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Gianluigi Buffon believes Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri will excel at the club next season after having time to develop his style with the players.

The champions are currently aiming for their ninth consecutive Serie A title and are sitting on top of the table, one point clear of Lazio with 12 matches to play.

Ahead of their return to league football against Bologna on June 22 following the coronavirus-forced hiatus, Buffon thinks Sarri will start to produce better results once the squad gets used to the tactician's methods.

"I believe that next year we'll have the opportunity to see the real Sarri and Sarri's real Juventus," Buffon told DAZN Italy. "After so many years, when you make a change, the individual stimuli and willingness to be responsive to instructions of a new coach always make the difference."

The Serie A was suspended in early March as the Covid-19 pandemic swept around the globe, with Italy suffering 34,405 deaths from 238,000 cases of the illness.

Juve attacker Paulo Dybala was one of the footballers to contract the disease, but has since made a full recovery and is expected to be fit when the team returns to action.

Dybala, who has scored 13 goals and created 12 assists from 35 appearances, is an important part of Juve's attack, with his ability to impact matches both as a starter and as an impact substitute, according to Buffon.

"I see [Dybala] as a very good player," Buffon said. "He has the awareness that he can be decisive either starting or starting from the bench. For us being able to count on Paulo in this condition is very important."

The main main in attack alongside Dybala - Cristiano Ronaldo - has enjoyed a better second campaign in Turin, already reaching 21 league goals in 22 matches, which was the figure he achieved in the entire Serie A season in 2018-19.

Buffon believes Ronaldo has ensured his high standing in the game and revealed the Portuguese superstar has mental capabilities he has never seen in another player.

"Cristiano is a champion of football history, he's undeniable," he said. "He's a player with a determination, a ferocity, a mentality that I have found, to date, in no one."

Blackburn Rovers centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo has stated the team’s readiness to resume the 2019-20 Championship season after the three-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Tony Mowbray's men welcome Bristol City to Ewood Park on Saturday and Adarabioyo is looking forward to helping Rovers end the campaign well with nine league fixtures left to go.

The 22-year-old defender who is on a season-long loan from Manchester City, has played 28 games for Blackburn Rovers across all competitions this term, and he has two goals to his name.

As part of the steps to control the spread of Covid-19, football matches in England will be played without fans in the stadium but the Anglo-Nigerian does not see the restriction as a new thing as he shifts focus to the ‘massive games’ ahead.

“It was brilliant to be back at Ewood again, having a game between ourselves, it was great to be back on the grass," Adarabioyo told the club website.

“Playing in our home stadium without any fans, it’s something we’ll have to get used to.

“It’s going to be different, but with nine games to go we’ve just got to get our head around it and get on with it. We all played in empty grounds when we were kids, so it’s not something that we have never done before.

“They are massive games for us, every game is important for us to get into those play-off spots. There’s only a few days until our game against Bristol City, we’re all really looking forward to it.”

Blackburn Rovers are 10th in the Championship table with 53 points from 37 matches, with three points adrift of the relegation zone.

The Manchester-born defender said he had initial fears about the abrupt end of the 2019-20 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic which has disrupted global economy.

“There were points where you did think that the season would get cancelled,” he added.

"But we’re all here now, we’re all ready, and we’re all looking forward to the games.

“We wanted to finish the season, but we wanted to do it safely. We feel that’s been done now so it’s time to look forward at what’s ahead of us."

Bayern Munich claimed the Bundesliga title for an eighth successive season with an unconvincing 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Werder Bremen.

Hansi Flick's men approached Tuesday's clash at a rain-soaked Weserstadion knowing victory would be enough to retain the crown with two games to  spare.

As in Saturday's 2-1 triumph over Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern were below their best but it mattered not against opposition fighting for their top-flight lives.

Robert Lewandowski's sublime 43rd-minute finish proved enough to seal points and the championship, his 31st goal of the league campaign wrapping up a 30th German title despite Alphonso Davies being sent off for a second bookable offence 11 minutes from time.

Bayern were sluggish out of the blocks and lacked their usual fluency, the visitors fortunate to see Maximilian Eggestein's low drive from the edge of the area flash wide of the left-hand post.

Flick's side enjoyed predictable dominance of possession but it did not tell until the 43rd minute, when Lewandowski produced a lethal demonstration of his finishing prowess.

Lewandowski chested Jerome Boateng's ball in from the right and fired a right-footed effort beyond Jiri Pavlenka to surpass 30 goals in a Bundesliga season for the first time in his career.

