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Hamrun Spartans striker Franklin Sasere has identified the positives even though Nigeria won't be able to parade their England-based stars for September’s World Cup qualifiers with Liberia and Cape Verde.

The Premier League organisers announced on Tuesday that they will not release players for international engagements in 'red list' countries, where they would have to quarantine on their return to the United Kingdom because of Covid-19 restrictions.

“Premier League clubs have today reluctantly but unanimously decided not to release players for international matches played in red-list countries next month,” a statement on the EPL website read.

While justifying the Premier League’s decision, the Lugano loanee claims this would see Gernot Rohr give other talented players a chance to represent the 2013 African champions, while expressing optimism that Nigeria will get the job done in September.

“You won’t blame the Premier League for that decision because all the leagues in England just started and they are not also willing to take chances,” Sasere told Goal.

“One of the implications of travelling out of England and so many countries in Europe at the moment is that these players would be in isolation for at least ten days when they return.

“And you know that this would definitely affect so many clubs in England because so of them are still trying to settle down in the 2021-22 season.

“Coming back home, it means that the Super Eagles will miss several key players for next month’s World Cup qualification games as we have our key men like [Kelechi] Iheanacho, [Wilfred] Ndidi and [William] Troost-Ekong plying their trade in England.

“I am seeing their absence from a positive dimension because this would give coach [Gernot] Rohr the opportunity to give other players a chance in his star-studded team.

“There is nothing to worry about because Nigeria is blessed with so many talented players across the world that would rise up to the occasion in moments like this.

“Despite our current predicament, I strongly believe that we will still get the job done when we face Liberia and Cape Verde in September.”

Three-time African kings, the Super Eagles will be without the services of at least eight regular players for the games against the Lone Stars and Blue Sharks.

They include Alex Iwobi (Everton), Ndidi (Leicester City), Iheanacho (Leicester City), Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Troost-Ekong (Watford), Peter Etebo (Watford), Emmanuel Dennis (Watford), and Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion).

Gor Mahia have revealed the reason midfielder Francis Kahata is yet to make a return to the team.

Goal exclusively revealed a week ago that Kahata, who is a free agent after leaving Simba SC, was among the players being targeted by the former FKF Premier League champions as they look to strengthen the squad ahead of next season.

However, a top official at the club has confirmed to Goal the deal is yet to materialise because the player’s asking price is too much for the club to afford.

According to Omondi Aduda, the amount being asked by Kahata as a sign-on fee is enough to help the club sign seven players and they are not ready to splash the cash on one signing.

“If you have Ksh10 million and you want to use it to sign seven players but one player wants the whole amount as his sign-on fee, is that going to be possible?” Aduda posed a question to Goal when asked about Kahata’s situation.

“We don’t have enough money to sign players and the little we have must be able to give us five or seven quality signings but if one player is asking to take the entire amount we have for signings, will it work?

“It will not be possible and it is the reason we have not made any progress in terms of bringing back Francis [Kahata].

“Every team is struggling financially in the top-tier and Gor Mahia is not an exception, we don’t have money, you have also seen player exodus at Kariobangi Sharks, and it is a club owned by the FKF President, that simply shows you that teams don’t have money.

“So the best way to survive in the transfer business is to use wisely what you have, you don’t have to splash it out just because you want to splash it out…no, you must be very careful and check out what kind of players are you bringing on board and how the amount you have can be divided to bring all of them.”

Kahata left Gor Mahia at the end of the 2019 season to join Simba but after serving the Tanzanian giants for two seasons, he left the Msimbazi giants on June 3.

Further FKF Premier League reading 

Everton secured a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Huddersfield Town in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup game, with Alex Iwobi finding the net at the John Smith's Stadium.

The Premier League side came into the encounter on the back of a 2-2 draw against Leeds United, while the EFL Championship side recorded an impressive 2-1 result at Sheffield United.

After a frenzied opening, it was Rafael Benitez’s men who took the lead through Iwobi in the 26th minute.

The former Arsenal man nudged in a smart finish past goalkeeper Lee Nicholls after being released by Tom Davies.

