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Luis Suarez moved to Atletico Madrid from Barcelona in the summer of 2020 in a whirlwind €6 million (£5.5m/$7m) transfer, surprising most of the football world.

The deal came at the end of a transfer window where Lionel Messi was expected to leave the club, voicing his dissatisfaction at Camp Nou, but it was the Uruguayan international who ended up departing.

Suarez's six years at Barcelona were prolific and trophy-laden - so why did he leave the Blaugrana? Goal takes a look.

Suarez deemed 'too old' by Barcelona board

There are many reasons why a player might want to leave a club, and for all the guesswork, there might never be a concrete, clear answer.

Suarez, however, has consistently spoken out about the ways in which he exited the Catalan side, and recently gave an interview where he stated that club said he was too old to perform at the highest level despite scoring at least 20 goals for every season he was there.

“What really bothered me was when they told me that I was old and that I could no longer play at a high level, be up to [the task of fronting] a great team,” Suarez told France Football. “That’s what I did not like.”

Suarez departed Barcelona at 33 years of age, which would in normal circumstances place him well past his prime - but he was still in considerably excellent form.

“If I hadn't done anything at a club like Barca for three or four seasons, I would have understood,” he continued. “But every year at Barca, I scored more than 20 goals per season. I have always had good statistics, just behind Leo (Messi). 

“At Barca, circumstances have changed, the club needed changes, and I accepted it. The only thing that bothered me was the way [it happened]. I think I deserved some respect.

"It was a decision that I could not prevent. I felt like I was no longer being counted on, so with my pride I told myself that I was going to continue to show what I am worth. This is why the idea of going to Atletico, a competitive team, appealed to me."

Suarez sold as a cost-cutting measure

Another possible reason for Suarez's sale was that his transfer needed to be done in order to free up funds for Barcelona.

Barcelona are currently in €1.2 billion (£1.1b/$1.5b) of debt, along with short-term debt of roughly €730m (£648m/$886m). These figures reflect the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on sport, as well as their massive wage bill.

The Uruguayan striker's departure was sold as a cost-cutting measure as Barca looked to minimise the financial damage caused by the pandemic.

"There are a lot of contradictions [in Barcelona's version of events]," Suarez told ESPN. "I would have looked for a solution if it was a financial problem and if it was a sporting issue I could have understood. It is not clear to me why they took the decision they took."

Suarez vs Messi

Suarez also believes that part of why Barcelona ousted him from the club is because of his personal relationship with Messi, with the two growing very close over the years.

“I think they wanted to get me away from Messi’s side, perhaps it bothered them that I have a good relationship with Leo," he told ESPN. "Maybe they wanted him not to be with me so much."

Messi himself has spoken out about his disappointment at Suarez's departure, telling La Sexta: "I had thought about it before Luis Suarez [left], but that was crazy.

"I didn't like the way he left. I didn't think he deserved to leave like that.  He went for free to a team that is fighting for the same things as us."

The Argentina talisman also posted on Instagram at the time about the way in which Suarez left: "You deserved a farewell that fit with who you are: one of the most important players in the history of the club. Someone who achieved great things for the team and on an individual level.

"You did not deserve for them to throw you out like they did, but the truth is that at this stage nothing surprises me anymore."

Suarez has found happiness at Atletico Madrid, and has continued his impressive scoring streak.

"Those kinds of things made me bad and my family saw me affected, so they encouraged me to take the opportunity. When Atletico came looking for me, I didn't hesitate for a single moment," Suarez said. "Obviously I have to get used to various things, but I feel very happy at Atletico."

Napoli have revealed Victor Osimhen will "gradually" return with training after he was cleared to leave the hospital and will get a few days to rest.

The 22-year-old suffered head trauma after landing awkwardly on the turf following a collision with Cristian Romero in his side’s defeat to Atalanta in Sunday’s Serie A game.

The centre-forward was subsequently rushed to hospital and spent the night there, where he was subjected to numerous tests.

The forward has now been cleared of any head damage and will soon return to action with the rest of Gennaro Gattuso’s side.

“Victor Osimhen in the morning underwent clinical examinations and diagnostic tests at the Pineta Grande Clinic with Dr. Alfredo Bucciero and Dr. Elpidio Pezzella who gave negative results,” read a statement from the club website.

“The player will take a few days of rest and will gradually resume training. The player's condition will be assessed daily.”

By "gradually" returning to training, the club means Osimhen will begin with short sessions and then gradually get ready for full training.

Osimhen only recently overcame shoulder dislocation problems he suffered from international duty with Nigeria in November.

The attacker also contracted coronavirus and was isolated for 14 days before he recovered from the virus.

Osimhen’s debut season with Napoli has also been marred by suspension after he was shown a red card in a Europa League game against Real Sociedad.

The forward has only made 16 appearances across all competitions since his €80 million move from Lille last summer.

Osimhen will miss Napoli’s second leg round of 32 fixture of their Europa League game against Granada on Thursday.

The Parthenopeans have lost their last two games and will hope to return to winning ways against the Nasrids‎ and progress to the next round of the competition.

Napoli's recent unimpressive form has seen them dropped off the top five to be placed seventh after gathering 40 points from 22 games.

Osimhen remains a key member of the Nigeria national team and will be expected to be back for the Super Eagles when they take on the Republic of Benin and Lesotho in March in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane has questioned the decision to have fans attend their Caf Champions League match against Simba SC which they lost 1-0 on Tuesday.

The Red Devils came up against the Msimbazi giants at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium with Caf allowing 30,000 fans to attend the match and by Tuesday morning, all 30, 000 tickets had already been sold out.

