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Besiktas forward Kevin-Prince Boateng has given an account of how he was racially abused as a child in the neighbourhoods of Berlin where he grew up.

The subject of racism has been rife in football with Boateng one of the targets when he walked off the pitch in a friendly game with Pro Patria while playing for AC Milan in 2013.

Such was an unprecedented action never seen before but, it set the tone for football authorities to pay closer attention to racist abuse with referees now authorised to stop play if chants are heard from the stands during games.

The subject of racism has reached a new high globally following the death of George Floyd in the United States with football particularly the Premier League, standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Movement.

“When I was nine years old, I went to play in a tournament in East Germany. I grew up in a neighbourhood in Berlin that was poor, and that was also home to people who were from every corner of the world: Russia, China, Egypt, Turkey, everywhere,” Boateng wrote in the Players Tribune.

“When we fought each other, it was because we disliked each other in that moment, not because of discrimination. I never experienced racism there.

“But at the tournament in East Germany, I heard parents shouting at me from the sidelines. “Tackle the n*****.” “Don’t let the n***** play.”

“I was so … confused. I had only heard that word like maybe in a song or a movie or something, but I knew it was something against my colour. I felt so alone. I felt as if I was in a place where I was not supposed to be — but this was only a six-hour drive from Berlin. How could they love me in one part of the country and hate me in another just because I’m a different colour? As a kid, you don’t understand that.

“I had never spoken to anyone about how to deal with a situation like that. So, on the bus back to Berlin, I burst into tears. My teammates started crying, too. None of us understood what had happened. I never told my mum about it. I just ignored it and kept going. I thought it’ll go away. But it didn’t. And every time I played in East Germany, it got heavier.

“'For every goal you score, we’re gonna give you a banana. 'I’m gonna put you in a box and send you back to your country, fucking n*****.' It hurt so badly. When I was 14, I asked my teacher, 'Do you see me differently from the other kids?'

“He said, “No. Why?” I said, “So why do they see me differently in the east? This is my country. I’m German. My mum’s German. So why do they want to send me away?”

“He explained that there are just some people in this world who are stupid. But I began to cry. I still couldn’t understand it. And soon the confusion turned into suspicion. You begin to think that people don’t like you, even though you don’t know them. Every mixed-race guy in Germany has this. It’s like, why are you looking at me? You don’t like me? You want trouble? Let’s go.

“I became aggressive. Disturbed. I got red cards all the time. I was a hothead. But you know what the worst part was? No one ever stood up for me. They knew what was happening to me. They heard the racism — and they just accepted it. The parents stayed quiet. The referee? Nothing. The coach? “Just ignore it.” So I did. I stored my anger inside. I became numb to it.”

Boateng who is one of the most outspoken football players on racism, went on to narrate his conservation with the referee in the game against Pro Patria. The 33-year-old Ghanaian was trying to be stopped by his teammates and other officials from walking off the pitch, but he had none of it.

“After 26 minutes I told the referee, 'If they do that again, I’m gonna stop playing.' He said, 'No, don’t worry, just continue.' Then, as I was trying to dribble past a player, I heard them again. I grabbed the ball, booted it toward the stands and began to walk off the pitch,” the former Tottenham Hotspur player continued.

“It wasn’t the first time I had been racially abused. But this time I just exploded. When the referee tried to get me to play on, I said, 'Shut the fuck up.' I told him, 'You had the power to do something. You did nothing.' When a rival player wanted me to stay on, I said, 'You shut the fuck up as well. What did you do about it? Do you like what they’re doing?'

“As I walked towards the tunnel, our captain, Massimo Ambrosini, asked me, 'Are you sure about what you’re doing?' I said, 'One hundred per cent sure.'

Boateng who is presently on loan from Fiorentina, missed Besiktas’ 5-1 win over Denizlispor at the weekend because of a muscle injury. He will hope to be in contention against Konyaspor on Friday evening.

Frank Lampard says that he always felt confident that Chelsea would be able to keep hold of Willian and Pedro for the rest of the season, hailing the duo as "fantastic professionals" after signing on to continue their Blues careers.

The pair of wingers were set to see their contracts end on June 30, with Pedro heavily linked with a move to Roma once his deal expired.

And, as a result of the coronavirus, there was a possibility that the two would leave prior to the completion of Chelsea's Premier League campaign, which runs through to July 26.

Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to allow short-term deals for players impacted by this specific situation, leading to both Willian and Pedro signing those short-term deals to finish out the campaign.

The two will be available for all Premier League matches going forward as well as Chelsea's games in the FA Cup and Champions League.

And Lampard says he is thrilled to keep hold of the two vital attackers as Chelsea look to make a push for a top-four spot this season while adding that there are still ongoing talks with regards to keeping Willian beyond this season.

"We are still talking with the players, and Willian in particular, we are talking with him," Lampard said at a press conference on Wednesday. 

"It was hard for me to comment too much because it was announced yesterday. But I was always felt confident that they would remain, they've been fantastic professionals for the club, and servants in all senses.