Fuelled by their lead, the Toffees continued to dominate but were unable to get more goals as the Terriers tidied things up in their defensive line.

Ten minutes before the half-time break, Huddersfield woke from their slumber and that paid off in the 45th minute when Tom Lees headed a well-taken corner kick past debutant Asmir Begovic.

In the second half, Everton attacked from every angle in their quest to go ahead again, but they were handed a massive blow when Moise Kean was given his marching orders by referee Matt Donohue following a 59th-minute altercation with Sorba Thomas.

Benitez made a couple of changes after that incident in a bid to keep things tight, and it was one of the substitutes, Andre Gomes, who masterminded their winner 11 minutes from full-time.

Advancing towards the penalty area from the left, Gomes directed the ball to the near post, where Andros Townsend darted from his wide right position to score the winner.

Despite a late rally from Carlos Corberan’s men, they ended up on the losing side while Everton progressed to the next round of the tournament.

Iwobi was in action from start to finish as well as Cote d’Ivoire star Jean-Phillipe Gbamin – who was making his first appearance for the Goodison Park outfit since August 17.

France youth international of DR Congo origin Niels Nkounkou also saw every minute of action for Benitez’s side.

Iwobi would be hoping to take this newfound form to the Falmer Stadium when Everton take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter has opened up about Samir Nurkovic's struggles since the British tactician took charge of the team in June this year.

The Serbian marksman has played four competitive matches under Baxter without scoring, including the Caf Champions League final clash against Egypt's Al Ahly.

Baxter insisted that he is still using Nurkovic to his strengths, but the 68-year-old mentor did admit that there are slight tweaks to the striker’s playing style.

“There’s honestly nothing wrong with his appetite, he is desperate to do well for us. I think with injuries, being away, and having a period where he’s not scored," Baxter told the club's media department. 

"All those things are frustrating him and he is finding it difficult to give his best. We have tweaked his position a little bit to find his angle, so he’s not playing back to goal as much – he has looked very good in training.

"We were tempted to continue him [against TS Galaxy on Sunday], but I just thought Keagan [Dolly]'s mobility may pick the lock a little bit better than Samir’s strength."

Nurkovic cut a frustrated figure during Chiefs' opening PSL match of the new season against Galaxy and he was the first Amakhosi player to be substituted, as the encounter went on to end in a 0-0 draw at Mbombela Stadium.

Baxter remains hopeful that the 29-year-old marksman will soon rediscover his old form which saw him inspire Chiefs to a second-place finish in the PSL during the 2019/20 season.

“But as far as he is concerned it is just a matter of ‘keep going until it cracks’. All strikers go through patches where they are not at their best," he continued. 

"It’s a question of doing everything else while that’s the situation, defending, competing, and link-up play as best as you can. Sometimes it’s the ketchup bottle.

"You hit it and nothing comes out and then all of sudden it’s all over your plate.

“That’s what I am waiting for with Samir, we will try to be patient for as long as we can. But we obviously have a squad in which we need to select the player we think can win the game.”

Chiefs will take on Baroka FC on Wednesday in their second PSL match of the current season.

Cape Town City's Eric Tinker has explained why he thinks coaches do not stay long at Premier Soccer League side Orlando Pirates.
 
The latest tactician to leave the Soweto giants was Josef Zinnbauer, after they were eliminated from the MTN8 in the quarter-finals by Moroka Swallows. Tinkler, who has had a stint with Bucs, believes high expectations to win the PSL title are to blame for the frequent changes at Naturena.

"Expectations are very high at the club and the club demands immediate results," Tinkler told Goal.

"Pirates want to win the league, but they have not achieved that and that is exactly why the coaches have not stayed, because their expectation is to compete and win the league and, obviously, that has not happened.
 
"The expectations are very high for a club such as Orlando Pirates. It is not ever easy."
 
Meanwhile, the South African tactician also explained why the experience of Mpho Makola is set to play a pivotal role for his side in the season. 

"He is going to play a massive role for us because of his experience," he added.

"He is 35 and I played until I was 37, so let me tell you, he is not a big structure like me. You know, I was big and very fat. He is supposedly the older one [in the team], so I see him performing extremely well for us this season, especially considering that he was very good during the pre-season.

