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Bidvest Wits assistant and youth coach Dillon Sheppard says he is not bothered by the sale of the club because the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is yet to approve and confirm the deal.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns winger explains Clever Boys' players must be professional and honour their contract until the end of the current campaign.

Sheppard’s sentiments come after the club had been sold to National First Division (NFD) outfit Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) and they will relocate from Braamfontein to Venda in the next campaign.

“For now, I am not going to comment on the sale of the club especially because the PSL has not confirmed anything,” Sheppard told Isolezwe.

“I am still part of the team and I am also part of the senior team where we have duties to complete.”

Although many of the first team campaigners have been linked with moves to other PSL sides, the former South African international has urged the players to remain professional until the end of the 2019/20 season.

“I don’t think [the sale of the club] will have any distractions. We all have contracts that we must honour,” he added.

“The players are professional and I believe they will be able to finish their contracts and the job in the right manner because they are contracted until the end of the season.”

Meanwhile, key players such as Buhle Mkhwanazi, skipper Thulani Hlatshwayo, Sifiso Hlanti, and midfielder Thabang Monare have all been linked with moves to clubs such as Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs.

On the other hand, Namibian winger Deon Hotto’s name has also been bandied about with some of the key figures set to complete moves to the Buccaneers, Amakhosi as well as the Brazilians.

In addition, head coach Gavin Hunt said he is eyeing a Nedbank Cup triumph as they are in the semi-finals of the league’s premier knockout competition, saying he hopes to qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup.

The Braamfontein-based side is set to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the Ke Yona semi-finals and Hunt is keen to sign off Wits’ PSL status by winning the Cup, although the triumph would benefit Limpopo side TTM to play in Africa next season.

Blackburn Rovers defender Tosin Adarabioyo and Swansea City forward Andre Ayew have been named in the Championship Team of the Week.

Adarabioyo delivered a scintillating performance for the Blue and Whites to help them secure a 3-1 win against Bristol City on Saturday.

The Anglo-Nigerian inspired Tony Mowbray’s side to victory in the encounter, scoring a brilliant effort after Corry Evans’ strike had cancelled out Jamie Paterson’s opener.

The win propelled the Ewood Park outfit to seventh on the league table, one point below the play-off spot.

Ayew, meanwhile, made a key contribution for Swansea in their 3-0 comfortable win against Middlesbrough at Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

The Ghana international set up Rhian Brewster for his side’s opener before wrapping up the commanding display with his well-taken strike from the penalty spot.

Following the eye-catching performances from the African stars, they have been named among the best players in the English second tier.

Adarabioyo, who is eligible to play for the Super Eagles, has featured in 29 games for Blackburn, scoring three goals since his summer loan move from Premier League side Manchester City.

Ayew, meanwhile, has scored 15 goals and provided six assists in 37 games across all competitions for Swansea in this campaign.

The African stars will hope to continue their impressive performances for their clubs in their next league games.

Blackburn will take on Leon Balogun’s Wigan Athletic while Swansea will face Luton Town at Liberty Stadium on June 27.

With the first round of games of Project Restart now done and dusted, there were a few winners and losers as the Premier League returned.

In the top-half, observers primarily focused on Chelsea – who defeated Aston Villa 2-1 – and Wolverhampton Wanderers – who beat West Ham United 2-0 – two sides that made great strides in securing Champions League spots...but nobody seems to be talking about in-form Crystal Palace.

The Eagles secured an impressive 2-0 success at Bournemouth, courtesy of goals from Luka Milivojevic and red-hot Jordan Ayew, seeing them pick up where they left off pre-pandemic. Having won three games on the trot before football’s suspension, Roy Hodgson’s troops made that four successive league wins which sees them leapfrog wobbling Arsenal in the table.

With eight gameweeks to play, Palace are ninth in the standings on 42 points and were, interestingly, one of the four sides in the top 10 to pick up a win in gameweek 30.

The excitement surrounding the Eagles’ amazing run is understood when their current situation is put in context: success at the Vitality Stadium put them level with Tottenham Hotspur in eighth, two behind Sheffield United and only four behind joint-fifth pair of Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Despite thriving in what has generally been a mixed campaign for most of the teams below champions-elect Liverpool, Palace haven’t been glorified for their achievements and seem to be flying under the radar. For a club whose highest top flight finish was 10th in 2014/15 and last year ended in the bottom half, this campaign’s transformation has been commendable.

Indeed, no player epitomises the South London club’s success more than Ayew, who scored his ninth league goal of the campaign on Saturday. For a forward who could only find the back of the net once in 20 appearances in the previous season, his renaissance has been astonishing.

Supporters were unimpressed by the club’s decision to sign the forward permanently from Swansea City in the summer but the 28-year-old has rewarded Hodgson's faith to propel the London side into the division’s top 10.

After coming up trumps on several occasions in the ongoing campaign, the same supporters started cheering his name at Selhurst Park before the sport’s shutdown in March.

