Looking for Soccer News?

Leicester City narrowly missed out on fourth place in the Premier League last season and they will attempt to go one better in 2020-21.

Newly-promoted West Brom provide the opposition for the Foxes on the opening weekend, with games against Burnley, Manchester City and West Ham completing the first batch of matches for Brendan Rodgers' men.

The Foxes take on Arsenal away on October 24 and that game will be followed by a meeting of minds between Rodgers and Marcelo Bielsa on Halloween as they make the trip to Elland Road to play newly-promoted Leeds United.

Their first league game against reigning champions Liverpool comes on November 21 at Anfield and they will be hoping for an early Valentine's Day treat when they welcome the Reds to the King Power Stadium on February 13.

The festive period, meanwhile, is sure to be a testing month, with seven tough games squeezed in between the start of December and new year.

Among the fixtures awaiting Leicester in that period are a pre-Christmas showdown with Jose Mourinho's Tottenham, which will be followed by a clash against Manchester United on Boxing Day. They will head north then on January 2 to play Newcastle United in their first match of 2021.

Rodgers' side suffered a downturn in fortunes for the post-lockdown season conclusion in 2019-20 and they will be hoping to avoid such a scenario in 2020-21, but the fixtures have not been particularly kind for their season run-in.

Their final three league games of the season in May are against Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.

Check out Leicester's Premier League fixture list for 2020-21 in full below.

Aston Villa avoided relegation in dramatic fashion during the 2019-20 campaign and will be hoping that consolidating a standing among the Premier League elite proves a little easier this time around.

Dean Smith’s side took their battle to beat the drop down to the final day last season, with the securing of a 17th-place finish sparking scenes of wild celebration for the West Midlands outfit.

Once a staple part of the top-flight calendar, the Villans are determined to re-establish themselves and start setting their sights a little higher than merely avoiding a trapdoor that leads back to the Championship.

They had been due to start the new season with the most testing of trips to Manchester City, but that game is already having to be rearranged due to the Blues' involvement in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Smith's team will instead kick off at home to Sheffield United, with four of their opening six games due to be staged at Villa Park.

Local rivals Wolves and West Brom will be faced in December, with Crystal Palace paying a visit to the West Midlands on Boxing Day.

A tricky end to the season is due to see the Villans take on Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea, meaning that safety may need to be secured long before the final sprint towards the finishing post.

Check out the full Aston Villa fixture list for the 2020-21 Premier League season below.

Brighton are prepring for a fourth successive season among the Premier League heavyweights, with the Seagulls having shown that they have what it takes to compete with the very best in the business.

They are yet to push their way towards the top-half of the division, having secured another 15th-place finish in 2019-20, and the south coast outfit are still being forced to look anxiously over their shoulder at times.

Graham Potter is, however, a highly-regarded coach and those at the Amex Stadium believe they can start to build on the impressive foundations that have been put in place.

Brighton will start their 2020-21 campaign with a long trip to the North East to take on Newcastle.

Manchester United and Liverpool will visit the Amex in the early months of the season, while arch-rivals Crystal Palace will be tackled at Selhurst Park in October.

Boxing Day will be spent on the road at West Ham and the New Year welcomed in at home to Wolves.

Meetings with Manchester City and Arsenal to wrap things up mean that the Seagulls will want to have plenty of points on the board by then.

Check out Brighton's full Premier League schedule for 2020-21 below.

Portuguese giants Sporting CP have announced the signing of Zouhair Feddal from La Liga club Real Betis.

The 31-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Estadio Jose Alvalade outfit with an option of extension following his successful medicals with the side.

Feddal has been with the Green-and-Whites since 2017 when he joined from Deportivo Alaves and featured in 53 league games during his time with the side, including 17 last season to help Manuel Pellegrini’s men maintain their La Liga status.

The Morocco international is delighted to join one of the most popular clubs in the world, Sporting CP, and looks forward to contributing his quota to the success of the Portuguese outfit.

"I want to say to the Sportinguistas that I am very happy to be here and to belong to this great club,” Feddal told the club website.

“The only thing that I can promise is my commitment, hard work, dedication and that I will fight to the end. That's something that I will never lack, and I hope that we can achieve our objectives.

