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Armelle Khellas has joined French second division side ASPTT Albi from Olympique Lyonnais for the coming 2020-21 season.

The Algeria international enjoyed a fine youth development at French top-flight champions, Lyon, in the past decade before the coronavirus outbreak caused the league cancellation in April.

In June, the 19-year-old took to social media to announce the end to her 10-year journey with Lyon. She thanked management and her teammates ahead of her possible move.

"After 10 great years spent at Olympique Lyonnais, it is time for me to take a new path," she wrote on her Instagram page. 

"Thank you to my teammates who have brought me so much. I lived extraordinary moments and I keep memories full of my head. Thank you for everything! A page turns, but the story continues.”

Having completed her move to ASPTT, the Algeria U20 star will be the fourth signing for the French side after the earlier acquisitions of Valentine Kirbach, Fanny Thouvenot and Elsa Heimburger. 

Reacting to her move, Khellas is delighted to sign her first professional contract with the French D2 Women's Championship outfit and is keen to hit the ground running at the club.

"I am happy to announce the signing of my first professional contract with the ASPTT Albi for the 2020/2021 season," she wrote on her Instagram page.

"A new adventure begins. In a hurry to be able to find the grounds. I thank the club for the trust they have placed, my loved ones for their support since my beginnings." 

Following her arrival, the defender will become the second Algerian player at the club as she teams up with compatriot Assia Sidhoum. 

ASPTT finished 10th last season with 12 points from 16 matches before the coronavirus cancellation and will hope the presence of the Algerian will inspire their top-flight promotion next season. 

Said Benrahma helped Brentford overcome Charlton Athletic's scare in Tuesday's Championship encounter with a goal in their 2-1 comeback win.

Following his goalscoring heroics against Wigan Athletic on Saturday, Benrahma continued from where he left off with his fifth goal in his last five outings.

After going behind as early as in the eighth minute, Brentford produced a late turnaround to stretch their winning run in the English second division to six games.

Towards the end of the encounter, the Algerian won a penalty for the Bees after he was brought down in the 18 yards box. He stepped forward to score the equaliser from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.

The 24-year-old has now scored 15 goals with eight assists in 39 league outings this season.

10 minutes after Benrahma's leveller, Ethan Pinnock sealed victory for the hosts at Griffin Park to boost their chances of gaining promotion to the Premier League.

The Algeria international was in action for the entire duration of the game, managing the most shots (8), the most shots on target (5) and the joint-most dribbles (5) in Thomas Frank's team.

They remain unmoved in third spot after Tuesday's victory with 75 points after 42 matches. Brentford are two points behind second-placed West Bromwich Albion and three points behind league leaders Leeds United who both have a game in hand.

With four games left to play in the Championship, Thomas Frank's men will be aiming to continue their impressive winning run when they visit Derby County on Saturday.

They also have home games against Preston North End and Barnsley, and a trip to Stoke City scheduled in the coming days.

Former Ghana right-back John Paintsil believes the Black Stars would have defeated the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup semi-final—had they got there—to set up a final meeting with eventual champions Spain.

Looking back over the West Africans’ campaign in South Africa a decade ago, the former Fulham man has explained why there was abundant optimism in the camp that they would have dispatched the Dutch had they advanced to the final four.

“We were looking forward to playing the Netherlands, because before the tournament, we played them in Holland and we tested them,” Paintsil told Goal, referring to the Black Stars’ 4-1 friendly defeat ahead of the World Cup.

“So we knew their strengths and their weakness, and so for me, we would have gone to the final.

“We knew that we were going straight to the final, and we would have won the cup, because at that time the confidence level was very high.”

Ghana won many admirers during the 2010 tournament, eliminating the United States in extra-time in the Round of 16 to set up a quarter-final against Uruguay.

Ultimately, they were eliminated on penalties following a 1-1 draw, with Luis Suarez infamously blocking Dominic Adiyiah’s goalbound shot in extra-time before Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent spotkick.

“We saw it as though no team could beat us after we defeated the United States,” Paintsil added. “We didn’t think that any team could stand us, and we were going all out to perform against Uruguay.

“As for Holland, we knew them inside and out.”

Ultimately, the Netherlands defeated Uruguay in their semi-final to set up a final meeting with Spain, who had themselves dispatched Germany 1-0 in their Durban final-four showdown.

In the final, between two sides who had never before won the big one, Andres Iniesta stuck a 116th-minute extra-time winner to secure La Roja their first world title.

“Spain were a playing-ball team like us,” Paintsil reminisced. “They didn’t play direct balls, they didn’t make silly tackles, they were a decent side and very disciplined, we were also very disciplined.

