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South Africa national team fringe player Gift Links is eyeing to leave a mark in the Europa League and Danish Superliga with improved performances in the 2020/21 season.

Links' club AGF Aarhus qualified for Europe’s second-tier club competition where they will start from the preliminary rounds in the upcoming campaign.

It would be the first time for the South Africa international to play in any European club tournament.

Aarhus begin their Europa League campaign against FC Honka from Finland on August 27.

With the Danish domestic league also set to kickoff on September 14, Links has set himself a target of increasing his scoring rate and assists.

“We really had a good season after a very long time you know, it’s been over 20 years since AGF won a medal and I am super proud to be part of this great group of players you know – we fought until the end and we managed to get something out of it,” Links told Far Post.

“We haven’t made it yet to Europa, remember we have to play qualifiers first and what I know is that we will take it one game at a time – we are going to fight until the end, to be honest.

“The team’s targets come first you know, but personally my target for next season is to see myself scoring and assisting goals as much as I can so I just have to work on my numbers and consistency with my performances.”

Links managed just a goal and an assist for Aarhus in 20 games across all competitions last season in what was his first term in Denmark.

Improved performances could catch the attention of South Africa national team coach Molefi Ntseki to consider Links for Bafana Bafana.

The midfielder has only featured for the South Africa B squad in Cosafa Cup matches.

An impressive season at club level would also increase Link’s chances of being included in the Olympics squad by Under-23 coach David Notoane.

He has been a surprise omission in Notoane’s side.

Express FC have confirmed their fourth signing after unveiling midfielder Abel Eturude Michael.

The 23-year-old has joined the Red Eagles from fellow Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side Onduparaka FC after agreeing to pen a two-year contract that will see him stay at the club until August 2022.

“Express have acquired the services of creative midfielder Abel Eturude Michael on a two-year deal,” the club confirmed on their official website on Wednesday.

“The 23-year-old joins from Onduparaka and becomes the team’s fourth signing ahead of next season. Eturude is known for his vast creativity in the middle of the park along with his good passing abilities and vision.”

On signing for Express, Michael side: “I am very happy to be a Red Eagle, arguably the biggest club in this country but most importantly am here to make the team better and with the fans’ support, the sky will be the limit.”

Apart from Michael, Express have also signed goalkeepers Cryspus Kusiima and Denis Otim along with centre-back Richard Bbosa.

Express are building a squad to challenge for the league title from Vipers SC when the new campaign kicks-off on October 17.

The signing of Michael comes just two days after Express appointed former Uganda national rugby 7s and 15s star Hellen Buteme as the strength and conditioning coach.

Buteme, who was declared the Most Valuable Players in 2004, 2005, 2008, arrived at the club with a contract that is set to expire at the end of the two years and explained what attracted him to the club.

“When I met the club CEO [Isaac Mwesigwa] at the beginning of this year, he told me about his plans for Express,” Buteme said.

“Basically to bring back its glory days and seeing that I am also a strength and conditioning coach, he wanted me to join the technical bench and take over the conditioning needs for the team.

“It turned out to be a challenge that I couldn’t resist and so I will be making sure that the players are in the best possible shape to execute the coach’s game plans and ensuring that they are as injury-free as possible.

“I will be assisting the medical team with the rehabilitation of injured players and just basically making sure that the players are the best that they can possibly be.”

Buteme is a Leipzig University Level B conditioning License holder and has started sharing the conditioning programme for players through the Whatsapp group.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has announced the new international calendar for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying matches.

African countries face a busy schedule of continental football in 2021 with all international windows packed with qualification games starting from November 2020 to November 2021.

Caf, in a statement released on Wednesday, disclosed the Afcon qualifiers will resume in November while the World Cup qualification games will begin in May 2021.

Initially, the third and fourth round of matches for the 2021 Afcon were slated for March before the coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement.

Countries will play the round three and four games between November 9-17 while the final two matches will be held between March 22-30 in 2021.

On June 30, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations was supposed to be hosted by Cameroon and was moved to January 2022 and will end in February - a year later than the initial date, after Covid-19 disrupted the global football calendar.

Similarly, the calendar for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers has also been adjusted and the matchdays one and two will now be held between May 31 and June 15 in 2021.

The matchdays three and four have been scheduled for August 30 to September 7 while the penultimate and final group games come up between October 4 and October 12.

The two-legged final qualifying round which will produce Africa's five representatives for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be between November 8 and 16.

