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Ajara Nchout has looked back at one of her unforgettable moments at the 2019 Women's World Cup campaign with Cameroon.

The Indomitable Lionesses were destined for elimination from the international showpiece after Aurelle Awona’s own goal gifted the Football Ferns the lead in the 80th minute.

However, Nchout started the Central Africans come back when she found the back on the net five minutes from stoppage time before grabbing the winner with a stunning last kick of the encounter.

Her brace handed Cameroon their only win and also saw them reach the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams - which ensured their second appearance in a row in the Last 16 round.

Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of that game and the 27-year-old took to social media to define what that game meant to her.

"The best memories are those you live with your loved ones," Nchout wrote on Instagram.

"The best memories are the ones you will never forget. I will never forget this day when, together, we went to seek this victory.

"That day, I understood, even more than yesterday, that you will always be by our side. We will always walk together."

In France, Cameroon knew only a win against New Zealand could boost their slim knockout stage hopes, having bowed to eventual group winners the Netherlands and runners-up Canada.

The Cameroon international whose late winner was voted the second-best goal of the tournament and also nominated for the 2019 Puskas award, shared some untold stories leading to the tie.

“Most people probably don’t know this but I shouldn’t have played against New Zealand," she told Fifa.com.

"I took a blow to the knee in the opening game against Canada and had to go off. I came on in the second half against the Netherlands, but when the team was announced for the New Zealand game I wasn’t in it. 

"I went to see the coach to tell him I wanted to play. He said I wasn’t 100 percent because of my injury and that he didn’t want to risk it. I said to him, ‘I didn't come to ask you to do that but you have to trust me. 

"I’m going to play this game as if nothing’s happened. Forget about my injury.’ He just said: ‘Are you sure, my girl?’ And he changed the side. Everyone in the team was surprised.

“It was on my mind during the warm-up but as soon as we kicked off that was it. When the game starts and your pulse is racing, you forget about the pain.”

Despite conceding 10 minutes from time, the former Sandviken striker defended teammate Awona over her accidental own goal.

“People make mistakes. It can happen to anyone," she continued: "I said to myself that we absolutely had to put it out of our minds and move on because I knew that if we lost, she’d feel so low. 

"She had her whole family in the stands and her mum thanked me after the match. Aurelle was crying on my shoulder after the match and she thanked me for what I did. She thought we were going out because of her goal."

On her brilliant late brace beginning five minutes from time, she recalled how she inspired the incredible comeback and the eventual career-changing impact of those goals.

"The cross came in from our left-back, Yvonne Leuko. I controlled the ball with my chest in the penalty box," she enthused. 

"The ball bounced up and I took a touch with my left foot before placing the ball past the keeper. That goal gave us a real boost because we knew our fans were expecting us to deliver.

“That goal was out of this world. I keep telling myself that my best goal and my best match are still ahead of me, but that game was one of my best ever. 

"When my captain, Gabrielle Onguene, headed the ball on to me I knew I could go it alone. It’s the kind of situation I work on in training a lot. We were in added time and I was determined to make the difference.

“That match really put me in the spotlight and showed everyone what I can do, even though I’ve been in the national team for 10 years. People still talk to me about it, both in Cameroon and elsewhere. 

"I was nominated for the Puskás Award, which is pretty amazing for an African player. On an emotional level, it’s one of the greatest goals in the history of Cameroonian football, both men’s and women’s, and it’s an honour for me to have made our supporters happy and proud.”

Despite missing out on the Africa Women's Player of the Year prize, 2019 was a year to remember for Nchout as her form earned Valerenga a maiden Champions League qualification.

Cameroon international Nicolas NKoulou was on the scoresheet while Nigeria’s Ola Aina was on parade as Torino secured a 1-1 draw with Gervinho’s Parma in Saturday’s Serie A game.

Moreno Longo’s men have not been impressive since the beginning of the year, having lost their previous seven games including last weekend’s loss to Napoli.

The Bull last recorded a victory against Bologna in January and the African stars were on hand to help halt the spate of poor results.

NKoulou started the encounter partnering Gleison Bremer and Armando Izzo in Torino’s defence while Super Eagles star Aina made a second-half appearance.

With only 15 minutes into the encounter, Cameroon international NKoulou opened the scoring after he was set up by Alex Berenguer.

Ivory Coast international Gervinho, who was handed his 20th league appearance in the encounter, then found Juraj Kucka with a timely pass, who then levelled proceedings.

Torino had a glorious chance to claim all three points in the 48th minute after they were awarded a penalty but goalkeeper Luigi Sepe made a fine safe from Andrea Belotti’s effort from the spot.

