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Juventus midfielder Arthur says linking up with Cristiano Ronaldo will be "the realisation of a dream" as he targets Champions League success at his new club.

The Brazil international has joined Juve ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, with Miralem Pjanic having gone the opposite way and moved to Barcelona.

Arthur spent two seasons in the same side as Lionel Messi at Barca and is now relishing the prospect of playing alongside another multiple Ballon d'Or winner in Ronaldo.

"I have had the privilege of playing with great players. Playing with Ronaldo is almost the realisation of a dream," he said when presented to the media on Wednesday.

"Today is a very important day for me. I thank my family, the managers, Fabio [Paratici, chief football officer] and all those who have welcomed me."

Juventus won a ninth straight Scudetto last season but sacked head coach Maurizio Sarri after losing to Lyon in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Iconic former midfielder Andrea Pirlo was installed as Sarri's successor and Arthur is honoured to play under the Italian, who has never previously managed at senior level.

"I haven't talked to the coach in detail yet. But he played football in a unique way, different to others. I feel privileged to play for such a coach," he said. 

"Anyone with an interest in football followed his playing career."

Arthur won two trophies in his two seasons at Camp Nou, but Barca fell short in the Champions League in both campaigns.

It has been 24 years since Juve last won silverware in Europe's premier club competition and Arthur is out to change that.

"One of the main reasons for joining was this," he said. "Here I can play with important players and the Juventus project is extremely ambitious. 

"The Champions League is a priority. I will work with my team-mates to reach that goal and many others.

"We are talking about Juventus, a club with a unique history. It is a team with an important structure - all these factors will always make it unique."

Reflecting on his two years at Barca, Arthur added: "I can only thank them - ​​they had great affection for me. I was treated very well, as part of a very ambitious project."

Express FC have expressed their satisfaction following the ruling made by the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) to punish star player Disan Galiwango.

On Tuesday, Galiwango, who signed for UPL champions Vipers SC in this transfer window, was ordered to pay Express USh25 million for breach of contract.

The Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) Dispute Resolution Chamber made the judgment on September 2 after Express had sought their attention and resolution over the matter.

The 22-year-old left-back, who the Red Eagles had maintained was still their contracted player, had signed to serve the Venoms for the next four years.

Express CEO Isaac Mwesigwa, who found the matter on the table when he signed for the Red Eagles, has now said they are happy justice has been served, the case closed and wished the player all the best in his future endeavours.

“As a club we let football win, we didn’t want to drag this issue for so long,” Mwesigwa is quoted by the club’s official website while reacting to the ruling by Fufa.

“The club wishes Disan [Galiwango] success in his new adventure.”

In their ruling, Fufa stated: “The player, Dissan Galiwango is ordered to refund the USh15,000,000 [Fifteen million shilling only] he received from Express FC in November 2019,” the resolution chamber decreed.

“Disan Galiwango is ordered to pay compensation for breach of his obligations vis-à-vis the club, Express FC under the preliminary contract/pre-contract in the amount of USh10,000,000 [Ten million shillings only].

“Disan Galiwango shall not be issued a player’s licence until the total amount of USh25,000,000 [Twenty-five million shillings only] is fully paid to Express FC.”

Express had argued the defender had renewed his deal after negotiations and thereby took USh15 million although his initial quotation was USh30 million.

The Red Eagles further stated Galiwango affirmed his wish to stay after signing the papers with the club chairman Kiryowa Kiwanuka.

Since then, reports emerged that Vipers signed Galiwango, gave him USh60 million as a sign-on fee inclusive of USh15 million that he was to pay Express.

As the news of East Bengal's new sponsors filters in, speculation on whether the club will actually take part in the Indian Super League (ISL) in the upcoming season has gathered pace.

In an address on Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that East Bengal will play in the ISL from the upcoming season.

"The problem has now been solved. Now East Bengal will play in ISL," she said.

If such a move does come to fruition, a glance at what it means for the I-League might not be a pretty sight. The Kolkata giants' potential entry into ISL is a development that ends up with both the league and the club coming out as winners. However, this could mean Kolkata could end up without a club in the I-League.

Having finally roped in new investors (Shree Cement), East Bengal will naturally make an effort to play in the top-tier of professional football in India. In case Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) now decides to open up a tender for a new club, East Bengal would be expected to pick it up. 

