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Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has sent a farewell message to his "unbelievable friend" Dejan Lovren after he completed a permanent switch to Zenit St. Petersburg.

Lovren signed a three-year contract with the Russian Premier League outfit on Monday, bringing an end to his six-year stint with the Reds.

During his stay on Merseyside, the Croatian centre-back struck a bond with Salah after the Egypt international arrived from Roma in 2017.

They both played crucial roles in helping Liverpool end their 30-year wait for a Premier League title in the 2019-20 season and also clinched the Champions League, Uefa Super Cup, and Club World Cup trophies last year.

Aside from their relationship on the pitch, Salah and Lovren displayed their bromance with cheeky social media trolls and comments on each other’s posts.

In his reaction to Lovren’s exit, the two-African Footballer of the Year said he was speechless and he would miss his "great friend" so much.

"I don't know how to say, my friend. You don't know my feeling right now. We're really going to miss you a lot - especially me,” Salah told the club website.

"You've been an unbelievable player and a great friend for me. We're going to miss you a lot. I miss you a lot, I love you so much. You've been fantastic outside the field and inside the field.

"So, thank you for everything you did for the club, thank you for everything you did for me. I wish you all the best in the future and I wish you to have a great career as well, enjoying the new club with your family.

"Thank you very much and see you soon."

Salah was a second-half substitute in Liverpool's 3-1 comeback win over Newcastle United on Sunday while Lovren was missing in their final game of the Premier League season.

The Egypt international ended the 2019-20 season with 23 goals and 12 assists for the Reds across all competitions.

Antonio Conte told Romelu Lukaku he must improve despite the Inter striker's fine form in his first season in Serie A.

Lukaku has scored 23 league goals since signing from Manchester United last year, including four in his past five games.

The Belgium international netted twice in Inter's 3-0 win at Genoa on Saturday, prompting praise from Conte, who marvelled at a brilliant second strike in stoppage time.

But the Nerazzurri head coach also suggested Lukaku could improve and hammered this message home ahead of Tuesday's clash with Napoli.

"He is a footballer who has room for improvement," Conte told Inter TV. "In some game situations, he can and must improve.

"As I said after the [Genoa] match, we are talking about an atypical footballer. Despite his size and his strength, he is also fast, with the ability to score goals like the one against Genoa in the 93rd minute.

"It's up to him and his desire to improve. The important thing is that each of us is hungry to raise the bar and try to grow more and more."

Inter are preparing to play Napoli for the fourth time this season, having faced the Partenopei in a two-legged Coppa Italia semi-final.

Conte is aware of the threat his side's next opponents possess after crashing out of that competition 2-1 on aggregate, yet he believes their performance in the second leg - a 1-1 draw - ranks among their best of the campaign.

Asked how he enjoyed the 3-1 away league win in Naples, the coach said: "It was a good game on our part, but in some ways I think that, of the three games, perhaps the most beautiful was the return leg in the Coppa Italia, where we would deserved more.

"But we are talking about a strong team, able to frustate those who have won the Scudetto in recent years. They have a very good squad and they were impressive in winning the Coppa."

Inter are second in the Serie A with two games left to the campaign. After they host Napoli on Tuesday, they visit third-place Atalanta before turning their attention to the Europa League tie against Getafe.

Gor Mahia organising secretary Judith Nyangi has claimed Ambrose Rachier threatens candidates interested in challenging him for the chairmanship post.

Nyangi and Rachier have been at loggerheads recently following the requirements of the election that every candidate running for any post in the August 8 vote must possess a degree.

The organising secretary claimed those requirements are meant to lock her out of the race for the honorary treasurer’s post.

Nyangi, in an interview with Radio Jambo, alleged Rachier, who did not attract an opponent before the nomination process closed, is always issuing threats.

“Rachier is a man of threats,” Nyangi said.

“He has been clear to me over a number of occasions that Gor Mahia is his. The Sports Act is clear that no one should serve more than two terms and if anyone dares stand against Rachier, he will be threatened by him.

“Rachier has been saying that anything he has built he cannot allow anyone to take it away from him. He has been there since 2008 does it mean he is a Gor Mahia's life chairman?

“I have been wondering whether Gor Mahia are a community club or a private club.”

Nyangi further claimed Rachier’s dictatorial tendencies have denied Gor Mahia proper growth compared to other regional clubs.

“He should vacate office for other people now. Yes, Gor Mahia have been winning cups but what I know is that Gor Mahia are more than winning cups,” she added.

“At this time, we should be at the same level as Yanga SC and Simba SC, teams that have been robbing players from us. They are capable of taking our players because Gor Mahia are being run like a kiosk.

“The politics now at Gor Mahia is that everyone must support the ‘deep state’ and if you do not support the ‘deep state’ that is Rachier you should not be in the office in the first place.

“There is only one man that I will never oppose and that is Raila Amollo Odinga [the former Prime Minister].”