Nigeria international Aina was introduced into the game in the 68th minute, replacing Berenguer and did his part but his effort was not enough to ensure his side claim victory in the encounter.

NKoulou lasted for the entirety of the game while Gervinho made way for Gianluca Caprari in the 73rd minute.

The result ensured Torino’s 15th place on the league table after gathering 28 points from 26 matches, three places above the relegation zone.

Parma, meanwhile, are eighth on the table with 36 points from the same number of matches, two places below Europa League spot.

NKoulou has featured in 27 games across all competitions for the Bull in this campaign while Aina has played 25 matches since he joined the side permanently last summer from Premier League club Chelsea.

Aina and NKoulou will hope to help Torino end their miserable form when they face William Troost-Ekong’s Udinese on Tuesday.

Gervinho, who has five league goals this season, will hope to get on the scoresheet and inspire his side to victory when they face Genoa at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw was thrilled to see Paul Pogba back in the team against Tottenham - and credited the midfielder with making the difference in Friday's draw. 

The Red Devils had enjoyed a fine run of form prior to the coronavirus lockdown, but struggled to pick up where they left off in their first Premier League match back in action. 

David de Gea was at fault as Steven Bergwijn fired past the goalkeeper at his near post to put Jose Mourinho's men ahead against his former employers after 27 minutes. 

United rallied after half-time, with Pogba's entrance from the bench galvanising his team-mates, and salvaged a 1-1 draw thanks to Bruno Fernandes' penalty. 

And Shaw believes that the France midfielder, who played for the first time since Boxing Day, will be a huge asset for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's charges in the bid for Champions League qualification. 

“I told him afterwards how much of a difference he made,” he told United's official website. 

“He didn’t play for that long but obviously it’s great to have him and Rashy [Marcus Rashford] back in the side.

“They are very important players and maybe we can see Paul from the start on Wednesday.”

While United failed to mark their return to action with three points, Shaw was nevertheless happy with what he saw after more than three months of inactivity. 

“We never give up and we kept going,” he added.

“We felt fit, we felt stronger than them and we felt like they were struggling at times. We kept going and got the penalty.

“I feel great. The break came at a difficult time as we were flying, but everyone’s worked really hard and kept in great shape over the period we had off. We've come back flying.

“We need to push on from here. The [unbeaten] run keeps going but we need to take away the draws and get the wins instead because that’s the most important thing.”

Friday's draw means that United remain in fifth place in the Premier League, a spot that will assure them qualification for the Champions League should Manchester City fail in their bid to overturn suspension from the competition for next season. 

They are back in action on Wednesday with a home clash against Sheffield United, who could move ahead of the Red Devils with victory over Newcastle United on Sunday.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper has praised Ghana international Andre Ayew and attacking partners Rhian Brewster and Aldo Kalulu after their fine performances in a big win over Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday.

On the return of football after a coronavirus suspension, Ayew found the back of the net and provided an assist while Brewster scored twice as the Jack Army registered a 3-0 away triumph at Riverside.

The three points have sent Swansea to eighth on the league table, boosting their bid for Premier League promotion.

“To win 3-0 away from home is a fantastic result at any time of the season, never mind having not played for as many months as we have and having little preparation to get ready for the game,” Cooper said after the game, as reported by his club's official website.

“Rhian looked a real threat, got his two goals and he's disappointed he didn't have three,” said the Swans boss. He's a really good player, but we are a team that likes to play as a team.

“I thought Aldo was equally a threat down the right-hand side in the first half, and Andre was doing what he does week in and week out.

“I thought Conor Gallagher did brilliantly – winning the penalty getting in the box - and the midfield players were also getting high up the pitch.

“Rhian obviously will get some headlines because he got a brace but it's as a consequence of the team playing the way we want to play.”

Ayew has now taken his league tally to 12 goals in 35 appearances.

The 30-year-old will hope to continue his fine form when the Jack Army host Luton Town in their next game on Saturday.

He returned to Liberty Stadium after a loan stint with Turkish outfit Fenerbahce last campaign.

Ayew's future at Swansea though remains in doubt, having been heavily linked to a transfer away in his desire for top-flight action.

The attacker rejoined the Jacks for a second spell in January 2018 after a frustrating move to West Ham United.

He first moved to France in 2015 from French side Olympique Marseille.

He once played for Lorient on loan. 

Oghenekaro Etebo opened his La Liga goal account in Getafe's 1-1 draw against Eibar on Saturday.

The 24-year-old who was making his ninth appearance in the Spanish top-flight, broke the deadlock at the Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Perez on the half-hour mark to put the hosts ahead.

