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Arjen Robben has announced a stunning return to professional football with his first club, Groningen. 

The winger retired from the game in July 2019 after a brilliant career, which included spells with Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich and more than 20 major title wins. 

Now, though, with his boyhood club reeling from the devastating effects of coronavirus, he is planning to return to the pitch to lend a helping hand at the age of 36. 

"I was 12 years old when I started playing in Groningen's youth academy, I made my home debut against Feyenoord when I was 16," Robben explained in a video released on the Eredivisie side's official Twitter account on Saturday. 

"After two years I made a transfer to PSV Eindhoven. After a wonderful adventure of 18 years we're coming home! Back to Groningen. 

"We're coming home during this difficult time of crisis, one that also hits FC Groningen. It's great to see how everyone is supporting the club, I've supported the club as well and it made me think about what else I could do for our club. 

"These past weeks I've had many conversations with club staff and maybe more than anything I've listened to the call of our supporters: Arjen, follow your heart!" 

The former Netherlands international went on to vow that, while there was no guarantee that he would regain enough match fitness to resume his playing career, he would do everything possible to make himself an asset to the Groningen squad ahead of what is bound to be a difficult 2020-21 season. 

"I want to make my comeback as a football player, a player of FC Groningen," he added.

"It started to itch and now it's my mission. I'm working on a comeback as a player, at FC.

"I don't know yet whether or not this will work, but I do know it will not depend on my commitment or motivation. It is my dream to wear the kit of FC Groningen again.

"It will be a tough physical challenge but I'm going for it! I am going to work hard and when everything feels right, I will join the team for the first training session of the new season. 

"I hope to see everyone as soon as possible because my dream is to play in an FC Groningen jersey. We're not there yet, but one can dream!" 

Yanga SC have moved to the second position in the Tanzania Mainland League after defeating the visiting Ndanda FC 3-2 on Saturday evening.

The hosts scored their goals courtesy of Deus Kaseke, who scored a brace, and Mrisho Ngasa while the visitors got theirs through Abdul Hamisi and Omary Mponda.

The 27-time league champions were keen on completing a double over the Mtwara-based charges.

Timu ya Wananchi started the game on a high and within six minutes they had managed to get an opener.

Ditram Nchimbi received a precise pass on the left, managed to get past his marker and crossed the ball to Kaseke, who managed to head the ball past the helpless custodian.

However, the visitors kept their cool and put up a spirited performance to level the scores four minutes later. 

Defensive lapses allowed Abdul Hamisi into the danger zone and he unleashed a fierce shot past Kenya custodian Faruk Shikhalo to bring the teams on level terms.

The visitors took the lead on the 15-minute mark through a free-kick.

Kevin Yondani fouled Vitalis Mayanga about 25 yards from the goal and the referee did not hesitate to award Ndanda a free-kick. Mponda rose for the occasion, beating the wall and the goalkeeper to give his team a second goal.

Yanga were not ready to go into the break trailing and they upped their tempo in search for an equalizer.

A long ball found its way into the danger zone a few seconds to the half-time break. The defenders were reluctant in clearing the danger, giving Kaseke a chance to head the ball and complete his brace.

After the break, both teams came back guns blazing in search of a goal. The defenders, this time around, were not entertaining any dangerous balls at the back and cleared whenever they had a chance to do so.

Wananchi sensed their Mtwara visitors were targeting at least a point and this gave them a reason to push harder for a third goal. They were rewarded in the 73rd minute.

Haruna Niyonzima picked out the overlapping Juma Abdul Jafari who crossed the ball to a fellow substitute. The latter capitalized on poor communication between the defenders and the goalkeeper to score what turned out to be the winning goal.

The result took Yanga to the second position with 60 points, one more than third-placed Azam FC who were held to a one-all draw by Biashara United.

Thomas Muller made Bundesliga history as Bayern Munich capped off their triumphant campaign by defeating 10-man Wolfsburg 4-0 on Saturday.