"He had his brightest game against AmaZulu. He has been exceptional during the pre-season and his experience is going to help, especially with the younger players that are coming in.

"He will pass on the knowledge and experience to them."

Tinkler also spoke about new signing Douglas Mapfumo and how he can be helped to score as many goals as possible.

"I think we have got enough. It is important for people to understand that it is not only a striker's job to score goals, but it is everybody's job and if everybody can contribute, then that is exactly what we want," he continued.

"We brought in young striker Douglas, and when I see him training, I can see he has a natural ability to score goals.

"Now it is all about providing and giving him the opportunity to score. We can not just expect a striker to come and score goals; Where is the supply coming from? Everybody plays a part in that.

"The way we play, goals have to come from the midfield, the wide areas and I think we have a squad that is more than capable of doing that."

Tinkler spoke to Goal ahead of his side's PSL game against Royal AM on Wednesday at Chatsworth Stadium.

Jack Wilshere has further opened up on his struggles to find a new club, with the former Arsenal star admitting that he is at a loss as to why no teams have moved to sign him.

The midfielder spent time at both West Ham and Bournemouth after leaving the Gunners in 2018, but failed to work his way into either of the sides' long-term plans.

Now, with 34 England caps to his name and still just 29 years old, the free agent is finding it difficult to understand why he isn't attracting any interest.

What has Wilshere said?

“Today I was running around an athletics track and struggling to imagine I would be here at this point in my career,” Wilshere told The Athletic of his current situation, having to train alone in an effort to stay fit.

“My kids are at an age where they understand. Especially Archie, who’s nine. He’s actually having conversations with me, saying, ‘What about the MLS?’ or ‘Why aren’t you playing in La Liga?’

“And it is difficult to explain to him. He’ll say to me, ‘How come no club wants you?’ I don’t know. But how do I explain that to him?

“When I go out, people recognise me. The most difficult part is trying to explain when they ask, ‘Well, why don’t you just sign for a club in England?’ I’m like, ‘Well, no one wants me’, and they can’t really get their head around it.”

Time to leave England?

Having spent his entire career in his homeland, Wilshere says that he has broadened his horizons in terms of where he will next ply his trade, hopeful that moving country will help him escape a reputation for having a lengthy injury history – which he insists is now behind him.

He said: “I’ve said before that I’m open to going abroad. In fact, I probably want to go abroad. I want to try something different.

“Have a fresh start somewhere where people, clubs, fans don’t think, ‘Oh, that’s Jack Wilshere. He’s going to get injured today’, or, ‘He’ll play five games and that’s it… waste of an investment’.

“I feel a little bit like the door in this country has been shut on me. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because of the injury history and people getting references from places. I feel like that’s unfair.

“The last time I had an injury was in January 2020. Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, his ankle, his ankle’. It wasn’t my ankle. I had a hernia, which is a standard injury. It was a 10-day turnaround and then unfortunately lockdown came. But I built myself up and had a really good base of fitness.

“My next move is not about, ‘I need to make money’. It’s about the feeling I’ve got inside, and I’m not just talking about when I was a kid growing up, loving football. It was the early days at Arsenal when I used to love playing, love going out and playing at the Emirates. 

“It’s about trying to get that feeling back of having something to fight for.”

Further reading

Even as the 2022 World Cup draws ever so close, Qatar are gearing up their preparations for football biggest festival. The middle-east nation have already unveiled four out of eight planned stadiums for the World Cup, with work on stadium infrastructure progressing at an impressive rate. 

And it's not just world class stadiums that profess unparallelled viewing experience for fans that Qatar are building. They are also focusing on other amenities for the fans including top-class accommodation and travel infrastructure as the country strives to ensure the fans have a complete experience at the World Cup.

With the world expected to descend in Qatar in November and December 2022, Qatar Tourism has planned to add 105 new hotels and serviced apartments in Doha which already has an extensive hotel and apartment portfolio, being a world-class business destination. 

