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The Champions League returns this weekend, with some of Europe’s biggest sides in action in the second leg of the outstanding Round of 16 qualifiers.

While Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta and RasenBallsport Leipzig have all booked their places in the quarter-finals, the other half of the draw is wide open, with some of the continent’s giants battling for spots in the final eight.

Five former winners are in action this weekend, with Juventus and Real Madrid in action against Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester City respectively on Friday evening.

Domestic champions Juve and Real may have conquered the Italian and Spanish top-flights this season, but they’re up against it in Europe after falling to first-leg defeats.

Real were beaten 2-1 at home by City back in February, with goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne cancelling out Isco’s opener.

Real now need victory at the Etihad Stadium on Friday, a testing prospect considering City’s strong return to action following the restart.

They’ll be well-rested after missing out on the FA Cup final and therefore getting two weeks ‘off’, although Zinedine Zidane may well take encouragement from the way Arsenal neutralised City in their FA Cup semi-final.

Pep Guardiola would have been expecting great things from his side against the Gunners, but Mikel Arteta’s young side neutralised their opponents effectively, hit City on the break, and denied them another piece of silverware this term.

Can Real follow a similar template in Manchester on Friday?

Unless they can take the game to their opponents—and particularly keep De Bruyne quiet. City could be in for a famous continental night as they seek a first European crown.

Also on Friday, Juventus host Lyon also looking to turn around a first-leg deficit, having been defeated 1-0 in France in February.

Unlike Real, Juve’s prospects aren’t too bleak.

They’ll enjoy home advantage, and having just ended the Italian top-flight this weekend—by contrast to OL who have played just one competitive match since the restart—they ought to be better prepared for the physical and mental demands of the contest.

Nonetheless, Lyon gave a good account of themselves in their French League Cup final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend—only losing on penalties—and if they can summon some of that same resilience and discipline at the weekend, they could sneak into the next round.

SuperSport Fixtures

Friday 7 August – Juventus vs Lyon (UEFA Champions League)

Friday 7 August – Manchester City vs Real Madrid (UEFA Champions League)

Saturday 8 August – Baroka vs Bloem Celtic (Nedbank Cup)

Saturday 8 August – Sundowns vs Wits (Nedbank Cup)

Saturday 8 August – Barcelona vs Napoli (UEFA Champions League)

Saturday 8 August – Bayern Munich vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League)

On Saturday, SuperSport viewers will be treated to two more heavyweight bouts, as Barcelona take on Napoli and Bayern Munich meet Chelsea in two Round of 16 clashes.

Chelsea are rank outsiders, having been defeated 3-0 at home against Bayern in Feb.

Frank Lampard’s side may have been narrowly defeated by Arsenal in the FA Cup final, but the Bavarians—themselves German champions—will be a different prospect altogether, and will expect to inflict more woe on the Blues at the Allianz Arena.

If Chelsea are to progress, they have to start strongly, be bold in their attacking play, and, critically, tighten up dramatically at the back.

Defensively, they struggled to keep Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at bay on Saturday and could struggle against the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry.

Finally, Napoli’s meeting with Barcelona is well poised after a 1-1 draw in the first match.

Neither of these two have had particularly encouraging campaigns; for the Partenopei, it’s been a season of transition, and they’ve struggled to compete with Serie A’s top sides, while Barcelona struggled to convince in La Liga and ultimately ceded the initiative in the title race.

Under-pressure coach Quique Setien has a point to prove after missing out on the Spanish title, and the local papers have been debating whether the coach will plump for a back three or a back four as he looks to progress.

While it remains to be seen if Antoine Greizmann will start, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi will be the key men as Barca look to take down the Partenopei.

After a long and frustrating wait, full of intriguing subplots, South African football finally returns this weekend with the Nedbank Cup semi-finals.

On Saturday, Mamelodi Sundowns take on Bidvest Wits, while Baroka are in action against Bloemfontein Celtic.

Lockdown has meant more turmoil for Wits than the rest of South Africa’s football establishment, with the Clever Boys’ top-flight league status having been acquired by GladAfrica Championship side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

Gavin Hunt and his charges have vowed to bow out on a high as they chase cup glory, and Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has acknowledged that he is wary about the weekend’s showdown.

“We have a big game against Wits of course and if you listen to their statements‚ they’re saying that they want to go out in style‚” Mosimane told local journalists.

“Obviously there are a lot of incentives for the [Wits] players and the coaches [to win the cup]‚ so that’s why they’ve prioritised the Nedbank Cup.

“[In the media] they have only spoken about the Cup‚ so that gives me an indication that the league is not the priority to them,” he added. “I’m not talking on their behalf‚ but I’m talking about what they’ve said.

“They want to win it and I know the character of the coach [Hunt] and the character of the team. So I know how difficult it will be and this is how I’m preparing my team.”

