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Manchester City can "deal with" Real Madrid without Sergio Aguero, says Ilkay Gundogan, who has challenged his team-mates to "step up".

Aguero is currently in the middle of a rehabilitation programme as he continues to recover from surgery on the knee injury he picked up during City's 5-0 win over Burnley on June 22.

The Argentine striker has already returned to the gym for light individual training, but Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he will be unavailable for next month's crucial showdown with Madrid at Etihad Stadium.

The Blues beat the Blancos 2-1 in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie at Santiago Bernabeu back in February, thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin de Bruyne.

Guardiola opted to start Jesus ahead of Aguero in the Spanish capital, a risk which paid off as Madrid struggled to cope with City's high-intensity approach in and out of possession.

The Brazilian could be asked to lead the line again in the return, but Gundogan also believes a positive result can be achieved with a false nine.

Although the Germany international admits that Aguero's presence will be missed, he is confident that City have enough strength in depth to reach the quarter-finals on August 7.

“It is definitely disappointing to not have Sergio available,” Gundogan told the club's official website.

“We wish him a speedy recovery and to have him back as soon as possible, because he is such an important player for us.

“We have to deal with injuries, as we did in the season with Aymeric [Laporte] not being available. We have to do the same now with Sergio’s situation. I am sure we will be able to do that.

“Other players will have to step up. We have Gabby [Jesus], who is an amazing player, but we also have different players who can play as a false nine.

“I am sure we will be able to deal with it, but of course, we will miss him.”

When quizzed on how he will set up against Madrid after seeing Aguero sidelined last month, Guardiola named Gundogan among those capable of filling a prized asset's boots in the final third.

The 29-year-old insists there are plenty more suitable candidates for the role than him within the City squad, but has pledged to give his all to the task if selected in an unnatural position.

“If needed, I would try to do my best,” he added.

“I still see a few players in front of me for that position. If I have to play there, I will and I will try do my best to help the team in the best possible way, as I always do.

“It doesn’t matter for me. There are positions I prefer to play, but my aim is to always do my best to help the team as much as possible.

“If that is as a false nine, I will try to do that.”

Orlando Pirates media officer Thandi Merafe says the death of the club's famous fan Mandla Sindane has affected all PSL teams.

Nicknamed Mgijimi, Sindane was found dead at his home in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga on Tuesday morning.

Merafe got an opportunity to work with Mgijimi from time to time during Pirates events and she described him as a man who had a great personality.

“We are all saddened by the news of Mgijimi’s passing,” Merafe told The Citizen.

“He was a lovely soul with a great personality and always smiling. It’s very difficult to learn of his passing. He was always following the team wherever we play.

"When we go to Durban, Mgijimi will be there waiting for the team at the airport. When we go to play Chippa [United], he will be there at the airport in Eastern Cape – Cape Town, you will find him there among the supporters.”

Sindane followed the Buccaneers around South Africa and on the continent as he travelled to Zimbabwe to watch the team's Caf Champions League group match against FC Platinum which ended 0-0 in January 2019.

“It’s sad that his passing has united us in football because we have been getting a lot of messages, not only from the club’s fans, but every South African football fan and even across the continent," she added.

"He was loved by many people. It won’t be the same without him because even when we scored a goal, the first person broadcasters will be looking out for would be him with his white overall and white powder on his face.”

Meanwhile, Mgijimi's younger brother, David Sindane, has confirmed that the Bucs die-hard fan's death was from natural causes.

“You know it’s normal for a person to have pains once in a while. And that is why we never really thought today we would lose [him] because of natural death," David told the same publication.

"We are faced with a very serious pandemic at the moment and once someone dies, everyone assumes it’s the virus. I would like to confirm that his death was not due to the virus, but it was a natural death."

Mgijimi is best remembered for his unique white-painted face and white powder which he puffed in the stadium during Pirates matches.

“We have to be honest as a family, his passing has shown us that our brother was loved by so many people and had a very huge impact in their lives," he added.

"We never thought we would get calls from newspapers, TV stations and radios to interview us. We are really glad that he touched so many lives. That is why we are going to celebrate his life.”

Chemelil Sugar patron Moses Adagala maintains that the club has not been relegated from the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

The Sugar Millers, according to a decision taken by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in May, stand relegated but Adagala disputes the move.

Chemelil Sugar went to the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) alongside the KPL seeking to reverse the decision. The SDT has so far ruled the case will be granted a full hearing.

