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Former Asante Kotoko coach 'Golden Boy' Karim Abdul Razak has revealed he quit the club after winning the Ghana Premier League (GPL) title in 2003 because management discredited his success.

After clinching the championship prize in 1993, the Kumasi-based side suffered a series of disappointments as they went 10 straight years without laying hands on the title.

Razak turned out to be the ultimate hero as he led Kotoko to end their frustrating run. It was their eighteenth time of ruling the elite division.

“The management of Kotoko at the time asked me to sign a new contract but I gave it [contract] to my manager Jones Abu Alhassan to study it and I told them [Kotoko] to wait for a while before [I make] decision to put pen to paper," Razak told Pulse Ghana.

“After the league success, [Kotoko life patron] Otumfuo [Osei-Tutu II] invited us and when we met him in the company of some of the sub-chief, they all praised us for the good job done.

“However, when the management were asked to render an account, they stated that they bought some of the games we won and that contributed to the success we chalked.

“Looking at the calibre of players I had, I couldn’t let them attribute our league triumph to match-fixing, so I had issues with the management and I had to leave."

Since the 2003 feat Kotoko have won the Premier League on five more occasions and currently stand as the most successful club in the history of the top-flight, with 23 titles.

After leaving the Kumasi-based side, Razak returned to Malian side Stade Malien. He also had a stint with Dragons de l'Oueme in Benin before joining the Kumasi-based outfit.

But coaching was not the 64-year-old's only association with the Porcupine Warriors.

A former footballer, Razak played for Kotoko in the 1970s and 1980s, helping the club to three league titles, one FA Cup gold and one Swag Cup success.

On the international scene, the former attacker played a key role as Ghana won the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.

That year, he earned the African Footballer of the Year award. 

AFC Leopards have joined the race to acquire the services of former Gor Mahia defender Musa Mohammed.

Goal can exclusively reveal that Ingwe already have an eye on signing the ex-KOgalo captain, who is currently a free agent after ending his two-year contract with Nkana FC of Zambia.

A source within the club, who did not want to be named, has told Goal they have shortlisted the player among those who will be signed before the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) season kicks off in August.

“We already have a list of players we are targeting to sign and I can openly tell you that Mohammed is among them,” the source told Goal on Monday.

“The club is keen to sign young and experienced as we want to do well in the new season, we want to fight for the title and the list of players, we already have Mohammed is among them and that is for sure and we will talk to him when the right time comes.”

Sofapaka were the first club in the top-flight to show interest in signing the player after club president Elly Kalekwa told Goal he was a keen admirer of the defender, who won the KPL title with Gor Mahia.

“It is not an open secret that Sofapaka have always wanted to sign Musa [Mohammed], since we engaged him last season before he left for Zambia,” Kalekwa told Goal last Tuesday.

“I am informed he is now a free agent after ending his contract with Nkana but we have not reached out or talked to him, we will talk to him when the right time comes, he is a good player, who can fit in well into our squad and give us the leadership quality that we want in the team.”

In a recent interview, Mohammed revealed he had enjoyed his stay at Nkana and was looking at extending his contract with the club soon.

“I could renew my deal at Nkana,” Mohammed was quoted by Nairobi News. “I have enjoyed my stay at Nkana and even though we did not win titles over there, we had some great success especially in the continental matches.

“Life in Zambia and Kenya is almost the same and the club is professionally run. Other clubs have shown interest in my services and we have had some talks. I have an elaborate decision to make on the way forward. I hope to have some news soon.”

Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga SC) are also among the clubs that have reportedly shown an interest in signing the defender.

The Government of India has announced that all sports gatherings will continue to be banned in the country until further notice. 

After two months of lockdown due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the government had allowed stadiums to be opened for sports without the involvement of spectators. As part of a phased re-opening following the lockdown, the ban on gatherings will remain in place and a date for restarting sporting activities normally will be decided separately. Necessary 'Standard Operating Procedures' (SOP) will also be issued for the same by the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) had acted on the instructions of the government to pause all football activities in March earlier this year as the country entered into a lockdown.