The global competition is still unmoved despite the effects of the coronavirus on football activities and will be the first World Cup to be held between November 21 and December 18.

Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa has emphasised the importance of converting their goalscoring opportunities. 

The 23-year-old player marked his return to the Bucs starting line-up with a goal in their 1-1 draw with Baroka FC in a PSL match on Tuesday evening.

Mabasa started his first league match since November 2019 with the Buccaneers enduring a four-match goal drought.

It took 16 minutes for the left-footed hitman to net his seventh league goal of the season and he is grateful to Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer for handing him a chance to start at Ellis Park Stadium.

"First of all I would like to thank the man [God] above and thank the coach for the opportunity that he gave me," Mabasa said on the club's official Twitter account.

"I have been working hard recently, even during the lockdown. I am honestly grateful for the opportunity that I got tonight. 

"Even if you look at the amount of work I put in tonight it helped the team somehow," he added.

Pirates striker Frank Mhango is the league's top goalscorer with 14 goals, but he has failed to score in his last six matches in the competition. 

The Soweto giants are also winless in their last five league matches and Mabasa indicated the team needs to start scoring goals in order to stand a better chance of winning games.

"Honestly, we need to get better results and we need to utilize the chances that we create," the former Bloemfontein Celtic centre forward said.

"We have to score goals definitely."

Pirates are currently placed third on the league standings - three points behind second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, who have two games in hand.

The Buccaneers have four matches left which are against Cape Town City, SuperSport United, Maritzburg United as well as Stellensbosh FC.

Finishing third in the league will see Zinnbauer's side qualify for next season's Caf Confederation Cup having been the runners-up in the continental tournament in 2015.

While a top-two finish would earn Pirates a spot in the 2020/21 Caf Champions League - a tournament which they won in 1995 and they were runners-up in 2013. 

Pirates' next encounter against City is at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday, August 23.

The past week saw four of the country's finest freestyle footballers battle it out for a spot in the grand finale of the 2020 South African Freestyle Football Championships. 

Cape Town duo Emilio Nahamuja and Kyle Rinquest were joined in the semi-finals by former champion Rishaad Ebrahim (2018) and defending champion Sipho “Six” Busakwe. 

Ebrahim faced Nahamuja while Busakwe took on Rinquest in the other semi-final.

In deciding the two progressing contestants, judge and renowned freestyler Kunal Rathi said, "At this stage of the tournament, all participants repeat most of the tricks with some new variations and combinations to deliver a high-performance level."

"And I always select a winner who showcases their own style and can present themselves in the best way possible.

"Originality for me is either doing original self-created moves or showcasing yourself with a unique and presentable style."

Out of a score of 90, Nahamuja was ranked the highest, 77, and was followed by Busakwe (76) in second place. The two will square off in what will be a repeat of the 2019 final.

Ebrahim finished third 74/90 while Rinquest finished fourth with a score of 73/90. 

Goal will be publishing the winners of each round, as well as all details and selected videos in their different platforms.

SuperSport United stormed back into the top three following Wednesday's 2-0 win over Polokwane City at Bidvest Stadium.

Ghampani Lungu's goal as well as Bradley Grobler’s late strike at both ends of the match helped SuperSport claim maximum points and seal a four-match unbeaten run.

In reclaiming third-spot, the Tshwane side had to thank Orlando Pirates for dropping points the previous day and they are now just a point above the Soweto giants who are placed fourth.

For Polokwane City, it was yet another disappointing afternoon as they succumbed to their third straight defeat which leaves them at the bottom of the table.

SuperSport did not wait too long to change the complexion of the contest eight minutes into the match when Lungu broke loose to meet a Grobler pass before slotting it past George Chigova in goals for Polokwane City.

The Limpopo side attempted to respond seven minutes later via Lungu's Zambian compatriot Salulani Phiri whose long-range shot went just wide of Ronwen William's goal.

Lungu almost doubled SuperSport's advantage in the 19th minute but saw his headed effort narrowly missing the target off a Giuly Manziba cross from the right.

A minute later, Grobler cleverly tried to connect from a low cross but was blocked as SuperSport appeared relentless in attack.

Polokwane City, however, tried to come back when Mohammed Anas saw his penalty appeal being ignored by referee Philangenkosi Khumalo after the Ghanaian striker was brought down inside the box by Clayton Daniels at the end of a counter-attack.

It was now SuperSport’s turn to briefly back-paddle as Vusumuzi Mngomezulu beat Williams but agonizingly watched his low drive miss the upright post by just a whisker on the half-hour mark.

