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Gareth Bale was omitted from Real Madrid's squad to face Manchester City in the Champions League because he did not want to play, according to Zinedine Zidane.

On Wednesday, Madrid named a 24-man group to travel to the Etihad Stadium and while captain Sergio Ramos was included – despite the fact he cannot play in the second leg due to suspension – there was no place for Bale.

The Welshman scored twice in the 3-1 Champions League final win over Liverpool two seasons ago but will play no part as Madrid seek to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Pep Guardiola's side in the last-16 tie on Friday.

Bale has started just once since February – and has been restricted to 110 minutes combined since Madrid's campaign resumed in June – and Zidane explained it was the 31-year-old's decision not to be involved in Manchester.

"I will explain because many things are said," Zidane told reporters in a news conference.

"We have a relationship of respect between player and coach, that is clear. The only thing I can say is that he has decided not to play, and the rest is between him and me."

Zidane grew increasingly frustrated at answering questions on Bale, who may appear to have no future at Madrid but remains under contract until 2022.

"I have already answered before about the situation. The rest is a conversation between the player and the coach, and I am not going to tell you anything," Zidane added.

The fourth and final question on Bale – surrounding his future with Los Blancos – was met with a straight bat.

"Gareth Bale is a Real Madrid player, nothing changes. I respect that," Zidane replied.

"He has decided not to play. All of us here are focused on tomorrow's game."

Eden Hazard is part of Madrid's travelling party, though he has experienced an injury-hit debut season in the Spanish capital.

He was out between November and February due to an ankle problem and then sustained a broken ankle bone, with the congested end-of-season La Liga run-in causing him further discomfort, yet Zidane has been encouraged by his condition since.

"He has had some discomfort about the end of La Liga, but I think he is much better now, we have had time to prepare for the game and now he is confident," the Madrid boss added.

"I think there was a minor setback after that second injury but now hopefully he can play and hopefully there will be nothing there to hold him back."

Ex-Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness says that David Alaba will not be lured away from the club, adding that "the last million is not that important" for a player that has found comfort with the Bundesliga giants.

Alaba has been linked with a move away from Bayern Munich in recent weeks as the defender has just 12 months left on his contract.

Manchester City are among the clubs reportedly eager to sign him, although new Bayern team-mate and former Man City star Leroy Sane has urged the Austrian to snub any offer to leave Bayern.

Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently stated that he is confident that the club can keep hold of Alaba, who he dubbed "the black Beckenbauer". 

And Hoeness also says that he believes Alaba's future remains with Bayern, as he says that moving to any other club would be a step backwards for the defender.

"I can only say from my own experience that the last million is not that important," he told DAZN and Goal. "He gets a secure job here, a lot of fun, home, a lot of love from the fans and acceptance, which he would have to work for at another club.

"There is no club that is as familiar, cosy and pleasant as FC Bayern. For him it would perhaps be a step forward financially, but in all other areas it would be a step backwards.

"And according to my feeling, at least the clubs he would like to go to have never knocked, fortunately. And that's why I hope that he will stay."

Alaba has been with Bayern since 2008, joining after emerging as a youth player for Austria Wien.

The 28-year-old defender has made 382 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, winning nine league titles during his time in Munich.

Alaba was also a member of Bayern's 2012-13 Champions League-winning squad, and the German giants remain a favourite in this season's competition as well.

The Bundesliga champions are set to face Chelsea on Saturday in their return to the competition, having amassed a 3-0 lead in the first leg between the two sides.

Dinamo-BSUPC head coach Yuri Ivanovich has hailed the exploits of Rhoda Mulaudzi and Lebohang Ramalepe after the duo's debuts for his side in Wednesday's 7-2 triumph over Bobruichanka.

The Banyana stars joined the Belarusian outfit for the rest of the season last Friday, having parted ways with South African sides Polokwane FC and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies respectively.

While the move saw Ramalepe earn her first contract abroad, Mulaudzi secured her third deal overseas after previous stints with Cyprus' Apollon Ladies and Australia's Canberra United.

Having failed to feature the duo against Bobruichanka last Sunday, the club's manager pledged to hand them their debuts in Wednesday's semi-final, second leg tie at home, which he fulfilled.

After a 5-1 first-leg win, Dinamo trashed Bobruichanka 7-2 in the reverse fixture to advance to the final, with a 12-3 aggregate win at Dynama-Juni Stadium.

Ramalepe played from the start to finish on her first professional debut, while compatriot Mulaudzi saw the final 24 minutes, having replaced Burkina Faso's Salimata Simpore.

Following their maiden appearances in the colours of Dinamo, the tactician has shared his views on the duo's performances.

"You know, considering that they have not trained for four months, both showed a very solid level," he told the club website. 

"It is clear that it still takes time to adapt, but they did a good job and, I hope, will improve with every game."

The victory puts Dinamo on the brink of a maiden title in their history as they will square up with holders Minsk in the final of the competition scheduled to be played on August 30. 

After their enterprising start to life in Belarus, they will seek to make their league debuts when Dinamo face-off with Neman on Saturday.

Former South Africa captain Lucas Radebe feels the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title-chasing pack will push leaders Kaizer Chiefs “to realise this great moment of winning the championship.”

