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Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirant Sam Nyamweya has alleged world football governing body Fifa does not support the incumbent Nick Mwendwa on the controversial clause in the electoral code which locks others from vying for the top seat.

The administrator states there is a sense of false confidence in the current regime but it is slowly fading after they were exposed by Fifa.

He alleges those who were party to rigging and manipulation of votes are collapsing, leaving the incumbent in limbo.

"We are reliably informed that Fifa has officially thrown Nick Mwendwa under the bus," read a signed statement from Nyamweya and obtained by Goal.

"Fifa has with no uncertain terms ordered for repeat elections, inclusivity and collaboration in the FKF electoral process. The chief spin doctor and the mandarins at Kandanda House are now on the overdrive distorting the position taken by Fifa.

"For several months the beleaguered former president of FKF Nick Mwendwa has been chest-thumping, and dismissing the Sports Registrar, the Cabinet Secretary for Sports and the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) on their firm decision with regards to the FKF Elections.

"The chief spin doctor has been courting and threatening anyone and everyone with a possible FIFA ban if things go against his grain."  

Nyamweya has also stated the voter register should be made fresh as per the Tribunal's guidelines and has at the same time thrown his weight behind a roundtable meeting by stakeholders to find the way forward.

"The voter register so prepared by FKF was rendered a nullity as its foundation collapsed with section four of the FKF Electoral code 2020," he continued.

"This, therefore, means a new voter register has to be developed and agreed upon by all the parties to the FKF Elections.

"It is worth noting that the SDT called for an all-inclusive stakeholders roundtable meeting to deliberate and come up with a way forward to holding the already seven months late FKF Elections. 

"Nothing short of a free, fair, transparent all-inclusive election will resolve the FKF Electoral impasse."

The former Federation president has now demanded consultations to resolve the election puzzle in the country.  

"We the football stakeholders, therefore, demand, which we do hereby, call for the immediate resumption of the football stakeholders' roundtable meeting as directed by the SDT," he urged.

"This meeting(s) must be guided by the decisions of the SDT and in compliance with Sports Act 2013 (Revised 2013), the Fifa Standard Electoral Code and the Kenya Constitution 2010." 

Chemelil Sugar patron Moses Adagala maintains that the club has not been relegated from the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

The Sugar Millers, according to a decision taken by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in May, stand relegated but Adagala disputes the move.

Chemelil Sugar went to the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) alongside the KPL seeking to reverse the decision. The SDT has so far ruled the case will be granted a full hearing.

“I am astonished that you are saying Chemelil Sugar have been relegated but for now we are nor relegated since we are still in court,” Adagala told KTN News TV.

“We are opposed to the federation move to relegate Chemelil Sugar and declare Gor Mahia champions and saying that Chemelil Sugar are relegated, that is not the truth at all.

“What [Nick] Mwendwa did was to cancel the league when Chemelil Sugar had played 15 games while Gor Mahia had honoured 13 matches and so the assertion that the first leg table was used to relegate teams and declare champions, there is a lot of unanswered questions there.

“That is why we headed to the court to seek the truth and I am hopeful God will help us get just the truth.”

The administrator further explained why the majority of Nyanza and Western clubs struggled and how his arrival would have ensured Chemelil Sugar remain in the top-tier.

“The Sugar belt clubs; Sony Sugar, Nzoia Sugar and Chemelil Sugar have been struggling due to the harsh economic environment their sponsors are operating in,” explained Adagala.

“When Chemelil Sugar managers approached me to take over the team, it had only won a game but thereafter in six matches we had lost just two games.

“There are things I had implemented and I knew if we were going to play all the remaining matches we would have remained in KPL.

“We had five matches that were to be played at home and two away and I knew very well with good planning we would have survived of course.

“When I saw Chemelil Sugar struggling, I sat down with the management and the players and we came to an agreement that the players must also strive to do better since their careers were at stake.

“The players actually were motivated and went ahead to produce better results.”

Adagala is also the patron of Muhoroni Youth who are in the FKF Division One league.

Orlando Pirates media officer Thandi Merafe says the death of the club's famous fan Mandla Sindane has affected all PSL teams.

Nicknamed Mgijimi, Sindane was found dead at his home in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga on Tuesday morning.

Merafe got an opportunity to work with Mgijimi from time to time during Pirates events and she described him as a man who had a great personality.

“We are all saddened by the news of Mgijimi’s passing,” Merafe told The Citizen.

“He was a lovely soul with a great personality and always smiling. It’s very difficult to learn of his passing. He was always following the team wherever we play.

