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Former Ghana second-team coach Maxwell Konadu accepts the blame for the nation's inability to qualify for the ongoing African Nations Championship in Cameroon.

The Black Stars are among the big names missing from the continental Showpiece after finding Burkina Faso too strong during the qualifiers.

The tournament is solely reserved for players playing club football in their home country.

"If Ghanaians blame me I have to accept it because there are times we also made Ghana great," Konadu, who guided Ghana to the final of the 2019 Wafu Cup of Nation in Senegal, told Nhyra FM on Tuesday.

The 2021 failure is Ghana’s third straight absence from the gathering, the team having also missed out on Rwanda 2016 and Morocco 2018.

"All is not negative, we went to the finals at some point in time but it’s like we have not been able to qualify couple of times and that is a minus," he added.

Konadu also spoke on his sack as head coach of Ghana Premier League giants Asante Kotoko in December after some topsy-turvy results and the club's recent change in fortunes.

"It was a new team and players will want to exhibit their individual brilliance rather than playing as a team and that made the gelling of the team difficult. It is the reason we started the season very poor but I knew with time, the team will settle," the coach explained.

"Ever since I left, the only Kotoko game I watched was against Aduana Stars and there hasn't been any changes. The only difference is that, Fabio Gama has been cleared and now plays actively for the team.

“I'm not surprised Asante Kotoko are playing very good football now because it was just a matter of time for the team to gel well together.

“When you gather too many stars in a time, it takes time for them to gel, so during my second stint at Kotoko, I envisioned the team to take some time before they could play very well together as a team."

Kotoko are currently seventh on the league table after seven rounds of matches.

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes believes there need to be more conversations about diversity in football after reports emerged linking her with the job at League One club AFC Wimbledon.

There has never been a women's head coach in the professional men's game in England and Hayes certainly won't be becoming the first by making a switch to the men's third-tier, with her clearly stating: "I’m not looking for another job."

As she faced the media ahead of Chelsea's Continental Cup semi-final against West Ham on Wednesday night, though, Hayes used attention on the speculation as an opportunity to highlight the problem of diversity in football.

"When the football world is ready to adhere to the diversity codes, so that BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities, plus women, get the opportunities in football, then I’ll see that as a step forward," she told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

"This is not a conversation about Emma Hayes and AFC Wimbledon, but we should be having larger conversations around creating opportunities across the diverse spectrum so that opportunities in the men’s game are not limited to those in privileged positions.

"My privilege is what I do for Chelsea and my focus is firmly on what we do tomorrow night against West Ham."

There have been instances of male coaches moving from the women's game to the men's game, former England head coach Phil Neville joining Inter Miami being a particularly recent example, but rarely of women's coaches doing the same.

Asked whether she believed the suggestion of her stepping down from her role with Chelsea, who were crowned Women's Super League champions last season, to take a job with Wimbledon, who are in the relegation zone in League One, was patronising, Hayes said: "I just don’t know why anybody would think women’s football is a step down.

"If coaching World Cup champions, winners, players who have represented their countries in the Olympics or Euros is a step down from anything, I think the football world needs to wake up and recognise that [women's football] - while the game is played by a different gender - is exactly the same sport.

"The qualities involved in having to manage that is exactly the same as it would be for a men’s team. We’re talking about human beings here. But I think unfortunately the football world needs to live by its promises and by the diversity codes and be in a position where they’re promoting the opportunities for the less privileged. That, for me, is what I’d like.

"This is not about Emma Hayes and AFC Wimbledon. This is about the football world being in a position where it’s a normal conversation to talk about having coaches from Asian backgrounds, from Black backgrounds, women, in dressing rooms - not as an exception to the rule but as something that’s normal.

"That process needs to begin and hopefully that affirmative action is something that can be enforced, because there’s so many quality candidates that can do the job across the men’s game. I think we take too much time talking about gender and ethnicity instead of quality of candidates. 

"Women’s football is not a step down from anything. Women’s football in its [own] right is something to celebrate and the quality and achievements of all the females I represent, it’s an insult to them that we talk about women’s football being a step down, [with] the dedication, the commitment and the quality that they have.

"I think that’s what I’m disappointed with, not being linked to a football job as a football coach, regardless of gender. But as you can see I’m happy at Chelsea and I love my job here and I’ve always been clear about that. Nothing has changed."

Gor Mahia have completed the signing of midfielder Abdul Karim Nikiema Zoko to bolster their squad.

