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Saint-Etienne are ready to push until the last minute to allow Arsenal’s William Saliba to play for them in the Coupe de France final against Paris Saint-Germain on July 24.

The centre-back was loaned from the Gunners for the 2019-20 season, which was abridged because of the coronavirus crisis.

Although Ligue 1 may have shut down early, both cup competitions will be played to a conclusion at the end of the month, and Saint-Etienne are hopeful that they will have the youngster available for the Stade de France fixture.

His contract with the French side expired on June 30, but it could be extended until Thursday at midnight, when the domestic transfer window shuts down for a month before resuming in early August.

“We’ll be able to tell you more on Friday at one minute past midnight,” Saint-Etienne head coach Claude Puel told the press ahead of a friendly with Nice on Friday. “We’ll make a comment at that point. Until that time, I cannot say anything. Truthfully, I don’t know what will happen anymore.

“My wish is to have the most competitive team possible. We’ve got until 11:55pm to get the player.”

Highly rated 19-year-old Wesley Fofana would likely partner veteran Loic Perrin at the heart of the defence should the Saliba deal not come to fruition. 

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the Stade de France will be able to house 5,000 spectators for the match, but Puel regrets that there will be a virtual absence of fans. 

“It’s something very strange when you play a football match without supporters,” he said. “If it stays at 5,000, that means 5,000 all inclusive: the players, the staff, the journalists, so when you add it up, it goes very quickly.

“For me, it will be a match without supporters. It means that there will be more people who will be in the entourages of the two teams, but they are not supporters, it is not a support.”

Saint-Etienne have suffered heavily at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain so far this season, going down 4-0 in the only league match the two teams played.

They also crashed to a 6-1 Coupe de la Ligue reverse in early January, though they fielded a virtual reserve side in that encounter due to fixture congestion and injury problems in the early part of the year.

Rivaldo has dismissed Josep Maria Bartomeu's claims of La Liga bias towards Real Madrid, insisting Barcelona's "problem isn't VAR", but rather a lack of "quality".

Barcelona have surrendered the initiative in the title race since the resumption of the Spanish football season on June 10. Quique Setien's men have drawn three of their last eight fixtures, while Madrid have won seven out of seven to leapfrog their arch-rivals at the top of the table.

Real hold a one-point lead over Barca at the moment, but they can increase their advantage if they beat Alaves at Santiago Bernabeu on Friday.

The Blaugrana bounced back from a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid to win their last two fixtures against Villarreal and Espanyol, but their fate is no longer in their own hands.

After Barca's 4-1 victory at El Madrigal on Sunday, club president Bartomeu expressed his belief that video technology has favoured Madrid over the last few weeks.

He told reporters post-match: "I feel bad because we have the best league in the world and VAR after coronavirus isn't fair."

However, Rivaldo does not believe that Madrid have benefited from an unfair advantage when it comes to refereeing decisions, and he thinks that Bartomeu is trying to draw attention away from issues behind the scenes at Camp Nou.

The former Barca forward told Betfair: "Sometimes you have the right to feel upset about refereeing or VAR decisions but I do not agree with Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu's claims that there is a bias towards Madrid. Bartomeu is simply trying to distract the media from his club's problems.

"Barcelona are still fighting for the Liga title, and they're still in the Champions League, but this is not a good moment for the club. Bartomeu is trying to use stuff like VAR to justify himself to the fans and pretend that his club's difficulties aren't the fault of himself, the players or the manager.

"In my opinion, Barca's problem isn't VAR or any refereeing decisions, their main problem is the quality of their football that needs to improve and become again that style of play that everybody loves to see around the world.

"The team was leading La Liga before the lockdown and now is four points behind Madrid, so you can't say VAR is the main reason for that, especially when the team is not playing well."

Rivaldo added on the Blaugrana's unconvincing 1-0 win against Espanyol on Wednesday: "Barcelona beat Espanyol in the Catalan derby, but I expected a much better match performance from Quique Setien's team.

"It was a disappointing step backwards after they'd played so well in beating Villarreal on Sunday. It leaves me worried because Real Madrid aren't slipping up in the title race.

"Barca's team spirit was affected by the lockdown, some of their players aren't in peak condition and playing without fans has removed some of the emotion from their play - but Real Madrid managed to find their rhythm right away and took advantage of that."

Paris Saint-Germain will begin their Ligue 1 title defence at home to Metz after the French Professional Football League (LFP) announced its 2020-21 top-flight schedule.