It was Etebo’s first goal in Spain after 23 league games which include 14 appearances during his loan stint at Las Palmas in the second half of the 2017-18 season.

His opener was short-lived as Charles drew Eibar level on the stroke of half-time.

The Nigeria international was on parade for 69 minutes before he was replaced due to injury as Getafe settled for their second straight draw in the league after a goalless draw against Espanyol on Tuesday.

Togolese centre-back Djene Dakonam played for the full 90 minutes while Cameroon's Allan Nyom came on as a 80th-minute substitute.

Etebo joined the Deep Blues in January on a short-term deal in January after struggling for playing time at Championship club Stoke City.

The Super Eagles midfielder has made himself a vital cog in Jose Bordalas’ system with his ball-winning skills and midfield contributions.

The shared point leaves Getafe unmoved in the fifth spot in La Liga table with 48 points after 30 games, a point behind the Uefa Champions League qualification zone and fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.

Next up for Getafe is a league trip to 15th-placed Real Valladolid on Tuesday, and they will be hoping to have Etebo back in time.

Renowned Ghanaian coach Bashir Hayford wants the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to focus on securing a headline sponsor for the Premier League during the football downtime instead of ambitions to bring back the suspended championship.

All domestic competitions have been on hold since a national ban on public gatherings, including sporting and religious events came into effect as part of measures to curb the spread of the deadly disease on March 15.

The Premier League league's last headline sponsor was Xylofon Media who saw their partnership scuppered by a 2018 GFA corruption scandal.

“I will use this opportunity to [remind] my colleagues, the FA and the stakeholders in Ghana football that we started the league with no sponsorship," former Somalia head coach Hayford, an applicant for the vacant Ghana technical director job, told Aben FM.

“I will advise the FA to cancel the league and use this time to seek for good sponsorship so they can package next season well.

“When we resume the league we the coaches are going to suffer a lot because we are not like Europeans.

“We don’t have good facilities for training and facilities for examining us.

“All that I want to say is that the GFA should cancel the league and plan well for next season."

The Premier League went without a headline sponsor between 2015 and 2018 after First Capital Plus Bank, now Capital Bank, prematurely ended a partnership over restructuring purposes.

Xylofon took over the mantle in 2018 but a turbulent corruption scandal crashed the partnership in less than a year. The league has since been without a lead sponsor.

Ghana's ban on all contact sports, including football, meanwhile, remains in effect until at least July 31.

The GFA has set a June 30 deadline to make a final decision on the future of the 2019-20 Ghana football season in the wake of disruptions.

Recently, football's governing body, through the Ghana Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), made a proposal to the national government for a possible prompt return of football under conditions such as the playing of matches behind closed doors.

The request was, however, turned down.

The championship was at the matchweek 15 stage - with Aduana Stars leading the table - when the competition was brought to a halt.

SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo has explained why he feels former Orlando Pirates attacker Thabo Qalinge did not succeed at the club. 

Qalinge is facing the exit from the club after making a mere three appearances for Matsatsantsa this season. 

This was after he joined the Tshwane giants on a free transfer following his departure from the Buccaneers. 

And Tembo feels Qalinge arrived at the time when the likes of Aubrey Modiba, Bradley Grobler and Evans Rusike were doing well for the team, and therefore making it difficult for him to play. 

The Zimbabwean mentor admits Qalinge never got many opportunities to prove his worth at the club.   

"He came in where he had to play second fiddle to players like Aubrey Modiba and there is Bradley Grobler and Evans Rusike and they were all doing well. He never really got many opportunities to play due to the other players who were doing well in that position," Tembo told Phakaaathi.

Tembo feels Qalinge is still a very good player, and he hopes the good competition he got from his teammates at SuperSport United will help him grow as a player going forward. 

"He is still a very good player and I know that players do get better because of competition and I think he has been giving good competition by the players who have been playing because he has been pushing and wanting to play," he said. 

Qalinge's career has been on a downward spiral since his days with the Buccaneers where he struggled for form and injuries. 

The 28-year-old arrived at Mayfair as a highly rated winger from the now-defunct Mpumalanga Black Aces and made an instant impact in his first few months. 

However, he fell down the pecking order just months before his release at the end of the 2018/19 season. 

Matsatsantsa gave him a chance to revive his career soon after the start of the suspended campaign but he struggled to break into Tembo's starting line-up. 

Qalinge would hope to find a new home just before the start of next season in order to try and return to his best. 

Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe provided rare encouragement for Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta on a day when his Gunners side were defeated 2-1 by struggling Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.

It was already shaping up to be a difficult week for the Londoners following their midweek thumping by a rampant Manchester City side, a game which also saw injuries to Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari.

