Looking for Soccer News?

Former Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari has jumped to the defence of former coach Jose Mourinho over the Portuguese's style of play which has been largely described as 'negative football'.

Mourinho, currently in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, is widely known for his defensive philosophy, a system during his time as manager of Chelsea and Inter, with whom he won the Champions League in 2010.

Muntari played under the former Real Madrid boss at Inter from 2008 to 2010.

“I really don’t buy it because I know who we are talking about here," the Black Stars told Metro FM.

"He is the leader and you need to obey what your coach tells you, and that’s what he wants from his side. So if he wants them to defend in a certain way, they have to do it.

“Every coach has his style of play and that’s the way he wants his team to play, that’s his choice.

"For instance, when he was our coach, he didn’t say anything during matches because we know what he wanted. We knew where we wanted to be, we knew we wanted to win trophies.”

Without a doubt, Muntari and Mourinho's biggest accomplishment together remains the 2010 Champions League success where they beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final.

"It was amazing, we still keep in touch as I speak, and we have a chat group which has the squad that won the triple at Inter Milan so we keep in touch,” Muntari said.

“It was always fun around him. He is a very principled man, he is an amazing coach. He gives you all the attention in other to perform. He doesn’t accept if you are not in good shape, you should be in good shape the whole year.

“So that’s what he gets from his players and everybody is loyal to him because he is loyal. He is very amazing."

Former Udinese and Portsmouth ace Muntari went on to play for AC Milan and Pescara in Italy, Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna and Ittihad in Saudi Arabia after his Inter adventure.

The 35-year-old is currently on the search for a new club since ending a short spell with Spanish second division fold Albacete last year.

Wilfried Zaha called out racial abuse on Twitter as Crystal Palace prepare to take on Aston Villa in Sunday’s Premier League clash.

Despite anti-racism protests across England and Europe in response to George Floyd’s death, the Cote d’Ivoire star was the latest target.

The 27-year-old shared the tweet of a fan addressing him as a “black c**t”, while threatening to come to his house dressed as a ghost should he not score against Dean Smith’s men.

The post was accompanied by an image of the white supremacist hate group, the Ku Klux Klan.

Zaha also posted screenshots of abuse received on numerous accounts on social media.

Meanwhile, the club has reacted to the incident via their Twitter handle.

“This is an absolute disgrace and should not be happening. We stand with you, Wilf, and anyone else who has to suffer such horrific abuse,” Palace tweeted.

West Midlands police have also issued a statement, vowing to pursue the perpetrator.

“Hi Wilfried, we are looking into who the owner of this account is," the statement began, "and would encourage you to report it to your local police force too.”

This racist act comes in stark contrast to the Premier League's ongoing commitment to support the Black Lives Matter movement, with players continuing to wear the BLM logo on their kits and taking a knee at kick-off before all fixtures.

The former Manchester United man has scored four times in 34 Premier League outings this season, with his latest coming in the Eagles’ 3-2 defeat at home to Chelsea.

Following that effort, manager Roy Hodgson claimed Zaha who hit a personal best of 10 goals last season has returned to his best while backing him to maintain his new-found form.

"He's had some good games during this period and some games where I'm sure that he'll have said he can do better," Hodgson was quoted by the Standard.

"The other night he was certainly at the very, very top of his game and I see no reason why he shouldn't keep that going in the last four games.”

"I'm convinced we're going to see some very good things from him in these last 360-odd minutes,” he continued.

“I'm pretty sure also he'll be looking to try and add to that tally of goals and assists so at the end of the season he's got a bit more to show for what he's done this season."

That screamer from the Ivorian which ended his 17-game league drought was the furthest of all his previous 35 recorded in the English elite division.

Before the resumption of English football, Crystal Palace were looking for a place in the Europa League, but, successive defeats ensured that dream faded into thin air.

Currently, Roy Hodgson’s men remain 14th in the Premier League log having accrued 42 points from 34 games. Victory over already-relegated Villa will see them end the season well.

Former Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye has maintained his position that Kenyans do not love football.

Over the last few years, Musonye stated Kenyans only love alcohol and betting over their own football. The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirant said if locals have a love for their teams then AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia should not be struggling financially.

“Let me ask, do Kenyans love their football? I have no regret of saying Kenyans do not love football but love drinking alcohol and gossip more. I have no apology to make,” Musonye told Radio Jambo.

“If Harambee Stars are playing at Nyayo Stadium and only 15,000 people turn up what is that? Football is people.

“Look at our AFC Leopards vs Gor Mahia match where it has failed to attract people. Our people have immersed themselves in betting and European football.

