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Simba SC goalkeeper Bena Kakolanya has revealed they took every match as a final on their journey to the 21st Tanzania Mainland League title.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi secured their third crown in a row with six games to spare after a goalless draw 11 days ago away to Tanzania Prisons. It is an open secret that the newly crowned champions have been way better than their competitors in the top-tier.

"I thank God, we have managed to secure the league title and I am happy to have played a role in our success," Kakolanya, who is winning the league for the first time, told reporters.

"It is a theme of joy generally to the whole team. It was not an easy journey because every team we played against wanted to get a good result. 

"However, we had anticipated a rough journey and it is the reason why we had adequate preparations to counter it. Every game we played was like a final and it is one of the reasons why we have managed to successfully defend our title."

The league champions have a chance of completing a double this season by winning the FA Cup. However, they will have to go past Yanga SC in the semi-final before playing either Namungo or Sahare All-Stars in the final.

"The management, technical bench and the players are prepared for Sunday's game with nothing in mind apart from a win," Kakolanya added.

"Our eyes are set on the finals where we are optimistic of winning another silverware."

Belgian coach Sven Vandenboeck has revealed in a separate interview that no plans have been made regarding Sunday's FA Cup semi-final match against Yanga SC at the National Stadium.
The two sworn rivals are set to meet for the third time this season in all competitions. The last two Kariakoo Derbies were in the league and they ended 2-2 and 1-0 in favour of the Jangwani based side respectively.

"Somewhere in the back of your heads, you all, already have the semi-final on Sunday," Vandenbroeck told reporters after a ceremony to hand his team the league trophy.

"No plans yet against Yanga; we first have to go home in Dar es Salaam and that is when we can make plans and prepare as good as we can for the Sunday game."

Both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have hopes of making it into the lucrative Premier League top four that guarantees Champions League football, and victory in what has always been a highly-entertaining north London derby, will be crucial to that reality.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Latest Odds

Spurs’ last derby victory in the league came on February 10, 2018, and they are (2.50) with BetKing to bag all three points again.

The Gunners responded with their own victory, a 4-2 win over their noisy neighbours in the following encounter, with Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netting a brace. They are tipped to win at a close (2.80).

The subsequent two league fixtures between these two sides have all ended in draws and it’s (3.45) for a third straight one.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Team News

Juan Foyth and Japhet Tanganga are doubtful for Spurs while for the Gunners, Eddie Nketiah faces a possible three-game suspension which is subject to appeal after his red card against Leicester City. Callum Chambers, Matteo Guendouzi, Gabriel Martinelli and Mesut Ozil are not certain of playing while Pablo Mari and Bernd Leno are certain absentees.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Preview

Tottenham are unbeaten in their three home league matches since the resumption of the Premier League. (W2, D1), while Arsenal have won two of their four away league games (L2).

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Tips and Predictions

Nine of the previous 13 competitive meetings between Tottenham and Arsenal have seen both teams find the back of the net including three of the previous four.

It’s offered at a valuable (1.60) to happen once again.

Both teams to score at (1.60) with BetKing.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has been dealt a massive blow after a Mombasa court ruled the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) has jurisdiction to determine sports matters and cases against the federation.

The high court had temporarily barred the tribunal from entertaining any proceedings against the FKF until a petition before it is mentioned and determined.  

The petition was filed by FKF Coast National Executive Committee Members Gabriel Mghendi and Lilian Nadundu as the first and second petitioners respectively.

The petitioners were to file their submissions on June 19 with the first interested party (Football Kenya Federation) ordered to file their submissions by June 25. 

On Thursday, July 9, judge Mugure Thandi ruled the SDT has the mandate to determine sports cases including those regarding FKF.

Initially, the ruling regarded the federation was under stay orders, but from Thursday's ruling, the stay orders have been vacated with the Mombasa case now transferred to Nairobi.

The SDT was forced to postpone the KPL vs FKF ruling regarding the annulment of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

The Federation had cancelled the top-tier on April 30, crowning Gor Mahia in the process. However, the league managers were not happy with the move and after trying to engage the federation in vain, they raised the matter with the tribunal in conjunction with Chemelil Sugar.

Submissions were made on Friday, June 12, with chairman John Ohaga setting the end of June as the day for the ruling.
The SDT had twice cancelled the FKF elections citing a failure to meet set standards.

A couple of weeks ago, the incumbent Nick Mwendwa hit at Tribunal Chairman Ohaga stating he should stop interfering with federation business.

"The tribunal has now been turned into a consultancy firm asking stakeholders to give the way forward since when did a court ask stakeholders to speak on matters of FKF?" Mwendwa told Goal.

"Ohaga should simply stay away, keep off anything to do with football in the country, I have never seen a judge meddling into football matters the way Ohaga is doing, he is even telling stakeholders he will do away with the FKF constitution, to bring another constitution which is not possible."

Goalkeeper Said Keni has stated why it did not take too long to extend his contract at SC Villa.

Keni lengthened his stay by a further two seasons and said the love for the club influenced his decision to remain longer with the Uganda Premier League (UPL) 16-time champions.

“Honestly from a young age, I’ve always wanted to play for Villa,” Keni told Football256.

“So, when the opportunity came, I jumped at it, so my love for this badge is up there that’s why I didn’t think twice to renew my contract.” 

