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Ghana coach CK Akonnor has revealed admiration for Nigeria's national team player pool enhancement model of actively pursuing footballers of Nigerian roots in the diaspora.

In recent years, the Super Eagles have boosted their squad with the likes of Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Maduka Okoye, William Troost-Ekong and Leon Balogun, who all qualified to play for various European nations either through birth place or parentage.

Kingsley Ehizibue, Joe Aribo and Cyriel Dessers are among their latest acquisitions while the likes of Queens Park Rangers playmaker Eberechi Eze, Liverpool attacker Ovie Ejaria and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka are reportedly being courted.

"The most important thing is those who were born in Europe. Some of them are eager to play for the Black Stars," Akonnor told Starr FM.

“That is what we want to do. Look at Nigeria, I think they have done that in a very nice way.

“They have brought a lot of guys who were born in Europe and the Nigerian team is now transformed so we are trying to do the same with the national team.”

In March, Akonnor, after a European tour, revealed a roster of seven Ghanaian disaporans who have either agreed to switch international allegiance to Ghana or are considering a possible career with the Black Stars.

France-born Strasbourg centre-back Alexander Djiku, Anderlecht's former Netherlands youth defender Derrick Luckassen, France-born Gent midfielder Elisha Owusu and Enock Kwateng of French side Bordeaux, according to Akonnor, have decided to turn up for the Black Stars.

The coach also revealed he was in discussion with Belgium and Anderlecht duo Francis Amuzu and Geremy Doku, and Ajax and Netherlands youth striker Brian Brobbey over a switch of international allegiance.

“With regards to European-born players, it’s necessary for me to let you know the names [of the players we are working on],” Akonnor said at a press conference.

“Those I spoke to want to play [for Ghana] but they are also not familiar with our lifestyle here. They don’t know what is going on, some probably just come here [briefly] and go back.

“They don’t know anything about us and I think it is important for us to encourage them to come here and see what is going on here. They are willing to come but they don’t know what it is [like here].”

“Talking of quality players, I think I made mention of six or five players which I believe are quality [players]. They’ll enhance the way we play, the way we go forward. These names are with the FA and the FA has already started working on it.

“We cannot get them now but once we get them, they’ll improve our team. Once we have quality, they will improve our chance of winning Afcon.

“Djiku and Owusu are currently eligible to play. Management is working hard to get them on board.”

“Hopefully we’ll be able to get them [seven players] on board.”

Most recently, Ghana have been linked to Brighton and Hove Albion fullback Tariq Lamptey and Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, both England-born. Earlier, Akonnor revealed he is currently in talks with the latter's parents in a bid to woo the forward over to the Black Stars.

It will not be Ghana's first time securing players in the diaspora as the likes of Kevin-Prince Boateng, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Emmanuel Frimpong and Adam Larsen Kwarasey have all played for the Black Stars in recent times. 

Spanish Primera Iberdrola side Real Betis have completed the signing of Equatorial Guinea defender Dorine Chuigoue on a two-year contract.

The Seville-based outfit secured the services of the Nzalang Nacional as a free agent after she parted ways with rivals Logrono following her two-year stint with Gerardo Leon's team.

Chuigoue joined Spanish side Logrono from Serbian women's champions Spartak Subotica in summer of 2018, made 42 appearances and scored three goals during her two-year sojourn.

At international level, the 31-year-old played for Equatorial Guinea at the 2006 and 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations and was part of the country's campaign at the 2011 Women's World Cup.

The signing of the centre-back will further swell the defensive options of Pier Luigi Cherubino's team for the new season, having finished 12th with 20 points from 21 matches in their last campaign.

On completing her move, Chuigoue is happy about her switch and eager to excel at Betis on her third consecutive season in the Spanish women's top-flight.

"I am here to work hard and give what I have", she told the club website.

"I am very strong and have a lot of power, I will do everything possible to help my teammates. The team is betting on a strong block and I am sure that together we can achieve what we want."

The Equatoguinean defender becomes the second African at the club after Cameroon international Michaela Abam. 

Since moving to the city,  she has continued in team's pre-season training as they gear up for the season billed to kick off on September 5.

Barcelona have confirmed goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will undergo surgery on a knee problem this week.

The 28-year-old, who has made more than 200 appearances for the club since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014, is to go under the knife as a preventative measure after he complained of irritation on his right patellar tendon earlier this season.

