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Kylian Mbappe hit out at all of those that talk down the quality of Ligue 1, dismissing the typical "Farmer's League" criticism in the wake of Lyon's stunning win over Manchester City.

Lyon shocked the Premier League powerhouses on Saturday, earning a 3-1 win that will send the Ligue 1 side into the Champions League semi-finals.

The French side opened the scoring in the first half through Maxwel Cornet, with Lyon hitting City on the counter to take the lead.

Kevin De Bruyne levelled the scoreline with a first-time finish in the 68th minute to seemingly get City back into the match, but Pep Guardiola's team were undone by two late goals from Moussa Dembele.

The French forward beat the City backline for his first goal, sliding a shot between Ederson's legs in the 79th minute.

Then, after a shocking Raheem Sterling miss, Lyon went back the other way following a giveaway in midfield, with Dembele tapping home after Ederson spilt Houssem Aouar's shot back into the centre of the box.

Mbappe quickly took to Twitter to congratulate Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 rivals while also aiming a jibe at those that repeatedly talk down about the French league.

The PSG star restated the common "Farmer's League" insult alongside a clown emoji before saluting Lyon with several clap emojis for good measure.

Lyon's Twitter account also hopped in on the fun with a tweet of their own, adding "No farmers here" with a winking emoji as they celebrated their triumph.

Now, Lyon, who finished seventh in Ligue 1, will look ahead to a semi-final clash with Bayern Munich, with the German champions riding high after an 8-2 demolition of Barcelona.

Lyon and Bayern will meet in the semi-final on Wednesday, with the former having already taken down Juventus and, now, City in the knockout rounds.

The winner of that match will take on either Mbappe's PSG or RB Leipzig in the Champions League final, which is set for August 23.

PSG came from behind to take down Atalanta in their quarter-final clash, with the injured Mbappe coming on in the second half as the French champions scored two goals through Marquinhos and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the game's waning moments to knock out the Italian underdogs.

RB Leipzig, meanwhile, sealed a late win of their own against Atletico Madrid, with Tyler Adams scoring with just minutes remaining to book their semi-final spot.

Columbus Crew have announced the signing of Emmanuel Boateng in a trade with Major League Soccer Eastern Conference rivals DC United, with Axel Sjoberg going in the opposite direction.

Boateng had moved to the American capital outfit in the summer of 2019 but failed to nail a regular place in the starting XI, making a total of four appearances.

He also failed to make any appearance in the recently-concluded MLS is Back tournament in which DC finished last in Group B with two points behind Toronto FC, New England Revolution and Montreal Impact.  A move to the Crew thus presents Boateng with a new lease of life with the club’s president Tim Bezbatchenko asserting his experience in the top-flight will be of great value to the Ohio State side.

“Emmanuel is a veteran, dynamic player who brings eight years of professional experience to our Club, and we are excited to welcome him to Columbus,” Bezbatchenko said on the club website.

“We believe Emmanuel’s speed on the flank and his familiarity with MLS makes him a valuable addition to our roster. We also want to thank Axel for his time with Crew SC, and we wish him the best in the next chapter of his career.

“Today we made a pair of trades, adding Emmanuel Boateng from D.C. United as well as acquiring defender Grant Lillard from Inter Miami FC. I want to thank our TD Pat Onstad and scouting and player personnel groups for working hard to complete these transactions coming off our time in Orlando.

“As [coach] Caleb [Porter] and his staff prepare for the continuation of our MLS regular season next week, we look forward to integrating both Emmanuel and Grant into our Club. We aim to remain hungry and humble as we build off of the team’s performance to date.”

Boateng’s senior career began in the United States with Ventura County Fusion in 2013 before moving to Sweden to play for Helsingborgs between 2013 and 2016.

The most active stint in his career came in came Los Angeles Galaxy, featuring 123 times in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists from 2016 to 2019.

Boateng was born in the Ghanaian capital of Accra and started out at youth level with Right to Dream Academy before moving to the United States at the age of 15 and was part of the University of California, Santa Barbara soccer team.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has decided to postpone the first round 2021 Women's World Cup qualifying matches, given the travel restriction situation in numerous countries on the continent.

Caf had earlier chalked out a schedule to hold the first round in September before the second and third in October and November. Now the matches have been further postponed indefinitely.

