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Express FC goalkeeper Mathias Muwanga is hoping to become the first choice stopper in his team once the new season starts.

The custodian was not involved in the first round of the abandoned 2019/20 Ugandan Premier League season owing to a back injury but made several appearances in the second leg. The custodian feels he is ready to oust his colleagues from the post.

"It has been tough on all the players but toughest for me, because I was nursing my back injury," Muwanga told the club's official website.

"But now I am ready and I can't wait for the season to start."

In the 2015/16 season, the 22-year-old impressed while with Sadolin Paints and went on to keep 16 clean sheets in the 25 matches played.

It was during the same season he was named the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) goalkeeper of the season.

The custodian revealed what helped him reach that level.

"For me, it is all about hard work and I guarantee you, I am well prepared and I will reclaim the number one jersey," the youngster concluded.  

The former URA shot-stopper managed to keep three clean sheets for Express in a handful matches he played.

The Wankulukuku-based side finished in the ninth position having managed to collect 31 points in the 25 matches played.

The Red Eagles managed to collect nine wins, four draws and 12 losses in the process. 

They have managed to win the league six times, the most recent coming in the 2011/12 season. They have also won the Uganda Cup 10 times.

The team conceded 37 goals last season and were the second-worst team in the league in terms of goals conceded as relegated Tooro United shipped in 39.

It is an area that goalkeeper trainer Sam Kawalya had promised to work on as the team prepares for the coming season.

"Everyone knows the strength of any team starts from the back [goalkeeper], that said, it’s key to learn from our mistakes last season so we shall have to work more on concentrating in games but also work extra hard to have as many clean sheets," Kawalya said in an earlier interview.

Bruno Fernandes has given Manchester United “another dimension”, says Wes Brown, with the Portuguese playmaker considered to be “the first piece of the puzzle” for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Red Devils are hoping that a talismanic figure will also prove to be one of the last pieces as they endeavour to force their way back into contention for major honours.

Few could have predicted that Fernandes would make such a big impact at Old Trafford when he was picked up from Sporting CP in the winter transfer window.

He was, however, to hit the ground running in English football and has recorded 10 goals through 20 appearances in all competitions.

His willingness to take risks and demand more from those around him has seen the collective standard raised in Manchester.

United have benefitted from that with a third-place finish in the Premier League and qualification for the Champions League.

They are also still in the hunt for Europa League glory, with everyone connected with the club determined to deliver tangible success in 2020.

Fernandes appears set to lead that charge, alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, with Brown seeing cause for optimism from a rejuvenated Red Devils outfit.

The former United defender told MUTV when asked about who has rekindled a spark at Old Trafford: "For me I'd have to say Bruno, I know he only came in January but like we've talked about he's lifted the whole squad, brought a little bit of another dimension to the squad.

"Off that Mason [Greenwood], Rashy, Martial - they all took advantage of that.

"I think that's all down to - not just all down to him - but he started it off. He was the first piece of the puzzle."

Fernandes has vowed to continue leading by example for United, with the plan being for Champions League qualification to represent the first step on a charge back to the top of domestic and continental games.

He has said: “We trained hard and we worked hard for this moment. We know the only thing we could achieve this season was getting into the Champions League, so we fought hard for that, but we are not happy enough because we know this club and these players, they can bring much more for the club.

“I think we have qualities enough to fight for some titles - more than one title, you know? I think we need to win some trophies and then we'll be really happy.”

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed that Malaysia will be the country to host the remainder of the Group G and Group H matches of the 2020 AFC Champions League (ACL), as well as the Round of 16, two quarterfinal matches and the semi-final.

Malaysia was picked ahead of other applicants with one of the hosts for the East region with the host for the Group E and Group F yet to be decided, while Qatar will play host for the matches remaining in the West region.

This means that Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) will be completing their Group G matches at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium where they still have four more matches to play against Guangzhou Evergrande (twice), Vissel Kobe and Suwon Bluewings.

Currently sitting in second place in the group, this is a real opportunity for JDT to create even bigger history should they be able to capitalise on home advantage and make it through to the knockout stage in only their second year in the competition.

In their short time in the group stages of the most elite club competition in Asia, JDT have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with when playing at home as the wins over Kashima Antlers (2019) and Suwon (2020) have shown.

