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AmaZulu have said that they will not be retaining Moeneeb Josephs as their player when his contract expires on June 30, but the club is "open to the idea" of the goalkeeper continuing in his role as first-team assistant coach.

The former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper has struggled for game time in the past two seasons at AmaZulu, managing just one league appearance this season and six last term.

Josephs is already a player/interim assistant coach to Ayanda Dlamini at the club, who is standing for Jozef Vukusic who was placed on special leave.

But Usuthu general manager Lunga Sokhela has urged Josephs to weigh up his options, either to retire from playing since his contract would not be renewed or they would welcome him to focus on a role in the first team technical set-up.

“We spoke with Meoneeb’s agent. We said that Meoneeb needs to come out and tell us what he would like to do, because this is not your regular player,” said Sokhela as per IOL.

“If he wants to announce things like retirement, he must do that. He is the one that must talk about what he wants to do post his football career. From our side, we did indicate that we won’t be renewing his contract beyond the 30th of June.

“Meoneeb needs to come out and speak so that we can do this properly. We want to avoid a situation where there is speculation.

"We have to give him that respect. He teamed up well with Ayanda Dlamini during the Kaizer Chiefs match. We are open to that idea [of Josephs being an assistant coach]. We are not against it, but we don’t want to be seen as making decisions on Moeneeb’s behalf.”

While working as stand-in coach Dlamini’s understudy, they were architects of AmaZulu’s famous 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs in their last match before football was suspended in South Africa.

With AmaZulu yet to resolve Vukusic’s future, Dlamini could remain in his position as interim coach for the rest of the season to help second-from-bottom Usuthu fight against relegation.

Amir Kakomo has challenged SC Villa's management to work even harder to ensure the club does better next season.

Kakomo acknowledged last season problems might have hindered their performance, but hoped the Jogoo's top-hierarchy will do better in the future as they hope to challenge for the league title.

"Not to get me wrong, Villa are a great club but with where the club was before and where they were last season, some improvement in that regard should be done and the club’s fortunes will definitely improve," Kakomo told Football256.

"For me, I think we can challenge even better than third where we finished last season with slight changes in management.

"But any club to develop and move forward, a good and firm structure is inevitable. And I think if we can have a more stringent and centralised system especially regarding players querries, then the club will move forward."

The midfielder signed for the club before the abandoned season began and confirmed talks are ongoing concerning a contract extension.

“The deal is not yet settled but negotiations between my agent and the club are ongoing which is a clear signal that I am to extend my stay at the club,” he added.

"I have really enjoyed my first season at Villa. I have grown as a player and as a person since I joined this great club.

"I have enjoyed every moment of it despite the challenges we have faced through the season. And I will take great lessons from what I have learned."

Meanwhile, St.  Lawrence University (SLAU) head coach Denis Nono has advised Wakiso Giants on how they can reap big from their new signing Owen Kasule.

"The beauty with the top flight is that teams tend to allow some space during games. And Kasule is a player who easily utilises space to stamp his mark on the game," Nono told Football256.

"To get the best out of Kasule, I reckon he should be allowed the freedom to explore these spaces and the resulting performances will be spectacular.

"But if you limit his touches, then things might fall apart and the golden boy might not reach his full potential which will be hurting for me and all those that have seen him rise to the limelight."

Nono, who is Kasule's agent, further revealed what the player likes as he prepares to have a taste of the top-flight football.

"Kasule loves the team to be built around him and always loves to carry the burden of the team but this time around I hope he can be a little bit patient with himself as next season will be his inaugural season," Nono continued.

"The top division is different from where he has played previously, and I know he has the potential to become a household name. Generally, I am excited for him."

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has warned that Leicester matches may have to be postponed or moved to a neutral stadium after the city went into full lockdown.

However, the club has said it does not expect anything to change due to the safety measures they already have in place.

While many places in England are preparing to ease restrictions on pubs and restaurants, a rise in coronavirus cases has forced Leicester to impose stricter restrictions this week, with schools closing on Thursday and non-essential shops to be shut for the next two weeks.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said that around "10 percent of all positive cases in the country over the past week" have come from Leicester and told the House of Commons on Monday that residents should stay at home as much as possible and only travel when essential.

The restrictions could affect the Foxes as they look to play their last seven Premier League matches of the season and Masters says the English top-flight and officials at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are discussing the situation.

"Just about every eventualilty between our officials and DCMS officials has been discussed at some point," he told Sky Sports.

"So, we've had a huge dialogue with the authorities about the concept of neutral venues and if what is happening in Leicester, which we're waiting to hear, does affect the club's ability to host home games, either the match on Saturday against Crystal Palace at 3pm, or subsequent matches.

"Then we have the opportunity to play those matches elsewhere or postpone them until a date when it is safe to do so."

