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Super Eagles duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi featured as Leicester City defeated Manchester City to win the club’s first Community Shield in 50 Years.

The DStv ambassadors starred as the FA Cup winners earned a shocking win over defending champions, Manchester City.

Iheanacho, who came on as a second-half substitute, earned and scored a late minute penalty that ensured a 1-0 victory for Leicester over Manchester City at the Wembley Stadium. Fellow countryman, Ndidi, played the entire 90 minutes for the Foxes and was rock solid as always.

The game also featured another Nigerian - Manchester City youngster, Samuel Edozie. Pep Guardiola handed the 18-year-old his Manchester City debut against Leicester City in the Community Shield.

The winger had scored in all three pre-season friendlies for the Citizens and was presented with a golden opportunity in the first half but could not hit the target.

In June, MultiChoice Nigeria unveiled Ndidi and Iheanacho as ambassadors to lead the campaign for the DStv Compact - a value for money package and home of the Premier League.

They also featured in a new DStv television commercial to mark the start of the new football season.

Don’t miss the 2021/2022 football season on DStv and enjoy #UnbeatableFootball campaign on DStv compact. Take advantage of the ongoing Biggie Goals promo offer and get a DStv HD decoder, dish kit and one-month Compact package subscription for N9,900 or GOtv decoder, GOtenna with a one-month Max package subscription from N6,900. Offer valid for a limited time only.

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has stated captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is in the right frame of mind for their 2021-22 Premier League opening fixture against Brentford on Friday.

Aubameyang struggled in front of goal last season as the Gunners finished eighth in the league table.

He managed 15 goals in 39 matches across all competitions, including 10 goals in the English top-flight last campaign - his lowest tally having scored 22 league goals each in his previous two full seasons.

During the off-season, the Gabon star enjoyed refreshing family time with trips to Italy, Greece and Silverstone in Northamptonshire where he joined in motor racing.

Aubameyang returned to London Colney after the holiday to join his teammates for pre-season training sessions, but he did not score a goal in any of their last four friendly games (vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Rangers and Hibernian).

Ahead of Friday’s trip to Brentford, Arteta believes the 32-year-old is ready to overcome last season’s struggles.

The Spanish coach said in a press conference: “Since he came back he looked in the right mindset and he’s trying to put last season, which was difficult for everybody and not just for him, for many different reasons, and go back to the level that he can achieve. Because he knows and we know that with his level, this team can achieve much better things.”

Arsenal will not be participating in any European competition this season after their eighth-place finish last term but Arteta pointed out the team’s objective for the season.

“Our goal is to get the best version consistently that’s going to bring us closer to winning football matches,” he added. “That’s what I want from the team. If we do that consistently in every single match, we’re going to be in a good place, but that’s something we haven’t done, consistently give the best version.

“That’s something we must control and we must do, and I think if we’re able to do that, then the results will be the consequence to that.”

Former Tavsanli Linyitspor striker Dele Olorundare has warned Romelu Lukaku because the media is comparing him to legendary Chelsea star Didier Drogba.

Thanks to his impressive form with Inter Milan – where he propelled the Nerazurri to win the Italian top-flight – the Belgium international completed a move to Stamford Bridge.

Lukaku rejoined the Blues for £98 million ($136m), with the striker expected to solve goalscoring problems in Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

During his first spell at Chelsea, he struggled for form playing in just 10 Premier League games with no goals to his credit during his three-year stay.

He has been tipped to establish himself just like the former Cote d’Ivoire international who enjoyed a trophy-laden career in West London.

However, the former Nigeria international feels Lukaku must first claim silverware if he is to be compared with the two-time African Player of the Year.

“I think it is too early to start comparing Lukaku with Drogba, they are just two separate players,” Olorundare told Goal.

“Drogba did not just become a Chelsea legend because he spent so many years with them, he achieved that status judging by his goals, impact and the title he won at Stamford Bridge.

“Should I suggest that Lukaku should win trophies first and score plenty of goals before we think of comparing him with the African icon.

“Also, I feel the comparison is uncalled for because it does more harm to the Belgian as it would mount more pressure on him.”

During Drogba’s time at Chelsea, he scored 104 goals and provided 55 assists in 254 Premier League games for the Blues. Apart from that, he won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and three League Cup diadems.

The former Sunshine Stars man is also of the opinion Lukaku made a big mistake leaving Inter.

“Lukaku no doubt is a great striker, but I think he made a big mistake rejoining the Blues,” he continued.

“He should have remained in Italy where he is king and well respected. Coming to England is like returning to his vomit and I don’t see him doing anything special for Thomas Tuchel’s side.”

