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Coach Ernst Middendorp has identified at least three Bloemfontein Celtic players Kaizer Chiefs should keep an eye on ahead of Wednesday's night clash at Tuks Stadium.

According to the 61-year-old mentor, former player Lucky Baloyi, Justice Chabalala and Ndumiso Mabena are the three players Amakhosi need to monitor.  

Mabena was on the scoresheet when Chiefs beat Celtic 5-3 in a thrilling first-round match at Moses Mabhida Stadium late last year. 

He also admits Phunya Sele Sele are a disciplined side that is likely to give them a difficult match on the night. 

"We are playing a very disciplined Celtic. No doubt, it will be a very difficult task for us and as always, the next game is the most important one," Middendorp told the Amakhosi website.  

"Celtic have some industrious players in their team. We must closely watch the roles that Lucky Baloyi and Justice Chabalala play to close their channels. Remember they have their influential player in Ndumiso Mabena, who makes them play. We will need to watch him as well."

Middendorp further stated that Leonardo Castro faces a late fitness test after struggling with cramp in the match against Bidvest Wits.

The Colombian striker missed the 3-2 win over Polokwane City as a precaution but he has continued to train with the rest of his teammates.

And apart from Castro, everyone is ready and available for selection.  

"We are still assessing our options at this stage. We have one concern though with Leonardo Castro. He did not form part of the trip to Polokwane City on Saturday due to some cramping he experienced in the Wits game," added Middendorp. 

"He is fine now and back in training. But we will decide on his participation in the 11th hour before kick-off. The rest of the players are available for selection."

The Soweto giants could stretch their lead at the top of the PSL log to nine points with a win over Celtic after Mamelodi Sundowns' loss to Cape Town City. 

As things stand, they are on 52 points from 24 league games while Sundowns are on 46 points from the same number of games. 

Simba SC have confirmed they had planned to face Al Ahly in the friendly to celebrate Simba Day but it could not materialise because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Simba Day is an annual day for the Wekundu wa Msimbazi to celebrate the club’s success after concluding the season and is also used to unveil their new signings to the fans before the new season kicks off.

According to Simba information officer Haji Manara, the Egyptian giants had accepted their invitation to play against them in a friendly on August 22 but securing travel plans scampered the trip.

“We had contacted Al Ahly and they were willing to come for the friendly but owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic, they cancelled the tour at the eleventh hour,” Manara told reporters on Wednesday.

After missing out on Al Ahly, Simba went ahead to book a friendly against Vital’O of Burundi, and Manara believes they will also give them the challenge they need as they prepare for the new Mainland Premier League season set to kick off on September 6.

“We are very confident [Vital’O] will provide the challenge our coach and the team needs to prepare for the new season, it was also difficult to get them but they have finally said they will come, and we will play on August 22."

The friendly will kick-off at 14:00 inside the newly renamed Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Last week, Manara revealed due to the changes of fixtures last season, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, they had opted to push back the Simba Day event from August 8 to 22.

“We have visualised that this time around, using Benjamin Mkapa Stadium alone will not be enough that is why the day will be hosted by two venues including Uhuru Stadium where big screens will be installed for people to follow the entire occasion,” Manara told reporters.

Two days ago, Simba held the Champions Week with three events, showing off the new logo of the club, introducing the new team kit they will use next season plus parading the new players to be featured in the 2020/21 league season.

“Initially, we used to show our new kits when playing the Community Shield game but this time around, we have made some changes," Manara added.

"The new logo we want to introduce will be specific to go along with the demands of modern football and this is usually done by other big clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and others.”

Simba won a treble last season – the Community Shield, the league title and FA Cup – and will now represent the country in the Caf Champions League.

Istanbul Basaksehir striker Demba Ba hopes sport icons can do more and talk about injustices around the world.

The former Chelsea and Newcastle United star has joined Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil in calling on the world to support Uighur Muslims in China.

Reports claim China has up to a million individuals detained in “re-education camps” designed to better integrate the minority group into the country's socialist society.

The Asian country has since rejected the allegation but Ba thinks the global community is not doing enough for the Uighur people compared to the Black Lives Matter movement which shook the world.

"The Black Lives Matter movement is stronger when non-black people step up for it," Ba told BBC Sport.