Ter Stegen played through the discomfort in order to finish the extended 2019-20 season, but will use the short break before the new campaign to clear up the issue once and for all.

“Based upon the exchange with the medical team, the first-team player Marc ter Stegen will do a voluntary medical intervention tomorrow [Tuesday] on his right patellar tendon conducted by the expert Dr. Ramon Cugat,” read a statement on the club’s website.

“It is a proactive measure which is now done in order to prevent and prepare for the future, since the player had some irritations on the tendon earlier in the season."

Ter Stegen also confirmed news of his operation on Twitter, saying: “I will undergo an intervention for my knee tendon. The medical experts and I discussed to do this ‘clean-up’ as there were some irritations earlier this season. It’s a proactive intervention in order to prevent and prepare for the future.

“I will need some weeks to recover and to return to 100%. I’m calm and positive about the situation, I will come back soon.

“Once again, thanks for all the support I’ve been receiving. I appreciate it a lot!”

The German goalkeeper made 46 appearances for Barca last season, though the campaign ended on a disastrous note with their 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals last week.

It means the Blaugrana ended the season without a trophy for the first time in 12 years, with head coach Quique Setien dismissed earlier on Monday.

Former Barcelona midfielder Ronald Koeman has been heavily linked with the job, with the Dutchman expected to quit his role as Netherlands head coach in the coming days in order to take over at the Camp Nou.

Former Indian national team coach Sukhwinder Singh has been nominated for the prestigious Dhyan Chand Award 2020.

If Singh manages to receive the award, he will only be the third person to receive this award from the football category. Only two footballers Shabbir Ali (2011) and Syed Shahid Hakeem (2017) has won it.

Dhyan Chand award, named after the legendary Indian Hockey player Dhyan Chand, is an award presented by the Government of India as a lifetime achievement sporting honour. It is presented every year on August 29.

Sukhwinder Singh started his coaching journey at the top tier of Indian football in 1995 with JCT FC and had guided the team to National Football League (CFL) in the very first year of the league.

He had also served both the Indian senior national team and the U23 team and had won the SAFF Championship with the senior team in 1998 and with the youth side in 2009.

Other than JCT, the veteran Indian coach also worked as the coach of Pailan Arrows during the 2011-12 season and served as technical director of Churchill Brothers for a very brief period of time during the 2013-14 season.

A coach par excellence, Sigh has been adored a by a host of Indian footballers over the last three decades and It will indeed be a great honour for Indian football if the 71-year-old coach bags the award.

Manchester City have announced plans to build a statue in honour of David Silva, who is leaving the club this summer.

The statue, which will be erected outside their Etihad Stadium home, will pay tribute to the Spanish midfielder as he departs the club after 10 years with the Premier League side.

City have announced they will also dedicate a training pitch with a bespoke mosaic to Silva at their City Football Academy.

Silva, who has been heavily linked with a move to Lazio on a free transfer, played his last game of a stellar career at City as they were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Lyon.

The playmaker was privately informed of the plans to build the statue by City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak following his final Premier League game against Norwich in July.

Having last year announced a similar plan to celebrate the contribution made by former club captain Vincent Kompany, City say they will unveil Silva’s tribute following that of the former Belgian captain, which is currently being sculpted. Both will be unveiled in 2021.

The mosaic, meanwhile, has already been completed, and features Silva's contribution to the 6-1 defeat of rivals Manchester United in 2011. It will be unveiled as soon as government guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic allow, and Silva is able to travel to Manchester for the inauguration, the club said.

Al Mubarak said in a statement: “David Silva is a transformational player; a quiet leader who has acted quietly and deliberately and inspired everyone around him, from the youngest academy player to his senior team-mates over the past 10 years.

"He has put a stamp on the team, on this club, its history and even the Premier League as a whole.

"In doing so he has been instrumental to the beautiful football philosophy you see today. He was the start of it.

"As with Vincent before him, David’s statue will act as a lasting reminder of the wonderful moments that he gave us, not only as an incredible footballer, but as an inspiring ambassador who represented this football club with great dignity at all times.”

 A World Cup winner and twice European champion with his native Spain, Silva played an integral role in City’s recent history

In 436 appearances, he won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and three Community Shields.

Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has confessed the financial situation at the club is making him very uncomfortable.

The British coach has said he is worried the speed at which the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions are losing key players this transfer window, owing to a lack of money, will come back to haunt them after they made some positive steps during his one season in charge.

Polack has since asked the club officials to move with speed and fix the issues, especially the financial status of the club, insisting he is not sure whether he will have a team to handle at the end of the transfer window as most of them are asking to leave.

“I am not comfortable to lose key players, I am not comfortable with the situation at the club, what is happening at the club is not good at all and we need to sort out what is happening at the club once and for all,” Polack told Goal on Monday.

“We need to make sure everyone at the club is happy, everybody must be happy, let us say if we resume training next week, or even ten days from now, how many players do you think will come to training?

“We might end up having none because they are not happy, they don’t have money, and secondly if they do come, for example, do you think all their minds will be focused on what we want to do in training under the situation they are in?

“I don’t think so, when you are working and you don’t get your salary paid or get what you have worked for, then you cannot concentrate but can only switch off, you cannot be 100 percent ready to work.”

Polack continued: “You need the players to be focused, they need to know why they are coming to the training ground, what exactly are they coming to do, and that is why it is good to pay the players, for me we must sort out the mess, it not good to do things this way.

“We need to sort out the financial situation at the club so we can move forward, but if the situation remains the same, then the club will have trouble and problems in the coming season.”

Polack has also admitted he will have tough times to build a strong team to challenge for titles and also compete effectively in the Caf Champions League after losing most of his key players.

“First of all when you start building any new team with new people expectations will be very high and that is a fact, that is a fact, for me when you building a new team you don’t know yet if it will be good or not but it is always going to be difficult,” Polack added.

“First of all you have to get cohesion with the players, you have to get the stamina back and for me hopefully it is not going to be so hard because we don’t know how many players will leave the club, and how many will remain, and those who have left are all quality players.”

Polack joined K'Ogalo from Asante Kotoko of Ghana and went on to clinch two titles – the KPL Super Cup and the league – in his first season.

Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Lomotey has left Spanish second division side Extremadura for French Ligue 2 outfit Amiens, the latter have announced.

The 22-year-old has signed a four-year deal with his new club.

Amiens are set to compete in the French second tier next season following theirrelegation from the elite division last term.

"Amiens SC and Extremadura UD have reached an agreement for the transfer of Emmanuel Lomotey," the Ligue 2 club announced on their official website on Monday.

"Amiens SC is pleased to announce the signing of Emmanuel Lomotey, who strengthens the midfield of the club. The 22-year-old Ghana U23 international comes from Liga 2. He has played 21 games this season with Extremadura UD.

"The defensive midfielder transfer deal with Amiens will last until 2024!

"Welcome home Emmanuel!"

After impressing in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) for Dreams FC, Lomotey joined Extremadura in 2017 on an initial loan deal.

He largely spent the term with Extremadura's second team.

The following season, Lomotey signed a three-year deal with Spanish second tier club Cordoba, who promptly sold the player back to Extremadura.

Interestingly, Extremadura then sent the midfielder to La Liga outfit Villarreal on a season-long loan for the 2018-19 term, but he failed to earn a first-team appearance during his stay with the Yellow Submarine.

He had his first full campaign of first team football in Europe last season, where he made 21 league outings for Extremadura in the Segunda Division, starting 18 of the matches and scoring one goal.

At international level, Lomotey featured for Ghana's home-based side at the 2017 Wafu Cup of Nations, helping the Black Stars to lift the title on home soil.

He was also in action for Ghana at the Africa U23 Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt last November. Unfortunately, he could not help the Black Meteors finish among the top three to secure a ticket for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Second from bottom on the Ligue 1 table when the 2019-20 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Amiens joined Toulouse as the relegated sides after a resolution by French football authorities.

Ghana international Nicholas Opoku played on loan from Udinese at Amiens during the second half of last season. 

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) coach Mike Mutebi has revealed he has achieved his main target of signing players in every position in the current window.

The Lugogo-based giants ended last season without silverware after the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) moved to end the 2019-20 Uganda Premier League (UPL) campaign owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

By ending the season, Vipers SC, who were sitting at the top of the log, were declared champions while KCCA came second. Though KCCA were still taking part in the Uganda Cup, the competition was also called off owing to the Covid-19 outbreak and thus no winner was declared.

