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Aymeric Laporte says switching international allegiance from France to Spain was not meant as a swipe at Les Bleus or their coach Didier Deschamps, but was simply the best move for his career and his golden chance to play at a major tournament.

The Manchester City central defender was born in France and played for them through the youth levels, including making 19 appearances for their Under-21s.

However, Laporte was never handed a senior cap by the world champions and has instead chosen to represent Spain, being eligible through his Basque heritage.

What has been said?

Opening up on his decision to represent Spain to Marca, Laporte said national team manager Luis Enrique had got in touch directly about him changing nations, and he had jumped at the chance.

Laporte said: "It is a long story from a long time ago. He called me and told me that he was interested in having me, and wanted to know if I was interested in competing in a European Championship. He told me that it was very feasible that I could play for Spain, and I was delighted."

He said he had expected backlash, but he was certain that choosing to play for Spain gave him the best chance of reaching a major tournament - something he did as he started for his new country in their opening game of Euro 2020, a 0-0 draw with Sweden.

Laporte said: "It keeps bothering you. You are never going to please everyone. It is a delicate subject, but in the end I have to do what I believe is the right thing. I have always tried to keep the utmost respect for everyone and to play.

"Yes, I do feel comfortable and also very happy. I am in a stage of my life in which I am very happy and I am taking advantage of it. Here I am like a child living his dream. I was looking forward to being here and I'm freaking out every second."

Laporte said he had been given his family's blessing to play for Spain, thanks to his ancestors hailing from the Basque region. He was born in Agen in France, and said that the French FA had been surprised when they learned of his decision not to play for them.

He said: "As it was a somewhat delicate subject, I discussed it with my family and told them what my intention was and they understood. They, in a way, saw it very clearly. What Spain has given me, not only now and throughout my career, has nothing to do with France.

"Most of them knew about my situation. Not because of playing for Spain, but because they didn't count on me in France, only partially. I had been holding out for a long time, waiting for something. Yes, they were surprised because I did not speak about this, but happy because they know what I wanted."

Further Reading

Steve Polack has faulted African teams for a failure to honour contracts signed by former players and coaches, insisting he is very happy with the decision by Caf to bar such teams from taking part in their competitions.

On Thursday, Caf released a statement stating no team will be allowed to take part in their competitions if they have any open cases of overdue payables with their former and current players and coaches.

The decision has already left many teams sweating in Africa and in Kenya, champions Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards are the most affected as they owe a number of coaches and players unpaid allowances and salaries.

The British tactician, who guided K’Ogalo to the Premier League title last season before parting ways on mutual agreement, has told Goal he was happy with the stance taken by Caf because it is a wake-up call for many other African teams to honour signed contracts.

What has been said?

“I am very happy with Caf decision because it is making a stand to help those people who don’t get their money and it will also help by forcing the clubs to start paying players and coaches, who they owe,” Polack told Goal in an exclusive interview from his base in Finland.

“For me, it doesn’t matter which clubs in Africa is owing who, but the letter from Caf is very timely because I think they [Caf and Fifa] have heard and seen enough over the many cases they receive each and every day, so I think it is a good decision.

“Caf has now handed the team’s a wake-up call, they should know when you sign a contract with someone, then you have to pay him or her, there is no shortcut to that, what clubs in Africa need to do is to honour contracts and that is why they are signed.”

Polack continued: “And this is not personal but it is a fact, you have to be paid, if you have a contract you have to be paid, as you know a lot of clubs like to play in the Caf competition because of financially gains and it is good to them but now I wonder how many teams are getting worried, I’d like to know how many teams are suffering because they are many?

“I guess a lot of teams we know will come up with the excuse of the Covid-19 pandemic [as the reason not to pay salaries] but that is the way it is when you sign a contract with somebody you have to honour it.”

Polack further queried why the same clubs in Africa always run to Caf or Fifa for protection, if a coach signs a contract and then disappears not to honour it.

“If I sign a contract today [Friday] with any club and terminate it two or three days later the same club will want their money back, they will run to Caf and if you have a signed and valid contract then you will have to pay them back,” Polack continued.

“It should be the same thing for players and coaches, you have to honour a written contract it is nothing to joke about, to me what Caf have done will keep everybody on their toes, now the clubs will have to move and pay people because they know they might miss out on the Caf competition and that is where money lies.