“We also liked passing the ball around, so that final would have been beautiful.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang became the second Arsenal player to score at least 20 Premier League goals in consecutive seasons, celebrating with the opening goal against Leicester City.

The Gabon international gave the Gunners a 21st minute lead in Tuesday’s league outing against the Foxes to take a slim 1-0 lead into the half-time break at the Emirates Stadium.

He arrived late at the far post to turn home Bukayo Saka’s eye-catching cross – which was unstoppable by impressive goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel – for his 20th goal of the season.

Club legend Thierry Henry achieved the feat for the North Londoners five consecutive times between 2001-02 and 2006-07.

Aubameyang has enjoyed a starring role in the Gunners’ squad since he joined the team from Borussia Dortmund for £55 million plus £5m in further add-ons.

In his debut season, he scored 10 times in 13 appearances while he was more productive in 2018-19 – scoring 22 times from 36 games – which ensured he shared the Golden Boot prize with Liverpool’s duo of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

His goal against Brendan Rodger’s men will be crucial in their quest to secure maximum points as Mikel Arteta’s side continue their chase for a place in Europe next term despite staying sixth in the English top-flight table with 52 points so far.

The forward’s goal against Norwich City the last time out was his 50th Premier League goal for Arsenal to become the club’s quickest player to that mark in the modern era, reaching the milestone on the occasion of his 79th appearance which was quicker than Henry and Ian Wright, who took 87 and 101 games respectively.

That accounted for 14 goals in 14 games against sides starting the day in the English top-flight relegation zone.

Aubameyang is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium in June 2021, and his uncertain future has attracted attention from the likes of Barcelona. 

Arsenal travel to the London Stadium on Sunday for a date with Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur, while Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi’s Leicester City would take their Champions League qualification chase to Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Lille have declared July 7 as International Day for celebrating Victor Osimhen because of his shirt number.

The 21-year-old had an excellent debut campaign in France with the Great Danes, thanks to his goalscoring exploits in all competitions.

Osimhen was the highest goalscorer in Christophe Galtier's squad with a return of 18 goals in the 2019-20 season which includes 13 efforts in Ligue 1.

His contributions earned him Lille’s Player of the Year award and the Marc Vivien Foe Prize for 2020 among other accolades.

In celebrating the July 7 date, Lille who finished fourth in the league table this season joined together two pictures of their talisman showing the no. 7 side by side.

Despite having four years left on his contract at Lille, Osimhen’s future at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy is in doubt with a number of European clubs showing interest in his signing.

Napoli are reportedly leading the chase for his services with an offer of €50 million and the Nigeria forward, before making a decision, visited the Serie A club to meet their management last week.

Lille President Gerrard Lopez admitted several offers for the 2015 Caf Young Player of the Year, and he has backed him to make a move to Gennaro Gattuso’s side where he could become a superstar.

"For Victor, we had several offers. He asked me and I told him what I think was the ideal club for him,” Lopez told La Voix du Nord.

“Napoli is just below Juventus or Barcelona but is at the same level as Atletico Madrid. If he goes there, he will become their superstar.

“Having a city like Naples at your feet must be exciting for a footballer. Victor has the strength to perform under pressure."

David De Gea has been backed to keep his place as Manchester United's undisputed goalkeeper for the next 10 years by club legend Peter Schmeichel.

De Gea, 29, has faced criticism in recent weeks for conceding goals against Tottenham and, more recently, Bournemouth.

Ex-United stars Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville have all publicly chastised the shot-stopper for his recent performances, while there have been reports that Dean Henderson could take his place when he comes back from his loan spell at Sheffield United.

Schmeichel, however, is full of praise for the Spain international and expects him to remain first choice in the long-term.

“He’s been tremendous for us, there’s no doubt about that,” the former United goalkeeper told the club's website. “He stuck it through in the most difficult period of modern-day Manchester United history. 

“It’s been up and down and, basically, he has been our best player. There’s no doubt about that. Four out of five years being our Player of the Year. That just tells its own story about his performances for the club.

He added: “It’s easy to just blame the goalkeeper, but I’m not going to.

“I’m trying to make a case that every goalkeeper needs to be protected and there’s no doubt that the way the team is playing now, as opposed to when a team plays more defensively, the type of chances that you concede fit into David’s best skills.

“Those kind of saves we've seen came from chances created by being defensive. At the moment, we are attacking a lot and that leaves strikers man-to-man. It becomes like a counter-attack. These are the kind of goals we are conceding now.

“I think he needs a bit of time to adjust to the way we are playing. 

“If you’re a goalkeeper that has been busy for three or four years, and now you’re not busy, you have to change your game a little bit. You need to find new ways of keeping your concentration, of staying with the game. Everyone has to adjust and I think that’s the same for him as well.