Brighton & Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey is making progress in his race for fitness for the new season, club boss Graham Potter has revealed.

The England U21 of Ghanaian descent has been out of action since sustaining a hamstring injury in December 2020, ruling him out of the second round of the Premier League.

He made a brief return to training when pre-season began but a setback has sent him to the treatment room again.

“He’s joined the group intermittently. He’s still doing his rehab, a slow few weeks, but has made good progress recently, so he has joined in a few sessions with the players,” Potter told pressmen on Thursday, Belfast Telegraph has reported.

“We’re hoping he’ll step that up. With a bit of luck, maybe after the international break we might see a bit more of Tariq.”

Brighton are set to face Burnley in their Premier League opener on Saturday.

After the first game, The Seagulls are billed to square off against Watford, Cardiff City and Everton before the international break.

"It’s a little bit slower than we would like and probably he would like, but with the nature of his surgery and the injury, we need to make sure that he’s right rather than putting any timescale on it," Potter told the Athletic last month.

“He’s making progress but not as fast as we and he would like.

“It’s important that we just stay patient and do the right things for him, make sure we finish off this last stage of his rehab in a good way, because it’s not necessarily about being available for the first game, it’s about being available for as many games as he can in the season.”

The December injury was a massive blow to Lamptey who was hailed among the most exciting young talent in the Premier League last season during the first round.

He made 11 appearances for Brighton, starting in each of the matches, and scored his first professional goal in a 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in November 2020.

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi feels Kaizer Chiefs can hurt them on the counter-attack but has questioned if striker Samir Nurkovic can fit into that style of play.

Sundowns host Chiefs in an MTN8 quarter-final match at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

While acknowledging Chiefs’ strengths, Mngqithi says if Amakhosi coach Stuart Baxter chooses to play counter-attacking football, Nurkovic will struggle.

“Based on the talk that he made in the media that he is also coming out guns blazing, they want to reassume their status of being a big team in the country,” Mngqithi told a press conference according to iDiski Times.

“Because their transitional game and counter-attacking game means you are not making many initiatives to take the game for yourself. We know for a fact that Baxter is very dangerous on transition and already, in my mind, I’m thinking of players like [Kgaogelo] Sekgota and Keagan Dolly, but a very big contrast to Nurkovic who is a box striker. 

“If they want to play a counter-attacking game it means he must start from the halfway line to come out and I don’t think that is his strength. That will be a bit of a compromise in terms of the structure, which is why I think they might want to come out and play in and around our box, which will make the contest very interesting.”

The Brazilians’ coach explains why Nurkovic might not thrive in Baxter’s counter-attacking system, saying the Serb “will forever be late in the box.”

“But they have very useful players on counter-attacks, Khama [Billiat] is also a player in that space,” said Mngqithi.

“It’s going to be interesting because at this stage we don’t know what they will do. But one thing we know, Nurkovic is a very important player for them and he must play. If they want to play a counter-attacking game, Nurkovic will forever be late in the box. 

“Stuart is a very good coach, I’ve got a lot of respect for him. It’s going to be interesting how he approaches the game.”

Chiefs will be keen for their first major piece of silverware since 2015, while Sundowns are keen to retain the MTN8 trophy they last won in 2007.

Eberechi Eze is changing squad numbers at Crystal Palace with the £17 million midfielder trading in No.25 for Andros Townsend’s No.10 at Selhurst Park.

Townsend has been prized away by Everton, with the highly-rated 23-year-old of Nigerian descent, Eze trusted to follow in the footsteps of the departed England international.

Other players who have worn this iconic jersey number for the Eagles are Ian Wright and DR Congo international Yannick Bolasie.

Palace announced on their official website: “Seven Crystal Palace players have chosen new squad numbers for the 2021/22 season, with three Eagles making a switch from the last campaign.

“Vicente Guaita confirmed his change to No.13 earlier this summer, while Tyrick Mitchell and Eberechi Eze will become our new No.3 and No.10 respectively.

“Eze follows in the footsteps of players like Yannick Bolasie, returning to the number he wore with Queens Park Rangers.”

Meanwhile, France youth international of Nigeria descent Michael Olise will put on jersey number 7, with Cote d’Ivoire prospect Marc Guehi settling for number 6.

Having starred for QPR at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, he was a transfer target for several clubs in Europe.

However, he settled for the Eagles on a five-year deal that would keep him in South London until 2025.

Eze quickly settled, making 34 appearances in the English elite division and bagged four goals with five assists.

Sadly, he suffered an Achilles injury during Crystal Palace's training in May which will keep him out of action until 2022.

