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Gareth Southgate has admitted he "sadly" anticipated further pushback from spectators over England's continued decision to take the knee in protest against racism ahead of their 1-0 friendly win over Romania on Sunday - but vowed that his squad will continue with the gesture.

Following a concentrated chorus of boos during the Three Lions' game against Austria on Wednesday, the 50-year-old firmly backed his side, earning another vocal response from detractors over the weekend.

Speaking afterwards, Southgate acknowledged he expected the continued boos from certain areas of England's support, but that his group have accepted this and remain determined to not yield.

What has been said?

"I sadly sort of expected what happened to happen," the manager told his post-match press conference. "We've accepted that, as a group. It's not going to stop what we are doing and what we believe. It's certainly not going to stop my support for our players and our staff.

"That's it, we are going to have to live with that. We've said what we are going to say now. You're right to ask the question today but moving forward, it is pointless me going into any further detail on it."

Southgate on Rashford captaincy

With Kane not risked ahead of next weekend's tournament opener against Croatia at Wembley, Southgate turned to Rashford to skipper the side, with the Manchester United forward rewarding his faith from the penalty spot.

"Well, the captaincy really, by far he was our most experienced international player in terms of caps and we felt that would be the right decision," the Three Lions boss added when asked about his choice."He was obviously delighted to get that news this morning."

The bigger picture

Southgate will not have learned too much from a pair of scruffy warm-up victories at his old stomping ground of Middlesbrough, but nevertheless will have a clearer idea of who will feature on Sunday when his side face their World Cup vanquishers three years on from Russia 2018.

One name now in contention is Brighton's Ben White, who has been called up as Trent Alexander-Arnold's replacement, ahead of midfiedler James Ward-Prowse and the attacking duo of Jesse Lingard and Ollie Watkins.

Further reading

Didier Deschamps has hit back at Jose Mourinho for his comments on France being favourites at Euro 2020, claiming "I thought the same thing about his Tottenham team".

France are being tipped to go all the way at the European Championships, having reached the final in 2016 before becoming World Champions in Russia two years later.

Ex-Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs boss Mourinho attempted to put extra pressure on Les Bleus when discussing their strength in depth last week, prompting Deschamps to swipe back with a jibe about his ill-fated spell in north London.

What did Mourinho say?

Mourinho told The Sun of the weight of expectation France will be carrying at the summer tournament: "I cannot see any weakness. If I had to say one team to win it, I will say them - because the group of players is fantastic.

"They have to win it. If not, it is an unsuccessful Euros."

Deschamps' response

Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham in April after just 18 months in the role, having failed to deliver a single piece of silverware or Champions League football.

Deschamps reference the 58-year-old's time at Spurs when quizzed on his remarks by Telefoot, before outlining the way his team will cope with the pressure when the international tournament kicks off.

"I thought the same thing about his Tottenham team, but it did not end up happening like that," he said. "Yes, we are favourites due to the status of world champions. It is not a pressure, it is the reality, we will not flee the debate on the presence of France among the favourites of this Euro.

“Obviously, I have a very important attacking potential, but it’s not just that. There is a balance to be found, through adjustments. I hope to have the ball as much as possible, but there are times when we won’t have it, and we will have to keep our strength."

Who will France play in the group stage?

France have a final warm-up game to take in against Bulgaria on Monday before they switch their attention to their Group F opener against Germany on June 15.

Deschamps' men are due to take on Hungary four days later before completing their pool schedule with a repeat of the 2016 final against holders Portugal.

Further reading

India are all set to take on Bangladesh in a 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualification match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Monday. 

This will be the fifth time that India's ace striker Sunil Chhetri will be facing Inid in his illustrious and long international career. 

Chhetri, who is India’s all-time highest goalscorer with 72 goals has faced Bangladesh only four times in the past and has scored three goals. 

The last time, the talismanic striker was on target for the Blue Tigers against Bangladesh was back in 2014 in an international friendly in Goa where he scored a brace in a 2-2 draw. 

The previous encounter between India and Bangladesh was in 2019 in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The match ended in a 1-1 draw at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. 

All Sunil Chhetri goals and matches against Bangladesh

How are India doing in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers?

India started their World Cup qualification run with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of Oman at home, followed by a historic goalless draw against Asian champions Qatar in Doha. In their third and fourth matches, the Blue Tigers managed 1-1 draws against both Bangladesh and Afghanistan and then they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Oman away from home.

