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Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling says tackling racism is the most important issue society faces.

The 25-year-old voiced his support of the anti-racism protests that have spread across the United States and Europe in response to George Floyd’s death.

Although the coronavirus pandemic is still going on, large crowds have gathered in cities all over the world to call for action against police brutality and discrimination.

Sterling says standing up to racism is more important than the danger posed by Covid-19 and urged people to do it peacefully.

"I know this might sound a little bit cheesy but the only disease right now is the racism that we are fighting," Sterling told BBC Newsnight.

"This is the most important thing at this moment in time because this is something that is happening for years and years.

"Just like the pandemic, we want to find a solution to stop it.

"At the same time, this is what all these protesters are doing. They are trying to find a solution and a way to stop the injustice they are seeing, and they are fighting for their cause.

"As long as they are doing it peacefully and safely and not hurting anybody and not breaking into any stores, they continue to protest in this peaceful way."

The England international says he does not fear putting his career at risk by speaking out about the issue and warned that protesting can only go so far.

"I don’t really think about my job when things like this happen, I think about what’s right.

"There’s only so much communities and other backgrounds can take – especially black people,” he said.

"It’s been going on for hundreds of years and people are tired and people are ready for change.

"This is something that needs more than just talking. We need to actually implement change and highlight the places that do need changes.

"But this is something that I will continue to do, spark these debates and get people in my industry looking at themselves and thinking what they can do to give people an equal chance in this country."

Augsburg striker Florian Niederlechner believes the lack of crowd noise contributed to his penalty miss during a 1-1 draw against Koln.

Niederlechner saw his spot-kick saved in the 27th minute by Timo Horn in the Bundesliga match played behind-closed-doors on Sunday.

The 29-year-old felt the eerily quiet 'ghost' atmosphere at Augsburg Arena made his chance to open the scoring a difficult one.

"I made the biggest mistake you can make as a penalty taker. Crappy ghost games," Niederlechner said post-match.

As Niederlechner was preparing to take the penalty, a Koln player told Horn that the Augsburg forward likes to shoot in the right corner.

After hearing the exchange between his opponents, Niederlechner decided to shoot away from his preferred side, with Horn diving full stretch to make the save.

"Actually, my corner is on the right, every time. I let the situation really influence me," Niederlechner said. "I was often the hero. Today I was the fool."

Three points would have been handy for Augsburg, but in the end they only managed to salvage a draw shortly afterr Anthony Modeste gave Koln the lead in the 85th minute.

Phillip Max forced an equaliser three points later with Augsburg moving three points clear of the relegation zone with four matches to play.

Koln are seven points clear of 16th-placed Dusseldorf and will be looking to secure their place in the Bundesliga next season over the next two matchdays.

Bayern Munich look close to securing their eighth consecutive title, leading Borussia Dortmund by seven points with only 12 left to play for.

In the race for the two Champions League spots behind Bayern and Dortmund, RB Leipzig have a three-point advantage in third over Gladbach and Leverkusen, with Wolfsburg all but mathematically out of the race for Europe's premier club competition.

Over the recent weeks, Bundesliga clubs and players have joined in on the worldwide protests surrounding the death of George Floyd.

Following a series of individual messages from Marcus Thuram, Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi, both Dortmund and Bayern continued to speak out against the killing prior to their games against Hertha Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, Bayern choosing to take to the field wearing black armbands sporting the words 'Black Lives Matter'. 

BVB's stars, meanwhile, trained in shirts that showed the words "Black, white, yellow, red" crossed out above "Human," and another which stated simply, "No justice, no peace."

Quique Setien insisted Lionel Messi is "perfectly fine" as the Barcelona head coach addressed the superstar's physical condition.

Messi has trained separately after Barca confirmed their captain suffered a quadriceps injury ahead of La Liga's resumption on June 11 following a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.

League-leaders Barca currently sit two points clear of bitter rivals Real Madrid with 11 matches remaining and will restart their 2019-20 campaign against Real Mallorca on June 13.

