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Young Africans (Yanga SC) have confirmed Burundian coach Cedric Kaze will not be appointed as Luc Eymael's successor.

The former Mukura Victory FC head coach had agreed to take charge of Yanga’s first team ahead of the 2020/21 season but has now confirmed he would not be readily available to undertake the duties.

Kaze, according to Yanga, requested for a three-week period to attend to private matters and the move jolted the team’s leadership into quick action in looking for another available coach.

Yanga have already started pre-season training ahead of the next campaign that is expected to start on September 6.

“Yanga would like to inform the public that coach Cedric Kaze who was set to join the historic Tanzanian league champions has notified the club of his intention not to do so citing family issues,” a document released by the club’s media department and obtained by Goal read.

“Coach Kaze has requested for three weeks to deal with some family issues and in that regard, the management of the team has decided to take further steps and look for another coach.

“Yanga are going to pick another coach from the list of those who had applied for the job immediately.

“Due to the issue, Yanga top officials convened an urgent meeting to deliberate on the matter at hand and will soon make an announcement concerning the new coach.”

Kaze was expected to join Yanga in the near future and prepare for the upcoming season as player transfer business is understood to have been concluded.

Timu Ya Wananchi have been without a coach since July 27 when they sacked Eymael for derogatory comments towards the club, the fans and the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF).

The Belgian coach was appointed early in the year and took the reins of the team from Boniface Mkwasa who was acting as an interim coach.

Eymael’s comments saw him sacked even after leading Yanga to second spot; a position they fought to the end with Azam FC.

Mkwasa - who has left to join Ruvu Shooting - had been appointed to guide the team after Mwinyi Zahera had been sacked for poor results. The Tanzanian coach acted as Eymael’s assistant until when his contract ended in August and was not renewed.

Chippa United have explained why they are planning on moving to East London from Port Elizabeth. 

The Chilli Boys have been based in PE for the past six years while using the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as their home venue. 

There have been reports indicating Chippa are looking to terminate their agreement with Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality which began in 2014.

Certain Chilli Boys matches were expected to be played at the city's Wolfson Stadium and Gelvandale Stadium, but the relationship between the two parties has broken down over the years.

The club released the following statement explaining how they could not use the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium which has been used as a quarantine site as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic.

"Chippa United would like to clarify reports pertaining to the team relocating to East London [Buffalo City Metro]."

"It's common knowledge that the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium has been a quarantine site since May 2020. In which the club was never consulted on the issue."

"It made our preparation for Bio-Bubble very difficult due to the lack of training facilities, which could be seen in our first encounter against Cape Town City FC."

"Also putting the club in a very peculiar position in terms of meeting and complying with the League's deadlines."

"So, the club had to submit Absa Stadium in East London as their main home venue and Sisa Dukashe Stadium as an alternative venue for the start of the 2020/21."

"The club is also currently engaging with all relevant stakeholders to make the move permanent," a club statement read. 

The Absa Stadium is better known as Buffalo City Stadium and it holds 16,000 people and the Chilli Boys have used the venue to host PSL matches over the years.

Chippa boosted their hopes of retaining their status in the elite league by securing a 1-0 win over Baroka FC at Bidvest Stadium last weekend.

The Eastern Province side is placed 12th on the league standings - five points above the relegation zone with three matches left.

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick expects the club to lose several players in the wake of ther Champions League success.

The German giants beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final in Lisbon to secure the European crown for the sixth time in their history and complete the domestic and continental treble.

Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara is expected to leave this summer after CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed he will not sign a contract extension, with his current deal set to expire next year.

Meanwhile, Ivan Perisic is heading back to Inter and Philippe Coutinho is returning to Barcelona after the end of their loan spells in Bavaria.

Flick fears his side are in danger of losing some crucial players but is confident the Bundesliga winners can recover ahead of the next campaign.

"[We will] lose some players who have tremendous quality, we have to deal with that," he told Die Zeit.

"If I could continue to work with this squad, that would be nice, but that is not the case."

Despite leading Bayern to glory this term, Flick is aware his side will be under pressure to maintain their high standards in 2020-21, but says he is hungry for more titles.

"We have achieved something special, something that maybe not all of us thought we could do, but I also know that it will all be over the moment the new season starts," he added.

“There is a nice phrase: 'Success is not owned. It is only rented.' And the rent is due every day. Of course I could say: ‘I've achieved a lot now. Now I'll lean back’. But that doesn't meet the demands I have on my life.

