Euphoric Ahly scored a trademark late goal to come from behind and earn a 2-1 victory over Ittihad of Alexandria in the Egypt Cup on Tuesday, edging closer to their first treble in 13 years. Fresh from winning the African Champions League with a dramatic last-gasp victory over Cairo foes Zamalek on Friday, Ahly also netted one minute from time against Ittihad to reach their first cup final in three years. Hamdi Fathi s angled header at the far post went past the advancing keeper as Ahly set up a final meeting with Talae El-Geish, who beat Zamalek 3-1 earlier in the day, on Saturday. Ivorian winger Razak Cisse, who is on loan from Zamalek, was a constant menace to Ahly s defence, giving Ittihad a first-half lead. However, playmaker Magdi Afsha, the hero of Ahly s Champions League triumph, stole the show again with a 72nd-minute equaliser. The Red Devils last won the treble in the 2006-2007 season under iconic Portuguese coach Manuel Jose. Ahly striker Marwan Mohsen missed a sitter midway through the first half, firing high over after being played in by winger Hussein El-Shahat. They were punished for the glaring miss when the lively Cisse put Ittihad in front in the 35th minute, slotting into the far bottom corner after a clever flicked pass from Ammar Hamdi released him. Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane gave a debut to winger Taher Mohamed Taher, who joined from Arab Contractors, in the second half. He also introduced forward Salah Mohsen, who returned to the club after a loan spell with Smouha. Both men injected zeal as Ahly poured forward en masse, with Afsha drawing them level with a curling shot from 25 meters that nestled into keeper Emad El-Sayed s left-hand post after Ali Maaloul had pulled an angled free kick back to him. Fathi headed home following a floated ball from El-Shahat to put Ahly on the brink of a remarkable treble.

Egyptian giants Ahly have dropped out-of-favour playmaker Saleh Gomaa, Senegalese striker Aliou Badji, and winger Ahmed El-Sheikh from next season’s squad according to a statement on the club s official website. Ahly have decided to offload the trio, with more expected to follow, just a few days after winning their ninth African Champions League title last Friday. Gifted playmaker Saleh Gomaa has been a major flop at Ahly, as his spell has been marred by a poor disciplinary record since joining the club in 2016. The 27-year-old talented midfielder was seen as the successor of Abdallah El-Said, who left the team to join Pyramids FC in 2018, however he never lived up to those expectations due to his lack of commitment. Gomaa played 72 games and scored 12 goals during his four-year stay at the club. Meanwhile, the Senegalese striker Badji, who was hired by previous coach Rene Weiler in January, has reportedly failed to convince coach Pitso Mosimane of his abilities and has been cut from future plans. Local media reports revealed that the player may be transferred on loan to a European club. The 28-year-old winger El-Sheikh was rumoured to move to several clubs even before Ahly announced their new squad list. El-Sheikh, who won the top scorer award in the 2016-2017 season while playing at Makassa, failed to reproduce his spark since joining Ahly in June 2018. Ahly are scheduled to face Ittihad of Alexandria on Tuesday in the Egypt Cup semi-final.