The new facilities are also expected to cater to fans from varying backgrounds, contributing a unique amenity or experience to Qatar's property portfolio. In line with this, there have been several exciting hotel launches recently in the country, with Banyan Tree Doha, a five-star luxury property, standing out. It is designed by renowned interior designer Jacques Garcia.

There are also similar renowned hotels opening in Doha later this year like the Pullman Doha West Bay, the JW Marriott West Bay and the Steigenberger Hotel, famed for its exclusive hospitality. 

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Chairman of Qatar Tourism, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are continuing to expand our tourism offer to ensure guests enjoy the best of Qatari hospitality while being able to choose a hotel, resort or serviced apartment that accommodates to their budget and needs.

"These upcoming properties are part of our strategy to diversify our offering and broaden our appeal to visitors. We are pleased to expand our global tourism offer in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and provide travellers with more options to experience the very best of Qatar.”

Qatar Tourism, the official government body responsible for the development and promotion of tourism in Qatar, have also facilitiated highlighting the country's unique offerings for fans to enjoy not just the football, but also what the country has to offer. Qatar has its share of beaches, flora and fauna, desert experiences and cultural offerings.

Promoting the 'Qatar experience' to football fans from all over the world will go a long way in helping the country become the fastest growing destination in the middle east.

While he is the highest goalscorer of La Liga of all time, former FC Barcelona skipper and legend Lionel Messi is also the highest assist provider of all-time in the Spanish league's history.

Appearing in 520 La Liga matches for the Catalan giants in 17 years, Messi has provided 193 assists, with former teammate Xavi Hernandez coming second with 117 assists in 505 La Liga matches.

Real Madrid star Karim Benzema, who still plays for Los Blancos, has assisted 92 times till date in 385 La Liga appearances. His former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo is placed fourth on the list with 88 assists. 

Players like Andre Iniesta, Luis Suarez, Koke and Dani Alves also feature in this list. Among the active players in the La Liga, Benzema, Suarez, Koke, Marcelo and Jesus Navas are among the top 10 assist providers in Spain.

Here, we take a look at the top 10 players who have provided the most number of assists in La Liga.

FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi left La Liga as its all-time highest goalscorer after 17 years as he joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer from FC Barcelona in the summer of 2021.

The former Barcelona star scored 474 goals in 520 La Liga matches in the last 17 years before leaving Spain to join Ligue 1 giants PSG. Other than being the highest goalscorer in la Liga, the Argentine is also Barcelona's all-time top scorer with 670 goals in 778 matches across all competitions.

Messi is followed by his rival and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 311 goals in 292 matches. Ronaldo's time in Spain lasted for nine seasons from 2009 to 2018 where he won four Champions League titles and three La Liga titles before moving to Italy to join Serie A giants Juventus in 2018.

Other than Messi and Ronaldo, players like Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez and Atheltic Bilbao great Telmo Zarra feature in the list of top goalscorers in La Liga,

Here, we take a look at the top 10 players who have scored the most number of goals in La Liga.

Coach Pitso Mosimane has opened up on why Al Ahly failed to win the 2020-21 Egyptian Premier League diadem.

The Red Devils’ title aspirations got dashed on Tuesday night as they settled for a 3-3 draw with El Gouna, leaving rivals Zamalek to claim the title with a 2-0 triumph over El-Entag El-Harby.

A league success could have helped the Cairo International Stadium giants earn a double following their achievement in the 2021 Caf Champions League – defeating Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in the final staged inside Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca.

Addressing media after taking on Reda Shehata’s Gounies, the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Supersport United handler opened up on why his team fell short of winning a 43rd top-flight title, while declaring that Al Ahly would return stronger.

“Al Ahly is a great team. We will turn the page and come back stronger,” Mosimane told Al Ahly website.

“We suffered a lot from fatigue during the previous period as we kept playing for 10 consecutive months.

“We won the bronze medal of the Fifa Club World Cup, the Caf Super Cup title, and two Caf Champions League titles. We are human beings and it is normal to suffer from fatigue.”

“We conceded many goals during our last games, especially while implementing a man-marking system.

“However, despite committing these mistakes, we put on good performances and achieved great results.”

