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Eric Garcia was forced off the pitch late on during Manchester City's clash with Arsenal on Wednesday after being taken out by his own team-mate.

With City 2-0 up heading into the last ten minutes of their first game back following the coronavirus-enforced break in the season, Ederson came flying out of his goal to deal with a through ball.

The Brazilian shot-stopper collided violently with Garcia in the process, leaving the 19-year-old flattened on the ground and unable to continue.

After a lengthy delay, City's medical team strapped the Spanish centre-back into a stretcher and carried him down the tunnel, leaving the home side to see out the contest with ten men.

Pep Guardiola had already used up all five of his substitutions before the incident took place, as he kept his line up fresh throughout the contest staged behind closed doors at Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal were hit with their own injury woes in the first half, as Mikel Arteta had to withdraw Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari before the 25-minute mark after a double injury blow.

David Luiz came on to replace Mari, and went on to produce a disaster-class of epic proportions which allowed City to take control of the game.

The Brazilian's failure to deal with a Kevin de Bruyne through ball allowed Raheem Sterling to race through and one the scoring just before the interval, and his night got worse when the Gunners came back out for the second half.

More to follow. 

ATK Mohun Bagan Private Limited, the new company of the merged entity of Kolkata clubs ATK and Mohun Bagan has been incorporated with the Government of India's Ministry of Corporate Affairs on Wednesday.

Five directors have also been appointed in the company. ATK co-owner Utsav Parekh, Mohun Bagan officials Srinjoy Bose and Debashis Dutta are present in the board of directors. Whereas the other two members are Gautam Ray and Sanjeev Mehra.

The two clubs had decided to enter into a merger back in January 2020 that would help Mohun Bagan enter the ISL from the 2020-21 season.

The new entity was supposed to come into existence on June 1, 2020, but due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting nationwide lockdown since March 25, the deal was delayed. With the new company already being reserved, an official announcement from both parties is expected soon.

Mohun Bagan won the league title for the fifth time in their history this year and ATK won their third ISL title beating Chennaiyin FC in the final back in March.

Other than participating in the ISL, the merged entity will also take part in the group stages of AFC Cup 2021 by using Mohun Bagan’s I-League 2019-20 champions’ slot.

Rafael Benitez says that there have been talks regarding a potential swap deal with Napoli that would see Yannick Carrasco head to Serie A with Dalian Professional receiving Hirving Lozano in exchange.

The former Liverpool and Napoli boss has been in charge of the Chinese Super League club since departing Newcastle last July.

At Dalian Professional, Benitez manages the likes of former Premier League striker Salomon Rondon and ex-Napoli star Marek Hamsik.

Carrasco is also on the books of the CSL club, although the Belgium international is currently on loan with Atletico Madrid, where he has made six appearances since making the move in January.

Lozano, meanwhile, is having a difficult first season with Napoli, with ESPN reporting that he was recently kicked out of training by manager Gennaro Gattuso due to a lack of effort.

Benitez, who managed Napoli from 2013-15, says that he has been in contact with his former club with the topic of a potential swap deal being brought up.

“We stayed in touch and when we talk to each other we feel mutual respect," Benitez told Corriere dello Sport.

"At the time, as is inevitable, there were differences, but nothing sensational or disrespectful. 

"We had the opportunity to chat in January, it seems to me, because an exchange could be made involving Lozano and Carrasco."

Lozano, who had been linked with Manchester United after breaking out at the 2018 World Cup, joined Napoli from PSV for a reported fee of €42 million (£39m/$47m) in August.

It was at PSV that Lozano emerged as one of the game's top young players, scoring 21 times in his final season with the Dutch club. 

Additionally, Lozano has become a vital piece for Mexico in recent years, with the winger scoring 10 goals while amassing 39 caps for El Tri.

However, he has been limited to just three goals across 23 appearances for Napoli since making that move, with two of those goals coming in 16 Serie A appearances.

Lozano and Napoli will have the opportunity to win a trophy on Wednesday, though, as they take on Juventus in the Coppa Italia final.

Yanga SC's push for a top-two Mainland Premier League (MPL) finish suffered a blow after they drew 1-1 against JKT Tanzania in Dodoma on Wednesday.