The custodian added they have to pull up their socks more in order to help the Jogoos register success in the upcoming season.

“I want to go professional as soon as possible, last season we finished third which was fair compared to the previous seasons and we all know we have to double our efforts to achieve more,” he continued.

Keni became the second Villa player to extend his contract after Joseph Nsubuga did so a few days ago.

Meanwhile, Hassan Muhamood has revealed why he chose Police FC over UPL rivals Express FC, Kyetume FC and Wakiso Giants.

Muhamood joined Police on a two-year contract as a free agent after his contract at Onduparaka FC ended.

The defender is expected to make the Police backline as impervious as possible after conceding 37 goals and kept four clean sheets in 25 leagues games before the season was abandoned.

“I am so happy to join Police FC as a player,” Muhamood told Football256.

“I love the club’s style of play and I think I will seamlessly fit in too. But more importantly, I believe this move will help me take the next step in my career.

“Like any player, I want to win trophies and according to the club chairman [Asan Kasingye], he told me the club’s ambitions which include the will to rebuild the club back to its old status.

“I won’t say I am going to definitely give them trophies, but what I can promise is I am going to do my best to see that the team achieves its goals.”

Muhamood is the second signing by coach Abdalla Mubiru after the arrival of Tony Mawejje.

Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold admits his teammate Mohamed Salah is targeting retaining the Premier League Goal Boot.

The Egyptian forward scored a brace in Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Brighton and Hove Albion which took him closer to the feat.

It takes him to 19 goals for the season, three behind leading marksman Jamie Vardy who netted in Leicester City’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Tuesday.

Salah has been the recipient of the Premier League Golden Boot for the past two seasons, first scoring 32 goals in his first season (2017-18) which was a record in a 38-game campaign before netting 22 goals in 2018-19 but this time sharing the gong with his Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

"He has his targets, he's around the Golden Boot [race] and it's something he wants to retain," Alexander-Arnold told BBC Sport as reported by the Express.

"He's a world-class player who scores so many goals for us and we try to get him on the board as much as possible."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also echoed these same thoughts, insisting Salah winning the Golden Boot is motivation for him.

"He's a striker, how can it not be a motivation for him? That's clear," Klopp told the press after the Brighton game.

"In the last two years he won the golden boot, last year he shared it with Sadio and with Auba. That's always important, it's important for Sadio and all that stuff is normal.

"In the end, you can only score goals when you perform well and he did that so that was really good and apart from that, it's all fine.”

Salah not only scored but also assisted Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson for his goal. It saw the 28-year-old reach a new milestone of becoming the fastest player to have a hand in 100 goals for the Reds.

He achieved this (73 goals, 27 assists) in 104 outings, surpassing club legends Michael Owen (148 appearances), Robbie Fowler (158 appearances) and Steven Gerrard (212 appearances).

Overall, Salah has 75 goals and 32 assists in 117 appearances in all competitions since his move from Roma in the summer of 2017.

Liverpool are 23 points clear at the top of the table with games against Burnley, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United left to play.

Christian Pulisic may be enjoying a stunning run of form at Chelsea but he cannot be compared to Blues legend Eden Hazard because the Belgian "carried one of the biggest teams in the Premier League for a few seasons", says Craig Burley.

Inevitable links are being made between two star turns to have filled a left-sided attacking berth at Stamford Bridge.

When the decision was reluctantly taken to offload Hazard to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019, suitable cover was required to fill sizeable boots in west London.

Chelsea always hoped that Pulisic would be the man to step up, with the United States international having been lured away from Borussia Dortmund at just 21 years of age.

Time is very much on the American’s side when it comes to following in Hazard’s footsteps, with a flurry of goals since the Premier League restart suggesting that he is ready to become a talisman.

Frank Lampard has, however, been reluctant to start comparing Pulisic and Hazard, with piling such pressure on a player who still has much to learn considered to be both premature and unnecessary.

Burley is another of that mindset, with the former Chelsea midfielder eager to point out that there is a long way to go before a star of the present can claim to have emulated one of the recent past.

He told ESPN FC of the Pulisic praise: "They should take their heads out of the sand.

"Eden Hazard carried Chelsea for a long time, and got his move to Real Madrid.

"He's a multiple league winner, and a hugely talented Belgian international. In the end, he was coveted by arguably the biggest club in the world - Real Madrid.

"It's typical of the rationale - trying to compare people too early. Christian Pulisic is a huge talent, but he's a young man.

"There's no guarantee that come next season with all the new players coming in that he'll get all the game time he needs.

"All he needs is two or three quiet games, and any manager worth his salt will have [Callum] Hudson-Odoi in, or he'll have [Timo] Werner on the left, or Mason Mount.

"I think we need to go slowly with Christian Pulisic, it's a learning curve for him, he's doing great at the moment, but you can't compare him to a player who literally carried one of the biggest teams in the Premier League for a few seasons."

Hazard took in 352 appearances for Chelsea over the course of a seven-year stay, with 110 goals and 92 assists recorded while helping the Blues to two Premier League titles and a couple of Europa League crowns.

Pulisic has nine goals and eight assists to his name this season, with it still possible for him to end his debut campaign in England with an FA Cup winners’ medal.

Lionel Messi has spent his entire professional career at Barcelona, having joined the club as a 14-year-old, and the Argentine's glorious exploits have seen him become an honorary Catalan.