The 55-year-old, who replaced Niko Kovac at the helm last November, has been impressed by the team and was delighted to see them revel in their Champions League triumph.

“I notice how happy I am about the Champions League title for the players," he said. "For Robert Lewandowski, for example, he played so well for the team and also integrated himself into the network on the defensive side.

"When I then see the players, how happy they are, and finally let their emotions out, it’s nice. It's also important for the German national team."

West Ham United and Franco-Ivorian striker Sebastien Haller has stated how impressed he is with Grady Diangana who put in some fine displays as the Hammers kicked off pre-season.

They first took on Ipswich Town winning 4-1 before they saw off Adebayo Akinfenwa’s Wycombe Wanderers 5-1.

The 21-year-old Anglo-Congolese was involved in the first game and provided two assists from Haller who bagged a hat-trick.

This thrilled Haller who is hoping Diangana can supply him for more goals moving forward.

“It’s nice for us to have a kind of player like Grady. Everyone knows the quality he has and then he went on loan to West Brom and everyone knows he performed pretty well,” Haller said on the club website.

“We are all happy to have him here and we are going to try to use his quality and strength, me most of all. Hopefully, he will be giving me even more assists in the future!”

Hammers boss David Moyes was equally pleased with Diangana’s performances and wants to see his players in better shape as they prepare for the 2020-21 Premier League season starting with a home tie against Newcastle United on September 13.

“There was some very good performances. Seb got three and he probably could have got five or six. Grady had some good moments. We’re pleased and, overall, it was good,” Moyes said.

“Several young players also got opportunities to play as well, and we had to play one or two out of position because of one or two injuries. From that point of view, they all got some minutes.

“We play Brentford on Saturday in another friendly and that takes it up another level. We’re trying to get better and make sure we’re going to play well and score goals and do a lot of right things.

“There were a few things we didn’t do well today as well, so we’re not getting carried away with ourselves, but that’s the first game for the players.”

Diangana has been with West Ham since 2010 as a youth player and finally made his senior bow on September 2018. He has had limited opportunities with the first team and was loaned out to last season’s Championship runners-up, West Bromwich Albion, making 30 appearances, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists.

Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp says he will deploy his best available men, from limited selection options to tackle their fierce Premier Soccer League (PSL) title challengers Mamelodi Sundowns in Thursday’s decisive tie at Orlando Stadium.

Log leaders Chiefs go into the match without suspended striker Samir Nurkovic who has struck 13 league goals and contributed five assists so far this season.

With Amakhosi facing the possibility of getting into battle without key attackers Leonardo Castro and Lebogang Manyama who have been fitness concerns, Middendorp could be having a headache in coming up with the best team to take on the defending league champions.

Also, fitness issues emanating from crammed fixtures might have left Middendorp a worried man although he has lauded his charges for “an incredible” job in clinging onto the top of the standings for the better part of the season.

“Mainly we are focused on our team - I think that's understandable‚” Middendorp said in his pre-match online press conference as per Times Live.

“And I should mention that the players have done an incredible job‚ considering the team is nearly the same starting XI that finished last season‚ being top of the PSL for nearly the entire season - 22 or 23 match days.

“... It's my job at the moment to really go deeper into this squad we have available. To check out the selection of the starting XI who are available considering the injury status and fitness level.

“Considering what we have seen in this bubble‚ which is that there is quite a diversity in fitness levels between players for some reason. And of course, we have to find the players who are capable of handling such an emotional event this Thursday.

“We have to be focused. We have to show the competitive attitude‚ in particular knowing what is at stake. But finally, to sum up, we are excited. We are looking forward to having this game on Thursday and we cannot wait.”

Chiefs go into this match on the backdrop of dropping two crucial points in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Stellenbosch, a result which allowed Sundowns to close in on them to a three-point gap.

Barbra Banda continued her fine start as she bagged a brace in Shanghai Shengli's 4-1 victory over Changchun Dazhong Zhouyue in a Chinese Women's Super League contest on Wednesday.

The Zambia international hit the ground running on her first appearance as she scored one and assisted twice in Shanghai's 5-0 thrashing of Zhejiang Hangzhou in their opening match last Sunday.

The 20-year-old striker made the team following her fine display against Zhejiang and she made the most of her presence on the pitch for her side as they maintained their winning run.

Shanghai were seeking to build on their opening big win and they found an early breakthrough through Banda after she cleverly stole the ball from a Changchun defender to score in the fifth minute.

