Looking for Soccer News?

Tanzanian giants Simba SC picked a 1-0 win over Biashara United in a Mainland Premier League tie on Thursday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Bernard Morrison, who enjoyed a starting role ahead of Luis Miquuison,e as coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa made a number of changes in the first team, scored the goal that gave Wekundu wa Msimbazi the victory.

Although Simba were dominant in both halves, they were unable to extend the lead as Biashara United mostly played with more men at the back to deter their hosts from having too much space that could have punished them more.

"We have three points that take us to the position where we need to be," Simba celebrated. "A position where we believe we belong to."

The French coach had earlier explained why his players needed to beat the Francis Baraza's side in Dar es Salaam.

"I told the players that we need three points, it doesn’t matter how we have to win the game because of the situation on the table,” Da Rosa said in an earlier interview.

“The biggest thing is that a win will get us back on track, we drew our last game [2-2] and it somehow slowed down our chase, we need to catch up with the team at the top, it is the reason we have to fight on the field and get a win.”

The victory comes after the Tanzanian heavyweights had recorded a morale-boosting win over AS Vita of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Caf Champions League encounter in Kinshasa on February 12.

After the win, that keeps them in the second place behind arch-rivals Yanga SC, comes before they shift focus before facing Al Ahly in the second match of Champions League. 

The next two games in hand for Wekundu wa Msimbazi will be against JKT Tanzania and Tanzania Prisons on March 1 and 9 respectively. The two local games will be played in between a continental tie against El-Merreikh on March 5.

The win over Biashara United puts Yanga under immense pressure especially after drawing in the last three games. Although they remain unbeaten, Timu ya Wananchi have dropped points and consequently giving their Kariakoo rivals chance to close in on them.

Simba SC Starting XI: Aishi Manula, Gadiel Michael, Shomari Kapombe, Joash Onyango, Pascal Wawa, Taddeo Lwanga, Perfect Chikwende, Mzamiru Yassin, Meddie Kagere, Said Hamis, Bernard Morrison.

Subs: Beno Kakolanya, Hassan Dilunga, Clatous Chama, Mohamed Hussein, Ibrahim Ajibu, Luis Miquissone, Miraji Atumani.

Biashara United Starting XI: James Ssetuba, Dennis Nkane, Mpapi Nasibu, Lenny Vedastus, Abdulmajid, Mangaro, Baraka bMakoba, Ibrahimu Isihaka, Christian Zigah, Tariq Simba.

Subs: Edson Magoma, Delick Mussa, Joseph Zziwa, Kauswa Manumbu, Gershon Kabeja, Yusuf Shaban, Ally Kombo.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt has revealed that Itumeleng Khune has been stripped of the club's captaincy.

Eyebrows were raised when experienced goalkeeper made his return to the Amakhosi starting line-up against AmaZulu FC while not wearing the captain's armband on Wednesday. 

Ramahlwe Mphahlele, who was also returning to the starting line-up after recovering from an injury, led Chiefs as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to AmaZulu in a PSL match at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. 

Samir Nurkovic has captained the Soweto giants in the absence of both Khune and Mphahlele this season. 

Hunt has stated that Mphahlele is the new Chiefs captain with Khune having struggled for game time this term as he serves as the club's second-choice goalkeeper behind Daniel Akpeyi. 

“Ramahlwe is the captain now,” Hunt was quoted as saying on Daily Sun on Thursday. 

“Khune has been out for a long time. But Rama is the captain now.”

Khune, who was replaced as Bafana Bafana captain by Thulani Hlatshwayo in 2017, was beaten by two strikes from AmaZulu attackers Augustine Mulenga and Lehlohonolo Majoro.

The former South Africa under-23 international was to blame for the second goal as he failed to punch the ball away from danger and he was punished by his former Chiefs teammate, Majoro. 

Khune has endured one of his worst seasons since he has promoted to the Amakhosi first team from the club's academy in 2004.

The man nicknamed Itu has now conceded 12 league goals in six matches this season following the narrow defeat to AmaZulu. 

Itu made two similar costly mistakes in back-to-back PSL matches against Black Leopards and SuperSport United in December 2020 and he lost his place in the starting line-up to Akpeyi. 

