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Leroy Sane insists he retains a solid relationship with Pep Guardiola despite leaving Manchester City for Bayern Munich, and credits his former boss for helping him reach a "very high level".

Sane completed a €49million (£44.5m) move to Bayern earlier this month, after deciding against remaining in Manchester for the conclusion of City's Premier League and Champions League campaigns.

He only featured once during "Project Restart", making an 11-minute substitute cameo in a 5-0 win over Burnley on June 22 - only his second appearance in an injury-plagued campaign.

Indeed, despite scoring pivotal goals in wins over Liverpool and Manchester United last season, Sane struggled to hold down a regular starting place during City's triumphant 2018-19 run-in, with Guardiola often challenging the player to improve.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old maintains there are no hard feelings between himself and his former manager.

"Our relationship is good," he told Sport Bild. "There was never a point when one was tired of the other. 

"I am grateful for everything he taught me. Pep Guardiola helped me to a very high level. 

"He is very meticulous and wants to advance the players every day. He is persistent when it comes to his tactics - but that's positive, it helped me. 

"We even lived in the same building [in Manchester], so we saw each other often."

Sane concedes he could even run into similar problems at Bayern, with Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry excelling in the wide attacking roles under Hansi Flick.

However, he views such stellar competition for places as a positive rather than a negative.

"Of course I want to play, but I don't demand a regular place in every game," he said.

"No player in the world can play every game and reach their highest level. I have my goals, but I'm zero point zero against rotation. 

"This helps the team to get a good freshness. Serge, King and I - that sounds very good to me."

Sane had been heavily linked with a move to Bayern before a cruciate knee ligament injury during City's Community Shield triumph over Liverpool last August put those plans on ice.

The former Schalke youngster expressed his gratitude to Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic for keeping the deal on track over those difficult months of recovery.

"He was behind the transfer from the first moment and was not put off by anything. I'm grateful for that," Sane added.

"He showed me how the club works, which team it has in mind, the way looks. 

"I immediately noticed: I know a lot of boys here, I fit in very well here. And I wanted to be part of the successful Bayern path."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) will miss eight key players when they take on Mtibwa Sugar in Mainland Premier League match on Wednesday.

The players, led by captain Papy Tshishimbi, will miss the clash owing to various reasons, some are injured while others are not in the coach’s plans for the fixture.

The other players who will miss the clash against the Sugar Millers are Haruna Niyonzima, Mapinduzi Balama - both of whom have been ruled out for the season - Ally Ally, Andrew Vincent, Eric Kabamba, Ramadhan Kabwili, and Raphael Daud.

According to Yanga coach Luc Eymael, the absence of the players is a blow to the Jangwani giants but he will have to use those available in the remaining two league matches.

“We have eight players who will miss the clash, of course, it is not good to miss your key players especially at this time when we want to finish the season in the second position, but I think we will use those who are fit and available,” Eymael told Goal.

Yanga will, however, welcome back keeper Farouk Shikalo, who missed the last match against Mwadui FC, owing to a hand injury.

“Shikalo is back, he has been training well and he is in the squad for the fixture, I don’t know if he will start but it is good to have him in the squad," Eymael confirmed.

Yanga are fighting to finish second on the 20-team league table after missing the chance to get a direct ticket to Caf Confederation Cup when they lost 4-1 to rivals Simba SC in the FA Cup semi-final.

The team arrived in Morogoro on Monday ready for the clash against Mwadui.

The players who travelled alongside Shikalo include Metacha Mnata, Ramadhan Kabwili, Geoffrey Magaigwa, Juma Abdul, Paul Godfrey, Ally Mtoni, Jafary Mohammed, Adeyum Saleh, and Lamine Moro.

Others are Faisal Salum, Abdullaziz Makame, Said Juma Makapu, Deus Kaseke, Mrisho Ngassa, Eric Kabamba Yikpe Gislain, David Molinga, Tariq Seif, Ditram Nchimbi and Adam Kiondo.

Yanga are currently second on 68 points, two more than third-placed Azam FC, who are also keen to claim the spot.

What's the Premier League manifestation of the Groundhog Day experience?

There are some good shouts, but consider this one: being a West Ham United fan. Every summer, the Hammers enter the season with designs on a place in the top 10; they suffer a bad run, which may or may not result in a managerial change; they right themselves in time to escape relegation; and then it begins again.

Much of the initial optimism is of course founded on the club's transfer activity. At the start of 2019/20, West Ham spent €89 million on reinforcements, the bulk of which was plowed into handsome transfer fees for striker Sebastian Haller and winger Pablo Fornals from Villarreal.

The expectation was that Franco-Ivorian forward Haller, who had been a part of a terrifying attacking triumvirate at Eintracht Frankfurt (alongside Ante Rebic and Luka Jovic) would finally provide much-needed cutting edge upfront for the Hammers.