"I know that Noureddine Naybet and Mustapha Hadji played here. This is a very well-known club in Europe and in Africa.

“Sporting CP are one of Portugal's big clubs, and I'm sure that we will reach our targets. I know that I'm at a club that aims to win, and I want to win big things.

"I will adapt to what the coach wants. I'm available for whatever he needs, and I have to show all of the Sportinguistas that I'm here to do good things and to help Sporting CP"

Feddal started his career with Moghreb Tetouan and played for the youth teams of Vilamalla, Peralada, Monaco and Mataro.

He made his senior debut for Vilajuiga after joining the side in 2008 and later featured for Terrassa, Teruel, San Roque, Espanyol, FUS Rabat and Parma before he signed for Levante in 2015.

The defender made 28 league appearances for the Spanish club during his one-year stay before he moved to Alaves.

Feddal has featured 20 times for the Morocco national team since he made his debut against Togo in a friendly in 2012.

The centre-back will hope to help Sporting compete for the Primeira Liga title in the 2020-21 season after finishing fourth in the last campaign.

Sean Dyche guided Burnley to another top-half finish in 2019-20, with the Clarets continuing to silence their critics as they slug it out with the Premier League’s big-hitters.

There had been rumours of change being on the cards at Turf Moor – on and off the field – but a club that prides itself on stability and consistency still has all of its established pieces in place.

That should help them to hold their own once again during the 2020-21 campaign, with the Lancashire outfit onto a fifth successive season among English football’s elite.

Burnley were supposed to open the new season with a glamour home date against Manchester United, but that game has been postponed due to the Red Devils' involvement in Europa League competition.

Leicester will therefore be the Clarets' first foes, with three of their opening four games set to see them head out on the road.

A trip to Leeds comes on Boxing Day, while the New Year will be opened at home to Fulham.

Dyche's side will complete their schedule away at Sheffield United, a week after they have played host to Liverpool.

Check out Burnley's full Premier League schedule for 2020-21 below.

Simba SC chairman Mohamed Dewji has revealed why Senzo Mazingiza quit the club as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The South African left Simba after serving them for less than a year and joined Yanga SC and Dewji believes he did not achieve what he was tasked to.

“Our main priority has always been to cut cost but at the same time make sure the revenue goes up. When we have Simba Day, we know its revenue as well as revenue from SportPesa sponsorship,” Dewji told a local Radio station on Thursday.

“We also know how much the Mohamed Enterprise sponsorship's revenue is and above that any office is always tasked to bring a report indicating revenue has gone up.

“Before we convened a meeting to discuss him [Mazingiza] and his report, he saw there was a problem that was coming and it was a huge one. So, some are saying he has left with critical files and secrets but we have no problem.”

The chair also stressed the exit of the administrator is not going to affect the club’s operations.

“We have no problem you know why? We believe in ourselves, we have our short-term, medium and long term targets,” he stated.

“We have not trembled a bit and in due course, we are going to unveil a new CEO.”

Dewji also welcomed their newly-designed logo which does not carry their slogan ‘Nguvu Moja’ anymore.

“Our slogan will remain with us and I am happy about the new logo,” he added.

“Big clubs worldwide now have clear logos. You know the lion in our previous logo was small, looked timid and it also looked old.

“We had over 1000 logos that were designed by professionals after critical research and got feedback from them.”

Dewji also responded to claims that he was planning to stop sponsoring the Tanzanian giants.

“Can a sane person really think that TSh20 billion is too much for Dewji?” he said while answering the question on the huge amount of money he has pumped into the club.

“Let me assure our fans that I am not going to leave. Some people are just trying to cause friction by making such statements but because Simba are a big institution that is expected.

“We have no time with them and we are marching forward.”

After signing key players, Simba are expected to mount a successful competition in the Caf Champions League and on the domestic front.

Former Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu has taken aim at his old side, criticising new manager Ronald Koeman and saying the club has ignored its youth system.

Deulofeu, who came through Barca’s La Masia youth system, played under Koeman at Everton in 2016-17 but was sent out on loan to AC Milan. After leaving Goodison Park, Koeman took charge of the Dutch national side before being announced as the new Barca boss on Wednesday.