The midfield department has been problematic for K'Ogalo and it is one of the departments they are strengthening. The Football Kenya Federation Premier League reigning champions confirmed the arrival of the Burkinabe on Tuesday evening.

"Abdul Karim Nikiema Zoko from Burkina Faso is the latest player to join us," Gor Mahia confirmed through their social media outlets.

"The midfielder from Gandzasar Kapan FC of Armenia signed a two-year deal."

The 27-year-old comes with massive experience having played for Fetteh Feyenoord of Ghana in the 2016/17 season before Ethiopian heavyweights Saint George came for him.

Earlier on, the club confirmed the arrival of their former skipper Haron Shakava.

The towering defender has joined K’Ogalo on a two-year contract, just four days after he parted ways with Nkana FC of Zambia.

Gor Mahia secretary-general Steve Ochola has confirmed to Goal they have moved to sign the defender on request from the team’s technical bench, who has been complaining about their leaking defence.

"We have finished the deal with Harun [Shakava] and he is now our player again,” Ochola told Goal on Tuesday. "We have handed him a two-year deal and we are happy to have him in the squad again.

"We hope his experience will help the team do well in the FKF Premier League and also in the Caf Confederation Cup, where we want to go past the group stage."

Ochola further said they are happy the player will be eligible to feature in Confederation Cup, hence the decision to re-sign him.

"He is eligible to play for us in the Confederation Cup and it is another reason why we felt he can be of help to us, we want to use his experience at the backline which has not been performing well in recent matches," Ochola continued.

Shakava left Gor Mahia in 2019 to sign for the Zambian outfit.

K’Ogalo are taking part in the Caf Confederation Cup after they performed dismally in the Champions League, where they lost 8-1 on aggregate to Algerian side CR Belouizdad.

Gor Mahia have now been lined up to face Napsa Stars of Zambia in the playoffs of the Confederation Cup, with the first meeting planned for Kenya on February 14 and the return fixture a week later in Lusaka.

Simba SC have finally allowed midfielder Jonas Mkude to return to training after one month out owing to suspension.

The Taifa Stars defender was suspended by the club on December 28, 2020, though the Wekundu wa Msimbazi did not give the reason behind their decision.

The player was then fined Tsh2million by the club’s disciplinary committee, and ordered to apologise for his alleged behaviour before being allowed to return to training.

Simba have now confirmed the return of Mkude on their social media pages, with a photo of the player training in the gym ahead of the resumption of the Mainland Premier League.

“Happy to be back in the gym,” Simba posted, a clear indication the player has now been allowed to return.

On imposing a fine on the player, Simba’s disciplinary committee, which was chaired by Suleiman Kova found the player culpable of three offences.

The first offence was his decision to skip the club’s seminar which was held to discuss the team’s targets for the season, his second mistake reporting late to training ahead of their league match against Coastal Union with his third mistake being a failure to report to camp on December 26, 2020, without permission.

“The committee, therefore, has ordered the player to report to camp with immediate effect so as to continue training with the rest of the squad members’ failure to which he will face more disciplinary action,” read the statement from the committee.

“Mkude will also have to pay the fine in a period of one month and he has also been asked to apologise for his mistakes in writing in the next 24 hours.”

Earlier on, Mkude had also taken to his social media pages to ask for forgiveness from the club and the fans.

“I would like to plead with Simba to forgive me for my mistakes,” Mkude said in a recorded video posted to his social media pages.

“We are all born to make mistakes and it does not mean I will repeat the same mistake again.

“I am a Simba player by blood, I love playing for Simba and Simba is part of my life. I am now hoping that my fellow teammates, the technical bench, club leaders, and all the members of the club will forgive me.”

Before his suspension, Mkude was one of the undisputable first-teamers in all competitions that Simba had engaged in, and the midfielder was also serving the Tanzania national side in the same capacity.

His services became even more important when Brazilian star Gerson Fraga suffered a long-term injury. 

East Bengal succumbed to their sixth defeat of the season as they went down 0-2 against Bengaluru on Tuesday in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash.

The Red and Golds conceded defeat despite having more of the ball throughout the game. Coach Robbie Fowler acknowledged Bengaluru's superiority as he suggested that his team played their worst game of the season so far.

"It wasn't very nice. We had a game plan, we knew what we wanted to do. Ultimately you have to give Bengaluru a lot of credit for making things difficult for us. We had a little bit of possession, maybe a little bit of the ball. They just made it extremely difficult. They blocked paths, they cut off little pockets. There are no complaints. Probably this was our worst performance of the year. So disappointed," opined Fowler.