"And when you have that level of professionalism within you, I think it's a sign that they wanted to stay and see out the season at least.

"So we'll carry on talking and see. But I think everybody's focus now is on these next games, the individuals themselves and us as a club."

Willian has played 38 times in all competitions this season, scoring seven goals while assisting six times. In addition, he's featured in all but one of Chelsea's Premier League matches.

Pedro, meanwhile, has scored two goals across his 18 appearances under Lampard this season.

“I'm pleased, negotiations were relatively easy, because both sides wanted the same thing," Lampard said. "The two players wanted to make sure they could see the season out with us.

“At this point we need them in the squad, they are both important players for us, so I'm happy.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should quit "average" Arsenal this summer, says Emmanuel Petit.

Aubameyang became the most expensive signing in Arsenal's history when he completed a £56 million ($70m) move to Emirates Stadium from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.

The 31-year-old has justified that transfer fee by scoring 61 goals in his first 99 appearances for the Gunners, while also earning a share of the Premier League's Golden Boot last season.

Unfortunately, the Gabon international's strike rate hasn't been enough to inspire a turnaround of fortunes for a club starved of success on the biggest stages. Arsenal haven't won a trophy since 2017, and they are in grave danger of missing out on a place in the Champions League for a fourth successive year after a disastrous 2019-20 campaign.

Aubameyang's current contract at the Emirates is due to expire in 2021, and unless the Gunners tie him down to fresh terms in the coming weeks, they risk losing a key performer in the summer transfer window.

Such a departure would surely represent another major step backwards for Arsenal, but Petit says he would have no hesitation in walking away from the club if he was in the ex-Dortmund star's shoes.

The Gunners legend told Paddy Power: "If I was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, I would leave Arsenal. There is some quality in this team but when you arrive at the club nowadays you want to do great things. But, come on guys, Arsenal is not the same any more.

"It's becoming an average club. I feel so sorry for the fans and all the people who love the club. I feel sorry for the former players that try to uphold the Arsenal reputation.

"But I don’t feel sorry for the players - I think 75% of them at the club at the moment don't deserve to wear that shirt. They should look at themselves in the mirror and show some pride."

Arsenal have slipped to tenth in the Premier League standings after losing their first two games back following the three-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mikel Arteta watched his side follow up a 3-0 loss at Manchester City with a shock 2-1 defeat away at Brighton on Saturday, and frustrations boiled over after the final whistle at the Amex Stadium.

Petit was embarrassed to see Arsenal players mob match-winner Neal Maupay for his part in number one goalkeeper's Bernd Leno's first-half injury, and he is not sure how Arteta is going to get the best out of squad lacking "desire" going forward.

He added: "Arsenal look like an average team with no spirit, with no anger or pride. I saw them against Brighton at the end of the game, trying to fight Neal Maupay, but that made me laugh.

"Before Covid-19 came, I thought things were different but I was surprised after the Premier League resumed to find that we're back in the old days. Nothing changed.

"It's all a question of mentality and desire. I haven't seen any of that at Arsenal since football came back. They could have played for a century against Man City without getting a shot on goal.

"I wish Mikel Arteta good luck because I think he's a quality manager but just like Unai Emery and Wenger, what is he supposed to do with these players?"

Sergio Aguero will have surgery on a knee injury on Thursday with Pep Guardiola waiting to find out when he will have the striker available.

The Manchester City striker is currently in Barcelona where he will be operated on by specialist Dr Ramon Cugat, who has performed surgery on various City players, including Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Benjamin Mendy and Aymeric Laporte in the past.

A timescale has not been put on Aguero's return and he has not yet been ruled out of the Champions League restart in August.

"Tomorrow he’ll have surgery with Dr Cugat in Barcelona. Once he finishes the surgery maybe we’ll know exactly the time when he can come back to join us and play with us," Guardiola told his news conference ahead of Thursday's clash with Chelsea.

"I don’t know right now [about the Champions League]. After surgery we’ll know exactly what the doctor sees and exactly what he has done. He will tell us more about the time to come back."

The injury leaves City with only Gabriel Jesus as a recognised striker although Guardiola insists he has options including Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan, who has been more recently used as a defensive midfielder.

"We don’t have any doubts about Gabriel," the City boss added. "The only doubt we have is because not one single player with the preparation we have can play every three days.

"We have Gabriel. Raheem can play in this position, even Gundogan and Bernardo [Silva] can play in this position. We have different options. Not like a striker but we can use them."

City face their third game in eight days on Thursday since the return of football following the shutdown enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic when they travel to Chelsea.

Guardiola made eight changes between the victories over Arsenal and Burnley and is expected to rotate again for the trip to Stamford Bridge, but he admitted that he will makes changes with the trip to Newcastle on Sunday in mind with the opportunity of defending the FA Cup becoming a priority as Liverpool run away with the league.

"We can’t deny that we have one eye on Newcastle," he said. "Chelsea and Liverpool are prestigious and important games but Newcastle is our game. A final for us.