"I can tell you about Koeman from my personal experience, and I have very little to tell you about Koeman," Deulofeu told Catalunya Radio.

"He provided me absolutely nothing. I wasn't happy, I asked to leave and I went to Milan. We'll see how he does at the Camp Nou."

Barca presidential candidate Victor Font has already said that if he wins next year's election, Koeman will not remain as manager, however successful he is.

Deulofeu now looks to be on the hunt for a new club once again, following current side Watford’s relegation from the Premier League.

When the 26-year-old left Everton permanently in 2017, it was for a brief return to Barca. Now, after two frustrating spells at Camp Nou, he says he isn’t bothered by the club’s most recent crisis.

"The truth is that Barcelona's [situation] does not bother me," he said. "In fact, right now, I don't care."

Deulofeu was once one of La Masia’s most prized assets, but his relative fall from grace in recent seasons has been a familiar story.

Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig are among the academy products to have broken into the first team in recent months but Barca’s ageing first team bears little resemblance to the golden generation that reached its peak under Pep Guardiola.

Big-money signings like Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann have failed to shine while the core of the team – the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique – are in their 30s.

"At Barcelona, they have not had patience with La Masia for years,” Deulofeu commented.“If you give [the youngsters] time, they learn the style of the first team.

"There are players, many of us have come from there, but not patience. Now there will be changes, but they are years behind."

Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati and promising Manchester City defender Eric Garcia have been included in Spain’s senior squad for the first time.

Luis Enrique has revealed his selection for upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Germany and Ukraine.

A number of youngsters will be given an opportunity to see competitive minutes in those fixtures.

Ferran Torres, who has just completed a big-money move to City, is another to have been given the nod.

Wolves winger Adama Traore has also been selected by Enrique, with the jet-heeled 24-year-old seemingly set to commit his international future to Spain.

He has remained eligible for Mali, but outings of any kind against Germany or Ukraine would see him tied to the country of his birth.

It could be that he figures alongside a few other graduates of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy system.

Established stars such as Sergio Busquets, who remains at Camp Nou, and Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara – who is readying himself for the 2020 Champions League final – have got the nod.

As has 17-year-old sensation Fati, who has enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough year in Catalunya.

Having made his first-team debut at Barca at the age of 16 in August 2019, a meteoric rise to prominence has been enjoyed.

Fati has taken in U21 outings for Spain, having been born in Guinea Bissau, and is now seemingly set to nail his colours to the Roja mast.

Garcia will also be taking a notable step up from the youth ranks as he joins the senior set-up.

Uncertainty reigns when it comes to the 19-year-old’s future at club level, with Pep Guardiola having revealed that the talented centre-half will not be signing a new contract at the Etihad Stadium.

That is leaving the door open for a return to his roots at Barca to be made, with the Blaugrana eager to buy into his potential.

International experience would see Garcia’s stock rise even further, with the youngster joining the likes of Sergio Ramos, Jesus Navas, Dani Carvajal and Pau Torres in Enrique’s defensive ranks.

Dani Olmo and Marco Asensio are among the others to make Spain’s latest squad, while Premier League pair David de Gea and Kepa Arrizabalaga will once again be battling it out to fill a No.1 spot between the sticks.

Goalkeepers: De Gea, Kepa, Simon

Defenders: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Torres, Llorente, Gaya, Reguilon, Garcia

Midfielders: Fabian, Thiago, Busquets, Rodri, Merino, Olmo, Oscar Rodriguez

Forwards: Rodrigo, Oyarzabal, Traore, Asensio, Fati, Torres

Kylian Mbappe is ‘guaranteed’ to win the Ballon d’Or as he is already among the best three players in the world alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Louis Saha.

Still just 21, Mbappe has enjoyed another spectacular season with 30 goals and 19 assists in 36 appearances, and he has been a key figure in Paris Saint-Germain’s run to the Champions League final.

In Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, PSG will be facing the man who had been tipped by many to win his first Ballon d’Or this season – only to see the award cancelled by organisers France Football.

Messi and Ronaldo have monopolised the award in the last decade, winning 11 of the last 12 titles between them, but Mbappe is widely expected to follow in their footsteps.