“I know all those regular teams that take part in Caf competition are sweating, they are sweating and I think Caf has concerned them, they are wondering if they don’t make it to competition because they owe people money, I am very disappointed because all clubs in Africa should realise you have to honour what you have written in the contract.”

Gor and AFC the most affected

Gor have a debt of Ksh1.3 million as they owe Tanzanian Dickson Ambundo, as well as an unknown amount to Polack, and already, Fifa has banned them from signing new players in the current transfer window.

For Leopards, it is even worse since they owe Serbian coach Marko Vasilijevic, nor have they settled their debt with Burundian Andre Casa Mbungo. The 13-time league champions are also under a ban after failing to settle Rwandan midfielder Vincent Habamahoro's dues, totalling Ksh1.8 million.

India coach Igor Stimac has stated that Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League clubs play a crucial role in developing players for the national team set up.

The Blue Tigers have been struggling to find a replacement or alternative to talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri and Stimac feels the league should be honing players who can step in to the national team and perform. 

What was said?

The Croat remarked, "The national team is not an academy. It benefits from the products in ISL (Indian Super League) and I-League. But where to find someone like Sunil Chhetri?"

It must be noted that the skipper was used conservatively, taking him off during the 1-0 loss against Qatar and the 1-1 draw against Afghanistan in the recent World Cup qualifiers.

India assistant Venkatesh Shanmugham had clarified, "It's the [head] coach's (Stimac) decision. According to the game, requirement of positions change. That's all. We were trying to score till the 90th minute, and some players were tired. It happens."

What else has been said?

The 53-year-old also pointed out that a lot of work needs to be done at the club and academy levels for Indian football to achieve its desired target.

"The fat percentage was 12 which was unacceptable when I took over (in May 2019). Now all of them are around 7.5%. That is exceptional. But they do not have enough games in a calendar. Playing four months of professional we cannot go forward as a country. A season of eight months gives us more competition. To do anything better you need to work more. You need to have more high-quality games. 

"If some players have good passing then they do not have muscle strength or lacks pace. We are lower in muscle mass by eight to nine kilos. There is a difference in pace and understanding of the game. We need good foreign coaches in academies to achieve success as a country," he said.

Beyond club football

Stimac commented, "Indian football is going forward but we cannot stand still. We need to start speeding up. Once this (Coronavirus) pandemic is over the league will go on for eight-to-10 months and our players will get about 40 games. Then we can expect more from our boys.

"When we speak about the clubs, if clubs are operating only for five months, what is happening with the players for the rest of the months? We need to start thinking about how to organise team work for players who are left out of training sessions for a longer period."
 

Tottenham have been warned that Heung-min Son will "start to question his future" if Harry Kane leaves this summer, with Darren Anderton expecting "all the top teams in Europe" to be keeping a close eye on events in north London.

Spurs are bracing themselves for a busy transfer window, as they continue to search for a managerial successor to Jose Mourinho, and are aware that prized assets are in the shop window.

Talismanic striker Kane has seen a push for the exits mooted, as the England captain seeks to land the major silverware that has eluded him so far, and it could be that one departure delivers a domino effect that sees others mull over their options.

What has been said?

Anderton fears that will be the case, with the former Spurs winger - speaking in association with GentingBet - telling Goal: "If Kane was to leave Tottenham then I think Son would start to question his future. All players do. 

"If you see a team-mate go on and leave you’re disappointed. Why wouldn’t you be? And, at that point, if you don’t do well the following season then you’re going to ask the questions yourself. 

"Of course, you’re happy for your team-mate if he goes on and wins the Premier League somewhere or the Champions League, but there’ll be a little bit of envy in there that you want that as well. 

"You want a piece of that. And if you don’t believe that that’s going to happen at the club you’re at, then you’re going to start thinking about moving on. 

"Sonny’s a great guy, isn’t he? He loves Tottenham. I think we can all see that. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about just yet but if the club do not get back on that path of improving and getting back into the Champions League then your top players are going to start to question whether they want to be there."

The bigger picture

Tottenham have Son tied to a contract through to 2023, but Kane's deal is supposed to extend a year beyond that and big-money transfers could still be put in place.

Anderton believes leading sides from across the continent will be mulling over approaches, especially if the South Korea international forward starts to hint at being available.

The ex-England international added: "All the top teams in Europe are going to be interested in someone like Son. 

