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Asisat Oshoala scored a second-half brace as Barcelona thrashed Montpellier 3-0 in Sunday's international club-friendly.

The Nigeria international has continued from where she left off in the Calatans' regular-season run to their title triumph, scoring 20 goals in 19 league games before the league's cancellation.

With three weeks to go until their Uefa Women's Champions League quarter-final showdown with rivals Atletico Madrid, Barca are gearing up for the encounter following their return from a three-week break. 

For her part, Oshoala has hit the ground running, scoring twice in a training match on Thursday before coming on as a substitute to fire the Spanish champions to a win over the French side.

The two sides were meeting for the second in the last 12 months, with Barcelona claiming a 1-0 win over Montpellier through Oshoala's solitary effort in a build-up to their Round of 32 ties with Juventus.

The French ladies were starting their pre-season campaign ahead of their new season and held Barcelona 0-0 at half time.

However, Oshoala, who came on at the start of the second half, broke the deadlock to put the hosts in front in the 64th minute.

She went on to double the lead four minutes from time before Jenni Hermoso added the third inside injury time to wrap up the victory.

The 25-year-old has now scored three goals in two appearances against the French side and these were her third and fourth in two warm-up outings.

After Sunday's win, Barcelona are due to travel to France to face Montpellier in the second leg of the double-header on August 9. 

Barcelona will seek to repeat their excellent run in the competition last season when they battle Atletico in the first-ever all-Spanish tie in Bilbao.

Oshoala made history as the first African to score in a Women's Champions League final when she netted in Barcelona's 4-1 loss to Lyon, and she'll hope to celebrate European success again this term.

Frank Lampard says Willian is set to decide his own future and the Chelsea boss is ready to accept whatever the winger chooses, whether he leaves or stays at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have offered the Brazilian a new contract but it remains a two-year offer, while the 31-year-old is cautious about accepting anything other than a three-year deal.

Willian's agent Kia Joorabchian has publicly admitted that his client has offers from five clubs. This includes three from overseas sides, an MLS club, understood to be Inter Miami, and two Premier League teams, that are thought to be Arsenal and Tottenham.

Lampard couldn't pick Willian due to injury in the 2-1 FA Cup final defeat to Mikel Arteta's side and the manager explained he can do little to convince him to stay at this stage.

“It is his decision, I haven’t got that answer," Lampard told reporters. "I know the situation at the club’s end. I have a great relationship with Willian, but I don’t actually know what the decision is.

"If that happens over the next whatever days, as he said, then that would be good for me in either way. Of course, I am very happy with Willian. He has been brilliant for me this season with his input and work ethic, within the squad.

"But it is his choice and I respect his choice. He has been a great servant for Chelsea if he decides to move on, and if he does decide to move on then Chelsea will move on and we have to look forwards ourselves.”

Meanwhile, the Blues will step up their efforts to sign new players in the transfer window after it opened on Monday ahead of the club's Champions League return.

After suffering a 3-0 home defeat, it is a tough ask for an injury-hit Chelsea to mount a comeback against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their last 16 clash.

Soon, the Blues will look to tie up a deal for Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz, while they are also targeting Leicester City's Ben Chilwell and West Ham's Declan Rice.

Lampard admitted he is looking to see defensive improvements as a result of the transfer window, with the manager having already locked up two attacking signings in Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.

“Yeah, it’s true," Lampard added. "The numbers don’t lie. We are trying to play a certain way. I know that teams at the top of the game, Liverpool and Manchester City, have been through similar. I’m not saying we are going to get to that level, but similar periods in the early stages of their managers being at the club a few years ago.

"We are conceding too much; it is a work in progress for me. I can’t shelve it in another direction. We have to work defensively as a group. But some of the individual errors we are making, clear individual errors, some today clearly cost us goals, can’t be there if we want to keep moving forward.

"We have to work as a group to make that better. That is clear; we are not hiding from that. We have come fourth, we’ve had a good season. There are areas to improve and defensively we have to improve.”

Frank Lampard thinks his side won't be ready to start playing football again on 12 September as he has called on the Premier League to go easy on Chelsea for next season's scheduling.

Chelsea are fresh off a 2-1 loss to Arsenal in the FA Cup final in a match where three of Lampard's players were hauled off injured.

Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta suffered hamstring injuries early on, before Pedro was suspected of dislocating his shoulder in what will likely be his last Chelsea appearance.

Additionally, the club faced issues before kick-off due to problems for both Willian and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while N'Golo Kante has been absent for 50 per cent of his side's games this season and was an unused substitute for the FA Cup finale.

Lampard thinks his side need a delay in starting the season from the Premier League and is concerned they are struggling to handle the intensity of the scheduling.

“I am guessing we will be told on when we start and that will be dependant on how we go against Bayern Munich," Lampard told reporters about next season. “I do not forget that game; it is a big game for us. I am just maybe caught up on today. The players need a bit of rest before we prepare for that game.

