season before somewhat fading, joined the newly-promoted Tanzanian side Dodoma Jiji FC.

Joash Onyango signed for Simba SC whereas his partner at Gor Mahia Charles Momanyi is said to be on his way to rivals KCB. Winger Boniface Omondi was the first player to confirm an exit from Gor Mahia and joined Wazito FC alongside keeper Peter Odhiambo.

Balinya becomes the eighth signing for KCCA this season joining Ashraf Mugume, Brian Aheebwa, Charles Lwanga, Stefano Mazengo Loro, Denis Iguma, Bright Anukani, and Samson Kigozi.

Ansu Fati made history on his first start and Sergio Ramos scored twice as Spain coasted to a 4-0 victory over Ukraine in Sunday's Nations League contest in Madrid.

Barcelona star Fati, who made his senior international debut off the bench in Thursday's 1-1 draw with Germany, made it 3-0 in fine fashion prior to half-time at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano to become Spain's youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 311 days old.

Fati had earlier won the penalty from which Ramos opened the scoring and the Real Madrid great doubled the lead at a familiar venue, which is part of Los Blancos' Valdebebas training complex.

Ferran Torres got off the mark for La Roja with a well-controlled finish six minutes from time as Spain moved to four points from two matches to sit top of Group A4.

Fati's quick feet proved too much for Sergey Krivtsov in just the third minute, with Andriy Pyatov unable to stop Ramos' penalty finding the bottom-left corner.

The Barca forward placed an effort just past the right post after tormenting Oleksandr Tymchyk on the left flank and had an overhead-kick blocked by Mykola Matvyenko in a goal-mouth scramble.

Ramos deservedly doubled the lead with a fine looping header from Dani Olmo's cross before Fati brilliantly jinked inside Ihor Kharatin and fired into the bottom-right corner off the post.

Olmo, also making a first international start, drew a smart stop from Pyatov just after the hour, while Gerard Moreno had the ball in the back of the net only to be flagged offside. 

Pyatov again kept the scoreline down with a fine fingertip save from Oscar Rodriguez's dipping effort but could do nothing to prevent new Manchester City winger Torres placing a side-footed volley into the bottom-right corner.

What does it mean? Fati a star who can help Spain reign again

Spain were the dominant force of international football during a golden period that returned two European Championships and the World Cup between 2008 and 2012. In 17-year-old Fati they seemingly have a generational talent who can be the driving force behind a new crop of emerging players.

Ramos matches Di Stefano

Ramos, his country's most-capped player, will forever be regarded as a Spain legend and his double means he now sits joint-eighth in the nation's list of highest goalscorers – level with fellow Los Blancos great Alfredo Di Stefano, after whom Sunday's venue was named.

Fati not feeling the weight of international expectation

This was Fati's first start in international football, but he played with the swagger and quality of a seasoned veteran. Time and again Ukraine's defenders were left quaking by the Barca forward, who fully deserved his historic goal.

What's next?

Spain prepare for their next Nations League assignment with a friendly against Portugal on October 7, while Ukraine host Germany in their third Group A4 encounter.

Nigeria's Emmanuel Dennis, Senegal forwards Youssouph Badji and Krepin Diatta have been shortlisted for Club Brugge's Player of the Month award for August.

The African trio join goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and Belgian midfielder Hans Vanaken in the five-man list released on Sunday.

They have helped Club Brugge bounce back after starting their Belgian First Division A title defence campaign on a losing against Sporting Charleroi on August 8.

Badji and Diatta are the joint top scorers in Philippe Clement's team so far this season with two goals each while Dennis has only provided an assist as he awaits his maiden goal this term.

Diatta scored a brace in Club Brugge's 4-0 demolition of AS Eupen on August 16 while Badji grabbed a goal in the fixture before scoring the match-winning goal against Genk last Sunday, after Dennis assisted Vanaken to open the scoring in the encounter.

18-year-old Badji who joined the Blue-Black this year, has started his European career on a promising note with the two goals scored in four Belgian top-flight matches.

Since the start of the 2020-21 campaign in August, Club Brugge have lost two and won two of their four league games. They are placed fifth in the First Belgian First Division A table with six points behind leaders Sporting Charleroi.

After the international break, they host Waasland-Beveren for their next league fixture on September 12.

Paris Saint-Germain's interest was piqued when Lionel Messi declared his intention to leave Barcelona, sporting director Leonardo has admitted.

