Looking for Soccer News?

Chelsea climbed to third place in the Premier League with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Tuesday.

Frank Lampard's Champions League hopefuls surged ahead with goals from Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic, before Wilfried Zaha hit back in stunning fashion.

Giroud's opener came after just six minutes as the visitors capitalised on the misfortune of former Chelsea player Gary Cahill.

The in-form Pulisic doubled the Blues' lead in emphatic style before the half-hour mark, but Zaha's wonder-strike kept the away side on their toes.

Tammy Abraham's cool 71st-minute finish was followed promptly by a Christian Benteke tap-in, but Roy Hodgson's men were still condemned to a fourth straight defeat after Scott Dann was denied by the post at the death.

Chelsea broke the deadlock when Cahill appeared to pull a hamstring chasing Reece James' ball in behind, allowing Willian time and space to pick out Giroud to steer home from close range.

With Cahill off injured, Palace's day went from bad to worse when Pulisic lashed in from 12 yards, with Willian again providing the assist. 

The lively Willian went close to a grabbing a goal of his own, but Vicente Guaita proved equal to the Brazilian's side-footed effort.

Palace sprung into action in a spectacular manner soon after, Zaha arrowing a glorious strike beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga from 30 yards.

Abraham's precise finish from Ruben Loftus-Cheek's neat pass appeared to put the game to bed but Chelsea switched off and Patrick van Aanholt laid on an unmissable chance for Benteke barely a minute later.

However, Palace were unable to complete the comeback, with Dann's header hitting the upright deep into stoppage time as Chelsea, beaten 3-2 in their previous away game at West Ham, reversed that scoreline this time.

What does it mean? Chelsea hunting Foxes

It is tight in the battle for a top-four finish, with Chelsea putting five points between themselves and fifth-placed Manchester United. They also edged ahead of Leicester City and into third ahead of the Foxes' clash with Arsenal. Palace, meanwhile, stay 14th.

Willian the key to unlock Palace

Willian, who had two assists, has now been involved in six goals since the resumption of the Premier League campaign, level with Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes as the division's most productive player in that time frame. He created a game-high five chances.

A reunion to forget for Cahill

Cahill won two top-flight titles and the Champions League with Chelsea, but this reunion with his old club will not make the scrap book. He was not to blame for the opener, as pure bad luck saw him struck by injury at exactly the wrong moment.

Key Opta Facts

- Chelsea have now won 132 of their 256 London derbies in the Premier League; their 52 per cent win rate is the highest for any side in such matches.

- Crystal Palace have lost four consecutive matches for the first time since March 2018 – the fourth game in that run was also against Chelsea.

- Frank Lampard is the first English Chelsea boss to achieve a league double over Crystal Palace since Dave Sexton in 1971-72.

- Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has scored five goals in his last eight Premier League appearances; his previous five goals in the competition were spread across 49 games.

What's next?

Chelsea head to Sheffield United on Saturday, with Palace taking on struggling Aston Villa on the road the next day.

Uganda Cranes striker William Luwagga Kizito has signed a contract extension with Israeli top-tier side Hapoel Kfar Saba.

The 26-year-old had joined the Kfar Saba based side at the beginning of the year on a short-term deal but the Covid-19 situation did not make things easier for him. However, he had already done enough to convince management he deserves a new deal.

"The Kfar Saba football club is pleased to announce the contract extension of Uganda offensive player Kizito at the club for another season," the team confirmed via their official Instagram page on Tuesday, July 7.

It means the player will remain part of the team until the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

The Cranes forward was quick to welcome the new deal, believing he will help the team hit greater heights.

"It is a pleasure for me to continue representing this wonderful club," Kizito said after signing the one-year extension deal.

"I believe the professionality of the club, perseverance and unity with my teammates is good. The management has done wonderful work at the club and I am in the right place to continue developing.

"I will give absolutely everything to help the team be successful and hope God will be on our side." 

The former Vipers SC star, who has had loan stints in a number of European clubs including Bate Borisov and FC Shakhter Karagandy, had initially stated players should not always be motivated by money when making career moves.

"It’s all about chasing the dream not money. If you chase the dream, every decision you make will be benefiting your football career thus developing your talent and of course, we need to ask for God’s blessings,” the attacker told Football256.

Kizito further pointed out the traits footballers should have in order to remain relevant in the competitive world of sport.