Simba then beat the African champions 1-0, the first defeat for coach Mosimane by an African team since he joined the Egyptian side.

Mozambican winger Luis Miquissone powered home the all-important goal in the 31st minute, exchanging a one-two pass with midfielder Clatous Chama before unleashing a right-footed effort which sizzled past Al Ahly defender and keeper Mohamed El Shenawy to the roof of the net.

Speaking after the game, Mosimane has explained his unhappiness at the Caf decision to allow fans to attend the Group A fixture saying whatever happened in the game has never happened in any place in the world.

“We have to be professional after any loss, but the game could be held in better circumstances,” Mosimane told the club’s official website. “I am a professional coach and I have no comments on the fans’ attendance as it was Caf’s decision, but what happened today [Tuesday] did not happen in any place in the world.”

The South African tactician has, however, remained confident they will still qualify from the group despite losing in Tanzania insisting they still have four matches to play for.

“We still have four remaining games in the group stage, and we will fight to reach the next round,” Mosimane continued.

“We aimed to dominate the possession in today’s game, but we missed several chances in the first half, and in these games, we have to take all of our chances.”

The reigning Tanzania Mainland League champions started the game better, denying the Egyptians possession. Their confidence levels were good and the presence of the fans made it even easier.

Miquissone had a real chance in the game after just five minutes when he was slipped into the danger zone by Clatous Chama. However, his touch in the danger zone was heavy allowing the goalkeeper to make a save.

Concentration lapses almost proved costly for the East Africans. The ball was passed to Oluwafemi Ajayi whose one-time pass set up Abdul Kahraba. But the latter shot wide from 16-yards much to the relief of the home fans. 

In the 31st minute, the home-team supporters were given something to celebrate. Mozambican Miquissone was let loose in the 18-yard area and he unleashed an unstoppable rocket that hit the crossbar before bouncing in the net.

It was the second time Al Ahly lost at the same venue, after they had lost 1-0 in 2019.

LA Galaxy midfielder Efrain Alvarez has been named to both the U.S. and Mexico preliminary squads ahead of CONCACAF’s Olympic qualifying tournament.

Alvarez is one of 48 players included on the U.S. squad, which Jason Kreis will have to narrow down to 20 ahead of the Olympic qualifiers in March.

Also included on Kreis’ list are some major names including Barcelona’s Konrad de la Fuente, RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson and recent Roma signing Bryan Reynolds.

Alvarez's situation

To this point, Alvarez has played for Mexico at the youth level, and, as a result, would require a one-time switch to be eligible to feature for the U.S. going forward.

The LA Galaxy midfielder has joined USMNT camp in recent months as he was a part of Gregg Berhalter’s squad back in December.

However, Alvarez did not feature in the match against El Salvador as he left his international future open heading into 2021.

With the Olympics around the corner, it appears that both the U.S. and Mexico believe they have a chance to bring Alvarez into the program going forward, and whoever does win the race to do so would be bringing in one of the more promising young players in MLS.

The 18-year-old midfielder, who has been hailed by former Galaxy teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has already made 32 MLS appearances, scoring two goals.

The rest of the U.S. squad

Kreis has selected a number of big names for his preliminary list, but actually getting some of those players into his qualifying squad will prove difficult.

Clubs are not required to release players for Under-23 games, meaning that the bulk of the roster is expected to be MLS-based.

Among the European-based stars included are De la Fuente, Aaronson and Reynolds, while Uly Llanez, Sebastian Soto and Johnny Cardoso were also included from foreign clubs.

Players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Mark McKenzie are technically age-eligible for the squad as well, but have been left off and were never expected to take part in these matches.

Among the MLS standouts included are Sporting KC midfielder Gianluca Busio, New York Red Bulls midfielder Caden Clark, LA Galaxy defender Julian Araujo and Atlanta United star Miles Robinson.

Goalkeepers: Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Matt Freese (Philadelphia Union), Jonathan Klinsmann (LA Galaxy), JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes), David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake), Brady Scott (Austin FC).

Defenders: Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy), George Bello (Atlanta United), Kyle Duncan (New York Red Bulls), Marco Farfan (LAFC), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Chris Gloster (PSV), Aaron Herrera (Real Salt Lake), Aboubacar Keita (Columbus Crew), Henry Kessler (New England Revolution), Mauricio Pineda (Chicago Fire), Donovan Pines (D.C. United), Bryan Reynolds (Roma), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), James Sands (NYCFC), Auston Trusty (Colorado Rapids), Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids).

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg), Efrain Álvarez (LA Galaxy), Frankie Amaya (FC Cincinnati), Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids), Gianluca Busio (Sporting KC), Caden Clark (New York Red Bulls), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional), Hassani Dotson (Minnesota United), Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United), Djordje Mihailovic (CF Montreal), Keaton Parks (NYCFC), Andrés Perea (Orlando City), Brandon Servania (St. Polten), Tanner Tessmann (FC Dallas), Eryk Williamson (Portland Timbers), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes).

Forwards: Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona), Jeremy Ebobisse (Portland Timbers), Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids), Ulysses Llanez (Heerenveen), Benji Michel (Orlando City), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas), Sebastian Saucedo (Pumas), Sebastian Soto (Norwich City).

When are Olympic qualifiers?

The CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament is set to be held on March 18 in Mexico.

The U.S. will be joined by the hosts in their group alongside Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, completing a difficult-to-navigate foursome to begin the tournament.

After three group stage games, the top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinal round, with the winner of each semifinal heading to the Olympics.

The U.S. has not qualified for the Olympics since 2008.

Simba SC midfielder Clatous Chama has likened the club to ‘kings of the jungle’ after they beat Al Ahly 1-0 in a Caf Champions League match at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Tuesday.

