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Edinson Cavani says Benfica are a “great team” after confirming talks with the Portuguese giants, but stresses that a deal has yet to be agreed.

The Uruguayan forward is a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season and has been linked with a host of clubs across Europe and the Americas.

Leeds United were believed to be Benfica’s main rivals in the chase for the 33-year-old, with owner Andrea Radrizzani revealing earlier this summer that he was keen to sign the veteran forward as he planned for the Whites’ return to the Premier League.

Spanish side Atletico Madrid, as well as teams in Argentina, Brazil and the United States, are also believed to be interested in the former Napoli frontman.

Reports last month suggested a two-year deal with Benfica had already been agreed, though the Portuguese giants took the unusual step of publicly denying those reports on its official website.

Fresh reports over the weekend suggested further talks had taken place between the two parties, something Cavani has now confirmed to reporters when asked about his future.

"There were meetings with Benfica and other clubs. But nothing is yet defined, so I cannot say that there is a closed agreement. When everything is confirmed with a team, they will know it,” he said.

When pressed on what attracted him to Benfica, Cavani replied they were "a great team” that regularly competes in European competitions and that "many Uruguayans” have represented the club in the past.

"How can it not be a team that attracts me? And if there is the possibility for me to play there I will be delighted with life," he added.

Since leaving PSG at the end of June, Cavani has spent most of his time back in his home town of Salto in Uruguay.

He has been working alongside personal trainer Christian Gonzalez to keep himself fit during the summer, with Gonzalez posting a good luck message on Instagram ahead of Cavani’s return to Europe.

“Many successes, good trip, thanks for the opportunity and trust. A unique experience, to continue to shine ‘Matador’,” he said.

The Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) has confirmed the 2020 Women's Cup will go ahead and also approved the launch of the regional Women's Champions League.

The decisions were announced on Monday following a Cosafa Executive Committee meeting to review its 2020 calendar in the wake of the global health crisis due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The development means the annual regional women's showpiece, which had been staged back-to-back in South Africa, will take place for the third time in a row in the country from October 19-31 in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Cosafa also planned to stage the U17 Women's Cup along with the senior tournament between October 15-25 in South Africa, but both events are subject to Covid-19 and travel restrictions.

However, Cosafa has cancelled this year's U20 tournament earlier scheduled for December, while announcing the creation of the Women’s Champions League, which is expected to kick off in 2021.

The Cosafa statement read: "The organisation is also exploring the potential of hosting its flagship men’s Cosafa Cup during the October Fifa International window, while the senior Cosafa Women’s Championship has also been pencilled in for October 19-31 in Nelson Mandela Bay.

"Both are highly dependent on prevailing Covid-19 and travel conditions in South Africa at the time. There is also a plan to overlap the Cosafa Women’s Under-17 Championship (October 15-25) with the senior tournament in South Africa.

"The Under-20 Women’s Championship, which was scheduled for the Region 5 Games in Maseru in December, has been cancelled for this year after the Games were postponed to December 2021.

"Cosafa has also created a task team to devise plans for the Regional Women’s Champions League which the organisation hopes to stage for the first time next year, subject to funding being sourced to support this competition."

With the cancellation of the 2020 Africa Women's Cup of Nations, Zambia, who are Africa's representative at next year's Olympic Games, will seize the chance to prepare for Tokyo 2021.

South Africa are defending champions of the regional tournament, having secured their sixth crown following a 1-0 final victory over Zambia in August last year.

Ghana star Bernard Mensah has completed a move to Turkish outfit Besiktas from fellow Super Liga side Kayserispor.

The 25-year-old put pen to paper on a season-long loan deal with an option of a permanent transfer following a successful medical on Monday.

He made 25 league appearances for Kayserispor last season, starting in all the games, scoring five times and assisting eight other goals. 

“Bernard Mensah in Beşiktaş. Our club signed a contract with Bernard Mensah, the Ghanaian midfield player, which he transferred from Kayserispor, within the scope of the transfer activities for the new season,” Besiktas announced on their official website.

“We welcome Bernard Mensah, who we believe will provide important services to our club, and wish him success.”

Besiktas are Mensah’s third club in Turkey, having first played for Kasimpasa on his arrival in 2018.

"Dear Kayserispor family ... I spent two wonderful years here with you. Now a very important adventure is starting for me. We had many good moments as well as our very good days. My president Berna [Gozbasi], who never refused to support me before leaving, I would like to thank you Gozbaşı, the great supporters of Kayserispor and all the club staff who did not hold back help from me. My heart will always be with you,” Mensah posted on social media on Monday morning.

After impressing for Vitoria Guimaraes in the Portuguese league, Mensah was snapped up by Atletico Madrid in 2015 but promptly farmed out to Getafe on loan for the 2015-16 season.

The following term, he headed back for Guimaraes on loan, before joining Kasimpasa on another loan spell for the 2017-18 year.

A fourth straight loan was soon on the cards as he moved to Kayserisporin 2017, the transfer being made permanent after the first season.

At international level, Mensah made his debut for Ghana in 2015, scoring in the game against Togo in a friendly.

