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Tammy Abraham has revealed that Fikayo Tomori persuaded him to "stay on the pitch" in order to grab his first hat-trick for Chelsea at the start of the season.

Abraham returned to Chelsea after a successful loan spell at Aston Villa last summer and was quickly asked to step into a senior role under Frank Lampard.

The 22-year-old has had no problem transferring his prolific form in front of goal in the Championship to the Premier League, netting 13 goals in 25 outings to help the Blues rise to fourth in the table.

The England forward grabbed his first treble in Chelsea colours during a 5-2 victory over Wolves at Molineux on September 14, with fellow academy prospects Tomori and Mason Mount also getting in on the act.

Abraham has conceded that he was ready to come off after his first-half double, before Tomori convinced him to stick to his task upfront and increase his overall tally for the season.

The Blues forward told the club's official website: "It was one of those feelings where you score in two consecutive games so you’re not under pressure to score.

"In my head, I felt there was no pressure. Fikayo had already scored a banger, then my first chance came and I took it. Then there was another one and I scored again, so we were in a great position at half-time.

"I said to Fikayo, 'I’m tired, man, I might just tell the manager to replace me'. Fik was like: 'Stay on the pitch, try and get your hat-trick' because it was the second game in a row I’d scored two goals.

"I came out for the second half and then I just remember I was one-on-one with Conor Coady and the confidence that I had inside me took the tiredness away, I did that skill to get away from him and scored.

"After the game me, Mason and Fikayo were all talking and realising that we’d all just scored for Chelsea in the Premier League, so it was crazy and amazing feelings that day."

Abraham was six goals behind Leicester's Jamie Vardy in the race for the Golden Boot when the season was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak in March.

He will have the chance to close that gap when Chelsea return to the pitch on June 21, with a trip to Birmingham to face Aston Villa on the cards.

Bidvest Group CEO and Wits chairman Alan Fainman insists the club's PSL status hasn't been sold to anyone although rumours continue to gain momentum. 

Two weeks ago, reports surfaced Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) owner Masala Mulaudzi was in the process of purchasing the club and relocating them to Limpopo.

This was after Mulaudzi's confirmation that he had already sold his club, TTM to fund the project of ensuring he gets into the PSL ahead of next season. 

According to Fainman, the club will call a press conference and let the public know if they are to sell the club to new owners. 

"Nothing has changed from last week or the week before. We will let you know if there are changes. No one has bought the club. We will call a press conference if there are changes," Fainman told Isolezwe. 

"I won't always comment on this matter. We don't want to sell the club - that's what I can tell you. If there was anything we needed to tell you guys, I promise you'd have known by now," he said.   

Asked if the club has been having financial problems, Fainman said: "That's not true. It is neither here nor there.

He then promised to have more information on this much-debated topic in the next few days but continued to play his cards very close to his chest. 

"I am sorry, I am busy working and I have just arrived but you can call me after a few days," concluded Fainman. 

Several high-profile players have been linked with possible moves to Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United in the past few days. 

They include Thulani Hlatshwayo, Deon Hotto, Buhle Mkhwanazi and Haashim Domingo. 

Nonetheless, Goal understands that there are talks behind the scenes between Wits and Sundowns over the services of Gift Motupa. 

Motupa could have moved to the Brazilians in January but the proposed deal failed to materialise as Wits decided against selling one of their top strikers.   

In addition, Gavin Hunt has also been linked with Amakhosi but the 55-year-old mentor poured cold water on the speculation earlier this week. 

After Mumbai City FC star Rowllin Borges paid a huge compliment to Anirudh Thapa, backing him to become the best midfielder in the country, the Chennaiyin FC player has responded in kind.

Borges, during a recent Instagram chat, had heaped praises on his national team partner. He said, "My partnership with (Anirudh) Thapa has been good. He is very, very talented. He is one of my favourite players in ISL (Indian Super League). He has the talent and works hard, I wish him all the best. In a few years, he will be the best. He will become better and better." 

Thapa, in turn, told Goal that Borges along with Eugeneson Lyngdoh were two of his role models.

"I am learning from him (Borges) actually. Rowllin and Eugeneson are two midfielders I look up to. I am glad that I got the opportunity to play with him in the national team. I played with him against Oman and Qatar," he said.

Borges was one of the standout players for Mumbai City in the previous season of the ISL and Thapa was quick to point that out and re-iterate that he picks up nuances and tricks of the game from the Goan midfielder.

