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Ivory Coast's Roger Assale was on target as Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem's Leganes suffered relegation from La Liga following their 2-2 draw against Real Madrid.

Assale came off the bench in the 55th minute to score a 78th-minute equaliser for Javier Aguirre's men after goals from Sergio Ramos and Asensio had put the league champions ahead.

Omeruo and Awaziem could not help the hosts from avoiding relegation to the second division as they were unused substitutes alongside Morocco's Aymane Mourid at Estadio Municipal de Butarque on Sunday.

Assale's goal was his second in the Spanish top-flight this season, after opening his goal account against Athletic Club on Thursday.

Since the resumption of football in Spain after the coronavirus hiatus, Leganes were the only team that took points off Zinedine Zidane's men with the draw.

Omeruo joined Aguirre's men permanently from Chelsea last summer and he made 23 league appearances this season with a goal to his name.

The Super Eagles defender recently recovered from a hamstring injury and did not play for the Cucumber Growers since his last outing against Sevilla on June 30.

Awaziem who is on loan from Portuguese outfit Porto, played 26 games for Leganes and was a key fixture in Aguirre's defence.

After winning eight matches and losing 18 matches, Leganes ended the 2019-20 La Liga in the 18th spot with 35 points from 37 matches, a point adrift of safety.

They will be playing in the Segunda division next season with Espanyol and Mallorca.

Romelu Lukaku came off the bench to keep Inter’s slim Serie A title hopes alive as his late penalty secured a 2-2 draw with Roma.

Antonio Conte's men could have closed the gap on leaders Juventus to three points with victory at Stadio Olimpico but instead had to settle for a draw, which came courtesy of Lukaku's spot-kick following Leonardo Spinazzola's clumsy challenge on Victor Moses.

Inter had earlier squandered an early lead given to them by Stefan de Vrij's 15th-minute header –  a Serie A record 500th goal scored in this fixture – as Spinazzola and Henrikh Mkhitaryan turned the game on its head with goals either side of half-time.

However, Inter were handed a reprieve when Spinazzola recklessly kicked out at Moses four minutes from time – Lukaku keeping his composure to salvage a point.

But with Marcelo Brozovic squandering a chance to double Inter's lead, Spinazzola drilled in an equaliser in first-half stoppage time – the goal allowed to stand after a VAR check for Kolarov's nudge on Lautaro Martinez in the build-up.

A pivotal three-minute spell shortly before the hour saw the game swing in Roma's favour as Martinez's strike was ruled out for offside, with Mkhitaryan then profiting from slack defending to hit home from six yards.

As Inter's hopes of keeping the pressure on Juve faded, Conte turned to Moses and Lukaku from the bench and they proved to be inspired changes – the latter scoring from the spot after his fellow substitute was fouled by Spinazzola.

What does it mean? Inter fail to capitalise on Juve's slip-ups 

Juventus have drawn two and lost one of their last three matches, opening the door for Inter to pounce in their pursuit of a first Scudetto since 2010.

However, a third win in a row eluded them and in the end they were fortunate to claim a point, meaning Juve can now open up an eight-point gap at the summit with four matches to go if they beat Lazio in Monday's game in hand.

Lukaku the saviour for Inter

Sanchez tried his best to carry Inter's attack, the on-loan forward registering his seventh assist since last month's restart for De Vrij's opener – only Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi – has managed more in Europe's top five leagues, but the visitors struggled to get going from that point on and in the end they needed Lukaku to rescue a result.

Spinazzola's moment of madness

Even with Lukkau on, Inter looked devoid of ideas, but they were gifted a penalty thanks to Spinazzola's comical defending. The Roma wing-back failed to control the ball with a bad first touch and then caught Moses on the leg when attempting to hoof it clear.

What's next?

Roma return to action with a trip to already-relegated SPAL on Wednesday, the same day that Inter host mid-table Fiorentina in their penultimate home game of the campaign.

Thomas Partey delivered an impressive performance to help Atletico Madrid secure a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad in Sunday’s La Liga game.

The Ghana international was handed a starting role and formed a four-man midfield along with Koke, Hector Herrera and Vitolo.

The highly-rated 27-year-old shone in his role to help Diego Simeone’s men clinch their second consecutive victory and seal a third-place finish.

Partey had 97% successful pass rate, completed one dribble, won one aerial contest and made one tackle in the encounter.

After the half-hour mark, Koke opened the scoring for the Mattress Makers when he got a timely pass from former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata.