The Indian Super League (ISL) was wrapped up before the lockdown began but the I-League had to be halted with four rounds left to play. The remaining rounds were later cancelled and Mohun Bagan, who had an unassailable lead, were declared as the champions. The I-League second division and youth leagues were also paused.

Several major leagues around the world have resumed without the involvement of spectators. A decision about the dates for the 2020-21 football season is yet to be taken.

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has defended world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic after his fellow Serb came in for widespread criticism over a tournament he hosted.

Djokovic recently confirmed he tested positive for coronavirus after helping to host a number of Adria Tour exhibition events in Serbia and Croatia.

The events, played in front of full crowds, ignored social distancing advice and players were pictured enjoying nights out together.

Djokovic and his wife Jelena have since tested positive for Covid-19, as have a number of other players and attendees.

The 33-year-old has apologised but Matic thinks the criticism of him has been unfair.

“People need to understand that the situation in Serbia was better than here,” Matic told Sky Sports News.

“The country allowed everyone to do whatever they want, everything was open, the shopping centres and the restaurants.

“So, they started to live normal lives because our country was closed for three months completely. You were not allowed to walk on the street, you couldn't leave your home, so it was different than [in England].

“But when they opened, they said, 'You are more than free to do whatever you want'. Before that tournament, there was a game with 20,000 people and nobody said anything about that.

“I just wanted to say that it is not his fault that he made the tournament. He just wanted to help the players play competitions. I don't see that he [did] something wrong.”

Djokovic and his wife were both asymptomatic, and self-isolated after testing positive.

The five-time Wimbledon champion released a statement admitting he was wrong to host the tournaments.

“I am so deeply sorry our tournament has caused harm,” Djokovic said. “Everything the organisers and I did the past month, we did with a pure heart and sincere intentions.

“We believed the tournament met all health protocols and the health of our region seemed in good conditions to finally unite people for philanthropic reasons.

“We were wrong and it was too soon. I can’t express enough how sorry I am for this and every case of infection.”

Among the other players to test positive were Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki, as well as Troicki’s pregnant wife, Aleksandra.

Following huge speculation about his future, defender Siyanda Xulu’s agent, Paul Mitchell, has confirmed that his client is leaving Maritzburg United.

Although he has been linked with a move to Orlando Pirates, Mitchell says there is nothing new in terms of offers for the former Kaizer Chiefs centre-back.

On the other hand, the experienced player-manager also shared an update on Bidvest Wits defender Buhle Mkhwanazi, saying he is not focusing on his future.

“Yes, he’s [Siyanda] is leaving and there's nothing new at this stage,” Mitchell told Goal.

“Buhle is contracted to Wits. So, he’s concentrating on finishing the season.”

Although Mitchell was recently quoted as saying that Xulu was staying with coach Eric Tinkler’s men for now, reports surfaced on Monday morning that the Bafana Bafana defender is set to part ways with the club.

The Bafana Bafana international's contract with the Team of Choice is set to expire at the end of this month after joining the KwaZulu-Natal side at the beginning of the 2017/18 season on a three-year contract, following his release from Amakhosi.

In the wake of his departure from Naturena at the end of the 2016/17 campaign, the 28-year-old went on to represent the club on 58 occasions in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in his first two seasons - missing only two games in the competition.

On the other hand, he also played all five matches in the Nedbank Cup as they reached the final, where they were narrowly defeated by Free State Stars in 2018.

Meanwhile, Clever Boys defender Mkhwanazi has also been linked with a move to the Buccaneers following the club’s sale to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM).

Together with his skipper Thulani Hlatshwayo and left-back Sifiso Hlanti, Mkhwanazi is one of the players in the Students camp whose future has attracted media speculation.

Cape Town City defender Thamsanqa Mkhize says he understands the frustration faced by many Premier Soccer League (PSL) coaches after the 2019/20 season was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Citizens skipper also spoke about Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki, saying the pandemic has delayed his plans to assemble a strong squad for the national side.

On the other hand, Mkhize believes the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament will not go ahead as planned because of the pandemic that has forced many leagues around to be suspended and qualifiers postponed.