This is the third time that Khune has been stripped of the armband with Tefu Mashamaite having replaced him as Chiefs captain during the 2014/15 season with Stuart Baxter in charge of the team. 

Khune also lost the armband to Siphiwe Tshabalala during the 2015/16 campaign and this time the team was under the guidance of Steve Komphela. 

Itu was reappointed Chiefs captain by Komphela ahead of the 2016/17 PSL season and he has now been replaced by Mphahlele, who is a former Mamelodi Sundowns skipper.

Dean Henderson is happy to continue playing a waiting game behind David de Gea at Manchester United, with the 23-year-old goalkeeper saying his “best is yet to come” as collective sights are set on a “well overdue” trophy at Old Trafford.

An England hopeful returned to his parent club in the summer of 2020 after taking in two productive seasons on loan at Sheffield United – helping them to promotion into the Premier League and a top-half finish among the elite.

He is considered to be a long-term option between the sticks for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but has been restricted to just 11 appearances in total and 224 minutes of top-flight football this season.

What has been said?

“I’ve just got to keep ticking along, keep doing well and my best is yet to come,” Henderson has told United’s official website.

“I’ll keep waiting for those opportunities to come and hopefully I can build a bit of momentum and show my best form.”

Who has Henderson faced in 2020-21?

The highly-rated goalkeeper made his competitive debut for the Red Devils in a Carabao Cup clash with Luton in September 2020.

He was Solskjaer’s go-to option in that competition, with further outings taken in against Brighton and Everton before bowing out in the semi-finals at home to Manchester City.

Henderson has also been a regular in United’s FA Cup campaign, seeing minutes against Watford, Liverpool and West Ham during a run to the quarter-finals.

Major silverware is being chased down there, while the Europa League presents another possible avenue to tangible success.

Henderson is in line to figure in the last-32 of that competition against Real Sociedad, with the Red Devils determined to bring a four-year trophyless run to a close.

“Trophies are massive at this football club and they’re well overdue, so we definitely want to win something this season,” Henderson added.

“That’s what everyone in this group is working towards.”

The bigger picture

Henderson knows he needs to be seeing regular game time in order to retain his place in the England squad.

A senior bow for the Three Lions was made against the Republic of Ireland in November 2020 and the plan is to remain part of that fold through to this summer’s European Championship.

Further reading

Bayern Munich have confirmed defender Benjamin Pavard has tested positive for coronavirus.

The 24-year-old will now need to undergo a period of self-isolation at home and is set to miss his side's Champions League last-16 clash with Lazio on February 23.

The news comes after Thomas Muller was forced to miss the Club World Cup final having also returned a positive test last week.

What's been said?

Bayern released a statement on Thursday saying: "Benjamin Pavard has tested positive for coronavirus. The 24-year-old is otherwise in good health and is self-isolating at home."

What matches will Pavard miss and who will replace him?

The positive Covid-19 test means that Pavard will be ruled out of Saturday's Bundesliga meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as Tuesday's clash with Lazio in the Champions League.

It's unclear exactly when the Frenchman received the positive test result, although with him needing to undergo a period of self-isolation Pavard could also be absent for the fixture at home to Cologne on February 27.

The former Stuttgart star has been playing at right-back for Hansi Flick's side in the 2020-21 campaign, with Bouna Sarr the most likely to replace him in the starting XI.

Sarr wasn't at his best during the 3-3 draw with Arminia Bielefeld, and that may see Flick deploy Joshua Kimmich on the right side of defence despite his preference to play in a midfield role.

Which other Bayern players have tested positive for coronavirus?

It was confirmed on February 11 that Thomas Muller had tested positive for Covid-19, and he was therefore unable to feature in the Club World Cup final - with Bayern beating Tigres 1-0 courtesy of 59th-minute Pavard goal.

Muller also missed the Arminia draw and is set to be unavailable against Frankfurt. He'll have to post a negative test at least 48 hours before Tuesday's Champions League clash in Italy to be in with a chance of featuring.

As well as Muller; Leon Goretzka, Javi Martinez, Serge Gnabry, Niklas Sule and Joshua Zirkzee - now on loan at Parma - have all also tested positive for coronavirus in the past.

In Gnabry's case, however, the Germany international recorded a false positive and therefore only missed two of the Bundesliga champions' matches before he was allowed to return to the squad.