Mosimane proceeded to describe Wits as a ‘wounded lion’, but will the lion roar in Saturday’s meeting, or will this be another nail in the coffin of one of South Africa's biggest clubs?

In the other semi-final, Baroka and Celtic meet at the Orlando Stadium, with both sides eyeing the prospect of competing in the Caf Confederation Cup—assuming Downs reach the final and finish in the top two in the league—if they win this one.

Dylan Kerr, in particular, is excited about the prospect of taking Baroka into continental football.

“This is the best cup competition in African football,” the ex-Gor Mahia coach began. “If we make the final, I think we will be guaranteed a place in the Caf Confederation Cup, if Sundowns make the final too.

“It will set the tempo of the next six [league] games. Baroka have been to two semi-finals before and lost, but hopefully, we can make it third time lucky. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for some players.

“The chairman might give a financial incentive to them, but that shouldn’t be what they are looking for,” Kerr concluded. “Something like 80 percent of my players might never make a cup final again. So this is a huge opportunity.”

There may be some rustiness, as South Africa’s teams return to action following the five-month delay, but with so much on the line, expect these contests to be ferociously contested.

Usain Bolt believes he didn't get a fair chance when he attempted to become a footballer in Australia. 

The Jamaican superstar trialed with A-League club Central Coast Mariners in mid-2018 as he chased a career kicking the round ball after retiring from athletics. 

Despite scoring twice in a friendly match, Bolt failed to earn a professional contract with the club and would later fail to agree terms with Maltese side Valletta. 

While now enjoying life away from sport after recently becoming a dad, the world's fastest man has claimed his attempt to become a footballer wasn't as smooth as it should have been. 

"I think I didn't get a fair chance," Bolt told Wide World of Sports. "I didn't do it how I wanted to do it, but it's something I think I would've been good at.

"But it's just one of those things you miss out on and just have to move on.

"I do think about it sometimes that it didn't work out the way that I wanted it to, because football is something that I love.

"The fact that it didn't work out I do think about it, but as I said, it's one of those things you've got to move past.

"I've had calls of people asking me if I really want to [go back to football], but after the time period has passed, I'm like you know what, I'm getting old, let's just retire and I now have my daughter so she keeps me busy." 

Bolt, a big Manchester United fan, also previously hinted that his trial wasn't handled perfectly in early 2019 when he accepted a football career wasn't going to happen. 

“I don't want to say it wasn't dealt with properly, but I think we went about it, not the way we should and you learn your lesson, you live and you learn," Bolt said at the time.

"It was a good experience. I really enjoyed just being in a team and it was different from track and field and it was fun while it lasted.

“I'm just doing many different things - the sports life is over, so I'm now moving into different businesses. I have a lot of things in the pipeline, so as I say, I'm just dabbling in everything and trying to be a business man now."

Raphael Varane said Real Madrid require many leaders on the pitch to overhaul Manchester City for a Champions League quarter-final berth in the absence of star captain Sergio Ramos.

Madrid travel to the Etihad Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against City on Friday, having lost the opener 2-1 prior to the coronavirus-enforced break.

Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne condemned Madrid – who had Ramos sent off in the Spanish capital – to defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu in February.

With Ramos sidelined, regular centre-back partner Varane said: "I think Sergio is a very important player for us, but we know that we are a group where we all have our role.

"For example, I always help my team-mates, it is my way of playing and I like to cover others. In the locker room I talk a lot with my team-mates about the tactic, that will never change.

"To win the Champions League we have to be a strong group, with many leaders, we know the importance of Sergio, but we all have to play a great game to qualify."

Madrid head into the second leg having dethroned bitter rivals Barcelona as La Liga champions after the 2019-20 season was halted in March due to Covid-19.

Zinedine Zidane's Madrid are riding an 11-game unbeaten streak since losing to Real Betis in March.

"I think we are doing well, we have made a very good streak to win La Liga, we are all doing very well physically," France international Varane added.

"It has been a different preparation and a little strange, comparing it with what we are used to. We have had many days to prepare this final, we have done it as always with a lot of concentration, working on all aspects of our game trying to improve all the time.

"We arrived with confidence for the latest results and with more rest compared to if it had been played in March. I hope we are well prepared to win tomorrow."

Elsewhere on Friday, Juventus will host Lyon needing to overturn a first-leg 1-0 defeat to book their place in the quarter-finals. 

Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes Mohamed Salah should have left the club this summer had they failed to wrap up the Premier League title. 

After a long and nervous wait amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the Reds finally claimed England's top-flight competition in June this year, ultimately finishing 18 points clear of second-place Manchester City. 

While Salah failed to secure a third straight Golden Boot, his 19 league goals proved crucial as he continued to star for Jurgen Klopp's side. 

Heskey stressed Salah's importance to Liverpool going forward but admits if the club failed to end their Premier League drought this season, he would have advised the Egyptian attacker to find a new club. 

