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Osinachi Ohale has appreciated Spanish side Club Deportivo (CD) Tacon ahead of a rumoured move to Serie A this summer.

The Nigeria international spent the 2019-20 season at the Spanish Primera Iberdrola outfit and made 15 appearances, scoring twice in the process for David Aznar's side since joining last September.

Of her two goals, the first came in Tacon's 5-1 thrashing of Toni Payne's Sevilla on January 4 and the second in a 4-3 win over rivals Madrid CFF in a local derby in the capital four weeks later.

And following the league cancellation in May, which saw her side finish 10th this season - with 23 points from 21 matches - the 28-year-old has thanked the entire club setup.

"Hi everyone. It is time to announce that I will be leaving CD Tacon when my contract expires at the end of the month and a new chapter is about to begin," Ohale wrote on Instagram.

"I would like to say thanks to everyone at the club and to the fans for all the support and love you have given me this year. 

"It has been amazing. As for my followers, I will let you know my next step in the very near future."

Before her move to Spain last year, Ohale previously starred for Damallsvenskan outfit Vaxjo, whom she joined from Vittsjo in 2018, playing 25 matches during her 12-month spell in Sweden.

The defender, who began her career with Rivers Angels and Delta Queens in Nigeria, also enjoyed a stint at National Women's Soccer League side Houston Dash in 2014 in the US.

At international level, she played for Nigeria at four Africa Women's Cup of Nations, winning on all occasions and also at three Women's World Cups, including at last year's event in France.

She is a top target for a number of top teams in Europe, including the Italian side AS Roma, who seek her services as a replacement for Federica Di Criscio, according to reports in Italy.

Having bid farewell to Tacon this week, the Super Falcons star is expected to reveal her next possible destination in the coming days.

Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante has revealed how he successfully fought off two thieves who attempted to steal his Rolex watch.

The Italy international was stopped at a set of traffic lights in his car near Roma’s Stadio Olimpico when the incident happened on Friday morning.

Il Messaggero reports that one of the assailants attempted to get into his Porsche Cayenne and steal a Rolex watch from his wrist, but Cristante managed to punch him to the floor, forcing him and another man to drive away on a scooter.

Two plainclothes policemen who were nearby noticed the scuffle, but the pair had managed to flee before they could intervene.

"It was 10:30am and I was in my car waiting between Viale Angelico and Viale delle Milizie for the red light to change,” Cristante told Il Messaggero.

“All of a sudden a person with a helmet tried to get into my car, grabbed my wrist and tried to steal my watch. 

“I reacted by punching his helmet twice, which split the visor. The robber fell to the ground and I could see he didn't know what to do before an accomplice arrived on a T-Max (scooter) and they drove away.”

Cristante has made 21 appearances for Roma so far this season, scoring once. It is his second season in the Italian capital having joined initially on loan from fellow Serie A outfit Atalanta in the summer of 2018.

The 25-year-old and his Roma team-mates are preparing for their first game back after the coronavirus shutdown at home to Sampdoria on Wednesday. Paulo Fonseca’s side are currently fifth in the table, three points behind fourth-placed Atalanta, who have a game in hand.

Italian football resumed earlier this month with the Coppa Italia semi-finals and final, with Napoli overcoming Juventus on penalties to win the title for a sixth time on Wednesday.

The remaining 124 Serie A matches will now be played out over 43 days, starting on Saturday with the four remaining fixtures from gameweek 25 - all of which were postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak in March.

Juventus currently lead the table by one point ahead of Lazio as they seek a ninth-successive Scudetto.

Former Southampton Under-23 manager Radhi Jaidi has taken to social media to congratulate academy product Nathan Tella, who made his Premier League debut in the 3-0 win at Norwich City on Friday.

The Anglo-Nigerian winger started from the bench and came on for Danny Ings in the 88th minute.

In the two minutes he spent on the pitch, the 20-year-old had three touches on the ball and won two of his three total duels.

The game at Carrow Road was the first to mark Matchday 30 Premier League fixtures, the first full round of games since the league was suspended in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Danny Ings got the ball rolling four minutes into the second half with the assist from Stuart Armstrong.

