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James Milner admits that he could have pushed for a move away from Liverpool when asked to play at left-back throughout the 2016-17 campaign, but the 34-year-old has never shirked a challenge and is now a Champions League and Premier League title winner at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp has always embraced the versatility offered to him by an experienced former England international.

Milner has, however, starred on a Premier League stage for close to 20 years as either a winger or combative central midfielder.

He is more than capable of filling in at the back, but those areas of the pitch are not where he feels the most comfortable or at his best.

An entire season was spent providing cover in defence during Klopp’s first full campaign on Merseyside and Milner concedes that he could easily have sought a more prominent role elsewhere.

He told Sky Sports: "It was what the manager needed at the time. There's always going to be positions you prefer but you do what's needed for the team. I suppose at that point I could have turned around and said, 'No I don't want to do that, I want to leave.'

"He came to ask me to do it in pre-season and my mindset was, 'OK, how can I be the best I can be in that position?' and I started to learn the role. A few of the boys were a bit surprised when we set up at pre-season training the next day and I was at left-back, but that was part of the fun."

Milner added: "Do you want to walk away from Liverpool and a manager of his calibre and not be part of something? I did the job as best I could and the year after that I don't know what was in his mind. Maybe he thought, 'Left-back, that's him done,' so it was a challenge to force my way back into the reckoning in midfield and I managed to do that."

Milner has helped Liverpool to get back to the top domestically, in Europe and globally after opting to stay put, with a new three-year contract penned in December 2019.

It could be that he brings the curtain down on a distinguished career at Anfield, but the Leeds native is not ruling out a return to his roots at some stage having seen a second spell at Elland Road mooted.

Milner said: "You never know in football, what's around the corner, but I just want to contribute and win as many trophies as I can for Liverpool and add to the great history here.

"I'm biased, but I think the Premier League will be a better place for Leeds in it, and it will be weird to play against them next season.

"It seems a long time ago since I pulled on that shirt, you look back at photos and see how big the shirts were back then. Plenty has changed since then, unfortunately I was part of the team that got relegated and they haven't come back and recovered just yet. It would be great to see them back next season and their fans are incredible as well."

Yanga SC captain Pappy Kabamba Tshisimbi insists he is not on strike like some fans perceive. 

The Congolese midfielder has been out for some time after getting injured and has not played since the resumption of games on June 13.

However, the experienced skipper has hinted he will be back to help his team get results on the pitch.

"Those accusing me of striking are out of their mind, how can I strike when things are looking up?" Tshishimbi told Mwanaspoti.

"If it is about striking, I could have done it a long time ago when things were not okay.

"The truth is I have been healing and my doctors believe I will be soon fit enough to play."

The player has also stated the 27-time champions have every reason to defeat their bitter rivals Simba SC in the FA Cup semi-final to stand a chance of playing in the continental competitions.

Wananchi defeated Kagera Sugar 2-1 to qualify to the last four while Wekundu wa Msimbazi eliminated holders Azam FC 2-0 to make it to the next stage.

It will be the third time the two teams are meeting this season in all competitions.

A Bernard Morrison strike was all the Jangwani based side needed to defeat their sworn rivals in the last Kariakoo Derby played on March 8 at the National Stadium.

"Simba are sure of playing in the Caf Champions League [after winning the Tanzania Mainland League]," Tshishimbi added.

"They are not concerned of anything else apart from avenging the [1-0] defeat when we last played them and they want to avoid back to back defeats against Yanga.

"On our part, we need a ticket to play in continental competition. This is our chance; despite being a tough one, we have to give our best and ensure we win.

"This is like a final to us and we have to ensure we win at all costs."

In another semi-final match, Namungo will play Sahare All-Stars and the eventual winner will play in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck sensationally claimed he was keen to face sworn rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. 

"We lost to Yanga in the second round fixture because my players lost concentration and we could not push ourselves to get an equaliser or even a winning goal,” Vandenbroeck told Goal earlier.

"We wanted to play against them again before the season comes to a close so we can rectify the mistakes we committed against them and beat them, I know it will not be easy but I want to prepare my team to be ready.

"It is a match I am really looking forward to, it is a derby and you know the fans will come in large numbers, the derby is the game for the fans and we will do all we can to make amends and beat them to reach the final."

Barcelona boss Quique Setien has played down talk of a rift with attacker Antoine Griezmann and has said he is not fearful for his own future.

The former Real Betis head coach is attempting to put out fires on multiple fronts currently, with reports that star player Lionel Messi is discontent, poor form and controversy over his treatment of World Cup winner Griezmann.

This came to a head on Tuesday, when the Catalans were held to a 2-2 home draw by Atletico Madrid. Though the former Atleti ace was instructed to warm up throughout the second half, he was brought on with mere seconds of the match remaining.