Yanga were forced to come from a goal down to force the draw in what was the only encounter in Tanzania's top-flight.

Michael Aidan scored the opener for JKT Tanzania before Patrick Sibomana equalised for the team ya Wananchi in the second half.

Yanga found themselves trailing after a long-range shot, from the right-hand side of the pitch, by Aidan found its way into the top corner. 

An outstretched Metacha Mnata could not keep the strike at bay as his defenders looked helplessly too. This is the first goal the Wananchi conceded since the restart of the league as they had won the first match against Mwadui FC with a 1-0 margin.

Yanga were unable to equalize in the first half as they headed back into the tunnel trailing even after their frontline, consisting of Deus Kaseke, Adeyun Saleh, and Ditram Nchimbi started asking some serious questions on JKT Tanzania's backline.

Coach Luc Eymael kept faith in his strikers who started against Mwadui as Gnamien Yikpe, who has had questions asked about his capability to help Yanga, and David Molinga all starting from the bench.

Yanga responded in the 76th minute when they pulled an equalizer through Sibomana as the visitors started looking the better side in Dodoma.

As the two sides fought for a winning goal, the tie turned physical and two red cards had to be flashed; one for Yanga's defender Lamine Moro and another for the hosts' Mwinyi Kazimoto.

The draw means Yanga will remain third with 55 points as they attempt to catch-up with the second-placed Azam FC.

The hard-fought draw will see JKT Tanzania enjoy 43 points, two fewer than sixth-placed Polisi Tanzania.

JKT Tanzania XI: Abdulrahim Mohammed, Michael Aidan, Frank Nchimbi, Edson Katanga, Jabir Stima, Mwinyi Kazimoto, Kelvin Nashon, Mgandila Shaban, Hassan Mwatarema, Adam Adam.

Yanga SC XI: Metacha Mnata, Juma Abdul, Lamine Moro, Said Juma, Kelvin Yondani, Feisal Salum, Haruna Niyonzima, Balama Mapinduzi, Ditram Nchimbi, Adeyun Saleh, Deus Kaseke.

Kaizer Chiefs have written to Fifa to question whether they will be allowed to sign and register players before their hearing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in September. 

The Soweto giants were banned from making new signings following Fifa's verdict that they flaunted the rules when signing Andriamirado 'Dax' Andrianarimanana from Fosa Juniors in August 2018.

They were subsequently handed a two-window transfer ban before lodging an appeal with Cas.    

According to Safa's acting CEO and legal head Tebogo Motlanthe, Amakhosi believe the matter would have long been resolved had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic. 

It is expected that the transfer window would long be closed when Chiefs finally get to clear their name and have the ban overturned, hence the reason to want to be given permission to reinforce their squad while the management waits for their turn to prove their innocence.    

"They have written to Fifa saying that Fifa must clear [their matter]," Motlanthe told Independent Media. 

"They are blaming the delay on Covid-19 because normally Cas deals with cases expediently. They just want Fifa to give them some leeway." 

Media reports suggest Chiefs are interested in signing Sfiso Hlanti from Bidvest Wits ahead of next season, and Motlanthe says what the club can do is to strike an agreement with whoever they want to sign and only seal the deal with them after this whole matter has gone away. 

"That is unethical [signing players and not registering them], but they can just say to the player, we will engage you and we want to sign you once we are done with our Fifa matter. That can work," he revealed.

"They can’t sign someone and not register him until they are cleared to sign players."

As things stand, Chiefs are set to miss out on a massive clearance that's happening at Wits after the club sold its PSL status to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) for next season. 

And with George Maluleka on his way to Mamelodi Sundowns at the end of the season, chances are that Chiefs will have to find a replacement from within the current squad if they are unsuccessful in appealing the ban and the transfer window closes before their hearing.   

Stephy Mavididi's spell at Dijon will be coming to an end after the player was unwilling to continue playing for the Cote-d'Or outfit.

The 22-year0old joined the Owls from Juventus for the 2019-20 season and scored eight goals in all competitions, making 30 appearances.

Dijon have the right to purchase Mavididi for €5 million at the end of his loan deal, but the Anglo-Congolese player is not willing to continue and will, therefore, return to Juventus.

