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Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala has been named in the Spanish Primera Iberdrola Team of the Season for the 2019-20 campaign.

Oshoala has emerged as one of the superstars in the top-flight, putting her strength, power, and physicality on display while scoring goals aplenty for Barcelona, since moving to Spain on January 31, 2019.

The Nigeria international played a huge role in helping the Catalans clinch their first league title in five years without losing a match in 21 games last season.

The FC Robo Queens product scored 20 goals and gave one assist in 19 outings to help Lluis Cortes' side finish at the top before the league was called off due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The 3-3-4 formation list, dominated by Barcelona, saw Sandra Panos claim the goal post, while Mapi Leon and Marian Torrejon, along with Deportivo La Corona's Maria Mendez named in the defence.

In the midfield are Ona Batlle of Levante and Barcelona duo of Patri Guijarro and Alexia Putellas, while Oshoala led the attack with Jenni Hermoso, Graham Hansen and Atletico Madrid's Lucy Santos.

The Super Falcons star is the only African among the nominations, with the likes of Logrono striker Jade Boho, who managed 12 goals last term, overlooked.

So far, the reigning African Women's Player of the Year has scored 36 goals for Barcelona in 18 months, becoming one of the top 10 all-time scorers of the Spanish giants.

On her initial loan spell, she scored eight goals in 11 games, including their only goal in the Champions League final, and made history as the first African to register a goal at that stage of the European competition.

At Barcelona, the 25-year-old celebrated her first silverware with the Copa Catalunya last August, before clinching the Super Women's Cup in February and recently the Spanish top-flight title.

Anthony Ujah provided an assist as Union Berlin held Salif Sane's Schalke 04 to a 1-1 draw in Sunday's Bundesliga encounter.

Ujah laid the assist for Robert Andrich to open the scoring in the 11th minute before Jonjoe Kenny drew Schalke level 17 minutes later.

The Nigeria forward was in action for 78 minutes for Union Berlin before he was replaced by Joshua Mees, while Senegal defender Sane was on parade from start to finish for the visitors.

The result was Schalke 04's first point since the restart of the 2019-20 Bundesliga season after the coronavirus lockdown while the hosts picked up their second straight draw at home.

Schalke 04 are 10th on the Bundesliga table after gathering 38 points from 30 points and Union Berlin are 14th with 32 points after 30 games.

The Royal Blues' form has been particularly poor since the season resumed after the coronavirus-enforced suspension, suffering four straight defeats as they lost to Borussia Dortmund, Augsburg, Fortuna Dusseldorf and Werder Bremen, conceding 10 goals and scoring just one.

Ujah made his eighth league start of the season on Sunday, and he has scored two goals and provided an assist in 20 league appearances so far while Sane has played 15 league matches with two goals to his credit.

Morocco's Amine Harit was not available for the match as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury while Nigeria's Suleiman Abdullahi was an unused substitute for the Berlin outfit.

On the international scene, Ujah made his debut for Nigeria in 2013 and he has made seven appearances for the Super Eagles so far, with his last international outing dating back to a friendly fixture against Niger in September 2015.

Although he was born in France, Sane has made 30 appearances for Senegal since he switched his international allegiance to the West African country in 2012.

Union Berlin will be hoping to secure their first league victory since February 24 when they visit Koln for their next league fixture on June 13 while Schalke 04 welcome fifth-place Bayer Leverkusen to the Veltins-Arena with the aim of grabbing their first league win since January 17.

In the wake of media reports that Tanzanian giants Simba SC are looking to sign Orlando Pirates attacker Justin Shonga, the player’s agent Mike Ngobeni has addressed the Zambian’s future.

According to Ngobeni, they are set to meet with the former African champions and discuss the 23-year-old’s future as he is struggling to get regular game-time under coach Josef Zinnbauer.

Shonga is currently struggling to gain a regular spot in the front line for Pirates as he competes with the likes of Gabadinho Mhango, Tshegofatso Mabasa, and Augustine Mulenga.

“All of my players are settled in their clubs. One player whose future is not secured is Shonga. We are waiting for everything to return to normality then we can sit down with Pirates and discuss his future,” Ngobeni told Isolezwe.

“That is when we will have clarity on what the future holds because people in Zambia are asking me what I happening about Shonga.

“They want to see him becoming one of the key players for the national team in Zambia. One of the big guys in the Zambian team, Adrian Kashala has called me twice. They want to see Shonga playing regular football."