Ayew’s strike against the Cherries saw him become Ghana’s outright leading Premier League scorer with 25 goals, supplanting Leeds United icon Tony Yeboah who netted 24 goals across two seasons in the mid-90s.

It’s quite the turnaround for the youngest son of African football legend Abedi Pele, who registered only three shots on target from 17 attempts last term.

The forward is one goal away from joining Chris Armstrong (15 goals), Andrew Johnson (21), Christian Benteke, Milivojevic (10, 12) and Wilfried Zaha (10) as the only players to have netted double figures for Crystal Palace in their 11 campaigns in the big time.

If his well-taken effort against Eddie Howe’s team, as well as his three-game scoring streak either side of the pandemic, is anything to go by, Ayew is primed to become the sixth Eagle to hit 10 goals or higher.

For a side that has three more goals than lowest scorers Norwich City (28 to 25), the Ghana star’s return is even more remarkable. Given the low-scoring nature of Hodgson's troops, nearly every strike from their top scorer this term has been of great importance.

Having hit the opener in a 2-1 success over Manchester United in August, Ayew followed that up with the winner over Aston Villa days later in a 1-0 victory. October brought even more joy for the West African striker who netted an 87th-minute winner at city rivals West Ham United before equalizing at Arsenal as the Eagles fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium.

Both London clubs were on the receiving in the reverse fixtures too, with an incredible 90th-minute solo effort completing a 2-1 comeback win over the Hammers (he’d set up Cheikhou Kouyate’s leveller as well) and an equalizer against the Gunners making sure the Eagles would finish 2019/20 unbeaten against two London rivals.

A five-game drought followed Ayew’s goal against Mikel Arteta’s team, but that ultimately birthed his current scoring run which includes winning strikes over fierce rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford, their last two games before the Premier League was suspended.

In a campaign where usual talisman Wilfried Zaha, scorer of three goals and as many assists, has somewhat underperformed, it’s been the Ivorian star’s teammate who has carried the can for Hodgson's side.

This is evidenced by the fact that the Ghanaian’s goals have won Palace 12 points this term as they chase a maiden European sojourn that was unforeseen when 19/20 kicked off.

They don’t have an easy run-in, however, with games against Liverpool (Wednesday), Leicester City, Chelsea, Man United, Wolves and Tottenham on the final day to come in the final weeks of the season.

If the Eagles are to play continental football in 2020/21, they’ll have to secure several positive results against the sides fighting for the same goal as them. All these teams are superior to the ninth-placed side for technical quality, a factor taken into cognizance when playing down their chances of securing a top six finish.

Still, their 2-1 win over the Red Devils (the first at Old Trafford since 1989) and 2-2 draw at Manchester City in January gives them a reason to be bullish going into a thorny climax to the season.

Palace are likely the most unglamorous side in the top-half, but with the wily old Hodgson at the helm and Ayew’s prolific campaign could gatecrash the European party against all odds.

Willian has agreed on a deal in principle to remain at Chelsea until the end of the domestic season, with his current contract having been due to expire on June 30.

Frank Lampard will be boosted by the news that the 31-year-old has agreed to stay until the domestic season is finished but it remains unclear whether he will compete in the club's Champions League campaign in August.

The outage of football across Europe due to the coronavirus pandemic has seen seasons extended beyond the typical cut-off date of June 30 for expiring contracts.

FIFA had issued guidance that players and clubs should attempt to end the season with their current squads but made it clear that both parties had to agree to continue working together.

Indeed, Chelsea are still tying up Pedro's agreement to carry on for another month or so amid an agreement being put in place for him to move to Roma next season.

Pedro's deal is complicated by the fact that he has a pre-contract in place ahead of a free transfer. Willian, however, has yet to agree terms with any club for 2020-21.

Chelsea still have time to agree on a longer-term deal with Willian, who has asked for a three-year contract, but the Blues are currently only willing to sign him on a short-term basis.

Arsenal and Tottenham are thought to be two clubs interested in the Brazilian, who has grown comfortable in London due to his family situation in the English capital.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have avoided the same problems that they have had with Willian and Pedro for both Olivier Giroud and Willy Caballero by activating one-year extension clauses in their contracts.

Lampard had spoken of the importance of keeping his squad together for the final weeks of the season as he competes for a top-four spot and Champions League football next term.

"We want them to extend their stay and make sure they can see out the season," Lampard told reporters via a Zoom conference call ahead of their 2-1 win over Aston Villa. 

"I see both sides. I see the individual player because I was one, and I respect that they have both been great servants to the club.

"I’ve had nothing but open conversations with them. We’re just trying to make that extension happen. The players have to be happy. We have to be happy. Hopefully we can get there before the 23rd of June, next week, because that’s the day we have to get it done by.

"Anyone around us knows that. So we'll keep talking and hopefully they stay on."

Willian will also play in the FA Cup, which sees his side face Leicester City in the quarter-final on Sunday, while the final could potentially be his last game for the club on August 1 should the Blues get there.