"When we go to Durban, Mgijimi will be there waiting for the team at the airport. When we go to play Chippa [United], he will be there at the airport in Eastern Cape – Cape Town, you will find him there among the supporters.”

Sindane followed the Buccaneers around South Africa and on the continent as he travelled to Zimbabwe to watch the team's Caf Champions League group match against FC Platinum which ended 0-0 in January 2019.

“It’s sad that his passing has united us in football because we have been getting a lot of messages, not only from the club’s fans, but every South African football fan and even across the continent," she added.

"He was loved by many people. It won’t be the same without him because even when we scored a goal, the first person broadcasters will be looking out for would be him with his white overall and white powder on his face.”

Meanwhile, Mgijimi's younger brother, David Sindane, has confirmed that the Bucs die-hard fan's death was from natural causes.

“You know it’s normal for a person to have pains once in a while. And that is why we never really thought today we would lose [him] because of natural death," David told the same publication.

"We are faced with a very serious pandemic at the moment and once someone dies, everyone assumes it’s the virus. I would like to confirm that his death was not due to the virus, but it was a natural death."

Mgijimi is best remembered for his unique white-painted face and white powder which he puffed in the stadium during Pirates matches.

“We have to be honest as a family, his passing has shown us that our brother was loved by so many people and had a very huge impact in their lives," he added.

"We never thought we would get calls from newspapers, TV stations and radios to interview us. We are really glad that he touched so many lives. That is why we are going to celebrate his life.”

Manchester City can "deal with" Real Madrid without Sergio Aguero, says Ilkay Gundogan, who has challenged his team-mates to "step up".

Aguero is currently in the middle of a rehabilitation programme as he continues to recover from surgery on the knee injury he picked up during City's 5-0 win over Burnley on June 22.

The Argentine striker has already returned to the gym for light individual training, but Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he will be unavailable for next month's crucial showdown with Madrid at Etihad Stadium.

The Blues beat the Blancos 2-1 in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie at Santiago Bernabeu back in February, thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin de Bruyne.

Guardiola opted to start Jesus ahead of Aguero in the Spanish capital, a risk which paid off as Madrid struggled to cope with City's high-intensity approach in and out of possession.

The Brazilian could be asked to lead the line again in the return, but Gundogan also believes a positive result can be achieved with a false nine.

Although the Germany international admits that Aguero's presence will be missed, he is confident that City have enough strength in depth to reach the quarter-finals on August 7.

“It is definitely disappointing to not have Sergio available,” Gundogan told the club's official website.

“We wish him a speedy recovery and to have him back as soon as possible, because he is such an important player for us.

“We have to deal with injuries, as we did in the season with Aymeric [Laporte] not being available. We have to do the same now with Sergio’s situation. I am sure we will be able to do that.

“Other players will have to step up. We have Gabby [Jesus], who is an amazing player, but we also have different players who can play as a false nine.

“I am sure we will be able to deal with it, but of course, we will miss him.”

When quizzed on how he will set up against Madrid after seeing Aguero sidelined last month, Guardiola named Gundogan among those capable of filling a prized asset's boots in the final third.

The 29-year-old insists there are plenty more suitable candidates for the role than him within the City squad, but has pledged to give his all to the task if selected in an unnatural position.

“If needed, I would try to do my best,” he added.

“I still see a few players in front of me for that position. If I have to play there, I will and I will try do my best to help the team in the best possible way, as I always do.

“It doesn’t matter for me. There are positions I prefer to play, but my aim is to always do my best to help the team as much as possible.

“If that is as a false nine, I will try to do that.”

Broadly speaking, there are two ways to understand descriptive comparisons between players from different eras.

One is a matter of convenience. Outlining the nuances in a footballer's game can be quite onerous, and can often involve language that is inscrutable to the layman. Also, it helps to establish what the benchmark is for relative terms like 'speed' and 'dribbling': saying a player is quick will likely elicit the question 'as quick as so-and-so?'

The other is a matter of accessibility. There is a lot of football played in the world, and few have a handle on all of it. It can be useful, in this scenario, to liken a player to a well-known icon of a previous era as a sort of shorthand.

The comparison between Victor Osimhen and Didier Drogba falls into the later category to a degree, but really there is a simpler root to it: the first person to make the connection, Osimhen's former teammate Nicolas Penneteau, did so simply because of the Nigerian's move to Ligue 1.

It was in the French top flight, of course, that Chelsea and Ivory Coast legend Drogba cut his teeth and announced himself to the world. Osimhen has followed in the same vein, and so perhaps Penneteau's intuition was correct.