“Kylian Mbappe is guaranteed to win the Ballon d’Or and it is only a matter of time until he is officially the best player in the world,” Saha said on the Football Index Podcast.

“He’s just returned from injury and he is destroying teams in the latter stages of the Champions League at will with the quality of his runs and his movement.

“To be doing this at his age, I am speechless.”

Despite Mbappe’s youth, he has achieved an astonishing amount in his career so far.

He has scored at least 20 goals in each of the last four seasons – topping 30 in the last two – and won every domestic title on offer in France, as well as the World Cup.

Adding a Champions League title to that list would hardly hurt his chances of being considered the best in the world, but Saha believes Mbappe is already right up there.

“For me, Mbappe is already definitely in the top three players in the world right now,” he said.

“There is obviously a massive difference between him and Messi and Ronaldo, but this is because they have done it for 10 years.

“I do think that when Messi and Ronaldo end their careers, Mbappe will be their successor who dominates.”

Mbappe and PSG’s date with destiny against Bayern Munich is on Sunday, August 23, at Benfica’s Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

Yaya Toure believes questions should be asked of Pep Guardiola on the back of another Champions League failure by Manchester City, with the Blues legend suggesting it may be “time to change”.

A highly-decorated Catalan coach was appointed in 2016 with the intention of delivering long-awaited European glory to the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola had previously conquered the continent at Barcelona, but has been unable to replicate that success at Bayern Munich or City.

Domestic silverware has continued to roll in, with title triumphs enjoyed in Germany and England.

It is, however, nine years since Guardiola last hoisted aloft the Champions League trophy, with his current employers suffering a surprise quarter-final defeat to Lyon in 2020.

Toure feels pressure should be put on those calling the shots after seeing the Blues fall short once more, with it easy to argue that changes in approach and personnel may be required.

The legendary Ivorian, who spent eight years with City between 2010 and 2018, told Football Daily: “The manager has been signed for that, just to bring this trophy and when you see Liverpool maybe and other clubs who [have won it] without doing a lot of work in the transfer market, it's quite strange and disappointing.

“Of course, he's been brought to the club to get a massive trophy for them and at the moment it's not been delivered in the way they want.

“Everyone knows Pep is a great manager but at the moment when things are not going their way, sometimes it's the time to change the way they do things. We'll see.”

Toure knows all about Guardiola’s methods having worked under a demanding coach at Barcelona and City. The pair did not always see eye to eye, with Toure having gone as far as to claim that Guardiola’s standing as one of the finest coaches of all time is “a myth”.

He said in 2018: “Pep likes to dominate and wants to have obedient players who lick his hands. I do not like this kind of relationship. I respect my coach but I am not his thing. 

“Like all players I have bickered with my coaches, but at a certain point men who do not understand each other reconcile. This is not possible with Pep, who is very rigid.

“The other players will never admit it publicly but some have already told me that they ended up hating him. Because he manipulates and plays a lot with your head.

“We always looked at each other weirdly. He was spinning around me without saying anything, watching me, gauging me but not talking to me. Yet he knows that I speak Catalan, Spanish and English. It should be enough to communicate. 

“Apparently no. Every time we passed each other, he seemed embarrassed. As if I made him a little self-conscious. As if, also, he had understood that I knew him perfectly.”

Ugandan star Brian Nkuubi has reportedly left Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions Vipers SC.

Nkuubi has been part of the Vipers family for the last five years since he was signed from Kira Young.

The midfielder renewed the contract in 2018 and his exit from St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende could see him join his long-time suitors Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC).

Further reports in the country claim Derrick Ochan, Zaga Tumwesigye and Farouk Musisi have been released by the Venoms.

Musisi was signed in 2019 from Konkola Blades of Zambia but his three-year deal could be terminated before it expires.

His reported exit has been linked with the inability to successfully dislodge Aziz Kayondo in the first team during the absconded season.

The arrival of Disan Galiwango and Dan Birikwalira further made Musisi’s future at the league champions even bleaker.

Vipers are streamlining their squad in preparation for their upcoming participation in the Caf Champions League. They were declared champions after Fufa cancelled the league due to the coronavirus pandemic after 24 matches had been played.

Meanwhile, Premier League side Onduparaka FC have unveiled Kennedy Atibuni as their third signing.