Having clinched an eighth straight title 11 days earlier, Bayern finally got their hands on the trophy following a comfortable victory at the Volkswagen Arena on the final day of the season.

Muller laid on a record 21st assist of the season as Kingsley Coman got Bayern up and running, before Mickael Cuisance doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Josuha Guilavogui was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Cuisance and Robert Lewandowski scored the resultant penalty in the 72nd minute, with Muller adding Bayern's 100th Bundesliga goal of the season in the closing stages.

With second-placed Borussia Dortmund defeated at home by Hoffenheim, Bayern finished the season with a 13-point cushion and Wolfsburg slipped to seventh and missed out on automatic Europa League qualification.

Coman got the celebrations started in the fourth minute, latching onto a brilliant throughball from Muller and guiding a fine finish across Koen Casteels and into the bottom-left corner.

Manuel Neuer kept out Josip Brekalo, and Casteels made a good save from Serge Gnabry at the other end.

Lewandowski was denied by Casteels but there was nothing the Wolfsburg goalkeeper could do to stop Cuisance's left-footed, 20-yard curler from finding the top-left corner.

Casteels survived a VAR review of a potential handball outside the box, while the video assistant upheld the decision to rule out Daniel Ginczek's stoppage-time goal at the end of the first half for a foul on Alvaro Odriozola.

After being denied by Casteels again, Lewandowski finally hit the target in the 72nd minute. The Poland international scored his 34th league goal of the season after Guilavogui felled the impressive Cuisance.

Bayern made the most of their numerical advantage by scoring a fourth seven minutes later, Muller drilling home at the back post and the celebrations stepped up a gear after the final whistle.

What does it mean? Bayern maintain momentum

A treble is well and truly on the cards for the Bavarian giants, who extended their club-record winning run to 16 games.

However, after the DFB-Pokal final next weekend they face a month off before continuing their Champions League campaign with the second leg of their last-16 tie against Chelsea.

With teams from the Premier League, Serie A and LaLiga having far less time to rest before Europe's premier club competition returns, Bayern will hope to continue riding this wave during their break.

History for Muller

Hansi Flick has brought the best out of Muller since taking over at Bayern. The World Cup-winning attacking midfielder surpassed Kevin De Bruyne's Bundesliga record of 20 assists in a single season by setting up Coman for the opener.

Gnabry not on form

There was nothing riding on the game for Bayern, but it would have been a far more comfortable finale had Gnabry been able to finish the chances that came his way. He missed a pair of great openings in the first 15 minutes of the second half.

What's next?

Bayern will aim to seal the second part of a prospective treble when they face Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal final next Saturday.

Mohamed Salah is a talent “on a completely different level”, says Peter Crouch, with the former Liverpool star of the opinion that the Egyptian should be a PFA Player of the Year contender as it is important not to become “immune to his greatness”.

Salah has claimed that prize on one previous occasion, with a memorable debut campaign on Merseyside in 2017-18 seeing him record 44 goals across all competitions.

Salah then secured a share of the Premier League Golden Boot for a second successive season last time out, while contributing a further 21 efforts to the Reds’ cause this term.

The 28-year-old has been so consistent that it is easy to overlook just how destructive he has been during a period of remarkable success for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Crouch believes Salah is deserving of more acclaim than he currently receives, with it difficult to maintain the stunning standards that he has set.

The ex-Liverpool striker believes a star frontman from the present would be a deserving winner of another PFA gong in 2020.

There are plenty of other contenders for that crown, including many from a Premier League title-winning squad on Merseyside, but Crouch feels Salah – who has topped legendary strikers such as Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez with his efforts for the Reds – should be drawing plenty of votes.

The ex-England international told the Daily Mail on the PFA race: “It’s got to be a Liverpool player.

“I love Kevin De Bruyne, but how could someone from Liverpool not win it after the season they have had?

“Jordan Henderson would have an outstanding chance and if he ended up being chosen, I wouldn’t argue.