The first round of matches will take place on the weekend of August 22-23, with the season set to conclude on May 23 next year.

PSG were awarded their seventh top-flight title in eight seasons after the 2019-20 campaign was abandoned and decided on a point-per-game basis due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The abandonment move has since been questioned amid other elite divisions in Europe successfully resuming their seasons behind closed doors.

An LFP vote sealed Amiens and Toulouse's relegation, with Lorient and Lens promoted from Ligue 2 in their place.

Lorient host Strasbourg on the opening weekend, while Lens are on the road at Nice.

The first Classique of the season comes in the third round of fixtures, with PSG welcoming Marseille to the Parc des Princes in mid-September. The return is billed for February 7.

Marseille start at home to Saint-Etienne, with Bordeaux and Lille hosting Nantes and Rennes respectively.

Lyon begin on the road at Montpellier, with the first of their always feisty clashes against Marseille coming at Groupama Stadium on October 4. The rivalry is then scheduled to resume at the Stade Velodrome on February 28.

The other opening day games see Nimes host Brest, Angers travel to Dijon, and Monaco play at home to Reims.

The current French season has not quite concluded however, with the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue still scheduled to be played in spite of the 2019-20 league season being drawn to a finish early.

PSG have the chance to complete a domestic treble, as they face Lyon in the Coupe de la Ligue showpiece and take on Saint-Etienne in the Coupe de France final.

The Parisian side's status as perennial champions depends on their ability to keep hold of their impressive roster of stars, such as Neymar, who has regularly been linked with a return to former club Barcelona.

However his proposed return to Camp Nou has essentially been ruled out by club president Josep Bartomeu, who says the transfer market will be negatively impacted by the coronavirus crisis.

Wycombe Wanderers striker Adebayo Akinfenwa has taken to social media to release a statement in which he explains the racist abuse which was targeted towards him by a Fleetwood Town official in Monday’s 6-3 aggregate win in the League One play-off semi-finals.

The Chairboys had taken a 4-1 lead from the first leg at Highbury Stadium before drawing 2-2 in the return fixture on their turf.

Akinfenwa started from the bench in both matches and came on for fellow Anglo-Nigerian Fred Onyedinma and Alex Samuel in their respective games.

The 38-year-old narrates that he was called a “Fat Water Buffalo” by a Fleetwood representative after the game was over on Monday.

It sets a bad precedent at a time when football in England is standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the quest to end racial injustice following the death of George Floyd in the United States.

The FA according to TalkSPORT, have said they are aware of the incident and will be launching an investigation.   

“Monday night was one of the highlights of my career with Wycombe so far as we secured our place in the League One play-off final at Wembley. However, what should have been an evening of joy and excitement quickly turned into one of anger and frustration,” Akinfenwa said in a statement posted on Instagram.

“Historically, I have been subjected to and have experienced abuse across a number of areas tags about many things, including my size but also about the colour of my skin. Throughout my career, dating back to when I suffered severe and widespread racism playing in Lithuania, I have always vowed to stand up and have a voice when it comes to racism, believing that education is ultimately the key to a future without racial discrimination.

“Following the conclusion of the game, I learned that a representative of the opposition had repeatedly referred to me as a Fat 'Water Buffalo' in a derogatory tone. Regardless of whether or not there was deliberately racial intent by using that language and irrespective of the context in which it was used if we are to make real and long-standing change, then we must work together to ensure those who have not and do not face racial prejudice understand that what may appear to them to be a throwaway remark can have such a big and hurtful impact.

“I believe that it dehumanises me as a black man by associating me to a Water Buffalo, a dark animal, in a derogatory manner. I feel passionately around raising this because we as a sport and as a society must wake up. We must do more. We must educate ourselves and understand the potential repercussions of using such language and be aware of the hurt it can cause. The bigger issue to me would be the lack of understanding as to why calling me this term would not be hurtful to me as a black man, and this must change.

“Taking a knee, supporting social media campaigns and wearing a logo on our kits is a start, but it is not enough. It will not result in real and long-standing change.

“The real work must start now and the only way to move forward collectively is thorough education. We must all play our part. #BlackLivesMatter."

Akinfenwa has been on the books of Wycombe since 2016 when he joined from AFC Wimbledon and has scored more than 50 competitive goals which is his most productive tally in a career that has seen him play for 12 different English clubs including FK Atlantas in Lithuania where his senior career began in 2001.

