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Hearts of Oak chief executive officer (CEO) Frederick Moore reveals his club would have preferred to continue with football after the termination of the 2019-20 season due to the coronavirus challenges.

On Tuesday, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council decided on a complete cancellation, the campaign having been on hold since March when a national ban on all public gatherings, including sporting and religious events, came into force.

The Premier League (GPL), where Hearts currently sit ninth on the standings, and the FA, where Phobians are on course to win their first title since 2000, headline the competitions affected by the latest decision.

“We are into football and would have preferred playing football but if the Exco [Executive Council] makes that decision that it’s been cancelled, we respect that," Moore told TV3.

“With everything that is going on, it is probably the best decision.

“Because we are bigger, the impact is felt much larger than a smaller club. We have been planning and managing our affairs within a revised budget we set for ourselves. We’ve got other things we are looking at doing.

“We are constantly reviewing our expenditure. It doesn’t matter how big your revenue is, if your expenditure is bigger than your revenue, you’ve got a problem.

"At this point when we are not getting a third of our money from gate proceeds, our job is to make sure we can tap into other revenue sources, and that is why we’ve been working with our strategic partners.”

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.

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

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

The second most successful club in the history of the Premier League behind 23-time champions Asante Kotoko, Hearts have won the elite division title on 19 occasions, the last coming in 2009.

The Phobians have also lifted the Ghana FA Cup 10 times and the Ghana Super Cup twice. 

Simba SC have received a huge boost with the return of midfielder Jonas Mkude to face Azam FC in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Wednesday.

The Taifa Stars player has missed Simba matches since the Mainland Premier League resumed on June 13 owing to injury but after recovering he was further forced to sit out two matches because of a suspension he was serving.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi have now confirmed Mkude is available to face Azam after being cleared by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).

“Mkude is now available and the coach can use him against Azam if he wants, after serving his two-match ban,” the club confirmed on their official website.

In the absence of Mkude, Simba coach Sven Vandenbroeck preferred to use either Said Ndemla, Gerson Fraga, and Mzamiru Yassin in his position.

Vandenbroeck has also revealed he has a fit squad to pick from despite playing two away matches against Mbeya City and Tanzania Prisons at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya City last weekend.

“We have a squad without injuries, everyone is looking good and ready to go, I know it will not be an easy task since Azam are keen to get a continental ticket but I can assure you the boys are ready to get a win and advance.”

Simba keeper Aishi Manula has also stressed the importance of winning a double this season stating their target is also to carry the domestic cup.

“Our main aim is to make sure we seal a double this season and the FA Cup is a trophy we all want to win, we are fighting to win the trophy and I am sure we will beat Azam.”

Meanwhile, Simba captain John Bocco is very optimistic about going past Azam.

“We know the game will be difficult because Azam are also keen to win the trophy, but what I can assure you is that we are also prepared for the battle, we have good news because we don’t have injuries so the coach can pick the best squad he wants for the match.

“We will strive to win the game, we want our fans to come and support us, we are ready to give them a smile and something to celebrate about.”

On Tuesday, Young Africans (Yanga SC), and Namungo FC made it to the last four of the completion after winning their respective matches.

Yanga beat Kagera Sugar 2-1 while Namungo edged out Alliance FC 2-0.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) President Moses Magogo has explained how departed Jackson 'Bell' Tushabe was a key figure in his administrative growth.

Tushabe, a founder of former Ugandan team Victors FC, died on June 30 and in a moving tribute, Magogo explains how the retired army officer helped him when they worked together at Fufa.

"Yesterday, 30th June 2020, I woke up to a text message from someone on the bedside of Colonel Bell communicating the passing on of the decorated soldier. It was just a few minutes from the moment he breathed his last," Magogo wrote on Facebook.

"'Afande is gone' that was all in the message. Agonising news but it was the reality.

"Although I had heard about a football enthusiastic, military man who owned a football club called Victors, I first physically met Brigadier General Tushabe Jackson 'Bell' on 17th December 2005 then popularly known as Colonel Bell [Afande].

"His first words to me were, 'Anatunda omupiira kati sasi' meaning whoever sells a match will now be shot by a bullet; of course humorous and joking as he always was."

The Caf Executive Committee member gave a detailed explanation of how the Brigadier at one point helped him keep his Fufa job.

"We had just been appointed members of the Executive Committee of Fufa by Dr Lawrence Mulindwa in his maiden term as Fufa president," Magogo explains.

"In the first Executive committee of Fufa, he was appointed Chairman of the Competitions Committee and I was appointed the secretary of the Competitions Committee. He became directly my boss.

"The Secretary Competitions Committee was one of the most demanding and yet powerful positions in football then and our revolution was to clean up competitions that had gone to the dogs with match-fixing and hooliganism.

"I signed my own player license on behalf of Fufa for two seasons before a coup was arranged by Mr Mugisha to stop me from playing [A story for another day].

"The success we made to restore the integrity and improvement of competitions had the great input of both Colonel Bell and Dr Mulindwa as my bosses.

"Colonel Bell my chairman provided me with all the support and cover I needed. I can confidently say I am the administrator that I am today because I was groomed and allowed to blossom directly by Colonel.

"Colonel Bell was my chairman for six years and he accommodated my mistakes, directed me where I was going off the rail, and protected me where I was right against many."