“Mohamed Salah is a very important player for the team. If he’s not in it, you find Liverpool losing a lot of their strength going forward," Heskey told ONTime Sport. 

“Everyone on the pitch needs him, he scores and creates goals. [Roberto] Firmino and [Sadio] Mane play well in Salah’s presence. H's a big part of the team’s strength and the trophies they've won.

"From my point of view, he should stay at Liverpool. If they didn’t win the league, I would have said that he should move to another place where he could win the title.

“But now that he's won the league, he must continue and try to win it again and again. Salah has won all the titles with Liverpool but the challenge is to continue and try to win them again." 

Salah, who is currently contracted at Anfield until 2023, has previously been linked with interest from Real Madrid and did cast some doubt over his immediate future last month. 

"No-one knows the future and what will happen. Let's see what will happen," Salah told LA FM Colombia in July. 

"But at the moment we win the Champions League, we win the Premier League, I'm happy. Let's see what will happen in the future, but I'm very happy to win and achieve those trophies."

Despite another successful season at Anfield, not everyone has been impressed by Salah's performances with Graeme Souness labelling the attacker "super selfish" after a match against Brighton. 

"I think Mane has fallen out with him [Salah] in the past over occasions where he feels he should have passed to him to score a goal and he shot himself," Souness told Sky Sports. 

"So I think there is an element in all goalscorers that they’re greedy at times, but I think he takes it to another level."

Former Chelsea star Ricardo Carvalho is still supporting the Blues as they resume their Champions League run against Bayern Munich.

Chelsea face an uphill battle when it comes to securing their spot in the next round of the competition, having lost 3-0 in the first leg of their round of 16 clash.

Making matters worse, Chelsea are suffering from a string of injuries with Pedro, Christian Pulisic, Willian, N'golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesar Azpilicueta all dealing with some sort of ailment at the moment.

Of that group, only Kante and Loftus-Cheek will be optimistic for this weekend's meeting with Bayern, with Frank Lampard set to bring youngsters Lewis Bate, Dynel Simeu and Ian Maatsen into the squad.

Carvalho, who played for Chelsea from 2004 to 2010, says that he is still pulling for his former side, although he admitted that the Blues are not among the favourites.

"Everyone's always talking about the same favourites: Barcelona, Real Madrid...They're teams that are used to being in the finals or semi-finals, and that's very important, as is the case with Bayern," he said at the presentation of the Champions League Trophy in Lisbon.

"But, now, it's only one match, and that makes everything even more unpredictable. One small mistake can be crucial.

"As for my favourites...Madrid and Chelsea are still in the competition, but they have a difficult task to get to the quarter-finals, but I'd like them to be in the quarter-finals, but the favourites are always the same: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, (if they beat Lyon), and Bayern.”

Carvalho, who also played for Real Madrid, Porto and Monaco throughout his career,  is currently an assistant to fellow Portuguese Andre Villas-Boas at Marseille.

The former defender also earned 89 caps for Portugal and was a member of the club's triumph at Euro 2016.

With the Champions League's final rounds set to be held in Portugal, Carvalho says that, despite the circumstances that forced the changes to the tournament, the event will be a big one for his home country.

"It's a great event for the Portuguese people," he said. "In a year in which there is no Euro or Olympic Games, the Champions League becomes even more important, because everyone will talk about this tournament.

"We already had a final in Lisbon in 2014, which was a great final. We have all the conditions here to make it a success."

The much-anticipated launch of FIFA 21 is right around the corner, with the latest iteration of the popular video game set for release on October 9, 2020.

FIFA 21 will be released as three separate editions: Standard, Ultimate and Champions Edition. Here's what you need to know about what makes each version unique.

How much does each edition of FIFA cost?

FIFA 21 Standard Edition

It costs £59.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the US.

FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition

The Ultimate Edition of FIFA 21 is a special version of the game that is jam-packed with new features and perks, such as more FUT packs.

It is a bit pricier than Champions Edition, but will appeal to those who enjoy playing Ultimate Team

Those who pre-order Ultimate Edition by August 14, 2020 will receive:

It costs £89.99 in the UK and $99.99 in the US.

Read more about FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition here.

FIFA 21 Champions Edition

The Champions Edition takes its name from the Champions League, with EA Sports acquiring the rights to UEFA competitions in 2018, beginning from FIFA 19 onwards.

Champions Edition allows you to play the game a bit earlier - on October 6 instead of October 9.

It costs £79.99 in the UK and $79.99 in the US.

Read more about FIFA 21 Champions Edition here.

How do the FIFA 21 editions compare?

You can see a detailed breakdown of what each edition offers in the table above.

Youssef En-Nesyri was on target as Sevilla defeated AS Roma 2-0 in Thursday’s Europa League encounter.

The Round of 16 clash was staged at the MSV Arena in Duisburg after the tie was cut down to one leg by Uefa.

Julen Lopetegui’s men dominated the game from start to finish and deservedly got the much-needed triumph to scale through to the quarter-final ahead of the Italians who were reduced to ten men in the 90th minute.