“It’s not ideal if we carry on against Bayern and possibly go further. The players need a break; they need to be given a break to play at the level of the quality product that the Premier League is. Worst case scenario, if we don’t go through against Bayern, the 12th seems too early to start playing again.

"The players need a break. That is why we are pulling two hamstrings and having players pull out before this. I would like to think the Premier League will look seriously at that and look at the start for next season. I think we deserve it, as a Premier League club competing in the Champions League.”

Indeed, with progression in the Champions League not expected after a 3-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich in February, the Blues look unlikely to progress into the quarter-finals of the competition.

The FA Cup therefore represented the last chance of silverware, but Lampard thinks the future remains bright after a top-four finish in the league.

“I am delighted with the season," he added. "I have wanted to keep that within for the last week because I don’t want to get excited with a big game coming up. We have to reflect on the season going into it; people didn’t expect us to be in the top four.

"There were unknowns, transfer ban, other clubs around us are moving forward with recruitment. So I don’t think this result should reflect on that. You can lose a final. We have lost a final and that is frustrating. But there is a bigger picture we are working to here.

"We have seen good things, but we have to understand there are things to work on. For sure, we should be, the players should be, proud of the way they have competed all season domestically. The league position is a huge plus for us.

"Let’s get it right; not many people would have given us that chance at the start. Then we have to look at where we have to get better. Today showed there is plenty of room to get better.”

Neil Lennon expects Odsonne Edouard to be in demand after he started the new season with a hat-trick in a 5-1 thrashing of Hamilton, though Celtic intend to do all they can to keep the forward. 

Everton and Leicester City are among the Premier League clubs to be linked with Edouard, who joined Celtic for a reported club-record fee of around £9million in 2018 after a successful season-long loan. 

Arsenal are also believed to be monitoring the striker's progress as they consider potential replacements for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose Emirates Stadium future remains uncertain.

The 22-year-old hit the ground running with a treble as Celtic began their quest to win a record 10th consecutive Scottish Premier League title with a commanding win on Sunday. 

Lennon is braced for interest in the former Paris Saint-Germain player during the transfer window, but he hopes to keep hold of his prized asset.

Asked about rumoured interest in Edouard, the Celtic boss said: "We can't help that, it's inevitable. But we'll try to stave off any admirers. I'm sure there are plenty out there, but we love having him here and I'm sure he’s enjoying it. 

"He'll be well on the radar of clubs before the start of this season. He had 28 goals up until March last season and I was delighted with that goal return. 

“I was delighted with the goals he got too, he was on the end of things and that pleased me. 

“I was really pleased, he scored great goals. His volume of goals is really pleasing me. 

“They were striker's goals. Normally you associate Odsonne with brilliant individual goals, but there were a few tap-ins and a near-post run. 

"I'm absolutely thrilled and I'm sure he's happy, but we are as a team looking to build on what we've started with."

Edouard played down talk of a move when he was asked about his future earlier this summer, saying he would "love to be a part" a tenth straight title win for Celtic despite being "flattered" by talk of a move to Arsenal.

Roma have a player who has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or on their books in Nicolo Zaniolo, according to Fabio Capello.

The coach, who led AC Milan to the 1994 Champions League title, as well as Roma to a historic 2001 Serie A crown, has compared the 21-year-old playmaker to Kaka and says he has all the attributes to reach the very top.

Capello was speaking after Zaniolo played a virtuoso role in Roma’s 3-1 win over Juventus, the player’s first start since an ankle ligament injury in January, during which he set up Diego Perotti after a driving run.

“This Roma talent has extraordinary physicality, power and pace, mixed in with quality. He has the potential not just to win the Golden Shoe in future, but something more,” the 74-year-old told Sky Sport Italia.

“Kaka didn’t have the same strength as Zaniolo, as he was more technical and expressed himself better in the final third.

“I am in love with Zaniolo, because he has everything at the highest level: power, quality and pace. There are players out there with a lot of potential, but not like him.

“Looking at the assist for Perotti against Juventus, to reach the edge of the area after running from midfield with the ball at his feet and still having the cool head to make that precise pass, that means he has great vision and a really precise feel for the ball.

“I don’t see other young players as good as Zaniolo around at the moment, so yes, I think he has the potential to become a Ballon d’Or winner.”

Tottenham and Inter have previously been credited with an interest in the youngster, who posts six goals and two assists in 26 Serie A performances this season, though head coach Paulo Fonseca says that this will not happen.

“We don't want to sell Zaniolo or [Lorenzo] Pellegrini,” he told Sky Sport Italia after a 6-1 victory over SPAL.

“They are important for the future of Roma.”

Roma finished the season fifth in Serie A, eight points distant of fourth-placed Lazio, who claimed the final Champions League berth.

Cristiano Ronaldo appears committed to at least another season with Juventus as he wants to win a third Scudetto with the club.

Ronaldo joined Juve from Real Madrid in a shock €100 million (£88m/$115m) transfer two years ago and has maintained strong form despite seemingly entering the twilight years of his career.

