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The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) has suspended the Ivory Coast Footballers Association (AFI) for not supporting Didier Drogba's bid to become the next President of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF).

Earlier this month, the AFI being one of the five bodies that can sponsor a candidate in the forthcoming FA election slated for September 5, backed incumbent vice-president of the FIF, Idriss Diallo for the presidential seat ahead of the former Chelsea star.

“The Board of FIFPro Africa dissociates itself from the position of AFI, who refused to sponsor Didier Drogba, presidential candidate of FIF and deprives its founding member and vice-president of the legitimate support he was entitled to expect from his own family,” they tweeted immediately after the decision was made on July 14.

On Thursday, the FIFPro in a letter signed by its President Philippe Piat announced the suspension of the Ivorian Footballers Association as its member and immediately loses all its rights.

In their response on Friday, AFI disclosed that they acted in the best interest of Ivorian footballers as Drogba seeks his first endorsement for the election.

"By correspondence dated July 23, 2020, the President and the Secretary General of the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) announced that they had taken the decision to suspend the Association des Footballeurs Ivoiriens (AFI) "from all its rights as a member of Fifpro," AFI wrote on its website.

"While waiting to formulate, through the internal channels of FIFPro, an appropriate response to the reasons given in support of this decision, AFI would like to recall that it is completely independent that it takes its positions at the national level, in taking into account the best interests of Ivorian footballers.

"From its creation to this day, AFI has always worked in full transparency in the interest of its members. This is why it wishes to reassure all of its members of its commitment to the defense of their interests and respect for their choices and orientations for Ivorian football."

According to local reports, the 42-year-old who is Ivory Coast's all-time leading top scorer with 65 goals from 105 appearances has been endorsed by the Ivorian Football Referees Association (AMAFCI).

Ritah Kivumbi starred while Sarah Micheal scored as Mallbackens clinched a 3-2 victory over Sandviken in Saturday’s Elitettan game.

Uganda's Kivumbi made her seventh outing for Mallbackens since joining from Vaxjo in January, while Nigeria's Micheal was on her third appearance after arriving from Kvarnsvedens this winter.

Mallbackens went into the contest with the quest of ending their winless run in five successive matches, having recorded their last win this season in a 1-0 triumph against Bollstanas on June 18.

Kivumbi, who played a crucial role in Conny Johansson's team with two opening victories, almost opened the scoring but her effort was halted by goalkeeper Tea Lundmark nine minutes into the game.

In the 16th minute, Sarah Michael, who made her first start for Mallbackens this season came close to finding the net before fellow teammate Kivumbi also saw her own chance three minutes later.

Nine minutes from the half time break, the hosts broke the resolve of their visitors when Malin Ahlberg struck to break the deadlock.

Mallbackens continued their bid to consolidate on their narrow lead but Micheal missed the chance five minutes after the restart before eventually doubling her side's advantage nine minutes later.

However, Sanna Ohlund pulled one back for the hard-fighting visitors in the 61st minute but Frida Brostrom recovered the two-goal lead of Johansson's team eight minutes later.

Amanda Hagelberg reduced the deficit, grabbing the second of the match for Marcus Larsson's side 10 minutes from time but the hosts held onto their nerves to secure their third triumph of the season.

Kivumbi featured for the duration of the match along with Micheal, who has now scored her first goal of the season in three outings.

The win saw Mallbacken move to eighth on the log with 11 points after eight matches and they will seek to maintain the winning run against 12th placed Lidkoping in their next match on Wednesday.

Fabio Capello believes the burden of wearing the Real Madrid shirt proved too much for Eden Hazard in his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Former Chelsea winger Hazard made a €100 million move to Spain ahead of the 2019-20 season, but injuries blighted his first campaign with Los Blancos.

He made 14 starts and 16 appearances in total in La Liga, scoring only once and managing a modest three assists.

That was way down on the form of his final season at Chelsea, where he netted 16 times and had 15 assists in 37 Premier League games, including 32 starts.

"Of course, he hasn't been the same as he was at Chelsea," former Madrid head coach Capello told Marca. "He has been injured for a long time, he has not adapted.

"I've always thought of him as a great player. But let's be clear, the Real Madrid shirt weighs a lot and Hazard has sunk this year. It is clear that next season will be much better."