Three minutes into the game, Sevilla had the first chance but En-Nesyri’s low strike towards goal from the edge of the box was comfortable saved by goalkeeper Pau Lopez.

Los Nervionenses took the lead after 22 minutes through Sergio Reguilon who profited from an assist from Ever Banega. The Argentine picked out Reguilon who darted through the Italians’ defence before firing past Lopez after beating two of his markers.

A minute before the halftime break, En-Nesyri increased the advantage of Lopetegui’s side. Fernando released Lucas Ocampos down the right flank, and he skipped past the challenge of Roger Ibanez before sending a low ball across the face of goal for the run of En-Nesyri.

With Lopez stranded out of his net, the Morocco international made no mistake directing his effort first time over the line.

No goals were scored in the second-half with the major incident Gianluca Mancini’s dismissal in the closing stages after VAR confirmed he used his arm with violent intent on De Jong.

Thanks to this result, the Spanish elite division outfit have reached the Europa League last eight and will face Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers who silenced Greek outfit Olympiacos.

After an impressive showing, En-Nesyri was replaced in the 90th minute by Luuk de Jong, while his compatriot Yassine Bounou held sway in goal for the Spanish elite division side.

Guinea international Amadou Diawara was handed a starter's role by manager Paulo Fonseca, however, he was replaced in the 57th minute by Carles Perez.

Tema Youth Wilfred Kwaku Osei 'Palmer' is not perturbed about the Court of Arbitration for Sport's postponement of the verdict of a legal battle with the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

The former Black Stars Management Committee member is seeking justice for his disqualification from the football governing body's presidential election last October.

The challenge, whose final outcome was originally scheduled to be released in July was first moved to August 5 before being rescheduled for the second time for September.

“Yes, it’s true the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has postponed the case to 1st September 2020," Osei Palmer's campaign team spokesman Ebo Appiah told Angel FM.

“We don’t want to talk when our opponents are talking because we have better things to do than to react. Palmer is not worried about the postponement of the ruling.

“You don’t go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport when you have less patience. CAS can still postpone the case and it's normal because the case is still within 90 days.

“We appreciate everybody who has supported Palmer until now and we thank you all.

“We team Palmer expect another postponement from CAS on September 1 scheduled to be the day for the hearing of the final verdict."

GFA Executive Council member Samuel Anim Addo believes CAS' indecision is affecting the football mood in the country.

“I think CAS shouldn’t have made this issue this tense. I think it is a normal thing in football. If someone thinks he has not been treated fairly, he or she takes it to the appropriate quarters to be addressed,” Addo told Citi FM.

"So I think CAS should’ve brought out the verdict so everyone will know their smoothness level. We have to know the verdict so we move from there. I don’t think this is an issue at all."

For former Ashanti Gold chief executive officer (CEO) Frederick Acheampong, the latest rescheduling is an indication of CAS' lack of regard for Ghana football.

“I think they don`t respect us, it's been far too long when you sit down and you calculate. I am even tempted to believe that they have not sat on the case,” Acheampong, a GFA Executive Committee member, told Kessben FM.

Tema Youth chief Osei Palmer was disqualified from contesting for the GFA presidency for breaching financial regulations following the transfer of a player of his club.

After seeing an initial local appeal rejected, he hauled the national association to the global tribunal.

Kurt Okraku ultimately won the election. 

Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde has mentioned the names of Real Madrid and Liverpool forwards Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane as his idols while growing up.

This might come as a surprise from a defender but the 21-year-old Franco-Beninese explains he was an attacking player earlier in his career.

Benzema played a pivotal role towards Los Blancos winning a 34th La Liga title, scoring 21 goals in 37 games while Mane netted 18 goals as the Reds lifted their first league crown since 1990.

“There are players that I like in many positions. I love football. I really like Benzema, Mane from Liverpool ... It's funny that they are all attackers,” Kounde told AS.

“I always liked to attack, I think that part comes from the Under-17's in Bordeaux. When I see a space, I like to attack it. At Sevilla, we have a game where we can do that, and the coach likes it.

Kounde has attracted the interest of Real Madrid, however, he states he is focused on playing for Sevilla and winning the Europa League.

“It's always good that there are clubs like Real Madrid that follow you, but I'm very focused on Sevilla, I want to win this cup [Europa League],” he continued.

“It's the only thing in my head and that of the team. I'm not interested in Madrid.”

Kounde stands at 181cm in height which is considered not tall enough for a centre-back. The former Bordeaux player has admitted he is not deterred by it, citing playing smart as the most important factor.

“I always had a good jump. I know that there are many people who, when seeing a 1.81 centre-back, are wondering how the aerial game will solve it when it comes to a big striker,” he said.

“That also happened to me in Bordeaux. At the end of my training, I played right back because a coach looked at me like that, too short. But it doesn't scare me to go upside down, it's one of my strengths indeed.