The 35-year-old scored 21 Serie A goals in 2018-19, before bettering that by 10 this term as Juve clinched a ninth successive league crown.

In doing so, he set club history as he became just the third player to notch more than 30 strikes in a single season, following in the footsteps of Felice Borel (31 in 1933/34) and John Hansen (30 in 1951/52).

Indeed, his exploits in front of goal have been eclipsed only by Lazio's Ciro Immobile and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski in European football this season, with the Rome-based striker denying the pair the Golden Shoe by registering on 36 occasions.

Mild speculation had suggested in recent months that Ronaldo, who did not feature in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Roma in the final Serie A fixture of the season, might be considering moving on again, with the Portugal great and coach Maurizio Sarri reportedly enduring a rocky relationship at times this season.

But Ronaldo has given an indication that he plans to stay for the 2020-21 season.

Writing in an Instagram post published after Juve lifted the Serie A trophy on Saturday, Ronaldo said: "Happy to win the last two of the nine consecutive Serie A titles for Juventus!

"It seems easy but it isn't! Year after year with talent, dedication and hard work you can achieve your goals and be better than before! Let's go for my third."

Juve could yet end a 24-year wait for Champions League success this season as well. The two-time European champions last won the trophy in the 1995-96 season.

The Old Lady head into Friday's last-16 second-leg clash with Lyon 1-0 down, but will fancy their chances of overturning that deficit in Turin given their opponents have played just one competitive match - Friday's penalty shoot-out defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de la Ligue final - since March.

Going into their final day encounter with relegation-threatened Trapani, Crotone’s Simy Nwankwo still had unfinished business despite the Pythagoreans gaining automatic promotion to Serie A a week earlier.

Locked in a two-way battle with Perugia’s Pietro Iemmello to end top scorer in Serie B, the towering frontman, guaranteed the best-ever league return of his career, wasn’t about to let his one-goal lead slip at the death.

With 20 goals from 36 games before Friday night, the 28-year-old’s keenness to extend his advantage in their final fixture was apparent as he attempted four of his team’s 15 attempts – only Junior Messias from midfield attempted more. Interestingly, he had three fewer efforts in Crotone’s penultimate game in midweek, a 1-0 over Frosinone in their final home game of the season.

Friday night’s 2-0 loss didn't change the final standing of Giovanni Stroppa’s team, who still finished second. Although defeat meant they finished a staggering 18 points behind Filippo Inzaghi’s Benevento, who recorded a 4-2 success over Ascoli.

Fortunately for Simy, Iemmello’s blank in Perugia’s 3-1 loss at Venezia means he won’t be supplanting the Nigerian in the regular season (Perugia face Pescara in the relegation playoffs in mid-August).

Indeed, the gigantic frontman has come a long way from the striker that netted only three times in 21 appearances when Crotone narrowly avoided relegation in 2016/17 but weren’t so lucky the following season as they finished third-bottom with 35 points.

In fairness, their raw statistics when they went down indicated a bit of misfortune: the Pythagoreans scored 40 in 17/18, seven more than they managed the previous year and picked up 35 points, one higher than in 16/17.

The problem was at the back where they let in 66 goals, eight more than they allowed in a dramatic first year in Serie A under Davide Nicola. Only two sides conceded more than the Calabria-based side when they finished in the bottom three – Hellas Verona (78) and Benevento (84) – who didn’t stay in the top flight, either.

As an attacking unit, however, Crotone netted 40 times, more than all but one of the clubs in the bottom half and a staggering 11 higher than 11th-placed Sassuolo who netted 29. Simy scored seven of those in 23 matches, netting double his tally in 16/17, to end joint-top scorer for the side.

He’s become even more prolific in the last two campaigns, albeit in Serie B, hitting the back of the net 14 times last season before scoring his career-best of 20 in a single season.

Despite coming in second-tier football, his haul in the last two years bodes well on the face of it but would the frontman deliver such numbers on his return to Serie A?

A dive into the Pythagoreans’ promotion campaign under Stroppa has seen an interesting shift in approach from their two years in the top flight. In 16/17 under Nicola, Crotone averaged 37.1 percent of possession, unsurprisingly the lowest mean in the division. They fashioned out the lowest big chances (18) and were in the bottom three top-scoring sides having scored 34 times.

The following season, their average possession of 39.5 percent, although slightly higher, remained the lowest in the league. Still, their attacking vibrancy in possession saw them fashion out 36 big chances, double their number in their maiden year, and better than two sides in the competition – Verona and SPAL.

While not the sole reason, it’s no surprise Simy also doubled his tally of three goals in 16/17 to score seven in 17/18.

This term, though, the drastic shift in Crotone’s approach ultimately led to the forward hitting his best return of 20 league goals.

In Stroppa’s first full season in charge, the side from Calabria averaged 60.6 percent possession as they finished second in the table. Their mean wasn’t only the highest in the division, but it was also significantly higher than Benevento’s average of 49.7 percent, which put the champions 12th in the standings for how teams kept the ball throughout the season.