He has helped the club to 10 league titles and four Champions Leagues, scooping a record six Ballons d'Or for his personal contributions along the way.

His love for Barcelona is clear in his near lifelong commitment to the Spanish giants, but speculation persists nevertheless that La Pulga will ultimately join another club before he hangs up his boots for good.

So is Messi about to bid farewell to Camp Nou? Goal breaks down the current situation.

Is Lionel Messi going to leave Barcelona?

Messi does not want to leave Barcelona, but the Argentina international has spoken in the past of potentially joining another club. 

Barca president Josep Bartomeu insists that the club will "enjoy [Messi] for much longer" after stressing that their star player is not interested in a departure.

"I am not going to give details but Messi has said many times that he will end his football life in Barcelona," Bartomeu said.

He added: "Messi wants to continue and wants to end [his career] here. He has many years left and we are going to enjoy him for much longer."

Why is there speculation about a Lionel Messi Barcelona exit?

Transfer speculation is very much part of football and Messi's status as arguably the best player in the world has long marked him out at a desirable recruit for a host of top clubs.

As such, he is periodically linked with other clubs, though in most cases the speculation is simply not credible.

The rumour mill was cranked into action on this occasion after Cadena SER reported that the 33-year-old was ready to bring down the curtain on his illustrious Barcelona career, with his contract expiring in 2021.

With the clocking ticking, a contributing factor in the speculation was the suggestion that contract talks between the club and Messi had been put on hold.

It's understood that these issues - the reticence about signing a new deal and a possible exit - are related to Messi's reported dissatisfaction with off-field, internal machinations at the club.

The first major example of this bubbling discontent came in February, when the captain publicly hit back at Barca technical secretary Eric Abidal over his criticisms of the players.

"Those in charge of sporting direction should also face up to their responsibilities and above all take charge of their own decisions," shot the Argentine in a caustic Instagram post.

Then, when confirming the players' 70 per cent pay cut during the coronavirus lockdown, Messi directed a barb at figures within the club "who tried to put us under pressure to do something we always knew we would do."

Having kept his own counsel on internal political issues within the club over the years, Messi's recent outspokenness indicates that he is now willing to exert his influence.

Indeed, it has been suggested that the contract impasse could potentially precipitate a premature end to Bartomeu's presidency, with club elections set to take place in June 2021.

Which clubs could Lionel Messi sign for?

Given his status as one of the best footballers who has ever lived, Messi would have no shortage of options if he ever did decide to leave Barcelona.

He has notably been touted for a reunion with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the past and the Premier League club are certainly among the few who would be well placed to afford him.

Those links have been made again in light of recent rumblings, but Guardiola played down the suggestion that Messi could soon grace the Etihad Stadium, expressing a wish for the Argentine to remain at Barca.

A return to Argentina is a very credible possibility, with his compatriot and friend Javier Mascherano emphasising that "anything could happen".

Mascherano himself returned home in 2020 to join Estudiantes and club chairman Juan Sebastian Veron joked that the No. 10 would be reserved for Messi if he wanted to sign for them.

“If you want to come here [Estudiantes], you have the '10' ensured," said Veron. 

“Beyond that, I don't really imagine him outside Barcelona, but these are things that we say today and tomorrow we see him out there going to another club. 

“The reality is that he is the only one who has the decision and desire; no one else knows.”

As well as Estudiantes, Messi's boyhood club Newell's Old Boys would surely be in the equation should he consider a return to his native land, while the likes of Boca Juniors and River Plate could possibly appeal.

Former Barcelona star Rivaldo has spoken of the financial incentive for all involved if Messi were to link up with his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus, though such an eventuality seems highly unlikely.

“With all this speculation, I believe that some agents are already dreaming about a Messi-Ronaldo double at Juventus and how big it will be around the globe,” Rivaldo said.

“If that happened there would be a world ‘boom', and I believe Juventus would quickly recover any investment on the Argentinian thanks to the boost they would get from visibility and marketing.

“It would be historical to see both playing together and I’m sure many Juve sponsors would love to help financially, so, it’s also a possibility for Messi."

While a dream team with Ronaldo at Juventus may be beyond contemplation for the Bianconeri, one Italian club that have been heavily linked are Inter.

Having previously gone "all out" to lure the Argentine to San Siro in 2008, recent speculation prompted the head of Pirelli - Inter's chief shirt sponsor - to hint that his company could help finance a move.

The idea of Pirelli making a contribution has precedent in Fiat's assistance to Juve when Ronaldo joined from Real Madrid in 2018. 

Old Trafford is another rumoured destination, with reports in Argentina suggesting Manchester United were readying a €120 million (£108m/$136m) part-exchange offer.

In truth, any club in the world would be keen to sign Messi, such is his status, but in the event that he does leave, whoever does sign him will need deep pockets.

Thomas Partey is “the sort of player that Arsenal need”, says Martin Keown, with Mikel Arteta urged to snap up the Atletico Madrid midfielder and pair him with Lucas Torreira.

The Gunners are still looking for a talismanic figure to fill their engine room and follow in the footsteps of former heroes such as Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva.

Finding and acquiring such talent is never easy, but Ghana international Partey is considered by many to be a good fit for the Emirates Stadium.

He is seeing talk of an imminent move to England start to build, with Keown claiming that the 27-year-old could be a shrewd addition alongside Torreira – once the combative Uruguayan returns to fitness and favour after injury.