He will be hoping to make the most of his stay with Besiktas to get the attention of Black Stars coach CK Akonnor for a recall in the wake of a long absence from national duty.

Simba SC and Young Africans (Yanga SC) will face off in their first meeting of the 2020-21 Mainland Premier League campaign on October 18.

According to the first round fixtures released on Monday by the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB), the two most respected clubs in the country will square it off at Mkapa Stadium.

Last season, the two giants met three times, with the first round ending in a 2-2 draw before Yanga turned on the screw to win the second round fixture 1-0, but they again faced off in the semi-finals of the FA Cup where Simba hammered Yanga 4-1.

Simba then went ahead to seal a season double – winning the Community Shield, the league and the domestic cup – after beating Namungo FC 2-1 in the final played in Sumbawanga, Rukwa.

The Kariakoo derby is among the best derbies in the East African region with Kenya also having the Mashemeji derby which pits rivals Gor Mahia against AFC Leopards.

While Simba will have their coach Sven Vandenbroeck for the derby, Yanga will have a new man in charge after they fired Belgian Luc Eymael at the end of the last campaign. In fact, it was Eymael, who helped Yanga to beat Simba in the second round tie.

On the other hand, Ghanaian midfielder Bernard Morrison will parade for Simba against his former side, whom he helped win the second round tie. It was his goal, from a free-kick, that enabled Yanga to run away with maximum points at the then derby played at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

But before the derby, the season is set to get underway on September 6 with Simba starting their title defence with a tie against newly-promoted Ihefu FC.

Yanga will start the new season with a match against Tanzania Prisons at the newly-named Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Yanga fought hard and edged Azam FC for second place in the 2019/20 season but the next campaign will see them face their rivals without notable players.

Former captain Papy Tshishimbi, last season's top scorer David Molinga and defender Kevin Yondani are among the players who will not be part of the Timu Ya Mwananchi next season.

Namungo, who booked a place in the Confederation Cup by virtue of reaching the FA Cup final, will host Coastal Union at Majaliwa Stadium while another promoted side Gwambina FC will start their Premier League journey with a game against Biashara at Karume Stadium.

Septemba 6 fixtures; Namungo vs Coastal - Majaliwa, Lindi, Biashara vs Gwambina - Karume, Mara, Ihefu Vs Simba - Sokoine, Mbeya, Mtibwa vs Ruvu Shooting - Gairo, Morogoro, Yanga Vs Prisons - Mkapa, Dar, KMC vs Mbeya City - Uhuru, Dar and Azam Vs Polisi Tanzania - Azam Complex.

Mesut Ozil is “not an asshole”, says fellow World Cup winner Lukas Podolski, with the German playmaker considered to still be “good enough” to play a prominent role at Arsenal.

It appears unlikely that the 31-year-old will be entrusted with such responsibility any time soon.

Mikel Arteta has taken to dropping a midfielder he once played alongside out of his plans for the short and long-term at Emirates Stadium.

Fresh rounds of transfer talk have been sparked as a result, although Ozil maintains that he will see out a contract in north London that has less than 12 months left to run.

If he is to stick around, then it could be that a clean slate is passed in his direction at some stage.

Podolski hopes that will prove to be the case, with the former Arsenal forward of the opinion that Ozil has been cast in an unfair light as he continues to attract criticism for his actions on and off the field.

“He's good enough with support from the coach and the team, but something has happened with the club, you can feel that,” Podolski told The Athletic. 

“Is he in a disagreement with the club? When I talk to him, we don't want to talk about that kind of stuff. It's his situation, him and his agent have to deal with that. 

“He's a good character — he's not an asshole. He doesn't do interviews where he speaks badly of his team-mates or of Arsenal and it's a shame we have this situation because everyone is losing. Ozil is sat in the stands, Arsenal are paying him and there is no winner.”

Ozil has been frozen out as the Gunners seek to move in a different direction.

Ex-club captain Arteta has handed the first managerial role of his fledgling coaching career and been charged with the task of recapturing former glories.

Podolski believes the Spaniard is capable of delivering on expectation, but admits there are no quick fixes to be found by a club that ended the 2019-20 Premier League campaign down in eighth spot.

“I hope better times are coming with Mikel Arteta,” added a man who made 82 appearances for Arsenal. “I played with him and when he took over I could see improvements. The team talked together, they ran together, but still they only had one special player – [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang.

“It’s not like the rest are sh*t, but they’re not world-class. Look at Liverpool, they have top or world-class players in every position, but maybe that’s not the target for Arsenal right now.

“Maybe just reaching the Champions League was good enough for them, maybe they knew they had no chance of winning the Premier League, but they didn’t come close to either of those things.”

While missing out on Champions League qualification, Arsenal did book themselves a place in the 2020-21 Europa League by edging out London rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Julian Nagelsmann says RB Leipzig will have to work as a team to put pressure on Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semi-final tie on Tuesday.

The German side beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 to progress to the final four and will have to overcome the French champions to seal a place in the European decider.

PSG, meanwhile, fought back to beat Atalanta in their quarter-final to reach the semis for the first time since 1995.