"When are we going to see the rest of the world stand up for Muslims?

"I have to try and organise something so football players can get together and, in the meantime, talk about this matter because not a lot of people want to.

"I know there are footballers who want to fight for justice, whether Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, any belief.

"As sportspeople, we have a power we don't even know. If we get together and talk, things change. If we stand up, people stand up with us."

Last December, Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure expressed a contrary opinion and suggested footballers should stay away from political issues.

“I was quite amazed. I think me and my point of view [is that] football is something that is very important,” the ex-Manchester City and Barcelona star told SNTV.

“But I think footballers have to stay with football and politicians do politics because you cannot be involved in these kinds of things. It's going to attract a lot of problems and to be honest, as a Muslim, it's complicated.

“It's his choice, he's been doing his comments [on social media], but I think he was wrong to say that.”

Having previously played for Besiktas and Goztepe in the Super Lig, Ba returned to Turkey in January 2019 after completing a free transfer from Shanghai Shenhua.

The 35-year-old helped Basaksehir win the Turkish Super Lig title in the 2019-20 season with a contribution of 13 goals.

Mikel Arteta has expressed his hope that his Arsenal players show a desire to reach the "next level" after their FA Cup triumph.

The Gunners finished the 2019-20 campaign in eighth, their lowest top-flight position for 25 years, missing out on a European spot in the process. A disastrous start to the season saw Unai Emery relieved of his managerial duties in November, with Arteta appointed as his permanent successor a month later.

The former club captain managed to galvanise a squad devoid of confidence while implementing his own unique philosophy at Emirates Stadium, and although he was ultimately unable to turn fortunes around in the Premier League, he did deliver success in the form of a major trophy.

Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final on August 1 thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's double at Wembley, which saw them qualify for next season's Europa League and set up up a Community Shield meeting with Liverpool.

Arteta has challenged his squad to build on that platform in his first full season in charge, as he told the club's official website when asked where he expects the team to be in a year's time: "It's an impossible question.

"I don't even know where we are going to be on day one of pre-season. I have to look at the players, how they come from holidays, how they come after winning, I want to see that reaction.

"You know, are they going to be a little more relaxed because we've done something or are they going to come with 'Okay, this is nothing that we've done. We have to go to the next level, we have to apply ourselves better, we have to improve in a lot of areas and we have to dominate many other aspects of the game that at the moment we cannot control'.

"If that is the mindset, then I am very positive that we will be sitting here in a year's time really happy, but I hope we take that road straight away."

Arteta added on how far the Gunners have come during his first few months at the helm: "I am very positive about where we are. I don't know if we are ahead of schedule, obviously if you had told me that we were going to win the cup before we joined then I probably would be happy with that.

"What I am very positive and very passionate and encouraged about is what we can do in the future and if we make the right decisions I am super confident that we can bring the club back to the top."

The very first South African Women Freestyle Football Champion has been announced. 

History was rewritten this year as the South African Freestyle Championships 2020 received its very first female entrants

In the Women Freestyle Football section, 13-year-old Rethabile Kola has been voted as the first Freestyle Women Champion in South Africa, edging her 17-year-old rival Ceeti Bodibe.  

Only two women submitted entrants for this year's event, setting an all Vanderbijlpark battle in the final

The duo is mentored by Sipho 'Six' Busakwe, the current South African freestyle football champion and a finalist of this year's event.

"I started training them when lockdown started of which I had nothing to do but training myself," said Busakwe. 

" I thought maybe I bring South African females since I've met a lot of female freestylers at the international level. 

"I believed in them and in the work, I was doing with them, so we started off by joining female African Championships with them and that's when I realised that both are ready.  

"I would always do a little competition since I've got 22 kids overall and they would go straight to the top four every week.

"I'm so proud of them and very grateful to give back to my community since well I've been a national champion several times but had nothing to offer because I'm not stable financially, no sponsorship, no jobs but only training and focused."

The competition continues with the male section with Busakwe facing Cape Town’s Emilio Nahamuja for top honours. 

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

Premier League sides Vipers SC and KCCA FC have reluctantly welcomed the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) $500,000  (UShs1.8b) grant.