Surprisingly, despite Stroppa’s tendency to dominate the ball, his side created 10 fewer clear-cut chances than Inzaghi’s troops (83 to 93) and were slightly less clinical than the champions.

A bigger worry will be the runners-up’s shoddy defensive record which saw them allow 40 goals in 38 games, a staggering 13 goals more than the league winners who let in just 27. Given their leaky rearguard was a major contributory factor for failing to avoid the drop in 2018, the just-concluded season, despite being under another manager, implied they haven’t learned from mistakes that affected their second season in the top flight.

In an attacking sense, it also remains to be seen whether Stroppa still seeks to dominate games and play on the front foot against teams of better quality or whether he adopts a more pragmatic approach and cede possession to the opposition.

Indeed, the 52-year-old manager’s decision will certainly play a part in Simy prospering or otherwise on his return to the top flight after proving with two prolific campaigns in Serie B that he’s a step above second-tier football.

Despite the threat of not posting as high as this year’s 24 goal contributions next season, fans of the club can draw positives from how he bowed out in 17/18 when he netted six of his seven goals in the final eight fixtures of the campaign.

Having ostensibly improved in the last two seasons, the forward might feel he has unfinished business in the top flight, but the jury is still out on the forward’s ability to dominate against the top sides in the country.

In fairness, how well Crotone adapt to not having as much possession on their return to Serie A will undoubtedly influence Simy’s ability to thrive in the Italian top flight after two seasons away. The goals have flowed in the last 24 months but the forward’s assumed improvement is now set to be put to the test against the nation’s best in the top flight.

Simba SC sealed a season treble after beating Namungo FC 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Sumbawanga.

The 21-time league champions also won the Community Shield when they defeated Azam FC in August last year.

Captain John Bocco and Man of the Match Luis Miquissone provided the vital goals that ensured the Dar es Salaam side head back home as the champions for the FA competition.

After 35 minutes of failed attempts to break an otherwise tight Namungo backline, Simba finally got a hard-fought opener through Miquissone’s strike.

The Mozambican, who has proved to be an undroppable figure for coach Sven Vandenbroeck, scored an important goal and further showed why his January signing was a masterstroke.

Shomari Kapombe delivered a swinging cross into the penalty box, but Bocco was denied the opportunity to strike as the opponents swarmed around him, but as Namungo focused on Bocco, the ball fell into Miquissone’s path and the winger slotted home.

Bocco added the second goal four minutes after Miquissone had registered the opener, heading into the net and ensured Simba headed into the break with a healthy 2-0 lead.

The Tanzanian, in the absence of Meddie Kagere, worked hard and ensured the club will not miss the Rwandan talisman.

With nine league goals, Bocco has turned out to be Simba’s dependable captain and goalscorer throughout the campaign, even though he has had to battle a knee injury.

As Sven Vandenbroeck fielded a strong side for the domestic tournament finale to conclude his maiden season in charge, Kagere was the only regular starter who was benched, with the goal-hunting responsibilities placed on the shoulders of Bocco, Clatous Chama, Francis Kahata and Miquissone.

Namungo equalized in the 57th minute when Edward Charles Manyama managed to beat Aishi Manula in Simba's goal as the affair in Sumbawanga turned into an end-to-end encounter.

The biggest test perhaps lies ahead for the former Zambian national team coach as he has to ensure Simba prosper in the 2020-21 Caf Champions League.

Last season, under Patrick Aussems, the club was eliminated in the preliminary round by UD Songo of Mozambique.

Miquissone, then on the books of Songo, scored the goal that eliminated Simba in Dar es Salaam in August 2018.

Defeated finalists Namungo, who finished fourth on the league standings, will still look back on a successful campaign as they reach the Confederation Cup by virtue of advancing to the FA Cup final.

The big test for coach Thierry Hitimana will come when the team face continental rivals and try to better the league’s performance in the 2020/21 campaign. 

Young Africans have entered the race to sign ex-Gor Mahia forward Dickson Ambundo.

Ambundo is among the two players who have been released by the Kenyan Premier League champions ahead of the new season.

The Tanzanian attacker has now emerged as a top transfer target for Yanga, who are keen to strengthen their squad after missing out on silverware and finishing second on the 20-team league table.

“Yanga have entered the race to sign [Ambundo] and I can tell you they have already held talks and the deal could be confirmed anytime this coming week,” a source, who did not want to be named, told Goal.

“Ambundo was among the players fired coach Luc Eymael had requested the club to sign and the club have said they will go ahead and get his services even without Eymael because they believe he is a good player who can add value to the team.”

Before signing for Gor Mahia, Ambundo also featured for Alliance FC in the Tanzanian league. However, he did not make his mark at K’Ogalo as he struggled to nail down a starting role.

In a recent interview, Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack told Goal that Ambundo was allowed to leave by mutual consent.

“Ambundo is a good player but both parties reached an agreement not to renew his contract, I was keen to have him stay but it could not be the case, as the player had already kept his mind elsewhere,” Polack told Goal.

