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Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa has revealed his target while in the office is to secure more sponsors for the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

Mwendwa, who is seeking a second four-year term, stated his wish is to see the league secures more financial partners. FKF has already secured BetKing as the title sponsor for the next five seasons.

“I am glad to announce to you that FKF has managed to secure a record sponsorship worth KSh1.2 billion,” Mwendwa told reporters on Thursday.

“You know our players have struggled for the last year, now as we approach taking over the running of the FKF Premier League we wanted to have a sponsor on board.

“The sponsorship starts from $2.2 in year one and then increases by 10 per cent in the subsequent years.

“In our view, this means at least every KPL team will get KSh8 million which is also a new record for our clubs.

“During my time the vision is to reach $20 million sponsorship deals and we are still talking to other sponsors and hopefully they will come on board.”

Mwendwa further explained how the league will be run from next season as the federation takes charge.

“We want to be very clear, the league will be run by FKF and will be run from the Goal Project [FKF Offices], and there is no more paying rent. The money we were using to pay rent will go to the clubs,” he added.

“KPL's term will end in September and we are hopeful the league can resume in October when the president will end the existing curfew.”

Confirming that teams will have the leverage on how to use the funds, Mwendwa stated the first deposit from BetKing will hit their accounts in a week.

“We have signed the contract and actually in the next seven days we shall receive the deposit payment which I will ask clubs what they want to do with it,” the FKF official explained.

“This is not a joke anymore as our vision is to get to $5 million dollars in five years, maybe in future, we will beat even the best leagues in Africa.

“In the middle of politics, sponsors have come to us and want to put money into football.

“The teams will decide how to spend the first money from sponsors. We will not sit and watch clubs suffer as we will continue to look for more sponsors.”

In 2019, FKF secured Betika as the sponsor for the National Super League and Mwendwa believes KPL’s struggle will end with the arrival of the new betting firm.

“It's as embarrassing we had sponsorship for NSL and we did not have the same for KPL, now all this is a thing of the past,” he concluded.

Mwendwa further stated clubs will form the FKF Premier League Board as well as a disciplinary committee which will be mandated to run the league as well.

He also said the fee from KPL to FKF which is normally around KSh12 million will be channelled to the Women's Premier League.

The official BetKing sponsorship deal launch is expected to be done in September.

Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has confirmed Victor Moses is ‘available’ for selection when they take on SPAL in Thursday’s Serie A game at Stadio Paolo Mazza.

The 29-year-old winger last featured for the Black and Blues in their victory over Brescia on July 1, owing to a thigh injury problem.

The former Nigeria international missed his side’s defeat to Bologna, as well as the draw against Hellas Verona and Monday’s home victory over Torino.

Conte, who previously affirmed the versatile player has fully recovered from his injury problem, stated he could be involved against Luigi Di Biagio’s men while also providing an injury update on the rest of his squad members.

“Moses is available, while Nicolo Barella is on the road to recovery. He’s started to work with the ball and we hope to have him at our disposal for the next game,” Conte told the club website.

“Vecino is still struggling with a knee problem. Sensi is continuing to receive treatment. Meanwhile, Lukaku is trying to overcome a contracture, we hope to have him back as soon as possible.”

Moses joined Inter temporarily in January from Premier League side Chelsea after cutting short his 18-month loan with Turkish Super Lig club Fenerbahce.

Since teaming up with the Black and Blues, the forward has made 12 appearances across all competitions, including seven in Serie A.

The former Nigeria international started his career with the youth setup of Crystal Palace and made his debut for the side at the age of 16 in 2007.

Moses featured 58 times for Palace before leaving the club to join Wigan Athletic and his eye-catching displays for the Latics saw him snapped up by Chelsea in 2012.

The forward, who won the Premier League title under the guidance of Conte in 2017, has now featured for five different clubs on loan.

Moses also enjoyed success with the Super Eagles before his retirement from international duty in August 2018, after featuring at the World Cup in Russia.

The winger had 38 caps for the West Africans, scoring 12 goals and played a key role as Nigeria won their third Africa Cup of Nations title in South Africa in 2013.

Dimitar Berbatov remains “convinced” that Manchester United will secure a top-four finish this season, but the former striker is looking for the Red Devils to raise their game and have opponents “chasing them”.

Those at Old Trafford were once accustomed to leading from the front, with Sir Alex Ferguson overseeing 13 Premier League title triumphs.

A humbling tumble from the loftiest of perches has been endured since then, with United still working on climbing back up domestic and continental trees.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has offered cause for optimism in 2020, with his side currently unbeaten through 18 games in all competitions.

They did, however, allow two precious points to slip through their grasp in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Southampton last time out, meaning that there is still work to be done in order to secure Champions League qualification.

Berbatov believes that line will be crossed, but the Bulgarian is eager to see United become an imposing force once more.

A man who spent four years at Old Trafford in his playing days told Betfair: “United's draw against Southampton was disappointing. I'm sure United's staff and players were unhappy about missing the opportunity to go third, especially as it was their concentration which let them down.

“Winning the match would have made their jobs easier and put pressure on the teams around them.

“A top-four finish is still there for the taking. It is a positive that they didn't lose against Saints and hopefully that point will prove critical come the end of the season.

“Killing teams off has always been the United way. Against Southampton, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's players did all they could to kill the game off but their opponents played good football, they pressed the ball and tried to keep it, so they deserve a lot of credit.

“Killing off the opposition and scoring plenty of goals must be on the agenda for United every game, and to do that they need concentration and consistency.

