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Wilfried Zahibo is ‘realistic’ about the Central African Republic’s chances of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

After failing at previous attempts, the Wild Beasts are keen to qualify for the global football showpiece for the first time ever.

However, they must negotiate their way past Nigeria, Cape Verde, and Liberia in Group C – with their first qualifying game against the Blue Sharks in September.

Despite failing to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, the 27-year-old midfielder sees a place in Qatar 2022 as a plausible ambition, while showing his support for the Francois Zahoui-led technical crew.

"The coach is doing a lot to change the mentality, to make people think that we can do it and to ask the federation to invest more and change the culture around football," Zahibo told BBC Sport Africa.

"For World Cup qualifying, we are realistic. Nigeria are obviously the biggest team in the group but the magic of football is you never know what will happen and of course, we want to show we can compete with one of the best teams in Africa.

"However for us, the goal is to qualify for Afcon in the next two to four years. We believe we can do big things together but it's important to remember that this project is a long-term one and we are still in the early stages right now."

The Central African nation has never qualified for Afcon, albeit, Zahibo is optimistic that his country can make history.

"We have to change the mentality because for so many years we didn't win anything or even compete in a good way," he continued.

"It absolutely motivates us to see these new countries playing at Afcon. There is a new generation, a new wave in African football, and we want to be part of that.

"Players like myself and Geoffrey [Kondogbia] are trying to be the bridge for Central Africa - helping those who play locally reach a higher level, to show that we can play in the Africa Cup of Nations."

Reece James has revealed that he has weekly briefings with Chelsea and England legend Ashley Cole ahead of his campaign at Euro 2020.

The 21-year-old fullback has been picked in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad and is competing for a starting berth against Croatia on Sunday.

It follows winning the Champions League final and, as a Blues fan growing up, he has spoken about learning from and following in the footsteps of a legendary full-back.

What he said?

"When I was young I wasn't always a right back," James said at St. George's Park. "I was a striker. But I've always looked up to Frank Lampard because he played for the club I supported, Ashley Cole similar. So I've always supported the boys who played for the team I supported.

"[With Cole], we speak nearly every week. Probably one of the best left-backs to play the game. Even though he was a left-back the position is basically the same, just on the opposite side. He helps me a lot progressing."

Who will start against Croatia?

James is likely to start in the upcoming opening match for England at Wembley Stadium.

That's because Southgate is largely expected to opt for a more defensive 3-4-3 formation against the toughest team in the group.

Ahead of the clash, James went onto say that the Chelsea players and Manchester City players won't have any hangover from the Champions League final.

"I think winning the Champions League final and playing against such a high-quality team and coming away with the win is going to boost anyone’s confidence but doing it against the Premier League champions gives you a boost as well," he said.

"It's hard to say. Not many people win the Champions League. I knew coming here that we just played against City, they're not going to be happy with the result. We kind of had to be a bit humble with it we couldn't boast and rub it in. We just had to accept it. We know we won.

"Now we're here we’re together as a team with a massive tournament ahead and we need to fight together."

Further reading

Aston Villa have officially unveiled Emi Buendia as their £35 million ($50m) club-record signing after beating Arsenal to the Norwich City star.

Villa announced they'd reached an agreement to sign Buendia on Monday, and the move has now been made official following the winger's successful medical on Thursday.

Buendia, who was heavily linked with Arsenal throughout the 2020-21 campaign, has signed a five-year deal at Villa Park and will join up with his new team-mates for the start of pre-season.

What's been said?

Villa boss Dean Smith expressed his delight after Buendia's arrival, telling the club's official website: "Emiliano has just completed an outstanding season in a championship-winning Norwich side with 31 combined goals and assists and was named player of the season across the league.

“He is equally capable as a wide attacker or as a number 10 and is a great addition to our attacking options. We are delighted to have made such an exciting signing so early in the summer and look forward to Emi joining up with us for a full pre-season.”

Buendia's credentials

Buendia moved to Carrow Road from La Liga outfit Getafe in the summer of 2018, and played a key role in helping Norwich return to the Premier League as Championship winners in his first full season at the club.

The 24-year-old was powerless to prevent the Canaries from suffering relegation the following year, but did still manage to stand out in Daniel Farke's struggling side, providing a goal and seven assists in 36 appearances.