After that, they'll face a short turnaround before a match against Leganes three days later before a slight break ahead of a match against Sevilla on June 21.

Despite the congested schedule, Barca boss Setien has no concerns about six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi ahead of that initial trip to Mallorca.

"It's not just Messi - other players haven't trained because they've had niggles," Setien told Movistar. "It's happened to lots of them.

"Leo has a cramp that's not hugely significant. I think he's perfectly fine and he won't have any problems.

"It's the same for any other player. We'll see how the league goes and what circumstances come up.

"We have lots of games and a small squad. I always want to have Messi on the pitch, of course."

Messi is atop La Liga's goalscoring charts with 19, ahead of Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, who had netted 14 goals of his own at the moment the league was suspended in March due to Covid-19.

While Messi's fitness is a focus for Barcelona, the club will also be boosted by the return of Luis Suarez after the Uruguayan star's extended injury absence. 

The club confirmed over the weekend that Suarez will be fit to take part in next weekend’s clash with Mallorca, as he'll return to the Barca squad for the first time since January.

Suarez has been out of action for the last five months after undergoing surgery for a knee injury that had been expected to end his season.

However, with the season prolonged due to the coronavirus, the Uruguayan star will be ready for the final matches of the campaign as Barca pursue La Liga's title once again

Napoli have warned they will not allow Kalidou Koulibaly to leave in a cut-price deal, insisting the defender's value has not budged during the coronavirus crisis.

The Senegalese centre-back, who turns 29 later this month, has frequently been linked with a move, including to Premier League duo Manchester United and Liverpool.

Clubs across Europe have been hit by the impact of the pandemic, with the financial toll leading to suggestions it could have a major effect on the transfer market.

Yet Napoli have no intention of allowing players to leave below their full value, and sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli said it will take top dollar to prise away any of the club's stars.

Addressing the future of Koulibaly, Giuntoli told Italian broadcaster Sky Sport 24: "He is a great footballer and the club has the right to ask for the price it wants."

Giuntoli does not buy into the theory that the best players will suddenly be available for lower prices than before Covid-19 hit.

"They say negotiations will change, but in my opinion this is an alibi. I don't think the coronavirus issue can change the price of Koulibaly or other top players," Giuntoli said.

"Certainly, however, we'll come to appreciate the contractual formula such as the loan with an option to buy, which help to postpone the guarantees and ease the balance immediately. Football can adapt quickly."

Giuntoli also had words of praise for Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso, whose sister passed away earlier this week.

“We immediately appreciated the technical and human qualities of Gattuso,” he added.

"There is a strong desire to continue with him and we are planning the team of the future together, to return to compete for the championship. Obviously, this is a very delicate moment, we are all a little shaken and my thoughts go to him and his parents.

“Rino's work is not only appreciated by the club, but also by the players who are doing very well in his 4-3-3.

“For example, Lorenzo Insigne is in love with Napoli: he still has two years on his contract and our common will is to return to the field stronger than before.

“The same applies to Fabian Ruiz: in he is happy here, I think he will stay and we will discuss his renewal from next year.”

Paulo Dybala has revealed he is still not 100 per cent fit after overcoming coronavirus - but he is relishing the return of Serie A all the same.

The Juventus forward confirmed in March that he and girlfriend Oriana Sabatini had tested positive for Covid-19, by which time football in Italy had been suspended due to the pandemic.

Dybala had to isolate for over a month before Juve announced he had returned two negative tests on May 6, though he is still not yet in peak condition following his illness.

Having gone up against Tottenham's Dele Alli in FIFA 20 as part of a charity event organised by Gamers Without Borders, the Argentina international declared his delight at the upcoming resumption to the 2019-20 campaign.

"I had coronavirus, but I feel much better now," Dybala said during the Instagram Live transmission.