The last-season runners-up pushed further for more goals and were gifted the second of the match after Lei Jiahui turned in a cross from Zhang Xin into her own net before the half time break. 

After the break, Changchun finally broke the defensive resolve of Shanghai when captain Rafaelle beat goalkeeper Ding Xuan to score from a free-kick and reduce the deficit to one.

However, Shanghai recovered their two-goal lead when Shen Mengyu's cross was brilliantly lashed in by Tang Jiali before Banda outran Huang Wang to complete the hiding in the 78th minute.

After two games, Zambia star Banda, who was in action from the start to the finish against Changchun, has now scored three goals and contributed two assists for Shanghai this season.

The win keeps Shanghai at the top of the Chinese log with six points from two matches, holding a two-goal advantage over second-placed Jiangsu Suning despite being tied on points.

Leaders Shanghai will aim to maintain their lead at the top when they battle Guangdong Meizhou Huijun in their next Chinese top-flight fixture on August 29.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Ligue 1 side Bordeaux have celebrated with Samuel Kalu on his 23rd birthday.

The winger was born in Aba, the South-Eastern part of Nigeria in 1997 and started his professional career in Jos with GBS Academy.  

The forward has been flourishing at club level for the Super Eagles since his debut for the West Africans in 2018.

The Nigeria football governing body and the Girondins have sent the winger birthday messages as he reaches a new age.

Kalu began his senior career with Slovak side AS Trencin, a partner of GBS Academy, in December 2015 and featured in 34 league games for the club, scoring four goals.

His impressive performances earned him a move to Belgian First Division A side Gent in January 2017, where he spent two years.

The forward scored 10 league goals in 48 appearances during his time at Ghelamco Arena amid other dazzling displays.

Kalu then joined Bordeaux in the summer of 2018 on a five-year deal and has been delivering eye-catching performances for the club.

The winger has so far made 35 Ligue 1 appearances for the Matmut Atlantique outfit and scored four goals.

On the international scene, Kalu has featured 13 times for the Nigeria national team and bagged two goals since he made his bow for the West Africans.

The winger was part of Gernot Rohr’s side that finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, behind Senegal and champions, Algeria.

Kalu will hope to continue his development with Nigeria and Bordeaux in the 2020-21 campaign.

Former Ghana deputy minister for sports Joseph Yamin has expressed his displeasure at the national government's lingering ban on football due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All contact sports have been on suspension since Ghana recorded its first cases of the disease in March, a situation that resulted in the cancellation of the 2019-20 domestic football season, including the Premier League (GPL).

While the government has been gradually lifting various Covid-19-induced restrictions, for example the suspension of religious activities and conferencing, football is yet to get an exemption. That said, some national football teams have received special permission to restart training ahead of upcoming international assignments.

“I do not know the patience the government is asking from football people in easing the restrictions on football and contact sports," Yamin said, as reported by FootballGhana.

"The clubs are struggling due to Covid-19 and the government has not provided any stimulus package for them.

“The government has to invest in football upon its resumption [after this] decision to still put football on hold. The government must be truthful to football people, it [the government] is not ready to invest in football.

“It doesn’t make sense to allow an unlimited number of people for gatherings and church services and still suspend football.

"The [incumbent] NPP [New Patriotic Party] government is just being wicked in the suspension of football. The government is broke and will be exposed upon the resumption of football."

The domestic football season was initially just temporarily suspended after Ghana recorded its first case of the coronavirus disease in March.

In June, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council permanently cancelled the season after failing to convince the national government for a possible return of football under tight safety protocols such as the playing of matches behind closed doors.

The Premier League was at its matchweek 15 stage when it was forced to take a break. At the time of its permanent cancellation, Aduana Stars sat top of the league table, two points above Berekum Chelsea.

Football's governing body has set a tentative date of October for the return of football, subject to the national government's approval. 

The agent of Luis Suarez believes that both the Uruguay striker and Lionel Messi will take each other's opinions into account when deciding life after Barcelona. 

Messi and Suarez have struck up a strong friendship since the latter's arrival at Camp Nou in 2014, initially forming two-thirds of the club's famed MSN attacking line-up with Neymar prior to the Brazilian's departure to Paris Saint-Germain.

As well as enjoying huge success on the pitch the pair and their families often holiday together, while new Barca coach Ronald Koeman's decision to cut the Uruguayan from his plans allegedly weighed in Messi's subsequent request to leave the Catalan club after 20 years. 