They resume their campaign against Qatar on June 3, followed by Bangladesh and Afghanistan on June 7 and June 15 respectively. All the matches of India's group are hosted by Qatar.

What happens if India finish fourth or fifth?

If India finish fourth then also they can qualify for the Asian Cup qualifying third round if they finish amongst the four best fourth-placed teams across all groups. The remaining four fourth-placed teams will advance to the Asian Cup qualifying play-off round.

If India finish fifth in the table, then they will have to participate in the Asian Cup Qualifying play-off round. 

What next for the Indian national team?

India are set to take on Bangladesh next on Monday, June 7, and will finish their campaign with a match against Afghanistan on June 15. India's target will now be to finish third in Group E and avoid a play-off to get into the Asian Cup qualifiers.

Further reading

How many points do India need to finish third

How to watch Bangladesh vs India

Kenneth Omeruo’s Leganes have failed to secure promotion to La Liga following Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano.

A second-half brace from Bebe and strike from Alvaro Garcia saw the Cucumber Growers bow 3-0 in the play-off’s first leg at the Estadio de Vallecas.

Heading into the second leg, they needed to overturn their three-goal deficit to fancy stand a chance of returning to Spain’s elite division.

However, they ended up on the losing side despite taking an early lead against Andoni Iraola’s team.

With just 11 minutes into the showdown, Rober Ibanez put them ahead thanks to an assist from Jonathan Silva.

Profiting from a cross from the Argentine defender, the Osasuna loanee unleashed a first-time effort past goalkeeper Luca Zidane.

Leganes dominated the ball possession throughout the first 45 minutes, albeit, they were unable to get more goals owing to profligacy in front of goal.

That dominance continued in the second half – leaving the Red Sashes to put up a resolute defending.

Their hopes of scoring two more goals vanished into thin air as the visiting side levelled matters in the 67th minute.

While trying to clear an in-swinging free-kick, Sergio Gonzalez headed the ball into his own net.

Even at the setback, they stayed positive attacking in their numbers, but it was Rayo Vallecano that increased their lead through Andres Martin in the 80th minute.

The substitute put the ball beyond goalkeeper Asier Riesgo after he was teed up by Spanish forward Isi Palazon.

Moroccan forward Yacine Qasmi was handed a starter’s role by the visitors, albeit, he was substituted in the 58th minutes for Martin.

On the other hand, Nigeria international Omeruo was in action from start to finish for Asier Garitano’s side.

Following Leganes’ failure to achieve promotion after their demotion to the second tier after the 2019-20 campaign, the 27-year-old defender will be left to reflect on his football future.

In the just-concluded season, the former ADO Den Haag and Alanyaspor man featured in 25 league games with a goal to his credit.

That was achieved in his team's 2-1 triumph over Umar Sadiq's Almeria on February 17, 2021.

Premier League winner Christian Fuchs has become the fifth player to join MLS expansion club Charlotte FC ahead of their inaugural season in 2022.

The 35-year-old fullback has signed a one-year deal with the club with the option for a further year.

Fuchs, who has captained Austria while earning 78 caps for his country, made nine appearances for Leicester this season, having been a part of the Foxes' famous title-winning team.

What did Fuchs have to say?

“I’m impressed with Charlotte FC’s vision for building a successful team,” Fuchs said. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to build upon the pillars of progressive, collective and ambitious that are already ingrained in the Queen City.

"Alongside a diverse staff who make up this club, we can lean on the soccer community from all over the world to create even more of a competitive and hardworking CLTFC family. I look forward to starting from day one to help make Charlotte FC a winning club.”

A move years in the making

Fuchs has had his eyes on a move to MLS for years as the defender has called New York his second home for some time.

The Austrian's wife and two kids live full-time in America, with Fuchs now able to join them stateside as he prepares for his move to Charlotte.

“As we continue to add to our Charlotte FC roster, we are proud to welcome Christian to the club. He is an experienced and proven leader, who has played consistently at a very high level,” Charlotte FC sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a statement.

“As a versatile defender who can cover several positions in our defense, Christian will have an integral role in building a competitive team from the beginning.”

The squad so far

Fuchs is Charlotte's fifth signing as they prepare for their first season in MLS.

He is joined by Spanish midfielder Sergio Ruiz, Australian starlet Riley McGree, MLS veteran Brandt Bronico and Polish youngster Jan Sobocinski as the club moves towards its first preseason in January.