“I feel for the coaches and the players because going back to play after over three months [while we have] been training individually it will take a sizeable time to get back into the rhythm of the game,” said Mkhize as quoted by DailySun.

“As for the national team coach Molefi, I’m sure he wishes to have assembled a team this year and [see us] playing. I don’t think it is possible for the Afcon to be played.”

With Bafana having already commenced with their Afcon qualifying campaign, the KwaZulu-Natal-born defender is not convinced the tournament set to be staged in Cameroon will go underway.

Coach Ntseki was meant to lead his troops against Sao Tome E Principe in a qualifier in March, but the match was cancelled, and while the PSL season is also yet to return to complete the season, it remains to be seen if the continental showpiece will go ahead.  

According to the website, should Caf plan to go ahead with the Afcon tournament in January, Bafana would have to play all four remaining qualifiers before October.

However, global governing body Fifa have scheduled the 2022 World Cup qualifiers that month.

Meanwhile, Mkhize will be expected to lead the Mother City outfit to a top-eight spot when the top-flight resumes.

Coach Jan Olde Riekerink’s side were 10th on the log table with 27 points from 23 matches when the season was halted in March.

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Miralem Pjanic from Juventus on a deal that could rise to be worth €65 million (£59 million/$73 million).

The confirmation comes shortly after Barcelona announced that fellow midfielder Arthur would be heading the other way, joining Juventus in a deal worth €72 million (£66m/$81m) plus up to €10m in bonuses.

Both Barcelona and Juventus have been locked in discussions for a swap deal for several weeks, with Arthur initially not keen on a move to Turin.

However, the Brazilian midfielder was eventually convinced, paving the way for Monday's announcement that the two sides had agreed to terms to swap the two midfielders.

Pjanic has signed a deal with Barcelona for the next four seasons, with that deal including a release clause of €400 million (£366 million/$449 million).

The midfielder will remain at Juventus for the rest of the campaign, however, with the Bosnian continuing on through the club's Serie A and Champions League campaigns.

Pjanic heads to La Liga after four seasons with Juventus, having joined the Serie A champions from Roma in 2016.

During his time with Juve, Pjanic was able to lift three Serie A titles, with the club favoured to claim a fourth this season as he prepares for his Barcelona departure.

In addition, Pjanic has won two Coppas Italia and one Suppercoppa Italia since moving to Turin.

Pjanic has made a total of 171 appearances for Juventus, scoring 22 goals across all competitions for the Italian side.

Prior to his time in Turin, Pjanic blossomed into one of the world's best midfielders at Roma, earning the first of his four selections to the Serie A Team of the Season.

He spent five seasons in Rome, having also featured for Lyon and Metz earlier in his career.

Barcelona currently sit second in La Liga, two points behind league-leaders Real Madrid through 32 matches.

Having settled for a draw against Celta Vigo in the club's last match, Barca will now look forward to a vital clash with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Juve, meanwhile, maintain a four-point lead over Lazio in Serie A ahead of Wednesday's clash with Genoa.

Layvin Kurzawa has signed a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain despite widespread reports that the Frenchman would depart the club this summer.

Kurzawa has come to terms with the club on a new four-year deal just as his current contract was set to expire, keeping him with PSG through to June 2024.

With the club already set to lose Thomas Meunier and Edinson Cavani, many expected Kurzawa to be among the big departures for PSG this summer, with several stars reaching the end of their current contracts.

Kurzawa, who will turn 28 in September, had been seen as an option for Chelsea and Arsenal, both of whom having been in the market to bolster their defences with the addition of an experienced full-back.

The PSG defender, who had been set for free agency, was seen as Chelsea's back-up plan should the pursuit of Ben Chilwell fall apart, but that option is now gone as Kurzawa has committed to continuing on at PSG.

Having started his career at Monaco, Kurzawa joined PSG in 2015 for €23 million, signing on via a five-year contract with the Ligue 1 giants.

He's been a fairly consistent part of PSG's backline ever since, making at least 21 appearances in each of his five campaigns in Paris.

In total, Kurzawa has made 123 appearances across all competitions, scoring a total of 13 goals from the left-back position.