Norwich shook off the disappointment of their failed top-flight campaign to bounce straight back up again last season, winning the second tier title once again, with Buendia reaching greater heights than ever before.

The mercurial attacker scored 15 goals in 39 games while also laying on another 16, attracting attention from a whole host of top clubs in the process, and Villa will hope he can also deliver the goods in the Premier League after winning the race for his signature.

Further reading

Paul Pogba claims that he has not yet held talks with Manchester United over his future and hasn't received "any concrete offers" from the club.

It has been reported that United are eager to open extension talks with Pogba as he enters the final year of his current deal at Old Trafford.

However, the Frenchman, who has been heavily linked with Real Madrid in recent times, says he hasn't had any contact with his current club since the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

What's been said?

Pogba told RMC Sport ahead of France's opening Euro 2020 clash with Germany on Tuesday: "I have one year of my contract left, everyone knows that. There haven't been any concrete offers yet. We finished the season, as I said there was the Europa League final (which United lost to Villarreal on penalties), and after that we finished the holidays. 

"We haven't spoken. I am still at Man Utd, the only thought I have for the future is the Euros. I have a little more experience than before. I really want to focus on the present, and the present is the Euros today.

"All things about the club, when there are competitions like this, I avoid. That's why I have an agent, and he takes care of all that."

How did Pogba perform for United this season?

Pogba has struggled to live up to expectations since returning to United for a club-record fee of £89 million ($125m) in 2016, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once again unable to bring the best out of him on a consistent basis in their latest campaign.

The Red Devils triggered the one-year renewal option in the 28-year-old's contract last September, but he went on to miss most of the first half of the season due to a combination of injuries and a positive coronavirus test.

Pogba eventually returned to full fitness to help Solskjaer's side secure a runners-up finish in the Premier League, and finished the campaign with six goals and nine assists to his name from 42 appearances, but produced an under-par showing in their Europa League final defeat to Villarreal.

Pogba on Giroud & Mbappe tension in France camp

Pogba went on to discuss Olivier Giroud's perceived criticism of Kylian Mbappe after France's 3-0 friendly win over Bulgaria earlier this week.

Giroud seemed to take aim at Mbappe for failing to provide him with adequate service, telling reporters after the game: "Sometimes you make the runs and ball is not arriving. Perhaps we could have found each other better, there it is.”

It was subsequently reported that Mbappe was left furious by his team-mate's comments and planned to defend himself the next time he spoke to the media, but Pogba has dismissed the notion of any problem between the pair.

"There are no tensions. The only tensions are in the back or the legs (laughs)," he said. "There is nothing that was said (in the press), it was perhaps transmitted poorly. I haven't felt anything from what people say outside, it's only about music, smiles and massages."

Further reading

Ola Aina’s strike against West Bromwich Albion has been announced as Fulham’s best goal of the 2020-21 campaign.

The wing-back’s stunning effort shrugged off competition from Mario Lemina and English star of Nigerian background Ademola Lookman to claim the individual prize.

Bobby Decordova-Reid had given Scott Parker’s men a 26th-minute lead before the Torino loanee doubled the advantage four minutes later.

Some great exchanges between Aleksandar Mitrovic and Decordova-Reid saw the former set up the Super Eagles star. He then arrowed a left-footed thunderbolt into the top left corner of Sam Johnstone from the edge of the area.

While his beauty took 38.7 percent of all the votes cast, Fabio Carvalho’s first senior goal finished in second place above goals from Tom Cairney and Gabon international Lemina.

Aina’s goal against Slaven Bilic’s team also made the cut for the Premier League goal of the season diadem. However, the accolade was picked up by Tottenham Hotspur’s Erik Lamela.

“Thank you to all the Fulham fans who voted for me for Goal of the Season,” the 24-year-old told the club website.

“Ever since I came in, I felt the support. I'm so thankful and I love you dearly for it.

“I appreciated your support throughout the whole season. It was sad that we couldn’t see you that much, but thank you so much.”

The Nigerian joined Fulham on a season-long loan from the Italian elite division, to strengthen Parker’s defensive options.

Despite playing in 31 league games for them, the Craven Cottage giants got demoted to the English second-tier.

Even at relegation, Aina stated that he enjoyed his time at the London club.

“I get asked this question all the time by a lot of people, and even though we’ve been relegated, I’ve loved every minute of this season,” he said.