Former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Alex Song could not prevent his new club, Arta Solar 7 of Djibouti, from losing at home in a CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round first leg. Burkinabe Farouk Kabore scored on 24 minutes to give Egyptian club Al Mokawloon Al Arab (formerly Arab Contractors) a 1-0 victory in Djibouti City despite an energetic showing by the 33-year-old Cameroonian. Song not only captains Arta in the tiny Horn of Africa nation, but is also in charge of youth development at the club. Here, AFP Sport provides five talking points from the first qualifying matches at the weekend in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League. Winning return Al Mokawloon, who won the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup three times under their former name, are back in a CAF competition for the first time since 2005. Winning in Djibouti virtually guarantees the Cairo outfit a much tougher task -- facing Etoile Sahel of Tunisia in a stand-out last-32 tie. Etoile are the only club to have won all five current and former CAF competitions -- the Champions League, Confederation Cup, Super Cup, African Cup Winners Cup and CAF Cup. Reserves triumph Bloemfontein Celtic of South Africa took their reserve team to the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo and upset domestic league leaders Maniema Union 2-0 in Kindu. The damage was inflicted in the early minutes with Congo Brazzaville-born Harris Tchilimbou scoring on five minutes and Menzi Ndwandwe doubling the lead just four minutes later. With a winners-take-all eight million rand (($525,000/440,000 euros) domestic cup final against Orlando Pirates looming, Celtic opted to deploy the second stringers. Nigerian setbacks Both Nigerian contenders suffered away losses with Kano Pillars falling 3-1 to Jaraaf in Senegal and Rivers United going down 2-1 to African newcomers Futuro Kings in Equatorial Guinea. Jamil Muhammad gave Kano an early lead before they conceded twice in the first half and Makhtar N Diaye doubled the home team s lead 14 minutes from time in Thies near Dakar. A brace from Cameroonian Gregoire Nkama put Kings in control in Mongomo before Godwin Aguda converted a late penalty for Rivers. Zambian goal rush African debutants NAPSA Stars of Zambia were the most convincing first leg winners as they hammered Ngazi Club 5-1 in the Comoros. It could have been an even more embarrassing scoreline for the home team as NAPSA had a goal disallowed in Moroni. Danny Silavwe bagged a brace for Stars, who built a four-goal lead before Mananot Raharinjatovo claimed a consolation goal for the islanders. Powerful minnows Tihad Casablanca of Morocco proved that being a second division club is no disadvantage in Africa as they won 1-0 away to GAMTEL of the Gambia in Bakau near Banjul. The only goal came eight minutes from time when Youssef Raiani unleashed an unstoppable shot from outside the box that flew over the Gambian goalkeeper. Tihad are the third most popular football side in Casablanca after Raja and Wydad, clubs who have won the CAF Champions League five times between them.

Ahly Football Director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz revealed the club could suspend negotiations to sign Uruguayan forward Gaston Sirino Rodriguez from South African team Mamelodi Sundowns.Reports from Egyptian media outlets claimed that the Red Devils are close to signing Sirino, especially after the arrival of South African coach Pitso Mosimane. "I don t know the details of the negotiations with Sirino as the file is with the club s Contracting Manager Amir Tawfiq," Abdel-Hafiz told a television programme. "It s possible to postpone negotiations with the player, and circumstances could lead us to not sign him," Ahly s football director added. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder is one of the most talented players in Mamelodi Sundowns’ squad, as he attracted the attention of Ahly s management during his team’s participation in the CAF Champions League. Moreover, Ahly s coach Mosimane asked the Reds management to sign the player. The Red Devils bolstered their squad for the new season by signing Raja s Moroccan defender Benoun on a four-year deal. The towering 27-year-old has been a key member of Raja s squad in the past few years. "Benoun and all the new players will join Ahly s squad against Ittihad of Alexandria in the Egyptian Cup semi-final game," Abdel-Hafiz said. Ahly are scheduled to face Ittihad in the Egyptian Cup semi-final on Tuesday.

