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Michael Owen believes Timo Werner could have added Fernando Torres-esque qualities to Liverpool, but admits signing the German would have presented a “problem” to the Reds as they have already offered their backing to Divock Origi.

A move to Anfield for another talented forward appeared to be on the cards when exit talk at RB Leipzig was ramped up.

Jurgen Klopp was considered to be in need of greater depth in his attacking ranks, with Werner ticking plenty of boxes when it comes to playing style and productivity.

Liverpool have, however, resisted the urge to make a move and left a door open for Premier League rivals Chelsea to trigger a £54 million (€60m/$68m) release clause.

Questions have been asked of whether the Reds will live to regret that decision, with Owen admitting that the 24-year-old would have been a useful addition.

The former Liverpool frontman told Premier League Productions of Werner’s strike rate, which has seen him net 92 times in 155 appearances for Leipzig: “They're great numbers aren't they? And he's not playing in a poor league. The Bundesliga is a very strong league and you would say that he can translate that.

“He does it at international level as well.

“I've been watching him quite closely since the restart and he's already started scoring goals, he's very quick, can cut in from wide, times his runs brilliantly and he's very direct as well, straight at the goal, a bit like Torres.

“I don't think he plays exactly the same but I always used to feel that Torres would take that first touch and then be motoring forward. I like him a lot.

“I'm sure Liverpool wanted him but maybe the financial implications and where we're standing in the world at the moment put them off… but I'm pretty sure they wanted him.”

While suggesting that Liverpool may have been scared off by Werner’s asking price, Owen concedes that the fresh terms handed to Origi in the summer of 2019 have also made it difficult for Klopp to commit to another forward.

“That's the problem,” added Owen.

“Liverpool gave Divock Origi a long-term contract not so long ago… they’ve almost nailed their colours to the mast in terms of, 'Right, he’s our back-up in case anyone gets injured'.

“Werner is a top player and I think if Klopp had the choice to have Werner come in as that fourth striker then absolutely he would.

“But you’ve got to balance it in terms of where we are financially at the moment and I just think that probably Chelsea need him more.

“I think he’d love to go to Liverpool but I think Chelsea at this minute need him more and are willing to go that extra step.”

Simba SC chairman Mohammed Dewji has assured club fans they will not sell any of their players in the coming transfer window.

The Mainland Premier League giants are keen to build a strong team ahead of next season’s Caf Champions League as they are likely to represent the country in the competition for the second season in a row.

Dewji has now confirmed in a statement posted on the club’s Facebook and Twitter pages that the club will not let go of any player from the current squad and they will sign new players as per the request from their coach.

“My fellow lions,” Dewji wrote in the statement. “I want to assure you none of our players will leave Simba but we will also sign any player, from anywhere if our coach will need him in his squad.

“We want to remain consistent and will not let our squad change.”

Meanwhile, Simba have already been linked with the services of two Gor Mahia players – defender Joash Onyango and midfielder Kenneth Muguna.

Goal understands the club is already talking to Muguna, who has 18 months left on his contract with K’Ogalo but has expressed his desire to leave for greener pastures because of salary problems.

Onyango’s contract is also set to end in June and the former Western Stima defender is not keen to extend. Though Onyango has also been linked with a move to rivals AFC Leopards, he will definitely fancy the chance to play in the Champions League.

Gor Mahia have turned into a something of a feeder club for Simba recently - in the last two seasons, they lost two key players, Meddie Kagere and Francis Kahata, to the Mainland giants.

Simba are currently chasing a third straight league title, as they top the league table on 71 points from 28 matches, while Azam FC are second on 54 points and rivals Yanga SC are lying third after accumulating 51 points.

Simba will resume the league with a home game against Ruvu Shooting at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on June 14 while Yanga will come up against Mwadui FC.

It has been a long wait for the football fraternity in Malaysia to return to action since the leagues were officially postponed beginning 16 March 2020. Now three months later, the first sign of resumption is here after the Malaysian government introduced the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) that also entailed a certain relaxation for footballing activities.

While competitions and official matches are still prohibited, the 15 June date will at least allow respective teams to start their trainings in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Malaysian Football League (MFL) will jointly produce.

That is a good 45 days earlier than initially anticipated with MFL planning for training resumption in August and competitions to resume starting September. That said, just like how it has been done it other countries and leagues, the first training resumption will still need to be individual training followed by small group training before the whole team can train together.