“I remember when he signed for Liverpool, it felt as if he was lucky to be there. But now, really, they are lucky to have him. He took over the captaincy from a legend, did things his own way and now has the trophies to go with it.

“But my pick would be Mohamed Salah. It might sound boring but I look at it this way — he has now outstripped Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez, he scores in all the big games and he has been integral for Klopp.

“We shouldn’t be immune to his greatness. He is on a completely different level.”

Crouch has also been quick to pay tribute to the contribution of Klopp at Liverpool, with the German coach having ended 30 years of title pain at Anfield.

“There were some managers during my career who knew how to play the press,” said a man who spent three years at Liverpool.

“They would have a persona off camera that was nothing like the one they tried to portray in the media.

“But Jurgen looks to be the best manager you could play for — truthful and straight.

“I know Jamie Carragher once said Sir Alex Ferguson was worth 10-15 points a year to his Manchester United teams, but I couldn’t put a figure on what Klopp has given Liverpool.

“The best way to phrase it is that they have 86 points from a possible 93 and those numbers don’t flatter them.”

Andre Ayew and Swansea City’s first game at the Liberty Stadium since the resumption of the Championship ended on a sour note after they went down 1-0 to relegation-threatened Luton Town.

The South Wales club were in full swing last weekend when the English second-tier resumed with a 3-0 win at Middlesbrough, while Luton – who sit second from bottom in the standings - drew 1-1 with Preston North End at Kenilworth Road.

Ayew provided the assist for the opening goal from Liverpool loanee Rhian Brewster, while also adding his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot.

It equalled their biggest win this season in the Championship and their biggest on the road.

On Saturday, the 30-year-old Ayew had the first chance of the game in the 14th minute for Swansea, but his effort from six yards out was saved by Luton goalie Simon Sluga. 

Franco-Congolese attacker Aldo Kalulu next drilled in a cross for Brewster 20 minutes later but last weekend’s hero sent his header wide.

The game remained goalless at half-time, and just after the restart Ayew was close to scoring his 14th Championship goal of the season, but again Sluga was very much equal to the task.

The Ghana international had two more scoring opportunities, in the 54th and 61st minute, but both went a-begging.

Swansea’s inefficiency in front of goal in their own backyard went on to hurt them after Luton opened the scoring in the 72nd minute via James Collins, who connected with Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown’s cross.

It went from bad to worse for Steve Copper’s men, who were reduced to 10 men eight minutes from full-time after Jordan Garrick was shown a straight red card for violent conduct from a scuffle that ensued between both sides.

Ayew’s overall contribution at the end of the 90 minutes included four total shots (two on target, two off target), 48 touches on the ball and 18 accurate passes from 24 at 75%.

Swansea have dropped to 10th place and are four points away from the final promotion spot which is presently occupied by their fierce rivals Cardiff City.

The Jack Army could fall further down to 12th position should Millwall and Bristol City get victories in their respective matches against Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday.

Azam FC surrendered second place to Yanga SC after drawing 1-1 against Bashara United on Saturday.

Yanga have been fighting hard to overtake their Mainland Premier League rivals and their dream have been achieved courtesy of their own 3-2 win against Ndanda FC and Azam's failure to pick up maximum points away from home.

Azam were indeed headed for a slim win when Frank Domayo scored in the second minute of the second half but conceded a goal in the fourth minute of added time. Gershon Kabeja scored to ensure Azam will go back home with only a point from the encounter.

Alliance FC were victors in their respective tie against Coastal Union. Martine Kiggi scored the all-important goal for the hosts in the 47th minute.

Kagera Sugar fought to share the points against Kinondoni Municipal Council FC in Bukoba. Abdul Hassan was KMC's scorer in the 22nd minute but the Sugar Millers fought to ensure they got a point at home when their top scorer, Yusuf Mhilu, struck five minutes before the end of the first half.

Another one 1-1 was registered from the Ruvu Shooting vs Namungo FC tie. Abeid Athuman scored for Namungo in the 16th minute before Ruvu Shooting equalized on the half-hour mark via William Patrick. 

