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Bayern Munich's dominance of the Bundesliga is "boring and sad", according to Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

An eighth successive top-flight crown looks destined to arrive at the Allianz Arena in the coming weeks, with Bayern once again setting unprecedented standards in terms of performances and consistency.

Hansi Flick's side are seven points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the league at the moment, and their latest coronation will be confirmed if they pick up two wins from their final four fixtures.

Bayern have been in electrifying form since the Bundesliga restart on March 18, picking up maximum points from five games, including comfortable victories over Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.

The Bavarians will be expected to extend their winning run when they play host to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, but Leno thinks their recent success counts for little due to the lack of competition in Germany's top tier.

"Bayern is already a champion, as always. It is boring and sad," Leno, who spent seven years at Leverkusen before moving to Emirates Stadium in 2018, said on the SWR podcast 'Steil'.

"One wishes an exciting championship fight, but I don't see any exciting championship in the near future. Bayern is too strong there."

Leno has made the number one spot at Arsenal his own over the last two seasons, racking up 65 appearances for the club in all competitions.

The 28-year-old added on his decision to move to the Premier League: "I really wanted to go abroad, London is a mega city for me."

The ex-Leverkusen shot-stopper is currently preparing with the rest of the Gunners squad ahead of the Premier League's return on June 17.

Arsenal are first up as English football gets back underway following a coronavirus-enforced three-month hiatus, with a trip to Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on the cards next Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta's men will need to finish the season strongly in order to secure a place in the top-four, having slipped to ninth in the standings before play was stopped in March.

Chelsea are occupying the final Champions League spot at present, eight points above the Gunners with nine matches remaining.

When Lionel Messi decides his time at Barcelona is over, Wesley Sneijder says Frenkie de Jong will step up and become “even more of a leader” for the La Liga giants.

The reigning La Liga champions invested heavily in a Netherlands international midfielder during the summer of 2019.

De Jong’s current ability and future potential was noted during a productive spell at Ajax, with the 23-year-old proving himself on domestic and European stages.

A testing debut campaign in Catalunya has seen the odd question asked of whether a creative talent can make the expected impact at Camp Nou.

Sneijder is in no doubt that a fellow countryman will thrive in time, with De Jong still finding his feet in the most demanding of surroundings.

The ex-Real Madrid star even believes that a natural heir to Barca skipper Messi could present itself over the coming years.

De Jong fills a different role to a mercurial Argentine forward, with his game drawing more similarities to Blaugrana legends Xavi and Andres Iniesta, but he could take on more responsibility.

Sneijder expects that to be the case, telling the Daily Mail: “Holland and Barcelona have always had a great feeling.

“De Jong made the best choice because he understood that his football is perfect for Spain and Barcelona. 

“[Mattijs] De Ligt chose differently [in joining Juventus] but Frenkie made the perfect decision for his life. De Ligt a different choice but in my opinion De Jong is forward-looking. 

“He did very well to choose Barcelona: it is a club suitable for him, when Messi will stop with football Frenkie will become even more of a leader.”

Barca are back in the market for more game-changing talent heading towards the next transfer window.

Lautaro Martinez has emerged as a top target for those at Camp Nou, with efforts being made to prise an Argentina international forward from the clutches of Inter.

Ex-Nerazzurri star Sneijder is hoping to see the South American stay put for the foreseeable future, allowing him to deliver tangible success at San Siro, with the 22-year-old then urged to make a move to the other side of a fierce Clasico divide in Spain.

“I don't like Barcelona, I played for Real Madrid. Winning at Inter is a unique feeling, I did it and I wish he does it before leaving,” Sneijder said.

“I recommend Real Madrid to him. A player who is physically strong and mentally strong. I can only tell him to try to play for Real Madrid but only after many years at Inter.”

Jack Grealish may be a better fit for Manchester United than Paul Pogba, claims Michael Owen, with the Red Devils advised to open themselves up to offers for a World Cup winner.

Transfer talk is raging once again at Old Trafford, with comings and goings aplenty being mooted ahead of the next window.

Much of that speculation has focused on Pogba and Grealish, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having some big decisions to make.

He has expressed excitement at the potential of a new midfield pairing that could see a France international thrive alongside January signing Bruno Fernandes.

The United boss is, however, said to be in the market for added creativity, with Grealish figuring prominently on that wish list.

Playing the 2019-20 campaign to a finish should allow Solskjaer to finalise his recruitment plans, with a fit-again Pogba set to be given another chance to prove his worth.

Former United striker Owen told Premier League Productions on the posers facing those at the Theatre of Dreams: “That’s going to be probably the most fascinating thing when they come back, whether he puts them both [Pogba and Fernandes] in the same team.

