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Chelsea’s presence in Africa was first felt when South Africa’s Ralph Oelofse became the first African ever to play for the Blues during their 1-0 defeat of West Bromwich Albion on March 1, 1952.

That historic moment brought the club to the consciousness of Africans who at that time supported household clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Ajax and not forgetting Nottingham Forest.

Despite the presence of African-born talents like Derek Smethurst, Colin Viljoen, Roy Wegerle, Mark Stein, Joel Kitamirike and Marcel Desailly at the London club, their fanbase in African remained scanty.

Surprisingly, the club’s followership in the world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent witnessed a massive surge after Roman Abramovich took over from Ken Bates as owner of the Stamford Bridge giants in 2003.

Goal try to explain why this is so!

What factors drive Chelsea's popularity in Africa?

The club’s connection with famous African players can be attributed to this surge in the fanbase. First, Celestine Babayaro joined the team in 1997 from Anderlecht for a transfer fee of £2.25 million - a club record paid for a teenager at the time.

Three seasons later, 1995 Ballon d'Or winner George Weah moved to the club on loan from AC Milan.

After the arrival of Jose Mourinho, various prominent African players like Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou, Geremi Njitap and John Obi Mikel were acquired and featured in his star-studded squad.

Season in, season out, more African players joined Chelsea's ranks and they played key roles in the club’s title exploits.

Naturally, football fans from the players’ countries followed the London side with a keen interest in a bid to monitor the performances of their heroes.

It is worthy to note that since the club’s inception to date, 18 players who have been capped by African countries have turned out for the Stamford Bridge giants.

The presence of Africans also resonates off the field of play as seen in former Nigeria international Michael Emenalo, who moved from chief scout to assistant first-team coach to become Chelsea’s technical director.

Under his watch, he was credited to have overseen the scouting and transfer of players like Thibaut Courtois, Mohamed Salah, N'Golo Kante, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas.

Additionally, the club’s successes in the tournaments like Uefa Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, and the English Football League Cup may have also snowballed to the geometric growth of fans.
 

Which African country has the most Chelsea fans

Since Chelsea was founded in 1905, players with roots in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, South Africa, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Liberia, South Africa, Uganda, DR Congo, Sierra Leone, and Senegal have played for the club.

According to the English giants’ website, registered fans are domiciled in Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. Nonetheless, it does not rule out the fact that Chelsea supporters are spread across the continent.

While many would naturally feel Nigeria are home to the largest number of fans of the English club in Africa due to being the most populous country, the number of Nigerians who have suited up for the Premier League outfit is a major catalyst.

Moreover, some of the biggest stars in the African entertainment industry such as Davido, Mr. P, Rude Boy, Flavour, 9ice, Genevieve Nnaji and Mercy Aigbe – all Nigerians – are Chelsea fans with a huge following on social media.

Key stars behind Chelsea’s huge fan base in Africa

Drogba is arguably Africa’s most successful player to ever wear the Chelsea kit. Apart from scoring 136 goals in 381 appearances for the Blues, he inspired the Londoners to several titles with his captivating displays.

Besides the Ivorian, John Obi Mikel, Michael Essien, George Weah and Samuel Eto’o all shone during their respective stints at Stamford Bridge which accounted for the increasing fan base in Africa over the years.

Borussia Dortmund announced their 2021 Summer Virtual Tour "09 Days Around The World" which will see the German outfit make virtual stops in nine countries spanning three continents, including the U.S.A, Brazil, Poland, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and China from July 10 to 18. 

The target of the tour is to connect the club in-depth with its international fans and provide them an opportunity to immerse themselves in black and yellow. 

‘‘As the world continues to fight the pandemic, it is very important for us to be able to demonstrate just how close our relationship is with our fans, friends, and partners worldwide,’’ said Carsten Cramer, BVB Managing Director. ‘

‘As the pioneer of virtual tours among the European football clubs last year, we successfully demonstrated Borussia Dortmund’s creativity and agility in strategic planning and operations. Since the pandemic outbreak, our effort in digitization has turned into a transformative strength. We are now ready for a 2.0 version with broadened concepts and scope that reflect our identity: intensity, authenticity, loyalty, and ambition. Of course, all of us are eagerly awaiting the next physical touring opportunity. Nevertheless, we are confident to deliver "Echte Liebe" together with our partners to international fans this summer," he further added. 