Former Palace manager Roy Hodgson lauded the Anglo-Nigerian’s influence on his team in the 2020-21 campaign.

“He’s had a good season, there’s no question of that. I think it’s nice that, not just on this occasion [against Sheffield United], but even on other occasions, he really has shown his skills to the utmost and everyone’s picked up on it. I’m really pleased about that,” Hodgson told the club website.

“I’m most pleased with the way he’s settled in, the way he’s become such a team player, the way he works very hard to absorb any tactical information and do the things that the team requires of him, apart from, of course, the mazy dribbles, the excellent ball control he’s been blessed with also.”

Didier Drogba has issued a rallying cry to his former team, Chelsea ahead of the 2021 Club World Cup in Japan in December.

Having won the Uefa Super Cup on Wednesday after defeating Villarreal at Windsor Park, the Fifa diadem remains the only missing title in the Blues’ cabinet.

The Stamford Bridge club has won the Champions League twice, but have failed to win the intercontinental cup.

The closest they came was finishing in second position at Japan 2012 when a Jose Paolo Guerrero 69th-minute effort powered Corinthians to a 1-0 final triumph over Rafael Benitez’s side in International Stadium Yokohama.

With Chelsea parading some of the most exciting talents in Europe at the moment, the ex-Cote d’Ivoire international congratulated his former team for their success against the Yellow Submarine and is hoping they can win their ‘only missing’ trophy.

“Congrats my people Chelsea FC, one more to go in December. The only one missing,” the two-time African Player of the Year tweeted.

In 2012, he led Chelsea to win their maiden Champions League trophy after scoring the match-winning strike from the penalty spot against Bayern Munich.

During his time in England, he won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and three League Cups before moving to Turkey to win the Super Lig, the Turkish Cup and the Super Cup with Galatasaray.

The 43-year-old recently stepped down from his post as vice-president of the Ivory Coast Footballers Association, declaring his decision in a scathing letter released to social media.

"To all Ivorian football players ... I hereby announce that a few weeks ago, I took the decision to resign from my position as vice-president of the AFI and at the same time from its Steering Committee," Drogba wrote in the letter.

"We are all aware of the financial difficulties you are facing in the face of the inaction of the majority of the leaders of the AFI, which is supposed to represent you and defend your rights and interests.

"The AFI is at a standstill. It no longer meets your needs or expectations. The bad decisions that have followed one another have led to the deterioration of the very fundamentals of the organisation."

Ghana international Osman Bukari has left Belgian side Genk for French club Nantes.

The 22-year-old is the newest name on the books of the Ligue 1 fold after signing a loan deal that keeps him at the club for the entirety of the 2020-21 season.

He has been handed the No.26 jersey.

“FC Nantes and KAA Gent (Jupiler Pro League, BEL) have reached an agreement for the loan - without an option to buy - of the winger, Osman Bukari (22), until the end of the 2021-22 season,” Nantes announced on their official website on Thursday.

“Born in Accra (Ghana) and trained at his hometown club Accra Lions FC, Osman Bukari discovered European football during a six-month loan with RSC Anderlecht Under-21s (January 2018).

“After this first stint in Belgium, the new yellow and green winger then joins AC Trencin (Slovakia, July 2018 - September 2020), former club of a certain Moses Simon. With the Slovak team, Bukari took part in 66 matches in all competitions with 16 goals and 25 assists.

“A fast player, lively on his feet and liking to project himself towards the opposing goal, Osman Bukari (1m70) will bring all his percussion and his technical quality to the Nantes offensive for the coming season. The Ghanaian international (2 caps) is now showing a lot of ambition in this new challenge before him! For the coming fiscal year, he will wear the number 26.”

Last season, Bukari made 26 appearances for Genk in the Belgian top-flight, starting in 18 of the matches and scoring four times.

It was his first campaign with the Blue-White following a three-year move from Slovakian side Trencin.

He could make his Nantes debut when they host Metz in league action on Sunday.

Left out of Ghana’s squad for their double-header of friendlies against Morocco and Cote d’Ivoire in June, Bukari will hope to impress in Ligue 1 to earn a recall, having made his debut in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome and Principe in March.

Argentina and Aston Villa star Emiliano Martinez admits he lost his love for football during his long years of inactivity at Arsenal, but finally turned the corner when he refused to let the club send him out on loan anymore. 

Martinez, 28, became a hero for both club and country over the course of 2020-21, following up his fine debut season with Villa in the Premier League with a memorable Copa America campaign as he helped the Albiceleste take the title. 

But the goalkeeper also knows what it is like to suffer for his art, having spent the best part of a decade in north London while barely featuring for the first team. 

What was said? 