The league's CEO would not rule out the rest of the campaign being cancelled if other areas are forced to follow Leicester's example and introduce new measures to contain the spread of the virus.

"If that were to happen in multiple areas or the virus creates other risks then obviously there is that risk that we might not be able to complete the season," he added. "We've got to get to the end of July, complete our 380 games and as I said look cautiously optimistic to the season of 2020-21."

But the Foxes released a statement to clarify that they do not expect games to be affected by the lockdown and that they will continue to train as they have in recent weeks.

"All parties remain entirely satisfied that, through the continued implementation of our Covid-19 operations plan, the Club’s football operations can continue to safely function under existing protocols and, in doing so, there will be no greater risk posed to Club personnel, visiting teams or our surrounding communities," the statement read.

"Consequently, first team training will continue at Belvoir Drive and our forthcoming Premier League fixtures remain unaffected.

"The Club remains agile to the evolving nature of the situation and suitable continuity arrangements are in place in the event we are required to deviate from our existing protocols."

Former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor says that Jurgen Klopp is among the Reds' greatest managers, adding that the German has turned doubters into believers during his time at Anfield.

Klopp took over a club that was struggling on and off the field when he became manager in 2015, with many still struggling to bounce back from the club's failed title push under Brendan Rodgers in 2013-14.

Off the field, Liverpool were lagging far behind their Premier League rivals commercially, with the Reds struggling to close the gap.

In his first press conference, Klopp promised that he would deliver a title, and he's done just that by guiding Liverpool to success in the Champions League, Club World Cup and, perhaps most importantly, the Premier League.

Klopp has built Liverpool into a juggernaut in the process, and Mellor says the German's rebuild of an entire football club has earned him a place among legendary predecessors like Bill Shankly and Kenny Dalglish.

"Klopp is adored by Liverpool supporters and rightly so," Mellor told GentingBet. "When he took over at Liverpool the club was nowhere near competing for the top six, the season he arrived Liverpool finished 8th.

"Within a previous press conference he said: ‘we will win a title’ and Liverpool fans wanted to believe him but found it difficult, because of where Liverpool actually were.

"Klopp has turned any doubters into believers, and he has been phenomenal in what he has given Liverpool. Klopp has brought a togetherness and a connection to the club, which is really unique.

"Every supporter feels like they’re connected to the football club and you can see the players do too, with how they were together and celebrating the title win, and even game to game."

Klopp penned a contract extension in December, committing his future to Liverpool through the 2023-24 season.

Mellor says that he cannot fathom Klopp leaving as the manager has a chance to build a legitimate dynasty now that Liverpool have claimed their spot atop the Premier League.

"Liverpool have now put themselves into a position as one of the biggest clubs in the world, and Klopp will want more success at Anfield," he said.

"I know we’ve seen both [Luis] Suarez and [Phillippe] Coutinho leave Liverpool for Barcelona, but I think Klopp would leave on his own terms, when he is ready. Hopefully he can go again next season to take the team to win the Premier League title again."

He added: "The beauty of Liverpool is that no one is even considering anyone else other than Jurgen Klopp as manager.

"He’s working to take Liverpool to that next level where they want to be Liverpool and the club are as happy as they have been for 30 years, with this manager in place taking the football club exactly where the fans want him to be. 

"There is no talk whatsoever that they want to see anybody else coming in and taking over the football club. Klopp seems to be Liverpool down to the ground, with his mentality and his approach.

"It's times like this, that the supporters can really enjoy having somebody like your club in charge who connects to the people of the city."

With seven games remaining in the Premier League season, Liverpool will now embark on a victory tour as the Reds cap off what could be a historic title-winning campaign.

Thursday's match with Manchester City gives Liverpool a chance to extend their historic lead atop the Premier League, with the Reds already maintaining a 23-point gap between the two sides.

Liverpool could also break the record for points in a season, surpassing Manchester City's centurions, and Mellor believes that cementing further records is more than enough motivation for Klopp's side.

"The big test for Liverpool is achieving 100 points and remaining motivated – but one of Liverpool's main strengths is the mentality that they have within the group," he said. 

"So they have to rely on that new target, which is to be the Premier League team with the greatest ever points. To get 100 points is just unbelievable, so if Liverpool can do that, that is the incentive from now to the end of the season and it is possible.

"That will be the mentality – to enjoy this moment, and then prepare for the next games."

Achraf Hakimi says he is proud of the stance against racism he and Borussia Dortmund team-mate Jadon Sancho took on the field this season.

Hakimi and Sancho were among several Bundesliga players who during matches showed support for the protests that erupted in the United States after George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May.

The Dortmund duo celebrated goals by revealing t-shirts with the message 'Justice for George Floyd' written on them and the German Football Association (DFB) decided not to punish the protesting players.