East Bengal officials have publicly made it clear that they want to play in the ISL from the 2020-21 season and it is something that fans of the club will now expect, having sorted their financial situation out.

While playing in the ISL will mean East Bengal are back in the top tier of Indian football, such a move will also see the viewership and interest in ISL increase manifold, thanks to the legion of East Bengal supporters.

Not to mention the possibility of staging the 'famed' Kolkata derby under ISL's aegis. The Kolkata derby, the grand stage where the rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal unfolds, is without doubt the grandest fixture in the Indian football calendar.

Even though the ISL was the more glamorous league, the I-League always boasted featuring two of the biggest clubs in India in Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Understandably, the Kolkata derby used to the I-League's crown jewel.

Now, Mohun Bagan have merged with ATK and have entered the ISL. If East Bengal follow suit, the I-League will have been dealt a bodyblow.

Within an extremely short span of time, the two biggest crowdpullers would have left I-League and have taken with them the relevance the league still had in the minds of the hardened Indian football fans.

Not only will the attendance figures for the I-League fall (if and when the spectators are let back into the stadiums), but the TV viewership will see a dramatic decline as well.

Then there is the matter of what it means for the rest of the teams in the I-League. It is no secret that with both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the I-League stable, the voice of the I-League clubs was amplified a lot especially when it came to demand for the retention of I-League's continental spot, better broadcast standards among other things.

Then there is also the possibility of not having any club from Kolkata in the I-League for the first time ever. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have already brought in Delhi-based Sudeva FC after Mohun Bagan merged with ATK. Even if East Bengal leave, there might not be a direct replacement.

So, the next season, I-League will have 11 teams before Visakhapatnam-based Sreenidhi joins in the 2021-22 season.

It means, only way a Kolkata-based club can play in the I-League is if either Bhowanipore FC or Mohammedan Sporting win the 2nd Division I-League which will be concluded before the upcoming season.

Of course, all this is contingent on East Bengal's ISL entry. However, judging by the developments, it would not be a far-fetched possibility.

East Bengal are all set to participate in the upcoming edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) after roping in Shree Cement as their new sponsors. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already stated that East Bengal will play in the ISL from the 2020-21 season.

While the move has been cherished widely, it also means that their dream to land the coveted I-League trophy at the East Bengal tent in Leslie Claudius Sarani remains unfulfilled.

It has been 16 agonising seasons for the Red and Gold fans since they last won the domestic league championship in the National Football League (NFL) era in 2003-04 under the tutelage of Subhash Bhowmick. Several high profile signings led by brilliant tacticians have been flown in from across the globe, but their efforts were not enough to turn their fortunes. 

They have finished as runners-up on several occassions but due to a myriad of administrative and sporting failures, the I-League trophy has remained elusive. 

The Trevor James Morgan-era has been undoubtedly one of the most decorated periods in the century for the club. Under the British coach, the club had won trophies in each of his three seasons but faltered every time in the I-League. Callous transfer policy coupled with their tendency to choke in the final rounds of the league hindered their bid to achieve the objective. 

In none of the three seasons, the club had managed to sign all four foreigners before the I-League campaign began. From Alexandro Da Silva to Edmilson to Andrew Barisic, every player joined the club midway in the league.

In 2012, East Bengal met Dempo in the penultimate matchday in Goa. It was a must-win match for the Kolkata-based side but they could only manage to churn out a goalless draw, and hence Dempo walked away with the title.

In the next season, under Armando Colaco, they put up a strong show in the business end of the tournament, but the damage had already been done owing to a slow which saw Brazilian coach Marcos Falopa facing the axe. 

In 2018, new dawn ushered in with Quess Corp taking over majority shares in the club. They roped in former assistant of Jose Mourinho - Alejandro Menendez - at the helm and the Spaniard looked to set to accomplish the mission I-League. But defeat to eventual champions Chennai City at both home and away, saw them miss out on the top spot by just a point. 

And after another second spot finish in the previous season, their tryst with I-League seems to have ended on a bitter note.

Although the record books will not flash East Bengal's name amongst the title winners of the erstwhile top division league, a strong start to the ISL campaign and winning it in the maiden attempt might kindle a new era in the club's illustrious history after years of disappointment in the league.

Former Arsenal star Ian Wright believes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's contract renewal would be "the most significant signing" Mikel Arteta can make this summer.