Teboho Mokoena then shot over the bar for SuperSport while Jabulani Maluleke also had an effort going over in a missed opportunity to equalise for Polokwane City.

Matsatsantsa appeared keen to go on the break leading with two goals but Chigova twice saved with his legs near the goal line in the first half’s stoppage time.

After the break, it was SuperSport again who showed intent to further go ahead as they pressed their opponents more.

Aubrey Modiba then blew a glorious chance when he tapped over the bar from close range with a yawning goal at his mercy off a Manziba low cross five minutes into the second half.

With Polokwane surviving that attack, they kept on trying to strike back but Themba Chauke and substitute Kabelo Mahlasela were let down by their final touches.

The match was killed as a contest a minute into injury time when Grobler struck off a feed by substitute Kudakwashe Mahachi to earn SuperSport the vital three points.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have learned the new dates for the Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 and the group stage of the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers.

The scheduled fixtures had been postponed after the coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension of most football action in the continent.

But the Caf Emergency Committee has approved the resumption of the qualifiers which means the three East African countries will have to honour the matches in a condensed calendar.

Doubleheaders have been scheduled between November this year and November 2021 as teams will be expected to scramble for the available slots for both the Afcon finals and the World Cup.

Afcon qualifiers will resume from November 9 to 17 2020 as matchday three and four ties are being played.

The penultimate and ultimate qualifiers will be played between March 22 to March 23, 2021.

World Cup qualifiers will resume between May 31 and June 15, 2021, with matchday one and two actions. From August through to September 7, matchday three and four actions are expected to be honoured.

Day five and six actions have been slated for October 4-12, 2021.

“Meanwhile, Caf is monitoring the situation closely and working with the relevant authorities with regards to hosting of the matches and will make pronouncements accordingly in the event of developments that will affect playing a match at the designated venue,” a Caf statement read.

Kenya are in Group E of the preliminary World Cup qualifiers with neighbours Uganda and Rwanda while the West African nation Mali are the other rival.

Tanzania, under Burundian coach Etienne Ndayiragije, are in Group J with DR Congo, Benin and Madagascar.

To advance to the finals of the knockout round which will involve 10 teams, the East African nations have to finish top of their respective groups. The winners of the final two-legged round will qualify for the World Cup to be held in Qatar.

None of the three countries has ever managed to qualify for the World Cup despite numerous attempts.

In the Afcon qualifiers, Kenya are second in Group G behind Comoros after draws against Egypt and Togo. Third-placed Tanzania are in Pool J alongside Tunisia, Libya and Equatorial Guinea.

The Cranes, under Irish coach Johnathan McKinstry, tops Group B where South Sudan, Burkina Faso and Malawi are the other competitors.

Newly-unveiled Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman says he plans to sit down and talk with Lionel Messi as he looks to work alongside the Argentinian star for years to come.

Koeman was speaking at his introductory press conference with the club, having recently been unveiled as Quique Setien's successor.

Setien was dismissed on the heels of a trophy-less end to the season, with Barca falling short to rivals Real Madrid in La Liga before being trounced by Bayern Munich in an 8-2 beatdown to conclude their Champions League run.

Koeman joins Barca as he leaves his role with the Netherlands national team, and he'll find that his old club is currently in a state of disarray.

Technical director Eric Abidal has followed Setien out the door, while Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu faces an election in March.

The president has already stated that several Barca stars are available for transfer, with the club only committing to keeping hold of individuals they see as key players. 

One player that the club is eager to hold on to is Messi, although recent reports have stated that the captain is fed up with Barca's decision-making and is considering a departure from Camp Nou.

Koeman, meanwhile, is hopeful that Messi stays on with the club for as long as possible as he looks forward to working alongside the club's long-time star.

"I don't know if I have to convince Messi or not," Koeman said on Wednesday. "You want to have the best in the world in your team, not the opposite.

"I want to work with Messi. He wins you games and, if he provides the performances he has always shown, I'll be happy if he wants to stay.

"He has a contract. I have to talk to him, because he is the captain of the team. We are going to work and talk with several players. And in the case of Messi, I hope that he will be here for many more years."

He added: "What I talk to Messi, there are private things between player and coach. We will talk about what he thinks of Barcelona and then I will make decisions.

"Messi has one more year on his contract and is a Barca player and I want him in my team."

The Argentine was Barca's standout yet again throughout the 2019-20 campaign, breaking former team-mate Xavi's assist record with 21 assists while also firing 25 goals of his own. 

