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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said that winning this season's Europa League would be the greatest achievement of his career.

United face off against FC Copenhagen in Cologne in a one-off quarter-final, and will take on either Wolves or Sevilla should they advance. 

Looking further ahead, a possible date with Inter could await in the final – an intriguing proposition with Inter currently carrying three former Man Utd players: Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Young and Romelu Lukaku.

Solskjaer became a legendary figure during his playing days at Old Trafford, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League. The Norwegian famously scored the winner against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final to seal a treble. 

However, despite all he achieved in his playing career, Solskjaer has insisted that nothing would compare to lifting a trophy as Red Devils boss. 

“I am ambitious - and one of my dreams is to lift the trophy as a manager for this club," the 47-year-old said.

"I owe my career to this club, so winning something as manager would be the proudest moment of my football life. It would be the biggest achievement.

"As a player, I was part of a fantastic team and, sometimes, you just ride a wave. Roy Keane would say his back was sore because he carried me and he is probably right!

"I contributed as well as I could, I was always ready. To lift a trophy now would be the best moment of my career."

Solskjaer guided United to a third-place finish in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season, meaning they have reached the Champions League next term.

The manager is hopeful that winning a trophy to cap off the current season will be a springboard to bigger and better things in 2020-21.

"Winning trophies makes you think, ‘I want more of this,'" he said.

"It also means more dedication and more focus because it makes you think, ‘This is what I wanted.’ Some players may rest on their laurels once they have won something, but looking at this group it would mean what we’re doing now is working.

"It’s all in their hands. They know they’re at Man Utd and know we have the resources to build.

"We put a plan together as a club 18 months ago when I sat down with Ed Woodward and it wasn’t going to be a quick fix. We want to build. We have been to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup and the FA Cup and the next step is to get past that.

"That would be another step forward for this team."

Gennaro Gattuso warned Juventus head coach Andrea Pirlo that his illustrious playing career will count for little in his new job.

Pirlo, who has not had a coaching job and only took over as Juve's Under-23s boss last week, was handed the reins in Turin on Saturday in the wake of Maurizio Sarri's dismissal.

Sarri was sacked after just a single season in the job, after leading the Serie A champions to defeat to Lyon in their Champions League last-16 tie the previous evening.

The former midfielder – who won four Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana during a four-year spell with Juve – has signed a two-year deal, and he is now gearing up for his first-ever coaching job at one of the world's biggest clubs.

And Gattuso, who played alongside Pirlo at Milan and for Italy, provided an honest assessment of the job's difficulties for his former team-mate.

"Well he's screwed now… That's the job," Gattuso told Sky Italia following Napoli's defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League on Saturday.

"He's lucky to be starting at Juventus, but this profession is one where a great playing career is not enough.

"You have to study, to work hard, and you don't get much sleep."

Gattuso's first job in coaching came at FC Sion, with the 42-year-old then having spells at Palermo, OFI Crete and Pisa before he took charge of Milan's youth team in 2017.

He was promoted to first-team head coach following Vincenzo Montella's sacking later that year, though he was dismissed at the end of the 2018-19 campaign after a fifth-placed finish, going on to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Napoli, who he guided to the Coppa Italia title this term.

"Being a player and being a coach is really not the same thing at all," Gattuso added.

"It's a totally different profession and we can't learn it just from books, we need to get in there and work hard. It's a different world."

Barcelona head coach Quique Setien has backed Lionel Messi to make the cut for Bayern Munich after being felled during his side's Champions League last-16 victory over Napoli.

Goals from Clement Lenglet, Messi and Luis Suarez secured a 3-1 win for Barca at Camp Nou on Saturday and a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Barca were 3-0 up and had another goal through Messi disallowed for handball in the first half, and although Lorenzo Insigne's penalty shortly before the interval gave Napoli some hope, they could not find a way back into the contest against a resilient Blaugrana.

Indeed, Barca's biggest scare of the evening came when Messi went down from a heavy kick to his calf in winning a penalty against Kalidou Koulibaly, which Suarez stepped in to convert as his captain received treatment.

Setien, though, is confident the Argentine will be fit to face Bayern, who destroyed Chelsea 7-1 on aggregate, in Friday's quarter-final.

"He took a strong hit, but he looks okay. It'll need treatment but I don't think it'll be a problem," he told Movistar when quizzed on Messi's fitness.

"It'll be a really tough game. They have gone through a tie with a six-goal margin. They are an amazing team and it'll be a great game."