“I was part of a United team that scored so many late goals and I also played against United teams that did that. If you ask any player, they will say it hurts when you concede so late. Especially when you are chasing a title, a cup or top four. I think those players will be hurting after that match.

“I am still convinced that United will finish in the top four but I cannot state it enough: they need to improve their concentration. They need to be 100 per cent switched on in every game, they can't afford to concede early goals, they don't want to be chasing games. This is Manchester United and it should be the opposition chasing them.

“When you go ahead, teams have to open up, that creates more space for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to use their speed and terrorise defenders.

“The chances are still there for them, Chelsea and Leicester have had a few slips recently, so I am still confident that United will finish in the top four.”

United’s top-four fate is still in their own hands with three games to go, as they are due to end the 2019-20 campaign with a trip to the King Power Stadium, and their next outing is set to see them face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday.

Vissel Kobe's Gotoku Sakai has revealed how Andres Iniesta has stepped up as club captain during the coronavirus pandemic, with the Spaniard keeping spirits high during the stoppage in the J1 League season.

Football in Japan restarted in early July, with Sakai's side securing their first win of the season away at Sagan Tosu last Wednesday.

And ahead of leading his team back to the pitch, Iniesta had made sure a dialogue remained open between himself and his team-mates to help with mental well-being during the public health crisis. 

“Off the pitch, he really showed his leadership qualities in the time when we were not able to play football,” Sakai told Goal. “He was trying to keep the group together as much as he could despite being a foreign player and having difficulties with the language.

“Being a former captain myself, I know how difficult that can be, to speak to a group and keep everybody together. But he really made an effort to do that, so I really respect him for that.

“In terms of on the pitch, he plays so many incredible passes. Last year, in the semi-final of the Emperor's Cup, he scored a very important goal for us. Every single day I get to play or train with him is something that I treasure.

“Just training with Andres makes you realise how much there is still to learn. Whether it's the timing of a pass or just the way he sees things, you realise there is still room for growth.

“He isn't a big talker, but he's someone who leads by example through his play. He's a big figure who carries a lot of responsibility. What he brings to this club is that he has the ability to deliver in the important moments – that's something invaluable for us.”

Like Iniesta, Sakai is perhaps better known for his career in Europe, where he played in the Bundesliga for eight years at Stuttgart and Hamburg. The Japan international left his home country at 21 but opted to return to the J League amid troubles at the latter side. 

While looking for clubs, he admits the former Barcelona star's presence helped him make his choice.

“With regards to my decision to leave Europe, I would break it down into two parts. The first would be my family, they are here in Japan and I wanted to be closer to them again,” Sakai said.

“Secondly, my time in Hamburg became difficult. The team was relegated to the second division and my own performances were under scrutiny – I wasn't playing to the best of my ability.

“It became a very inhospitable environment. Vissel Kobe were very eager to sign me, they were determined and they showed me that. I saw that they had players like Iniesta and Hotaru Yamaguchi, who is a really good friend and a quality player.

“The project excited me, you could see the ambition and potential for growth and the ability to challenge for titles, so that was a motivating factor.”

It wasn't all doom and gloom for Sakai in the Bundesliga, however, with the full-back having the exciting challenge of having to mark Bayern Munich legends Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.

“Overall, Bayern Munich were the strongest,” he said. “In my position, two players stood out and they were Robben and Ribery. They were incredibly tough match-ups.

“To face Robben, you just have to watch out for him cutting in on his left. He always wants to cut in so you have to keep him on his right and make him run straight and not go inside.

“Ribery could do anything, so the most important thing was to get as close to him as possible when he got the ball and not let him get by you. When he gets up to speed, that's when he is most dangerous.”

Express FC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Isaac Mwesiga is adamant Disan Galiwango is still contracted to the club despite his move to the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions Vipers SC.

The defender was unveiled by the Kitende-based side at the beginning of July as a free agent. However, the administrator has come out strongly condemning the move, insisting it is illegal since their player is still attached to the Wankulukuku-based team.

"The fact is that Galiwango is still our captain because he signed an agreement with us," Mwesiga told Sanyuka TV as reported by Sports Nation.

"The agreement was that Galiwango was to renew his contract after receiving the money, which we gave him. He agreed to extend his contract with us for the next two years so he took that money.

"And when he was unveiled at Kitende, I called Vipers’ officials and told them that they have done a wrong thing because the player had an agreement with the club."

The CEO has revealed the complaint was raised with the Federation of Uganda Football Federations (Fufa).

"The issue is still in the federation (Fufa) which needs an injunction, the two clubs have to sit and negotiate for this transfer to happen and good enough Vipers agreed and we have no problem with it if the player needs to leave," Mwesiga added.

"However, Galiwanga has to leave in the right way and my chairman [Kiryowa Kiwanuka] was clear that if negotiation fails we will seek justice in the courts of law."  

The CEO has also shed light on the impact of coach Wasswa Bbosa on the team.

"We all know Bbosa is a good coach, a problem solver is a person who has a strong relationship with players, by the time he came to Express, we needed a coach who was going to give us stability, a coach who knows our culture, a coach who played for the team before, who has the experience and a coach who could give us immediate results and that was Bbosa," Mwesiga stated.

"He was a good choice because most of his teams tend to be very hard to beat and we are going to support him by giving him the players he needs and I want to ensure fans that we still have a long term future with him and we are very happy with what he has done so far."

The administrator has also revealed plans for the new season.