“David is our No.1 - he’s still a young lad, by the way.  He could play on for another 10 years. Let’s back him. We should support what we have because we know what we have is really good.”

But the ex-Denmark international stopped short of saying De Gea is the best in his position, as he feels a goalkeeper's quality depends on him being suited to the team's playing style.

“My basic philosophy about goalkeeping is it’s impossible to say who is the best goalkeeper in the world,” he said.

“You have to look at the team that they play in and the style of play.

“I always use the two Manchester goalkeepers as the example. Man City kept the ball and they need their goalkeeper to be far out of his goal and, anything that came over the top, he would deal with that. Also, he needed to be someone who could build up the game, even outside the box.

“If you swapped them over - the way we played under Jose Mourinho, could you see that Ederson would be a good goalkeeper for us? I can’t see it. He’s a different type of goalkeeper and David couldn’t play the game that Ederson was playing.

“I really do believe that a goalkeeper needs to fit the style of play that the team is playing in."

Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Okraku believes the outfit's Executive Council prioritised the interest of the nation first in prematurely terminating the domestic football season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After two months of a standstill owing to Covid-19, the football's governing body permanently cancelled the 2019-20 term.

The men's Premier League (GPL) and FA Cup competitions headline the competitions affected by the big call.

“We have 18 clubs in the Premier League with minimum players of 30 each, coaches, administrators, 48 clubs in the Division One, medical staff, Women's Premier League. We also have Division Two, Three and juvenile football [clubs] at the regional level," Okraku said as reported by Football Ghana.

“We are talking about a large chunk of people who wholly rely on football as a source of living.

"We also serve as entertainment to people at the social aspect and people also use our platforms as a source of living.

“So it is a huge decision that we had to take but we thought about Ghana first obviously, whiles we continue to engage our key stakeholder to ensure that we bring back football."

Owing to Covid-19, football and all other contact sports remain suspended in Ghana until at least July 31 as part of measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Following the recent return of some national leagues in England, Spain, Germany and Italy, there had been calls for Ghana to follow suit.

The rising number of coronavirus infection cases in the west African country, however, left concerns about the quest for football resumption.

At the time of temporary suspension, a total of six cases had been recorded.

As at June 30 when the term was annulled, the west African nation had registered 17,1741 cases involving 113 deaths, 13,268 recoveries and 4,361 active cases.

Earlier last month, the GFA revealed it was engaging the Government of Ghana over the possible resumption of football under strictly safe protocols such as playing matches behind closed doors, having had a first request rejected.

The football's governing body was hoping to follow the template of the likes of England, Spain, Germany and Italy, who resumed domestic football after the similar temporary suspension of their national leagues due to the pandemic. 

Uganda Cranes striker William Luwagga Kizito has signed a contract extension with Israeli top-tier side Hapoel Kfar Saba.

The 26-year-old had joined the Kfar Saba based side at the beginning of the year on a short-term deal but the Covid-19 situation did not make things easier for him. However, he had already done enough to convince management he deserves a new deal.

"The Kfar Saba football club is pleased to announce the contract extension of Uganda offensive player Kizito at the club for another season," the team confirmed via their official Instagram page on Tuesday, July 7.

It means the player will remain part of the team until the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

The Cranes forward was quick to welcome the new deal, believing he will help the team hit greater heights.

"It is a pleasure for me to continue representing this wonderful club," Kizito said after signing the one-year extension deal.

"I believe the professionality of the club, perseverance and unity with my teammates is good. The management has done wonderful work at the club and I am in the right place to continue developing.

"I will give absolutely everything to help the team be successful and hope God will be on our side." 

The former Vipers SC star, who has had loan stints in a number of European clubs including Bate Borisov and FC Shakhter Karagandy, had initially stated players should not always be motivated by money when making career moves.

"It’s all about chasing the dream not money. If you chase the dream, every decision you make will be benefiting your football career thus developing your talent and of course, we need to ask for God’s blessings,” the attacker told Football256.

Kizito further pointed out the traits footballers should have in order to remain relevant in the competitive world of sport.

"Technique and tactical awareness are a must, then hard work. You’ve got to be exceptional because there are so many players around you who want to play,” he explained.

The Cranes star, who has essentially played for nine clubs, revealed how his move from Politechnica Lasi to Hapoel Kfar Saba is turning out.

"I surely can’t complain, I settled in quickly but unfortunately got an injury at the start but I am glad that now all that is in the past because things are back to normal," Kizito concluded.

Chelsea climbed to third place in the Premier League with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Tuesday.