Hakimi says he was inspired to participate in the demonstration because he feels it is important for people to show their support for justice and equality.

"I'm from Africa, my father is from Africa. I'm a little bit a black guy. I spoke with Sancho before the Paderborn game, he wrote 'Justice for George Floyd' on my t-shirt and said: 'You need to score and take the T-shirt up to show the people'," he told BBC Sport. 

"We both did it. It was great to be one of the players to do this thing to show the people. Yes of course [players should speak out against racism]. It's not only football players - all the people in the world need to speak about this, because everyone is the same.

"I don't care if you're a black guy, a white guy, if you have money, if you don't have money, I don't care. I think everybody needs to be the same, and get the same justice."

Although Dortmund wanted to extend the full-back's loan from Real Madrid, he has already bid farewell to the German club's fans as he is on the verge of joining Inter in a €40 million (£36m/$45m) move. 

The 21-year-old played a key role for the Bundesliga runners-up this term and he hopes to enjoy as many first-team opportunities in Italy. 

"I think next I need to relax a little bit. For my head and my body. Then after I need to think about everything - what I have and what is better for me," he said.

"I want to continue to play, like I have done since I was 17 years old. I want to play all the time like I have done over these last two years with Dortmund. If I play regularly, I think I can be a good player - you learn more and become better. I don't care where, you know. I think only that wherever I go, I go to play.

"I think it's an amazing thing to play [for Dortmund] in front of 80,000 people. It doesn't matter where you play, this feeling is incredible."

Retired Bafana Bafana defender Macbeth Sibaya believes the South Africans could have done better if the 2010 Fifa World Cup was staged on a different continent.

The former Jomo Cosmos and Moroka Swallows anchorman believes some of the players were caught between being citizens and players, thus making it difficult for them to focus on their matches.

He insists that the squad was distracted by the activities that surrounded the team and that eventually led to some failing to focus and fight the right balance between being a player and a supporter.

“It’s difficult to sum everything up. One was caught between being a citizen of a hosting nation and a player,” Sibaya told IOL.

“There were also ambitions that needed to be reached by the team, and there were a whole lot of activities that were surrounding the World Cup, so it was quite difficult to deal with everything and being everything at once.”

Under the guidance of coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and Pitso Mosimane, the 1996 African champions bowed out of the tournament in the group stage after a draw against Mexico, a defeat to Uruguay, and a victory over France.

“It could have been easy if the tournament was played on another continent. Maybe if as a country we were used to qualifying for major tournaments, that would have also made our job a little bit easier,” Sibaya added.

“There was a very big gap between Germany and Korea/Japan. There was an eight-year gap between Korea/Japan and 2010.

"A huge gap. We didn’t participate in big competitions, and as a country, we struggled in the [Africa] Nations Cup and so forth.”

Having been one of the top players in the Bafana camp whilst playing for Rubin Kazan in Russia, the 42-year-old believes their failure to do well could be attributed to a number of factors.

“The problem is that the ambitions and commitments as a country have shifted so you are likely to be a victim of those changes,” Sibaya explained.

“Most of the players who’ve not made it overseas are victims of our perfection like a country and community. One can easily be influenced by a shift of thought or ambition.

“So, there are factors that contributed to some of the players that didn’t make it abroad. But it’s not only from football, but it could also be any type of career.”

Gor Mahia have picked August 8 as the new date to hold fresh elections and usher in new officials to lead the club.

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions were scheduled to hold elections last year but it was postponed without a proper explanation provided.

A statement on the club’s official website confirmed: “Gor Mahia held a virtual Exco meeting and has set August 8 as the date for the club's elections and the exercise will be done under the new constitution which offers just four seats.”

So far no official has shown a keen interest to unseat chairman Ambrose Rachier, who in a recent interview told Goal he will only leave the club after steadying the ship.

“It is quite true that last year on several occasions, not just once I indicated I will hand over the leadership mantle of Gor Mahia to another chairman in an election that would have been held sometime early this year,” Rachier told Goal.

“But what then has transpired is that our boat has been locked, I have been the captain of the boat and the boat has been rocked, first by the departure of the sponsor and now the coronavirus pandemic and for that reason, I have decided as a captain you do not let the boat sink when you are kind of directing it.

“We are going to look at different aspects here and there and when the boat is stabilised I will still carry out my intention, that is to leave, and that is my position, that I am still running Gor and will run it to a point I think it has been steadied because if I leave it now, in the situation it is, I will be accused of neglect.”

On many occasions, Rachier has come out to state he is keen to leave the position of chairmanship at the KPL champions, something that has never materialised.

Earlier this year, Rachier confessed he was thinking of handing over the mantle of running the club to a new chairman, but the elections were later postponed, leaving him in office.