His prolonged presence among the replacements sparked a backlash from the Griezmann family on social media, as well as pointed criticism from the media, with ex-Barca attacker Christophe Dugarry claiming the coach is simply “incompetent” and “out of his depth”. 

It was the third time in four matches that the 29-year-old had been left on the bench – and in each of those matches the Catalans had failed to win.

Nevertheless, Setien has claimed the media are simply trying to make something out of nothing.

“Antoine is fine, he is a great professional. I have exchanged a few words with him,” he said. “He is an extraordinary, professional boy and it will not affect him when he has to play again because he is a very mentally strong boy and I am sure that we will have him at 100% when he has to go back to the field.

“I have spoken of hierarchies, but I have not spoken of indisputable players. Griezmann is a great player and very important for the club and the team. When he has played, you ask me about Ansu Fati. 

“Not everyone can play and I have to decide as to my front line and who I think contributes or does not contribute to the team. I take into account the importance and the hierarchy of each player, but in a club like Barca with so many players, I know that some are going to get angry because not all are fit and it is a decision that I must take responsibility for, and that is what I do.”

Addressing his own uncertain future, he said: “I have already experienced it on other occasions, it is part of the circus. I know that there is a lot of noise around me but I do not listen to it or read it. It is not the first time that I have experienced it or that a coach has lived through a situation like this, when they don't win a game.”

Barcelona trail Real Madrid by four points at the top of La Liga with five matches remaining.

Kai Havertz is a “complete player” and dreams of playing in the Premier League, according to his Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Wendell.

The 21-year-old Germany midfielder is one of world football’s most in-demand talents, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all linked with him.

Premier League suitors were given a boost on Friday when Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitted the Bundesliga champions would not be able to make a move for Havertz this year.

If he does end up in England, Havertz’s team-mate is sure he would be a success.

“He’s a complete player,” left-back Wendell told Yellow and Green Football.

“If you play him as a No.9 or as a No.10 a little bit behind, or if you put him out wide, he’ll know what to do.

“He can understand what the manager wants. He finishes well with both feet. He’s strong with his head, he has good technique.

“Psychologically, the Germans are very focused people, too. They are very concentrated on what they want.

“If he goes to the Premier League, he will learn a lot. I think Kai dreams of playing there. He has that desire.

“And I think if he decides to play in England, he will be a success.”

With 36 goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga in the last two seasons, it isn’t difficult to see why Europe’s top clubs want Havertz.

The chance to link up with international team-mates Timo Werner and Antonio Rudiger at Chelsea could appeal from a career point of view but, while the Blues have been strongly linked, Frank Lampard recently denied any bid has been made.

Leverkusen are hoping to keep hold of him for at least another year regardless of any interest, but sporting director Rudi Voller has confirmed there is an agreement in place which could see Havertz leave this summer.

"There is nothing specific, nothing to report. As of now, he is our player," Voller told Bild.

"We have our ideas, we know what he can do. I personally hope that he stays one more year. We have an agreement: if it works, he can go this summer."

Under pressure Barcelona boss Quique Setien has refused to comment on Lionel Messi’s future at the club.

After a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid in midweek – a result that means Barca now trail rivals Real Madrid by four points at the top of the Primera Division – reports surfaced that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner has threatened to leave the club.

Although the source of Messi’s displeasure appears to be president Josep Maria Bartomeu, the prospect of seeing the Spanish title fall into the capital side’s hands will only have increased his irritation and as a result has sparked talk he could depart in a year’s time, when his contract at Camp Nou will expire.

Some pundits have said this is simply a ploy to try to unsettle the player but Setien would not be drawn into discussing his key man.

“I am not going to speculate on this because I have not heard him say anything about it and it is not my task,” he told the media.

“I see him well, Leo. The rest is speculation that I do not even enter into. That's what you, the press, are there for. I see him training well, and [nothing] more.”

Despite Barcelona’s struggles, which are set to see Setien fired at the end of the campaign unless he wins either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi has enjoyed another prolific season, scoring 22 goals and laying on another 18 in just 28 league outings. 

Former Camp Nou favourite Rivaldo has said that Messi could be a hit in the Premier League, suggesting that a reunion with former coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City would be a mouth-watering prospect for the 33-year-old Argentine, who has spent his whole career with Barca.

Since joining the club as a youth player in 2001, he has become an icon with the side, featuring in 724 matches and scoring 630 goals and is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. 

Among his honours with Barcelona, he has picked up four Champions League titles and three Club World Cups. Additionally, he has led the club to 10 Primera Division titles.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has described Jordan Ayew as a “phenomenon” on the back of what is the Ghanaian’s most productive season in England.