The Argentina star sent shockwaves around world football when he declared his intention to leave the Spanish club for free this summer, though the Blaugrana insisted any buyers would have to match his €700 million release clause.

But Messi revealed to Goal this week that he will remain at the club because he does not want to fight the Catalan giants in court.

Manchester City were seen as the most likely destination for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, but PSG would have considered making a move for him.

"Today when you think about the financial situation it's complicated," Leonardo told Telefoot when asked if the French champions were interested. 

"When we are told Messi wants to leave, we are tempted. You say to yourself, will it be f*cking possible? They are players completely out of any discussion. 

"I don't know, David Beckham ended up at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi ending up in Paris? I don't know. 

"It's football, in the end, everyone's sitting at the table, everyone knows everything, and it's moving forward."

While the Ligue 1 giants missed out on the signing of one icon, they said goodbye to two club legends when Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva left after their contracts expired.

Silva’s agent said Leonardo offered the Brazilian centre-back an extension after he had already agreed to join Chelsea and the director admits deciding whether or not to keep the pair was a tough call.

"Decisions over players like this are not easy. They are players who have done everything for the club, absolute idols,” he said.

“It’s hard to say if one year more, or less, would be better, or just to stop there.

"This group, and what they did in the second half of the year, is great. We want to keep the group together."

While Ligue 1 is two weeks into the 2020-21 campaign, PSG are yet to kick theirs off because of their participation in the Champions League final. Thomas Tuchel's team will play their first game of the new season on Thursday when they visit Lens. 

Barcelona target Memphis Depay is also the subject of interest from Roma, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has revealed.

Lyon captain Depay is into the final year of his contract with the Ligue 1 club and has been linked with a big move to Barca.

The former Manchester United forward previously worked with new Blaugrana coach Ronald Koeman with the Netherlands.

But Aulas warned a deal with Barca has not yet been done, encouraging Roma's rival interest.

He told Telefoot: "Memphis' contract is expiring. Koeman wants him at Barcelona, but there is also Roma in for the player."

Depay returned from a serious knee injury to feature in Lyon's run to the Champions League semi-finals, having earlier netted nine goals in only 13 Ligue 1 matches last term.

Last week he scored a hat-trick in Lyon's first Ligue 1 game of the season as Dijon were beaten 4-1.

The Netherlands star has admitted that he could be lured away from Lyon, but insists he is focusing on building on his bright start to the new campaign.

"I never said I want to leave. When I say something, it is often distorted,” he said on Tuesday.

"I still have a one-year contract, I am captain, and we have a good team. We have shown that. I feel good about myself but also have my dreams. I have always expressed that too."

The 26-year-old said a few days ago that he has a good relationship with Koeman, who offered his support as the ex-Manchester United winger was sidelined with injury.

"He was very involved in my recovery, he came to see me in Rome,” he added. “When I was training in the Netherlands, he came to see me. Our relationship is good.”

Meanwhile, Lyon coach Rudi Garcia said on Sunday that he would not hold the attacker back from a move to Camp Nou, adding that he would take him there himself.

“Like many of my players, if they have the opportunity to play in a club built to win the Champions League, and he's met a lot of them last season, I will personally take him in my car,” he said.

David Silva has been hailed for making the "perfect" choice by joining Real Sociedad rather than Lazio following his departure from Manchester City.

Former Spain international Silva left the Etihad Stadium at the end of the 2019-20 campaign after trophy-laden decade at City.

Having been linked with moves to MLS and Qatar, Silva seemed set to join Lazio following their fourth-placed finish in Serie A last term.

However, the 34-year-old eventually signed a two-year deal at Sociedad, where he will help fill the gap left by Martin Odegaard after the Norway playmaker was recalled from his loan spell a year early by Real Madrid.

And former Barcelona defender Andrea Orlandi, who will be working as a pundit for LaLiga TV in the UK and Ireland this upcoming season, believes Silva made the right call regarding his future.

"I think he did make the right decision," Orlandi told Goal."I think he watched the way they play and it is perfect for David Silva.

"Look at the way Lazio play; they play 3-5-2, a very Italian system. They hit teams on the counterattack so he thought he could play [in that system]. but that he would have to do a lot of running and change the way he plays.

"He would also need to know a new league, how to train, play and live there. So knowing the way Sociedad play, how nice San Sebastian is, the structure of the club, that the training ground is great and the new stadium is there - it had all the ingredients to chose Sociedad over Lazio.

"In Italy, the culture and mentality is different and the opposite to Spanish teams. Sociedad was the best for him."

