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Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has defended the Ksh498 million upgrading work done at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu after members of the public questioned the quality of work.

 As pictures of the renovated facility went viral on social media, some members of the public felt the work done does not reflect the value of money given what was allocated for it.

The work at the stadium started in mid-2020 after it was renamed Jomo Kenyatta Stadium from Kisumu Mambo Leo Ground.

 "There is no stadium that has taken seven months to construct just like this has done in. I am satisfied that it is world-class and meets required international standards," Mohamed said as was quoted by Daily Nation .

"We will be using the national Madaraka Day celebrations as a dress rehearsal for the facility. After that, we will be checking what structural adjustments to make."

The Cabinet Secretary - who was accompanied by the Sports Principal Secretary Joe Okudo on Wednesday - was in the lakeside city to inspect the ongoing job at the stadium which will be used by various teams in different leagues once it is completed.

The Jomo Kenyatta Stadium has a carrying capacity of 30,000 and is set to have the main playing surface, eight-lane running track, terraces around the stadium and the biggest VIP Pavillion in the region.

The six-acre stadium also has a packing capacity of 600 vehicles and structural adjustments will be done as they are needed.

Kisumu County has produced many players who have represented the Kenyan national team and clubs like Sony Sugar, Western Stima, Muhorni Youth, and Kisumu All-Stars are among the major teams situated in the sugar-belt region. 

Mentionable talents for the country have also been nurtured in the region including Allan Thigo, Peter Dawo and Dennis Oliech as well as Kenneth Muguna of Gor Mahia.

Once complete, it is expected Jomo Kenyatta will complement Moi Stadium and host high profile games including the Premier League and the National Super League games.

Currently, Bukhungu Stadium and Mumias Sports Complex in Kakamega and Sudi Stadium in Bungoma are among the few venues allowed to host top-tier games.

Marcus Rashford has detailed the racial abuse he said flooded his social media accounts after Manchester United lost on penalties to Villarreal in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils forward counted at least 70 slurs in the immediate aftermath of the defeat. He has been among the footballers who have decried the pervasiveness of racism on social media over the past year, but so far, the problem has not subsided.

Rashford went on to say that a teacher was among those who sent him racist messages. The player also highlighted a fan who had said he "deserved" abuse, promoting their response to him as an example of the mindsets he has to deal with on a daily basis.

What has been said?

"At least 70 racial slurs on my social accounts counted so far," Rashford wrote on Twitter. "For those working to make me feel any worse than I already do, good luck trying."

Later, he added: "I’m more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile. He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence…"

Manchester United's statement

Not long after Rashford's experience, the club issued a statement condemning the abuse.

"Following the [Europa League] final, our players were subjected to disgraceful racist abuse," wrote the team on Twitter. "If you see any form of abuse or discrimination, act and report it."

Marcus Rashford took aim at Manchester United's critics after their Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, insisting that those who say the club is going downhill are misguided.

United fell in penalties against Villarreal on Wednesday after the two sides drew over 120 minutes, with David de Gea's miss settling an extraordinary shootout that saw both teams convert their first 10 penalties. 

With the defeat United's trophy drought extended to four seasons, having last won silverware in 2017 when they beat Ajax in the Europa League final. 

What was said?

"People say a lot about Man Utd going downhill, blah, blah, blah, blah but for me, the club, desire, hunger, talent, ability, the squad, we have everything to compete at the highest level," Rashford told BT Sport.

"We just have to show it to the world and ourselves, show why we belong in the top places and why we need to win finals like this."

Rashford did, however, admit that his side cannot be satisfied with second-place finishes.

"Second doesn't count for nothing," the striker said. "Manchester City win the league, we finished second. Doesn't mean nothing. Villarreal won the Europa League, we finished second. For us it's nothing.

"I don't want to hear 'they were so close' because it means nothing. One winner, one loser. Today we lost. We have to find out why and make sure next time we don't lose."

What's next for Rashford?

Rashford has fought through a foot injury for several weeks, with his goalscoring drying up somewhat in the final two months of the season.

Next up for Rashford is the Euros, with England set to get their campaign underway on June 13 against Croatia. 

