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Enyimba and Kwara United have finished in the second and third spots in the 2020-21 Nigeria Professional Football League season respectively.

Enyimba will join Akwa United in the Caf Champions League next season while Kwara United will participate in the Caf Confederation Cup.

The People’s Elephants defeated Dakkada 3-1 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Thursday to end their four-game winless run on the road.

Thanks to Anayo Iwuala's double and Kadri Timileyin's goal, Fatai Osho's men finished the campaign with 66 points after 38 matches - five points behind champions Akwa United.

It was another dramatic outing in Ilorin as Kwara United stretched their winning streak to five matches with a comfortable 3-0 win over Katsina United.

Goals from Abiodun Ayobami, Michael Ohanu and Steven Jude secured all three points for the hosts and it gave them the needed goal advantage to leapfrog Nasarawa United.

Although both teams are level on 65 points after 38 matches, the Harmony Boys secured third place and qualification for next season's Confederation Cup with a +1 goal difference.

Nasarawa United, who went into the final game in second spot, bottled their chances of playing continental football next season with a 3-0 loss against Abia Warriors.

The Solid Miners could not overcome their abysmal away form as they failed to pick up a win in their last eight matches on the road.

They ended the season as the fourth-best team in the Nigeria top-flight while Kano Pillars are placed fifth after a 1-0 loss to Heartland.

Rivers United finished in sixth spot after Sunshine Stars pipped them to a 1-0 victory to keep their top-flight status. Meanwhile, Enugu Rangers, Lobi Stars, Plateau United and MFM complete the top 10 positions.

On the other end of the table, Adamawa United sit at the bottom with 25 points and they are joined by Jigawa Golden Stars, Warri Wolves and Ifeanyi Ubah in going down to the Nigeria National League.

Asante Kotoko coach Mariano Barreto has sparked a frenzy on social media after rendering the club undeserving to be called a "big team".

In a radio interview on Thursday, the Portuguese held no punches in addressing the current state of the club, adding he is ready to walk away should conditions not change. 

He only assumed duty as head coach of the two-time African champions in March as the club unsuccessfully sought to beat archrivals Hearts of Oak to the Ghana Premier League title. 

His comments have generated major reactions on social media.

While a section of fans is unhappy by his public outburst, others see his assertions as justified. 

Below are the best reactions:

Asante Kotoko coach Mariano Barreto has lamented the state of the club, saying the Kumasi-based outfit currently does not qualify to be called a "big team".

The future of the Portuguese has become uncertain after the Porcupine Warriors lost out on the Ghana Premier League title to archrivals Hearts of Oak last month. 

Then the club was eliminated from the Ghana FA Cup. 

"I know Asante Kotoko fans won't be happy with this but I must say it," Barreto told Nhyira FM on Thursday. 

"Asante Kotoko is only a big name and not a big team because they lack so many things a big team should be having.

"A big team should have their own physiotherapy room, a strong youth team, philosophy, video room, amongst other infrastructure."

Barreto was appointed Kotoko coach in March, replacing Abdulai Gazelle.

He signed a renewable one-and-a-half-year contract, a deal which is expected to keep him in Kumasi until the end of next season. 

"I don't know where the Asante Kotoko secretariat is located. I haven't been there before since my appointment," he added.

"I have been in Ghana for the past four months to handle Asante Kotoko but I don't know where it is located. I signed my contract in Accra at a hotel.

''Is it located at the stadium [Baba Yara Sports Stadium]?"

The Kotoko job is Barreto's second coaching stint in Ghana.

Between 2003 and 2004, the Portuguese led the nation's senior and U23 national men's football teams, guiding the latter to the Athens Olympic Games in Greece.

"It will be an insult on me if I continue as head coach of Asante Kotoko in the same conditions I have already complained about," said the 64-year-old.

"There are other coaches out there who will be happy to work in these conditions, but not me.

“Without a physio room, video room and a technical office, there’s no way I will continue working with Kotoko."