Wazito FC have confirmed their fifth signing this transfer window following the unveiling of Edwin Omondi.

The midfielder has joined the former National Super League (NSL) champions from Western Stima.

“We can confirm the signing of Edwin Clifford ‘Euro’ Omondi from Kenyan Premier League side, Western Stima,” Wazito confirmed in a statement on their official website.

“Omondi is a midfielder by trade and his arrival will bolster our defensive midfield area.  He has previously played for Gor Mahia Youth, Palos FC, and Chemelil Sugar FC.

“He is an alumnus of Senende Secondary School in Hamisi, Vihiga County.”

On signing for the club, Omondi said: “I feel fantastic after signing for Wazito because this is one of the greatest clubs in Kenya as at now.

“My mission is to work hard and steer the team to a better position next season. I urge the fans to keep rallying behind the team and all will be well.”

Coach Fred Ambani, who sanctioned the signing of the player, has also welcomed the transfer by stating: “Omondi is an experienced player. He has played in the KPL for some years gaining valuable experience which he brings into the team.”

Omondi becomes the fifth signing for the ambitious club, who have already brought on board striker Vincent Oburu, Mark Otieno, Kevin Kimani and Boniface Omondi.

In a recent interview, Wazito boss Ricardo Badoer revealed the club had changed its transfer strategy and will be going for young talented players once the transfer window opens.

“The plan is different now. We are looking to sign some good emerging players from other teams, these are young hungry players. We want players who want to play football for Wazito,” he stated.

“We are not going to sign high profile players this time around. The target is to get young players who are hungry and want to perform well. There’s no point in signing big names that won’t deliver.”

Wazito earned promotion to the top-flight in the 2019-20 campaign where the proceeded to sign over 15 players in a bid to challenge for the league title.

However, the team struggled to perform as they could not break into the top half of the table, and in the process sacked a number of coaches among them Fred Ambani, Stanley Okumbi (who was the technical director) and Melis Medo.

At the end of the season, another coach Stewart Hall left on a mutual agreement leaving the club with no option than to re-hire Ambani, who will now be assisted by Salim Babu.

Ndubuisi Egbo is focused on helping KF Tirana qualify for the Uefa Champions League group stage.

The Albanian champions battle Georgian outfit Dinamo Tbilisi in the first qualifying round of the European competition on Wednesday.

Egbo, a former Nigeria international who played at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, became the first person from the West African country to win a European title after KF Tirana’s success in the Kategoria Superiore last season.

He is now eager to become the first Nigerian to coach a team in the Uefa Champions League group stage if his team scale their qualification hurdles successfully.

“I’m looking forward to the game. I’m not chasing personal records. I’m a team player,” Egbo told the Punch.

“My aim is to take the Albanian champions to the Uefa Champions League group stage and show what they can do.

“We are concentrating on winning the tie. That’s my focus as we have 80 per cent of the team that won the league but we have three new players coming into the team. The first striker is not ready, the right-back and one of the central defenders is doubtful as well.”

KF Tirana are yet to play a competitive match since their 2-0 defeat to Teuta Durres in the Albanian Cup final on August 2.

Meanwhile, Dinamo Tbilisi have played 10 games so far in the 2020-21 Georgian top-flight season which makes Egbo worried about Wednesday’s encounter at Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena.

“It’s going to be a difficult game because Dinamo Tbilisi have started their league season and they have played about 10 games,” he said.

“They occupy the first position in their league and they have the momentum going for them more than us that need a bit of rest.

“We also have some new players in our team that are not used to our pattern of play and their teammates yet. We have trained together, to give a good account of ourselves.”

Former Olympique Lyon ace Michael Essien believes it is not beyond the French outfit to spring a surprise on favourites Bayern Munich in the clubs' Champions League semi-final clash on Wednesday.

The two teams are set for a showdown at the neutral Jose Alvalade Stadium in a one-off fixture in Portugal, the competition's knock-out stage format having been changed from two-legged home-and-away ties due to the coronavirus disruptions.

The winners will have a final date with Paris Saint-Germain, who beat German side RB Leipzig in the first semi-final to book what will be their first ever appearance in the Champions League final.

“It’s possible [for Lyon to win], especially in this one-off tournament format, anything can happen in 90 minutes so you can’t rule them out," Essien told TV3.

“In the Champions League, they have the same old traits of hard work, belief and good organisation.

"They play to their strengths regardless of the opposition and that’s why they are doing so well.”