"Even though we released a couple of players, we have a lot of players remaining and we are going to promote others from our junior team.

"I call upon fans to stay calm and prepare to come back to the stadium because the team is going to go back where it is supposed to be." 

Bruno Fernandes has billed Cristiano Ronaldo as “the most skilful player [he has] ever seen”, while the Manchester United midfielder has also recognised the “amazing” qualities of club-mate Marcus Rashford.

A Portugal international on the books at Old Trafford has been piecing together his perfect player.

The 25-year-old was asked to make his selections for that dream performer from those he has played with and against over the course of his career to date.

It comes as no surprise to see five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo get the nod, with Fernandes having worked alongside the Juventus superstar at international level.

He acknowledges that an all-time great has changed his game down the years, having morphed from a tricky winger into a devastating goal-scoring frontman, but still considers him to be the most testing talent on the planet for opposition defenders.

Fernandes told BT Sport: “Cristiano – more in the first years of his career he was one of the most skilful players in the world.

“I think he changed his game a little bit, but he’s still a player who is really difficult one against one to defend against.

“For me, for everyone I have played with and against, I think he is the most skilful player I have ever seen.”

Another attribute that Fernandes’ perfect player needed to have was blistering pace, with United forward Rashford picked out in that department having shown a January arrival in Manchester what he is all about in a campaign which has delivered a career-best return of 21 goals.

“Rashford, I think he can have amazing pace but with amazing quality,” added Fernandes.

“It is difficult sometimes going at that velocity and still have the quality to do the right things – the right time to shoot, to pass, the skills.

“He surprised me a lot. Of course I already knew his quality because he is one of the best young players in the world.”

When it comes to leadership skills, Fernandes opted to go with Juventus’ legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon – who is still going strong at 42 years of age.

He selected Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante for his work rate, while another couple of World Cup winners were chosen for their footballing brains – with Italy icon Andrea Pirlo and Barcelona great Andres Iniesta completing Fernandes’s selection.

Harambee Starlets forward Esse Akida has dismissed notions Kenyan Premier League (KPL) clubs need money in order to form women's teams.

Akida, on Tuesday, called on Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards and Bandari to form women’s teams as Real Madrid have done recently and has said a lack of financial resources should not be a hindrance at all.

“Who told you these big teams have money? Some of these foreign teams are in serious debt but they are debts taken on serious investments,” Akida argued on a Facebook post.

“Football is business and in business, you have to risk; they have risked and they always reaped benefits. The KWPL had sponsors at some point, it's sad they left.

“I believe now that they have a product, things will be up soon. But before that, we have to use what we have. Do you want the league to be scrapped because we don't have money?

“What will happen to the ladies who depend on those teams?”

The Kenyan forward also dismissed notions Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards' participation in the lower league will be unfair.

The Starlet believes Ingwe and K’Ogalo’s involvement, should they form sister teams, will not be unfair to other rivals as many have claimed.

“Surprised that some of you don't even realize there are laws in our country. For those who don't know, when you are to form a team, you'll have to start from the lowest point up,” she added.

“Whether you are from Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards or Mariakani FC at least that's the rule I know.”

Akida is confident the formation of women's clubs by big teams will help a lot of ladies launch their careers and get better teams thereafter.

“Earlier this year I think we had a number of ladies get teams abroad. Others were on the verge of sealing deals,” she concluded.

“Almost all of you were happy with the news. We all want our fellows to progress and these players were spotted somewhere there in Kenya. The national team coach picks these players from clubs.

“But when I request for our big clubs to have ladies’ teams to increase this number and scope, some of you are against it.

“Surely, where do you want these ladies you are proud of horn their skills? Where do you want those talented ladies in primary and secondary schools to trade? Where do you want them to showcase what they can do to the national team coach?”

The 27-year-old star played for KWPL sides Spedag FC and Thika Queens before moving abroad.

Clubs in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and the National Super League (NSL) will be competing in a Super 16 competition set to premier in the 2020/21 season.

Football Kenya Federation head Nick Mwendwa has confirmed the new tournament will take the place of the initial one dubbed the KPL Top 8 which had only included top-flight football clubs. 

"We will have a new tournament from next season called Super 16 which will be sponsored by BetKing," Mwendwa told Goal on Thursday.

"This is a competition which will involve the top eight teams in both the KPL, which will be referred to as BetKing Premier League and the NSL. 

"Matches will be played under floodlights and there will be monetary rewards and other prizes for the participating teams."

AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia recently secured a three-year deal with BetSafe. Sofapaka have Betika as their shirt sponsors. Will the deal between FKF and BetKing affect them?

"The BetKing deal will not affect shirt sponsors for clubs," Mwendwa revealed.

"You can see Liverpool with Standard Chartered Bank while the [Premier League] is sponsored by Barclays Bank. 

"So we will not have any issues there because BetKing are title sponsors and the others are shirt sponsors for the teams. Nothing will change and it will not affect anything."

BetKing will sponsor the Premier League for five years and is expected to fork out up to KSh1.2 billion for the participating teams. 

The arrival of the betting firm marks the biggest sponsorship deal ever inked by the Premier League in its history. BetKing will take the place that was left by the previous sponsor SportPesa whose exit left a huge hole in all teams’ pockets as well as league managers; the KPL Limited Company.

Part of the deal agreed between Kenya’s FA and the new sponsor is the renaming of the competition. 

FKF will take the management mantle from KPL whose contract ends in July 2020. Mwendwa has been categorical that they were not keen to renew KPL’s contract.