Stephane Jobard's men finished 16th in the abruptly-ended Ligue 1 season with 30 points, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Dijon president Olivier Delcourt made a statement expressing his disappointment with Mavididi.

He went on to assert that the club is looking for other options, players with commitment, as they prepare for a new Ligue 1 season.

"We were not going to exercise a five million euro purchase option to then go to the showdown with the player [Mavididi]," read a statement by Dijon president Olivier Delcourt on the club website.

"I am very disappointed with this procedure. Dijon invested in him, gave him his confidence and allowed him to offer himself a beautiful exhibition in Ligue 1.

“We are following other very interesting players, at the same position, and who will have the real will to fight for our club. This mindset will be one of our main areas of recruitment for this transfer market. I want real competitors."

Mavididi was born in the British city of Derby and started out his career as a youth with Arsenal. He never made a senior appearance for the Gunners and was loaned out to Charlton Athletic and Preston North End before Juventus signed him in 2018.

He made only one appearance for the Bianconeri in a 2-1 loss at SPAL on April 13, 2019.

Mavididi's return to Juventus will most likely see him sent out on loan again or sold to another club as competition for places in the Bianconeri attack is very high, with superstars in Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Douglas Costa and Federico Bernardeschi on the list.

Juve currently top the Serie A standings with 63 points, one point clear of Lazio and will resume league action this weekend away to Bologna.

The Ghana Police is advancing its investigation into a shooting incident during a Premier League match between Asante Kotoko and Berekum Chelsea in January, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced.

In a fixture at Kumasi's Baba Yara Sports Stadium, proceedings were halted for about 10 minutes late into the game as home supporters hurled missiles onto the pitch in protest of a refereeing decision.

There was more trouble after the final whistle, the tie having ended 1-0 in favour of visiting Chelsea, as the angry Kotoko fans sought to attack the referee, provoking a clash with local police and leading to serious injuries.

"The Ghana Police Service has officially informed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) that the Police Administration has requested for a 'full report' on investigations conducted into the unfortunate shooting incident which occurred at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi some months ago," the GFA announced on its official website on Wednesday.

"This is a follow-up on an earlier letter sent to the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) from the GFA General Secretary, Prosper Harrison Addo, on May 11, 2020, seeking an update on investigations into the said incident.

"A letter signed by COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, a Director-General at the Police Headquarters in Accra and addressed to the President of the GFA upon a directive by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) stated: 'The Police Administration has requested for full report on the alleged shooting of a football fan at the Baba Yara Stadium. You would be informed of latest development in due course'."

Reports indicate violence broke out in the game after Kotoko centre-back Empem Dacosta was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The Porcupine Warriors protested the second yellow card, insisting the foul was instead committed by midfielder Kwame Adom.

After the match, the clash continued, leading to some injuries. A Kotoko fan suffered a bullet wound in the eye and was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

The Ghana Police promptly launched investigations into the incident.

The GFA Disciplinary Committee, meanwhile, charged Kotoko on four accounts and forced the club to play five matches behind closed doors.

The number of matches were later reduced to three for the Porcupine Warriors.

In a related development, the GFA has also announced the Ghana Police Administration is currently considering the idea of setting up a special unit in the Police Service to handle sports-related issues.
 

Safa have confirmed that they are investigating Chippa United for allegedly breaking lockdown regulations by grouping up during training.

Under the current lockdown alert level three, professional sporting disciplines that involve contact have been given the green light to start training by the government, but under strict and authorised health protocols.

Safa and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) will have to first get approval on their health and safety conformity measures from the government before clubs can resume practising as groups.

But Chippa are said to have already hit the ground running training, with sources informing Times Live that the team has been training at Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth under the supervision of coach Rhulani Mokwena.

Safa said they have received the reports of Chippa returning to training and the local football body has since have launched a probe into the allegations.

“We are investigating this issue which has come to our attention, once we have got the facts we will issue a statement,” said Safa spokesperson Dominic Chimhavi as per Times Live.

Chippa United chief operating officer Lukhanyo Mzinzi said they have begun internal investigations as well.

“I am going to investigate this matter internally and whoever is found to have broken the rules and regulations will be brought to book,” Mzinzi told the same publication.