Chiefs resume their title bid against Bidvest Wits at Orlando Stadium next Wednesday as they seek to tighten their grip at the summit of the log in their eight remaining matches.

But their push for league honours faces a stern challenge from their closest challengers Mamelodi Sundowns who are four points behind and have played a game less.

Third-placed SuperSport United followed by Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United as well as Wits also pose a threat to Chiefs’ title quest.

Describing Chiefs' league campaign so far as “absolutely great,” Radebe has marked his former club as favourites and says they will be spurred by the challenge from the chasers.

“I think the [Chiefs] players are prepared and I think mentally they have to get ready to start where they left off‚” said Radebe as per Sowetan Live.

“They need this title more than anyone else and I think they’re capable of winning it. To see how they’ve played and how they’ve conducted themselves up until now‚ it’s been absolutely great.

“Not forgetting that Pirates‚ Sundowns and other teams are right there behind them‚ Chiefs will be pushed to realise this great moment of winning the championship. So it’s going to be tough but I think they’re capable of winning it.

“Never mind Covid-19‚ we’re all in the same boat. It’s a matter of coming back and focus on what we want to achieve as a club.”

Radebe has commended Chiefs for “working hard” despite a cloud of uncertainty that had been cast over the resumption of football in South African football in recent weeks.

“I never thought the season would be cancelled because there were dates that were already put aside to commence,” said Radebe.

“I think every Chiefs fan is excited about the prospect of the club winning the league title this season. Looking at how they’ve been playing‚ they’ve been working hard to make things right.”

After playing Wits on Wednesday, Chiefs will play the same side again on August 30, having played Sundowns three days earlier in matches that could define their fate.

Gabrielle Onguene bagged her first brace of the season as CSKA Moscow secured a 3-0 win against Arna-Bjornar in Thursday's Russian Superliga triumph against Yenisey at Futbol-arena Enisey.

Onguene is already inching closer to match her form last season when she scored four goals in 16 appearances to help CSKA win the league title and secure their Champions League ticket.

The Cameroon international star made her second start of the season for her side, and opened her 2020 goal account, scoring in CSKA's 2-1 triumph over ZFK Zenit Saint Petersburg last Saturday.

Her equaliser for CSKA was voted the second-best goal of the first round of matches behind winner Angri Gabriel, who netted the opener for Zenit last weekend.

Following a hard fighting win at Saint Petersburg, the champions continued from where they left as Nadezhda Smirnova set up Onguene to open the scoring in the 31st minute of the match.

The visitors were gifted a penalty from the spot and Smirnova, who the Cameroonian's opener converted to double the lead for CSKA seven minutes after the restart of the encounter.

In the 77th minute, Onguene grabbed her second of the match and her side's third to wrap up their first away win in style. 

The 31-year-old Cameroonian, who lasted the duration, has now scored three goals in two appearances this season for CSKA.

The result means holders CSKA Moscow remain top of the Russian women's top-flight log with six points from two matches.

Kolo Toure believes it is high time Manchester City won the Champions League, as they prepare to renew battle with Real Madrid.

Former City defender Toure will be praying for his old team to come through the second leg of their last-16 tussle, following a hard-earned 2-1 victory at Santiago Bernabeu in February.

Goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne have put Pep Guardiola's side in the ascendancy ahead of their Etihad Stadium reunion on Friday.

With huge financial backing, City have been competing in European football's elite competition each season since the 2011-12 campaign, reaching the semi-finals in 2015-16 when Madrid edged them out 1-0 over two legs.

Toure told Stats Perform News: "City have to win the Champions League. They've been so unlucky for so many years, but I pray for them to do it. When I joined that was my dream, to win the Champions League."

Toure played for City from 2009 to 2013, having joined from Arsenal, and he went on to represent Liverpool and Celtic before retiring in 2017.

He sees Guardiola's leadership as the key to ongoing success for City, who were overhauled by Liverpool in the Premier League but have real hope of becoming European champions this month.

"They have a top manager, they have to keep him there and make sure they bring players who can add value," Toure said. "They need players who have experience of winning the Champions League. They have a big chance against Real Madrid."

Pointing to last season's Champions League exit, when a dramatic quarter-final saw City edged out by Tottenham on away goals, Toure reflected on how a little good fortune can go a long way.

"You need a bit of luck, they were so unlucky against Tottenham," Toure said. "I hope that they will win."

John Stones could have a part to play on Friday, with the England defender still striving to justify the £47.5 million ($62m) price tag that City met when signing him from Everton four years ago.

The arrival of Nathan Ake from Bournemouth for next season has raised questions about Stones' future at City.

"He needs to be consistent. He lacks it," Toure said. "He's a really good player with many qualities but needs to work on his concentration. Sometimes he does things that you don't know where they come from, because he has everything.

"He's tall, he can jump, technically good, he's intelligent, but he needs to focus for 95 minutes. Defenders have to be alert."

Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) has threatened to nullify Gor Mahia's elections scheduled for August 8 if they are done unlawfully.

The SDT, in a letter signed by Elynah Sifuna Shiveka who is the deputy chairperson and obtained by Goal, said the exercise must be conducted in strict adherence to the law if the results have to be recognised thereafter.

