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Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho played down suggestions of a rift with Tanguy Ndombele after Spurs' win over West Ham.

Ndombele, a club-record signing from Lyon for a reported €60 million (£54m/$68m) last year, was again an unused substitute as Tottenham recorded a 2-0 win in the Premier League on Tuesday.

But reports in France said the midfielder had told Mourinho he no longer wanted to work with him.

However, Mourinho dismissed suggestions of a disagreement, telling a news conference: "No. On the bench was Tanguy, was [Ryan] Sessegnon, Toby [Alderweireld], [Jan] Vertonghen. Who else? Gedson [Fernandes] and they didn't play and that's football. For me, there is nothing.

"I have attacking players on the bench, [Erik] Lamela and Harry [Winks], two great players to bring and then wings to give us more consistency. This situation of the five changes, some people maybe think that you have to do the five changes, you don't have to do it, you have the chance to do it.

"I felt that the team was fine. I never believed that 2-0 was a completely safe result because of course they were trying everything and one goal could change our state of mind and give them the motivation they need for the last minutes so I decided to keep the team stable and three changes were enough."

Mourinho added: "It's not just him, I try to do the best for my team, I cannot start the game with 12 or 13 players, I try to do the best for the team.

"Sometimes I apologise to my players that are not my first choice because I feel the work in training is something that deserves more than what I give, but I have to do my job the best I can and I felt for these two matches I didn't need him."

Spurs are seventh in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, after a Tomas Soucek own goal and Harry Kane strike.

Mourinho said he warned his players of the importance of claiming three points when they were level at half-time.

"First of all, the three points were not important, they were crucial. I told the players that at half-time," he said.

"Don't think if we don't win this match we still can think about chances because tonight is three points or nothing so three points fundamental, then great clean sheet."

Moussa Marega grabbed a brace as Porto moved to the top of the Primeira Liga table after defeating Boavista 4-0 in Tuesday's encounter.

The commanding win at the Estadio Do Dragao moved Porto to 67 points after 28 matches with a three-point lead above second-placed Benfica who lost a seven-goal thriller earlier in the evening.

After a goalless first-half, Marega started the party for the hosts with his opening goal in the 53rd minutes and Alex Telles doubled the lead seven minutes later from the penalty spot.

Sergio Oliveira made it 3-0 from the penalty spot again in the 70th minute before the Malian striker put the icing on the cake for Porto with his second goal six minutes from full-time.

The brace stretched Marega's tally to eight goals after 24 league outings, making him the Dragons' second-highest goal scorer after Telles who has nine league goals this term.

He was in action from start to finish alongside DR Congo's Chancel Mbemba while Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar watched on as an unused substitute.

Aboubakar currently finds himself struggling in Conceicao's team with just 66 minutes of football played so far in the Portuguese top-flight this season and his last league goal dates back to September 2018.

For Boavista, Gambia's Yusupha Njie, Senegal's Idrissa Mandiang and Ghana's Yaw Ackah were on parade while Nigeria's Nwankwo Obiora was on the bench for 90 minutes.

Next up for Porto is a league visit to Pacos de Ferreira on June 29 while Boavista host Santa Clara a day before.

Harry Kane said he feels "as fit as I've ever done" after scoring his first goal of 2020 in Tottenham's 2-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday.

Kane returned to action for the first time since New Year's Day following a hamstring injury and the coronavirus-enforced hiatus in Friday's draw with Manchester United .

The England striker looked visibly off the pace in that game and wasted several chances against West Ham before making sure of the points eight minutes from time.

Tottenham's win moves them within a point of fifth-placed United and sixth-placed Wolves in the race for Champions League football.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Kane said of his goal: "As a striker, it's what you want to do, you want to score goals, you want to help win games.

"I'm happy to get back on the scoresheet. It was a tough game, it took us a while to break them down. Obviously we had a few chances before we scored the first one, then it was nice to finish it off at the end.

"When you've been out for over six months, it's getting that feeling back on the pitch. You can train as much as you want, but being out here is totally different. I had a few I probably should have scored – definitely one other – but it was nice to put that one away.