With this earlier schedule, it would give MFL a chance to reorganise their plans and the start of competitions could be brought forward to August or even late July - which effectively provides more time for Tan Cheng Hoe to make his preparations for the resumption of the joint 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualification matches later this year. 

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) made the announcement last Friday that Malaysia's revised fixtures for the last three rounds of group matches will be v United Arab Emirates (8 Oct),  v Vietnam (13 Oct) and v Thailand (17 Nov) respectively.

FAM plans to have the a quarantine-based centralised training for Tan Cheng Hoe's team as well as Brad Maloney's Under-19 side who will prepare for the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship that will be played in Uzbekistan in October.

The format will see the players gathered together isolated from the rest of the world to ensure that no outside containment of the virus to the team. While those will be easy to do under the circumstance of a training camp, it would be much harder when the squad need to travel to play their matches.

Things are not back to normal yet but the football fans in Malaysia can start to crack a smile once again after a long layoff.

Wazito FC midfielder Whyvonne Isuza has stated training for long periods without competing is psychological torture.

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) was suspended on March 16 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the players have been training isolation with no definite date set for the return of matches.

"Training alone for a longer period without competing is psychological torture in itself," Isuza told Goal on Tuesday.

"It has been about 80 days without football and as a player, you start having uncertainties about your abilities since you cannot gauge yourself.

"You do not know where you are and the best thing to do is comfort yourself 'I will be fine once normalcy returns.'

"We also have this cessation of movement. It has also affected many players' businesses and it has destabilized them mentally."

The Kenya international has explained how hard it is to train in isolation and with no game to train for.

"It is tough because at times you are on your lowest and you don't feel like moving and you can easily convince yourself to skip training since there is nothing to train for; league and other competitions have stopped and no one to supervise you," he continued.

"Discipline is needed rather than motivation; if you are disciplined, you will train.

"Training in a group is different, you might be at your lowest but in no time, others cheer you up and you train well. And remember, we always train, looking up to weekend or midweek games unlike now.

 "I have done a lot of changes and adjustments to my daily routine; from football to my personal lifestyle. I had to forgo others to maintain a healthy and consistent training schedule."

The midfielder was signed by Wazito from AFC Leopards in the January transfer window to help the club turn its fortunes around.

When the league took a break, Wazito were placed 13th on the log after managing to get 20 points from 23 matches.

The 2018/19 National Super League champions had won four games, drawn eight and lost 11 matches.

They had scored 24 goals and conceded 30, and as a result, had a goal difference of negative six.

Neymar is capable of filling Lionel Messi’s boots at Barcelona when the day comes for a six-time Ballon d’Or winner to walk away from Camp Nou, says Jofre Mateu.

Such a move will not be made any time soon, with an exit clause that exists in the Argentine’s contract having expired for 2020.

A mercurial talent is, however, only tied to terms with the Blaugrana for another 12 months and is yet to commit to an extension beyond that point.

At 32 years of age, and having been a one-club man to this point, it has been suggested that Messi will look to head home before hanging up his boots.

He has made no secret of the fact that he would like to take in competitive outings for Newell’s Old Boys – the club that initially spotted his potential – prior to heading into retirement.

If a move away from Catalunya is to be made, then somebody will be required to follow in the footsteps of an all-time great.

Former La Masia academy graduate Mateu, who was on Barca’s books as Messi’s star began to rise, believes Neymar could be the man to provide inspiration for the Liga giants.

A return to Camp Nou from Paris Saint-Germain has been mooted for the Brazil international, with the next transfer window expected to see that interest rekindled.

“Some players will be very happy if he comes back because they are very good friends,” Mateu told IANS.

“When he left Barcelona it came as a shock for us, the supporters. He certainly isn't the same player anymore because of his age and also his off-field problems. But as a player there is probably no discussion that he is one of the best in the world.

“When Messi isn't there, then probably he can take his place.”

While talking up Neymar’s ability to fill the void created by a legend, Mateu admits that he would prefer to see Barcelona build even more long-term and raid the ranks at PSG for an alternative frontman.

He added: “I prefer Mbappe now. I think because of his age and mentality, I think Mbappe is going to be the next top player in the world.”

Barca have rarely been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Mbappe, with speculation regarding a possible switch to Spain for the World Cup winner seeing Real Madrid head the queue for a talented 21-year-old.

Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta hopes Barcelona do not pay Lautaro Martinez's release clause but vowed to replace the forward with a star if he leaves.

Lautaro has been heavily linked with a move to the La Liga giants, with Inter reportedly insisting the Argentina international's buy-out clause of €111 million (£99m/$125m) will need to be paid.

Marotta again reiterated the Serie A side had no interest in selling Lautaro, but said a new talisman would be signed if the 22-year-old does end up moving on to pastures new.

"It is difficult to pronounce on his future at this moment, but I say to him – stay focused on the present, there is a season that resumes, there are goals to hit," the Inter CEO told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"There is no desire of the property to sell Lautaro. He is young, has the future of his own and is a functional element for [Antonio] Conte. Then, of course, there is a clause.

"I don't know what Barcelona think, maybe they will also have alternatives. I hope they don't pay the clause. If Lautaro [leaves], a top player will arrive.

"But in this market, at European level the real difficulty will not be having to buy, but being able to sell. I would say one thing in general – Neymar-style operations, in which one team goes and takes one player away from another, will not be seen for many years."

Inter have been tipped to move for Edinson Cavani, whose current contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season.

But Marotta said a deal for Cavani, who has scored seven goals in 22 games this season, was still some way off.

"It is one of the opportunities, it is being monitored as an expiring footballer," he said.

"But we did not go into the matter further: at the moment he is quite far from Inter."

Antonio Conte is currently preparing his Inter squad for their first fixture in three months, with a trip to Napoli in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final scheduled for June 13.

The Nerazzurri lost the first leg 1-0 shortly before the season was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak in March, and the reverse will be played behind closed doors at Stadio San Paolo.

Inter will resume their latest Serie A campaign eight days later as they play host to Sampdoria at an empty San Siro, where nothing less than a win will do as they look to close the gap on leaders Juventus.

Simba SC will have to wait a little longer to know the extent of the injury suffered by midfielder Jonas Mkude during a friendly against KMC on Monday.

Mkude was injured in the 53rd minute at Mo Simba Arena and was immediately rushed to Rabininsha Memorial Hospital, where he was later treated and discharged.

However, the club’s doctor Yassin Gembe has now confirmed the player is out of danger, but he will have to undergo more tests to determine whether he will be fit to play when the Mainland Premier League resumes on June 13.

“For now, Mkude has left the hospital and he is looking good and doing fine, however, he will have to undergo further scans and tests to know how bad the injury was,” Gembe told the club’s official website.

Despite losing Mkude in the fixture, Simba went on to beat KMC 3-1 with captain John Bocco notching a double while Ibrahim Ajibu grabbed the third.

Simba had suffered an early scare in the match as KMC, who had earlier beaten Young Africans (Yanga SC) 3-0 in another build-up, took the lead courtesy of Charles Ilanfya.

However, Simba fans were up on their feet cheering louder as Bocco scored the equaliser four minutes later. The two teams headed to the half-time break on level terms.

Taifa Stars striker Bocco completed his brace with a quarter of an hour to go after getting the better of the defenders before Ajibu’s fine strike sealed the win in the 88th minute.

It was Simba’s second friendly since earlier in the day, the league leaders defeated Transit Camp 4-2 at the same venue.

Simba will face Ruvu Shooting on June 14 at home as they restart their title defence.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi enjoy a good lead at the top and coach Vandenbroeck had urged them to ensure they bag the first 12 points to win the title in earnest.

With three of their four foreign players already in Tanzania, Simba are assured of an almost full squad for the matches, which also includes the FA Cup quarter-final tie against Azam.

Sharaf Shiboub, from South Sudan, is the only foreign player yet to report for duty.

Timo Werner’s proposed transfer to Chelsea is “perfect for all concerned”, says Stan Collymore, with the former Liverpool striker eager to point out that the Germany international is “not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo” and would likely have flopped at Anfield.

A switch to Merseyside appeared to be on the cards for the RB Leipzig forward as speculation regarding his future began to build.

Werner had left a door open for Jurgen Klopp to make a move, while many had talked up the qualities that a hard-working and prolific 24-year-old would add to the ranks of the current Premier League leaders.

No approach was made by Liverpool, though, and Chelsea have stolen in to put a £54 million (€60m/$68m) deal in place.

Some have suggested that the Reds may be left to rue their decision not to rival a domestic foe for Werner, but Collymore believes too much has been made of Klopp’s call not to table an offer for a player who would likely miss out on a place in his preferred starting XI.