It is an opinion that former City scout, Terry Gibson, shares as he prepares to work alongside Orlandi in 2020-21, with the 57-year-old keen to see how Silva fits in among Sociedad's young squad.

"When Odegaard left Real Sociedad to go back to Real Madrid, I was worried at how they were going to replace him," Gibson (pictured below), who represented Manchester United and Tottenham as a player, added. "It was a real shock when we had the news that David Silva was returning to La Liga with Real Sociedad.

"I imagine he is not going to earn as much money at Sociedad as he would at Manchester City. I think it is genuinely a case of that his family are happy to go back to Spain after many years in Manchester.

"I think what attracted him to the club is the way the team played. He obviously watched La Liga last season.

"He must have seen how Real Sociedad were playing last season. He must have been attracted to the idea of being the older player among younger players. They can do the running, and at the same time he can provide the magic.

"It would have been easier to stay at City. I am sure they would have wanted to keep him, maybe not playing as many matches, but he wants to come and do what Santi Cazorla did at Villarreal last season.

"He can play every week, be an important player and I can see why he chose Sociedad. It is a perfect fit as well.

"I am excited about seeing them again next season with so many good young players coming into that team. They have become a real good, young, attractive team to watch.

"They have the likes of [Ander] Barrenetxea, who is in his teens. [Alexander] Isak is a fantastic young player as well, with Mikel Morino having had a fantastic season. Martin Zubimendi came in and played as a really mature holding midfield player at 21-years-old.

"When you have those young players, you need those good experienced players with personality and character. David Silva is the perfect personality for that role alongside Nacho Monreal, who had a fantastic season last year.

Odegaard, meanwhile, returns to Santiago Bernabeu after an impressive first full season in La Liga, with Zinedine Zidane having reportedly requested personally that he be brought back to the Spanish capital a year ahead of schedule.

The former teenage prodigy will battle with the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Isco and Federico Valverde for a regular starting berth, and Orlandi feels the 21-year-old is ready to make an impact for Los Blancos.

"He was one of the players of the season before Covid. He picked up injury which meant he struggled a bit when the season restarted, but he has plenty of quality," Orlandi said.

"Real Madrid want him back because they think he can actually play.

"They now need a replacement for Luka Modric, who is probably having his last season, and Odegaard might be that guy. I think Odegaard is ready to play for Real Madrid, maybe not every game but in rotation that Zinedine Zidane does really well.

"He comes back a mature player, not that 16-year-old boy from Norway. He had a huge contract for that age and the pressure that brings, but now he is an established La Liga player. He walks into that dressing room with respect as an established player."

Lionel Messi has been dubbed the 'King of Catalunya' by La Liga expert Terry Gibson, who is backing the Barcelona star to see out the remainder of his top-level career with the Blaugrana.

Messi revealed in a world exclusive interview with Goal on Friday that he would be remaining at Camp Nou despite having previously told Barca that he wished to leave the club this summer.

The Argentina superstar believed that he would be free to leave this summer due to a clause in his contract, but the Spanish giants insist Messi should have informed them of his decision by June 10.

Messi in turn feels that the coronavirus pandemic meant that his final call could be delayed until the 2019-20 campaign was over, but Barca have told him he must either pay his €700 million (£624m/$829m) release clause or risk a court case if he truly wishes to depart.

The 33-year-old has now entered the final 12 months of his current deal at Barca, but Gibson - who previously worked as a Spanish scout for Manchester City and will be part of the LaLiga TV panel of pundits in the UK and Ireland this season - remains hoeful that the six-time Ballon d'Or winner will remain at the club for a number of years to come.

"This is a player who has been at Barcelona since he was 13. He has been in the first team for 16 seasons," Gibson told Goal. "I presume for Messi that, despite being Argentine, Barcelona would be the place where he will settle when he retires.

"His kids go to school in Barcelona, his wife has been there long enough with him and they have known each other for a long time.

"He is the 'King of Catalunya' and Barcelona. It is ridiculous, look at his stats. He is ludicrous, no one has come anywhere near him. It is not just how many goals he scores but how many minutes and games he plays and how many goals he makes.

"I hope he does stay and finishes his main career here. Maybe he could do an Andres Iniesta at the end of his career and play in another league.

"I am biased despite not supporting Barcelona or Real Madrid, but it would have been nice to see him end his career the way he wanted to, which is just playing for Barcelona."