The ‘Mwamba Lusaka’ was among the players who starred for the Msimbazi giants as they secured the vital win against the African champions in front of 30,000 fans.

Mozambican star Luis Miquissone powered home the all-important goal in the 31st minute, exchanging one-two passes with Chama before unleashing a right-footed effort which sizzled past Al Ahly defender and keeper Mohamed El Shenawy to the roof of the net.

Chama has now taken to his social media pages to state they are dominating the sky in Africa after the huge win saw them take full control of Group A with six points from two matches.

“Kings of the jungle grew wings and went on to dominate the sky where all eagles knelt with no objection, thank you, Lord,” Chama wrote on his social media pages.

On his part, Simba CEO Barbara Gonzalez thanked the players for the display they put up to shut out the African champions.

“We want to thank our players and the technical bench for the good display they gave us, it is such a sweet win against the best team in Africa,” Gonzalez told reporters after the match.

“We are happy to have the win and now we are on top of the table, slowly by slowly we are moving in the right direction, we want to qualify from the group and we now have four matches to play, we will make sure we win all our home matches.”

The reigning Tanzania Mainland League champions started the game better, denying the Egyptians possession. Their confidence levels were good and the presence of the fans made it even easier.

Miquissone had a real chance in the game after just five minutes when he was slipped into the danger zone by Clatous Chama. However, his touch in the danger zone was heavy allowing the goalkeeper to make a save.

Concentration lapses almost proved costly for the East Africans. The ball was passed to Oluwafemi Ajayi whose one-time pass set up Abdul Kahraba. But the latter shot wide from 16-yards much to the relief of the home fans. 

In the 31st minute, the home-team supporters were given something to celebrate. Mozambican Miquissone was let loose in the 18-yard area and he unleashed an unstoppable rocket that hit the crossbar before bouncing in the net.

It was the second time Al Ahly lost at the same venue, as they had lost 1-0 in 2019.

OL Reign have announced the signing of England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley on loan from Manchester City.  

The 36-year-old will join through June 30, with the NWSL club in need of a stopgap at goalkeeper before the expected arrival of France star Sarah Bouhaddi.

Bardsley brings plenty of experience for club and country, having been capped 81 times by England.

What's been said?

“I am really excited to be joining OL Reign over this period and very grateful to Man City for allowing me the opportunity to experience a new environment to get more game time and progress my learning and development,” Bardsley told OL Reign's official website.

“I’ve been very impressed with the whole approach and attitude of everyone at OL Reign and I can’t wait to meet up with the squad and coaches. NWSL is such a competitive league, and I’m determined to do all I can to help the club get the season off to a winning start.”

Head coach Farid Benstiti added: “Karen is a player with very big experience. She has played in many important games and knows what it takes to win big matches.

“Our goalkeeping situation is complicated this year. We have started with Cosette [Morche], a young goalkeeper with so much great potential. And now we add Karen, who will be ready to play immediately.

"We have another keeper already signed that will join mid-season, and when Karen departs in June, we will have another top player to replace her. It is complicated, but very good."

Who will replace Bardsley at OL Reign?

The player Benstiti is referring to is almost certainly Bouhaddi, who is currently playing for OL Reign's sister club Lyon. 

Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas said last month that two out of the star trio of Bouhaddi, Dzsenifer Marozsan and Wendie Renard would likely join OL Reign when their campaign with Lyon ends.

What is Bardsley's playing status?

Bardsley was England's starter at the 2019 World Cup but suffered a serious hamstring injury during the tournament that kept her out for 15 months. 

She has since returned to fitness and was called in to England's November training camp, but has been overtaken by Ellie Roebuck as Man City's starter.

Further reading

Orlando Pirates continue with their pursuit of Premier Soccer League leaders Mamelodi Sundowns when they visit SuperSport United for Wednesday’s date at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Two weeks after their last involvement in a domestic fixture when they dismissed Cape Town City 2-0 in a league clash at home, Pirates will return to PSL business.

With eight points behind Sundowns in fifth spot, the Buccaneers’ title credentials are still intact although they face a tough task to catch up with the table-toppers.

Their opponents SuperSport have already made their title intentions known and are currently placed second on the log and trailing Downs by four points, although they have played a game more.

For Mtasatsantsa, it is yet another date against a Soweto giant after they held Kaizer Chiefs 1-1 at FNB Stadium four days earlier.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

After SuperSport coach Kaitano Tembo substituted Lucky Mohomi in the 36th minute during the draw against Chiefs, there were fears that the midfielder could have suffered an injury.

But Tembo moved in to allay the concerns, saying it was a tactical substitution.

The Zimbabwean coach, however, complained that his side showed a bit of fatigue in that match.

Midfielder Teboho Mokoena has not featured for SuperSport since mid-January and the club has not issued an update on the state of his fitness.

Pirates still face some injury challenges especially upfront which has caused serious concerns for coach Josef Zinnbauer.

Already out are strikers Zakhele Lepasa and Tshegofatso Mabasa, leaving Zinnbauer with Jean-Marc Makusu as the only outright frontman available.

That saw Makusu being handed his first start in Pirates' colours last Sunday for their Caf Confederation Cup 1-0 win over Jwaneng Galaxy.

To boost attacking options, Zinnbauer also started Austin Muwowo for the first time since the Zambian joined the Soweto giants last season.

The German tactician has been sweating over the fitness of Frank Mhango and Thembinkosi Lorch who can be used as a makeshift number nine.

In case the injured forwards do not recover in time, Zinnbauer would be forced to use Deon Hotto, Terrence Dzvukamanja or Azola Tshobeni as strikers.