"I've been working very hard all through my rehab, through the lockdown and the warm-up games leading to the first Premier League game. I feel as fit as I've ever done before.

"It's been a good chance to rest, recover and work on a few things I haven't been able to over the years. I'm feeling in good shape.

"I'm someone who, whether I score or not, miss chances, I'm always ready for the next one. I don't think it bothers me too much. But scoring is one of the best feelings in the world. It's been a while since I've done it. It's great to get that.

"We've got a little rest now – it's Sheffield United next in a big game – so hopefully we can continue from this win and take it into the rest of the games."

Kane's goal came in his 200th Premier League appearance for Tottenham. He has 137 goals for Spurs in that time, only Sergio Aguero (138) has scored more in his first 200 league appearances for a club.

"It's good but it can always be better," Kane added of that tally. "Look, 200 games goes so quick. I've been playing first-team football now for five or six years and the years just fly by.

"I've got to make the most of it, keep in as good shape as possible. I'm still only 26 and I've still got plenty of years to go, so hopefully I can get to that 200 mark sooner rather than later and see where we go from there."

 Faouzi Ghoulam played his first competitive match for Napoli since October as a substitute in Tuesday's Serie A win over Hellas Verona.

The 29-year-old was introduced as a 67th-minute substitute in their 2-0 away triumph at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

He replaced Elseid Hysaj, and he assisted Hirving Lozano in securing Napoli's second goal on the stroke of full-time after Arkadiusz Milik opened the scoring in the 38th minute.

The game was Ghoulam’s first outing since October 6 when he was introduced for Hysaj in a goalless draw against Torino.

It was his sixth appearance in the Serie A this season as Gennaro Gattuso’s men boosted their chances of qualifying for the Uefa Champions League next season.

Napoli are sixth in the league table with 42 points after 27 matches and they are nine points away from the top-four with 11 games to go.

At the end of the match, Ghoulam said he was excited to return to the pitch and he was pleased with the team’s overall performance on the road.

“I was looking forward to returning to the field. I'm happy: for the victory, the team's performance and for the assist. Kudos to us,” the Algeria international tweeted.

Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly was also in action for Napoli but he was shown a yellow card during the encounter.

The centre-back who played a crucial role in helping Gattuso's men lift the Coppa Italia last Wednesday was delighted to see the team maintain their winning streak and he also shared in Ghoulam’s joy.

"The joy of Coppa Italia did not distract us. We played a difficult game very well. Happy for the return to the field of Faouzi Ghoulam,” he tweeted.

For Hellas Verona, Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat was on parade for 84 minutes while Ghana's Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu was an unused substitute.

Ivan Rakitic came to Barcelona's rescue as the substitute fired Quique Setien's side to a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. 

All eyes were on Lionel Messi, chasing his 700th career goal, but he had to settle for an assist to Rakitic's 71st-minute strike that lifted Barcelona back above Real Madrid. 

Amid Messi's pursuit of a slice of history, a drought had looked to be undermining Barcelona's LaLiga title bid until the late twist. 

After a goalless draw at Sevilla on Friday, Barcelona were far from their best again. 

The biggest impact Messi made until his assist for the goal was arguably the one he left on Yeray Alvarez's ankle in what was perhaps generously considered an innocent collision. 

He threatened to steal the headlines in the closing minutes when he darted in from the right flank, the ball on his left foot, and took aim for the far corner. 

It is a goal that Messi has scored so many times in his career, but this time the fierce shot flew wide of the left upright. Ansu Fati, meanwhile, hit the right post from close range in stoppage time. 

The chances were not all Barcelona's though, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen almost caught out in the opening moments of the game when Unai Lopez's snappy cross from a short corner on the left nearly arrowed into the far corner. 

Ter Stegen just got there in time, but the goalkeeper was struggling midway through the first half when Yeray connected with Lopez's teasing free-kick. Ter Stegen and Barca were thankful the defender sent his header over the bar. 