Both stars could now leave this summer, and according to Suarez's representative Alejandro Balbi the pair will be in close contact throughout any transfer process. 

"Messi's future will have an influence on Suarez's because they are best friends, they get along on and off the pitch," the agent explained to TyC Sports on Wednesday.

"There is a lot of brotherly love between Messi and Suarez, they are inseparable, always together."

Suarez hit 198 goals in all competitions during his six seasons at Barcelona, helping the Catalans to a treble in his debut campaign and three further Liga triumphs. 

PSG are among the clubs to have already been linked with a possible move for the Uruguayan, while former club Ajax admitted contact with Suarez, although the Dutch side admitted the chances of bringing him back to the Eredivisie were slim.

And while at 33 the striker may be approaching the twilight of his career, Balbi assures that he has attracted no little interest from potential suitors - while suggesting that his Barca exit is not solely down to footballing matters. 

"The offers are raining down from all sides because he is a great goal-scorer in world football," he added. 

"There is a backdrop [to Barca's decision] which is not wholly about sport. His family lives in Barcelona and this is not the typical case of most players who can up and leave. He will have to work it out with the family."

Andrea Stramaccioni has revealed he pressured Bruno Fernandes to get married when the pair worked together at Udinese.

The midfielder spent three years at the Serie A side and crossed paths with the Italian coach, who took charge in 2014 for one season.

Fernandes married his high school sweetheart, Ana Pinho, in December 2015, after Stramaccioni's departure, but the 44-year-old feels he played a role in persuading the Manchester United star to pop the question.

"I was pushing him a lot to get married," he said to Sky Sports.

"'You love this girl, you need to marry her' and when he did marry her he called me to say: 'Coach I did it.' It was funny, it was a way to joke with him."

Stramaccioni says he was impressed by the Portugal star's attitude and work rate, but admits he was surprised to see him become an immediate fans' favourite at Old Trafford following his January signing from Sporting.

"Bruno was one of the talented young players of Udinese. He was playing but not established. He was learning a lot and growing up and was very shy," he said.

"He's a good person and a hard worker. His approach was always positive, even in a bad situation. He never came with the nose up and his team-mates appreciated that."

He continued: "I didn't expect such a quick impact at Manchester United, but they are different from the past. There are many young players and he was clever and earned his leadership.

"He was such a hard worker. Every training I said you have to come back this afternoon and do extra and he always did.

"He did two or three extra training sessions per week and worked hard on his technical side, and his strength in the gym. He is so strong mentality. He never said: 'No, why do I have to come back'.

"Look at videos of him six years ago and look at him now. It's all from his work and his mentality. I am very happy for him."

Stramaccioni is also familiar with Fernandes' unorthodox penalty-taking style, which has proved effective since he joined the Old Trafford side.

"He's very cold. He has a killer instinct. I don't know if he did it in Portugal, but in Udinese he did it. He wasn't our penalty taker but he did it in training."

Stramaccioni's senior coaching career began in 2012 when he replaced Claudio Ranieri at Inter at the age of 36.

He has since had spells in charge of Udinese, Panathinaikos, Sparta Prague and Iranian side Esteghlal, but has never lasted longer than a year in any of his jobs.

The former defender left the Tehran club in January and is ready to get back in the game.

"Italy is my priority in Serie A. For me I will wait for the right situation," he said.

"I learned in my 12 years that it's better to wait for the right situation and the right plan. Maybe it will be in the UK.

"I was close to Sheffield Wednesday four or five years ago. I was in touch with Aston Villa two years ago and I was very close to Watford because you know it's the same owner as Udinese.

"With respect to the other leagues I think Premier League and Championship are the best in the world. For me the Championship is not a second division, it's a different first division! I really appreciate English football."

Manchester United have once again backed Harry Maguire after the defender's appeal against an assault conviction was accepted by Greek courts. 

Maguire was found guilty on Tuesday of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and repeated attempts of bribery, charges related to an alleged incident that occurred while he was on holiday in Mykonos. 

The player, who was not present at the trial in Syros, received a 21-month suspended prison sentence but immediately stated his intention to appeal while maintaining his innocence. 

United have expressed their support of the 27-year-old, pointing out that his appeal means that Maguire retains the presumption of innocence until the second hearing can be carried out. 

"An appeal against yesterday’s verdict was lodged this morning by Harry’s legal team. In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing of an appeal extinguishes the initial court verdict and nullifies the conviction," the club explained in a statement released on Wednesday.