"I’ve said for the last three or four years that it’s not about who we bring in – it’s who we keep. 

"We had the best talent within Europe and around the world I would say. With Dele Alli playing the way he was. With Harry. With Christian Eriksen. With Sonny. Those sorts of players would get in most teams around the world and that’s the reality. 

"That’s the problem you want to have but, at the same time, you don’t want them to become unsettled or become unhappy or move on. 

"Unfortunately, Christian Eriksen – thank God – we all watched on Saturday which was heart breaking and it looks like it’s going to turn out all good. But it was horrible. 

"But what a footballer he was and what a player. And we lost him. Devastating and you have to say, 'Have we recovered from that?' I’m not so sure that we have yet – a player of that ilk – of that quality. 

"And then with Harry about to leave too – where does that take us? It’s tough. But if European teams want to be ambitious then they want the best players and if we have two or three of them, they’re going to come knocking."

Further reading

Gor Mahia might lose their centre-back Charles Momanyi to Tusker FC in the next transfer window.

Goal exclusively reported the experienced 29-year-old defender feels frustrated at K'Ogalo and intends to leave.

Current financial struggles at the Football Kenya Federation Premier League reigning champions is not making it easier.

It is for this reason the Brewers want to capitalise on the situation to lure the player to Ruaraka Grounds.

"The chairman [Charles Obiny] talked to Momanyi and he will sign with them once he gets a release from Gor Mahia," a source close to the player told Goal on Friday.

"Momanyi feels his time at K'Ogalo is up and intends to get another challenge. His heart is settled at Tusker and he will be happy to join them. However, he is open to other teams as well."

Prior to extending his stay at the club in October 2020, KCB FC had shown interest in him, but the former Kakamega Homeboyz player was convinced to stay considering the fact that Simba SC had also acquired the services of Joash Onyango.

Meanwhile, the Football Kenya Federation may be forced to cancel the 2020-21 Premier League after the government moved to impose a lockdown on 13 counties following a spike in numbers of positive Covid-19 cases.

The government, through the Ministry of Health, issued a statement on Thursday confirming the last 14 days has seen Covid-19 infections in the counties of Busia, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Kakamega, Bungoma, Kericho, Bomet, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa-Bay, and Migori constitute 60 percent of the national caseload.

While declaring the 13 counties as hotspot zones, the Ministry of Health further stated the rate of positive infections in the zoned out areas stood at an average of 21%, while that of the country was at 9%, and confirmed all public gatherings and in-person meetings of whatever nature are prohibited within the Hotspot Zones, including house parties and sporting activities.

It means the FKF top-flight, which is pencilled to end on August 22, has suffered a huge blow as four teams come from the affected areas and might not be able to honour their remaining matches.

The four are Western Stima (Kisumu), Kakamega Homeboyz (Kakamega), Vihiga United (Vihiga), and Nzoia Sugar (Nzoia).

Spanish side UD Almeria have refused to accept the €16 million offer from La Liga side Getafe for the services of Nigeria international forward Umar Sadiq Mesbah, according to a report in the Spanish media.

The 24-year-old attacker was at his best for the Rojiblancos in the just-concluded season in the Segunda Division, where he managed to score a total of 22 goals for his team in both the second division and Copa del Rey.

Getafe believe the West African has what it takes to improve them, especially on the attacking front. Last season, they scored just 28 goals in 38 league matches, conceding 43 in the process and went on to finish the campaign in the 15th position.

The Deep Blue Ones managed just nine wins, 11 draws and 18 losses to finish with 38 points. In their bid to perform better in the next campaign, they have reportedly identified the Nigerian as a transfer target.

However, according to Estadiodeportivo, the second-tier side value the Super Eagle in the region of €60 million and are not ready to listen to offers less than that amount.

The forward is seen as a key player for Almeria, who are aiming at getting promoted to La Liga for the 2022/23 campaign.

Sevilla, who had a decent campaign in La Liga after finishing fourth to secure a Uefa Champions League slot, are believed to be the front runners for the services of the striker, since they are expecting Luuk De Jong to leave this summer.

The Dutch attacker has scored 10 goals in 69 appearances for his team. Sadiq is seen as the one who can offer Morrocco forward Youssef En-Nesyri stiff competition in the attacking department.