Further reading

In-form Tusker picked a 4-1 win over Kaiobangi Sharks during a Football Kenya Federation Premier League tie on Thursday at Kasarani Annex.

Jackson Macharia, Henry Meja, and Luke Namanda scored for Robert Matano's side while Posta Rangers' goal was struck by Ezekiel Okare.

Tusker's first open chance came in the eighth minute but Hillary Wandera's effort went straight into Bryne Omondi's waiting hands. In the 19th minute, Macharia attempted a long-range shot after a quick counter-attack but he missed the target narrowly.

Jackson Dwang's free-kick from a vantage point which was Posta Rangers' first close chance, went over the bar in the 29th minute.

Meja scored three minutes after the quarter-hour mark but his goal was ruled out for offside. Tusker came close again with Meja hugely involved in the 36th minute but were unable to get an opener. The youngster outwitted a number of his markers and squared the ball for Macharia whose initial attempt was punched away by Omondi while the second attempt went out.

Macharia, however, found the back of the net in the 39th minute but Posta Rangers equalised immediately through Okare a minute later. Meja found his way onto the scoresheet in the 45th minute as he restored Tusker's lead.

Another chance for the 11-time league winners came in the 48th minute but Brian Marita's was denied by a busier Omondi. On the other hand, Hashim Sempala saved Tusker with a goal-line clearance in the 63rd minute when he swept Okare's low drive.

Namanda, who also scored against Mihuu United in the 9-0 win during a Shield Cup tie, extended Tusker's lead in the 66th minute. The midfielder picked Michael Wanjala's cross before he lobbed over Omondi who had denied them on a number of occasions.

Meja, who has been tipped to be a generation star, added the fourth for Tusker as they condemned Stanley Okumbi's side to a huge loss.

Meanwhile, at Mumias Sports Complex, Kariobangi Sharks came out 1-0 winners over Vihiga United. Erick Kapaito scored the goal in the 79th minute as Brandon Obiero made his debut and saved a penalty for the Nairobi club.

Lionel Messi “might be thinking about” joining Paris Saint-Germain says Rivaldo, with the Barcelona legend conceding that an all-time great may have made his last Champions League appearance at Camp Nou.

If that is the case, with the Argentine continuing to run his contract down, then he will depart with a rare blot on his copybook following a 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last-16 encounter.

Kylian Mbappe stole the show in that contest with a stunning hat-trick after Messi had opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and Rivaldo fears the decision may now have been taken by a six-time Ballon d’Or winner to head elsewhere.

What has been said?

“This may well have been Lionel Messi's last match for Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Champions League. Based on the quality PSG showed, I'm sure he might be thinking about joining them,” Barca great Rivaldo told Betfair.

“I want Messi to stay at Barcelona but I understand why he'd want to leave at the moment when the club is not guaranteeing him good chances of fighting for important titles regularly. He can't keep taking responsibility for the team on his own. Last summer, he saw Luis Suarez leave in an incomprehensible transfer that has made Atletico Madrid stronger.

“I believe he will leave the club at the end of season.”

What does the future hold for Messi?

Goal has learned that the 33-year-old will be making no decision on his future until the end of the season. He does, however, remain at the centre of intense transfer talk as uncertainty continues to reign.

Messi made one push for the exits in 2020, only to see the doors at Camp Nou slammed shut as he was forced to accept that the final year of his contract would need to be seen out.

Various figures with strong connections to the Liga giants have stated their confidence regarding another deal being done.

Speculation is rife though, and PSG form part of an elite group of suitors, alongside Premier League heavyweights Manchester City, that could match Messi’s sporting and financial ambition.

Ligue 1 title holders at Parc des Princes have made no secret of the fact that they would welcome Messi onto their books.

Further reading

AmaZulu FC head coach Benni McCarthy has compared himself to Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp as he praised Siphelele Mthembu following a win over Kaizer Chiefs. 

Mthembu was a constant threat to the Chiefs defence throughout the PSL match which ended in a 2-1 win in favour of AmaZulu at FNB Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

The experienced marksman caught the eye with his link-up play with fellow attackers Augustine Mulenga and Lehlohonolo Majoro, who both scored and he has been likened to Liverpool's industrious forward Roberto Firmino by McCarthy.