Chelsea's eight loanees in the Championship have mostly agreed to continue on with their respective clubs, while the club has sold Mario Pasalic to Atalanta in a deal worth around £13 million ($16m).

Kenyan referees are beginning to see the benefits of development programs put in place by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) under the leadership of Nick Mwendwa in the last four years.

According to Sylvester Kirwa, the referees’ manager at the federation, they have seen an increased number of whistle-blowers joining the elite status.

“When I was employed by the federation, we decided to focus on certain key areas: building capacity, recruitment, development, and having more women,” Kirwa told reporters on Tuesday.

Kirwa says the fate of the local referees was changed completely after the federation managed to secure two critical Fifa funded courses that they used to support them.

“The result is we sent women referees to the Africa Women Nations Cup (Awcon) and the World Cup for the first time,” Kirwa continued.

“Our two referees, Mary Ann and Caroline Wanjala have also joined the Elite ‘A’ category. Previously, referees used to pay money to attend courses but we abolished these allowing more of them to be trained.”

Kirwa said the number of men elite referees has also gone up to three with Peter Waweru, Gilbert Cheruiyot, and Davies Omweno joining the club.

“Locally, we have seen very young referees coming up and now the majority of those handling the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) are between 24-33 years. This means that they have another 15 years at the top,” added Kirwa.

Meanwhile, Richard Obare a member of the referee’s committee said more than 2000 referees have been trained in the last four years.

“The courses have been quite helpful and our referees have benefitted a lot. Even referees at the grassroots level have benefitted from the new changes,” Obare told reporters.

Margrate Omondi a Fifa instructor noted that she is happy that a number of women referees are now officiating in the KPL.

“Before that, we had just a few women at the top. But now there is no difference as more and more women are handling the KPL. Furthermore, men and women are getting an equal number of matches.”

Kenyan football is preparing to go for elections with Mwendwa seeking to defend his seat but will face stiff opposition from former FKF president Sam Nyamweya, ex-Cecafa boss Nicholas Musonye, Hebert Mwachiro, former Gor Mahia CEO Omondi Aduda and Sammy Shollei.

Sergio Aguero's 2019-20 season may already be over after Manchester City confirmed on Tuesday that the striker will travel to Barcelona for a specialist examination on his left knee.

The Argentine pulled up with an injury during City's routine 5-0 win over Burnley on Monday night, sparking fears that he would have to spend time on the sidelines.

Pep Guardiola confirmed after the match that the attacker's chances of a swift return did "not look good" and that he had been struggling with a niggle even before the match.

Now, however, it has been confirmed that specialist Dr Ramon Cugat will examine Aguero, with the severity of the issue currently unknown.

Taking to Twitter following City's update, the 32-year-old wrote: “The scans I did this morning have confirmed that I have damaged my left knee. It’s a pity but I’m in good spirits and so focused to come back as soon as possible. Thank you very much for all your messages!”

The news comes as a blow to the Etihad outfit, who will have wanted their striking talisman fit and firing for the season run-in. While the Premier League title is all but wrapped up, City currently boast a 2-1 first-leg lead over Real Madrid in the round of 16.

An FA Cup quarter-final date against Newcastle also has to be taken in before the season's end, but it will be Europe's premier club competition that City will be focusing on, with a European ban appeal still to be decided upon.

Should the ban be upheld, Aguero, who turns 33 in July, would be entering the final year of his City contract without the prospect of continental football. As such, the club will be focusing all their efforts on the Champions League this term as they look to dethrone Liverpool as European champions.

But while Aguero's absence will undoubtedly sting, the form of players such as Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne will no doubt give fans hope that they can still go all the way, with Gabriel Jesus an able deputy for the Argentine.

In addition, Phil Foden's performance against Burnley showed that the youngster is ready for life at the very top, giving Guardiola another option to choose from in an already star-studded squad.

Liverpool may have passed on the opportunity to sign Timo Werner but it would still come as a surprise if Jurgen Klopp does not look to land another striker in the next transfer window, says John Aldridge.

The Reds decided not to table a bid for a prolific Germany international frontman who is now set to link up with their Premier League rivals at Chelsea.

Klopp’s reluctance to join that chase came as a surprise to many, with the general consensus being that greater depth is required in the attacking ranks at Anfield.

Aldridge believes that issue will be addressed at some stage in the near future, with there every chance that Liverpool will look to land “a player or two” when in a position to do so.

The former Reds frontman told the Liverpool Echo: “We understand the reasons why they decided not to sign Timo Werner and how the manager and those around him are determined to build the right kind of squad and not go for quick fixes.

“The position they have got Liverpool into in recent years is absolute evidence that they deserve to be trusted but they're not soft, they know there's a possibility of losing [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane for a period of time next January now it looks like the Africa Cup of Nations is going to be rescheduled back to that time of the year and I just wonder whether there might be a change of heart over bringing a player or two in.