Except there are more than a few points of divergence.

For one thing, the former Ivory Coast international took a much more scenic route in passing through France, playing for three different clubs in his senior career over a six-year span. For another, in leading them to the final of the Uefa Cup in 2003, he achieved a much higher level of success with Marseille than Osimhen managed with Lille. Also, by the time Drogba eventually moved on to bigger things at Chelsea, he was already 26.

But perhaps the biggest difference between the two is the most obvious one: their playing styles are nothing alike. At least not yet.

Indeed, some of Drogba's biggest strengths – hold-up play, aerial dominance – remain distinct weaknesses for the younger Osimhen, even though he began to show marked improvements in terms of bringing others into play toward the end of the French league season.

A closer approximation for the 21-year-old, taking into account his speed, stride, predatory instincts in the box, and shooting technique is probably a player most frequently cast in the role of Drogba nemesis and adversary: a young Samuel Eto'o.

Considering the Cameroonian was the superior forward, Emmanuel Amuneke's claim that his former protege could eclipse Drogba becomes all the weightier. At 21, far from commanding a near record fee for an African player, the former Chelsea man was struggling to find his feet at Le Mans.

However, even with the benefit of a significant head start, Osimhen would do very well to match what Drogba did in his playing career.

The latter's arrival in Chelsea in 2004 heralded the beginning of an era of unprecedented success for the London club, and despite not always being prolific, Drogba came to be identified as one of the lynchpins of the team by dint of his penchant for decisive contributions.

His record in club finals, scoring 10 in 10 for the Blues as they amassed multiple FA Cups and League Cups, has now passed into legend.

Chelsea's rise also effectively interrupted the eight-year status quo at the summit of the English top flight, and also introduced a new force on the European stage.

This is the challenge to which Osimhen must stand up at Napoli, a club with a long-standing lust for the Scudetto. With the likes of Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon, Allan and Kalidou Koulibaly coming to (either or both) the ends of their primes and their affiliation with the club, the time is right for a rebuild of sorts.

As such, Osimhen is being signed essentially as a figurehead for Aurelio De Laurentiis' next shot at the title. If the Neapolitans are to achieve it, they must end the nine-year status quo at the summit of the Serie A table.

For that to be remotely realistic, they will need their new striker to lead the charge.

If he can consistently affect the big games, all the better; this is an area where Napoli have consistently fallen short in recent times.

Admittedly, the challenge is a lot more daunting for the Nigeria international. Chelsea at least had the benefit of a billionaire owner immediately elevating them financially, and a Uefa Champions League-winning manager transforming them on the pitch. For all that he has already guided them to silverware, Gattuso is no Jose Mourinho.

Still though, the path to legend status has never been easy. Drogba himself, by his own admission, needed to adapt to the demands at Chelsea.

Osimhen, to this point in his career a quick study, will need to do the same, and do so quickly, in order to be spoken of in the same breath.

Gianfranco Zola has compared Chelsea’s moves for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner with his own experiences working alongside Maradona, with the Blues legend pointing out that better players are always required in order to raise collective standards.

When piecing together his own illustrious career, Zola found himself on the books at Napoli when an all-time great was acquired by the Serie A outfit.

Maradona arrived in 1984, two years before guiding Argentina to World Cup glory and Napoli to a couple of Italian top-flight titles, with the South American snapped up to inspire those around him.

He did just that, with Zola going on to become an icon in his own right, and Chelsea are hoping to see their summer signings make a similar impact in 2020-21.

Frank Lampard has snapped up Ziyech and Werner, with the promise of more arrivals to come, and those at Stamford Bridge are already being billed as potential challengers for the Premier League crown next season.

Zola told the Daily Mail of the role that fresh faces could play: “I would have not been the player I was if I didn't train with Diego Maradona.

“He was so influential on every aspect of my game. I promise you — I would have been another Gianfranco Zola if I hadn't trained and played with Maradona every day.

“I don't think John Terry would have been the player he was if he hadn't had Marcel Desailly or Frank Leboeuf in front of him with us at Chelsea.

“What makes you better is not playing every single game in a modest championship. What makes you better is playing 10 games in a very competitive league.

“Because of players like myself, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and so many others, the game in England is at such a high level.

“If you want to be involved you have to be as good. And then, if you are good enough, you will become very good.

“There is a common mistake people make. They say, ‘We need to play the young English boys’. Of course, but only if they are good.