“I think it’s taken a huge bit of pressure off him that Fernandes has done fantastically well. Now he doesn’t necessarily have to put Pogba in straightaway because there’s going to be questions about whether they can play together.

“It might also accelerate the departure of Pogba now Fernandes is a brilliant player because all of a sudden, when you’re watching Manchester United you’re missing someone with creativity, you’re missing someone with vision but now since Fernandes has come in you’re not missing any of that.”

Owen added on Pogba and why moving the 27-year-old on could prove to be the best course of action: “Now he [Pogba] might just be dispensable if they get a big bid.

“If I was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, I would get big money bearing in mind they’ve got Fernandes now and then you could go and invest in someone like Grealish.

“He might have the style that compliments Manchester United better than Pogba does at the moment”

With a green light having been given for Premier League action to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic, United will be back in action on June 19 when they take in a meeting with Tottenham.

Express FC forward Baker Lukooya has already set his eyes on next season to help the team do well in the Ugandan Premier League.

The winger joined the Kampala-based side in January this to help them get their footing after a poor start to the season.

However, it took time before he received his paperwork and when he eventually did, the league came to an abrupt end owing to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Despite his short contract with the club coming to an end at the end of the season, the 24-year-old is keen on extending his stay.

"I would want to stay at the club because I and the coach [Wasswa Bossa] have been getting along well," Lukooya told Football256.

"The club and I are in talks and I am hopeful we shall come to an understanding. I am already preparing for the new season and I can’t wait for it to get underway."

The former AFC Leopards player has also shed light on his brief stint with the club before the league was suspended.

"I have had a good time at Express since I joined, we all know the team had a change in management and we all had to adjust which we did," Lukooya added.

"But unfortunately, just when we were turning the corner, the pandemic struck."

After the league annulment by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa), Express ended in the ninth position having accumulated 31 points from the 25 matches played.

They had managed nine wins, four draws and 12 losses in the games played.

Vipers SC were declared champions of the cancelled UPL as confirmed by President Moses Magogo.

The Venoms, who were leading with 54 points, won their fourth title.  

Maroons FC, Uganda Cup defending Champions Proline FC and Tooro United, who had recently reportedly got a new owner, were relegated.

In the Fufa Big League promotion tussle, Myda FC and UPDF earned slots in the top-tier while Kiboga, Kataka, Kitara and Ndejje will face off in the play-offs to produce the third team that will grace the top-tier in the 2020/21 season.

Nabil Bentaleb has praised his Newcastle United teammates for their hard work in training ahead of the Premier League restart.

The English top-flight will resume action on June 17, more than three months after it was suspended due to coronavirus lockdown and Steve Bruce’s men are scheduled to host Sheffield United at home four days later.

Newcastle intensified their preparation with a behind-closed-doors training match at St James' Park on Saturday with the Algerian midfielder scoring a stunning goal from outside the penalty area.

He was delighted with his contribution, and he believes they will be prepared to kick on when the league resumes in a week’s time.

"No matter how much you run in training you need to get match fitness and to get match fitness you need to play so that's what we did,” Bentaleb told the club website.

"It is good for the legs and I think everybody is happy.

"We've all been craving Premier League matches and are getting close to this. We've worked really hard and hopefully, we will be ready on the day."

Bentaleb joined Newcastle United on loan from Bundesliga club Schalke 04 in January, with the Premier League outfit holding the option to make the deal permanent.

He has made six appearances for the Magpies with four yellow cards received so far.

The inter-squad match ended 1-1, however, the 25-year-old believes they are getting back their form and he praised Joelinton, who found the back of the net as well.

"For a striker, it is always good to score," he added. "You always want to create opportunities for him [Joelinton] and it is great he managed to score.

"I was looking more for getting 90 minutes in my legs but I managed to score a goal.

"We are getting back to our automatism."

Newcastle United are placed 13th on the Premier League table after gathering 35 points from 29 outings.

With media reports suggesting Bidvest Wits is being sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzihandila and winger Deon Hotto is close to securing a move to Mamelodi Sundowns, Namibian legend Henrico Botes shared his thoughts on the move.

The former Clever Boys striker explained it will be a good move for the Brave Warriors international, saying playing under coach Pitso Mosimane could definitely benefit the former Golden Arrows player.

On the other hand, Botes believes the move could make the South-West African nation proud, but warned Hotto to work hard because the Brazilians are serial winners and have a quality squad in the top-flight.

“I think he’s done well in the past couple of seasons in the PSL [Premier Soccer League]. So, it’s always difficult to move a big team, the so-called big teams in South Africa,” Botes told Goal.

