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Wigan Athletic captain Sam Morsy has revealed the players' determination to save the club from Championship relegation. 

The DW Stadium outfit were recently handed a 12-point deduction after the club went into administration which they have appealed.

The Latics are 13th on the league table with 57 points from 44 games, 12 points clear of the relegation zone and Morsy has revealed the resolve of his teammates to help the club avoid the drop at the end of the season.

"The advantage we had when the news came out was that we only had two or three weeks left of the season," Morsy told Sky Sports News.

"For two or three weeks you can focus and put all the other things to the side. If it was three months, it would be very difficult.  

"Not getting paid for three months and all the speculation, that could definitely turn your head. But for the sake of three weeks, we all said, 'Listen, let's sacrifice three weeks'.

"Obviously, agents would be involved and players could be leaving. But the situation we have now, with just a week left of the season, you can fully clear your mind of that, you can do something special.

"There will be players who go on to big things, play at a higher level, and that's all great. But if we can survive this season, this will be one of the best accomplishments of our footballing careers."

To signal their resolve of saving Wigan from relegation, the team inflicted an 8-0 defeat to Hull City on Tuesday, which compounded the woes of the Tigers, who are in the relegation zone.  

"We didn't expect it. I woke up on the morning of the game thinking it was going to be a cagey affair," he added.

"They are a good team, even though they're not in great form. It wasn't a game where we thought it was going to be a pasting.

"We were just at it and everything seemed to go in and that's just the confidence we're playing with at the minute."

Morsy has been with the Latics since 2016 and this season he has made 42 appearances for the side across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

The Egypt international will hope to inspire Wigan to victory when they take on 21st-placed Charlton Athletic in their next league game on Saturday.

N'Golo Kante has been ruled out of Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday.

Kante suffered a hamstring injury in the 3-0 Premier League win over Watford a fortnight ago and Frank Lampard revealed the midfielder is not ready to return.

While the Blues boss said a few players will be monitored ahead of the clash with in-form United, Kante was one he definitely ruled out.

He said on Friday: "N'Golo Kante won't be fit for the match, he's still not right, so he's out.

"Other than that, we have a few people with little niggles, which I'll monitor over the next 24 hours or so and then we'll be ready to go."

Lampard has challenged his players to grasp their opportunity to win a trophy in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues also battling to attempt to finish in the top four.

The west Londoners will also face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on August 8 although their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals are slim, given they trail 3-0 from the first leg.

On his side's trophy chase, Lampard said: "Considering where we are, we're in the semi-final [of the FA Cup], we know what's in front of us.

"The league is obviously huge but at this point you fight on two fronts and we have to give everything to try and do that. A club like Chelsea will always want to win these kinds of trophies, it's what we've done very well in the modern era.

"Of course, it feels like a slightly different position this year because of the circumstances of the season, but we have an opportunity and it's up to the players and ourselves to make the best of it on Sunday.

"We're playing a good team, they are in good form and whoever would await us in the final will be a good team, so the work is to be done."

Lampard also discussed Christian Pulisic's progress, with the winger having been one of the Blues' best players since the Premier League restart.

He added: "Well I have seen a real improvement in his all-round game. Coming to the Premier League is very difficult because of the physical nature of the league and we have to remember how young he is and the summer he had.

"I think he found those physical demands pretty strong in the beginning and now you are seeing him deal with it better. A lot of that can be credited to himself and how he has approached it.

"He has worked a lot with our strength and conditioning coach, Adam Burrows, who is fantastic. They have worked a lot together, but it is Christian who has to take on that responsibility and he has. Physically that has helped him.

Also, just his talent is coming through. Looking forward I probably want to see more of what he has shown in recent times, which is goals and assists, because that is what the best in the world do in that position.

"I feel he has the capability to do that as he improves. That can be the edge as his game goes on and moves on levels."

Liverpool failing to beat Manchester City's record Premier League points haul does nothing to diminish their accomplishments this season, says Pep Guardiola.

Jurgen Klopp's side dropped points for the third time since being crowned champions when they lost 2-1 at Arsenal in midweek, a result that means the most they can amass this term is 99.

City became the Premier League's first and only centurions in 2017-18, with Gabriel Jesus' last-gasp winner at Southampton on the final day of that dominant campaign bringing up three figures.

Liverpool looked set to tear the record books to pieces before their loss of rhythm over recent games, but Guardiola thinks the comprehensive nature in which they picked up a first top-flight title in 30 years remains worthy of considerable acclaim.

