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James Rodriguez is a "great talent" but he's not the right fit for Real Madrid's "tactical system", according to Fernando Morientes.

Madrid completed the signing of James following his stellar displays for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup, prising him away from Monaco for a fee of €75 million (£68m/$85m).

The 29-year-old has since racked up 125 appearances for the Blancos in all competitions, scoring 37 goals and laying on 42 assists, but has never quite managed to establish himself as a first-team regular.

Madrid decided to send the midfielder out on loan to Bayern Munich for two years in 2017, and he found himself even further down the squad pecking order upon his return to Santiago Bernabeu last summer.

James has only featured in 14 games for Zinedine Zidane's side this season, with just eight of those outings coming in La Liga.

He was left out of Madrid's matchday squad for the 2-1 victory away at Granada on Monday, which saw them move to within one more victory of domestic glory.

The former Monaco star still has one year left to run on his current contract at the Bernabeu, but the Blancos have been tipped to cash in on the out-of-favour star when the transfer window reopens.

A move to the Premier League has been mooted for James in recent months, with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton all credited with an interest in his services.

Morientes cannot see the Colombian forcing his way back into Zidane's starting XI, but he is certain that James is capable of rediscovering his best form at another club.

The former Madrid striker told La Liga TV: "He has a great talent and he is a special player but does not fit in Real Madrid's tactical system. I am sure he can succeed in any other team."

The Blancos are currently sitting top of La Liga by four points ahead of arch-rivals Barcelona, with only two fixtures remaining.

Karim Benzema notched his 24th goal of the season against Granada to ensure Madrid kept one hand on the title, and Morientes has been hugely impressed by the Frenchman's contribution this term.

"Benzema is having a fantastic season, he has assumed the role of leader with [Sergio] Ramos and if nothing prevents it, he will soon be a league champion," the Spaniard added.

"He has given the team what they needed after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure."

Zidane's men will be named La Liga champions if they can secure a 10th successive victory at home to Villarreal on Thursday.

Christian Eriksen has been warned that he needs to raise his game in order to deliver on expectations at Inter, with Antonio Conte pointing out that the playmaker is not in England anymore.

A Denmark international was taken to San Siro in January after enjoying six-and-a-half productive years in the Premier League at Tottenham.

He contributed 69 goals and 89 assists to the Spurs cause, allowing him to establish a reputation as one of European football’s top creative talents.

Inter were happy to buy into those qualities once it became clear that an exit door would be opening in north London.

Eriksen opted against committing to an extended contract at Tottenham, freeing him to head for Italy in the winter transfer window.

The 28-year-old has not made the impact expected of him in Milan, with a coronavirus-enforced break stunting his progress, and Conte admits improvement is required in order to earn a starting berth in his side.

The Inter boss told Sky Sport Italia after giving Eriksen just six minutes off the bench in a 3-1 victory over Torino: “He has to hold down certain levels, but balance is needed. He’s improving and he’s aware that he joined an ambitious club that is asking a lot of him.

“Expectations are high in Italy. The bigger the name you are, the more people expect from you.

“I’ve worked in England and the situation there is more enjoyable, more peaceful. He’s committed and doing well, but I have to make decisions for the good of Inter.

“When I pick a player, I don’t look from the neck up. I want them to carry on like this. This team have great spirit. Sometimes they need to believe in their quality more.”

Victory over Torino has lifted Inter back into second place in the Serie A standings, but they are eight points back on leaders Juventus and Conte says he is happy to step aside if his services are no longer required.

He added: “I was called to Inter for a three-year project, to bring them back where they deserve to be.

“Inevitably, that takes time. I came here with so much enthusiasm. I have faith. I started a three-year project and [my contract] lasts three years. After that, if they want to extend my contract...

“I’m happy, I know there’s a long way to go, but I don't want to overstay my welcome. If everyone’s happy with the job I’m doing, and I think that’s the case right now, from what I’ve been told, then I don’t see why we shouldn’t go on.

“If they’re not happy with the job I’m doing then I won’t hesitate to step aside.”

Manchester City avoiding a European ban could work in Liverpool’s favour, claims John Aldridge, with the Reds’ closest rivals in the Premier League set to have continental distractions again in 2020-21.