“I am astonished that you are saying Chemelil Sugar have been relegated but for now we are nor relegated since we are still in court,” Adagala told KTN News TV.

“We are opposed to the federation move to relegate Chemelil Sugar and declare Gor Mahia champions and saying that Chemelil Sugar are relegated, that is not the truth at all.

“What [Nick] Mwendwa did was to cancel the league when Chemelil Sugar had played 15 games while Gor Mahia had honoured 13 matches and so the assertion that the first leg table was used to relegate teams and declare champions, there is a lot of unanswered questions there.

“That is why we headed to the court to seek the truth and I am hopeful God will help us get just the truth.”

The administrator further explained why the majority of Nyanza and Western clubs struggled and how his arrival would have ensured Chemelil Sugar remain in the top-tier.

“The Sugar belt clubs; Sony Sugar, Nzoia Sugar and Chemelil Sugar have been struggling due to the harsh economic environment their sponsors are operating in,” explained Adagala.

“When Chemelil Sugar managers approached me to take over the team, it had only won a game but thereafter in six matches we had lost just two games.

“There are things I had implemented and I knew if we were going to play all the remaining matches we would have remained in KPL.

“We had five matches that were to be played at home and two away and I knew very well with good planning we would have survived of course.

“When I saw Chemelil Sugar struggling, I sat down with the management and the players and we came to an agreement that the players must also strive to do better since their careers were at stake.

“The players actually were motivated and went ahead to produce better results.”

Adagala is also the patron of Muhoroni Youth who are in the FKF Division One league.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirant Sam Nyamweya has alleged world football governing body Fifa does not support the incumbent Nick Mwendwa on the controversial clause in the electoral code which locks others from vying for the top seat.

The administrator states there is a sense of false confidence in the current regime but it is slowly fading after they were exposed by Fifa.

He alleges those who were party to rigging and manipulation of votes are collapsing, leaving the incumbent in limbo.

"We are reliably informed that Fifa has officially thrown Nick Mwendwa under the bus," read a signed statement from Nyamweya and obtained by Goal.

"Fifa has with no uncertain terms ordered for repeat elections, inclusivity and collaboration in the FKF electoral process. The chief spin doctor and the mandarins at Kandanda House are now on the overdrive distorting the position taken by Fifa.

"For several months the beleaguered former president of FKF Nick Mwendwa has been chest-thumping, and dismissing the Sports Registrar, the Cabinet Secretary for Sports and the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) on their firm decision with regards to the FKF Elections.

"The chief spin doctor has been courting and threatening anyone and everyone with a possible FIFA ban if things go against his grain."  

Nyamweya has also stated the voter register should be made fresh as per the Tribunal's guidelines and has at the same time thrown his weight behind a roundtable meeting by stakeholders to find the way forward.

"The voter register so prepared by FKF was rendered a nullity as its foundation collapsed with section four of the FKF Electoral code 2020," he continued.

"This, therefore, means a new voter register has to be developed and agreed upon by all the parties to the FKF Elections.

"It is worth noting that the SDT called for an all-inclusive stakeholders roundtable meeting to deliberate and come up with a way forward to holding the already seven months late FKF Elections. 

"Nothing short of a free, fair, transparent all-inclusive election will resolve the FKF Electoral impasse."

The former Federation president has now demanded consultations to resolve the election puzzle in the country.  

"We the football stakeholders, therefore, demand, which we do hereby, call for the immediate resumption of the football stakeholders' roundtable meeting as directed by the SDT," he urged.

"This meeting(s) must be guided by the decisions of the SDT and in compliance with Sports Act 2013 (Revised 2013), the Fifa Standard Electoral Code and the Kenya Constitution 2010." 

Baroka FC chairman Khurishi Mphahlele has set his sights on this season's Nedbank Cup.

The current season, which has been suspended since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will resume in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng next month.

Baroka are set to play their remaining home matches at the Bidvest Wits Stadium in Johannesburg where they will also host Bloemfontein Celtic in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals.

Bakgaga's first game will be the cup clash against Celtic on August 8 and they also have six matches remaining in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Mphahlele explained that his players are eager to get back into the field with 13th-placed Baroka level on points with 15th-placed AmaZulu FC, who are in the relegation zone.

“We have been waiting for this moment, the boys have been training for the past three weeks and they also want to play,” Mphahlele told Far Post.

Bakgaga stunned the whole country when they defeated a much-fancied Orlando Pirates side to clinch the 2018 Telkom Knockout Cup which was the club's maiden major trophy.