With the game looking to go the way of Atletico, former Manchester United midfielder Adnan Januzaj scored an equalising goal at the death to save his side from defeat.

Partey featured for 56 minutes in his 34th league game for the Mattress Makers this season before he was replaced by Diego Llorente.

The 25-year-old has made 45 appearances across all competitions in this campaign, scoring four goals and providing one assist.

The midfielder has been with Atletico since 2011 when he joined the club’s reserve team and after loan spells at Mallorca and Almeria, he was promoted to the senior team in 2015.

 Partey has since made 128 league appearances for the Mattress Makers and scored 12 goals which have generated interests from a number of European clubs including Arsenal.

The 27-year-old midfielder was part of the team that won the 2018 Europa League and Uefa Super Cup titles.

Partey, who has 27 caps for Ghana, will hope to continue his consistent performances when Atletico take on RB Leipzig in their Champions League game on August 13.

Jose Mourinho praised Tottenham's progress after recovering from a "complicated" start to his tenure and believes his side are ready to push on next season.

A couple of first-half strikes from Harry Kane after James Justin's own goal saw off Leicester City 3-0 on Sunday and made it three Premier League wins in a row for Spurs as they climbed into sixth place.

Mourinho inherited a side that were 14th and had won just three of their first 12 matches, but the north London club are now on course to qualify for the Europa League.

And Mourinho has hailed the character of his players to come through a tough spell before lockdown that saw them exit the FA Cup and Champions League in quick succession.

"The team is being a team. Even against Sheffield United we were a team, a bad team, but we were a team," he said at his post-match news conference. 

"I think the team is understanding better the principles of playing and what we want to do. I think it's a good step.

"As I said, to come mid-season is always a complicated situation that I couldn't imagine was so complicated after so many injuries.

"But it's a situation that helps you to organise the next season.

"I think there are some important steps that we have done already and next pre-season when we start we are one step ahead."

Spurs will secure a European spot should they finish above Wolves and Sheffield United, who are two and four points behind respectively and each hold a game in hand.

Seventh place may also be enough if Chelsea beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final, meanwhile, and Mourinho is looking to end the campaign on a high.

"I think we are one of the teams with more points after the break, and I think that is a very, very good feeling," he told Sky Sports.

"Now we have to fight to finish sixth, but it doesn't just depend on us. We have to win and that is difficult to do at Crystal Palace, but we have to wait for something from others. 

"If not, seventh, because that is what we can achieve dependent on others. 

"We will still depend on the FA Cup, but getting or not getting to the Europa League, the feeling of what we are doing, what we are improving, is very important for next season."

Tottenham's win over a depleted Leicester side came despite them having just 29.5-per-cent possession - their lowest share in a league game since September 2012.

"I think it was an intelligent performance," Mourinho said. "I knew that for them to play with this back five is not a very comfortable situation.

"It was about being compact and controlling the game, so I'm very happy because it's a lot of pressure for us."

Lionel Messi has set a new record for most assists in La Liga in a single season, surpassing former Barcelona team-mate Xavi in the process.

The Barcelona forward played the ball into the box for 17-year-old winger Ansu Fati to knock in for the opening goal against Deportivo Alaves on Sunday.

The assist was Messi's 21st in the league this term, breaking the record his former team-mate Xavi set in 2008-09.

Messi matched Xavi's figure in last week's 1-0 victory against Real Valladolid, when he became the Spanish top-flight's first player to register 20 goals and 20 assists in a single campaign.

Just 10 minutes after setting up Fati, Messi scored a goal of his own when he ran onto a pass from Riqui Puig before knocking past Alaves goalkeeper Roberto to double the Catalan side's lead.

The Argentina international struck again in the second-half as his side went 5-0 up, taking his tally to 25 goals in La Liga this season, stretching his lead over Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to five goals..

Messi then claimed the Pichichi Trophy, given to the league's top scorer, for the seventh time in his career when the France international failed to make up the difference in Madrid's final game of the season at Leganes on Sunday.

Barcelona extended their lead against Alaves to 3-0 when Luis Suarez struck just before half-time and Nelson Semedo added another 12 minutes into the second half. 

Quique Setien's team had already been confirmed runners-up, as they lost 2-1 to Osasuna at home on Thursday while  Madrid sealed the league title on Thursday with a 2-1 win over Villarreal  to move seven points ahead of their fierce rivals.

After Sunday's encounter, Barca will turn their attention to the Champions League campaign ahead of its return in August.

