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Former Ghana international Richard 'Olele' Kingson has disclosed he confronted then Black Stars coach Milovan Rajevac over the dropping of kid brother Laryea Kingston from the 2010 World Cup squad.

Then on the books of Scottish side Heart of Midlothian, the winger was undoubtedly the biggest casualty as the Serbian coach whittled down his provisional squad to a final 23 for the tournament in South Africa.

Laryea, now a youth coach with Danish outfit Nordsjaelland, did not take the decision kindly as he confronted Rajevac in a heated episode at a team meeting to announce the final party.

Agonising for the attacker was that he was similarly dropped from the final squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany despite playing a key role in the qualifiers.

“Laryea Kingston is doing well. He recently won a trophy with his academy and that is fantastic. I will encourage him to do more. The sky is the limit for him," Olele, Ghana's No.1 at the two tournaments, told Joy FM.

"When he was dropped in the 2006 tournament, it was a 50-50 decision [as he would have missed the first two group games at the World Cup due to suspension had he been chosen for the tournament].

"Personally, I was not hurt much like 2010. I felt he should have been there.

"I felt so bad that I conceded three or four goals against Holland [in a pre-tournament warm-up fixture]. I went off because he deserved to be there.

"He played the qualifiers and he was fit and in form. I even went to the coach at midnight and asked him why he didn’t pick Laryea Kingston because he deserved to be there.

"I thought he would be called to compensate for the 2006 disappointment.”

At the World Cup in South Africa, Ghana had a good tournament as they reached the quarter-finals.

The quarter-final remains Africa's farthest berth at the global showpiece, with Cameroon and Senegal having achieved the feat earlier before the Black Stars.

At Ghana's World Cup debut in Germany, the West Africans reached the round of 16.

Richard and Laryea were part of Ghana's side that finished third at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) on home soil. 
 

Nigeria striker Emuidzhi Oghiabekhva will spearhead the attack for Minsk when they face compatriot Gift Otuwe's Neman in a Belarusian Women's Championship fixture on Sunday.

This weekend, there is no encounter in Belarus that comes close to the clash between two of the top three teams on the log - the second biggest this season after Dinamo-BPUSC and Minsk.

Sunday's showdown billed for Minsk Stadium, will be the 33rd meeting in all competitions since their first clash in 2011, with the champions holding a huge advantage with 31 wins from 32 ties.

Apart from striker Oghiabekhva, her Nigerian compatriot Chioma Wogu, Cote d'Ivoire midfielder Nadege Cisse, and Cameroon defender Alvina Niyolle will be in the mix for Minsk.

The African quartet - Oghiabekhva, Cisse, Niyolle, and Wogu are fit, having resumed from a two-week break since bouncing back to winning ways with a 3-0 triumph at Bobruichanka on May 31.

The holders are third on the log, now sitting six points behind leaders Dinamo and will be relying upon topscorer Oghiabekhva, with six goals this term to propel the side to victory.

For Neman, they are unbeaten in all five matches this season and also boast Nigeria striker Otuwe,  Cameroon's Moussa Xouwairatou and Cote d'Ivoire duo Nina Kpaho and Aminata Haidara.

Neman are without a win in their previous meetings with their hosts but had only once managed a 0-0 draw in 2011 as they bid to maintain their flying start in the current top-flight campaign.

Both teams will be desperate to claim a win in the bid to close the gap with leaders Dinamo in a battle for the league diadem this season.

Dries Mertens has overtaken Marek Hamsik to become Napoli’s all-time leading goalscorer.

The Belgian scored 41 minutes into his side’s Coppa Italia semi-final clash with Inter to take his tally to 122 goals for the club.

He had previously been tied on 121 with Hamsik, having recently passed Diego Maradona’s tally of 115.

The landmark comes as Mertens closes in on a new contract with the Serie A side, after months of speculation linking him with a move away.

Chelsea and Inter were among the clubs interested in him, but Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli has now suggested a new deal isn’t far away.

“I know the lawyers are working on it, he wants to stay and we intend to keep him, so there’s only one result that can come from that,” Giuntoli told RAI Sport as Napoli returned to competitive action.

“It’s important to be back on the field and a great sign for society at large too.

“We are in the semi-final, had a great first-leg performance and want to keep that going by reaching the final.”

Mertens’ record-breaking goal was reminiscent of many he has scored for the Serie A giants, tapped home after a lightning-quick counterattack with Lorenzo Insigne.