Gibson's television colleage and former Barcelona defender Andrea Orlandi, meanwhile, believes that a return to his homeland is on the cards for Messi before his playing career is over.

He does not envisage him joining another European club, however, even if he was left upset following Barca's crushing 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

That marked the end of Quique Setien's time in charge of the club, with Ronald Koeman having been hired to take his place and oversee what promises to be quite the transition.

Ivan Rakitic has already left for Sevilla and Messi's close friend Luis Suarez is set to follow the Croatia international out of the door, with Juventus having agreed a three-year deal with the former Liverpool star.

Despite that, Orlandi believes Koeman is the right man for the job given his knowledge of the club from his playing days.

"It has been shocking news here in Barcelona about Messi’s situation," Orlandi told Goal.

"I think it is sometimes normal to have a reaction like that after an 8-2 defeat. I felt sorry for some of the players during the game, and you could see how Messi felt.

"But, he loves the city, his kids go to school there, his wife is happy and, yes, he might lose his friend Luis Suarez, but he is a Barcelona player.

"Koeman has been very direct with players like Suarez, telling them they won’t stay, but Messi is at the centre of his project. I can’t imagine him ever leaving. His reaction is natural for a human being as well as a footballer.

"I think he might try and play for Newell’s Old Boys in three or four years time because it is his team from Rosario and it is a romantic idea that he has had."

On Koeman's appointment, he added: " They always talk about the DNA at Barcelona, but what is it really?

"When you see Barcelona play, you see it. We didn’t see it much last season. I think sometimes you need a defeat like that [to Bayern] to change things.

"If they lost 2-1 or 3-1, the same problems would have been hidden. They would have probably kept going in the same direction, so I think they needed to change dramatically. That will help that transition.

"They have fantastic players getting to the later stages of their careers and perhaps the motivation isn’t the same. You need to change things in the dressing room to keep improving. I think Koeman is the right man to do it.

"I think maybe he isn’t the best manager for Barcelona, but I think he is the right man to tell players sometimes things that they don’t want to hear.

"It is a problem at Barcelona that sometimes in the past few season players were very comfortable. They are fantastic players who could play and train in the way they wanted.

"It wasn’t enough in Europe despite winning La Liga titles. Sometimes, a result like that can be beneficial. For Barcelona, it is about hitting rock bottom and starting again."

Spain manager Luis Enrique declared Ansu Fati's self-confidence "is not normal" after seeing the 17-year-old score his first international goal on Sunday. 

After winning an early penalty that allowed Sergio Ramos to open the scoring, Fati would himself get on the scoresheet in the 32nd minute as Spain strolled to a 4-0 win over Ukraine in the Nations League. 

In the Barcelona attacker's first start for the national team, he became Spain's youngest goalscorer in style as he curled home an effort from the top of the box. 

Fati, who played the full 90 minutes against Ukraine, took a game-high six shots, created two chances and his six attempted dribbles were also more than any other player on the pitch. 

All in all it was a memorable first start for the 17-year-old and Enrique was full of praise for Fati afterwards, noting his supreme confidence is combined with plenty of maturity. 

"When we choose the squad we do not look at his age. That does not mean that we do not have to understand that Ansu Fati will play bad games and will make mistakes many times. It is part of his learning, but that self-confidence is not normal," Enrique said post-match.

"Ansu Fati is very happy and has reasons. He is only 17 years old and has to mature, but that in his second game with the national team he dares to do all this...

"He brings hard work and humility. He has trained at an impressive pace and I am glad that he goes home with this joy.

"At his age it is easy for these highs to go to your head, but he is mature enough to know that the path he is following is the best. He is very calm and humble." 

Fati had only made his senior international debut off the bench in Thursday's 1-1 draw against Germany.

It's been a breakout year for the teenager for club and country with the young attacker making 33 appearances for Barcelona across the 2019-20 campaign and scoring eight goals. 

Spain have now gone 13 games undefeated and next face Portugal and then Switzerland in October. 

Ansu Fati is hoping his dominant performance for Spain on his first international start will convince Ronald Koeman to grant him more first team opportunity at Barcelona.

The talented attacker became Spain's youngest ever scorer - at 17 years and 311 days - as he found the back of the net in La Roja's 4-0 thumping of Ukraine in the Nations League on Sunday.

Fati only made his first appearance for the national team against Germany on Thursday - becoming Spain's youngest player in 84 years in the 0-0 draw.

The Guinea-Bissau-born forward, who also won the penalty for the Sergio Ramos' opener against Ukraine, is aiming to show new Barca coach Koeman that he is worthy of a regular spot in Barca's first team in the coming season.