However, Mthembu was wasteful in front of goal as he squandered several clear cut chances with the Chiefs defence exposed and McCarthy has now defended the 33-year-old player. 

What's been said

“Shaka [Mthembu] is a one of the best team players you can find in the PSL, I think people don’t give him enough credit for the hard work he does and the interlinking football that he plays you know,” McCarthy told the media. 

“Sometimes I feel like Jurgen Klopp because Klopp has the same problem every week with Roberto Firmino. Players criticise him but they don’t understand what he brings to the team. If he doesn’t play, you see there’s a little bit of a difference in how they play.

“With Shaka, when he plays he brings that calm on the field and of course as a coach and player you want to be on the scoresheet and score, but he just slotted into that role because he always takes the option to look for a teammate that is in a better position than him. He is not the most selfish striker and sometimes he needs to be more selfish," he continued. 

“If you see the assist ratio under me, Shaka has made an assist and I’m happy with that. I don’t care about what others would think, for me as a coach when he is on the pitch I know what we are going to get and 99 percent of the time we come away with three points when Shaka plays.

“So I’m very happy with him, but as a player he would like to score and it’s about the team, not individuals. Shaka is not one of those players that is all about himself, he is all about his teammates to get into the goals and is happy to see the team win, and that’s what some don’t understand." 

Why does it matter & what's the bigger picture?

Further reading

Andreas Christensen has revealed how Thomas Tuchel set about tweaking Frank Lampard’s approach at Chelsea to make the Blues watertight at the back.

In the German’s first six games at Stamford Bridge, his side have been breached just once.

That record stands in stark contrast to the one that contributed to his predecessor being ushered through the exits, with the Premier League heavyweights now favouring a three-man defensive unit.

What has been said?

“If you don’t need to play the ball, you don’t have to,” Christensen told Chelsea’s official website on the message from Tuchel. “Wait for someone to come and take the ball, don’t take last-second decisions, know what you’re going to do and make it happen.

“He just said to us to be comfortable and believe in ourselves. I have played in the middle of the three before and I’m quite comfortable there. At the moment, when we are playing good football and getting wins, it is helping us so we don’t have to do too much to change it.”

Who scored the only goal against Tuchel’s Chelsea?

Tuchel opened his reign in west London with a goalless draw at home to Wolves. That stalemate was followed by Premier League victories over Burnley and Tottenham, allowing the Blues to start climbing the table.

Chelsea also saw off Newcastle last time out, while making their way into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a narrow win over Barnsley and have seen confidence restored.

The only time they have conceded with Tuchel at the helm came during a trip to Sheffield United, and even then they registered the effort as Antonio Rudiger put through his own net in a 2-1 win.

The bigger picture

Chelsea have found a formula that works, with Tuchel reverting back to a system that delivered notable success for Antonio Conte during his time in England.

Stability and solidity have been restored in an important area of the field, with a number of those that had been outcast under Lampard now welcomed back into the fold.

Marcus Alonso has been starring at left wing-back, Rudiger in a centre-half berth and even Kepa Arrizabalaga collected a welcome clean sheet against Newcastle after enduring an error-strewn start to the season that led to him being replaced by Edouard Mendy.

Christensen added on the Spanish shot-stopper, who has been told that he remains a back-up option at the Bridge: “I think he made a couple of good saves. That can be important for his self-esteem and also for the group. It was nice to see him out there. We felt comfortable, even though we needed him two times in the second half.”

Further reading

Kylian Mbappe is once again the name on everyone’s lips, following his Champions League hat-trick for Paris Saint-Germain against Barcelona, and Jamie Carragher believes the World Cup winner could be lured to Liverpool.

The Reds legend is allowing himself to get “a little bit excited” about a possible move, with Jurgen Klopp having sounded out an exciting French forward in the past.

Carragher acknowledges that a spell at Real Madrid appears destined to figure in Mbappe’s future, but sees Anfield as the “perfect” stepping stone to Santiago Bernabeu for the 22-year-old.

What has been said?

Carragher has told CBS Sports on talk of Mbappe heading to Merseyside: “I’m not joking, it was based on the fact that Liverpool thought they had a decent chance of getting Mbappe when he was at Monaco. I know Jurgen Klopp had spoken to him then and I’m sure other clubs had at that time.