Arsenal and Aubameyang are locked in talks over a new deal, with the Gabon international already in the final 12 months of his contract in North London.

Wright, who is Arsenal's second all-time top scorer behind Thierry Henry, highlighted the importance of the goals scored by Aubameyang after the Gunners finished the 2019-20 season with the FA Cup title.

On Saturday, the 31-year-old kicked off the new campaign with a bang by steering Arteta’s side to a Community Shield triumph against Liverpool.

“To be honest, I think he will be the most significant signing Mikel can make,” Wright was quoted as saying by the Independent.

“We do need to make that happen, simply because of what he brings to that team. When you look at the chances created for Arsenal, they were 16th in the league and he still scored the amount of goals he scored.

“So if you can imagine, we can start creating more with the players we have signed – the Willians and people like that – then he is going to score more goals. It is imperative that he signs.”

Wright also reserved praise for the progress made by Arteta since he took over at the helm in December.

“When you look at our manager he is a very focused, driven guy and knows exactly what Arsenal are about,” he added.

“When you look at the transformation and culture change under Mikel Arteta, you have to say we are on the right track and that is the only thing you want to worry about right now.

“It is still a long way to go with what other teams are doing at the moment – you look what Chelsea are doing, Man City are doing and what Liverpool are going to do, what Man United are going to do.

“We have to just worry, as Arsenal, what we are doing and the slow progress we are making at the moment.”

Arsenal will begin their 2020-21 Premier League season with a game against newly-promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage on September 12.

Ivan Rakitic insists Barcelona remain "the best option for all players" but admits he does not know whether Lionel Messi will leave the club.

Rakitic this week agreed a return to Sevilla from Barca for an initial fee of just €1.5 million, signing a four-year deal with Julen Lopetegui's side.

His departure has been overshadowed by the news that Messi also wants to leave Camp Nou, having told the club as much last week.

His father and agent, Jorge Messi, was to meet with president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday to try to reach an agreement over an amicable exit.

Rakitic says it is down to each player to decide their future but suggested the six-time Ballon d'Or winner could in fact be better suited by staying.

"The first option and the best option for all players is always Barca," he told reporters. "Then, each player has to make their decision.

"For me, the first option would always be to be at Barca.

"Every player has to do his own analysis and I believed it was my moment. What Messi and other players are going to do, I don't know, you'd have to ask them.

"I've spoken with the board and we're all satisfied. And I'm convinced that everyone will make their own analysis and do the best for all parties.

"I respect the decision of every player and I've already said that these are decisions everyone has to make."

Messi informed the club he wanted to leave in the wake of Barca's humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich.

The Catalan giants ended 2019-20 without a major trophy, having endured a marked decline in standards since Rakitic's first season in 2014-15, when they won the treble under Luis Enrique.

However, Rakitic does not believe it is necessarily the end of an era of success at the club.

"I've not said anything about the end of a cycle, only that I always analyse everything and the situation has arrived to start thinking in another way," he said.

"It's not the end of an era. After six years, it wasn't easy for me to leave. I'm really grateful for every detail.

"I don't like to talk about the end of an era. I believe every player has to think about when the moment comes for them to leave, and that moment has come for me, nothing more."

Gor Mahia have sealed the signing of yet another midfielder after unveiling John Onyango.

Onyango has arrived at the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions from Chemelil Sugar, who were relegated at the end of last season when the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) moved to end the top-flight owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Welcome to Gor Mahia John Ochieng from Chemelil Sugar,” the club wrote on their official social media pages.

Gor Mahia have already signed goalkeepers Levis Opiyo, Samuel Njau, and Sydney Ochieng, Cameroon forward Bertrand Konfor, John Macharia, and Andrew Juma and striker Tito Okello from Uganda.

On Tuesday, new signing Bernard Omalla from Western Stima promised the club fans he will win the Golden Boot in the new campaign.

The highly-rated teenager was unveiled by the KPL champions on Tuesday, just a few days after he turned down an offer from Wazito FC.

“I feel very nice to move from Western Stima to Gor Mahia, because Gor Mahia is a big club here in Kenya and all players would love to play for this team, I want to thank the chairman for giving me the chance to play for this great club,” Omalla told Gor Mahia TV after signing the deal.