“I said so because I want them to come back and support teams on the pitch. The best sponsor for any team is always its supporters.

“For example, if 50,000 of Gor Mahia fans turn up for a single game, that is enough and it means they would not even need another sponsor.

“If Leopards fans come and watch their matches while paying just paying 100 shillings is more than enough for the club.

“But in a Leopards match against Sofapaka, you can only be assured of 300 supporters attending. Others are hiding somewhere, drinking alcohol, betting and gossiping.”

Musonye went on to give an example of how a previous Yanga SC vs Gor Mahia match helped Cecafa pay debts from just the gate collections.

“I can remember a match pitting Yanga and Gor Mahia in the Cecafa tournament in Tanzania in the past where we ended up getting KSh30 million, you can imagine,” added the veteran administrator.

“The money helped Cecafa pay all the debts it had but were it in Kenya it would have been a different story.”

The former sports journalist went on to explain how important it is for Kenyans to regain the love for their football and that his opinion on them is not abuse but a reminder.

“I will continue fighting and telling Kenyans it is time to get back to the pitch because they are the best sponsors,” he explained.

“Without people at the stadium, our football is not going to grow at all. Sponsors will also pull out if there are no people attending matches.

“I will continue abusing Kenyans, not in a bad way, so as to convince them to get out of the bars and attend matches.

“After the match, they then can go to the bars and drink.”

Musonye states he has a strategy to bring fans back to the pitch should he be elected as FKF president. 

Leroy Sane will prove a superb addition to Bayern Munich's side, according to the club's former striker Lukas Podolski, but the ex-Germany international believes that the winger has more yet to give.

Sane's move to the Bundesliga champions was confirmed at the start of this month, following well over a year of speculation that he would swap Manchester City for Bavaria, with the attacking midfielder penning a long-term deal to seal a return to his home country.

The arrival of the 24-year-old will boost an already fearsome Bayern side that sealed an eighth consecutive domestic crown earlier this year following the resumption of sport after a coronavirus-enforced lay-off and remain in contention for European glory in this season's Champions League.

Speaking ahead of the club's return to continental football next month against Chelsea - in which Sane will be unable to play any part - forward Podolski, who now plays his trade wth Antalyaspor, has backed the ex-Schalke man to impress under Hansi Flick at his new home.

However, the former Germany international - who is the nation's third-most capped player and a World Cup winner in 2014 - also added that he believes Sane still needs to earn greater success than a clutch of English domestic honours before he reaches his full potential.

"They get the best players [at Bayern] and Sane is a great player," Podolski told Sky Germany. [But] of course he still has further potential.

"He has not yet reached the top level. He still needs a bit more experience, a few more seasons. He needs to play regularly with the national team and win a European championship or a World Cup,"

Podolski further praised Flick, who guided Bayern to silverware after he arrived as a mid-season replacement for Niko Kovac, adding: "You can see how they perform under him. Hansi Flick has done a great job."

Bayern will be in Champions League action on August 8 when they host Chelsea, leading 3-0 from the first leg in February, with victory setting up a tie against either Barcelona or Napoli in the quarter-finals in Lisbon.

Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew have been named in Crystal Palace’s starting line-up against Mbwana Samatta’s Aston Villa in Sunday’s Premier League outing.

The Eagles come into this clash following Tuesday’s disappointing 3-2 home defeat to Frank Lampard’s Chelsea at Selhurst Park Stadium.

Against already-relegated Claret and Blue, they would be targeting their sixth away win this season. To achieve that, Roy Hodgson will be relying on the African duo.

Since scoring against Bournemouth – which saw him eclipse Tony Yeboah’s record as the highest-scoring Ghanaian in Premier League history, the 28-year-old has gone on a run of four games without a goal as he aims to reach double-figures for the first time in England.

Also in the Eagles’ line-up is Senegal’s Cheikhou Kouyate, while Ghana’s Jeffrey Schlupp remains frozen out of the team.

For Aston Villa, Samatta is expected to lead the line for Dean Smith’s team as well as Egypt’s Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’.

Trezeguet’s compatriot Ahmed Elmohamady and Zimbabwe international Marvelous Nakamba will start the game from the bench.

Mamelodi Sundowns utility player Thapelo Morena says Zoom sessions with the club’s physiotherapists were critical for his quick recovery.

Two days after damaging ligaments in his right ankle during a Nedbank Cup Round of 32 1-0 win over SuperSport United on February 8, Morena underwent surgery.

Sundowns’ training base at Chloorkop was then closed due to the coronavirus outbreak and most of Morena’s recovery period was spent at home, doing virtual physiotherapy sessions.