"I always watch him play and I pick up tricks from him. He is one of the best midfielders in India in the recent past. He's playing for the national team regularly.

"I need to learn from him and others as well. He’s right up there in terms of midfielders right now in India and If I want to beat him, I have to work hard."

Thapa himself had a stellar season with Chennaiyin FC, playing an important role as the team bounced back from a poor start to reach the finals. Not only was Thapa an influential figure in the midfield, he also popped up with an important goal in the semifinal against FC Goa and notched a few assists.

He is keen to take his game up a few notches in the upcoming season with the Marina Machans.

"I want to replicate the second half of the last season and actually improve upon that. I need to do better than last season personally. I need to work hard, physically and on my technique. Keeping on improving will help me become a better player and I must do that," he said.

Chennaiyin FC had made a poor start to the 2019-20 season and were floundering near the bottom of the table when John Gregory parted ways with the club. His successor, Owen Coyle, had a huge impact on the club's and Thapa's fortunes as the Marina Machans turned around their season in spectacular fashion.

They put together a brilliant run of form to reach the play-offs against all odds and then went on to beat the league-toppers FC Goa 6-5 in the two-legged play-offs. Though they lost the final against ATK, Thapa feels that Coyle's trust in the players was very important in the team's revival.

Personally, Thapa stated that the season showed him the importance of not giving up and fighting to the end.

"I learnt a lot last season. Obviously, we didn't start well. We were bottom of the table and things changed when the new coach came. That showed the importance of believing in ourselves, trusting the teammates. The coach showed us the possibilities and we trusted in him and ourselves. We worked really hard. We gave 100 per cent in every game and we saw our progress every week.

"That’s the big thing I learnt last season - we should never give up. We kept working hard. The day he (Coyle) came, he told us we can reach the playoffs if we work hard. And that’s what we did."

Barcelona director Xavier Vilajoana said the La Liga champions have no intention of selling Ansu Fati amid links to Manchester United, denying talks over a possible transfer.

Fati has reportedly emerged as an alternative target to Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho for United as the Premier League giants eye attacking reinforcements.

There has been talk of United making a £100million (€111m) bid for 17-year-old Barca sensation Fati, who only made his senior debut in August.

However, Vilajoana dismissed the speculation over Fati's future at Camp Nou.

"For us, there's no story with Ansu, we have never spoken about selling him," Vilajoana told Sport.

"We won't use players from the academy to make cash. In principle, we have no intention of selling the players we believe will make the first team."

Vilajoana added: "I think he's happy. He will be an important player in the coming years."

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Fati had scored four goals and supplied an assist in 16 La Liga appearances for Barca.

Fati has played 24 matches in all competitions this season, scoring five goals.

Back in February, Blaugrana coach Quique Setien praised the talented youngster after he scored a brace in the 2-1 win against Levante.

"I think that Ansu is a boy that is emerging, that we all know that has great potential," Setien told a news conference.

"You have to understand that you have to give him peace of mind and confidence to exploit what he has inside.

"Apart from the two goals, what I give credit is the work he has done in defence. He has worked hard. He has given us solutions."

Fati was born in Guinea-Bissau but has decided to represent Spain at an international level and already has caps for the nation's under-21 team.

He honed his talents at his local Spanish club Herrera before moving to Sevilla's academy at the age of eight.

But after only two years at the Seville club, Fati was picked up Barcelona's La Masia academy and signed a professional contract prior to the current season.

La Liga leaders Barca will return to action with a trip to Real Mallorca on Saturday.

Do you consider yourself a huge fan of the Indian football? How abreast are you when it comes to developments in and around the Indian football ecosystem?

Do you keep track of the various records and unique achievements of coaches in the I-League?

Then this edition of Goal 's 'Sharp Minds' quiz is for you.

As we see football take a backseat among the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, here's your chance to while away some time.

We will bring you a set of 10 questions, a mixture of easy and tough ones, every week on Indian football. Try answering them on your own (without googling, we hope) and see how much you know about Indian football.

Share your scores with others and showboat. The latest edition of Sharp Minds is right here. Have fun.

NOTE : You are welcome to contact us through social media, if you need any clarification on the answers. We will try, to the best of our abilities, to explain.

The Indian national women’s team is set to embark on a momentous milestone with the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in sight.

India qualified for the final round of the tournament as hosts and will be featuring in the group stage of the competition for the first time since 2003. We take a look at the history of the Women’s Asian Cup and how India fared through the years.

