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Summer always feels like it will last forever, but then comes the start of the Premier League season and the nights begin to draw in and, before you know it, the temperature begins to drop. Enter: the football scarf.

The humble football scarf has dipped in and out of fashion over the years – designer versions even made it down the runway a few seasons ago. However, for some fans, they are a one-size-fits-all accessory that is a must for any game whether watched at home with a cup of tea, at the pub with a pint or finally back at the football ground with a pie.

Show your support for Arsenal at The Emirates and beyond with this bar scarf in the traditional red and white colourway.

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

Rep Aston Villa’s classic claret and sky blue colours with this knitted bar scarf featuring the emblem on either end with claret tassels.

Get it from the official Aston Villa store for £12.00

Fans of the Bees will love wearing this stylish grey, white, red and black striped scarf to celebrate their first-ever season in the Premier League.

Get it from the official Brentford store for £12.00

This blue and white bar scarf with white tassels is perfect for showing support for the south-coast Seagulls.

Get it from the official Brighton and Hove Albion store for £10.00

Beady-eyed fans will spot the two bees on this scarf’s club crest which represent not only the town’s “busy as a bee” nature but their former terrace named Beehole End which was Burnley’s answer to the Kop.

Get it from the official Burnley store for £10.00

Chelsea’s blue and white striped bar scarf features a knitted logo and matching royal blue tassels, perfect for throwing over your outfit on your way to stylish west London.

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

This contrasting red and blue striped bar scarf will catch eyes with a jacquard emblem on either end whether you’re home or away.

Get it from the official Crystal Palace store for £9.99

This classic blue and white striped scarf features two large monochrome emblems which depict the old Everton Lock-Up.

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

One of the most creative scarves in the Premier League, this Leeds United scarf pays homage to the retro crests that have served them over the years on one side, and on the other says “LEEDS”, perfect for holding in the air with pride.

Get it from the official Leeds United store for £10.00

This blue and white bar scarf is a timeless accessory for fans of the Foxes.

Get it from the official Leicester City store for £12.00

Liverpool fans have more use for a scarf than most, opening every match with a scarf-bearing rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone. This luxury scarf from 47 Brand is perfect for brandishing in the Kop or keeping warm on an away day.

Get it from JD Sports for £15.00

Cityzens will love waving this sky blue scarf around during Blue Moon. 

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

Although fans of Manchester United might think first of the iconic protest yellow and green scarf, for something a little less controversial, this classic red, black and white scarf will make you feel right at home at Old Trafford. 

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

Magpies fans can make themselves easily identifiable in this classic black and white Newcastle bar scarf with tassels and a colourful knitted logo.

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

Fans of the Canaries will love this sunny yellow and green super crest scarf which, when worn around the neck, the two fronts join together to make one giant logo!

Get it from the official Norwich City store for £10.00

Southampton’s red and white split crest scarf also features the large joint emblem when worn together and has the club name written in capital letters on the other side, perfect for home and away.

Get it from the official Southampton store for £15.00

This official Tottenham bar scarf comes in a navy and blue striped colourway with the classic cockerel sitting on a football logo on either end.

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

This yellow and black checkerboard scarf from Watford is bang on trend with the club crest in a contrasting red on either end, just in time for playing back in the Premier League.

Get it from the official Watford store for £14.00

Knit in the classic claret and blue of the Hammers, this scarf is a stylish staple for any fan of West Ham United.

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

Fans of Wolverhampton Wanderers will appreciate the gold and black colour of this scarf which complements the home kit palette with the famous intimidating angular wolf logo featured throughout.

Get it from JD Sports for £12.00

Pedro has completed his move across a fierce divide in Italian football, with the World Cup winner severing ties with Roma in order to link up with their arch-rivals Lazio.

The former Barcelona and Chelsea star will be remaining at Stadio Olimpico for the 2021-22 campaign, but is swapping the Giallorossi for the Biancocelesti.

He is set to be reunited with Maurizio Sarri - his former boss at Stamford Bridge - after making a controversial switch and will be taking on the No.9 jersey at Lazio.

Why is Pedro on the move?

The 34-year-old only linked up with Roma in the summer of 2020, as a five-year stint at Chelsea was brought to a close.

He took in 40 appearances across all competitions last season, hitting six goals, but tumbled out of favour once Jose Mourinho arrived in the Italian capital.

The Spaniard was immediately placed on the transfer market, with there no place for him in Roma's pre-season plans, and he has reportedly been released as a free agent.

That is because Roma were desperate to get his salary, in a deal through to 2023, off their books as they look to cut costs.

Pedro has now signed a two-year deal with Lazio after completing a medical on Thursday.