Setien insisted that Barca had their Champions League last-16 second leg against Napoli under perfect control - even though he was feeling nervous on the touchline.

Barca have endured nightmarish second-leg losses to Liverpool and Roma in the past two seasons, so Setien was particularly pleased with the manner of their performance when under pressure from Napoli, even if he could not always keep his anxiety in check.

"It was what we were looking for, to take the first step and to wait for the rest of the games with the same excitement with which we faced this one," he added.

"We were very good and we deserved the victory.

"It's true they had us compromised in the opening minutes. Napoli are a really good team - it's not easy to do what we've done. They're one of the best teams in Italy.

"We controlled it perfectly, we had a really good first half and in the second they were more in charge but they still didn't put us in much danger.

"A second goal would have given them a boost that could have threatened us. It's normal to be a little bit nervous, of course."

Barcelona and Bayern will meet on Friday in Lisbon's Estadio da Luz, with the winner set to face either Manchester City or Lyon in the last four.

Manchester City will be “very, very pleased” to have landed Lyon and not Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, says Danny Mills.

The Blues booked their place in the last eight after seeing off Real Madrid.

Pep Guardiola’s side beat the Blancos 2-1 home and away to keep themselves in the hunt for European glory.

The expectation was that Juve would be next to cross their path, but Ronaldo and co suffered a shock exit on away goals at the hands of Lyon.

Maurizio Sarri has been relieved of his duties in Turin on the back of that disappointing setback for the Serie A champions.

City are now readying themselves for a meeting with Ligue 1 foes on August 15.

Mills believes Guardiola will be delighted to have avoided the Bianconeri, with his star-studded side now taking aim at a potential semi-final clash with either Bayern Munich or Barcelona.

The former Blues defender told Sky Sports: “I thought City were very, very good [against Madrid].

“The fact that they scored early on, I thought ‘that’s it, done and dusted’.

“Obviously Real Madrid came back into it. Raphael Varane certainly helped them out, but I think that was down to the sheer amount of pressure that Manchester City put on Real Madrid.

“They went for them. They went all out attack, they got the job done.

“I think they will be very, very pleased that they’ve now got Lyon in the next round.

“In a one-off game you would expect them to win that and we assume they will go on to face either Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the semi-final, which will be absolutely mouth-watering.”

Guardiola has seen City bow out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage in each of the last two seasons.

His first season at the helm saw them fall in the last 16, with European glory proving to be elusive.

Guardiola has conquered the continent on two occasions in his distinguished coaching career to date, but the most recent of those successes came way back in 2011 during his time at Barcelona.

City are determined to help their manager right those wrongs, with the Blues having also avoided a ban that threatened to prevent them from chasing down Champions League glory in the next two years.

Rangers are on a mission to stop Celtic from winning their 10th straight Premiership title as the Gers eye their 55th league crown this season, says Leon Balogun.

The 32-year-old who moved to Scotland from Wigan Athletic on a free transfer just before the start of the 2020-21 season, is upbeat about winning his first silverware in his professional career with Steven Gerrard’s side.

Celtic have dominated the Scottish top-flight since the 2011-12 campaign by securing nine league titles in a row while Rangers have finished as runners-up in the last two seasons.

Although he has not been able to witness the Ibrox Stadium atmosphere with fans due to the coronavirus restrictions, Balogun said he has been informed of the club’s expectations on social media.

“I still have to learn about (the size of Rangers) because with the fans being excluded and all the restrictions, I’ve not been able to get a full idea yet,” Balogun was quoted by BT Sport. “Over social media you get an idea but it’s not the reality.

“But I think Rangers’ ambition is pretty clear. I’ve read a hashtag – ‘Stop the 10’, something like that. And the number 55 is a big one, too.

“So that’s a pretty clear goal for this team. Obviously the club will do everything to accomplish that.”

The 32-year-old defender still feels Wigan’s relegation from the Championship was ‘an injustice’ after they were docked 12 points by the EFL for going into administration.

Balogun joined the Latics in January, on an initial loan after he struggled for first-team football in the Premier League with Brighton and Hove Albion.

“I thought about the pressure I’ll face here compared to at Wigan not too long ago,” he said.

“It’s similar I’d say, but with the size of this club and the expectation I think you will get to feel a bit more frustration than maybe you would getting relegated at a different club.