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said that the only reason the club have not moved for the services of Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp is that the German has been under contract elsewhere when they have been looking for a new boss.

Klopp, now a Champions League and Premier League-winning manager, has often been linked with the Bayern hotseat, with the Bavarian side well known for poaching the best talent on and off the pitch from other clubs in the Bundesliga.

And despite Klopp's affiliation with Bayern's fierce rivals Borussia Dortmund, Rummenigge admitted that he is one of best coaches in Europe and that he might well have been an option for the Allianz Arena club had the timing been different in the past.

“Jurgen Klopp is a great coach and a very respectful person,” Rummenigge told Sport Bild. “He doesn't lord it over everyone or talk about what a great catch he is. He is, but he doesn't make a big deal about it.

“Whenever we've been looking for a coach, Jurgen was always under contract. But let's not forget that we have been blessed with other top coaches in recent years: Jupp Heynckes, Pep Guardiola, Louis van Gaal and now also Hansi Flick.

“When you're looking for a coach, the timing must be right.”

Fresh off the back of winning the Premier League, Klopp has earned himself icon status at Anfield and now faces the tough task of keeping the current European champions motivated for the seasons ahead.

With more glory being eyed by Reds fans, few would be happy if and when the day comes that Klopp is looking for a new adventure elsewhere. Having spoken about his plans in the past, however, the German insisted he has no idea what lies in store in the future.

“In the order which I'd like to do it: I want to coach the German national team, then Bayern Munich, then back to Dortmund and then Liverpool for life,” he joked.

“I really have no idea. I hope for now that the next two or three years will continue in the same way and then I'll decide. Everything is possible – maybe I'll just stop completely.”

Mohamed Salah has revealed that the first question he asked Jurgen Klopp after signing for Liverpool was regarding whether or not he would be replacing Sadio Mane on the right wing.

Salah completed a £37 million ($46m) move to Liverpool from Roma in the summer of 2017, embarking on his second stint in the Premier League.

The Egypt international had previously failed to make the grade at Chelsea, which is why more than a few eyebrows were raised when the Reds forked out a club-record fee for his services.

However, the 28-year-old quickly justified his price tag by becoming the highest-scoring player in a single Premier League season, and has since built on that platform to help Liverpool win a whole host of major honours.

Salah won a second successive Golden Boot in 2018-19 while also helping Jurgen Klopp's side conquer the Champions League, striking up a fearsome alliance in the final third with Mane and Roberto Firmino in the process.

The former Chelsea flop has hit another 17 goals during Liverpool's run to Premier League glory this term, two more than Mane, who was shifted out onto the left after Salah's arrival at Anfield.

Salah has admitted that he initially sought out clarity from Klopp over a coveted role on the right of Liverpool's front three amid fears he would have to compete with Mane.

The Reds star told beIN Sports : “He talked with me a lot and his future plan which made me very excited. My first question for him was 'What about Sadio?' as we are playing in the same position and he said that Mane will play on the left." 

Salah and Mane made headlines in September after appearing to clash during Liverpool's 3-0 win over Burnley.

The former opted to shoot instead of passing to his open team-mate at one key point in the game, which left the Senegalese attacker visibly incensed as he was substituted late on.

Salah insists that the pair soon reconciled their differences for the good of Liverpool's collective cause, as he added: "It didn't take too much time. It was not a clash with its definite meaning it was just a situation in the match and we got over it quickly and assisted goals to each other."

Liverpool were crowned champions of England for the first time in 30 years last week after moving 23 points clear of Manchester City with seven games remaining.

Asked who has been the Reds' player of the season, Salah expressed his belief that club captain Jordan Henderson deserves to be acknowledged for his outstanding contribution in the middle of the park.

He said: “You can't say it, we have many good players, If you asked 10 people 'Is Alisson the best player?' Nine of them will say that.

"The same with [Trent Alexander] Arnold, Henderson, Virgil [van Dijk], Salah, Mane.

"We had a great season but if I have to choose one I will pick Henderson because he is our captain, he's been here for eight to nine years and faced criticism many times and got over it.

"He is a great person and always tries to help everyone."

Salah concluded by outlining his future ambitions at Liverpool: "We are a very good team now, if we perform in the same way we can win more and more trophies. This is our aim.

“I won't stop seeking to win championships, I can create new challenges for myself to win again and again. My ambition has no limits and I will work to be better in the next years."

Osita Okolo, the representative of Victor Osimhen has stated the interest by Napoli in his player is “important”.

According to reports, the 21-year-old will jet off to Naples to complete a deal thought to be in the region of €50–60 million but his agent has raised serious concerns.

Interest in the Nigerian comes on the back of a fine season with Lille where Osimhen scored 18 goals and provided six assists in 38 competitive games which earned him the prize of the club’s player of the season and most recently the Marc-Vivien Foe award as the best African in Ligue 1. 

He beat off Moses Simon, Denis Bouanga, Andy Delort, Islam Slimani, Mbaye Niang, Hamari Traore and Edouard Mendy to win the award in France.

"Napoli's interest is important. De Laurentis and the manager [Gattuso] really like Victor. There have already been several contacts,” Okolo told TuttoMercato.

Osimhen’s agent revealed no agreement has been reached as some reports claim, insisting he is still a Lille player.

Okolo says Osimhen is fond of the city of Naples which is located in southern Italy and interest in him from a big club like Napoli that has sported greats like Diego Maradona and Gonzalo Higuain, is only natural.