On the Caf Champions League front, KCCA failed to go past the group stage, and as such coach Mutebi has now said he was looking at the transfer window to sign players in every department so they are able to compete in all fronts in the coming season.

“We want to have at least three players in each position and competing at the top level if we are going to meet our goal to compete at the top level especially on the continent,” Mutebi told the club’s official website.

“When we suffered injuries last season especially with the core of the team, we did not have able replacements. But now that we have at least two to three players in every position I am quite sure we shall compete at the top-level next term.

“I am signing players who I know have potential and who are young and hungry to adapt to the modern way of playing the game the game.”

On the caliber of players, he was looking to bring at the club, Mutebi explained: “We are interested in players who are in their early twenties because we want to groom players that can stay at the club for some time. The idea is to give the players long term contracts to keep the team stable if we are to compete at the top level.”

Mutebi also spoke about the arrival of Samson Kigozi, who was the club’s seventh signing this window.

“[Kigozi] will give us quite some selection headache which is good for us as a team and especially our growth," he concluded.

The former champions have already signed Mugume Ashraf, Lwanga Charles, Mazengo Stefano Loro, Iguma Dennis, Bright Anukani (loan), Brian Aheebwa and Kigozi Samson.

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has won the Premier League PFA Fans' Player of the Year award for 2019-20.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign, scoring 18 goals and providing seven assists, making him the team's second most productive player of the season behind Mohamed Salah. 

Mane won the award, voted for via a poll from fans across England, ahead of Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne and Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold, gaining 41 per cent of the vote.

Virgil van Dijk, Raheem Sterling and Jamie Vardy were also nominated for the prestigious individual award, which was won by former Chelsea star Eden Hazard last year.

Liverpool have unsurprisingly swept the individual prizes having romped to the title this term, ending a 30-year wait for a top-flight title in dominant fashion.

Jurgen Klopp's team amassed a club-record 99 points and finishing 18 clear of deposed champions Manchester City.

Klopp won the Manager of the Year, Alexander-Arnold clinched the Young Player of the Season prize and Jordan Henderson was voted the Football Writers' Association Men's Footballer of the Year.

Mane joined the Reds in 2016 from Southampton and has gone on to make 170 appearances in all competitions, scoring 81 goals to help them claim Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup before their Premier League success.

He was the league's joint-top scorer in 2018-19 alongside team-mate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Mane earned special praise from coach Klopp recently, as the German hailed him as "world class".

“He is a complete player, offensively and defensively He works hard, he is really quick," Klopp said. “For sure a few things we did from a tactical point of view helped the boys as well and Sadio is a good example for the improvement the whole squad.

“He has obviously improved a lot in the last few years – and from a very high level already – becoming a very good player to a world-class player, no doubt about that, and he is a winner on top of that."

Paris Saint-Germain forward Eric Choupo-Moting has described RB Leipzig's transformation into a formidable side in Europe as “crazy”, warning of a tough Uefa Champions League semi-final encounter on Tuesday in Lisbon.

The French giants are up against a side which, just like them, are eyeing a first-ever appearance in the Champions League final.

Leipzig are having a sensational run in Europe’s premier club competition in only their second season participating in this tournament.

They have claimed the scalps of Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 16, before eliminating Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.

“I know that during the last years they really progressed and they are doing some good work, Leipzig. I think they have existed only since 2009 this club. So it’s crazy development for them,” Choupo-Moting told the PSG website.

“It will be tough because they will give everything. They know it’s a big chance for them as well. It’s also the first time for them in the semifinals. It would be a tough game and we have to take it very seriously.”

The last time PSG reached the Champions League semi-finals was during the 1994/5 season and they are now seeking to go a step further into the final.

Choupo-Moting says he felt that their chance to advance into the decider arrived when they played Atalanta in the quarter-finals.

The Cameroonian, who featured in the last 11 minutes in the 2-1 victory over Atalanta, became the hero of the night last Wednesday after grabbing the winning goal deep into injury time.

“It is always an honour and a pleasure to play in the Champions League for Paris and I felt on this day [against Atalanta] and during the last month even that this is the big chance for us, for Paris, everybody is waiting for it,” said Choupo-Moting.