Likewise, Fornals would bring guile and invention between the lines. There is a pattern here: exciting attacking players signed for eye-watering amounts from abroad as a means for the club to bridge the gap to the upper reaches of the Premier League table.

The trouble for West Ham is that, for the second season running, this idea has not borne fruit.

In 2018/19, close to €60m was spent on Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko; both have had memorable moments in claret but neither is a starter for the club two years on. This season, the duo of Haller and Fornals have been upstaged by Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen.

Antonio, a 30-year-old battler who began his career at non-league level and has occasionally featured wide and at full-back, is enjoying his best goalscoring season as the arrowhead of the Hammers' attack.

At the risk of delving into cliché, his hunger and desire contrast favourably with Haller's more introverted style, as there is a sense that whereas the Frenchman seemed to need the team to play to his strengths, Antonio is happy enough to simply give the team what it needs.

The same is true of Bowen, who joined in January from Championship Hull in a €20m move, and has been an absolute standout with his inswinging deliveries from the right flank and his wand of a left foot.

There is a lesson here: there is something to be said for a less exotic transfer strategy, and some value in looking closer to home in terms of improving the squad. Sure enough, neither Antonio nor Bowen has been part of a European push in Serie A, the Bundesliga or La Liga, but perhaps that sort of experience is not exactly relevant to West Ham and what they are.

The good news is that it seems they might finally be learning this lesson.

The clearest indication of this is their pursuit of midfielder Ebere Eze. Per the latest reports, the Hammers are favourite to sign the Queens Park Rangers player ahead of fellow London club Crystal Palace.

Manager David Moyes is a huge fan, and is believed to have watched Eze in the Rs' 4-3 win over Millwall at the weekend. If so, he will have come away mightily pleased: the England youth international scored his side's third, and demonstrated the most talked-about aspect of his game – his creativity and flair – by playing three key passes and completing four out of seven dribbles.

Eze has been one of the stars of the Championship this term, shining even amid QPR's frustrating inconsistency. He leads the team in goals and assists (13 and eight respectively), as well as in overall big chances created: 13.

The profile is strikingly similar to Bowen's, who at the midway point of the season had 16 goals and seven assists for a struggling Hull. Both are players clearly too good for the second tier, and it is in this pond that West Ham should consistently be fishing.

Eze would bring skills the club has so far lacked. A lack of proper creativity from central areas has meant an overt reliance on crossing. In recent games, Moyes has even taken to playing Mark Noble as the farthest forward midfielder, and while the 33-year-old got an assist and looked sharp against a hapless Norwich, it is hardly a sustainable long-term play.

Adding Eze into the mix would immediately make West Ham a more dangerous, unpredictable proposition: he has both the ability to play slide-rule through balls against team's that sit deep, and his penchant for carrying the ball over long distances would aid the side's transitions against the bigger sides. Also crucially, he is a masterful dribbler: only Ovie Ejaria betters his three successful dribbles per game.

All elements West Ham could do with; all available on their doorstep. In order to finally find the upward mobility they crave every summer, the Hammers must let their transfer policy be dictated, not by glamour and ambition, but by value.

Eze lacks the profile of some of the players the club have brought in for sizeable fees, and he will not be arriving on the back of a Europa League finish in one of the other top five European leagues. Sometimes though, value is closer to home than it at first appears.

SuperSport United chief executive officer Stanley Matthews says they are yet to be compensated by the South African Football Association (Safa) over their approach for ex-coach Stuart Baxter, who are unaware of the debt.

The British coach was appointed Bafana Bafana head coach towards the end of the 2016/17 season after he guided SuperSport to the Nedbank Cup trophy.

Baxter was still contracted to Matsatsantsa at the time and Safa reportedly agreed to pay the Tshwane giants over R1 million as a compensation fee.

Matthews has now confirmed that they are still waiting for a payment from the country's football ruling body.

“Yes, I can confirm that we haven’t been compensated for Baxter but I can’t share more than that because of the respect that I have for Safa as the mother of our football,” Matthews told IOL.

Baxter rejoined Bafana for his second spell as the national team head coach having previously coached the team between 2004 and 2005.

The Wolverhampton-born tactician replaced Ephraim 'Shakes' Mashaba who had fallen out of favour with the Safa management.

But Safa's chief executive officer Tebogo Motlanthe insisted that they are in the dark regarding the outstanding compensation fee.

“There’s no one who knows where this Baxter thing comes from. I don’t have an invoice from SuperSport," Motlanthe told the same publication.

"When I owe, you must give me an invoice to say this is what you owe me. Safa is an [professional] institution, I can’t just say I had an agreement with you and I’ve not been paid, you send a letter of demand.