The draw will see Namungo remain fourth with 56 points while Ruvu Shooting have 42 points, level with Tanzania Prisons, who will be in action against defending champions Simba SC in Mbeya on Sunday.

Mbeya City, who saw the government ban their fans from attending their home matches on Friday, emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline against JKT Tanzania.

Peter Mapunda broke the deadlock in the 37th minute before Patson Shigala added the second one in the second minute of added time.

Mbeya bounced back after they had been defeated at home by Simba in their previous mid-week clash at Sokoine Stadium.

Finally, Lipuli FC defeated bottom-placed Singida United 3-2. Daluesh Saliboko, via a penalty, broke the deadlock in favour of Lipuli in the 32nd minute and added the second goal a minute later.

Joseph Ntamack scored the third goal in the 57th minute as Stephen Sey's brace earned in the 35th and 41st minutes were not enough to secure at least a point for Singida United.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner lauded the impact of Jurgen Klopp after the manager led the Reds to their first league title since 1990.

Klopp's Liverpool ended a 30-year wait to be crowned English champions thanks to Manchester City's 2-1 Premier League loss to Chelsea on Thursday.

Liverpool sealed the drought-ending triumph with seven matches remaining, having narrowly missed out by one point to City last season.

Werner hailed Klopp, who took over in 2015 and oversaw Liverpool's 2018-19 Champions League victory.

"I didn't have the pleasure of knowing or watching the great football of [Bill] Shankly and [Bob] Paisley, so I don't really want to compare Jurgen to previous managers," Werner said. 

"I just know that the league is extremely competitive and when we first became involved in Liverpool over 10 years ago, we were not even thinking about winning the league. Our dream was to just become top four and make it to the Champions League. 

"He has just created such an atmosphere at Liverpool that there's no alternative except to win. He has created such an atmosphere. 

"One of the things that I'm just joyful about whenever I watch the team is how many players contribute. It doesn't just lie on the shoulders of our wonderful striker or our wonderful goalkeeper. 

"So many players contribute – from [Jordan] Henderson to [Roberto] Firmino, to [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain, to [Georginio] Wijnaldum, to Fabinho, to [Virgil] Van Dijk. 

"I also enjoy their joy because I saw a video of them last night celebrating together and you could just feel the camaraderie that this club has. We celebrated this as a club." 

"All of us were so delighted because this has been a long march," he added. "I know that our supporters struggled for 30 years to reach this pinnacle. My first thought was to just share that moment with our supporters because without them, the club is nothing. 

"As Jurgen said, our supporters provided such an incredible contribution to winning the league – not just this year, but every year. 

"My hope is that all of us who are supporters of the club can take a moment today and this week to safely celebrate what is a remarkable achievement." 

The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, has condemned the behaviour of a selection of supporters that overstepped the mark in celebrating the Reds' first title win in 30 years.

The raucous scenes that have been shared across social media display fans ignoring social-distancing measures as celebrations continued into a second night despite warnings from the city council and the police. 

One particularly concerning video shows the Liver Building in the city, that houses Everton club offices and had been lit up in blue that evening, being directly hit by a firework.

Smoke was seen coming from the building and, although the full extent of any damage is not yet known, Merseyside fire and rescue confirmed the following, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo: "We were alerted to a small fire on a patch of astroturf. Firefighters have dealt with the incident and the fire is now out."

Flares were also being set off witihin the crowds of people and those supporters involved in the celebrations have been criticised for the rubbish that was left in the city overnight.

Jurgen Klopp's side were confirmed as Premier League champions on Thursday as Manchester City suffered defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, meaning Liverpool can't now be caught at the top of the table.

Mamelodi Sundowns forward Sibusiso Vilakazi is eager “to smell the green grass again” and help the Brazilians notch a third straight Premier Soccer League (PSL) crown if football resumes.

