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AFC Leopards coach Patrick Aussems has been linked with a move to Police FC of Rwanda after impressing with the Football Kenya Federation Premier League outfit.

The former Simba SC tactician took the reins at the 13-time league champions and despite the challenges, the team are pushing for a top three finish.

However, media reports in Rwanda indicate the experienced coach will be joining the administrative side for the new campaign.

Is Aussems on his way to Rwanda?

RadioTV10 Rwanda reported the 56-year-old will be heading to Police after finishing the campaign with Ingwe.

"Belgian Patrick 'Uchebe' Aussems will immediately travel to Rwanda to join Police FC after completing the season with AFC Leopards this weekend," they posted on their official social media platform on Wednesday.

"Aussems coached Simba SC to the league title in 2018/19 season and reached the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League." 

The speculation will have Leopards' fans worried considering the fact that the coach is out of the country for a holiday. He, however, promised to be back for the new season.

"After having flown over the Alps and Paris, [it is a] strange feeling to be at home and watch your team on your laptop... Good job guys!" Aussems tweeted. "Now it's time to enjoy some days off with family before coming back to prepare for the new season.

"Next season will be THE season for Ingwe's fans."

What are Leopards saying?

However, Ingwe have asked their supporters to rubish the speculations stating the coach is still tied at the club after extending his stay by two years.

"Our fans should treat these reports as rumours, because he has already extended his stay at the Den for two years," Maurice Chichi, who is the club treasurer, told Nation Sports. "The coach requested to leave for a holiday with two matches left and we agreed.

"Everybody knows the season was initially slated to end in June after it was suspended for close to two months owing to the spread of Covid-19 pandemic."

Ingwe are currently fourth on 48 points, three less than third-placed Bandari, and are hoping the Dockers lose their final game and they win theirs to finish above them.

Jorginho stands a better chance than his Chelsea teammate N'Golo Kante of winning the Uefa Player of the Year award, according to ex-Nigeria international Kingsley Obiekwu.

The Blues stars – who played crucial roles in the Stamford Bridge giants’ Champions League triumph – made the final cut alongside Belgium international and Manchester City maestro Kevin De Bruyne, who inspired Pep Guardiola’s Citizens to the Premier League crown.

Interestingly, this is the first time in the prize’s 11-year history that the final three shortlists will be midfielders, with the winner set to be announced at the 2021-22 Champions League group-stage draw ceremony.

When asked where the pendulum should swing on August 26, the former Go Ahead Eagles star – who was a member of the Dream Team that won Olympic football gold in 1996 – sees the Italian edging the Frenchman to the diadem due to his involvement in Gli Azzurri’s Euro 2020 conquest.

“First, you have to realise that this award is decided based on voting and one of the things taken into consideration is the number of titles the nominees have won in a particular season,” Obiekwu told Goal. “All three nominees are deserving of the award, but judging by the number of titles won, Jorginho stands a better chance because he won the Euro 2020 title with Italy.

“Before then, he had won the Champions League, and recently he helped Thomas Tuchel’s team win the Uefa Super Cup. He not only won these honours, but he also played significant roles in all of them.”

Before the commencement of the European championship, Kante was in pole position to claim the accolade.

He was named Man of the Match in both legs of the semi-final against Real Madrid and won the award again in the 1-0 final win over Guardiola’s City.

“No one would rule away from the fact that Kante was fantastic in the just-concluded season, however, he has his teammate Jorginho to contend with,” he continued. “Both of them won the same number of trophies at club level, however, the Italian’s only advantage comes from his exploit at international level.

“That being said, we can’t rule [Kante] out completely out and it won’t come as a surprise if he walks home with the award ahead of Jorginho.”  

Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Lomotey has expressed caution about the possible threat of Morocco ahead of the two sides' meeting at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

The Black Stars and the Atlas Lions are set for an opening day meeting at the championship in Cameroon after being drawn together in Group C, which also features Gabon and the Comoros Island.