Further reading

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa believed there is room for improvement despite Cameroon’s 1-0 victory over Nigeria in an international friendly on Friday.

The Fulham midfielder scored the only goal that condemned the Super Eagles to their first defeat against the Indomitable Lions since 2000.

Notwithstanding the victory, Anguissa has urged his side to work on their shortcomings when they face the three-time African champions in the second outing on Tuesday.

"It was a very good game. We wanted to win against one of our legendary rivals,” Anguissa said as per Camfoot.

"It went well, because in the end we come back with a victory. But I think there is still room for improvement; we will try to learn from our mistakes to win more games".

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr had already expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the game as it afforded him to try new players.

“The most important thing is that we have been able to see some new players because this is just a test match, and it was interesting to see some new players because we missed about seven key players,” Rohr told the media.

“We managed the game well and I think we had 17 shots on goal while they had only three, including one on target and that was the goal.

“Our domination was not realistic enough though we had the chance to score in the early minutes. This is what you get when you don’t take your opportunities.

“But I still saw some interesting things because we were able to integrate some new players and three of them played for the first time as Super Eagles.

“The importance of friendly games is to learn, see new interesting things and test new players,”

Nigeria will take on Mexico in another international friendly on July 4 ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Liberia and Cape Verde Islands in August and September respectively.

The Super Eagles have already sealed their place in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be hosted by Cameroon.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has said that Kylian Mbappe will not be allowed to leave the club.

Real Madrid are interested in the PSG star, who is out of contract in 2022 but face a difficult challenge signing him due to the finances involved.

Furthermore, the Ligue 1 runners-up are adamant that the World Cup winner is going nowhere.

What’s been said?

“I’ll be clear, Kylian is going to stay with PSG. We’re never going to sell him and he’ll never leave for free,” Al-Khelaifi told L’Equipe.

“I never give details to the media about ongoing negotiations. All I can say it that it’s progressing well. I hope we’ll find common ground.

“It’s Paris, it’s his country. He has a mission, not just to be a football player, but to promote Ligue 1, his country and his capital.

“He is a fantastic boy, as a person and as an athlete. He’ll win the Ballon d’Or in years to come, I’m 100% sure.

“He has everything he needs to extend here. Where can he go? Which club in terms of ambition and project can compete with PSG today?”

PSG ready to meet Mbappe’s expectations

Claims that Mbappe wants to see how ambitious PSG are before signing a new deal were not denied by Al-Khelaifi.

“If he expects guarantees on the quality of the team? If he says that, he wants to win and that's not a bad thing,” he said. “We are ambitious too. But if he wants to decide who to recruit or not, that is not possible. I repeat, he's a great boy, I'm sure he says that because he wants a better team to win the Champions League.”

Further Reading

Chelsea star Fran Kirby has won the Women's PFA Players' Player of the Year award for the second time, while Manchester City's Lauren Hemp took home the Young Player of the Year.

Kirby scored 16 goals and made 11 assists to help fire the Blues to the FA Women's Super League title, while they also won the League Cup and reached the Champions League final.

The 27-year-old, who came close to retiring a year ago after suffering from pericarditis, previously won the award in 2018 but has another accolade to add to her collection following an excellent season.

What was Kirby's reaction?

"It's really special. It's an amazing achievement. My team-mates are amazing and I would never have won any of the awards or any of the trophies that I have without them, but to win this is really special," Kirby, who was crowned FWA Women's Footballer of the Year last month, said. 

"I think that what we've achieved has been incredible, so I'm really proud to be a part of this team. Hopefully, I will be able to come back into the same kind of position I came into last year because I've been playing like I love the game again and like I enjoy it, and that's when you get the best out of me."

Hemp wins Young Player of the Year

This is the third time in her career that Manchester City forward Hemp has been named the Women's PFA Young Player of the Year.

The 20-year-old claimed the award in 2018 when she was at Bristol City and again in 2020.

Hemp registered eight assists in the league to help City to the runners-up spot as they finished two points behind Chelsea and was among the nominees for the Player of the Year trophy.

What did Hemp say?

"It feels pretty special to be picked amongst fellow professionals who I play against each week. It's really nice, and to me, it's one of the best accolades I can win - it's a real honour," she said. 