But he is now back on the football pitch although doing light training in Rustenburg where Sundowns are currently camped.

“Ja, my journey to recovery has been hectic a bit because I didn’t have the full attention of the team but I had support from the physio staff, and the team as well via Zoom,” said Morena as per Times Live.

“The doctors said to me I must just take it easy and do my level best to see when I can come back.

“Currently I’m not training full with the team. There are some activities that I do with the team and I complete everything on the side alone with the physio. But I think everything is going well and it’s been the way we’ve planned it.

“The most important thing is when your mindset is right and you are doing the right things. Mostly, I was at home with my wife and my daughter. Some of my cousins also used to come and visit. It was a bit difficult but we managed the whole situation very well.”

His worth to the club was shown when Sundowns were recently rewarded with a new five-year contract while he was busy working on his fitness.

“You know it’s very difficult for a big team, especially when a player gets injured and they have to give him a certain contract. I was very happy and very humbled with that,” Morena said.

While he was ruled out for the rest of the season, he could participate in the campaign’s remaining games if Premier Soccer League (PSL) action resumes as he hopes to be better soon.

“You know, the first day was a bit difficult, a bit tiring and demanded more from the players but I think soon everybody will be feeling much better,” he said.

Borussia Dortmund have refused to comment on a viral video that purports to show Erling Haaland getting kicked out of a nightclub in Norway, although his father has since hinted it is real with a joke at his son's expense.

A video was shared on social media in the early hours of Sunday morning appearing to show the 19-year-old striker being escorted out to mild protestations.

The person believed to be Haaland seemed to eventually be led away after failing to convince nightclub security to let him back in, having reportedly set off a party popper in the venue.

There was initially some doubt in Germany over if the video was from this weekend. Haaland posted a picture on his social media on Saturday of him with a chainsaw and his father, former Leeds United player Alfie-Inge Haaland, in a rural Norway setting.

Fellow Dortmund attacking star Jadon Sancho liked and commented on the image, which said “winter is coming… let’s chop some wood”.

But Haaland’s father poked fun at his son with a tweet on Sunday afternoon, saying: “Come on Erling, back to work. Big city nightlife is not for you.”

The tweet was accompanied was Haaland Sr holding an axe and chopping wood.

Haaland scored 44 goals across all competitions in 2019-20, with the season having wrapped up for Dortmund following the conclusion of the Bundesliga season, where they finished second behind Bayern Munich.

Lucien Favre's side were knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Paris Saint-Germain, and are next expected to feature in competitive action in September when German football returns.

However, it’s uncertain whether Haaland will still be a BVB player given his phenomenal form in the past 18 months.

He only joined Dortmund in January for €20 million (£17m/$22m) from Red Bull Salzburg, but already he has been linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Any fee for the forward, whose agent is Mino Raiola, could be record-breaking given his talent and length of contract at Signal Iduna Park, which expires in 2024.

Haaland has consistently played down transfer talk in public, recently insisting: “Dortmund are one of the best teams in the world, I have signed a long contract and I have practically just arrived.

“So now I don't think about leaving at all.”

Sunday's MLS match between D.C. United and Toronto FC has been postponed after a player tested positive for coronavirus.

The announcement was made just minutes before it was scheduled to kick off and the league is yet to announce a new date or time for the match.

The match was called off after one D.C. United player tested positive for Covid-19, while a Toronto player's test came back inconclusive.

The players were tested the previous day but had to be checked again on Sunday morning and in the interests of health and safety the league has decided to reschedule the match.

A statement read: "Major League Soccer announced that today’s D.C. United vs. Toronto FC match has been postponed and will be rescheduled. MLS will announce details later today for the rescheduled match.

"Under the league’s health and safety protocols, clubs are tested the day before each match. The results of yesterday’s tests for D.C. United and Toronto FC produced an initial unconfirmed positive Covid-19 case for one player and an inconclusive test for another player.

"Because of the arrival time of the clubs in Orlando, the league’s protocol called for retesting both teams this morning and to await the results of those tests prior to playing the match.

"Major League Soccer will continue to prioritize the health and safety of all participants of the MLS is Back Tournament in making these decisions."

Mark Abbott, the league's deputy commissioner, explained further: ”Each team was tested the game before and two results we are re-evaluating.

"One for D.C. is a positive test, but not a final positive. With Toronto we had one that is an inconclusive test and we are re-evaluating that."

He added: "Once we receive the results of the two tests we will be in a position to know when to re-schedule the game."

The MLS is Back tournament being held in Florida has been hit hard by the ongoing pandemic since before it began on July 8.