Morocco were billed to face Algeria. Gabon take on Congo, while Liberia engage Cameroon just as Burkina Faso tackle Nigeria, with the first leg between September 4-6 and second leg a week later. 

In other first-round fixtures, Ghana face-off with Guinea-Bissau and Senegal battle Tanzania, while Botswana fight it out with South Africa as Ethiopia challenge Zimbabwe.

A statement from Caf read:" Due to travel restrictions across parts of Africa as a result of COVID-19, the qualifiers for the Fifa U20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica/Panama 2020 scheduled for September 2020 has been postponed.

"The first round first leg was fixed for 3-5 September 2020 with the return leg from 10-12 September 2020. 

"The revised fixtures for the qualifiers will be announced in due course after consultation with various stakeholders.

"Meanwhile, Caf is monitoring the situation closely and working with the relevant authorities with regards to the hosting of the matches, and will make pronouncements accordingly in the event of developments that will affect playing a match at the designated venue."

Two teams will qualify to represent Africa at the final tournament from 20 January – 6 February 2021 in Costa Rica and Panama.

Former Berekum Chelsea coach Randolf Stephen Armarh believes moving on from the club has been the best thing to do at this stage of his life.

The trainer has decided to call it quits with The Blues after helping the club through last season's Ghana Premier League (GPL) campaign which was ultimately prematurely terminated in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. News of his departure broke earlier this week.

Ahead of the commencement of last season, Armah was demoted to assistant coach for the appointment of Serbian trainer Svetislav Tanasijevic. Chelsea sit second on the standings, only two points behind leaders Aduana Stars at the end of last season.

“I have been with the club for six years and I believe it’s enough," the coach told ghanasportspage.

"I’ve served in various capacities; from fitness trainer to team manager, assistant coach, head coach, youth coach, you name them.

“If a position within the team becomes vacant, I move to fill that position so the team can run. I’ve served in various capacities.

“For now not. I have to deal with something and am not available for clubs. Covid-19 has changed the dynamics of human life so I have to do a lot of rethinking before I come back.

“If I come back, you will all get to know when I’m back. So for now, I’m doing some sort of rethinking with regards to the dynamics of our life. I’ve got to deal with something else."

Chelsea, though, have not made an official announcement about Armah's departure.

The Blues are one-time winners of the Premier League, the success coming in 2010-11 when they beat Ashanti Gold, Asante Kotoko and Medeama to win a heated Top 4 race.

The Berekum-based side is fondly remembered for their Cinderella run on their maiden participation in the Caf Champions League in 2012 when they reached the group stage. Two years later, they made the first round.

Chelsea are bracing themselves up for the 2020-21 Ghana Premier League season which has been tentatively set to kick off in the second week of October, subject to the coronavirus safety clearance from the Government of Ghana.

Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne admitted he cannot wait to return home after seeing his side's Champions League hopes go up in smoke against Lyon on Saturday. 

Hot favourites to advance to a last-four clash against Bayern Munich before kick-off, Pep Guardiola's men were shocked as Lyon went through with a 3-1 victory in Lisbon. 

Moussa Dembele proved the hero for the Frenchman with two late goals after Maxwel Cornet opened the scoring, while City were left to lament Raheem Sterling's terrible miss with the net gaping at 2-1 down. 

De Bruyne's 69th-minute strike proved insufficient for the Premier League club, who once more fell short in Europe; and now he is only looking forward to a reunion with his wife and unborn child. 

"I need to go home because my wife is expecting - I need something to focus on," the Belgium international told BT Sport after the final whistle in Lisbon. 

"It's a different year, same stuff. First half wasn't good enough. Second half we played really well. Came back 1-1 and had couple of chances. It was then 2-1 and 3-1.

"The second half we played well had them under pressure. We were more offensive. Even at 2-1 if Ras (Raheem Sterling) scores the goal it's 2-2. They made it 3-1 and the game's over.

"Lyon didn't really create but we need to learn."

City boss Guardiola once more failed to make a mark on the Champions League, with his record of never reaching the final with either Bayern or the Citizens after winning the competition twice at Barcelona still intact. 

Pep's men are still yet to make it to the last four after five attempts and like De Bruyne, he is already looking forward to a break as the 2019-20 season finally comes to a close for the club.