“We've got Curtis Jones who can come in for [Adam] Lallana but if [Xherdan] Shaqiri goes we will need another striker, I think.

“It's not easy to improve a squad as good as Liverpool's but Chelse, amongst others, are strengthening well and will be more competitive next season, as will Manchester United who have a great looking player in [Bruno] Fernandes and will no doubt to try attract more.

“When you're ahead, you have to try and make sure you stay that one step ahead so if that means going out and getting a world-class player to enhance the squad then I would like to see us do it.

“There will be a couple of players who leave in the summer and, while we have high hopes for some of the young lads who clearly have big futures ahead of them, I would still like to see us get someone in.

“Ultimately it comes down to whether Jurgen Klopp feels the same but if he does, I'd be surprised if it didn't happen.”

Speculation suggests that there is still plenty of forward-thinking talent registering on Liverpool’s recruitment radar, with Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho and Wolves winger Adama Traore among those to be generating talk of possible big-money moves to Merseyside.

Atletico Madrid still believe in Joao Felix, according to Diego Simeone, who says the €126 million (£114m/$143m) starlet will "evolve" as he gets older.

Felix became the most expensive player in Atletico's history when he joined the club from Benfica last summer after months of intense transfer speculation.

Manchester City, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United had all been linked with the 20-year-old after his outstanding 2018-19 season at Estadio da Luz, but he ultimately decided that Wanda Metropolitano was the best place to continue his development.

Unfortunately, the Portugal international has been unable to justify his price tag in his first full season with Atletico, with niggling ankle injuries significantly limiting his contribution.

Felix has recorded a modest eight goals and three assists in 29 appearances in total, with his latest effort coming in a 5-0 victory over Osasuna on June 17.

Simeone was rewarded for restoring the ex-Benfica midfielder to his line-up for Atletico's second outing since the resumption of La Liga, and he also started the club's 1-0 win at home to Real Valladolid on Sunday.

Ahead of a meeting with Levante on Tuesday, Simeone has backed Felix to become a more "decisive" player as he gains more experience at the highest level.

"He is a different player, but we have always valued his talent as we have seen him in training and matches," the Atletico boss told a pre-match press conference.

"Surely, when he grows older and can spend more time in situations that are decisive for the team and he will evolve as a player.

"He has all the important attributes that can make or break a game, and with his growth in matches he will develop even more as a footballer."

Atletico's latest win saw them move four points clear of Getafe in the race for the final Champions League spot with eight games remaining.

Simeone has been able to shuffle his pack more freely due to the new ruling allowing five substitutions per game, and he would like to see the system become standard practice due to the opportunities it creates for fringe players.

"It seems to me that it gives footballers a greater chance of playing," he added.

"With three changes not everyone on the bench can be involved, but now we've discovered something new and the people who make decisions will decide if it's convenient or not.

"There are more options for players to play, but it's not up to us to make these decisions."

Manchester City are monitoring the progress of Fulham teenager Cody Drameh as they consider a transfer, Goal has learned.

The England Under-18 international is yet to play for the Cottagers, but is seen as one of a raft of promising players coming through at the club.

London-born Drameh has become a regular for the Championship side's U23 team and has caught the eye with seven assists from right-back.

Fulham have built up a strong reputation for producing young talent. with Ryan Sessegnon the standout player to come through the club's academy before his £25 million ($30m) move to Tottenham in the summer of 2019.

City previously signed 18-year-old winger Patrick Roberts from Craven Cottage in 2015, though he is still to make an appearance for the first team after loan spells at Celtic, Girona, Norwich City and Middlesbrough.

Pep Guardiola has already signed a right-back this summer, with Brazilian teenager Yan Couto having agreed to join from Coritiba FC on a five-year deal.

Any move for 18-year-old Drameh would, therefore, likely be followed by him being loaned out so as to gain first-team experience elsewhere.

City, meanwhile are reported to be leading the chase for highly-rated Belgian youngster Romeo Lavia.

The 16-year-old has turned down a contract with Anderlecht, who are now managed by former City captain Vincent Kompany. Lavia, who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre back, has been with the club since the age of eight.

He announced on Instagram last week that he was leaving the club stating: "It’s with great emotion that I announce the end of my adventure at Anderlecht."

A number of Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for Lavia, including City, Manchester United and Liverpool.

Belgian outlet Het Laatse Nieuws reported that City have emerged as favourites to sign him on a free transfer and are already in advanced talks.

A busy end-of-season schedule could present an opportunity for City's current academy players to earn first-team minutes, though Guardiola has revealed that only players living close to Manchester were recalled to train with the senior squad due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As well as regular first-team players Phil Foden and Eric Garcia, a group of Tommy Doyle, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Cole Palmer and Felix Nmecha have been training with Guardiola's squad for the past few weeks.

Jurgen Klopp hopes next week's crunch Manchester City vs Liverpool clash will be played at the Etihad Stadium.

The Reds are due to travel to Manchester next Thursday, in a game which could see them clinch the Premier League title at the home of their nearest challengers.