A 360-degree experience will embrace the fans in special events such as fan club gatherings, BVB youth player and partner challenges, training live streams, and exclusive meet and greet with first team players and BVB legends, among others. 

Plans are in motion for celebrity takeovers and special challenges featuring the Indian cricketer KL Rahul, South Korean left-back Young-pyo Lee, and BVB defender Lukasz Piszczek to further celebrate cultural diversity among BVB’s international fan base. 

"China, as the last stop of the tour, we will celebrate our fifth DFB-Pokal title in four cities, bringing the Pokal trophy to the local fans for a one-of-its-kind experience. Throughout the tour, we challenge ourselves to create more relevant and impactful connections with our fans and partners in their home countries," informed Benedikt Scholz, BVB’s Head of International & New Business. 

It will also include the launch of BVB's international app which will be useful for international fans to follow the team during live training sessions before a friendly and the final round of the BVB Global Freestyle Challenge, a collaboration with the World Freestyle Football Association, with a special BVB Freestyle World Champion show in Shanghai, China.

When Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) take to the field against Ratchburi tonight, they will be experiencing something which they have not done in the three seasons (including last year where they withdraw after two matches) that they have played in the AFC Champions League - starting the match as favourites!

Previous matches saw the Southern Tigers pitting their strength against Japanese, Korean and Chinese sides but for the first time in the history of the competition, a Malaysian team will face a Thai team in the group stages where arguably JDT are the more fancied team to be picking up three points.

Neither team goes into this match in the best possible mood after JDT were edged out 1-0 by Nagoya Grampus on Tuesday with Ratchaburi also suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Pohang Steelers. No doubt both sides will be looking at this fixture as the easiest of the three they have to face in Group G.

Match details

TV channel and Live Streaming

Squad news

Benjamin Mora has no injury concerns from the opening match against Nagoya and will have a full squad to select from. With Safawi Rasid still struggling for form following his recent return from injury, that could be one area where the Mexican might look to change things up, with Ramadhan Saifullah and Akhyar Rashid being the options.

Sek-san Siripong has one eye on centre back Pawee Tanthatemee who is nursing an injury from their first game against Pohang but otherwise also has a clean bill of health to choose from. Steveen Longil, Sanrawat Dechmitr and Junior Emia Mapuku are expected to be the attacking threat for the Thai side. 

What the coaches said

Benjamin Mora 

"Now we turn the page because we need to look forward to the next game. Ratchaburi is more similar to Malaysian football even though Thai League is still a higher level as a league in my opinion. We watched their game against Pohang and we think that we have a good opportunity to do something good if we work together like we did against Nagoya.

"My expectations always are to win because that is how we need to think. We need to expect victory because this is why we come to compete and then 95 minutes anything can happen."

Sek-san Siripong 

"Obviously we want to show that we can compete with the best teams in the continent and I believe we will show that on the field tomorrow. We had some issues in the game against Pohang and I believe the players suffered a case of nerves playing their first match of the AFC Champions League.

"This is a new experience for the team and the players are looking forward to their next match against Johor Darul Ta'zim. The Malaysian team have a similar style of play to ours and we are familiar with their approach. Johor Darul Ta'zim are a difficult team to play against but I believe in my players and their abilities.

"We are playing at home and the players know this and they are ready to show what they are capable of tomorrow. At the end we want to show to everyone that Ratchaburi is one of the best Thai teams in the competition."

Results thus far

Current standings

Due to the fact that only the group winners are guaranteed a place in the next round of the competition, the opening day defeat to Nagoya did not help JDT's cause but there are still five matches to play including this one against Ratchaburi where JDT could look to gain points.

Past meetings v Thai teams

With JDT only qualifying to the group stages on merit from the 2019 season onwards after helping Malaysia achieve a high enough AFC rankings points, their previous encounters against Thai teams have only come in the qualifying stage of this competition where for four straight years, a Thai team stood in their way.