The inaugural tournament was held in 1975 in Hong Kong, with just six teams featuring. New Zealand went on to win their first and only title so far after a 3-1 win over Thailand. The 2022 edition will be the 20th Women's Asian Cup and the second to be held in India. China have been the most successful side in the competition, boasting eight titles, seven of which arrived in a row between 1986 and 1993.

Japan are the defending champions of the competition after they beat Australia 1-0 in 2018 when it was held in Jordan.

India participated in the competition for the first time in 1979, with Calicut (Kozhikode) hosting the six-team tournament. The matches were of 60-minute duration. The country had representation from two teams - India S and India N.

The latter finished last in the group stage with just one win in five games but India S managed three wins and qualified for the semi-final after finishing behind only Chinese Taipei in the Group Stage.

India S drew Hong Kong in the semis and stormed to the finals with a comfortable 3-1 win. However, favourites Chinese Taipei were 2-0 winners in the summit clash as India S settled for a runners-up finish.

The 1981 Hong Kong edition saw the number of teams in the final round rise from six to eight. Two groups containing four teams were hence created, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-final.

India finished on top of Group A with two wins and a draw in three games. The wins included an 8-0 thrashing of Philippines with Shukla Nag scoring four goals. The incredible goal-difference of +13 allowed them to finish on top despite being level on points with Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, their campaign came to an end in the following round after a 1-0 defeat to Thailand. But a 2-0 win over Hong Kong with goals from Shukla Dutta and Socorina Pereira in the third-place match ensured India stood on the podium after claiming the third place. Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei defended the title with a 5-0 thumping of Thailand in the final.

The 1983 edition of the Women’s Asian Cup witnessed a change in format due to Taiwan and Japan withdrawing from the competition. The six teams – Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Thailand (hosts), and the Philippines then participated in a single round-robin tournament, with the top two teams qualifying for the finals.

India impressed with four wins and just one defeat in the five games, hence finishing behind only Thailand, who won all their games. The hosts then defeated India 3-0 in the final to claim their first title. India had to settle for a runners-up finish yet again, like in the 1979 edition.

This was the golden period for Indian women in Asia. In just three years, they managed two silver medals and a bronze in the continental tournament. This was also the last time they managed to make it past the group stage of the competition.

After an absence of over 12 years, India featured in the 1995 edition of the Women’s Asian Cup that was hosted by Malaysia. They were grouped alongside Japan, South Korea and Uzbekistan in the first round. A sub-par show saw the women return with zero points from the Group Stage.

India came back stronger in the following edition (1997), finishing second in the Group Stage behind Japan. This campaign also included an emphatic 10-0 win over Guam and a 3-0 win over Hong Kong. But only one team from the group qualified for the knockouts and a 1-0 defeat against group leaders Japan meant that India’s campaign concluded in the Group Stage. Hosts China defended the title after conceding just one goal in the entire tournament.

The 1999 and 2001 editions held in the Philippines and Chinese Taipei respectively were not kind to India. The women could manage a fourth-place finish in the Group Stage of both tournaments, with only Malaysia below them on both occasions. They hence failed to make it to the knockouts on both occasions.

The Women’s Asian Cup 2003 was hosted by Thailand, with 14 teams participating in the Group Stages. India finished third in Group C with just one win in three games and were hence eliminated. China qualified from the group and went on to bag the silver medal as North Korea defended the title.

A separate qualifying tournament was held from the subsequent tournaments, starting from 2006. India could not feature in the final round of the tournament ever since.

When the women take the field in 2022, they will have a chance to go past the group stage for the first time in 39 years.

Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes "can come together" for Manchester United but "somebody might have to sacrifice a bit of something", according to Darren Fletcher.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is currently preparing his side for the Premier League restart, with a huge clash against Tottenham scheduled for next Friday.

The United boss will likely have a full squad to choose from for the first time this season, and Pogba is in line to make his first appearance for the club since December.

The World Cup winner underwent surgery on an ankle injury in January, but has benefitted from the extra recovery time afforded to him by the coronavirus enforced break in the campaign.

Former Red Devils striker Louis Saha says Pogba is "super motivated" to star alongside €55 million (£62m/$49m) winter signing Fernandes after returning to full fitness, with supporters eager to see if a spark ignites between the two mercurial talents in the middle of the pitch.

Fletcher is certain that Pogba and Fernandes are a compatible pairing, but he warns that one of them may have to adjust their game in order to bring the best out of the other.