The 2020/21 season will mark the first time FKF is managing the top-flight after an era that spurned over a decade when the league was under KPL.

Arsenal have held talks over a move for Malang Sarr - but have yet to table a contract offer to the 21-year-old defender.

Sarr is a free agent having come to the end of his contract with Nice and has several clubs across Europe chasing his signature.

There have been suggestions that the Gunners have made an offer to the France Under-21 international centre-back, but sources close to the player have confirmed to Goal that is not the case.

While there have been discussions, talks with other clubs are far more advanced, with Italian side Torino making a concerted effort to lure Sarr to Turin.

Arsenal are exploring the possibility of bringing in another centre-back during the summer transfer window despite the arrival of William Saliba, who spent last season on loan with Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1.

But with the club’s finances still uncertain given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the north Londoners looking unlikely to qualify for Europe next season, the Gunners are struggling to make any firm commitments regarding contract offers and transfer fees.

And following Wednesday night’s 2-1 win against champions Liverpool, head coach Mikel Arteta was asked whether he would be given the finances to improve his squad this summer.

"I don't know," he told Sky Sports. "It's a big concern.

"You need it to build a squad. It's not magic. You need to improve with quality players in the squad and you need bigger squads to compete in this competition. There's the challenge."

Arsenal will wait until the season is completed to make any decisions over possible new arrivals, when they feel they will have more clarity on what sort of money is available and who they might be able to move on to bolster the funds that could be available to Arteta.

The Gunners also hold an interest in Reims centre-back Axel Disasi. They registered their interest in the 22-year-old earlier in the year, but have yet to follow up with an offer for the centre-back, who has also been linked with Wolves and Southampton.

Meanwhile, Konstantinos Mavropanos has left Arsenal on loan to join VfB Stuttgart, with the Bundesliga side, who won promotion this season, seeing off competition from Werder Bremen to sign the defender on a temporary deal.

Mavropanos has just completed a successful loan spell in Germany as he helped Nurnberg escape relegation from the 2. Bundesliga, with the Greece Under-21 international having also penned a new deal with the Gunners.

After making the move to Germany’s second tier in January, Mavropanos made 13 appearances, with his performances catching the eye of several clubs in the country’s top two divisions.

Sven Mislintat, who was the man who first brought Mavropanos to Arsenal in 2017 when he was the Gunners’ head of recruitment, is the sporting director at Stuttgart, hence the Bundesliga side being particularly keen on bringing him in.

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Fabian McCarthy has expressed delight in the fact the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) will finally return next month.

McCarthy is confident coach Ernst Middendorp’s troops will walk away as new champions when the current season resumes.

On the idea of completing the current season in Gauteng as announced by PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza this week, the 43-year-old legend has backed the move.

“Yeah, it’s good news that we now know the dates for the restart, we have to give the match officials time to get their match fitness back to the best,” McCarthy told Goal.

“They have to prepare and be fit because playing football for six weeks will be a challenge for them. They can also get injured and get sick, this gives them enough time to get their minds and bodies ready.

“I think obviously Gauteng is the best option because the logistics are better here, the management and the offices are all here for the league and mother body.

“You only cater for Durban which has three teams, Free State one and I think the ones in Polokwane can stay there and only come here for the match. It’s a wise decision because if you take all the teams and move to KwaZulu-Natal. It’s a headache when you take 13 teams to get accommodation there.

“I think the idea for Gauteng can work, the restart will be smooth because the broadcasters are also in Gauteng, the PSL offices in terms of management and so on.

“We can’t wait for the league to restart and I personally can’t wait to see my team [Chiefs] taking this one. They have come a long way to drop the ball now. They have given everything and I’m with them. There’s no way we can let this one slip up.

“I just hope the players can protect their families, the media must be safe to give us the coverage and the stories. We are now watching the EPL [English Premier League], [Spanish] La Liga, and the [German] Bundesliga but we want the PSL and the NFD (National First Division) – I'd like to wish good luck to everybody.”

The retired Bafana Bafana defender also takes a look at how the delayed restart might have an impact on the upcoming 2020/21 campaign whilst also believing the month of October could be suitable for the start of the new season.

“The preparations for next season, I think they just have to minimize the preparations for the next one. Maybe give the team a month and start again,” he added.

“The guys have been away for three months and they just started training. I think the remaining games can be used as pre-season, probably start the new one by September. It’s a question of trying to find the balance to finish this one and the start of the 2020/21 season.

“So, I think it will suit the teams that will play the remaining games in August and to have a month’s break to get ready for the new one. If you pick up injuries, then you can still recover.

“I think most teams will take one week or two to recover and prepare for the 2020/21 season anyway. In my opinion, the first week of October can be best for us to start the new season.

“It will be a long 2020/21 season but it will also depend on the cup games, the Fifa calendar, and so on. Having a few weeks off for pre-season will suit most players, to say don’t give them too long to stay at home to restart the batteries.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) captain Papy Tshishimbi has asked for forgiveness from fans after a 4-1 loss to Simba SC in Sunday's FA Cup encounter.

Yanga were humbled by their Kariakoo rivals during the domestic cup semi-final match and Tshishimbi has called on their fans to grant them forgiveness for what happened.

“I am not happy and it will take me long before I accept what happened at the National Stadium on July 12. The big issue was to see my team lose with a bigger margin against our archrivals,” Tshishimbi told Mwanaspoti.

“In my life, I have never lost with such a margin, especially against my great opponent.