Unarguably Ghana's biggest club in terms of fanbase, Kotoko are also the most successful club in the history of the Premier League, with 23 titles. 

They were also African champions in 1970 and 1983.

Frank Acheampong scored a goal but it was not enough as Mubarak Wakaso's Shenzhen suffered a 4-2 defeat to Shandong Taishan in a Chinese Super League match on Thursday.

It was a goal-fest at the Yuexiushan Stadium as the six goals were scored in the first 45 minutes of the encounter.

Marouane Fellaini's brace and lone goals from Xu Xin and Guo Tianyu gave Shandong Taishan a 4-1 lead before Acheampong halved the deficit for Shenzhen in the 44th minute.

The Ghana international finished off an assist from Juan Quintero to bag his third goal in the Chinese elite division this season.

Acheampong and Wakaso played the entire duration for Carlos Granero's side but their contributions were not enough to inspire a comeback in the second half.

Shenzhen remain in the third spot after the defeat with 21 points from 12 matches, while Shandong Taishan stretched their dominance at the summit of the Group A table to 27 points after 12 games.

Acheampong and Wakaso will aim to help Shenzhen seal a spot in the Championship stage with two matches left to play for (another round that will feature the top four teams in the two groups).

Acheampong moved to the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre in April following the expiry of his contract at Tianjin Tigers, while his compatriot Wakaso joined the Youth Army on a free transfer after his former club Jiangsu Suning were declared bankrupt and disqualified from the Super League.

Shenzhen will visit Cangzhou Mighty Lions for their next league outing on August 8 before hosting Chongqing Liangjiang at home, three days later.

With three goals to his name, Acheampong is among the highest-scoring Africans in the Chinese top-flight in this campaign but he is behind DR Congo star Cedric Bakambu who has scored five goals for Beijing Guoan and Ivory Coast's Jean Kouassi who has four goals for Wuhan FC.

Orlando Pirates defender Innocent Maela has credited “quality coaching” at the club for making it “smoother” for him in switching from the left-back position to central defence.

The Buccaneers struggled for consistency at the heart of defence last season and much criticism was directed at captain Happy Jele and Thulani Hlatshwayo who had arrived at the club with a lot of expectations on him at the beginning of the campaign.

Injuries also hit Pirates in that department and coach Josef Zinnbauer was forced to move Maela from the wing-back role to being a centre-back.

Sometimes, Zinnbauer would field three central defenders, including Ntsikelelo Nyauza, to try and cover up for their shortcomings at the back. 

“I mean with the quality coaching that we get here at the club it has made it smoother for me,” said Maela as per Sowetan Live.

“In that role I don’t run up and down as I used to but what the team needs from me is what the team is going to get. So, sometimes I play left centre-back, and sometimes I play left-back.  

“It’s meant a lot for me because in football the game evolves every day. As players, if you don’t evolve and grow, you don’t change and take your game to the next level‚ you get left behind.  So for me personally as a player it’s helped me grow. I’ve got to become a better defender. I've gotten stronger in my [one-and-one] duels.”

Now, with the arrival of another centre-back Kwanda Mngonyama from Maritzburg United, it is yet to be seen if Maela’s versatility will continue affording him regular game time.

But the Bafana Bafana man appears not worried and insists he still has “a long way ahead of him” despite being aged 28.

“I think for the coaches to see that potential in me, and for me to accept and be humble enough to learn and to listen to them, so far so good and I’m growing,” Maela said.

“Playing as a left centre-back at the age that I am shows that I’ve got a long way ahead of me, which is good.”

During last weekend’s Carling Black Label Cup, fans voted Maela to start as a left-back.

Former United States president Donald Trump has attacked the United States women's team for their failure to win the gold medal at the Olympics.

The USWNT went into the tournament as one of the favourites to claim first place, having done so four times prior.

But defeat to Canada in the semi-finals saw Vlatko Andonovski's team miss out, though they went on to claim the bronze medal with a 4-3 win against Australia.