No details have yet been released on the other group being played in Malaysia which is the Group H that has Yokohama F. Marinos, Shanghai SIPG, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC and and Sydney FC as the competing teams.

Johor has the capacity to host both groups given that they also have the Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin which has previously played host to ACL matches, on top of the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.

The other possibility would be to play the Group H matches in Kuala Lumpur where the Bukit Jalil Stadium could be used.

The top two teams from Group G and H will crossover and play each other on Nov 4 in the Round of 16 before being joined by the qualified teams from Group E and F for the quarterfinal stage that is expected to be played on Nov 25.

Mallorca teenager Luka Romero said he was bothered by comparisons to Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

Romero, 15, became the youngest player to feature in La Liga when he came off the bench against Real Madrid last month.

The Argentina youth international has been compared to Messi, but the attacker said that made him uncomfortable.

"It bothers me because there is only one Messi," Romero told Fox Sports.

"I want to make a name for myself in football as Luka Romero."

Romero is eligible to play international football for Argentina, Mexico and Spain.

But Romero knows who he wants to represent, saying: "I can choose, but if Argentina still loves me, I will continue playing there.

"If possible, I want to play for the Argentina national team."

At the age of 15 years and 219 days, Romero was used as an 83rd-minute substitute Mallorca in their 2-0 defeat in the Spanish capital in June.

By coming on to replace midfielder Iddrisu Baba on Wednesday, Romero broke a record set in 1939 by Francisco Bao Rodriguez, known as Sanson, who made his league debut for Celta Vigo aged 15 years and 255 days.

Romero has been dubbed the 'Mexican Messi' in the Spanish media, having been born in the North American country and blessed with rare talent, although he has represented Argentina at youth level.

Mallorca coach Vicente Moreno was impressed by Romero's attitude and said the youngster was excited about making his bow.

"What you have to try and do is reassure him. He's a 15-year-old boy," Moreno said.

"The most important thing is that he's there because he deserves to be."

Quoted on Mallorca's website, Moreno added: "Before I walked in, I put my hand on his chest and he was going three thousand miles an hour.

"He's done very well and he's been very aggressive. If we're give him that stimuli, I'm sure he's going to grow."

In 2011, Romero had a trial with Barcelona as a six-year-old but could not sign with the Catalan club because he was under 10 years old and didn't live in the area.

Four years later, he signed an eight-year youth contract with Mallorca at the age of 10.

Twenty years ago, a football-loving Malayali named Manoj founded a local club and named it Red Star, after the then supreme Serbian team Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda). The club played in local sevens tournaments.

Fast forward to 2014. Manoj teamed up with a few football aficionados in Kerala and put together the early version of what is now the Red Star Academy. They've had Bino George and Jo Paul Ancheri as coaches in the first few years before Jali Ibrahim took over as the chief. 

In April 2014, they started out by conducting trials started in Wayanad, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram with the likes of Bino and VP Shaji as selectors. A total of 20 players were selected and Thrissur's famous Professor PC Thomas' the then newly-built hostel became the players' residence. Red Star, one of the state's first residential football academies, has since moved out to four apartments in Kuttanellur.

Jali is a former national record-holding athlete whose passion for football guided him into the world of coaching. His modern ideas, an eye for picking out the best traits of young footballers have helped the academy take another step forward. He's honest and straightforward as a coach and in his own words, it has helped him become 'the most hated coach in Kerala'.

Hrishi Dath (who played for Kerala Blasters and the state team in the Santosh Trophy), Ananthu Murali (who was at FC Bayern for a few days as part of a commercial deal), Alex Saji (who played for KBFC reserves), Amarjeet Mishra (currently at Portuguese club CD Estrela) and Bineesh Balan (former I-League winner with Churchill Brothers) are some of the names that have turned out for Red Star.

They had five of their players called up for the camp for the U-17 team for the World Cup in 2017 although none of them made it into the final squad. Not only were they the first club from Kerala to be zonal champions in the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) 2016-17 U-16 league, four of the five players selected for the U-15 national team camp from Kozhikode last year were from the Thrissur-based academy.

But results do not give you the full picture. "For an academy coach, seeing his student improve is the biggest win. But to take the next step and drive more growth, we need funds and for that we need results," chief coach Jali Ibrahim told Goal. 