“When Liverpool were in the Champions League final and won the Champions League a couple of years ago, I think anyone watching Liverpool there with Jurgen Klopp and the support of Anfield, if you’re ever going to go to a club in England before you go to Real Madrid.

“I think he will, guaranteed, play for Real Madrid at some stage in his career but I’d always feel that maybe Liverpool is that perfect destination for a player like that before you make that next step.”

Carragher added: “It would be Liverpool or Manchester City because they are the two top teams you’d see in the Premier League, but there’s no doubt on social media, he’s put a couple of things out when Liverpool have been playing at home in the Champions League and it’s got us all a little bit excited.”

What has Mbappe said about Liverpool?

Back in May 2020, Mbappe got tongues wagging when he lauded the efforts of a side surging their way to a first Premier League title.

He told The Mirror: “This season, Liverpool have been a machine in the Premier League. They have made winning look easy but the truth is that it is never easy. Performances like they have been having don’t just happen. To be as ruthless as they have been would come from lots of hard work in training and from having a very good manager.”

Klopp has told beIN Sports when pressed on links to Mbappe and Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho: “Look, I cannot answer those kinds of questions without creating headlines the next day, I know that's what I don't want to do. I love them all and there's a few more players out there.

“They are all exceptional players. The players they are now because of their own attitude, because of their skills and all that stuff and I love watching them but I have no problem that I never trained one of them.”

The bigger picture

Mbappe is only contracted to PSG through to the summer of 2022, with no extension at Parc des Princes agreed as yet.

The France international’s stunning treble against Barcelona took him to 111 goals in just 153 appearances for his current employers.

Further reading

Uganda have dropped four places down to 93rd in the latest Fifa rankings released on Thursday, February 4.

Cranes have not had a good run of late. The East African heavyweights were part of the African Nations Championship held in Cameroon recently but bowed out after a 0-0 draw with Uganda coupled with a 2-1 loss and a 5-2 against Togo and eventual champions Morocco respectively. 

Prior to the competition, Cranes had taken part in the pre-Chan competition where they drew 1-1 with the Indomitable Lions, before defeating Zambia 2-0 and later on claiming a 3-0 win over Niger.

In the recent standings, the Johnathan McKinstry-led charges are on 1301 points, six less than what they had a month ago.

In the East Africa region, Kenya come second in position 104. Harambee Stars have not been involved this year. Their last assignment was in November 2020 when they played Comoros in a double-header. They drew at home 1-1 before falling 2-1 away.

They are on 1187 points and as a result, there was no movement in terms of positions since the points remained constant as well.

Tanzania have stagnated in position 135 despite adding two points in their tally. Prior to their Chan campaign, Taifa Stars played the Democratic Republic of Congo in an international friendly staged at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Under the then coach Etienne Ndayiragije, the team started their campaign with a 2-0 loss to Zambia. They then defeated Namibia by a solitary goal in their second match of Group D before winding their campaign with a 2-2 draw with Guinea.

The Tanzania Football Federation opted to part ways with the Burundian and appointed Danish Kim Poulsen to succeed him.

Sudan have not moved, they remain in position 127 with 1124 points.

Amavubi of Rwanda have managed to increase their points from 1099 to 1103. However, they have stagnated in position 133. They were also part of the teams that took part in Chan and were eliminated in the quarters.

After an identical 0-0 draws with Uganda and Morocco, they went on to defeat Togo 3-2 to make it to the next round. However, they were controversially eliminated by Guinea who claimed a 1-0 win.

Jean-Michel Aulas believes Memphis Depay can still be talked into signing a new contract at Lyon, despite a man who has been heavily linked with Barcelona in the past edging his way towards free agency.

As things stand, a highly-rated Netherlands international will see his current deal expire at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

A fresh start has been mooted, along with various potential landing spots, but his current employers believe that the 27-year-old can be convinced to sign fresh terms and postpone any plans to take on a new challenge outside of France.

What has been said?

Aulas, president of the Ligue 1 giants, has told Le Progres: “Until the end we believe that he will renew for next season.

“Right now it is not something that is possible but why not?”

Aulas added on Depay: “He is a great talent, world class.

“There are not many like him in the team. He brings solutions. I always wanted him to remain but our offers did not convince him.

“We helped him go to FC Barcelona but financially it was not possible.”