"We are disappointed. We now go on holidays. Then we have to lift the players when they return to the club again," Pep explained to BT Sport.

"Sometimes you have to break the [barrier to the semis]. The team over last few years deserve it. Maybe one day we'll break this gap."

Bidvest Wits forward Terrence Dzvukamanja seems to be unfazed over his future with his current club set to be sold.

The Clever Boys' have agreed to sell their PSL status to National First Division (NFD) side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and the club would then relocate to the Limpopo Province.

Dzvukamanja is amongst Wits players, whose futures are still uncertain with the team set to be renamed Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila ahead of next season once the deal is approved by the PSL.

Recent reports have indicated the reigning PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns are monitoring Dzvukamanja's situation at Wits.

However, the Zimbabwe international is dreaming of a move to Europe having established himself as one of the top strikers in the PSL.

“It is my dream to play in Europe one day,” Dzukamanja said about his ultimate destination when speaking to Daily Sun.

The 26-year-old player, who joined Wits from Zimbabwean side Ngezi Platinum FC in 2018, will be hoping to emulate his compatriots, who have left the PSL for European clubs over the years.

Former Kaizer Chiefs duo Knowledge Musona and Teenage Hadebe and ex-Orlando Pirates defender-come-midfielder Marshall Munetsi have left South Africa for overseas clubs since 2010.

Dzukamanja remained tight-lipped about his future as he said: "For now, I’m still a Wits player. As for other things, we will see later after this season."

The speedy player has netted eight goals across all competitions this season including one in the Caf Confederation Cup.

“We want to be in the top three,” Dzvukamanja said when asked by his ambitions for the remainder of the current campaign.

Wits are currently placed fifth on the league standings - three points behind third-placed Orlando Pirates, but the former have two games in hand. 

Three of Dzvukamanja's goals have come in the Nedbank Cup where he is amongst the leading goalscorers. 

The left-footed attacker grabbed a brace in Wits' 3-2 defeat to Sundowns in the semi-final encounter at Orlando Stadium in Soweto last weekend.

Dzvukamanja reflected on the loss to the Brazilians and he said had it not been for the injury which led to his substitution, he was chasing a hat-trick. 

“Yes, I was going to try to find a third goal or an assist to help the team,” the hard-working player added.

Wits' next match will be against Lamontville Golden Arrows in a league encounter at FNB Stadium on Tuesday, August 18.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the club will break their Champions League curse eventually after the Premier League side were knocked out of the competition at the quarter-final stages for a third straight season. 

Despite being strong favourites against Lyon, City struggled to against their French opponents on Saturday, with two late goals from Moussa Dembele ensuring Rudi Garcia's side triumphed 3-1. 

Aside from the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1970, Manchester City have never won a continental piece of silverware with Guardiola so far unable to break that drought.

While 2020 looked like it could have City's year in the Champions League, their manager is adamant their bad luck in the competition will end one day. 

"It is what it is. One day we will break the gap to the semi-finals," Guardiola told BT Sport post-match.

"Second-half was okay, we were there, I had the feeling we were better, but you have to be perfect in this competition and we weren't. 

"Sometimes you have to break this [barrier to the semis]. The team over last few years deserves it. Maybe one day we'll break this gap.

On a possible foul in the build-up to Lyon's second goal, Guardiola added: "I don't want to talk about these circumstances. It looks like I'm complaining and finding excuses.

"We did a lot of good things, but it wasn't enough. We made mistakes in the boxes in key moments. We struggled to find our spaces to attack." 

After Dembele had restored Lyon's lead, Raheem Sterling missed a golden chance to equalise for City as he somehow scooped the ball over the crossbar with the goal gaping.

Sterling had enjoyed an otherwise good performance for City, setting up Kevin De Bruyne for City's only goal, but Guardiola conceded he needed to do better when presented with his chance to equalise. 

"In this situation you have to equalise to take it to extra time, but then we concede the third and it's over. We created more chances and more shots," Guardiola said. 

"We are disappointed. We now go on holidays. Then we have to lift the players when they return to the club again." 

While City are once again left to pack their bags after a quarter-final exit, Lyon will now face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals next week with another massive upset in their sights. 