Ben Mathews Agunda, David Osewe Odero, Alfred Odhiambo Otieno, Gilbert Otieno Wandera, George Ochieng Gombe, Meshack Odera and Edder Jalang'o are the Gor Mahia members who have asked the tribunal to stop the elections which they claim is set to be done against the demands of the Sports Registrar.

Judith Nyangi, who has protested the eligibility requirements for candidates is also among the furious members who want the exercise conducted in accordance with the club’s old constitution.

Nyangi is running for the honorary treasurer’s position.

“Upon reading the chamber notice filed under a certificate of urgency and all the accompanying documents dated August 4 and filed on August 5, the tribunal hereby directs and orders as follows,” read the opening paragraph of the SDT’s letter.

“That no interim orders are issued in regard to prayer no. 3 of the chamber summons dated 4th of August 2020 and filed at the tribunal on 5th August, 2020.

“The activity of the first respondent scheduled for 8 August 2020 shall be declared null and void in case it was unprocedural and unlawfully done.

“The claimants shall serve all the respondents with the application and these directions on or before Monday 10th August 2020.

“The respondents shall have seven days from the date of service upon them to file and serve their responses and the parties shall attend the tribunal on 18th August 2020 at 2.30 pm for mention and agree on a hearing date.”

The panel which is set to hear the case consists of Shiveka, Gichuru Kiplagat and Allan Owinyi.

Through their lawyer Omondi Omollo, the dissatisfied members had pointed out instances they feel will make the August 8 exercise biased.

“We are further instructed that the Executive Committee members unilaterally abrogated upon themselves the powers to appoint members of the club's Elections Board without consultation or approval of the members or any other stakeholders,” Omondi’s protest letter to Gor Mahia elections board read in part.

“We are instructed that the same Elections Board has now come up with unlawful and illegal election rules, regulations, guidelines, time-tables, calendars and nomination forms.

“We are further instructed that all these activities of the biased Elections Board are designed to perpetuate the continued stay of the incumbents in office and indeed we are instructed that the chairman has already been declared as elected unopposed.

“We are instructed that most of the members including Ambrose Rachier and Francis Wasuna are term-limited by the act and therefore barred from contesting in any further elections of the club.”

Rachier stands elected as chairman as no one showed interest to challenge him for the influential position while Sam Ochola will become the new secretary-general after he, too, attracted no opponent.

The positions of the vice-chairman and the honorary treasurer attracted multiple candidates and thus members have to elect officials.

As the popular saying goes, five weeks is a short time in football. It's even shorter when you have to cram 12 matches into that timeframe.

With such a deluge of activity, it can be easy to miss the certain trends, or to chalk them up to other factors—physical, mostly.

So when, in the aftermath of Manchester City's elimination from the FA Cup at the semi-final stage, Riyad Mahrez found himself consigned to bench duty for the final two matches of the domestic calendar, it may have simply seemed a quirk of rotation, a necessity in the hard slog of a condensed Project Restart.

On both occasions, his place in Pep Guardiola's often irresistible attack went to youngster and great English hope Phil Foden. Mahrez did enter the fray at half time on the final day hammering of Norwich City, with the score at 2-0, and helped himself to his 11th of the league campaign.

In spite of that, Watford away and Norwich at home marked the first time since the resumption of football that Mahrez failed to start in consecutive matches. That cannot be ignored.

Without necessarily reading too much into the situation, it is clear something turned for Guardiola during that chastening defeat at Wembley. There, Mahrez toiled for an hour, only getting the best of direct opponent Ainsley Maitland-Niles on one occasion, before being replaced.

Afterward, City's manager gave his verdict on what had gone wrong for his side: "In general we were quite good but [the defeat] was not about this, it was about us not being there in the first half. We were not ready to play an FA Cup semi-final."

While there were no names mentioned, it was telling that Mahrez was one of his first two substitutions, after which he divined City improved and played much better in the second period.

It marks a jarring turnaround in fortunes for the Algeria international, who to that point was enjoying a particularly productive run in the side.

Concerns over Bernardo Silva's physical condition following the restart saw Mahrez stake his claim to that spot on the right of the front three, and he posted impressive performances in headline victories over Burnley, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

That all seems to have changed dramatically. Where once it seemed his integration might very well hold the key to Manchester City's progress in the Champions League, he now faces a question over his involvement in the Round of 16 return leg against Real Madrid in Friday.

City hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg at the Bernabeu, where the 29-year-old started and impressed. Perhaps his superior experience might weight the consideration in his favour, and mean he starts at the Etihad Stadium anyway.

However, Foden has clearly come on in Guardiola's estimation, and this time it is entirely down to that spectre of inconsistency that has dogged Mahrez's steps since his switch to the blue half of Manchester.

It now threatens to undermine him, not just this season, but next as well: Foden will be even more of an option, but perhaps the biggest indication that Pep has run out of patience is the club's purchase of winger Ferran Torres.

Mahrez and Guardiola always did seem an odd mix; for all that the Spaniard is considered the avant garde in tactical thinking, his style of play is very intolerant of mercurial players who can turn a game in a flash of inspiration, but will also drift and flit in and out of matches on occasion. It can seem cold, but it was efficient and successful enough to secure back-to-back league titles.

Ferran, as close to a throwback wide player as is possible in the modern game, will reintroduce the width and depth with which City used to so utterly stretch and rend teams.