The 28-year-old has nine Premier League goals and one assist in 31 games this season which is his best return in the top-flight having previously played for Aston Villa and in Swansea City with his older brother Andre.

It marks a remarkable transformation for Jordan who scored just one league goal for Palace in 20 outings while on loan from Swansea last season.

Palace were recently on a four-game winning run of which Ayew scored in three of them and put the south London outfit in the mix for European qualification before back-to-back defeats by Liverpool and Burnley.

"In many ways, he is a phenomenon," Hodgson said on the club website.

"Since he came to us, which is now virtually two seasons ago, he’s been available for every game. Now that’s amazing. I know he’s always there, he always seems to be around but I didn’t know the actual statistic.

"One can’t speak highly enough of a player like that. The mere fact that he’s been there through the two seasons we’ve done quite well... his contribution has been enormous. This season, you could argue, it’s been greater than it was last season because he’s scored some goals."

Ayew meanwhile acknowledges the impact of Hodgson in transforming him, also citing the club having faith to re-sign him after his poor return in 2018-19, as extra motivation for him to improve.

"People think he’s an old school manager, but my first season, I really, really enjoyed it and really, really learned a lot. That’s why I wanted to continue with the football club," Ayew told Premier League Productions as quoted by the Crystal Palace website.

"He has made me improve in so many aspects and I’m really, really happy under him. I think the whole squad and football club is happy to have him at Crystal Palace. He’s just a fantastic manager, a great manager; a great, great manager. He has helped me so much and deserves all the praise.

"The first season wasn’t great but in the dressing room, in the building, the people were really, really good to me and so I really wanted to stay. My family were happy as well in London, so everything was good. On the football side, it was a bit difficult but I had confidence in myself that I could make it.

"Thanks to the football club, the manager, the Chairman, Dougie [Freedman], the staff, I think they all had faith in me and that’s why they signed me. That’s why things have changed. I’ve tried to do my best every time and when you work hard you get rewarded.

"I’ve changed a lot of things: my attitude, my desire to succeed, a bit of luck. When you work hard, you provoke the luck. I just wanted to do well this season; I came with big ambitions and things have changed but there’s still room for improvement."

Palace currently sit in 12th place with 42 points and look very safe as they are 15 points clear of the relegation zone with six rounds of fixtures left.

They travel to a struggling Leicester City, who have recorded just one win since February, on Saturday afternoon.

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) midfielder Gift Ali says the sporting fraternity should be prepared for mass testing when the government opens sporting activities in the country.

All the sporting activities were suspended in mid-March after the outbreak of the coronavirus and the government is yet to confirm when they will resume despite relaxing a number of stringent measures put in place.

KCCA player Gift believes the only way for sporting activities to take-off is by doing mandatory testing to players and officials when the lockdown is eased.

“I think if they [government] can try to copy what other leagues are doing to resume sports amidst the pandemic,” Gift is quoted by New Vision. “We don't know if this pandemic will end soon or if it is here to stay.

“In Egypt, they are testing players and they have made sure they are far away from the public, and very soon, their league is going to resume. I think this is one of the procedures the authorities can undertake for sports to resume.”

On his part, Proline FC forward Rogers Mato stated: “I think we should copy some of the things in countries that have resumed their leagues such as playing without spectators or when they are allowed to come in, they should observe social distancing. The fans motivate us but this is a health matter that needs to be taken seriously.”

Alex Komakech of Wakiso Giants also waded into the debate calling for the mandatory wearing of masks.

“Let it be made mandatory to both players and technical teams to wear masks when sport resumes especially those who are on the bench. This will help to avoid the spread of the disease,” Komakech also told New Vision.

KCCA defender Peter Magambo called on the clubs to make sure that they test players and keep them in one camp, saying it will help a lot to curb the spread of Covid-19.

“We can also practise mass testing of all players, coaches, and technical staff if possible before resuming and perhaps monitor the situation before we engage in contact with other players.

“The teams can reside in training camps without moving out to make contact with the outside world because we can risk infecting other players.”

Uganda’s 2019-2020 season was ended prematurely with Vipers SC being declared champions and will now represent the country in the Caf Champions League while second-placed KCCA will go for the Confederation Cup.

Kaizer Chiefs legend Doctor Khumalo feels that it is now time for Amakhosi midfielders, including Siphelele Ntshangase, “to raise their hands” for consideration to replace George Maluleka who has left the club for Mamelodi Sundowns.

Maluleka was released by Chiefs earlier this week following the expiry of his contract and signed a three year deal with the Brazilians.

The ex-Ajax Cape Town man has left a midfield gap which, naturally, would make Chiefs hard-pressed to find his replacement.

But with Chiefs banned by Fifa from signing players in the next two transfer windows, they could be forced to look from within for Maluleka’s successor.