It appeared at one stage as though that would not be the case, with the Blues about to see their focus narrowed on domestic matters.

UEFA stung City with a two-year ban from European competition, with those at the Etihad Stadium accused of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has lifted those sanctions on appeal, with Pep Guardiola able to plan an assault on multiple fronts next season as a result.

Liverpool are doing likewise, having ended their 30-year wait for title glory in the current campaign.

Jurgen Klopp and his troops are determined to defend that crown over the course of the next 12 months, with Aldridge of the opinion that their cause has been aided by Monday’s ruling on City.

The former Reds striker told the Liverpool Echo: “From a Liverpool perspective, the Court of Arbitration of Sport's decision to overturn Manchester City's two-year ban from the Champions League will help them.

“If City were out of that competition for next season, then they would have so much more time to focus and dedicate their energies on domestic trophies and obviously that includes the Premier League.

“With this decision, it is more of a level playing field across the board for both clubs next season. So both teams will be going for the Premier League and the Champions League and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out again next time out.

“The only thing is perhaps some of City's top stars who were maybe contemplating leaving will now stay at the Etihad as it has been turned around for them.

“That will no doubt make Liverpool's job tougher next season but I think having all the competitions to focus on will make it an even keel for both.”

Liverpool and City still have three games left to take in this season, with it possible for the Reds to finish on 102 points and raise a bar that City set when reaching three figures back in 2018.

Aldridge is hoping to see them hit that mark, adding on a side that will next be in action at Arsenal on Wednesday: “What they have done is truly fantastic this season and I am pretty sure they will want to finish this season on a high and that will mean breaking the points record.

“If they do manage to get over 100 points then great, but if they don't, what they have achieved anyway has been quite magnificent.

“In a 12-month period they won the Champions League, the Super Cup, the Club World Cup and, of course, the Premier League.

“Everything before them they have taken, pretty much. It has been an incredible year for Klopp's team and they remind me of the 1977 side.

“They were going for the treble but got beat in the final by Manchester United. That was a brilliant team like so many we've had in the past. But you have to say, Klopp's side are right up there and they have just got to keep going.”

When the Super League was stopped in March because of the coronavirus outbreak, a couple of days before the Movement Control Order was announced by the Malaysian government, Perak were sitting pretty in second place after four rounds of matches played.

Only two points behind Johor Darul Ta'zim in the standings, there was a real possibility of a title fight between the two teams for the 2020 season. Now fast forward four months later, the situation is less clear as there has been no matches played during this period.

Slowly but surely football has been allowed to return by the highest authority in Malaysia starting with the individual training that began on June 15 and the contact training that will begin on July 15. The Malaysian government has also given the green light for competitive matches to be played as early as August 15.

"Everything depends on MFL on what is the priority before they decide on the actual dates for the resumption of the M-League. Now we have the time to gather our players in the same session and whether we begin next month or in September, all the teams are in the same boat.

"Everyone will experience the same things in terms of period of training, so it's not a problem. If it starts in August maybe there will be some reasoning behind it but I leave it at the hands of MFL because either options are comfortable for me.

"I'm very satisfied with the physical level of my players and there are currently no injury concerns. It's all about working harding in training to regain back the game momentum," said Mehmet Durakovic in an interview with Malaysian Football League (MFL).

After the high of finishing second in the 2018 season, which saw them competing in the 2019 AFC Champions League qualifying round, Perak dropped down to fifth in the 2019 season. Despite the loss of influential figure in Brendan Gan prior to the start of the 2020 season, the Bos Gaurus has shown great fighting spirit in the opening rounds of the new season.

Still unbeaten, Durakovic's side will feel that with the league reduced to just 11 matches and only seven remaining, they will have a real say on where the title will head to in 2020. If Perak can keep their squad injury-free for the rest of the season, a finish like 2018 could be on the cards.

Bruce Grobbelaar is a name that resonates among the fans of Liverpool.

The Zimbabwean custodian spent 13 seasons at Anfield, from 1981 to 1994, establishing himself as a legendary figure among the Reds faithful.

Remembered for his gymnastic-like athletic ability, unflappable confidence and eccentric and flamboyant style of play, Grobbelaar made 628 appearances for Liverpool over the 13 years and won six English league titles and a European Cup trophy apart from countless other silverware.