The Limpopo-based side is now keen to lift the South African FA Cup having already eliminated Polokwane City, Black Leopards and ABC Motsepe League (Northern Cape) side Hungry Lions from the competition.

“We want to bring this Cup [Nedbank Cup] to the Province and we are ready," he added.

"You would remember that when the league was suspended in March, we were in top form so we want to start from where we left off."

Baroka had four positive coronavirus cases upon their return to training three weeks ago as they prepared for the resumption of the suspended season.

However, the club has since announced that the four people have recovered.

Their remaining six league matches are against AmaZulu, Pirates, Chippa United, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United as well as Kaizer Chiefs.

The other Nedbank Cup semi-final match will feature reigning PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns and their Gauteng rivals Bidvest Wits.

Baroka will be without defender Kamogelo Mogaswa, attackers Ranga Chivaviro, Mogau Khwinana and Tebogo Sodi when the campaign resumes.

The quartet was released by the club in May 2020.

Wilfried Zaha would have become "one of the best players out there" had Sir Alex Ferguson stayed at Manchester United, according to his ex-Crystal Palace team-mate Glen Murray.

United reached an agreement to sign Zaha from Palace for an initial £10 million ($13m) fee in January 2013, before allowing him to see out the second half of the season at Selhurst Park on loan.

The Ivory Coast international turned out to be the last signing of Ferguson's 27-year reign in Manchester, as the Scot walked away from the Red Devils following a 13th Premier League title triumph.

Former Everton manager David Moyes was the man who inherited the managerial reins at Old Trafford, and it quickly became apparent that Zaha did not fit into his plans.

The mercurial winger was sent out on loan to Cardiff mid-way through his first season with United, having been restricted to just two Premier League appearances in total under Moyes.

The Scottish boss was sacked before the end of the 2013-14 campaign, but Zaha's situation did not improve under his successor Louis van Gaal, who sent him back to Palace on loan.

In February 2015, the 27-year-old rejoined the Eagles on a permanent deal, and has since rebuilt his reputation in familiar surroundings.

Murray, who played at Selhurst Park between 2011 and 2015, thinks Zaha's career would have turned out differently if Ferguson had extended his stay with the Red Devils.

The Brighton forward also believes a former colleague is now ready for another big move, with Arsenal still considered to be the ideal next destination for a proven Premier League performer.

“Palace fans won’t thank me for saying this, but I do think Zaha needs to go, I think he needs to flourish,” Murray told Talksport.

“Even as far back as when he joined Manchester United… I believe that if Sir Alex [Ferguson] still would have been in charge he would have been one of the best players out there now.

“I was really surprised Arsenal didn’t go for him last year and they decided to go for Pepe.

“It baffled me that they didn’t go for him. I feel Wilf would have been a slightly cheaper option and he’s someone that knows the league very well.

“Staying in London would be good for him as well; he’s a real London boy and I just think he would have been the perfect fit there.”

Clinton Morrison, another former Palace striker, also weighed in Zaha's future, insisting he would fit in perfectly at either Arsenal or Tottenham if he can finally secure a move away from Selhurst Park.

“Even though he’s only scored four goals, he attracts a lot of players towards him when he’s on the ball," said Morrison.

“He’ll probably be the first person to say it hasn’t been his best season but, for me, when Wilfried Zaha is on his game he‘s one of the best wingers in the Premier League.

“He’s got that natural skill no one else can do.

“I think the time has come now, and most Crystal Palace fans will probably say this too, it’s time for Wilf to move on.

“I would say a club like Arsenal or Tottenham, I think he would suit them down to the ground.

“Arsenal is his club and I think he was desperate to move to Arsenal last summer, so if Arsenal came along he’d bite their hand off.

“But Arsenal or Tottenham, I think he’d be brilliant for either of those two clubs.”

Gary Pallister admits that Harry Maguire is not a captain and leader in the Steve Bruce or Roy Keane mould, but the £80 million ($104m) defender is still considered to be “exactly the type of centre-back that Manchester United needed”.

The Red Devils shattered a transfer record during the summer of 2019 when prising an England international away from the clutches of Premier League rivals Leicester.

Eyebrows were raised at a sizeable fee, but the general consensus was that United needed to invest heavily in plugging alarming leaks at the back.

Maguire wasted little time in setting about that task and quickly inherited the captain's armband at Old Trafford – with Ashley Young moving on to Inter in the January window.

The odd question has been asked of the commanding 27-year-old during his debut campaign in Manchester, but Pallister believes he has been a shrewd addition and ticks an important box for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ambitious outfit.

