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New Manchester City signing Ferran Torres has expressed his frustration at the Valencia hierarchy for how they handled his exit, insisting that he was told back in 2019 that he would be the fifth-choice winger at the club.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that Pep Guardiola's side had secured a £21 million ($27m) deal to sign the Spaniard, who is rated as one of Europe's top emerging talents.

Torres has, however, painted a bleak picture of his situation with the Liga side, insisting that he made the decision to leave after the club told him they weren't counting on him as an important first-team player heading into the 2019-20 season.

He told Marca when asked when he first thought about leaving: "I started thinking about it last summer after the European Under-19 Championship. The club told me personally that they weren't counting on me. They literally said that I was the fifth winger in the squad, that reinforcements were coming and other players from other positions were ahead of me.

"It was a very hard blow for me, but what was worse was that they even put me on the market and offered me to teams in Spain. There were calls from 12 La Liga clubs, including Levante and one Segunda Division club. That's when I started thinking about leaving.

"The problem is that there are people within the club and a few journalists who are determined to damage my image. I don't want to leave on bad terms because I'm a Valencia fan.

"When the club decided to put me in the first team I began to come under pressure and criticism. It wasn't just me, but they wanted to harm my representatives and my family.

"The same people who now campaign against me said then that I would fail, which hurt a lot at 17. I have to say that there were other journalists who treated me with love and respect. There are, though, club employees working to smear my image.

"I'm sure I can [return to Valencia one day]. I refuse to think otherwise. Even if there are crooked people. A lot of them won't be there in a few years and I'll have shown that I deserve to return."

Torres, who made 44 appearances in all competitions for Los Che during the 2019-20 season, also revealed the conditions involved for his contract renewal with the Liga club, prior to the agreement being reached with City.

He said: "One was for [Valencia owner] Peter Lim to be involved so that I knew I was important, another was to be captain as I had seen other clubs do, [Atletico Madrid] with Fernando Torres, for example, and the third was to be one of the highest paid players. I wanted two of the three, but none were fulfilled.

"I wanted to stay and I put forward the conditions to do so. They weren't above the club's means. I know they're not in the same position as big European clubs, but I was able to lead that project and wanted to be treated as such. The club didn't want to keep me."

The 21-year-old went on to discuss his indifferent relationship with club captain Dani Parejo, adding: "After three years I'm more mature and mentally stronger, but at 17, no. He's a great player but I never had a relationship with him.

"When I joined the first team at 17, a number of weeks passed before he said a simple 'good morning' to me. He wasn't a good captain with me. The worst of it came after [former Valencia head coach] Marcelino's departure when [Lee] Kang-in and I were seen as culprits in the dressing room and they stopped talking to us for weeks."

Lionel Messi has paid tribute to Real Madrid hero Iker Casillas following his retirement, insisting the shot stopper's "status as a legend of the game was secured long ago."

Casillas called time on an illustrious 22-year career on Tuesday, as he delivered a heartfelt message to his followers on social media announcing his decision.

He wrote on social media: “The most important thing is the path you travel and the people who accompany you, not the destination that it takes you. I think I can say, without hesitation, that this has been the right path and the dream destination. Thanks.”

Casillas served as Madrid's No 1 goalkeeper between 1999 and 2015, winning five La Liga titles and four European Cups, while also racking up 725 appearances for the club.

The 39-year-old also enjoyed unprecedented success on the international stage, helping Spain secure back-to-back European Championships with a 2010 World Cup triumph wedged in between.

Barcelona superstar Messi came up against Casillas on numerous occasions while he was at Santiago Bernabeu, with their battles in El Clasico destined to live long in the memory of supporters from both clubs.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner acknowledged the Spaniard's achievements after seeing him hang up his gloves, telling AS: "Iker is retiring today, but his status as a legend of the game was secured long ago - not just because he was one of La Liga's best players, but also because he won everything at international level."

Messi also addressed Casillas directly to thank the shot-stopper for bringing the best out of him, adding: "You’re a fantastic goalkeeper and were a really tough opponent, I have to say. Looking back, I think it was a really special rivalry that pushed us to reach new levels every time we came up against each other."

Casillas took on a new challenge in the Primeira Liga after leaving Madrid, signing a two-year contract with Porto.

The veteran keeper added another two league titles to his collection while featuring in 156 games in all competitions, before being struck down with a heart attack in May 2019.

The Madrid great moved into a coaching role at Porto after making a full recovery, and publicly expressed his desire to run for the presidency of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in March.

Casillas ended up withdrawing his candidacy amid the coronavirus outbreak, with his next role in the game set to begin back at the Bernabeu as an advisor to Madrid president Florentino Perez.

It was an honour to play alongside David Silva, according to former Manchester City defender Kolo Toure – who marvelled at how the Spain playmaker combined with his brother Yaya.

Silva will bring down the curtain on a 10-year City career when they conclude their 2019-20 campaign this month.