The former Liverpool striker told The Mirror: “The deal to take Timo Werner to Chelsea is a perfect arrangement for all concerned.

“Perfect for the player, perfect for the Blues, perfect for RB Leipzig, who are trousering £53million, and perfect for Liverpool as well.

“He’s a good, solid striker with promise — an all-rounder who holds the ball up well, is mobile, gets into the box and scores goals.

“But the Liverpool fans sobbing about missing out on him can spare me the tears because he’s not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo and the way some have reacted, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was some sort of reincarnation of both.

“Liverpool are the European champions, world champions and soon-to-be Premier League champions, and there would be massive pressure on him as the summer’s marquee signing at Anfield on the back of all that.

“Add in the fact that Liverpool already have arguably the best-balanced front three in the world and I’m struggling to see where Werner would have fitted in.

“I wouldn’t have seen him displacing any of them and, given everything that team has done together, I could even have seen him flopping.

“Why? Because walking into that dressing room would have been massively intimidating for a 24-year-old.

“At Chelsea, though, he will look around and see Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud, and think, ‘Yes, good players, but I’ll have that challenge’.

“He knows he’s not the finished article yet and that’s what Liverpool will be looking for even if they aren’t the sort of signings Jurgen Klopp is fabled for making.”

Collymore added: “As for the notion that Jurgen Klopp couldn’t justify Werner’s fee, I’m sure there is an element of the Kop boss not wanting to appear gaudy or louche in the current climate.

“He’s not a Billy Bullsh*tter after all.

“Had he firmly believed Werner would be the next Sergio Aguero or Fernando Torres, though, I’m pretty sure he’d have been whipping out the old chequebook in a heartbeat.”

Former Portugal captain Costinha has been impressed with Bruno Fernandes' fantastic performances for Manchester United and feels that the midfielder can bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.

Fernandes joined the Red Devils from Sporting CP during the January transfer window in a deal worth an initial €55 million (£47m/$60m) and made an instant impact on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

The 25-year-old has contributed three goals and four assists in his first nine appearances for the club as United push for a place in the Premier League's top four, as well as gunning for trophies in the FA Cup and Europa League.

Costinha, who famously scored Porto's goal at Old Trafford to knock United out of the Champions League in 2004, believes that after seeing his compatriot struggling in his first appearance for the club, Fernandes has since proven his worth to a team in transition.

"He is a fantastic footballer," Costinha told Goal. "I don't know him as a person, but sometimes I message him on Instagram

"I remember his debut at United (against Wolves) and his socks were down after 70 minutes. I said to him: 'Don't worry about that.' I saw in his head he was tired and wanted to come off. He wasn't used to the rhythm. 

"I just said: 'Don't worry, once you get used to that rhythm with all the intelligence in your head and ability in your feet, then it will be easier for you.'

"He is making very good progress and he is playing very well for United. They need time after moving on from Sir Alex Ferguson under new leadership and with a different mentality, but they still play to win every tournament.

"The history of Manchester United tells you to win every tournament. If you go there, you have to win all the cups, and that includes the Champions League. You are talking about Man United – it is one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"How many players want to play for Man United? Many would love to play there. It is a fantastic club."

Costinha almost got the opportunity to do just that after he was approached by former United assistant coach Carlos Queiroz regarding a short-term transfer in late-2005.

United were in the market for a combative midfielder but were unable to strike a deal with Costinha's club at the time, Dynamo Moscow, given he had only moved to Russia six months previously.

It marked the second occasion on which a potential transfer to the Premier League had fallen through for Costinha, after his former boss at Porto, Jose Mourinho, attempted to bring him to Stamford Bridge after being appointed Chelsea manager in 2004

"But then [Claude] Makelele stayed at the club," Costinha explained. "I don't think Mourinho wanted two players who were ambitious to play in the same position.

"If Claude was playing, I wouldn’t have been happy, and if I was playing, then Claude wouldn’t have been happy. Jose would have been happy because he would have had two players he trusts!

"Porto didn’t allow me to leave anyway. That summer, Jose Antonio Camacho also made an offer from Real Madrid for Ricardo Carvalho and myself, but I didn’t go there either.

"After I went to Russia, I was in the airport in Frankfurt back to Moscow and I received a call from Carlos Queiroz of Man United. At the time, I think they had a lot of injuries in midfield and they wanted to sign me. He asked me if I wanted to go and I said yes.