For Ahmed Mekkawi, a die-hard Ahly supporter, watching his side face bitter rivals Zamalek in Friday s African Champions League final is an emotional burden he can barely stand, let alone seeing them lose. "I don t have the steely nerves required to sit down and watch this game like any other football match. It s not like any other," the 29-year-old engineer told Ahram Online. Ahly and Zamalek face off in arguably the most high-profile match of their century-old rivalry, which local media has dubbed "the derby of the century." It resembles the 2018 Copa Libertadores final between Argentinean foes Boca Juniors and River Plate, which the latter won after the second leg was played in Madrid, a neutral venue, due to safety concerns in Buenos Aires. Tensions are also running high in the Egyptian capital, although sports minister Ashraf Sobhy insisted that no cafes would be shut during the game after some had warned of possible altercations. He also led a campaign to diffuse tensions ahead of the game, appealing for sportsmanship to prevail. Both sides met eight times in Africa s blue-riband club competition, but never in the final. It s also the first finale to feature teams from the same country in the Champions League history. Ahly and Zamalek might serve up an exciting spectacle for neutrals all over the continent, but not for the passionate supporters of both teams, who number in the tens of millions. The gripping atmosphere is not for the faint of heart. "Every time I think of the consequences of a defeat, my heart beats very fast. I feel that my life will completely change either way. I would be over the moon if we win but too depressed if we don t," said Noureldeen Mahmoud, a 25-year-old Zamalek supporter. "I had high hopes that Ahly would lose to [Moroccan side] Wydad in the semifinal so that we don t find ourselves in such an unbearable emotional situation. I can think of anything but the game." Everything is at stake in the highly-charged derby, which will take place at Cairo Stadium behind closed doors. It s the venue that hosted the majority of their duels in almost six decades and the scene of many highs and lows for both sides. Ahly are eyeing a record-extending ninth crown while Zamalek are looking to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time since winning the last of their five titles in 2002. The winners will represent Africa at the Club World Cup next year. The prevalent fear of loss among the fans of both sides is not limited to footballing reasons. Social media adds an extra pressure, thanks to a flood of memes that follows every single Cairo derby. "I will not log in to Facebook if we lose," said Mekkawi, the Ahly supporter. "I will not tolerate their bad jokes and comics, which they will keep posting for years to come."

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman was pleased to see his side play with a renewed sense of freshness in Tuesday’s 4-0 win away to Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League after heavily rotating his squad. The Dutchman, who is under pressure due to Barca’s poor start to the domestic season, made eight changes from the team that were beaten 1-0 by Atletico Madrid on Saturday and left all-time top scorer Lionel Messi back in Barcelona. After a poor start, Barca got going in the second half to easily beat the Ukrainians with a goal from Sergino Dest, a double from Martin Braithwaite and a late strike from substitute Antoine Griezmann, clinching the Catalans’ place in the last 16. “Some games turn out better than others but the biggest difference today was how fresh we looked,” Koeman told a news conference. “We did the right thing in resting some players and giving an opportunity to others who were in a better physical shape. We were much better in midfield, we showed lots of hunger and pressed our opponents very well.” Koeman praised the performance of debutant defender Oscar Mingueza who was called upon as three of his four centrebacks were injured, adding that the 21-year-old was likely to start again in Sunday’s La Liga game at home to Osasuna. Konrad de la Fuente and Matheus Fernandes also made their first-team debuts after coming off the bench, while youngsters Dest, Pedri and Francisco Trincao also impressed. “He’s a young player who has spent many years with the club so he knows exactly how we want to play,” Koeman said of Mingueza. “He needs to improve but he gave a good first impression which is important for us and for him.” He added: “The team played with a lot of hunger today, we scored four goals and we were able to rest some important players. The young players also got some minutes which they really deserved and they all stood their ground.”