Lyon coach Rudi Garcia was elated after leading his side to a shock Champions League victory over Manchester City, affirming that he got the best of Pep Guardiola when it came to tactics. 

Moussa Dembele's late double sealed a 3-1 triumph for the French side in Saturday's quarter-final clash, after Kevin De Bruyne had earlier cancelled out Maxwel Cornet's opener. 

After the fury of seeing Ligue 1 cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic - a decision that left Lyon out of European competition for 2020-1 - they have now disposed of two continental giants, having squeezed past Juventus on away goals in the previous round, leaving Garcia in awe of his battling charges.

"Proud of my troops, proud of my players. We believed in us, that we could achieve this feat," the coach explained to RMC Sport after the final whistle. 

"We only conceded one goal and that is due to the team spirit of the group. Moussa was disappointed but as I said before the match, I knew he was going to be decisive when he came back. I am delighted that he scored twice as he had not yet scored in the competition.

"With Pep, you have to expect anything. We knew he could cook up something to destabilise us, but we can say we won the tactical battle. After Leipzig, we mainly wanted to be in the round of 16 and that's what we had achieved. If we show that mindset, we can do something against Bayern."

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas was also on top of the world after seeing his side progress to the semi-final against Bayern, telling RMC Sport: "It's wonderful. We have a group that has transcended itself. We already had good players but the psychological side was missing.

"I am very happy tonight. It's great to have pulled off qualification against Juve and City. We know that Manchester City are a machine and that they should have passed so yes it is an achievement.

"It is also a huge feat after what has been going on for months with this League which stopped ten rounds from the end [with Lyon] in seventh place.

"We must underline the coaching of Rudi and the will of the players at the time of the equaliser. I think Rudi is a boy who does a good job even though it hasn't been easy. He knew, with humility and sometimes difficulties, how to do his job and he made sure that this work allowed him this recognition so no, it's not revenge, it's confirmation."

Manchester City defender Eric Garcia affirmed that he "could not comment" on speculation concerning his future at the Etihad Stadium after seeing the club eliminated from the Champions League at the hands of Lyon. 

Two goals from Moussa Dembele late in the second half inspired the French side to a 3-1 victory over City, who were hot favourites to advance from the quarter-finals prior to kick-off on Saturday. 

Kevin De Bruyne scored the Premier League side's sole strike over a disappointing 90 minutes, although Raheem Sterling was guilty of spurning a golden chance to level at 2-2 moments before Dembele put the result beyond doubt. 

Garcia, 19, has already turned down a contract offer this summer to renew his link with City, and, despite ongoing links with Barcelona, refused to talk about the issue after going down to defeat in Lisbon. 

"The only thing I can say is that now we will have some days of rest and then we will see," he told Movistar after the final whistle on Saturday. 

"I cannot say anything else, least of all after this elimination."

Despite the negative result, however, Garcia remains convinced that City are on the right track under manager Pep Guardiola, who once more failed to guide his men through to the Champions League semi-finals. 

"We are very sad about this defeat, we came here with a plan to hurt Lyon. We had chances score and then on the counter they made it 2-1," he added. 

"We have been working here for years and there is a clear upward trend. We thought we had a great chance because we were three games away from being champions. 

"The quality of the players and all the staff is beyond doubt. Year after year we have to keep trying and it will surely come in the end."

One man who will definitely not be around to see City lift the title in the future is David Silva, who played his final competitive game for the club after years of sterling service. 

"Of course [we wanted the final for Silva]. One of our goals was to win for him," Garcia said of his compatriot, who played just seven minutes in Lisbon as a late substitute.

Pep Guardiola explained his tactical tweaks in Manchester City's shock Champions League loss to Lyon were to try to cover his side's weaknesses and rued Raheem Sterling's costly miss.

City fell to a 3-1 defeat in Saturday's quarter-final in Lisbon, with Moussa Dembele striking twice after Kevin De Bruyne had cancelled out Maxwel Cornet's opener.

There will be much scrutiny of the tactical choices made by Guardiola, who opted to line up with an unfamiliar three-man defence with wing-backs, while Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva were unused substitutes despite the need for goals.

When asked about his line-up by BT Sport, Guardiola said: "No, what we have done is try to cover our weak points in comparing with the strong points, like they make incredible [moves] in the channels with the two-v-two.