Ings then returned the favour for Armstrong to score in the 54th minute before Nathan Redmond wrapped it up 11 minutes before full-time with Nigerian turned Irish forward Michael Obafemi providing the assist.

Friday's victory sent Southampton 10 points clear of the relegation zone with eight matches left to play.

"Great win Southampton and congratulations for another Premier League debut and academy product Nathan Tella, very proud of you," Jaidi posted on Twitter.

Tella has been on the books of Southampton as a youth player since 2017 when he joined from Arsenal.

He was coached by Jaidi who headed the Saints' Under-23 squad between 2017 and 2019, leading them to promotion to Division 1 of the Premier League 2 for the 2019-20 season.

Tella has played 39 times for the Southampton Under-23, scoring seven goals and providing five assists.

His contract with the south coast club expires at the end of June, but it's yet to be seen if he will be given an extension after he impressed coach Ralph Hasenhuttl in a pre-match friendly with Bristol City, where one of his efforts from outside the box hit the inside of the post.

Jaidi is now in charge of Hartford Athletic in the United States and was previously a player with Southampton, featuring 66 times between 2009 and 2012, when he hung up his boots.

The 44-year-old was an Africa Cup of Nations winner with Tunisia on home soil in 2004.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirant Sam Nywamweya has criticised Nick Mwendwa's actions, saying it chased away South Africa-based broadcaster SuperSport.

The Johannesburg-based broadcaster ended its contract to air the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) matches after the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) ruling which recognized the FKF's decision to add two more teams to the top-tier in 2017.

Nyamweya, who has been a huge critic of his successor, says Mwendwa's actions are to be blamed for the broadcaster's exit.

“His [Mwendwa’s] acts made SuperSport TV run and that is his biggest sin. SuperSport ran away because FKF forced KPL to have 18 teams and not 16,” Nyamweya told Radio Jambo.

“After they had their way, FKF promised to give KPL financial support, in front of the SDT, for having 18 teams in the league. They never did that. 

“Economically, it was not possible for KPL to have 18 teams and this is the reason we lost them.”

Kenya had won the rights to host the 2018 African Nations Championship (Chan) but the rights were later withdrawn due to lack of preparedness and Nyamweya counts that as another failure by Mwendwa.

“Failure to host Chan is another biggest failure. Despite stating there were pitches ready for the tournament, that was not the case eventually as it emerged,” added the former president. 

The FKF has also had to deal with questions arising from the use of funds, especially the KSh244M given to them to facilitate their preparations for the 2019 African Cup of Nations, and Nyamweya said they must be held accountable.

“Lack of accountability and transparency on government, Fifa and Caf funds is another big issue with the current FKF,” added the aspirant.

“The former Permanent Secretary Peter Kaberia and the Sports Cabinet Secretary have questioned their use of funds before. 

“If you get such a huge amount of money and you are not accountable, that becomes a big problem. 

“Caf has been sending money but unfortunately the same cannot be accounted for. During my time, we only got USD 250,000 per year and the government financial support was meagre, to say the least.

“I can remember before our game against Cape Verde [a World Cup qualifier in 2015], we got money from the government on Friday when the team was to travel on Saturday. How would you purchase air tickets and prepare in such circumstances?

“Recently, the government gave the federation KSh244 million something that was never enjoyed during the previous administrations.

“We worked hard despite the challenges and ensured no player owed us any of their allowances.”

Ruben Loftus-Cheek says playing behind closed doors will prove a mental challenge for Premier League players, but one which Chelsea are ready to rise to.

Frank Lampard’s side resume their league season with a trip to Aston Villa on Saturday, before their first game back at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City on Thursday.

With the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech confirmed since play was stopped, there is a positive feeling around the club, and Chelsea are hoping that will translate to the pitch.

Loftus-Cheek hasn’t played yet this season due to a serious Achilles injury, but he says he is now raring to go.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Loftus-Cheek told Chelsea’s official website.

“Playing in front of an empty stadium will feel really, really weird, because we’re used to loud noises and not even being able to hear the bench shout at you.

“Now we’re going to hear everything and it’s going to have that kind of hollow feeling, which is a good mental test for us. I’m definitely looking forward to playing football again, no matter the circumstances.

“I don’t think it’ll be a problem for us, because as soon as you start playing, everything else kind of zones out anyway.