“But what hurts me more is the big chance we have missed to appear again in the international matches [Caf inter-club] and again going for the third straight year without success.”

The midfielder revealed he was not 100 per cent fit to face Simba then but he had to play after coach Luc Eymael asked him to.

“I might have not been fit enough but I had to understand what the coach wanted from me; to go and help the team,” he added. “I am a soldier and at times one is needed to engage in war even when both legs are injured.

“I understand fans are not happy but on behalf of my teammates let me ask for forgiveness for what transpired then again.

“We made big mistakes and football is a game where mistakes committed are punished. Forgive us and we will strive to get back and continue with the journey.

“The journey that we need to begin afresh, even though we are injured, is to assess our mistakes, see what must be done and how it must be done.

“The results we got from the match showed explicitly the weaknesses of our squad. The squad has shown what must be done and in a big way so that the team can return to its previous healthy shape.

“It is sad to see supporters striving to support the team every time but we end up letting them down and giving them more pain. Let us come together and try to have a better future as a club.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo star further called for respect and discipline from his teammates.

Bernard Morrison has been singled out for lack of discipline by the online community after he stormed the pitch after he was substituted.

“Players must always remain disciplined and even if one is going to score 200 goals he must remember the club is always bigger than an individual,” concluded the captain.

“Matters of discipline must be looked into deeper or it may end up bringing more harm to the team than before.”

The July Dar es Salaam meeting was the third between the two most successful Tanzanian clubs in the year.

Only three teams have won the Indian Super League since it kicked off in 2014 and Mohammed Rafi, the experienced footballer from Kerala, has won the trophy twice with different clubs. 

Having excelled in the I-League with Mahindra United, Rafi had made a name for himself in Indian football before he was signed by Atletico de Kolkata in 2014 for the inaugural season of ISL. The Kolkata-based franchise lifted the trophy, beating a David James-led Kerala Blasters in the final. 

His appeared in the final again two years later with Blasters but ended up on the losing side. Rafi moved to Chennaiyin FC in the season that followed and voila! He was a champion again!

The two-time champion decided to return to the place he calls home. He'd left without a trophy so it was time to win a third title but the much-anticipated return of the 'headmaster' did not go according to plan. 

"There was a lot of expectations at the start of the season. We had a good team. Then there were a lot of injuries. I injured my hamstring a week before the season started, came back and played a couple of games and then was out injured again for more than two months. I missed a lot of games due to injuries and it was disappointing," Rafi recounted the disappointment of the season that never truly kicked off to Goal. 

Winning the title in 2014 remains the standout moment for Rafi, who said, "The ISL win in the first season was truly special. It was unlucky to miss out in the final with Kerala Blasters. Then at Chennaiyin, it was pleasing to win the trophy in my first season itself." 

Why hasn't Kerala Blasters won a trophy yet? As a player who has been part of title-winning squads, Rafi feels there is too much hype built around young talents in Kerala which is a dampener to their spirits if things go awry.

"There is too much focus on youngsters. Teams do need experienced players also (to succeed). There are a lot of senior players who work harder than younger players, people don't see that. I have been playing football for around 18 years and for me, I have gained a lot of knowledge from my seniors," the 38-year-old said. 

He also pointed out that youngsters, when hyped up on social media, are a lot more prone to capitulation. 

"There are people who started watching football when ISL started. There are fans who are always there to support you. And there are fans who blame poor results on just senior players and focus on abusing individuals on social media. Experienced players know how to handle situations due to their match experience and they are important to the team.

"The pressure from fans affects young players more. They become more disappointed easily due to verbal attacks. When a youngster plays well, they treat him as a star, when he doesn't do well in a game, he is treated as a nobody. I have seen this happen," the experienced forward added.

Rafi has been around for a lot of years and has been there to witness the ups and downs of Indian football. He has played with and against both good and not-so-good foreign footballers, which is why he also is in favour of reducing the foreign player quota of Indian leagues. 

"If Indian football has to improve, the number of foreigners needs to come down. Only then, Indian players will get an opportunity to perform. If foreign players don't do well, there will be added pressure on Indians as foreigners aren't criticized in the same way," he opined. 

And the striker has no doubts that there are players who can do well when given the chance to perform and moulded in the right manner. 

"There are a lot of good footballers in Kerala but they don't have clubs to show their talent. There are exciting players like Rahul KP. I have never seen a better speedster than him. He is so fast. If he trains and is used well, he can be a really good player. Leon Augustin, who is with Bengaluru FC, also another really exciting talent," the footballer said. 

Rafi's know-how of football in Kerala can be an advantage for any club that makes use of his services when he hangs up his boots. The striker has plans to do the same.

"I wish to stay at Kerala Blasters and retire here. I will see the offer and decide. I would also like to maybe work at the club and help find talent in Kerala. Let's see." 

Hassan Al Thawadi, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for the delivery of infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup, believes that the global showpiece event will act as a bridge between different cultures. 

On Wednesday, FIFA revealed the match schedule for the 2022 edition of the tournament. Hosts Qatar will get the ball rolling on 21 November 2022, at the Al Bayt stadium with the game set to kick-off at 13:00 local time (3:30 pm IST).

Following the much-awaited reveal, Hassan Al Thawadi said, "Announcing the match schedule is a great milestone that we have achieved and arrived at. For us, over the last 10 years, we have been talking about preparation and I am very proud to say that we are very well advanced in terms of preparation. Most of the infrastructure is finalized, stadiums are coming into pipeline gradually by the end of next year as well."