What has been said?

But Trump has criticised the players, claiming their performances have suffered because they were distracted by politics.

In a statement released to reporters, he wrote: "If our soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn't woke, they would have won the Gold Medal instead of the Bronze.

"Woke means you lose, everything that is woke goes bad, and our soccer team certainly has.

"There were, however, a few Patriots standing. Unfortunately, they need more than that respecting our Country and National Anthem.

"They should replace the wokesters with Patriots and start winning again."

Trump singles out Rapinoe

USWNT star Megan Rapinoe has been a vocal critic of Trump over the years, labelling him a white nationalist last year.

Rapinoe accused him of "spewing of hate and the ‘othering’ of the rest of the country", causing in the United States "more despair and more anxiety and more fear".

Trump singled out the 36-year-old midfielder in his statement on Thursday, saying: "The woman with the purple hair played terribly and spends too much time thinking about the Radical Left politics and not doing her job!"

Further reading

U.S. men's national team defender Sam Vines has signed with Royal Antwerp, the Belgian side confirmed on Thursday.

The fullback departs the Colorado Rapids in a deal worth up to $2 million, according to the Athletic.

Vines recently had a solid summer with the USMNT as he helped the team to lift a trophy at this summer's Gold Cup.

Vines' career so far

Vines, who will sign a three-year deal with the club after completing a medical, made 53 MLS appearances for the Rapids, serving as the team's first-choice left back since the 2019 season.

He originally signed with the club on a Homegrown deal in 2018 after coming up through the Rapids' academy system.

The 22-year-old defender was called up to the USMNT for the first time in January 2020, making his senior debut in a friendly against Costa Rica on February 1 of that year.

Vines appeared in five matches during the Gold Cup, starting four before coming on as a substitute in the final against Mexico.

The latest USMNT fullback abroad

With the move, Vines becomes one of several American fullbacks set to play abroad this season.

Sergino Dest, Reggie Cannon, Antonee Robinson, Bryan Reynolds, Shaq Moore and DeAndre Yedlin are all gearing up for European seasons after being called in for U.S. duty this summer.

Cannon, though, may be the next one on the move, as the former FC Dallas star looks set to leave Boavista this summer for a reported move to Ligue 1.

Further reading

Brendan Rodgers has insisted that Arsenal-linked midfielder James Maddison will stay at Leicester City for the 2021-22 season.

Arsenal are thought to be weighing up a big-money bid for Maddison as Mikel Arteta seeks to bolster his options in the middle of the park, with the 24-year-old having enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence since joining Leicester from Norwich in 2018.

The 2020-21 campaign was Maddison's best yet in terms of his overall contribution in the final third, and it has been reported that the Foxes now value a man who still has three years remaining on his contract in excess of £60 million ($84m).

What's been said?

Rodgers has now come out to address the ongoing speculation surrounding the England international's future, claiming he has yet to hear of any formal discussions over a potential transfer.

Pressed on whether Maddison will still be a Leicester player come the end of the summer transfer window, the coach told a press conference: “I believe so. I haven’t been told anything different.

"James is a very important member of our squad."

Maddison's record at Leicester

Maddison has appeared in 118 games across all competitions for the Foxes to date, scoring 27 goals.

The talented playmaker has also set up a further 27 for his team-mates, and picked up the first major trophy of his career in the form of the FA Cup last term.

Rodgers on Tielemans and Fofana

Rodgers went on to give an update on Youri Tieleman's contract situation, with Leicester reportedly eager to tie the Belgian star down to fresh terms that will see him remain at the King Power Stadium beyond 2023.

“The club have spoken to his representatives, he’s very happy here. But there’s nothing to add yet," the Foxes boss said of Tielemans.

Rodgers also expressed his sadness after seeing French defender Wesley Fofana suffer a leg fracture during a pre-season clash with Villarreal on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old now looks set to miss a large portion of the new season, with his manager adding on the incident: “We’re devastated for him, he’s going to be a huge loss for us. Our medical team were tremendous on the night.

