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Ashanti Gold defender Eric Donkor has doubts about the club's preparedness for continental inter-club football next season.

The Miners have been given the nod by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council to represent the West African nation in the 2020-21 Caf Confederation Cup.

This is after the country was unable to select a candidate on the pitch due to the premature termination of the 2019-20 football season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The winners of the Ghana FA Cup, which together with the Premier League (GPL) headlines the topmost affected competitions by the season cancellation, would have represented the country in the Confederation Cup.

“I cannot say that we are ready because we haven’t played for some time now,” Donkor told Bryt FM.

"This year’s competition is still on course which I know they will finish by September. So I’m sure Caf will tell us the way forward after the competition.

“We should wait for them to finish this year’s edition and see how the preparations will go for us because I believe in training and team unity.

“You cannot just make purchases like Messi and Ronaldo thinking that you can do well. Football is a team sport so you have to build a team before you can face your opponent.

“For Ashantigold, I cannot confirm whether we are ready or not but frankly speaking we are not ready."

Donkor's position sharply contradicts AshGold chief executive officer Emmanuel Frimpong, who declared the side almost ready for the African adventure.

"We are 85 per cent ready for Africa," Frimpong told Kumasi FM.

"When the league was suspended, there was a rumour of AshantiGold and Asante Kotoko going for Africa hence we started preparing and putting everything in place.

"Our coach has been sending training schedules for the players at home. My players are very ready for anything.

"AshantiGold would have been at the top of the league but for the cancellation of the league."

Joining AshGold in Africa next season are Asante Kotoko who have been confirmed for the Champions League.

The two sides similarly represented Ghana in this season's continental campaign where they both got eliminated in the first round. 

Ahmed Hegazi scored his first Championship goal of the season and got sent off as West Bromwich Albion defeated Hull City 4-2 at the Hawthorns on Sunday.

The Baggies had started the resumption of the second-tier on a bad note with a goalless draw against Birmingham City before losing at Brentford.

This gave Leeds United the chance to control top spot, but West Brom adjusted in their last outing at Sheffield Wednesday, which ended in a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Charlie Austin (penalty) and a Matheus Pereira brace.

Slaven Bilic’s men started on the front foot through former Southampton striker Austin in just the fourth minute of play, the assist coming from Pereira.

Hull equalised 20 minutes later via Kevin Stuart, but Hegazi made it 2-1 to the hosts eight minutes prior to the half-time break with a powerful header from Pereira’s corner.

The Tigers equalised again two minutes after the restart this time from Mallik Wilks, but West Brom responded almost immediately with Pereira making it a hat-trick of assists as he provided for Kamil Grosicki.

Grady Diangana put the final nail in the coffin in the 76th minute with the assist coming from former Hull and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jake Livermore.

Hegazi played for 90 minutes but got his marching orders in injury time for a second bookable offence having gotten his first yellow in the 12th minute of the game.

The Egyptian still had a strong game regardless of the red card, with five clearances, one tackle and one interception. He also won five of seven aerial duels and successfully played five long balls from nine.

It was only Hegazi’s 14th Championship appearance of the season which has been due to fitness issues that kept him out for the first three months of the campaign.

The 29-year-old has been an unused substitute 14 times and has now completed 90 minutes in every game since the restart of the league.

Nigeria international Semi Ajayi was an unused substitute having come on in the final two minutes of West Brom’s last match. The 26-year-old has been a regular starter this term with a total of 3,332 minutes in the Championship.

West Brom remain in second spot on the table, one point behind leaders Leeds United with their next game at home against promotion hopefuls Derby County on Wednesday.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael has described Karume Stadium in Musome as “a pitch good for cows and pigs” after they secured a 0-0 draw against Biashara United on Sunday.

The draw was something of a blow for Yanga who are looking to widen the gap between them and second-placed Azam FC, as they have now amassed 61 points against Azam's 59, who play in the late kick-off.

Eymael has now told Goal he was surprised the pitch was passed to host a top-flight match under the condition it was in, saying it can only be good to be used by cows and pigs.

“It is a shame for a team like Yanga to play in the pitch which is just good for cows and pigs, the changing room was catastrophic, you cannot play soccer in such a pitch, how is it possible for a league match to be played there?” Eymael posed a question to Goal after the match.

“It is impossible to play in such a pitch, you know me I like teaching my players to play good soccer, I am not enjoying this kind of soccer when playing in such a pitch, I only enjoy playing soccer when using the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

“But we hit the crossbar more than three times, we created a number of scoring chances though we could not convert them into goals.”