The SC has been hard at work to make the 2022 edition of the World Cup, the first FIFA event set to take place in the Middle East, a unique experience. Their tagline is also 'Deliver Amazing'.

Al Thawadi pointed out that the upcoming event aims to bridge different cultures and also make the whole process of attending matches easy and affordable. 

"The fact is it highlights the concept of the compact World Cup. It is promoting the concept that fans can watch more than one match a day - it gives the tournament a unique spirit. It is the first time that people will experience it. 

"Although 2022 will be different from previous FIFA tournaments in many different factors, (there are) two main ones. We are infusing the spirit of the compact World Cup. Fans can watch more than one match a day, they don't have to worry about travel or changing accommodation. Once they arrive at Doha, they can focus on having fun, following and supporting their team and experiencing the Arab culture," the Secretary-General said. 

He further added, "This will be the first World Cup in the Arab world. We have always said that we are aiming for it to be a bridge between cultures. It will be an opportunity for people from different backgrounds and different walks of life to not only experience great football but create lasting bonds and friendships, especially considering we are coming out of Covid-19. I genuinely believe it will be the first global celebration where we will collectively have overcome Covid-19. The significance has become even more (increased).

"(During) Previous tournaments, fans had to plan their travel, follow their teams, take planes, trains, automobiles to be able to follow their teams. In this tournament, the minute the fans land into Doha, their main focus is going to be following their team, watching more than one match a day and celebrating. The concerns and stress of different modes of transportation from city to city are eliminated.

"It will be a more affordable tournament, we have always wanted to ensure that the fan experience is complete on all fronts. it will be a tournament that is accessible to all football fans."
 

When FIFA revealed the match schedule and timings for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Wednesday, fans of the beautiful game in India would most definitely have been left happy.

The timings of the matches are extremely favourable for Indian fans who watch football on television, despite a groupstage matchday featuring four games.

The first game will kick-off at 3:30 pm IST and the last game will kick off at 12:30 am IST (the next day in India). However, the second and third matches will both be consumed by a prime time evening broadcast audience in India, given that they start at 6:30 pm IST and 9:30 pm IST respectively.

The simultaneous kick-offs for the last round of group games will be 8:30 pm IST and 12:30 am IST (next day). The knockout stage matches are also likely to kick-off at a similar time slot as the last round of group games. The final will kick-off on 18 December 2022 at 8:30 pm IST.

Given that these are time slots that Indian fans spend time watching European football, World Cup 2022 will most certainly command a lot of viewers from the sub-continent.

It is not just those who follow European football who are tuned into the World Cup in India. Despite the Indian national team having never played the World Cup, the tournament has a really huge following with the average sports fan in the country, especially in football-crazy areas like Kerala, West Bengal, Goa and the North-East.

It is a common sight in these areas to see flags and banners of nations playing the World Cup, with people discussing the tournament with passion. In restaurants and shops during the World Cup, one can see customers and shopkeepers tuned into World Cup matches on whatever device they have available.

In major cities, you can even see cafes and restaurants even organise World Cup match screenings. In fact, even people who are not huge sports followers tune into the World Cup in India.

As per the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data, the total cumulative reach for the World Cup 2018 on the Sony Pictures Networks (who had the broadcast rights in India) was a whopping 254 million viewers.

The final match between France vs Croatia, which kicked-off at 9:30 pm, was watched by 51.2 million viewers which was the highest for any World Cup match till date in India. Obviously, that viewership figures are expected to be even better this time around, given the final is starting at 8:30pm - the prime-time for TV viewers in the country.

However, the Qatar World Cup will appeal not just to television viewers in India but also those fans who make the ardent trip to experience the World Cup and watch the games live.

India was among the top 10 countries in terms of number of match tickets sold to fans for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. One can expect even more, if not similar, amount of fans to travel for the World Cup from India in 2022 as well.

One, there is very good connectivity between Qatar and India, given the number of direct flights to Doha from most major Indian cities. Also,  Indian nationals have topped the international tourists' arrival in Qatar for the last few years including in 2019 (385,148 Indian nationals with UK nationals second placed at 133,418).

From 2017, Indian nationals have enjoyed visa on arrival entry status in the State of Qatar. Makes it all the more appealing.

There is also the fact that Qatar has a huge Indian diaspora. Indian nationals constitute more than 25 per cent of Qatar’s population.

Whether it be a TV viewing fan or a fan who wants to experience the thrill of a World Cup from India, 2022 World Cup in Qatar seems to be the ideal tournament.

Luka Jovic needs to be more professional if he wants to have a future at Real Madrid, former team-mate Milos Ninkovic has warned.

Jovic has endured a turbulent first season with Madrid following his big-money arrival from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt, the 22-year-old managing just two goals in 25 appearances.

A €60 million (£55m/$68m) signing after scoring 27 goals in 2018-19, Jovic has struggled for form and fitness, while the Serbia international's woes were compounded when caught breaking lockdown rules during the coronavirus pandemic .

Talk of a Madrid exit has intensified amid links to Premier League sides Leicester City and Arsenal and Serie A club Milan, while Hertha Berlin have reportedly joined the chase to bring Jovic back to Germany as Los Blancos close in on just their second La Liga title in eight seasons.

Ninkovic knows Jovic better than most, having provided the assist for the latter's debut goal as a 16-year-old for Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade in 2014.

And Ninkovic – a former 28-time Serbia international now playing for A-League champions Sydney FC – told Stats Perform News : “His biggest problem is not how he performs on the pitch, it's how he performs off it.