Christian Eriksen s dream move to Inter Milan looks over with the former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker requesting to leave the Italian giants after just 10 months. The Danish international arrived on a four-and-a-half-year contract worth 20 million euros ($23 million) plus 7.5 million euros in bonuses in January. But during a year overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, the 28-year-old has been unable to reproduce his form with Spurs, where he scored 69 goals and had 89 assists in 305 appearances, or recently with Denmark. "It wasn t what I had dreamed of," admitted Erikson, who has fallen down the pecking order under coach Antonio Conte. "People would like to see me play and I would like to do the same, but the coach has different ideas and I have to respect them." The Dane has played seven times this season -- four as a starter -- with no assists or goals. In total he has scored four goals for Inter in 33 games. "We must never hold back a player who asks to be transferred," club CEO Giuseppe Marotta said Sunday, confirming Eriksen s impending exit. Conte insisted Eriksen "has had many opportunities and played more than others". "My choices are always made for the good of Inter," said the former Chelsea coach. "When I deem it appropriate he ll be able to play in the starting 11 or during the game." One of the problems facing Eriksen has been that Inter have many options in central and attacking midfield. Chilean Arturo Vidal arrived from Barcelona last summer, with Radja Nainggolan, Marcelo Brozovic, and Ivan Perisic also in the position. Conte has insisted he will not change the Dane s position to a more defensive one. "Eriksen has an important role and style of play, both on the left and the right," said Conte. "If you take that away and play him deeper in front of the defence you run the risk of distorting the player. It s a technical decision." Eriksen has not featured in Inter s last two league games and also looks set to miss their Champions League Group B clash against Real Madrid at the San Siro on Wednesday. The Italians are bottom of the group, and lost the away leg 3-2, despite coming from two goals down to equalise before Real snatched victory. - Man Utd, Arsenal link - In the meantime, Eriksen has been linked with moves to French champions Paris Saint-Germain, or a return to the Premier League with Arsenal or Manchester United. Inter finished last season just one point behind champions Juventus, and are among the favourites for the Scudetto this campaign. In Serie A they are fifth, five points behind leaders AC Milan. The 18-time Italian champions have not won Serie A since their unprecedented treble in 2010, which included a third Champions League crown. Inter s only trophy since has been the 2011 Italian Cup. This season Inter have won just four of their 11 games played, but Conte insisted: "The team have taken home less points than they ve deserved." In the Champions League, they have two points after three games. But Conte was pleased with the determination which Inter demonstrated in coming from two-goals down after an hour to beat Torino 4-2 on Sunday. "It was our attitude which changed, our determination and the ferocity with which we pressed. "We found the net four times and could have scored more." Inter can also count on former Manchester United forward Romelu Lukaku, who missed the trip to Spain with a thigh injury. The Belgian scored a brace and set up the other two goals against Torino. Inter s attack is among the best in Italy, with 20 goals in eight league games, the first time since the 1997/1998 season the team have achieved such a feat.

Zamalek was dealt a significant blow as international defender Mahmoud “El-Wensh” Hamdi has tested positive for Coronavirus four days before the highly anticipated African Champions League final against Ahly on Friday. "El Wensh has tested positive today for the Coronavirus. He is in isolation now and will undergo another swab in the next few days," board member Ahmed Mortada Mansour told a radio program on Monday. The 25-year-old versatile defender has established himself as a key element in Zamalek s defence, recently earning a place in Egypt s squad during their last African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Togo earlier this month. He was the Pharaohs hero, scoring the only goal of the game against the visitors to give Egypt their first win of the qualifiers. Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny, and Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan from the national team also reported positive while in Egypt. He is set to be replaced by Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani to pair with Mahmoud Alaa in central defence. El-Wensh is Zamalek s third player to be infected recently, following Hazem Emam and Mohamed Hassan who have fully recovered. Zamalek will clash with arch-rivals Ahly on Friday at Cairo stadium in what has been called the "final of the century" in a first ever all Egyptian African Champions League final. It is the first time that two teams from the same country reach that stage since the competition was inaugurated in 1964.

