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Benik Afobe claimed he adapted well to playing a new role in Bristol City’s attack during their 2-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

The 27-year-old, who normally plays as a centre-forward, was drafted to the left side of the Robins attack where he also made some defensive contributions.

The DR Congo international was in action for 64 minutes but he could not add to his tally of three goals this season before he was replaced by Senegal’s Famara Diedhiou.

Despite the switch in position, the Stoke City loanee said he was out to repay manager Lee Johnson’s faith in him after he handed him his first league start since August.

"The gaffer has been talking to me all week about playing that inside left [position]," Afobe was quoted as saying by Bristol Live.

"He told me that when I play upfront I tend to go towards the left anyway - it wasn't much different to be honest.

"When the manager has a lot of faith in you, and I've been out 10 months and straight away he's sticking me in, I've got to repay him with work rate and trying to create something.

"I think in the first half I did my defensive duties as well - I tried to work hard and I played for him as well, because when you're out for 10 months and he chucks you in he obviously has a lot of faith in you.

"I tried my best to give it my all in that position.”

Saturday’s loss left Bristol City without a win in their last seven league matches, a result he described as "very disappointing" for the Robins after their efforts in training.

However, Afobe is positive they would make things right when they visit Nottingham Forest for their next Championship outing on Wednesday.

"We're obviously devastated,” he added.

“We worked all week on our pressing triggers, on how we're going to get chances and exploit their defence - and to concede like that in the first half and then when we were chasing the game to concede by another set-piece is just shocking and disappointing for all of us.

"We've worked on our set-pieces all week and we thought we'd got it right.

"Very disappointing and we're going to analyse the game tonight and tomorrow - but after that we've got to move on to Wednesday because it's another massive game for us against Forest.”

Bristol City have dropped to 12th in the Championship table with 55 points from 39 matches, and are six points away from the play-offs spot.

Former Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has advised Lille striker Victor Osimhen to stay humble and ambitious after winning the Marc Vivien Foe award.

Osimhen succeeded Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe to win this year’s prize after his incredible debut season in Ligue 1, where he provided 13 goals and four assists in 27 appearances.

The 21-year-old is the second Nigerian player, after goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama who also played at Lille, to clinch the award which crowns the best African player in the French top-flight every season.

He defeated compatriot Moses Simon, Algeria’s Islam Slimani, Saint-Etienne’s Denis Bouanga, Montpellier’s Andy Delort and Rennes’ trio of Mbaye Niang, Hamari Traore and Edouard Mendy to the gong.

In his congratulatory message, Oliseh acknowledged Osimhen’s hard work in Christophe Galtier’s team but cautioned him to remain professional as he aspires for more success.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate Victor Osimhen for being elected winner of the Marc-Vivien Foe Prize. This trophy is important since it rewards the best African player in the French Championship. It is important for us Africans,” Oliseh told RFI .

“I find his victory even more surprising when we see the competitors that Victor had to surpass to win this title. Many people will wonder if he deserves it, if he is stronger than these players.

“But what Victor has done this season is truly exceptional. Thanks to him, his team managed to make a magnificent season.

“I think Victor frankly deserves it because he brought a lot to his club. We really saw the difference when Victor was on the field and when he was not. We see the possibilities he offers his teammates to go forward. We also see the weight it places on the enemy's defences.

“Frankly, congratulations Victor! You deserve it. But I advise you my little brother to always remain humble and ambitious at the same time.

“Stay professional and good luck. Congratulations again, little brother!”

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder played alongside Rashidi Yekini in the Super Eagles during his active days, and he disclosed that Osimhen is the closest to thing Yekini, who is Nigeria's all-time top scorer with 37 goals in 58 international games.

“When I was coach, I was trying to assemble a new team. In fact, the bases of the current national team are made up of players that I put together. For me, it was important to have young people of the future who were hungry for national team matches,” he continued.

“Victor Osimhen was playing at the U17 World Cup at the time. I had watched the meetings with my assistants, including the final won by Nigeria. He had done it with such ease, the way he eliminated his opponents.

“We had planned to invite him to the national team but I left the selection. Otherwise, I would have invited him.

“Because, since Rashidi Yekini left the selection, we have not had a player of the calibre of Victor Osimhen. My plan was to integrate him very slowly into the Super Eagles, to give him a few minutes, before launching him 100% as we did with Wilfred Ndidi or Alex Iwobi at the time.”