"Without doubt, of course. Great players can come together,’" the ex-United midfielder told MUTV . "Listen: somebody might have to sacrifice a little bit of something – that’s part of being in a team, it’s not an individual sport.

"When you play with a certain midfield, whether it’s a midfield three, you adapt your game to complement each other. That’s what I had to do at United. I was in the team with lots of different midfielders, lots of combinations and, if a certain midfielder was playing, I would try to take up positions to allow him to benefit and he would do things to allow me to benefit.

"It’s all about being compatible and recognising the strengths of your fellow team-mates and how to get your best performance, but, ultimately, you might be sacrificing what you do best to allow someone else to excel, which helps the team win."

Fletcher added on Fernandes' instant impact at Old Trafford following his move from Sporting: "I think he’s been fantastic. Listen, his ability has been there for everyone to see. For me, it’s been his personality and his attitude.

"He tries things, he tries difficult passes but, when he gives it away, it’s his reaction after he does it. It’s fantastic, his hunger to try and get the ball back. He doesn’t throw his arms up in the air or sulk and moan.

"He’s bossing people on the pitch, he’s taking responsibility. He’s looked like the epitome of a Manchester United player. He wants to be there, he wants the ball, he demands the ball. He’s seen Old Trafford as his theatre and he’s relishing it.

"He’s sort of been a breath of fresh air with personality more than anything, which is what you need to play for Man United. Ability’s not enough. You need the personality to play for Manchester United and he epitomises it."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael has revealed his frustration after forward Bernard Morrison refused to travel with him to Shinyanga ahead of their first Mainland Premier League match on Saturday.

The Belgian coach finally linked up with the rest of the squad on Friday ahead of their match against Mwadui but missing in action is the Ghanaian forward, whom he was supposed to travel with.

Eymael instead, travelled with Congolese striker David Molinga, who was also left behind when the team left for Shinyanga on Wednesday owing to unknown reasons.

Eymael has now exclusively told Goal he is not aware of what happened to Morrison because he was supposed to travel with him but later switched off his phone.

“Yes he [Morrison] promised to come with me on our trip to Shinyanga but he didn’t show up and he went further to switch off his phone,” Eymael told Goal on Saturday.

Asked if he will take action against the Ghanaian star, who joined Yanga in 2019 after leaving Orlando Pirates of South Africa, Eymael said: “I have no idea why he did that, I will first have to investigate and get to know the reason he decided to switch off his phone and then will make a decision.”

Apart from Morrison, Yanga will also miss the services of injured captain Papy Tshishimbi, Ally Ally, and Erick Kabamba.

Yanga information officer Hassan Bumbuli confirmed the absence of the three players but said they had a good enough squad to win the game in Shinyanga.

“Our captain [Tshishimbi] is still recovering from injury and the game has come too soon for him while Ally and Kabamba will be ready for our next match,” Bumbuli told reporters on Friday.

“We are happy our coach [Eymael] has finally linked up with the team, and can now take charge from Boniface Mkwasa, who was assisting while he was still in Belgium owing to the Covid-19.”

Yanga are currently third on the 20-team league table with 51 points, 20 points fewer than table-toppers Simba SC while Azam FC are placed in second position with 54 points.

The match against Mwadui will be staged at Kambarage Stadium on Saturday.

Five years after making a dream move to then-reigning Premier League champions Chelsea in 2015, Abdul Rahman Baba is nearing the end of a third loan spell away from the club with La Liga outfit Real Mallorca.

With the left-back’s year-long spell ending soon and having signed a five-year deal with the Blues when he joined, so is his time at Stamford Bridge. With the Ghanaian now way down the pecking order at the 2019 Europa League winners, chances of a contract extension are remote, and Baba is edging ever closer to the exit in West London.

It’s been an unfortunate turn of events for the former Augsburg man who was highly rated at the time he switched to the Premier League from the Bundesliga. He won an incredible 83 percent of his tackles in his only year in the German top flight and was described as an all-action full-back capable of influencing games at both ends of the pitch, per The Telegraph.

Indeed, the West African was primed to rival Chelsea’s title-winning left-back at the time, Cesar Azpilicueta, and succeed where the overly attacking Filipe Luis failed. The Brazilian wideman returned to Atletico Madrid only a year after leaving Diego Simeone’s men, as he was unable to truly execute Jose Mourinho’s instructions.

Five years down the line, it’s safe to say those Baba expectations were never matched, let alone exceeded. One could mitigate for his failure at the Bridge, too: in hindsight, leaving the Bundesliga too early was a bad call, the upheaval of 2015/16 in West London didn’t help and, of course, a series of career-altering injuries that have crippled his development in the last three years.