“Sundowns is a successful team, they have been competing in Africa and the main thing will be the competition for a place. Sundowns always acquired the best players in the PSL. So, I think monetary wise it will be a good move for him.

“But playing-wise, he will have to prove his quality and do well. He must work and hard and prove his worth all over again. It’s not going to be easy but all I know about Pitso is that he looks for good players.

“Players that are multi-faceted and can play in different positions. With Hotto, it will help him because he played as a left-back at [Bloemfontein] Celtic.

“He can play all along on the left, he can do the job as a left-back and as a winger. Just like [Thapelo] Morena, he does well at right-back and as a winger. Hotto has a good engine, he’s fit and that’s a strength for him.

“I think he has to keep fit on the ground should the move happen.”

On the fact there is only one Namibian who has featured for the reigning PSL champions in the form of Rinie Kanalelo, the retired striker said working under Gavin Hunt has prepared Hotto well for any big move.

“For me personally, it doesn’t matter where you play. You can play for [Kaizer] Chiefs, [Orlando] Pirates, or in Europe, you just need to work and deliver when you get a chance,” added the 40-year-old.

“I mean Pitso is one of the best coaches in SA [South Africa] now and obviously it will be great for Hotto to work with Pitso. He’s been working with Gavin which he’s also up there as one of the best in the country. It’s just for him to work hard.

“Namibians, [Sydney] Plaatjies was there for a while, and although he didn’t get his chance, Ronnie spent almost eight years, close to a decade at Sundowns.

“He knows the culture and I’m sure he will advise him. Sundowns are serial winners, I mean everyone wants to play for a club like that. I trust Hotto, he’s got a good head on his shoulders and I believe it’s up to him if the moves does happen.

“It’s up to him to prove himself. I have no doubt he can do it.”

On the possibility of going overseas and competing in the Caf Champions League, the former Platinum Stars hitman backed the 28-year-old to succeed at Chloorkop.

“There’s a shortage of natural left-footed players all over the world. Even myself growing up, I always admired natural left-footed players,” he continued.

“Hotto is one of the best players that can play well. I know Hotto well during my time in the national team. I always tried to advise the young boys especially those in SA. The likes of Peter Shalulie, Hotto, [Virgil] Vries, and I always tried to give them advice.

“It’s a chance for him to take his career to the next level and start winning trophies on a regular basis. He must compete with the best, in Africa and he can go overseas. Why not?

“He’s got the talent and it’s now up to him to put in the hard work. It’s exciting and I didn’t know that there were talks he could move to Sundowns. I’m excited for him. I just hope he will do himself and Namibia proud.”

Paulo Dybala has revealed there were "conversations" with Manchester United and Tottenham over a move to the Premier League in 2019 although he didn't want to leave Juventus without proving his worth to the club.

Dybala has been a key player in Juve's squad over the last five years but had to play second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo at times last season following his arrival from Real Madrid.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner became the focal point in attack in Massimiliano Allegri's starting XI, while Dybala was shifted to a role out wide, which reduced his effectiveness in the final third.

The Argentine finished the campaign with a career-low five goals and four assists to his name from 30 appearances, leading to question marks over his future at the club.

The 26-year-old claims Juve deemed him surplus to requirements, but he chose to fight for his place at the Allianz Stadium instead of entertaining the advances of Premier League duo United and Spurs.

Dybala says Paris Saint-Germain also made contact with his entourage before he informed the Juve board of his "intention" to stay put, as he told CNN: "It was more or less last year at this point when Juventus didn't want to count on me, didn't want me to continue playing here.

"That's when I was contacted and there were some clubs that were interested in me. Among those were Manchester United and Tottenham.

"I think for a long time there were conversations, then Paris Saint-Germain also appeared.                      

"I did not speak directly to any of them, but there were conversations with the clubs. However, my intention at the time was to stay. I hadn't had a good year or a positive last six months, so I didn't want to leave with that image because I think I had given the club a lot of nice moments and it wasn't fair that I went like this.

"So I also communicated that my intention was to stay, work to grow and give my best here. Obviously it was not easy because Juventus' intentions were different, but after the market closed, there was no more time and with the arrival of [Maurizio] Sarri I grew a lot.

"The team started playing football much better and that made me stay and I've had a great year until today."

Dybala has rediscovered his best form in the 2019-20 campaign under Maurizio Sarri, who arrived from Chelsea last summer after Allegri's decision to step down.

The diminutive forward hit 13 goals and assisted another 12 in 34 outings before the season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, and will likely continue to play a vital role in Juve's pursuit of a ninth successive Serie A crown when the action resumes on June 20.