The Belgium international, capped 90 times for his country, joined Napoli from PSV in 2013 and has become synonymous with the club in the seven years since.

A favourite of former manager Maurizio Sarri, he peaked with 28 goals in 35 Serie A appearances in the 2016-17 season, and has scored at least 10 goals in all competitions in every season he has spent at the club – a record which dates back 10 seasons, through his time at PSV and Utrecht.

The news may come as a blow to Frank Lampard and Chelsea, who had been hoping to tie up a free transfer for Mertens at the expiry of his contract .

Chelsea had previously tried to sign Mertens on a short-term deal back in January, but Napoli fought hard to keep hold of one of their star performers.

Mertens had fallen out with chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis over the treatment of former coach Carlo Ancelotti, but the relationship has been patched up.

Napoli set up a Coppa Italia final against former coach Maurizio Sarri and Juventus after a record-breaking goal from Dries Mertens saw them draw 1-1 with Inter on Saturday, enough for a 2-1 triumph on aggregate.

Mertens converted Lorenzo Insigne's square pass to score his 122nd goal for the club, in the process moving him clear of Marek Hamsik to sit alone in top spot as their all-time leading goalscorer.

Fabian Ruiz's goal at San Siro in the first leg prior to the coronavirus outbreak had put Napoli in control of the semi-final tie at the halfway stage, only for Inter to erase the deficit inside two minutes of the return meeting.

Christian Eriksen's curling corner slipped beyond the players gathered at the front post and also David Ospina, quickly levelling the tie.

However, Napoli’s goalkeeper overcame the early embarrassment to play a key role in helping his side progress in the competition.

Ospina made key saves to deny Romelu Lukaku and Antonio Candreva before setting up the equaliser late in the first half, his well-directed clearance triggering a swift counter-attacking move that caught Inter cold.

His precise kick picked out the run of Insigne, who unselfishly passed the ball across for the advancing Mertens to make history four minutes before half-time.

Not done there, Ospina produced a superb save late in the second half to deny Inter a second goal that would have seen them, rather than Napoli, seal a trip to Rome.

What does it mean? Napoli deliver blow to Conte

When Gennaro Gattuso arrived at Napoli in December, the club were in turmoil. The early stages of his reign were rocky, but now he has the chance to secure the club's first trophy since 2014.

In contrast, a debut season of such promise is in danger of falling flat for Antonio Conte at Inter. Seemingly out of the Serie A title race, the Europa League is their last hope for some silverware.

Ospina makes amends

From the ridiculous to the sublime. The Colombian keeper was caught out by Eriksen but showed real sharpness with his contribution for the equaliser. However, a second-half yellow card will see him miss the final through suspension.

Mertens tops the list

The Belgian forward, who had drawn level with Hamsik back in February before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak that hit Italy so hard, clinically finished to show just why Napoli are set to hand him a new contract to extend his stay.

Key Opta Facts

- Napoli have reached the final of the Coppa Italia for the third time in the 21st century, facing Juventus on two of those occasions.
- Napoli have lost just one of their past eight games against Inter in the Coppa Italia (W3 D4), after losing four of their first five encounters with the Nerazzurri in the competition (D1).
- No side has conceded fewer goals than Napoli in the Coppa Italia 2019-20 (one).
- Inter have scored six goals this season in the first five minutes of the game, more than any other Serie A side in all competitions.
- Dries Mertens has been involved in three goals (two scored, one assisted) in his past three games in all competitions, all played at the San Paolo.
- Christian Eriksen has scored two of the past three away Inter goals in all competitions.

What's next?

Napoli meet Sarri's Juve in Rome on Wednesday. Then, Serie A returns. Inter's first league game back is at home to Sampdoria on Sunday, June 21. Napoli, meanwhile, travel to Hellas Verona two days later.

Two individuals at two Premier League clubs have tested positive for Covid-19 after the latest round of testing.

Norwich have confirmed that one of the two positive cases is one of their players, and that the player in question will now self-isolate for seven days.

A total of 1,200 tests were carried out over June 11 and June 12, ahead of the league's return to action on June 17.

The new confirmed tests take the total of positive cases to 16, from 8,687 tests carried out. It is a slight increase on the recent number of positive tests, with the previous four rounds of testing having returned just two positive cases between them.