"The appeal has been accepted and will lead to a full retrial in a more senior court. This means that Harry has no criminal record and is once again presumed innocent until proven guilty.

"Accordingly, he is not subject to any international travel restrictions."

In his own statement, Maguire maintained he had not committed any wrongdoing while he waits for the result of the appeal.

“Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing," he stated.

“I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter - if anything myself, family and friends are the victims.” 

He will, however, play no part in England's upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, as confirmed by manager Gareth Southgate on Wednesday. 

"In light of this evening’s developments, I can confirm I have withdrawn Harry Maguire from the England squad for the matches against Iceland and Denmark," Southgate said in a statement, having originally included the ex-Leicester City star in his plans.

"As I said earlier today, I reserved the right to review the situation. Having spoken to Manchester United and the player, I have made this decision in the best interests of all parties and with consideration of the impact on our preparations for next week."

Steven Polack has refused to accept he won the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title with Gor Mahia in the 2019-20 campaign.

K’Ogalo were declared champions of the last campaign after the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) moved to end the season prematurely owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

As such, Gor Mahia, who were sitting at the top of the table by then with 54 points were declared champions, while Nairobi City Stars and Bidco United were promoted to the top-flight from the lower league.

The move by FKF to crown Gor Mahia was, however, contested by KPL who said they had not ended the season and moved to court to protest the decision.

Polack has now told Goal he has never accepted to have won his first title as a Gor Mahia coach because he has not seen any trophy presentation nor the team receiving prize money which comes with winning the title.

“They are talking about the new season starting, but what happened to the old season?" Polack posed a question to Goal. “Where is the trophy? So without a trophy then you can’t say or tell someone that you won the league, isn’t it?

“They [FKF and KPL] need to come out somehow and tell us what happened, the only time I heard about it [Gor Mahia have won title] is three months ago when FKF said that Gor Mahia are champions.

“I insist I have to see the trophy first, I want to be associated with the trophy because we won the league, somebody can come and ask you did you win the league? Then you say yes, but another question from him will be, and where is the trophy? So how do you answer this person?

“They must come out and tell us what happened, it is like my associate in England is asking, did you win the league, I simply told him I don’t know. And that is it, I don’t know because we don’t have a trophy, nor do we have prize money for winning the trophy.

“What were the teams competing for? You play for trophies and financial gains, but is that the case in Kenya? My question would be if last season is over and if so, are Gor Mahia the champions and if so, where is the trophy and the financial award that the winner gets?

“If you say we won it, where is the trophy? I don’t think I am the only coach complaining, even if any other team had been declared league winners, they could be asking the same question…where is the trophy?”

Gor Mahia will carry Kenya’s Caf Champions League flag by virtue of being declared the KPL champions in the last campaign.

Chelsea have completed the signing of Ben Chilwell from Leicester City in a deal worth £50 million ($66m), the club confirmed on Wednesday.

The left-back has signed a five-year contract with Frank Lampard's team after they reached an agreement with the Foxes this week.

"I am delighted to be joining Chelsea at this very exciting time for the club," Chilwell told the club's website.

"I’m looking forward to being a part of this young, dynamic squad led by Frank Lampard as we challenge for honours next season. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully it won’t be long before we’re playing in front of the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge." 

Chilwell came through Leicester's youth academy to become a key player for the senior team, making 123 appearances and helping them to win the Premier League title in 2016.

"We are very pleased to have completed our third addition to our exciting squad for the coming season," director Marina Granovskaia said.

"Ben brings plenty of top-level experience playing in the Premier League, Champions League and at international level, despite his young age.

"We are confident Ben will adapt very quickly to being a Chelsea player and with the fixture programme for 2020/21 especially busy, he is a fantastic addition to the squad needed to challenge for honours."

He is the latest addition in what has been a busy summer for the Blues, who had already landed Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and Hakim Ziyech from Ajax.

Further additions are expected as the Stamford Bridge outfit made progress in their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Kai Havertz this week, having agreed to match the Bundesliga team's £90m ($118m) asking price.

They are also set to announce the signing of 21-year-old defender Malang Sarr for free after his contract with Nice expired at the end of the 2019-20 campaign. 

The French centre-back, who was wanted by Arsenal, Schalke and Leverkusen among others, has agreed a five-year contract with the London club but will likely be sent out on loan for next season.

Chelsea are expected to strengthen even further at the back this week, as 35-year-old Thiago Silva is close to joining following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain as his contract expired after their Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich.