The former Arsenal defender told Stadium Astro: "I think Partey from Atletico Madrid, the midfield player that sits, very strong, tough player.

"He's the sort of type of player that Arsenal need in that midfield.

"I think Torreira is a player who doesn't get used enough, I know he's been injured.

"[Granit] Xhaka has come in and done better but I'm not sure that is the right answer."

Arsenal have rediscovered their spark of late, with a late charge being made for European qualification in 2019-20.

The current campaign has, however, been another blighted by inconsistency, with Mikel Arteta returned to familiar surroundings once the decision was taken to part with Unai Emery.

The Gunners boss is offering cause for optimism and, despite there still being issues to address at the back, Keown believes only minor tweaks are now required in order to get a fallen giant back on its feet.

He added: "We have an array of central defenders there at Arsenal.

"[Rob] Holding, Sokratis, [Shkodran] Mustafi, David Luiz - who's the leader? Who's the strong man?

"I think some work needs to be done there, maybe move a few out and bring some in. They're the areas I'd target.

"The front three is there, we've already seen it, [Nicolas] Pepe doesn't play but we have [Bukayo] Saka now, [Alexandre] Lacazette and [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang.

"Aubameyang is as good as anything in Europe. It's just adding one or two players.”

When Liverpool’s Premier League title win was confirmed, the immediate aftermath focused on just how Jurgen Klopp’s side would approach the rest of the campaign.

Despite Manchester City’s 100-point haul being within reach, some observers suggested the German tactician could ease off for the rest of the campaign, try out players on the periphery and use the rest of the competition as a mini preseason.

Others defiantly stated the Reds’ main aim had to be surpassing Pep Guardiola’s Centurions. On the evidence of Sunday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa and 3-1 success over Brighton & Hove Albion, the newly-crowed champions are doing both.

Case in point is Naby Keita, who was one player tipped to benefit from the Merseyside giants’ early title success. He’s provided two assists in both games, setting up Sadio Mane at Anfield before playing in Mohamed Salah at the Amex on Wednesday night.

Incidentally, both forwards have individual achievements in their sights and were never expected to let up despite the team’s collective feat.

Having won the Golden Boot last season, jointly with Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the duo have been in and around the Prem’s leading scorers this year again.

The willingness of their teammates to help either or both of them achieve the feat was clear against Villa at the weekend and especially vs Brighton in midweek. Against the Seagulls, Roberto Firmino’s altruism in letting Keita’s ball run on to Salah for the champions’ opener was noteworthy while Andrew Robertson’s attempts to feed both frontmen late on caught the eye.

In the 93rd-minute on Wednesday, despite being 3-1 up at the time, the Egypt star made an exerted effort to get into the box hoping for a Robertson cross. The left-back cut-back to Mane, whose curling effort narrowly missed. Salah wasn’t best pleased.

A minute later, he was thwarted by Matt Ryan as he sought his third Liverpool hat-trick. The 2018 Golden Boot winner should’ve claimed his third treble in the final minute of stoppage time when he headed the Scot’s pin-point cross just over.

When everyone else seemed to be taking it easy in the final moments, the two-time African Footballer of the Year was thinking of edging closer to the pair of Jamie Vardy (22) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (21).

His brace on Tuesday puts him in third on 19 goals, one above Southampton’s Danny Ings and three ahead of Mane. With only four games remaining, the Senegalese retaining the award may be a bridge too far.

Indeed, with Vardy seemingly finding his scoring boots again (he’s scored three times in two games) after a barren run that saw him hit the back of the net a miserly twice in 11 matches, and Auba unrelenting, Mane may have run out of games to supplant the four prolific forwards in front of him.

Unless the forward suddenly goes on a streak, he may have to throw his weight behind his North African teammate, too. In truth, chances of the continent’s best player scoring bucket-loads in the final four gameweeks are difficult given the nature of Liverpool’s fixtures.

They host Sean Dyche’s organised Burnley this weekend, travel to Aubameyang’s Arsenal a week on Wednesday, welcome Chelsea in their final game at Anfield this season before travelling to Newcastle United on the final day. On paper, none of these fixtures are games you’d predict Mane to rack up enough goals to put himself in contention for the award, even if the Magpies were trounced 5-0 by City on Wednesday.

Leicester’s run-in, barring this weekend’s fixture at Bournemouth isn’t easy in theory. Vardy faces Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, two of whom have the best rearguards in the division.

Aubameyang faces two tough tests in Spurs, this weekend’s North London Derby, and Liverpool who visit the Emirates Stadium next week. Thereafter, though, Mikel Arteta’s troops face Aston Villa and Watford, teams that have conceded 62 and 53 goals respectively, statistically two of the worst six defences in the Prem.

In truth, Mane may be realistically out of the race, but there’s a feeling he won’t be giving up so easily. Thus, it’ll be interesting to see the XI Klopp sends out against the Clarets on Saturday, with his top forwards chasing achievements they claimed last season.

Salah, a two-time winner, is looking to match feats by Alan Shearer (1995-1997) and Thierry Henry (2004-2006) as the third player in the competition’s history to win three Golden Boots in a row, while Mane is looking to win his second award.

The reverse fixture with Burnley at Turf Moor was somewhat marred by the ex-Southampton man’s annoyance at the North African’s unwillingness to pass to him or better-placed colleagues on several occasions.