Who else has crossed the Rome divide?

Pedro has become the first player in 36 years to move directly between Roma and Lazio.

Goalkeeper Astutillo Malgioglio was the last man to do that back in 1985, with Carlo Perrone treading a reverse path some four years prior to that.

In more recent times, Angelo Peruzzi, Roberto Muzzi, Aleksandar Kolarov, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Diego Fuser have all taken in spells on opposing sides of a notable divide, but none of them moved directly from one rival to another.

Luigi Ziroli was the first man to represent both Roma and Lazio, having started out with the former - registering their first top-flight goal - before later linking up with the latter.

Pedro, who has won just about everything over the course of a distinguished career in Spain and England, has become the latest entry on a relatively short list and will hope to win any doubters over quickly once pulling on his new shirt.

Further reading

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has urged Percy Tau to leave Brighton and Hove Albion in the current transfer window.

The 69-year-old tactician included Tau in his 31-man preliminary Bafana Bafana squad for the upcoming 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers on Thursday. 

Tau will be hoping to make the final squad for Bafana's two matches against Zimbabwe and Ghana which will be played early next month. 

The 27-year-old forward's future with his Premier League club is uncertain due to lack of game time under manager Graham Potter. 

Broos has pointed out that he cannot call up players who are not playing for their clubs when addressing the media after announcing the squad at Safa House. 

“I hope that the players who are in Europe that they are playing. There are already a few players who changed clubs," Broos told the media. 

"Hopefully for them, it’s a good thing and that in their new clubs they can play more. 

“Because otherwise also, I heard the critics already in May when I came here [asking] ‘why are the players in Europe not selected’. If you don’t play."

Tau did not make the matchday squad for Brighton's opening Premier League match of the current 2021/22 season which was against Burnley last weekend. 

Broos gave an example of Sphephelo Sithole, who played 25 matches in the Portuguese Primeira Liga for OS Belenenses last season and he has already made two appearances this term.

“I hope that will change also and that we can really select players who are playing most of the games in their clubs," the Belgian tactician continued. 

"You see there are a few with us, like Sithole he is playing in Belenenses, okay.”

Al Ahly have confirmed their interest in Tau with his former coach Pitso Mosimane keen to reunite with him at the Egyptian football powerhouse. 

Broos is hoping that the left-footed player secures a move to Al Ahly where he would play under a coach, who knows him very well. 

“Percy Tau, I hope, I hope he can leave Brighton and that he can go to a [new] club," the former Cameroon head coach stressed. 

"There is talk about Egypt, Pitso who is in Al Ahly, it should be a very good thing for him because there he has a coach who knows him.”

Tau's contract with Brighton is set to expire at the end of the current season. 

Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso has admitted to interest being shown in star striker Dusan Vlahovic, with the Serbia international said to be registering on transfer radars at Manchester City, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid.

The highly-rated 21-year-old hit 21 goals in Serie A last season and already has two efforts to his name this season from a solitary Coppa Italia outing against Cosenza.

His current club are eager to put a new contract in place, allowing them to retain the services of a prized asset for at least one more year, but a bidding war is being mooted as leading sides in England and Spain prepare to make a move.

What has been said?

Commisso is aware of the admiring glances being shot in the direction of Florence, telling TGR RAI Toscana: "I have not put Vlahovic up for sale, if anything we made an important contract renewal offer.

"There are clubs interested in him, but I haven’t set a price tag. I want him to stay for one more season."

Will Vlahovic be on the move?

The potential possessed by a forward that combines height and physical presence with quick feet and a keen eye for goal has made him an obvious target for ambitious clubs across Europe.

Atletico are said to view Vlahovic as a long-term successor to Luis Suarez in their La Liga title-winning squad.

Manchester City are also eager to bolster their ranks, with Pep Guardiola seeing Sergio Aguero depart the Etihad Stadium as a free agent.

Tottenham star Harry Kane is a top target for the Blues, but alternative options are being considered.

Vlahovic is said to figure on that list, along with that of Nuno at Spurs as the Portuguese coach readies himself for the possible departure of a prolific presence in his plans.

Commisso has previously stated that he "would think about it" if a €100 million (£86m/$117m) offer was put to him, but no such bid has materialised as yet.

Further reading

Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi is not coy over the likely threat posed by Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

According to the draw conducted by the Confederation of African Football on Tuesday, the Desert Foxes must negotiate their way past Cote d’Ivoire, the Nzalang Nacional and the Leone Stars in Group E when the biennial African showpiece gets underway in Cameroon.

Weighing in on the chances of the reigning African kings, the 45-year-old tactician tipped his team and the Elephants to make it through to Round of 16.