Hazard himself admitted it had been "the worst season of my career", even though it was a title-winning campaign with Madrid.

The success owed a large part to the intrepid forward play of Karim Benzema, who finished second, behind Lionel Messi, in the Pichichi reckoning after hitting 21 goals.

Benzema's leadership of Madrid's attack was priceless, given Hazard was not the only forward who struggled for form.

Others who contributed little to the goals tally included Gareth Bale, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Luka Jovic, who between them netted just nine times.

Capello, who has had two spells in charge of Madrid and also led the likes of AC Milan, Roma, Juventus, England and Russia, was full of praise for Benzema, describing his efforts as "sensational".

The French striker joined Madrid in 2009 from Lyon, and is going from strength to strength in his thirties.

"He has become the benchmark for Real Madrid. Undoubtedly the best," Capello said. "He has taken the responsibility that he did not have when he was with Cristiano Ronaldo.

"For me, it was the best season since he arrived."

Eric Dier has called on authorities to do more to combat the abuse players receive from fans, describing it as a "massive problem".

The England international was hit with a four-game ban and a £40,000 fine this month for going into the stands to confront a fan after Tottenham were knocked out of the FA Cup by Norwich in March.

Dier chased the fan because he had become involved in an altercation with the Spurs player's brother.

While the 26-year-old refrained from discussing the incident, he called on the Football Association to do more to protect players.

"I’m not going to risk getting in any more trouble, because my views on it are very strong," he told The Guardian.

"It’s a massive problem. It’s a massive problem in society in general because of social media, football stadiums, sports stadiums in general,

"It needs to be looked at much more seriously and there needs to be much more repercussions.

"It is being addressed, but it needs to be addressed even more. I have no problem with anyone criticising my footballing ability at any time, but when it’s anything more than that then there is a big problem."

Dier signed a four-year contract with Spurs this week, having regained his place in the starting side at centre-back since Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino at the helm.

And he is enjoying life under the Portuguese coach during a pivotal time in his career.

"Playing with Wayne Rooney [for England], being managed by Mourinho – you can’t imagine that when you’re a kid," he said.

"It never seems realistic. But time is a funny thing. I was delighted when Mourinho arrived, not just for me but because it showed clearly the direction the club wanted to go in.

"He’s a manager that is only interested in winning trophies and the one thing I know is that he will go into every competition trying to win it. His history speaks for itself. Everywhere he has gone, he has won. That fills me with confidence but not just that, it carries a very heavy weight. So we need to listen to everything he says and follow him if we want to do the same here.

"Mourinho’s message to me was very clear: ‘OK, prove it to me,’. I never want to be seen as a utility player, even if I am always available to play anywhere for the team.

"I felt like turning 26, it was time for me to specialise, to stick my neck out and say: ‘This is where I see myself, this is where I can be one of the best'.

"We have the Palace game which is huge for us but I’m really excited for next season, to have a pre-season with the manager and a clean slate in terms of the table with the manager."

Joe Aribo scored the opening goal as Rangers rounded off their preparation for the 2020-21 Scottish Premiership season with a 2-0 win over Coventry City on Saturday.

The Super Eagles midfielder continued from where he left off after notching a goal in the Gers' 4-0 thrashing of Motherwell two days ago.

Steven Gerrard’s side ended their pre-season friendlies with a 100% winning record and keeping clean sheets in every game.

Aribo broke the deadlock at Ibrox Stadium in the 50th minute after a fine one-two movement with Alfredo Morelos.

A few minutes later, the Super Eagles midfielder won a foul and James Tavernier stepped up to deliver the free-kick which was turned to the back of the net by Connor Goldson’s header in the 67th minute.

Aribo was later replaced by Greig Stewart in the 82nd minute while new-signing Leon Balogun who moved to Glasgow on a free transfer was not involved in the game.

Rangers ended their pre-season schedule with victories against Lyon, Nice and Motherwell and they scored 10 goals in total.

Aribo and Balogun will be hoping to play a part when Rangers visit Aberdeen for their first game in the 2020-21 Premiership campaign on August 1.

Five days later, they travel to Leverkusen for the second leg of their Uefa Europa League round of 16 fixture at Bay Arena with the aim of overturning a 3-1 deficit.

SuperSport United midfielder Moses Waiswa details how the former Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper and Uganda skipper Denis Onyango has helped him to settle down in South Africa.