The election will come at a time when the club managed to secure a sponsor in Betsafe, with the betting firm set to give the champions Sh50million in each of the next three years.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) vice-president Doris Petra has welcomed the establishment of the Caf Women's Champions League.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) Executive Committee, in a meeting held on Tuesday, June 30, via a video-conference, gave the formation of the competition a nod.

The football governing body also discussed the impact of Covid-19 on African football and other related issues.

The FKF official stated the Champions League is a timely competition for women as they will now have a bigger platform to showcase their talents.

"I sat in the workshop that came up with the strategic plan. It is a good thing because women have always been overlooked when it comes to continental competitions," Petra told Goal in an interview on Tuesday.

"They have not had a Champions League before and I think it is a good thing for the girls.  It is going to open windows for the girls to showcase their talent and probably get better clubs to play for so that they become professional footballers."

The official also believes the inauguration of the Champions League will see domestic competitions improve as teams fight for the available slots for the continental competition.

"It will also improve the level of competition of women football in their respective nations. Clubs will always learn from each other on how management should be done professionally," Petra continued.

"In my opinion, it is the best thing that has ever happened to women football."

As she welcomed the news, Petra also called on Caf to consider sponsoring the teams who qualify for the inaugural tournament. 

"It is good that Caf moved to replicate what they have for men. We also discussed the possibility of Caf financing that competition as opposed to self facilitation that is applied for men.

"At the first level, Caf can source for sponsorship for women's teams. You know women's teams also face huge financial difficulties."

Caf is implementing a four-year women's football strategic plan for Africa, which was launched in collaboration with Fifa last November in Egypt.

In Tuesday's meeting, the African body also arrived at a decision that saw the 2020 African Women’s Cup of Nations cancelled.

Former Schalke winger Donis Avdijaj says turning down the chance to join Liverpool is the biggest mistake he has made in his career.

Avdijaj spent seven years with Schalke, having joined at the age of 14 in 2011 and progressed through the youth system. 

He left on a free transfer to Willem II in 2018 having made 12 appearances for the Schalke first-team.

The Kosovo international was released by the Dutch club in March 2019 and was snapped up by Trabzonspor that summer, though he left a few months later to join Hearts in January. The 23-year-old finds himself without a club again as his time at Hearts has come to an end.

Avdijaj admits his career could have gone another way as the Premier League champions and Real Madrid wanted him a few years ago.

He told Sport1 : "My biggest mistake, which I bitterly regret, was turning down another mega offer from Liverpool before I signed the long contract with Schalke, which was a matter close to my heart. I also had one from Real Madrid."

However the winger remains optimistic about his future, as he has already received several offers for next season.

"I already have a lot of requests from clubs," he said. "I have to probe first. I have to make a plan for myself, where I want to go, what is best for me, and how to proceed. There are a lot of talks going on."

He added: "I've never doubted myself. I am still convinced of myself. In most of my past stations, the sporting side speaks for itself. 

"I convinced athletically in Netherlands. After a long break without football, I played 20 games at Trabzonspor and almost played through in the Europa League. I also had 10 or 12 games at Hearts and you don't know how things would have gone if the coronavirus pandemic hadn't intervened.

"I could have had a bit more luck in Scotland, but if I continue to believe in myself, train hard and play well in the next club, I'll get back that little bit of luck that I might have been missing lately. 

"I know that it is up to me what my sporting future looks like. It certainly doesn't matter whether I've played at one club for five years or have 10 clubs in five years.  In the end, only one thing counts for me, namely that I can play football and show what I can do."

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has cancelled the 2020 Africa Women's Cup of Nations and also approved the creation of the first-ever African Women's Champions League.

Goal understands these outcomes were part of the decisions reached during the virtual Caf Executive Committee meeting held on Tuesday, June 30.

This means the continental women's showpiece, which was slated for November, will not take place, having been held biennially since it was last staged in Ghana in 2018.

The news will come as a rude shock to women's football fans in Africa, after they had geared up for this year's edition of the competition for women's national teams.

In July 2019, Caf made a positive step with the expansion of the African Women's Cup of Nations from eight to 12 teams for the 2020 tournament, which was the first change to the format after 11 editions.

Six months later, a record total of 36 national teams have entered the qualifying tournament for the 2020 Awcon finals, with 11 countries expected to make it out of the qualification series.

In April, Caf confirmed the postponement of the 2020 Awcon qualifier a few days prior to the first round of matches due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With another postponement expected in the face of the inability to ensure the staging of the two rounds of the qualifier, the continent's football body, subsequently, decided to cancel the event.

"Due to challenging conditions, the 2020 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has been cancelled," Caf confirmed in a statement.

However, Caf announced the launch of a new Women’s Champions League, which is scheduled to kick off in 2021.

This could be seen as an appeal to the dampening spirits of women's football stakeholders and fans following the disappointing news of the 2020 Awcon cancellation.