“You’re so focused on the game when you’re playing that sometimes you don’t even notice the crowd when they are there.

“I think this will be the same thing once it starts – you won’t even notice because you’ll be so focused on playing football.”

Loftus-Cheek also spoke about Chelsea’s experience of going into lockdown. The Blues were one of the first football clubs to do so after Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for Covid-19.

“You never think this kind of thing will happen, and we went into quarantine earlier than others because Callum had symptoms,” he said. “We didn’t know it was going to stay like that for so long!

“Once everyone knew this was not going to be over in a week, the fitness guys at the club came up with a plan for us to follow to keep us ready, and keep us ticking over until we came back.

“We’ve done some Zoom sessions online with the whole squad, doing some strength work, which was fun. Just to keep the morale there and chat to everyone was good.

“We ended up doing those group sessions twice a week, and there was a lot of banter flying about, which was good – and we obviously got the work done!

“It was just good to talk to the boys and see them. We were all logged into a fitness app too, so we could see what everyone else was doing, running-wise, and that was good to keep the competition up and keep pushing each other.”

Neymar is determined to "make history" for Paris Saint-Germain when the Champions League returns in August. 

The world's most expensive player has been unable to lead the Ligue 1 champions to European glory up to now, with him having completed a €222 million (£201m/$248m) move from Barcelona in 2017. 

Neymar scored twice in the 3-2 aggregate victory over Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 before the 2019-20 competition was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

UEFA plans to stage this season's quarter-finals onwards in a 'mini-tournament' format in Portugal, by which time PSG will not have played for nearly six months, with the Ligue 1 season having been concluded early on a points-per-game basis. 

Having won the French title for the third time, Neymar now wants to deliver the Champions League to the capital. 

"This period was atypical, but the main focus was to keep safe, with steady body and mind," the Brazil star said via his official website. 

"I am ready and excited to return, thinking a lot about the Champions League, of course. We have a strong group, conquered a historical qualification, with the same intensity and dedication, but I miss the heat of the game. I can barely wait to enter the pitch and to, if it's God's will, make history." 

Neymar's fitness coach Ricardo Rosa has been impressed with the player's dedication to keeping in shape during months of inactivity. 

"The main emphasis was Neymar's dedication, effort and performance he had, his focus," Rosa said. 

"I've never had the possibility of being three months straight with him and he demonstrated dedication and commitment, excited to do his job, showcasing trust and respect for my work." 

The statements from Neymar emphasising his commitment to the PSG cause come a day after it was revealed that the Brazilian has been ordered to pay €6.7m (£6.1m/$7.5m) to former club Barcelona.

The Catalans, who have been keen on re-signing the forward but now look unlikely to do so given the financial issues of the coronavirus pandemic, saw a judge rule in their favour over a signing-on bonus dispute with their former player.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has confessed they will face a difficult and tough opponent in Mwadui FC when they face off in a Mainland Premier League match on Saturday.

The league champions started their campaign to retain the title with a 1-1 draw against Ruvu Shooting while Mwadui succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Young Africans (Yanga SC) at Kambarage Stadium in Shinyanga.

As the two teams prepare to face off at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the Belgian coach has admitted it will not be an easy task for his boys, in a match they will also be seeking revenge having lost the first round fixture 1-0.

It was Mwadui who beat Simba for the first time this season and the coach is aware of the threats posed by the Shinyanga-based club.

“It will be a difficult game, Mwadui is one of the teams that can trouble you and you saw what they did to us in the first round tie,” Vandenbroeck is quoted by the club’s official website.

“We definitely want to bounce back from the draw against Ruvu and get a win because we want to keep our title chances on track but it will not be a walk in the park, we must be ready and I have warned my players against underrating our opponents, they should take the game seriously.”

Vandenbroeck's sentiments were echoed by defender Erasto Nyoni who said they will not underrate Mwadui.

“We know them [Mwadui], we know what they can do even given the chance and we will make sure we don’t give them room. We have prepared well and I am sure we will win the match.”

Simba will miss the services of midfielder Jonas Mkude, who picked up an injury during the friendly against KMC, and despite returning to training under the care of fitness trainer, he will not be fit to face Mwadui, in a match Simba must win after dropping points in their first match against Ruvu Shooting.