“Last season I wanted to be the top scorer, but I could not because of the coronavirus pandemic, it spoiled everything but this season, I want to start from where l left, my target is to win the Golden Boot and I know I will achieve my target at the end of the season.”

Asked whether he has any pressure now that he will be playing for the champions, Omalla said: “I don’t think so, I have played against Gor Mahia and scored against them and now I want to play and score goals for Gor Mahia, so I don’t see any pressure there.”

Omalla was a key figure for the Powermen last season as he registered a number of records. He became the first Western Stima star to hit a hat-trick in a KPL match, a record he wrote against Zoo FC at Kisumu’s Moi Stadium in December, where they won 4-1.

He was subsequently named the KPL Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Player of the Month for December. Omalla broke a six-year winless run by becoming the third Western Stima player to win the award.

Kenneth Muguna, who is set to be his new teammate and captain at Gor Mahia should he not leave, lifted the SJAK award in 2015 as he was serving the Kisumu side. The other player to have done so is Wesley Kemboi.

East Bengal’s wait for an investor finally ended as Kolkata-based Shree Cement Limited invested in the club by buying close to 80 per cent stake.

With the arrival of new investors, it is all but confirmed that the Kolkata giants will take part in the Indian Super League (ISL) from the 2020-21 season which is the top tier of Indian football.

Shree Cement is one of the largest cement manufacturing company in India founded in Beawar in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan in 1979. It is headquartered in Kolkata.

The Chairman of the group is Kolkata-born entrepreneur B.G. Bangur and the managing director of the company is his elder son H.M. Bangur. 

The news of Shree Cement Limited coming on board as the Red and Golds’ investor comes as a huge relief of the club loyalists who had been eagerly waiting for an investor since Quess Corp parted ways with the club in July.

Also, Mohun Bagan’s merger with ATK earlier this year and their subsequent addition to the ISL had also seen rpessure mount on their arch-rivals to enter the top league of the country.

Initially, the East Bengal officials were sceptical about selling a majority stake to an investor especially after all the alleged bad blood with previous investors Quess Corp.

After the ATK and Mohun Bagan merger, East Bengal senior official Debabrata Sarkar had even said that unlike their rivals the Red and Golds will not go for a settlement where the club has to give away all the power to a company.

“I don’t want to speak about other clubs but our members do not want us to sell our club and accept too many conditions. We will only go into a joint venture if the other party respect our club and our members.

"Hopefully, we will be able to get into such an arrangement soon. At the moment we have an investor. Until we get into a settlement with them we are not taking any step,” Sarkar had told Goal in January.

“We would not go for anything less that 50:50,” Sarkar had told The Telegraph.

In reality, though, the club has had to give away the majority stakes to the new investor.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, announced the arrival Shree Cement Limited as East Bengal’s new investor.

The Chief Minister also went ahead and added that East Bengal will join their arch-rivals, Mohun Bagan, in the Indian Super League (ISL) in the upcoming season.

“I was worried about the crisis which Bengal football was going through but we are all relieved now. The problem has now been solved. Now East Bengal will play in ISL," Banerjee said in an address.

“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.

“There should be three gates in the name of East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Mohammedan Sporting. Kolkata is the gateway to Indian football. Football without Bengal is incomplete.”

East Bengal General Secretary Kalyan Majumder suggested that with the help the Chief Minister, the club had taken a step forward to play in the top-tier league.

He said, “I want to thank our Chief Minister for her contribution to our club. We have taken a firm step towards playing ISL.

Meanwhile, Red and Golds' senior official Debabrata Sarkar, who had always maintained that the club will take part in the ISL, thanked top Reliance official Tarun Jhunjhunwala and West Bengal minister Arup Biswas for their complete support.

“I want to thank Arup Biswas (Minister of Public Works and Youth Services & Sports of West Bengal), Tarun Jhunjhunwala (Chief Executive, Reliance) who have constantly supported us during our fight. I also want to thank the representatives of Shree Cement who are present here today," he said.

“We will now appeal to ISL. There were some minor problems after our meeting which was held yesterday. Didi has helped us to find all solutions.”

Tarun Jhunjhunwala also said that there are just a few formalities that needs to be completed before East Bengal can play in the ISL. He also stated that the induction of two Kolkata giants into the ISL is a landmark for Indian football.