Musema Bony and Jerry Jakisa are the first two signings made by the West Nile club and Atibuni, 22, has been handed a three-year contract.

The midfielder is a graduate of the Arua Public Secondary School where former Onduparaka stars Mohammad Shaban and Andama Denis Koko horned their skills.

Onduparaka coach Vialli Bainomugisha said he hopes Atibuni will quickly fill the void in the attacking midfield department.

“We know we have attacking midfielders in the team but adding more gives us added advantage and each of them including Kennedy has a lot to prove and offer our team this coming season,” Bainomugisha is quoted by Sports Nation as saying.

“We all hope he will fit in the boots of some of the big attacking midfielders this club has had.”

The Arua club is strengthening the squad with the hope of doing better during the 2020/21 season which is set to start on October 17.

They finished eighth in the previous campaign.

Leeds United have submitted a third bid for Brighton defender Ben White, Goal can confirm. 

The 22-year-old defender featured in every Championship game for Marcelo Bielsa's side last season as they secured promotion to the Premier League. 

After impressing during his season-long loan at Leeds, the club have now made three separate offers to secure White's services permanently with the latest bid believed to be around £25 million (€27m/$32m).

Brighton currently have all the bargaining power, however, with the young centre-back contracted to the Seagulls until 2022 and a number of Premier League clubs also showing interest.

Manager Graham Potter has also previously expressed his desire to use White in his team moving forward. 

"He's our player, he's got a long contract with us. I have known Ben for a while, I have been aware of him, wanted to try and sign him when we were at Swansea," Potter said in July. 

"I know about his qualities. He's a fantastic player. He's done brilliantly at Leeds and helped them get promotion - that's fantastic for them, fantastic for him - but he's our player and we're looking forward to working with him.

"He complements us really well. He's got attributes that are really, really useful and he's going to be a top player."

White came up through Southampton's youth ranks before being released at the age of 16 and ultimately joined Brighton's academy in 2014. 

In 2017, White was loaned out to League Two side Newport County before joining Peterborough United in League One the following season and then Leeds this past campaign.

All that experience has proven invaluable for the promising defender, who has previously singled out his time at Newport as crucial in his development. 

“It was my first senior loan spell and I was bit anxious at first – but they’re a great group of lads to play alongside. It’s taught me to believe in myself and have confidence in my ability as a footballer," White told Brighton's website in 2018. 

“It’s a physical division and the biggest challenge is adjusting from academy level.

“I’d say the aerial challenges in the league took me time to adapt to, the ball spends a lot of time in the air during games and there are a lot of physical forwards.” 

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect on football across the world. The game was disrupted worldwide in March as most countries went into a lockdown.

It restarted in June in Europe and then in other parts of the world after biosecure measures were adopted by various leagues.

In India, while the Indian Super League (ISL) ISL 2019-20 season got over by March, the I-League had to be stopped midway and then was finally ended prematurely.

Indian football is all set to return with ISL 2020-21 season which is set to tentatively begin from November third week. Given the pandemic situation, the new season will be held at a centralised venue (Goa) with a bio-safety bubble in place in order to avoid travelling across states amidst the pandemic. The matches will also take place in behind closed doors.

Given the pandemic has impacted football and the ISL, Jamshedpur FC’s new recruit Jackichand Singh is only looking at the positives from the changed circumstances.

Singh suggested that the biggest advantage of playing in a centralised venue will be the lack of travelling which will reduce the fatigue.

“Yes it will be difficult but if you look at the positives then there will be less travelling and we will just stay in Goa and play all our matches. Yes, without any crowd it will be difficult but according to me, we will be under less pressure. Of course, we love our fans. But I think we have to look at the positives,” said the new Jamshedpur winger.

Just like his new boss Owen Coyle, Jacki too believes that the players should not be scared of the circumstances and exhibit mental strength in order to perform well.

“Of course things are difficult but it’s not just for us, it is for everywhere in the world. There will be an effect on us. The pandemic situation is much less in Goa compared to other cities in India so that is a good thing. According to me, we should not be scared and there will not be any problem as per me. We have to be mentally strong to perform well.”