After the break, Messi teed up Antoine Griezmann with a clever pass, but the French forward could not apply a suitable finish. 

Eventually the breakthrough came as Messi teased the ball through for the charging Rakitic to slam beyond Unai Simon. 

Luis Suarez suddenly looked energised and saw a thumping shot deflect over for a corner. The ineffective Griezmann had already made way, his drought now up to seven league games. 

Then came the moment when Messi should have completed another century of goals, but the landmark will have to wait. 

What does it mean? The lead changes hands 

Barcelona go three points clear of Real Madrid for now, having been second on head-to-head record going into this game. Madrid face struggling Real Mallorca on Wednesday, so are expected to reclaim top spot.  

Athletic, meanwhile, are enduring a mid-table campaign but at least competed well here. 

Grim again from Griezmann  

Griezmann last went seven games without a goal in late 2016, amid a nine-game barren streak for Atletico Madrid. He emerged from that to re-establish himself among LaLiga’s most-feared forwards, so Barca will hope the same applies this time. But the 29-year-old was worryingly flat in this game, fluffed his one big chance and was hooked by Setien midway through the second half. 

Visitors unfortunate to lose

Athletic defended doggedly and could count themselves unfortunate to miss out on a point, with Yeray particularly impressive. What he did not deserve was the challenge from Messi that caught him around the ankle. Messi will be flooded with cards when he turns 33 on Wednesday. He surely should have had one here, too, perhaps red.

What's next? 

Barcelona will hope to prove sharper when they travel to face lowly Celta Vigo on Saturday. Athletic face Mallorca on the same day. 

Ed Woodward is confident Manchester United can navigate through what he predicts will be a ‘difficult next few months’ thanks to the club’s support.

United’s executive vice-chairman has already warned it will not be business as usual when the transfer window opens and on the pitch things are completely different too as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s prepare for their first behind closed doors game at Old Trafford against Sheffield United on Wednesday night.

With home advantage all but gone and the players getting used to a new normal, as well as the financial implications Covid-19 is expected to have on every club up and down the country, Woodward is confident United will come out of the crisis in a strong position.

"On the pitch, there is no escaping the reality that the coming months are going to be difficult for everyone in football and we are no exception," Woodward said in United Review.

"However, our club’s foundations are solid and, provided we stick together and manage our resources carefully, we will come through this period with our strength intact – thanks in large part to the loyalty of our fantastic supporters."

While supporters are not allowed in the stadium they will be represented by giant mosaics which will be wrapped around the Old Trafford seats. Pictures of 40,000 supporters from 193 countries will be used and Woodward used this as an example to reiterate the club’s commitment to diversity and their mission to support Kick it Out and Black Lives Matter.

"As a club, we say ‘thank you’ through the ‘United for the Heroes’ banner displayed in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, as well as the NHS logo on the players’ shirts," Woodward said.

"You will also see powerful anti-racism messages, on the players’ shirts and in the stands, and we are proud to be uniting with our players and the rest of the Premier League behind this crucial cause.

"Diversity, inclusion and the fight against racism are at the core of our values as a club whose support spans racial and cultural boundaries. This has been a long-standing commitment from the club, as part of our All Red All Equal campaign and our support for groups such as Kick It Out.

"The breadth and diversity of our fan base is demonstrated by over 40,000 supporters from 193 countries who submitted their pictures for the spectacular fan mosaic, which will be on show in the stands for the first time tonight.  We hope the mosaic will provide inspiration to the team as a reminder of the hundreds of millions cheering them on from home.

"As a banner in the Stretford End tonight declares, quoting Sir Matt Busby, ‘football is nothing without fans,’ and we can’t wait for you to return to Old Trafford as soon as it is safe to do so."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that he has a problem regarding what to do with Dean Henderson and his goalkeeping department next season.

The 23-year-old has impressed again during his second stint at Sheffield United and now the Manchester United manager must make a decision over whether or not to send him out on loan again.

Henderson has started 29 games for the Blades during the current campaign and the concern for the England international is that if he comes back to Old Trafford he will struggle for game time, stuck behind David de Gea in the pecking order. 