"I am still not quite at 100 per cent, but I'm pretty good. We've started training again and football is coming back, so soon we will be able to do what we love the most.

"I hope we can have fun and entertain.

"I think it will be useful because we will have many consecutive football matches, and people like us who love this wonderful sport will have the opportunity to watch a different game every day."

Argentinian Dybala defeated Alli while playing as Liverpool, even singing the Anfield club's anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone' midway through the online game with the England midfielder.

As for the real action, the Old Lady have been linked with a move for Manchester United star Paul Pogba, who took his career to another level in Turin between 2012-16.

Dybala revealed he would love to play with the France World Cup winner again after revealing the duo exchanged shirts during a Champions League match two years ago.

"I couldn't overlook a shirt like this, of course," Dybala said during an interview with UEFA.com, referring to a United shirt from Juve's 1-0 Champions League win in Manchester in 2018. "It's from Manchester, from my friend Paul, whom I admire as a person even more than as a football player.

"I had the chance to share great things with him and hopefully I can repeat that someday."

Serie A leaders Juve - who sit one point clear of nearest rivals Lazio - restart their league campaign with a trip to Bologna on June 22.

Before then, Juventus have the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Milan, which takes place in Turin on June 12. The first meeting between the teams finished in a 1-1 draw.

Joseph Yobo, Didier Drogba, Anthony Baffoe and a host of other football figures have paid tribute to late Stephen Keshi.

Keshi - the only man after Mahmoud El-Gohary to win the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and coach - passed away after suffering a heart attack at the age of 54 on June 7, 2016.

He led Clemens Westerhof’s Eagles to a triumphant Afcon 1994 outing as well as their maiden Fifa World Cup appearance in the United States of America in the same year.

After his playing career which saw him represent ACB Lagos, Africa Sports, Lokeren, Anderlecht, RC Strasbourg and Sacramento Scorpions, he went into administration and helped Togo qualify for the 2006 World Cup, before leading Mali and Nigeria national teams.

With the footballing world marking his fourth-year remembrance, the trio alongside others, has taken to social media to pay respect.

Ryan Giggs has revealed that Louis van Gaal has been key to his managerial career after the Welshman learnt vital lessons while assisting the former Manchester United boss.

Giggs spent his whole playing career at Old Trafford under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson, winning 13 Premier League titles in the process.

He had 23 years to pick up tips from the legendary United manager before making the step up himself after he hung up his boots in 2014.

The Wales manager took interim charge of Man Utd after David Moyes was sacked before becoming assistant to Van Gaal when he arrived in the summer of 2014.

The Dutchman was widely criticised for his tactics and management style at Old Trafford but Giggs, who is now manager of the Welsh national side, credits his former colleague for shaping his managerial career.

“Obviously I had different international managers, but that's only obviously a short space of time. That's why I talk about Louis (van Gaal), regarding my coaching, because I'm actually two years in the meetings, [taking] responsibility, and I talk so fondly of him because that was really my first coaching role. Whereas when you're playing, you don't know the preparation,” Giggs told The Official Manchester United Podcast.

“You don't know what the manager's seen on the videos. Players get seven or eight minutes of watching the opposition, but the coaching staff watch hours and hours.

“So that is completely different, it's completely different, even though you've worked under a manager for so long. It was more sort of the man-management and the different things that Sir Alex would do that I've picked up on, whereas with Louis obviously I've seen first-hand different systems, why you play the different systems, the reasons for this and the reasons for that, It was a really good experience.”

Giggs enjoyed two years alongside Van Gaal before leaving United in 2016 following the arrival of Jose Mourinho and he secured his first full-time management job in 2018 as head of the Welsh national team. And the 46-year-old said it was his four games in interim charge at Man Utd that convinced him to pursue a career in management.

“Amazing experience, amazing, and one, really, that made my mind up that I wanted to become a manager,” Giggs said about his time in charge at Old Trafford. “I would say up until then that I was still unsure.