Match Preview

Pirates go into this match enjoying a four-game winning streak across all competitions in their recent matches.

That is the kind of form Zinnbauer could have asked for ahead of facing a tough side like SuperSport.

While Pirates’ last four wins includes two Caf Confederation Cup matches as well as a Nedbank Cup game, they are keen to create a consistent run on the league front.

Before recording victory, their last league outing, a 2-0 win over Cape Town City, they had been beaten 2-0 by Golden Arrows in the previous match.

That defeat by Arrows was preceded by the 2-1 Soweto derby dismissing Kaizer Chiefs, while TS Galaxy had held them 1-1 after a 1-0 win over Maritzburg United.

SuperSport have equally been struggling for consistency in the PSL, having posted two victories, as many draws and a defeat in their last five games which saw lost opportunities to overtake Sundowns.

The last meeting between Pirates and SuperSport ended 2-1 in favour of the Buccaneers who had to come from behind in November 2020.

Juventus director Fabio Paratici has delivered an update on Paulo Dybala's contract situation.

Dybala has been linked with a summer move away from Allianz Stadium, with it reported that Juve could look to cash in on the forward before he becomes a free agent in 2022.

The Bianconeri have not yet offered the Argentine fresh terms in Turin, but Paratici claims that negotiations between the two parties over an extension are now in motion.

What was said?

Speaking after Juve's 3-0 Serie A win against Crotone on Monday, which Dybala sat out due to injury, Paratici told reporters: "Paulo still has a few problems - it's like he's on a swing. Some days he's better and others he's worse. He seemed okay [last week], then he felt some pain again.

"We have spoken [about this contract], we have been speaking and will continue to speak in the next few days and months."

Who has been credited with an interest in Dybala?

Dybala has attracted attention from a number of top European clubs in recent months, including Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Premier League has also been touted as a possible next destination for the 27-year-old, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham among those reportedly keeping a close eye on his progress.

How has Dybala performed for Juve this season?

Persistent fitness issues have limited Dybala's contribution to the Bianconeri cause in 2020-21.

He has been out of action since the start of January with a ligament issue, but he is now back in training and could be in contention to feature when Juve travel to Verona on Saturday.

Dybala has only managed to provide three goals and two assists in 16 games across all competitions to date, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata currently leading the line in his absence.

The bigger picture

Juve have slipped eight points behind Serie A leaders Inter in Dybala's absence as Andrea Pirlo's side have been unable to string together a significant run of victories.

They also exited the Coppa Italia at the semi-final stage earlier this month, but winning a domestic and European double is still a possibility for the Italian giants if Pirlo can get his squad back to full strength.

Juve still have a game in hand on Inter, and they will be seeking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit when they play host to Porto in the second leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie on March 9.

Further reading

La Masia coach Garcia Pimienta admits he cannot “imagine a Barcelona without” Lionel Messi, but accepts that the mercurial Argentine has earned the right to dictate his own future.

As things stand, a six-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to head towards free agency at Camp Nou.

No fresh terms have been thrashed out, with the lack of a club president in Catalunya doing that cause few favours, and it may be that the 33-year-old ends a career-long association with the Blaugrana over the summer.

What has been said?

Pimienta, who worked in the academy system that moulded a rough diamond into the superstar he is today and has been for well over a decade, has told Cadena Ser: “It would be a shame if he left because Barcelona will always be his home but if he wants to, we have to respect his decision.

“I don’t know if Messi will continue, I hope he will.

“I can’t imagine a Barca without him, he has done his entire career here, he has earned the right to decide what he wants to do, but I hope he ends his career with us.”

Who has been linked with Messi?

Only those with the deepest pockets and biggest sporting ambition could enter the mix to secure Messi’s signature.

Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City form part of that elite group, with Ligue 1 and Premier League heavyweights seeing moves for an all-time great mooted.

Goal has, however, learned that the iconic South American will be making no decision on his future until the end of the season.

Barca are refusing to give up on agreeing an extension with their talismanic captain, but results have remained inconsistent this season and Ronald Koeman’s side are making hard work of trophy quests at home and abroad.

Do Barcelona have a contingency plan?

Replacing a modern day legend will be an impossible task for the Liga giants.

They do, however, have a number of promising youngsters on their books that big things are expected of.

Pedri and Ansu Fati have impressed when fit this season, while Riqui Puig has stepped out of the La Masia ranks to see 17 appearances across all competitions in 2020-21.

Pimienta, who is currently in charge of Barcelona’s B team, added on a player that he has helped to develop: “When Riqui Puig comes in to play he does it well.

“Previously he worked a lot with me to fulfil his dream of playing for Barca’s first team. He is young, but he’s made to play for Barca.”

Further reading

Express FC maintained their winning run in the Ugandan Premier League after they hammered promoted side MYDA FC 4-0 in a one-sided match on Tuesday.

The Red Eagles went into the match against the winless side buoyed by a 4-0 drubbing of BUL FC in their last league encounter and they never disappointed when they set foot at King George IV Memorial Stadium.

On-form striker George Senkaaba put them into the lead in the 22nd minute after rounding up the MYDA defence to squeeze the ball into any empty. Despite seeing much of the ball in the first-half, the Wasswa Bbosa led charges went into the break enjoying a 1-0 lead.

On resumption, Express continued to press their hosts but they had to wait until the 58th minute when Godfrey Lwesibawa powered home the second goal from a free header and they were 3-0 up two minutes later when Ssenkaba scored his second of the afternoon after a fine finish.

Lwesibawa then made it 4-0 for the Red Eagles, meeting a cross from Ssenkaba to drive a low-footed effort past the keeper, however, MYDA denied Express keeper Mathias Muwanga a clean sheet after Issa Lumu was fouled inside the box with the referee pointing to the penalty spot.