"Meanwhile, the Caf Women’s Champions League will be launched in 2021. The format and other details will be communicated in due course," it further disclosed.

The development will see Africa become the fourth confederation with a continental club competition after South America's Copa Libertadores Femenina, Asia's AFC Women's Club Championship and Europe's Uefa Champions League.

It also opens the door for Africa to take part in the inaugural Fifa Women's Club World Cup, as confirmed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, in the coming years as part of his future plans for women's football.

Kaizer Chiefs have announced that George Maluleka is no longer their player following the expiry of his contract on June 30.

Chiefs have also parted ways with Joseph Molangoane and Kabelo Mahlasela whose contracts both also ran out.

Headlining the departures is Maluleka, who is set to be officially unveiled as a Mamelodi Sundowns player after six-and-half seasons at Naturena.

The former Ajax Cape Town midfielder turned down a new Chiefs deal offer earlier this year before signing a pre-contract with Mamelodi Sundowns in March.

“George Maluleka's contract has expired and he opted not to renew it as previously stated. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours,” announced Chiefs.

Maluleka made 19 Premier Soccer League (PSL) appearances for Chiefs this season and contributed five assists.

Also leaving is Malongoane, whose last two seasons at Chiefs were made difficult by persistent injuries and extremely limited game time.

The 32-year-old managed to feature in just two games for Chiefs in the past two seasons and was yet to play a single minute this term.

“Joseph Molangoane's contract has expired and it has not been renewed. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Thank you for your contribution,” announced Chiefs.

Malongoane and Maluleka have been followed through the exit door by Mahlasela, who had been out on loan at Polokwane City since January.

“Kabelo Mahlasela has left the Club as his contract was not renewed. We wish him all the best at Polokwane City FC and going forward,” said Chiefs.

While the midfielder is reportedly close to sealing a permanent move to Polokwane, he had said that he hoped to stay at Chiefs.

“I’ll be lying if I say I don’t want to play for Kaizer Chiefs anymore. But this is football and this is life,” Mahlasela told IOL.

"Sometimes we don’t get all the things we want. At times you have to move and try and move out of any situation you are facing. If it happens that I go back to Chiefs, only God knows, I’ll really appreciate that. If it doesn’t, I have to move on and focus on my next move. What I love the most is playing football.”

Mikel Arteta spoke of his respect and admiration for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, whose advice he still seeks regularly.

Arteta worked under the tutelage of Guardiola as his assistant from July 2016 until departing to replace Unai Emery as Arsenal head coach last December.

Earlier this month, Arteta had an unhappy return to the Etihad Stadium as the Gunners were beaten 3-0 by City when the Premier League returned from its coronavirus hiatus.

He has a chance to avenge that defeat before the end of the campaign after the teams were drawn to face one another in the FA Cup semi-finals, with Arsenal overcoming Sheffield United and City defeating Newcastle United to make the last four.

Arteta recognises the challenge Arsenal face but acknowledges to win the biggest prizes Arsenal have to overcome the best teams.

"We have spoken a few times in recent weeks. Facing them again in the semi-final is a tricky one but look at the level of the teams who are involved in the competition," Arteta said. "If you want to win the title, you have to beat the best teams and if we want to do that we have to beat City."

Arteta may no longer work under Guardiola but says he is still able to seek his counsel.

"Yeah, he's a person that I have huge respect and admiration [for] and we talk about a lot of things," he added. "When I need advice or I want him to support me he's always there and willing to help me. For me it's great to have someone like him around."

Since leaving City for Arsenal, Arteta has sought to blood the youngsters within his squad. Bukayo Saka has particularly flourished under Arteta, while big things are expected of academy prospect Folarin Balogun.

Both youngsters are out of contract in June 2021, with Saka linked to the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, while Southampton are said to be monitoring Balogun's situation, but Arteta is confident of tying both players down to long-term contracts.

"I am not worried because I know that the club is doing their best to try to keep them," he added. "Hopefully we can have some good news about them very soon. They know my opinion on them and how much I like working with them, the intention that I have in the future with them. 

"I see them really committed and hopefully we can find the right agreement for both parties and move on, because I think there's a great future ahead of us with these kids."

Benjamin Mendy says he is "happy" that Pep Guardiola missed him during his two lengthy spells on the sidelines, and is now hoping to play a key role in Manchester City's future bids for silverware.

Mendy's first two seasons at City were completely ruined by a persistent knee injury, which prevented him from justifying the club's £52 million ($64m) investment in his talent.

The France international arrived at Etihad Stadium from Monaco in 2017 with a reputation as one of the most dynamic left-backs in European football, but has only recently started showing flashes of his best form.

The 25-year-old has featured in 26 games for City this season, and has been in Guardiola's line-up for three of the team's four outings since the Premier League resumption on June 17.