"From my point of view, that doesn't cancel for one second the incredible Premier League that Liverpool have done," he told a news conference ahead of City's FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal. "Ninety-nine points or 102, 107 - the league was incredible. We congratulate them again.

"Always I've thought that records are there to be broken and sooner or later it's going to happen, but also 100 points is not easy. We were incredible two seasons ago when we did it, we were incredible when we made 98 last season.

"Liverpool made 97, this season they can do 99. Both teams did incredible things. Nothing's changed.

"It shows that doing the incredible season Liverpool have done and not getting 100 points, how incredible it was us doing this achievement two seasons ago.

"One day it will be broken, but it shows the season they've had but not getting there shows how incredible ours was two seasons ago."

City lifted the EFL Cup thanks to a 2-1 win over Aston Villa before a packed Wembley at the beginning of March, shortly before the global situation changed irrevocably.

Their return to the national stadium behind closed this weekend comes amid the UK government announcing plans to allow fans to return to live sporting events from October, subject to successful test events and wider COVID-19 realities.

"This is the most important thing, we miss the fans. All the clubs and all the sports," Guardiola said. "Fans are the reason why [we play] but they have to be safe.

"Hopefully the authorities, the medics, the scientists can allow so people come back to the stadiums. The security for our lives is the most important thing."

Paul Pogba is "still a few levels off from his best", according to Rene Meulensteen, who wants to see the Manchester United star "driving forward" rather than sitting deep.

United have enjoyed an impressive run of form since the resumption of the season last month, winning six of their last eight fixtures.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park on Thursday night to extend their unbeaten run to 19 games across all competitions, thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

Pogba played the full 90 minutes against the Eagles after being handed his sixth consecutive Premier League start, and produced another assured display in midfield alongside €55 million (£50m/$63m) January signing Bruno Fernandes.

The World Cup winner has adopted a more disciplined role in the Solskjaer's set-up recently, dictating the pace of games from the centre of the pitch while freeing up Fernandes to operate in a free role between the midfield and attack.

Meulensteen, who served Sir Alex Ferguson's number two at Old Trafford between 2007 and 2013, thinks Pogba will be happy to be a part of a free-flowing team full of exciting talent, but he has challenged the 27-year-old to make a bigger contribution in the final third.

“I’m 100 per cent sure that Paul will be delighted with this sort of play,” the former United assistant told Talksport. “You can see that, and we’ve already seen flashes of he and Fernandes linking up together.

“Paul is still a few levels off from his best. I think he can sometimes get the ball nicked off him too easily, and I still want to see him going from box to box, driving forward, and bringing a bit of unpredictability to that midfield.”

Pogba is reportedly open to signing a new long-term contract with the Red Devils after overcoming a frustrating injury-enforced period on the sidelines, and Meulensteen believes clarity over the midfielder's future will be crucial as Solskjaer looks ahead to next season.

“It’s one of the situations that needs to be cleared up soon,” the Dutchman added. “Just so everyone knows this is what’s happening for next season, that’s what we need.”

Meulensteen went on to express his belief that United are still lacking a traditional centre forward, while also highlighting a number of key areas that need reinforcing in order for the club to start challenging for the title again.

“United need to start competing for the Premier League, but that’s a big ask,” said the 56-year-old coach. “I still think they need to strengthen in the back-line, and I would definitely get something in the midfield, for sure.

“I still think, at the moment Manchester United are in form, they could beat any team that comes in front of them, but at the same time they could still lose to any team as well.

“The front three works, I have to say, but they’re obviously very young, especially with Greenwood. I can see a more experienced player coming in, but that depends on whether they want to play with a real out-and-out striker, because they don’t really have one.

“Obviously Martial can play there and plays it in his way, so does Rashford, but he’s not an out-and-out striker like for example [Robert] Lewandowski or [Harry] Kane.

“With all the strength United have going forward, I think a really top, top striker who you know is going to score 20 goals-plus every season would be a massive help.”

Baroka FC coach Dylan Kerr has confirmed his squad has been hit by the coronavirus, saying four of his players have tested positive. 

Although the Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele manager could not disclose the names of the players, he admits this is a major setback as far as their preparations are concerned.

Baroka are in a battle for survival in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) as they have six matches to wrap up the 2019/20 PSL season.