Frank Lampard's Champions League hopefuls surged ahead with goals from Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic, before Wilfried Zaha hit back in stunning fashion.

Giroud's opener came after just six minutes as the visitors capitalised on the misfortune of former Chelsea player Gary Cahill.

The in-form Pulisic doubled the Blues' lead in emphatic style before the half-hour mark, but Zaha's wonder-strike kept the away side on their toes.

Tammy Abraham's cool 71st-minute finish was followed promptly by a Christian Benteke tap-in, but Roy Hodgson's men were still condemned to a fourth straight defeat after Scott Dann was denied by the post at the death.

Chelsea broke the deadlock when Cahill appeared to pull a hamstring chasing Reece James' ball in behind, allowing Willian time and space to pick out Giroud to steer home from close range.

With Cahill off injured, Palace's day went from bad to worse when Pulisic lashed in from 12 yards, with Willian again providing the assist. 

The lively Willian went close to a grabbing a goal of his own, but Vicente Guaita proved equal to the Brazilian's side-footed effort.

Palace sprung into action in a spectacular manner soon after, Zaha arrowing a glorious strike beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga from 30 yards.

Abraham's precise finish from Ruben Loftus-Cheek's neat pass appeared to put the game to bed but Chelsea switched off and Patrick van Aanholt laid on an unmissable chance for Benteke barely a minute later.

However, Palace were unable to complete the comeback, with Dann's header hitting the upright deep into stoppage time as Chelsea, beaten 3-2 in their previous away game at West Ham, reversed that scoreline this time.

What does it mean? Chelsea hunting Foxes

It is tight in the battle for a top-four finish, with Chelsea putting five points between themselves and fifth-placed Manchester United. They also edged ahead of Leicester City and into third ahead of the Foxes' clash with Arsenal. Palace, meanwhile, stay 14th.

Willian the key to unlock Palace

Willian, who had two assists, has now been involved in six goals since the resumption of the Premier League campaign, level with Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes as the division's most productive player in that time frame. He created a game-high five chances.

A reunion to forget for Cahill

Cahill won two top-flight titles and the Champions League with Chelsea, but this reunion with his old club will not make the scrap book. He was not to blame for the opener, as pure bad luck saw him struck by injury at exactly the wrong moment.

Key Opta Facts

- Chelsea have now won 132 of their 256 London derbies in the Premier League; their 52 per cent win rate is the highest for any side in such matches.

- Crystal Palace have lost four consecutive matches for the first time since March 2018 – the fourth game in that run was also against Chelsea.

- Frank Lampard is the first English Chelsea boss to achieve a league double over Crystal Palace since Dave Sexton in 1971-72.

- Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has scored five goals in his last eight Premier League appearances; his previous five goals in the competition were spread across 49 games.

What's next?

Chelsea head to Sheffield United on Saturday, with Palace taking on struggling Aston Villa on the road the next day.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has called on his player to crown the title ceremony by beating Namungo FC in a Mainland Premier League match on Wednesday.

The much-awaited league match at Majaliwa Stadium in Ruangwa, Lindi, will see the Wekundu wa Mzimbazi presented with the trophy for winning a third straight title a week ago after their 80 points proved difficult for challengers Azam FC and Young Africans to reach them with six matches to spare.

Vandenbroeck has challenged his players not to underrate Namungo, who are sitting fourth on the 20-team log with 59 points and are keen to finish the season among the top three teams.

“I want us to win and then get presented with the trophy in style, it will be good to get the trophy with a win,” Vandenbroeck is quoted by the club’s official website.

“We dropped points against Ndanda FC in the last draw but we must now wake up and do a good job against Namungo, it will be a good match for us, our fans will come in large numbers to see us get crowned and it will be good if we give them a win from the fixture.”

Simba captain John Bocco has admitted they respect Namungo going into the fixture and has promised their fans they will strive to get a win.

“We respect Namungo because they have done well so far this season, to sit fourth on the log is not an easy task, we don’t want to underrate them, we know it will be a very difficult game but I can assure fans our main target is to carry maximum points.”

In a previous interview, Namungo chairman Hassan Zadadu warned Simba they will spoil their party with a shock win.

“We know Simba are coming here with a joyful mood to be presented their title but, they will leave behind maximum points to us so we should continue to get closer to the top two places on the ladder,” Zadadu is quoted by Daily News.

Zadadu further said their main aim is to make sure they finish the season in a better position so that they can attract sponsors ahead of the new season.

“In short, I can say we are 100 percent ready to get crucial points from Simba to keep us moving forward in the league,” Zadadu continued.

Namungo coach Thiery Hitimana also said their main aim is to finish in a better position and also took his time to congratulate Simba for winning a third straight league title.

