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Former Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Darren Keet has signed for Cape Town City on a three-year deal.

The Bafana Bafana shot-stopper joins City as a free agent following the expiry of his short-term contract with National First Division side Cape Umoya.

He is a direct replacement of Peter Leeuwenburgh, who returned to the Netherlands to play for Eredivisie side FC Groningen. 

“I’m just excited to join the club, I’m really looking forward to it. I think it is going to be a great next couple of years for me,” Keet told City’s media. 

“I’m from Cape Town, I grew up in Cape Town but I have only played my professional football outside Cape Town. So I am excited to be back and to be part of Cape Town and a team like Cape Town City.  

“Cape Town City is a team which always wants to win trophies so I’m excited with the partnership we will have, trying to give our best week in, week out so the club can achieve its goals.”

Joining City ends speculation about Keet’s future after he hinted at returning to Gauteng a few days ago. 

The goalkeeper revealed that Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs had approached him. 

Keet will be reunited with City coach Eric Tinkler whom he has previously worked with. 

“I’m looking forward to working with coach Eric Tinkler again,” added Keet. 

“I have known him from my first team Bidvest Wits when he was an assistant coach with us. I’m looking forward to rekindling that relationship whereby we had some success.

"It would be nice to do it again in Cape Town. I’m also looking forward to meeting new people and to work with some players I have worked with at Bafana Bafana before.  

“It is going to be a whole new thing for me. But I’m looking forward to everything, what the club is, what the club stands for, to what the fans are and also just being a part of Cape Town again."

Mario Balotelli looks set to join Turkish side Adana Demirspor this summer, with the club's chairman claiming that negotiations are "85 per cent" complete as the former Italy international looks to bolster his World Cup hopes ahead of Qatar 2022 next year.

The veteran striker, who has spent a colourful career hopscotching around a host of European clubs, spent the second half of last season with Serie B side Monza, with whom he came close to achieving play-off promotion to Serie A

Now, he is poised to play in his fourth different country, as he reportedly looks to reignite his hopes of forcing his way into Robert Mancini's thinking, as mooted by the president of the Blue Lightnings.

What has been said?

"The negotiation with Mario Balotelli is 85% [complete]," chairman Murat Sancak told A Spor. "He contacted us and told us he wanted to come here. He will arrive in Turkey next week".

Sancak was happy to deliver answers as to why Balotelli had chosen to move away from Europe's big leagues, indicating that it is driven by a desire to earn a recall to the international fold with the Azzurri, as well as adding that his wages will be covered in part by club sponsors.

"Balotelli wants to come here to go to the World Cup," he added. "The sponsor will pay half of his salary.

"They say that Balotelli is crazy but nobody has to worry: We are from Adana and we will be able to manage him":

Former Golden Boy makes next career swerve

Having started his senior career with a spell at Lumezzane before he moved to Inter as a teenager, Balotelli has become renowned as much for his on-and-off-field controversies as his talents on the pitch.

A three-time league winner with the Nerazzurri and later a Premier League champion with Manchester City, his stock has fallen substantially in recent years, having gone from Nice to Brescia to Monza.

His hopes in making the move to Turkey seem to be to force his way back into contention for his country - an achievement that would be no mean feat given the Azzurri's current undefeated streak in world football, a run that has left them among the favourites to win Euro 2020 this month.

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs have signed centre-back Njabulo Ngcobo from Swallows FC, the player’s agent Siboniso Ngubane has reported.

The 27-year-old defender has penned a three-year deal and his move does not come as a surprise after he was heavily linked with the Soweto giants. 

Ngubane said Ngcobo was also being tracked by Mamelodi Sundowns but they opted for Chiefs. 

“Yes, the deal is done. Ngcobo is now a Chiefs player. We agreed on a three-year deal and everyone is happy. Swallows are happy, Chiefs are happy and we are happy,” said Ngubane as per Phakaaathi. 

“They [Mamelodi Sundowns] were also interested. But we had to look at the best deal for the player. We had to look at many things and it was not about money…

"We looked at the number of goals both sides conceded last season to see where he is most needed.” 

Ngcobo was part of the Bafana Bafana squad which faced Uganda in an international friendly match in June in what was his debut call-up. 