It will be their second meeting in six months following a meeting in June where Morocco walked away with a 1-0 victory in a friendly fixture.

“I’m very optimistic Ghana can qualify from Group C because of the quality of the Black Stars,” Lomotey, who plays club football for French Ligue 2 side Amiens, told Onua FM. “I know Morocco can be our major obstacle, but we can triumph over them.

"Recently, we played a friendly game with Morocco, so we know their style of play," he added. "So, I believe we can beat Morocco and qualify from the group stages as well.

“I was monitoring the Afcon 2021 draw with Nicolas Opoku and I told him the group Ghana find itself in is a good one and we must qualify. We shouldn’t underestimate any opponent in Ghana’s group."

In the June fixture at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, Ghana held their own until the 69th minute when Real Valladolid Defender Jawad El Yamiq headed in the match winner.

“Our target is to win the next Afcon," Lomotey continued. "We know Ghanaians are expecting us to bring the trophy home and we will do our possible best to secure that.”

At the Afcon, the two sides last came face to face at the 2008 championship where Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari scored to ensure a 2-0 win for the Black Stars. Ghana were hosts of the competition.

Four-time African champions Ghana are on the search for their first title since beating Libya on penalties in the final of the 1982 edition.

Until the last tournament in Egypt in 2019 where the Black Stars failed to reach the quarter-final, they had successively reached the semi-final of the competition since 2008, going a step further to the final in 2010 and 2015.

Chelsea full-back Emerson Palmieri has completed a loan move to Ligue 1 giants Lyon.

Emerson, who initially joined Chelsea from Roma in 2018, has struggled for regular minutes throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, and the decision has now been taken for him to head out on loan.

Lyon have snapped the Italy international up for the duration of the 2021-22 campaign, and they also have the option to purchase him outright next summer.

What's been said?

The French outfit have confirmed Emerson's arrival in an official statement on their website, which reads: "Olympique Lyonnais announces the arrival on loan of defender and double European Champion (with Italy and Chelsea), Emerson Palmieri, through June 30, 2022.

"This loan, for a fee of €500,000, to which could be added a maximum of €500,000 in bonuses, will include a purchase option.

"Olympique Lyonnais welcomes the arrival of Emerson, who will be the third player, defender and Italian international in the history of the club, after Fabio Grosso (2007-2009) and Mattia de Sciglio last season last season."

Emerson's Chelsea record

Emerson has made just 71 appearances for Chelsea in total over the past three-and-a-half years, having had to make do with a backup role in defence behind the likes of Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell.

The 27-year-old has only managed to record two goals and five assists, but does have Europa League, Champions League and UEFA Super Cup winners' medals to his name.

Will there be any more outgoings at Chelsea?

Emerson is the fourth member of Chelsea's senior squad to head out on loan this summer after Billy Gilmour, Michy Batshuayi and Kenedy, who have joined Norwich, Besiktas and Flamengo respectively.

Meanwhile, the likes of Olivier Giroud, Victor Moses and Tammy Abraham have all been offloaded permanently, with more sales expected at the Bridge before the summer window closes.

Goal has reported that Kurt Zouma, Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley and Tiemoue Bakayoko could also be on their way out as Thomas Tuchel continues to trim down his squad.

Further reading

Bafana Bafana fans have reacted to the squad named by Hugo Broos on Thursday as the tactician's South Africa rebuilding project is about to be put to real test.

South Africa prepare to travel to Harare to face Zimbabwe on September 3 before hosting Ghana three days later.

There were notable omissions such as Thulani Hlatshwayo, Themba Zwane, Sifiso Hlanti, Erick Mathoho, Itumeleng Khune and Thabo Cele from the squad announced on Thursday.

The Belgian picked seven Mamelodi Sundowns players and five from Kaizer Chiefs, while Orlando Pirates have contributed only defender Innocent Maela.

Goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma, centre-backs Njabulo Ngcobo and Austin Dube, left-back Sibusiso Mabiliso and central midfielder Njabulo Blom are the Chiefs players selected.