“All is good at training despite the sad news that four of my players tested positive and are not with us,” said Kerr as quoted by DailySun.

“Our hearts and prayers are with them to recover fast and join us. During this time and the position we are in, you need all your players in the team.

“So this is a sort of setback for us. The boys have been working on their own for almost three months. So, their fitness is not up to the standard we want,” he said. 

Speaking about their mandate to survive relegation to the National First Division (NFD), the former Black Leopards boss is aware of the importance of the fitness levels of those that are infected.

“We are left with a few games and four players who tested positive will join us later,” he added.

“They will have to work harder to gain the same fitness level as those who are training now.”

The Limpopo-based club is placed 13th on the log standings with 23 points from 24 games and will be gunning for at least three victories to secure their top-flight status.

Meanwhile, they were scheduled to face off against fellow relegation candidates AmaZulu when the season was forcefully suspended due to the coronavirus in March.

Kerr recently expressed unhappiness with the fact that their counterparts such as the log leaders, Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City returned to training earlier than the rest of the teams in the league, saying they will gain an advantage.

On the other hand, Cape Town City announced on Wednesday that none of their players and staff members tested positive in the second round of testing as mandated by the league. 

Pep Guardiola has labelled the much-maligned David Luiz "an exceptional player" ahead of Manchester City's FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

City have won seven matches in succession against the Gunners, a run that stretches back to the same stage of this competition three years ago.

The last of those was a 3-0 Premier League triumph at the Etihad Stadium last month – a game perhaps most notable for David Luiz's nightmare individual outing.

Introduced as a replacement for the injured Pablo Mari during the first half, the Brazil international misjudged Kevin De Bruyne's searching pass for Raheem Sterling's opening goal. Luiz then pulled back Riyad Mahrez to be sent off and give De Bruyne the chance to double City's lead from the penalty spot – one the Belgium star gladly accepted.

Not for the first time in his career, the 33-year-old found himself as the subject of derision, but he has gone on to play a key role in Arsenal's revival on the other side of a two-match ban.

"I have incredible respect for his career. He's an exceptional player with incredible mentality and especially personality," Guardiola told a pre-match news conference, where he had particularly sharp words for Luiz's critics.

"I laugh a lot about all the pundits, they were defenders and believe they didn't make one mistake in their careers when they played for 20, 10 or 15 years.

"I like that he is still playing football and I'm pretty sure he's going to make more good actions and mistakes as that's part of the game, but with a lot of dignity. I have a lot of respect for this player. A lot."

Guardiola's admiration for Mikel Arteta, his City assistant until he took the top job at Arsenal last December, is well established.

The Gunners' 2-1 comeback win over Premier League champions Liverpool in midweek was their fourth in the past six top-flight games, and City's manager believes the north London club are in the early stages of a transformation.

"I expect an incredibly tough, tough, tough game because they have something special already," he said. "They have team spirit. Mikel has created, from the outside, maybe I'm wrong, I see in the game how they celebrate the goals, how they fight every single ball.

"They have started to create something special for this club. Everybody fights for everybody and that's why it will be difficult."

Quess Corp chairman Ajit Isaac has wished East Bengal the best after confirming the termination of the Joint Venture (JV) between the Bengaluru-based firm and the club on Friday.

In an official statement, Ajit Isaac stated that the development was done on mutual terms and the sporting rights to field a team in a recognised tournament has been handed back to the club.

The statement read, “We are pleased to inform that the JV agreement closure has taken place between Quess Corp and EBC on mutually agreed terms. The formalities pertaining to termination of the JV agreement between Quess, QEBFC and EBC was concluded on 17 July 2020. Consequent to this the sporting rights have been returned to the Club and the shares held by the Club in QEBFC have been returned to Quess.

He went on to wish the club well in their future endeavours and praised the supporters of the Red and Golds.

“Upholding the future of the game as well as its supporters has been our sole intent from the very beginning and we are glad that we have been able to resolve all points of discussion in good faith. We believe that the club has fantastic potential and we leave with good memories of the diehard supporters, its talented players and its many sporting victories which we still cherish. We wish the club only the best as we move forward.”

Earlier on Friday, the company had sent a letter addressing to the Department of Corporate Services of the National Stock Exchange of India Limited where they stated, “Please note that the Board of Directors has considered, approved and noted execution of termination of the Share Subscription and Shareholder’s Agreement (“Agreement”) dated July 5, 2018, executed between Quess East Bengal FC Private Limited (“QEBFC”), East Bengal Club (“Club”) and the Company.”