The India international winger, who scored five goals and provided three assists last season at FC Goa, fondly remembered his time with the Gaurs and explained why the club enjoyed success in recent times.

“FC Goa is a very successful team. Most of the players played together for three seasons. I myself played for two years. The team composition did not change too often so they enjoyed success and were consistent. It was a great experience for me playing for FC Goa,” said the Manipuri star.

Mumbai City FC's Raynier Fernandes has had an expeditious rise to the top of the Indian football spectrum in a brief but successful span of three years.

The central midfielder won the Sikkim Governors Gold Cup, finished runners-up in the Federation Cup, Calcutta Football League (CFL) and the I-League, all in his first year at Mohun Bagan in the 2016-17 season. He then made his way back to Mumbai to represent the Islanders in the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2018.

"Football has been there in my life since I was in the third grade," Fernandes stated in a discourse with Goal. "I played at school level at Our Lady of Salvation in Dadar. My brother (Royston) who is six years elder to me was also a football player and when I got to the fifth grade, he played in the first team of Kenkre FC. Looking at his interest, I got encouraged to take the sport seriously."

Although his brother's dreams of making it big in professional football were cut short by injuries, a bouyant Raynier took his calling seriously quite as early as he started realising his potential.

"I changed my school and went to Don Bosco, Matunga in the seventh grade because at Salvation the level [of football] was not as high it was in Bosco's. From there, everything went well and we won many championships at school level. Then I went to MMK (Shrimati Mithibai Motiram Kundani) college in Bandra where I played hockey and football but my main choice was always football.

From Mumbai to Kolkata

"My first ever club was Companeros. The coach (Sydney D'Souza) liked my game when I was in college, so he put me in the team (Companeros). We played in the play-offs and qualified for the MDFA (Mumbai District Football Association) senior division league when Air India approached me to play for their U-19 team," the Mumbaikar journaled the rise of his career.

"I played under [Air India U-19 coach] Shyam Sawant for one year and the next season itself, the senior team coach Godfrey Pereira offered me a contract to play with the senior team. That was a moment of happiness. Even though I wasn't quite expecting it, it happened and I had to up my game and focus.

"During that time, I played in the 2016 Santosh Trophy and Maharashtra came second which was also a good achievement for me as a player because it was the first time I represented my state. We lost the final to Services but it was a good feeling to play in all the matches and that gave me the confidence and experience that I needed."

Raynier feels that his move to Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan was the turning point in his playing career.

"The turning point was when I got to play for Mohun Bagan after passing my trials. I didn't expect to get selected in the first round itself and that feeling was at a different level. Representing Mohun Bagan at that stage is a massive thing.

"It was a moment I had to cherish but I also had to do something about it as being at such a big club and not playing is also another thing. I worked hard for it (a place in the starting 11) and I remember that game (against George Telegraph) in the CFL where I came on in the second half. I was so nervous in front of the 20,000 people that I didn't know how to react. After the game, I realised that this is the real deal and I cannot afford to take anything lightly and I have to work hard," he explained.

Having played under the guidance of Sankarlal Chakraborty in the CFL, he made it to the I-League squad under the tutelage of then coach Sanjoy Sen in the latter half of the 2016-17 season and earned himself another year on his contract.

"That year (2017-18 season) just changed everything for me. That's the year I played nearly 95 percent of the games and the biggest game that I played was the derby ( 2-0 win over East Bengal ) and the cherry on the cake was that I provided an assist in that game. There was like a crowd of 65,000 and that feeling is one that I will always keep with me."

Back to Mumbai

Having recently signed an extension at Mumbai City that will keep him at the club till 2023, Raynier expressed that his return to Mumbai was something he had anticipated.

"That (Playing in Mumbai) was something I always wanted to do. Playing for your home club, in front of your family and friends and giving everything - the feeling was great. (Former coach) Jorge Costa kept his faith in me and gave me many chances. So I had to train hard and give my best," said Fernandes.

Raynier was impressive in his debut season. He has played 33 ISL matches in two seasons for the club and his performances in the ISL were hard to be overlooked as the then newly-appointed India head coach Igor Stimac summoned him to the national team camp at New Delhi after the end of ISL season 5. 