Norwich are set to return to action with a home fixture against Southampton on Friday, June 19, meaning the player in question will miss their first game back.

A statement from the Canaries said: "In line with the Premier League’s protocols, the player will now self-isolate for a period of seven days before being tested again at a later date.

"The player must return a negative test result before being able to resume training.

"The club will not name the player in question and asks that his request for privacy and confidentiality are respected at this time."

Before Norwich's game, Aston Villa host Sheffield United and Arsenal travel to Manchester City, as the Premier League's 'Project Restart' plans finally come to fruition.

Liverpool are just six points away from claiming their first league title in 30 years, and their first of the Premier League era.

Most teams have nine games remaining, with Norwich currently rock-bottom of the table, six points from safety.

Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Watford, West Ham and Brighton are the other teams in immediate danger, with just eight points separating the bottom six teams.

When play resumes, it will have been over three months since the last ball was kicked in the Premier League.

Leicester's 4-0 win over Aston Villa on March 9 was the last Premier League game before the lockdown came into effect, though Liverpool controversially hosted Atletico Madrid in the Champions League two days after that.

Thomas Muller has been criticised by Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic after comments he made regarding the club’s transfer activity.

Muller raised some eyebrows on Wednesday when, following Bayern’s 2-1 DFB-Pokal semi-final win over Eintracht Frankfurt , he raised the issue of a “paradox” in the club’s finances.

The experienced forward questioned the logic of Bayern being linked with big-money moves for players like Kai Havertz while the current squad take pay cuts to help the club through the coronavirus crisis.

Salihamidzic wasn’t pleased with Muller’s comments, but he says the pair have smoothed over any issues.

"After the cup game, Thomas, when he wasn't so happy with the team's performance, maybe chose the wrong path with his words,” Salihamidzic told Sky Germany .

"We talked about it the next day. We sat down and I told him it wasn't correct.

“He understood that, he's a very, very intelligent boy, a very, very intelligent player."

Despite his concerns, Muller was happy enough to talk up a Bayern move for Havertz .

The Bayer Leverkusen star is one of the most in-demand young players in world football, and Muller admitted “we always want the best players at Bayern.”

For the time being, Bayern’s focus is on the Bundesliga title, now just one win away following their 2-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday .

In terms of transfers, Bayern also have one eye on the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of David Alaba.

His contract expires next summer, and there has been plenty of speculation suggesting he could be heading for the exit after a decade at the Allianz Arena.

"We are very happy with how David has developed this season. He is the boss in defence and has become a key figure,” Salihamidzic said.

"We have already had a few conversations and will continue to talk to each other, but at the moment we are all concentrating on the sporting side of things.

“Everything in good time - we will try everything and I think all parties know what they have in common. David knows what he has at Bayern and vice versa, of course.”

Alaba recently suggested he expects progress to be made over a new deal in the coming weeks .

Kevin-Prince Boateng was back in action for Besiktas from the resumption of the Turkish Super Lig, but he was on the losing side of 2-1 defeat to Antalyaspor at Vodafone Park on Saturday evening.

Football in the Turkish top-flight had been on hold since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic which has affected more than 170,00 people till date in the country.

The last game Besiktas played before the lockdown was against Istanbul rivals Galatasaray which ended in a goalless draw.

On Saturday however, they started on the back foot with Sinan Gumus and Amilton Silva scoring for the visitors in the 15th and 35th minute of play respectively.

Adem Ljajic scored the consolation goal for Besiktas in the 68th minute off the bench.

Boateng was on the pitch for 65 minutes and had a decent outing, with a total of three shots, two of which were blocked. He also produced 45 touches and 30 accurate passes at an impressive 93%, the fifth-highest behind Franco-Cameroonian Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Egypt international and Arsenal loanee Mohamed Elneny, Mali winger Abdoulaye Diaby and Ljajic.

The 33-year old Ghana international made one key pass, played two successful long balls and won six of 10 total duels. He was also fouled by the opposition three times.

Boateng – who is presently on loan from Italian Serie A side Fiorentina, has now made seven apperances, scoring two goals. His first was on his debut in a 3-0 win over Gaziantep while the second was in a 2-2 draw at home to Trabzonspor.

Elneny played the entire game but was booked in the 32nd minute for a foul. The 27-year old had 103 accurate passes and 118 touches, both the highest of any Besiktas player.

Diaby meanwhile made 28 touches, 21 accurate passes and was flagged offside three times before going off for Nkoudou at the start of the second half.