“We don’t want to rush him back and must wait for a clearance from the team doctor,” Simba’s team manager Patrick Rweyemanu told reporters on Friday.

Simba will also miss the services of Sudanese player Sharraf Shaiboub, who is still stranded in his native country owing to the lockdown imposed by the government to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

Former South Africa international Katlego Mphela has revealed he joined Kaizer Chiefs because Mamelodi Sundowns were dragging their feet to renew his contract, which made him feel not needed at Chloorkop.

As he entered the final six months of his Mamelodi Sundowns contract in January 2014, Mphela said he heard no word from the club regarding his future.

This was after failing to start a game for Sundowns in the first half of the 2013/14 season where he made five appearances from the bench, scoring two goals.

Chiefs then came calling and a transfer deadline day loan move to Naturena followed before it was switched to a permanent transfer in July 2014 after he had spent five and half seasons with the Brazilians.

“For me it was a bit of a difficult situation because I had my agent [and] on the other side I had the team. All I know is that there were six months left on my contract,” said Mphela on Marawa Sports Worldwide on Metro FM.

“You know when you are left with six months you are allowed to sign elsewhere when the club does not engage you and that’s what happened until such a time when rumours came out that I had signed for Chiefs and that’s when my agent came back and told me that these people [Chiefs] want to engage you.

“But then remember I had to think about myself and other things because I asked myself that I have been here for a lengthy part of my life and my contract is expiring [but] no one is saying anything, no one is saying we are going to renew [your contract] or not. I felt like, wow, 'I am not needed there and then here are offers.' What do you do as a person?”

Mphela says before settling for Chiefs, he turned down a lucrative contract offer from Mpumalanga Black Aces as well as SuperSport United.

He had previously worked with then Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter in the national team and he says he still had unfinished business with Bafana Bafana, which made it easy for him to pick Amakhosi.

“I had an offer from Aces and they put more money to be honest, more than anyone. Yes they put more money [than Kaizer Chiefs] but I was like ‘I still want to play for the national team,’ you consider those things,” Mphela said.

“And SuperSport United were there, they were willing to offer not more money but a longer contract. And then Chiefs came the last minute and I thought about it because I had worked with Stuart Baxter before.

“For him to come to me, I didn’t go to him, he came to me, I was like ‘this guy wants me, actually I am going to make it.’ I had played for him before so he came to me and I decided right there ‘ok cool I’m coming.’ I made a decision that I am going to Chiefs.”

Five months after his Sundowns departure, the Brazilians were crowned Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions and his stay at Chiefs also saw limited game time but he, however, ended his stint there as a league champion.

Highlands Park central midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane says George Maluleka has the talent to succeed at Mamelodi Sundowns.

The 31-year-old midfielder is set to join Sundowns on a free transfer from Kaizer Chiefs at the end of the current season after signing a pre-contract with Masandawana.

Letsholonyane, 38, played with Maluleka at Chiefs where they won the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title and MTN8 during the 2014/15 season.

“He [Maluleka] is a good guy, a good boy, he is one of the players I enjoyed playing with. He is younger than I am, he’s a good player,” Letsholonyane told Far Post.

“Talent-wise, I don’t doubt that because he is talented, he can compete with any other player in the PSL when he puts his mind on it when he works hard. So, definitely he will make it but mentally he must be in the right place."

Nicknamed Yeye, Letsholonyane achieved legendary status at Chiefs during his eight-year spell with the Soweto giants, before he decided to leave the club for SuperSport United in 2016 after failing to agree terms on a new contract.

Maluleka will also part ways with Amakhosi after deciding against signing a new deal and Yeye explained his former teammate will have to be mentally ready to play for the reigning PSL champions.

“Look whether you join Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs,  Mamelodi Sundowns, I would put SuperSport and Bidvest Wits in because they are also somewhere there, when joining these teams. Obviously especially the ‘big three’ [Chiefs, Sundowns and Pirates], you first overcome the mental part of being there," he said.

“You know that it is not going to be easy, it is not going to be easy for him to be in that environment. It is a new environment, whether it is in the country or not, the fact is a new environment.