Asked whether the draw could affect their intentions to finish in the second position, Eymael said: “Yes it can affect our second place but we are okay, we will fight until the end, we knew very well it will be difficult but we were not lucky like I told you we hit the crossbar but could not score.”

Yanga are yet to lose a game since the Mainland Premier League restarted on June 13. They resumed their league assignments and defeated Mwadui FC 1-0 away from home.

A second tie saw them draw 1-1 against JKT Tanzania on June 17 before they picked up another 2-2 draw against Namungo FC in what was their first home match since the resumption.

On June 27, they had to fight hard and secured a 3-2 win at home against Ndanda FC.

Meanwhile, Biashara United have lost one of the three matches they have played since they took to the pitch again after the league suspension in March.

The Musoma side lost 1-0 to Ndanda FC on June 20 before picking up one of their heaviest wins against the Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC) after a 4-0 outing on June 24.

Their last game saw them fight for a 1-1 draw with Azam.

Lautaro Martinez's missed penalty cost Inter dearly as Bologna staged a superb second-half comeback to seal a stunning 2-1 win at San Siro on Sunday. 

Romelu Lukaku had given Inter a first-half lead with his 20th Serie A goal of the season before Bologna's Roberto Soriano received a red card for dissent after 57 minutes. 

Martinez then squandered a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 five minutes later, striking his attempt from the spot straight at Lukasz Skorupski. 

The visitors took full advantage of that reprieve, scoring through Musa Juwara and Musa Barrow inside the final 16 minutes to seal a memorable away win over the Nerazzurri, who had Alessandro Bastoni dismissed for two bookable offences.

Lukaku looked dangerous in the opening stages and gave his side a deserved 22nd-minute lead, tapping home from close range after Martinez's header had crashed back off the post.

Skorupski pawed away Antonio Candreva's long-range strike moments after the interval, while at the other end Barrow thundered a 25-yard strike against the upright.

Bologna's hopes of getting back into the game appeared to suffer a blow shortly before the hour mark when Soriano was dismissed for dissent after he had been penalised for a foul on Roberto Gagliardini. 

Their woes should have been compounded when Mitchell Dijks brought down Candreva in the area, but Martinez's penalty was kept out by Skorupski. 

The Argentina international paid a significant price for that miss, Juwara firing an equaliser through the flimsy resistance of Samir Handanovic in the 74th minute. 

Bastoni received his second yellow card after 77 minutes, with Inter's misery compounded soon after when Barrow powered through to fire past Handanovic.

Substitute Alexis Sanchez twice came close to salvaging a point in the closing stages but Bologna held on for the most unlikely of away victories.

What does it mean? Shell-shocked Inter throw it away 

Quite how Inter conspired to throw away all three points will remain a mystery for some time. They were dominant for the first hour, yet Bologna sensed a vulnerability after Martinez's penalty miss and they took advantage in some style.

The result leaves Antonio Conte's side four points behind second-place Lazio and 11 adrift of leaders Juventus, though they may now be looking over their shoulder with Atalanta so close. As for Bologna – led by former Inter player Sinisa Mihajlovic – they jump up to ninth in the table.

Juwara makes stunning impact 

The 18-year-old could not have picked a better time to open his Serie A account. The substitute had already seen a sharp volley kept out by Handanovic before he got the better of the Inter goalkeeper with a well-struck shot from just inside the area. 

Martinez pays the penalty 

He has been one of the star performers for Inter this season, but Martinez fluffed his lines from the spot. There is little doubt Conte's men would have gone on to register a fourth win in five games since the season resumed had he found the net. 

Key Opta facts

- The last time Inter lost a Serie A match in which the opponent received a red card before the 60th minute was in February 2001 (1-0 against Napoli). 
- After scoring in three of his first 11 home games in Serie A this season, Romelu Lukaku has scored in four of his last five. 
- Lautaro Martínez missed his first penalty in Serie A, having scored with his three previous attempts from the spot. 
- At 18 years and 192 days, Musa Juwara is Bologna's youngest player to score since Luigi Della Rocca in January 2003 (18 years and 146 days). 
- Musa Barrow has scored in three Serie A games in a row for the first time in his career. 

What's next? 

Inter will hope to return to winning ways when they travel to Hellas Verona on Thursday, while a buoyant Bologna host Sassuolo a day earlier. 

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) will convene a club's Pro-Agenda that will help teams engineer their sporting and business processes.

The move is aimed at delivering short, medium and long-term planning and clubs have up to Monday to confirm their participation.

“In order for a club to participate in this phase of Clubs Pro-Agenda, they must express interest, in writing, to participate in the respective Division in the season 2020/2021 by 16:00 hours Monday 6th July 2020,” Fufa's CEO/Football Decolas Kiiza told the federation's website.