"Of course, I was sad [it didn't happen] because it was Man United, but I had a five-year agreement [with Dynamo] and I couldn’t fight them. I understood why the president didn’t want me to go.

"The first offer [from United] was a half-year contract from January to June. Then, my agent got it up to a two-and-a-half-year contract. Dynamo Moscow had bought me and I had five years left on that deal, so they didn’t accept the offer."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has expressed his belief that Mario Gotze is still "an exceptional player", while wishing the exit-bound Borussia Dortmund star luck at his next club.

Gotze emerged as one of Europe's most exciting young talents under Klopp's stewardship at Dortmund between 2009 and 2013.

The World Cup winner helped BVB win five major trophies, including two Bundesliga titles, before joining up with their arch-rivals Bayern Munich.

Unfortunately, he was never quite able to live up to expectations at the Allianz Arena, and made his way back to Westfalenstadion in 2016.

Gotze's second spell at Dortmund has been disrupted by a metabolic illness, which has restricted the midfielder's playing time and overall contribution to the team.

The 28-year-old will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, and is expected to undertake a new challenge away from Germany.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with Gotze in recent weeks, but Klopp says his former charge needs to join a club that can guarantee him regular minutes.

The Reds head coach told Sky Deutschland: "Everyone in the business knew that his contract was expiring.

"If things have not been settled a year in advance, there are some indications that it is coming to an end.

"Mario will probably need a few games in a row. He needs a club that gives him the feeling that he doesn't have to change the world in every game.

“Instead, Gotze has to just play normally and then play again and play again. Then I think we'll see the old Mario Gotze again.

“That is obviously not possible in Dortmund at the moment with the quality that they have in the offensive area.

“It makes total sense that Mario leaves the club. I couldn't wish him more luck, to be honest.

“I think he is an exceptional player and also an exceptional character. I like him very much and wish him all the best."

Gotze has not featured for Dortmund since their 1-0 defeat to Bayern on May 26, missing subsequent wins over Paderborn and Hertha Berlin.

He will, however, be back in contention for a place in Lucien Favre's squad when BVB take in a trip to Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday.

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana says he "was never the same person" following an encounter with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in England more than a 20 years ago.

A trip to Manchester for a schools tournament proved to be mentality-changing for the gritty midfielder, who still hears Ferguson's words ringing in his head.

Ferguson, a guest in the stands, was impressed after watching a 12-year-old Kekana in action against a school from Luxembourg.

The former Manchester United boss then predicted a bright future for Kekana, who went on to claim six Premier Soccer League titles (PSL), a Caf Champions League trophy and a Caf Super League crown among his career accolades.

Kekana says after meeting Ferguson, he did not see anything blocking his way to stardom although he faced rejection at SuperSport United, where Gavin Hunt reportedly deemed him as surplus before shipping him out to Bloemfontein Celtic.

“It was just surreal [meeting Ferguson],” Kekana told Far Post.

“After watching us play against a school from Luxembourg, he came up to me and asked for my name. I told him with my broken English.

"He then said, ‘if football is what you want to do, I can see you playing anywhere in the world with that attitude.’

"I was never the same person after hearing those words. I knew I had something special. Those words have carried me through all my career.

“I didn’t see anything stopping me after the talk with Sir Alex. I wanted to perfect my passing, I wanted to perfect my shooting. I don’t often score goals but when I do, people talk about them for a while. I score goals that are special.

“Everyone was excited to see this kid wearing an oversize football jersey, enjoying the game.

"But for me, Sir Alex’s words opened the way for me to see football and life differently.

"He said I was such a special kid. Each time I get onto the field to play I think of those words – my attitude has got to be right.”

Despite Kekana being 35 years old now, Mamelodi Sundowns still invested faith in the midfielder who signed a new four-year contract in March.

If he manages to see out his contract, he would be 39 years old by then and would have completed 13 seasons at Sundowns.

Simba SC striker Meddie Kagere has confessed how difficult it has been for him to score 19 goals so far in the Mainland Premier League.

The Rwandan striker won the Golden Boot last season after notching 23 goals and he is currently leading the race to win the gong again.

However, Kagere, who joined Simba from Kenyan champions Gor Mahia two seasons ago, has admitted reaching 19 goals this season has not been easy for him.