“How can you measure that? If they are playing with good players and if they can fit into the level of the good players. That's why, because of the level of the Premier League, England has so many talented players.”

Chelsea have shown considerable faith in home-grown stars during the 2019-20 campaign.

The likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Reece James and Billy Gilmour have flourished on a senior stage, with Zola now looking for the FA Cup finalists to take the next step and deliver tangible success.

He added: “Chelsea are doing well considering they have a lot of young players in the team and they lost a very influential player in Eden Hazard.

“Chelsea is a very demanding club. They need to be in the Champions League and they need to win trophies because that is what the club has been doing for some time.”

Lampard’s side are set to take in an FA Cup derby date with London rivals Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Liverpool have become so successful because “nine signings out of 10 have been bang on”, says Stan Collymore, with Jurgen Klopp implementing a “special brand” of football at Anfield.

Long-term vision has been shown by those on Merseyside since appointing a German coach in October 2015.

Champions League and Premier League trophies were always the ultimate goal, but there was an acceptance that it was going to take a lot of hard work on and off the field in order to hit those targets.

Klopp has now delivered on his remit, with major silverware collected on a regular basis of late, with a star-studded squad taking up a position at the top of domestic, continental and global games.

Shrewd investment has carried the Reds to this point, with considerable value found in deals for the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.

Collymore believes those dealings should be recognised, with the Reds having raised the bar when it comes to delivering both substance and style.

“Liverpool have blown Pep Guardiola’s men [Manchester City] away with Jurgen Klopp’s special brand of the game,” the former Reds striker told The Mirror.

“The fact Liverpool finished second in the Premier League last season and first this time out - with an aggregate of 196 points - is simply stunning.

“It’s consistency personified and my old club deserve huge congratulations for that.

“Klopp and the Anfield executive team have been 9/10 in terms of their recruitment these past few years – and by that I mean nine signings out of 10 have been bang on.

“Even those who haven’t quite been on it in the way they’d have hoped, such as Naby Keita, have shown enough promise to suggest they could be big enough players for next season.

“And that recruitment, along with the German’s vision, has laid the platform for their success.

“Klopp has to be my manager of the year for the way he brought the Reds back from the disappointment of losing out on the title to City by just a point last season.

“He clearly told his men after winning the Champions League final that they needed to blow their opponents away in the first 10 or 15 games of this season.

“And even though it’s much easier said than done, they managed to carry out his instructions.”

Klopp has seen his efforts recognised with the LMA Manager of the Year award for 2020 and is now in the process of mulling over further moves into the transfer market – with plenty calling on Liverpool to add even more depth to their title-winning ranks.

Uganda national team assistant coach Abdalla Mubiru is confident Fahad Bayo made the right call to join Ashdod FC and will succeed at the club.

The Uganda international joined the Israeli side after he scored 12 goals for eventual champions Vipers SC after joining them from Buildcon FC in 2019.

Mubiru hopes Bayo’s high school teammate Timothy Awany will help him settle fast at Ashdod. Mubiru, Bayo and Awany worked together at Kibuli SS from Homeland College in Lugazi and later on went to win a National Schools crown.

“If he is to progress further in his career then this is the right age and time,” Mubiru said of Bayo’s move in an interview with Daily Monitor.

“He played alongside [Timothy] Awany and was one of those that helped Allan Okello settle into our high school team.

“There comes a time when a player establishes himself in this case like Bayo has done as a centre forward. He makes life difficult for the opposition with his movement with or without the ball.”

Meanwhile, Vipers striker Muhammad Shaban has promised fans better performances when the 2020/21 season begins.

Shaban has been injured since April 2019 as the club went ahead to win the UPL title after 24 matches.

“The fans should forget the old me,” Shaban told the club’s website.

“There is a different Shaban coming, a better one who will play with more purpose and drive. I have kept them waiting because of injury but I am going entertain them.

“I promise to do my best for both club and country if I am recalled again, InshAllah [God willing].”

The 22-year-old is confident signing for Vipers will ensure he will rejoin the national team.

“Yes, yes because I am working tirelessly to see that I come back as a different player, not the previous one,” he added.

“I want to hit the ground running and get more playing time as soon as the 2020/21 football season kicks off.”

Shaban also explained how he felt when he missed the chance to represent Uganda in the African Cup of Nations in 2019 despite being a member of the 2017 squad.

“Every player dreams to don the national stripe and play for their birth countries and for me it was the injury that ruled me out,” the forward concluded.

“Though I was very happy watching the boys playing good football and we deserved to go further than the Round of 16.” 