"This is not true, to date no prior agreement has been reached with Naples. We will see what will happen with Lille, to which Osimhen belongs,” he continued.

“Victor likes Naples, a fantastic city, and obviously he also likes Napoli as a team. The interest of a big Italian [club] personally does not surprise me considering how well he did with Lille."

There is the question of racism which is very rife in Italy with players such as Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly targeted. Okolo acknowledges the problem and insists this is where the ball lies in Osimhen’s court to make a decision.

“If we talk about Serie A, however, many other factors must be considered,” Okolo stated.

"The racism issue. In Italy there is a big problem from my point of view, unfortunately, it is a widespread phenomenon. In any case, the final word on its future will be up to Victor and no one else.”

Osimhen has previously been on the books of Wolfsburg and Charleroi in Germany and Belgium respectively. He had a greater impact with the latter, having a hand in 24 goals (20 goals, four assists) in 36 appearances.

Rennes sporting director Florian Maurice said the Ligue 1 side have no intention of selling teenage sensation Eduardo Camavinga amid links to Real Madrid, even for €80 million (£72m/$89m).

Camavinga is reportedly wanted by La Liga giants Madrid following a breakout Ligue 1 campaign before the 2019-20 season was cut short in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 17-year-old midfielder has also previously been linked to French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

"Camavinga's departure has not been spoken about," Maurice told RMC Sport. "There has never been a real interest. Since my arrival, I was clear that Camavinga would be included in the project. 

"If Real Madrid offer €80 million for him as is being talked about, the answer is no. We want him to stay so that he keeps developing at Rennes."

"For me it is clear, this player must be part of the project for the coming season. We want to continue with this player," Maurice continued.

"It is important for him that he continues with Stade Rennais. He's a very good boy, a great player.

"These are discussions we will have together. For our part, we have no intention of letting him go.

"It is worth pointing out that the player has the ambition and maybe the desire to go elsewhere. I would listen to him, but at the moment he has a Rennes contract and we will then see how the transfer window is working."

Camavinga has previously been encouraged to take the next step in his career by joining a club like Real Madrid by former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot. 

"When I left Ajax, people said to me it was too early and that I should stay in Holland," Melchiot, who played for Rennes during the 2006-07 season, told Goal. "Let me tell you something, as a player just do what’s right for you and not listen to what people tell you.

"If you feel like it isn’t the right move, then stay where you are. I think you should always consider your development. The team you go to should make you better and you should make the team better.

"But if Real Madrid feels right to Camavinga, he shouldn't listen to what the critics are saying. Every move in football is a risk, but it is about knowing what you can achieve. If he thinks he can achieve great things at Madrid now, he should go for it."

Maurizio Sarri lauded the "phenomenal skills" of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa after Serie A leaders Juventus defeated Genoa.

Stunning goals from Ronaldo, Dybala and Costa ensured titleholders Juve stayed four points clear of scudetto challengers Lazio thanks to Tuesday's 3-1 victory at struggling Genoa.

Dybala broke the deadlock with a fine individual effort in the 50th minute before Ronaldo made it 2-0 six minutes later via a thunderous long-range strike.

Juve substitute Costa then put the visitors out of sight with an equally impressive effort, while Andrea Pinamonti drilled in a 76th-minute consolation for Genoa.

"In the second half we lead thanks to our single players because we scored on three excellent plays by three single men," Juve head coach Sarri said.

"Paulo's [Dybala] great slalom, the outstanding Ronaldo's shoot, incredible for its precision and strength and the sensible touch from [Douglas Costa].

"This is how we solved the match, thanks to our individualities and phenomenal skills. We created the team's assumptions." 

Sarri and Juve were heavily criticised following the coronavirus break, which saw the Italian champions go back-to-back games without scoring, including in their Coppa Italia final defeat to Napoli.

Ronaldo was also scrutinised but Juve have now won three consecutive matches to be top of the table with nine fixtures remaining.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner equalled his tally from last season across all competitions with his 28th goal in 2019-20, while he has scored 14 goals in 2020 – more than any other Serie A player this year.

Sarri added: "After the lockdown I made an assessment: I said that something changed. Then everybody almost made fun of me because we lost the Coppa Italia on penalties.

"The truth is that once we improved our condition we started paying better this kind of football. This due to our condition that's getting better after the lockdown."

Juve are back in action against city rivals Torino on Saturday with nine Serie A games still to play this season. 

Sarri's side face a few key fixtures in coming weeks with an away game against AC Milan before they welcome high-flying Atalanta. 

On July 20, the Serie A title could well be decided when Juventus host Lazio.

For the past decade or so, the Malaysian FA (FAM) has been actively searching for foreign-born players with Malaysian heritage, in the hopes of giving the national team a leg up at the continental and world stage.

While there maybe concerns that this search is leading the association to neglect its youth development duty, it is undeniable that the current crop of mixed-heritage players have given their adopted country an advantage at the international stage.

In Malaysia's ongoing 2022 World Cup Asian qualifying campaign, the Harimau Malaya are currently placed in second place in Group G of the second round, thanks to the services of the likes of Australian-born Matthew Davies and Brendan Gan, as well of England-born defender La'Vere Corbin-Ong.