Friday's Champions League last-16 encounter with Real Madrid, for which Pep Guardiola's side hold a 2-1 advantage, could prove his final game in sky blue.

Silva won the first of his four Premier League titles in 2011-12, Toure's penultimate season at the Etihad Stadium before joining Liverpool, while the pair featured in the 2011 FA Cup run that concluded with City ending a 35-year trophy drought.

"We called him El Maestro," the former Arsenal centre-back told Stats Perform News. "He's a fantastic player, technically unbelievable. I loved to play with him, especially with Yaya.

"All you had to do was pass them the ball. Yaya would come next to you, to get the ball, then Yaya would see David ahead and send the ball up quickly and the attack was on."

Toure remarked upon how the diminutive Silva's capacity to sharply read the game helped him to negotiate the physical demands of the Premier League.

"David doesn't go to fight, he looks for gaps, for space to play between lines to help players," he explained. "He doesn't look for fights, he doesn't need that. He just looks to help players. It was an honour to play with him."

Silva's exit comes a year after long-serving captain Vincent Kompany called time on a decade with City, while Yaya Toure left in 2018 having proved similarly influential.

Toure has no doubt his younger sibling should be rightly recognised among the finest performers the Premier League has seen; a midfielder ranking alongside celebrated England duo Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

"Yaya at one point was the most influential player in the league," he added. "Scoring goals, making assists - scoring crucial goals.

"On the other side there are lots of things that have distracted his life, but Yaya is a legend in the Premier League, not just because he's my brother, but because he's a top player.

"Like Gerrard, Lampard. They were the best. He could score goals, pass, and run the game – a top player."

Bidvest Wits midfielder Haashim Domingo has vowed to fight for his current team and upset his soon-to-be employers Mamelodi Sundowns during Saturday’s Nedbank Cup semi-final showdown at Orlando Stadium.

After GladAfrica Championship side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila bought Wits’ Premier Soccer League (PSL) status, Downs have moved in to secure Domingo together with his Wits midfield partner Gift Motupa and goalkeeper Ricardo Goss.

Although Domingo is not comfortable focusing on his future with the Brazilians, for now, facing a team he would soon be calling home does not appear as a drawback to his ambition of helping Wits bow out on a high.

“I can't comment about that for now [playing against his new employers]. I'm honouring my Wits contract and concerning joining them next season, I can't comment on that," Domingo told Sowetan Live.

“Right now, I am a Wits player and that's what it's going to be. I am going to fight for them. We want to go to the final and Sundowns also have that mentality of wanting to go to the final.

“So it is just a matter of giving our all and leave everything on the field and we will see what the outcome is. We have to write our own history with the club that's almost 100 years old. For us as players we need to get some silverware irrespective of whatever happens, you know.

“We need to show that we are better than everything that went on and write our own stories. Hopefully, we will be in the final and we can say that irrespective of what happened with the club, us as professional footballers we still fought and that will mean a lot.”

Having been inactive for almost five months owing to the suspension of football in South Africa due to the coronavirus, Domingo says that is no excuse of them returning to action while not at their best.

"We have not played too, it is not like Sundowns have been playing matches and we were not. So I think the game will be interesting and it will be up to who wants it at the end of the day. We are looking forward to it, we know it is not going to be easy but we are excited about it,” said Domingo.

Bloemfontein Celtic and Baroka FC will square off in another semi-final at the same venue earlier on Saturday.

Tema Youth president Wilfred Kwaku Osei 'Palmer' has rubbished reports of receiving the verdict of his legal battle with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday.

The tribunal was expected to announce the outcome of what has been a prolonged challenge, having rescheduled the date of their ultimate decision from July 17 to August 4.

Palmer dragged the national football's governing body to court over the displeasure of being "unfairly" disqualified from the GFA's presidential election in October last year.

“Contrary to reports suggesting our lawyers have received the much-anticipated ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), we wish to establish the fact that our lawyers are yet to receive the ruling from CAS," Palmer said in a statement released on Wednesday morning.

“CAS has not given any reason for the delay, but we are hopeful that in due course the ruling will be sent to both parties involved.”

Ghanaian media were left disappointed on Tuesday as CAS failed to announce the outcome of their hearing on Tuesday as planned.

However, Techiman Eleven Wonders chief executive officer Albert Commey, believed to be in the camp of the GFA, claimed both parties have received the verdict.

"Both Palmer and GFA have received the summary of the verdict but it is up to Palmer who is the complainant to release it to the public," Commey claimed on Angel FM.

"I will not blame the GFA if they decide to hold on to the verdict because they are not the complainant."

Palmer was disqualified from contesting for the presidential seat, which became vacant following the exit of Kwesi Nyantakyi, by a Fifa/Caf Normalisation Committee which briefly administered football in Ghana during the search for a new GFA boss. The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Vetting Committee.

His exclusion left behind six candidates for the October election which was ultimately won by Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku.

Palmer initially appealed the Normalisation Committee's decision but moved on to seek redress at CAS after failing at national level.