Liverpool will be guaranteed their first championship since 1990 if they take four points from their next two games, starting against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday evening. 

Should they win that game, City would need to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge 24 hours later to keep the title race going. 

There have been concerns that, if it was the case that Liverpool could win the league at the Etihad, the game may need to be moved to a neutral venue due to the risk of supporters congregating in and around the stadium. 

Manchester City Council's Safety Advisory Group will meet on Thursday to decide whether that will be the case, but Klopp believes the example of Sunday's Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, which passed without incident, should mean the game goes ahead as planned at the Etihad.

"Honestly, I would prefer it is at Manchester otherwise it would be really difficult to organise it," the Reds boss said. "I don't know how it would be but it would not be in Liverpool so it would mean we both have to go somewhere where we both need a hotel. That is the only issue.

"Apart from that we play where they send us to but I would prefer it in Manchester. I don't know about the process, I wait until the final information is confirmed whether it is Manchester or not. It would be a challenge for both clubs."

He added: "I don't know enough about the history of English football to be concerned about the City game against us, but the City stadium is pretty well located to close it down if someone was there close to the stadium.

"But I don't see that. The whole period we are in showed that the massive majority of people really behaved responsibly and seriously and take this situation as it is: the discipline level is probably as high as ever before.

"I was not worried about that. I know football fans since I was five years old and 98 per cent of them are completely fine and have the same view on life as I have, and love similar things that I do.

"At this moment in time I was not worried about that, but maybe I don't know enough about it when we go there (to City). But Sunday was a good example, 100 per cent."

Scott McTominay is “very excited” about the future at Manchester United, with the Scotland international having committed to a new contract with the club through to 2025.

The 23-year-old midfielder is one of a number of home-grown talents to have been handed regular first-team football by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He is now the latest to commit to fresh terms, following the likes of Marcus Rashford, Andreas Pereira, Brandon Williams and Tahith Chong in putting pen to paper over the course of the last 12 months.

McTominay is delighted with the show of faith he has earned from the Red Devils and intends to play a prominent role in what he believes will be a productive period for an ambitious outfit.

He told United’s official website when asked about the future at Old Trafford: “Very excited.

“You see the team we’ve got now and it’s amazing. For everybody from the outside looking in they should be saying that we’ve got a real chance to go and do really well.

“For us we have to keep our feet on the ground, keep training well every day and listen to the coaching staff and the ideas they’re portraying to us and put that into practice on the pitch.

“It’s strange with no fans at the minute but hopefully in time we’ll be able to get back to normal and resume where we left off after the last game.”

United returned to competitive action after a coronavirus-enforced break with a 1-1 draw away at Tottenham.

That result has kept them in the hunt for a top-four finish, with Solskjaer continuing to lean heavily on academy graduates when it comes to complementing the big-money signings in his squad.

United have always prided themselves on their youth development, with their current coach billing that process as the “bedrock” of the club.

McTominay agrees, saying: “The manager is not wrong and has hit the nail on the head!

“You see other boys in the same situation to myself like Marcus [Rashford] and Jesse [Lingard] and Axel [Tuanzebe], boys who are doing tremendously well, and I want to be a role model for younger kids growing up and show them how you can get to a certain level with the first team.

“That’s by maintaining hard work throughout a number of years and for me that hard work doesn’t stop, it continues, and that’s the way I’ve been brought up through the football club.

“There are obviously a lot of other things going on in the world right now which are far more important than what’s happening with me, but it’s a real pleasure to be involved with this football club and hopefully going forward we’ll do really well.”

Premier Soccer League (PSL) giants Kaizer Chiefs have confirmed two coronavirus cases within their squad.

The Soweto giants revealed that they conducted preliminary tests last Friday as PSL clubs prepare to return to training.

Chiefs released the following statement on Tuesday afternoon after 70 individuals were tested at the Naturena-based side.

A club statement read: "Following a series of Covid-19 tests conducted last Friday, two Kaizer Chiefs players’ results have come back positive from the laboratory."

"A total of 70 individuals, including players, members of the technical team and other club officials were tested for Covid-19 in preparation for the restart of the 2019/20 season."

"At the time of doing these tests, players and officials were screened and monitored by healthcare workers and team doctors. None of the people tested showed any signs or symptoms of Covid-19."

"All the players and officials were given different timeslots and did not come into contact with each other."

"The affected duo will be in self-isolation for the stipulated period of 14 days. They will be retested after the isolation period as required. If their tests come back negative, they will then be able to rejoin the team."

"Kaizer Chiefs’ medical team and management are working around the clock to provide the necessary support to the affected individuals and ensure they follow the guidelines."

The total number of coronavirus cases in the PSL is now seven with the current season having been suspended since mid-March 2020 due to the deadly virus.

Chiefs' arch-rivals, Orlando Pirates announced that one of their players, Ben Motshwari had tested positive for Covid-19 last May, but the central midfielder has since recovered from coronavirus.