The competition's schedule had to be changed just a day before the opening game because FC Dallas and Nashville SC were forced to withdraw after several players tested positive for Covid-19.

Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung says if the year 2020 was meant for them, nothing will stop them from lifting the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) title.

The Amakhosi boss was speaking after celebrating his 50th birthday a few days ago, he says their 50th anniversary is a milestone and that they have had their ups and downs as a club.

Motaung also added that life is a journey packed with challenges, suggesting that it’s the survival of the fittest in football.

“It’s in God’s hands and if it’s destined to be, it would be and if it’s not, football is about winning and losing. It’s a game,” Motaung told FARPost.

“But you fight for success. Life is the same – you fight for survival…It’s a milestone for Chiefs to reach 50 years and we’ve had our ups and downs.

“If it’s to be this year, it’s going to be.”

As things stand, coach Ernst Middendorp’s troops remain at the summit of the PSL log table with 48 points from 22 matches as the season remains halted because of the coronavirus pandemic since March.

Although they battle it out against reigning PSL champions, Mamelodi Sundowns for the league honours, Motaung’s sentiments suggest they can still lift the coveted trophy.

Meanwhile, coach Pitso Mosimane’s men sit second with 44 points but they have played 21 games and the two PSL giants are yet to meet in the second round of the campaign.

Just after parting ways with midfielder George Maluleka who recently joined the Brazilians, a number of legends believe the 31-year-old's absence could derail Chiefs' PSL title ambitions.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has led the condemnation of racist abuse aimed at Wilfried Zaha, praising the player for going public with the attack.

Ivory Coast international Zaha took to social media before Palace's Premier League encounter with Aston Villa to detail a number of messages sent to him by an individual over the platform Instagram, including numerous racial slurs and threats.

Both Palace and Villa issued statements on Twitter shortly afterwards, with the clubs pledging solidarity with the player and the latter promising to identify the nameless supporter and issue a lifetime ban.

Speaking ahead of the match, Eagles boss Hodgson offered his support to Zaha too, with the 72-year-old adding that he did not feel the subject was something that should be kept under wraps.

"I think it's important," the former England boss told Sky Sports when asked on presenting a unified front to raise awareness and combat racism.

"I think it is being highlighted very much at the moment anyway with the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Everyone seems to be making such an effort to eradicate this type of behaviour and it is very saddening that, on the day of a game, a player wakes up to this cowardly and despicable abuse.

"I think it is right that Wilfried made people aware of it, I don't think this is something you should keep quiet about.

"I think it is very good that our club and Aston Villa and the Premier League are doing everything they can to find out who this despicable individual is, and one can only hope that he will get identified and he will get called to account and that he will pay for these actions, because there is literally no excuse. There is no excuse at all.

"Obviously the reason is he wants to put off one of our best players playing well today but to do it in the way that he has chosen to do it, I think it is totally inexcusable."

In a statement posted on Twitter, Palace stated: "This is an absolute disgrace and should not be happening. We stand with you, Wilf, and anyone else who has to suffer such horrific abuse."

Villa followed up with a show of solidarity, tweeting: "We deplore the disgusting racist messages sent to [Wilfried Zaha].

"We condemn all forms of racial discrimination and stand with [Crystal Palace].

"We are working with the police in investigating this extremely serious matter and when the culprit is identified, AVFC will issue a lifetime ban."

PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza is expected to hold a press conference on Monday afternoon on the resumption of the 2019-20 season. 

Football in the country has been suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic and there have been meetings between the PSL and the South African Football Association (Safa) on what to do next. 

The PSL deliberated in their board of governors meeting last week where their resolutions were communicated to Safa. 

But what exactly is Khoza expected to tell the football fraternity? 

Resumption date

The league has always maintained its intentions to complete the season no matter the circumstances.   

And that appears to be edging closer to reality after Thursday's board of governors meeting which included all the 32 teams under the PSL umbrella. 

Khoza is expected to tell the country of the league's decision and reasons behind suggesting July 18 as the restart date for the suspended campaign.

The league intends to complete the season by August 31 - and there are 54 matches still to play for teams in the elite league, 44 for NFD clubs as well as three Nedbank Cup matches. 

The majority of teams have already returned to training to prepare for the return of competitive football - but there are concerns that some teams may find the July 18 date too close as they only started training as a group last week. 

As things stand, the league's biggest concern is to finish the season and focus on next season - more so because Absa is pulling out its sponsorship to the league at the end of it all. 

Furthermore, June 30 was the final day that saw teams receive their monthly grants, meaning should the league not resume as suggested by the league then more teams will suffer financially.   