Should the former Black Stars Management Committee member's appeal be upheld, there could be an order for an all-new election to be organised.

Alternatively, the GFA could be handed a fine while the status quo stays but Palmer was cleared to compete in future elections. 

Manchester City winger Ferran Torres has explained how he spoke to Pep Guardiola prior to signing for the Premier League club, insisting that his words helped convince him that he was making the right decision.

Guardiola's side completed the signing of the Spaniard on Tuesday for a £21 million ($27m) fee, with Torres being brought in following Leroy Sane's exit to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

The 21-year-old has explained how everything happened late regarding City's interest, and that he had enquiries from other "very big clubs" before ultimately deciding to head to England.

He told Marca: "Everything was done late with City. The first contact was with Valencia and they said that they wanted to speak with us. Then we reached an agreement before they negotiated with Valencia.

"I was very nervous that day. My agent was in Manchester with the club and he called me to tell me they had an agreement and I'd play for City. It's a club who want to win everything so I think I'll improve a lot here. Very big teams called but I have to keep that to myself."

On his talks with Guardiola, he added "He congratulated me and gave me peace of mind. It calmed me down and made me want to sign even more.

"[I want] to work, adapt quickly and learn. The more competition you have, the better you become. You always have to be at your best because otherwise you'll be on the bench.

"On the one hand, I'm excited and happy, but at the same time I'm sad because I'm leaving my club. Valencia game me everything and trained me since I was seven. I've had hard times there and that's why I ended up leaving, but I want to emphasise that I'm very grateful to Valencia and will always support them."

Indeed, Torres, who came through Valencia's academy system and made his first-team debut back in 2017, was left frustrated at his acrimonious exit from the Liga club, revealing that he had wanted to stay put.

In a message to the Los Che supporters, he said: "Thank you for everything. I always felt your support and encouragement. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone with my departure, that was never my intention, but what has happened has forced me to take a different path from the one I always dreamed of."

Discussing City's chances against Real Madrid in the Champions League last-16 second leg, with Guardiola's men 2-1 ahead from the first meeting, he continued: "City did well at [Santiago] Bernabeu. Madrid are a great team but I don't think they'll get through."

Jose Marcelo Ferreira (Ze Maria) has claimed to coach Kenya’s giants Gor Mahia was like managing Brazilian top sides Flamengo or Corinthians.

Ze Maria led the Green Army to the 2015 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title with an unbeaten run before he abruptly resigned in 2017.

“I arrived in Nairobi and, when I got off the plane, I almost caught fire. The sun burns on your skin. I walked down the road and there were zebras on the other side,” Ze Maria told The Guardian.

“I was having lunch next to Lake Victoria and a guy came over and said: ‘Careful if you see any waves here because it might be a hippopotamus.’

“People wondered what I was doing there. ‘Ze Maria who played for Brazil and Inter?’ They wanted to touch me. People wanted to hear my stories.

“It was the biggest club in Kenya, so every game was like managing Flamengo or Corinthians in Brazil. The stadium was packed.”

The Brazilin spoke about the challenges he encountered but declared Africa has talent but the big problem is the lack of opportunities to push them to bigger leagues.

“There were difficulties. Sometimes you go to a stadium where the players don’t all fit in the changing room, so you have to change on the bus,” the former KF Tirana coach said.

“But the passion is absurd. African players are technically similar to Brazilians, but they lack opportunities to move to bigger leagues. Because of the pitches, when you dribble, the ball would bounce a metre up in the air, but the quality with which they controlled and conducted it, not even a Brazilian would do that.”

Ze Maria also added his voice to matters of racism, an issue that has continued to generate debate especially in the world of sports.

“I was going to move to Verona but I didn’t go because the fans thought there should not be a black player in their team,” he concluded.

“I’ve been to cities where I was booed, along with other players of colour, like [Lilian] Thuram. When it happened, I responded by dedicating myself even more. That was my way of showing up their stupidity. They harmed their own clubs.

“They lost on the pitch and were fined off it. But in the following game, the same thing happened again. That’s why I say it’s unlikely that it’ll change. It’s sad that people don’t learn.

“We need a 180-degree turn and that requires courage. It requires courage from club presidents and the people in charge. When a coach of colour takes over at a big club, he has to be the best, otherwise, he will be fired quickly.

“We’re not asking for much. I just want the same amount of time a white manager would have. If the opportunity comes for me to coach a big club in Brazil or Europe, I am qualified to do it well.”

When Ze Maria resigned as Gor Mahia coach, he later signed Kenneth Muguna and Musa Mohamed for the Albanian side but the two returned after a short stint in Europe.

Champions League and Europa League action will resume this month after both tournaments were suspended in March following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

After nearly four months of suspension, the knockout stages of both 2019-20 competitions will begin again imminently - though not without some substantial changes.

Goal has everything you need to know about how to watch this year's UCL and UEL matches on television, when the games will take place and more.