"I just felt comfortable. I felt comfortable decision-making. I felt comfortable in that position. It was a brilliant experience. I was still doing my pro licence, but actually being in the job, having to make the decisions, all the pressure that you put yourself under, you can't prepare yourself for that.”

Two individuals connected to Championship clubs have tested positive for coronavirus in the latest round of testing, the English Football League (EFL) has confirmed.

This most recent figure marks a significant decrease from the previous two batches, which saw a combined total of 19 positive tests.

One of the positive results came at Barnsley, the Tykes have confirmed, with the club saying the individual is "safe" and "remains upbeat".

"Barnsley FC can confirm that one person has tested positive for the Covid-19 virus following a round of testing on Friday 5 June," a statement on the club's website read.

"The single positive test is from an asymptomatic member of backroom staff who had tested negative in all four previous rounds.

"The individual will now follow the relevant guidance and undergo a period of isolation whilst remaining in close communication with club personnel, before being re-tested at a later date."

The overall sample size was 1,179 this time around, meaning over 5,000 tests have been carried out on players and staff associated with Championship clubs since May 21.

An EFL statement read: "Following the latest round of Covid-19 testing, the EFL can confirm that 1,179 players and club staff from the 24 Championship clubs were tested over the course of Wednesday June 3, Thursday June 4, Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6, with two individuals testing positive from two clubs.

"Those players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate in line with the guidelines provided by the EFL and only those who have tested negative will be permitted to enter training ground facilities."

The Championship is set to resume on June 20, three days after the Premier League recommences.

Just one point separates top two teams Leeds and West Bromwich Albion, while Fulham are six points further back in the play-off places with Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Preston.

Across League One and League Two, 267 players and staff were tested - one returned a positive result.

Ghana international Samuel Inkoom believes new Black Stars coach CK Akonnor has what it takes to succeed at the helm of affairs.

Akonnor assumed duty in January, taking over from James Kwasi Appiah whose contract expired at the end of last year.

The former Wolfsburg captain has been tasked to lead Ghana to victory at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next year as well as qualify the team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“He has that kind of character to handle the Black Stars. It's not every player who has played football can manage a team," he told Joy Sports.

"But I think he has the character to handle the national team. I believe he will do well with his assistant coach David Duncan. What’s important is that we all support CK Akonnor.

"CK has played at the highest level in terms of football. He knows what is good for footballers.

"I knew him when I was young. I was watching him captain the Back Stars and also playing for Wolfsburg."

Despite taking up the new job at the start of the year, Akonnor is yet to supervise his first game for the Black Stars five months on.

He named a 23-man squad for his first assignment - an Afcon qualifying double-header against Sudan in March - but the matches had to be called off due to the coronavirus disruptions.

The West Africans are hoping to win the continental showpiece for the first time since 1982, having won the title on four occasions.

Their last appearance at Egypt 2019 ended in disappointment as the Stars suffered a Round of 16 elimination at the hands of Tunisia.

It was the first time Ghana failed to reach the quarter-final since 2006.

Inkoom, who currently plays club football for Georgian side Samtredia, will be hoping to impress Akonnor for a recall for national duty after a long absence.

He was a member of Ghana's gold-winning side at the 2009 Fifa U20 World Cup, the silver-winning team at Afcon 2010 and the quarter-final-reaching outfit at the 2010 World Cup.

He was also at Afcon 2012 in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea. 

Maritzburg United defender Rushine de Reuck says he would like to play continental football as they look to secure a third-place finish and qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup.

The Team of Choice centre-back has attracted interest from a number of Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams including Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

However, the Cape Town-born defender has revealed his ambitions to play in Europe, saying according to their targets, they are surging closer to securing a position to qualify for a continental spot.

“We have targets as Maritzburg right now. I think we’re five or six points behind our best finish in the league – when we got to 45 points. So, there are targets to achieve and we want to fight for a Caf place as well,” De Reuck told FARPost.