City have won eight trophies in total since Mendy's arrival in Manchester, but he admits that those successes were tinged with a sense of regret over his limited contribution.

The World Cup winner says Guardiola's support has been crucial in keeping his spirits up through a frustrating period, and he is now eager to help City add a first Champions League and another FA Cup to their trophy collection come the end of the season.

“When he [Pep] said he missed me I am always happy,” Mendy told the club's official website. “It is something very good and it touched me.

“I want to show him, I think he knows, but I want to show Manchester City and the world.

“First Manchester City, because it is my team and I love this team and give everything for them because they deserve that for what they did for me for two years, while winning the cups and titles.

“I played a few games, but honestly, you win and I don’t feel the same. I am happy, but I don’t feel the same.

“I want to fight and say I helped my team win this trophy.”

City are currently preparing to welcome newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool to the Etihad on Thursday, having relinquished their crown by falling 23 points behind Jurgen Klopp's men with seven games left to play.

Mendy insists the Blues will be motivated to get one over on the runaway leaders after a disappointing title defence, as he added: “What they are doing is incredible.

“In the game against them we need to show them that we won the title two times and we want to beat them.

“It will be a good game for us and them too.”

Barcelona will receive a fee of €10 million (£9m/$11m) after Getafe exercised their option to buy Marc Cucurella on Tuesday.

Cucurella began his professional career at Barca in 2017, but ended up being sold to Eibar two years later after failing to break into the senior squad.

However, the Blaugrana performed a swift U-turn and triggered the €4 million buy-back clause in the Spaniard's contract just 16 days after his departure, before sending him straight out on loan to Getafe for the 2019-20 season.

Cucurella has been deployed on the left wing under Jose Bordalas at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, where he has contributed one goal and six assists in 39 games across all competitions.

The 21-year-old's performances have helped Getafe rise to fifth in La Liga and within sight of Champions League qualification, and they have now taken steps to ensure his services will be retained beyond the end of the current campaign.

Cucurella's move to Getafe has been officially made permanent, bringing to an end his long-term affiliation with Barca once and for all.

Cucurella had been linked with a move to the Premier League earlier this year, with Chelsea reportedly among his potential suitors, and Barca will receive 10% of any fee if the versatile star switches clubs again in the future.

Bordalas is currently preparing his side for a crucial meeting with La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Thursday night.

Getafe's chances of a top-four finish will be significantly boosted if they can pull off an upset, and they could do Cucurella's former club Barca a huge favour in the process.

Quique Setien's side are trailing Madrid by two points with six games remaining, having dropped points in their last two outings against Sevilla and Celta Vigo.

Barca will look to get back to winning ways when they take on Atletico on Tuesday, five days before they take in a trip to El Madrigal to face Villarreal.

Getafe will also be in action on July 5, with an away fixture against Osasuna scheduled which could end up have a huge bearing on their final league position.

On-loan Liverpool forward Taiwo Awoniyi has recollected his near-death experience after a head collision in Mainz clash against Augsburg.

The Nigerian forward lasted for only 17 minutes in the encounter before he was forced off after colliding with Augsburg centre-back Felix Udoakhai.

Awoniyi was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he spent a night, and after a test was carried out it was revealed he suffered a severe concussion.

The striker revealed the observations and findings of the doctors who attended to him, as well as their advice for him on how to handle a similar situation in the future.

"The doctor told me it's really strange. They said the way I was coming down, I should [have gone come] down with my head. If I had gone down directly with my head, it would have been a different story,” Awoniyi told ESPN.

"They said they were surprised because I was already [passed] out in the air but I was lucky that the first thing that happened was my feet hitting the ground, then my shoulder also, before my head.

"They said that made it less of a problem because if I had landed straight with my head it would have been a different story.

"The doctor told me I was talking on the pitch but I didn't know I was talking. He said when they tried to wake me up I was telling them I'm okay and I still wanted to play but I didn't know I was saying that. I don't remember that.

"When we got to the hospital before I regained consciousness, they were lifting me up and that was when I realized I wasn't on the pitch anymore."

After the incident, referee Marco Fritz reacted fast to save the life of the Nigeria U23 star and the forward has stated he sent the referee a message to thank him.

"Most of the players were not even aware of what happened and he was the one that was [aware] and came to my rescue," he continued.

"For me, there are a lot of things that I see that gets me amazed but when I saw that picture it really got to me and I was like, 'Is this me?'

"Honestly, I must commend the referee. I had to send him a text and call him because when I saw the picture of what he did, it was like a saving hand indeed.

"He said he was also glad that I am alive and well and he is looking forward to seeing me next season if I am still there."

The 22-year-old Imperial Soccer Academy graduate also revealed the reaction of his family members after the incident.

"For my wife, it was something I can't explain. My agent kept calling her because she was alone in the house watching the game,” he added.