Explained: Champions League 2020 tournament

Contents

Champions League round of 16

Manchester City head into their round of 16 fixture against Real Madrid with a narrow 2-1 lead, while Juventus trail Lyon 1-0.

Chelsea will attempt to overturn a 3-0 deficit when they face off against Bayern Munich, and Barcelona and Napoli will battle it out following a 1-1 stalemate in the first leg.

Champions League quarter-finals

UEFA announced on June 17 that due to the spread of Covid-19, the remaining stages of the Champions League would change significantly, format-wise.

The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final stages will played in a single-leg format instead of the traditional two-legged format, beginning on August 12, 2020 to August 23, 2020.

Additionally, the games will no longer be played at each stadium's respective home venues. They will be played at neutral venues in Portugal: the Estadio da Luz and Estadio Jose Alvalade. All matches are set to be played behind closed doors.

Champions League semi-finals

Both semi-finals featuring the winners of the quarter-finals will take place at the Estadio da Luz and Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.

Champions League final

The Champions League final will take place on August 23, 2020 at the Estadio da Luz.

The 2019-20 final was set to be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, but the venue will now host the 2020-21 final instead.

Europa League round of 16

Only six of the eight first-leg matches of the Europa League round of 16 were played in March before the rest of the games were postponed due to the spread of Covid-19.

UEFA announced on June 17 that the remaining second-leg matches will be played from August 5-6, at the home team's stadium.

The two ties that had yet to play their first legs, however, will now be played in a single-leg format instead at neutral grounds in Germany.

Inter vs Getafe will be played at Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, while Sevilla vs Roma will be played at MSV-Arena in Duisburg.

Europa League quarter-finals

The Europa League quarter-finals will take place from August 10-11 2020 at neutral stadiums in Germany.

Europa League semi-finals

The Europa League semi-finals will take place on August 16 & 17 2020, at RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne and Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.

Europa League final

The Europa League final will be played on August 23, 2020 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.

Charlie Nicholas expects Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to stay put as he doesn't believe Barcelona can afford him, or that Manchester United are a bigger club than Arsenal.

Aubameyang's future at Arsenal has been up in the air in recent months, with the Gunners now looking at accelerating talks over a new deal for the 31-year-old.

Mikel Arteta is optimistic he will commit to fresh terms, but there are plenty of potential suitors keeping a close eye on his situation.

Barcelona, United, Juventus and Real Madrid have all been linked with Aubameyang, and it has been suggested that he could be tempted by a high-profile switch.

However, Arsenal's chances of convincing the Gabon international he can still achieve his lofty goals at the Emirates improved following their 2-1 FA Cup final win over Chelsea last weekend, during which he grabbed both goals to take his tally for the season to 29 in all competitions.

Nicolas doesn't think a potential switch to United will hold appeal to Aubameyang, and he is not certain that a move abroad is realistic either given the uncertainty of the financial climate amid the coronavirus crisis.

Former Gunners striker Nicolas said during an interview with Off The Ball: "I do genuinely believe if I said to Aubameyang right now that there’s two in England that are bigger than Arsenal: there’s Liverpool and Manchester City.

"Does he really want to go and join Manchester United? Are they getting closer? My answer is 'no'. I think Manchester City and Liverpool are still way out there.

"I don’t think Juventus are miles ahead, Barcelona are struggling for cash and I don’t think Real Madrid are so rich as what they were and what they want.

"So I’m finding that for one of the best strikers and certainly one of the best finishers in world football, I am very optimistic about him being in the red and white of Arsenal."

Asked where Aubameyang ranks in terms of the best strikers in world football, Nicholas responded: "He’s right up there and that’s why I can see Real Madrid and Juventus looking at buying him because they’re all trying to do deals to sell off as they need some money – everybody needs it, Barcelona included. 

"Then they’re trying to work out who is cheaper and who is the best buy and because of Aubameyang’s age, people try to look at that number. 

"At one stage if was suggested around £30 million for Aubameyang and I thought: 'who put that number on him?! That’s ridiculous!'"

Nicolas added on the ex-Borussia Dortmund man being happy in north London: "The lifestyle that Aubameyang has got at Arsenal in London is stardust and I think he likes that.

"I think he plays on that. He’s got his supercars and he can do whatever he wants because he’s the king.

"He helped make Dortmund become a big club again after being in the doldrums and maybe this is how he sees Arsenal – being in the doldrums and gradually getting right back to the top again and him being a major fabric of that.

"We have to be careful that we don’t get carried away because he might just say one day, 'I’m not re-signing' but the small choices that he has, I think we fit him perfectly."

Stellenbosch FC have announced the promotion of Jayden Adams from the club's reserve team. 

The 18-year-old midfielder caught the eye while playing for the Stellies reserve team in the Multichoice Diski Challenge (MDC).

This was before the 2019/20 season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in March with Stellenbosch placed seventh on the MDC standings. 

Adams' exploits in the reserve league have not gone unnoticed as he has been promoted to Stellies' first team after signing a long-term contract.