Only once out of those four matches did JDT achieve success to move on to the playoff round, that came in the 2017 season when they edged out Bangkok United through Nazmi Faiz's decisive spot kick in the shootout after both teams could not be separated following 120 minutes of football.

U.S. Soccer has hit out at the "concerning level of dishonesty" in the team's equal pay arguments in the new documentary "LFG."

The new movie features an "inside account of the U.S. women’s national team’s ongoing fight for equal pay as told by Megan Rapinoe, Jessica McDonald, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara, Sam Mewis and others," according to a press release.

But the federation has taken issue with several claims in the film, specifically those made by USWNT lawyer Jeffrey Kessler.

What was said?

U.S. Soccer laid out their argument in a 17-tweet thread on Twitter, saying: "In the new movie 'LFG', there is a concerning level of dishonesty about U.S. Soccer and the USWNT’s compensation that we feel must be addressed.

"Specifically, lawyer Jeffrey Kessler presents a misleading and inaccurate account of the facts."

U.S. Soccer went on to list several issues it had with the USWNT and Kessler's assertions.

"Kessler claims that 'merely for showing up and playing a game, the men get more per game than the women.' The facts: The men’s and women’s teams are represented by different unions and knowingly requested and agreed to different compensation models," read one tweet from the federation.

U.S. Soccer later added: "Kessler also alleges differences in hotel accommodations for the USWNT and USMNT, joking the USWNT stays at Motel 6. The facts: The USWNT consistently stays at some of the finest hotel properties in the world and has for 20 years.

"Our USWNT and USMNT are among the highest paid in the world, with the USWNT making more than almost every men’s national team globally. We’re confident that working together we can reach an agreement that benefits everyone moving forward.

"We remain committed to building on the success of our teams and continuing to grow soccer here in the U.S. at every level of the game."

What is the status of the USWNT lawsuit?

In May 2020, Judge Gary Klausner ruled that the USWNT could not prove that U.S. Soccer financially discriminated against them due to their gender.

This spring U.S. Soccer and the USWNT came to a settlement over working conditions, including flights, venue selection, support staff and hotel accommodations.

The USWNT have now filed an appeal over Klausner's ruling against their gender discrimination claims. 

The appeal process is expected to be a lengthy one, and could last into 2022 or even 2023. U.S. Soccer has said it is willing to meet with the players to discuss an out-of-court settlement.

Further reading

Lothar Matthaus has been baffled by Jadon Sancho's lack of minutes at Euro 2020, while joking that Germany would be happy to give the England star a passport.

Sancho was left out of Gareth Southgate's squad for England's opening game against Croatia, and watched on from the bench as an unused substitute against Scotland before making a late cameo against the Czech Republic.

The Three Lions managed to set up a last-16 clash against Germany by finishing top of Group D, but have only scored twice so far due to a lack of risk-taking in the final third, and Matthaus cannot understand why Sancho's talents are not being utilised.

What's been said?

“He was one of the best players in the Bundesliga for the last two years," The Germany legend has said of the Borussia Dortmund winger.

“If he is not good enough for England, we would like to give him a German passport! It has surprised many in Germany.”

Sancho's credentials

Sancho has emerged as one of the top young players in Europe since joining Dortmund from Manchester City in 2017, scoring 50 goals in 137 games while setting up a further 64 for his team-mates.

The 21-year-old, who helped BVB finish fourth in the Bundesliga and win the DFB-Pokal last term, also boasts eight goal involvements in his first 20 games as a senior England international, despite only 10 of those coming as a starter.

Matthaus' penalty warning for England

England and Germany have had many memorable battles down the years, with the Germans coming out on top in dramatic circumstances more often than not.

Matthaus was part of the German side that beat the Three Lions on penalties in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, and thinks history will repeat itself if Tuesday's clash at Wembley has to be decided by spot kicks.

“England have a chance to win - but not with penalty kicks," he said. “If it goes to penalties, Germany will win, so England have to do it inside 120 minutes.

“We are always very good with penalties. It’s always a little bit of a joke between the Germans and the English but if it goes to a shootout then we are the favourites.