"Technique and tactical awareness are a must, then hard work. You’ve got to be exceptional because there are so many players around you who want to play,” he explained.

The Cranes star, who has essentially played for nine clubs, revealed how his move from Politechnica Lasi to Hapoel Kfar Saba is turning out.

"I surely can’t complain, I settled in quickly but unfortunately got an injury at the start but I am glad that now all that is in the past because things are back to normal," Kizito concluded.

Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Okraku believes the outfit's Executive Council prioritised the interest of the nation first in prematurely terminating the domestic football season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After two months of a standstill owing to Covid-19, the football's governing body permanently cancelled the 2019-20 term.

The men's Premier League (GPL) and FA Cup competitions headline the competitions affected by the big call.

“We have 18 clubs in the Premier League with minimum players of 30 each, coaches, administrators, 48 clubs in the Division One, medical staff, Women's Premier League. We also have Division Two, Three and juvenile football [clubs] at the regional level," Okraku said as reported by Football Ghana.

“We are talking about a large chunk of people who wholly rely on football as a source of living.

"We also serve as entertainment to people at the social aspect and people also use our platforms as a source of living.

“So it is a huge decision that we had to take but we thought about Ghana first obviously, whiles we continue to engage our key stakeholder to ensure that we bring back football."

Owing to Covid-19, football and all other contact sports remain suspended in Ghana until at least July 31 as part of measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Following the recent return of some national leagues in England, Spain, Germany and Italy, there had been calls for Ghana to follow suit.

The rising number of coronavirus infection cases in the west African country, however, left concerns about the quest for football resumption.

At the time of temporary suspension, a total of six cases had been recorded.

As at June 30 when the term was annulled, the west African nation had registered 17,1741 cases involving 113 deaths, 13,268 recoveries and 4,361 active cases.

Earlier last month, the GFA revealed it was engaging the Government of Ghana over the possible resumption of football under strictly safe protocols such as playing matches behind closed doors, having had a first request rejected.

The football's governing body was hoping to follow the template of the likes of England, Spain, Germany and Italy, who resumed domestic football after the similar temporary suspension of their national leagues due to the pandemic. 

David De Gea has been backed to keep his place as Manchester United's undisputed goalkeeper for the next 10 years by club legend Peter Schmeichel.

De Gea, 29, has faced criticism in recent weeks for conceding goals against Tottenham and, more recently, Bournemouth.

Ex-United stars Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville have all publicly chastised the shot-stopper for his recent performances, while there have been reports that Dean Henderson could take his place when he comes back from his loan spell at Sheffield United.

Schmeichel, however, is full of praise for the Spain international and expects him to remain first choice in the long-term.

“He’s been tremendous for us, there’s no doubt about that,” the former United goalkeeper told the club's website. “He stuck it through in the most difficult period of modern-day Manchester United history. 

“It’s been up and down and, basically, he has been our best player. There’s no doubt about that. Four out of five years being our Player of the Year. That just tells its own story about his performances for the club.

He added: “It’s easy to just blame the goalkeeper, but I’m not going to.

“I’m trying to make a case that every goalkeeper needs to be protected and there’s no doubt that the way the team is playing now, as opposed to when a team plays more defensively, the type of chances that you concede fit into David’s best skills.

“Those kind of saves we've seen came from chances created by being defensive. At the moment, we are attacking a lot and that leaves strikers man-to-man. It becomes like a counter-attack. These are the kind of goals we are conceding now.

“I think he needs a bit of time to adjust to the way we are playing. 

“If you’re a goalkeeper that has been busy for three or four years, and now you’re not busy, you have to change your game a little bit. You need to find new ways of keeping your concentration, of staying with the game. Everyone has to adjust and I think that’s the same for him as well.

“David is our No.1 - he’s still a young lad, by the way.  He could play on for another 10 years. Let’s back him. We should support what we have because we know what we have is really good.”

But the ex-Denmark international stopped short of saying De Gea is the best in his position, as he feels a goalkeeper's quality depends on him being suited to the team's playing style.

“My basic philosophy about goalkeeping is it’s impossible to say who is the best goalkeeper in the world,” he said.

“You have to look at the team that they play in and the style of play.

“I always use the two Manchester goalkeepers as the example. Man City kept the ball and they need their goalkeeper to be far out of his goal and, anything that came over the top, he would deal with that. Also, he needed to be someone who could build up the game, even outside the box.