“He spent a whole lot of time at Chiefs where they do things differently to where he is gonna be going. So first, you overcome the mental strength, you need to overcome things we can’t see, your feelings, it is not easy."

The former Bafana Bafana international admitted that it was not easy for him to leave the Naturena-based giants where he was one of the fan-favourites.

“I can tell you this myself, it wasn’t easy for him to decide that he is leaving Chiefs and joining Sundowns," he added.

“I know that I experienced that firsthand. It’s eating him up inside but at the end of the day he had to make a decision and he did, he must leave with his decision."

Mauleka, who is nicknamed Mido, reportedly signed a four-year deal with Sundowns and he will compete with the likes of Hompho Kekana, Tiyani Mabunda, Oupa Manyisa and Andile Jali in midfield.

Former Uganda and SC Villa striker Andrew Mukasa has pleaded for assistance as he continues to recover from mental illness.

Villa's legend has asked for financial help and 'a small phone' as he battles the mental issue he has been suffering for over 10 years now.

“I am doing fine. There is a big change now as compared to the past,” Fimbo, as Mukasa is popularly known, is quoted as saying by Sports Nation.

“Although I am still struggling financially, I need money to buy medicine, new clothing and maybe a small phone.”

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Mukasa was staying with his brother Ronnie Makabai but had to return to his rural home at Wakaliga.

“I have to thank God and [Ronnie] Makabai who have been there for me, and everyone who has done his best to see that my son recovers up to this stage,” Mukasa's Grace Nandawula said.

“Fimbo is now doing well, he can wash his clothes, we can have good conversations and he is that patient who even asks for his medicines, and he is a smart person who now loves his God.

“However, there challenges we face especially getting his medicine, food, clothing and, of course, the house where he sleeps in is in a worrying state."

Mukasa won Premier League titles in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 with Villa and also lifted the Uganda Cup trophies twice with the same club. He won Uganda's Player of the Year in 1999.

Mukasa's plight has been reported almost a week after a number of Ugandan goalkeepers paid a courtesy call to former Ugandan goalkeeper Jamil Kasirye.

Fred Kajoba, Charles Lukwago, Ismail Watenga, Crested Cranes skipper Ruth Aturo and Dennis Onyango took part in the initiative to reach out to Kasirye.

“We are looking forward to setting up something that will stay around for a long time to sustain all the goalkeepers in need of help at any time be it the retired or those still active," Kajoba said as they promised to ensure retired players do not suffer anymore.

“We shall now start up a union which will keep us together because, from today onwards, we don’t want to hear any of our goalkeepers suffering.” 

Mukasa, who was the league top scorer in 1999 and 2000 with SC Villa, was appointed Uganda captain in 2000.

Kenya international midfielder Duncan Otieno is open to AFC Leopards return at any given time.

The former Ingwe skipper left the den in October 2018 for Zambian side Nkana FC where he is still contracted.

"Leopards will always remain my home and I cannot refuse to play for them," Otieno told Goal on Saturday.

"If the club management can come up with a good offer for me, I will consider it; remember I have a soft spot for the club which cannot be taken by anyone. However, no one has contacted me about it."

The towering midfielder's contract with the Red Devils will expire in October this year and the 26-year-old is not sure whether he will be at the club or not.

"The team is currently struggling financially and we have some internal problems at the moment," Otieno revealed.

"We are also facing financial problems at the club, it has affected some of our activities.

"I will hold a meeting with them after the Covid-19 pandemic is over and make a decision after that. Several teams have shown their interest in my services but I have not made my mind yet.

"Currently, I cannot guarantee where I will be playing next season."

Prior to Otieno's move to Zambia, national team call-ups used to come in handy but it is currently not the case. Did his move down South affect his chances with Harambee Stars?

"Far from it," Otieno explains, "you know my position in the team is also very competitive.

"Not being called does not mean my quality is questionable, but it means I have to work harder to deserve it. So I will just give my best at club level and get my recall to the national team through merit.

"Remember, we have the likes of Anthony Akumu, Victor Wanyama and Johanna Omollo among others who play in that role. I will be giving my best and when the time comes, I will make a return to the team.

"I am just hoping the [Covid-19] pandemic can be controlled sooner and normalcy returns. From there we will have an easy way forward and we will once again work harder on the pitch to hit our targets."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael has openly claimed they will be going for revenge when they take on Azam FC in a Mainland Premier League match on Sunday.