"You start to think about what has happened in the last 30 or 40 years. When we played in 1990 and 1996…

“It’s a lot of pressure for the English players because they read every day in the newspapers all the stories about penalties.”

Further reading 

NFF technical director Austin Eguavoen said Joseph Yobo is a doubt for the Super Eagles’ international friendly game against Mexico on July 4 due to family issues.

Eguavoen has been saddled with the responsibility of leading the Nigeria Professional Football League players against El Tri at the Los Angeles Coliseum, with the assistance of former Nigeria U20 coach Paul Aigbogun.

Rohr stepped aside from his duty because of the unavailability of his regular players but the German coach was present at the Fifa Goal pitch on Wednesday to charge the home-based stars.

Meanwhile, Yobo who is the assistant coach of the main Super Eagles team is yet to report to the camp in Abuja after he missed the country’s double-header friendly game against Cameroon earlier this month.

Eguavoen has defended the 40-year-old’s absence but the NFF General Secretary Sanusi Mohammed is expecting the former Everton centre-back to make the trip.

"When this opportunity came I know I engaged myself with Yobo on the phone like four days ago, for like forty-five minutes," the former Nigeria coach told the media.

"I said Yobo there's a game coming up against Mexico so when are you coming and Yobo told me he wasn't really aware but later he told me about the game and said honestly speaking maybe he will come.

"I said what is the maybe and said because he has got family things to deal with and I went to the GS to ask him if Yobo is on this trip or not  because he's supposed to step in if Gernot Rohr is not going.

"GS said yes Yobo is in the plan, he'll go hopefully if he comes back but I told him Yobo told me that he's having some family things to deal with so let's leave it like that hopefully he'll come through.”

In continuation of their preparation for the Mexico game, the NPFL stars are scheduled to visit the US embassy on Friday morning for their documentation ahead of the trip to California.

25 players are already in Abuja, but two players will be dropped for the final 22-man squad.

Eric Cantona is backing Manchester United supporters’ in the launch of a new fan ownership share scheme that has been promised by the Glazer family.

Joel Glazer told fans at a virtual meeting earlier this month of plans to create a scheme that would give supporters a new class of shares which will each carry the same voting rights as the shares owned by the Glazer family, giving them a chance to have their say on how the club is run.

Club legend Cantona is the first to have signed up to the scheme, which is being set up by Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST).

Why did Cantona say?

In a slightly tongue-in-cheek advert which is being plastered around Manchester city centre, the Frenchman says: “Yes my friends, I have signed for United again.”

MUST announced the former forward as the first person to sign up for the initiative which allows United fans to register their commitment to becoming a supporter shareholder in the club.

What has Joel Glazer said?

After the meeting, which was met with cautious optimism from the fans, present executive co-chairman Glazer released a statement that read: "I was pleased to join the fans' forum to listen to the views of supporters, address their questions, and share ideas on how we can improve the way we work together.

"As owners, we want exactly the same thing as the fans - a successful team and a strong club - and we want to work in partnership to achieve those objectives.

"Fans are the lifeblood of Manchester United and I am personally committed to ensuring that they are given an enhanced voice, through the creation of a Fan Advisory Board and a Fan Share Scheme.

"The club has been in discussions with MUST regarding a fan share scheme for a number of months and has already sought external legal advice on options. Discussions will now intensify, with the aim of agreeing a plan before the start of the new season." 

What else was said?

MUST Chief Executive Duncan Drasdo said: “Once again Eric Cantona is leading the attack for United and we as United fans need to follow his example - and join the Sign for United campaign.

“No one loves the club more than we do so fans should be at the heart of ownership. This is our chance to take the first step towards that change. Joel Glazer promised to create the biggest supporters share scheme in sport – now is the time to make good on that promise.”

Further reading

Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari has approved the allocation of houses to the victorious Super Eagles squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

According to a statement from the presidency, each of the players including the deceased [Uche Okafor, Stephen Keshi, Wilfred Agbonavbare and Thompson Oliha] will get a 3-bedroom house each in their preferred state.

Nigeria won the 1994 tournament at the Stade El Menzah with former Barcelona striker Emmanuel Amuneke scoring a brace that powered Clemens Westerhof's men to a 2-1 comeback win over Zambia.