Besiktas have now lost nine games in the Super Lig this season, winning 13 and drawing five.

They remain in fifth spot on the table, but could see their five-point gap away from Europa League qualification widen should Sivasspor see off Denizlispor at the Yeni Sivas 4 Eylul Stadium on Monday night.

Mohamed Salisu played a vital role in helping Real Valladolid defeat Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem’s Leganes 2-1 in Saturday’s La Liga encounter.

The African stars were on parade from start to finish at Estadio Municipal de Butarque as goals from Ruben Alcaraz and Enes Unal secured maximum points for the visitors.

Omeruo and Awaziem partnered each other at the centre of Leganes’ defence but the latter's error contributed to the opening goal in the opening minutes.

A miscommunication between Awaziem and an on-rushing goalkeeper Pichu Cuellar in the second minute made Unal break the deadlock for Valladolid after putting the ball into an empty net.

Meanwhile, Omeruo had a good outing with the most interception [3], the most passes [74], the most aerial balls won [7] and most touches [80] in Javier Aguirre's team.

Salisu, on his part, was impressive for Real Valladolid, having the best pass accuracy [81.3 per cent] and completing the only successful dribble for the White and Violets in the encounter.

The Ghanaian defender is one of the regular fixtures in Sergio Gonzalez's side, featuring in every of Valladolid's league games so far this season.

The defeat compounded Leganes’ relegation woes as they are level on 23 points with bottom-placed Espanyol after 28 games while Valladolid climbed to 14th with 32 points gathered after the same number of matches.

Saturday's outing was Omeruo's 20th appearance in La Liga this campaign, one ahead of Awaziem who is on a season-long loan from Portuguese giants Porto.

Following the disappointing home result, Leganes will be hoping to secure their sixth league win of the season when they visit Barcelona at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

Salisu's Real Valladolid will be looking to build on their win when they host Celta Vigo on Wednesday.

On the international scene, Omeruo and Awaziem are regular fixtures in Gernot Rohr's Nigeria team while Salisu is yet to be invited to the Ghana national team.

The 21-year-old who was born in Accra, teamed up with Real Valladolid's youth team in 2017 from local side African Talent Football Academy.

He has emerged as a transfer target for several European clubs including Ligue 1 side Rennes after his impressive debut campaign in the Spanish top-flight.

Yanga SC downed Mwadui FC to register a 1-0 win at Kambarage Stadium in Shinyanga in one of the first Mainland Premier League matches after the resumption.

Balama Mapinduzi scored the all-important goal for Yanga who are racing to overtake second-placed Azam FC on the league table.

Mapinduzi scored to give Yanga a sixth-minute lead which received great applause from the fans who attended the match in Shinyanga.

The goal came as a result of a quick move engineered by Haruna Niyonzima, who beat an advancing Jaffar Mohammed on the left flank. Mohammed's cross was met by Ditram Nchimbi but the goalkeeper Mahmoud Amri saved Mwadui from the attack.

A second attempt by Mapinduzi, though, was too powerful for the goalkeeper to deny Yanga an opener. Deus Kaseke assisted in the creation of the goal.

The Wananchi side held onto the slim lead until the end despite Mwadui's numerous attempts on goal in the second half.

The win means Yanga are now equal on points, 54, with Azam who are in action on June 14 against Mbao FC. Luc Eymael's side will remain third though as Azam enjoy a huge advantage in goal difference.

The Yanga vs Mwadui FC tie had been carried forward due to the former's previous engagement in the Caf Confederation Cup. It was to be played in March but the league was suspended then due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Mwadui will remain 12th with 34 points as they sit a point above Lipuli FC, Mtibwa Sugar and KMC FC.

Meanwhile, third-place-chasing Namungo FC got two goals against Coastal Union in the first half as they dominated the proceedings while away from home.

It took the visitors just three minutes to get the first goal through George Makanga while the second one was scored in the 17th minute by Abeid Athuman.

Namungo did not keep their lead though as Coastal Union fought back in the second half and equalised to ensure the tie ended in a 2-2 draw.

Issa Abushehe scored the first goal for the hosts seven minutes after the restart of the second half before Hance Msonga struck the equalizer to deny Namungo all the points.

Namungo will remain fourth on the log with 51 points as the draw has denied them a chance to close in on Yanga.

Coastal Union are fifth with 46 points and enjoy one more point than sixth-placed Polisi Tanzania.