The Camp Nou outfit will face Napoli on August 8 in the second leg of their last-16 tie, having drawn 1-1 in the first leg in February before the competition was suspended because of the coronavirus.

And Messi warned in midweek that his side must step up their game if they are to have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals to face either Chelsea or Bayern Munich.

"We have to be self-critical," he said after the match against Osasuna.

"Starting with the players but doing a global self-criticism. We are Barca and we have to win everything.

"We can't look at Madrid…Madrid have done their job, but we have helped them a lot.

"If we want to win the Champions League, we have to change a lot. If we continue like this, we will lose the game against Napoli."

Parma lost 3-2 at home to Sampdoria in Sunday’s Italian topflight outing with Cote d’Ivoire star Gervinho finding the net at Stadio Ennio Tardini.

Claudio Ranieri’s men spent much of the season hovering around the relegation zone, but they put up an impressive showing to climb up the log.

Gervinho put Parma ahead after 18 minutes with a trademark solo goal. Six minutes later, Gianluca Caprari doubled the lead but VAR ruled out the goal for an offside.

Five minutes from the half-time break, the hosts doubled their lead after opposing goalkeeper Bartosz Bereszynski fumbled Dejan Kulusevski’s cross into his own net.

I Blucerchiati looked down and out, nevertheless, manager Ranieri brought in Federico Bonazzoli and Gonzalo Maroni for Gaston Ramirez and Fabio Depaoli respectively at the beginning of the second half.

That seems to be the tonic they needed as Julian Chabot pulled a goal back in the 48th minute by heading home Maroni’s corner kick.

In the 69th minute, last season’s Fabio Quagliarella levelled matters for the visitors for his 11th strike this term after being set up by Morten Thorsby.

Twelve minute before the full time Quagliarella teed up Bonazzoli for the winner which earned the visitors their sixth away win this season.

Gervinho’s strike was his seventh strike of the season in 27 appearances. The 33-year-old was replaced in the 82nd minute for on-loan Inter Milan forward Yann Karamoh, while Gambia international Omar Colley was an unused substitute for Ranieri’s side.

With this result, Sampdoria climbed to 12th in the log with 41 points after recording their fifth win in their last six outings, while Parma are 12th after garnering 40 points from the same number of matches.

In their next outing, Sampdoria welcome Genoa to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Wednesday before heading to Juventus on July 26, while Roberto D'Aversa’s men will be aiming to end their run of six games without victory when they host Napoli on Tuesday.

Barcelona boss Quique Setien insisted he and Lionel Messi have a strong relationship after a palate-cleansing thumping of Deportivo Alaves got rid of a bad taste in the mouth.

Morale was low after Thursday's 2-1 home defeat to Osasuna, which came on a night when Real Madrid clinched the LaLiga title, having overtaken Barcelona on the final lap.

But now Barcelona are looking forward to their Champions League last-16 reunion with Napoli, buoyed by Sunday's 5-0 win over a shaky Alaves side on the final weekend of the Spanish season.

The European second leg at Camp Nou on August 8 offers Barcelona a chance to reach what is effectively a mini-tournament to be staged in Portugal later in the same month.

Two-leg ties will be abandoned from the quarter-finals and replaced by a straight knockout format.

With Messi scoring twice against Alaves, and further goals coming from Ansu Fati, Luis Suarez and Nelson Semedo, Barcelona suddenly sense an opportunity to end the season on a high.

Despite speculation surrounding his position, Setien stressed he and Messi, who is arguably the most powerful individual at the football club, get along well enough to work together.

"It is the same as with everyone, more or less," Setien said. "There are players who are more open and have more of a relationship, but the relationship is good."

Messi spoke after the Alaves game and revealed there had been soul-searching talks among the squad since the Osasuna game.

"It is true, that we have had a deep reflection on the situation," Setien said.

"We are all excited about the Champions League. It is true that we have spoken and it has served us well, because some things have been cleaned up.

"It is something that has been backed up with this game and with this result, which will allow us to face the future with more confidence and in a different state of mind."

Setien said it had been a "special" day in the Basque Country, and stressed he will not allow himself to think, or worry in any way, about his future.

"I focus on improving and convincing my players to do certain things," Setien said, quoted by Catalan newspaper Sport. "Then there are things that I can't control."

There are areas where Barcelona need to improve that cannot be resolved in a matter of weeks and perhaps need significant investment and changes of personnel.