"[After the] first 15-20 minutes of the first half, it was magnificent, we unblocked our respect a little bit, or we struggled to find our spaces to attack and in the same shape we played well in the final 10-15 minutes. 

"We created chances, scored a magnificent goal, but unfortunately missed another one."

The match was defined by a scarcely believable period in which Sterling blazed over the crossbar with the goal wide open before Dembele pounced on a poor parry from Ederson at the other end to make it 3-1 and all but end City's hopes.

Guardiola accepted that to progress in the Champions League such errors cannot occur.

"In this situation, you have to equalise and go to extra-time in the last minutes, and after, we concede the third goal," he added.

"In this competition, you have to be perfect. We created more chances, more shooting, but unfortunately we are out again."

It marks the third straight season City have fallen at the quarter-final stage under Guardiola, who remains convinced his side will eventually end that hoodoo.

"One day we will break this gap to the semis. In the first 20, 25 minutes, we struggled to find spaces to attack," he said.

"The second half was okay - we were there. I had a feeling we were better. You have to be perfect in this competition."

Lyon's second goal was not without controversy with the VAR checking for a potential foul on Aymeric Laporte, while City also appealed in vain for offside against Karl Toko Ekambi, who let the ball pass through his legs to the onside Dembele.

Guardiola was not in the mood to find excuses for his team's failure, though.

"I don't know. I don't want to talk about the circumstances sometimes, you know I don't wanna talk, it looks like i am complaining or finding excuses, we are out," he reasoned. 

"I had the feeling we were incredible already. We did a lot of good things, but we made a lot of mistakes in the boxes in the key moments."

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City are "too far ahead" as he called on the club to spend money on better players. 

While Solskjaer's side finished the season strongly to secure third-place in the Premier League, they ended up being 15 points behind City and 33 points shy of the Reds. 

The Red Devils haven't won the league since 2013, with their last piece of silverware now dating back to 2017. 

Ahead of a Europa League semi-final against Sevilla on Sunday, Solskjaer admitted the cub still has plenty of work to do as he called on them to splash the cash in order to close the gap. 

“It’s a race. You can see teams building. We’re always looking at the squad and player logistics," Solskjaer said. 

“It is definitely about quality – and it is going to cost money to get in players who are better than the ones we already have.

“We still have a way to go to get to the level of the teams at the top of the Premier League. They are too far ahead of us.

“We are still growing, getting better of course, but we are not the finished article. Nowhere near.”

United continue to be linked with a big-money move for Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho but have struggled to agree on a fee. 

The Red Devils' mid-season signing of Bruno Fernandes proved crucial with the Portuguese attacker scoring eight goals and contributing seven assists across just 14 Premier League appearances. 

Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui believes the Manchester United side his La Liga side will face on Sunday is the best the club has assembled in some time. 

"This United is the best Manchester United in recent years, a team that has found its way, that's why they haven't lost in the Premier League since January," he said. 

"They have found the space for the many quality footballers that they have. They are complete, they will force us to play a great game to compete with them.

"This is what I hope for tomorrow, a semi-final in a game of maximum difficulty and that will require us at all levels to play collectively."

Ghanaian centre-back Abdul Mumin has joined Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, the club has announced.

The 22-year-old has moved to Os Vimaranenses on a four-year deal.

His services have been secured on a free transfer, having left Danish outfit Nordsjaelland at the end of last season.

"Vitoria Sport Clube, Futebol SAD announces that it has signed the player Abdul Mumin a contract valid for the next four sports seasons, also ensuring 100% of the economic rights of the Ghanaian central defender," the Portuguese club announced on their official website on Saturday.

"The experience accumulated in the Danish championship has made him a well-known player in the news market, with Vitoria SC having secured his contract until 2024."

Mumin, 22, graduated from the Right to Dream academy, but in 2016 headed to Denmark to represent FC Nordsjaelland.

"Despite having the under-19s as destination, he made his debut for the main team a few days after the arrival, skipping stages in his affirmation process.

"In 2018 he represented HB Koge on loan, before returning to his home club and becoming one of the most used elements over the past two seasons.

"Mumin will present his work on Monday, joining the group that will be available to the trainer Tiago Mendes."