"Red Star will continue what we are doing right now - to try and make them play football in the most beautiful manner and make them capable of playing at the top level."

He opined, "The process followed by most of the academies in India is wrong. Players need to be treated on a one-to-one basis. I'm not saying Red Star is 100 per cent perfect. But the thought process applied in our academy is similar to that of those in Europe. "

Jali is against the current methods (or a lack of it) of coaching that are in practice at the grassroots in Indian football and he is not one to shy away from his opinions. "A senior coach once said that I have become the most hated football coach in Kerala but I have taken that as an honour. I'm a straightforward person."

Currently, there are 25 players with Red Star. The Coronavirus pandemic has affected their plans but the players living in nearby regions still get fitness programmes thrice a week. Under the supervision of Jali, there is Sudheesh KR who is a former Calicut University player and a D License coach and former Gokulam Kerala player Bineesh Balan. 

Running a football academy properly requires patience, perseverance, passionate staff and a boatload of cash.

Finance has not been easy and yet, they have somehow managed to keep it going on the field. Several players left unexpectedly, people who initially invested have left due to financial constraints. But for now, under the tutelage of Jali Ibrahim and the academy's all-in-all Manoj, Red Star is staying afloat and is producing talented footballers.

Roma defensive midfielder Amadou Diawara says the extended game time he’s had on the pitch of late is giving him a lot of confidence having spent the bulk of 2020 injured.

The 23-year-old Guinean suffered a meniscal injury in January which kept him out of action until the Serie A was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, since resumption in June, Diawara has only failed to feature once as an unused substitute in a 2-1 defeat by Napoli while he has played up to 60 minutes on six occasions, completing 90 minutes in a 3-0 win at Brescia and providing an assist for Aleksandar Kolarov’s goal in the 6-1 bashing of relegated-SPAL. It was his first-ever goal involvement for Roma

“The injury and the break didn't help me, but now I'm playing more and I have more confidence,” Diawara told Roma TV.

“I can play more games and I have to continue like this."

Diawara played 77 minutes in the 2-1 win over Fiorentina on Sunday and he and described the victory as “really important” particularly as it made them hold their grip on fifth spot for Europa League qualification with two games left to end the season.

The Giallorossi’s fortunes have improved after going on a three-game losing streak having resumed with a 2-1 win against Sampdoria.

They have won five of their last six matches, the 2-2 draw at home against Inter Milan the only blemish.

“It’s a really important win, we are doing well and we want to make sure this continues,” Diawara continued.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, Fiorentina are a good side. But we prepared for the game well and we did on the pitch what the coach asked us to do produce.

“Physically we are better, we’ve found a bit more consistency in recent games. After the lockdown it wasn’t easy to rediscover our best but now we are in good form and want to continue on this path.”

Diawara has also credited a switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation as a reason for the Italian capital outfit’s improved form.

“This formation helps us a lot,” he said.

“We leave fewer opportunities for counter-attacks and in front of us we have so many men and so many passing options. The change in system has really helped.”

Diawara joined Roma from Napoli last summer and has played 29 times in all competitions, 21 of them in the Serie A and five in the Europa League.

He was also affected by the meniscal injury in the first half of the campaign which saw him miss seven competitive matches and an unused substitute four times.  

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes the decision for there to be no 2020 Ballon d'Or winner is "not very fair", as he feels Robert Lewandowski could have claimed the award.

France Football announced last week it would not select the world's best player this year due to a "lack of sufficient fair conditions" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The global crisis caused the sport to come to a standstill in March, although the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga were among the competitions to restart.

France's Ligue 1 was one of the leagues that were not completed, however, playing into the decision not to go ahead with the award.

Lewandowski has scored 51 goals in all competitions in the best season of his career, helping Bayern to win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, while a treble bid remains very much alive in the Champions League.

Rummenigge thinks he would have been a worthy Ballon d'Or winner.

"I believe Robert Lewandowski is playing a fantastic season and he performed maybe the best season in his career," Rummenigge told a news conference on Monday.

"Unfortunately, France Football cancelled the Ballon d'Or, which we are not very happy [about]. In the end, it's not very fair - not just for Bayern but also for Robert Lewandowski, who might have won.