In the midst of reports that the former Nkwazi FC player has been linked with a move to the East African giants, Ngobeni says his client remains contracted to the 2018/19 PSL runners-up.

“Shonga has a two-year contract with Pirates. If his situation doesn’t change, we will look at securing a loan deal for him because he wants to play regular football," he added.

“However, that will depend on Pirates because he is contracted to them.”

Shonga has been linked with a move away from the Sea Robbers for some time after falling down the pecking order, and has managed just 11 appearances for the Soweto giants this season without finding the back of the net.  

Since his arrival in 2017, Shonga has featured 77 times for Pirates and has 16 goals and 16 assists to his name.

Borussia Dortmund insist they will not rush Youssoufa Moukoko into the first team as they attempt to ease the burden of expectation on the highly-rated teenager.

The 15-year-old is seen one of the most exciting young talents in the game and was included in Goal’s NxGn 2020, which highlights the top 50 wonderkids in football, earlier this season.

He has been a goalscoring sensation at youth level since joining Dortmund from St Pauli at the age of 12, scoring 157 goals in just 97 games across the various age grades.

He smashed six goals on his debut for the U19 side earlier this season, going on on to score 34 goals in just 20 appearances in the Under-19 Bundesliga.

Moukoko is also already a regular for the Germany U16 side, though his Cameroonian heritage has seen him compared to legendary striker and four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto'o. The player himself meanwhile is keen to emulate former BVB striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who took the youngster under his wing while he was at Westfalenstadion and remains in contact with him.

Those goalscoring exploits have unsurprisingly raised expectations about a possible senior debut in the near future.

Bundesliga regulations would have previously prevented the youngster from featuring for the Dortmund first-team until the 2021-22 season. However, a recent change in those regulations means he is eligible to play from when he turns 16 on November 20, 2020.

Dortmund, though, are looking to calm the hype surrounding their prestigious talent by playing down talk of an immediate debut.

"The framework conditions for professional appearances by absolute exceptional players of this age has been created, but we are not putting any pressure on him at all," Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc told Bild am Sonntag.

"We do well not to raise expectations of Youssoufa too high."

Head of Dortmund's licensing player department Sebastian Kehl is also keen to stress caution with Moukoko’s development.

"There will always be a decision on a case-by-case basis, which will not only be made on the basis of sporting skills," said the former Germany midfielder.

"Here physical and mental aspects, but also the personality of the player play a major role. We will all handle it very responsibly."

Zambia’s Patson Daka bagged a hat-trick while his compatriot Enock Mwepu and Mali’s Sekou Koita were on the scoresheet as Red Bull Salzburg thrashed Hartberg 6-0 in Sunday's Bundesliga game.

The Red Bull Arena outfit have been in excellent form since the restart of the Austrian top-flight, securing victories against Austria Lustenau and Rapid Wien before the African stars inspired them to their third win on the bounce.

The league was suspended in March due to the coronavirus outbreak in Austria and across the world.

With only four minutes played in the encounter, Daka opened the scoring after he was set up by Switzerland international of Nigerian descent Noah Okafor.

Three minutes later Mwepu doubled the lead before Daka made it three for his side after benefitting from a through-ball from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Five minutes before the half-time break Koita added to the woes of their hosts with a well-taken strike, off Andreas Ulmer’s assist.

In the 46th minute, Daka completed his hat-trick before Okafor sealed the rout moments before the end of the game.

Daka, who was on target in their 2-0 victory against Rapid Wien last week, featured for 61 minutes before making way for Mergim Berisha.

The Zambia international has now scored 21 Bundesliga goals in this campaign in 23 games to help Salzburg maintain their place at the top of the league standings with 30 points from 24 matches.

His compatriot Mwepu, who played throughout the game, has now made 29 appearances for the Red Bull Arena outfit across all competitions this season, scoring two goals.

Mali international Koita, meanwhile, has bagged seven goals for Jesse Marsch’s men since joining the side from Liefering in 2019.

The African stars will hope to continue their fine combinations when Salzburg take on Sturm Graz in their next league game on Wednesday.

Victory in the encounter will stretch Salzburg's unbeaten run to seven games, having last tasted defeat against Rheindorf Altach in March. 

The African pair were part of Shanghai's preseason tour in Lisbon, Portugal where they spend almost a month before departing back to their various bases during the coronavirus break in March.

Ordega joined the CWSL outfit in 2019, and was in superb form, scoring seven goals to help Shanghai to finish as runners-up last season.

The 2018 African Women’s Player of the Year nominee has been at her home country in Benue state since the Covid-19 outbreak.