Given what’s now at stake, don’t be surprised if either forward is accused of being concerned chiefly with his interest in claiming individual glory to match the club’s historic Premier League success.

Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters are likely to sign Colombian centre-back Oswaldo Henriquez, Goal has learnt. 

The Kochi-based club has been in talks with at least a couple of South American footballers recently and has zeroed in on the 31-year-old Henriquez who could soon become the club's first new foreign signing for the 2020-21 season.

The centre-back, who is more than six foot tall, has spent most of his career in Brazilian and Colombian football leagues. He played for Millionarios in the Colombian top division in his early years before moving to Brazil in 2016 when he joined Sport Recife in the Brazilian Serie A. In 2018, he left the club to join Vasco Da Gama for whom he started 27 matches in the top division last season. The club finished 12th last season. 

The Yellow Army are currently going through a structural revamp on and off the field. As a result, there has been a lot more focus on young Indian players recently. However, the club is also keeping an eye out for the availability of foreigners who could do well under Kibu Vicuna.

While the deal has been agreed by both parties, the club is waiting for Henriquez to complete a medical. Blasters have decided to make medicals mandatory for foreign signings from this season.

The future of the foreign players already under contract remains uncertain. Matej Polatnik, who spent a season away from the club on loan and had one more year on his contract, has already penned a deal with Scottish club Livingston FC.

The club has already completed deals for Indian players such as Nishu Kumar, Givson Singh and Ritwick Das and has many more signings in the pipeline. 

Former Kerala Blasters player and manager David James took a dig at Dimitar Berbatov with a disguised comment on how he was not an easy player to manage.

The Bulgarian forward played under the Englishman for the South Indian club during what proved to be the final season of his career. The two rarely shied away from expressing their criticism of each other. While Berbatov questioned James’ coaching abilities, the latter did not have great things to say about the 39-year-old’s professionalism.

While returning from India, Berbatov had made his his thoughts on James clear with a telling Instagram story with hashtags - #WorstWannaBeCoachEver #worsttacticaladvice, #ChipTheBallToStrikersChestAndWeTakeItFromThere/WTF/WhoPlaysLikeThis .

In an interview with The Guardian, James hinted at the fact that the forward preferred superstar treatment, something he was not willing to provide.

The Bulgarian played no part in what could have been the final game of his career – an inconsequential 2-0 defeat to Bengaluru FC. He was unhappy with the manager’s decision and made no attempts at hiding it. However James maintains that he made the right call.

“I had a plan of how I was going to do things and equality underpinned everything,” James said. “I didn’t have superstars or gophers in the team. Everybody got treated the same. And that doesn’t always work.”

“He (Berbatov) wasn’t so happy not to be involved in that last match, which is fine. I had been in his position. It’s not a nice place to be when you think you’ve still got one more game or one more season left in you. We coped. We got him fitter. But it was difficult. Character types, he’s not the sort of guy who I would be drawn towards, although I had a lot of empathy with him.

“It was an interesting time. Good time in one sense, a lot of learning. But with regards to Dimitar, funnily enough I saw him last year. We played in a game in Singapore. I said hello. He tried to score past me but he didn’t, so I was quite happy with winning that one.”

The Englishman was also critical of ISL for lack of proper communication regarding the schedule, especially with the mid-season break in December ahead of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. James was sacked midway through the campaign due to a poor run of results with the Blasters and he described this experience as damaging.

“We were hamstrung by financial situations and a lot of issues,” James said.

 “We didn’t know when it was going to start six weeks before it started,” he says. “Also, India had qualified for the AFC Asian Cup [in January 2019] so they had a five-week break in the middle of the season [from mid-December], which we didn’t know about at the beginning of the season.”

“You can get damaged. The experience in India was quite damaging because I knew what I set out to do. In a different world, with understanding of what was coming up, I think things would have been set out in a different way.”

James’ experience in India was not the most memorable but it is all in the past. It must be noted that James took the Blasters to the final of the inaugural season of ISL as a player-manager in 2014.

He is hopeful of getting into managing a club once again after working as a TV pundit for some time.

“I will be applying for jobs. I want to be a manager. I want to be back in there and give it a go,” he explained.

“I love doing punditry work but the pundit doesn’t change anything. And I love change. I love the opportunity of being able to be successful. I can’t do that as a pundit. I might come out with a line that everybody goes: ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ but it’s not going to change anything. Whereas managing or being involved at any level … there is an opportunity. So, yes, I am hungry again.”

FC Goa's Leander D'Cunha snubbed offers from several other clubs three years ago and instead chose to join FC Goa's developmental squad. While many thought it would not be conducive to his career, the move has finally paid off with D'Cunha making it into the FC Goa first team recently.

However, it's only the beginning of his dream.

"When I was told that I made the senior team, it felt like a dream come true," he said after putting pen to paper for a three-year deal at the FC Goa first team.

The Goan elucidated to Goal, "I played in the Santosh Trophy three years ago (2017) when Goa reached the final (lost 1-0 to West Bengal), after which I got a call to join the (FC Goa) development team. I had many offers that year but I chose FC Goa because I had a dream to play for the first team of FC Goa.

"Since the second year, I had a feeling that I would get a chance (in the first team) if I perform well but I couldn't make it. I didn't get that much playing time due to injuries. Last year was a good season for me and I always had a feeling that I would make it."