“He had so many problems off the pitch with some injuries and hanging out with some friends from Serbia when this virus started.

“I understand that because I was young as well. I signed, not for such a big club like Real Madrid, but I signed for Dynamo Kiev when I was 19, probably the biggest club in Ukraine and Russia.

“When you're young and you sign for a big club, he is on big money as well, it's hard to stay normal. He wants everything. As a young kid, he wants to stay with friends and go out. I read that [Zinedine] Zidane believes in Luka and he will stay next season.

“They probably understand that he is still young and everyone went through this. I understand him but he needs to be more serious because Madrid are a big club, they won't wait three, four years… He needs to be more professional if he wants to stay there.”

Orlando Pirates left-back Innocent Maela has opened up about his journey to become a Premier Soccer League (PSL) player.

The 27-year-old is inspired by his older brother, Tsepo Masilela, who is a successful left-back having played in the Fifa World Cup and Champions League. He also helped Kaizer Chiefs win two PSL titles before joining his current team, AmaZulu FC.

“I can tell you now, no left back starts off wanting to play left-back. A lot of us start off somewhere else and then switch later,” Maela told Far Post.

“Tsepo was of great help to me. I remember how I used to talk to him a lot on the phone when he was in Israel and he would advise me on how I could make a career out of football."

Maela's father, Eric Masilela was also a professional footballer having turned out for Witbank Aces during his playing days.

“My father played a huge role because he also played football. He was the only one who really believed I could play football professionally, not so much my mother,” he said.

Maela was nurtured in the Pirates academy before he spent two seasons with then-National First Division (NFD) side Witbank Spurs on loan from the Buccaneers.

Three successive loan spells with another NFD side Thanda Royal Zulu then followed and Maela admitted that “it was very tough" as he was keen to play for Pirates in the PSL.

The Witbank-born player revealed that he nearly quit football after Thanda survived relegation at the end of the 2015/16 season.

“I almost quit football when Thanda Royal Zulu survived relegation, I told my mom that I’d been out on loan for four years, going to five," he disclosed.

"I made it clear that if nothing happened [Pirates recalling him], I’d quit football and go back to school because I’m still young. She said to me ‘give it one more shot, son’."

“We won the 2016/17 NFD and gained promotion to the PSL. Winning the League with Thanda was a silver lining in my career,” he said.

However, Thanda sold their PSL status to AmaZulu FC a few days after the KwaZulu-Natal outfit secured promotion to the elite league by winning the NFD title.

“At that point, I thought maybe things were not meant to be. I was back to square one,” Maela explained.

“Days later, the chairman [Irvin Khoza] called to tell me they had been following my development and I was ready to come back to Pirates."

“It felt like God was making up for what seemed like delays in my career."

Maela was then included in the Bafana Bafana squad which participated in the 2017 Cosafa Cup after being recommended by his former coach at Pirates academy, Thabo Senong.

“I had been following him at Thanda Royal Zulu. I told [then-Bafana coach] Stuart Baxter that there was a left-back at Thanda Royal Zulu. I believed he would be one of the best," Senong told the same publication.

"Stuart was initially doubtful about a player coming from the NFD into the national team. But after having a look at him, he said, ‘Thabo, this is the right one’. He had a decent tournament,” said Senong, who was Baxter’s assistant at the time.

Since then Maela has been part of the Bafana squad at the 2018 Four-Nations Tournament in Zambia and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Egypt.

The hard-working player has been able to play in the Soweto Derby and also score with a header as Pirates edged out Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in a PSL clash during the 2018/19 season.

“If I were to pick my most memorable football moment, it would have to be the goal I scored in the [Soweto] Derby,” he said.

“That goal will always be special because it was in a derby."

Moussa Marega registered his third goal in a row with FC Porto sealing a 29th Primeira Liga title with a 2-0 win over fierce rivals Sporting Lisbon.

The Dragons have been in impeccable form since the restart with just a draw at Desportivo Aves letting them down.

What followed were victories against Boavista, Pacos Ferreira, Belenenses and against Tondela, the latter being the only game they failed to keep a clean sheet.

Porto’s last defeat came at Famalicao before the suspension of the league and they were not going to be let down by their bitter rivals Sporting.

After a goalless first half, Guinea-Bissau born defensive midfielder Danilo Pereira gave Sergio Conceicao’s men the lead in the 64th minute with a powerful header from an Alex Telles corner.

Porto were well on their way towards the title, but Marega added more gloss with the second goal coming in injury time, chipping the ball over onrushing Sporting goalkeeper Luis Maximiano. He had also scored in the reverse fixture at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on May 1 which ended in a 2-1 victory.

It was Marega’s 11th goal of the season and his 14th in all competitions from 43 outings. Among those was a goal in a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League round of 32.

The Mali international has now had a hand in seven goals (five goals, two assists) since the restart, his most productive outing coming in the 4-0 win over Boavista were he scored a brace and provided an assist.

Also on display for Porto was DR Congo international defender Chancel Mbemba. The former Newcastle United player had scored the only goal in Porto’s win at Pacos Ferreira and was at his solid best again at the back, contributing two clearances, four interceptions, five tackles and winning six of eight total duels.

Porto holds an eight-point lead over previous champions and record-holders Benfica who got the better of Vitoria Guimaraes 2-0 on Tuesday.

The Dragons who have 25 wins from 32 games, drawing three and losing four, will end their season with ties at home to Moreirense and away at Braga.