“At the beginning of the season it was to get into the top eight, but now it’s different. To play in Africa will be very good for Maritzburg because they’ve never done that. And we’re not far off that. That’s the goal and the next step for us.

“I want to be part of that, I’ve been to two cup finals and haven’t won yet, but I want to continue making history with this club. It’s a club I fell in love with, it’s a club that gave me an opportunity when no-one believed in me.

“I’m just focused on Maritzburg, on Maritzburg doing well; that’s the most important thing,” he said. “I don’t think every day what people are saying about me. I’m happy with my progress and what I have achieved for Maritzburg this season.”

Speaking about playing under the former Bafana Bafana midfielder Eric Tinkler, the nippy defender has heaped praise on his manager, adding that positional play has helped to develop his game.

“He told me the talent is there, but that I need to work harder. And that’s what I’ve done, I’ve studied the game more and now this season I’ve hardly had any bookings,” he added.

“I’ve bettered my positional play, the way I read the game, the way I see things, studying players. I know what to do in certain areas. I know my strengths; I’m not scared to go 1-v-1.

“I’m good in the air, when the ball is coming for a cross, things like that, the coach has helped me a lot in terms of possession play, what I must do when I have the ball.”

Having already reached the final of the Telkom Knockout Cup but lost to the Brazilians, coach Eric Tinkler's men are fifth on the PSL table with 39 points from 24 games as the games remain suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala has been named in the Spanish Primera Iberdrola Team of the Season for the 2019-20 campaign.

Oshoala has emerged as one of the superstars in the top-flight, putting her strength, power, and physicality on display while scoring goals aplenty for Barcelona, since moving to Spain on January 31, 2019.

The Nigeria international played a huge role in helping the Catalans clinch their first league title in five years without losing a match in 21 games last season.

The FC Robo Queens product scored 20 goals and gave one assist in 19 outings to help Lluis Cortes' side finish at the top before the league was called off due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The 3-3-4 formation list, dominated by Barcelona, saw Sandra Panos claim the goal post, while Mapi Leon and Marian Torrejon, along with Deportivo La Corona's Maria Mendez named in the defence.

In the midfield are Ona Batlle of Levante and Barcelona duo of Patri Guijarro and Alexia Putellas, while Oshoala led the attack with Jenni Hermoso, Graham Hansen and Atletico Madrid's Lucy Santos.

The Super Falcons star is the only African among the nominations, with the likes of Logrono striker Jade Boho, who managed 12 goals last term, overlooked.

So far, the reigning African Women's Player of the Year has scored 36 goals for Barcelona in 18 months, becoming one of the top 10 all-time scorers of the Spanish giants.

On her initial loan spell, she scored eight goals in 11 games, including their only goal in the Champions League final, and made history as the first African to register a goal at that stage of the European competition.

At Barcelona, the 25-year-old celebrated her first silverware with the Copa Catalunya last August, before clinching the Super Women's Cup in February and recently the Spanish top-flight title.

Anthony Ujah provided an assist as Union Berlin held Salif Sane's Schalke 04 to a 1-1 draw in Sunday's Bundesliga encounter.

Ujah laid the assist for Robert Andrich to open the scoring in the 11th minute before Jonjoe Kenny drew Schalke level 17 minutes later.

The Nigeria forward was in action for 78 minutes for Union Berlin before he was replaced by Joshua Mees, while Senegal defender Sane was on parade from start to finish for the visitors.

The result was Schalke 04's first point since the restart of the 2019-20 Bundesliga season after the coronavirus lockdown while the hosts picked up their second straight draw at home.

Schalke 04 are 10th on the Bundesliga table after gathering 38 points from 30 points and Union Berlin are 14th with 32 points after 30 games.

The Royal Blues' form has been particularly poor since the season resumed after the coronavirus-enforced suspension, suffering four straight defeats as they lost to Borussia Dortmund, Augsburg, Fortuna Dusseldorf and Werder Bremen, conceding 10 goals and scoring just one.