“If you swapped them over - the way we played under Jose Mourinho, could you see that Ederson would be a good goalkeeper for us? I can’t see it. He’s a different type of goalkeeper and David couldn’t play the game that Ederson was playing.

“I really do believe that a goalkeeper needs to fit the style of play that the team is playing in."

Lille have declared July 7 as International Day for celebrating Victor Osimhen because of his shirt number.

The 21-year-old had an excellent debut campaign in France with the Great Danes, thanks to his goalscoring exploits in all competitions.

Osimhen was the highest goalscorer in Christophe Galtier's squad with a return of 18 goals in the 2019-20 season which includes 13 efforts in Ligue 1.

His contributions earned him Lille’s Player of the Year award and the Marc Vivien Foe Prize for 2020 among other accolades.

In celebrating the July 7 date, Lille who finished fourth in the league table this season joined together two pictures of their talisman showing the no. 7 side by side.

Despite having four years left on his contract at Lille, Osimhen’s future at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy is in doubt with a number of European clubs showing interest in his signing.

Napoli are reportedly leading the chase for his services with an offer of €50 million and the Nigeria forward, before making a decision, visited the Serie A club to meet their management last week.

Lille President Gerrard Lopez admitted several offers for the 2015 Caf Young Player of the Year, and he has backed him to make a move to Gennaro Gattuso’s side where he could become a superstar.

"For Victor, we had several offers. He asked me and I told him what I think was the ideal club for him,” Lopez told La Voix du Nord.

“Napoli is just below Juventus or Barcelona but is at the same level as Atletico Madrid. If he goes there, he will become their superstar.

“Having a city like Naples at your feet must be exciting for a footballer. Victor has the strength to perform under pressure."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang became the second Arsenal player to score at least 20 Premier League goals in consecutive seasons, celebrating with the opening goal against Leicester City.

The Gabon international gave the Gunners a 21st minute lead in Tuesday’s league outing against the Foxes to take a slim 1-0 lead into the half-time break at the Emirates Stadium.

He arrived late at the far post to turn home Bukayo Saka’s eye-catching cross – which was unstoppable by impressive goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel – for his 20th goal of the season.

Club legend Thierry Henry achieved the feat for the North Londoners five consecutive times between 2001-02 and 2006-07.

Aubameyang has enjoyed a starring role in the Gunners’ squad since he joined the team from Borussia Dortmund for £55 million plus £5m in further add-ons.

In his debut season, he scored 10 times in 13 appearances while he was more productive in 2018-19 – scoring 22 times from 36 games – which ensured he shared the Golden Boot prize with Liverpool’s duo of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

His goal against Brendan Rodger’s men will be crucial in their quest to secure maximum points as Mikel Arteta’s side continue their chase for a place in Europe next term despite staying sixth in the English top-flight table with 52 points so far.

The forward’s goal against Norwich City the last time out was his 50th Premier League goal for Arsenal to become the club’s quickest player to that mark in the modern era, reaching the milestone on the occasion of his 79th appearance which was quicker than Henry and Ian Wright, who took 87 and 101 games respectively.

That accounted for 14 goals in 14 games against sides starting the day in the English top-flight relegation zone.

Aubameyang is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium in June 2021, and his uncertain future has attracted attention from the likes of Barcelona. 

Arsenal travel to the London Stadium on Sunday for a date with Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur, while Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi’s Leicester City would take their Champions League qualification chase to Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Former Ghana right-back John Paintsil believes the Black Stars would have defeated the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup semi-final—had they got there—to set up a final meeting with eventual champions Spain.

Looking back over the West Africans’ campaign in South Africa a decade ago, the former Fulham man has explained why there was abundant optimism in the camp that they would have dispatched the Dutch had they advanced to the final four.

“We were looking forward to playing the Netherlands, because before the tournament, we played them in Holland and we tested them,” Paintsil told Goal, referring to the Black Stars’ 4-1 friendly defeat ahead of the World Cup.

“So we knew their strengths and their weakness, and so for me, we would have gone to the final.

“We knew that we were going straight to the final, and we would have won the cup, because at that time the confidence level was very high.”

Ghana won many admirers during the 2010 tournament, eliminating the United States in extra-time in the Round of 16 to set up a quarter-final against Uruguay.