The former United defender told MUTV of Maguire: “I think he’s terrific. I think he’s rightly got the captaincy; he’s one of the talkers.

“He’s not the type of leader that Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce and Roy Keane were, but I think he’s got an assurance about him that the players respond to.

“I think, for his first season, he’s been terrific. He’s comfortable on the ball, you saw it on Sunday [at Leicester City], getting his head to things when the balls are chucked into the box. He’s dominant there and he’s exactly the type of centre-back that Manchester United needed.”

Many have suggested that Maguire could look even more assured if he were to be moved into a right-sided centre-half berth.

Victor Lindelof currently fills that spot, with questions being asked of his future and United’s need to spend again in defence, but Pallister believes there is a role for the Swede to play.

A man with four Premier League titles to his name added: “Lindelof has had a really good season as well. He’s not as dominant as Harry, but I think he’s complimented him.

“He’s got the hang of the Premier League: the physicality and the pace of it. I think he went from strength to strength.”

Maguire and Lindelof helped United to a third-place finish in 2019-20, with Champions League qualification safely secured, and attention is about to shift to the pursuit of major silverware in the Europa League – with the Red Devils back in action against LASK on August 5.

The two London-based sides are set to rekindle their rivalry at Wembley Stadium in a heavyweight clash to close out England’s domestic season.

Arsenal will be buoyed by the sharpness of Aubameyang, who scored twice against Watford on the final day of the Premier League on Sunday and finished the championship as the league second joint-top scorer with 22 goals, just one striker behind Leicester City hitman Jamie Vardy.

Luckassen is expecting big things from Auba as the Gunners look to win the first piece of silverware of Mikel Arteta's reign.

“I think Arsenal have got a good chance because it’s a cup final and in a cup final, anything can happen,” Luckaasen told Goal on Wednesday. “They won the cup two or three years ago, so in the cup final everything is possible.

"[I’m expecting] Aubameyang and [Alexandre] Lacazette to show up, these are the two most dangerous players for Arsenal," he added. “[Nicolas] Pepe is also a good player. 

"So the three of them upfront can do something.”

Chelsea finished the recent Premier League in fourth position, three spots above Arsenal, although the Gunners improved markedly after Arteta replaced Unai Emery midway through the campaign.

“I think Chelsea have a better team right now and they did better in the league as well," Luckassen remarked. 

[Olivier] Giroud is in form, but a cup final is only one game, so anything can happen. Arsenal beat Manchester City [in the semi-final] and City are one of the best teams in the Premier League.”

Arsenal’s defence came under heavy scrutiny during the league season, particularly considering the inconsistency of Brazil defender David Luiz, who conceded five penalties and received the marching orders on two occasions.

There are also other reasons why the centre-back will be in the spotlight on Saturday, particularly considering he joined Arsenal from Chelsea last year.

“Arsenal’s defence is error-prone but when they played against Manchester City, David Luiz was one of the best on the day,” the former AZ Alkmaar and Ross County man concluded “I hope everybody has his best game in this final, and maybe the score can go on the side of Arsenal.

"Personally, I believe Arsenal will win.”

With three titles, 2017 champions Arsenal are the most successful club in the history of the FA Cup, while Chelsea, who won the trophy in 2018, have clinched the top prize on eight occasions.

Brian Mascarenhas is another player from Goa who could point to the exit of the Goan clubs from I-League for having played a role in the stalling of his career. The winger, who currently plays for Real Kashmir, was forced to spend two seasons with Salgaocar, playing just the Goa Professional League.

The 28-year-old, having gathered nearly 2000 minutes with Salgaocar FC in the I-League, is yet to come to terms with the Goan side's exit from the league in 2016.

"When Salgaocar pulled out from the I-League, that time my career was at its peak," he mentioned to Goal. "I was continuously playing in the I-League but it (his career) went down with the club going out of the I-League."

Among his major honours, Brian has won the Goa Professional League with Dempo (2011) and Salgaocar (2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16) besides winning the 2014 Lusofonia Games as part of the Goa-India team.

The Nuvem-based lad took his first steps in football with Fransa-Pax FC's U-12 set-up before moving to Velsao Pale FC along with coach Eban Misquita. This was after the club from Nagoa shut down in 2006. There after he represented Salgaocar's junior sides from the U-16 to U-19 level and at the age of 17, joined Churchill Brothers where he would play in the Goa League for two years.