“The club stakeholders expected to attend include are club owner(s), club President/Chairman, club Board/Executive, club CEO, Administrative and Technical Staff, volunteer staff, if any, representative of fans and the representative of players.

“Full cost of the programme estimated to be not less than USh2,000,000 per club which must be conducted in any case not later than 16th July 2020.

“The entire programme is streamlined to further ensure professionalization of football competitions in the country to rhyme with Fufa’s core vision 'To become the number one football nation in Africa on and off the field' with a mission 'To develop, promote and protect football for all.'”

The programmes will assess and grade clubs beyond sporting merit to be able to participate in various levels of football competitions in the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, Ugandan defender Denis Iguma is close to joining KCCA FC. Iguma last featured for Bekaa SC in Lebanon and has been out for over a year due to an injury.

According to a source close to the defender, Iguma will join KCCA with a deal that will keep him for two seasons.

“True, we agreed on a deal for Iguma and he successfully passed medical tests,” the source told Kawowo Sports.

Finally, Mbarara City FC captain Hillary Mukundane has reacted to Ibrahim Orit's move to Vipers SC.

“Its everyone’s dream to go for greener pastures so, as a captain I am happy for [Ibrahim] Orit and I wish him the best of luck though it hurts to lose a good player like him,” Mukundane told Sports Nation.

“But all in all, every player has a right to leave or stay at the club.

“Mbarara have many good players who can fit in Orit's shoes. And its the work of the administration to convince players to stay, so as the players, we have done our job.

“Fans should still expect the winning and stronger Mbarara City FC come next season.”

Liverpool won their first game at Anfield as Premier League champions as a 2-0 victory piled the misery on relegation-threatened Aston Villa.

Having been angered by the Reds' 4-0 loss to Manchester City on Thursday, Jurgen Klopp saw his side triumph on Sunday even if the performance still left much to be desired.

Sadio Mane's 71st-minute goal broke the visitors' stubborn resolve before Curtis Jones added late gloss as Dean Smith's men, winless in nine in the league, remained in the bottom three.

For Liverpool, this was not the celebratory homecoming they would have envisaged after a first top-flight title in 30 years but their march towards the 100-point barrier continues.

A tepid first half made very clear that Villa's game plan was to sit deep and frustrate Liverpool, who simply could not find a way through.

Indeed, when the first shot on target finally arrived in the 33rd minute it was Alisson who was called into action and not former Reds goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

That Douglas Luiz strike, easily dealt with by Alisson, proved to be the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock before the interval.

With Liverpool having won their previous 23 home league matches, they were always likely to emerge victorious in this one and Klopp's side got the job done in the second half.

The German made a triple change on the hour mark, introducing Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum.

And finally, the breakthrough came. Mane – who scored a 94th-minute winner in the reverse fixture – stroked home from Naby Keita's assist via the underside of the crossbar to register his 50th Anfield goal for Liverpool.

Jones, who signed a new contract this week, was introduced in the 85th minute and scored his first Premier League goal four minutes later, steering into the bottom-left corner from Mohamed Salah's knockdown. 

What does it mean? Reds still rolling towards history

Liverpool are now 11 points shy of the century mark and that is a tally they will be eager to reach to cap this remarkable campaign in style. Villa, meanwhile, are running out of time to put enough points on the board to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

Mane the man for Liverpool

In a poor game of precious few chances, Mane had to step up when the time came, and he did just that. The Senegalese connected well with Keita's low cross and that strike took the wind out of Villa's sails, leaving them vulnerable to another setback, which Jones duly provided.

Robertson off his game

Andrew Robertson's stellar form this season has been one of the many highlights for Liverpool, but he has now turned in a couple of off-colour displays. The full-back was arguably the worst of a bad bunch at City and was only marginally better here, in far less testing circumstances.

Key Opta Facts

- Liverpool have now won each of their last 34 Premier League matches when scoring the first goal of the game.

- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 57 Premier League home games (W47 D10), winning each of the last 24 in a row.

- Aston Villa have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 24 Premier League away games, their longest such run in the top flight since September 1989 (38 games).

- Villa are without a victory in nine Premier League games (D2 L7), the longest current winless run in the competition.

What's next?

Brighton and Hove Albion will be the next team to form a guard of honour for the champions when Liverpool head to the south coast on Wednesday, while Villa must defeat in-form Manchester United on Thursday if they are to avoid having their winless run taken into double figures.

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has claimed James Rodriguez wanted to be left out of the Primera Division leaders’ fixture against Athletic Club on Sunday.