“I’ve loved the challenge, the coaching staff, my teammates, and I’ve loved the club as well. I’ve loved this club, it’s a very nice club.

“The club has become a part of me, and a part of all the other loan players, and I think you can see that.

 “Off the pitch, we’ve always been very close with each other. We like each other’s company, so it’s been a really good group.

“We did really care about this season and how we did. It went wrong, but trust me, we really did care.”

Gor Mahia joined arch-rivals AFC Leopards in the FKF Shield Cup semi-finals after beating Kariobangi Sharks 2-0 at Utalii Ground on Thursday.

The FKF Premier League heavyweights scored in either half to progress in the domestic competition at the expense of the former champions. Karim Nikiema and Sydney Ochieng were the scorers for K'Ogalo in a match they largely dominated from the first whistle.

Nikiema scored at the half-hour mark when he took advantage of a concentration lapse by the Kariobangi Sharks defence to fire home the opener. Ga Mathews helped Gor Mahia maintain the lead when he stopped Godfrey Shiveka's penalty minutes into the second half as Kariobangi Sharks looked more determined to get an equaliser.

Ochieng, who came on later in the second half, doubled the scoreline for Gor Mahia in added time to punish Kariobangi Sharks, who were in a serious hunt for an equaliser. 

Meanwhile, Bidco United progressed after a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Nairobi City Stars at the Ruaraka ground and will now face Gor Mahia. David Orem scored the only goal of the game that helped Bidco United, who have been in impressive form in the league, to advance at the expense of the Kawangware club.

The first clear chance for City Stars came in the ninth minute when Oliver Maloba outmanoeuvred two opponents, but his final shot was blocked as Anthony Kimani collected the rebound, but his attempt went wide. 

Kevin Okumu was the first player to be yellow-carded when he brought down Stephen Waruru as Bidco United launched a counter-attack in the 12th minute. The home team was unable to take advantage of a free kick just outside the box.

Orem scored for the Premier League debutants in the 29th minute and, despite the City Stars' threats and dominance all through the remaining time, Bidco United remained solid and emerged winners.

A combination of Davis Agesa and Bolton Omwenga almost gave City Stars an equaliser in the 33rd minute, but the former was let down by his first touch while unmarked inside Bidco United's box. The Thika club survived again when Omwenga's cross found Nicholas Kipkirui inside the box, but the former Gor Mahia forward was unable to find some space to shoot as the opponents swarmed around him and cleared away the 43rd-minute danger.

City Stars made a change in the 55th minute when Maloba came out of his place to be filled in by Rodgers Okumu and the substitute's impact was felt immediately as his moves won three free-kicks for the dominant City Stars within four minutes. The visitors almost earned an equaliser in the 70th minute, but Kennedy Onyango's header from a corner hit the crossbar. 

Kimani was injured in the 87th minute and City Stars were forced to make a last-minute change as Ebrimah Sanneh came on. 

New Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter is optimistic about Amakhosi's chances of defeating Wydad Casablanca in the Caf Champions League semi-finals.

The Soweto giants are set to face the Moroccan side in the two-legged semi-final with the first-leg game scheduled to be played on June 19 in Casablanca, while the second-leg match will take place on 26 June in Johannesburg.

This will be Baxter's first assignment after being reappointed Amakhosi head coach on Wednesday and he will look to guide the team to the final for the first time in the club's history. 

Baxter explained that he is fully aware of what to expect in those two crucial games with Chiefs having defeated Wydad 1-0 in their last meeting which was a Champions League Group B match at FNB Stadium two months ago

“It is a challenge for me there, as I have to identify a couple of things tactically for these games. It is a strong opponent, but we have shown in the home game that we can match them," Baxter told the club's media department. 

"We have to improve on our first leg and maybe tactically and mentally we have to grind out a result there, which allows us to bring them back here and have a real go at them."

Chiefs lost 4-0 to Wydad in their Group B reverse fixture in February this year with the match being played in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic imposed by Morocco on travelers from South Africa.

The winner on aggregate between Chiefs and Wydad will take on either Egyptian champions Al Ahly or Tunisian club Esperance de Tunis in the final next month.

Baxter, who remains the last coach to win a major trophy with Chiefs in 2015, is keen to bring back the glory days at the Naturena-based giants. 

“Now, we are the hunter. Gradually, we became the hunted in my first stint. The whole club handled the success very well," he added. 