Chippa’s actions could be interpreted as pressure on Mokwena who is at a club known to have no patience with their coaches.

The Chilli Boys are six points above basement side Black Leopards with six remaining games to play if the season restarts.

But Mokwena, who has been leased to Chippa by his parent club Orlando Pirates, is facing an uncertain future in Port Elizabeth.

Chippa says they weighing up their options on the coach and intend to discuss with Pirates on the possibility of retaining him.

"The coach's contract is coming to an end this month, along with quite a number of other employees including the players,” Sowetan Live quoted Mzinzi as saying.

"We are sitting as the club and looking into all of those things. In particular, the renewal of the coach's contract is not a decision that we will take alone, we will have to take the decision with Orlando Pirates [who loaned him to Chippa]. But we are looking into these things and we will issue a statement soon."

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has rubbished media reports it has taken a final decision to cancel the 2019-20 football season amid the coronavirus disruptions.

All domestic football competitions, including the Premier League and the FA Cups for both men and women, have been on hold since March following a national ban on public gatherings, including sporting and religious events, as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.

With the number of infection cases in the West African country rising, there has been huge uncertainty over the future of the campaign.

“Our attention has been drawn to a publication on ghanasoccernet.com with the headline ‘Ghana FA ExCo unanimously vote to cancel season’. The story informed all stakeholders of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the public that the Executive Council took a decision to cancel the 2019/20 football season at their meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2020,” the GFA announced on its official website on Wednesday.

“The GFA wishes to put on record that the said publication on ghanasoccernet.com is false, malicious, and intended to cause injury to the reputation of the GFA.

"The publication is also calculated to deliberately cause confusion and disdain among the members of the Association, sponsors, players, club owners and other stakeholders.

“The GFA wishes state categorically that no such decision was taken by the Executive Council of the GFA and as such the publication should be disregarded and treated with contempt by our stakeholders and the public.

“We are extremely concerned that though the Association has good relationship with the media and ghanasoccernet.com, the website failed to crosscheck the story with the Communications Department of the Association, thereby failing to comply with the ethics of journalism.

"Indeed, there is no prize for fake news in the Code of Ethics of the noble profession.”

The football fraternity has been divided about the way forward for the season. While a section wants the campaign annulled altogether in favour of a new term in August/September, another group want the current season continued whenever it is safe to do so.

The GFA has said it would wait until at least June 30 to take a final decision. Football, though, remains suspended in Ghana until at least July 31.

“The Association has in countless media publications stated and repeated Tuesday, June 30, 2020 as a deadline for its final decision on the season after considering all factors including but not limited to the outcome of the various consultations, discussions and engagements with all our stakeholders, such as clubs, sponsors, and government," the statement added.

“The GFA has also taken notice of other fake and negative publications on the same website, such as the one with the headline, Ghana FA to lose MTN FA Cup sponsorship if the season is cancelled.

“Though we hasten to conclude that there is a deliberate agenda to destroy the efforts of the Association to #BringBackTheLove, the website leaves us with only a little doubt that it wishes to harm the corporate image of the GFA, its members and our proud partners.

“The GFA would continue to open its doors to all media networks, however, the Association would not hesitate to seek legal redress to defend its corporate image when the Association is deliberately and/or recklessly maligned or injured through unverified reportage.

“The GFA expect a retraction of the fake story immediately and an apology to the Association and all our stakeholders forthwith.

“Once again, we wish to assure the public and all stakeholders that the Executive Council of the Association will take a decision on June 30, 2020 after considering all factors on the subject matter, a decision that would be in the best interest of Ghana Football.”

The men’s Premier League, Ghana’s elite domestic competition, was at the matchweek 15 stage when the ban on public gatherings came into force.

Lionel Messi must help Antoine Griezmann start scoring goals to ensure the French attacker does not suffer the same fate as Philippe Coutinho at Barcelona, Rivaldo says.

Griezmann joined the Spanish giants from Atletico Madrid last summer after a long speculation-filled saga, as was the case with Coutinho before his move from Liverpool to Camp Nou in January 2018.

Coutinho ended up being sent to Bayern Munich on a season-long loan in August 2019 after he failed to live up to expectation in La Liga and is expected to be sold on a permanent basis in the next transfer window.