Neymar has returned to Paris after three months in Brazil ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's planned return to training on June 22.

PSG were crowned French champions for the third successive season after the Ligue 1 campaign was cut short, but they are looking to prepare for two domestic cup finals and the potential return of the Champions League.

Thomas Tuchel’s side qualified for the quarter-finals after beating Borussia Dortmund 3-2 on aggregate, with their 2-0 home victory on March 11 being one of the last top-level games played in Europe before lockdown.

Neymar went home to Brazil four days after that game as lockdown restrictions were introduced in France.

Now he has followed advice from PSG to return to France before June 15 in order to avoid a potential two-week quarantine.

European countries could review their conditions for entering the country from that date.

It has been widely reported that Brazil has now passed the United Kingdom to record the second-highest coronavirus death toll in the world, and arrivals from badly-hit countries are likely to face stricter restrictions if policy changes are made in France.

PSG have a number of South American players in their ranks, many of whom returned home when lockdown began.

Edinson Cavani, Keylor Navas and captain Thiago Silva are all expected to return to France before Tuesday, with Marquinhos having already done so.

Despite the disappointment of the league campaign being curtailed, PSG are still hopeful of securing a historic quadruple this season.

They are set to face Saint-Etienne in the Coupe de France final, as well as playing Lyon in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue. Neither match has a confirmed date at this point.

Meanwhile, plans are still being put together to try and finish the Champions League.

PSG qualified for the quarter-finals alongside RB Leipzig, Atletico Madrid and Atalanta.

The remaining last-16 ties between Real Madrid and Manchester City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, Lyon and Juventus as well as Napoli and Barcelona are all yet to be completed.

Reports suggest the most likely scenario at the moment is for all of the remaining knockout ties to take place in one city, in order to cut down on unnecessary travel around the continent.

Mamelodi Sundowns forward Lebohang Maboe says a culture of success lured him to join Mamelodi Sundowns ahead of their Premier Soccer League (PSL) rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

After missing just one league match for Maritzburg United in the 2017/18 season during which he scored an unconvincing two goals, Maboe attracted interest from the three traditional South African giants.

But it was Sundowns who won his signature and the forward says the Brazilians guaranteed him a Caf Champions League adventure and trophies, in an apparent acknowledgement that Pirates and Chiefs have been struggling for major silverware in recent seasons.

"Sundowns showed far more interest than other clubs. I was convinced that if I join this club, I would play in Africa and I have since played in Africa. Sundowns were the right team for me to join," said Maboe as per Sun Sport.

"At Sundowns you are also guaranteed that you are going to win two or more stories every season."

Maboe won the league title in his first season at Downs as Chiefs continued to look for their first league title since 2015, while Pirates have not been crowned champions since 2012.

During his debut Downs season, Maboe was the Brazilians top goal scorer with eight league goals and this season he has already helped them to the Telkom Knockout trophy.

But it is not all smooth in his second season at Chloorkop in which has managed just a goal in 17 PSL appearances and none in Cup games so far, a record that has not impressed Sundowns supporters.

This has seen him become a subject of booing by Downs fans and he appears to understand the supporters' displeasure with him.

"I knew there was pressure [at Sundowns], but it was going to help me grow by getting experience of playing in Africa. I don't regret coming here. It's the best decision I ever took," Maboe said.

The attacker also struggled in the Caf Champions League this season, as he featured in seven matches and failed to find the back of the net.

Another PSL title could, however, console him if the season is resumed as Downs are four points behind log leaders Chiefs, having played a game less, in their bid for a third straight league title.

Jamilu Collins was on parade as Paderborn continued with their miserable form, losing 5-1 against Werder Bremen in Saturday’s Bundesliga game.

Steffen Baumgart’s men only returned to the German top-flight last season after clinching the second division title with Super Eagles star Collins playing a key role in the success.

They are, however, on the verge of returning to the second tier following a run of poor results, having only won four games in this campaign.

Paderborn’s last victory was against Freiburg on January 25 and are now winless in their last 12 matches across all competitions.

Their desire to bounce back to victory at Benteler-Arena suffered a blow after Davy Klaassen opened the scoring in the 20th minute, shortly after Bremen lost a glorious chance from the penalty spot.

Yuya Osako then doubled the lead in the 34th minute to inspire his side to surge forward for more goals while Klaassen added his second in the encounter five minutes later.