Gary Neville says Jurgen Klopp's "great coaching" and Liverpool's recruitment strategy were pivotal in the club's Premier League success.

The Reds sealed the top-flight title for the first time in 30 years this season, having taken a 23-point lead over Manchester City with seven games left to play.

Liverpool finished sixth in the league the season before Klopp took over at the helm and transformed the team into Champions League and Club World Cup winners before their latest triumph.

Ex-Manchester United and England full-back Neville credited Klopp with fine-tuning the squad says he has done an incredible job to overtake their rivals and dominate the league.

"It's a brilliant achievement from Klopp, to work within the net spend budget he has to amass that team has been a combination of great coaching and brilliant recruitment," he said on Sky Sports.

"The club's recruitment has been absolutely spot on, precise, laser-focused, every single player they have brought in they have made count. Every single player fits a mould, the principles of Klopp, there has been no veering away from that.

"From day one, when Christian Benteke and a few others were deemed not to fit the profile they were moved aside.

"Klopp has now got quick, energetic strikers who make the runs, a formidable defence, the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment in time, and in midfield he's got reliable players with really good personalities in Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner and Gini Wijnaldum.

"None of them are individually outstanding or the best in the world in their position, but together as a collective with that goalkeeper, that defence, those full-backs, that strike force, they become the rock in the middle of it all."

Neville says it is Klopp who has "set the tone" for everyone at the club and turned the Anfield side into a "fantastic" team.

"They have absolutely been the best team this season," he added. "What Jurgen Klopp has done has been fantastic. He came in four years ago and at the time I never thought Liverpool were capable of mounting a Premier League title challenge. It just felt like all of the other clubs had bigger budgets.

"Liverpool were in a deep rut over many, many years. They have great history and a great fanbase so you can never write clubs like that off, but to go and win a league title ahead of the investment of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United is something I didn't think was possible.

"What Klopp has done over a three or four-year period has been absolutely outstanding. Everything at a football club comes from the manager, he sets the tone for everybody; the players, the owners, the fanbase. Klopp has galvanised Liverpool over a three-year period, brought everybody with him and put a brilliant team together.

"They're a fantastic team, they've been brilliant to watch for three years but painful for me. It's been coming.

"When you get to a Champions League final and lose you have a little smirk, but when they won the Champions League the following year and chased Manchester City like they did to a point where they would have been worthy champions last season, you can only congratulate them.

"It's obviously something that is horrible for every Manchester United fan, it's something the modern Manchester United fan has never seen but as one who watched them in the '70s and '80s it's a moment we didn't want to see again but one we saw a lot of in our early years."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) secured their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup after coming from a goal down to beat Kagera Sugar 2-1 in a match played at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

The Jangwani Street-based giants are keen to win the domestic cup to earn a Caf Confederation Cup ticket after rivals Simba SC were declared Mainland Premier League champions and will compete in the Champions League.

Yanga coach Luc Eymael had also requested his players to return the favour for him after Kagera beat him 3-0 in his first match in charge of the club after he arrived from Black Leopards of South Africa to sign a short-term deal.

Eymael named a squad with one change, goalkeeper Metacha Mnata coming in for Kenyan Farouk Shikalo while upfront, he gave strikers David Molinga and Ditram Nchimbi the task to go for the goals.

Kagera were the better side as they raided Yanga in the opening stages and it took them only 20 minutes to take a deserved lead when Aweku Ibrahim scored from close range.

Kagera went into the break enjoying a 1-0 lead and they should have scored more than the single goal as they dominated the proceedings in the first period.

After the resumption, Yanga levelled matters when Molinga met a cross from a corner-kick to head home to score his third goal for the club in just three days. The Congolese import had scored two goals as Yanga came from a goal down to beat Ndanda FC 3-2 on Saturday.

Dues Kaseke then won the game for Timu ya Mwananchi after he slotted home from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after a Kagera defender was punished for bringing down Molinga.

Eymael was happy to have earned revenge against Kagera and also said his main ambition now is to go all the way and lift the Cup.

“I really wanted to beat Kagera, they beat me in my first match when I arrived in to coach Yanga and I was keen to revenge and I want to thank my boys for doing the job for me,” Eymael told Goal after the match.