And Solskjaer has admitted it will be a big decision for him to make in the summer.

“We need to make sure Dean plays football to develop, so we’re going to make a decision later on,” Solskjaer said. “He’s had two fantastic years and we appreciate what Sheffield United have done with him as well. So that’s an option, for him to stay at Sheffield United.”

But, despite De Gea’s decline in form over the past 18 months and his mistake against Tottenham on Friday, Solskjaer insists the Spaniard is still his first choice and said it will take a lot for Henderson to replace him in that position - for now.

“I think Dean has had a fantastic couple of years at Sheffield United and I think eventually he will end up as England's No.1 and Man Utd's No.1,” Solskjaer continued.

“But he’s got the best goalkeeper in the world to tip [De Gea] off his place and for me David is still developing and still getting better and better. 

“We’re going to make a decision on Dean as it comes.” 

United also have Sergio Romero on their books and despite impressing when he has been given a chance, he has only made 14 appearances in all competitions this season which leaves Solskjaer with some big decisions to make this summer.

Argentina shot-stopper Sergio Romero remains on the books at United and has turned in some impressive displays when called upon, taking in 14 appearances across all competitions. Addressing that fact, Solskjaer further hinted that Henderson will have to wait for his big chance.

“I think Sergio is the best No.2 in the world. He’s so professional, even though he wants to play every game. He challenges David but they’re also good friends,” the Norwegian said of the 33-year-old. 

“Every day in training there’s a good atmosphere and environment there, but of course he’s disappointed every time I choose not to play him. 

“I’ve got a good problem, we’ve got a good problem, a challenge to decide how our goalkeeping department is going to look next season because you can’t have three or four top keepers there.”

Harry Kane scored his first goal since December as Tottenham boosted their Champions League hopes with a 2-0 win over West Ham. 

Tomas Soucek inadvertently turned into his own net in the 64th minute to give Spurs the lead and Kane, who finally returned from a hamstring injury suffered in January in Friday's draw with Manchester United, made sure of the result on his 200th league appearance for the club. 

Victory for Jose Mourinho's men keeps the pressure on Manchester United and Wolves as they seek to return to the Champions League following their last-16 exit this season. 

Meanwhile, West Ham remain outside the bottom three only on goal difference having suffered successive defeats since the season resumed after the coronavirus-enforced hiatus. 

The Hammers succeeded in neutralising Tottenham's threat in a first half that was most notable for VAR ruling Son Heung-min had strayed offside before lashing beyond Lukasz Fabianski in the 45th minute. 

Tottenham registered the only two shots on target of the first half - one of which came from a vicious long-range drive from Lucas Moura, who struck woefully wide in stoppage time after good work down the left from Ben Davies. 

Fabianski had to be alert to block Kane's flicked effort at the near post from Serge Aurier's right-wing cross before Pablo Fornals spurned a presentable opportunity at the other end. 

Kane fired narrowly over the crossbar from the edge of the area and was guilty of profligacy at the end of a rapid counter, firing wide of the right-hand post by an even finer margin. 

But Tottenham finally broke the deadlock in fortuitous circumstances when a corner from their right struck the back of Soucek's leg and squirmed past Fabianski. 

Jarrod Bowen clattered the post for West Ham before Kane surged through and slotted home in confident fashion to seal the points. 

What does it mean? - Spurs gain ground, Hammers still in trouble

The manner of the victory is unlikely to be of much concern to Mourinho, whose squad are a point behind fifth-placed Manchester United and sixth-placed Wolves. United face Sheffield United on Wednesday while Wolves host Bournemouth. 

For West Ham, their seventh consecutive away league defeat keeps them 17th and looking nervously over their shoulders at the foot of the table.

Kane only second to Aguero 

Kane's strike took him to 137 in the Premier League. Sergio Aguero (138) is the only player to have scored more in their first 200 appearances for a club.

After spurning earlier opportunities, the England international produced an assured finish after having plenty of time to think about it, in the process wrapping up Jose Mourino's 300th win in English football. 