Asked whether he'd be fit for the Euros, Rashford replied: "Forget about the foot for now. The disappointment of today, I don't feel the foot."

Further reading

Nigerians are celebrating Samuel Chukwueze's success at Villarreal after they defeated Manchester United on penalties in the Uefa Europa League final on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old did not recover in time for the game and he watched on from the bench as Unai Emery's men defeated the Red Devils 11-10 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw at the end of regular time.

Wednesday’s victory made Chukwueze the latest Nigerian player to win silverware this season after Asisat Oshoala won the Uefa Women’s Champions League with Barcelona and Leicester City duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi clinched the FA Cup.

Next up, is the Uefa Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City on Saturday and even though no Nigerian player will be involved, the fans went on to give their favourite player in the two clubs a Nigerian name for victory.

Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted that his side "didn't turn up" in their Europa League final loss to Villarreal on Wednesday. 

The Spanish side opened the scoring through Gerard Moreno in the first half before Edinson Cavani equalised on 55 minutes in Gdansk. 

The final would go to a penalty shoot-out where both teams sensationally converted their first 10 chances, before United goalkeeper David de Gea saw his spot-kick saved to give Villarreal the trophy.

What was said?

"It's quiet, a disappointed dressing room," Solskjaer told BT Sport. "That's football for you. Sometimes it's decided on one kick - and that's the difference between winning and losing.

"We have to learn from that one, not savour this feeling but taste this feeling and make sure we don't get it again.

"We didn't turn up. We didn't play as well as we know we can. We started all right and they got the goal, their only shot on target. We were disappointed to concede a goal on a set play.

"Now is not the time to point the finger at what I'd have done differently. But when you come out without the trophy you haven't done everything right."

The bigger picture

United's defeat means they will end the season without a trophy again, making it four straight seasons without silverware for a club not accustomed to such long droughts. 

The last trophy United won was the Europa League, which they clinched in 2016-17 by defeating Ajax in the final. 

Though the Red Devils did secure a second-place finish in the Premier League they fell short in the Champions League group stage, which knocked them into the Europa League. 

United also lost in the FA Cup quarter-final to Leicester City and the Carabao Cup semi-final to Man City.

Asked if this season has been a success, Solskjaer replied: "No."

Further reading

Football enthusiasts across Africa have refused to blame David de Gea for Manchester United’s Uefa Europa League final defeat to Villarreal on Wednesday.

After settling for  a 1-1 draw at the end of extra-time, the Spain goalkeeper stepped up to play United’s 11th penalty kick at PGE Arena Gdansk but his effort was parried away by Geronimo Rulli.

The missed chance cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side the Europa League trophy as Villarreal claimed their first major European title.

With De Gea acquitted, a section of fans on the continent are pointing fingers at Marcus Rashford and Solskjaer for the loss because of the forward’s missed chances and the coach’s selection dilemma.

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes that his side’s dominance across the board has underpinned their latest PSL title success.

The Brazilians clinched the South African title on Wednesday evening as they defeated rivals SuperSport United in the Tshwane derby.

The confident performance—an encouraging riposte after Sundowns’ Caf Champions League elimination at the hands of Al-Ahly at the weekend—was enough to take the Pretoria heavyweights out of reach of the chasing pack.

For Mngqithi, it’s exactly what they deserve after a season of dominance.

“Up until this point, with three matches remaining, we’ve dominated 99 percent of our matches played except for poor possession against Cape Town City, but we still won that one 3-0,” Mngqithi told journalists [as per News24].

“This was one of our objectives, and I believe we’ve dominated the entire season while the personality of our team remains important.”

With three games to go, Sundowns are 10 points clear at the top of the table, and have lost just one match all season.

“We’ve dominated all of the statistics in ball possession, shots at goal, goals conceded and other aspects of the game over the season,” he added, “and that will remain the objective in the next three games.”

Lebohang Maboe, Aubrey Modiba and Themba Zwane scored the goals on Wednesday—during a first-half blitz—as Sundowns outclassed their rivals.

Success means they clinched a record-setting fourth consecutive title, as they consolidate their status as the most successful South African team of the PSL era.