Grobbelaar moved to Liverpool from Vancouver Whitecaps and made an immediate impression on his debut for the club in 1981 against Wolves. Though Liverpool lost the game 1-0, manager Bob Paisley was impressed. So much so that he played 317 consecutive matches for the Reds from that point on.

One of his most memorable performances came against Everton in the 1986 FA Cup final where Liverpool vanquished their arch-rivals 3-1. Grobbelaar came up with some big saves and even pulled off the famous 'Kangaroo leap' to keep Alan Hansen's headed backpass from going in. Had he not done that, Everton would have been 2-1 up at that point.

Of course, Grobbelaar's most famous moment in a Liverpool shirt came during the 1984 European Cup final where his 'spaghetti legs' captured all the attention. After Roma and Liverpool were tied at 1-1 after the end of extra-time, penalty shootouts were required. Grobbelaar's wobbly knees and shaky legs during Francesco Graziani’s run up to his spotkick put him off and he ended up skying his effort. Liverpool won the shootout 4-2, with Grobbelaar's antics being termed 'spaghetti legs'.

By the time Grobbelaar left Liverpool, he had distinguished himself in a Red shirt.

Here's your chance to catch up with the goalkeeper and interact with him as you celebrate Liverpool's title triumph. Grobbelaar will be appearing on Standard Chartered's Soundboard during Liverpool's Premier League encounter against Arsenal on July 15 (20:15 GMT).

As the official partner of the club, Standard Chartered are bringing together various Liverpool legends and fan hosts on their YouTube platform with SC Soundboard. Tune in and let the Soundboard bring the best of Kop chants directly to your home. Sing along and enjoy the experience during every remaining Premier League match of Liverpool.

This Saturday, it's Grobbelaar who will be live. You can catch him in action here .

Indian Super League (ISL) side NorthEast United FC are all set to sign attacking midfielder Imran Khan from NEROCA FC, Goal can confirm.

The 25-year-old Manipuri footballer had joined Mohun Bagan at the beginning of the 2019-20 season but due to lack of game time, he headed back home in the January transfer window and joined NEROCA.

He made 11 appearances this season in the I-League for NEROCA and raked up 990 minutes under his belt. He put in a man-of-the-match performance against TRAU where he scored once and provided two assists.

The midfielder started his career with Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting in 2013 and spent three seasons before heading to Fateh Hyderabad FC.

In 2018, he had joined ISL side FC Goa but was loaned out to Gokulam Kerala FC midway into the season. He appeared in nine I-League matches for the Kerala club during the 2018-19 season.

The Highlanders, who had finished ninth on the league table last season with just 14 points from 18 matches, have made notable additions in the transfer window this year.

They have already signed Ponif Vaz, Gurjinder Kumar, Lalkhawpuimawia & Rochharzela for the upcoming 2020-21 season. They are also close to signing former Mohun Bagan striker VP Suhair.

Inter head coach Antonio Conte said he will not "hesitate" to leave if the club are unhappy, though the Italian remains committed to the Nerazzurri project amid question marks over his future.

Conte joined Inter at the start of the season but there have been reports the former Chelsea and Juventus boss could leave at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Doubts have emerged amid Inter's struggles and Conte's frustrations, with the team failing to fire since the Serie A returned last month after the season was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Inter leapfrogged Lazio into second position in the table, eight points behind leaders Juve with six games remaining, following Monday's rallying 3-1 win at home to Torino and Conte was asked about his future.

"I was called to Inter for a three-year project, to bring them back where they deserve to be," Conte told Sky Sport Italia. "Inevitably, that takes time. I came here with so much enthusiasm. I have faith.

"I started a three-year project and [my contract] lasts three years. After that, if they want to extend my contract... I'm happy, I know there's a long way to go, but I don't want to overstay my welcome.

"If everyone's happy with the job I'm doing, and I think that's the case right now, from what I've been told, then I don't see why we shouldn't go on.

"If they're not happy with the job I'm doing then I won't hesitate to step aside."

Inter have seen their Scudetto bid derailed following a home defeat to Bologna and a draw with Hellas Verona, and they fell behind in the 17th minute on Monday.