“I was not the CEO then, the people who were involved were the CFO [Chief Financial Officer, Gronie Hluyo]. I’ve sent all the queries to the CFO. He doesn’t have an invoice."

Baxter resigned as Bafana coach last August after guiding the team to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals where they were narrowly defeated by Nigeria's Super Eagles.

The former Kaizer Chiefs head coach was replaced by local tactician Molefi Ntseki, who is expected to ensure that Bafana qualifies for the next Afcon finals and the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

Bafana players recently received their payments from Safa for the camp that took place in November 2019.

Manchester United and Chelsea must turn their focus back to the Premier League—and to the race for the Champions League—after their FA Cup semi-final showdown at Wembley on Sunday.

The Red Devils, favourites ahead of the meeting after their excellent recent run of form, were found wanting on the big day, falling to an unexpected 3-1 defeat that sent Frank Lampard’s side into the final, where they will meet London rivals Arsenal.

United—and particularly David de Gea—must now pick themselves up for the visit of West Ham United on Wednesday, while Chelsea are away at champions Liverpool looking to get over the line in the race for the top four.

For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, drastic improvement is needed.

They have been the in-form team of the top flight since lockdown, but they’ve faded in recent weeks, dropping points at the death against Southampton following a lacklustre display, before falling short against Chelsea on Sunday.

Admittedly, there were extenuating circumstances.

Solskjaer trialled a back three against the Blues, but his plans were undone when Eric Bailly was replaced with what appeared to be a serious head injury at the end of the first half.

Similarly, his decision to pair Marcus Rashford alongside Daniel James up top didn’t bear fruit, with the duo struggling to impose themselves on Chelsea’s own back three.

While Brandon Williams and Aaron Wan-Bissaka found themselves pinned back and unable to influence proceedings, Reece James and Marcos Alonso pressed forward, helping Chelsea overload the United defence in the final third.

The Red Devils need improved performances across the board, but not least between the sticks, where De Gea delivered a hapless showing against Chelsea.

He was at fault for allowing Olivier Giroud’s effort to squirm beyond him, and then failed to deal with a low effort from Mason Mount, and was only able to turn the ball into the corner of the United net.

Despite the club’s domestic resurgence, De Gea appeared entirely devoid of confidence and belief…it’s a weakness that West Ham and David Moyes will hope to exploit on Wednesday.

Similarly, it will be fascinating to see how Michail Antonio—with all of his pace, directness and aggressive forward play—can test both De Gea and Harry Maguire, who fared only slightly better than his goalkeeper on Sunday.

Further forward, the Hammers will need to find a way to silence Bruno Fernandes, who was perhaps the only United player who emerged with his reputation intact at the weekend…even though he too is appearing increasingly jaded.

Wednesday 22 July: SuperSport Fixtures

Manchester United vs West Ham (Premier League)

Liverpool vs Chelsea (Premier League)

Parma vs Napoli (Serie A)

Inter Milan vs Fiorentina (Serie A)

SPAL vs Roma (Serie A)

Also on Wednesday, Chelsea are away at the champions, and Lampard will be keen for his side to build on his encouraging showing against United.

Leading the line, Giroud led the line with aplomb, demonstrating intelligence and the kind of physicality that will test Liverpool’s centre-backs.

Elsewhere, Mateo Kovacic and Mount appear to be ending the season strongly, while the likes of Tammy Abraham, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic and Pedro represent menacing options off the bench.

Liverpool’s season is in danger of petering out, with the champions having taken just one point from their last two matches.

The 1-1 draw with Burnley and the 2-1 defeat by Arsenal ended their hopes of breaking Manchester City’s record points tally, and has prompted suggestions of a lack of focus—despite Jurgen Klopp’s assurances to the contrary.

Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson are injured for the Reds, while Dejan Lovren and James Milner are doubts.

For Chelsea, Fikayo Tomori and Billy Gilmour are both injured, while N’Golo Kante is unlikely to be risked, as he continues his comeback from a fitness concern.

Regardless of the result on Wednesday, after the match Liverpool will be presented with the Premier League trophy, having ended their three-decade wait to be named champions of England.

"It's been a really long run-up to this,” Klopp told journalists. “We have been champions for a month now.

"It's a bit like Christmas - you know you're getting a specific present but you are still excited,” he added.

"It will be special. I'm absolutely delighted the boys have this moment.

"They deserve it more than anyone because there were so many setbacks they have dealt with."

Over in Italy, SuperSport are delighted to present three live Serie A matches on Wednesday evening, with Internazionale’s meeting with Fiorentina the pick of the bunch.

Antonio Conte’s side is eight points behind leaders Juve with four matches to play, and while the gap may appear significant, the Nerazzurri can take some confidence from their rivals’ patchy form.