Zinedine Zidane "has a huge stake" in Real Madrid's latest La Liga title triumph, according to ex-goalkeeper Bodo Illgner.

Madrid were crowned champions of Spain for the 34th time in their history on Thursday night after extending their winning run since the resumption of the season to ten matches.

Zidane's men beat Villarreal 2-1 at Santiago Bernabeu thanks to a Karim Benzema double, while second-placed Barcelona suffered a surprise defeat to Osasuna at Camp Nou.

The Blancos now hold an unassailable seven-point lead at the summit with only one round of fixtures remaining, with supporters now free to celebrate the club's first domestic crown since 2017.

Zidane has enjoyed unprecedented success in the Champions League as Madrid's head coach, but had only picked up the Liga trophy once prior to the club's latest success during a dominant period for arch-rivals Barca.

The likes of Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric have all played a key role in the Blancos' run to glory this time around, but Illgner says Zidane deserves most of the credit for maximising the output of an ageing squad.

The former Madrid shot-stopper told Goal and SPOX: "Zidane, of course, has a huge stake in the title. A lot of people thought that the squad had become a bit too old and, above all, too big, including me, but he got the team going again and motivated them, which is why Lopetegui and Solari failed before and after him. I take my hat off to that."

"After the big gap to Barca in the past years, winning the championship is very important. For the club and the fans, but also for Zidane himself, because he had announced the title as his main goal before the season."

Illgner, who won La Liga and two European Cups at Madrid between 1996 and 2001, went on to insist that the Blancos' impressive recent form makes them worthy champions ahead of Barca, who have been held back by off-field issues throughout the campaign.

He added: "Real and Barca have had many ups and downs during the season and were not consistent, but Real definitely deserved the title because they were the strongest team after the corona break, and of course, they also benefited from the fact that they had much more tranquillity off the pitch than Barcelona."

Christian Pulisic has acknowledged that Premier League defenders are starting to become more physical with him as the Chelsea winger joked that he is adjusted to rough treatment from his time playing in CONCACAF matches with the U.S. men's national team.

Pulisic has been in incredible form since the Premier League's restart, having provided three goals and an assist in seven matches for Chelsea.

After overcoming an initial adjustment period as well as a mid-season injury, Pulisic has become a vital part of the Chelsea team, drawing comparisons to former Chelsea winger Eden Hazard.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard shied away from those comparisons, but was full of praise for the American's ability to score and create goals in recent weeks.

However, as Pulisic has found success, he has also found a response, with the 21-year-old the recipient of a number of fouls.

Over the last five games, Pulisic has been fouled 11 times and, when asked about the rough treatment on SiriusXM Radio, the American defender said that it's nothing new.

Pulisic is routinely a target of foul play in CONCACAF, a region notorious for opposition's harsh treatment of stars, and those experiences have helped prepare him for life in the Premier League.

"When players start to get to know you more, watch films, see how you play, then it is normal," Pulisic said of the physicality. "With how I play it is normal, they do anything they can to take you off your game.

"It is a physical league, I have been kicked a few times in CONCACAF a few times well so I am used to it. I will be alright!"

Chelsea are at a vital point in their season, with the Blues pursuing a top-four place and the Champions League berth that comes with it.

Like all teams, Pulisic and Chelsea have faced a condensed schedule since the Premier League's restart, with the Blues also still competing in the FA Cup and Champions League.

As a result, their schedule won't let up in the coming weeks and, although he admits this period has been gruelling, Pulisic says the potential rewards will all be worth it.

"It is tough right now, honestly, I am not used to this many games," he said. "The schedule has been pretty crazy since we have been back. It is good, there’s not a lot of time to dwell after each game, it is just regeneration and we go for the next one so I have just been enjoying it.

He added: "I just try to take it game by game. You can’t think three games left and grind it out. You have to push for the next one, be ready for the next game, be ready and make sure my body is right. We have a big game coming up, multiple competitions and we want as many games as possible.

"Beat Man United and get to a final, get a top four spot. Bayern is not going to be easy by any means, but we are never going to give up and we want to go on in that competition as well."

Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew has stated he will make no comments about his disallowed goal during Thursday's Premier League encounter with Manchester United.

After the Red Devils took a first-half lead through Marcus Rashford, the Ghana international appeared to have drawn the Eagles level when he showed up at the far post to drive a Wilfried Zaha ball into the net.