On Banda's part, the Zambia international sealed her move to the Chinese outfit from Logrono last February after scoring 15 goals in 28 games during her 20-month spell with the Spanish club.

The 20-year-old, who inspired Zambia to a historic Olympic Games qualification in March after a triumph over Cameroon, has been in Lusaka, the Zambia capital, since she left camp in Portugal.

Chinese authorities permitted clubs to resume training for the first time after the restrictions were eased mid-May but the ban on foreigners’ entry into China halts Ordega and Banda’s travel hopes.

As teams resume full training activities, Shanghai becomes the latest club to hit the pitch without Africans after Guangdong, Changchun, Jiangsu Suning, Henan and Wuhan.

In a recent Instagram interview, the Super Falcons star had expressed her frustration over her inability to return to her club as a result of the global health crisis. 

“I was on duty with my teammate outside Shanghai, the team manager told us [foreigners] not to go back to China with the team because of the coronavirus outbreak,” Ordega told the NFF.

“He said to go back home until everything dies down. We never thought things will get out of hands. I headed back home to Nigeria but always get updated with the situation of things in China.

“I was in America to renew my passport when I got the call from my team that things are getting better and we are to report back to China. I planned to fly from America to China but the authority banned movement to China.

“The only option is to enter through other countries that are yet to restrict movement to China. I booked a flight for Ethiopia and planned to go through Ethiopia.

“Surprisingly, the day I landed was the day their government laid an embargo on flights to China. I headed back to Nigeria, called my club to let them know what’s going on.”

Ordega and Banda are part of the Africans yet to return to China after Ghana's Elizabeth Addo, Nigeria's duo of Onome Ebi and Chiwendu Ihezuo.

Frenkie de Jong has revealed it was Ernesto Valverde's sacking in January that drilled home to him how high the standards are set at Barcelona.

The Dutch midfielder arrived from Ajax last July, but he spent just six months working with head coach Valverde.

A dismal performance by Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana against Atletico Madrid was the final straw for the club's board, after a string of jarring displays.

Yet at the time of Valverde's dismissal, Barcelona sat top of La Liga's table, ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference, and they had safely secured a place in the Champions League knockout rounds.

Valverde's exit and Quique Setien's swift arrival to take the reins showed De Jong that demands on coaches at top clubs in Spain are particularly high.

"Especially at Barcelona," De Jong said. "It's a bit of the same as in Ajax: you have to play good and you have to win everything.

"When one of the two is not there, it's already difficult for the team and the coach, so the pressure is really high here. They are demanding the best football in the world and they want to win every prize, but I like this idea a lot."

Although De Jong appreciates such lofty expectations and has come to understand the ruthless ways of life at Camp Nou, there was a sense of guilt at Valverde being the fall guy.

"Yes, of course, because when a coach is sacked that's always about the way the team is playing and they are holding the coach responsible for it," De Jong told BBC Radio Five Live.

"But of course you're feeling guilty because the players have to show it on the field.

"We were not doing terrible because we were first in the table when he left."

Barcelona's players agreed a 70 per cent pay cut in March to help the club through the coronavirus period.

De Jong suspects further talks are happening in regard to what happens next over salaries.

"I think we already made an agreement for some months with the club, as everybody knows, and I think - I don't know - the club and some players are negotiating now," De Jong said.

"I'm not one of them. I'm not the talker from the group or something, or I'm not one of the captains, so I think they are speaking and we will see how it turns out."

Barcelona are days away from returning to action, with a trip to face Mallorca next Saturday their first match since the COVID-19 crisis caused football to be closed down in Spain.

De Jong is relieved the waiting is almost over.

"From the moment we could start training again, everyone was desperate to compete again and be with each other again," he said. "It's really good at the moment."

Barcelona coach Quique Setien has challenged his team to win all of their remaining La Liga games to ensure they are crowned champions this season.

The reigning Spanish title holders are top of the table with a two-point lead over fierce rivals Real Madrid with 11 games left to go.

La Liga has been suspended for three months because of the coronavirus pandemic, but will return next week with Barca kicking off against Mallorca on June 13.

While the coach admits his players may not be in top form after such a long hiatus, he says they cannot afford to slip up if they want to win the title again.    

“Normally you play games in preseason and measure the minutes played, and now that will be different," Setien told the club's website.

"We will see how the games go and what the situation is for each player. Everybody is different.

“We think that we have to win every game if we want to be champions.

“We're doing well and we know that we have to be in top form to compete and win every game. We are in a good place mentally.