"Our trauma doctor put his ankle back in place, and then he was rushed to hospital.”

Further reading

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite says the club's new signing Austin Dube is in the mould of Orlando Pirates star Innocent Maela.

The lanky defender, who can operate as a centre back and left-back, was snapped up by Amakhosi from National First Division side Richards Bays in the current transfer window.

Mashamaite, who captained Chiefs to the 2014/15 PSL title, believes the Soweto giants will benefit from having a left-footed centre back like Dube, aged 28. 

“Left-footed centre-backs are a bit rare in the country and I have been following his game at Richards Bay and he is in that mould of Innocent Maela. He can play left-back and left-centre back as well,” Mashamaite told Sowetan.

“Very solid. I don’t know how tall he is but he looks very tall and I think at some point he will play centre-back. I think it is a good signing in terms of rebuilding the team now. They brought a bit of fresh blood mixed with experience within either the NFD or Premiership.

"They linked that up with the guys from development structures. It will create a long-lasting type of situation where they are building. It is more like building for the future and if they can get that right, they will be hard to beat in the coming years.”

Maela, who is a Bafana Bafana international, is one of the top left-backs in the PSL, but he has been used as a centre-back by Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer.

Having played for the now-defunct, Bidvest Wits, SuperSport United, and Chiefs as a left-footed centre back, Mashamaite feels that more needs to be done to unearth gifted left-footed central defenders. 

“I don’t know what to say about the cause of it... It is a fact that left-footed centre-backs are scarce,” the former Bafana Bafana international continued. 

“I was watching the Euros and I think it was Spain who were playing with two left-footed centre-backs and that was interesting. But in a country like SA, we struggle with that. Maybe if we can work on better scouting, we will see better results.”

Chiefs have also signed Njabulo Ngcobo from Swallows having been one of the most outstanding defenders in the PSL last season and he was named the league's Defender of the Season.

“We always going to measure Chiefs by how many goals they concede. At the end of the day the club has always produced good goalkeepers and good defenders," Mashamaite concluded. 

Michael Ballack's son Emilio has died aged 18, the ex-Germany international's former club Chelsea have confirmed.

Portuguese television station TVI reported that Emilio had died as a result of a quad bike accident.

Chelsea offered their condolonces to Ballack and his family by releasing a statement on Twitter.

"Everybody associated with Chelsea Football Club is shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Emilio Ballack at the terribly young age of 18," Chelsea announced in a statement .

"All our thoughts are with his father Michael and his family at this sad time."

Ballack came to prominence as a member of Kaiserslautern's surprise Bundesliga-winning squad in 1997-98, before he sealed a move to Bayer Leverkusen in 1999.

A three-year spell with the club saw him establish himself as a key mainstay of the Germany national team, including a silver-medal finish at the South Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup, before he moved on to Bayern Munich.

There, Ballack enjoyed further success, including a further hat-trick of Bundesliga crowns and a third-place finish on home soil at the 2006 World Cup, after which he moved to the Premier League.

With Chelsea, he completed a clean sweep of domestic honours across a four-year stay, and came within a penalty shootout of a Champions League crown, edged out by Manchester United in 2008.

He moved back to Leverkusen in 2010, where he finished his career, hanging up his boots in 2012 after turning down moves to MLS and the A-League.

Ballack has two other children, Louis and Jordi.

Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri has returned to Deportivo Alaves on loan for the duration of the 2021-22 campaign.

Pellistri moved to Old Trafford from Uruguayan outfit Penarol last October, and spent three months in United's U23 set-up before joining Alaves on a six-month loan deal.

The Spanish outfit have now reached an agreement to bring the 19-year-old back to the club for a full season, with the Red Devils happy to sanction his departure so he can take in more regular minutes at senior level.

What's been said?

Alaves have confirmed Pellistri's arrival at Mendizorrotza in an official statement on their website, which reads: "Deportivo Alaves and Manchester United have reached an agreement whereby Facundo Pellistri returns on loan to the club.