The deep state, mostly used in the political arena, is a body of people, typically influential members of government agencies or the military, believed to be involved in the secret manipulation or control of policies.

But Rachier, in a separate interview, explained why members might have opted not to challenge him.

“That depends on an individual's interpretation [whether he has done a good job at Gor Mahia or not],” Rachier said.

“I have on many occasions welcomed people interested to stand against me to come forward and that was before our nomination process was closed.

“When the nomination process ended, it emerged that I did not have an opponent. It may be because I have done a good job or otherwise.

“I am thankful to the members who have shown confidence in me. Members should come out and elect officials to the positions that are still vacant when the time arrives.”

Dissatisfied K’Ogalo members have already threatened to take matters to the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) and stop the elections.

The Premier League season came to an exciting conclusion on Sunday, and the fates of Africa’s biggest stars in the world’s greatest league is one of the hot topics discussed on African Football HQ this week.

There were heroics at Aston Villa, as they survived relegation with a 1-1 draw with West Ham United in a cagey encounter at the London Stadium.

Egypt’s Trezeguet didn’t do too much on the day, but he’s rightly been praised by Malek Shafei, who believes the wideman’s end-of-season form makes his maiden campaign in England a success.

The same can’t be said for Ismaila Sarr as he drops into the Championship with Watford, but surely the Senegal wideman won’t be sticking around in the second tier for long.

Ed Dove believes that he could be a good fit at one of the Premier League’s bigger sides, but is he really ready for the likes of Manchester United or Liverpool?

Dominic Solanke also fell short with Bournemouth, while higher up the table, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho missed out on Champions League qualification, as Leicester City were defeated by Odion Ighalo’s Manchester United.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Arsenal ended the season with a victory, and the Gabon international netted twice, but he still missed out on retaining his Golden Boot as the division’s top scorer.

Can he look back on a successful year?

Other strikers in the headlines this week are Victor Osimhen and Asamoah Gyan, both of whom appear to be on the move.

The former looks to be on the brink of a big-money move to Napoli, and Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick has tipped the youngster to emulate or even surpass Diego Maradona’s impact in Naples.

Is this a wise forecast by the NFF President, or could his words heap unenviable pressure on young Osimhen?

Elsewhere, Gyan could be following in Florent Malouda’s footsteps by signing for Wadi Degla, but what exactly awaits him in Egypt?

One transfer that looks unlikely to go ahead is Yaya Toure’s rumoured switch to Leyton Orient, after the Ivorian legend was pictured training with the O’s.

It certainly would be a fantasy deal, but according to the West African great’s agent, he’s only training with the East London club before seeking a move abroad.

Could the Brisbane Road minnows convince the Manchester City great to extend his stay in East London?

Mikel Arteta has called on Arsenal to seize the “great opportunity” which has presented itself in FA Cup competition, with the Gunners having cleared several “stones” from their path to put themselves in a position where a good season could be enjoyed.

As things stand, the north London outfit are being left to reflect on an eighth-place finish in the Premier League.

Such a standing falls well short of expectations, with no guarantee that the club will be taking in European competition next season.

Fate remains in their own hands, though, with a cup final date at Wembley having been booked with capital rivals Chelsea on August 1.

Victory in that contest would book a Europa League berth and add a familiar piece of silverware to the Emirates Stadium trophy cabinet for the competition’s most decorated club.

Arteta is eager to see Arsenal wrap up a 14th FA Cup triumph, telling the club’s official website on the end to his first half-season at the helm: “Well, I need a month probably to get some conclusions!

“Since I arrived here on the 20th of December, so many things happened and so many stones have been in our way but I believe we have done a lot of progress in many situations.

“Around the environment as well that we are creating, the unity that the fans, team and club are showing at the moment and I think we are on a good track.

“We have a great opportunity now to have a good season if we are able to win against Chelsea in the final, lift the trophy and qualify for Europe.”

Tangible success would offer Arsenal a welcome shot in the arm.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles is another looking for the Gunners to sign off a testing 2019-20 campaign on a high, telling Arsenal Digital: “It's been a long, tough season without the fans being here and what's gone on in the world.

“We're just going to have to push on and think about the final now. It hasn't finished for us just yet. The main objective is trying to bring the trophy home.

“We're all bubbly, we're all pretty confident in ourselves. We're going to sleep on it and then go back to work in the week to focus on the final.”

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) giants Gor Mahia have released forward Dickson Ambundo after his loan deal with the club expired.

The 24-year-old joined K'Ogalo on loan from former Tanzania Mainland League outfit Alliance FC in July 2019. The winger was used in the front three positions owing to the team's struggles to get a consistent striker, especially after the departure of Francis Afriyie and Gnamien Yikpe.

"We wish Dickson Ambundo all the best after his loan deal at the club ended and has since returned to Tanzania," the Kenya champions tweeted on Monday.

"We appreciate every bit of his efforts while at Gor Mahia."