“We accomplished many achievements in the last 10 months. We might have lost the Egyptian Premier League title, but we managed to achieve great things during the previous period,” he continued.

“We are the biggest supporter of the Egypt national teams. Our players joined the Egypt National team in different competitions, with the most recent one being the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“Finally, we have many upcoming challenges. We still have the Egyptian Cup, the Caf Super Cup, and the Egyptian Super Cup and we will fight to win them.”

Al Ahly’s last game of the season comes up against Aswan on Friday evening.

With the North Africans parting ways with Swiss coach Rene Weiler due to organisational reasons, Mosimane was named as a permanent replacement on September 20, 2020.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi believes it was the lack of potential game-breakers or risk-takers which forced his team to settle for a 0-0 draw against Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday evening.

When Gaston Sirino came off the bench as a substitute, as he continues to make his way back from injury, the difference to the Sundowns side was tangible.

The Uruguayan had been willing to take players on, to back himself to beat his man and to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Before that, Sundowns had been going through the motions somewhat - enjoying plenty of the ball, yet unable to penetrate a stubborn home defence.

It often takes the beating of one player to create a numerical advantage and it was that aspect of play which Mngqithi felt was missing in the Eastern Cape on a chilly evening.

"I don't think we fought hard enough for the three points and we did not dribble enough, or force some individual brilliance, an element of surprise into the game," Mngqithi complained to journalists in the aftermath of the contest.

"We were too obvious - pass, pass, pass, pass, at times when we are playing against a deep lying block you need to create free kicks, you need to create corner kicks, you need to force situations up until the game breaks out," he added. "The truth of the matter is we are very disappointed."

Mngqithi also acknowledged that his main striker Peter Shalulile had been ineffective against a deep-lying home defence.

“What [the Chippa defence] was doing, is they would immediately kill the space behind Peter,” he explained. “Peter is very comfortable with the space behind the defence.

"When they killed the space we needed a little bit more from the midfielders, to enforce entering the space – the grey zone that is the space between the midfield and defence.”

Another issue was a lack of width, with Chippa finding it all too easy to stymie the reigning champions.

“We could have had more adventure from our wide channels, our full-backs could have done better," the Brazilians mentor complained.

Orlando Pirates interim co-coach Mandla Ncikazi was disappointed with his charges' decision-making in the final third following their clash with Marumo Gallants on Tuesday, and has called on them to show more ruthlessness moving forwards.

The Buccaneers remain winless in the current campaign after drawing 0-0 with Bahlabane Ba Ntwa in a PSL encounter that was played at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

Ncikazi cut a disappointed figure as he reflected on the match which saw the Soweto giants create few clear-cut chances. 

"Disappointed with the result. When you look at the match and see how the opponent played they were playing with a low block," Ncikazi told SuperSport TV. "At the beginning of the season you still have to get the rhythm as a team.

"Trying to fix certain things. But I never thought they would play that low. It suited their game," he added. "If we're going to win matches we need to be more ruthless. We're not going to create lots of chances when a team plays like that."

Pirates started the current term with a 2-1 defeat to Swallows FC in the MTN8 clash on August 14, before drawing 2-2 with Stellenbosh FC in a league game over the weekend.

Ncikazi, who is currently in charge of Bucs along with Fadlu Davids, feels that there was a bit of an improvement in the team's performance following the draw with Gallants.

"First half we had a few half chances and a chance we did not take. I thought we would take a few from set plays, but the delivery was not in the right place but it's a work in progress," he said.

"I'm disappointed but I see the improvement a bit and the confidence in the team and how they circulate and protect the ball, but the result is not what we expected.

"Based on how the opponents were playing we had to try and pause a bit. We changed the formation that we started with and changed the personnel on top.

"I thought the changes had the effect but sometimes we lost the ball in areas where we need to be patient. Maybe the wrong pass, the wrong decision, the timing is not right in the final third," he added. "Maybe with time we will improve but like I said there is progress. There is confidence which is important to win."

The Buccaneers will not be in action in the next three weeks with the MTN8 semi-final first-leg matches taking place and Fifa international break coming up.

Asked what they will be doing during the three weeks, Ncikazi said: "If we are possession-based we have to create chances based on the possession that we are having.