But at the same time, FAM is already thinking ahead, by identifying youth players that are currently training at top professional clubs all over the world.

One of the youth prospects that have been scouted in recent years is England-born forward/winger Jaami Qureshi. Claiming Malaysian and Malay heritage through his mother, who hails from Manjoi, Perak, the 16-year old is currently a trainee at English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. At the same time, the youngster's father Perviz has Iraqi heritage.

In interviews with Malaysian media, including those given to media conglomerate Astro when he visited the country back in 2018, Jaami revealed that he is the youngest sibling in a family of four brothers and one sister.

His interest in football began when he was four years old, having kickabouts with his brothers. Fast forward a few years later, he signed as a youth trainee at Championship division club Brentford FC's academy.

His time at Brentford however lasted only two years, after the club shuttered its youth academy, due to intense competition for talents and heavy financial costs.

Stints with London sides Chelsea and Fulham followed, but in the end he decided on Brighton in 2016, signing a two-year contract at age twelve. At the conclusion of this particular contract, he was then offered a four-year contract, with the expectation that he will be promoted to the first team when he turns seventeen.

According to Soccerway records, the youngster has not made any appearance for the Seagulls' U-18 side in the 2019/20 season, but he has been on the bench for them in two U-18 Premier League Cup fixtures.

He idolises Barcelona star Lionel Messi as well as PSG's Kylian Mbappe, and harbours dreams of representing the Spanish club as well as English side Arsenal.

For now, the future looks bright for Jaami, inside and also outside of football. He had also been a keen youth rugby player with reported interest from English Premiership side Harlequin.

As a school boy, he is also a keen sprinter and long jumper, clocking a personal best time of 12 seconds in the 100-metre dash, and a personal best record of 5.58 metres in long jump.

And if somehow his sporting career does not take off, he revealed in an interview with Astro that he already has a backup plan; to train as an architect.

However, it seems that his current focus is undeniably on football, especially when he has previously trained at the England U-15 level (UK news organisation Daily Mirror described him as one of "England's great hopes"), a fact that is certainly going to make FAM's attempts to persuade him to don Malaysian colours in the near future more challenging.

But the association is not giving up, with discussions having been held with the youngster and his father. They met FAM when he visited the country in 2018, and again the following year, reportedly with the view of calling him up for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Manila. In the end, the youngster was noticably absent from Malaysia U-23's centralised camp and competition squad.

Meanwhile, his father had revealed to Berita Harian that Jaami had previously received offers to join Malaysia's National Football Development Programme, but had to decline as he would have to train in Pahang, a considerable distance from the family's Malaysian base in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

On his part, like most footballers with the chance to play for more than one country, the youngster has adopted a wait-and-see approach.

"I've been with England U-15," he told Berita Harian. "But for me, nothing is impossible. I will decide on it when the time comes. I'll be happy to play in Malaysia, because I've seen a number of talented players there, who can play in Europe.

"And I can't afford to be complacent here, so I need to up my game."

Until the time comes that Jaami decides on the nation he will be representing, Malaysian fans will be waiting with bated breath. Not just for a possible Malaysian debut by him, but also for the possibility of having the first English Premier League player with Malaysian heritage.

UPDATE: In a brief Twitter exchange on June 29, Perviz claimed that Brighton are willing to let Jaami join Malaysia U-19 in the coming 2020 AFC U-19 Championship finals, should he be selected.

From stomping on the grounds of St. Patrick's School in Asansol to playing on the snow-clad TRC Turf Ground in Srinagar for a professional side in Real Kashmir, Ritwik Das has come a long way. 

Right from his childhood, he had an affinity towards sports and academics would often take a backseat. With a football at his feet, he would spend hours often drawing the ire of his mother, Mita Das. But soon she realized the potential in her son and then backed him to the hilt, a rare sight in Bengal where academics is placed on the higher pedestal. 

"She has worked tirelessly and I owe everything to her. I was playing in the U13 team of my school but she understood that it was necessary to get out of Burnpur to get better training. So, when I was in class eight, my mother took me to Kolkata. I enrolled myself in Mohun Bagan's training school and under the tutelage of Sankar Lal Chakraborty, I started training," reminisced Das to Goal. 

He spent almost two years training at Mohun Bagan. It was a tough job for a child to travel almost 500 km to and fro every weekend, but his persistence saw him through.

"Every weekend I used to go there and come back to attend school on Monday. It was a good learning curve. But I did not get any competitive matches there."

It was during his stint in Mohun Bagan he closely witnessed how a professional football team works and what it takes to play for a club of the stature of the Mariners. But the lack of matches was a niggling concern for the budding footballer. At that juncture, he came across Chinmoy Sarkar, who would play a pivotal role in shaping his career. 

"I used to stay near Jadavpur and while returning from Mohun Bagan practice, I came across a trial for a coaching camp. That was the turning point. Chotka da (Chinmoy Sarkar) saw potential in me while I was training in his academy. Whatever I am today, that is because of him.

"I started participating in junior tournaments which gave me vital exposure to competitive football. He used to train me in various positions in the attacking third and midfield and insisted on the necessity to become a versatile player who could play in several positions," stated Das. 

He got selected by Calcutta Customs for the Calcutta Football League (CFL) but he did not get many minutes during that campaign. However, as Das was raring to get on the pitch, he took a step back and joined Kalighat MS, a second-division CFL side, to get more playing time. 