The top-flight resumed on June 13 with Yanga beating Mwadui FC 1-0 and then managing a 1-1 draw against JKT Tanzania while Azam have only played one match, beating Mbao FC 2-0 at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam.

The two giants will now clash in the second round fixture at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday and the Belgian coach has confessed they will be going for revenge having lost the first round battle 1-0.

“They beat us 1-0 in the first round and it was an own goal, a mistake by my own keeper but, we have prepared well, the players looked tired because of the long travel back to Dar es Salaam but our training on Friday was perfect," Eymael told Goal on Saturday.

“I know my boys are ready and yes it is good to take revenge against them [Azam] and also win the match to keep our chances of finishing second on the league table alive, I also hope to see a good brand of soccer because we are playing in a good pitch, and not a bouncing pitch.

“I know it will be a good brand of soccer in the display from both teams, they like playing a passing game and we also do like playing a passing game, so it will be an entertaining game for the fans but we are ready to get maximum points.”

Eymael also confirmed striker Bernard Morrison had returned to training after missing the first two matches after it was reported rivals Simba SC had tried to hijack his services.

However, Eymael could not state whether the Ghanaian striker will be available to start only confirming the absence of defender Lamine Moro, who was sent off against JKT Tanzania and right back Juma Abdul, who is suspended because of two yellow cards.

“I will not be able to tell you whether Morrison will start or not, I don’t tell my starting eleven to journalists but I only tell my players first before the game, but Morrison is back in training,” Eymael continued.

“My right-back Juma Abdul will miss the clash because of two yellow cards, we didn’t know this until yesterday [Friday] when we were informed he is suspended and will not play but it is not a big deal, we will handle the situation same as Moro, who will also sit it out.”

A win for Yanga will see them move above Azam in the 20-team league table.

The Busoga Kingdom has withdrawn the use of their name by the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side Busoga United.

The withdrawal of the use of the name by the team comes after the reported misunderstanding between the two parties over the club ownership boils.

The move taken by the Busoga Kingdom also means, Kyabazinga, King William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, ceases to be the club's patron.

“We agreed that the Busoga Kingdom, upon request of [Ms Diana] Nyago [the club's chairperson] permitted her to use the name Busoga United FC to register a football club in interest of Busoga community,” read a letter by the Busoga Kingdom Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muvawala as reported by Sports Nation.

“Automatically, the Kyabazinga of Busoga became the patron of this club which position he maintained to date.

“We have noted with concern that the said Nyago, allocated herself 51% shares of the club and also purportedly allocated Busoga Kingdom and Dr Joseph Muvawala 2% shares each without their consent and knowledge.

“The signatures on the share allotment do not belong to the representatives of the Busoga Kingdom or Dr Muvawala and the same needs to be investigated.

“We have never authorised the said Nyago to allot shares in the same club as has been revealed.

“In light of the above, Busoga Kingdom is withdrawing the Kyabazinga as patron for this club and the name Busoga United FC and request that the same should not be used by Ms Nyago until proper procedures of registration are followed.”

The development comes a few days after Nyago had claimed the club does not get any financial support from the Kingdom at all.

“But the club is not called Busoga Kingdom United, it’s Busoga United FC,” Nyago said then.

“I don’t think to change the name gave us an attachment to the kingdom, like when you go down the market here, you will find a mall called Busoga Mall, is it attached to the kingdom? No.

“So, the name just gave us an attachment to Busoga, and, to me, Busoga Kingdom is different from Busoga United.”

Busoga United, formerly known as KJSSS FC, was promoted to the Premier League in the 2013/2014 season and changed its name last year.

Harry Winks has come in for criticism from Patrice Evra for his role – or lack of a role – in Manchester United’s goal against Tottenham on Friday.

Spurs were leading 1-0 through Steven Bergwijn’s goal when Bruno Fernandes equalised from the penalty spot, with the match finishing 1-1.

Substitute Paul Pogba won the penalty, dancing around Eric Dier at the edge of the area before being brought down.

Evra felt Winks, the next-closest Spurs player to the action at the time, should have given his team-mate some help instead of watching on as he gave away a foul.