The nature of Baba Rahman’s decline is underlined by how he’s not even in the conversation to become Chelsea’s next left-back under current boss Frank Lampard. The five-time Premier League champions are chasing a new left-back this summer, with Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell publicly the top target, while Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico and Porto’s Alex Telles are reportedly backup options.

Had their on-loan Mallorca full-back not stalled spectacularly in recent seasons, this could have been his time to finally become the club’s undisputed left-back with the Blues’ legend having reservations over Marcos Alonso, who is naturally a wing-back, and Emerson, who has struggled to impress at Stamford Bridge.

For the Chelsea loanee, it hasn’t just rained but it’s poured too, with an unceasing spate of layoffs plaguing him since a meniscus rupture at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Even though the ex-Asante Kotoko defender was on his first loan at the time with Schalke, that setback began his fall in the Stamford Bridge pecking order, as then-head coach Antonio Conte already had reservations about the full-back’s natural inclination to go forward.

In fairness, this seems odd, in hindsight given the Italian eventually switched to a 3-4-3 with Alonso on the left and Victor Moses, a converted winger, at right wing-back.

However, that injury suffered at Afcon 2017 meant Baba wasn’t considered for a return to Conte’s side to challenge the former Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland full-back.

His luck took a turn for the worse when, in September 2017, another long-term injury struck, ruling him out for the rest of the season.

The side from Gelsenkirchen had renewed his loan deal for the campaign but he only featured in their final day encounter with Eintracht Frankfurt, coming on in the last 33 minutes.

The full-back’s fitness seemed to hold for another year or so, despite falling out of favour with the Royal Blues.

The German outfit cut short his loan spell in January last year, which led to another spell away from London at Stade Reims in Ligue 1.

Baba featured in 11 of a possible 16 league games, starting all of those games and completing 90 minutes unscathed on 10 occasions. He signed off with a remarkable performance against dominant champions Paris Saint-Germain, scoring and assisting as Reims stunned Thomas Tuchel’s side 3-1 in gameweek 38.

Indeed, it seemed like the Ghanaian was back on track...but misfortune struck early on in his current loan spell at Mallorca.

The defender picked up a serious knee injury in Los Bermellones’ 4-2 defeat by Getafe in September, which has restricted him to just two La Liga appearances this season.

It looked like the 25-year-old wouldn’t play again this season, but the coronavirus pandemic which put a halt to football across Europe has given him a chance of featuring before the expiration of the year-long loan.

The relegation-threatened side host leaders Barcelona on Saturday seeking to claim a huge scalp and continue a run of form that saw them win two in four pre-pandemic.

While the game against Lionel Messi and co. may come too soon for Baba, he’ll probably get games in the closing weeks of the season given the jam-packed calendar to complete the final 11 gameweeks.

The full-back’s future, after that, remains uncertain.

Chemelil Sugar head coach Charles Odera has appreciated the government KSh10,000 package for Kenyan Premier League (KPL) players.

Chemelil Sugar were among the beneficiaries of an initiative by the Ministry of Sports and Culture which is geared towards helping the players cope with the challenges that came about due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The players from selected teams deemed hard-hit by the pandemic have already received their first package with the initiative set to run for three months.

Chemelil Sugar were already facing their own financial challenges and had given away two walkovers when the 2019/20 season was running.

“We are very happy for the government gesture that has come at a very critical moment for players who were already suffering. The package is very important as it will help players cope with the challenges that came as a result of the pandemic,” Odera told Goal on Saturday.

“You know our players were already facing a difficult period during the season and given the government initiative to look at their welfare, we can only be thankful.

“Every member of the playing unit got the money as well as the technical bench staff. All are happy as it is a perfect gesture from the state. It is clear the government is capable of helping our players anytime.”

Chemelil Sugar's appreciation comes a day after Nzoia Sugar had expressed a similar message.

“I also want to thank the Sports Cabinet Secretary [Amina] Mohammed for this noble gesture. Sportsmen have been overlooked for many years and for once they have been appreciated,” Nzoia Sugar goalkeeper trainer Peter Mwaura told Goal on Friday.

Meanwhile, Posta Rangers defender Humphrey Okot has revealed how tough life has been for them as they were not among the listed beneficiaries.