Despite the absence of the Colombian, Madrid won the match 1-0, taking the victory thanks to a Sergio Ramos penalty that came after the kick was awarded following a VAR review.

James has been strongly linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this summer, having featured only 14 times for the capital side in all competitions this season, and speculation is set to mount in the wake of Zidane’s words.

“He wanted to be left out because of his own reasons,” Zidane told the media after a victory that ensured his side opened up a seven-point advantage at the summit of the standings ahead of rivals Barcelona, who have a game extra to play.

“The reasons are between us and I’m not going to tell you any more.”

Meanwhile, after Ramos scored his third penalty in two weeks, all of which have been decisive in Madrid victories, Zidane responded in a frustrated manner to claims that Los Blancos are benefitting from decisions from the match officials.

“I'm tired of hearing that we won because of referees,” he said. “It's not going to change, but the players deserve respect. Nobody is going to take our minds off our goal.

“I like our strength more than anything. We are showing solidity and balance when we lose the ball and we're doing very well. We've lacked a spark in attack and we can improve, but our defensive strength is so important.”

Eight points from the last four games will be enough to seal the title for Madrid, and while a first domestic crown since 2016-17 is within touching distance, nothing is being taken for granted.

“Until it's mathematically won, we cannot relax or think about the title,” the 1998 World Cup winner said.

“It's a very important victory, a hard-fought game with a lot of intensity.”

Liverpool may regret not buying another striker to act as back-up to their established front three, says former Reds skipper Graeme Souness.

The newly-crowned Premier League champions have one of the most fearsome forward lines in world football, with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane plundering 50 goals and registering 28 assists between them this season.

Souness, though, fears the Merseysiders’ attacking threat is significantly blunted when one or more of the trio are missing, with those in reserve not up to the required standard.

Divock Origi is regularly utilised as a back-up option and the Belgium striker was given a rare chance from the start against Aston Villa on Sunday, with Firmino dropping to the bench.

However, Origi struggled to make much of an impact before being substituted for Firmino after an hour, with the Reds opening the scoring through Mane 10 minutes later before Salah set up substitute Curtis Jones to seal the victory late on.

Liverpool were heavily linked with a move for Timo Werner before deciding to drop their interest, which cleared the way for Chelsea to sign the RB Leipzig striker.

Souness fears Liverpool may regret that decision and thinks they should be looking to bolster their forward line ahead of their title defence next season.

“I’ve been in this situation where you just drop that intensity by just one or two per cent,” Souness told Sky Sports.

“Liverpool obviously have said before the game ‘let's get the tempo up, let’s try and be sharp, let's get back to our normal game’. From the back they are snapping it around, but there’s just that extra yard that’s missing in the final third.

“Given Liverpool are world champions, [they have won] the Champions League and now the Premier League, I’m disappointed they are not buying another striker.

“Because when you don’t play one of that front three, [going] to Origi it is a fair drop in quality and they might live to regret that.

“I’m hope I’m wrong and they end up buying someone to fill that gap when one of those three don’t play.

“But that’s what you’re seeing tonight. Firmino links everything from back to front and they are missing that.”

Sadio Mane continued his fine form in front of goal against Aston Villa with the opening strike in Liverpool's 2-0 victory.

Sunday's effort means the 28-year-old has been involved in eight goals in his last five Premier League appearances against the Claret and Blue - six goals and two assists.

Following a goalless first-half, Mane broke the deadlock at Anfield in the 71st minute, thanks to Naby Keita’s assist.

The strike was his sixth Premier League goal against Aston Villa, and he also scored the winning goal against Dean Smith’s side in the reverse fixture back in November, after providing an assist for Andy Robertson’s equaliser in that fixture.

Mane has also registered his 20th goal for Liverpool across all competitions this season, a feat he has reached in his last three seasons with the Reds.

He scored 20 goals in the 2017-18 campaign, and he grabbed 26 goals the following the season which included 22 league goals that earned him the 2018-19 Premier League Golden Boot alongside teammate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Sunday's smash hit stood as Mane’s 50th effort at Anfield since he joined Liverpool from Southampton in June 2016.

So far this season, the 28-year-old has contributed 16 goals and seven assists in helping the Reds end their 30-year wait for a Premier League title.

Second-half substitute Curtis Jones sealed maximum points for Jurgen Klopp's men four minutes after replacing Keita in the 85th minute.

The triumph moved Liverpool's tally at the top of the league table to 89 points after 33 matches.

They visit Brighton and Hove Albion for their next Premier League fixture on Wednesday before hosting Burnley on Merseyside on July 11.