His parent club Alliance was relegated from the top tier after finishing the 2019/20 season in the 17th position, despite a final day 3-2 win over Namungo FC. The team only managed to accumulate 45 points in the 38 matches played.

Ambundo had been initially linked to 27-time Tanzania Mainland League champions Yanga SC but the player has said he's received no contact from Yanga.

"For now, I have not had any contact with anyone from Yanga and the news [of signing for Yanga] in fact I am getting from you for the first time. For clarification, it would be better to contact my agents on the same," said the Tanzanian.

"But if Yanga want me, I will be available and that would depend on the offer they will put on the table. If it is going to be something good then I will deeply consider joining them."   

While the Kenyan Premier League was suspended March 16 and later annulled by the Football Kenya Federation, in a move that the league administrators protested, Tanzanian top tier was played to the end.

Simba SC managed to successfully defend their crown for the third time in a row. Wekundu wa Msimbazi hit 88 points after 38 games, with Yanga and Azam FC coming in in the second and third positions with 72 and 70 points respectively.

Mbeya City, Mbao FC, Alliance, Lipuli FC, Ndanda and Singida United were relegated.

The Msimbazi-based side will now represent the country in the Caf Champions League while Namungo will play in Caf Confederation Cup.

The Sports Registrar has given Mombasa County the green light to hold fresh Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections after they moved to comply with the 2013 Sports Act.

According to a letter from the Registrar of Societies signed by Rose Wasike and obtained by Goal, the county has become the first one to be cleared after meeting the demands from the registrar.

The letter stated: “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.

“That the organisation complies with the Sports Act and any other relevant laws, that the organisation reviews its constitution in line with the Kenya constitution 2010, the Sports Act, No. 25 of 2013 and its international status, that the organisation hold elections within 90 days from the date of registration and that the organization develop short and mid-term  strategic plans and submits all relevant missing documents for the organization and officials within three months from the date of registration of the organization.”

The new development has also been acknowledged by the County Government of Mombasa, who said in a statement signed by County Chief Executive Innocent Mugabe and seen by Goal: “We are writing to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 16, 2020, and your registration certificate No. 198 as a County sports association.

“The Department of Youth, Gender, Sports & Cultural Affairs, congratulates your team for the efforts made to be registered under the Sports Act 2013.

“We also take this opportunity to assure your organisation that we shall be working together in the development of sports in Mombasa County.”

Following the registration, FKF president aspirant Twaha Mbarak has confirmed the association will now hold their elections on August 15, 2020, starting from 8 am to 4 pm at Tononoka Hall.

“In line with Sports Act 2013, we will proceed to hold our elections on August 15,” Mbarak told Goal on Monday.

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

Mbarak has further told other counties to follow suit and comply with the Sports Act 2013.

“All counties must now move quickly and comply with the demands from the registrar, we are the first ones to do it and are proud of it, we will set up a new office, in readiness for the coming FKF elections.”

The new date for the national elections is yet to be set.

Manchester United need to be taking a “ruthless” approach to improving collective standards, says Gary Neville, with the Red Devils legend looking for a centre-half to be signed to compete with Victor Lindelof and clarity to be offered regarding David de Gea’s future.

The former favourite at Old Trafford has made no secret of the fact that he feels big money needs to be invested in the next transfer window.

United did end the 2019-20 Premier League season in third spot, but they remain a work in progress and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is going to need help if their ultimate targets are going to be hit.

There has been plenty of suggestion that funds will be made available this summer, with the Red Devils being linked with top talents from back to front.

Neville believes the acquisition of a new centre-half has to be a top priority, with it clear that Lindelof’s partnership with club captain Harry Maguire is not working as effectively as hoped.

“Solskjaer needs to spend money, but not recklessly”, Neville told Sky Sports.

“There needs to be a right winger, there needs to be a challenge at centre-forward, at left-back, definitely a goalkeeper and they need a centre-back, a top centre-back who can bring that level of domination to a defence like Virgil van Dijk does at Liverpool, like Vincent Kompany did when Manchester City were winning titles.

“I don't think Harry Maguire hasn't had a good season; I just think he needs a partner. That's not being unfair on Victor Lindelof, who may need a partner as well. He and Maguire are both good defenders, but I think United need a centre-back as well. You've got to be ruthless, the best managers in the world are ruthless.”

While weighing up his options at the heart of the back four, Solskjaer also has a big decision to make between the sticks.

The Red Devils have tied De Gea to a lucrative new contract, but have also seen mistakes creep back into his game as calls mount for Dean Henderson to handed the No.1 spot once he is welcomed back from his loan spell at Sheffield United.

Neville said: “I was nervous about him in his first year or two at Manchester United but then he did prove to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world for four or five years. In the last 18 months he's been riddled with mistakes and only Solskjaer can make that decision over the goalkeeper.