Simba are looking forward to the match against Namungo as they will be presented with the trophy after Ndanda FC gave them a guard of honour in their last league match.

Eddie Nketiah's red card proved costly for Arsenal as Jamie Vardy's late goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for Leicester City in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta's side looked set to make it four league wins on the spin on Tuesday, thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's 21st-minute goal.

Yet, just four minutes after coming on, substitute Nketiah received his marching orders for a rash tackle on James Justin – referee Chris Kavanagh consulting VAR to deem the youngster's tackle worthy of a straight red.

And Leicester made their numerical advantage count with six minutes remaining – Vardy's goal standing after a long VAR check for offside as the Foxes claimed a valuable point.

Leicester started brightly, yet they were behind when the impressive Bukayo Saka fooled Jonny Evans and teed up Aubameyang for a simple finish.

Aubameyang would have returned the favour if not for Caglar Soyuncu's intervention soon after, before Kasper Schmeichel denied Alexandre Lacazette.

Kelechi Iheanacho had a goal disallowed due to a foul, while Lacazette should have done better with a header at the other end.

Schmeichel again had to be alert to prevent David Luiz extending Arsenal's lead after the break, with Iheanacho then directing a close-range volley at Emiliano Martinez.

Lacazette thought he had nudged in Arsenal's second with 22 minutes remaining, only for the offside flag to cut short his celebrations, and his replacement Nketiah lasted just a matter of minutes before he was sent off.

Leicester made Nketiah's mistake count nine minutes later – Vardy tucking in from Demarai Gray's cross, with VAR unable to confirm whether Ayoze Perez got a touch on the way through, which would likely have led to the goal being ruled out for offside.

What does it mean? Arsenal's Champions League hopes dealt a blow

Arsenal would have been heading into sixth place, just three points behind Manchester United and six adrift of Leicester, had they held on, but as it is they stay seventh, with Wolves able to move five points clear of the Gunners should they beat Sheffield United on Wednesday.

Leicester, meanwhile, stay fourth, with Chelsea having gone above them thanks to an earlier win over Crystal Palace.

Saka answers Arteta's call

While one Arsenal youngster – Matteo Guendouzi – finds himself out in the cold, Saka is thriving. Arteta asked the teenager to improve his all-round game after scoring his first league goal in the win over Wolves on Saturday, and on Tuesday the winger was in superb form in the first half, combining brilliantly with Lacazette and Aubameyang in the final third.

Nketiah's nightmare cameo

Arsenal’s second-half display left a lot to be desired, though they did look comfortable until Nketiah lunged in recklessly on Justin and put his side on the back foot – a mistake the Gunners ultimately paid for.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal remain unbeaten in 23 home league games against Leicester (W19 D4).
- Leicester City have scored 18 goals in the final 15 minutes of their Premier League games this season, more than any other side.
- Aubameyang is just the second Arsenal player to score 20+ Premier League goals in consecutive seasons, after Thierry Henry (five in a row between 2001-02 and 2005-06).
- Only Kevin De Bruyne (19) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (14) have provided more assists among Premier League players in all competitions this season than Saka (12). 
- Only Aubameyang has been involved in more goals for Arsenal this season in all competitions (25) than Saka (16 - 4 goals, 12 assists). 

What's next?

It is the small matter of the north London derby up next for Arsenal, with a win potentially crucial in their bid for Europe. Leicester, meanwhile, face relegation-threatened Bournemouth.

Former Black Leopards and Baroka FC midfielder Khunadi Nkoana has sadly passed away on Tuesday.

The attacking midfielder was on the books of the National First Division (NFD) side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila during the 2018/19 season.

His uncle Moses Nkoana confirmed the news and revealed the 28-year-old had been hospitalized at the Polokwane Hospital.

“Yes it is true that Khunadi has passed away, I received this news around 14:00 this afternoon,” Moses Nkoana told Far Post.

“He was in Polokwane Hospital. I received a call yesterday (Monday) informing me that Khunadi was at the Polokwane Hospital.

"He was complaining of stomach pains so the doctor had suggested that he should be operated."

“But today when I called his mother in the morning I was told the operation did not go on as the doctor did not see the necessity to continue with the operation," he added.

"So, he was about to be discharged anyway and those were positive news. But later in the day, we received the sad news that he has passed so we are still very shocked."

Nkoana made his name during his first stint with Baroka and he is best remembered for inspiring Bakgaga to a shock win over Kaizer Chiefs in the 2011 Nedbank Cup.

Baroka, who were campaigning in the Vodacom League (now known as the ABC Motsepe League) at the time, secured a 2-1 win over the Amakhosi side in a quarter-final clash in Polokwane.