“Do I feel an injustice about what happened to Wigan? Definitely. I’m sad actually as I really enjoyed my stay at the club. The people there are nice and no one deserves what has happened. It’s such a shame.

“We had a positive goal difference, we actually achieved 59 points but then to be relegated is just tough. I just hope that the club can recover soon.”

The Nigeria international will be hoping to make his second appearance in Scotland when Rangers host St. Mirren at Ibrox Stadium on Sunday.

He was named in the Scottish Premiership Team of the Week after his dominating display in Rangers' 1-0 win over Aberdeen last Saturday.

Juventus have named Andrea Pirlo as their new head coach on a two-year contract, just hours after sacking Maurizio Sarri.

Pirlo was only named the club's Under-23 head coach last month, but has secured a major promotion before even taking charge of one match with the Serie C outfit.

It will be a major challenge for the 41-year-old who has never managed before, either at youth or senior level.

"Today's choice is based on the belief that Pirlo has what it takes to lead from his debut on the bench, an expert and talented squad to pursue new successes," a statement from Juventus read.

Pirlo returns to Juve having starred for the club between 2011 and 2015. The midfielder helped lead the Bianconeri to four straight Serie A titles, as well as the final of the 2014–15 Champions League.

Internationally, Pirlo represented Italy on 116 occasions and was a member of his country's victorious 2006 World Cup team.

His playing career ended in 2017 after a three-year spell at MLS side New York City FC, after which he began preparing for a career in coaching.

Pirlo will take over a team that has won nine consecutive Serie A titles, but has continued to fall short in the Champions League.

Sarri was sacked after just one season despite winning the Scudetto at the first time of asking. Juventus were shockingly eliminated by Lyon in the Champions League last 16 on Friday, as a 2-1 victory over the Ligue 1 side was not enough to avoid an exit on away goals in a 2-2 aggregate final score. 

Following a meeting of Juve's hierarchy on Saturday, the decision was taken to swiftly replace the 61-year-old former Chelsea and Napoli manager.

Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, along with former Juventus managers Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte were quickly linked with the job but the Bianconeri have instead opted to take a risk on Pirlo, a coaching novice.

Pirlo will have high expectations to meet, with it now established that success in Europe is the principal goal for Juventus. The club's last Champions League win came in 1995-96 and Pirlo will be expected to help end a drought that has now reached 24 years.

The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 was expected to help end the club's wait for European glory, but the Portugal superstar has only managed to lead Juventus to a quarter-final exit at the hands of Ajax last term before this season's stunning round-of-16 elimination at the hands of Lyon.

Hearts of Oak public relations officer (PRO) Kwame Opare Addo has given more insights into the club's decision to part ways with top striker Joseph Esso.

The 23-year-old, together with four others, ended his stint with the 19-time Ghana Premier League (GPL) champions on Friday.

According to a publication by the club, the quintet decided against renewing their expired contracts.

"Joseph Esso opted for only a one-year contract extension contrary to what Hearts were requesting for. His demands caused our decision to part ways with him," Addo told Sikka FM.

Esso, who starred for Ghana at last year's Wafu Cup of Nations in Senegal, joined Benjamin Agyare, Christopher Bonney, Bernard Arthur and Burkinabe striker Abubakar Troare.

"I'm grateful to Hearts of Oak for the opportunity given to me," Bonney, who joined Hearts as a free agent in 2018, has told Connect FM.

"As a player, if you spend even a single day at a club, you need to be grateful to them. I spent three years at Hearts and they paid me salaries and bonuses during that process. I can only thank and appreciate them.

"Hearts wanted to extend my contract after the 2019 NC tournament but I told them to hold on.

"I would have signed for Inter Allies if the league was in progress but now that it is halted and we don't know when play will resume, clubs are not signing."

The Phobians are putting their house in order in anticipation of the commencement of a new Ghana football season in October.

“I had a call from the management of Hearts of Oak and when I met them, they started thanking me for my service, so it was a clear indication that my service was not needed anymore," Agyare told Vision 1 FM on his situation.

“I wished to continue with Hearts but that's the end of the road for me. I feel a bit of pain because I had an accident and stayed away for a while but I still showed commitment and love when I returned.

“I want to thank all Phobians for the love and support they showed me during my time and I plead they continue, even as I'm not part of them anymore as a player. I thank the management for the opportunity they gave me at Accra Hearts of Oak.

“I have no problem with the management and all monies have been paid to me."

The centre-back joined the Phobians from Heart of Lions in 2018.