“The whole city is so football-affected and love so much football and everybody was waiting for it. I said to myself that if I get the chance, I want to bring an impact and show that I can help the team.

“It was a very tight game I think, we were respecting Atalanta, we knew what they were doing during the while season, very tough opponent, physically very strong. When I came in I was confident in myself that I can do something in the game and I saw the team also.”

Choupo-Moting’s Senegalese teammate Idrissa Gueye is almost sure to miss Tuesday’s game due to an injury suffered at training on Saturday.

“Idrissa Gueye is in the treatment room after a muscle twinge felt in Saturday's training session. He's very doubtful to feature in Tuesday's semi-final,” PSG announced in an injury update.

Gueye did not finish the Atalanta match, lasting 72 minutes. If PSG win on Tuesday, they face either Bayern Munich or Olympique Lyon in the August 23 final.

Former Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has celebrated Julen Lopetegui's redemption at Sevilla after they defeated Manchester United in Sunday's Uefa Europa League semi-final outing.

Sevilla came from behind at the RheinEnergieStadion to edge the Premier League side 2-1 and book a place in Friday's final scheduled to take place in Cologne.

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for Manchester United from the penalty spot in the ninth minute, but goals from Suso and Luuk De Jong in the 26th and 78th minutes, respectively, steered Los Palanganas to victory.

The triumph made Oliseh, who managed the Super Eagles for eight months before resigning in February 2016, particularly excited for Lopetegui after his previous experiences in the dugout.

He described Sevilla’s progress to the final as joy for Lopetegui after "suffering non-stop humiliations" in the last few years.

“Since pre-World cup 2018 scandalous sacking, Julen Lopetegui's been to hell and back, suffered non-stop humiliations,” Oliseh tweeted.

“Sad for Man Utd fans, but extremely pleased for Lopetegui. Imagine the joy and relief his loved ones feel tonight. Wish him well in the final. It pays to keep believing.”

The former Real Madrid manager was sacked on two occasions within five months in 2018.

He was first relieved of his duties at the Spain national team with just two days before the country's 2018 World Cup opener against Portugal in Russia.

Lopetegui was dismissed from the national team camp after accepting an offer to take over at the Santiago Bernabeu immediately after the World Cup.

His reign in Real Madrid was short-lived as he was sacked after four-and-a-half months in charge.

After a string of poor results in all competitions which was capped by Real Madrid's 5-1 loss to Barcelona in October 2018, the 53-year-old was shown the exit door in the Spanish capital.

In June 2019, Lopetegui was appointed as Sevilla manager and he helped the club finish fourth in the Spanish top-flight table this season.

On Friday, Sevilla will face the winner of Monday’s semi-final clash between Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk as the chase their sixth Europa League crown.

Stoke City have confirmed the signing of former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel on a short-term deal.

The Nigeria star joined the Potters on a free transfer on Monday after leaving Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor during the coronavirus crisis in March.

Mikel is set for his second adventure in the Championship with Stoke City, having previously played for Middlesbrough in the second half of the 2018-19 season.

He is Stoke City’s fourth-summer signing ahead of the new season after Morgan Fox, James Chester and Steven Fletcher.

Following the completion of Mikel’s move, manager O’Neill disclosed the duration of his conversation with the 33-year-old and his ambition to end his career in the Premier League.

"We’re delighted to bring John to the club. His playing career speaks for itself and underlines his calibre as a player,” O’Neill said.

“I was really impressed with him when we met for the first time and he outlined what he wants from the next phase of his career.

“We spent four hours talking and he made it clear he wants to get back into the Premier League and finish his career there and hopefully he can do that with Stoke City.”

The ex-Nigeria international started his European career in Norway with Lyn after playing for Plateau United in the Nigerian top-flight.

He moved to Chelsea in 2006 where he spent 11 years before departing for China to join Tianjin Teda in 2017.

During his stay at Stamford Bridge, Mikel won the Uefa Champions League, Europa League, two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a League Cup.

After Middlesbrough failed in their promotion bid in the 2018-19 season, he joined Trabzonspor on a two-year contract but left the Super Lig club by mutual consent in March after expressing his concerns over the continuation of football amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 33-year-old retired from international duty in July 2019 after he led Nigeria to clinch bronze at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

He played 91 matches for the Super Eagles and scored six goals before calling up his time in the national team.