While also expressing gratitude for a clean bill of health this season, after his campaign last term was punctuated by some injuries, Vilakazi believes he can be on top of his game when local football restarts.

But with 10 goals and 11 assists in 32 games across all competitions so far this season, he already appeared to be at his best before football was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I have been blessed by not being injured this season, that was the setback previously. I am grateful for being injury-free, and when that happens the coaches will give you the opportunity, and I think I have done the job the best way I can,” Vilakazi told the Mamelodi Sundowns website.

“My priority has been to do my best to help the team. That’s my motto this season. I believe I can get better once we resume football because Sundowns is a team determined to get more trophies.

“I want to smell the grass again, get the feel of the ball on my boots, wear the training kit and going for it again and hearing the coach give us that pep-talk again, that we are back. Those are the things that I am looking forward to and to see how we go about the remaining games and the Nedbank Cup, that’s exciting.”

If the season continues, Sundowns would be chasing glory on two fronts - the league title race in which they are second on the PSL standings with four points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs who have played a game more and also the Nedbank Cup where they face Bidvest Wits in the semi-finals.

Vilakazi has however expressed “frustration” at the coronavirus-induced break stretching for three months.

“There’s a positive side and the negative side of the break – the negative being that it has gone on beyond what we anticipated and led to a bit of frustration,” said Vilakazi.

“We thought by now we would be back doing what we do best, which is playing football. We thought things would get back to normal in terms of it being okay for us to go back, does it make sense and given the medical green light.”

The forward also draws positives from the pause which he says allowed them time to rest after failing to enjoy off-season in recent years owing to participation in the Caf Champions League.

“But the positive side is, of course, the opportunity to bond with our families because we are away so much. We participate in the Caf Champions League and that in itself takes so much time away from family, the beautiful side is seeing your children daily now. It’s how we test ourselves in Africa to see how far we can go, so it has the negative and the positive side.”

Coach Abdallah Mubiru has extended his stay at Ugandan Premier League side Police FC for a further three years.

The experienced tactician has been a free agent since January when his contract with the administrative side expired. Initially, he was reluctant in committing his future to the club until some conditions were met; however, an agreement has been finally reached.

"It is a pleasure extending my stay at this club," the Uganda Cranes assistant coach Mubiru said as quoted by Football256.

"The fact that the club has kept faith in me, giving me a longer contract is a step in the right way and I am happy with that.  

"Since I arrived at the club, a lot has happened, but I felt there is more I can offer Police and am sure with what we have agreed on with the administration we can achieve even more going forward."

The youthful tactician joined the Kampala based-side in 2016 and helped them get off the relegation zone.

In the 2019/20 season, the team struggled and finished 13th, however, the club stated the coach was not to blame.

"Since Abdallah [Mubiru] came, I’ve realized he understands football and I must tell you that he’s not responsible for our poor performance," Police FC Chairman Asan Kasingye had told Football256 in an earlier interview.

"He has done his job well and most of the challenges the club is facing are beyond him because they’re financially related and that’s administrative."

The official opined the tactician is competent and it is the reason why he has been serving as Uganda Cranes first assistant coach. Kasingye has also pointed out the influence the former international has had on the team especially during matchdays.

"If he was incompetent, he wouldn’t be working as [Johnathan] Mckinstry’s first assistant and it’s his game philosophy that has won us the little fan base that we have," Kasingye added.

"People now come to the stadium to watch that entertaining brand of football played by Police and it’s all his efforts. So which Chairman would really sack such a coach? 

"As long he wants to stay here as our coach and am also still the Chairman, he’ll always be because I know his abilities."  

Uganda Premier League (UPL) champions Vipers Sports Club have moved to expand the VIP section of their St Mary’s Stadium.

The expansion of the stadium is being done ahead of the next season which will also see Vipers engage in the Caf Champions League after they were declared champions of the abandoned season.

The facility at Kitende has been hosting the four-time UPL champions since early 2017 and is regarded as one of the best-developed stadia in the country.