The Poland international had the ball in the net again within 10 minutes of the second-half restart but the flag was correctly raised after Thomas Muller strayed offside in the build-up.

Davies was dismissed for a foul on Milos Veljkovic before Pavlenka was forced into action to prevent Kingsley Coman from making the game safe, with Manuel Neuer producing heroics at the other end, his fingertip save denying Yuya Osako a dramatic late leveller.

What does it mean? - Werder fail to rain on Bayern's parade

Werder acquitted themselves well but paid the price for the mistake of giving Lewandowski space in the box as the former Borussia Dortmund talisman fittingly netted what proved the decisive goal.

Bayern can look to rotate their squad in the final two league games with an eye on the DFB-Pokal final with Bayer Leverkusen on July 4 and the eventual resumption of the Champions League. Werder are three points adrift of 15th-placed Mainz and are level on points with Fortuna Dusseldorf, who occupy the relegation play-off place.

Robert's return the difference

Suspended against Gladbach, Lewandowski's absence was telling as Bayern laboured in front of goal. His title-clinching goal was a scarcely needed reminder of why he is one of the most feared strikers in world football.

Home woes continue for Werder

Just one of Werder's seven league wins this season has come at home, and that was back in September. Despite a decent performance, they rarely looked like recording a second and putting the Bayern party on hold even until Neuer's stunning save from Osako.

What's next?

The first of what are effectively a pair of tune-ups for the Pokal final sees Bayern host Freiburg on Saturday. Werder face a massive clash with Mainz as they bid to avoid the drop.

Alphonso Davies' pace has been a talking point since the Bundesliga's return, and now the Bayern Munich star has officially smashed the Bundesliga's speed record.

The Canadian has been one of the breakthrough stars since the German league's return, with much of the footballing world tuning in to see the Bayern star's evolution as a left back.

Davies was one of the stars of Bayern's victory over Borussia Dortmund on May 26, effectively sealing the Bundesliga title for the reigning champions.

On that day, Davies chased down Dortmund star Erling Haaland from a seemingly-impossible position, with Romelu Lukaku and Declan Rice among those to weigh in on social media .

After the match, Thomas Muller nicknamed his team-mate "the FC Bayern Road Runner", a moniker that Davies has since embraced ,

The Canadian international was at it once again on Tuesday during Bayern's clash with Werder Bremen, a match where the Bundesliga leaders could seal the title officially.

In the first half on Tuesday, Davies was clocked at a speed of 36.51 kilometres-per-hour ( 22.69 miles-per-hour) during one sequence.

That speed smashed the Bundesliga record, with Davies becoming the fastest of any player since Opta's data collection began in 2013-14.

Although his pace allows him to get out of some pretty bad situations, the fullback says that he's still looking to develop as a defender and find himself in situations where his speed won't be required.

Davies says he is still learning how to play as a fullback after initially breaking through as a winger in Major League Soccer. His inexperience showed as he picked up a second yellow card against Bremen and was sent off, leaving Bayern having to see out the final 10 minutes with reduced numbers.

Davies, who joined Bayern Munich in 2018 after breaking through with the Vancouver Whitecaps, has made 42 total appearances for Bayern.

After making just six appearances in 2018-19, Davies has emerged as a regular this campaign, with 36 games including 27 in the Bundesliga.

The 19-year-old has also scored three goals this season, having netted once last campaign as well.

Internationally, Davies has become a key figure for Canada, having scored five goals in 17 caps so far for this country.

Following Tuesday's match against Werder Bremen, Bayern will return to action on Saturday when they host Freiburg.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey is good enough to play for "the best teams in Europe", according to head coach Diego Simeone.

Thomas has been linked with a move to the Premier League with Arsenal after eight years in Madrid, where he first featured for Atleti's youth and reserve teams.

Simeone can see why such a transfer would appeal to the London club and several other European giants, even if Thomas is still searching for consistency.

"Thomas is the one who best understands this position and the transition from defence to attack, shooting, scoring, providing assists and playing passes between the lines," Simeone told reporters ahead of Atleti's game against Osasana.

"When he's at his best level consistently, he's so good that all the best teams in Europe are looking at him."

Joao Felix was one of the continent's most sought-after talents this time last year, but his first season at Atleti has not gone entirely to plan.