The Fufa Executive Committee on August 17 approved the appropriation of the Fifa Covid-19 relief grant of $500,000 which will be deposited in the beneficiaries’ accounts within the next 14 days.

From the solidarity grant allocations, the 16 Premier League clubs will receive a total of USh527 million which means each of the teams will receive USh33 million.

The Fufa Big Leagues clubs are set to get USh15 million each which means their total share is USh240 million.

KCCA FC CEO Anisha Muhoozi said although they welcomed the support, it is actually just "a drop in the ocean" given their needs.

“Any income that is received by the club makes a difference given that it was not expected,” Muhoozi told Daily Monitor.

“However, considering our expenses, this is a drop in the ocean but we are, nonetheless, grateful.

“In future, such funds are allocated to clubs as per their wholesome contribution to the game and not on a flat basis.

“Our expenses are way above the others and likewise what we bring to the table is different as showcased by our various budgets presented to Fufa as per club licensing requirements.”

Meanwhile, recently crowned league champions Vipers said the solidarity grant will help cover a small part of their financial needs.

“It may help to mitigate a small percentage of the club’s financial and operational obligations to staff and players,” the club’s spokesperson Abdu Wasike told the same publication.

“The second batch of $500,000 from Fifa will solve an extra percentage.

“The stakeholders are many, except I thought Fufa administration had received their share already in the operational fund earlier sent by Fifa.”

Fufa CEO Edgar Watson confirmed the federation was in the process of applying for the women’s football grant and that all stakeholders will be informed of any developments in this regard as soon as they happen.

The step taken by Fufa came after a number of top clubs wrote to it requesting that they are covered in the relief plan that the federation was set to get from the world governing body.

The clubs cited the hard economic environment they were operating in since the coronavirus pandemic hit their operations.

Orlando Pirates may still be trying to find their feet since the resumption of the season and everyone might be focusing on whether or not Gabadinho Mhango will win the Golden Boot award. 

But there's a new sheriff in town - Nkanyiso Zungu - who is slowly becoming more important to Josef Zinnbauer's team. 

Zungu has featured in each of Pirates last three games but it was against Baroka that he really proved why the club signed him from Stellenbosch FC. 

After struggling with a long term injury following his arrival, the suspension of the season worked in Zungu's advantage as it allowed him to fully recover and get to buy into Zinnbauer's philosophy. 

He came on very late in the 0-0 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns and played the final 25 minutes of his team's goalless draw against Bidvest Wits. 

Getting to feature for 45 minutes against Baroka was exactly what Zungu needed to showcase his talent and convince the German mentor that he's the player needed to stabilise that midfield. 

For the longest time, Pirates missed a player with strength, height and flair in midfield. 

The last player similar to Zungu that Pirates had was Mark Mayambela but he was more about flair and a bit wasteful in the final third of the pitch. 

However, Zungu has brought a different dimension into how the Buccaneers play; a hard worker of note with accurate passes to his teammates. 

The only difference, for now, is that Zungu appears to a little bit afraid of going forward but once he gets into the groove then Pirates will dominate the midfield battle against any of their opponents. 

Not too many fans endorsed his move to Pirates because they thought he wasn't ready for that big step in his football career, including his former coach at Stellenbosch, Steve Barker, but he is slowly making those who doubted his decision eat humble pie. 

At 24, Zungu still has a lot of time to learn more about the Pirates culture and way of doing things. He just needs the faith from his technical team and consistency to be the club's main man in that midfield. 

His silky touches and ability to take on opposition midfielders make him an asset to Zinnbauer ahead of next season. 

And there was no better time to introduce him to the Pirates faithful than this - Zungu will use the remaining matches of the season as preparation for next season, especially now that Zinnbauer's men appear to have fallen out of the race for the PSL title. 

Zinnbauer has all the time in the world to experiment while maintaining his side's third-place on the log for a possible return to continental football, and if Zungu continues to show glimpses of what he can offer the team going forward then chances are that he will have a bigger role to play next season. 

In recent years, Pirates have had to rely on intelligence more than strength to win midfield battles but in Zungu, they have both the intelligence and strength and that will give other players enough freedom to express themselves while knowing there's a player that can mark and pass the ball to them.