Tanzania Mainland Premier League side Azam FC have completed the signing of Prince Dube from Highlanders FC of Zimbabwe.

Dube, 23, has penned a two-year contract with the former league and FA Cup champions in a deal that is understood to have fetched his former side $50,000.

The Zimbabwean international has made the move with four months remaining in his Highlanders contract.

“Azam FC are happy to make the announcement that we have completed the signing of Zimbabwean international Prince Dube from Highlands FC,” Azam announced.

“Dube, who is one the lethal strikers in Zimbabwe while at the national side that comprises of local players comes to Azam to sharpen our striking department.

“The technical bench that is led by head coach Aristica Cioaba is satisfied by Dube's ability since the time they started trailing him.

“We are going to end our transfer business soon after signing another international striker.”

Dube has linked up with fellow Zimbabwean internationals Bruce Kangwa and Never Tigere. Dube and Kangwa featured for Highlanders before the former made the move to join the Ice Cream Makers.

Dube is also the Young Warriors captain and his move to Azam is expected to hand him more experience in a foreign league after the previous struggles in South Africa.

The youngster left Bosso, as Highlanders are nicknamed, in 2017 for SuperSport United in the Premier Soccer League of South Africa but he did not manage to break into the first team.

He was loaned to Black Leopards for a season but still battled for regular game time.

Dube became Zimbabwe’s 2019 Soccer Star of the Year second runners-up after he regained form at the 2006 league champions.

The forward made his national team debut on March 26, 2017, when Zimbabwe played to a 0-0 draw against neighbours Zambia. Since then, he has played in nine matches and has scored six goals.

Azam have been another busy Tanzanian side in the transfer market and have already signed Emmanuel Charles, former Gor Mahia keeper David Kissu Mapigano, Awesu Awesu, Ally Niyonzima, Ismail Aziz and Ayoub Lyanga.

Salum ‘Sure Boy’ Abubakar committed his future to the club for one more year despite intense interest from rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC).

Azam will be keen to strengthen their side after a disappointing 2019/20 season when they failed to retain the FA Cup title which Simba SC eventually won.

They also did not manage to finish second on the league log even after keeping the position for long in the season that was concluded in July.

David de Gea is backing himself to keep the No.1 shirt at Manchester United despite a string of high profile mistakes this season.

Pressure has been mounting on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop the Spaniard after errors which ended up costing United, and after his mistakes against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final there have been numerous calls for Dean Henderson, who spent the last season on loan at Sheffield United, to be brought back as first choice.

Henderson only wants to return to Old Trafford if he is guaranteed to be starting, and with interest from Chelsea in the young goalkeeper, Solskjaer has a dilemma over what to do.

The competition doesn't faze De Gea, who has won the club’s player of the year award four times, and he is backing himself to keep his place.

“I trust in myself,” he said. "I showed my qualities all the years, so I just keep available for the manager. I'm always ready to play and try to help the team as always, as I did always."

The Spaniard was given the nod ahead of regular Europa League choice Sergio Romero for United’s defeat to Sevilla and despite the disappointment of losing a third semi-final of the season he is pleased with the progress the side have made.

“I think we improved already this season. We were 14 points behind the third position in the Premier League. We finished third at the end,” De Gea explained.

“We play very good I think many games. We deserved to be in the final, if we are honest; maybe we need a bit of experience, more experience on the team - but we have to score the chances. Let's keep improving, let's keep fighting for this club and let's try to win trophies next season."

The players have now been given two weeks holiday before they resume training ahead of the new campaign starting next month and with the improvement last season the 29-year-old is confident Solskjaer has the team heading in the right direction.

“I think we are playing very good football, attacking football and we are all enjoying playing attacking football,” he said. “There has been a lot of games, not a lot of rest, so we have like a couple of weeks to rest, properly rest, and then to start training again.

"Everything, the games goes again and we have to be 100 per cent focused and ready to play our best football."

Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki says that Jadon Sancho shouldn't be in any rush to leave the club as he believes the English winger will still be in demand down the line.

Sancho has been heavily linked with Manchester United in recent weeks, with Dortmund setting a price of €120 million (£108m/$142m) for the talented attacker.

However, Dortmund also set an August 10 deadline for any move for Sancho, with the winger now fully involved in the club's pre-season preparations.