The 33-year-old coach says his side will have to prevent Thomas Tuchel's team from picking out dangerous passes and warned them to be wary of the pace of the likes of star forward Kylian Mbappe.

"It is important to work collectively. First and foremost, we have to make sure that we prevent the balls from getting deep," he told Goal and DAZN. "They have precise target areas in which they want to play in front of the opposing defensive chain. We have already come up with an idea of how to close these spaces.

"The point is to perceive how much pressure the ball-carrier has. Nevertheless, the opponent has an incredible individual quality, especially a lot of speed.

"At some point they are unstoppable, not physically anyway, because if a player like Mbappe is one kilometre per hour faster than you, then that's it and you can't do anything about it.

"I believe that we can hurt the opponent more if we ourselves a lot have the ball and want to create opportunities."

Atletico coach Diego Simeone praised Leipzig after last week's quarter-final and admitted the Bundesliga side "won in every area of the game". 

The former Hoffenheim boss was delighted with his team's attitude despite the pressure they were under in Lisbon.

"There is no such thing as a perfect football game, but when you see all the trappings and the pressure, you have to at least say that my team has a perfect attitude," Nagelsmann said. 

"The guys weren't nervous, but totally liberated, greedy and industrious. It's also clear that not everything works 100 percet in terms of play. That's why I didn't tell the guys in advance that I expected everything to go perfectly."

The judges have revealed Emilio Nahamuja and Sipho Busakwe as the two finalists of the ongoing South African Freestyle Championships 2020.

The duo overcame Rishaad Ebrahim and Kyle Rinquest respectively and are set to square off in the final of the ongoing virtual event.

2018 champion Ebrahim fell two points short of making the final as he recorded an overall score of 74/90 to finish third. Rinquest finished fourth with a score of 73/90 while the finalists Nahamuja and Busakwe scored 77 and 76 respectively. 

Gauteng native, Busakwe is the competitions defending champion and will be up against a familiar foe, Cape Town's Nahamuja who is looking for his first national honours.

In the criterion used by the judges to choose the most creative and vibrant participant, Ashley Mkhize, the Head of Freestyle for Southern Africa emphasized style, originality and difficulty.

"For the Top 8, one of the criteria is the time has been moved to 50-60 seconds and harder tricks were needed," revealed Mkhize.

"Secondly we focused more on difficulty, originality and style. We want the guys to dig deep and bring out their best.

"We are trying to bring out the best in the freestylers and see the depth of their skills and see how far they can elevate their skills.

"We are trying to get the champion for South Africa after all."

Judge and renowned freestyler Kunal Rathi, also echoed Mkhize's sentiments, saying;

"At this stage of the tournament, all participants repeat most of the tricks with some new variations and combinations to deliver high-performance level."

"And I always select a winner who showcases their own style and can present themselves in the best way possible.

"Originality for me is either doing Original self-created moves or showcasing yourself with a unique and presentable style."

Goal will be publishing the winners of each round, all details and selected videos in their different platforms.

Lewis Dunk is the kind of defensive “brute” that Chelsea need to be bringing in, says Tony Cascarino, with the Blues advised to spend big on a centre-half rather than invest heavily in Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell.

Frank Lampard is eager to bolster his defensive options in the current transfer window.

Attacking additions have already been made in Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, while highly-rated Bayern Leverkusen playmaker Kai Havertz remains a top target.

With further firepower found, attention can be shifted to the plugging of leaks at the back.

England international Chilwell has been sounded out, but Cascarino believes the 23-year-old is overpriced at £80 million ($105m) and would not offer the upgrade that the Blues require.

The former Chelsea striker told talkSPORT: “Chilwell is a very good player, a very good footballer but I don’t think he’s the greatest defender, as a left-back, which sort of ticks a few boxes that Chelsea are already suffering with, with [Marcos] Alonso at left-back. He’s probably quite guilty of being far better going one way than the other. Also Emerson.

“It’s a lot of money. I watched him against Watford [a 1-1 draw in June] and Ismaila Sarr absolutely ran him ragged. I was quite surprised how easily he got the better of Chilwell on the day.

“He’s a good footballer and he’s very good creatively going forward. I just think it’s a huge price for someone.

“I think Chelsea need, in both positions, really good full-backs who can do the defensive work duties really well.

“Reece James is a great right-back. You can play him in a five and push him on when you want an attacking minded game but Chelsea leak too many goals and their full-backs are very pivotal to the way they play.

“There are a lot of times in games that their full-backs are being exposed and exploited and they’re paying the price.”

For half the reported price of Chilwell, it has been claimed that Chelsea could lure commanding centre-half Dunk away from Premier League rivals Brighton.

Cascarino believes that option should be explored, adding: “He’s not just a brute that wins headers. He’s a fine footballer. If you said to me, of the bottom half of the table who I think is the very best centre-half, I think it’s him.

“His consistency over a number of seasons has been brilliant. His partnership with [Shane] Duffy was exceptional. He’s moved from a two to a three and he’s done really well in the three as well.