Maximilian Eggestein found the back of the net a moment before the hour mark to further compound the woes of their hosts.

A 66th-minute strike from Moroccan-born German Abdelhamid Sabiri proved little as Bremen claimed all three points comfortably, with Niclas Fuellkrug sealing victory at the death.

Collins, who was afforded his 27th league appearance in the encounter, featured throughout the game but could not help his hapless side avoid yet another defeat.

The loss ensured Paderborn remained at the bottom of the league table with 20 points from 31 games but could still avoid relegation if they win their remaining matches.

Collins, whose contract with the Benteler-Arena outfit ends in 2021, has made 29 appearances across all competitions in this campaign.

The Nigeria international has been one of the standout performers for Steffen Baumgart’s men this season and will hope to help his side return to winning ways against Union Berlin on June 16.

Wolves can keep Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore from the clutches of Manchester United and Liverpool, says Matt Murray, but Champions League football may be required in order to prevent sales.

The men from Molineux are in the hunt for a top-four finish as Premier League action prepares to resume in 2019-20.

Nuno’s side sit sixth in the table at present, five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea and two behind Manchester United.

Bridging those gaps and climbing the standings could offer Wolves a shot at elite continental competition for 2020-21.

They are also still in the hunt for Europa League glory this season, which opens up another avenue for them to head down.

Murray believes his former club are capable of wrapping up a notable achievement and persuading key men on and off the pitch to stay put – with unwelcome exit talk being ramped up ahead of the next window.

The former Wolves goalkeeper told Sky Sports: “I think Nuno only has a year left on his contract.

“I think if Wolves can get into the Champions League, I would be that much more confident. Especially with Jimenez, he is that bit older and everyone wants to play at the highest level.

“Everyone feels at home, the Wolves fans love them but that would be my concern with Nuno.

“If they do get into the Champions League, they should tie Nuno down to a long-term deal.”

Mexico international Jimenez has admitted that he would find it difficult to turn down an approach from Real Madrid or Barcelona, while Arsenal are said to be another of his many suitors.

Traore, meanwhile, has seen his blistering pace thrust him onto the radar of those at Anfield, with Liverpool still in the market for added depth to their attacking ranks.

Murray can understand why Wolves’ star turns are generating interest, but is confident they can be retained.

He added: “I believe these players are good enough for the Champions League, so if they don’t get there, that would be a concern.

“But also with the coronavirus, I think Wolves can keep them for another year because clubs won’t be able to pay those fees.

“But sooner or later, Wolves will have to get into the Champions League to match those players’ ambitions.”

Marcus Rashford says he is fit and raring to go as Manchester United prepare for the return of the Premier League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side return to action with a trip to Tottenham on June 19, their first competitive game since their 5-0 Europa League win over LASK on March 12.

Rashford has missed their last 13 games with a back injury which at one point had looked likely to end his season.

Now, however, the coronavirus-enforced break has allowed him to work his way back to full fitness.

“I have been training now for two or three weeks,” Rashford told cricketer Yuvraj Singh in a live chat for Sony Sports India.

“It is important to get the fitness levels back up. You want to feel good again going into the game. I am definitely at that stage.

“I am just excited for the games to start again. It is a little disappointing that there will be no fans but they can watch it on TV and I hope they start enjoying the sport again.

“Football is a game that puts smiles on people’s faces. That’s what makes the game so great.”

Following United’s game against Tottenham and former boss Jose Mourinho, they look forward to fixtures with Sheffield United, Norwich and Brighton.

Meanwhile, Rashford has been making headlines of his own in recent weeks for his superlative charity work during the coronavirus crisis.

The 22-year-old has been working closely with charity FareShare to provide meals for vulnerable people during lockdown, and recently announced they had hit their target of providing three million meals across the UK, weeks before their target deadline.

“Before the lockdown, me and my family were speaking about how this situation can affect certain people,” Rashford explained.

“We came to the conclusion that some families and kids will be in vulnerable positions because their parents have lost their jobs so we knew their families will be affected and we decided to help.

“We just have to try and help people in different situations. That’s actually how the conversation came about.

“Me and my team started researching and learning more about the situation. The best way possible is to help.”

Vinicius Junior has been told he needs to “keep flying” at Real Madrid, with fellow Brazilian Rivaldo warning the 19-year-old that he cannot afford to let his standards drop.