Juve may have defeated Lazio 2-1 on Monday to avoid more lost points, but they’ve taken just two draws from their previous three matches, and Inter can heap more pressure on their foe with a victory against Fiorentina.

Inter will be without Stefano Sensi and Matias Vecino, but it will be fascinating to see how La Viola deal with the duel threats of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.

Elsewhere, Parma face Napoli, while bottom club SPAL host AS Roma, aiming to halt their run of five consecutive defeats.

The South African Football Association (Safa) has received a response from Fifa advising them that they have the powers to extend the date of completion of the 2019-20 PSL season. 

In a statement released on Wednesday, Safa said the season can be extended in terms of the Transfer Management System (TMS).   

This means the suspended season can go beyond the August 31 deadline set by the PSL.  

"The world football governing body, Fifa has written to the South African Football Association (Safa) advising them that they can extend the completion of the current Premier Soccer League season in terms of the Transfer Management System (TMS)," reads the statement. 

Furthermore, Fifa mandated Safa to amend the start of the upcoming season as well as the registration of new players.  

"In the same context, Fifa has given Safa the mandate to amend the start of the PSL next season (2020/2021) and this may require the Association to amend the registration periods provided in the TMS."

Safa published part of the statement as sent to them by Fifa, and it reads as follows:

"As such, the association concerned should extend the end date of the ongoing season in the TMS, to reflect the match schedule. This may also require the association to amend the registration periods provided in the TMS." 

Safa acting CEO Tebogo Motlanthe said the association was pleased with the clarification from Fifa and assured the country that the referees will be ready come August 1. 

"We are glad with the clarification we got from Fifa and we have already started preparation of the referees. They will arrive at the camp in batches and I want to assure everyone that the match officials will be ready, come 1 August 2020 when the PSL kicks off," said Motlanthe.

Last week, Safa rejected PSL's proposed return date of July 18, stating that the match officials were not ready and fit enough to complete the season. 

The country's FA further resolved that referees be mandated to a 14-day fitness and medical tests, a compromise on their side as Fifa requires match officials to undergo a three-week intense training programme before they can be deemed ready to resume work.  

Safa offered to cover the costs of the 110 match officials which include accommodation, transportation and the conducting of tests. 

It is unclear at this stage if the PSL will accept Safa's proposed return date of August 1 but the league said in its response that Dr Irvin Khoza would re-engage all the stakeholders on the association's position. 

Weekend reports suggested the PSL was considering cancelling the campaign as it feels it would not have enough time to play the remaining of the matches. 

The league is expected to hold a board of governors meeting this week to plot the way forward for the current season which has been suspended since mid-March.  

Steven Gerrard says Luis Suarez had "no respect for anyone" during training sessions at Liverpool, and that he knew "straight away" he would be a "top player" for the club.

Suarez completed a £23 million ($29m) move to Anfield from Ajax in January 2011, and went on to score 82 goals in 133 appearances in the famous red shirt.

The Uruguayan quickly became a cult hero among Liverpool supporters for his fierce determination and penchant for magical moments in the final third, and he inspired a Premier League title bid in his final season on Merseyside.

Suarez made his way to Barcelona after the Reds were narrowly beaten to the top-flight crown by Manchester City, but he is still fondly remembered by fans and former Anfield team-mates to this day.

Gerrard recalls being blown away by the 33-year-old's fearless attitude in training upon his arrival in England, and says it was clear to see that he was capable of making a big impact in the Premier League.

When asked to name the best player he played with, the Liverpool legend told the  BBC's Match of the Day Top 10 podcast: “A lot of strikers that we used to sign did have respect for the likes of Jamie Carragher and other names around the squad but he (Luis Suarez) had no respect for anyone in training, in a good way.

"He’d be backing into them, he’d be leaving a bit in on them, he’d have elbows up and I’d be thinking that’s not normally what you’d see in training, you’d normally see a lot of respect but Luis would run through anyone and have a defender up the wall at any given moment.

"You knew straight away in days rather than weeks that he was going to be a top player for Liverpool.” 

Liverpool's 30-year wait for domestic glory came to an end on June 25, and they will receive an elusive piece of silverware following their final home game of the season against Chelsea on Wednesday .

Gerrard, who was a runner-up with the Reds in the Premier League on three occasions, has been delighted to see Jurgen Klopp deliver a long-awaited trophy in 2019-20 while watching on as a "fan" during his first year in charge at Rangers.

He added: “First and foremost, for me, it was fantastic to bury a few demons, from 2014 it was certainly a big relief. Being a Liverpool fan and ex-player, I’ve known the big, long wait and I’m still in touch with a lot of the players that are in that dressing room so a lot of them shared that pain with me.

"It was fantastic for everyone connected to the club but it was mixed emotions in many ways because of my own experiences, being a fan and ex-player and a lot of my family are Liverpool fans as well.