On Saturday, Yanga confirmed their first signing after beating rivals Simba SC to the services of defender Bakari Mwamnyeto from Coastal Union.

Mwamnyeto has been one of the outstanding defenders in the top flight and his prowess rightfully attracted interest from local giants, including Azam FC.

He'd played a pivotal role in Coastal Union’s season, which saw them just concede 30 goals; a fifth-best record, which was only bettered by Simba, Yanga, Azam, and Biashara United.

Having put pen to paper on a two-year deal, he will now set about proving that he proves to be the successor to his international teammate Kevin Yondani.

The 35-year-old has been a regular figure at the centre of defence alongside Lamine Moro, and the addition of Mwamnyeto is a sign that Yanga are now preparing for life without him.

Dani Ceballos has suggested that his future will not necessarily lie with Arsenal, despite helping the London side to FA Cup glory.

Spanish midfielder Ceballos has played the duration of the season with the Gunners and was a key figure as they defeated Chelsea 2-1 in Saturday’s Wembley showpiece, in which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got both goals for Mikel Arteta’s side.

His time at the Emirates Stadium, though, was only a loan deal from Real Madrid, and the 23-year-old wants to keep his options open regarding where he plays next season.

"I haven't spoken to Real Madrid yet, but anyone who wears that shirt is happy," Ceballos told El Partidazo de COPE. “Madrid are better than any club in the world. We'll see about my future.

“I'm not thinking about whether or not I can play for Real Madrid, Arsenal or another club.

“Now it's time to disconnect. I have to be calm and think clearly with my family about the coming year.”

Ceballos did confess, however, that Real Betis have been monitoring his progress and have been in close contact for the duration of his time in England.

“I’ve a lot of love for Betis, for everyone that works at the club,” he explained, having turned out in 98 La Liga encounters for the Sevilla side between 2014 and 2017 after coming through their youth system.

“They know the love I have for them and we've been in contact all season. Betis means a lot to me.”

Ceballos has featured on 37 occasions for the Gunners, scoring two goals and grabbing two assists. 

His spell started particularly promisingly as he created two goals in a 2-1 home Premier League success over Burnley, though his fortunes were hit by a muscular injury sustained in November that kept him out until the very end of January.

When Premier League action restarted after the height of the coronavirus crisis, he started every game with the exception of the 2-1 home victory over Liverpool, though he featured off the bench against the champions and still managed to play more than half an hour.

AC Milan have entered the race to secure the signature of Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier after the club’s sporting director Paolo Maldini confirmed contact has been made with the player’s agent.

The 27-year-old has been with the Lilywhites since 2017 when he moved from Paris Saint-Germain, and he's been club’s first-choice right-back since Kieran Trippier’s departure to Atletico Madrid last summer, although the Rossoneri have confirmed they're looking to take him to Italy this summer.

“We had talked to [Aurier's] agent last year, there was a chance,” Maldini told Sky Sports Italia after AC Milan’s 3-0 win over Cagliari, when asked about the prospect of signing the full-back. “Now let's think about ending the season, then we will act on the market in the three weeks that the players will go on vacation.”

The Ivorian played 42 times in all competitions this term, 33 of them coming in the Premier League where he scored one goal and provided five assists.

He also scored and assisted in Spurs' 4-2 Champions League Group B win over Olympiacos and provided another assist in a 5-0 win over Red Star Belgrade at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Aurier’s performances have been inconsistent, although he did enjoy a brief renaissance under Jose Mourinho as Spurs finished sixth in the league to qualify for the Europa League.

The Rossoneri end the Serie A season as the best side since the resumption of the Italian top flight, going unbeaten in 12 games, winning nine times and drawing thrice, all which saw them seal sixth place and a place in the Europa League qualifiers next season.

Milan are not the only club interested in Aurier with French club AS Monaco, whose recruitment department is overseen by Paul Mitchell, formerly part of the Tottenham backroom staff, also understood to be keen on the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winner.

Aurier recently suffered a tragedy after his brother Christopher was shot dead in the French city of Toulouse, but despite the setback, the Ivorian summoned the courage to play 24 hours later in a league game against Newcastle United which ended in a 3-1 victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been cited as a leading influence in his career by Everton attacker Moise Kean.

Juventus ace Ronaldo, who finished the Serie A campaign with 31 goals to make him just the third player ever to hit that mark for the Turin side, was a team-mate of the Portuguese great during his time in Italy.

So positive the impression that Ronaldo made on the 20-year-old, he was named as the greatest the Italy international has worked with.

“Everyone knows how he is an unbelievable player – he is the best – but you also have to look at the person, and he is a good person. He helped me so much when I was at Juve,” Kean explained to the Toffees’ official website.

When asked who his most difficult opponents were, Kean named a couple of Paris Saint-Germain stars.

“There are two who stand out – Neymar and Angel Di Maria. I came up against them when Juventus played PSG and they are both fantastic players,” he said.

In terms of his greatest personal moments, though, he mentioned a couple of goals that stand out.