"We would not have reached this stage without the blessing of Didi (Mamata Banerjee). It is a new beginning of East Bengal.

"We will try that East Bengal will play in ISL this year. There are some formalities which need to be completed. With East Bengal and Mohun Bagan together in ISL, this will be a new beginning of Indian football."

Juventus are at home to Sampdoria in Andrea Pirlo's first Serie A game as head coach.

Pirlo was appointed as Maurizio Sarri's successor last month and the legendary midfielder will set about trying to mastermind a 10th consecutive Scudetto with a clash against Samp at Allianz Stadium on September 20.

Juve are then away to Roma in a mouth-watering second Serie A match of Italy great Pirlo's reign, and travel to Napoli on matchday three.

Atalanta traveling to Lazio looks to be the standout fixture of the opening matchday, however the encounter between the sides that finished third and fourth respectively last season is likely to be postponed until later in the season.

Entertainers Atalanta, who scored 98 league goals last season, reached the quarter-finals of the delayed Champions League in August, and so are set to be given an extended break.

Inter, runners-up in the 2019-20 campaign, are also unlikely to play their first 2020-21 league fixture on September 20. They are scheduled to be on the road at newly promoted Benevento, but that match is likely to be put back.

Lazio and Inter, meanwhile, are currently scheduled to face each other in the third round of fixtures. The he seventh round on November 8 also catches the eye, with Lazio v Juventus and Atalanta v Milan on the same weekend.

In games which will take place as arranged, AC Milan face Bologna at San Siro, with Roma heading to Hellas Verona. Gennaro Gattuso's Napoli will go to Parma on the first day, while newly promoted Spezia’s first ever game in Serie A is away to Udinese.

The penultimate round of fixtures will see Juve entertain Inter, while Roma are the home side in a derby battle with Lazio.

October 18 is the scheduled date for the first Milan derby, with the second set to take place on February 21.

Looking ahead to next May, the most intriguing of the final day fixtures sees Atalanta host Milan in a battle between sides aiming for Champions League football.

Serie A matchday one fixtures:

Benevento v Inter
Fiorentina v Torino
Genoa v Crotone
Juventus v Sampdoria
Lazio v Atalanta
Milan v Bologna
Parma v Napoli
Sassuolo v Cagliari
Udinese v Spezia
Hellas Verona v Roma

New Gor Mahia signing Benson Omalla has set a target of winning the 2020-21 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Golden Boot.

The highly-rated teenager was unveiled by the KPL champions on Tuesday, just a few days after he turned down an offer from Wazito FC.

Omalla has now revealed the reason why he signed for Gor Mahia and what the fans should expect from him starting the new season.

“I feel very nice to move from Western Stima to Gor Mahia, because Gor Mahia is a big club here in Kenya and all players would love to play for this team, I want to thank the chairman for giving me the chance to play for this great club,” Omalla told Gor Mahia TV after signing the deal.

“Last season I wanted to be the top scorer, but I could not because of the coronavirus pandemic, it spoiled everything but this season, I want to start from where l left, my target is to win the Golden Boot and I know I will achieve my target at the end of the season.”

Asked whether he has any pressure now that he will be playing for the champions, Omalla said: “I don’t think so, I have played against Gor Mahia and scored against them and now I want to play and score goals for Gor Mahia, so I don’t see any pressure there.”

Omalla was a key figure for the Powermen last season as he registered a number of records. He became the first Western Stima star to hit a hat-trick in a KPL match, a record he wrote against Zoo FC at Kisumu’s Moi Stadium in December, where they won 4-1.

He was subsequently named the KPL Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Player of the Month for December. Omalla broke a six-year winless run by becoming the third Western Stima player to win the award.

Kenneth Muguna, who is set to be his new teammate and captain at Gor Mahia should he not leave, lifted the SJAK award in 2015 as he was serving the Kisumu side. The other player to have done so is Wesley Kemboi.

Omalla featured in the Chapa Dimba na Safaricom All-Stars team that visited Spain in 2019 after he emerged as the Nyanza region's top scorer. The teenager made his debut against KCB, scored his maiden goal against the Bankers, and have not looked back since then.

He also earned a national team call-up for Kenya U20 in the 2019 Cecafa Challenge Cup that was held in Uganda, where he found the back of the net on two occasions. 