Michael Owen believes Timo Werner could have added Fernando Torres-esque qualities to Liverpool, but admits signing the German would have presented a “problem” to the Reds as they have already offered their backing to Divock Origi.

A move to Anfield for another talented forward appeared to be on the cards when exit talk at RB Leipzig was ramped up.

Jurgen Klopp was considered to be in need of greater depth in his attacking ranks, with Werner ticking plenty of boxes when it comes to playing style and productivity.

Liverpool have, however, resisted the urge to make a move and left a door open for Premier League rivals Chelsea to trigger a £54 million (€60m/$68m) release clause.

Questions have been asked of whether the Reds will live to regret that decision, with Owen admitting that the 24-year-old would have been a useful addition.

The former Liverpool frontman told Premier League Productions of Werner’s strike rate, which has seen him net 92 times in 155 appearances for Leipzig: “They're great numbers aren't they? And he's not playing in a poor league. The Bundesliga is a very strong league and you would say that he can translate that.

“He does it at international level as well.

“I've been watching him quite closely since the restart and he's already started scoring goals, he's very quick, can cut in from wide, times his runs brilliantly and he's very direct as well, straight at the goal, a bit like Torres.

“I don't think he plays exactly the same but I always used to feel that Torres would take that first touch and then be motoring forward. I like him a lot.

“I'm sure Liverpool wanted him but maybe the financial implications and where we're standing in the world at the moment put them off… but I'm pretty sure they wanted him.”

While suggesting that Liverpool may have been scared off by Werner’s asking price, Owen concedes that the fresh terms handed to Origi in the summer of 2019 have also made it difficult for Klopp to commit to another forward.

“That's the problem,” added Owen.

“Liverpool gave Divock Origi a long-term contract not so long ago… they’ve almost nailed their colours to the mast in terms of, 'Right, he’s our back-up in case anyone gets injured'.

“Werner is a top player and I think if Klopp had the choice to have Werner come in as that fourth striker then absolutely he would.

“But you’ve got to balance it in terms of where we are financially at the moment and I just think that probably Chelsea need him more.

“I think he’d love to go to Liverpool but I think Chelsea at this minute need him more and are willing to go that extra step.”

Simba SC chairman Mohammed Dewji has assured club fans they will not sell any of their players in the coming transfer window.

The Mainland Premier League giants are keen to build a strong team ahead of next season’s Caf Champions League as they are likely to represent the country in the competition for the second season in a row.

Dewji has now confirmed in a statement posted on the club’s Facebook and Twitter pages that the club will not let go of any player from the current squad and they will sign new players as per the request from their coach.

“My fellow lions,” Dewji wrote in the statement. “I want to assure you none of our players will leave Simba but we will also sign any player, from anywhere if our coach will need him in his squad.

“We want to remain consistent and will not let our squad change.”

Meanwhile, Simba have already been linked with the services of two Gor Mahia players – defender Joash Onyango and midfielder Kenneth Muguna.

Goal understands the club is already talking to Muguna, who has 18 months left on his contract with K’Ogalo but has expressed his desire to leave for greener pastures because of salary problems.

Onyango’s contract is also set to end in June and the former Western Stima defender is not keen to extend. Though Onyango has also been linked with a move to rivals AFC Leopards, he will definitely fancy the chance to play in the Champions League.

Gor Mahia have turned into a something of a feeder club for Simba recently - in the last two seasons, they lost two key players, Meddie Kagere and Francis Kahata, to the Mainland giants.

Simba are currently chasing a third straight league title, as they top the league table on 71 points from 28 matches, while Azam FC are second on 54 points and rivals Yanga SC are lying third after accumulating 51 points.

Simba will resume the league with a home game against Ruvu Shooting at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on June 14 while Yanga will come up against Mwadui FC.

It has been a long wait for the football fraternity in Malaysia to return to action since the leagues were officially postponed beginning 16 March 2020. Now three months later, the first sign of resumption is here after the Malaysian government introduced the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) that also entailed a certain relaxation for footballing activities.

While competitions and official matches are still prohibited, the 15 June date will at least allow respective teams to start their trainings in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL) will jointly produce.

That is a good 45 days earlier than initially anticipated with MFL planning for training resumption in August and competitions to resume starting September. That said, just like how it has been done it other countries and leagues, the first training resumption will still need to be individual training followed by small group training before the whole team can train together.

With this earlier schedule, it would give MFL a chance to reorganise their plans and the start of competitions could be brought forward to August or even late July - which effectively provides more time for Tan Cheng Hoe to make his preparations for the resumption of the joint 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualification matches later this year. 

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) made the announcement last Friday that Malaysia's revised fixtures for the last three rounds of group matches will be v United Arab Emirates (8 Oct),  v Vietnam (13 Oct) and v Thailand (17 Nov) respectively.