Ujah made his eighth league start of the season on Sunday, and he has scored two goals and provided an assist in 20 league appearances so far while Sane has played 15 league matches with two goals to his credit.

Morocco's Amine Harit was not available for the match as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury while Nigeria's Suleiman Abdullahi was an unused substitute for the Berlin outfit.

On the international scene, Ujah made his debut for Nigeria in 2013 and he has made seven appearances for the Super Eagles so far, with his last international outing dating back to a friendly fixture against Niger in September 2015.

Although he was born in France, Sane has made 30 appearances for Senegal since he switched his international allegiance to the West African country in 2012.

Union Berlin will be hoping to secure their first league victory since February 24 when they visit Koln for their next league fixture on June 13 while Schalke 04 welcome fifth-place Bayer Leverkusen to the Veltins-Arena with the aim of grabbing their first league win since January 17.

In the wake of media reports that Tanzanian giants Simba SC are looking to sign Orlando Pirates attacker Justin Shonga, the player’s agent Mike Ngobeni has addressed the Zambian’s future.

According to Ngobeni, they are set to meet with the former African champions and discuss the 23-year-old’s future as he is struggling to get regular game-time under coach Josef Zinnbauer.

Shonga is currently struggling to gain a regular spot in the front line for Pirates as he competes with the likes of Gabadinho Mhango, Tshegofatso Mabasa, and Augustine Mulenga.

“All of my players are settled in their clubs. One player whose future is not secured is Shonga. We are waiting for everything to return to normality then we can sit down with Pirates and discuss his future,” Ngobeni told Isolezwe.

“That is when we will have clarity on what the future holds because people in Zambia are asking me what I happening about Shonga.

“They want to see him becoming one of the key players for the national team in Zambia. One of the big guys in the Zambian team, Adrian Kashala has called me twice. They want to see Shonga playing regular football."

In the midst of reports that the former Nkwazi FC player has been linked with a move to the East African giants, Ngobeni says his client remains contracted to the 2018/19 PSL runners-up.

“Shonga has a two-year contract with Pirates. If his situation doesn’t change, we will look at securing a loan deal for him because he wants to play regular football," he added.

“However, that will depend on Pirates because he is contracted to them.”

Shonga has been linked with a move away from the Sea Robbers for some time after falling down the pecking order, and has managed just 11 appearances for the Soweto giants this season without finding the back of the net.  

Since his arrival in 2017, Shonga has featured 77 times for Pirates and has 16 goals and 16 assists to his name.

Borussia Dortmund insist they will not rush Youssoufa Moukoko into the first team as they attempt to ease the burden of expectation on the highly-rated teenager.

The 15-year-old is seen one of the most exciting young talents in the game and was included in Goal’s NxGn 2020, which highlights the top 50 wonderkids in football, earlier this season.

He has been a goalscoring sensation at youth level since joining Dortmund from St Pauli at the age of 12, scoring 157 goals in just 97 games across the various age grades.

He smashed six goals on his debut for the U19 side earlier this season, going on on to score 34 goals in just 20 appearances in the Under-19 Bundesliga.

Moukoko is also already a regular for the Germany U16 side, though his Cameroonian heritage has seen him compared to legendary striker and four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto'o. The player himself meanwhile is keen to emulate former BVB striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who took the youngster under his wing while he was at Westfalenstadion and remains in contact with him.

Those goalscoring exploits have unsurprisingly raised expectations about a possible senior debut in the near future.

Bundesliga regulations would have previously prevented the youngster from featuring for the Dortmund first-team until the 2021-22 season. However, a recent change in those regulations means he is eligible to play from when he turns 16 on November 20, 2020.

Dortmund, though, are looking to calm the hype surrounding their prestigious talent by playing down talk of an immediate debut.

"The framework conditions for professional appearances by absolute exceptional players of this age has been created, but we are not putting any pressure on him at all," Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc told Bild am Sonntag.