His arrival at Gor Mahia means he has followed in the footsteps of Geoffrey Ochieng, Bernard Ondiek, Joash Onyango and Muguna from Western Stima to K’Ogalo.

Omalla will be expected to vie for first-team places with former Zoo striker Nicholas Kipkirui and Ugandan star Tiko Okello, who is among the new players to be signed by the club, having arrived from Vipers SC.

He is the third player to arrive at Gor Mahia from Western Stima in this window after goalkeeper Samuel Njau and midfielder Sydney Ochieng did so.

Cameroon forward Bertrand Konfor, John Macharia, and Andrew Juma are the other new faces at the club that is preparing to carry Kenya’s flag in the Caf Champions League.

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has responded to Jose Mourinho's dig at his penalty record, while pointing out that Kevin De Bruyne is the only man who can better his statistics for goal involvements.

Fernandes hit 12 goals in his first 22 outings for United after moving to Old Trafford from Sporting CP in the winter transfer window.

He also managed to provide eight assists as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side finished third in the Premier League, making the club's initial €55 million (£49m/$65m) investment seem like a bargain.

However, eight of his goals came from the penalty spot, with the Red Devils awarded a total of 20 fouls in the area across all competitions in 2019-20.

United set a new record for the most penalties won in a single top-flight campaign (14), and Mourinho, who coached at Old Trafford between 2016 and 2018, couldn't resist a jibe at Fernandes when quizzed on his impact in Manchester.

“Bruno came in, was fit, played very well, improved the United team and also proved to be a great penalty taker, one of the best in the world, because he had about 20 to score," the Tottenham boss said in July.

And Fernandes has now addressed Mourinho's comments ahead of the new season, telling Portuguese publication A Bola: "I honestly did not feel stung.

"I feel that I am a good penalty taker and nothing more, I understand, but what I take from his [Mourinho's] words, because I’m a very positive person, is that he said I hit penalties well.

"It is a reality, not least since I arrived at Manchester United."

The 25-year-old went on to compare his record in the final third with Manchester City star De Bruyne, who equalled Thierry Henry's assist record during his 35 Premier League appearances last term.

"I hear people saying, 'ah, he only scores from penalty kicks' but a little while ago, I saw the statistics and, except for penalties, only Kevin De Bruyne has a higher involvement in goals than me in England when it comes to midfielders," said Fernandes.

The Portugal international is currently away on duty with his country, and will have little time to recover from a UEFA Nations League double-header against Croatia and Sweden when he returns to Old Trafford.

United will kick off their 2020-21 campaign at home to Crystal Palace on September 19, seven days before taking in a trip to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton.

KCB striker Enock Agwanda has travelled to Zambia to seal a transfer deal with an unknown club in the Super League.

Goal can exclusively reveal the burly striker has already landed in Lusaka for negotiation talks though it is not clear which team he is talking to.

A source privy to the transfer revealed to Goal, after landing in Lusaka, Agwanda headed to Kitwe and that his transfer could be announced in the coming three days.

“It is true Agwanda is in Zambia but I cannot give out the details of which team he is talking to currently,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Wednesday. “We want to have the deal as a secret until he signs.”

A KCB official, who also did not want to be named, also told Goal he was not aware the striker had left for Zambia.

“I have not heard anything about Enock [Agwanda] moving to Zambia or talking to a team in Zambia, I don’t want to lie to you that I know anything but please, I will find out and let you know,” the source told Goal.

Agwanda had a great season with the Bankers last season, managing to score 13 goals in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL), and was headed to win the Golden Boot before the top-flight was prematurely ended owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In Kenya, Agwanda, who is well known for his long throw-ins, has also featured for Coastal-based Bandari, champions Gor Mahia and Sony Sugar.

His move to Zambia comes after another KPL side Tusker FC lost their lead striker Timothy Otieno to Napsa Stars FC on a two-year deal on Tuesday.

Otieno, who was in a fine form for the Brewers in the abandoned 2019/20 KPL season, scoring 14 goals to finish top of the goal scorer's chat, had travelled to Zambia to negotiate a transfer with the club.

At Napsa, Otieno linked up with another Kenyan, former Gor Mahia goalkeeper Shaban Odhoji, who signed for the club a season ago.