"We will see how the games go and the difficulties posed by our opponents.

"The team are in pretty good condition for the work that we have done. We're going to need one more week to really be in shape.

“All of the players are very keen and very motivated to play. It's been good for us, because the players have been resting.

“The team look to have special motivation. I suppose that's the same for every squad."

Barca striker Luis Suarez has been out of action with an injury since January and was expected to miss most of the remainder of the season after having surgery.

However, the suspension of the league has given him time to get back in shape and Setien is happy to have the Uruguay star available again. 

“Luis Suarez has had extra time to recover and to be able to compete again," he added.

"He's practically at full fitness; we'll see how he goes when the competition gets underway, but in two or three games I'm sure he'll be at his top level."

Midfielder Clatous Chama has returned to Tanzania ready for the resumption of the Mainland Premier League.

Chama is among the players Simba SC were waiting for as they had left the country when football activities were suspended in April.

Meddie Kagere and Francis Kahata are the other players who have already touched base in Dra es Salaam.

Kagere, the Golden Boot race leader with 19 goals, was the first one to join his teammates in Tanzania after the government had allowed the resumption of joint training sessions ahead of June 13's league resumption.

The Kenya attacking midfielder was the second to arrive and now the Wekundu wa Msimbazi are waiting to see whether South Sudanese midfielder Sharaf Shiboub will arrive before they restart their title defence.

Initially, Simba were expecting Chama to join the rest on June 8 but his timely arrival, a day earlier, should be a boost for Sven Vandenbroeck who has been overseeing training sessions at the Mo Simba Arena at Bunju since May 26.

The struggle Simba are witnessing in helping their players return has also been faced by their rivals. 

Azam's Ghanaian trio of Razak Abalora, Daniel Amoa, and Yakubu Mohamed, Ugandan Nicholas Wadada, and Never Tigere, Bruce Kangwa, and Donald Ngoma of Zimbabwe had left Tanzania in April.

Yanga SC are struggling to help head coach Luc Eymael arrive from Belgium as well as goalkeeper Farouk Shikalo, who is in Kenya.

Vandenbroeck had revealed that when Chama arrives, he will have to train alone to try and catch up with the other players.

“We are confident he [Chama] is keeping fit because we have been monitoring his progress and situation. Just like other players who rejoined us late, he has to undergo some sessions individually before he is integrated into the team fully,” the Belgian coach said.

Simba will face Ruvu Shooting in their first match on June 14 as they enjoy a healthy 17-point lead at the top of table.

Before the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) suspended the activities in April, the Wekundu wa Msimbazi had harvested 71 points from 28 matches. Second-placed Azam had 54 points from the same number of matches.

Chama's arrival will also be a big boost for the 20-time league champions when they take on Azam during the quarter-finals of the FA Cup tournament.

Leganes centre-back Kenneth Omeruo has paid a tribute to former Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi, who passed away four years ago on Sunday.

The former Super Eagles captain died on June 7, 2016, after suffering a heart attack at the age of 54, a few months after losing his wife to cancer.

Keshi guided Nigeria to win their third Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 2013, becoming the second man to clinch the continental title as player and coach.

The former Togo manager gave Omeruo his first international cap at the age of 19, against Cape Verde, and the defender was part of the Super Eagles' winning team in South Africa.

The centre-back has recalled the advice he received from the ‘Big Boss’ and how he desired success with Chelsea, although he ended up leaving Stamford Bridge permanently last summer and has continued to blossom in the Spanish top-flight.

Omeruo took time to post an emotional tribute to Keshi and wished he was alive to witness the progress the defender has made in his professional career and family life.

“It’s been four years already and I am still hoping I would one day pick up the phone and call you like I use to,” Omeruo posted on Instagram.

“I miss you but I am sad I am very sad that I am beginning to get used to your absence but one thing I will never forget, is your advice and your encouragements.

“You gave me more than one chances and you told me several times, until it stuck to my head, that everyone cannot love me. You told me to work hard always and not expect to be favoured because hard work always wins.

“You gave me an opportunity at a very young age even when I wasn’t expecting it. I was content with just making the squad and you never asked for anything in return.

“I remember against Ivory Coast, with the likes of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure I didn’t know how to prepare for that game because I was a bit panicked.

“I remember you telling us we will get to the final even when we haven’t played Ivory Coast yet. I went into that game with so much passion. We used to talk about Chelsea and every time my contract is extended, you will congratulate me and tell me it’s like they don’t want to let me go but guess what Boss, I finally left Chelsea, and I am even happier than I used to be.