"I'm really proud of the team and hopefully next season we can win the league and push further in the Champions League because I'm here to win trophies and I know all my team-mates would love to do the same.

"I've been fortunate enough to have many excellent coaches throughout my journey and I just hope to keep on improving because I know I'm not the finished product and I know I can only just keep getting better."

Further reading

England captain Jordan Henderson says he is “not too bothered” about missing a penalty in a 1-0 win over Romania.

Marcus Rashford’s 68th-minute spot kick gave the Three Lions victory at the Riverside Stadium.

Henderson, meanwhile, missed from 12 yards after coming off the bench to play his first football since February.

What did he say?

"I was confident but it was a good save, it wasn't a great penalty, a good height for the goalkeeper but I am not too bothered. It would have been nice to cap the comeback off with a goal,” Henderson, who has yet to score for his country, told BBC Radio 5.

"There is excitement, you feel that but this week's training has been really good intensity, the lads have been focussed, professional in the games but we will work on what we need and come the first game we will be ready."

The bigger picture

Henderson was featuring in his first match since turning out for Liverpool in their 2-0 Premier League loss against Everton on February 20.

He is bidding to get back to full fitness in time to feature in England’s Euro 2020 campaign, in which they will face Croatia, Scotland and then the Czech Republic in the group stages.

With that in mind, the 45 minutes he played against Romania were a useful exercise in regaining fitness.

“I’m feeling very good, to get back onto the pitch was pleasing for me. I came through 45 minutes after a while out so happy with that and felt pretty good as well during the game,” he said.

“Delighted with that and have another week's training until the first game so hopefully I can recover well.

“I didn't need to take any risks with the Austria friendly, I have been training hard with the England team and did not feel 100% going into that game. We thought the wisest thing to do was to get ready for the Romania game and I felt good and it was important. Overall, the right decision. I am getting stronger all the time.”

England will play Croatia at Wembley on Sunday, June 13.

Further Reading

Argentina have confirmed their participation in the Copa America amid controversy over the tournament's late relocation to Brazil.

Previously planned to be co-hosted by Argentina and Colombia, the competition was moved from the South American nations because of rising Covid cases and political unrest, respectively.

Brazil, however, has its own Covid problems, which has led members of the Selecao to speak out against hosting the football event on short notice. But it now appears Argentina players are unwilling to join their on-field rivals in protesting CONMEBOL's decision.

What has been said?

"The Argentine National Team confirms its participation in the Copa America 2021, as reflected by its sporting spirit throughout its history," wrote the AFA in a statement. 

"With a huge effort from the Argentine Football Association, which placed at everyone’s disposal all the necessary tools available to guarantee each of the specific care requested in this difficult time we are going through, the National Team will travel to Brazil to play the continental tournament.

"All the staff of the Albiceleste team will work together to overcome this adversity that, unfortunately, affects all South Americans equally."

Bigger picture

There is potential drama yet to unfold that could rattle Copa America plans, as the Selecao have said they will communicate their official stance on the tournament after facing Paraguay in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday. Given their reservations about the tournament, it's reportedly possible that some of their players could refuse to play.

But not having Argentina behind them would be a blow for Brazilian players if they do intend to stage a boycott, and the AFA statement takes the competition one step closer to actually happening this month despite all of the drama.

Further reading

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi claims that Neymar did not want to return to Barcelona in 2019, despite widespread rumours at the time.

Neymar joined PSG in 2017 but was thought to be discontent initially after making a world-record €222 million (£198m/$263m) switch to the Parisian side, who triggered a release clause in his contract.

The Brazil star recently signalled his contentment in the French capital by signing a new deal that runs until 2025, and Al-Khelaifi claims that he never wanted to go.

What was said?

“Barcelona always wanted to get Neymar back, it’s no secret,” Al-Khelaifi told L'Equipe. “But did Neymar want to go? No.

“It’s true that his adaption to Paris and France was still incomplete, but call him and he will tell you how happy and fulfilled he is today.

“As I said at the time, I don’t want players to do us a favour by signing for PSG. I want players who are proud to defend our colours. The club is above any player, whoever they are. We want players who fight, who give everything they have, who want to stay here.

“I regularly read rumours like ‘this player wants to leave’ and wonder how such fake news can come out.”

Neymar contract negotiations

Al-Khelaifi addressed Neymar’s recent new deal and explained why it took longer than expected to thrash out.