Nevertheless, he warned that Algeria must be ‘ready and vigilant’ having in mind that the other countries in the group will be aiming to spring a ‘surprise’

"It's a group with obviously a big one from Africa, namely Cote d'Ivoire,” Belmadi told Caf website.

"It's a very strong team that needs no introduction. We faced them in the quarter-finals of Afcon 2019 and everyone saw the match.

“Of course, Algeria and Cote d'Ivoire are the favourites of this group, ahead of Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. But, you have to know that there are no longer small teams in Africa.

“There is always a surprise. We must be ready and vigilant. We should not take things lightly, otherwise, we risk going by the wayside.

“We must prepare well to approach this Afcon as it should be and try to achieve the best possible result.”

Reluctant to discuss his team’s chances in Afcon 2021, Belmadi stated that his immediate mission is to ensure a good outing when Algeria take on Djibouti and Burkina Faso in September’s 2022 World Cup qualification games.

“We will have two important games to play in September in the World Cup qualifiers,” he continued.

“We have to prepare well for these two games to get as many points as possible. Then we'll see what can happen.

“Our priority now is to make a successful debut in September. After that, we will have other games in October and finally two other games in November.

“We will have to finish first in our group. Once this phase is over, we can look at the Africa Cup of Nations.”

Algeria are unbeaten in their last 12 games in all competitions dated back to November 14, 2020, when they mauled Zambia 5-0 in Blida.

Jack Grealish is, for the time being at least, the most expensive player in British football history, with a £100 million ($137m) move taking him away from Aston Villa to Premier League champions Manchester City.

Few could have predicted such a meteoric rise during a three-season stint in the Championship between 2016 and 2019, with questions still being asked back then of the enigmatic playmaker's attitude and ability.

Fast forward to the present and Grealish has become a fans' favourite in the senior England set-up and a man Pep Guardiola was prepared to shell out a nine-figure transfer fee for - but how did such a transformation come about, and when were the seeds of success first sown?

Humble beginnings

Grealish first burst onto the scene at Villa as a mercurial 16-year-old talent, with his slicked-back hair and penchant for wearing socks around his ankles making him an easy target for more senior figures in a camp that were eager to test his mental and physical toughness.

Those tests were passed with flying colours, with former team-mate Alan Hutton - speaking in an interview via Coffee Friend - telling Goal of the welcome Grealish got to the first-team fold: "Let's kick him a few times and see what he's made of! He was fantastic. As a 16-year-old when he came round, you could tell that he had unbelievable ability at such a young age.

"Yes, he had his up-and-down moments. He was a young boy, he messed about for a couple of seasons, but everybody involved at Villa knew exactly what he was capable of and it was just about giving him that platform to go and express himself. What he does in games is exactly what he does in training. It was there for us all to see and it doesn't surprise me now, after watching him come through all the levels and playing with him, that he has reached the top."

Hard work

Grealish picked up an unfortunate reputation for being a bit of a party boy in his early years, but added experience and responsibility brought with it greater maturity, and there has never been any doubting his work ethic.

Hutton added: "He's a confident boy, but his whole personality has changed. When he was a bit younger, we saw the instances of him going out and things happening and making the press for the wrong reasons, but around the time that he got the armband at Villa, you saw a massive change in him. He was first at the training ground and the last to leave. He was in at 7 o'clock at night with us, as the more experienced ones, saying to him 'go home, you have been here all day!' 

"You have to drag him off the training pitch, whether it is practicing his free kicks or building himself up in the gym. He had a total mindset change from that moment on and you could really see him going to another level. He had Villa on his back for a long period of time and now he is reaping the benefits of that."

Boy becomes a man

Villa always had high hopes for Grealish, but a hot prospect needed game time in order to unlock his full potential and a stint in League One with Notts County back in 2013-14 allowed a man famed for being the most-fouled player around to toughen up and master the art of taking a few bumps and bruises.

Hutton went on to say of a player that rarely gets rattled by the treatment he receives: "Probably going out on loan to Notts County when he was young helped, experiencing that man's football, getting battered about the pitch. He got a lot of rough treatment in training as well off all the experienced lads because he was gliding by people, taking shots and getting kicked. He just got up and got on with it. I think he has carried that on into games. 

"He doesn't get annoyed with anyone, he gets kicked up and down the pitch but just gets on with it. He knows that he can draw fouls, get people booked and they are on thin ice and have to be careful - that helps him do what he has to do in games. Those experiences when he was younger definitely helped to mould him into the player he is and to be able to deal with all the kicks."