Should Agwanda sign in Zambia, he will join the long list of Kenyan players featuring for Zambia clubs among them goalkeeper Ian Otieno, Jesse Were and David Owino of Zesco United, Musa Mohammed, Duke Abuya, and Harun Shakuva, both who helped Nkana FC to win the league title in the 2019-20 campaign.

Lionel Messi's father and agent Jorge has arrived in Barcelona and is expected to try to negotiate a move away for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Jorge Messi will reportedly meet with Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday to discuss a potential departure for the club captain, who last week informed the Catalan giants of his desire to leave.

However, it has been reported that Barca are willing to offer their all-time leading goalscorer a contract extension until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Upon arriving at El Prat Airport, Jorge Messi told reporters: "I don't know anything, guys."

Messi did not report for the first day of pre-season training under Ronald Koeman on Monday, signalling his belief that a clause in his contract allowing him to leave on a free has been activated.

He also failed to show up for a coronavirus screening on Sunday and will not join his team-mates for training as he no longer considers himself part of Koeman’s squad.

However, Barca and La Liga are of the opinion the €700 million (£624m/$823m) release clause in a deal that runs until next June will need to be met for him to terminate his agreement at Camp Nou, although the Argentine's legal team are ready to argue that he should be allowed to terminate his deal unilaterally.

Messi had a clause in his contract which would have allowed him to cancel his Barcelona deal, which expired in June. However, he believes it was still valid when he notified Barcelona of his desire to leave last week, due to the 2019-20 season being extended into August because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Manchester City, managed by former Barca boss Pep Guardiola, are reported to be leading the race to sign Messi. Paris Saint-Germain and Inter have also been credited with significant interest in the 33-year-old Argentina international.

Messi has written himself into club legend by scoring a record 634 goals for the Catalans in 731 outings, including 31 in 44 last term, in which Barca finished second in La Liga to Real Madrid, having led the league prior to the coronavirus lockdown, and suffering a humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

During his time with the club, Messi has won the Primera Division title on 10 occasions and has helped Barca to four Champions League titles. Additionally, he has scooped the Ballon d’Or, recognised as football’s greatest individual honour, on six occasions, one more than great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

It's a derby day in Orlando as Kaizer Chiefs and Chippa United battle for maximum points on Wednesday night. 

The two teams are staying in the same bio-bubble and play their 'home' matches at the same stadium for the remainder of the season.

However, none of that is expected to stand in any of the two teams' way come kick-off time. 

Chiefs need the points to maintain their position at the top of the log while Chippa are desperate to bag the full points and secure their top-flight status for next season. 

The Chilli Boys are currently placed 11th on the PSL standings with 31 points from 28 matches and they are not entirely safe from relegation. 

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

The game will be shown live on SuperSport 2. 

Squads & Team News

Kaizer Chiefs will be without their influential goalkeeper and No.1 Daniel Akpeyi for this encounter at Orlando Stadium. 

The Nigeria international suffered a concussion in the club's previous match against Bidvest Wits and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the season. 

This is in addition to Leonardo Castro, who has already left the bio-bubble due to a hamstring injury and will only return for the upcoming campaign. 

Ernst Middendorp has a tough decision to make in his goalkeeping department with Bruce Bvuma having been the club's second-choice goalkeeper of late while fans have called for the return of Itumeleng Khune. 

Khune, 33, hasn't been in any of Amakhosi's matchday squads since the return of football and it remains to be seen if he will walk straight into the starting line-up against Chippa.  

All eyes will be on the likes of Samir Nurkovic, Khama Billiat and Willard Katsande to carry the team on the day. 

While Billiat has been heavily criticised for his below-par performances, Middendorp still feels he is one of the integral members of his team. 

Meanwhile, Chippa United have not reported any injuries ahead of this encounter in Soweto. 

This means coach Lehlohonolo Seema, who arrived not so long ago to steer the team out of the relegation zone, has a pool of players to choose from for this encounter. 

He will pin his hopes on the likes of Thokozani Sekotlong, Lehlogonolo Masalesa and Diamond Thopola, who are among the experienced players in the team. 

The availability of Veli Mothwa in goal means Chippa can rest-assured that the Chiefs strikers will not have it easy on the day. 

Mothwa has kept 11 clean sheets in 18 matches for the Chilli Boys after coming in to replace Patrick Tignyemb as the club's No.1.   