According to Martinez, the turning point for him came in 2018-19, when he was ordered out on loan once again at Reading having already endured similar spells at five different clubs - including a disastrous stint with Getafe. 

"I don't think you prepare for not playing, I always thought I had the talent but at some stage in my career when I was 22, 23 and I wasn't playing, I went on my first loan to Spain, I played only six games," he recalled to Football Daily. 

"Then I knew I would have to go back to Arsenal and they wouldn't give me a chance, so I would have to go on loan, so those years were really difficult, at some point I stopped loving football.

"That was something I was worried about, I told my wife, 'I know I'm not playing but I've stopped watching football games,' so it wasn't an easy place to be. Then I went on loan again to Reading in the Championship, a league which I didn't want to be in,

"I put myself in a position: I have a newborn baby, this is going to be my last loan. I got that in my head, I started with a psychologist that helped me through my bad moment, it helped me to get past my frustrations.

"Because I always believed I had the talent, I always believed in myself, that I could be one of the best."

The bigger picture

The Mar del Plata native joined Arsenal from Independiente while still a teenager after signing terms in 2009, but he found his path to first-team football continually blocked by a series of Gunners goalkeepers. 

Martinez went into what turned out to be his final Arsenal season in 2019-20 with just 14 appearances for the club in seven seasons, having spent much of the that out on temporary deals. 

Towards the end of that Covid-interrupted campaign he received an opportunity to shine when Bernd Leno was ruled out through injury and responded with a string of impressive displays between the posts. 

Rather than risk another year with sparse opportunities, though, Martinez opted to move to Villa, where he was ever-present in their league season and kept 15 clean sheets as Dean Smith's men secured a comfortable mid-table finish. 

He went on to play every game but one in Argentina's first Copa America triumph since 1993, conceding only two goals in six matches and standing out in particular for his penalty heroics against Colombia as he stopped three shoot-out efforts to send his team into the final. 

Further reading 

Juventus are on the verge of finally sealing Manuel Locatelli's highly anticipated move from Sassuolo. 

The Turin giants have been pursuing the Italy midfielder for weeks, and Goal understands that they are in the final stretch of negotiations. 

A deal could be struck as soon as Friday, which would be a huge boost for Massimiliano Allegri's men ahead of the start of the 2021-22 Serie A season. 

Stepping up the chase

With just one week left before Juve begin their Scudetto quest, they are keen to finalise Locatelli's arrival as soon as possible. 

The player himself has made no secret that Turin is his favoured destination even as he attracted interest from the Premier League, with Arsenal also mentioned as possible buyers. 

On Friday the Bianconeri are hopeful that a decisive breakthrough will be made in the deal. 

Representatives of Sassuolo are expected in Turin that day to further discuss terms with their Juve counterparts, and if talks go well the transfer could be sealed on the same day. 

The bigger picture 

While both clubs have publicly acknowledged ongoing negotiations over Locatelli, progress in agreeing a suitable fee has been slow. 

Sassuolo have held firm on their asking price of €40 million (£35m/$47m), rejecting previous bids that failed to meet that valuation. 

Back in July CEO Giovanni Carnevali told Sky Sport Italia: "[Locatelli] wants to join Juve. We’d be happy to sell Manuel to Juve but they need to pay the right fee. Arsenal made a bid to sign him and also a new English club is now in the race."

Juventus, meanwhile, insisted that their offer was just and that they were confident of landing their target. 

“We spoke to Sassuolo and we made our offer, which we believe is appropriate for the current climate, with the way finances and the transfer market have been affected by Covid,” club director Nedved explained to Sport Mediaset in response to Carnevali's comments.

“We are convinced this is a good offer and it is the right one. We are always confident, naturally in negotiations there are things that must be clarified and resolved.

"When you want a player and that player wants you, it’s clear." 

Further reading

Newly promoted Serie A club Venezia have completed the signing of David Okereke on a season-long loan from Club Brugge.

The Winged Lions also hold the option to hand the 23-year-old a permanent contract at the end of the 2021-22 campaign. 

After helping Club Brugge win the Belgian Super Cup last month with a 3-2 win over Genk, Okereke made an appearance in the Belgian First Division A opener against AS Eupen which ended in a 2-2 draw on July 25.

The Nigeria youth international who moved to Belgium in 2019, won back-to-back Belgian top-flight titles with his contribution of 13 goals in 50 league appearances. 

Although they finished fifth in the Serie B table last season, Venezia were promoted to the Italian top-flight after a 20-year absence via play-offs in May.

He joins on-loan Benfica defender Tyronne Ebuehi as the second Nigeria player in Paolo Zanetti's team.