"The memories I have, from lifting trophies to seeing young players come through and become stars, and seeing the club develop everything at that time, they were great memories.

"For me, it was more about the happiness that it created. The bonding, the supporters identified so strongly with the way we played. Those stand out for me, as well as the actual lifting of the trophies."

UEFA has ordered Ukraine to remove the phrase "Glory to the heroes" from their Euro 2020 shirts due to its military connotations, though a map outline of the country that sparked fury across Russia is allowed to remain.

The outline on the shirt includes the region of Crimea, which was annexed by Russian forces in 2014, but remains widely recognised as part of Ukraine.

After complaints from Russia, UEFA said the map was not a concern given it reflected UN-recognised borders, but the governing body deemed "Glory to the heroes" - a military greeting in Ukraine – as political in nature and ordered its removal.

What’s been said?

As well as the map, the shirt contains the patriotic rallying cry - "Glory to Ukraine!" on the back of the shirt while "Glory to the heroes" is printed on the inside.

The phrases gained popularity as a protest slogan during the 2014 events that saw former president and Russia ally Viktor Yanukovych ousted.

UEFA says the two phrases taken together could be deemed to be a political statement or slogan, which are banned at UEFA and FIFA tournaments, having not been fully aware of their significance when it initially approved the shirt at the end of last year.

In a statement it said: "UEFA then carefully considered the recently added slogan on the inside of the collar 'Glory to [the] Heroes,' which was included in the new shirt sample submitted to UEFA which was subsequently validated in December 2020.

“At that time, however, the significance created by the combination of the two slogans was not considered. Following further analysis, this specific combination of the two slogans is deemed to be clearly political in nature, having historic and militaristic significance.

“This specific slogan on the inside of the shirt must therefore be removed for use in UEFA competition matches, in accordance with Article 5 of the UEFA Equipment Regulations.”

Ukraine and Russia kept apart

Ukraine and Russia were barred from being drawn in the same group for Euro 2020 when the draw was made owing to their international relations, though they could potentially meet in the knockout rounds. Ukraine could also face a quarter-final in St Petersburg should they progress that far

Andriy Shevchenko’s side begin their Group C campaign against the Netherlands on June 13 in Amsterdam, before games against Austria and North Macedonia.

Russia, meanwhile, face world number one Belgium in St Petersburg on June 12, with Denmark and Finland the other teams in Group B.

Further reading

Arsenal transfer target Andre Onana has had his doping suspension reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)

The Ajax goalkeeper was banned for a year by UEFA in February after testing positive for Furosemide following an out-of-competition test.

But he has always maintained that he accidentally took medicine that was prescribed for his wife and launched an appeal to CAS, which was heard last week. The verdict has now been announced, with the length of the ban being reduced by three months.

What happens now?

Due to the terms of his suspension, Onana has been unable to even train with Ajax since February and has been working on his fitness with a personal trainer on local pitches in Amsterdam.

He will be allowed to start competitive training again two months before the end of his ban, so the appeal verdict means he will be able to start training with his team again from September 3.

And that significantly raises the prospect of a summer transfer, as he will be available for selection from November 3 onwards.

Why was the ban reduced?

The three-person panel from CAS who heard Onana's appeal found that UEFA's original 12-month suspension had been 'disproportionate and excessive'.

Onana had explained that Furosemide had been found in his body due to a mistake of his wife, who had inadvertently put her pills in the footballer's medicine box.

Onana's wife was in possession of the drug, which is not deemed a performance enhancing substance, because she was pregnant and had been prescribed it by a doctor.

Arsenal's interest

Arsenal are now expected to step up their interest in Onana, which was first revealed by Goal in April.

The Gunners' interest in Onana stretches back to January when contact was made between the north London club and the player’s representatives.

Financial issues prevented Arsenal from getting a deal done, with the club opting to sign Mat Ryan on loan from Brighton, but the club have remained in regular contact with Onana's representatives ever since.

Talks with Ajax over a fee for the keeper are now expected to accelerate, with the Dutch giants willing to cash in on a player who will be available on a free transfer next summer.

Arsenal believe an offer in the region of £7 million ($9.7m) could be enough to tempt the Eredivisie champions into doing business.

Further reading

FIFA is the biggest football game on the planet and is one of the most popular video games of any genre on all consoles as well as on PC.