The triumph was the Super Eagles’ second Afcon title, after their maiden success in 1980 and their last was the 2013 edition which they won in South Africa.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has approved allocation of 3-bedroom houses to the Super Eagles Squad that won the African Cup of Nations in Tunis, Tunisia, in 1994, making real a promise by the Federal Government,” read the statement.

“Following a memo by Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, the President approved the allocations in their states of preference, noting that six players and three technical crews received their houses already.

“The players are: Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorounmu, Uche Okechukwu, Samson Siasia, Efan Ekoku, Sunday Oliseh, Benedict Iroha, Isaac Semitoje, Mutiu Adepoju, Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba, Austin Eguavoen and Wilfred Agbonavbare (Deceased).

“Others are: Uche Okafor (Deceased), Thompson Oliha (Deceased), Stephen Keshi (Deceased), Christian Chukwu, Dr Akin Amao, Stephen Edema, Col. A Asielue and B. Aromasodun.”

Meanwhile, the country's sports minister Sunday Dare has appreciated President Buhari for his prompt consent to the house gifts that have been on hold for over 27 years.

“This is the hallmark of a great leader. A sports-loving President for that matter,” Dare said in his statement.

“I want to most sincerely thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his quick response to the memo raised by Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. This matter had lingered for too long, but thanks to the President for making this long-standing promise a reality,” Dare said.

“This is not only heart-warming, but timely and commendable. This is another confirmation that the President loves sports and would always reward our sports men and women who make this country proud. We are so delighted that the labour of our heroes has not gone in vain.”

Following the delayed fulfilment of the government’s promise, Gernot Rohr’s men will be inspired to aim for victory when Nigeria battle for supremacy in Cameroon next year.

The Super Eagles’ most recent success in the continental showpiece came in 2019 when they went home with bronze medals after a 1-0 victory over Tunisia in the third-place game.

Marcus Rashford has admitted that he is not performing at his best as he continues to be hampered by a shoulder injury ahead of England's Euro 2020 clash with Germany.

Rashford earned a place in Gareth Southgate's squad for the European Championships after another impressive campaign at Manchester United which saw him record 21 goals and 15 assists in 57 outings across all competitions.

However, the 23-year-old revealed he'd been playing through pain for months after the Red Devils' Europa League final defeat to Villarreal in May, and a persistent shoulder problem is still affecting him to this day.

What's been said?

“I am not performing at my best,” Rashford said. “It has been going on since early on in the season. I managed to get through the season with United.

"I think I had 36 goal involvements so I can’t look back at the year and say: ‘Mmm, I should have taken time off to do this and do that.’

"That’s just not the way I look at things. I just want to be available for every game.”

Pressed on whether he will undergo surgery on his shoulder, the United forward responded: “The doctors have not said yet. The reason I don’t know is that when the season was going, and before I came here, I knew there was no chance I was going to be getting the operation.

"I did not know how long the operation would put me out for. I never bothered to ask. When the tournament is finished I will ask.”

Rashford out to make 'history' against Germany

Rashford appeared as a substitute in all three of England's group stage matches, and will be in line to feature once again when Southgate's side come up against Germany in the round of 16.

The striker is well aware that the Three Lions will have to play to their maximum to overcome Joachim Low's men, but he is confident they can rise to the challenge and make "history" at Wembley on Tuesday.

“We know to win the tournament we are going to have to beat the best teams,” said Rashford. "We have to bring the best version of us. We want to win the ‘England Way’ – show some good football, work hard for each other and score and create goals.

“We are being put in a position where we are blessed to be part of that history. Our main focus is to win the game, but if we do it gets put in history.

"That’s how great teams are remembered for many, many years. There is no point in fearing the past. You can’t go back and change it.

"What we can change is the result of the next game and put ourselves in the best possible position to win.”

Further reading 

Paul Pogba's main problem is a lack of consistency, according to Mikael Silvestre, who claims that France and Manchester United have yet to see the best of the enigmatic midfielder.

Pogba is currently starring for his country at Euro 2020, with Les Bleus already safely through to the round of 16 after finishing ahead of Germany, Portugal and Hungary in Group F.