Although the 23-year-old attacker has had an unpleasant experience in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) where they lost to Masandawana in the Nedbank Cup, he says he the top-flight is one of the toughest in the continent.

Waiswa made his debut for coach Kaitano Tembo’s troops in the Ke Yona competition as they lost 1-0 and but he managed to impress as they overcame Chippa United 3-0 in January.

“I was out injured for seven months. I felt [the South African Premiership] is a higher level with lots of tactics and speed compared to Ugandan standards,” Waiswa told Daily Sun.

“I felt [the South African Premiership] is a higher level with lots of tactics and speed compared to Ugandan standards.

“I am settling in quite well every day. It’s a great feeling. He [Onyango] helped a lot with advice and support and he is like a father figure to me.”

Although the Cranes international has done well for the reigning MTN8 champions so far, he looks back at his debut against coach Pitso Mosimane’s men, calling it a bad memory and confirms he has recovered from his injury.

“It wasn’t a good experience losing to Sundowns. It was also bad because the lockdown came in, but it helped me work more on myself,” he added.

“I am good now. Healing is not only physical but also mental. I would say now I’m 90% healed.

“I feel sharp. SuperSport United fans should expect my best performances for the team if I am given a chance.”

The former SC Vipers midfielder revealed he has been working on his strength and confidence during the lockdown and the Kampala-born player has credited coach Tembo for gradually introducing him into the South African top-tier and in the team.

While he bemoaned the coronavirus pandemic came at a time he was finding his rhythm, he chose to focus on the brighter side.

The former Vaxjo United player has only featured on three occasions for the three-time PSL champions this term and will look to cement his place in the starting 11 once the season resumes after it was halted because of the ravaging pandemic in March.

Manuel Neuer has been assured by Oliver Kahn that he will remain Bayern Munich’s No.1 next season despite the arrival of highly-rated Alexander Nubel at the Allianz Arena.

The talented 23-year-old goalkeeper agreed pre-contract terms with the German champions in January.

Nubel’s move from Schalke has now been completed, with a five-year contract penned in the process.

With 53 senior appearances to his name, the talented shot-stopper is being tipped for a bright future.

He is, however, going to have to make do with back-up duty in 2020-21, with Kahn – who is now a member of Bayern’s board – pointing out that they will keep their faith in World Cup winner Neuer for the foreseeable future.

The legendary former keeper told the Bundesliga’s official website: “I've spoken to Alexander Nubel a bit.

“It's a very big step to join Bayern, I experienced that as a player.

“At first, it's all about acclimatising, settling in here and getting to know your team-mates and the coaching team, and then you have to try to gain a foothold - but it's a gradual thing.

“He said himself that this is a mid-term challenge for him. That means he accepts that it might take him a year or two to take over from Manuel Neuer, who is absolutely the No.1 at the moment.

“Last season, you could see how his numerous important saves contributed to us winning the Bundesliga for the eighth time in a row.”

Neuer had seen a move away from Bavaria mooted on the back of a deal being put in place for Nubel.

He has, however, brought that speculation to a close by signing fresh terms through to the summer of 2023.

There is clearly no desire on the part of the iconic 34-year-old to step aside just yet, with Neuer having been a model of consistency throughout his time at Bayern.

Throughout nine memorable years, he has taken in 383 appearances while playing a leading role in 20 trophy triumphs – including eight Bundesliga title wins and the collection of a Champions League crown in 2013.

Hansi Flick has already stated that he intends to place further trust in Neuer heading forward, with the Bayern boss having said: “Manuel Neuer is clearly our No.1 and nothing will change in the coming season. Alexander Nubel knows that.”

The curtain is yet to come down on Bayern’s efforts in 2019-20, with the plan being for them to complement another domestic crown with a long-awaited Champions League win in August.

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has expressed his delight to play along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and hopes to follow in the footsteps of club legend Thierry Henry.  

The 18-year-old Anglo-Nigerian has enjoyed a breakthrough season with the Gunners and has become a key member of Mikel Arteta's side.   

The utility forward has scored three goals and provided 11 assists in 38 appearances across all competitions in the current campaign, amid other dazzling displays.

Saka was promoted to the first team in 2018 and has been playing along with Gabon international and former Borussia Dortmund marksman Aubameyang, whom he was watching as a teenager at the academy.