In another match, Namungo FC made it to the last four after a goal in each half helped them to beat Alliance FC 2-0.

On Wednesday, newly crowned league champions Simba will take on Azam FC at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam while Sahare All-Stars will come up against Ndanda FC.

Joao Felix is perhaps feeling the pressure of the "economic impact" from his move to Atletico Madrid but he can emulate Antoine Griezmann in becoming a star for Diego Simeone's side, says Abel Xavier.

The Portugal sensation was one of the most sought-after players of the previous close season prior to joining Atleti, who paid €126 million (£113m/$142m) to Benfica for his signature.

There have been flashes of the brilliance that saw Atleti stump up that huge sum, though six goals and a solitary assist from 24 LaLiga appearances - prior to Tuesday's clash with Barcelona - is hardly the most fruitful return.

Former Portugal international Xavier is convinced Joao Felix will adapt to life at the Wanda Metropolitano, though, and is sure it remains the right environment for the 20-year-old to flourish.

"There is a great hope on Felix because of his move to Atletico [but] the economic impact of his value is giving him too much pressure," Xavier told Stats Perform News.

"He needs to find the correct surrounding to be able to realise the potential of his own game. 

"That is going to be the next step with him, especially at Atletico Madrid with their philosophy and style of play.

"I admire Simeone a lot. There are a lot of people who do not like the identity of his game because he's very effective. At the end of the day he's fighting for the big trophies.

"But when you are integrating a big player, a fantasy player, a player who likes to have the ball… it's a process also for Felix to work on different aspects of the game.

"Maybe he was not used to defending so much without the ball. He needs to have the ball.

"For that reason I think it's a good process that will build him in different aspects to become stronger.  

"He's going to be one of the greatest in the future, for sure, with the correct set-up and style of play collectively."

Some pundits have questioned whether Joao Felix was right to move to Atleti and his name was linked tentatively with Manchester United during the coronavirus-enforced shutdown.

Xavier doubts anyone would pay more for his services than Atleti did, though, and said Joao Felix can become key for Simeone, just as Griezmann did for five seasons before joining Barcelona last year.

"It's very difficult at this present moment that someone can come and pay more than what Atletico paid for him," Xavier said. 

"He needs right now to be focused on his game. He's had a few injuries also, which is not a good sign. He needs to find stability and consistency. 

"Atletico right now is the best place for him. Stay two or three years and be the main figure in the same way that Antoine Griezmann was."

Tottenham's decision to sell Mousa Demebele cost them the Champions League title, Kieran Trippier says.

The Belgian midfielder spent seven years with the London outfit and made almost 250 appearances before he moved to China to join Guangzhou R&F in a deal worth £11 million ($14m) in January 2019.

Spurs went on to reach the Champions League final that season, only to lose 2-0 to Liverpool.

Trippier believes the decider in Madrid could have gone in the London side's favour had they opted to keep Dembele for the remainder of the campaign, as a player of his quality could have made the difference against Jurgen Klopp's team.

"They've got quality players, but, for me, the little fine margins of winning something is obviously when Mousa left. That's my opinion," the full-back, who left Spurs last summer to join Atletico Madrid, said on the Beautiful Game podcast.

"As a player, you don't want to see a player like Mousa leave, especially in January. Unless there was something that he needed to leave or whatever, I honestly don't know.

"It didn't make sense because he's the fine margins of winning you the Champions League final. That's how good he was.

"He could have three players around him, and you could give him the ball.

"The amount of respect the players had for him, and to see a player like that leave in January when you are going through a difficult season, for me, it didn't make sense.

"That's just my opinion. I don't want to speak on any of the players' thoughts on that.

"As soon as he goes it just saps it out of you because you've lost Mousa Dembele."

Trippier also had a lot of praise for former Spurs team-mate Harry Kane, who he believes would score for any team. 

"He can play at 50 percent and still score goals. He's the best finisher I've seen - him and Jermaine Defoe in training," he added. 

"He's unbelievable and the best professional I've ever come across. He doesn't drink, top professional on and off the field, does everything right. He'll score goals no matter where he is, so I have no concern about what people say about him."

Gambia Football Federation (GFF) head of women's football Sainey M’boge believes the creation of the Caf Women's Champions League will offer the stage to unearth new female stars in Africa.