As a result, it makes billions of dollars each year for publisher Electronic Arts (EA), with much of that income derived from the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) game mode. 

How much money does EA make each year from FIFA?

In its annual report, EA confirmed that it made $1.6 billion (£1.1bn) from game sales from April 2020 to March 2021.

That amount was dwarfed by their "Live Services and Other" income which amounted to $4bn over the same 12 months.

The Live Services and Other category includes income from additional in-game add-ons such as Ultimate Team, which is the most popular game mode in FIFA.

The annual report does not give exact figures for each video game, but confirms in the statement that "FIFA 21 has more than 25 million console/PC players" while "FIFA Ultimate Team players grew 16% year-over-year and FUT matches were up 180%."

How much money does Ultimate Team make?

In its annual report for 2020, EA confirmed that Ultimate Team made more than $1.62bn (£1.15bn).

This is the total revenue for all Ultimate Team modes across EA's catalogue, with Ultimate Team appearing in FIFA, Madden, NHL, NBA and UFC games.

Ultimate Team accounts for 29 per cent of EA's total income and has risen considerably year-on-year, with the game mode taking in $775m (£550m) back in 2017.

In its annual report, EA confirmed the figures and stated that the majority of Ultimate Team revenue comes from FIFA:

"Our most popular live service is the extra content purchased for the Ultimate Team mode associated with our sports franchises.

"Ultimate Team allows players to collect current and former professional players in order to build and compete as a personalized team.

"Net revenue from extra content sales for Ultimate Team was $1,491 million, $1,369 million and $1,180 million during fiscal years 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, a substantial portion of which was derived from FIFA Ultimate Team."

How much money does FIFA make from the FIFA video game?

For the first time in history, world football's governing body FIFA made more money from video gaming than from football in 2020.

FIFA's financial statements for 2020 indicate that over half of its revenue for the year came from licensing rights.

In 2020, FIFA made $158.9m (£114.4m) from licensing rights and had a total revenue of $266.5m (£191.9m).

Part of the reason for this large percentage for the year was a decline in other income due to the coronavirus pandemic, with FIFA confirming this in its official revenue statement:

"Due to the lack of tournaments played in 2020, the sale of licensing rights, amounting to USD 159 million, produced the lion’s share of the revenue generated, and was a significant 24% above budget.

"A key source of revenue in the licensing rights area was brand licensing for video games. In contrast to the many economic sectors that were drastically affected by Covid-19, the video game industry proved far more resilient to the pandemic."

Georginio Wijnaldum has committed to a three-year deal at Paris Saint-Germain ahead of his Liverpool departure.

Wijnaldum said his final goodbyes to Liverpool supporters after the team's 2-0 win against Crystal Palace on the final day of the 2020-21 Premier League season, having failed to reach an agreement with the club over a contract extension.

Barcelona had initially been touted as the most likely next destination for the 30-year-old, but PSG have ultimately won the race to sign him on a free transfer, with the move set to be finalised at the end of the month.

What will Wijnaldum bring to PSG?

Wijnaldum joins a star-studded PSG squad that includes Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria, with it reported that head coach Mauricio Pochettino convinced him to join by outlining the key role he wants him to play in the team next season.

The Netherlands international will add valuable experience to Pochettino's ranks as he aims to bring their quest for a first-ever Champions League crown to an end while reclaiming the Ligue 1 title.

PSG already have Marco Verratti, Idrissa Gueye, Leandro Paredes and Ander Herrera in the middle of the park, but as a more traditional box-to-box midfielder Wijnaldum is capable of adding a new dimension to the starting XI.

Wijnaldum's legacy at Liverpool

Wijnaldum leaves Liverpool with his place in the club's modern folklore secure, having helped them re-emerge as a major force at the top of both English and European football over the past five years.

The Reds snapped the Dutchman up from Newcastle in 2016 and he went on to make 237 appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side across all competitions, scoring 22 goals and laying on 16 assists.

Wijnaldum got his hands on four major trophies during his time at Anfield, including the Champions League and Premier League - with the 2019-20 title marking Liverpool's first top-flight crown in 30 years.

Further reading

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Teye Partey has linked up with Ghana’s squad for their upcoming international friendly fixture against Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday.

The 27-year-old rejoined the Black Stars on Wednesday after being excused from the trip for Tuesday’s 1-0 away friendly loss to Morocco.

