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Spain's World Cup-winning captain Iker Casillas has announced he has pulled out of the running to be the next president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), citing a need for unity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Real Madrid great Casillas confirmed his intention to stand for the position in February, but his withdrawal means Luis Rubiales is expected to be re-elected unopposed in August.

Casillas, who won Euro 2008 and 2012 alongside the 2010 World Cup with Spain, explained via a Twitter post his decision was in part due to "the exceptional social, economic and health situation that our country is suffering".

"This makes the elections take a back seat," he added.  "I think it is time to add and not divide."

The former Madrid goalkeeper, who made 167 senior appearances for his country, insists the decision to pull out does not mean a "closed door for the future" and said he could opt to run for the position further down the line.

"I wanted a fair, transparent and truly participatory electoral process, looking for the best for Spanish football," he said.

"I hope that in the next elections it can happen with me or with other candidates."

Spain has been one of the worst-affected countries of the pandemic, with over 290,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those returning a positive test, 27,136 people have died.

Casillas won five La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues with Madrid before departing his boyhood club for Porto in 2015.

The 39-year-old suffered a heart attack in May 2019 and was later added to the club's backroom team, with Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa announcing Casillas had retired from playing in February.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Co. will return to our television screens in June as the Premier League restarts after a three-month coronavirus-enforced hiatus.

There will be a couple of small, but notable changes to the game in this brave new post-Covid-19 landscape, including the obvious fact that there will be no supporters at the match in the interests of public health.

The game itself of course will largely be the same, but we will now see more substitutions being made in competitive matches due to the five-substitute rule.

So what is the rule all about and why has it been introduced? Goal brings you everything you need to know.

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What is the five-substitute rule?

The 'five-substitute rule' is a temporary change to the maximum number of substitutes a team is permitted to make during a game, increasing the number from three to five.

In addition, the Premier League has increased the maximum number of substitutes permitted to sit on the bench from seven to nine.

However, while the total number of substitutions possible in a game is now 10 instead of six, managers will only be allowed to make changes at three points in the game.

The idea behind limiting the number of stoppages for substitutions is to reduce the level of disruption in a match, something that could in theory be exploited.

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When was the five-substitute rule introduced?

The IFAB made a temporary amendment to Law 3 of the Laws of the Game in May 2020 following a proposal made by FIFA.

In a circular to all national football associations and federations, the IFAB outlined the nature of the change and indicated that competition organisers had discretion regarding whether to apply it or not.

Premier League shareholders subsequently agreed to implement the change for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, which resumes in June 2020 and will conclude at the end of July.

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Why has the five-substitute rule been introduced?

The five-substitute rule was introduced with player welfare in mind as football resumed in the midst of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

A three-month lay-off without competitive action, even though players continued to train individually during the hiatus, combined with a lot of games in a short period of time is a risky prospect.

Players such as Kevin De Bruyne have expressed concerns about the chances of sustaining injuries when action resumes, while ex-Liverpool physio Andy Renshaw predicts there will be "a ton" of muscle issues.

As well as the increased potential for injury, climate was also a consideration in the decision to increase the number of substitutes, with leagues continuing in the height of summer, when temperatures peak.

The IFAB and FIFA are fully aware of these associated risks and, accordingly, made the temporary change. The IFAB also stressed existing Laws of the Game which allow for water breaks.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on daily life, including sport, around the world," the IFAB's circular to national assocations and federations read. 

"As many countries begin to emerge from this situation, the focus is slowly turning to the resumption of football competitions that have been affected by the virus.

"When competitions resume, matches may be played in a condensed period (e.g. to reduce the impact on future competitions) and in different weather conditions, both of which could have an impact on player welfare."

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Will the five-substitute rule become permanent?

The five-substitute rule has initially been introduced as a temporary measure and is ostensibly in place until the end of 2020.

FIFA and the IFAB will revisit the rule change at a later stage in order to assess whether its application needs to be extended into 2021.

It is entirely possible that the temporary rule change could end up becoming permanent - should it be considered to improve the game - but it is currently only a temporary tweak.

Therefore, it is expected that the IFAB will revert the rule to the previous maximum of three substitutes in a game.

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Nantes have completed the signing of Moses Simon on a four-year deal from Levante.

The Nigeria international will have the opportunity to continue his impressive performances in Christian Gourcuff's team after he was named the Canary of the Season for the 2019-20 campaign.

Simon joined the Canaries on a temporary deal from Levante last summer after struggling to make an impact in La Liga last season.