East Bengal conceded both the goals before half time and were under a lot of pressure in the second half. Fowler hailed the Blues' fighting spirit and suggested that the Red and Golds did not take their chances despite creating many.

"You are two-nil down so of course there was pressure. We tried a few things but did not really materialise. Lots of players had opportunities and quite frankly they didn't really take it. It did not go in our favour. They had more fight than us tonight and that is something that has not been labelled to our team this year."

"I am let down by the result. Certainly, the players don't go out to have a bad game. Somethings happen. Let's give Bengaluru a lot of credit. They stopped us from playing, they stopped our strength. We are disappointed, the players are disappointed. It's a bad day for us. We will pick ourselves up and go again," the East Bengal coach said.

The English coach is still hopeful of making it to the play-offs but admitted that the job has become very tough after the Bengaluru defeat.

"Its mathematically still on and we can't give up. The next game is massively important. We said before that we give the players a target. The target is still achievable. But it has become extremely difficult. We will keep fighting. Tonight we competed but we were up against a more competent and a resolute side. We will push ourselves and try and win the next game," opined Fowler.

Fulham manager Scott Parker has revealed the club signed Josh Maja from Ligue 1 side Bordeaux because of his potential.

The Craven Cottage outfit completed the signing of the 22-year-old Nigeria international on transfer deadline day on loan.

The forward, thus, became the seventh African player in Parker’s team after Neeskens Kebano (Congo), Tosin Adarabioyo (Nigeria), Mario Lemina (Gabon), Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), Ola Aina (Nigeria) and Andre-Frank Anguissa (Cameroon).

Parker revealed some of the qualities of the Super Eagles forward he admired and was confident he would develop at Craven Cottage.

“I think firstly, like all deadline days they do bring a little bit of drama. Very pleased with the signing of Josh,” Parker said in a press conference.

“He falls into line with the sort of business we've done this year in terms of young talent with big potential.

“He's a very good finisher and it was clear we needed to strengthen in that area. We've got Aleks but he's our only real, recognised centre forward. Firstly very pleased with that so hopefully Josh comes in and we can push him on.

“We tried to do some other bits, Josh King was that one. We tried and pushed but competing with Everton was a challenge and he decided to go there.”

Fulham will take on Leicester City in their next Premier League game on Wednesday as they look to end their winless run.

Parker revealed Maja may not feature in the game as he is yet to arrive at Craven Cottage from his base in France; and was uncertain regarding the fitness of the forward.

“Josh is not here at the moment, he comes in today, he's not played over the last three or four games so we need to see physically where he is,” he continued.

“Ability-wise Josh was here as young boy, he's played in English football so I don't see that as an issue. Probably more just where he is physically and we'll judge that.

“Physically where he is, is something we'll have to work out. I brought Josh to the football club because he's someone who I see with big potential, someone I see we can develop.

“When you look at the transfer work we've done this season in Antonee Robinson, Tosin, Harrison Reed, Ademola Lookman, even Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

“These are young, exciting players who need developing, need time, need improving, not had a lot of football and the challenge is the next level of the Premier League. All of these players have done fantastically well and I think Josh fits into that bracket as well.

“There is a slight risk there because he's not been around the Premier League but not many of these players we signed in the summer, and done some very good business, did as well. That's where I see it.”

Maja had played 17 league games for Bordeaux, scoring two goals before his departure from the club.

Lamontville Golden Arrows claimed their first competitive win over Orlando Pirates since 2017 when they emerged 2-0 winners in a PSL match at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on Tuesday evening. 

Pule Mmodi impressed with finishing ability on the day as he scored in each half to inspire Abafana Bes'thende to their sixth league win of the campaign. 

Abafana Bes'thende were looking to record their second successive victory in the league after claiming a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Maritzburg United in the KwaZulu-Natal Derby encounter on Saturday. 

Mandla Ncikazi's side was without Pirates loanee Gladwin Shitolo, who was injured, and Lungelo Dube replaced him in central midfield, while Knox Mutizwa led the Arrows attack after scoring against Maritzburg.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers were also gunning for their second victory in a row in the league having secured a 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs in an enthralling Soweto Derby clash on Saturday.

Coach Josef Zinnbauer rewarded Siphesihle Ndlovu and Paseka Mako with starting berths after they came off the bench to grab a goal and an assist respectively against Chiefs.