A €126 million (£112m/$142m) signing from Benfica, the Portuguese has scored just four times in La Liga and did not feature in the weekend draw with Athletic Bilbao due to a knee problem.

"[Joao Felix] had started these recent training sessions very well, but then he had to sit out due to a knee problem," Simeone said. "Now he is working with the same enthusiasm. We will assess how he is, we will do a couple of tests, and based on this, we will decide what is best for tomorrow [against Osasuna].

"He has to do what he has done in other games, against Villarreal, Liverpool.

"He had a great pre-season, a very good start, then he had an injury. It was difficult for him to return because of the rhythm and the association with his new team-mates. Then he started to be the player from the beginning.

"He is a young boy. It is normal that this happens to him during the season, but we have the idea that he is very important from here to the end."

Simeone's comments came after Atletico confirmed defender Felipe had suffered a thigh strain. The 31-year-old suffered a setback having already missed Sunday's stalemate at Athletic, Atleti’s first game since La Liga's resumption, through injury.

"Felipe Monteiro underwent further tests at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra that confirmed a muscle strain in the quadriceps of his left thigh," the team said on Tuesday. "Although the defender has made progress since the previous tests he underwent last week, the area requires maximum caution and he will continue to train and be assessed individually."

Former Getafe and Fulham midfielder Derek Boateng has advised in-demand Atletico Madrid ace Thomas Teye Partey to prioritise success in deciding his club future.

The 27-year-old is reportedly a top priority of Arsenal while Manchester United, PSG and Chelsea have also been mentioned as possible destinations.

This season, he has so far made 25 league appearances for Los Rojiblancos, starting 22 of the games and scoring twice.

"For me as a senior brother, as an experienced player, I like him [Partey] a lot, he’s such a respectful player and wherever he is right now he deserves it," Boateng told SPORTSworldGhana.

"I personally want him to play where he will be happy. We all know that he is playing every game at Atletico Madrid [but] we don’t [really] know what goes on there. Only he knows what is going on there and can explain things better. The Premier League is also a good league for him to play but at the end of the day, you have to play where you will be happy and also be respected.

"About seven people have even sent me messages on Instagram that I should advise Partey to move to Arsenal but the best advice I can give him is that he should play where he will be happy. If Atletico Madrid is making him happy and he is playing week in week out, then he should stay there, play and enjoy the game.

"When I was in Spain, I played against him and after the game we talked for a while, so I know him. I remember he once had an interview when he started his career at Mallorca and he mentioned that he likes me, Andres Iniesta, Yaya Toure [and similar] kinds of players but I am his role model and that he wants to be like me, he wants to play like me.

"I think he has to check where his style of play suits because sometimes you can make a move and you won’t finish well."

Partey joined Atletico from Ghana in 2011.

After time in the Rojiblancos' youth set-up, he was sent on double loans to Real Mallorca and Almeria before making his senior breakthrough at his parent club in 2015-2016.

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana has credited not suffering a lot of injuries as key for him staying on top of his game in his prolonged professional career.

Since breaking into the Black Leopards squad in 2004, the 35-year-old midfielder has not looked back in a career that has also seen him turn out for SuperSport United and Bloemfontein Celtic.

After signing a four-year contract extension with Mamelodi Sundowns earlier this year, Kekana would be 39 when his current deal expires.

He says he is always willing to go the extra mile to make himself stand out from his peers everywhere he has been in his career.

"I would say I have been so lucky to have not experienced [a lot of] injuries over the years," Kekana told SuperSport.com.

"However, the most important thing I did was to find a routine that works for me and I have stuck to it. I was always willing to do the things nobody was willing to do in all [of] the teams I have played for.

"There are also people who support me like my family and friends. They have also helped me and they understand my goals. They know what I need in order to reach a certain level in my game."

It is a glittering career that has seen Kekana claiming a Caf Champions League trophy, Caf Super Cup and six Premier Soccer League (PSL) titles (four with Sundowns and two with SuperSport) among other major pieces of silverware.

With Sundowns seriously contending for the league title this season, the South Africa international could bag his seventh league crown if the current campaign continues.

The Brazilians still have a chance of finishing top as they are four points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs, having played a game less.

Kekana is however not losing much sleep at the prospect of the season being cancelled which would see Sundowns missing out on the opportunity of being crowned champions.

"Oh well, PSG were leading by 12 points and there were few matches left in the league. Here at home, we are talking about four points [and we also have] one game in hand,” said Kekana.g

Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has stated Simba SC are the best team in the country.