“[Brighton] are a side who have changed their backline so he’s capable of playing not only in a back-four but a back-five, so I think Dunk is well capable and I think h will have that move and because of his level of performance I think he’s owed a chance to play for a top-six club because he’s good enough.”

Jadon Sancho remains Plan A for Manchester United, with Mark Bosnich among those hoping to see a deal done, but the Red Devils have been urged to identify alternative transfer options that may end up offering even greater value.

The England international winger currently on the books at Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund has emerged as a top target for those at Old Trafford.

United are prepared to spend big on Sancho, with the 20-year-old forward a proven performer in the present and potential global superstar of the future.

Bosnich can appreciate why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is so eager to land the youngster, but the former goalkeeper also believes that “second or third choice” on the Red Devils’ shopping list could prove to be just as productive.

"I don't think they have to sign him. It would be far better if they did, put it that way," Bosnich told Sky Sports of the scramble for Sancho.

"When you're trying to purchase a player, if you make it out too much that he is the only option and if he doesn't come here then there will be no-one else, then his personal price and the price from the selling club tends to go up.

"So I think it's always important that you have many options, and he may be the number one option but if the price is not right and if both parties are not happy for whatever that reason may be, then they're going to have to look elsewhere.

"I'd personally love to sign him, he's a fantastic player, but sometimes you don't get exactly who you want - you get somebody else.

"But sometimes that player that you get, the second or third choice, may end up being an absolute star for the club.

"You don't really quite know. There's no real true guarantee that whoever you sign is going to be right up there."

United do have Champions League football to use as a bargaining tool in their pursuit of fresh faces and Bosnich believes their 2019-20 campaign can be considered a success despite a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla in the Europa League completing an unwanted hat-trick of semi-final setbacks.

"I don't think that they've forgotten how to win trophies," added the Australian.

"Obviously it is disappointing when you make three semi-finals and don't get to one final.

"But I still think - especially during that tough time before Christmas - if you had said to any Manchester United supporter, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or his team: 'I can guarantee you a Champions League place', they probably would have said that we would take that.

"Ultimately the game, we all know, is about winning trophies and this side is very, very young and I believe that in the future they will do that.

"I still think you have to put it down as a successful season in view of the fact that they got a Champions League spot."

Julian Nagelsmann has defended Pep Guardiola from some of the criticism he has received in the wake of Manchester City's elimination from the Champions League.

The Premier League side suffered a 3-1 loss to Lyon in Lisbon on Saturday and the coach's decision to line up with a three-man defence has been regarded as a key factor in the media.

Guardiola insisted after the game that "tactics are not the most important thing" in such ties and Nagelsmann has echoed his claim, adding that he would have been hailed as a genius had they gone through.

“I can't rate that about Pep because I don't know how often they have trained with a back three before," Nagelsmann told Goal and DAZN.

"The idea he basically had was for the format of his players certainly not to be too complicated. Whether 3-4-3 or 4-3-3, I don't think that is that crucial for a Kevin De Bruyne.

"In the end, it's individual situations and not the basic order. In my opinion, it is a bit too easy and too bold to always blame the formation for something like that.

"If he had won, everyone would have said: 'World-class tactics! Now he has surprised everyone.' It's a tightrope.

"In a knockout game you often have to make tactical adjustments that you might not make in the league. If necessary, you can take a point with you. That doesn't work in the Champions League. Every coach has to be there to find your own way."

RB Leipzig will battle Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final, with domestic rivals Bayern Munich facing Lyon in the other semi-final.

The German giants beat Barcelona 8-2 with a stunning performance and Nagelsmann was impressed.

"Bayern were incredibly good, all the players were greedy and showed a high level of intensity," he said.

"To be honest, Barcelona were also really bad. The team didn't seem free at all, very busy in their heads and slow in their actions.

"After the 1-1 goal they had one or two good actions, but nothing came after that. The fact that they conceded eight goals in the end is almost a touch too many. That shouldn't happen at this level.

"I was also a bit shocked because it wasn't evenly balanced at all. Of course, I don't want to diminish Bayern's performance, it was exceptionally strong. But the opponents weren't able to counter it.

"They are doing very, very well and are currently the most stable team in Europe, which they have also shown in the Bundesliga.

"Lyon are not that bad either. It is not that easy to beat this team. We drew once against them in the group stage and lost once."

Arsenal’s pursuit of Gabriel Magalhaes should become clearer this week with the north London club expecting a decision on the defender’s future.

Mikel Arteta has been determined to bring in another centre-back this summer to coincide with the arrival of William Saliba, who is now in pre-season training having completed his season-long loan spell with Saint-Etienne.

The Gunners have been keeping tabs on a number of targets in recent months, including Malang Sarr - who is now a free agent having left Nice - and Axel Disasi, who has recently completed a move from Stade de Reims to Monaco.

But their interest has been focused on Gabriel of late and discussions with Lille have now reached a stage when a decision is imminent over the future of the 22-year-old.

The Ligue 1 club have long accepted that Gabriel will be leaving this summer and made it clear to all interested clubs, including Arsenal, what it will take for them to land the £25 million ($28m) rated defender.