While the teenager made 33 appearances and scored eight goals in a record-breaking debut season for Barcelona, he came on in 18 of those matches as a substitute.

"I will continue working and the coach is the one who decides," Fati said when asked if he can play more at Barca this season.

"I will train hard, if I have the opportunity I will try to take advantage of it."

The international break marked Fati's first experience at working with Spanish national team coach Luis Enrique.

He revealed he was warmly welcomed into the international setup and spoke of the honour of being able to work with Enrique.

"It is a pride to work with Luis Enrique and with all the players who are here; they received me with open arms and all the confidence in the world," he said. 

"To continue working, as always, with humility, and everything will come."

Fati's first season in senior football has seen him break a swathe of records - which started with him becoming Barca's youngest ever goalscorer against Osasuna in September last year.

In December, Fati earned the honour of being the Blaugrana's youngest ever scorer in the Champions League, with his winning goal against Inter in a 2-1 win in the group stages.

He also became the youngest player to score a brace in La Liga with his two goals in Barca's 2-0 victory over Levante in February.

Young Africans SC (Yanga SC) started their Tanzania Mainland League campaign with a point after labouring to a 1-1 draw against Tanzania Prisons.

In the last 16 matches between the two sides, the 27-time league champions had managed 10 wins, drawing five and losing just once, a loss that came way in 2018. Last season, Timu ya Wananchi managed to get four points from the administrative side.

With many signings made, the hosts were keen to start on a high to reduce the pressure on them to win silverware and build momentum.

However, it was the administrative side who started the game well, and they were rewarded in the seventh minute. Yanga failed to clear their lines and the ball fell kindly to Lambert Sabiyanka, who had enough space to set himself up before unleashing a good shot that beat Farouk Shikhalo in the Yanga goal.

The lead lasted just 13 minutes as the Jangwani-based side fought hard for the equalizing goal.

Prisons defenders failed to clear a cross from the left, and the loose ball fell to new signing Michael Sarpong whose first-time shot was too much for the custodian to deal with.

Those were the only goals in the first half, as neither of the two teams could get the vital second.

After the break, Yanga came back stronger hoping to get the second goal and lead the proceedings for the first time. On their side, Tanzania Prisons ensured they did not make costly mistakes, especially at the back, and they did everything possible to keep the strikers at bay.

Their resolute defending ended with full-back Nurdin Chona getting sent off in the 85th minute after a second bookable offence. Nevertheless, they had done enough to get a point from their hosts who were desperate for a win.

In other matches played on Sunday, Namungo defeated Coastal Union by a solitary goal. The lone strike came in the 63rd minute courtesy of Blaise Bigirimana.

Newcomers Dodoma Jiji FC needed a Khamis Mcha strike with 20 minutes remaining to start their campaign in the top tier with a win at the expense of Mwadui while their fellow newbies Gwambina fell by the same margin to Biashara Mara United.

The goal was scored in the 88th minute by Friday Kelvin.

Mtibwa Sugar and Ruvu Shooting settled for a goalless draw.

South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan has explained how Bafana Bafana can benefit after the PSL's Big Three clubs qualified for Caf interclub competitions. 

Mamelodi Sundowns clinched the PSL title after defeating Black Leopards 3-0 on Saturday, while long-time log leaders Kaizer Chiefs were held to a 1-1 draw by Baroka FC on the final day of the season.

Jordaan lauded Sundowns for showing utmost professionalism throughout the season and also praised the club president Patrice Motsepe.

‘’I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Sundowns Football Club for being true champions," Jordaan told Safa's official website on Sunday.

"This is their third league title on the trot and 10th overall and well done to coach Pitso Mosimane and his technical team for leading the team to the top again. 

“Competing in Africa year in year out and continuing to dominate on the domestic front shows the vision of club President."

Sundowns and Chiefs qualified for next season's Caf Champions League, while third-place Orlando Pirates are set to compete in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Pirates will be joined by Bloemfontein Celtic in the Confederation Cup after Siwelele reached the 2020 Nedbank Cup final where they will face Sundowns on Tuesday.

"Winning the league title also means Sundowns will once again be representing South Africa together with Kaizer Chiefs in the Caf Champions League tournament while Orlando Pirates and Bloemfontein Celtic will take part in the Caf Confed Cup," he added. 

‘’Up until the final whistle, the league could have gone either way but ultimately Sundowns through their never-say-die attitude, prevailed.