Griezmann, meanwhile, has made 39 appearances and scored 14 times for Barca, but he has not found the net in his last four matches.

Ex-Barcelona and Brazil star Rivaldo fears the World Cup winner’s place at the club may be under threat and feels it is up to captain Messi to help boost his confidence.

“Barca have won both their games since the restart, with Antoine Griezmann as a starter, but he continues to be far from the player he was at Atletico Madrid and some are wondering if he may become a 'new Coutinho' at Barcelona,” he told Betfair.

“It's harsh to start making those comparisons, but it's up to the player to prove it on the pitch.

“The lack of goals is demotivating and damages Griezmann's confidence, so I believe it's important for Lionel Messi to help him.

“Messi could, for example, let Griezmann take penalties when Barcelona are winning comfortably - just to get the Frenchman scoring - just like he did with Luis Suarez in the past.”

Current Barca boss Quique Setien replaced Ernesto Valverde in January and his side have won 10 of the 14 matches they have played during his tenure.

Rivaldo admits the Blaugrana have not been at their best, but he feels it is too early to judge the 61-year-old.

“Barcelona beat Leganes 2-0 last night but they didn't produce a great performance and many are still sceptical about Quique Setien's new system. I think it's difficult to pass judgement after just two matches post-lockdown.

“We need to wait a few more weeks to see how the team evolves. It's understandable that their rhythm and intensity isn't at its peak yet as they were a lot of time without playing or training.

"There are players returning from injuries and others still looking to be fit, so we must give them some more time before deciding if Setien's system can truly work in the long run.

“At the moment, and while the quality of play is not yet at his best, the most important thing is for Barcelona to continue grabbing wins, to keep the leadership of La Liga ahead of Real Madrid and put pressure on them.”

Hassan Oktay has confessed he did not have a stand-out player at Gor Mahia during his one-year stint with the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions.

The Turkish coach, who signed for K’Ogalo at the start of the 2018-19 season, replacing Dylan Kerr, has exclusively told Goal he did not have a favourite player in the squad either because all of them were devoted to the success of the club.

“I had great boys, who played for Gor Mahia, and for me was every single one and as a coach, I never see one special than the other, because every player on the pitch worked very hard to take responsibilities,” Oktay told Goal from his base in Britain.

“It was difficult for me to pick the favourite as all of them were fighting for the badge, they strived to make sure we get positive results, it was a great family, with a great group of boys, who wanted to learn new ideas every day and I was very happy to have been their leader.”

Asked about the toughest opponent he ever faced in the KPL, “Oktay said: “For me, it is quite a similar level and sometimes, luck doesn’t help, maybe KCB a little bit and also Bandari, but anyway, I could not see any teams that were ready to fight and stop Gor Mahia.”

Oktay also picked the emphatic 4-2 win against Egyptian giants Zamalek in the group phase of the Caf Confederation Cup and the 1-0 victory against Petro Atletico de Luanda of Angola as the best moments he had with the club.

“Beating [Zamalek] and by a huge margin was definitely one of the moments I will always remember about Gor Mahia, we played against a very strong side but still managed to beat them 4-2, it was an incredible result, a good one for the team and the fans," Oktay continued.

“Also the win against [Petro Atletico] was memorable because it enabled us to reach the quarter-finals of the Confederation Cup. It was the first time Gor Mahia were reaching the stage in history and they did it in emphatic style, beating another very strong side.”

On what he misses most about Gor Mahia, Oktay simply responded: “I miss the fans, they were incredible, they pushed us to do the best and we never disappointed them.”

On his lowest moment at the club, Oktay explained: “It was when my players staged a go-slow demanding for salaries and we had a very crucial Caf match coming up, it really affected my team.”

The 47-year-old tactician quit the 18-time champions for personal reasons after helping them to win the league and reach the last eight of the Caf Confederation Cup.

Christian Eriksen "will become decisive" for Inter after an underwhelming start to his career at San Siro, according to Stefan de Vrij.

Eriksen completed a €20 million (£18m/$22m) move to Inter from Tottenham in January, bringing to an end his seven-year stay in the Premier League.

The Denmark international established himself as one of Europe's top midfielders at Spurs, but struggled to adjust to the demands of Serie A football during his first couple of months in the Italian capital.