However, some fans are not happy with all those Amakhosi players being selected.

With Ngcobo and Dube picked, other fans feel it is a message to Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter to consider the two ahead of Erick Mathoho and Daniel Cardoso.

Taiwo Awoniyi scored a brace with an assist as Union Berlin cruised to comfortable 3-0 win over KuPS in a Uefa Europa Conference League play-off game.

The former Liverpool forward started the first-half goal fest in Helsinki with his sixth-minute opener.

A few minutes later, Awoniyi supplied Max Kruse to double Union Berlin's lead in the 29th minute and then he found the back of the net again two minutes later.

After the restart, the 24-year-old was replaced on the hour-mark as the Iron Ones maintained their first-half dominance.

Two other Nigerians were in action at Helsinki Olympic Stadium, albeit on the opposite side from ex-Liverpool man Awoniyi.

Henry Uzochokwu started for the Finnish club and he received a yellow card in the 36th minute, his compatriot Aniekpeno Udoh was an unused substitute.

Cameroon's Macdonald Ngwa Niba and Ghana's Bismark Adjei-Boateng were also on parade for KuPS but they were later replaced in the second half.

Last Saturday, Awoniyi scored his maiden Bundesliga goal of the season as the Iron Ones were held to a 1-1 draw by Bayer Leverkusen.

He returned to the Stadion An der Alten Firstere on a permanent deal in July after impressing on loan last season. 

Awoniyi will hope to build his scoring form when Union Berlin travel to Hoffenheim for their next Bundesliga fixture on Sunday.

They host KuPS for the return fixture of the Conference League play-off on Thursday.

Gor Mahia head coach Mark Harrison has conceded his team are struggling for squad depth, and has acknowledged that this has contributed to dismal performances in their Football Kenya Federation Premier League assignments.

Kenneth Muguna, Cliffton Miheso, and Charles Momanyi are some of the key players who have missed out, with Muguna leaving for Azam FC of Tanzania and Momanyi joining Tusker FC. 

Miheso is absent as he ponders his next move after his contract with the former champions expired.

On Wednesday, K'Ogalo managed to avenge their first-round defeat to Posta Rangers, after Samuel Onyango scored the only goal of the match.

However, it was not an easy victory for the domestic giants, whose own vulnerabilities were laid bear.

'We have to be very active'

"Congratulations to the boys, hard-fought win but it has not been easy," Harrison told Goal. "It is a struggle; we are struggling with the depth at the moment because we have 20 players for selection instead of the 26. having lost [several] payers.

"It means we have to be active in the transfer market, finding proper replacements for the players who have left and good signings for the new season.

"It is about reclaiming the title we have lost to our rivals and ensuring we are also competitive in continental competitions. It will happen if we get a strong squad and enough depth for the new campaign."

Leopards target top three

Meanwhile, AFC Leopards assistant coach Tom Juma has set his target on helping the team finish third on the table.

Ingwe are third on the table with 48 points, three less than Bandari. While Ingwe will play Kakamega Homeboyz in their last assignment, the Dockers will play Wazito. On Wednesday, they came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with KCB.

"We had expected to win the game and move to the third position," Juma told Goal. "My players gave everything but the only challenge was that we were not that clinical in front of the goal, but we are taking a draw, it is better than losing. 

"The main challenge we have had is losing players due to injuries, and the latest one is Washington Munene," he added, "but we will fight, give our best in the last game, and hope Bandari lose their last match for us to finish third."

Former Ghana assistant coach Gerard Nus has rued the possible absence of Asamoah Gyan on the Black Stars’ chances of winning the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next year.

With eyes on a fifth title, the Black Stars are set to make a 23rd appearance at the continental gathering, where they will face Morocco, Gabon and Comoros in the group stage.

Unlike every attempt they have made since 2008, the West Africans are likely to head into the next tournament without all-time top scorer Asamoah Gyan who has not been called up for international duty since the 2019 Afcon in Egypt.