A trip to Arsenal followed by a home game against Chelsea and a fixture against Newcastle United will complete Liverpool's 2019-20 successful league season.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has singled out three men to thank the most for this season's Premier League title triumph.

The Reds were crowned champions of England for the first time in 30 years when Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on June 25. That result gave Jurgen Klopp's side an unassailable 23 point lead at the top of the table with seven matches to spare, a feat which has never before been achieved.

City reduced that gap to 20 by beating Liverpool 4-0 at Etihad Stadium on Thursday, but a new points record could still be achieved if the Merseyside outfit win at least five of their remaining games.

Ahead of their latest outing against Aston Villa, Henderson took up some room in the club's official matchday programme to show his appreciation to the key figures that inspired him to become a Premier League-winning skipper.

The England international began by thanking Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, who was seen celebrating at home with a glass of champagne shortly after their coronation was confirmed.

Henderson said: “I could fill the entire programme listing people I am grateful to and, by the way, none more so than all my current teammates, the gaffer, his direct staff and the unreal club staff, who we don’t get to see as much of, but there are three people whose contribution to me personally here at Liverpool I want to highlight and thank.

“Firstly, Sir Kenny Dalglish. One of the things that set me off on the night we won it was seeing Kenny on TV immediately after and how emotional he was. Along with Damien Comolli, to whom I will also be forever grateful, Kenny is the reason I got the opportunity to play for this amazing club."

The next man on Henderson's list was Brendan Rodgers - the man who made way for Klopp back in 2015 after three years in charge of the first team.

The 30-year-old said: “Secondly, is Brendan Rodgers. I think on the outside Brendan probably isn’t given the credit he deserves for the role he played in our journey as a club, but I know on the inside, from people who know and understand, it’s hugely appreciated. You only have to listen to our gaffer now speak."

Henderson concluded by expressing his gratitude towards Liverpool's former captain Steven Gerrard, insisting the legendary playmaker was the main reason he signed for the club in the first place.

He continued: “Thirdly, is Steven Gerrard. It’s impossible to sum up the importance of Stevie to the modern Liverpool and what we are achieving together now.

"If you speak to every player in our dressing room – from the oldest to the youngest – they’ll all tell you that following in the footsteps of Steven Gerrard was a massive factor in wanting to sign for this club. It was for me, and I was lucky to play alongside him for club and country."

Sergio Ramos was Real Madrid's penalty hero for the second time in four days as a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao sent the LaLiga leaders seven points clear.

Zinedine Zidane's men have been flawless since the season's restart to claim control of the title rice, but they were given a stern test by Getafe on Thursday and again had their work cut out for a time on Sunday.

Yet as against Getafe, Ramos stepped up to net a second-half penalty and secure all three points in Bilbao, with his latest decisive goal coming after Dani Garcia tripped Marcelo in the area to prompt a VAR review.

A seventh straight victory ensured Madrid made the most of playing before rivals Barcelona, who will kick-off at Villarreal later in the day knowing they have an even more significant gap to make up.

Madrid recalled Marco Asensio for his first start of the season in a move which almost brought immediate reward.

The fit-again forward drew a low save from a fourth-minute free-kick, with Karim Benzema then unable to direct his header goalwards when Dani Carvajal squared the rebound.

That was about the extent of Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon's involvement before half-time, while Thibaut Courtois repelled Raul Garcia's powerful header at the other end.

Simon might have had a far greater role to play, though, as both Rodrygo and Benzema squandered huge headed opportunities from searching Asensio centres, each missing the target completely.

The second period appeared set to play out in similarly frustrating fashion for Madrid until Marcelo went down in the area and a penalty was eventually awarded, with Ramos coolly tucking his finish inside the left-hand post in the 73rd minute.

Simon saved smartly with his legs from Benzema in the closing stages, but the one Ramos goal proved enough for Madrid again.

What does it mean? Madrid unscathed after testing week

Madrid have not been quite as stylish in their past two matches as in earlier performances, but Getafe and Athletic provided potentially tricky opponents.

In both games, Los Blancos had to rely on late penalties. But given the relatively kind fixtures to come, it was crucial Zidane's side simply collected the points in any way possible. They are well on course for the title now.

Asensio deserves assist

This has been a difficult season for Asensio due to injury, but he might yet have a key role to play in the run-in.

The Spain international was involved from the outset at San Mames and twice was let down by team-mates following fine crosses. His deliveries for Rodrygo and Benzema were begging to be nodded in.

Ramos rash at the back

Ramos has now scored five massive goals in the past month, but his work at the other end of the pitch was of slight concern in Sunday's first half.