This could have pushed them to extend Ntshangase’s contract by a year despite the midfielder struggling for game time in the two and half seasons he has been at Naturena where he arrived amid a weight of expectations on him.

Khumalo believes that Ntshangase and other players battling to earn playing minutes have been presented with an opportunity to step in for Maluleka.

“It is an opportunity for boys like Ntshangase. It is up to them now to raise their hand and say, ‘Wow, there’s an opportunity, I want to grab it’,” Khumalo told IOL.

“I’m not saying the departure of George will create automatic opportunities but this is a chance for some of the players to raise their hands and come to the party.”

If the season resumes, Chiefs would be entering a crucial phase of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title race in which they would have to make do without Maluleka who was a regular.

Khumalo has defended the club’s decision to release Maluleka at such a critical moment.

“I believe that they wouldn’t have allowed George to leave now if they didn’t have a plan to proceed with their title challenge without his services. They are on the verge of winning the league and I’m sure such a decision was well thought out,” Khumalo said.

The rivalry between Chiefs and Sundowns on Maluleka could further add some spark in the two sides' tussle for the league title.

Amakhosi lead the PSL standings by four points ahead of second-placed Sundowns who however have a game in hand and nine matches to play before they complete their campaign.

Siphelele Ntshangase's agent Jazzman Mahlakgane has explained why and how his client ended up renewing his contract with Kaizer Chiefs despite not kicking a ball in competitive matches this season. 

The 27-year-old fell down the pecking order under Ernst Middendorp at the end of last season after the German mentor made it clear that he didn't play the kind of football he would like to see Chiefs play. 

Mahlakgane believes Ntshangase is one of the best midfielders in South Africa, and he feels Amakhosi have realised that as well hence their decision to keep him for another season.   

"It's about whether or not he didn't play this season. I believe Stash is one of the best midfielders in this country, and that's how Chiefs see it," Mahlakgane told Goal.  

Mahlakgane is confident Ntshangase will eventually get his chance to play at Chiefs - and it doesn't worry him how long that could take. 

"We also believe he will get an opportunity to play - be it this season or next season. It doesn't worry us because Stash wants to play for this team and the team, with this deal, has shown that they believe in him as a player," he added. 

He further revealed that Chiefs bought Ntshangase for R3 million from Baroka in January 2018, and therefore that's perhaps one of the main reasons the club couldn't afford to lose the South Africa international that easily. 

"And I want to thank Mr Kaizer Motaung for realising this. I mean, he bought this player for R3 million from Baroka, and he didn't want his money to go to waste by losing him for free. Stash still has a role to play in this Chiefs team," continued the veteran agent. 

Asked about the nature of negotiations between Ntshangase and Chiefs, Mahlakgane said: "There were no negotiations really. Chiefs made the call to keep him because they had the option to renew his deal, and we were happy about it, and this is one of the best midfielders in the country as I said, and we are grateful to the club."

Ntshangase has featured 31 times for the Glamour Boys thus far and has two assists to his name since his arrival in 2018.  

Liverpool midfielder James Milner has revealed the culture shock that the Reds’ players had when Jurgen Klopp took charge, with the intensity of the German’s training formidable.

Klopp claimed the Anfield hotseat from Brendan Rodgers in October 2015 and set in motion a sequence of events that resulted in the Merseyside club winning the Champions League in 2019 followed by the Premier League 12 months later.

Milner admits that training proved to be particularly difficult and that it took players some time to get used to the work that the former Borussia Dortmund coach wanted them to put in.

“To see one of the young lads throwing up on the side of the training field in one of his first training sessions, that sets the tone, you know what you're in for,” he told Sky Sports.

“We had to adapt to that, there were a lot of injuries early on. People were saying, 'You can't do that!' You could, you just had to get used to it. Straight away you saw the tempo and the intensity in that first game at Spurs.

“It was ridiculous really - it wasn't like we had played at a slow tempo under Brendan. That journey started then with the manager's methods and how he wanted us to play. 

“You saw it come in bit by bit. One week the quality would be there and the next week we would be miles off it. That was a process again; the consistency started to come in and, eventually, learning how to win ugly and become a more rounded team.”

Milner also admitted that there is a tremendous emphasis on the mental side of the game in training, with Klopp’s methods requiring focus at all times.

“You're reacting to the next situation, always being switched on. If you are doing a shooting drill there might be three balls coming in at once. You might be passing one and a millisecond later there's another one coming at you to shoot,” he explained.

“It's a bit different to anything I've done before, it's based around needing to be switched on at all times in a game. Defensively, as well, it's not training man-for-man or two blocks of four, it is doing two or three jobs at once.”

Crested Cranes head coach Faridah Bulega has claimed Uganda are better than teams that have always been termed footballing giants in Africa.