"I got married and we have a beautiful daughter Chairein and she is adorable and looks like me. Okay maybe not, you would have loved her. I had to write all this now because I just realized you weren’t here to see it all.

“Thank you for everything daddy and keep resting in peace coach Keshi. Forever in my heart.”

Keshi, who had 60 caps for the Super Eagles, served as manager of the side between 2011-2015, having previously managed Togo and Mali.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat against KMC in a friendly played at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

Both teams were using the build-up to gauge their players ahead of the Mainland Premier League resumption on June 13 after it was given the green light by President John Pombe Magufuli.

KMC were the better side from the onset as they troubled Yanga, who looked out of place, but it took the former until the 45th minute to take a deserved lead when Sadala Lipangile slotted home using his right foot.

KMC then doubled their lead in the added minutes of the first half when Charles Ilanfya latched onto a through-ball to sneak it past Yanga keeper Metacha Mnata for a 2-0 lead at the half-time break.

After the resumption, Yanga’s assistant coach Boniface Mkwasa opted to ring a few changes to help reduce the deficit but KMC remained the dominant side and they wrapped up the win with a well taken free-kick courtesy of Hassan Kabunda in the 65th minute.

Before the game, Mkwasa had told reporters his target was to triumph in the friendly so as to help bring back a winning mentality ahead of their first match on June 14.

“I know it will be a tough match since [KMC] are among the good sides in the league but we are well prepared to win and bring back winning mentality to players,” Mkwasa told reporters earlier.

“It will give us an opportunity to see the balance of the team and where we should fix the problems before heading to the battlefield next week.”

Mkwasa further revealed his side was ready to navigate the congested fixtures when the season resumes, saying they have a huge squad to pick from and hence can rotate.

“As you know, we gave individual training sessions to be accomplished by players at their own homes when the league was suspended but that is not enough to make them fit for competitive games that is why we thought of playing friendly encounters to assess the players,” Mkwasa continued.

“We also need to get prepared with the many fixtures coming up and know how to rotate the squad, and this friendly will help us a lot.”

Yanga will face Mwadui FC in their first match on June 14.

Frenkie de Jong has revealed he is taking tactical advice from Lionel Messi as he continues to settle into life at Barcelona.

The Netherlands international is in his first season at Camp Nou having joined from Ajax in a €75 million (£65m/$85m) deal last summer.

He arrived with a reputation as one of Europe’s brightest young prospects after starring for Ajax in their memorable run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

Things haven’t always gone to plan for the 23-year-old, though, as he adjusts to life in a new country with new team-mates and in a new position.

A deep-lying playmaker for Ajax, De Jong was deployed in a wider midfield role by Ernesto Valverde in the early weeks of his Barca career to accommodate the return of Sergio Busquets. New boss Quique Setien, who replaced Valverde in January, then played De Jong further forward in a more attacking role.

Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman questioned Barcelona’s use of De Jong earlier this season, though the player himself says it is just part of a learning process.

"In Ajax and the Dutch squad I've had a different role but we're playing with a double six [two defensive midfielders]," he told BBC Sport.

"I have to adapt and it's going OK, but I can improve. I'm at my best when I'm not the most defensive but also not the most attacking [midfielder].

"If Lionel Messi is talking and giving you advice you take it as he is by far the best player in the world. If he gives advice, you listen. Sometimes he says you have to be deeper or to the side, small things but it makes the difference.”

De Jong also revealed how a visit by Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu convinced him to join the club instead of Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Manchester City.

"It was my dream to play for Barcelona,” he added.  "They were my favourite club outside of the Netherlands. When they came and showed they were really interested they made the choice easier.

"At the beginning I didn't have the feeling Barcelona really wanted me. But they said you have a good chance of being a starter and it was really easy for me.

"[Bartomeu] talked about the other clubs and Pep Guardiola and said when he was at Barcelona he was amazing. He said Guardiola was the greatest manager but told me: 'If you want to enjoy your life, you want to play in Barcelona'.

"Sometimes when I'm driving to the training ground you see the weather and there are these moments when you think: 'I always wanted this as a kid'. It's a dream, I'm really happy.”

De Jong and Barcelona are scheduled to return to action against Real Mallorca on June 13 after a three-month shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The midfielder admits life is different post-lockdown but believes Barca have benefited from the break and can achieve something “special” as they look to pip Real Madrid to the title.