For Mngqithi and fellow head coach Rhulani Mokoena, the title triumph represents a strong response to critics who questioned how the double act would fare following the departure of celebrated head coach Pitso Mosimane in 2020.

“The biggest focus we had with regards to the team is how we had to restructure our plan in many ways and how we built on our foundations from the previous season,” the 50-year-old continued.

“New players came in and we had to find a balance and system that would work for them.
”We believe we’ve achieved a lot in that regard.”

Next up for Sundowns, they are away at Moroka Swallows on Saturday, before travelling to Bloemfontein Celtic in midweek.

They conclude their campaign at home against Cape Town City.

Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno kept his promise to a Spanish television show when he did a vaccine-themed celebration after scoring against Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday. 

Moreno opened the scoring in the 29th minute against the Red Devils, getting on the end of a Dani Parejo free kick to steer home from close range. 

The Spain international paid tribute to healthcare workers during his celebration while also highlighting the importance of vaccination against Covid-19.

Moreno's promise

The Spain international appeared on the "La Resistencia" program on Movistar+ and promised host David Broncano that he would do a vaccine-themed celebration should he score in the Europa League final.

“It’s fine although UEFA does a lot of anti-doping control, let’s see if they will think I’m doping," Moreno joked after making his promise.

The Spain international proved a man of his word after scoring in Gdansk, Poland, making a vaccination gesture while celebrating with his team-mates.

"La Resistencia" naturally took pleasure in Moreno's fulfilled promise, posting a video of the celebration along with the caption "ONE OF US".

Moreno reaches 30 goals

Moreno's goal also saw him reach the 30-goal milestone for the 2020-21 campaign. 

By reaching the 30-goal mark, Moreno became the first Villarreal player to do so since Giuseppe Rossi 10 years ago. 

Further reading

Football fans have advised Achraf Hakimi to move to Juventus, Chelsea, or Arsenal after Antonio Conte left Inter Milan.

The 22-year-old teamed up with Black and Blues last summer from Real Madrid after impressing on loan with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

Hakimi had previously revealed the role Conte played in convincing him to sign for Inter and featured prominently as they won the 2020-21 Serie A title.

On Wednesday, the Black and Blues confirmed the departure of the Italian tactician from the club and it is believed the wingback could also leave San Siro, notwithstanding, he has four years left on his contract.

Football fans across the world have taken to social media to urge the Morocco international to sign for their clubs.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt has insisted that his side will not be dragged into the PSL relegation playoffs. 

The Soweto giants let a lead slip in their 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened Black Leopards in a league game at Thohoyandou Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

A brace from Tiklas Thutlwa inspired Lidoda Duvha to a come-from-behind victory over Amakhosi, who had opened the scoring through Leonardo Castro.

Chiefs find themselves in 11th place on the league standings - five points above the relegation playoff spot with two games left which are against Lamontville Golden Arrows and TS Galaxy. 

"Nah, we'll be okay, we'll be okay," Hunt told SuperSport TV when asked if the team could go to the relegation playoffs where they would face two teams from the National First Division. 

The Glamour Boys came into their clash with Leopards having played Tanzanian giants Simba SC in the Caf Champions League clash in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

Hunt didn't want to make any excuses after losing to Leopards as he stated that his side had enough time to recover from their trip from East Africa. 

"Yeah, it's not but look I mean we've done well this season to get what we got with what we got, it was a battle again today," he continued.

"Defending again, two incidents where we should have done better...No excuses [traveling from Tanzania], we had enough couple of days, no excuse for that.

"We had a good couple of chances but obviously upfront we really got two strikers and obviously one is not gonna play more than 60 [minutes] but we had to keep him going, but otherwise we had nothing else you know."

Hunt was left to rue their missed chances in their defeat to Lidoda Duvha and he was hoping for a win which would have seen Chiefs go level on points with eighth-placed Baroka FC on the standings.

"Obviously it creates a problem, you can't make the change, before it was 1-1 he had a golden chance to tap it in, he didn't score so but I mean he's struggling, he did well for us," he added.

"All in all we had a good couple of opportunities, we could have scored but you gotta score the second goal which I said to them at half-time and it will be easier for you. 