The goal was, however, ruled out for offside after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review as United marched on to clinch a 2-0 victory away at Selhurst Park.

"I’d just say we’re unlucky at the moment. I’m not going to comment on it [the decision]. Everyone saw it. It happens in football," Ayew told BT Sport after the match.

"At the moment we’re a bit unlucky but we’ll just keep pushing, keep working hard and things will turn."

With United let off the hook by the VAR decision, Anthony Martial scored on 78 minutes to seal three points for his side.

It was an embarrassing run of six consecutive league defeats for Palace this season after a fine streak of four wins.

The Eagles occupy 14th position on the standings, with two more matches to end the season.

United, meanwhile, hold the fifth spot and remain in line to snatch a Champions League ticket by end of the campaign.

"We played really, really well," Ayew added.

"We’re unlucky not to come out of the game with three points or even one point, but it’s part of the game and we have to keep pushing, win the next two games and we can start next year in a better way.

"There are some games where we didn’t play well. I think at home, Chelsea and Man U today, we played really well and gave them a good game. It was a good game.

"We’re just unlucky at the moment, things aren’t going our way but we’re not going to stay here and cry and complain. We just need to keep pushing and things will turn."

Ayew is Palace's top scorer this season, with nine league goals in 35 outings.

He would hope to score at least once more in Palace's last two games, against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, to reach double figures. 

Manchester United need to be keeping Paul Pogba on their books, says Rio Ferdinand, as it will be “nigh-on impossible” to bring in a replacement of similar quality at a reasonable price.

Questions have continued to be asked of the World Cup-winning midfielder’s future in the 2019-20 campaign.

Many of those were posed while Pogba was stuck on the sidelines nursing a niggling ankle problem which severely restricted his game time.

The coronavirus pandemic has, however, forced clubs around the world to rein in their transfer ambition, with big-money deals in the next window expected to be few and far between.

Pogba has also seen United draft in Bruno Fernandes to provide assistance when it comes to carrying a creative burden in the Red Devils’ engine room.

The Portugal international has starred on the back of his January arrival, with attention being diverted away from those who had been stuck under the spotlight.

Pogba falls into that category and has, a couple of concentration lapses aside, looked rejuvenated since returning to fitness and favour over recent weeks.

The 27-year-old is now seeing a new contract at Old Trafford mooted, with his value finally being recognised, and Ferdinand believes United should be doing all they can to keep the world-class performer on their books.

The former Red Devils defender told BT Sport of a divisive figure: “I’ve seen a lot of people, a lot of fans, a lot of pundits say they have to get rid of him if they want to improve.

“Man United have not seen the best of Paul Pogba. We’re beginning to see it now. It’s fashionable.

“What I’m saying is now they’re beginning to see what he’s about, potentially what he could’ve been when they signed him. Now they’re going to start seeing that.

“Why sell him now? If you’re going to replace him - who? Who’s actually better than him and gettable in the world right now? It’s nigh-on impossible. Keep him.

“He’s on a good run of form right now, it’s only a few games, yes.”

Pogba took in another 90 minutes of action for United in their latest outing against Crystal Palace, with a 2-0 victory in that contest keeping their top-four hopes alive while stretching an impressive unbeaten run to 19 games.

Ugandan Premier League side Onduparaka FC have confirmed Bainomugisha Vialli as their new coach.

The club is restructuring ahead of the new season, with an aim of offering stiff competition to other top sides in the division. The appointment has been confirmed on Friday via the club's official social account.

"We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Bainomugisha Vialli as our new head coach," Onduparaka tweeted. 

"The 43-year-old Caf B & C Coach has provided leadership and promotion to different clubs across Uganda and possesses an International sports connection certificate."

The tactician will now take over from former Uganda defender Simon Masaba who will be serving as his assistant. Masaba was serving on an interim basis.

Vialli has previously coached Mbarara City, Lweza Water and Kigezi Homeboys.

In the abandoned 2019/20 season, the Arua-based side finished in the eighth position. In the 25 matches played, they won nine, drew four and lost 12 and collected a total of 31 points.

In the concluded season, the top-tier side faced many challenges as top players and their head coach Charles Livingstone Mbabazi left, along with the entire technical bench. 

"It has been our toughest season. But I have to thank everyone involved that helped us overcome all hardships," club chairman Benjamin Nyakuni said in an earlier interview.