But if they head into the Champions League resumption with a swagger back in their step, and belief in their coach, the Blaugrana could threaten Europe's elite again.

The essence of youth is also growing, and could benefit a squad that contains a number of players coming towards the end of their peak years, or already on the down slope.

Even Messi, now a record seven-time Pichichi winner at the age of 33, cannot go on setting records and carrying the weight of the Catalan public's expectations forever.

Fati, Ronald Araujo and Riqui Puig all started against Alaves, and Setien described the youngsters as "certain to be the future of this club".

"They will be great footballers," he said.

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says his players will "disconnect" as they prepare for the resumption of the Champions League next month.

Los Blancos, who secured a first La Liga title since 2017 this week, travel to the Etihad Stadium on August 7 looking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg defeat in their quarter-final against Manchester City.

Speaking after Madrid wrapped up their domestic campaign with a 2-2 draw against Leganes on Sunday – a result that condemned their neighbours to relegation – Zidane says his players will be allowed some time to relax, but is adamant the next few weeks will not be a holiday.

"It is not a holiday that we have now," he said. "Now, I don't think about City. We want to disconnect a bit, then we will have all the time to think. We will have 10-15 days to think. We will disconnect.

"Until the last second we are going to fight to go to that final, but now you don't have to think about the Champions League. It is time to rest and think about gathering strength. The final stretch has been a tremendous effort. Now we all need some relaxation. This is what we are going to do.

"After these four or five days off, we go back and think about the Champions League. No stress or worries."

Madrid were far from their best against Leganes but Zidane refused to be too critical of his players. 

"During the game you can get angry because we didn't play at our level," he said. "We didn't win but we didn't lose either. In the end I prefer to focus on what we did before today. The season has been spectacular. We have to be happy with what we did."

During an emotional TV interview after the final whistle, Leganes captain Unai Bustinza said he was proud of his team-mates' willingness to fight until the end.

"We're all so upset and frustrated and can't believe this," he said as Leganes' four-year stay in the top flight came to an end. "We kept going right until the end and we never let our heads drop. We wanted to do everybody proud. Football can do this to you.

"It's been a difficult year and we haven't had a great deal of luck. Everyone will be upset but we have to lift ourselves back up and come back strongly."

Lionel Messi secured a record seventh Pichichi award after the Barcelona star finished the 2019-20 season as the leading scorer in La Liga.

The Argentinian equalled Athletic Bilbao great Telmo Zarra's record of six awards last season, but he is now out on his own after another superb campaign in front of goal.

His double in the final-day 5-0 rout of Deportivo Alaves took him to 25 goals in 33 appearances, while his cross to Ansu Fati for the opening goal saw him set a new record for most assists in a single La Liga campaign, breaking the previous best set by former team-mate Xavi.

It was not enough to guide Barca to a third consecutive title, however, with Real Madrid pulling away in the final weeks to seal top spot.

“I always say that the awards and individual goals are secondary,” Messi said when asked about winning the award.

“It is true that it could have been taken as an important achievement for being the seventh Pichichi, but I would have liked it to come accompanied by the league title.”

Madrid striker Karim Benzema was four goals behind in the race for the award with 21, while Villarreal's Gerard Moreno was third with 18 goals, two ahead of Messi's Barca team-mate Luis Suarez.

The Catalan side will turn their attention to the Champions League next, as they face Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 tie on August 8. The first leg ended in a 1-1.

“We need some peace of mind, which hopefully we will get with this little break between competitions,” Messi told reporters when asked about preparations for the return to European competition.

“As I said the other day, it'll give us the chance to clear our minds a little. “We've said what needed to be said, we have been self-critical with ourselves. Nothing more needs to be said, now we just have to show it out there on the pitch.”

Lionel Messi ran the show as dethroned LaLiga champions Barcelona took out their frustrations on Deportivo Alaves, winning 5-0 at the Mendizorroza.

Title winners in Spain for each of the past two years, Barcelona surrendered their crown to Real Madrid this season and there might be fallout from that setback still to come.

At Alaves, however, it was a case of Barcelona showing they remain the most watchable team in Spain when they find their rhythm, a double from Messi and further goals from Ansu Fati, Luis Suarez and Nelson Semedo doing the damage.

Barcelona threw away their lead in the title race after a handful of post-lockdown draws allowed Madrid to steal a march and losing to 10-man Osasuna on Thursday reflected their misery, leading to questions being asked about coach Quique Setien's future. On Sunday, it was a thoroughly different story.