“In my opinion, Ghana and Morocco should go through from the Afcon group. I think that even though Gabon and Comoros have important players, they’re not up to the same level than the other two,” Spanish coach Nus, an assistant coach as Ghana reached the final of Afcon 2015 and semi-final of Afcon 2017, told Goal.

“I know that they [Gabon] obviously have [Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, one of the biggest African players at the moment but definitely also Morocco has Hakim [Ziyech of Chelsea] and obviously Ghana has so many good players playing in the top leagues in the world.

“I’m not sure if we try to compare the national team to that Black Stars that I was proud to be involved with, the one that we almost won the title in 2015 and also the squad that we had in 2017."

The ex-Ghana coach, however, is concerned about the prospect of heading into the tournament with talisman Gyan, and believes the other players in the squad must give their all in the former skipper's likely absence.

“Obviously, there is a big miss, we used to have an important players like Asamoah Gyan, one of the best strikers ever in my opinion in Africa," he added. "Also, he was a great leader and great captain."

The most capped Ghana player in history with 109 internationals, Gyan is not only Ghana’s all-time top scorer with 51 goals but also the Black Stars second top scorer at Afcon, having registered eight goals over seven different tournaments so far.

Only Andre Ayew has more goals than the 35-year-old former Sunderland, Udinese and Stade Rennes man.

“Now, we will see, we have to get the most from the players that we have,” Nus added. “I still believe no matter what the final selection is, Ghana is always going to be one of the candidates, and sooner rather than later, we’re going to be seeing them become champions of Africa.”

The delayed Afcon 2021 tournament runs between January 9 and February 6 next year.

James Ward-Prowse has signed a new five-year deal at Southampton to put an end to the transfer speculation that has been surrounding him throughout the summer, declaring "I'm not finished here yet".

Ward-Prowse has spent his entire career to date at St Mary's, having initially graduated to Southampton's senior squad as a 16-year-old back in 2011.

The midfielder is revered as the most influential player in the Saints' current squad, and has been attracting attention from a number of clubs in the current transfer window, including Aston Villa, but has ultimately decided to remain on the South Coast for the foreseeable future.

What's been said?

Aston Villa had reportedly been weighing up a £50 million ($68m) bid for Ward-Prowse, who has also been linked with Tottenham and Liverpool, but he the 26-year-old is still fully committed to Southampton and wants to repay the faith the club has shown him over the years.

“I’m over the moon. I think I’m probably the happiest man in the world right now. To come to this decision, I think has been massive and is a big step forward," he said after the announcement was made on Thursday.

“To commit my future again to this football club is something I’m incredibly proud of and a new chapter begins now for me.

“It’s probably the first time in my career that I’ve had that link away and that talk, but I think I was very keen to sit down and talk to the club and it’s worked both ways; they’ve sat down and told me their admiration for me and the way they want me to lead the team – and this club has done so much for me, I can’t put into the words the opportunities and chances that they’ve given me and I’m incredibly grateful for the club for doing that.

“I’m not finished here yet, I still have a lot left to give to this football club and I want to be there leading this team and ensuring I can give everything back and repay that faith the club have shown in me since I was eight-years-old.”

Ward-Prowse's Southampton career

Ward-Prowse has appeared in 323 games in all competitions for Southampton over the last decade, with 270 of those outings coming in the Premier League.

The England international has recorded 33 goals and 40 assists to date, and is the current captain of Ralph Hasenhuttl's side.

Ward-Prowse will be back in action for Southampton on Sunday when they play host to Manchester United, where they will be aiming to bounce back from an opening day defeat to Everton.

Further reading

Patrick Bamford has signed a contract extension with Leeds United which will see him remain at Elland Road through to 2026.

Bamford initially joined Leeds from Middlesborough in 2018, and has since helped the club regain their Premier League status while nailing down a key role in Marcelo Bielsa's set-up.