That contest also included a miserable 41-minute cameo by David Luiz, who contributed an error leading to a goal and then brought down Riyad Mahrez in the box, giving away a penalty and seeing a red card.

Already, the Premier League return was only 49 minutes old and the early promise of Arteta’s reign was in danger of being undermined.

On Saturday, things went from bad to worse, as the Gunners collapsed against Brighton, who came from behind to win 2-1.

An injury to Bernd Leno will also give Arteta cause for concern, as will the nature of the Londoners’ collapse, as they conceded twice in the final 15 minutes following Pepe’s opener, including a 94th-minute winner by Neal Maupay.

The fact that it had been Maupay who had caused Leno’s earlier injury—via a collision with the stopper—only added salt to the wounds.

Again, Arsenal’s defenders—with the possible exception of Shkodran Mustafi—were found wanting, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s efforts in front of goal proved wasteful.

Aubameyang took seven shots during the match—three of which were on target—but failed to net with any of his attempts; for context, that’s the most strikes he’s taken in a single game without scoring.

However, while there is much for Arteta to work on—with Franco-Moroccan midfielder Matteo Guendouzi another area of concern—he will be encouraged by the work of widemen Pepe and Saka.

For the latter, the return to action of left-backs Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac has not limited his game time as first feared.

While Saka had been deputising at full-back during the pair’s absence due to injury earlier in the campaign, he’s simply been shunted forward upon their return.

Tierney started at full-back against City, with Kolasinac stepping in against Brighton, but Saka has retained his spot on the right in midweek, and on the left against the Seagulls.

He was one of Arsenal’s brightest lights, hitting the woodwork early on and also providing the assist for Pepe’s opener.

Credit will go to the Ivorian, of course, for the innovation and execution of his goal, but Saka was arguably the most impressive of Arsenal’s midfield three, impressing with his awareness, endeavour and movement in a more central role.

His assist was his eleventh of the season—four of which have come in the top flight—and he’s set up three more goals than any other Arsenal player.

It’s an eye-catching statistic, which truly underpins the impact the Nigerian wonderkid has had in his maiden Premiership season.

Similarly encouraging, of course, was Pepe, who appeared on course to be Arsenal’s match-winner before Lewis Dunk’s bundled equaliser on 75 minutes.

The Ivorian wideman has struggled to repay his £72 million transfer fee since arriving from LOSC Lille, with Arsenal fans only witnessing his outrageous talent in glimpses.

Here is a player, however, who had a direct hand in a whopping 33 goals in Ligue 1 last season—a remarkable return—and he’s clearly enjoying life more under Arteta than under former manager Unai Emery.

Pepe’s goal against Brighton was his fifth of the season and, notably, his first away from London out of the seven he’s scored in all competitions for the Gunners.

He’s someone who had appeared well placed to benefit from the delay in competition—a chance to settle better in England and enjoy more focused coaching with Arteta—and the more clinical, sanitised atmosphere of empty stadiums may also help a player of whom much is expected.

Another bad day for Arsenal, but at least Saka and Pepe give Arteta cause for encouragement.

Leon Balogun’s Wigan have moved clear of the English Championship relegation zone following Saturday’s 2-0 triumph at Huddersfield Town.

A goal in each half by Jamal Lowe and Anthony Pilkington were all the Latics needed to secure maximum points at stake in West Yorkshire.

Balogun – who is on loan from Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion was not listed for the clash but that did no harm to Paul Cook’s side.

Wigan started the game on a bright note and they carved out the encounter’s first opportunity when Nathan Byrne’s cross for Kieffer Moore fell to on-loan Everton midfielder Kieran Dowell who could not pull the trigger.

The visitors’ persistence at goal paid off in the 26th minute with Moore’s cross slotted past the goal line by Lowe – his fourth of the season.

Huddersfield seldom threatened however, their first chance in the 33rd minute through Juninho Bacuna’s free-kick drew an impressive save from goalkeeper David Marshall.

Three minutes into the second half, Pilkington doubled the lead after profiting from Lowe’s assist. And for the remaining part of the game, no goal was recorded as Cook’s men who have now won their last three games.

DR Congo forward Elias Kachunga replaced Lewis O'Brien on the hour mark for Huddersfield Town. The game was the 28-year-old’s 31st of the season with two goals to his credit.

Benin Republic international Steve Mounie and Uganda's Herbert Bockhorn were not listed for the encounter at the Kirklees Stadium.

Captain Sam Morsy was on parade from start to finish for the Latics, with Cote d'Ivoire's Cedric Kipre not available for the match as well as Nigeria’s Balogun.

The Super Eagles defender struggled for game time since teaming up with the Seagulls in 2018 from German Bundesliga club Mainz 05, featuring in only 12 games across all competitions.