Ultimately, they were eliminated on penalties following a 1-1 draw, with Luis Suarez infamously blocking Dominic Adiyiah’s goalbound shot in extra-time before Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent spotkick.

“We saw it as though no team could beat us after we defeated the United States,” Paintsil added. “We didn’t think that any team could stand us, and we were going all out to perform against Uruguay.

“As for Holland, we knew them inside and out.”

Ultimately, the Netherlands defeated Uruguay in their semi-final to set up a final meeting with Spain, who had themselves dispatched Germany 1-0 in their Durban final-four showdown.

In the final, between two sides who had never before won the big one, Andres Iniesta stuck a 116th-minute extra-time winner to secure La Roja their first world title.

“Spain were a playing-ball team like us,” Paintsil reminisced. “They didn’t play direct balls, they didn’t make silly tackles, they were a decent side and very disciplined, we were also very disciplined.

“We also liked passing the ball around, so that final would have been beautiful.”

Said Benrahma helped Brentford overcome Charlton Athletic's scare in Tuesday's Championship encounter with a goal in their 2-1 comeback win.

Following his goalscoring heroics against Wigan Athletic on Saturday, Benrahma continued from where he left off with his fifth goal in his last five outings.

After going behind as early as in the eighth minute, Brentford produced a late turnaround to stretch their winning run in the English second division to six games.

Towards the end of the encounter, the Algerian won a penalty for the Bees after he was brought down in the 18 yards box. He stepped forward to score the equaliser from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.

The 24-year-old has now scored 15 goals with eight assists in 39 league outings this season.

10 minutes after Benrahma's leveller, Ethan Pinnock sealed victory for the hosts at Griffin Park to boost their chances of gaining promotion to the Premier League.

The Algeria international was in action for the entire duration of the game, managing the most shots (8), the most shots on target (5) and the joint-most dribbles (5) in Thomas Frank's team.

They remain unmoved in third spot after Tuesday's victory with 75 points after 42 matches. Brentford are two points behind second-placed West Bromwich Albion and three points behind league leaders Leeds United who both have a game in hand.

With four games left to play in the Championship, Thomas Frank's men will be aiming to continue their impressive winning run when they visit Derby County on Saturday.

They also have home games against Preston North End and Barnsley, and a trip to Stoke City scheduled in the coming days.

Armelle Khellas has joined French second division side ASPTT Albi from Olympique Lyonnais for the coming 2020-21 season.

The Algeria international enjoyed a fine youth development at French top-flight champions, Lyon, in the past decade before the coronavirus outbreak caused the league cancellation in April.

In June, the 19-year-old took to social media to announce the end to her 10-year journey with Lyon. She thanked management and her teammates ahead of her possible move.

"After 10 great years spent at Olympique Lyonnais, it is time for me to take a new path," she wrote on her Instagram page. 

"Thank you to my teammates who have brought me so much. I lived extraordinary moments and I keep memories full of my head. Thank you for everything! A page turns, but the story continues.”

Having completed her move to ASPTT, the Algeria U20 star will be the fourth signing for the French side after the earlier acquisitions of Valentine Kirbach, Fanny Thouvenot and Elsa Heimburger. 

Reacting to her move, Khellas is delighted to sign her first professional contract with the French D2 Women's Championship outfit and is keen to hit the ground running at the club.

"I am happy to announce the signing of my first professional contract with the ASPTT Albi for the 2020/2021 season," she wrote on her Instagram page.

"A new adventure begins. In a hurry to be able to find the grounds. I thank the club for the trust they have placed, my loved ones for their support since my beginnings." 

Following her arrival, the defender will become the second Algerian player at the club as she teams up with compatriot Assia Sidhoum. 

ASPTT finished 10th last season with 12 points from 16 matches before the coronavirus cancellation and will hope the presence of the Algerian will inspire their top-flight promotion next season. 

Eddie Nketiah's red card proved costly for Arsenal as Jamie Vardy's late goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for Leicester City in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta's side looked set to make it four league wins on the spin on Tuesday, thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's 21st-minute goal.

Yet, just four minutes after coming on, substitute Nketiah received his marching orders for a rash tackle on James Justin – referee Chris Kavanagh consulting VAR to deem the youngster's tackle worthy of a straight red.