"In the academy we got tickets to watch [the first team] and I used to see him scoring goals. To now be playing with him is just amazing,” Saka told Sky Sports.

"You know he's going to score a goal for us. He's such a good guy who helps all the young players with advice and he's also funny as well!"

The forward also recollected a session he had with Arsenal legend Henry, during his time at the academy and hopes to emulate the illustrious career of the former France international.

"His mindset was just so elite. He told us about a day that Arsenal were behind and he wouldn't allow his team to lose before running past everyone to score,” he continued.

"When he speaks to your face and you see in his eyes how passionate he is for the game and how much he wanted to win it shows why he was such a great player.

"You dream of trying to emulate a career like his. As a young player that just inspires you and that's why scoring against Wolves meant so much to me."

Saka was recently handed the number seven jersey which was previously worn by Robert Pires, Tomas Rosicky and David Rocastle and revealed his joy to don the shirt.

"I was so excited to get it. It's stuff you dream of and to think of the legends who have had it is such an honour. I liked the number growing up because some of the best players in the world have worn it,” he added.

"It shows how much confidence they have in me and I want to repay their faith and hopefully can write my own history in that shirt."

The winger is looking forward to the Gunners' last Premier League game of the season against Watford on Sunday as well as their FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley on August 1.

"The chance to win a trophy in my first full season is amazing. If you told me last year all of this would happen I wouldn't have believed you,” he added.

"We have Watford to focus on first to try to build momentum. They are going to be fighting for their lives because they want to stay in the Premier League but we want to win.

"It would be a shame if we have to send them down but at Arsenal, we have a winning mentality and want to win every game."

Saka, who recently signed a new contract with the Emirates Stadium outfit, will hope to continue his development with the side during their pre-season games in preparation for the 2020-21 campaign.

SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo has attributed “hunger and determination” as making Zimbabwean footballers standout among imports in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Twelve of the 16 PSL clubs currently have on their books players from South Africa’s neighbours up north of the Limpopo River.

One of the best footballers ever produced in Zimbabwe George Shaya and the late Shadreck Ngwenya turned out for Moroka Swallows in the 1970s, while Ebson “Sugar” Muguyo signed for Kaizer Chiefs in November 1975.

This opened the way for a wave of Zimbabwean players in South Africa, highlighted by the likes of Wilfred Mugeyi, former Jomo Cosmos forward Benjani Mwaruwari, Tinashe Nengomasha and Khama Billiat who have all been crowned PSL Player of the Season.

Mugeyi, Gilbert Mushangazhike and Knowledge Musona have won the PSL top goalscorers award.

“I think sometimes when you get into a foreign land you have to bring something different. I think Zimbabwean players bring something different in terms of hunger and determination to do well,” Tembo told Goal.

“I think that has been the difference you know all these years it has all been about the hunger and desire to succeed and finding this league as a stepping stone to get into bigger things.”

Benjani, Mushangazhike, Musona, and lately ex-Kaizer Chiefs defender Teenage Hadebe and former Orlando Pirates midfielder Marshall Munetsi have made breakthroughs in Europe's top leagues from the PSL.

Ex-Manchester City forward Benjani went on to play for four Premier League clubs while Musona tasted Bundesliga football straight from Kaizer Chiefs and Munetsi is in Ligue 1.

“If you can talk about Benjani who went to play in Europe, as well as Knowledge Musona. I can count a lot of them and it has all been about that; the hunger and desire to succeed and that is one thing we have brought into the PSL,” said Tembo.

Tembo has been in South Africa since 1998 and has interestingly spent 21 years at SuperSport, first as a player and now coach.

Regarded as a future heavyweight tactician, he recently completed a La Liga Masterclass coaching course and is currently in charge of four Zimbabweans Onismor Bhasera, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Evans Rusike and goalkeeper Washington Arubi at Matsatsantsa.

One of the greatest footballers to emerge from Zimbabwe, Peter Nldovu has also played in the PSL with Mamelodi Sundowns although he came back to Africa in the twilight of his career.

However in the past two seasons, players like Prince Dube (SuperSport United), Thomas Chideu (Ajax Cape Town and Golden Arrows), Gerald Takwara (Ajax Cape Town), Dominic Chungwa (Polokwane City), Clive Augusto, Gabriel Nyoni, Junior Zindoga (all Maritzburg United), Rodwell Chinyengetere (Baroka FC) as well as Frai Madhanhanga and McClive Phiri (both Bidvest Wits) have disappointed.