“It’s been tough for us but we have to do what we can to put food on the table, pay rent and other amenities while ensuring we stick to the strict government restrictions,” Okot, who is keeping himself busy with a manual job offered by the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, told The Star.

The government's move came even when the league's fate remains unknown given the dispute surrounding its cancellation by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are ready to start for Barcelona against Real Mallorca, head coach Quique Setien has confirmed.

Barca return to La Liga action on Saturday with a trip to Son Moix following the coronavirus-enforced break, and a win over relegation-threatened opponents will see them extend their lead at the summit.

Spain's reigning champions sit two points clear of rivals Real Madrid, who are not in action until Sunday when they host Eibar in the capital.

Messi's fitness was a major concern ahead of the resumption - the talismanic forward dealing with a quadriceps injury - but he has suffered no further setbacks since returning to training with the rest of the squad at the start of the week.

"He's ready to play, he's perfectly okay. He's trained well, there is no problem," Setien said as his pre-match media conference.

"Messi and a lot of these players know how to gauge things and how to save their strength when necessary.

"As for breaks, we'll see. For some, the more time they're on the pitch, the better."

As for Suarez, the striker had seemingly been set to miss the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign with a knee injury before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now the Uruguay international is back for the rearranged season run-in, both in terms of domestic duties and the Champions League.

However, Setien will be cautious with a player who is returning from a lengthy lay-off, meaning Suarez will not play the whole game against Mallorca.

"Surely he is to be a starter, but not for the full 90 minutes," the Barca boss explained.

"We will not take risks after five months. It will be good for him to play and he will need games to be the same as he was before."

Suarez has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season but has not featured since January 9.

Barcelona are still alive in the Champions League round-of-16, having drawn 1-1 with Napoli at the San Paolo in the first leg of their tie.

The date of the second match is yet to be scheduled, but the Blaugrana are in the box seat having picked up an away goal in Naples.

Nigeria’s Anthony Nwakaeme and Ghana’s Caleb Ekuban found the back of the net as Trabzonspor defeated Goztepe 3-1 in Friday’s Turkish Super Lig encounter.

Friday’s games were the first action in the Turkish top-flight since football-related activities were suspended in the country because of the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Nwakaeme got the visitors to a flying start at the Gursel Aksel Stadium with his 16th-minute opener which separated the two teams in the first-half.

Seven minutes after the restart, Ekuban doubled Trabzonspor's lead with his effort from the penalty spot while Abdulkadir Omur sealed the victory in the 84th minute.

Friday's header was Nwakaeme's 11th goal after 25 appearances this campaign while Ekuban has scored four goals in 16 Turkish top-flight outings.

The 31-year-old Nigerian ranks as the second African star with the most goals in the Turkish Super Lig this term alongside Sivasspor's Mustapha Yatabare after Alanyaspor's Senegalese star Papiss Cisse who has scored 16 goals so far.

The victory stretched Trabzonspor's lead at the summit of the league table to 56 points from 26 matches, holding a three-point lead above second-placed Istanbul Basaksehir.

On the international scene, Nwakaeme made his Nigeria debut in a 1-1 draw against Algeria during the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers back in November 2017.

Since his debut outing, the Lagos-born striker has not made any other appearance for the three-time African champions.

Ekuban, on his part, earned his maiden invitation to the Black Stars in March 2019, and he marked his debut appearance for Ghana with a goal against Kenya in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later that month.

The Italy-born forward also made two appearances for the West African country at the Afcon tournament in Egypt.

Trabzonspor will be hoping to build on Friday's victory when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce in a Turkish Cup fixture on Tuesday. Their next league game is against Alanyaspor on June 22.

Fabrizio Ravanelli has said that he will try to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus if Marseille appoint him as sporting director.

With OM struggling to find a replacement for Andoni Zubizarreta, the former favourite of the Velodrome has thrown his hat into the ring and has suggested that he will target big names in order to help the club compete in next season’s Champions League.

One man who Ravanelli believes he could lure to the club is France-born Higuain, whose future in Turin looks distinctly uncertain.

“Would he come? I don’t know!” he admitted to L’Equipe du Soir. “He could be an important player for OM in the Champions League.

“It’s possible that he will leave Juve. He’s 32 and there is also a chance that a deal could be done as a loan.”

Even if the Argentina international was not lured by Ravanelli – and his wages would make any deal a long shot for a Marseille side that has been constructed on a comparatively small budget – the former Middlesbrough, Juventus and Lazio hitman believes he has the pulling power to help the club.