Cancelled the Dubai trip

Raynier reveals that he was never expecting a call-up from Igor Stimac and had to hastily scrap his vacation trip to Dubai.

"I remember, just before the call (to the national team camp), I had not expected anything. This was during the off-season after my first year at Mumbai City. I was supposed to go to Dubai for vacations and just four days before the camp, one of my friends messaged me saying 'congratulations for India team'. I had no clue what it was about.

"The next day I actually saw my name in the list (of 37 probables) along with Sunil Chhetri bhai, Sandesh Jhingan, (Anirudh) Thapa and all these people. It was like a dream just thinking about sitting with all of them in the dressing room. With all the happiness, I cancelled my (INR) 22,000 (flight) ticket I had purchased for Dubai and I had no problem doing that as this (national team call-up) was the best thing that happened to me," Fernandes narrated.

Brought in after the change of ends against Curacao, Raynier made his international debut at the 2019 King's Cup in Thailand and made a strong case for himself in the two games (Curacao and Thailand) and was also utilised in the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifier games against Afghanistan and Bangladesh including a start against the latter in the same year.

"When I was sitting in the dugout, I wanted to play and I remember Balwant Singh was near me and he was like 'Bhai, tu kitna awaaz karta hai, tu relax kar' ('brother, why are you making so much noise, you should relax'). At that moment, I just wanted to step on the field and kick the ball just once for the Indian national team and it happened in the second half.

"When you play the first game for your country, you have to play like it's your chance to prove that you are worthy to be in the Indian national team and the experience I got down the road taught me that you have to just enjoy the game and play," Fernandes summed up.

Rudi Garcia is unsure what the future holds for his Lyon stars after their "unexpected" run to the Champions League semi-finals.

Lyon fell to Bayern Munich 3-0 in the semi-finals in Lisbon on Wednesday to end their European run.

Departures are expected at Lyon, who finished seventh in Ligue 1 and missed out on European competition for 2020-21, with Moussa Dembele, Houssem Aouar and Memphis Depay linked with moves.

Lyon head coach Garcia said he was unsure what was ahead, but felt his players proved their quality in the Champions League.

"We don't know what's going to happen," he told a news conference. "What is clear after the success we've had here, an unexpected one, is this team would have deserved to make it even further, but it's difficult to answer this question. We have a great squad and we'll see.

"In terms of finances, it's not up to me to answer, it's up to the club president and the sporting director, but when we look at the team, I didn't have to make it to the Champions League semi-finals to know how good my players are."

Lyon were left to rue wastefulness against Bayern, squandering several chances before a Serge Gnabry brace and Robert Lewandowski's late goal. Garcia lamented his side's inability to take their opportunities against the Bundesliga champions.

"They were just efficient, clinical. You have to say the team who were more clinical won it," he said. "We hit the post. If we'd scored at that point the match might have been very different, but I like how my players followed the game plan. We defended very well and Karl [Toko Ekambi] had that chance.

"We weren't fully attentive when we conceded the first goal. We could have played with more width at times and been faster in possession and played with that width. We managed to do a better job in the second half but when you're trailing Bayern Munich 2-0 it's difficult to come back.

"We played some good long balls, we attacked well at times and had some good spells. We gave them some problems and we had two more great chances with Moussa and Karl. We just had some bad luck and weren't clinical enough in those situations.

"I feel Bayern are a great team and they deserved the victory. The way they played, we have to congratulate them. It's true we gave them some problems, but they scored that third goal and that finished off the match."

Highlands Park midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane has praised Percy Tau following his dream start to life at his new Belgian club RSC Anderlecht.

The Bafana Bafana international scored on debut for the Purple and White as they secured a 3-1 victory over Sint-Truidense VV in a First Division A match last weekend.

It was Tau's maiden competitive match for Anderlecht since he joined the club on a season-long deal from Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion.

Anderlecht are Tau's third Belgian team having enjoyed some success at both Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge while on loan from Brighton as he is unable to play for his parent club due to work-permit complications in the United Kingdom (UK). 

Letsholonyane has been following the left-footed forward's career since he left PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns for Brighton at the beginning of the 2018/19 season.

“I have been impressed by the way he has gone about his business since he first moves to Europe,” said Letsolonyane on Daily Sun.