In the completed season, Sevilla finished fourth on the table with 73 points from the 42 matches they played. They managed to get 21 wins, 10 draws, and 11 losses. 

Sadiq had initially played for Partizan Belgrade where he scored seven goals from the 16 matches he featured in before Almeria snapped him up for €5 million in 2020.

Since then he has been a key player for them and whether they will cash on him is yet to be seen. 

Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic was non-committal when asked about where he sees his future lying.

Despite Nurkovic's drop-off in goals scored last season, he has remained an important part of the Chiefs attack and brings a lot to the side in general, with his link-up play, committed approach and physical stature.

It should also be noted that he missed the first few months of last season with injury, and was then the subject of speculation about a possible move to Egyptian giants Al Ahly, coached by former Mamelodi Sundowns mentor Pitso Mosimane.

In an interview with iDiski Times, Nurkovic was asked about his future at Chiefs, and, tellingly perhaps, he did not exactly make it clear that he wanted to stay.

“About offers and other negotiations things, I’m gonna leave that to the club and to the agents,” he said.

“What I need to do is only to focus and play the best possible way and to help the team to reach the final of the Champions League.”

When pressed on whether he sees himself playing in a bigger league than the PSL, the 29-year-old was again non-committal.

"The dream of every player is to reach the highest level but I’m really happy to be part of such a big club as Kaizer Chiefs,” he added.

“I’m really happy and you know already I have been here for two years and I’m enjoying every moment thus far.”

Nurkovic is likely to be a key man for Amakhosi in their two upcoming Champions League semi-final showdowns, home and away against Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca.

The Serbian aside, Chiefs’ other attacking options include Leonardo Castro, a player in a similar mould to Nurkovic, as well as Khama Billiat, Lazarous Kambole and Lebogang Manyama.

Veteran Bernard Parker, meanwhile, has been converted from a striker into a midfielder.

The Soweto giants have also been linked with signing Ruzaigh Gamildien, who scored 11 league goals for Swallows FC last season.

Zambia coach Milutin Sredojevic has revealed they will head into the 2021 Cosafa Cup with one mindset – retaining the title.

The Chipolopolo have been drawn in Group C of the competition that will be staged in Port Elizabeth, South Africa from July 7-18, alongside Malawi, Comoros, and Madagascar.

Six-time winners Zimbabwe are in Group D alongside guests Senegal, Mozambique, and Namibia while hosts South Africa headline Group A that also includes Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini.

The Serbian tactician has conceded they have been pooled in a tough group but they will take it a step at a time and make sure they proceed to the semi-finals.

“First of all after getting this draw done, practically we are getting the road map on the way forward towards World Cup qualifiers in September we want to use Cosafa as a springboard and a bridge towards the qualifiers,” Sredojevic told Zambia FA Online TV.

“We are in a very tough competitive group let us take into considering that Malawi qualified to Afcon finals and Comoros have also qualified, that Madagascar, who are quarter-finalist for the last Afcon and for a whisker missing semis, it is a tough competitive group where every match will count very much.”

On his plans for the tournament, Sredojevic, said: “Our intention is to go there and go step by step, step by step in a way that we are topping the group and looking to reach the semis and then going step by step and defend the trophy that we are defending.”

On whether he will include foreign-based players in the squad, Sredojevic explained: “We are looking to try to get as many as possible professionals, that are in contention and have much time for the competition, and those who missed the recent trip to West Africa, to Senegal to Benin and Sudan that we use this chance for them to break into the competitive team.

“If we go into the World Cup qualifier, for the locals after finishing the league on July 26, it will not be easy for them to still keep them in competitive aspect, we are looking to make and compensate a program that will help prepare well for the 20th edition of Cosafa.”

Sredojevic's sentiments come after Malawi assistant Lovemore Fazili confidently stated they are not afraid to come up against Zambia.

“We are very happy to be in the same group with Zambia,” Fazil said. “But they are not the only tough opponent, there is Comoros and Madagascar to take care of. So, we will prepare very well for all opponents.

“There is pressure for us to win this tournament for the first time, but for us, it is an opportunity to gauge ourselves ahead of the World cup qualifiers and Afcon.”

Only the top team in each group and the best-placed runner-up will advance to the semi-finals in what is a change in format for the tournament this year.

That means each side is guaranteed three games up to a maximum of five, which will provide vital preparation for those national teams involved in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers later this year.