Lionel Messi has been warned off a return to the “carnage” of Argentine football, with Fernando Signorini confident that the Barcelona icon will extend his contract at Camp Nou.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is said to have shelved talks regarding fresh terms amid concerns regarding the direction in which Barca are heading on and off the field.

A move elsewhere has been mooted for a one-club man, with Serie A giants Inter retaining long-standing interest in an all-time great.

It has also been suggested that Messi could head home at some stage in the future, with Newell’s Old Boys still holding a special place in his heart.

Signorini, though, believes that the 33-year-old will commit to new deal in Catalunya.

He also believes that Messi should be in no rush to return to his roots due to the issues which exist in South American football and the criticism he continues to attract from some compatriots.

The veteran fitness coach, who formed part of Diego Maradona’s backroom staff at the 2010 World Cup, told La Figura de la Cancha of his iconic countryman: “I believe that Leo will continue in Barcelona, I have no doubts. 

“Messi was the one who helped to put Barcelona at the top of the world, because before Leo it was a different Barcelona than it is now – and that is thanks to Leo. 

“Loving him the way I love Leo, I would not tell him to come and play in Argentina because here it is carnage and I do not forget that there are people here who continue to question him because he does not sing the anthem, accuse him of not feeling the shirt and say he is cold in the chest.”

Messi has previously stated on his desire to head back to Newell’s – the club that put him on a path to superstardom before Barcelona came calling: "I have the dream of being able to play for Newell's in Argentina, but I don't know if it's really going to happen because I have a family that is ahead of my desire.

"It's a dream I've had since I was little, but I have a family, I have three children, I live in a place that has given me everything and where I am calm and can give my children a spectacular future.

"We think much more about that than my desire of playing football in Argentina.

"I will try to convince the family, because today we have to convince the children too."

The knockout phase of the 2019-20 Champions League is now under way despite a three-month suspension following the Covid-19 outbreak, with the competition providing some mouthwatering ties.

Check out the below as Goal keeps you updated on the individual goal tallies for the highest-scoring Champions League players this season.

Champions League 2019-20 Top Scorers

Bayern superstar Robert Lewandowski leads the charts with 12 goals, continuing to defy expectations at 31 years of age.

Teenage wonderkid Erling Haaland was close behind on 10 strikes, scoring eight Champions League goals for RB Salzburg before his move to Borussia Dortmund in January.

The 19-year-old netted twice for Dortmund against Paris Saint-Germain in his first European outing for the Germans, making him the first player to score for two different clubs in the same Champions League season.

*Correct as of games played on Aug 8, 2020.

Who finished top in 2018-19?

Lionel Messi finished top last season for the first time since 2011-12 with 12 goals, beating Cristiano Ronaldo's three-year streak.

The Barcelona striker, despite his side being knocked out in the semi-finals at the hands of Liverpool, surpassed the likes of Lewandowski (eight goals), as well as Sergio Aguero, Ronaldo, Marega and Tadic (all on six goals each). 

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Gert Schalkwyk says football manager Bobby Motaung should not be judged by the circulating video footage of him allegedly partying amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Schalkwyk feels Motaung's presence is needed as Amakhosi enter the decisive stage of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title race.

The football manager was earlier this week suspended by the club for “up to and including 31 August 2020” after appearing in video footage showing him with a group of people inside a house.

The video which went viral suggests Motaung was breaking lockdown regulations and Chiefs moved in to remove him from the team’s activities as they resume their bid for a first Premier Soccer League (PSL) crown since 2015.

Given the timeline of his suspension, Chiefs will play six of their eight remaining games with their football manager “not allowed to accompany the team to any training session or scheduled matches.”

“His suspension can affect the team. Bobby is a very good guy. He knows how to talk to the players, he encourages the players,” Schalkwyk told Sowetan Live.

“I feel his absence can have a negative impact. If you [are] close to someone, when he's not there you feel hapless. To be honest, I think Bobby is needed for these remaining games.”

Revered as a hands-on manager who is always with the team, Motaung will not be available when Chiefs take on Mamelodi Sundowns in a crucial league match, as well as home and away fixtures against Bidvest Wits.

Log leaders Chiefs return to action next Wednesday against Wits and are four points ahead of second-placed Sundowns who have played a game less than the Soweto giants.

Schalkwyk feels Motaung’s presence is needed during Chiefs’ crucial stages of the campaign as he is always available to entertain players’ concerns and should not be judged by the circulating video.