FAM plans to have the a quarantine-based centralised training for Tan Cheng Hoe's team as well as Brad Maloney's Under-19 side who will prepare for the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship that will be played in Uzbekistan in October.

The format will see the players gathered together isolated from the rest of the world to ensure that no outside containment of the virus to the team. While those will be easy to do under the circumstance of a training camp, it would be much harder when the squad need to travel to play their matches.

Things are not back to normal yet but the football fans in Malaysia can start to crack a smile once again after a long layoff.

Wazito FC midfielder Whyvonne Isuza has stated training for long periods without competing is psychological torture.

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) was suspended on March 16 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the players have been training isolation with no definite date set for the return of matches.

"Training alone for a longer period without competing is psychological torture in itself," Isuza told Goal on Tuesday.

"It has been about 80 days without football and as a player, you start having uncertainties about your abilities since you cannot gauge yourself.

"You do not know where you are and the best thing to do is comfort yourself 'I will be fine once normalcy returns.'

"We also have this cessation of movement. It has also affected many players' businesses and it has destabilized them mentally."

The Kenya international has explained how hard it is to train in isolation and with no game to train for.

"It is tough because at times you are on your lowest and you don't feel like moving and you can easily convince yourself to skip training since there is nothing to train for; league and other competitions have stopped and no one to supervise you," he continued.

"Discipline is needed rather than motivation; if you are disciplined, you will train.

"Training in a group is different, you might be at your lowest but in no time, others cheer you up and you train well. And remember, we always train, looking up to weekend or midweek games unlike now.

 "I have done a lot of changes and adjustments to my daily routine; from football to my personal lifestyle. I had to forgo others to maintain a healthy and consistent training schedule."

The midfielder was signed by Wazito from AFC Leopards in the January transfer window to help the club turn its fortunes around.

When the league took a break, Wazito were placed 13th on the log after managing to get 20 points from 23 matches.

The 2018/19 National Super League champions had won four games, drawn eight and lost 11 matches.

They had scored 24 goals and conceded 30, and as a result, had a goal difference of negative six.

Neymar is capable of filling Lionel Messi’s boots at Barcelona when the day comes for a six-time Ballon d’Or winner to walk away from Camp Nou, says Jofre Mateu.

Such a move will not be made any time soon, with an exit clause that exists in the Argentine’s contract having expired for 2020.

A mercurial talent is, however, only tied to terms with the Blaugrana for another 12 months and is yet to commit to an extension beyond that point.

At 32 years of age, and having been a one-club man to this point, it has been suggested that Messi will look to head home before hanging up his boots.

He has made no secret of the fact that he would like to take in competitive outings for Newell’s Old Boys – the club that initially spotted his potential – prior to heading into retirement.

If a move away from Catalunya is to be made, then somebody will be required to follow in the footsteps of an all-time great.

Former La Masia academy graduate Mateu, who was on Barca’s books as Messi’s star began to rise, believes Neymar could be the man to provide inspiration for the Liga giants.

A return to Camp Nou from Paris Saint-Germain has been mooted for the Brazil international, with the next transfer window expected to see that interest rekindled.

“Some players will be very happy if he comes back because they are very good friends,” Mateu told IANS.

“When he left Barcelona it came as a shock for us, the supporters. He certainly isn't the same player anymore because of his age and also his off-field problems. But as a player there is probably no discussion that he is one of the best in the world.

“When Messi isn't there, then probably he can take his place.”

While talking up Neymar’s ability to fill the void created by a legend, Mateu admits that he would prefer to see Barcelona build even more long-term and raid the ranks at PSG for an alternative frontman.

He added: “I prefer Mbappe now. I think because of his age and mentality, I think Mbappe is going to be the next top player in the world.”

Barca have rarely been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Mbappe, with speculation regarding a possible switch to Spain for the World Cup winner seeing Real Madrid head the queue for a talented 21-year-old.

Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta hopes Barcelona do not pay Lautaro Martinez's release clause but vowed to replace the forward with a star if he leaves.

Lautaro has been heavily linked with a move to the La Liga giants, with Inter reportedly insisting the Argentina international's buy-out clause of €111 million (£99m/$125m) will need to be paid.

Marotta again reiterated the Serie A side had no interest in selling Lautaro, but said a new talisman would be signed if the 22-year-old does end up moving on to pastures new.

"It is difficult to pronounce on his future at this moment, but I say to him – stay focused on the present, there is a season that resumes, there are goals to hit," the Inter CEO told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"There is no desire of the property to sell Lautaro. He is young, has the future of his own and is a functional element for [Antonio] Conte. Then, of course, there is a clause.