During his time in Paris, Kurzawa has won the league in all but one season, while also claiming three Coupes des France, three Coupes des la Ligue and four Trophees de Champions.

Internationally, the defender has earned 13 caps for France, including two for Les Bleus in 2019.

PSG were named Ligue 1 champions after the decision was made to end the season as a result of the coronavirus.

Currently, the club is preparing for the return of the Champions League, with PSG having already secured their spot in the quarter-final round.

They have already been joined by Atalanta, Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig, with four round of 16 matches still left to be played.

The Champions League is set to continue with the resumption of the round of 16 beginning on August 7, with the quarter-final round beginning on August 12.

Mamelodi Sundowns team doctor Carl Tabane has described Barcelona goalkeeper coach Jon Pascua Ibarrola as “very useful” to them in gaining crucial information on how to return to training after just over three months without football.

Ibarrola, a former Sundowns goalkeeper coach who spent five seasons at Chloorkop, is now at Barca who are back in action bidding to defend their La Liga title.

With PSL teams now allowed to resume training, Tabane said they are getting assistance from Ibarrola on how best to resume their football activities in groups without compromising the health and safety of players and staff.

So far, there have been no confirmed coronavirus cases at Sundowns after most Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs started testing their players and non-playing personnel.

“You must remember that this is very new in the whole world. We may have players who are scared of getting infected. Imagine after one match that one player has tested positive, this will send shivers to other players,” said Tabane as per Sun Sport.

“We use Europe as our yardstick and there were many players and coaches in Europe who tested positive for Covid-19. We talk to our former colleague at Barcelona FC Jon Ibarrola and he is giving us great advice from the best club in the whole world.

"He talks to coach Pitso Mosimane and us about players’ travelling, what happens after training – do the players go home or not? He has also given insights as to how often and frequent to test players and staff.

“He is very useful and still one of us even though he is at the biggest club. So we get information from everywhere so we can continue our quest to defend our league title and try to win the Nedbank Cup.

“What’s on our minds is that the league must be finished and never be declared null and void. That’s why we are working so hard to be ready to fight when we restart.”

Sundowns’ quest to gain expert advice from Europe might be a sign of their seriousness to win a third straight PSL title when football resumes.

They are second on the PSL standings, trailing leaders Kaizer Chiefs by four points, but enjoy a game in hand which could prove crucial in the title race.

Tabane has also given an update on injured players Thapelo Morena and Mauricio Affonso, who are now able to work with the ball, but said they will be cautious with the players when the season resumes.

“They are doing a bit of ball work. We are very happy. We had given Thapelo a timeline of four months and he is now running and playing with the ball – he is a bit ahead," Tabane continued.

“Affonso is still at home in Uruguay and is feeling no pain and is now comfortable. We won’t throw them back into the deep end until we know they are 100 percent fit to play again.”

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has revealed they have now shifted their focus to winning the FA Cup after being crowned Mainland Premier League champions on Sunday.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi bagged their third straight title after securing a 0-0 draw against Tanzania Prisons in a match played at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya City.

Simba’s work was made easier on Saturday after their closest challengers Azam FC dropped points in a 1-1 draw against Biashara United.

Vandenbroeck has now stated they don’t have time to rest after arriving in Dar es Salaam from Mbeya on Monday and insisted they have already shifted gear towards doing well in their quarter-final match against Azam on Wednesday.

“We are happy we won the league and now our focus is to do well in the domestic Cup,” Vandenbroeck told the club’s official website.

“In our league match against Tanzania Prisons we only had two agendas, to win or draw and get the title and we managed to get the draw which gave us the title, now we want to do well in the FA Cup.

“We have a huge game lined up against Azam and I have asked my players to focus on the fixture, this is a must-win match for us, we want to win a double this season and must make sure we go past Azam to reach the semis.

“All my players are good, no one picked an injury in Mbeya where we played two matches, everyone is raring to go, and the players know what we have discussed before, and what we want to achieve this season, I know Azam is a tough team but we are ready for them.”

The league victory underlined Simba and Yanga's dominance in the Tanzanian competition in the last decade since the two arch-rivals and Azam FC in one attempt, have bagged every title.