Andrea Belotti was gifted the opener after Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic fumbled a corner at the Torino star's feet at San Siro – heaping further misery on Conte and his stuttering side. 

But Inter – without Romelu Lukaku – rallied in the second half thanks to goals from Ashley Young, Diego Godin and Lautaro Martinez, who ended his five-game scoreless drought. 

Conte added: "I honestly think we started the game very well. Then there was this corner kick. It was a period where there was an incident and we conceded a goal.

"I find it sensational that Samir messed up: he hardly makes mistakes. Overall, I think it was a game we dominated.

"The goal could've made us nervous and caused us problems, but we did well to score our goals.

"We're much less predictable than we were before as now we attack with more men. The result must crown the effort we put in and when it doesn't, it disappoints me.

"We've been punished excessively by certain incidents, but we're on the right track: playing attacking football and overloading our opponents' box."

Once a promising winger who possessed the pace to breeze through defences, Gabriel Fernades is somebody who watched his career fade into a premature conclusion due to recurring injuries.

The Goan footballer has donned the kits of top clubs such as East Bengal and Mumbai City FC. He has also represented almost every top-level Goan club during his decade-long career. However, the 32-year-old is currently working in England as a professional, and plays recreationally for Hellenic League side Shrivenham FC on the weekends.

Gabriel mentioned Mecca Rodriguez and Camilo Gonsalves as two coaches who helped him a lot during his formative years that he spent at the Sesa Football Academy and Dempo.

“I started playing football at Father Agnel High School. Then I joined Sesa Football Academy. Late coach Mecca Rodriguez helped me a lot and taught me so much during my formative years. After that, I joined Dempo and played for their U-14 and U-15 side under coach Camilo Gonsalves. I returned to Sesa, this time to play for their senior side. I then joined Sporting Clube de Goa but was unable to get a lot of chances here,” he told Goal.

The winger joined FC Goa ahead of the inaugural season of the Indian Super League (ISL). He spoke about how several coaches had a huge impact on getting his confidence level up.

“I had a good time at FC Goa and at Dempo. My confidence shot up at Mumbai FC because of coach Khalid Jamil. I also learnt a lot from coach Mike Snoei at Pune FC and earned my confidence,” he claimed.

“During a practice session at FC Goa, coach Zico once told me that he did not want me in the side if I was playing safe passes and not carrying the ball myself.  He wanted me to dribble and move forwards. He told me that I could have even 100 unsuccessful dribbles in a game just as long as I tried. He was confident that at least one would bear fruit. In that practice game, I had one good dribble and got an assist. This gave me confidence.”

Muscular injuries are not easy to recover from, especially when the diet and recovery program is not optimum. Gabriel experienced this first-hand in the second half of his career, with injuries preventing him from capitalising on a good run of form.

“I started enjoying a good time there (Goa) but then I suffered from an injury. It went downhill ever since,” he explained.

“I was a good player, not great but I had the speed when I was young. I did not take care of my body in the right manner. I learnt about diet and recovery too late in my career. I was not able to say when my body needed more rest.

“Now, everything is very professional. Players have their food on time and get adequate rest. All these have a huge effect on your game. When you get less sleep and don’t take enough rest, you are likely to get injured. The muscles won’t have time to recover. This is the reason I suffered from several muscular injuries. I was seldom side-lined due to ankle and knee injuries, it was usually muscular.

“Players who rely on speed need to take good care of their muscles. You never know when you get injured and there are also chances of relapses. I decided to call it a day after suffering from a lot of muscular injuries. I was unable to run and dribble like I used to before.”

The then 29-year-old joined East Bengal in 2017 in hopes of rejuvenating his injury-ridden career. He also scored one goal for the club, in a 7-1 win over Chennai City FC. But muscular injuries in the lower body persisted and he decided to call it a day on his career in Indian football after the troubling times.

“I joined East Bengal to get my confidence back. But even there I suffered from injuries very frequently, especially to my calves and hamstrings,” he said.

“My last good season was at Mumbai City FC (2015). But I suffered from a hamstring injury and I could feel my level dropping ever since. I wanted a club that gave me minutes and help build my confidence. I believed East Bengal would be the right destination. But due to constant injuries, I was unable to get it.

“I performed well in the Calcutta Football League but met with an injury due to which they did not want to register me for the I-League.