"We will need to have more finances to pay players and facilitate other club activities and am sure that if all that is in order, next season will be our best."

The administrator reveals his team cannot compete financially with some clubs but has set a target of winning a major title soon. He has also revealed plans to make the team financially stable.

"We are in a jungle playing against institutional clubs like URA and KCCA which are well funded. It is a challenge for us, especially that we are from a humble background.

"We want to professionalize this club and our brand should be more vibrant. We want to restructure the staff and player management and improve on all fronts, do more research on how to improve things. 

"The target is to win a trophy next season. We have lower-division trophies in store and we want a big trophy [league title or Uganda Cup] come next season. We can achieve this if we are all united."

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez believes Karim Benzema is the best player in the world and deserves to win the Ballon d'Or after helping his team to yet another La Liga title.

Los Blancos returned to top-flight action three points behind eternal rivals Barcelona following the coronavirus-enforced suspension, but negotiated their way to 10 straight victories while the Blaugrana struggled for form and ultimately threw the league away.

Benzema was pivotal to Madrid's overall success during the course of the season, with his goals resulting in more points won than any other player in La Liga this season (16 points, 21 goals), and Perez believes the often-maligned Frenchman deserves to be rewarded for his efforts.

Following his club being crowned champions on Thursday, Perez told El Transistor: “Benzema should win the Ballon d'Or, I have not seen another player have as good a year as him.”

Speaking to COPE the following morning, he added: “Benzema has been the most criticised player in the world but he's the best in the world. In terms of how he plays, he's a centre-forward more like [Zinedine] Zidane than Ronaldo Nazario.

“He has been here since 2009 and that says it all.”

Another player who has been key to Real's resurgence has been captain Sergio Ramos, who Perez was keen to reaffirm will likely retire at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Sergio Ramos will continue at Real Madrid for as long as he wants and he knows that,” the president said. “As long as he has the strength – and he still has that strength – I think he will be with us for many years.”

The club's head coach, Zidane, was also singled out for praise, with the former France international having added yet another title to his impressive haul while in the dugout for Europe's most decorated team.

“I read in a tweet that they sent me that Zidane wins a title every 19 games,” he said. “What else can I say?

“We still have the Champions League to play and we are very excited. We hope that we can continue the momentum we have built during these 10 games and extend it into August. The entire team has managed to create an atmosphere of enthusiasm and hard work. 

“Those are our values and that is the message.”

Azam FC have agreed on terms with Simba SC assistant coach Selamani Matola and he is expected to join the team ahead of the new season.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ have been linked with the former Taifa Stars player for many seasons and it has now emerged that they have acquired his services ahead of the new season.

Matola joined Simba from Polisi Tanzania at the start of the current campaign and has been work under Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck.

Goal now understands Matola was picked from a pool of other assistant coaches who had submitted their CVs for the job, which also includes Kagera Sugar head coach Mecky Maxime.

“It is true that Matola will cross over from Yanga to handle Azam on the same capacity,” the source, who did not want to be named, revealed to Goal.

“Matola was among the coaches Azam officials were looking at and he has been picked ahead of Maxime, Azam are keen to build a strong technical bench as they want to challenge for titles in the coming season.”

Azam are currently under the tutelage of Romanian coach Aristica Cioaba and are now fighting to finish the season in the second position after missing out on the title and also losing to Simba SC in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Cioaba has maintained they have what it takes to win all three remaining matches and finish second ahead of Young Africans (Yanga SC) on the 20-team log.

“I know we lost against Mtibwa Sugar and it was a huge setback because it gave Yanga the chance to move second again but we still have three matches before we end the season,” Cioaba told reporters.

“It is a tight race now, Yanga are also fighting to finish second but we will not give in easily, we will fight to the end, three matches are enough to take us back to the second spot because you never know, in football, even Yanga can lose their remaining matches.

“I want my players to forget about the defeat to Mtibwa, it was not a good one, we dominated the match but ended up losing, we must now put our energy and win the remaining matches.”

Azam will next face Lipuli FC on Sunday while Yanga will come up against Mwadui FC on Saturday as the race for the second spot hots up.

Manchester City should not celebrate their ban from European competition being lifted, according to Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.

The Premier League club had been suspended from UEFA competitions from two years earlier this season for breaking Financial Fair Play regulations, which looked set to see them banned from playing in the Champions League and could have led to mass departures of their best players.

City appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and on Monday their ban was lifted in what was a huge victory for the club and a damaging blow for European football's governing body. Instead, the English club were ordered to pay a fine of €10 million (£9m/$11m) for failing to assist UEFA in its investigations - itself a huge reduction from the initial financial penalty.

The decision has been regarded as vindication by City, with manager Pep Guardiola saying the ruling proves the club have acted above board.

Watzke however feels that City should not be crowing about the decision, pointing out that CAS came to their conclusion because of a lack of evidence, following the Premier League side's refusal to cooperate with the UEFA investigation.

He told Kicker: "Overall, it was not a good day for football. It is also a setback for UEFA.

"I would recommend Manchester City to stop celebrating. If you read the reasoning for the judgment, you can see that just the evidence was not valid enough. In fact, celebration should be forbidden."

Watzke is not the only major European football figure infuriated by the escape, with La Liga president and long-standing Man City critic Javier Tebas aiming further barbs at Guardiola.

Tebas told ESPN: "Manchester City will be in the Champions League next season not because they have acted correctly, but rather because CAS is wrong. In fact, CAS has fined them €10m, that is not just for the sake of it. From what I've read I gather it is because they didn't cooperate with UEFA. Why is that? 

"Have City hidden documentation? I would like to read the final ruling now, if I can. Just as we still have not been able to read PSG's final ruling from CAS, when a lot of time has passed and it is still not available. 

"The day I sit down and read it I will tell Guardiola that of which I am convinced: Manchester City have not acted right."

Former Uganda international Andrew Mukasa has explained why he did not score against Cameroon during the semi-final match of the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg, South Africa.

During the game, Mukasa was put through by Jamil Kyambadde after beating the Cameroonians defenders but the former chose to stand on the ball instead of putting it in the back of the net.

Mukasa was forced to retire after he suffered mental problems which ended an otherwise stellar career.

“I did it intentionally without having mental problems,” Mukasa said as he was quoted by New Vision.

“This was because I earlier had a misunderstanding between the team managers and [Ibrahim] Sekagya. In fact, with Sekagya we quarrelled and also fought. However, I regret why I did that.”

Mukasa’s teammate at the time, Mathias Lule, said the striker did not want to score even with shouts from other players after the Cameroonian goalkeeper was well beaten.

“At half-time, when we rebuked him, he told us ‘it’s because of my goals that you are here. So, it’s up to me to score or not,’” Lule said during an earlier interview with Daily Monitor.

Mukasa had scored against Eritrea and Zambia to help the Junior Cranes qualify for the tournament.

Mukasa went on to urge the upcoming players to take their careers with the seriousness it deserves.

“There are so many players in the country that are talented and play well. In fact, I have also managed to train with some of them,” he explained.

“But they have to take football as a sport that is easy to do. However, the sport will be easy for you so long as you train and stay committed and determined in what you do.”

Mukasa has been battling a mental problem for long but in June he confirmed his situation was improving unlike how it was before.

He added that he needed money to buy medicine, clothes and a small phone as he stays with his mother at Wakaliga.

Mukasa won Premier League titles in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 with SC Villa and also lifted the Uganda Cup trophies twice with the same club. He won Uganda's Player of the Year in 1999.

It was during the 1996 season that Mukasa earned his nickname ‘Fimbo’ meaning a cane as he scored 36 goals. He broke the record of 32 season goals that had been set by Jimmy Kirunda in 1978.

In the 1999 season, the forward set a record when he scored 45 goals before he was voted the footballer of the year in Uganda.

English football will be played in front of fans again from October, according to government plans announced on Friday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Johnson said that from August 1, "we will pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadia with a view to a wider reopening in the autumn."

If this goes according to plan, fans will then be allowed into stadiums for Premier League games and other sporting events from October 1.

He said: "From October we intend to bring back audiences in stadiums. In a Covid secure way subject to the successful outcome of pilots."

Premier League matches have been played behind closed doors ever since the league restarted last month, following a three-month hiatus enforced by the outbreak of coronavirus. Strict social distancing measures have been put in place across British society, with social gatherings banned for several weeks.

Major sporting events due to take place in Britain this summer, such as Wimbledon and the women's European Championship, were cancelled or postponed, as was the men's Euro 2020 competition, with the semis and final having been scheduled to be played at Wembley in London.

These measures have since started to be lifted, with shops, bars and cinemas among locations of social gatherings beginning to reopen, which has led to hopes that sporting events will soon be able to follow suit.