Before the early conclusion of the French season, the Super Eagles winger contributed nine goals and eight assists in 30 appearances for Nantes and he also helped them finish 13th in the Ligue 1 standings.

The 24-year-old's permanent contract is expected to start on July 1 and it will run through until 2024.

He claims he is enjoying his game in France presently after struggling to understand Spanish during his only campaign at Levante.

"At Levante, I did not play very well due to some circumstances with the coach. In Spain, the coach only spoke Spanish and I needed a translator," Simon said.

"It was easier to play in France because I understand the language more and communication is very good with the coach.

"I am enjoying my football now. The most important thing is to play. Not to sit on the bench. To have the freedom to play, have the freedom to speak and to do what you know how to do best."

After developing his game at Golden Boot Soccer Academy in Jos, the 24-year-old started his European journey at Ajax but he failed to secure a contract with the Dutch outfit and he moved to Slovakia to join Trencin in January 2014.

Following a year with the Slovak club, Simon moved to Belgium to team up with Gent where he spent three years before signing for Levante.

During his three-year stint at Gent, the Jos-born attacker won the Belgian First Division A and the Belgian Super Cup in 2015.

Internationally, he is a regular fixture in Gernot Rohr's Nigeria squad and he was part of the team that won bronze at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Since he made his international debut for Nigeria in March 2015, Simon has scored five goals in 33 appearances for the Super Eagles.

Bungoma County government has confirmed works at Masinde Muliro Stadium are set to be completed in mid-2021.

The renovation of the iconic stadium in the Western region of the country, built in the 1950s, will see the facility expanded so it can accommodate 5000 spectators, but the second phase of construction will see the number increased to 20,000.

The contractor had started the upgrading works by casting the sitting terraces and laying formwork for the second-floor suspended slab which will host offices.

“Sitting on 20 acres, the upgrade of the facility is split into two phases. The first phase of the upgrade will see the stadium built to accommodate 5,000 people,” the Bungoma County statement regarding the works and obtained by Goal read.

“Other works in the first phase include pitch construction and landscaping of green terraces for the rest of the stadium.

“This phase will also include the construction of the main terrace, balcony and offices. This first phase is earmarked for completion mid next year.”

The Masinde Muliro Stadium has been out of use for some time now with Sudi Stadium, home to the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Nzoia Sugar, the only high-level facility in the region.

“The second phase will see the stadium expanded to a 20,000-seater capacity facility – the biggest anywhere in the Western region,” added the statement.

“The facility, then called Kanduyi Stadium, hosted sporting activities in Bungoma and from neighbouring regions. At its prime, it hosted tops leagues in the country. The infrastructure then comprised 500-seater pavilion and the fencing.”

The completion of the facility was one of the salient features of Governor Wycliffe Wangamati's manifesto before he was elected during the 2017 general elections.

It is hoped the Masinde Muliro Stadium will help nurture and grow football in an area known for producing many players.

“The move attests to Governor [Wycliffe] Wangamati’s commitment to growing sports and talent in the county. Specifically, the stadium lies at the heart and desire of Governor Wangamati to identify, nurture, groom, grow and promote talent in different sports fields in the county,” added the statement.

“The stadium has produced some of Kenya’s sporting greats like [Ben] Jipcho, the Silver Medalist in 3,000 metres in the Summer Olympics of 1972, George Situma and Tom Wanjala who were winners of Gossage Cup 1959 [now known as The Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup], and Mary Nakhumicha, a Paralympian, in Javelin.

“Besides playing host to key league matches, the facility will offer a platform to identify, groom and nurture talent for the youth and all sportspersons to grow and showcase their talents.

“The facility will also open room for investment in the sporting industry and guarantee the County revenue.”

Apart from Nzoia Sugar, Bungoma Supers Stars, plying trade in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Division One, is another famous team in the region.

Azam FC have received a major boost after two of their foreign players finally arrived in Dar es Salaam ahead of their second match after the resumption of the Mainland Premier League.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ were the only team in the top-flight yet to receive most of their foreign players, who relocated to their native countries when the league was halted in mid-March owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

But after managing to secure a chartered flight for Ugandan midfielder Nicolas Wadada, the club has now confirmed the arrival of Zimbabwean players Bruce Kangwa and Never Tigere.

The two players arrived in Dar es Salaam on Monday after managing to manoeuvre their way from Harare, as Zimbabwe is still under lockdown owing to Covid-19.

“We can now confirm left-back Kangwa and striker Tigere have joined our camp ahead of the next match,” Azam confirmed on their official Facebook page.