Arrows managed to contain a confident Pirates side in the opening exchanges and they threatened first through Mutizwa as the Zimbabwe international's curling effort was brilliantly parried away by goalkeeper Richard Ofori.

The Buccaneers dominated possession and they probed while searching for the opening goal, but they found it difficult to get in behind the Abafana Bes'thende defence and test Sifsio Mlungwana in the hosts' goal-posts.

Thembinkosi Lorch, who was deployed as a target man, was often isolated up front with Nkosinathi Sibisi man-marking him and he was forced to come and fetch the ball in the midfield at times. 

Pirates resorted to playing long balls into the opposition's box and Mako connected with Deon Hotto's cross, but Mlungwana gathered the ball with ease.

The deadlock was broken in the 40th minute after some quick thinking by Michael Gumede, whose throw-in found an unmarked Mmodi and the latter fired past Ofori with a curling shot and Arrows were leading 1-0 at the interval.

Zinnbauer made two changes prior to the start of the second-half as he introduced Frank Mhango and Ben Motshwari with the Buccaneers looking to level matters and push for a win.

Bucs pilled pressure on the Abafana Bes'thende defence and they were awarded a penalty after Thabani Zuke was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box.

Lorch then stepped up and ballooned his effort over the crossbar from the spot-kick, much to the delight of the Arrows technical team and players. 

The momentum was with the Buccaneers and Mlungwana produced a fine save to deny Hotto from close range, but the visitors were left vulnerable at the back as they were attacking in numbers.

Zuke played a long ball for Mmodi, who controlled it very well before beating Ofori with a low shot to make it 2-0 to Arrows in the 67th minute - completing his brace in the process.

The goal killed off Bucs' momentum and Abafana Bes'thende looked more dangerous on the counter-attack in the closing stages of the encounter.

However, Arrows were let down by some indecisiveness in the final third with the likes of Mutizwa, Mmodi and Lindokuhle Mtshali opting to either dribble or pass the ball instead of shooting at goal.

Ultimately, the match ended in a 2-0 win in favour of Arrows and the victory took them to fourth place on the league standings and they will face AmaZulu FC in the Nedbank Cup Last 32 match on Saturday.

While Pirates slipped down to fifth place on the standings and they will be looking to return to winning ways on Saturday when they take on National First Division side Uthongathi FC in the Nedbank Cup 32 game.

Neymar is ironing out the final details of a new four-year contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain, Goal can confirm, with both player and club in advanced negotiations to keep the Brazilian in the French capital until the summer of 2026.

The 28-year-old's future has been up in the air for some time, with a return to Barcelona having been mooted before the financial effects of the coronavirus made it impossible for the Camp Nou club to pursue a deal for the former Blaugrana favourite.

Speculation was curbed somewhat recently when Neymar claimed that he is now happy at his current club, while also admitting that he hopes an agreement can be found to keep fellow superstar Kylian Mbappe at the Parc des Princes.

“I am happy today. I am truly happy,” he said in an interview with TF1. “Things have changed a lot. I can’t exactly explain why. But today, I am feeling good. I have adapted. I am calmer and I am happier. I want to stay at PSG.

“I also want Kylian to stay. We want PSG to be a great team. I want to continue to play football and be happy, that is the most important thing. With Kylian, we have a relationship like brothers. I am the eldest. We really like to play together.

“I want to get the best out of him. He's a golden boy. I call him 'Golden Boy' because he's really golden. He has a huge heart. As a footballer you know what he is worth, but even off the pitch he is amazing.

“He is smiling, happy, he knows how to have fun. We are very similar and we have to be happy to be 100 per cent.”

Reports have suggested Neymar's extension will be finalised shortly and could be announced as official within the week.

News that the Brazil icon will remain with the Ligue 1 champions is likely to throw up further speculation as to whether Barcelona great Lionel Messi will choose to join his old friend at Parc des Princes, with the Argentine free to leave Camp Nou at the end of the season.

There had been hopes that a change of guard at boardroom level would appease the club captain and see him finish up his career at Catalunya, but it appears to be becoming increasingly unlikely that Barca will be able to convince him to stay.

Bengaluru finally ended their eight-game winless streak with a convincing 2-0 win over East Bengal on Tuesday in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash.

The Blues managed to keep a clean sheet after over a month and interim coach Naushad Moosa was happy to see his players' fighting spirit on the pitch.

"To tell you the truth, more than me, I am so happy for the players," said Moosa after the match. "They were fighting till the final whistle and it was really nice to see that. The mentality was really nice."