The 28-year-old had been restricted to just eight appearances for Inter before the season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, including one start, and had yet to score his first goal for the club.

However, he returned with a point to prove as Italian football got back underway last week, scoring directly from a corner to help Inter earn a 1-1 draw against Napoli in the second-leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final.

That strike gave Antonio Conte's men a 2-1 aggregate victory and sent them through to Wednesday's final against Juventus, who knocked out Milan in the first of the last-four ties.

De Vrij has been impressed with Eriksen's application in training and thinks his new team-mate is capable of building on his latest performance to add a whole new dimension to Inter's midfield.

The Nerazzurri centre-back told DAZN: "He can become decisive and I think he will become decisive. Now he is getting used to the game, he begins to learn the language. 

"In training, we all see that he is very strong and soon we will see his pure qualities on the field."

De Vrij also reserved praise for Inter's star forward duo Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku, as he added: "They are very strong physically. They are a fast and mobile couple. In training, I noticed that they are two very difficult to mark strikers. 

"By training with them we can all improve. Lukaku is very well. He feels at home, he is always positive and tries to help In the game, when I can, of course, I look for him.

"Of course he can still improve, like all of us."

Pressed on the philosophy Conte has implemented at Inter since inheriting the managerial reigns last summer, De Vrij responded: "He is a great coach, he conveys a lot of passion and desire to win. 

"He wants us to play very aggressively and that we build from the bottom.

"He is very attentive to the tactics and cuts that can make the difference. The first game will be the most important, we are preparing at best to be ready. "

Monaco have appointed Paul Mitchell as sporting director.

The 38-year-old has left his position as technical director of Red Bull's football division to join the Ligue 1 club, where he will report to executive vice-president Oleg Petrov.

Laurence Stewart, who worked alongside Mitchell at Red Bull as head of global scouting, will also take up a role with Monaco.

"I am looking forward to coming to Monaco," Mitchell said to the club's website. 

"I would like to thank Mr. Oleg Petrov and the club for their trust. I would also like to thank Red Bull for the years I spent at their side.

"I am looking forward to taking up my position, meeting the teams and starting to work together to develop the project and establish a sustainable philosophy for the club."

Mitchell will take charge of every aspect of Monaco's sporting policy, including the academy and first team and the link with satellite club Cercle Brugge.

“It is a great satisfaction to welcome Paul Mitchell to AS Monaco after several successful years with Red Bull and I would like to thank Red Bull for making his appointment possible in a very professional manner,” Petrov said.

"Paul will bring his skills in the detection, recruitment and development of our players, from the academy to the first team.

"Paul will be in charge of the sporting life of Monaco and I am convinced that his arrival will significantly strengthen our project."

Former defender and midfielder Mitchell, who played for Wigan and MK Dons before retiring from the game in 2008, worked as head of recruitment at Southampton before following Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham to take up a similar position.

He joined RB Leipzig in 2018 before taking over a broader remit within the Red Bull group, which saw him deal with the Bundesliga outfit as well as MLS side Red Bull New York and Brazilian team Red Bull Bragantino.

Mitchell had been linked with a move to Manchester United, although talk of the Red Devils creating a head of football position has quietened in recent months following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival.

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has advised Arsenal to give Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a new contract which is "performance-based".

The 31-year-old Gabonese forward's deal at the Emirates Stadium expires in June 2021 and there has been no progress in talks to renew his contract.

He recently admitted that nothing has been brought to the table and he is yet to personally decide on his future.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was, however, positive that the right agreement can be reached even as reports link Auba with a move to Barcelona.

"If the market pays players like this player with his ability £250,000 a week, whether that’s right or wrong is irrelevant, that’s what you’ve got to pay somebody if you want to retain their services," Jordan told TalkSPORT.

“The only challenge for Arsenal is that he would have no economic resale value [if he signed a new deal]. They can’t sell him for anything.

“If he signs another two or three-year contract, they won’t be signing a player to not only achieve things in the short-term but also make some money off when they come to sell him further down the line, they’d be simply be saying ‘we pay money now to get some short-term success, because that’s what Mikel Arteta needs'.

"I would do something footballers don’t like to do, which is make the offer performance-related.