The 20-time Tanzania Mainland League champions are chasing their third title in as many seasons. In his address to parliament, the Minister stated a narrow 1-0 defeat in the Kariakoo Derby against bitter rivals Yanga SC is not enough to think the latter are better.

"I wonder why people are mocking Simba because they lost to Yanga in the recent meeting," Majaliwa said in his address to the 11th parliament.

"However, if you look at the statistics, Simba are leading in everything; look at the table. [Simba] are leading in terms of points, the number of goals scored, top scorer also comes from the team and they have conceded the least number of goals.

"Announcing the winner before the league ends on the pitch will dilute the sweetness of the competition."

The 58-year-old went on to mock the Jangwani based Timu ya Wananchi, Yanga.

"Actually, to prove how good Simba is, look at the leading goal scorer; it is Meddie Kagere with 19 goals," Majaliwa added.

"Namungo's Reliants Lusajo and Kagera Sugar's Yusuph Mhilu are on 11 goals each, and they are second on the list. We have Blaise Bigirimana and Paul Nonga of Namungo and Lipuli respectively who have scored 10 goals each.

"The gap is too big and it cannot be matched; Simba's spear is well sharpened as compared to their opponents."

Wekundu wa Msimbazi drew 1-1 with Ruvu Shooting on Sunday, June 14 in the league restart.

The league champions took a deserved lead in the match played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam when Shiza Kichuya found the back of the net with a neat finish but the visitors drew level courtesy of Fully Zullu Maganga to ensure the spoils were shared.

The result coupled with their rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) winning 1-0 against Mwadui and second-placed Azam FC beating Mbao FC 2-0 at the Azam Complex, left Simba fans a disappointed lot despite maintaining their lead at the summit.

Simba are now on 72 points after 29 matches; they have won 23, drawn three, and lost as many matches. They are 15 points ahead of Azam.  

Former Everton and USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard says ex-team-mate Sylvain Distin told him he wasn't planning on going into management due to the lack of black coaches in the Premier League.

Howard and Distin were teammates at Goodison Park from 2009 to 2015, as Distin made 210 appearances for Everton. In addition, the Frenchman played for the likes of Newcastle United, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Bournemouth before retiring in 2016.

Distin made a total of 469 Premier League appearances, the most of any foreign outfield player and the 19th-most all-time. As retirement loomed, Howard says he tried to direct Distin towards coaching.

Speaking on a Bleacher Report roundtable alongside Weston McKennie, Maurice Edu and Crystal Dunn, Howard revealed that Distin pointed to the lack of black coaches in the Premier League as the reason he didn't want to make that his next step after moving away from his playing career.

Howard said: "My best friend at Everton was a black guy from Paris, and we were the best of friends for over a decade and we still are. Afterwards, I said, 'Come on, like why aren't you coaching?' and he looked at me like I had three heads.

"He said, 'Coaching, how many black people do you see coaching?' I was like, 'Yeah'. So you're talking about a guy that has played more Premier League games than any foreign player in history and he doesn't think he can get a job coaching in the Premier League. It's crazy."

When the group was asked if they'd ever played for a black coach, Howard admitted that he hadn't while McKennie said he had one black coach as a youth player. Edu, meanwhile, pointed to his dad as a coach that he had as a younger player.

As protests begin to wind down across most cities in the U.S., Howard says it is important that the message continues and that those protests inspire actual change that prevents them from being needed again.

"Simply put, its too lenient. It's too lenient," Howard said. "The next step for all of us is the reason why you protest, the reason why you shout, is so you can get people's attention.

"Now that we have people's attention, the next step is to make sure that they're putting language in that allows us to peacefully protest, but we're not peacefully protesting for the sake of taking a knee because we feel like resting. It's to engage conversation and change the narrative."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted he was unaware of Marcus Rashford's campaign to extend food vouchers for vulnerable children until the day the United Kingdom government made a U-turn, with the England international saying they had "done what is right" in changing their minds.

Manchester United striker Rashford wrote to members of parliament on Monday, imploring the government not to stop free school meals for around 1.3 million disadvantaged children from next month.

The food voucher scheme only normally runs during term time but was used during the Easter holiday because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and Rashford had asked for the government to extend it again.

On Monday, shortly after Rashford tweeted his letter, the Department of Education posted a blog on its website reiterating that the scheme was not due to run over the school summer holidays in the UK.