The Cosafa Cup is making a comeback after the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it will be hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay for the first time, which has been a familiar home for other Cosafa competitions in recent years.

Manchester United’s latest set of financial results will not have a detrimental impact on their summer transfer plans, with the club pushing ahead with signings. 

United’s quarter three results were released on Thursday evening, for January, February and March, showing just a 4 per cent decrease in revenue, despite a lack of matchday income, as only the final game of the 2020-21 season was played in front of supporters. 

Club sources say this is down to their ‘robust model’ in the pandemic and, despite losing over £100 million ($139m) due to the impact of Covid-19, they are pledging to strengthen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this summer. 

What did the results say? 

The figures released showed revenue was down £21.7m ($30m) and that was mainly due to the lack of fans being allowed into Old Trafford. Ten thousand were admitted for the final Premier League home game of the season against Fulham but all other fixtures had to be played behind closed doors. 

The decrease was relatively small at 4% due to an increase in broadcasting revenue as more games were played in this quarter in comparison to this time last year. 

The net debt sits at £443.5m ($616m), an increase of 3.4% from last year, while the report confirmed dividend payments of £10.7m ($15m), the majority of which will go to the Glazer family, who own the controlling amount of the shares. 

What does this mean for transfers?

Joel Glazer defended the dividend payments and level of debt at the club when he spoke to fans at a forum meeting earlier this month. The club’s co-chairman said it did not impact on their ability to do business in the transfer window and has pledged to back Solskjaer in the current window. 

It is understood the club are currently exploring potential deals for Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Kieran Trippier. 

United are optimistic about Sancho signing, a year after they failed to land the England international from Borussia Dortmund due to a gap in valuation, despite having their initial bid rejected last week.

Any deals are subject to suitable fees being agreed in the window. It is understood United and Atletico Madrid, where Trippier has spent the last two seasons, are far apart on their valuation of the right-back.  

What next? 

Despite their commitment to spend, club sources say there needs to still be realism in the window and, while they are still feeling the financial effects of the pandemic, it will not be a ‘£450m summer.’ 

Solskjaer is hoping for up to three signings in order to compete for the title next season. A right winger, centre-back, central midfielder and a striker are all being considered, as well as a potential move for Trippier. 

What has Ed Woodward said? 

The club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward sent a message to the fans in the release of the financial results. 

"The absence of fans over the past year has proved that they are the lifeblood of the game," Woodward said. "Following the successful return of limited numbers at the end of last season, and continued trials of increased crowds at sports events this summer, we remain optimistic about the prospect of fans returning to Old Trafford in larger numbers going forwards.

"With the foundations for long-term success in place, including significant initiatives to strengthen engagement with our supporters, we look forward to the upcoming season."

Further reading 

Former goalkeeper William Shongwe has advised Kaizer Chiefs to stick with Bruce Bvuma in goal as they prepare to play Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of the Caf Champions League semi-final.

The North African heavyweights eliminated MC Alger from the competition 2-1 on aggregate as Amakhosi advanced after a 4-3 aggregate win over Tanzania Mainland League champions Simba SC.

In the latter, Bvuma put in a good performance to ensure the South African outfit made it to the last four.

It is for that reason Shongwe believes the player should once again start ahead of experienced Itumeleng Khune and Daniel Akpeyi.

"So, how now do you as a coach risk the momentum that has been built up already?," Shongwe posed a question as reported by Sowetan.

"Yes, Bvuma has done well, [but] you think the temptation may be [to say] Khune will be able to stabilise this thing better because of his experience. Maybe Akpeyi.

"It’s a big temptation. But if I was the coach, I would say do not tamper with what has been happening.

"If you look at Bvuma, he picked up form and he played the CAF games to be where they are at the moment, so [do] you want to take that away from him?."

The former custodian believes Saturday's game at Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca might be the opportunity for the keeper to prove he has come of age.

"This boy [Bvuma] comes from nowhere and he has been waiting for his moment and let him continue," Shongwe continued.

"He has served under these two goalkeepers and he has been in and out of the team. Remember one time when Khune was injured and Akpeyi was injured and he came in to play. 

"I remember that game against Cape Town City [when] he was thrown in the deep end three seasons ago. He played well, though the Chiefs didn’t win that game. 

"So, he has come a long way, so maybe this is his time. Throw him in the deep end."