On Monday, June 22, Bloemfontein Celtic's Given Mashikinya became the second known player to test positive for Covid-19.

While Stellenbosch FC confirmed that three of their staff members have tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, June 23.

South African Football Association (Safa) acting CEO Tebogo Motlanthe has broken his silence on the latest National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which took place on Saturday. 

In the meeting, the Safa NEC resolved to removed both Ria Ledwaba and Gay Mokoena from their positions as Danny Jordaan's vice-presidents. 

According to Motlanthe, the NEC made it clear that it has lost confidence in both Ledwaba and Mokoena while confirming that previously, the vice-presidents were voted for by the congress but that has since been amended, resulting in the dismissal of the pair.   

"The Safa constitution was amended prior to the election, previously the vice president was voted by the Congress but now the NEC elects the vice presidents. In the meeting on Saturday, the Executive Committee said we have lost confidence in Ms Ledwaba and Mr Mokoena," Motlanthe told SA FM. 

"Now, if people who have voted for you say we have no confidence in you, then you must vacate the position. That's exactly what happened. A member can be voted out at any time. It takes just one motion, for someone to stand up and say, I don't have confidence and you get support.

"To be clear, they're not voted out of the Executive, it's just that their powers to be Vice Presidents have been taken away from them. They are however still members of the NEC. This will go to the Congress, as we did with Chief Nonkonyane."

Motlanthe, who doubles up as Safa's legal head, said the association hasn't replaced Ledwaba and Mokoena, meaning the Xolile Nkomphela and Dr Irvin Khoza are the only two vice-presidents to Jordaan.  

"They have not yet been replaced. But its simple, if one person stands up and says we have lost confidence, then the voting starts and we go with the majority. That's what happened in this case," continued Motlanthe. 

Furthermore, Motlanthe revealed that Ledwaba was wrong to write to Minister of Sports Nathi Mthethwa in an attempt to seek intervention in the matter involving Mokoena's removal from the position of acting CEO of the country's FA, adding that Fifa rules are against her actions.  

"Ms Ledwaba knows she was wrong. She is now playing with semantics by saying intervention is not interference but she wrote to the Minister, asking him to intervene. Fifa rules are clear, the government is not allowed to interfere with football matters," he added.

"If she feels the President was not responding to her, then why did she not petition us as the NEC?" 

Motlanthe said Ledwaba admitted in the meeting that she might have made a mistake by writing to Mthethwa.   

"She knows she was wrong. At some point in the meeting, she admitted that she might have made a mistake," he continued.

Meanwhile, Motlanthe expressed delight after his tenure as acting CEO of Safa was extended until December. 

He said he didn't think twice about accepting the recommendation made by the Executive Committee, more so because he understands the association's rules better.  

"I'm happy that my term has been extended to December. It was a recommendation from the NEC. I didn't hesitate to accept, because I now understand how things operate at the organization," concluded Motlanthe. 

Zinedine Zidane has claimed Real Madrid will accept the congested fixture list for what it is, despite the club complaining to La Liga.

Los Blancos issued a complaint to top-flight officials on Monday after the schedule for matchdays 33 and 34 of the season left them with less than 72 hours between fixtures against Getafe and Athletic Bilbao.

Madrid felt this left them at a disadvantage compared to title rivals Barcelona, who were given five days of rest between games against Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.

However, it has since emerged that Madrid will have accumulated more rest – approximately 26 hours in total – than Barca until matchday 35, and asked if he felt the club's complaints to La Liga were fair, Zidane insisted he is fully focused on preparing his side for the fixture list as it stands.

"Everyone does their job here, I do my thing. I have my opinion, one day are the schedules, another the referees, there is always something," Zidane, who turned 48 on Tuesday, told a news conference ahead of Madrid's clash with Real Mallorca.

"My job is already quite complicated, my concern is [Wednesday's] game, it is a final, there are eight games to go and it is very important. It is what interests me. 

"The calendar is what it is, what we have to do as a team is to only think about resting. The games are what they are, eleven games in a short time and we have to take care of these details."

"I don't know, there are many people, Madrid is an important club that is talked about every day," Zidane answered when asked if there could potentially be a campaign against Madrid.

"Everyone can comment, in the end, it's not about that. I don't get into whether it's right or wrong. Each person does his job, it is a difficult task. 

"I only think about preparing the games well. That is what interests us, nothing else."

Madrid survived a fightback from Real Sociedad – with some good fortune courtesy of VAR – to move top of La Liga on Sunday, courtesy of a 2-1 win at Anoeta. 

Eden Hazard was an unused substitute in the Basque Country, while Sergio Ramos also went off with an apparent knee injury, with Zidane waiting on the availability of both players for Wednesday's clash with Mallorca.

"We will see tomorrow, there are many games in a few days and the recovery is important," he said.

"We will see, it is day to day. We have not done many things today, we will see [on Wednesday]."

Andy Mwesigwa feels it was impolite for every Uganda player to come out to push for their $1 million promised by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, after the East Africa Nation reached the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations knockout phase.