Diego Simeone could finally savour a league victory over Barcelona on Saturday in 10 seasons in charge of Atletico Madrid but refused to discuss whether the 1-0 win proved his side were capable of winning La Liga. The Argentine had enjoyed success over Barca in the Champions League in 2014 and 2016 and this year’s Spanish Super Cup but had never before taken three points off the Catalans since taking charge of Atleti in 2011. “We have come very close to beating Barca before, we beat them in Saudi Arabia, we had drawn at their ground and lost by very little here before. Today it was our turn to win, but it won’t change our objectives one bit,” Simeone told reporters. The coach dismissed comparisons between his current side and the squad which pipped Barca to the Spanish title in 2014 but he did praise his players for how they have kicked on since undergoing deep changes in the summer of 2019. “The thing we value the most is how the players have grown from last season, they are much more capable of offering what the team needs,” he said. “The group is in very good shape, I’ve been saying that for a long time and it gives us the belief to keep working hard on what we are doing. Now we must maintain this energy and keep on competing.” Match winner Yannick Carrasco also shunned a question about Atletico’s title credentials, saying his side were only focusing on Wednesday’s Champions League game against Lokomotiv Moscow. But captain Koke, the only surviving member of that title winning side, did not rule out the prospect entirely, pointing to the early season problems Barca and champions Real Madrid were having. “The teams at the top are slipping up right now, so why shouldn’t we dream about winning La Liga?” he said. “But we’re staying calm, because we haven’t achieved anything yet.”

A frustrated Lionel Messi said he is tired of being blamed for problems at Barcelona after he was accused by Antoine Griezmann s former agent of making life difficult for the French striker at the La Liga club. Eric Olhats had accused Messi of having too much control at the club, saying his "reign of terror" had made life difficult for Griezmann to adapt since his arrival last year. Messi returned to Barcelona from international duty with Argentina on Wednesday when he was accosted by reporters at the airport. "The truth is that I m a little tired of always being the problem for everything at the club," Messi was quoted as saying by Spanish media. "On top of that, after a 15-hour flight, I had the tax authorities waiting for me. It s madness." With one year left on his contract, Messi tried to activate a disputed clause to leave Barcelona for free in the off-season, but eventually decided to stay as he did not want to face a legal battle with the club. Barcelona have been in turmoil since Bayern Munich humiliated the Spanish side 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-finals last season. Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned last month ahead of a vote of no confidence. Messi has also had his run-ins with the Spanish tax authorities in recent years. He was handed a 21-month prison sentence in 2016 and ordered to pay a fine of two million euros ($2.37 million) for defrauding the Spanish government of 4.2 million euros over income earned from image rights. However, the 33-year-old did not serve any jail time after exchanging his sentence for a 250,000 euros fine, as in Spain defendants without a previous conviction are permitted to serve any sentence of under two years on probation.

Ahly were relieved on Wednesday after defensive midfielder Aliou Dieng and defender Ayman Ashraf were cleared to join the team’s trainings despite their recent injuries. Ahly are preparing for the anticipated match against archrivals Zamalek in the African Champions League final in Cairo on 27 November. Dieng and Ashraf were stretched off while being on international duty. Dieng left Mali’s game against Namibia in the African qualifiers on Tuesday after feeling pain, while Ashraf departed Egypt’s game with Togo earlier on the same day. The injury of both players came as a blow for Ahly s South African coach Pitso Mosimane as the team have experienced multiple injuries. “I suffered from a knock and strain, but it is not a serious injury. I will join the team after arriving in Cairo,” Ashraf told On Time Sports TV channel on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ahly’s official website reported that Dieng told the team’s football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz that he is ready to join the trainings after suffering a minor knock. The Reds are still waiting for the recovery of right-back Mohamed Hani who suffered a knee injury in the match against Togo on Saturday.

England s Premier League must reconsider its position on limiting clubs to making only three substitutions per match as injuries mount amid a congested schedule, national team boss Gareth Southgate has said. Soccer s rule-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), gave leagues the option of continuing to use five substitutes per match in the 2020-21 campaign after introducing the system earlier this year, with games coming thick and fast after the COVID-19 pandemic truncated the length of the season. While other top European leagues have taken up that option, Premier League clubs voted against it, though Southgate s call echoed complaints from a chorus of club managers asking for a change following injuries to England internationals Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell. "We were able to make five changes against Belgium, we made four in the end and clubs don t have that option," Southgate told reporters. "What will it take for that to change? There were a couple of less serious injuries against Belgium but what do we do? Wait until we get a load of really nasty ones?" Southgate said England had been forced to give players extra days recovery and also tapered their training schedules as the country s hopes of qualifying for the Nations League finals were dashed after Sunday s 2-0 defeat by Belgium. "I have to be fair to the club managers. They are their players firstly and they have the right to play them as they see fit," he added. "(Injuries are) a worry in the longer term because with no winter break, something has to give." Liverpool s Juergen Klopp and Manchester City s Pep Guardiola have been critical of the Premier League this season for not looking after the players following the switch back to a maximum of three substitutes. England host Iceland on Wednesday in their final Nations League group stage game.