Bulega says the only thing that has worked against the Uganda Women's football team is the fear that affects the players.

"We are better than those women's teams they tag as ‘superpowers’ here in Africa, but the fear factor has always been one of our major challenges while on the pitch," Bulega told Football256.

"You as a coach can confidently lay an effective game plan to win but then the players due to lack of experience and exposure, are affected by stage freight and you effectively lose the game before it even starts."

Bulega further welcomed the establishment of the Caf Women's Champions League which is set to be first played in 2021.

"Caf did a great job, I was happy about it," Bulega added.

"The initiative will help women's football in Uganda to change for good, and I see it helping bridge the sporting gap against the better countries in terms of women's football like Cameroon.

"When teams qualify for the Champions League, they will get to compete against the better teams from the ‘powerhouses’.

"And at the end of the day it grows the game in terms of quality, technicality and exposure and of course it brings a degree of familiarity."

Bulega says what the players will gain from continental football will also be felt at national level.

"At the end of the day, when these players get to play for the Crested Cranes, they will be used to competing at a higher level than in the league and that helps their confidence when you’re playing against teams like Ghana or Nigeria," she concluded.

Meanwhile, striker Vitalis Tabu has praised BUL FC coach Arthur Kyesimira for his managerial abilities.

"Arthur [Kyesimira] is more than a coach because of his discipline and an approachable personality," Tabu told Football256. 

"His approach to guiding, nurturing, and coaching players is unique and wholesome.

"He organizes meetings in which he makes motivational speeches, invites players to the centre to share their life stories, and encourages each other.

"His style has turned the club to a family just within a short time and I feel at home.

"Coach Kyesimira will send you away even when you are late for training or a meeting by a minute but won’t take it personally as he will be willing to listen to your excuses later."

The agent of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale believes that the transfer market will not be adversely affected by the coronavirus crisis in the long term.

The pandemic has played havoc with world football since the beginning of the year, with play stopped around much of the globe between the middle of March and June as communities around Europe went into lockdown.

With clubs having been left without crowds to play in front of and complications with TV revenue, there has been a fear that the football market might implode, with some predictions suggesting that transfer values could drop by up to 30%, potentially scuppering moves like Jadon Sancho's reported switch to Manchester United, but Jonathan Barnett does not believe that will be the case.  

“If a club has the finances to pay for a transfer, they will do it,” he told ESPN. "The clubs have to be run properly. Every business in the world has to be run properly. Nobody forces anyone and says 'you must have a big transfer.' You've got to look at it generally, and you can't compare apples and oranges. Some clubs can, some clubs can't. What is most important is that every club is run properly."

Barnett believes that clubs have been winded more than anything else and that after a period of stabilisation, normal service will return. 

“Clubs have suffered losses and it will take time to get back because they will have to recoup them,” Barnett said. “But when the crowds come back, the money comes back into the game, it will carry on as normal. Slowly things are coming back but it will take a while. There's no doubt about that.

“We've maintained a slightly different view because we haven't really been looking to talk about football with clubs. With this virus going on and unfortunately a lot of people being ill and dying, it wasn't the right time to start talking about transfers and things like that.

“We haven't really gone into that aspect of it. As we're coming out of it and clubs start to play again, then we can start to talk.”

Additionally, Barnett hit out at UK Ministers, who had criticised footballers for not contributing sufficiently to society.

“I think some of the statements that were made early on by a couple of ministers were outrageous,” Barnett said. “They were made by people who don't know what they're talking about. As a group of people, I think footballers give more money to charity than most. They do some great things and some of those statements were outrageous.

“I have a player who has given a million pounds. Others have given a few hundred thousand pounds. They've given a lot of money to charities. The statements weren't thought out. The answer that was given was ignorant.”

Bandari FC technical director Twahir Muhiddin believes the monetary injection to AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia and other Kenyan Premier League (KPL) teams will make the 2020/21 season tough.

After struggling to honour matches in the 2019/20 season owing to the exit of their main sponsor Sportpesa, K'Ogalo and Ingwe were boosted by another betting firm Betsafe. The two local giants and Betsafe, yet to launch their services in the Kenyan market, signed a partnership deal that will last for the next three years.

According to the details of the deal, AFC Leopards will get KSh40 million per year while Gor Mahia will get KSh55 million per year from Betsafe.

"It is a boost for the two teams and it will motivate the players to give their best," Muhiddin told Goal.

"Gor Mahia and Leopards struggled so much in the concluded season owing to their failure to get a sponsor. They struggled to give their best and we all know their players went months without their salaries.

"The new sponsor will motivate the players and I believe Leopards will up their game as well as Gor Mahia now that there will be money coming in."