Moosa revealed that Bengaluru's plan was to play using counter-attacks and remain compact against East Bengal.

"The plan was to stay compact and counter in the first half and utilize the chances that we get. We are lucky we got two goals. It was not that we had to sit back in the second, we wanted to play football. It was okay for me to play the long ball behind the defence," said the Bengaluru boss.

Leon Augustin limped off the ground in the first half itself and Parag Srivas replaced him on the left flank. The Bengaluru head coach hailed Srivas' versatility who usually plays as a full-back.

"We need to have a look at Leon (Augustin), he has a hamstring injury. Parag played as a left midfielder and did his job really well, this is what we are looking for from young players."

Pratik Chaudhari returned to the defence after having spent several games out of the first team lineup and the former Air India coach clarified that he had absolutely no problems with Indian defender.

"He was having problems adjusting with the team due to his position. I asked him to be happy and give his best and that really worked," claimed Moosa.

The Bengaluru boss once again admitted that not having a quality striker is hurting the team but hailed the performance of Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh upfront against East Bengal.

"The problem with Bengaluru this year is (not) having a proper number 9 and the left-wing was getting exposed a lot. So my main focus was to block that left wing and have someone hold the ball upfront, it has really worked for us," Moosa signed off. 

Liverpool have landed a “Dejan Lovren-type player” in Ozan Kabak, says Sven Mislintat, while the 20-year-old defender has also been billed as a “superb deal” for the reigning Premier League champions.

The Reds have moved to bolster their ranks amid an unfortunate injury crisis at Anfield.

With Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all missing, and makeshift centre-half also nursing a knock, reinforcements were required on Merseyside at the end of the winter transfer window.

Ben Davies has been snapped up from Preston in a cut-price deal, with his contract at Deepdale running down, and Kabak has been taken from Schalke on an initial loan agreement through to the end of the season.

He is expected to see regular game time over the coming weeks and is being backed to fill the void created by a Croatia international that his game has been compared to.

Mislintat, Arsenal’s former head of recruitment who worked with Kabak at Stuttgart, has told The Athletic of a player he recommended to the Reds: “I told Jurgen that he’s a top lad.

“Top mentality, top character, top aggression. He’s a Lovren-type player. Very good in the air, both defensively and in the opposition box.

“He played his best stuff for us [at Stuttgart]. He hasn’t been able to show how good he is at Schalke. He still needs to learn but he has all the skills for Klopp to make a success of him.”

Kabak joined Schalke in January 2019, with Michael Reschke filling a head of sport role at the Bundesliga club when that deal was done.

He is another expecting a highly-rated talent to thrive in England after struggling to live up to expectations alongside many others in Gelsenkirchen.

Reschke said: “He hasn’t quite been himself lately. Him spitting at an opponent was completely out of character for him.

“There was no way Schalke could stop him from going to Liverpool now. If they had refused him a big transfer for a second time, they would have killed him as a player. They knew they had to let him go now.

“David Wagner would have given him a glowing report. He’s not super fast, but he’s very strong and resilient, switched on. He can play football, he wants to win every ball and he’s great in the air.

“I’d be surprised if he didn’t score a couple of goals from set pieces. He will benefit from a bit of guidance by more experienced players and from Klopp, who tends to improve every player.

“We shouldn’t forget that he’s still young but getting him in on an initial loan is a superb deal for Liverpool.

“He will try absolutely everything to make it a permanent deal. I’m pretty sure he’ll make it. He’s got the quality to become an international top-class centre-back.”

Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he doesn't speak in the Liverpool dressing room, with it his belief that "trash talk before the game has to be right".

Klopp has enjoyed an illustrious career in management spanning 20 years, with successful spells taken in at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Germany.

The German boss guided Mainz to the Bundesliga for the time in history, then won the competition twice with BVB before taking up a new challenge at Anfield in 2015.

The 53-year-old has reached even greater heights on Merseyside, delivering the sixth European Cup in Liverpool's history while also bringing their 30-year wait for a league title to an end.

Having built up such an impressive CV along with a sterling reputation as a great man-motivator, it has long been assumed that he has always been the one to get his players fired up before matches.

However, Klopp has now admitted that he leaves motivational speeches to the senior members of squad at Anfield, having been blessed with a group full of leaders.

"In the dressing room, the players speak. My speech regarding line-up, tactics, approach and, under certain circumstances, motivation, I give - as with BVB - in the team hotel," the Reds head coach told Goal and DAZN.