Big-money move

Grealish took in 213 appearances as a senior star for Villa, but is now opening a new chapter in his career as part of a star-studded squad in Manchester, with considerable faith and funds invested in him.

Is he worth £100m or have Villa done great business? Hutton said: "I think it's both. There are always going to be people out there that are going to be saying 'that's a silly amount of money for anybody', but he's only 25 and he's going to get better. 

"It's no disrespect to Villa or Dean Smith, they have done amazingly well to get him to where he's at, but moving on to play with world-class players is going to make him a better player. I think he's worth it. I think what he's done recently is be better when it comes to assists and goals - those numbers will only go up this season with the players he is playing with. We are going to see an improved Jack Grealish moving forward, he's going to get better under Pep."

Fitting in

Getting to the top is one thing, but staying there is quite another and Grealish is set to face the kind of competition for places at City that he was unaccustomed to at his boyhood club - with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez battling for spots on the flanks, while Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan fill creative midfield berths.

Quizzed on whether Grealish's best position will be out wide or in a central number 10 post, Hutton added: "It's an interesting one. For me personally, he's on the left. He does his best work on the left, whether it be driving at people, creating space for others, making assists, coming inside on his right foot. 

"Of course he can play number 10, but they have a lot of options there. He could play as an eight in midfield, but overall I would have him on the left. I think that is where you get the best out of him. City have got a lot of options, they do rotate a lot and that is something he might have to get used to - not playing every single game, which at Villa is exactly what happened. It's down to him to prove to everybody what he is capable of in his best position."

Grealish has made a habit of proving people wrong over the course of his career to date, so the expectation should be that he will deliver value for money at City while taking his game and reputation to even greater heights.

This interview was in association with Coffee Friend, an international retailer for coffee and coffee machines.

Further reading

Christian Pulisic is being set the ambitious target of reaching "double digits" for goals and assists in 2021-22, with United States national team legend Brad Friedel expecting big things from his fellow countryman at Chelsea.

The highly-rated 22-year-old has entered a third season at Stamford Bridge, with his account for the campaign opened when finding the target in a 3-0 opening-day victory over London rivals Crystal Palace.

Pulisic will be eager to kick on from here, having hit the net just six times in 2020-21, and Friedel believes a man that now has Champions League and CONCACAF Nations League winners' medals to his name can add consistent end product to his game.

What has been said?

Friedel, speaking in association with Pickswise, told Goal of the targets for Pulisic: "It's hard for any player to come into the Premier League and then it's more difficult to come into the Premier League with one of the top sides in the league.

"There's a settling in period that's always going to take place because the football's very different than other countries that Christian has played in.

"I thought he had a very good start to his Chelsea career, and he performed very, very well for the United States over the summer.

"Now that he knows what to expect fully in England, he's a tremendous talent and I think double digits in goals and possibly assists is achievable for him.

"With the amount of chances Chelsea create, I expect him to be quite an important part of Chelsea's team this season."

Can Pulisic raise his game?

Pulisic registered 11 goals - including a Premier League hat-trick - and seven assists during his debut campaign at Chelsea in 2019-20, but saw those numbers dip to six and four respectively last term.

He now faces added competition for places from the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz, with it possible that Timo Werner could be used in a wider role this term, but positive additions are being made around him.

Thomas Tuchel has invested £98 million ($134m) in Romelu Lukaku, with the presence of a proven number nine in the Blues' side expected to aid the efforts of Pulisic and Co as they no longer have a central striker drifting into their space.

Friedel, who won 84 caps for the USMNT and played for the likes of Blackburn, Aston Villa and Tottenham in the Premier League, added: "I think Christian's bright enough and clever enough as a footballer to play alongside many different types of players.

"Playing alongside somebody who's just simply as good as Lukaku is going to help and Lukaku will at times have to attract more than one defender because of his size, pace and strength, which could give Christian the opportunity of being in a lot of 1v1 situations when he's attacking, which he's very good at as we know.

"Having Lukaku will help any team and any player, and I think Christian will be able to take advantage of that without a doubt.

"If Werner's going to play then I think Christian's style will be a little bit different because of who his playing partner is, but he's equally good enough to play that kind of style as well."

Further reading

Inhulets Petrove striker Stephen Gopey is on cloud nine following his team’s 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kiev in Wednesday’s Ukrainian Premier League game.

Heading into the topflight clash against Mircea Lucescu’s men, the newly-promoted side had lost all their three games (Shakhtar Donetsk, Zorya, and Desna) in the 2021-22 campaign.

In that game, they appeared to be heading for another defeat as Mykhailo Shyshka turned the ball inside his own net while trying to clear his defensive line.