On Tuesday, the Caf Executive Committee approved the creation of the women's club competition, which will start in 2021, in its plans to grow the women's game. 

The development means Caf has begun the implementation of its a four-year women's football strategic plan for Africa, in collaboration with Fifa, decided upon in Egypt last November. 

Women's football has struggled for support on the continent, largely due to the paucity of funds but Fifa has offered a Covid-19 Relief Plan of $500,000 to member associations.

"The Caf Women’s Champions League will be launched in 2021. The format and other details will be communicated in due course," Caf confirmed via a statement. 

Goal understands at least 35 countries on the continent have a running National Women's Football League.

And the former Gambia international, who oversees the Gambian Women’s Football League, feels the event will arouse interest to support domestic leagues and expose new talent.

”We will see the emergence of new stars instead of the usual dominant clubs that you find in the men’s game,” M’boge told Goal.

“It will also give more exposure and experience to coaches, players, and administrators.

"In the Gambia, we are fully supported by our Executive Committee that put Women’s football as a top priority with the president been passionate about its progress.

”I must congratulate Caf for the great step because you will have thousands of girls and women across Africa who will now be dreaming of playing in the Champion League.

"We also have to give credit to the Gambia Football Federation  executive for this opportunity without which it would have been difficult for us to integrate into the beautiful game."

Manchester City winger Leroy Sane is set to complete a move to Bayern Munich after the two clubs agreed to a deal worth up to €60 million (£54.8m/$67m).

The Bundesliga champions will pay an initial €49m (£44.7m/$55m) for the German international with another €11m in add-ons. City have also secured a 10 per cent sell-on clause.

Sane, who was in the final year of his contract, is set to fly to Munich in the next 24 hours to complete the move and is not expected to play for City again this season.

The 24-year-old will sign a five-year deal believed to be worth €22m (£20.1m/$24.7m) a year, more than City were prepared to pay.

City had offered the former Schalke player a new deal that was turned down. The club is believed to happy with the money recuperated with uncertainty surrounding the transfer market amid the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on football finances.

Sane has missed most of the current season with injury but was one of the key players as City won the domestic treble last year.

City boss Pep Guardiola recently admitted that he was disappointed that Sane had turned down a new deal with the club.

“I’m so disappointed,” he said. “When we make an offer it’s because we want him; he’s got a special quality that is difficult to find.

“We tried before the injury [and] the surgery and after that and he rejected this offer. He has other wishes and I understand [but] we want players who want to commit and achieve our targets.

"I love him so much, he’s incredible, I’ve nothing against him – he wants another adventure.”

Sane was at the centre of a transfer saga between the clubs last summer that was expected to rumble on until deadline day, only for the winger to suffer a serious knee injury in the Community Shield in August.

Bayern decided against a move in January, with Sane still recovering from the setback that has seen him miss the whole season so far, though he was edging closer to an on-field return when the Premier League was shut down by the Covid-19 outbreak.

His only appearance since August was a 10-minute cameo in the 5-0 victory over Burnley in June.

Sane joined City in August 2016 from Schalke in a deal worth €52 million (£37m/$46m).

Fatoumata Kanteh has signed a new two-year contract with Spanish Primera Iberdrola side Sporting Huelva.
 
The Primera Iberdrola club took to social media to reveal the news, saying Kanteh will remain at the club until at least June 2022.

The striker arrived at Huelva in July 2019 from rivals Logrono where she featured in 17 matches, scoring once during her one-year stint with Gerardo Leon's team.

The 22-year-old, who was born and raised in Banyoles, is still eligible to represent the Gambia by her biological parents and is likely to play in the 2020 Africa Women's Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Despite her minor injury in February, Kanteh played 19 leagues matches in all competitions for Antonio Toledo's team, scoring once as her Huelva-based side ended in 14th spot after 21 matches.

Her immense contribution to Sporting Huelva's relegation escape saw the club extend her stay beyond the 2019-20 season before the suspension and subsequent cancellation due to coronavirus.

The Spanish-Gambian born has expressed joy over her new contract with the club ahead of the new 2020-21 season.
 
 "I will spend two more seasons here giving you my best. I am very happy to renew," Kanteh told the club website.