What if Bvuma does not start against the Moroccan side?

"One thing that he lacked is confidence, to believe in himself. Because when you are given a chance and then, while you think you are building up and then you are removed, it doesn’t build your confidence," he concluded.

Yanga SC have imposed an indefinite ban on their first choice goalkeeper Metacha Mnata after the incident which followed their 3-2 win against Ruvu Shooting in a Mainland Premier League match on Thursday.

In a statement obtained by Goal, the Jangwani-giants revealed that their long-serving custodian will remain suspended from all activities until the club’s disciplinary committee meets to decide on his fate, and action to be taken.

“The management of Yanga are saddened with the incident from our goalkeeper Metacha [Mnata] aimed at our fans after the game against Ruvu Shooting at Mkapa Stadium,” read in part the statement from Yanga.

What did the statement say?

“Following the unsporting behaviour from Mnata, Yanga have banned the said player with immediate effect until his conduct is discussed by the club’s disciplinary committee as per the club’s constitution.

“Yanga management has apologised to the fans and club members for whatever happened, and the club will take Mnata to the disciplinary committee for further action, and we ask all our fans and members to remain calm and give the committee time to come up with a verdict.”

The Taifa Stars custodian, who was recalled to start in the game at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, replacing Kenya’s Farouk Shikhalo, was faulted by the fans after conceding the two goals which saw Ruvu Shooting reach 3-2 and culminated in a navy ending to the match as Yanga claimed maximum points.

While the teams were walking to the tunnel, Mnata was seen flashing a middle finger at the fans, who were waiting for him at the tunnel and despite being cooled down by other players, the agitated keeper repeated the action again.

What did Yanga official say?

After the game, Yanga media officer Antonio Nugaz fell short of openly blaming Mnata for the two goals they conceded but maintained they deserved a clean sheet.

“Ruvu Shooting came to play football and our coach decided to ask the players to calm down and play their usual game and we are happy they followed the instructions very well, we have picked three points but it was not satisfying at the end because our fans wanted a clean sheet,” Nugaza told Goal.

“What I can say we are happy with the three points, it is what we wanted from Ruvu Shooting and now we want to move forward and tackle our remaining four matches, so we thank the players for the win and especially Feisal’s performance.”

Feisal Salum - who scored a brace - and Saidi Ntibazonkiza guided the Timu ya Wananchi to the vital win while Emmanuel Martin and David Richard scored for the home team.

Timu ya Wananchi had to wait until the 23rd minute for a goal: the administrative side failed to clear the ball from their danger zone and it eventually fell to Fiston Abdul Razak who did well to set Salum. The Tanzania international then curled the ball home from 20-yards to give his team a deserved lead.

The second goal for Wananchi came in the 32nd minute, a poor pass was intercepted by Deus Kaseke who set his teammate Salum free, and the attacking midfielder kept his cool to complete his brace, which is his third goal in the league this season.

Martin reduced the deficit in the 70th minute as the Jangwani Street-based charges relaxed but Ntibazonkiza restored a two-goal advantage 10 minutes later. 

In the 82nd minute, Richard scored to set a tense finale but Yanga held on to get the crucial win.

Carly Telford has been called up to Great Britain's women's football squad for this summer's Olympic Games, following an injury to Karen Bardsley.

Bardsley was originally named among the 18 players that will travel to Japan next month, a surprise inclusion given a hamstring problem has contributed to her playing only one game for England since the 2019 Women's World Cup.

However, the 36-year-old suffered an injury while playing for her club, OL Reign, recently and now Telford will join Manchester City goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck in the final squad, with Everton shot-stopper Sandy MacIver left on the reserve list.

Why has Telford been picked?

There is some surprise at the choice of Bardsley's replacement, as it was MacIver who made the reserve list. But Bardsley's inclusion in the first place suggested that head coach Hege Riise wanted to take an experienced head alongside Roebuck, with Telford fitting the bill.

The 33-year-old made her England debut back in 2007 and, although she has only amassed 23 caps in that time, she has been to three World Cup finals and a Euros. MacIver, meanwhile, only made her international debut in February's 6-0 friendly win over Northern Ireland.

“We are very fortunate to be able to call on a goalkeeper of Carly’s pedigree," Riise said. "Losing Karen was a blow of course, but her selection was always a close call with Carly, given they both have such strong reputations. Carly is a leader and she will be a big asset for us and what we are hoping to achieve.”