Under veteran coach Arun Ghosh, he further honed his skills and prepared himself for the next big step. 

"Real Kashmir held trials for second division I-League at the SAI (Sports Authority of India) complex in Salt Lake. I felt I was ready for national-level competition and fortunately I got selected as well. It was a wonderful campaign. I was the joint top-scorer (four goals) of my team and more importantly, we beat Hindustan FC in the final 3-2 to qualify for I-League."

The 23-year-old was a regular under David Robertson and after proving his mettle for two seasons in the I-League, he is all set to join Kerala Blasters. The Kochi-based outfit has roped in Kibu Vicuna as the head coach for the next season and Das seemed enamoured by the Spaniard's style of football that he implemented in Mohun Bagan. 

"Vicuna's Mohun Bagan was a delight to watch. They were the best team in the league and were deserving champions. Their possessional style of football was very difficult to play against. I think a player can improve enormously under Vicuna. He likes to play with the ball and a player who is comfortable with the ball can learn a lot from him."

Das has been careful with his career progression. From plying his trade in the CFL second division to joining an ISL side, he has not missed a step in between. His ultimate dream is to go on to represent the country. With patience and perseverance being his forte, no distance should be too long for the demure winger.

Saint-Etienne have slammed Arsenal for "imposing absolutely unacceptable sports and financial conditions" after they failed to secure a loan extension for defender William Saliba. 

The Frenchman has spent the season with the Ligue 1 club after the Gunners had bought the teenager last summer for £27 million ($33m) only to loan him straight back to Saint-Etienne.

While the Ligue 1 season has been abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic, Saint-Etienne will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France on July 24. 

Claude Puel's side were therefore hoping to secure Saliba's services for a little longer with his loan set to expire at the end of June, but they have been unable to strike a deal with Arsenal despite initial optimism. 

"Saint-Etienne was pleased to learn yesterday Tuesday that Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach, was ready to leave William Saliba at the disposal of the club until the final of the Coupe de France," a club statement read. 

"William Saliba had been training for several days with Claude Puel's group and was obviously very enthusiastic about the idea of ​​finishing his course in Green with such a match. 

"Alas, ASSE, which simply wanted the extension of the initial loan until July 24, could not find an agreement in the evening with Arsenal to allow the defender to properly prepare and play this meeting, the English club imposing absolutely unacceptable sports and financial conditions." 

Arteta looked to cool expectations surrounding Saliba on Tuesday and suggested Saliba had earned the right to play in the Coupe de France decider next month. 

“I think he needs to stay there, we’ve got an agreement with Saint-Etienne,” Arteta said.

“He’s been all year over there, he’s earned his right to play that final if the manager wants him to do that I think we have to give him the opportunity to do that, to enjoy that and we can have him after."

Saliba has been restricted to just 15 appearances in all competitions this season with two significant injuries limiting his playing time. 

Saint-Etienne finished the shortened Ligue 1 season in 17th, only two places shy of relegation to Ligue 2, and haven't won a trophy since the Coupe de la Ligue in 2013. 

Malaysia's decent run in the ongoing World Cup Asian qualification campaign has been achieved partly due to the inclusion of better players on the Harimau Malaya roster.

Tan Cheng Hoe's charges are currently in second place in Group G with nine points, thanks to the great work of a squad composed of not only local-born players, but also of overseas-born mixed-heritage footballers, as well as one naturalised man.

The effort to identify more overseas-born players who could potentially represent Malaysia is not stopping anytime soon, especially not when it is an endeavour that is also being passionately undertaken by the fans as well.

The most recent example of the fans' effort in unearthing hidden gems abroad is the one involving Zambian side Zesco United defender Marcel Kalonda, who was brought to everyone's attention thanks to the aggresive efforts of Twitter user Marco Negeri.

By the Twitter user's own admission, he identified the 22-year old defender on the football management video game Football Manager, while stuck at home during the Covid-19 home lockdown earlier this year.

While Kalonda was at first mistakenly reported to have been born in the Malaysian state of Sabah, he later rectified to the Malaysian media, who began showing interest in him; it was his paternal grandfather who was from Malaysia, while Kalonda's late father was Malaysian also. He however added that he was not raised by his biological father, and instead grew up with his mother and step father.

Records of his playing career are scarce as of now (Goal has reached out to the player on social media), with Transfermarkt.com listing him as having joined Zambian Super League side Kabwe Warriors in early 2016, before moving to Zesco the following year, where he remains until now.

However, what is known about him is that he is playing for one of best Zambian clubs in one of the top African domestic competitions. Zesco have won eight top tier titles, three of them from the most recent three seasons, and they are regular CAF Champions League participants. In their most recent 2019/20 Champions League campaign, Kalonda was listed on their matchday squad for all six of Zesco's group matches, playing in two of them. (Zesco finished last in Group A and did not advance to the knockout stage.)

More encouragingly for him, Malaysia boss Cheng Hoe has been quoted to speak positively of the player's chances to be called up.

"I've seen him play in a CAF Champions League match, and I can say that he has potential due to his height and physique.

"He will be a good option for the team because everyone knows we lack quality defenders. Futhermore, he is only 22 years old, which is good for the team's future," he told Harian Metro.

Malaysia fans will be delighted to know that unlike most mixed-heritage players with eligibility to represent either another country or Malaysia, the 1.88 m tall player has unambiguously expressed his eagerness to don the yellow and black of the country from the get go.