“Despite those videos, they need him. That's outside life. You can't judge him by those videos. The job he's been doing is amazing," said Schalkwyk.

“If you need something, you can always go to Bobby. He's like a father or brother to Chiefs players. Any problem that you have, you are able to talk to him about it."

Real Madrid could be open to sending Gareth Bale out on loan, claims former Blancos president Ramon Calderon, with the Welshman considered to be “wasting his time” at Santiago Bernabeu.

A move away from the Spanish capital has been mooted for some time.

Speculation has ramped up again in the current window, with Bale firmly frozen out of Real’s plans under Zinedine Zidane.

Various landing spots have been suggested, from China to America via a return to the Premier League, and Calderon believes a move will be made this summer.

He believes a short-term deal could be agreed somewhere, telling BBC Sport: "We have done that before. It wouldn't surprise me if they let him go on loan and paid part of the salary."

Bale clearly needs to do something in order to rediscover his spark, with a positive start to his time in Madrid having made way for a difficult present.

"It's very sad. It's a pity to see a player like him in the stands," Calderon added.

"I think his skill and talent has not gone, he is still a good player who could be playing at a high level in any team in the world.

"Therefore I think they will have to find a solution to end this agony for the sake of both sides.

"If he doesn't want to reduce his salary, which would be understandable, they will have to find another way to finish this situation."

Calderon believes the presence of Zidane will ultimately force Bale out of Madrid, with there little point in the 31-year-old sticking around despite claims from his agent that a contract through to 2022 will be honoured.

"The coach does not rely on him," said Calderon, who snapped up Cristiano Ronaldo during his time as Real president.

"If Zidane stays with Real, which I think is certain, then he [Bale] will have to find a new way.

"Apparently he [Zidane] got what he wanted at the end of the season. He said La Liga was the main objective. I am sure he will continue so there is no place unfortunately for Gareth Bale.

"The problem is he has two more years' contract. It's sad to see him wasting his time because he is still for sure fit and in good shape."

Chelsea can still turn the tables on Bayern Munich in Saturday’s Champions League clash, according to veteran Nigerian movie star Bigvai Jokotoye.

Having lost 3-0 in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash, Frank Lampard’s men face an arduous task against the Bavarians in their quest to earn a berth to the next round.

Making matters worse, the Blues are rocked by an injury crisis on the back of their 2-1 FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal.

In addition, the Stamford Bridge giants will be without Marcos Alonso who was sent off in the first leg, while Jorginho’s yellow card in the game was his third in the competition and sees him also banned – leaving the club to look up to the youngsters for inspiration.

Many fans and experts have already written off Chelsea's chances of a turnaround, nevertheless, the Nollywood star who is a staunch Blue is thinking differently.

“Chelsea can turn the table around but it's going to be a very difficult thing to do,” Jokotoye told Goal.

“In a situation like this, everyone is expected to stay positive but that seems to be difficult now that Chelsea are massive underdogs to progress.

“To make matters worse, Pedro, Christian Pulisic, Willian, N'Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesar Azpilicueta are suffering from a string of injuries.

“Despite these challenges, I strongly believe that Chelsea will cause an upset in Germany and qualify for the next phase of the championship.”

Lampard’s men took the lead against Arsenal in the final of the FA Cup final but still crumbled to Mikel Arteta’s men at Wembley through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s brace. Jokotoye is not expecting that to dampen their morale against Hans-Dieter Flick’s side, providing tips on what he would do if he was the Blues’ boss.

“Defeat is expected in football and as a team it's wrong to let that weigh you down,” he continued.

“I think Chelsea is a strong team that will not let the pain of losing the FA Cup to Arsenal affect them.

“If I were the manager in this situation of seeing my key players miss this game to injuries, I will encourage my players and let them know why we need to win this game at all cost."

Halimatu Ayinde provided an assist as Eskilstuna United beat Violah Nambi and Ini Umotong's Vaxjo 3-0 at Tunavallen in the Swedish Damallsvenskan contest on Saturday afternoon.

Eskilstuna's last outing saw them lose 3-1 to IK Uppsala at home and this was their second defeat on the bounce. While Vaxjo, were enjoying a three-match unbeaten run after a 1-0 score at Djurgardens.

To avoid a third defeat in a row, the hosts made an enterprising start to the encounter on Saturday with Loreta Kullashi opening proceedings in the 22nd minute. 