The centre-back was grateful to an offside flag following an awful early slip that let in Inaki Williams, who soon profited from some more hopeless defending on halfway. Eder Militao stepped in superbly on that occasion and often battled Williams alone.

What's next?

After a couple of tough tests in quick succession, Madrid will welcome the opportunity to rest until Friday when they host out-of-form Deportivo Alaves. Bilbao's next encounter is a home clash with Sevilla on Thursday.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has offered his support to financially hit Schalke, praising their qualities of youth development and stating that they could have been Bundesliga champions had they not sold their talented academy products.

Bayern wrapped the German domestic season up on Saturday by winning a second double in succession as they overcame Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in the DFB-Pokal final, but Schalke had a more modest finish of 12th.

While there was little danger of relegation, they face an arguably greater problem for their long-term health due to economic issues brought on by the coronavirus crisis, which saw no professional football played in Germany for three months and the season finishing behind closed doors.

They suffered a further blow with Manchester City’s €49 million (£44.7m/$55m) sale of Leroy Sane to Bayern as they missed out on a sell-on profit after City had bought him for €50m in 2016. 

With the likes of Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer and Ilkay Gundogan having also come through their ranks recently, they have been prolific producers of fine young players, though they have not been able to capitalise fully upon it.

“The pool of players to have come through their youth teams is one of the best in all of Germany,” Rummenigge recognised in an interview with Sport1 . “Schalke could have been German champions in the meantime if they could have kept the many players who they have trained well in their youth division.

“The fact is that they have always sold very promising players, such as Leroy Sane to Manchester City in 2016, to meet their financial needs.”

Rummenigge said that while Schalke might once have hoped Sane would be sold for a fee in excess of €100m, recent events mean that was never likely to be on the cards.

“A year ago, the transfer sums still had another dimension, but this year prices seem to be on a more rational scale,” he said.

“Nobody wants to be pitied. With a new concept, a new spirit and the necessary patience, Schalke will find their way back to their old strength. They are one of the traditional clubs in Germany and an important part of the Bundesliga.”

He also reacted to reports that Schalke will put in a self-imposed salary cap of €2.5 million per player next season.

“Every club has to find its own philosophy. The salary structure of the team is an extremely sensitive one,” he said.

Danny Rose has admitted that his "days are numbered" at Tottenham, and that he knew he "wasn't needed" at the club anymore after Mauricio Pochettino's departure.

Rose joined Spurs from Leeds as a teenager in 2007, and has since racked up 214 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 10 goals.

The England international enjoyed the best spell of his career to date under Pochettino's stewardship between 2014 and 2019, as the Lilywhites became Premier League title contenders and Champions League finalists.

However, the 30-year-old found himself on the fringes of the action after Jose Mourinho was drafted in to replace the Argentine in November and was subsequently sent out on loan to Newcastle in the January transfer window.

Rose still has one year left to run on his current contract at Tottenham, but is now determined to extend his stay at St James' Park after accepting his lengthy spell in north London has already drawn to a close.

Ahead of Newcastle's clash with West Ham on Sunday, the left-back wrote in the club's official matchday programme notes: “First and foremost, I am playing for my future. I don't think I need a bigger motivation than that. I have settled in very well, I love the lads, and staff and the fans.

“It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that my days are numbered at Spurs. I am playing for my future – no bigger motivation.

“It is probably the first time in my career I have been in this situation – never have I been down to less than one year on my contract – so it's a new experience for me.”

Rose added on how quickly he became aware that he wasn't going to play a key role in Mourinho's plans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: "It's not enjoyable that you are training and you know you're not going to be playing at the weekend. That's difficult. When my old manager lost his job, that was pretty much the end for me.

“I spent November not playing, December not playing, and then I joined here in January. It was very frustrating. I wasn't needed in the manager's plans at the moment in Tottenham.”

Former Orlando Pirates striker Jerry Sikhosana has opened up about his love-hate relationship with Kaizer Chiefs. 

Sikhosana used to give Amakhosi a torrid time during his playing days, and he remains the last player to have scored a hat-trick in a Soweto Derby. 

"By the way, I am a Kaizer Chiefs fan but there's one incident that made me want to give all whenever I played against Chiefs," Sikhosana told Lesedi FM. 

"When I was playing school sports, Sadaam Maake, their No.1 supporters from Tembisa, organise a meeting with Kaizer Motaung because he apparently raved about me to him and wanted the club to sign me - that was before I turned professional," he recalled. 

"We got there, and we were told that Kaizer Motaung was in a meeting and we waited for him. He came out of that meeting and we met him. 