England midfielder Jordan Henderson was withdrawn at halftime against Belgium due to tightness in his leg, manager Gareth Southgate said, casting doubt on his availability for injury-hit Liverpool this weekend. Harry Winks replaced Henderson in the second half of England’s 2-0 loss in their Nations League group stage match on Sunday which ended the visitors’ hopes of reaching the finals. “Jordan had a bit of tightness at halftime and felt he couldn’t carry on,” Southgate told reporters, adding that he was not sure if it was a hamstring issue. Southgate said the Liverpool skipper will be assessed when they return to England. Liverpool have had a number of regulars in their starting lineup sidelined with injury, losing defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez after both underwent surgeries while Trent Alexander-Arnold withdrew from the England squad with injury. The defence is threadbare with left back Andy Robertson also a doubt with a hamstring issue while Liverpool’s midfield is without Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as both players recover from knee injuries. Meanwhile, forward Mohamed Salah is set to miss Sunday’s match against Leicester City as he isolates after testing positive for COVID-19. Southgate said Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling would miss their final group stage match against Iceland with a calf injury but would be available for the weekend. The England boss, 50, also confirmed he had tested positive for COVID-19 last month. “I did have the virus but I was fortunate,” he said. “It was not as serious as so many people in our country. It was not pleasant but it is all fine now.”

Manchester United may not have the resources that some of their Premier League rivals do but the fallen giants of English soccer still possess the mentality to end their title drought in the competition, midfielder Bruno Fernandes said. United last claimed the league title in the 2012-13 season under Alex Ferguson and have endured a frustrating period since, with rivals like Manchester City and Liverpool building teams capable of dominating the league. United finished third in the league last season and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Europa League with Fernandes, who arrived at the club in January, playing a key role. “For me, it doesn’t matter about the other teams. People may say they’re better than us, they have a better first eleven than us, guys who come from the bench are better. People can say what they think, I don’t care,” Fernandes said on the UTD podcast. “For a club like United, it’s a long time since we won the Premier League. It’s too long, I think. So you have to have in your mind - all the players, all the staff - we’re here to win. And I think we have that mentality. “I came to Manchester to win trophies. You’re playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world. This club has made history in the past, an amazing history.” United have made a disappointing start to the current season and sit 14th after three victories, three defeats and a draw from their opening seven games. They take on promoted West Bromwich Albion next Saturday as action resumes following the international break.

Ahly have completed the signing of Raja s Moroccan defender Badr Benoun on a four-year deal for their second close-season acquisition, the Egyptian champions announced on Wednesday. "The club has finalised the deal and received the player s international clearance," Ahly said in a brief statement on their official website without disclosing the transfer fee they had paid to Casablanca-based club Raja. Although Ahly boasted the best defensive record in their triumphant Egyptian Premier League campaign, having only conceded eight goals, their regular central defenders were still criticised for some shaky displays. The team s backline was also hit with a string of injuries, prompting Ahly to explore the market for a new center back. Benoun would fit into Ahly s new-found strategy under South African coach Pitso Mosimane, who usually prefers ball-playing defenders who can keep possession and contribute to build-up play further upfield. The towering 27-year-old has been a key member of Raja s squad in the past few years. This season, he helped them win the domestic league on the final day of the season and reach the African Champions League semi-final, where they lost to Ahly s perennial Cairo rivals Zamalek 4-1 on aggregate. He was partly to blame for one of Zamalek s goals in the return leg in Cairo when he allowed striker Mostafa Mohamed to rise unchallenged and send a bullet header home to kill off Raja s hopes. But he looked otherwise solid and composed, and is expected to face little competition to occupy a regular spot in Ahly s defence. Benoun s arrival means Ahly would have to offload one of their foreign players, with Angolan winger Geraldo and Senegalese striker Aliou Badji tipped to leave. The Red Devils also signed Arab Contractors winger Taher Mohamed Taher in July. Ahly are still in with treble chance this season, having won the league, reached the Egypt Cup quarters and the Champions League final, where they will face Zamalek in a mouthwatering clash on 27 November.