Simba's three successful consecutive campaigns, in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and in the 2019/20 seasons has matched Yanga's record achieved in the 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.

It is the second time Simba have been champions in three straight campaigns as the same feat was achieved from 1993 to 1995 and apart from Yanga and Simba, no other Tanzanian club has managed to win the league gong and defend it in two or more consecutive seasons.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirant Herbert Mwachiro has lauded Fifa's move to financially assist its member associations during the coronavirus pandemic.

The relief plan is expected to be released in three stages and will see Fifa avail up to $1.5 billion to the member associations which Mwachiro feels is coming at the right time.

"The move is very timely and it’s a shot in the arm for many federations whose footballers, match officials, coaches, and other technical officials have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with most losing their revenue streams and sponsors pulling out or temporarily halting their sponsorship," Mwachiro said in a statement seen by Goal.

With Fifa stating some of the funds, which will come in the form of soft loans and grants, can be availed to teams and players, the former FKF vice-president and CEO says it will help the involved sportsmen and women a great deal.

"This has put the vulnerable sportsmen and women in a very difficult position as they are among the hardest hit by the pandemic," added Mwachiro.

"Problems in relation to hunger, health, and housing are affecting this class of sportspersons. They are already in debt over the past three months and the need to be alleviated is even more urgent.

"The opportunity to access the interest-free loan could also be looked into to help ease the burden on the hard-hit football community."

The FKF is entitled to $1,000,000 from the Universal Solidarity Grant and $500,000 for Women's Football Support, which means the local FA would end up getting a total of $1,500,000 in the near future.

While confirming the approval and manner of disbursements, Fifa stated the use of the funds will be subjected to strict auditing.

"To ensure effective oversight of the plan, there will be strict controls on the use of funds, audit requirements, as well as clear loan repayment conditions,” Fifa said.

"A Fifa Covid-19 Relief Plan steering committee will also be established to supervise the administration of the scheme."

The move came at a time the Kenyan government had rolled out a programme that will see footballers enjoy a KSh10,000 monthly package for three months.

Kaizer Chiefs have announced new deals for three of their players in the form of midfielder Siphelele Ntshangase, goalkeeper Brylon Petersen and left-back Phliani Zulu.

Ntshangase's future has been a subject of specualation in recent times following his lack of game time under coach Ernst Middendorp.

The former Baroka and Black Leopards midfielder has now expressed delight after extending his contract, saying he wants to thank chairman, Kaizer Motaung.

“Foremost, I am emotional about it. I want to thank the Chairman for this opportunity," Ntshangase said as quoted by Chiefs' Twitter account.

"I want to thank everyone involved in seeing that I can still contribute to this immense institution."

The 26-year-old player has fallen out of favour under Amakhosi coach Middendorp and he is yet to make a single appearance this season.

In addition, Petersen also said he is excited to sign a new deal by a further year as it gives him an opportunity to improve and challenge senior goalkeepers daniel Akpeyi and Itumeleng Khune. 

“I'm excited about my contract extension. It gives me a chance to improve further and compete at one of the best clubs on the continent. It is an honour to be here," Petersen said on the club's Twitter account

On thw other hand, Zulu echied his teammates' sentiments, saying he is grateful to the club and his duty is to show gratitude. 

"I feel happy and grateful. All I can do to show gratitude and appreciation is to continue working to the best of my ability. I want to give back to the club. Thank you to the Chairman,” Zulu expressed on the club's Twitter account.

The 27-year-old winger completed his switch to the Soweto giants in 2017 but he has found the going tough this term as he has featured in three league matches this season just before the matches were indefinitely suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) log leaders are set to part ways with midfielder George Maluleka who is bound to join Mamelodi Sundowns at the end of the season.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has explained his reasons for leaving Kelechi Iheanacho on the bench in their 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

Ross Barkley’s 63rd-minute winner at the King Power Stadium ensured the Foxes were eliminated from the competition.

Iheanacho has been delivering fine performances for Leicester in the second half of this campaign having struggled at the start of the season.