"Obviously we tried to get it today [three points], to try and help us [for top eight], we had a good start and had another good chance to make it 2-0, we didn't score," he explained. 

"That's been the problem and obviously one chance they had, they scored. So it's been a problem, you know."

Kaizer Chiefs' struggles in the PSL continued on Wednesday as they extended their winless run to five matches when they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Black Leopards in Limpopo.

The defeat saw Amakhosi miss a chance to secure safety from relegation as they remained 11th on the league standings - five points above the relegation playoff spot with two matches left.

The Soweto giants now need three points from their matches against Lamontville Golden Arrows and TS Galaxy to guarantee safety. 

Chiefs' defeat to bottom-placed Leopards set social media alight as fans shared their thoughts in what was Amakhosi coach Gavin Hunt's 900th match as a professional coach.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Chiefs' loss to Leopards:

Former Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah has stated he is unable to confirm nor deny claims of interference in the West Africans' current nationality administration but says there was never any such cases during his era.

Appiah's comments follow recent controversy surrounding player selection for the Black Stars.

Ghana coach CK Akonnor has reportedly been forced to hand call-ups to some players on orders of top FA officials, a claim both he and the football governing body have rejected.

"Luckily in my time I never experienced that [interference in player call-ups]. The coaches called players based on form,” Appiah told TV3 .

“If you are playing well of course you would get a call-up.

"We have to know that even if the best players are called up, there will still be people that will be pointing out that certain players should be called up.

“I have never experienced the interference and now that I am away from this team, I don’t know what is going on there."

In March, Akonnor and the FA were caught up in a controversy following the announcement of Ghana's squad for Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

The coach received a lot of stick for calling up attacker Kwame Opoku Afriyie who plays club football for English fourth tier side Colchester United.

The coach was, however, reportedly unhappy by the bad press as he was said to have had no hand in the inclusion of the youngster in the squad.

“Call-ups for all national teams go through processes, and people must understand this,” Ghana FA boss Kurt Okraku recently said in response to the accusations .

“Gone are the days when one person will wake up one day and name a national team, it will never happen again.

“The coach and his team will work with the technical directorate to select a squad, then they have to convince the Management Committee about the squad they have selected.

"Then there is a meeting – some I may attend, others I may select someone to represent me. When there is a consensus, the squad is then announced."

The call-up of Dreams FC right-back Philemon Baffour and Amiens midfielder Emmanuel Lomotey has also raised questions.

“This is a system that is practised everywhere in the world. There is no country where one single individual names a squad," Okraku added.

“I have not heard CK Akonnor speak about someone imposing players on him, and I doubt he’d ever say that, because nobody imposes players on Charles Akonnor.”

Appiah is famously remembered for spearheading Ghana’s first qualification for the World Cup in 2006 and their subsequent run to the Round of 16 of the championship held in Germany.

He also played at the 2010 World Cup and held the role as technical coordinator between 2017 and 2019 following his retirement from active football.

Egyptian-based striker Emannuel Okwi has been named Uganda captain for their first-ever international match since veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango called it quits.

Onyango, who was the captain of the side, and features for South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, quit playing for the Cranes on April 13 after earning 79 caps to his name since making his international debut in 2005 against Cape Verde.

While naming the provisional squad of 34 players, interim coach Abdallah Mubiru has confirmed Okwi, who features for Ittihad Alexandria FC, as the new captain and will lead the Cranes against Bafana Bafana on June 10.

Okwi named captain?

A statement on the Fufa official website confirmed: “Uganda coach Abdallah Mubiru has named a 34-man squad for the international friendly against South Africa national team Bafana Bafana on June 10, 2021.

“Experienced striker Emmanuel Okwi, who plays for Egyptian side Ittihad Alexandria has been named the new Cranes captain and will lead the team against Bafana Bafana.

“The team will enter camp on Sunday, May 30, 2021, at 8 am and they will camp at Cranes Paradise Hotel in Kisaasi. With the training set to start on Monday, May 31, 2021, at Omondi Stadium, Lugogo.”

Others in the squad?