France didn't quite manage to live up to their billing as tournament favourites in the first stage, though, and Pogba has only shown flashes of brilliance - most notably during a 2-2 draw with Germany - which has come as little surprise to Silvestre.

What's been said?

The former United defender doesn't think the 28-year-old has fulfilled his maximum potential at international or club level yet, as he told Ladbrokes: "The problem with Paul Pogba is the consistency – or lack of.

"When he’s at the top of this game, his level is something else, but he finds it difficult to repeat that game after game.

"I look at it this way; he’s a world-class player, he’s got world-class attributes for sure. The question is, can he repeat it every three days? I’m not sure he can.

"He hasn’t done it for Man United, I’m not sure he can do it for France either."

Silvestre added: "I’m always happy to see him on the pitch for club or country, because he’s been unlucky with injuries. The frustrating part is that we haven’t seen him reach his levels week-in, week-out.

"I don’t know whether it’s a psychological thing or a physical thing. I’m a Man United supporter and a France supporter, so I’m always hoping that whoever he represents, we see the best of him, because we saw against Germany just how much he can give to the team."

Pogba's achievements with France

Silvestre's comments go against the general consensus with regards to Pogba, who has often been accused of saving his best performances for French national team duty.

The mercurial playmaker made his international debut in 2013 and has since made 83 appearances for his country, scoring 10 goals and laying on another eight for his team-mates.

Pogba helped France reach the European Championships final in 2016 before playing a key role in their run to glory at the World Cup in Russia two years later, including a decisive goal in their 4-2 final win over Croatia.

Pogba's Man Utd record

Pogba returned to Old Trafford for a second spell in 2016, having been sold to Juventus four years earlier when he was still on the fringes of the Red Devils first team.

United invested a club record £89 million ($124m) to bring him back, and he has since provided 38 goals and 42 assists in 206 games across all competitions, but has also missed a large number of matches through injury.

Pogba has ultimately been unable to inspire the club back to the top of English and European football, picking up just three trophies to date, the last of which came back in 2017.

Further reading

Metz midfielder Pape Sarr has revealed his intention to spend the 2021-22 season in the French Ligue 1 despite reported transfer links to the Premier League.

The 18-year-old is said to be attracting interest from Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton and Newcastle United after eye-catching displays in his maiden campaign in France.

The Senegalese teenager was a key force in Metz's midfield in the second half of the 2020-21 season, and he also scored three goals in 22 matches as Frederic Antonetti's side finished 10th in the league table.

Despite reports linking him with a move to England, Sarr has disclosed he wants to build on his promising first season in Ligue 1 and win silverware with the Maroons as he chases the first trophy of his career.

“At FC Metz, our first objective is to keep the team in Ligue 1”, Sarr told L’Equipe via Birmingham Mail. “But winning trophies with them is also part of my ambitions for next season.

“I want to have a better season than in the 2020/21 [campaign] and if possible, score more goals.”

The 18-year-old joined Metz from Senegalese club Generation Foot last September, and he still has four years left on his contract.

Following his breakthrough in Ligue 1, Sarr was invited to the Senegal national team in March for their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo.

He made his Teranga Lions debut earlier this month during an international friendly win over Cape Verde Islands at Stade Lat Dior.

Prior to his invitation to Aliou Cisse’s squad, the teenage star played for the Senegal U17 team where he featured at the 2019 Fifa U17 World Cup in Brazil.

During that tournament, Sarr scored three goals in three matches before the West African country bowed out in the Round of 16.

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Anthony Akumu has pointed out two Wydad Casablanca dangermen who should be closely monitored in the second leg of the Caf Champions League game scheduled for Saturday.

Striker Samir Nurkovic struck the only goal in the last meeting which handed Amakhosi a vital win, and they will be hoping to have another positive outcome at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg this weekend.

The Harambee Star concedes the North Africans are experienced but they have to ensure they have prepared well.

Who are the key players for Wydad?

"There is this guy who plays in the midfield, jersey number five [Yahya Jabrane] everything happens around him," Akumu told the media in the pre-match meeting.