Arsenal and Napoli are now leading the chase for the Brazilian and a final decision is expected in the coming days.

Speaking to Sky Sports News on Sunday, Lille president Gerard Lopez said: “We spoke to a number of clubs, our expectations were met by a number of clubs and we have given him [Gabriel] the time to decide.

“It is going to be entirely his decision. We tend to try and steer our players in certain directions, but at the end of the day it’s the player’s decision.

“I know he is going to make a decision early next week.

“He is a super guy and a great football player and he wants to play, there has been a lot of interest but we have clearly decided to close the door to further clubs at this stage and let him choose.”

Manchester United have been keeping tabs on Gabriel’s situation, as have Everton - who were one of the clubs who met Lille’s demands for the defender. It is now believed, however, they have accepted that the centre-back will not be moving to Merseyside.

Arsenal, who completed the signing of Willian on a free transfer last week, are confident that the departure of Raul Sanllehi will not have any impact on their pursuit of the in-demand defender.

The club’s former head of football has a good relationship with the Lille hierarchy and had been driving the negotiations. But director of football operations Huss Fahmy has also been involved and will lead the discussions going forward, both with Lille and Gabriel, should the Gunners be given permission to speak to the Brazil Under-20 international.

There have been reports in Italy that Gabriel has already chosen Arsenal as his next destination, but sources close to the deal have told Goal that is not the case and that a final decision has yet to be taken.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are hoping to soon announce that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a new contract with the club.

The Gunners skipper is currently away on holiday but will return to England this week ahead of pre-season training, which gets underway at London Colney on August 22.

An agreement over a new deal is understood to have been reached, with Aubameyang even teasing an imminent announcement on social media.

The 31-year-old is expected to see his wages rise to around £250,000-a-week.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) has confirmed receipt of $500,000 from world football governing body Fifa which was the Covid-19 relief grant.

It is for this reason the Federation's Executive Committee met on Monday, August 17 to approve the appropriation of the monies. Fufa has revealed how they will disburse the funds after being cleared by the delegates.

"Fufa wishes to announce receipt of USD 500,000 being the first part of the solidarity Grant earlier applied for and approved by Fifa," Federation's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Edgar Watson confirmed on their website.

"The Fufa Executive Committee deliberated on an approved allocation of funds. As stipulated in the Regulations funds will be transferred directly to the beneficiary’s bank account within the next 14 days."

The East Africa nation has also confirmed they are in the process of trying to secure some money for the women's football as well and any progress will be made public.

"Fufa is in the process of applying for the women’s football grant and all stakeholders will be informed of any developments in this regard as soon as they occur," Watson continued. 

"Fufa wishes to express its gratitude to Fifa for the timely support to football and its stakeholders especially during this Covid-19 pandemic period."  

The Government, on Friday, August 14 held a consultative meeting with the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) and the National Council of Sports regarding the resumption of football and sports in Uganda.

Football and sporting activities, in general, were suspended in the East African nation in March owing to the Covid-19 outbreak. It is the reason why Fufa went on to annul the Ugandan Premier League and crown Vipers SC as the champions.

A total of 25 rounds, which relates to 80% of matches, had been played and as per Fufa rules, it was in order to crown the Venoms, who were also given the right to represent the country in the Caf Champions League, while KCCA FC were given the mandate to play in the Caf Confederation Cup.

"Fufa, National Council of Sports and Government of the Republic of Uganda today held another meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister in regard to the resumption of football and sports in general," the Federation confirmed.

"There's hope that the green light will come soon."

Cosafa has announced it is considering staging the 2020 edition of its flagship men’s senior challenge Cup in October.

Although the regional football organisation did not mention the hosts of this year’s tournament, the last three editions have been held in South Africa.

Cosafa could now use Fifa’s October 7 to 15 international period to accommodate its flagship tournament.

Caf had reserved the October Fifa dates for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers before the international football calendar was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. 

While making adjustments to its 2020 tournament schedule, Cosafa also said the women’s senior championship would be held in October.

“While the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic will have on travel and quarantine restrictions remain uncertain in the coming months, the Executive [Committee] has crafted a potential blueprint for hosting competitions if conditions allow across the Cosafa region,” the regional football body said in a statement.

“The organisation [Cosafa] is also exploring the potential of hosting its flagship men’s Cosafa Cup during the October Fifa international window, while the senior Cosafa Women’s Championship has also been pencilled in for October 19-31 in Nelson Mandela Bay [South Africa].”

If the October dates for the men’s tournament sail through, it could, however, prove to be a headache for some countries where the resumption of domestic leagues remain uncertain including record six-time champions Zimbabwe.

The same scenario could also hit the women's side.

Cosafa also announced that their men’s Under-17 and Under-20 tournaments have been set for November and December after the Mauritian government gave its football association the green light to host the age-group championships.

The two tournaments serve as qualifiers for continental finals which the Under-17s would be held in Morocco in July 2021, while the Under-20 dates are yet to be decided.

“While the 2020 calendar remains uncertain given the unpredictability of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are exciting plans to add as many as three more competitions in 2021, in what will be an incredibly busy time,” Cosafa said.