"I thank the coaching staff, the management, for trusting me, for giving me an opportunity and for continuing to fulfil my dream here, which is to continue playing in the First Division. 

 "We started roughly, we were almost all new but, well, after that we understood each other well, we worked very well and until the virus thing appeared, that, nothing, we had to stay at home, confinement, and the season could not be finished, but I keep the work of all the colleagues who have been and who will be this season."

Having signed a contract extension with the Iberdrola outfit, she further commented on her health status, her message to the fans, and ambition with the team.

"I hope to help the team to move higher on the table so as not to struggle, possibly be in the middle of the table and not suffer as we have suffered this season," she said.

"I'm already much better. I hardly notice it. I remember the moment and I see it on videos and it gives me goosebumps. 

"I fell very badly and just at that moment I still remember, that I didn't want anyone to touch me and it hurt a lot, and then even less in the doctor, but I'm better now and this shoulder is going to be a lot of war this season.

"We will not make our people suffer. We expect a lot of work, a lot of sacrifices, a commitment from the new ones who are going to come and from those who are already here and stay for half the table."

AmaZulu have said that they will not be retaining Moeneeb Josephs as their player when his contract expires on June 30, but the club is "open to the idea" of the goalkeeper continuing in his role as first-team assistant coach.

The former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper has struggled for game time in the past two seasons at AmaZulu, managing just one league appearance this season and six last term.

Josephs is already a player/interim assistant coach to Ayanda Dlamini at the club, who is standing for Jozef Vukusic who was placed on special leave.

But Usuthu general manager Lunga Sokhela has urged Josephs to weigh up his options, either to retire from playing since his contract would not be renewed or they would welcome him to focus on a role in the first team technical set-up.

“We spoke with Meoneeb’s agent. We said that Meoneeb needs to come out and tell us what he would like to do, because this is not your regular player,” said Sokhela as per IOL.

“If he wants to announce things like retirement, he must do that. He is the one that must talk about what he wants to do post his football career. From our side, we did indicate that we won’t be renewing his contract beyond the 30th of June.

“Meoneeb needs to come out and speak so that we can do this properly. We want to avoid a situation where there is speculation.

"We have to give him that respect. He teamed up well with Ayanda Dlamini during the Kaizer Chiefs match. We are open to that idea [of Josephs being an assistant coach]. We are not against it, but we don’t want to be seen as making decisions on Moeneeb’s behalf.”

While working as stand-in coach Dlamini’s understudy, they were architects of AmaZulu’s famous 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs in their last match before football was suspended in South Africa.

With AmaZulu yet to resolve Vukusic’s future, Dlamini could remain in his position as interim coach for the rest of the season to help second-from-bottom Usuthu fight against relegation.

Amir Kakomo has challenged SC Villa's management to work even harder to ensure the club does better next season.

Kakomo acknowledged last season problems might have hindered their performance, but hoped the Jogoo's top-hierarchy will do better in the future as they hope to challenge for the league title.

"Not to get me wrong, Villa are a great club but with where the club was before and where they were last season, some improvement in that regard should be done and the club’s fortunes will definitely improve," Kakomo told Football256.

"For me, I think we can challenge even better than third where we finished last season with slight changes in management.

"But any club to develop and move forward, a good and firm structure is inevitable. And I think if we can have a more stringent and centralised system especially regarding players querries, then the club will move forward."

The midfielder signed for the club before the abandoned season began and confirmed talks are ongoing concerning a contract extension.

“The deal is not yet settled but negotiations between my agent and the club are ongoing which is a clear signal that I am to extend my stay at the club,” he added.

"I have really enjoyed my first season at Villa. I have grown as a player and as a person since I joined this great club.

"I have enjoyed every moment of it despite the challenges we have faced through the season. And I will take great lessons from what I have learned."

Meanwhile, St.  Lawrence University (SLAU) head coach Denis Nono has advised Wakiso Giants on how they can reap big from their new signing Owen Kasule.

"The beauty with the top flight is that teams tend to allow some space during games. And Kasule is a player who easily utilises space to stamp his mark on the game," Nono told Football256.

"To get the best out of Kasule, I reckon he should be allowed the freedom to explore these spaces and the resulting performances will be spectacular.

"But if you limit his touches, then things might fall apart and the golden boy might not reach his full potential which will be hurting for me and all those that have seen him rise to the limelight."