The injury and subsequent sale of Leroy Sane meant Guardiola was denied that weapon this season, and while that alone cannot be blamed for the yawning breach between his side and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table, the acquisition of the highly-rated Valencia youngster is certainly an attempt to recapture that old magic.

Quite where this leave Mahrez is difficult to understand, and that only lends greater significance to what Guardiola decides on Friday night.

However, here is the rub: leaving him out would say a lot, but selecting him wouldn't necessarily do the same. Whatever the case, it just seems like a pivotal moment in his City career.

Borussia Dortmund boasts of a vast fanbase across the globe and a fresh crop of talented youngsters on the roster is only helping the club attract more eyeballs.

The Bundesliga giants have a huge presence in Asia, with dedicated fan groups in countries like Malaysia, China and even Singapore.

However, India is also a market Dortmund are focusing on. And it seems that fans of the club in India could be in for a treat soon enough.

Does the club have plans to expand their footprint in India? Suresh Letchmanan, Managing Director of Asia Pacific for the club claimed that Dortmund had planned to play a legends’ match in the country.

The Coronavirus pandemic played spoilsport, but Suresh is confident that the match will take place in a major Indian city once normalcy is restored. He feels the focus on commercial activities has nothing to do with the economic hit all teams have taken due to Covid-19.

“I would not say that due to the crisis we are focusing on commercial activities. Fan activities have always been a priority. This is what BVB (Dortmund) is all about. We have organised many activities for fans in India to Mongolia to Cambodia and this will not change.

“For the Indian market, we had planned to play the legends’ game, but it was not possible in the current situation. But I am sure that we will fulfil the obligation of bringing the team to India. Football is ever growing in India. We also have Evonik’s partnership with W1 Sports which focuses on developing grassroots in India and providing the youth with a chance to play the BVB way.

“At the moment China, Japan and Singapore are key markets. We have offices at China and Singapore which helps us to execute on-ground activities.

“India is definitely a market we are always trying to grow. As soon as we get clearance, we will start planning about the opportunity for legends to play in one of the Indian cities. I am sure it will be an exciting event,” he said.

The Yellow and Black are famous for spotting talents at a young age and converting them into top players who almost immediately attract a financially attractive offer from other big European clubs.

What has been key to Dortmund’s astute work in the transfer market? Head of International Business Benedikt Scholz cited the financial crisis of 2005 as one of the biggest reasons behind the club’s successful transfer policy.

15 years ago, the German side amassed a debt of 100 million pounds and was struggling to pay off the investors. Shifting from star signings to focusing on youth development was hence more of a necessity than a choice. However, the new approach to signing young players clearly worked for the better in the long run and Dortmund have no reason to go back.

The CEO of the club Hans-Joachim Watzke played a vital role in steering the club to financial safety. Benedikt claimed that continuity at the top of club heirarchy and continued faith on young players have been key to consistently successful transfer windows for Dortmund.

“I think it is a combination of different factors – one of those was the financial crisis the club went survived in 2005. There was no money to invest in big stars and players who already had prior experience of playing in Europe at the top level. It was an absolute necessity to focus on young talents who can make it to the first team,” he said.

“There is continuity at the club at the top level. Mr (Reinhard) Rauball has been a president for many years already. Our CEO (Hans-Joachim) Watzke was also the CEO during the financial crisis and he helped the club survive that. We had Michael Zorc as the longest-serving Sporting Director at any Bundesliga club. We have Lars Ricken, former player as the head of youth academy.

“These two factors enabled us to focus on these young talents and still give them time on the pitch. Look at Jadon Sancho for example. He came from Manchester City and joined the first team only one year after he joined. This is not something many of the top 10 European clubs can offer to these players. This makes us a very attractive option for young, talented players such as Jude Bellingham, who joined recently and Giovanni Reyna, our American talent who joined the first team last season.”

Does the sale of these top players after a couple of top seasons hurt their chances of competing in the Champions League at a top level? Benedikt believes that the transfers have, in no way, prevented the club from performing at the top level.

He also spoke about how their focus on developing talented players makes Dortmund a coveted destination for youngsters.

“We don’t feel like we are weakening our chances in the Champions League by selling players. We have missed the Champions League just once in the last decade. We have succeeded in getting to the last-16 often but then it gets difficult," he said. 

“We don’t care about how old the players are. We don’t care if Jadon Sancho is 19 or 21 or 27, if he is a good player, he will play. This is one of the ways in which we can convince young players to join our clubs.

“We don’t buy superstars; we buy youngsters and convert them into superstars. And we have been doing it well. We don’t think that we are weakening the team by having to sell players.”

Lewis Bate, Dynel Simeu and Ian Maatsen have been told to get ready for a trip to Germany after being selected by Frank Lampard to help ease his selection crisis ahead of facing Bayern Munich away in the Champions League.

Aside from Maatsen, the youngsters have yet to make their professional debuts, but they are on red alert ahead of the upcoming second leg, with Armando Broja and Henry Lawrence possibly also travelling after being added to the club's B-list this week.

Maatsen has played just once under Lampard, making his debut from the bench in the Blues' 7-1 win over Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup back in September last year.