"Surprisingly, our meeting took five minutes, and he said to me, 'Jerry, don't call me, I will call you' and I am still waiting for that call even today," he continued.  

Sikhosana, 51, said Motaung still reminds him of that painful meeting every time they meet even though he has long retired from professional football.  

"And he (Motaung) knows that story because whenever we meet, he still asks, 'Jerry, are you still waiting for my call?" 

"So, that was the reason I hated playing against Chiefs although I loved the club. I wanted to show them Bra Kaizer what he could have had at his club." 

Sikhosana further revealed his mother would be angry every time he scored for Pirates against Chiefs because she also supported the Naturena-based side.  

"Even my mom would be angry every time I score against Chiefs because she was also their big fan," added Sikhosana.      

The former South Africa international is one of the many former players who played for teams they never grew up supporting. 

Benni McCarthy is another player who turned out for Pirates even though he grew up supporting Amakhosi. 

Sikhosana's late friend, Isaac Shakes Kungwane supported the Buccaneers but he played for the Glamour Boys among other teams.  

Merseyside Police have instructed Liverpool supports to stay away from Anfield and the surrounding area during and after the Reds’ Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp and his side ended a 30-year wait for the title as Manchester City’s loss to Chelsea on June 25 pushed them over the finishing line, sparking wild celebrations in the Merseyside city.

However, with the coronavirus pandemic still very much an active threat, these scenes were widely condemned and the local constabulary are hoping to avoid similar incidents as the champions play their first home match since their first Premier League crown was secured.

"Please DO NOT come to the ground," Merseyside Police tweeted. "We are ALL living and working in unprecedented times. The players want your support but ONLY from home.

"Covid has NOT gone away. NOBODY wants another lockdown. Do the right thing and watch the game with your Sunday roast."

Since Liverpool clinched the title, pubs in England have opened, exacerbating fears that fans may congregate in the area around the historic ground, particularly after the Police Federation said it is “crystal clear” that people under the influence of alcohol will not follow social distancing guidelines.

The club have also sent out a message via LFCTV , in which young people who stay around the ground were showcased.

In their first fixture since winning the title, the Reds were routed 4-0 by second-placed Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, slumping to a 3-0 deficit at half-time as they struggled to show the qualities that had seen them win the division with a record number of matches to spare.

Although Klopp has indicated that he is liable to rotate his side in the weeks ahead in order to give the younger players in his ranks the opportunity to earn a Premier League medal – even stating he would give away his own if need be – he will be hopeful that his team will bounce back against an opponent that find themselves at the opposite end of the table.

The Reds can still accumulate a record number of points in the league, with Manchester City’s 100, achieved in the 2017-18 campaign, their target. If they win their remaining six games, they will hit 104.

Victor Osimhen "is precisely the type of footballer that Napoli needs", according to Dries Mertens, who has backed the club to bring in the Lille striker this summer.

Few could have predicted the impact that Osimhen would have in Ligue 1 when he arrived at Lille from Charleroi for €12 million (£11m/$13m) in August 2019.

The 21-year-old was targeted after the departure of club talisman Nicolas Pepe, who completed a £72 million ($90m) move to Arsenal after an outstanding season at Stade Pierre Mauroy.

Osimhen has filled Pepe's boots admirably, scoring 18 goals in his first 38 appearances in all competitions to help Lille finish fourth in Ligue 1, while also competing in the Champions League.

The Nigerian frontman's performances have not gone unnoticed among Europe's elite clubs, with the likes of Juventus, Napoli, Liverpool and Tottenham among those taking an interest in his services in recent months.

Napoli are reportedly leading the race for Osimhen's signature, with the Lille star's agent confirming he has already been in contact with the Italian giants over a potential move.

Mertens would welcome the talented forward's arrival at Stadio San Paolo, having been made aware of his unique abilities while he was still on the books of Charleroi.

"My friends from Charleroi told me how well he played before going to France," the Napoli talisman told Il Mattino. "I don't know if he will come, but in any case, he is precisely the type of footballer that Napoli needs."

Mertens went on to express his hope that Jose Callejon remains at Napoli beyond the end of the season, with the midfielder's current contract set to expire this summer.

The 33-year-old added on his team-mate's future: "I tried to convince him to stay, and I'm still trying, I'm not giving up. Losing a friend like him would be sorry but also giving up a teammate and an extraordinary professional like Jose is not easy. I don't know what will happen. There's still time."

Napoli have been in good form since the resumption of the Italian season in early June, winning two of their three Serie A fixtures after beating Juventus in the Coppa Italia final.