Bio-bubble province to stage games

According to the communication sent to Safa by the PSL, Gauteng has been identified as the biologically safe province and has been put forward to stage the remaining matches of the season. 

Khoza has the responsibility to take football fans and clubs to his confidence as to why they opted for the Gauteng province. 

This question will be asked because the province is the new epicentre for the coronavirus having recorded more confirmed positive cases in recent weeks. 

In last month's Joint Liaison Committee meeting, the task team elected by both members of Safa and the PSL set out conditions for the restart of the season, and one of them was that the season cannot be concluded in a province deemed the epicentre. 

In this case, Gauteng has been chosen ahead of both KwaZulu-Natal and North West who have recorded far lesser positive cases and have facilities to accommodate all 32 teams. 

Stand-off between PSL and Safa 

The latest developments suggest Safa isn't too pleased with the manner in which the PSL is handling this whole 'return-to-play' situation. 

The country's FA has sent their response to PSL's suggested return date of July 18 and has slammed the league for undermining Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa's directive that Safa, as the mother body, should play an overarching role until the end of the season.

Khoza will be expected to give clarity as to why the PSL has overlooked Mthethwa's directive and opted to do things their way without Safa's involvement.

Safa said in their response, no football should be played at least until after August 1 - this has been their stance since the lockdown started in South Africa. 

South Africa is still under lockdown Level 3 and Safa feels this is not the right time to play football because players and officials will be exposed to the coronavirus. 

As things stand, the country is recording over 10 000 new cases almost every day, and that alone is a concern to Safa.  

And Khoza is expected to address this stand-off between PSL and Safa without, of course, undermining their administration. 

Number of positive cases in the PSL 

Lastly, the PSL boss will be expected to confirm the number of positive cases across all 32 teams. 

The clubs have conducted a second round of testing but none of them has made their results public - and this is a growing concern because even Safa reportedly doesn't know.

A few weeks ago, only a few clubs made their results public, including Orlando Pirates, Cape Town City, Kaizer Chiefs, Bloemfontein Celtic, Stellenbosch FC, Swallows FC and TS Galaxy. 

At the time, there were only 13 confirmed cases; the number the majority of team doctors expected to have risen by now - but everyone has gone silent, including the league itself.    

Zinedine Zidane is on the cusp of leading Real Madrid to a 34th La Liga title, but the head coach continues to be plagued by the question of whether his team are anything special.

Two wins from their remaining three games over the coming week would be enough to clinch another Spanish league success, with Granada first up on Monday evening.

Madrid have been ruthless since the resumption, winning all eight games and conceding just two goals over that stretch.

It has meant previous leaders Barcelona, themselves also unbeaten over the past month, have seen a two-point advantage slip away due to three draws in their nine games.

But debate rages over the merits of this Madrid team, who arguably lack the panache of previous Los Blancos sides but have shown themselves to be a winning machine, unlike some of their more celebrated forebears.

"It doesn't bother me or surprise me, it's always the same debate," Zidane told a news conference on Sunday.

"We prove in every game and every training session that we are good. We have to show it. Everyone will give their opinion on what they think of Real Madrid because it is the most important club in history and this will never change."

Zidane, once the unpredictable flair player in Madrid's midfield, has become the straight man of the media room, a serious figure and a coach who has brought the best out of many of his players.

Rather than consider the prospect of another championship, with Villarreal on Thursday and Leganes on Sunday the other remaining games for Madrid, Zidane's focus does not deviate from the immediate task at hand.

"La Liga and the Champions League are the goal and what we fight for, but it is useless if we look beyond tomorrow's game," he said.

"This is the last week and there are three games. It is the most difficult, but the most important. All the teams have things to play for and we want to put all our energy into tomorrow's game."

Zidane clearly finds the suggestion his team have had the better of VAR decisions over recent weeks to be thoroughly tedious, amid claims Barcelona have had a relatively raw deal.

"Everyone can give their opinion, I don't mess with the opinions of others," he said, when asked about the VAR talk.

"What we are doing is giving everything on the pitch and putting in a great effort every day. That is what I'm interested in."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been impressed by the fearlessness Mason Greenwood has shown in attack for Manchester United this season.

The 18-year-old has scored 16 goals for the Red Devils in all competitions and has been in particularly good form in the last two weeks, netting four times in three games to help Solskjaer's men stretch their unbeaten run to 10 matches.

The campaign is growing more intense for United as they continue to fight for a place in next season's Champions League and remain in contention for the FA Cup - facing Chelsea in the semi-finals next Sunday - as well as the Europa League.