“For me, height is not just a matter of centimetres. The most important thing is to play smart. If we listen to many people, Cannavaro could not have played as a central defender in his life, and he ended up achieving a Ballon d'Or, he played for Real Madrid. You have to change that view that you always have to be tall in this position, or very strong.”

Real Madrid are facing a tough challenge to overturn their Champions League deficit to Manchester City, football legend Clarence Seedorf says.

Zinedine Zidane's side head to the Etihad Stadium for Friday's last-16 second leg trailing 2-1 from the reverse fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid are unbeaten since returning from the coronavirus-enforced break and such form allowed them to overhaul Barcelona to win the LaLiga title.

City, by contrast, finished 18 points behind runaway champions Liverpool in the Premier League and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal.

Seedorf, a European champion with Ajax, Madrid and AC Milan - twice with the Rossoneri - expects City to be keen to prove a point after an "average" domestic season.

"I think when Zidane came [back], he got that chemistry back in place and after corona, I think Madrid came out solid, when Barcelona came out a bit segregated," he told Stats Perform News.

"Obviously, when the club with players like [Sergio] Ramos and [Karim] Benzema smell the opportunity against that rival then that creates a motivation that they used and brought it home.

"Ramos and Benzema have been key, key players but, as I said, the whole team has shown a pretty solid shape.

"If you look at them without the results they have now, they are considered definitely [among] the favourites, Manchester City as well - these are two top teams in the world.

"It's going to be tough to go there and turn it around, but nothing is impossible in that sense. But also, Manchester City need to make up for the average season, if you can call it that.

"They can do it, but it's tough."

Barcelona, meanwhile, will need to improve their performance to overcome Napoli and reach the quarter-finals, after a 1-1 draw in Italy.

Much is expected of midfielder Frenkie de Jong, a €75million signing from Ajax last year who has yet to find his feet fully in Spain.

"He's a great player, a great talent and we hope to see much more from him over the coming years," said Seedorf.

"It's not easy to come to a new country and new club and perform. Barcelona... it's a privilege to come to a team that knows themselves so well, and you come into the same type of system.

"Frenkie will become better and better hopefully over the next years and we can enjoy his talent on the international pitches."

Similarly, Seedorf thinks new Chelsea signing Hakim Ziyech could find it tough to adapt to life in a new league - although he believes head coach Frank Lampard is the right man to help.

"Lampard has shown to have had a good, positive impact on the team and young players," Seedorf said. "Ziyech is a talent that will face challenges, because this is not the Ajax style of play, the Dutch style of play, and that's going to be his biggest challenge, I think: to adapt to a new style of play and everything that comes with it.

"But he has a proper mentor in place to guide him to the Premier League style and competitiveness that is needed. I think the ingredients are there for him to continue to spread his talent on the pitch and show that this next level was the right thing to do."

Bayer Leverkusen silenced Rangers 1-0 in Thursday’s Europa League game with Moussa Diaby netting the lone goal.

Before football was placed on a hiatus owing to the outbreak of Covid-19, the Germans secured a 3-1 first-leg win in Scotland – leaving Steven Gerrard’s men with an arduous task to secure a place in the quarter-final.

With limited scoring opportunities, the first-half ended goalless at the BayArena. Nonetheless, the hosts took the lead through Diaby after 51 minutes.

The 21-year-old winger timed his run perfectly as Charles Aranguiz played his pass across defender Filip Helander on the edge of the box. He controlled the ball with his chest before firing his shot past Allan McGregor.

Thanks to his latest feat, he has now scored a goal and assisted twice in all three of his Europa League appearances.

Also, he boasts eight goals in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen in 2019-20, twice the amount he netted for Paris Saint-Germain during the 2018-19 season (four).

Seven minutes before full-time, Rangers could have reduced the deficit after Joe Aribo won the ball on the edge Leverkusen’s box but ended up being dispossessed by Edmond Tapsoba after he took too long to decide what he wants to do.

After putting up an impressive shift, he was replaced by Leon Bailey in the 68th minute as Peter Bosz’s team sealed their place in the last eight after a 4-1 aggregate triumph.

They will face Victor Moses’ Inter Milan in their bid to reach the semi-final of the tournament.

Born to Malian parents in France, Diaby has represented the French team at U18, U19, U20 and U21 levels. He produced a goal and three assists at the 2018 Uefa European U19 Championship, earning a place in the team of the tournament.

In 2019, he scored one goal and assisted two more in four matches at the 2019 Fifa U20 World Cup where France were eliminated at the Round of 16 stage. He is still eligible to represent Mali at senior level.

Desiree Eliss says it will 'take similar planning' to make history and win the Africa Women's Cup of Nations [Awcon] for South Africa.

The 57-year-old guided Banyana Banyana's to a maiden qualification for the Women's World Cup in France last year after inspiring the team to a fourth final of the Awcon at the 2018 edition in Ghana.