"I didn't have the virus but life isn't how it used to be," he said. "I don't think it's changed me as a person. I've spent a lot of time with my girlfriend, we were in Holland and we could go out - the situation was a bit more comfortable than in Spain.

"When we were training in separate groups we had to wait before the others left, I couldn't say 'hi' to them, that was really strange.

"Training is intense and maybe we're better than when we stopped. I'm feeling there is something special coming."

Former Liverpool defender Jon Otsemobor claims that he felt "used" after his then-senior teammate El Hadji Diouf once woke him up at 02:00 to party with a group of people dominated by women, on a day they were supposed to report for training later on.

Diouf is said to have arrived at Otsemobor's place unannounced and in the company of about 10 party-goers, most of which were women.

Otsemobor, then a first-team player fresh from Liverpool's youth system, says he could not turn down Diouf's sudden approach as he felt "obliged" to play to his senior's demands after he was awoken by a ringing bell.

"Sem, open the door!" Otsemobor told Liverpool Echo claiming Diouf as having said.

"When an older pro like that approaches you, you feel obliged. I was still a young lad, and I was just disappointed thinking he took my friendship and used it. I felt at the time, when I went into the dressing room, you can't just use me like that, I'm your friend.

"If he needed a place to stay and all that, fine, but I'm not hosting parties for all different people who were flying into the country every weekend!"

Diouf's three-season spell at Liverpool, punctuated by a loan spell at Bolton Wanderers, proved to be eventful as much as it was unsuccessful.

During his tenure on Merseyside, Diouf made a total of 55 appearances for the Reds, scoring a mere three goals, including a period of roughly 13 months without a goal to his name.

A spitting incident and a verbal altercation with Steven Gerrard are some of Diouf's infamous episodes during his Liverpool days, as Otsemobor reiterated the well-publicised reports that the former Senegal international earned himself some enemies in the Reds dressing room were true.

Otsemobor asserted that Diouf was awakened to the reality that there were a lot of other players who were "better" than him, having arrived at Anfield from Ligue 1 side Racing Lens after an impressive outing at the 2002 Fifa World Cup.

"I know a few other lads in the dressing room didn't like him, but I never had a problem with him," said Otsemobor.

"He did, at times, come across arrogant but don't get me wrong, he was a good footballer.

"I think from where he was in Senegal, and the upbringing he came through, he was looked upon as a God over there.

"He was doing well, outstanding at the World Cup before he came to Liverpool, and Liverpool paid £10m for him.

"I think he still had that persona about him, that God-like persona. When he came into the dressing room it wasn't long before he found out there were a lot of other lads there either as good as him or better than him.

"Maybe he didn't get the respect off some of them that he would have thought but I never seen him have bust-ups or arguments with anyone. I don't recall any, anyway."

After leaving Liverpool, Diouf went on to play for five other Premier League sides, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers as well as Doncaster Rovers and Leed United in the Championship.

Eleven Wonders chief executive officer Albert Commey is the latest to express concern about safety amid considerations for a prompt return of the Ghana Premier League (GPL).

There have been recent calls for resumption of the championship which has been on hold since March as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Commey's comments follow similar remarks by Aduana Stars coach Samuel Paa Kwasi Fabin.

"We shouldn’t joke with the situation now because we cannot afford to lose a soul in the industry to the virus," the CEO told Onua FM.

"We have a responsibility, we need to make sure that measures are put in place to curb the spread of the virus.

"The [Ghana] Football Association (GFA) is consulting stakeholders and if they agree for it to be cancelled, then we do that."

The Premier League was at the matchweek 15 stage, with Aduana atop the standings, when it ground to a halt.

At the time, a total of six coronavirus cases had been recorded in Ghana.

As at Sunday June 7, the West African nation has so far registered 9,638 cases involving 44 deaths, 3,636 recoveries and 5,958 active cases.

"The corporate world is monitoring and watching our reaction on how we will deal with the situation so we have to show resilience," Commey added.

"We have to show that we will be able to stand by them in times of difficulties when they sponsor the league and there is a problem.”

Commey also shared his thoughts on the sideline of football by the government of Ghana in a stimulus package for businesses in the wake of the Covid-19 disruptions.

"We pay tax so the country really gains from football," he said.

"Seventeen point five (17.5) per cent of the money gained from gate proceeds by clubs goes to the state as tax, so calculate the number of games played every week and even [tax from] hoteliers - [not forgetting] those who sell at the stadium also benefit from football - [to get an idea about our contribution to the economy]."