“I have had a few nice moments,” he explained. “One was scoring my first goal for Juventus. It was in an away game at Bologna. Scoring my first goal for Everton, in the game against Newcastle, was also a great feeling. I loved celebrating with the Everton fans – I have a great relationship with them.”

Elsewhere, he revealed that he has strong interest in US sport, citing a love of American football and basketball.

“I watch a lot of NFL and NBA. In American football, I like Odell Beckham Jr. In basketball, I am a huge fan of LeBron James,” he said.

Kean had a turbulent first season in English football, managing just a couple of goals in 29 Premier League outings after a high-profile move from Juve. 

He finished the season on a high, however, as he scored a close-range goal against Bournemouth in a 3-1 defeat, adding to the strike he netted previously against Newcastle in January.

Ini Umotong made her debut in style as Vaxjo defeated Portia Boakye and Linda Motlhalo's Djurgardens 1-0 in a Swedish Damallsvenskan encounter on Sunday.

The Nigeria international joined the Swedish outfit on an 18-month deal after parting ways with English side Brighton & Hove Albion, where she scored 19 goals in 59 games during her three-year spell, in June.

Just three days after arriving in Sweden, the 26-year-old was handed her first appearance as a substitute by manager Magnus Olsson as they eyed the second win of the season at Visma Arena.

The hosts struggled to create chances against their ambitious visitors, who came close five times and got five corners but could not find a net as the former held on to keep the scores goalless at half time.

After the restart, the visitors continued to trouble the hosts' defenders in search of a goal, forcing Olsson to replace Elin Nilsson with Umotong 12 minutes into the second half of the match.

Despite Boakye almost scoring for Djurgardens in the 59th minute, Vaxjo kept their composure and were gifted a 76th-minute penalty, which Signe Holt Andersen converted to seal the victory.

While debutant Umotong played the final 33 minutes of the contest in Vaxjo's win, her Ugandan teammate Violah Nambi was an unused substitute.

On the part of Djurgardens, Ghana's Boakye was in action for 61 minutes of the encounter before being replaced by Simone Edefall, while South Africa's Motlhalo lasted the duration.

The result means Vaxjo climbed out of relegation places to ninth position on the log, with eight points from eight games, while Djurgardens are seventh with the same number of points.

In their next games, Vaxjo will visit Eskilstuna United, who have Nigeria's Ngozi Okobi and Halimatu Ayinde on their books, while Djurgardens will welcome Orebro on August 8.

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana has acknowledged that it will be 'difficult' for his side to reach the Nedbank Cup final, and has emphasised that they will require considerable 'mental strength' to claim a third straight Premier Soccer League title.

What could be an eventful August awaits Sundowns, who mark their return to competitive action with a Nedbank Cup semi-final showdown against Bidvest Wits on Saturday. 

Three days later, coach Pitso Mosimane and his men resume their league campaign by hosting Orlando Pirates at Dobsonville Stadium, before visiting their closest title rivals Kaizer Chiefs at Orlando Stadium on August 27.

While facing what appears to be tough matches, Kekana is cherishing the assignments which he says gives his side considerable motivation.

“We have to beat Bidvest Wits. Our games against Wits are always difficult,” said Kekana as per IOL. “There’s a lot of motivation for us in the last remaining matches, that’s for sure.

"We all understand the importance of winning," he added. "Our mental strength will be required in these last [league] games.

"There are a lot of things that are not football related that are going to be happening. We have to control what we can and that is going to require mental strength. We will try to stay focused and win our matches.”

Second-placed Sundowns have nine remaining league matches, while Chiefs, who lead them by four points, have eight games to complete their campaign.

Downs are gunning for a third straight league title to match SuperSport United who are the only other team to complete three consecutive championship triumphs.

If they win the PSL title, it would be a third league crown for Kekana as captain and overall seventh together with Tebogo Langerman, Anthony Laffor and goalkeeper Denis Onyango.

After claiming the Telkom Knockout earlier this season, the Brazilians could end the season with a treble should they also bag the Nedbank Cup.

“We want to be remembered as the generation that brought a lot of trophies to Mamelodi Sundowns,” Kekana concluded. “We’ve been working very hard to ensure that.

"We have a team that can compete. The key is to win our matches.

"As much as we have a bigger plan of winning the treble but we will take one game at a time.”

Romelu Lukaku believes Inter are heading in the right direction after finishing as runners-up to Juventus in Serie A.

A 2-0 final weekend win at Atalanta secured the runners-up spot for Antonio Conte's men, whose fine late-season form meant they finished only a point shy of Juve, who contrastingly shambled towards the finishing post.

Lukaku scored 23 goals in 36 top-flight outings in his debut campaign for the Nerazzurri following an €80 million (£80m/$94m) switch from Manchester United and hopes the best is yet to come.

"Serie A is finished but we're still building and going the right way," the Belgium striker wrote in an Instagram post.

"Thank you for supporting the team throughout this season. To all of my team-mates, you guys have been wonderful. I would give my all for you guys every single day."