"Venezia FC is pleased to announce the signing of Nigerian attacker David Okereke, 23, on loan from Club Brugge," read a statement on the club's website. 

"Okereke came through the youth academy at Spezia, before ultimately reaching the first team and making his professional debut in April 2016.

"After three seasons of increasing experience and progress, including a half-season loan at Cosenza, Okereke had a breakout season with Spezia in 2018/19, leading the team with 10 goals and 12 assists in Serie B.

"Okereke’s form at Spezia prompted a move to Club Brugge in July 2019. In his first season with the club, Okereke made 22 appearances (13 starts) and scored nine goals to help Club Brugge win the Belgian league, while also making eight appearances in the Uefa Champions League and one appearance in the Uefa Europa League Round of 32." 

The Lagos-born attacker still has two years left on his contract at Club Brugge. 

He was an unused substitute for the Super Eagles in an international friendly match against Egypt in March 2019, which ended 1-0 in their favour.

Chelsea have completed the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Inter for £98 million ($136m), with the Belgian striker returning to Stamford Bridge for a second spell after two years in Serie A.

Lukaku, who took in his first stint with the Blues between 2011 and 2014, has signed a five-year deal with the European champions that will see him remain in west London until 2026.

Inter were initially reluctant to part ways with a prized asset, but couldn't afford to turn down Chelsea's lucrative offer amid an ongoing financial crisis, and the 28-year-old has now been officially unveiled at the Bridge ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

What's been said?

"I’m happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club,’ said Lukaku in a statement on the club's official website. "It’s been a long journey for me: I came here as a kid who had a lot to learn, now I’m coming back with a lot of experience and more mature.

"The relationship I have with this club means so much to me, as you know. I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling.

"The way the club is going fits my ambitions perfectly at 28 and just coming off winning Serie A. I think this opportunity comes at the right time and hopefully we can have a lot of success together.

"Since I left Chelsea, it’s been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, but these experiences made me strong and the challenge is to try to help the team win some more trophies. I can’t wait to get started and to help the club achieve more success."

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added: "Romelu Lukaku is quite simply one of the world’s best strikers and goalscorers. We are absolutely delighted to be bringing him back to the club he loves, and are excited to be adding his talent to our Champions League-winning squad."

Why did Chelsea target Lukaku?

Chelsea may have conquered the Champions League for a second time last season, while also securing a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last term, but Jorginho was their top scorer in the league with seven goals.

Timo Werner struggled to live up to expectations following his £47.5m move from RB Leipzig last summer, scoring just six top-flight goals in 35 appearances, while Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud also struggled for consistency.

Giroud opted to join AC Milan in search of more regular minutes last month, leaving a spot open in Thomas Tuchel's ranks for a new target man, and Lukaku will be expected to walk straight into his starting line-up after solidifying his reputation as one of the most prolific forwards in Europe at San Siro.

The Belgium international failed to score a goal in 15 competitive outings for the Blues when he was last on their books, but returns as a far more accomplished player having fired Inter to their first Serie A crown in 11 years in 2020-21.

Lukaku goes full circle

Lukaku, who began his career at Anderlecht in 2009, left Chelsea to join Everton in 2014 amid a lack of regular minutes at the Bridge, and went onto score 87 goals in 166 games for the Toffees before joining Manchester United.

The Red Devils paid £75m ($105m) to bring the frontman to Old Trafford in 2017, and he scored 26 goals in his debut season at the club, but fell out of favour in 2018-19 amid persistent struggles for form and fitness.

United accepted a £1m loss on their initial investment when selling Lukaku to Inter at the end of that campaign, but he took his game to greater heights in Italy under Antonio Conte.

Chelsea's newest signing recorded 64 goals and 16 assists in 95 appearances for the Nerazzurri, and will now be expected to help the Blues launch a serious title challenge when the new campaign kicks off.

Further reading

Struggling Atlanta United have turned to Gonzalo Pineda as their next head coach, with the ex-Mexico international tasked with turning around fortunes at the club after Gabriel Heinze's disastrous tenure. 

The Argentine was relieved of his duties in July amid accusations of conflict with key players and draconian training methods as well as an awful run of results. 

And Pineda is the man chosen to take over at Atlanta as he prepares for his first-ever head coaching experience. 

What was said? 

"Atlanta United today announced it has named Gonzalo Pineda as the club’s new head coach. Pineda will be under contract through the 2024 season," the club signalled in a statement published on its official website. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Gonzalo as the head coach of Atlanta United,” club president Darren Eales said.

“Building off an illustrious international playing career, Gonzalo joined Seattle’s coaching staff and played an integral role in the club’s success over the last few years. He has a thorough understanding of MLS and has proven to be one of the top assistants in the league.