"To be honest with you, I’m still on a really big high watching all of the TV coverage and seeing all of the emotions flying about.”

Aston Villa boosted their Premier League survival chances following Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal at Villa Park.

Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan was the hero as his 27th-minute strike handed Dean Smith’s men all three points.

The Egypt international slammed the ball past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after Tyrone Mings had flicked on Conor Hourihane’s corner kick – as Mikel Arteta’s Gunners would lick their wounds over Eddie Nketiah’s missed opportunity.

However, Ahmed Elmohamady’s injury was the sore point for the hosts as the 32-year-old was replaced by Frederic Guilbert in the 25th minute after sustaining an injury without any contact.

Following this result, the Claret and Blue Army are out of the relegation zone with a game left in the 2019-20 season.

Trezeguet was in action from start to finish alongside Congo and Angola prospect Ezri Konsa, while Zimbabwe international Marvelous Nakamba was a 73rd-minute replacement for Hourihane.

The quartet joined the rest of the Villa squad in revelling in the very vital triumph over the North Londoners.

“What a massive win tonight for the team and our fans,” Nakamba tweeted.

“Nothing is impossible there are ways that lead to everything. Our focus now turns to the weekend.”

Aston Villa need a win at West Ham United on Sunday to secure their slot in the English elite division next term – and that is the focus of 22-year-old Konsa.

“What a massive win!!! Focus now turns to the weekend... One final push!” he tweeted.

Arteta’s men are 10th in the log having accrued 53 points from 37 matches, and they will be aiming to end the season on a high when they welcome relegation-threatened Watford to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Mustafa Kizza’s agent Adamson Mansoor believes his client's move to Montreal Impact could open the European gates for the left-back.

Montreal Impact confirmed the signing of the 20-year-old Ugandan from KCCA FC and Mansoor is confident many opportunities may open for the youngster if he impresses in Major League Soccer (MLS).

“MSL has been exporting players to the top five leagues in Europe, the latest one is Alphonso Davies at FC Bayern Munich, also a left-back like Kizza who started as a left-winger,” Mansoor told Football256.

“Today, we are in a global market, once you do well, the whole world will open doors for you and MLS has attributes that Kizza will continue progressing on which are the physical attributes of the game.

“MLS has fast and strong players, so it’s something he is going to enjoy and continue progressing as a player and also has a man.

“He is definitely coming to compete, he is coming with a lot of luggage behind him, some Caf Champions League football with great performances against the best teams in Africa like Al Ahly and Esperance like you already know.

“He has great game statistics, in the league and national team, he has a lot of games for his age so he is obviously not coming to just develop but to compete.”

Mansoor believes Kizza, who will remain at KCCA on loan until December, will need more time on the pitch in order to accelerate his growth.

“But also, the process of developing requires getting game time, so the more he plays the more he will develop, but he is definitely coming to compete for a starting position,” he added.

The player's manager also revealed why Kizza did not take previous offers after trial stints in Europe.

“Every time Kizza came to Europe he was successful but we felt it wasn’t the right move for him, so we had to wait for the right move,” Mansoor explained.

“We had several options on the table and we had to take aspects of the offers we had into consideration.

“Montreal are the one that ticked all the boxes, sports-wise it was a great opportunity, the sports director [Olivier Renard] is one that has unbelievable global knowledge about the players in the market.

“Very successful with buying young players, develop and reselling them after. Then the coach is obviously one of the best players ever, without a doubt with a football brain next to none.

“Montreal are a club with an amazing history, with the ability to attract top players, Didier [Drogba], [Victor] Wanyama, Bojan [Krkic], players who bring huge luggage of football experience.

“So, for Kizza to be around Wanyama, Henry and Krkic, I think is the best gift you can give a young player for him to learn, adjust as quickly as possible to meet international football demands.”

Kizza becomes the second Ugandan to sign for Montreal Impact after Mike Azira.

Chelsea will not attempt to copy Liverpool in their bid for success next season, according to Blues manager Frank Lampard.

The Reds have put together an exceptional squad in recent seasons, culminating in 12 months of immense success. Last season, Jurgen Klopp's men claimed the Champions League, and on Wednesday night they will lift the Premier League trophy having won the English top flight for the first time in 30 years.

Klopp has put together a strong team with a unique image, featuring the likes of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. Lampard is attempting to do something similar with Chelsea, with big-money signings Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech already secured this summer, and Kai Havertz also on the club's wish list.

However, Lampard - whose Chelsea side face Liverpool on Wednesday night - says simply attempting to ape the Reds is not a viable method for success, and they have to try and mind their own path to glory.

He told Sky Sports: "They've been working together for a while now, Liverpool, and the thing that jumps out at you is their consistency. I know how hard that is. You don't see that sort of consistency, in terms of performance and results, in many Premier League seasons.