The Nigeria international has found the back of the net eight times and provided four assists in 20 appearances across all competitions so far this campaign.

The former Manchester City forward was expected to be introduced in the second half to boost the Foxes’ comeback in the game but was surprisingly left on the bench throughout the encounter.

When asked his reasons for his action, the Northern Irish tactician revealed he felt Jamie Vardy could rescue the day for his side.

“I was just looking at Jamie knowing he still looked fresh,” Rodgers said, as per Leicester Mercury.

“We felt he [Vardy] could grab a goal, he doesn’t need many opportunities, so it was just waiting for that opportunity for him to come. So it was as simple as that.”

Iheanacho's compatriot Wilfred Ndidi, however, featured for the entirety of the match but could not help Leicester avoid the elimination. 

The defeat against the Stamford Bridge outfit means the Foxes are now winless in their last three games after draws against Watford and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Iheanacho has featured in 65 appearances since joining the side in the summer of 2017 from the Citizens and has scored seven Premier League goals.

The forward will hope to feature and help Leicester return to winning way when they take on Alex Iwobi’s Everton on Wednesday.

The King Power Stadium outfit are currently third on the Premier League table and will hope to clinch a Champions League spot at the end of this campaign.

Barcelona have agreed to sell Arthur to Juventus for €72 million (£66m/$81m) plus up to €10m in bonuses, the Catalan club have confirmed on their official website.

Juve's Miralem Pjanic is set to move in the other direction, although both players will conclude the 2019-20 campaign at their current clubs.

Initially, the player was not keen to move to Italy, but Goal reported a dramatic U-turn in his stance on Thursday, which has paved the way for the deal to be completed.

"FC Barcelona and Juventus FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of player Arthur Melo. The Italian club will pay €72 million, plus €10 million in variables," the club confirmed in a statement published on Monday.

"The player will stay at FC Barcelona until the end of the official competitions of the 2019-20 season."

And head coach Quique Setien has included the player in the squad to face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

"I have no doubt about his greatest commitment until the last day he is here," the head coach told the media.

"He is a player until the last game of the season. He has committed himself to being one more [member of the squad].

"He will dedicate himself fully to achieving the objectives. I have no doubts about him.

"He has said that he will be in the best conditions. I'll decide if he plays more or less."

Arthur joined the club from Gremio in 2018 and has turned out 72 times in total for the Camp Nou side, including 28 appearances in all competitions this season, during which he has scored all four of his goals for the club.

Two draws in their past three games have left the reigning champions two points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with six matches remaining, heightening speculation that Setien will be dismissed at the end of the season despite only being in post since January.

The coach, however, has played down any concerns he has ahead of the clash with Diego Simeone's side, who lie third in the standings, though a distant 11 points short of the Catalan outfit with only six matches of the campaign remaining.

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda is confident they will not go 30 years without winning the Kenyan Premier League title.

Shikanda, during the club's virtual Annual General Meeting, said AFC Leopards are determined to win the league title soon to avoid waiting as long as Liverpool.

Liverpool won their first title after a 30-year wait and Leopards, who won their last title in 1998 are keen to avoid that length of a period without a trophy.

“Liverpool went for 30 years without a Premier League title. We have gone 22 years and we don’t want to go the Liverpool way. We are keen to build a team that will lift the KPL title sooner,”  Shikanda assured during the AGM.

The chair, who has been in office for the last year, acknowledged the difficulties they underwent during the cancelled season. He, however, states there is a need to work even harder in the coming seasons so as to achieve the set targets.

“AFC Leopards look to the future with renewed confidence after a difficult season that saw the departure of a key sponsor and now the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the chair added.

“We are encouraged by the fact that we have managed to ensure the club ran smoothly and met our league obligations. Going forward we need to up our game to compete favourably.”

AFC Leopards have already signed a sponsorship deal with Betsafe for the next three years but Shikanda says they must work hard and bring more financial partners on board.

“It may not be enough, but it is a sign of confidence by sponsors. We call upon for more corporates to partner with AFC Leopards,” continued the former Ingwe star.