"I don't know what Barcelona think, maybe they will also have alternatives. I hope they don't pay the clause. If Lautaro [leaves], a top player will arrive.

"But in this market, at European level the real difficulty will not be having to buy, but being able to sell. I would say one thing in general – Neymar-style operations, in which one team goes and takes one player away from another, will not be seen for many years."

Inter have been tipped to move for Edinson Cavani, whose current contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season.

But Marotta said a deal for Cavani, who has scored seven goals in 22 games this season, was still some way off.

"It is one of the opportunities, it is being monitored as an expiring footballer," he said.

"But we did not go into the matter further: at the moment he is quite far from Inter."

Antonio Conte is currently preparing his Inter squad for their first fixture in three months, with a trip to Napoli in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final scheduled for June 13.

The Nerazzurri lost the first leg 1-0 shortly before the season was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak in March, and the reverse will be played behind closed doors at Stadio San Paolo.

Inter will resume their latest Serie A campaign eight days later as they play host to Sampdoria at an empty San Siro, where nothing less than a win will do as they look to close the gap on leaders Juventus.

Simba SC will have to wait a little longer to know the extent of the injury suffered by midfielder Jonas Mkude during a friendly against KMC on Monday.

Mkude was injured in the 53rd minute at Mo Simba Arena and was immediately rushed to Rabininsha Memorial Hospital, where he was later treated and discharged.

However, the club’s doctor Yassin Gembe has now confirmed the player is out of danger, but he will have to undergo more tests to determine whether he will be fit to play when the Mainland Premier League resumes on June 13.

“For now, Mkude has left the hospital and he is looking good and doing fine, however, he will have to undergo further scans and tests to know how bad the injury was,” Gembe told the club’s official website.

Despite losing Mkude in the fixture, Simba went on to beat KMC 3-1 with captain John Bocco notching a double while Ibrahim Ajibu grabbed the third.

Simba had suffered an early scare in the match as KMC, who had earlier beaten Young Africans (Yanga SC) 3-0 in another build-up, took the lead courtesy of Charles Ilanfya.

However, Simba fans were up on their feet cheering louder as Bocco scored the equaliser four minutes later. The two teams headed to the half-time break on level terms.

Taifa Stars striker Bocco completed his brace with a quarter of an hour to go after getting the better of the defenders before Ajibu’s fine strike sealed the win in the 88th minute.

It was Simba’s second friendly since earlier in the day, the league leaders defeated Transit Camp 4-2 at the same venue.

Simba will face Ruvu Shooting on June 14 at home as they restart their title defence.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi enjoy a good lead at the top and coach Vandenbroeck had urged them to ensure they bag the first 12 points to win the title in earnest.

With three of their four foreign players already in Tanzania, Simba are assured of an almost full squad for the matches, which also includes the FA Cup quarter-final tie against Azam.

Sharaf Shiboub, from South Sudan, is the only foreign player yet to report for duty.

Timo Werner’s proposed transfer to Chelsea is “perfect for all concerned”, says Stan Collymore, with the former Liverpool striker eager to point out that the Germany international is “not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo” and would likely have flopped at Anfield.

A switch to Merseyside appeared to be on the cards for the RB Leipzig forward as speculation regarding his future began to build.

Werner had left a door open for Jurgen Klopp to make a move, while many had talked up the qualities that a hard-working and prolific 24-year-old would add to the ranks of the current Premier League leaders.

No approach was made by Liverpool, though, and Chelsea have stolen in to put a £54 million (€60m/$68m) deal in place.

Some have suggested that the Reds may be left to rue their decision not to rival a domestic foe for Werner, but Collymore believes too much has been made of Klopp’s call not to table an offer for a player who would likely miss out on a place in his preferred starting XI.

The former Liverpool striker told The Mirror: “The deal to take Timo Werner to Chelsea is a perfect arrangement for all concerned.

“Perfect for the player, perfect for the Blues, perfect for RB Leipzig, who are trousering £53million, and perfect for Liverpool as well.

“He’s a good, solid striker with promise — an all-rounder who holds the ball up well, is mobile, gets into the box and scores goals.

“But the Liverpool fans sobbing about missing out on him can spare me the tears because he’s not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo and the way some have reacted, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was some sort of reincarnation of both.

“Liverpool are the European champions, world champions and soon-to-be Premier League champions, and there would be massive pressure on him as the summer’s marquee signing at Anfield on the back of all that.

“Add in the fact that Liverpool already have arguably the best-balanced front three in the world and I’m struggling to see where Werner would have fitted in.