"I believe it's very important that in a season that, except the French league, [were] performed through to the end of the season, it has to be possible to give the Ballon d'Or to the best footballer in the world.

"Of course, I believe, in those circumstances, Robert would have a good chance to win it for the first time in his career."

Bayern coach Hansi Flick agrees that Lewandowski would be in contention this year.

"If I measure for goals now and I see that he has scored 34 goals in the Bundesliga this year, then you can think about how a player from the Bundesliga can become the Ballon d'Or winner. So why not?” Flick said earlier this month.

“He has laid all the groundwork with this achievement this year and I would wish him well."

Lewandowski has never been in the top three at the annual awards, but was fourth in 2015 after an excellent first season at Bayern.

Barcelona great Lionel Messi won the 2019 Ballon d'Or for a record sixth time.

Toulouse have announced the signing of 18-year-old Cameroon international Steve Mvoue from Azur Star Yaounde.

The teenager, son of Regine Mvoue - the first ever captain of Cameroon women’s team will continue his development with the Violets, who will commence life in French Ligue Two next season.

At the Stadium de Toulouse, he joins his elder brother Stephane Zobo who is expected to help him settle down quickly in Patrice Garande’s squad. Zobo scored twice in Cameroon’s 2017 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Gabon.

Mvoue announced himself to the beautiful game having featured in the 2019 Africa U17 Cup of Nations where he helped Cameroon win a second African title in Tanzania and was named as tournament’s best player in the process.

In June 2019, he was handed his senior international debut under former coach Clarence Seedorf, coming in as a 68th minute substitute for Paul-Georges Ntep as the Indomitable Lions defeated Zambia 2-1 in an international friendly.

At the Fifa U17 World Cup staged in Brazil, he could not help his team progress past the group stage from Group E which had Spain, Argentina and Tajikistan.

"It's a great joy for me to officially sign with the Toulouse Football Club,” Mvoue told club website.

“For a long time, and even since my first visit here, I had this desire to engage with the club, and work with people I know and with whom I get along very well.

“Now I want to focus only on the field, and perform with the club. I will first have to recover from my injury. I'll be patient, and I'll come back even stronger!"

He also went on social media to show his excitement following the move to the French team while showing appreciation to his mother and Barcelona and Inter Milan great Samuel Eto’o.

Pep Guardiola's unrivalled knowledge of Spanish football will be key to Manchester City holding off the threat of Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, according to Bernardo Silva.

City are aiming to triumph in Europe's elite club competition for the first time, but must first get past Madrid, the 13-time winners, who they lead 2-1 after the first leg in February.

Guardiola coached Madrid's bitter rivals Barcelona between 2008-2012 and Silva is confident the former Spain midfielder's experience can help City overcome Zinedine Zidane's side on August 7.

"There's nobody like him to help us against a Spanish team, especially one he knows so well," he told Marca. "Having him as our coach and playing against Real Madrid is a good thing. He has always been a coach who knows how to play against Real Madrid the best."

Madrid go into the clash at the Etihad Stadium having claimed a first La Liga title since 2017 and Silva knows City will have to be at their very best to progress to the quarter finals.

"Since the restart Real Madrid have won almost all their games and, as a result, are the La Liga champions," he added. "This will only spur them on and they will be fully prepared for this game.

"We have to be in very good shape ourselves and play really well because, if not, we won't go through. We know that we're coming up against a big team and we need to show all our qualities in order beat them."

"We know that we are playing against a massive club, one of the best in the world, but we are going to try and I believe that we also have a strong team that is capable of winning again."

City missed out on a Champions League semi-final spot last season after an away goals defeat to Tottenham in the last eight; a failure Silva says the club were desperate to rectify in this campaign.

"I think that the Champions League is a very complicated competition, but this year we have already done one thing against Real Madrid that didn't happen against Tottenham, which is scoring away goals," he said.

"Scoring two goals away at Real Madrid was so important and I believe that that was one of the big lessons about the match against Tottenham.

"Also, you must manage the game better when you have an advantage in a knockout game, as these little details can count for everything.

"Therefore, we are going to try to better what we have achieved in the previous two years in the Champions League, a competition that neither me nor the club has won before and we really want to do that this year."

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has warned non-members from conducting county association elections which are not approved.