And Leicester made their numerical advantage count with six minutes remaining – Vardy's goal standing after a long VAR check for offside as the Foxes claimed a valuable point.

Leicester started brightly, yet they were behind when the impressive Bukayo Saka fooled Jonny Evans and teed up Aubameyang for a simple finish.

Aubameyang would have returned the favour if not for Caglar Soyuncu's intervention soon after, before Kasper Schmeichel denied Alexandre Lacazette.

Kelechi Iheanacho had a goal disallowed due to a foul, while Lacazette should have done better with a header at the other end.

Schmeichel again had to be alert to prevent David Luiz extending Arsenal's lead after the break, with Iheanacho then directing a close-range volley at Emiliano Martinez.

Lacazette thought he had nudged in Arsenal's second with 22 minutes remaining, only for the offside flag to cut short his celebrations, and his replacement Nketiah lasted just a matter of minutes before he was sent off.

Leicester made Nketiah's mistake count nine minutes later – Vardy tucking in from Demarai Gray's cross, with VAR unable to confirm whether Ayoze Perez got a touch on the way through, which would likely have led to the goal being ruled out for offside.

What does it mean? Arsenal's Champions League hopes dealt a blow

Arsenal would have been heading into sixth place, just three points behind Manchester United and six adrift of Leicester, had they held on, but as it is they stay seventh, with Wolves able to move five points clear of the Gunners should they beat Sheffield United on Wednesday.

Leicester, meanwhile, stay fourth, with Chelsea having gone above them thanks to an earlier win over Crystal Palace.

Saka answers Arteta's call

While one Arsenal youngster – Matteo Guendouzi – finds himself out in the cold, Saka is thriving. Arteta asked the teenager to improve his all-round game after scoring his first league goal in the win over Wolves on Saturday, and on Tuesday the winger was in superb form in the first half, combining brilliantly with Lacazette and Aubameyang in the final third.

Nketiah's nightmare cameo

Arsenal’s second-half display left a lot to be desired, though they did look comfortable until Nketiah lunged in recklessly on Justin and put his side on the back foot – a mistake the Gunners ultimately paid for.

Key Opta Facts

- Arsenal remain unbeaten in 23 home league games against Leicester (W19 D4).
- Leicester City have scored 18 goals in the final 15 minutes of their Premier League games this season, more than any other side.
- Aubameyang is just the second Arsenal player to score 20+ Premier League goals in consecutive seasons, after Thierry Henry (five in a row between 2001-02 and 2005-06).
- Only Kevin De Bruyne (19) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (14) have provided more assists among Premier League players in all competitions this season than Saka (12). 
- Only Aubameyang has been involved in more goals for Arsenal this season in all competitions (25) than Saka (16 - 4 goals, 12 assists). 

What's next?

It is the small matter of the north London derby up next for Arsenal, with a win potentially crucial in their bid for Europe. Leicester, meanwhile, face relegation-threatened Bournemouth.

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo says he is not concerned by Mexico boss Gerardo Martino's recent claims that Raul Jimenez should be a target for Manchester United.

Jimenez has grown into a star with Wolves since joining the club from Benfica in 2018.

The Mexico international scored 17 goals in his debut season, making his initial season-long loan move permanent in the process.

This season, Jimenez has scored 24 goals in all competitions to push Wolves into sixth in the Premier League as well as the last 16 of the Europa League.

The 29-year-old striker has earned links to big clubs as a result of his goalscoring exploits, with Man Utd and Juventus among those rumoured to be interested.

Martino said that a move to Old Trafford would be best for the striker, given the club's need for a pure No. 9.

But Nuno says he isn't too worried about any move for the club's star striker, insisting that the focus remains on pushing forward to complete the Premier League season.

"It's not an issue for us, we have a competition and a game to play," Nuno said.

"We have a lot of things in front of us. It's not the moment to think about anything else. I'm sure Raul is totally, 100 per cent focused on what he has to do at Wolves.

"They are things which you can't control, it's up to you to decide if you pay attention or not. I admire Tata [Martino], he is a big manager, and honestly, it doesn't distract us."

Wolves most recently fell in a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, snapping a run of three consecutive victories to begin the Premier League's restart.

Jimenez has scored two of Wolves' four goals since the competition kicked off again while also netting 33 percent of the club's Premier League goals throughout the campaign.