“I wouldn’t have seen him displacing any of them and, given everything that team has done together, I could even have seen him flopping.

“Why? Because walking into that dressing room would have been massively intimidating for a 24-year-old.

“At Chelsea, though, he will look around and see Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud, and think, ‘Yes, good players, but I’ll have that challenge’.

“He knows he’s not the finished article yet and that’s what Liverpool will be looking for even if they aren’t the sort of signings Jurgen Klopp is fabled for making.”

Collymore added: “As for the notion that Jurgen Klopp couldn’t justify Werner’s fee, I’m sure there is an element of the Kop boss not wanting to appear gaudy or louche in the current climate.

“He’s not a Billy Bullsh*tter after all.

“Had he firmly believed Werner would be the next Sergio Aguero or Fernando Torres, though, I’m pretty sure he’d have been whipping out the old chequebook in a heartbeat.”

Former Portugal captain Costinha has been impressed with Bruno Fernandes' fantastic performances for Manchester United and feels that the midfielder can bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.

Fernandes joined the Red Devils from Sporting CP during the January transfer window in a deal worth an initial €55 million (£47m/$60m) and made an instant impact on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

The 25-year-old has contributed three goals and four assists in his first nine appearances for the club as United push for a place in the Premier League's top four, as well as gunning for trophies in the FA Cup and Europa League.

Costinha, who famously scored Porto's goal at Old Trafford to knock United out of the Champions League in 2004, believes that after seeing his compatriot struggling in his first appearance for the club, Fernandes has since proven his worth to a team in transition.

"He is a fantastic footballer," Costinha told Goal. "I don't know him as a person, but sometimes I message him on Instagram

"I remember his debut at United (against Wolves) and his socks were down after 70 minutes. I said to him: 'Don't worry about that.' I saw in his head he was tired and wanted to come off. He wasn't used to the rhythm. 

"I just said: 'Don't worry, once you get used to that rhythm with all the intelligence in your head and ability in your feet, then it will be easier for you.'

"He is making very good progress and he is playing very well for United. They need time after moving on from Sir Alex Ferguson under new leadership and with a different mentality, but they still play to win every tournament.

"The history of Manchester United tells you to win every tournament. If you go there, you have to win all the cups, and that includes the Champions League. You are talking about Man United – it is one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"How many players want to play for Man United? Many would love to play there. It is a fantastic club."

Costinha almost got the opportunity to do just that after he was approached by former United assistant coach Carlos Queiroz regarding a short-term transfer in late-2005.

United were in the market for a combative midfielder but were unable to strike a deal with Costinha's club at the time, Dynamo Moscow, given he had only moved to Russia six months previously.

It marked the second occasion on which a potential transfer to the Premier League had fallen through for Costinha, after his former boss at Porto, Jose Mourinho, attempted to bring him to Stamford Bridge after being appointed Chelsea manager in 2004

"But then [Claude] Makelele stayed at the club," Costinha explained. "I don't think Mourinho wanted two players who were ambitious to play in the same position.

"If Claude was playing, I wouldn’t have been happy, and if I was playing, then Claude wouldn’t have been happy. Jose would have been happy because he would have had two players he trusts!

"Porto didn’t allow me to leave anyway. That summer, Jose Antonio Camacho also made an offer from Real Madrid for Ricardo Carvalho and myself, but I didn’t go there either.

"After I went to Russia, I was in the airport in Frankfurt back to Moscow and I received a call from Carlos Queiroz of Man United. At the time, I think they had a lot of injuries in midfield and they wanted to sign me. He asked me if I wanted to go and I said yes.

"Of course, I was sad [it didn't happen] because it was Man United, but I had a five-year agreement [with Dynamo] and I couldn’t fight them. I understood why the president didn’t want me to go.

"The first offer [from United] was a half-year contract from January to June. Then, my agent got it up to a two-and-a-half-year contract. Dynamo Moscow had bought me and I had five years left on that deal, so they didn’t accept the offer."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has expressed his belief that Mario Gotze is still "an exceptional player", while wishing the exit-bound Borussia Dortmund star luck at his next club.

Gotze emerged as one of Europe's most exciting young talents under Klopp's stewardship at Dortmund between 2009 and 2013.

The World Cup winner helped BVB win five major trophies, including two Bundesliga titles, before joining up with their arch-rivals Bayern Munich.

Unfortunately, he was never quite able to live up to expectations at the Allianz Arena, and made his way back to Westfalenstadion in 2016.

Gotze's second spell at Dortmund has been disrupted by a metabolic illness, which has restricted the midfielder's playing time and overall contribution to the team.

The 28-year-old will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, and is expected to undertake a new challenge away from Germany.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with Gotze in recent weeks, but Klopp says his former charge needs to join a club that can guarantee him regular minutes.