Eskilstuna kept up their hunger for victory over Vaxjo and were rewarded with the second through Felicia Rogic in the 33rd minute.

Six minutes from the half-time break, Ayinde advanced forward before offering a brilliant pass to Kullashi, who went on to bag her second goal of the match and guaranteed the victory for the hosts.

Despite Umotong replacing Elma Smajic after the restart, the Nigerian could not rescue her side from their first defeat in four successive matches, although she came close 11 minutes from time.

Ayinde, who featured for the duration, has now bagged two assists in nine games this season, while compatriot Ngozi Okobi was in action for 58 minutes before being replaced by Anna Oskarsson.

For Vaxjo, Nigeria's Umotong, who was making her second appearance, featured for the entire second half of the match, while Uganda's Nambi was an unused substitute.

With the result, Eskilstuna are 15th on the league table with 11 points from nine games while Vaxjo are 11th with eight points from the same number of matches.

Ayinde will hope to make more of an impact and help his side extend their winning run when they face ninth-placed Umea on August 12.

The speculation that continues to suggest Lautaro Martinez is destined to leave Inter for Barcelona is “more in the media than real life”, claims the Argentine’s agent.

A move to Camp Nou for the South American forward has been mooted for some time.

Barca have made no secret of the fact that they would welcome the opportunity to add the talented 22-year-old to their ranks.

They have, however, been reluctant to meet Inter’s demands and continue to bide their time.

It is now being claimed that recruitment plans could be put on hold for another 12 months, with Lautaro only willing to consider a switch to Barca.

He is also looking for Luis Suarez to reach the end of his time at Camp Nou, freeing him to take a No.9 berth in Catalunya.

Lautaro’s agent is, however, eager to point out that there is little substance to the rumours that continue to rage.

Carlos Beto Yaque has told La Figura de la Cancha: “Lautaro’s transfer is more in the media than real life.

“Lautaro has three years on his contract with Inter and is very happy where he is.

“He’s had a very good season, still has the Europa League to play for and I hope Inter can go all the way in that competition.”

Many have urged Lautaro to push for a move to Barca, with the highly-rated frontman considered to be ready for another step up the footballing ladder.

Yaque, though, insists that he will not be nudging his client in that direction, with it his job to make sure that issues away from the field are addressed.

He added: “I’ve never needed to give him advice and I don’t need to now either.

“He’s always been a complete player and has matured over the years.”

Lautaro has taken in 46 appearances for Inter in the 2019-20 season, with 19 goals recorded.

He moved to Europe in the summer of 2018, with the Serie A giants winning the race to prise his undoubted potential away from Argentine giants Racing.

Lautaro had been catching the eye there since making a senior breakthrough in his teens, with those that worked with him from a young age never in any doubt that he was destined to reach the top.

KCCA FC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anisha Muhoozi has promised the club will be going for the double in the 2020/21 season. 

The Kampala-based side finished second in the abandoned Ugandan Premier League season after managing 50 points in the 25 games played, four less than eventual winners Vipers SC. The administrator has now set her eyes on the new campaign.

"The KCCA FC fans should expect a colourful, competitive new season as we are geared at reclaiming the premier title or better said, winning a double," Muhoozi said as quoted by the Sports Nation.

The 13-time league champions held a meeting to budget for the new campaign which was eventually approved.

The Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) officials were part of the meeting and the administrator has explained why they had to be present.

"As per Fufa licensing guidelines, they [Fufa] guided that they need to be present in the meeting that approves end of year financials, appoint external auditors, and budget approval," Muhoozi continued.

"We have always had board meetings where many issues are discussed so this was not any special, we just included Fufa as per licensing requirement."

The 2018/19 champions have signed Ashraf Mugume, Charles Lwanga, Denis Iguma, Italian Stefano Mazengo Loro, Bright Anukani and Bright Anukani. 

The team will represent the nation in the Caf Confederation Cup.

In an earlier interview, new signing Anukani, who joined from Proline FC stated he is aiming at helping the team reach the group stages of the competition.

"I am excited to play for KCCA and will be happy to play in all the games and more especially the Caf games, because they will improve my career and my target is to reach the group stage because when I was at Proline we did not reach there but I want to do it while at KCCA,” Anukani told Sanyuka TV.

"I feel happy to have signed for KCCA because it is a big club and every player like me out there wants to play in a club like this and so I am happy to be here and I hope it will be for a long term deal and I will also win them trophies."