"We have one eye on this but the other eye, the team selection depends on physical condition, the minutes they have played. We take a look a little bit at what is going to happen in the next, not just Chelsea."

Former Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland has revealed that Bruno Fernandes told him he had a poster of him as a kid and that he would always sign him when playing Football Manager.

In an interview with The Athletic, Ireland explained how the Manchester United midfielder now lives a few doors away from him and that the Portugal international even offered to have a kickabout with his youngest son.

Fernandes has made a big impression at Old Trafford since making the move from Sporting C.P. in the January transfer window.

The 25-year-old has become a key member of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting XI and has scored three goals in six Premier League appearances for the Red Devils. He was on the scoresheet once again in United's first game of the Premier League restart, with Fernandes netting the equaliser against Tottenham from the penalty spot.

He is being tipped to form a formidable partnership with Paul Pogba in the Red Devils' midfield and Ireland, who played 176 times for City between 2005 and 2010, is a surprising inspiration for the Portuguese.

He said: "Fernandes told me that, as a kid, he had a poster of me. He said that when he played Football Manager he always signed me. I was like, 'You had me on a poster? And, seriously, you sign me for Football Manager?' I mean, how weird is that?"

United face Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday night as they aim to cut the gap to Chelsea to two points.

The Blues play against City on Thursday, with Frank Lampard's side currently in the driving seat as both sides aim to finish in the top four and secure an automatic place in next season's Champions League.

As for Ireland, he has been without a club since Bolton in 2018 and recalled how Andrea Pirlo once asked to swap shirts with him after a friendly game against AC Milan.

He said: "I was like, 'Whaaaat? Pirlo wants my shirt?'. After the game, Daniel Sturridge turned to me, 'Oh, but I asked him for it ages ago'. I said, 'Take it' and handed it over. It didn’t matter. All I could think was, 'Does Pirlo know who I am? Does he watch football and realise I’m a good player?'.”

Kieran Tierney says he is "learning every single day" under Mikel Arteta and that he's confident Arsenal have a bright future under the "brilliant" manager's stewardship.

Arteta was drafted in as Unai Emery's permanent successor back in December, after a successful spell as Pep Guardiola's number two at Manchester City.

The former Gunners captain has since set about implementing his own philosophy at Emirates Stadium, and initial signs of progress were seen before the season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

The Premier League was cleared to return earlier this month, and Arsenal were faced with the task of protecting their unbeaten record in 2020 against reigning champions City in one of the first rescheduled fixtures.

Guardiola's men were ultimately too strong for Arteta's, who succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at Etihad Stadium last Wednesday which severely dented their chances of Champions League qualification and they followed up that result with another loss at the weekend against Brighton.

Tierney, who moved to Emirates Stadium from Celtic last summer, made his first appearance in six months against City after overcoming a string of fitness issues.

The Scotland international had nothing but praise for Arteta when discussing how he has helped him through his injury nightmare, and he is "grateful" that the Arsenal boss trusted him to return in such a high-profile fixture.

"He's been brilliant," Tierney told Sky Sports . "Obviously I was injured when he first came in and that was so unfortunate because you want to impress the new manager and get off to a good start. But even then, he was good with me. He watched me from afar and asked for updates on how I was doing.

"It's been an absolute joy to train with him. I feel as if I'm learning every single day and I was grateful for the opportunity he gave me against Manchester City.

"It was my first game in so long and a big game for the club, so for him to trust me was brilliant."

Ahead of a meeting with Southampton on Thursday, Tierney added on the whole Arsenal squad being fully behind Arteta and his long-term vision: "Every day in training you know you're going there to work.

"There are times for a laugh and a joke - Mikel loves that as well - but when we're working, we're working. It's a lot of tactical stuff as well, and that's going to help us all get an understanding of how he wants us to play.

"I've said before, something like that is not going to just work straight away, it's going to be a process, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and we need to stay focused on that. There are going to be bad results and bad games, but as a team we need to keep the confidence, stick together and kick on again.

"All the players are hurting, it's a tough time for everyone at the club, but there are going to be better days ahead.

"The last two results haven't been ideal, but the work-rate is still at 100 per cent every day in training. We're working so hard and we're working to the gameplan that the manager wants. We all believe in it and we're all buying into it."

Chippa United have opted against renewing Rhulani Mokwena's short-term contract with the club. 

Mokwena joined the Chilli Boys on-loan from Orlando Pirates earlier this year, and he was expected to continue until the end of the season. 

However, while Chippa United chairman Siviwe Mpengesi indicated that he would like to keep Mokwena beyond his current deal, reports of uncertainty around his future emerged in the past few weeks. 

Now, Chippa chiefs operations officer Lukhanyo Mzizi has confirmed the club's decision to let Mokwena return to the Buccaneers.  

"In the midst of uncertainty and in spite of everything including the announcement by the sports minister [Nathi Mthethwa], we as a club were uncertain as to when we will return to play," Mzizi told The Herald. 

According to Mzizi, Mokwena's representatives kept asking whether or not Chippa will be retaining the young mentor. 