"We do well not to raise expectations of Youssoufa too high."

Head of Dortmund's licensing player department Sebastian Kehl is also keen to stress caution with Moukoko’s development.

"There will always be a decision on a case-by-case basis, which will not only be made on the basis of sporting skills," said the former Germany midfielder.

"Here physical and mental aspects, but also the personality of the player play a major role. We will all handle it very responsibly."

Zambia’s Patson Daka bagged a hat-trick while his compatriot Enock Mwepu and Mali’s Sekou Koita were on the scoresheet as Red Bull Salzburg thrashed Hartberg 6-0 in Sunday's Bundesliga game.

The Red Bull Arena outfit have been in excellent form since the restart of the Austrian top-flight, securing victories against Austria Lustenau and Rapid Wien before the African stars inspired them to their third win on the bounce.

The league was suspended in March due to the coronavirus outbreak in Austria and across the world.

With only four minutes played in the encounter, Daka opened the scoring after he was set up by Switzerland international of Nigerian descent Noah Okafor.

Three minutes later Mwepu doubled the lead before Daka made it three for his side after benefitting from a through-ball from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Five minutes before the half-time break Koita added to the woes of their hosts with a well-taken strike, off Andreas Ulmer’s assist.

In the 46th minute, Daka completed his hat-trick before Okafor sealed the rout moments before the end of the game.

Daka, who was on target in their 2-0 victory against Rapid Wien last week, featured for 61 minutes before making way for Mergim Berisha.

The Zambia international has now scored 21 Bundesliga goals in this campaign in 23 games to help Salzburg maintain their place at the top of the league standings with 30 points from 24 matches.

His compatriot Mwepu, who played throughout the game, has now made 29 appearances for the Red Bull Arena outfit across all competitions this season, scoring two goals.

Mali international Koita, meanwhile, has bagged seven goals for Jesse Marsch’s men since joining the side from Liefering in 2019.

The African stars will hope to continue their fine combinations when Salzburg take on Sturm Graz in their next league game on Wednesday.

Victory in the encounter will stretch Salzburg's unbeaten run to seven games, having last tasted defeat against Rheindorf Altach in March. 

The African pair were part of Shanghai's preseason tour in Lisbon, Portugal where they spend almost a month before departing back to their various bases during the coronavirus break in March.

Ordega joined the CWSL outfit in 2019, and was in superb form, scoring seven goals to help Shanghai to finish as runners-up last season.

The 2018 African Women’s Player of the Year nominee has been at her home country in Benue state since the Covid-19 outbreak.

On Banda's part, the Zambia international sealed her move to the Chinese outfit from Logrono last February after scoring 15 goals in 28 games during her 20-month spell with the Spanish club.

The 20-year-old, who inspired Zambia to a historic Olympic Games qualification in March after a triumph over Cameroon, has been in Lusaka, the Zambia capital, since she left camp in Portugal.

Chinese authorities permitted clubs to resume training for the first time after the restrictions were eased mid-May but the ban on foreigners’ entry into China halts Ordega and Banda’s travel hopes.

As teams resume full training activities, Shanghai becomes the latest club to hit the pitch without Africans after Guangdong, Changchun, Jiangsu Suning, Henan and Wuhan.

In a recent Instagram interview, the Super Falcons star had expressed her frustration over her inability to return to her club as a result of the global health crisis. 

“I was on duty with my teammate outside Shanghai, the team manager told us [foreigners] not to go back to China with the team because of the coronavirus outbreak,” Ordega told the NFF.

“He said to go back home until everything dies down. We never thought things will get out of hands. I headed back home to Nigeria but always get updated with the situation of things in China.

“I was in America to renew my passport when I got the call from my team that things are getting better and we are to report back to China. I planned to fly from America to China but the authority banned movement to China.