What has Telford said?

Speaking upon announcement of the news, Telford said: “This is an amazing honour, although I really feel for KB and send her all my best wishes for her speedy recovery. The goalkeepers’ union is not a cliché - although we are competing to play we always want each other to do well.

"I am so disappointed for her but of course tremendously proud to get the chance to play at an Olympic Games. It is an incredible honour and I will give it all I can.”

It will be her first Olympic Games, with Bardsley and Rachel Brown-Finnis having been chosen as the two goalkeepers to represent Great Britain at London 2012.

When does women's football at the Olympic Games begin?

The women's football tournament at this summer's Games will get underway on July 21, with Team GB actually playing in the first game. They will take on Chile in Sapporo before then facing hosts Japan at the same venue three days later. Their final game of the group stage is on July 27, when they play Canada.

The quarter-finals of the tournament will all take place on July 30, with the semi-finals following on August 2. The Bronze medal match will be played in Kashima on August 5 before the Gold medal match takes place one day later, in Tokyo.

Further reading

Ghana striker Bernard Tekpetey has joined Ludogorets for pre-season despite the uncertainty of his future at his parent club Schalke 04, to strengthen them in their bid for promotion to the Bundesliga next season. 

The Black Star has completed a year out of the two signed in a loan deal from the German side, and after relegation to the second-tier, the Royal Blues are hoping to successfully make a return to the top-tier.

The 23-year-old is seen as one of the players who could strengthen the team, and it is for that reason they have considered re-calling him.

It would be a blow for the Bulgarians, who had hoped to use the player to achieve their targets for the forthcoming campaign.

"I want this opportunity to stay in Ludogorets because we will be playing a Champions League playoff," Tekpetey told Original FM as reported by Ghanaweb.

"For now, I will leave everything to the clubs to decide. If Schalke calls me, I will go."

Schalke finished at the bottom of the Bundesliga table with just 16 points from the 34 matches played in the entire season.

They managed just three wins, seven draws, and 24 losses. They also scored 25 goals, which were the least in the division, and went on to concede 86 - the most in the league.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Elvis Manu has recovered from his injury and reported back to Ludogorets in preparation for the new campaign.

After signing at the beginning of the completed season, the experienced attacker made a handful of appearances but did not manage to complete the season owing to an injury.

Despite not playing in his preferred central striking role, the forward scored four goals in the 22 matches he played for the Eagles in the league.

Manu also played six Europa League matches and scored an impressive five goals.

The forward has represented the Netherlands in the junior category but is eligible to play for Ghana's Black Stars. 

He has initially played for Feyenoord where he made 33 appearances, scoring eight goals in the process between 2012-2015. The striker has also played for Brighton & Hove Albion, as well as Go Ahead Eagles. 

The forward also spent some time with Akhisarpor, where he played 28 matches and scored seven goals, before joining Beijing Renhe, playing 12 games and scoring one goal in the process.

The Football Kenya Federation may be forced to cancel the 2020-21 Premier League after the government moved to impose a lockdown on 13 counties following a spike in numbers of positive Covid-19 cases.

The government, through the Ministry of Health, issued a statement on Thursday confirming the last 14 days has seen Covid-19 infections in the counties of Busia, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Kakamega, Bungoma, Kericho, Bomet, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa-Bay, and Migori constitute 60 percent of the national caseload.

While declaring the 13 counties as hotspot zones, the Ministry of Health further stated the rate of positive infections in the zoned out areas stood at an average of 21%, while that of the country was at 9%, and confirmed all public gatherings and in-person meetings of whatever nature are prohibited within the Hotspot Zones, including house parties and sporting activities.

It means the FKF top-flight, which is penciled to end on August 22, has suffered a huge blow as four teams come from the affected areas and might not be able to honour their remaining matches.

The four are Western Stima (Kisumu), Kakamega Homeboyz (Kakamega), Vihiga United (Vihiga), and Nzoia Sugar (Nzoia).

According to Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula, the clubs have already received orders from the government to suspend even training sessions, meaning their participation in the league is now in jeopardy.

“Immediately the government made the announcement [to lockdown 13 Counties], I received a phone call being instructed to stop training sessions so it means we don’t know what to do next,” Shimanyula told Goal.