“An artificial turf was installed replacing a natural grass pitch, magnificent technical areas, a state-of-the-art gym are some of the various developments done since the official opening [in 2017,” the club's statement said.

St Mary's was given the green light to host international matches in March 2020 after a delegation from Caf and Fifa visited it. The inspection was done by Inspectors led by Daniel Amokachi together with Emmanuel Dasoberi.

“However, despite such achievement, the stadium authorities are not sitting on their laurels instead new developments are being introduced to enhance its features further,” Vipers added.

“In readiness for next season where Vipers are set to represent Uganda in the Caf Champions League, the VIP section expansion has taken place during the lockdown.

“The new expansion, adding a further 600 seats to bring the section’s capacity up to 1,225, will officially be opened to the public at the crowning of Vipers as the 2019/20 League Champions.

“Many football facilities have developed in Uganda and Africa at large but the greatest challenge among all is the sustainability with international required standards especially in moments when such facilities are not utilized.

“The management has future plans of further developments in phases as will be revealed from time to time in a bid to keep up with the standards as required by international football bodies.”

Stadium Manager Edward Junior Mulindwa said it is not only the VIP section which is set to undergo expansion and renovation but other areas will also be attended.

“We have installed more seats in the VIP area to accommodate more fans seated comfortably while enjoying football next season,” Mulindwa said.

“Further to that, we are also refurbishing all areas that may have been damaged during the regular season as well as equipping the stadium with other equipment to ease operations as we look forward to football next season.” 

The stadium was officially opened in 2017 when Vipers hosted Platinum Stars for a Caf Confederation Cup match.

Jurgen Klopp has built a mighty red machine at Liverpool, and Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti admits he is a fan of the German's achievement.

Liverpool's 30-year wait for an English league title came to an end this week when closest rivals Manchester City ran out of games with which to catch them as they suffered a 2-1 loss to Chelsea.

A dominant season by the men from Anfield has seen them secure Premier League glory with a record seven games to spare.

There might be considerable envy from supporters on the blue side of the city, but Ancelotti has only praise for Liverpool and Klopp.

He told Sky Sport Italia : "I have a great relationship with him. We met last week when everything was virtually decided and I congratulated him.

"Klopp is the architect of this success. Not only for this victory in the Premier League, but for everything he's managed to achieve since arriving five years ago.

"With patience, he's succeeded in building a perfect machine."

Ancelotti lives in Crosby, away from the bustle of Liverpool, but reported hearing "a few bangs" after the Reds' long-awaited triumph was confirmed on Thursday.

Although he has Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum as a neighbour, Ancelotti said the Dutchman was out celebrating so not at home.

Everton face a stiff task to close the gap on their local rivals, but the appointment of Ancelotti in December looked a possible watershed moment for them.

He has not yet been able to nudge the Toffees into a European place, but despite sitting 12th in the Premier League they remain in that race, given seventh-placed Tottenham are just four points better off.

"Will Everton be the last team in my career? I don't know," said the former Milan and Real Madrid boss. "But honestly I'd like to make a long-term plan with this club."

The Toffees lie 12th in the standings this season, but with seven matches remaining still post an outside chance of qualifying for Europe if they can finish the campaign in spectacular fashion.

After a scoreless draw with Liverpool last Sunday, their next challenge is a home encounter with Leicester on Wednesday.

Former Kaizer Chiefs and Free State Stars striker Emeka Mamale has passed away. 

According to a statement released by Caf, Mamale lost his life at a local hospital in Kinshasa on Thursday but the cause of his death is still unknown at this stage.    

Mamale was a full international with the Democratic Republic of Congo and he represented them in two separate Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). 

The 1996 edition which was held in South Africa was his first and his second appearances at the games four years later.  

"Former DR Congo forward Emeka Essanga passed away on Thursday (25 June 2020) at a local hospital in Kinshasa, his family has announced. He was 42," read the statement.  