The visitors had already hit the Alaves goal frame three times, through Riqui Puig, Arturo Vidal and Messi, before they took a 24th-minute lead through Fati.

Messi was the creator, with his cross from the right having the sting slightly taken out of it by a minor deflection before dropping perfectly for Fati to crack into the bottom-right corner.

The second goal in the 34th minute came when Barcelona burst at pace and located their talisman in the centre of the penalty area.

Puig dutifully laid the ball into Messi's path from the left, and after shimmying delightfully to deceive goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez, the Argentinian stroked the ball home from close range.

Vidal had a header well saved by Roberto from Messi's terrific cross, before Suarez made it 3-0 in the 44th minute, nodding home after great link-up play from Messi and Jordi Alba.

Semedo replaced the injured Clement Lenglet early in the second half and left his defensive station to surge into the Alaves box and smash home a fourth goal in the 57th minute.

Messi guided home a cross from Alba in the 75th minute, and suddenly Barcelona were all smiles.

What does it mean? Not the time to judge Setien, or Barca

Deriving meaning from an end-of-season drubbing is a fool's game. Alaves let Barcelona trample all over them, and despite the visitors duly turning on the style, it was too late for that in the grand scheme. Setien's fate, one would assume, will be determined by Barcelona's Champions League progress.

Messi points the way

A final-day double took Messi's tally to 25 goals in 33 LaLiga appearances this season. His standards have stayed typically high and, while team-mates around him gaze in awe and appreciation of those qualities, he expects them to raise their own games in turn. It has not happened often enough this term.

Alaves on the beach

It really was a miserable showing by the hosts, who have had a dismal time of things since football resumed in June. From a steady mid-table footing, a rush of defeats sent them tumbling in the direction of the bottom three, and new coach Juan Muniz would surely have been disheartened by what he witnessed on the final day.

What's next?

For Alaves, a holiday of sorts awaits before the 2020-21 LaLiga season. Barcelona, however, have a Champions League campaign to resume, with the second leg of their last-16 tie against Napoli due to take place at Camp Nou on August 8.

Kenya international Jesse Were was on target as Zesco United battled to a 1-1 draw against Kansanshi Dynamos at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Sunday.

Were’s goal was enough to help Zesco avoid a defeat in the first match as the Zambian Super League resumed behind closed doors.

Kenyan international Ian Otieno, who started in the match alongside compatriots Were and John Makwatta, made a second-minute save to deny the Solwezi club a goal.

Makwatta’s interchange with John Ching’andu could have led to an opener but the Zambian international eventually failed to beat Scotch Mwanza in Kansanshi Dynamos’ goal from close range in the 18th minute.

The Ndola club squandered two more chances in the 25th and in the 32nd minutes as Were and Ching’andu missed chances to break the deadlock.

Coach George Lwandamina was forced to make a first-half change when Adrian Chama was injured in the 40th minute. David Owino was brought on to replace him as Zesco looked a struggling side.

Another Zesco star, Misheck Chaila, was injured and stretchered off two minutes after Chama had left the pitch. Tafadzwa Rusike was summoned to fill the void with the score still 0-0.

A confusion in Zesco United’s penalty area saw Kansanshi Dynamos score the opener when Erick Yema swept the ball into the net as Clement Mwape tried desperately to clear it in the 48th minute.

Logic Ching’andu could have equalized for the league reigning champions in the 58th minute but he sent his effort wide even with Mwanza beaten in goal.

Were, who has established himself as a prolific Zesco United scorer, equalized for the league champions in the 78th minute. Four additional minutes were not enough for either side to find the winning goal.

The match is the third one to be played since the Super League was allowed to resume after four months of suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Zesco United-Kansanshi Dynamos tie was allowed to go on even when two of Timu Ya Ziko players tested positive for the coronavirus.

Zesco United Starting XI: Ian Otieno, Simon Silwimba, Mwila Phiri, Clement Mwape, Adrian Chama, Kondwani Mtonga, Mwape Mwelwa, Rusike Tafadzwa, John Makwatta, John Ching’andu, Jesse Were.

Subs: Jacob Banda, David Owino, Fackson Kapumbu, Misheck Chaila, Logic Ching’andu, Enock Sabumukama, Samson Mkandawire.

Kansanshi Dynamos Starting XI: Scotch Mwanza, Timothy Sakaja, Rodgers Chitambala, Enock Chingwere, Grese Muyumba, Yannick Mulenda, Kingsley Mukuka, Bob Chansa, Erick Yema, Royd Alfonso, Walford Sikanyika.