"For the amount of possession we had, we did not create enough. We have to try and create chances," he continued. "The number of final third entries. Isolate one side to overload. We still have to work on that and maybe our entries.

"We have a lot of work to do. The first game we had problems at the back. I think today we were superb at the back. We just have to fix what is happening in the final third."

Al Ahly’s Egyptian Premier League title hopes have been dashed as they drew 3-3 with El Gouna, leaving Zamalek to win the title with a 2-0 triumph over El-Entag El-Harby.

Before Tuesday’s away draw, much of the lingering optimism surrounding the Red Devils’ faint title hopes had centred around the fact that they had favourable fixtures, while the leaders may drop points.

Nonetheless, that hope faded into thin air as the White Knight secured an impressive home win.

In dire need of all three points – while hoping Zamalek stutter, Pitso Mosimane’s men travelled to the El Gouna Stadium to face Reda Shehata’s men.

Despite having nothing to gain or lose, the Gounies took the lead after seven minutes thanks to a Mohamed Naguib effort after he was set up by Amr El Saadawy.

That goal was a reality check for the reigning African champions who tried all within their powers to level matters, albeit, that was impossible as the hosts were resolute in their defence.

In the second half, Al Ahly had something to cheer about when they equalised through Tunisian defender Ali Maaloul – who converted from the penalty mark following an infringement in El Gouna’s area.

Eight minutes later, Hussein El Shahat put them ahead for the first time with Amr El Solia setting him up.

Things looked good for Mosimane’s men when they scored their third goal through Mohamed Sherif in the 82nd minute. This time, it was El Shahat who turned provider.

Not willing to go down without a fight the Military Machines stepped up their game and got their second goal through Mahmoud Shabrawy who was assisted by Cameroonian Jonathan Ngwem in the 86th minute.

Despite the away result, Al Ahly failed to win a 43rd topflight title thanks to Zamalek’s result.

This title miss is a big setback for South African manager Mosimane – who was saddled with the responsibility of leading the team to domestic glory.

Although he led the Cairo International Stadium giants to consecutive Caf Champions League titles, his future with Al Ahly will come under scrutiny.

Their last game of the 2020-21 season comes against Aswan on Friday.

Former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli says Cristiano Ronaldo is hindering the club's attempts to win back the Serie A title and wants him to be sold before the transfer window closes.

Ronaldo joined Juve from Real Madrid in a €100 million transfer ahead of the 2018-19 campaign and signed a lucrative four-year contract. He is now into the final year of that deal and a move away from the club has been mooted.

The Portuguese forward reportedly asked to be on the bench for Juve's 2-2 Serie A draw with Udinese on Sunday, and is said to be angling for a move to Manchester City , and Gigli thinks his old club would do well to be rid of the player.

What has been said?

Gigli, who was Juve president between 2006 and 2009, told SerieANews : "I've always been honest: signing Ronaldo was a mistake. It's impossible to recoup the investment and it will remain that way. 

"He's a great player, but I have to be honest – the sooner he leaves, the better for him and for Juventus.

"I hope that [Juve head coach] Massimiliano Allegri knows how to continue using him like he did against Udinese. That is, with intelligence and when the game is in progress. 

"Ronaldo hampers Juventus' attack. Without him, they can do excellent things in collective terms."

Will Ronaldo leave Juventus?

The five-time Ballon D'Or winner remains one of the world's best players even at the age of 36, but the number of clubs who could attract his talents are few - and those who could afford them even more scarce.

Man City would be one, but they are focused on signing Harry Kane ahead of Ronaldo, while PSG moved for Barcelona icon Lionel Messi ahead of his great rival. Moves to MLS or the Middle East have also been reported at various times.

Juve manager Allegri meanwhile is still convinced Ronaldo will not leave this month. He told reporters last week : "Ronaldo is an added bonus for us, because he guarantees a large number of goals. Obviously, we also have to work as a team to get the best out of an individual.

"He has always trained well, I just read the gossip in the papers. He never told us he wanted to leave. Ronaldo told me that he is staying at Juventus."

Further Reading