In his quest to enjoy more action and reignite his career, he completed a loan switch to the Championship side on Transfer Deadline Day.

He went on social media to commend his team for their well-deserved win: "Well done lads, started right where we left off," he tweeted.

Wigan are now 17th in the Championship log having accrued 44 points from 38 games – they host Blackburn Rovers in their next outing on Saturday, while 20th placed Huddersfield Town square up against promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid had substitute Vitolo to thank as they boosted their prospects of Champions League football next season with a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid at the Wanda Metropolitano.

A clutch of chances had been spurned by the time Vitolo came off the bench to replace Marcos Llorente with 17 minutes remaining, with Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata going close.

When the breakthrough came in the 81st minute it was dramatic, Vitolo heading at goal after a corner from the left reached him at the far post.

Valladolid defender Kiko Olivas felt he had nodded it off the line after diving spectacularly to reach the ball, but replays showed it was six inches over and Atletico moved back up to third.

Waldo Rubio almost gave Valladolid a phenomenal start, driving into space and lashing a 25-yard strike that Jan Oblak had to throw himself to his right to palm over the crossbar.

At the other end, Morata headed wastefully off target from Hector Herrera's excellent cross before an off-balance Joao Felix sliced high and wide.

Joao Felix went close again, this time with the ball fully under his control, as he darted forwards and sent a shot just wide of the left post.

Valladolid's Matheus Fernandes went similarly close on the half-hour mark, as Atletico's threat briefly flatlined.

Morata made way for Diego Costa in the 64th minute and the new arrival quickly had the ball in the net, but he had strayed offside.

Thomas Partey almost broke the deadlock with a 35-yard howitzer that Jose Antonio Caro did well to turn away for a corner in the 80th minute.

From that set-piece Atletico had their moment through Vitolo. Olivas was confident he had reached the ball in time, but a VAR check told a different story.

What does it mean? Simeone's side scrape through

This was by no means a classic Atletico performance, but they never gave up the pursuit of a winning goal. Thomas' thumping shot almost provided a match-winner to cherish, but it helped to bring about the outcome Diego Simeone's men were seeking. Valladolid, in lower mid-table but surely just about safe, gave a decent account of themselves.

Vitolo makes his mark

Vitolo was in the right place at the right time, keeping his composure as the ball came through a thicket of players. With Caro stranded, it seemed he just had to hit the target, but his heart would have been in his mouth as Olivas spotted the danger and almost pulled off the spectacular.

Caro was barely clinging on

The longer this match went on, the more likely it seemed that Caro's good fortune would run out. He was left embarrassed by the goal, coming off his line and failing to punch away the corner from which the winner arrived.

What's next?

Atletico go to Levante on Tuesday, when Valladolid have home advantage against high-flying Getafe.

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland has made his feelings about Bayern Munich’s title win pretty clear, saying it was “sh*t” that the Bavarian giants had become champions once again.

Hansi Flick’s side sealed an eighth successive Bundesliga title with victory at Werder Bremen in midweek. 

Dortmund have now finished runners-up in five of those eight seasons, with Saturday’s 2-0 win at third-placed RB Leipzig ensuring they secured second place once more.

Haaland continued his fine form in a Dortmund shirt with both goals to take his tally to 16 goals in 17 appearances since his January move from RB Salzburg. That proved little consolation to the Norwegian, though, who was not satisfied with finishing second.

“First of all it is of course sh*t that Bayern won,” he told BT Sport after the final whistle. “But that is how it is now and we have to do our best out of it. And now we have secured second place, but we tried to get as close as we can on them.”

Saturday’s game was also notable as it featured a first Bundesliga start for Giovanni Reyna. The 17-year-old, son of former United States international Claudio Reyna, spent his youth career at New York City FC before joining Dortmund’s academy in 2019 and has gone on to make a big impact at Signal Iduna Park.

The midfielder became the youngest American to feature in Bundesliga when he made his debut against Augsburg in January at the age of 17 years and 66 days, breaking the record previously held by Christian Pulisic.

He has since gone on to make 17 appearances for the club in all competitions. He certainly looked at home in the German top flight on his first start, displaying great vision to set up Haaland for his opening goal and earn the praise of his team-mate after the game.

“I have called him the American dream before and it's true,” added Haaland. “He is 17-years-old and what he is doing on the pitch is amazing. He has a huge future in front of him.”

Dortmund complete their 2019-20 Bundesliga season at home to Hoffenheim next Saturday. 