England defender Tyrone Mings has said it would be a big step forward in the fight for equality if the Football Association appoints a candidate from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities as its chair to replace Greg Clarke. Clarke resigned as chairman of English soccer’s governing body on Tuesday, hours after referring to “coloured footballers” during questions from members of parliament. “Of course, it would be a huge step,” Aston Villa defender Mings told reporters when asked if he would like to see a black man or woman at the helm. “It would be everything that a lot of people have worked for... people more senior than myself.” “But ultimately that isn’t what we’re asking for. We’re not necessarily asking for the next chief to be black. What we’re asking for is equal opportunities for both black and white people, or ethnic minorities.” Mings, who was involved in formulating the FA Football Leadership Diversity Code that was launched last month, said he hoped to see more BAME representation at managerial and coaching levels. “That’s what we’re trying to create with the code and I think that’s what will give us real lasting change,” he added. “There’s no point placing someone there, them failing and then saying, ‘Oh, we tried’. It’s about how can we improve the process.”

Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona is recovering well from a brain operation and post-surgery complications and should be discharged over the next couple of days, his personal physician said on Monday. “Diego wants to go home and we are evaluating his discharge,” Leopoldo Luque told reporters outside the hospital where the 60-year old Maradona was operated on last week for a subdural haematoma, a blood clot on the brain. “We’ll talk about where he goes later but for now we know that Diego is doing very well.” The former Barcelona, Napoli and Boca Juniors player was kept in over the weekend suffering from withdrawal symptoms caused by alcohol dependency but Luque said he would likely be discharged either “tomorrow or the next day.” The hospital stay was the latest in a string of health scares for the current coach of first division club Gimnasia y Esgrima. Maradona, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986 and is considered one of the greatest players of all time, has suffered frequent periods in hospital over the years, often due to his extravagant lifestyle.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said his side could not hide behind the referee’s decisions or their injury and illness woes after they stumbled to a 4-1 defeat at Valencia on Sunday. Real conceded three penalties for the first time in their history, all of which were scored by Valencia’s Carlos Soler, while Raphael Varane also scored an own goal, after Karim Benzema had given the champions the lead. Zidane had to make do without a total of six players for Sunday’s match after midfield anchor Casemiro and record signing Eden Hazard tested positive for COVID-19, but the coach said nothing excused their performance. “We can look for one thousand excuses and everyone can find any reason they want to explain this,” Zidane said. “But we should not be looking for excuses, everyone in this squad is a Real Madrid player.” The coach criticised his side for reacting so badly to Soler cancelling out Benzema’s opener. “We played well in the first half an hour but the game changed completely after they equalised. This has happened to us a number of times and I don’t like it,” he said. “We need to really analyse what is going wrong because any little thing can cause us lots of difficulties. Once we conceded the first goal we couldn’t get back into the game. A lot of things went against us today.” Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, however, felt his side were unlucky. “We were very motivated to turn the game around at halftime but I had to make a save as soon as the second half started and then we conceded two penalties,” he said. “I think (Valencia striker) Maxi Gomez fouled Marcelo but Maxi shouted louder and they gave a penalty. There was also a foul on Asensio, we were talking about that in the dressing room but you can’t change anything in the dressing room. “I don’t know how to explain it, they didn’t create too many chances but we had three penalties go against us and their second goal was very bad luck.”