Mertens is hoping Gennaro Gattuso's men can build on that platform to reach even greater heights in the coming years.

He said: "I am convinced that the victory in the Italian Cup is the starting point of a project that will bring us success. I really believe that the gap to Juventus is minimal, much less than what the current standings say."

Former South Africa forward Benni McCarthy says his four goals against Namibia at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations finals were inspired by the grudge he held against the fellow Southern Africans whose supporters had taunted him earlier.

A first-half 14-minute goal blitz by McCarthy saw Bafana Bafana beat Namibia 4-1 to complete their Group C campaign in style on their way to the final of the tournament held in Burkina Faso.

But a few weeks before, South Africa had been stunned 3-2 by Namibia in a Cosafa Cup qualifying round match in Windhoek, in what was McCarthy’s full national team debut after making his maiden appearance against the Netherlands in June 1997.

During that match in Windhoek, McCarthy was inundated with “banana” chants which angered him before plotting his revenge in Burkina Faso.

“But for me, it was more of a grudge match because I made my debut coming on as a substitute against Holland, under Clive Barker, when we lost 2-0 at FNB Stadium [in June 1997], with a cameo for a few minutes,” said McCarthy as per Sowetan Live.

“I had a pretty special game [Cosafa match against Namibia], with an assist for ‘Chippa’ [Phil Masinga], but unfortunately we lost. And I remember the celebrations of the Namibians because they had beaten us. And the whole stadium sang this song, ‘Banana Banana’.

“That game was just the curtain-raiser for the Afcon for us. And I said to myself, ‘If I’m in that Afcon squad then I’m going to make them eat their words, those bastards’.”

South Africa drew 0-0 with Angola in their Afcon opening match, before a 1-1 draw with Ivory Coast, making their final group match against Namibia a decider. McCarthy had missed the Ivory Coast match due to injury.

“We needed to win against Namibia, so I just told Jomo [Sono then Bafana coach] that I would take an injection because I really wanted to play, and I wanted to shove those ‘Banana Bananas’ that they called us down their throats,” McCarthy said.

“Come the game I was psyched up. I had a nice strapped ankle and I genuinely couldn’t feel the pain. As the game went on that was the only thing in my mind — ‘Banana Banana, Banana Banana’. And every goal that went in I kept singing to myself, ‘Banana Banana, Banana Banana’.

“The game finished, and I had scored the four goals, which was incredible and I was so jubilant.”

To make it sink into the Namibians, McCarthy then declined to exchange his shirt with the Namibian players after the match.

“And shame, even now when I think about it I was a bit of an a**hole to the Namibian players at the end because every one of them came up and wanted my shirt,” McCarthy said.

“And I said, ‘I ain't giving my shirt to you — you were singing Banana Banana’. So that was for me what was behind that performance. Just getting them back for calling us Banana Banana.”

The former FC Porto and West Ham United man then finished the 1998 Afcon tournament as joint top goalscorer with Egypt’s Hossam Hassan, each having managed seven goals with Bafana losing the final to the Pharaohs.

Ugandan Premier League side SC Villa have extended Joseph Nsubuga's contract by two years.

The experienced right-back has been with the 16-time league champions since 2016 after signing from Bright Stars. However, he has not been involved much especially in the last two seasons owing to injuries.

"It has been four years since I arrived at Villa Park, time has soared so quickly," Nsubuga said in a statement after his contract extension which will keep him at the club until 2022.

"I am proud to sign a new contract and continue my career at this great club. I love playing for this club and I am looking forward to what the future holds. The hard work continues so I can continue living my dream.

The 2019/20 season was halted after the Covid-19 outbreak and the new season is set to kick-off in October. The 25-year-old has already revealed his desire once normalcy returns.

"I cannot wait to get back into the game to hear our loyal fans supporting the team," Nsubuga added.

"I want to let everyone know that I will give everything back to repay the club and the fans who have stood by me in my trying times."   

The defender also had a word for the entire management and those who have stood by his side despite being out of the pitch.

"I would like to thank the management of SC Villa, my teammates and friends that have stood by me during my trying times of a long injury and supported me."

The Jogoo coach Edward Kaziba believes the right-back will remain to be an asset for the team and will give the team much-needed depth next season.

"Joseph is a great player; he deserves this contract," the tactician said in a statement obtained by Goal.

"He has worked very hard to get out of that long injury and you would see him grind it every day.

"Joseph is a player that has a deep knowledge of the game. We cannot wait to have him back and give us the depth that we are looking for in a defender of his potential and experience. [He] is a top player the team has missed for a while."

Villa finished third in the abandoned season with 46 points.