Own goal woe 

Soucek was extremely unlucky with the opener, which was the third own goal shipped by West Ham this season, the joint-most in the Premier League along with Chelsea and Watford.  

Only Brighton and Hove Albion (four) have benefited from more own goals by the opposition than Spurs (three) this campaign. 

Key Opta Facts

- Spurs have won their first Premier League home game since February 2 versus Manchester City.
- West Ham have failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since December 2015.
- Mourinho has never lost against David Moyes in their 14 meetings (W9 D5) in all competitions – this is his best record against any manager.
- Kane's strike was his 30th goal in Premier League London derbies (48 apps), meaning only Teddy Sheringham (32), Frank Lampard (32) and Thierry Henry (43) have netted more often in such matches in the competition's history.

What's next? 

Tottenham travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United a week on Thursday. West Ham, meanwhile, host Chelsea in another London derby a day earlier. 

National First Division (NFD) outfit TS Galaxy have confirmed that three of their players tested positive for coronavirus. 

In a statement released by the club, a series of tests were conducted to the squad, the technical team and the management in preparation for the restart of the suspended campaign. 

The Kwa-Ndebele-based didn't reveal the names of the players who tested positive for the deadly virus. 

However, they confirmed all three are asymptomatic and self-isolating.   

"TS Galaxy Football Club can confirm that three of their players have tested positive for Covid-19," said the TS Galaxy in the statement. 

Following a series of tests conducted on the entire squad, technical and management staff in preparation for the resumption of the season, the results of the three players returned positive and were confirmed to the club on Tuesday, 23 June."

"The club, however, is pleased to confirm that all three players are asymptomatic and are currently in isolation, taking a serious precaution on their journey to recovery.

"The TS Galaxy FC medical team is working tirelessly in strict compliance with all regulations to ensure that all players and technical staff are diligently following all health and safety guidelines." 

These are the first three confirmed cases in the NFD and more results are expected to be made public from the clubs after having conducted tests toward the end of last week. 

As things stand, the number of confirmed cases in the PSL - both in the elite league and NFD - have risen to 10. 

In May, Ben Motshwari of Orlando Pirates became the first professional player to test positive but he has since recovered from the virus. 

On Monday, a second case was confirmed with Bloemfontein Celtic announcing that Given Mshikinya had tested positive. 

This was followed by three more cases from Stellenbosch FC, who revealed that none of the confirmed cases was from the players but staff members. 

Kaizer Chiefs also went public about the results from their camp - with two unnamed players testing positive. 

As per government and PSL's instructions, a series of tests for the coronavirus should be conducted while the league is waiting for the go-ahead to resume the season from the Minister of Sports Nathi Mthethwa and Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize. 

The PSL executive committee is aiming to conclude the season before July 31 but that deadline appears unlikely to be met as clubs have only conducted the first round of tests. 

Rennes president Nicolas Holveck says they “have done everything to convince” Real Valladolid’s Mohammed Salisu to join the Ligue 1 side, but the defender has turned them down while opting for a possible Premier League move.

Manchester United, Everton and Southampton are reportedly targeting the Ghanaian who has two years left on his Valladolid contract.

Football-Espana, recently reported Salisu was headed for Ligue 1 after Rennes had agreed to meet his €12m release clause, but the defender changed his mind.

Rennes had tried to entice the defender with the prospect of playing Champions League football next season.

“We have several targets. We are on three-four players, a level higher than the Europa League. If we succeed, there will be real reinforcements. There will be ambitious recruitment whatever happens,” said Holveck as per Foot Mercato.

“Salisu is currently prioritising the Premier League. Forcing a player despite agreements between clubs is something we don't necessarily want to do. We have done everything to convince him, a priority, he would like to go to the Premier League.

“We want players who want to come. This is not a reproach to Salisu, who during our discussions, seemed very sincere. He prefers an English speaking country. We're not going to force people.”