Shaban has played for Onduparaka FC, KCCA FC and Raja Casablanca before.

Amadou Diawara scored his first-ever goal for Roma albeit from the penalty spot after they claimed a 3-2 win over Ola Aina’s Torino at the Stadio Olimpico and are guaranteed fifth spot in the standings.

The Giallorossi continued their strong form from their last outing where they edged past Fiorentina 2-1 but had to start from behind here with Alex Berenguer giving the hosts the lead in the 14th minute.

It didn’t take long for Roma to respond with former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko equalising just two minutes later.

Manchester United loanee Chris Smalling made it 2-1 to the Italian capital side in the 23rd minute and it remained that way heading into the break.

Their lead was further extended when Diawara converted from the penalty spot in the 61st minute. Koffi Djidji had fouled Dzeko in the box and Diawara made sure Torino goalie Samir Ujkani could not get a hand unto his effort even though he went the right way.

Moreno Longo’s men clawed one back four minutes later via Ivorian teenager Wilfried Singo who drilled in a low shot which Pau Lopez could have handled better. The 19-year-old made a solo run from the centre of the pitch and went clear of opposition players for his first Torino goal in what was his first Torino start.

Diawara completed 90 minutes for the second Serie A game in a row since the restart and produced 65 touches the second-highest of any Roma player on the pitch after Aleksandar Kolarov and 56 accurate passes at 93%, the fourth-highest among his teammates.

Nigeria international Aina meanwhile started from the bench for Torino and came on for Berenguer in the 80th minute. He had limited action but still made two tackles, won two ground duels from two, made 14 touches and 10 accurate passes at 90%.

It was the former Chelsea player’s 31st appearance for the Bulls this season, starting 20 of them.
Torino are safe from danger heading into the final round of fixtures as they are four points clear of the drop zone. They will make a trip to Bologna on Sunday to wrap things up.

Roma also hold that same point margin over AC Milan for already-guaranteed Europa League qualification. They travel to newly-crowned champions Juventus on Saturday.

Christian Kouame had his second involvement in a Fiorentina goal after assisting Federico Chiesa in a 4-0 victory over Musa Barrow’s Bologna in the Serie A on Wednesday night.

The Viola came into this match having suffered a 2-1 loss at Roma last time out which ended their six-game unbeaten league run since a three-game winless run (D1 L2) at the restart.

They were keen to make an impression on their last home match of the season and after a goalless first 45 minutes, Giuseppe Iachini’s men took control three minutes after the break thanks to Chiesa.

The Italian hotshot then made it 2-0 in the 54th minute followed by Nikola Milenkovic 20 minutes later.

Kouame came on for Patrick Cutrone in the 67th minute and had a say by delivering a delicious pass for Chiesa who drove in from the left flank before drilling in a curled effort in the 89th minute for his hat-trick.

It marked the fourth consecutive game Kouame featured for Fiorentina and his sixth overall after making his debut in a goalless draw with Cagliari following nearly eight months out with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury.

It was also the 22-year old Genoa loanee’s second assist for the Florence-based team after doing so first in a 2-0 win over Torino.

On the opposite side, Barrow played for the entire 90 minutes but did not have the same heroic effect he had in Bologna’s last outing where he provided two assists and scored a late winner in a 3-2 victory against Lecce.

The Gambian forward still managed to produce two total shots, two successful dribbles from three, 50 touches and 26 accurate passes at 89%. He has scored nine goals and provided three assists since he joined on loan from Atalanta in January.

Barrow’s countryman Musa Juwara made his sixth appearance of the season after replacing Riccardo Orsolini in the 73rd minute. It was the first time he made it unto the pitch after his maiden Bologna goal in a shock 2-1 win over Inter Milan at the San Siro on July 5, Barrow scoring the other goal.

Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men end their season on Sunday when they host Torino at the Stadio Renato Dell'Ara while Fiorentina will travel to already-relegated SPAL.

The Malaysian FA (FAM) president Datuk Hamidin Amin has proposed several suggestions to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) chief Gianni Infantino, in a meeting held on Wednesday.

According to the FAM social media, Hamidin attended the video conference with Infantino, along with other FIFA association members from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

His first proposal was for the world football governing body to admit more member countries into its various committees.

"As FIFA has 211 member countries, I suggest that FIFA open the door to more member associations to be appointed to the nine standing committees of FIFA.

"Infantino welcomes this proposal and says there will be an in-depth dialogue on this matter in the future," said Hamidin as quoted in the social media post.

His second suggestion concerned youth competitions.