Nono, who is Kasule's agent, further revealed what the player likes as he prepares to have a taste of the top-flight football.

"Kasule loves the team to be built around him and always loves to carry the burden of the team but this time around I hope he can be a little bit patient with himself as next season will be his inaugural season," Nono continued.

"The top division is different from where he has played previously, and I know he has the potential to become a household name. Generally, I am excited for him."

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has warned that Leicester matches may have to be postponed or moved to a neutral stadium after the city went into full lockdown.

However, the club has said it does not expect anything to change due to the safety measures they already have in place.

While many places in England are preparing to ease restrictions on pubs and restaurants, a rise in coronavirus cases has forced Leicester to impose stricter restrictions this week, with schools closing on Thursday and non-essential shops to be shut for the next two weeks.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said that around "10 percent of all positive cases in the country over the past week" have come from Leicester and told the House of Commons on Monday that residents should stay at home as much as possible and only travel when essential.

The restrictions could affect the Foxes as they look to play their last seven Premier League matches of the season and Masters says the English top-flight and officials at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are discussing the situation.

"Just about every eventualilty between our officials and DCMS officials has been discussed at some point," he told Sky Sports.

"So, we've had a huge dialogue with the authorities about the concept of neutral venues and if what is happening in Leicester, which we're waiting to hear, does affect the club's ability to host home games, either the match on Saturday against Crystal Palace at 3pm, or subsequent matches.

"Then we have the opportunity to play those matches elsewhere or postpone them until a date when it is safe to do so."

The league's CEO would not rule out the rest of the campaign being cancelled if other areas are forced to follow Leicester's example and introduce new measures to contain the spread of the virus.

"If that were to happen in multiple areas or the virus creates other risks then obviously there is that risk that we might not be able to complete the season," he added. "We've got to get to the end of July, complete our 380 games and as I said look cautiously optimistic to the season of 2020-21."

But the Foxes released a statement to clarify that they do not expect games to be affected by the lockdown and that they will continue to train as they have in recent weeks.

"All parties remain entirely satisfied that, through the continued implementation of our Covid-19 operations plan, the Club’s football operations can continue to safely function under existing protocols and, in doing so, there will be no greater risk posed to Club personnel, visiting teams or our surrounding communities," the statement read.

"Consequently, first team training will continue at Belvoir Drive and our forthcoming Premier League fixtures remain unaffected.

"The Club remains agile to the evolving nature of the situation and suitable continuity arrangements are in place in the event we are required to deviate from our existing protocols."

Former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor says that Jurgen Klopp is among the Reds' greatest managers, adding that the German has turned doubters into believers during his time at Anfield.

Klopp took over a club that was struggling on and off the field when he became manager in 2015, with many still struggling to bounce back from the club's failed title push under Brendan Rodgers in 2013-14.

Off the field, Liverpool were lagging far behind their Premier League rivals commercially, with the Reds struggling to close the gap.

In his first press conference, Klopp promised that he would deliver a title, and he's done just that by guiding Liverpool to success in the Champions League, Club World Cup and, perhaps most importantly, the Premier League.

Klopp has built Liverpool into a juggernaut in the process, and Mellor says the German's rebuild of an entire football club has earned him a place among legendary predecessors like Bill Shankly and Kenny Dalglish.

"Klopp is adored by Liverpool supporters and rightly so," Mellor told GentingBet. "When he took over at Liverpool the club was nowhere near competing for the top six, the season he arrived Liverpool finished 8th.

"Within a previous press conference he said: ‘we will win a title’ and Liverpool fans wanted to believe him but found it difficult, because of where Liverpool actually were.

"Klopp has turned any doubters into believers, and he has been phenomenal in what he has given Liverpool. Klopp has brought a togetherness and a connection to the club, which is really unique.

"Every supporter feels like they’re connected to the football club and you can see the players do too, with how they were together and celebrating the title win, and even game to game."

Klopp penned a contract extension in December, committing his future to Liverpool through the 2023-24 season.

Mellor says that he cannot fathom Klopp leaving as the manager has a chance to build a legitimate dynasty now that Liverpool have claimed their spot atop the Premier League.

"Liverpool have now put themselves into a position as one of the biggest clubs in the world, and Klopp will want more success at Anfield," he said.