Zinnbauer and Pirates must invest in Zungu ahead of next season if they want to challenge for trophies and they must play a role in helping him regain his confidence in the attacking third.        

Former Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has tipped Thiago Alcantara to adapt well to the Premier League but has cautioned that the Bayern Munich star would have work to do to become a starter at Liverpool.

The 29-year-old has turned down the opportunity to extend his stay at Bayern as his contract enters its final year. 

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said that the club are willing to sell Thiago for a "fair transfer fee" as the midfielder continues to be linked with a move to Anfield.

Mertesacker, who featured for Hannover and Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga as well as Arsenal in the Premier League during his playing career, believes Thiago would do well with the English playing style but warned that the Spain international may not be able to instantly walk into Jurgen Klopp's team.

"I can already imagine the transfer, but the midfield axis of Liverpool is set up," Mertesacker told Goal and SPOX.  "Getting in there is very ambitious, but he's a top footballer who can play anywhere.

"He wouldn't have any problems with the style of play in England either because he's a footballer who has been coached well.

"He has to adapt and sometimes do a 40-metre sprint to hit a central defender, but he can. He has to decide for himself, as it may well be that he won't play a major role in the first games in Liverpool. There are still a few players ahead of him because of their achievements over the past two years."

Prior to any move away, however, Thiago and his team-mates still have the matter of this season's Champions League to occupy them.

Bayern will take on surprise package Lyon in Wednesday's semi-final and would face PSG in the final should they advance. 

Following an incredible 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the quarter-finals, Mertesacker expects a different kind of match against the Ligue 1 upstarts. 

"It's going to be a different game," Mertesacker said. "Bayern have to be a little more patient.

"You have to move Lyon in their compactness, switch sides and get the fast wingers in two-on-one situations. In the middle, Lyon will make it very compact."

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Appeals Board has now commenced the process of listening to disputes arising on the club register ahead of the national elections.

The Electoral Board led by Kentice Tikolo has already set October 17 as the date for the national elections which will be preceded by grassroots polls held across the 47 counties on September 19.

“The Appeals Board is starting today [Wednesday], August 19, to Friday, August 21, 2020, inviting disputes on the club register published by the FKF Electoral Board earlier this week,” the board stated in a statement obtained by Goal.

“Individuals who lodged their disputes to the Board and couldn’t find satisfaction in its decisions can now seek recourse at the Appeals Board, by filing their complaints via email.

“The complaints will be heard via video link and should be lodged upon payment of the relevant fees, as is stipulated in Section Seven of the FKF Electoral Code.

“The Board’s decisions shall be final and binding.”

The statement continued: “Upon hearing of disputes, the FKF Electoral Board will on August 22, 2020, publish the final list of clubs eligible to vote at both the national and county levels.

“FKF Members who need to change their endorsements, meanwhile, are free to do so before the deadline, set on August 21, 2020.”

It will be the third time in a year that the FKF will be holding elections.

The previous two exercises were nullified by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) last December and in March this year, with SDT chairman John Ohaga ruling the rules of engagement were flouted on both occasions.

On setting the guidelines for the exercise, Tikolo insisted the FKF Electoral Code, which has been the contentious issue with most presidential candidates saying it should be changed, will remain in force.

“In consonance with the directive from Fifa and in the spirit of progression, the FKF electoral process shall be predicated upon the FKF Statutes, the FKF Electoral Code currently in force and/or the Fifa Statutes/guidelines where required or where applicable,” Tikolo said.

“The electoral process shall begin at the county level in accordance with article 27 of the FKF (2017) Constitution.”

FKF presidential aspirants Sam Nyamweya, Twaha Mbarak, Nicholas Musonye, have strongly opposed the decision to use the Code and have already moved to court to have the exercise stopped.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel has explained his angry outburst at RB Leipzig fitness coach Daniel Behlau after Tuesday's Champions League semi-final in Lisbon.

PSG reached the European Cup final for the first time in their history by beating Leipzig 3-0 at Estadio da Luz.

Goals from Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat wrapped up a comfortable victory for the French champions, who can now look forward to a showpiece clash against either Bayern Munich or Lyon on Sunday.

Leipzig lost their discipline defensively as they struggled to cope with PSG's high press and pace in the final third of the pitch, and gave away a total of 24 fouls over the course of the 90 minutes.