"From Deportivo Alaves we wish Pellistri the best of luck in this new stage as an Albiazul player."

Solskjaer's stance on Pellistri

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer outlined his short-term plans for Pellistri after seeing him score his first goal for the club in a 2-1 friendly win over Derby County on July 18.

"I think he showed what he is because he’s a difficult player to play against," said the Norwegian. "One against one he can go past people so very pleased with him."

“I can see a loan deal for him," he said. "There’s been loads of interest and for his best interests a loan would be what we look for.”

The former Uruguay U16 international also played in subsequent pre-season fixtures against Queens Park Rangers and Brentford, but Solskjaer has ultimately been true to his word by sending him back out on loan to continue his development.

Pellistri's record at Alaves

Pellistri only made 12 La Liga appearances for Alaves last term, including just four as a starter as he was hampered by a niggling muscle injury.

The teenager failed to record a goal or assists either, but did play his part in helping the club avoid relegation to the Segunda Division.

Further reading

U.S. women's national team star Megan Rapinoe discussed the plans for her future after helping her country win an Olympic bronze medal on Thursday.

The forward scored twice as the U.S. beat Australia 4-3 to clinch third place at the Games, the team able to go home with a medal despite a disappointing campaign, having won just two of their six matches in 90 minutes.

The 36-year-old is now among a few players whose futures are a hot topic, with 39-year-old Carli Lloyd also asked after the match whether she plans to retire.

What has Rapinoe said?

Speaking to reporters after Thursday's game, Rapinoe was asked whether she has plans to be at the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

"I haven't really thought about it yet to be honest, in detail. I don't really know," she said. "I mean, of course, I think I would love to. I feel like I never want to stop playing.

"It's just such a joy and a privilege to be able to play for this team all over the world and compete in the Olympics and World Cups. But I have to really actually take time to think about it and see where we're at.

"Oftentimes, we don't have to struggle when we play games. We struggle in training and struggle in the league, but a lot of our national team games are very enjoyable for us. So this is always a revealing process and one that I really enjoy and love. Whether it's good or bad, it's always going to be hard to step away from this team."

Asked if she would discuss retirement plans with her partner, Sue Bird, who is a professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA, Rapinoe said: "We'll definitely have [that discussion] together for sure. I think it'll be a separate decision.

"I would love to know her thought process through it all. I'm like: 'Can you tell me what to do? When do you know it's time? When do you not know it's time?' We'll definitely have it together. But, yeah, I think it'll be something that we just need to decide.

"But what I will say is if she's retired, and then I'm still playing, I'm gonna have FOMO [the fear of missing out] and then she's gonna have FOMO. I'm like: 'Don't be going anywhere. Don't be going on vacation and sh*t without me'."

Rapinoe's reaction to the USWNT's Olympics performance

Rapinoe also reflected on the tournament in Japan, where the U.S. underwhelmed and underperformed before putting on a much-improved performance to beat Australia and win the bronze medal.

"I felt like we just had a good vibe going into [this] game," she said. "We've done, as you can imagine, lots of talking in meetings and hashing it all out and doing the autopsy. But I feel like we just got to a good place and it was like: ‘Well, we're either gonna come out and play great or play sh*tty. So we might as well just be a little bit more free, trust in ourselves, trust in each other'."

Asked if she thought the line-ups needed to be more consistent throughout the tournament, the winger dismissed the idea of that being the problem.

"I don't think it was that, to be honest," she said. "We can say we should have kept a more consistent line-up, and then everyone's dragging themselves around out there. We do have a little bit older of a team. I mean, I know personally I was f*cking tired at 63 minutes whenever I [was subbed] out at, so I couldn't have played all those minutes.

"I feel like it's dangerous when you can bring the type of people that we have off the bench, I don't think that was the issue. It wasn't that we couldn't find rhythm, we just didn't have our juice and making simple mistakes and maybe overthinking it a little bit.