With the transfer window ahead, Shikanda revealed players are going to be signed and others will exit. Rumours though have had that they target former captain Duncan Otieno and ex-Gor Mahia star Harun Shakava.

On the reported list of those expected to leave, Eugene Mukangula and Musa Saad have been named.

“The team is intact as there are no departures so far. There are those whose contracts will be renewed and others let go when the time comes," Shikanda concluded.

“We will definitely have some arrivals to reinforce the team.”

Jaap Stam has revealed that David Beckham tried to intervene to prevent the Netherlands international centre-back being sold by Manchester United to Lazio.

Stam, who turned out for the Old Trafford side from 1998-2001, was one of the game’s best centre-backs when he was let go by the Red Devils following controversial passages of his autobiography being published by the Daily Mirror.

The FC Cincinnati coach has revealed that while that was a catalyst to United offloading him, it was a deal that surprised everyone – including his club-mates. 

“Just after I arrived in Rome, I got a call from David Beckham,” he told FourFourTwo . “The United squad had spoken about it, and he expressed the general feeling among them that I should stay. 

“My departure was a big blow to everyone, as nobody expected it to happen. It was nice to hear that from him, and it showed how close we were as a group. That made it tough to leave, but given the situation at the time, I felt it was better for me to go.”

Stam also revealed the torment that he suffered during the period extracts of his book were being released.

“When a paper buys the rights to publish extracts from a book, they can make up their own headlines – and that was what troubled me,” Stam said. 

“It kept me awake at night, as I was wondering what would be in the paper the following day. Initially, Ferguson had told me not to worry about it, but on Wednesday – the morning of the match – I was informed that I should report for talks with him the next day, because he wasn’t happy about some of it. 

“After the game, I went home and reported the next morning at 8am, because I was keen to resolve the matter. I said, ‘You know what’s in the book – nothing bad’. But he maintained that he wasn’t happy. A week later, I was left out for a game against Blackburn. On the day, he called me to say I wasn’t in his squad because of the book hassle. He felt it might calm down if I wasn’t playing. We had a few conversations, although none of them were really satisfactory.

“A bit later that week, I was driving home from training when my agent phoned, telling me I’d been sold. I was like: ‘What?!’ He said, ‘Yeah, they’ll contact you in a minute’. 

“Moments later, Ferguson called me and asked where I was. We lived in the same area, and he told me to wait for him so that we could have a chat. I pulled into a petrol station and he met me there. When he arrived, he got in my car and told me that the club had accepted an offer from Lazio. It was a big shock.”

Stam went on to play with Lazio, AC Milan and Ajax before retiring in 2007.

Ryan Giggs’ standing as the most decorated player in English football history will come under threat from Manchester City starlet Phil Foden, claims Joleon Lescott, with the 20-year-old already eight trophies into chasing down the United legend’s haul of 25.

An era of unprecedented success at Old Trafford in the 1990s and 2000s allowed the Wales international to accrue a remarkable collection of silverware.

Sir Alex Ferguson delivered 13 Premier League titles for United, along with a number of successes in domestic cup competitions and two Champions League crowns.

Giggs was an ever-present throughout that run having broken through as a teenager, and now sits at the top of the British game when it comes to honours.

However he could knocked from that perch, with City starlet Foden among those with the potential to rein in him given the success City have enjoyed and the longevity he could have at the very top of the game.

Former Blues defender Lescott expects the Etihad Stadium academy graduate to overtake Giggs at some stage, telling CityTV:  “Regards to what he can achieve, hopefully, touch wood, he can withstand injuries, he can be the most decorated English player in history.

“What has he got? Two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups. He's 20 years old. If he continues at this level and stays at City for the remainder of his career, which I hope he does, he'll average two, three trophies a season which is going to be remarkable.”

Lescott added on Foden: “I don't think his quality is ever going to be in question. What he has, which I don't see many players have, is an obsession with football. I don't just mean love of the game - I love the game - but he's like weirdly obsessed with the game.

“He walks around with a football, I did some work with England Under-21s and I had to ban footballs from the hotel because he was constantly with one at his feet. He would want to stay extra on the field and do extra stuff so I had to monitor that. His obsession for football is none like I've seen before.”