Inter's final haul of 82 points matched their title-winning total under Jose Mourinho in 2009-10, with the club also famously winning the Coppa Italia and Champions League that season.

It is the first time they have earned in excess of 79 points without winning the Scudetto.

However, despite that strong finish, Conte appeared unhappy with the board and publicly criticised them after Saturday's game.

Conte accused the Inter hierarchy of showing a lack of support when the side was struggling for results earlier in the campaign and that they failed to protect him and his players from criticism.

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta responded to Conte's outburst , saying the former Chelsea coach's "work has made itself felt”.

He also expressed his "great pride" at the club's achievement in matching the points tally from their treble-winning year, and said "credit must be given to everyone," including Conte and his coaching staff for their hard work.

With their domestic season now over, Inter can turn their attentions to the Europa League.

Conte’s side travel to Germany take on Spanish outfit Getafe in a single-legged last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday.

Both legs of the original tie were postponed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Harry Redknapp does not believe that former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe will be out of the game for long, suggesting that Premier League sides will have him “at the top of their list” when a job becomes available.

The Cherries ended a five-year stay in the top flight when they were relegated on the final day of the season, despite a 3-1 win over Everton, and in the aftermath, it was announced that Howe had left the club by mutual consent.

That came as a surprise to Redknapp, a former Bournemouth manager himself, and a resident of the area, who was well aware of the impact that the 42-year-old had during his second spell in charge of the club, which had dated since 2012.

“Maybe he felt he needed a break, even if they’d stayed up,” he told TalkSport. “I’m sure there will be plenty of clubs; I think Premier League clubs will, when the right jobs become available, put him at the top of their list.

“Anyone with any sense would look at Eddie and think: ‘Hang on, here’s a young guy who’s 42 years of age. What a record, what a job he’s done.’

“You’ve only got to listen to him, you know what he’s about. He”s a very bright guy, very clever.”

The former Tottenham and Portsmouth boss was also shocked that Howe did not hang around to lead the team in the Championship.

“It’s the weakest looking Championship that I think you could wish to be in. You’re never going to get a better opportunity [to get promoted],” he said. 

“I thought he’d stick around and give it a real go.

“Maybe he felt he needed a break, even if they’d stayed up.

“It’s a difficult one, he’s a Bournemouth boy… he’s spent his whole life in and around the football club.

“He really is a part of the community and a local kid who ended up managing his football team. It’ll be a massive loss, the work he’s done has been amazing. He’s been a credit, fantastic.”

Howe took charge of 190 Premier League matches, winning 56, drawing 43 and losing 91.

The mother of former Orlando Pirates marksman Lesley Manyathela has backed her nephew Lesedi Kapinga to excel at Mamelodi Sundowns.

The 25-year-old winger has become one of the hottest properties in the Premier Soccer League after impressing at Black Leopards in the current season. 

Kapinga's late cousin, Lesley once looked destined to become of the greatest strikers in the history of the PSL until he tragically died in a car accident in August 2003, aged 21.

Lesley was coming off a successful 2002/03 season in which he inspired Pirates to the PSL title and he also scooped the Golden Boot award after scoring 18 goals. 

His mother Gladys understands that there is the pressure that comes with playing for a big club, but she believes Kapinga has what it takes to play for the reigning PSL champions Sundowns. 

“The sports [football] is in the family and what I wish is for him to go forward. I want him to show the world out there that he can make it," Gladys told Far Post.  "Right now, he is at Sundowns and I wish him the best. 

"I want him to play the football that he knows and show the world that he can do it."

Nicknamed Slow Poison, Lesley was a Bafana Bafana international having played nine international matches for his country, and hit the back of the net three times.

Gladys hopes Kapinga emulates his son by playing for Bafana at some point in his career. 

“I will be proud to see him selected in the squad [Bafana]," she added. "I wish him the best and I pray for him that really, God should prosper him."

The PSL award for the top goalscorer was renamed the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot in Lesley's honour following his death.

The national team also temporarily retired the number 19 jersey which Manyathela had previously worn.

While Pirates retired his jersey, number 22, as a sign of respect for the Limpopo-born frontman, who underwent trials with French Ligue 1 giants Olympique Lyonnais in 2003.

Kapinga will only be able to make his official debut for Sundowns in the new 2020/21 PSL campaign because he cannot be registered by his new club until then.

The 2019/20 PSL season which was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 is set to resume later this month. 

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has responded to Antonio Conte's outburst over a lack of support from the board at San Siro, insisting the Italian manager's "work has made itself felt".

Conte's side managed to keep pace with Juventus at the top of the Serie A standings in the first half of the season, but a poor run of form in the new year saw their title hopes fade.

The 51-year-old and several of his players came in for intense criticism when Lazio and Atalanta overtook Inter following the resumption of Italian football in June, before a return to form was enjoyed in the final weeks of the campaign.

The Nerazzurri picked up maximum points from their last three games to earn a second-place finish, their latest victory coming away at Atalanta on Saturday.