Broja has also played only one game for the club, coming on as a substitute in Chelsea's 4-0 win over Everton just before the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All the players mentioned are 18-years-old except Bate who is still just 17, who has already made the matchday squad without coming on away at Sheffield United in a 3-0 defeat in July.

These selections come amid an injury crisis - which is mounting after Chelsea's 2-1 FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal - ahead of a second leg which is 165 days on from the first game, played on February 25.

Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta suffered hamstring injuries at Wembley last Saturday, while Pedro dislocated his shoulder in his final minute as a Blues player with a free transfer to Roma lined up.

Pedro has had surgery on his shoulder and is set to be out for at least a month, but Roma will still honour their commitment to sign the 33-year-old.

Willian also remains a doubt, with talks over a three-year pre-contract to join Arsenal active and with a minor achilles injury continuing to bother him.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek pulled out of the FA Cup final 24 hours before kick-off and is trying to return for the Bayern trip, while N'Golo Kante was an unused sub against Arsenal as he was still not been fully fit following a hamstring injury.

Lampard will assess their fitness ahead of flying to Munich tomorrow afternoon, but the midfield pair have been able to train ahead of the match on Saturday night.

Furthermore, Chelsea have two players suspended with Marcos Alonso having been sent off in the first leg, while Jorginho's yellow card in the match was his third in the competition and sees him also banned.

This is all on top of a long-term injury to Billy Gilmour, who still needs three months to overcome the meniscus injury that he sustained against Crystal Palace in the Premier League in July.

All in all, Lampard could be without 10 players, so is looking to the academy once again having brought his side closer to the development operation at Cobham Training Centre.

Lampard has already given an all-time record eight debuts to academy products in a single Chelsea season, including Broja and Maatsen as well as Mason Mount, Reece James, Gilmour Tino Anjorin, Tariq Lamptey and Marc Guehi. Previously holding the record at seven were Ken Shellito and Danny Blanchflower in the 1978-79 season.

Anjorin would have been included in Lampard's squad for Bayern, but he has an untimely knock which will see him miss out too.

Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech have been training but aren't allowed to register for their new club until next season, which begins in September. RB Leipzig have unregistered Ethan Ampadu for their Champions League squad after he returned to his parent club having made just seven appearances, with two starts, in 2019-20.

Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Patrick Mayo has expressed doubts about Amakhosi's Premier Soccer League (PSL) title credentials, suggesting they have lost their momentum.

The Port Elizabeth-based legend says losing midfielder George Maluleka to Mamelodi Sundowns will hurt Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp’s plans as they look to do well in their remaining eight matches.

Mayo also believes the break which was enforced by the coronavirus pandemic has derailed the Soweto giants’ momentum, saying they won’t be the same team again.

“If Maluleka was still at Chiefs, they were going to win the league but now that he’s gone, it’s going to be difficult because there’s no replacement,” said Mayo as quoted by DailySun .

“George was very good in set plays and coach Ernst Middendorp relied heavily on him to float those balls into the box, and Samir Nurkovic and Leonardo Castro were the beneficiaries because of their height.”

Moreover, the former SuperSport United and Mthatha Bucks player looks at the PSL restart as more like a brand new start for the PSL log leaders.

“They can lose the league. They were performing better before the lockdown, it’ll affect them,” he added. 

“This is like they are starting the season from scratch.”

During his time at Chiefs, Mayo worked with German manager Middendorp and lifted the Absa Cup (Nedbank Cup) aND SAA Supa 8 (MTN8), but he is not confident to pin his hopes on the Glamour Boys.

Chiefs currently lead the table with 48 points from 22 matches and they will restart their 2019/20 campaign with a tough clash against Bidvest Wits next week. 

On the other hand, they are looking to celebrate their 50th anniversary year with the PSL title, but they will face stiff competition from reigning PSL champions, Sundowns who sit second with 44 points from 21 matches.

Sundowns will resume their schedule with a Nedbank Cup semi-final match against Wits this Saturday and they will face Orlando Pirates in a league match next week.

Maurizio Sarri remains unsure if Paulo Dybala will play a role in Juventus’ Champions League clash against Lyon this week.

The Serie A champions are looking to overturn a 1-0 aggregate deficit when they host the French side in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Friday.

Dybala, who has scored 17 goals in all competitions this season, missed the Bianconeri’s last two league games due to a thigh injury, and is a doubt for the European encounter against Rudi Garcia’s team.

Sarri is hopeful that the Argentine attacker will be able to play a role but is waiting to get the all clear from the medical team.

“He's still in the hands of the medics but we'll see what he can do tomorrow morning,” he told reporters on Thursday. “Then I'll talk to him and the doctors about what he's able to do.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, was rested for the final Serie A game of the season, but the coach is ready to bring him back into the team.

“Cristiano is training very well, I saw him score a beautiful goal in training yesterday,” he added. “I think he's approaching this match in the right way.

“We need to do a very great performance, certainly. Lyon have improved a lot and become so solid since moving to three at the back line. They play with a big intensity in midfield.

“With the first leg result, it's a very tough match and we need to approach with calm and focus. It's impossible to play without pressure tomorrow's night but we need sharpness, which is slightly different.”

Sarri’s future at Juventus has been called into question towards the end of the season, but he dismissed suggestions it depends on their Champions League results.

“I think that the club will make their evaluation based on the entire season, so if they've already decided to get a new coach, tomorrow won't make any difference, nor will a victory,” he said.