According to the former international defender, the players could have left the captain to address the issue and not every team member.

"I think it would only come from the captain as the leader of the team because then it would look a polite and diplomatic way," Mwesigwa told Nation Sports.

"It is very bad and looks a bit impolite for every Cranes player to start demanding the president that money. To me, I think they would raise their voice through one person, captain, and wait for the response.  

"Not the way I am seeing every player posting on their social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter etc."

The former skipper has, however, made his stance regarding the issue known.

"But I am behind the Cranes 100% that the president fulfils his promise and gives them that token he promised them after a tremendous work they did in Afcon. For God and My Country," he said.

Meanwhile, Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) Players Association head Paul Mukatabala has stated the head of state has always honoured his promises in the past.

"All I know is that H.E the President always delivers on whatever he promises to the Uganda Cranes. Now, whether reaching out to him via social media is the right course of action, I really can’t tell," he told the same publication.

The head of state made the pledge after the team arrived back home after the 2019 Afcon in Egypt and according to the players, this has not been honoured yet.

Museveni made the promise at State House in Entebbe on July 8, 2019, after the Cranes, under French coach Sebastien Desabre went on to reach the knockout stage.

They were eliminated by eventual finalists Senegal in the Round of 16 after going down 1-0.

The Cranes had not qualified for the knockout stage since their runners-up finish in Ghana in 1978.
  

Ogenyi Onazi has revealed he influenced Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor to sign his Nigerian compatriots John Obi Mikel and Anthony Nwakaeme.

The Super Eagles midfielder spent five years with the Medical Park Stadyumu outfit, after joining the club in 2016 for a fee of €3.5 million.

In the summer of 2018, Nwakaeme was snapped up by the Black Sea Storm after his impressive performances for Hapoel Be'er Sheva, where he scored 35 goals in 95 appearances in the Israeli Premier League.

Mikel, meanwhile, signed for Trabzonspor, linking up with his compatriots at the club after helping the Super Eagles finish third at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The former Super Eagles captain terminated his contract with the Black Sea Storm by mutual agreement in March after expressing his concerns about the league continuing amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

Onazi, who played 69 league games for Huseyin Cimsir’s men before joining rivals Denizlispor in January, revealed his efforts in the move of both players to the Medical Park Stadyumu outfit.

“It was fantastic and before Tony [Nwakaeme] came, the president told me that he was trying to sign this Nigerian player and he asked me if I know him,” Onazi told Brila.

“I told him Tony is a fantastic player and he should do whatever he can to bring in, so when he finally signed him and Tony scored two goals in his second game, the president came back to me and was so happy.

“After the Afcon in Egypt, the president came back again and told me when he wants to bring Mikel and I should help them speak to him.

“Then I discussed all night with Mikel to come over too and I was injured then, so hopefully when I recover we will play together, but unfortunately we did not spend much time together.”

Onazi last featured for the Super Eagles against Seychelles in 2018, having only recovered from a long injury layoff, and missed the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The midfielder, who has played eight times for Denizlispor, explained he is in constant contact with Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr and hopes to feature more prominently for his club for a chance to earn a return to the national team.

“I was injured that’s why I wasn’t in the national team, I speak with the coach sometimes, and I also congratulated him on his new deal,” he continued.

“But you can’t be speaking to the coach all the time, because my job is to play and when I’m doing that pretty well, I’m sure I will be back in the team again.”

Onazi will hope to play a part and help Denizlispor, who lost their previous two games, to return to winning form against Rizespor on Sunday.

AmaZulu interim manager Ayanda Dlamini says they will be pleased if the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season could be completed in KwaZulu-Natal since it would help them to retain their top-flight status.

Dlamini’s sentiments come after the PSL recently suggested the South African domestic season could be finished behind closed doors, if all the matches take place in close proximity of each other.

In fact, PSL chairman Irvin Khoza recently confirmed that the league could be completed in one province to minimize the risks of spreading the coronavirus, saying the league were in talks with decision-makers in certain provinces but did not elaborate further.

“We would be happy if the season can be finished in Durban because that is our home. We are familiar with the weather and all the stadiums,” Dlamini told Isolezwe.

“That can help us to fight in the remaining games in Durban because there will be no game that we call an away match.

“You will remember that there are many chances that we can finish the games behind closed doors without the supporters.

"We know that many of AmaZulu supporters are very important to us. We need them but because of the situation, we will have to accept that. We know their hearts will be with us.”

On the other hand, media reports also surfaced that the North West and Limpopo provinces were considered but due to the lack of sufficient training pitches to accommodate all 16 teams, Gauteng and KZN have emerged as favourites.

In addition, Dlamini has been tasked with leading Usuthu from relegation as they currently occupy the 15th spot with 23 points, before the games were suspended due to the pandemic in March.

In his first match in charge back in February, he led the club to a hard-fought victory over the log leaders Kaizer Chiefs away from home.