"He gets the ball, switches to the other side, he gets the ball... he is their main player. There was also [jersey] number 20 [Aymane Hassouni] he is a good player, he is also playing in midfield. Those are the main two players on that team.  

"Wydad have a lot of experience, they have been playing continental football year in year out, so they have that experience to be there. But it doesn't matter, it is about us, how we are preparing. 

"How are we going to approach them? How are we going to handle our [weaknesses] and our strengths? That is the most important thing."

How did the midfielder feel after getting a chance to play?

"Going to Morocco we knew we would come with a positive result, be it a draw or a win," Akumu continued.

"We could feel it from the training we were having at Naturena, we had all the plans and the approach of the game was also positive. That is why we got the most important goal and the positive result away.

"It was a privilege [to play] I thank the coach for the 10 minutes I had and I did my best. I followed the instructions; he told me to go there and help the defence, cover the spaces and cover for the defenders. It is what I did to the end."  

The 28-year-old has further hinted how the South Africans have been preparing for the second leg.

"Since coming back from Morocco, we did not rest, we have been preparing for the [second leg]. It is a big game on Saturday and the preparations have been going on well. You can see positivity from each and every one. The attitude is there, the character, everything. 

"The ingredients are there; it is now all about Saturday, all minds are the same, we are thinking the same. The spirit is there and I believe we are going to get another win."

Bobby Williamson believes abolishing the away goal rule is a wrong move and will encourage clubs to defend more, especially away from home.

On June 24, Uefa confirmed the away goals rule will be abolished from European competitions, with the change being put into place in time for the 2021-22 season. 

The away goals rule has been used for over half a century but will no longer be used to decide knockout matches in Uefa club competitions, including the Champions League and Europa League.

However, the former Harambee Stars and Uganda Cranes coach believes the move will lead to "boring" matches.

"The changes will encourage clubs to defend even more away from home, even more than they are doing now. What idiot proposed this?" Williamson posed the question to Goal on Thursday.

"Away goals were to encourage teams to attack and get a goal away from home. Now that they have scrapped it, it will lead to boring games.

"That the changes will make teams attack more? Seriously? Totally wrong! The away goal rule was meant to encourage the teams not to defend for 90 minutes."

An official Uefa statement confirming the news that the away goals rule would no longer be used actively highlights the fact there has been a reduction in home wins, and goals, in Uefa club competitions. 

The statement read: "Statistics from the mid-1970s until now show a clear trend of continuous reduction in the gap between the number of home/away wins (from 61%/19% to 47%/30%) and the average number of goals per match scored at home/away (from 2.02/0.95 to 1.58/1.15) in men’s competitions."

Uefa has stated that all their club competitions, including men's, women's and youth tournaments, will adopt the rule change. 

That means the Champions League, Europa League, Women's Champions League, Uefa Youth League, Uefa Super Cup and the newly-formed Europa Conference League will all be affected. 

It is unclear at this stage if the rule change will be applied to international competitions. 

For example, World Cup qualification ties have used the away goals rule, while it has also been applied in Champions League competitions in other continents including Africa.

Asisat Oshoala continued with her impressive goalscoring form as Barcelona mauled Huelva 5-0 in Thursday’s Primera Division encounter.

The 26-year-old had found the net in the Blaugranes 4-0 defeat of Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday evening.

Oshoala came off from the substitutes bench to propel her team to a convincing win at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

As expected, the hosts began the encounter on a bright note by dominating ball possession. 22 minutes into the game, Lieke Martens put Barca ahead after converting a cross from Caroline Graham.

The Norwegian midfielder set up Jennifer Hermoso for the second goal eight minutes later.

Despite a few attempts from the visiting side, they went into the half-time break with a two-goal deficit.

Benitez’s team conceded their third goal four minutes after the hour mark with Aitana Bonmati benefitting from a Hermoso assist.

With three points already assured, Oshoala was thrown into the fray for defender Melanie Serrano in the 69th minute.

Two minutes before full-time, the four-time African Women Player of the Year added the fourth goal of the evening after she thumped a fine delivery from Marta Torrejon past American goalkeeper Anna Buhigas.

Barcelona were not done yet as they completed the thrashing in the closing stages of the fixture.