Interestingly, Ngcobo makes a huge leap in his career having played Premier Soccer League football for just one season. 

Last term was his debut season after joining Swallows from National First Division side Uthongathi and to cap his maiden top-flight league campaign, he was named the PSL Defender of the Season.

First-team opportunities for Ngcobo look bright at Chiefs where their centre-backs struggled for consistency last season. 

At Sundowns, he would have faced stiff competition from Mosa Lebusa, Ricardo Nascimento and Rushine De Reuck.    

Ngubane explained the other factors which made them settle for Chiefs instead of Sundowns. 

“But we looked at many aspects, including the style of play and such. Chiefs were a better fit for him and we decided to give them first preference,” added Ngubane. 

“His heart was also set on the move to Naturena and we had to consider that as well because the player’s emotional and mental well-being is also important.”  

Chiefs could not confirm or deny the signing of Ngcobo. 

“We have not made any announcement of the new players. We can only comment or confirm once we have announced the players,” Chiefs corporate communications manager Vina Maphosa told Goal.

Euro 2020 is into the semifinal stage, with some of the continent's biggest names still in the mix - and some upsets - in the race to get their hands on the trophy.

World champions France were dumped out in the last 16, as were reigning European champions Portugal. World number one Belgium, too, saw their exit in the among the last eight. The likes of Spain and England remain in the hunt for glory.

Goal has what you need to know about who is playing who and where to watch the Euro 2020 semifinals from India.

On this page

Which 4 teams qualified for Euro 2020 semifinals?

The Euro 2020 will see one of Spain, Italy, England or Denmark lift the coveted trophy.

The identities of the teams contesting the decider will be confirmed on Tuesday and Wednesday July 7.

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What are the Euro 2020 semifinal fixtures?

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How to watch Euro 2020 on TV & live stream in India

In India, the Euros will be broadcast live on the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN). It will be livestreamed on the SonyLIV app.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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Where will the Euro 2020 final take place?

Wembley Stadium in London is the venue of the final. The home ground of the England national team, it has a capacity of 90,000.

Interestingly, Wembley will also host both semi-final games, meaning whoever contests the tournament decider will have familiarised themselves with the stadium.

Wembley - in its original form - has played host to the European Championship final before, at Euro 96, when Germany defeated Czech Republic 2-1 thanks to a Golden Goal by Oliver Bierhoff.

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More on Euro 2020: 

Cristiano Ronaldo’s European Championships may have ended prematurely as Portugal were defeated by Belgium in the Round of 16, but CR7 will always remember this tournament as the competition in which he equalled the record for men’s international goalscoring.

Previously, the record was held by Ali Daei of Iran, who registered 109 goals for the Asian heavyweights between 1993 and 2006.

Ronaldo matched that tally, albeit in 178 international outings to Daei’s 149, when he netted twice against France in Portugal’s final group game.

Ex-Ghana goalkeeper Fatau Dauda has played his own part in Ronaldo’s record, having been part of the Black Stars side that faced Portugal at the World Cup in Brazil seven years ago.

In this unique oral history with Goal , Dauda talks us through his memories of that tournament, of the Black Stars’ highs and lows, and—of course—of that performance against Ronaldo and Portugal.

While the game ended in disappointment for the West Africans, with Portugal winning 2-1 to eliminate them from the World Cup, it’s a fixture—and an experience—that lives long in the memory of Dauda, as he told us for this feature.

While the Ghana keeper was at fault for Ronaldo’s 80th-minute winner, as he reached his half century of international goals and dumped the Black Stars out of the tournament, the stopper also made some big saves to keep the European side at bay.

Particularly impressive was his first-half block from a Ronaldo header, as Dauda achieved something that few keepers can say they managed—keeping CR7 out from point blank range.

Of course, that tournament is remembered as a low point in Ghanaian football due to the controversies that overshadowed their competition campaign—notably involving Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng and John Boye.

However, there was much to celebrate for Ghana and Kwesi Appiah—the first sub-Saharan manager to lead his own country to a World Cup.

There was, of course, that sublime play-off victory over an Egypt side who had previously won a trio of Africa Cup of Nations consecutively.