And that's when they made it clear they don't intend to keep Mokwena, and therefore allowing him to go back to his parent club. 

"His (Mokwena’s) representatives kept enquiring to make sure they were certain about his future, we needed to let them know.  

"So, we let them know about our decision to allow the coach to return home to Orlando Pirates," Mzizi confirmed.

Mokwena only took charge of a single competitive match for the Chilli Boys this season; a 1-1 draw away to Bidvest Wits, and this was before the season was suspended in mid-March.

Last week, Chippa United were accused of training in groups at Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth and thus breaking lockdown Level 3 regulations; the matter which both the club and the South African Football Association (Safa) confirmed to be investigating.  

The Herald reports that some of the reported training sessions were conducted by Mokwena although nothing has been confirmed by either the club or the coach himself. 

Other media reports had suggested that Mokwena brought divisions within the squad soon after his arrival from the Sea Robbers by informing a few senior players that they would be released. 

Mokwena's mandate was to help Chippa avoid relegation as they are currently sitting in 12th position, three points above the relegation play-off spot and a further three ahead of bottom-placed Black Leopards.

Manchester United would be "stupid" not to try and sign Harry Kane this summer, according to Louis Saha, who says the Tottenham striker can help the Red Devils win titles again.

Kane sparked questions over his future at Spurs after admitting he could leave the club if he no longer feels they are heading in the right direction back in March.

Old Trafford has been mooted as a possible landing spot for the England international if he does move onto pastures new, but as it stands, he is contracted to remain in north London until 2024.

United have yet to bring in a natural replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who joined Inter last summer, with Anthony Martial currently the man deployed in a central role.

Saha doesn't think his old club can rediscover past glories unless a "guaranteed 30-goal striker" is added to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's ranks, which has been lacking since Robin van Persie inspired their club's last title success in 2012-13.

Asked whether any of the forwards playing for the Premier League's 'big six" sides would fit in at the Theatre of Dreams, the ex-United forward told Compare Bet: "When you’re talking about Harry Kane – a proper striker. When you see how many goals he scores each season, I would be stupid not to consider him.

"He’s a world-class striker. I know Werner is quite young, but he’s a prolific goalscorer. There’s definitely talent out there in the league and we have to catch up, we need a guaranteed 30-goal striker who is able to create some magic out of nothing, like Van Persie was able to do, removing the burden of having to play well as a side.

"This is what wins titles. There are six to eight sides competing at the top, plus, there’s so much quality everywhere now, you need competition within the team too."

Kane notched his first goal in 2020 during Tottenham's 2-0 victory over West Ham on Tuesday night, and insisted post-match that he feels "as fit as ever" after recovering from surgery on a torn hamstring.

The 26-year-old was criticised for his performance during Spurs' first game back after the coronavirus-enforced break against Manchester United on Friday, which ended 1-1.

Paul Merson expressed doubts over whether Jose Mourinho is capable of getting the best out of his star striker, but the Portuguese boss dismissed the Arsenal legend's comments ahead of his side's meeting with the Hammers.

Mourinho said: "Dear Paul, I have lots of respect for you. I think Harry Kane has no problem at all to score goals in my teams, especially when he’s fit and fresh and has routines of playing.

"That’s my message to somebody I have lots of respect for."

Former South African Football Association (Safa) vice-president Lucas Nhlapo has lifted the lid on how Dr Danny Jordaan is running the organization. 

This follows the removal of both Gay Mokoena and Ria Ledwaba as vice-presidents in Saturday's national executive committee (NEC) meeting. 

According to Nhlapo, the writing was always on the wall that the pair would be removed after differing on governance matters within Safa, and he solely put the blame on Jordaan, who he alleged has too much influence on how members of the NEC should vote once anyone goes against him.    

Nhlapo further stated that Safa will not improve as long as Jordaan is still the president, alleging that some NEC members are desperate and relying on the salaries they get from the association to make ends meet.  

"My understanding is that it was expected that Gay Mokoena and Ria Ledwaba would be booted out because that's how president Jordaan operates. Once you differ with him, then you must know your hours and days are limited at Safa," said Nhlapo in an explosive interview with SA FM. 

"We met with him [Jordaan], myself and Elvis Shishana and the other vice presidents on many occasions raising issues about how we operate and dealing with issues and how we communicate certain decisions to NEC members because most of the decisions, it will be him [Jordaan] forcing them to some members and you must remember, the majority of NEC members are desperate because they are not working and they rely on him generally that's what we have observed.

"They would never take anything that contradicts his position on any matter. So, until such time Danny Jordaan is gone, Safa will remain the way it is."   

Nhlapo believes Jordaan had a hand in his removal as vice-president of Safa after he and another axed former vice-president Elvis Shishana questioned him about his trip to America, where he met with the Attorney General without informing his colleagues.  

"What happened was, we were questioning him about going to America for example and instead of answering us as to why he went to America without informing us and why he went to meet the Attorney General there, what he did was to inform the former CEO [Dennis Mumble] to say, 'these people are planning to remove me. Let's convene an urgent congress'," he continued.  