With the cancellation of the 2020 Awcon due to the coronavirus outbreak, South Africa will now focus on challenging for the African crown as well as a 2023 World Cup ticket at the 2022 edition.

Having lost the 2018 African title on penalties to Nigeria, the coach who won back-to-back Caf Women's Coach of the Year awards, is upbeat her side can replicate the fine run at the next continental outing.

"The experience of having played in so many finals most probably gave Nigeria the edge but we gave as good [an account] as we got before losing on penalties which is a lottery," Ellis told Safa.net.

"I think the players were absolutely amazing in the way they went about the whole tournament where we finished unbeaten on the field of play. 

"They were focused on the plan but their execution of the plan said it all and got us through to the final and we subsequently qualified for the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup. 

"We always speak about teamwork and you can’t forget the behind the scenes work done by the technical team, medical team and the rest of the support staff. 

"We have to surpass that to qualify for the next Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2023. The next tournament has been increased from eight to 12 countries. 

"The format will obviously change and that will make it even tougher, but it will take similar planning and focus to first qualify and then put in a better effort to win it in 2022 which by the way also doubles up as a 2023 World Cup qualifying tournament. So, yes we can definitely win it."

No fewer than a dozen South African players have earned contracts abroad since the country's maiden outing at the international level.

Nothando Vilakazi (EDF Logrono, Spain), Janine Van Wyk (Glasgow City FC, Scotland), Jermaine Seoposenwe (SC Braga, Portugal) and Amanda Mthandi (Badajoz, Spain), Rhoda Mulaudzi, Lebohang Ramalepe (FC Dinamo Minsk) and Thembi Kgatlana (Eibar, Spain) are among the few who have recently moved overseas.

Following the massive export of Banyana stars overseas, Ellis believes their experiences and exposure will improve their quality and title chances. 

"This has just been incredible and beyond my wildest imagination. I am almost afraid to blink because when I wake up in the morning, there is another player signed up," she continued. 

"The players have been fantastic with their individual work behind the scenes and through their efforts are now taking the next step on their new journeys. 

"The experiences they will now bring to Banyana Banyana will be immense and hopefully this will help raise the levels in the team to greater heights. 

"I remember going to the 2016 Awcon in Cameroon and facing the likes of Nigeria who had about 80 percent of their squad playing abroad and you could see the experience in their teams during certain situations. We are now possibly in a position to also bring similar experiences to Banyana Banyana."

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard believes star forward Alfredo Morelos has "had his head turned" by speculation over his future.

Morelos played 77 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday but was unable to add to his 14 goals in this season's tournament as Rangers' lengthy Europa League run came to a close.

Moussa Diaby scored the only goal at the BayArena to conclude a 4-1 aggregate passage into the quarter-finals for the hosts.

Morelos has been heavily linked with a move to Ligue 1 side Lille, with Rangers' moves to sign attackers Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten on Tuesday widely interpreted as them preparing for life without the 24-year-old Colombian.

Asked by BT Sport whether he expected Morales to be at the club next week, Gerrard replied: "I don't know, I can't control what goes on outside.

"Everyone knows he's had his head turned, for sure. There's no denying that.

"But we just move forward. My focus is on the team and the players that want to be here and my focus is certainly on [Rangers' next game against] St Mirren.

"If a bid comes that the board like and are interested in, and the player tells me face to face he wants to go then we'll see what happens."

Gerrard refuted the suggestion that Morales' performance against Leverkusen had been compromised by the prevailing uncertainty.

"I don't think so. I think Alfredo's professional enough to block the noise out and focus," he said.

"He hasn't had the best of games tonight but we haven't as a team either.

"There are no fingers pointed at anyone. We've given it our best shot and unfortunately we fell short.

"We all have to improve, but Alfredo needs to remain focused."

Rangers striker Jermain Defoe believes Morelos has coped with the uncertainty surrounding his future as he has been training as normal.

"He's dealt with it quite well. You would never look at him and think: 'He's got it at the back of his mind, he's not training well, he's confused or anxious', he's just been normal to be honest,” he said.

"Stuff like that, as players you don't really get involved, you leave it up to the club but if he does go then you wish him the best and if he stays then he's a top player, which he's shown.”

Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has criticised the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) decision to overturn Manchester City’s two-year ban from the Champions League.

The Premier League side won their appeal against the suspension for alleged breaches of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, while their fine was lowered to €10 million.

Hoeness says CAS’s decision was a severe blow to UEFA’s rules and criticised the governing body’s defence of the sentence.

“When I read the reasoning by the international sports court CAS why it withdrew this sentence, I have to ask myself what all this is about,” Hoeness said to DAZN and Goal.

“Ultimately, UEFA's reasoning was simply weak. In principle, the CAS saw it the same way, but did not provide any solid evidence of Manchester City's behaviour.