David Silva is one of the finest imports to have ever graced the Premier League, says Kevin De Bruyne, with another of Manchester City’s midfield stars hoping to establish the same consistency in his game as the Spanish World Cup winner has enjoyed.

After 10 memorable years at the Etihad Stadium, Silva will be dropping into the free agent pool when their 2019-20 campaign comes to a close.

The 34-year-old will walk away with over 430 appearances, four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups to his name – with a Champions League crown still up for grabs.

He has been a model of consistency throughout his time in Manchester, with the diminutive playmaker proving that the physicality of life in the Premier League can be mastered through talent and hard work.

Silva has been showered with plaudits as he prepares to move on, with De Bruyne adding his voice to those when telling Sky Sports: “David is unbelievable.

“I came here and obviously we played a little bit similar positions, so it seemed a bit like it was a battle, but I think in the five years that we have been here we have played really well together.

“He helped me with certain aspects of my game to be better, just from watching him in training and in the games. I learned a lot of stuff and from playing next to him all the time we have done some great things and won a lot together.

“His career in England has been impeccable and I think he is one of the best guys in the Premier League that have come from the outside of England. That says it all.”

De Bruyne has thrived alongside Silva, earning his own standing as one of the very best in the business, but the Belgian is eager to take his game to even greater heights.

Aware of the need to be a vital cog in a much bigger wheel, the 29-year-old – who has contributed 54 goals and 88 assists to the City cause – said of his ambition: “At this point in my career, I feel like consistency is the main importance.

“There are always aspects that you can obviously do better but it’s also in relation to what you can do to help the team.

“Maybe there are some aspects that have to be better but it’s not really important for me or my team-mates, it’s just to be consistently good at what I’m doing for a long time. I have to maintain that and if I can do that, I am really happy with this.

“Being a midfielder there is a lot of stuff you need to do and it’s about being more all round complete rather than being the best at one particular thing.”

Juventus' form has tailed off with the Serie A title in sight, but Maurizio Sarri has been encouraged by their mentality in dropping points compared to previous slip-ups.

The Bianconeri will claim a ninth straight Scudetto if they beat Sampdoria on Sunday, yet Sarri's side let a similar opportunity pass them by against Udinese in midweek.

A late defeat meant Juve have won just one of their past five matches, also losing to AC Milan while drawing with Atalanta and Sassuolo.

However, Sarri suggests the team have made errors in recent weeks due to their efforts to keep attacking - despite fatigue amid a packed schedule.

Prior losses had seen the head coach criticise a passive approach, but he feels that is not now the case.

"The physical aspect is the same for everyone," Sarri told a pre-match news conference. "The symptoms of physical and mental fatigue are present in all the teams.

"Emptying your head and then immediately getting ready for the next game in a few days is not so automatic and simple.

"We have lost organisation but, if you want, this is also a positive sign. We have lost organisation because of the desire to always attack forward even if there is no possibility of doing so.

"It is a mistake that has made us lose our distances. But unlike other times when we have been in difficulty because of being passive, this time we have gone too far.

"I like this - not losing organisation but that mentality. An error like this is more easily attributed to being normal than another error."

Sarri urged his team to continue to "play with combativeness" against Sampdoria, while he added there is no concern Juve's focus could slip further with their Champions League last-16 second leg against Lyon on the horizon.

In fact, the coach claimed a busy domestic fixture list has prevented him from making any plans for their European tie.

"We are not doing any preparation because we are playing every 72 hours so it is impossible to do any kind of work," he explained.

"I think we will prepare for tomorrow's game in 30 to 40 minutes tomorrow morning because even today there will be some players who will need a few hours of recovery.

"Right now there is no one who is working physically except players who were out for a few days and can go and do special jobs.

"I don't think about the Champions League and I don't want to think about it. It is a fascinating competition but a team evaluates itself on the league. It is the most indicative competition because it lasts 10 months, this year 12.

"There are two weeks to the Champions League game so we now have seven or eight days to devote only and exclusively to the league without any second thought."

Azam FC have confirmed they will sign at least 15 players to help beef up the squad ahead of the new season.