Gabriel hailed Samad Abdul Sahad as one of the brightest talents of this generation and had great things to say about Anirudh Thapa’s passing. But among his contemporaries, the winger labelled former defender Mahesh Gawli as a special player.

“I think Mahesh Gawli is one of the most special players I have played with. Among the current youngsters, I think Sahal Abdul Samad is a good player. Anirudh Thapa also plays very well. Both these players can pass the ball very well,” he concluded.

The Indian Super League (ISL) is currently in a transitional stage, with several changes in structure and requirements for eligibility in the works. The ever-changing footballing ecosystem is bound to impact clubs’ view on transfers and player contracts.

The reduction in the number of foreign players on the field to just four, which will be integrated soon is likely to have a profound effect on the contracts of Indian players. With an increase in demand for these players, clubs will look to tie the players to lengthy contracts, as opposed to the current scenario.

Indian football clubs rarely offer contracts longer than two-to-three years for any player. The overseas signings are well into their thirties and are hence handed out smaller contracts. It is often seen that clubs do not trust the players for a longer period of time and vice versa. The players are also not inclined to sign a long deal, given the constant changes in both ISL and I-League.

Bengaluru, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City, Hyderabad and Odisha are the only clubs with at least one player contracted until 2023 or beyond.

The JSW-owned club expressed their faith in wingers Udanta Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan with lengthy contracts. India number one Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is also tied to the club in 2023. Given his consistent performances for club and country, this commitment by the club carries very little risk.

Jessel Carneiro impressed in his debut season in the ISL and this caused the Blasters to extend his contract until 2023. Nishu Kumar, who has joined the southern club has put pen to paper on a lengthy contract. The left-back was one of the bright spots for Bengaluru last season and is slowly registering himself as one of the most consistent Indian players in the league.

Hyderabad have Souvik Chakrabarti, Yasir Khan and Nikhil Poojary while Odisha have tied Vinit Rai, Nandha Kumar and Shubham Sarangi until 2023.

It’s interesting to note that most of these players are either wingers, goalkeepers or full-backs. This could be a consequence of how the ISL clubs view potential overseas signings. Most clubs prefer a foreigner as a striker, given that it is one of the most influential positions on the field. The lack of quality Indian strikers is another reason why clubs make it a priority to scout a top overseas marksman.

The same can be said about the centre-back position. The gulf in quality of the overseas centre-backs and Indians makes it an attractive option to reserve at least one of those slots for a foreigner.

It is hence, understandable why most of the players with lengthy contracts in the ISL play on the flanks. Additionally, most of these players are capable of playing on either side of the pitch, thus making themselves valuable assets in times of injuries and suspensions within the team.

That said, the demand for a top-rated, proven Indian striker or a centre-back will be extremely high, as has been the case with Sandesh Jhingan.

With top players in these positions tied with long contracts, the young prospects will start attracting eyeballs, with the ‘four foreigners’ rule in the starting XI set to kick i from 2021-22 season.

However, there is another side to this story. There is also the case of the clubs being reluctant in investing in a player for a longer period due to uncertain returns. Numerous times, such players have suffered injuries that have seen their seasons cut short and suffer massive dips in form.

Tottenham are "more tactical" under Jose Mourinho than they were when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge, according to Ben Davies.

Pochettino's five-year reign at Spurs came to an end back in November, following a disastrous start to the 2019-20 campaign.

Club chairman Daniel Levy decided that a change was needed after seeing the team drop into the bottom half of the table, and Mourinho was swiftly drafted in as the Argentine's successor.

Tottenham became regulars in the top four and Champions League finalists while Pochettino was at the wheel, but he was unable to deliver any tangible success in the form of trophies.

Mourinho was seen as the ideal man to finally bring the club's long wait for silverware to a close, due to his glittering CV which includes three Premier League titles and two European Cups.

However, the Portuguese has only managed to oversee 11 wins from his first 23 Premier League games, and Spurs have also exited the FA Cup and Champions League in the first few months of his tenure.

Results have been mixed since the resumption of the season on June 17, with a 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United marking arguably the lowest point of Tottenham's entire campaign to date.

Pressure has been building on Mourinho in recent weeks, but a 2-1 north London derby victory over Arsenal on Sunday helped to silence critics and keep his team in the hunt for a top-seven finish.