The FKF’s statement comes barely a day after the Sports Registrar Rose Wasike gave Mombasa County the green light to hold FKF county polls after they moved to comply with the 2013 Sports Act.

“Football Kenya Federation national office has learnt of plans by a small section of non-FKF members to carry out Football Association elections, with the main aim of occasioning confusion and anarchy in the management and running of football, especially at the grassroots level,” read a letter signed by FKF general-secretary Barry Otieno and obtained by Goal.

“Further, the national office has also learnt with a lot of concern of the continued use of FKF logo by the said non-members in their correspondences and has written to both Fifa and the Registrar of Sports with regard to the same as both the FKF emblem and logo are registered trademarks that should not be exploited without prior consent from the federation.

“In light of the aforementioned, and in view of the existing FKF regulations and statutes pertaining to how FKF elections should be called and conducted, the national office wishes to advise all members to refrain from taking part in the purported elections being organised by non-members.”

Otieno further stated the willingness of the federation to conduct the national elections when the situation allows.

“The federation, in consultation with Fifa, will at an opportune time and dependent on the Covid-19 situation in the country, inform the members of the FKF elections roadmap,” the letter added.

“Even so, the federation wishes to remind all members of their obligations to both the FKF and Fifa statutes and the need to adhere to the same while engaging in the aforementioned matter.

“The federation will continue to monitor the situation, with the option of taking the next steps should these exercises infringe on the rights of any member.”

Mombasa, according to Wasike, becomes the first county to be cleared after meeting the election demands made by her office.

“I hereby certify that on this day I have registered Mombasa County Football Association as a County sports association under section 45 of the Sports Act 2013 (revised edition 2013) with the following conditions,” she said.

FKF presidential aspirant Twaha Mbarak confirmed the Mombasa elections will be held on August 15.

“There shall be eight positions to be contested – chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, vice-secretary, treasurer, vice-treasurer, women representative and youth representative,” said Mbarak.

The FKF has been unable to hold its elections given the legal hurdles that have been placed on its path by the dissatisfied members and contestants.

Hartford Athletic manager Radhi Jaidi has revelled in his side’s 3-2 victory over Philadelphia Union II in Saturday’s USL Championship encounter.

Trailing by two goals in the first 16 minutes of the encounter, Jaidi’s men bounced back to secure maximum points at the Dillon Stadium.

The visitors took the lead after four minutes when Yomi Scintu - a German footballer of Italian and Congolese descent - buried the ball past goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda after a pass across the backline was missed by Kevin Politz.

Axel Picazo then doubled the lead for the hosts 12 minutes later.

That goal woke the hosts from their slumber and Gabriel Torres pulled one back for Hartford in the 39th minute after hitting a powerful shot over Ben Martino.

A brilliant effort from Mads Jorgensen off Danny Flores’ assist went just under a diving Martino, following a poor clearance by Union II from their own box, to level scores two minutes before the half-time break.

Victory was sealed in the 53rd-minute when Ever Guzman converted a Danny Barrera pass that left goalkeeper Martino stranded.

Thanks to this victory, Hartford have now won their first three games of the new season to lead the Eastern Conference log with nine points.

Delighted by this latest triumph, the Tunisia legend went on social media to express his excitement with his team’s impressive form.

“I thank our fans who encouraged us throughout the match. We will try to continue in the same way to make them happy and improve the team.”

Hartford Athletic will face Indy Eleven in their next outing on Thursday at the Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.

Jaidi was previously a player with Southampton, featuring 66 times between 2009 and 2012, when he hung up his boots.

Mwinyi Zahera has hit out on Luc Eymael for the demeaning remarks made against Yanga SC fans, at the same time stating the tactician will struggle to get a $2000 salary in Europe.

The Belgian was fired by the 27-time champions on Monday after calling the fans monkeys and dogs and the Congolese coach is hurt and angered by the comments.

"[Eymael] is lucky to get $6000 [at Yanga] when he cannot get even $2000 in Europe," Zahera told Mwanaspoti.

"He cannot get such amount then come to Africa and start abusing people; he has made me mad, it has hurt me.

"Team officials should be careful when they hire coaches [from abroad] because they get a lot of money in Africa. In Congo, we were let to run our teams because we have the qualifications needed for the same."

The former Wananchi coach has also commented on the issue of coaching which the Belgian also commented on.