“It’s funny, people criticise Paul when he makes a mistake,” Evra said on Sky Sports.

“I have got so much respect for Fred, for Scott [McTominay], but you can see the difference when Paul is on the pitch.

“This goal here, he has just destroyed Dier. I think maybe Dier saw an invisible fan!

“I am complaining as well about the number eight, Winks, because he is just looking at Dier being destroyed. He looks like he’s waiting for a cup of tea or something.”

Pogba impressed after coming on for the final half an hour of Friday’s game, linking up well with new midfield partner Bruno Fernandes as the pair played together for the first time.

The France international completed 18 of his 19 attempted passes, four of his six duels, and won possession five times for his side.

“I saw that anger [from Pogba], that appetite to show everyone that he is one of the best midfielders for Man Utd,” Evra added.

Pogba has long been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, but it now seems as though he will stay and fight for his place at United.

Solskjaer says he has a part to play with his side still fighting on numerous fronts.

“Paul Pogba is one of the best players in the world and he has been training hard, training well but I need to make sure I look after everyone,” the Norwegian told Sky Sports.

“We have the Europa League, FA Cup and Paul will gradually play more and a vital part."

Manchester United are coming back stronger after the coronavirus break but Chelsea can beat them to a top-four finish, according to Joe Cole.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side returned to action with a 1-1 draw at Tottenham on Friday night, with Chelsea travelling to Aston Villa on Sunday.

The Blues, currently in fourth, can extend their lead over fifth-placed United to four points with a win at Villa Park.

Paul Pogba impressed on his return from injury for United, but Cole thinks Frank Lampard’s side have enough to hold off their Champions League challenge.

“It's hard because none of us have seen any kind of form, we don't know what's going on,” Cole said on BT Sport.

“You look at the logic and Pogba is going to be back fit for Man Utd. Bruno Fernandes will have settled in a little bit more. He looks like an excellent signing. They'll be chasing Chelsea down.

“The logical thing is Man Utd will come back stronger because they've got their best player back in Paul Pogba, but I think Frank's got enough to hang on in there and nick that fourth place.

“I know Frank's a winner and he'll be looking at the FA Cup as well. That's vitally important for that club because over the last 20 years has been built on winning trophies and that's what the fans want to see.”

Chelsea are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, but face a difficult trip to Leicester at the end of June.

Back in the Premier League, Cole also cast a glance over the relegation battle.

The bottom six are separated by just eight points, with three teams level on 27 points going into this weekend’s fixtures.

While Cole is backing the relative rookie Lampard to thrive at Chelsea, he thinks experience is key at the other end of the table.

“The managers have a real hire wire job to do, you've got to crack the whip to get the players fit, and any players in their squad who are a little bit fragile, or susceptible to injuries, they're the ones that you risk losing,” he said.

“A hamstring problem, a three or four-week problem now, that's the season done. Managers have to get the right balance to get the fitness into the legs but also keeping them fresh enough so they don't pick up any silly niggling injuries.

“An experienced manager now is vital. If you get it wrong and lose two or three of your best players for a three or four-week spell, you really give yourself less of a chance of achieving your goal.”

Ghana striker Michael Sarpong has confirmed he has held talks with Simba SC over a possible transfer.

The 24-year-old striker is currently a free agent after Rayon Sports fired him three months after he protested the decision to suspend player salaries and wages owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Though Rayon were keen to re-sign the striker, the Rwandan giants have reportedly dropped their interest and are now keen to sign Togolese striker Alex Harlley Nyarko.

Sarpong has now confirmed that Simba officials have held talks with him over a possible transfer and it could be made public soon.

“We have an agreement in place and everything seems to be going smoothly, hopefully, the deal can be sealed in the near future. The contract is being worked on between my agent and Simba,” Sarpong is quoted as saying by New Times.

“There are just a few minor details we are yet to agree on.”

Sarpong joined Rayon Sports in 2018 and has been one of their key strikers, topping the goalscoring chart with 16 goals during the 2018-19 season and he led the side to clinch their ninth league title.

Sarpong is confident he will replicate the same form if he signed for Simba.

“I believe in my craft and the ability to succeed anywhere,” he said. “If I sign for Simba, I will make sure to give my best for the club’s success. All I require is a good working environment,” Sarpong continued.