Manchester United, however, are refusing to give up, with the club still hopeful of completing a deal despite frustrations with negotiations.

From Burki's point of view, Sancho should forego any interest from the Premier League this season, especially considering the fact that that interest won't disappear after one more year in Germany.

"Jadon will still be a top player next year," Burki told Kicker. "He's not running out of time."

He added: "I don't think Jadon is sad to continue to be part of Borussia Dortmund. He comes to training with a smile and is happy to be with us."

A similar sentiment has been offered by Danny Murphy, who says that Sancho should opt against moving to Man Utd this year, waiting instead for next summer when there could be offers from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Paul Scholes, meanwhile, insists that Man Utd's recent Europa League exit only shows the need for a player of Sancho's calibre, saying the club needs to spend real money if the board wants to see trophies return to Old Trafford.

While Man Utd are still reeling from their Europa League elimination at the hands of Sevilla, Dortmund are in pre-season ahead of the return of the Bundesliga.

Coach Lucien Favre is entering into the last year of his contract, with many seeing him as a "lame duck" coach after an up-and-down season last campaign, but Burki insists that the club can win trophies this season under Favre's guidance.

"Of course Favre can win titles," said Burki. "He already proved that in Zurich, where he won the championship twice. If we play consistently over an entire season, we can do it as a team. I'm convinced of that."

"Lame duck? I think most players don't even know how long the coach's contract runs," he added. "I can't imagine that many players think about it."

Orlando Pirates defender Happy Jele anticipates a tough clash against Baroka in their upcoming Premier Soccer League (PSL) match on Tuesday evening, saying they are targeting a spot in the Caf Champions League or in the Confederation Cup.

The Buccaneers are fresh from two consecutive draws against Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits in the league, with the skipper saying they played well against the Brazilians but were tightly marked by the Students.

‘Magents’ insists they are a big brand and their ambition is to finish in a decent spot on the log. They are currently in third with 42 points from 24 matches.

“Pirates are a big brand and want to compete for each and every trophy in the league and on the continent,” Jele told the media.

“The brand itself wants to play in Africa. We want to be there‚ so we just have to finish on a good position right now.”

Speaking about their PSL campaign since the season was restarted last week, the veteran defender looks back at their opening matches against Sundowns and Wits.

“The first game the guys were ready in terms of fitness and everything. In the second match, I think Wits saw how well we played against Sundowns and they closed us down,” he added.

“It is very important to go and win the game because we want to finish higher. They are a good team and I know that it’ll be a difficult game on Tuesday.

“We are playing against a good team [Baroka] which wants to move away from the relegation zone. We respect them but we want to win the game irrespective of what‚ we want to win the game and finish on a high note.

“It is very good for the brand itself to finish in a good spot so that we play in the Caf competitions next season.”

With the reigning PSL champions Sundowns - on 46 points in second - struggling to get a win since the PSL restart, coach Josef Zinnabuer’s men will look to collect maximum points in their remaining matches and secure the second spot.

However, coach Pitso Mosimane will lead his troops against Cape Town City at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Monday night as they look to narrow the gap between them and log leaders Kaizer Chiefs, who are six points ahead.

Roma have announced that the Friedkin Group has taken over as club owners after completing their purchase of the Serie A outfit.

The Houston-based Freidkin Group has acquired an 86.6 per cent majority stake in the Italian side, with the new ownership group now set to launch a mandatory tender offer upon the publicly-held ordinary shares that represent the final 13.4 per cent.

“We are delighted to join the AS Roma family,” said Dan Friedkin, CEO and Chairman of The Friedkin Group. “As one fan wrote recently, ‘Take our iconic club and make it one of the greatest names in world football’. We intend to do just that.

“Our commitment to Roma is total. We will be very present in Rome, a city that holds a special place in our hearts, as we embark on this exciting journey. We recognise we are entrusted with a team that is a vital part of the soul of Rome, and this is a responsibility that we find humbling and will always take very seriously."

The club's previous majority shareholder James Pallotta, the chairman of Boston-based Raptor Capital Management, originally purchased the club in 2011 alongside Thomas R. DiBenedetto, Michael Ruane and Richard D'Amore.

Palotta has officially resigned from his position on the board of directors alongside D'Amore, Gregory Martin, Charlotte Beers, Paul Edgerly, Cameron Neely and Barry Sternlicht.