Lyon, at least, already have one major upset to show as they stung Manchester City 3-1 in the quarter-final.

Bayern, on the other hand, were as ruthless as they could possibly be as they succumbed Barcelona to an 8-2 annihilation in the last eight.

Following a move from Bastia, Essien spent two seasons between 2003 and 2005 at Lyon before joining Chelsea in a deal reportedly with £24.4 million.

During his time with OL, the midfielder won Ligue 1 in 2004 and 2005 and the Super Cup in 2003 and 2004.

“It [time with Lyon] moved me from being a young player to a senior player at a big club, so, it helped me grow up and feature on the big stage," the 37 year-old, who went on to win the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, added.

“I gained a lot of experience in a short space of time.

“I think the set-up of the club as a whole and the longevity of the president [Jean-Michel Aulas has helped]. There has been continuity and they also know how to develop good players.

“The two [league] titles and Champions League games will be my favourite memories."

Essien also played for Real Madrid, AC Milan, Greek side Panathinaikos, Persib Bandung in Indonesia and most recently Azerbaijani outfit Sabail.

Colombian centre-back Oswaldo Henriquez looked set to be a Kerala Blasters player for the upcoming edition of the Indian Super League (ISL).

He had already signed a contract with the Kochi-based club. However, now the club management has been forced to seek a replacement after the player joined Bnei Sakhnin F.C. of Israel.

Goal understands that fears over the rising Covid-19 positive cases in the country forced Henriquez to prematurely end the contract and join the Israeli club.

Henriquez was keeping an eye on the Coronavirus situation in India, and the increasing number of cases forced him to seek an amicable termination of the contract with Blasters. The club deliberated on his concerns and decided that it would be in the best interests of both the parties if the player was allowed to leave.

One must note that Henriquez was attending the online coaching sessions of Kibu Vicuna until an offer from the Israeli club came his way.

The 31-year-old has spent most of his career in South American leagues. He played for Millionarios in the Colombian top division in his early years before moving to Brazil in 2016 when he joined Sport Recife in the Brazilian Serie A. In 2018, he left the club to join Vasco Da Gama for whom he started 27 matches in the top division last season. 

After a disappointing season riddled with injuries, the Yellow Army will be looking to get into the top four in the 2020-21 season of ISL which will be held in Goa. In their bid to do so, they have already handed contract extensions to Sahal Samad, Abdul Hakku, and Rahul KP. Whereas, they have signed Nishu Kumar from Bengaluru FC to strengthen the backline. 

When Pep Guardiola woke on Sunday morning he surely would still be questioning just how Manchester City collapsed against Olympique Lyonnais in their Champions League quarter-final the evening before.

Frankly, the 3-1 defeat will sting for a while, but, even worse, for someone like the former Barcelona boss, was the abject showing for nearly two-thirds of the encounter. For all the talk of 'playing my way' and 'adhering to a certain style or philosophy’ to win football games, Guardiola did neither on Saturday, for an hour, at least.

The exalted Catalan bemused observers with the strange 3-5-2 formation at Estadio Jose Alvalade, a departure from his usual 4-3-3 or tweaked 4-2-3-1 he turns to from time to time. 

A casualty of Pep’s bizarre tactic was Riyad Mahrez, left out from the off against the Ligue 1 side that had just eliminated a wobbling Juventus side on away goals. Having been an unused substitute vs Real Madrid days earlier, the Algeria winger’s snub vs Lyon was jarring.

In truth, leaving the African champion out against Los Blancos was predicted, given the ex-Leicester City man had underwhelmed in big FA Cup clashes while the City manager’s selection in their final two Premier League games foresaw his selection for Real, but omission against the seventh-best French side in 19/20 was near mortifying.

Along with Mahrez, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and David Silva were among the 12 substitutes on the night, as Guardiola surprised critics and maybe his players with his line-up.

After all, this was the same man that went with a bold approach against Zinedine Zidane’s side either side of the pandemic and consequently dominated the Spanish champions in both games. Seemingly overly worried by the French outfit in their quarter-final clash, he was unusually faint-hearted when it mattered most.

There's a suggestion that previous eliminations at this stage in recent seasons, coupled with disappointing results vs Lyon last term, led to Saturday's line-up. However, this iteration had a new manager in charge and lost a few of the key personnel from both meetings in 18/19.

If that XI vs Rudi Garcia’s team looked a caricature of a normal Pep line-up, the choice to wait almost an hour to correct what wasn’t working was even more criminal.