Meanwhile, Simba midfielder Jonas Mkude will miss their league match against Mwadui FC at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

The Taifa Stars player picked up an injury during the friendly against KMC, and despite returning to training under the care of fitness trainer, he will not be fit to face Mwadui, in a match Simba must-win after dropping points in their first match against Ruvu Shooting.

“We don’t want to rush him back and must wait for a clearance from the team doctor,” Simba’s team manager Patrick Rweyemanu told reporters on Friday.

Simba will also miss the services of Sudanese player Sharraf Shaiboub, who is still stranded in his native country owing to the lockdown imposed by the government to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

Moses Simon has ambitions of playing in the Premier League and would welcome the chance to represent Chelsea in the future.

As a teenager, the winger never hid his love for the English elite division while expressing his love for the Stamford Bridge giants.

Simon turned heads in his debut season in France following a loan move from LaLiga outfit Levante.

Featuring in 30 matches for La Beaujoire-Louis Fonteneau giants before football in France was called off owing to the coronavirus pandemic; the 24-year-old was the Canaries’ top scorer with nine goals across all competitions.

In the French top-flight, he registered five goals and five assists which earned him the team’s Player of the Season accolade – garnering 40 percent of votes in a poll conducted by the club’s faithful.

Furthermore, he was handed a four-year deal that would see him remain in Christian Gourcuff’s squad until 2024, nonetheless, he is considering a future with the 2012 European champions.

According to him, he fancies their style of play while disclosing that former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel and Cote d’Ivoire legend Didier Drogba made him admire the west London club.

“It is the Blues because I think I play their kind of football and will fit in well,” Simon told Goal.

“I like the way they play and I love them because of John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba.

“Should that happen, I’ll be so happy because that will be a dream come true for me.”

Born in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State, Simon began his career at GBS Academy before heading to the famed Ajax Youth Academy.

In January 2014, he signed a three-year contract for Slovak side AS Trencin. Thanks to his impressive performance in the Slovak top-flight, he was snapped up by KAA Gent.

After four seasons with the Buffalos – where he won the Belgian Pro League and Belgian Super Cup titles - the Super Eagles star joined Levante on a five-year contract before crossing to France.

Should his dream before a reality, he will become the fourth Nigeria international after Celestine Babayaro, Mikel and Victor Moses to play for Chelsea.

New West Ham signing Daniel Jinadu has identified Lukasz Fabianski as a source of inspiration as he looks to improve his game.

The goalkeeping prodigy will continue with his progress in Stratford having been handed his first professional contract.

The Nigeria youth international began his career with Chelsea before joining the Hammers in December 2017 – taking up a two-year scholarship in the summer of 2018.

In the 2019-20 season, he made five appearances with the U18s and now has a chance to work his way through the first team.

Fabianski, 35, is one player in West Ham the teenager hasn’t struggled to gel with as he notes the former Swansea City and Arsenal player has contributed a great deal towards helping him improve his game.

“I have trained a couple of times with Lukasz Fabianski, he is a very good goalkeeper. Whenever I train with him, he is so encouraging and very supportive,” Jinadu told Goal.

“He is always encouraging me and would give me tips. What I’ve really learnt from him is how quick and sharp he is around the goal and his attention to detail.

“He moves around the ball so well, his footwork, his body weight forward and everything.

“So, just watching and training on how professional he does everything. I wouldn’t have learnt that. He’s really good.”

Unlike so many players of his age who have household names as their role models, the case is different from Jinadu who clocks 18 on Monday.

He has no specific idol, instead, he lists several great goalkeepers across the globe that he is learning from to aid his growth in the beautiful sport.

“I don’t actually have one role model, I just learn from a lot of goalkeepers,” he continued.

“To name a few, I like [Manuel] Neuer, [David] De Gea, Allison [Becker] and Ederson. These keepers have really changed the game

“Ederson’s distribution is outstanding, Dea Gea’s saves - so, I like to just watch all of them with their distributions, make great saves and their confidence. It really encourages me.”

Jinadu had a decent performance for Nigeria at the 2019 U17 World Cup staged in Brazil, and he is expected to form the fulcrum of the next set of the country’s U20 national team.