“I would be saying to Aubameyang: ‘You want £250,000 a week? I tell you what, I’ll give you £300,000 a week if you score X amount of goals’.

"Let’s make this about you, let’s make it about your achievement, let’s make it about your individual return’.

“But players often want guarantees, and then the bonuses on top. It’s about finding the middle ground.”

Aubameyang has scored 20 goals this season, 17 of them in the Premier League.

The former Borussia Dortmund man will look to add to the tally when Arsenal travel to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night to tackle Manchester City after a three-month suspension of football activities because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Arteta's charges currently occupy ninth position on the table, eight points away from the top four.

Former South Africa midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane feels Safa should have been patient with Pitso Mosimane and they erred by removing the coach from his post at the helm of Bafana Bafana.

Mosimane served as South Africa coach between 2010 and 2012, having previously been assistant to Brazilians Carlos Alberto Parreira and Joel Santana for a combined four years.

But his time with the national team ended after Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Letsholonyane says Safa took the right direction in opting for continuity by letting Mosimane take over from Parreira, but blundered in letting him go after just two years in charge.

“Obviously, for consistency, you need a coach that will be their long-term,” Letsholonyane told Sport24 .

"Things won't go your way all the time... you will lose games. Yes, results are important, but there are other things that are more important than results.

"Coaches should be given time to settle in and figure out what he wants.

"After the 2010 Soccer World Cup when Pitso took over, I think we as the national team played a very good type of football - exciting, entertaining and we were passionate about doing our job.

"Every player that was coming into the national team knew what they were brought in to do. I think coach Pitso had a plan, he knew what he wanted the national team to look like in the next four years.

"I could see in every national camp that he would always include five or six young players.

"He had a plan to groom the young players as well, but unfortunately he got fired. I think if Pitso was still coach Bafana would be in a much better state than we are right now."

After Mosimane’s departure, Gordon Igesund, Ephraim Mashaba and Stuart Baxter all had a chance at the helm. but Bafana Bafana still struggled to reclaim the success they enjoyed in the 1990s.

They failed to qualify for the 2014 and 2018 Fifa World Cup finals as well as the 2017 Afcon.

Quarter-final elimination from the 2013 Afcon as hosts and finishing bottom of Group C at the 2015 edition marked some low moments for South Africa.

An almost encouraging run at the 2019 tournament highlighted by eliminating hosts Egypt at the Round of 16 was, however, far from their 1996 feat of being crowned champions, or even being losing finalists in 1998.

Like most other football competitions across the world, the 2019-20 Champions League was severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and, in March 2020, UEFA was forced to postpone all matches.

The decision to suspend the flagship club tournament was made in the middle of March, just before the round-of-16 stage was fully complete, and it was unclear for a number of months when action would resume.

On June 17, after a number of top leagues on the continent returned, UEFA confirmed that the Champions League will start back up again in August.

However, once the last-16 games are complete, the final knockout stage of the competition will be different to what was initially planned. Goal brings you everything you need to know.

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What is the Champions League 2020 tournament?

A 'final eight' Champions League straight knockout tournament will replace the sequence of fixtures that is normally followed beyond the last-16 stage of the competition.

So, instead of two-legged quarter-finals and semi-finals followed by a winner-takes all final, the 'final eight' Champions League tournament will be a series of straight knockout ties.

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Where will the Champions League 2020 tournament be held?

The Champions League 2020 'final eight' tournament will take place in the city of Lisbon in Portugal. Games will be played at Estadio da Luz (home of Benfica) and Estadio Jose Alvalade (home of Sporting).

In the event that the remaining last-16 fixtures cannot be played in the respective home countries of the teams involved, they will be also be played in Portugal.

Estadio do Dragao (home of Porto) in the city of Porto and Estadio D. Afonso Henriques (home of Vitoria) in Guimaraes are the specified venues for such a scenario.

Estadio da Luz has been confirmed as the venue for the 2020 Champions League final. Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul had initially been booked, but UEFA was forced to change plans due to the coronavirus.

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When will the Champions League 2020 tournament take place?

The 2019-20 Champions League 'final eight' tournament is set to begin on August 12 and conclude on August 23.