Subs: Prince Malekani, Lazarus Phiri, Festus Mbewe, Simon Bwalya, Sammy Chileta, Mutale, Mutale, Isaac Ngoma, Mathews Mulambo, Armand Tchibangu.

Polokwane City coach Clinton Larsen and Black Leopards midfielder Robert Ng’ambi are expecting more flavour in the Limpopo derbies with the arrival of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

Following Tshakhuma's acquisition of Bidvest Wits' status, a new Premier Soccer League (PSL) team is guaranteed in Limpopo province next season.

While excitement in that province has been hinged on the prospect of having four teams from that part of South Africa, there is however the possibility that two clubs from the province could be relegated this season.

All three Limpopo teams - Baroka FC, Black Leopards and Polokwane City - currently in the PSL are fighting against relegation.

Leopards anchor the standings while Baroka and Polokwane City are just three points above the bottom.

But Larsen is inspired to save Polokwane from demotion and is looking forward to Tshakhuma adding another derby showdown.

“It would be great for the province to have four teams in the PSL,” said Larsen as per Sun Sport.

“So it’s up to us to push on and secure our place in the league. The Limpopo derbies have steadily been growing every season and now with the addition of TTM there is going to be even more excitement.”

With Baroka and Polokwane City based in Polokwane, Tshakhuma would be using Thohoyandou Stadium which is also the home of Black Leopards.

Just like Larsen, Ng’ambi is keen for Leopards to stay up and is excited at the prospect of Limpopo province having four PSL teams.

“Leopards are the team which have more fans at their home games [than their Limpopo rivals],” Ng’ambi said.

“The people of Venda love football. Imagine when there is another Limpopo derby at Thohoyandou Stadium. It will be excitement all over Venda and that has been motivating for us to fight to remain in the PSL.

“Our fans have been good to us and we want to repay them by avoiding relegation.”

Gauteng currently has the highest number of PSL teams – Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United, Highlands Park and Wits, whose status will no longer exist next season.

While there is excitement in Limpopo of another team in the top-flight, the demise of 99-year-old Wits, who are an iconic side in South African football, has not been welcomed elsewhere in the country.

Former Harambee Stars head coach Tom Olaba’s family has pleaded for help from Kenyans to pay hospital bills.

Olaba was Harambee Stars coach in 2016 and was replaced by Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee after one year at the helm. According to his family, the coach is suffering from a spinal problem and is in Tanzania where he has been undergoing treatment.

Olaba was also Reinhard Fabisch’s assistant coach in 1997 and later served as the U17 head coach.

The family has called on Kenyans to help the coach raise money to pay medical bills and airlift him back into the country.

The tactician is at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital after he was transferred to from the Dodoma Hospital.

Fabian Olaba, the coach’s brother, revealed that the tactician underwent two spinal surgeries but remains paralysed.

“My brother has been in Tanzania since 2016 after he left coaching,” the coach’s younger brother told Nation Sports.

“He has been living in Morogoro and has been operated on twice on his back. He has a problem with his spinal cord.”

Olaba said they are yet to know the exact amount of money needed to clear the hospital bills as he reached out to members of the public for financial help.

“He has been sick and that is why he quit coaching,” the younger Olaba revealed.

“We would be happy if he is near us so that we can closely monitor his condition. We shall have known the whole amount accumulated in the hospital before the end of the day as my younger brother has already travelled to Tanzania.”

Olaba coached the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side AFC Leopards twice and the latest stint was in 2012 when he was appointed to replace Jan Koops.

In Tanzania, he coached the Mainland Premier League side Mtibwa Sugar and Zanzibar’s Ocean View FC.

The Kenya National Football Coaches Association (Kenfoca) chairman Robert Matano pleaded with Kenyans to channel their contributions to the organisation’s treasurer James Saisi.

“He is one of us and we have already started contributing. Let's help our brother come back to Kenya and cater for his treatment,” Saisi told Nations Sports as well.

Olaba was also in charge of Tanzania's Ruvu Shooting and helped them earn promotion to the top-tier where they still are.

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly had to be carried off on a stretcher wearing a neck brace following a clash of heads with team-mate Harry Maguire during the first half of their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.

The Ivory Coast international was left with blood pouring from a head wound after colliding with fellow defender Maguire in the closing stages of the first half.

He initially appeared to recover and got to his feet, but quickly laid back down on the pitch.