Wycombe will come up against Oxford United, who saw off Portsmouth via penalties in the other semis, next Monday at Wembley, for a chance to reach the Championship for the first time in their history.

Christian Kouame has stated he wished he could have gotten a goal on his Fiorentina debut which ended in a goalless draw with Cagliari.

The 22-year-old has been out with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury since November 2019 while on international duty with the Ivory Coast.

He had contributed to eight goals (five goals, three assists) in 11 Serie A outings with Genoa before the injury.

Despite not recovering, he was loaned to Fiorentina in January and used the lockdown period to step up his fitness of which the Viola extended his loan deal until the end of the season.

The former Citadella player came on for Dusan Vlahovic in the 75th minute having made the bench for the first time in the previous match against Parma which ended in a 2-1 away win for the Florence-based club.

“The injury has never been a nightmare for me,” Kouame told Sky Sports Italia.

“If I had managed to score it would have been fantastic: I had dreamed of doing it, but the appointment is only postponed to the next. The choices will then be made by the coach and I will only give 100% in training.

"For me, it's the same, whether I play or someone else. Whoever deserves will play, I'm happy anyway. But when I go out on the pitch, I have to give my best."

In the 15 minutes played, Kouame had one shot on target, 13 touches, three accurate passes (42%), one accurate long ball and won two of three total duels.

Fiorentina boss Giuseppe Lachini says he is happy to have extended Kouame’s loan and will be monitoring his progress closely as he gives the club a “great hand”.

"I am happy to have reviewed it [Kouame’s loan] after the long injury, now let's see,” he told Sky Sports Italia.

“We are monitoring him from time to time. When the injury is so problematic, he must be reintegrated gradually. He can certainly give us a great hand."

Fiorentina are in 13th place on the log, eight points clear of Koaume’s parent club, Genoa, in the relegation zone. They host Europa League-chasing Hellas Verona at the Artemio Franchi on Sunday evening.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has described non-contact training as “frustrating” and not easy for them “to address the tactical side of the game.”

Mosimane and his men have resumed group training to join their Premier Soccer League (PSL) title closest challengers Kaizer Chiefs, as well as the likes of SuperSport United, Bidvest Wits and Bloemfontein Celtic who had already restarted.

With clubs conducting their training sessions under very strict coronavirus health and safety protocols, Mosimane views it as a strange new normal although he acknowledges that they "have to observe the health issues and be an example."

Sundowns have set a training camp in Rustenburg, away from Gauteng which has become the epicentre of South Africa’s coronavirus cases.

“It has not been easy, it is a new life,” said Mosimane as per SuperSport.

“We just met here, it is a bit strange. When we meet, we always usually greet each other and hug each other. It has been three months that we have not seen each other, but the funny part of it, is now we meet on the WhatsApp group.

“Everybody just comes in, gets their room key and heads straight to their room. Because the rules that have been put in place by the doctors mean no hanging around, no loitering [with each other].

“So we speak to players, ask 'How are you, are you back?’, through the WhatsApp group, or through the phone from room to room. It is a strange feeling, but it is how the situation is, we have to respect Covid-19 and understand the situation as it is.”

Sundowns are training in small groups of four players each which Mosimane says is time-consuming to accommodate all their players.

With the group work-outs not allowing them to be in close contact, the Downs tactician feels that makes it difficult for them to practice certain aspects of their game.

“We knew what it would be like, but when you face it, it is something else. Everybody has their own basket with boots, kit, sanitiser, mask … we don’t sit together as usual,” Mosimane said.

“When you arrive for the training session, you have your station and you stay there. You put your basket there and you change into your equipment. That is your place. When you want to drink you must go back to your station. You must collect your own water or Energade.

“It is a non-contact training session. That means it is not easy to address the tactical side of the game. It is frustrating not to be able to be face-to-face with the players and hug, only being able to give instructions from a distance."

If the 2019/20 season resumes, Sundowns will continue with their bid for a third straight league title as well as the Nedbank Cup campaign.

They are second on the PSL standings, four points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs who have played a game more than them, and will face Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel launched the first batch of the AIFF Masters Programme on Thursday via an online meeting.

The sports management programme started by the Indian FA is a first-of-its-kind and the apex body for football in India is the first national sports federation to take up such an initiative.

Welcoming the first batch of the course, the AIFF president said, “Warm welcome to the inaugural session of AIFF Masters.