Marcelo is approaching the end of his 13th season as a Real Madrid player, but Predrag Mijatovic has revealed that Fabio Capello wanted the Blancos to “give up” on the Brazilian before he had even got going.

Back in 2007, Roberto Carlos was still very much the main man at Santiago Bernabeu when it came to filling a left-back berth.

The World Cup winner was, however, past his peak and Madrid were in the market for a suitable successor.

They looked to another Brazilian for inspiration, with Marcelo’s potential bought into as a relatively untested teenager.

He was snapped up during the January transfer window, giving him six months to work with fellow countryman Carlos before the latter headed off to Fenerbahce.

Capello was at the Real helm when Marcelo was signed, but the Italian tactician was not initially convinced that the right deal had been done.

Mijatovic, who was sporting director at the time, was not about to give up on the promising South American, though, and helped to pave the way for what was to follow.

The former Blancos striker told ISMAS: "In my first year at Real Madrid, Roberto Carlos was the left-back, the best in football history in my opinion, but I knew that we had to sign a young player to replace him.

"Knowing Roberto like I did, as a team-mate, and knowing his contract was about to end it was clear his performances weren't like they had been, and we needed to replace him.

"Marcelo was 18 years old and totally unknown, and Capello wanted to give up on him, but I refused because I wanted him to train with Roberto Carlos.

"A player, training with a world-class star like Roberto Carlos, can see how he lives, take on any advice from him and that's worth a lot more than 10-15 games on loan."

Marcelo was kept around at the Bernabeu, as Capello was ushered through the exits, and became a regular from the 2007-08 campaign.

The 32-year-old now has 507 appearances for Real to his name – just 17 short of Carlos’ tally for the club – and has helped them to four title triumphs in La Liga, the Champions League and Club World Cup.

Rachel Nachula has joined the Spanish second division club Zaragoza from Zambian top-flight side Green Buffaloes for the new 2020-21 season.

The Zambia international was impressive for Buffaloes last season as scored four goals in her side's 9-0 win over Green Academy to claim the FAZ 2020 National Women's League title in March.

On the international scene, she inspired Zambia to a maiden final of the 2019 Cosafa Women's Cup, getting four assists and 10 goals to finish as the competition's top scorer in South Africa.

She was also part of Bruce Nwape's squad that upset Cameroon in the final round of the Africa qualifying series to qualify for the first time in their history for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Before venturing into football, she was also an international athlete, featuring in several major championships, including the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, where she ran the 400 meters.

Following her move, Nachula will become the second signing for Cristian Aleza's side this summer after Austrian striker Annelie Leitner as the Reto Iberdrola outfit seek promotion next season.

She will also become the second Zambian female to move to Spain after teammate Barbra Banda joined Logrono in 2018.

Nachula will aim to excel in her maiden professional outing in Europe when the 2020-2021 season gets underway with Zaragoza.

Joe Willock has credited legendary former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for teaching him "to play with freedom".

Willock spent three years on Arsenal's books as a youth player before graduating to the senior squad in 2017, and was handed his full debut in September of the same year.

The 20-year-old has since appeared in 51 games for the Gunners, scoring seven goals, while also earning a place in England's U-21 set-up.

The young playmaker has been a regular in Arsenal's line-up this season, with his latest start coming in a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City on June 17 - which marked the club's first game back following the coronavirus-enforced hiatus.

Willock had to make do with a substitute appearance in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Brighton, but he will be back in contention for a place in Mikel Arteta's starting XI when the Gunners take in a trip to Southampton on Thursday.

Arteta is the second man to try and pick up the mantle since Wenger's exit in 2018, with Unai Emery only lasting 18 months in the role before being dismissed in November.

Willock recalls picking up vital pearls of wisdom from the Frenchman towards the end of his 22-year reign, as he told talkSPORT: “Growing up, Arsene Wenger was Arsenal. It was all I knew. He was part of the furniture.

"For me to grow up and play under him was a crazy feeling. It was surreal. He’s an amazing man.

“Arsene Wenger was a very laid-back man but when he spoke, everyone listened. He was Arsene Wenger so everyone had to listen.

“He always taught me personally to play with freedom and enjoy myself. That’s one thing I can take from him.”

The Arsenal midfielder went on to reveal that Robert Pires and Thierry Henry were his main idols growing up, and says he has attempted to mix their unique styles into his own game.

Willock said: “I used to love the way that Pires used to caress the ball and how Thierry used to play with so much confidence and personality.

“I try to take a bit out of everything and put that into my game. I used to have posters up in my room. I think my mum might have them at her house.”

Asked which members of the current squad have played a key role in his development at Emirates Stadium, Willock responded: “At Arsenal, we are a very tight-knit team, we all try and help each other.

"If I have to name a few names, I would say David Luiz, [Alexandre] Lacazette and a few of the younger players like Calum Chambers, Granit Xhaka, because they are very vocal and big players in the changing room I sort of gravitated to them more.

"They helped me and always speak to me.”