The former Harambee Stars coach also pointed out on other teams he believes will be a hard nut to crack in the KPL.

"We have Wazito FC and KCB who are financially stable and will be aiming at making a statement next season," Muhiddin added.

"Nzoia Sugar have just received a new bus and remember there is money from the government to the sugar industry. We also have the likes of Kakamega Homeboyz who are keen on repeating their performances next season.

"Of course we have the likes of Tusker FC who have always pushed for the title every season.

"It will not be an easy season for any team playing in the top-tier."

The experienced coach also revealed plans to help the Dockers be among the top dogs in the KPL.

"The technical bench sat and analysed our shortcomings and came with solutions which we will implement to ensure we get back to the top," Muhiddin continued.

"Bandari can be one of the best teams in the country and we are here to ensure the dream comes true."

Crotone manager Giovanni Stroppa believes Simy’s physical strengths made him outperform his teammates after scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Serie B leaders Benevento.

Filippo Inzaghi’s men bagged automatic Serie A promotion after seeing off Juve Stabia 1-0 last week even with 10-men.

For Stroppa’s side, they have been winless since the resumption of second-tier games, drawing with Chievo Verona, Perugia and Ascoli. The positive side though is they were last beaten in February 3-2 by Juve Stabia.

For Simy, it marked his first Serie B goal since a 1-0 win over Pisa in March.

“I think he [Simy] could count this so much as a test, given his physicality, he probably did more for the team than others,” Stroppa told the media after the match.

“In this game, beyond the goals, he put in place an important performance in both halves, both in the offensive and in the defensive. I believe that in general, the whole team worked very well and the result repays us for the work done.

“Certainly, the last three games before this shout revenge for the final result [because] we have thrown away several points. The team is doing well from a physical point of view. They have returned to playing a certain type of football also carrying out an athletic race with a certain rhythm. Too bad not having scored points in the last few matches. This victory leads us to be still [second] in the ranking and this time we will do everything to maintain this position.”

Simy – who played for 80 minutes and was replaced by Samuel Armenteros, has now taken his goal tally for the season to 16, putting him one goal behind Trapani’s Stefano Pettinari and Perugia’s Pietro Iemmello. With his four assists, he has a hand in 20 goals, which puts him top of the Serie B goal involvement chart.

Crotone are now unbeaten in eight league games (five wins, three draws) and still maintain second place on the standings, 21 points behind Benevento.

While first place seems settled, second place for the final automatic promotion spot is very intense with Citadella, Pordenone, Frosinone and Spezia, all within reach of Crotone with six rounds left to wrap up the season.

South Africa head coach Molefi Ntseki has explained why he will not consider Gaston Sirino and Samir Nurkovic for national team selection for now.

This comes after Serbian marksman Nurkovic, who has impressed at Kaizer Chiefs this season, declared himself available for Bafana Bafana.

While Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane has called for the inclusion of his influential Uruguayan playmaker Sirino in the Bafana squad in the past.

Sirino and Nurkovic are yet to play for their national teams at senior and junior level which makes them eligible for South Africa.

However, Ntseki, who has been in charge of the national team since last August, insisted that he is only focused on profiling South African-born players.

“The attention that we are giving is to profile South African players. We must be very careful. Let me make an example about Sirino and Nurkovic," Ntseki told IOL.

"Are we giving enough attention to what we have before we can move for a player that has to be naturalized? Are we comparing that player with what we have in the country and giving opportunities to what we have in the country?

“If you go to the junior teams, all the junior teams have given our players an opportunity to play for their country. That’s why most of them are playing overseas."

Tunisia, who lost to Bafana in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final, have enjoyed some success with naturalized players from Brazil in the past.

The Brazil-born duo of Francileudo dos Santos and Jose Clayton played an integral role in helping the Carthage Eagles clinch the Afcon title in 2004 with the former being the joint top scorer in the competition.

"I’m talking about the likes of Lyle Foster, Gift Links, Kabomelo Kodisang, Liam Jordan and Luther Singh. These players played for our junior teams and they are now in the overseas market,” Ntseki explained.

“If we don’t have anybody who can be of a level of the second player, it means we will always be looking into that player. Let’s say we approach a [naturalized] player and we say we are interested in him playing for our country but that has to be done in such a way that the player will be protected and the coach will also be protected.

"What will happen if that player doesn’t have a good first game or second game? People will start to say all the negative things about that player. We need to do it properly."

Ntseki indicated when the 2022 Fifa World Cup and 2021 Afcon qualifiers start he will only focus on South African-born players.

“For me, it is a very long process that has to be done properly without emotions but we should be highly tactical and technical to decide on such players. It might not be Ntseki alone doing this but it has to be done in the right manner,” Ntseki said.