"My family, my mum and my dad were crying and I had to call them immediately I regained consciousness to tell them that everything is fine before they believed I was fine.

"It was a really scary experience. My dad tried to be strong. He said he was praying that everything would be fine, but when my brother started crying he couldn't hold it anymore so he started crying also. And then my mum joined in."

Awoniyi missed his side’s last two games of the season and will hope to return to action during Mainz’s pre-season games.

Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour is being backed to play his way through a first form dip of his senior career, with Pat Nevin pointing out to a fellow Scot that nobody “cruises through a career without difficult times”.

The talented 18-year-old played his way into favour with Frank Lampard prior to the coronavirus-enforced break which pushed competitive football into a state of lockdown.

He has remained part of the Blues’ plans since Premier League and FA Cup football resumed and is now up to nine appearances in what has been a breakthrough campaign.

Gilmour is considered to be a hot prospect for the future, with there plenty of potential to be unlocked in his game.

He has, however, faced questions for the first time over recent weeks – finding himself among those withdrawn at half-time in an FA Cup clash with Leicester - with the spark that accompanied his rise to prominence having faded somewhat.

Nevin says that is to be expected from a player still learning his trade, with there every reason to believe that the teenager will – like many of those around him – overcome challenges and establish consistency with the more games he plays.

“It may be that some of the younger players will have a dip in form, that is not something to be too concerned about, that has happened since the dawn of history in the game. It is part of the learning curve and they will be fine,” the former Chelsea winger told the club’s official website.

“Billy Gilmour had a tough afternoon at the King Power Stadium, but will that have a lasting effect? Yes it will, but in a good way.

“No one in the history of the game cruises through a career from day one without difficult times. You have to learn how to cope with it.

“He will be fine not only because of his talent and personality but also because of the management team and the kind of team-mates he has around him. He will be back on the pitch soon enough with their support and of course ours.”

Lampard has conceded that Chelsea allowed their standards to dip as a collective against Leicester, despite reaching the FA Cup semi-finals, but the Blues boss is aware that consistency will be an issue at times with a squad that includes so many young and relatively inexperienced players.

Antoine Griezmann "knows he can do better", according to Clement Lenglet, who has backed the under-fire striker to turn around his Barcelona career.

Barca forked out €120 million (£109m/$135m) to bring Griezmann to Camp Nou last summer after a lengthy transfer saga, and tied the prolific frontman down to a lucrative five-year contract.

The France international was among the top goalscorers in La Liga season in, season out while on Atletico's books, but has so far been unable to live up to the same high standards in Catalonia.

Griezmann has only scored eight goals in his first 31 top-flight outings for Barca, having been asked to adapt to an unnatural role on the left-hand side of a front three alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

The 29-year-old has struggled to strike up an understanding with the talismanic pair, and teenage winger Ansu Fati is now threatening to take his spot in Quique Setien's starting XI.

Lenglet acknowledges the fact that the former Atletico star is failing to live up to expectations, but still believes he can rediscover his best form if he continues to work hard behind the scenes.

The Barca defender told Le Parisien: "Antoine is well integrated in the dressing room, there really is no problem. On the pitch, he himself knows he can do better.

"But we must not forget his statistics. He has still scored 14 goals and created several assists.

"For a first season, it's not bad. But, for Antoine, he is playing in a different style to what he was better used to at Atletico, and he is a player with whom we are very demanding.

"But I see him working hard in training, it can only get better. It's always the same when a Barca striker doesn't score for two games, that's he's in trouble.

"When he scores two goals, it looks like Super-Antoine is back."

Barca are currently locked in a tense title race with arch-rivals Real Madrid, who are sitting top of La Liga by two points with only six fixtures left to play.

Setien's men are also still in the hunt for Champions League glory, and Lenglet has named Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain as his "dream" opponents if Barca make it all the way through to the showpiece event in Lisbon in August.

He said: "A Barca-PSG final would make you dream ... provided that Barca wins it, of course."

Lenglet, Griezmann and Co. will be back in action when Barca play host to Atletico in a must-win La Liga clash on Tuesday night.

Mesut Ozil still has a role to play at Arsenal if he is “willing”, says Mikel Arteta, while the Gunners remain hopeful that Bukayo Saka will soon commit to a new contract with the club.

Since the Premier League restart on June 17, a World Cup winner on the books at Emirates Stadium has seen no competitive game time.

Arteta has left Ozil out of matchday squads altogether and not turned to him off the bench despite inconsistent Arsenal being in need of creative inspiration at times.

Nobody is being ruled out of the club’s future plans, though, with Matteo Guendouzi also falling into that category after seeing his attitude questioned, and it could be that minutes are found over the coming weeks.