Tuchel was seen clashing with Behlau shortly after the final whistle, but he attempted to play down the exchange in his post-match interview.

The German manager admitted to confronting his Leipzig counterpart Julian Nagelsmann over his tactics, before revealing that the club's fitness guru attempted to join in their private conversation.

"It was between me and Julian," Tuchel told reporters of the incident. "That is okay between two head coaches but then a third person interfered. 

"I didn’t like that but it has since been sorted out."

Nagelsmann conceded that Tuchel's grievances were understandable, while acknowledging the fact that his side had been guilty of several mistimed tackles.

"We fouled a lot, you can see that statistically," the Leipzig head coach said. "That wasn’t planned, we just often came too late into challenges.

"He complained because he wanted to protect his players. That’s all normal.

"I think we had 34 fouls at the end of the day so you can say something."

Tuchel was delighted to see his team pick up a "deserved" victory against Leipzig, but conceded that Bayern are still the favourites to win this season's Champions League after their stunning 8-2 quarter-final win over Barcelona.

"It's incredible! We are here to play a final and to win," said the 46-year-old. "We know that Bayern are the favourites, but it's football.

"Obviously, that will be the biggest challenge of my career on Sunday."

Kylian Mbappe says he is feeling the same vibes as when he won the World Cup with France following Paris Saint-Germain's run to a first ever Champions League final.

PSG put RB Leipzig to the sword in their semi-final clash at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday night, with goals from Marqinhos, Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat wrapping up a comprehensive 3-0 win.

Thomas Tuchel's men took the lead with just 13 minutes on the clock when Marqinhos headed home a beautifully flighted Di Maria free-kick from just outside the box.

PSG continued to apply pressure for the remainder of the half, with Mbappe missing a clear chance and Neymar striking the woodwork before the second goal of the game eventually came just before the interval.

Leandro Paredes pounced on a poor pass from the Bundesliga outfit's goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi to feed Neymar in the penalty area, whose delightful flick set up Di Maria perfectly to score his 13th goal of the season.

Di Maria grabbed his second assist early in the second period, as his cross was headed past Gulacsi by Bernat, with the goal standing after a lengthy VAR review confirmed that the Spaniard was onside when the ball was played.

PSG saw out the last half hour of the contest in comfortable fashion and will now look forward to a showpiece encounter against either Bayern Munich or Lyon on Sunday.

When asked how reaching the Champions League final compares to arriving on the same stage at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Mbappe told reporters post-match: "I feel the same vibes because we managed to create a group where everyone knows their importance and everyone do their job.

"We do a lot of activities outside the pitch, maybe it's too much for some but that's how you win titles."

The 21-year-old went on to admit that he thought his season had been ended early when he picked up an injury in the French Cup final on July 24, before explaining how he managed to make a remarkable recovery to feature in both the quarter and semi-finals.

"When I got injured against Saint Etienne, I thought the Champions League was over for me," he said. "But the morning after I told myself I needed to be part of this journey, even if I didn't play, at least to bring my good mood to the team."

Mbappe added on his deadly partnership with Neymar in the PSG attack: "The coach said that we get along very well, and we get along very well on and off the pitch, so I think it’s important for the group too. It is a pleasure to play with a player like Neymar.

"He’s one of the best players in the world and he proved it today. Maybe he hasn’t scored a goal but he assisted which is very important too as Di Maria benefited from it."

New Ajax signing Mohammed Kudus is delighted to have gotten his new adventure off with 45 minutes of action in a pre-season friendly against Wolfsberger on Tuesday.

The Ghanaian lasted for the duration of the second half as Erik ten Hag's side registered a 2-0 triumph in their first game of a training camp in Austria ahead of the 2020-21 Eredivisie commencement next month.

He joined Ajax on a five-year deal from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland in a transfer reportedly worth about €9 million last month.

"It's good to get back on the pitch. I had some days off and have been preparing to start playing, so it was good to get some minutes for my legs and do what I do best. It was a great feeling to get back with the team," Kudus told Ajax TV after the game.

"It feels really good [to wear the Ajax jersey]. I couldn't wait to start playing with the team and it has happened. I [have] just joined my teammate and [will] used my individual skills to help them do well in the season.