"This is a unique programme by the All India Football Federation. I'm really happy that the first batch is kick-starting in 2020. I know a lot of people are passionate about Football. But we don't have more talented football administrators in our country. A new breed of football professionals is required, and hence, we took it upon ourselves to start this Masters Programme.”

"The current situation is a bit difficult. I consider the world is moving in one particular direction, and so are we. We have to keep the pace and work accordingly. This too shall pass.

“We intend to build a very robust system on the basis of which all of you will get a very sound future. There will be a lot of opportunities in India and beyond India. With comprehensive learning, you will be going through, the Masters Course will bring you on par with the best in the world.

“I will be happy to interact with all of you in person. You are in fine hands. This programme will certainly give you enlightenment and a better understanding of the game.

“The knowledge of the Spanish language which will be taught during the course will go a long way in your professional career.”

AIFF senior vice president Subrata Dutta stated, “We would be complying with the highest standard of governance, integrity and all the management ethics. The programme will also give an on-job experience to learn in the right manner and direction.”

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das, corporate and business director of Spanish club Cadiz CF, Enrique Perez and all the Head of the Departments (HODs) also attended the online meeting.

Former Bafana Bafana striker Katlego Mphela explains why he cannot pursue a coaching career, saying his personality doesn’t suit the job.

‘Killer’ is of the view coaches must be crazy and eccentric, and that he doesn’t possess such qualities and that not all retired professionals can be successful coaches in their retirement.

On the other hand, the retired Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs hitman has called for Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs to look at hiring former strikers to focus on finishing.

“To be honest, I don’t have the personality to take up coaching,” said Mphela as quoted by Daily Sun.

“We must remember that not every soccer player has the characteristics of being a coach. Coaching is a nice fall back option after retiring because you continue doing what you always wanted to do. But it’s not easy.

“You need to be a little crazy and be eccentric. I don’t know if I can do that.”

The 2010 Fifa World Cup campaigner also shares an update on his current occupation after hanging up his scoring boots at the age of 35 in 2019.

“I am working with some of my buddies who are running academies to assist them. I am enjoying working particularly with strikers,” he added.

“Maybe our clubs can start embracing that idea because we do not have specific striker coaches in the country I do not have any regrets. 

“But a lot of things have changed. I have to do everything myself. There are no agents anymore to do all the stuff for you. I organize everything and I am adjusting.”

The former PSL winner with the Glamour Boys and SuperSport United is still rated as one of South Africa’s top finishers where he netted 62 goals, provided 14 assists out of 191 official matches in his career.

His statistics include stints in French Ligue1 and 2 where he played for Stade Reims and RC Strasbourg as well as in the Caf Champions League with Masandawana.

Apart from winning the league title, the Brits-born legend has an MTN8 gold medal with the Naturena-based side plus he has found the back of the net for Bafana Bafana on 23 occasions from 53 international matches.

Cesc Fabregas has revealed the funniest moment during his career came at Chelsea when playing with Diego Costa and being managed by Antonio Conte.

Currently on the books of Monaco, the 33-year-old has been involved in the professional game since debuting for Arsenal in 2003, turning out subsequently for Barcelona and the Blues at club level.

It was at Stamford Bridge that produced his funniest moment, despite being consistently frustrated by Conte’s preference for more physical midfielders.

“When Conte first came to Chelsea I didn't really play the first three months. He made it clear he wanted a different type of midfielder,” he told BBC Sport. “Nemanja Matic was playing, I had an injury as well and I didn't really play the whole season.

"Then we went to Manchester City, we had won seven games and Conte says to me: 'You have to play.' We won 3-1, I played well and gave the assist to Costa for 1-1. It felt like I had made a point to the coach that he could count on me.

"Next we played West Brom, Matic recovers and he starts. It was a typical game and for 70 minutes it was 0-0. They were defending well. The game was calling for someone like me to come on to open the door or do something but the minutes went by and nothing. I remember Costa coming to the touchline and shouting at Conte, saying: 'Put Cesc on!'

"Conte is not the manager you mess with this and he was pretending not to listen to Costa. Two minutes later he says 'Cesc come', and two minutes after I come on and I provided the assist for Costa to score."

The Spain international striker, who is now with Atletico Madrid in La Liga, had a rocky relationship with the former Italy and Juventus boss and ultimately departed on bad terms. Fabregas, however, survived the Conte era but departed early in 2019 when he failed to make an impression under Maurizio Sarri.