Juve centre-back Leonardo Bonucci is confident his side will put in a strong display against the Ligue 1 outfit.

"We know very well that tomorrow we need to have a very good performance,” he said. “The energy and the adrenaline in the dressing room will be fundamental and I'm convinced that we'll do a good performance.

“We must be focused on ourselves, on our job, and not listen to what is said outside. I think the Juve seen after the lockdown put in some good and solid performances, mixed in with others where concentration levels dropped and we struggled.”

Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City side they must put their brittle Champions League tendencies behind them as they prepare to welcome Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola has swept the board in terms of domestic honours since joining City in 2016, with this season's EFL Cup the sixth major trophy of his tenure.

He has been unable to end his club's wait for a maiden Champions League title however, with Tottenham and Liverpool ending their compatriots' involvement at the quarter-final stage in the past two seasons.

City hold a 2-1 advantage over Madrid heading into the second leg of their last-16 tie on Friday, with a place at the concluding mini-tournament in Lisbon up for grabs.

Their 3-0 defeat at Anfield in 2018, where all of Liverpool's goals came within the space of 19 first-half minutes, serves as a cautionary tale, as do the clusters of goals conceded against Monaco – in 2017 – and Tottenham when departing on away goals.

"Yeah definitely," Guardiola told a news conference when asked whether it was a concern. "More than conceding a goal is the way we concede a goal.

"When they are brilliant and make a good action, we have to accept it, but most of them were goals we could have avoided. We have to avoid it. Making mistakes in this competition punishes you a lot.

"We know it. We spoke about it many times, not this week but the last years, many times. If we want to make a step forward as a team to be close to winning this competition, we have to be better in this area."

If City progress, Guardiola will become the first coach to defeat Zinedine Zidane in a European knockout tie after the Madrid boss masterminded a run of three Champions League triumphs in a row from 2015-16 to 2017-18.

"When you think that you've got one of his tactical plans covered, he'll hit you with another tactical plan or revert to the original one that you thought he was going to start with," he observed.

"In the dim and distant past, we played the first leg and what we can remember from the first leg we've put to good use.

"We spoke about that game and since then we've watched all Madrid's games since La Liga restarted.

"We've spoken about how we think Madrid might approach this game, but what we've done more in these past two weeks is talked about what we can do – how we can hurt Madrid and areas we can cause problems for them."

Guardiola's preparations for the game have been thrown partially into flux by the news that teenage centre-back Eric Garcia has declined a new contract at City.

Garcia established himself as the first-choice partner for Aymeric Laporte over recent weeks but has been heavily linked with a return to his boyhood club Barcelona.

At the other end of the field, Sergio Aguero remains sidelined having undergone meniscus surgery, but Guardiola is not ruling out having City's all-time record scorer back for the final stages, should they negotiate Madrid.

"Right now, I don't know," he added. "He is still in Barcelona [where Aguero had the operation]. He is getting better. I spoke with the doctors and everything is like we thought. Hopefully he can come back and start training with us, but I don't know."

Nicolas Anelka has revealed that he “hated” life at Real Madrid and wanted to make a permanent move to Liverpool after his year-long loan at the club.

The former France striker spent a year in the Spanish capital after joining from Arsenal in 1999, but managed just two goals in 19 La Liga appearances and a further two in 10 Champions League matches.

Anelka ended up returning to Paris Saint-Germain but was loaned to Liverpool for the 2001-02 campaign, netting four Premier League goals as the Anfield outfit finished second in the table, and Manchester City snapped him up that summer.

He admits in a new Netflix documentary that he wanted to stay with the Reds a bit longer, while life at Santiago Bernabeu was unbearable.

"Liverpool fans think I didn't want to stay,” he said.“They need to know that that wasn't the case. That episode was tragic for me. It's a club where I could have done great things."

On his spell in Spain, he added: "I understood what it meant to be a star when I joined Real Madrid, and I hated it.

“After the press conference, I went to the changing room. I got there first, sat down, but players kept coming up to me and saying: ‘That's my spot’. I would say: ‘Oh, sorry. Can I sit here?’ and then another player would come up and say: ‘That's my spot’.

“It happened maybe 20 times. I just thought: ‘What am I doing here? This is going to be hostile’. What I experienced that day was just the beginning of the nightmare.

“There were sacrifices to be made and I was too young to understand. There was so much pressure. I was in the press every day. On the pitch, things weren't great. I couldn't have a private life. I couldn't do anything.

“You're 20, you can't walk down the street. Everything you do gets talked about, everything you buy is in the newspapers the next day.”

Anelka also spent a season at West Bromwich Albion towards the end of his career, but  controversial "quenelle" celebration saw him suspended for five games and fined £80,000.

The 41-year-old says his gesture was a message to former coach Steve Clarke, rather than an anti-Semitic salute.

"I'm back in the team and the first game I play, I score. So I do this celebration," Anelka said. "People don't know it because I never wanted to talk about Steve Clarke, but when I do the quenelle, it's for him. For me, it wasn't anti-Semitic, so I was surprised."

Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt feels that Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will thrive playing their matches behind closed without pressure from their demanding fans.

Football returns in South Africa after almost five months of inactivity and matches will be played inside empty stadiums, a rare situation in domestic football for the widely-followed sides.