They have already waved goodbye to Pedro and Willian after their contracts expired. The Spain international completed a switch to Roma this week, while Willian joined Arsenal on a three-year deal earlier this month.

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that one of their players has tested positive for Covid-19, with the announcement coming just hours before their Women's Champions League semi-final against Lyon.

The squad have been in Bilbao for the last eight of the competition, with goals from Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Signe Bruun allowing them to beat Arsenal 2-1 on Saturday evening to secure a place in the final four.

However, less than three hours before their semi-final was due to kick-off, PSG announced that in the latest round of testing, conducted on Tuesday 25 August, one of the members of their squad had tested positive for coronavirus.

"Covid-19 tests carried out on August 25 in Bilbao revealed that one of the Paris Saint-Germain players is positive for the virus," the statement said.

"The player is currently isolated from the squad and will not take part in tonight's meeting [with Lyon], in accordance with UEFA protocol."

Earlier this month, there were concerns over whether Atletico Madrid's quarter-final tie with Barcelona in this competition would go ahead, after four new positive tests among the Atleti squad and coaching staff were announced just 10 days before the game.

The Spanish club, who had to cancel a friendly match just the week before due to another positive test, suspended all training as a result.

Atleti returned to training six days later, just four days before that clash with Barcelona, which they narrowly lost 1-0 after an 80th-minute goal from Kheira Hamraoui.

The winner of Wednesday's semi-final between PSG and Lyon will secure a place in the final alongside Wolfsburg, who beat Barca 1-0 on Tuesday evening.

The German side triumphed behind a goal from Fridolina Rolfo, who sent Wolfsburg right through to the club's fifth Women's Champions League final.

Lyon are the current holders in the competition, having been crowned champions of European for the last four years running.

They got the better of their domestic rivals PSG in both the league and the cup in France this year too, beating their biggest rivals on penalties in the final of the latter at the beginning of August.

Gor Mahia FC have confirmed the signing of striker Tito Okello from Uganda.

The lanky forward has signed for the Kenyan champions from Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions Vipers SC after agreeing to pen a two-year contract.

The attacker's contract with the Venoms expired, and the player jumped on the chance to play for the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions.

“We have sealed the signing of Tito Okello from Vipers on a two-year deal,” Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier told Goal on Wednesday.

Prior to signing the new deal, Okello took to his social media pages to thank Vipers for giving him the platform to build his career.

“I would like to thank the club’s President Lawrence Mulindwa, the management, and the technical staff and above all the fans of Vipers for the great love, care and respect rendered to me during my two years at St. Marys Kitende.

“I wish the club all the best in the Caf Champions League and the UPL next season.”

On Tuesday, Goal exclusively reported Gor Mahia and the player had reached an agreement and the deal was to be made public soon.

A source who did not want to be named but privy to the transfer told Goal: “The deal has been reached between the player's agent and the club.

“Okello is a good player who will improve our attacking department which had problems last season. We did not have a point-man especially after the exit of [Francis] Afriyie and [Gnamien] Yikpe.

“[Juma] Balinya struggled to fit in and we were forced to use [Nicholas] Kipkirui in the position which is not his by nature, and so Okello will definitely help us fill the void in the attack.”

Despite playing a vital role in helping Vipers win the UPL last season, there have been internal struggles in the team which has led to a mass exodus including the exit of Okello.

Goalkeeper Derrick Ochan has also left the Premier League champions despite the fact he had two years remaining on his contract.

Last season loanees Janjali Joseph, Dickens Okwir, Ibrahim Kiyemba, Duncan Seninde, and Farouk Musisi have also left after mutually terminating their active contracts.

Tom Masiko, Steven Mukwala, Fred Atuhwera, Baden Mujahid have left after the expiration of their contracts.

For Gor Mahia, they have already lost Boniface Omondi to Wazito FC. The established forward has been consistent for K'Ogalo but opted out owing to financial struggles in the team.

Okello, who has also played for KCCA FC and BUL FC in Uganda, has now joined the list of Ugandan players to have played for Gor Mahia among them Jimmy Bageya, Godfrey Walusimbi, Dan Sserunkuma, Khalid Aucho, Shafiq Batambuze, Erisa Ssekisambu, Hashim Ssempala, and Juma Balinya.

Okello also becomes K'Ogalo's second signing this transfer window after custodian Levis Opiyo, who arrived from Nairobi City Stars.