"I keenly follow the [Tanzania Mainland League] from Europe [in France] where Eymael usually complains about officiating," Zahera added.

"However, I am aware that [Tanzania Football Federation] (TFF) looked out those referees who are performing poorly; they are not officiating."

The Belgian commented on the demeaning remarks he made after his team dropped points against Mtibwa Sugar.

"On Wednesday, I was very frustrated after the game...I was disappointed with the direction of the fans," Eymael told Goal.

"I didn't go for the interview, just went straight to my hotel. All people were calling me [names] but I did not want to respond.

"Then there is this one guy from Simba who kept harassing me, and I reacted."

On firing the former AFC Leopards coach, Yanga maintained their core values demand respect for humanity, which they claim Eymael failed to adhere to.

"Owing to those unsporting remarks, Yanga management has decided to fire [Luc] Eymael effective today, Monday, July 27 and will ensure he leaves the country as soon as possible," the record Mainland Premier League side said as they parted ways with the Belgian.

"The management apologises to the country's leaders, Tanzania Football Federation, members, Yanga fans and the citizens in general for the disgusting and demeaning remarks by coach Luc Eymael.

"Yanga SC value and believe in pillars of discipline and humanity, and are against any form of racism."

Barcelona midfielder Arthur has told the club he does not want to play for them anymore as the midfielder refuses to return from Brazil, Goal understands.

The Brazil international will join Juventus this summer after a deal worth €72 million (£66m/$81m) plus up to €10m in bonuses was agreed in June, but his contract with Barcelona will run until the Champions League campaign is over.

Coach Quique Setien gave his players a break after their second-place finish in La Liga and the 23-year-old took the opportunity to return to his homeland.

He was expected back to undergo tests for Covid-19 this week and begin preparations for the second leg of the last-16 against Napoli on August 8, but he has notified the club that he will not return.

Barca have warned Arthur that he will be violating his contract and will face fines for his conduct, but he is standing firm and refuses to represent Quique Setien’s side again.

Arthur moved to Camp Nou from Gremio in a €40 million (£35m/$47m) deal in 2018. He has made 72 appearances in all competitions, 28 in 2019-20.

His playing time this season was limited by injury until he was dropped altogether, with his last appearance being a four-minute cameo against Celta Vigo in late June.

Two days after that match and the day Barca confirmed they had reached an agreement with Juventus, Arthur insisted he would give his all for the club for the remainder of the season.

“I know I'm going to belong to a big club; many challenges await us before we can be together with the Bianconeri,” he posted on social media.

"Now I'm focused on the present, we have important goals in Barcelona and I will continue to the end giving everything, for my teammates and all the fans.”

His absence could pose problems for coach Setien, who will already be without Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal for the match against Napoli due to suspension.

While Arthur will head to Juventus ahead of next season, Bosnia-Herzegovina international midfielder Miralem Pjanic will move in the opposite direction in a €60m (£55m/$67m) deal.

Lille president Gerard Lopez has revealed that they are still receiving offers for Nigerian sensation Victor Osimhen even as a move to Napoli is nearing ever closer.

The 21-year-old has been one of the most talked-about players in the transfer market, with the Partenopei looking to acquire his services in a deal in the region of €60 - 80 million, as they look to improve under coach Gennaro Gattuso.

It was recently reported that Osimhen had changed his agent because of the cordial relationship between Lopez and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, and didn’t want anything standing in the way of a move to the San Paolo.

The former Wolfsburg and Charleroi man scored 18 goals in 38 competitive outings for Lille last season.

“The player decided to change agents in the middle of the negotiations. We had to start all over again,” Lopez told L’Equipe as reported by Le10Sport.

“The player has made his choice, Napoli. Its advanced, details are missing. It will be announced when the time comes. As it's not yet official, we continue to have other offers. I want to keep good relations with these clubs too.

“So, I manage their expectations. It is a transfer which is not linear. The market in France opened before closing [until August 15]. In Italy, the transfer window opens in September. So, you need a multitude of contracts to cover all eventualities.”

Lopez went on to admit that Osimhen’s departure will force a shakeup in the team’s attack while the club is not known to buy established players, but rather prospects like the Super Eagles forward.

As such, the Spanish businessman believes the club’s strong scouting network will come in handy.