"The have speed, power, individual qualities all over the place. It's always impressive when you see a team that plays in the image of their manager, with character and aggression. You can see the evolution since [Klopp] has been there - but it's not a case of trying to clone Liverpool. We have to try and do it in our own way to close the gap."

Lampard arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer with the club in disarray, reeling from a transfer ban which prevented the young boss from making any signings last summer.

The former Blues midfielder has enjoyed a good first season in charge, however, with the team fighting for a Premier League top-four finish and into the final of the FA Cup.

Lampard has placed a lot of trust in young academy products such as Mason Mount, Billy Gilmour and Tammy Abraham this season, and is pleased with their efforts, even if he feels the squad has a long way to go to match Liverpool.

He said: "It does feels like progression, what we've done so far.

"Expectations for us were mixed at the start of the season; there were some unknowns in terms of the squad - I had players who were making their debuts in the Premier League - and I just wanted to see where we could get to.

"We've made some really good steps forward but then we have to think of the next one because we're Chelsea. We understand at the moment that the gap in the league is big above us and we want to close that."

Rwanda international Haruna Niyonzima has been ruled out of action for the next five months.

The Young Africans (Yanga SC) playmaker picked up an injury during their Mainland Premier League match against Biashara United but aggravated it further when he played against rivals Simba SC in the FA Cup.

While Yanga coach Luc Eymael confirmed to Goal the player, alongside Mapinduzi Balama, will miss the remaining two matches as a precaution measure, it has now emerged that Niyonzima will not be ready even for the start of the new season.

“It is very unfortunate that we will be without him [Haruna] for up to five months, he will not be back on the field until next year,” Eymael is quoted by New Times.

“Sad as it is, he should now only focus on his recovery, and we hope he will come back stronger.”

On Wednesday, Eymael confirmed to Goal he will miss eight key players for their league match against Mtibwa Sugar.

Apart from Niyonzima and Balama, the other players missing out owing to injury and other factors include Ally Ally, Andrew Vincent, Eric Kabamba, Ramadhan Kabwili, Papy Tshishimbi, and Raphael Daud.

“We have eight players who will miss the clash, of course, it is not good to miss your key players especially at this time when we want to finish the season in the second position, but I think we will use those who are fit and available,” Eymael told Goal.

Yanga will, however, welcome back keeper Farouk Shikalo, who missed the last match against Mwadui FC, owing to a hand injury.

“Shikalo is back, he has been training well and he is in the squad for the fixture, I don’t know if he will start but it is good to have him in the squad," Eymael confirmed.

Yanga are fighting to finish second on the 20-team league table after missing the chance to get a direct ticket to Caf Confederation Cup when they lost 4-1 to rivals Simba in the FA Cup semi-final.

The team arrived in Morogoro on Monday ready for the clash against Mwadui.

Granit Xhaka has questioned Arsenal's mentality in the wake of their 10th Premier League defeat of the season at Aston Villa on Tuesday.

Trezeguet's first-half strike was enough to give Villa a 1-0 home victory against Arsenal, who suffered a hangover of sorts after last week's wins over Liverpool and Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta's men defeated the newly-crowned champions of England before knocking City out of the FA Cup, but failed to reach the same heights at Villa Park.

The result leaves Arsenal languishing down in 10th in the table after 37 fixtures, meaning they are now destined to finish outside of the top six for the first time in 25 years.

Xhaka came on as a second-half substitute against Villa, and was left bemoaning the team's failure to fight for all three points with Europa League qualification still on the line.

The Gunners midfielder told reporters post-match: “In my opinion, you can’t come here and play like this. It’s not good enough and you can’t play with this mentality.

“It was not enough to take something from today, and we knew if we won today, the last game if we won as well we could have got into the Europa League.

"But now we have to win the FA Cup and we have more pressure. But we will do everything to win the FA Cup now.

“Yes, we have a gameplan and we know they (Aston Villa) are very strong on set-pieces, but we did too many fouls near our box, too many corners against them and we didn’t play our gameplan.

"They were more aggressive than us and deserved it.”

Arteta admitted that Arsenal have fallen way below expectations this season after their latest defeat, as he stated: "It has to hurt and we have to suffer, it's not good enough for this club.

"We need to improve in many areas, the team and individually."

The Gunners can still secure a place in the Europa League for next season if they beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final on August 1.

Arteta must first pick his players up for a meeting with Watford at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, which marks their final top-flight outing of the 2019-20 campaign.

Manchester United will soon be ready to compete for the Premier League title, says Nemanja Matic.

The Red Devils have re-emerged as an elite force in 2020, having been boosted by the January arrival of €55 million (£50m/$63m) midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were unable to string a consistent run of wins together in the first half of the season, but a 19-match unbeaten streak saw them climb back up the Premier League table while progressing in the FA Cup and Europa League.