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande has admitted that the absence of striker Samir Nurkovic in Thursday’s clash against Mamelodi Sundowns would be felt, but one of the team's forwards could step into the opportunity to cover up for the Serbian.

Chiefs will go into this Premier Soccer League (PSL) top-of-the-table encounter at Orlando Stadium without Nurkovic who is suspended after accumulating four yellow cards.

Having scored 13 league goals so far this season, including two after the resumption of the campaign, as well as providing five assists in the campaign, Nurkovic has arguably been Chiefs’ best player.

The influential Serb is just a goal shy of the league’s top goal-scorers Frank Mhango of Orlando Pirates as well as Highlands Park’s Peter Shalulile.

Katsande is aware of the impact Nurkovic’s absence could have on log leaders Chiefs’ challenge for a first league title since 2015.

“Obviously, we are going to miss our top striker, but at the same time it’s football, everybody has been preparing. If somebody gets the opportunity, I think he will take it and help the team,” Katsande told the media as per Sowetan Live.

Interestingly, Nurkovic struck a brace when Chiefs beat Sundowns in the reverse fixture away at Loftus Versfeld last October.

Besides leading the standings by three points, Chiefs appeared to be the strongest of the PSL’s big three this term after twice beating Orlando Pirates in league games.

“When we played them [Sundowns] in the first round, people thought it [beating them] was a fluke,” said Katsande.

“There can be talk, but we are a big team and we know how to win big games and we’re going to win it [against Sundowns]... we know how to prepare [for] big games. We also know that big games are very nice to play because you know you’re playing with the big guys…there’s pride at stake.”

Thursday evening could see Chiefs stretching their lead to six points if they win or the Brazilians levelling up at the summit.

On top of Nurkovic's unavailability, Chiefs could go into this match severely depleted if Leonardo Castro and Lebogang Manyama fail to recover from injuries in time for the encounter.

After Lazarous Kambole scored his first-ever Chiefs goal during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Stellenbosch, the Zambian forward could be inspired to pick up from where he left.

Dean Henderson has signed a new contract to keep him at Manchester United until June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year. 

The goalkeeper has spent the last two campaigns out on loan at Sheffield United and has impressed under Chris Wilder earning himself a call up to Gareth Southgate’s squad for next month’s Nations League fixtures. 

Henderson kept 13 clean sheets in the league last season and many have backed him to replace David de Gea as first-choice at Old Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues to back the Spaniard but is a big fan of the young England goalkeeper and talks are ongoing as to what role he could play at United next season. 

Chelsea have been interested in signing Henderson after his impressive form but United have been keen to tie him down to a new deal and the 23-year-old is happy to have signed a new deal.  

Henderson, who has been with the club since the age of 14, said:  “The pathway that I have been on for the past five years has been fantastic for my development and the invaluable loan period at Sheffield United has been part of that.

"The goalkeeping department at United is excellent; there are three top-level goalkeepers who have achieved so much in the game and I look forward to working with the group.  The faith that the Manager and the club have shown in me with this contract means a lot to me and will continue my progression as a goalkeeper.

"I’ll be giving everything to improve every day so that I can play as many games as possible for this great club. Now I am looking forward to joining up with the England squad and then preparing for the season ahead.”

Solskjaer has already admitted he has a goalkeeper dilemma ahead of the new campaign. But, it’s one the Norwegian welcomes and he praised Henderson for his improvement while on loan at Bramall Lane  

“We are delighted that Dean has signed his new contract," Solskjaer said. "He had another great season at Sheffield United, where he gained a lot of experience and grew both as a player and a person. Dean is a fantastic young keeper with the attitude and work-rate to keep improving every day."

“We are in a strong position within the goalkeeping department and that gives us the competition for places that we are looking for in the squad. Dean is another great example of the type of player who has come through the academy and truly understands what it means to be at Manchester United.

"We are all looking forward to working with Dean and continuing to develop his talent.”

Lionel Messi has been at Barcelona for the entirety of his professional career and the Argentine has produced so many brilliant moments for the club during that time.

His seemingly otherworldly ability has helped the Catalan giants win trophy after trophy in Spain, as well as on the European and world stage, while the individual accolades continue to come his way.

He continues to create so many happy memories for the fans, but which seasons have been his best in the Blaugrana?

Goal takes a look at Messi's five best seasons with the club.

5) Lionel Messi 2009-10 Barcelona season

Pep Guardiola's second season in charge of Barcelona saw Messi continue to grow as the club's talisman as he led the team to four trophies, including La Liga and the Club World Cup.