Davies, who has taken in 19 appearances for the Lilywhites across all competitions this term, says the players are now better prepared for each fixture than they were when Pochettino led the squad.

The Spurs defender told Talksport: “Under Poch, we very much had our style of play and it was just the high press, high intensity…

“Now I think we’re a bit more tactical, we’re a bit more aware of what we’re coming up against.

“We have a game plan for each game.”

Davies went on to express his belief that Mourinho is the right man to take Tottenham forward in the coming years, adding: “In some games, it hasn’t been what we’ve wanted but everyone’s buying into the skill set that Mourinho has and we all know that he’s a top, top manager.

“He’s won everything there is to win so us as players have got to put our trust into him and the results will follow.

“We know it [results this season] hasn’t been what we want, it has been stop-start but we can’t use that as an excuse.

“We’ve got to be better than that away from home and we know that.

“We’ll go away in the summer and I’m sure we’ll do a lot of work in pre-season, get ready for it and next year has to be a different story.”

Manchester United “deserve” to secure Champions League qualification, claims Nemanja Matic, with the Red Devils aware that top-four fate remains in their own hands after dropping points against Southampton.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were on course to hit third spot in the Premier League table as they entered stoppage-time in a home date with the Saints on Monday.

There was, however, to be a late sting in the tail, with Michael Obafemi bundling home the most dramatic of equalisers in a 2-2 draw.

Taking a share of the spoils instead of another morale-boosting wins means that United remain in fifth, level with Leicester and one point behind Chelsea.

They have just three more games in which to haul themselves up the standings, with the last of those set to see them travel to the King Power Stadium for a crunch clash with the Foxes.

Matic believes the Red Devils can get over the line, given their form since the turn of the year, and is looking to remain upbeat after seeing an unbeaten run extended to 18 games in all competitions.

The Serbian midfielder told MUTV on the back of a frustrating finish to a meeting with Southampton: “We have to keep our head up, we have three games to go. The next one is Crystal Palace on Thursday, if we win the last three games we are in the Champions League.

“So we have to stay positive and keep working as we were until now. Everything is in our hands. It's in our hands, we have to recover as soon as possible.

“We have another game now, against a very good team again, so we have to go with everything because we want to play Champions League next season.

“I think we deserve that, so I want to say we work positively, recover well and we will see on Thursday if we are ready. I am sure the team is ready.

“Of course, three months ago it was not in our hands. We needed Chelsea and Leicester to drop points, which they did obviously. Now we are a point behind Chelsea and it's in our hands.

“We’ll take it game by game. We’ll think about Palace first, then if we do our job there, like we normally do.”

Alongside their Premier League efforts, United also have an FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea to take in on Sunday.

“The next two weeks are very important for us,” added Matic.

“We will give everything, we promise that we will give everything for this club to play Champions League, of course the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, we will give our best to make our supporters proud.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael has confirmed only a few players turned out for training just a day after they suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat against Simba SC in the FA Cup.

The Jangwani Street-based giants failed in their bid to reach the final of the domestic Cup after losing 4-1 in the semi-final clash played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

The huge defeat ended Yanga’s pursuit for a straight ticket to the Caf Confederation Cup but enhanced Simba’s chances of sealing a double this season since they had already been crowned the Mainland Premier League champions with six matches to spare.

The Belgian coach has now told Goal he was left a disappointed man after some key players, whom he did not want to name, decided to skip training on Monday which was aimed at discussing the Cup exit and also the remaining matches in the top-flight.

“A lot of players were not there on [Monday] for training, it is when you see the character when you are facing tough times, some players are there and some are not there but we will do with the players we have at hand,” Eymael told Goal.

“If people are not there perhaps they are thinking beyond the club, maybe their mind is not at the club and what can we do? We have to live with that and work with those players who are ready to play.”

Pressed further to name the players who skipped training and whether the club will take action against them,” Eymael said: “I don’t want to comment on that…okay, thank you very much.”

On whether the conduct of the missing players will affect the team’s quest to finish second on the 20-team league table, Eymael explained: “I don’t think so, but we will see, let us wait and see.