"Eban used to call me one-footed player because I used to mostly use my left foot. But then, I started using both my feet effectively. Now I can play as a left back also," he said.

"Actually, at the (2014) Lusofonia Games, coach Francisco Neto wanted to field me as a left back. I said to him that I never played as a left back and he told me 'you don't worry, you just give your best and I'll see the rest'. So from that time onwards, I started playing as a left back. For Salgaocar also, coach Derrick (Pereira) used to give me a chance as a left back."

Between his stints at Churchill Brothers (2009-2011) and Salgaocar (2012-2018), Brian kicked off his senior career with Dempo Sports Club in the 2011-12 I-League season. "It was the time when Clifford (Miranda) had gone for India duty (2011 SAFF Championship) and coach Armando (Colaco) gave me a chance to play," he recalled.

Brian saw his career at the top league stall after Salgaocar pulled out of the I-League in 2016. Though he stayed with them till 2018, he finally moved out of Goa to continue his career when he signed for Real Kashmir in 2018.

"I played only in Goa (until moving to Real Kashmir). So the offers also were hard to come by. I stayed with Salgaocar and played in the Goa Professional League for three seasons.

"I spoke to an agent and he told me about Real Kashmir. It was the season when they had won the (I-League) second division. The coach (Dave Robertson) was Scottish and Malcolm Thomson, who was the Salgaocar coach that time, was his friend. After my agent spoke to him (Robertson) about me, he asked Malcolm about me and that's how the move happened."

The 28-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Kashmiri outfit. After four appearances in the first season, he was just beginning to garner some playing time in the calendar year of 2020.

"This (2019-20) season, I got to play only three matches and when I was supposed to play in the starting 11, the lockdown (in Kashmir in order to curb the spread of coronavirus) happened and the match didn't take place. Then before the March [21-day] lockdown (announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi), we came home," Mascarenhas narrated.

Brian played just one full match in each of the two seasons but had the distinction of being included in matchday squad for all the 15 games that Real Kashmir played until the last season was suspended.

What next?

"I don't have a contract at the moment but (Real) Kashmir has told me that they will keep me. I have to speak to my agent also to see what happens. I just want to keep on playing and let's see where it can take me," he signed out.

There are very few footballing triumphs for a Mohun Bagan fan that trigger a sense of joy exceeding the ecstasy of winning the league. Winning the Kolkata Derby against eternal rivals East Bengal surely qualifies as one.

On Mohun Bagan Day, a few legends of the club – Jose Barreto, Sony Norde, Bhaichung Bhutia and Joseba Beitia sat together to discuss their favourite derby moments

Norde won the league in the 2014-15 season but had to wait until the 2016-17 for his first derby goal in the I-League. He scored a brilliant free-kick in a 2-1 derby win over the Red and Golds.

“I won the league with them and scored many goals. But the fans always wanted me to score against East Bengal. So, when I did that, I could finally breathe with relief,” he said.

If putting on a stellar show in the derby was one way of winning the Mohun Bagan fans over, Beitia wasted no time in becoming a hero. The Spaniard was the Man of the Match during both the games in his first season. In the second game – a 2-1 win over East Bengal – Beitia scored the opener and assisted Baba Diawara for the second.

But he maintained that winning the league was always the priority and winning the derby was just a means to get to his final goal.

“It (derby) was a special match for me. I knew it was huge for the fans. There was pressure but when I entered the pitch and saw 70,000 fans, I liked it. When I play with such a huge number of fans, I think that it is my match and I need to do well. Two Man of the Match(es) in two derbies was amazing. We drew the first one and won the second. But it was because of the team. I know the fans wanted the derby win but for me it was all about winning the league,” he explained.

Barreto was spoilt for choices when he was asked to choose his favourite derby goal, having scored for fun several times in this historic tie. He finally chose his equaliser in the semi-final of the 2008 Federation Cup that forced the game to penalties and ultimately led to Mohun Bagan’s coronation after a win over Dempo in the final.

“In the semi-final of the Federation Cup (2008), it was 1-1. It was the one where we played Dempo in the final. East Bengal were winning the game. That Federation Cup was important to us. The pressure was high. Sanju Pradhan scored in the first half. I equalised with a header in the second half. We then went through after the tie breaker. We beat Dempo in the final and became champions. That derby was important for me,” Barreto recollected.

Bhaichung, however, had a unique take on this, given he was the only player from the panel to have played for both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. He spoke about how it was hard to be disliked by both clubs after a poor show in the derby, for different reasons altogether.