With the absence of Onyango in goal, Mubiru has opted to give three goalkeepers – Ismael Watenga of Chippa United in South Africa, Charles Lukwago of KCCA FC, and Mathias Kigonya of Azam FC - a chance to impress and fight for the spot.

The Police FC custodian has also named Montreal Impact defender Martin Kiiza among the foreign-based players, others being Elvis Bwomono of Southend United FC, Abdu Lumalu of Pyramids FC, Patrick Kaddu of Youssoufia Berrechid, and Allan Okello of AC Paradou.

Uganda squad:

Goalkeepers: Watenga Ismael (Chippa United), Lukwago Charles (KCCA FC), Tamale Simon (Bright Stars FC), Kigonya Mathias (Azam FC).

Defenders: Bwomono Elvis (Southend United FC), Wafula Innocent (Mbarara City FC), Willa Paul (Vipers SC), Kizza Mustafa (Montreal Impact FC), Kayondo Aziizi (Vipers SC), Lwaliwa Halid (Vipers SC), Juuko Murushid (Express FC), Kizito Mugweri Gavin (SC Villa), Ssemakula Kenneth (BUL FC), Mbowa Paul Patrick (URA FC), Walusimbi Enock (Express FC), Muhamud Hassan (Police FC).

Midfielders: Lwanga Taddeo (Simba SC), Waiswa Moses Ndhondi (SuperSport United FC), Byaruhanga Bobosi (Vipers SC), Sserubiri Ivan (URA FC), Anukani Bright (KCCA FC), Kagimu Shafik Kuchi (URA FC), Mugulusi Isma (Busoga United FC), Serwaradda Stephen (KCCA FC), Lumala Abdu (Pyramids FC), Orit Ibrahim (Vipers SC), Akandwanaho Joseph (Bright Stars FC).

Forwards: Okwwi Emmanuel (Ittihad Alexandria FC), Bassangwa Richard (Vipers SC), Kaddu Patrick (Youssoufia Berrechid), Kakooza Derrik (Police FC), Sentamu Yunus (Vipers SC), Kambale Eric (Express FC), and Okello Allan (AC Paradou).

AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini has confirmed that goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will leave the club this summer as a free agent. 

Donnarumma made his Milan debut at age 16 and has established himself as one of the top young goalkeepers in world football after serving as Milan's starter for the past six seasons. 

Now 22, the Italy international is set to have plenty of options as he hits the open market. 

What was said?

“He was a protagonist, a leader and often a captain," Maldini said of the goalkeeper during an interview on the official AC Milan Twitch channel.

"A professional must also be ready to change his shirt," Maldini continued. "It is increasingly difficult to start a career in one place and finish it there. 

"We must thank those who gave so much for Milan and Gigio did it, without ever disrespecting the club. Our paths divide here and I can only wish him the best."

Who will replace Donnarumma?

With Donnarumma heading for the exit, AC Milan have already identified Lille's Mike Maignan as their preferred replacement. 

The 25-year-old France international has been spotted in Milan this week ahead of a medical, with a move likely to be announced in the coming days. 

Milan will pay a reported fee of €15 million (£13m/$18m) for Maignan, who helped Lille to an unlikely Ligue 1 championship this term. 

Where will Donnarumma end up?

At just 22, Donnarumma is already considered one of the world's top goalkeepers and with clubs not required to pay a transfer fee for his services, there will likely be a host of suitors. 

Chelsea, Tottenham and Juventus are just a few of the clubs who have been linked with Donnarumma, with further reports stating he has been offered to Barcelona as well. 

Donnarumma has made more than 250 first-team appearances for AC Milan and has 25 senior caps for Italy.

Further reading

The 2020/21 Premier Soccer League awards ceremony is edging closer as anticipation has already gripped fans who are eager to know who will be crowned as the season’s biggest achievers.

Three nominees per category were revealed on Wednesday by the league and Mamelodi Sundowns dominate, while Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates struggled to provide players on the list of nominees.

When are the 2020/21 PSL Awards?

The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday June 6, 2021 at 20:00 South African time.

It comes a day after the conclusion of the current PSL campaign which is now coming close to conclusion.