“We have to stay focused, now we have to prove if we are really men, if we can bounce back, unfortunately, this game [against Simba] is finished, and we cannot play it again, we have to see if we can bounce back and finish second on the table and we have to take some positives from this defeat.”

Yanga are now fighting to finish second with close challengers Azam FC as they lie third on the log.

SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo says his side can only challenge for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title in two or three years.

The Zimbabwean tactician has been coaching the Tshwane giants since March 2018 having initially taken charge of the team as a caretaker coach.

Tembo was then appointed permanent head coach ahead of the 2018/19 season and he led the team to the 2018 MTN8 final where they lost to Cape Town City on penalties.

“I always look back to where I started as the interim coach. I think when I took over, the team was in 14th, two points above relegation, and with only about seven games to go – and we finished seventh," Tembo told Far Post.

"And the following season, when I was appointed full-time, we lost in the MTN8 final on penalties to Cape Town City and finished sixth in the league.

“And this is my second season, where we also got into the MTN8 final, and we won it [against Highlands Park], and we’re currently third in the league."

Tembo joined Matsatsantsa in 1999 and he has served as a player, academy coach, first-team assistant coach and now head coach.

The 49-year-old worked under coach Eric Tinkler when SuperSport lost to DR Congo's TP Mazembe in the 2017 Caf Confederation Cup final and he explained that they are rebuilding the team.

“So when I look back I see progress. And if you look at the team which I took over, to the team I have now, there’s a huge difference,” he said.

“A lot of players have left and we’ve brought in a lot of young players. For me, that’s what I look at if I want to judge myself.

“This season, I want to try and finish higher than we did last season. The team that got to the Confederation Cup final was very experienced, and most of those players are no longer with us.

“We are in a rebuilding phase, and it’s also made worse by the pandemic, and there are no budgets. So how I look at it is to bring in young players," he added.

“This team can still improve and in the next two or three years, we should be fighting for the league. So we’re cutting the budget, and at the same time staying competitive.

"I can see that in the next two, three seasons, we will be able to challenge."

SuperSport will be hoping to move up on the PSL standings when the current season resumes having been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic last March.

Tembo's side is placed third on the league standings - four points behind second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, who have three games in hand.

Wakiso Giants have confirmed the signing of winger Pius Kagwa from Uganda Premier League (UPL) side Police FC ahead of the new season.

The Purple Sharks are strengthening their squad ahead of the new season after they managed to secure their top-flight status in the just concluded 2019-20 season.

The club has confirmed on their official website the arrival of the winger, who is comfortable on both flanks on a three-year deal.

“In a bid to strengthen our squad, the Purple Sharks have signed winger Pius Kagwa from Police,” the club confirmed.

“The highly-rated winger who is comfortable on both flanks joins us on a three-year contract with an option to extend for a further year and he becomes our second signing in the transfer window after midfielder Ibrahim Kasule alias Owen Kasule.”

On signing for the team, Kagwa said: “I am excited to be joining one of the best clubs in the country at the moment. I have had some great time at Police and would love to thank the management, former teammates, and my coaches for turning me into the player I am today.

“There is still a lot to learn for me but am ready for the challenge and can’t wait to get started.”

Kagwa has also featured for Synergy FC in the lower league before he moved to sign for Police in the top-flight.

Kagwa becomes the second signing for Wakiso after the club brought on board Kasule from Kampala Junior Team on a three-year contract and with an option to extend it for a further year.

The 22-year-old Kasule had previously turned out for Nansana United and Buddu Ssaza where he emerged as the Most Valuable Player in 2018.

He also won the MVP during the University Football League where he managed to captain Lawrence University in 2019 and also won the Best Midfielder of the season in the same competition.

Wakiso will play in the top-flight for another season after they avoided relegation in the 2019-20 campaign when the league was ended owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Wakiso finished the league in position 10 with Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) crowning Vipers SC, who were leading the league table, with former champions KCCA FC coming second.

Maroons FC, Uganda Cup champions Proline FC and Tooro United were all relegated, Myda FC and UPDF earned slots in the top-tier while Kiboga, Kataka, Kitara and Ndejje will face off in the play-offs to produce the third team that will grace the top-tier in the 2020/21 season.