"The club fans don’t like when the players shift to direct rivals. So that was very difficult for me. But at the end of the day, any professional player would want to do well for the current team. At East Bengal, I always waited to play against Mohun Bagan and vice versa. When you are not playing well, your fans turn against you too. So I experienced both fans going against me," he said.

ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder Pronay Halder expressed his excitement at turning out for the Green and Maroons in the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 season.

Halder was an integral part of the Mohun Bagan team between 2014 to 2017 where he won an I-League title and a Federation Cup trophy.

“I am very excited to start the new season playing for Mohun Bagan in the ISL. I am looking forward to it and hopefully, we will bring success to the club again," the Bengali midfielder said during a live chat session on Mohun Bagan Day.

There are numerous players from the football-mad state of West Bengal currently playing in the national team and Halder hopes that the situation does not change in the near future.

“It is a good thing that so many Bengali players are currently playing in the national team. Before us also players like Subrata Paul, Syed Rahim Nabi, Mehtab Hossain and many other Bengali players used to play for the national team. I am personally glad that so many of us are playing now and I hope in future too there will be many Bengali players.”

The India international midfielder also spoke about the difference in style of former India coach Stephen Constantine and current head coach Igor Stimac.

“We are all professional players and we have to adapt to all styles. Every coach has a different style of play. Since the beginning of my career, I have played under several coaches with different styles. Stephen Constantine was a more defensive coach who wanted to play in counter-attacks. Igor Stimac, on the other hand, loves to play a possession-based game. We have adopted well to Igor’s style."

He also suggested that the national team’s primary target now is to get the best possible results in their remaining World Cup qualifying games. India are winless in five matches so far in their group though they have managed to hold Asian champions Qatar, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. India are out of the running for a spot in the next phase of the World Cup qualifiers but will be hoping to finish as high as possible which might help them in their bid to reach 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

"We drew against Qatar in Qatar. We still have three matches to go in the World Cup qualifiers and we will try to do well,” said the ATK Mohun Bagan star.

The Malaysian FA (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Amin has proposed several suggestions to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) chief Gianni Infantino, in a meeting held on Wednesday.

According to the FAM social media, Hamidin attended the video conference with Infantino, along with other FIFA association members from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

His first proposal was for the world football governing body to admit more member countries into its various committees.

"As FIFA has 211 member countries, I suggest that FIFA open the door to more member associations to be appointed to the nine standing committees of FIFA.

"Infantino welcomes this proposal and says there will be an in-depth dialogue on this matter in the future," said Hamidin as quoted in the social media post.

His second suggestion concerned youth competitions.

“I also recommended various youth tournaments under the FIFA banner to be held on a yearly basis instead to the current biennial system. This will give more opportunities for every generation of footballers to be exposed to more competitive international matches via the qualifiers and the final rounds. 

"Infantino replied that FIFA is always in discussions with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and it depends on the current situation, at this time especially after October," he noted.

Malaysia U-19 in the AFC U-19 Championship finals in 2018. Photo from AFC

The meeting participants also discussed matters of football in their own countries amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hamidin is set to attend the 70th FIFA Congress, which is also set to be held virtually on September 18.

Christian Kouame had his second involvement in a Fiorentina goal after assisting Federico Chiesa in a 4-0 victory over Musa Barrow’s Bologna in the Serie A on Wednesday night.

The Viola came into this match having suffered a 2-1 loss at Roma last time out which ended their six-game unbeaten league run since a three-game winless run (D1 L2) at the restart.

They were keen to make an impression on their last home match of the season and after a goalless first 45 minutes, Giuseppe Iachini’s men took control three minutes after the break thanks to Chiesa.

The Italian hotshot then made it 2-0 in the 54th minute followed by Nikola Milenkovic 20 minutes later.

Kouame came on for Patrick Cutrone in the 67th minute and had a say by delivering a delicious pass for Chiesa who drove in from the left flank before drilling in a curled effort in the 89th minute for his hat-trick.

It marked the fourth consecutive game Kouame featured for Fiorentina and his sixth overall after making his debut in a goalless draw with Cagliari following nearly eight months out with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury.

It was also the 22-year old Genoa loanee’s second assist for the Florence-based team after doing so first in a 2-0 win over Torino.

On the opposite side, Barrow played for the entire 90 minutes but did not have the same heroic effect he had in Bologna’s last outing where he provided two assists and scored a late winner in a 3-2 victory against Lecce.