“I have had difficult times to score goals this campaign because every defender is watching on me whenever we play against them,” Kagere is quoted by Sokaletu.

“Whenever the defenders see me in the starting XI, they come wanting to deny me a chance to score and that is always difficult for any striker to achieve your target.

“Other defenders always use a lot of force to defend against me, putting me on tight marking but sometimes I enjoy the moment because when I sneak and get a chance, I will score, so that is why I only have 19 goals this season.”

In a recent interview, former Young Africans (Yanga SC) defender Oscar Joshua revealed he will be a happy man if Kagere is beaten to the Golden Boot this campaign.

With the league set to resume after it was halted in mid-March owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Kagere has a good chance to claim the award with only nine rounds of matches remaining to the end of the season.

Joshua went ahead to challenge other strikers in the top-flight, led by Reliants Lusanjo, Paul Nonga, and Yusuph Mhilu, to make sure that they catch up with Kagere and beat him to the crown.

Lusajo and Mhilu, both of Kagere Sugar, have scored 11 goals while Nonga of Lipuli FC has managed 10 goals.

“First Emmanuel Okwi took the Golden Boot and then came Kagere and won the award last season, and still it seems Kagere will do it again this season,” Joshua told reporters.

“But I have a feeling that we have Nonga, Lusanjo, and Mhilu who can also challenge for the gong and I want to urge them to make sure they don’t allow Kagere to win the award again, nine matches are enough to give them the award.”

Simba will resume their hunt for a third straight title against Ruvu Shooting on June 13 at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has suspended all friendly matches until they meet all clubs on the matter.

Most Tanzania Mainland league teams are preparing for the restart on June 13. Reports have it the federation wants to set the record straight regarding fans who attend matches.

On Monday, hundreds of fans had turned out, amidst Covid-19 pandemic, to watch the games without protective gear and Goal understands it is what the federation want to discuss with the clubs.

"The TFF has suspended all the friendly matches effective immediately until it meets all the clubs," read a statement signed by TFF Communications Officer Cliford Ndimbo and obtained by Goal.

"No friendly game will be played without permission from the TFF. Tomorrow [Tuesday], TFF will meet Simba SC, Young Africans SC, Azam FC, KMC and Trans Camp."

The federation went on to hint on the agenda of the meeting.

"TFF has been insisting on the importance of clubs following the guidelines given by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children and that of Communication, Sports... on how to protect ourselves from Covid-19," the statement added.

On Monday, Wekundu wa Msimbazi played two friendly matches, against Trans Camp and KMC, winning 4-2 and 3-1 respectively.

In the first match, forward Deo Kanda was the first to strike for the Msimbazi-based side in the third minute.

Gerson Fraga scored the second for Sven Vandenbroeck's charges in the 15th minute before Tairone Santos added the third goal of the encounter two minutes after Fraga's strike.

Simba did not add a fourth goal until after the first half ended but they also could not keep Transit Camp at bay, as their opponents reduced the deficit in the first minute of added time courtesy of Hamadi Habibu.

In the 46th minute, Meddie Kagere added his name onto the scoresheet as he stretched Simba's lead further. Transit Camp answered back in the 64th minute from Nisile Kisimba's strike but their resurgence did not deny Simba a convincing win.

Against KMC, captain John Bocco scored a brace with Ibrahim Ajibu getting the third for the hosts while the visitors scored what turned out to be the consolation courtesy of Charles Ilanfya.

Cape Town City have announced the departure of one of their midfielders, Ronald Putsche.

The Austrian player has seen limited game time this season having made only 10 appearances in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and scored once.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to the indefinite suspension of the current season since March 2020 and Putsche has joined a list of players, who have decided to leave PSL clubs for Europe in recent times.

Dean Furman, Boy De Jong and Simon Murray have all left PSL clubs and returned to Europe in the last three months.

City released the following statement on Tuesday morning indicating that Putsche has left the Western Cape-based side.

"Roland Putsche leaves City after a decorated four years at the club."

"Roli will be returning home to Europe, leaving a lasting legacy on the success story of Cape Town City."

"A true club legend, until we meet again Roli," a club statement read.

Putsche joined City from Austrian Bundesliga club Wolfsberger AC ahead of the 2016/17 campaign.

His four-year spell with the Citizens has proved to be a success having helped the team clinch two major trophies.

The lanky player lifted the 2016 Telkom Knockout Cup in his first season with the Mother City side - playing all four matches in the tournament.