The remaining last-16 games (Man City vs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, Juventus vs Lyon and Barcelona vs Napoli) will be played on August 7 or 8.

Quarter-final games are then scheduled to take place on August 12, 13, 14 and 15, with semi-final matches soon after on August 18 and 19.

This season's Champions League final will then be played on August 23.

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Which teams will be involved in the Champions League 2020 tournament?

Four teams have already booked their place in the last eight: Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Napoli and Lyon all still have a chance to join them in the tournament.

Man City marginally lead Real Madrid 2-1 in their tie and Bayern enjoy a healthy 3-0 lead over Chelsea, while Barcelona are locked level with Napoli having drawn 1-1 at the San Paolo.

Juventus, meanwhile, will be hoping for some Cristiano Ronaldo inspiration as they hope to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Lyon.

Reigning champions Liverpool were of course eliminated in the last 16 by Atletico, with PSG knocking out Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta emphatically overcoming Valencia and RB Leipzig beating Tottenham.

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Young Africans (Yanga SC) have imposed a fine on defender Lamine Moro for his reckless tackle on JKT Tanzania player Mwinyi Kazimoto during their Mainland Premier League match on Wednesday.

Yanga officials have confirmed in a signed statement they are gutted by the behaviour of the defender, who was red-carded for the offence in the match played in Dodoma.

“We are very saddened by the unsporting conduct from our defender Lamine [Moro] which happened during our matches against JKT Tanzania on Wednesday,” the club stated in a statement signed by secretary-general Patrick Wakili and obtained by Goal.

“Despite the player apologising to the club, we have taken the decision to cut from his salary Tsh1, 000, 000 as a punishment for the bad decision he took to tackle the player.

“We would also like to apologise on behalf of Moro to JKT Tanzania, the player [Mwinyi Kazimoto] and also our fans, and state clearly here in Yanga we don’t condone such behaviours.”

The two players were sent off in the fixture as Yanga's push for a top-two finish in the top-flight suffered a blow after they drew 1-1.

The Jangwani Street-based giants were forced to come from a goal down to secure the draw in what was the only encounter in Tanzania's top-flight on the day.

Michael Aidan scored the opener for JKT before Patrick Sibomana equalised for Team ya Wananchi in the second half.

An outstretched Metacha Mnata could not keep the strike at bay as his defenders looked helplessly on. This is the first goal the Wananchi conceded since the restart of the league as they had won the first match against Mwadui FC by a 1-0 margin.

Coach Luc Eymael kept faith in his strikers who started against Mwadui as Gnamien Yikpe, who has had questions asked about his ability to help Yanga, and David Molinga both started from the bench.

Yanga found themselves trailing after Aidan's long-range shot, from the right-hand flank, found its way into the top corner. 

The draw means Yanga will remain third with 55 points as they attempt to catch up with the second-placed Azam FC, while the hard-fought result will see JKT reach 43 points, two fewer than sixth-placed Polisi Tanzania.

The Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Sheffield United has brought an end to a 100-day break – the longest gap between matches in a single season in the English top-flight since 1963.

The league has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic but is up and running again as of Wednesday as Dean Smith’s side continue the fight against relegation with a home tie versus seventh-placed Sheffield United, who are in contention for a place in Europe next term.

The 100-day hiatus is by far the longest between games in England’s top division has experienced, with the previous long pause occurring in 1963.

That suspension was because of a giant blizzard which covered huge swathes of the country in snow – up to 20 feet in some places.

That winter is famously known as the Big Freeze and January 1963 remains the coldest month in British history, with several places recording a temperature of -19 degrees Celsius.

That was not the only time the league was forced to take a break for at least 21 days, however, as no matches were played between January 26 and February 16 in 1901.

While those years may have suffered severe disruptions, the football campaign did not run into June, as it has this year.

The 2019-20 season is the first to see league matches played in June since 1946-47 – the first campaign played since the start of the Second World War. That game also included Sheffield United, who beat Stoke City 2-1.

That year, Liverpool won top-flight crown for the fifth time in their history after finishing one point ahead of Manchester United and Wolves, while Manchester City were promoted from the second tier after finishing top of the table.

With 29 games played this term as the campaign resumes, Liverpool sit 25 points clear of second-placed City, who have one game in hand.