“What I would say about that decision is that Solskjaer has to be decisive and ruthless with that decision, he's got to think about himself and the club. If he thinks De Gea is going to return to the level he was at before, stick with him.

“He's still got that decision in his hands, but he's at least got through that until the end of the season. De Gea hasn't put a foot wrong in the last two matches [against West Ham and Leicester].”

Jack Grealish continues to spark talk of interest from Manchester United but, on the back of Aston Villa preserving their Premier League status, Dean Smith has jokingly claimed to have tied the talented playmaker down on a new contract “written in sambuca”.

The Villans partied hard after beating the drop on the final day of the 2019-20 season.

Grealish’s goal in the 1-1 draw away at West Ham proved to be decisive, as Smith’s side wrapped up a 17th-place finish with one point separating them from the drop zone.

While the West Midlands outfit intend to revel in earning another campaign among the elite, the opening of another transfer window is set to present them with an altogether different challenge.

Retaining the services of talismanic club captain Grealish promises to be difficult, with many suggesting that he is ready for a step up in class, but Smith is doing all he can to convince a fellow boyhood Villa fan to stay put.

He told talkSPORT of those efforts, which began during the celebrations on Sunday night to mark staying up: “I gave him a few shots last night and got him to sign a new five-year contract. It’s not been done yet, it was written in Sambuca, I’m not sure if it was mine or his!

“It was a heavy night, I’m not sure what time I got to bed, but I slept in my office back at the training ground. I did an Eddie Jones and slipped off so the lads didn’t see me go!

“Seriously, that’s a chat for another day. Jack’s a wonderful lad and I’ve got all the time in the world for him and I’m so pleased that he scored the goal that kept us in the Premier League.”

Smith is delighted to have seen Grealish and co deliver for Villa during their first season back in the big time and makes no apologies for having toasted finishing one place above the trapdoor.

Roy Keane, who once spent time as the club’s assistant manager, suggested on Sky Sports that Villa’s reaction was “slightly over the top” as they “hadn’t won anything”.

Smith has shrugged off those comments, saying: “Listen, with all the emotions, the lads were right to go and celebrate.

“We’d been written off 10 games ago, we were relegated in everybody’s minds. So to do what we’ve done and turn it around as we have, that was a celebration, that’s for sure.”

Leonardo Bonucci has taken aim at Juventus’ doubters and detractors after they secured their ninth consecutive Serie A title.

Juve sealed the championship with a 2-0 win at home to Sampdoria on Sunday evening, thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi

After the game, veteran defender Bonucci posted a compilation video of his team’s highlights from the season, with a pointed caption.

It read: "As captain of a great team. In a surreal year. With a pandemic. Against everything and everyone. For our fans. For those who wanted the playoffs. For those who thought they could win it in our place. For those who criticized us. For those who no longer believed it. MY MOST BEAUTIFUL.”

Bonucci refers back to the confusion of the coronavirus suspension, when a number of potential solutions to the end of the Serie A season were considered.

Plenty of senior figures in Italian football didn’t want to see the season completed at all.

Lazio president Claudio Lotito gave his support to the idea of a one-off play-off match between his side and Juve to decide the title. At the time, Lazio were just a point behind Juve but after a post-lockdown implosion, they are seven points off the top, behind both Inter and Atalanta in fourth.

Speaking in a press conference after Juve’s win, Bonucci also paid tribute to captain Giorgio Chiellini, who missed the vast majority of the season with a cruciate ligament injury and calf issues.

"The captain of this team is and remains Giorgio,” Bonucci said. “Unfortunately, this year we had him very little. Giorgio is a leader on and off the field.

“I tried to help myself and the team in critical moments. I hope I have succeeded; it is not easy.

“There were those who believed they could take the trophy from us, there were those who wanted to make a separate championship.

“It was a strange year for those three months. We wanted to continue winning, we met several times telling each other we didn’t want to lose something we already had.”

Juve will conclude their league campaign with fixtures against Cagliari and Roma, before looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Lyon in the last 16 of the Champions League on August 7.

Aston Villa forward Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan has reflected on his debut season in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old winger teamed up with the Claret and Blue Army from Turkish Super Lig club Kasimpasa for a fee of £8.75 million.

The Egypt international made a key contribution in helping Dean Smith’s men avoid relegation from the English top-flight

Trezeguet, who initially struggled to adapt to the Premier League, went on to score six goals, including his brace in their victory over Crystal Palace, and provided two assists.

Villa then played out a draw with West Ham United on the last day of 2019-20 English top-flight season which ensured they maintained their status in the division.

Trezeguet is delighted with his effort in ensuring the Claret and Blue Army remained in the Premier League and attributed it to hard work.  

“Hard work always pays off. It was a tough season because sometimes I play, sometimes I don’t but I always believed that my chance would come,” Trezeguet told beIN Sports.

“In the end, I had my chance and I’m happy that I had a role in keeping Aston Villa in the Premier League.