He also insists they have no excuse not to knock oil-rich Paris Saint-Germain off their perch and challenge for the Ligue 1 title, having narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification by just a single point and position.

“His [Osimhen’s imminent] departure in itself, no [is no disaster]. But for the reconstruction of the attack line, yes,” Lopez continued.

“There is an approach led by [Lille sporting director] Luis [Campos] who offers [Lille head coach] Christophe Galtier players.

“Where some people get it wrong is when we see specific names coming out they think they will necessarily sign. Even if we are interested in a player, it is only in combination with others. It's more complex than selling a player and then finding a replacement.

“Strength is the system and the quality of our scouting process. We will have no excuse not to fight for the top of the table.

"We don't have a big budget to look elsewhere. We will remain humble and we will find talent.”

Nigeria's Francisca Ordega has been forced to postpone her return to China due to the flights ban while Zambia's Barbra Banda reunited with Shanghai this week.

Ordega and Banda were missing when the Chinese Women's Super League club resumed training for the first time in June following more than two months of inactivity due to the coronavirus.

The African duo were last part of the Shanghai set up during a preseason tour in Portugal, where they trained before the world went into lockdown in March following the global health crisis.

On March 26, Chinese authorities announced the suspension of entry of foreigners into the country from March 28, 2020, which forced the Nigerian and Zambian to return to their countries.

Since the lockdown eased in June, Goal understands the foreigners, who were issued visas after March 28, are now free to enter China, which means they are expected to obtain new visas. 

Banda, who completed her move to the Chinese outfit from Spanish side Logrono in February, breathed a sigh of relief after the Zambia government lifted the ban on international flights on June 26.

Having accessed a fresh entry visa, the 20-year-old, who has been in Lusaka since inspiring Zambia to a maiden Olympic Games qualification in March, left the country for China at the weekend.

For Ordega, who helped the Chinese side to a runners-up spot last season, will have to wait for a little longer with the ban on international entries still in force, despite resuming local flights this month. 

Besides Ordega, other restricted Africans plying their trade in China include Ghana's Elizabeth Addo of Jiangsu Suning, Nigeria's duo Onome Ebi and Chiwendu Ihezuo of Henan Huishang.

With the unavailability of Ordega, Shanghai will have to rely on Banda when they begin their domestic campaign in the 2020 Chinese Women's Football Championship in August. 

Ordega was also on international duty with Nigeria when Shanghai bowed 6-2 on aggregate to Addo and Chawinga's Jiangsu Suning in the Chinese Women's FA Cup semi-final defeat last year.

Without the Nigerian's services, Shanghai will hope to clinch the trophy this time, having finished fifth after a 2-1 play-off win over Wuhan last season.

The South African Football Association (Safa) has welcomed the PSL's decision to resume and conclude the 2019-20 season. 

On Monday, the league announced the season will return on August 8 with the Nedbank Cup semi-finals taking the centre stage before the league matches can resume on August 12.  

Mamelodi Sundowns, Bloemfontein Celtic, Bidvest Wits and Baroka FC are the four teams still in with a chance to win this year's Nedbank Cup. 

The four teams will be expected to go into the bio-bubble on August 7 provided they comply with all the stringent measures put in place by the Joint Liaison Committee and government.  

Gauteng is the province that will stage all the games, with 14 stadiums earmarked as training venues while 11 stadiums will be used as venues for competitive matches.  

Safa president Danny Jordaan thanked PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza and his board of governors for finally putting the matter to bed. 

"I would like to thank the NSL chairman and the entire BoGs for helping put this matter to rest," Jordaan told the association's website.  

Jordaan said the country will now get the chance to witness a fair conclusion to the season.  

"We will now witness the ultimate and fair conclusion to the current and unique season and I am sure the football-loving fans can’t wait for football to resume again," continued the country's FA boss. 

After rejecting the league's proposed return date of July 18 due to the unavailability of match officials, Jordaan said everyone will be ready when football returns. 

"The match officials are getting into peak fitness and come August 8, it will be all systems go," concluded Jordaan.

The league is expected to finalise every little detail that has to do with the return of football in the next 72 hours. 

However, Khoza said in his press conference that there will be no need to reshuffle the fixtures - meaning the season will resume where it ended when all sporting activities got suspended in mid-March. 