The former Bayern Munich trainer’s high standing in the game is due to the number of trophies won since 2009, the style of football employed and his ability to make the right decisions. Against Les Gones, the 49-year-old boss was indecisive and it cost his team dearly.

Of course, the Citizens created the better chances over 90 minutes (they edged xG 3.06-0.83) and could complain about poor refereeing for the second while the usually reliable Ederson bungled an easy catch for the Kids’ third, regardless, waiting so long to change a flawed strategy put too much pressure on the City players.

After the dispiriting first 45 minutes, the expectation was for Pep to tear down the imperfect approach but he waited another 16 minutes after the restart to introduce Mahrez, despite trailing since the 23rd minute. The 2016 African Footballer of the Year did little in the half-hour following his introduction, although he did create a shooting opportunity in those final 34 minutes.

It felt like City wasted an hour of that game utilising an alien style and gave themselves a mountain to climb after reverting to playing on the front foot for the final third of the quarter-final.

While many at the club mull over their last eight elimination, for the fourth successive time under Guardiola, doubts may yet again spring up in Mahrez’s mind over the level of trust Pep has in him.

There was talk of the Spaniard not truly having confidence in the North African in his maiden year at the Etihad Stadium, but a strong finish to 18/19 and an excellent start in 19/20 saw the African champion become one of the Citizens’ key players.

This made observers predict an important role for the two-time Premier League champion in Man City’s European joust, but it ultimately wasn’t to be as he lost his place in the side at the first sign of a dip in form in the very tight games.

Indeed, the lack of confidence in the African winger and a couple of other attacking talent against Lyon was remarkable. It passed the wrong message to observers and apparently to the players as well, who seemed to play with fear vs a side they were tipped to dominate.

Despite a potentially daunting meeting with favourites Bayern Munich in the semi-final, the recalibration of the Champions League this year meant this represented Pep’s best chance to end his nine-year continental drought and bring home Europe’s most sought-after trophy to the blue half of Manchester.

Mahrez and co. will undoubtedly go again next season. Nevertheless, Saturday's exit felt like a huge opportunity missed to win their first European crown in this revamped format. The disappointment should rankle. It will rankle.

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has picked out Leicester’s Ben Chilwell as one of his top three left-backs in world football.

The Foxes academy graduate has now firmly established himself in the club's first team since first making his Premier league debut in 2016.

The 23-year-old has also broken into Gareth Southgate’s England squad in that time, earning 11 caps so far for the Three Lions.

As previously reported by Goal , Premier League rivals Chelsea are on the lookout for a new left-back this summer and have made Chilwell their number one choice, though Leicester are likely to demand up to £80 million ($105m) for his services.

Robertson is also a fan of his fellow defender’s abilities, ranking him in his top three alongside Barcelona’s Jordi Alba and Bayern Munich teenager Alphonso Davies, who produced a remarkable assist for Joshua Kimmich is his side’s 8-2 thrashing of the Catalan giants in their Champions League quarter-final last week.

"I think Alphonso Davies, already world class but he can only get better," Robertson told BT Sport. "Don’t expect me to be doing that [Davies' assist vs Barcelona] any time in a hurry.

"That was just incredible. It probably took five or six of them out of the game with one passage of play.

“[He is a] Phenomenal player, somebody I enjoy watching and I think the whole world’s enjoying watching him at the minute and I'm no different.

"Ben Chilwell I love watching in the Premier League.

"Then I would say Jordi Alba, the more experienced one of the three I would say, maybe coming near the end of his career, but what a career he’s had.

"Him and [Real Madrid's] Marcelo probably took left-backs to a whole new level."

Scotland defender Robertson is certainly a candidate for world's best left-back himself, having excelled in that position since joining the Reds from Hull City in 2017.

The 26-year-old helped them to Champions League success in just his second season at Anfield, before being part of the side that ended the Merseyside club’s 30-year wait for a league title last campaign.

Philippe Coutinho's future at Barcelona won't be affected by his two-goal cameo against them for Bayern Munich in the Champions League, according to Rivaldo.

Coutinho was sent out on loan to Bayern for the duration of 2019-20 campaign after an underwhelming first full season at Camp Nou.

The Brazilian joined Barca from Liverpool in a £142 million ($188m) deal in January 2018, but has so far failed to justify that hefty price tag.

He has, however, shown flashes of brilliance during his time at Allianz Arena, scoring 11 goals and laying on nine assists in 36 appearances for Bayern in total.