“I’m convinced I can sign players who will capture the imagination of the Velodrome,” he said. “Despite not having been a sporting director, I’ve got many contacts at very big clubs. And if OM has no money to sign players, why would Fabrizio, with loans, not be able to bring important players to Marseille?”

Meanwhile, Ravanelli is happy to let the club make the first move.

“I will not call Jacques-Henri Eyraud,” he said, referring to the club president. “I met him during the inauguration of the new Stade Velodrome. We spoke at the time. 

“I’ve not contacted him. He has a lot of things to do but he knows that I want to come back to Marseille to work for OM and he knows that I am available to the club.”

Marseille finished second in the Ligue 1 standings in what was an aborted 2019-20 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning that they will return to the Champions League next season for the first time in seven years. 

Oghenekaro Etebo and Allan Nyom featured prominently as Getafe lost 2-1 to Granada in Friday’s La Liga game.

The Spanish top-flight became the second European league to restart after the Bundesliga, having been suspended since mid-March due to the outbreak of coronavirus in Spain and around the world.

Getafe only won one of their previous four games before the pandemic and set out to clinch all three points at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.

Etebo and Nyom were in the starting lineup for the Coliseum Alfonso Perez outfit, partnering Marc Cucurella and David Timor Copovi in the midfield.

The visitors started the game on a brilliant note when Copovi opened the scoring with only 20 minutes into the encounter after he was set up by Cucurella.

Etebo made timely tackles and deliver solid defensive showings in an effort to ensure his side kept their lead and clinch victory in the encounter.

In the 70th minute, Diego Martínez’s men, however, levelled proceedings through an effort from Carlos Fernandez after benefitting from a sumptuous pass from Darwin Machis.

With 11 minutes left to play, Fernandez completed his brace, scoring the match-winning goal to deny Getafe a chance of sharing the spoils.

While Etebo played for the duration for the game, Cameroon international Nyom was replaced by Senegal’s Amath Ndiaye in the 84th minute.

Another Super Eagles player in the encounter Ramon Azeez watched from the bench as his side secured all three points.

Etebo joined the Coliseum Alfonso Perez outfit in January from Championship side Stoke City and has now played eight times since his arrival.

The result propelled Granada to eighth on the league table with 41 points from 28 games, while Getafe dropped to fifth with 46 points from the same number of matches.

While Azeez will hope to taste action in their next outing against Real Betis on Monday, Etebo and Nyom will look to help their side return to winning ways when they face Espanyol on Tuesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty failure did not prove costly for Juventus as they reached the Coppa Italia final on away goals following a 0-0 draw with 10-man Milan in Italian football's return on Friday.

The two teams drew 1-1 in the first leg of the semi-final at San Siro in February but had to wait four months for the return match at the Allianz Stadium due to the coronavirus pandemic leading to the suspension of major sport across the globe in March.

Prior to kick-off a minute's silence was held for those who died from COVID-19, before a round of applause for the nation's health workers. Milan had warmed up in 'Black Lives Matter' shirts, while Juve sported tops saying 'No to Racism'.

Ronaldo scored from the spot to salvage a draw in the first leg but was unable to repeat the trick following a VAR review in the 16th minute. Ante Rebic was sent off for a wild lunge on Danilo just 17 seconds later but Juve failed to capitalise on their personnel advantage as they scraped a place in the showpiece.

The Bianconeri were awarded a penalty after referee Daniele Orsato reviewed video footage and deemed that Andrea Conti handled the ball in the area, but Ronaldo's drilled effort from the spot cannoned back off the left upright.

Gianluigi Donnarumma perhaps got the slightest of touches on it but as Milan attempted to clear their lines, Rebic caught Danilo in the chest with a dangerous high foot and was shown a straight red card.

Blaise Matuidi had a volley batted away by Donnarumma in the 31st minute and Ronaldo warmed the goalkeeper's gloves, while Milan failed to test Gianluigi Buffon during forays forward that were surprisingly frequent despite their numerical disadvantage.

Hakan Calhanoglu sent a free header wide within three minutes of the restart before Stefano Pioli finally sent on a striker to replace Rebic – Rafael Leao coming on for Giacomo Bonaventura.

Despite both teams being allowed up to five substitutions each they clearly suffered from fatigue in the second half and neither side could find a winner as the match meandered to a low-key stalemate.

What does it mean? Treble still on for Juve

Their club-record run of 10 straight home wins in the Coppa may have ended, but Juve are still fighting for silverware on three fronts.