“The only option is to enter through other countries that are yet to restrict movement to China. I booked a flight for Ethiopia and planned to go through Ethiopia.

“Surprisingly, the day I landed was the day their government laid an embargo on flights to China. I headed back to Nigeria, called my club to let them know what’s going on.”

Ordega and Banda are part of the Africans yet to return to China after Ghana's Elizabeth Addo, Nigeria's duo of Onome Ebi and Chiwendu Ihezuo.

Frenkie de Jong has revealed it was Ernesto Valverde's sacking in January that drilled home to him how high the standards are set at Barcelona.

The Dutch midfielder arrived from Ajax last July, but he spent just six months working with head coach Valverde.

A dismal performance by Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana against Atletico Madrid was the final straw for the club's board, after a string of jarring displays.

Yet at the time of Valverde's dismissal, Barcelona sat top of La Liga's table, ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference, and they had safely secured a place in the Champions League knockout rounds.

Valverde's exit and Quique Setien's swift arrival to take the reins showed De Jong that demands on coaches at top clubs in Spain are particularly high.

"Especially at Barcelona," De Jong said. "It's a bit of the same as in Ajax: you have to play good and you have to win everything.

"When one of the two is not there, it's already difficult for the team and the coach, so the pressure is really high here. They are demanding the best football in the world and they want to win every prize, but I like this idea a lot."

Although De Jong appreciates such lofty expectations and has come to understand the ruthless ways of life at Camp Nou, there was a sense of guilt at Valverde being the fall guy.

"Yes, of course, because when a coach is sacked that's always about the way the team is playing and they are holding the coach responsible for it," De Jong told BBC Radio Five Live.

"But of course you're feeling guilty because the players have to show it on the field.

"We were not doing terrible because we were first in the table when he left."

Barcelona's players agreed a 70 per cent pay cut in March to help the club through the coronavirus period.

De Jong suspects further talks are happening in regard to what happens next over salaries.

"I think we already made an agreement for some months with the club, as everybody knows, and I think - I don't know - the club and some players are negotiating now," De Jong said.

"I'm not one of them. I'm not the talker from the group or something, or I'm not one of the captains, so I think they are speaking and we will see how it turns out."

Barcelona are days away from returning to action, with a trip to face Mallorca next Saturday their first match since the COVID-19 crisis caused football to be closed down in Spain.

De Jong is relieved the waiting is almost over.

"From the moment we could start training again, everyone was desperate to compete again and be with each other again," he said. "It's really good at the moment."

Barcelona coach Quique Setien has challenged his team to win all of their remaining La Liga games to ensure they are crowned champions this season.

The reigning Spanish title holders are top of the table with a two-point lead over fierce rivals Real Madrid with 11 games left to go.

La Liga has been suspended for three months because of the coronavirus pandemic, but will return next week with Barca kicking off against Mallorca on June 13.

While the coach admits his players may not be in top form after such a long hiatus, he says they cannot afford to slip up if they want to win the title again.    

“Normally you play games in preseason and measure the minutes played, and now that will be different," Setien told the club's website.

"We will see how the games go and what the situation is for each player. Everybody is different.

“We think that we have to win every game if we want to be champions.

“We're doing well and we know that we have to be in top form to compete and win every game. We are in a good place mentally.

"We will see how the games go and the difficulties posed by our opponents.

"The team are in pretty good condition for the work that we have done. We're going to need one more week to really be in shape.

“All of the players are very keen and very motivated to play. It's been good for us, because the players have been resting.

“The team look to have special motivation. I suppose that's the same for every squad."

Barca striker Luis Suarez has been out of action with an injury since January and was expected to miss most of the remainder of the season after having surgery.

However, the suspension of the league has given him time to get back in shape and Setien is happy to have the Uruguay star available again. 

“Luis Suarez has had extra time to recover and to be able to compete again," he added.

"He's practically at full fitness; we'll see how he goes when the competition gets underway, but in two or three games I'm sure he'll be at his top level."