The plans would bring to 10, the total of Cosafa tournaments in 2021, including the regional women's Champions League, futsal and beach soccer.

“Cosafa has applied to host a Boys Under-15 Championship in conjunction with the Uefa Assist programme, which will be timely with Caf focusing more on this age-group for their own development initiatives,” the regional football body added.

“Cosafa has also created a task team to devise plans for the Regional Women’s Champions League which the organisation hopes to stage for the first time next year, subject to funding being sourced to support this competition.”

Thomas Tuchel says Kylian Mbappe is fit enough to start Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League semi-final tie against RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

The France international recovered from an ankle injury to feature in the second half of the 2-1 win over Atalanta in the quarter-final.

PSG coach Tuchel is yet to decide if the 21-year-old be included in the starting XI but expects him to play a part.

"He played 30 minutes against Atalanta. He has gained in capacity," the coach told reporters. 

"He can start, but we'll see if he can play 90 minutes. We will decide after training to know if he starts."

Mbappe played a key role in sending his side through to the final four as he got the assist for Eric Choupo-Moting's winning goal against Atalanta just moments after Neymar set up Marquinhos to equalise.

Tuchel is relieved to be able to call on both of his star attackers for the next game.

"This is our strong point," he said of Neymar and Mbappe. "They always make the difference. It's a good mix between Neymar who dribbles and Kylian who brings speed and who is hungry to score all the time.

"In each team, you have small connections. The two together are exceptional.

"Ney is a little bit different as a leader. He has quality, a lot of confidence in the field, courage too.

"He always wants to win and he always wants to fight. He loves competition and that is essential for a leader.

"This season, we created a group with players like Ander Herrera, Pablo Sarabia, Keylor Navas and all the others who arrived. They know very well how to play together.

"This may also be the key to observing Neymar's level. It's a team sport and he can't win on his own. It's not possible, and we created it with key players who brought a special atmosphere."

Tuchel has history with Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann, having worked with him in the early days of his coaching career at Augsburg.

"I was the coach of the Augsburg reserve team. He was my player and unfortunately he was still injured.

"We didn't have the possibility to have a lot of staff, so we offered him to observe the opponents and he gave us detailed observations. He was very attentive.

"Today, I am here, with PSG. It's a great gift for me. I am very humble and very happy to live this moment.

"It's incredible that we find ourselves in the semi-finals, but at the same time it's natural. It's my job and his. Julian likes to change his tactics from match to match. He adapts. It was the DNA of Hoffenheim, and now of Leipzig."

Thiago Alcantara is “a better passer” than any of the midfield options currently available to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, says Steve Nicol, but a man currently starring at Bayern Munich may not be the best fit for the Reds’ engine room.

The reigning Premier League champions continue to be heavily linked with the Spain international.

Klopp is said to be in the market for another creative influence that blends both graft and guile.

Thiago would tick that box, with the Barcelona academy graduate a proven playmaker at the very highest level.

Nicol believes he would be an upgrade for the Reds in possession, making him a useful addition to the Anfield ranks, but is not convinced that he suits the style of football that has proved so successful for Liverpool.

The former Reds defender told ESPN FC of the Thiago talk: “He is a better passer than anyone that plays in there.

“The problem is the way Liverpool play in the middle of the park. It’s more to do with closing the ball down, a lot of energy and ability.

“As far as ability, I agree [that he is a better passer than any Liverpool player].

“From the other two points of view, that closing down to get that ball back, that would be affected if Alcantara were to actually start for every game.”

Nicol has highlighted the pros and cons of Liverpool landing Thiago on a regular basis over recent weeks, with the Scot of the opinion that a deal should be done despite any tactical concerns.

He has said: “I would sign him, don't get me wrong.

“I think he's a great footballer and he can pass the ball. Unfortunately, he just doesn't fit the mould of what Liverpool do in the middle of the park right now.

“Yes, he's got ability, but he also has to have dynamism, he has to have legs, he has to close down quickly, he's got to have energy. Those are thing that all those players in the middle of the park for Liverpool have.

“That isn't Alcantara. But at the same time, having a player like that to bring on, he can play in the FA Cup, the League Cup, you can bring him on and give him half an hour to pass the ball around if that's what you need.

“I would sign him, I think he's a quality player. If the money is right, go and get him.”

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

The Senegal international played a pivotal role as the Anfield outfit ended their long wait for an English top-flight title, having last clinched the trophy in 1990.

The forward scored 18 goals and provided nine assists as the Reds won the Premier League trophy with a club-record 99 points.

Mane beat competition from his teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to clinch the individual accolade.

The forward has been turning heads since teaming up with the Reds in the summer of 2016 from Southampton, where he spent two years after arriving from Red Bull Salzburg.

Mane has racked up a total of 63 goals in 127 league appearances for the Anfield outfit since joining the side, amid other dazzling displays which have endured him to the Reds’ fans.