Conte vented his frustration towards the club for failing to protect him or the squad during a turbulent period after the 2-0 win, telling Sky Sports: "Neither my work nor the players' work was acknowledged, I found little protection from the club when making comparisons.

"If you want to reduce the gap with Juventus you have to be strong on the pitch but above all off it."

When asked to address Conte's comments, Marotta praised the head coach for making significant changes at San Siro in his first 12 months at the helm, while insisting the team is now on the right path towards future success.

The Inter chief told the club's official website: "It is not easy to analyse objectively. Obviously we have dropped points, but we have learned from these situations too. We have seen an improving team.

"Negative experiences will become great qualities in the future. We must continue on this path, to raise the bar more and more and give satisfaction to the fans. We have a squad that has shown a lot and is up to par. Conte's work has made itself felt."

Marotta went on to express his "pride" after seeing Inter close the gap to perennial champions Juventus in the final Serie A standings to just a single point, adding: "We have created a model that is giving a lot of satisfaction. 

"If we look at the statistics, we have finished Serie A in second place, with the best defence, with the greatest number of away victories.

"It means we have done a good job and credit must be given to everyone, to Conte and all of them [the coaching staff].

"With the great support of the whole team, we finished with the same points as the year of the treble [2009-10], which is obviously a source of great pride."

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa is confident Michael Olunga can power the Harambee Stars to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Olunga has been in sensational form for Kashiwa Reysol and the latest outing against Nagoya Grampus on August 1 saw him score his ninth goal of the season.

The former Thika United, Tusker and Gor Mahia striker has scored in each of the last four games and is atop the J1 League scorers’ chart with nine goals after eight games.

“The Gods of goals stay with you Michael [Olunga], Qatar is a possibility,” Mwendwa tweeted after the Harambee Star scored on Saturday.

Olunga, who has forged a close relationship with Kashiwa Reysol fans, dedicated the win to his teammates as they bagged a fourth victory in five matches.

“At the end of the day when I score it is teamwork,” Olunga said after his strike helped the 2019 J2 League champions beat Nagoya Grampus.

“Of course, I scored the winning goal but it was teamwork and especially we have to give credit to our defence, they were really solid at the back, they absorbed pressure from the first minute and wish to thank all the players for sacrificing and making us win four matches in a row.”

The Harambee Stars are in Group E of the World Cup qualifiers alongside neighbours Uganda, Rwanda as well as Mali. The winner of the group is guaranteed a place in the final phase of qualifiers.

The second round of the World Cup qualifiers will see the top 26 ranked Caf teams joined by the 14 winners from the first round. The teams have been drawn into 10 groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches, with the winners of each group qualifying.

All the four teams in Group E are fighting for a first-ever slot at the World Cup. Kenya will be seeking a slot in the global competition after their previous 13 attempts failed.

The Harambee Stars reached the second round of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers but were defeated by Cape Verde with a 2-1 aggregate.

Olunga, then playing for Gor Mahia, scored the only goal for the Harambee Stars at Nyayo Stadium before they stumbled away in Praia.

Kenya’s chances of participating in the qualifiers, though, remain unresolved due to the Adel Amrouche case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Fifa demanded that the FKF pays the coach over KSh109 million shillings for wrongful dismissal if Kenya are to take part in the qualifiers.

Kieran Tierney has paid tribute to Arsenal physio Chris Morgan after winning the FA Cup, thanking him for his help in getting through an injury nightmare earlier in the season.

Tierney completed a £25 million ($33m) move to Arsenal from Celtic back in August and made his debut in the Europa League the following month after making a full recovery from hernia surgery.

The Scotland international found himself on the fringes of the action up until the Christmas period, before being dealt another injury blow during the win over West Ham on December 12.

Tierney was forced off with a dislocated shoulder 30 minutes into the 3-1 victory at the London Stadium, and did not appear in an Arsenal shirt again for over six months.

The 23-year-old's return was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, which called a temporary halt to all major leagues across Europe in March.

However, Tierney was able to use the extra recovery time to get himself back into peak physical condition, and he was included in Mikel Arteta's starting XI for the club's first game back against Manchester City on June 17.

The former Celtic star played the full 90 minutes of the 3-0 defeat at Etihad Stadium, before establishing himself as one of the first names on Arteta's team-sheet.

Tierney's performances helped Arsenal reach Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley, where they managed to beat Chelsea 2-1 to lift the trophy for a record-extending 14th time.

After the match, the Scottish full-back took to social media to express his gratitude towards Morgan, who will be moving to Liverpool next season.

"This man helped me from the first minute I walked in the door! Cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. A special man. Grateful for everything," Tierney wrote on Twitter. "So sad to see you go gonna miss you so much legend. Thank you. Couldn’t have done this without you. Love @ChrisMorgan10 hero."

Arsenal will return to Wembley on August 29 to face off against newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool in the Community Shield final as a reward for their FA Cup exploits.

The showpiece event has been pushed back two weeks later than usual due to the scheduling issues caused by the Covid-19 crisis, with the new top-flight season set to begin on September 12.