"I know we’ve seen both [Luis] Suarez and [Phillippe] Coutinho leave Liverpool for Barcelona, but I think Klopp would leave on his own terms, when he is ready. Hopefully he can go again next season to take the team to win the Premier League title again."

He added: "The beauty of Liverpool is that no one is even considering anyone else other than Jurgen Klopp as manager.

"He’s working to take Liverpool to that next level where they want to be Liverpool and the club are as happy as they have been for 30 years, with this manager in place taking the football club exactly where the fans want him to be. 

"There is no talk whatsoever that they want to see anybody else coming in and taking over the football club. Klopp seems to be Liverpool down to the ground, with his mentality and his approach.

"It's times like this, that the supporters can really enjoy having somebody like your club in charge who connects to the people of the city."

With seven games remaining in the Premier League season, Liverpool will now embark on a victory tour as the Reds cap off what could be a historic title-winning campaign.

Thursday's match with Manchester City gives Liverpool a chance to extend their historic lead atop the Premier League, with the Reds already maintaining a 23-point gap between the two sides.

Liverpool could also break the record for points in a season, surpassing Manchester City's centurions, and Mellor believes that cementing further records is more than enough motivation for Klopp's side.

"The big test for Liverpool is achieving 100 points and remaining motivated – but one of Liverpool's main strengths is the mentality that they have within the group," he said. 

"So they have to rely on that new target, which is to be the Premier League team with the greatest ever points. To get 100 points is just unbelievable, so if Liverpool can do that, that is the incentive from now to the end of the season and it is possible.

"That will be the mentality – to enjoy this moment, and then prepare for the next games."

Achraf Hakimi says he is proud of the stance against racism he and Borussia Dortmund team-mate Jadon Sancho took on the field this season.

Hakimi and Sancho were among several Bundesliga players who during matches showed support for the protests that erupted in the United States after George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May.

The Dortmund duo celebrated goals by revealing t-shirts with the message 'Justice for George Floyd' written on them and the German Football Association (DFB) decided not to punish the protesting players.

Hakimi says he was inspired to participate in the demonstration because he feels it is important for people to show their support for justice and equality.

"I'm from Africa, my father is from Africa. I'm a little bit a black guy. I spoke with Sancho before the Paderborn game, he wrote 'Justice for George Floyd' on my t-shirt and said: 'You need to score and take the T-shirt up to show the people'," he told BBC Sport. 

"We both did it. It was great to be one of the players to do this thing to show the people. Yes of course [players should speak out against racism]. It's not only football players - all the people in the world need to speak about this, because everyone is the same.

"I don't care if you're a black guy, a white guy, if you have money, if you don't have money, I don't care. I think everybody needs to be the same, and get the same justice."

Although Dortmund wanted to extend the full-back's loan from Real Madrid, he has already bid farewell to the German club's fans as he is on the verge of joining Inter in a €40 million (£36m/$45m) move. 

The 21-year-old played a key role for the Bundesliga runners-up this term and he hopes to enjoy as many first-team opportunities in Italy. 

"I think next I need to relax a little bit. For my head and my body. Then after I need to think about everything - what I have and what is better for me," he said.

"I want to continue to play, like I have done since I was 17 years old. I want to play all the time like I have done over these last two years with Dortmund. If I play regularly, I think I can be a good player - you learn more and become better. I don't care where, you know. I think only that wherever I go, I go to play.

"I think it's an amazing thing to play [for Dortmund] in front of 80,000 people. It doesn't matter where you play, this feeling is incredible."

Retired Bafana Bafana defender Macbeth Sibaya believes the South Africans could have done better if the 2010 Fifa World Cup was staged on a different continent.

The former Jomo Cosmos and Moroka Swallows anchorman believes some of the players were caught between being citizens and players, thus making it difficult for them to focus on their matches.

He insists that the squad was distracted by the activities that surrounded the team and that eventually led to some failing to focus and fight the right balance between being a player and a supporter.

“It’s difficult to sum everything up. One was caught between being a citizen of a hosting nation and a player,” Sibaya told IOL.

“There were also ambitions that needed to be reached by the team, and there were a whole lot of activities that were surrounding the World Cup, so it was quite difficult to deal with everything and being everything at once.”