Then, there came the 2-2 draw against Germany in Fortaleza, as Ghana came back from 1-0 down to lead the European giants, only do be undone by a Miroslav Klose equaliser in the 71st minute.

That was one of only three goals Germany conceded en route to winning the title, and the only occasion during the tournament when they failed to defeat their opposition.

Tanzania Football Federation presidential hopeful Ally Salehe has begun a campaign to fundraise Tsh25 million as part of the legal fees for the case he lodged at the High Court seeking to stop the August 8 elections.

Salehe was among the aspirants who were not cleared to run for TFF's top seat in the initial nomination process and he moved to court to seek redress against a process he claims was not done according to the set election procedures.
 
So far, Wallace Karia, the incumbent, is the only candidate remaining after other contestants were not cleared to run. 

What has been said?

"This case is not mine, it is not about me as Salehe," Salehe said, according to Mwanaspoti. "I am here to defend the rights of the members of the public and, for that reason, it would not be wrong if they help fundraise legal fees for my lawyers.
 
"So far I have received Tsh15 million and I am happy that members of the public have pledged to support this course."

Earlier in the campaign

Salehe has been one of the outstanding critics of Karia and, in one instance, he called on the elections board to take action against the incumbent, claiming he had started a campaign early outside the set window. Salehe claimed the TFF's president took advantage of the U20 Premier League final between Mtibwa Sugar and Yanga to market his candidacy.
 
At the event held in June at the Chamazi Sports Complex outside Dar es Salaam, he alleges some fans were spotted wearing T-shirts carrying campaign messages in support of Karia.

"Were it not an electioneering period, there could have been no issue with those people wearing such T-shirts, but now we are campaigning for seats and, thus, it was a wrong move," Salehe said.

"How can one run a campaign when the time for it has not been declared open? If the disciplinary committee is keen on serving justice, then action must be taken against Karia."

Salehe hopes to persuade the court to stop the elections. However, Karia could be announced as the winner of the presidential contest after election vice-chair Benjamin Karume confirmed no one else was in the race apart from the incumbent.

Tuesday night brings us the biggest match of the European Championships so far, as Spain and Italy go head to head at Wembley in the first semi-final.

There’s no doubt that these two are continental giants—they have four European titles between them—but only one of them can advance to face either England or Denmark in Sunday’s final.

Italy have been consistently excellent throughout the tournament, and excelled as Belgium were dispatched in the quarter-final.

Spain, meanwhile, are growing into the competition, and consecutive victories over Slovakia and Croatia puts them in good stead, even if they were less convincing as Switzerland were ousted on penalties in the quarter-final.

Spain vs Italy: Team News

Leonardo Spinazzola suffered a devastating injury against Belgium, and now requires Achilles surgery; he will be lucky to return to action within six months.

His departure from the camp led to an emotional farewell, and leaves Roberto Mancini needing to find a solution to the influential wing-back.

Emerson Palmieri could be the man to replace him, although this is a switch that will surely weaken Italy’s threat from out wide.

In the good news column, Alessandro Florenzi is back in contention after a calf problem, but will he be able to unseat Giovanni Di Lorenzo and reclaim his defensive berth?

Further up the field, Mancini has a wealth of attacking options, with the likes of in-form trio Matteo Pessino, Manuel Locatelli and Federico Chiesa pushing for starting berths.

Marco Verratti is back from injury and will be a valuable returnee, while Andrea Belotti and Ciro Immobile will compete for the starting centre-forward berth.

For Spain, Pablo Sarabia is primed to miss out after picking up an early injury against Switzerland—Dani Olmo is likely to replace him—while Aymeric Laporte is a doubt.

Live stream world-class sport with Showmax Pro, including every spectacular tackle and save of the Euro 2020 games. Sign up at  showmax.com .

Spain vs Italy: Key facts & stats

Despite Italy’s long undefeated streak of 32 matches, they have a poor recent record against Spain, and it’s something that Mancini needs to change on Tuesday.

Italy have won only two matches against La Roja in their last 14 fixtures in all competitions—a friendly triumph a decade ago and, perhaps critically, their last meeting at the Euros.

In 2016, the two heavyweights met in the Round of 16, with Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle sending Italy into the quarter-finals.