And Solskjaer is delighted to see the gutsy teenager thriving alongside fellow attackers Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.

"I think when you are that age you have no fear whatsoever. Mason goes out there, enjoys playing and does what he does," he told Sky Sports. 

"He's done that since he was a kid. He's been in this club his whole footballing life, and he has been taught and coached, but also has taught himself good habits about receiving the ball on the half-turn, if you want to turn a defender inside or outside.

"It's the same with Anthony and Marcus, they all have that type of positive demeanour and mindset. To me, that's football.

"I think the front three did a lot of good work in the lockdown to be physically ready. They are known as technical players, skilful players, but the first thing we always ask for is that mentality and humility to work hard.

"That comes first, and then all their skills and qualities in front of goal come. They create chances for themselves with their pressing and movement, it's not just their skills."

The Norwegian coach also had special praise for United's joint top scorers Martial and Rashford, who have scored 15 goals each in the English top-flight this term.

"I've been very pleased with Anthony. You can see his work rate, his foundation," he added.

"There were some stats last season on our strikers, and he's really taken up the challenge and answered the questions I asked of work rate. We have to start from the front with our pressing, and he's really taken that on board.

"Marcus is still a young boy developing, too. All three of them can see a pass, can play a pass, they can score, they are physical, they can make runs and create chances for others. We are trying to develop them all of the time; this isn't a one-day thing, or a 'sometimes' thing, this is about creating good habits."

Solskjaer is happy with the way his side have been playing since the Premier League's return from its three-month hiatus due to the coronavirus, as they have scored an impressive 14 goals in their last four games. 

"In the first two or three moments after you win the ball, can you go forward? Can you go straight at them? If you lose the ball, don't worry about it! You are so close to them, you can win it back," he added.

"It has been so great to see the attitude of: 'OK, I will try, and if I don't succeed I will just go and win the ball back!'

"It's fantastic for me to see them express themselves, because that's a Manchester United team. We need to take chances, take risks, be brave, and most of the time you will reap the rewards if you are brave. We need to keep that mentality and bravery going forward."

He continued: "We went through some difficult spells, especially around that time in October, and the club have been very good with us, they've kept in touch with us and have seen and known what we're doing, and they've believed in what we're doing.

"We were allowed to keep making the decisions without thinking about what could have been. They knew our ambition, what we want here, the environment we want here, which will then be the foundation for moving up the table."

Simba SC team manager Patrick Rweyemamu has revealed why they have to beat rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

The two Tanzania giants will face off in the domestic Cup at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

Rweyemanu insisted their main target is to avenge the 1-0 defeat they suffered against Yanga in the second round league fixture and also play the derby in a respectful manner.

The two sides have already met twice this season already - Yanga came from a goal down to secure a 2-2 draw in the first round contest before they turned on the screw to beat Simba 1-0 in the second-round match.

“Yanga beat us in the second round match of the league and we want to erase that defeat as quickly as we can, we want to win and make sure we have earned sweet revenge,” Rweyemamu told the club’s official website.

“It is not good for a side like Simba to be losing against Yanga, we want to make sure we keep the respect in the derby, we want to show them we are the best team in Tanzania, we want to show them we are the league champions and also the best in the derby.

“We have given our players all the support they need, we have motivated them well, we know they are ready to do the job and the coach is also ready to give us the best squad, all we want now is our fans to rally behind the team, we have to win the derby.”

On behalf of the players, Simba captain John Bocco assured the fans they are ready to earn revenge against their sworn rivals.

“All the players are ready, we are ready, we have received all the support we need as players from the management and our work now is to make sure we win the match for the fans,” Bocco also told the club website.

“We respect Yanga very much, we know they have a good squad, they have good players and a good coach but we have to make sure we win the match because our main aim is to seal a double this season and also revenge the league defeat.”

Simba are keen to complete a double having won the Mainland Premier League title for the third season in a row while Yanga will be keen to reach the final of the domestic Cup and win the trophy so as to get a direct ticket to Caf Confederation Cup.

Gian Piero Gasperini was proud of Atalanta after a 2-2 draw with Juventus, but felt his side deserved to win.

Atalanta led twice through Duvan Zapata and Ruslan Malinovskiy, but Cristiano Ronaldo scored penalties to cancel out both goals, including a 90th-minute equaliser in Turin on Saturday.

While Gasperini was proud of his team, the Atalanta coach believes they deserved all three points.

"I'm definitely more proud. We played great in the first half and in the second half there was a comeback by Juve," he told a news conference.

"But with our play, we managed to take the lead and play a great game anyway. Of course, we are also upset because we deserved to win.