CK Akonnor’s outfit are set to host Cote d’Ivoire in Cape Coast on Saturday as preparations continue for commencement of the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September.

Partey was caught up in controversy earlier this week after he was surprisingly missing from Ghana’s travelling squad for the trip to Morocco despite being earlier spotted in the Black Stars camp.

Media reports claimed the former Atletico Madrid man’s absence was a result of being kicked out of the national camp for a late arrival, speculations the Ghana Football Association later rubbished.

“Thomas travelled to Cape Coast on Thursday to meet Coach Charles Akonnor over some personal issues. After the meeting which lasted for about an hour, the Coach excused him from the trip to Morocco – and asked him to report to camp for the second game against Ivory Coast,” the GFA said in a team news ahead of the Morocco duel.

“As the first Deputy Captain of the Black Stars, Thomas later joined his colleagues in training to show solidarity and support before leaving for Accra. The Arsenal midfielder will therefore team up with the rest of the squad on Thursday when the team returns from Morocco.”

Partey is not the only new face in the Black Stars’ camp ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Cote d’Ivoire as Brentford winger Tariq Fosu has also linked up with the rest of the squad.

Like the Arsenal man, Fosu was also reportedly kicked out of the Morocco trip for a late arrival in camp.

“Tariqe reported to camp Friday evening, after the sides training session in Cape Coast. Coach Akonnor engaged him briefly and told him that reporting late has scuppered his chances of travelling with the team to Morocco. The Brentford winger will also join the team on Thursday for the game against Ivory Coast,” the GFA said on the wideman’s situation.

Ghana are looking to bounce back to winning ways against Cote d’Ivoire after falling to Jawad El-Yamiq’s lone goal for Morocco on Tuesday.

Manchester City have no plans to sell Ilkay Gundogan this summer and remain relaxed about his contract situation, Goal can confirm.

The Germany international, who finished the season as the club’s top scorer, has two years remaining on his current deal with no talks planned over an extension.

Barcelona, who have already signed Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia from City on free transfers this summer, have been linked with a potential move for Gundogan.

Gundogan's contract situation

Gundogan, who is contracted to City until 2023, was Pep Guardiola’s first signing at the club and was a major part of City’s Premier League title triumph and their run to the Champions League final last season.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder joined in 2016 and ran his contract down to its final 12 months before signing an extension in 2019.

He spent the majority of last season playing as an attacking midfielder, scoring 17 goals, but was switched back to a holding role in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in Porto at the end of the season.

Guardiola has always held the former Dortmund midfielder in the highest regard and explained back in March how the 30-year-old is one the most intelligent players he's ever coached.

There is, however, no panic at City that Gundogan could leave, with the expectation being that he will still be at the club heading into the 2021-22 season.

Any other changes in midfield?

Veteran Brazilian Fernandinho is out of contract at the end of the month but discussions are continuing over a one-year extension for the 36-year-old.

City have pledged to strengthen again in the summer after losing to Chelsea in the Champions League final, with Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish a leading target.

They could be handed a significant financial boost by neighbours Manchester United if Jadon Sancho completes a move from Dortmund, with City set to receive 15% of any deal which could cost around £80 million ($112m).

Leeds United will also complete a £13m ($18m) deal for winger Jack Harrison next month as part of an obligation-to-buy agreement after three years on loan at Elland Road.

Further reading:

SuperSport United goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has been named as Bafana Bafana captain for Thursday’s international friendly match against Uganda at Orlando Stadium.

Williams will be deputised by Orlando Pirates left-back Innocent Maela for the match which Helman Mkhalele will take charge of, as South Africa's newly appointed head coach Hugo Broos is in Belgium receiving a second coronavirus jab, while first assistant coach Cedomir Janevski is unavailable after testing positive for Covid-19.

It is not yet clear if Pirates defender Thulani Hlatshwayo has been permanently stripped of the armband after he was omitted for the Uganda match.

But with Williams being one of the longest-serving Bafana players and having shown some leadership qualities as SuperSport skipper, chances are that he could remain as Bafana captain beyond the Uganda clash. 

“Yes, we have decided, we have decided that he [Williams] is going to be the captain and also he will be seconded by Innocent Maela,” said Mkhalele as per iDiski Times. 

“But you know what I said to the players? I said, you are all captains, you know you are the ones who should be deciding, you know, the future or deciding what should be happening on the field of play. So all of them need to play that role. But yes, of course we need to have someone who will be wearing that armband.” 