“If the judges at CAS have come to the conclusion that UEFA did a poor job, one need not wonder what the result is. The verdict was a clear slap in the face for UEFA. We still have to do with Manchester City - and the club can't help it if things are poorly prepared.”

Bayern will conclude their Champions League last-16 tie against Chelsea when they host Frank Lampard’s team for the second leg on Saturday.

The Munich outfit hold a 3-0 aggregate lead from the first leg and Hoeness was heavily impressed by their display in London.

“The first leg against Chelsea was incredible. I was there myself and have rarely seen a German team put an English team against the wall like that.

“The game was a demonstration of strength from the first to the last minute.

“Our team made a very hungry impression and there is also harmony within the group. All players work well together.

“The coach managed to improve the team's strengths and make the team a unit. You can see the meticulousness and passion with which you play until the last minute. The players have played an incredible season.”

He is also confident of his side’s ability to challenge Europe’s richer teams to the top trophies, saying success depends on team spirit and cohesion instead of money.

“There is also passion and a thirst for success in Manchester and Paris, but here a large community has emerged,” he added.

“This has nothing to do with the different countries, but is due to the cooperation between the team and the coach.”

Indian-based midfielder William Opoku has shed light on reasons for Ghanaians' preference for football in the Asian country to plying their trade at home in the Ghana Premier League (GPL).

Earlier this week, Ghanaian footballers in India sent out a video on social media calling on the Government of Ghana for prompt evacuation owing to living difficulties emanating from the coronavirus disease.

The distress call follows similar moves by Ghanaian footballers in different parts of the world including Ethiopia, DR Congo and Botswana.

“The good thing about India is that there are these indoor pitches that you can play 15 minutes a game and earn a $100 [€84] and if you are a big player, you can receive $300 [€253] for just 15 minutes,” Opoku, who plays for Indian second-tier side Bhawanipore, told Asempa FM. He was on the books of Ghanaian second division outfit Okyeman Planners before leaving for India in 2017.

“So if you play four games, you make some good money and there are players who do not have clubs who engage in some of these games to make money.

“But because of the coronavirus, all these games have stopped and the monies saved by these boys have been spent. And if you don’t have a club, it means you are doomed.

“If you even get a second division club here, you can make some better money than in the Ghana Premier League.

“You can get as much as GHC 10,000 [€1,458] a month playing for a lower-tier side. [It] sits better than the GPL."

In June, a group of 22 stranded Ghanaian footballers in Ethiopia put out a social media video, pleading with the Government of Ghana to come to their aid amid claims of failing in their bid to obtain help from the Ghanaian consulate in Addis Ababa.

In the footage recorded outside the embassy were Ghana international Lee Addy, who played at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and former Asante Kotoko goalkeeper Mohammed Muntari Tagoe, who won two Ghana FA Cup titles with Medeama.

After the video went viral on social media, the Government of Ghana and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) responded as they pooled resources together to evacuate the footballers.

Upon their return to Ghana, the contingent went through a 14-day mandatory quarantine as part of the Covid-19 safety protocols. 

Nkana FC will have to wait longer to know whether they are the Super League champions or not after the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Appeals Committee overturned a decision to award Zanaco points.

Nkana are top of the table with 50 points after they were given a walkover when Nakambala Leopards failed to turn up for matchday 27 action. Forest Rangers, second to Nkana with 49 points, had challenged the decision that awarded Zanaco a walkover and three points and the Appeals Committee has ruled in their favour.

Forest Rangers could not play their previous match after 28 members tested positive for the coronavirus. The Disciplinary Committee awarded Zanaco three points and a 3-0 scoreline for the unplayed match on July 18, 2020.

Since Forest Rangers are still in the race, Nkana will wait until when the match will be played to know their championship fate.

Nkana are home to Kenya’s Harun Shakava, Duncan Otieno, Musa Mohammed and Duke Abuya.

“The Appeals Committee, having considered all the written evidence adduced by yourselves [Forest Rangers] and the ruling of the Appeals Committee was of the view that your appeal against the ruling has merit and therefore upheld,” read the judgement in part.

“Your appeal is upheld and the decision of the Disciplinary Committee is set aside.

“Therefore, the game between yourselves [Forest Rangers] and Zanaco Football Club must be replayed and the result of the match be taken into account when the final league standings are compiled.”

FAZ had announced that the league was set to be cancelled when all teams honour matchday 27 action and that the champion will be decided at that juncture.

The league was cancelled after its June 18 resumption due to the rising coronavirus numbers.

“With the ruling by the Appeals Committee, the coronation of the 2019/2020 champions will have to be frozen as the outcome of this fixture could shuffle the league standings,” FAZ added.

“FAZ also wishes to re-emphasise that the decision to re-start the league was done in consultation with the ministries of health and sports arising from the prevailing health conditions in the country.

“FAZ has also taken note of a flurry of correspondence from some members to question the efficacy of closing the league in week 27."