The return of supporters to stadiums would be hugely welcomed by English football clubs, especially those in the lower leagues who rely on matchday revenue and face immense financial constraints as a result of the impact of coronavirus.

Johnson's announcement raises the slight possibility that this year's FA Cup final - re-scheduled for August 1 - could be played in front of some fans. However, it is more likely that small groups of supporters will not be allowed into grounds until the 2020-21 season has begun.

The current Premier League season concludes on July 26 and the 2020-21 campaign is potentially set to start either at the end of August or in the second week of September.

Details as to how the government plans will be implemented by football have not yet been revealed, with the possibility of social distancing being enforced in stadia in October, and grounds being unable to reopen at full capacity, still seemingly likely.

Wolves have been told that they have a “priceless” commodity on their hands in Raul Jimenez, with club legend John Richards hoping that reported interest from the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal can be fended off.

A Mexico international striker on the books at Molineux has been enjoying a career-best campaign in 2019-20.

He has found the target on 26 occasions in all competitions, with 17 of those efforts coming in the Premier League.

The 29-year-old has become the first man to hit that mark in top-flight action for Wolves since Richards back in 1975-76, with his value in the West Midlands clear for all to see.

Jimenez has become a firm fan favourite during his time at Molineux, but his efforts have not gone unnoticed elsewhere and speculation continues to suggest that leading sides in the Premier League and La Liga are casting admiring glances in his direction.

Richards can appreciate why that is the case, but is eager to see a talismanic figure retained by an ambitious outfit.

The Wolves legend told the Express and Star of Jimenez’s goal-scoring ability: “It’s priceless.

“There’s a lot of work being done by the team as a whole, but sometimes you only get one or two slight chances.

“Most strikers probably will not take those, but when you’ve got somebody of that class, like Raul, you know he’s likely to pop them in.

“He’s a priceless commodity. What he has contributed goals-wise is invaluable to the club.”

Richards added of a frontman who was snapped up in a club-record £30 million ($38m) deal on the back of a productive loan spell: “He just seems to be getting better, if that can be possible.

“He’s a world-class striker, without a doubt. You see it week in and week out with the way he performs and leads the frontline.

“He works hard as well. You can understand why there’s lots of interest, and why we need to keep him. We need to keep him.”

Jimenez’s efforts have kept Wolves in the hunt for a top-six finish this season, while Nuno’s side are also waiting on the resumption of Europa League action having reached the last-16 stage of that competition.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has convened a meeting with all Kenyan Premier League (KPL) clubs, a day after signing a lucrative sponsorship for the top tier.

On Thursday, the FKF through president Nick Mwendwa announced they had signed a lucrative five-year deal worth Sh1.2 billion with Nigerian-based betting company BetKing.

In the contract, KPL clubs will be entitled to Sh8million annually from the federation and will see the partnership starting at Sh220million in the first year, and increased by increments of 5% in the second year, and 10% in coming years.

Mwendwa also confirmed the first batch of money from the new sponsors will be sent this week, promising clubs they will be sent the amount directly to their accounts.

According to a signed letter, from Mwendwa to all KPL clubs and obtained by Goal, the FKF has now reached out to the 17 clubs for an urgent meeting which will be conducted via Zoom, as a safety measure to help curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, on Wednesday.

“As you are aware the federation has signed a five-year deal worth Sh1.2billion with online betting firm BetKing, for official title sponsors and official betting partners of the FKF-Premier League,” stated the statement as seen by Goal.

“The deal was negotiated and concluded in anticipation of the end of the contract between Football Kenya Federation and Kenya Premier League Limited, with a view to ensuring that our clubs, most of which have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic have a significant level of financial cushioning going into and beyond the 2020/21 season.

“In light of the aforementioned, and the need to better understand the finer details of the BetKing sponsorship deal and how the league will be run and managed post-KPL, my office wishes to invite you for a zoom meeting on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, at 10:00.

“Additionally, in the coming days, the FKF CEO Barry Otieno will contact you in regard to your club bank account details, to enable the federation to disburse funds in a timely manner.

“Kindly accept, dear chairmen, our utmost gratitude for your cooperation and continued support, this even as I wish you all the best in the upcoming football season.”

SportPesa were the KPL title sponsors before they walked away at the beginning of the 2019-20 season citing unfavourable working conditions in the country for the decision.