“If we had lost or drew against Crystal Palace, we would’ve been relegated and against Arsenal, we played against a very strong team that had defeated both Liverpool and Manchester City in the same week.”

Trezeguet ended the 2019-20 season with seven goals and three assists in 41 appearances across all competitions.

The forward has previously played for Al Ahly and Anderlecht before teaming up with Kasımpasa in 2018, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent.

The winger shone during his time with the Turkish Super Lig club, which inspired Aston Villa to secure his signature in 2019.

Trezeguet has 41 caps for Egypt and six goals and was part of the Pharaohs squad at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, which his country hosted.

The forward will hope to continue his recently rediscovered form in Villa’s pre-season games ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

Ayub Timbe has confirmed his exit from Reading after a six-month stay with the Championship side.

Timbe joined the Berkshire-based club in January from Beijing Renhe and his loan move now has ended after the club decided against pursuing a further deal.

Timbe, who has failed to enjoy a prominent role under manager Mark Bowen, has wished well his teammates in the upcoming season.

“My short journey at Reading is finished,” Timbe, 27, confirmed in a Facebook post on Monday.

“I want to thank the club, the staff, my mates and definitely every supporter who was with me through this half-season. It was a pleasure to be at Reading FC.

“Thank you all and I wish you good luck in the coming season.”

The Harambee Stars winger has been sparingly used from the bench and in most cases was an unused substitute.

His departure follows the confirmation of another five players which the club revealed would not be part of the team next season.

Reading bade farewell to three club stalwarts, who between them have made 775 appearances for the club across the last decade - Chris Gunter, Garath McCleary and Jordan Obita.

Charlie Adam and Tyler Blackett were the other players who left.

Timbe’s loan at Reading was the third such move the Kenyan has made in his career so far.

Between 2014 and 2016, the winger was loaned by Genk to Lierse and went ahead to make 42 appearances and scored eight goals for the Belgian side.

The performance saw Lierse made his move permanent and the player stayed with them for one year between 2016 and 2017.

From Belgium, the Harambee Star joined Chinese side Beijing Renhe where he enjoyed a good outing in 2017 as he scored 17 goals in 48 matches.

In 2018, he was loaned for the second time in his career to Heilongjiang Lava Spring, a Division One side in China. He played six games and scored two goals for the lower tier side.

As Timbe and perhaps Beijing Renhe ponder about the next move for the winger, one of Timbe’s fans responded to his Facebook post by reminding him of Kevin De Bruyne’s situation while at Chelsea.

The Belgian was loaned out by the Blues before the 2012/13 season to Werder Bremen before he was later signed by Manchester City where he has proved his worth.

“You are super talented brother. There will come a time when Reading FC will need your signature, but it will be too late because they won't be able to afford to sign you,” Wilvin Muturi said in a reply.

“Remember what Chelsea did to KDB [Kevin De Bruyne] right now with all their money, they can't afford him.”

Manchester United are set to step up their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho as they prepare an opening offer for the England international.

United's 2-0 win over Leicester City on the final day of the Premier League season secured Champions League qualification for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and chief negotiator Matt Judge will now push ahead with their plans to bring Sancho to Old Trafford.

Goal has learned that a formal bid has yet to be submitted to Dortmund, with the Bundesliga outfit valuing the former Manchester City trainee at £120 million ($154m).

Woodward has warned it will not be "business as usual" in the transfer window this summer due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and sources have dismissed claims that United will spend more than £100m ($129m) on any player.

It is understood, therefore, that United are looking to negotiate an initial deal for Sancho worth around £80m ($103m), with add-ons then included to potentially increase the final fee.

Dortmund are willing to part with Sancho and have already started planning for life without the 20-year-old, but there will have to be compromise from both sides if a deal is to be agreed.

Jesse Lingard, whose future is in doubt at Old Trafford, believes the Dortmund star would be a good addition to Solskjaer’s side as they push to compete for the Premier League next season.

“Jadon is a brilliant player. It is obviously up to him,' Lingard told Goal on Thursday. “I've seen him with England, I've seen his qualities and I feel like he'd be a great addition to any team.”

As well as a right-sided attacker, Solskjaer also has a midfielder and a centre-back on his transfer wish list this summer, and there is an understanding at the club that they know they need to strengthen if they are going to build on this season’s third-place finish.

“There’s definitely not going to be any complacency and thinking, ‘We’ve cracked it’ because we’ve got so much to do. It’s an enjoyable journey,” Solskjaer said.

"We can see improvements but, yes, we need to make one or two - or more - very good decisions. It’s going to be an important summer, definitely.”

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish remains among the players United are targeting while a striker who can replace Odion Ighalo once his loan move from Shanghai Shenhua expires in January may also be sought.

The 2019-20 PSL season will resume on August 8, the league's board of governors reportedly resolved on Monday.

The held an urgent board of governors meeting with its 32-member clubs where the decision was taken to go ahead and complete the suspended campaign. 