Up next for Wolves is a clash with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Wednesday before then hosting Everton on Sunday at Molineux.

Wolves currently sit three points behind fifth-place Manchester United and six points behind fourth-place Leicester City in the race for Champions League spots.

John Stones is set to make his first Premier League start for Manchester City since January, but with no guarantees about his future at the club.

The England international has been playing catch-up since an injury forced him to miss the early preparations for the Premier League's return from the coronavirus-enforced suspension.

City boss Pep Guardiola revealed he will start the game against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium, but refused to be drawn on his future amid possible interest in the defender from Wednesday night’s visitors as well as former club Everton.

“On the transfer market, we will speak at the end of the season,” Guardiola said. “I’ve said many times I’m more than delighted with John as a person, as a pro, everything.

“What I want is the best for him. We’ll speak at the end of the season about what is going to happen.

“Sometimes my wish is not the wish of the players, or the wish of the situation for the club. At the moment I will feel it, if we have to change, we’ll talk to them. He’s a young player and we want him to be consistent, to train and recover.

“There are players who can play every three days for 11 months, others struggle more to be fit and we try to find the key to playing every three days. This is what we want.”

While Stones has not suffered any major injuries, he has been troubled by a number of niggles during his time at City. And, this season when Aymeric Laporte was ruled out for five months, he has played in just 14 of 51 games so far.

City are also set to go into the transfer market for another centre-back when the transfer window opens casting further doubt over his future at the club.

Guardiola has been a big fan of the 26-year-old, famously telling a room of journalists that he had “more balls than everybody” in the room. But a lack of consistent form over the past year following a difficult Nations League with England in the summer, has further added to the uncertainty.

“It’s difficult for a player and for all of us,” Guardiola said. “The quality of John is there, I never doubted it for one second. It’s just when you don’t play, you are rotated and injured again, and injured again.

“They are good when they play in a routine, they are confident. You need minutes, playing, being fit or injured and this is what happened with John.

“We have, Nico [Otamendi], Aymeric, Fernandinho - Eric [Garcia] is doing incredibly well. He must play for himself and focus.

“He and anyone will not be judged for bad actions or bad moments. Be what they are. We know what he is, the quality and perspective is there.”

Polish Ekstraliga side Olimpia Szczecin have secured the services of Cameroon international Mpeh Bissong on a two-year contract.

The Szczecin-based outfit secured the Indomitable Lionesses striker from Cameroonian women's top-flight side Louves Minproff.

Bissong is one of Cameroon's hot prospects after her breakthrough with Minproff, whom she helped to a domestic double in 2018 and won the topscorer boot for the third time in a row with 22 goals. 

On international level, she featured at the Cosafa Women's Cup in 2018, with Cameroon and scored a hat-trick in an 8-1 win against Mozambique as they finished runners-up in South Africa.

Despite her exploits, Alain Djeumfa's decision to leave out the youngster from the Central African squad for the 2019 Women's World Cup in France was heavily criticized by fans and media.

On confirming her signing, Olimpia revealed the Cameroonian arrived in Poland before the world went into lockdown but was quarantined for days at the University of Szczecin hospital.  

"In Szczecin for several months, after positive medical tests in REHBET and performance in the physiology laboratory at the University of Szczecin for several days, with a two-year contract in Olympia starting today!," the club wrote on its Facebook page.

"In the new season, a 21-year-old Cameroon representative Christian Mpeh Bissong will debut in white and navy blue. 

"The young striker's last club was Cameroon Louves Minproff. We warmly welcome you onboard, Olympia and wish you all the best performances."

After finishing seventh with 18 points from 12 matches before the coronavirus cancellation, they will seek to wrestle for domestic titles in their 2020-21 Polish Ekstraliga campaign.

The Cameroonian will become the third African to join a Polish outfit this summer after Nigeria's Alice Ogebe and Ghana's Priscilla Hagem signed for Sportis KKP Bydgoszcz and TS ROW Rybnik respectively.  

Bissong could make her debut for MKS Olimpia when they host Ogebe's Sportis KKP Bydgoszcz in a warm-up tie in Szczecin on July 18. 

Arsenal are looking to tie up a permanent deal for Dani Ceballos, but Charlie Nicholas says the on-loan Real Madrid star remains “unpredictable” and the Gunners are still “not right” defensively as a collective.