“The two players were still stranded in Zimbabwe despite our efforts to have them return to the country owing the strict rules put in place to help curb the spread of the virus.”

Azam further confirmed that only three players – Ghanaians Razack Abalora, Daniel Amoah, and Yakubu Mohammed - are now missing from the squad.

“We are now waiting for the trio to have a full house because we already received [Wadada from Uganda] last week,” the club further revealed.

The arrival of the players will excite coach Aristica Cioaba who in an earlier interview confessed that their absence will affect the team’s display in the league and also the FA Cup.

“It will be difficult for us to win matches without our key players, which includes our number one goalkeeper,” Cioba told reporters.

“I have already started planning without them [the seven players], I don’t think they will be able to make it here in time for the first matches, it is a huge headache for me, but something coaches have to go through.”

Azam, who beat Mbao FC 2-0 in their first league match on Sunday, are currently second on the league table behind leaders Simba SC, and are also in the quarter-finals of the domestic Cup.

NBA star Kevin Durant has purchased a stake in the Philadelphia Union, the club announced on Monday.

The Brooklyn Nets forward has acquired a five percent ownership stake in the club, with the option to purchase an additional five percent stake in the near future.

Durant, a 10-time NBA All-Star, is a two-time NBA champion as a member of the Golden State Warriors while also earning the 2014 NBA MVP award and two Olympic gold medals.

With Durant's deal, he becomes the second NBA All-Star to join an MLS ownership group, following Houston Rockets guard and Houston Dynamo owner James Harden, while also joining NFL star Russell Wilson, who owns a piece of the Seattle Sounders.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has also made soccer part of his non-basketball business, having bought a stake in Liverpool in 2011.

As part of the deal, Durant and his partner, sports business executive Rich Kleiman, will use their Thirty Five Ventures project to help grow the Union brand while the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation (KDCF) will help expand the club's community outreach.

According to ESPN, the Union are valued at over $325 million, which would put the valuation of Durant's stake at a minimum of $16.25 million

“I’m excited to partner with the Philadelphia Union for years to come. My team and I connected instantly with the Union coaching staff and leadership, as well as the team’s story,” said Durant.

“Off the pitch, I’m looking forward to working in the Chester and Philadelphia communities and making an impact in the same way that the KDCF has been able to in my hometown of Prince George's County.”

The Union are riding high after a successful 2019 campaign, with the club's heavy focus on youth paying off with a playoff berth and the team's first postseason victory.

“The partnership between Kevin and the Philadelphia Union is based on a set of shared values and philosophies,” said Union owner Jay Sugarman.

“We want to be known as an innovator in our league and a team that is never satisfied with the status quo. Kevin brings us unique perspectives as a person, as a champion, and as a sports icon.

"His work with the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation has shown he has a community-first mindset that resonates with our club’s DNA. Combined with his competitive drive and forward-thinking mentality, we believe Kevin adds a key piece in reaching our ambitions for the club.”

The Union are set to return, alongside the rest of league's' 26 teams, at the upcoming MLS is Back tournament in Orlando, which begins on July 8.

Drawn into Group A, the Union will compete with Orlando City, Inter Miami, New York City FC and the Chicago Fire.

Marcelo has urged others to use their platforms to instigate change after taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement following his goal against Eibar.

After scoring his team's third goal in Madrid's 3-1 win on Sunday, left-back Marcelo dropped to his knee and raised his right fist .

The idea of taking a knee was adopted by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 when the NFL player protested racial injustice and police brutality in the United States.

Kneeling has been prevalent at the protests that have followed the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis last month.

Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin players all took a knee prior to their Bundesliga fixture earlier this month, a week after Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram knelt following his goal against Union Berlin.

LaLiga returned for the first time since the coronavirus-enforced break last week and, while revealing his happiness at being back playing, Marcelo also used lyrics from 2Pac's song 'Changes' when addressing his celebration.

"Happy to be back with Real Madrid!" Marcelo wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of him kneeling.

"Happy to have scored a goal!

"But even happier to see all the CHANGES in the world! Now it's time. We must use the power we have and start making real CHANGES."

Marcelo then quoted 2Pac: "We can never go nowhere unless we share with each other. We gotta start makin' changes.

"Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers. And that's how it's supposed to be...

"I'd love to go back to when we played as kids but things change, and that's the way it is..."

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho should keep faith with rumoured Barcelona target Tanguy Ndombele, according to Glenn Hoddle, who insists "there's a player in there waiting to come out".