All the remaining matches, including National First Division (NFD) games, as previously confirmed by the PSL, will be played in Gauteng. 

There are 14 stadiums earmarked by the PSL as training venues while competitive matches will take place at 11 different stadiums across the province. 

Addressing the media on Monday, PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza said all the teams that have complied with the stringent measures as set out by the government and the Joint Liaison (JLC) will be expected to be in a bio-bubble at least a day before the resumption of the season.

"Standing here, I have just come out of the board of governors meeting which was a meeting that was extended to make sure that I go and engage the stakeholders on the status of the resumption of the PSL," Khoza told the media. 

"Today, unanimously, agreed that we must resume the games on the 8th of August. That has just been conveyed, before I joined everybody, to our sponsors - Absa, Nedbank and the broadcasters - to make them aware that the board of governors have since accepted to resume the games on the 8th of August," he confirmed. 

"And I immediately phoned the president of Safa to make him aware that we are resuming the games on the 8th of August." 

"I tried to phone the Minister [of Sports] but his phone was ringing [unanswered] but I understand that he has political meetings on Mondays but I left a message on his phone that we are resuming on the 8th of August." 

"The MEC of Sport in Gauteng was also briefed. Remember Gauteng are the people that are going to be hosting the BSE in so far as transporting the teams as they come at the point of entry - to and from the hotels and to the training and match venues.  

"This is a historic, exciting moment in a difficult time in the history of this country. I think the announcement is going to assist in mitigating the challenges that are faced by this country. It will also assist in the mental wellness of the people once we are navigating this unknown, intangible virus that is affecting the whole world," he revealed.   

Khoza made it clear that the season will resume with the Nedbank Cup semi-finals, meaning Mamelodi Sundowns, Bloemfontein Celtic, Bidvest Wits and Baroka will be expected to be in the bio-bubble on August 7.

The rest of the teams that aren't taking part in the Nedbank Cup will be expected in the bio-bubble by no later than August 11. 

"What we have said is that the teams that must assemble in the BSE must be latest the day before the resumption of the games. 

"Teams that are going to go first into the bubble are those that are involved in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals which is going to be before the 8th of August. All the other teams will be required to be in the bubble on the 11th of August. As thing stand, it's all systems go," concluded Khoza.  

Competitive football in the country has been suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Initially, the PSL was hoping to resume on July 18 but the proposed date was rejected by the South African Football Association (Safa) on the basis that the match officials would not be ready. 

However, that has been cleared as all the 110 match officials are undergoing fitness and medical tests in preparation for the resumption of the campaign.

Leyton Orient manager Ross Embleton admits to having considered talk of Yaya Toure joining his ranks to be a “wind-up”, but the Manchester City legend is training with the League Two club and may yet to be talked into a stunning deal.

At 37 years of age, the iconic Ivorian midfielder is winding down on an illustrious career.

He is not ready to hang up his boots just yet, though, and having already represented Monaco, Barcelona and City among others, is looking to take on one more challenge.

The fourth tier of English football is not where many would have expected him to end up, but Toure is looking to work on his fitness with Orient.

Embleton is delighted to have the Liga, Premier League and Africa Cup of Nations winner on his books, even if he is pinching himself at such a remarkable turn of events.

On how Toure ended up in east London, Embleton told talkSPORT: “We received an email from who we thought or was told was Yaya Toure’s agent. You can imagine my reaction was: ‘Yeah, course it is’.

“I said to the chief executive, ‘give me the email address, I’ll get in touch and call his bluff’, because I thought it was a wind-up. It took a day or two to get a response, so then, straight away, I just thought it was a wind-up.

“Then the guy came back to me and said, ‘[I’m] really sorry, I’m in Singapore and the time delay means I’m not able to reply to you straight away’. We had a bit of coming and going over a couple of days and then he said that he’d give me someone in the UK to deal with to get the process rolling.

“Quickly, within two or three days, I started to get an idea that Yaya Toure was coming to Chigwell to train with Leyton Orient and it happened.”

The big question now is, how long will Toure stick around?

Embleton concedes that a modern day great is unlikely to form part of his plans for 2020-21, but nothing is being ruled out at this stage.

“I think there’s a chance you might see him walking out at the Breyer Group Stadium because we’re playing an internal game next weekend,” the Orient boss added.

“It will be our first pre-season friendly and we wanted to try and be creative, so we’re doing it internally. So, there’s every chance he could walk out at the Breyer Group Stadium, as we’ll try and get him to play in that.

“I think it’s highly unlikely [that he’ll sign a contract]. The initial conversations I’ve had with him are about him coming in and doing a couple of weeks, but that’s as loose as it’s been. So could be longer, could be shorter. If we impress him, who knows where it leads to.”

Juventus are sweating over the fitness of Paulo Dybala after a scan on the Argentine forward revealed a thigh muscle strain.

Dybala went off injured in the first half of Juve’s 2-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday night which saw them claim a ninth consecutive Serie A title.