“It wasn’t difficult to deal with Neymar,” he said. “I’m convinced he’s one of the best players in the world.

“If it took so long, it’s because the health crisis hampered discussions. I never had the slighted doubt he would extend – even if Barcelona tried to recruit Neymar until the end.

“Obviously, we declined. I believe this club have some economic problems, but that’s none of our business.

“Neymar believes in our project, he loves the club, the city, the supporters.

“He’s totally invested and still wants to win a lot of trophies here.

“I’m proud of the relationship we’ve built and he’s told me he wants to end his career at PSG.”

Further Reading

Algeria defeated Mali 1-0 in Sunday’s international friendly played at Blida’s Stade Mustapha Tchaker.

Riyad Mahrez’s second-half effort separated both teams as the Desert Foxes and Eagles stepped up preparations for their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

Heading into the encounter, the North Africans had gone on a run of nine games without defeats in all competitions.

For Mohamed Magassouba’s men, they faced the reigning African champions fuelled by a 3-0 triumph over Chad their last time out.

In the keenly contested affair, Algeria dominated every department of the game, nonetheless, they were unable to peg down the West Africans who featured majorly foreign-based professionals in their starting XI.

Nonetheless, the first 45 minutes ended in a 0-0 draw.

Djamel Belmadi’s men stepped up their game in the second half and that paid off in the 56th minutes as Mahrez put them ahead thanks to an assist from 29-year-old Youcef Belaili.

Receiving a cross from the Qatar based striker, the Manchester City star beat the offside trap before lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Djigui Diarra who came off his line.

That goal proved to be the decider as Mali lament their inability to convert the few chances that came their way.

After featuring for 85 minutes, Mahrez was substituted for West Ham United's Said Benrahma.

Whereas, Al-Sadd's Baghdad Bounedjah, Borussia Monchengladbach's Ramy Bensebaini and Al Ettifaq's Rais M'Bolhi were in action from start to finish.

Belmadi’s side would be hoping to extend their unbeaten run to 11 when they tackle Tunisia on Thursday night. For Mali, they would be aiming to return to winning ways on the same day against Congo DR.

After their friendly against the Carthage Eagles, Mahrez and his teammates will lock horns with Burundi in their last June fixture.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champions will resume international football in August when they face Djibouti in a World Cup qualification fixture.

Zoned in Group A alongside Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, Algeria would be eyeing their fifth World Cup appearance in Qatar.

Their last outing at the quadrennial football showpiece was at Brazil 2014 when they crashed out in the Round of 16 after bowing 2-1 to eventual champions, Germany.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has said that “all great players” want to join the club, but he has refused to discuss a move regarding Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Messi, out of contract with Barcelona, has long been linked with a switch to the Ligue 1 side amid the Catalans’ financial difficulties.

Although the Argentine appears closer to an extension with Barca than ever before in the last year, no deal has yet been concluded and there remains the prospect of a switch to the Parc des Princes club.

What did he say?

“Messi is at the end of his contract and all clubs have the right to talk to him and recruit him for next season,” Al-Khelaifi told L’Equipe. “What I can tell you, and you can believe me, is that all great players want to come to PSG.

“All – just to be clear, I’m not saying that to answer you on Messi. It’s not possible to sign them all, since we have great players too.

“And Messi is Messi, a fantastic player.”

The bigger picture

Messi, meanwhile, will have to take a substantial pay cut regardless of his future destination, but particularly if he stays at Barcelona, where the club is more than a €1 billion in debt.

PSG may be able to offer Messi more terms, but reports suggest he is more interested in the sporting project and having the possibility of winning the Champions League again before he retires.

PSG on Financial Fair Play

Al-Khelaifi noted that Financial Fair Play in its current form is impractical in the midst of the current financial crisis caused by Covid-19.

“Everyone knows that clubs are going to lose money,” he said. “Honestly, with the health crisis, the rules of FFP are untenable. Football around the world has lost around $8 billion.

“FFP should not prevent investment. Do we want people to put money into football or other sports? I want them to invest in our sport.

“We need to change the rules of FFP and UEFA must work on it.”

Further Reading

Germany won the Under-21s European Championship on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over Portugal.

A 49th-minute strike from Manchester City forward Lukas Nmecha proved all Die Mannschaft needed to secure their third U21 trophy.

The group has now secured the Euro crown in two of the past three tournaments, only falling short in 2019 when Spain earned a narrow 2-1 win.