The 27-year-old, whose goals fired the Whites to a respectable ninth-place top-flight finish in 2021-22, has now committed to a new long-term deal that ensures he will spend the prime years of his career in Yorkshire.

What's been said?

Bamford is glad to have committed his long-term future to Leeds, who he is hopeful can go on to push for European qualification in the coming years.

"It was something that was spoken about at the end of last season, I wanted to try and get it sorted as soon as possible before this season started," he has told LUTV. "It dragged on a bit because of the Euros, everyone was busy. It took a bit of time but I'm really happy to finally have tied down my long-term future.

"As a person, I'm always wanting to improve and am always chasing something else. It's almost like we're growing at the same rate. The club wants to get back to where it was, hopefully reaching Europe at some point, but that's my ambition as well.

"So while they are matching, it is obviously perfectly suited."

Bamford's England goal

Bamford was also asked whether he is targeting a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, to which he responded: "I always set myself targets and there are things that I would like to achieve before leaving football. And they [European football and an England call-up] are two of them.

"But the main thing is to keep pushing on and being ambitious and seeing how far we can get in terms of a team and individually."

Bamford's Leeds record

Bamford has appeared in 111 games across all competitions for Leeds over the past three years, scoring 43 goals.

17 of those efforts came last term as he showed he can deliver the goods in the Premier League, and the experienced forward has also set up a further 14 goals for his team-mates.

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs attacking midfielder Keagan Dolly has revealed where he's struggled with his new Premier Soccer League teammates since signing for the Amakhosi.

Dolly is among the new signings at the Soweto giants, and has now opened up about the struggle he faced as he tried to gain full fitness since signing from Montpellier Herault.

The Bafana Bafana star did not play in the Carling Black Label Cup against Orlando Pirates but was introduced in the second half of the MTN8 encounter against Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday as he gears up for the new PSL season.

"Everyone knows I got here a little bit unfit. I haven’t been to the same standard as the rest of the team," the 28-year-old star told the club's portal on Thursday. "They’ve been playing in the Caf Champions League.

"They’ve been active and for me, it was a bit difficult because I was out for three months and I am now trying to get back, but once I got to Kaizer Chiefs, from the first day, from the first training session with the guys, I felt at home. 

"That motivated me to get onto the same page as everyone else as soon as possible," he added. "I could see how the team is evolving and I wanted to be part of the process. I think missing out on the Carling Cup – and seeing how well the team performed and how the guys played – made me want to join the team. 

"I kept on working hard with the fitness trainers, kept on working hard on my own, and I got my opportunity against Sundowns."

The former Ajax Cape Town star added that his new teammates will not focus on their rivals this term, but are keen on making themselves better than last term as they set their sights on the PSL championship.

"You can see where the team is going and how hard we are working to achieve that. We are not focused on anybody else, or on the last game of the season, whether we win the league or not," he added. "We’re focusing on being better players, being a better team and taking everyone forward.

"We just have to take each game as it comes and stick to the process, and that will deliver the end product for us."

After their MTN8 journey ended at the hands of Sundowns, Amakhosi will begin the PSL campaign with a game against TS Galaxy on Sunday.

WWE great Triple H has announced a new partnership between NXT UK and seventh tier club Enfield Town.

Enfield have marked their 20th anniversary by signing a one-year contract with NXT UK - one of the most popular brands in World Wrestling Entertainment.

The franchise's UK Performance Centre is based in the north London town, and their logo will now be displayed on the shirts of the football team for the duration of the 2021-22 season.

What's been said?

Paul Levesque, who is better known by his wrestling name Triple H, expressed his delight after striking the deal ahead of this weekend's Summerslam and NXT: Takeover 36 events.

"It's a big week for the UK as the football season has returned," said the NXT founder. "Enfield in London has played a big part in the journey of NXT UK, since the opening of our UK Performance Centre.

"And that's why I'm proud to announce today, a first-of-its-kind partnership between NXT UK and Enfield Town Football Club, in celebration of their 20th anniversary.

"As the UK's first supporter-owned football club, they share our passion of putting fans at the centre of everything we do.