Nicknamed “Mamale”, he was an integral part of the Leopards squad that won bronze at the 1998 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso. He also participated in the 1996 and 2000 editions of the continental showpiece event. 

A journeyman, Esanga won the DR Congo domestic cup in 1996 with Daring Club Motema Pembe. He also had stints in Angola, Belgium, Israel, South Africa and South Korea," added the statement. 

Mamale began his football career in Kinshasa in 1995 playing for DC Motema Pembe. 

He then moved to South Africa in 1996 to sign for Free State Stars then known as Qwaqwa Stars for the 1996/97 season. 

In 2000, Mamale joined Kaizer Chiefs and his biggest breakthrough arrived while he was still on the books of the Soweto giants as he signed for Lokeren in Belgium. 

He would return to Africa in 2002 to play for Angolan club 1º de Agosto among other teams. 

His return to South Africa in the mid-2000s saw the now-defunct Platinum Stars, then known as Silver Stars, offer him a second chance to play in the PSL. 

Mamale went on to play in Israel in the latter stages of his football career, signing for Hapoel Acre. 

He retired in 2011 whilst on the books of Motema Pembe. 

Goal sends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Mamale as well as his former teammates.   

The Tanzanian government has put the blame on hosts for failing to adhere to the Ministry of Health rules which were put in place before the Mainland Premier League resumed on June 13.

The Ministry of Health had outlined a number of stringent measures to be followed by the clubs to help curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, with a number of teams not following the rules, the government has moved to ban Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro and Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya, where matches will now be played behind closed doors.

The government through the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports, Hassan Abbasi has stressed the importance of following the rules and promised to continue taking action against those breaking the same.

“As a government, we have conducted our research and found that a big part of failing to control a big number of fans into the stadium is caused by authorities of the hosting teams,” Abbasi is quoted by Daily News.

“What I want to emphasise here is from the two venues [Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro and Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya] where we have directed league games to be staged behind closed doors, the number of tickets which were sold did not surpass half of the carrying capacity of the two venues.

“So the government has banned supporters of Mbeya City from attending the remaining league fixture of their side at the Sokoine Stadium for breaching established health rules during their match against Simba which ended with the hosts losing 2-0.”

Abbas says they took the decision to ban Sokoine Stadium because fans of both sides flooded the stadium and failed to adhere to rule number 2.0.2 [III] which requires a sitting arrangement of one metre apart.

“What we have seen is that ticket sellers are doing their jobs well but what surprises us most is the big number of fans without proper tickets who make their way into the venues and cause overcrowding,” Abbasi continued.

“Most irregularities are committed on entry gates into the stadium by authorities of the hosting teams as such, the action we have taken as the government is meant to safeguard the health of people and not otherwise.

“It is not the duty of the police to inspect tickets to verify if they are fake or not that is why we strongly believe that big percentage of the malpractices are caused by agents of the hosting teams as they simply want to make a profit.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael has challenged his strikers to at least give him and the fans goals when they take on Ndanda FC in a Mainland Premier League match on Saturday.

The Jangwani Street-based giants have struggled to score goals since the top-flight resumed on June 13, something that has forced the fans to attack their strikers after every league match.

Ivorian striker Gnamien Yikpe is the most hit of all the strikers after Yanga fans stormed the team’s dressing room after the 0-0 draw against Azam FC at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam chanting for the club to release him.

The Belgian coach has now told Goal he has asked the lead strikers among them David Molinga and Ditram Nchimbi to give the club even five goals against Ndanda.

“We want to show the fans we can score goals and I want my strikers to be ready for the task against Ndanda on Saturday,” Eymael told Goal.

“We play very good football, our passing is very accurate, our defending is almost better but our strikers are not doing their work, we are missing chances and let me honest to you, had we been good in front of goal, then Yanga should be leading by almost 15 or 20 more goals in the league.

“If you look at our past matches, the chemistry of moving forward is working very well but I really don’t understand why we cannot score goals, we keep taking the balls to the strikers but sometimes they surprise. I am sure today [Saturday] the fans will celebrate goals.”