Germany 1-0 Portugal

Despite crisp passing and neat skills in the midfield, Portugal failed to deliver the necessary end product in the final third, recording only one shot on target to Germany's six.

Nmecha dribbled around goalkeeper Diogo Costa to score early in the second half. The 22-year-old, who came up through the England youth system before switching his allegiance, most recently spent a season on loan at Anderlecht, scoring 14 goals in 31 league appearances.

As Portugal pressed for a late equaliser, their defence became increasingly exposed, and they nearly conceded a second goal when Karim Adeyemi outmuscled his man before sprinting clear on goal. Rather than squaring a ball for his team-mate, though, Adeyemi went for goal and was blocked by Costa.

Still, Die Mannschaft managed to hold on to their slim advantage to clinch their Euro triumph.

What has been said?

"What we have done here again, unbelievable," said Germany midfielder Niklas Dorsch to Pro7. "It will be celebrated that way. Tomorrow those responsible will be responsible for getting me to the plane.

"We are European champions. That’s so awesome!"

Further reading

England captain Jordan Henderson was branded “selfish” after he missed a second-half penalty in Sunday’s 1-0 win against Romania.

A spot kick from Marcus Rashford after 68 minutes won the fixture for the Three Lions, but the return of the Liverpool midfielder after a four-month absence set tongues wagging on social media for the wrong reasons.

Henderson pulled rank on Dominic Calvert-Lewin to hit the spot kick, but saw his modest effort comfortably stopped. It led to an inevitable deluge of criticism on social media.

What did the fans say?

The reaction to the miss was not particularly understanding, even though Henderson is now the most-capped midfielder without an England goal.

The Roy Keane link

Prior to kick off, former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane had criticised the decision to take Henderson to the European Championship, and fans were quick to react with memes of the mercurial pundit.

What did Southgate and the England camp say?

Gareth Southgate indicated that Henderson is unlikely to be given spot kick duties again, while the captain shrugged off the miss on social media.

Ahmed Mido Hossam has described the decision to allow Jordan Henderson to take England’s penalty against Romania as "stupid".

Marcus Rashford had given the Three Lions a 68th-minute lead from the penalty spot in the keenly contested international friendly.

Ten minutes later, Gareth Southgate’s men were handed a chance to double their advantage after referee Tiago Martins pointed to the spot again following Vlad Chiriches' foul on Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the box.

Everton’s Calvert-Lewin initially picked up the ball only for the Liverpool captain to take the chance from him having replaced Kalvin Phillips in the second half.

That decision proved to be a poor one as Henderson’s kick was saved by Romanian goalkeeper Florin Nita.

Irritated by the miss, the former Olympique Marseille and Tottenham Hotspur striker went on social media to slam the choice of letting the 30-year-old – who has been out of action for several months – take the penalty.

“What a stupid decision to allow Henderson to take the penalty!! He’s been out for four months big argument about him if he should be involved!! Why? Let anyone else take it!” Mido wrote on Twitter.

While expressing his disappointment with the penalty miss, Henderson hopes to bounce back stronger in upcoming games.

“I've missed bigger penalties than that, don't worry about that!” he told the media.

“But I'm disappointed, of course. I felt more sorry for Dom because he let me have it but unfortunately I couldn't find the goal.

“I'm not too fussed to be honest I'm more bothered about being back out there and it's nice to be back.”

Since making his senior England debut in 2010, Henderson has gone on to feature in 58 international games to date, albeit, he has failed to find the net.

He was making his return to the field after a long injury spell after a knock during the Reds' Merseyside Derby defeat to Everton 106 days ago.

With their friendlies all done and dusted, England will start their final preparations for their Euro 2020 opener.

Zoned in Group D alongside Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic, Southgate's team begin their campaign against the Checkered Ones on June 13 at Wembley Stadium.

Ahmed Musa’s Kano Pillars have surpassed Akwa United as leaders of the Nigeria Professional Football League thanks to Sunday’s 2-1 win over Enyimba.

Although the Aba Elephants took an early lead through Victor Mbaoma, the hosts secured a comeback victory thanks to second-half strikes from Rabiu Ali and Ifeanyi Eze.

In dire need of a victory to brighten their title hopes, both teams went to the Sani Abacha Stadium with the ambition of picking up a positive result.

However, it was Fatai Osho’s men who drew the first blood through striker Mbaoma in the eighth minute.