"Instead of having our congress in December, it was moved to May 26 but it wasn't our intention to remove him. That's when we were removed as NEC members and vice presidents of Safa."

"Our issue was that we were not happy about how he's dealing with things, especially going to America when we dealing with the 2010 World Cup $10 million scandal."

Nhlapo alleged that Jordaan also interfered with how the finances should be run at Safa, saying he insisted on including the alleged $10 million Fifa World Cup bribe which made headlines for years in the association's financials.  

In addition, Nhlapo alleged that Safa is on R250 million shortfall and insolvent. 

"We also differed on the issues of finances. He was insisting that we insert the so-called $10 million he was saying the government was owing us and they will be paying us but what was surprising was, why do you want to talk about the $10 million five years later and want us to put it in our financials?"  asked Nhlapo. 

"Because since we started in 2009, and that matter never arose that we have $10 million that will be coming our way that's why we released a statement to say, 'Safa cooked the books'.  

"As we speak now, if you remember, soon after releasing that statement saying Safa cooked the books, the auditors the quit. So, their books are not in order. 

"Hopefully, if you get in touch of the auditors they will inform you why they are no longer auditing the books of Safa but there is a crisis at Safa. I think as we speak now, they are around R250 million in the red. In fact, Safa is insolvent."

Frank Lampard has revealed that while he considers Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz to be a "top player", Chelsea are yet to have made a bid for the 21-year-old.

The Blues have already agreed a £47.5 million ($59m) deal to sign Havertz's Germany international team-mate Timo Werner, with Lampard's side now being tipped to also land the Leverkusen sensation.

Havertz has starred in the Bundesliga over the course of the 2019-20 campaign and his form has alerted Europe's top clubs as they attempt to sign one of the world's most highly-rated young players.

The likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have all been linked with the playmaker, who has scored six goals for Leverkusen since the return of Germany's top flight in May.

Chelsea, though, haven't yet made a concrete offer for Havertz, with Lampard describing the forward as a "top player" but telling reporters ahead of his side's Premier League meeting with Manchester City that no bid has been lodged.

He said: "He's obviously a top player, but to carry on from my answer before I'm certainly not going to comment on other players at other teams. And it cannot be our focus. So, nothing to say."

When asked if an offer had been made, he added: "No. No bids have gone in."

The west Londoners face Pep Guardiola's City side in what is their second game of the Premier League restart, with Chelsea having beaten Aston Villa 2-1 on June 21 to boost their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Lampard will have almost a fully fit squad to choose from for the clash at Stamford Bridge on Thursday as Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi remain the only two first-team players unavailable.

The Blues were handed encouraging contract news on Tuesday after it was confirmed that both Willian and Pedro would be remaining at the club until the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign.

The Spaniard has agreed a pre-contract with Roma although is willing to risk injury and see out the season with Lampard's side, with Willian, whose long-term future remains unclear, also committing to a short-term extension.

Lampard refused to discuss the 31-year-old's position at the club beyond the 2019-20 season, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United having been linked with signing the Brazil international on a free transfer.

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League table, five points ahead of the Red Devils, who face Sheffield United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

The Kisumu ASK Mamboleo Ground has been renamed Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium and is set to be renovated to meet the required standards to host domestic and international matches.

Laying the foundation stone, Kisumu County Governor Anyang' Nyong'o and the Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed said the development is a sign of the national government's effort in improving the sports facilities in the country.

“First of all, I would like to say a big thank you to the Sports Minister [Amina Mohamed] for taking the long journey to Kisumu so as to help us build a new stadium,” Nyong'o said during the launching ceremony.

“I am a very happy man because when President Uhuru Kenyatta assured us that he will ensure his government builds at least one stadium in each county and today the Sports Minister is in Kisumu for the same purpose.

“We are here today to lay the foundation stone of the Jomo Kenyatta Internation Stadium. We will also move to the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium and change the name to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Ground.

“Our main aim is to improve such facilities within Kisumu. I will make sure we will construct this stadium in the correct manner. We need to improve our facilities so as to have modern Hockey and Volleyball Courts as well as a football pitch.

“These projects will go on with support from the World Bank through the Kenya Sports Support Programme.”

Kisumu County has produced many players who have represented the Kenyan national team and Sony Sugar, Western Stima, Muhorni Youth, and Kisumu All-Stars are among the major teams situating in the county.

“Soon, we will also be upgrading the Moi Sports Stadium and those who doubt let them watch this space. I promised the Kisumu residents that we should improve the sports infrastructure in the county including the Muhoroni Stadium,” added the governor.

“We have to invest more in these things and I am happy with the government's gesture and their help in ensuring we do them perhaps with great help from Raila Odinga is encouraging.

“Even the change of names of these facilities has the blessings of the President and the former Prime Minister Odinga.”

“The stadium will spur massive economic growth in and around the Lake Region Economic Bloc,” Mohamed said as she welcomed the move.

The construction and eventual completion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium will complement Moi Stadium which has hosted top-tier matches.