Eric Mutebi then stepped up for MYDA to send keeper Muwanga the wrong way and hand their team at least a goal from the battle.

In another match, champions Vipers SC needed a second-half goal to sink struggling BUL FC 1-0 at St Marys Kitende Stadium in Kampala.

BUL, who had lost 4-0 in their last league match against Express, proved a hard nut to crack for the Venoms and they had to wait until the 84th minute to snatch the vital points after Yunus Sentamu powered home a brilliant header from Paul Mucureezi's delivery.

Former champions KCCA FC failed in their bid to break Wakiso Giants' eight-match unbeaten run as they settled for a 1-1 draw in another match at Kabaka Kyabaggu Sports Stadium.

The Kasasiro Boys went into the match having beaten MYDA 5-0 in their last outing, but they could not find their passing against Wakiso as they struggled to play their usual flowing game.

However, they took a deserved lead through Andrew Kigozi who broke the deadlock in the 40th minute with a rocket of a hit but Wakiso levelled matters before half-time after Ian Ssenfuka scored from the penalty spot.

Harry Maguire may be Manchester United captain and a mainstay for England, but Rio Ferdinand says the £80 million ($113m) centre-half is no longer deserving of a starting spot with the Three Lions and should be dropped behind Michael Keane in the pecking order.

Gareth Southgate is in the process of piecing together his plans for this summer’s European Championship, with 2022 World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland in March set to aid that process.

Maguire will, fitness permitting, be expecting to figure in those contests, but Ferdinand says the 27-year-old should not be guaranteed a starting spot as rivals from Manchester City and Everton have risen above him.

What has been said?

Ferdinand, who won 81 caps for England, has told the FIVE YouTube channel on who should be filling centre-half berths for the Three Lions: “On form Michael Keane all day.

“There wouldn’t be a person in the country who is watching Premier League games week-in-week-out who would tell you Maguire is more consistent than Michael Keane at the moment. Not a chance.

“Michael Keane has been playing at Everton consistently as the centre-back there, so right now I’d say Michael Keane and John Stones. Who else is going to be there? Who else can you pick?

“Stones has just come back to form, so he’s in contention again, and he’s got the experience above others, which is a plus for him. So I think at the moment it is really who plays with Stones.

“And in terms of form, Maguire seems to not be in great form at the moment. So if you’re looking for another, Michael Keane I would say is the next in line for me. If you’re going on form, you don’t pick [Maguire].”

How many times has Maguire played for England?

The Red Devils skipper has represented his country on 30 occasions.

He made his debut in the autumn of 2017 in a World Cup qualification clash with Lithuania.

Maguire would go on to make Southgate’s squad for that tournament in Russia, with a prominent role played in a memorable run to the semi-finals.

He has scored two goals for England and remained a regular despite questions being asked of his off-field activity and on-field form in 2020.

Who else is in contention?

Keane’s fine form for Everton is allowing him to stake a serious claim for a spot in England’s starting XI.

Stones has also rediscovered a spark this season at Manchester City, with the 26-year-old making it impossible for Pep Guardiola to leave him out.

Tyrone Mings of Aston Villa is another to have seen regular outings for the Three Lions of late, with Tottenham’s Eric Dier another option for Southgate to consider.

Selection calls heading forward will depend on the system that England favour, with tweaks to a three-man defensive unit seeing Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker slotted into a centre-half berth at times.

Further reading

Mathare United coach Salim Ali has called on his charges to bounce back immediately and claim a win against Wazito FC in an FKF Premier League match on Wednesday.

The Slum Boys went into the match as the favourites considering they were playing against the promoted side and took a deserved lead courtesy of Tyson Otieno but Bidco replied through Erick Gichimu and Lennox Ogutu's own goal to carry maximum points.

The defeat has left coach Ali a disappointed man and he has now called on his players to respond and beat Wazito when they clash at Kasarani Stadium.

“We have a chance to rectify the mistakes we made in our last game and I call upon my players to use the Bidco United upset as motivation towards getting the win in tomorrow’s [Wednesday] game,” Ali said as quoted by the club’s social media pages.

“The good thing about playing in the league is you are always presented with an opportunity to make things right unlike in a knockout tournament where one mistake means you are out.

“We are down at the moment but not out, so we need to realize this and respond to the best of our abilities tomorrow.”

Salim also touched on Wazito's positive start to the season saying it was all because his friend and coach Francis Kimanzi was in charge of the team.

Ali posed: “With Kimanzi [Francis] at the helm what do you expect?!”

The clash with be the fourth between the two sides since Wazito were promoted to the top-flight in 2018, with Wazito winning the first meeting while the other two have ended in draws.

However, Wazito will come into the match missing the services of defender Johnstone Omurwa, who will sit out through suspension.

The central defender picked his fifth booking of the season against Tusker a fortnight ago and will thus serve a mandatory one-match ban but he will however be available for selection over the weekend when Wazito take on Zoo FC.

In his absence, coach Kimanzi will turn to David Otieno, Maurice Ojwang, or Roland Ashimoto to partner captain Bernard Ochieng at the heart of our defence.

Daniel James is among those to be getting excited about Amad Diallo at Manchester United, with the Welsh winger admitting that a direct rival for regular game time has got “unbelievable feet”.

The Red Devils invested in the potential of the 18-year-old Amad during the summer of 2020 and welcomed him onto their books during the January transfer window.

Amad has been catching the eye at Under-23 level, allowing him to make his senior debut in a Europa League clash with Real Sociedad, and big things are expected at Old Trafford.

What has been said?