Mikel Arteta slammed Arsenal for an "unacceptable" 2-1 Premier League defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

The Gunners went ahead at Amex Stadium through a sublime Nicolas Pepe strike but were stunned by goals from Lewis Dunk and Neal Maupay.

Dunk scrambled the ball over the line after a quick Brighton corner before a 95th-minute winner from Maupay, who was involved in an earlier collision that saw Gunners goalkeeper Bernd Leno taken off on a stretcher.

It was Arsenal's second defeat in a week following their 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Wednesday and Arteta was far from happy with the way they failed to hold onto their earlier advantage.

"I am very frustrated," he told BBC Sport after the final whistle. "It is unacceptable the way we lost the game.

"We like competing and I know we have a young squad but still, we threw the game away. We had to put it to bed earlier."

The Gunners have suffered back-to-back defeats since the top flight resumed following the three-month interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a run that has caused significant harm to their hopes of making the Champions League in 2020-1. 

But while Arteta was less than happy with what he saw against Brighton, he is already thinking of how to mend spirits ahead of Arsenal's next outing.

"A very difficult one to take. It is unacceptable in the way we lost the game. The fact we missed so many chances, the fact we gave them a goal and we did not compete for the second goal," he added to BT Sport. 

"Where do Arsenal go from here? We have to try to lift the players. There's a lot of things they have done really well but we don't compete. At this level you cannot give those sort of goals away.

"This is the challenge we all have at the football club, to rebuild to something that is worth the club we are representing."

Arsenal languish in 10th place following Saturday's reverse, six points shy of Manchester United in what will be the final Champions League qualification spot should Manchester City's appeal against their ban fail.

Orlando Pirates legend Steve Lekoelea strongly believes Thulani Hlatshwayo can challenge Happy Jele for the captain's armband at the club. 

Hlatshwayo is leaving Bidvest Wits ahead of next season following the management's decision to sell its PSL status to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzvhandila owner Masala Mulaudzi. 

And the 30-year-old utility defender has been linked with both the Sea Robbers and Mamelodi Sundowns with the former reportedly in pole position to land his signature. 

"Tyson can challenge Jele for the captain's armband at Pirates [if he decides to join Bucs]," Lekoelea told Isolezwe.  

While Lekoelea admits Jele has done a tremendous job since taking over the captain's armband from Oupa Manyisa and later Thabo Matlaba, he feels Hlatshwayo's arrival would really help the team grow and further help solve their defensive woes. 

"Let me make it clear that has done a wonderful job all these years. I like both of them (Jele and Hlatshwayo) but the arrival of Hlatshwayo could signal the growth of the team and the problem of a leaky defence would be solid," he said.   

"Pirates are playing beautiful football of late. The only problem is when they have to defend because they are giving away cheap goals." 

What Lekoelea likes about Hlatshwayo is his ability to read the game, his strength and the fact that he's a no-nonsense defender, and this would rub off the Pirates team.   

"In Hlatshwayo, they would get someone who knows how to read the game very well, who's strong and doesn't take nonsense. Even his teammates will learn a lot from him," continued the former Maritzburg United and Moroka Swallows winger. 

Lekoelea has an advice for the Soweto-born defender - to always be on top of his game or be prepared to face the wrath of the Pirates fans. 

"My advice to him is that he shouldn't forget that Pirates are a big team. He must always bring his A-game otherwise he would always be criticised."

The South Africa international has been with the Students for six years and he remains one of their most influential players with 171 matches under his belt. 

Despite being a defender, Hlatshwayo has directly been involved in 27 goals - 20 goals and seven assists since his arrival from Ajax Cape Town in 2014.

Gor Mahia's defender Philemon Otieno has revealed reception of numerous offers but he could not take them due to an injury.

Otieno, who has been out for about seven months due to the knee injury, says he is grateful for Gor Mahia to renew his contract for another year despite his situation.

Otieno got injured while turning out for Harambee Stars against Tanzania in an African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier last August. He says the setback denied him a chance to join a different club.

“I had received a lot of offers from different clubs but everything changed after I suffered the injury. It would have been difficult for me to sign for another club while injured,” Otieno told the club's portal.

“But I am grateful to the Gor Mahia management for showing trust in me and giving me a chance to revive my career. My contract was running out, but they considered my situation and offered me a new deal.

“This was a great decision for me because it will be easier for me to regain my form in a familiar environment. These are people I have known for a while and we understand each other better.”

When Otieno got injured his club and the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) tussled over who was responsible for his medical bills and the full-back explains how he was affected generally.

“Honestly, that was the toughest period ever in my career,” he stated.

“It was challenging. I was drained financially, physically and mentally, but I’m grateful I overcame the situation. My body has been responding well since I resumed training in February. I can’t wait to get back to action again.”