“I also recommended various youth tournaments under the FIFA banner to be held on a yearly basis instead to the current biennial system. This will give more opportunities for every generation of footballers to be exposed to more competitive international matches via the qualifiers and the final rounds. 

"Infantino replied that FIFA is always in discussions with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and it depends on the current situation, at this time especially after October," he noted.

Malaysia U-19 in the AFC U-19 Championship finals in 2018. Photo from AFC

The meeting participants also discussed matters of football in their own countries amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hamidin is set to attend the 70th FIFA Congress, which is also set to be held virtually on September 18.

ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder Pronay Halder expressed his excitement at turning out for the Green and Maroons in the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 season.

Halder was an integral part of the Mohun Bagan team between 2014 to 2017 where he won an I-League title and a Federation Cup trophy.

“I am very excited to start the new season playing for Mohun Bagan in the ISL. I am looking forward to it and hopefully, we will bring success to the club again," the Bengali midfielder said during a live chat session on Mohun Bagan Day.

There are numerous players from the football-mad state of West Bengal currently playing in the national team and Halder hopes that the situation does not change in the near future.

“It is a good thing that so many Bengali players are currently playing in the national team. Before us also players like Subrata Paul, Syed Rahim Nabi, Mehtab Hossain and many other Bengali players used to play for the national team. I am personally glad that so many of us are playing now and I hope in future too there will be many Bengali players.”

The India international midfielder also spoke about the difference in style of former India coach Stephen Constantine and current head coach Igor Stimac.

“We are all professional players and we have to adapt to all styles. Every coach has a different style of play. Since the beginning of my career, I have played under several coaches with different styles. Stephen Constantine was a more defensive coach who wanted to play in counter-attacks. Igor Stimac, on the other hand, loves to play a possession-based game. We have adopted well to Igor’s style."

He also suggested that the national team’s primary target now is to get the best possible results in their remaining World Cup qualifying games. India are winless in five matches so far in their group though they have managed to hold Asian champions Qatar, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. India are out of the running for a spot in the next phase of the World Cup qualifiers but will be hoping to finish as high as possible which might help them in their bid to reach 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

"We drew against Qatar in Qatar. We still have three matches to go in the World Cup qualifiers and we will try to do well,” said the ATK Mohun Bagan star.

There are very few footballing triumphs for a Mohun Bagan fan that trigger a sense of joy exceeding the ecstasy of winning the league. Winning the Kolkata Derby against eternal rivals East Bengal surely qualifies as one.

On Mohun Bagan Day, a few legends of the club – Jose Barreto, Sony Norde, Bhaichung Bhutia and Joseba Beitia sat together to discuss their favourite derby moments

Norde won the league in the 2014-15 season but had to wait until the 2016-17 for his first derby goal in the I-League. He scored a brilliant free-kick in a 2-1 derby win over the Red and Golds.

“I won the league with them and scored many goals. But the fans always wanted me to score against East Bengal. So, when I did that, I could finally breathe with relief,” he said.

If putting on a stellar show in the derby was one way of winning the Mohun Bagan fans over, Beitia wasted no time in becoming a hero. The Spaniard was the Man of the Match during both the games in his first season. In the second game – a 2-1 win over East Bengal – Beitia scored the opener and assisted Baba Diawara for the second.

But he maintained that winning the league was always the priority and winning the derby was just a means to get to his final goal.

“It (derby) was a special match for me. I knew it was huge for the fans. There was pressure but when I entered the pitch and saw 70,000 fans, I liked it. When I play with such a huge number of fans, I think that it is my match and I need to do well. Two Man of the Match(es) in two derbies was amazing. We drew the first one and won the second. But it was because of the team. I know the fans wanted the derby win but for me it was all about winning the league,” he explained.

Barreto was spoilt for choices when he was asked to choose his favourite derby goal, having scored for fun several times in this historic tie. He finally chose his equaliser in the semi-final of the 2008 Federation Cup that forced the game to penalties and ultimately led to Mohun Bagan’s coronation after a win over Dempo in the final.

“In the semi-final of the Federation Cup (2008), it was 1-1. It was the one where we played Dempo in the final. East Bengal were winning the game. That Federation Cup was important to us. The pressure was high. Sanju Pradhan scored in the first half. I equalised with a header in the second half. We then went through after the tie breaker. We beat Dempo in the final and became champions. That derby was important for me,” Barreto recollected.

Bhaichung, however, had a unique take on this, given he was the only player from the panel to have played for both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. He spoke about how it was hard to be disliked by both clubs after a poor show in the derby, for different reasons altogether.