FC Goa have a history of promoting players from the developmental side to the first team. In fact, when D'Cunha joined the developmental team from Churchill Brothers in 2017, the likes of Liston Colaco and Kingslee Fernandes made it to the senior team from the developmental side, followed by the trio of Mohammad Nawaz, Saviour Gama and Princeton Rebello in the 2018-19 season.

Colaco joined Hyderabad FC midway last season after struggling for game time in his three-year stint at the Goan outfit and while Shubham Dhas - promoted in 2019-20 - and Fernandes remain the only promoted players yet to make their senior team debuts.

Leander is significantly aware of the challenge at hand.

"This season is very important for me. Seriton (Fernandes) has been very consistent and even called up for the (Indian) national team. I am also a right back. So I have to first try to gather whatever knowledge I can from his (Seriton) experience and give my best on the pitch. Hopefully, I will get some game time eventually," D'Cunha stated.

From playing age group inter-village tournaments in his home town of Cuncolim to representing Sesa FA (2012-2014) and Churchill Brothers (2014-2017) before joining FC Goa's developmental team, D'Cunha's progression has been evident. He clinched the Goa Pro League and lifted the Goa Police Cup as captain last season and explains the role Derrick Pereira and Clifford Miranda have played in his progress.

"To train under an experienced coach as Derrick Pereira, I learned a lot from coach Derrick who is one of the best coaches in India. Clifford (Miranda) also guided me a lot. They (Pereira and Miranda) also stressed that 'football is not only about what you do on the pitch, it's what you do off the pitch as well' - proper sleep, proper diet, avoid unhealthy food - so I followed that.

"Everyone (at the developmental team) is motivated because they can now see for themselves that anyone who performs well stands a chance to be promoted to the first team," he concluded.

Recently, the club has announced that the likes of Nestor Dias, Lesly Rebello and Kapil Hoble have extended their FC Goa developmental team contracts till 2023 among whom Lesly was Leander's team-mate when they won the 2018-19 GFA (Goa Football Association) U-20 championship.

It remains to be seen how Leander's season shapes up in the 2020-21 campaign.

Ghana international Jonathan Mensah has opened up on what life is like inside Walt Disney World’s bubble.

After four-month hiatus owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the Major League Soccer launched the MLS is Back Tournament.

The month-long World Cup style championship which began on July 8 will see teams drawn into six groups as sixteen clubs progressing to the knockout stage.

In a bid to prevent the spread of the virus, all participating MLS teams are living inside a bubble. There, they are isolated in their hotels when they are not playing or training.

The 29-year-old described the experience as a ‘bizarre feeling’, claiming his involvement at the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations finals will be useful.

"We are over a week in the bubble now, it's not been bad," Mensah told BBC Sport.

"Just that we need to be isolated always from the other teams, you can't go to another floor to see friends from another team.

"It's a bizarre feeling but at the same time we're in a global pandemic so we need to treat it as such and be more cautious of our movements, what we touch and all that.

"I've been to several tournaments and it's the same feeling, so you're preparing and you know you have games every 4 or 5 days so it's like an Africa Cup of Nations or a World Cup format.

"I'm used to it but it's the first time for some of my teammates so I've been talking them through how the process goes and that we should take our recovery seriously. The feeling is like a major tournament for me.”

The former Granada and Anzhi Makhachkala also admitted that being away from home is not easy amid the pandemic which has killed a lot of people globally.

"It's tough (being away from family) because when this pandemic started we were at home with our families all the time so now being away from them is very hard," he continued.

"At the same time we understand, they understand, we signed a contract with our clubs so we need to fulfill it and make this happen.”

FC Dallas withdrew from the championship after 10 players and one staff member tested positive for Covid-19.

Napoli head coach Gennaro Gattuso admitted Arkadiusz Milik "wants a change of scenery" as the star forward eyes an exit.

Milik's current deal expires at the end of 2020-21 and the Poland international is no closer to signing an extension amid links to Serie A champions Juventus, La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid and Premier League side Tottenham among others.

As speculation mounts over Milik – who has scored 37 league goals since arriving from Ajax in 2016 – Gattuso was asked about the 26-year-old following Wednesday's 2-1 win over Genoa.

"It's difficult to find someone better than Milik," Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia post-game.

"However, when a player believes his time at a club is over and he wants a change of scenery, you have to listen to him.

"You can't try to keep someone against their will, or it's difficult to get them to listen or have the right mentality. You have to respect the wishes of the player."

While Milik is nearing a departure, Napoli are reportedly trying to sign Lille star Victor Osimhen as his replacement.

Osimhen has been touted to join Napoli, with reports suggesting he has met with president Aurelio De Laurentiis and Gattuso.

The 21-year-old has flourished in Lille after arriving from Belgium's Sporting Charleroi at the start of the season, scoring 18 goals across all competitions.

On Osimhen, who has also been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal, Gattuso said: "He's different, but I don't want to talk about that. If and when Osimhen joins, then I'll explain the changes."

Napoli claimed a 2-1 win over Genoa on Wednesday with Gattuso's side rising to sixth in Serie A ahead of a crunch match against AC Milan on Sunday. 

“I am happy with the game, although we could’ve done better at the start of the second half, which reminded me of the way we lost to Atalanta,” Gattuso said of the win. 