However, after support for Rashford's campaign continued to grow on Tuesday, the government announced a six-week, £120million "Covid summer food fund".

Speaking at the government's daily briefing, Johnson said: "I talked to Marcus Rashford today and congratulated him on his campaign which, to be honest, I only became aware of today. I thank him for what he's done. I think he's right to draw attention to this issue.

"We've got large numbers of kids who haven't been able to get back into school, we're got a problem in getting kids back into school in the way that we would want for the reasons that people understand - though actually there are lots of kids that aren't going back to school and I'd like to see that happen.

"I do think it's right that we should be looking after the families of the most vulnerable, the neediest right now and that's why we have got the Covid summer fund plan that we've announced today, and I hope it will make a big difference to those kids and those families."

Rashford, who has also helped charity FareShare reach a goal of supplying three million meals by the end of June, had spoken about his own reliance on free school meals and food banks growing up.

The 22-year-old - praised widely social media - wrote a message to MPs on Twitter that said his campaign was "never about politics".

Rashford said: "This was never about me or you, this was never about politics, this was a cry out for help from vulnerable parents all over the country and I simply provided a platform for their voices to be heard.

"I stand proud today knowing that we have listened, and we have done what is right. There is still a long way to go but I am thankful to you all that we have given these families just one less thing to worry about tonight.

"The wellbeing of our children should ALWAYS be a priority."

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward Lars Veldwijk has expressed interest to one day play in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Currently plying his trade in the South Korea K League 1, Veldwijk has spent much of his club career in the Netherlands where he was born and bred, having also previously played for Nottingham Forest in the Championship as well as other stints in Norway and Belgium.

Although he is a South Africa international, the 28-year-old has never played in the PSL.

“I would love to stay in Asia for maybe two or three years. It’s a great place for a football player. I am also open to maybe one day play in South Africa,” Veldwijk told BBC Sport.

“I love to see the world and to see other places and in combination with football. I think I have the best job in the world.”

With the 2020 K League 1 currently underway, Veldwijk is heavily involved in action for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors while most South African players around the globe are inactive due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The attacker has started two of his six league appearances for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, scoring just a goal.

He assures that life is “back to normal” in South Korea and they are adhering to strict measures to try and stay safe from the virus.

“For the past month, it’s [the coronavirus] very good, and under control here, cases are low and everything is normal and the restaurants are full, the supermarkets are with people. People here follow the rules of the government really good. So yeah, life went back to normal.

“Everybody had to be tested before the league could start, so everybody went through the drive-through and that is a corona test. When we come to the training ground, we get this temperature check. If you are not feeling well or if you have been to places where there is a little bit of more coronavirus, they are really careful with that.

“And in games here it’s really strange, everybody is wearing a mask on the bus and at the stadium, you are not allowed to shake hands. Everybody has to have his own [water or energy drink] bottle with his number on it, so we are not allowed to drink from another bottle.

“We are checked every day and like in training it’s always been normal for example we play duels, we don’t have to be distant. Tackles are allowed so yeah in that kind of thing I am really happy that training is still normal.”

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors lead the K League 1 standings so far after seven rounds of games as they bid to reclaim the league title they last won in 2018.

To celebrate the return of Premier League football following the coronavirus suspension, Goal Africa are excited to introduce our latest venture: African Football HQ, a weekly podcast exploring the remarkable world of African football.

In association with the guys at African Football HQ, we’ll be tackling the big questions in the African game, keeping up to date with the continent’s top stars in Europe’s major leagues, and profiling some of the stars of the future.

Each week, we’ll run down the top headlines involving African players around the world—keeping you up to date with your favourite heroes—and also preview the stand-out fixtures over the coming seven days.

We’re looking to welcome guests aplenty—players, legends, coaches, pundits and fans alike—and will also be reviewing some of the in-depth topics explored by Goal Africa’s editorial team on site during the week.

In episode one, ahead of the return of the Premier League, African Football HQ will look ahead to the first round of fixtures and preview what’s in store for some of the continent’s big names.

On Wednesday, Mbwana Samatta and Trezeguet will relaunch Aston Villa’s battle against relegation when they face high-flying Sheffield United, before Arsenal and Manchester City collide in the evening’s second kick-off.

Can Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inspire the Gunners to an unlikely triumph, or will Riyad Mahrez and the Citizens return to action with a win?