Gor Mahia, with a huge following in the area, has always hosted the majority of their home matches there in the last few seasons.

The Kisumu ASK Mamboleo Ground has a carrying capacity of 20,000.

Hassan Oktay has termed the efforts by Gor Mahia to secure a sponsorship deal with new betting firm Betsafe as fantastic news.

Last week, the Kenyan champions, along with their bitter rivals AFC Leopards, signed a partnership contract with the betting firm that will last for the next three years, with K’Ogalo set to pocket KSh55million per year while Ingwe will receive KSh45 million.

Oktay, who left Gor Mahia last season after winning the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and also guiding the team to their first-ever quarter-final spot in the Caf Confederation Cup, has now revealed his excitement for the players.

“I am so happy, I am very happy, about my players and Gor Mahia, it is fantastic news now that they secured money,” Oktay told Goal from his base in Britain.

“The players have suffered a lot, they have really gone through tough times, playing football and you don’t get money afterwards is something very demoralising but I like all Gor Mahia players because they never liked to show they don’t have money.

“They are all fighters, they keep fighting for the team even without money and now they will be tougher because they have money and it means their problems have been sorted out.”

Asked whether the arrival of money will help the players to grow their confidence and become mentally fit, Oktay said: “Absolutely yes, of course, it will help the players, a lot, the money will help the players to put food on the table and take care of their families, of course, it is great news.”

According to Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier, the club will, however, have to wait until football returns to start getting the financial support.

“As things stand now, we don’t have anything to give back to the new sponsor because there is no football being played,” Rachier told Goal on Saturday.

“What we agreed on when signing the deal, is they will only be able to start funding the club when football resumes, and that can only be possible when our league starts again.”

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards have been struggling since SportPesa, their previous sponsor, left, leaving the club to depend on fans, members, and other well-wishers to honour matches and settle players' allowances at times.

Mathieu Bodmer has described Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a "UFO" and a "great player", while praising him for the impact he had at Paris Saint-Germain between 2012 and 2016.

Ibrahimovic completed a €21 million (£19m/$24m) move to PSG from Milan eight years ago, and went on to enjoy the best goalscoring spell of his entire career in the French capital.

The ex-Sweden international hit a staggering 156 goals in 180 appearances in all competitions for the club, while also contributing 60 assists, becoming the most prolific striker in Ligue 1 in the process.

He won 12 trophies in total during his time at Parc des Princes, including four Ligue 1 titles, and earned a place in the club's hall of fame before joining Manchester United on a free transfer.

Bodmer, who witnessed Ibrahimovic's mercurial talents up close in his final year at PSG, says he "loved" working with the striker - who returned to Milan in January - and credits him for helping the club make great strides forward on the biggest stage.

The former PSG midfielder told Goal: "Ibrahimovic? He's a UFO. I loved his character, I loved the player. He's a great player, a great guy, who has brought a lot for PSG. You can say that he is arrogant, but he has made a lot of things move in the right direction."

Current Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti was the man who initially lured Ibrahimovic to Paris, and Bodmer recalls seeing the Italian head coach command "respect" from all the top players within the squad.

The newly retired 37-year-old said of his former manager: "Ancelotti is Ancelotti. When you see the respect of players for him, like Zlatan or Thiago Silva, it shows that he is a great coach and a great man. Having a coach like him is wonderful. The day he left it was bad news for the club."

Bodmer went on to discuss Ousmane Dembele's struggles at Barcelona, having been alerted to his unique abilities when he was rising through the youth ranks at Evreux FC.

He said of a man who has struggled to live up to his €125 million (£113m/$141m) price tag since moving to Camp Nou from Borussia Dortmund in 2017: "He doesn't have much luck, but Ousmane, when I saw him at 11-12, I said 'he's going to be in the Ballon d'Or ranking if he doesn't screw up.'

"I saw Eden Hazard in Lille at 15-16 years old. It was the same. Ousmane is a good kid bothered by injuries. He's already world champion and I hope that in Barcelona he will regain his physical capacities. When he's fit, he is unplayable."

Antonio Rudiger says he will be in "trouble" with Chelsea if Timo Werner fails to perform after adopting an agent role in his £47.5 million ($59m) transfer from RB Leipzig.

Chelsea saw off reported competition from the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Liverpool to sign one of the most sought-after talents in European football earlier this month.

Speculation over Werner's future ended when he committed to a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge, which will see him earn £170,000 per week in west London.

The 24-year-old will join up with his new team-mates at the end of the current season, and will hope to produce the same form in front of goal for the Blues as he has on a weekly basis for Leipzig.

The Germany striker has hit 32 goals in 44 appearances for Julian Nagelsmann's side in 2019-20, helping them rise to third in the Bundesliga while also qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals.

Rudiger, who plays alongside Werner at international level, has revealed the part he played in luring the frontman to Chelsea after being asked to assess his quality.

The Blues defender is hoping his "recommendation" won't come back to haunt him, as he told Sport Bild: "Chelsea asked me for an assessment.