James told United Review of the impact made by the highly-rated Ivorian: “Amad has come in and, as a young lad, he’s been unbelievable in training.

“I mean his professionalism [is very good] and he’s settled in straight away, I’d say, do you know what I mean?

“We see his quality in training, he has unbelievable feet, but we’ve seen he also presses well and wins the ball back, which is exactly what we want.” 

When did Amad make his debut?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handed the youngster seven minutes off the bench in United’s 4-0 win over Sociedad on February 18.

The Red Devils boss has confirmed that Amad will be in his plans once again when the return leg of that last-32 showdown is taken in on Thursday.

Is Amad a threat to James?

The Wales international had been struggling for minutes prior to another attacking option being brought on board.

He now faces added competition for places, but has found the target in each of his last three appearances.

James hopes those efforts will help to keep him in contention, with the 23-year-old adding on the challenges he faces and collective desire to get the job done against Sociedad: “I think, whenever I get called upon, I must always be ready.

“It was an enjoyable game [the first leg]. At times, we had to be patient as they had a bit of the ball. We always knew that because they are a very good team, especially on the ball. So they were going to keep it, at times, but I think our game plan came together a lot better in the second half. We made a lot of breaks and that is how we got the goals.

“Obviously it’s not over yet as they have still got to come to us, but we will go into the game with the same attitude as we did for the away tie.”

Further reading

Raheem Sterling has revealed the advice from Pep Guardiola that helped to make him a superstar at Manchester City, with a demanding coach telling a promising forward to “keep grinding” and to “win more and more”.

That message has been heeded at the Etihad Stadium, with an England international winger collecting seven trophies in the last three years.

Sterling has also added greater end product to his game, finding the target on 102 occasions under Guardiola to cement a standing as a key man for club and country.

What has been said?

Asked about the biggest lessons he has learned from a Catalan coach, Sterling told CityTV: “Just that winning mentality.

“That is the thing I have learnt most from him and to not be content with what you have done and keep grinding, keep getting better and try to win more and more.”

Sterling’s record under Guardiola

The 26-year-old’s century of goals for City with Guardiola calling the shots have been recorded through just 229 appearances.

He has also contributed a regular stream of assists, with Sterling up to 85 in that department across his entire spell at the Etihad Stadium.

Two Premier League titles have been collected by the Blues during his time in Manchester, while Guardiola has also overseen an FA Cup win, three Carabao Cup triumphs and a Community Shield success.

To go alongside those collective honours, the 2018-19 campaign saw Sterling land the PFA Young Player of the Year award and FWA Footballer of the Year prize.

The bigger picture

More silverware is on the cards for City this season, with a historic quadruple still up for grabs.

Guardiola’s men sit at the top of the Premier League table – 10 points clear of the chasing pack – while also reaching the Carabao Cup final, quarter-finals of the FA Cup and last-16 of the Champions League.

Sterling has added on their ambition, with 17 successive wins secured across all competitions: “It is still early days and we still have massive games coming up, but we keep our focus and go again.

“We won’t get ahead of ourselves and we still know it is a long season to go. The Champions League is coming now so it is an important part of the season.

“We will just keep our focus and go into the Champions League game this week, then after that the Premier League game. We will take it step by step and not get ahead of ourselves.

“There are fantastic teams in the league this season. All of the other teams have been grinding out results.

“We have just got to focus on ourselves and that is the most important thing. We are in control of our own destiny. Hopefully, it all works out well.”

Further reading

After coming on board as the sporting director at Indian Super League (ISL) Kerala Blasters, Lithuanian Karolis Skinkys put together a long-term strategy to not only bring success to the club but also add stability to the way it functions. 

He was heavily involved in every sporting decision that the club arrived at and one of the decisions that he had to make was the appointment of a new head coach. Eelco Schattorie's contract wasn't renewed following an injury-hit season,  Blasters appointed their ninth different manager since their inception when they brought on board I-League champion Kibu Vicuna. 

Vicuna, who perfected his Mohun Bagan team in pre-season by playing a lot of games, lost just one league game in their journey to the title last season. However, with expectations riding high, the Vicuna era also ended in disappointment as Blasters dropped to the eighth position on the league table after 18 games. The inevitable happened, Kerala Blasters once again parted ways with their manager. 

The decision part ways with Kibu Vicuna was met with confusion and disappointment from the supporters, especially as it came after a heavy 0-4 defeat to Hyderabad that confirmed the team's exit from the top-four race. In an exclusive conversation with Goal, the sporting director himself shed light on the situation that led to the club making such a difficult decision. 

"It (the decision regarding the coach) is not related to the result against Hyderabad.  It is related to our position on the table after 18 matches. Many different circumstances negatively affected results, but we underperformed more than expected. I hear different opinions about the cycle of coach, etc. but ultimately, this team did not play to the best of their abilities. The club and its supporters should not compromise on this," Skinkys explained. 

Blasters have now changed coaches nine times in seven seasons and this managerial merry-go-round could be considered as a threat to the execution of long-term projects. However, Skinkys reassures that the vision of the club does not undergo any changes despite the departure of the head coach. 

"The plan is the same as the vision is to build long term. The head coach is a very important detail but, changing him does not mean that the vision of the club is affected. We have several talented players under long term contracts that form a core part of our team. So, now is the time to evaluate what style of football they are best suited for and start from there."

Kerala Blasters recently extended the contracts of their promising Malayali stars Sahal Abdul Samad and Rahul KP. They have also extended the deals of Prasanth Karuthadathkani, Sandeep Singh and it helps in the formation of a core group of players at the club. 