In the 2018-19 season, he emerged as the Premier League joint-top scorer along with Mohamed Salah and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

In the last campaign, the forward scored 20 goals and provided 12 assists across all competitions for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Besides Premier League success, Mane has also helped the Reds win the Champions League, the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup titles.

The 28-year-old was a prominent member of the Senegal national team that finished as runner-up in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Mane has featured 69 times and scored 19 goals since he made his debut for the Teranga Lions in 2012 and is currently the Africa Player of the Year.

The winger will hope to sparkle once again when Liverpool take on Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 29 at Wembley.

Chelsea have been working on the futures of their young and wantaway stars while they attempt major transfers, with 18-year-old striker Armando Broja set for his first loan move in the coming months.

Dutch club Vitesse are informally a feeder club for the Blues and Broja, who scored 19 goals in 31 games across various youth levels last season which led to his debut under Frank Lampard, is set to move to the Netherlands for next season.

He will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Mason Mount and Nemanja Matic in joining the Eredivisie outfit.

Alongside that, Ike Ugbo has agreed on a loan move to Cercle Brugge with a €5 million (£4.5m/$6m) option to buy placed on the youngster, who got 13 goals in 28 games for Roda JC in the Dutch second division last season.

Tiemoue Bakayoko wants to join AC Milan, who are in talks over another loan deal. The Serie A giants are attempting to talk down the option to buy price from the €42.5 million (£38m/$46m) that Monaco refused to use last season, to as low as €22m (£20m/$26m).

It will likely settle at around €35m (£32m/$41m) with a loan fee of approximately €3m (£2.7m), with his £100,000-a-week wages being paid in full. Bakayoko is on a Chelsea contract with two years left to run.

Meanwhile, despite having had a host of loan offers for next season, Ethan Ampadu is keen to try and impress Frank Lampard in training sessions, putting any moves on hold.

Lampard is understood to be a huge fan of the 19-year-old who was on loan at RB Leipzig last season, but arrived into Stamford Bridge with the youngster having already agreed to a Bundesliga move.

Chelsea have yet to push Ampadu to look for a loan out of west London for another season, leaving the door open for his stay, but the situation is subject to change with a host of major transfer targets being pursued in the market.

Michy Batshuayi's representatives are looking to get him out of Chelsea and have sounded out Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United over a potential move, with the newly-promoted side seeking a striker.

Bielsa worked with Batshuayi at Marseille, but it is thought that there are more suitors for the Belgium international whose contract expires next summer.

Trevoh Chalobah has agreed to move on loan for another season after a year at Huddersfield Town, with rumours abound that he is set for Ligue 1.

Jake Clarke-Salter is another who has offers from abroad, as well as the Championship, after an impressive season with Birmingham City.

Rennes have enquired about taking Fikayo Tomori on loan next season as new sporting director Florian Maurice has been tracking the Chelsea star for some time. However, Lampard's side have paused any decision on Tomori's future leaving the Ligue 1 club waiting after their initial contact.

Furthermore, Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia has turned a €15m (£13.5m/$18m) buy-back clause for Jeremie Boga at Sassuolo into a sell-on clause which is understood to be between 10 and 15 per cent.

Boga is still looking to leave Sassuolo this summer with Napoli and Roma leading the queue, with Atalanta recently registering an interest. Premier League club Brighton also feature, with further options in France.

Sassuolo will have a meeting about Boga next week and Chelsea look set to earn a portion of the €30m (£27m/$35m) asking price should he be sold.

Chelsea have already brought back several of their loanees to Cobham training centre to give them a pre-season with fixtures to be announced.

The Blues are chasing major pieces of transfer business alongside their outgoing options, with Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz and Leicester City's Ben Chilwell continuing active talks.

Odsonne Edouard will not follow Moussa Dembele’s lead by pushing for a move away from Celtic, says Kris Commons, with suitors for the French forward warned that the transfer “ship has sailed”.

The talented 22-year-old has proved to be a prolific presence across three seasons in Scotland, with an initial loan move from Paris Saint-Germain having been made in 2017.

With 65 goals recorded in 128 appearances, Edouard’s exploits for Celtic have attracted plenty of suitors. Arsenal, Manchester United and Leicester are said to figure on a long list of admirers, with interest building in the youngster from across Europe.

Celtic have found themselves in a similar position on plenty of occasions in the past, with Dembele landing a move to Lyon in 2018, but Commons believes they can fend off interest in Edouard even if Neil Lennon fails to oversee a successful run to the Champions League group stage.

The former Hoops star told the Daily Mail: "One theory which I've heard doing the rounds in recent days has been that Odsonne Edouard's future will hinge on Celtic's progress in Europe this season and what happens over these next few weeks.

"The suggestion seems to be that a failure to reach the group stage of the Champions League would inevitably hasten his departure prior to the transfer window closing in October.

"I totally disagree with that. For me, there's absolutely no chance that Celtic will even contemplate selling their star striker at this late juncture. That ship has sailed.

"The season is already under way. If they were of a mind to cash-in on Edouard, they'd have done it six weeks ago to give themselves time to find a suitable replacement.