"I'm very, very ready to come play for Malaysia. If the FAM (Malaysian FA) says I can come next week, or today, I'll just come. There's no problem, I'm glad to be of service," said the defender in the interview with Astro Arena.

And Kalonda has backed up his verbal willingness to catch the first flight to Kuala Lumpur when called up, with action.

According to reports, the defender has submitted documents that support his eligibility claim to FAM in early June, and they are currently being verified by the association. At the time this story was published, FAM was yet to respond to Goal's enquiry on the status of Kalonda's eligibility. 

The recruitment of foreign-born players by FAM is sometimes viewed cynically by critics and fans alike, but in the case of the Congolese defender, it has to be said that he has the potential to be a key member of the Harimau Malaya, and that potential is backed up by a willingness that can only be described as infectious.

Ferran Corominas has lit almost every venue in the three years he has spent with FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL).

The forward, who has not yet penned an extention with the Gaurs or any other club yet, looks back at his time at the Gaurs fondly.

"Everything went very well," he told Goal. "Always playing, having good results and scoring goals. Only the first year, the first days, adaptation to the country was difficult."

However, even though the club has become the first Indian team to be entitled a place in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League group stage, Corominas is not entirely convinced that ISL clubs are ready to embark on a deep run in the continent's premier club championship.

It must be noted that Indian clubs haven't fared that well in the continental tournaments in the recent past with Bengaluru FC failing to get into the group stages this season while Minerva Punjab and Chennaiyin FC did not make it out of the group last year.

"I think that the level of the Indian (Super) League is not up to other countries to compete and win the Asian championship, but little by little the level of soccer (football) in India will grow and it can be a great power in the future," the Spaniard certified.

Corominas also believes India has a good pool of talented players and listed out some of the names that caught his eye.

"There are many good players in India - Brandon (Fernandes), Liston (Colaco), (Mohammad) Nawas, Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu), (Sunil) Chhetri, Sahal (Abdul Samad), Raynier (Fernandes), (Anirudh) Thapa," he named in one breath.

Coro, who has a degree in psychology, feels that coaching himself is an option for him but is yet to take a conclusive decision on his future.

He added, "I don’t know if in the future I will be a coach but I will take out my licenses to be prepared in case I want to be it. At the moment I have already taken the first and second levels, I only need the third."

New SuperSport United captain Ronwen Williams says their experience from the 2017 Caf Confederation Cup will come in handy when the current season resumes.

Williams prefers playing a lot of games within a short period of time with Matsatsantsa left with six matches in the league.

“If we were to play every day, the guys would probably prefer that,” Williams told The Citizen.

“You sometimes hear a lot of coaches complaining but they know deep down that they would rather play each and every day because that is what we live for, we want to play those games."

Williams was a key member of the SuperSport side which went all the way to the Confederation Cup final where they lost to DR Congolese giants TP Mazembe in 2017.

“The time we were playing in the Confederation Cup, we enjoyed playing on Wednesday and Saturday, Tuesday and on the weekend again, and the travelling will also help because we are used to travelling a lot and still perform on the pitch," he continued.

"That is why we want to be professionals because we live for this. It comes with a lot of sacrifices and discipline as well, you can’t be going out for no reason, you can’t walk around in the malls, you need to stay at home and rest.”

The Tshwane giants are placed third on the league standings - four points behind second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, who have three games in hand.

“Once the season resumes, I’m sure we are going to be playing Wednesday and Saturday and that is what we enjoy," he added.

"The less training you do, the better because we just want to play more games and challenge other teams and see how far we can go on the log.”

Williams was an ever-present for Matsatsantsa before the season was halted having started all of the team's 24 matches in the league.

The Bafana Bafana international was appointed new SuperSport captain following the departure of Dean Furman last month.

Halfway into the current Premier League season, Leicester City were in second-place and appeared shoo-ins for a Champions League spot.

Despite successive defeats by Liverpool and Manchester City in gameweeks 18 and 19 respectively, Brendan Rodgers’ troops were a point above City, seven ahead of Chelsea in fourth and nine above Wolverhampton Wanderers in fifth place. Notably, Manchester United were eighth, a staggering 11 points adrift of the Foxes before their resurgence since the turn of the year.

After the last round of games, however, Leicester seem to be hanging on to a top four spot with seven games to play. While the Blues, Wolves and the Red Devils seem to be gaining momentum at the right time, the East Midlands side appear to be running on fumes, despite a three-month enforced break.

Observers have focused on two draws vs Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion since the league’s restart but, in truth, the 2016 champions’ decline began months ago in January.

Having played 12 games in all competitions from the start of December to January 11, when they suffered a surprising 2-1 loss at the hands of Southampton, fatigue was said to be the overriding factor, others argued Wilfred Ndidi’s absence was equally significant. 

The Nigeria anchorman’s absence against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s troops told on an afternoon at the King Power Stadium where the Saints probably should have won by more. With Rodgers unable to call upon on the West African's impeccable protection of the back four, the Foxes conceded chance after chance against the club from the South Coast.

Ndidi, struggling for fitness from mid-January to early March, missed key games for Leicester and it showed in their results: they lost games vs Southampton, Burnley, Man City and Norwich City (he got a 20-minute cameo on his return), while drawing with Wolves and Chelsea.