When were Barcelona keen?

The Liga heavyweights endeavoured to do a deal for Depay during the summer transfer window of 2020.

Ronald Koeman was eager to be reunited at Camp Nou with a player he had worked with in the Netherlands international set-up.

No deal was done before the deadline passed, while Barca had no funds to invest during the January transfer window.

They could acquire the former Manchester United winger for nothing if he does run down his deal, with some big decisions facing the Dutchman.

He has thrived in France, on the back of a testing spell at Old Trafford, with 68 goals and 49 assists recorded across 164 appearances.

His versatility marks him out as a useful option for Lyon, Barca or any other suitor, with his early days on the flanks being traded in for a productive run as a central No 9.

Further reading

The U.S. women's national team will return to action in February as the sixth edition of the SheBelieves Cup gets underway in Florida.

Vlatko Andonovski's side go into the tournament off the back of two wins in January, when they beat Colombia twice in a double-header.

Their February fixtures, however, will provide sterner tests for the USWNT ahead of this summer's Olympic Games. 

Who is playing in the tournament in 2021?

Argentina and Canada will be making their first appearances at the SheBelieves Cup this year, while Brazil return for a second time after finishing fourth in 2019.

The USWNT have only faced Argentina three times in their history, their latest meeting coming at the Brasilia Tournament in 2014, when they emerged 7-0 victors.

Neighbors Canada, however, are a regular rival of the host nation, with the USWNT having faced no team more in their history. Brazil are also a regular opponent, sitting seventh on that list.

Japan were originally scheduled to participate for a third successive year, but pulled out in January due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. England have played at the tournament every year since its inception, winning the title in 2019, but announced last year they wouldn't be travelling to the U.S. to compete in 2021.

What is the SheBelieves Cup?

The SheBelieves Cup is an invitational tournament that was founded in 2016 and is hosted by the United States every year.

It takes on a round-robin format, with each team playing each other once over the course of the first FIFA international window of the year. The winner of the tournament is the team that tops the standings at the end of the six matches.

The USWNT have won the tournament three times, in 2016, 2018 and 2020. France were victorious back in 2017 and England lifted the trophy in 2019.

VISA, the sponsor of the tournament, will award an MVP trophy to the best player of the 2021 tournament for the second year running. Spain's Alexis Putellas received the accolade last year, the midfielder chosen by a selection of former players from each participating country of the 2020 edition.

When are the fixtures?

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal could have signed Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer, while also confirming attempts to bring in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mbappe, who this week scored a stunning hat-trick as PSG beat Barcelona 4-1 at Camp Nou in their Champions League round of 16 first leg encounter, has been linked with a mega-money move this summer, with Liverpool and Real Madrid among those said to be interested.

It could have all been very different however, with former Arsenal manager Wenger revealing just how close his old club came to signing Mbappe at the very start of his career.

What has been said?

Wenger told beIN Sports : "We can talk about Mbappe, I was at his home when he was undecided whether to extend his contract with Monaco.

"He could have come to Arsenal for free. I would say every club is full of histories like that.

"You go to Milan, to Manchester, Arsenal, Chelsea there are these kind of stories everywhere."

Which other stars did Wenger nearly sign?

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world club football for well over a decade, winning countless individual and team honours with Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

Wenger says Arsenal engaged in transfer talks with both men , confirming years of speculation suggesting the Gunners could have signed both Messi and Ronaldo at early points in their careers.

He said: "Ronaldo was very close to joining us. The bad luck for us was that Carlos Queiroz joined Man Utd [as assistant manager] and in a week he persuaded Sir Alex Ferguson to buy Ronaldo. He was quite a good buy at the time.

"We wanted to make the trio of Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique. They are a 1987 generation who played all together. Pique played in midfield at the time and in the end he decided to go to Man Utd, Fabregas joined us and Barcelona were clever enough to keep Messi."

Another player Wenger was close to a deal for was Jamie Vardy, who decided to remain at Leicester following their remarkable 2015-16 Premier League title triumph.

Wenger said: “I offered him a lot of money at the time. Leicester had just won the championship in 2016, and [Vichai] Srivaddhanaprabha at the time, who unfortunately after had the helicopter accident, did absolutely not want to lose him and they offered him a longer contract and approximately the same money, if not more.”