Last season, Mumin made 26 appearances for Nordsjaelland in the Danish Super Liga. He started 19 of the games and found the back of the net once.

The season prior, he made 14 league outings, starting 13 of the matches before heading for HB Koge for the remainder of the campaign.

In his first term, however, he featured just three times in the Super Liga.

"Goodbye Mumin. Thank you for your effort! And thanks for everything. It has been a pleasure. Good luck with your next event. We will follow your journey and cheer for you. You are always welcome here,” Nordsjaelland posted on Twitter in bidding their former defender farewell after a four-year stint last month.

A product of the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, Mumin joined partner club Nordsjaelland in 2016.

At Guimaraes, he will hope to convince Ghana coach CK for his first international call-up. 

Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has called the transfer rumours linking him with a move to Manchester City as “inappropriate” as the French giants prepare to face the Citizens in the Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday.

The 22-year-old has been one of the key players for Les Gones this season, making 39 appearances in all competitions, 25 of them coming in Ligue 1 where they finished in seventh spot after 28 matchdays, 10 points away from the final Champions League qualification spot.

In the Champions League, Aouar has played six times including the last 16 against Juventus where he provided an assist in each leg with Lyon progressing via away goals.

The Italian giants are also reported to be interested in securing the Franco-Algerian’s services, but he has debunked such claims even though he has made his intention of wanting to leave and is focused on the task at hand with Lyon, though admitting the transfer links are flattering.

"A meeting with City? No no, but of course it is always flattering to hear your name linked to these teams,” he told the media.

“To be completely honest, I find it a bit inappropriate to talk about my future before such an important match. At the moment I am 100% focused on Lyon, it is a very important game and very, very nice to play."

Lyon are usually known to sell their best players having parted with Africans like Ghana and Mali midfielders Michael Essien and Mamadou Diarra in time past. Sporting director and club legend Juninho has revealed the club will be looking for replacements if a deal sticks.

"When you have great players, it is normal that the great teams, with greater economic power, may be interested,” Juninho told RMC Sport.

“There is the risk of losing important players, if so, in agreement with president Aulas, we will work to find suitable substitutes.”

Aouar has been with Lyon since his youth and has made a total of 135 appearances for the senior team, scoring 24 goals and providing 25 assists.

He is eligible to play for France having been born in Lyon or Algeria by virtue of the origin of his parents.

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he is open to leaving the club this summer and says there are at least 10 teams interested in signing him.

The 27-year-old joined the Gunners in 2012, but has since been sent out on loan six times and has made just 37 appearances for the first-team.

The Argentine featured 23 times for the north London outfit this season, having been called on to play in the Europa League before he was drafted in to replace Bernd Leno in Premier League matches when the first choice shot stopper was sidelined with an injury in June.

Martinez still has two years left on his contract, but he would consider leaving if coach Mikel Arteta will not promise more playing time next season.

"I want to stay at Arsenal, but only if I get more minutes. Because on a personal level I am at an age where to build confidence I need to be playing as many minutes as possible," he told Marca.

"I am in the crosshairs of 10 teams in Europe, but I can't say who those clubs are because there's nothing concrete.

"I still do not have a clear situation with Arsenal, when I have it when I return I will make the best decision for my career."

Martinez spent the 2017-18 campaign on loan at Getafe but made just four La Liga appearances.

Despite his disappointing year in the Spanish top-flight, it would be his first choice destination if he were to leave England.

"I really liked La Liga. It's true that I didn't have a good experience at Getafe, because I didn't play as many games as I wanted. 

"But Spain is a great league, I love the country. If I go back I will play more minutes than I did at Getafe, and I would do it in the best way. 

"If it is not England, I would like to go to Spain."

Martinez has been impressed by Arsenal boss Arteta since he took charge in December and guided them to FA Cup success.

"Arteta is a great coach, he changed the structure at Arsenal, he gave us a game plan," he added. 

"He is one of the best modern coaches today. In six months he has won a title, the FA Cup no less, one of the best cups in England and one of the oldest in history. 

"He's very smart, in my opinion, he's going to be one of the best coaches in the world. I have no doubt that he can lead the Spanish national team. 

"Pep Guardiola said that everyone at Manchester City had learned from Arteta. 

"In training we see that he has a clear idea of ​​the game, he surprises us day by day."

Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side Bright Stars FC are set to confirm Baker Mbowa as their new head coach.

Mbowa is expected to sign a three-year deal with Bright Stars to fill the position that was left vacant by Paul Kiwanuka who joined Fred Kajoba’s backroom staff at Vipers SC.

The appointment of Mbowa is understood to have been reached following week-long consultations.

Hussein Mbalangu, Joseph Kiwanuka, Sadiq Ssempigi and Kefa Kisala were the other coaches who had applied to succeed Kiwanuka. Kisala has so far joined UPDF though.

Peter Mugerwa, who has worked under two previous coaches Muhammed Kiseka and Kiwanuka, is expected to be Mbowa’s deputy.

Mbowa has had coaching stints at Proline FC first in 2016 where he led the club as they fought for Premier League promotion.

He was Shafiq Bisaso’s assistant when they lifted the Uganda Cup last year and consequently featured in the Caf Confederation Cup.

The Ugandan also led lower sides that included Masaka LC, now defunct, as well as Mawokota and Kabula in the Masaza Cup.

Bright Anukani and Fahad Bayo are among the players the tactician is credited to have helped grow their talent.

The immediate task for the coach is to ensure Bright Stars register a better performance in the 2020/21 season even though they have lost Jamil Kaliisa.

Goalkeeper Simon Tamale and defender Derrick Ngoobi are to remain at the club as Bright Stars are yet to confirm any new signing so far.

Meanwhile, New UPL side Malaba Youth Development Association (MYDA) FC have signed defender Yakubu Ramathan.

The former AFC Leopards star has signed a two-year contract with the newly-promoted club based in the Eastern Uganda region.

“I am really happy to be back home and happy to sign for the new entrants in the league,” Yakubu said as was quoted by Kawowo Sports.

“I am going to do all that it takes that we maintain our team in the league and display a good game in this new season of UPL, I am glad to be here.”

Ramadhan was clubless since his contract with SC Villa ended in the recent past. He has previously played for Lusaka Dynamos of Zambia and Uganda's Bright Stars.

MYDA have already signed Isaac Mweru Doka and midfielder Waiswa Kasango.

Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits settled for a share of the spoils as the match ended in a 0-0 draw at Ellis Park Stadium.

The Buccaneers remained third on the PSL standings after this encounter with 42 points from 25 league games. 

Wits, on the other hand, are two points behind the Sea Robbers but remain fifth on the log behind SuperSport United who are placed fourth. 

Josef Zinnbauer made a surprising inclusion to his usual starting line-up as Xola Mlambo made his debut since the German mentor arrived in December 2019. 

Luvuyo Memela also returned to the starting XI after missing the clash against Mamelodi Sundowns in midweek. 

Gavin Hunt welcomed Sfiso Hlanti back from suspension and he started on the left-hand side of the defence. 

The Buccaneers started brightly with Vincent Pule testing Ricardo Goss in the 20th-minute and the Wits keeper made a superb save to keep his side in the game. 

Soon after the half-hour mark, Wits nearly conceded following a miscommunication between Goss and Lorenzo Gordinho but Pule hit the wrong side of the net. 

Pule was all over the place giving his former employers a torrid time and he combined with Ben Motshwari and Memela but Goss went down to make a good save. 

Wits took the game to the Sea Robbers toward the end of the first-half but Haashim Domingo headed wide much to the relief of the Bucs technical team.  

Zinnbauer and Hunt gave what was a tough half-time talk during the break because both teams came back guns blazing after the restart. 

Domingo came close to breaking the deadlock inside the opening 10 minutes of the second-half as his attempted shot rattled the post with Wayne Sandilands beaten hands down. 

That didn't stop Zinnbauer's men as Gabadinho Mhango fired at Goss in the 62nd-minute but the Wits goalkeeper made a superb save.  

Goss was again in the thick of things as he made a point-blank range save in the 70th-minute as Bucs threw everything at Wits. 

Ultimately, both sides settled for a goalless draw as they failed to find the back of the net. 

This was Pirates' second consecutive goalless draw while Wits failed to score for the first time since the resumption of the current campaign. 

The goal-drought for Pirates continued in the end after failing to breakthrough in the final minutes. Their next assignment in the league sees them take on relegation-threatened Baroka FC on Tuesday.