"The club has done well in Caf club competitions and we look forward to them raising the South African flag again together with other continental representatives.

“When our clubs do well in Caf tournaments, it rubs off our national teams especially the senior men’s national team, Bafana Bafana."

Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) confirmed the return of Sundowns, Chiefs and Pirates to interclub competitions. 

“Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are all coming back for Interclubs competitions next season. Early predictions?” a Caf statement read on Twitter on Sunday.  

They are the only South African clubs which have won continental trophies thus far as Sundowns and Pirates have lifted the Caf Champions League and Caf Super Cup.

While Chiefs clinched the African Cup Winners' Cup in 2001 and the competition has since been merged with the Caf Cup to form the Caf Confederation Cup.

The Confederation of African Football has released a statement that it is ready to support Egypt in their quest to find an Africa Cup of Nations trophy which has gone missing.

It was revealed by former Egyptian FA vice-president Ahmed Shobeir that the trophy which the Pharaohs won three times in a row in 2006, 2008 and 2010 was lost in a fire incident at the association’s headquarters in Cairo in 2013. This discovery was made after the FA had plans to build a museum that would house trophies won by the North African powerhouse.

"Officials of the committee which meets every five years and currently manages the Football Association were surprised that the trophy was not available, in light of their desire to create a museum at the federation headquarters, which would feature the trophy and the national team's kits," Shobeir said on the 'On Time Sports' TV show.

"However, [they] were surprised to find that the Afcon trophy was lost, and decided to open an investigation."

Caf - which is also headquartered in the city of Cairo, in a solidarity move, have offered their support to help Egypt find the missing piece of silverware.

“Caf has learnt with shock, reports of missing Afcon trophies from the Egyptian Football Association secretariat. Our doors are open and the @EFA can count on our support in the search for the priceless memorabilia,” read a statement on the Caf Twitter handle.

Egypt are the most successful team in the history of Afcon with seven titles, two better than the next successful team Cameroon who have five titles.

The Pharaohs first won it in 1957 followed by the 1959 edition on home soil. It had to take them 27 years before they landed a third continental title, this time on home soil again in 1986. Egypt would be triumphant again in 1998, seeing off South Africa in Burkina Faso before they dominated it three times in a row in 2006, 2008, 2010. The 2006 edition was the third time they would win it on their turf, the only team to achieve such in Afcon history.

Egypt were hosts for the fourth time in 2019 but they crashed out at the round of 16 stage to Bafana Bafana while Algeria went on to claim ultimate glory in the final by dispatching Senegal.

Former Manchester City forward Benjani Mwaruwari says he “became an instant hero” after scoring on his debut for the Citizens in the derby showdown against Manchester United in February 2008.

After being signed by Sven-Goran Eriksson from Portsmouth, Benjani immediately repaid the Swede for his faith in him a few days later by scoring on his maiden appearance for City against old foes United at Old Trafford.

City won 2-1 following Benjani's 45th-minute goal to add to Darius Vassell’s opener, while United pulled one goal back through Michael Carrick.

“That is the kind of a game that you don’t forget until you die,” Benjani told The Sunday Mail.

“That single goal in the Manchester derby changed everything for me. I became an instant hero, remember this was my debut for City and scoring in such a big game was no mean feat.

“When I arrived at City I didn’t know the history associated with the Manchester derby in terms of head to head clashes. I only realised I had done something big when journalists started talking about that victory being the first for City at Old Trafford since 1974.”

Benjani says he became a security risk after he had sunk United, prompting City to provide him with bodyguards.

“It made me famous, the fans accepted me, and players embraced me. Sometimes you are not that good as a player but if you work hard you can achieve your goals,” said Benjani.

“After that match, the club even assigned bodyguards to protect me for two weeks as they feared something bad could happen to me. “But, being someone who was raised in Magwegwe back in Bulawayo, I later told them I didn’t need any protection.

“You see, I was brought up in a tough environment back home in Bulawayo and that kind of hardened me.”

This was two years after he had arrived in the Premier League from Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre.

Having played Champions League football with Auxerre, Benjani caught the attention of then Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

“Arsene once assured me he would sign me if I continued excelling. However, it was Portsmouth who came in earlier and after Wenger’s recommendation, Harry Redknapp signed me in 2006,” said Benjani.

Other spells at Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland marked the Zimbabwean’s days in the Premier League and lifting the 2008 FA Cup with Pompey was arguably his biggest achievement during his time in England.