"But, in football, your performance is not always enough."

He added: “We were ahead until the last minute and we did everything to deserve the win.

“We said qualifying for the Champions League for the second year in a row was our ultimate aim, so after that finishing third or second is about prestige, but the objective remains the same.

“I thought we started quite strong this season, then of course the Champions League took some energy out of us. The real points we dropped were in the games with Lazio, Juventus and Inter, but then we never did target the Serie A title.

“We’ve raised the bar and are hitting our targets anyway. We can’t think of the Scudetto. It’s already infuriating many people to see us in the Champions League, as it brings with it so much financial gain and prestige.

“We’re seeing the team grow every year. We didn’t have this kind of character to play like this at the Juventus Stadium in the past, but if we keep getting results and performances, we do grow.

“Juventus have the Scudetto, they’re not going to let it go. I don’t know how much longer we can keep winning games, but it’s in any case a way of testing ourselves for the Champions League and we fully intend to make a good impression in Europe.”

With six games left to play in Serie A, Atalanta are third in the table, nine points adrift of Juventus.

Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga failed to score again as Kashiwa Reysol registered a straight third loss on Saturday.

Olunga and Reysol were tormented by Kawasaki Fontale at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium as they lost 3-1.

It was the third match for the J2 League 2019 title winners since the resumption of the Japanese league after losing initial matches to Tokyo FC and Yokohama FC.

A double from Akihiro Lenaga, in the 40th and in the 42nd minutes, was enough to ensure Kawasaki Frontale went to the half-time break with a clear lead. Kyohei Nabarizato, incidentally, was the provider of both assists.

Kawasaki Frontale scored the third goal seven minutes after the resumption of the second half through Leandro Damiao to ensure Olunga and his company were not going back home to Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa with any points.

Hiroto Goya scored Kashiwa Reysol’s lone goal four minutes after Damiao’s to deny the home side a clean sheet.

The win took Kawasaki Frontale to the top of the table with 10 points after four matches played. Olunga and Kashiwa Reysol dropped to the 14th position as they find the top-flight journey rather tough at this point.

In another Saturday match, Oita Trinita drew 1-1 against Vissel Kobe. There will be seven matches scheduled to be played on Sunday as the league gathers speed following a suspension that saw it halt matches for close to four months.

A win for Sagan Tosu against Sanfrecce Hiroshima will see them go ahead of Kashiwa Reysol on four points against the latter’s three.

The matches are being played behind closed doors as a measure to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Olunga opened his maiden J1 League campaign with a double for Kashiwa Reysol against Consadole Sapporo on February 22.

The former Gor Mahia and Thika United star had expressed fear his form might go down when football activities were suspended.

“I had scored against Gamba Osaka in the J-Cup and then scored in the first league match of the season and then the games were stopped,” Olunga explained in an earlier interview.

“With that form, I was looking to be among the top scorers in the league here and also positively influence the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.”

Kashiwa Reyol’s next match will be against Shonan Bellmare on July 18.

Yanga SC communication officer Juma Antonio Nugaz has taunted his counterpart from Simba SC, Haji Manara, stating the Jangwani-based side is ready 'to fluke' again in Sunday's Kariakoo Derby.

A Bernard Morrisson free-kick handed Timu ya Wananchi maximum points in the last meeting on Sunday, March 8 at the National Stadium.

Despite the defeat, Manara has been insisting it was a fluke and Wekundu wa Msimbazi were the better side and they will prove so in the FA Cup semi-final match.

"We can not stop [Manara] from talking, but if we fluked to beat them in the last meeting, then be rest assured we are determined to fluke again and win on Sunday," Nugaz told reporters.

"Preparations have been on point and we know we have a point to prove at the National Stadium. We are determined to show Simba that we are a quality side and can get back to back wins against them."

The Msimbazi-based side have been boasting about the depth in their squad which gives coach Sven Vandenbroeck a chance to rotate as he pleases. However, that does not worry their opponents.

"We believe in the quality we have in our players and not about quantity," Nugaz continued. 

"Coach [Luc Eymael] understands our players better and we have faith he will select a side capable of sending us to the final of the FA Cup. It is all about who can deliver what on the pitch.

"So for [Simba] having many players, it does not worry us, the many players they have will not all be involved. Just selected 11, same case with us. The selected ones will meet and battle it out on the pitch."

Simba have already won the league and are guaranteed a place in the Caf Champions League. For Timu ya Wananchi, Sunday's game means more than getting bragging rights, with a spot in the Caf Confederations Cup on the line.

"Kariakoo Derby is a massive game which every team want to win, and we want to ensure we give our fans something to brag about," Nugaz continued.