"[What the coach said to me before I went into the game] was more tactical stuff on offensive and defensive [task] on what he expects of me in my role, so that was basically it. And the rest is just use my abilities to help the team.

"[My first days here with the team in Austria] has been good. Nice people, nice teammates, new stuff, still learning and adapting. It's been great so far and I'm looking forward to the season to start. Everyone is helping [me settle] but naturally, I'm closer to the African guys, so [Andre] Onana and Lassina [Traore]. [They tell me to] just be myself and enjoy.

"It's a pre-season so I am hoping to get as much ready as possible for the season, push myself and get ready for the season. I can't wait [for the next season] - more magic [to come]."

Kudus joined Nordsjaelland from Ghana's Right to Dream Academy in 2018. Last season, he made 25 league appearances for the Wild Tigers, starting 22 of the matches, scoring 11 times and assisting one goal. 

Manchester United players were still in awe of Zlatan Ibrahimovic even after the Swedish forward had left Old Trafford, says Red Devils goalkeeper Lee Grant.

Ibrahimovic joined United on a free transfer after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2016 .

He scored 29 goals in 53 appearances for the Old Trafford club, before being released from his contract early in March 2018 in order to join MLS side the LA Galaxy.

Grant moved to Old Trafford four months later so never got to play alongside the former Inter and AC Milan forward, though the striker's impact was still being felt.

“All I was hearing in that first month or so, while I was acclimatising, were stories about Zlatan,” Grant told the club’s official website.

“His period at the club had just come to an end but the lads would talk about him constantly. 'Do you remember when Zlatan did this?' 'Do you remember him getting on to such and such in training and he nearly made him cry?' 'Do you remember that thing he does, the kung-fu kick over his head?' 'Do you remember Zlatan scored that goal? Do you remember when he nutmegged that guy and absolutely took the p*ss?

“I thought: 'Oh my God, who is this Zlatan character?' but that was what it was like all the time.

“I got to meet him [on pre-season tour] in LA but it was literally for five or 10 minutes, just to say hello and ask how he was enjoying America and all the rest of it.

“For me, just to see how the lads interacted with him. Huge stars, well huge stars to me, looking up to the king! It was quite an eye-opener. But he seemed a really nice guy.

“I'm actually disappointed I didn't get the chance to play with him myself. I played against him, of course.”

Though Grant did not play alongside Ibrahimovic, he did impress when playing against him for Stoke in October 2016.

The 37-year-old made a string of saves as the Potters secured a 1-1 draw against Jose Mourinho’s side, which may have gone a long way towards convincing the United hierarchy to sign him 21 months later.

“I had him on toast,” joked Grant. “He's in here, in my pocket somewhere.

“I had him on toast that day. Of course, I wouldn't say that to his face. If I was training against him, I would imagine he would have me on toast more than I had him on toast but that was a good day for me.

“I wanted to show the Manchester United fans, and everyone in that stadium, not consciously perhaps, but I wanted the fans to remember Lee Grant after this game. Subconsciously, I really wanted to do well and make some impression. I made 10 saves and had a really good game.”

Leon Goretzka's former team-mates have marvelled at the Bayern Munich star's physical transformation in recent years, particularly the muscle mass he has built without sacrificing speed or agility.

Goretzka has become one of Bayern's key figures, starting and providing an assist in his side's 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final last week. 

The 25-year-old's development as a player has included a physical aspect, with the midfielder bulking up after joining Bayern in 2018 from Schalke. 

Speaking to Goal , former Schalke defender Roman Neustadter has revealed that he is impressed with the physical development of his old team-mate.

"After I've seen his development, I wrote to him directly to send me the exercises he was doing!" Neustadter said. "Even at Schalke we saw that he has the physical abilities to build muscle mass without harming his game.

"Of course, he made the best possible use of the coronavirus break. You can't just decide for yourself: 'So, I'm gaining a few pounds of muscle mass'.

"I tried that myself when I thought I needed more muscles. However, I could hardly move afterwards! Leon's muscle growth was certainly precisely coordinated with the club."

Another former team-mate, Jan Kirchhoff, echoed Neustadter's sentiments about Goretzka maintaining his same level as a footballer despite gaining muscle mass.