Putsche also helped City clinch the 2018 MTN8 under the guidance of Benni McCarthy with the team having lost to SuperSport United in the 2017 final.

His consistent displays reportedly attracted interest from unnamed overseas clubs during the 2018/19 season.

However, the Citizens managed to retain his services and he helped the team secure a top-four finish on the PSL standings.

The current campaign has seen Putsche struggle with injuries and he fell out of favour under City's Dutch coach Jan Olde Riekerink.

Thabo Nodada and Mduduzi Mdantsane have been preferred ahead of Putsche in midfield with the 29-year-old player forced to settle for a place on the bench.

It remains to be seen whether Putsche will return to his former side, Wolfsberger where he spent four seasons before moving to City.

Former India international Renedy Singh has urged footballers in India to stay fit during the lockdown period in the country. 

After the Coronavirus pandemic brought the football world to a standstill in March, India has also halted all sporting activities. Renedy believes players should focus on individual training while staying at home. 

"Players haven't played for three-four months so they become unfit. They have to keep playing, they play all around the year. They usually don't have rest, except once a week. But due to the pandemic, for the last three months, players are unable to go to the ground and train properly. People who live in villages, at least they can go out and train, but those in cities, it is very difficult for them," he told Goal. 

He added, "We cannot relax. What coaches do is, we have players in our academy (Classic Football Academy) here - we didn't think of going out in the first month (of lockdown). Now, what we try to do is, we sort it out because people in villages can go out and do running.

"We are trying to create a training program so that they can improve their fitness and technique. We are trying as much as possible to help them do individual training. In India, we don't have many players who are tactically sound so it is important for them to train. That is how you develop their technique. If you have a wall and a ball, you can pass and receive the practice your touches. "

Renedy believes that the players can use the little space they have at their homes to put their technical training into use. 

"We can't play games but we have to do individual training. We have to improve our technique, we cannot just stay at home. Coaches have to think about the team so this is the time to think about individual training. If you don't train every single day. you are losing around 36,000 touches of the ball in a month. People have to keep working. If they can find a small space at home, they can improve their fitness so when players come back, they come back (in better shape)."

He has called on Indian footballers to take a leaf out of Cristiano Ronaldo's book regarding fitness during the lockdown. 

"I was reading about Ronaldo - how everyone thought his fitness levels would drop when he returns to training but he came back stronger. That is what professionalism is all about. We have to teach that to the younger lot."
 

The Indian Super League (ISL) has seen some international icons take the field during the twilight of their career. Playing in a physically demanding league is a big task which requires great commitment and luck.

However, some attributes of a player such as an eye for a pass or accurate finishing rarely fades with time. Irish goal-scoring legend Robbie Keane was a prime example of the latter. But unfortunately, he was unlucky to spend a sizable term of his career with ATK injured.

Keane joined the then two-time champions at the beginning of the 2017-18 season. The forward who is considered a legend with Ireland and with Tottenham at the club level had the fans riding high on expectations with the announcement.

With 68 goals from 148 appearances, the striker finished his career as the all-time leading goal-scorer of the Republic of Ireland national team. He was known for his prolificacy in front of goal and incredible passion for the sport.

Goal caught up with ATK winger Jayesh Rane who shared a dressing room with the Irish star during the 2017-18 season. The 27-year-old was impressed by his finishing, labelling him the best finisher he has played with.

“We got to learn a lot from him. He was very good at finishing, so he used to teach us about that. When he became the interim coach, he taught us a lot about his way of playing.

“His finishing was top class. Among the players I’ve played with, I’ve never seen anyone with finishing as good as his,” he said.

ATK finished ninth in the 2017-18 season with just four wins in 18 games. But Jayesh believes things could have been vastly different had Keane been fit throughout the season. The forward played just nine games, with injury forcing him out of the remaining fixtures. Yet, Keane managed to score six goals.

“He is always fit. I follow him on Instagram, and he is always doing something or the other. He is playing somewhere or training at home or doing something. We were unlucky that he was injured when he was with us. Or else, it could have been a different result. He played only nine games but scored six goals. If we had him for the full season, it would have made a big difference,” he explained.

Keane took over as the player-manager at the end of the 2017-18 ISL season ahead of the 2018 Super Cup. ATK could not get past the last-16 in that tournament and Keane retired from professional football soon after.