The Premier League, together with all other domestic competitions, has been on hold since March 15 following a ban on all public gatherings, including sporting and religious events.

The GFA has said it will wait until at least June 30 to make a decision on the future of football.

The ban on football, however, continues until at least July 31.

Ilkay Gundogan has hailed Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu as one of the Premier League’s top performers and suggested Manchester City should sign him.

Turkish centre-back Soyunci, 24, joined the Foxes from Freiburg in 2018 and has excelled for the Foxes, who are third in the Premier League after 29 matches.

Soyuncu is being linked with a move to other teams in the English top-flight and Gundogan believes City should be in contention to land him, while he has also been impressed by Everton attacker Cenk Tosun.

“I agree with the general opinion of football fans. Caglar Soyuncu had the best performance in the Premier League this season after Van Dijk,” the Germany international told Fanatik.

“I didn't know him before. We met when we played against each other. In addition to the Premier League matches, we faced Leicester City in a cup game two years ago.

“We became opponents in many matches. We always saw and talked to each other and started getting to know each other.

“He's a very good boy. I love him. His understanding of football and character are also very good.

“His performances for both Leicester and Turkey are good. I hope we see him in better places.

“The first one that comes to my mind about the Turkish player I want to see at Manchester City is Caglar.

“I would also count Cenk Tosun. He may be at this level in the near future. I think he has also played well, but he suffered an unlucky injury.

“He also scored a goal in the match we played at home against Crystal Palace. I think he's settled in the Premier League. He deserves it.”

The 29-year-old midfielder would also like to line up alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, admitting that he thinks the Barcelona hero is the best in the game.

“Messi is a footballer whose talent will not be seen again,” he added.

“For me, Messi is a little higher. Messi and Ronaldo are very important players. I would like to play with both of them on the same team one day.”

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli concedes his side were not playing well enough earlier this season but says the unexpected break caused by the coronavirus pandemic has given the team a chance  to “dig in” and end the campaign on a high.

Spurs’ last match before the COVID-19 shutdown was a disappointing 3-0 last-16 second leg loss at RB Leipzig in the Champions League in March, completing 4-0 aggregate defeat by the German side.

The previous week the north London club were beaten at home by Norwich on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round, meaning they are guaranteed to end the 2019-20 without a trophy.

In the Premier League, Tottenham face a real fight to qualify for the Champions League next season. They are currently eighth in the table, seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with 11 games remaining.

To add to their troubles, captain Harry Kane suffered a hamstring injury in January while Son Hueng-Min broke his arm the following month, with both expected to be sidelined for the majority of the campaign at the time of their injuries.

However, the three-month Premier League shutdown has given Kane, Son and the rest of the squad time to rest and recuperate.

Manager Jose Mourinho revealed last month the duo had now recovered from their injuries, while Alli, Moussa Sissoko, Erik Lamela and January signing Steven Bergwijn were also fit again after minor knocks. It leaves the former Chelsea and Manchester boss with a near fully-fit squad to choose from for their first game back against Manchester United on June 19.

England forward Alli believes Tottenham have used the break to their advantage and is hopeful the team can right some of the wrongs of earlier this year.

“We are excited as it was an unexpected break having the season cut midway through,” Alli said on a live stream after competing in a charity FIFA20 match organised by Gamers Without Borders.

“From a Tottenham point of view we were not doing well enough before the break and we know that but we've all come back to training hungry and we want to improve.

“Everyone is excited so we just need to dig in.”

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has insisted the club is not raising expectations on wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko neither is he being pressured.

The striker who holds both a Cameroonian and German passport has been a sensation for BVB at youth level scoring more than 150 goals across the various age grades including 34 strikes in 20 outings in this season's Under-19 Bundesliga.

This led to increased calls for Moukoko to be drafted into the Dortmund senior team, but due to DFB restrictions that do not permit players to debut until they turn 17, it became impossible.

Dortmund, however, challenged the rule to reduce the age down to 16 which was eventually granted.

Moukoko will turn 16 on November 20 and could, therefore, make his senior bow, but Zorc is in no rush.

"The framework conditions for professional appearances by absolute exceptional players of this age have been created, but we are therefore not putting any pressure on him at all," Zorc told Bild am Sonntag .

"We do well not to raise expectations of Youssoufa too high."

Former player and now head of Dortmund's licensing player department, Sebastian Kehl also asserted that any chance of Moukoko making his debut this year will have to be handled "responsibly".

"There will always be a decision on a case-by-case basis, which will not only be made on the basis of sporting skills," Kehl said.