Maurizio Sarri's men will have their work cut out to achieve it, though; they only hold a one-point advantage over Lazio with 12 Serie A games remaining and before the hiatus lost the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Lyon 1-0.

Before thinking about that they have a chance to wrap up a 14th Coppa success in their 19th appearance in the final, where Inter or Napoli will be their opponents.

Donnarumma does his bit

It was tough to tell definitively whether Donnarumma got a touch on Ronaldo's penalty, but he made good stops from Matuidi and Paulo Dybala – both of whom, along with team-mate Daniele Rugani, contracted COVID-19 during the stoppage – to help keep Milan's slim hopes alive. After keeping out Alex Sandro in second-half stoppage time, Donnarumma finished the game with seven saves.

Rebic loses his head

Milan were already at a disadvantage with Zlatan Ibrahimovic out due to suspension and losing Rebic, who had contributed 40 per cent of their goals in 2020 prior to kick-off, to a needless, reckless challenge made an already daunting task look near impossible.

Key Opta Facts

- Before Friday's match, the last Coppa Italia game played in June was in 2005: the final between Inter and Roma.
- Juventus are unbeaten in their last 12 games against Milan in all competitions (W9 D3): this is the longest streak for the Bianconeri in the history of this match.
- Prior to this game, Juventus scored in all their previous 44 home games.
- Milan have received a red card in four of their last six meetings against Juventus, including the last two.

What's next?

Juve will face Napoli or Inter in the final on Wednesday, while Milan will turn their attention to resuming their Serie A campaign against Lecce on Monday week.

Genoveva Anonman has clarified she has not been abandoned by the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation while battling health problems.

The Deportivo Evinayong defender captained the country's senior women's national team to two African Women's Cup of Nations successes, in 2008 and 2012, on their home ground. 

Earlier on Thursday, reports emerged on local media that the former Nzalang captain has been hospitalized over a health crisis without support.

It was rumoured that Anonman was not getting treatment on her ailment after being abandoned by the nation's football governing body.

But the 33-year-old has moved to clear up the confusion, confirming that she has chest problems but has not been left to herself.

"I'm not doing well, but I'm not in a quack store either [abandoned]," Añonman told the Equatorial Guinean Football Federation website.

"Well, I'm not here, but I'm not in a medical clinic either. I was admitted to Bata General Hospital yesterday [Wednesday], they examined me and said I have chest problems. 

"Now I hope that with the grace of God, the treatment will work."

On the matter, Donaciano Edjang, president of the National Association for Women's Football in Equatorial Guinea, assured her board will raise the necessary support for the defender.

"We cannot be excluded from the life of a national football icon like Añonman," she told the website.

"Now we are looking to channel our contribution and invest it as it should. We have always been with her and now this will not be the exception."

Bernard Mensah scored a stunning free-kick as Kayserispor’s only goal in their 2-1 defeat against Fenerbahce in a Turkish Super Lig match on Friday.

After a goalless first-half in Istanbul, the Ghana international stepped forward to take a free-kick just before the hour-mark and he fired Kayserispor ahead with his right-footed shot placed to the top corner.

The 59th-minute strike gave Kayserispor a glimpse of hope in their relegation battle until two late goals from Fenerbahce condemned them to defeat.

Vedat Muriqi cancelled out Mensah's opener in the 87th minute and Luiz Gustavo scored the match-winning goal for Fenerbahce in less than a minute.

Mensah and Ivory Coast's Brice Dja Djedje were on parade from start to finish for Kayserispor but the Ghanaian was shown a yellow card in the 82nd minute while Guinean centre-back Simon Falette played the whole duration for Fenerbahce.

Mensah joined the Anatolian Star on a three-year deal last summer after his successful loan from Atletico Madrid in the 2018-19 campaign.

The 25-year-old has contributed four goals and eight assists in 21 league appearances so far this season.

Earlier this year, Kayserispor suspended Mensah from the first team due to disciplinary issues, but he has got over the event with all four of his goals coming after the suspension.

He made a goalscoring international debut for Ghana during an international friendly match against Togo in June 2015, and he went on to play two other games that year - against Congo and Canada in September and October respectively.

Meanwhile, Mensah is yet to feature for the Black Stars since 2015.

Kayserispor are rooted to the bottom of the Turkish Super Lig table with 22 points after 27 games.

Mensah will look forward to helping Robert Prosinecki's men when they host Genclerbirligi at the Kadir Has Stadium for their next league match on June 20.