"Jayden Adams (18) puts pen to paper on a long term deal with Stellebbosch FC," a club statement read on Wednesday afternoon.

With Stellenbosch having been established in 2016, Adams has become the first academy player to sign a professional contract with the club's first team.

"Adams becomes the first Academy graduate to sign a professional contract with the club," another statement read.

The Western Cape-based side has decided to beef up its squad after losing influential midfielder-come-striker Iqraam Rayners to SuperSport United.

The 24-year-old player has signed a pre-contract with SuperSport earlier this year and Stellies decided to release him last month.

Stellies also parted ways former Kaizer Chiefs central defender Morgan Gould last month, with the 37-year-old player having made only 11 appearances in the league for the team this season.

The 2018/19 National First Division (NFD) champions are busy with their preparations with the current season set to resume this weekend with the Nedbank Cup semi-finals matches taking place.

The suspended campaign will be completed in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng between August and September 2020.

Stellenbonsch were eliminated from this season's Nedbank Cup by Maritzburg United in February and they will focus solely on their Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign.

Steve Barker's side has been drawn to play their remaining home league matches at Tuks Stadium which is also known as Absa Stadium. 

Coach Barker is familiar with the venue which is owned by the University of Pretoria, who were coached by the experienced tactician between 2008 and 2014.

Stellenbosch will lock horns with Lamontville Golden Arrows at Tuks Stadium next week Saturday.

Dinamo-BSUPC head coach Yuri Ivanovich has revealed he is ready to unleash Rhoda Mulaudzi and Lebohang Ramalepe on Bobruichanka in the semi-final of the Belarusian Women's Cup on Wednesday.

The Belarusian top-flight newcomers completed the signing of the South African duo from Sasol Women's League sides Polokwane FC and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, respectively, on Friday.

Ramalepe, who sealed her first move abroad, has earned 50 caps for Banyana, featuring at three Africa Women's Cup of Nations and the 2016 Olympic Games, and was part of three Cosafa Cup-winning squads. 

Before now, Mulaudzi starred for Cyprus' Apollon Ladies and Australia's Canberra United before helping Sundowns Ladies claim the Safa National Women's League title, with 36 goals in 15 games.

Following their signing announcement for the rest of the season, they could not earn their first appearances in Sunday's 4-0 at Bobruichanka.

With a 5-1 semi-final first-leg lead against Bobruichanka, the manager is set to hand the South Africa internationals their debuts as he vowed to change the side that thrashed the same foes on Sunday.

"If we manage to announce the girls before the second match of the Belarusian Women's Cup semi-final, then on Wednesday they will be on the football field," Ivanovich told the club website.

In last week's triumph, the manager rested the club's joint-topscorer Salimata Simpore and has offered a response to questions about the Burkina Faso striker's absence against Bobruichanka.

"We have girls  'on the cards' and she is one of them, and therefore I was a little afraid," she explained. 

"Simpore is a rather aggressive, mobile player who does a good power struggle, for this reason, he decided to keep it until the 14th round."

Dinamo will hope to maintain their impressive run of form, having recorded victories in all competitions this season, at home against Bobruichanka to seal a final spot against Minsk or Neman.

Jose Mourinho deserves "a lot of credit" for guiding Tottenham to sixth place, according to Darren Bent, who says the Spurs manager's methods are "clearly working".

Spurs had slipped way down to 14th in the Premier League standings when Jose Mourinho was drafted in to replace Mauricio Pochettino in the hot seat back in November.

Mourinho's arrival had the desired impact initially, as Spurs won five of their first seven games under the Portuguese, before an inconsistent Christmas period threatened to derail their campaign once again.

Tottenham were decimated by injuries to key personnel in the new year, and found themselves out of the FA Cup, Champions League and top-four race by the time the coronavirus outbreak stopped play in March.

However, Mourinho was able to welcome back the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn and Dele Alli when the top-flight resumed in June, which helped ensure a strong finish to the campaign.

Spurs recorded five wins, three draws and just one defeat in their last nine matches to secure Europa League qualification, with Mourinho beaming with pride after a final-day draw at Crystal Palace.

"After lockdown, we finished third or fourth in the table. That is where we belong. I want to have my team, my players, not a medical room full of players, a pitch full of players," he told reporters post-match.

Bent says the former Chelsea and Manchester United head coach is right to be proud of his efforts over the past nine months, and he has backed Tottenham to kick on and emerge as an elite force again in 2020-21.

“For them to finish sixth this year, what an achievement that is. They were way out of the race and to come back into it, Mourinho’s got to take a lot of credit," the former Spurs striker told Football Insider.

“He knows full well they need to do better next season and so he’ll have his eye on who he wants and the players he wants but first and foremost we’ve got to give him a round of applause and say job well done.

“The staggering stat that no manager had won more games than Mourinho, other than Klopp and Guardiola since he took the job, that is an unbelievable stat – whatever football he’s playing, it’s clearly working.