The Reds head coach told Sky Deutschland: "Everyone in the business knew that his contract was expiring.

"If things have not been settled a year in advance, there are some indications that it is coming to an end.

"Mario will probably need a few games in a row. He needs a club that gives him the feeling that he doesn't have to change the world in every game.

“Instead, Gotze has to just play normally and then play again and play again. Then I think we'll see the old Mario Gotze again.

“That is obviously not possible in Dortmund at the moment with the quality that they have in the offensive area.

“It makes total sense that Mario leaves the club. I couldn't wish him more luck, to be honest.

“I think he is an exceptional player and also an exceptional character. I like him very much and wish him all the best."

Gotze has not featured for Dortmund since their 1-0 defeat to Bayern on May 26, missing subsequent wins over Paderborn and Hertha Berlin.

He will, however, be back in contention for a place in Lucien Favre's squad when BVB take in a trip to Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana says he "was never the same person" following an encounter with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in England more than a 20 years ago.

A trip to Manchester for a schools tournament proved to be mentality-changing for the gritty midfielder, who still hears Ferguson's words ringing in his head.

Ferguson, a guest in the stands, was impressed after watching a 12-year-old Kekana in action against a school from Luxembourg.

The former Manchester United boss then predicted a bright future for Kekana, who went on to claim six Premier Soccer League titles (PSL), a Caf Champions League trophy and a Caf Super League crown among his career accolades.

Kekana says after meeting Ferguson, he did not see anything blocking his way to stardom although he faced rejection at SuperSport United, where Gavin Hunt reportedly deemed him as surplus before shipping him out to Bloemfontein Celtic.

“It was just surreal [meeting Ferguson],” Kekana told Far Post.

“After watching us play against a school from Luxembourg, he came up to me and asked for my name. I told him with my broken English.

"He then said, ‘if football is what you want to do, I can see you playing anywhere in the world with that attitude.’

"I was never the same person after hearing those words. I knew I had something special. Those words have carried me through all my career.

“I didn’t see anything stopping me after the talk with Sir Alex. I wanted to perfect my passing, I wanted to perfect my shooting. I don’t often score goals but when I do, people talk about them for a while. I score goals that are special.

“Everyone was excited to see this kid wearing an oversize football jersey, enjoying the game.

"But for me, Sir Alex’s words opened the way for me to see football and life differently.

"He said I was such a special kid. Each time I get onto the field to play I think of those words – my attitude has got to be right.”

Despite Kekana being 35 years old now, Mamelodi Sundowns still invested faith in the midfielder who signed a new four-year contract in March.

If he manages to see out his contract, he would be 39 years old by then and would have completed 13 seasons at Sundowns.

Simba SC striker Meddie Kagere has confessed how difficult it has been for him to score 19 goals so far in the Mainland Premier League.

The Rwandan striker won the Golden Boot last season after notching 23 goals and he is currently leading the race to win the gong again.

However, Kagere, who joined Simba from Kenyan champions Gor Mahia two seasons ago, has admitted reaching 19 goals this season has not been easy for him.

“I have had difficult times to score goals this campaign because every defender is watching on me whenever we play against them,” Kagere is quoted by Sokaletu.

“Whenever the defenders see me in the starting XI, they come wanting to deny me a chance to score and that is always difficult for any striker to achieve your target.

“Other defenders always use a lot of force to defend against me, putting me on tight marking but sometimes I enjoy the moment because when I sneak and get a chance, I will score, so that is why I only have 19 goals this season.”

In a recent interview, former Young Africans (Yanga SC) defender Oscar Joshua revealed he will be a happy man if Kagere is beaten to the Golden Boot this campaign.

With the league set to resume after it was halted in mid-March owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Kagere has a good chance to claim the award with only nine rounds of matches remaining to the end of the season.

Joshua went ahead to challenge other strikers in the top-flight, led by Reliants Lusanjo, Paul Nonga, and Yusuph Mhilu, to make sure that they catch up with Kagere and beat him to the crown.

Lusajo and Mhilu, both of Kagere Sugar, have scored 11 goals while Nonga of Lipuli FC has managed 10 goals.

“First Emmanuel Okwi took the Golden Boot and then came Kagere and won the award last season, and still it seems Kagere will do it again this season,” Joshua told reporters.

“But I have a feeling that we have Nonga, Lusanjo, and Mhilu who can also challenge for the gong and I want to urge them to make sure they don’t allow Kagere to win the award again, nine matches are enough to give them the award.”

Simba will resume their hunt for a third straight title against Ruvu Shooting on June 13 at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.