"In Dortmund, I later became really active in the dressing room myself, that's different in England. My English has improved significantly over the years, but this trash talk before the game has to be right.

"You can't stumble your way around, that's why I'm not doing that there. But I was lucky with the team because there are enough players there who can do it.

"James Milner, for example, always sums up my session very skilfully, often screaming with all the words necessary to light the boys' bums on fire. 

"I don't have a particularly memorable address in mind, but there are many who have made a major contribution to the success. The team is exceptional, it just has to be said.

"The guys dealt sensationally with setbacks. If you can do that, you have a great chance to learn from it and in the end, get something in return.

"Fortunately, that has already happened several times with us, which makes me incredibly happy."

Klopp also opened up on Liverpool's celebrations after clinching the 2019-20 title, with all the players having gathered at a hotel to watch City suffer a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea which saw them lose their grip on the Premier League trophy.

"This time I can fully remember the celebrations because they were different from all the celebrations before. As a team, we watched the game on the terrace of a golf hotel," he added.

"The weather was good enough for once, it was nice and warm. We heard how Christian Pulisic of all people scored against Man City. We all had tears in our eyes.

"It was a whole, very big moment because we weren't 30 years old, but all the other Liverpool fans were. There were many moments.

"I talked to my family on the phone, I cried snot and water. In advance, I didn't think it would be that emotional, but there is probably more pressure than I wanted to admit."

Sergio Aguero will need a “few weeks” to be ready to return to action after a season disrupted by illness and injury, according to Pep Guardiola.

The City striker has not started a game since October but was set be in the starting line-up for the FA Cup clash with Birmingham City on January 10.

He was forced to isolate after coming to into contact with someone that tested positive for Covid-19, however, before getting the virus himself.

Aguero admitted to suffering from symptoms and the Argentine is yet to join up with his team-mates on the pitch despite returning to the Etihad Campus for fitness work after being given the all-clear.

"He is still not training on the field,” Guardiola said ahead of City’s clash with Burnley on Wednesday night. “He started to move a little yesterday. He will need a few weeks to come back.

“But he is negative, this is the most important thing. He is healthy again and now he will come again. As the top scorer, it is important for us to have him back."

Aguero, who missed the start of the season following knee surgery in the summer, will definitely miss the trip to Turf Moor along with Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake, with the latter still working his way back to full fitness. 

Aguero is also set to miss the big title-chasing clash with Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

But before that, City are aiming to extended their 12-game winning streak after a flawless January when Guardiola’s side set a new record for most victories in a calendar month - nine wins across all competitions.

The 1-0 victory over Sheffield United on Saturday also took the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss to a landmark total of 500 wins in his managerial career, but Guardiola put his record down to his players.

“The players are good, the clubs where I have been were good, this is the only reason," he said. "All athletes and sports guys prefer to win than lose. You live better when you win.

"People say you win a lot, you must be tired. It is completely the opposite. When you win, it is so addictive. You want to win again, and again, and again. It comes from there.

"When you win titles, you could say it is enough, but no, no, you want more. It comes from there. To beat the opponent."

The German football association are confident they will be able to convince Jamal Musiala to play for Germany ahead of England, Goal has learned.

Musiala, who left Chelsea to join Bayern Munich in 2019, is eligible to play for both Germany and England internationally.

The 17-year-old was born in Stuttgart but grew up in London, and has already represented the two countries in question at youth level.

Musiala made two appearances for Germany's Under-16s, but has played for England in four different age groups, with two caps already earned for Aidy Boothroyd's U21 side.

However, Goal can now reveal that the midfielder met up with Die Mannschaft head coach Joachim Low after featuring from the bench during Bayern's 4-1 Bundesliga win against Hoffenheim on Saturday.

His representatives felt it was a nice personal touch for Low to take time out from his schedule to meet with Musiala and offer him words of praise, with the DFB now hopeful he will pledge his allegiance to Germany instead of England. 

The 60-year-old tactician announced his intention to call up the teenager earlier this week, telling BILD: "He is an exceptionally great talent. He is particularly valued in Germany and at FC Bayern.

"I think he knows one way or another that I want to nominate him. There aren't that many talents in Germany who have the level. The decision is his."

Musiala will wait until March before making a final decision though, which is when Germany and England will begin their World Cup qualification campaigns ahead of next year's competition in Qatar. 

The former Chelsea starlet has a more pressing issue to attend to first, with his current contract at Bayern set to expire at the end of June.