He then went on to become the assistant manager of the Irish national team and is currently Jonathan Woodgate’s assistant at EFL Championship side Middlesbrough.

Meanwhile, Rane stayed at ATK for the subsequent seasons and recently played a key role in their third ISL title.

Football Players' Association of India (FPAI) president Renedy Singh has asked Indian clubs not to take advantage of the Coronavirus pandemic and deny players their salaries.

The former India international is particularly worried about the situation of inexperienced footballers who face the possibility of not getting their dues cleared.

Renedy told Goal, "Now, due to the pandemic, money-wise, everything is getting difficult everywhere. We have talked to a few players. A few players are really worried if they would get their money or not. Once they sign a contract, players should keep a copy of the contract with them. This is for the young players. There are a few clubs who can play games (with that situation). Things are better and different from how it was during our playing career."

While the former East Bengal star accepts that the clubs may find it difficult to pay their players on time due to the pandemic, he expects the teams to sort out their finances sooner rather than later. 

"Payments may be delayed but we have to make sure that they get paid. They have families to look after. We request the players to stay calm. I am sure the clubs will respect contracts but if they don't, then there is the AIFF and the FIFA to look after. It is hard for everyone.

"Once they sign a contract, payments may be delayed, they may be a delay for a few months due to the pandemic but the contract should be respected. When there is a contract, you have to pay - there is no question about that," he concluded. 

Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix will learn a lot from Diego Simeone and has natural talent much like Bernardo Silva, according to Nuno Gomes.

Joao Felix joined Atletico from Benfica for a reported €120 million (£107m/$135m) last year , but has struggled to live up to the price tag in his first season at the La Liga club.

The 20-year-old has scored six goals and provided three assists in 28 games for Atletico, but his season has been hampered by several injuries.

Portugal great Gomes said his compatriot would learn plenty from Simeone, while comparing his talent to Manchester City star Silva.

"Joao Felix, first of all, is also a player that I admire a lot and comparing to Bernardo Silva, they have the same situation in terms of natural talent," he told Stats Perform News.

"The things look very easy for them. In regards of his season in Atletico Madrid, I remember that he started very well, he started the season very, very well, the pre-season he scored a lot of goals and then he suffered a small injury that put him out for a couple of weeks.

"I believe this experience, this first year allows him also to grow in terms of his style of play because with the ball, he's a top talent, he always wants to go to the goal, he has always the eyes on the goal, the way that he receives the ball looking already to the offensive plays so in terms of what he learned being coached by a coach like Simeone, I think it's very good for him.

"Simeone will give him things that he never experienced because he used to play a lot of offensive game and now he has to learn how to defend better, how to be a part of a team because he grew up in an environment that things were very easy for him. When you have difficult situations in front of you, you have to work harder in order to surpass those difficulties so I believe he will grow a lot with Simeone."

Atletico Madrid will resume their La Liga campaign away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, with Joao Felix suspended.

Paulo Dybala admitted it would be "very nice" to play for Barcelona as the star attacker said he was still waiting for a contract renewal at Juventus.

Dybala, 26, was enjoying a fine season before it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, having been linked with a move from Turin last year.

The Argentina international is reportedly set to extend his stay at Juve, where he is contracted until 2022.

But Dybala said it would be nice to reunite with international team-mate Lionel Messi at Barcelona.

"The truth is that Barcelona is huge team worldwide and with Messi there even bigger," he told CNN.

"It would be very nice, but Juventus is also an incredible club, very big, full of history, where there are currently great players.

"There's enough quality here to make two teams and the chance to play with [Gianluigi] Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo, who make the club even bigger."

While a move to Barcelona could be of interest, Dybala has been reported to be close to an extension at Juventus.

But Dybala, who has scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 34 games this season, said he was still waiting.

"For now there is nothing, really. I have a year and a half left on my contract, which is not much, and I understand that with all this that has happened [coronavirus] it isn't easy for the club, but other players have also renewed, so we are here waiting," he said.

"Obviously I am a player of this club and I am happy to be here. People love me very much and I love the people very much. I have great appreciation for the club and the people who are here, I have a good relationship with my president and surely at some point they will come to chat – or maybe not, I don't know.

"At some point maybe there may be some possible renewal, but it depends on Juventus."

Serie A leaders Juventus are set to resume their league campaign on June 22 with a trip to Bologna - as they hold a one-point lead over second-placed Lazio.