Fabregas, now with Monaco, also considered Costa when asked about his craziest ever team mate, but had him in a tie with a former Barcelona colleague.

He said: "It is between Costa and Gerard Pique. Gerard I have played with since I was 10 years old. He hasn't changed much but now he is a business man and the image he has is completely different.

"He used to do crazy things all the time. One day he burst the tyres on the car of our goalkeeper. The guy went home and halfway back he was stuck on the motorway. He has to be in my top two."

Nashville SC has become the latest team to be forced out of the MLS is Back tournament as the expansion club has withdrawn due to a series of nine positive coronavirus tests.

MLS announced the decision on Thursday, the day after Nashville were set to take on the Chicago Fire in the club's opening match of the competition, with that game originally postponed as a result of a series of positive tests for Covid-19.

“We have withdrawn Nashville SC from the MLS is Back Tournament. Due to the number of positive tests, the club has been unable to train since arriving in Orlando and would not be able to play matches,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber.

“For every decision we make in our return to play, the wellbeing of our players, staff, officials and all participants is our top priority.”

Added Nashville CEO Ian Ayre: “In what has been a challenging year, and in an uncharted environment created by the Tornado that devastated our city and COVID-19, this is another big disappointing outcome for Nashville SC and its supporters,Our focus now lays on the recovery of our players who have been infected with COVID-19 and on getting our complete traveling party back home safely.

"Once everyone is safe and healthy in Nashville, we can then turn the page and focus on our preparation and participation in the return to play for the latter half of the season post-Orlando.”

FC Dallas announced on Monday that the club would withdraw from the competition after the club had produced 11 positive tests for coronavirus.

With the departures of Dallas and Nashville, the MLS is Back tournament currently features 24 teams spread across six groups now featuring an even four teams.

Group A had initially featured six participants to account for the number of teams, with each other group featuring four.

However, with the departure of FC Dallas, Group B dropped to three teams while, with Nashville's withdrawal, Group A featured five.

MLS confirmed on Thursday that Chicago Fire have moved from Group A to Group B to provide balance, joining the San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps.

The MLS is Back tournament kicked off on Wednesday, beginning a month-long competition featuring a group and knockout stage. As a result, it became the first men's professional sports league to return to play in the U.S., following the NWSL which began in June.

The tournament opened with a 2-1 win for Orlando City, who took down newfound rivals Inter Miami in the first-ever meeting between the two Florida clubs.

On Thursday, the tournament continued with the Philadelphia Union picking up a 1-0 win over New York City FC. Next up is a match between the Montreal Impact and New England Revolution on Thursday night.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has played down a potential reunion with James Rodriguez at Goodison Park, insisting the midfielder is likely to remain at Real Madrid for at least one more year.

James' future at Santiago Bernabeu has been the subject of much speculation in recent months.

The 28-year-old returned to Madrid last summer after a two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich, with a view to fighting for a regular spot in Zinedine Zidane's starting XI.However, the Colombia international has only featured in 14 games in all competitions for the Blancos in 2019-20, and has just entered the final year of his current contract.

He didn't even make the bench for Madrid's trip to Athletic Club on Sunday, with Zidane claiming post-match that the playmaker "wanted to be left out because of his own reasons".

Madrid paid £68 million ($86m) to bring James to the Bernabeu from Monaco in 2014, but now look set to cut their losses on a player who has yet to live up to his full potential.

A possible move to the Premier League has been mooted for the Colombian, with Manchester United and Everton among those being credited with an interest in his services.

Ancelotti was the man who signed James at Madrid six years ago, and although he remains a keen admirer of a former charge, the Toffees manager thinks a summer transfer is doubtful.

“James Rodriguez? I like him a lot as a player. When I left Madrid, James Rodriguez followed me to Munich," Ancelotti told The Guardian. "But he followed me as a rumour to Napoli and now he is following me to Everton as a rumour.

"I have to be honest, I like him a lot, but he is a Real Madrid player and I think he will still be a Real Madrid player.”

Despite playing down a move for James, Ancelotti is hoping to add to his Everton squad when the transfer window reopens, as he looks to create a team capable of challenging at the top end of the Premier League.

“We need good players and the players that we are going to sign will be good players,” the Italian tactician added. “It doesn’t matter whether they are young or old; with experience or without experience. It is important to have good players.

“It is important to improve the character and personality of the team. I can improve their knowledge on the training ground day by day but the mentality of the squad can also improve to compete better with the top-six teams in the Premier League.”