That impressive sequence came to an end when they were beaten 3-1 by Chelsea in an FA Cup semi-final clash at Wembley on Sunday, but United still have plenty to play for in the final weeks of the campaign.

Champions League qualification will be secured if they pick up at least four points from their final two fixtures against West Ham and Leicester, before preparations begin for the second leg of their Europa League last 16 tie against LASK next month.

Matic doesn't think United are too far away from challenging Liverpool and Manchester City for Premier League supremacy, after making great strides forwards as a team over the past 12 months. 

"I think we are improving every day, game by game, step by step," the Red Devils midfielder told Sky Sports. "I have to say that there is big difference between the beginning of the season and now - in a positive way, of course.

"If we add 30 per cent more on top of that, we will be ready to compete for the Premier League title. Soon, I think we will be ready to compete with anyone."

Matic added on the impact Fernandes has had on the United squad since his winter move from Sporting CP: "He's a great player. I think we all appreciate that he is with us. He has a lot of quality in his legs and he brings something extra to our team. He's going to be a very important player in the future of Manchester United.

"We try to have a good connection on the pitch, especially because when the team recovers the ball, we have to find the players in front of us as soon as possible.

"We need to always find that connection and at the moment it's working really well. Of course, we know it didn't go so well in the Chelsea game, but we have to accept that and respond against West Ham."

Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliott has football skill and knowledge "bubbling out of his ears" and will become a huge part of the Premier League champions' first team picture in the future, according to Reds assistant manager Peter Krawietz.

Jurgen Klopp's No 2 has helped oversee Liverpool's run to their first English top-flight title for 30 years this season, with a strong first team including stars such as Virgil van Dijk, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah sweeping all before them.

Liverpool have a number of promising young players coming through as well, including 17-year-old winger Elliott, who Krawietz has earmarked for the very top thanks to his personality and ability.

Speaking exclusively to Goal and SPOX, Krawietz said: "We are very optimistic that we will be able to accompany his path successfully so that he will become a valuable member of the professional team in the foreseeable future. He has a great character and already offers a great soccer package. The football understanding bubbles out of his ears."

Liverpool have been well ahead of the Premier League pack all season long, and kept their concentration after the three-month hiatus in the season due to coronavirus to confirm their place as champions in the 2019-20 campaign.

Krawietz says he used the unexpected mid-season break productively, looking at a number of Liverpool's games in forensic detail, which he says has provided him and the coaching staff with knowledge that will help the team be even more formidable next campaign.

He said: "Above all, I reflected on our work processes, thought about our game and documented it. I looked at a series of two or three games in great detail. Sometimes I spent several days with a game: rewinding and fast forward and thinking about in detail why which situations happened.

"From this, something fundamental has now emerged that we want to use in the coming months. It's mainly about details and small adjustments around our game principles. I've been trying, so to speak, to turn ideas into insights so that we can take the next small step."

Liverpool's rivals are already plotting how to catch the Reds in 2020-21, and Krawietz thinks London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal will provide stiff opposition after improving this season, while he also confessed his admiration for Graham Potter's work at Brighton and Hove Albion.

He added: "I see first and foremost some teams that are in the process of developing their footballing skills. What has happened at Chelsea over the course of the season makes it clear that they will be a really good side.

"Arsenal, too, despite the difficult season, have already seen that they will benefit from the work under Mikel Arteta in the future.

"Or Brighton: although they were in the relegation battle, they still took a very football-oriented approach to the game. As a coach, I think it's really cool when you follow your plan so consistently, even if the results don't come straight away."

Only Sofapaka failed to show up for a meeting to discuss modalities of the new sponsorship signed between the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and BetKing.

The meeting was held on Wednesday via Zoom and was chaired by FKF president Nick Mwendwa and CEO Barry Otieno.

According to a Goal source, who attended the meeting, Sofapaka were the only club missing as the federation went further to ask for bank accounts from the various clubs.

The teams which attended include AFC Leopards, Wazito FC, Posta Rangers, Kariobangi Sharks, Gor Mahia, Tusker, Kakamega Homeboyz, Ulinzi Stars, Nairobi City Stars, KCB, Zoo FC, Bidco Units, Nzoia, Western Stima, Kisumu All-Stars, Mathare United and Bandari.

On Tuesday, Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa had assured Goal that Batoto ba Mungu will be represented at the meeting.

“I really want to make sure that I attend the meeting and get to know more about the sponsorship, you know I am the chairman of sponsorship in KPL and I was not consulted when FKF signed the deal, so it will be prudent to ask hard questions and I hope we will get the answers,” Kalekwa told Goal.

Meanwhile, the clubs have been asked to remit their bank accounts to the federation as they wait to receive the first batch of payment from the sponsors.