Rasheedat Ajibade put in a solid display for Avaldsnes as they handed Lillestrom a first defeat in the Norwegian Toppserien this season after a 1-0 triumph at Avaldsnes Idrettssenter on Saturday.

The Nigeria international has continued to impress in her second season with Avaldsnes, having netted three goals in five outings.

Following a 1-0 victory at Roa last week, Thomas Dahle's team aimed to make a statement against the champions, who defeated Arna Bjornar 2-1 to seal their sixth consecutive win this term.

As part of his tactical plan, manager Dahle surprisingly redeployed Ajibade to the midfield, starting Andrea Norheim upfront and the 20-year-old Nigerian made an impact as they upset the holders.

As expected, the visitors threatened early in search of an opener but Ajibade did superbly well to stop Emilie Haavi in the 21st minute.

The hosts came close when the Super Falcons star raced from her own half to the visitors' area before passing to Elise Thorsnes, whose effort was later halted by Emilie Woldvik in the 36th minute.

The Nigerian was close to firing her side ahead but her brilliant long-range effort from 17 yards went wide four minutes from half time.

11 minutes after the restart, Nathalie Utvik sent in a fine cross from the right, which fell into the path of Andrea Norheim, who set up substitute Ylinn Tennebo to fire past goalkeeper Ida Norstrom.

Having gained the lead, Ajibade provided some calmness in the middle of the park for Avaldsnes to contain the visitors and held their nerve to seal a second win on the bounce this season. 

Besides the famous win, Ajibade, who played from the start to finish for Avaldsnes has ultimately been given the Player of the Match prize following her positive impact in her side's incredible victory.

The result means Avaldsnes are fourth with 13 points from seven games, cutting the lead of Lillestrom to three and they will host third-placed Rosenborg on the same ground on August 22.

Manchester City again came unstuck against Lyon in the Champions League as a controversial 3-1 defeat saw Pep Guardiola miss out on a semi-final against his former club Bayern Munich.

Lyon won away to City in the 2018-19 group stage - also drawing at home - and they again had the tournament favourites' number in Lisbon on Saturday.

Maxwel Cornet scored in both prior meetings between the sides and was on target once more midway through the first half as City struggled to get to grips with the five-man defence named by Guardiola.

That formation was ditched before the hour mark and Kevin De Bruyne equalised, but substitute Moussa Dembele restored Lyon's lead following a contentious counter-attack with 11 minutes remaining and then added another after an Ederson error.

Raheem Sterling remarkably missed an open goal between Dembele's decisive strikes as City suffered further European misery in stunning fashion.

Julen Lopetegui believes the Manchester United side Sevilla will face in the Europa League semi-final is the best Red Devils line-up for a long time.

United and Sevilla meet in Cologne on Sunday for the right to play against either Inter of Shakhtar Donetsk, who square off on Monday, in the final.

Sevilla come into the match on the back of a 19-game unbeaten run, boosted by wins over Roma and Wolves in their past two outings, while United have lost just once since January.

United may have been underwhelming in their 1-0 quarter-final win over Copenhagen, requiring an extra time goal from Bruno Fernandes to emerge victorious, but Lopetegui clearly rates Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men highly.

Sevilla stunned United in the last 16 of the Champions League two years ago when they beat them 2-1 on aggregate, but Lopetegui is certain the Red Devils are much better now.

"This United is the best Manchester United in recent years, a team that has found its way, that's why they haven't lost in the Premier League since January," the former Spain and Real Madrid boss told reporters ahead of the last-four encounter.

"They have found the space for the many quality footballers that they have. They are complete, they will force us to play a great game to compete with them.

"This is what I hope for tomorrow, a semi-final in a game of maximum difficulty and that will require us at all levels to play collectively.

"We like to play beautiful and important matches. For that we have fought and worked all year. It is an important game against a great opponent.

"We will be able to arrive prepared. We will try to overcome them, no matter how big a team they are."

Sevilla, who finished fourth in La Liga this season, are chasing their sixth title in Europe's secondary competition, having won the Europa League three times and its predecessor – the UEFA Cup – twice.

United, meanwhile came in third in the Premier League in 2019-20 and are chasing their first piece of silverware since they won the Europa League and Carabao Cup three years ago.