“We’re pleased to be doing well, but still have areas where we need to improve. The objective is to create a strong, winning mentality, playing a certain type of football. We must prove that we can play well for 95 minutes.

“The table says we are 12 points off Atalanta, but there are great players here and we cannot be that far away from them. That means we should look at the Serie A table every day and think about what we did wrong, what we did right and what we can do better.”

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said the Bundesliga side are targeting attacking players in the case Manchester United target Jadon Sancho leaves.

Sancho has been heavily tipped to join Premier League giants United, while the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid have also emerged as possible destinations.

Dortmund reportedly want around €120 million (£108m/$136m) for the England international star, who arrived from Manchester City in 2017.

Asked about Sancho and a potential departure, Zorc told Kicker: "If Jadon left, we would do something again in the offensive area.

"There are certainly one or two players we are targeting."

Sancho scored 17 goals and supplied 16 assists as Dortmund finished second behind Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich this season.

The 20-year-old attacker scored 20 goals across all competitions in 2019-20.

Dortmund, meanwhile, are reportedly on the verge of signing Birmingham City sensation Jude Bellingham ahead of United.

"When you don't have a billionaire or a state backing you up, then you need to be careful how you will invest your money," Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke is quoted as telling Kicker.

"We don't have an end date for corona, without that we simply have no planning security. Should we sell Sancho, then every player will cost €5-10m more. We have nothing to give away."

While Manchester United have been strongly linked with a summer move for Sancho, former striker Dimitar Berbatov believes the Red Devils don't need any more attackers. 

"Looking at how the squad are doing at the moment I don't think signing Sancho is necessary,” Berbatov told the Mirror.

"Look at the front three from the other night, the speed of Martial, Rashford and Greenwood was great to watch, their link up play was fantastic.

"Football is a funny thing, you have a great young player in Sancho, but at the same time you have a great young player in Greenwood.

"United have to question if they are ready to sacrifice and halt the development of Greenwood, one of their own, to bring Sancho in. They could have both and rotate not only them two, but Martial and Rashford."

Barcelona coach Quique Setien insists he's not blaming Ansu Fati after the young star was shown a red card in his side's 1-0 win over Espanyol.

Fati was brought on as a substitute in the second-half with the game still goalless but just five minutes after coming on, the teenager was heading off again, a VAR review upgrading his caution to a red card as he was punished when a high right foot caught Fernando Calero.

Barcelona still managed to grind out a narrow win courtesy of a goal from Luis Suarez and Setien was pleased by Fati's reaction to his sending off. 

"He was very humble afterwards," Setien said of Fati. "He came to talk to me. He felt very bad about what happened.

"He wasn't provoked. He went in to win the ball. After I watched it, the challenge looked harder than it actually was. It's a moment that could have been avoided. When he goes to win the ball I saw he tried to fold his leg back so there wouldn't be any contact, but the decision was made.

"He'll be affected by this and we'll see what the punishment is but it's a moment that I don't blame him for."

Suarez, meanwhile, surpassed Ladislau Kubala with his 195th Barca goal from 278 appearances. Only two players have scored more goals for Barca – superstar captain Lionel Messi (630) and Cesar (232).

Setien was full of praise for Suarez, who arrived from Premier League giants Liverpool in 2014.

"It wasn't difficult to figure out Luis Suarez was eventually going to score goals again as he continues to play games," Setien told reporters.

"When you're not playing for a while you need time to get back into your rhythm. That's something you only get through minutes on the pitch.

"He knows how to score goals and he's always showed that throughout his career. He did it, which moves him up to third in Barcelona's all-time scoring list and you can't take that away from him."

Barca moved within a point of bitter rivals and leaders Real Madrid, who have a game in hand as they prepare for Friday's match against Deportivo Alaves.

Setien's Barca are nine games unbeaten following back-to-back wins, though they were far from their best after Sunday's 4-1 rout at Villarreal.

"I think we certainly weren't brilliant," Setien said. "It was a difficult match. We managed to win and we'd all like to repeat, of course, the same performance we produced against Villarreal but it's not easy.

"You always need to take your opponents into account. In any case, I'm very happy with the win because I watch practically all the matches in La Liga and I see a lot of teams are winning 1-0 and finding it a struggle. It's a very level playing field right now."

Montreal Impact midfielder Victor Wanyama has disclosed that he is not under any pressure ahead of Thursday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) fixture against New England Revolution.

The Harambee Stars skipper is in line to make his debut appearance in the American top-flight when Montreal Impact play their first competitive match since the suspension of football in the US and Canada due to coronavirus.

They are among the 25 teams participating in the MLS is Back Tournament which is a one-off competition to mark the league’s return to action from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ahead of Thursday’s outing in Florida, Wanyama who joined Thierry Henry’s side as a designated player from Tottenham Hotspur in March said he is going to the field to enjoy himself and help the team without any pressure.

“I’ve nothing to prove. I just want to try and help my team, try and give my best in every game I play and the rest we’ll see where we can be,” Wanyama was quoted as saying by the MLS website.

“I don’t have any pressure or anything. I just want to go out there and enjoy myself, play football, make sure I help my teammates and do my job.”

After several training sessions with his teammates at Montreal, the 29-year-old believes the team is quality and might require little time to adapt.