Further reading

Jwaneng Galaxy are not giving up on beating Orlando Pirates ahead of Sunday’s Caf Confederation Cup play-off, second-leg at Orlando Stadium despite heavily trailing 3-0 from their home leg.

The Botswana champions defender Fortune Thulare says they have discovered Pirates have some “weaknesses which any team can pounce on” for a positive result.

It appears a tall order for Galaxy to overturn the first leg defeat in Pirates’ backyard but Thulare says they will be in Soweto for a win.

“Pirates is a very good team with top class players. They are an organised unit and their swift attack going forward is something one has to take note of,” Thulare told Phakaaathi.

“They do have their weaknesses which on any day one can pounce on them and come out with a result. I think this has been seen during some of their games in the league. We will play our game to win it but we are very much aware we are playing a good team so if the goals come we will gladly accept them.”

The winner of this round progresses to the Confederation Cup group stage.

If Galaxy pulls a shocker and reverses their home defeat to reach the next round, it would be their first ever time to play in this competition’s group phase.

But achieving that appears nearly impossible for the Botswana champions who have expressed concerns about their fitness levels.

Since February 2020, football in Botswana has been on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic and this has seen Galaxy inactive except for taking part in continental assignments.

“The fact that we are not having competitive games in our country has affected our play,” said Thulare.

“Our levels of fitness and mental sharpness wasn’t the same as Pirates who play games week in, week out. From our end, we really need to make sure we remain sharp throughout the game and push harder.”

Jwaneng started in the Caf Champions League where they eliminated Zilimadjou from Comoros Islands in the preliminary round.

They then met Mamelodi Sundowns who beat them in the first round to drop to the Confederation Cup play-offs.

The Indian men's national team maintained their 104th rank in the world and 19th in Asia in the latest FIFA men's rankings released on February 18.

Igor Stimac's side ended the year 2020 on 104th position without playing a single match due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

India were supposed to host Qatar in March 2020 before facing Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the remainder of their 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualification matches from Group E. However, amid the Coronavirus pandemic the fixtures, after initially being postponed to October, now are set to take place in June 2021.

The Blue Tigers are currently placed fourth in Group E with three points from five matches. Qatar top the table with 13 points while Oman are hot on their heels with 12. India are virtually out of contention for the top two spots but a third-place finish is well within the reach of the Blue Tigers. That will book them a direct berth in the third round for the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers. 

In Asia, Japan maintained their position at the summit and are ranked 27th in the world followed by Iran, Korea Republic and Qatar who are ranked 58th globally. Among the top 15 teams in Asia, only Oman have progressed by one place to 11th.

Globally, Belgium lead the rankings followed by France, Brazil, England, Portugal and Spain - in that order. Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and Italy constitute the top 10 spots.

Toni Payne and Patricia George made their Nigeria debuts as the Super Falcons got off to the perfect start in the Turkish Women's Cup after defeating CSKA Moscow 1-0 in Thursday's opener.

The African side came into the contest on the heels of a 15-month hiatus, while the Russian giants were cruising on three straight preseason wins over Kransdor plus the BIIK Kazygurt double.

Randy Waldrum's ladies almost gained an early lead through captain Asisat Oshoala before she was eased off the ball by Bratko Ekaterina in the sixth minute.

However, CSKA almost got themselves ahead through Tetyana Kozyrenko but her effort came off the woodwork in the 16th minute.

Two minutes later, Ordega made the best of her pace to race in from the right side before sending in a low cross for Ihezuo to tap in Nigeria's opening goal.

Ordega and Payne combined well for another goal but the CSKA defenders were alerted of the danger to foil it in the 24th minute.

On the brink of the half time break, Payne came close to double the lead on her debut but her strike from outside the box went wide.

After the restart, the West Africans continued their dominance as Oshoala almost increased the lead but missed netting from close range 10 minutes into the second half.

In the final 15 minutes, CSKA failed to find a way past Nigeria's solid defence despite late changes as the latter held on to claim the win in Antalya.

The win sees Nigeria open their campaign on a high and puts them in second position in the group, tied on three points but separated from leaders Uzbekistan by goals scored.

The result left Waldrum in a celebratory mood on his fine start, while American born duo of Sevilla's Payne and SC Sand's George made their international debuts for Nigeria.