“We cannot afford to sustain these players to live outside their towns so we cannot be able to honour the remaining matches, it will not be possible and we now have to wait for FKF to give us direction on the matter.”

The FKF had already set June 30 as the date to announce the team that will represent the country in the Caf Champions League, insisting the top team on the table at that time will be handed the ticket.

The latest curfew will, however, not affect the final of the Shield Cup pitting rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, as it will be staged in Nairobi on July 4.

KCB are currently sitting top of the 18-team table with 39 points from 19 matches while Tusker are second on 38 points from 19 matches and AFC Leopards third on 37 points from the same number of matches.

Caf has revealed its readiness to handle a situation like was witnessed when Christian Eriksen collapsed during the ongoing Euro 2020 finals.

The 29-year-old Inter Milan player collapsed shortly before half-time in Denmark’s opening Euro game against Finland, but was awake and “stable” after being rushed to hospital.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star collapsed as he attempted to receive a throw-in at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium, and Denmark’s captain Simon Kjaer was one of the first players on the scene and appeared to clear Eriksen’s airway.

Ghanaian sports medicine expert, Dr. Prince Pambo, who is a member of the Caf medical expert group, has explained if the scene happened at the venues hosting any Afcon match, they would be ready to handle it by giving the same level of care as was given to Eriksen.

Pambo has, however, raised concerns about local leagues across Africa and if they would be able to adequately deal with such a situation if it happened.

"I can confidently tell you that if this happened at any of our venues during an Afcon - we would have been able to give the same level of care that Eriksen got in Denmark,” Pambo said as quoted by BBC Sport Africa.

“The simple reason being Caf has a group of experts in the medical committee - made up of sports physicians and emergency medical personnel and during Afcons, such doctors are deployed to all the venues.

“Normally you go two weeks ahead of the tournament and you inspect all the medical infrastructure available at each venue. There are times when you conduct training for all the paramedics who will be present there.

“You also take into consideration the distance between the stadium and the closest hospital and you also go and have interaction with the emergency medical team at the hospital.

“Every venue is always going to be equipped with a number of AEDs [Automated External Defibrillators] - so I can assure you that if this happened during an Afcon he would have had the same level of care.”

Pambo insisted more is supposed to be done to the local leagues to quickly handle such incidents, stating: “The key thing you need is your own brain as a human being to know what to do and that is how to do basic CPR.

“Just a week before the Eriksen incident I was teaching students on Zoom - the Ghana Football Association and the University of Ghana have collaborated and come up with a training programme for masseurs and physiotherapists.

“We have realised in our local leagues most of the medical people attached to our teams are masseurs most of them (teams) don't have doctors so we have physios and masseurs - so we organise training for them.

“There are avenues for training for people to have that basic skill and to use the AED you don't have to be a medical person in fact you don't need to be educated you just have to be trained and it takes less than 10 minutes.”

Ronald Koeman says Lionel Messi "has to finish his career at Barcelona", with the Blaugrana boss expecting a contract extension for the mercurial Argentine to be announced "soon".

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is yet to make an official decision on his future, with the 33-year-old still seeing his current deal run down towards free agency.

The expectation is, however, that he will extend a career-long association with the Liga heavyweights, with fresh terms on the table and ready to be signed.

What has been said?

Koeman told Sport when asked for an update on a long-running saga in Catalunya: "Messi has to finish his career at Barcelona, so I hope we can make it official soon."

Who else has been discussing Messi?

Barca president Joan Laporta has stated on a regular basis, even before he returned to office at Camp Nou, that he believes Messi will stay put.

That message has been reiterated, although he has suggested that paperwork will not be completed imminently by a man currently away on Copa America duty with his country.

"The renewal isn’t at an advanced stage," Laporta has admitted. 

"It’s okay, I believe that Leo’s boots will stay on Camp Nou’s pitch. 

"I can’t contemplate a no from Messi; he wants to stay. We’re doing what we can but there’s no need to seduce him."

Any other business?

While waiting on a call from Messi, Barca are working hard to put more pieces of a trophy-winning puzzle in place alongside their iconic captain.

Deals have been done for Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal, while Memphis Depay is expected to complete a switch from Lyon as a free agent.

Koeman is pleased with progress being made on the recruitment front, with the Dutchman adding: "We are working on building a competitive team, one that will be much stronger than in previous seasons."

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