Goal understands that negotiations over an extension are still ongoing, with the playmaker ready to commit to fresh terms at Allianz Arena through to 2025.

Musiala will be back in contention for a place in Hansi Flick's squad when Bayern take in a trip to Hertha Berlin on Friday night.

The youngster has already appeared in 23 games across all competitions for the German champions this term, scoring three goals, having quickly proved that he can handle the demands of domestic and European football at the highest level.

Lionel Messi and his lucrative contract is not Barcelona’s “problem”, Marc Menchen - an expert in football finances - has told Goal, with the Liga giants warned that “economic policy” is causing their downfall.

The Catalan heavyweights have revealed, in their annual report, that the club is now €1.2 billion (£1.1b/$1.5b) in debt.

Mismanagement on and off the field is considered to have contributed to those struggles, with considerable sums invested in big-money transfer flops, while the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has hit sporting institutions across the planet hard – even those with the deepest of pockets.

What has been said?

“Messi generates more money for the club than he receives in salary. Barcelona's problem is not Messi, but the club's economic policy in recent years,” Menchen, founder and director of ‘2Playbook’ has told Goal.

“It would be impossible to maintain the level of income from those contracts if Messi did not wear the Barca shirt.

“Messi generates a lot of money for Barca from friendly matches or for summer tours, since in the last four years up to 50 per cent of the income obtained by Barca from this concept is linked to Messi playing those games.”

How much does Messi earn?

A leaked report published by El Mundo has revealed that the Argentine superstar has pulled in €555 million (£491m/$674m) from his current contract.

That four-year agreement was signed back in 2017 and will come to a close in the summer.

A six-time Ballon d’Or winner is said to earn €138m (£112m/$167m) a season, with the 33-year-old still due €45m (£40m/$55m) before his terms come to a close.

Speculation continues to rage regarding a possible extension for Messi, with the South American heading towards free agency as things stand.

Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have been credited with interest in an all-time great and would welcome the opportunity to secure his signature if an exit door opens at Camp Nou.

The bigger picture

Barcelona have big-money sponsorship deals in place with the likes of Nike, Rakuten and Beko.

Losing Messi could seriously damage their commercial appeal, meaning that less funding is brought into the club as they seek to manage their way through a financial crisis.

Seeing their talismanic club captain walk away as a free agent would also hit the Blaugrana hard, with no transfer fee generated by the most saleable asset on their books.

Answers to these problems need to be found over the coming weeks and months, with a new president set to be elected at some stage in the near future, and the efforts of Ronald Koeman’s side on the field can aid that cause – with Barca back into second spot in La Liga, into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey and through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Further reading

Mike Kisaghi has explained why Gor Mahia will win the FKF Premier League derby against rivals AFC Leopards on Sunday.

The two Kenyan giants will meet for the first time in the 2020-21 season with both teams riding high on the local scene, especially Ingwe who are in a run of three straight wins.

After losing the two matches – 2-0 and 1-0 - Ingwe have gone ahead to register three straight wins – 2-1 against KCB, 2-0 against Kariobangi Sharks, and 2-1 against Posta Rangers.

On the other hand, K’Ogalo, who are the defending champions, have also recovered from the shock 1-0 defeat against Vihiga United to win two straight matches – 3-0 against Zoo FC and 3-1 against Bandari.

But Kisaghi, who featured for Gor Mahia as a goalkeeper and even for the national team Harambee Stars, believes Ingwe’s current form will count for nothing as Gor Mahia have always found their way to win the derby even when they are not on form.

“I have a strong feeling they [Gor Mahia] will carry the day, I have experienced it and mostly being on form counts for very little in the derby especially when they play against AFC Leopards,” Kisaghi told Goal on Tuesday.

“But it will be a close contest bearing in mind AFC Leopards are on a good run of form, but at the same time Gor Mahia always relishes this moment of playing against AFC and always come up with the good results, they always come out with the bragging rights, and even win convincingly.”

Kisaghi has further insisted form does not count during derbies and remembered during his time when they were on form but managed a 0-0 draw against AFC Leopards in 1995.

“We played AFC Leopards during my time at Nyayo Stadium and we were on top form and leading the table while AFC Leopards were on a patchy bad run of results and struggling, but to the annoyance of Gor Mahia fans, we drew 0-0, form doesn't count for anything in the derby,” Kisaghi continued.

Last season, Gor Mahia won both encounters, beating Ingwe  4-1 in the first round match before edging them out by a solitary goal en-route to winning their fourth straight league title.