The Gambian forward still managed to produce two total shots, two successful dribbles from three, 50 touches and 26 accurate passes at 89%. He has scored nine goals and provided three assists since he joined on loan from Atalanta in January.

Barrow’s countryman Musa Juwara made his sixth appearance of the season after replacing Riccardo Orsolini in the 73rd minute. It was the first time he made it unto the pitch after his maiden Bologna goal in a shock 2-1 win over Inter Milan at the San Siro on July 5, Barrow scoring the other goal.

Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men end their season on Sunday when they host Torino at the Stadio Renato Dell'Ara while Fiorentina will travel to already-relegated SPAL.

Amadou Diawara scored his first-ever goal for Roma albeit from the penalty spot after they claimed a 3-2 win over Ola Aina’s Torino at the Stadio Olimpico and are guaranteed fifth spot in the standings.

The Giallorossi continued their strong form from their last outing where they edged past Fiorentina 2-1 but had to start from behind here with Alex Berenguer giving the hosts the lead in the 14th minute.

It didn’t take long for Roma to respond with former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko equalising just two minutes later.

Manchester United loanee Chris Smalling made it 2-1 to the Italian capital side in the 23rd minute and it remained that way heading into the break.

Their lead was further extended when Diawara converted from the penalty spot in the 61st minute. Koffi Djidji had fouled Dzeko in the box and Diawara made sure Torino goalie Samir Ujkani could not get a hand unto his effort even though he went the right way.

Moreno Longo’s men clawed one back four minutes later via Ivorian teenager Wilfried Singo who drilled in a low shot which Pau Lopez could have handled better. The 19-year-old made a solo run from the centre of the pitch and went clear of opposition players for his first Torino goal in what was his first Torino start.

Diawara completed 90 minutes for the second Serie A game in a row since the restart and produced 65 touches the second-highest of any Roma player on the pitch after Aleksandar Kolarov and 56 accurate passes at 93%, the fourth-highest among his teammates.

Nigeria international Aina meanwhile started from the bench for Torino and came on for Berenguer in the 80th minute. He had limited action but still made two tackles, won two ground duels from two, made 14 touches and 10 accurate passes at 90%.

It was the former Chelsea player’s 31st appearance for the Bulls this season, starting 20 of them.
Torino are safe from danger heading into the final round of fixtures as they are four points clear of the drop zone. They will make a trip to Bologna on Sunday to wrap things up.

Roma also hold that same point margin over AC Milan for already-guaranteed Europa League qualification. They travel to newly-crowned champions Juventus on Saturday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic claimed to be "like Benjamin Button" after making history with two goals at Sampdoria as the veteran shows no signs of slowing down.

Ibrahimovic returned to AC Milan in January and has been as influential as ever in their climb up the table.

In a 4-1 win at Samp, the former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Manchester United striker grabbed two goals - taking his tally to 10 in 2020 - and an assist as Milan made it 12 games unbeaten in all competitions.

In doing so, Ibrahimovic became the first player to score 50 goals for both Milan and city rivals Inter in Serie A.

The 38-year-old claimed on social media last week he was "just warming up" and repeated the statement post-match in Genoa.

Ibrahimovic then explained his continued brilliance by suggesting a resemblance to the fictional character who ages backwards.

"I'm like Benjamin Button," he told Milan TV, before adding: "I've always been young, never old."

The form of Ibrahimovic and AC Milan has seen head coach Stefano Pioli handed a contract extension at San Siro.

The Rossoneri appeared set to instead appoint Ralf Rangnick, but Ibrahimovic is delighted Pioli is staying on, even if his own future remains up in the air.

"I can say only positive things," Ibrahimovic said. "I'm happy for him because he did a great job.

"He worked under pressure without knowing the future. He did a great job and the renewal is deserved. When you work hard, you always get something back.

"I'm happy for him. He deserved this - it was not an easy situation. The team believes in him a lot and I respect him." 

AC Milan's latest win - their eighth in Serie A since the Italian top flight resumed in June - keeps them in sixth place, four ahead of Napoli who went down to Inter on Tuesday. 

The Rossoneri conclude their 2019-20 campaign on Saturday when they host Cagliari at San Siro, already assured of Europa League football for the coming season.

Rennes president Nicolas Holveck has admitted that the club is aware Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu is keen to move to the Premier League rather than the French club.

The Ghana international has been linked with a host of European clubs all summer after his strong performances for the Castile and Leon club where he played 31 times last season as they finished 13th in La Liga, seven points clear of the drop zone.