Payne lasted the duration of the match on her maiden outing, while George replaced Halimatu Ayinde to feature in the final 14 minutes.

The Super Falcons will aim to claim top spot when they faced table-toppers Uzbekistan in their second match at the same venue on Saturday.

In the other result, Uzbekistan thrashed two-time African champions Equatorial Guinea 5-0 at the same venue on Wednesday evening.

Georginio Wijnaldum says Liverpool will be taking nothing for granted against RB Leipzig in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter, with the Bundesliga outfit capable of doing to them what they once did to Barcelona.

Back in 2018-19, the Reds found themselves playing catch-up in a crunch clash with La Liga giants.

They had a three-goal deficit to overturn in that semi-final tie, with another memorable European night played out at Anfield, and Leipzig only trail the Premier League title holders 2-0 ahead of the return date in England on March 10.

What has been said?

“Well, of course we have a big chance to go to the next round, but it’s the Champions League – we showed a few years ago already what can happen even if you are 3-0 down,” Wijnaldum, who grabbed two goals in the iconic victory over Barca, has told Liverpool’s official website.

“They will think the same: ‘OK, we lost the game 2-0 but we can change it away.’ So what we have to do is be focused and be aware that it can change.”

What happened against Barcelona in 2019?

A Lionel Messi masterclass at Camp Nou had left Liverpool with a mountain to climb heading into the second leg showdown on Merseyside.

Klopp’s side were to deliver the most stirring of fightbacks, with Divock Origi getting them on their way inside seven minutes.

Wijnaldum then bagged a brace against a side he continues to be heavily linked with in the present, before the roof was blown off Anfield 11 minutes from time.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quick thinking at a corner caught Barca napping, allowing unlikely hero Origi to grab his second of the game and complete a sensational turnaround.

Can Liverpool go all the way again?

The Reds’ domestic form has left a lot to be desired of late with three successive defeats suffered in the Premier League, but they do have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals.

They needed that boost heading into a derby date with Everton on Saturday, as Klopp’s men are ensuring that they still have major silverware to aim at.

Wijnaldum added: “We also had [it] in a couple of games this season that we played well but didn’t win at the end of the game. So to play a good game and to win the game as well gives you a good feeling, a lot of good feelings. Also confidence again because now you get rewarded for the game.

“Every game is a totally different game, so we just have to lift it up every game and give our all, but the win was welcome and we are happy we could win this game.

“In three weeks we have to play them again and it’s a difficult team to play against. You saw the way they were playing, it’s still tricky so we just have to lift it up again and put a good performance in.”

Further reading

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has spoken glowingly about Baroka FC’s players.

Sundowns beat Baroka 2-0 in a league match at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night to open a five-point gap over second-placed SuperSport United.

Masandawana did however not have things all their own way and could not break down Baroka’s defence in the first half – it took two goals in five minutes midway through the seconds stanza from Gaston Sirino and Peter Shalulile to earn the victory for the Tshwane giants.

And had the Limpopo side been more clinical in front of goal, they could well have taken something from the game.

Mngqithi admits that the visitors made his side work hard for the win and was impressed by some of the individual performances.

“It’s always a tough one against Baroka. And for whatever reason, when we are playing them here at home they always give us a very tough time,” the Downs coach said during his post match interview on SuperSport TV.

“Their transitions can be very dangerous with [Nhlanhla] Mgaga, [Thamsanqa] Masiya and the young boy [Evidence] Makgopa, you see what a handful he is. Aerially, he wants to win almost everything, and he’s the right specimen. Very quick as well, but also very tall, which gives them a little bit of an advantage.”

Makgopa is the youngest of the three at just 20, and Baroka is the only professional club he’s played for.

The 24-year-old Masiya was previously with Swallows FC and Mbombela United, while Mgaga, also 24, spent two seasons with TTM before joining Baroka ahead of last season.

Makgopa has netted an impressive five league goals in 14 matches this term and will likely be on the radar of some of the bigger clubs. Last season he only played eight league matches but still managed four goals.

Mgaga and Masiya have scored once each in the league this season.

The result left Bakgaga in 10th spot on the table, with 17 points and they are eight clear of the relegation zone. Now winless in their last five games in all competitions since beating Stellenbosch, they face Black Leopards in a derby encounter at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.