Arsenal’s transfer dealings also come under the microscope, as the pod ask what the future holds and assesses the rumours linking Atletico Madrid powerhouse Thomas Partey with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Are rumours that the Ghana FA are keen to convince Eddie Nketiah to commit to the Black Stars true?

We also assess the chances of Africa’s biggest Premier League stars ahead of this season’s Golden Boot race, asking whether Auba can overhaul Jamie Vardy to top spot.

Could one of the league’s other big name players also be in with a shout? Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will both certainly be keen to retain the Golden Boot they shared last season.

The pod debate whether Salah or Riyad Mahrez has made the biggest impact in the top flight, and we also ask whether either man can already be considered a Premier League great.

Finally, we examine the unlikely transfer rumour linking Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser with a move to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Will the Scotland international really be gracing the PSL when his Cherries contract comes to an end?

Football Kenya Federation Presidential aspirant Sam Nyamweya has accused the current regime led by Nick Mwendwa of using the courts in the country to extend their stay in office.

On Tuesday, FKF was handed a temporary reprieve after a High Court in Mombasa barred the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) from entertaining any proceedings against the Federation until a petition before it is mentioned on June 29.

The petition was filed by FKF Coast National Executive Committee Members Gabriel Mghendi and Lilian Nadundu as the first and second petitioners respectively.

The petitioners are set to file their submissions on June 19 with the first interested party (Football Kenya Federation) ordered to file their submissions by June 25.

The latest decision by FKF to move to court has irked Nyamweya, who has shown a keen interest to unseat Mwendwa from the top position when elections are held. He has maintained they will not be affected by the many court cases filed by the Federation and will fight to make sure justice is served to Kenyans.

“Whatever Nick Mwendwa and his cronies do, it does not matter how many courts they will go to on this land, they will never escape from the justice and it does not matter, they can go to 15 or 20 courts but we will not leave them and even those courts will not help them,” Nyamweya told Goal on Tuesday.

“We very well know they want to cling onto power to hide many of their bad deeds, but Kenyans and football stakeholders will not accept, we will smoke them out, we will go to those courts, wherever they go, they have filed more than five cases, and we will follow them there.

“It does not matter, justice will follow them, it does not matter how they conflict themselves, they file a case in Kericho, they file a case in Muranga and another one in Mombasa, but we will follow them there, that is in Kenya and unless they go to the moon, and no matter what they do, we will follow them, and justice will have to prevail.

“They will never hide away from the truth and justice must be done to Kenyans to regain their football, and elections will be done, a free and fair exercise, let them know that from today. We will follow them to Mombasa, even in Wajir, they have been going to court and not us, but their time is running out.”

Apart from Nyamweya, other aspirants for the top seat include ex-Cecafa secretary Nicholas Musonye, ex-Vihiga governor Moses Akaranga, Sammy Sholei, former FKF official Herbart Mwachiro, and Gor Mahia CEO Omondi Aduda.

Aduana Stars forward Yahaya Mohammed believes derogatory remarks concerning the Ghana Premier League from the likes of coach JE Sarpong has contributed to the top-flight's challenges in attracting a headline sponsor.

The Ghana international was reacting to an allegation by the coach which claimed 60 per cent of players in the nation's top two football divisions smoke marijuana, also known as weed.

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.

"How can we get sponsorship if an experienced coach like JE Sarpong brands our local players as weed smokers?” Yahaya quizzed during an interview with Light FM.

“This type of utterances does not help the league to attract sponsorship, so coach Sarpong should desist from that.”

After Sarpong made his controversial claim, Ghana striker Yahaya, current second top scorer in the Premier League expressed disappointment in the coach and called on Sarpong to retract his statement and apologise.

The coach has, however, remained unapologetic, rather lashing out at the former NC player. He has worked with top-flight outfits Asante Kotoko, Aduana, Liberty Professionals and Ebusua Dwarfs. 

Former Hearts of Oak and Free State Stars striker Louis Agyemang spoke to Angel TV on the matter.

"Weed smoking among Ghanaian footballers is nothing new. Even some colts footballers smoke before playing, so Premier League footballers smoking in Ghana is no news. It didn’t start today. We just have to be honest with ourselves and take measures to end it," said Agyemang.

“When I was in Ghana, I witnessed many footballers doing it but when I went to South Africa, I realised that at the end of every game, they’ll invite one or two players and test their [blood and urine] samples. It is because we don’t test in Ghana that’s why most of the players feel free to smoke. I can say it is one of the reasons some players cannot excel when they travel outside Ghana."