While the Coronavirus pandemic affected the club's pre-season preparations, there were departures of key players like Sandesh Jhingan and the club's all-time topscorer Bartholomew Ogbeche that weakened the squad.

"Now we can tell that it (the departures) affected (the team) a lot. The departure of important players affected the fact that we lacked leadership in the team. It took a lot of important time before we became a team. The necessary real connections and links between the players were established only after the initial matches," Skinkys said. 

He added, "That being said, these departures paved the way for youngsters like Sandeep, Jeakson to emerge so, we’ll take these positives and build on them."

The common doubt for a lot of supporters regarding the whole situation at Kerala Blasters is how long can the chopping and changing of the squad and the staff go on. In Skinkys' opinion, this season's changes were inevitable. 

"The core of young talented players we have is the evidence of the long term potential of the club. About changes, I can’t comment on what happened at the club during the previous seasons because I wasn’t here. I can only assure you that the change of coach was not planned and an expected process this season. 

"But looking at the context, the whole situation was just too bad. We had a lot of chances to get back into the fight for the top four, but a disorganized defence – due to which we lost 18 points from winning positions - denied us that opportunity.

"I clearly feel that supporters of Kerala are tired of changes, but, I disagree with the opinions that change is bad. Changes are not needed if you are moving in a good direction, but this season I did not feel it because of disappointing results. So, I would like to ask supporters not to worry about this situation. Long term plans and vision of the club does not change after a changing of the coaching staff. Kibu is a great coach but, his experience in this environment was not successful. It was a very difficult year to work. I have great respect for him."

The sporting director also shared his target for the next season's squad. He wants Kerala Blasters to be a well-organized team that is mean and mature and also one that is prepared to sacrifice and suffer.

"As for next season, we must find a way to become a well-organized team. This will be a task for the new coaching staff. Players should step up as well and accept that not everything in football will be fun. If we want to achieve something, we need to be more ‘mature’ and ‘mean’ and be prepared to suffer and sacrifice a lot as well.

"The league is very equal and has two parts – in the first half the teams with the best energy and attitude usually win. In the second half of the season, the best-organized team with fewer mistakes rise."

Safa CEO Tebogo Motlanthe says they are waiting for feedback from Mamelodi Sundowns to hear if the Premier Soccer League champions will agree to play their rescheduled Caf Champions League Group B match against CR Belouizdad on Sunday.

Downs face a fixture headache as they also have a Nedbank Cup Last-16 match against Polokwane City lined up for Saturday and their itinerary also includes a league trip to Stellenbosch scheduled for next Tuesday.

It is, however, the Champions League fixture slated for Dar es Salaam holding things up after Caf slotted it in between their domestic matches.

They were initially supposed to play Belouizdad in Algeria this Tuesday before being denied visas.

“One of the issues which we raised with Caf was that when you take your decisions you must know that they [Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs] also have the domestic commitments,” Motlanthe told Marawa Sport Worldwide on Metro FM and Radio 2000.

“What happened with Sundowns is that we got a letter of confirmation late last night [Sunday] and I then had a chat with them and they promised to come back to me which I’m still waiting.

“If they say we are not comfortable [playing on the 28th], they will write to Caf and we will forward it to Caf and support them that there is a domestic fixture because the time frame and logistics will become a problem for them.

“I will be having that discussion again with Yogesh [Singh, legal and commercial manager] from Sundowns and hear how the club is dealing with that. Of course we get updates from them. If they say we are equal to the task we will allow they to continue. But if there are concerns we are here as an association to support them.”

The Algerians already have their Ligue 1 fixture against CA Bordj Bou Arreridj postponed to accommodate travelling to Tanzania to meet Sundowns after the domestic game was initially pencilled in for Friday.

Motlanthe said Sundowns are checking with the PSL on the way forward.

“He [Yogesh] was to check internally and also to check with the league about their fixtures. Remember they were supposed to play the Nedbank Cup game also,” continued Motlanthe.

“So he was to check if the league agrees to move that game and if it suits their schedule. Then he was to come back to me and tell me whether they will play or not. So I’m waiting for them and as soon as I get that communication we will engage and make a joint submission to Caf.

“They were to consult and check with the league what’s doable and what’s not doable. Now this Covid-19 is used as a weapon and as an association we need to stand up in defence of these teams that are participating in these tournaments so that we avoid the culture of using the Covid-19 situation as a weapon against fair play.”

Downs’ PSL rivals Kaizer Chiefs are also yet to make a public statement on whether they are travelling to Burkina Faso to face Wydad Casablanca in their rescheduled Champions League Group C match.

Nigeria emerged as the first African side to claim the Turkish Women's Cup on their first-ever appearance after humiliating Equatorial Guinea 9-0 on Tuesday.

The nine-time Africa Women's Cup of Nations winners opened their outing on a high, with a 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow before edging Uzbekistan by the same scoreline to inch closer to the crown.

Randy Waldrum made three changes to his side, starting Charity Adule, Christy Ohiaeriaku and Uchenna Kanu ahead of Halimatu Ayinde, Tochukwu Oluehi and Francisca Ordega.
 
Needing just a draw to seal the title, the Super Falcons were seeking to end on a high as Uchenna Kanu set up Glory Ogbonna to open the scoring, with a long-range effort after just nine minutes.

Three minutes later, Toni Payne was brought down in the area to gift Nigeria a penalty and Asisat Oshoala stepped up to convert from the spot before grabbing her brace with another penalty in the 13th minute.

Some 13 minutes later, Chidinma Okeke's long pass from the right found Oshoala and the Barcelona striker raced past the opponents' defence to net her third and her side's fourth of the match.