Mikel Arteta has expressed a desire to keep a player who was snapped up on a season-long agreement by his predecessor Unai Emery at Emirates Stadium beyond the end of the current campaign.

It remains to be seen if Ceballos can be retained, as he is keeping all of his options open, with Arsenal needing to prove to those already on their books and being eyed up from afar that they can make positive progress in the future.

In the present, the aim is to end the 2019-20 campaign as positively as possible – with European football and FA Cup glory still there to be shot at.

Their next outing is, however, set to be a testing one, with Arteta readying his troops for a meeting with Leicester.

Nicholas is hoping to see recent improvement maintained in that clash, with the Gunners going in search of a fourth successive Premier League win and a fifth in all competitions, but concedes that there remains a number of issues to be addressed by the north London outfit.

“Arsenal have formed a bit of momentum. It is still not right at the back but it is better,” former Gunners star Nicholas told Sky Sports.

“Emiliano Martinez is playing well and Sead Kolasinac on the left side of a back three is keeping it balanced. Kieran Tierney has been looking stronger and fitter. When Arsenal have wing backs, they can hit the byline and can be dangerous. It is where the danger is.

“Dani Ceballos is unpredictable. He has lovely ability, energy, but he and Granit Xhaka are weak defensively. That is the reason why you have a back five. They are not holding as they cannot tackle but they can get on the ball.

“The intent was there from Tierney for Bukayo Saka's goal [in a 2-0 win over Wolves]. Playing higher up the pitch can allow you to pin teams in. Cedric Soares deserves to be in the team too.

“Even with Alexandre Lacazette scoring, I still think Eddie Nketiah will start [against Leicester]. Saka can play anywhere, and scoring was ace for him off the back of the new contract, but I'm not sure whether he was at his best in that right-sided position. You could switch Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with him.

“Aubameyang is two goals behind Jamie Vardy now in the race for the Golden Boot, so he will be keen to get things going again. Eddie's pace gives teams problems, but at the same time, they have earned the right to be in the team. The goal helped Lacazette but I would not be surprised if he did not make it.”

Arsenal will welcome the Foxes to Emirates Stadium sat seventh in the table, eight points adrift of the top four but very much in contention for a Europa League spot.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has ruled out Moussa Djenepo and Boufal from their Premier League game against Everton on Thursday.

Djenepo returned to the Saint’s squad, making the substitute bench, in their shocking win against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Mali international was handed a three-match ban after he was shown a red card in his side’s defeat against Newcastle United back in March before the outbreak of the coronavirus which forced the Premier League into a hiatus.

Subsequently, the 22-year-old midfielder missed the Saints victories against Norwich and Watford as well as their defeat to Arsenal.

Hasenhuttl has confirmed the former Standard Liege star has suffered an injury and will not be available for selection when they face the Toffees at Goodison Park.

“We have another injury with Moussa, which is not a coincidence for a player who has had a longer time off with a suspension,” Hasenhuttl told the club website.

“He’s had less training and games and sometimes this can lead to injuries during an intense programme like this.

“We have a few injuries, but I cannot say how many changes I will have to make. At the moment they’re all a little bit tired, but tomorrow we will look and decide who is and isn’t available to play.”

Morocco international Boufal, meanwhile, will also not be part of the game as he is yet to recover from his injury problems.

“Jannik [Vestergaard] will not make it with his quad injury, Sofiane [Boufal] is also still out and Yan Valery has a muscle injury still. Pierre [Højbjerg] is an option and could possibly make the bench.”

Boufal last featured for the Saints against Norwich City on June 19 and has made 25 appearances across all competitions in this campaign.

The 26-year-old winger will hope to return to action along with Djenepo when Southampton take on Manchester United on July 13.

SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo has confirmed the club will extend the contracts of Clayton Daniels and Siyabonga Nhlapo. 

While Daniels is in the twilight of his career, Tembo feels he still has a big role to play, especially to the younger players at the club.

The 35-year-old defender has been with Matsatsantsa for six seasons, and Tembo values his experience and contribution to the club. 

"Clayton has been a warrior for the club. He's got an option and we are exercising it. The same applies to Siya [Siyabonga Nhlapo] as well, because they still have a huge role to play in the team," Tembo told the South Africa Football Journalists Association.

"We've got young players like Luke Fleurs, who's only 19, and Thatayaone Ditlhokwe who is Botswana national team captain and is only 22."