"I have known Timo for a long time. I made a clear recommendation to do everything possible to get him.

"From the next season on he will have to deliver, otherwise I will get trouble from the club afterwards."

Rudiger went on to express his belief that Werner will have no problem making the transition from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, while insisting Chelsea are a better fit for his compatriot than Bayern would have been.

He added: "Although he [Werner] is not a classic penalty area striker, he has a certain robustness well suited to the toughness of English football.

"Counterattacking may have been more difficult for him at Bayern Munich or with a top Italian team, who are always dealing with opponents who sit very deep.

"Even outside the group of top clubs, many teams try to play positive and attacking football against us.

"This will give him the space he needs and hopefully he can use it as much as he did at Leipzig."

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted he is not certain about the future of Adama Traore as he continues to be touted to leave the club.

The speedy winger of Malian descent has caught the eyes of football followers with his performances giving Wolves some vital points, which have put them firmly in the race for the top four just one season after gaining promotion from the Championship.

Traore has had a hand in 17 goals (six goals, 11 assists) in 44 competitive outings this term which is a massive improvement from the previous campaign, when he just joined the club from Middlesbrough, and scored just a goal and recorded one assist each in the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.

League leaders Liverpool and current title holders Manchester City have been rumoured to have interest in signing Traore whose contract at the Molineux runs until 2023.

"I don't know. He is here now and he has trained well today and he is ready to go [play] tomorrow,” Espirito Santo told the media ahead of Wolves' clash with Bournemouth.

"It is day by day, no speculation, and [we] just focus on what we have to do and prepare for Bournemouth."

Traore has been known to show impact from the bench and did that at the weekend when he came on to assist Raul Jimenez’s goal in a 2-0 win over West Ham United.

Espirito Santo, however, played down claims that the La Masia product is only effective as a substitute.

"Adama is a special player, he is unique, and I think when he is on the pitch he already has an impact on the game,” the Sao Tome and Principe-born coach continued.

"Of course, he has things to improve and then after that it is our decision how we use players and manage the team in the game plan and the moment.

"The momentum and the moment we are in after three months of activity, we have a lot of things to judge on and try to make the right decisions."

Espirito Santo went on to describe Bournemouth as a good team. The Cherries are currently in 18th place, tied on 27 points with 17th-placed West Ham.

"Bournemouth are a good team. It is a team that plays good football and has very good players and a fantastic manager,” he said.

"The games are so tough and what is happening to Bournemouth can happen to anyone.

"A bad run is very difficult to bounce back from but I have all the respect and admiration for Bournemouth."

Wolves are currently in sixth place, tied on 46 points with fifth-placed Manchester United.

Should the Red Devils fail to claim maximum points against Sheffield United, Espirito Santo’s men could leapfrog United and move within two points of fourth-placed Chelsea, who host Manchester City on Thursday night.

Harry Maguire has got his sights set on becoming the first outfield player to complete every minute of a Premier League campaign for Manchester United since the 1994-95 season.

The England defender is aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow centre-back Gary Pallister, who managed two ever-present seasons with United.

United face Maguire's former club Sheffield United on Wednesday and still have seven top-flight games to play after that.

But even with a packed fixture list, truncated by the coronavirus-enforced shutdown, skipper Maguire is hopeful of being involved throughout as United chase Champions League qualification and he looks to equal a feat achieved by Pallister in 1992-93 and 1994-95.

"Yes, it's going to be hard work with games coming every three days or so," he told the club's matchday programme.

"But, no, I'm in a great position – physically and, mentally, I'm fresh and ready to go. I hope, with every player coming back, we don't want anyone to pick up any injuries due to the amount of games we have coming up.

"Fingers crossed for all players out there – we don't want anybody picking up injuries so there are fully fit squads and everyone going full throttle at it, playing football. It's what we love to do.

"I've seen, on Sky, the fixtures and how many games are being shown every day really, so it's going to be a great time for the fans to sit back and watch.

"They will be disappointed they can't go to stadiums to support the lads, but it's the best we can do at the minute.

"I am sure it will still be a great time for fans and, hopefully, for the players as well."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side marked their return to action with a 1-1 draw at Tottenham and face another potential top-four rival on Wednesday.

Chris Wilder's men have stumbled in their first two games back, drawing with Aston Villa and suffering a 3-0 loss against Newcastle United.

The Red Devils sit fifth, five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and two ahead of the Blades, against whom they drew 3-3 at Bramall Lane.

Vipers SC forward Abraham Ndugwa has revealed the player he thinks will perform better for the Uganda Premier League (UPL) champions next season.

Even though the 23-year-old star believes he is set to become a key figure, he has chosen Umar Kyebatala as the player who will surprise many next season.

“[Abraham] Ndugwa will. Honestly, it’s a very competitive team making it hard to choose one, however, I will go with [Umar] Kyebatala. The guy has an eye for goal,” Ndugwa told the club's website.

The striker further revealed the game he was really looking to feature in before the season was abandoned when it was about to hit matchday 25.