Nicknamed Kaka, Nkoana was named man of the match and he was heavily linked with SuperSport United, Maritzburg United and Ajax Cape Town, who were campaigning in the PSL at the time.

However, Kaka stayed put at Bakgaga and he helped the team secure promotion to the NFD from the Vodacom League at the end of the 2012/13 season.

Leopards signed him ahead of the 2015/16 NFD season, but he rejoined Baroka in September 2016 and he spent one campaign with the club in the PSL.

The nomadic player then left Baroka for Tshakhuma at the end of the 2016/17 campaign and he spent two seasons with the Limpopo side.

He was currently playing for ABC Motsepe League side Magesi FC before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Bernard Parker is drawing inspiration from the club Real Madrid, as well Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo.

This is in the hope of a successful 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season restart. The Soweto giants are back in training in preparation for the resumption of the current season which was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If the season is to be completed, Chiefs have eight matches to preserve their PSL lead in their quest for a first league title since 2015.

They are four points ahead of second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns who however enjoy a game in hand.

Parker has stressed on Chiefs adopting the kind of attitude shown by Spanish giants Real Madrid who have put together a seven-match winning streak since La Liga restarted, to topple Barcelona from the top of the table where they are now four points clear.

Also inspiring Parker is Ronaldo’s mentality.

“It’s also noteworthy to see that especially the top sides, who have the best players, seem to perform the best,” Parker told the Kaizer Chiefs official website.

“That says a lot about their mental approach to the game. Look at Real Madrid, who have really been doing great since the restart, thanks to the players’ mental strength.

“It’s nice to see how he [Ronaldo] takes his leadership role seriously. Ronaldo has that winning mentality and it rubs off on his teammates. It’s a lesson for us as well. To be able keep our momentum, we need to be strong mentally. That’s going to be crucial when the league resumes.”

Chiefs have started training at Naturena ahead of their closest title challengers Sundowns and Parker describes it as “a breath of fresh air.”

“It really feels good to be back at training,” said Parker.

“It’s also great to be with your teammates again. It’s like a breath of fresh air... However, we will take it one step at a time. At present, I am just happy to be back on the field.”

The 2019-20 Spanish season might not be over yet, with the Covid-19 pandemic having delayed European club football for months, but Barcelona's new jerseys are already being unveiled to the world.

Goal has the latest information about the Spanish giants' 2020-21 shirts - home, away and third - as well as when they expected to be fully released and more.

New 2020-21 football kits: Chelsea, Bayern Munich & all the top clubs' shirts & jerseys revealed

Barcelona's 2020-21 home kit

Nike launched the latest edition of the Barcelona home shirt on July 6, with the jersey returning to the traditional vertical blue and red stripes that have become synonymous with the club.

Recent Barcelona home jerseys have featured more adventurous geometric patterns, but the newest kit will pay tribute to some of the Catalan club's most successful periods.

The wide vertical stripes will recall the kit that Barcelona wore when they lifted the 2010-11 Champions League trophy against Manchester United at Wembley, complete with the yellow collar.

Additional thin yellow lines border the larger blue and white stripes, paying tribute to the club's kits of the 1920s.

Barcelona are expected to debut their latest home kit in style against city rivals Espanyol at Camp Nou on July 8.

Barcelona 2020-21 away kit & release date

Full details on Barcelona's away jersey have not yet been revealed, but it is expected to take on a monochrome look inspired by the club's second kit during the 2011-12 and 2013-14 seasons.

In contrast to the traditional blue and red striped home kit, the away kit is looking to be mainly black with metallic gold accents, including a black and gold club crest instead of the traditional full-colour version.

Barcelona's 2021-21 away kit is expected to be released in July.

Barcelona's 2020-21 third kit & release date

Barcelona's third kit is yet to be announced but, according to leaks, it is set to be the first-ever completely pink jersey in the club's history.

While the club have previously had kits that have dabbled in pink shades, they have always been accompanied with colours such as orange.

It is set to be released by Nike as the last of Barcelona's collection of new kits in September 20, with the pastel pink colourway complemented by a teal and black trim.

Highlands Park co-director Brad Kaftel says they have extended former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane and ex-Orlando Pirates anchorman Musa Nyatama’s contracts.

According to the Lions of the North’s boss, the experienced duo will stay put with coach Owen Da Gama’s side until the end of August after signing short-term deals.

In addition, Kaftel has also set the record straight on the former Moroka Swallows netminder Greg Etafia, saying he will remain their fourth keeper.