“He has always been a hardworking player, always eager to learn and improve and that has helped him adapt as well as he has abroad."

Letsholonyane, who is a former Bafana international, lauded Tau as a winner with the 26-year-old player having helped Brugge clinch the 2019/20 First Division A title.

“His attitude is top, he has a mindset of a winner and I think there’s still a lot he will achieve," he added.

"He is one player that sets a good example for other youngsters to follow.”

Tau had a successful spell with Saint-Gilloise during the 2018/19 season as he scored 12 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign in Europe.

The Witbank-born player's outstanding performance earned him the Proximus League Player of the Season award for being the best player in Belgian's second-tier, First Division B.

Another successful spell with Brugge followed in the 2019/20 campaign as Tau played in the Champions League and Europa League.

Tau will now be hoping to inspire Anderlecht to a record-extending 35th First Division A title this term under Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany.

Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill has revealed how the club made painstaking inquiries before signing former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.

The 33-year-old was snapped up by the Championship side as a free agent on Monday on a one-year deal, having been without a club since parting ways with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor in March.

The former Nigeria international made his name during his time at Stamford Bridge, where he spent 11 years and won a number of laurels, including the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League titles.

The midfielder then moved to China in 2017 to join Tianjin Teda and spent a season with the Super League club before returning to England in January 2019, signing a short-term deal with Middlesborough.

Mikel delivered impressive performances in the 19 games he featured for the club which saw him become the toast of the fans before he left the side to team up with Trabzonspor.

O'Neill explained the Potters made an enquiry from the midfielder’s former manager at Middleborough Tony Pulis as part of their investigations before securing his signature.

“We didn’t feel that possibly we would be in a position to get him but having met the lad – he spent a day up here with us in Stoke – he liked what he saw and we liked what we saw in him in terms of what his vision was,” O'Neill told TalkSPORT.

“And when you’ve got a player that has had the career at the level that John has had you are always a little bit worried about them coming to a team in the Championship.

“But we did a lot of due diligence on him, got references from people like Tony Pulis who he played under at Middlesbrough and other people that he’s worked under.

“But the most important thing was that John was really keen to come. He wants to try and finish his career in the Premier League having obviously been in China and having been abroad again in Turkey and hopefully, he can do that with Stoke City."

Mikel had 91 caps for the Super Eagles before announcing his retirement from international duty after helping the West Africans finish third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The midfielder featured prominently as the Super Eagles won the continental title in South Africa in 2013 under the tutelage of Stephen Keshi.

He was part of Nigeria’s team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio and featured for the Super Eagles at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup tournaments.

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has warned the club they must be careful not to block the progress of Mason Greenwood if they do manage to sign Borussia Dortmund attacker Jadon Sancho. 

Greenwood, still just 18, scored 17 goals in all competitions for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side this season as he highlighted his enormous potential. 

The Red Devils, however, continue to be linked with a transfer for Sancho, whose arrival would likely limit Greenwood's minutes next season. 

Cole is adamant the English attacker can become a star in his own right and called on United to ensure they don't slow down his development when and if they sign Sancho. 

"Mason is scary, absolutely scary," Cole told the PA news agency. "If this kid lives up to his potential, United have one on their hands.

"It's scary and long may it continue. He needs to keep doing what he's doing, scoring goals and putting pressure on those up front, and as he matures and learns the game even more United have a player who could be anything.

"He can play as a nine and he can play out wide of a three, so it will be interesting to see where United think his best position is and what they see him as.

"For me, the best number nine in the world is Robert Lewandowski. But there aren't many, if any, Lewandowskis about. And if they do bring in Sancho then you've got to be careful as you don't want to block his [Greenwood's] progress.

"United do need to bring in players as you must improve every season but it's a fine balance. If you have a player like Mason Greenwood then you can't afford to block their progress."

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer recently backed Greenwood to beat his Premier League scoring record, describing the teenager as a "potential superstar".

Solskjaer, meanwhile, is well aware of the talent Greenwood possesses in front goal and noted that he is one of the best finishers he's ever seen.

The 18-year-old attacker joined Manchester United at the age of six and made his competitive senior debut for the Red Devils against Paris Saint-Germain in March 2019.