"The signing of Albian Ajeti changes nothing in that respect. Despite the £5 million ($6.5m) fee, there's no way he's been bought as a direct replacement for Edouard. You don't replace one of the best young strikers in Europe with a boy who was warming the bench for West Ham last season."

Commons added: "As for Edouard, he's still got one more year left in the tank at Celtic. I would be astonished if they let him go at this stage of proceedings. Listen, I understand that money talks, but Peter Lawwell is a smart man. He'll know that selling Edouard now would be playing with fire.

"If the club sold their star player and then failed to secure ten in a row this season, Lawwell won't need anyone to tell him that the fans would hound him out of the club.

"What will help Celtic's cause is that I genuinely don't see Edouard agitating for a move. He seems a really level-headed boy and I don't see a repeat of what happened with Dembele a couple of years ago. There was a lot of politics involved in that. Dembele eventually demanded to leave after what he felt were broken promises from Rodgers.

"I don't see that happening with Edouard. To be honest, it's actually in his best interests to stick around for at least one more season."

Erling Haaland “would have been perfect” for Manchester United, says Steve McClaren, with the Red Devils considered to still be in need of an upgrade to Anthony Martial in their No.9 position.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen a France international forward post a personal-best return of 23 goals in the 2019-20 campaign. Questions have continued to be asked, though, of whether Martial is a long-term solution for United in central striking berth.

McClaren believes he is not the answer, with more money needing to be spent on a proven performer to fill an important role.

He admits that Haaland, who ended up joining Borussia Dortmund in January, would have been ideal for the Red Devils, and it is difficult to see where they are going to find a suitable alternative in the current transfer window – with Jadon Sancho not the right fit either in an already well-stocked attack.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant at Old Trafford told talkSPORT: “The front four are so quick, they’re so exciting and they cause so many problems, and Martial is a fantastic player, but in the big games when it really matters he never looks like a true goalscorer. They need class in that position.

“I don’t think [Romelu] Lukaku fit into what Man United are all about, that high intensity, and I think they need that.

“The manager is helpless if the club don’t back him and go for the likes of Haaland. What a perfect fit he would have been. I’ve seen him for Dortmund and he’s an incredible player at 20. Imagine him in the Man United team, that would be spot on. So they’re not far away, but they have to spend the money and get the right players.

“I’ve seen Jadon Sancho play a lot for Dortmund and he’s very, very exciting, but he’s a little bit like Martial, [Marcus] Rashford and [Mason] Greenwood and I wonder, do they really need that?

“He’s not a No 9, and Martial, Rashford and Greenwood aren’t that either. You’ve got to get a fox in the box, a goalscorer and No 9 and they’ve got to find one quick.

“Yes, Sancho would improve the squad, but to win big games and to win cups, you need a No 9 and you need two damn good centre-backs. Haaland would have been perfect; a young talented striker, a No 9 who can play under pressure – they’re difficult to find.

“Harry Kane, will they get him out of Tottenham? I doubt it very much, but they need someone of that ilk.”

United have been linked with a big-money move for Kane, amid ongoing questions of his long-term future at Spurs, while a deal for Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho could be done at some stage after a protracted chase.

After Young Africans (Yanga SC) dispatched their delegation to the Democratic Republic of Congo, rumours are now rife they are about to conclude talks with coach Florent Ibenge.

The Timu Ya Wananchi delegation was led by the Competition Committee chair and the representative of GSM, the club’s sponsors Hersi Saidi.

Yanga are in the market for a new coach after parting ways with head coach Luc Eymael, whose half-a-season stint was marred with controversy as well as assistant coach Boniface Mukwasa.

Mukwasa who has so far joined Premier League side Ruvu Shooting.

Saidi visited AS Vita, a club that is being headed by Ibenge further fuelling the rumour mill the 58-year old may agree to join the 27-time Tanzanian league champions.

Ibenge is one of the experienced African coaches having been in charge of Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua a job he started in April 2012. After the short sojourn in China, he came and took over the Linafoot bigwigs in 2014.

He was appointed the Democratic Republic of Congo national team head coach in 2014 and combined the role with AS Vita duties. Ibenge led The Leopards to the 2016 African Nations Championship (Chan) title.

He stepped down last year from his national duties and returned to AS Vita.

Yanga are understood to have not concluded their transfer business yet and the visit to AS Vita could also involve talks between two players; Mukoko Tonombe and Tuisila Kisinda.

In a recent interview, Congolese striker Makusu Mundele confirmed Ibenge had asked him whether he was ready to join the Tanzanian side.

“The coach [Florent Ibenge] called me and asked whether I am ready to play in Tanzania. I told him that I had received an offer from Simba SC but had never received any tangible interest from Yanga,” Mundele said then.

“He told me to make my mind up quickly if I want to play for Yanga so that he can link me with a top official of the club for the purposes of negotiations.”

The Jangwani street-based outfit has already signed midfielder Peter Zawadi Mauya, left-back Yassin Mustapha, striker Waziri Junior, centre-back Bakari Mwamnyeto, Farid Mussa Shaha, Yassin Mustapha, Sacoub Songne, Kibwana Shomari and Abdallah Shaibu.