Waldrum's side maintained their ruthless form as Payne teed up Kanu to net a fifth of the match in the 36th minute before Ogbonna's cross was headed in by debutant Charity Adule two minutes later. 

Three minutes from the half-time break, Payne grabbed her first goal in the green and white colour of Nigeria when she fired past goalkeeper Emiliana Nchama Ndong for a seventh of the match.

Before the restart, Waldrum made four changes, bringing on Mariam Ibrahim, Gift Monday, Ramat Abdulkareem and Esther Sunday as replacements for Ihezuo, Okeke, Payne and Kanu. 

Despite Jean-Paul Mpila's team holding on for a while, the Super Falcons added an eighth of the day when Abdulkareem set up Monday to score her first goal for the team in the 69th minute.

Five minutes from the full-time, substitute Halimatu Ayinde assisted Oshoala to grab her fourth goal of the tie to complete the Nigeria rout.

Regardless of the outcome between CSKA Moscow and Uzbekistan, Nigeria are the 2021 Turkish Women's Cup champions, with nine points from three matches in the 10-day competition.

The four-nation invitational tournament success was the first in history for Nigeria in Europe and the first crown under Waldrum.

Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr has expressed his pessimism about Nigeria's chances of winning the World Cup with the current players at his disposal.

The Super Eagles' best outings at the global tournaments were in 1994, 1998 and 2002, when they reached the Round of 16.

Rohr led the West African side to their sixth appearance at the 2018 edition in Russia, where they crashed out at the group stage.

The German tactician was recently handed a new two-year deal and could lead the three-time African champions to their next outing at the global tournament.

Rohr, however, believes the Super Eagles cannot win the global tournament because many of the players are not playing in top clubs.

“We are not ready to win the World Cup, for several reasons,” Rohr told NewsCentral.

“France is the champions at the moment, where they are playing? They are playing in PSG, Bayern Munich. Four of them are world champions at their clubs also

“So when you have so many of your players from your countries playing in the best clubs, so the probability that you also have one of the best teams in the world is very big.

“So what we have in Nigeria for example, we have our players in Fulham, in West Bromwich. It’s not Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester United or Barcelona. But the other ones have their players there. So it would be a miracle if we actually win the World Cup.”

Rohr also revealed newly invited players like Matthew Yakubu and Sebastian Osigwe did not get a chance to feature in their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone in November because the games were competitive.

The German tactician, however, handed debuts to Frank Onyeka and Kevin Akpoguma, who switched his allegiance from Germany to Nigeria.

"We tried in the last few friendlies and even the international games in Benin City and in Freetown, we had some new players," he continued. 

"We had some players who decided to come with us, leaving, for example, Germany U20, U23 like Akpoguma who decided to come with us, it is fantastic

"But they need the time to come in and it's not easy in a few training sessions only to find exactly the right way to play with the team, it's easier for the other ones who were with us in the World Cup and played with us in the Afcon.

"We have to try to invite better players, friendlies are good for that to see them. When they are friendlies it is not for the result we are playing, we want to see new faces.

"We tried new goalkeepers, new wingers, new defenders and the midfielder from Midtjylland Onyeka, the Austrian goalkeeper.

"We saw a lot of players in the friendlies but they are not enough, we only have two since one year. When you have games that you need results it is not the best moment for the players and for the team to invite new ones."

Nigeria will take on the Republic of Benin and Lesotho in their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March.

Bayern Munich are the “only step” for Erling Haaland if he wants to remain in the Bundesliga, says Lothar Matthaus, but the Borussia Dortmund striker has been told that opportunity will not present itself until Robert Lewandowski leaves the Allianz Arena.

Transfer talk is starting to build around a highly-rated 20-year-old frontman, with his stock continuing to rise as a prolific strike rate is maintained in German football.

Several clubs, including La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, are said to have their eye on Haaland, but Matthaus believes he could tread the same career path as another iconic striker by swapping Dortmund for Munich.

What has been said?

Bayern legend Matthaus has told Sport 1: “Haaland is already on the list of top clubs, right at the top as a striker. At Real Madrid, because with Karim Benzema they have a player of a certain age. His father has already played in the Premier League. That could be interesting too. 

“He will not serve Borussia Dortmund for life. He'll look for bigger clubs, he'll get a higher income. If he stays in the Bundesliga, there is only one step for him: FC Bayern.”

Matthaus added on Haaland’s potential: “With Kylian Mbappe he can follow in the footsteps of the other great world footballers of the last 13 or 14 years. 

“He could succeed Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich in two or three years if Lewandowski should think about the end of his career. But, Lewandowski is currently in form, Haaland too and as long as Lewandowski is playing for Bayern, I don't think Haaland will come, because they will not be able to play with a Haaland-Lewandowski double because they would take away each other's strengths.

“Bayern will not think about selling Lewandowski. He will end his great career in Munich. Only when Lewandowski is no longer with Bayern will the place for Haaland in Munich be freed up.”

Haaland’s record

Haaland’s meteoric rise to prominence took him from the reserve team at Molde to the No.9 shirt at Dortmund in under three years.

An eye-catching start to the 2019-20 campaign at Red Bull Salzburg brought him to the attention of teams across Europe.

Interest from the likes of Manchester United was shunned when moving to Germany, with that big career call now being justified.

Haaland has hit 43 goals for BVB through as many appearances, while also registering 10 assists.

He is considered to embody what a modern-day striker is all about, with physical power and pace mixed with quick feet and predatory instincts in the final third.

Many are tipping him to be a Ballon d’Or contender of the future, alongside Paris Saint-Germain superstar Mbappe, and it is easy to see why he would be of appeal to Bayern once the day comes for them to part with a long-serving Pole that has over 500 career goals to his name.

Further reading