“Let us make an example of Rushine De Reuck. He was born [in South Africa] in 1996 and then there is someone like Ricardo Nascimento [who is a Brazilian player] from Sundowns.

“Nascimento is older than Rushine. If you were to overlook Rushine, who are you disadvantaging? People will say instead of helping in the development of football and selecting Rushine, you’ve decided to convert a non-South African to be a South African. That is the reality of the situation and that’s why I say we should not be emotional about it.”

The 2021 Afcon finals have been postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic says that he is “very, very confident” as the Red Devils push to end the season in third place in the Premier League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side currently lie fifth in the standings but were given a midweek boost as they saw rivals for the top four Leicester and Chelsea both unexpectedly slip up.

On paper, United have a relatively easy run in, with a Saturday match against Bournemouth followed by encounters against Aston Villa and Southampton.

And following a thumping 3-0 win over in-form Sheffield United and a convincing success over Brighton, the Serbia international believes United’s momentum will carry them onto the podium.

“We don’t depend only on us, we have to win our games and wait for others to drop points and I hope we can reach that third spot and, if we do that, then the season will be fantastic for us. I’m very, very confident and I think the team looks well at the moment,” he told the club’s official website.

“For us, every game is a final, it doesn’t matter if it’s a real final in the FA Cup or the Europa League, for us every game is a final, we have to think like that. We have to try to win every match and, at the end, we will see.”

He is wary that Bournemouth are currently fighting for their lives and will not prove easy prey.

“The Premier League is very hard, anyone can beat anyone, and it cannot surprise me because I’ve been here a long time and I’ve seen many things and anything is possible,” he said.

“They’re a good team and, in the last few years, they have played some amazing football and won a lot of big games against big opponents. We will prepare for that game as we do for every game and we will try to give our best with a lot of respect for them, but we know our quality and what we have to do.”

Meanwhile, he revealed how he copes with playing in an empty stadium in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

“I try to imagine the stadium is full,” he said. “It’s strange and not good for us. We like to play in front of our supporters because they sing during the 90 minutes and that gives you more motivation and you give more. But the situation is like this and we have to adapt and it’s the same for everyone.”

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has sensationally claimed he was keen to face sworn rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

The two Tanzanian giants will square off again in the last four of the domestic competition after they both sealed their places with wins on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Yanga were the first to qualify after beating Kagera Sugar 2-1 before Simba followed them with a 2-0 win against Azam FC and now they will face off for the third time this season on July 13 at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

In the first match of the season, the two sides settled for a 2-2 draw before Yanga tuned on the screw in the second round fixture to win 1-0 courtesy of a well-taken free-kick from Ghanaian forward Bernard Morrison.

It is the reason the Belgian coach has now said he is eager to earn revenge and was the reason why he worked very hard to eliminate Azam so they can face off again.

“We lost to Yanga in the second round fixture because my players lost concentration and we could not push ourselves to get an equaliser or even a winning goal,” Vandenbroeck told Goal.

“We wanted to play against them again before the season comes to a close so we can rectify the mistakes we committed against them and beat them, I know it will not be easy but I want to prepare my team to be ready.

“It is a match I am really looking forward to, it is a derby and you know the fans will come in large numbers, the derby is the game for the fans and we will do all we can to make amends and beat them to reach the final.”

In a previous interview with Goal, Yanga coach Luc Eymael revealed he would rather have played Azam as opposed to Simba in the FA Cup semi-finals.

“Many have asked for my reaction after setting a date with Simba in the last four of the FA Cup but I will respond as I did already,” Eymael told Goal on Thursday.

“I know many of my players wished to play Simba in the semi-finals but would have preferred to play Azam. However, it is still okay; Simba were a good team, same as Azam, we will still give our best.”

In the other semi-final, division one side Sahare All-Stars will face Namungo FC.

Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has criticised the aggressive attitude of former team-mate Roy Keane with regard to his analysis.

The ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder recently hit the headlines as he suggested that he would be “swinging punches” at Red Devils goalkeeper David de Gea after a recent error that cost his side a goal against Tottenham. 

Yorke, who turned out for the Red Devils between 1998 and 2002, and was a key member of their treble winning squad of 1999, has suggested that such an attitude is the reason that Keane failed to cut it as a manager – and was one of his downfalls as a player.

“I played with him and played under him as a manager. I know what he’s like as an individual,” Yorke told The Mirror.

“You’ve just got to take it on your chin when it comes to him. He says what he likes to say. Some people buy into it, some people don’t.

“His harsh words, sometimes it’s warranted at times, but maybe the way he delivers it is how it gets under people’s skin.

“We all make mistakes. He wasn’t perfect when he played. He made mistakes along the way. He has to tone that back a little bit.

“Maybe one of the downfalls which I recognised from his management career is that the way he delivered his approach to players could be quite offensive.