"The club fans don’t like when the players shift to direct rivals. So that was very difficult for me. But at the end of the day, any professional player would want to do well for the current team. At East Bengal, I always waited to play against Mohun Bagan and vice versa. When you are not playing well, your fans turn against you too. So I experienced both fans going against me," he said.

Brian Mascarenhas is another player from Goa who could point to the exit of the Goan clubs from I-League for having played a role in the stalling of his career. The winger, who currently plays for Real Kashmir, was forced to spend two seasons with Salgaocar, playing just the Goa Professional League.

The 28-year-old, having gathered nearly 2000 minutes with Salgaocar FC in the I-League, is yet to come to terms with the Goan side's exit from the league in 2016.

"When Salgaocar pulled out from the I-League, that time my career was at its peak," he mentioned to Goal. "I was continuously playing in the I-League but it (his career) went down with the club going out of the I-League."

Among his major honours, Brian has won the Goa Professional League with Dempo (2011) and Salgaocar (2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16) besides winning the 2014 Lusofonia Games as part of the Goa-India team.

The Nuvem-based lad took his first steps in football with Fransa-Pax FC's U-12 set-up before moving to Velsao Pale FC along with coach Eban Misquita. This was after the club from Nagoa shut down in 2006. There after he represented Salgaocar's junior sides from the U-16 to U-19 level and at the age of 17, joined Churchill Brothers where he would play in the Goa League for two years.

"Eban used to call me one-footed player because I used to mostly use my left foot. But then, I started using both my feet effectively. Now I can play as a left back also," he said.

"Actually, at the (2014) Lusofonia Games, coach Francisco Neto wanted to field me as a left back. I said to him that I never played as a left back and he told me 'you don't worry, you just give your best and I'll see the rest'. So from that time onwards, I started playing as a left back. For Salgaocar also, coach Derrick (Pereira) used to give me a chance as a left back."

Between his stints at Churchill Brothers (2009-2011) and Salgaocar (2012-2018), Brian kicked off his senior career with Dempo Sports Club in the 2011-12 I-League season. "It was the time when Clifford (Miranda) had gone for India duty (2011 SAFF Championship) and coach Armando (Colaco) gave me a chance to play," he recalled.

Brian saw his career at the top league stall after Salgaocar pulled out of the I-League in 2016. Though he stayed with them till 2018, he finally moved out of Goa to continue his career when he signed for Real Kashmir in 2018.

"I played only in Goa (until moving to Real Kashmir). So the offers also were hard to come by. I stayed with Salgaocar and played in the Goa Professional League for three seasons.

"I spoke to an agent and he told me about Real Kashmir. It was the season when they had won the (I-League) second division. The coach (Dave Robertson) was Scottish and Malcolm Thomson, who was the Salgaocar coach that time, was his friend. After my agent spoke to him (Robertson) about me, he asked Malcolm about me and that's how the move happened."

The 28-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Kashmiri outfit. After four appearances in the first season, he was just beginning to garner some playing time in the calendar year of 2020.

"This (2019-20) season, I got to play only three matches and when I was supposed to play in the starting 11, the lockdown (in Kashmir in order to curb the spread of coronavirus) happened and the match didn't take place. Then before the March [21-day] lockdown (announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi), we came home," Mascarenhas narrated.

Brian played just one full match in each of the two seasons but had the distinction of being included in matchday squad for all the 15 games that Real Kashmir played until the last season was suspended.

What next?

"I don't have a contract at the moment but (Real) Kashmir has told me that they will keep me. I have to speak to my agent also to see what happens. I just want to keep on playing and let's see where it can take me," he signed out.

Rennes president Nicolas Holveck has admitted that the club is aware Valladolid defender Mohammed Salisu is keen to move to the Premier League rather than the French club.

The Ghana international has been linked with a host of European clubs all summer after his strong performances for the Castile and Leon club where he played 31 times last season as they finished 13th in La Liga, seven points clear of the drop zone.

Rennes had been rumoured to be in the race to sign him for some time, but that is very unlikely to happen with reports emerging Salisu is on the verge of joining Southampton.

"Unfortunately, we knew from the start, Salisu preferred the Premier League because he is English-speaking,” Holveck told RMC Sport.

“He told us very humbly, and we respect his choice, that the Premier League was his priority. We had doubts about his ability. to obtain the work permit in England. It seems that he has acquired this permit.

“He would therefore be moving towards the Premier League. We were his first choice in case of non-obtaining of the license. Today, the post of central defender is the priority of our transfer window.”