Former Asante Kotoko star Eric Bekoe is the latest to advise the club against continental inter-club football next season.

The Porcupine Warriors are set to represent Ghana in the Caf Champions League for the second year running after getting the nod from the Football Association (GFA) Executive Council following the premature termination of the Premier League.

Under normal circumstances, the domestic league winners represent Ghana in the Champions League.

“Kotoko should not accept the opportunity to compete in Africa next season to waste money," Bekoe, who gained prominence with Kotoko in winning the 2007-08 Premier League title and top scorer award, told Opemsuo FM.

"The club is not well-prepared to get a group stage birth which of course will be a waste of resources.

“The Board and the technical team should work fervently to shape the club before they will resolve to compete in Africa.

“For a team to perform majestically in Africa, it comes with a quality crop of players. This Kotoko team is low quality."

Kotoko's campaign in the Champions League in 2019-20 ended disappointingly as they suffered a first-round elimination at the hands of Tunisian fold Etoile du Sahel.

Ashanti Gold are the other beneficiary of the season cancellation as they have been given the green light to represent Ghana in the Caf Confederation Cup.

"Allow them to go and disgrace themselves," King Faisal president Alhaji Karim Grunsah told Kumasi FM.

"They represented the country during the era of the Normalization Committee but brought nothing better but shame.

"No one can seize them from participating once they have their money but they should be mindful, especially with their gate proceeds [now unavailable]. Some management members capitalize on that to dupe the club.

"Nonetheless, we [Ghana] cannot waste our slot hence they can keep on trying [to make an impression in Africa]. It may be better for them someday."

Kotoko, 19-time Premier League winners, are eyeing their first continental title since 1983. They last made the group stage of the Champions League in 2006.

The Porcupine Warriors' best continental campaign in recent times came in the 2004 Confederation Cup where they reached the final and lost to country rivals Hearts of Oak in the penalty shoot-out.

Peter Olayinka has expressed his joy after helping Slavia Prague win the 2019-20 Czech First League trophy.

The Super Eagles forward joined the Red and Whites in the summer of 2018 from Belgian First Division A side Gent on a four-year deal for a fee of €3,200,000.  

The 24-year-old winger has since made 39 league appearances for Jindrich Trpisovsky’s men since his arrival in the Czech Republic and scored 10 goals.

In the 2019- 20 season, the forward found the back of the net five times and provided five assists in 28 appearances across all competitions.

Olayinka damaged his fibula fracture on May 6 and last featured for the Sinobo Stadium outfit against Sparta Prague before making a return to the side in their last home game of the season against Jindrich Trpisovsky’s men on Wednesday.

The Nigeria international made a cameo appearance in the encounter after replacing Petr Sevcík to help his side secure a goalless draw and clinch the trophy.

Slavia Prague finished the campaign with 85 points from 35 games to finish nine points above runner-up Viktoria Plzen.

They have now clinched the title for the sixth time, having also previously won it in 1996, 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2019.

Following the feat, Olayinka has taken to social media to express his delight and is pleased with his return from injury.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me during the time I was out of the game, God bless you all.  I'm back and we are champions of the 2019/20 season,” Olayinka posted on Instagram.

The forward, who has been capped once by the Super Eagles, will hope to use the pre-season games to regain his fitness.

Mohamed Salah is “hungry” for goals and will always “fight” for opportunities in the final third, says Alisson, with Liverpool’s goalkeeper having no issue with the approach of a supposedly selfish team-mate.

An Egyptian frontman has faced accusations of being single-minded throughout a productive spell on Merseyside.

He can, however, point to a return of 94 goals through 148 appearances as justification of his methods.

Salah has also weighed in with 40 assists across his time at Anfield, with the 28-year-old happy to tee up others if his own route to goal is blocked.

Some are refusing to recognise those qualities, with Liverpool legend Graeme Souness branding a Golden Boot-chasing frontman “super selfish” on the back of a two-goal showing at Brighton.

Nobody inside the Anfield camp is pointing such fingers at Salah, with Alisson merely seeing a prolific colleague doing all he can to offer as much to the collective cause as possible.

The Brazilian goalkeeper told Liverpool’s official website: “This is Mo Salah, he is hungry.

“He is always there fighting for a goal, helping the team on the defence phase as well. He is always there to help win some games for us and ready to fight always for the goal. It’s his job and he loves to do that.”