Due to the fact Uefa rules do not allow clauses preventing loanees from playing against their parent clubs, Coutinho was also able to feature in a Champions League quarter-final clash with Barca on August 14.

The 28-year-old had a huge impact when introduced to the action as a second-half substitute, as he set up Robert Lewandowski before scoring twice to round off a stunning 8-2 victory for the German champions.

Bayern are not expected to take up the option to sign Coutinho on a permanent basis, and he has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League in recent months.

Rivaldo doesn't think his fellow countryman's time at Barca is up just yet though, despite the pivotal role he played in knocking the Liga giants out of Europe last week.

"Philippe Coutinho scored twice against Barcelona after just 20 minutes on the pitch. I don't think it was disrespectful," the Blaugrana legend told Betfair.

"Coutinho is a professional loaned to Bayern Munich with the purpose of helping the Germans every time he is called on and that's what he did.

"I shouldn't affect his future at club. Whether Coutinho tries to revive his career, or moves on this summer, will all depend on the new manager and the plans he has for the Brazilian star.

"With so many exits expected at Barca, Coutinho might even get more opportunities."

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has opened the door for Coutinho to remain in Catalonia, but he insists that the final decision on the playmaker's future will be made by the club's new permanent head coach Ronald Koeman.

"The head coach will make the decision," Bartomeu said. "If he wants him to continue, next year he will play with us."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have revealed how difficult it was to sign two players, Tuisila Kisinda and Mukoko Tonombe, from AS Vita.

The pair from the Democratic Republic of the Congo were unveiled two days ago from the Burundi giants ahead of the new 2020-21 Mainland Premier League campaign which kicks off on September 6.

Yanga, who had already released 14 players, among them strikers David Molinga and Gnamien Yikpe, were in need of players, and it forced the club to send a delegation led by GSM’s investment director Hersi Said to Burundi to seal the two deals.

“Both players were playing for AS Vita and fortunately, I had a good discussion with the club owners over their transfer deals and are now legal players for Yanga,” Said is quoted by Daily News.

“It was not easy to buy to players from one club, but our presence there is what worked the magic and the fans should support us as we strive to build a team capable of challenging for the title.”

Said further confirmed that the two players are likely to report to camp sooner than expected.

“If we will manage to get the required documents very fast, then by Thursday [tomorrow], we will be back in Tanzania,” Said continued.

Said also stressed the importance of the team working on the striking area which was their main undoing last season when they managed to finish second in the league table but without silverware.

“We expect to name him on Friday as such, people should just be ready for that big deal. When everything is done, we will inform the public through our official news outlets," he added.

“As we promised, our target is to ensure this club rises to become one of the biggest sides in Africa and be the first team from Tanzania to win the big title from the continent.

“To achieve this, we are ensuring that we do get good players who are capable to compete to match the dreams of the club. We want Yanga players to have high-class abilities to do wonders.”

Yanga are also in the market for a new coach after they fired Belgian Luc Eymael at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing of Brazilian teenager Reinier on a two-season loan from Real Madrid.

As reported by Goal earlier this week, an agreement has been reached between the two clubs which will see the 18-year-old spend the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns at Westfalenstadion.

Speaking about the move, the Brazil Under-23 international told the Dortmund website: “I am happy to be with BVB now. The club is known for betting on young players and making them better. 

"I want to learn a lot here, play a lot and help the team to be successful. I hope that we will have many happy moments together."

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc added: “Reinier is a player who brings enormous talent and can be used in various attacking positions.

“We have been watching the boy for more than two years, he has great technical skills as well good physical robustness. 

"After a long break from competition, we will give him the time he needs to get used to German professional football, then he will be an additional attacking option."

Real Madrid paid in the region of €35 million (£30m/$39m) to sign Reinier from Flamengo in January on a six-and-a-half year contract through to the summer of 2026.

La Liga's registration rules prevented him from immediately joining up with Zinedine Zidane's first team, as only three non-EU players are allowed in the senior squad, with Vinicius, Rodrygo and Eder Militao currently filling those spots.

That meant Reinier had to make do with a role their reserve side, Real Madrid Castilla, until the end of the 2019-20 season.

By loaning him out for two years it will enable the youngster to gain valuable experience before returning to the Spanish giants to compete for a first-team place.

The attacking midfielder becomes Dortmund's third signing of the summer following Thomas Meunier's free transfer arrival from Paris Saint-Germain and the capture of Jude Bellingham from Birmingham.

His arrival could revive speculation about Jadon Sancho's future with Dortmund, who continues to be linked with a move to Manchester United.