Of the traditional South African big three clubs, Sundowns will be the first to experience how action without fans feels like when they take on Hunt’s charges in a Nedbank Cup semi-final match at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

Pirates will be the second traditional giant to taste the atmosphere of an empty stadium during Tuesday’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) clash, interestingly, against Sundowns at Dobsonville Stadium.

Chiefs will be the last to experience the situation when they host Wits the following day in a league match at Orlando Stadium and Hunt feels that the big three clubs will have an edge in the absence of their hard-to-please supporters.

“People say the bigger clubs could struggle [without fans], but I don’t think so,” said Hunt as per Phakaaathi.

“I think there is normally a lot of pressure [from the fans] and maybe now it will be less on the three bigger teams.”

The resumption of football without fans inside stadiums comes as Chiefs bid for a first PSL title since 2015, while Sundowns are pushing for s third straight league title.

Chiefs are four points better than second-placed Sundowns who have played a game less and could also claim the Nedbank Cup to complete a treble should they be crowned league champions as well.

For Pirates, the most realistic league finish they have is third place, the same chance as Wits.

But Wits face what could turn out to be a difficult return to football as they face the big three within seven days.

After Saturday and Wednesday’s assignments against Sundowns and Chiefs respectively, they will be on the road again, this time travelling to Ellis Park for a date with Orlando Pirates on August 15.

“We play Sundowns, Chiefs and Pirates in seven days, a lot of players will make their debuts, for sure,” said Hunt.

The Clever Boys tactician has promoted eight reserve team players to widen his pool of selection in the event of injuries and fatigue taking a toll on his team amid crammed fixtures.

“It possibly wouldn’t have happened in a normal season, but we will take it from there. Football is a funny old game,” Hunt said.

Ashanti Gold have denied media reports of positive coronavirus tests in their camp as they step up preparations for the Caf Confederation Cup.

News making the rounds was that the Miners recorded positive results as players and officials were reportedly tested.

The Obuasi-based side is bracing themselves for a possible domestic football return in October as well as their adventure in the 2020-21 Caf Confederation Cup.

"We would like to emphatically state that, none of our players and officials has tested positive for the novel coronavirus," the Miners announced on their official website on Thursday.

"The club’s screening exercise is scheduled to take place this week; results will only be known after players and officials have been tested. All contrary publications should, therefore, be disregarded and treated with the contempt it deserves.

"The playing body is scheduled for a screening exercise on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8 whiles the entire backroom staff would undergo testing on Wednesday, August 12, 2020.

"This decision is necessitated by Management’s objective to prepare the team for a possible resumption of football activities in Ghana.

"The screening exercise would be conducted by our medical team with the support of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research and Tropical Medicine (KCCR).

"The club successfully went through Fifa’s Pre-Competition Medical Assessment (PCMA) last month. It is therefore expected that these medical assessment procedures will inform Management’s decision and prepare the team ahead of the new season."

AshGold are set to make a second successive appearance in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Upon winning the 2019 Ghana Special Competition Tier 2 Cup, the Miners represented the West African nation in the 2019-20 continental inter-club championship where they suffered a first-round elimination at the hands of Moroccan fold RS Berkane.

After the premature termination of the 2019-20 domestic football season, including the Ghana Premier League (GPL) and the FA Cup, Roberto Landi's outfit received a nod from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council to fly the flag of the nation in the Confederation Cup next season.

On the domestic level, AshGold are targeting their fifth league title, their last success coming in 2014-15.

Maxwel Cornet is hopeful Lyon can advance into the quarter-finals of the Champions League by beating Italian giants Juventus.

The Kids will square off against Maurizio Sarri’s men in the second leg round of 16 of the European competition at Allianz Stadium on Friday evening.  

The Ivory Coast international featured prominently as Lyon shocked the Old Lady 1-0 in the first leg at Groupama Stadium in February with Lucas Tousart scoring the only goal of the game.

Last month, the Kids lost on penalties to PSG in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue and the winger, who was disappointed with the result, believes the defeat will inspire them to victory when they face the Old Lady.

“In terms of the result, we are frustrated given our performance during the match [in the Coupe de la Ligue final],” Cornet told AFP.  

“We played well. Losing on penalties was very frustrating but it gives us confidence for the game against Juventus because we showed a lot of positive things and we will have to use that on Friday.

“We saw a team that played with all their heart. We played for each other and if we are like that against Juve, we will have all our chances.”

Cornet has been a key member of Rudi Garcia’s side this season, featuring in 35 appearances, scoring five goals and providing five assists across all competitions.

The forward has been with Lyon since January 2015, when he joined the club from Metz, where he started his senior career.

The 23-year-old winger has made 147 league appearances for the Groupama Stadium outfit, scoring  29 goals, amid other dazzling performances.

Cornet has played for France U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 before switching his allegiance to Ivory Coast.

The forward made his debut for the Elephants against the Netherlands in a friendly in June 2017 and has since featured 18 times for the West African country.

Mbao FC head coach Fred Felix Minziro has won the Tanzania Mainland League July's Coach of the Month Award.

In the aforementioned month, the tactician managed to lead the now relegated team to five victories and a draw in the six league games played and collected 16 points from a possible 18.