Salah’s efforts against Brighton, which came in a 3-1 win, have taken him to 19 Premier League goals for the season – three behind Leicester striker Jamie Vardy on the top-flight scoring charts.

He will hope that there are more to come in what has been a memorable campaign for all concerned at Anfield.

The Merseyside outfit have sent records tumbling on their way to claiming a first league title in 30 years, with victory over the Seagulls seeing them to another – with 30 wins now taken from 34 top-flight fixtures.

Alisson added on the Reds’ efforts: “We just want to keep doing what we love, what we have passion to do, play football, really good football and enjoying the games that we have now. We just want to be focused on the next match, fighting for the three points. 

“Sometimes we don’t even know that we are breaking records and we only know when you tell us! It’s nice of course but it’s not what we are looking for. 

“We are looking to give our best on the pitch and then the victories come, the records come - and the most important thing is we are champions.”

Liverpool still have Manchester City’s record haul of 100 points in their sights, with a further nine required from four games in order to raise that bar.

They are also yet to drop a single point on home soil this season, with Burnley next up at Anfield on Saturday.

Kai Havertz is ready to play for Real Madrid, according to former Germany striker Oliver Bierhoff.

The 52-year-old, now a director at the German Football Association (DFB), thinks the Bayer Leverkusen star would benefit from broadening his horizons by moving overseas.

Goal has learned that Chelsea are currently leading the race to sign Havertz, completing a double swoop on the Bundesliga following their £47.5 million ($59m) signing of Timo Werner.

With Leverkusen demanding €100 million (£90m/$112m) for Havertz, clubs like Madrid and Bayern Munich aren’t willing to move until next summer, but speculation persists that the 21-year-old will seek a move away this summer.

“He is a player for Real Madrid,” Bierhoff told Marca.

“He is a young player who has everything: great talent, technique, good physique. He is a very complete player and he will be very important for us [the German national team].”

Whether a move is in the offing, however, remains another question.

“I don't know,” Bierhoff replied when asked where he thought Havertz would end up.

“But I want him to be in perfect shape for us.”

With Joachim Low’s senior German side generally dominated by Bayern Munich players, some are concerned that by moving abroad, Havertz could stunt his progression in the national team.

Mesut Ozil has been Germany’s Player of the Year five times since leaving the Bundesliga in 2010, but it is thought that international ambitions formed part of the motivation for Leroy Sane’s return to his home country.

Bierhoff played in Austria, Italy and France, and had been away from Germany for six years before his first international appearance, and he doesn’t think Havertz has anything to worry about in that regard.

“I played almost my entire career outside of Germany and I think it’s a good thing to leave,” he said.

“You grow as a person. You become stronger, more mature, develop further.

“When you leave your comfort zone, you usually take a step forward.”

Former Bayer Leverkusen CEO Reiner Calmund recently told Goal that Havertz’s preference was a move to Spain, but Leverkusen left-back Wendell says he thinks his team-mate dreams of playing in the Premier League.

Chelsea have been advised that using Timo Werner in a wide attacking role may be their best option when the German forward joins their ranks, with Jesse Marsch talking up the qualities of the versatile 24-year-old.

The Blues won the race for a prized signature, with the decision to trigger Werner's £54 million ($68m) release clause allowing them to acquire one of Europe’s most prolific frontmen.

Frank Lampard is still waiting on clearance to be given for Werner to head for Stamford Bridge, with quarantine procedures during the coronavirus pandemic delaying matters.

Werner is, however, readying himself for a new challenge and is being backed by many to become a Premier League superstar in 2020-21.

Marsch forms part of that fan club, with the American coach having spent time working with the Germany international at Leipzig.

For him, Werner is at his most destructive when given freedom to drift rather than being locked into a central striking role, with Chelsea needing to find a way of fitting those qualities into their tactical blueprint.

"He likes to drift to the left and then come in with his right," Marsch, who is now in charge of Red Bull Salzburg, told Bleacher Report’s Football Ranks podcast. "He can drag the ball [out wide] and cross it or come across the goal as well. 

"He's also good at finishing crosses from the right side when he's attacking in the box, but he's also good in the middle and he's good on the right, too.

"I think if you're playing with two strikers, which is what we did often at Leipzig, we gave them freedom to move to the left.

"We built that in tactically so he could find ways to be on the move but dangerous, but he could play as a second striker, he could play on the right, he can play in a front three, he can play any of those positions.