The ‘Ice-Cream Makers’ are currently fighting with Young Africans (Yanga SC) for second spot in the 20-team Mainland Premier League table with only one match remaining to the end of the season.

Azam are sitting second on 69 points the same as Yanga but they have a better goal difference and the team which suffers defeat in their last match on Sunday will surely miss out on finishing second behind league winners Simba SC.

With the team also missing out on winning the FA Cup after losing 2-0 to Simba in the quarter-finals, the club officials have now asked coach Aristica Cioaba to go for quality players so they can be able to challenge for trophies next season.

Azam Information Officer Thabit Zakaria has confirmed they have given the Romanian coach a free hand to pick the players he wants for the team and they will not care about the number even if he signs 15 new players.

“We want to have a competitive squad next season and it is the reason we have asked our coach to get as many players as possible but quality players for that matter,” Zakaria is quoted by Sokaletu.

“We have given our coach a free hand to sign up to 15 players, we want a strong squad that can help us to compete in all fronts, we want to do well in the league and also the FA Cup.”

Azam will take on Tanzania Prisons in their final league match on Sunday at Sokoine Stadium while Yanga will battle against Lipuli FC.

Coach Cioaba has sounded a warning to his player to end the season with a win.

“We have a battle with Yanga on who finishes second and I have told my players to take the game with a lot of seriousness, we must attack them to win and we cannot afford to lose the final league match,” Cioaba told reporters on Saturday.

Both matches are set for Sunday and will kick-off at 16.00hrs.

Gor Mahia organising secretary Judith Nyangi has claimed the election requirement that has been put in place for any candidate to fulfil is meant to lock her out.

Nyangi has declared interest to vie for the honorary treasurer’s post but she has been a vocal opponent of the requirement that one should have a degree in order to vie for any of the vacant positions.

“It is all dictatorship,” Nyangi said when asked why she is opposing the election requirements during an interview with Radio Jambo.

“They are trying to force me out of the competition by putting in place the qualifications they have asked for.

“Elections must be held according to the supreme law of the land. This is an office we are seeking to serve the public without monthly salaries.

“Even the Members of Parliament are not required to have a degree, so why me the voice of the voiceless is being asked to have a degree, for what now?”

Basing her argument on the recent demands by the Sports Registrar Rose Wasike on how the Gor Mahia elections should be carried out, Nyangi maintained that she should not be stopped at all for gunning for a post of her choice.

“A day ago or so, Sports Registrar wrote to the club and stated no one should be barred from contesting by placing such a qualification,” Nyangi added.

“She stated that elections are free for all and we are still waiting for Ambrose Rachier [Gor Mahia chairman] and his own board of election to react on the demands of the letter.

“Since they have gone silent we are not going to take chances and on Monday, we will file a case with the Sports Disputes Tribunal [SDT] and request that the election process be stopped until when the Registrar's demands are met.”

Nyangi is also disputing the new Gor Mahia constitution under which the club is targeting to conduct its elections as per its provisions.

“The constitution that is asking for all these kind of qualifications is not the one that was deposited at the Registrar's office,” she explained.

“The Registrar demanded that a club's constitution must be in line with the constitution of the Republic of Kenya, 2010. She also made it clear that it should be in line with the Sports Act of 2013 which the purported new constitution does not.”

She also claimed the current officials running K’Ogalo are illegally discharging their duties since their terms ended.

“Since the current office bearers were elected in 2015, they have failed to hold subsequent elections. We should have conducted elections in 2018 and that means we are all now in office illegally,” she concluded.

Nyangi, Dolfina Onduto, and Victor Mbaka have publicly declared interest to contest for the honorary treasurer post during the August 8 polls.

Nigeria midfielder Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene was on target as Eskilstuna United gained a 3-1 victory against Vittsjo in Saturday's Swedish Damallsvenskan encounter at Tunavallen.

Following back-to-back defeats to Kristianstad and Linkopings, Eskilstuna were desperate to return to winning ways, having recorded their only win of the season at Rosengard on July 10.

Okobi-Okeoghene, who scored her first league goal of the season in a 3-2 defeat against Kristianstads almost gave the hosts the lead but her effort was saved by Shannon Lynn in the 11th minute.

Loreta Kullashi eventually broke the deadlock to hand Eskilstuna the crucial opener against their struggling visitors 12 minutes later.