"Getting beaten like we did in the first game [vs Sweden], I don't know if confidence is lost, it's kind of a tricky thing. But you can see it can change just like that. We played much better today. I'm just so happy for everyone. I feel like we got to end on a good note. Only two teams really get to do that, end with a win, so I'm just so proud of this group."

Further reading

U.S. women's national team star Carli Lloyd hinted at retirement after her brace against Australia helped clinch an Olympic bronze medal on Thursday.

Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe each scored twice in a 4-3 win over the Matildas, ending a disappointing tournament for the USWNT on a high.

Lloyd, 39, admitted after the game that she could be close to calling time on a storied career that has seen her win two gold medals, two World Cups, and now a bronze medal.

What was said?

"I haven't made any official announcement yet but obviously I'm at the tail end of my career," Lloyd said in the post-game press conference. 

"Physically I feel really good but at some point I have to hang up the boots and live life. I know my husband is eagerly waiting for me to switch off because it's been 17 years of just grinding away.

"The drive over to the game was different. I was just thinking about a lot of things and just wanted to do everything possible to help this team win a medal.

"This is a medal, just a different color, but we're going home with that medal and it's really, really special."

Solo 'excited' for Lloyd's next chapter

Speaking to Goal on All of US: The U.S. Women's Soccer Show, former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo said she is excited to see her longtime teammate begin a new chapter.

"I'm really, really excited for Carli, because she has sacrificed so much in these last 20-plus years of dedicating her life to football and she's missed out on a lot," Solo said.

"I think Carli's one of the best players in terms of fitness right now and strength on the U.S. team at 39 years old. She could still go for a couple more years. I truly, truly believe that.

"I know she's a leader and I know she holds herself accountable in a way that not a lot of players do. But, for me, I'm excited for Carli to turn the page because she can finally do the things that she's been wanting to do for so long. 

"She wanted to end her career on a high note and she deserved to end her beautiful, fantastic, record-breaking career on a high note, but it doesn't always happen that way. But she's got a lot of beauty to go home to and a beautiful life ahead of her. I'm so excited for her to start that journey."

Lloyd makes history vs Australia

Lloyd notched a pair of individual milestones on Thursday, becoming the USWNT's top scorer at the Olympics with her 10th goal, and also becoming the second-most capped player in the history of international soccer with her 312th appearance.

For more on the USWNT's performances at the Olympics and to hear from guests such as Hope Solo, subscribe to Goal's podcast, 'All Of Us: The U.S. Women's Soccer Show', wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Further reading

The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has confirmed that hte official draw for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 has been posponed.

Not just once, the competition has even been suspended twice. The biggest Southeast Asian championship was originally planned to take place from November 23 to December 31, 2020 before being pushed back to April 11 to May 8, 2021.

The AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 has been scheduled to take place between December 5, 2021 and January 1, 2022.

Goal has everything you need to know about the 2020 AFF Cup!

Contents

When is the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup Draw?

The draw was originally scheduled for August 2020, but was forced to push back a year following the decision to move the tournament to late 2021. 

The new date for the official draw will be announced in due course. As announced by the AFF in June, the official draw was planned to take place on 10 August 2021 in Singapore, before Singapore reverted to stricter measures under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert). With several of the country’s key events being postponed as a result of the enhanced restrictions, AFF, as a responsible event organiser, has decided to reschedule the AFF Suzuki Cup draw as well. 

AFF President, Major General Khiev Sameth, shared, "Singapore has done an excellent job in managing the ongoing pandemic. We understand that the restrictions are in place to keep the Singapore community safe and this is of utmost importance. In line with this, we have made the considered decision to delay the official draw."

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AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 Participating Teams

Nine teams will automatically qualify for the finals, while the 10th slot will be contested by the two lowest-ranked AFF teams, namely Brunei Darussalam and Timor Leste, in the play-off match.

Australia, now also an AFF country, is expected to be out of the competition again, although recently there has been renewed interest in taking part in the competition thanks to the successful format change in 2018.