There are 54 PSL matches, 44 NFD and three Nedbank Cup games that have to be completed before the season can officially be completed.  

Adam Lallana has officially joined Brighton with the England midfielder completing his move on Monday.

Lallana's contract with Liverpool officially ended this past weekend as the Reds defeated Newcastle 3-1 in the final game of the Premier League season.

With the expiration of his Liverpool deal, Lallana became a free agent as he ended a six-year stay at Anfield that included a Champions League triumph and a Premier League title.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who has earned 34 senior caps for England, has now joined Brighton on a three-year deal.

Lallana, who will take the No. 14 shirt with Brighton, has made 196 Premier League appearances for Liverpool and Southampton, scoring 30 goals while providing 28 assists.

The midfielder had previously been linked to the likes of Leicester and his former club Southampton.

“I cant wait to get started,” Lallana said. “It’s a breath of fresh air coming here – having my medical, everything is new. It’s a challenge I am looking forward to.

“The whole infrastructure and ambition around the club excites me. There is so much young talent and so much ability.

“The manager is highly regarded and it was a pretty easy choice for me in the end, especially knowing how much Brighton have reached out. It’s nice to know that you’re wanted – I think it’s a perfect match.”

He added: “Brighton are on an upward curve. I have played against them a lot, and remember seven or eight years ago when Southampton and Brighton were both in League One, so they have been progressing for years now.

“I think we’re at the stage here where we can really push on in the Premier League. I have got a lot of experience playing in the Premier League and at a high level – I know what’s required and how we can improve. If I can help just a little bit in that journey to improve Brighton as a whole, and as a squad, then I will be very happy.”

Brighton has been in the Premier League since achieving promotion in 2016-17, finishing 15th and 17th in the club's first two seasons back in the top flight.

This season, Brighton finished in 15th place once again, concluding the season seven points clear of the relegation zone.

"There is no doubting Adam’s quality, and if you look at his footballing CV his ability is clear for everyone to see," said manager Graham Potter.

“He has played at the very highest level, for both club and country, and achieved great things. He has a wealth of experience alongside his technical quality.

“The honours he won during his time at Liverpool, and the high regard in which he is held at Anfield, only further underline his ability and character.

“Adam is a really exciting signing for us, someone I am sure the supporters will be really looking forward to seeing play as and when things are able to begin to return to normal.

“To have both his experience and quality out on the pitch will be a great addition for us, and I know he will be an excellent role model for our younger players in the squad.

“I am really looking forward to working with him when we return for pre-season training in a few weeks.”

Salimata Simpore netted twice for Dinamo-BSUPC as they defeated Zorka-BSU 3-1 in the Belarusian Women's League game on Monday.

Simpore is fast becoming a fans' favourites in Belarus, having scored her 13th goal in 12 matches in a 5-1 Belarusian Women's Cup semi-final first-leg win over Bobruichanka on July 17.

The meeting between the teams was the fourth this season, with the league leaders claiming victories in all three previous occasions, including the Belarusian Women's Cup quarter-final duels.

In those earlier three matches with Zorka, the Burkina Faso international found the net to ensure her side's triumphs over the last season's runners-up in all competitions this term. 

In Best, neither team could find a breakthrough in the game until Dinamo won a penalty, which Moldovan goalkeeper Natalia Munteanu converted to put the visitors ahead just before half-time.

On resuming the match, Hanna Pilipenko played Simpore through to double the lead four minutes after the restart before Anastasia Shuppo set up the Burkinabe striker for the third two minutes later.

However, Diana Bakum, who replaced Paulina Girchits in the 66th minute, struck six minutes from time for the hosts but could not see them escape their fourth defeat of the season to Dinamo. 

Simpore, who was in action for the 85 minutes, has now scored 10 goals in 10 games of the competition, and 15 overall in 13 appearances in all competitions for Dinamo this season.

Cameroon's Claudia Dabda was not dressed for the encounter, while South Africa's Bambanani Mbane missed out due to injury.

The victory at Brjestkoj Oblasti Stadiummeans Dinamo have won all 15 matches in all competitions this season and also hold a six-point lead at the top of the log with 36 points from 12 matches. 

They will visit Women's Cup semi-final foes Bobruichanka in their next league outing at Alexander Prokopenko Stadium on August 2.