Under the guidance of coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and Pitso Mosimane, the 1996 African champions bowed out of the tournament in the group stage after a draw against Mexico, a defeat to Uruguay, and a victory over France.

“It could have been easy if the tournament was played on another continent. Maybe if as a country we were used to qualifying for major tournaments, that would have also made our job a little bit easier,” Sibaya added.

“There was a very big gap between Germany and Korea/Japan. There was an eight-year gap between Korea/Japan and 2010.

"A huge gap. We didn’t participate in big competitions, and as a country, we struggled in the [Africa] Nations Cup and so forth.”

Having been one of the top players in the Bafana camp whilst playing for Rubin Kazan in Russia, the 42-year-old believes their failure to do well could be attributed to a number of factors.

“The problem is that the ambitions and commitments as a country have shifted so you are likely to be a victim of those changes,” Sibaya explained.

“Most of the players who’ve not made it overseas are victims of our perfection like a country and community. One can easily be influenced by a shift of thought or ambition.

“So, there are factors that contributed to some of the players that didn’t make it abroad. But it’s not only from football, but it could also be any type of career.”

Gor Mahia have picked August 8 as the new date to hold fresh elections and usher in new officials to lead the club.

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions were scheduled to hold elections last year but it was postponed without a proper explanation provided.

A statement on the club’s official website confirmed: “Gor Mahia held a virtual Exco meeting and has set August 8 as the date for the club's elections and the exercise will be done under the new constitution which offers just four seats.”

So far no official has shown a keen interest to unseat chairman Ambrose Rachier, who in a recent interview told Goal he will only leave the club after steadying the ship.

“It is quite true that last year on several occasions, not just once I indicated I will hand over the leadership mantle of Gor Mahia to another chairman in an election that would have been held sometime early this year,” Rachier told Goal.

“But what then has transpired is that our boat has been locked, I have been the captain of the boat and the boat has been rocked, first by the departure of the sponsor and now the coronavirus pandemic and for that reason, I have decided as a captain you do not let the boat sink when you are kind of directing it.

“We are going to look at different aspects here and there and when the boat is stabilised I will still carry out my intention, that is to leave, and that is my position, that I am still running Gor and will run it to a point I think it has been steadied because if I leave it now, in the situation it is, I will be accused of neglect.”

On many occasions, Rachier has come out to state he is keen to leave the position of chairmanship at the KPL champions, something that has never materialised.

Earlier this year, Rachier confessed he was thinking of handing over the mantle of running the club to a new chairman, but the elections were later postponed, leaving him in office.

The election will come at a time when the club managed to secure a sponsor in Betsafe, with the betting firm set to give the champions Sh50million in each of the next three years.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) vice-president Doris Petra has welcomed the establishment of the Caf Women's Champions League.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) Executive Committee, in a meeting held on Tuesday, June 30, via a video-conference, gave the formation of the competition a nod.

The football governing body also discussed the impact of Covid-19 on African football and other related issues.

The FKF official stated the Champions League is a timely competition for women as they will now have a bigger platform to showcase their talents.

"I sat in the workshop that came up with the strategic plan. It is a good thing because women have always been overlooked when it comes to continental competitions," Petra told Goal in an interview on Tuesday.

"They have not had a Champions League before and I think it is a good thing for the girls.  It is going to open windows for the girls to showcase their talent and probably get better clubs to play for so that they become professional footballers."

The official also believes the inauguration of the Champions League will see domestic competitions improve as teams fight for the available slots for the continental competition.

"It will also improve the level of competition of women football in their respective nations. Clubs will always learn from each other on how management should be done professionally," Petra continued.

"In my opinion, it is the best thing that has ever happened to women football."

As she welcomed the news, Petra also called on Caf to consider sponsoring the teams who qualify for the inaugural tournament. 

"It is good that Caf moved to replicate what they have for men. We also discussed the possibility of Caf financing that competition as opposed to self facilitation that is applied for men.

"At the first level, Caf can source for sponsorship for women's teams. You know women's teams also face huge financial difficulties."

Caf is implementing a four-year women's football strategic plan for Africa, which was launched in collaboration with Fifa last November in Egypt.

In Tuesday's meeting, the African body also arrived at a decision that saw the 2020 African Women’s Cup of Nations cancelled.