How to watch the event

The PSL Awards night will be broadcast live on SuperSport's PSL Channel (202) and SABC.

Online, the event will be streamed live and subscribers can access it on DStv.com/DStv Now App.

Categories and Nominees

PSL Footballer of the Season 

This biggest award of the night. Mamelodi Sundowns attacker and reigning Footballer of the Year Themba Zwane is part of the nominees and in line to defend the prestigious gong.

He will come up against his Sundowns teammate Peter Shalulile and Maritzburg United captain and forward Thabiso Kutumela, who has 12 league goals in 26 appearances.

Players' Player of the Season 

The same line-up for the Footballer of the Year features in this category.

Zwane is again a holder of this award and it is yet to be seen if he will reclaim it.

Coach of the Season 

Sundowns feature in this category with their co-coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena the nominees.

Benni McCarthy, who is credited for transforming AmaZulu into a title-chasing outfit, is also on this list.

Golden Arrows who, like AmaZulu, appeared as surprise title contenders, have provided their tactician Mandla Ncikazi for this award which went to record six-time holder Pitso Mosimane last season.

Midfielder of the Season 

The Brazilians again dominate in this category which features two of their players - Zwane and Rivaldo Coetzee.

AmaZulu’s Makhehlene Makhaula, who transformed himself from being a bit-part player at Highlands Park last season, will contend with the Masandawana pair for this recognition.

Zwane is the reigning Midfielder of the Season. 

Defender of the Season 

Playing his maiden PSL season, Swallows’ Njabulo Ngcobo immediately made an impact and is in the running for this gong after 26 league starts as he missed just one match for the Dube Birds.

AmaZulu centre-back Tapelo Xoki is also a nominee with the scoring defender boasting of four league goals this term.

Mosa Lebusa of Sundowns completes the line-up in the category and could succeed his teammate Rushine De Reuck, who won it last season while at Maritzburg United.

Goalkeeper of the Season 

AmaZulu’s Veli Mothwa has been recognised after a season in which he broke into the Bafana Bafana fold.

He will battle it out against Masandawana veteran keeper Denis Onyango, who won this award for the 2015/16 season.

Sifiso Mlungwana, who has featured in all Golden Arrows’ 28 PSL matches, also features on this list.

Young Player of the Season 

Maritzburg United striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane has flourished under Ernest Middendorp and is up for this honour, together with another 20-year-old striker Evidence Makgopa, who has grabbed seven goals for Baroka FC this season.

Also appearing is TS Galaxy defender Kamogelo, who at 19 is the youngest in this category.

Diski Challenge Player of the Tournament

Top performers from the reserve league will also be recognised on June 6.

Orlando Pirates’ Boitumelo Radiopane is in line for this award which also have AmaZulu striker Lindokuhle Zungu and Siyanda Nyanga of Sundowns in the running.

Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament 

After an impressive run in the Nedbank Cup which ended with being crowned champions, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila have provided two players in this category.

Goalkeeper Washington Arubi has been nominated after his penalty shootout heroics against Swallows FC and Mamelodi Sundowns in the Round of 16 and semi-finals, respectively, were key to TTM reaching the final.

Midfielder Ndabayithehwa Ndlondlo, whose goal had the final say in the final against Chippa United, has also been considered.

Sundowns' Shalulile, who was the tournament's joint top-scorer with Pretoria Callies' Pogiso Mahlangu, who also had four goals is on the list. Shaluliule makes his case strong with four assists.

Nedbank Cup Most Promising Player of the Tournament 

Kaizer Chiefs’ Njabulo Blom is a surprise inclusion in this category despite playing just 44 minutes in this tournament which has six rounds of matches including the preliminaries.

Former South Africa Under-17 star Khanyisa Mayo of Richards Bay has also been considered together with 24-year-old Maloisane Mokhele, who helped Chippa reach the final.

MTN8 Last Man Standing 

The Orlando Pirates midfield duo Ben Motshwari and Deon Hotto come upo against each other after they helped the Buccareens to the MTN8 crown.

Victor Letsoalo of Bleomfontein Celtic has also been nominated.