"Here physical and mental aspects, but also the personality of the player plays a major role. We will all handle it very responsibly."

Dortmund occupy second spot on the Bundesliga log, seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich with four rounds left to wrap up the season that was halted in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Moukoko is hailed as the 'New Eto'o' in reference to the prowess of Cameroon great Samuel Eto'o who played for the likes of Real Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea, winning the Champions League three times and multiple domestic titles.

Eto'o also won the Africa Cup of Nations twice and an Olympic medal.

He is Cameroon's all-time top scorer with 56 goals and is a four-time recipient of the African Footballer of the Year.

The former FC Porto marksman left Blackburn Rovers for fellow English club West Ham United midway through the 2009/10 campaign.

However, McCarthy struggled with injuries and made a few appearances for West Ham and he was not included in Bafana Bafana's final 23-man squad for the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals.

“2010 was my worst year just like 2020 is for everyone. When I look back, I think I shouldn’t have left Blackburn Rovers. But I didn’t really have a choice. I didn’t just want to be an impact player," McCarthy told the South African Football Journalists' Association (Safja).

“When I had conversations with Sam Allaydyrce [coach of Blackburn at the time] that’s what he told me. He wanted a 90 minutes striker, he wanted a target man and I’m more of a luxury player. He said I was more of a number 10.

“West Ham United came knocking and I had a conversation with [Gianfranco] Zola and he told me what his plans were and that suited me. I got injured in my debut and that injury hindered me throughout. I picked up weight. That didn’t help going to the 2010 World Cup."

McCarthy rejected a chance to be in a camp with Bafana for three months and this backfired as then-South Africa head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira did not include him in the 2010 World Cup squad.

“I think it was to get back at me. I don’t know if you can recall, there was a period when Carlos Alberto Parreira wanted to have a three-month training camp in Brazil. First, he wanted to convince the European players," he said.

“The first trip that he made was to Blackburn Rovers. He came to England to see me and Aaron [Mokoena]. The president of the club said that there was no way in hell that was going to happen. We were going to miss three months of action.

“At the time I was flying at Blackburn. The coach then spoke to me, he said if I put pressure on the club they will let me go. I must just tell the club that I want to go. But listen, my bread and butter was paid by Blackburn."

McCarthy believes that Parreira misunderstood him as the accomplished Brazilian coach felt that the Cape Town-born legend was disrespecting the national team.

"I think in a way he felt that I wasn’t complying to him asking me to fight to play for Bafana instead of Blackburn," he revealed.

"All the excuses were made about what had been happening at West Ham. I came back from injury. I didn’t meet the weight requirements and all that. The excuse that they gave the nation was that I brought girls to the hotel. I was like ‘are they f**** out of their minds or what," he concluded.

Nevertheless, McCarthy retired from international football having played and scored for Bafana at the 1998 and 2002 World Cup finals.

The Scotland-based coach has been jobless since he left PSL side Cape Town City last November, but he is targeting coaching positions at Scottish side Hearts and Portuguese giants FC Porto.

Laldinliana Renthlei is likely to sign for Jamshedpur FC for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season, Goal can confirm. 

The full-back came to prominence after winning the Mizoram Premier League (MPL) with Chhinga Veng FC in 2017. He was even adjudged the best defender of the tournament for his impressive performances. He was loaned out to Aizawl FC to play in I-League and the defender made 24 appearances for the People's Club in the 2017-18 season.

He made his continental debut with Aizawl during their AFC Champions League qualifier against Iranian side Zob Ahan Esfahan, a match which Aizawl lost 3-1. 

Dinliana joined Chennaiyin FC in 2018 and has made 22 appearances cumulatively in two seasons. Although he fell out of favour in the first half of last season, under Owen Coyle, he once again became a regular and played in most matches including both the semi-finals and the final against ATK.

The Mizo defender joins the Red Miners to further strengthen their backline that already consists of promising players like Jitendra Singh and Narender Gahlot. They have already signed full-back Ricky Lallawmawma from ATK and goalkeeper Pawan Kumar from NorthEast United.

Jamshedpur have also secured the services of winger Jackichand Singh, who had a prolific campaign with FC Goa last season.

The Tata Steel owned club had a forgetful outing in the 2019-20 campaign as they finished eighth on the league table with 18 points from an equal number of matches. 

The club is set for a revamp as they have parted ways with coach Antonio Iriondo. Their mainstay in defence, Tiri, has also left the club. It remains to be seen what further moves they make in the transfer market to bolster their squad for the upcoming season.