“He’s done a very, very good job and I expect them to be better next season. It’s a really big season for some of their players, the likes of Harry Kane – what does he do next season with the ambition he shows? That’s a really, really big year for him.

“First and foremost they need to go and get some players but I fully expect, once Mourinho’s got a full summer in, I expect them to be even better next season.” 

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has once again postponed the announcement of its judgement on the legal tussle between Tema Youth president Wilfred Kwaku Osei Palmer and the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

The new date is September 1, 2020.

The latest development was announced on Wednesday, a day after the tribunal was due to announce the verdict. It is the second successive rescheduling of the release of the ultimate outcome.

Osei Palmer is contesting his disqualification from the GFA presidential election last October.

"On behalf of the deputy president of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division, please be advised that the time limit to communicate the arbitral award to the parties, pursuant to article R59 of the Code of Sports-related Arbitration, has been extended until 1st September 2020," a CAS letter dated August 5 reads.

Osei Palmer was among seven candidates who filed applications to compete for the FA presidency. The seat had become vacant following the unceremonious exit of Kwesi Nyantakyi over a bribery and corruption scandal.

In the search for a new boss for the national football's governing body, Fifa, Caf and the Government of Ghana jointly set up a Normalisation Committee for Football (NC) to run the nation's sport in the interim.

A Vetting Committee set up by the NC to screen the presidential aspirants proposed disqualification of Osei Palmer for once breaching financial regulations after the transfer of a player of his club.

The administrator, a Black Stars Management Committee member during Nyantakyi's administration, promptly filed for an appeal upon receiving notification of his disqualification.

The NC, however, threw out the appeal on grounds of late submission and went ahead to conduct the election with six contestants where Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku emerged a the winner.

Displeased, Palmer dragged the GFA to CAS to seek redress, among his requests, seeking clearance of his name and re-organisation of the presidential election where he will be allowed to contest.

The tribunal initially set a July date for the announcement of their final verdict before moving it back to August 4.

Wednesday’s latest development means Osei Palmer and the GFA will have to wait until next month to know their fate.

Bafana Bafana attacker Percy Tau has officially completed a season-long loan move to Anderlecht from Brighton & Hove Albion. 

The club confirmed Tau's arrival on Wednesday morning after weeks of speculation they were interested in the former Mamelodi Sundowns star. 

Tau enjoyed spells with Royale Union Saint-Gillioise and Club Brugge over the past two years in Belgium.

Anderlecht sporting director Peter Verbeke spoke highly of Tau but admitted the attacker will need time to adapt to his new surroundings for the bigger role he's earmarked to play in the upcoming season. 

"Percy is a player who already knows our capital and the league," Verbeke told the club's website.

"He is a creative, technically strong, fast and agile player, he can play in various attacking positions.

"In addition, he has already demonstrated that he can be efficient and decisive. Due to a lack of preparation, we just have to give him some time to be important for us, but we are of course happy with his added value to our squad," he concluded.

Speaking to the club's website after putting pen to paper, Tau said Anderlecht's style of play suits his style of play and he has vowed to contribute positively to the club's success during his loan stint. 

"I am part of a team that always wants to play good and attacking football. That suits me perfectly. RSCA plays my style of football. We are made for each other. I will do everything I can to contribute to this team and guide the club back to where it belongs: to the top of Belgian football," said the Witbank-born attacker. 

After two successful loan stints with Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge, Tau's camp worked hard to earn him a move to the Premier League but those plans were not achieved. 

Kasper Schmeichel's "biggest dream" is to join Manchester United, according to his ex-Manchester City team-mate Mikkel Bischoff, who says the Leicester goalkeeper "will do anything to get to" Old Trafford.

Schmeichel has enjoyed a stellar career in English football over the past 15 years, which began when he graduated to City's senior squad in 2005.

The Denmark international spent four years at Etihad Stadium but ultimately failed to earn the No 1 jersey after a string of loan spells away from the club.

He ended up joining Notts County in 2009 and spent one season at Meadow Lane before joining Leeds United, where he did enough to attract the attention of Leicester.

The Foxes snapped Schmeichel up on a three-year contract in June 2011 and he has since made 378 appearances for the club, becoming a Premier League winner in the process.

The 2019-20 campaign has been another strong one for the 33-year-old, who recorded 13 clean sheets to help Brendan Rodgers' side finish fifth in the top-flight.

Schmeichel is now being linked with a move to United, with his only previous affiliation to the club coming due to his father Peter's status as an Old Trafford legend.

The Red Devils' current first choice keeper David de Gea has allowed errors to creep into his game this term which have cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men valuable points on several occasions.

United have been urged to replace the Spaniard before the 2020-21 campaign gets underway, and Bischoff insists that Schmeichel won't hesitate to jump ship if he gets a call from the Manchester outfit in the coming weeks.

The ex-City centre-back, who was on the books at the Etihad between 2001 and 2006, told Ekstra Bladet: “United will certainly not be deterred by his [Schmeichel's] age of 33 years. The most successful goalkeepers at the club in recent years have been well into their thirties. He can easily play three or four good years there.