The 2019-20 campaign has seen the exciting young forward remain on a steep learning curve.

Questions have been asked of his end product at times, but he has recorded four goals and three assists.

He had found consistent form prior to football shutting down amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Zinedine Zidane making him a regular in his plans.

Real have, however, been out of action since mid-March.

They will return to La Liga action on Sunday when taking on Eibar, and Rivaldo is challenging his fellow countryman to pick up where he left off and prove his worth at Santiago Bernabeu.

“Vinícius Junior was in his best form since his arrival at Real Madrid before the lockdown, scoring against Barcelona in El Clasico, but after the break many things can change,” 2002 World Cup winner Rivaldo told Betfair.

“Madrid will have Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio back on track, so the Brazilian has two additional contenders for a starting place.

“The first games back will only tell us which players have reached their peak before the others. I'm backing Vinícius to restart well and continue his good form, but there is a chance that things might not go so well after a big gap without playing.

“But despite the competitiveness in the squad, I believe Zinedine Zidane will pick players who are in good form and not just because of his preference, so Vinícius must try to keep showing his best football to continue as a starter.

“As we used to say in Brazil, he needs to keep flying to earn his place in the team.”

Real have welcomed the likes of Hazard and Asensio back into the fold as they prepare to restart their 2019-20 campaign.

Both had been nursing knocks prior to lockdown, but Zidane will have a wealth of options at his disposal when facing Eibar.

Gareth Bale is also back in the Blancos squad, with the Wales international – who continues to see a move elsewhere mooted – another of those who will rival Vinicius for an attacking berth.

Former Ghana coach James Kwasi Appiah believes his recent comment regarding the Black Stars' captaincy has been misconstrued.

In an interview with Happy FM, the 59-year-old proposed a rotational policy for the armband to quench perennial controversies over the position. The suggestion has generated debate, with many opposing the idea.

Swansea City attacker Andre Ayew is the current skipper of the Black Stars.

"I was a not saying Ghana should adopt the captaincy rotational policy now since it will make no sense because Dede Ayew has just been handed over the armband," Appiah explained, as reported by Sportsworldghana.

"I was suggesting that if there are captaincy challenges in the team in future, then we can try the rotational policy, maybe it could work for us.

"I was not advising the current head coach as purported in the media to change the captain but I was suggesting an option should we find ourselves in the same soup in future as a country."

Appiah, himself a former Black Stars captain, has coached Ghana on two separate occasions; first between 2012 and 2014 and second between 2017 and 2019.

“Sometimes this captaincy issue comes as a result of poor communication from management members or certain people trying to push their own agenda," the former Al-Khartoum boss told Happy FM earlier this week.

“Looking at our current situation, I will propose we rotate the captain’s armband and also a general captain appointed to speak on behalf of the players.

"Brazil and other countries have made it work, so we can also emulate them.

“We should be careful or else this captaincy row can affect the national team for years to come."

Appiah's second stint as Ghana coach produced the Black Stars' most recent controversy over the captaincy.

A month to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt, the Black Stars were engulfed in a captaincy saga as veteran striker Asamoah Gyan - Ghana's leading striker - was stripped of the armband in favour of Ayew.

The displeased Gyan did not take the decision lying down as he sensationally announced retirement from international duty and would only rescind his stance following a plea by national president Nana Akufo-Addo. 

Jack Grealish would like to be “one of those Steven Gerrards” and spend his entire career at Aston Villa, says Kevin Phillips, but interest from Manchester United is expected to be too good to turn down.

A big-money transfer is said to be in the offing for the talented 24-year-old playmaker when the next window swings open.

Having proven himself on a Premier League stage, Grealish is considered to be ready for a step up English football’s grandest ladder.

Old Trafford may be the next rung he hits, with the Red Devils in the market for more creativity and prepared to splash the cash on top targets.

Villa will be reluctant sellers if an approach is made, especially if they preserve their top-flight status, but it is looking increasingly likely that a deal will be done.

Phillips admits that Grealish, as a boyhood Villans fan, will leave with a heavy heart, but it is difficult to see him being a one-club man when the opportunity is there to better himself.

“I am not sure about this because Jack Grealish loves Villa so much so it really would not surprise me if he wants to stay with his boyhood club in the Premier League,” former Villans striker Phillips told Football Insider.

“I can see him being one of those Steven Gerrards.

“On the other hand, Manchester United look like they are really going to have a go and sign some players to get them back to where they once were.