FAZ General-Secretary Adrian Kashala defended their decision to end the league saying they did so as per the regulations.

“The FAZ Executive Committee was within their legal right to suspend the league as at week 27 as they are empowered by Article 35 to make decisions,” said Kashala.

“Additionally, the Executive Committee also draws power from Article 79 which covers unforeseen circumstances and force majeure.”

Meanwhile, Zesco United who have missed a continental slot after finishing fifth, battled to a 1-1 draw against Red Arrows. Kenya international Jesse Were scored their goal while James Chamanga was the scorer for the air force side.

Forest Rangers won 1-0 against Napsa Stars, Buildcon registered a 3-1 victory against Green Buffaloes while Nkwazi and Kansanshi Dynamos drew 1-1.

Green Eagles were victors with a 2-0 scoreline against Lusaka Dynamos while Zanaco and Lumwana Radiants drew 1-1.

Former Black Leopards head coach Alan Clark believes South African football is stagnant because PSL clubs are recycling the same coaches.

Clark recently dumped Leopards ahead of the resumption of the 2019/20 season and he is set to take over the reins at FC Llapi, who are campaigning in Kosovo's Superleague.

When speaking to the South African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA), Clark explained that local coaches lack critical thinking when compared to European tacticians.

“What I learnt from my experiences in South Africa is that many coaches are afraid, they don’t want to question, there is a lack of critical thinking," Clark said. 

"In SA we do things, but no one asks why, how do we do that, why do you do this? We just say 'Oh we do it because we did it in 1980'.

"I think in South Africa we must be careful that football outside in the world is changing so much." 

Having served as an assistant coach at SuperSport United, AmaZulu FC and the now-defunct Platinum Stars, Clark also feels local coaches are scared of equipping themselves with new knowledge. 

"But inside there is not much change than coaches who change their badge on a shirt every year moving through the same clubs," he continued. 

"We should be careful it will stagnate our football. But instead of stagnating, I want to develop, I want to be better.”

Having served as Bafana Bafana's technical analyst in 2011, Clark added South African national teams tend to struggle because there is a problem at club level.  

“The biggest stagnate in the performance of our football is our national teams. We can compete nicely with bigger teams, but there is very little growth or change within clubs," he added. 

"We are not producing players that can compete at national team level. Nothing develops because the same players are playing the same way they used to, in my opinion, you see that in the [Bafana Bafana] national team and maybe Under-21 level.”

Clark went on to state that South Africa should be among the top footballing nations in Africa as the country is blessed with top-class facilities when compared to a small country like Kosovo.

“It’s sad that South Africa, with all the good facilities, we are not among the top two or top three countries in Africa," he explained.

"It’s unbelievable, the facilities we have even compared to Kosovo. The national stadium they built recently hosts 10 000 people, but they are the most improved country in Europe beneath Norway.

"They have players playing in every major league in Europe.”

AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer has exclaimed he is happy about playing the role of Regista at the club, a position Italian legend Andrea Pirlo excelled in.

The retired 41-year-old was on the books of the Rossoneri between 2001 and 2011, making 401 appearances and winning nine titles including the Serie A and Champions League.

After he departed for Juventus, no one was able to fill in the boots of the midfield maestro. However, Bennacer played the role with exception during the just-concluded 2019-20 Serie A season.

He made 31 league appearances and scored once as Milan finished in sixth place to qualify for the Europa League. The restart of the league in June which was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic saw the 18-time Italian champions finish unbeaten, the only side to achieve that.

“I like everything about this role because you’re at the heart of everything,” Bennacer told The Athletic.

“It’s my second year playing in Italy as a Regista. I’m still working at it. I think I’m improving. I’m definitely learning a lot.”

Bennacer is considered to be very hardworking on the pitch and admitted he looks up to the likes of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti and Thiago Alcantara of Bayern Munich.

“I watch a lot of [Paris Saint-Germain’s] Marco Verratti and Thiago Alcantara [of Bayern Munich] too. Thiago’s so, so good,” the Algerian continued.

“I have to give the ball away as little as possible. To do that, I have to be concentrated whenever I get the ball. I’ve always got to be in the zone. I have to read the game. I need to look first and look early. I do all that already but I have got to get even better at it.”

Bennacer started his career at youth level with Arsenal, but never made it into the first team and was ultimately sold to Empoli in 2017. He has no regrets about never making a name in north London.

“I had three years left on my deal, but I wanted to play and besides, they weren’t against my sale, so I left,” he said

Bennacer made mention of Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 2019 as a sweet moment for him and his country. The Desert Foxes overcame Senegal 1-0 thanks to Baghdad Bounedjah’s first-minute strike for their second continental title and first since 1990.

“It was the sweetest moment of my career,” he stated.

“We hadn’t won the Cup of Nations in 29 years. It was only the second time too. There were five million people on the streets. The population of Algiers, the capital, is three million, but there were five million people on the streets. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”