Zorc has publicly stated that the 20-year-old will stay in Germany for at least another season, though the Red Devils still retain hope of finalising a transfer before the window closes.

Jiangsu Suning striker Tabitha Chawinga said she used her influence in China to secure a contract for her sister Temwa in January.

The 24-year-old has established herself in China since she arrived from Sweden in 2018, with her exploits earning her back-to-back Chinese Women's Super League Best Player of the Year awards.

With 68 goals in all competitions in two seasons, Tabitha helped Jiangsu finish as runners-up in 2018 before claiming all the domestic titles in 2019, including a first league diadem since 2009.

Her reputation increased demands for African strikers in the Chinese top-flight, opening doors for South Africa's Thembi Kgatlana, and the Nigeria duo of Francisca Ordega and Chiwendu Ihezuo in 2019.

Having extended her stay with Jiangsu, Tabitha revealed how she used her influence to pave the way for sister Temwa, who replaced her at Swedish outfit Kvarnsveden, in China this winter.

"The [Kvarnsveden] club owner resisted because he did not believe Malawi could produce another good player like me," Tabitha told BBC.

 "But I fought hard for my sister, so they eventually agreed to invite her for trials and they signed her.

"I recommended my sister Temwa, and I did not have to explain a lot because she was [second] top scorer in Sweden and so Wuhan FC were quick to sign her."

The Malawian sisters will go head to head for the first time when the Chinese season resume on August 23 after playing together for the national team, DD Sunshine in Malawi and Kvarnsveden in Sweden.

And the Chawinga sisters are eager to compete against each other for domestic titles and top scorer gongs for their respective teams.

Tabitha said: "she's a very good player, and the thing is everyone will be working hard to make her team and fans happy."

Anticipating a childhood rivalry rekindled, Temwa, who is thankful for Tabitha's incredible support in her career journey, said: "My sister has been instrumental in my career progression.

"She, of course, made connections for me to leave Malawi to play abroad, but most importantly has always advised me to fight hard, to know what I want and to pursue it without listening to distracting people.

"Both of us will our best to see who the best player is. Back home the family are very happy about us. My parents never thought their children would one day play football outside of the country, but now it's happening."

With all the matches to be played at the Haigeng Sports Training Base in Kunming, Tabitha's Jiangsu will open their title defence against newly promoted Hebei China Fortune on August 23.

Wuhan will face Henan Jianye, who will be without the services of Nigeria duo of Chiwendu Ihezuo and Onome Ebi, on the same day.

Based on the fixtures, the two Malawian sisters will play against each other for the first time when Jiangsu face Wuhan on August 29.

Manchester United are "missing a trick" by not signing Benfica-bound striker Edinson Cavani, according to Louis Saha.

Cavani dropped into the free agency pool at the end of June after failing to agree on a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain.

The 33-year-old established himself as one of the top strikers in world football during his time at Parc des Princes, scoring 200 goals in 301 outings for the French giants.

The arrival of Mauro Icardi last summer saw Cavani pushed down the squad pecking order, but he still left the club with 21 major trophies to his name, including six Ligue 1 titles.

The likes of Atletico Madrid, Inter and newly-promoted Premier League outfit Leeds United have all been linked with the Uruguayan in recent weeks, and a possible return to South America has also been mooted for the veteran forward.

However, Benfica look set to win the race for his signature, with Cavani confirming earlier this week that he has held talks with the Portuguese club.

Saha cannot understand why United haven't made a move for Cavani, with it his belief that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's current squad is still lacking a natural number nine.

"I think Manchester United are missing a trick by not signing Edinson Cavani this summer," the former Red Devils star told the Football Index Podcast.

"I’ve followed him for many years and I’m gutted there doesn’t seem to be an interest there. For me, Cavani would be the best fit this summer.

"Cavani has a great eye for goal and his leadership would be a great asset. He has qualities that are very difficult to find on the transfer market."

Saha went on to suggest that Lyon's Moussa Dembele could be a good alternative option for Solskjaer as he looks to bolster his attacking ranks.

The Frenchman is certain that Dembele, who came off the bench to score twice in Lyon's 3-1 Champions League quarter-final win over Manchester City last weekend, could add a new dimension to United's line-up due to his physicality.

"I think Moussa Dembele could be an interesting signing for Manchester United," said Saha.

"I know from my time at Fulham that Dembele is physically strong and he would be a very good target man.

"He would be able to hold up the play and bring wide players into the game as an effective plan B against some opposition."