“Schmeichel is a huge United fan. He always has been and always will be, it will be the biggest dream come true if he were to succeed [in joining United].

“If Kasper gets the opportunity to play just ten games for United, then he jumps. It’s simply so big for him. He is such a big fan that he will do anything to get to that club.”

Antonio Rudiger says Chelsea will miss Willian should he ultimately decide to leave the club on a free transfer and compared the Brazilian winger's abilities to former Blues talisman Eden Hazard.

Chelsea next face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on August 8 but have an uphill task to reach the quarter-finals after a 3-0 defeat in the home leg back in February.

And the match at the Allianz Arena is likely to be Willian's last for the Stamford Bridge club, with him having rejected a new contract offer  and  Arsenal having been heavily linked with signing him when his contract expires.

Having arrived in the Premier League in 2017, Rudiger was welcomed into the dressing room by the 31-year-old and he says he'll miss the winger should he leave in the summer.

"Since day one of coming to Chelsea, he and David Luiz got me into the team and helped me out in the first couple of months because it was not that easy," the Germany international told reporters.

"He is a great guy and a really, really good footballer. He is calm and humble and it will be sad if I don’t see him again as a team-mate. He is not the type of player who talks that much.

"He does his thing on the pitch, just like Eden Hazard. By playing, he shows what he is about. He is a guy who dictates the game and not many players in the world have this type of quality.

"He is always training [hard] and practicing free-kicks after. He is someone who always wants to improve."

Willian helped Chelsea to a top-four finish in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season and Rudiger has praised the work done by Frank Lampard in what is his first season in charge of the west Londoners.

He added: "To be honest, he is not like [Antonio] Conte or someone who, when you lose games, will rant at you. Of course, the coach is a bit quieter in the way that he says things. But the most important thing is that he gets to the point, and he does.

"We are all grown men and everyone can hear what the coach has said. I think he dealt very well with that pressure and kept us alive. Even if it went good or bad, he always kept us alive.

"For me, it is about the human being I am talking too. It is not only because someone wins titles. Of course, it can help because he is an open-minded coach and you can ask him about the times when he was playing.

"He knows the pressure and what the people want to see at this club. He knows about those pressure games, finals and everything."

On first glance, Paris Saint-Germain’s reported interest in Andre Ayew may seem far-fetched, but it may prove to be an astute move for the French giants.

It’s an issue that divides this week’s African Football HQ podcast, with Ed Dove and Malek Shafei unable to agree on whether or not there would be any sense in the Ghana forward moving to the Parc des Princes.

For Malek, the rumours are nonsense; surely the French champions wouldn’t be interested in a 30-year-old who’s currently in the second tier of English football, having failed to secure promotion for Swansea City.

However, PSG’s signing of Cameroon’s Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting from Stoke City sets a precedent, and he could be—at least—a valuable squad player capable of making the difference in Ligue 1.

For Dove, the Black Star—who scored 16 goals and contributed seven assists this term—still has an awful lot to offer, and at a rumoured €5 million, could be one of the bargains of the summer for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

However, how would Olympique de Marseille fans respond to one of their golden boys signing for their sworn rivals?

Also up for discussion this week, the pod dissect Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s performance in the FA Cup final, as he netted twice and became the first African player to lead a team out in English football’s traditional season closer.

It’s a magnificent landmark for African football, as the continent’s stars continue to enjoy increasing prominence at the highest levels of the European game.

What remains to be seen, however, is whether Aubameyang’s double in the final—and him finally getting his hands on silverware—can translate to a sustained stay at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta appears confident, but his performance against Chelsea will have only reminded Europe’s biggest clubs of his enduring class.

Also on the agenda, we discuss the end of the season in Tanzania—and Simba SC’s dominance—as well as preview some of the African stars set to feature in the Europa League and Champions League as those two competitions return to action this week.

We also focus on Glasgow Rangers and their African contingent, while discussing the futures of the likes of Siphiwe Tshabalala, Ismaila Sarr and Aissa Mandi.

India national team players will have to submit a 'training consent' form before they join the preparatory camp, that is expected to start next month, for the World Cup qualifiers under coach Igor Stimac, Goal has learnt. 

According to the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) athletes are required to declare that they are voluntarily joining the training session in spite of being aware of the prevalent Coronavirus situation. 

The consent form requires the athletes to "acknowledge the risks associated with resuming training at the centre under the present Covid-19 pandemic situation."

The rest of the points in the consent form are:

1. I hereby acknowledge that the risks involved, necessary precautions and protocols for resumption of training have been duly informed to me by _______ (name of National Sports Federation (NSF)) and the centre.

2. I hereby acknowledge the centre cannot guarantee the complete elimination of risks posed by COVID-19 through the implementation of the precautions and protocols identified by the centre.

3. I hereby declare that I am willing to resume training at the centre on my own consent without the influence of any other party and I shall adhere to suggested safety precautions and protocols at the centre. 