“We have extended the contracts of Yeye and Musa Nyatama until the end of August,” confirmed Highlands co-director Brad Kaftel as quoted by Daily Sun.

“And during that time we’ll negotiate with them and see where that takes us.”

The publication further reports they will engage the former Amakhosi and Buccaneers veterans at the end of their short-term deals next month.

As the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season remains halted because of the coronavirus pandemic, Kaftel could not indicate if they will push to retain the duo beyond the current campaign.

The MTN8 losing finalist’s move comes after Fifa sent out a guideline advising clubs around the world that players whose contracts were due to expire at the end of June could be signed on a short-term deal until the end of the current term.

Letsholonyane, 38, completed his switch to the Tembisa-based outfit at the beginning of the season whilst the 32-year-old, Nyatama, joined in the January transfer window.

Meanwhile, ex-Nigeria international shot-stopper, Etafia, moved to the Lions of the North ahead of this season initially as a coach of the club’s junior side.

On top of that, the 37-year-old keeper has also been registered to deputize for Tapuwa Kapini and Thela Ngobeni after the two keepers picked up horrible injuries.

“As far as Greg Etafia is concerned, he’ll continue to be a junior coach and also a fourth goalkeeper. So nothing has changed in that regard,” added Kaftel.

It is also reported the former Mamelodi Sundowns netminder has been ruled out until September, according to the club.

Under the former Bafana Bafana manager, Highlands Park is gunning to reach the top eight for the second consecutive season as they sit eighth with 31 points from 24 matches so far.

AFC Leopards are targeting the services of former Wazito FC striker Derrick Otanga, Goal has learnt.

The player is a free agent after being released by the 2018/19 National Super League champions.

A close source to the 13-time Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions confirmed chairman Dan Shikanda has already contacted the player regarding the move to Ingwe.

"Leopards are interested in signing Otanga who is still rated as one of the quality prospects in Kenyan football," a source close to the club intimated to Goal on Tuesday.

"The chairman [Shikanda] talked to the player yesterday [Monday, July 7] and I believe the two parties are set to meet before the week ends to finalize the move. It is almost certain."

When reached for comment, Shikanda could not deny or confirm the club's interest but stated the player was approached while at Sony Sugar but opted to join Wazito.

"Otanga is a good player and I remember following him up when he was still at Sony but chose Wazito," the former striker told Goal on Tuesday.

"However, we all know his quality and with enough motivation, he can get his confidence back and score goals. Whether we will sign him or not, I cannot confirm."

Other players who were dropped by Wazito include long-serving custodian Steven Njunge, midfielder Teddy Osok, forwards Victor Ndinya and Pistone Mutamba.

The foreign quartet of Paul Acquah from Ghana, DR Congo's Piscas Kirenge, Augustine Otu of Liberia and Togolese Issifou Bourahana were not spared either. Kevin Omondi, who has also been serving as the club's first-choice goalkeeper, has been axed as well.

"The management told us Covid-19 has not made it easy for the club businesswise, and tough decisions had to be made," Otanga, who joined the club at the beginning of the 2019/20 season told Goal on Tuesday.

"It is a matter of recollecting yourself and getting another team to continue developing and growing your career. I take this opportunity to thank Wazito for the chance to play for them and wish them the best."

While AFC Leopards finished the abandoned season in sixth position, Wazito struggled to finish seven places lower.

MLS has altered the schedule of the league's tournament in Orlando, postponing a match on the opening day of the competition after several Nashville SC players tested positive for the coronavirus.

The news comes just one day after FC Dallas was forced to pull out of the MLS is Back tournament altogether, with 10 players and one coach testing positive for Covid-19 after arriving at the league's campus in Orlando.

Now, a series of positive tests for Nashville have altered plans even further, with five players testing positive ahead of Wednesday's tournament opener.

Nashville had originally been scheduled to kickstart the tournament against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, with Orlando City's clash with Inter Miami also taking place on the tournament's opening day.

However, following the positive tests, that match has been postponed with the league not yet confirming a makeup date.

The league confirmed that it will continue to monitor Nashville's status in the tournament should additional test results come back positive.

In addition, Toronto FC will see their schedule altered as a result of the club's late arrival in Orlando, with the Canadian side departing later than intended while waiting on results from a series of Covid-19 tests.

Toronto FC's clash with D.C. United, which was originally scheduled for July 10, will now take place July 12 while the Seattle Sounders' match against the San Jose Earthquakes will now be played at 9 p.m. on July 10 as a result of the shift.

With TFC's arrival, all 26 teams have now moved to Orlando for the tournament and have been tested at the league's hotels.

In the wake of FC Dallas' withdrawal, MLS commissioner Don Garber reiterated that he expects the tournament to go on as planned.