After several minutes of treatment from the Man Utd medical team, which included placing him in a neck brace, Bailly was taken off the pitch and down the tunnel on a stretcher.

The 26-year-old had already suffered a blow to the head minutes earlier when he attempted to beat Kurt Zouma to a Chelsea left-wing cross.

Maguire also needed treatment after the incident, but was able to continue with a bandage wrapped around his head.

Anthony Martial came on to replace Bailly, as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer switched back to his usual 4-3-2-1 formation having begun the match with three centre-backs in a 3-4-3 set up.

Even if Bailly escapes serious injury he is unlikely to feature in Manchester United's final two Premier League matches of the season because of the Premier League's concussion protocols, which has minimum recovery period of six days imposed from the time of the injury.

Man Utd will hope that the former Villarreal defender will be cleared in time for the resumption of their Europa League campaign, with the second leg of their round of 16 clash with LASK scheduled to take place on August 5.

The lengthy stoppage meant there were 11 minutes of time added on at the end of the first half, with Chelsea taking full advantage of the added time by taking the lead through Olivier Giroud, who met Cesar Azpilicueta's cross to flick the ball beyond David de Gea at his near post.

Things would get worse for Solskjaer's side just seconds into the second half, with Mason Mount's tame long-range effort squirming beyond De Gea to double Chelsea's advantage.

Substitute Che Adams’ goal for Everton in Sunday’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth was the latest strike in the English top-flight since Yakubu Ayegbeni’s feat in 2011.

With the Saints taking a slim 1-0 advantage into the half-time break courtesy of Danny Ings’ effort, the former England youth international sealed the win at the death to complete an agonising defeat of the hosts.

That strike for Ralph Hasenhuettl’s men at 97:56 ensured that Adams moved closer to the former Nigeria international striker’s feat achieved during his spell at Blackburn Rovers in November 19, 2011.

Thanks to his latest strike, the 24-year-old now boasts of two goals in 29 appearances for the St Mary's Stadium giants so far this season.

Assisted by Paul Robinson, Ayegbeni found the net at 98:14 as Steve Kean’s men settled for a 3-3 at the DW Stadium against hosts Wigan - which enabled the ex-Everton man to complete his brace of the evening.

“That’s what scoring for you does as a striker, you get the confidence and it boosts you generally,” Adams told the club website after the game.

“It’s a relief [to be scoring], I’m pleased to be repaying the fans, the gaffer, the players and everyone really.

“We’ve shown massive progression [as a team], we’re a tight-knit team now. We’re pressing now and know all of our roles.

“We’ve been great since the restart, so we want to take that into next season now, but first we’ve got Sheffield United away where we want to get three points."

Ayegbeni’s impressive goalscoring performances at Maccabi Haifa attracted the attention of English team Portsmouth – a club he helped secure Premier League promotion.

After two seasons at Fratton Park, he teamed up with then English top-flight outfit Middlesbrough for a £7.5 million record fee.

There, he was close to winning silverware as Boro reached the final of the 2006 Uefa Cup – where they bowed 4-0 to Sevilla at Eindhoven’s Philips Stadium.

Before continuing his professional career in China, Turkey and Qatar, ‘the Yak’ represented Everton, Leicester City and Blackburn to become Africa’s third-highest goalscorer in Premier League history.

SuperSport United midfielder Jamie Webber believes they are ready to fill the void left by former skipper Dean Furman, saying fighting for the badge is the priority.

The 22-year-old midfielder has welcomed the challenge from coach Kaitano Tembo to see him stepping up to the anchorman’s role in the heart of the park as he looks to replace the Bafana Bafana midfielder, who recently left the club.

Webber also says the departure of the former Chelsea and Doncaster Rovers midfielder brings an opportunity for him and teammates such as Teboho Mokoena to shine.

“It’s an opportunity for me and for the other guys because Dean was a key player,” Webber told SundaySun print edition.

“He was our captain, he had to play all the games guiding us and we looked up to him. But now that he’s not here, we obviously have to take matters into our own hands.

“We have to play well for the club, do our best for the badge like we always say.”

Speaking about the fact he will be wrestling against the likes of Mokoena and Sipho Mbule for a spot in the starting line-up, Webber doesn’t doubt their ability to impress coach Tembo.

“I think we have the ability because all of us are young and this is a great opportunity to build a good relationship for years to come,” he added.

“I haven’t played much because I had a back injury. Now, there’s definitely an opportunity to play again and become a regular.”