The 2019-20 Ghana Premier League is currently at a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi says that is interested in a return to Germany someday, as he believes the Bundesliga has made great progress since he left his home country.

Mustafi has spent the entirety of his senior career away from Germany, having left the Hamburg academy as a 17-year-old in 2009 to move to Everton.

He made one senior appearance for the Merseyside club, as a Europa League substitute in 2009, before moving to Sampdoria in 2012.

After shining with the Italian club, he truly broke through with La Liga side Valencia, emerging as a regular with the Spanish club while earning a place with Germany's national team in time to be a member fo the 2014 World Cup-winning side

Now at Arsenal, Mustafi has made 133 appearances in four seasons with the Gunners, including 40 appearances last season across all competition as the London side reached the final of the Europa League.

However, with 28-year-old's contract set to expire in 2021, the defender's next move is uncertain as he could be set to depart the Emirates.

As a result, Mustafi is considering his future, with the Bundesliga being one potential landing spot if he were to leave Arsenal.

"The Bundesliga is always interesting for me," Mustafi told Sport Bild.  "In terms of sport, it has made great progress. It's also my home."

He added: "In the current situation, it is difficult to predict how the transfer phase will go."

Mustafi, who has made 18 appearances for the Gunners this season, has watched from afar as German sides have kicked off with the early return of the Bundesliga from the coronavirus break.

The Bundesliga became the first major league to return from the break, with the Premier League among those gearing up for a return, with Arsenal set to return to play against Manchester City on Wednesday.

"Many are amazed at the level there," Mustafi said. "In England, they were very surprised at how well the Bundesliga managed to restart. The Premier League has certainly taken this as an example."

After facing Manchester City in their return match, Arsenal will then visit Brighton over the weekend. The Gunners currently sit ninth in the Premier League, eight points behind fourth-place Chelsea with a game in hand on their London rivals. 

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has been handed a temporary reprieve after a Mombasa High Court barred the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) from entertaining any proceedings against the Federation until a petition before it is mentioned on June 29.

The petition was filed by FKF Coast National Executive Committee Members Gabriel Mghendi and Lilian Nadundu as the first and second petitioners respectively.

The petitioners will file their submissions on June 19 with the first interested party [Football Kenya Federation] ordered to file their submissions by June 25.

In an order dated June 16, the matter will be mentioned on June 29 to confirm and fix the date of the ruling. 

"An interim conservatory order staying all the proceedings and further proceedings against Football Kenya Federation at the Sports Disputes Tribunal and is hereby granted forthwith until June 29, 2020," read part of the order obtained by Goal.

As a result, the SDT is expected to postpone the KPL vs FKF ruling regarding the annulment of the Kenyan Premier League. 

The Federation had cancelled the top tier on April 30, crowning Gor Mahia in the process. However, the league managers were not happy with the move and after trying to engage the Federation in vain, they raised the matter with the Tribunal in conjunction with Chemelil Sugar.

Submissions were made on Friday, June 12, with chairman John Ohaga setting the end of June as the day for the ruling.

The SDT had twice cancelled the FKF elections citing a failure to meet set standards.

A couple of weeks ago, the incumbent Nick Mwendwa hit at Tribunal Chairman Ohaga stating he should stop interfering with the Federation business.

"The Tribunal has now been turned into a consultancy firm asking stakeholders to give the way forward, since when did a court ask stakeholders to speak on matters of FKF?" Mwendwa told Goal.

"Ohaga should simply stay away, keep off anything to do with football in the country, I have never seen a judge meddling into football matters the way Ohaga is doing, he is even telling stakeholders he will do away with the FKF constitution, to bring another constitution which is not possible."

The agitated FKF boss wondered why Ohaga had placed so much effort to arbitrate on football matters whereas he has a case – for a swimming association before him - which he is yet to make a ruling.

"It is unfortunate even with several cases lying in his desk, Ohaga has decided to put much effort on football matters," Mwendwa continued. 

"He [Ohaga] has even gone ahead to create a forum where he wants people to discuss FKF elections. Who is he?

"If he wants to contest for the top seat, let him come clear, we have other associations suffering the same issues but he has decided to ignore them.

"As FKF, we don’t have any faith in the tribunal anymore, we are asking the chairman of the tribunal [Ohaga] to stop interfering with football matters once and for all, and allow us to do the elections. He is not a member of football and cannot host a meeting for stakeholders."