Nonetheless, Serhiy Lavrynenko’s men ensured that the game finished all square as super-sub Ilya Kovalenko turned Hennos Asmelash’s pass past goalkeeper George Buschan.

In a chat with Goal, the 21-year-old striker talks about the significance of the result and lauds the character his team showed against the 16-time Ukrainian topflight kings.

“This is a very massive result for us and a pointer to the fact that we can go as far as we want this season,” Gopey told Goal.

“Before the game [against Dynamo Kiev], many did not give us a chance because we have lost all our games so far.

“We did well in the first half by preventing them from scoring and I was kind of scared when they scored first. It was disappointing putting the ball in our own net.

“But thankfully we were able to fight back and earn a point. A big kudos to my team because they showed strong character and personality.

“That point is for the fans for their support and, to be honest with you, this draw felt like a victory for us.

“All things being equal, we will build on this in subsequent games and prove to the doubters that our promotion to the Ukrainian Premier League was not a fluke.”

Gopey – who joined from Nigerian side Wikki Tourists in July - was introduced for Artem Sitalo in the 70th minute of the encounter, and could have earned his team all three points in the closing minutes of the fixture, but Buschan came to the rescue.

Even with this result, Inhulets Petrove sit at the base of the log with just one point from three games. They are guests of FC Lviv in their next league outing on August 23.

Head coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic has highlighted Uganda's shortcomings in the striking area ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Kenya on September 2 in Nairobi.

The former SC Villa coach is satisfied with the strength shown by Cranes' backline in the last games, but his worry emanates from the inability of the attackers to score more goals.

In the African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Togo and Malawi, the Cecafa giants conceded just a goal but were unable to find the back of the net. In a recent game against South Africa, they conceded three and scored two goals.

"We have to do a deep analysis of the situation in which we are coming from, and we are coming from a campaign that has shown us that we had a good and quality defence. We did not concede more than two or three goals in a game," Micho told the media after Wednesday's training session.

"In the last campaign, we failed in the standard of scoring and that is something that let us down. We need a variety of attacks, numbers in the box and the probability of scoring at higher levels

"This is where the focus is now and the most critical thing is solid defending and sharp attacking. Of course, w have a challenge because the players have been in lockdown and now we have to bring them to a good level of physical fitness and be technically effective, especially regarding the aspect of technical competitiveness.

"This is where our focus is, it is just our second day and you can not have the overall conclusion of the second day of work, but you can see glimpses that we are headed in the right direction. There is a huge space to improve and this is where our inspiration and motivation comes from."

Uganda will be in Jordan for a training camp where they will also face Syria in two friendlies on August 23 and 26. 

Players in Camp:

Goalkeepers: Charles Lukwago (KCCA), Simon Tamale (Soltilo Bright Stars), Nafian Alionzi (URA)

Defenders: Enock Walusimbi (Express), Arthur Kiggundu (Express), Dennis Iguma (KCCA), Innocent Wafula (Mbarara City), Paul Willa (Vipers SC), Eric Ssenjobe (Police), Azizi Kayondo (Vipers), Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers), Garvin Kizito Mugweri (SC Villa), Kenneth Ssemakula (SC Villa), Hassan Muhamood (Police)

Midfielders: Muzamiru Mutyaba (Express), Ibrahim Orit (Vipers), Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), Bobosi Byaruhanga (Vipers), Shafik Kuchi Kagimu (URA), Nicholas Kasozi (Kyetume), Abubakar Gift Ali (KCCA)

Forwards: Martin Kizza (Express), Emmanuel Arnold Okwi (Unattached), Patrick Henry Kaddu (RS Berkene), Jude Ssemugabi (Mbarara City), Richard Basangwa (Vipers), Steven Dese Mukwala (URA FC).

Bournemouth secured a 2-0 away victory over Birmingham City in Wednesday’s English Championship encounter.

Dominic Solanke was featuring in his third game of the 2021-22 campaign and the former Liverpool prodigy scored his first goal the season to lead the Cherries past the Blues

Heading into the fixture at St Andrew's, Scott Parker’s men had stayed unbeaten in their last two outings – playing a 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion and defeating Nottingham Forest 2-1 away from home.

The hosts began the game on a bright note, holding on to ball possession and threatening to score.

Midway into the first half, they almost took the lead but Tahith Chong’s curling shot from a freekick was saved by goalkeeper Mark Travers.

In the 29th minute, Travers was called to action to save a snap-shot from Jonathan Leko as Lee Bowyer’s team continued to ask attacking questions.

Even at that, the first 45 minutes failed to produce any goal as both clubs went into the tunnel to regroup.

Bournemouth returned from the interval looking to threaten Blues for the first time but Matija Sarkic was called into action, springing low to his left when Anthony tried to find the far corner.