Jurgen Klopp insisted he was unfazed about Liverpool's chances of reaching 100 points in the Premier League being ended by Arsenal.

Liverpool fell to a 2-1 loss at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, and the champions can get to a maximum of 99 points this season.

But Klopp said there was no sense of disappointment about not being able to get to 100 points, a record set by Manchester City in 2017-18.

"No, not yet at least, I don't know if it comes," the Liverpool manager told a news conference.

"But it's just I want the points we can get and we will see what it is at the end of the season.

"I cannot make any negative of something really positive, becoming champion, having so early in the season 93 points, I'm not the type of person who makes something negative of it because we cannot get the 100 or two points anymore.

"We get the points we deserve and we will see how many that will be. In the moment it's 93, two games to go, very difficult games, but two games to go and these boys played an exceptional season and nobody can take that away from them.

"But I'm not happy about the game, I'm the opposite, I'm disappointed, angry about a few things, but the game, the game was good and the attitude is good, but we took a break and that's not good and that's why we lost the game."

Liverpool led against Arsenal through Sadio Mane, only for mistakes from Virgil van Dijk and Alisson to see Alexandre Lacazette and Reiss Nelson score in the hosts' victory.

Klopp, whose team entertain Chelsea on July 22, said they were rare mistakes by two of his stars.

"Somebody is surprised that these boys are human beings, I'm not," he said. "I see them every day, from time to time they are not perfect, but not really often. That's how it is."

Van Dijk admitted after the match that Liverpool got what they deserved from the match. 

"The goals we gave them as a present," Van Dijk lamented to Sky Sports. "Until their first goal, it was totally us, we gave them two goals and it is difficult to come back. We got what we deserved.

"Until then there was nothing wrong, we played very well. So it's easy to blame us having the the title but until I made the mistake there was nothing wrong."

Arsenal clearly need to sign new players in the transfer market despite stunning Liverpool, according to head coach Mikel Arteta.

Arteta's Arsenal received a boost in their rebuilding job, upstaging Premier League champions Liverpool 2-1 on Wednesday.

Arsenal trailed to Sadio Mane's opener and only claimed the lead after uncharacteristic Liverpool errors let in Alexandre Lacazette and Reiss Nelson midweek.

Despite the surprise victory, Arsenal – ninth in the table with two matches remaining – are 40 points behind Liverpool and Arteta insisted the Gunners must strengthen.

"I think it's pretty clear that we need to strengthen the squad," Arteta told reporters post-match.

Not since 2004 have Arsenal won the Premier League – failing to finish in the top four since their runners-up performance in 2015-16.

The gap has continued to widen in the Premier League, with Arsenal – who sacked Unai Emery in November – six points adrift of the top four.

Asked how long it will take to close the gap, Arteta said in a news conference: "Well I have seen it and I have experienced it. To do it in one year, and I have seen other clubs never do it. Or some clubs do it in four or five years.

"Depends on the context, depends on the resources, depends on how much you have to change.

"We are in a process, we don't know at the moment. There is a lot of uncertainty in many areas, what we can control now is who we want to be as a team, the culture we are building in order to do that, the spirit to be successful and then improve our players.

"My main focus is to make our players better, make them feel more comfortable and create an identity for the club because it will be easier to say we need this, this and this."

Arsenal are back in action against Manchester City in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final before visiting lowly Aston Villa in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Arteta's side could still finish as high as fifth if results in the league go their way over the next fortnight - they are currently six points shy of fifth-place Manchester United. 

Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri bemoaned his team's thrilling 3-3 draw at Sassuolo, with the stuttering Serie A leaders' inconsistency leaving him "perplexed".

Juve surrendered a 2-0 lead against in-form Sassuolo as they suffered a setback in their efforts to clinch a ninth successive Scudetto on Wednesday.

Defending champions Juve – who squandered a 2-0 advantage as they lost 4-2 to rivals Milan earlier this month – raced out to a two-goal advantage inside 12 minutes via Danilo and Gonzalo Higuain before Filip Djuricic reduced the deficit prior to half-time.

Domenico Berardi's stunning free-kick restored parity six minutes into the second half and the forward then set up Francesco Caputo to put Sassuolo 3-2 ahead three minutes later.

Alex Sandro salvaged a point for Juve past the hour-mark as the league leaders improved to 77 points through 33 games, seven clear of high-flying Atalanta.

"A coach expects consistency from his team, it's something we've been lacking both physically and mentally. We have some very strong moments in a match and some moments of passivity that are difficult to understand," Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.

"We've been up against teams in remarkable form recently and Sassuolo are no different, as they'd won four in a row and if they consolidate, they can become the Atalanta of the future.

"I do believe that if we resolve the issue of consistency throughout the game, we are on the right track. Any team becomes dangerous if you let them pass it around in our final third.

"We struggled because they played between the lines with the trequartista and we gave the ball away too many times. It was strange, as our full-backs in the first half were conservative, but then started to push forward and win the ball back early towards the end of the game.

"It's not so much something that doesn't work as it works in fits and starts. At times, I get the feeling this team has enormous potential. At other times, it leaves you perplexed, as it allows the opponents to enter the box far too easily. We need to find the right balance and that is not easy.

"We had to keep the ball more, as there are times when the passing move will help you to control the tempo and stay in the opposition half. We sometimes feel too rushed in trying to get to the goal in a couple of passes, which creates a situation where you go from end to end."

Juve host struggling Lazio – third in the standings – in Turin on Monday.