However, the hosts' celebration was shortlived when Michelle De Jongh assisted Ebba Wieder to level on the half-hour mark.

After the restart, Okobi-Okeoghene came close to recovering the lead for the home team but she was again denied by Lynn in 52nd minute before she eventually found the net 12 minutes later.

15 minutes from time, Felicia Rogic netted to ensure Eskilstuna wrapped up their first home win of the season and second overall.

Okobi-Okeoghene, who featured for the duration against her former team, has now scored twice in six matches, surpassing her personal best since 2016 when she scored thrice for Vittsjo.

Beside the Nigerian midfielder, her compatriot Halimatu Ayinde played for 81 minutes before making way for Swedish player Johanna Renmark.

The result moved the Tunavallen outfit to fifth in the Swedish Damallsvenskan table after gathering eight points from six games.

Ayinde and Okobi-Okeoghene will hope to help Eskilstuna continue their winning form when they visit Djurgardens on Wednesday.

Tottenham’s decision to hand Eric Dier a new contract mirrors that taken by arch-rivals Arsenal and David Luiz, says Darren Bent, with neither of those awarded fresh terms considered to be “at the level” required by their respective employers.

Eyebrows were raised when a 12-month extension option was taken up by the Gunners on an enigmatic Brazilian centre-half.

A similar course of action has been adopted by those on the opposite side of north London, with Spurs tying Dier to a deal through to the summer of 2024.

Questions have been asked of the 26-year-old’s value to the collective cause at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, amid struggles for consistency and changes to his playing position.

Bent admits that he was surprised to see a lucrative contract handed to the England international, with comparisons easy to draw with Arsenal’s Luiz decision, but the former frontman can appreciate that no club wants to let saleable assets walk away for nothing.

The ex-Spurs striker told Football Insider of the Dier discussions: “At first I didn’t understand it, it was a bit like David Luiz and his situation at Arsenal in that you don’t quite know what situation they’re going to be in and how much money they’re going to have to spend.

“If [Mikel] Arteta trusts David Luiz like [Jose] Mourinho trusts Eric Dier, I wouldn’t let them walk away for nothing and then you can’t replace them.

“At least with these players, they might not be to the level that Spurs and Arsenal see but when you know a player, know what he’s about and you can coach and trust him, that’s half the battle. The worst thing is if you let him go and you can’t replace him, then what does he do?

“I kind of understand that deal now to be honest.”

Dier has been on Tottenham’s books since 2014, with 239 appearances taken in across six seasons. 

Of those outings 29 have been taken in this season, with Mourinho having taken to moving a versatile operator back into a centre-half berth since the Premier League returned in mid-June after a coronavirus-enforced break.

TS Galaxy owner and chairman Tim Sukazi says he has not made an attempt to buy Highlands Parks’ Premier Soccer League (PSL) status, but he admits to having made an enquiry.

The Rockets were previously linked with a move to buy Bloemfontein Celtic’s top-flight status but media reports emerged that a Free State-born businessman Lebo Mokoena moved swiftly to block the move to ensure the club remains in the Free State province.

In addition, Sukazi says he also tried to entice Bidvest Wits to sell their status, but the Braamfontein-based outfit has since been purchased by National First Division (NFD) side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) in the past few weeks.  

“I started with Wits [who have subsequently sold their status to TTM in the Limpopo province], then Highlands Park,” Sukazi told Phakaaathi.

“I left them [Celtic] to do their own thing. Definitely not, I don’t have that kind of money!

“It depends when next season starts [on whether he will try and buy another top-flight franchise].”

“If it starts tomorrow, then no, but if it starts in November, yes, I will still remain in the market.”

Although the former Nedbank Cup champions are desperately chasing to secure their status in the top-tier, the Lions of the North are not interested in parting ways with their status as yet.

The MTN8 losing finalists' co-chairman Larry Brookstone was quoted in the media confirming they have received a substantial offer for the club but he insisted they are not willing to sell the Tembisa-based outfit.

In addition, Brookstone said coach Owen Da Gama’s team is not for sale but they were open to considering an offer provided it was deliverable.       

Meanwhile, Sukazi was hoping to buy Phunya Sele Sele and relocate the Mangaung-based club to the Mpumalanga province a few months ago following their financial struggles to pay the players and the technical team.