2020/21 PSL Awards voting criteria

According to the PSL, top-flight league coaches vote for the Footballer of the Season and no coach is allowed to select a player from his team.

The Players’ Player of the Season is voted for by the players themselves but they are not permitted to pick their teammates. 

The remaining categories are selected by a panel consisting of journalists, football commentators and analysts.

Antonio Conte will leave Inter after guiding the Milan outfit to the Serie A crown, bringing the curtain down on a two-year stay at San Siro.

The 51-year-old, previously a Scudetto winner with Juventus as well as a Premier League champion with Chelsea, led the Nerazzurri to a first top-flight title for over a decade in his sophomore season at the helm.

Yet even as the club has marched towards the trophy, friction between the manager and the club's hierarchy have grown more readily noticeable over the future direction of the team, resulting in Conte's exit mere days after adding another honour to his repertoire.

Why has Conte left?

Even before the title was assured, Inter's majority owners Suning Holdings Group and club chairman Steven Zhang had alluded to a financial overhaul in the Nerazzurri's operations.

Conte was believed to have been adamant about ensuring the nucleus of his squad remained unchanged, with deals for players such as Romelu Lukaku an essential priority.

However, management above him refused to offer such assurances, leading to several no-shows for media conferences from the coach, with assistant Cristian Stellini often deputising for post-match duties.

What will Inter do next?

Simone Inzaghi and Massimiliano Allegri are just some of the names mooted as Conte's potential replacement, but wth Euro 2020 likely to dominate the off-season for several key players, the club may choose to wait before appointing a successor.

The former has been tipped to leave Lazio and make the move to Milan, while the latter has been out of management since he stood down at Juventus.

Conte meanwhile is expected to be handed a payout of €6.5million (£5.6m/$7.9m) to cover the remainder of his contract.

Further Reading

Mamelodi Sundowns defeated 10-men SuperSport United 3-1 in Wednesday’s Tshwane derby at Loftus Versfeld to wrap up the PSL title in some style.

Lebohang Maboe, Aubrey Modiba and the returning Themba Zwane all scored in a 12-minute first-half blitz as Sundowns cruised to the championship in style, while SSU, who lost Guily Cyprien Manziba to a seventh-minute red card but pulled one back through Teboho Mokoena, were largely outclassed.

Victory means that Sundowns become the first team ever to win the title on four consecutive occasions in the PSL era, while SSU still have a fight on their hands to secure a top three finish with two matches to play.

The hosts enjoyed 74 percent of the possession during a one-sided encounter and victory takes them up to 30 points, out of reach of AmaZulu, on 50 points with three games to play.

Downs’ emphatic triumph was a perfect riposte to their Caf Champions League exit at the hands of Al-Ahly and former mentor Pitso Mosimane, who had overseen their five league successes since 2014 before moving on to the Egyptian giants last year.

Wednesday’s victory extends Sundowns’ winning run in the PSL to four matches, with their 3-0 triumph against Orlando Pirates a major highlight as they romped to the gold yet again.

The triumph also extends the Brazilians’ fine run against SuperSport United this season; they defeated their rivals in the Nedbank Cup in February, while their pair shared a 0-0 draw in the league earlier in 2021.

In truth, Sundowns never looked like losing on Wednesday, and they were helped by a ninth-minute straight red card for Manziba, after he was deemed to have assaulted Sphelele Mkhulise with a high boot.

Maboe duly opened the scoring for the champions-elect in the 32nd minute when he met Modiba’s pull-back following the wideman’s fine interplay with Gaston Sirino.

It was an impressive side-footed finish that left Ronwen Williams with no chance.

Next, it was the outstanding Modiba’s turn to take Downs even closer to the title against his former employers, although there was a stroke of fortune about the goal.

Surely aiming to pick out Kermit Erasmus with a delicious cross from the right flank, ex-SuperSport man’s delivery evaded the Bafana Bafana frontman. However, it also duped Williams, who could only watch on as the ball flew into the net.

Four minutes later, with SuperSport in disarray, Zwane rounded off the blitz, again meeting a Modiba cross at the near post to take the contest beyond the visitors.