After featuring in 15 matches across all competitions for the reigning MTN8 champions with two goals and as many assists so far, the young midfielder will hope to become a regular feature for the Tshwane giants once the season resumes.

The three-time Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions are gunning for a decent finish in the league as they occupy the third spot on the log with 40 points, a position they share with Orlando Pirates.

Apart from parting ways with a player such as Furman, who has returned to the United Kingdom, SuperSport have also released Thabo Qalinge and Thabo Mnyamane, whose contracts were not renewed a few weeks ago.

On the other hand, the club has extended veteran defender Bongani Khumalo’s contract with a further year.

Jose Mourinho says Harry Kane is among the best strikers in the world after his double against Leicester on Sunday.

The England international netted twice in the first half as his side ran out 3-0 winners, stretching their unbeaten run in the Premier League to five games.

Kane has scored four times since the English top-flight's restart in June and took his tally up to 17 in 28 appearances this season.

And ex-Chealsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid manager Mourinho says the 26-year-old is among the best he has ever coached.

"It was two very important goals for us and the third one was Harry Kane's goal. It was amazing quality," he told Sky Sports.

"Of course he is [one of the best]. It is difficult for me to compare strikers but I had almost in every club some of the best. Of course, Harry is second to none. It's just different qualities. As a striker, as a goalscorer, a team player and a leader, he is fantastic.

"It is difficult to make him better but the better the team is, the better he can be. It depends more on us.

"He is an amazing professional and works very well. He cannot play any better. He is a fantastic striker and Tottenham is so lucky to have him."

The win lifted Spurs to sixth in the Premier League with Wolves sitting two points behind ahead of their match against Crystal Palace on Monday, while Leicester are in danger of dropping out of the top four with one game left to play.

Mourinho was happy with the way his side managed the game, having taken the lead just six minutes in through a James Justin own goal.

"I think we were strategically good. We knew what worked for us," he said.

"Brendan Rodgers did an amazing job since he arrived but in this moment he is in a little bit of trouble with injuries. I know what it is because I had similar problems at the other end.

"He is trying to compensate with the people he lost so we knew that in transition we could win the game. We tried to be very fast after recovering the ball. We did that very well in the first half and in the second half it was about being compact and getting the result.

"You always need your goalkeeper to make a couple of important saves which he did but we were phenomenal. They had a lot of corners and we defended well. I felt very comfortable in the game."

He added: "It was very important the way we ended. The long break is not so open like a pre-season hopefully is. But it was good enough for us and the players to feel that with work and time we could improve.

"Clearly we are one of the teams with more points during this period than after the break. Now we have to fight to finish sixth. We have to win and that is difficult and wait for something in our other opponents.

"Seventh is what we can achieve without dependence on the others. What we are doing and what we are improving is very important for next season."

Tottenham striker Harry Kane says it was hard for Jose Mourinho to make an impression on the side during the early months of his tenure, but their recent form is a sign that his methods are starting to bear fruit.

Mourinho begin his tenure with three successive victories in November to lift the mood around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following the dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino.

But the north London side struggled for consistency as the winter progressed and were six games without a win before coronavirus shutdown, a run that saw them crash out of both the Champions League and FA Cup to end any hopes of lifting silverware this campaign.

Injuries had also begun to take their toll, with the likes of Kane and Son Heung-Min expected to miss the remainder of the campaign. However, the shutdown allowed the duo time return to fitness and bolster the Spurs line-up upon their return to action last month.

The result is a run of just one defeat in eight matches since the restart, with three successive victories lifting the the club up to sixth and right in contention for a European place.

It suggests Mourinho’s message is finally starting to get across to his side after that indifferent start, a sentiment echoed by Spurs captain Kane.

He told Sky Sports: "It was hard for him [Jose Mourinho] to come in and put his stamp on things but we have been able to do that in the last three wins.”

Tottenham’s latest victory was an impressive 3-0 win against Champions League-chasing Leicester on Sunday, with Kane scoring twice to take his tally for the season to 23 in all competitions this season.

It was also his 15th and 16th career goals just 14 appearances against the Foxes, more than he’s scored against any opponent in his career.

"It's must one of those teams I seem to score a few against,” added the England captain. “We caught them on the break today and once we got ahead we just steadied the ship. The clean sheet was great.”

On his second goal, which was a fine curling effort from the left of the penalty area, Kane said: "The ball got away from me to begin with so I looked to try and cut in and get the shot away. Sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn't. Luckily today it did.”