“I think we have a good young group, technically we have a lot of good players all over the pitch. It’s just a matter of time [before] we all click together and we can surprise many," the former Southampton midfielder said.

“With the quality we have and the plan the manager has for us, it’s just a matter of time that we master it very quick and then we shock many.”

Before the suspension of sports in Canada due to coronavirus, Wanyama made his Montreal Impact debut in their Concacaf Champions League loss to Olimpia on March 11.

He described the Covid-19 lockdown as a tough period for him and also described Henry’s presence in the backroom as a plus for the team.

“It was a really tough period for me, joining a new club and then everything just went wrong with the pandemic hitting the world,” he continued.

“It was a really tough period, but I had to look at the positive side which was staying safe.

“In football we cannot stop learning.

“We always learn and we have a young manager who had also a good career and is someone we can all learn from. That’s the advantage we have.”

Luis Suarez said Barcelona must be ready if La Liga leaders Real Madrid drop points as the title race nears its conclusion.

Two-time defending champions Barca kept their slim title hopes alive with a 1-0 victory over rivals Espanyol on Wednesday.

Suarez scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute to relegate Espanyol midweek, while moving Barca to within a point of Madrid.

Madrid can restore their four-point advantage against Deportivo Alaves on Friday and while Barca only have three games remaining, star forward Suarez insisted the Catalan giants have to be ready to pounce on any slip-ups.

"What we have to do is win our next three games," Suarez, who moved third on Barca's list of all-time scorers, said afterwards. "Whatever Madrid do is up to them.

"If the rival drops points then fantastic, we have to think about being there if they do."

Barca were far from their best at Camp Nou, where substitute Ansu Fati was sent off after coming on at the start of the second half, while Espanyol's Pol Lozano was also dismissed.

But Barca managed to extend their unbeaten run to nine games following back-to-back triumphs.

Suarez added: "We knew it was going to be difficult. We knew their situation. We have to be aware of the fact that we put in a great performance on Sunday and were still feeling the consequences of that physically. The important thing is to win and to get three more points.

"I think if I didn't score in the first half or Barcelona didn't create more chances, that's virtue of the rival, who were very well organised.

"I think they make it difficult for Nelson Semedo and Jordi Alba to push up on the flanks. But eventually the chance came and I'm delighted to be able to take it.

"I didn't see Ansu Fati's [red card] because there was a player in the way and the other one I didn't see either, there was another rival blocking my view.

"But in both cases VAR – which is there to help in these kind of situations – was able to help the referee to take the right decisions."

After his goalscoring display in the 4-1 rout of Villarreal on Sunday, Antoine Griezmann was handed another start alongside Suarez and Lionel Messi.

"It's the manager who takes the decision," Suarez said. "He wanted to find a formula, it's the formula he's trying at the moment. It's the first year of Antoine here so we know it's difficult – the adaptation period. The other day we could all enjoy a brilliant performance from Antoine Griezmann."

Espanyol knew anything but a derby victory at Camp Nou on Wednesday would relegate them to the second tier for the first time since 1994 but they were unable to preserve their top-flight status.

"I think today's match I'm proud of my team-mates, we had chances," Javi Lopez said. "If I'm here now it's to ask for forgiveness from our fans because we know these are tough moments for us but also for our fans. It's been a season in which nothing has gone right for us.

"I thank the fans but apologise again because it's the players' fault. We apologise again and tell them we are committed to coming back stronger and will fight for this club badge. That's all I've got to say – sorry to the fans, that's the minimum we can do.

"I think we all assume the responsibility in the changing room. We're most responsible for this. The players are out on the pitch and the ones who fault it is. These are really tough moments for all of us. We just have to be absolutely committed to come back stronger than ever before. I'm convinced that we will."

Jurgen Klopp is unsure over the severity of the injury Jordan Henderson sustained in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Brighton .

The Reds' captain scored his side's second goal on the south coast on Wednesday, curling a shot beyond goalkeeper Mat Ryan just 127 seconds after Mohamed Salah had put the champions in front early on.

However, Henderson was substituted in the 80th minute having seemingly hurt his knee in a challenge and Liverpool will have to wait to discover the full extent of the problem.

"I don't know [how serious it is], I don't know, honestly," Klopp said in his post-match press conference.

"I didn't see the situation back on the pitch, but I know that it will not be nothing, probably. That's how it is, but we have to wait. I cannot say more."

Asked if the England international was on crutches, the German said: "I have had press since the game is over, so I have no idea how he left the dressing room."

Klopp handed Neco Williams his first league start at left-back but opted to replace him at half-time, bringing on Andy Robertson in his place.

The Liverpool boss explained the decision was due to the teenager being shown a yellow card rather than an issue with his overall performance.

"I know football is like this. When we take a player off after 45 minutes and everyone thinks it's not good," he told Sky Sports .

"I don't care about this. He had a yellow card and the situation was we didn't protect him well enough on that side. 

"I can’t tell him not to make a challenge any more. That's the only reason [why he was taken off]. I liked a lot how he played."

Liverpool's 30th win in the Premier League this season lifts them to 92 points, just eight shy of Manchester City's record for the competition with four games remaining.

Klopp's side next face Burnley at Anfield on Saturday before backing up midweek with a trip to the Emirates to take on Arsenal. 

The Reds' final two league games will then see them host Chelsea before ending the season with a trip to Newcastle.