“Although they needed a rollicking, there's a way of how you go about it.

“I looked at Keano in the past and sometimes it’s the way he says something which people do not take lightly and get upset by.

“De Gea knows it was a huge mistake against Tottenham. But as an ex-player, you have to be careful.

“At the end of the day, you made similar mistakes along the way. With Keano, you can only laugh when he delivers these things.

“But I dread to think if he said this kind of stuff, how players would react [today].

“That old school mentality, the Brian Clough, the Ron Atkinson, maybe even Sir Alex Ferguson at some point, you get those kinds of rollickings.

“Players of yesterday could easily dust those kinds of comments off and say: 'I’ll show you.'

“But in the modern day, things have changed. It’s the way you go about it which is important and that’s one of Keano’s problems. He doesn’t know how to deliver it.

“He was correct about De Gea making a mistake, but it was his delivery which made people sit up and think ‘wow’.”

United’s next outing is against Bournemouth on Saturday.

When the coronavirus put a standstill to football in March, leaving many leagues in limbo as to how to decide their campaigns if the season couldn’t be restarted, conversation surrounded deciding the title (if it was still in play), European spots and, particularly, promotion and relegation.

In England, the latter was discussed extensively given the state of the Championship standings at the time: Leeds United, absent from the Premier League since 2004, and West Bromwich Albion were seven and six points ahead of third-placed Fulham, and 10 in front of Brentford and Nottingham Forest who were joint-fourth.

Would the top two sides occupying the promotion spots ultimately miss out after their largely dominant campaigns?

Three gameweeks after, Leeds and West Bromwich are ahead of the side in third with six and five points respectively, with the gap only being reduced by a point since the return.

However, recent doubts surrounding The Albion keeping hold of their automatic spot has crept in, considering the form of the side in third.

Brentford, 10 points behind before football’s suspension, had reduced the chasm between them and Slaven Bilic’s troops to two points, before the latter played Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday, after a run of three wins on the trot (four if you add the Bees’ 5-0 defeat of Wednesday in early March).

WBA, though, just when it seemed they were collapsing, responded with a hugely significant 3-0 success at Hillsborough Stadium, restoring their five-point advantage.

Interestingly, Slaven Bilic made a change at centre-back as the Baggies returned to winning ways: dropping Semi Ajayi, to pair Ahmed Hegazy and Kyle Bartley in central defence.

In fairness, that move wasn’t the reason the away side triumphed. After all, the Nigerian had played well when the West Midlands club kept their 10th and 11th clean sheets of the year against Swansea City and Birmingham City, so it's likely to just been a case of Bilic resting the Super Eagle.

Indeed, statistics show Bilic has an impressive trio in central defence, with little separating Ajayi, Bartley and Hegazy. Even though the towering Englishman leads the way for tackles, interceptions and clearances per game (1.4, 1.2 and 4.7 per match), the Egypt and Nigeria internationals aren’t slouches either, with Hegazy’s reading 1.2, 0.9 and 4.1 respectively, while Ajayi posts 1.0 tackles and interceptions per game, with 3.4 clearances per match.

The West African is the team’s joint-sixth top scorer with five, better than Bartley and the North African, while he wins 63 percent of his duels, better than the Pharaohs’ top centre-half and edged by the former Swansea City man (67 percent).

Frankly, The Albion’s recent issues aren’t defensively but in attack.

Their run of four games without scoring against Wigan Athletic, Swansea, Birmingham and the Bees either side of the pandemic is why Thomas Frank’s side have been given hope of reining in Ajayi and co. in the final weeks of the campaign.

The odds of the side from Greater London have been boosted given the imperious form of the remarkably talented Said Benrahma, the Algeria star whose playmaking has been instrumental in Brentford boasting the best attack in the division (70).

Interestingly, Brentford also possess the joint-stingiest backline in the competition, letting in 33 goals alongside Leeds, and since finding consistency, they've been hot on the heels of the top two.

With the stars seemingly aligning for the Bees at the right moment, West Bromwich, the second-highest scorers in the league, need to dispatch struggling Hull City at the Hawthorns on Sunday to record successive wins for the first time since February.

Bilic’s troops have tended to go on commendable runs after setbacks this season, and defeating the Tigers, who just ended a 14-game winless run vs Middlesbrough on Thursday, is the expectation before kick-off.

However, with two blanks in their last two home games against Birmingham and Wigan, the Albion have to be third-time lucky to prevent another surprising defeat, especially with Derby County, the league’s form side to come after Hull.

West Bromwich remain in pole position to secure automatic promotion with their Nigerian colossus anticipated to play a major part in the run-in. Still, the Baggies’ recent problems higher up the pitch will make or mar their automatic promotion joust.