"So, you can see we've got young players who have already been playing, but at the same time, you need to have a strong backbone, in order to guide those youngsters.

"Clayton plays a huge role, and we feel that we still need him because he can still play as well," added Tembo.

Since his arrival at the Tshwane giants, Daniels has played 184 matches across all competitions. 

He has also scored a few important goals for the club during that period - 14 to be exact despite being a defender. 

Daniels was instrumental as Matsatsantsa reached the final of the Caf Confederation Cup in 2017. 

He was equally impressive in the four major trophies SuperSport United won over the past four seasons. 

Nhlapo, on the other hand, arrived from Bidvest Wits in 2017 and has proven to be an asset to the club over the last three years. 

His contract with Matsatsantsa expired on June 30 but the club decided to offer him a short term deal until the end of the season while discussing his long-term deal at the club. 

It's unclear, at this stage, how long both Daniels and Nhlapo will sign for. 

Tembo is also expected to sign a few more players to bolster the squad after losing Dean Furman in midfield.   

Belgian First Division A club Oostende have announced the departure of Joseph Akpala following the expiration of his contract.

The Super Eagles striker returned to the Versluys Arena outfit last summer, signing a year deal which ran out in June.

The 33-year-old forward only made seven appearances across all competitions for Alexander Blessin’s men last season due to injury problems.

The Kustboys revealed the Nigeria international’s contract will not be renewed along with Hasan Ozkan while Priestley Farquharson has also been released.

“Striker Joseph Akpala is not offered a new contract and is therefore again a free player,” read a statement from the club website.

“We thank 'Joske' for his boundless efforts and excellent mentality and wish him every success in the further course of his career.

“His contract with KVO ran until June 30 but was extended until last Saturday. Then he played in the friendly match against Varsenare, but now the collaboration ends.

“The contract of Hasan Ozkan is not renewed, Anton Tanghe and Jordy Schelfhout are still training. The trial period of defender Priestley Farquharson is over, he also leaves KVO."

Akpala made 62 league appearances in his first spell with the side, scoring 12 goals between 2015 and 2018 before leaving to join Al-Faisaly.

The forward started his career with Pepsi Football Academy in Lagos before joining Bendel Insurance, where he signed his first professional contract.

He departed the shores of Nigeria to team up with Sporting Charleroi in Belgium in 2006 before signing for rival side Club Brugge two years later.

The striker moved to Turkey in 2014 to team up with Super Lig club Karabukspor, where he managed to score seven goals in 25 league appearances during his one-year stay before signing for Oostende.

Akpala has represented Nigeria 13 times and will hope to secure a new club before the start of the 2020-21 season.

Bloemfontein Celtic have announced midfielder Given Mashikinya has fully recovered from Covid-19 after he was diagnosed with the virus a few weeks ago.

The Phunya Sele Sele campaigner has also confirmed that he was quarantined for 14 days and has also thanked the club's supporters for their support.

Formerly on the books of Cape Town City, the 29-year-old player says he is feeling fresh and itching to get back to action for the Free State-based outfit.

“I recently tested positive for Covid-19 and they put me in isolation for 14 days. Mine was a bit different because I had no symptoms, so in simple terms, I was not sick,” said Mashikinya on the club's Twitter page.

“[Nonetheless] I had to do the protocol and be quarantined for 14 days.

“I’d like to urge everyone to wash their hands on a daily basis for 20 seconds, wear your masks, use your sanitizers and, if you can, use your gloves and stay at home.

“I would like to thank the family of Siwelele; I want to thank my family; I want to thank everybody that prayed for me, and everybody that supported me and sent me messages. Most of all, I want to thank God for being there every second, minute, and hour.

“I came back to work, I feel fresh and, as I said, I had no symptoms so I can’t say I’ve recovered because I was not sick. So thank you for everything, Hela Yalo Masele.”

Although Orlando Pirates midfielder Ben Motshari became the first player in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to suffer from the virus, Portugal-based Sphephelo Sithole was the first South African player recorded to be infected with the coronavirus in early May.

Both players have since recovered whilst  Sport24 has reported three Stellenbosch staff members tested positive for the virus.

As things stand, the South African government has given the go-ahead for PSL clubs to return to training on the field of play but it remains unclear as to when the 2019/20 season could return to action after the season was suspended in March.