While chasing down more silverware at club level, Lescott is also tipping Foden to make a senior international breakthrough at some stage in the near future – with the rescheduling of Euro 2020 set to work in his favour.

The former Three Lions defender added: “The timing of it all could benefit him especially.

“We're going to miss David Silva, but if that means Phil Foden getting more minutes, him playing more minutes for Man City inevitably leads to him playing more minutes for England. Hopefully that is the case for him next season.

“He's fearless, he loves the game, he's a sponge to all information given to him. Hopefully he can get more minutes next season, then get into that Euros squad.”

Juventus have confirmed that veterans Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon have both signed contract extensions with the club.

The Serie A leaders have awarded the pair deals that will stretch until June 2021, by which time Buffon will be 43 and Chiellini will be close to celebrating his 37th birthday.

Juventus have indicated that the contracts are a reward for the long-term loyalty and quality of the pair.

“There are players who need no introduction,” Juventus said on a statement published on their website. “Champions whose story speaks for itself, and whose connection with the shirt they wear is indissoluble.

“Examples on the pitch and in the locker room, leaders, driving forces, bearers of the Bianconeri DNA, who wear it as a second skin.

“Gianluigi Buffon. Giorgio Chiellini. Captains, legends. Bianconeri since the beginning. Bianconeri forever. And to confirm it, in case there is a need, today their contract renewals have become official, for another: 2021!”

Although both have been legendary figures in the history of the Turin side, neither has played a significant role in the 2019-20 campaign.

Buffon has featured seven times in Serie A but has largely played understudy to Wojciech Szczesny. Nevertheless, the influence off the field was highlighted by former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe, who spoke of the World Cup winner’s influence on his young career and the regret he felt when the Italian was allowed to depart Parc des Princes.

“I always liked listening to the senior players. Buffon was also very important to me,” the young Frenchman told L’Equipe. 

His last competitive league action came on December 18 in a 2-1 victory over Sampdoria at Juventus Stadium, while he has played 696 games for the club over the course of two spells, the first of which ran from 2001 until 2018.

Captain Chiellini, meanwhile, has had his game time seriously restricted by a cruciate ligament rupture, which sidelined him from the opening match of the Serie A season through until February. He has yet to feature for the first team since the return to action following the coronavirus suspension.

The defender has been at the club since 2005, when he made the switch from Roma. Since then, he has amassed over 500 appearances and has scored 36 goals, picking up eight Serie A titles along the way.

Lyon star Memphis Depay’s future continues to be unclear, but club president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed that the Netherlands international will be available for the Coupe de la Ligue final against Paris Saint-Germain and their Champions League clash with Juventus.

The former Manchester United man’s contract is up in a year, but the prospect of Lyon being able to retain him appear slim.

Coming off the back of a serious injury and combined with the coronavirus crisis, however, Lyon may struggle to hold out for the return they might have wished for the player at the start of the year.

Despite this, Aulas knows that it will be complicated to retain the player, who has scored 14 times in 18 appearances including five in five in the Champions League, beyond the end of the summer transfer window.

“He will play in the finals that await us,” the president told Le Progres, also including the Champions League Juve – a match in which Lyon hold a 1-0 advantage thanks to their first-leg victory in France. “Unhappily, the international transfer window will last until October 13, so we’ve got until then to pick our players.”

Meanwhile, it appears highly unlikely that Lyon will be back in Europe next season, with the Rhone side required to win the Champions League if they are to play on the continent.

With that in mind, they are already looking at cutting down their numbers, with talented teenager Amine Gouiri set to switch to Patrick Vieira’s Nice while midfielder Lucas Tousart, who scored against Juve, has departed to Hertha Berlin.

“There will be departures and we’re going to have to make choices because we’ve already got more than 30 players,” Aulas send. “We’ll have to let some go, loan others, and we’re going to have to find compromises to have a good team.

“Coming out of such a crisis, you have to aim for the top places. I’m not saying the title, but why not?”

OL finished last season in seventh place in Ligue 1, a distant 10 points behind Rennes, who claimed the final Champions League berth.