Early in the second half, Sundowns had an opportunity to extend their lead when Phillips handled in the visitors' box following an Erasmus cross. Keenan Williams was equal to Zwane's effort from the spot, however, and saved the resulting spotkick.

Mokoena did respond for SSU late on, albeit to save face, as he beat Denis Onyango with a magnificent volley in the 86th minute.

There was further late drama at the death for Sundowns, as Brian Onyango was forced to deputise for his namesake between the sticks after the Uganda No. 1 had to be replaced with injury and Downs having used all of their substitutes.

Samuel Chukwueze’s Villarreal will defeat Premier League side Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final, according to the majority of Goal readers.

The Yellow Submarine square up against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men at the Polsat Plus Arena Gdansk – with the ambition of winning the competition for the first time in their history.

To reach this stage, Unai Emery’s men defeated Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.

Nigeria international Chukwueze has been instrumental in the Spaniards’ run, featuring in 11 games with one goal to his credit – which he achieved against Sivasspor in December 2020.

As his team prepares to slug it out with the Red Devils, we asked our readers if the La Liga side can stop the Old Trafford giants in Poland.

In a poll conducted on the Goal Africa Twitter handle, a staggering 57.8 percent of total votes cast believe Villarreal – who finished as semi-finalists in 2003–04, 2010–11, 2015–16 – will reign supreme against United.

Whereas, 42.2 percent of fans think Solskjaer’s side will emerge victorious after 90 minutes.

The United boss claimed that his men are facing a quality side with a lot of experience in the Europa League.

“Yes and their manager has won the most Europa Leagues in the history of the tournament,” Solskjaer told the club website.

“They’re a team with loads of experience, upfront, at the back, and in midfield, so we know we’ve got to play well.

“We’ve prepared well, we’ve prepared to win, we always expect to win any game of football, but we know we have to earn it by being a good Man United

“Well, the final, first of all, is the reward for all the hard work they’ve put down in the last two years.

“They have worked together as a group and the spirit is fantastic, so now we hope we can perform on Wednesday night because that’s the main thing.

“We will prepare as normal and then I’m sure the result can hopefully come.”

For the 2020-21 campaign, just as the 2019-20 season, the Europa League winners will earn €8,500,000 (£7.5m/$10m), while the runners-up earn €4,500,000 (£4m/$5m).

Simba SC CEO Barbara Gonzalez has stated they will not repeat the mistakes witnessed against Kaizer Chiefs in the Caf Champions League since they have put measures in place to prevent them in future.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi were knocked out of the Champions League after they conceded a 4-0 loss to Amakhosi at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg and 3-0 win at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium was not enough to send the Tanzanian champions to the semi-finals.

Simba had set their eyes on a final berth, especially after impressive outings in the group stage, but a stumble in South Africa all but ended their season dreams.

Gonzalez, without revealing how they will correct the mistakes, promised that such scenarios witnessed against Kaizer Chiefs will not be repeated.

"The mistakes we made against Kaizer Chiefs away must not be repeated, and we have put measures in place to ensure that they do not occur again," the official told Mwanaspoti.

On the other hand, Simba's board chairman Salim Abdallah said they have already received recommendations from head coach Didier Gomes da Rosa on how to make the team stronger during the next transfer window.   

"We still have the anger and determination to do better and progress far from where we reached. We are going to strengthen the team in order to make sure we have a far better squad, " said Abdallah.

"According to the recommendations by the coach, we are going to sign specific players that will strengthen a few areas where there is a need to."

Wekundu wa Msimbazi are expected to spend heavily in the transfer market, as they did in previous transfer windows, in order to field a squad large enough to compete in the Premier League, Champions League, and Shield Cup.

The league champions are in a good position to retain the title and are also contenders in the Shield Cup, where matches have been played up to the Round of 16.

As they plan to strengthen the team, doubts about whether they will extend the contracts of Francis Kahata, Ibrahim Ajibu, Hassan Dilunga and Perfect Chikwende remain unanswered.

It is also not clear whether Wekundu wa Msimbazi will retain goalkeeper Aishi Manula who has attracted interest from South Africa and Sudan following an impressive outing on the continental stage.