Spurs forked out a club-record fee of £65 million ($81m) to bring Ndombele to north London from Lyon last summer.

The Frenchman committed to a five-year contract with the club, but his first season in the Premier League hasn't gone as smoothly as supporters might have hoped.

The 23-year-old has featured in 27 games in all competitions, scoring two goals, but his commitment and work-rate has been called into question on a number of occasions. Mourinho publicly criticised Ndombele's fitness levels after a 1-1 draw with Burnley on March 7, leading to speculation over his future at Tottenham.

Barcelona are reportedly interested in the former Lyon star, but Hoddle thinks his old club would regret selling a midfielder who has the potential to be a "sensational" player.

The Spurs legend told Premier League Productions: "Ndombele I think there's a player in there, he's [Mourinho] got to find that.

"Whether he's gone too far with that lad and they won't get him back as a player, I don't know, but I truly believe there's a player in there waiting to come out. If he moved on, I think he would be sensational somewhere."

Hoddle went on to express his belief that Tottenham need to bring in three new players to start challenging among the elite sides on domestic and European fronts again.

The 62-year-old, who coached the Lilywhites between 2001 and 2003, says Mourinho must prioritise replacing Christian Eriksen, who joined Inter in the January transfer window.

"In the long-term, I think they need two new full-backs, I think they need a passer in midfield," Hoddle added. "A lot of players at Tottenham at the moment, they run with the ball. Too many players don't release the ball quickly.

"Winks is probably the only one who can do it, but is he an [Christian] Eriksen?

"That's how Kane will score goals, good crosses coming in from your full-backs and a midfield player - Eriksen and Kane had that little bit of eye contact.

"I don't think they've got that at the moment, I think too many players hold onto the ball for too long in midfield, and teams come in and crowd them out.

"There's a lot of tactical work to be done on the training ground, but also individuals who need to up their game if they're going to be in the [top five]."

Every few weeks, EA Sports releases new promotions featuring upgraded player cards, objectives, Squad Building Challenges and much more.

These include events like FUT Birthday, FUTmas, Ultimate Scream and even Team of the Season.

During these events, special squads are available in packs, so many gamers will save up their packs in the hoping of opening an upgraded player when there is a promotion running.

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One of the biggest events in the FIFA Ultimate Team calendar has yet to be launched, with FUTTIES due in the next few months.

The Team of the Knockout Stage is usually released around the semi-final stage of the Champions League and Europa League, which have been indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the lack of competitive football, EA Sports replaced Team of the Week with Team of the Week Moments, highlighting standout performances from the past.

It is expected that they could also create other new promotions in the absence of real-life football or perhaps bring back previous events.

Team of the Year is one of the biggest events of the FIFA calendar with Team of the Season coming close behind with regards to both hype and high-rated players. 

FIFA 20 saw Team of the Year launch in January 2020, while Team of the Season arrives each season in late April or early May.

The Team of the Season promotion begins with the Community Team of the Season featuring players who have not been included in Team of the Week during the season. This is chosen by the FIFA Community, using fan sites Futhead and FUTWIZ.

With no football happening during April and May in many countries due to coronavirus, Team of the Season was renamed in FIFA 20 to Team of the Season So Far (TOTSSF) and launched on April 24.

FUTTIES is usually the last big event in the FIFA calendar before a new version of FIFA is released. It celebrates the best content from Ultimate Team over the past year as well as providing new exciting players to help inject more variety into people's squads.

Gamers get to vote from various shortlists for special FUTTIES players, choosing from different categories such as pace, skills or even position changes. FUTTIES also sees the re-release of special items as well as bringing back popular Squad Building Challenges (SBCs).

FUTTIES is set to launch in mid-July and usually runs for a month. In FIFA 19, FUTTIES arrived on July 19 and came to consoles on July 20 in FIFA 18. As a result, it should either arrive on Friday, July 17 or July 24 in FIFA 20.

EA Sports usually releases each FIFA promotion around the same time each year, so it becomes easier to predict when each event will launch in the new game.

The calendar below shows when each event occurred in the last three editions of FIFA.

Azam FC have reportedly reached an agreement to release their lead striker Donald Ngoma.

According to Sokaletu, the Zimbabwean star, who joined the ‘Ice Cream Makers’ from Young Africans (Yanga SC) at the start of the season, has been allowed to leave when his short-term contract comes to an end.

A source, who did not want to be named, confirmed the club was waiting for the arrival of coach Aristica Cioaba, to make a decision on whether the player will stay for another season or not, and the Romanian has given the green light to release him.