Meanwhile, Boniface Oluoch has revealed he started his career as a midfielder before later evolving into a goalkeeper. Oluoch has gone on to help K'Ogalo win four league titles since his 2015 arrival.

“It is true I started out as a midfielder before falling in love with the gloves. It began as a joke and I still remember that day,” the former Tusker goalkeeper told the club's website.

“There is a day my hood team failed to raise a quorum for a match and they asked me to fill the number by playing upfront.

“That’s exactly how I had my first experience as an outfield player. But in the next incident, our goalkeeper failed to turn up for a match and this time around I was given the responsibility of guarding the posts. I think all this happened in the early 2000s.”

The experienced custodian also revealed the source of his confidence on the pitch.

“That strong background developed both my confidence and ball-handling skills that’s why I’m never afraid to dribble the ball past an opponent," he concluded.

“It also happened at a time when my late brother [George Odhiambo] was a goalkeeper at Gor Mahia. He used to train and impart more goalkeeping skills on me.” 

Oluoch won two league titles with Tusker in 2011 and 2012.

Dodi Lukebakio scored a goal and also provided an assist as Hertha Berlin claimed a comfortable 2-0 home win over Bayer Leverkusen in the penultimate round of Bundesliga fixtures.

The victory was the first for the German capital outfit who were on a three-game losing streak prior to the match while Die Werkself, they have fallen out of the top four which guarantees Champions League qualification next season and have been overtaken by Borussia Monchengladbach who dispatched the already-relegated Paderborn away from home.

Hertha had resumed the Bundesliga in May with a four-game winning run, three of them being victories over Hoffenheim away, city rivals Union Berlin at home and also a home win against Augsburg, while they earned a draw at RB Leipzig.

The walls of Bruno Labbadia’s men then began to crumble with consecutive defeats against Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Freiburg.

Lukebakio changed the narrative this time after his cutback pass from a swift attacking build-up found Matheus Cunha who did the rest with a powerful shot.

The 22-year old then got his name on the scoresheet in the 54th minute after former AC Milan striker Krzysztof Piatek beat Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, leaving an empty net from close range for Lukebakio to tap in.

The Anderlecht academy graduate was taken off in the 69th minute and contributed 34 touches, 14 accurate passes at 82.4%, two key passes, one accurate cross and two successful long balls. He also won five of nine ground duels and made three tackles before Alexander Esswein replaced him.

Lukebakio has now had a hand in 14 Bundesliga goals (seven goals, seven assists) in 29 outings since arriving from Watford last summer.

He failed to establish himself at Vicarage Road after he was purchased from Anderlecht in January 2018 and spent the 2018-19 season with Fortuna Dusseldorf, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists in 34 competitive outings as they finished an incredible 10th having gained promotion from Bundesliga 2.

Hertha are also safe as they remain in 10th spot with 41 points after winning 11, drawing eight and losing 14 games.

Leverkusen will be counting on Hertha to do them a favour of winning when they conclude their season at Monchengladbach next Saturday, while the pharmaceutical-run club needs to beat Mainz if they hope to seal fourth spot.

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez admitted that he was "devastated" by the injury to Bernd Leno that threw the Argentine into the action against Brighton on Saturday.

Leno was forced off 40 minutes into the Premier League clash after landing heavily on his right leg under pressure from Neal Maupay. 

Clearly incensed by Maupay's actions, the keeper continued to berate his opponent even after being placed on a stretcher as Martinez was sent on in his stead. 

Nicolas Pepe went on to put Arsenal in the lead, only for Brighton to surge back and claim all three points with Maupay's last-gasp winner. 

Martinez is now in line for a rare run of first-team action, and while he bemoaned his colleague's injury he believes he is ready to step up for the Gunners. 

"In the goalkeepers' union, you don't want the other goalies to get injured because it can happen to anyone," Martinez told Arsenal's official website after the final whistle.

"We train every day together, we support each other, we're really close, we even have a WhatsApp group for just me, Bernd and Matt [Macey] - it is devastating to be honest.

"I wish him a speedy recovery and if he needs the rest of the season, me and Matt will try to do a good job in the Premier League and try to cover him as much possible.

"The last time [I played] in the Premier League was three years ago. But I wasn't thinking about it when I just came on.

"I made a save straight afterwards. I am so disappointed for the result, I thought we deserved to be 2-0 or 3-0 up. But you just take it and learn from it."

Saturday's defeat put a serious dent in Arsenal's slim Champions League hopes, and the keeper admits that they paid the price for a lack of concentration.

The former Independiente trainee added to BBC Sport: "We switched off and when you switch off in the Premier League you get punished.