Caleb Ekuban scored his fifth goal of the season as Trabzonspor bowed 2-1 in Monday’s Turkish Super Lig encounter.

With Istanbul Basaksehir losing 2-1 at Konyaspor, the Black Sea Storm needed an away win to keep title hopes alive. However, they faltered at the Denizli Ataturk Stadium despite taking an early lead.

Profiting from a very bright start, Ghana international Ekuban put Huseyin Cimsir’s men ahead following an assist from Abdulkadir Omur.

That goal woke the hosts from their slumber but they were wasteful in front of goal, thus, went into the half-time break with a goal deficit.

Notwithstanding, the levelled scores a minute into the second-half through Mali international Hadi Sacko who put that ball past goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir. That strike was the winger’s first in 2020 and third in his maiden season at Denizlispor – a team he joined from Leeds United, albeit, completing loan moves Las Palmas and Ankaragucu.

Six minutes into full-time, Hugo Rodallega's replacement Oscar Estupinan secured all points at stake for the Roosters after converting Olcay Sahan’s assist.

Just like Morocco’s Manuel da Costa, Ekuban saw every minute of action but was cautioned in the 90th minute, while on-loan Stoke City midfielder Badou Ndiaye was introduced for Jose Sosa in the 69th minute. Nigeria’s Anthony Nwakaeme was not listed for the game by Cimsir.

For Denizlispor, Ogenyi Onazi was brought in for Radoslaw Murawski in the 46th minute while Sacko made way for Olcay Sahan with 12 minutes left to play.

Morocco’s Ismail Aissati was handed a starter’s role and came out for Cameroon’s Kibong Mbamba in the first minute of additional time. Ghana’s Isaac Sackey saw every minute of action but that was not the case for Gambia’s Modou Barrow who was not listed by caretaker manager Levent Kartop.

With two matches left, Trabzonspor trail leader Istanbul Basaksehir by four points who need to defeat Kayserispor on Saturday to be crowned as Super Lig kings for the first time in their 30-year history.

Nwakaeme’s Trabzonspor arrived as title challengers well ahead of schedule and now must ensure they tie up a top-two finish to bag an automatic spot in the Champions League next season.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has answered Adebayo Akinfenwa’s wish following Wycombe Wanderers’ promotion to the English Championship.

Goals from Anthony Stewart and Joe Jacobson were all the Chairboys needed at Wembley to beat Karl Robinson’s Oxford United 2-1 in Monday’s League One play-off final.

That triumph sealed the Yellows’ promotion to England’s second tier for the first time in their 133-year history.

Celebrating his team’s achievement, Akinfenwa who featured for 30 minutes against Yellows had jokingly said that the German should contact him so that they can celebrate together.

"Look, look, let me calm down. First and foremost, I want to thank God, because today he made the impossible possible," he said in his post-match interview with  Sky Sports.

"Four years ago I stood in front of you and I was technically unemployed.

"Let me tell you something, the only person that can hit me up on WhatsApp this time is Klopp, so we can celebrate together. You get me? Oi!"

Klopp, who led the Reds to emerge as 2019-20 champions of the English elite division took to the social media platform to answer the Anglo-Nigerian request through a video message.

"Hello big man, congratulations!" said Klopp.

"Watched the game, well I didn't see the post-match interviews but Hendo [Jordan Henderson] or one of my players told me that you want to get, what did you think to say? If you could get in contact with me on WhatsApp, here we go!

"Congratulations. I'm pretty sure your whole life at least a Championship player and now finally, you are there. Well done.

"Great, great victory. Even in strange times, I hope you celebrate appropriately."

Meanwhile, Gareth Ainsworth has reserved some special words for him and his teammates who played key roles in the club’s promotion

"Bayo is one of the generals along with Matt Bloomfield, Joe Jacobson, Dominic Gape and they run the dressing room,” Ainsworth told with  Sky Sports.

“They uphold my standards, emulate what we are as a football club and, if anyone is out of line, they are told in the right way.”

The big striker joined Wycombe in 2016 after leaving Wimbledon – a team he helped secure promotion after defeating Plymouth in the League Two play-off final.

He has scored 10 goals in 32 appearances in 2019-20 to the club's top goalscorer in the EFL era. Nevertheless, his contract with the Adams Park Stadium expires at the end of season.