Picking the Premier League as his preferred next destination would also dash Atletico Madrid’s reported hopes of landing the player who could have joined his compatriot Thomas Partey at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Salisu is yet to be capped by Ghana but has already been a hot transfer target for the next window following some impressive La Liga outings this season.

He has featured in all league matches for Valladolid in the current campaign, with former Barcelona goalkeeper Jordi Masip and forward Oscar Plano his only other teammates to clock all La Liga games this term.

That is a vast improvement from last season where Salisu only managed to sit on the bench on four occasions.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has nothing but compliments for Ghana striker Jordan Ayew ahead of Wednesday's clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Eagles top scorer this season, Ayew displayed his sharpness once again on Saturday, scoring to seal a 2-0 away triumph over Bournemouth.

The goal took his season tally to nine in 29 matches. There was more to Ayew's Saturday strike than just drawing him close to double figures as it put him clear as the highest-scoring Ghanaian in the history of the Premier League with 25 goals.

"Jordan has been very good. I have seen a constant improvement in his game," Hodgson said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday as reported by his club's official website.

"He has always had the attitude and desire and now he's fitting in better and better here.

"All the work he has been doing is now being crowned by scoring and making goals."

Hodgson then shed light on Liverpool who are close to clinching the title.

The Reds currently sit 20 points of second-placed Manchester City.

"You relish facing Liverpool and Manchester City not because you think we’ll have an easy game, you relish it because it proves to you that you are at the very top level of football you can reach in England," Hodgson said.

"These are the flagships of our league - not the only ones but they're in that bracket. You relish playing against them because it means you’ve given yourself a chance against them.

"You don’t relish it because you’ll find it easy and be able to play your football comfortably. You’re playing a team who’s won the league this year deservedly so.

"They [City and Liverpool] are slightly different in their style of play and pose slightly different challenges. Both provide challenges that are not insurmountable but cause you plenty of concern. You’ve got to find a way with your team to combat that quality.

"It’s wrong to make comparisons. Last year, it was a fight to the wire and Man City took it and this year Liverpool have kicked on or had the rub of the green, they might say."

Palace are ninth on the league table.

Wilfried Ndidi has urged his Leicester City teammates to keep fighting to secure qualification for next season’s Uefa Champions League.

Brendan Rodgers’ men remain third in the Premier League table after playing out a goalless draw against Brighton and Hove Albion at home on Tuesday.

After a three-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, they resumed league action on Saturday against Watford with Ben Chilwell’s strike helping them earn a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

With seven games remaining for Leicester City in the English top-flight this season, Ndidi believes they can still keep their spot in the top-four and stage a return to Europe since the 2016-17 season.

“It will be a plus to us as players, in our careers, if we can play in the Champions League. But it is something we have to work for,” Ndidi told Football Daily.

“It is not about what we have done in past matches. These eight games remaining, it is important for us to actually fight hard and pick the Champions League ticket.

“It is something we have to work for, we have to stay there. If we do our best and get the points, then we will get there.”

Ndidi made his Champions League debut with the Foxes back in February 2017, a month after joining them on a five-year contract from Belgian outfit Genk.

He played against Sevilla in the Round of 16 and then played against Atletico Madrid with the Spanish side knocking them out in the quarter-final after a 2-1 aggregate win.

The Nigeria international has been a key player at the King Power Stadium with his dominant displays in the midfield and tackling abilities which rank as one of the best tacklers in England.

Out of the 25 appearances he's made in the Premier League this season, the Super Eagles midfielder averages 3.8 tackles per game, 2.7 interceptions per game and 2.2 clearances per match.

Ndidi be will hoping to guide Leicester City past Chelsea in their FA Cup fixture scheduled for June 28 before they travel to Merseyside to take on Everton for their next league match on July 1.

Ismaila Mabo has thrown his weight behind local coaches to get the nod for the vacant senior women's national team coaching post.

Thomas Dennerby left the Super Falcons job last September after 18 months in charge following a 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations triumph and a 2019 Women's World Cup Round of 16 berth.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has begun the search to fill the void left by Dennerby's exit last year, with its president Amaju Pinnick promising to name a world-class coach for the team.