Rennes had been rumoured to be in the race to sign him for some time, but that is very unlikely to happen with reports emerging Salisu is on the verge of joining Southampton.

"Unfortunately, we knew from the start, Salisu preferred the Premier League because he is English-speaking,” Holveck told RMC Sport.

“He told us very humbly, and we respect his choice, that the Premier League was his priority. We had doubts about his ability. to obtain the work permit in England. It seems that he has acquired this permit.

“He would therefore be moving towards the Premier League. We were his first choice in case of non-obtaining of the license. Today, the post of central defender is the priority of our transfer window.”

Holveck went on to reiterate his desire to keep M’baye Niang who has been linked with a move to Marseille. The Senegalese striker finished as the Red and Blacks top marksman with 15 competitive goals as the Brittany outfit ended up third on the log and booked a spot in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

"He's a great striker. All our good players, we want to keep them. M’baye is one of them," he said

Holveck also confirmed Rennes are looking to finalise the extensions of Hamari Traore and Faitout Maouassa whose contracts expire in 2021.

"We are progressing rather well. I hope to succeed fairly quickly. We are also trying to keep our best young players,” he stated.

Holveck went on to discuss the possibility of Rennes signing Amiens and Franco-Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy. The 24-year-old scored nine goals last term but the Unicorns sadly got relegated to Ligue 2 after finishing 19th.

"The transfer window has not started so discussions are still rather slow,” Holveck said.

“It is a position we are looking for. Serhou was the priority from the start.

“There are prices that we cannot reach. I respect the choice of selling clubs, I would do the same. We are still on his track but we also have to look elsewhere.”

First-half goals from Luca Gagliano and Giovanni Simeone gave Cagliari a deserved 2-0 victory over Serie A champions Juventus.

Juve wrapped up their ninth consecutive title with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria at the weekend, although patchy recent form means Maurizio Sarri's side have now won only two of their past seven matches.

A vibrant Cagliari were the beneficiaries on this occasion, with Gagliano giving them an early lead to set them on the way to a first July win at the ninth and final attempt.

It proved a frustrating night for Cristiano Ronaldo, while Simeone – the son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego – came up with a superb finish worthy of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in first-half stoppage time.

Gianluigi Buffon was back in the Juventus starting line-up and picking the ball out of his net in the eighth minute, when Federico Mattiello drove Paolo Farago's right-wing cross back across goal for Gagliano to finish from close range.

Ronaldo – engaged in what appears to be an increasingly futile pursuit of Ciro Immobile in the Capocannoniere stakes – touched in Federico Bernardeschi's stabbed throughball from an offside position and racked up four blocked attempts by the interval.

Gonzalo Higuain volleyed over from Bernardeschi's 38th-minute corner before Juve found themselves further beyond due to Simeone's sublime 20-yard drive.

Joao Pedro sent a shot from similar range skimming wide early in the second half before Buffon plunged to keep out a Simeone volley – the defence in front of the veteran gloveman continuing to look terribly disjointed.

Atalanta-bound Simone Muratore had a long-range effort saved by Cagliari keeper Alessio Cragno, who also got down sharply to keep out Ronaldo's left-footer from 25 yard in the 68th minute.

Simeone might have added to his tally and Juve's misery when he sliced wide before the visitors pounded at the Cagliari defence with diminishing return until the final whistle.

What does it mean? Sarri has steepening Champions League task

The more Juventus turn in performances like this, the less their schedule of competitive action before the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Lyon feels like an advantage.

The Ligue 1 side have, of course, been out of action since March as they prepare to defend a 1-0 lead in Turin next month. Sarri badly needs his team to find some rhythm, something an experimental line-up entirely ruled out in Sardinia.

Simeone back in the groove

The moment of defining quality was produced by Simeone as he sized up a backpedalling Leonardo Bonucci before lashing beyond a helpless Buffon. It was his 12th goal of the Serie A season – closing on the 14 he scored in a breakout 2017-18 at Fiorentina.

That form proved good enough to earn international honours, but the last of his five caps also came in 2018. At 25, he still has plenty of time to get back on track.

Record man Ronaldo falls flat

Ronaldo is two shy of chalking up the most prolific Serie A season in Juventus history even if Immobile is now surely out of reach. But he was brought to Turin to help bring Champions League glory.

The sight of that wider goal appeared to be lost by all concerned as Sarri indulged a spiralling shot count and another 90 minutes in the legs for the 35-year-old.

What's next

Juventus wrap up their Serie A season at home to Roma on Saturday, when Cagliari are on the road at in-form Milan.