"Although he is quite tall, he is very fast. Leon is a born box-to-box player and can cover unbelievably long distances in a very short time," Kirchhoff told Goal .

"That has always been his strength. He is energetic one-on-one and records a lot of ball recoveries. In the meantime, he gained a few pounds, but has not lost speed and agility. The fact that he has again improved athletically has certainly helped him. He now has the perfect mix."

Kirchhoff recalled a conversation he had with Goretzka earlier in his career when the midfielder told him that of any club in Europe, Bayern was the one he wanted most to join.

"I can still remember a conversation with him," Kirchhoff said. "Because he was such a great talent, I asked him which club he would like to play for one day: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea?

"He already said back then he would like to play for Bayern Munich one day, if he could choose the club. That was his clear goal, he achieved it and I'm very happy about that."

Chelsea have attempted to sign Kai Havertz for €65 million (£58m/$76m) with another €15m (£13m/$18m) included in add-ons - but the offer remains €20m (£18m/$24m) below Bayer Leverkusen's €100m (£87m/$118m) asking price.

The Blues had waited until the completion of Leverkusen's Europa League campaign before advancing talks for the 21-year-old who remains their priority transfer target, alongside Leicester City's Ben Chilwell.

The Germany international has already spoken of his intent to leave his boyhood club this summer and he has verbally agreed on the personal terms that the west Londoners are offering.

It now looks almost certain that he will become the most expensive German football transfer of all time, after Timo Werner's £47.5m ($62m) move to Chelsea two months ago. He would also likely be the Blues' all-time record signing ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who cost £71m ($93m) to bring in from Athletic Club.

Still, the Blues need to agree on a fee to complete the talks and Leverkusen's sporting director Rudi Voller has taken a strong public stance.

He explained that no discounts are available, in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport : "No, but with his talent, it means he's on the list of all the best clubs.

"We know of the interest of a couple of clubs, especially Chelsea, but for us, the situation is quite simple; he has a two-year contract, if anyone wants him on our terms, fine, otherwise he stays here another year and we are happy. It won't be easy, but for an artist like him, there is no Covid discount."

Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has admitted publicly that Havertz wants to "take the next step" in his career, with only Chelsea currently negotiating to sign him.

The high asking price has warded off interested parties such as Bayern Munich, who spent their budget on bringing in Leroy Sane from Manchester City for an initial £40m ($53m).

Meanwhile, Real Madrid have to sell before they buy in this transfer market as the coronavirus pandemic hits some clubs worse than others. The Spanish giants are unlikely to be able to raise the €100m despite initially having been the versatile midfielder's first choice.

Having scored 18 goals and provided eight assists in all competitions in 2019-20, Havertz has emerged as Germany's outstanding young talent,  with Frank Lampard having publicly referred to him as a "top player".

Meanwhile, Chelsea are hoping to sell Emerson Palmieri to help fund a move for Chilwell which could break the world transfer record for a full-back.

Chelsea may look at strengthening their goalkeeper and centre-back positions after poor defensive performances throughout the entirety of last season.

However, Kepa looks difficult to sell due to Chelsea's attempts to make back most of the money they paid for him, while even his salary is leading to only cautious loan approaches from Valencia and Sevilla.

Furthermore, it is expected to be a weak centre-back market this summer with many of the top players opting to stay in their current clubs.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have requested Rwandan giants Rayon Sports to grace their final Wananchi Day event ahead of the 2020/21 season.

The Wananchi Day is a regular pre-season activity carried out by the former league champions to engage fans and unveil new players and is mostly concluded by inviting a regional club for a friendly.

Yanga have set the ultimate event to take place on August 29 and Rayon Sports have confirmed receipt of the request from their Tanzanian counterparts. Last time, Timu Ya Wananchi played against the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Kariobangi Sharks in Dar es Salaam.

The Jangwani club is set to unveil the week-long event on August 22.

Jean-Paul Nkurunziza Rayon Sports’ spokesperson, confirmed Simba SC had requested them to feature in their own similar event. Simba have, however, confirmed they will entertain Burundian side Vital’ O.

“They both [Simba and Yanga] want friendly matches, and Yanga have even officially written to us about it. The request is still under review, we are yet to respond,” Nkurunziza told The New Times.