And Mabo, who enjoyed successful stints in charge of the team, urged the NFF to banish thoughts of engaging an expatriate, stressing the country has good indigenous coaches for the job.

"After qualifying and playing in all but one of the previous Women’s World Cups with Nigerian coaches, the NFF cannot just be thinking of another foreign coach for Super Falcons again," Mabo told CompleteSports. 

"The only one we tried did not do better than the previous coaches, so why hire an expatriate again? I am urging the powers that be at the NFF to jettison the idea of a foreign coach for our senior women's national team. 

"We have quality and proven coaches in our domestic leagues who can do the jobs. They should let our coaches get the experience and exposures to get better.

“We have coaches whose clubs have dominated the domestic cups and the league over the years as well as ex-international players who are making forays as coaches in women's football. 

"These coaches should be given the chance to develop themselves and the Super Falcons. Our last experience with a foreign coach (Thomas Dennerby) was flawed as the man abandoned the Falcons without notice.

“Our ex-international women have also delivered when given the chance and I want to plead that if they are not given the head coach’s job, they should get the assistant. 

"I admire the Rivers Angels and Bayelsa Queens' coaches. They are doing well like Ann [Chiejine] and Eucharia [Uche] are also faring well.”

Nigerian coaches accounted for eight of Nigeria's nine African Women's Cup of Nations titles, with Mabo leading the nation to a first-ever Women's World Cup quarter-final finish in 1998.

Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal are planning on signing Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares on permanent deals.

Mari signed on loan from Flamengo in January and Soares arrived soon after from Southampton until the end of the season.

Both have struggled with injuries since joining, with Mari currently facing two to three months out with an ankle injury he sustained against Manchester City last week.

Indeed, Soares has yet to even play a game since his moved. The Portugal international was suffering with a knee injury when he arrived and didn’t feature before lockdown.

He was subsequently hit by a ball in training just ahead of the restart and needed to undergo a small procedure on his nose. He has now recovered, however, and is aiming to be available for Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Sheffield United.

For that to happen, Arsenal need to strike a short-term agreement before midnight tonight with the player and Southampton which would allow him to see out the campaign with Arsenal before signing permanently.

The deal for Mari is not under the same time constraints, however, due to his injury, but Arteta is still hopeful that the transfer will be wrapped up soon.

Arsenal paid Flamengo an initial loan fee of £4.25 million ($5.5m) to take the 26-year-old in January, it was a deal that included an option to make the move permanent for a further figure of £8m ($9.9m) paid in several instalments.

“We’ve been trying to get the deal done because we are happy with what Pablo can bring to us,” Arteta said ahead of Thursday night’s trip to Southampton.

“The club were trying to finalise the deal and I think the club will announce that as quick as possible when everything is sorted.

“I think there was some legal issues there to get done, but our intention still is to keep him.”

On Soares, Arsenal’s head coach added: “That was the plan from the start [to sign him permanently], but he’s been so, so unlucky.

“He was injured when he joined, then he had a fracture in his nose. He hasn’t played at all for us.

“But we think he is a player who will improve and help the squad depth so hopefully we can do it as well.”

Arteta is also hopeful that short-term contracts with David Luiz and Dani Ceballos will be signed before tonight’s deadline which will allow both players to stay for the final five weeks of the season.

Luiz's Arsenal contract expires on June 30 while Ceballos is currently due to return to Real Madrid at the end of the month.

Both, however, are expected to stick around.

“It is very complicated,” said Arteta. “The timing of it and some of the legal issues that are involved with that.

“The club is trying to finalise everything in the next few hours. We have no choice, we have to do it - and even more with the injuries we’ve had.

“So we are trying to resolve this. I am confident that we can do it. I hope so.”

Louis Saha has advised Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey to join his former club Manchester United.

The African stars have been recently linked with moves away from their respective clubs and Saha who played for the Red Devils between 2004 and 2008, thinks they will be good additions to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

Aubameyang is set to enter the final year of his Arsenal contract at the end of this month and he is reportedly attracting interest from several European clubs.