On Monday, Juve released a statement confirming he had undergone tests which had revealed "an elongation of the rectus femoral muscle of the left thigh", and he will now have his condition monitored on a daily basis.

While Maurizio Sarri's side have the league title wrapped up with two games to spare, they would be loathe to lose one of their star players ahead of the return of the Champions League.

Juve host Ligue 1 side Lyon on August 7 needing to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit in order to reach the knockout tournament in Portugal. If they do turn the tie around, they would face one of Manchester City or Real Madrid in the quarter-final.

Juventus have been eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League in each of the last two seasons, having reached the final in two of the three years prior.

Right-back Danilo, who joined the Old Lady from City at the beginning of the season, also went off injured against Sampdoria but tests revealed no serious injury and he is expected to be available for Lyon.

Dybala’s importance to Juventus has been underlined recently, with chief football officer Fabio Paratici revealing the club are in advanced talks to extend the forward’s contract .

"We often speak with his entourage and we are moving forward, despite all the difficulties related to the commitments and the movement due to the games that are played every three days," Paratici told Sky Sport Italia."Even in this period, we are talking quite frequently and we are well advanced."

Dybala has scored 17 goals and registered 14 assists in all competitions this season, including a recent run which saw him find the net in five consecutive Serie A games.

In all, he has now scored 95 goals in five seasons at Juve, having joined from Palermo in 2015 as one of world football's most promising young players.

Willian looks set to return for the FA Cup final on Sunday after he sat out Chelsea's final league match of the season against Wolves.

The 31-year-old was left out after informing the medical staff of what turned out to be an inflammation of his Achilles tendon.

Having received treatment at Cobham ahead of kick-off along with N'Golo Kante, the pair travelled to the stadium to watch their side win 2-0 against Nuno Espirito Santo's side at Stamford Bridge and confirm their Champions League status for next season.

"I did treatment until the last minute to be able to be in the field, but this time, unfortunately, it will not be possible. I will be at Stamford Bridge supporting my teammates," Willian posted to Twitter ahead of kick-off.

Willian continues his recovery but his injury is understood to be relatively minor ahead of the showpiece match at Wembley on Saturday afternoon against Mikel Arteta's side.

Meanwhile, Lampard has confirmed that Pedro is set to leave the club after being given a final run-out in the behind closed doors setting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

“Pedro has played his last game for the club," Lampard said on Sunday. "The lads have just pretty much serenaded him in the changing room and rightly so because of the career he has had generally and for this club.

"It was his last Premier League game, but the impact he has had here is huge. I want to say a big thanks to Peds and wish him well as he goes forward. He is here for the remainder of games, but a big player of the club leaves and the spirit of the club I saw afterwards was pretty special.”

Both Willian and Pedro have deals running until the end of the season, which is a flexible arrangement to allow them to play in the FA Cup final and Champions League against Bayern Munich, or beyond should they mount an incredible comeback from 3-0 down in the upcoming away leg against the Bundesliga champions.

Serie A side  Roma have a pre-contract arrangement with Pedro agreed upon the completion of the season , while  Chelsea have re-opened talks to keep Willian amid interest from Arsenal and Tottenham, but the length of the contract remains the sticking point.

Among Chelsea's other injury concerns, Kante was close to a return against Wolves but didn't make it after a late fitness test, but Lampard will hope to have his star midfielder to face Arsenal.

Billy Gilmour is a confirmed absentee after having surgery on a meniscus injury in his knee and is currently on crutches ahead of what could be a four-month lay-off.

The 19-year-old was also pictured in the stadium on Sundaym sat near Timo Werner who made the trip to London for the first time following his £47.5 million (€52m/$60m) move from RB Leipzig.

"He was here today and I am hoping he would have seen a team play with a lot of spirit and professionalism to get through a game which was potentially very difficult for us," Lampard added.

“He would have seen a moment like Mason Mount did to break the deadlock, which is a problem we have had this season, control a game, not score and then conceded. We have things we want to improve on.

“I think he would see we have talent in the squad, a real resilience and strong quality in the group and then he can bring his qualities to that. Hopefully it was a nice first viewing for him and we look forward to having him next season.”

The Germany striker conducted his first training session at Cobham as well as fitness tests as well as a solo training session as Chelsea's players were given a day-off following a busy period in the league.

Hakim Ziyech is already training with Chelsea following his £37m (€40m/$47m) move from Ajax, and Werner could be introduced into the group this week after returning from his holidays following the completion of the Bundesliga season.

Kenyan international Michael Olunga has dedicated his hat-trick for Kashiwa Reysol against Vegalta Sendai to his teammates.

The former Gor Mahia striker added three goals to his J1 League tally after a 5-1 win over Sendai in a top-flight match played on Sunday.

After going for three matches without a goal since the Japanese league resumed on July 4, after taking a break owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Olunga has so far scored in the last three matches and went top of the scorers’ chart.