Yikpe was missing in action during Yanga’s last league match against Namungo FC and Eymael is not sure whether the former Gor Mahia striker will be involved in the fixture.

“[Yikpe] is going through difficult times, the fans have really been on his neck and the game against Namungo, I decided to give him a break, he works hard every day in training sessions but now the problem is turning the training into a good show.”

Yanga have already missed out on winning the league title but they can clinch the FA Cup where they are in the quarter-finals and will face Kagera Sugar.

Crested Cranes captain Ruth Aturo has claimed her parents never supported her pursuit of a football dream.

Aturo has grown to be an important figure of the Ugandan Women's National team and has revealed how her parents had little interest in seeing her pursue a football wish.

“My biggest challenge was my parents who didn’t support me,” Aturo told Football256.

“They would beat me thinking I was hanging out with boys. They expected me home by 6:00 pm but instead, I would appear at 7:30 or 8:00 pm which confirmed their suspicions.

“But being a big-headed girl who loved football I would say it is okay and that didn’t stop me from chasing my dream.”

Aturo is a recent Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate and has revealed how balancing football matters and academics was a challenge.

“There is a moment when I got a lot of challenges in balancing football with books and yet I wanted to excel in both,” the goalkeeper added.

“This was a time I had both national team games and tests and I wouldn’t leave one for the other. Because it’s football that is helping me acquire education yet I also want to have a bright future.

“But somehow I managed to pull through by dedicating time and having support from my lecturers and teammates as well.”

The Crested Cranes player explained how her football career was launched despite facing numerous challenges including her parent's lack of interest.

“I started playing soccer in S2 at Soroti Senior Secondary School as a striker then later changed to become a goalkeeper in S3,” she added.

“One day we went for post-primary games at Nabumali High School in Mbale. I played so well and I emerged as the best goalkeeper.

“I remember the game against Kawempe Muslim Secondary School in which they hit us 6-0 but miraculously they wanted me to join them and I ended up at Kawempe Muslim thanks to coach Ayub Khalifah.” 

She won the 2018 Fufa Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award and is on record of revealing a wish of playing professional football for a club in the United States of America.

Aturo graduated from the Ugandan Christian University where she got a  Diploma in Business Administration. Aturo's elder sister Mary Achibo is a netballer featuring for the She Cranes.

Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has outlined their plans to crown giants Simba SC.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi will be declared the champions for the 2019-20 season if they beat Tanzania Prisons in their next Mainland Premier League match on Sunday.

Simba have already amassed 78 points from 32 matches and are on the verge of clinching a third straight league title if they get a win against Prisons in Mbeya.

According to TPLB chairman Steven Mnguto they have already outlined plans to fete the new champions and they will not have the trophy at Sokoine in Mbeya on Sunday where they play against Tanzania Prisons.

“Our plans, for now, is to fete Simba during their last league match and as such we will not have the trophy in Mbeya on Sunday because we will not give it to them,” Mnguto is quoted by Sokaletu.

“We have not talked to Simba on how they want it done, but that is our plan as TPLB. We can only be able to hand over the trophy to them at the final game, and remember they will now keep the trophy for good having won it in the past two seasons.”

Simba CEO Senzo Mazingisa also said they will meet as an executive to decide when to be handed the trophy from league managers.

“We will meet as an office to discuss the matter, we might as well have to wait for the final league match to be handed the trophy, I don’t have a problem with that.

“But we must make a decision as Simba as not Mazingisa, we have to decide what we think will be good for the club and the fans and soon we will have the date we prefer for the trophy ceremony.”

Meanwhile, Simba’s fitness coach Adel Zrane says he is impressed with the work rate of winger Shiza Kichuya, who is coming back from injury.

Kichuya joined Simba from Egypt and has struggled to claim a starting role in the club.

Zrane has now said the player is looking fit and ready to play after warming the bench for a long period.