"For now there's only one question to ask - Enfield Town Football Club: are you ready?"

Enfield's alliance with WWE

The fan-owned club, which currently competes in The Isthmian League Premier Division, will model their new nxt UK-sponsored jerseys for the first time in a clash with Brightlingsea Regent on Saturday.

The women's reserves team will sport the same kit, and the company branding is set to be displayed inside Enfield’s Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, with chairman Paul Reed hopeful that the deal can bring even greater unity to the local community.

"For a fan-owned club committed to delivering a sense of community and entertainment to the local area, to have a partner with the magnitude and ethos of WWE is truly special," Reed has said.

"Our vision is one of inclusivity and equality for all and to be a social centre for Enfield, and we welcome NXT UK as part of the family in our 20th Anniversary year."

Further reading

Former Orlando Pirates forward Jerry Sikhosana says Gavin Hunt is the man best suited to coach the Buccaneers because he will be able to sign his own players, unlike during his seven-month stint at Kaizer Chiefs. 

The Pirates job is vacant following the resignation of Josef Zinnbauer on Monday and several names are being thrown around as the German’s potential replacements.

Sikhosana believes that, among the names being thrown around, current Chippa United coach Hunt is the most suitable man to take charge of the Soweto giants.

With the likes of AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy and Zinnbauer's former understudy Mandla Ncikazi also being tipped to take the helm of Pirates, Sikhosana insists that Hunt, who has won the Premier Soccer League title four times, would be the best man for the job.

“Mandla Ncikazi had a small team without any pressure. He had time to build Golden Arrows,” Sikhosana told Power FM as per Sowetan Live. “It is the same as [coach] Steve Komphela when he did the same with Arrows with Ncikazi as his assistant coach.

"We are now talking about Benni [McCarthy] at AmaZulu, there's no pressure there. Bring Benni at Orlando Pirates, I am telling you that five to six months down the line people will be speaking negatively about him.  

“Sure, things did not work for Gavin at Chiefs, but it is because he could not sign players. And another thing, it was hard because he had players that he could not use as they could not register them and that frustrated him.  

“Gavin Hunt will bounce back. I believe Gavin can lead Orlando Pirates. I would prefer Gavin at Pirates.”

The PSL transfer window closes on August 31 and it remains to be seen if the new Pirates coach will be able to add new players. 

While Eric Tinkler’s name is not being mentioned for a potential return to Pirates, Sikhosana also speaks highly of the Cape Town City coach.

“Let’s look at what Eric Tinkler is doing now at Cape Town City,” said Sikhosana. “Look at how Cape Town City played on Sunday. It was not just a display, it was like something out of this world. You can see the change of attitude from those players.”  

This season, Pirates will be competing to end a decade-long PSL title drought as well as the first continental trophy since the 1996 Caf Super Cup by taking part in the Caf Confederation Cup. 

UEFA has confirmed the nominees for the Men's Player of the Year award, with Chelsea duo Jorginho and N'Golo Kante having been joined by Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne on the list.

Barcelona trio Jennifer Hermoso, Lieke Martens and Alexia Putellas have all been nominated for the UEFA Women's Player of the Year, while Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel and Roberto Mancini are the three Coach of the Year nominees.

As for the Women's Coach of the Year, Lluis Cortes, Peter Gerhardsson and Emma Hayes are all in the running for the award. The winners will be revealed at the 2021-22 Champions League group-stage draw ceremony on August 26.

Who are the UEFA Men's Player of the Year nominees?

Chelsea duo Jorginho and Kante are two of the nominees for the UEFA award after enjoying a stellar 2020-21 campaign that saw the Premier League club lift the Champions League.

Both players started the Champions League final win over Manchester City, with Kai Havertz's first-half strike proving the difference between the two sides in Portugal.

Tuchel's side also secured qualification for Europe's premier club competition for the 2021-22 campaign courtesy of their fourth-placed finish in the table, while they would also lift the UEFA Super Cup by beating Villarreal.