“Both parties have agreed to part ways and thus the player will leave Azam, he will not be extending his contract,” the source told Sokaletu.

Ngoma was among the seven foreign players in the Azam squad and is yet to report to Tanzania owing to the lockdown being experienced in Zimbabwe.

Last week, Azam managed to secure the services of their Uganda defender Nicolas Wadada ahead of the Mainland Premier League which resumed on Saturday.

Wadada had relocated to his native Uganda and with the country still serving the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, getting the player back to Dar es Saalam was not an easy task.

The situation forced Azam to charter their own flight to pick up the Ugandan though he did not feature as they beat Mbao FC 2-0 at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

Azam’s other foreign players include - Ghanaian trio of Razak Abalora, Dan Amoa and Yakubu Mohamed, and two players in Zimbabwe - Never Tigere, and Bruce Kangwa.

In a recent interview, coach Cioba confessed the absence of the players from his squad will greatly affect the team’s performances when the league resumes.

“It will be difficult for us to win matches without our key players, which includes our number one goalkeeper,” Cioba told reporters.

“I have already started planning without them [the seven players], I don’t think they will be able to make it here in time for the first matches, it is a huge headache for me, but something coaches have to go through.”

Azam, who are second on the league table behind leaders Simba SC, are also in the quarter-finals of the domestic Cup.

Former Kaizer Chiefs forward Kaizer Motaung Jnr is confident of Amakhosi ending a five-year Premier Soccer League (PSL) title drought if the current season resumes despite their slender lead over the defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

With eight matches to go before Chiefs conclude their season, they lead the standings by four points ahead of second-placed Sundowns who have a game in hand.

At some point this season, Chiefs enjoyed a 13-point gap at the top but it has now been slashed to four points but Motaung Jnr has not lost belief that the team will be crowned PSL champions.

“Why not [Chiefs winning the league title]? We must give it to them for being on top of the log for such a long time. With eight games to go, I think things are looking positive,” Motaung Jnr told City Press.

If the current campaign continues, Chiefs would face Bidvest Wits twice and Mamelodi Sundowns in some potentially difficult matches for them.

Motaung Jnr himself won three league titles during his 13 years with Chiefs before retiring in 2014.

The 38-year-old also revealed that playing for a club owned by his father Kaizer Motaung Snr did not present him with any luxuries, but made him have to work harder than any other player.

“It was a childhood dream to wear the gold and black [of Chiefs],” said Motaung Jnr.

“Not many can say they have scored two hat-tricks in one season and have been a top goal-scorer – and be voted for by your peers as Players’ Player of the Season, not just within the league, but also within the club.

“Having won [Chiefs top] goal-scorer of the year [2006/7 season], being able to score at historic stadiums like Orlando Stadium ... these are the milestones and achievements that can’t be taken away from me.

“I didn’t have the luxuries because I was the chairperson’s son. There was nothing for free here. I had to work triple hard – more than anyone else. If you say disadvantages, I’d say those were character-building steps for the next phase of my life as a human being.”

Since Chiefs was formed in 1970, his father has been at the helm of the club and Motaung Jnr is coy about the question if he harbours any ambitions to own of Amakhosi in future.

“I harbour definite dreams, with everybody involved, of taking this club to its next journey because the first 50 years have been a blessing,” Motaung Jnr said.

“So, I definitely harbour aspirations to make a difference within the football fraternity. We all want to achieve in life and that’s how I look at it, instead of a title.”

With Bidvest Wits having been sold to new owners, defender Sifiso Hlanti’s agent Sizwe Ntshangase says his client is available for negotiations.

The Bafana Bafana defender has been reportedly linked with a move to Orlando Pirates and his handler explains that the club’s purchase by Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila has caught them off guard.

On the other hand, Ntshangase explains that any possible suitors must engage the Clever Boys management and not talk to him directly.

“Yes, Hlanti is available to open negotiations right now. The sale of the club is something that has caught us off guard and we were not prepared for,” Ntshangase told Isolezwe.

“Honestly, there is nothing that has been communicated to us by Wits, or that’s written down until now. However, it’s clear that the club is selling or has been sold.

“All in all, I can say is that the clubs that are interested in signing Hlanti can start to have negotiations now although it will not help to contact me directly. They must still talk to Wits.”  

Together with skipper Thulani Hlatshwayo and winger Deon Hotto, Hlanti’s future is a subject of speculation with the trio being linked with moves to the so-called big three in the form of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, and Mamelodi Sundowns.