Profiting from a beautiful cross from Bilal Yakubu, the former Remo Stars skipper headed past a stranded goalkeeper Suraj Ayeleso.

Despite pouring attacks from Pillars, they were unable to get the equaliser as the two-time African kings went into the half-time break with a slim lead.

Knowing that anything short of victory would spell doom for their chase for a fifth Nigerian top-flight diadem, Sai Masu Gida put up an impressive second-half display.

Their persistence paid off in the 52nd minute as they were awarded a penalty which captain Ali expertly sent past goalkeeper Olufemi Kayode.

With that, the 40-year-old became the first player to find the net on ten occasions in the 2020-21 NPFL campaign. Incidentally, six of them have come from the penalty mark.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, Ibrahim Musa’s men had the last laugh as super-sub Ifeanyi Eze netted the winner.

Ali sent a fine pass to Nwagua Nyima who controlled the ball before teeing up Eze for a cool finish.

Despite their late attacking forays, Enyimba were unable to rescue the situation as they crumbled to their sixth defeat of the current campaign.

Thanks to this result, Kano Pillars assumed the leadership position after closest challengers, Akwa United, could only grind out a 2-2 draw at relegation-threatened Wikki Tourist.
 

NPFL RESULTS AT A GLANCE

Abia Warriors 1 – 1 FC Ifeanyi Ubah
Adamawa United 0 – 2 Plateau United
Dakkada FC 0 – 1 Lobi Stars
Enugu Rangers 1 – 1 MFM FC
Heartland Owerri 2 – 2 Rivers United
Kano Pillars 2 – 1 Enyimba
Katsina United 2 – 1 Nasarawa United
Kwara United 3 – 0 Jigawa Golden Stars
Warri Wolves FC 2 – 1 Sunshine Stars
Wikki Tourist 2 – 2 Akwa United

Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile won big at the 2020/21 PSL Awards which were held on Sunday evening.

The Namibia international walked away with both the PSL Footballer of the Season and Player’s Player of the Season accolades after inspiring Masandawana to the league title. 

Shalulile, who joined the Tshwane giants from Highlands Park prior to the start of the season, beat club teammate Themba Zwane and Maritzburg United captain Thabiso Kutumela to the two awards.

However, Zwane won the PSL Midfielder of the Season accolade for the second year running after helping Sundowns clinch their fourth successive league trophy. 

Meanwhile, AmaZulu FC mentor Benni McCarthy scooped the PSL Coach of the Season award after guiding Usuthu to second place in the PSL which is their highest ever finish in the league.

While Baroka FC starlet Evidence Makgopa won the PSL Most Promising Player award while Swallows centre-back Njabulo Ngcobo walked away with the league's Defender of the Season prize. 

SuperSport United central midfielder Teboho Mokoena’s strike against Stellenbosch FC on November 4, 2020, was voted as the PSL Goal of the Season.

Orlando Pirates forward Deon Hotto won the MTN8 Last Man Standing award with the Namibia international having been instrumental in the Soweto giants' 2020 MTN8 triumph.

Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila goalkeeper Washington Arubi scooped the Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament award, while Richards Bay youngster Khanyisa Mayo grabbed the Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player accolade.

Full list of the winners

PSL Footballer of the Season

Peter Shalulile - Mamelodi Sundowns 

PSL Players' Player of the Season

Peter Shalulile - Mamelodi Sundowns 

PSL Coach of the Season

Benni McCarthy - AmaZulu FC

PSL Goalkeeper of the Season

Denis Onyango - Mamelodi Sundowns

PSL Defender of the Season

Njabulo Ngcobo - Swallows FC

PSL Midfielder of the Season

Themba Zwane - Mamelodi Sundowns 

PSL Young Player of the Season

Evidence Makgopa - Baroka FC 

PSL Goal of the Season

Teboho Mokoena - SuperSport United 

PSL Golden Boot Winner

Bradley Grobler - SuperSport United 

PSL Chairman's Award

King Goodwill Zwelithini - Late Zulu King

General Bantu Holomisa - SA Member of Parliament and President of the United Democratic Movement

MTN8 Last Man Standing 

Deon Hotto - Orlando Pirates 

Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament 

Washington Arubi - Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila

Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player

Khanyiso Mayo - Richards Bay

DStv Diski Challenge Rewired Player of the Tournament

Siyanda Nyanga - Mamelodi Sundowns