"He is a great fit for our club from a cultural and technical perspective, and we’re excited to have a long-term commitment in place.”

Pineda added: “This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m really excited to become Atlanta United’s head coach. I want to thank Arthur Blank, Steve Cannon, as well as Darren and Carlos [Bocanegra] for entrusting me in this position.

"I’m arriving to a club that already has a system in place to help the players and coaching staff deliver good results for the supporters. I’m looking forward to arriving in Atlanta and meeting with everyone at the club.”

Dark days under Heinze 

Heinze had arrived at Atlanta to some fanfare, having made an impressive start to life as a coach in his native Argentina with Argentinos Juniors and Velez Sarsfield. 

Results failed to live up to expectations, though, with the ex-Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain defender leaving after defeat to New England Revolution which left Atlanta languishing in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, with just 13 points in as many games. 

Heinze also clashed with club favourite Josef Martinez, freezing the Venezuela striker out of the first team, while his hard-line training methods, including the limiting of water breaks, attracted widespread criticism and even an official complaint from the ​Major League Soccer Players Association.

Speaking to Fox, one player described El Gringo's tenure as "hell every day for six months".

The bigger picture 

While Pineda has not held a head coaching position before, he enjoys an impeccable MLS pedigree, having starred in the league for two seasons with Seattle Sounders at the end of his illustrious playing career. 

He has also spent the last four years in Seattle as a Sounders assistant coach. 

Atlanta remain in 10th in the Eastern Conference, six points behind Columbus Crew in the final play-off spot. 

Interim coach Rob Valentino will remain in charge for the next two MLS matches before Pineda takes full control of the team. 

Further reading 

AFC Leopards maintained their recent dominance over Ulinzi Stars after claiming a 1-0 win at the Nakuru ASK Show Grounds in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League assignment on Thursday.

Caleb Olilo struck the only goal that ensured the 13-time league champions bagged maximum points.

Having lost the initial meeting by a solitary goal, the Soldiers had come into the match aiming at avenging it. However, they were not going to get it easily over the determined visitors who aimed at finishing the season on a high.

Ulinzi were a better side as compared to Ingwe in early exchanges and in the 13th minute, Benjamin Ochan was called to action to deny Mark Bikokwa who was keen on finishing a good John Njuguna pass.

Two minutes later, the attacker, once again, failed to beat the custodian after beating the defenders. It was a wake-up call for the Patrick Aussems-led charges who took time to settle.

Even after the water break, it was the four-time champions who continued to push for an opening goal. In the 36th minute, Ochan, again, came to Ingwe's rescue, this time around, stopping Masita Masuta who had gone past Collins Shivachi. 

The meaningful attempt in the first half, from Ingwe, came in the 43rd minute when Washington Munene beat his marker, but James Saruni pulled a fantastic save to deny him.

After the break, Leopards steadily improved, stopping their opponents from getting to their danger zone regularly. 

Another chance for Ingwe came in the 67th minute. Yusuf Mainge played a long ball to Elvis Rupia, but the striker missed the target after managing to hold off the defenders.

Against the run of play, it was Ingwe who scored in the 72nd minute. Olilo was given space in a good area and unleashed a fierce strike which Saruni failed to keep out.

The goal set up a tense finale with Clinton Omondi thinking he had equalised in the 80th minute, only for the assistant referee to raise an offside flag. 

The win took Ingwe to third with 47 points, seven less than 10th placed Stars.

Ulinzi Stars XI: James Saruni, Brian Birgen, Haron Mwale, Bonface Andayi, Alex Masinde, Bonface Onyango, Masuta Masita, John Kago, Mark Bikokwa, Elvis Nandwa, John Njuguna 

Subs: Jacktone Odhiambo, Bernard Ongoma, Quintine Indeche, Byron Odiaga, Oscar Wamalwa, Enosh Ochieng, Kelvin Thairu, Clinton Omondi. 

AFC Leopards XI: Benjamin Ochan, Washington Munene, Collins Shivachi, Yusuf Mainge, Isaac Kipyegon, Tsuma Said, Austin Odhiambo, Brian Wanyama, Caleb Olilo, Peter Thiong'o, Elvis Rupia 

Subs: Ezekiel Owade, Omar Somobwana, Robert Mudenyu, Dan Sunguti, Saad Mousa, Bonface Mukhekhe, Shaka Bienvenue

English Premier League side Watford have revealed the jersey numbers of Emmanuel Dennis and Peter Etebo as they commence their 2021-22 campaign against Aston Villa on Saturday.