According to Ntshangase’s sentiments, the former AmaZulu left-back could join a new club should the Braamfontein-based club agree to any offers tabled by interested clubs.

In addition, following the sale of the Clever Boys, the latest developments mean Bidvest Wits will no longer exist beyond the current season unless their management buys Premier Soccer League (PSL) or National First Division (NFD) status from another club.

As things stand, Wits' management cannot take the NFD status of TTM as owner Masala Mulaudzi has already confirmed selling his club's status to an unnamed Limpopo-based businessman.

Hlanti featured for coach Gavin Hunt's troops on 26 occasions in all competitions this season despite being heavily linked with a move to the United States of America (USA) for club team Nashville SC after he impressed at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.

Marco van Ginkel says that Chelsea have opened talks with his agent over a contract extension, which could see him remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer.

Van Ginkel was dubbed the 'next Frank Lampard' by ex-Vitesse Arnhem boss Peter Bosz when he completed an £8 million move to Chelsea from the Eredivisie outfit in 2013.

Unfortunately, he has never come close to living up to that billing, having been restricted to just four first-team appearances for the Blues amid persistent struggles with injuries.

The 27-year-old took in loan spells at AC Milan, Stoke and PSV before returning to west London in the summer of 2018, at which point he suffered another major blow to his Chelsea career.

Van Ginkel was forced to undergo surgery to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and he hasn't seen a single minute of competitive action since.

He had, however, finally returned to full training before the 2019-20 season was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, and he will be in contention for a place in Frank Lampard's squad when Chelsea get their campaign back underway against Aston Villa on June 21.

Van Ginkel's current deal is due to expire at the end of the month, but he claims that talks over a renewal are ongoing.

He expects to return to action with the Blues' academy side if an agreement can be reached over the next couple of weeks, as he told Dutch publication AD: "My agent, Karel Jansen, is in talks with Chelsea about a new contract for me. I am very happy at this show of confidence in me by the club.

"It is quite something when a club tries to keep a player who has been out injured so long and in these uncertain times as well.

"If a deal can be done I expect to make my comeback in Chelsea's Under-23 side.

"Otherwise I will be a free agent this summer, and we'll look elsewhere.

"The prospects look very good. I have worked really hard to come back.

"I can now train four to five times a week. I was on the point of rejoining group training in March before the coronavirus outbreak."

Arsenal must "break the bank" to keep hold of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to Kevin Campbell, who says the Gunners have been guilty of "messing around" when it comes to their star striker's future.

Aubameyang has lived up to his reputation as one of Europe's most deadly centre-forwards since joining Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.

The 30-year-old has hit 61 goals in 97 appearances for the Gunners, and he currently boasts the fourth-best goals-per-game ratio in Premier League history behind Thierry Henry, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.

Despite the Gabon international's prolific output in the final third, Arsenal have yet to offer him an extension on his current deal, which is due to expire in 2021.

Aubameyang confirmed as much during an interview with Telefoot at the weekend, stating: “They know very well why so far nothing has happened. They have the keys. It is up to them to do their work and, after that, we will see how things go.”

Campbell says the Gunners have backed themselves into a corner when it comes to a prized asset's position at Emirates Stadium, and that they are unlikely to find anyone better to come in and fill his boots.

“Aubameyang guarantees you goals, and if you sell your goals you’re in a very difficult position to replace them,” the ex-Arsenal striker told talkSPORT .

“He’s guaranteed to get you 20 goals a season, minimum, so how are you going to replace that?

“If you don’t give him what he wants, it’s going to cost more to find someone to replace him, and even then they are not proven they can come in and do it.

“He’s in the building! Yes, he’s going to be 31 but he’s still lean, he’s still sharp, he’s still fast – this is the type of player you build around.

“I don’t know what they’re thinking at the club, but I’d have signed him a year ago!”

The Gunners famously ended up selling both Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie due to poor contract planning, and Campbell sees history repeating itself with Aubameyang unless the club gives in to his demands.

“I think Arsenal have shot themselves in the foot yet again,” he added. “They’ve played a game and they’ve taken a risk hoping that they’ll qualify for the Champions League so that would obviously push him to be signing, but it isn’t quite working out this season.

“It’s a very, very dangerous game that they’re playing. The backroom people and the hierarchy said they would never put themselves in this position again, but what have they done? They’ve put themselves in this situation again!

“The club has been run so poorly on the transfer retention side, they keep putting themselves in this very difficult situation and it’s not right, fans are going to go crazy about it.