AFC Leopards are yet to beat Gor Mahia in their last seven matches with the best result against their rivals coming in the 1-1 draw of the 2017-18 season with Gor Mahia winning the second round fixture 1-0.

Jurgen Klopp admits it would be “nearly a miracle” if Virgil van Dijk was to play for Liverpool again this season.

The Dutchman has not featured since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against Everton back in October, but has been pictured working with a ball during his rehabilitation in Dubai.

Klopp stated last month that the situation was “all very positive”, leading some to suggest the 29-year-old could make a surprise return to action before the end of the campaign.

At his press conference on Tuesday, though, the Reds boss poured cold water on those reports.

“In the moment, I don’t know where these things are coming from,” he said. “Nobody really, no doctor, nobody really told me there’s a chance for Virgil to play in this season again.

“I don’t want to say that’s absolutely impossible but it’s not likely. It’s not likely. We don’t have to discuss these things really.

“If we have space [in our Premier League and Champions League squad list] we would put them all on, even when all the medical people tell us there’s no chance. We put them on because we believe in miracles from time to time.

“But if there’s no place then we have to consider these kind of things and say, ‘The chance is not too big so we have to make the decision.’ But if they are on the list then it’s only because we hope for nearly a miracle. That’s it.”

Klopp confirmed on Monday that Joel Matip would miss the remainder of the season due to the ankle ligament injury he sustained at Tottenham last week. Joe Gomez, another centre-back, is also on the long-term casualty list with a knee problem.

“I don’t have the right words for it,” Klopp said. “The things that happened to the boys is incredible and the latest one that happened to Joel is a big, big blow to all of us.

“You don’t only lose the player, you lose the person in the dressing room as well. They have surgery and they are out for a while and so you don’t have close contact – and the world is difficult enough at the moment.

“It is really harsh and he was really unlucky in that situation. This challenge with Son was a really good challenge and he played on. At half-time when we were strapping him, the ankle blew up and there was no chance.

“There is nothing good to say about it. The only good thing is he will be back for pre-season and we have time to work on things that will make him even stronger for the future.”

Kenya international Harun Shakava has returned to sign for champions Gor Mahia.

The towering defender has joined K’Ogalo on a two-year contract, just four days after he parted ways with Nkana FC of Zambia.

Gor Mahia secretary-general Steve Ochola has confirmed to Goal they have moved to sign the defender on request from the team’s technical bench, who has been complaining about their leaking defence.

“We have finished the deal with Harun [Shakava] and he is now our player again,” Ochola told Goal on Tuesday. “We have handed him a two-year deal and we are happy to have him in the squad again.

“We hope his experience will help the team do well in the FKF Premier League and also in the Caf Confederation Cup, where we want to go past the group stage.”

Ochola further said they are happy the player will be eligible to feature in Confederation Cup hence the decision to re-sign him.

“He is eligible to play for us in the Confederation Cup and it is another reason why we felt he can be of help to us, we want to use his experience at the backline which has not been performing well in recent matches,” Ochola continued.

Shakava left Gor Mahia in 2019 to sign for Nkana but the two parted ways, with the club confirming: “The aforementioned player [Harun Shakava] has been released by Nkana Football Club unconditionally and declares Harun Shakava as a free agent,” Nkana confirmed in a statement obtained by Goal.

“We wish to confirm Nkana Football Club have no outstanding contract engagement with the player and he is free to look for a club of his choice.”

In a recent interview, a source within the club confirmed to Goal new coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto had recommended Gor Mahia to work on their defensive area because they have been conceding easy goals in the league and the Caf competitions.

“The new coach is very concerned with the defensive abilities of some of the players in Gor Mahia squad and he now wants to work on it, he has already outlined some of the areas the team needs to work on and he kept mentioning the defensive line,” the source told Goal.

Shakava becomes the second signing for the club after they unveiled Brazilian Wilson Silva Fonseca five days ago.

After losing to Vihiga United 1-0 at Kasarani, Gor Mahia have recovered to win two matches in a row – 3-0 against Zoo FC and 3-1 against Bandari.

K’Ogalo are also taking part in the Caf Confederation Cup and this is after they performed dismally in the Champions League, where they lost 8-1 on aggregate to Algerian side CR Belouizdad.

Gor Mahia have now been lined up to face Napsa Stars of Zambia in the playoffs of the Confederation Cup, with the first meeting planned for Kenya on February 14 and the return fixture a week later in Lusaka.