"But apart from getting the bragging rights, we want to play in continental assignments next season, we want to play in the Caf Confederation Cup and it is the reason why we must win the derby."

Former Orlando Pirates winger Tlou Segolela has suggested that the Soweto giants sign a goalkeeper, centre-back and a midfielder in the next transfer window.

Following a season in which Pirates’ chances of lifting the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title are very slim, Segolela feels that the team should be beefed up for next term.

“As you see, Pirates now have a nice foundation,” said Segolela as per Sun Sport.

“I can say the team needs to sign a centre-back, goalkeeper and in the middle, they need that one hard player who will do the dirty job for them and release the attacking players to score goals.”

Pirates have scored the second-highest number of goals (35) in the PSL so far this season and coach Josef Zinnbauer appears to have a decent strikeforce highlighted by the league's top goal-scorer Frank Mhango, who has scored 14 times.

This has left Segolela recommending reinforcement in other departments.

Experienced Wayne Sandilands is the current Pirates number one goalkeeper and he was having a good season before football was paused in South Africa after a nervy start to the term.

They also have Siyabonga Mphontshane, who has struggled for game time, and Frenchman Joris Delle, who started the season ahead of Sandilands but was elbowed out as number one after a series of blunders.

This has seen the Soweto giants being linked with Bidvest Wits shot-stopper Brandon Peterson and Maritzburg United’s Richard Ofori.

In the backline, Pirates have been battling to find a trusted partner for captain Happy Jele at the heart of the defence.

Largely due to a non-impressive combination between the goalkeeping department and defenders, Pirates have conceded the highest number of goals (26) in the top six in the PSL standings.

The arrival of South Africa and Bidvest Wits skipper Thulani Hlatshwayo, who is strongly linked with a move to the club, would be a big catch for Zinnbauer.

Former Maritzburg defender and free agent Siyanda Xulu has also been talked about as a Pirates transfer target, together with his former central defence partner at the Team of Choice, Rushine de Reuck, who is reportedly eyeing a move to Europe.

Wits midfielder Deon Hotto has also been reported as on Pirates' radar and but it remains to be seen if Zinnbauer manages to secure most of his rumoured targets.

Segolela has hailed the German as having made players believe in his coaching methods.

“Players are starting to believe in the coach’s philosophy, style of play. Usually, those things take long but they have to get it right,” Segolela said.

Pirates are currently in the fourth position on the PSL log but have strong chances of finishing third, which would hand them a spot in the Caf Confederation Cup next season.

Marcus Rashford deserves more credit for his "amazing" teamwork for Manchester United despite his goal return drying up, Bruno Fernandes says.

Rashford reached 20 for the season in all competitions with a penalty in the 5-2 Premier League win over Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

This has been the England forward's most productive campaign of his career in terms of goal involvements, but he has not yet scored from open play since the Premier League returned last month.

Fernandes has had no such trouble finding the net, his four goals in his past three league games helping him to win the Premier League Player of the Month award for the second time in a row.

But the Portugal star insists Rashford is hugely important for a United side unbeaten in 17 matches and with a top-four finish now in their own hands.

"I think everyone is talking about Marcus not scoring a lot of goals but he is doing an amazing job," Fernandes told United's website ahead of Monday's clash with Southampton.

"The game he is playing now, maybe he is not achieving his goals and everything but, with everything we are doing now, he will achieve more goals and more assists.

"In the games, in the complete football, because football is not just about goals and assists, it is about the team and Marcus is playing very well for the team.

"I hope Marcus can find more goals because he deserves it for the work he is doing for the team, and nobody sees it because everyone sees the goals and who scores and assists. The work he is doing for the team is amazing.

"Marcus was injured for a long time so it's difficult to find that confidence again, to do things like shoot from far out. But he is doing an amazing job for the group and I think he deserves credit for this."

Fernandes drew attention to Rashford's off-the-ball run in the 3-0 win at Brighton that helped to create the space for the swift counter-attack that ended with Fernandes volleying in United's third goal.

"The play we did, the way we came to score, means it's one of the best goals from a team [perspective] that I've scored,” he said.

"That's because of all the teamwork. We won the ball with the header from H [Harry Maguire], Nemanja [Matic] takes the ball and Mason [Greenwood] did an amazing run but, at that moment, Rashy did a perfect run.

"He was one of the far [off] guys but comes so fast to the goal that defenders know if they give him space, he will score. 

"So maybe he [the defender] closes him down being closer to the ball and, when the cross comes over, and it was a great ball by Mason, after that I just need to score the goal."