It’s no coincidence that Leicester’s two wins in that period, 4-1 over West Ham United and 4-0 success against Aston Villa before the lockdown, came in games where the ex-Genk man featured for sufficient minutes on the pitch (56 and 83 minutes respectively).

The upshot of the Foxes’ drop-off in the second half of the campaign is demonstrated by how they’re currently looking over their shoulder, with the aforementioned trident of clubs putting together a run of results before and after the lockdown.

Rodgers’ team won 12 of their opening 19 fixtures but have only picked up a measly four victories from 12 matches since. Frank Lampard’s charges are now a point behind, Wolves three adrift having played a game more and United three behind. Interestingly, all three are top of the form table while the wobbling Leicester are 15th.

Fatigue may have been an understandable excuse in January given the frantic schedule at the time but the underwhelming performances and results linger. Thus, it begs the question why Rodgers’ team have found the going tougher in the last few months and whether this was expected given their underlying statistics in the final third earlier in the season.

Leicester have not only lost the element of surprise they had when the campaign started but are now experiencing a reversion to the mean in front of goal. Their elevated status now means opponents sit deeper with numbers behind the ball, denying them space between the lines and making the jobs of players like Ndidi difficult as they struggle to find players in little pockets of space higher up the pitch.

In the early months of the season, the Nigerian defensive midfielder found midfield creators James Maddison and Youri Tielemans between the lines with ease but his underrated impact in possession has been blunted lately with passes now going backward or sideways in recent games.

Consequently, the side are struggling to create chances, which is reflected in blanks in five of their last eight games in all competitions, including Sunday’s FA Cup elimination by Lampard’s men, which could prove to be a psychological blow in their top four chase.

The Foxes were also outperforming their Expected Goals, Expected Goals Against and Expected Points tally in the first-half of the campaign, prompting observers to doubt the sustainability of their impressive early season numbers.

Statistics show that the 2016 Prem champions are outdoing their xG by 9.67, xGA by 10.54 and xPTS 5.29, the greatest disparity of any side outside Liverpool in the top 10 in the standings. Indeed, with Expected Points of 49.71, Leicester are interestingly sixth below Nuno Espirito Santo’s charges (54.89), Man United (57.43) and the Blues (59.44).

Given the current form of the sides below them, there remains a strong possibility that the campaign could end with Ndidi and co. failing to feature in Europe’s premier competition next season. This scenario wouldn’t have been envisaged after their bright start, and their upcoming fixtures in the closing weeks inspire little confidence.

Leicester’s tough run of fixtures begin with a tricky trip to Alex Iwobi’s Everton on Wednesday, a side unbeaten at Goodison Park since Carlo Ancelotti took charge in December.

They are still to concede a goal since the league’s restart and will fancy themselves against the East Midlands side without an away victory since winning vs Newcastle United on New Year’s Day.

The Foxes then travel to Arsenal in early March before closing out the season with games against Tottenham Hotspur and United, the latter of which could be a top-four six-pointer if both sides remain close together in the table.

Rodgers hinted recently that performances have to improve if results have to turn promptly, a challenge that shouldn’t be lost on Ndidi and his teammates.

Leicester have been victims of their early success but now need a strong final push to make sure a prolific campaign that promised Champions League football doesn’t fall flat on its face.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael says he will not mind if they are drawn to face sworn rivals Simba SC in the next phase of the FA Cup.

The Jangwani Street-based giants cruised into the last four of the domestic competition after coming from a goal down to sink Kagera Sugar 2-1 in a clash played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday night.

Kagera were the better side as they raided Yanga in the opening stages and it took them only 20 minutes to take a deserved lead when Aweku Ibrahim scored from close range.

Kagera went into the break enjoying a 1-0 lead and they should have scored more than the single goal as they dominated proceedings in the first period.

After the resumption, Yanga levelled matters when Molinga met a cross from a corner-kick to head home to score his third goal for the club in just three days. The Congolese import had scored two goals as Yanga came from a goal down to beat Ndanda FC 3-2 on Saturday.

Dues Kaseke then won the game for Timu ya Mwananchi after he slotted home from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after a Kagera defender was punished for bringing down Molinga.

Eymael has now told Goal he does not care who will be next opponent in the semi-finals as Simba and Azam are set to clash in the other quarter-final clash on Wednesday.

“To face Simba again? We are ready, but first, they play Azam, who are a very good side and we must wait for the outcome to see who comes top,” Eymael told Goal on Wednesday.

On the Kagera game, Eymael hit out at officiating once again, blaming the match officials for denying his side a clear penalty in the first half.

“The game was tough, it was a difficult game, we conceded a very silly goal, but we recovered and scored two nice goals, we should have received a penalty in the first half, it was a clear penalty, and I don’t know what the referee was thinking,” Eymael continued.

“My players were brought down inside the box and it is very clear that when you are fouled inside the box it is a clear penalty, I looked at the referee waving play on and was shocked with the decision, it was a clear penalty if you ask me.

“But I don’t want to talk more about it now, we have progressed to the semis and that was our main plan, we want to win the trophy and we will continue to work hard, my players showed good character and I am happy they are all coming back to fitness after that long break occasioned by the lockdown.”

In another quarter-final match played on Tuesday, Namungo FC made it to the last four after a goal in each half helped them to beat Alliance FC 2-0.