Barca's 2009 triumphs in the Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup brought their trophy-haul for the calendar year to a record six, on top of the previous season's La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League.

Messi came to the fore on all fronts and he was involved in a total of 58 goals (47 goals - a then career-high - and 11 assists), clinching the European Golden Shoe in the process. His record in La Liga was 34 goals in 35 appearances.

He did finish as the top scorer in the 2009-10 Champions League with eight strikes (though four came in one match against Arsenal in the quarter-final), but was powerless to prevent Jose Mourinho's relentless Inter from dumping Barca out in the semi-final.

4) Lionel Messi 2011-12 Barcelona season

The 2011-12 season was certainly one of Messi's best, but mainly from an individualistic sense, since it was somewhat of a disappointment for Barcelona, even though they won four trophies.

Barca were denied four-in-a-row in La Liga as Mourinho's Real Madrid dominated the division, sweeping to glory with a final tally of 100 points. They did beat Madrid at the beginning of the season in the Supercopa de Espana, with Messi pulling the strings by scoring three goals in the 5-4 aggregate triumph.

As well as missing out on Liga title, Barca fell short in the Champions League, losing narrowly in the semi-final against Chelsea, with Messi even missing a penalty.

Nevertheless, while that penalty miss haunted him, Messi finished the season with a remarkable 73 goals in 60 appearances for Barca across all competitions, including a record 50 in La Liga and 14 in the Champions League. In addition to his 73 goals, the Argentine supplied assists for 29 more, meaning he was directly involved in a total of 102 goals in the campaign.

3) Lionel Messi 2008-09 Barcelona season

The 2008-09 season is widely acknowledged as the campaign when Messi became the main man at Barcelona. Despite being just 21, his genius helped propel them to a treble as they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. 

It was Guardiola's first season at the helm and the Catalan side cruised to La Liga glory. Crucially, they defeated Real Madrid twice in the two league Clasico meetings, including a 6-2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Messi scoring in each game.

Messi found the net in the Copa del Rey final hammering of Athletic Club and he also pulled strings in the Champions League final against a Manchester United featuring Cristiano Ronaldo. As well as playing a part in Samuel Eto'o's opening goal, Messi rose above Rio Ferdinand to head beyond Edwin van der Sar to wrap things up for Barca in the 2-0 win.

Having missed the 2006 final victory, the 2009 Champions League triumph was the first true taste of the European Cup for the Argentine, who had shone brightest in a team containing Eto'o, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry.

The end of 2009 saw Messi scoop his first ever Ballon d'Or and he won the prestigious award by what was then a record margin over second-placed Ronaldo.

2) Lionel Messi 2014-15 Barcelona season

Messi recovered spectacularly from his 2014 World Cup final loss with Argentina to star in one of his best ever seasons for Barcelona as he clinched a second treble and became the all-time top scorer in La Liga.

Having seen their Liga dominance challenged by Real Madrid and Diego Simeone's hard-working Atletico Madrid, Messi and Barca stepped up a gear in 2014-15 to ensure the title was theirs.

The league was incredibly tight and getting their hands on the title relied heavily on late-season results against Real and Atletico. Messi rose to the occasion by supplying assists for Mathieu and Suarez, whose goals secured three points against Real, while he struck the only goal of the game against Atleti in May. In the end, Barca won the league by two points.

Messi also dominated the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Club, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory, and, while he was not as decisive in front of goal in the Champions League final win over Juventus, he was still key.

His goal tally for the season was 58 and he assisted a further 27, taking the total of goals he was involved in to 85.

1) Lionel Messi 2010-11 Barcelona season

The Guardiola era at Barcelona got into its groove in 2010-11 and Messi was central to the continuation of the success they had achieved the previous two seasons.

He scored 53 goals and assisted 21 in all during the campaign. His tally for the season included 31 goals in La Liga as Barca finished four points ahead of Real Madrid to get their hands on their third league crown in a row.

While they may have lost the Copa del Rey final to Real Madrid in 2011, they did overcome their Clasico rivals in the semi-finals of the Champions League en route to lifting the trophy. Messi totally dismantled Real in the first leg of the encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring twice.

The Argentine was then central to a dominant display in the final against Manchester United, scoring - just as he had two years before in the 2009 triumph against the Red Devils - in a 3-1 win.

Messi won the Ballon d'Or in 2010 and would go on to retain the accolade in 2011 - thanks in no small part to his match-winning ways in 2010-11.