Birmingham City were unlucky not to have taken the lead four minutes after the hour mark as Lukas Jutkiewicz header from a Maxime Colin cross was ruled for offside.

The visiting team took the lead in the 77th minute as Solanke beat the offside trap to slot the ball past goalkeeper Sarkic. Substitute Ben Pearson sent a floated pass down the channel and the former Reds forward was able to finish low on the angle.

Three minutes from full time, Parker’s men capitalised on the Cherries’ eagerness to draw level to double their advantage Jaidon Anthony who slammed a head pass from Zeno Ibsen Rosi inside the net.

Alongside Solanke, Zimbabwe international Jordan Zemura was in action from start to finish.

For Birmingham, Super Eagles prospect Chuks Aneke was introduced for Lukas Jutkiewicz with 20 minutes left to play.

Lifted by his goal, Solanke would be hoping to add to his goal tally when Blackpool visit the Dean Court on Saturday afternoon.

South Arica head coach Hugo Broos has announced his squad which is dominated by Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns players ahead of two 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana are set to take on Zimbabwe and Ghana in their first two matches in Group G early next month as they look to secure their place in the finals which will be hosted by Qatar.

Bafana full squad: 

Goalkeepers

Ronwen Williams (Supersport United FC)

Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu FC)

Bruce Bvuma (Kaizer Chiefs FC)

Sifiso Mlungwana (Golden Arrows FC)\

Defenders 

Sydney Mobbie (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)

Rushine De Reuck (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)

Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)

Siyanda Xulu (Haopel Tel Aviv FC, Israel)

Thibang Phete (Os Belenenses, Portugal)

Thabani Dube (Kaizer Chiefs FC)

Njabulo Ngcobo (Kaizer Chiefs FC)

Mosa Lebusa (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)

Sibusiso Mabiliso (Kaizer Chiefs FC)

Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates FC)

Midfielders

 Kobamelo Kodisang (FC Braga B, Portugal)

Sipho Mbule (Supersport United FC)

Teboho Mokoena (Supersport United FC)

Mothobi Mvala (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)

Sphelele Mkhulise (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)

Sphephelo Sithole (Os Belenenses FC, Portugal)

Njabulo Blom (Kaizer Chiefs FC)

Ethan Brooks (TS Galaxy)

Yusuf Maart (Sekhukhune United FC)

Siyethemba Sithebe (AmaZulu FC)

Forwards

Thabiso Kutumela (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)

Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Maritzburg United FC)

Gift Links (Aarhus GF, Denmark)

Evidence Makgopa (Baroka FC)

Victor Letsoala (Bloemfontein Celtic FC)

Percy Tau (Brighton and Hove Albion FC)

Luther Singh (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)

MORE TO FOLLOW...

Robert Lewandowski is not for sale and will not leave Bayern Munich this summer, Goal can confirm.

The veteran striker has been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga champions this summer, and recent reports suggested that he has asked to leave and that Bayern had set a £110 million ($150m) price tag on his head.

However, Goal can reveal that Bayern are in fact not considering a sale under any circumstances, and that Lewandowski accepts this position and will not push for a transfer.

What is the situation?

Lewandowski, who turns 33 this weekend, has been linked with several major European clubs after another spectacular goalscoring season in the Bundesliga last campaign, firing Bayern to a ninth consecutive league title.

Chelsea were rumoured to be interested before signing Romelu Lukaku instead, while some reports on Thursday claimed Lewandowski was asking to leave Bayern before the end of the current transfer window.

However, Bayern are standing firm and will not sell him before the end of August for any price. Goal has learned that Lewandowski has accepted this and will continue playing for Bayern as normal, starting with their Bundesliga clash at home to Koln on Sunday.

Part of Lewandowski's acquiescence comes from his contract expiring in 2023, meaning he will have just 12 months left on the deal next summer - making it easier for him to push for a move elsewhere.

Bayern business

The Bundesliga champions have been linked with the purchase of several players this month, having made only one major acquisition so far this window - central defender Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig.

PSG defender Thilo Kehrer has been heavily linked, however no agreement has been reached and Bayern are still looking at several options at right-back. Goal understands Kehrer is one of these targets, but a deal is far from done.

Another widely reported target is Marcel Sabitzer, the Austrian playmaker who worked with Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann at Leipzig and has told the club he wants to leave. However, Bayern have held no concrete talks with Leipzig over the player, and would need to sell first before making him a reasonable contract offer.

Bayern are open to selling several players in order to fund transfers, with those unwanted including Corentin Tolisso, Bouna Sarr, Chris Richards and Michael Cuisance.