According to a statement published on the club website , Etebo has been handed jersey number 4, while his compatriot Dennis will put on the number 25 shirt.

Elsewhere, William Troost-Ekong retained his number 5 shirt as Isaac Success and Tom Dele-Bashiru will put on shirt numbers 22 and 24 respectively.

For England youth international of Ghanaian descent Kwadwo Baah, his jersey number is 34 as he hopes to break into Xisco Munoz’s squad that boasts Ismaila Sarr and captain Troy Deeney.

25-year-old joined the Vicarage Road outfit on loan for the rest of the season from Stoke City.

That move is his third loan move away from the Potters having spent the last one and a half seasons in La Liga with Getafe and Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray.

The midfielder has been at Stoke since 2018 featuring in 45 English Championship games with two goals to his credit.

In a recent interview, he vowed to give his all for Munoz’s team when the English elite division campaign begins.

“I’m excited, I’m happy to be part of the family. It’s been a joy to me since I came in,” the Super Eagles star told the club website.

“The lads, the management, everyone in the club has been good. I see it is a family club. I’m just trying to settle in, which I think is going to be fine for me.

“It’s going to be a long season, but let’s see. The most important thing is for us to keep our heads up, and make sure we’re going to give everything.

“When I first signed for Stoke I had people telling me coming to England wouldn’t be easy, especially in the Championship,” he continued.

“Everyone knows it's one of the toughest [leagues], you have to keep running, chase people down.”

On the other hand, Dennis joined Watford from Belgian top-flight side Club Brugge on a five-year deal.

Due to his failure to tie down a regular place at the Jan Breydel Stadium, the forward was loaned to FC Cologne for the 2020-21 campaign.

However, he struggled to get regular playing time at the Bundesliga outfit – featuring in nine German elite division games with no goals to his credit.

Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Graham Potter has admitted interest from overseas for the services of Percy Tau.

However, despite the interest, Potter has confirmed the South African international has been named in the squad for their Premier League opener against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday. 

What did Potter say?

“Percy has been training with us this morning; there has been interest from overseas but nothing new to report,” Potter said as quoted by The Argus.

“He is available for the game on Saturday.”

The 27-year-old has heavily been linked with a move to Egyptian giants Al Ahly after he missed most part of the pre-season training with Brighton.

What did Mosimane say about Tau?

In a recent interview, Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane likened the attacker to Lionel Messi, saying the Bafana Bafana star deserves a move to the Cairo giants.

“Percy is a strong man, he is like Messi. He has so much to show you every week. So let’s give him a chance to show,” said Mosimane.

“So yes I would like to sign Percy if Brighton agrees to sell Percy and we can pay him. Firstly we must pay Percy. If we can pay him, he must come and show that he is the king of the jungle. So let him come. 

“If Al Ahly can be the third-biggest team in the world and beat the South Americans [Palmeiras] that represents the whole of South America, then Al Ahly is a good team.

“Percy is 27 now. You want him to retire without playing football? Then we have the tag of him playing in the EPL. He is not playing in the EPL. They keep loaning him out. They have a pre-season now and they are playing friendly games.”

Mosimane continued: “Percy has to decide whether he is going to retire without playing football because, for me, the last time he played football was at Mamelodi Sundowns and I was with him. That was the last time he played football, otherwise, Percy hasn’t played football,

“So he has to decide if he wants to play football but first he must look after the finances. The same money he is getting in the EPL he can get at Al Ahly. He should be happy to show people what he is capable of doing. He is not showing people what he is capable of. He is about to retire.

“Those things are important. People say ‘but he is downgrading’ but he is not playing where he is. So do your thing, for me I would love Percy to come. Any coach would like Percy to come to Africa. Let him come and play the Club World Cup against Bayern, let him dribble Bayern.”

Harry Maguire is backing Jadon Sancho to be a "real star" for Manchester United after seeing a £73 million ($101m) move to Old Trafford wrapped up.

After several windows of intense speculation, the Red Devils have finally got their man after putting a big-money agreement in place with Borussia Dortmund.

Sancho's exploits in Germany suggest that he should thrive back in his homeland, with Maguire expecting a fellow England international to take the Premier League by storm.

What has been said?

United's captain has told Sky Sports of the potential Sancho possesses: "I think he's been linked with us for a couple of seasons now and it felt a bit like my transfer when I was joining Manchester United, where it didn't happen one season but the following season we managed to get it over the line.

"I'm really excited for him, he's an exceptional talent. He's the type of player - with the confidence he has - who can be a real star for this club and I feel like in the future and the success we have, he can have a big part to play."

Will Sancho help to deliver silverware?