Olunga has now dedicated his latest goals to his teammates, who he said have perfected the art of picking him out with great passes, thus helping him to do the job of scoring the goals.

“It was a good game, basically we tried to push from the very beginning and I want to thank the whole team for providing the platform for me to be able to score three goals today [Sunday],” Olunga told reporters after the match.

“I want to thank the whole team because my work is to stick at the danger zone and put the chances away and I did it again today [Sunday] because they provided the passes, it is great to play alongside such great players.”

In a recent interview, after the team’s 3-2 win against Shonan Bellmare, Olunga claimed he had regained his scoring boots and will make sure he scores in every match.

“Of course as a striker when you go into games your main aim is to score goals but at the end of the day in football, there are moments where you will have a goal drought and you cannot find the back of the net again,” Olunga told reporters after the match.

“But of course it is a good feeling to get my scoring boots back again and I know now the gates are open and it is going to be a different ball game altogether and today [Saturday] I scored two goals and I am looking forward to the upcoming games.”

With eight goals now, the former Thika United forward has a four-goal cushion against his closest challengers, Yu Kobayashi of Kawasaki Frontale, Musashi Suzuki of Consadole Sapporo, Marcos Junior of Yokohama Marinos, Leonardo Perreira of Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Kyogo Furuhashi of Vissel Kobe.

Kashiwa Reysol will be up against Nagoya Grampus on August 1 in their next league encounter.

Virgil van Dijk is aware rivals want to beat Liverpool “even more” now, but the Reds are determined to defend their Premier League crown in 2020-21.

Those at Anfield have waited 30 years to get a taste of domestic glory.

Having once dominated the English game, the Merseyside outfit found themselves knocked from their perch by rivals such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

They are now back at the summit having wrapped up a title triumph in record-breaking style, but staying on top is set to prove as tricky as getting there.

Van Dijk admits as much, but the Dutch defender says there remains a hunger within the Reds’ ranks to back up their efforts across 2019 and 2020.

He told BT Sport “I think the personal highlight is winning the Premier League! It’s been a big dream of mine coming through and I think for all of us, for this beautiful club, it’s outstanding and it should spur us on to try even harder to retain the title.

“It’s going to be very tough, teams are going to improve, they’ll want to beat us even more - but yeah, we will focus on each game at a time, that’s what we did already this season, and hopefully we can be as consistent as we have this season. It’s going to be a new challenge but we should all look forward to it as well.”

Liverpool have tasted Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup glory over the course of the last 13 months, with Jurgen Klopp overseeing a remarkable run of success.

He must ensure that his players remain motivated for further challenges to come, with Van Dijk adamant that he will not be allowing his standards to slip.

The Netherlands international centre-half added, with the Reds having brought the curtain down on their 2019-20 campaign with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle at St James’ Park: “If I’m talking personally I don’t think I need any more motivation.

“I want to go out there every opportunity there is, trying to get results with the boys, enjoy the game like, for example, the second half [against the Magpies] I really enjoyed it: how we played, how we pressed, how we won the ball when we lost it.

“That’s the key for next season as well. We want to improve on the way we play and be as consistent as we have been this year. It’s going to be hard because consistency is the hardest thing in football but it’s going to be a nice challenge.”

Jan Vertonghen has confirmed he has played his final game for Tottenham.

The Belgian defender posted on Twitter confirming that he would be leaving the club, although he gave no clue as to a possible next destination.

Vertonghen, 33, is a veteran of Spurs’ progression in recent years, making 315 appearances in all competitions since joining from Ajax in 2012.

He wrote: “So my time at the club comes to an end. A sad day for many reasons. I will miss the friends I’ve made here, the staff that make the club run, playing at the amazing new stadium & of course you fans.

“Thank you for all the support over the years. You’ve been amazing. We had many unbelievable memories but for now, it’s goodbye.”

Vertonghen’s contract in north London has expired, and he is now available to sign on a free transfer.

He was signed early on in Andre Villas-Boas’ tenure as Spurs boss, going on to play under Tim Sherwood, Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho.

While Spurs didn't win any silverware during his time at the club - coming closest when they reached the League Cup final in 2015 and Champions League final four years later - Vertonghen developed into one of the Premier League's most reliable defenders, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2012-13 and 2017-18.

He was also elected into the Champions League Team of the Season in 2018-19 as Tottenham came runners-up to Liverpool.

It has been apparent for some time that Vertonghen would be on his way out of the club, though he signed a short-term contract extension once the season’s resumption was agreed.

Former club Ajax have already ruled out a move, although director of football Marc Overmars confirmed talks with his agent had taken place.

Vertonghen himself has offered some clues as to where his next club might be, saying he wanted to remain in Europe and learn a new language.

Spurs must now go about the task of replacing one of their longest-serving players without the luxury of an incoming transfer fee. Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti is one of the players linked with a move in recent weeks.