Williams has accepted the role of leading the team on Thursday but concedes it will not be an easy task. 

Over the years, he has established himself as a reliable goalkeeper after claiming the number one spot from Itumeleng Khune, while also sidelining the tested pair of Darren Keet and Wayne Sandilands. 

“It’s a new challenge. You know, it’s not going to be easy. I mean, it’s a new team, but the guys are ready, we’ve done a lot of work in a short space of time but the guys look ready,” Williams said. 

The SuperSport man leads a new look Bafana squad which marks the start of the Hugo Broos era following the sacking of former coach Molefi Ntseki at the end of March. 

Broos has opted for younger players but says he is not doing away with the experienced ones he did not select for this friendly game. 

“It is a new dawn. I mean, quite a lot of new players, a lot of new faces. But it’s continuity. Bafana Bafana has always been there, we’ve always had the players, so we are just adding to what we’ve had before,” said Williams. 

“The guys who've come in, they’ve done well over the last few seasons, a lot of guys who deserve it.  And like the coach said in his first interview, he is looking at bringing fresh players. So he’s done that, he’s identified the players, and it’s for them to grab the opportunity, so I’m just happy to be part of the team again, and we're looking forward to it.” 

After the Uganda match, Bafana Bafana travel to Harare in September for their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier Group G opener against Zimbabwe, before hosting Ghana a few days later.

Spain defender Diego Llorente has tested negative for Covid-19 and could rejoin the squad if he delivers another two negative tests in the next 24 hours.

The Leeds United player was forced to self-isolate when he had a positive result on Tuesday, the second Spain player to test positive for coronavirus after Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets.

However, a further test has since tested negative which raises hopes his initial test was a false-positive, meaning he could return to training before the end of the week.

What did Spain say about Llorente?

In a statement, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) said of Llorente: “The PCR tests carried out on Wednesday, June 9, had a negative result. The counter-analysis of the same test has since confirmed the result. So, in the case of the defender, there are serious indications that it [his first test] is a false positive.

“In this sense, in accordance with health protocols, the player will again undergo a PCR test today and tomorrow. If the negative result is confirmed, Diego Llorente will join national team training on Friday afternoon.”

Spain boss Luis Enrique says he will also wait for Busquets to recover from Covid-19 and not seek to call up a replacement for the tournament.

“He will be in the squad, for sure,” he told a news conference.

The bigger picture

News of Llorente’s negative test is a timely boost for Spain after their preparations for Euro 2020 were thrown into chaos.

Though the rest of the players all tested negative, they have been kept in isolation since Busquets returned a positive test result, with six senior players and 11 from the U21 squad called up to train in a "parallel bubble".

With Spain's senior players in isolation, a team of U21 players beat Lithuania 4-0 in a friendly on Tuesday, with those players on standby to join the senior squad for the tournament should there be any more positive cases.

Llorente’s initial positive test raised fears of a substantial outbreak among the squad, with the two-time winners beginning their European Championship campaign against Sweden on Monday.

However, his subsequent negative result suggests that may not be the case and he could be available for their group opener after all.

Opponents Sweden have also seen their preparations affected by Covid-19, with Dejan Kulusevski and defender Mattias Svanberg testing positive earlier this week.

Further reading

SuperSport United have tied down striker Bradley Grobler to a two-year deal with an option to extend by a further two years. 

This comes as the Bafana Bafana star claimed the top goal-scorer award in the just-ended Premier Soccer League season with 16 goals. 

Reports suggested Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs were courting the player but he will now be at Matsatsantsa until 2023 with SuperSport chief executive officer Stanley Matthews saying the striker “is central to our attacking aspirations next season.” 

“I’m very happy to say that we have entered into a new two-year agreement with Bradley. As our all-time leading goalscorer and current PSL Golden Boot, he is central to our attacking aspirations next season,” Matthews told SuperSport's media. 

“He told me yesterday that he feels he can go past 20 goals next season and if you consider the games he missed this year then he has a real chance of doing that. He certainly is at the top of his game right now and has made us very proud with his achievements.” 

Grobler has been with SuperSport since 2013 and is their all-time top scorer with 64 goals, a record he claimed in the ended season by surpassing Abram Raselemane 58.