The NSFs are also required to sign an undertaking, where they are also acknowledging the risks of resuming training in the current scenario, declared that they have studied the SOP in detail and that they will adhere to the protocols of the SOP and government orders.

Premier League players had also provided written confirmation that they agree to their club's new safety measures before they returned to group training in May. 

SAI has permitted 11 disciplines to resume outdoor training following relaxations in the lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. However, football has been kept out of the ambit. 

According to the current schedule announced by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), India are set to host Qatar on October 8 before facing Bangladesh away from home on November 12. Their last group stage fixture against Afghanistan is set to be played on November 17 at home.

But these dates were subject to how the Coronavirus situation unfolded across Asia and the travel regulations, as applicable to each country. However, given the increase in the number of cases in many countries, AFC might end up tweaking the dates and changing the venues.

They might consider holding the remaining matches at centralised venues in each of the groups. It could well see matches in each group being played at one venue in one of the countries in that group. 

India are currently placed fourth in Group E with three points from five matches. Qatar top the table with 13 points while Oman are hot on their heels with 12. India are virtually out of contention for the top two spots but a third-place finish is well within the reach of the Blue Tigers. That will book them a direct berth in the third round for the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers. 

India lost narrowly to Oman at home before pulling holding Asian champions Qatar to a goalless draw. The inspiring result was followed by two more draws and a loss against Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Oman respectively. 

Kagera Sugar coach Mecky Maxime has offered himself for the vacant role at Young Africans (Yanga SC).

The Jangwani Street-based giants are in the market for a new coach after they fired Belgian Luc Eymael.

Maxime, who guided Kagera to a top-eight finish in the just-concluded season after they accumulated 59 points, has openly come out to state he will not mind replacing the fired Belgian in the hot seat.

“I am still attached to Kagera Sugar but will not mind if they [Yanga] come for my services,” Maxime is quoted by Sokaletu.

“If they come for my services, I will be readily available, I will take up the job, if all goes well, and they give me a good contract, I will definitely take up the job and strive to do well with the club.”

On Wednesday, Yanga continued with their reshuffle as the club has let go of key members of the technical bench.

First assistant coach Boniface Mkwasa and goalkeeping coach Peter Manyika are the latest to end their association with the Dar es Salaam-based club.

Mkwasa and Manyika’s exits follow the recent decision to part ways with 14 players that included captain Papy Tshishimbi and striker David Molinga.

Others dropped are veteran striker Mrisho Ngassa, Jafary Mohamed, Mohamed Issa Banka, Tariq Seif, Andrew Vincent Dante, Patrick Sibomana, Muharami Issa, Ali Ali, Rafael Daud, Ali Mtoni Sonso and Eric Kabamba.

Surprisingly, the club has retained controversial Ghanaian forward Bernard Morrison, who has missed training since the team suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat against rivals Simba SC in the FA Cup semi-final clash and was since arrested under suspicion of marijuana possession.

Yanga have been the busiest Mainland Premier League side since TFF opened the transfer window on August 1.

They have so far signed highly-rated defender Bakari Mwmanyeto, left-back Yassin Mustapha, striker Waziri Junior and midfielder Peter Zawadi Mauya.

Yanga finished a distant second to Kariakoo arch-rivals Simba SC and their new signings together with the expected new technical bench is a suggestion they are building and hoping for a better 2020/21 campaign.

Next season will start on September 6.

Rangers defender Leon Balogun has been named in the Scottish Premiership Team of the Week after his impressive debut on Saturday.

The Nigeria international who moved to Scotland at the end of the Championship season with Wigan Athletic, helped the Gers defeat Aberdeen 1-0 in their maiden game in the 2020-21 season.

Balogun was handed his first start at the Pittodrie Stadium as Ryan Kent's 21st-minute goal separated both teams to get the visitors off to a flying start.

The 32-year-old defender was in action from start to finish in the fixture and he made the most clearances (3) for the Gers. He also completed one tackle.

Celtic right-back Jeremie Frimpong was recognised in the weekly team selection after helping the defending league champions begin their new campaign with a commanding 5-1 win against Hamilton Academy on Sunday.

Apart from his defensive role, the player of Ghanaian descent contributed to the Bhoys’ attack on the right flank and he was able to score a goal in the rout of their visitors at Celtic Park.

Also included in the Team of the Week are Motherwell goalkeeper Trevor Carson, Hibernian duo Martin Boyle and Ryan Porteous, Celtic duo Odsonne Edouard and Greg Taylor, Ross County's Ross Stewart, St. Mirren's Jamie McGrath, St Johnstone's Liam Craig and Dundee United's Ian Harkes.

Balogun is not eligible to play for Rangers in Thursday's Europa League round of 16 return fixture against Bayer Leverkusen. However, the former Brighton and Hove Albion defender will be hoping to help Steven Gerrard's side build on their fine start to the season when they host St. Mirren at Ibrox Stadium for their next Premiership match on Sunday.