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said several teams could win the Premier League this season, dismissing suggestions of a two-horse race between his side and Manchester City for the title. City and Liverpool have dominated the Premier League the past few seasons, with Pep Guardiola s City claiming the title in 2018-19 with 98 points to Liverpool s 97. Klopp s side coasted to the title last season, finishing 18 points ahead of second-place City, and the two teams are once again billed as the favourites to compete for the crown in this campaign. "Yes, it always was (more than a two-horse race)," Klopp told Sky Sports, echoing the sentiments of Guardiola, who is also expecting a wide open race. "Until a specific point, it was last year for a very long time at least a three-horse race... Nothing is guaranteed. I don t think about us as one of the two teams, I think about us as a team that has to do a lot of things right to be successful. "If we look back at the previous two years, they were impressive for both teams... but that doesn t mean this year we have the ticket to do it again, everybody has a chance." Liverpool, who trail league-leaders Southampton on goal difference, will have the opportunity to return to the top of the table when they face City, who are in 12th, later on Sunday.

Zamalek are determined to realise their dream of winning the African Champions League after they reached the final with a 3-1 comeback victory over Morocco s Raja on Wednesday, two-goal hero Mostafa Mohamed said. The in-form striker ended the match as a contest with two late goals after Ferjani Sassi had cancelled out Ben Malango s opener for Raja. In the 85th minute, Mohamed rose unmarked to send a bullet header past keeper Mohamed Bouamira before adding a second three minutes later, chesting down a diagonal cross from Sassi to break clear and fire home. The 22-year-old took his tally to eight goals in the Champions League this season. "I am very happy with the victory," Mohamed told beIN sports after the game. "It is an important step in our mission to win the title. Winning the Champions League is our dream and we are determined to make this dream come true." Zamalek meet Cairo rivals Ahly in an all-Egyptian final at Alexandria s Borg El-Arab Stadium on 27 November.

Zamalek will be favourites to join Cairo rivals Ahly in the African Champions League final when they host Raja on Wednesday, with the Moroccan side having had little time to prepare after their squad was hit by more than a dozen coronavirus infections. Although most of Raja players have recovered from the highly-contagious virus after the semifinal second leg was postponed twice, a fully-fit squad could hardly assemble before the match. Raja will still miss three players who have yet to recover, including first-choice goalkeeper Anas Zniti. The others are left-back Abdeljalil Jbira and defensive midfielder Mohamed Douik, who did not play in the first leg. A solid Zamalek side hold a clear advantage heading into the second leg at Cairo International Stadium, having snatched a 1-0 first-leg victory in Casablanca last month, thanks to a first-half header from in-form Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki. They will miss deep-lying forward Youssef Ibrahim, a key member of their starting line-up, due to injury but should welcome back influential defensive duo Mahmoud Alaa and Mahmoud Hamdi, both of whom shook off injuries in time. But Raja coach Jamal Sellami is adamant his side can overturn the deficit and beat the five-time African champions at their own venue. "Zamalek is a tough opponent but we will score in Egypt and we will beat them," Sellami told a Moroccan radio station on Sunday. "My team is not fit physically fit in comparison with Zamalek but I have many experienced players who are capable of making the difference in any moment during the game." Zamalek s Portuguese coach Jaime Pacheco, appointed in a rescue mission following the shock resignation of French boss Patrice Carteron, is likely to adopt a trademark cautious approach. Under Carteron and Pacheco, the White Knights usually close down spaces at the back and mainly rely on Bencharki and fellow winger Ahmed Zizo to finish off their pacy counter attacks at the other end. Zamalek are also buoyed by fulfilling one of their remaining targets of the season, having finished second in the Egyptian Premier League to seal a spot in next season s Champions League regardless of how they fare in this year s competition. They are eyeing their first Champions League crown since 2002.