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When & where is the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020?

The tournament was originally planned to take place from November 23 to December 31, 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the AFF to postpone the event to April 11 to May 8, before finally making adjustments and moving the tournament to December this year.

The last edition in 2018 no longer uses the host format. The participating teams play group stage matches on a home and away basis, and the semi-finals and finals are also held in two home-away meetings. This change proved to be a success, resulting in an increase in the number of spectators in the stadium and of course an increase in ticket revenue as well.

The AFF originally wanted to maintain this new format, but the COVID-19 situation might force the federations to reconsider their stance.

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Who won the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup?

The last championship was won by Vietnam under the leadership of the charismatic South Korean coach, Park Hang-seo, and this was their second AFF Cup title. The first leg of the final took place in Kuala Lumpur, with Vietnam leading 2-0 before hosts Malaysia came back and forced a 2-2 final score. The second meeting in Hanoi was anticlimactic. Vietnam took a quick lead in the sixth minute through Nguyen Anh Duc and maintained that narrow lead until the end.

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Who has won the most AFF Suzuki Cup titles?

Only four countries have emerged as champions since the first AFF Cup was held in 1996; Thailand is the most successful team in this event with five titles, followed by Singapore which has a 100 percent record in four finals. Vietnam collected two titles, while Malaysia won once. Indonesia has reached the final five times but has never lifted a trophy.

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What are the changes in the AFF Suzuki Cup competition rules?

In June, the AFF announced a number of changes to the competition rules ahead of the upcoming tournament, following post-COVID-19 modifications approved by FIFA earlier this year. This time it is allowed to include 70 players in the temporary squad selection, increasing from the previous number of 50 people.

The squad for the finals has also increased to 30 from the previous 23, while matchday squads can contain a maximum of 23 players, three more than the previous requirement.

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Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has opened up on his decision to spurn Chelsea as a teenager, stating that he turned down the Blues in part due to the timing of their approach.

The 21-year-old joined the Whites from Lorient on a season-long loan deal in 2019, usurping Kiko Casilla as first-choice shot-stopper late in their Championship-winning campaign, before taking the starting spot for their first year back in the Premier League last term on a permanent contract.

Yet the France youth starlet came close to a previous move to England a year prior, when Chelsea almost locked up his services in the summer of 2018 - and now, the talented keeper has opened up on why he passed up on the switch.

What has been said?

"Chelsea agreed with Lorient and then asked me, ‘Are you ready?’," Meslier told The Athletic  "But it was 24 hours before the end of the window.

“I said, ‘No, it’s too late, man! If you’d come one or two weeks earlier then I might have said yes. I can’t sign for you so late’.

“It was a difficult decision. Chelsea are a big club. You would ask me, ‘Why not [go]?’. But there are lots of keepers in Chelsea’s academy.

"It’s very hard to grow up there and sometimes you sign and you have to go on loan, things like that. It’s better, I think, to work in your club and then sign to be a No 1 at 24, 25. Not at 18 years old.”

Meslier key to Leeds' sophomore push

In his first fixed season on a three-year deal at Elland Road, Meslier was at the core of Leeds' push towards the top half of the table, ultimately helping Marcelo Bielsa's side secure a ninth-place finish, just outside European qualification.

He was awarded the club's Young Player of the Season Award for his performances, and with Casilla's exit to Elche on loan recently confirmed, looks to now be uncontested as first-choice in West Yorkshire.

Meslier will be expected to start when Leeds get their new campaign underway against rivals Manchester United on August 14 in their sophomore season back in the Premier League.

Further reading

Victor Wanyama was sent off for the first time in his Major League Soccer career as CF Montreal played to a 2-2 draw with Atlanta United.

The encounter produced three red cards, as the Kenya international was sent off in the closing stages of the league encounter.

With eight minutes to full-time, Wanyama was dismissed by referee Dave Gantar alongside Josef Martinez who were involved in a punch-up.