Marcus Rashford says his battle with Anthony Martial to be Manchester United’s top scorer for 2019-20 remains a friendly rivalry.

Two highly-rated frontmen have delivered on a consistent basis for the Red Devils this season.

Both have posted personal bests in terms of goals, with individual bars being raised as United have enjoyed a welcome upturn in fortune as a collective.

Academy graduate Rashford has been on an upward curve for some time, with the England international now 22 years of age and no longer a fresh-faced rookie.

He has found the target on 22 occasions through 42 appearances in the current campaign.

It appeared at one stage as though injury would bring his season to a premature conclusion, but a coronavirus-enforced break ended up working in his favour.

Rashford has returned to the fold alongside Martial and helped United to a third-place finish in the Premier League and the quarter-finals of the Europa League – where they will meet FC Copenhagen.

He has three goals since the restart, but none in his last three outings.

France international Martial took in a similar run before netting the winner in a continental clash with LASK last time out, with that effort taking him to 23 for the season.

He now leads an in-house Golden Boot race at Old Trafford, but Rashford insists collective success – rather than individual acclaim - remains the focus of everyone on United’s books.

“Tony wins, I win, we all win. That’s my guy,” Rashford posted on social media.

Rashford and Martial have not been the only success stories for United in 2019-20, with Mason Greenwood also joining the attacking party.

The talented teenager has enjoyed a breakthrough year and grabbed 17 goals of his own.

A collective return of 62 efforts from his front three means that Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now boasts one of the most devastating front lines in Europe.

Liverpool’s fearsome trident of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are considered to sit towards the top of that pile, but Rashford, Martial and Greenwood have registered five goals more than a rival unit at Anfield.

Mamelodi Sundowns secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup semi-final match on Saturday night. 

Sundowns were without their key attacking midfielder Gaston Sirino, who was serving a two-match suspension and he was placed by Sphelele Mkhulise in the starting line-up.

Motjeka Madisha and Ricardo Nascimento started at the heart of the Sundowns defence with Pitso Mosimane's side yet to concede a single goal in this season's competition.

On the other hand, Wits were missing several key players including Thabang Monare and the team's two first-choice goalkeepers Brandon Peterson and Ricardo Goss.

Brighton Mhlongo got a chance to start in goal for Gavin Hunt's side, while Terrence Dzvukamanja, who had netted twice in his last two competitive games, spearheaded Wits' attack.

Sundowns did most of the attacking in the opening stages of the match, but Wits were solid and compact with Thulani Hlatshwayo marshalling the Students' defence.

However, the first real chance of the game went to Hunt's men following a mistake by Uganda's first-choice Denis Onyango from Deon Hotto's long-range shot.

Cole Alexander pounced onto on a loose ball after Onyango failed to handle the ball, but the Wits midfielder placed his shot over the crossbar from close range.

Masandawana looked dangerous every time they attacked and they had an opportunity to break the deadlock when Sibusiso Vilalakzi set-up Themba Zwane, who fired straight at Mhlongo.

Mosimane's side was awarded a penalty after Buhle Mkhwanazi was adjudged to have handled fouled Madisha in the Wits box 10 minutes before half-time. 

Nascimento then stepped up and converted from the spot-kick to make it 1-0 to Sundowns heading into the half-time break.

Wits came back rejuvenated following their half-time team talk with Hunt with the veteran coach having introduced Rowan Human and Zitha Macheke at the beginning of the second half.

Haashim Domingo, who is set to join Sundowns at the end of the current season, played a delightful through pass for Hotto, but Onyango came out to deny the Namibian winger from close range.

Wits kept pushing and they did restore parity in the 76th minute through Dzvukamanja, who pounced on a mistake from Madisha before sliding past beat Onyango to make it 1-1.

It was end-to-end stuff as Mhlongo came out and misjudged Onyango's long-ball and Keletso Makgalwa pounced and fired home to make it 2-1 to Sundowns with nine minutes left.

Masandawana's defence then went to sleep and they were punished by Dzvukamanja again as the Zimbabwean forward dribbled past Madisha, before scoring and the match looked destined for extra-time.

However, Lyle Lakay had other ideas as the super-sub snatched a late winning goal in stoppage with a brilliant curling free-kick to seal Sundowns' 3-2 win over Wits on the night.

As a result, Masandawana advanced to the Nedbank Cup final where they will take on Bloemfontein Celtic on September 09, while Wits bowed out of the South African FA Cup.