Match Preview

This will be the 15th meeting between Chiefs and Chippa United across all competitions. 

Amakhosi have registered eight wins to Chippa United's five while the other two matches ended in draws. 

Middendorp's men beat Chippa United 2-0 in the first round, but before then, they had only beaten them once in the league in four years - and that was in April 2017 when George Lebese scored the only goal of the game. 

In the last seven meetings across all competitions, Chiefs and Chippa won three matches each while there was only one draw.  

Victor Wanyama’s Montreal Impact closed in on a 2021 Concacaf Champions League spot after beating arch-rivals Toronto FC 1-0 in Tuesday's clash.

The goal scored by Rudy Camacho from a set-piece was enough to take Montreal Impact's points tally to six, three fewer than their September 1 opponents. 

The Canadian sides are in a fight to secure a single Champions League spot via the 2020 Canadian Championship. 

Wanyama’s side will play three times each against Toronto and Vancouver Whitecaps, a total of six matches, in the first phase before the season starts.

The club that will harvest the most points stands a chance to qualify for the 2020 Canadian Championship final.

The Canadian Championship final will be played in a single-match, winner-takes-all clash against the victors of the eight-team Canadian Premier League Island Games, with the Championship winner getting an automatic slot in the next edition of the Concacaf Champions League.

Wanyama’s coach Thierry Henry was happy about how his team fought and won their second match of the series.

“It’s the attitude. We were brave on the ball and brave off the ball. We said we were going to do that,” the French coach said after the match. 

“The amount of 1-v-1s was refreshing and the number of times we stopped [Toronto] from playing was refreshing.

“Obviously, more than a couple of times [Toronto] went through and they found some openings because they’re a good team. They are a good team. You don’t go on a run of 18 games unbeaten just like that.

“We respect that a lot. But we wanted to be brave and courageous and that’s what we’ve done, on and off the ball. That’s what I actually liked the most.”

The Arsenal great also picked out a few players who he thinks had a great impact on the game.

“I thought that Sam Piette was outstanding. He grew into the game. Manu [Emanuel Maciel] also,” Henry concluded.

“At the end Rudy [Camacho] and Luis [Binks] at the back were immense. Zack [Brault-Guillard] had a good game. Also Saphir [Taider]. Everybody.

“And then Clement [Diop], since the beginning of the season does what Clement does. But everybody I think was on point.”

Wanyama’s captain Jukka Raitala was elated by their exploits against the arch-rivals.

“I think we were the better team on the field. To keep a clean sheet in a place like this, it feels fantastic,” the defender stated.

Presidential candidate Victor Font fears it is too late to keep Lionel Messi at Barcelona and says it is vital the captain leaves on amicable terms in the hope he may return in some capacity.

Messi dropped a bombshell last week by telling Barca he wants to leave the Catalan giants.

The mercurial forward believes a clause in his contract allowing him to leave on a free transfer has been activated, though the club and La Liga say his €700 million (£630m/$825m) release clause remains the only valid way to terminate his deal, which runs until next June.

Long-serving Argentina international Messi has failed to report for pre-season training this week and Manchester City are the favourites to sign him.

Font last week stated that the only way the six-time Ballon d'Or winner might remain at Camp Nou is if president Josep Maria Bartomeu, the man he hopes to replace, resigns.

He now feels too much water has gone under the bridge to avoid losing Messi.

Asked if it is too late for Messi to change his mind, Font told Sky Sports: "That's the way it seems. This is the best football club in the world and we will do everything to ensure that the association with Messi stays."

When quizzed if he sees any way that Barca can convince him to perform an about-turn, he added: "That's the hope, right? Until it's over there is always hope. And therefore I really hope the decision can be changed.

"It doesn't seem likely, though, and therefore if that's the case, the focus should be on making the transition as smooth as possible. And the ties between Messi and Barcelona that go very deep, remain there, so we can ensure somehow, the relationship continues in the future."

He added: "Being the best player in the history of the sport carries a lot of weight. You see it with [Diego] Maradona, with Pele, with Johan Cruyff, these people carry a lot of value to the organisation they belong to.

"That's why we need to ensure that happens."

The new La Liga season begins on September 11 but Barcelona's first match won't be until September 27 or 28 against Villarreal - with the Catalans being given an extra break after their European exploits last campaign.