At major tournaments, however, it’s the Azzurri who have the upper hand—with four wins and four draws in nine previous meetings—although their quarter-final penalty shootout defeat in 2008 and final defeat to La Roja four years later—were hard losses to swallow.

Catch every second, every tackle, and every defining save of the Euro 2020 games. Stream live on Showmax Pro. Sign up showmax.com today.

Spain vs Italy: Predictions

Even though they required extra time to defeat Austria in the Round of 16, Italy have won all five matches at this tournament so far and would equal the Netherlands’ record of winning six matches at a major tournament if they defeat Spain.

It’s a fearsome record, and their 2-1 triumph over Belgium proved that they can get the job done against the toughest opponents in the tournament, winning a classic against the Red Devils and holding their nerve to survive a late onslaught.

It puts them in a strong position to progress to the final, although don’t be surprised if they require extra time or penalties to advance to Wembley’s showpiece.

Prediction: Spain 1-1 Italy (Italy win on penalties)

Witness the journey to the crowning of Euro 2020 champions. Never miss a moment. Stream live on Showmax Pro. Go to showmax.com today.

Cesar Azpilicueta sees shades of Sergio Busquets in Chelsea team-mate Jorginho, with the Spain international aware that a talented club colleague is set to pose him plenty of problems in the Euro 2020 semi-finals.

The Azzurri have won many admirers at this summer's European Championship, with Brazil-born playmaker Jorginho pulling the strings for Roberto Mancini's side from the middle of the park.

World Cup-winning Barcelona star Busquets does likewise for La Roja, with Azpilicueta fortunate to have spent plenty of time playing with two of the finest deep-lying midfielders on the planet.

What has been said?

The Chelsea defender, who captains Jorginho at club level, told The Guardian of similarities between the 29-year-old and Spain skipper Busquets: "They’re two great players who move well in short spaces: intelligent, tactically sharp, they judge space well and always choose the right pass for the team. 

"Jorginho is a great footballer, very important for the way Italy play. He likes to be in contact with the ball, to control the game, he’s clever. The less he intervenes the more we have a chance of controlling the game. 

"He’s surrounded by great players too and we’ll have to come up with a collective solution.

"I’m fortunate to be able to enjoy Jorginho with Chelsea and Sergio with the national team. Hopefully we can control Tuesday: Sergio’s very important for us in that."

The bigger picture

Spain's meeting with Italy at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday will see both sides chasing down a place in the final of Euro 2020.

Whatever happens - with England facing Denmark on the other side of the draw - Chelsea will welcome back someone in 2021-22 that has Champions League and European Championship winners' medals to their name.

Azpilicueta added: "We’re the only club that will have a double champion, that’s true: all four teams left have Chelsea players [Jorginho and Emerson Palmieri with Italy, Denmark’s Andreas Christensen, and Mason Mount, Ben Chilwell and Reece James for England].

"Around this time of year, people always start talking about it, but what matters is the team. 

"Winning the Champions League was lovely, now we have a nice challenge with the Euros, another opportunity."

Further reading

Roberto Martinez is to stay on as Belgium boss through to the 2022 World Cup despite the nation's so-called golden generation enduring another major tournament failure at Euro 2020.

The star-star studded Red Devils squad were fancied by many for continental glory this summer, having previously come up short at other European Championships and World Cups.

However they bowed out at the quarter-final stage following a 2-1 defeat to Italy, leading to questions being asked of how long leading figures on and off the field will be sticking around.

What has been said?

Martinez has been linked with various club roles across Europe but Belgium's chief executive officer Peter Bossaert expects the former Wigan and Everton coach to remain in his current role.

He has told reporters: "Today we start preparations for the September and October games. Roberto Martinez will be there. No official communication will follow, but there is no reason to change the staff."

What is next for Belgium?

Qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has already begun, with Belgium taking seven points from their opening three games.

They are already well on their way to booking tickets to another major finals and will expect Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne to be back for more.

Bossaert expects Martinez to be calling the shots, adding: "I don't have the feeling he will step down. There is no problem with him at the moment. There will be no real evaluation because, as with any successful business, we have a culture of permanent evaluation."

Martinez signed a contract in May 2020 that is due to take him through the 2022 World Cup. He has remained committed to that deal so far, with links to Tottenham coming to nothing.

Further reading