On Wednesday, newly crowned league champions Simba will take on Azam FC at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam while Sahare All-Stars will come up against Ndanda FC.

Kaizer Chiefs legend Doctor Khumalo has indicated George Maluleka was unhappy at Amakhosi and that his departure is a great loss for the club.

The experienced midfielder officially parted ways with the Soweto giants on Tuesday, June 30 when his contract with the club expired.

Nicknamed Mido, Maluleka is now set to join Mamelodi Sundowns having signed a pre-contract with the Tshwane giants earlier this year.

"It is a great loss man. I'm sure both parties didn't want to end the marriage like that," Khumalo told IOL.

"But obviously there are things that are beyond the game that maybe both parties couldn't come to terms in terms of understanding each other."

Maluleka played an instrumental role in helping Amakhosi challenge for this season's PSL title and he has left the team placed at the top of the league standings.

"It is an unfortunate situation. At the end of the day, it is all about being happy. It is all about delivering the goods for the club and you must do that with pride," Khumalo said. 

"But if you are not happy, there's no way that you are going to be able to deliver."

The Bafana Bafana international decided to leave Amakhosi after failing to reach an agreement over a new deal with the club's management.

Khumalo revealed he recently spoke to Maluleka, who called him to wish him a happy birthday when the Amakhosi legend celebrated his 52nd birthday on June 26.

"George has been a wonderful boy, I worked with him when we won the league with Stuart Baxter," he added.

"I had an opportunity to talk to him when he called me to wish me a happy birthday. Obviously, as his senior, I wanted to ask how he is.

"He did explain to me. Obviously, I can divulge that. But the sound of his tone was low because he was not happy."

Maluleka, 30, helped Chiefs clinch the PSL title and MTN8 during his five-and-a-half-year stint with the Soweto giants.

Manchester United are missing a striker like Robert Lewandowski, according to Rene Meulensteen.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the bold decision to stick with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford as his two main forwards after Romelu Lukaku was sold to Inter last summer.

The pair have evenly shared 38 goals between them this season, helping United challenge for a top-four finish as well as the FA Cup and Europa League.

Mason Greenwood has also been impressive in a back-up role, and Odion Ighalo's arrival at Old Trafford on loan from Shanghai Shenhua in January added extra depth to United's attack.

Solskjaer has been tipped to target Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho in the summer transfer window to complete a squad rebuild, but Meulensteen doesn't think the Red Devils need to recruit another wide player.

The former United first-team coach would prefer to see a new forward in the same mould as Lewandowski brought in, with the Bayern Munich star boasting a record of 49 goals in 42 appearances for the German giants in 2019-20.

“They brought Ighalo in as a player who could help United in certain times and he’s actually done very, very well," Meulensteen told talkSPORT.

“But if you look at the other players there – Rashford, Martial, they’re not really out-and-out strikers.

“Greenwood, a young player coming up, it’s the same thing there.

“A lot of chances and goals can be created from the wide areas, Sancho is actually the same player.

“What I think Man United are missing is a striker of the calibre of Robert Lewandowski.

“Somebody up there who can hold the line, link play, but when it comes to finishing chances in and outside the box, that sort of player, they are hard to come by.

“Fifty million for Sancho, is that too much? For me, looking at what United have in those wide areas, is that where you want to strengthen?”

United extended their recent unbeaten run to 15 matches by beating Brighton 3-0 at Amex Stadium on Tuesday night.

Solskjaer's men are now only two points behind Chelsea in the race for fourth, with a home clash against Bournemouth up next this weekend.

Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (Kefwa) President James Situma has stated the reasons why the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) should wait a little before providing a road map for the 2020/21 season.

FKF cancelled all leagues in May due to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions and is expected to give a clear way on how next season will run.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) has already given a tentative date of the resumption of its leagues following the abandonment of the 2019/20 season.

According to Fufa's projections, Ugandan teams might start their new season on October 17 but Situma feels FKF can wait a little longer.

"I think it is not proper for the federation to give a roadmap for the new season now because everyone is waiting to see what President Uhuru Kenyatta will say in the few coming days concerning the curfew and ban on public gatherings," Situma told Goal.

"We are still in partial lockdown and it is only wise to wait and see what the government will say. We will need a programme when everything is clear.

"We are hoping to re-open but again it is still a 50/50 situation and we should be ready to go with the decision of the state."

Following the recent approval of Fifa's further financial help for its Member Associations, Situma feels if the help is extended to players then it will be a great deal for them.

The FAs are expected to receive $1 million after the Fifa council unanimously approved the Covid‑19 relief plan.

"It is a plus for the players since they have experienced salary delays due to the ongoing pandemic," added the former Sofapaka and Tusker captain.

"These are men who earn their daily bread by playing and some have had their salaries cut so, I can admit it has been a very trying moment for our players indeed.

"So, something that brings a good initiative to take care of the players is welcome for us. I believe it will help so much before the players can get back to the pitch."

Fifa was clear its grants and loans can be extended to everyone in the footballing fraternity in each country.

"Both grants and loans can be directed by member associations to the wider football community in their respective territories, including clubs, players, leagues, or others that have been affected," Fifa said then.

The FKF is entitled to $1,000,000 from the Universal Solidarity Grant and $500,000 for Women's Football Support, which means the local FA would end up getting a total of $1,500,000 in the near future.