The Gabonese star shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane last season, and he is currently trailing Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy for the same prize with 17 goals in 28 league appearances so far this season.

Saha disclosed he would be excited to see the 31-year-old at Old Trafford boost the attacking force in Solskjaer’s team.

“Arsenal fans may not like this, but I’d like him to join United, I’d be very happy with that [laughter]. I’m sure Arsenal fans would not take that well, but that’s my advice to Auba,” Saha told Compare Bet.

On Tuesday, Manchester United rewarded Scot McTominay with a long-term contract that will keep him at the club until 2025 but the former France international feels Partey's arrival might boost the midfield options.

He described the Ghanaian, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League, as a ‘Fabinho-like’ midfielder who could support United’s attack and protect the defence at the same time.

“He’s a top player. He’s a defensive presence and a tremendous prospect. Whether he can make an impact right away remains to be seen, as we have McTominay, Fred and Matic,” he said.

“However, we have seen the impact that someone like Fabinho has had on Liverpool. He has mastered that position. Fabinho has improved the players around him.

“This guy is a rock, he defends in such a way that allows the Liverpool frontline to play their game knowing he’s protecting the defence. Perhaps a Fabinho-like player is already at United, but if not, then we need to find someone, whether that’s Thomas Partey or anyone else.”

Partey has scored two goals in 28 La Liga matches in this campaign and he has three years left on his Atletico Madrid contract.

Arsenal have confirmed that Bernd Leno suffered a sprain to his right knee against Brighton, while Gabriel Martinelli is set to miss "months" of action with a knee injury. 

Leno was hurt during Saturday's clash after contesting a ball with Brighton striker Neal Maupay, and had to be taken off on a stretcher as Emiliano Martinez came into the action. 

In his absence, Arsenal took the lead through Nicolas Pepe but later faltered, with Lewis Dunk and Maupay himself scoring to secure three points for the relegation-threatened Seagulls. 

The Gunners initially feared that Leno may have suffered damage to his cruciate ligament, with manager Mikel Arteta stating after Saturday's game: "Bernd’s injury doesn’t look good, we have to assess it tomorrow to know what’s happening.

"We don’t know [if it’s a cruciate injury], he is still in some pain. We will have to wait until tomorrow at least to see how bad the damage is."

On Tuesday, though, the club released a medical update on several injured players, with good news to share about their No.1. 

"Right knee. Positive news after detailed assessments," the bulletin posted on the club's official website said of Leno's condition.

"Sustained moderate ligament sprain during Brighton & Hove (a) on Saturday. Aiming to return to full training in four to six weeks."

Arsenal also welcomed back Sokratis and Granit Xhaka, who have both resumed full training after suffering a thigh strain and ankle sprain respectively. 

But the north London club are bracing themselves for bad news over young sensation Gabriel Martinelli, who pulled up with a knee complaint during training. 

"Left knee. Sustained cartilage injury during training on Sunday. Further assessments and tests to take place in forthcoming days," Arsenal signalled in Martinelli's assessment.

"We had some really bad news against yesterday [Monday]. In training in the last action he got hit by another player," Arteta told reporters on Tuesday.

"He’s damaged his knee, the doctors are assessing the extent of the injury but it’s not looking good at all.

"How bad? We don’t know, but he’s looking at months.

Martinelli is set to join the likes of Pablo Mari, Lucas Torreira and Calum Chambers in missing the rest of the 2019-20 campaign, while Leno is also unlikely to feature again with Arsenal's final match of the Premier League campaign five weeks away. 

"If two players bang each other, or if what happens with Pablo on his own and a lot of others we’ve had in recent months, they are not muscular injuries. They are more traumatic injuries," Arteta added on Arsenal's injury misfortunes.

"But again, we’ve been really unlucky with that and we have to deal with it."

Arsenal are back in action on Thursday, when they travel to St. Mary's in order to take on Southampton before resuming their FA Cup campaign three days later away to Sheffield United in Sunday's quarter final.