A letter seen by Goal and sent to the clubs stated: “Further to the zoom meeting with the FKF President today [Wednesday], in regards to the BetKing Premier League Sponsorship, please find an attached summary of the FKF Premier League contract and a letter of undertaking for you to duly fill in to enable the federation to process the first batch of payments to your club,” stated the letter seen by Goal and signed by CEO Otieno.

“Feel free to reach out to me should you need to visit FKF and go through the contract, which has not been shared with yourselves for the purpose of maintaining the confidentiality of both parties.

“Thank you for taking note and for your continued support.”

Meanwhile, Ulinzi Stars chairman Eric Oloo has been picked to lead the transitional interim committee.

Goal understands Oloo will work with four other officials namely Dan Shikanda of AFC Leopards, Ken Ochieng of Zoo, and Robert Maoga of Sharks.

“Oloo will be in charge of the committee which will help to transform KPL Premier league to FKF Premier league,” the source, who attended the meeting revealed to Goal.

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has called for Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed’s resignation a perceived failure to deal with transparency issues at the Football Kenyan Federation (FKF).

Shimanyula said Mohamed ought to have released an audit report concerning the KSh244 million that was allocated to the Harambee Stars for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

“[Amina] Mohamed should be straightforward on the promise she made on auditing the accounts of FKF. Recently, she told us the audit report was ready and was about to be released,” Shimanyula told Goal.

“She should go home if she cannot solve the issues.”

The Homeboyz top official also asked the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) to make it clearer whether FKF president Nick Mwendwa should continue to remain in office.

The SDT, in a previous ruling, said Mwendwa was to remain at the office although the National Executive Committee members were ordered out as their term of office had ended.

“Then the SDT chairman [John Ohaga] should also come straight and tell us whether Mwendwa should be in the office or not. If it is no, then how did he sign the BetKing deal when he has no NEC members in the office?” added Shimanyula.

In an earlier interview, Mwendwa stated the FKF have always been ready for their accounts to be audited with regard to the use of the money allocated for Afcon.

Mwendwa, who has been summoned before by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) before, claimed his opponents are placing stumbling blocks on his re-election bid by raising questions over the KSh244 million.

“I have been at DCI four times and I was there just to answer questions that were raised concerning our Afcon money by some complainants. I have not been told who the actual complainants are but I answered their questions nonetheless,” Mwendwa said at the time.

“But anyway, I know these people are doing it in the hope that Mwendwa will be arrested because their only way to victory is when Mwendwa will not be in the ballot. I know they will not stop sending files to the DCI.

“FKF is very transparent but some people are never satisfied as they will keep questioning every move we make as a federation.

“The whole aim is to eliminate me, get me away from football and the only way to do it is by getting me charged. They want to paint an image of a corrupt Mwendwa but they will not distract me.”

The millions budgeted for the Harambee Stars became an area of contention between the former Sports Permanent Secretary Peter Kaberia and Mwendwa.

In November 2019, FKF prepared their report on the use of the funds but the Sports Ministry then found the report lacking and unable to answer concrete questions. 

The Ministry went on to hand over the report to the Auditor General for a further probe.

Former Chennaiyin FC skipper Henrique Sereno believes India international Anirudh Thapa has the ability to play in Europe.

The Spanish defender who won back to back ISL title at ATK (2016) and Chennaiyin (2017-18) was all praises for his former teammates while speaking in a Live Instagram chat with Chennaiyin fan group Super Machans.

The Portuguese said, “We had so many players. Even the players who didn’t play a lot like Keenan (Almeida), (Fulganco) Cardozo, they had amazing skills but they didn’t get many chances but they were good in the training. That was the key to success.  We had many good young players as well like Anirudh Thapa. He can play in Europe. He is a very good number 10 and has very nice skills. We also had Jeje (Lalpekhlua) who is a great striker.”

When asked about the strongest Indian player in the title-winning Chennaiyin FC squad, Sereno suggested, “The strongest Indian player in the club was my captain Dhanpal Ganesh. He is very strong. Usually, Indian players are not too big. Dhanpal used to win every single ball in the midfield. He used to communicate well with the defenders.”

The Portuguese defender also paid homage to the fans at Chennaiyin FC who he felt were as passionate as any fan group in the country.

“They (Chennaiyin) have a big stadium and it was nice playing in front of the passionate fans. The fans were always behind the team. Even the training sessions used to full. It was very special.

Sereno revealed that the best player he had played with at Chennaiyin FC was Brazilian midfielder Raphael Augusto who is currently contracted to rivals Bengaluru FC.

“Raphael Augusto for me was the best Chennaiyin player. He was very skilful. He could have played for any team in Europe but he chose to play in India. For me, he was the best I had played at Chennaiyin FC.”