No offers have been made for any of these players, however, with Tolisso and Sarr set to be particularly difficult to shift as they are both earning hefty wage packets.

France international Tolisso, perhaps the most high profile of the unwanted, is more likely to run down his contract to its expiry next summer, when he can leave on a free transfer.

Further Reading

Europa League kings Villarreal have announced the signing of Arnaut Danjuma from English Championship side Bournemouth.

After two seasons at Dean Court, the 24-year-old winger joins the Yellow Submarine on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

With this move, Danjuma – who is eligible to represent Nigeria at the international level – will remain at Estadio de la Ceramica until 2026.

His presence in the La Liga side would serve as a major boost for Unai Emery’s squad who are without injured Samuel Chukwueze.

“Arnaut Danjuma has completed a move to Villarreal for an undisclosed fee,” a statement from Bournemouth website read.

“The Dutch international has put pen to paper to join the Europa League champions having been with the Cherries since August 2019.

“During his time on the south coast, Danjuma played 52 times for the club and netted 17 goals.

“The 24-year-old was also named in last season’s EFL Championship Team of the Season as well as winning the club’s supporters player of the year award.”

Before his next destination was announced, the former Club Brugge star had gone on social media to pen a touching message to Bournemouth.

"Thank you Bournemouth. It's tough for me to leave as we had unfinished business and this club deserves to be in the [Premier League],” Danjuma wrote on Instagram.

“As some of you know I'm a very ambitious individual and the need to play at the highest level possible isn't a want, it's a must, so when the upcoming opportunity presented itself, I had no choice.

“That said I've shared some brilliant moments with you and I’m proud to say I played with such a great group of people. The team, the coaches, the staff and of course the fans.

“One thing I will say is from what I've seen in pre-season you're in brilliant hands. Scott and the boys know the expectations and potential of this club so I am fully confident saying goodbye knowing you'll get the job done.

“Good luck in your future, I'll be back soon to see you all. In Sha Allah.”

After his unveiling on Thursday afternoon, he is expected to train with the first team thereafter.

With Villarreal playing a 0-0 against Granada in their opening 2021-22 campaign fixture, Danjuma could be handed his debut against Espanyol on Saturday.

Tusker FC head coach Robert Matano has opened up stating the two-month break caused by the Covid-19 surge halted their momentum, and as far as he is concerned his team won the league in the first round of matches.

The Brewers are close to their 12th Football Kenya Federation Premier League title despite settling to a 0-0 draw away to Nzoia Sugar in their latest assignment on Wednesday. Second-placed KCB were also held to a 1-1 draw by the 13-time champions AFC Leopards.

With a round to go, the Ruaraka-based charges have a three-point advantage and a seven-goal difference over the Bankers.

'We won it in the first round'

"I am happy with the way we have played the league this season, our consistency has finally paid off," Matano told Goal.

"It was not easy, things were tough, but in the long run, we have secured our title. I believe we won it in the first round, remember we were doing well and had the momentum. However, the two-month break really affected us, it derailed our effort.

"We had to work extra hard to ensure we retain our top position and we eventually did it."

'It is ours'

Matano has insisted his team has already won the match after collecting a point away.

"We had gone to Nzoia aiming at collecting maximum points but it did not happen, we are grateful for a point that has ensured we are champions," he continued.

"We have three points more than KCB, meaning we have an advantage. Another plus for us is our healthy goal difference. Even if we lose our last game [against Bidco United], which is not going to be the case, KCB cannot catch us because they are needed to win by about six goals.

"For us, it is done and dusted, and the final match is just a mere formality."

The Brewers will be representing the nation in the Caf Champions League competition next season. Matano is already in the market in search of players who can bolster his squad and ensure they make it past the initial preliminary rounds.

Meschack Elia waited until his fifth Champions League game for Young Boys before registering his first goal ever in the tournament.

Despite conceding first, the DR Congo international inspired the Swiss Super League side's comeback win as they defeated the Green Eagles 3-2 in the first leg of the play-off round.

Buoyed by their 4-2 aggregate win over CFR Cluj in the third round, David Wagner’s men welcomed the Hungarians to Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium full of high hopes.

They began the encounter the brighter of the two teams, creating numerous chances as well as playing with great attacking intent.

Nonetheless, they were stunned in the 14th minute as Franck Boli fired past goalkeeper Guillaume Faivre. Taking advantage of a miskicked pass from Mohamed Camara, the Ivorian star disposed the Guinean defender before smashing home.

The hosts levelled matters two minutes later as Elia’s long-range effort deflected in, leaving goalkeeper Denes Dilbusz bewildered. With that, he ended his wait for a goal in the prestigious competition since making his debut against Slovan Bratislava on July 21, 2021.