Holveck went on to reiterate his desire to keep M’baye Niang who has been linked with a move to Marseille. The Senegalese striker finished as the Red and Blacks top marksman with 15 competitive goals as the Brittany outfit ended up third on the log and booked a spot in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

"He's a great striker. All our good players, we want to keep them. M’baye is one of them," he said

Holveck also confirmed Rennes are looking to finalise the extensions of Hamari Traore and Faitout Maouassa whose contracts expire in 2021.

"We are progressing rather well. I hope to succeed fairly quickly. We are also trying to keep our best young players,” he stated.

Holveck went on to discuss the possibility of Rennes signing Amiens and Franco-Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy. The 24-year-old scored nine goals last term but the Unicorns sadly got relegated to Ligue 2 after finishing 19th.

"The transfer window has not started so discussions are still rather slow,” Holveck said.

“It is a position we are looking for. Serhou was the priority from the start.

“There are prices that we cannot reach. I respect the choice of selling clubs, I would do the same. We are still on his track but we also have to look elsewhere.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic claimed to be "like Benjamin Button" after making history with two goals at Sampdoria as the veteran shows no signs of slowing down.

Ibrahimovic returned to AC Milan in January and has been as influential as ever in their climb up the table.

In a 4-1 win at Samp, the former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Manchester United striker grabbed two goals - taking his tally to 10 in 2020 - and an assist as Milan made it 12 games unbeaten in all competitions.

In doing so, Ibrahimovic became the first player to score 50 goals for both Milan and city rivals Inter in Serie A.

The 38-year-old claimed on social media last week he was "just warming up" and repeated the statement post-match in Genoa.

Ibrahimovic then explained his continued brilliance by suggesting a resemblance to the fictional character who ages backwards.

"I'm like Benjamin Button," he told Milan TV, before adding: "I've always been young, never old."

The form of Ibrahimovic and AC Milan has seen head coach Stefano Pioli handed a contract extension at San Siro.

The Rossoneri appeared set to instead appoint Ralf Rangnick, but Ibrahimovic is delighted Pioli is staying on, even if his own future remains up in the air.

"I can say only positive things," Ibrahimovic said. "I'm happy for him because he did a great job.

"He worked under pressure without knowing the future. He did a great job and the renewal is deserved. When you work hard, you always get something back.

"I'm happy for him. He deserved this - it was not an easy situation. The team believes in him a lot and I respect him." 

AC Milan's latest win - their eighth in Serie A since the Italian top flight resumed in June - keeps them in sixth place, four ahead of Napoli who went down to Inter on Tuesday. 

The Rossoneri conclude their 2019-20 campaign on Saturday when they host Cagliari at San Siro, already assured of Europa League football for the coming season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic set the latest record of his glittering career as the evergreen forward fired Milan into the lead against Sampdoria on Wednesday. 

Ibrahimovic has proved a huge asset to the Rossoneri since completing a free transfer in January, transforming the club's prospects. 

Milan languished in 11th in the Serie A Christmas break but have lost just twice in the league since Zlatan arrived, a run that has lifted them up to sixth and guaranteed Europa League football next season. 

The former Manchester United, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Inter and Sweden ace has chipped in with eight goals during his second spell at the club, the latest of which came after just four minutes in Wednesday's penultimate Serie A clash of 2019-20. 

It was also his 50th league strike in Milan colours, having scored 42 in 61 games during his first stint at the club back in 2010-11 and 2011-12,  which sealed a unique feat for the outspoken 38-year-old in the city. 

Zlatan also helped himself to 57 goals on the blue side of Milan with Inter, whom he represented between 2006 and 2009, meaning he is now the first-ever player to reach a half-century for both Italian giants, who share use of the legendary San Siro stadium. 

His total goal haul in club and international football now stands at 552 in 934 matches, a tally only bettered by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among players active in the game. 

At 38 the striker shows no sign of slowing, prompting questions over where he will line up in 2020-1. 

Reports suggest that he will not continue at Milan beyond the current season, but Ibrahimovic himself scotched any talk of hanging up his boots.

"So you think I'm done, that my career will end soon. You don't know me." Ibrahimovic said during a short video posted on his official Instagram account on Saturday.

"All my life I had to fight. Nobody believed in me, so I had to believe in myself. Some people wanted to break me, but they only made me stronger.

"Others wanted to exploit me, but they made me smarter. And now you think that I'm done. 

"To all of you, I only have one thing to say: I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and I'm just warming up."