“I think Aubameyang is right to put the ball firmly in their court and it’s now up to Arsenal to make some moves and prove to him that they’re serious. As an Arsenal fan I want him to stay, of course I do, but if I’m Aubameyang, I’ve been at Arsenal all this time and they have been messing around!

“What Arsenal have been doing, skimping and scraping, is not going to turn his head to stay. If Mikel Arteta wants to keep him they have to break the bank to keep him, they have to.”

Partizan Belgrade striker Umar Sadiq stated it’s a big compliment for him to be linked with Premier League giants Manchester United.

The forward has been in blistering form since teaming up with the Black-Whites after a disappointing spell with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.

The former Nigeria U23 striker has scored 17 goals and provided 16 assists across all competitions this season for Savo Milosevic’s men.

The forward was one of the standout performers during his side’s 1-0 victory over rivals Red Star Belgrade in a derby outing.

Sadiq’s form has seen him linked to a number of European clubs including the Red Devils and recently, Manchester United scout for Central and Southeast Europe Budimir Vujacic watched him play.

The striker is delighted his performances are getting the attention of the Old Trafford outfit and explained how the Black-Whites have helped him to improve.

"It’s a big compliment for me as a player, but believe me, nothing is accidental,” Sadiq was quoted as saying by the Republika.

"In Partizan, we work thoroughly before every game and not only when we talk about tactics and video analysis, but also about the human relationship.

"Whether it is Chief Milosevic or someone else from the expert staff, they are always there for us

"Partizan helped me a lot in my career, I found my way and now I just follow what they ask of me. I think this is just the beginning of my success, and the motivation is there.”

Partizan played Manchester United in a Europa League game back in November and narrowly lost the first leg by 1-0 in Belgrade.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, however, dominated the second leg at Old Trafford, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory in the encounter.

"As for Manchester United, I think that they were surprised by our game in Belgrade and that is why they played the best team during the visit, which was not the case afterwards. That speaks enough about respect for Partizan. "

Sadiq started his European career with Italian side Spezia in 2014 before he teamed up with Roma, where he spent four years, including loan spells at Bologna, Torino, NAC Breda and Rangers.

The forward will hope to continue his impressive showings in front of goal when Partizan take on Vojvodina at Stadion Karadorde on Friday.

Experienced left-back Wesley Onguso has revealed he started the motorcycle business five years ago.

The Nairobi City Stars defender was caught on camera on a motorcycle commonly referred to as Boda Boda. The picture brought a range of diverse opinions on social media. 

"I have been in the Boda Boda business since 2016 and I have several motorcycles," Onguso told Goal on Monday.

"It is my part-time business which I treasure and aim at developing it because it also helps me in employing other youths. Currently, we do not have football going on and after training, at times I help my employees, it is something I have been doing.

"Football life is short and unpredictable, we have highs and lows and the best players can do is invest. It is the safest way to protect your future; invest while you can."

The former Gor Mahia left-back has also revealed his role during the current Covid-19 pandemic.

"I have been part of the group [SHOFCO] that sensitizes the community on the pandemic, and ensures we supply protective gear," Onguso added.

"It is a voluntary job and on the material day [when the picture was taken], I had relieved my employee who I regard highly. 

"As players, I believe we have a moral obligation of helping the community to deal with this virus. So we have to help as much as we can."

Onguso, the 2017 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup (Cecafa) winner with Harambee Stars, joined Simba wa Nairobi in 2019.

He was part of the playing unit that ensured City Stars topped the National Super League table and eventually got promoted when Football Kenya Federation (FKF) cancelled the league.

Onguso's new venture comes at a time when the majority of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) players suffered salary delays as clubs ran without sponsors. The league itself did not have a title sponsor which further affected the financial health of clubs.

Kenyan footballers have been out of action since mid-March when the leagues were stopped owing to the measures put in place to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Apart from turning out for Gor Mahia, Onguso has played for Sofapaka, Western Stima, Posta Rangers and Mathare United.

Koln right-back Kingsley Ehizibue in awe of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, and likened the players to robots.

Hans-Dieter Flick’s men are on a 13-game winning streak to sit comfortably at the top of the league table with 73 points from 31 games, seven above second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

The Bavarians have only lost four games in this campaign against Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia M'gladbach, drawing four and winning 23 matches.

Ehizibue returned to Germany, his country of birth last summer, joining the Billy Goats on a four-year contract from Dutch outfit PEC Zwolle.  

The defender has since been a consistent performer for Markus Gisdol’s men, having made 29 appearances across all competitions.