Even at the equaliser, things went sour for the hosts as they were reduced to 10 men after Silvan Hefti was given the marching orders for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity in the box.

VAR replays upheld referee William Collum’s decision who also awarded a penalty to the visiting team. Myrto Uzini stepped up to take the ensuing spot-kick but he scuffed his effort onto the post, but the rebound was turned in after a scramble in the box.

Sadly, the goal was chalked off for infringement in the penalty run-up.

Not minding their numerical disadvantage, the reigning Swiss champions took the lead for the first time in the 40th minute courtesy of Vincent Sierro’s stunning half volley from outside the box.

In the 65th minute, Young Boy extended their lead through Ulisses Garcia. The Swiss left-back raced with the ball from his own half, and then unleashed a beauty past goalkeeper Denes Dibusz.

Eight minutes from full time, Boli completed his brace after he was teed up by Ryan Mmaee, albeit, his team ended on the losing side.

Both sides will meet in Budapest on August 24 with the winners on aggregate earning a place in the Champions League group stage.

Fadlu Davids has termed working together with Mandla Ncikazi at Orlando Pirates as 'perfect' owing to their initial relationship.

The duo is set to handle the Bucs after the exit of Josef Zinnbauer on Monday, in the wake of the club's elimination from the MTN8 Cup. The Soweto heavyweights fell 2-1 to Moroka Swallows in the quarters, piling more pressure on the tactician to resign.

He left Pirates after leading them to 35 wins, 20 draws, and 13 losses. With no replacement announced, the possibility of Ncikazi and Davids taking over is high, and the latter has expressed his feelings on the same.

'We have come a long way'

"[Working together again] will be perfect since we have come a long way," Davids told the media during the 2021/22 PSL's launch. 

"We have worked together before and we have the same football idea. It makes it easy to understand and work together, [as well as] implementing the ideas we have as we had now had two training sessions; so far so good."

'We know our targets'

Despite the exit of Zinnbauer, Davids -who joined the club in 2019 as an assistant coach, has insisted they will be going for their targets in full force.

"We know the expectations of Orlando Pirates and we are taking that on our shoulders," the tactician continued.

"As the technical team and the players, we are aware of what our targets are and we are going to go for [them] full force."

Meanwhile, former Pirates midfielder Benedict Vilakazi is not convinced Davids and Ncikazi have what it takes to lead the team.

"My question is about the timing, the timing for them," he told iDiski Times.  

"Because Mandla Ncikazi just came in now during the pre-season. But for some of us, I knew it was going to happen. When I saw Mandla Ncikazi coming, I knew that Zinnbauer was going to leave.   

"I don’t know whether these guys [are ready]. Mandla Ncikazi, I’m not too sure. I’m not really sure whether he can carry that team. Pirates are a big team, there is a history in that team. There are a lot of dynamics that you need to deal with at Pirates.  

"I’m not sure that he is ready now. But because he is there and because Fadlu Davids is there, they’ll likely carry on as maybe interim coaches. I think that’s what will happen. They will proceed with the two coaches."

Manchester City fans will have an unusual new snack option when they return to Etihad Stadium for their first Premier League home game of the 2021-22 season, with the club announcing the introduction of "edible coffee cups".

The champions unveiled a host of new food and drink options ahead of the game against Norwich City this weekend, saying it was part of a drive to increase the amount of locally sourced catering at their home ground, and to cut down on environmental waste.

In among the promise of local food and artisan beer, however, was the striking announcement of a suggested new way to cut down on rubbish - "just eat your cup!" - but that supporters would not be forced to ingest their coffee cups if they don't want to.

What has been said?

In an announcement on the club website , Man City said: "For the first time on campus, an ‘edible coffee cup’ will also be introduced. This fantastic and innovative solution provides an amazing solution to waste, just eat your cup!

"These will be trailed alongside our full barista service of hot drinks outside the stadium in City Square.

"Fans will have the option to put these cups into our composting waste stream, if preferred."

What is an edible coffee cup?

While Man City provide no details as to what the edible coffee cups will be made of, they will likely be produced from waffle or biscuit-type food,  similar to an ice-cream cone.

The use of these cups forms part of a commitment by City to cut down on plastic waste, with the club also announcing that beer will be served in paper cups from this weekend's game against Norwich onwards.

They also announced partnerships with four craft breweries from the Manchester area, and seven local food outlets.

City fans will be hoping to enjoy their coffee - cup and all - while watching their team recover from a disappointing opening day, after they lost 1-0 away to Tottenham last weekend.

Further Reading