It was a season the former Cape Town Spurs star had planned to reach the 20-goal mark but injuries saw him missing a number of games.

“A lot of positives for me personally I think. I missed a lot of chances even though I scored 16 goals. I still missed some chances which could have easily taken me over 20 goals, which is a good thing,” Grobler told his club's media.  

“I think for any striker to be getting some opportunities shows that the team is doing well and creating chances. I’m happy if I missed chances, it means we were doing something right. That means I need to work on that, take more chances and get more than 20 goals.” 

Bayer Leverkusen winger Paulinho is open to a move to either the Premier League or La Liga in future.

The Brazilian, 20, arrived in European football in 2018 with a big reputation having signed from Vasco da Gama for £16 million, however, a serious knee injury caused him to miss almost all of the 2020-21 Bundesliga campaign.

Paulinho is now back to full fitness, playing 66 minutes of Leverkusen's final league game of the season, and has outlined his hopes for the future of his career.

What has been said?

Asked if there is any country he would particularly like to play in during his career, Paulinho told Goal: "I will be prepared if an opportunity arrives. Spain has very good football, so does England. They're top leagues. Germany as well, the Bundesliga is a top league with a very high level and every player wants to play in those big leagues."

Having played 39 times for Brazil at U17 and U23 levels, Paulinho is eyeing a senior call-up once he gets more first-team action under his belt, and has his focus set on the 2022 World Cup, which is being held in Qatar next winter.

He said: "It's not impossible. I think it's possible. I'll have one year before the World Cup starts, it's a season. First of all I'll be focused on doing a good job for my club and then the Selecao can be a consequence of that."

Paulinho's injury

After playing 19 games for Leverkusen in all competitions in 2019-20, scoring three goals, the season just finished looked as if it could be a major breakout campaign for Paulinho. He was named in Goal's NXGN list for the 50 best teenage footballers in the world in 2018.

However, in training before Leverkusen played Bayern Munich in last season's DFB-Pokal final, Paulinho tore the cruciate ligaments in his right knee. It would rule him out of action for an entire calendar year.

He said: "One of the worst injuries I've ever had, maybe the worst. It was a tough moment because I was living a good moment at the club, I was growing. It was a shock due to everything I experienced months earlier with the Brazil Olympic team and with the club. I had to evolve mentally, to focus on good things for me to recover well, without any kind of problem.

"I've recovered well and I've prepared myself a lot during that time. When I got back I was as happy as I could be, and now I want to continue this work so I can show I'm ready for the challenges ahead."

Further Reading

RC Lens have confirmed the departure of Arnaud Kalimuendo after completing his loan move to Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

The Ligue 1 outfit announced this on their social media handle: ‘Thank you Arnaud Kalimuendo,’ the Instagram post read.

After impressing at Paris Saint-Germain’s youth side, the France youth international of Congolese background was handed his first professional contract on July 8, 2019.

Although, the move was set to expire in 2022, he was loaned to the Ligue 1 outfit as he could not break into Mauricio Pochettino’s first team at Parc des Princes.

That promoted his loan move to Lens – where he continued with his development under manager Franck Haise.

There, the 19-year-old became a regular in the Blood and Gold squad. In the 2020-21 campaign, he appeared in 28 league games.

He scored his maiden French top-flight goal in Lens' 1-0 defeat of Dijon on November 22, 2020.

By scoring his third goal for the club against Rennes he became the first Lens player in 70 years to score in his first three games as a starter in the French elite division.

Even at that, he went ahead to score on five more occasions to finish the just-concluded campaign with seven strikes as Haise’s team finished in seventh position having accrued 57 points from 38 games.

Moreover, Kalimuendo scored one goal in two Coupe de France outings but the team crashed out in the Round of 64.

Even after his exploits on loan, it looks unlikely if the teenager would play a role in Pochettino’s squad next term, as he could be on the move.

On the international scene, the Suresnes-born star was part of France’s team that finished third at the 2019 Fifa U17 World Cup in Brazil in 2019, scoring a hat-trick in the third-place play-off against the Netherlands.

Last month, he was drafted into the U21 Euros squad by coach Sylvain Ripoll after Randal Kolo Muani was removed from the squad due to his involvement in the Ligue 1 relegation/promotion play-offs with Nantes.

Yet, Kalimuendo remains very eligible to represent DR Congo at senior level as his parents are from the African country.