“It is difficult. If I am Jack Grealish and I had the chance to go to Manchester United, I would go. Simple as that. No matter what league I am in.

“But he is such a diehard Villa supporter, a local lad so I could see him staying.

“However, if they do go down I do not think he will be left with a choice. Manchester United is like Real Madrid or Barcelona for me, you go.”

Grealish has made no secret of his desire to grace the very top of the game, as he also chases down senior international recognition with England, but has stopped short of being dragged into a transfer debate.

Plenty are making noises for him, with many of the opinion that his ability and confidence would be well suited to a prominent role at the Theatre of Dreams.

Edinson Cavani and club captain Thiago Silva will both leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer, director of football Leonardo has confirmed.

The pair are both out of contract at the end of June but will remain with the club until the season is fully completed with the Champions League, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue all still to be resolved.

Between them, they have made more than 600 combined appearances for PSG in all competitions.

"Cavani and Thiago Silva? Yes, we are coming to the end,” Leonardo told the Journal de Dimanche.

"The idea is to continue playing with them until the end of August.

"It was a very difficult decision to make; these are players who have marked the history of the club.

“Their stories were so beautiful. But yes, we are coming to the end.

"We had to make a logical decision, economically speaking and with regard to the generation that is coming through.

“Maybe we are wrong, I do not know, there is never a perfect moment. Now the Champions League is still in sight and the idea is to continue competing with them until the end of August. How it can be done is not yet clear [legally].”

Leonardo also confirmed that Layvin Kurzawa and Thomas Meunier are also likely to leave in the same manner, but this is not yet totally certain.

PSG are through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League following their 3-2 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16.

They are also waiting to play in the finals of both the Coupe de France and Coupe de La Ligue, against Saint-Etienne and Lyon respectively.

Uruguay striker Cavani has long been linked with a move away from PSG, and seemed almost certain to leave the club in the most recent January transfer window.

Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Boca Juniors, Inter Miami and Newcastle are among a wide variety of clubs to have been linked with a move.

Boca are out of the race after president Jorge Bermudez ruled out a move earlier in the year, but Cavani's next club remains to be seen.

Cavani has scored 200 goals in 300 games for PSG, winning six Ligue 1 titles among numerous domestic honours since joining from Napoli in 2013.

Silva moved from AC Milan the previous summer, going on to make 310 appearances and captain the club through its most successful period.

South Africa's Bambanani Mbane and Burkina Faso's Salimata Simpore continued with their fine form as they scored in Dinamo-BSUPC's 7-0 victory over 10-woman Bobruichanka on Saturday.

Mbane and Simpore added to their goal tallies this season as the Belarusian giants resumed action (after their two-week break) on a high since their last encounter against Zorka-BDU which ended 3-0.

The hosts started on the front foot as Hanna Pilipenko beautifully set up Simpore to open the lead in the eighth minute after her initial header went wide and she also missed a sitter in quick succession.

In the 24th minute, Vita Nikolaenko teed up Anastasiya Linnik to double the lead for Dinamo before Anastasia Shlapakova grabbed a third of the match off Pilipenko's assist nine minutes later.

After the restart at Minsk Stadium, Dinamo continued from where they left off in the first half as Linnik bagged her second and her side's fourth of the match from the spot in the 52nd minute.

The worse befell the visitors as they were reduced to 10 players after Cameroon's Sorelle Metiefang was sent off in the 63rd minute after bagging two yellow cards in the space of four minutes.

Leveraging on their numerical advantage, Mbane, who replaced Nikolaenko in the 55th minute moment after Yuliya Slesarchik's brilliant shot off Anastasia Novikova's pass to ensure the fifth goal.

Substitute Kristina Tikhovodova, who came on in the 67th minute, set up Mbane in front of the box to blast home the sixth before substitute Viktoriya Valyuk sealed the win two minutes from time.

Simpore's goal was her sixth in five games for Dinamo and, the Burkina Faso star, who was taken off in the 71st minute, while Banyana star Mbane has now scored four goals in six matches.

Besides Simpore and Mbane, Cameroon defender Claudia Dabda lasted for the duration as the African trio propelled their side's win.

The victory takes Yury's ladies three points clear at the summit, while Neman in second, face third-placed Minsk on Sunday.

Dinamo will hope to extend their lead at the top when they visit second-placed Neman in the next league encounter on June 19.