Alongside Sancho, United have also put a deal in place for World Cup-winning France international defender Raphael Varane.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not ruling out further additions being made before the next deadline passes on August 31, and Maguire admits the time has come for the Red Devils to land a first piece of silverware since 2017.

An ambitious character said: "I think this season is going to be more competitive than ever. We've strengthened and the other clubs around us have strengthened as well. There's a lot of great teams in this league.

"You've seen in the past that those fine margins can create a 10-point gap from where you were last season.

"Of course, Manchester City won the league last season and they're a top team. They've obviously signed Jack [Grealish], who I know really well, he's a top player so they're going to be strong.

"Chelsea, Liverpool too - whoever puts good runs together and remains focused, but the most important thing for us is concentrating on ourselves. We've got to improve on last season and we'll aim to do that."

Maguire added: "We've made progress in terms of what we've done as a club and who we can compete against - the top teams around the world - and that's where we're at now," Maguire said.

"Of course, this is the time when we need to start delivering. We need to start winning trophies because we've proved over the past couple of years that we can be competitive again."

Further reading

Federico Chiesa boasts "the same poison" as Pavel Nedved, says Alessio Tacchinardi, with the Juventus winger being backed to become a Ballon d'Or winner in the next "three or four years".

At 23 years of age, time is on the side of a highly-rated forward as he looks to cement a standing at the top of a global game.

He remains very much on that path, with a key role taken on in Turin and Euro 2020 glory savoured with Italy, and he is expected to land a Golden Ball at some point in the near future.

What has been said?

Juve legend Tacchinardi, who made over 400 appearances for the club across 11 years, has told Tuttosport of the progress being made by Chiesa: "The years in which we have to repeat ourselves, or continue to grow, are the hardest.

"For Chiesa, it will be extremely difficult to meet the expectations. I have heard talk about him winning the Ballon d’Or in three or four years: I agree.

"I see the same poison that Pavel Nedved had. He has enormous qualities; he dribbles left and right and can shoot with very little space.

"Last year he touched the border of the top players. I believe he will get there this year and [Massimiliano] Allegri, who has always been a champion, can help him."

How has Chiesa fared at Juventus?

Chiesa, the son of former Parma and Italy frontman Enrico, came through the academy system at Fiorentina.

A professional debut was made in 2016, with undoubted ability allowing 153 appearances to be taken in for the Viola.

It was always going to be a matter of time before the big boys came calling, with Juve agreeing a two-year loan with an obligation to buy in the summer of 2020.

Chiesa hit 14 goals through 43 outings in his debut campaign with the Bianconeri, before then taking on a starring role for his country at a successful European Championship.

Big things are expected of him in 2021-22, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Co, with a confident character ready to shoulder that expectation and take his game to even greater heights.

Further reading

Watford have provided an injury update on Adam Masina ahead of their 2021-22 Premier League opener against Aston Villa on Saturday.

The Morocco international suffered an injury during the Hornets’ build-up to the new English topflight season.

And that ruled him out of his team’s 3-1 defeat to Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace on Saturday at Selhurst Park.

However, the left-back has now returned to training with the rest of the team in preparation for their fixture against Dean Smith’s side at Vicarage Road.

While Domingos Quina is also back in the squad, the trio of Joao Pedro, Joshua King and Nathaniel Chalobah are unavailable for action this weekend.

“Xisco Munoz has a near fully-fit squad to choose from ahead of the Premier League season opener on Saturday,” a statement from the Hertfordshire based outfit read.

“Only strikers Joao Pedro and Joshua King, plus midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah, are unavailable for the visit of Aston Villa at Vicarage Road.

“Joao Pedro continues to work with the medical team to recover from a knee injury he sustained last month in the behind-closed-doors friendly against Millwall, whilst this weekend comes just too soon for King, who should re-join the squad for full training next week following a minor groin problem.

“Chalobah also misses out this weekend due to illness.

“Adam Masina and Domingos Quina have both returned to full training this week after sitting out the friendly at Crystal Palace last weekend.”

The 2015 Serie B Footballer of the Year joined the English team from Bologna after signing a five-year deal.

In his maiden season in England, Masina featured in 14 league games while appearing 26 times the next term, albeit, the club got demoted to the English second tier.

The 27-year-old played a key role in Watford’s return to the Premier League – featuring in 25 Championship games with two goals to his credit.

His sumptuous free kick in the Hornets’ 2-1 away defeat of Cardiff City was nominated for the 2020-21 Watford Goal of the Season prize alongside strikes from Tom Cleverley [vs Swansea], Ken Sema [vs Rotherham United], Frankie McAvoy [vs Preston North End] and Joao Pedro [vs Derby County].