"We have 550 players that have already been tested and 13 of them have tested positive,” Garber told ESPN. “Right now it’s an extremely low percentage. The players that are there [in Orlando] are safe, they’re comfortable, they’re training, they’re eating, they’re recreating. They’re doing the things in accordance with our protocols – they’re wearing masks, they’re socially distancing. They’re managing their lives in a bubble.

“Now if that bubble is suspect and something should happen, then we’re going to have to address that. Right now, we’re in a pretty good spot although Dallas will not be participating in the tournament. We’ll have to replace those regular season games they’re going to miss and continue to monitor the rest of the arrivals very closely. Thirteen of 550 [player tests] is relatively low. But in the days leading up to Wednesday’s opener on ESPN, we’re going to have to keep a close eye on it.”

He added:“We’ve got a great matchup with our new team in Miami playing against Orlando. And we have 50 other games that are going to take place throughout the tournament. And I just want to reiterate: We’re going to make the right decisions as it relates to the health and safety of our players. And right now the protocol is working.”

Ashanti Gold boss Roberto Landi is pumped up for their campaign in the Caf Confederation Cup next season.

The Obuasi-based side is set to compete in the continental inter-club championship for the second year running, after receiving the nod for the 2020-21 event following the cancellation of the Ghana football season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ordinarily, the winners of the Ghana FA Cup represents the nation in the Confederation Cup but the premature termination of the domestic cup competition and the Premier League left the Ghana Football Association (GFA) with a choice to find representatives in the boardroom.

"I am waiting for the borders of Ghana to be opened so I can return but I have been in touch with my players and other technical team members and hope they are training as I have scheduled for them," Landi, who is caught up in his home country due to travel restrictions because of Covid-19, told Oyerepa FM.

"We want to do better than what AshGold did last time in the Confederations Cup.

"We will do our best but hope Covid-19 does not affect us.

"I wish I was in Ghana to monitor their training. We will add new players especially those who will give revenue to the club."

In the 2019-20 Confederation Cup, AshGold were eliminated by Moroccan fold RS Berkane in the first round.

“One thing a lot of people don’t know is I was with the team the last time we went to Africa," AshGold chief executive officer (CEO) Emmanuel Frimpong, who recently replaced Frederick Acheampong at the helm of affairs, told Citisports.

“I was working under Frederick Acheampong so I know what did not go as planned.

“I feel like we have learnt from our mistakes and we know what to do and what not to do.

“We have signed a couple of new players that will help us get to the level we aspire and we also have a new coach coming in."

The Ghana football season was first brought to a halt in March and after failing to convince the Government of Ghana for a return under strict safety protocols, the GFA permanently cancelled the season on June 30.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he is not in favour of drinks breaks continuing in the Premier League next season.

Since the English top-flight's return from a three-month coronavirus pandemic-enforced hiatus in June, matches have stopped midway through each half to allow players to rehydrate.

The measure was introduced to help players cope with playing in the summer heat, but coaches have used the opportunity to give tactical instructions to their squad.

Guardiola was asked if he believes the drinks breaks should be made a permanent rule in the league, but the 49-year-old would rather they scrapped the idea next term. 

"No. I think we did it because of the lack of preparation for all of the teams, with just three weeks before the start of the competition and maybe for the weather conditions," he said.

"The managers use it to talk to players, of course."

West Ham boss David Moyes is in agreement with this City counterpart, as the Scottish coach believes it is unnecessary this season, too.

"Personally, I don’t think water breaks should have been introduced," he told reporters.

"I understood why they were, but I thought it should’ve been at the referee’s discretion in games – if the temperature were up in the 70s or the 80s [Fahrenheit], and they felt that players needed a drink. 

"I don’t think they’re a necessity and it’s also a change of rules from where we were at the start of the season. I think it’s wrong to start the Premier League season in one way and finish it in a different way."

Along with drinks breaks, the Premier League allowed teams to make five substitutions in each game to help lower the risk of players suffering injuries in the crowded calendar.

Moyes is happy with the way his charges have dealt with the rush back to action in recent weeks, saying: "The players are recovering much quicker than usual, and they know and realise what they have to do to get back ready to play again. 

"Players and clubs are not being able to have as many recovery days as usual because of the turnaround of games. We have to do the same as everybody else, and I have to say the players have been great. They’ve looked after themselves. 

"We’re trying to keep as many of them fit and ready for games as we can. After they came back from lockdown, they were in good condition. They kept themselves well and we trained hard and tried to prepare, and I hope what we did shows through in the coming days. 

"We only have three weeks to go of the season now so we have to try and keep focused and fit, and mentally and physically in good shape."