Asked whether Ozil and Guendouzi could figure again this season, Arteta told reporters ahead of a Premier League meeting with Norwich on Wednesday: “I said that everybody that I have in the squad, my job is to get the maximum out of them and to try to help them and support them. And if they are willing, everybody is welcome.

“I always hope that the players want to give their best.”

Pressed further on whether Ozil, whose ability has never been in doubt, should have kicked on more over recent weeks, Arteta added: “The players want to play as well as possible, train as well as possible and then it's a tricky game.

“You have momentum, you have your team-mates to help you as well and you need confidence. It's not just one factor but I never doubt that the players want to do their best.”

While it remains to be seen whether Ozil will figure in the remainder of the current campaign, highly-rated academy graduate Saka can expect to see game time.

The 18-year-old is, however, entering the final 12 months of his current contract and is yet to agree an extension.

Club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in a similar position and while Arteta has reported no progress there, he is confident that top teenage talents can be retained.

He said: “I am not worried because I know that the club is doing their best to try to keep them [Bukayo and Folarin Balogun].

“Hopefully we can have some good news about them very soon. They know my opinion on them and how much I like working on them, the intention that I have in the future with them.

“I see them really committed and hopefully we can find the right agreement for both parties and move on, because I think there's a great future ahead of us with these kids.”

The next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has been postponed by 12 months, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) confirmed in their Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday.

The 33rd edition of the biennial tournament was due to begin in Cameroon on January 9, 2021, but has now been pushed back to January 2022 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the continent.

Goal understands Caf’s concerns about the ability to fit in the outstanding qualifiers before the intended start date of January 2021 are behind the decision to postpone, although African football’s governing body has not announced whether the 34th edition of the tournament—scheduled for Ivory Coast in 2023—will also be pushed back.

Algeria are the reigning African champions, having defeated Senegal 1-0 in the 2019 final in Cairo.

The tournament was long-held during January and February, but moved to a June-July schedule ahead of the 2019 event, with newly elected president Ahmad Ahmad keen to avoid the club-vs-country disputes that often overshadowed a tournament being played during the European winter.

However, the 2021 tournament’s dates have already been moved once, with the original June-July 2021 dates brought forward to January due to the unfavourable climate in Cameroon during the summer months.

Caf also confirmed the 2020 African Nations Championship—the biennial tournament for home-based players—will be played next year, having originally been scheduled for April 2020.

The Chan—which was also due to be held in Cameroon—had been indefinitely postponed due to the onset of Covid-19.

Caf’s decision comes after Uefa pushed the 2020 European Championships back by 12 months, while the 2020 Copa America has also been shunted back to a 2021 start date.

Also announced during the meeting, Caf has revealed that the semi-finals of their two continental club competitions—the Champions League and Confederation Cup—will be one-legged affairs moving forward, rather than the home-and-away ties previously.

For women’s football across the continent, the 2020 African Women’s Cup of Nations has been cancelled, while Caf has announced the inauguration of a new women’s Champions League, which will begin in 2021.

Frank Lampard has rubbished reports suggesting that Chelsea have put an offer to Angel Gomes on the back of his departure from Manchester United and distanced the Blues from talk of an imminent raid on West Ham for Declan Rice.

Highly-rated midfielder Gomes has severed ties with those at Old Trafford after allowing his contract to run down.

At just 19 years of age Gomes has plenty of potential to unlock and was held in high regard by the Red Devils, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side doing all they could to put fresh terms in place.

The England U20 international is now free to find himself a new club, with there no shortage of interest being shown in his services, but Lampard insists Chelsea have not joined that chase.

Quizzed on the reports suggesting an offer has been tabled, the Blues boss said: “I can elaborate to the point that it's never been mentioned at my end, so that's it.”

Gomes is not the only hot prospect said to be registering on Chelsea’s radar at present, with there plenty of speculation to suggest that West Ham star Rice could soon be crossing London.

The 21-year-old England international is a player that the Blues know well, having previously had him within their academy system, but he is another that Lampard claims to be in no position to sign.

“Declan Rice is a good player you're right, and I've known him for a long time, he was in the Chelsea academy,” added the Chelsea manager.

“But there's no talk, I keep saying, about every player we'll be asked about.

“Until these games and this season is finished, there's nothing to say.”

Top-four hopefuls Chelsea will be back in Premier League action on Wednesday when they take in a derby date with West Ham.

They will have officially welcomed summer signings Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech onto their books by then, with their respective contracts starting on July 1, but Lampard admits it may be some time before the new boys are seen.

He said: “I am in the process of arranging that plan now.

“You are right, they do become our players. They are also in different positions in the fact that Hakim hasn’t played for a long time because of the Dutch league situation and Timo finished at the weekend.

“We will formulate a plan for them that will look slightly different individually.

“We will decide in the meantime at Cobham in the training ground whether that means mixing with the squad or whether that means some physical work in the shorter term for themselves.”