The Nigeria international’s effort was her 18th in the 2020-21 campaign, and she is now only two goals shy of her best tally in Europe.

The African star would be hoping to increase her goal tally when Barcelona welcome Eibar to the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday, June 27. 

For Huelva, they would be hoping to return to winning ways when they welcome Santa Teresa.

Following the Spanish side’s defeat of Chelsea in the Uefa Women’s Champions League final, Oshoala became the first Nigerian as well as the first African to win the competition.

"I can only thank God who has made everything possible through sheer hard work, by playing alongside this incredibly talented group that creates a lovely family atmosphere,” Oshoala told  BBC Sport Africa.

"It is a great feeling and I can't really put my emotions into words because it has been a tough journey to get here.  

"I hope this will continue to inspire other young girls in Africa and motivate everyone around the world that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to and work hard for it."

Brentford target Frank Onyeka is ready for a move to the ‘biggest’ league in the world, according to Midtjylland sporting director Svend Graversen.

Reports indicate that the newly-promoted Premier League club has their sights set on making the 23-year-old their first signing of the summer.

Onyeka has established himself as a key player in the Wolves midfield, and he helped them to a second-placed finish in the Danish Superliga last season with his tally of three goals in 27 matches.

The Nigeria international is yet to join Midtjylland for pre-season training as uncertainty surrounds his future in Denmark, however, Graversen has admitted interest from several clubs for the promising midfielder who is ready for a new adventure.

Midtjylland and Brentford are owned by Matthew Benham which could make Onyeka’s reported switch to England seamless.

“It's there. There is also something in the fact that he has the interest of a lot of clubs. Our evaluation of Frank is that he is ready for one of the big leagues,” Graversen told Tipsbladet.

“One has to assess that the Premier League is perhaps the biggest, so he is ready for that. Then we must find the right solution, and he must not least think it is the right solution. Then we have to see where it ends.

“But there is no doubt that he has deserved it, and he is where a change is right for him. Then we must find the right solution for all three parties.”

Onyeka started his professional career with Wolves in 2017 after rising through their youth ranks.

The former FC Ebedei youth star has played 95 matches in the Danish top-flight so far with 15 goals to his name. He has also won two Superliga titles and the Danish Cup.

The Maiduguri-born midfielder earned his maiden invitation to the Super Eagles in September 2020, and he went ahead to make his debut for the three-time African champions in a 1-0 friendly loss against Algeria on October 9, 2020.

On 21 June 2022, Jabu ‘Mjepa’ Mdaka won the men’s official 2021 South African Freestyle Football Championships title, the first national win for Mdaka.

And for the Soweto native, the title was also a redemption, as he had finished tantalizingly close to the crown as the runner-up in 2018 and 2019.

Fresh from the podium and still dusted with confetti, Mdaka shared his thoughts and emotions.

''This means a lot to me and pretty [much], it shows that I’ve been working hard, even though I was injured during the competition,'' Mdaka told Goal.

''My dream has come. I’ve long wanted to be a South African champion and I am now looking forward to going to the world champs and competing to become a champion.

''From the Top-16 until the final, battling every freestyler was extremely difficult because you come up with different skills and transitions. 

''And going into the final, that was always going to be difficult. And battling Rishaad [Ebrahim] made it worse. Since 2016 I’ve been battling Rishaad and I have a slight edge over him at 4-3 from our battles. But in saying that, he [Rishaad] is the best freestyle footballer I have ever faced. I can simply say he's one of the best freestylers in the world.

Having also recently won the Red Bull Street Style festival, 30-year-old is now scheduled to compete at the global freestyle football event set for Spain in October.

He thanked this event's sponsors Hi-Tec for their continued support of the evolving sport which has opened doors for local athletes to compete at international events. 

''I'm still overwhelmed and can't put a lot in words right now, but I am thankful.

''A big thank you to all sponsors and organisers for bringing this sport we love so much alive in our country.

'' Even though it’s a developing sport, keep supporting the sport so that we can inspire the young ones and keep them out of the streets.

'' And to the young ones, don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams.

'' I am hoping that by being a South African champion, this is going to open more doors for me and my career.''