"Again, he will work against the ball, he will defend, he'll work for the team, and the other thing that's so special about Timo is that for a guy who sprints so much in a game, he's always healthy.

"That's unusual, those sprinters that are so aggressive, they pick up a lot of soft-tissue muscle injuries. Timo has been incredibly fit and hopefully he can stay that way."

It remains to be seen where Lampard chooses to deploy Werner, with Chelsea having seen Christian Pulisic star on the left of their attack this season, while Hakim Ziyech is about to join the ranks and Callum Hudson-Odoi is another wing option of considerable promise.

Rivers Angels insist Evelyn Nwabuoku and Tochukwu Oluehi have 'existing contracts' with the Nigerian club and vehemently rejected reports of the duo signing for Spanish side Pozoalbense.

The Nigeria internationals are on the books of Rivers Angels for at least six years, winning several domestic titles, including the 2019 Nigeria Women's Premier League amid past moves abroad.

However, the Reto Iberdrola outfit announced the signing of Rivers Angels midfielder Nwabuoku two weeks ago before the recent announcement of goalkeeper Oluehi's acquisition on Wednesday.

Following the reported signings of the Nigerian duo, the Port Harcourt outfit has moved to refute claims of the players' transfer, noting that they have not been contacted by the Spanish club. 

"This is to inform the general public that news making the rounds about two of our players; Evelyn Nwabuoku and Tochukwu Oluehi signing for a Spanish Reto Iberdrola club Pozoalbense is misleading and inaccurate," the club's spokesperson Jessica Amadi told media.

"As of Thursday, July 9, 2020, Nwabuoku and Oluehi remain bonafide players of Rivers Angels FC with existing contracts with us.

"Neither the said club nor its representatives have contacted anyone from here and hearing that they have announced the signing of our players is highly disrespectful and unethical."

"If and when both players secure any deals from teams in Europe, Rivers Angels FC will most definitely communicate it to the world via our various platforms but for now, neither has signed anything with anyone.

"We urge everyone to take note of this statement intended to set things right as they should be."

Goal understands the Super Falcons duo are yet to move out of the country due to the coronavirus lockdown as they are currently at their base in Port Harcourt.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) have reportedly completed the signing of Pius Obuya.

Obuya's contract at Maroons FC ended and it was not renewed. The latest news is indicating the attacking midfielder will be unveiled by the 2018/19 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions in the coming days. He had served Maroons for five seasons.

Further reports indicate the former Uganda U17 and U20 star concluded negotiations with KCCA and signed on July 8 in the company of his lawyers and agent.

Coach Mike Mutebi will expect Obuya to fill the void left by Allan Okello in January when the youngster left to join Paradou AC of Algeria.

“I respect [Allan] Okello, he is a big player, has done a lot for KCCA and I respect whatever he has done for the club,” Obuya said in an earlier interview when he responded to claims he is the next Okello at KCCA.

“Many people think I am his replacement, I must say 'yes' because we play the same style of football, we both can play in the central midfield and on the flanks, so, it is a very big challenge for me because they need a special player who is creative and can make a difference when the club needs to win certain games.”

Obuya is on record stating his love to play for the UPL giants, as in 2017 he gave an interview saying KCCA will give him a bigger dream to achieve.

He made his UPL debut in 2015 at the age of 16 when he featured against Express FC at Mutesa II Wankulukuku Stadium.

The 20-year-old star will become the Kassasiro Boys fourth signing after the club has already brought on board Charles Lwanga, Ashraf Mugume and Stefano Mazengo.

KCCA will take part in the Caf Confederation Cup next season after finishing second to Vipers SC.

Meanwhile, coach Livingstone Mbabazi has threatened to quit Kyetume FC if goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa and defender Benson Tahomera are sold.

Mbabazi joined Kyetume in June where he signed a two-year deal but the sale of the two players may end up forcing him to leave.

Football256 reports that Kyetume’s chairman Rueben Kimera and Vipers owner Lawrence Mulindwa completed talks over Mutakubwa already.

On the other hand, Tahomera is said to be on his way either to Express FC or Police FC.

“That’s the condition he has given. The club must retain those players especially Joel [Mutakubwa] because he believes he is the backbone of the team and he wants to build his team around him,” a source told Footall256.

Mbabazi is reportedly not keen to renew the contracts of Vincent Kayizzi, Robert Ssentogo, Johnathan Mugabi, Patrick Ochan and Salim Sowedi.