“I was looking forward to the KCCA FC game at home in the just-concluded season. Since I was out injured at the start of the second round, I trained hard and got back to a level I felt I was ready for that return leg. Unfortunately, I didn’t make the squad,” he revealed.

Ndugwa also mentioned his most enjoyable moment at the club so far.

“The looped pass for Tito Okello in the Pilsner Super 8 semi-final against Mbarara City for the equaliser,” he continued.

“We actually conceded during the last 15 minutes after dominating the game for so long and I told [Frank] Tumwesigye; 'We can’t lose this just play close to me.' He gave me the ball which I chipped for Tito who coolly finished it off and helped book our place in the final.”

The coronavirus-related restrictions have affected most footballers' programmes and Ndugwa has explained how his typical day looks like currently.

“I usually get up a bit late lately because of the Covid-19 lockdown although I remain an early riser. I stretch for 15 minutes, check my phone for any new messages or communication,” he added.

“Later in the day is when I do my practice from 5 pm using the training program that was given to us as well as incorporating in new ones.

“I am actually limited by this lockdown on what I would love to continue perfecting like finishing and shooting because I can’t get access to some things, so with the limited space all I get is doing ball mastery and a few ball tricks.”

He also revealed why Tumwesigye always lights up his day during team training sessions.

“Tumwesigye makes my training days lively. He can silence any player with his banter. Quite a cheeky fellow. I even try to avoid him at times, to prevent him turning the jokes on me,” Ndugwa concluded.

Vipers were declared champions after the season was cancelled last month.

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega has picked Liverpool star Sadio Mane as the best African player in the Premier League this season, while also giving special mention to his teammate Mohamed Salah.

With Liverpool poised to break a 30-year league title drought, Mane has been instrumental for the Reds, scoring 14 goals and providing nine assists in 27 Premier League appearances, which he has marked with match-winning impact on a number of occasions. 

Salah has also been outstanding, having found the back of the net 16 times in league games, with six assists to his name in 26 matches, with the Egyptian and the Senegalese forwards both playing key roles Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasing side.

Although Arsenal and Gabon captain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is currently the second on the Premier League top goal-scorer list with 17 strikes and one assist, Vega has singled out Mane for praise, while also acknowledging Salah’s exploits.

“Sadio Mane without a doubt,” Vega told Goal when asked about the continent's best player at the moment.

“I think he deserves to be nominated because he is going to potentially win for Liverpool the league [title] this season. And of course his great friend Mohamed Salah as well, I think between both of them this year especially one to be impressed about African players.

“And also great export for African football to be honest. We know Africa has great players but these two, of course, showing again that the quality is there and they can do it in big teams like Liverpool.

"So I will select these two in terms of my, let’s say, favourite African players at the moment this season.”

After featuring in last Sunday’s 0-0 Merseyside derby against Everton, Mane is searching for his first goal after football's restart as Liverpool prepare to host Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Salah was an unused substitute against Everton due to injury but is expected to be back against Palace and returning with a top performance could set the tone for a glorious finish to the season.

“[Mo] trained yesterday [Monday] completely normal, he will train today completely normal, I would guess and then he is available. What I make with the line-up, you have to wait until tomorrow [Wednesday],” Klopp told the club website ahead of the Palace fixture.

Arsenal fans have vented their fury over the club's decision to extend David Luiz's contract at Emirates Stadium.

Luiz completed an £8 million move to Arsenal from Chelsea last summer, and has since made 33 appearances across all competitions for the club, scoring twice.

The Brazilian has been a regular in the Gunners' starting line-up although has been guilty of making various high-profile errors that have cost the north Londoners.

The 33-year-old's latest nightmare display came during Arsenal's first game back following the three-month break in the season caused by coronavirus last Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta's men suffered a 3-0 defeat away at Manchester City, with Luiz gifting the home side the lead after coming on for the injured Pablo Mari midway through the first half.

His failure to deal with a Kevin De Bruyne through ball allowed Raheem Sterling to steal in and open the scoring, and his night got even worse five minutes after the interval.

Luiz was dismissed for bringing down Riyad Mahrez as he raced through on goal, and De Bruyne doubled City's lead from the resulting penalty.

The defender took full responsibility for the loss post-match, but also expressed his desire to remain at Arsenal beyond the expiration of his contract - which was due to run until end of the month.

Despite his erratic style of play and unpopularity among some supporters, the Gunners officially tied Luiz down to a fresh one-year deal on Wednesday, while also announcing permanent contracts for Cedric Soares and Mari.

And many Arsenal fans have reacted angrily to the news on social media, with one disgruntled follower of the club's Twitter account writing "WHAT A JOKE".

Arteta's side lost 2-1 to Brighton in Luiz's absence on Saturday, and will also be without the enigmatic centre-back when they travel to St Mary's to take on Southampton on Thursday.

The former Chelsea star will be available for selection again three days later when the Gunners face Sheffield United, but there is likely to be plenty more opposition to his continued presence in the squad between now and then.

Check out some more comments from fans bemused by Luiz's new contract below.