Rayon Sports have been out of action since March 14 when Ferwafa suspended the Rwandan Premier League due to the coronavirus pandemic and it is not clear whether they are ready to entertain the Tanzanian giants.

APR were consequently declared champions of the absconded league which means Rayon Sports will miss continental football in the 2020/21 season.

The nine-time Rwandan champions last defeated Yanga 1-0 in a 2018 Caf Confederation Cup tie and went ahead to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament.

That remains their best outing in the continent’s second-tier club competition and in fact, none of the Rwandan sides have gone that far.

Yanga have been strengthening ahead of the upcoming season by signing Bakari Mwamnyeto from Coastal Union, Yassin Mustapha from Polisi Tanzania, Zawadi Mauya from Kagera Sugar, and Abdallah Shaibu from LA Galaxy II already.

Waziri Junior from Mbao FC, Kibwana Shomari from Mtibwa Sugar and Farid Mussa from CD Tenerife in Spain, Tuisila Kisinda and Mukoko Tonombe both of AS Vita are the other new players who have been brought on board.

After failing to win a silverware in the last season, Yanga released 14 players to create room for the new ones. The technical bench was also reshuffled which saw assistant coach Boniface Mkwasa and goalkeeping coach Peter Manyika leave.

They are also in the market looking for Luc Eymael’s successor as head coach.

Barcelona have appointed Ramon Planes as the club's new technical director.

Planes succeeds Eric Abidal, who was sacked on Tuesday as club revamps its management team following their 8-2 hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The Spaniard was previously Abidal's assistant, having joined from Getafe in the summer of 2018.

The 52-year-old has previously worked at a number of Spanish clubs including Espanyol, Racing Santander, Alaves, Lleida, Elche and Rayo Vallecano.

He also had a short spell in the Premier League alongside Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham during the 2014-15 season.

The announcement of Planes' promotion came shortly before the club confirmed the appointment of Ronald Koeman as the club's new head coach.

The former Blaugranas defender succeeds Quique Setien, whose seven-month spell in charge at Camp Nou was brought to an end at the start of the week.

More to follow.

Power Dynamos coach Perry Mutapa has lauded the move by midfielder Larry Bwalya to sign for Tanzania giants Simba SC.

The box-to-box midfielder was officially unveiled by the Wekundu wa Msimbazi three days ago, to end his love affair with Dynamos, a club he had served for five seasons. He had won one honour – the Charity Cup in 2016 - and also finished second in the league in 2015.

Mutapa, who was in charge of the player at Dynamos, has said Bwalya needed a change of scenery outside the country after he turned down moves to Zesco United and Nkana FC.

“It is a big step for the player, he was our best player this season, he is skilful, hardworking a dedicated, for him to go it means he was doing the right thing. He needed a change of environment,” Mutapa is quoted by Lusaka Times.

The exit of Bwalya has left Dynamos with a hole to fill with young midfielder Fredrick Mulambia left with the task to guide the club to titles in the coming season.

On leaving Dynamos, the 25-year-old paid tribute to the club by stating: “First and foremost I would like to thank my teammates, managers for all the support rendered to me throughout all the years we have worked together.

“And I would like to thank all my fans for the love and support! Wouldn’t have succeeded without you all.”

In Tanzania, Bwalya’s transfer saw him link up with another Zambian international Clatous Chama, who was voted the best player and midfielder of the year in the just-concluded season, which saw Simba win a treble.

Chama has already welcomed the club’s decision to go for the services of Bwalya ahead of the new season which kicks off on September 6.

"It was my long time wish to play alongside a fellow Zambian player at Simba and I am glad that my desire has been fulfilled,” Bwalya told reporters in Tanzania.

“He is the best player who is also included in the national team. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that he always feels at home.”

Simba will start their title defence with a tie against newly-promoted Ihefu FC while rivals Yanga will open against Tanzania Prisons at the newly-named Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

But before their league opener, Simba will start the season with a Community Shield clash against Namungo FC at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha on August 30.

Barcelona have confirmed Ronaldo Koeman's as their new permanent head coach on a contract set to run until 2022.

The Dutchman has left his post in charge of the Netherlands national team to replace Quique Setien in the Camp Nou hot seat.

More to follow.