Although the Venezuelan forward was the first to attack, both players were shown the way out after VAR replays.

This is the fifth time the African star was red-carded in his professional career which commenced in 2008 at Belgian side, Beerschot.

Montreal ended the game with nine players as Rudy Camacho was dismissed in the 73rd minute for a dangerous challenge on Martinez.

Having lost their last three games against New York City, New England and Inter Miami, Wilfried Nancy's men welcomed the Five Stripes to the Saputo Stadium – with the ambition of ending their poor form.

After a goalless first half, the hosts took the lead in the 53rd minute through Mason Toye.

Joaquin Torres played in the United States of America international behind the visitors’ backline and the striker placed his shot inside goalkeeper Brad Guzan’s far post.

Ten minutes later, they doubled their advantage through Rudy Camacho. Djorde Mihailovic’s corner kick found the open Frenchman, who smashed the ball past Guzan at the near post.

In the 65th minute, Atlanta United pulled one back as Ezequiel Barco carried the ball forward and found him at the top of the box. He turned and fired a curling right-footed shot past James Pantemis.

The comeback was complete in the 76th minute after Marcelino Moreno scored from the penalty mark after Camacho had fouled Martinez.

With this result, Montreal dropped to eighth on the MLS log after amassing 23 points from 17 matches, while Atlanta United are 11th with 15 points from the same number of outings.

Wanyama will be missing in action when his team travels to Audi Field for their next outing against sixth-placed DC United on August 9. United are unbeaten in their previous four games with their last outing being a 4-2 away win at Columbus Crew.

Mamelodi Sundowns have been incredibly successful in the PSL era - dominating South African football since 1996.

But have they surpassed the country's previously most decorated clubs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates?

Goal compares the PSL's three clubs in terms of major trophies won since their respective formation: 

Cup competitions 

Chiefs are the undisputed kings of South African cup competitions having amassed 41 trophies including a record 15 Top 8/MTN8 titles.

The Glamour Boys have also won more South African FA Cups/ Nedbank Cup (13) and League Cups/ Telkom Knockout (13) than any other club. 

Their archrivals, Pirates are the second most successful team in the history of the Top 8 competition with 10 titles and they have also clinched the second-most FA Cups with eight trophies. 

Pirates, who are the current MTN8 champions, have won just one League Cup having ended their long wait for their maiden trophy in 2011.

While Sundowns have clinched three Top 8 titles and five FA Cups including the 2020 Nedbank Cup following a win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the final. 

Masandawana have won four League Cups making them the second most successful team in the history of the tournament after Chiefs.

The League Cup has since been removed from the football calendar after the PSL's sponsorship deal with Telkom ended in 2019 and Sundowns are the last team to win it.

National league titles

Sundowns became outright the most decorated club in terms of national league titles won when they clinched the 2020/21 PSL trophy.

It was the Tshwane giants' 14th national league title including a record 11 PSL championships plus three National Soccer League trophies. 

They surpassed Chiefs, who are currently on 13 national league titles having lifted four PSL championships, a record four National Soccer League trophies, and a record five National Professional Soccer League titles.

While Pirates have won nine national league titles including four PSL championships plus one National Soccer League trophy and four National Professional Soccer League trophies. 

Continental success 

Pirates and Sundowns are easily the country's most decorated teams in continental competitions having both won two Caf trophies.

The Buccaneers were the first South African club to taste African success when they won the 1995 Caf Champions League title and 1996 Caf Super Cup.

Sundowns emulated Pirates by clinching the 2016 Caf Champions League title, before adding the 2017 Caf Super Cup to their trophy cabinet. 

While Chiefs' lifted the 2001 Caf African Cup Winners' Cup and it remains their only continental title.

Total trophies

With 55 major trophies, Chiefs are undoubtedly South Africa's most successful club despite earning their last trophy in 2015.

Pirates have the second most trophies with 30 titles, but Sundowns are slowly closing in on them having clinched 28 trophies.