"I spoke to [Leno] at half-time and he felt he twisted his knee. As a goalkeeper you do not want him to get injured. It is a big loss to the team.

"I don't think [Neal Maupay] tried to injure him. He went for the ball like any striker would do and this is football. It can happen.

"You train hard and have to wait for your chance. I am more than ready."

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says he was not given a chance to fulfil the vision he had as South Africa coach and his plea to Safa to stay on was ignored.

Mosimane served as South Africa coach between 2010 and 2012, having previously been assistant to Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira and Joel Santana for a combined four years.

But following a failure to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, his time at the helm of the Bafana Bafana was up, shattering his bigger target of guiding the team to the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

“I begged Safa not to fire me, but they did. They were determined to get rid of me after that qualifier against Ethiopia. I said to them, ‘we still have five matches to go, I can get the team to Brazil [for the 2014 World Cup],’ Mosimane told Sowetan Live.

“Safa had invested so much in me. They sent me to go to courses abroad. I was the interim coach and then assistant coach to Parreira for the World Cup [2010]. But they didn't believe in my vision.

“We were drawing games against top nations like Ghana, Ivory Coast and Zambia, but Safa were swayed by some in the media. I admit I could have handled some matters better.”

Mosimane was succeeded by Gordon Igesund who endured an unimpressive spell as their bid to book a ticket for the 2014 Fifa World Cup ended at the second round of qualification.

Bafana’s group appeared easy on paper but Ethiopia claimed top spot with two points ahead of second-placed South Africa who were above Botswana and the Central African Republic.

Mosimane says he translated his national team experience to club football after he was appointed Sundowns coach in December 2012.

Sundowns appeared patient with the coach who led them to a 10th-place finish during his first season with them after inheriting a team that was second from bottom.

The following season, Mosimane guided the Brazilians to the first of four Premier Soccer League (PSL) titles under him, before they claimed the 2016 Caf Champions League crown which is the major highlight of his Downs tenure.

He dismisses the notion that his success at Sundowns has been fuelled by the big money of the club’s billionaire owner Patrice Motsepe.

“I have always had a vision,” said Mosimane.

“When I was at SuperSport United [from 2001 to 2007], I took the team to the CAF Champions League group stages. We made six Cup finals in a row. Where were those millions of Rand then? People talk of the millions today, and not of the fact that when I took over SuperSport they were in the relegation zone.

“I've got the experience, first with SuperSport, then Bafana. I was at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ted Dumitru [in 2006] and with Parreira in 2008. I was involved in the World Cup. Sundowns are benefiting from that experience. No, please, it has nothing to do with [Motsepe's] money.”

The Downs coach could add another PSL title if the current season resumes as his side are just four points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs and have a game in hand with nine matches remaining before they complete their season.

Mikel Arteta has hit back at Neal Maupay’s claim that Arsenal’s players need to learn humility following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton.

Maupay infuriated the visitors when he clashed with Bernd Leno during the first half at the Amex Stadium, a clash that resulted with the Gunners keeper being stretched off with a serious knee injury.

The Seagulls frontman then rubbed salt into Arsenal’s wounds when he scored an injury-time winner to condemn Arteta’s side to a second defeat in three days and all but ended their hopes of securing Champions League football next season.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang angrily pointed his finger at Maupay moments after the goal and then a scuffle broke out following the final whistle, with Matteo Guendouzi grabbing the striker by the throat before being dragged off the pitch.

Speaking after the game, Maupay told the BBC : "Some of their [Arsenal] players need to learn what is humility - especially one of them." In a separate interview he said Arsenal "got what they deserved" followng the 2-1 loss.

But Arteta, who refused to blame the Brighton forward for Leno’s injury, was quick to hit back at those claims.

"He can say whatever he wants," said Arsenal’s head coach. "I know my players and one aspect that they do not miss for sure is humility."

Speaking about the incident which resulted in Leno’s injury, Arteta added: "I believe that no player has an intention to hurt anybody and I believe in this case it’s exactly the same. It was unfortunate. 

"Benrd’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."

Arteta will now be without at least eight senior players for Thursday night’s trip to Southampton, with Leno joining Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, Pablo Mari, Cedric Soares, Sokratis and Calum Chambers in the treatment room.

David Luiz is suspended following his sending off against Manchester City and when asked if he feared a possible ban for Guendouzi due to his spat with Maupay, Arteta said: "I don’t know. I haven’t seen the actions. 

"I have seen a lot of players just talking and getting together, but I didn’t know what happened.

"There is frustration at the end because we threw the game away. That is probably a reaction that can happen. But I always believe a player has no intention to get somebody else injured."