"Mbao FC coach Fred Felix Minziro has been named July's Coach of the Month in the [Tanzania Mainland League] after defeating Amri Said of Mbeya City and Aristica Cioaba of Azam FC," the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) confirmed on Thursday.

In the same period, Azam, who finished third in the final league standings, managed to get four wins from the same number of matches, and two draws.

Mbeya City, who had to play second-tier side Geita Gold in the two-legged promotion/relegation play-offs to survive the axe, managed to bag 12 points after winning four matches and losing the remaining two.

Striker Waziri Junior, who has since ditched the relegated Mbao FC for Yanga SC, has been named July's Player of the Month.

"Waziri Junior of Mbao FC has been named July's Player of the Month in the [Tanzania Mainland league] in the 2019/20 season," TPLB confirmed via their official Twitter handle.

"Waziri has defeated Peter Mapunda of Mbeya City and Obrey Chirwa of Azam FC to be crowned."

The striker netted five goals for the Mwanza-based side in the six games played while Mapunda scored just two and assisted as many. Chirwa managed to hit the back of the net four times, in the 7-0 win against Singida United.

Junior was the first striker Yanga signed in the ongoing transfer window after the Tanzanian had a promising season with relegated Mbao FC.

He has signed a two-year deal and is expected to represent competition for David Molinga and Ditram Nchimbi.

Junior scored 13 goals in the Mainland Premier League and two in the relegation/promotion play-offs, which they lost to Ihefu FC.

Yanga had initially planned to have Junior sign his deal in Dar es Salaam, but when they got wind that Azam FC were trailing the forward, the club’s treasurer Simon Patrick travelled to the forward's residence and duly secured his signature.

Rodri has challenged Manchester City to prove their superiority over Real Madrid in Friday's Champions League showdown at the Etihad Stadium.

City head into the second leg of the last-16 encounter with a 2-1 advantage from February's initial clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Gabriel Jesus' header and Kevin De Bruyne's penalty overturned Isco's 60th-minute opener.

Pep Guardiola's side controlled large parts of the contest, although former Atletico Madrid man Rodri does not feel that should cause complacency against the 13-time winners, who are fresh from sealing La Liga glory.

"They are more than a team, they have that way of playing. You can never relax, even if you are winning 3-0 or 4-0 they still come back," he told a pre-match news conference. "They have a huge personality to be the champions they have been over the past 20 or 30 years.

"They are the biggest team in this competition but now football has changed a little bit. It is so competitive. The distances between teams are so, so narrow.

"I know that we have a better team but we have to show that we have a better team on the pitch with our good behaviour and personality. I think we have a better squad and if we do things well, I think everything is going to be good for us."

Pressed to expand on that confident assessment during the Spanish language section of the briefing, Rodri acknowledged his words will mean nothing if City come undone.

"That's just a general opinion of mine. I think we have got a better team, but words are worthless if you can't demonstrate them out on the field," he said. "It's down to us to prove that, prove what I've been saying.

"There are lots of general reasons, but I'd just say we're a side that is full of goals and we've got talented players in every position, every area of the field.

"We've got to play well and I think we've got to match Real Madrid in what they may have that is better than us – more experience on the massive stage than us and they've got a strong mentality in these big, big games.

"If we match them in those areas, fate will decide, but I think we'll have a good chance."

City's record signing also cast a glance to the bigger picture of reaching the final stages of this season's tournament in Lisbon and the prospect of claiming a maiden Champions League crown for the club.

"We know we want to win the Champions League, so we want to win every single match," he added. "It is important to win tomorrow. We are focused on wining the Champions League. The confidence of the team is to get this goal.

"It is a dream for everyone, for me. Tomorrow we have this amazing match that is a final for us.

"We have the confidence that it is a long tournament. We want to win the tournament, not only the Real Madrid match."

Kenya midfielder Francis Kahata has revealed reports of building his former coach Fredrick Ochieng's house has been blown out of proportion.

A section of media reported the Simba SC creative player had promised to build the tactician a three-bedroom house.

"The reports I am reading and hearing from Kenya about me building [Ochieng] a house are baseless," Kahata told Goal on Thursday.

"I have been talking with the coach and I remember there is a time he told me he has a parcel of land in Githurai where he intends to build a house.

"So he requested me to buy him the poles to help him in construction and I agreed. It is not the way some have put that I had offered to build him a house. He just requested me to buy him the poles and I agreed to help him."

In a recent interview, the tactician reveals how he spotted and developed the player, who is now 29-years old.

"We had gone for a match in Ruiru and when I saw Kahata I noticed that the boy was very talented and I decided to take him with me," Ochieng said in a recent interview.

I approached the boy and after speaking to Kahata’s mum she allowed me to take him with me, he even lived with me in my house, especially during the school holidays.  

"As a coach, I had three age categories in my team, Kahata joined my under-12 team but because of his enormous talent I promoted him to under-14."  
 
Kahata has since played for Thika United, KF Tirana of Albania, and Gor Mahia and was part of the national team Harambee Stars who played in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt.

The Kenya international joined Wekundu wa Msimbazi at the beginning of 2019/20 Tanzania Mainland League season.

He has since scored six goals and provided six assists for the Tanzanian giants, helping them win the Community Shield, FA Cup and league title.