Playing in the Bundesliga has afforded him the opportunity to rub shoulders with good players and after watching the Bavarians and playing against them, he is impressed with their style of play.

"It all seems so simple what they do, so easy. But it is so incredibly good," Ehizibue recently told Dutch website Voetbal International.  

"At Bayern, they think ten steps ahead. I don't know what they're doing there in Munich, but they're like robots.

"I played against a lot of big teams and big players. Jadon Sancho and Timo Werner, in particular, are really very good.”

Ehizibue’s efforts in this campaign helped the Mungersdorfer Stadion outfit to their current 12th position on the Bundesliga table with 35 points from 31 outings.

The defender’s solid defensive showings for his club saw Nigeria coach Gernot Roht hand him his first call-up to the Super Eagles.

Ehizibue is part of the Super Eagles squad that will take on Sierra Leone in 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game.

The right-back will hope to continue his eye-catching performances when Koln slug it out with Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena on Wednesday.

AFC Leopards interim head coach Anthony Kimani has revealed why Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp is his inspiration.

Kimani said he is greatly moved by how the German tactician has turned teams into successful outfits the moment he takes over. 

Kimani succeeded his Rwandan boss in December 2019 and went on to implement a new style of play at AFC Leopards. 

“I get my inspiration from [Jurgen] Klopp because I think he is one of the few coaches who have the ability to get the best out of his players,” Kimani told the club's Online TV.

“Looking at how he has managed and transformed the current Liverpool squad and again what he achieved at Borussia Dortmund. I would say he is a coach who has managed to do so well even though he has not been at the clubs which have got so many resources in Europe.

“Whatever he has managed to get out of his players is not what you can see from other coaches. He is a coach that I really look up to.”

The 2012 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup finalist with Harambee Stars also spoke highly of the club's supporters, players and officials who stuck together during an otherwise difficult season. 

“The fans, management, the playing unit and the technical bench have been outstanding even though we did not achieve as much as we may have wanted,” Kimani added.

“As a family, we came very close during the most difficult period and going forward, if we continue with the same attitude, come together, come on board and steer this club to the right direction then I feel there are big things in store for us.”

The former left-back also revealed he is confident soon AFC Leopards will have successful seasons.

“We have endured a lot as a club in the last couple of seasons, we have not been at where we want as a club, and have not achieved what is expected of us but I think the time is coming,” concluded the coach.

“We have started doing what we are supposed to do and I feel we are getting closer and closer to where we really deserve to be as a club.”

Simba SC have picked themselves up from the disappointing draw against Ruvu Shooting to beat Transit Camp 4-0 in a friendly played in Dar es Salaam on Monday.

The Mainland giants were frustrated on Sunday after they failed to beat Ruvu Shooting in a Mainland Premier League contest, only managing a 1-1 draw at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The Simba vs Ruvu Shooting game was among the top-flight matches staged over the weekend as the league returned, three months after it was halted owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

And to rectify mistakes from the draw, Simba quickly planned a friendly against the lower division side, whom they hammered 4-0 courtesy of a brace from Brazilian Gerson Fraga, and a goal apiece from Ibrahim Ajibu and Cyprian Kipenye.

Simba coach Sven Vandenbroeck was impressed with the response from his team in the friendly they dominated from the first whistle to the end.

“I was not interested in the scoreline but my attention was on how the players will respond after a disappointing draw against [Ruvu] on Sunday,” Vandenbroeck told the reporters after the friendly.

“The draw against Ruvu sounded like a defeat because we dominated the match but wasted our chances, we were not clinical in front of goal, but in the friendly the players responded well, it is the kind of response I was looking for and I hope they can carry it to the next league match.”

Simba have openly communicated their disappointment with dropping points against Ruvu Shooting with Information Officer Haji Manara confessing every club official was shocked with the outcome of the match as their aim was to get a win.

“The outcome of the match against Ruvu is not what we were expecting, it is not a good result, to be honest, we did not expect to get such a result,” Manara told reporters.

“I can only congratulate Ruvu for putting up a good show to deny us a win, they played in a very determined manner to take the point away.”

On his part, Ruvu Shooting Information Officer Msau Bwire said: “I had warned Simba prior to the match it will not be an easy task, I knew my players were well prepared to frustrate them and I think we have managed to get a point from them.

“We showed them good football, the same way Barcelona play and we now want to keep the momentum going and get good results in remaining matches.”

Simba are now on 72 points after 29 matches; they have won 23, drawn three, and lost as many matches. Ruvu Shooting remained in 11th position as well after collecting 40 points from 29 matches.