In what was a remarkable year individually for Jorginho, the 29-year-old would also go on to win the European Championship with Italy.

The third nominee for the men's award is Manchester City midfielder De Bruyne.

Despite a season disrupted by injury, De Bruyne played a pivotal role to help City win the Premier League title, with his exploits seeing him awarded the PFA Player of the Year award for the second season in a row.

Who are the UEFA Women's Player of the Year nominees?

The Women's list of nominees is comprised solely of Barcelona players.

Hermoso, Martens and Putellas have all been recognised during a season that saw Barca Femeni storm to a 4-0 win over Chelsea in the Women's Champions League final.

The trio all started that match in Gothenburg, with Putellas getting on the scoresheet, while they also won the Women's Primera Division title and the Copa del Reina, where they beat Levante in the final.

Who are the UEFA Coach of the Year nominees?

As for the Men's Coach of the Year, Tuchel, following his exploits with Chelsea after replacing Frank Lampard, is up for the award along with Manchester City boss Guardiola.

Mancini, meanwhile, helped deliver European Championship glory for Italy and he completes the three-man shortlist.

The Women's Coach of the Year nominees include, as expected, former Barcelona head coach Cortes after he steered the Catalans to a treble-winning 2020-21 season prior to resigning from the role.

Sweden women's national team boss Gerhardsson is also included on the list, with his side earning a silver medal at the Olympics, narrowly losing the final to champions Canada on penalties.

And the women's nomination pool is completed by Chelsea head coach Hayes, with the Blues winning the Women's Super League for the second season in a row, as well as claiming League Cup glory.

Further reading

Indian national team defender Sandesh Jhingan has officially joined Croatian top-tier club HNK Sibenik from Indian Super League (ISL) side ATK Mohun Bagan.

Jhingan, who had joined the Kolkata club last season on a five-year deal, left the club after completing just one season following an offer from Sibenik. The 28-year-old defender revealed that leaving the Mariners was a tough decision for him to make as he had dreamt of winning the AFC Cup with the club but the offer from a European team was too good to turn down.

What did Sandesh Jhingan say?

It was very difficult because I love and respect ATK Mohun Bagan. I have a lot of respect for all the players, the coaching staff and for the owners as well because after my injury I was out for 13 months and I saw people change their opinion about me and that was surprising but ATK Mohun Bagan showed so much faith in me and they helped me have such a great season last year.

"It was hard because we dreamt together to win the AFC Cup but football is how it is. Every Asian player has a dream of playing in Europe and I also had the desire and the opportunity was now.

"It came just when the AFC Cup was starting. It was tough but had to take this decision. I am very thankful to the club, the owners for supporting me, they were very happy that I got this opportunity. Coach Antonio Habas was very supportive," said Jhingan. 

'ISL is a blessing for me'

The former Kerala Blasters star expressed his gratitude towards the ISL for giving him exposure and helping him shape his career by playing against some of the biggest names in world football.

"About ISL, the more I say how the league has helped me, the less it is. It is a blessing for me and a lot of footballers in India I think will agree with me. I have been part of the I-League and it was also fantastic but ISL gave us exposure.

"As a kid, we watched the top European leagues and always thought that those players were from a different universe, but we got the chance to play with some of those stars through ISL. ISL opened my view that you can compete with the stars. ISL has been a true blessing. I am really happy that it started at the right moment of my career, I was in my early 20s when I signed for Kerala Blasters. I'll always be thankful to ISL," said the 28-yar-old.

'Croatian League is extremely challenging'

Jhingan suggested that he is expecting a very tough challenge in Croatia but he is also looking forward to it as he feels the new environment will help him further improve as a player.

"This is a very challenging league. The growth of their national team has been immense, they played in the World Cup final in 2018 and their players play in big European leagues so of course, the level is high and that is why I decided to come here because I felt this is where I will be tested to my limits. When you are tested to your limits, you improve," opined the former ATK Mohun Bagan player.