The new ownership group has formed a new executive committee, featuring Dan Friedkin (Chairman), Ryan Friedkin, Guido Fienga (CEO), Marc Watts and Eric Williamson.

“I would like wish Dan, Ryan and everyone at AS Roma - the players, the staff and the fans - only good luck for the future," Palotta said. "Like every Roma fan in the world, I truly hope The Friedkin Group can build on what we have done over the last eight years, transforming Roma into a truly international club, and take AS Roma to the next level. This is an incredibly special football club and I leave with many unforgettable memories.”

“I’d also like to take a moment to thank Jim Pallotta and his partners for all they have done for the club," Friedkin added. "He and his team have been very helpful in preparing for a smooth transition and we wish him nothing but the best in the future."

Roma finished this past season fifth in Serie A, sealing a spot in the Europa League next season.

The club is set to complete the signing of Pedro from Chelsea in the near future, with the winger departing the Premier League side at the end of his contract.

SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo says he understands why Aubrey Modiba is a wanted player, explaining that he will give the Bafana Bafana winger his blessings should he join Mamelodi Sundowns.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions for some time and Tembo heaped praise on the winger's attitude, saying he never gave him problems.

Moreover, although the MTN8 winner is aware that players come and go, he admitted losing the Limpopo-born player will be a bitter pill to swallow.

“It has to do with our situation in the club and if you look at a player like Aubrey, a lot of clubs have been after him,” Tembo told Phakaaathi.

“And it is no surprise because he is a player with a lot of quality and we also have to balance the books as well and you cannot deny him that opportunity to further his career, we will always try to support him.

“If it happens we will gladly accept that and he will go with our blessing because he is a really good player and he has done well for us and he has never given us any problems.”

Fresh from a 1-1 draw against Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday evening, the Tshwane giants’ mentor credited ‘Postman’ for his qualities as a versatile campaigner.

“I have always been happy to play with him, he is a quality player who gives you options going forward, he gives you goals, he creates goals, he is good with set-plays.,” he added.

“It will be sad to lose him but at the same time we have to start to think ahead and he has to think about his future as well. It is football, players come and go.”

The former Nedbank Ke Yona talent search product has recently been linked with a switch to Chloorkop, with Goal having reported that Sundowns have tabled a fresh offer for the left-footer and that the two teams decided to put the talks on hold until later this year.

Meanwhile, club CEO Stanley Matthews was also quoted in the media confirming that there’s a big chance Modiba could play under coach Pito Mosimane next season.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Electoral Board has clarified the requirements to qualify as a candidate for a position in the upcoming polls.

The exercise is slowly taking shape, and several individuals have been in the dark on what is expected for one to be eligible to vie. It is for this reason the Board has made public all the requirements for those who are eyeing the top seat and all the way to the county ones.

"The Electoral Board has received several inquiries regarding the requirement that candidates for all elections seek nominations from 5 members of FKF, as provided in the guidelines released on 11 August 2020," the Board said in a statement signed by Chairperson Kentice Tikolo and obtained by Goal.

The clarification has been made on the members of the Federation which include the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) clubs, the National Super League clubs, all the National Division One League clubs, and their counterparts from Division Two.

Others who are recognised as the FKF members are the 48 counties, recognized Association for Football Referees, Association for Football Coaches, Association for Football players, and Association for Women’s Football.

The Women Premier League and the Women's Division One League have been included as well.

"To ensure an auditable trail of the endorsements, attach proof of FKF membership to the endorsement letters," the statement further stated.

The Board had set September 19 as the date for the county elections, while October 17 was reserved for the national ones.

However, the presidential aspirants led by experienced administrator Sam Nyamweya, Omondi Aduda, Nicholas Musonye, Alex Magelo among others, have filed a petition with the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) to bar the Federation and the Electoral Board from engaging in organizing the elections.

"The petitioners pray... the court to issue prohibitive orders against the [Electoral Board] and the [FKF} from proceeding with the illegal election process as indicated in their road map ... until they comply with the court orders issued on the 17th March 2020," read part of the Petition to the SDT and obtained by Goal.

"A declaration that FKF cannot hold its elections until it fully complies with the ruling."

The candidates have further asked for a roundtable meeting to come up with a fair procedure to be used in the elections and without it, the current regime cannot hold the elections.